Art Show

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We had a very good turn out last Saturday and all jobs that could be completed on that day were completed.  A few jobs will be completed next Saturday and of course the sea wall repair will continue well into the new year.

 

Yard Cleanup

The people who cleaned the shrub growth from the East fence showed me several examples of members' property left on the ground or attached to the fence.  I want all these things moved away from the fence and relocated to your cradle, especially your ladders.  I will repeat this message for the next three weeks and then clean up the fence area and dispose everything left behind starting Dec 1, 2013.

 

Boat Measurements and Cradle Audit

I have asked Rick Bott to form a team to inspect all cradles to ensure that they are in good repair and properly marked with the boat name, member name and member number.  He will also do an accurate measurement of the boat's beam and length overall.  Some boats have been modified from the factory spec and this will give the club the correct information for storage billing.

DEMD

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Weather Seminar

 

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Thank you to all who showed up last Saturday in that awful weather!  We accomplished a lot...

All that jazz
 

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The club elected to have a work contribution program.  In order to satisfy the requirement of this program, each member is required to work and record their hours. The Job Jar software, through the club website, allows each member to record and monitor their own hours so that they are in control of their contribution.

The Job Jar is also a piece of software that allows the club to analyze the work that it takes to run the club. It offers the club the opportunity to evaluate proposed work budgets against actual and it provides a concrete and factual database to plan for the future.  This software is a tool for all club members and there isn't one person who runs the software, it is ours collectively to use as a tool.

If you have trouble signing in to the member's area or have difficulty signing up for a job or recording your hours, I am always a phone call or an email away.  Michelle Wolfson  416-889-9420 , michelle@chefdemaison.ca
 

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It was hard to miss, but at Haulout this year we continued the trial experimentation with lifting boats out of the water with their masts in place.  Seven boats were done.

 

There are clearly differing views on this project.  Our mandate is not to judge whether hauling with masts up is a good thing, but rather respond to Member requests by objectively evaluating the impact on the Club's operations, and from there the Club can evaluate whether this is a 'good thing' or not.

 

We lifted seven boats over a time period of roughly 130 minutes.  That is longer than the regular non-mast up planning time, but this included some rig adjusting and other issues, which would not apply in an established routine.  Within that time the best haul took less than 9 minutes, better than non-Mast Up boat hauling times, so there is clearly variability and learning/improvements to be had.

 

We encountered delays in co-ordinating with the Hydraulic trailers.  ABYC has been exploring using these trailers to expand the real estate where we can store boats.  Some of the crane delays were due to leaving the boat hanging on hook waiting for a trailer.  Learning ... we need to consider cradle configuration as part of our hydraulic trailer usage process. Learning #2, we will separate the boat lift / trailer load process so that the two become more independent  (for which we have devised a solution).

 

With respect to the lifting rig configuration, we met our objectives of gaining more experience by lifting a larger number of boats.  We made one configuration modification and adjusted the sling placement method, during the trial itself, and have subsequently discussed and identified a few more improvements.  As this has been a trial, the crane company has been loaning us hardware.  Though appreciated, this exposed us to different issues that had to be resolved on the day.  A number of the issues we encountered would be mitigated if we had custom parts for our purpose, but we have resisted investing until we had a better understanding.

 

The actual boat stability while in slings was good.  In the spring two boat trial we had some boat rocking which has now been resolved.

 

The sling placement and removal process can be refined further.  This fall we lifted seven boats and placed slings in roughly three different ways.  Clearly the beginning of the learning curve, and not representative of longer term process with iterative streamlining that comes from repeated practice.

 

The core issues remain; the additional time per boat, both from a financials crane cost perspective, but more importantly from a club member time commitment perspective.  Key will be shrinking the time consumed.

 

Next steps are for the Mast Up Task Team to review further, to plan on how to optimize learning from the spring launch (yes, we are committed to throwing them back in), and from there report to the Board for a larger consideration of whether we move forward.

 

On behalf of the Mast Up Task Team,

 

Roy Little

Presentation Night

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Haulout may have come and gone but that didn't put a stop to the ABYC Opti Race Team, which continued to train on Sundays at the club.  We have just completed our final on water training session of the season, this year sailing as late as November 3rd.!

 

Sailing at this time of year did not come without its difficulties.  Without the ramps, we had to launch from the public ramp, a long trek with our Optis, past the ABYC front gate.  Parents had to help guide the Optis to the end of the long launch ramp, careful not to hit the ramp and damage our boats.  Keep an eye out for a potential spring work party to create an easy in and out dingy ramp, to extend the season and shorten the commute, for sailing school and dinghy members alike.  Another challenge has been the cooler temperatures, causing everyone to suit up in all of the gear that they have.   

 

When we woke up on November 3rd. the temperatures outside were below freezing but we came to ABYC to check it out.  Our boat covers had sheets of ice on top but the sun was out and it was warming up so we decided to head out for one last sail.  Over ten athletes dressed in a mix of sailing and snow clothes and spent over two hours on the water, enjoying some final moments of what was a fantastic season.  Afterwards, we headed in and put all of our Optis away for the winter.  But don't worry, it is just six months until the boats are back in the water and Spring Training 2014 begins.

 

This Sunday was also the last day for my co-coach, Sarah Douglas.  Sarah joined our team in 2012 and the team has had two wonderful seasons with her.  Sarah's enthusiasm and love of sailing is something that has definitely rubbed off on many of our Junior Race Team members.  Her excellent coaching has resulted in great improvement in the skills of the athletes.  On behalf of all of the athletes, parents and coaches of the ABYC Junior Race Team, I would like to wish Sarah all the best as she leaves our Opti Team to return to competitive sailing.  I have no doubt that we will see big things from her and look forward to seeing our ABYC Opti Race Coach on the podium in the future.   

 

After what has been a fantastic six months, our team is done for 2013.  The boats are away and it is time for our winter break.  The team is all looking forward to seeing each other at Awards Night in two weeks!

 

Check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ABYCJuniorRaceTeam to see pictures from the entire 2013 season!

 

The ABYC Junior Race Team wishes everyone a great winter and we look forward to seeing you next season.

 

 

- Tim Hill

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Delivery to Puerto de Sada from Gijon is now under way and the Transat race to be restarted Tuesday November 12.

With the wind still blasting out of the west - under 30 knots with gusts over 30 and waves in excess of four meters - some of the Mini Fleet have opted to sleep on the Tuesday 6pm delivery start from Gijon, Spain to Puerto de Sada (Cape Finisterre).  Expect by the time you're reading this in Wednesday's Ship 2 Shore, they should all be underway.  Here's an english version of the delivery routing and weather briefing from yesterday:

http://www.minitransat.fr/sites/www.minitransat.fr/files/meteo/routing_gijon_sada_201131105_1.pdf

If that's the improved conditions, I can only think "blah".  Slamming into seas, for 115 nm in 30 knots for a "delivery"?  I can well imagine why some might just wait and get started Wednesday morning.

The competitors kicked up a row and sough 48 hours in Puerto de Sada, before the re-start of the race. It gives people a chance to get themselves sorted before a very long race.  Thus, the restart is scheduled for Tuesday November 12th.

If you've been following Diane's blog

http://www.onegirlsoceanchallenge.com/?page_id=32

or the OGOC facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/onegirlsoceanchallenge

you know that the leg from Dourarnenez to Spain was abandoned.  The fleet leaders who bashed their way across the Bay of Biscay have nothing to show for it.  Most of the fleet washed up in Gijon, where the harbour master, the city and the proprietors of the local tapas bars have welcomed our wet heros.

And... the blog and facebook pages are you best choice for updates before next week's Ship 2 Shore.

Moderating Winds Diane!