Cat Tales

December 2007

Bob Klimek, Commodore

Report to the Membership

As my administration leaves office, I want to report to the membership on the State of the Club. First of all financially and economically we are sound. All the bills are paid and we have a surplus. During my administration, membership grew by 20% and our events were well attended. There was no censorship or restrictions on Freedom of Speech as evidenced by the raucous conversations coming from the cockpit of the anchor boat. There were no criminal indictments. Despite some pressure from more liberal members, I did not raise dues. I also resisted pressure to raft-up according to political views; that is, either on the left or right of the anchor boat. I am pleased to report that we only have one illegal alien in the Club which is Lucia from the planet Zeon in a Galaxy far, far away.

2007 was an event filled year. Aside from the traditional events such as Game Night hosted by Al and Vicky Lohman and the Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Oktoberfest, and Halloween raft-ups; we had some memorable special events. In February, the Yates hosted a magnificent Italian Dinner orchestrated by three world-class chefs under the leadership of Marie Yates. We held the first CCYC Follies. Who can forget Lucia as Nancy Sinatra, blond wig and all, as well as all the other memorable performances, including the introduction of the CCYC anthem composed by Mike Davis. We made a two-week cruise to Norfolk and back under the able leadership of Gerry and Jeanne Helldorfer. There was a blue moon cruise hosted by Sea Cara (Mario and Lori). We had a circular-movable feast which was a marvel of logistical precision given the state of the seas and the state of the dingy captains. We closed the bar at The Army Navy Club after reorganizing the militarily precise seating into a circular raft-up. Of course, Christmas at the lovely home of Jon and Marilyn Van Tassell was the highlight of the year. We all were surprised that Marie Yates can be so naughty! If you did not attend, ask Marie how she was naughty. There was even a special cruise in the BVI and a cruise on the Russian Volga albeit with limited attendance. We organized the CCYC Language Institute and many members are now learning Italian. La clase es buena. (Did I hear one of the students exclaim: "That's Spanish" - I hope so!) For more reminiscing visit our award-winning web site: http://www.sailccyc-.org/

2007 was a great year and I look forward to 2008 under the leadership of Commodore Jim. I will miss penning the "View from the Bridge;" NOT! I might miss being approached by photographers offering to photograph fashion models on CCYC member boats for free. (Now that it is winter, I can pass that along.)

In this last View from the Bridge as your Commodore, I recall that in the February 2007 View From the Bridge, I promised you that "This year we will have something old; something new; something borrowed and something blue!" As noted above, we had many memorable NEW events and terrific OLD events. And we had a BLUE Moon cruise. Now, as promised: "something borrowed."

A popular ballad proclaims most proudly that old Commodores never die; they just fade away. So like the old Commodore of that ballad, I now close my career as your Commodore and just fade away, an old Commodore who tried to do his best for the Club. (Borrowed from General Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Speech to Congress, delivered 19 April 1951)

Goodbye for now, Commodore Bob

The Fall Member Meeting was November 4' at the Bayard House Inn and Restaurant in Chesapeake City, MD along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The meeting started at 1:00 PM with lunch and the election of officers for 2008. The election results are:

• Commodore Jim Bergeron
• Vice Commodore Jon Van Tassell
• Treasurer Diane Benyus
• Secretary Mike Davis

It was a great meal, a beautiful view and a better tirne!

As Commodore Bob said, 2007 was an event filled year. The Schedule Planning Committee, headed by Cruise Director Mario Taisch, will be meeting shortly to plan an even better schedule for 2008.

The Planning Committee wants your input! If you haven't already submitted your list of favorite spots for events, please go to the schedule page on our website and click the Online Survey link. To help you, the survey includes a review of locations used for previous events, as well possible locations not yet used. When you're ready to send the committee the locations you would like to see on the 2008 schedule, click on the link 2008 Schedule survey. The results will go to the committee to be included at the planning meeting.

Joan Savage (C36 Jubilee)

The water has always fascinated me. My first sailing experience was with a member from our church. I was 15 and it seemed like a huge boat, but I think it was only about 26 feet. We sailed on a small lake in Northeastern Ohio. I loved it; my Mother hated it.

When I moved to Maryland in 1976, 1 didn't realize what a great asset the Chesapeake Bay was, at first. Eventually, I met people who had sail boats and would invite me now and then. Again, I loved it.

A former boyfriend had a manager, Don Jenkins, that lived in Westport, CT who had a Columbia 26 and we would go up there once a season for some sailing. We both loved it.

My roommate at the time, Sue, had a manager who, with her husband, owned a beautiful Choy Lee yawl, Snow Shoe. Sue and I would be invited to sail with them. We both really enjoyed sailing, but soon realized we really didn't understand the entire sailing process. So we went to the Chesapeake Sailing School.

Finally it dawned on me that I was always waiting to be invited to go sailing. I was at the mercy of acquaintances and that just didn't sit too well with me. Snow Shoe's owner worked on boats for a living and found a sad little 26 ft Clipper Marina just sitting in Smith's Marina on Round Bay. He told me if I bought it, he would help get it into sailing condition. So for a relatively small some of money, I had my first boat, Cavalier.

Basically it was a daysailer, with a center board and pop-top. Now I was the Captain, in search of crew. Several of my girl friends also liked to be on the water and I become a mini sailing instructor for my friends.

In the late 1980's, the Jenkins, who had the Columbia 26, moved to Annapolis from Connecticut. Luckily they called me and for the next 3 years, I was a constant weekend fixture at their house. With -the Jenkins, I started to really sail. We would sail to St Michaels, Fairlee Creek, and the Rhode and West Rivers. Then I thought the cruising thing was much better than tacking back and forth on Round bay. My quest for a real sailing vessel started.

My needs were simple: a boat with a shower in the head, a galley, sleeping room, a wheel and a diesel engine. Don Jenkins was at a dinner party and sat next to a man who was moving to San Juan who had a 1980 Catalina 30 for sail. It had an atomic four gas engine, but it was in good condition and affordable. It was also docked at a private house in Spa Creek. The slip and boat ended up being a package deal.

Well, I got 4 out of the 5.

The former owner had a friend, Milan, who became frequent crew on Second Wind. Milan spent a season or two in tutoring me about the subtleties of my new boat. Monthly I would read Ches4peake Bay Magazine in search of a Catalina sailing group. I would find the Tartans, Pearsons, Hunters, Albergs, everyone but the Catalinas, until one fateftil day at the boat show, there they were.

I forget who I met at the boat show, but the first event I attended was the Holiday party which was held in the afternoon at the Treaty of Paris restaurant in the Maryland Inn. I strolled in all alone, a young, single woman with her own Catalina 30. The club, as it is now, was mostly couples. No one quite knew what to make of me. In the winter, we met on the each month at the Fleet Reserve Club in Annapolis. I diligently went to all the meetings because I really wanted to understand more about my boat and sailing. Did I mention I'm not the least mechanically inclined and changing the oil, water filter and other basic maintenance chores were Greek to me.

I remember at one meeting Sue Dennison took me aside and told me about a club which she thought I might find interesting, Singles on Sailboats. I wasn't sure if she was trying to be helpful or trying to send me on my way. If you know Sue, she was trying to be helpftil and was actually very proud to have a single woman boat owner in the club. Eventually I was asked to be treasurer and served for ahnost a decade until 2002, except for 1995, when I served as Commodore.

I would bring my single lady friends to raft-ups and a few men friends I met in another sailing group. But then I met my husband Wayne and he became my permanent sailing partrier. He gave me my engagement ring the night of the CCYC Holiday party in 1993.

Not long after our marriage, along came our beloved Shar Pei, Winston, and we clearly needed a larger boat. So in 1998 we bought our 36, Jubilee, in Hilton Head, SC. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of the Helldorfers and former club member, Bill Wesley, they let us tag along with them up the ICW on their way back home from the Bahamas. Wayne and I couldn't take time off together so I started the trip in Hilton Head with some of my women friends and Wayne and former member Bill Weeks took over in Beaufort, NC. With the helping hands of fellow club members, bringing Jubilee home, which could have been an ordeal, was a fun and interesting sailing experience.

Some of our best sailing trips have been combined with our other favorite past time, golf.

With my elderly Father living with us for the past 3 years, we haven't been as active as we would like, but belonging to the CCYC does make all our sailing experiences much more fun and interesting.

Mike Davis, Secretary

As we come to the end of this sailing season, we can start looking forward to the start of the next season. That includes planning new cruises and going to parties. That also includes renewing your membership and alas, paying dues. CCYC dues are $35 for each calendar year (January to December). The money is used to cover rental of the meeting places, speakers, the cost of publishing the newsletter, some of the expenses of CCYC parties and other business of running the club.

There is a Membership Renewal Form in this newsletter that includes all the information I have on file about you and your boat. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to check over the information and correct anything that is wrong or missing. This will be the information we use to contact you and to list in the Member Directory.

Additionally, we have a supply of CCYC burgees and they're available to members who do not already have one. The cost is $30 per burgee and you can include it with your dues.

After checking the information, stable your check to the bottom of the form and fold, staple/tape, stamp and mail it to our Treasurer, Diane Benyus.