Commodores Report

Yacht Clubs of Maryland’s Bay Breeze December 2006 Visit us at:http://www.yachtclubsofmaryland.org If your club is not already a member of Yacht Clubs of Maryland, we would love to have you join us. To join, please contact RC Joe Hellner who will guide you through the process

Again, our wishes go out to each of you to Commodores’ Report have a happy and safe holiday season. By: Commodore Faye Broseker [email protected] Commodore’s Report time of the year, that we reflect on where we were one year ago. We are fortunate to live in such a great country and have our freedom. As we celebrate this holiday season, let us Vice Commodores’ Report continue to keep our family and friends close to our hearts and let us remember those that are By: V/C Lou Konopacki less fortunate. [email protected] Now that the holiday season is here, lets take a In addition, please remember the service moment and cheer, that we made it through women and men that are so far away from their another year. Shop until you drop or go on line family and friends regardless where they may to find that special gift for your sweet heart you be stationed. We ask that these brave have in mine. At this time Sis and I wish individuals are kept out of harms way and are everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a brought back safely to their families. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

I would like to thank Wellwood Yacht Club for Rear Commodores’ Report hosting our November 29 General meeting. If By: R/C Joe Hellner you haven’t contacted VC Lou regarding [email protected] hosting a meeting, please do so. We enjoy being able to visit our member clubs. Ahoy there! Here is the latest on our Annual Information Booklet: I will have forms out Maryland Cruising has submitted their soon so the clubs can provide me information application for membership and will be voted for the annual YCM information booklet. In on at the January General membership. In addition to names and contact information for addition, at the January meeting we will also be the club, officers, and princess, I will be asking voting on by-laws changes (these changes are for additional information about the clubs, being sent under separate cover) especially background and history. To guide people on what to send me, I will create a typical page as an example for people to nd If you have signed up to attend YCM’s 2 follow. Directions to the club are always annual Day at the Races at Laurel Race Track I handy. If a club has managers or a dockmaster look forward to seeing you there. The Board - that info would be useful. Each club section meeting will begin at 11:00 am so we can be will be tailored to the information other clubs ready for Post time at 12:30 pm. and their members should know about that club. For example, in some clubs you call the F/C to visit by boat, in other clubs, you call the

1 dockmaster. As for a name, a lot of people appointed by the state legislature to study the have told me they like "Ship's Logbook". The LNG issue recently held its final meeting. It cover would have the title "2007 Ship's lasted four hours and was done as a community Logbook" and under that he YCM burgee, and presentation in Dundalk. The task force will under that "Yacht Clubs of Maryland" give its final report in January to the legislature in Annapolis. First Crab Joe Broseker has volunteered to How often have you given your boat assist me on the Logbook Committee. I will fire extinguishers a second thought? Yes, they certainly put Joe to work but can always use are there on your boat and, hopefully, ready more help. If you would like to help put the when you need them. A winter storage tip for 2007 Logbook together, have a suggestion, extinguishers from Ventnor P/C Sonny Miceli: contribution or information to put in the YCM Turn the extinguisher over, hit the bottom with booklet, please contact me or Joe Broseker. a rubber hammer and leave it upside down until the spring. As part of the annual YCM Fleet Captains A Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Meeting coming up in January, Steve and Terri Prosperous and Happy New Year from me and Rockel will be including a page in their fleet my family to you and to yours. captain booklet to gather up information on the clubs for the YCM booklet. Secretary’s Report By: Dan Miller New YCM Members: I will prepare and send danandbonnie@radicus out letters to clubs that I think may be In accordance with article VII section 6 of our interested or have approached us in the past. I by laws, this newsletter article is to serve will include a copy of the latest newsletter and notice that YCM is in receipt of membership our 2006 year in review. Our clubs and application from Maryland Cruising Club and members are asked to please contact me if they will be voted on same at the General know of a club that is interested so I can get Membership meeting held at Bodkin Yacht them an application and answer any questions Club on January 31,2007 they may have. If desired we will work with a club to attend a meeting so their members can Treasurer’s Report ask us questions about YCM. Clubs on the By: Deb Noon Eastern Shore are very much welcome, as are [email protected] clubs in the South. We are always happy to Wishing everyone a happy and safe Holiday work with them to find ways to make YCM Season. relevant and interesting to them and their Board Member Reports: members. By: Immediate PC Jill Cashman [email protected] Till next time, great sailing, cruising, and NO REPORT fishing to all! Board Member Boating, Waterways, and the By: Charlie Downs Environment [email protected] By Legislative Affairs Officer Anna Davis NO REPORT [email protected] Board Member I want to thank V/C Lou for attending the Glen Bowser various meetings in the Dundalk area about [email protected] Liquid Natural Gas and other issues that will The Bowser family wishes all the officers and affect all of us. The fourteen member task force members of Yacht Clubs Of Maryland a 2 ****** Yacht Clubs of Maryland – Bay Breeze (December) ****** MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW to join Yacht Clubs Of Maryland. They will be YEAR voted on at the January 2007 general membership meeting.

Dates to Remember YCM Golf Tournament December Board meeting will be held at Laurel Oct 2007 Race Track meeting starts at 11:00am Chesapeake Embroidery for YCM cloths Call Mike @410-215-0063 Fleet Captain Meeting will be held at Sue Haven YC Sun. Jan 28th. Contact Person Steve Scuttlebutt and Spindrift – Rockel at [email protected] By Salty Sam the Sea Dog Ahoy there! For most of us, our boats are January membership meeting will be held at asleep for the winter while captains and crew Bodkin Yacht Club Jan. 31, 2007 line the rails (bar rails that is) to regale each other with stories of seasons gone by. Hats off DINNER 6:00 PM to our shipmates who brave the cold and wind to entertain us with wondrous light displays in MEETING 7:00 PM the boat parades held all around the Chesapeake Bay in December. A Salty Salute Menu also to our diehard fishermen friends who will be out there all winter while the rest of us Grilled Pork Loin Chops…….. Spiced Rum hunker down by the fire or the widescreen TV. reduction gravy…….. Steve’s homemade mashed Potatoes…… Sautéed Cinnamon Exciting News: Salty Sam the Sea Dog will Apples and Raisins Apple….. Caraway Sour soon name the first ever official winner of the Kraut YCM Skunk Flag. As required by nautical tradition and by order of King Neptune, this Desert and Coffee flag signifying ignominious nautical or yacht club achievement must be flown from the COST $ 10.00 winner’s vessel until someone in our yachting community wins it away (as determined by Sick and Welfare Salty). By longstanding law of the sea, the Captain is responsible for the actions of ship Extending our deepest sympathy to the and crew. So for First Mates, Princesses, and Broesker family on the loss of Joe’s Mother, crew that win the Skunk Flag, the responsible and to F/C Fritz Schultz of Baltimore Y-C on Captain or Commodore must fly the Skunk the death of his wife Linda , and also the Flag. Chaney family for the loss of Ed Chaney son. Keep in your prayers Laura Bunting, mother The official presentation of the Skunk Flag of Queen of Chesapeake, and Bob Manders (along with the story behind it) will be made at White Rocks YC the January YCM General Membership If you know of anyone in the clubs who is sick, meeting. Credit goes to Bilge Rat Connie having surgery, or have past over, the bar Ragone for spilling the beans to Salty (Connie please contact me. You can either call me on is sworn to secrecy). 410-282-5598 or email me directly at. [email protected] Salty has not heard any good stories lately. Commodores Ball season is underway and the Bulletin Board CCC Ball in Ocean City are coming up. Maryland Cruising has sent in their application Interesting things usually happen at these 3 ****** Yacht Clubs of Maryland – Bay Breeze (December) ****** events and Salty would be happy to relate People seem to prefer to place it vertically them. Salty knows there must be many stories because it looks better to them. The problem is of nautical and yacht club greatness and when you have a sail fleet captain at your club adventure out there just waiting to be told. you need to be able to distinguish one from the Wharf Rats and Bilge Rats, please email other. [email protected] or call 202 781-3400! Joe Hellner will be happy to relay the story to Please note that "Fleet Captain" is the title for the Salty fourth officer in the yacht club line, whether they are a sail boater or power boater, with Till next port o’ call, this is Salty Sam the Sea responsibility for the whole club fleet (including Dog wishin’ ya fair winds and following seas. the activities of the Sail Fleet Captain) and often the club pier(s) as well. The Fleet Captain is

usually a voting member of the Board of Governors (or Directors), whereas Sail and Power Fleet Social Affairs Committee Captains (depicted by a propeller) usually are not. Terri Rockel [email protected] Till next time, see you around the Bay!

Princess Corner 2nd Annual YCM Christmas Party I still need several clubs to send me articles Kathy Hellner, Social Committee Member about their Princess. If you have not, please do [email protected] so we can ensure that each Princess is CHRISTMAS PARTY AT LAURAL recognized. Send articles to RACTRACK DECEMBER 16, 006 [email protected]

Protocol Matters Captain Protocol,RC Joe Heller [email protected]

Commodore Steve Keefe of Bodkin YC recently asked about the wearing of Fleet Captains insignia. This is one that people seem to have forgotten over the years.

Tradition has the Fleet Captain anchor on its side and the Sail Fleet Captain anchor vertical. For the Fleet Captain, on either jacket sleeve when the jacket sleeve is hanging down at the person’s side, the top on the anchor points forward (i.e. flukes aft). Interestingly, when the arms are crossed or bent the anchor flukes are on the bottom as is proper for anchoring a vessel. For Sail Fleet Captains, bending the arm will place the anchor in its side, which is still OK. Displaying an anchor upside down is nautical bad luck and should be avoided.

The same rules apply to the anchor on the right collar of the summer uniform and on the cap. 4 ****** Yacht Clubs of Maryland – Bay Breeze (December) ******