• Commodore

    Commodore May 2017

    Welcome the month of May and the spring winds. Actually, spring winds have been a little less than hoped for, but we still are havin’ fun. Racing is in full swing and we have Mother’s Day and Memorial Day social events coming soon. Come out and enjoy the fun at Eagle Creek Sailing Club.

    This article was posted a few days late in order to wait for results of the May 10 Board of Directors Meeting. There was a very busy agenda to report on. It seemed important to use this article to talk about the significant work underway.

    The Grounds Committee completed a significant assessment of all facilities to assess condition. This will guide capital and maintenance plans over the next few years. Overall, we see a need to accelerate maintenance in some areas. We are queuing up structural work on the lower shelter and upper shelter deck. The Emerald Ash Borer killed several ash trees that need removal. The L dock rebuild is nearly complete. We will likely purchase a new outboard motor for our second committee boat known affectionately as the aircraft carrier. Also, some picnic tables are in line for repair or replacement. Some lighting improvements are also in the works.

    We have a punch list of additional improvement opportunities. In consideration of the maintenance opportunities, our Board approved an additional 15 hours of work credits in 2017 to be applied to 2018 dues for incremental work above the usual 15 hours. These apply to Harbormaster and Grounds work only. We want to fully support the volunteer spirit that does so much to improve ECSC. Look for a list of opportunities in the near future. We will also supplement with outside help as appropriate.

    We also met with Citizen’s Energy last month about lake levels. Citizen’s is under contract with the city to maintain the dam and lake level. You may have noticed the average lake level has been higher the last few years. This has contributed to shore and seawall erosion. They now have a better understanding of lake level impacts.

    One less popular item is the approval to increase initiation fees by $250 starting January 1, 2018. This fee has been stable for many years. Our facilities are at capacity and our capital improvement assessment has shown the need for additional funds in the near future.

    Accelerating maintenance and capital replacement is a less fun, but important part of continuing the outstanding experience for members of ECSC. Sailing season is now in full swing! Be safe, have fun, and sail fast.

    Larry Conrad
  • Social

    Social May 2017

    Our season opening social event is just a couple of weeks away!  Please join our Host and Hostess, Mike and Katie Smith on May 14th for our annual Mother’s Day Brunch.  Event kick off is 11:30 A.M.  We are hoping for a dry sunny day so the Mom’s can enjoy an afternoon sail.

    Below is a list of social events and their Host/Hostess.  If you have an interest in volunteering and earning some work points, please let me know or contact the Host/Hostess directly.

    May 29th, Memorial Day Cookout hosted by Kenny Chapman
    June 18, Father’s Day Brunch hosted by the Kidd Family
    July 4th, Independence Day Pig Roast hosted by Steve and Sarah McQueen
    July 8th, ECSC Regatta Beach Party hosted by Nick Mates
    August 19th, Lobster Fest hosted by Eric Jones
    September 4th, Labor Day VACANT.  Looking for a Host/Hostess
    October 14th, Hornback Chili Cook off hosted by Ryan and Jennifer Curtis
    November 4th, Final Bash hosted by Perry Cameron

    I am looking forward to another great season!

     

    Vickie Greenough

  • Harbormaster

    Harbormaster May 2017

    Happy sailing season Eagle Creekers,

    Please be reminded that all boats and trailers must be out of the car corral (and outside of it) before the mother’s day event. As our membership continues to increase, relocating your boat and trailer tends to be a problem as many boats have not resumed their place in a slip in the water. I will assist you in temporarily moving your boat if spots are available. Another solution to this dilemma is not parking your boat in or around the corral if you don’t plan on putting your boat in before May.

    Dennis and I still need some assistance finishing the re-decking of L dock. I know several of you “regulars” have worked all your work credits and the board is going to try to remedy that situation at the next board meeting. If you are willing to assist us in the completion of this project please call my self or Dennis to get hooked up with some work credits.

    Parking near greenspace is a small problem which I would like to discuss. I have widened the South and Eastern edges of the sailboat parking lots and would just like everyone to please not park any part of your boat in or over the grass. The Western edge must be in compliance also. The big problem occurs when anyone tries to cut the grass and can’t get to it due to a rudder or motor or just a hull becomes an obstacle.

    The Harbormaster department will be changing some places where some boat owners will be allowed to park their boats. This change will be implemented to allow dry sailors a more easily accessible location. This will be coming down the hill on the right and left. Boats left unused may be relocated to a storage like area dependent on use.

    As always call myself (Kenny Chapman) or Dennis Robertson if you need your boat moved on short notice. Several members are still willing to do moving for a small fee. Charlie Brehob still does moving and rigging. Ralph Merriman still does all kinds of boat work and moving. Greg Branham still does all kinds of boat work. (note: Greg has just rejoined ECSC and was an inactive member).

     

    Kenny Chapman

  • Racing

    Racing May 2017

    Weekly Series Update 

    The weather gods have not been kind to us. Between light winds and blow-outs, our racing season got off to a slow start this year. Hopefully the weather will settle down and we can get some races in.

    Wednesday night races are starting at 6:50 pm this year to give everyone an extra 10 minutes to get from work. As usual, we end the day with burgers and dogs, so come on out and join us.

    We need more people to come out for Sunday afternoon racing. We start at 2:00 pm, race 2 or 3 races and head back in for hot dogs and burgers around 4:30. It’s a great way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon. The sailing is more casual than the Wednesday evening crowd. This is perfect for those of you who want to try racing in a more relaxed atmosphere.

    Rich Fox sends out race results for completed races and we will soon have interim results posted on the web site both on the main racing page and on the 2017 Racing Series page. Be sure to check weekly for updates.

    RC Duty Signup Crisis

    Our RC duty signups have been light. We currently have no one signed up for Sunday Race Committee this weekend or any weekend going forward. And we have no one signed up for Wednesday Race Committee after 5/20/17. We really need people to sign up and take their turn on RC duty. The alternative is for everyone to read up on “rabbit starts.”

    Go to the RC Signup page to sign up.

     

     

    Mayor’s Cup Update

    The Mayor’s Cup Regatta is just 3 weeks away on May 20-21. Come out for some great racing, great food, music and beverages. Remember that the Mayor’s Cup party is open to all club members. Just $10 buys you a great BBQ dinner, drinks and dancing. What a deal! Dinner will start at 6:00 on May 20.

    Race documents and the registration form are posted on our web site under the racing tab. To pre-register, download the registration form and send it in, or send an email to racing@ecsail.org with your boat name, skipper name, sail number and class. Registration is $50. Full meal packages for the weekend are $20 per person and T-shirts are $15. The meal package includes 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner, plus drinks.

    We still need volunteers to help with the regatta. Geoff Endris will be the Principal Race Officer for the regatta and will be running the “on the water” activities. We need 3-4 more volunteers for his RC team including:

    • Safety boat (2 people)
    • Signaler (main RC boat)

    In addition, we need volunteers to help with the “shore side” activities including:

    • Registration table (Sat morning)
    • Breakfast and lunch hosts (Sat and Sun)

    Volunteers will receive work credits and this really nifty soft side cooler. Be the envy of all your friends and sign up to volunteer today. No racing experience necessary. Send an email to racing@ecsail.org.

     

     

    Flying Scot Regatta update

    June 10-11 is the ECSC Flying Scot Indy Regatta. We already have 10 out-of-town boats signed up and will probably have over 15 boats for the regatta. This is part of the Flying Scot Midwest District series with top sailors from around the Midwest coming. This is becoming our most popular regatta for out-of-towners. Tyler and Carrie Andrews will be coming back, so be sure to come out and say “hi.” The highlight of the regatta is the root beer floats on Saturday after racing. Race documents can be found on the web site. For you new Flying Scot owners, come out and meet fellow Scot racers. We have some out of town racers looking for local crew. If you want to crew on an experienced skipper’s boat, send Geoff an email at racing@ecsail.org.

    Rich Fox will be the Principal Race Officer. He needs volunteers to help run the race. If you are interested, please contact him directly or send an email to racing@ecsail.org. Again, all volunteers will get work credits and the aforementioned nifty soft-sided cooler.

    We could also use some volunteers to help with the shore-side activities – mainly breakfast and lunch.

     

  • Membership

    Membership May 2017

    Membership    May 2017
    Welcome to new members Thomas Gannon and Alexander Mirkin of Indianapolis who will be subleasing a slip for the season.  Also Will and Mary Hutchens of Indianapolis, sailing a Catalina 22 and who are presently on the wait list for a slip.
    2017 Membership Booklets have been mailed and should already be in your hands or will be shortly.  Please advise of any corrections by emailing: ecsc_membership @yahoo.com or schmidtjane@att.net.  Also remember that your current information is also listed on the website behind the secure membership tab –  see Member Listing.  Please check that listing for accuracy and make any appropriate updates.
    New Member Orientation meeting will be held on Sunday May 21 at 1:00 in the upper shelter house.  This is open to all new members, any prospective members or anyone in the club wanting to know about ECSC.   Christy does a great job of meeting, greeting and answering any questions a person might have.
    Jane Schmidt
  • Safety & Education

    Safety and Education May 2017

    Safety & Education

    Sail camp is really starting to fill up, so much so that we have had to officially close registration for the first week!  There are still about 5 spots remaining for the week of June 26 – July 30, so if you are thinking about getting someone signed up, now is the time to do so.  Act fast before all the spots are gone!!!! We have a lot of repeat campers this year. This is a great testimony to how much the kids love attending these camps!  Not only are they fun, but they also learn how to sail!  Sign up today!
    With the warmer weather, the Junior team has moved back to the club for workouts.  Wednesday afternoons and Sundays stop by at the new Junior sailing building to say Hi and see how the new training facility is shaping up.  We would love to show off our new facility. We are continuing to outfit it with equipment not only for our current Juniors, but the Juniors of the future.  Speaking of that, did you know that the team is looking for a couple of young people to get started on the ECSC Junior Sailing Team?  It is a great program, and a good way to spend some quality time with your kid both at Eagle Creek Sailing Club, as well as attending regattas around the Midwest.
    As always, this time of year is a great time to do a safety check on your boat before putting it back in the water.  Here is a link to a handy article about boat safety items. It has a decent list of items you should check each spring when getting the boat ready to sail.  Check it out!  It is also a good time to remind everyone that there will be more people around the club, so please drive slowly and look out for people who aren’t looking out for you, especially when coming down the hill.  Looking forward to a safe summer of fun!
    Chuck Lessick