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Salty Dog Sailing Club January 2020 Newsletter
Commodore’s Log Marilyn Allen
Greetings Sailors,
Those who missed our Holiday party on December 14 lost out on a great time. Our Dry Land Coordinator, Andrea, planned a very fun event and with few exceptions, a great time was had by all. We had a great turn out, with over 40 in attendance, including some members we hadn’t seen for a while and some folks from other front range clubs. Also a thank you to Tom Prebynski. Tom made a donation to our club to thank those members who helped get his boat prepped for sail. A portion of that donation was used to make the party such a success and the rest went into the club treasury. Thanks, Tom. We missed seeing you and Sandy at the party.
THANK YOU to Bobby Olsen, who has volunteered to serve as our new Vice Commodore (VC) and another thanks to Kathy Hug, who stepped in as interim Vice Commodore (and was extremely helpful) when our previous VC quit the position prematurely. The VC is an important member of the Board and Bobby will be great. He’s served in other Board positions and been a long-time member. Bobby said he felt he wanted to step up and support the club and we all thank you. Without members like Bobby, your other Board members and the other volunteers who run our events, there wouldn’t BE events for the rest of our members to attend. Please consider how you can help – especially as we develop plans for sailing season. We will NEED event coordinators.
We hope to have several combined events with our fellow front range sailing clubs, including America’s Boating Club (formerly Boulder Valley Power Squadron) and Colorado Sail and Yacht. Each club has a slightly different focus with Salty Dogs being the local cruising club. We had some shared events last year and they were lots of fun!
Meeting other sailors creates more opportunities as well. I would like to see a Salty Dog Charter this year, perhaps to an easy destination like the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas or New England. I’m putting together an interest list so if that is something that appeals, please let me know. No commitment at this point. I’m just trying to find out if there is enough interest in the club for me to pursue this. If no one responds, I won’t pursue it. Last year, because of connections made through the Salty Dogs, I enjoyed two separate charters – one to Antigua, St Barts and St Martin – the other to Lake Michigan. FUN!
I will be absent for the January meeting because I’ve got a scuba tank with my name on it in the Caribbean but I know our interim VC and our new VC have a fun meeting in store. In February, our Landlubbers event will be combined with our February meeting on Feb 13th. This will be a fun event where we compliment, appreciate and our new VC have a fun meeting in store. In February, our Landlubbers event will be combined with our February meeting on Feb 13th. This will be a fun event where we compliment, appreciate and roast our fellow Salty Dogs. Normally this is a separate party, but since it seemed we weren’t going to have a VC in 2020, Kathy offered to take on a scaled down version, assisted by your current board. It will be fun. Please send any funny or embarrassing sailing stories you have to Kathy Hug.
Now that we have Chatfield back as our Home Lake for the sailing season, I’m looking forward to seeing our club prosper and grow even more than last year, with 12 new members. See you all in February at Landlubbers. Oh, and if you have a special place you’d like to go for a Salty Dog sail, let us know. Your Board will be starting planning soon. We’ll need locations, boats and coordinators to make it work.
Happy New Year to all. May we all have a healthy, fun and prosperous New Year and especially, may our country remain a Democracy with acceptance and respect for each other, our Constitution and a high standard of integrity demanded from our elected officials.
Marilyn Allen, Commodore
Vice Commodore’s Log Bobby Olsen
Learning to Sail
My Path to Sailing
I was naïve in choosing a steel mill for my first job after college. The steel industry was already in serious decline in the early 80’s. As I entered the training center on my first day, there was a sign on the wall “When You are Through Learning, You are Through”. A nugget of wisdom from a business on a downward trajectory. Fortunately, that adage has guided me throughout my personal and professional life. I tried to learn how to sail in Barbados, but my boat owner friend could barely sail himself. While in Dallas, I joined a Hunter sailing club. At my first sail, I again learned that having the money to buy a sailboat does not bestow adequate knowledge or skill to be a competent instructor.
Eventually, I found a local community college that offered a sailing class. It was wonderful. No ASA (American Sailing Association) book reading, just sailing on Lake Grapevine for four hours on four consecutive Tuesday’s. It was awesome. I took the same class three times. Finally, I was a sailor.
Next, I started taking some ASA classes. A body of knowledge that expanded my sailing skills. Later, the Why Buy program was particularly good preparation for chartering. Dealing with malfunctioning equipment is not a standard lesson in an ASA class, but it seems to be commonplace when I charter a boat. The Why Buy boats give you that learning opportunity frequently.
Of course, the Salty Dogs are a great place to learn because of 1) the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience that other members have and 2) the variety of boats we have the chance to sail on. Some boats are better (or worse) in some circumstances. Reading about naval architecture design trade-offs is just book knowledge. The firsthand experience (or just the observation) of a sailboat provides a richer understanding of the cost/benefit choices being made.
Our Learning Journey in 2020
We aren’t through learning, yet! I would like everyone’s help in expanding and honing our sailing skills and expertise this year. Our meeting 2020 themes are going to focus on expanding our sailing knowledge. Those of you with varied areas of sailing knowledge – use your 20-20 hindsight and let me know what you have to share. Some of you may be thirsty for a particular topic – use your 20-20 foresight and let me know what you want to know. Together we can continue the Salty Dog tradition of becoming better sailors… and have fun with friends in the process. I expect 2020 to be another great year of sailing (and learning).
Bobby
From our Outgoing Acting Vice Commodore
WOW! The Holiday Party was really fun. You might even say it was a little saltier than in some years. Good food, good friends, good conversation and a little, um, dancing for the brave. What more could you want. One picture is worth a thousand words.
With the holidays over, our next meeting will be at Piccolo’s, 3563 S Monaco Pkwy, Denver on January 9. Come with your calendars in hand as the sailing schedule will be the topic of discussion. A special bonus, a quick review of sailing terms and knots could result in a sweet prize for the person with the greatest knowledge.
By February, we are all in need of a little comic relief. Landlubbers is a fun way to recognize and roast our friends. I’m looking for people who would like to “rat” on their fellow sailors. If you have a funny story about a sailing misadventure, I’d like to hear it. My e-mail is on the roster. This is also a time to recognize the special contributions of our fellow members. If you want to nominate a Coordinator of the Year, Dog of the Year, Broken Mast Award candidate, or make up an ad-hoc award, send an e-mail for that, as well.
Kathy Hug, Acting Vice Commodore
Sailing Schedule 2020 Gary Kieft
**** To volunteer as a Coordinator, please contact Gary at onthewater@saltydog.org ****
Call for Sail Coordinators
We need Volunteers for each Sail planned for 2020 –
Step up, Offer the Club Your Ideas, Your Time, Your Goodwill
Well planned Sails make for a Successful Sailing Season
Thanks !
Please reach out to our OnTheWater Coordinator –
Gary Kieft at onthewater@saltydog.org
Looking Back at 2019 ……
It was an eventful year –
Our home port of Chatfield Marina started out unavailable, as the Park Service re-made the reservoir and shoreline.
The Boat Wash, our Annual Kickoff Event, was held at Cherry Creek, as were several early season sails.
We had excellent long – weekend sails at Pueblo, McConaughy, and Dillon;
Shared some Dry Land and On The Water Events with fellow Sailing Clubs;
Welcomed new members;
Welcomed a new ‘Acting’ Vice Commodore, Kathy Hug, who stepped up and stepped in on the fly;
Shared Dry Land comradely at various events and venues, including a Rockies Game, a Star Gazing night at Denver Observatory, a Brewery Tour ( no problem getting good attendance for that ), an Elk Bugling outing, and a truly outstanding end of year Holiday Party, complete with some craaaaazy good dancing.
We look forward to an upcoming season of new ideas, new outings, new members, good winds, and great sailing.
Announcements
Renew Your Membership for Calendar 2020 –
Use our On – Line Payment Link At : https://www.saltydog.org/membership/
Dry Land Activities
January 2020
January 9, 2020
Monthly Meeting – Piccolo’s – 3563 S. Monaco Parkway, Denver 80237 5:30 PM
January 25, 2020 – Escape Room – 8501 W. Bowles, Littleton, CO 80123
Imagine being locked in a room with six of your best sailing buddies, and not able to leave until we have solved a
number of clues, puzzles, and mysteries.
Extremely entertaining, stressful, and fun at the same time !!
See who has the coolest head and can work under pressure.
Contact Andrea for more details .. 303 881 7376
Mail Andrea your check, or reserve online at: https://www.saltydog.org/product/dryland-event/
Andrea – Dry Land Coordinator – dryland@saltydog.org
Thank You’s –
Bobby Olsen, Gary Kieft, Larry Moreland
For accepting responsibilities as Vice Commodore, On The Water Coordinator, and Secretary, respectively
Your contributions will support a great new Sailing Season for Calendar 2020