Soundings - Eagle Harbour Yacht Club

EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB
SoundingsFEBRUARY 2011

LES JOHNSON 904-0334 (home)
Commodore 727-6140 (cell)
les.johnson@quantium.ca
DAVID SLATER 921-7373 (home)
Vice Commodore dsfalcon@shaw.ca
CHRIS PAGE 922-3049 (home)
Rear Commodore cpage@srk.com
ANDREW CRANE 921-9810 (home)
Fleet Captain 312-2440 (cell)
acrane@telus.net
EAGLE HARBOUR YACHT CLUB
ROB McFARLANE 530-8263 (home)
Staff Captain 484-4957 (work)
603-9626 (cell)
RMcFarlane@cmwinsurance.com
MARK POWELL 266-1413 (home)
Treasurer 661-5349 (office)
mark.powell@canfor.com
MARG LATHAM 926-2491 (home)
Hydrographer 778-836-9309 (cell)
Latham2491@shaw.ca
DAVID MUNSON 921-6026 (home)
Executive Secretary dmunson@shaw.ca
5750 Eagle Harbour Road, West Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada, V7W 1P5
Telephone: (604) 921-7636 Fax: 921-7631 office email: ehyc@ehyc.org
this SOUNDINGS is created by volunteers…
Contributing articles are welcomed on topics of general interest to members
David Munson… Executive responsible for Soundings
Margaret Campbell… editor
Diane Roberts… design/layout/printing coordination
www.ehyc.org
EXECUTIVE CONTACT INFORMATION - 2011
ANDY CLEMINSON 926-8530 (home)
Membership Secretary 868-8550 (cell)
acleminson@yahoo.ca
CALLUM BEVERIDGE 778-996-5634 (cell)
Junior Programs 921-1797 (home)
Coordinator 604-638-4946 (office)
callum.beveridge@shaw.ca
LYNN COULES 921-7597 (home)
Social Director lynncoules@shaw.ca
ERIK HAAKONSHOLM 922-7735 (home)
Past Commodore 294-9368 (office)
209-1491 (cell)
erik_dennerik@telus.net
GEOFF VICKERY 980-2855 (home)
Director
E.H.Y.C. OFFICE 921-7636 (office)
921-7631 (fax)
916-8045 (Collen cell)
ehyc@ehyc.org
Collen’s usual days off: Tues. & Wed.
Nancy’s usual days in: Mon-Thur. 9.30-2.30

Welcome to 2011 and Happy New Year. We started
the year off well by joining the celebrations at West
Vancouver Yacht Club. They met us at the door with a
glass of champagne, hosted a great dinner and got us
up on the dance floor. This year is off to a good start!
Not to be out done, Eagle Harbour hosted the
annual New Year’s Day Tug of War between the
clubs and prevailed on the beach once again. There
were about 100 people to cheer us on with good
representation from both clubs. The excellent clam
chowder (thanks, Collen) and glorious weather
contributed their part to make it a great day.
Continuing the tradition of cooperation between
the clubs, we hosted the Robbie Burns Supper on
January 22nd. It was an outstanding evening.
Plans are underway for all the traditional social
events and a few surprises as well. To make sure
we are on the right track, we are planning to solicit
feedback through a survey early in the year. You can
fill in a form or complete it online. A summary of the
results will be published in Soundings … you might
even get a pie chart.
I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the new
Executive. It is those people who volunteer their
time and energy that make this such a great Club.
Our inspiration comes from all those who have
helped build and maintain the wonderful facilities
we have. From a personal perspective, I never felt
COMMODORE‘S MESSAGE
as though I really belonged here until I did a little volunteer
work; now I feel like I own the place! There is no better way
to meet some really nice people.
There are no major building projects planned for the coming
year so it is an opportunity to concentrate on upgrades such
as plumbing and electrical for the docks.
I hope that you are able to take advantage of our “aquatic
launch pad” to explore and revel in the spectacular
playground we live adjacent to. Have a safe and enjoyable
boating season.
Respectfully submitted,
Les Johnson
Puppy
1

As I write, the Clubhouse is closed for a week or so with
Collen doing his annual refurbishing of the wooden floors.
The top of the project list for this year will be the installation
of a handrail on the back stairs leading from the patio to the
“cave.” We are also looking into the installation of parking
lot gates in order to try to control the mostly after-hours use
of the parking lot.
2
Vice Commodore’s
Report
Rear Commodore’s
Report
This is my first submission to Soundings and I am bit
apprehensive having to fit into such imposing boots as
those of David Slater, both physically and metaphorically
— he has done such a good job over the last couple of
years. But I have a very able Technical Committee that
will keep my nose to the grindstone!
Dave gave a summation of the more significant tasks
we will be trying to complete in 2011 in his report to the
AGM (included elsewhere in Soundings): inspection
and replacement of chains for the breakwater; repair
and replacement of some bull rails; a new fresh water
system; more dock flotation. We will probably put
off refurbishment of the electrical supply due to the
significant costs of the work needed for replacing some of
the chains holding the breakwater.
It is the season of storms so I would encourage you all to
check your lines and fenders and make sure that electrical
cables are not hanging in the water. Another winter-time
thought is how much power you are using: a nominal
300W is the maximum you should be using but some of
you are using much more. This is something that we need
to get to grips with as the current system is sometimes
over-loaded. If there are adjustments that you can make
to reduce your usage we would be grateful.
Finally the subject of moorage re-location has come up
because it has in the past been perceived as being a bit
ad hoc and possibly unfair. Currently we have only three
I have several volunteers for a new House Committee and
we are hoping to have our first meeting within the next
couple of months.
Respectfully submitted,
Dave Slater
Tamele
people with formal requests for re-location. We will be
putting a form together for formal requests in the future.
The issue is maximizing the overall moorage footage
because we want to ensure the greatest possible number
of members have moorage, especially as this is one of
our main sources of revenue. This means that if someone
with a 36ft boat gives up their moorage we cannot move a
26ft boat into that spot just because it is a more desirable
spot and they had a request for re-location. There is
already some grumbling that gaps between boats are
too large — as well as the opposite. So it is an especially
difficult juggling task. But we will attempt to have a more
transparent process and publish the re-location list on the
web site.
Chris Page
Cocoa 2

Social Committee Report
Although the dates for some of the Club functions are
still being finalized, we have a pool of enthusiastic
volunteers this year who will take on different tasks
at each of our events, including Jenny Elliott, Nancy
Johnson, Liz Klose, Susan Larlee, Judith Powell, Linda
Powell, Sue Slater, Diane Thomas and Alison Wilson.
More helpers would be most welcome.
The focus this year will be on providing value and
variety to the membership, which will be evident
in the extra touches and effort that go into each
social. New ideas will be implemented, as well as
some interesting ‘mystery’ events. It promises to be
an exciting year for this friendly little yacht club.
New Year’s Day
To start the year right, Eagle Harbour staged its
own Polar Bear swim, with 20 brave souls taking
the plunge. Steve Panz was first into the ocean! This
was followed by the EHYC/WVYC Tug-O-War, a
great long-standing tradition, witnessed this year
by a combined membership of 100 people. It was
again won by Eagle Harbour Yacht Club. The perfect
sunny, cool day delivered more people than were
expected, with a good turn out from West Vancouver
Yacht Club.
Collen’s clam chowder and French bread were
appreciated by all. He did a great set-up, so
everything was ready when Dave Slater and Keith
Coules arrived to serve behind the bar. Sue Slater
and Nancy Johnson cheerfully served chowder to the
hordes, followed by tea, coffee, hot chocolate and hot
rum, and when everyone reluctantly departed, they
worked hard in the kitchen doing clean-up.
2011 EHYC Social Event Survey
In 2010, your Executive received a suggestion from one of
our members that we consider instituting a “Social Levy”
with our dues, to help promote attendance at our EHYC
social functions. This Levy would apply to all members,
and be refundable against the cost of any social event,
similar in concept to many other clubs. We recognize that
the member interaction and camaraderie that takes place at
our variety of social events are a great part of belonging to
EHYC, and feel that the suggestion has some merit.
After considerable discussion, your Executive decided
to incorporate this suggestion into a general social event
survey to poll all EHYC members both by paper copy and
electronically using “Survey Monkey” to elicit feedback and
All in all a very successful beginning to our social
calendar for the year.
Robbie Burns Supper
This joint EHYC/WVYC event on January 22 proved
so popular we scored a SELL OUT. Our caterers,
Critics Choice, prepared a gourmet feast, and we
enjoyed music by Lorne Warr and The Streels. A
‘streel’ is a slovenly person in Newfie-speak, but
there was nothing shabby about these east-coaston-the-west-coast
virtuoso musicians, who sing and
play an eclectic repertoire of original, Maritime, and
Celtic tunes.
Guests were piped in by piper Grant Stiver from
the JP Fell Pipe Band, who later piped in the haggis
carried by Rob Wharton from WVYC, escorted by
his brother Gary Wharton carrying a claymore. After
dinner, guests enjoyed a performance by the Royal
Scottish Country Dance Team.
Four very good Scotch whiskies were offered up for
the tasting and at least one was a mystery scotch with
the label covered over. Master of the blind Scotch
tasting, Doug Drysdale — also a member of the JP
Fell Pipe Band — explained the origin and history of
each Scotch. The lucky winner of the draw at the end
of the tasting got to take home the unused Scotch.
Lang may yer lum reek.
Lynn Coules
Friday’s Child
suggestions on our social events. “Survey Monkey” has
provided valuable feedback on our Sailing School programs,
and we hope that we will also be able to generate similar
helpful and positive feedback on the Social Survey.
Your 2011 Executive asks for your response to this survey,
which will be mailed/emailed to you in March, in the hopes
that the feedback will help us and your hard-working Social
Committee continue to plan and deliver social events that
appeal to the various tastes of our diverse membership.
Thank you!
Erik Haakonsholm
Past Commodore
3

4
NEW YEAR’S DAY
EHYC VS WVYC
TUG OF WAR
The EHYC team put their backs into the pull.
Then there was time for discussion and analysis……
Once the “polar bears” were out of the water, the Tug of War contenders assembled.
The WVYC team dug in their heels and heaved, but that ribbon inexorably crept
away from them until their fate was decided. EHYC wins again!
before heading back to the Clubhouse for a warming lunch
and some friendly conversations.

ROBBIE BURNS SUPPER
The Clubhouse looked its welcoming best for Robbie Burns Night
Lynn Coules (L) headed up the Social Committee’s efforts for the Robbie Burns
event, while Nancy Johnson and Susan Slater greeted the guests at the door
Commodore Les Johnson
welcomed the crowd
Lots of tartans on display
The piper welcomed guests
The Scotch tasting was very popular The haggis was piped in escorted by fine Scotch and a claymore
5

6
Address to the Haggis Brian Elliott – the man who, despite his
Scottish name and Scottish wife is actually
English – gave the Toast to the Lassies
Both EHYC and WVYC members enjoyed the sold-out event Ken Fraser and Keith Coules were just two of the bartender team
The dancers from the Royal Scottish Dance Society
gave a lively entertainment
WVYC Commodore Barry Ford
and his wife Diane
The WVYC “Bearer of the Claymore”
won the door prize
The Newfie exuberance of the Screels brought
everyone to the dance floor

Membership Report
It is a great pleasure to welcome the following new active
members to EHYC:
590 ......... J.D. Eilertson
592 ......... C. Poulter
594 ......... L. Brownlee
598 ......... Edgar Lockhart
A welcome also to new Associate Members: Shindler, Ball,
C. McDonald, J. Clothier.
Sadly we say goodbye to Ron Pearson, Al Hansell and John
Morrison all of whom were active members.
We also lost some associate members: Angie Beer, The
Robinsons, J. Baston, Liz Morgan, M. Scorderus, Doug
McCracken, Glen Steiner, and George Streadwick.
Nominated as joint members are Brian and Jenny Elliot and
John and Linda Powell.
On my old charts, it shows a fish farm right in the middle
of this cove and so I never ventured there. Until last year,
that is, when I met someone who had been there a short
time beforehand and who assured me that the fish farm
was gone.
The entrance is just to the south of Lyall Harbour where
the B.C. ferry terminal is for Saturna Island. For those
without GPS, just follow the ferry and turn right before
the terminal. The narrow entrance is quite hidden at
certain angles of approach and there are some rocks on the
terminal side to avoid.
Once inside the cove, there is a large area to anchor in
about 40’ of water and it is very well protected from
seas, though the wind can howl over the top. The main
drawback is that the sun is lost later in the afternoon. We
did, however, do very well with our crab trap for the two
days there and managed a couple of swims. My brother
and his wife from NZ really enjoyed that part of our stay.
There are a number of cottages in the cove and while we
were there, the occupants were very quiet.
It is our hope that those of you who have recently joined
EHYC in any capacity will enjoy all that our wonderful
club has to offer. Lynn Coules, our Social Director, has put
together a marvellous collection of events for 2011. so don’t
be shy — come join the fun.
If at any time you are concerned about a particular aspect
of your membership benefits please be sure to get in touch
with either myself or Nancy at the office.
Wishing all a very happy and enjoyable time at Eagle
Harbour Yacht Club
Andy Cleminson
Taormina
Favourite Anchorages
Boat Cove, Saturna Island
It is only a brief dinghy ride to the public dock alongside
the ferry terminal, if you anchor close to the entrance.
From there it is a short walk to The Lighthouse Pub
which last year had a gourmet cook. The food was
excellent and very reasonably priced and they had a
good selection of beers. Besides the pub, there is a small
commercial centre.
Friendly locals put us onto a great place for gathering
apples and blackberries and also directed us to a really
good two-hour walk. We left the terminal area and
headed north on the road as though going to Winter
Cove. A mile or so out, at just above sea level, we turned
right off the road and onto an unmarked trail heading
uphill. This is a park and the trail is well defined once
you have located its entrance. It is uphill all the way
and you eventually arrive at another road. Turning right
brings you back down to the ferry terminal.
Saturna Island has a number of festive things going on
during the year and this anchorage is pretty ideal for
getting close to the action.
Chester Spink and his Essex Girl
7

Vice Commodore’s Report
Aside from assisting the Commodore, the Vice Commodore
is responsible for shore facilities, including parking and
security. 2010 has been a busy but productive year, and has
included a few changes to the way we operate.
The first of these changes (actually started in 2009 by Steve
Panz) is the weekly operational meetings on Monday
mornings with the Commodore, Vice and Rear Commodores
and the Superintendent. We review our ongoing “To Do
list” and deal with any issues arising the previous week.
One noticeable improvement is the due diligence now
being applied to our sleepy boat policy. These meetings
have improved communication considerably and I plan to
continue them next year.
The second change is the introduction of a Policy Committee
to assist the Executive with issues requiring a deep
understanding of our history, culture, and the by-laws and
regulations. The first output was a set of Guiding Principles
for the Executive (published in the yearbook).
The third change is the ongoing inspection of mooring
lines and electrical cords, and follow-up with members.
The first inspection in May revealed a very large number
of boats that weren’t meeting the minimum requirements.
Although the process may have ruffled a few feathers, the
second inspection completed in November showed a vast
improvement. There are still a few outstanding issues with
household power cords, which we hope to have resolved by
the end of the year.
Rear Commodore’s Report
The year began as usual with well-attended work parties,
which concentrated on dock chain replacements as
necessary following inspections by the diver.
The Technical Committee’s inspections had revealed
several areas of rot in the wooden dock stringers, mostly
on #1, #1A, #2, #6 and #7 docks: also some isolated loose
securing bolts on the stringer connections, mostly on #9
dock. The rot in #6 dock was extensive and beyond repair.
Timbers were lashed by rope to a section of #6 dock just
passed mid length as a temporary measure to prevent the
8
REPORTS TO THE 2010
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The House Committee conducted an inspection of the
Clubhouse early in the year and generated a list of repairs
and improvements. Most changes are minor, such as
replacing the light bulbs in the Clubhouse entranceway,
but there are a few notable exceptions such as the new
refrigerator.
Our neighbour, Kyle Washington has completed a retaining
wall facing the deck of the Clubhouse. In addition to giving
him more usable space, there is now a greater degree of
privacy on both sides. His contractor did a nice job of
landscaping the area of our property that was disturbed
during construction.
The new AV system has been operating this past year and has
added a new dimension to our social activities, the most spec-
tacular of which was the Olympic men’s Gold Medal hockey
game. The hoped-for expense recovery hasn’t materialized as
planned, but the general improvement in the economy should
translate into more corporate rentals next year.
Revenue from rental activity and from all other sources was
down considerably from last year, but still brought us a
respectable 50K. The silver lining was fewer disruptions to
members and the Sailing School compared to 2009 when we
hosted the film crew for “Charlie St. Cloud.”
Respectfully submitted,
Les Johnson
dock breaking in half, and the wheels were set in motion to
build a new #6 dock. We used a similar design, although
twice the length of #8 dock, which was built last year. After
the Extraordinary General Meeting in February, which
approved our request for $50,000 capital budget for the
construction costs, the new dock was built in our parking
lot by volunteer Club member labour and was launched in
four sections on the afternoon of April 26th. After bolting
the sections together, the new dock was put in place and
anchored on April 28th. Some members of the Junior Club
assisted Collen shifting boats, towing the old dock out

REPORTS TO THE 2010 AGM CONTINUED
and the new dock in. Many thanks to all those involved.
Incidentally, the total cost of the project came in well under
budget at $23,000. This does not include any costs for water
or electrical installations.
In the meantime, work parties continued with the rot
replacement on the remaining docks until the summer,
when a couple of carpenters were hired to complete this
work. There are still several sections of bull rail to be
replaced in various locations. Some have been done but the
remainder are on Collen’s list for future work parties.
Having completed the repairs to the rotted sections, we
turned our attention to dock flotation, the purpose being
to raise the height at which the docks are floating to
ensure that the stringers and other lumber members are
not below the water. The flotation billets help to level the
docks and gave them more stability. We had previously
made enquiries as to companies doing this kind of work
and we had decided on Island Flotation, which is based on
Salt Spring Island. They supplied the encapsulated foam
billets similar to those used on the new docks. Two of their
personnel, including the boss, are divers and they, together
with a helper, fitted the billets under the sections of the
docks where required. Frank and I worked with them:
the operation went very well, and the unused billets were
returned to them at no charge to us. The job was completed
in two days, for a little less than $10,000, well under our
estimated budget. We would thoroughly recommend
Island Flotation should anyone require their services.
We didn’t achieve any progress on a new potable water
line this year. We did visit WVYC and Thunderbird and
have decided to do a similar surface installation rather than
installing the line under the dock boards. The Technical
Committee has drawn up a materials list, but we ran out of
time and money so that job is on the list for next year.
Regarding the dock electrics. I just read through an earlier
Rear Commodore’s AGM report and he stated: “Electrical
supply on the docks remains a problem. We have a limited
supply and upgrading would be costly.” Things electrical
haven’t changed much. We did recently renew the electrical
wiring on #3 and #6 docks and since then, we have not
had any complaints about the electrical supply in spite of
the recent very cold spell. The Executive and the Technical
Committee have discussed the electrical situation but so far,
no changes are planned. Les has published a report in the
current issue of Soundings.
A couple of months ago, another Rear Commodore
responsibility caused me some distress. This entailed the
sending out of eight “sleepy boat” letters to members who
have apparently, for one reason or another, not used their
boats a sufficient number of times to comply with Club
Regulations. All the persons involved do have another year
in which to comply, and I sincerely hope they can find more
time during the next boating season. I can appreciate the
Club’s position in wanting to ensure that full use is made of
our facilities.
Now we look at the future. At a recent Technical
Committee inspection of the floating assets, the breakwater
anchoring was our main focus — in particular, the bridle
chain, which is a little over 300’ in length, extending from
securing points located on the forward port and starboard
corners of the barge. These two chains are then shackled
into a single chain that runs along the seabed to a concrete
anchor close to the shore. This anchor, in turn, is secured
by two chains to rock anchors on the shore below the
Parthenon and has been in place on this breakwater since
it was acquired in 2001. The chain had been used in a
similar manner to secure the previous breakwater from
1991 and I understand the chain was second hand when
the Club acquired it. We recently had a diver swim the
length of the chain: he found extensive wear on the link
on the single section of chain to which the two arms of
the bridle chain, are shackled. This wear was so extensive
that it was considered necessary to effect an immediate
temporary repair. This entailed using two lengths of 2”
polysteel rope with thimbled eyes which were shackled to
the cross harbour chain, a few links closer to the Parthenon
thus by-passing the damaged link. The other ends of the
polysteel ropes, again with thimbled eyes, were shackled
to the bridle chains just below the securing points on the
port and starboard corners of the barge. Collen inspected
the rock anchors and securing rings at low tide and found
them to be in satisfactory condition. The tides at this time
of the year are only low enough to inspect the rock anchors
at night, so Collen was out in the Raider at about 11 pm a
couple of weeks ago.
Just this weekend, Collen, working with a diver, shackled
extra links of chain onto both arms of the bridle chain.
These links were then shackled to the cross-harbour chain
below the damaged link, which was then bypassed, thus
giving additional security to the damaged area of this
chain.
As well as the bridle chain, three other chains, located on
the offshore side of the barge, are secured to their own
concrete anchors in over 100’ of water. These chains are all
over 200’ in length and have been in place since 2001. They
are also due for replacement this year. This breakwater
securing is the reason for our request of $60,000 capital
expense approval to be voted on later in the meeting. The
Technical Committee proposes to have divers carry out a
full inspection of the cross-harbour and offshore chains and
anchors with a written report and possibly, photographs.
This work will be carried out in February or March with the
necessary chain replacement scheduled for March and April.
9

The Technical Committee further proposes that this divers’
inspection, with reports, be carried out every three years.
Collen and the work parties will be kept busy working
on a list of maintenance items identified by the Technical
Committee. Speaking of work parties, I would like to thank
Chris, our hydrographer this year, and Collen, for their
organization of the work parties. Also thanks to Collen for
looking after boats in and out, keeping the breakwater and
our docks floating and in place. Thank you Nancy for your
Staff Captain’s Report
THERMOS CRUISE
Thermos Cruise was held in March this year, to avoid an
Olympics conflict – though you would have thought it was
a summer “iced tea” cruise by the warm sunny weather. On
March 6, eleven EHYC yachts and about fifty members and
guests ventured to Plumper Cove on Keats, taking over
the docks (lots of space in March!) for a day of fun in the
sun. The weather was wonderful under bright sunny skies
and temperatures mild enough to see Chester out in shorts
and sandals. It was lovely day sharing stories and snacks,
wandering around the Island, and getting reacquainted
with old friends, and making some new friends.
SAILPAST
Sailpast was fortunately uneventful. As a rookie at leading
the power vessels I was pleased not to cut off the sailors or
lose any of the power vessels … and everyone saluted the
right Commodore!
SUPER CRUISE
On the May long weekend twenty EHYC yachts and
fifty members and guests ventured to a new destination:
Telegraph Harbour Marina on Thetis Island. What a
welcome we enjoyed, and such amazing entertainment:
10
REPORTS TO THE 2010 AGM CONTINUED
A parade was moving along down the water front road as we
arrived Saturday afternoon.
Sunday began with Commodore Eric and the lovely Susan
treating everyone to breakfast off their aft deck.
Thanks to Frank Astbury, the ever-popular (and very wet)
Dinghy Boat Race was a success.
Many wandered down the road to enjoy what was reportedly
a delightful lunch at the church camp, while others took the
ferry to Chemainus or visited the local farmers’ market.
Later on Sunday, the Coast Guard Hovercraft manoeuvred
help and for keeping me informed as to how much budget
money I have left.
This is my last report as Rear Commodore. Thank you all
for your work party hours, especially our dock building
gang, and Frank and the Technical Committee for your
experience and expert advice.
Dave Slater
100’ off the dock, replacing a navigational sign at the canal
entrance. That will be a difficult act to follow.
The day was finished with a fantastic BBQ down the harbour at
the Thetis Island Pub, where a good time really was had by all —
especially those who won the coveted golden rubber duckies.
Tara and Ron (owners of the marina) and their staff treated
us like kings, going well ‘above and beyond’ on several
occasions. Several members returned to Telegraph Harbour
Marina this summer (including ourselves).
After some lobbying, we decided to break with tradition and
have the same destination two years in a row … so we have
booked a little more space for 2011 – as we nearly had to
turn people away this year.
AWARDS NIGHT
Forty-five people attended Awards night. Despite having to
step in at the last moment, Jeff Motley and Roger Campbell
did a fantastic job of presenting the various sailing awards
and, more importantly, extracting Flotsam and Jetsam
nominations from the floor. Who knew EHYC members had
such talent with radio etiquette blunders, misjudging the
length of keels, or hoisting head sails in such unique ways.
Doug and Ben (our sailing instructors) did a great job BBQing
the burgers and handling the bulk of the clean-up duties.
Woldy and Cathy Sosnowsky entertained us with a slide
show of their ventures, which won them the Grey Goose
Migratory Award for furthest travel from the Club, and
return, in the same year.
One of the last awards of the evening was Eric presenting
the Commodore’s Award to Karin Fraser and the Social
Committee for all they have done for the Club.
It has been a privilege serving as the EHYC Staff Captain.
Thanks to all who made this an enjoyable and memorable
year for both Kathleen and myself.
Rob McFarlane

Treasurer’s Report
Copies of the Club’s audited financial statements for the
year ended September 30, 2010 were sent out with the
notices of the AGM.
Although we show a “loss” for the year of $14,000, a closer
look at the financials demonstrates that, on an “operating
cash” basis, we broke even. (Take the Operating Loss of
$(46,000), add back the non-cash Amortization of $92,000,
then subtract the Purchase of Assets of $(46,000)).
HIGHLIGHTS:
REPORTS TO THE 2010 AGM CONTINUED
While moorage rates in 2010 were not increased over 2009,
the fact that the 2009 year reflects half a year at the old
2008 rate led to an overall increase in moorage revenues.
(Moorage fees are effective from April to March, whereas
fiscal years cover October to September.)
Clubhouse rentals, which include movie rentals, declined
from $86,000 to $50,000. Movie rentals went down from
$55,000 (one big movie) to $43,000 (several small movies),
and corporate/member bookings were down from $31,000
to $7,000.
Sailing School fees and fundraising does not reflect a
government gaming grant of over $14,000 in 2010. The
grant can only be taken into income as depreciation is
charged on the assets (dinghies etc.) purchased with it, or
as it is spent within the year on other things.
Shore facilities expense included new barbecue burners
and increased maintenance work on the Clubhouse heating
system and elevator.
Water facilities expense included the renewal of floatation
under the docks, and extensive dock chain replacement.
Asset purchases of $46,550 in 2010 included $23,000 for
dock 6, $12,000 for four used 420 dinghies at a bargain
rate from the movie makers, and $6,000 for the Clubhouse
projector and screen.
HST is upon us. We were not required to charge HST (just
GST) on 2010 membership fees, and our interpretation of
the regulations led us to a similar approach with 2010-11
moorage fees. However, in the future, both membership
and moorage fees will be subject to HST.
While there has been a small reduction in the yearend
unrestricted cash balance, a new caption entitled
“Restricted cash” has been introduced, with a balance of
$39,717. $14,717 of this relates to a gaming grant to the
Sailing School, which under its terms must be spent by the
Sailing School within one year. The remaining $25,000 is
the first annual set-aside in the Dock Replacement Fund.
Based on the Dock Committee’s latest estimate of required
spending of $619,500 on dock replacement over the next 25
years, we will need to set aside $25,000 (or 1/25 of the total
amount) annually to pay for them. This approach, rather
than large assessments on members at multi-year intervals,
is in accordance with the Club’s “Guiding Principles for the
Executive,” which include “Amortizing the cost of capital
improvements so that all those who share the benefit also
share the cost” (see page 7 of the 2010 Yearbook).
While the Club at present has a healthy cash balance,
significant capital expenditures will be needed in coming
years. The Clubhouse is still relatively new, and we have
developed an approach to financing dock replacement.
However, nothing formal is yet in place for the breakwater,
and considerable capital expenditure is required in 2011 to
replace and install breakwater chains.
There are no increases to active membership fees in
the budget for 2010-11. Moorage rates, which were not
increased last year, will be set by the new Executive in
March, and will be influenced by a closer view of next
year’s capital requirements.
I would like to thank Christer Arnesen for serving on the
Audit Committee, and Nancy for her ongoing exemplary
skill and dedication in performance of the Club’s
accounting and cash management functions.
Mark Powell
11

Junior Coordinator’s Report
First, the Sailing School.
We had a great summer with 142 sailing school students
participating compared to 134 in 2009. We only had 4
empty slots. This year we reduced the number of students
in to focus on the coaching quality and safety. From
feedback received from kids and parents it seemed to
work well.
2010 was the fifth year of our “Gift of Sailing” Program,
with a record total of 21 scholarships being awarded – up
2 from 2009 - with 8 new kids and 13 returning students.
The Sailing School funded 14 of these scholarships. The
program has grown significantly since it was set up and
has been very successful. You need only look at the faces of
the kids or talk to their parents to realize how amazing the
program is. As always I want to thank our partners, the
Blue Gavel Society, the Soroptimist Society of the North
Shore and our Private Foundation sponsors who fund 75%
of the program with the balance coming from Junior Club
fundraising activities. We also received a donation from
Queen Mary Community Services this year.
Ken Kufta continues to do an amazing job maintaining
this program. This was the last year for our Private
Foundation funding and we are currently looking for
other sources of funding to keep the program going.
We plan to scale it back a little next year to about 16
participants as the numbers have far exceeded our initial
expectations and this has placed a significant additional
burden on the Sailing School to provide the additional
funding. If you have any thoughts on potential sponsors/
donors please let me know.
There were a number of fund raising activities this summer
including our usual parent photo shoots and pre-Sailpast
Boat Wash. Ken Kufta helped with a number of these for
which I am indebted to him. We also had a very successful
fund raiser event – Cork and Canvas – which raised $5k
for the Junior Club between art sales, silent auction and
ticket sales. Going forward we would like to hold an
annual fundraiser to raise money to support our capital
expenditure program. The funds raised this year went
towards a new inflatable with a 15hp Mercury engine.
Having done significant dinghy maintenance last year,
this year it was the coach boat engines that were in
need of much repair. The engines are old and are used
extensively over the summer. It is our intention to replace
these engines over the next two to three years. Although
this will be expensive, it will be offset by significant
maintenance savings.
12
REPORTS TO THE 2010 AGM CONTINUED
The lightly used 420s we purchased this year from the
Charlie St. Cloud movie company were very well used in
the Sailing School program and also by junior racers. They
are a tremendous addition to our fleet.
Another issue we currently face is the replacement of the
semi-submerged dinghy docks. They were repaired again
this year but will need replacing over the next couple of
summers. I hope to work with the Dock Committee to
find the most cost-effective way to replace these docks.
Options include plastic docks or building wooden
replacements.
The Sailing School was also busy with other coaching
programs with the Sea cadets and Collingwood High
School returning again this year.
I want to thank various people who contributed to the
Sailing School’s success this year, in particular, our
returning head coaches Madelyn Jones and Lindsay Kufta
as well as our coaching team of Joanna Moore, Graeme
Zacharias, Sidney Hayden-Phillips, Alex May, Doug
Chung, Ben Robertson, Eric Venini and Greg Wilkinson
and our large staff of dedicated volunteers.
Also critical to the running of the program is the support
from Collen and Nancy. I also want to thank the members
for their support and tolerance of the Sailing School. I am
sure you all agree that it’s great to see so many happy
young kids around the Club in the summer.
This year we introduced a new on-line reservations
system, which we will continue to use again next year. It
made the whole registration process easier.
For the second year in a row we also sent an on-line
survey. The survey was well received and all feedback
received will be incorporated into the program for next
summer. Highlights from our on-line survey included:
70% thought the overall program was very good
67% thought the coaches/volunteers were very good
71% were returning students
96% would recommend the course and 83% said their
child would participate again in 2011
This is significant praise for our coaches, our team of
volunteers and our wonderful facilities.

REPORTS TO THE 2010 AGM CONTINUED
Now I would like to turn my attention to the Junior Club
The Junior Club was very active on the water and socially
this year with a number of events being held. The Junior
Commodore, Doug Chung, did a great job of getting the
Junior Executive engaged in organizing events. We had
movie nights, sailing days, soccer games and BBQs.
The Junior/Senior Race was held in July with 6 teams on
the water. The annual EHYC Junior Regatta took place in
August with a great turn out. For many of these sailors
this is their first experience of racing competitively.
The racing calendar was full this year with even more
EHYC juniors taking part in many local, BC and national
regattas. Many of our sailors have joined the North
Shore Sailing Team which has expanded to 60 sailors
with 8 from EHYC. They raced at Kitten Cup (RVYC),
Spring Dinghies Regatta (RVicYC), BC Summer Games,
WAVES (RVYC), Okanagan Regatta (COSA), Sail West
(Edmonton), Rocky Point Regatta, Sail Sandpoint Seattle
and Pumpkin Bowl at WVYC.
I am pleased to report that Joanna Moore, our top racer,
made the CYA National Youth Team and placed 1st in the
CYA Youth National Sailing Championships in the Female
Laser Radial Fleet at the Nepean Sailing Club in Ottawa.
Supervised sailing continued again this spring and fall for
Junior Members and was quite well attended. We also had
great turnouts at our Spring and Fall junior work parties
and the breakwater, junior room and car park are nice and
tidy and secure for winter.
Our Annual Awards night was held on November 28
and I would like to thank various Junior members and
their parents for their help in setting up this event. We
had over 50 people attend this dinner. Nikola Girke, the
Olympic sailor and former EHYC Sailing School graduate,
joined us and talked about her plans for London 2012
and her current World Cup campaign. I want to thank
our sponsors of that evening – North Sails, Thunderbird
Marine Supplies, Cooper Boating and Glenmore Sailboats
– for their kind generosity.
We had 12 new Junior Members join the Club over the
summer bringing our total to 68, up 2 from 2009. We
are also seeing some Junior Members converting to
intermediate membership which is wonderful.
On the financial side of things, the combined operating
results of the Sailing School and Junior Club had a surplus
of $12,000 this year compared to $6,000 last year. The
biggest change was in the Sailing School operations where
our revenues were up $6,000 and our expenses reduced
by $2,000.
Looking forward, our 2011 priorities are:
• Replacing docks and coach boat engines
• Purchasing another inflatable coach boat
• Identifying new senior coaching staff as Lindsay and
Maddy are not returning
• Finding a replacement sponsor for the Gift of Sailing
program
• Purchasing some used Pirate dinghies to add to the fleet
So how are we going to fund all this? Well we have been
saving our small surpluses and we will have another
fundraiser in the Spring of 2011. We were very lucky to
receive a gaming grant from the Province for $14,700.
This money will be used to support the Junior Club and
Sailing School including our Gift of Sailing Program and
to upgrade our aging fleet of dinghies and coach boats.
We hope that we can secure similar grant funding for the
next two years.
Lastly, I wanted to mention a new initiative that I would
like to start here at EHYC. As a yacht club, I believe we
should be encouraging a lifelong love of sailing among
our Junior Members. To this end I have raised with the
Executive the idea of setting up a fund similar to the
Corinthian Funds run by West Van and Royal Van Yacht
Clubs. Members of these clubs make voluntary (I stress
voluntary) donations to a fund that provides financial
support to young sailors who compete regularly by
covering some of their sailing expenses such as regatta
entrance fees, travel expenses, etc.
I know of at least one child who did not compete in all
the regattas he wanted to because of the costs involved. If
we can help this child compete in one more regatta next
year it would be an amazing result. The 2011 annual dues
statement will seek voluntary from members - small or
large donations will be welcome of course! I understand
that EHYC has had some very keen senior racers over the
years and I would welcome ideas how we could honour
one of them by naming this fund after them. Please see me
if you would like to help with the fund. I hope you will
support this initiative through a donation.
Thank you very much for listening and I look forward to
another great summer at EHYC.
Callum Beveridge
13

Junior Awards Night
Trophy Winners
Although he was not able to be present at Awards Night,
Ben Robertson won the Junior Commodore’s Award for
dedication to the Junior Club.
14
Nikola Girke talking about her World Cup racing experience and plans
for London 2012
A very attentive audience
Michael Knowles received the Junior Senior Race award
Elizabeth Chung won the “Rock Paper Scissors” trophy
Boyd Borjiet won the Top Sailing School Student
Arek Sredzki was awarded the Most Improved Sailor
Nikola Girke awarded Joanna Moore with the Best Racer Award

Racing Around the World Alone, the epic
Vendée Globe sailing race documentary now
available on iTunes and to premiere on CBC
documentary channel
Kingston, Ontario, December 6, 2010
Wind Athletes Canada is pleased to announce Racing
Around the World Alone, the compelling story of the 2008-
2009 Vendée Globe sailing race, is available for iTunes
download at HYPERLINK “http://itunes.apple.com/
WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMovie?id=399723498
&s=143441” http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.
woa/wa/viewMovie?id=399723498&s=143441
Racing Around the World Alone will premiere on the
CBC documentary channel on January 31st, 2011 at
21:00 EST and 22:00 PT. HYPERLINK “http://www.
racingaroundtheworldalone.com/”
www.racingaroundtheworldalone.com
Racing Around the World is the story of the 2008-2009
Vendée Globe race. 30 skippers embark on a quest to be
the fastest to sail 27,000 miles around the world, non-stop,
without assistance and alone on 60 foot sailboats. This is
one of the most extreme challenges a human being can face.
The sailors are alone at sea for months and physical and
emotional strength are essential. Growlers (icebergs), sea
AWARDS NIGHT
As reported at the Annual General Meeting, another
successful EHYC awards night was enjoyed by the
membership back in November - and now seems like a
distant, but pleasant, memory. Nearly 50 people attended
this winter BBQ, and we were well entertained by Jeff
Motley, Roger Campbell, the Sosnowskys, and the various
awards winners and nominees. Thanks to everyone who
attended.
THERMOS CRUISE
Staff Captain’s
Report
We are now looking forward to the 2011 Thermos
Cruise on Saturday February 26th & Sunday February
27. While last year’s day trip to Plumper Cove on Keats
Island was a great success, this year we are trying
something different, an over-night “adventure” to
Gibsons Marina. We need to know who will be attending
ASAP as we need to confirm both the Marina (which
has limited overnight space, and we are attempting to
book it all) and Leo’s Greek Restaurant for Saturday
mammals, and massive waves are a constant danger. On any
day the forces of nature can bring an end to the best sailor’s
well made plans. They harness the wind, hope for safe
passage over the sea and push hard to win.
At some point during this epic challenge every sailor shares
a similar thought, “Take me home. I want to go home. I’ve
had enough”. They persevere and demonstrate that the
human will is powerful. They are a testament to the audacity
of the human spirit.
Racing Around the World Alone is their story. Wind Athletes
Canada, in collaboration with Miz Monday Productions and
Resolve Films, is pleased to share their story.
ABOUT WIND ATHLETES CANADA
Wind Athletes Canada’s mission is Promoting Sailing in
Canada by Leadership and Financial Assistance to High
Performance Sailors. Wind Athletes supports many of
Canada’s high performance sailors including several that
are preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympics and produces
documentaries to promote sailing in Canada. Proceeds
from distribution and iTunes sales assists Wind Athletes in
supporting Canadian sailors.
For more information about Wind Athletes Canada visit
HYPERLINK “http://www.windathletes.ca”
www.windathletes.ca
night dinner (Kathleen and I have already checked
out the menu - it looks tasty). If you are wanting
to be part of this adventure, please email me at
HYPERLINK “mailto:rmcfarlane@cmwinsurance.com”
\o “blocked::mailto:rmcfarlane@cmwinsurance.com”
rmcfarlane@cmwinsurance.com (include your boat’s
name, overall length, and beam), or call 604-530-8263,
so we can make the reservations. Please also indicate
whether or not you wish to join the dinner at Leo’s.
For those wishing to keep it a day trip only, the public
dock, which is only 100’ away, is a good bet. In addition,
it is possible to anchor outside the breakwater. (Let me
know if this is your plan also.)
Space is limited so please don’t delay!
Rob McFarlane
Wave Hopper
15

16
Roger Campbell (centre) and Jeff Motley (right) stepped in as MCs for the evening.
The Commodore’s Award was delivered to a representative group of the
Social Committee, commending their work for the Club.
Dave Wilson was fingered for the Flotsam Award as the sailboat skipper guilty of
the most embarrassing blunder — his unexpected encounter with a large rock
resulted in his wife being doused with hot coffee.
Awards Night 2010
Andre Wojcieszek laid claim to the Bluenose Trophy for the
best placed skipper in VARC — again!
The Commodore and Vice Commodore bashfully shared the Jetsam Award for
the power boat skippers guilty of the most embarrassing blunder — their radio
conversation on the emergency channel infuriated the Coast Guard.
Bob Johnson won the RNSA award for the best single-handed
performance of the year.

Dave and Barbara Horton, donors of the Grey Goose Migratory Award, with this
year’s winners, Woldy and Cathy Sosnowsky.
Jeff Motley presents the Ted Peck Trophy for the largest fish of the year to Steve Panz.
Boat of the Month -“Carpe Diem”
Catalina 36
Imagine my surprise, after assuring Hanneke that Club
moorage rules would not permit us to buy a Catalina 36,
when she said “well then, why are there already two of
them at the Club docks?” or words to that effect.
Hanneke had seen a Catalina 36 somewhere in the Gulf
Islands and commented that she really liked it. Her two
most significant criteria were one – that they are very
spacious and nicely fitted out within and two – that one
could stretch right out on the cockpit seats uninterrupted
by stuff like travellers, binnacles and such. A visit to the
website assured us that Catalina’s are “built for sailors by
sailors.” That didn’t truly register for me until after we took
ownership of one. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Having confirmed with Collen and the then-Rear
Commodore that indeed the Cat 36 measured in, but just
barely, we got serious about seeking out a used but not
abused one at a price we could manage.
After looking at some stinkers (literally) and some Cat 34s,
our broker found us a Cat 36 to look at in Seattle. That
was spring 1997. She was of 1994 vintage and in beautiful
shape. But she was well over our budget. We dickered,
connived and pooled our resources. Her name said it all.
So we “seized the day,” had her surveyed and sailed her
away to Vancouver end of June.
We are very attached to Carpe Diem. She has served us
well on day trips, extended weekends, to the Broken
Islands, to the Broughton Archipelago, twice around
Vancouver Island and once, over three months, to Glacier
Bay and back without once slipping her anchor. Okay –
once – in the beautiful Chatham Islands off Victoria but
that’s another story which took place before we beefed up
the ground tackle.
We like her bright spaciousness and most of her features.
The surveyor found little to quibble with but for the
“somewhat light ground tackle” which comment we used
first to reduce the purchase price after which we upgraded
with more chain.
Carpe Diem at anchor
17

PLUSES:
Large, bright accommodations with double berths fore & aft;
Lots of storage space within;
Side ports at eye level when seated in saloon;
Single berth in saloon which is easily converted to a
dinette for two grandkids, augmenting the main dinette
comfortable for four adults;
With masthead rig and 150 genoa she reaches with any
boat of that size and with her asymmetrical gennaker she
moves downwind admirably;
She came well equipped with such features as dc/ac
inverter-battery charger, dodger made by the “Artful
Dodger” at Port Townsend, full instrumentation for depth,
The spacious interior
The single berth becomes a dinette that is perfect for the grandkids
18
speed, wind speed & direction, autopilot, vhf;
30hp Universal 4-cylinder diesel engine which cruises
comfortably day after day at 6.5 knots with capability to
move the vessel at 7.5 knots if necessary;
three water tanks with total capacity of 74 US gallons plus
another 8 in the hot water tank;
two showers – one in the head which we seldom use and
one at the transom;
the log-watch-seats built in to the stern railing give a much
better view ahead when motoring and keep grandkids
interested in short passages;
two space heaters – one a diesel-fired Wabasto, the other
electric for use when 30amp shore power is available.
The main dining area provides ample space for various fun activities
MINUSES:
The boat does not point as well as some of similar size – we
can live with this as we cruise more than we race and in
any case gentlemen don’t beat to windward do they?
The Maxwell capstan originally supplied in the anchor
locker pulled nylon rode just fine but was incapable of
being fitted with a chain gypsy – this challenge was only
recently overcome by installing a new, more powerful
windlass with remote up and down circuitry that is a
dream for older folk such as ourselves. I can now re-assign
the anchoring tasks to my anchor wench;
Two years ago we augmented our “aids to navigation”
with a Raymarine chart plotter interconnected with the
originally supplied Autohelm – I can fully appreciate
why marine insurers like these units but wonder why we
don’t get a significant discount for having such an aid to
avoiding rocks;
Too much sun over many years has caused us to add a
bimini which can be connected to the dodger – this has
reduced our exposure to sun significantly, and to rain
somewhat.

GOOD BUT NOW THERE’S BETTER:
The Dutchman mainsail flaking system, which uses two
monofilaments threaded through the sail to aid in dropping
the sail onto the boom – it works well if one can train
the crew how to effectively assist the Dutchman achieve
its purpose and it’s a pain if one needs to remove the
mainsail from the boom for repairs and such. We have since
experienced a better system on Beneteau charter boats that
replaces the usual sail cover with one, with lazy jacks, that
opens at the top so that the mainsail can be dropped into it
and protected by closing the opening with a zipper.
Indeed, Catalinas are built [in large numbers] “for sailors by
sailors” and their resale values tend to be higher than the norm.
Burke & Hanneke Corbet
Carpe Diem
Cat 36 hull #1309
The log-watch seats offer an excellent view forward
We love to entertain at our cockpit table.
Our guests are Emmy and Christer Arnesen.
19

How afraid should you be of sailing?
It’s less risky than driving to the mall and slightly more risky
than walking around the block. Pretty much the same risk as
eating fried snacks while watching TV from your couch.
Although the topic of fear on the water is something we
don’t like to discuss in a group of eager sailors, it is much
more widespread than many people realise. Soundings is
going to take a look at this particular can of worms over the
next few issues and see what others have to say about it.
FOG
I get really scared when we are out on the boat in fog.
How do I conquer this fear?
From The Blogs
Response One:
If it’s foggy, don’t go.
Response Two:
Know the fog signals. Vessels underway are required to
produce sound signals in restricted visibility, repeating them
every two minutes or less. A prolonged blast lasts 5 seconds
while a short blast is for 1 second.
One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts at
intervals not to exceed two minutes means not under
command, restricted in ability to manoeuvre, constrained by
draft, fishing, towing, and sail.
One prolonged blast (two prolonged if not making way) at
intervals not to exceed two minutes means under power.
Response Three:
I’m just back from a cruise along the Maine coast where we,
naturally, ran into a good amount of thick fog among the
islands. With one eye on the plotter and one on the radar,
we had no particular difficulties. Our VHF-hailer automatic
foghorn signaled every 2 minutes as legally required. Still,
we had some very close calls with other vessels that came
roaring out of the fog a hundred feet or less away, often on
a collision course. As always, I was surprised how many
boats blithely go forth into deep fog without using a radar
reflector to help others see them or a foghorn for others to
hear them. There have been collisions in fog, of course, and
20
Fear of Sailing
If you have some observations to contribute, please feel free.
Soundings will promise anonymity if you prefer it that way.
Send your comments to ehyc@ehyc.org with the tag line
‘Fear of Sailing’ and Nancy will forward it.
But in the absence of EHYC-specific commentary, let’s take a
look at what others have to say.
people have been injured - and sometimes die. I wonder
if these careless boaters are trusting that the boats they
encounter will always be using the correct equipment and
common sense to prevent collisions? What happens when
two vessels both ignoring the regulations meet? The odds
are small, but maybe that’s when the collisions happen.
There’s really no excuse not to have aboard and use a
required sound signal in fog.

COLLISIONS
Boats don’t have brakes. I am just terrified when we
get near other boats, especially when we are under sail.
From The Blogs
Response One:
Know your rights. Starboard tack boat always
prevails. If both boats are on starboard but
one boat is sailing upwind and the other
downwind, the downwind boat must yield.
If both boats are on the same tack, then the
leeward boat maintains rights so long as there
is an overlap.
Response Two:
The only sure way of avoiding collisions at sea is
by having someone stand watch in the cockpit.
The more reasons (or excuses) you have for
staying below deck, the less safe you become.
Response Three:
Pay attention. Most collisions occur when
people see the problem too late and have little
time to react.
Response Four:
Stay to the right if you are entering narrow
waters, sharp bends or channels. This will help
prevent unplanned meetings and many large
vessels are restricted to the centre of a channel
because of their draft.
Sailboats operating under sail should avoid
crossing situations in narrow channels with
large vessels that constrained by their deep
draft. Rule 9 says, “A vessel less than 20 meters
long or a sailing vessel shall not impede the
passage of a vessel that can safely navigate
only within a narrow channel.”
Response Five:
To increase your yacht’s visibility to radar,
make sure you have a reflector.
Be prepared to enhance your yacht’s visibility at
night by shining a light into your sails. A white
anti-collision flare is also an excellent choice.
Fear of Sailing
FEAR OF LONG-DISTANCE TRIPS
My wife is a good sailor, but has serious concerns about my (I thought our) dream
two-year trip. She says she cannot stand the stress of approaching new islands or
harbours, watching the depthmeter and checking our position at the chart. She
dreads nights at anchor waiting for a wind shift or sailing in unprotected waters
always imagining what might happen next….
How to overcome? I don’t want to skip my dream but of course if I cannot change it
I have to buy a condo or mobile home or something.
Carsten in Denmark
From The Blogs
Response One:
I think it is an issue of self confidence. It may be that you have move from
a 25’ to a 44’ boat that is causing her stress. Perhaps she is also sensing
your newness with the bigger boat and that will cause her additional stress.
My advice is take baby steps with her to maximize the “relaxed beautiful
anchorage” part and set up the boat so you can navigate yourself, allowing
her to relax and gain her confidence.
Response Two:
Have you considered having your wife do some type of refresher course or
even a sailing license upgrade. Having an outsider teaching her how deal
with these situations takes the pressure off your marriage, and will give her
re-affirmation that she can do it.
Response Three:
I thought that women were more risk-averse than men, but when I asked
my wife about it, she says that what she dislikes most is unpredictability -
the uncertainty of not knowing how things will turn out.
Response Four:
The “fear” or “stress” may have nothing to do with sailing at all. It may
have to do with changing lifestyles, leaving behind what she knows and is
comfortable with, worrying about medical issues on the trip or even if your
relationship will survive the confines of a boat.
Response Five:
My wife has a similar fear of the “unknown” — she always likes to have
everything planned out and under control if we’re going somewhere
unfamiliar. So when I broached the idea of living on our boat and cruising
the eastern Caribbean, she wasn’t too enthused. We talked about it for a few
days, and she came up with a suggestion — charter a boat in the Caribbean,
identical to our own, for two weeks. I thought that was a great idea, and really
appreciated her willingness to try to make it work. We chartered for two
weeks in February and had a terrific time sailing around the islands, including
a passage over to St. Croix (35 nm) and back. At the end of the two weeks, she
didn’t want to come home! Six months later, we were cruising the islands in
our own boat, and she was loving every minute of it.
21

Tom is a retired architect and
he looks with pride at our
Clubhouse because he drew
the original plans for it and
helped stickhandle the plans
through City Hall. Seeing his
drawings become reality and
watching members use the
facilities with such pleasure
has always been extremely
satisfying.
However, things did not
totally work out the way he
first envisioned them. He
originally intended that the
second exit for the Clubhouse should be off the deck, but the
building inspector refused to agree to that and insisted that there
had to be a way to get out of the building at the back. As a result,
the plans were modified to include the back exit, pathway and
stairs. However Tom always wanted to have this second exit off
the deck — not just for safety but for convenient access between
floors, and for access to the deck without going through the
main hall.
Soundings: Why did you take on the building of the staircase yourself?
Every year, plans for the staircase were put on the workparty
agenda but never seemed to get done. I have a cottage on Pasley
Island where we spend most weekends, so I was hardly ever
around to help with weekend workparties, but every time we
returned to Eagle Harbour I looked up at that area and thought
we must get at it. However other projects seemed to take
precedence — or perhaps it was the budget because others felt I
was too optimistic that it could be done for $2,500 to $3,000.
I have always done my workparty contributions during the
week because I am not around on weekends, so in 2009, I
decided that the staircase would be my next personal project.
With my brother Stewart, I began the work in July. We spent
many hours digging out the site, excavating rocks and rolling
them carefully down the cliff to the area that was being looked
at for a potential kayak rack. We thought we could reposition
our unwanted rocks to be the foundation for that project. Then
we built the form work from some surplus wood I found lying
around.
Soundings: But the stairs themselves are metal.
Where did that come from?
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Profile of a Volunteer
Eagle Harbour Yacht Club relies heavily on the enthusiastic involvement of volunteers. Some of them take on
highly visible roles – notably those who are Executive members – but many others work in the background. All too
often, we forget about these “invisible” people whose efforts augment our enjoyment of the Club and its facilities.
Soundings intends to profile some of these energetic and capable people over the next few months. If you have a
volunteer to suggest, please submit the name to Nancy in the office. Meantime, meet another of our stalwarts:
Tom Bowen
Remember that huge windstorm, the one that caused so much
damage in Stanley Park? It also wrecked a dock on Bowen Island
and I managed to salvage from it enough metal grating for our
purposes. I cut it into the appropriate lengths to form the stairs.
Soundings: OK, so now you have metal grating and form work – but
where did you find the concrete?
I had always assumed that we would have a work party to either
mix concrete on site or order a couple of yards in. However 2009
was also the year the Club had to deal with the repair of the
car park wall, a huge and costly project. Knowing that there is
usually an extra margin of concrete ordered for such projects, I
asked Collen to inform me when the wall pour was to take place.
Stewart and I were on Pasley when the call came so we grabbed
a half dozen five gallon buckets and motored back to EHYC. I
believe it was a Friday afternoon. Sure enough, as it happened,
there were two to three yards of concrete remaining after the
wall pour was complete, and the guys driving the concrete
and pumper trucks stayed after the wall was full and filled our
buckets. Knowing they were staying this extra time, Stewart and
I worked as fast as we could.
We found we could fit three buckets into a barrow. We then
wheeled the very heavy barrows along in front of the Junior
room, then carried the buckets up to where we had prepared the
form work. We figure we probably carried between 75 and 80
buckets of concrete that day! I was very glad for my brother’s
strength and endurance. That’s what comes from being a
contractor in northern Alberta.
It was very hard work, and I think my arms were 6 inches longer
afterward but the big advantage was, according to my Scottish
nature, we managed to build that staircase for zero cost using
salvaged grating, surplus concrete, and our volunteer labour.
Official estimates had put the cost of having it built at around
$5,000, but we managed it for free.
Soundings: The staircase is being very well used. Landscaping
committee members are delighted they no longer have to rappel down
the cliff to carry their weeds away, and the Juniors scamper up there for
happy barbecues.
I always wanted to have an access route to the deck and I am
very glad so many people are finding it useful. Still there is
the final requirement to have a handrail added so that no one
accidentally slips down the cliff, and then perhaps we can prevail
upon our gardeners to plant something nice and bushy outside
the railing that will provide both a soft landing if anyone does fall
and a pleasant vista from the deck.

The Adventures of SV Mulan
Final Chapter – by Andrew Parr
Having now had some time to reflect on the big adventure,
it all seems to be not only a blur, but an unmitigated success.
Of course one’s knowledge is always 20/20 in hind-sight,
except for the not so great bits, which somehow manage to
dissolve into a sort of soft focus. We did provide an update
(or two?) for Soundings while we were away, and likely
there were some (we’d like to think many!) who followed
our blog, but for those who missed either or both, here is a
brief recap.
SV Mulan left Blaine, Washington on August 22, 2009 and
did a non-stop jaunt to San Diego to test out its systems and
crew. Our three boys, Jack, Sam & Max were billeted with
Susan’s folks in Ontario, as the West Coast has a reputation
for being gnarly – borne out in our experience by being
the only time on the trip when we were in an official gale
(winds in excess of 35kts). We were fortunate to have some
experienced volunteers on board, (including the irrepressible
Chester!) who tested our gear to its limits and beyond, and
demonstrated how rum is intended to be consumed.
We hung out in San Diego for six weeks waiting for the end
of hurricane season. This was not too arduous, as it gave us
a chance to get into the groove of home schooling, enjoy side
trips to Legoland, the San Diego zoo, and the outstanding
Maritime Museum and USS Midway. We also frequented
the local chandleries, which were very conveniently located
outside the gates of the San Diego Yacht Club where we
were staying.
At the end of October we participated in the Baha Haha
cruisers rally to Cabo San Lucas. This event didn’t happen
according to script, as challenging weather saw many boats
making unscheduled stops in sheltered indents along the
coast. This included Mulan, with us refining our anchoring
technique in a “sheltered” bay with a 25 knot breeze.
Backing down was not required. If we did it again, we’re
not sure we’d participate in this rally – a little too much
emphasis on racing and partying for a so-called ‘kids boat’.
The end point, Cabo San Lucas, may be a popular package
tourist destination, but probably ranks as our least favourite
spot on the whole trip – too much of a tourist trap with the
resultant threat to one’s personal property.
After Cabo we headed north to La Paz, with some very
enjoyable stops in Los Frailes and Bahia San Gabriel on
Isla Espirtu Santo, before heading across the Sea of Cortez
(officially the Gulf of California) to Mazatlan. Mazatlan was
our first marina stop in Mexico, and was a huge hit with the
boys. Many marinas in Mexico are attached to resort hotels,
which allow guests to use the hotel facilities. For the boys,
this meant endless hours in freshwater swimming pools,
with caves, tunnels, and a wide variety of water slides, while
the parents got cheap or free internet access to deal with all
the mundane back home issues (paying bills, sorting out
tenant issues etc.)
After Mazatlan there were numerous stops along the coast
– some at well know destinations such as Puerto Vallarta,
Bahia Navidad, and Manzanillo, and others more remote to
land based travel, but firmly on the cruisers’ radar, such as
Chamela and Tenacatita. We managed to spend nearly six
weeks at Tenacatita on two different occasions, and there
were enough regulars there that a ‘mayor’ is appointed each
year to organize a weekly raft up and other events. In 2009
this included a Cruisers’ Christmas dinner at the local beach
restaurant (a.k.a. a palapa).
Part two of the adventure was the jaunt into the Pacific. We
stayed at La Cruz with many other cruisers preparing for the
“Puddle Jump” – fixing things, provisioning, and watching
the Olympic Men’s Hockey Gold Medal game in a local bar
with a crowd of many. Jack wore his Team Canada sweater
– sweaters are not normally required, and it was its only
outing for the year!
23

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how one views
these things) we had to pull the mast to address some
rigging issues, which delayed our departure by about a
week. Morgan Gatto joined us for this leg, which greatly
eased the watch burden, as short-handing with kids can be
both tiring and stressful. Morgan also introduced Sam to
Soduku. The passage from Banderas Bay to Hiva Oa in the
Marquesas is long (approx 2800 miles) but Mulan handled
the range of conditions well. Like all the long passages,
we either had too much wind or no wind, and while on
average it was just right, there were very few hours where
we had average wind! We crossed the equator in the dark in
a screaming squall; delaying Neptune’s visit by quite some
time, but eventually all squibs aboard became shell-backs,
and has certificates to prove it.
We spent a total of three months in French Polynesia – more
or less equally divided between three archipelagos – the
Marquesas, Tuamotus, and the Society Islands. Each is very
distinct and has unique characteristics. The pamplemouse
in the Marquesas are huge and delicious, the snorkelling
in the Tuamotus unbelievable, and the Island scenery in
the Societies incredible. Some food is subsidised, including
baguettes, French wine, and French cheese, so snacking
was good! Even small remote towns had a boulangerie
(bakery), but the trick was to determine the hours to avoid
disappointment. Sometimes this entailed a daily dinghy
expedition at 0530 to ensure adequate supplies. One finds
the fresh baguette addictive after a while (about an hour
after 23 days at sea!).
Once in French Polynesia the community of cruisers
becomes tighter and seemingly more friendly – perhaps
as everyone has ‘joined the club’ merely by getting there.
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We spent most of our time buddy boating – planning
destinations and times in order to be with the boats whose
company we enjoyed, and this made this portion of the trip
very enjoyable. Our final port of call was Bora Bora, where
we were for Bastille Day – which was coincidentally the 60th
birthday for one of our number, making it a very memorable
day out. All the cruisers dressed as pirates, made a float to
represent the Bora Bora Yacht Club and walked with the
locals in the big parade.
Susan and the boys flew back home from Bora Bora, while
Andrew handled the “up-hill” passage home via Hawaii
with two sets of crew. Bora Bora to Hawaii was challenging
due to winds forward of the beam at 25 knots for 9 straight
days (for some reason the SE trades decided to be E to
ENE trades). Despite this and/or because of this, Mulan
made good speed to Honolulu, shaving three days off the
anticipated passage, and doing daily passages at hull speed
and beyond with a ‘permanent’ second reef in the main.
After a slightly extended stay at the Hawaii Yacht Club
while we had some running repairs done, a new crew
assisted in crewing Mulan back to home base in Blaine.
Mulan closed the circle (officially making it a voyage rather
than a passage) at 0401 hours on September 13th, 2010.
The last part of the passage was perhaps the most tense of
the 13,000 + miles travelled – coming up the Juan de Fuca
straight at night in dense fog. Just before we hit dusk and
the fog, we observed a profusion of U.S. fishing boats –
presumably taking advantage of the salmon run. As they
generally don’t have AIS, we kept Mulan on the very edge of
the separation zone up the straight. This way we could see
the commercial ships, and hopefully they could see us. It’s a
little daunting to be sandwiched between two 900 foot ships,

with a visual on neither, but only half a mile to each. Modern
technology rules the waves. This last leg, the longest by
distance travelled, took us 23 days – only a couple more than
planned, but with less wind than we had expected.
As for a list of best memories? This is a partial list due to
space limitations!
The night passage around Cabo Corrientes (one of the three
so-called nasty capes on the west coast) in flat calm during a
meteor shower – Jack & I had a competition to count them,
but they were running (or flying) at 30 per hour for each of us!
Getting close to a whale – one swam through the anchorage
in Tenacatita, so was 25 feet astern and ranged from 0 to 14
feet below us in crystal-clear water.
Swimming with the Manta rays in the Marquesas. They
were bigger than our dinghy.
Drift snorkelling the south pass in Fakarava atoll in the
Tuamotus. The inflow carries you at about 4 knots across the
coral, fish, and sharks (Jack counted 43!) Friends likened it
to being in an IMAX movie.
Learning to SCUBA dive with Sam and Jack. Max was
too young as you have to be 10 years old, so we owe
him! Sam started his course on his 10th birthday.
Andrew did an adult learn to swim before departing,
and finished with a PADI Open Water Dive certificate,
so that’s progress. And we did it in Moorea and Bora
Bora – slightly more appealing than a pool in North
Vancouver, and not that much more expensive. We
checked!
Hanging out as a family for a year and having an
adventure.
The cruising friends we made – many, but not all,
on kid’s boats.
The best places – all of them, for different
reasons!
The Adventures of SV Mulan
Come and hear from EHYC members - Susan Karda and Andrew Parr - about their cruising adventure
from Vancouver to the South Pacific with three young boys on their Grand Soleil 39, SV Mulan.
There is an article on their journey in this issue of Soundings to whet your appetite.
Date and time: Thursday February 24th, 2010 at 7.30pm
Location: EHYC (the bar will be open for refreshments)
Join us and learn more about their incredible journey.
The downside and lessons learned? …… you’ll have to
show up at our presentation at the Club.
Our blog still exists in case you missed it. You can find it
at: HYPERLINK “http://www.sailblogs.com/member/
mulan/” http://www.sailblogs.com/member/mulan/
And some of our photos are at:
HYPERLINK “http://picasaweb.google.com/SVMulan”
http://picasaweb.google.com/SVMulan
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26
Vancouver Boat Show
February 9-13
New Vancouver Convention Centre
(On-Water Venue at the False Creek Yacht Club)
For details, see http://www.vancouverboatshow.ca
“Some winter days aren’t so bad,” says Doug Close.