A wonderful summer of sailing, boating, and just hanging around the harbor is coming to an end.  It is time to check your dock lines for wear and chafe before rainy (hopefully) and windy (certainly) conditions return to our harbor.  Pay special attention to your spring lines since the winter will bring winds from differing directions.   

Around the Docks 

I suspect that the fall and winter will be a good time to evaluate our harbor for ongoing and future maintenance needs.  Brent Gill does a great job with general operations and maintenance.  However, we should take a hard look at our facility with some questions in mind:

• Are the reconfigured docks holding up?  Are there needs for “adjustments”?
• What is the anticipated remaining life of our older docks?  At what point should we look at replacement / reconfiguration vs. continuing repairs?
• What major repair projects should we be considering (ramps, docks, fingers)?
• How are the gates holding up?  Are they secure?
• What are the opportunities for guest docking and provisions for larger berths (more pitchforks)?
• What will it cost to bring back Berth 702?  What is the return on investment?
• What adjustments can we make to existing dinghy storage to maximize harbor / berthing space?
• What is the demand for and how can we accommodate kayak storage? 

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 September 4, 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.  

I cannot help but notice that some members’ boats appear to be growing in length (dinghy davits etc).  This may lead to an unsafe situation for other boats entering and leaving their berths within the fairway.  I will ask for volunteers to assist the Port Captain in re-measuring boats in the Harbor.  

Unfortunately, the deteriorated condition of the bikes stored on the dock between Gates Six and Seven continues to be a problem.  Please properly dispose (or donate to a worthy cause) if you are not using your stored bike regularly.  We are not sure of the ownership of some of the bikes.  Their ancestry is also in doubt. We will start removing the deteriorated bikes at the end of the summer.  

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.   

Tales of the Farallon Patrol; or Return to Southeast Farallon Island.   

OYC member Tom Charron has served as a dedicated member of the Farallon Patrol for many years.  The Farallon Patrol consists of a group of dedicated boat owners who volunteer to take Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) scientists, and other official visitors, together with their supplies, to and from the Islands.  These boat owner volunteers represent the only consistent form of transportation and supply for the scientists who man the Islands.  

The Farallon Islands, or Farallones, are a group of islands and rocks found in the Gulf of the Farallones, located approximately 30 miles outside the Golden Gate, off the coast of San Francisco, California.  They are visible from the mainland on clear days. The islands are officially part of the City and County of San Francisco, California. The only inhabited portion of the islands are on Southeast Farallon Islands , where up to six U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and research residents (PRBO) stay.  The general public is not allowed to land on the Islands. 

Tom invited my brother, Henry (also an OYC member) and me to crew for him during a trip to the Farallons on August 1, 2009.  It was a trip of a lifetime!  We loaded up numerous sealed canisters of supplies and propane bottles aboard Tom’s lovely Catalina 42, Mi Vida the evening before the trip.  

Tom conducted a safety briefing for the passengers and crew and we departed about 0700 August 1.  We headed out the Estuary and through the Golden Gate, fighting a flood tide.  Mi Vida found some counter currents by staying close (not too close!) to the north side of the Golden Gate.  We motor sailed west, in relatively calm conditions, finally sighting Southeast Farallon about 1300.  En route, we were delighted to observe numerous sea birds, whales, sea lions, harbor seals, and dolphins.  Thanks to Tom’s careful training, we were able to grab the pennant tied to a permanent mooring on the east side of the island and secured Mi Vida.   

The USFWS ranger, who was expecting Mi Vida, came out in his dinghy and we began the long process to transfer the scientists and supplies from Mi Vida onto the Island.  There is no safe harbor or docks providing access to the Island.  The process involves a careful transfer of people and cargo from Mi Vida onto the dinghy; a short ride to the base of the cliffs, and then hooking onto a long cable suspended from a crane located at the top of the cliffs.  Visitors, cargo, and dinghy are lifted out of the water as a single unit and onto the Island, making for an exciting trip!   

Henry and I were able to land on the island for a short tour before returning to Mi Vida with returning scientists (and more cargo, including empty propane canisters, and non compostable trash, packed in canisters, for the passage back to the mainland.  We visited the 125 year old lighthouse keepers’ residence (one of two) where the scientist live while doing their research.  We also visited the lighthouse on the highest peak of the Island and the haul out where we observed sea elephants and sea lions.  We were accompanied by the cries of hundreds of thousands of seabirds during our entire stay. 

I took a look at the PRBO logbooks, carefully maintained at the scientists’ residence and was delighted to read an entry dated March 9, 1993: “Distinguished Visitors.  Col Cardoza, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, came by helicopter (I cheated) to visit the Farallons and to brief us (the scientists) about his dredging project”.  The scientists were concerned about plans to barge clean dredged material past the Islands to the dredged material disposal site 50 miles west of the Golden Gate. 

Far too soon, it was time to depart the natural wonders of the Farallons and make the return trip back to Mi Vida.  The passage back to San Francisco Bay was also uneventful, marked by light winds and a favorable current.  We arrived back at Oakland Yacht Club about 2200, exhausted, but happy.  A trip of a lifetime!  

For more information, I highly recommend reading The Farallon Islands:  Sentinels of the Golden Gate, by Peter White 

OYC Library Corner 

The OYC Library, located in the Regatta Room is the place, apparently where old volumes of Practical Sailor come to reproduce, grow furry with mold and die. At least, that is what I have come to believe while helping Barbara Cardoza perform her duties as OYC’s new librarian. Please feel free to borrow reading material.  Return books periodicals, etc. to the basket provided on the floor of the library corner. 

OYC Committees.   

It is time 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. 

Happy boating and/or just hanging around the harbor! 
 

July 4^th and OYC Water Games:  I’m declaring our July 4^th celebration a major success as we had over 72 attendees. (check out the photos).

Everyone had great fun watching the dinghy races and strategic maneuvering to skewer the watermelons.  The kayak racing techniques were also fun, especially the one kayaker that managed a surprise swim at the finish line.  Our last and most important event was our first annual rubber duck race, won by member Stephen Dale.             

Winners of all events received extremely valuable fake gold metals and useless wind-up toys, but I received no complaints.  This event will definitely be on our calendar for 2010 and beyond.   

Thank you to members, Bob Paulsen, Carol Martin and Larry Zabel and Club Manager, Craig Wong for helping to make this event a great success. 
 

Women’s Sail and/or Power Boat Instruction:

Several women members have expressed an interest in learning and/or improving their skills in sail and/or power boat handling; however they might prefer that such instruction occur without their spouse or significant other.   Based on this input, I’ve solicited and obtained member volunteers and referral instructors that are willing to provide such service.  All we need now is to know exactly who and how members would like to participate. 
 

I’d like to know the following so that we can get back to you with specific options: 
 
 Instruction Desired:

              Power            Sail 
 

Preferred Instruction:

                My Boat             Someone  Else’s       Other

                 Individual           Boat; Group              Arrangements

                 Instruction          Instruction                 (Explain below) 

Please send me an email, sign-up on the sheet at the office or call 925 944-0691 and let me know your preferences as described above.  We except that depending on interest and availability, instruction might be scheduled for September or October 09. 
 

Upcoming Events:

Don’t forget our upcoming events for September: 

Sausalito Cruise- Sept 4-7 (Sign-ups are closed Aug. 28^th). 
 

Western Night – Sept. 19^th. Several members have asked for a lower cost special event so here is your chance.  Cost is $25 per person for a Buffet Dinner including dessert, gratuity, tax and activities (see detailed flyer in Seascape and in your Sept. invoice).  The bar will be offering 1/2 price bottles of wine. A few of our Thespian and Musician members have been waiting for this opportunity and they have committed to providing some fun surprises for attendees.  
 

And for even more fun, we would like to have member teams develop their own version of the “Blazing Saddles” fireside scene.  We plan to show the movie and fireside scene, but stop the action for OYC club team member versions. Of course there will be somewhat valuable rewards for such brave participants. 
 
So while you are relaxing on your Labor Day weekend, spend some time with your dock mates and/or friends on how your team can come up with a better “fireside” version than Dock XXX or Team XXX. 

Get out, have fun and support your Club! 

Remember that the Club Bar is open on Saturdays at 2:30PM. As always, if you have any input or recommendations regarding the House, please send me an email at connierussell1@comcast.net (note 2 lls in Russell followed by the number 1), give me a call or joins us at the next House Committee Meeting.

Thank you,

Connie Russell

Rear Commodore