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From Tim Hill, if you want to watch some of the Pan Am sailing events, there are a few restrictions and guidelines to be aware of.  Check the following link:

http://ontariosailing.ca/pan-am/pan-am-games-spectator-guidelines/

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Many years ago, some members of Ashbridge's Bay Yacht Club were introduced to a small opening in one of the Toronto Island lagoons by a fellow member of the Club, Kasey Regotta.  Kasey had found that the lagoon was deep enough to accommodate a fairly deep draft sail boat right up to the shore. Some time later, members were gathered at the end of a Saturday morning work party and were discussing where they might like to sail to put in the balance of the week end and one member said, "let's go to that cove of Kasey's." So the lagoon opening became known as Kasey's Cove and is still called that today by ABYC members and many members of other local clubs.

 

Joan Mary and I joined ABYC in 1980 and shortly thereafter were introduced to Kasey's and we loved it.  In the early years the surrounding land was flat and well treed. There was a fire pit nearby which got regular use by both ABYC people and members from many other local clubs.  It would not have been unusual in those days to see over 30 boats tied up along the shore. We used to use those corkscrew hooks people employ in their lawns to tie the dog for bow lines and some less environmentally conscious people tied to the trees so eventually the parks people came and placed steel posts securely embedded in concrete to discourage this practice.  For a while, the Toronto Island Marina collected a fee in there but it was not high and most of us still considered it fair value.

 

During the early 90s the Toronto District School Board made the unhappy decision to rebuild the Island Nature School in this area. Thankfully, a more recent visit to the cove reveals that the building is largely shrouded in greenery now and not terribly visible from the shore.

 

A more recent development came in the early 2000s when the parks people decided to build what I call turtle condominiums in the area. They moved the road back, then chewed out a section of the shore to create a wet land. This did discourage sailors from using the space but it also caused the marina to stop charging for the few who did choose to still make use of the place. No fee is collected there today. I have no idea of how successful it has been in attracting aquatic creatures; however, the overall effect has been very pleasing to the nature lover with lots of greenery.  Both sides of the paved path along side the wet land area is covered with wild roses and there are thousands of blooms with both a pleasing appearance and a lovely aroma.

 

Today, as you can see from the picture, it is still a very beautiful, quiet, green place to enjoy a nice visit. When you sit in your cockpit with your back to the school building, all you see is green. The foliage has become very lush and for a few resourceful souls who can live without hydro and other services for a day or two, Kasey's still offers great rewards.

 

 

 

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Commodore Hedley expressed concern in S2S about possible safety issues related to improperly installed wire rigging in the ABYC. The Commodore's advice was "safety first and always" which can never be disputed.  If the safety message did not resonate with you then I'll provide additional information to consider.  Failure to properly install and maintain your rigging can be a very costly mistake that is likely not covered by your insurance.  If you think safety is expensive try an accident that is not covered by insurance.  

   

Most insurance contracts today include exclusions for loss or damage caused by lack of reasonable care in the maintenance of your boat.  If you fail to secure your rigging properly, the vibration from the wind could cause turnbuckles to loosen resulting in a complete dismasting.  When the adjuster inspects your broken mast and discovers it was not properly secured the claim will probably be denied on the basis of lack of reasonable care in the maintenance of the boat.

  

Used masts are near impossible to find (if you would even consider this option) and the cost of a new mast is getting extremely expensive.  A recent claim to replace a Selden mast on a Beneteau 32 cost the insurance company $36,000.  You can scale this up or down depending on the size of your boat and ask yourself if this is an expense you could afford if a claim is denied due to poor maintenance.

 

If your neighbour does not have proper rigging you have an increased risk of damage.  Damage caused by a neighbouring boat would be covered but that will never make up for lost time on the water while your boat is being repaired.  Your neighbour may be a new owner and should welcome advice about how to properly secure the rigging.  If they decline your assistance and refuse to correct safety deficiencies that put you at risk then ask the Harbour Master to have their boat moved.    

Rigging failures and dismasting on boats over 20 years of age are increasing every year.  Many owners ignore the fact that standing rigging needs to be maintained and replaced as it ages or show signs of wear.  The second and more costly mistake is counting on your insurance coverage to pay for damage to your boat caused by lack of maintenance.  For additional tips about preventing maintenance related rigging failures visit http://www.dixielandmarine.com/yachts/DLrigprob.html
 

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We continue our "Focus on the Board" articles highlighting the role of Sr. Vice Commodore.  Again, we encourage you to reach out to those who held these positions in the past for their personal thoughts and experiences.   

 

Some of our Past and Present Sr. Vice-Commodores;  Elizabeth Sloss, Rick Humphrey, Carolyn Weckesser, Pat Flynn

 

Worth noting....from our by-laws

4.02 Qualification - Each director shall be:

(a) eighteen (18) or more years of age, and

(b) a Senior member or Life member of the Club.

No member shall be elected as Commodore or Senior Vice-Commodore or Rear Commodore unless such member has at least a third (1/3) interest in a boat enrolled in the Club Fleet.

 

Interested???  Please read on!

 

1.02 Senior Vice-Commodore (Updated: Aug. 12, 2013):

a) assist the Commodore in the discharge of duties of that office;

b) advise the Board concerning new membership applications and applications for change membership;

c) handle matters of discipline of members as provided in the By-laws and advise the Board thereon;

d) establish the following committees and appoint chairs: Membership, Member Contribution Program,

Safety, Bylaws and Policies, and Community Relations;

e) manage the Member Contribution Program;

f) liaise with the Club Manager regarding office staff and the day-to-day operations of the office; and,

g) liaise and oversee the Club Manager involving all Club Staff, i.e. discipline, harassment, employee evaluations, and Employment Standards

 

 

Q & A: Up close and personal with those who have held the position of Sr. Vice-Commodore in the past. 

 

What are the challenges of this role?

 

·         You have to be prepared for criticism. It is impossible to win everyone over.

·         Beyond the normal routine of attending/monitoring the various Committees that are under this portfolio, the SRVC will find that many issues arise that take your full attention away, ie. member discipline, membership issues.  

·         As with any volunteer position anywhere, the role is what you are prepared to make it. The scope of the role is very big and if you are interested in making a difference to the organisation then you will have as much opportunity as you have time. The portfolio has mostly behind the scenes kind of work, managing the administration, discipline, membership, by-laws and safety issues.

·         This position demands a person who, at times, is a negotiator, is a judge, a delegator, is willing to work with people, consult their predecessors, and understand club protocol (by-laws, policy)

·         It can be challenging because there is always so much one could do to make the place better, it just takes time.

·         The role does have contentious bits.  That means there is always the potential for coming up wrong for someone -- and members don't tend to hold back.

   

What are the rewards of this role?

 

·         You get to meet and know many members that you wouldn't in normal circumstances and you will be working in a position in which you can affect change.

·         The rewards come in the form of deeper roots in the Club, and in more friendships at the Club. I have met more people than I did in previous years as a member.

 

Would you recommend taking the position of Commodore at ABYC?

 

·         I quite enjoyed it.  

·         It takes a bit of time though and sometimes you will find that the time is not your own as you have to react to the issues at hand on some else's schedule, not necessarily your own.  

·         You can affect change in this position and that can be satisfying.  I feel that if you have any feelings to run for Commodore, it is a great training ground.  I did not regret taking this position.  

·         It would be challenging to do this job with a full-time job and a family though.

 

 

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to run for this position?

 

·         Being on the Board of Directors of a volunteer based club like this is serious business and you have to take it seriously.

·         It is a busy portfolio, but you get to meet many people and even though you sometimes have to deal with "not so positive issues", you will find that your knowledge of the club and the members increases dramatically.

·         You must be strong enough to hold your line when you are up against the Board who wants things to move faster than the system permits it to move.

·         You have to be prepared to speak up and make sure your voice is heard, or at least noted in the minutes.

 

Next Focus on the board will outline to position of Vice Commodore - Planning.

 

 

Your Nomination Committee

 

Petra Fischer, Mike Leroux, Gus Gillespie and Hazel Wood

 

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Several other ABYC boats also competed - (The Cat Came Back 4th., Hammertime 3rd. and Umi Taka 4th. plus Serendipity 5th on the Scotch Bonnet Course) - full results can be found at the following link:

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The ABYC Sailing Committee amended the protest procedure this year removing protest arbitration because it was not being utilized as planned.  If you protest another boat (or are the protestee) the protest will be heard at one of the pre-scheduled protest nights listed in the Events Book calendar.

 

Since we dispensed with arbitration there is no longer a Duty Judge on race nights.  This required a change to how protests are logged in. I am pleased to report the majority of skippers are reading the SI's and most protests filed this year have conformed to the new procedure.  However, there are some that are not reading the SI's or the procedures posted in the communication room.

 

The SI's state protest forms must be filed within 60 minutes of the race committee boat docking. The protest form must show the date and time it was filed.  This must be noted on the protest form by either a Certified Judge, a Race Committee Member or ABYC Staff Member.  Alternatively, you may send a scan or a photo of the protest form to the Protest Co-Ordinator at drew.r@sympatico.ca to verify the date/time it was filed.  The original protest form can then be filed in the Protest folder in the Communication Room.  A copy of the protest will be sent to all parties before the scheduled hearing.

 

For more information about ABYC protests refer to the Events book Page 20 or contact me directly.

 

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This past weekend, the Opti and Radial race teams traveled to Hamilton to compete at the annual Fogh Boorman regatta.

10 members of the Opti team raced last weekend, sailing 6 races.  They sailed really well in some very tough conditions.  Nathan Latka had a great regatta, placing 3rd overall.  Paul Staadecker and Martin Staadecker also sailed well, each winning a race.  Great job Optis!

Will Bonin, Clara Gravely, Rowland Goddard, and Ian Doell raced against 19 other Laser Radials over two days.  With extremely light and unpredictable winds, racing was tough and unforgiving.  However, the ABYC Radials ended up placing very well overall, with Will placing 12th, Clara 9th, Rowland 4th, and Ian 6th.  Congratulations to our Radial team!

Good luck to both the Opti and Radial teams who are racing next at the Four Sisters regatta in Port Credit!