B R O N T E H A R B O U R Y A C H T C L U B A P R I L 2 0 1 8 N E W S L E T T E R
SIGNAL is published monthly by the Bronte Harbour Yacht Club. Deadline for submissions is the last day of each month. The SIGNAL Bronte Harbour Yacht Club 2514 Lakeshore Road West Oakville ON L6L 1H8 SIGNAL Editor Barbara Keeley-Watt 416-464-3730 signal@bhyc.on.ca SIGNAL Advertising Barbara Keeley-Watt 416-464-3730 signal@bhyc.on.ca BHYC Announcements announcement@bhyc.on.ca Accounts Monday-Friday 9am- 5pm Phaedra Renaud 905-808-6525 bhyc.pr@gmail.com Winter Club Hours Monday 16:00-20:00 Tuesday 16:00-20:00 Wednesday 16:00-20:00 Thursday 16:00-20:00 Friday 16:00-20:00 Saturday 15:00-19:00 Sunday 15:00-19:00 www.bhyc.on.ca CLUBHOUSE 905-827-6437 BHYC Board board@bhyc.on.ca Commodore Peter Kirkwood 416-526-0073 commodore@bhyc.on.ca Vice Commodore Reinier van der Wagen 905-464-2420 vicecommodore@bhyc.on.ca Rear Commodore, Sail Barry Jasper 905-208-0793 rcsail@bhyc.on.ca Rear Commodore, Power Ron Parker 416-315-5122 rcpower@bhyc.on.ca Rear Commodore, Training Peter Wells 416-434-4901 rctraining@bhyc.on.ca Treasurer Don Harkness 905-902-4384 treasurer@bhyc.on.ca Secretary Mary Ellen Bockler 905-334-3365 secretary@bhyc.on.ca Social Director Joan Spares 905-466-6731 social@bhyc.on.ca House Director Stein Pedersen 416-407-9021 house@bhyc.on.ca Membership Director Ian Coney 905-691-5919 membership@bhyc.on.ca Publicity Director Barbara Keeley-Watt 416-464-3730 publicity@bhyc.on.ca Past Commodore Richard Bissonnette 289-242-1406 pastcomm@bhyc.on.ca
P E T E R K I R K W O O D C o m m o d o r e Report from the Commodore As March comes to a close, we can look back at some wonderful Friday Appetizer nights at the club and a terrific St Patrick s Day Celebration. We also get to look back at winter and forward to launching the fleet this month! Some of you may think I am fixated on water levels - could be true! This month s update is from the US Army Corp of Engineers and they note on March 30 that Lake Ontario is 30 inches above chart datum. Of interest, Lake Ontario is the only lake to drop in March and is currently 6 inches lower now than at same time last year. Maybe room for cautious optimism? Time will tell. The spring meeting is coming up on April 12 th. I urge everyone to join us to hear about our progress. Other key dates are launch on April 28 th and our first race of the year May 6 th Ice Breakers. Check the calendar and watch for notices. We are joining OYS and Oakville Club for some interclub races this year. Two in spring and two more in the fall. Combined with the Easter Seals Regatta in the summer, this 5 race weekend series promises to be a lot of fun in the west end of the lake. See you on the water soon! Peter commodore@bhyc.on.ca Sue Sproule shared this photo with us. Sue Sproule, Ron Barr with Trudy & Mike Doody Enjoying a sail on Stealth off Marathon in Florida Keys.
REINIER VAN DER WAGON Vice Commodore Sign-up sheets for work party positions for Launch on April 28, 2018, will be posted in the Club on April 7, 2018. The schedule for the safety sessions for those who work in the yard during launch will be out as soon as the video arrives. Everyone intending to volunteer in the yard for Launch will need to view it and sign an attendance sheet afterwards. Remember, we will provide a hard hat but you need to bring (and wear) your own safety shoes/boots when we launch the boats. Application forms for Club wet moorings, dry storage, canoe/kayak/paddleboard storage, trailer storage and lockers are available at the bar or I can e-mail a form to you upon request (vicecom@bhyc.on.ca). There are only a few wet moorings left, so hurry if you intend to make use of one of these the rates cannot be beaten within the inner or outer harbour. Please note that the yard will be closed on the Sunday after Launch. No mast preparation or mast stepping will be allowed on this day. We will use the Sunday to tidy up and organize the yard. I believe that the Rear Commodore of Training (Peter Wells) will also be rigging eight dinghies and will require some volunteers to assist with this. Please keep an eye out for an e- mail in this regard. Your CKP sub-committee members are Pat Dewar, Eileen Platt and Philip Gelsheimer. Thank you to them for stepping up. Please speak to them about anything (needs, suggestions, etc.) related to kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. We still need members to join the Gardening Subcommittee. Spring has sprung and the gardens will need attention very soon. It really makes a huge difference to the appearance of our Club when the flower beds look good. Note that we won t expect you to mow the lawn! With the help of Murray Dinning, we have been able to remove the fence near the front entrance and the aim is to spruce up the area between the front door and the roadway that divides our Club from the Chris Volkes Memorial Park (bet you didn t know that this is what it is called). Again, please send me an e-mail at the above-mentioned e-mail address to join this sub-committee. Training for those who want to operate the mast crane and who have not received this training in the past will have to attend a one-hour presentation on a Saturday morning. Schedule to be announced shortly. Remember to contact me if you have any questions. Sailors Night April 5 John Gayford Preparing and delivering a Beneteau 373 from Bronte to St Martin in 2017 April 19 Crew Night Skippers invite your crew for a social night for racers. An opportunity also for those people interested in becoming crew on a race boat. Burger, potato salad and/or roasted potato for $ 5.00 taxes included Check the online calendar for further details. All events start at 19:00hrs. Peter McDougall p.mcdougall@lobmail.ca Roster 2018 Does your roster information need updating? Peter McDougall is preparing the new 2018 roster and asks that any member whose information has changed from the 2017 Roster, please advise him by E-mail as to the latest details (address; phone; boat type, name, mooring; etc.) Peter McDougall p.mcdougall@lobmail.ca Reinier vicecommodore@bhyc.on.ca
B A R R Y J A S P E R Rear Commodore Sail Welcome to spring everyone, let the annual pilgrimage to the yard, and the boat preparation begin, with or without the rain, the snow, and anything else that Mother Nature throws at us. Hardy Canadians, we got that. Thanks to all the sail committee members who met tonight and filled in all the gaps for me, especially Peter McDougall, who has organized sailor s nights in my absence; and all the members who donated their time and expertise, to be presenters. There are two more nights to go, Thursday, April 5 th when John Gayford will be our host, and Thursday April 19 th, a skippers and crew members night, with $5.00 hamburgers. If you are crew without a boat, or a skipper without crew, this is ground zero, here is where it all starts. Thanks also to Cam Watt, busy working in the background to put all the website things in place, that we all rely on, throughout the year. Club racing is ready, the NOR and the SI s are posted and registration is open. Get all your boat info together, and sign up now, anyone needing help registering, come along on the April19 th, we will give you all the help you need. Just one word of caution, all that talk in the past about mainsail measurement, that didn t seem to amount to much; well this year the drawbridge is up, and the portcullis is down. No mainsail measurement, no PHRF certificate; no certificate no race scores..just saying. Planning is continuing for Bronte Rocks, see Mariela Carvallo if you want to help on the committee; for GHYRA Regatta Week, whose registration is also open on line, see Chris Burcher for more information; for TGIF races, see Mike Mills if you can help out running these fun races. Many thanks to Mike Paulson, for putting together the cruising schedule, no spoilers here. Come to the pot-luck supper Saturday April 7 th, all will be revealed. All the races and regattas, from here and around the lake, are on the BHYC website calendar, so you can plan your whole season out easily. There will be an additional, joint OYS, OC, BHYC, Oakville challenge cup series, which will include 5 races. Two Sundays in June hosted by OYS, two Sundays in September hosted by BHYC, and the Easter Seals race. Natalie Bullard, will be our representative on the organizing committee for Easter Seals again this year, many thanks Natalie. I am looking forward to seeing where we are in the new committee boat process and getting together with all our race committee volunteers, to set up schedules, dot the eyes, and cross the tees, during the next couple of weeks. Anyone wishing to be added to the roster, now is the time to put your best foot forward, send your details to Peter McDougall p.mcdougall@lobmail.ca Roll on April 28 th, enough talking and organizing, let s get back on the water, where we belong. Barry rcsail@bhyc.on.ca
PETER WELLS Rear Commodore of Training DON HARKNESS Treasurer The Learn to Sail open house will be taking place on Saturday 7 th April from noon until 4pm. This is a come and go event and there will be a door prize as well refreshments will be served. We have extended the early registration discount to the 21 st April so that anyone who attends the Open House will have enough time to get their registrations in before the discount is history. I will again remind you that all members get a 15% discount so if you have family members who would like to learn to sail, please make sure that you register them early and get both discounts and a full choice of courses and time slots. Our Publicity director Barbara Keeley-Watt has been very active publicizing the Open House on social media, but every little bit of personal contact helps get the word out so if you have friends or colleagues whose children would enjoy learning to sail, please do not hesitate to mention to them about our sailing school and the Open House. As I am sure most members are aware, the Sailing School makes the most significant financial contribution to club finances of any of the club activities and every extra student helps in that regard. On the 29 th of April (day after launch) there will be the usual work party to clean up the yard, but we also need to rig 8 dinghies and two coach boats which will be used by the Ontario Sailing Association for their classes for instructors and coaches. This will mean that we will need a few more members who would like to put in some work hours so please consider whether you can lend a hand at that time. Learn to Sail registrations continue to flow in but certainly not as the rate that we saw early in the year, so we are looking for a boost following the Open House. Racing registrations have also been a little slower than last year except for the C420 program which is sold out. Peter Wells rctraining@bhyc.on.ca As requested by the members at the fall annual meeting, I have issued a Request for Proposals to a number of audit firms to ensure that we are receiving good value for our annual year end audit. Responses are due in early April and a recommendation will be made at the spring meeting. Membership renewal invoices were mailed in February and are now due. If you haven t already paid you can do so by credit or debit at the club bar or you can make an online payment if you bank with TD Canada Trust. I am looking into other online payment options that I hope to be able to report on soon. Lastly we have been working on our budget. With fewer boats paying for storage this winter, we are starting the year with $11,000 less in revenue. For those members currently storing their boats with the town, I would encourage you to investigate storing with the club next fall. With rates lower than the town, it could be a win/win for both the member and the club. Don Harkness teasurer@bhyc.on.ca STEIN PEDERSEN House Director Club usage has been up due to the social events that have been happening as well as the regular members events such as Wednesday night darts. This all benefits the club, rentals, bar revenue, all up. We would like this to continue, but not to the detriment of our own club activities we have to be selective. The next time someone mentions an event or an affair that they want to hold, mention our club. Again, you, our members are out own best advertisers. Bookings can be made, or tours arranged, by calling our club staff at any time during opening hours. We have a fantastic location by the lake. Stein Pedersen house@bhyc.on.ca
J O A N S P A R E S S o c i a l D i r e c t o r Well! If ya didn t don the green on St. Paddy s and come to the Club, you will wish you had! More than 40 of our BHYC members and friends enjoyed great food and fun on the 17th. As in the last two years, the steak, stout, and stilton pies from THAT PIE PLACE were delicious! The Pot of Gold was shared this year with the Oakville Food Bank; just over $90 was donated to this important local cause. A couple of tables tied for winning the Irish Trivia contest and we had a tie as well for the person who best displayed the green on their figure. No doubt, one of the most entertaining pastimes was the limerick contest. It was no mean feat to decide on the best one as there were so many that could have won. In the end, however, the following limerick was the winner: There once was a skipper and mate Who considered themselves first rate They raced around the cans Without strategy or plans And crossed the line 3 hours too late! Congratulations to Don and Julie Harkness (and table mates) for this catchy composition (which some of us believe was based on an actual event). Our Friday night appetizers kicked off on March 2nd with the Potluck Friday Night Appetizers. Thanks, is extended to Ceilidh, Magical and Defiant for providing apps on the 9th, and to Pete Fuller and Laurie Furness for WING OFF! on the 23rd. Coming Up: Saturday, April 28th - LAUNCH LUNCH Lasagna with homemade garlic bread Joan social@bhyc.on.ca Recipe for Curry Mayonnaise Here is the recipe for the dip for sweet potato fries that we enjoyed at the St Paddy s dinner. Curry Mayonnaise (dip for sweet potato fries) ¾ cup mayonnaise 1 tsp curry powder ½ tsp mustard powder 1 tsp white vinegar 1 tsp water ½ to ¾ tsp freshly ground pepper Blend ingredients well and put the dip in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving. Personally, I like to make it in the morning if I want it at dinner time! Enjoy Joan
Bronte Harbour Yacht Club hosts Ontario's largest Visually Impaired Learn to Sail Program. 41st annual Visually Impaired Program JUNE 18 22, 2018 VIP SAILING WEEK BRONTE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB Our Club s biggest community event every year and once again we are looking for skippers, boats and crew to help on the water, in the clubhouse and at Fifty Point (with any luck). Once again Email sign-up is the only way to register; vip@bhyc.on.ca. You will receive a confirmation from Ole Sigvardt. Please come out,help and pray for normal water levels. looking for skippers, boats and crew to help on the water, in the clubhouse and at Fifty Point (with any luck). Email sign-up is the only way to register; vip@bhyc.on.ca. We invite visually impaired people from all over the GTA for five days of fun day-sailing, a cruise to Fifty Point Marina and a day of racing. Participants learn the fundamentals of sailing on 30 foot keel boats, seamanship basics, and some basic racing techniques. The week ends with a race around audible marks.
B A R B A R A K E E L E Y - W A T T P u b l i c i t y D i r e c t o r M I K E P A U L S O N C r u i s i n g D i r e c t o r Boat Gear Yard Sale start looking out all that boat equipment you no longer need. A yard sale is booked for Saturday May 26 and a BBQ lunch will be available hotdogs & burgers. Tables are limited so be sure to book your table at publicity@bhyc.on.ca. It has been a busy month getting the BHYC 2018 Regalia organized. There will be 4 Regalia clothing items offered in a variety of colours; Polo shirt, Fleece Jacket with full a full zipper; Windbreaker Jacket; and a Cap. Personalization will be an option if you d you re your boat name embroidered. Watch your inbox in the next week or so for updates as ordering will be online and charged to your club account. Launch day is fast approaching and we need some cooperation from the weather gods, here s hoping for some warm weather and we can get at the boat work. There is a lunch planned for launch date watch your inbox for details. If you can t help on launch day, come out and help with the yard clean up day after launch. It looks as though Spring is finally here, it won't be long before the yard will be a buzz with people preparing for launch and we hope that you are as excited about the upcoming season as we are. Your cruising committee have made plans for several cruises, some are finalized, some are still in the works. Please join us for a pot luck supper on Saturday, April 7th at 18:00hrs, to visit with friends, enjoy a shared meal and learn about the activities we have for 2018 A pot luck Summer has been a tradition on our cruises, so bring along your favourite appetizer, main course or dessert for everyone to enjoy. Mike Cruising@bhyc.on.ca Our last Games Night was held the last week of March, a big thank you to Marge Furness for organizing these fun nights over the winter months. It was a lot of fun, and we ll look forward to future Games Nights in the fall. Please remember we operate as a self help Yacht Club and require everyone to participate in the activities & chores around the club. The annual work party commitment for each membership category is: Senior 25 hours; Associate15 hours; Paddling 15 hours; Dinghy 15 hours; Crew 1 Club Race; Intermediate 25 hours. Keep your work party hours up to date by submitting your volunteer hours online, here s how: go to the BHYC website at www.bhyc.on.ca; click on "membership" tab; click on "submit volunteer hour" from the drop-down menu and complete the form. Check the online calendar for regular updates on club activities. Have a good April everyone! Barbara publicity@bhyc.on.ca
Canadian Power & Sail Oakville Squadron Oakville Power and Sail Squadron is pleased to Announce a Free Seminar Wednesday April 11, 2018 from 7pm until 10 pm Blue Water Sailing and Modern Navigation with Tips on Weather. The journey of a lifetime on a sailboat from Florida through the Caribbean to the Panama Canal. From the Canal to the Galapagos Islands then to Tahiti and finally the West Coast of Australia. Then do it all over again back to Florida during hurricane season. Have you thought about what it takes to calculate your route? What factors do you take into account in planning your route? How do find information on weather? Hurricanes? What devices will work in the middle of nowhere? What software and devices are available to assist a Blue Water Sailor and the rest of us? Plus the Trials and Tribulations of off shore cruising. Presented by Cliff Feehan Free Pizza and refreshments will be provided at the break, courtesy of Oakville Power and Sail Squadron A limited number of seats are still available! To reserve your spot call Mike Johnson 905-220-3358 or email mcjohnson90@hotmail.com Seminars will take place at Oakville Town Hall 1225 Trafalgar Rd. Town Staff will assign a room on the Day of the event