Autumn Greetings from the Harbor!

Safety

Fortunately, Oakland Yacht Club members are observant, vigilant, and safety conscious! About a month ago, one of our members was sailing his dinghy on the Estuary. Sadly, the skipper and crew of a sailboat, under power, was not following Federal and California boating laws and the rules of the road regarding “maintaining a proper watch”. The OYC member was forced to take extreme evasive maneuvers to avoid being run down by the sailboat and swamped his dinghy in the process. The sailboat continued on its way without stopping or, presumably, even noticing that anything was amiss. Other OYC members quickly came to the assistance of the dinghy sailor in distress, recovering both the soggy OYC member and his boat without injury or damage. Please remember to maintain a careful watch while underway and be aware of activities within our harbor and on the Estuary! Thanks again to the rescuers!

Around the Docks

Progress continues to evaluate our harbor for ongoing and future maintenance needs. We continue to focus on replacing severely splintered decking. We are also taking a close look at maintenance needs and proposed repair projects.

The ramp leading from Gate Six to the harbor is in the process of being replaced. Much thanks to Brent Gill and OYC member volunteers Jim Macintire and Michael Hershey for their help with the project.

The next big project is to replace the connecting walkway between Docks Four and Five. This work should take place in October.

ACS Marine provided a set of kayak racks without charge. The intent is to test the racks on OYC’s docks. The racks are custom made so it may be possible to request modifications to fit OYC’s specific needs. Each rack holds three kayaks and can be mounted on the shore side of an interconnecting dock.

Harbor Committee

The Harbor Committee, meeting at 7 P, the first Thursday of every month except August will continue to address the above issues as well as others. Your input and participation are always welcome. Don’t forget to fill out Fix-it tickets, as appropriate for needed repairs. Blank forms are maintained just outside the Club Manager’s office.


The next Harbor Committee meeting is scheduled in the Regatta Rm., at 1900 (7P), on October 1, 2009. In addition to dinghy/kayak storage, and future plans for Dock One, significant agenda items continue to be: Priority for repairs /reconfiguration; monthly harbor inspections; finances; and the items noted above. Safety and security continue to be primary issues.

Dock One.

Dock One. The Dock One Subcommittee continues work with Encinal Yacht Club (EYC) concerning future plans for Dock One. Tom Charron, Bob Steffensen, and Sandy Jacobson continue to examine all alternatives, including reconfiguration of Dock One to accommodate visiting yachts; and possibly larger berths / side ties.

The existing agreement with EYC expires in April 10.

OYC Committees.

I am continuing my efforts to recruit and select chairs and members of our committees for 2010. Please let me know if you would like to chair or serve on the following committees: Membership, Social, Race, Publicity & Public Affairs, Budget/Finance, Commodores, Risk Management, Education, Merchandise, Cruise, Librarian, Directory, Investment Review, Parliamentarian, Reciprocity, and Sunshine.

Remember: A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do. Nothing else. - Mohandas K. Gandhi

Happy boating and/or just hanging around the harbor!