Category: Log

Hi all.
There must be something about Tuesday evenings. I should be sailing but thunder storms are moving up and down the Blackmore Vale. If the club had a web cam I could see what the weather was like on the lake but a decision had to be made and that is why I am writing this newsletter rather than risking the weather.

The last Familiarisation Day was well attended. Dave had his first sail in his newly refurbished Mirror. Mike Dickens was able to crew for him and ease him into sailing. Bill cruised the lake in his Firefly. Juley was able to gain some confidence by reacquainting herself with her 420 and Mark and Lydia enjoyed an afternoon on the lake in their Duo.

Many walkers stopped and talked to club members and there were two genuine enquiries about membership. It was an idyllic scene with boats cruising around our beautiful lake.

The next Familiarisation Day is Saturday 2nd July from 1pm. All are welcome. No racing just cruising. If you need support just ask. Safety boat will be on the water until 4pm.

We now have enough volunteers to man the Safety boat every Saturday from 1pm to 4pm in July. Social sailing is available to all club members. Bring the family down. If they sail with you don’t forget to sign them in. If you want to hire the club boats don’t forget to sign up and pay your money. Guests can go out with you but they cannot hire the club boats.

If the work party is active give them a hand in any spare moment.

Buddy Sailing. This is a reminder that all club members can sail at any time on the lake. Yes! Any day but only in daylight hours. The only proviso is that you have a Buddy on the shore watching out for your safety and who could raise the alarm in an emergency.

Lost and Found
Mike and I were searching for a lost Firefly tiller from the safety boat that was lost and by chance we spotted a launching trolley in the water near the dam. It wasn’t quite the raising of the Titanic but we were able to retrieve it. If any member has lost a launching trolley in the past can they get in touch with me? I would estimate it has been under the water several years.

Fishermen can be our friends. On Sunday morning the missing Firefly tiller was propped up against the clubhouse. I can only surmise that an angler hooked the tiller by mistake and hauled it in and very kindly put it outside the clubhouse. Thank you if you are reading this.

Last Friday club members and two dogs joined in a Treasure Hunt organised by Juley Simmonds. You had to find clue one and this led to the next. Ten cryptic clues in all. (with hints if you were desperate). It was great fun. All clues were close to the path between the Race Hut and the Start box. Thank you Juley for organising it.
In spite of the weather we have been having an excellent turn out on the water. Not been down yet? We would love to see you.
Regards

Clive Chapman

I am writing this on a Tuesday night when I should be sailing, but discretion became the better part of valour as 16-20 mph Northerly winds are gusting 30mph and its raining.

This Saturday there will be another Familiarisation day. This time we are going to start at 1pm instead of 9.30am. This is because the wind seems to go walk about first thing in the morning. Safety boat will be on the water until 4pm. If you just fancy a sail or want some help getting on the water then please come down. The weather forecast is much much better for Saturday. Honest!

Turn out on a Sunday and a Tuesday has averaged ten boats. We have had great racing; always competitive, but friendly. If you haven’t been down we would love to see you. Duties are going well. Thank you Juley for all your hard work. If you have not yet committed to a duty don’t worry we will advise you of your duty day.

With the warm weather and the rain I don’t need to tell you how fast the grass is growing. Please pop down and check your boat in the Dinghy Park hasn’t disappeared and bring a pair of shears just in case it has.

Shearwater SC website has been refreshed and has a new front page. Take a look! A big thank you to Pat for doing this. Facebook, weather forecast links; calendar and the latest news. If you have some photo contributions for the Gallery then please contact Pat.

Treasure Hunt. Friday 10th June 7pm starting at the Clubhouse. This has been organised by Juley Simmonds. See the Facebook entry and record your interest.

Tuesday night sailing will start at 6.30pm from June onwards. Hopefully the extra minutes will give more of you time to get down to the club and sail.

Can you spare a few hours on a Saturday to help spruce up the clubhouse and Dinghy Park can you let me know?

Fair winds.
Regards

Clive Chapman

Hi all
April has brought us the usual variety of Spring weather. Winds have been variable both in direction and strength (what’s new I can hear you say). Fourteen boats on the water Sunday and ten last week. Well done the sailors!

Comet and Topper Open
The Comet and Topper Open was a great success. My thanks goes to all those involved in its organisation, both on and off the water.

Duties.
For those of you have not yet put your name down for at least two duties please do so soon. Look at the website and check all available dates. My thanks go to Juley for inputting all the duties . At the end of April if your name does not appear on Juley’s list then you will be notified by the club the dates you have been allocated. You have been warned!!
Quiz night A date for your diary is Friday 20th May. We are holding a Quiz night in the Clubhouse. This will be a fun quiz. If you are not a genius or a candidate for Mastermind then you are the people we want to attend. Tickets are £4.00 and this includes a ploughman’s supper. Bring your own drink and start getting your team together now. Fun begins at 7.30pm. To get the catering right will you please inform Lois or me that you are coming.

Familiarisation Saturday 7th May 10am to 12.30pm.
Familiarisation day is an opportunity for you to sail on our fantastic lake without getting in the way of any racing. There will a safety boat in attendance so that you cruise to your heart’s content. If you wont to improve some basic skills then some experienced helms will be on hand to help you. If it is some time since you have been on the water or are not sure how to rig your boat then bring it down and we will get it sorted. Always crewed and wont to helm? Then take out one of the Comet Duos with a supportive crew to help you. For this day to be a success all we ask is for you to inform a committee member of your intention to attend then we can have the right personnel on hand to help you. There are two more planned for the first Saturday in June and July.

Clubhouse improvements.
As the weather gets better we want to spruce up the inside and outside of the clubhouse. A small but enthusiastic work party will be needed. If you can lend a hand for a few hours on a Saturday in June will you let me know which days you are available and then we can plan it from there?

Tuesday Evening Series sailing.
A reminder that this starts on the 26th April at 6.15 pm. As the evenings get lighter we will start the races a little later at 6.30pm in June; July and August.

All in Series. Next series day is Sunday May 15th. Four short races. Two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

Regards

Clive Chapman
Commodore Shearwater Sailing Club