...a little dinghy. At Our Helm 2. Commodore s Desk

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1 GOLD COUNTRY YACHT CLUB...a little dinghy VOL 21, ISSUE 2 FEBUARY 2002 Inside this issue: At Our Helm 2 Commodore s Desk 3 CANNON BALLS 4 The Fundamentals of Dinghy Choice Next General 7 Distilled Wisdom Renewal App 10 5 Fleet 54 Where Are You? 12 Bird Droppings 13 Calendar of Events 14 Minutes 17 Our Fleet 19 For Sale 19

2 2 At our Helm Commodore Hugh Talman How To Reach Us: We welcome letters from our readers. The writer should include his/her name, address and phone number....a little dinghy reserves the right to select letters for publication and edit all submissions for length. Letters to the editor: G. Frank Nin P.O. Box 813 Grass Valley, CA Or send by to: On the cover... This month s cover picture titled In Cold Storage is a picture of a sailboat in dry storage and covered in snow from a recent storm. The picture was treated with the Adobe Photoshop Elements program to give it a painting like quality. I thought it was appropriate to use this picture since some of us have been waiting for snow to fall at lo w elevations... All material in this newsletter has been written and gathered by G. Frank Nin the newsletter editor of the Gold Country Yacht Club (GCYC), and the publication of this material in this newsletter is at his discretion and it is his responsibility alone and not that of the GCYC. Permission to re-print photos and stories, have been granted where noted. Every attempt has been made as not to infringe on any copyright laws. This newsletter is for a non-profit club. The GCYC is a non-profit organization. Vice Commodore Tish Buti tbuti@littonengr.com Secretary Don Wight wight@nid.dst.ca Rebecca Carter (Assistant) Treasurer Nicolette Talman Cruise Chairman Pat Lund patlund@gv.net Publicity/ Membership Paul Butts paulm10@netshel.net Port Captain Dough Epperson Race Chairman Jerry Lewis jlewis@oro.net Newsletter Editor G. Frank Nin gfnin@earthlink.net

3 Commodore s Corner 3 Ahoy Mateys, Well, I don t know about the rest of you but I ve had enough snow and cold weather. Today was a beautiful day sunny and warm (well, 60 degrees feels really warm after a week of temperatures in the teens. ) Even with snow still on the ground, I could envision myself (and crew) on Island Girl on a broad reach, under sunny skies, heading toward the cove for a raft-up and barbecue. Doesn t that sound great? I know, it s only February. But you can bet I ll be one of the first ones on a mooring ball at Scott s Flat! Ah yes, pass the Chardonnay. Back to reality. I would first like to thank everyone who turned out for our last meeting. It was gratifying to see so many of you there to discuss and vote on an important issue, raising dues. As most of you probably know, our liability insurance tripled this year. This was not and I want to make this very clear a result of building a clubhouse or owning club boats. The clubhouse will not be owned by the Gold Country Yacht Club, it will be the property of N.I.D. We need the same coverage for one boat (or barge) or 10 boats. The main reason the insurance skyrocketed this year is due to the fact that for the past several years we have been under-insured and very lucky. In order to raise enough money to cover the added insurance cost we would have to increase dues to at least $100. The Board of Directors agreed that this was too much to ask of our members, so we agreed on $65 per year, an increase of $15. The Board came Terracotta Creations Delightful Decoupage Designs paulm10@netshel.net Warbler Way Penn Valley, CA (Continued on page 8) Susan Butts (530)

4 4 CANNON BALLS In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannon fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon, but prevent them from rolling about the deck. The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four, resting on nine which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of thirty cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem - how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding/rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a, "Monkey," with sixteen round indentations. If this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make, "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the cannon balls would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!" {And all this time, you have had dirty thoughts, haven't you?} Story submitted by MD80Sailor@aol.com Century 21 Davis Realty, Inc. 901 La Barr Meadows Rd., Ste A, Grass Valley, CA Wayne Buti REALTOR Associate Bus: (530) Fax: (530) Cell: (530) wbuti@yahoo.com

5 5 The Fundamentals of Dinghy Choice by Tom Wood Choosing a dinghy is one of sailing's great compromises. Different sailors call upon a dink to perform diverse tasks. A racer with his boat on a mooring needs a tender capable of carrying all the crew and gear a short distance to the buoy, where the dinghy then waits for the end of the race. A liveaboard couple may use their dinghy to haul supplies long distances, to set storm anchors, for fishing, diving, and exploring. There is a dinghy for every sailor, as a casual glance around the docks will attest. Size and power are the major considerations. Too small a dinghy makes hauling unexpected guests or heavy loads a dangerous undertaking. Slow speeds make trekking to a distant anchorage miserable if the weather turns foul. On the other hand, too large a dinghy and engine are difficult for a small crew to handle and stow in a seamanlike fashion. It is our observation that many novice liveaboard cruisers begin with very small, low-powered dinks and gradually work themselves up the dinghy size and power chain to large planing tenders. Choosing the proper dink has many facets. Besides speed and carrying capacity, other considerations are: Initial cost Longevity Weight and the crew's physical condition Stowability Susceptibility to damage Repairability and maintenance Resale value Methods of powering Fortunately, there is a dinghy on the market to suit any need. Here are some thoughts: Solid dinks of wood, fiberglass, aluminum, or plastic are rugged and very long-lived. If the purchase price is amortized over their lifetimes, they are very inexpensive, and they retain resale value nearly anywhere. Rigid dinghys can take the abuse of commercial docks, beaches, and knocks against coral. If damaged they are easy to repair in most parts of the world with basic materials and tools. A little filler and fresh coat of paint can make an old dog look like new. Little boats have more power options. They can be sculled, rowed, paddled, sailed, or powered by an outboard motor.

6 6 Inflatables Inflatables have much greater stability and carrying capacity. They are hard to tip over when loaded and can carry up to 30 times their own weight in crew and gear. Inflatables are fast. Properly powered, even small inflatables are capable of speeds over 25 knots. Roll-up boats are light and easy to store. Two people can usually haul one aboard without mechanical help. Folded up, an inflatable can be stuffed in the V-berth, which is a blessing in preventing theft or preparing for an oncoming storm. Rigid Inflatables As expected, a hybrid with a solid hull bottom and inflatable hull sides has some of the best and worst features of each type. RIBs have the speed, buoyancy, and stability of the inflatable, but also share their limited rowing and sailing ability. RIBs provide the stable ride and handling of a solid din- ghy, but present the same weight and stowage problems as the hard tender. RIBs require maintenance kits and skills to repair both materials. The dinghy equation should be tailored to not only the use for which it is intended, but the crew and the mothership as well. Here are some thoughts on what works: Boats on moorings that never leave their homeport need a good solid barge for a dinghy. A large flat - bottomed aluminum hull is fine where the harbor is usually calm. Be sure to put numerous fenders around its rubrail. The right dinghy for you is a direct function of the type of sailing you do and of the size of your boat and crew. For solo voyagers or couples on a longterm cruise with a limited budget, a cockleshell hard dink is probably best. Used ones are cheap, no outboard is required, and maintenance and repairs are inexpensive. Best of all, at the end of the cruise, the purchase price can be recap- John O Dell Realty 123 Mill St, Grass Valley, CA Lisa O Dell-Nin REALTOR Associate Bus: (530) Cell: (530) Fax: (530) lnin@nevadacounty.com

7 7 tured by selling the dink. For couples, families, or larger groups on mid-sized boats up to 40 feet, an inflatable is probably the best choice. This is especially true if the cruise isn't intended to last a lifetime or if there are physical handicaps such as a bad back. Halyards or special deck cranes make handling lightweight boats and motors quite easy. A mothership between 40 and 60 feet will probably be fitted with davits or a motorized transom lift to handle a larger tender. Given that the budget enabled this lucky sailor to own a large boat, the cost of a RIB shouldn't be a problem. The extra carrying capacity and speed will be appreciated in many anchorages. The next General Meeting February 13 At Larry and Lena s Pizza and Grill Johnston Place, Grass Valley Ca. Phone (530) Just off HWY 49 and Alta Sierra Drive 6:00 PM to eat 7:00 PM for meeting RIBs have extra carrying capacity and speed, but they are also more expensive and harder to stow. Sailing vessels over 60 feet may opt to go back to a rigid tender, completing an interesting circle. Here, single-arm hydraulic davits can hoist a half-ton speedboat aboard and set it in a cradle without effort. This article was originally published on SailNet in October 21 of Article URL: com/collections/articles/prt_article. cfm?artid=woodto018 20% discount on food called before 4:00 PM Resilient and long-lived, solid dinks retain their resale value worldwide.

8 8 (Continued from page 3) CC0202 up with several other ideas to raise money: Enforce $10 late fee for dues not received by April 1 st ; Increase club boat rental fees to $20/day for the Capri and $10/day for a Sunfish ($5/day to Jr. Sailing graduates). One great idea was to host a fall dinghy regatta, and Lynn Buchanan has already volunteered to head that event. All these recommendations were voted in unanimously by the members present at the January general meeting. Another way to raise money is to get more members. Our Publicity/Membership Chairman, Paul Butts, is already busy working on ideas for a membership drive. In addition, Don Eagle has volunteered to head an idea committee to come up with more ways to raise funds. So, if you have any ideas on this subject or would like to volunteer to help out on this committee, give Don a call. Let me close this subject by saying thanks for your support, and I hope the increase in dues won t cause any of you to drop your me m- bership. We appreciate every one of our members and have lots of great things in store for the club this year. Next, I would like to report on a meeting our Vice Commodore and I had with Karen of Kaylyn Management at Scotts Flat Lake. We discussed the clubhouse, our 2002 club calendar and various upcoming events. Karen expressed her satisfaction with what we have been doing and said things have been going smoothly between GCYC and Scotts Flat. She had one thing she wanted me to remind our members about and that is, the mooring balls are first come, first served. GCYC members do not have priority over anyone else. Okay, now for my favorite subject the Clubhouse. Since our last meeting I have had three more work parties. At the first one we finished bolting down the steel and tightened everything up. Thanks to Doug Epperson, Jeremy Gicker and Don Wight for helping me with that project. At the second work party Joe Day and I formed the stairs and sidewalk. Then, today Doug and I sorted through piles of scrap metal roofing, trying to find enough of one color for the roof. We were lucky and found enough green, which we measured, cut to size, and hauled out to the site. So, the next work party will be (Continued on page 10) O Dell Construction 123 Mill St., Grass Valley, CA John O Dell General Contractor/Civil Engineer SCL Tel: 530/ Fax: 530/ jodell@odellconstruction.com

9 9 We re on the web Distilled Wisdom My 150 geneoa has two "strings", one extending from the leech and one from the foot, at the clew. They obviously serve some purpose that escapes me. The sail is an CATALINA YACHTS sail. Could someone enlighten me? Thanks, Mike Crawford Here is an explanation from a sailmakers web site: The main purpose of the leechline is to stop the leech from fluttering when the designed windspeed is exceeded or the sail is showing its age. You can also control the flutter by changing your halyard tension and/ or lead position. This line is not a shape control. For the sail that is older, or has seen some tough times, the leech has stretched making it looser. If tightening the leech line has no affect, then a sailmaker can take up on the leech slightly, which should cure the problem somewhat. If the leech line is over tensioned, the leech may become severely hooked, which will affect boat speed in a negative way. The line should be tensioned a little at a time, just to the point where the leech ceases to flutter. If the wind picks up then a little more tension will be necessary. John Flato Houston 3 Day Pass (must be 18 or older, first time visitor) COURTHOUSE ATHLETIC CLUB Fitness for Everybody Call Now Tel: GV (530) or Aub. (530) Expiration Date:12/31/2002

10 10 (Continued from page 8) CC0202 to put on the roof. Once that is done we will call for a final inspection, which I hope to have by this time next month. But don t worry, there is still lots more to do! And I will be calling you! Lastly, I received an a-mail from Rick Pareno, Staff Commodore of Whiskeytown Sailing Club. He asked me to let our members know that their club is hosting the Capri 22 National Championship Race this year during their annual Memorial Day regatta at Whiskeytown Lake west of Redding, CA on May 25 th and 26 th, Any interested parties should call Rick at (530) or him at Rrpareno@aol.com. This is always a great regatta, and I hope all you new Capri 22 owners get out there and race! I ll be there to cheer you on. Anchors Aweigh, Hugh Fleet 54 Where Are You? 2002 promises to be a great year for Catalina 22 Region 10 s Fleet 54 anchored right here with the Gold Country Yacht Club. Fleet 54 was recognized as the fastest growing fleet within the Catalina 22 organization last year. This year s Fleet Captain is yours truly Lynn Buchanan (Sailynn), Fleet Measurer will be Don Hare (No Cat Hare) and Secretary/Treasurer will be Doug Epperson (Myott). There are no dues other than your membership with the Gold Country Yacht Club or the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association. For all those who wish to be eligible for the annual Catalina 22 Fleet 54 Racing Trophy, you will need to be a National Association member (cost $25.00) and race under the rules of the C22 NSA. Aside from the racing, C22 s will be cruising and rafting up this year. The first raft up and meeting will be on March 30 th at the end of the GCYC Series 1 Spring Race on Saturday. 3 Great Locations! 128 Auburn St, Grass Valley (530) Argall Way, Nevada City 1110 E. Main St, Grass Valley

11 11 Weather permitting; we will meet near the Scott s Flat Lake marina after a day of sailing. Bring a snack to share with fellow C22 owners. We will talk about the cruise to Whiskeytown during Memorial Day weekend. Also we have plans to raft up every Wed. evening after daylight savings begins (Apr. 7). Future cruising plans include a more extensive cruise for the first two weeks of July to Princess Louise in British Columbia by C22 owners and GCYC members. I also heard there may be a cruise down the Columbia River over Labor Day weekend with C22 members from Portland Oregon. And of course there is going to be the San Francisco Bay Cruise to Angel Island. I ll keep you posted on upcoming monthly events. Call me at if you want to talk C22 or need information on cruising and racing. What a bunch of whuses! I called everyone in the GCYC last week right around dinnertime, and asked for you all by the name given in the phone book -- ( hello, may I speak to Patricia Buti? or hello, may I speak to Nicolette Talman? -- amazing how you all either hung up immediately, or got off something like We don't want any before I could even give you my spiel. Well, my whole idea was to start a club within a club -- sorta like the Seals are to the Navy, right? Only this one has to do with polar bears. Just think of it --becoming a charter member of the Gold Country Yacht Club Polar Bears Ass Freezing Society! Well, of course when nobody showed up, I singlehandedly plowed through the snow up to Scotts Flat, skated out towards the middle, cut a hole in the ice, set up a little hut, and Froliced (frolicked, frollict, (whatever))) in the icey waters of Lago de Scotts Flatte. I gotta say, it was a mite chilly. Of course I had my faithful companion Merlot by my side, and together we weathered the cold. Now I have noticed that after several hearty glasses, that things begin to warm up. So, trusing experience, I commenced to get really warm. So warm in fact that I dived (dove, plunged, whatever))) beneath the icey (Continued on page 14)

12 12 Calendar of Events January 7 BOD Meeting 9-General Meeting Larry & Lena's Pizza 26 th PICYA Installation -Corinthian YC February 13 General Meeting Larry & Lena's Pizza March 13 General Meeting Larry & Lena's Pizza 16 *Practice Race Scotts Flat 30 th *Race #1 Spring Series April 6 Camellia Cup Folsom Lake 9 th BOD Meeting 10 th General Meeting-Larry & Lena's Pizza 13 Trans Folsom Race Folsom Lake 14 *Race #2 Spring Series Konocti Monster Race-Clear Lake Sail Expo Cruise Jack London Sq. 20,21,27,28-Adult Sailing Class Konocti Cup Race-Clear Lake May 4 *Race #3 Spring Series 8 General Meeting- Larry & Lena's Pizza 19 *Race #4 End Spring Series Whiskeytown Regatta/Cruise 29 th BOD Meeting June 1 *Race #5 Summer Series 4 General Meeting 8-9 *GCYC Regatta Clear Lake Regatta- Under 20 17, rd Junior Sailing Program #1 19 *SFL BBQ Cruise 29 th *Race #6 Summer Series 30 th *Friendship Club Day July 4 *SFL Parade 5 Pacific Northwest Cruise 7 th *Race #7 Summer Series Crazy 7s

13 13 10 th General Meeting 13 High Sierra Regatta Small Boats 19 High Sierra #2 24 *SFL BBQ Cruise 28 th *Race #8 End Summer Series 29 th - Junior Sailing Orientation #2 August 1-4 th Junior Sailing Program #2 7th *SFL BBQ Cruise 10 th *Race #9 Fall Series 14 th General Meeting 18 *Race #10 Fall Series 21 st *SFL BBQ Cruise 24 th Lady & the Tramp Race-Folsom 31 st RYC Byte Championship 31 st Tahoe Cruise September RYC Byte Championship 1 st & 2 nd Tahoe Cruise 7th *Race #11 Fall Series 10 th BOD Meeting 11 th General Meeting 15 th *Race #12 Fall Series 15 th Folsom Lake Centerboard Regatta Folsom Lake Fall Regatta RYC Dinghy Regatta October 4 *Race #13 Alternate 5 th & 6 th Fleet Week Cruise (if held), SF 8 General Meeting- Larry & Lena's Pizza St Francis Dinghy Regatta November 4 BOD Meeting 13 General Meeting- Larry & Lena's Pizza Cold Turkey Cruise, SF Bay December 1 Cold Turkey Cruise 4 Awards/Christmas Party *Events at Scotts Flat Lake Meetings at Scotts Flat Lake Clubhouse (hopefully)

14 14 (Continued from page 11) Bird Droppings crust and held my breath for a while as I swam ever deeper and farther from my little shack. I decided to try again for the route west. Did you know that there is a secret passage from Scotts Flat Lake all the way to the Bay? Only abailable during the winter monse it seems. It happens when there¹s lotsa snow runoff, groundhogs have made underwater tunnels, and the ice floes keep the water levels high (I know, it doesn¹t make sense to me either, but this is, after all, just another fig of my imagination). Anyways, dear reader, here¹s the drill: First you go and make a hole in the ice, back your trailer and boat up to the shore, taking special care not to let your car back to far down on to the ice. Launch your boat on the ice and slide it out to the big hole. Open the door to your fishing shack, stick your sailboat down through the hole, start your motors (enny dam fool knows you can't sail underwater), and set your compass to west. Please note: your GPS won't work so hot here, because you're under ice, and the saddlelight waves can't cut through all that crap. So, better rely on navigational skills. Having a dodger is a real plus here, because it keeps the water out of your eyes. When you see the chain for the Place Your 2 x 3.5 Ad Here! cove buoy, remain submerged for at least another 39 minutes. The current will pretty much keep you on track, so don't worry about the boulders, sharp rocks, petrified trees, extra large fish, or sandbanks. Go for another 26 minutes exactly. Turn right (that's starboard). after 11 minutes, 46 seconds, you'll come to a clearing, and can surface. Break out the ping pong balls you've stored in the bilges and put them in the main cabin. This will cause you to float to the surface, and you can then hoist your sails and continue on your journey to the bay. You'll be passing things like Sacramento, the ghost fleet at Benecia, and some fancy-schmancy bridges. But look for the signs and head up to Napa, where they produce some very fine warmer-upper liquid imbibements. Stay the rest of the winter. Hoist your GCYCPBAFS flag. Sit back, relax, thank God you're not in Minnesota, where it gets really cold. Contact: G. Frank Nin For more information. gfnin@earthlink.net (530)

15 15 GCYC Minutes General Meeting, January 9 th, 2002 Called to order 19:10 hrs Officer Reports: Vice Commodore, Tish Buti: Nothing to report at this time. Secretary, Don Wight: Nothing to report at this time. Treasurer, Nicki Talman: Thanks to Tish Buti for computer organization of the Club s account. Race Chair, Jerry Lewis: The tentative race schedule is out and comprised of 4 races per 3 seasons. Jerry asked for a show of hands from those who would like to race and/or work the barge this year. There was a good show of hands on these two inquires. When asked, there was no interest from the members in forming a Race Committee to work the barge or in attending a seminar on race committees. Jerry presented Jeremy Gicker and Kent Bennett with awards for racing in the dingy class. Cruising Chair, Pat Lund: Beginning August 21 st, Wednesday evenings will be raft up/ BBQ cruise night on Scotts Flat Res. There will be cruising points given for attending. July 4 th is a Parade on Scotts Flat Res., and the kickoff date for a Pacific NW cruise. A Lake Tahoe cruise is scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Port Captain, Doug Epperson: Absent Newsletter Editor, Frank Nin: Absent Publicity and Membership, Paul Butts: Announced new member Chastity Denton. Paul stated he is looking for volunteers to help in the race committee. Committee Reports: Lynn Buchanan announced she has recently retired and will be available to conduct more sailing classes for both juniors and adults. Old Business: The cost (Continued on page 16)

16 16 of insurance to the Club has increased from $1000 to $3000. New Business: Tish Buti presented the following BOD recommendations for raising the necessary funds: Increase dues to $65/yr ($15 increase) Enforce $10 late fee for dues not received by April 1 st. Increase rental fees to $20/day for the Club Capri, $10/day for a Sunfish and $5/day for a Sunfish to graduates of the Jr. Sailing Program. Raise the balance of fees with a Fall dingy regatta and membership drive. Motion by Don Eagle to accept the Boards recommendations Seconded by Richard Pennock Unanimous yes vote by attending Club me m- bers. Don Eagle volunteered to form an ad hoc fund raising committee. Lynn Buchanan volunteered to chairperson the Fall Dingy Regatta. Raffle Prize winner: Jerry Lewis Adjournment: 20:40hrs GCYC Minutes Board of Directors Meeting Called to order; 1/7/02 19:00 Hrs In Attendance; Hugh Talman Commodore, Trish Butti Vice Commodore, Niki Talman Treasurer, Pat Lund Cruise Chairman, Jerry Lewis Race Chairman, Paul Butts Publicity/ Membership, Frank Nin Newsletter Editor, Don Wight Secretary First agenda item was the 2002 proposed calendar of events; see enclosed 2002 calendar. Second agenda item; How to finance necessary liability insurance for the Club Motion by Trish Butti; Raise dues by $15/yr Seconded by Paul Butts. Board vote; unanimous yes votes. Motion by Niki Talman; Enforce $10 late fee for dues not received by April 1 st Seconded by Pat Lund. Board vote; unanimous yes votes. Motion by Wayne Butti; Increase rental fees for Club owned boats, $20/day for the

17 17 Capri, $10/day for the Sunfish, $5/day for the Sunfish to Jr. Sailing Program Grads. Seconded by Niki Talman. Board vote; unanimous yes votes. Paul Butts address the board with his concerns over more participation from Club members during races at Scotts Flat Res. Discussion ensued. Meeting adjourned at 21:15 hrs. Don Wight GCYC Secretary OUR FLEET Compiled by Paul Butts Catalina Coronado 15 Catalina 25-6 Cobalt 22 Capri 22-5 Enterprise Santana 20-2 Banshee MacGregor 21 2 Traveler 32 Moore 24 Spacesailor Trawler Hunter 25 Ericson Montgomery 17 Prindle 16 Marlin Holder 20 Oday 25 San Juan 26 Lido 14 Total 42 IRWIN 37 Cutter Rig 1980 center cockpit sailboat. Double staterooms and heads, Dickinson heater, dodger, RF, wind, depth, knot, VHF, radar, autopilot, windlass, ST winches, great sails, low engine hours. Lots of new items since Aug Will consider smaller boats towards purchase of $52,900 call or Sailynn@jps.net 1983 Coronado daysailer with trapeze, full boat cover, main and jib and EZ-Load trailer. Current registrations on boat and trailer. Want smaller boat for 5 year old grand-daughter. Will consider trades or $ Call or Sailynn@jps.net

18 Gold Country Yacht Club P.O. Box 813 Grass Valley, CA All you need is love, All you need is love, All you need is love, Love, love is all you need. All you need is love, All you need is love, Love, love is all you need. All you need is love, All you need is love, All you need is love, Love, love is all you need. All you need is love, All you need is love, All you need is love, Love, love is Produced for the Gold Country Yacht Club, a non-profit organization