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| Commodore |
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It seems like yesterday that Christy Merriman asked me to help out as her “Harbormaster Assistant.” I’ve been a friend to Christy for half of my life, so of course I said “Yes.” I worked as her assistant and then moved into the Harbormaster position. I had no idea when I said “Yes” what it would take to administer slips and parking for 250 plus members and their boats...plus the responsibility of maintenance of the Club property, but I can tell you it was a rewarding experience.
The privilege of bringing someone off of the dreaded “Slip Waiting List” was by far my biggest joy as Harbormaster. Jim Dolder was my assistant during this time and I could not have done it without him. Bob Bodish and Bill Harrington were there as well and provided input gleaned from many years of experience. Toward the end of my term as Harbormaster, our Commodore Don Birt asked me if I’d consider the Vice Commodore position. Again, I said “Yes.” I must have a problem with that “Yes” word!? Now I find myself as your Commodore for the 2005 sailing season. I hope that I’m a suitable candidate to follow in Don’s footsteps. Many thanks to Don Birt and the other outgoing committee heads for a great 2004 season.
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| Social |
Those who attended the Final Bash had a good time. The food and the band, 2nd Wind, turned out to be excellent. For those of you who missed it, I would like to thank again those people who hosted the events at the Club this year – Bill Harrington, Jack & Karen Hale, Roger & Julie Black, Greg Branham & Carole Dellova, Rich & Angie White, Roger & Michelle Knapp, and Judy & Don Birt. I would also like to extend a very special thanks to my assistant, Angie White and to my husband, Bruce Roberts, for all their help.Currently I am anticipating a day of snow skiing in February at Perfect North Ski Slopes. Please be sure to check back in the next issue of Telltales to find out when. I did not get enough response for the Strictly Sail Boat Show in Chicago to make planning a Club trip feasible. If anyone is interested in hosting an event, or has an idea for a social event, please E-Mail me at cyroberts@indy.rr.com Have a very Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
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| Chili Cookoff |
Activities of the 2004 Chili Cookoff, started with a moment of silence...to reflect and give thanks to and for the men and women that give of themselves, so that all of us can enjoy the freedom we share in our country. Many great chilies where presented at the 2004 cookoff, along with other goodies and foods. With 14 different variations and types, the event was enjoyed by all. Entertainment was provided by EJ the DJ (12 year old EJ Williams), who did a fantastic job of keeping great hits rockin' & rollin' with dancing later on. People enjoyed sitting on a bale of straw, around the warm glow of the fireplace, while talking to their friends and fellow sailors. It was a charmed evening. Special thanks to our staff that helped set up the event: Jim & Jen Fisher, Tony Rice (new member), Kevin Lyon, Melissa & Tamara Knapp, and Ed & Fran Rice. After careful consideration of trying different chilies, the votes were in. Winning third place, and remarkably so, was Pat Killen...being awarded a beautiful four-wick scented candle (way to go Pat!). Second place was Mark Thomas, who was awarded a thermal floating counter-top thermometer (his chili was fantastic!). The first place award went to my wife, and all around great chili maker, Michelle Knapp, who was awarded a $25 gift certificate to Cracker Barrel. Michelle also prepared the Club chili, which received votes but was not counted in the results. But, like other dishes she prepares, it was extremely good.
You all did a Fantabulis (my word) job! The decorated pumpkins were awarded by random drawings of participants, and went to Charlie Brehab, Katie Williams, Angie White, Fran Rice, Jim Yeary, Jeff Drake, Dick Lowe, and Carol Dolder. There were also mini pumpkins on the tables for the kids to keep. Again, I would like to thank all of you for helping, and participating in this wonderful event. Have a Happy Halloween and a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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| Harbormaster |
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Many thanks to all who helped out at the Club closing work party!
Winter parking is still the same fee as last year; $60. What a deal! In helping get your dues statement out for 2005, the date for moving your boat off the grounds will be November 30th. All boats on the grounds in December will be charged the winter storage fee. This fee info comes assessed in your membership packet. Keep in mind we might have to adjust the parking of boats in the lots to have access or make room for other boats being stored for winter. We've moved some already. Membership dues reminder for next year! Prevent the unthinkable and get them in early. I don't want to have to tell you that your slip has been forfeited because you have missed the deadline...so here is early warning! Plus, the earlier you get them in, the faster we can get the directory to you. HUGE thanks go out to my assistant Jim Dolder for all of his help this year!!!!
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| Racing |
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This article is written by outgoing Race Chairman Charlie Brehob. 2004 Racing is over except for the Day after Thanksgiving Race. Meet at the ramp about noon. See Chris Cunningham, Chairman, for details. All available racing results have been posted on the website.
Thanks for racing in 2004. If you won an award and were not at the Final Bash to pick it up, it’s in the race shed with your name on it. For ALL OTHER PARTICIPANTS that qualified in any series Sunday or Wednesday (spring or fall), there is a Racing 2004 Participation Gift (Official Racing Flashlight for those night races) in the race shed for you. Please cross your name off the list when you pick up your gift. One flashlight per person please. If you’re not sure if you qualified, go the results page on the website and if there is a number after your name in one or more series, you qualified. Just over 100 races were run by the race committee this year. 39 different skippers qualified in one or more series. Another 25 raced but didn’t qualify. That’s 64 members who skippered. If you add in crew who never skipper, many of whom are Club members, nearly half of the Club’s membership participated in at least one race in 2004. Racing is alive and well at Eagle Creek! A Special Thanks to Bruce Cameron who helped me both years with the racing program...and to all that volunteered to help by running a race, doing safety, working a regatta, or doing something special during the year. 899 Work Credit Hours were earned by 69 Club members this year. That’s a whole lot of volunteering. Eagle Creek Sailing Club is lucky to have such a great group of people that share their time for the benefit of all.
Also, don’t forget to attend the winter race meetings. They will be informative and FUN! Look for times and details in the January Telltales. Again thanks...it truly has been a great two years for both of us! REMEMBER…ALL WE WANNA DO IS HAVE SOME FUN! And, boy did we…
EDITOR's NOTE: The dates for the winter race meetings in the printed version of the Telltales were incorrectly published (my bad). The meetings are to be held this coming year on the 3rd Tuesday of each month starting in January...hence: January 18th, February 15th, March 22nd, and April 19th.
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| Hornback Regatta |
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It is always a wonderful challenge to run a regatta at our Club. When you think you about have everything covered, some little detail sneaks in to slow down the process…so next time, I’ll fix that. I’ll be more discriminating about where I eat the night before I am supposed to run a regatta!!
We had sunshine and good wind on Sunday. The Saturday races started a little “iffy.” The time limit killed the first race (eternally optimistic Principal Race Officer). Races #2 and #3 were windward-leeward in a dying breeze. Let’s go eat chili! Thanks to the people who were interested enough to sit on a protest committee to resolve a couple of thorny issues. There were no lynchings' this time, though! Sunday was perfect with wind about 10-12 from the east/northeast. The courses are pre-built for the Hornback for the Fast-Start-Last scenario with staggered starts planned for all the boats to finish at the same time. Unfortunately, we only had one course set up for east wind...but in retrospect, it was very fair to all the different style of boats that raced against each other. That course had one upwind leg, one downwind leg, a close reaching leg, and a final upwind leg. Crew work and boat handling was the key to winning. Bob McCoun and Kenny Chapman aboard Brain Damage (pictured right) had more first places and thus won overall honors. Congratulations to junior sailor EJ Williams for toughing it out with big boys on a windy course in a tough to sail boat (Laser). Congratulations are also in order to Evan & Katie Williams. I actually witnessed these two members sail a complete race! Maybe there is something to the name of their Catalina 25.
The technical stuff:
Overall Bob McCoun J/22
Red Fleet
White Fleet
Green Fleet
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| Safety & Education |
Something To Think AboutThere are three types of leaders…those who learn from reading, those who learn from observation, and those who still have to touch the electric fence to get the message. Those who think they can't make it work are absolutely right…they can't! Those of us who think we can make it work, can…and do so regularly. Marines stand tall and rigid in their actions, thoughts, and deeds…when others bend with the direction of the wind and are as confused as a dog looking at a ceiling fan! Paul Elvstrom made the ethics of sailboat racing sound so black and white when he said "You haven't won the race if, in winning the race, you've lost the respect of your competitors."
Junior Sailing Junior sailor EJ Williams, with a new wet suit on, sailed a laser in his first race by himself. Also sailing in the Hornback were his parents, Evan & Katie Williams in an FJ. Ki Hickok, a seasoned junior sailor, sailed with Wayne Myers also in an FJ. Want to get close to your kids, sail a Flying Junior with them next year. Phil Tate, Tyler Andrews, and Wayne Myers will be going again to the Miami Olympic Class Regatta in late January. Anyone else that would like to race with 300+ sailors, contact us. Charter laser & finns and hotel can be arranged although the dates are not on the web yet. Rick and I are putting together a team for the US Nationals on lasers, in North Carolina in late April 2005. This is a four-day event. For more information, checkout the laser .org website.
Good News
IUPUI Sailing October 23-24 the Last Call Regatta at the ECSC...24 races.Pictures are on the web (www.iupui.edu/~sail).
Sailing School
Calendar
Miami Regatta finn/laser Jan. 2005
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| Membership |
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New Members: Please welcome Mitch and Monica Putnam of Noblesville to our Club. They sail “Lady Jean,” a Catalina 250. Annual Dues: The 2005 Annual Dues and Fees Statement will be mailed by January 5, 2005. All dues and fees are payable to the “Eagle Creek Sailing Club” and must be postmarked on or before February 28, 2005. Contact Information: If your address has changed, please notify me at ecsc_membership@yahoo.com.
A Wet Slip Pass/No-Pass form will be mailed to you if you are a slip owner but did not use the wet slip in 2004. You need to identify if you will “pass” on using a slip in 2005 or select “no pass” if you intend to use a wet-slip in 2005. If you select “no pass,” then the Harbormaster will mail to you the Wet Slip Rental Agreement. Please complete the Agreement then return it with the $275 fee. Winter Storage Agreement: Winter Storage is for the 2004-05 winter season. The fee is $60 per boat. If you had at least one boat on ECSC property as of December 1st, 2004, you will be billed for winter storage. Work Credits are a credit you can apply to reduce your annual dues by working on Club committees or activities. To apply a Work Credit, you must have a “Work Credit Voucher” from a member of the ECSC Board or Committee Chairperson. If you received a work credit voucher, attach it to your Annual Dues and Fees Statement and deduct the amount of the credit from your annual dues. Otherwise, you will not receive credit. One work credit is equal to $7.50 and you may apply up to $112.50 in work credits toward your annual dues each year. Work Credits cannot be carried over to the following year. Number of New Memberships in 2004: 21
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| Tag Article |
Club member Chuck Dunn called me last week to advise me that the water level was falling rapidly and that he had pulled his boat out. Since he has the slip directly across from mine, a depth finder, and also spends many days on the road as I do, I decided to pull my boat out as a precaution before my next trip. A few years ago (1999), the water had dropped rapidly while I was on a long trip and our boat had to spend the winter in its slip stuck in the mud (pictured below). I didn’t want to take any chances this year. Chuck also mentioned that he had written the last “Tag Article” for the Telltales and asked if I would consider writing the next one. I agreed, so I’ll try my best not to put anyone to sleep.My wife Linda and I (pictured left) joined the Club in 1996. In fact, Chuck originally recommended the Club to us and put us in contact with Bill Harrington who was the membership chairman that year. Bill was warm and friendly and helped us realize that ECSC was the place for us. We live just a few minutes away which is also a plus. We proceeded to purchase a 1987 Hunter 23 from a fellow up on Morse Reservoir and moved it to ECSC where it has been ever since. The first season, we did not have a slip and went through a steep learning curve on the fine art of getting the sailboat gracefully in and out of the water. This brings to mind a couple of “exciting” episodes. When I purchased the boat, it was on a slip at Morse Reservoir. When we loaded the boat on the trailer to bring it to Eagle Creek, the owner demonstrated the technique of driving the boat on the trailer under power. It worked so beautifully, I thought that this was how it should be done. Unfortunately, my skill was not at the level of the previous owner. I tried this technique a few times at Eagle Creek with mixed results. We had some close calls and finally gave up on this method after an attempt in which I had the trailer in a little too deep and approached with a little too much speed. Damage was only averted by the heroic efforts of my daughter’s muscle bound, boyfriend, who threw himself between the bow of the boat and the front of the trailer...slowing down the boat sufficiently to keep anything from breaking. I’m sure that if he hadn’t intervened, the bow would of come to a stop somewhere between the front and rear seats of my Park Avenue. I always liked that kid. Bob Bodish witnessed the averted disaster and politely offered that they didn’t normally load boats that way at the Club and walking it on the trailer using the ropes worked real well and was a lot safer.
Our sailing over the years at Eagle Creek has been fairly uneventful and for the most part relaxing and great family fun. Our son Kyle (age 12) went through Junior Sailing Camp this summer with Wayne Myers and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have kids, I highly recommend it. I would also like to thank Ralph Merriman for helping us with the maintenance of the boat and Jud Jaqua for making us a nice cover. I highly recommend both of these men. Prior to the Hunter 23, the largest boats I had sailed were a small dingy with my Grandpa as a kid, a Sunfish, Hobbie Cat, and a Sea Snark (small styrofoam sailboat briefly sold by Sears). So, operating this boat has been somewhat of a challenge at times and I really appreciate the friendly suggestions from the seasoned sailors at ECSC over the years. Enjoy the sailing and the Club activities with your family and friends, we certainly have.
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| IUPUI Sailing |
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Pictures are from the Last Call Regatta held here at ECSC on the fair "weather" weekend of October 23-24!
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| Board Meeting News |
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The November Board Meeting is the first meeting with the 8 newly elected members...complimenting the 16 remaining members. The most important agenda item was finalizing the budget. A proposed budget had been prepared in a Board Meeting just before the Bash by the Board members in place at that time...since they might have a better idea about Club spending since they just finished a year doing it. Once again, this coming year’s spending plan is “in the black.”
As you may have noticed, all our docks have now been replaced. We actually did this a year faster than we originally thought...at the expense of a rather depleted cash reserve. We are now rebuilding that reserve to take on future capital projects. Some of you old-timers may remember what happened to the slip fee a few years ago. It was increased eventually up to $100 to help fund the dock replacement. Now that the new docks are in, we decided to reduce the slip fee back to normal. You slip owners just might note that reduction in Membership’s January mailing. Although, all members might notice a slight increase in the annual membership dues of $20. This is mostly to help rebuild the reserve (being done by all Club members rather than just the slip owners). Another noteworthy decision: We now have a more permanent position for handling the Ship’s Store. Until now, this job was handled by the Vice Commodore...meaning a new person took it over every year. In the hopes to lend a little continuity to our Store, Malcolm & Joyce Mallette offered to run it for “awhile.” They have experience already with this while Malcolm was Vice Commodore in 1997. I think they might be looking for volunteers to “man” the Store for certain Club functions.
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| 2005 Board Meetings |
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| Upcoming Events |
| Nov 26 | Day After Thanksgiving Regatta | Jan 18 | January Race Meeting |
| Jan 11 | Executive Board Meeting |
| Feb 15 | February Race Meeting |
| Feb 8 | Board Meeting |
| Feb 12 | Ski Trip |
| Feb 28 | Dues Due |
| Club Stats |
| Members | 272 |
| Slip Waiting List | 75 (20 Passed) |
| Wet Slips | 166 |
| Water Level | 787.03 (790 Normal) |
| 2004 Racing/Social Calendar |
| Thanksgiving Regatta | Fri. Nov 26th |
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It went quickly from being an “Awful Lot of Work,” into an opportunity to “Meet and Greet” nearly every member of our great Club.
As a foot note, I would like to say that all the chilies were winners. 
If you haven't received your Harbormaster work credits by Christmas, call or E-Mail me (852-9227 bobbyc12345@aol.com). Remember, Work Parties = work credits! 
Congratulations to R. Tom Moore on his well deserved award of Sailor of the Year for the 2004 sailing season (pictured right)!
The new Race Committee Chairman is Chris Cunningham. Mike Irwin is his Assistant. They own and race together the baby blue J-24 with Emily and Shaun. They are excited to take over. Please contact them for anything regarding racing in the future.
It did not rain!!
Special thanks to my support crew on the Race Committee.
New Rule Book
A Wet Slip Rental Agreement is mailed to members who had a permanent slip assignment in 2004. If you received this Agreement, complete it in its entirety and identify if you will or will not need your wet slip for 2005. If you decide to not use your wet slip in 2005, per Club policy, you must pay for the slip and the Club will reimburse you after a sub-lease is assigned.
If you do not receive a Wet Slip Rental Agreement, please do not check “Wet Slip Rental” for $275 on the Annual Dues and Fees Statement and do not send money for a wet slip. You will be contacted by the Harbormaster if you are eligible to sub-lease or be assigned a permanent wet slip for the season. The Wet Slip Wait List is maintained by our Harbormaster.
Speaking of Bob, I have to thank him for many things, but especially the summer day that he kept us from setting the boats in the back lot on fire. You see, when I bought this used Hunter 23, I was bound and determined not to also have to buy a new vehicle at the same time. The only vehicle I had that had a chance of pulling it was my Park Avenue which was actually rated to pull (barely) the weight of the Hunter. This combination did not work as well as I had hoped. The Park Avenue sits kind of low (especially with the trailer and boat hooked up) and to get the trailer in sufficiently to float the boat on or off the trailer, the back end of the car had to get a little wet (which was always very alarming to my wife). I don’t know if this was a contributing factor or not, but after pulling the boat out and parking it one very hot August day, I left it idling with the AC running while we unloaded a few things from the boat. I remember smelling a whiff of smoke and looking over at the car and noticed a little smoke coming out from under the front grill. I thought, this was weird and ran over to investigate. I shut off the car, opened the hood, and “whoosh”… it was like using too much lighter fluid on the charcoal in the Weber grill. Oh boy! I ran back to the Hunter and retrieved the small fire extinguisher from the cabin and shot the entire contents onto the engine. The fire was not impressed and roared away. By this time, Linda had come down from the boat and I politely asked her to please see if she could get us some help (yeah right). Even though the car was parked on the gravel and not real close to anything, I had this vision of the car blowing up and catching several sailboats on fire. Miraculously, Bob came running towards us at super human speed, carrying the largest fire extinguisher I had ever seen. A couple of poofs later and the fire was out. God bless you, Bob! Fortunately, no boats were damaged. The car did need a “little” engine and electrical work. It wasn’t long after that incident that I broke down and bought our Ford Explorer which has worked out a whole lot better. I was especially glad that I didn’t have to be introduced to the Club as the new member who burned half the place down. Would I get kicked out for that or what?
Thanks goes to RT Moore, our Treasurer, for again leading our Board through this process.
