2010 JYC Cruising

Block Island Cruise 10-12 July
Annual Cruise Week 23-31 July

This year was a fantastic year for cruising. The weather was outstanding and we had a large group of people participating.

Our Block Island weekend was a huge success. It began on Friday with style. Alan Baines was on the mooring with the newest Najad yacht. We went over to see the boat and say hi to Alan and Sara. So did Bucky and Mary Brennan, Dave and Trish Evangelista around the same time. An unofficial cocktail party started and we enjoyed the luxury of air conditioning.

Patrick and Eileen Muldoon sailed in Saturday morning and rafted up to the Baines on the Club’s mooring. The tradition is those who arrive early seek out town moorings so those who come in later have a place to tie up. The next day all explored the island. For us it was the beach and building sand castles. The group met around 6pm at a beach next to Champlains for the Club’s first ever nautical version of “Minute to Win It”. The idea is each boat has to complete a task in one minute to earn a point. At the end the boat with the highest points would win the grand prize. What better than a Dark and Stormy kit!! The teams were highly motivated. The challenges were revealed and the teams did their best to finish them and perhaps interfere with their competitors. The first task was to drag a horseshoe buoy behind you and get 5 ping pong balls in it and drag them up on the beach. Before you think “That’s easy, I could do that” you better ask someone who has tried. How about carrying an egg on your oar around a course on the beach and into the water? Try running with 3 cookies balanced on your forehead. The Muldoons came out on top, just barely beating out the Brennans.

We had so much fun with everyone and of course Block is one of our favorite places. We had a fantastic sail back to the bay with a nice southeasterly. This was a great shakedown cruise and got us ready for the annual cruise, just a couple of weeks later.

This year the annual cruise headed west. I had a pretty easy job as a cruise director. Several of the participants have been past Cruise Chairs, so it was my year to listen and learn. The itinerary was out to Block for the first weekend. Then head over to Coecles Harbor at Shelter Island, then over to West Neck, and finally to Shelter Island Yacht Club. The fleet consisted of Winston and Judy Knight on Magic Roundabout, Vic and Judy Calabretta on Katie C , Gerry and Gayle Bay on Ragtime, Willy and Linda McClean with Hayden on Whirl, Chris and Candy Powell on Spring Tides and Steve and Stacy Smith on Maverick, Steve and Rita Brin, and us, Melanie, Ed, James and Maddy on Patriot.

At Block we held the opening cocktail social on Gerry and Gayles’ Ragtime. It was a great way to start the cruise and see everyone again. On Sunday we all headed Coecles Harbor. The weather that day was warm and sunny. The weather continued to be great, we rafted the boats up and stayed a couple of extra days. I really enjoy a raft up. Everyone brings out all the boat toys and with the water so warm you hang out there all day. My boat was fortunately rafted next to Maverick, he had ice. We had Rum. Information and ideas were exchanged. One important topic was the best ways to clean mud off anchor chains. Chris had a chain scrubber and I had a 9 year old son. A match made in heaven, unless you are the 9 year old son. You really can’t hear the complaining back in the cockpit.

With a clean anchor chain we could now focus on the important tasks. Judy Knight, the ideal grandmother, had her boat filled with all kinds of toys to play with. From squirt guns to inflatable rafts, she had it all. The adult activities were kayaking and reading. Kayaking with the Powells is a treat, as they know all the wildlife. Of course with Steve Brin (Dr Oreo) around, the kids had plenty of treats. They enjoyed them while sitting in Maverick’s hammock. Hayden and James went off to the marina to get some ice cream.

We held a cocktail social in the evening. I always learn something just listening to Vic share his experiences. Linda has the best laugh and makes you join. The sunsets were fantastic and a full moon rose over the anchorage. Gerry Bay had this really cool SkyScout. You point it to a star and it gives you all the background on it. Yet another “must have” item. Many rented bikes or kayaked the many small coves on Shelter Island. We headed over to Greenport for a few trips on the Merry Go Round. The week went by so fast.

On the last night (Friday) at Shelter Island we had dinner at the Shelter Island Yacht Club. It was a great meal and made even more fun with the “awards” portion. Cruising categories were made up and voted on. The winners got treasured prizes from the local toy store. The next day several of us headed out with a trip back to Block Island. We had a fantastic sail. The wind filled from the southwest and we hoisted a spinnaker for a fast ride to Block. That night on the mooring we had another cocktail social. The next day it was back to Narragansett Bay with a perfect southeaster to make it a perfect ending to a perfect week.

Next year you should put cruising on your plans. If you have any questions or suggestions on where we should go next year send me an email. We have plenty of room for anyone to join us. Even our racers can join in on the fun with a quick trip out to Block Island for the weekend.

Ed Doherty
Cruising Chairman