September 2022 Ditty Bag - Lake Canyon Yacht Club

September 2022

Commodore’s Report

by Bill Clark, LCYC Commodore

Well, as summer is fading away and, hopefully, the high temps along with it, we are heading into the best time of the year to get out and enjoy sailing.

We are having the next long-distance race on Labor Day weekend. If you are interested at all, it is an easy way to dip your toe into a fun race. It would be great to have a big turn-out. Thank you, Fred Lindsey, for putting on these races.

On another matter, it seems like every couple of weeks, the Docks & Grounds crew get another project completed, or make big progress on the marina Styrofoam float replacement. Thank you, gentlemen, for all you do!

We are still having a small problem with vehicles and trailers parking where they should not. Please follow the rules. We also have people parking down by the ramp, which is only for drop-offs and pick-ups. Not to park, go out to your boat, do something, and then leave. We are working on a solution for one, maybe two disabled parking spots near the ramp.

A lot of events are coming up. We hope to see you volunteering in an area you enjoy serving.

See you on the water.

Welcome New Members

Douglas and Barbie Beach, San Antonio, TX
Stephen Goebel, San Antonio, TX
Robert and Lynda Fajkus, Canyon Lake, TX
Edward and Laura Stewart, San Antonio, TX
Calvin and Sandra Jones, Midland, TX

Wurstfest Regatta

by Anu Day, Vice Commodore & Wurstfest Chair

As WFR approaches, preparations are well under way. We will be holding a raffle/silent auction on both weekends. Several members have already contributed items, and a big thank you to those who have. If you have something you would like to contribute, please contact wfr-raffle@lcyc.net. Pete Prados is now chair of the WFR sponsorship committee; if you or someone you know would like to be a sponsor for this event, please contact Pete at wfr-sponsorship@lcyc.net.

As we are all aware, LCYC runs on “volunteer power”. WFR is our signature event and is well attended by sailors from around Texas and surrounding areas. This is our first full-fledged WFR in three years, and we are looking forward to hosting a grand event. This means we need a lot of help…on the water, in the kitchen, at registration, on the ramp, the list goes on. Please consider when and where you will be able to assist. If you are unsure of what you can do to help, please contact me at wurstfestregattachair@lcyc.net.

Committee chairs can also be contacted directly at:

Here’s looking forward to a great event!!

Sail On Boat Program

by Bill Cook, Sail On Manager

The Sail On program continues to grow in popularity. Two of our members are racing Sail On Lasers in the series races, and another member is frequently on the lake with his son working on Opti tacks. If you’re interested in learning about Sail On please email sailon@lcyc.net

Treasurer’s FAQ’s

by Vivian Miller, Treasurer

The Club manager and treasurer frequently receive questions about LCYC membership dues and fees. Below are some that are frequently asked. If you have concerns not addressed in this message, please contact me at treasurer@lcyc.net

Is there an on-line payment option?

Yes! We strongly encourage you to consider using the on-line bill payment option the Club now offers. This option eliminates the potential delay and risk of using postal mail to send your check. Members have been using it since April 2022 and the results have been great! Details are available here: https://lcyc.net/info/membership/. Once you sign up to use the online payment feature, you will receive a separate emailed Invoice with a “View & Pay Invoice” button.

When are statements or invoices issued?

Statements and invoices for on-line payments are issued on the last day of each month. Payments are due upon receipt and are considered late if not received by the 25th of the following month. For example, a statement issued on June 30 will be late if not paid by July 25.

When are payments due?

According to the By-laws, dues and fees are due when the statement is received and are considered “late” if not received by the 25th. of the month. Paying earlier, or setting your automatic payment to an earlier date, reduces employee time spent compiling past due account lists and posting the list at the Clubhouse – something that the Bylaws require.

Can I receive my statement by postal mail?

There are a few members without email addresses who receive statements by paper mail. The treasurer estimates that the costs in printing, employee time, mileage, postage, and supplies are approximately $7 per paper statement, over $1,200 per year! We strongly encourage every member to receive statements and invoices by email to help the Club contain costs.

Why wasn’t my automated bill payment posted to my account?

When a bank bill paying service is used, the bank usually deducts the amount from the checking account on the date specified by the customer. It then has a processing 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.
Even if the funds have been deducted at the bank, until the check is received at LCYC, the payment will not be credited to the member’s account.
Unfortunately, in November or 2021 and March of 2022, delayed mail – in one case, three weeks and in the other, 13 weeks – has adversely impacted both members and the Club. Please consider the possible delay when setting the date that the bank will issue and mail the check. Or, consider using the on-line payment option.

I sent my payment, but I got a past due notice! Why?

Unfortunately, the Club has experienced delays with US Postal Service mail. If that happens to you, please contact us to let us know the situation so we can work with you to resolve it. Due to the frequent mail delays, we are now contacting members earlier in the past due cycle, to allow more time to resolve problems.

How much are my dues and fees?

You should receive an emailed statement on the last day of each month that shows your current dues and fees along with any balance due or credit from the prior month. The statement is emailed to your email account of record and will come from this mailbox: lcycbilling@gmail.com Please add this email address to your contacts to be sure you are receiving your statements.
Changes to dues and fees, if any, are done on an annual basis and will appear on the December 31 statement. Charges for late fees or incidental expenses such as ice, burgees and reciprocal club charges, will appear on your monthly statement.

Why was my name posted at the Clubhouse Bulletin Board?

Club Bylaws require posting of members’ names when payments are “late”. Article V, Section III: “If all indebtedness is not paid by the 25th day after date of invoice, members’ names shall be posted.”

Docks and Grounds

by Pete Prados, Docks & Grounds Chair

Marina:

Flotation replacement on the C Dock is in progress. The D&G crew has replaced flotation on ten finger docks on the leeward side of C Dock. Boat owners are being notified to temporarily move their boats. This project is progressing very well and will continue until completed in late October providing the weather cooperates.
One of the 2022 D&G goals was to complete flotation replacement on the C Dock as part of the overall Flotation Replacement Plan (FRP). The department is on course to successfully complete this goal. Flotation replacement is the highest priority for the crew.
The frame, complete with flotation, for Phase II (88’) of the new E Dock has been delivered and is being stored in the marina supply storage yard. Hinges and deck timbers remain outstanding.
Additional access ladders are being added to the docks. Nine Hatteras pedestals were installed to replace old pedestals that were not GFCI protected, and several old navigation lights along the south breakwater have been replaced with larger lights.

Dry Storage:

The Property Supervisor has been working on organizing and marking the dry storage areas. Also, he contacted the Sea Scout leader who agreed to consolidate and organize his area. The dry storage area clean-up, consolidation, and reorganization has resulted in thirty-two additional spaces for the club to rent. Once filled, the net income to the club will be $17,000.00/year.
The marina supply storage area has been organized and expanded to accommodate over 100 new encapsulated floats, temporarily store twenty dock sections that will make up Phase II of the E Dock, and miscellaneous other supplies and equipment.

Series Racing

by Chuck Begley, Race Director

The final races of the Summer Series August 20-21 ended on a positive note weatherwise with good wind and some clouds blocking the hot sun. Keelboat trophies were won by Coleman Terrell 1st – J22, Gustavo Medellin 1st , Chuck Begley 2nd – PHRF Spinnaker, Bo Wright 1st , Jake Dempsey 2nd, Joe McDonough 3rd – PHRF Non-Spinnaker, Jack Mogab 1st – Big Boats, Joe Monosmith 1st – Multihull. Boardboat winners were Fred Soward 1st, Bryan Calk/Simon Elliott 2nd, Chris Powers 3rd – Flying Scot, Dave Sanford 1st, Jordan Merson 2nd – Portsmouth. The second Long Distance Race of the LDR Series was held under the moonlight August 6. Fred Lindsey got 1st , Chuck Begley 2nd in the Spinnaker Fleet and Stacy Wilson 1st , Bill Clark 2nd, and Jake Dempsey 3rd in the Non-Spinnaker Fleet. After 2-3 hours of close racing from the marina to #1 channel marker, #8, back to #1 and the marina the top finishers were within seconds of each other in some cases and a minute or two in others. Thanks to our great PROs Travis Grahmann, Rick Mella, Fred Lindsey and their crews for running the races. And, as always, to Bo Wright and Jordan Merson for equipment and scoring, and Mindy Rogers and Dru Wright for refreshments. Everyone’s looking forward to cooler temperatures and more fun coming up this Fall and to our Wurstfest Regatta in November.

Images courtesy Anu Day

Adaptive Sailing

by Joe McDonough, Adaptive Sailing Manager

Our last of adaptive sailing event will be October 1. We will be hosting guests from Door in the Wall Texas. We have hosted them in the past and the organization and their members really appreciate the chance to go sailing. We will need about 10 boats with skippers and crew. Schedule will be to meet at LCYC clubhouse for a delicious lunch at 11:30, match up DITW participants and their caretakers with boat owners and crew, then go sailing. We should all be off the water by 2:45 or 3:00. The Adaptive sailing program provides club members an opportunity to not only volunteer but also to showcase LCYC being beneficial to our community. If you would like to skipper your boat, crew, or help the galley crew, email Joe McDonough at jmcdonough@swri.org.

Looking forward to meeting some new LCYC members for this event. Please sign up!