FROM THE EDITOR...
By Steve VanderVoort, Tiller Time Editor
Maybe it’s just that feeling of “bounce back” after last year, but how great is it to go sailing on Lake Michigan, to enjoy the camaraderie that can only be found among fellow sailors, to reconnect with old friends on the Monroe tender dock or at our social gatherings, to make new friends (I’ve enjoyed sailing with a bunch of our student sailors in Tiller Times and loved every minute of it), to see our instruction, racing, and cruising programs in full swing. It does my old heart good to see all this activity once more.
You know how locals sometimes take for granted what tourists find so interesting and entertaining? After 2020 our appreciation for things that we may have taken for granted before have a renewed poignance and relevance. That’s certainly true for Sail Chicago. Our history in Chicago stretches back a long way through the time when we were once affiliated with American Youth Hostels, to our becoming an independent organization in 2004, to our present-day multifaceted program. And all this has been done through volunteer effort. Sail Chicago members have always, in good times and in bad, stepped up to do what needed to be done in order to keep us alive and healthy.
It’s that volunteer spirit that has sustained and enhanced us. So let’s remember to appreciate and celebrate our history and to be grateful for those many volunteers who throughout the years have contributed so much of their time, energy, creativity, and just plain hard work to our program.
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STEPS TO BECOMING A SAIL CHICAGO COLGATE SKIPPER
By Matt Stuczynski, Lead Instructor
For all those wondering how to become a Colgate Skipper...here are the steps needed to achieve that goal:
- First attend a Pre Sail Orientation (PSO) which is virtual this year.
- Next, sign-up and learn all about sailing through the online US Sailing Basic Keelboat course which we ask that you finish before your first On-the-Water class.
- Students must pass the Sail Chicago On-The-Water Skipper Skills requirements through the Skipper Prep class.
- After this, a student must take the online SC Written Test. SC Written Test Coordinator, David Simoens, and his team, go over w/ the student.
- Record Keeper Marj Benson grants SC Skipper status on the webpage.
This process is indeed thorough and can take at least a season or two for a complete beginner. Since we have no full-time or paid staff on call or, at the harbor, to answer questions, or even go out to help (like the yacht clubs do) our Skippers need to be completely competent to safely take out a boat and manage a crew totally on their own; which is why we have the various steps involved and also why we are so thorough. Rest assured, gaining SC Skipper status gives a student plenty of opportunities to learn and become the best sailor they can be.
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BASIC KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION EXAM SET FOR JULY 10
By Alan Summers
Saturday July 10, there will be a US Basic Keelboat Certification Exam given at Pete’s Coffee, 686 East Ogden, Naperville, at 9 a.m. The exam consists of 70 multiple choice questions based on the US Sailing Basic Keelboat book and your training at Sail Chicago. This exam is a separate offering from Sail Chicago and is NOT related to your Sail Chicago skipper requirements. This certification connects you with US Sailing, comes with 1 year membership in US Sailing, and costs $50. The certification is another measurement of your basic keelboat sailing skills. It is a written test only and we encourage everyone to obtain the certification,but it is an optional exam. There will be additional exam offerings during the summer. If you wish to take the exam please notify Alan Summers at neuroal@att.net.
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COME JOIN THE FUN: HAPPY HOUR, JULY 22
By Pat Webster
Columbia Yacht Club will once again open its doors to Sail Chicago members on Thursday July 22nd from 5:30-8:00. Experience the fantastic view from the upper deck! Sail Chicago will provide some appetizers and drinks. Watch for email announcements for more information and to register.
Besides food, drink and connecting with Sail Chicago members, we will also have an opportunity to view a remote controlled sailboat in the harbor. Click here to learn more.
And make the most of your trip to the Yacht Club. We will be running Caring for our Colgates trainings at Columbia at 4 and 5pm on that day. It will be an easy way for skippers to fulfill this continuing education requirement. Get more information about this in this issue.
Save the date!
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CARING FOR OUR COLGATES - LAST CHANCE THIS SEASON
By Pat Webster
On Thursday July 22nd, in conjunction with the Happy Hour at Columbia Yacht Club, we will be holding the final sessions of the Caring for Our Colgates program for this season. They will be held at 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Columbia Yacht Club dock. In case of rain, an alternate date is Monday July 26th.
This continuing education program will provide you with information and the opportunity for some hands-on experience with best practice procedures to put away a boat at the end of a sail. Maintenance teams have already noticed that more boats are being left in good shape at the end of a sail. Thanks to all of those who have already participated in the training.
Completion of this training program prior to the 2023 season will be needed in order to reserve a Colgate in that season and going forward.
To register for a July 22nd training, please click here or go to the link on the my.sailchicago.org website.
If anyone is interested in completing the training this season and is not available on the 22nd, please email pat.webster@sailchicago.org to join a waitlist.
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BASIC KEELBOAT INSTRUCTOR EVALUATIVE COURSE (9/17 - 9/19)
By Adam Jabs
With Sail Chicago's commitment to providing the most qualified and  well-trained instructors for all our courses, we are once again hosting a US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor Evaluative Course this fall with the help of Jackson Park Yacht Club.
This isn't your typical class, but rather an intensive three-day exam. Instructors are expected to come in knowing the majority of the material to be covered, rather than learning it during the course. One of the most challenging elements is the sailing skills evaluation which must be completed while single-handling one of our Colgates. In addition to the sailing skills evaluation, candidates must also be able to explain sailing topics concisely and clearly in a classroom setting.
Sail Chicago will provide financial support as well as prep classes presented by our own current BKIs. We will cover presentation formats and topics, teaching methods, knots, and the sailing skills you will be tested on. Our goal is to make sure you go into the exam full of confidence and completely prepared!
If you are a current instructor ready to put your skills to the test or looking for more information, we'll be holding an informational orientation webinar on July 24, Saturday at 9:30 am. Interested in attending? Please contact Adam by email at Adam.jabs@gmail.com.
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2021 NATIONAL WOMEN’S SAILING CONFERENCE
By Rachel Granneman
This year’s National Women’s Sailing Association Conference is being held  right here in Chicago! The Conference will take place on September 11, 2021 and is hosted by the Jackson Park Yacht Club. Sessions and workshops will be held in person, but many will also be available streaming online. Check out the schedule here – topics include nautical charts, diesel engine basics, knots, sail trim, foul weather, and much more. This year’s theme is Sharing Sailing, and “...all women sailors attending the September 11th educational event will find new opportunities to connect with friends, meet new shipmates, perhaps discover a new place to sail, and of course, learn new skills.” Tickets will go live in July, and some sessions may fill up fast. If you plan to attend and want to connect with other Sail Chicago member attendees, email Rachel Granneman (DEI Committee Co-Chair) at grannemr@umich.edu.
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NEW DEI INITIATIVE AT SAIL CHICAGO: COMMUNITY CRUISE OUTINGS
By Monte Lewis, BKI Certification Coordinator & Rachel Granneman, DEI Committee Co-Chair
The Sail Chicago Board of Directors has approved a pilot Community Cruise Outings program, where we reach out to community groups with membership traditionally not well-represented in sailing and offer to take some of their members on a free sailing outing. This gives Sail Chicago members an opportunity to engage with diverse local community groups and gives those individuals a chance to experience sailing on Lake Michigan and Sail Chicago.
This year the Jackson Park Yacht Club, located on the south side, has generously offered to host our annual Sail Chicago instructor evaluation three-day event, the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Instructor (BKI) Evaluation. Jackson Park Yacht Club also sponsors the Open Horizons Youth Sailing Program--a Summer sailing program that targets low-income, minority, and at-risk children and youth. They teach leadership, teamwork and conflict resolution skills through sailing.
In order to thank JPYC and continue to build a relationship, we have offered to provide a Community Cruise Outing for the parents of the Open Horizons Youth Sailing Program, and hope to take out up to 20 participants. The JPYC Parents Cruise will take place on Saturday, August 21st in the afternoon. We need 5 Skippers and 5 First Mate volunteers to help out with the Parent Cruise Outing. If you are interested in participating, please contact Rachel Granneman at grannemr@umich.edu.
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SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEERS
By Norris Larson
This month we focus on a couple, Ethan Brown and Matt Bone. They joined Sail Chicago three years ago and worked their way up to skipper in their first year. Both are on the maintenance team for the Colgate 26 Naked Dance and helped prepare her for launch this season. They also helped move her up and down the river and participated in un-stepping and stepping the masts on her and several other Colgates. They enjoyed working on Naked Dance and relate that they learned a lot from her boat manager Don Burman.
Matt and Ethan went sailing in San Francisco Bay on a friend’s boat. They enjoyed it so much that when they returned to Chicago they looked for a way to sail here and discovered Sail Chicago. Ethan said that Sail Chicago presented an opportunity he thought he could never afford thinking that to sail he would need to buy a boat.
Ethan is a graphic designer at University of Illinois Chicago and formerly at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He reviewed the spreadsheet lesson grids that comprise our Colgate lesson plans and suggested to lead instructor Matt Stuczynski the grids would benefit from a better format. Ethan worked with Matt and created the elegant OTW Skipper Skills Standards, first published in 2020. Matt Stuczynski has stated that this new manual “augments the skills taught in the Sail Chicago PSO materials, the Sail Chicago Lesson Grids and the US Sailing Basic Keelboat text.”
Matt Bone is a software engineer and has met with our IT team and Bhargav Patel to offer his help. As Sail Chicago grows and changes it’s good to know we have members with needed skills beyond sailing and boat maintenance. Matt is not entirely new to water sports and has memories of canoeing down the Merrimack River in Missouri to the Mississippi. His first sailing experience was on Lake Michigan in a co-worker’s boat. He found it scary, with big swells and heeling, fearing it would tip over.
Matt and Ethan own a two flat near Armitage and Milwaukee. They appreciate the transparency of Sail Chicago and enjoy Happy Hours and other social gatherings.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
By Adam Wisneski, Chairman
Here are some positions for which we need volunteers. If you're a member this year and are looking for a volunteer position, head to this link to find out more and indicate your interest!
Deputy Skipper Test Admins: Helps review the skipper test with prospective new Colgate Skippers. Ideal candidates are current Colgate Skippers/Instructors that are at the least very familiar with SC Rules/Regulations, the OTW Skipper Skills Standards, etc. Indicate your interest on the volunteer board linked above.
Skipper Continuing Education Volunteers (Caring for Colgates): Supports the Skipper Continuing Education Lead by helping administer and train skippers on our Caring for Colgates procedures. Ideal candidate is an experienced skipper with a passion for helping others understand proper upkeep of our Colgates! Indicate your interest on the volunteer board linked above.
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MEMBER CRUISE OUTINGS (MCOs): FUN AND FREE SOCIAL SAILS
Are you a skipper looking for a fun way to get out on the water and meet new people? Consider hosting an MCO! (And if you host 5, that meets your service time requirement.)
Most members know about Tiller Times, but many are not familiar with a similar program we offer: Member Cruise Outings, also known as MCOs. Like Tiller Times, they offer a free opportunity for members to get out on the water with other Sail Chicago members. But they’re available to any and all members (not just students), and the focus is on providing an opportunity for members to socialize and enjoy being on the water. As an MCO Skipper, you choose when to schedule your cruises, and you can also bring your own First Mate. Women skippers can choose to host a regular MCO or a Women's MCO. Members can sign up to go out on an MCO by reserving a seat through the online reservation website.
Jason Wirth, who satisfies his service time each year by hosting MCOs, explains:
“Running MCOs is a lot of fun to me because it is a casual sail, and I typically encourage sailors to bring snacks to share along with a laid back attitude. As a result, many of those who crewed for my MCOs have reported that our outing was their most enjoyable sailing experience of the summer.”
For more information and to sign up, contact Brandon Sanders at MCO@sailchicago.org
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SAIL MORE OFTEN WITH SHARE-A-SAIL
By Andy DeVoto
If you're a skipper looking for crew (or are just willing to share an otherw ise open seat) or if you're not yet a skipper and are looking for more time on the water, you can reach out to other sailors via Share-a-Sail. Join the Sail Chicago Slack Group and chat your requests in the #share-a-sail channel. Slack is a group messaging app that Sail Chicago uses for general communications, maintenance and other groups, and we're excited to include a Share-a-Sail channel as well.
Then you're free to list requests or reply to others.
As we've used in the past, you can also join the Share-a-Sail google group and communicate over email.
- Go to the Sail Chicago Share-a-Sail Google Group page: https://groups.google.com/g/shareasail
- Click "Subscribe to this group"
- As a group-member, email shareasail@googlegroups.com with the details of your request (your name, date and time of sail, boat size).
- All members of the google group will receive every email sent to the group email address. Replies will only go to the original sender.
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MERIDIAN DISMASTING
By Adam Wisneski, Chairman
One of Sail Chicago's Colgates, Meridian, was dismasted in an incident during a class on June 6. From our observation and the report from those onboard, the port chainplate was pulled up through the deck, leaving a big hole in the deck above the waterline. Instructor Dan Stein was able to assess the situation, issue a PAN PAN, and get help from authorities in getting the boat back to safety. Member safety is a number one priority for us, and we're glad to report no one was injured during the incident. Sail Chicago commends Dan for handling the situation well.
The maintenance team rallied a late evening response to help relieve Dan and the students aboard and tuck Meridian back in on her mooring for the next few days. Then, volunteers from the Albatross maintenance team transported Meridian back to the boatyard where she now sits on the hard.
While an insurance claim is underway to help Sail Chicago recover the loss and get Meridian back in service soon, some immediate steps were taken to understand the rigging failure and make sure the rest of our fleet is safe. We've contacted other organizations that use Colgates to report the issue and see if they've had anything similar, we've double checked and adjusted rigging tension to make sure our fleet falls within the recommended numbers, maintenance volunteers inspected other Colgates' bulkheads to look for signs of weakened chainplates, and we've begun outreach to hire a marine surveyor or engineer to do a further assessment of the fleet.
While we'll continue to get expert advice on possible risks to our fleet, we believe that the rest of the fleet is sound and that the incident that dismasted Meridian is a one-time event rather than a systemic issue.
The Board will work to keep membership informed and, as always, will prioritize member, student and instructor safety above all else.
Thanks to all those that helped address Meridian's dismasting. It was a true team effort.
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CREW OVERBOARD!!
By Ed Schroeder
The words that bring fear to sailors and a surge in adrenaline. Luc kily we were only performing a mock drill on “Priorities”. It took the experienced skipper six minutes to bring the “victim” alongside with the Lifesling. Six long minutes without the added panic of a loved one in the water because we were using a pillow “victim.” The problem seemed to be the inability of the skipper to turn the boat so that the dragging Lifesling would pass next to the “victim”. We tacked many times.
In a recent issue of “Practical Sailor” magazine, there is an excellent, 2-part article describing a Crew Overboard Retrieval Symposium on San Francisco Bay, with 115 volunteers taking part in 400 tests. The authors stated: “Among the many truths we discovered or rediscovered was this: most rescues are long, physically taxing (if not plain difficult), and require good equipment, fortitude, and (most important) good boat handling.” Surprisingly, they found that the most difficult part of the recovery is getting the victim aboard, whether the victim was conscious or not.
Have other skippers, on other boats, checked the equipment and practiced actually retrieving a victim? Should Sail Chicago offer an advanced course where skippers could take the info learned back to their respective boats? How would you get a loved one back on board even on a low freeboard Rhodes? The life you save may be your own.
This summer, every day we’re on the water, it would behoove us all to practice COB at least once per outing.
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COAST GUARD ISSUES NEW LIFE JACKET LABELS
Sail Chicago member Mario Roldan reports that the U.S. Coast Guard has issued new labeling for life jackets that indicate the jacket’s appropriate use. Please review the new labeling guidelines here to make sure that any new life jacket you purchase is appropriate for the conditions in which you will be sailing.
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SAIL CHICAGO REMINDERS
Who 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.
Shop Amazon Smile and Donate to Sail Chicago
When you shop online at Amazon Smile, Sail Chicago will receive a donation of .5% of your eligible purchases. It's a great way to both give and receive. To get started, click here.
Missing Previous Issues of Between the Sheets?
You can always find the current issue and an archive of previous issues of Between the Sheets at the first (and open to the public) page of the Sail Chicago website.Look under "News/Newsletter."
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Click on the links below to find more information about Sail Chicago.
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We held our first two sets of Community Cruise Outings (CCOs) in August as part of Sail Chicago's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiative. One set of CCOs was for families from the Jackson Park Yacht Club Fou
is week we focus the spotlight on Melchior Dikkers, one of Sail Chicago’s most active and capable instructors. We begin by commending Melchior for his handling of a medical situation on a recent Colgate sail.