The TellTale: April 2025

Sail Chicago Tell Tale
Issue 4: April 2025
New Student Lottery Open

If you're looking to enroll in your first Sail Chicago class, be sure to sign up for our General Registration Lottery. Beginning April 15, everyone who has entered the lottery will be randomly assigned a start time for when they will be able to begin class registration. This is your best chance to get into a class. Signups for the lottery close after 11:59:59 pm on Thursday, April 10 so don't delay! 

Volunteer Signups Open

Wondering how you'll meet your 2025 service time requirement? The volunteer positions on our data hub have been updated and the volunteer signup form is now open! You can also check to see your current assignments for 2025 that carried over from last year.

Not sure where to begin? There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, deepen your sailing and boating knowledge, learn more about the organization, and meet other members. Below are places where help is needed, no experience necessary!

Help with Winter/Spring boatyard maintenance. There's plenty to do getting our fleet ready for the season.

Be a River Trip Volunteer. Help crew one of our boats from the boatyard to the lake. These trips usually happen on weekday mornings.

Help with set up or cleaning up at one of our social events as a Social Volunteer.

If you're a new skipper, sign up to be a PSO Volunteer and present at a Pre-Sail Orientation event.

Our instruction program is looking for an Instruction Survey Administrator to help collect post-class surveys from students.

Sign up to be part of our Rhodes Maintenance Team or our Ideals Maintenance Team.

And finally, if you've been a member of Sail Chicago for a couple years, please consider helping out with our Member Helpdesk answering e-mails to our support inbox.

You can sign up for these positions and more using our Volunteer Signup Form.

Immediate Maintenance Needs

On Saturdays during April we need all levels of experience and a willingness to learn. There are only four weekends left. Check Slack channel 2025-general-maintenance for updates.

River trips and mast stepping (raising) sign-ups will be available soon. All work will be done during the month of May and mostly on weekdays.

Join the Community Division!

Sail Chicago is creating a new Community Division, and we need you! We are looking for passionate volunteers to help us grow and make a meaningful impact. This new division will encompass the existing Social Committee and combine with the new Community (DEI) Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Communications Committee! Contact Shawn Joseph to learn more about joining. To join the Social Committee, reach out to us at social@sailchicago.org. Come aboard and be part of something amazing with Sail Chicago! In-person committee planning meeting to be held in April.

Boatyard Open House

Join your friends and other members at the Canal Street Marina, 2059 South Canal St., on Saturday April 5, 10am–12pm. This is a great opportunity to see our entire fleet dry docked. Ever wonder what's under the waterline on a boat that you're sailing? Well, now is your chance to find out. See our maintenance teams at work and discover the fun involved in getting ready for the coming season. There will be tours, games, food & drinks, and sailing knot demonstrations.

— Rich Costello, Maintenance Coordinator

Boat Naming Contest!

Sail Chicago members attending the Boatyard Open House will have an opportunity to submit a name idea for Sail Chicago's newest acquisition, the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), which will be on display. Ideas will be collected and the winning name will be chosen by the Sail Chicago Colgate Maintenance Rib skippers and First Mates teams. The winner not only has the joy of naming a boat but will also receive a prize! Submission must be made in person at our boatyard open house, and the winner will be announced end of April.

Annual Dues

t’s time to pay your Sail Chicago annual dues if you have not done so already. Members must renew their dues before they can participate in member activities, including pre-season maintenance, river trips, and the Season Kickoff party in May. Thanks everyone for doing your part to keep Sail Chicago financially strong.

Race with Sail Chicago!

Have you ever thought about racing? It's fun, is held in a welcoming environment, and it's an excellent way to hone your skills. This year we hope to make it easy to join, learn, and have fun.

Sail Chicago plans to offer racing tiller times where members can learn how to rig, fly, and douse the spinnaker. We will cover the basics of racing, how to round marks, racing-only right of way rules, tactics, and more. The hope is to have seminars, videos, and on-the-water practicums, taught by some of our own amazing racers along with outsiders for more advanced topics.

If interested, join our Slack channel "racing" for updates. Those interested in helping (host a racing tiller time, share your racing expertise in a seminar, get involved with the videos, recommend experts), hop on the slack channel to let us know or DM Tom Hafner or James McLaughlin.

2025 On the Water Classes

Sail Chicago’s Instruction Team is busy planning the 2025 schedule. As in past years, we will offer on-the-water classes in a three course sequence. These are Crew, First Mate, and Skipper Prep. Each course meets weekly for four weeks. Last year we had over 50 classes in total. We hope to be able to offer even more this season. See our current course listings for more information.

Prior to the first class, enrolled students must complete:
Sail Chicago's Pre-Sail Orientation (PSO)
US Sailing's Basic Keelboat online course and test.
Information can be found on Sail Chicago’s Instruction webpage.

Already a Colgate skipper? We have other boats as well! Sail Chicago's fleet includes three 19' Rhodes, two 18' Ideals, and two 34' Cruising boats. Expand your sailing skills on these additional boats in the fleet. We are re-vamping the cruising instruction and curriculum this year to focus on skill building and confidence. We look forward to seeing you all on the water!

Social News

Season Kickoff, May 17, 3-6pm: Join us for our annual Kickoff Party at Columbia Yacht Club where we will gather to reconnect, make new friends, and toast to the adventures on the water that await. Whether you're a longtime sailor or new to the sport, you are welcome to join. This is a complimentary event for Sail Chicago members and students and all may bring a guest. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Signup

Mark your calendars for the following summer events!

Racing Happy Hour, June 12: Learn about Sail Chicago’s racing program and meet other racing members. This event is complimentary for Sail Chicago members and students and your first drink is included. Signup to come . 

Friends & Family Picnic, July 26: Share in the joy of sailing! This will be a paid event for Sail Chicago members and students, with lunch included. Details to come! 

Keep up to date with additional social news on the Slack General channel. Our schedule is also available on the calendar located in your my.sailchicago portal.

Merch for Sale

Check out our cool line up of Sail Chicago merch. We’ve sourced T-shirts, polos, jackets, fleece, and hats from top quality vendors, all embroidered with our burgee logo. Take pride in Sail Chicago and wear your merch at social events and on the water. Gift cards are available in increments of $25.00.
Buy Merch
Contact Us
Shop for cool Sail Chicago Gear 
Follow us on Facebook for updates, reminders, event info and activities!
View previous issues of The Telltale

Sail Chicago Mission Statement  |  Member Benefits  |  Fleet Locations  |  Member Log In  
Member Registration  |  Sail Chicago Rules and Regulations  |  Board Meeting Minutes
Instruction  |  Sailing Weather
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

The TellTale: March 2025

Sail Chicago Tell Tale
Issue 3: March 2025

Class Registration Begins in April

A new season of sailing is almost here, and it begins with the rollout of our schedule of classes! New and returning students can find information about the class rollout and registration timeline on our website. Our class schedule will post the last week of March. As in the past, students who have taken classes with Sail Chicago previously will be allowed to pre-register for their next class in early April. Lottery signups will open on April 1, and individuals in the lottery will be notified of their registration window no later than April 14. Please carefully read our Class Registration and Cancellation Policy for all the information you need to know about selecting classes and meeting our prerequisites.

From the Volunteer Team
Gerry Stacy, Chairman

Hello Sail Chicago! Volunteer reporting for 2024 has finished up, and service time status is set. You can check your status on your member landing page when you log into my.sailchicago.org. Sailing credits for those that served in leadership and management positions have also been added. If you feel there is an error with your volunteering account for last season, or if you forgot to report your hours, please get in touch with the volunteer team at volunteer@sailchicago.org.

Looking ahead, there are many opportunities to fulfill your service time in 2025 that can take advantage of skills and abilities you already have, or even teach you something new. Our volunteer site now shows all positions available for 2025. If when reporting last year’s volunteer hours you indicated an interest in continuing in your current role, you've probably been re-assigned to that position. If your position was eliminated due to the 2025 reorganization of our maintenance program, you should have received an e-mail regarding this change. Please check the data hub for your current assignments.

If you’re considering joining Sail Chicago as a new member, remember that your service time requirement is waived for your first year.

Returning members, if you don’t have time to meet your 2025 service time requirement, please contact volunteer@sailchicago.org. The volunteer team can adjust your account to show the “service time waiver” so that when you renew your membership you can pay to waive your volunteer time for the current season.

Remember, if you fail to meet your 2025 service time requirement, either because you didn’t volunteer for a position or you failed to fulfill the responsibilities of the position you were assigned, you will be required to pay a service time waiver for the 2025 season before you can renew your membership in 2026.

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available each season, and many of them can be carried out in just a few hours each month. If you're not sure where to start or what you'd like to do, reach out to the volunteer team at volunteer@sailchicago.org.
Boatyard Open House

Join your friends and other members at the Canal Street Marina, 2059 South Canal St., on Saturday April 5, 10am–12pm. This is a great opportunity to see our entire fleet dry docked. Ever wonder what's under the waterline on a boat that you're sailing? Well, now is your chance to find out. See our maintenance teams at work and discover the fun involved in getting ready for the coming season. There will be tours, games, food & drinks, and sailing knot demonstrations.

— Rich Costello, Maintenance Coordinator

2025 On the Water Classes

Hello Sailors! With the recent blast of warm air many of us are starting to think about summer and Sail Chicago is busy at work planning the 2025 schedule. At Sail Chicago, we offer an on-the-water three course sequence to “skipper-out" on a Colgate. These classes are called Crew, First Mate, and Skipper Prep. Each course meets once a week for four weeks. Last year, we had over 50 classes in total. We hope to be able to offer even more this season. 

Remember all students enrolled in any Sail Chicago course must meet the following prior to the first class.

1. Have completed the Sail Chicago Pre-Sail Orientation (PSO) online course

2. Have completed the US Sailing Basic Keelboat online course and passed the online test. More information can be found on Sail Chicago’s Instruction webpage. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Sail Chicago On the Water (OTW) Skill Standards Reference Manual to prepare you for the season.

Are you already a Colgate skipper? Did you know we have other boats as well? Sail Chicago's fleet includes three 19' Rhodes, two 18' Ideals, and two 34' Cruising boats. Once you've skippered out on a Colgate, you can expand your sailing skills on the bigger and smaller boats in the fleet! We are re-vamping the Cruising Instruction and Curriculum this year to focus on building skills and confidence to take out one of our 34' cruising boats. We look forward to seeing you all on the water!

Social News

Season Kickoff
Columbia Yacht Club 
Saturday, May 17, 3-6pm

Sailing season is just around the corner, and it’s time to celebrate! Join us for our annual Season Kickoff Party at Columbia Yacht Club, where we’ll gather to reconnect, make new friends, and toast to the adventures ahead on the water! This is your chance to catch up with old classmates, meet new sailing buddies, and dive into the excitement of a brand-new season. Whether you're a longtime sailor or brand new to the sport, everyone is welcome to join. This is a complimentary event for Sail Chicago members and students and all may bring a guest. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Signup

Mark your calendars for the following summer events!

Racing Happy Hour
Jackson Park Yacht Club 
Thursday, June 12th. Time TBD 

Join us for a racing-themed happy hour. Learn about Sail Chicago’s racing program and meet other racing members. This is our first event hosted  at the Jackson Park Yacht Club, so even if racing isn’t for you, come check out a cool new venue. This event is complimentary for Sail Chicago members and students and your first drink is included. Signup to come . 

Friends & Family Picnic
Belmont Harbor 
Saturday, July 26th, 9am-5pm 

Our annual friends & family sailing picnic at Belmont Harbor is scheduled for late July! Share in the joy of sailing with the people you love by taking them out for short sails on the lake. This will be a paid event for Sail Chicago members and students, with lunch included. Details to come! 

Keep up to date with additional Social News on the General channel on Slack. Our event schedule is also available on the public SC calendar located in your my.sailchicago portal.

Merch for Sale

Check out our cool line up of Sail Chicago merch. We’ve sourced T-shirts, polos, jackets, fleece, and hats from top quality vendors, all embroidered with our burgee logo. Take pride in Sail Chicago and wear your merch at social events and on the water. Gift cards are available in increments of $25.00.
Buy Merch
Contact Us
Shop for cool Sail Chicago Gear 
Follow us on Facebook for updates, reminders, event info and activities!
View previous issues of The Telltale

Sail Chicago Mission Statement  |  Member Benefits  |  Fleet Locations  |  Member Log In  
Member Registration  |  Sail Chicago Rules and Regulations  |  Board Meeting Minutes
Instruction  |  Sailing Weather
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

The TellTale: February 2025

Hello, World!

Sail Chicago Tell Tale
Issue 2: February 2025

Unfortunately February isn't the best time of year for sailors, but it IS a great time to plan your Sail Chicago participation! Sign up for winter, spring, and summer maintenance and keep your eye on Slack for upcoming social events. It's a time to stay warm and plan for a great season of sailing. Also, for those wondering about changes at the TellTale, we have decided to drop the newsletter on the first Tuesday of each month, rather than Saturday.

—Meighan Depke, Editor

Volunteer Reporting Continues
Gerry Stacy, Chairman

Volunteer reporting is still open, and we have over 50 members who haven't yet completed their reports. Please report your volunteer hours from 2024 today!

At this point you should have received multiple e-mail reminders from the volunteer team in charge of your volunteer positions for 2024. Click through each position, provide an estimate of the hours you spent doing the work, and tell us know if you would like to keep that position in 2025. If we missed any volunteering that you did, you'll be able to indicate that also. We will close the reporting process after March 1, record service time flags for 2024, and open the volunteer site to signups for 2025. If you have questions about volunteering or the reporting process, please contact volunteer@sailchicago.org.

The Sail Chicago 2025 Scholarship Application is Live!

The DEI Committee is continuing our scholarship program as part of Sail Chicago’s commitment to increase diversity, equity, and inclusivity among its members within the organization as well as in the sport of sailing. The goal is to promote the sport of sailing to groups that have historically faced barriers to participation, such as people of color in the United States and people from low socioeconomic households. These barriers have included racial segregation in/exclusion from boating clubs, actual or perceived lack of access or acceptance, and/or high costs of participation in the sport. 

The application is now live through March 3, 2025. Recipients will participate in SC’s beginner Crew classes (including Pre-Sail Orientation and US Sailing Basic Keelboat online course fees), have membership fees covered, along with priority access to class sign up. Scholarship recipients will also have Racing sign up fees covered if they complete their Crew course and would like to try Racing!

Please share within your network to all who may be interested in applying!

Our Annual Meeting is Moving!

In order to maximize member participation in the annual business of Sail Chicago, the Board has decided to move our Annual Meeting to coincide with our end-of-season dinner. This is when membership is at its highest and our new members have had the summer to get to know the organization and leadership. You can look forward to the annual elections of board members at that time. This spring, Sail Chicago will host a membership meeting just before our kick-off happy hour. Be on the lookout for a "save the date" in May for that event, and join us as we celebrate the start of the sailing season.
Maintenance Volunteer Opportunities

If you haven’t signed up for maintenance yet, now is the time!

Winter/spring: Boatyard volunteers are needed to prepare the fleet for the upcoming season. We meet every Saturday (February through April) from 10am to 2pm, weather permitting. Watch for announcements in Slack for sign-ups. 

Summer: The RIB Maintenance Team still needs a few RIB Crew members. Qualification are must be First Mate and two years working in maintenance. Contact Rich Costello in Slack to sign up.

Spring and fall river trips along with mast stepping/un-stepping will be the same as last year, and we will utilize SignUp Genius once we have firm dates. Specialty Teams (electrical, essential equipment, and tops/bottom hull repairs) will also be the same as last year. 

Basic Navigation Course

April 26 and 27
9am to 4pm at Columbia Yacht Club

This season's course will teach sailors basic navigation skills and techniques that can be used within sight of land. Its primary focus is on the use of paper charts and will teach sailors how to read a chart and its symbols, convert between true and magnetic readings, plot course and position, calculate time/speed/distance, and take bearings and fixes. In addition, there will be a brief review of some basic information on chart plotters. Completion of this course is a prerequisite for Sail Chicago's Bareboat Cruising class. Note that sailors must attend both days. The course will be listed on the Sail Chicago website for sign-up

Social News

It’s never too early to mark your calendar for the season kickoff party! Catch up with old friends, make new sailing buddies and celebrate the start of the sailing season. We'll have food, drinks, games and more. Signup for the event will be available in the March Tell Tale so watch your inbox!  

Kickoff party at ColYC:
Saturday, May 17, 3-6pm

Remembering Guy Whitney

Guy Whitney, a Sail Chicago member from the early days of the organization’s formation, passed away peacefully on January 23. Sail Chicago old-timers will remember him as a tough old salt who wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense. He was on the Sail Chicago Board for several years, and was in charge of maintenance when we had only Rhodes 19s and a couple of cruising boats in our fleet. Younger members might remember him as one of the tender drivers who helped us get to our boats in Monroe Harbor throughout the summer months.

Guy was born in Paris, France and fell in love with sailing at an early age. He was a longtime member of the Corinthian Yacht Club out of Montrose Harbor, when he had his own Rhodes 19 as a part of the Club’s Rhodes fleet.

Merch for Sale

Check out our cool line up of Sail Chicago merch. We’ve sourced T-shirts, polos, jackets, fleece, and hats from top quality vendors, all embroidered with our burgee logo. Take pride in Sail Chicago and wear your merch at social events and on the water. Gift cards are available in increments of $25.00.
Buy Merch
Contact Us
Shop for cool Sail Chicago Gear 
Follow us on Facebook for updates, reminders, event info and activities!
View previous issues of The Telltale

Sail Chicago Mission Statement  |  Member Benefits  |  Fleet Locations  |  Member Log In  
Member Registration  |  Sail Chicago Rules and Regulations  |  Board Meeting Minutes
Instruction  |  Sailing Weather
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

The TellTale: December 2024

Hello, World!

Sail Chicago Tell Tale
Issue 11: December 2024

Wishing each and every Sail Chicago member a peaceful Holiday Season and Happy New Year!  — Meighan Depke, Editor

Help Our Multimedia Crew

Interested in helping with Sail Chicago's Instagram page or YouTube channel? The multimedia team has decided to use Instagram as a way to communicate our message as volunteer-driven, community sailing organization. The channel will be specific to videos about instruction tips that are unique to Sail Chicago and its' fleet of boats. Please reach out to Adi amenayang@gmail.com or Doug ddsink@icloud.com if you are interested in helping out. In the meantime, check out the new Sail Chicago channel.

New Instruction Team Leaders

Season 2025 will have new instruction team leaders: Tom Hertel, Lead Instructor, and Brian Huang, Deputy Lead Instructor. Much thanks to the outgoing lead instructor, Monte Lewis who received an award recognizing his contribution at the annual dinner meeting on October. Season 2024 closed with 10% more learn to sail classes than 2023 and the student surveys show the sailing instruction program overall receives high scores.

Congrats to More 2024 New Sailors

The following sailors finished their Skipper Prep check-out and exams after our October Telltale was published, so this is a special congratulations to them and all the hard work they completed to becoming skippers. Looking forward to sailing with you in 2025: Alex Gardinier, Cole Mader, and Ronald Krema!
End of Year Dinner Wrap Up

Sail Chicago’s end of year dinner and auction was the most successful since the pandemic! We had 72 in attendance and raised $3,768 for the DEI scholarship program. Wow, thanks sailors! Over 20 items and experiences were donated, and many bidders got great deals on their purchases. The dinner was delicious and which offered a variety of entree options, including beef, chicken, fish and a vegan pasta. Our president, Gerry Stacy, and each committee chair spoke briefly about our 2024 accomplishments and the many records that were set. Also many thanks to the Social Team and all their great work, led by Deb and Jack Griffin who are passing the social lead torch to Emily Wilt, starting in 2025. All in all, 2024 ended in style!
Sailing Music for All Seasons

By Don Burman

As winter sets in some of us may be lucky enough to be planning sailing charters in the Virgin Islands or the South Pacific. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Instead I can spend my winter months reading sailing books, reflecting on lessons learned this summer, and updating my sailing music playlist. Music helps me get though the off season. Many boaters playlists consist of the Marley and Buffett standards, but for me, these are island songs, not sailing themed songs. So here are a few of my favorites. I hope one or more of them bring you joy. If you have any favorite sailing oriented songs, please share them with me via DM on Slack. I am always looking to expand my list.

Livin’ Thing, Electric Light Orchestra; I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home), Grand Funk Railroad; Pirates, Emerson, Lake & Palmer; Drunken Sailor, The Irish Rovers; Sailing, Christopher Cross; Sail On, Sailor, The Beach Boys; Ride Captain Ride, Blue Image; (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding; Sloop John B, The Beach Boys; Calypso, John Denver; Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Harry Belafonte; Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Into the Mystic, Van Morrison; Another New World, Punch Brothers; The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot…

Merch for Sale

Check out our cool line up of Sail Chicago merch. We’ve sourced T-shirts, polos, jackets, fleece, and hats from top quality vendors, all embroidered with our burgee logo. Take pride in Sail Chicago and wear your merch at social events and on the water. Gift cards are available in increments of $25.00.
Buy Merch
Contact Us
Shop for cool Sail Chicago Gear 
Follow us on Facebook for updates, reminders, event info and activities!
View previous issues of The Telltale

Sail Chicago Mission Statement  |  Member Benefits  |  Fleet Locations  |  Member Log In  
Member Registration  |  Sail Chicago Rules and Regulations  |  Board Meeting Minutes
Instruction  |  Sailing Weather
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

The TellTale: January 2025

Sail Chicago Tell Tale
Issue 1: January 2025

It’s Volunteer Reporting Time
Gerry Stacy, Chairman

Happy New Year, and farewell to 2024! Thank you to all our members who gave so much of their time last year to keep our organization running. We all enjoyed another great summer of sailing because of you.

Now that 2024 is over, we all have one last job to do and that’s to complete our volunteer reporting. This is an important step in our annual volunteering process because it:

— Helps maintain accurate volunteer and position records
— Confirms that members met their 2024 service time requirement
— Lets Sail Chicago know if you want to continue in your current volunteer position in 2025
— Gives an estimate of how much time our members are spending volunteering.

Members should have already received an email from the volunteer team listing your assigned positions for 2024. Click through each position, provide an estimate of the hours you spent doing the work, and tell us if you would like to keep that position in 2025. If we missed any volunteering that you did, you’ll be able to indicate that also.

Please complete your reports as soon as you can after receiving them. We will close the reporting process after March 1, record service time flags for 2024, and open the volunteer site to signups for 2025. Remember, any volunteering you do after January 1 counts toward your service time requirement for this coming summer and your membership renewal in 2026.

If you have any questions about volunteering or the reporting process, please contact the volunteer team at volunteer@sailchicago.org.

Sail Chicago Has a New Boat!

Sail Chicago’s new boat is a 15.5-foot used Novurania Fiberglass with Hypalon inflatable pontoons and a 90hp Yamaha outboard motor. This boat is to be used primarily as a Maintenance Utility Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). It will be docked in a 30’ slip at Belmont Harbor during the summer, close to a hydraulic lift (for stepping and un-stepping masts) and a marine-grade fuel pump for re-fueling our fleet of Colgate and Rhodes.

Come see it up close in the boatyard on Saturday, April 5, 10am-12pm at Sail Chicago's 3rd annual Open House in the Boatyard!

Sail Chicago Maintenance 2025

Big changes are coming this season, made possible by the recent acquisition of our Maintenance Utility RIB.

Summer Colgate boat teams will be replaced this summer with RIB Maintenance teams. These teams will be responsible for refueling, restocking supplies, VHF batteries, and all repairs. Multiple weekly scheduled runs will be made from Belmont Harbor to Monroe Harbor. Each team will make one run per week and service all boats. Having the Maintenance Utility RIB makes this possible and will help us to be more efficient and consistent by allowing us to service all boats simultaneously.

Last year, we utilized a hydraulic crane located on the North end of Belmont Harbor to step and un-step Colgate masts. We will do the same this year. Dock space is plentiful, and the procedure is much safer. This also reduces the number of volunteers needed from 10 to 6 per session.
Maintenance Volunteer Opportunities

If you have been counting, yes, we have eliminated nearly 80 maintenance volunteer positions between the Boat Teams and mast step/un-step. However, 20-30 new positions have been created for the RIB Maintenance Teams, and up to 20 positions have always been left unfilled each year. The winter/spring boatyard work offers unlimited opportunities to learn maintenance techniques and satisfy your volunteer hours requirement.

Available Now: 3-4 virtual positions for processing work orders, data entry, and analysis. Contact Rich Costello via Slack.

Winter/spring: Boatyard volunteers are needed to prepare the fleet for the upcoming season. We meet every Saturday (February through April) from 10am to 2pm, weather permitting. Watch for announcements in Slack for sign-ups (available soon). These sign-ups are your best chance to satisfy volunteer requirements early.

Summer: The RIB Maintenance Team (new) sign-up will take place in March. RIB Skippers must be trained and checked out on the RIB. We anticipate 10 RIB Skippers and 10 RIB Crew. Watch for announcements in Slack.

Spring and fall river trips along with mast stepping/un-stepping will be the same as last year, and we will utilize SignUp Genius once we have firm dates. Specialty Teams (electrical, essential equipment, and tops/bottom hull repairs) will also be the same as last year.

Please monitor Slack closely so that you can get the volunteer job you want before it is taken. We will be on the water before you know it!

For questions or comments, please DM Richard Costello, Maintenance Coordinator, in Slack.

Basic Navigation Course

This season’s course will teach sailors basic navigation skills and techniques that can be used within sight of land. Its primary focus is on the use of paper charts and will teach sailors how to read a chart and its symbols, convert between true and magnetic readings, plot course and position, calculate time/speed/distance, and take bearings and fixes. In addition, there will be a brief review of some basic information on chart plotters. Completion of this course is a prerequisite for Sail Chicago's Bareboat Cruising class. 

The course dates are yet to be determined, but will fall on a Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 4pm at Columbia Yacht Club, most likely in February. Note that sailors must attend both days. To gauge attendance, please send a slack note to cruising director Chris Schuler. Once class dates are scheduled, we will list the course on the Sail Chicago website for sign-up.

Prevent the Winter Blues!

Wondering what to do this winter while you wait for sailing weather? Member Ed Stasica recommends a visit to Port Edward Restaurant in Algonquin, a unique dining experience where they take nautical decor seriously. While there, enjoy one of his recommended books: The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger; God Forsaken Sea by Derek Lundy; or Fatal Storm by Rob Mundle. 

Help Our Multimedia Crew

Interested in helping with Sail Chicago's Instagram page or YouTube channel? The multimedia team has decided to use Instagram as a way to communicate our message as volunteer-driven, community sailing organization. The channel will be specific to videos about instruction tips that are unique to Sail Chicago and its fleet of boats. Please reach out to Adi amenayang@gmail.com or Doug ddsink@icloud.com if you are interested in helping out. In the meantime, check out the new Sail Chicago channel.

Merch for Sale

Check out our cool line up of Sail Chicago merch. We’ve sourced T-shirts, polos, jackets, fleece, and hats from top quality vendors, all embroidered with our burgee logo. Take pride in Sail Chicago and wear your merch at social events and on the water. Gift cards are available in increments of $25.00.
Buy Merch
Contact Us
Shop for cool Sail Chicago Gear 
Follow us on Facebook for updates, reminders, event info and activities!
View previous issues of The Telltale

Sail Chicago Mission Statement  |  Member Benefits  |  Fleet Locations  |  Member Log In  
Member Registration  |  Sail Chicago Rules and Regulations  |  Board Meeting Minutes
Instruction  |  Sailing Weather
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.