Commodore's Corner
January 2013


Friends, Members, Sailors!

I always wanted to start a speech like that… I believe that only by looking at the past can we understand the present to provide a guide for the future. So in that light I was looking at past Commodore’s Corners when the devilish idea came upon me to recycle one and see if anyone noticed. Nope, this is original, so you will need to read it.

Thank you everyone who made it out to the Biennial Commodore’s Ball that was held this year in my Honor at The Maryland Yacht Club, I had fun and I hope you did too!

As I start out as the newly anointed Commodore I find myself looking for ideas to reinvigorate the membership both in numbers and participation. This is not a one man task, at least not for this one… So I would like to have a meeting of Past Commodores to have a frank discussion of where we as a club have done well and not so well. I would like to know who of the Past Commodores would be willing to attend a planning session sometime over the weekend of the 26 th, 2 nd, or 9 th of Jan-Feb in support of our club along with our current slate of Club Officers. Our leads from any boat Chairman Tom Schmidt has put together some suggestions for discussion which will be included into a final agenda along with any input from this group of former officers for this special planning session. I am looking for suggestions for a location to hold the meeting so as to share the pain of driving… Does anyone know of a quiet location or meeting room we may be able to grab for a few hours in either Northern Maryland or Southern Pennsylvania?

I would like to extend a Warm and Welcoming Thanks to Bill Ubelacker for stepping in to take the Vice Commodore’s position on an interim basis, Bill will also continue to fill the position of Webmaster.

It is winter now though by the blessing of mild weather and an occasional frost you would hardly know it arrived just over two weeks ago. I visit Tomorrow Came weekly as it sits on stands at Fairview Marina planning my spring chores and thinking of which ones I can knock out early, one of the Blessings of living only 8 miles from the boat. As it is now eight seasons old I am growing more suspect of the hoses used by Hunter that are in service below the water line but which were never rated for below waterline use, the hull not compounded for the last three seasons as it wintered over in the water is asking for some 3M Finesse before the next waxing. And a few more upkeep items like new Brushes on the Bow Thruster, a change of the main Shaft Packing, and of course the Teak to be oiled, the Fuel Filters to be changed and the nagging Windlass Seal that is asking for Replacement, and etcetera… to Minimize the chance for a Lost Weekend of Fun this coming season Out On The Bay or Beyond!

So far this winter I have built a Trailer for our Dinghy from a kit sold at Harbor Freight, it seemed like the most reasonable way to deal with a Rib that has a double bottom and is a bit too heavy and bulky to cart around by hand. Now that it is in the back yard, it is time to get sewing on those Chaps to protect the PVC from the sun!

There continues to be interest in a written PortLight club newsletter… In the past this mostly consisted of officer reports and raft write-ups… As a former Editor I know it was not an easy task… I would like to get some feedback on this and if anyone has an interest in taking on the chore of collecting officer updates, membership OpEd stories, recipes, etcetera for inclusion in a revitalized newsletter… at this point if we had something to post in the spring, midsummer and after the fall business meeting… This would be the bare bones job description for the position… Any takers?

I would like to finish up by welcoming those members who joined us in 2012: Dennis & Teddi of Knot@Fault; Keith & Joyce of Puesta del sol; Bill & Mary of Shanachie; and Mike & Cathy of What a Hoot! And to also welcome those who will be joining us in 2013: Ed & Perrian of A Parrot Wind; Mel & Karin of Four Winds; John & Toni of Hoosier Lady; Doug & Nancy of Leon III; and Tom & Janet of The Getaway!

Remember I am just an e-mail away and there is a link for my email address on the Club’s Webpage under the Officers tab… or via phone as available on the log in section… in case you have any questions, comments, and/or input for the club… I am available!

It is never too early to begin getting your dates in for those interested in hosting a raft event… If you have a favorite anchorage, theme, or would just like to look back at the end of the season knowing you planned and executed a raft that was filled with wonderful memories for next winter please e-mail your “Reserve the Weekend of” dates to Bill Ubelacker… We don’t need the full event planned at this time, but it is great to have a basis to work from going into the Spring Kickoff!

Stay, Warm, Happy and Healthy into the New Season which at this point is less than 90 days away… And I hope to see everyone at the Spring Kickoff Meeting in March!

Cheers,
Commodore Eddie Sabol
S/ V Tomorrow Came