June 2022 Ditty Bag - Lake Canyon Yacht Club

June 2022

Commodore’s Report

by Bill Clark, LCYC Commodore

The Commodore’s Report will be posted soon.

Welcome New Members

Anne and Dean Hector, Driftwood, TX
Ruben Gonzales, Laredo, TX
Michael and Kimberley Armstrong, Danville, CA
Elias Lutfallah and Micaela Castaneda, San Marcos, TX

Wurstfest Regatta

by Anu Day, Vice Commodore & Wurstfest Chair and Marty Chrisman

November will be here before we know it! Please start thinking about how/when/where you plan on helping with the regatta this year. If you have any general questions, please contact me at wurstfesrregattachair@lcyc.net

Or you may contact the committee chair directly at:

wfr-racemanagement@lcyc.net (Chuck Begley)
wfr-raffle@lcyc.net (Marty Chrisman and Beth Wells)
wfr-registration@lcyc.net (Elizabeth Bentzen)
wfrfoodchair@lcyc.net (Mindy Rogers)
wfrrampcrew@lcyc.net (Jean Junker)
wfr-volunteerchair@lcyc.net (Carolyn Popp)

Looking forward to a great Wurstfest regatta this year. Let us show our sailing community that LCYC volunteers are the best!!!

Wurstfest Raffle

Help Wanted! Do you have a business? Do you have a connection to a business? Ask your friends, family, neighbors and yourself. Maybe you know someone who just loves sailing and wants to support LCYC and our programs? Wurstfest Regatta is LCYC’s signature event for the year and we need your help.

The more items there are, the more fun we have, and yes, the more funds we raise too. Keep in mind, the WFR is a 2 weekend event and we need enough items to have a good selection each weekend. All proceeds will go towards Wurstfest expenses, and supporting LCYC sailing programs.

What are we looking for? Adult beverages, restaurant gift cards, sailing and boating gear, items for pets, jewelry, art objects, travel opportunities, and anything that would make someone say “I want that!”

Your Raffle Chairs are Beth Wells and Marty Chrisman. You can send an email and give a heads up on what you are able to contribute – wfr-raffle@lcyc.net

Thank you for supporting your yacht club.

Adaptive Sailing Update – Skippers Needed for Next Event!

by Joe McDonough

Adaptive sailing at LCYC is back up and running after a pandemic induced hiatus. Our first event was Saturday May 7th, when we hosted 16 handicapped veterans from “Operation Comfort”. We first enjoyed delightful lunch hosted by our galley crew Joni Fields, Ed and Georgina Taddia. Our vets put up with my boring safety and sailing brief then boats were assigned and we all went sailing . The day could not have been better and the vets really enjoyed the day. Some returned to the club house after and there was lively banter and laughter. I even gained a new crew member. This day could not have happened without the help of our galley volunteers, already mentioned and sailors and crew, Leslie Heath, Clayton Fox, Tim Pigue, Jerry Anderson, Bruce D and Bog, Bill and Ann Cook, Harry Sutherland and Robin Engel, Mike Stellato and Jack Carter, Jim Meyer on my boat, and Karma Yoakem.

While this was great, we already have our next event coming on Saturday June 4th. We will be hosting “Door in the Wall Texas”, handicapped wellness organization in San Antonio. We need boats, skippers, crew and galley help. Please email me and volunteer at adaptivesailing@lcyc.net

Thanks in advance for stepping up to this charitable activity that provides a meaningful benefit to our community.

See you on the water.

Member Payments

by Vivian Miller, LCYC Treasurer

As your treasurer, I wish this question wouldn’t arise! But, once again, we have had issues with receiving member checks mailed in April.

We believe the primary issue is misdirected mail. We have investigated using mail delivery notification, but that is only available for residential customers.

We have also observed that bank payment services are “bundling” checks. We have received as many as 20 checks in the same envelope, from different members, different banks and with different dates. So, if one of these bundled envelopes goes astray, it can impact a whole group of members! We have spoken with our bank and with a payment services representative and they have no suggestions other than having you – the member – check with your bank to see if the check has been cashed!

How can we mitigate this situation? Currently, we notify members if their account is past due approximately the 15th of the month. We will begin sending notifications to provide an earlier alert of a potential problem.

There are also some common situations that may have impacted your payments:
You use an automatic bank payment service and the amount being paid is less than your monthly dues and fees. Please check your latest LCYC statement for the monthly charge and make sure the automatic payment covers it.
The service delivery standards for the Post Office have lengthened and the date the payment was mailed (either personal check or bank bill payment) did not allow for this change. Please consider paying earlier in the month.
You are not receiving email statements – in this case, please add lcycbilling@gmail.com to your contacts to avoid having statements routed to a trash or spam folder.
You mailed a payment, but LCYC did not post it to your account. Please contact us at clubadmin@lcyc.net and we can provide a copy of all your transactions to help you determine what has gone awry.

When a bank bill paying service is used, the bank deducts the amount from the checking account on the date specified by the customer. It then has a service issue a check payable to LCYC and mail it to the Club’s mailing address. When the Club receives the check, it is posted to the member’s account. So, even though the funds have been deducted at the bank, until the check is received at LCYC, the payment will not be credited to the LCYC account.

On-line Payment Option

Our on-line payment option is now available! The Club offers an on-line payment option for members to pay their monthly dues and fees. This will not be a credit card transaction, instead, it will be a direct debit to the member’s bank account through an ACH transaction.

Members who wish to use this option will be able to pay their monthly charges up to the 25th of the month and have the payment credited on the date the transaction is processed. Please note that there will be a $3.00 payment convenience fee for this service. The fee will be added to your monthly invoice.

To participate in the On-line Payment option, members will complete a sign-up form on the LCYC.net website under “Info/Membership.” The sign-up deadline is on or before the 15th of each month to allow for administrative processing before the monthly billing goes out. Last minute requests to pay on-line will not be processed until the following month, so sign up early!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the Business Manager at businessmanager@lcyc.net

Click HERE to sign up.

Help the Club Save Money!

Consider paying your statement earlier in the month. According to the By-laws, dues and fees are actually due when the statement is received and are considered late if not received by the 25th.. Paying earlier, or setting your automatic payment to an earlier date, saves expenses by reducing the time spent compiling “late” or past due accounts – something that the Bylaws require – and smoothing the monthly workload of posting payments and reviewing statements.

Thanks for your consideration!

Docks and Grounds

by Pete Prados, Docks & Grounds Chair

Security:

The vacation season is upon us. Please note that there are several security items that the membership should be aware of:

The codes for the entry gate and the clubhouse are being changed effective June 15, 2022. The new codes were posted on your monthly bill. Please do not share this information.
Member numbers are required on the stern of boats and on the tongue of trailers. This includes boats/trailers stored on the property and those transported to and from the property.
The LCYC Board has approved stationing members at the entry gate on weekends during the summer. Their purpose is to limit entry to the property to authorized persons only. Members should be prepared to show their ID if requested.
LCYC has a tradition of being a friendly sailing club. The goal is to continue this practice for members and their families to enjoy. Every member has the responsibility to make sure that we continue to have a “members only” club. This can be accomplished by politely asking anyone who appears to be out of place if they are members and asking them to leave if they are not.

Boat Ramp:

The boat ramp is for the exclusive use of members’ boats. It is NOT for the launching of non-member boats even if the non-member is accompanied by a member.

Marina:

The A Dock renovation project includes removing the concrete decking, inspection and resolution of any frame/structural issues, and installing a new treated wood deck. The work barge and SkyTrac (forklift) are functioning well to support this project. This work is being manned solely by D&G personnel who have completed 80% of the project. It is anticipated that work on the A Dock will be finished within the next 30 days.
The E Dock project will follow. Installation of Phase One (80′ X 18′ section) will begin in June. Most of the E Dock materials, which were approved and ordered in 2021, have arrived and are being stored in the new marina staging area adjacent to the trailer lot. It is anticipated that this installation will take two months. The new E Dock will be attached to the refurbished A Dock. The old E Dock will be decommissioned and dismantled. (skippers with boats on the E Dock will be contacted about moving their boats). Phase Two of the E Dock (77′ X 18′ section) is budgeted for 2022.

Mooring:

Recent high winds from the S/E have tested dock lines on boats in the marina. The D&G staff had to adjust or replace over 50 lines recently. Skippers of boats in the marina need to check lines regularly and replace them if necessary. Typical mooring lines have a life of 3-5 years in the Canyon Lake area.

MDI (LCYC Marina Contractor):

The marina contractor will be arriving on site any time for the required semiannual inspection, to replace three cables on the breakwater, to install some new navigation lights on the breakwater, and to replace several of the old 5,000 lb rated cable winches located in the marina with new 20,000 lb rated winches.

Series Racing

by Chuck Begley, Race Director

The Spring Series races were sailed in unusually good weather Saturday and Sunday, May 21,22. Moderate breezes, although shifty, were a challenge for the race committees and the racers. Thanks to Dwight Stickle’s and Fred Lindsey’s hard working crews for keeping the race courses square and, as always, Bo Wright and Jordan Merson, for behind the scenes equipment and scoring support. Congratulations to first place winners Coleman Terrell J22, Gustavo Medellin PHRF Spinnaker, Chris Pickett PHRF Non-spinnaker, and Stephen Wilson Big Boats. Sunday’s Board Boat results were: Flying Scots – 1st Place Simon Elliott, Second Place Bill McVey , Third Place John Thompson. Portsmouth – 1st Place Travis Grahmann, Second Place Chuck Begley, Third Place Jordan Merson.

Don’t forget to register for the Memorial Day Long Distance Race May 29. Starting with this race, we have eliminated the duplicate waiver forms previously required. Thanks Jim Kizziar.

Current and prospective Race Committee team members mark your calendars for the next RC training clinic June 11, noon-4pm at the club. Besides our usual discussion of all the race management duties, we will hear from our PROs about lessons learned from past races.

As we head into the summer, we need a few additional RC volunteers for the Summer and Fall Series signal and mark boat crews to work with Travis Grahmann, Rick Mella, and me Summer, and John Thompson and Phil Davis Fall. Call or email me or go to the LCYC website for RC Volunteers and download the sign-up form.

Port Captains

by Mindy Rogers and Dru Wright, Co-Port Captains

Thanks to all members who have stepped up to host events, we now have several events for all of us to enjoy! Be sure to RSVP in the weekly blast so we have accurate numbers to prepare enough food.

Granola bars, muffins, smoothies were served for the Board meeting on May 7th.

Mother’s Day Brunch on May 8th served over 100 members and guests. We enjoyed a hearty meal of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage/bacon, fresh fruit, juice, coffee and mimosas. Music and carnations topped off the day! Thank you to all the hard working men who prepared, served and cleaned up!

Chips, salsa and beer were served after race days May 21 and 22nd to wrap up the Spring Racing Series.

Carl Hawkins Memorial Day Fish Fry is set for May 30th from 12 noon to 2:00PM. The Lindsay family will be cooking up fish and hush puppies. Claudette & Tom Cozzi along with Ann & Bill Cook will host the meal adding French fries, coleslaw and dessert. Thank you to all these families who are making sure we have good food and fun social events at the club!!

Father’s Day Brunch organizers are planning a grand day for the special men in our lives! Ann Cook, Sally Phillips, Joyce Hunter and Jeanne Miller are taking charge of the planning for Sunday, June 19th 9:00-10:30am. Let them know if you’d like to be a part of the fun!

Sail Away “Jimmy Buffett” Party on Saturday, June 25th will be hosted by Carolyn Harris, Dave and Audrey Anderson. Make plans to come for a fun night of food, drink and music by the “Texas Tide”. Let us know if you’d like to volunteer to help with this summertime party. Be sure and RSVP in the weekly blast.

We still have opportunities for you to gather friends and host the following events:

July 4th Picnic
Commodore’s Breakfast on July 10th
Shrimp Fest party on July 30th
Commodore’s Breakfast on August 14th will be hosted by the Sea Scouts & Terry Tomko

We are always looking for galley volunteers to help host, decorate, prepare food, serve and clean up. Let us know if you would like to be a member of the infamous “Galley Crew”!
It’s a great way to meet new members and renew old friendships!

Sea Scouts

by Bryant Bowington, Sea Scouts Ship 26

As a Sea Scout I promise to do my best
To guard against water accidents.
To know the location and proper use of the
life saving devices on every boat I board.
To be prepared to render aid to those in need.
To let those less able come first.

Mate Darlen Beeson – a certified US Coast Guard Auxiliary Safety Examiner – conducted several Vessel Safety Checks May 7th on the LCYC docks. The youth were over participating in the National Trash the Trash Day at Canyon Park with Scout Troop 145.

Apprentice Frankie Johns will get credit for her ordinary rank requirement 2b. by recruiting her little brother Manny from Troop 145. Youth 14-21 years of age can be Sea Scouts and if already registered in a BSA unit they can be dual enrolled with no additional registration fees. The recruitment also permitted an opportunity to learn some maritime history and the term Shanghaied.

The weekend of May 20-21 Ship 26 is hosting a new National Event, Weekend on the Water. This is a hybrid virtual and in person event where units from all over the country are to do a water activity of some nature, a community service event along with some games such as a scavenger hunt. Ship 26 would like to thank Chuck Begley for developing a video presentation about Race Committee to be shared. This will help Sea Scouts working on the Racing Elective learn about what a Race Committee is and what how races are conducted.

Contact Darlen Beeson for your free US Coast Guard Safety Inspection. Not passing does not result in any fine and some insurance companies provide discounts for having a safe boat. 210-602-9715

Sail On Program

by Bill & Ann Cook, Sail On Directors

As we enter the summer sailing season the new Sail On boat program is ramping up! LCYC members interesting in sailing our fleet of 420’s, Lasers, Sunfish, Coronado 15’s and Opti’s should contact the Sail On director at sailon@lcyc.net for information.