olphinshelterbayyachtclub.org/newsletter/jan2021.pdflub 57 g olphin newsletter vol. 45, no. 1...
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Newsletter Vol. 45, No. 1 January 2021
Photos-SBYC members Editor-Jon Galbraith
From the Helm—Ken Olsen, Commodore
The Club held its Annual Meeting via Zoom on December 19th to
enthusiastic participants, at which time the Flag Officers presented their
Annual Report. We are in good shape financially and emotionally, and stand ready to take on the challenges of 2021 with careful monitoring of
our collective recovery from the Covid epidemic. We will be ready to open
the clubhouse for events as soon as reasonable after restrictions are
lifted. We are planning a cruising season socially distanced anchor-out
adventures as reported by our Fleet Captain last month, and detailed in
the calendar on page 5.
The members have voted to keep the current Bridge in place until new officers can be
nominated and elected under a revised management structure that hopefully will encourage more participation by members in the running of the Club. We will be reaching
out to past leaders and active participants in the club for advice on how this might look.
Our plan is to present the membership with some of the emerging ideas for consideration
and comment, and then if necessary propose language amendments to Club By-Laws to
adopt any new structure. It is also quite possible that the existing structure will continue
to work, in which case we simply put much more emphasis on recruiting. It's a discussion worth having. We expect to finalize this by June/July. With all that said, there is
currently the clear opportunity for interested members to put their name up for
consideration in all of the 2021 Bridge positions. We would be overjoyed to hear from you.
Now that the shortest and darkest day is behind us, its time to look forward to early
season cruising, picking a good weather window to get some "float time" at your favorite
anchorage or island...cruise with a boat buddy to make it twice as fun. It's also not too
early to start thinking of boat maintenance and projects to improve your boating
experience. The marine businesses that support our Club directory through their purchase of advertising are awaiting your call for professional assistance.
Stay safe, push the throttle to Half Ahead and keep your eyes on the horizon!
2021 Membership Renewals and Directory Updates
Dues statements for 2021 were mailed on December 1 and were due by January 1. If you’ve already submitted your payment, thank you! Otherwise please make your payment
as soon as possible to keep your SBYC membership active. Checks may be mailed to
SBYC at 1000 Shoshone Drive, La Conner, WA 98257 or may be dropped off in the lock
box next to the Shelter Bay office door.
Also, please take a close look at the member information sheet that’s included in the
mailer and make any corrections so that our 2021 Member Directory can be as accurate
as possible. If your information sheet indicates that we don’t have your picture, or if you’d
like to provide us with a new one, please email a headshot-style picture to
[email protected]. Thank you!
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Shelter Bay Yacht Club Annual Meeting—Trustee Jennifer Johnston In an unusual year we did manage to have a very successful Annual Meeting via Zoom on Saturday,
December 19th. There were reports from the Bridge Officers and some thoughts about what 2021 might look
like for SBYC. To those who attended, Thank You. It was so wonderful to see friends and yacht club
members that haven’t seen each other in literally months! After the “formal” meeting many people stayed on
Zoom to just visit with each other. Just what we needed!!!
Members were instructed to vote (Yea, nay, abstain) via email to indicate their support of the Bridge officers
offering to continue into 2021. Vote count follows:
121 members voted
120 voted Yes 0 voted No
1 Abstain
There were suggestions for improvement as well as many comments of support, appreciation and thanks,
but my favorite was a joke. In the spirit of the holidays:
“How much did Santa pay for his sleigh?
Nothing, it was on the house.”
Jennifer Johnston, SBYC Trustee
Jim Barrett worked his magic
again and created an amazing slideshow/video presentation to close out the SBYC Annual Meeting.
Jim’s presentation is available on the SBYC website for a limited time. For those of you reading this
newsletter online, you can access it directly by clicking on the opening
slide shown to the right. Enjoy!
A few photos from our socially-distanced 2021 Annual Meeting, held online using Zoom
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From the Charthouse—Fleet Captain, Vanessa Finch
Ahoy, SBYCers:
Our winter-shortened days and frequently stormy weather make it difficult to escape on the
boat for a change in scenery. Perhaps this is the season for reading about others’ boating adventures if we’re not able to have them ourselves. Here are a few books or series I’ve found
effective in transporting me away to oceans and adventures afar:
(the links take you to Amazon.com NOT because I advocate buying books from big A but rather to assist you in identifying titles when you’re at the library or local bookstore)
I read Hungry as the Sea by Wilbur Smith the first summer I fished in Bristol Bay and both experiences made me seasick at times. Smith’s gripping tale of a salvage tug boat captain on a rescue mission is part
redemption story/part romance/part survival saga and 100 percent thrilling. My dog-eared copy of the novel
made it back to South Naknek the next year for another season at fish camp and was just as compelling a
read a second time.
Ed Robinson’s Trawler Trash series (subtitled: Confessions of a Boat Bum) feature down-on-his-luck boat
owner Meade Breeze who’s simultaneously on the run from the law while grieving the death of his wife.
Don’t let the bleak introduction to his downtrodden life dissuade you from reading beyond the first chapters;
Breeze is an engaging character and the Florida live-aboard life detailed in his exploits is interesting indeed,
especially the descriptions of his old 120hp Lehman and 6 knot lifestyle
The Master and Commander series by Patrick O’Brian is largely set in the era of the Napoleonic Wars and is full of all the swashbuckling battle scenes you might expect from such a setting. But it’s really the
characters of Capt Jack Aubrey and ship’s surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin who trump the action. Their
friendship that centers the novels (it’s an epic 20 book series) and O’Brian’s skillful balance of one man’s
exuberance against the other’s restraint which will sweep you away.
Our own Salish Sea is the setting for Clyde Ford’s three book series: Red Herring, Whiskey Gulf and
Precious Cargo. Each book finds protagonist Charlie Noble, an ex-Coast Guard officer turned private
investigator, out on the water and confronted by a mystery. The realistic characters, interesting plots and
Ford’s knowledge of Pacific Northwest boating make for absorbing reading. Plus, supporting a “local” author
always feels good, too.
For pure escapist entertainment, try out one of Christine Kling’s series featuring women at the helm.
Surface Tension is the first of several stories in which female tugboat skipper Sychelle Sullivan in
unwillingly drawn into scenarios in which murder, money and the dark side of paradise all play a role.
Kling’s other series The Shipwreck Adventures begins with Circle of Bones and spans the seas as solo sailor
and marine archaeologist Maggie Riley sets out to solve one mystery after another.
I’d enjoy hearing what YOU find for good reading, be it boat-based or otherwise. Bring on the
recommendations!
Wishing you each a safe, healthy & happy time afloat or ashore, wherever the New Year finds you.
Passing of SBYC Member
We are saddened to report the recent loss of Charter Member Elly Kuenzi who passed away in December.
Elly and her husband Hilton (“Hi”) were founding members of Shelter Bay Yacht Club when it was formed
in 1977, and their contributions to SBYC over the decades that followed were innumerable. According to club records, Elly and Hi joined eight other boats aboard their vessel Sea Spree for the first-ever SBYC
Shakedown Cruise, to Oak Harbor, on May 14, 1977. Hi served as Trustee from 1985 through 1990 and
spearheaded the computerization of our club’s membership data. In January of 1999 the SBYC Board
voted to confer Honorary Membership (which is generally reserved for Past Commodores) upon the Kuenzis
for their years of meritorious service to SBYC. Hi passed away in 2015. Please keep their family and
friends in your thoughts and prayers.
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This Month’s SBYC Flashback
Here’s an interesting bit of SBYC history. In the earliest years of Shelter Bay, many of the first members of
our club purchased lots in the community for the privilege of mooring a boat in the new marina. This letter
was sent to all Shelter Bay lot owners introducing the newly-formed Shelter Bay Yacht Club and encouraging
them to apply for membership. Anyone who joined before June 1, 1977, became a Charter Member of SBYC
(there were 67 in all). They are recognized to this day in our directory by the letters “CM” after their name.
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2021 CALENDAR (all dates and events are
tentative; dinner events will be scheduled once the clubhouse is safely reopened)
MARCH TBD UNHOSTED CRUISE TO EAGLE HARBOR (CYPRESS IS.) APRIL
TBD UNHOSTED CRUISE TO SKAGIT ISLAND / HOPE ISLAND MAY TBD SUCIA ISLAND WORK PARTY
JUNE 2-8 CRUISE TO LANGLEY / PORT LUDLOW / POULSBO
JULY 14-20 COMMODORE’S CRUISE: PT BROWNING / GANGES / TELEGRAPH HARBOR
SEPTEMBER TBD ROSARIO RESORT TBD SUCIA
Help Us Keep Our Records Up To Date
Is your anniversary missing? Is your name misspelled, or do you see something else that needs to be
corrected? Let us know! Contact Member Records Coordinator Linda Barrett at [email protected]
with your updates.
Ron & Deborah McFarlane 1/7/2003 18 Years
Bill & Jeanice Veselka 1/7/1961 60 Years
Tom & Dee Ihrig 1/8/1971 50 Years
Roland & Nancy Miller 1/15/2006 15 Years
Murray & Valerie Laidley 1/16/1970 51 Years
Jack & Alice McKenzie 1/18/1969 52 Years
Richard & Gayle Sabin 1/28/1995 26 Years
Richard Dorton 1/1
Nila Horton 1/1
Robert Brown 1/3
Nadine Lien 1/4
Douglas Crim 1/7
Michael Barclay 1/9
Barbara Crim 1/10
Toni Larsen 1/10
Donald Moore 1/10
Cate Schultz 1/10
David Latimer 1/11
Brenda Davis 1/13
Kim Kusilek 1/13
Sylvia Remington 1/15
Claudette Gubrud 1/18
Valerie Laidley 1/18
Mike Kusilek 1/19
Mary Garrett 1/21
Laurence Larsen 1/21
Peggy Roberts 1/22
Ingrid Simonson 1/27
Jim Cushman 1/30
Jan Riediger 1/30
Ashley Sweeney 1/31
Members Jim & Linda Barrett, Vanessa Finch, and Martyn & Linda Adams led an impromptu lighted
boat parade through Shelter Bay and down the Swinomish channel the evening of December 20.
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Training Coordinator—Peter Volum
As the year of the Covid winds down and a brighter 2021 looms on the horizon, those of us who
were able to remain healthy and even spend quality “social distancing” time out on the water
have much to be grateful for.
In my case, isolation time included getting jobs done in anticipation of a (hopefully) more active
2021 boating season with a reliable boat in which to safely navigate to destinations in Desolation Sound and beyond.
Until clubhouse activities resume, training activities are limited to a few occasional lines in the Dolphin
newsletter. As the repairs on my boat came with a significantly higher price than quoted or budgeted, I
thought I would share a recent experience here in the hope that my hindsight may help you save some
greenbacks in future…
My verbal quote for “about $10,000” was to tackle all pending items on the survey subject to confirmation once the engines were more thoroughly inspected. It was agreed that I would be consulted if anything was
discovered that would result in a higher price. When the call I hoped not to receive came, the news was that
in addition to the rest, both aftercoolers would also have to be replaced. Price: “about $3,000 each”. In my
mind the total was now $16,000 – more than I hoped I would have to spend, but… at least the boat would
now be very reliable. So… Green light. “Get ‘er done”.
One completed job later, I received the bill. Total: $24,000. Seriously??!! An additional eight grand on top
of the extra six that I had been forewarned about? This Scotsman was not exactly feeling warm and fuzzy
over this news!
A single malt or three, I decided to research the component prices on the final invoice and discovered that —
had I bought the same original parts myself on-line — I could have saved $5,500. This difference even
exceeded the line-item for labor. In other words, my mechanic made more on the sale of parts than he did for his labor. In Shelter Bay terms, the savings would have covered my SBYC dues for the next 45.8 years.
Engine manufacturers don’t make all their own components. In many cases (such as filters, belts hoses,
assorted hardware and accessories), one can buy so-called “generic parts” for even greater savings, even
when they originate from the same vendor that supplies the OEM. In other words, the exact part from the
same original source, but because it arrives with a non-OEM part number, the price can be significantly
lower.
In other cases, unrelated aftermarket sources offer replacement parts for considerably less, but careful
research is needed to ensure the quality is comparable to the OEM product. The idea is to get the best part
at a good price, not a cheaper, lower quality part that may fail.
In my pre-boating motor sport (experimental aircraft), I learned that a cross-reference database of OEM part
numbers to those of the actual manufacturers of those parts is worth gold. After the above experience, I
searched for cross-references online with limited success.
These people https://www.marinepartsexpress.com/index.html offer a somewhat useful OEM part number
database for the many popular engines and generators on their website. They include links to parts
manuals for ease of verification, but unfortunately, they do not cross-reference the OEM part numbers to
those of the actual manufacturers of those parts. Some of their prices were good. Other not so great.
If any of you have researched parts and care to share your findings with SBYC, let me know and I will post
the results in a future Dolphin so all members may benefit from your knowledge. In the meantime, the morals to my story are…
Unless you want to spend a lot more than necessary, do the work yourself.
Even if you are not able to do the work, at least buy the parts yourself.
Quantify the meaning of “about” when getting quotes.
Happy Holidays and best wishes for a cruise-filled 2021
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SBYC 2021 OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES
Commodore Ken Olsen 425-890-9415 [email protected]
Vice Commodore (Vacant) [email protected]
Rear Commodore (Vacant) [email protected]
Fleet Captain Vanessa Finch 360-941-4141 [email protected]
Treasurer Dennis Largé 206-484-8441 [email protected]
Secretary Sherry Granner 405-312-9916 [email protected]
Staff Commodore Jon Galbraith 360-630-5404 See directory or web site for personal email
Trustee Don Chandler 360-466-1555 See directory or web site for personal email
Trustee Jennifer Johnston 360-399-1124 See directory or web site for personal email
Trustee Larry Lien 360-631-1880 See directory or web site for personal email
SBYC Logo Items For Sale - Order Now!
UPDATE: Kathy of Clever Kathy Designs is now also making face masks to order, and has all kinds of
new items— Shelter Bay Yacht Club license plate frames, mats for your boat with your boat’s name, etc.
Just call Kathy at (425) 301-2528. She will invoice you directly. Support our club and the La Conner
vendors!!!
Below is a list of embroidered SBYC logo items on-hand available to Club Members for
purchase at cost. Items may also be purchased from our online catalog at sbyc.cleverkathydesigns.com. Janet Cheetham will be glad to assist you with any questions you may have, share a catalog, and/or help
you with filling out your purchase order. You can contact Janet at [email protected].
Items for Sale for Women & Men in a variety of colors: Twill Caps, Long Sleeve Denim Shirts,
Sweatshirts (hooded, zipped, crew), Short Sleeve Polo Shirts, Reversible Vests, Poplin Jacket, and SBYC
Burgees in three sizes: 10” x 15”, 12" x 18" and 14" x 21".
The online catalog has much more for you to choose from as well. Contact Janet for current pricing and
assistance with ordering.
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Interested in becoming a member of the SBYC? Applications for membership are available on line at
www.ShelterBayYachtClub.org under Membership, or in the Shelter Bay Community Office.
olphin—January 2021 Newsletter
Shelter Bay Yacht Club
1000 Shoshone Drive
La Conner, WA 98257
Thank You 2021 Advertisers
Barrett Financial 1809 Commercial Ave, Suite 100 Anacortes 360-293-6287
Compass Point Plumbing 703 Shelter Bay Drive La Conner 360-499-2836
Edward Jones 708 East Morris Street, Suite C La Conner 360-466-2933
Harbor Canvas 611 Olympic View Dr Coupeville 360-929-3421
Hellam's Vineyard 109 North 1st #101 La Conner 360-466-1758
La Conner Brewing Co. 117 South 1st Street La Conner 360-466-1415
La Conner Landing Marine Services 541 N Third Street La Conner 360-757-7757
La Conner Marina (Port of Skagit) 613 North 2nd La Conner 360-466-3118
La Conner Maritime Services 920 West Pearle Jensen Way La Conner 360-466-3629
Latitude Marine Services 18578 McGlinn Lane La Conner 360-466-4905
LFS Marine & Outdoor 851 Coho Way Bellingham 360-734-3336
Marine Sanitation & Supply 1900 N. Northlake way Seattle 206-633-1110
Maroney Marine Services 612 North Dunlap Street, Suite E La Conner 360-466-4636
North Harbor Diesel & Yacht Service 720 30th Street Anacortes 360-293-5551
Pioneer Market 416 Morris Street La Conner 360-466-0188
Preview Properties 1615 Buck Way, #A Mt. Vernon 360-770-1516
Tillinghast Postal & Business Center 521 Morris Street La Conner 360-466-0474
Tom & Jerry's Boat Center 11071 Josh Green Lane, #B-500 Mt. Vernon 360-466-9955