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 Docklines
July Sailing Events & Fun -- including July 26 ET Regatta -- plus an Island-style Helping of Sailing Advice and Stories
Lanier Sailing Academy and The Passport Sailing Club |
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Cultivate new crew by sending this to a friend.
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Events to Improve your life |
Thu, Jul 3, A Star Spangled Dock Party
7:00 pm until....
Fri. Jul 11, Friday Night Overnight Escape
7pm - Saturday morning
Sat. Jul 12, Diesel Engine clinic. 10am - 1pm
Sat. Jul 26, 6th Annual ET Challenge 11am - 7ish (ET is an abbreviation of what?)
Sat. Aug 9, Intro to Coastal Cruising. 10am - 1pm
Fri. Aug 15, Friday Night Overnight Escape 7pm - Saturday morning
Sat. Sept. 13, Intro to Celestial Navigation. 10am - 1pm
Sat. Oct. 11, Intro to Ouboard Engines. 10am - 1pm
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Gear
Generic term for any pieces of boating equipment that can be forgotten in the backseat or trunk of a car, left behind on a pier, soaked in the bottom of a dinghy or knocked over the side of a boat. |
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Hours & Numbers |
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July Dock Hours
Mon-Fri
10am - 6pm
Sat-Sun
8:30am - 2:30 pm
2:30pm - 8:30pm
Friendly reminder for July 4 (Friday) Reservations can be made starting Tuesday, Jul 1 9:00am
To reserve a boat:
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| Volume 39 Issue 7 |
July, 2008 |
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Letter from Matt: Share The Love ! |
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I took a few days off this past week and had a chance to "decompress" from a crazy spring season which included way too much carpentry work for my taste. After a day of complete laziness, it finally dawned on me that a lot had been accomplished over the last few months and the crew responsible for making it all happen had rolled up their sleeves and "turned two" (nautical talk for working hard) without complaining and with a smile on their faces and as they say a song in their heart.
The dedication and positive spirit of the LSA staff was amazing. I do want to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding commitment of these key people -- the crew that makes this whole organization run smoothly and happily.
Cindy Blanchard has been our General Manager for 5+ years and has created a sweet and positive environment for customers and employees while doing an outstanding job with sales and administration. Cindy also does a super job of supporting our three other branch schools.
John Leggett is our most senior instructor and weekend dock manager and has been with us for 7+ years. John always has a smile on his face, a sailing tip for students and members, and a sailing story for all -- and they are great stories.
Kurt Heckert is our "Mr. Fix It" and has been with us for 5+ years and takes a proactive role with the repair and maintenance of our boats and is always anxious to improve our fleet with creative projects (he's the Eveready bunny of LSA).
Hal Schlenger, with the support of Rich Jones and Ann Kustoff, have taken on the role of creating and producing this fun newsletter and their contributions to the organization over the years have been fantastic.
And of course we can't forget all of the part time sailing instructors that provide their time, talents, personalities and dedication in making this academy the outstanding school that is nationally recognized as the best !
Please take the time to stop these individuals and compliment them on A JOB WELL DONE !! Your positive feedback and encouragement will motivate everyone to even greater heights.
Take the time to find your inner hippy and "Share the Love" with our staff ! |
| Friday Night Overnighter |
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 Relax, Dine by sunset or star light, Swim at midnight, unpredictable conversation.
Escape reality and enjoy the peace and serenity of an overnight anchorage away from noise and marinas without chartering on the coast. Dinner and drinks as the sunsets. Go for a star-lit late-night or refreshing morning swim -- or both. Raft up for conversation with current or new friends.
On selected Friday nights, LSA makes it easy. Call for reservations any time (similar to other reserving for clinics and regattas). An LSA instructor will be available to assist with finding a suitable anchorage, help with anchoring and coordinate any 'raft-ups.'
NOTES from the June Overnighter: 4 boats headed out along with one birthday celebration. Winds were light, so the group motored to Pirate's Cove to anchor and raft up. As the sun went behind the clouds, the temps dropped to a comfortable range and it was time for dinner, drinks and conversation. The 4 crews who had not previously known one another, and not surprisingly quickly spawned humorous and interesting conversation for several hours. The evening was also an ideal time for a swim, with just enough light from the moon. People arose, eat and read, leaving the anchorage on their own schedule.
Bring your favorite picnic dinner, snacks, drinks and breakfast. You have the option to grill aboard.
Friday, Jul 11 <> Friday, Aug 15
Leave the dock no later than 7:00pm
Return at your leisure, any time before 12 noon on Saturday
And yes, all boats will have heads or porta-potties. Call 770-614-5724 for reservations. | |
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| The Sailing Lifestyle |
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 "The" Summer Event:
Can Estrogen Compete with Testosterone?
Come and Join Us for the ET Challenge & Poker Run Regatta on Saturday, July 26th !!
Regardless on what you think of Hillary Clinton, she is proof that women continue to break through the "male barriers".
However, LSA is likely to take a giant step backwards as the 6th Annual ET Challenge and Poker Run puts women against men in an all day, all lake regatta designed to challenge your sailing ability, creativity, pirating skills and poker talents. Get it: E.T.Challenge is Estrogen (ladies) vs testosterone (gentlemen ).
The E.T. Challenge is a mixture of a sailing race, scavenger hunt and poker game in a way that only the Passport Sailing Club can create. If the winds are light during part of the day, we'll use motors to complete the scavenger hunt as creativity is more important than sailing skills -- "which is why the women have a chance" (this is Hal's statement; send your e-mails to Chauvinist@earthlink.net)
Yes, the ladies could be back to make it 3 victories in a row. But then again, it's difficult if the women can still have their act together to 'wow' the judges.
This adult event starts at 11:00 am with the boats back at the dock by 6:00 pm. Dinner, party and awards to follow !!
You've heard the crazy stories and you've been wanting to just join the clean pirate fun soooooo, please call the dock to schedule this adventure: (770) 614-5724
The cost is $ 20.00 for dinner and soft drinks ---- BYOB
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| Welcome to the Hotel California at Lake Lanier |
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Shallow (and not-so-shallow)Thoughts from Honez (Rich Jones)
I want to give a hearty welcome aboard to all of you who are new to sailing. You have entered a special fraternity of nut jobs, excuse me, I mean fellow travelers that think sailing is the greatest activity ever devised. Matters not if you are a dude or a dudette, you have caught a sickness for which there is no cure. The only treatment is to spend as much time as possible on the water coaxing your boat through the waves powered only by the wind and your firm but fearless hand upon the tiller with a song in your heart and smile on your face.
If it hasn't happened already, you will be going through some changes, some physical, some psychological and others just plan psychotic, that include:
1. You will be able to smell water from at least 100 miles away. ( You will also be able to tell if it's fresh or salty )
2. You will never look at weather reports the same way again. How strong is the wind and what direction is it blowing are all you want to know, the rest of it just tells you how to dress (sunscreen or foulies).
3. In meetings at work, you will begin to drift away to islands where the trade winds blow and the coconuts grow. (Don't be alarmed if your boss's head turns into a coconut while he is speaking, this is quite normal.)
4. The trunk of your car will become full of your sailing gear so that you will always be ready just in case somebody launches a boat in the retention pond across from your office and needs crew (similar to golfers and their golf clubs).
5. When you look at any body of water from the tub to the ocean you will see boats and want to be sailing.
6. Worrying about budgets at work will become a thing of the past. You will be much to busy figuring out where your next charter sailing adventure will be.
7. In traffic, you will find yourself yelling STARBOARD YOU MORON to your fellow motorist.
8. You will find your self with a little piece of line tying knots at your desk. (Great stress relief ) The office staff will begin wondering just what kind of sex life you have. (If they ever ask, tell them it's great, everything is better under canvas, and that you have mastered 'heave to'.)
Don't worry about these changes, they are normal and all sailors have them. Don't believe me. Just ask anybody at the dock; they will confirm it's all true. To paraphrase the Eagles, "Welcome to the wonderful world of sailing, you can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave." Why would want to anyway? See ya at the lake.
Share your comments with Honez. |
| Spring Regatta Results (You showed us what you've got) |
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In the three races on Sun, Jun 1, with moderate winds, Kurt Heckert again swept the day's racing, this time sailing West Dog with Jim Chapman as crew.
Finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th were very close for each race and for cumulative for the day.
Mark Boase, along with Leslie Lessig and Rob Pepper on Hot Dog finished 2, 2 and 4, and 2nd for the day. Ann Kustoff along with Bruce Miller on Natasha finished 4, 3 and 2, and 3rd for the day. And closely behind then was Greg Keenan, Roger Wilson and Rufus Nash sailing George Dog finished 3, 4 and 3, and 4th for the day. Newbies John Kohler and Diana LaPointe finished all races within the allotted time.
The "B" mark was set upwind and to the right; however, it wasn't actually "set." Even with the lake down, it is likely to be 70 or 90' deep in many parts of Big Creek. As the racing started, the mark had drifted 400 yd and was now behind a temporary island. This meant racers had honor rights-of-way for boats going around an obstacle as well as crossing one another.. :-)
Back at the dock after the race, the stories were entertaining. If you see John Leggett, ask him about him and his dad getting rescued by the Coast Guard.
Thanks go to Bud and Brenda Bollinger for handling Race Committee responsibilities; no bickering or whining was reported.
 Six boats races on Summer Solstice, Sat, Jun 21. Along with 4 club boats, Kurt brought Connie Mae and her namesake Connie (Kurt's wife) and Mike Blanchard brought his spinnaker-ready Catalina 22.
The wind shifted as much as 90 degrees during a race, with the first race having 3 upwind legs -- the good sailors had little problem reading and adjusting to the shifts. The second and third races started with the less common port-tact start and had several boats passing one another.
Kevin Williams, Bill McColloch and Bill's guest Rich sailed Hot Dog to a 2nd, 2nd and 1st place finish for the best results of the fleet boats. Kurt, his wife Connie and his dad sailed led the fleet in Connie Mae; Mike Blanchard, Valois Gonzalez and Mike C finished 2nd, 2nd and 3rd; however, they were not included in the final results because, although similar, were not  fleet boats. Hal Schlenger, Mark Boase and Vaughn Roundtree sailed Great Dog to a 1st, 1st and 4th place among the fleet boats, for a 2nd place finish for the day. Bud Bollinger and Bill McColloch's friend Kathleen sailed Natasha to 4th, 3rd and 3rd tying Diana LaPointe, Leslie Lessig and tag-along Jim Chapman on West Dog, who finished 3rd, 5th and 2nd place finishes. It should be noted that after finishing the second race in an unfortunate way, they recovered and finished second!
Final Results for Spring, 2008 Series (Top 20)
 1 Kurt Heckert 1.30
2 Bill McCulloch 1.40
3 Kevin Williams 1.43
4 Tom Bombard 1.50
Randy Johnson 1.75 *
5 Steve Darsie 1.88
6 Mark Boase 1.91
Roger Wilson 2.00 *
7 Steve Wollin 2.14
Peggy Hipp 2.50 *
Tedd Hyatt 2.50 *
8 Jim Chapman 2.63
9 David Jaquess 2.86
10 Leslie Lessig 3.00
11 Diane LaPointe 3.11
Valois Gonzalez 3.25 *
Alan Box 3.25*
12 Bud Bollinger 3.33
Larry Lancaster 3.50*
David Cahn 4.67*
* Did not completed 6 or more races.
If you haven't come to a regatta yet, come join the fun, great sailing, great people and a great after party make it a perfect way to spend an afternoon. See you in August.
Much thanks to Glenn Simons for his tracking and reporting results throughout the season so that the Docklines had the results in a timely manner. Thanks Glenn.
Upcoming Racing
See 'Club Event' article.
Past Performers
Spring 04 Champion Glenn Simons
Summer 04 Champion Bill Harding
Fall 04 Champion Hal Schlenger
Spring 05 Champion Mark Freeman
Fall 05 Champion Valois Gonzalez
Spring 06 Champion Kurt Heckert
Fall 06 Champion Hal Schlenger
Spring 07 Champion Greg Keenan
Fall 07 Champion Hal Schlenger
Spring 08 Champion Kurt Heckert
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| Dear Capt. Noah T'all |
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 I was recently doing a solo sail on the lake when I was overtaken by the call of nature.
Since I had no one to relieve me at the helm and could not will my problem away, I cut my sail short and headed back to the dock. If this ever happens again are there any better options than just high tailing it back to the dock?
Signed, Bilge Alarm
Dear Bilge,
Obviously, you missed my seminar on emergency knots you really need to know. The one-handed bladder blocker would have been just the ticket.
If knot tying is not your thing then you might want to try a heave to. Heaving to allows you to park the boat while you address your needs. Easy to do, gives you time use the bucket, make a sandwich, get a beer or show your date your butterfly collection while the boat takes care of its self.
A couple of things to remember, when you heave to: your boat will be jogging along about 45 degrees off the wind at slow speed and making a good bit of leeway. Make sure you have plenty of sea room or you will end up on that lee shore.
How to heave to
1. Sheet the mainsail in tight.
2. Tack the boat but don't touch anything on your headsail or main.
3. When you finish your tack your headsail is going to be back winded - perfect
that's what you want.
4. Luff the main.
5. Push the tiller all the way to leeward (toward the main sail) and lash it down.
6. That's it, all there is to it. Your boat is stable, in control and going to stay that way.
How to get out of a heave to
1. Unlash the tiller.
2. Turn the tiller all the away to the other side.
3. Your boat will gybe and be just short of 360 degrees and you will find yourself on
the same tack you started on.
The heave to is a forgotten maneuver by a lot of folks, but is one of the handiest on the water. Heaving to can be useful for reefing or dropping the main and is pretty handy in heavy weather to wait out a blow or just take a break from the pounding.
So when you need a break and want to park the boat, heave to is the thing.
Signed, Capt. Noah T'all
Send your questions for the Capt. to laniersail@mindspring.com |
| Boat Drinks: It's Hurricane Season |
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 On a different tact from the morning Mimosa or Screwdriver ideal for celebrating the mornings when you awake on-board (see Friday Night Overnighters), this is officially Hurricane Season
Eyes are on the weather channel as we enter into another hurricane season. Hunker down in the safe inland waters of Lake Lanier, head for your favorite cove, drop the hook, and enjoy a fruity beverage. While you're there, drink a toast to our fellow sailors on the coast with wishes for a mellow season of fair winds and weather.
The Hurricane is a fruity red concoction created during World War II when liquor such as whiskey was in low supply. Now it's the traditional drink of New Orleans.
 The Hurricane 12 ounces light rum
12 ounces dark rum
10 ounces grenadine, or passion fruit syrup
10 ounces fresh orange juice
10 ounces sour mix, or fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons superfine sugar, or more to taste
1 large orange, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Mix all the ingredients in a tall pitcher or large pot and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a punch bowl (or large thermos) and add the ice cubes and orange segments. The final product should be more pink than orange. Serve in tall glasses over ice with straws.
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Work is the curse of the drinking class. Oscar Wilde |
| Club Events, Clinics & Regattas |
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Get the most from your club membership
 A Star Spangled Dock PartyThursday July 3, 2008 7:00 pm til ??
Your cheerful and friendly LSA Dock Staff will be hosting a 4th of July party @ the LSA dock. The Party will be free to all Club members, family & guests. There will be an open grill starting at 7:00pm, so bring something for the grill and a side or dessert to share. As always the party will be BYOB. The fire works will start @ dusk, courtesy of University Yacht Club. We look forward to seeing you all there.
The price is --FREE-- no need to make a reservation just show up!
 Friday Night Overnighter
Friday, July 11 Leave the dock no later than 7:00pm Return at your leisure, any time before 12 noon on Saturday Also: Friday, Aug, 15
Enjoy the magic of a quiet anchorage and a relaxing sunset meal and drink and swim by the star light. Bring your favorite picnic dinner, snacks, drinks and breakfast. And to make it easy, an LSA instructor will be available to assist with finding a suitable anchorage, help with anchoring and coordinate any 'raft-ups.'
Yes, all boats will have heads or porta-potties. Call 770-614-5724 for reservations
 Diesel Engine Clinic
Saturday, July 12th, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Yes, we are hiring a professional diesel mechanic to provide a complete overview of a marine diesel system. This is "good gearhead stuff" designed for the less mechanically inclined sailor. No, you won't get dirty and yes you will understand what makes a diesel engine operate and yes you will have fun !! We promise !!!
Don't wait to register for this clinic, it fills up FAST !!
The price is -- FREE -- to our club members, please call the dock for reservations (770) 614-5724.
 Intro to Coastal Navigation
Saturday, August 9th, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
This is the perfect clinic to prepare you for the Coastal Navigation Course ACC-105 and beyond !!
We'll demonstrate the basics of Dead Reckoning Navigation and all of it's required tools, charts and reference guides. Interesting and necessary skills for hanging out on the coast or in the tropics. No pre-requisites !!! Just bring your smile !!!!
The price is -- FREE -- to our club members, please call the dock for reservations (770) 614-5724.
 Racing & Regatta Clinic and Tune-Up Practice Sunday, August 10th
1:00 - 4:00p Introductory clinic on rules and strategy -- who has right of way and how close can 2 boats actually get ?
5:00 - 7:00p On-the-water practice -- if you've been to an Introductory clinic in the past and want some on-the-water refresher, you are welcomed to RSVP for only this portion of the day.
The price is -- FREE -- to our club members, please call the dock for reservations (770) 614-5724
 Capri 22 Regatta, Fall Series
Sort of 'laid back' racing experience The typical regatta is organized with an experienced skipper on each boat, followed by a blind draw of crew members. We sail three (3) one hour races within Big Creek and finish with a cookout back at the dock. Your sailing knowledge will dramatically increase. Your fun-o-meter will get a work out and your party skills will be improve !
Regatta Dates:
Sun., Aug. 24, 2:00p
Sat., Sep. 20, 1:00p
Sun., Sep. 28, 1:00p
Sat., Oct. 18, 1:00p
Sun., Oct. 26, 1:00p
Sat., Nov. 15, 1:00p
Please call the dock for reservations (770) 614-5724 Cost: Food and soft drink fee of $ 20 per person * Race committee receives complimentary dinner (along with any bribes from racers). Contact us if you want more info about serving as race committee for an individual date. As always, BYOB.
 Intro to Celestial Navigation
Saturday, September 13th, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.
Calling all hippies to participate in our most popular clinic. You can't miss out on this one !!!
Have you ever wanted to know how we steer by the stars and planets ?? Please feel free to join us for a overview of Celestial Navigation where we will provide a peek into celestial bodies, ocean navigation, fun/complicated math and the use of a sextant.
The price is -- FREE -- to our club members, please call the dock for reservations (770) 614-5724
  Intro to Outboard Engines Saturday, October 11th, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
OK, so your outboard engine won't start and you've thought about applying extreme violence to cure it's evil ways. We feel your pain and would like to suggest a more peaceful method to help you enjoy your day of sailing.
Please join us as we rip apart an outboard engine and describe the inner workings of this demonic beast. We will then attempt to rebuild and restart (after a formal excercism) our repaired outboard.
The price is -- FREE -- to our club members, please call the dock for reservations (770) 614-5724.
Watch for these Future Clinics
Bareboat Management Tips
Heavy Weather Preparation
Boat Drinks 101
Spinaker Freaks |
| From the Dock |
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 Cost of Sailing: Fantasy Vacation
Here are sample costs for sailing the British Virgin Islands (BVI's) for one week onboard a new Beneteau 42 with four of your best friends and of course your always so sexy life partner.
Estimated Costs:
Round trip Flights to BVI's $ 800 per person
Funky Island Hotel for two nights $ 300
Charter fee for Beneteau 42. $ 4,500
Unique rum drinks at various
beach bars (per person) $ 30 per night
Island Restaurants (per person) $ 50 per night
Overnight Mooring Fee $ 20 (who wants to anchor anyway !)
Onboard massage therapist $ 1,000 per week, plus airfare (optional, but highly recommended)
Satellite telephone with Internet connection (no, that would ruin your fantasy)
Sunscreen $ 20
Speedo swim wear (no, that would also ruin your fantasy)
Underwater disposable camera $ 25 (no Speedo photos please)
Total: ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS !!!!
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Sailing Fantasies |
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 Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Certification Courses ---- LIVE THE DREAM !!
Basic Coastal Cruising - 103 and Bareboat Certification - 104 in Pensacola, Florida !!
OK ....so you have this dream about sailing the Caribbean with your arm around your girl and your hand around a cold beer and your bare foot around the hem. We can make this dream come true ! Come spend six days and five nights on the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida and experience the award winning courses of Basic Coastal Cruising and Bareboat Certification !!
Sunday, October 12 thru Friday, Ocotber 17 --- SOLD OUT ---
Sunday, November 9 thru Friday, November 14 --- SOLD OUT ---
Sunday, Decemebr 7 thru Friday, December 12
Please don't wait too long to register, these courses usually sell out 120 + days in advance !
Call Cindy or Matt at the office for further details and to register. (770) 945-8810
Spaces are still available for Basic Coastal Cruising - 103 and Bareboat Certification - 104 in the British Virgin Islands !!
 It's time to take that dream vacation -- It's time to become Bareboat Certified -- It's time to visit the land of tropical sailing fantasies and pirate legends.
The British Virgin Islands -- Where sailing dreams come true!
All classes in BVI include breakfasts, lunches, snacks/soft drinks and one dinner cooked on board. Call 770-945-8810 to signup!
Saturday, Nov. 01 thru Friday, Nov. 07 $1,495
Saturday, Nov. 08 thru Friday, Nov. 14 $1,495
Feel free to call Cindy or Matt at (770) 945-8810 to learn more about your sailing dream in paradise.
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| Humor: Photo Caption |
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 From last month:
<> If you're looking at this one because it's in your price range, consider joining a sailing club. Randy Johnson
<> What's that marker to starboard mean?
<> This looks bad. We forgot to raise the host country flag. Randy Johnson
<> What do you expect when you name your boat the "Hull Grinder"? Rand Johnson
<> (Photo courtesy of Shoal Water Sailing School) Randy Johnson
<> I thought you said you knew what the bilge is and how much water in the bilge is normal.
 This month's photo:
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| Contact Us |
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As always, if you have any questions, concerns, feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments about Lanier Sailing Academy, the Passport Sailing Club or Docklines, please e-mail Matt Fleming at mattpfleming@gmail.com |
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