Some of us race, others get on boats and putter around…..so I got to thinking.
What will be fun, social and new? Especially for the group of small boat sailors at NSC.
view from LDSC deck[/caption>
Many Covid restriction are now relaxing and it is time for a social sail, a chance to renew friendships for some, and for others, make new sailing friends.
Join us on Saturday, August 7, 2021, as we set sail from Nepean SC, (weather permitting, see below) and journey upriver to Lac Deschenes SC for a BYO picnic lunch. It is open to everyone at NSC, from Lasers to keelboats. We are also emailing our friends at Kanata SC to sail downriver and gather and gobble with us.
The friendly folks at Lac Deschenes SC have invited us to join them as we share lunch on their shaded lawns.
So pack up a picnic basket (along with suitable beverages), a mask for each person, swimsuits and beach towels, round up your family or sailing buddies, and let’s plan on a 10.45 am Skipper’s meeting at the Green Tent near the Youth Sail Centre, followed by an 11.00 am departure. You may wish to know that on Saturday, in 8 knots of SW wind, it took Laura and myself about 20 minutes to get to LDSC on our Hobie 16. On Sunday, in lighter winds, it took us about 40 minutes.
With favourable wind and weather, let’s plan on a 45 minute trip, which will get us there in good time to beach or moor, and set up for lunch. The return trip is at your own discretion.
If there is rain or storm, my recommendation is that each of us make our own choice and do this again next year. OR, if there is no wind, we switch boats for cars and drive over to LDSC.
Charles Smith on behalf of LDSC advises as follows:
We have club dollies for road width catamarans and for monohulls. Wider boats (Tornados) will probably have to be moored, maybe from our dock.
We launch and retrieve catamarans with centreboards and monohulls twice a week so sailing into the beach isn’t a big deal. You just have to raise the boards before you hit a rock. Guidance is available. Water gets thin in August so before the big day we’ll send a 185cm guy out to check water depth and advise. The bottom is mostly soft sand and silt, that’s not the problem. The problem is the random 65cm rocks that can catch your attention.
• Washrooms are available. The refrigerators aren’t available yet.
• The BBQ will be available for use. Bring your own utensils and wash the BBQ prior to and after use.
• There is a continuing issue with trash collection. Plan on taking home what you bring. (NOTE by John Lunn: there will be vehicle transport coming from/to NSC, for help with this).
CLOSED: The Clubhouse will continue to be closed except for emergency purposes – Step 3 Covid restrictions remain in place.
• Kitchen facilities, including the stove, microwave, sink with running warm water, and dishes (and glasses!), are all closed. Damn!
You’re welcome any time. It’s just the province might be making you feel a touch unwelcome right now. But I’ll still pour you a drink. And I guess that brings up the point that we don’t have a bar. So it’s BYOB. But I’ll be ready to pour you a drink.
Thank you Charles and Scott. I will be asking that NSC supply a power boat to act as ‘shepherd’ and safety boat. TBC.
Please reply no later than Weds Aug 4th, so I can let LDSC know the numbers.
How to Sail
1. Figure out where you want to go.
2. Whichever way it is, do NOT aim the sailboat in that direction.
3. Aim the sailboat in some other direction.
4. Trust me, this is the way sail-boaters do it.
5. They are heavy drinkers.
To enter please RSVP here