soundings - ehyc · 2016-02-03 · january 2016 photo by lester lightstone eagle harbour yacht...
TRANSCRIPT
Soundings
1
JANUARY 2016
Photo by Lester Lightstone
EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB
ROB McFARLANE 604-530-8263 (home)Commodore 604-484-4957 (work) 604-603-9626 (cell) [email protected]
MARG LATHAM 604-926-2491 (home)Vice Commodore 778-836-9309 (cell) [email protected]
GLEN BLAKE 604-525-1751 (home)Rear Commodore [email protected]
KENT BROWNLOW 604 -929- 8740 Fleet Captain [email protected]
BRIAN ELLIOTT 604-984-6620 (home)Staff Captain 604-864-8241 (cell) [email protected]
MARK POWELL 604-266-1413 (home)Treasurer 604-312-7858 (cel) [email protected]
INGO KLOSE 604-986-2571 (home) Hydrographer 604-836-4151 (cell) [email protected]
DERWYN LEA 604-983-6941 (home)Executive Secretary 778-868-1781 (cell) [email protected]
GEOFF VICKERY 604-980-2855 (home)Membership Secretary 604-230-4961 (cell) [email protected]
CALLUM BEVERIDGE 778-996-5634 (cell)Junior Programs 604-921-1797 (home) Coordinator 604-638-7447 (work) [email protected]
TIM LEPARD 604-921-2265 (home)Social Director 604-603-2265 (cell) [email protected]
ANDREW CRANE 604-921-9810 (home)Past Commodore 604-312-2440 (cell) 604-998-4162 (work) [email protected]
CHRIS PAGE 604-922-3049 (home) Director [email protected]
EHYC OFFICE 604-921-7636 (office) 604-921-7631 (fax) 604-916-8045 (Collen cell) [email protected]
Collen’s usual days off: Tues. & Wed.Nancy’s usual days in: Mon. – Thur. 9:30 – 2:30
www.ehyc.orgE X E C U T I V E C O N TA C T I N F O R M AT I O N - 2 0 1 4
2
this SOUNDINGS is created by volunteers…
Contributing articles are welcomed on topics of general interest to members
Jonn Braman… Executive responsible for Soundings
Margaret Campbell… editor
Diane Roberts… design and layout
EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB
5750 Eagle Harbour Road, West Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada, V7W 1P5
Telephone: (604) 921-7636 Fax: 921-7631 office email: [email protected]
3
Welcome to 2016! The start of the New Year at the Club is the AGM, after which the incoming Executive start to assume the responsibilities of their position and plan for the upcoming year. I would like to recognize two new members to the Executive, Dave Wilson and Justin Elvin-Jensen. Dave as Membership Secretary will, I hope, be kept very busy this year. His experience in yacht racing will be helpful connecting with young people. Justin as Hydrographer will be looking at ways of improving the organization of the work parties. We have started an online sign up, which I think will be a good step forward. I’m pleased that Mike Cheevers, previously our Treasurer, has agreed to return to the Executive as Staff Captain. Similarly Andrew Crane, head of the Technical Committee, will sit on the Executive as Director-at-Large. I would like to thank the other members of the Executive for agreeing to return for another year.
You will note that there is no Social Director. This is a difficult position to fill, which I can attest to, having done it for two years. This year we plan to encourage more participation from members to put on events. As you will see in the social events section, a number of really interesting and varied social events will be held in 2016.
The Eagle Tender has been sitting in the parking lot waiting for a decision as to what can be done. It is too expensive to repair and the Club no longer has a use for this boat. We now have a buyer and the tender has been removed from the parking lot. Similarly the dinghies used by the Juniors will be removed or refurbished and return to the breakwater by the end of the month.
The Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore, and myself will be meeting with Collen on a regular basis to review maintenance issues and to ensure that these issues are corrected. We ask that members use the Maintenance Box outside the office to inform us of any concerns that they have.
The website has, as recently pointed out to me by a member, not been maintained as well as it could. I am looking to find a young member to agree to look after this in future. In the meantime Nancy and I have made the necessary immediate improvements. If you missed the New Year’s Tug-of-War you can see a video of it on the website.
One of the difficulties of arranging social events is knowing who is coming so that one can prepare the appropriate amount of food. In order to make this easier, we are planning to use Eventbrite. While there may be some start-up issues, I’m sure that it will make putting on these events a lot easier. We have also arranged to have Visa payments possible at the bar for guests. This takes away the need for cash and a cash float.
I’m looking forward to serving as your Commodore through 2016. We have the best Clubhouse in the greatest location. I hope you will join me in the events that we have planned for this year.
Tim Lepard Pegasus VI
COmmOdORE’s mEssAGE
4
SOME WE HAVE ALREADY ENJOYED...
WINE CLUB
The Wine Club had their final meeting in November. Most participants planned to return next year and having told
their friends what fun we have at Wine Club, we now have 40 members signed up for Wine Club 2016.
TRIM THE TREE WITH SOUND ECLECTIC
Before Christmas, the Club was lucky to have the Sound Eclectic Choir sing as we decorated the Christmas tree while eating snacks and drinking hot wine punch. It was a very successful evening and hopefully will be a tradition that we will continue. Sound Eclectic is one of the best choirs in Vancouver and has appeared on Global TV.
Our members and their guests had a great evening, and we raised $798 for the Union Mission, sufficient funds to provide 242 meals for people on the DTES.
social Events
5
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Twenty members saw the New Year in at the Clubhouse. We experienced a very enjoyable evening sitting around the fire and toasting the year-to-come with champagne.
New Year’s Day was a beautiful sunny day and once again Eagle Harbour Yacht Club managed to beat West Vancouver Yacht Club at the Tug-of-War even though we
DREAMMAKER
On January 16, Dean Eilertson gave an excellent presentation about sailing in Antigua – and eventually across the Atlantic – aboard a 100-foot classic sailing yacht, Dreammaker, which had been meticulously restored at a cost of $15 million. Short videos offered glimpses of the sumptuous interior fittings and the gorgeous boat under
gave them one of our stronger members, Andrew Crane. They say they have plans for next year! With Collen providing his normal excellent clam chowder and sausage rolls and Dave Slater providing a great rum punch, how could it not be a success! It is always a great way to start off the year.
sail. True to its name, the message accompanying the yacht was “follow your dreams.”
The chili lunch that followed gave Club members time to chat about their boats – and their dreams!
Dean Eilertson
Photo spreads set up around the Clubhouse captured details of the boat and its voyages
Dean explains some of the shots in his photo spreads
Dean’s display of the equipment he needed – and the trophies he acquired as a result of his time on Dreammaker (hats, T-shirts….)
Rosie Lepard’s chili was such a hit that every scrap was consumed
Lots of discussion of the great adventure over chili and beer
6
PECHA KUCHA
On January 28, we enjoyed five different presentations, each of 20 slides x 20 seconds on widely ranging topics. However, the event was almost a victim of its own success, because so many people signed up that the chosen caterer could not cope. Vij’s was called on to help and sent their food truck, but it broke down on Upper Levels. A frantic phone call to a sister company brought the Roaming Dragon food truck to the rescue. They collected all the
And just to get your calendar in shape, note that there’s more to come….
March 4: Pub Quiz
March 12: Anniversary Dinner
April 16: Ottoman Evening
April 30: Safety Day
May 7: Sailpast
May 20 – 22: Supercruise
June 10: Lobster Dinner
October 22: Commodore’s Dinner
EventbriteAs mentioned in the Commodore’s Report, these events will be posted using Eventbrite. While there is likely to be a learning curve, it should be short as it is an easy process. It will make it a lot easier for anybody arranging social events as well as being easier to relay information to members.
food from Vij’s truck and arrived at EHYC in time to set up shop in our parking lot. Once everyone had their delicious curry – lamb or fish or chicken or squash (the vegan option) – the slide shows began. The presentations were intriguing and brief, and the Pecha Kucha concept was voted a big success, with “let’s do it again” applause. This event was hosted by some new members: Gavin, Jody, Ryan, and Lisa.
AND SOME WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO...
Coming Events: Mark Your Calendars
February 12: Come for a romantic pre-Valentines evening courtesy of Tim and Gabriella who are also newer members. It will be a Mexican occasion, with authentic tacos and salad and special Mexican dessert. We will have a classical Latin guitarist Stephen Boswell, Head of Classical Guitar Music at Capilano University. Margaritas and Tequila will be served at the bar. Guests welcome.
March 5: The Anniversary Dinner will be a French dinner cooked by Chef Philippe.
7
Those of you with a sense of history may note that a couple of shore-side facility concerns identified in January 2015 are still on the docket for evaluation and remediation.
We are much closer to addressing the east Clubhouse façade (exterior) which, after 10+ years, requires staining, painting, and window cleaning. This can only be accomplished by way of Work Safe-approved scaffolding. We plan to have a suitable contractor address this work as a priority.
Our venerable retaining wall supporting the parking lot is showing some signs of distress. The history of this structure pre-dates even the 1960s marina, let alone our yacht club, hence only minimal construction details exist. Careful assessment (and appropriate time) will be required to ensure that we approve any refurbishment as essential but not overdone.
Derwyn Lea Barcarolle
VICE COmmOdORE’s REPORT
mEmBERsHIP REPORT
I am your new membership secretary and it appears I have some large boots to fill as Jonn Braman has done a terrific job of guiding some very nice new members our way!
For a relatively small Club, we had a number of changes over the past year. Following is the complete tally of membership activity since the beginning of 2015:
New Active Members:620 Nick Millar
621 John McCrae
623 Tim Grady
624 Jamie Kobasew
630 Mateo Gardi
631 Katy Campbell
New Associates:A074 George McCrae
A075 Martin Dawes
A076 Ryan Leeson
A077 Gavin Froome
A078 William Meekison
A079 Ryan Reilly
Resignations:588 Alon Amit
405 Julian Louey
434 Scott Kennedy
465 Joost Wolsak
283 Eric Kunz
389 Chris Wilson (22 Jan 2016)
445 Rob McFarlane (11 Jan 2016)
A061 Christopher McDonald (15 Jan 2016)
Transfers:R451 Sheldon Goldberg from Active to Retired
R276 Bob Johnston from Active to Retired
A080 Alice Mathieson from Active to Associate
R559 Les Johnson from Active to Retired
Please say Hello and Welcome to our new members, and pass the good word - this is a great Club and our waiting list for moorage is still relatively short!
Dave Wilson Merlin
8
Collen Santer took on the task of Club Superintendent at Eagle Harbour Yacht Club 30 years ago. That’s a long period of service, and it deserves to be marked by our acknowledgement and appreciation of his efforts.
He first saw an advertisement for the position in 1984, but it was some months later when he put in an application. He did so because he wanted a job that drew on his practical skills and broad knowledge of boats and boating. He had come to Canada having completed an apprenticeship in England that qualified him as a ‘municipal engineer and surveyor.’ At the time he applied for the superintendent position at the Yacht Club he was overseeing the construction of several hundred houses in a community in the Fraser Valley. A major attraction of the position at EHYC was that it would keep him close to, if not always on, the water. In his application for the job he described his experience with boats and boating in and around Sidmouth, a small town in Devon. (Think Doc Martin – the TV series with the irascible doctor – set in an area of little coves and small communities clinging to steep hillsides.) From
his earliest years he had access to a family boat and as a teenager he had the extraordinary opportunity to sail on a square-rigger, the Winston Churchill, for three weeks. Ask him what it’s like to climb the rigging and haul in wet canvas on the top yard arm! There could be little doubt that he was an applicant of whom it might be said “the sea is in his blood.”
At EHYC, he and his wife and two children first lived in part of the old fisheries building that served as Club office and workshop. The job called on a wide variety of practical skills, particularly since it had been so difficult to create or obtain an adequate breakwater and the danger of losing docks and mooring buoys was considerable. The early years of the Club had seen a series of efforts to create an effective barrier, but most ended up on the sea bed. And by the late 1980s the Clubhouse itself became more and more precarious as high tides began to lift it off its concrete pier foundations! A good many members will remember that using the washroom could be an interesting experience when there was high tide! I suspect the whole family
An Appreciation
Collen santer 30 years as Superintendent at EHYC
9
was relieved when they were asked to move to their present accommodation.
Collen’s recollections of the Club in the 1980s are tinged with a little nostalgia for a small community with a great deal of camaraderie born of the fact that almost every member was engaged in work parties to maintain the docks and keep some kind of breakwater in place. It was one of Collen’s tasks (then, as now) to organize those collective efforts, to show people how to use tools and materials, and also to find skilled members who could act as ‘gaffers’ for little groups of less-accomplished members.
We need to acknowledge that Collen has the most detailed knowledge of the physical development of the Club’s docks, breakwater, Clubhouse, and property. While there are plans and charts and diagrams that record many of the locations of anchors and ring-bolts, and architectural drawings of Clubhouse features and systems, there are many details that only Collen really knows. And that makes him an invaluable resource.
Collen’s historical knowledge is not confined to technical matters. He is also the keeper of a great deal of what we might call the Club’s ‘social history.’ He recounts hilarious incidents he has witnessed from his aerie – like inexperienced boaters trying to turn a boat moored on the outside dock against tide and current running through that channel between dock and breakwater barge. He could hear the shouted instructions: “Push out the bow with that long boat hook. Push it harder, further … as far as you can.” Stretching, stretching and then – inevitably - losing footing. Splash! Performance repeated by second crew member. Even bigger splash. Boat still in the ‘wrong’ position. Skipper and crew leave in disgust.
Having been here for three decades, Collen is effectively the principal custodian of the Club’s collective memory. He has dealt with thirty Commodores and thirty Executives and can tell you how and why some changes were made and others rejected or why some social events were especially successful and others were not. Officers of the Club come and go. Most of us learn that our superintendent is often the repository of valuable knowledge and experience that can make a critical difference to the success or failure of our initiatives.
Collen is also the Club’s most effective ambassador. His social skills, and his connectedness to local people and organizations, have benefitted the Club in many ways. For example, when the Club was seeking a new kind of liquor license two years ago he talked to many of the residents in our area, reassuring them that the change would not in any way create problems for them. When a West Vancouver councillor compiled a report for the whole council it was highly favourable to us,
partly because we had shown ourselves to be a good, consultative neighbour! Thanks, Collen.
Collen’s social skills also contribute to the general functioning of the Club. He is quick to welcome new members and encourage them to participate in Club events. He helps to implement a Club policy of making the Clubhouse available for a number of local organizations, and on particular occasions (like the New Year’s Day Tug-of-War) he invites locals to join us for lunch. The annual art exhibition ‘Cork and Canvas’ was Collen’s idea. He had met a local artist looking for a venue to display her work and at almost the same time his son David introduced him to his soccer coach who happened to be a wine importer eager to offer free wine to complement the art.
Last year Collen spent some time back in Sidmouth. When he returned a new burgee appeared on his boat.
“Nice burgee, Collen. Which club?” I asked.
“Beer Sailing Club,” was the straight-faced reply.
“I see. So not so much a sailing as a boozing club?”
“No, no! There’s a place called Beer.” (There is indeed. I looked it up. There’s also a Beer Point on the map!)
“When did you join?”
“When I was eight years old.”
At the Annual General Meeting in December 2015 Marg Latham, our Commodore, made a presentation to Collen in recognition of his thirty years of service. It was a nice, and thoroughly appropriate gesture of appreciation – complemented by the enthusiastic standing ovation given by all the attending members.
Thank you, Collen.
Brian Elliott Staff Captain, 2013-15
Bohemian
10
sTAFF CAPTAIN’s REPORT
This report, and likely any others I write as Staff Captain, will reflect my personal views and should not be taken as officially sanctioned in any way by the Executive, staff, or members of EHYC.
I believe I was picked for this responsible job because I was the only one on the dock, still learning the ropes so to speak, when our Commodore-to-be spied a lonely person in need of a worthwhile job. Treasurer was not available, so if you can’t follow the money then follow the fun and Staff Captain it was. Who needs experience!
First up was the Tug-of-War on New Year’s Day. The little guys versus the big guys. Don’t they know that E comes before W? We always win and this year was no exception. I was feeling a bit poorly that morning, throwing up and all, so the Staff Captainess was sent out to organize, and
she’s good at that, let me tell you, and Bob’s your uncle it was done (thank you, Tim). Collen provided his traditional amazing fare and we made friends with the big guys again.
As I write this from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, where the lobster fishery is so good there are no new trucks for sale within 50 miles, I am finding it difficult to imagine sunny, warm cruising days so far distant. Thermos Cruise is happening in February for those with something to prove, but the real test starts with preparations for Sailpast. Don’t we all love Spring?!
See you on the dock.
Mike CheeversPescador
CONTACT THE OFFICE FOR MORE DETAILS...
We are now accepting ads in Soundings.
Ahoy EHYC members!
11
Commodore’s Report to the 2015 AGM
Year in Review
We started the year by winning the tug-of-war with WVYC and enjoying some warm food and drink with their members in the Clubhouse afterwards. The sun was shining, which seemed a good omen for the year ahead.
Social events were planned for member enjoyment through the year. Our usual annual events were interspersed with informal ones such as chili nights, barbecues, presentations, and live entertainment.
Our racers, as few as they are, participated in events that EHYC and other yacht clubs hosted.
Spring saw a very successful and active Safety Day, something that we hope will be repeated to place increasing emphasis on the importance of safety.
Again the sun shone for us for Sailpast, the opening of our sailing and boating season. It was one of the pleasures of being in this role to see all of the members decked out in their navies and whites going by in their boats.
This year’s Supercruise over the long weekend in May was to the Nanaimo Yacht Club and fun was had by all who went. A questionable engine meant that we had to take a pass. Maybe next year!
Adding a paddleboard rack and holding paddleboard demonstrations and races brought in some paddleboard members and added a new dimension to the Club.
We completed another successful year of Sailing School albeit that, like other clubs, our numbers were down.
Work parties in the spring and fall saw volunteers, and particularly a larger contingent of younger volunteers, helping to keep our Clubhouse, docks, and other facilities in working order.
And then there was October, the month of the listing breakwater, a potentially costly repair that – thanks to the amazing response from the Technical Committee and other members – was resolved.
Also that month, we held the Commodore’s Dinner, which some might say was a subdued event, but given the great food and lively conversation going on at each table, all seemed to enjoy it. I know this Commodore did.
Challenges throughout the year included:
• Engine theft and an insurance claim, and a theft and recovery of a coach boat that prompted us to improve our security system, add a couple of new gates, new cameras and software.
• The leak in one of the breakwater tanks that showed how ready members are to step up and the level of expertise we have in the Club to solve these kinds of issues.
What was good about the year?
• Active use of the Club facilities
• More availability of the Clubhouse because of the decision to only allow member and immediate family, and some community event rentals
• Member participation in social events
• Meeting new members at the Club events
reports to the 2015 agm
Commodore Marg Latham presents her report to members. Executive members prepare for their turn.
12
• Members who are always there to volunteer and solve problems
• A Club liquor license negating the need to take out event licenses
• Getting Executive roles, committees, some processes, and an annual calendar into an Executive handbook to improve handover to each new Executive going forward
• Moving the Executive into the cloud where we now share and update our documents for Executive meetings
• Reactivating the HR Committee and updating HR policies
• Sage advice from our Past Commodore and other past commodores, who are always willing to assist
• A great Executive team and staff to work with to achieve a successful year!
To some of our team who are leaving the Executive tonight:
• Rob McFarlane, outgoing Past Commodore
• Brian Elliott, outgoing Staff Captain
• Vickie Hottes, Social Director
• Will Goldsmith-Jones, Hydrographer
Thank you for your service and contribution to the Club over the past and in some cases previous years.
We started the evening by recognizing Collen for 30 years of service to EHYC and its members. I want to thank Collen and Nancy for helping to support me and other Executive members in our roles. Your efforts and contribution are very much appreciated. You make our roles easier and less stressful. We have another anniversary that we would like to recognize. It is Nancy’s 10th year serving EHYC.
Nancy Mitchell, our Executive Administrator, received her 10-year acknowledgement at the AGM.
Fireside Night - January 22, 2015 with guest speaker Eoin Finn
I thoroughly enjoyed my year as Commodore. It has been a privilege. Thank you to all of you, to Nancy and Collen, and to the Executive team for your support, contribution and participation.
Marg Latham Aqua Libra
13
Vice Commodore’s Report
The Executive determined that the Club Superintendent’s residence required a new roof. This had been put off for some time, but this year we took advantage of the excellent weather to replace the roof. All the work was reviewed by an engineer recommended by the Roofing Association and it was found to meet all standards.
The front of the Clubhouse required re-staining due to exposure to sun over the last ten years. Access was difficult and required professional painters who had expertise in accessing difficult locations. The work was completed satisfactorily and in a timely manner. This was not a project for Club members, but now that the difficult work has been completed Club members will be able to complete the rest of the staining required at low levels.
This year we installed a paddleboard rack, which enables members to store and lock their paddle boards in the parking lot. There are still some spaces available. It is hoped that the addition of paddleboard storage will encourage new Associate members. This has been the case, but we are hoping to attract more members through this endeavor. In the future we also need to find an area to store kayaks.
The parking lot wall that faces the beach has some cracks in it. The municipality drives trucks into our parking lot in order to access a drain. Metro Vancouver has agreed to work with the Club to ensure the integrity of the parking lot. Over the next year the Club will be doing an assessment with an engineering company to determine what if any repairs are necessary at this time.
The availability of parking at EHYC has always been an issue especially during summer weekends. The Executive appreciates the concern of members and has started to address this issue and will continue to do so over the next year. In order to help ensure that only members’ cars are in our parking lot we would remind you that you are required to show a yacht club decal on your vehicle. You are also reminded that overnight parking is for members who are out on their boats.
The House Committee has been working diligently to ensure the smooth functioning of the Clubhouse and the tool room. If any of you have been into the tool room recently, you will be surprised to see how tidy it is. This was an initiative of Rob Haslam, who has headed this Committee. Rob is stepping down from this role, but I’m hoping that he will continue to do this. Thank you, Rob, for the work that you have done.
This summer we had, in part due to the excellent weather, more barbecues than usual. This caused some heavy use on the barbecues. It is time to revamp these and this will be done before next summer.
There is been a busy social calendar this year. The Social Director will be speaking to that, but I would like to add my words of appreciation for the effort that Vickie and Dave have put in over the last year.
Tim Lepard Pegasus VI
Anniversary Dinner - March 28, 2015
14
Treasurer’s Report
Copies of the Club’s Financial Statements for the year ended September 30, 2015 were sent out with notice for the AGM.
On an income basis, we had a better year than last. Our loss was down from $50,000 to $17,000, both of these after amortization of property and equipment, which is a noncash expense. Our available cash showed a decrease of $35,000 from one year-end to the next, but this is after paying down the mortgage principal by $30,000, and transferring $25,000 to the dock replacement fund.
Some highlights for the year:
• both moorage fees and membership dues showed increases, largely as a result of 5% increases reluctantly approved by the Executive a year ago, and implemented April 1, 2015 and January 1, 2015 respectively.
• Sailing School revenues were down as a result of lower registrations.
• Clubhouse rentals were down owing to a new Club policy eliminating referrals, restricting rentals to Club members (after honouring all commitments).
• interest income was reduced as last year we earned 10% interest on the unpaid portion of some initiation fees.
• amortization expense was down owing to certain assets becoming fully depreciated.
• postage and printing and office supplies were down in line with a migration to email.
• salaries and benefits were down, because a 2.1% increase for staff this year was more than offset by moving the annual date for review from October 1 to the following January 1 and several non-recurring items in 2014.
• social activities expense increased owing to the final instalment of the liquor licence.
• taxes are down owing to a slight decrease for this year, in addition to a refund relating to 2014 resulting from an incorrect billing.
• water facilities have returned to trend after some expensive dock repairs last year.
• initiation fees reflect an increased number of new active and associate members.
• loss on disposal of property and equipment includes disposal of some old dinghies which were not fully amortized, and the theft of outboard motors. The insurance proceeds from the outboard motor theft have been accounted for as a reduction of the cost of the replacements.
• the $40,000 purchase of property and equipment consists of $19,000 of major work on the roof of the house, $8,000 on used dinghies, $5,000 on the new cave gate, $4,000 on the paddleboard rack, $3,000 on a new coach boat, and $1,000 net of insurance on the replacement outboard motors. A donation towards the cost of the Junior boats is included in Sailing School revenue.
I would like to thank Callum Beveridge for serving on the Financial Statement Review Committee, Nancy for her ongoing skill and dedication in performance of the Club’s accounting and cash management functions, and the Executive and Staff overall for adopting and maintaining a culture of prudence in their handling of members’ funds. Thanks to their efforts, the Club is in good financial shape.
Mark Powell Seamew
Safety Day - April 25, 2015
15
Social Director’s Report
What an opportunity it was to serve on the board this past year as Social Director. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and working with so many interesting people.
We started the year off with a New Year’s Eve event attended by 33 people (and 9 guests). Everyone brought appetizers which complemented the roast pork sandwiches and coleslaw. The place was festively decorated with balloons and streamers, the music was fun and as always, the volunteers who helped decorate and bartend were amazing.
The next day’s abundance of warmth and sunshine rang in the New Year’s Day Tug-of-War event. As always, Collen’s clam chowder was superb! After a long, hard battle Eagle
Harbour won the tug of war. Some brave members of West Van Yacht Club actually participated in a polar bear plunge before the tug-of-war. It was attended by approximately 80 – 100 people!
In January, over 70 people enjoyed our Fireside Night featured chili and guest speaker Eoin Finn presenting information regarding a proposal to build an LNG plant in Howe Sound. Bernie Hanby graciously presented us with this opportunity.
In celebration of Tim Lepard’s hard work and dedication in obtaining a liquor license for the Club, we held a free chili night offering deeply discounted prices for beer and wine in February. Fun was had by all.
The Anniversary Dinner held in March was attended by approximately 50 members. Our guest speaker, Bernie Hanby, presented us with many interesting stories and facts about the early beginnings of EHYC. Everyone enjoyed an abundant buffet of honey-glazed pork tenderloin, grilled chicken breast in a cream sauce and much, much more. It ended with everyone’s favorite black forest cake and coffee or tea.
In April, Safety Day 2015 was spectacular with a great number of members coming out to obtain their vessel safety sticker, have their fire extinguishers checked, serviced or replaced, and become informed and trained on the new defibrillator, thanks to the arrangement of Tim Lepard. West Vancouver Fire Department presented demos on using the fire extinguishers as well as checking and servicing them. Our Junior Members were busy washing vessels as well as manning the safety gear booth. Thanks, Junior Members!!!
Sailpast, May 9th, marked the official start of the boating season and was a beautiful day. Members showed up looking dapper as always. The day began with coffee and donuts. Booths were set up where members were able to pick up their 2015 yearbooks, new burgees, and purchase new 2015 clothing.
Then it was “all aboard” for the chance to salute the Commodore, and many members kindly provided space on their boats for those needing a ride.
After the Sailpast procession, members attended the Commodore’s reception in the Clubhouse, where delicious food had been organized by Jeff and Cindy Cutts. Once everyone was finished with lunch, the members received a very special treat – music by the Milleraires Big Band along with vocalists, Lorraine Foster and Monica Siu!!! Thank you Nick Hawley for arranging this wonderful performance. This truly ended the day with a bang. Many members stuck around late into the day to listen and dance to the music.
On Thursday evening, May 14th, Tim Lepard hosted his ever-popular fresh homemade pizza night! We combined this with an informative session on basic knots and rope techniques demonstrated by Chester Spink and Will Goldsmith-Jones. It was a truly enjoyable and interesting evening. Members brought their own line in to practice their newly learned knots and techniques. The pizza was scrumptious and was also fun to make! Thanks to all involved!
The Lobster Night hosted by Andrew Crane and Beverly Dicks on June 12th had huge attendance and great food, and fun was had by all. It is no wonder it goes on year after year with maximum attendance. To watch that many lobsters being prepared for that many people in the amount of time was a work of art. Hats off to the whole crew!!
We hosted Friday Night BBQs for the months of July and August as a way to allow members to enjoy the beautiful Clubhouse patio and share a social occasion with fellow members. Most of these were “bring your own meal.” Some Friday nights we had extra activities. On Friday, July 3rd, everyone enjoyed a jam session by Dana Vanier along with friends, Norma and John McManus, and on Friday, July 17th, Adam Woodall put on an outstanding performance.
In October, the Commodore’s Dinner included a delicious meal catered by Chef Philippe Segur and provided a great atmosphere for enjoying lively conversations.
In November, Tim Lepard sponsored a fundraiser featuring Nikola Girke as the guest speaker. Nikola learned to sail at Eagle Harbour Yacht Club. She has competed in three Olympic games, most recently the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK in which she finished 10th in the RS:X. It was a well-attended event with great food, drinks and prizes!
There will be a tree-trimming party on Saturday, December 12th and a New Year’s Eve party planned again this year by Tim Lepard. It should finish up the year nicely!
Thanks again for the opportunity and I look forward to participating in many more events in 2016!
Vickie Hottes Majic Falcon
16
Junior Coordinator’s Report
This summer we had a total of 122 registrations in our Sailing School program compared to 130 in 2014 and 140 in 2013. This was again very disappointing and continues to reflect the general trend of declining numbers being experienced by most sailing schools.
On the positive side we had a great new team this year led by head coach Liz Chung. Liz was supported by Isabella H, Jack P, Olivia M, James T, Jake L, Derek L and Ciaran B. We had two new level 3/4 coaches and one new level 1 coach so our team was quite experienced, having had one summer under their belt.
Through our Gift of Sailing sponsor, we were able to offer 9 sailing scholarships this year compared to 16 scholarships last year. Queen Mary Community Services seems to have difficulty filling all the places we offer them.
We had 7 students take part in the Commodore’s Cup at Royal Vancouver Yacht Club this year and one team placed 2nd in the regatta, which was a fantastic result. A number of our Juniors continue to race with the North Shore Sailing Team out of West Van Yacht Club which is encouraging.
We again offered supervised sailing for Junior Members but it was not well attended and some weekends had to be cancelled due to lack of interest.
Our Junior membership currently stands at 44 and we had 14 new members join the Club over the summer and 13 resignations. We had our usual Junior Club events this year – work parties, boat wash, awards night and the Cork and Canvas fund raiser. These events are always well attended which is great.
This year we added two used 420s from Deep Cove Yacht Club. Fortunately, we didn’t have to invest in any new coach boats and the replacement outboards were covered by insurance proceeds.
Our 25-year-old fleet of Pirates has provided great service to the Sailing School, but unfortunately most of these boats are beyond repair. Funds permitting, we may purchase two learn-to-sail dinghies for next summer. The intention is to add four more learn-to-sail dinghies over the next two years and then our fleet replacement program should be complete and all of our dinghies will be less than 10 years old.
The old dinghy dock has come to the end of its life and will be replaced in the spring. We are looking at cost-effective options.
Now on to the financial side of things. As I repeat every year, in my opinion this program is not about making money for the Club. It is about serving the community, providing high quality training to students and leadership opportunities to Junior members as well as being self-sustaining. In line with reduced student numbers, our Junior Club/Sailing School operations earned total revenues of $54,000, which as I mentioned earlier was disappointing and approx. $13k less
than the previous year. Our direct costs were $48,000 (the same amount as last year) and are largely fixed in nature and this resulted in a small operating surplus before depreciation of $6,000. After depreciation of $17,000, we lost money on paper but depreciation is not a cash expense.
I’d like to thank the people who support the Junior Club/Sailing School. Firstly, Nancy who did her usual amazing job running the administrative side of the Sailing School. Thanks also to Stuart Argo and Sam Parr who helped out in the office for a few weeks.
Secondly, I wish to thank Collen for his continued support and supervision of the Sailing School and Junior Club activities. Thanks to Collen’s general oversight, we have not had any significant injuries or accidents in our program over the last few years.
Lastly, I wish to thank you, the members, for your support of the Sailing School and Junior Club either as customers, supporters of fund raising events, or volunteers.
Callum Beveridge
17
Membership Report
I’ve enjoyed this, my first year on the Executive, as membership secretary. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some very nice folks, many of whom have joined as new members.
By show of hands, or standing if you are brave, could the new members identify themselves to the rest of us?
Looking at the stats from last fiscal year to this one (Oct 1 - Sep 30), we’ve shrunk our ACTIVE from 109 to 107 members. The good news is two more couples were just approved in November.
NON-Resident members remain at 11 while RETIRED members increased from 9 to 11. ASSOCIATE members increased from 13 to 19.
Not surprisingly. Juniors remain our most mobile category, with 13 resignations and 14 new members
bringing their numbers to 44. Of those, 6 are registered in the Active Seniority category ... clearly thinking ahead!
We have one Honorary and five Honorary Life Members to round out our ranks with those esteemed individuals.
Overall, our membership is stable relative to the past 10 years, with the exception of Junior members, whose cohort waxes and wanes a little more dramatically. Nevertheless, we’re definitely not growing much and we need to continue to be attractive.
To summarize, this year we’ve seen 18 resignations, 3 change of categories, and 25 new members join raising our club from 191 to 198 in total.
Jonn Braman Griffin
Sailpast - May 9, 2015
18
Fleet Captain’s Report
This year marked my second term as your Fleet Captain. It was a difficult year for me this year dealing with a lot more work travel than I’d like, and ageing parent issues. Club tasks had to take a back seat on the agenda more often than I would like to admit, and our yacht Grey Erik was left tied at the dock for far too many races this year!
Only four EHYC yachts continue to race regularly on a year round basis. It was good to see Andre Wojcieszek’s yacht Radical Departure back in the water this year! Andre seems to have remembered how to sail her after taking a year out, winning the EHYC Bluenose Trophy for being the top VARC boat from our Club. Andre really flew EHYC’s colours on the VARC circuit this year, finishing second overall in Division 1, just behind sister ship The Shadow from WVYC. Congratulations, Andre!
Once again this year an impressive group of non-regular racers turned out for the RNSA single-handed race in June. Our slightly-fewer-than-usual group did really well again this year! Hopefully those that had to miss out this year will return again next year, and perhaps others could be persuaded to join in this very popular event! Top award for EHYC this year went to one of our past Commodores, Andrew Crane, sailing his yacht Moonshadow III. The second day return trip this year was very quick indeed with a moderate NW wind pushing the fleet on pretty much a rhumb line reach to the finish!
A few of these and other non-regular racers joined in with many from BIYC for our two main Club events – the Spring Invitational and the Fall Club Championship. The Invitational was won by Wingaway from BIYC, with Dave Wilson’s Merlin placing highest amongst the EHYC entrants. The Championship was won by the aforementioned Andre Wojcieszek’s yacht Radical Departure! Unfortunately, we were unable to find the right times in the schedule to host the EHYC Single-Handed and Double-Handed races this season.
We will definitely get these back on the calendar next season. With new members joining up and a little moorage turnover, perhaps there will be additional interest in these reasonably informal Club racing events. Best part about this year was the participation of some of our Junior members in running the race committee! They all did a fantastic job and hopefully will want to come out again next year! We experimented a little with both Club races by setting the finish line so it could be observed from the Club deck. As long as the breeze stays strong enough to carry the fleet into the bay, all agreed it seemed to be an entertaining way to finish up.
As always, I would like to thank our Club Manager Collen Santer for being available to organize the post-race BBQ on the deck after each Club event, and Nancy Mitchell for her valued organizational advice and very helpful distribution of race info emails.
I noted in last year’s report that many EHYC yacht owners seem much more comfortable sailing off to distant places and sharing food, wine, and stories at some of BC’s beautiful destination gems – this year the May Supercruise was to Nanaimo Yacht Club. I would again like to acknowledge and thank Jenny and Brian Elliott for doing so much of the organizing of these events. I’m still thinking that maybe instead of a fleet racing focus, we should organize a few more “Fleet” events to interesting destinations that are only a few hours away from the Club, and it doesn’t really matter who gets there first!
I am looking forward to another year on the Executive as your Fleet Captain, and as always I would welcome your ideas, advice, and experience to make our Fleet even more active!
Respectfully submitted,
Kent Brownlow Grey Erik
Lobster Night - June 12, 2015
19
Rear Commodore’s Report
The Technical Committee headed by Andrew Crane has completed a survey of the floating assets and prepared a priority action list with the most critical being acted on first.
The early Fall storms did a little damage to two of our floats, which thanks to the quick action of our members and staff was quickly repaired.
After one of the early storms, several members reported the breakwater was lower in the water on the seaward side than the harbour side. Several members led by Frank Astbury sounded the tanks and found one tank had been breached and contained approximately eight feet of water whereas it should have been dry. The tank was pumped and a confined space team was called in to determine the extent of the breach. Once the breach had been found, divers were called to repair it.
In 2016 we will be working on the Technical Committee’s recommendations and building a new Junior Float for the Sailing School.
Many thanks to all those who have volunteered on the work parties over the past year.
A very special thank you to all who came to the aid of the Club to assist and repair the three major problems we experienced this Fall.
Your efforts help keep our moorage and membership rates down.
Glen Blake Balaena II
Friday Night BBQ’s
Nikola Girke Fundraiser
Staff Captain’s Report
Sailpast, May 9th
Excellent weather contributed to a relatively good turn-out for this event. Convivial lunch and lots of socializing all afternoon.
Supercruise, May 16th and 17th
The year began with some disappointment when I learned in that Otter Bay Marina, with whom we had made a provisional booking for our 2015 Supercruise, would be unable to accommodate us. More and more of the boats at their docks were moored there on a year-long basis. Spaces for visiting boats would simply be too limited to meet our needs.
So, the hunt began for an alternative venue. I contacted Nanaimo Yacht Club to see whether they might be able to offer moorage and space for us hold a pot-luck dinner on one evening and a catered meal on the second night. They were very happy to help us out. We encountered an extraordinary level of assistance from Rear Commodore Robert Wiebe, from Carol Shaw in the office and from Rusty, the wharfinger at the club. On the advice of Robert Wiebe and Shelley Boese we hired Spice of Life Catering to provide our Sunday meal and Cheryl Nixon and her team put on an excellent dinner for us.
We had to obtain a Special Occasion Licence in order to serve alcohol and I had to get my ‘Serve it Right’ qualification.
All in all, the Supercruise weekend went very well. The weather was good, Nanaimo offers a choice of places to anchor, hang on a mooring buoy or find space on a dock and Newcastle and Protection Islands are good to explore.
Senior Awards Night, Nov 21st
Attracted by the promise of Jonn Braman’s and Jennie Moore’s famous Barbecue Ribs, we had almost 50 people at this year’s event.
Results:
EHYC Invitational Bill Morley (BIYC) Blue Nose Trophy (best placed overall in VARC races) Andre WojcieszekEHYC Club Championship Andre WojcieszekWVYC Snowflake series Bruce WinfieldIolaire Trophy Bruce Winfield Win Farnworth Award (best in Club events) Dave WilsonPhoto Competition
Overall winner of the Murray Klassen Trophy Chris WilsonWinner Sailing Category Dean EilertsonWinner Seascapes Category Jack ParrWinner Wildlife Category Doug Close
Brian Elliott Bohemian
Senior Awards Night - November 21, 2015
20