HomeBosun's Pipe, March 2023

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March 2023

COMMODORE'S CORNER

Art Hammon

Commodore 2022-2023

Hello KCYC,

The members of the Social Committee have cooked up another great calendar of events for March, so many I can’t list them all. Make sure to go to the Club webpage and sing up! Also Save the Date on Sunday April 2nd. Cheryl is putting together a great Ladies Luncheon.

The March Board Meeting is Tuesday night, March 14th, at
6:00 pm.

Don’t miss the General Meeting Thursday, March 16th at
6:00 pm. The Food is always amazing.

Make sure to sign up for Boater Education Day on Saturday March 11th. This is a great event to refresh your skills or learn something new. Tell your friends this event is open to anyone just sign them up using the KCYC website. Catch up on your boat or RV maintenance to be sure you’re ready for the upcoming season. I encourage everyone to come down to the club to ask questions and share your knowledge with others. We all benefit from shared stories and knowledge.

The US Coast Guard Auxiliary will be putting on the Boat America Course on three Monday nights each at 6:00 PM until 8:30 PM (Monday, March 27th, April 3rd and April 10th) at the clubhouse. This event is also open to the public make sure to spread the word. It is a great course, and it qualifies you to get your Washington boater education card.

The Fleet Captain and the cruise committee have worked hard to make this cruising season schedule a great one. make sure to Sing up early our Cruises schedule is filling up fast. Next in line is Port Orchard cruise in March and Tacoma Yacht Club Daffodil marine festival in April. Check our website for more details.

Cheryl and I look forward to seeing you around the club and on the dock.

Please come and join in on the fun.

Art Hammon
Commodore

FLEET REPORT

March Fleet Report

Cruises

The cruising schedule is set for 2023 and off and running. Marinas all differ in the process of reserving group moorage. Many charge a non-refundable reservation deposit. The Fleet pays these In advance and are reimbursed as boats register for a cruise if applicable. A few require each boat owner call them direct for slip assignments and payment of first night moorage like Bell Harbor. Others let the Fleet Captain coordinate slip assignments. Details are on the Club’s website for each event. Make sure to read and follow the instructions when registering.

Most Recent
Brownsville Cruise - 2/24-26
We had 4 boats at the Port of Brownsville Guest Dock for a chilly weekend. Wind was gusting Saturday night and we woke up to some slushy snow on our decks.

Thank you to Joseph Charnes for volunteering as Cruise Captain. We shared the park fire pit with some locals Friday night, cooking our dinner campfire style. All contributed with a Saturday morning brunch at the Brownsville Yacht Club. On Saturday night we joined the Crawler Trawlers club for a potluck dinner and trivia game.

Overall, this was a low key winter trip without incident. All boats departed at the same time Sunday morning returning to the home port riding the ebb tide current through Agate Passage.

Next Up
Port Orchard Cruise - 3/24-26
As of 2/28 we have 10 boats registered for the 15 slips reserved on the outer end of the Port Orchard Marina guest dock including the activity barge. This is a good cruise to kick off the Spring season. Non-refundable slip reservation fee is $5. Boaters please RSVP on the Club Website and the Fleet Captain will coordinate slip assignments.

Our Cruise Committee is still looking for a Cruise Captain to coordinate activities for the weekend The marina is right in downtown Port Orchard with many food establishments and shops. Other club members are invited to drive down and join in. This destination is about 19 nautical miles from Kingston via Agate Passage. Most prefer this shorter and protected route catching a flood tide current that will start at 14:15 Friday 3/24. Sailors sometimes prefer to catch more prevalent winds down the east side of Bainbridge Island approach Port Orchard via Rich Passage.

Tacoma Marine Daffodil Festival - 3/24-26
As of 2/28 we have 8 boats and 1 RV registered at the Tacoma Yacht Club located at Point Defiance in Tacoma. This is our first time to participate in this action packed long-time event. Point Defiance is 30.3 nautical miles from Kingston via Colvos Passage west of Vashon Island. Eleven yacht clubs have registered to date. Boat moorage and RV parking sites (without hook-up) are provided by the Tacoma YC.

Please register using the Tacoma YC website (https://www.tacomayachtclub.org/Daffodil) for both boats and RVs by March 20th or until they reach full capacity. Tacoma YC will collect $25 when you register. Details on activities are well described on the Tacoma YC website. Please also RSVP on our KCYC Website so we can track who is going.

Other Fleet Events
Boater Education Day - 3/11
Janiece Christian has put together a great line up of presentations for this annual event at our Clubhouse Saturday, March 11th, 8:30am - 2:00pm. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Sign up on the Club Website. $5 members and $10 non-members will be collected to help cover the costs. Agenda includes:

- Marine Sanitation Systems and Devices by Gene Fuchs/Port Ludlow Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Use of Voltmeter on the Boat by Bob Mehm/Electrical Engineer (Club Member)
- Sharing the Sea with Whales by Jeff Hogan/Whale Wise
- Being a Courteous Boater by Ray Carpenter/Port of Kingston
- What a Boater Should Know About Ferries by Michael Edwards/WA State Ferries

Vessel Inspections - 3/11
The Port Ludlow Coast Guard Auxiliary will be providing complementary vessel safety inspections at the Kingston Marina throughout the day. Passing this inspection will get you that coveted sticker for your boat. Register for your vessel separately on the Club Website.

Boater Safety Course – Beginning 3/27
The Port Ludlow Coast Guard Auxiliary will be putting on a Boat America course at our clubhouse over three consecutive Monday evenings beginning March 27th . This course qualifies you for the required WA State Boater Education Card. The course is open to the public so may be a good opportunity for members attending to promote our Club to the attending non-members. Registration instructions are provided for this event on our Club website also.

Fair winds and following seas!

Chuck Turner
Fleet Captain

REAR COMMODORE REPORT

Report from your Rear Commodore

Greetings KCYC Members – Not much to report for the past month of February 2023. With lots of help we managed to serve a beverage or two at the off-site event in Edmonds. Thanks for all who pitched in to make that a success.

Hight Spirits has stopped stocking the Canoe Ridge Merlot, so we have switched to Montes Merlot. Those who have sampled it give it High Marks. Come try a glass for yourself.

Looking at the Social Calendar for March we will be busy with events involving Drink Specials including New Orleans night with some Bourbon based specials, Mexican night with the ever-popular Margaritas and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Coffee’s, Irish Mules, Jameson, and Guinness.

As always, if you have questions or suggestions please don’t hesitate to reach out.

So, belly up to the bar and have a beverage.

Walter Viereck

Rear Commodore

CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS

RBAW Legislative Day in Olympia.

Legislative Day in Olympia on January 26 was a great success with over 20 members of RBAW and our colleague, NW Marine Trade Association delegates joining us for meetings with 15 legislators. This was the first in person meetings with legislators since the pandemic. Notably the crowds from those years were non-existent which gave our delegation more time to spend with the representatives. The combined delegation focused on each of their legislative agendas for this two year session. RBAW focused on the importance of expanding pump out opportunities in Puget Sound as well as capital funding for the Lakebay Marina project. The day was capped off with an invitational gathering of RBAW delegates and legislators at the Olympia YC.

RBAW Moves Forward with Timeline for Hiring an Executive Director

As the workload for volunteer leaders in RBAW has expanded exponentially in the last few years with more interaction needed with not only legislators but also regulatory agencies, the Board is moving forward with plans to hire an Executive Director with a timeline of hiring in June or July. Funding must be subsidized by expanding the membership dues to a full membership for all yacht club members.

RBAW is diligently working with member yacht clubs to craft avenues to expand the $2 per yacht club members into full time memberships at $20 per year. The full membership offers individuals discount benefits with vendors as well as first hand, hot off the press tracking of RBAW’s interaction with legislative issues and agencies. Full membership dues have remained the same for many years and RBAW asks for everyone’s support as it moves forward with a more robust effort to have a person in place to deal with the many expanding issues facing recreational boaters almost on a daily basis.

RBAW Joins with a Coalition of Environmental Groups to Expand Pump Out Facilities
RBAW continues to work with several groups plus WA State Parks on a 2023-25 capital budget request of $2 million for pump out capacity in the state. Half of the money would go to state wide pump out facilities while the other half would fund a pump out base for commercial vessels which would likely be in Anacortes. Now there are no viable pump out options for work boats like tugs and other commercial vessels.

RBAW President Bob Wise Testifies at Two Hearings on Boating Related Issues
Bob Wise testified at a hearing on a Department of Natural Resources bill (SB 5433/ HB 1378) that would expand funding for removal of derelict structures and incentive funding for marina operators.

Additionally, RBAW continues to lobby for increased incentive funding and mitigation assistance be incorporated into the bill to aid marina operators in moving forward in cases where movement has been stalled because of the cost levied by the National Marine Fisheries Services. Secondly, President Wise testified at a hearing on a bill (SB5371/HB 1145) changing the distance that boaters would be required to keep away from Southern Resident Killer Whales from 300-400 yards to 1000 yards. RBAW’s concern is that most boaters would not be able to judge 1000 yards or be able to identify a killer whale from a transient Orca from that distance. Transients are not included in the 1000 yard protection zone. Also, the enforcement of the new zone would be difficult. RBAW is in a continuing discussion with the author of the bill to find some common ground that is feasible and workable.

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS

March Meeting Schedule

The Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 14th at 6pm.

The General Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 16th at 6pm.

Stop by the Club on Friday evenings!

Our members are always welcome to just come in for a drink and to catch up with friends on Friday evenings. It is not required to participate in the meal being served.

We request reservations (depending on what is being served) so that our hosts can plan the correct amount of food and avoid food loss costs to the club.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE

March 2023 Is going to be a busy month at the Club. On March 3 Robin and Kim will transform the Club into a French Quarter nightclub, with a Cajun meal and a much anticipated jazz singer performance. On March 10, Sandi and Kim C. will treat us all to a Mexican Fiesta and Killer Margaritas. Just in case your head is not spinning yet, the following Friday is March 17 and Julie Westwater is back for a repeat performance as a host to our epic St Patrick’s Day party.

On March 24 you can stop in the Club and mix and mingle with Hidden Harbor Yacht Club in town for their cruise. We are planning on having pulled pork sandwiches, hosted by Rob and Robin Salthouse. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Ladies Luncheon on Sunday, April 2nd, hosted by the Commodore’s spouse, Cheryl Hammon. It’s also a great fun volunteering opportunity for the gentlemen of the Club.

Upcoming Social Events

Past Events

February 2023, despite being so early in the year, was a busy one on the KCYC social calendar.

Big thank you to Diane Nunez for making soup for Friday Night Social while the Fleet was in Edmonds. We also had a “Bring your favorite takeout” the following Friday.

February 17 we hosted Edmonds Yacht Club on their annual cruise to Kingston, and they brought with them their Lasagna Contest. A great time was had by all.

February 24 saw another Friday night with snacks provided by the Membership Engagement Committee - thank you Beth Layton!

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MEMBERS

Nels Anderson Award Recipient 2022
Nancy Langwith

This award was established in 1976. It is the highest honor that is bestowed on a member of the Kingston Cove Yacht Club. This award is in memory of Nels Anderson, a charter member of this club whose strong, upright character and record of achievements and accomplishments inspired his fellow club members to go the extra mile in the interest of this club. This award is presented to that individual who has shown by their actions that they have, indeed, gone the extra mile.

Nancy Langwith has been an active member with KCYC for 13 years. She was inducted in 2010 and hit the ground running. She served our club as a board member for 4 years, not to mention all the committees she formed and chaired, over the years. She stayed active with KCYC before her time on the board and continued to support us after her term ended. She has led our club in so many areas, including mentorship, events, sing a longs, leadership development, community development, and so much more! I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Nancy. I think you will agree with me when you read through all the amazing things she has done for KCYC and our community over the years. This is evidenced by the many awards Nancy has received for her dedication to our club and community.

KCYC Awards

- Lona McFarland 2017

- Helen Meredith 2022

- Nels Anderson 2022

- Boating Family of the Year 2021

Nancy developed first strategic plan for club including value added objectives for FUN; created and chaired the Community Engagement Committee.

She also led the Board and membership to:

- Host a memorable 50th Anniversary Celebration of KCYC and a diverse and successful year of social and cruise activities

- Implement a new website

- Restructure dues to cover operating costs; create processes to stimulate volunteerism

- Approve the first Policy Manual, create 2 new funds for financial stability and make necessary changes to the by-laws.

Nancy has also been very involved in the larger Kingston Community and served as:

- Facilitator of the Kingston Stakeholders (Economic Development)

- Founder of the North Kitsap Tourism Consortium

- Founder Almost Summer Festival (Community Event)

- Co-founder Greater Kingston Economic Development Committee

- Drafted/Gained Approval for Significant Revision of Kitsap County Lodging Tax Allotment Process.

Nancy Langwith's Leadership at KCYC

2010 - Inducted

2011-2014 - Co-founder and Chair of the New Membership Development Committee.

2015-2016 - First Friday Night Social Coordinator

2016 -2017 - Fleet Captain

2017-2018 – Vice Commodore

2018-2019 – Commodore

After serving as KCYC Commodore, Nancy went on to chair the Community Engagement Committee 2019-2022; approve the first Policy Manual; create 2 new funds for financial stability and changes to the by-laws; chair the KCYC Fourth of July Committee 2020-22; chair Kingston Cove Christmas community event on behalf of KCYC 2021; and draft the principles of the Leadership Section of the Long Range Plan 2021.

On behalf of the membership of KCYC, we’d like to thank Nancy for her time, dedication, leadership, and love for KCYC and our community!

Kim Francisco

Past Commodore

MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

New Members!

Mark and Dawn Wiser

Dawn and Mark are our new inductees for the February 2023 General Meeting. They moved to Kingston in May of 2022 to live a walkable lifestyle (mostly) and to be closer to their 5 grandchildren. They met several members of the KCYC at the 4th of July celebration and thought the club’s goals, activities, and community support would be a match for them.

Mark and Dawn moved to Wenatchee in 1977 and continue to maintain a home there. Mark worked as an energy conservation specialist for the local utility district. Dawn worked for government agencies and finished her career as a real estate professional. Both Dawn and Mark volunteered in many functions over the years from coaching youth sports to community involvements such as the Women’s Service League and Kiwanis club.

They love to travel, listen to live music especially outdoors, and to be involved in family activities.
They look forward to meeting new friends and becoming involved in KCYC activities.

SUNSHINE AND CLOUDS

The following are Sunshine and Clouds from January and February of this year:

Linda MacEllven is doing so much better with her ankle!
Walter and Karen will be grandparents again in June! Della is going to be a BIG sister. Congrats to Kristi, Albert and Della!
JulieAnn Westwater has been under the weather. Please send healing thoughts and prayers.
Butch Brown had back surgery and is recovering great!
Greg Wright’s father passed away. Sending love and prayers.
Diane Nunez’s grandson, Matthew, has been battling a very rare condition, Fires. They are taking great care of him at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Much love to Diane and family.
Laura Shabe broke her wrist looking for her dog, Oliver, on the beach - ouch- she should be back in the kayak by April.

We lost an amazing soul recently. Tom Pickens was an integral part of KCYC for so many years and held many positions within our club. He was admired and loved by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with Linda and their family during this difficult time. We will honor Tom with our members on Kingston Opening Day on May 13.

If you know of member who has amazing news to share, please let me know, so we can all celebrate.
If you know that a member is struggling with health issues or has recently lost a family member, please
send an email so we can send a card to them to help brighten their day.

Kim Francisco, Past Commodore, email: thekingstonalehouse@outlook.com

Please Visit the KCYC Facebook Pages!

We all should know that KCYC has a public facebook page, Kingston Cove Yacht Club. Did you know that we also have a "members only" page? To use it, you must send us a request to join so we are certain that it remains a valuable resource for KCYC members. Members can use the page to post topics and communicate with other members on whatever topics they choose.

To request to join the page, please click the link below.