Bilge Pump: November 2011
1. Commodore's Report
We had a rather abbreviated summer this year: August and September were really great. Now, unfortunately, we are into fall and colder weather has started.
This is the time of year that we must start to winterize our boats and prepare for whatever weather Mother Nature has planned for us. Sometimes we forget how stressed our electrical system becomes with colder weather. Mooring members should plan on conserving electricity on anything possible by turning off refrigerators, hot water tanks, and reducing loads that are powered through inverters. By doing so, we will insure that everyone has power through the winter weather season when demand is at its peak. Perhaps you will also save money by using less power. Another important winter preparation is checking all of your connections both on the boat and shore to avoid electrical shorts that could lead to fires. Art Mauldin would appreciate all dock water hoses being disconnected at this time. We don’t want any frozen pipes or valves this winter. We must all be vigilant in checking our boats more often when we reach freezing temperatures. If you are going to be gone during the winter, please designate someone to be responsible for your boat.
Our vessel inspectors have just finished walking the docks and I was a little disappointed in the results. Again, there were a number of vessels with no registration or insurance on file. This is an important yet very easy rule to comply with. Come on, captains, it is not that difficult to take a couple of minutes and email or drop off the information to Deborah in the office.
I want to thank P/C George and Nancy Austin for all of the hard work they and their helpers put in on the Commodore’s Ball. Queen City’s is the first of the Grand XIV events and certainly set the bar for the other clubs. Judy and I had such a good time. Great job!
In October, we enjoyed a spooky event at the outstation hosted by our Fleet Captain, Mike Cochran and First Mate Pam. Thanks for the very, scary weekend.
If you missed the general meeting on October 12, shame on you! You missed an opportunity to win the last “quarter pot” drawing at Queen City. A majority vote of the members present changed the “quarter pot” to the “dollar pot.” Winning the pot is going to be a bit more FUN with this change. Be sure and come to the general meetings and see if you can end up a winner! We had to draw four numbers before finding a winner at the meeting because captains had left to go down to the bar.
At the general meeting on October 12, P/C George Austin announced the members of this year’s Nominating Committee. The members are Mark LaFountaine, Dave Svendsen, Dave Bedner and, of course, P/C George. Please contact any of those captains with any input you might have. You may even want to suggest yourself. Your comments will be welcomed. The open positions are Rear Commodore, two Board Members, Secretary, and Treasurer.
I can’t believe it but it is already time to start thinking about Christmas. Our Fleet Captain, Mike Cochran, has planned a land cruise to the Christmas tree lighting event at Westlake Center on Friday, November 25th. You can arrive early and spend the day shopping and people watching downtown and then head to Oliver’s Lounge & Bar at the Mayflower Hotel. Oliver’s is renowned for their award winning martinis (named Best in Seattle). We will meet up at the bar at 3:45 for snacks and drinks before proceeding to Westlake Center for the official Seattle Christmas tree lighting ceremony. This is always a fun way was to get in the spirit and really get the season started.
The following week we will really get in the spirit of the holidays when Captain Vivian Johnson leads us in the decorating of the clubhouse. She is hoping for a good turnout, along with your bridge, to really make the club look beautiful. Decorating will take place on Monday, November 28 (10am – 4pm) and Tuesday, November 29 (10am until finished). Captain Johnson will provide lunch and munchies. Please put these dates on your calendar now. The larger the turnout, the less time we spend.
Judy and I would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Don Wilson
Commodore
2. Vice Commodore's Report
Greetings:
The only way to start this month’s Bilge Pump article is to call attention to the fantastic start of our club’s social season with the annual Commodore’s Ball on Oct 1, 2011. What a special way to honor and recognize our new Commodore Don and Judy Wilson!
MOORAGE: The October “Non-Compliant” boat inspection lists have been posted outside the 2nd deck office for your review. When noted, please provide Deborah Cobain, our office manager, with your insurance and boat registration information. Please send me an email confirming completion or correction of any other item (s) listed by your name so I can take you off the list next month.
The Moorage Committee and the Electrical Committee met on Oct 10 to identify suggestions and develop a plan of action on how to decrease power usage on Dock 3 during winter months. The results of the Electrical and Moorage Committee meetings were positive and have been communicated to the Bridge for final review. Commodore Wilson will advise the Board of the Trustees of the Bridge’s decision and request approval of the plan. It is anticipated that the Board’s approval will be forthcoming before the November 23 General meeting.
Last month I inadvertently forgot to note that Capt. Dave Nelson is also a member of the QCYC measurer team along with Gary Halverson and Jim Brooks. Sorry for my misfire on that, David, and we appreciate your volunteering to serve on this important part of the moorage team for the second year.
DOCKS: Chairman Art Mauldin is back from summer vacation and is ready to begin working with Waterfront Construction on resumption of the dock maintenance work. Art noted that this year’s priories will be: (1) resuming of Waterfront Construction work on Dock #2 including firebreak bracing, (2) conducting inspection of Dock #3’s substructure, (3) monitoring of construction of our new replacement work-dock float #1 and (4) meeting with the Docks Committee on a regular monthly basis.
By the time you read this month’s newsletter, the dock work party team will have completed the installation of our newly fabricated SS downspout collector boxes on Dock #3. Please swing by Dock #3 and look at the nice installation the dock team did. The best way to see them is from Dock #2. Also notice the nice workmanship that our Fleet Captain Mike Cochran’s company did on the SS collector boxes - very impressive.
CLUB HOUSE: Chairman Jim Damery and his committee continue to work closely with the Queen City Bridge and clubhouse staff to keep our clubhouse facility in great shape and always ready for the next event.
REMINDER: If you clean freshly caught salmon or other fish in the club kitchen, be sure to clean and sanitize the sink area and throw the fish heads and the rest of the parts out in the dumpster. Do not leave the bagged fish heads and discarded parts in the garbage located in the club kitchen. It took quite a while on Monday morning to remove the bad fish smell from the kitchen area. Our thanks go to Willie for removing the bagged fish parts, and fumigation of the clubhouse kitchen on Monday.
SEATTLE MAIN STATION BAR: Our Congratulations go out to Captains Butch Scherrer, new assistant club manager, and Tim Connelly, new assistant bar manager. They will be assisting club manager Andy Gerde and bar manager, Judith Pippin to manage the club and bar operation.
SHIPS STORE: I was very pleased to hear that Teri McGrew will continue to run our Queen City Ship’s Store. She and her able crew, Stephanie Marcelynas and Laurean Myers, will again be there to offer their good retail advice and appreciation for your support of the Ship’s Store. Here’s a short note from Teri on this year’s Ship’s Store opening:
Hello Queen City members:
Again this year we hope to bring to you quality merchandise at a reasonable price............with a smile!
We'll have a few unannounced sales to keep you interested. Of course, that means you must be present to win!
If you don't see your size please ask if the item can be ordered.
Visit the store. It’s the place to make a new friend, chat with an old friend and fulfill all of your needs for retail therapy. Mastercard and Visa accepted!
Thanks.
Teri McGrew
WINSLOW OUTSTATION: Captains Eric and Barb Wood report that the Winslow winter moorage assignments are going well, and the Winslow outstation clubhouse is ready and waiting for the fall/winter social season to begin.
We are certainly off to great start this year, so please take a minute and review the club calendar through the first of the year. You will see it’s full of activities for members to enjoy.
I look forward to seeing you at the November meeting.
Regards,
V/C Bob Stettner
3. Rear Commodore's Report
I can hardly believe the autumn season is upon us, time for grounds clean up, planting bulbs, checking water pipes, electricity loads and preparing boats for winter.
In becoming a bridge member, one begins to see and appreciate new perspectives around the club. In the first 12 days as your new Rear Commodore, I have needed to come to the club about 18 times where I have observed the same group of members busy, hard at work, focused, coordinating then fixing and maintaining these facilities. To this end, we need to gratefully acknowledge this group of active members many of which comprise our “snowbirds” group. Thank you!! Please consider saying yes to volunteering a few hours of your time when the call goes out for help.
MEMBERSHIP: As of 10/10/11 our Active Membership 349. Our Senior Life Membership grows by 4 to 119. Active Social Membership is now at 3. At our October 12th General Meeting 3 new Active members will have been installed. We have 1 Active Membership pending in November. We also have 2 Honorary Members.
During my long tenure (12 days) on the bridge, I have encountered some very excellent questions from members, so each month I'll state a question then research the answer for your review.
Q: What is a "Social Membership?”
A: Per QCYC Bylaw Article II, Section 2 (A) (4):
“Active Social Membership may be granted upon approval by the Board of Trustees to an Active member in good standing who has completed at least ten years of Active membership and does not own a boat. Upon approval, Active Social members shall pay one half of the current regular annual dues and shall have all the privileges of Active Membership except voting, holding office, proposing and seconding proposals for membership, temporarily mooring or permanent moorage at Club facilities, chairing standing and special committees, utilizing reciprocal moorage, and flying the club burgee. If an Active Social member wishes to return to Active membership, the member shall pay a new initiation fee, full dues and shall receive a new initiation date and member number.”
Grounds: A tip of the spade to Chair Capt. Becky Garvie and Mary “I’m Not a Member” Louise Alving for a wonderful job of planting containers of kale, mums & pansies and for sprucing up the grounds for the Commodore’s Ball. Thanks to Commodore Don and Judy Wilson for donating 30+ plants from their roof garden renovation. The parking strip looks amazing. Greatly appreciative to all of you!
Security: In our ongoing effort to keep docks safe, sound and secure, under the direction of security systems Chair Capt. Rod Hilden, we will be installing a Dock 3 view-cam for reciprocal mooring surveillance observable in the club office.
Thank you to the many members who have supported Laurean and me in this new position. (She thinks we are going out on a new date every night!)
Bob Myers
Rear Commodore
Board Report
As my term as Chairman comes to a close, here are some observations from my last three years on the Board:
This Board has worked very hard to take action on many of the things “Somebody should do something about.”
- “Somebody should do something about electricity.”
- We contracted for a professional electrical study to identify exactly what needs to be done to rectify insufficient power.
- Developed an ad-hoc electrical committee, committed to see this through over the years the project will require.
- “Somebody should do something about Ganges.”
- We studied the situation and ended our lease, moving to a pre-paid moorage arrangement at Saltspring Marina, dramatically cutting expenses.
- When the just-permitted remodel of this marina is complete, we should have a truly first class outstation in Ganges.
- “Somebody should do something about moorage rule violators.”
- Clearing slips of unused boats in order to shorten the moorage wait list will help to attract new members.
- Every month, the Moorage Committee, through the Vice Commodore, is to report to the Board on moorage violations and recommended actions. If no action is taken, it will be on record in the minutes that the board “actively took no action.”
- In September, the vast majority of those who received notices had taken obvious steps to participate and use or dispose of their boats. In fact, many were out of their slips and no, not at the bottom – I checked!
- While this is a difficult area, the end goal is to either encourage more active boating by the members or coax them to make room for active members waiting for moorage.
- I would like to recognize and thank the many volunteers who make this club run, especially my fellow members of the Board of Trustees and current Chairman, Mark LaFountaine. I would also like to single out, recognize and thank Gary Stone for the tireless efforts put forward to spearhead the Planning and Finance, 520 and Electrical committees.
- I tried to carry forward the message delivered time and again by Mark Weiss in his tenure: this club is run by the Bridge. The Board is there for policy, discipline and oversight of the financial operations but the Bridge determines direction.
- Last year, I defined an overriding motto and wish for my year as Chairman: “No Drama!” Considering that, with spouses and significant others, the club is made up of some 800 very unique personalities, I am happy to report that the majority remembered we are connected in a fraternal organization and the drama was indeed kept to a minimum.
Tom Johnson
Board Chair. retired
Captains' Christmas Dinner
Chet Gibson Memorial Christmas Cruise
THE CHET GIBSON MEMORIAL CHRISTMAS CRUISE
Parade of Lighted Boats – Coordinated and Led by
Queen City Yacht Club
Approximate Parade Schedule
Friday, December 09, 2011 Saturday, December 10, 2011
Lake Union 6:00 PM (Start) Lake Union (Start) 6:00 PM
Webster Point 7:00 PM Webster Point 7:00 PM
Leschi Park 7:25 PM Cozy Cove 7:40 PM
Meydenbauer Bay 8:20 PM Kirkland 8:10 PM
Webster Point 9:00 PM (End) Mathews Beach 8:40 PM
Sand Point 9:00 PM
Webster Point-End 9:30 PM
Communications: Monitor VHF Channel 9. Communications boat will provide parade information concerning safety and navigation. If you wish to contact communications just request Queen City Parade Communications.
Entry Requirements: There are none. ALL BOATERS ARE WELCOME. Just decorate your boat, put on a happy face and join the parade. Each and every boat lends its own unique flavor to the spirit of Christmas.
Comment: The event was begun in 1941 by Captain Chet Gibson and is being carried on under the sponsor ship of Queen City Yacht Club. It is an opportunity for the area boaters to share their pastime with the community and is an event the shoreline viewers eagerly anticipate.
Note: The Montlake Bridge opens on request after 6:30 PM, so the sailboats should line up together for a common opening.
Parade Start: On both nights, boats will form up at the North end of Lake Union behind the lead boat, (TBD), near buoy C”13” by Gasworks Park. At 6:00 PM the flashing light will appear on the lead boat and the parade will begin. We will proceed counter clockwise around Lake Union, through Portage Bay, the Montlake Cut and out into Lake Washington.
Decorations: Both sides of the boat should be decorated; lights should dominate the display. The audience is the people in the surrounding communities who enjoy the spectacular sight of the floating Christmas lights from shore.
For more information contact Randy Jamerson (Event Chairman) 206-579-0206
Children's Holiday Party
Commodore's Ball
After a week of decorating and months of planning the ball went off like clockwork. Commodore Don and Judy arrived in a gorgeous old sedan and stepped into the limelight. The other Grand 14 Commodores were waiting for their arrival on the stairs in the lobby, pictures were taken and mingling on the second floor began with cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres. Rear Commodore Bob Myers and Vice Commodore Bob Stettner escorted the visiting Commodores to their seats in the beautifully decorated 3rd floor dining room. P/C Jennerich escorted Don and Judy to their place of honor with the crowd clapping.
The theme of the evening was “Under the Sea,” and mermaids were everywhere. Judy has her boat decorated with the mermaids she has collected and was thrilled with the night. Willie and Peg did a great of job with the prime rib dinner and Didi Law’s band kept everyone on their feet the whole evening.
Nancy had tons of help with the decorating and this is a good place to admit that guys are only there for heavy lifting and should not give an opinion on what is happening while the ladies do their magic. Nancy sent a Thank-You to all she could remember who put so much time into decorating for this event. We hope we didn’t miss anyone.
Plan on attending next year, it’s a great evening at a great club.
P/C George Austin
Deck the Halls - Decorate QCYC for the Holidays
Docks Committee
Back from his away time, your Docks Chairman feels a little less overwhelmed by his return after seeing the grand success of the October 8 work party. Several people are responsible for the planning and advance work that made it possible to complete the downspout project and several smaller tasks. Twenty persons participated that day and your club gained a lot from their efforts. Many many thanks to all, and especially to John Alving, Mike Cochran, and Ron Stevenson, who made this success possible.
Dock inspection should be underway or complete by the time you read this article. It will be more comprehensive on Dock 3 than at times before, and I expect it will generate some task items for the committee. Please refer to the bulletin board in the main part of Cummings Hall to find cards listing tasks that need to be done. We’re working now to use a photograph to show the current tasks on that board in email to our committee members. Please start using the clipboards on the docks to report problems here again. We’re trying to get them read at each committee meeting now. I am well aware that we need to be more careful in responding to those reports.
We expect to see Waterfront Construction here during November and into the new year. Anticipate vessel displacements as always. There are caps and stringers and the normal things on the list, but there is also the task of reconstructing at least one section of the dock at the most easterly fire break on Dock 2. There might be more. This dock inspection is going to give those slab structures a much more careful look.
We’re now authorized to replace Work Float #1. The bidding is not yet complete, and we remain open to material and design alternatives in hopes of gaining a very useful long life structure at the lowest price. Well designed, pre-fab structures have some real advantages over attempts to reinvent the wheel. Stability is designed in and the weak points have all been defined and reinforced. We’re counting on this structure to be an important part of our permanent moorage system and it’s got to survive and safely moor large vessels exposed to some nasty weather for a lot of years. Getting it right the very first time around saves so much headache and green stuff later on.
With winter weather on the way, it’s important to give you several reminders if you moor your vessel here at the club. Our dock water is on year around. In the winter season (That began at least two weeks ago!) hoses must not be left connected to hose bibs when not in use. Please don’t leave them all for me to disconnect. Decoupling dozens of hoses when it’s cold is a really nasty job. Your power usage affects the quality of power for all other members here at the club. Circumstances are such that we could see power outages from which recovery is a very difficult and labor intensive project. Let’s all be aware and conservative.
Please make certain your moorings are secure and adequate for the worst of weather conditions. Give your boat allowance to move up and down with lake level and wave motion. These are NOT floating docks. Lines that reach more vertically than they do horizontally are a threat to boats, piers, and persons. Longer, more horizontal lines are naturally full of spring that can hold a boat in close to a pier without fixing it so tight in position that a wave or water level change can break something. Tight and short lines reach the end of their stretch with almost no movement at all and the forces get so great that something is likely to break. Quality rubber snubbers can be a useful way to achieve these goals in difficult circumstances. Boats can even be heeled over enough to be at risk. Please have your boats checked at regular intervals for your own good and for all of ours.
Next committee meetings scheduled: 6:00 PM Tuesdays: November 22, and December 27. Any changes will be announced by broadcast email.
Next scheduled docks work parties: 8:30 AM Saturdays: November 12, December 10, and January 14. Lunch is on the house. Breakfast is our time to discuss the day and to discuss it over food as the Dutch do food. ☺
Arthur Mauldin
Docks Chairman
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