Salty Dog Sailing Club

of Denver, Colorado

December 2020 Newsletter

By

 

Commodore’s Log                                                      Marilyn Allen

Greetings Salty Doggers –

I hope you’re all staying well during this crazy time.  It’s certainly making for a different holiday season.  Andrea Lewis has cooked up a fun Zoom Holiday Party for us, and it should bring some fun to our December.  Be sure to attend the December meeting (via Zoom) on December 10 at 6:30pm.

I apologize for missing the November Annual Meeting and thank Bobby Olsen for stepping up as Vice Commodore.  My Time Share in Cabo was calling, and I’ve got to say, it was pretty wonderful to get away from COVID and politics.  Cabo felt very safe health-wise with precautions even more stringent than here.

I got the incredible gift of actually diving with 20-30 Humpback Whales.  Awesome!

A big welcome to all our new board members and Thank You for stepping up.  There WILL be a smooth transition of power and I’m confident some new plans and approaches will make our club even better.   There were reports from all board members EXCEPT Dave Westfall as Webmaster and yours’ truly.  Dave has done a tremendous amount of good for the club with his work on our website and Meet-Up.  We have new crew members and boat owners because of his efforts, and, of course, the great follow up of our Membership Coordinator.  Please see his report in this newsletter.

A BRIEF COMMODORE’S REPORT – This was a challenging year because of our friend COVID, but despite it we had great sailing events with good attendance and lots of fun.   At our Board meeting last January, the board became very concerned about our future when we saw the state of our treasury and upcoming expenses.   Additionally, our membership numbers were down, primarily because of the closing of Chatfield.  We voted to raise dues a small amount and focus on increasing membership.  I’m happy to announce that because of successfully doing both, the treasury is now solvent and in good shape. We reviewed our Financial and Policies documents to clear up some confusion over compensation.  We more clearly defined responsibilities of both crew and captains.  THAT was really complicated but will provide more concise documents for the new board.

The Salty Dogs future is  bright.

Our membership is up and we have new boat owners who are injecting lots of enthusiasm into the club.  The two long trips, Lake Mac and Dillon, were both successful.  Thank you to all the Board members who contributed their time and talents to the club.  Each and every one played a big part in our success.

Looking forward to seeing lots of you at the December Zoom meeting and party.

The business meeting will be VERY short, to allow lots of time for fun.

See you soon –

Marilyn Allen, Commodore

Membership Report                                                              Ronni Willcox

During the month of November the Salty Dog Sailing Club has welcomed three new members. We all give a hearty Salty Dog salute to Marty and Nick C from Strasburg and Tiffany J from Denver !

This brings the current club membership to 59.

If you would like to renew your membership before December 31, 2020 you can SAVE $5 per member on your single or double membership fee for year 2021.  A SAVINGS of $10 per couple!

Do that soon at our On-Line Payment link: https://www.saltydog.org/membership/

You can also download the club membership application:

https://www.saltydog.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SDSC-Membership-form-2020.pdf

The club requires every member to complete both sides of an application each year.  Please send your application to the incoming membership director, Cliff Randall, to his home address on my roster.

If you prefer, you can send a check along with your membership application directly to Cliff.

Have any questions about membership? Send them to membership@saltydog.org.

Webmaster Report                                                                 Dave Westfall

SaltyDog.org has gone from the Bottom to the Top of the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for “Denver Sailing Club”. We’re #1!

Our Google Analytics report shows monthly website visitors have increased from 20 to 200+ per month !

That’s 2,054 website visitors in the last year, up 47% Year Over Year, despite the Global Pandemic …

That has resulted in new Salty Dog Members (see Membership Report, above) !

Posting the SDSC Newsletter as a Blog Post on the Website for Prospects is helping our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and New Member Recruiting !

From the Editor                                                                        Ira Greenberg

It has been my pleasure to oversee this newsletter for three years now.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know our members, helping to organize events, keeping the information flowing.
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Tiffany Jordan, our incoming editor.
Wishing Tiffany and the entire incoming Board our Best for continued success in 2021 and Beyond !

Welcome to the New Board for Calendar 2021:

Commodore               Diana Bliss
Vice Commodore      Mark Graas
Membership              Cliff Randall
Secretary                    Ellie Watson
Dry Land                    Andrea Lewis
On The Water           Shane Brouillette
Newsletter                Tiffany Jordan
Treasurer                  Brook Moreland
Webmaster              Larry Moreland

Christmas at Sea Poem                                              Robert Louis Stevenson

This poem, by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in 1888 captures perfectly the pathos of the sailor leaving home in this poem; he can even see the house where he was born – where his aging parents are lamenting a Christmas spent without a son, a foolish son he surmises… who is away from home, at sea.

Click on this link to read the poem: https://poets.org/poem/christmas-sea

Dry Land Activities                                                            Andrea Lewis

                                          Ideas, suggestions, please let Andrea Lewis know   

                         Andrea – Dry Land Coordinator   dryland@saltydog.org      

 

On The Water                                                                     Shane Brouillette

******    Like to Propose or Coordinate a 2021 Sail ?    Contact Shane Brouillette – onthewater@saltydog.org     ******

December  2020 Meeting

Thursday December 10 – Meeting / Holiday ( ZOOM ) Party … 6:30 PM, via ZOOM – Link to be provided

Will start with Monthly Meeting, then on to Christmas Quiz – Have Paper / Pen handy by your screen

Please wear your best Xmas Hat, Ugly Sweater, Glittery Earrings, and your preferred Beverage.

( Due to Unpopular Demand, we will NOT be doing Secret Santa )

 

 

Charter in Belize –

Day Sails or Over Night Charters
Neftali & Tammy Lemus
Belize Sailing & Adventures

011-501-610-0226

+1-501-610-0226

http://www.xsitebelizesailing.com/

November 2020 Newsletter

By

November 2020 Newsletter Header

 

Commodore’s Log                                                                               Marilyn Allen

With only 2 more sailing days on the calendar, I guess we can say the season is over… at least in Colorado.  There are lots of warm weather places that are welcoming us, with some restrictions, so keep your eyes open for charter opportunities, and bring your mask and ever present hand sanitizer.

Twelve of us intrepid Salty Dogs joined Andrea Lewis for her latest Dry Land adventure — GO-KARTING!   It was a ball and we maneuvered and occasionally slammed around each other, trying for the best time.

Earlier in October, Shane organized an end of season sail at Chatfield… a beautiful day and a fitting end for a good season, IN SPITE OF our friend Covid.  We usually have 10-15 participants at the sails and everything from howling gales to glass flat lakes.  Hopefully, next year we’ll be a little less restricted, but considering the Covid challenges, I think we had a very good season.

Much thanks to all the coordinators and boat owners who shared their time and boats with us and thanks to Gary Kieft for putting the sailing schedule together.

IMPORTANT –

By the time you get this, I will have sent out ballots for our 2021 Board.  Our November meeting will be back to the Zoom format and the new board will be announced at the meeting.

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR VOTES BACK TO ME NO LATER THAN NOV. 3

(should be an easy day to remember)

There will be no voting at the meeting.  We need to have a quorum and we need to have votes, so please don’t overlook this.

And ‘Thank You’ to the fine Salty Dog members who have offered to serve next year.

IMPORTANT #2 –

We have two members competing for the On the Water Position.  They are Shane Brouillette and Gary Kieft.  Please vote for 1 of them on the ballot.

HOLIDAY PARTY –

We had hoped to be able to have an in person gathering, but with the spike in Covid cases, it’s just too risky.  Let’s plan for a Zoom get together on our December meeting night.  Bring your food, beverage, and some funny holiday attire from the waist up and we’ll visit and catch up.

Wishing you all a good Thanksgiving.

We ALL have things to be grateful for, even though perhaps this year won’t be the ideal.

Be sure to attend our November meeting.

We’ll announce the new Board, talk a bit about plans for 2021 and have a great guest speaker.

Vice Commodore’s Log                                                                       Bobby Olsen

November Meeting Agenda

6:30 – Meeting called to order / Greeting and review of the Agenda

6:35 – Business meeting

  • Election of Officers
  • Officer Reports
  • Ideas for meetings and events in 2021

7:05 – Speaker – Jim Schoendaller, Author and sailor

7:25 – Announcements

7:30 – Adjourn meeting

About Our Speaker – Jim Schoendaller

Jim SchoendallerJim is your typical active Colorado native. He is a former national skating champion, an expert skier, a certified scuba diver, a world traveler (5 continents so far), an accomplished ballroom dancer, and a gourmet cook.

Like all of us in landlocked Colorado, he is also into sailing.

He is an ASA Certified Instructor and has been teaching with Victoria Sailing School on the J22’s for 12 years.

Unlike all of us, he is a published author. His first book, 180 Degrees Magnetic, was published in December 2019. It is an action, adventure, sailing, sci-fi thriller set in the Bermuda triangle.

Book number two in the trilogy, Repel All Boarders, is at the publisher and will be available shortly.

Jim is going to share with us his experiences in sailing, writing, and mixing the two. It will be an informative and enjoyable presentation.

Membership Report                                                              Ronni Willcox

The Salty Dog Sailing Club happily welcomes four new members! We say a warm hello to Justin M and Colleen I, along with Andi O and Gino M.   Our club membership tops out currently at 56 sailors.

Our presence on Meetup, the Salty Dog Meetup Group, is also adding sailing enthusiasts who are interested in joining us for an outing.

If you have never received a Salty Dog complimentary tee shirt, please let me know and I’ll get one to you promptly. Every member is deserving of a tee shirt!

If you haven’t already joined or renewed, please do so soon at our On-Line Payment link: https://www.saltydog.org/membership/

Or, if you prefer, you can send a check to Ronni Willcox, Membership, 2955 Blue Sky Cir #6-206, Erie CO 80516.

Have any questions about membership? Send them to membership@saltydog.org.

Dry Land Event Recap                                                                          Andrea Lewis

What do frustrated sailors do when it is too cold to sail ? They do the next best thing and get into their go-karts and drive as fast as possible against their fellow Salty Dogs!!

Friday 23rd Oct was one of those freezing cold days, and so we were not sure how many Salty Dogs would brave the cold and come and join us at K1 Go Karting in the evening – but lo and behold … everyone who said they would, turned up and played!!

One race involved driving the course 12 laps and the object of the exercise was to do the fastest timed lap – it was not necessary to get past the flag first .. there were a couple of near collisions, as a few riders were more antsy than others ( no names mentioned 🙂

Great fun was had by all and the winner of the pack was Dan closely followed by Mathew.

After all that hard work we reconvened at “Living the Dream Brewery” for a well deserved beer!!

 

 

 

Sailing Schedule 2020                                                                        Gary Kieft

Great Job Everyone !!

                              It’s been a GREAT 2020 Sailing Season …

         Sincere Thanks to our Generous Boat Owners, Our Skilled Captains

                   Kudos to our On The Water Coordinator – Gary Kieft

                   Great Job under VERY Challenging Circumstances !!

 

MOB — A Cherry Creek Reservoir Instructive Sail Tale                    Michael Mason

I went sailing with my friend Marilyn, Commodore of the Salty Dogs Sailing Club.  Sailing was great. We had good wind, good company, and a beautiful afternoon.  We had a bit of adventure late in the day.

Placing fenders on the port side of the boat in preparation for returning to the dock, I somehow managed to violate the first rule of sailing,  “Don’t Fall Overboard”.  We were about a quarter of a mile from the dock.

I tumbled in and lost my new prescription glasses and my car keys.  My inflatable PFD inflated immediately.  I was now at the surface and  in no immediate danger.

Although this sounds amusing, MOB ( Man Over Board ) is actually a very life threatening situation.

The MOB is often injured, scared, disoriented, in saturated clothes that weigh much more than normal, and is unable to climb the slick sides of the boat or stern to get back in.

Marilyn is a very experienced sailor, as am I.  About a month ago we had discussed and practiced a few MOB techniques on an earlier sail on Cherry Creek Reservoir.  One technique we had discussed but not practiced involved removing the main sail from the mast while leaving it still attached to the boom.  The main sail halyard is eased (loosened) enough to allow the top of the now loose sail to be lowered in to the water next to the boat.

One of the first things Marilyn did was to return the boat near me and turn off the engine to reduce the chance of my being chewed up by the propeller.  She threw a large 20 foot dock line (rope) to me, and after a couple of attempts was successful.  Since I was being blown away from the boat, I tied the dock line around my waist with a bowline hitch to prevent my drifting away.  So now I was very safe…. temporarily.

No other boats at Cherry Creek were nearby in spite of it being a busy Saturday afternoon.  I blew my very loud rescue whistle with the international distress signal of 3 blasts many many times. . . . no one heard or responded.

I attempted to climb back into the boat using the engine mount as a ladder but even with Marilyn’s assistance, I was unable to get back on board. I have read that that is very common.

Marilyn was able to lower the main sail into water rescue position with minimal coaching from me but undoubtedly with a few curses from me.  With the loose main sail lowered into the water, I was able to swim into the hammock-like pouch of the mainsail without much trouble.  I did need to undo the dock line that was securing me to the boat, and that was somewhat concerning.

So there I was in the wet pouch of the mainsail.  It felt very comforting to be in the hammock-like folds of the sail where I would not sink or drift away. The sail also offered wind protection!  Marilyn proceeded to hoist the mainsail halyard up using the winch, and the mainsail sort of rolled me up the port side of the boat, as we had seen in the you tube videos but had never practiced. Then the halyard  jams! By doing a sort of pull up on the side of the boat, I was able to unweight the sail enough for Marilyn to lift it about a foot more.  That gave me enough height to crawl onto the deck of the boat, wet, cold, shaking, and near hypothermic. The rescue was not elegant but it worked!

Here is a video of a commercial product that illustrates how the sail rescue lift works. Note that we left the mainsail attached to the boom:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z4MU-uUAYY

I finished rigging the fenders on the port side of the boat and Marilyn drove us back to the dock.  As we proceeded, I found that I had packed a fleece coat in my sailing bag and changed into that.  I enjoyed the warmth!

We properly secured the boat at the dock and walked up to our cars.  Oh poop! My car will not open as my keys and fob are at the bottom of Cherry Creek Reservoir !

Marilyn drove me back home and neighbor Gail had keys to unlock my house. I now had access to a spare car fob and house key.  Marilyn drove me back to get the Toyota and all is now well (after pizza and wine).

Both Marilyn and I are safe due to experience, cool heads, a bit of luck, and training.
Wear that PFD, Salty Dogs!
More adventure than I had expected on Cherry Creek Reservoir!

Fair winds and following seas,
Michael Mason

Announcements

Like to Coordinate a 2021 Sail ?    Contact Gary Kieft – onthewater@saltydog.org

 

November  2020

              ****         VOTE                 2021 Board Members                   VOTE         ****

Tuesday November 12 – Annual Meeting … 6:30 PM, via ZOOM – Link to be provided

Saturday November 21 – Indoor Bowling – Punch Bowl Social
65 Broadway, Denver CO 80203      303-765-2695        $12 per go
We will pay at the door, but please let me know if you intend on coming so I can provisionally reserve enough lanes.
Please call or text Andrea Lewis email dryland@saltydog.org                                           

December  2020

Tuesday December 10 – Holiday Party, Time TBD, via ZOOM – Link to be provided

Interested in Buying A Yacht in San Diego?

The Membership Director has recently received this message from a yacht salesperson based in San Diego:

“I just moved out to San Diego from Denver and have embarked on a new career in the yacht brokerage business.  A lot of Coloradans like to buy boats in San Diego to use as a warmer weather winter getaway in the marinas that are walkable from the airport.  With that I can help!

My office is right next door to West Coast Multihulls and Seaforth boat rentals in Sunroad Marina, which have charter and educational opportunities your members might enjoy whilst I help them find the perfect yacht!

If members are interested, I can send a business card to any member that might want to look into owning?”

Cheers,

Nathaniel Barré, Yacht Consultant

619-313-3664

nathaniel@aglyachtsales.com

www.aglyachtsales.com

October 2020 Newsletter

By

denver sailing club

Commodore’s Log                                                             Marilyn Allen

Greetings Sailors –

This fall weather has created some great sailing opportunities.  Unfortunately September’s meeting wasn’t one of them.

Because of really ugly weather, we moved to a Zoom format.  Our Zoom group was small but fun as we shared stories and caught up.  Be sure to attend our October meeting on October 8th, via Zoom.  I believe Bobby Olsen, our Vice Commodore, has a couple of fun presenters in mind.  He’ll be sending out a Zoom link via web blast prior to the meeting date.  The Zoom format offers us a chance to see some of our members who aren’t comfortable in groups because of Covid, or perhaps find it too long a commute.

Of course, lots of us would prefer to meet in person so with that in mind, Andrea, our Dry Land Coordinator and I have been discussing the possibility of a Holiday gathering.  Thoughts are to find a restaurant with outdoor patio space AND HEATERS and share some in-person time, albeit it with masks and distancing.  We can do this folks!  More on this later.

Don’t forget her Go-Cart event!  I’m going … that’s been on my bucket list !

In November, we select the Board members who will guide our club moving forward.  The positions are always elected ones, so if you want to nominate yourself or someone else, just get in touch with me.  The following people have agreed to serve if elected and we will be voting on them at the November (Zoom) meeting.

Commodore – Diana Bliss
Vice Commodore – Mark Grasse
Secretary – Ellie Watson
Treasurer – Brooke Moreland
On the Water – Gary Kieft
Membership – Cliff Randall
Newsletter – Tiffany Jordan (brand new member!)
Dry Land – Andrea Lewis

We all agree our Webmaster, Dave Westfall, is going to be REALLY hard to replace, but we desperately need someone to fill this position.  Dave’s work has brought us new members both through MeetUp and our wonderful web site and it would be sad to lose the momentum he’s generated.   He’s agreed to provide training and assures us that now that it’s set up, there will not be a lot of computer expertise required.  PLEASE CONSIDER THIS!

I plan to be at the Oct 2 sail, 2 ½ weeks after a very successful knee replacement surgery.  While I won’t be scampering over the deck, it will be wonderful to be out sailing again.   See you all soon.

 

VOTE YOUR CHOICE FOR 2021 BOARD MEMBERS!!

            ( EVEN BETTER – STEP FORWARD YOURSELF ! )

In November, we select the Board members who will guide our club moving forward.

The positions are always elected ones, so if you want to nominate yourself or someone else, just get in touch with our Commodore, Marilyn Allen.

The following people have agreed to serve if elected and we will be voting on them at the November (Zoom) meeting:

Commodore            Diana Bliss
Vice Commodore    Mark Grasse
Secretary                  Ellie Watson
Treasurer                 Brooke Moreland
On the Water           Gary Kieft
Membership            Cliff Randall
Newsletter               Tiffany Jordan (brand new member!)
Dry Land                  Andrea Lewis
Webmaster              Larry Moreland

Participate – Volunteer – Vote

In Person Voting
Mail In Voting
Absentee Voting
Phone – In Voting
Disaffected, Irritable, Drunk, Cynical and / or Indifferent Voting

Your Vote Counts
( Perhaps More than Once …. ( Shhhhh … !! ) … (( nah … not really, just once … )) )

Planning an October, ahem, Recreational Outing …. ?      

The Octavius

Although the earth’s warming temperatures mean that the Northwest Passage is now free (albeit not easy) to sail through, this was not always the case. The search for the elusive passage claimed the lives of many ambitious sailors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; keen to find an alternate trade route to Asia, their ships would become lodged in Arctic ice, sealing their fate in the Great White North. The Octavius was one of many to meet such a fate, but the grim scenes found on board was what made the story of this ghost ship particularly terrifying.

The three-masted schooner departed from England in 1761, but was found off the coast of Greenland in 1775. Her captain had, unluckily, decided to try and use the then nonexistent Northwest Passage to return home. The five men who boarded the derelict ship in 1775 were confronted with a ghostly sight; the entire 28-man crew was below deck, but frozen to death. The icy figure of the ship’s captain was discovered sitting at his desk, writing in his logbook, pen still in hand. The last logbook entry was in 1762 – the ghost ship and her crew had been lost at sea for 13 years before being found.

The Mary Celeste

No ghost ship compendium would be complete without the tale of the brigantine Mary Celeste. Her fate has passed into maritime myth thanks in large part to a short story by Dr Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer and creator of Sherlock Holmes.

What we do know is that the Mary Celeste had sailed from New York on November 7, 1872 bound for Genoa with a cargo of alcohol. Almost a month later, on the afternoon of December 5, she was spotted drifting somewhere between the Azores and Portugal by Dei Gratia, another brigantine on an Atlantic crossing.

Captain Morehouse of the Dei Gratia knew Captain Briggs of the Mary Celeste to be a capable sailor and was suspicious. He ordered a boarding party to the Mary Celeste and his crew found a deserted ship in seaworthy condition.

Captain Morehouse split his crew and sailed the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar. To this date the fate of Captain Briggs, his wife, child, and crew of seven remains unsolved. Whether Briggs abandoned ship because of bad weather or whether there is a more sinister reason for their disappearance, will never be known.

Membership                                                             Ronni Wilcox

******   Please   ******  Renew Your Membership for Calendar 2020 / 2021 –

Use our On–Line Payment Link At :  https://www.saltydog.org/membership/

Dry Land Activities                                                Andrea Lewis

                                          Ideas, suggestions, please let Andrea Lewis know   

                         Andrea – Dry Land Coordinator   dryland@saltydog.org      

October  2020

October 2 – End of Season Sail / Social  –  4:30 PM Chatfield  –  Shane Brouillette

Meet at gas pump on Courtesy Dock

Sign up :  https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/

******    Like to Coordinate a Sail ?    Contact Gary Kieft – onthewater@saltydog.org     ******

October 23 – Dry Land Outing

Come Go Karting with us at K1 Speed, 8034 Midway Drive, Littleton CO 80125

This activity is for novices, beginners, and experts … all to be plenty of fun.

Meet at 6 PM for social time, racing begins at 7 PM.

Please respond to Andrea at 303-881-7376 or dryland@saltydog.org

November  2020

Annual Meeting … Time, Date, Format TBD

December  2020

Holiday Party … Time, Date, Format TBD

September 2020 Newsletter

By

September 2020 Newsletter
Volume 39, Issue 9 September 2020

denver sailing club

Commodore’s Log                                        Marilyn Allen

Greetings Sailors –

Being on the water has really been appealing to many of us as we decompress from some very hot and smokey days.  I can guarantee life is better on the water!

Sail Boat Rigging SketchThanks to Gary’s organizing skills and with help of some generous boat owners, we’ve had some fun events.  Our Weds night sail went from howling gale to lovely evening sailing.  While the TGIF sail was a great way to end the week, we had NO wind, but got a great chance to socialize.

There are still some sailing events planned through early October, so hope to see you there.  The Dillon sail over Labor Day sold out quickly, but we’ll be sailing after our September meeting, plus other things are on the calendar.  Take a look and sign up on line and pay early to guarantee your seat.

It’s not too early to begin thinking about who you’d like to have running your club next year.  Elections of officers takes place at the November meeting.  Many of us on the Board will be retiring and thinking it’s time to let some other folks have their chance to support the club.  Being a board member does not require a huge amount of time – maybe 2-3 meetings a year and some on-line discussions.

Without a board, there will be no club.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a leadership type of person, please volunteer.  Your skills are needed and appreciated.

Board members in the following positions are definitely retiring:

Commodore, Vice Commodore, Membership, Webmaster and Secretary/Newsletter Editor (these positions are being combined for 2021 – that year’s board can determine if that change is permanent ).

All positions are elected positions and everyone is welcome to submit themselves or a friend as a nominee.

A huge thank you to those who have served.

See you on the water.

Marilyn Allen, Commodore

Membership Report                                                                             Ronni Willcox

It’s September already and the sailing season is coming to a close but the Salty Dog Sailing Club welcomes back two former members !

We say a hearty hello to Paul L and Steve D.

With our two newest members our club membership currently numbers 51 sailors.

Our Salty Dog Meetup Group is also still attracting members who are interested in sailing with us.

If you’ve joined, either now or in the past, and haven’t received a Salty Dog complementary tee shirt, please let me know and I’ll get one to you promptly. I don’t want to leave anyone out!

If you haven’t already joined or renewed, please do so soon at our On-Line Payment link: https://www.saltydog.org/membership/

Or, if you prefer, you can send a check to Ronni Willcox, Membership, 2955 Blue Sky Cir #6-206, Erie CO 80516.

Have any questions about membership?  Send them to membership@saltydog.org.

On The Water                                                                                             Gary  Kieft

Greetings from Gary Kieft, your sailing coordinator of 2020.  Many active members of our club have kept this season booming with well populated club sails.  Much has been going on this year, and we have gotten bunches of you to keep showing up at a lake.  It has been an enjoyable role coordinating it all.  Thanks for trusting … designating me this year.

Thanks to all for showing up with food, drink, vessels, good cheer;  for making our club and our activities successful.

Thank you Michael Mason for spreading sailing lore and our love of reading, by your generous distribution in July of more Nautical, Mariner, Sailing-themed books and magazines!  I am half-way through my first of many Sail magazines.  I like the storehouse of adventure, history, and tips they have.  One tip I am trying to remember, applying to lengthy journeys, was to have a knife sharpener along, for when you have big problems and lots of cutting to do!   … I’ll let you know when I make some progress in Pirate Hunter of the Caribbean!

Our August 21st T.G.I.Friday Cool-Down Sail proved popular to ten sailors last week.  Ken Sweet provided his unnamed boat to the club this evening for the first time in 2020.  Thank you Ken!

Our nautical enthusiast Cliff has provided Valkyrie a few times at Chatfield, getting in his opportunity to sleep off-shore.  Thanks Cliff for that dear boat.  New member Mark Graas has enthusiastically brought one of his two boats to many sails also.  Thankfully I have gone with him even more times, since twice this season we had breakage (a side-stay and a forestay) on our pre-meeting sail after which we couldn’t use the boat after the meeting.  Good to meet you Mark.  Thanks for offering the boat many times and conducting those never-ending repairs!

Fellow Dogs, I count five sails remaining on our schedule!  Get out while the going is still hot.  It is surprising that this summer will soon have concluded.

Thursday September 10th “Monthly Meeting Sail”, 5:30 p.m. dinner.

Sunday September 13th “A Sunday on the Water”, 4:30 p.m.

We always have dinner before the Monthly meetings.

Bag-lunch it, or enjoy seaside cuisine at Seagulls Restaurant Thursday evening.

Ordering at the to-go window has been the method.

For Sunday, bring food and hydration for yourself, or to share afloat.

BRING  – Your usual provisions:  Sunscreen, swimsuit, PFD, sailing book, food, hat and water.

Gary Kieft.   onthewater@saltydog.org

Dry Land Activities                                                                                            Andrea Lewis

We are planning on going GoKart racing at K1 Speed, Littleton CO 80125

This activity is for novices, beginners and experts … all to be plenty of fun.

Please let me know if you are interested so we can nail down a date in October and get it on the official calendar.

We can’t hold a date with K1 Speed until we have numbers.  Sign-ups will determine date and price.

Please respond to Andrea at dryland@saltydog.org  

 

Faire Winds

August 2020 Newsletter

By

denver sailing club DOG TALES

Volume 39, Issue 8                              August 2020

 

 

Commodore’s Log                                        Marilyn Allen

July was a busy month for the Salty Dogs. We were definitely having fun! July 4th was Gari Weskott’s party which was engineered with complete Covid guidelines in place. We had party games as only Gari could design as well as great food and company. There even were some fireworks to see from the hill above Gari’s home.  Thanks so much Gari.   You give the BEST parties.

July 6 was the Moonlight Sail with Shane and Marilyn talking out Why Buy boats and several newer members joining us. The weather started off beautifully, but being Colorado, ya never know what’s going to happen. Thanks to Cindi Schmitt’s excellent weather skills, the crew on Marilyn’s boat got reefed and the jib almost in before the squall hit. I understand Shane had water coming INTO the boat. We had 3 new members on his boat, and they were very complimentary of his cool head during the blow. We got absolutely soaked but a good and memorable time was had.

John Venema organized his annual Lake Dillon 2- day sail July 12 and 13. Day 1, we got hit with 22-24 knot winds twice that lasted almost an hour each time. Pretty wild and tested every one’s sailing skills, but that’s what Dillon does!  We’ll be back there on Labor Day weekend. See the article elsewhere for information and sign up opportunities.

The BIG lessons from all of these events is REEF EARLY!  It’s a lot easier to take a reef out than it is to get one in when you’re being hit with 20 knot winds !!!!!

I’m sure you’ll be hearing about the Lake Mac trip that was organized by Diana Bliss. Meanwhile, the “wandering dogs” were enjoying the Atlantic.

Peter Baumgartners CatamarranCliff Randall participated in a delivery from the Bahamas to New England and Marilyn and Molly Miller crewed for 6 days on Peter Baumgarten’s 38’ Catamaran the Charles Edward as he moved it from Norfolk Va to Newport/Jamestown RI. Our departure from Norfolk was smooth and uneventful until two Navy patrol boats came roaring up to us, guns drawn, sirens going and lights flashing. The loudspeaker was blaring as they told us to get out of the channel. Then we saw the VERY LARGE SUBMARINE we had approached too closely. These guys definitely meant business and scared the daylights out of us!

A day later, as we passed Atlantic City, we encountered a pod of nearly 100 dolphins that played alongside of us as they headed south.

Courtesy of Peter’s fishing skills, we had fresh tuna for several meals and enjoyed anchoring out at both Block Island and Jamestown. Two all night crossings were a little hard on us but a great new experience. I had clear skies with stars everywhere. When my watch was over at 2AM, the fog rolled in and apparently, Molly and Peter could barely see.  I slept through it!

Be sure to sign up for the Dillon Sail on September 5 and 6 (Labor Day is late this year). Marilyn Allen is coordinating. See information on page 5 in this newsletter. This is always a popular sail so sign up soon.

Happy Sails,

Your Commodore, Marilyn Allen

Membership Report                                 Ronni Willcox

Sail Boat Rigging SketchSalty Dog Sailing Club sends out a warm August welcome back to Chris F, Cindy and Keith S, and Brian and Stephanie T, all former members who have renewed! This brings our current club membership to 51.

Even though the sailing season is half over, the Salty Dog Meetup Group has recently seen several interested sailors sign up on the Meetup website.

The current COVID situation is challenging but the club is figuring out ways to welcome new members and sail safely together while observing social distancing regulations. And still have fun too !!

If you haven’t already joined or renewed, please do so soon at our On-Line Payment link: https://www.saltydog.org/membership/

Or, if you prefer, you can send a check along with your membership application to: Ronni Willcox

Have any questions about membership? Send them to membership@saltydog.org

                           ******   Please   ******  Renew Your Membership for Calendar 2020 –

Use our On–Line Payment Link At :  https://www.saltydog.org/membership/

 

The pessimist complains about the wind,

      The optimist expects it to change,

           The realist adjusts the sails

Jamestown, RI

Reefing  – Part 1 – Tip                            Shane Brouillette

There are 2 kinds of sailors.  Sailors that admit they have forgotten to replace the thumbscrew that holds the sail slugs in the mast and sailors that lie.

If you want to avoid the embarrassment that comes when you drop the mainsail and the entire sail falls into the cockpit, here’s a neat trick to end that problem.

This problem usually follows a reefing where the stopper was not replaced. So…let’s say the bottom 2 slugs have to drop out of the mast to allow the reefing to work out right.  WhyBuy boats, and many others, have 2 halyards for the foredeck; one for the jib and one for the spinnaker. If the spinnaker halyard is not going to be used, you can take it and insert it between the 2nd and 3rd slug from the bottom of the sail. Take the shackle back up and clip it onto the mast ring that it was on to start with.  Adjust the halyard so that the third slug can’t quite fall out of the mast slot. That’s it.

Now you can leave the thumbscrew keeper out. The halyard keeps the remaining slugs from falling out but allows the removed slugs to be replaced (when you want to take the reef out) and the sail to be hoisted to its normal position.

Reefing – Part 2 – Lake Dillon Sail     John Venema

Good Grief!  Enough already!

Sailing on Lake Dillon is usually an exciting event but gusts of over 40 miles per hour is almost too much excitement!.

On day one I was with the Ingels on a “Why Buy J22” when the storm came through.  We had anticipated the storm, were double reefed and heading into Frisco bay for protection.  The wind was fierce.  This is the only time I have seen foam rushing across the water on Lake Dillon.  We headed for a vacant mooring ball and, fortunately, Charles Ingel was able to thread the ring on the first attempt.  We rode out the storm while tethered to the mooring ball and then readied the boat for the sail back to the Dillon marina.  At the Dillon marina we learned that one of the large docks at the marina had torn loose during the storm.

On day two I was sailing with Cliff Randall when another storm came in.  We headed for the snake river inlet to get away from the southwesterly wind but the wind clocked to the west giving us a challenge.

Reminder:  Pay careful attention to the weather when sailing in the mountains.

And, reef early.

Dry Land Activities                                 Andrea Lewis

Thankfully we are back on the water – so no more Dry Land until October 2020

Ideas, suggestions, please let Andrea Lewis know

Andrea – Dry Land Coordinator   dryland@saltydog.org

Sailing Schedule 2020                           Gary Kieft

August 2020

August 5 – Mid Week Sail – Chatfield

Ahoy!  Please join your fellow Salty Dog sailors at our Wednesday, August 5th sail at Chatfield Lake.

We will gather at 4:00 along the docks to greet one another and organize ourselves into boat groups.

Feel free to bring a dinner or visit the Marina to grab a quick bite to eat before we set sail.

Contact Heather Igel, if you are able to provide a boat for this excursion.

Use our on – line sign up at  https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/

August 13 – Monthly Meeting / Sail – Chatfield

Sign up at  https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/

August 21 – TGIF Sail  – TBD

Sign up at  https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/

September  2020

Join us in Dillon, September 5 and 6th – Labor Day weekend.

This is always a fun 2-day sail and Lake Dillon consistently challenges the best of sailors. Several of us are planning to stay in Dillon over the the 3-day weekend, and looking on VRBO, there is great availability starting at around $220/night for a place that sleeps 4. If you’d like to make it a long weekend in the mountains, contact Marilyn for more info. We may have room in our place, and if not, I can help direct you. I’ve coordinated this sail multiple years so I know the lodging situation pretty well.

About the actual sailing event –

We’ll sail both Sat and Sun from late morning until the skippers want to come in. We’ll get together for a potluck dinner on Saturday night. Sunday night, we usually have so many leftovers that we can eat in again, but we’ll play it by ear. Cost will be $15 for 1 day, $30 for 2 days. Cancellations prior to 8/25 will receive and 80% refund, after that you forfeit unless we fill your spot. We have a limited number of boats on Dillon, so make your reservation early.

Sign up and pay on line to reserve your spots and be sure to indicate which days you’d like to sail.

The link for members is: https://www.saltydog.org/product/labor-day-sail/

The link for guests is: https://www.saltydog.org/product/dillon-labor-day-guest/

Besides sailing, there is great biking, hiking, shopping and exploring. It’s just a beautiful place to be and there usually are concerts and other events over the weekend.

******    Like to Coordinate a Sail ?    Contact Gary Kieft – onthewater@saltydog.org     ******

 

Recap of Big Mac Trip – July 2020               Diana Bliss    

Sixteen sailors and four boats made it up to Lake McConaughy this year. Brian, Stephanie, and myself tried to launch on Thursday from a nearby dock but the waves and winds were too much. The water level was 12 feet down, so we had to refigure where to launch the boats for the weekend sail safely.

We had to go to Spillway Ramp by the dam, so we left early to bring the boats around to that boat ramp which was deeper and more protected.  But by the time we got the boats rigged and ready to launch we had to wait in line.

Once we got out we had a great sailing day with lots of wind on Friday. Saturday we decided to go early again but our boats were already rigged and ready to go so we got in at boat launch much earlier.  We had a full day of sun, swimming, and light to medium wind in afternoon for sailing — a great day.

We came back to the resort for our potluck dinner which had to be postponed while a storm blew through. There was a slight break in the weather so I had everyone come out and eat and clean up fast cause it was going to rain again.

After dinner we all crowded in one of the cabins and told stories of our best sailing experiences.

Sunday was looking cloudy and not so good for sailing, so we helped pack up the boats and our campers and headed home.  We discussed the possibilities of next year’s sail here and decided it would be best to go in early June for deeper water and better weather – less storms.  We even thought of coming up during the week instead of a weekend.

I think everyone had a great time.  I want to thank all the boat owners for bringing their boats and participating, and want to thank all the people who helped rigging and de-rigging the boats, especially with changing the boat launch area.

I’d say we had another successful and fun sailing weekend.

Big Mac Sail July 2020

 

       ***   Faire Windes, Safe Harbour   ***
Faire WindsArticles for next issue are due on the 25th.
Please send Word Doc files to:  newsletter@saltydog.org

July 2020 Newsletter

By

denver sailing club


Dog Tales
Volume 39, Issue 7                                    July 2020

 


Commodore’s Log                                                                                 Marilyn Allen

Hi Salty Doggers –

By the time you’re reading this you will have enjoyed or missed the combined Men’s Day / New Member Sail, organized beautifully by Ronni Wilcox with able assistance from her husband Bob Brand.

We had over 12 participants and plenty of boats to allow for social distancing and a yummy brunch of pulled pork and accompaniments. Unfortunately, we had to turn away some folks 3-4 days before the sail because we were full !

With our limited boat capacities this year because of the virus, it’s more important than ever that you sign up and pay early if you want to attend.
We’ve got some great sails coming up and reservations are open.

Patriotic SailSave the Date –
Early July will be busy with Gari Westkott’s party on the 4th, the Moonlight sail on the 6th, the meeting on July 9 with sailing and the 2-day Dillon sail on July 12 and 13. Check other parts in our newsletter for sign up details.

September 4-6 is Labor Day and I’ll be coordinating the multi day sail on Dillon. Several of us will be getting condos for the 3 nights and we’ll be sailing on Saturday and Sunday.

I’ll be opening up for sailing signups in early August, but if you’ve got accommodations up there, you’ll be given priority to sail before reservations open to other folks. Be sure to check the August newsletter for details and watch for a web blast near the end of July.

See you all on the water.
Marilyn Allen, Commodore

Vice Commodore Log                                                                         Bobby Olsen

Our monthly meeting is July 9 at Chatfield.

The gathering place is on the dock by the restaurant – MASKS REQUIRED.
Come early the restaurant has carryout available or bring a bite to eat if you want. Social distancing is essential on land (did I mention that MASKS are REQUIRED ? ).

On the boat, as always, the captain sets all safety rules including social distancing and masks. You need to sign up and pay online in ADVANCE to ensure we have the proper number of boats at https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/.  Choose the Thursday July 9th event and pay.

Contact Gary Kieft via email onthewater@saltdog.org with questions. Member donation for sailing is $10; non-members is $15. We will have a brief meeting at 6:15 to enable signups and payments for future events.  We plan to get on the water by 6:30pm.

Bobby Olsen, Vice Commodore

Membership Report                                                               Ronni Willcox

Salty Dog Sailing Club welcomes Cheri from Morrison, Nanette from Castle Rock, and Mark from the mountains !
This brings our current club membership to 44 happy sailors.

Our Salty Dog Meetup Group is adding interested people weekly. The current COVID-19 situation is challenging but the club is figuring out ways to welcome new members and sail safely together while observing social distancing and sanitation regulations.

If you haven’t already joined or renewed, please do so soon at our On-Line Payment link: https://www.saltydog.org/membership/
Or, if you prefer, you can send a check to Ronni Willcox, Membership, 2955 Blue Sky Cir #6-206, Erie CO 80516.

Have any questions about membership? Send them to membership@saltydog.org.

Sailing Schedule 2020                                                                 Gary Kieft

**** To volunteer as a Coordinator, please contact Gary at onthewater@saltydog.org ****

July 6 – Full Moon Sail – 6 PM – Chatfield|

July 9 – Monthly Meeting / Sail – 5:30 PM – Chatfield

July 12 – 13 Two Day Mountain Sail – Lake Dillon
Attention Boat Owners and Why Buy members:
I need boats for the Lake Dillon sail July 12 and 13 (Sunday and Monday)
Let me know if you are available. Thanks in advance
John Venema dillion@saltydog.org  or call him.

July 22 – Sail – 4 PM – Cherry Creek
Meet at ’WhyBuy’ Dock, halfway out the main dock to sign up and get on the water.
Return time is up to the boat Captains.
Your check ($ 15) is your reservation –
Send check to Shane Brouillette, 6500 E Alaska Drive, Denver 80224, or sign up on-line at
https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/
July 23 – 26 – Weekend at Big Mac – Lake McConaughy

August 2020
August 5 – Mid Week Sail – Chatfield
August 13 – Monthly Meeting / Sail – Chatfield
August 21 – TGIF Sail – TBD

Big Mac Trip is Open !

July 23rd—26th, 2020
The Salty Dogs will be going to Lake McConaughy from July 23rd—26th.
We will be staying at Admiral’s Cove again this year.
Because of the Covid situation there’s a few minor changes –
If you will be making your reservation for a cabin or motel room there, they will have sheets and towels but not blankets or bedcovers. If you have a kitchen unit you will have pots and pans but you will not have plates, glasses, cups, or silverware. Just bring some paper products. There are no restrictions for camping sites.

The restaurant will be open but only 6 people per table. Not sure if they will have a band Saturday night or not.
You must register for this trip as there are limited spots on the boats.

We have FOUR BOATS this year with 11 crew spots available. Your check will reserve your spot on this trip. The price of this trip is only the price to bring the boats up. YOU are responsible for getting your own reservation for lodging! For those of you who camp, since there’s limited campsites the club went ahead to reserve two campsites and you will be responsible to pay the club back for those sites. The price does include a pot luck dinner on Saturday night.

The price of the trip from July 23rd—26th is $145 per person!
Please mail your check (payable to Salty Dogs) to Diana Bliss 7069 Xenon Ct, Arvada 80004,
or sign up online at https://www.saltydog.org/on-the-water-events/

This will reserve your spot—it’s first come first serve.
If you want to get reservations at Admirals Cove for a motel or cabin, please call Roxanne at 308-520-3465—RIGHT AWAY!! Please leave a message saying that you are with the Salty Dogs. She will call you back within 24 hours. Rooms as of today are extremely limited!! They do have more campsites available as of today. I also have a list of hotels in Ogallala.

If you have any questions, you can email Diana Bliss at mcconaughy@saltydog.org.

SAIL ON LAKE DILLON JULY 12 AND JULY 13, 2020 (SUNDAY AND/OR MONDAY)

THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL SAILING IN COLORADO !
SIGN UP EARLY—YOUR CHECK RECEIVED IS YOUR RESERVATION.
WE WILL SAIL BOTH MORNING AND AFTERNOON EACH DAY
ONE DAY BOTH DAYS
MEMBERS: $20 $30
GUESTS OF MEMBERS: $30 $45

PAY ONLINE OR SEND YOUR CHECK (PAYABLE TO SALTY DOGS) TO:
JOHN VENEMA 5404 COYOTE CANYON WAY, UNIT C MORRISON, CO 80465
DILLION@SALTYDOG.ORG

BE SURE TO INCLUDE A NOTE INDICATING: THE DAY OR DAYS YOU WANT TO SAIL, YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND
NAME(S) OF GUEST(S). I WILL THEN SEND YOU DETAILS, VIA EMAIL, REGARDING WHERE WE WILL MEET, THE
OPTIONAL DINNER SUNDAY EVENING, SUGGESTED LODGING IF YOU PLAN TO SPEND SUNDAY NIGHT IN DILLON OR
SILVERTHORNE, WHAT TO BRING, ETC.

Dry Land Activities                                                              Andrea Lewis

Thankfully we are back on the water – so no more Dry Land until October 2020
Ideas, suggestions, please let Andrea Lewis know – dryland@saltydog.org

July 2020
July 4 Party !
Gari Westkott is graciously hosting a Salty Dogs party at her house. Details below.
Please call or email Andrea … we’ll put together a list of people, food items to bring.

A GOODBYE PARTY FOR COVID-19 — FOURTH OF JULY PARTY, 2020

Ahoy there, Saltydoggers –
Let’s celebrate the end of this pandemic and the beginning of our great country.
Yes, we will try for the July 4th date to have a party at my house: Saturday, July 4, 5:00 pm.

Save the date and plan to come if all is secure with the virus (otherwise, I will try for a date further in time). It will be a
potluck, so no prepay is needed. I do not have a BBQ any more so you will need to bring your own portable one if you
want to have a grill. (Sorry, I thought I was going to move, so gave it away) Also may need you to bring a lawn chair or
two and I may need a few other things, but I will call you. We will see the fireworks, either from my roof or up the
street from me, AND play games, actually in reverse order.

Viruses don’t like warm weather or sun and we will be outdoors so we should be safer than most places.
We may even be able to shake hands or hug then.
Games? Yes, a few – There will be PRIZES !

Cost of this event, other than your potluck dish– ‘BYOB’ – each of you will need to bring a boat (not for keeps)
[Could be as big as Shane’s rubber raft or it could be the floaty that accompanies you in the bathtub]

Miss you all.
Be safe
Gari W.

Andrea  Lewis – Dry Land Coordinator email dryland@saltydog.org