Category: Yacht Club Business

Basin water

Hello fellow members

Just a quick heads up. The water is officially off to the basins and outlying washrooms. If you need water you now have to use water from inside the club, and clubhouse washrooms are available for use.

I look forward to the spring when we get to have fun on our boats again.

If you have any questions on water please just email or text me.

Have a great winter.

Joe Fryer

Hydro and water

On The Rocks

ON THE ROCKS

One of the advantages of belonging to a club like GYC is learning to sail by being mentored by more experienced sailors. Dave Manners, Doug Ryan, Bill Gamble, Don Sweatman, John Kilpatrick and many others have over the years generously shared their expertise and advice with me on seamanship and racing.

I’ve been a member of this club for 16 years and I’d like to think I’ve retained a lesson or two from everyone along the way. The thing about sailing is that the learning process is never ending. Case in point. This past week I had a friend and his daughter, very new to sailing but eager to learn, on board during the Wednesday evening fun race. We all learned a lesson that evening the hard way.

Due to some health issues this was actually my first race of any sort this year. A beautiful warm easterly breeze carried Diversion on one tack to the green can then downwind to the mark at Balmy. All was well as we rounded the mark and headed for home. Then began an unfortunate series of events.

The wind shifted. Ahead, Danae and Frisky both tacked away from the west shore and I foolishly chose to pinch on a close reach in the hope that the knock would shift to a lift. Unfortunately we did not have a “Manner’s minute” grace period and I felt the keel bump. Although we turned the wheel hard to port, it was to no avail as I had squandered the opportunity to heel the boat and we were now firmly “on the rocks” in a vertical position. I let the sails go, walked the anchor astern, and flung it as far as I could into the oncoming mercifully small onshore waves.

Looking astern I could see Ella Mae tacking back and forth in the deeper water. Only when my iPhone rang out did I discover that my VHS was not working and Becky was trying to contact me: John Griffith on Cedar Bank was steaming out from the club to give me a tow. I dug out my spare handheld VHS and received contact from John. Becky, low on gas and with night falling, sailed away.

John deftly manoeuvred his trawler in the shallow waters. Ed Griffith, with a full crew of volunteers onboard, threw a nylon tow line with instructions to affix it to a masthead halyard. As Cedar Bank slowly pulled the line taut I weighed anchor and moved captain and crew to the low side. Mast tipped, boat heeled, keel lifted and with a bit of bumping and grinding we were soon in deeper water. Lessons learned, rudder and prop sound, no water intrusion.

As we powered back to GYC with Cedar Bank escorting us, I tidied up the chaos on deck and reflected on the privilege of being in a club where so many members are willing to lend assistance at a moment’s notice.

Thanks a million to everyone who helped out that night.

GYC Fishing Derby Sept 15-16

All Members welcome – It’s time to show off your fishing skills….On September 15 and 16, 2023. The derby entry fee is $15.00 a person this includes meal or $15 per person for meal.
Please bring either a salad or dessert for the fish fry.
You can start fishing as early as you would like to on Friday but the official weigh in starts on Friday at 8:30 pm and on Saturday at 11:00 am at the gas dock. All fish must be weighed by noon on Saturday.
All fish entered will be donated for the Fish Fry starting at 5pm on Saturday.
There will be a trophy for the largest fish. There will be another prize for most pounds per pole.
Please confirm or pay Scott Wilson by September 14, 2023.
Any questions please call Scott Wilson cell 519-375-4470 or email scottewilson75@gmail.com