The Stamps Landing Yacht Club Newsletter http://vancouver-webpages.com/slyc

In This Issue: Clam Bay Raft-up

Thanksgiving Cruise Wind-up Cruise Christmas Party

…and more!

Sunny days at West Bay

Special Big Fat Issue!

Ahoy sailors,

If you’re thinking it’s been a long time since the last SLYC Newsletter, well you’re right. Having searched in vain for a good excuse and come up with nothing, I’ll just admit that I’m guilty of procrastination, combined with the sins of good intentions on doing a perfect job that never quite gets done.

All while life, work, boat maintenance, bills, taxes, and everything else marches on.

Commodore Sean Smith

Too many distractions. Maybe I have to learn to be less of a perfectionist! I promise it won’t be so long before the next one!

Anyways, my apologies for the long delay of this Newsletter which, since there’s a lot of ground to cover, has morphed into a Special Big Fat Review of the second half of 2008.

Every time I do one of these newsletters, I remind myself of how enjoyable each and every one of these events are, and the people that make them fun. And of course, the pictures really make this special. Thanks to everyone who sent me pictures of various events, please keep them coming!

And speaking of pictures, we’re digging through our archives and dusty boxes of files and photos to look for any interesting history of the Club, as this year marks the 20th anniversary of Stamps Landing Yacht Club. We’re hoping to celebrate this with one or more special events through the year, if there’s anything you can do to help, it will be much appreciated! Photos, stories, or help organizing some kind of slide show, would be a great help.

And of course, any interesting articles or other contributions for the Newsletter is always appreciated. Anything that helps me get over that dreaded Blank Page when I start a new one from scratch!

Coming up soon is the Annual General Meeting, part of this will involve a vote on some revisions to our By-laws, which I hope you all get to review in the Notice of AGM. As I have learned from sitting on other councils and organizations, by-laws need to be reviewed and updated from time to time, to keep the organization current, meet the wishes and desires of the membership, and comply with other legal issues which may affect us.

Wrangling over legalese is never as fun as sailing, but we hope through our efforts that we continue to have a club with a strong sense of organization, and a clear mandate to make it as enjoyable as possible for all our members. Let’s never lose sight of that goal!

Finally, some members will be stepping down from the Executive this year, I thank you deeply for all your efforts, and welcome some new faces too! And yes, I am offering myself for Commodore for 2009, assuming of course that you’ll have me!

Smooth sailing for 2009, everyone!

- Commodore Sean Smith

From the Commodore’s Desk

2008 SLYC Executive COMMODORE Sean Smith 604 720-9169 captain@halepauhana.ca VICE COMMODORE Peter Boorman 604 535-6745 peterdwb@telus.net REAR COMMODORE Janet Jensen 604 733-6889 janet_jensen@shaw.ca FLEET CAPTAIN Joe Kalwajtys 604 597-2106 jjkalw@netscape.ca SECRETARY Scotty Wilson 604 929-3965 scotty01@shaw.ca TREASURER Kathy Ireland 604 682-5705 2raghangers@telus.net PAST COMMODORE George Paget 604 669-2059 georock57@yahoo.com NEWSLETTER EDITOR and WebMaster & Commander Sean Smith 604 720-9169 captain@halepauhana.ca Check the website often for pictures from Club events! http://vancouver-webpages/slyc

August Long Weekend is always the best weekend of the summer! Hot and sunny as always, and a great turnout of boats for the West Bay Raft-up. New to the raft-up was Gil & Sylvia’s Irish Cream, Lara’s daughter Natalie enjoyed her first weekend cruise with SLYC, and Murray’s friend Harold from Edmonton also greatly enjoyed his first weekend cruise, and kept us all entertained with stories. Harold showed us all that being blind doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on the water! Thank-you to John & Lara for hosting a great weekend!

Easter Seals Race The Easter Seals Race, held on August 23, saw a number of SLYC boats in the line-up:

In Racing 1 Fleet, Dan & Jeanne’s Lucky Dog placed 14th, and Carl Richardson’s Allons-Y came in 10th. Stan and Kathy’s Arwen placed 6th in Racing 2 Fleet.

In Racing 3 Fleet, Main Brace took 2nd place, under command of Skipper Gary and crewed by the EBA Engineering sailing team. Well done, Main Brace!

The race saw close to 60 boats compete, with over $200,000 raised for Easter Seals House and the BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities.

Note that the date for Easter Seals has changed for next year, it will be held on June 27, instead of August.

See www.eastersealsregatta.ca for details.

Some action shots of Lucky Dog and Main Brace in the race.

West Bay

Clam Bay Raft-up Not quite as hot as West Bay, but the weather was still quite agreeable. George Waibel’s Makkea was the “Mother Ship” for the event, with many of us gathering around Makkea’s ample stern to enjoy good food and company.

John Jensen got out the diving gear to go and inspect some boat bottoms and change a zinc or two.

The barbeque at Telegraph Harbour was well attended, with plenty of salad and snacks to accompany the sizzling steaks over the hot coals.

A lively south-easterly made for a quick and fun trip back across the Strait on Monday.

Thanks go to George and Alanna for being the raft-up host boat, and Scotty and Keith for organizing the event. A truly enjoyable weekend!

GGGrrreeeyyy WWWaaattteeerrr DDDiiisssccchhhaaarrrgggeee BBBaaannn??? Well the government thinks they know best again. Last year, the Federal gov’t tried to enforce a ban against sewage discharge against all boaters, using regulations which were really intended only for large commercial vessels. The proposed rules were unrealistic, unenforceable, and in some cases, laughable.

Thanks to the efforts of the Council of BC Yacht Clubs, BC Marine Trades Association, and yes, the letters sent by SLYC members too, the Feds finally saw the light and backed down on most of the proposed regulations.

You’d think that a lesson would have been learned. But no, now the Provincial gov’t wants a go at us. It appears that the Ministry of Environment (MoE) now wants to enforce a ban against “grey water” discharge.

The MoE has dug up a long-ignored clause of the Environmental Management Act (Section 13), which states that domestic sewage or waste cannot be discharged from a vessel into any body of water. Period. No allowance for off-shore discharge.

The MoE was originally focussed on pollution from the growing number of houseboats on Shuswap Lake, but now they’ve set their sights on the entire province.

Grey water, as it applies to boats, is any water discharged from sinks, shower sumps, or anything other than a head or sewage holding tank.

So, how many of the approximately 750,000 pleasure boats in BC are equipped with holding tanks for grey water? Answer: Approximately None.

And how many of the few pump-out stations would be prepared to take on the extra grey water? That would also be a Big Fat None.

Want to voice your beef? Write to:

The Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of Environment, Room 112, Parliament Buildings, Victoria BC, V8V 1X4

Or: env.minister@gov.bc.ca 250-387-1357

Thanksgiving Cruise

The weather gods gave a few of us some excitement on the way to Gibsons, with a sudden gale that blew through Collingwood Channel, with sideways rain and 30 knot winds, but thankfully it didn’t last long before we were in the lee of Keats Island. More stuff for dockside tales!

We got a tour of the cute little waterfront home near the marina, it turns out a friend of Barb Gabrielson’s was living there at the time, who very graciously invited all us soggy sailors in for a visit.

Dinner at the Waterfront Café was quite enjoyable, with the manager Art playing the role of genial host as always.

Wind-up atSnug Cove

The Wind-up Cruise this year had an Italian night theme, lots of pasta, lasagna, feta cheese, tomato sauce, and even some Dean Martin playing on the stereo.

Getting there was fun, with an eastern wind of up to 25 knots blowing, just put out the jib and go for a ride, woo-hoo! The highlight of the evening was the Wine Cellar raffle, a draw for a case of fine wines donated by members of the Executive from our own ample (ha!) collections.

A scrumptious breakfast was put on by Bruce and Linda MacFarlane, with sausages, bacon, eggs, and lots of strong coffee to clear the morning fog between the ears! Perfect!

Halloween at Annie P’s

Annie Pedersen invited all SLYC pirates, and other crazy ghouls and goblins of the season to party it up at her house again this year.

There were some great outfits, but Helga’s Sarah Palin impression had to be one of the best!

Thanks Annie for a great party!

Ricky & Margareta

On January 5, 2009, Ricky and Margareta became the Newest Newlyweds in the club, we wish them the very best! Don’t they look so sweet?

TTThhheee PPPuuubbb iiisss rrreee---bbbooorrrnnn

Spring and summer saw the Stamps Pub closed for renovations, and our informal Thursday Night gatherings temporarily without a home, though we made do well enough at various locations on Granville Island.

Now re-opened as The Wicklow, the Pub now features a fabulous menu, friendly staff, and the new management really appreciates our business, offering our club a donation proportional to our club member’s bills, and providing space upstairs for events like our Christmas Party. We look forward to a great relationship between the Wicklow and SLYC for a long time to come!

Not to worry though, despite the new name of the pub, SLYC will always be Stamps Landing Yacht Club!

Look up, look waaay up!In October, Main Brace’s mast was pulled out and lowered to the deck, using an ingenious arrangement of halyards from neighbouring Sitka and Fan Sea, with John Timmerman and Fred Smolen at the winches.

With the mast out, Gary and Ricky can re-build the mast step, inspect the spreaders and fittings, and have the mast re-painted.

Unfortunately the winter rains set in before the painting could be completed, so Main Brace is waiting for spring and sunny weather to arrive before Gary and Ricky can “Splice the Main Brace” again.

SLYC Christmas Party

The Christmas Party was a big big hit this year, with a DJ and stereo system and dancing galore. Everyone looked great in their formal wear, and as the snow started falling the air was thick with the spirit of the season. Many thanks to Kathy Ireland for organizing a fabulous party!

Upcoming Events… Annual General Meeting

The AGM will be held on March 28, upstairs at the Wicklow Pub. Dinner will be available from the pub menu. Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7, meeting starts at 8pm.

And remember, this is the time to tell some tall tales for the Bent Prop Award!

To confirm your attendance, please contact Scotty Wilson, at (604) 929-3965 or scotty01@shaw.ca.

Jack & Jill Race The ever-popular Jack & Jill Race will be held on April 25-26 this year, racing the course from the Bell Buoy to Gibsons, and followed with dock party, dinner, and door prizes. And a race back on Sunday!

The Race Notice is posted on the SLYC website at:

http://vancouver-webpages.com/slyc

For details, Contact Joe Kalwajtys at (604) 597-2106 or jjkalw@netscape.ca.

Annual General Meeting Put Saturday March 28 on the calendar for the SLYC AGM. It will be held upstairs at the Wicklow Pub, with cocktails at 6pm, dinner at 7pm, and the meeting to commence at 8pm.

Dinner will be available from the Pub menu.

As usual, there will be a number of formalities, reading of minutes, reports of Officers, Financial Report, and so forth. A slate of volunteers for the 2009 Executive positions will be put forth for the membership to review and approve.

Afterwards, we encourage anyone with some Tall Tales to come forward and compete for the prestigious Bent Prop Award. Stories can be about anything hilarious, embarrassing, or otherwise funny, and it could be about anything that happened to yourself, or that you witnessed. Stories should be for any event (real or imagined!) that occurred in the past year since the last AGM.

20th Year Celebrations It’s true! SLYC has been around for 20 years! Founded in 1989, there’s been many adventures over the past two decades. While many members (and boats) have come and gone over the years, there are a few members who have been with the club since day one. Of course, some members have passed on to those happy cruising grounds, they will be loved and missed.

In recognition of this milestone, we’re hoping to put on some special events, and try to dig up some history of the club, especially old photos.

Or perhaps you know some former members still around that we could invite to the party? If you can help in any way, please contact Janet Jensen at 604-431-7209, janet_jensen@shaw.ca; or Scotty Wilson at 604-929-3965, scotty01@shaw.ca

SLYC Calendar 2009

January February March

1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

29 30 31

April May 1 2 June

1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

26 27 28 29 30

31

28 29 30

SLYC Schedule of Events (shaded)

Feb 14,15 - Valentine’s cruise to Bowen March 28 - Annual General Meeting April 25,26 – Jack & Jill Race May 3 – Sailpast & reception May 16-18 – Newcastle Island cruise June 20,21 – Plumper Cove cruise Other Events: Feb 4 – 8 – Vancouver Boat Show May 9 – Round Thetis Island race

Granville Island to get new docks

Goodbye, Fuel Dock, for now? New Members SLYC Welcomes these New Members to the club: • Moya Tiefenbacher Moya has a Hunter 29 named Atalanta, which resides at Heather Marina. • Derek Wolff Derek has a Santana 30 named Obsession, currently at the Fisherman’s docks. Thanks to Kathy & Stan for introducing Derek to the club! • Gil & Silvia Shaw Gil & Sylvia have an Islander 32 by name of Irish Cream, which is moored at Bowen Island. Being residents of Bowen made it easy to drop in for the Wind-up Cruise. Welcome all!

The public docks at Granville Island had been getting pretty rickety in recent years, so they are getting replaced soon by new concrete ones. Additional improvements will include a longer ramp (which won’t be so steep at low tide) and an extension of the long dock at the west to wrap around the NW corner of the island towards Bridges restaurant.

$1.3 million dollars has been committed to the project. The dock policy is to remain the same, which is free to the public, first come, first serve, for a maximum three hour stay.

The False Creek Esso fuel dock closed its doors in the fall, and Al the operator even put on a BBQ for all his customers who supported his efforts to keep the fuel dock open. Alas, we are but a small cog in the big corporate machine of Esso, which is determined to get out of the marine fuel business.

There were fears that the dock itself would be hauled away, but Esso relented and has left the door open for potential new operators to take over. Al tried to put together a bid, but was told he didn’t have the sufficient “deep pockets”. Meanwhile, over the winter the underground fuel tanks were dug out and removed.

However, the Vancouver Parks Board, whose jurisdiction the fuel dock falls under (as an extension of Burrard Bridge Civic Marina), seems to have recognized the importance of keeping an operational fuel dock in False Creek, and has been working to find a new operator.

Rumour has it that there is at least one interested party, but due to the volume of paperwork to be filed and other bureaucratic red tape, it is unlikely they will get permission to re-open the fuel dock until later this summer. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that everything will eventually work out for the best!