What a great 2000 season we had. And thanks to past Commodore Tom for keeping the wind blowing and the water high...what an act to follow! We had great member participation with some of the finest racing and social events ever. Kudos go to Jack Hale for "bringing home the bacon" in all of the racing events he participated in. If you missed the Final Bash in November, then plan on attending this year, I can’t remember a better one…. hmmm …when I think about it…. I can barely remember this last one but everyone tells me it was great. Who were those guys wearing tux’s and what were they trying to tell me?

Ah yes…. sitting here looking forward to this upcoming season - burrowed under my wool blanket next to the fireplace trying to keep the sub-zero climate from invading my thoughts of sailing under full sail with a sunny warm breeze in my face. Ah yes, with any luck, the 2001 season will be upon us before we realize it. The board members and committee heads (an outstanding group of individuals) are hard at work preparing to make this new year, again, one of the best.

Volunteers are the heart and soul of our Club. We have always been blessed with many individuals that contribute their time and talents in so many ways to make the Club enjoyable for everyone. If you would like to get involved, please contact one of our committee chairpersons and let them know you are interested in helping. As always, it’s a superb way of making new friends… and… best of all… there are no resumes to present, no questions to answer, no tests to take, no special skills you need to possess, no warm-up exercises to do. Just make yourself available and you’ll get "on the spot" training.

On a more serious note, issues concerning dock safety and replacement have been at the forefront of the activities of the ECSC Board. At a special meeting held Monday, January 15, 2001, several important issues were decided on and set into motion. The Board unanimously agreed on the following:

1. The replacement of "B" dock will be undertaken and will be ready for the 2001 sailing season.

2. To help fund future dock replacements and repair efforts, the year 2001 slip fee will be increased by $50.

3. A committee has been formed to evaluate and develop a solution for the replacement of both "A" and "C" docks in the upcoming seasons and a method to keep them safe until they are replaced. I am asking for a definitive proposal to be approved by the Executive Committee at the February 13, 2001 meeting. A full board vote would come in March or before if the proposal warrants a speedier resolution.

To prepare for "B" dock replacement, please remove all personal items such as mats, bumpers, dock lines, etc. that you want to have for future use. Kenny Chapman will be getting work parties formed to remove the old "B" dock structure. If you have items on the dock please retrieve them before the work starts so that the removal can go as smoothly as possible. As a wise old man once told me "move it or lose it".

One more thing before I depart, don’t forget that all fees are due by March 1^st.

Keep your spirits up, warm weather and sunshine will come your way. Hope to see everyone out on the water soon.

Hello ECSC Sailors, this year we are going to replace B dock. I took the "we" out of the process for about $2,500 bucks. The contractor will now build them as the installer. The entry ramp to B dock will be moved to the other side of the Racing Headquarters building. This will allow equal space between docks.

Here is the deal, as soon as the ice breaks, I want to move half of the existing B dock to the open water area east of D dock. This is going to be a temporary set of slips for B dock residents in the event that the ice doesn’t break until April. The entire number of B dock sections will be salvaged for galvanized frames sale or given away to clubs in the state...or ultimately disassembled and sold as scrap.

This entire dock removal adventure is going to require some help from the membership. Hopefully we can save the Club some money by keeping work credits to a minimum in the coming years. As Harbormaster, I would like to change the way we do some things...like work parties. I would like to make a job list that includes a general description of the job, materials provided by the Club, sketches if needed, amount of time, and manpower needed. The lists would then be displayed for all jobs to be accomplished through the year. Volunteers would then take over responsibilities for a small job or help out on the bigger ones whenever possible.

The Board, at my suggestion, increased slip fees this year by $50 and next year by the same. This money should enable us to replace A dock next year or the year after. Shortly after that, C dock will be replaced. The wood on A dock will be removed and made into a deck by the ramp due to the fact it is a potential safety hazard as it is.

If any of these ideas sound right or reasonable, let me know. I need your help and I want to know what you think.

The last Regatta of 2000 is complete. The "Day After Thanksgiving" Regatta was sailed in sunny skies with over 15 boats participating. Two races were held with the overall winning trophy (a frozen turkey sandwich) going to Mike Huffer. A special thanks to Rich Killen for setting the courses and running the races.

We are currently setting the Regatta schedule for this year. If you would like to volunteer to run a regatta, please give me a call.

Now that the holiday season is a faded memory and the credit card bills are still coming in, I’d like to remind you that one more bill is headed your way (please don’t shot the messenger). Your ECSC membership/slip dues is considered late if the postmark is stamped later than February 28, 2001.

As a friendly reminder…. Indiana does have warm weather and I can almost guarantee you’ll benefit from your investment. Please welcome our newest members:

Don & Margaret Banning. They sail "Strike III" (an S2 7.9).

Greetings Eagle Creek sailors of Eagle Ocean...welcome to the sailing jones world of Tailer’s Tales. Have we had a cold winter or what? It seems that the "S" in ECSC stands for skating this year as I understand the racing and cruising people get together and made a hockey rink.

Now I’m no skating fanatic, and we haven’t had many cold winters in recent memory, but Hollingsworth and Cameron say we had 12" of ice in December.

Apparently, this is some kind of suggestion that the chair parties continue all year long. What the heck, I’ve got some skates around here somewhere. Besides, from what I hear, "Wayne’s World" Myer can skate as good as that hockey puck-head Chapman. So, grab a folding chair and come to the Club to skate.

This may be a little early for a tips section, but there are certain things you need to know about winter at the Club. 1) Bring your usual chair for chair parties around the camp fire. 2) Bring your fire permit that the Commodore issues if you were issued one. 3) BYOB 4) Bring your skates and kids and chairs. 5) Bring a smile.

As I sit and write this, my first article for the Telltales as Social Chairman, I finally realize what I’ve gotten myself into. For those of you who may not know, Larry January has agreed to be the Vice Commodore for our Club and has turned over the reigns of Social Chairman to me, Edna Sprowl. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Larry for all he’s done for the Social program in the past two years and for all his help in making this transition. I only hope I can do as good a job as he and Pauline have done these past two years.

To start the season off, we are once again planning a trip to the "Strictly Sail" Chicago Boat Show. It is on Sunday, February 4^th and we will be chartering a bus for the trip. The bus isn’t full yet, so if you get this article before we leave and are interested in joining us, please let me know. Everyone who went last year had a really nice time and, thanks to them promoting the trip all year, we have enough interested sailors to make this trip again in 2001. Just a tip for those going, if you have to take off your shoes before entering a new boat, carry your shoes with you or have someone stand watch over them. Ask John Schaub if you don’t know why I suggest this.

The social schedule for 2001 hasn’t changed too much from last year. We will be observing all the national holidays along with the Commodore’s Dinner, the Chili Cookoff, and the Final Bash. Please refer to the back page of this Telltale issue for dates and times. Even though all of the events have hosts, they will need volunteers to flip burgers, scramble eggs, decorate, etc. If you’re interested in helping, please let me (or the host) know and we will put you to work.

The baseball night last year was a lot of fun. If you are interested in doing this or any other activity, let me know. This is your Club. Through your comments we can work together to make this a fun social season. I have already had one good suggestion. What about having a "garage sale" at the Mother’s Day Brunch at which everyone can bring items from their boats that they no longer have a need for? If you’re like my husband, Rick, you have all kinds of gadgets or hardware that you have no need for but hate to throw away. Let me know what your thoughts are on this.

Please call me at 244-1561 or E-Mail me at RSprowl390@aol.com for any suggestions, inquiries, or most importantly, to VOLUNTEER for any of our ECSC social events.

Ahoy ...to all those interested in learning how to sail or just a refresher in sailing technique. Consider Sail Indiana; your hands-on source for a first sail, better understanding of basic terminology, the wind, overall seamanship, safety, and fun!

Our Club sponsored and staffed sessions are on Saturday mornings starting in early June...assuming Kenny gets the temporary B docks out of the way by then. If not, we’ll start obstacle training first.

Look for signup details in later Telltales.

February 13, March 13, May 8, July 10, September 11, November 3, November 13, December 11

Please do not underestimate the importance of paying your dues on time. Let’s see, if you are no longer a member of the Club (which is implied by no dues this year), your wet slip is reassigned. Or, if you’re on the wait list, you’ll be removed. It will take years to recoup from this error. Don’t assume your spouse is paying the dues, either.

The Club is not your mother. Unfortunately, no one will magically jump in and make things right.

FYI....ECR has 23.3 miles of shoreline and holds 7.5 billion gallons of water.

Although it’s only been online a couple weeks now, the messages are beneficial and funny.

To sign up, try either Mardy at marducci1@home.com or go to the internet site:

http://www.egroups.com/group/IndyECSC

1973 Southcoast sailboat with Mariner 4 horsepower motor, newly remodeled, nice trailer, in GREAT shape. ....$2,500 MUST SELL! ..call Barb Drew.

14’ yellow Hobie Cat with trailer. l new Calypso colored sail, and 1 original yellow sail.and Harken Blocks. New and an old deck. Make an offer. Shirley Judkins email: seajazz@iquest.net

1981 Catalina 22 - Boat in very good condition, all wood has been refinished. Includes main, jib, 130% Genoa, 4hp long shaft Johnson motor, pop top cover, and trailer. Ready to sail. Great family boat. Can be seen at the Club. $3,900 Greg Jacoby email: gjacoby@BDMD.com

Wayne Myers Sailor of year
Wayne Myers Sportsman
George Alyea Party
None Gadget (Where’s the trophy?)

Members: 248
Slip waiting List: 64
Water Level: 789.91 (790 normal)