FROM THE EDITOR...
By Steve VanderVoort, Telltale Editor
Spring is officially here, and it won’t be long before our fleet is in the water. But there’s a lot to do before that day arrives. Our boat teams need all kinds of help preparing our boats for a busy summer of sailing. Please review the list of volunteer positions on our website. Spending even a few hours at the boatyard during a weekend over the next few weeks will be a tremendous help.
Class registrations will be opening soon. Please keep an eye on our website and watch for notices in your inbox announcing specific times.The March issue of The Telltale has more information on how to register and registration and cancellation policies. You may wish to review it.
We’re looking forward to seeing you on the water soon!
|
|
ARE YOU READY TO SAIL?
By Don Burman
We're all ready for sailing! After the winter and cold, wet spring who isn't ready for a change and a chance to sail again?
While we're eager to sail, have we prepared ourselves for the season? Many members choose to purchase an inflatable PFD as one of their first sailing investments. And it is a wise choice - they are more comfortable to wear when sailing, they provide more buoyancy than most foam vests and they often have a built-in whistle and a zippered pocket for your phone.
But these conveniences come at a price. Besides the higher initial purchase cost, inflatable PFDs require periodic inspection and maintenance. Unfortunately, many of us forget or dismiss these chores and grab our inflatable at the beginning of each season and have not made sure it will serve us in an emergency.
As we prepare for the season, please review the inspection and maintenance instructions for your PFD and perform the recommended periodic service. Your PFD's instruction may differ from mine but here are some typical service items for your inflatable PFD:
- Ensure the zippers of Velcro are in good shape and keep the PFD closed.
- Ensure the buckles open and close properly and that all webbing and straps are undamaged.
- Check if any items have expiration dates and that none have been exceeded.
- Open the inflatable PFD and inspect it for any signs of wear, rips or tears that may compromise its operation. Inspect it closely, like your life depends on it - because it does.
- Manually inflate the device and leave it sit for 12-18 hours. After that time, check that it is still as full and firm as when you inflated it. If it feels less firm there may be a slight leak that should be sent back to the manufacturer for service or replace the PFD. My PFDs recommend I do this at the beginning of the season and every two months.
- Weigh the CO2 cylinder. The minimum weight is stamped on the cylinder. If it is below the minimum weight, it may have a leak and should be replaced.
- Replace the bobbin every 3 years. The bobbin contains a substance like an aspirin. When it gets wet, it melts and allows the spring activated trigger to pierce the CO2 cylinder and inflate the PFD.
- Be sure the whistle is in place and that the lanyard is in good condition. Replace the lanyard if it is worn.
- Before repacking make sure the bobbin is in place, the CO2 cylinder is installed properly and the service indicator is GREEN (if yours has a service indicator). Also, be sure to place the dust cap back on the manual inflation tube.
- Carefully deflate the PFD and repack it according to your manufacturer's instructions.
- There are a wide variety of inflators in PFDs - be sure to follow the instructions for inspecting yours.
For foam PFD's, inspect the shell for rips or tears. Replace any PFD with visible rips or tears.
We all are eager to sail, let's be ready to do it safely!
|
|
|
 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
By Gerald Moose Stacy, Volunteer Coordinator
Are you looking for a way to meet your service time requirement this season? We have many opportunities available that range from helping out with boat maintenance, to helping plan events, to moving our DEI initiatives forward, to answering questions from prospective members, and more. Whatever your schedule, your skills, or your inclination, the volunteer team can help you find an opportunity that works for you. You can browse all the open opportunities on the volunteer website, but here are a few places where we could use your help:
- The Membership Coordinator helps answer questions from members and prospective members about what it's like to be part of Sail Chicago, questions about classes, etc.
- Rigging Volunteers manage, inspect, and maintain the rigging for the small keelboats (Colgates, Rhodes and Ideals) during the offseason.
- If you're a skipper with at least one year of sailing experience, volunteer to be a Member Cruise Outing (MCO) Skipper and take other members out for a sail! Get out on the water and meet other members while fulfilling your service time requirement!
- Finally, the Volunteer Team could use additional volunteers to help match members to volunteer opportunities.
You can sign up for any of these positions here. Or just reach out to the volunteer team at volunteer@sailchicago.org.
|
|
 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - BOATING BUDDIES NEEDED!
By Ashleigh Luttery, DEI Coordinator
The Sail Chicago Scholarship Program is part of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative with the intent to provide access and encourage participation for those not traditionally well-represented within our organization. Following a successful inaugural Scholarship Program last season, we are in the process of selecting recipients for the 2023 season. We are hoping to offer the Sail Chicago Scholarship recipients the opportunity to be paired with 1 or 2 Sail Chicago “boating buddies” who can show them the ropes (no pun intended!), help them navigate the organization, and perhaps even take them sailing. This is a great way to help support new sailors and share your experience and love of sailing! If you are interested in being a “boating buddy,” please contact us at dei@sailchicago.org.
|
|
 MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL AT COLUMBIA YACHT CLUB
By Gerald Moose Stacy, Chair
Unless you're new to Sail Chicago, you're probably aware of the close relationship we have with the Columbia Yacht Club and the big boat in Monroe Harbor ("Abegweit") that they call home. Columbia allows us to use their dock space for maintenance on our boats and provides us with space for many of our meetings, events, and on-shore classes. They have been a friendly, supportive partner of our organization for many years, and it is in that spirit of friendship that I'm letting you know about a Spring Membership Promotion they're currently running. Now through the end of May, Columbia is offering a 75% discount on their initiation fee. This is a huge discount for everyone, but for those of you under age 30, this means that the cost of joining Columbia is probably less than the last dinner you ate at a restaurant. If you have ever thought about exploring membership at Columbia, now is probably the best time to do so.
Several Sail Chicago members are also members of Columbia and would be happy to sponsor you for membership. If you're interested in learning more, please reach out to Don Burman (kb9wbm@aol.com).
|
|
 SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEERS - ROBERT TEPPER
By Pat Webster
As one Racing Skipper commented, “I sure would like to know more about Robert Tepper”. Robert is well known in the Sail Chicago Racing Program as he has been a stalwart participant in the Colgate 26 racing program since its inception. He has supported the program as a Coach, as an Assistant Coach (in the initial development of the program), and currently he provides guidance as a Racing Skipper most Wednesday evenings. This involves promoting responsible cooperative sailing, something Robert truly enjoys. Robert is one of those Sail Chicago member/volunteers who really gives his all to the organization. Not only has he been heavily involved in the racing program, but also contributes as an Instructor, teaching Crew classes, as an MCO (Member Cruise Outing) Skipper and as a Tiller Time Skipper.
Robert began his sailing career at the young age of 10 in summer camp in Lake Mendota in Madison. After that he had various sailing experiences including sailing a Star 23, an Olympic keelboat (a racing boat) in 1969 for about a year. Then in the 1980s he owned a 13 foot Ghost centerboard boat, which he trailered to Fox Lake. Robert resumed sailing and became most involved with the sport when he joined Sail Chicago in 2007. He started taking lessons at the urging of his wife, after enjoying sailing a 13 foot Hobie Wave in Mexico while they were vacationing there. She was concerned about safety. Given his previous sailing experience, he rather quickly checked out as a Sail Chicago Skipper, completing the equivalent of what is now our First Mate classes. He has been contributing ever since.
What Robert most enjoys about Sail Chicago, besides the easy access to affordable sailing, are our members. He finds them to be “uniformly very nice people”. He can also easily find crew through our MCO program and enjoys skippering our Cruisers as part of that program. In addition Robert likes being able to fulfill his service time requirement by getting involved with those aspects of sailing he enjoys most.
In addition to his involvement with sailing and Sail Chicago, Robert has been quite busy with home and career. He completed law school in 1969 and continues as a practicing attorney, doing litigation between businesses. He and his wife reside on the near north side of Chicago.
Thank you, Robert, for your contribution to Sail Chicago!
|
|
SAIL CHICAGO REMINDERS
Whom to Contact
Need information on an area in Sail Chicago, but don't know who to contact? Just click here.
Join or Renew Your US Sailing Membership at a Discount Through MVP
Sail Chicago members can join or renew their US Sailing membership at a $10 discount through the US Sailing Member Value Partner program.
Sail Chicago Gear
Purchase gear with the Sail Chicago logo on it. Caps, shirts, pants and other gear are available. To shop now, click here.
Like us on Facebook
You'll get updates, reminders, and other information on Sail Chicago events and activities. Click here.
Missing Previous Issues of The Telltale?
You can always find the current issue and an archive of previous issues of The Telltale at the first (and open to the public) page of the Sail Chicago website. Look under "News/Newsletter."
|
|
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Click on the links below to find more information about Sail Chicago.
|
|
|
|
