THE STILLWATER COVE’ER

June-July 2020

Commodore’s Log

Ahoy! I hope that this message finds you staying healthy and safe during these times. We find ourselves in a routine now…adjusting to our new normal. We have come a long way, but we aren’t done yet. Please maintain your protocols

of staying at home, sanitizing, hand washing, wearing masks, and 6-foot social distancing. It will pay off and we will have a safer environment as a reward. Stay the course and give the Coronavirus a wide berth!

Since our last newsletter, I can report that SYC has cancelled our Youth Watersports Program. On the plus side, the instructors and interns will be put to work doing some light Pier/Boat maintenance. We want to be ready when the recreational boat ban is lifted by our Governor and the Beach Club is open!

Also, those instructors/interns will be helpful if we are able start our Adult Sailing Program this summer. All June social events are cancelled, with July through October on hold. We find that we are no different than other Yacht Clubs…everybody is on hold. The Coronavirus has taken the wind out of our sails.

Our SYC Board of Directors has been hard at work with new internal policies relating to our “New Hires” (instructors and interns mentioned above) and Coronavirus-related procedures. We directors have entered the 21st Century with our meetings conducted by Zoom. It is a whole new world!

Please check our website sycpb.org to stay informed. It is a great website with tons of

Potluck Pier BBQs(All BBQs are 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Stillwater Pier)

• Sunday, June 14 - CANCELLED

• Sunday, July 19

• Sunday, August 23

• Saturday, September 12

• Sunday, October 18

SYC Goes Zoom!

Like the rest of the world, our SYC Board meetings are now conducted on Zoom during this pandemic. Rear Commodore Peter Hanlon and Webmaster Lebon Abercrombie get the prize for best virtual background.

As you can see, not all of us have learned where the preference button is to “touch up" our appearance. Stay tuned as we continue to technologically evolve! True confessions: we miss our in-person lunch meetings and our friendly Beach Club wait staff!

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Commodore's Log (continued from p. 1)

WHAT-A-BURGER! Even though our Bingo Burger Event was cancelled in early April due to the Covid shut down, SYC members Graham and Elliot Cash put their chef hats on to create THE winning burger entry: Beef and salmon burgers with pickles, tomatoes, onions, avocado, onion rings, and arugula on a brioche bun!!! We hope to open soon so we can feature their creations at an upcoming event. The boys win lunch at the club featuring their culinary creation - after which we “toss them in the pool” - a long standing SYC tradition.

LONGING FOR DERBY DAYS: Chairpersons Becky Kendall and Renae Fjugstad put away their Derby props and decor after our May event was cancelled. But it didn’t stop them from posing in their Kentucky Downs hats and enjoying a “Talk Derby to Me" Mint Julep with a promise and toast to reschedule this event for September 5, 2020. Discussions are underway with the Beach Club to make this a reality!

information and lots of pictures from past years’ parties, pier bbqs, and many more special times! Do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments.

Wishing you Fair Winds and Following Seas…Be Well--

Commodore Judy Furman

Message from the Vice Commodoreby Denise Foderaro

On the Drawing BoardIntroducing SYC’s first signature ladies scarf! Our most artistic members have submitted two choice designs for our review.

Scarf #1: A rectangular design by member Charles Carter features our fleet, the pier, and the Bixby Bridge in painterly hues of sky blue and green, with red trim. 

Scarf #2: An ample 36” square designed by member Fila Evanson w i t h a r t i s t i c co l l a bora t i on f rom C o m m o d o re s J u d y Furman, Kay Sullivan, and First Lady Terry Baldwin. Its nautical motif sports a golden braid with red and white stripes framed in navy blue and SYC green trim. 

Contact vicecommodore@sycpb.org for a straw poll of your preference/feedback so we can progress to next steps. 

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Message From the Rear CommodoreBy Peter Hanlon

Greetings from the Rear Commodore. Although we are feeling disappointed right now, it's important to remember that we are all in this together. Stillwater Yacht Club’s ability to engage in activities is directly related to state and local regulatory guidance. Unfortunately, we are currently in limbo regarding any specific start dates for our season. Our Board of Directors is actively engaging in ways to hit the ground running when we get the green light and it is safe to do so. We are keeping a close eye on the evolving state and county requirements and guidance.  

On a positive note, we are maintaining our sailing instructors' employment status as we felt that would be the right thing to do, and there is plenty of work to be done. Before we can put any of the boats in the water, maintenance will be necessary -- rigging repairs, painting, waxing, and work on and around the pier. We are also hoping that we will be able to offer adult sailing at some point this summer, as well as other water sports like kayaking. Keeping the instructors employed allows us to engage their assistance as soon as those activities are allowed.

As we abide by the state and county requirements, there will be some changes beyond our control. It’s going to take understanding, a lot of patience, and help from each and every one of you to keep us safe, healthy, and strong. Stay tuned for the latest updates on our reopening status, procedures, and restrictions. Also, I’ll be reaching out to any and all volunteers to assist us as we get closer… We are all in this together.

Elliot Cash - Intern InstructorElliot Cash has been very engaged with the Stillwater Yacht Club. Through the years, Elliot has worked his way through the SYC Youth Sailing Program by initially participating as a camper, then ser v ing as a vo lunteer and becoming a sailing instructor.

Elliot has extensive sailing experience through the SYC Youth Sailing Program, SYC Thursday Night Sailing, crewing for various racing events, and skippering for the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club Sailing Team.

Elliot’s love of watersports includes sailing, scuba diving, surfing, and water polo. Elliot plays water polo for Carmel High School.

Meet Our SYC Summer Instructors and Interns

Talia Cohen-Fette - Intern InstructorTalia Cohen-Fette grew up sailing Optimists and 420s at Mantoloking Yacht Club in New Jersey. She holds a US Sailing Level 1 instructor certificate and has competed in regattas on the East Coast. She is excited to join Stillwater Yacht Club this summer and help in any way that she can.

Caila Devlin - Lead InstructorFrom a young age all the way through high school, Caila sailed out of Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda, Ca. In 2016, Caila was lucky enough to get the chance to compete in Estonia in the Zoom 8 World Championships. She has been coaching beginner sailing all the way up to race teams for the

past five years, and she is now captain of the CSUMB sailing team.

Bradley Schoch - Head InstructorBradley Schoch became head instructor of the Stillwater Yacht Club Youth Water Sports program in the summer of 2018. He started sailing at Huntington Harbour Yacht Club in Southern California. He brings nearly 20 years' experience as a coach and instructor at the high school, college, and yacht club levels. As a collegiate sailor, he competed

on the varsity level at CSUMB while also running varsity cross country and playing club water polo. He attended graduate school at both CSUMB and Harvard University. He holds a US Sailing Level 3 Coach Certification and was Vice President of Board College Sailing in California. Brad continues to stay active with the sport of sailing by participating in local regattas and coaching Stevenson's High School Sailing Team. He currently works at US Sailing in the Education Department as the Senior Instructional Designer, working on a variety of projects such as developing online learning opportunities and digital publications.

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Regatta ScheduleMPYC Commodore’s Regatta June 20 & 21 This event has been CANCELLED. The Stillwater Pier is closed and will not be reopened until the Beach Club opens, by order of the Monterey County Health Department phased Covid 19 Reopening Procedures.

Santanarama & Shields Regatta August 8 & 9

Labor Day Regatta (for Mercury Class Boats) September 5 & 6

Thursday Night Sailing ScheduleJune 18, 25 - CANCELLED

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

August 6, 13, 20, 27

September 3, 10, 17

Monterey Bay Aquarium ActivitiesBy Marlene Martin

We are all spending more time hard ashore than we would like, as we try to entertain ourselves without our usual scintillating SYC activities. However, we are fortunate to have the help of stellar neighbors like the Monterey Bay Aquarium. MBA was founded by a family who believes people will value and care for our oceans if they better understand the wonders on, under, and around the waves. The Aquarium has adapted beautifully to our social isolation with its dynamic array of entertaining and educational videos and its amazing live cams. Even when we are all back in action, we can enjoy our stellar Aquarium at home.

Here is the menu of hard ashore learning and entertainment opportunities currently being offered by the Aquarium:

• Check in with the animals at https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams

• There is a wealth of content on MBA's social media channels, from live Q&A chats about specific animals and exhibits, to game sessions with the popular Animal Crossing interactive video game. Folks can follow MBA and connect on one or many different channels: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/about-us/follow-us-on-social-media

• For families trying to continue their children’s education in meaningful ways while everyone is at home, MBA has a host of educational resources, including content for various age groups: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/for-educators/learning-at-home

• To help people relax and de-stress, MBA created "MeditOcean" guided meditation videos. (We all need less stress in our lives these days!): https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/stories/relax-with-these-calming-ocean-videos

All of these are featured on MBA's newly redesigned website home page, so they’re easy to access:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

While you are enjoying the Aquarium, remember that since it is closed, it can’t offset its ongoing expenses with admissions money. It still pays many staff to care for the plants, animals, website, and webcams. See their website for information on how to donate, or if you are not a member, this is a wonderful time to join. We can help the Aquarium educate and entertain us.

At Home Sailing SnackWhile we can’t be on the pier just yet, we can keep as cool as this sailboat cucumber - perfect for lunch at home. Fill the hull with either egg or potato salad, or your fave crab or shrimp louie with a bit of spice or sea salt, and enjoy! 

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Harbor Seal Pup Rescued from Monterey County

Submitted by The Marine Mammal CenterPhoto by Bill Hunnewell © The Marine Mammal Center

Unfortunately, there’s no “stay home” option for orphaned pups like pint-size Pintlo, who was rescued in M a r c h f r o m M o n t e r e y County. Thanks t o g e n e r o u s

supporters of The Marine Mammal Center, pups like Pintlo are continuing to get the care they need, which starts with a full admit exam by the veterinarians at TMMC.

During the exam, pups like Pintlo are gently restrained while one of the veterinarians at TMMC checks the animal’s heart, lungs, and other vital signs. The pup is also weighed and measured to assess its body condition—as you might guess, orphaned pup Pintlo is underweight and malnourished because he was unable to get the nutrition he needed from his mother’s milk. But thanks to TMMC and its supporters, he’s been receiving a nourishing milk formula four times a day.

Pintlo was so young when he was rescued that his umbilical cord had not fully healed up into a “belly button” yet. The razor you see on the exam table was used to shave some of the fur around this area to help keep it clean. TMMC animal care teams apply betadine gel, an antiseptic, at every feeding until this area heals up. Pups like Pintlo are also prescribed a course of antibiotics to prevent dangerous infections in these young animals that haven’t been able to get the antibodies they need from their mother’s milk.

TMMC and its supporters make all of this intensive, specialized care possible for rescued newborn harbor seal patients, giving them the best possible chance of returning to the wild.

For more i n format ion abou t TMMC , v i s i t www.themarinemammalcenter.org.

Nautical Knots

We may be stuck at home, but we can still use this time to expand and refine our sailing knowledge. The American Sailing Association's website (www.asa.com) offers a wealth of information for new and experienced sailors, including instructional videos, courses, apps, and many other resources.

One of the featured pages in the Video section of ASA's website is "Knots Made Easy." This page contains video tutorials for making the most commonly used sailing knots, such as the Bowline, Figure Eight, and Square Knot.

Even from home, you can practice your knot-tying skills with pieces of rope, shoelaces, or licorice!

Don’t Be a Sick Pup

Worried about losing your sea legs during this Covid hiatus? While the Monterey Bay surely can rock, roll, and intestinally upset the best of us, “relief" is on the way! This dev ice c o m e s w i t h t h e h i g h e s t re commenda t i on from SYC member Mary George. Prior

to this year, sea sickness prevented her from fully enjoying the ocean. But with this nifty device, which dials in an inhibitory electrical impulse, she’s cured! Check out www.reliefband.com for more information. Read all about Mary's sea adventure to Antarctica on Page 6.

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Another notable moment was when we sailed through a narrow entrance into the Caldera of Deception Island and were treated to views of sea lions, penguins, and research camps. Along with an abandoned research camp from the days of the last volcanic eruption, there was Argentina’s Esperanza Camp, home of the first child born in Antarctica!

Five days after our arrival, we departed Antarctic waters, knowing we had just experienced something quite unique. We entered the Drake Passage just after a passing storm, and experienced the “Drake Shake.” After time spent exploring Cape Horn and the Magellan passage, we arrived in Ushuaia, greeted by calm waters and an “end of the world” experience.  

Our trip North, along the Pacific side of South America, to a port northwest of Santiago, was riddled with stormy weather and unpredictable seas. We rerouted to inside passages and breathtaking scenery that could be described as deeply forested untouched lands interspersed with natural waterfalls and hanging glaciers.  

After 17 nights and 18 days, we departed the ship for a long return trip to San Francisco and home that took 29 hours of forward travel...buses, planes, limousines, cars, and ye old mighty “walking”……  

Oh, The Places We've Gone!by Dick and Mary George

Our adventure sailing on the Coral Princess o f fered a un ique opportunity to blend a South America & C a p e H o r n experience with an Antarctic experience. We were not able to land on the Antarctic continent, thus it was a “cruise experience."

It was a long trip for us, but the days from the Falkland Islands to Ushuaia, Argentina via the Antarctic Peninsula were truly remarkable. Crossing the Drake Passage going into Antarctic waters introduced us to the IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators), proponents of the stringent rules and regulations that govern this valued land and water space, along with many geographic, geological, and marine bird, fish, and mammal delights. We met and listened to ice experts, historians, current scientists (for a range of pertinent topics), crew members with Antarctic specialities, and a sea captain who thought of himself as an explorer/adventurer. It should be noted that for the duration of this sailing, weather conditions would rapidly deteriorate and then improve. A Portuguese research team was supposed to join us, but was unable to board our ship due to weather and sea conditions. The seas had become too rough for their Zodiac to launch, and it had become a safety issue. This was a missed opportunity that brought home the extreme weather and sea conditions that occur in the Antarctic.

As we crossed the Antarctic Convergence (where the oceans and seas meet), the air and temperature changed, and our adventure South began. We were presented with views of penguins, icebergs, ice shelves, whales, sea lions, birds (Albatrosses), sunrises and sunsets (sort of, it was daylight most of the time), vast expanses of ice-covered volcanic land formations, ice caves, glaciers, and more.

We circumnavigated Elephant Island, where, in 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew had escaped following the sinking of their ship, the Endurance. We then sailed south along the Antarctic Peninsula to a point of 64 degree 58 minutes south, which was just above the Antarctic Circle.

Message from the EditorWe rely on our members for Cove'er content! Please submit photos and article ideas, particularly those related to sailing, SYC history, or sailing trips, to editor@sycpb.org.

Thank you!Sharla KlingelEditor-in-Chief

Photos from National Geographic

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (Single Batch)

Combine in a small bowl and set aside:2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt

Beat together in a big bowl until creamy:1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened¾ cup granulated sugar¾ packed brown sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Add:2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips1 cup chopped nuts

Spoon onto baking sheets and bake at 300 for 20+ min.

The Perfect Cookieby Joanie Wood

Over the years at many SYC Regattas, Board Member Joanie Wood has probably made a million  chocolate chip  cookies for us. Here are Joanie’s secrets:  

Lesson 1: If you show up on the dock with homemade cookies, even the most competitive sailors don’t much care if you  know  a sheet from a shackle.  You are welcomed a b o a r d a n d o n t h e

t e a m !  F r i e n d s h i p s m a d e o n a n d o f f t h e water  are  lasting  and it has been a pleasure to toss a few cookies into the mix!  On  drizzly  Stillwater mornings,  foggy yachtsmen  perk up with a cookie in each hand!

Lesson 2:  It’s the Toll House Recipe right on the bag, with a few tweaks. The success or failure  is about eggs and  oven  temperature. These simple tweaks will  give you a substantial yachtsman-sized cookie, moist, chewy, and full of chocolate instead of the flat, dry version with burnt edges that often comes out of the oven. It’s all in the science!

First, double the recipe and freeze the surplus in Ziploc bags. They last  for weeks! Caution: a double batch  isn’t going to fit into most  Cuisinarts, so  have a hand mixer, a big bowl, and a serious wooden spoon at the ready. You will need to add more than the 2 1/4 cups of flour Mr. Toll House suggests in order to adjust for the eggs, so it will be a good upper body workout.  I have personally gone through about 12 hand mixers over the years.  Switch to the wooden spoon when your hand mixer cries out for mercy.

The Eggs: Growing up, my grandmother had a turkey ranch in San Diego.  Her breakfasts were  legendary because  of her torpedo size turkey eggs. One fried egg  could fill a pizza pan! Unlike Mr. Toll House, my grandmother always adjusted her recipes for the size of the eggs. Eggs today can range from small to jumbo, and you must adjust accordingly. Size matters!

The Flour: Add enough extra flour to offset the size of the eggs. Start with about half a cup for a double batch and keep adding a bit of flour until the dough is just to the point when it no longer sticks to your finger.

That’s the right ratio. Test as you go. Too much flour will make your cookies dry.

The Chips: Costco chocolate chips are just as good as the pricier ones.  Some people  claim if you add each  chip individually  to the dough, pointy end first, it improves the  texture.  I have not found  this  to be  the case, but throw in an extra handful of chips for a robust chocolate experience.

The Nuts: Walnuts seem to work best. Throw in an extra handful for added crunch and press a nut onto the top of each cookie before baking. People always seem to choose the cookie with a nut on top!  

Parchment and Shopping Bags:  Cover baking sheets with Norpro Unbleached Baking Paper available online or at kitchen stores. The cookies slide right off!Instead of using a cooling rack, I cut down the side of a  clean paper grocery bag, remove the bottom, and lay it logo side down  on the counter. The bag absorbs any extra shortening, transforming the cookies into diet food. Stand the cookies on their sides in rows on the bag to cool completely before freezing.

Oven Temperature: Mr. Toll House bakes his cookies way too fast and hot! While it is a good idea on the  racecourse, “fast and hot” can flatten cookies and burn the edges. Bake at 300 degrees for 20+ minutes, checking the bottoms 'til golden brown.

So, there you have it! A truly SWEET reason to hope we will all be back to SYC activities soon! 

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Cover Up In SYC Style           It’s June 1, 2020, and our burgee is not yet atop a mast, at the pier, or visiting a reciprocal yacht club. The pier will open in concert with the Beach Club, but no date has yet been set. The Bench, Tap Room, and Gallery are open, golf is in play, but the hotel, Beach and Tennis Club, and Spa remain closed.

In the meantime, it looks like social distancing, facial masks, and staggered attendance at some of our initial events may be required. We await the County's green light before we can proceed. Please contact Denise Foderaro (vicecommodore@sycpb.org) with ideas, questions, and concerns regarding our path forward. To pass the time, SYC member and artist Renae Fjugstad has been crafting rhinestone t-shirts and facial masks and is happy to craft some for our members. Please see https://www.tributerockrevival.com/shop/clubs/42 for

i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t purchasing these items. While our burgee is not traveling the globe,  like Renae, we can wear it in and over our hearts and across our faces while we weather through this pandemic. Please share and send the Cove’er YOUR ideas for masks so we can “gear up” for our eventual opening. 

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Gearing Up!

We have updated our Ship’s Store logo merchandise selections on our website. Our store features a wide selection of polos, jackets, vests, caps/visors, and accessory items, all featuring our SYC logo.

New items (pictured, right) include two sizes of cotton canvas boat totes in a selection of four color schemes. Also new to our store are Torrent waterproof jackets, and polyester puffy vests. Each is available in men’s and women’s styles, with a selection of colors and sizes.

You can check out the store online at https://sycpb.org/Ships-Store.

CommodoreVice CommodoreRear CommodoreStaff Commodore

SecretaryTreasurer

Port CaptainFleet Captain

Webmaster Directors

Emeritus Advisory Board Members

Judy FurmanDenise FoderaroPeter HanlonDenise FoderaroJoan WoodJohn PfeifferCharlie KurtmenDick ClarkLeBon AbercrombieDavid DayTom DuffyBruce FairbanksPaul HoffmanBruce Graham Becky Jackson Sharla KlingelCarl MeyerSherif MichaelTerry RusseyRobert SuperkoRalph Thompson

Jim FuquaDave GellatlyKay SullivanDon Watson

2020 Officers and Directors

SYC Logo Ties (pictured, left) will be available soon at the Ship's Store!  Made of woven silk from Global Neckwear in Boston. Other designs with anchors and signal flags also available. Great gifts for Father’s Day!