Bilge Pump: June 2009

1. Commodore's Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

Commodore Dale Roberts

As we’ve become accustomed to, Opening Day was another great success; and as usual, there were many incredibly hard working members working to make sure that happened. First, I must thank the Opening Day Chairman, Bob Stettner. His work started last fall and through his diligence, all aspects of the five day event came off without a hitch. His administrative skills kept everything and everyone organized. Of course, he was backed by a troupe of able committee members, including Ron and Carol Voegeli, Butch and Nancy Scherrer, Don and Judy Wilson, Ragnar Schousboe, John Knickerbocker, Doug Lindal, Chris Benson, Bob and Laurean Myers, P/C Ron Rolstad, P/C Jeff Ewell, P/C Lynn Montgomery, Jim Damery, Jess Hill, Bill Field, Linda Dishneau and Dorothy Dubia. Helping them were numerous members and guests that manned the bars, shuttle boats, ship’s store, mooring visiting Grand 14 boats, serving meals, and cleaning up. I also want to give a special thanks to the Tarettes for serving the Sunday Breakfast, Barb and Eric Wood for providing their elegant yacht for the Officers’ boat, Treasurer John Rogers for handling the finances, and two great Junior Officers, Ed and Elaine Jennerich, and George and Nancy Austin. It has been humbling for me to have so many work so hard, and I am proud of how great our club looked to our peers in the Grand 14. Finally, I want to give recognition to Paul Grimm and all those who worked QCYC’s Decorated Boat, Gee Gee, for their winning effort for “Best Decorated Boat, Power.” Their “Whales Fargo” theme brought distinction to QCYC and I was very proud to accept the honors at the award ceremony at Seattle YC. 

The Saturday before Opening Day was the annual “Pride of Queen City,” which saw a huge contingent of members working to spruce up the Main-station clubhouse, grounds and docks. The end result was superb and we need to thank those who organized the event, including Jim Hess, Jerry Zuvich, Jim Damery, Linda Roehl, Jeff Lentgis, Art Mauldin and Dave Svendsen. Many members that were unable to attend donated cash, raising $660 for the cause. Thank you all for your contributions of labor and money!

As you probably know, the new floats were installed at Winslow in March, but one final but complicated portion of the project needed to be done before the project was to be fully completed. That was the removal and disposal of the old and deteriorating floats. Making the task so difficult was the need to avoid disturbing the beach, and the sheer weight of the floats that have absorbed water and sea life for decades. Captain Steve Jones and his wife Sonja took it upon themselves to cut the floats into the proper lengths, maneuver them into place, arrange for a diver, and hired a 40 ton crane and five trash hauling semi-trucks. In a matter of five or six hours, they had the job done. This was all done for a fraction of the amount budgeted. I can’t express how grateful I am for the masterful execution of their plan. It was brilliant! Also, Captain George Stoss’ generous gift of $1,500 for the new TV at the Winslow outstation was a wonderfully unselfish donation.

June’s calendar includes the “Old Timers’ Night” on the 10th, put on by Captain Steve Swingler. I’ve attended the cruise for the past two years and I really look forward to being there again this year. On June 13th, Kyle Bixby and his family will be hosting the “Tequila and Tacos” Friday Night Social. This is always a treat to attend and I hope you will be there to enjoy their great food and drink. The “Independence Day Cruise” to the Winslow Outstation is the last event that I want to promote in this edition, and that will occur between July 3rd and 5th. This popular event is being chaired by Dave and LuAnne Armstrong and is always a fun time. We hope to see you there.

With the summer cruising season upon us, I hope to see many of you out on the waters of Puget Sound. Happy cruising!

Dale Roberts
Commodore


2. Vice Commodore's Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

Opening Day 2009 was a fun-filled, 5-day event. Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this, our biggest event, such a success--including QCYC garnering honors for our decorated boat for the first time in several years (Thanks to Paul Grimm and his crew for bringing home the goods!). While many of us boat year-round, there’s a sense of rejuvenation around Opening Day and the Club seems to come alive again.

 
DOCKS
 
Due to the efforts of our Docks Committee, we have an excellent working relationship with the Seattle Fire Department. Our goals are identical—to have a safe marina and, in the event of a fire, to have systems in place to reduce the dangers to firefighters and Club members, and to minimize the loss of property. Toward that end, we have verbal approval from SFD to reduce the total number of fire vents. This will save us a considerable amount of money while having the benefit of being more attractive. Thanks to Bob Myers for his excellent work in making this happen.
 
We are also investigating how to take advantage of the economic downturn and the resultant decrease in the cost of materials. One idea under consideration is to start the fire standpipe project sooner than planned in order to take advantage of the reductions in the cost of pipe. There are some opportunities to be had which can save us a considerable amount of money by acting now. Keep in mind that the clock is running for us to complete the expensive Fire Code Compliance projects – we have a little over 6 years to complete the various projects. The Docks Committee is still looking for volunteers to take a leadership role in coordinating some of these projects. Please contact Art Mauldin.
 
MOORAGE
 
In line with the fire code, the Moorage Committee is working on developing a process to bring our moorage into compliance. You’ll recall that the fire code states that boats moored in the fire breaks must be 7 feet or less from waterline to the top of the superstructure. Your cooperation and understanding will be appreciated as we move forward with our compliance requirements.
 
HOUSE
 
With the help of the AAC, we are also investigating improvements to the lighting on the 3rd deck. As you know, the lighting is spotty with considerable glare in some areas and terribly dim light in other areas. It’s a beautiful room and should be made more functional and attractive. We are working with a lighting consultant to explore some cost-effective solutions to improve the lighting and effect energy savings.
 
Also under consideration is a more user-friendly and attractive Ship’s Store. Currently, all the merchandise has to be pulled out of the closet and set up for display every time the store is open. This is a real burden on the volunteers who graciously contribute their time and energy to provide attractive apparel and other items for the Club. A new design would allow for a more attractive display of merchandise, provide a more efficient use of volunteer efforts, and hopefully increase sales. I’ll keep you posted as both plans evolve.
 
OUTSTATION
 
Thanks to efforts of many people, the interior Outstation project is almost complete. It has been a pleasure working with the Tarette leadership to bring this project from concept to completion and for their wonderful contribution of the fireplace and the new chairs. Thanks to George Stoss for his generous donation of the new flat screen TV. Thanks to P/C Dick Timmerman for the beautiful cabinetry. Thanks to Barb & Eric Wood for all their help. Thanks to all the members who helped with the painting. Thanks to the members of the AAC for all of their help and guidance. The Outstation looks great and will for many years to come.
 
Fair Winds,
 
Ed Jennerich
Vice Commodore

3. Rear Commodore's Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

Daffodil in Tacoma was great fun. Nancy and I had our boat, Grey Goose, decorated with 1,000 Daffodils, thanks to the decorating crew. There should be a good picture out there somewhere. Queen City looked good. Tacoma mixed a special drink for the event, “The Daffy,” appropriately named and tested by the best our club could muster, a couple of early evenings being the result. A fun trivia game was played on Saturday. Queen City had a couple of South American Dictators (Al Reiche and Jim Hess dressed in grand uniforms) trying to help our master guesser (Richard Frisch) with the answers, but he had gone “Daffy” on us. Lots of laughter ensued followed by more “Daffies.” The weather was great, flat water and sun both ways. I tried 8 knots and got sunburned. Put this on your calendar for next year. Larry Dubia will be the Cruise Chairman, so tell him you want to go. A number of us stopped at Winslow on the way back to admire the work the outstation cleanup crew performed. Our club looks great due to your efforts, thank you.

 
We had our instation “Pride” cleanup with over 90 people involved, thanks to the “J’s” and those who didn’t come who sent a little green to buy us lunch and Jerry Zuvich’s baked potato dinner. Take a look around the club. All that weeding, planting, painting, pressure washing and just plain cleaning up makes our club look great. Thank you to all our volunteers.
 
Opening Day was another great long weekend. A special thanks to Jeff Ewell, Jim Damery, Bob Prestebak and Lynn Montgomery for all the hours taken to dock our visitors. They were all very appreciative of the efforts by our club. Bremerton thanked me at least 10 times for all the consideration given to them. Several were inquiring about how to join. We will need a chairperson for this position next year, so let us know if you want to help. Thank you also to all the volunteers that helped with this event, you’re terrific.
 
Thank you also for adhering to the parking rules. We didn’t have to tow any cars for parking in the fire lanes.
 
GROUNDS – Contact Linda Roehl. We’re good till fall on any cleanups, but you can pull a weed if you see one this summer.
 
SECURITY – Rod Hilden is our Chairperson to contact with any concerns or questions. Scott Grimm is assisting and can help also (I keep saying the same thing here every month but they are doing such a good job there aren’t any problems they haven’t taken care of).
 
MEMBERSHIP - We always have openings for new members and, as I mentioned above, there are interested members of other clubs that see what we have to offer. Don’t be afraid to ask them to join. Welcome Aboard to our new members. I saw most of you helping during Opening Day. Volunteering is a great way to meet other members. Don’t forget the $1,000 raffle for those who sponsor a new member this year and remember our Vice Commodore’s (Ed Jennerich) famous saying “The number one reason people don’t join an organization is that they aren’t asked,” so ask.
 
We are a first class organization. Our fellow Grand 14 clubs think we’re great, so be proud to fly your burgee and have fun.
 
George Austin
Rear Commodore

Club Manager Opening Day 2009 Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009
 
Opening Day 2009 has come and gone. Actually Opening Day has turned into Opening Week since we begin on the Wednesday before Opening Day. My title as Club Manager is a bit confusing to some. The title is actually a Washington State Liquor Control Board title. Any private club serving liquor in the state of Washington is required to hold a Class H Liquor License and is also required to have a Club Manager: a person who is completely in charge of bar operations, ordering product, managing funds etc. The position has grown to the extent that one person cannot do it all. Therefore the need for an Assistant Club Manager who would fill the Club Manager position in his/her absence. Then there is the need for the Bar Manager and the Assistant Bar Manager. These positions essentially work under the Club Manager and are in charge of seeing that the many bar shifts we have each year are scheduled with licensed bartenders. Yes, we are a Class H liquor establishment and every bartender is required to be a licensed bartender. The Bar Manager’s job is a big one currently managing 69 licensed bartenders.
 
For a club that does not have full time food and bar service, you might be surprised to learn that this year we will have approximately 170 bar shifts. There are approximately 50 Friday lunch events and approximately 19 meeting nights. Aside from those routine events, we have the Seattle Sail & Power Squadron events which add up to 10 or 11 per year. We have several Friday and Saturday Socials as well as several private parties of which we are allowed to have as many as 40 per year with our special endorsement to our liquor license.
 
What, you might be asking, does all this have to do with Opening Day? I just wanted to bring attention to the bar and those who operate it so the general membership can take a moment to reflect on how hard the Bar Committee works and the amount of time donated on a yearly basis to bring to you the quality bar you enjoy.
 
Opening week is the single biggest bar event of the year. This year 21 bartenders filled 12 different shifts. All shifts were manned by at least 2 bartenders. Some bartenders did more than one shift. The Bartenders (alphabetical order) who served you $4,724.50 worth of drinks are:
 
John Alving Larrie Chmela (3 shifts)
Steve Coughlin Pete DeLaunay
Jerry Dishneau Linda Dishneau (2 shifts)
Rick English (2 shifts) Sharon English (2 shifts)
Andy Gerde Cary Gould (3 shifts)
Elaine Halverson Gary Halverson
Steve Hanson Vivian Johnson
Dick Kasperson Bob Myers
Mark Pywell Carolyn Rolstad
Jody Russell Michelle Steele
Carol Voegeli
 
Aside from working bar shifts, Cary Gould (Bar Manager), Jerry Dishneau (Asst. Bar Manager) & Andy Gerde (Asst. Club Manager) worked overtime in their management functions. I caught sight of Linda Dishneau and Carol Voegeli filling in and hovering around the bar in case they were needed aside from their shifts.
 
I would very much appreciate it if you would, at the very least give these people a huge silent round of applause and, when you partake or if you don’t partake, go to the bartenders and thank them for what they do. Even though many of the other bartenders we have are not listed above for Opening week bartending, doesn’t mean they work any less hard. It’s fairly well a thankless job, requiring listening to a bit of grumbling. Please don’t grumble at the bartenders: they are just doing their job. If you have complaints, come to me. I make the policy and I make the big bucks.
 
Your Bar Committee thanks you all for your support!
 
Jess Hill
Club Manager 

Good Samaritan

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

P/C Dick Timmerman has done the finishing work on the cabinets at Winslow. Upon hearing that there were plans to install a flat panel TV in the area provided, George Stoss (#120) graciously purchased and donated a new 50” flat panel TV to the club. This is the third TV that George has donated to Winslow.

P/C Dean Lentgis


Labor Day Cruise

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

Come Join the

Pirates of Eagle Harbor

Labor Day Weekend

For some Booty, Rum

And Lots of Fun!


Membership Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

We just finished with Opening Day festivities and I am amazed how active this club is. Thanks to all who helped make the Pride of Queen City and Opening Day a success. We currently now 380 have active members counting new members, Capt. Bill Gray, Capt. Lynn Sipkens, Capt. Steve Barton and Capt. Tracy Redding, who were initiated at the General Meeting on Wednesday, April 8. Welcome aboard! Thanks to recruiting sponsors Capt. Bruce Ramon for Capt. Bill Gray, Capt. Larry Dubia for Capt. Lynn Sipkens, P/C Larry Chmela for Capt. Tracy Redding, and Capt. Tim Connely for Capt. Steve Barton. We have 3 more applicants that are ready for initiation.

Recruiting boating friends is one of the best ways to help your Club attain full membership. As you know, we are shooting for full membership status, with our goal at 400. Don't forget to grab a few Club brochures when you are at the clubhouse and encourage them to join.

Reminder!
The 2008-2009 Membership Recruiting Lottery drawing will be coming up this fall. There is a $1,000.00 cash prize to the lucky sponsor whose name is drawn! So, get a candidate in mind, and become part of the action! The participants in this drawing will be enjoying very good odds to win. Each person you sponsor counts for a drawing ticket.

So...keep recruiting!
and happy spring cruising.

Chris Benson
Membership Chairman


Moorage Committee Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

The Moorage Committee wishes to thank you for your efforts in readying your boats for the upcoming season. It’s great to see everyone’s boats looking shiny and bright, proudly displaying the Club Burgee.

Our Club is now asking for some very important help from mooring members.

Presently, the Club has several large powerboats moored in firebreaks. This has happened because of a shortage of members who own sailing vessels, along with the commitment to fulfill members’ needs for moorage.

Recently, the Club submitted our fire prevention plan to the Seattle Fire Department. Work on this plan began years ago, has been approved by SFD, and we now have six years remaining to fully comply.

The scope of the plan includes separating vessels so that in a fire, the firebreaks (the open spaces between covered moorages at the Club docks) would minimize spreading of flames from one vessel to the next.

For the firebreaks to work it requires vessels in these spaces to have a height of no more than seven feet from the waterline to the top of the superstructure.

With the Seattle Fire Department looking at potential fire hazards, in our case a marina fire, a plan was needed to satisfy the fire codes, while saving the members from the very high costs of sprinkler systems and still maintain acceptable levels of fire safety.

The result has been some changes in the design of the QCYC docks and of the fire prevention equipment. Also changed is the way we must assign vessels to slips at the Club.

The entire process of placing only sailing or low vessels into firebreaks will take years to complete. Queen City Yacht Club needs the cooperation of its members to make this happen, and regrets any inconvenience that its members incur during the re-assignment process.

That being said, the Club is asking all members who own a sailboat, or a low level vessel assigned to open slips, to voluntarily move to a firebreak. Sail boaters that already are assigned to a firebreak know how nice and roomy these slips are. Contact the Moorage Chairman, Richard Frisch, or Cochairman Dan Wilshin at: moorage@queencity.org

Richard Frisch
Moorage Committee Chair


Opening Day Thanks

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

Chairman

As Chairman of Opening Day 2009, I want to express my highest regards and my strong appreciation for a job well done!
 
When I accepted the responsibility for this year's program, I was quite wary of doing it; but that fear soon left me as we began to put our program together. The energy of the volunteers and experience of the meal chairmen was a huge positive right off the bat.  Moreover, it's been a long while since I had seen so much enthusiasm and excitement from folks who wanted to be part of an event that would entail a great deal of work. 
 
To the meal chairmen, I salute you on the excellent teams you chose and the quality of the food you prepared. Right out of the box on our first dinner event on Wednesday night, I knew we had a hit on our hands when I saw that the club was packed with members and guests waiting for Don and Judy Wilson’s delicious West Texas bean-less chili dinner. Thanks to Don and Judy and their team for that outstanding effort.
 
On Thursday we were treated to a brats and beer dinner put on by Butch and Nancy Scherrer and their team. In their dinner they offered at least three different types of brats and Polish sausage, plus smoked foot-long hot dogs. Again, the club was packed to capacity with members and guests waiting for this outstanding dinner. Butch and Nancy are among the most organized members I’ve ever met, and they had their dinner event extremely well organized: it went together like clockwork Thank you both and your team for another outstanding dinner.
 
Friday’s BBQ on the dock is always a big challenge to get up and ready for the BBQ dinner that evening. Chris Benson, Doug Lindal, their team, and a load of outside volunteers worked tirelessly to get the set-up done in time for dinner. Ragnar Schousboe and John Knickerbocker worked diligently for many long hours of preparation and work to make ready one of the best BBQ's I've ever tasted (thanks gents, well done). The Friday task in total is by far both the most physically and mentally demanding and I commend all that worked on it. As you all know, this is one of those tasks where there is a ton of things that need to be done on the front end setup, and then after the dinner it all has to be taken down and put away. Nice job well done to Chris, Doug and their team including all those who helped them in the process of setting things up.
 
On Saturday we had our burger bash. Bob and Laurean Myers together with their team really delivered an excellent meal. There is just something about a first class hamburger that gets our attention. On that evening I happened to arrive a little late for the dinner; but as soon as I saw how many tickets that had been sold, I knew right away we had another hit on our hands. The club was again packed, plus they even had to extend the serving times a little to get everyone served. My thanks to Bob and Laurean and their team for the outstanding job they did. How about those root beer floats? Weren’t they great?
 
Sunday’s breakfast is always a sign that Opening Day week is winding down. Ron Rolstad is our expert member responsible for cooking the best breakfast that you’ll ever eat. My thanks to you, Ron, and your dedicated team for helping us put on this great meal event. Additionally, I want to thank the QCYC Tarettes, who under Debbie Foote's guidance delivered an outstanding and wonderfully hosted breakfast on Sunday morning.  I made a special effort to circulate among the guests that joined us at our breakfast to get some feedback on the meal and QCYC’s part in OD. The feedback was excellent on both the meal and Queen City as a Club.
 
We are privileged to have such a good reputation associated with our club. I also spent a fair amount of time circulating among the guests at all the meal events and heard mostly complimentary and positive remarks on both the quality of the food and the enjoyment folks were having. One of the repeated comments I would hear from guests over and over was, “we love Queen City.” Our teams and volunteers have worked hard for the enjoyment of our members and guests which speaks volumes about the type of club Queen City is and membership that we attract. 
 
Early on in the Opening Day planning, I thought it best to delegate the shuttle boat function to one person to organize and run the operation. That person was Ron Voegeli, and with minimum help Ron took charge and began working to get this important service organized. The first problem was that he had to find two shuttle boats. The second problem was we needed to get them at reasonable cost. These problems apparently got worked out when Ron and Denny Roehl got together at the QCYC bar over a nice cold beer. Anyway, special notes of thanks to Ron Voegeli for the outstanding job he did in coordinating this year’s shuttle program and to Denny Roehl for his part in procurement of the shuttle boats. 
 
I want to express special thanks to Linda Dishneau for the superb job of decorations throughout the club. Kudos to Dorothy Dubia, Bill Field and Jim Damery, your help was invaluable. Finally, our hats are off to the QCYC bar teams for their excellent service and great coverage throughout the OD week.  
 
Needless to say, this was a good sized effort for our club to take on; and just as we have done every year in the past, we will be ready for the task again in 2010.
 
In closing, just to say thank you doesn't seem sufficient for all the effort and hard work that went into this week long event.  But for me, the real payoff was being able to take our turn at the wheel to continue an 80 plus year tradition, have a few laughs, and deliver a boat load of success and enjoyment to our members and guests.  Be of good cheer.
 
Bob Stettner
 
 
West Texas Chili Dinner
 
Judy and I want to extend our thanks and appreciation to the crew that volunteered for this year’s West Texas chili dinner on Wednesday evening of Opening Day activities.
 
We served 76 dinners, which was a little disappointing, as we had served over 125 last year. However, overall, we consider the dinner a success because we saw our members and guests experiencing lots of fun and enjoyment.
 
Special thanks to the chili servers who were really kept busy. The kitchen crew did a fantastic job including the cleanup of the kitchen and distribution of the leftover chili. Good job, team, thanks.
 
I would like to give a big thank you to members of the team: George & Nancy Austin, Judith Pippin, Gayle Frisch, and all of the others that assisted. Special kudos to my wife Judy for all her help and support.  Jim Hess, in particular, was helpful as we had some pot size problems and had to divide up 50 gallons of chili and get the distribution to come out equal. We sold some chili afterwards and gave some away.  Jim is also a champion chili maker, so the help was appreciated.  
 
We had good reports from most all the members and guests. One note of interest is that we actually cut the chili powder to half the amount the recipe called for. We were glad as I think it would have been hot enough to have served itself. As for the flavor, it was generally good and while spicy, not too hot for most. Our Santa Fe cole slaw seemed to be a hit.   All in all, a good time was had.
 
Don and Judy Wilson
 
 
Brats and Beer
 
A sunny and warm 67 degree evening greeted 135 diners for an evening of "brats and beer," good fun and many shared stories of the past.  Speaking of which, many thanks to Margaret Krows for the fantastic continuous loop video of many Opening Day experiences from past years.  It was artfully done and very entertaining.
 
Throughout this 4 hour evening, everything seemed to function well, thanks to all who contributed.  Both Nancy and I would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to the following individuals largely responsible for the success of this evening.
 
Bar Staff:  Cary Gould & Carolyn Rolstad
At the Barbecue:  Jerry Dishneau & Bob Myers
Preparation & Serving:  Tracy McPhee, Laurean Myers, Gordy & Debbie Foote, Larry & Dorothy Dubia and our always there for us best friend, Carol Olason.
Galley Cleanup:  Carol Voegeli
Tickets:  Bill Field
 
A special thanks to Bob Stettner for having the confidence to allow us to host this special and fun part of the opening day weekend.  Your constant monitoring and follow up to every detail was much appreciated.
 
Finally, John Rogers, you can relax as the proceeds from this event allows the use of black ink in the ledger.
 
Butch & Nancy Scherrer
 
 
Barbecue
 
I want to thank Ragnar Schousboe and J K Knickerbocker for their great cooking and preparation for our Friday Night Western BBQ. Ragnar and J K cooked and prepared for 2 days for this event. The food was absolutely awesome. My thanks for the following people that helped make this event so successful.
 
In addition to our great cooks, Ragnar Schousboe and J K Knickerbocker, Co- Chair Doug Lindal, Doug and JoAnne Westerberg, Larrie Chmela, Bob and JoAnne Collier, Tom Sweeny , Dave Bedner, Duane Schoeppach, Bob and Diane Prestebak, Chuck and Jan Gould, Gene Cotton, Jan and Jennifer LaFountaine, Carol Voegeli, Sandy Benson, Tim and Holly Madsen.
 
We started on Sunday and set up the Cotton tent that set the stage for our opening event. My thanks to all those people who helped with setting and taking down the tents and chairs: Gene Cotton , Bob Prestebak, Nick Castro, Al Reiche, Shawn Stich, Ron Voegeli, and Bill Buller.
 
Thanks to Bill Field and Karin McLean for selling the tickets on the dock for our event.
 
Thanks to Josh Mabel and Sysco Foods. They did a great job with our order and everything for our event was delivered as promised.
 
Our event was blessed with great weather and great people who helped. Thanks to all the Members and families of QCYC who supported and enjoyed this BBQ Event.
 
Chris Benson
 
 
 
Burger Bash
 
I would like to congratulate the Burger Bash team on doing an excellent job on this year’s QCYC Opening Day burger bash. It was a pleasure to work with such a fun team who were so organized and hard working.
 
Sorry about all that rain. Not only did the members and guests take a beating from the rain storm, but the men cooking in Gore-Tex foul weather gear were soaked.
 
My special appreciation and kudos to Butch Scherrer and Walt Mauldin who kept turning out those great burgers while in the midst of all that rain. Great job guys, thanks.
 
Our kitchen and serving crew can only be described as top notch. My special thanks to our guests Colleen, Morgan and Katie for the great job that they did.
 
Lastly, I want to single out and give special recognition to each member of my team: Capt. Ron and Carol Voegeli, Capt. Walt and Naida Mauldin, Capt. Bob and Diane Prestebak, Capt. Butch Scherrer, guests Colleen and Morgan Cooley and Katie Riley, and my lovely wife Laurean Myers.
 
You have my thanks and appreciation for volunteering and being a part of this year’s Opening Day Burger Bash.
 
Bob Myers
 
 
Sunday Breakfast
 
The Tarettes did their usual terrific job of preparing and serving breakfast the last day of Opening Day week. Assisting them were the following, whom I also want to thank: Butch Scherrer, Jerry Dishneau, Rich McCroskey, Ray Jones, Dick Kasperson, Bill Buller, Kent Soffel, Brooke Kimes, Steve Barton and Bob Prestebak.
 
Thanks to all who worked so hard to make this such a success.
 
Ron Rolstad
 
 
Shuttle Boat Skippers
 
I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to the crew that volunteered for this year’s water taxi shuttle service during Opening Day activities. This year’s shuttle boat crew provided us with excellent service between QCYC and Seattle Yacht Club during Opening Day activities.
 
Our success this year was the result of Queen City’s many experienced boat operators who answered the call to volunteer and get involved. This included acquisition of the two bow rider boats from Sport Boat Northwest. It also included driving and maintaining a trip schedule to 1:00 AM each night, and the final clean-up and return delivery of the two boats back to the owner.
 
It is my pleasure to recognize the following members from QCYC who were involved this year: Denny Roehl, Denny Ward, Larry Dubia, Jim Damery, Jim Hess, Nick Castrow, Scott Grimm, Robert Murphy, Steve Coughlin, Peter Anderson, Andrea Schock, Ray McGrew, Art Jones, Scott McPhee, Chuck Gould, Bruce Ramon, Gary Halverson, Dan Wilshin, Larrie Chmela, Lisa Steffan, Doug  Scott, Shawn Stich,  Bob Yates and Kelly Stocklin.  
 
I also want to express my appreciation to the spouses of our volunteers and in particular my wife, Carol, for giving enormous support.
 
Finally, a big thank you to Melinda Wade, of Sport Boat Northwest, who donated the use of the two Crownline, 24-foot. bow rider boats. Melinda Wade and her company bent over backwards to accommodate our needs, and without them we may not have had a shuttle service this year. We look forward to our association with her company, Sport Boat Northwest
 
Thanks again to all involved.
 
Ron Voegeli
 
 
Ticket Sellers
 
This year we had an especially good crew of ticket sellers. The ticket table had to be open before each event and stay open until each event was closed. This included two locations for the Friday Barbecue.
 
Volunteers included Karin McLean (3 shifts), Nadeane Rutledge (2 shifts), Judith Pippin, Gayle Frisch, Eileen Huggins, Diede Janel and Jan Gould. Kathy Montgomery was in reserve in case of shortages of people, which didn’t occur.
 
One feature of ticket sales is that everyone seems to show up to buy tickets at the same time, which requires quick and accurate work, as well as remaining in good humor. This group met these requirements in spades!
 
Thanks, ladies!
 

Bill Field    


Outstation Report

Bilge Pump Issue: 
June 2009

For those of you that haven’t had the chance to visit the Outstation recently, you’ll see lots of changes!  Upon arrival, you’ll first notice the new transverse dock and 80’ of Dock B.  After walking up the ramp, you may notice Eric's recent purchase (see if you can identify it and figure out how it works). As you glance up at the yard, you’ll see new, more substantial benches (cleverly done by Steve Jones).

After you enter the clubhouse, it will become apparent the inside has a new coat of paint (it’s “barley,” not pale yellow!) and then as you take all of this in, you’ll notice the beautiful cabinetry on the east wall that P/C Dick Timmerman built.  When you go up to look at it, you’ll see the “blackened steel” counter top custom made by Mike Cochran to fit on the cabinet’s counter.  (Mike also made the stainless steel door guard to protect the door from further abuse as the dock carts are taken in and out of the clubhouse.)  But Dick and Mike are not the only people we need to acknowledge this month.
 
We had the annual work party on April 18th and 19th.  28 people arrived with their shirt sleeves rolled up and ready to get the many projects done.  Some of our winter moorage members actually started earlier in the week - Doug Princehouse removed all of the cleats and electrical boxes from the old docks, and  Jill Princehouse did some trimming of the Japanese maple – it’s looking very stylish. 
 
Getting back to the work party, we had a long list of projects and the biggest was painting the inside of the clubhouse.  In one long day, under the guidance of Jim VanWagenen and Steve Weiss, things were removed, masked, primer was applied, and a finish coat of paint was applied.  We ran out of time, energy, and paint before we could apply a second finish coat.  I never realized how big that room is!  About eight of us worked on that project.  (I’m sure Jim Damery took some Ibuprofen that night, as every time I looked up, he was climbing a ladder or getting down from one!)
 
The pantry was organized and no nasty surprises were found.  (A few years ago we found an opened one-gallon can of refried beans with another new can stacked on top.)  We were able to utilize the drawers in the new cabinetry for a lot of the paper products, which will free up storage in the pantry for the big events. 
 
For those who preferred outside projects, they picked up gardening tools and started raking, trimming and weeding the gardens.  Bill Anderson brought his trusty pickup truck and made a couple of runs to the dump to dispose of yard waste. Eric replaced roof tiles – said he only has three new ones left.

P/C Rich McCroskey took on the challenge of cleaning all the outdoor furniture.  He spent hours, and did they look good by the end of the day!  The biggest compliment came a few days later when another member asked if the club had purchased new umbrellas for the outside tables!
 
Bill Ward took on the lonely job of cleaning and painting the shower rooms located at the back of the clubhouse.  I would check on him occasionally to make sure he was okay.  He was always just working away.
 
Even the ice machine got a good cleaning after Tammy Hogan and her daughter Sierra, who is 4 years old, emptied it and wiped it out with a weak solution of Clorox.  Now you can be sure your drinks have clean ice.
 
Bob Lindal always likes to work with wood (imagine that) and he found many boards that needed replacing on the old docks; Larry Post helped Bob with this project.  Tim and Nadeane Rutledge installed new vinyl rub rail along the concrete portion of A dock on the west side, to match the new dock’s rub rail (you know how fastidious old-what’s-his-name is). Tim and Larry must have had sore knees by the end of the day. 
 
Jill Princehouse and Sonja Jones were busy in the galley keeping us all fed and watered (beer and wine too).  We had soft tacos for lunch and spaghetti for dinner.  I made an egg casserole for those who stayed overnight and finished up projects on Sunday. Steve Jones cut up the old docks into twenty-foot sections during the work party, in advance of disposing of them about 10 days later.
 
I could go on and on about all that has been accomplished in the last month but I think you get the idea.  Eric and I could not begin to maintain this place without all of the help we get from you.  The Club owes a big THANK YOU to the following: John Alving, Bill and Trish Anderson, Bob Beckman, Bill Bressler, Jim Damery, Mike, Tammy and Sierra Hogan, Gary and Vivian Johnson, Steve and Sonja Jones, Bob Lindal, Doug and Cathlyn MacQuarrie, P/C Rich McCroskey, Larry Post, Doug and Jill Princehouse, Tim and Nadeane Rutledge, Jim and Karen VanWagenen, Bill Ward, Steve and Jacqueline Weiss, and Crystal Yates.  If I missed anyone, my apologies, and blame old-what’s-his-name.

To finish the dock-disposal story: On April 30th, Steve Jones hired a crane as well as some really big trucks to haul them away. At high tide, he pushed the sections of dock towards shore with his Whaler, a diver secured sling straps around the sections, and the sections were lifted out of the water directly into the trucks.  The marine growth was significant and the birds had a feast as some of it fell off.   I was at work but managed to sneak away for ten minutes to see all of the action.  Steve's wife, Sonja, along with Tim and Carolyn DeCook, made what seemed an insurmountable project seem almost easy.
  
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Tim and Carolyn DeCook.  They just returned from a winter in Mexico and are already helping where they can, including the dock removal.  They felt bad that they missed the work party but know there is always "stuff" to do around here.
 
We are looking forward to a busy summer and lots of fun! 
 

Barb Wood 


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