I was telling my friend the other day that I have found a peaceful place (when it doesn’t rain) out on my patio every couple of hours since it’s been so warm, just listening to the birds chirping. She remarked, “at least you can hear them”. I forgot she is hearing impaired – just a gentle reminder of everyday things we may take for granted, especially in these most challenging times.
So that you know, even though all our sailing activities have been temporarily suspended, your Board continues to meet and work on the current calendar of events and other club needs, hoping each month we have to push it forward, that eventually we will be able to get back out on the water and be a part of socializing together. I know we are all having sailing withdrawal. These air hugs for me just aren’t cuttin’ it either!! We have been conducting our monthly meetings via ZOOM, and at our meeting last Monday, April 6th, the Board voted to: (A) extend the cancellation of all PPYC events through end of May; (B) tentatively resume PPYCU classes in June; (C) tentatively resume Wednesday night racing in June; (D) cancel the Luau and move the 50th anniversary celebration to a later date to be determined; and (E) postpone LATH until further notice. The Board will reassess these dates at our May 4th meeting. Depending on the Covid-19 situation at that time and the social distancing requirements/recommendations, we will re-evaluate these actions and decide whether additional postponements are necessary. Our concern regarding the LATH program is that since skippers/crews would be unable to engage in any level of “social distancing” we should not start this program until (A) government restrictions/recommendations are such that the LATH program can take place; and (B) even if the requirements/recommendations may allow the LATH program to take place, our LATH skippers can be comfortable sailing in close proximity with the participants. We must wait and see.
I am throwing out two volunteer possibilities that are really important to our club and would ask you to consider your future participation by emailing me your name and contact info and in which task you are specifically willing to participate:
- We need some volunteers willing to be placed on a schedule to come out and check our 2 chase (safety) boats. Cpt. Hook says every time it rains, the covers get filled with water that eventually will tear them (about $500 each I think he said to replace). Would you be willing to either step up to coordinate this task and organize volunteers with an assigned person each time it rains (maybe take a month at a time) or come out to the marina and move the rain water off the covers?
- Eventually, the chase boats will need to be power-washed and de-winterized. With the weather beginning to warm up, we hope this task could be done in mid-May with safe distancing.
- We need volunteers on perhaps a monthly basis, or as needed, as we resume sailing, who would go into the shed and take the gas cans to be filled with non-ethanol gas and returned to the shed. Since we don’t have an official Boat Maintenance Committee yet, I sure would like someone to step up to chair this and oversee these very important tasks on our boats and organize the volunteers. There is not a lot of work to be done often, but there are tasks very important to the preservation of our boats. The Club Boat Committee oversees our 2 club boats’ maintenance with volunteers who are members of that program. That’s not to say any of those members could not be part of the general Boat Maintenance Committee and we would welcome them. If you don’t want to chair, that’s fine. If you only want to get on the list to help, I’d be very pleased if you will email me your names and contact info (cell phone and email).
We regretfully had to cancel the Galen Freeman Clinic/Regatta scheduled for 5/14 - 5/17. However, our Social Director, Cpt. Hook, just advised me today that he is working on combining some of our lost events into the Fall and Winter planning for the Equalizer, Wednesday Night Racing and our 50th anniversary celebration. For those of you who know Hook, whatever he puts together is always spectacular (he loves our club and our members), and I heard today some pretty exciting things that are going to help incorporate what we missed into upcoming events. I’m excited, and you will be, too! Stay tuned as he and his committee are working hard to lift our spirits!!
Kathy Ware, Commodore |