Despite a very light-air month of August, the Social Day-Cruising fleet was on the water each week for an afternoon cruise with a healthy mixture of experienced and eager new sailors. In particularly light winds, spinnakers went up and swim ladders went down.
More skippers have come forward to help our new sailors master the art and science of sailing, and allow our experienced sailors an opportunity to keep their skills sharp. Special thanks this month go to Ted Ceelens (Shawanaga) and Scott McDougall (Brisa).
After each outing, crews can typically be found on the club deck sharing what they’ve learned and building their networks in the sailing community.
While there are ten boats in the fleet, their skippers often have conflicting commitments. So, typically we can put four or five boats on the water. And with a complement of crew sometimes up to 18, we can definitely use more boats.
Check out the video on NSCTV here.
Dates for the remainder of the season are:
September 2 at 1300
September 10 at 1300
September 16 at 1300
September 23 at 1300
To participate in any of these dates, either as skipper or crew, please email Tim Moses to register.
Submitted by Tim Moses
July Update
NSC’s Social Day-cruising got off to a flying start. On each of four weekly cruises in July, two to three boat owners welcomed crew in 28 spots on their boats. But there are requests for many more. We had good winds on all four cruises, making it as far as Pinhey’s Point on one occasion. On another day three boats rafted up at Aylmer Island for a swim and refreshments, dashing back in front of an approaching storm cell. In these and otherwise normal circumstances, skippers have found crew to be capable and eager to learn the boat’s ropes and pitch in fully.
Skippers further appreciated the assistance they got with docking, anchoring and trimming and driving in stronger winds, gaining experience with their boats in conditions that might otherwise have kept them at the dock.
Crews have included Basic Keelboat course graduates looking for an opportunity to hone their skills and experienced sailors who no longer have a boat of their own, but who haven’t lost their love of sailing. We also had crew who were simply curious to discover what sailing is all about. At least one crew joined the club for the chance to get out on the water without having to own a boat. Some are “testing the waters”, considering getting their own boat.
Check out the video on NSCTV here.
Particular thanks go to
- Chris Sandes (Australis)
- Eric Bramwell and Kit Holmwood (Morning Mist)
- Hugh McDowell (Skygak)
- Peter Lok (Ti Amo II)
- Stephen Kidd (Tropical Quest)
- Tim Moses (Cariad)
A shortage of boats is the one thing standing between us and total success – we have had to implement a waitlist of day-cruising crew. The commitment can be as little as once per season, although we hope that you will enjoy the experience so much that you will return as often as you can. If you are a boat owner, please consider taking some crew along for a sail once or twice this season. Please email Tim Moses for more information.
We have been experimenting with variations in the sailing schedule, and are announcing the dates for August (September’s dates to be announced later). These are:
- Friday, August 5, 1300 hours
- Friday, August 12, 1300 hours
- Friday, August 19, 1300 hours
- Saturday, August 27, 1300 hours
The last August cruise will be another raft-up at Aylmer Island. The others will be sailing all the way.
We ask that crew register for each cruise by emailing Tim Moses. This will enable us to manage boat assignments.
Whether you are a boat owner or crew, this program offers a great opportunity to go sailing on the Ottawa River and help crew both learn more and contribute to your cruise while making new friends who share your interest.
Submitted by Tim Moses