Blackbeard’s Epitaph - “All The News That’s in The Winds “ Volume 34 Number 7 - July 2006 Blackbeard Sailing Club Upper Broad Creek on the Neuse PO Box 1543 New Bern, NC 28563 Phone 252-633-3990 FROM THE COMMODORE by Ken Gurganus I don’t have to remind anyone that it’s “HOT”!!!!!!. Summer is certainly here with a sizzle. There was quite a bit of activity at the club these past few weeks. Our July 4th “hotdog” cookout went well with about 40 members enjoying the dogs and socializing at the picnic shelter, and a number of boats went out to see the fireworks, while a few more drove to the crowded Bridgeton site for a look-see. During this week, a number of our members traveled to the coast and took the tour and long lines for the tall-ships review, while some viewed the whole affair from the water. (Not the State owned Ferry). Mark your calendar for August 12th and the BSC Marine yard sale, Shrimp-a-roo and Raft-up in the creek. Start the day off at 8:30 AM for the Marine yard sale by club members under the clubhouse. Marine items only, please, as space can be a little crowded. Then head your boat out in the creek to “raft-up” and enjoy Larry Basden’s cooked shrimp. Bring a side dish to compliment the shrimp or perhaps a desert or two. We’ve had 20 to 25 boats rafted up in the past few years for this event, which goes well into the evening hours as members socialize and enjoy. Our Ice machine continues to be a very popular service. Remember, this is an “honor” system. As long as it’s not abused, it will remain available. Do your part and cover your ice usage. And take note that the “larger” 10 lb. bags should be available by the end of this month. At that time all ice, crushed or block, will be the same price of $1.50. (This is not a price increase, as the price per lb. remains the same, just larger bags) I had the pleasure of accompanying defending San Juan 21 National Champion Doug Longhini as his stand-in crew at the San Juan 21 North Americans at Lake Murray Sailing Club in S.C. a couple of weeks ago. While we did manage to win two of the eight races, I must confess that Doug’s pick-up crew wasn’t the same caliber of his regular crew and we only managed a respectable fifth place overall. Doug’s a great sailor and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sail with him. Jeff Thomas also made the trip with his San Juan 21 and managed a respectable finish in the “All Sails Division”. Blackbeard was well represented at the San Juan Nationals. Our next regatta at Blackbeard is the One Design Blackbeard Regatta September 9th & 10th. We welcome back Strange & Sons for their catered seafood & chicken feast as the Saturday dinner. Don’t miss this great regatta and don’t miss the meal, tickets will be available to all members. Our first covered dish social will be September 16th. This is our nomination meeting for officers running for the 2007 year. This is your club, keep it the very best. Ken Gurganus CRUISE NEWS by Larry Brodsky June was my annual local cruise and for those who thought about accompanying me, but did not, you were smart. We left BSC on Saturday June and had a very nice sail down to Adams Creek. We anchored in Cedar Creek in time for much needed cocktails. Does anyone know the story of the mast sticking up out of the water in Cedar Creek? There seemed to be quite a number of other BSC sailors anchored there that night, with plans to return to New Bern. We were not particularly sociable as our dinghy was still deflated and we really just wanted to get into dinner and wine seriously. I apologize to the others. The next morning we weighed anchor early and powered down to Beaufort. We were lucky to get a slip at the Town Docks as it was Big Rock week and the area was filled with expensive Sportfishers. We had a lovely dinner ashore and when we returned to the boat, there was big ruckus on the Hatteras outboard of us. A large sailboat had been carried by the current and pinned under the bow of the Hattie, doing a fair amount of cosmetic damage. The entertainment involved TowBoat US, the Coast Guard and the Sheriff. There were some accusations of BUI but in the end the USCG concluded it was an issue for the insurance companies. The current was really strong, for sure, requiring us to use lines to spring out the next morning. We had planned to go to Cape Lookout, but the projected track of Alberto, yes a pesky TS in early June, forced us to reconsider and we headed back up the ICW for the South River. Meanwhile it had been raining for over 24 hours, although it was now down to a drizzle with overcast. We had a nice sail up on Pamlico Sound. We pulled into the South River in time for cocktails, as always. We spent a couple of rainy nights in the South River and since the forecast was now up to Gale Warnings for the Sound, we headed out early Thursday morning for Oriental. It was already blowing 30-35 kts so it was a rather exhilarating sail, although brief. We holed up in Oriental and watched the winds get stronger. Watching the radar in the bar at the Oriental Marina was much safer than watching it at sea. For those who have not stayed at the Oriental Marina recently, it really has upgraded. The showers are available 24 hours; they provide towels, soap, and shampoo. The restaurant is about a year old, closer to the water, with a nice bar. It is well protected from the wind and swells, although the odor from Fulcher’s can be bothersome at times. Friday was clear of the storm and we had a nice sail as far as the ferries, but wind direction required a power sail then just power from there. A night in New Bern followed by a return to BSC concluded the trip. In all, it was a disappointment to not get offshore and to Cape Lookout as planned, but it was still a week on the boat and we managed to consume all of the drinks and provisions. Maybe next year. No formal cruises planned until we see what hurricane season brings. Contact me at LSBRODSKY@earthlink.net. FROM THE DOCKMASTER By Jim Rupkalvis BOAT LIABILITY INSURANCE ………. In keeping with the current BSC Slip License Agreement; Wet or Dry (dated 12-01-2001), all members are required to maintain current liability insurance on all boats stored at BSC. Therefore, effective immediately, I am requesting that each member provide BSC with proof of current insurance. Please provide a facsimile copy of the front page of the policy that includes the following data: insurer, policy period, policy number and liability coverage. Keep in mind, a majority of Homeowners Insurance cover all watercraft up to and including 25’ in length. Check with your individual insurance carrier regarding this issue. Henceforth, a proof copy of the annual policy renewal must be provided to BSC on a timely basis. Failure to maintain annual insurance coverage could result in the loss of said member’s boat slip. I appreciate your time and efforts to provide me with this information. Please send proof of insurance to the following address: BSC Dock Master PO Box 1543 New Bern, NC 28562 DOCK POLICY AND SLIP ASSIGNMENT FORMS ………. The BSC Dock Policy has been revised and will soon be distributed to all members. Extra copies of this document along with the BSC Slip Assignment/Reassignment Request forms will be available on the clubhouse bulletin board. Please do not take multiple copies of this material. RACE NEWS by Mark Brennesholtz FOSTER AND BRENNESHOLTZ CREW IN TALL SHIPS RACE The only soul I knew at the recent Pepsi America Sail events in Beaufort and Morehead was Mike Foster, who was working in the Rotary Club’s beer stand, to which I was naturally drawn on a hot day. Mike called me later that night and said he had a ride as Tactician/Navigator on Alliance (105’) the big three-masted schooner. Another smaller schooner, Serenity (54’), needed one also and would I be interested. Uhhh, let me think for a minute… Of course! Jeanne and I showed up with a dozen sandwiches and a dozen beers, and were welcomed aboard Serenity at the Beaufort waterfront. With tugs to help us out of the slip, we were slowly on our way to the ocean. Six schooners and brigantines participated in the Class B race, and a number of other character boats, including a 101 year old Herreshoff sloop raced in the “Carolina Class”. With the big Coast Guard buoy tender Elm as committee boat, it was pretty easy to find the starting line. Interestingly, the skippers and crews knew their vessels well, but nothing about racing. Mike conned Alliance to the start at exactly the same time as Serenity, in about 12-15 knots of wind and a three-foot chop. Only one other vessel was near the line at the gun. The first leg was a close (for the schooners) reach for nearly four miles at 5-6 knots. Serenity pulled out to a decent enough lead that even when we hit the mark after our tack, we were able to complete a 360 turn and still round just ahead of Alliance and the A J Meerwald (115’). The second leg ended up as a beat, although it certainly was not intended that way. In the chop, the best we or any of the ships could do was tacking through 160 degrees! This is practically sailing back in your own wake. Only three ships made it around the windward mark – A J Meerwald, Serenity, and Jeane B - and the time limit for the race was approaching. The run to the finish had bursts of speed to 8 knots and was clearly the fastest point of sail. A J Meerwald finished less than two minutes ahead of Serenity, but we corrected to first. What a thrill! It was an experience Mike and I will never forget, and we’ll probably bore you with the details until you tell us to shut up. I owe Mike a big one for getting me the ride. HANCOCK BETTER THAN LAST YEAR But the predicted wind Saturday never quite materialized, and Sunday was another no-race drifter. In the two spinnaker races Saturday, Paul Lockwood (Omar) in EZ took two firsts, although Jay Hood in Blueprint made the second race tight. Eddie Parker in Brown Eyed Girl finished second in the regatta, based on HYC’s unusual tie-breaker formula. Blueprint was third, Boartaint with Charlie Bratton at the helm was fourth, followed by my Compass Rose and Laura Lloyd in Satisfaction. In the SJ 21 fleet of three, Thompson’s Packer Tacker edged Speight Sugg in All Wet, again on the tie breaker. The food and the hospitality were excellent, and Hancock has a bunch of brand new slips which we were able to use (and party on). Brown Eyed Girl had videos of the Volvo Round the World Race, which went well with beer after dark. JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER EVENTS July 29 is the Parrothead. This is NYRA’s party race to Oriental. Contact Mike Foster at 252-633-2728 or mdfoster@esisnet.com. August 5 & 6 is the Dragon’s Breath in Oriental, put on by Oriental Dinghy Club. This is an ICRC Team regatta and a NYRA BOTY event. I will be rounding up the usual suspects to get a good team together to represent Blackbeard. ODC goes all out for this regatta, and we’ve always had wind. Hopefully, the NOR and registration form will be included in this issue, but the can also be printed off from www.orientaldinghyclub.com. Contact Gary Johnston at 252-249-1976 or gnj@pamlico.net. September 2 & 3 is the Oar Regatta, put on by Fairfield Habour YC. The format has been a distance race on Saturday and round the marks races on Sunday. The principal trophy is the famed oar, modeled after an oar used in the evacuation of Dunkirk in WW II. Contact Bill Jarvis at 252-637-7748 or bjarvis@coastalnet.com. September 9 & 10 is the Blackbeard Regatta for dinghies and SJ 21s. Guess where. Contact Ken Gurganus at 252-321-7878 or kgurganus@cox.net. EPITAPH QUESTION by Bill Green July is the third monthly edition of Epitaph produced by George Meyers and Bill Green. First, we’d like to thank all those who have provided input without which, these pages would be blank and oh so boring! Second, we’d like to thank the club membership for making time each month to read Epitaph, and we’d especially like to invite each of you to provide interesting photos or tidbits that you’d like to share with fellow members. Send them along to both George and Bill— by email if possible. And third, we’d like to hear from members who would like to receive Epitaph monthly by email rather then by snail-mail. If a significant proportion of members would prefer to receive a pdf file via email rather than a paper copy by regular mail, we’ll look into this further. The benefits to the club as a whole are financial— saving a few dollars each month on printing and postage. The main benefit to members is convenience—being able to view your copy of Epitaph wherever you can check email. Those wishing to continue to receive the paper newsletter by regular mail would not be affected. At this point, our inquiry is just a “what if.” If we do decide to offer email delivery of Epitaph, there would be some logistics to work out, revolving primarily around how we maintain an up-to-date list of members’ email addresses. We would like to hear from you on this issue. Please drop George and Bill an email with your comments! George nine44d@yahoo.com Bill wgreen3@nc.rr.com