Even inexpensive sailing clubs need money to operate.  

As you may have seen from the recent email, we are re-instituting the long-ago club practice of encouraging members to pay as they go. 

Please take a look at the accumulated sailing fees you've incurred and make a payment 2-3 times per year - rather than all at the end. It keeps your balance down and helps with the club’s cash flow.

Sailing balances for each member are listed by Member # and can be found on our club website - they’re up to date as of September 2.  If you've paid since the 2nd of September the balance may not reflect that -- but thank you for your payment and contribution to keeping our club finances sound! 

At the dockside sign-in box, there is a slot with a "stuffer" as shown in the pictures here.  Please insert your check (no cash) into the slot and stuff it inside.  Remember to include your Member # on your check in the memo. 

Thank you, Tracy Williams, Director

Call for Board Members 2023

Come and help on the board. Get involved and learn more about the club. Help on the board! The term is annually from January – December. Board meetings are the first Monday evening of each month from 5 pm – 7 pm and are currently held via ZOOM. For 2022 dates see the Convair Sailing Club Calendar.

For a list of Board position see Convair Sailing Club Board of Directors.

Participate with your energy, your experience and ideas to make our club better!

Upcoming Events

Dorsey Cup Ocean Race

Coming up the 24th of September is the Ocean Race — there’s still time to register! 
 

Fun Sail and BBQ

Tuesday September 27th, 2022, 4:45 pm - 8 pm

A Tuesday evening fun sail and BBQ is coming up again. If you haven’t made it to one all summer, come to this one!

 

Virtual Board Meeting

Monday October 3rd, 2022, 5-7 pm

Monthly meeting of the Board of Directors. All members are encouraged to attend! The meeting is via Zoom. Contact one of the Board members for the link if interested

Saturday Afternoon Fun Sail & BBQ

Saturday October 15th, 2022, 2:45 pm - 7pm
Bring a sweater and come for an afternoon sail with your fellow club members!
 

If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to help out in maintaining the boats we have two opportunities coming up in September. Volunteers, please contact Paul Feldon at pfeldon@aol.com

We want beautiful boats that proudly proclaim Convair Sailing Club! Many thanks to the members who volunteered to help apply our new decals to the fleet. The project is about 3/4s complete.  One more work party should be enough to finish the project. Check it out here https://convairsailingclub.com/new-decals-on-sailboats/
 

Many of our Victories and Ensigns are tagged out of service due to various problems. To help remedy this situation as rapidly as possible, I would ask that when a problem with a boat occurs, the reporting skipper coordinates with that boat's captains to try to resolve the situation. A list of boat captains will be posted on the lid of the sign-in dock box and/or in the front of one of the sign-in books. 

If interest in the decal project or working on the boats to bring the fleet into order, please contact Paul Feldon at pfeldon@aol.com
 

To all our Ensign sailors, please remember to start your idle down the channel a few docks before you arrive at ours.  The Ensigns carry a lot of momentum, so it's best to idle (N) the motor a few docks away and coast in. 

If you slow down to early, you can always give the motor a bit more throttle and then return to neutral. The key is to limit the speed as you enter our slips, and avoid hitting the boat in front, or its motor.  

If you find you’re approaching at too high of a speed, simply pass the slip go down turn back and try again.

For those interested in learning, there’s a number of great video clips by our former sailor, Wes Bachman, on both the Ensigns and Victories

Furling the jib on the Ensign

Ensign motor operation

Solo sailing the Victory into the slip

After ten years of serving as your Port Captain, I have decided to resign from my appointed position at the end of this year. The Port Captain's duties include coordination of the maintenance of all shore facilities and responsibility for the repairs and replacement of these facilities. This would include maintaining the key sticks in the blue key box, replacing worn dock lines that secure the boats to the dock, replacing hoses and nozzles as required,  coordinating with the marina office for marina responsible repairs, and other duties. 

If you are looking for a way to help our club and would be willing to volunteer for this position I have a document that more fully defines the various duties. And, I will be available through the 2023 sailing year to help out with any questions that may arise. 

Please contact our Commodore, Louis Swanepoel, if you would be willing to take this position.

Thank you, Dennis Astroth,Port Captain

Every 4th Tuesday evening of the month (in the summer), club members get together for a Fun Sail and BBQ. It’s a great way for members to meet other members, connect with sailing partners and for members to recruit new members for a fall evening summer sail on a Tuesday evening, or just come hang out and eat a hotdog! 

4:45 - Meet & Greet at the blue key box
5:00 - 7:00 - Fun Sail
7:00 - 8:00 - BBQ

Hamburgers & Hotdogs provided
BYOB and something to share / potluck

Please RSVP to Louis - LSwanepoel4@gmail.com

Future upcoming events: Club Fun Sail & Social Saturday 10/15/2022, 2:45pm

Our racing league is well into the season and some beginner skippers have done exceptionally well!  

Are you interested in racing but not actively racing right now? 
 

Sometimes our racing skippers are looking for crew. If you’re interested in signing up as backup crew reach out to Sandy. 

A sailor’s headache, the sheet overriding on a winch. You lose control of the sheet and thus sail and must get it out.

Overrides usually occur on boats where the sheet leads from the jib block and car in a downward angled to the winch rather than upward. Thankfully all of our boats have an upward jib car to winch angle — largely preventing overrides

But call it Murphy’s law or call it fate, sometimes an override can occur even on our boats. 

When they do occur, the line is under a tension load, and can be difficult to undo. So here is a trick that may help get the override undone. 

1. Take another line of the same or smaller diameter as the jammed one

2. Tie it to the tensioned side of the lead (usually forward of the winch) with a rolling hitch

3. Lead the second line to another winch, or a block, or anything that can give you a little mechanical advantage

4. Pull real hard, this relieves the tension allowing you to clear the override.  

Forgot how to tie a rolling hitch? 

Our friends at Animated Knots have a nice video