May 2023 Ditty Bag - Lake Canyon Yacht Club

May 2023

Commodore’s Report

by Anu Day, Commodore

Happy Spring, fellow LCYC members! Hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful wildflowers so abundant around Canyon Lake.

Our Spring Workday on April 1st was a great success. Thanks go out to our 60+ volunteers who showed up, including “our” Sea Scout Ship 26. And of course none of this would have happened without our Docks &Grounds crew and Pete Prados. In addition to the workday excitement, Boy Scout Troop 650 camped at our facilities that weekend, and 24 of them earned their Small Boat Sailing merit badges!

On the racing front, Chuck Begley and Bo Wright are planning informal Wednesday night races. See Chuck’s report for details.

Adaptive Sailing is scheduled for May 6th and June 3rd. Please help with these very worthwhile events. Thanks to Joe McDonough for taking the lead there.

As you are aware, our gate now has an additional access system in place. Gate codes will still allow member entry for those choosing not to purchase a fob or a phone app, but codes will be changed monthly. Two email blasts have been sent out with details, and members who receive bills by mail have been provided with hard copies of these blasts. As the weather gets warmer and the lake receives more visitors, we need to be vigilant about only members (and their accompanied guests) being on our property. We hope the new gate access system will help with this.

The lake was hit with some severe weather on April 20th. Our Docks & Grounds crew repaired most of the damage to the marina. We appreciate our D&G staff for being diligent with clean-up and for getting everything restored for us. For details please read Pete’s report.

Last–but not least–I would like to say a big thank you to our “behind the scenes” volunteers. These are members who spend countless hours month after month quietly ensuring that our club runs smoothly and efficiently. We are so used to them doing a fantastic job that we often don’t acknowledge their contributions until something goes wrong. When we run into these silent-yet-hard-working volunteers, let’s express our gratitude.

Happy sailing!!!

Adaptive Sailing

by Joe McDonough, Adaptive Sailing Committee Chair

Our next Adaptive Sailing event is less than two weeks away, Saturday 6 May. Our guests will be from Operation Comfort which is comprised of wounded warriors and their families. The second event will by June 3 when guests will be from Door in the Wall Texas, comprised of mentally and physically disabled persons and their families or caregivers. These are the same organizations LCYC has hosted in past years.

For an estimated 25 guests, we will need 10-12 boats with a skipper and crew for each. We will also need 2-3 people to pick up and set out lunch.

The schedule is the same for both events:

10:45 – Guests arrive
11:00 – Check-in, orientation, collect waivers
11:30 – Lunch for all guests, skippers, and crew
12:00 – Skippers meet assigned guests, go to boats
2:45 – Return to docks

As soon as possible, we need to hear from volunteers to make sure there is enough support from you all to conduct this activity. We need galley volunteers to pick up and set out lunch, and we need to know about boats and crew. Please email me your willingness to help out. If you wish to help by sailing, send me your boat name and guest capacity and if you will have a crew or need one assigned. If you wish to help with lunch, please let me know if you prefer to pick it up or help in the galley–or both.

We are still in need of three more boats and crew and one or two more people for lunch crew and waiver collection for the event May 6^th. I still need an estimated seven boats, along with a lunch crew and waiver collectors for the event on June 3^rd. Please volunteer. In the past when I have volunteered for this, I always came home more grateful even than our guests for having participated.

To volunteer, email Joe at adaptivesailing@lcyc.net.

Thanks in advance for volunteering.

Welcome New Members

Michael and Sharon O’Connor of Spring Branch have joined LCYC. Currently, the club has 396 members.

New Online Forms for Ordering Decals, Stickers and More!!

by Maggie Carty, LCYC Business Manager

There are two new online forms that will make submitting information and requests easier for members and will automatically send that information to LCYC administrative personnel. Using these forms will streamline the way in which these types of requests are processed as well as cut down on individual emails and phone calls.

The Membership Info Change Form, located on the Info tab in the Membership section, will allow members to enter changes to address, phone numbers, children, and boats. In addition, there is plenty of space to include additional notes and/or requests.

The LCYC Order and Reservation Form, located on the Info tab dropdown menu, can be used to order LCYC stickers, decals and burgees, and additional membership directories. This form will also be used to reserve use of the LCYC clubhouse and/or grounds.

Series and Event Racing

by Chuck Begley, Race Director

We had 33 keelboats and 11 board boats signed up for the Spring Series Races April 15-16. Dwight Stickle and crew did a nice job of managing the races on Saturday under rapidly changing, on/off/on northwest/southeast wind conditions. They were creative out there, starting the second race downwind after a 180-degree shift. The Portsmouth fleet didn’t show on Sunday, but 8 highly competitive Flying Scots raced in an initially strong breeze that slowly died throughout the afternoon. There were lots of close mark roundings and photo finishes. Thanks go to Fred Lindsey and crew for setting up a very square course and responding to changes in wind direction. It was great to see so many new racers out on the water.

Wednesday night FUN racing is returning for the summer. The first two races are scheduled for April 26 and May 10 at 6PM, and additional dates will be set based on participation. There will be no registration, no fees, and no scoring. Come out and enjoy sailing around the buoys at a beautiful time of day.

Race 2 of the Long Distance Race Series is April 29. This is a pursuit start format, and racers choose how far up the lake we go at the skippers’ meeting. Bring your sunscreen and cold drinks and join us!

Port Captains’ Report

by Ann Cook and Mindy Rogers, Port Co-Captains

April was a relatively light month from the Port Captains’ perspectives: no Commodore’s Breakfast and no other social events were scheduled. There was a great turnout for the Spring Workday on the 1st where a light breakfast and lunch were served to the 60-some volunteers. Big thanks to Margaret McGill and Anu Day who provided assistance from the galley.

May, however, promises to deliver two annual events that are quite special. First, the LCYC men, led by Fred Day, are planning a delicious breakfast for Mother’s Day on the 14th. Although no menu details have been divulged as yet, there are usually some eggs and pancakes AND flowers! The women have also been serenaded in the past. Let’s see what the men come up with to honor the moms this year. The second event happens at the end of the month on the 29th, the Carl Hawkins Memorial Day Fish Fry. There’s a bit of history behind this meal. The club used to hold a barbecue on Memorial Day, but in 2004, former Commodore Carl Hawkins transformed it to a fish fry complete with corn on the cob and hush puppies. After Carl’s passing, the Board voted to rename the event in his honor. The Lindsey family again will be in charge of the fish, but we’ll need more volunteers to assist with serving and the sides. Watch the weekly briefing for further details and remember to RSVP.

Looking ahead to June, we need the women to step up for the Father’s Day Breakfast. Let us know if you are willing to help plan and execute this extravaganza on Sunday, 18 June. Even if you have never worked in the galley before, consider volunteering. It’s a good way to interact with other members, especially the new folks, and it’s fun!

See you on the lake or at the clubhouse!

Docks and Grounds

by Pete Prados, Docks & Grounds Committee Chair

E Dock (seen here still under construction) is ready for small boat storage.

The E Dock Project is now complete. Property Supervisor John Ruiz is taking reservations from members who would like to moor boats on the new dock. To reserve space, contact John at propertysupervisor@lcyc.net .

The staff will start replacing flotation on the Super Dock soon. Some areas of the dock will be restricted during this process.

The Recycling Program will be discontinued on May 1 if no one volunteers to take over the program. Coordination of the recycle program requires several hours weekly to sort out items and haul them off the property. This work is not part of Docks & Grounds responsibility.

The Spring Workday for the membership was very successful. Over 55 members and 12 Sea Scouts participated. Many thanks to the following:

Team 1: Jack Mogab, Steve Wilson, Jordan Merson, Justin Workman, Skip Klement, Jim Kizziar, Dwight Stickle, Rick Mella, KAthy & Jeff Domm, Anibal Diogenes, Joe Vasile, Jake Dempsey, Gene Fest, Bill Clark, Joe Monosmith, Bob Willis, Bo Wright
Team 2: Glenn Miller, Larry Waldner, Scott Rice, Calvin Jones, Bill Campbell, Mary Sue Wilson, Robert Wilson, David Hoffman, Rip Philips, Ted Belitsos, Ed Miller, Steve Edlund, Jack Carter
Team 3: Glen Graham, Scott Caroselli, Jim Finney, Ed Stewart, Tyler Wells, Lisa Crider, Mark Foster, Susan & Scott Holland, Fred Day, Jim McCain
Team 4: Marvin Arnold, Philip Hughes, Kendall & Dustin Mann, Susan Hoffman, Carlos Rosende, Allen Borden
Team 5: Gary Kirkham, Joe McDonough, Ray Leubner, Walker Taylor, Dan Hollingsworth, Tom Cozzi.
Power Grid Team. Scott Wells & Phil Crane
Registration: Jean Prados, Joni Fields, Nan Borden
Port Captain: Mindy Rogers, Anu Day, Margaret McGill
Docks & Grounds Staff: John Ruiz, Dave Anderson, Kyle Monroe

Note: Apologies go to any member volunteers whose names were inadvertently omitted.

Finally, heavy winds and hail hit the lake area recently, and minor damage was reported at the yacht club. At least one tornado was reported by the National Weather Service. Please be reminded that boats need to be secured in slips as well as on trailers. Members should secure boats on trailers at the bow and stern. See John’s report below for more details on damage sustained by the marina.

April 20 Storm Details

by John Ruiz, Property Supervisor

A powerful spring storm hit the marina Thursday night, April 20th. We had wind gusts out of the north northwest of 50 mph, large hail and heavy rain. All of the roads in the dry storage area were washed out and will have to be graded. There was a gulley cut into the hillside next to the boat launch; in some places it was 2 to 3 feet deep right next to the concrete slab. This will have to be filled in. The marina was pushed to the west about 50 feet. D&G readjusted the winches and brought the marina back in place. We did not lose any anchors or cables on the marina, but we lost some scope on 12 anchor cables. Electrical power went out on D dock sometime Thursday night and was restored Saturday morning. We have a bent frame on C dock at slip 201- 202. This frame will be repaired by Docks & Grounds. The pool, pool deck, open deck and clubhouse roof were covered with oak leaves, but no damage was found during the clean up. However, the pool had to be cleaned by our pool service. Boats in the marina took damage to the canvas bimini covers, and some jibs became unfurled in the high winds. We had a couple of oak trees uprooted in the dry storage area and 2 boats were upended off their trailers. Both boats were put back on their trailers with use of the Skytrak. #1311 Medellin’s boat was tangled up with the boat next door, #1418 Grahmann. The standing riggings of both boats were tangled together with Medellin’s boat off its trailer and leaning on the other boat. Every caution was taken to safely pick up Medelin’s boat without damaging either boat, but the tip top of the mast on Grahmann’s boat was damaged during the boat lift due to the tangled riggings.

We will need 3 truck loads of road base material and the bobcat contractor to address the washed out roads and the gully at the boat launch. The pool has been cleaned by the pool service.

If anyone has any unanswered questions or concerns please call or email me at propertysupervisor@lcyc.net.

The domino effect was applied to boats on the hard when a storm blew through on April 20.

Heavy rains washed out a portion of hillside near the boat ramp.

The storm moved the docks to the west.

Sea Scouts’ First Quarter Report

submitted by Eliza Sutton, Yeoman, Ship 26 Alamo

Sea Scout Ship 26 had a lot of fun at our events during the first part of 2023, held at Lake Canyon Yacht Club. Through the Yacht Clubs’ generosity, we have become better leaders, learned nautical skills, and completed boat maintenance and community service hours.

Some of our ship members participated in the LCYC Races. We hosted two Splash and Sails where we sailed, kayaked, and prepared our fleet for the season. We held an event with a Scouts BSA Troop to help them earn their small boat sailing merit badge. We also participated in the LCYC April workday.

Our Wednesday Warriors, a group of homeschoolers and graduated Scouts worked on painting one of our boats, refurbishing and fiberglassing our sunfish, boat repair, yard work, and sailing skills. They are also preparing to participate in the Texas 200, a week-long sailing challenge on the intercoastal waterway from Port Isabel to Magnolia Beach, and are prepping boats and practicing as a team to complete this event successfully. The Sea Scout Ship attended our annual first sail of the year, on New Year’s Day, where we socialized, sailed, and had fun. During our membership meetings, we had classes on radio communication, marine safety, navigation, GPS, parts of a sailboat, distress signals, weather, landship, types of lines, classes of fire, and heaving line.

We had two new members join the Ship. We had eight rank advancements, and three Scouts earned their lifeguarding BSA. Ten of our Scouts completed their first aid and CPR training. Three Scouts were elected into the Order of the Arrow. Lastly, one of our Scouts earned the first in-Council Duke of Edinburgh award at the Bronze level.

We truly appreciate Lake Canyon Yacht Club’s contribution to making this program the best it can be.