Welcome to the first newsletter of 2017. February 2017
Diary Dates: 15th March – cruising meeting. An opportunity to air your views on what you’d like the club to organise, with presentations from Tarbert and Crinan representatives.
Beer ‘n burgers available. Please note RSVP required no later than 8 March as if there are too few attending the representatives from Tarbert and Crinan will not attend.
| 15 March | Cruising Meeting with Presentations from Tarbert and Crinan Representatives. (More information nearer the date) Beer provided free but you will have to pay for your burgers (licensing laws) |
| 14 April | Curry Night |
| 15 April | Lift in – See Kyle’s contribution below |
| 13-20 May | RYA Push The Boat Out week. Help introduce the public to our sport and possibly recruit some new members |
We have some new members and a new council, so it may be appropriate to say:
Who’s who and what do they do?
Babs Henderson – looks after your membership and everything else really. It’s her that suffers on a personal basis by having to chase us for things we should have done when first asked – …if she didn’t persist we wouldn’t exist, please assist.
Flag officers: Bill Stewart, followed by John Woods, followed by Carolyn Voisey
We’re where the buck stops, it’s our job to grease the wheels of all the other activities.
The functional convenors or team leaders are your points of contact depending on what you require, and can be broken in to two groups :
Those who look after the assets we use in order to get afloat –
Compound: Don Lindsay with Kyle Stewart
Berthing: Kyle Stewart, George Hunter
Clubhouse: Andy McRoberts
Web Presence: John Haston
And those who assist in how we use our club:
Racing: David Hutton
Cruising: Ewan Black and Carolyn Voisey
Social: John Woods
All of the above-mentioned can recruit temporary or permanent assistance as appropriate throughout the season, so if you have a skill please don’t keep it secret. This is our club and it can only reflect what we put into it. *
On that point, it’s a pleasure to thank those who regularly appear for the Wednesday work parties preparing equipment and facilities for the new season, the various teams that came together to make the lift-out the success it was, and all the other unsung heroes who just do it when it’s needed, whatever it is – especially those who wrestled with moorings in horrible weather conditions. Well they don’t go wrong when it’s nice do they?
* Note: Apart from the racing and cruising trophies up for grabs at the end of the season, there is a handsome port decanter trophy awarded to the person perceived to have best participated in the spirit of the club apart from cruising or racing. Ideally it eventually should have everyone’s name inscribed! Kyle Stewart has retained the trophy for a second year. Congratulations Kyle!
Compound / Car Park – After lift-in we will get our car park back. Can I post a reminder that long-term or overnight parking should be limited to the East (ex P&O) side of the coping stone line at the garage/workshop.
In addition to this, the space at the top of the ramp should be used for loading and unloading only, then vacated once the task is complete, so others can benefit.
Padlocks – please don’t use oil to lubricate the club padlocks. If they need lubricating there is graphite powder in the committee room. Oil can cause dirt to stick and eventually jam the lock. Thanks.
Items donated to the club – if anyone donates items to the club, please label accordingly. Otherwise we end up with piles of stuff in the clubhouse that we don’t know who’s it is.
If you are leaving items for collection by a club member, please mark it clearly so it is not taken by mistake. These should be collected promptly, within a month at most. Thanks. JH
KEYS. If your clubhouse Yale key no longer works, pop it in an envelope with your name (or otherwise identify yourself) and post it into the committee room. We will modify it or supply a new one. This situation unfortunately happened during the lock replacement where a slightly worn key was used to set the lock. It will now become the master and hopefully the problem will be solved. Thanks for your patience thus far.
Improvements in the pipeline:
We anticipate vigorous activity in the compound this year.
The need for increased and more efficient security lighting around the compound, clubhouse and ramp will be addressed as a result of thefts last year and the need for general safety.
The council are considering a proposal to overcome pressure washing issues at lift-out time, and envisage a system of header tanks and cisterns possibly feeding permanent club-owned static electric power washers. The current problems lie with reduced mains water pressure and a change in washer hire policy.
Dinghy ramp repair and improvement have been delayed due to a series of issues, some external and beyond our control. Your council are committed to pressing on with this, so you can expect to be recruited for assistance in any or all of the above projects!
I repeat, your club will be what you make it. During the recent Commonwealth games, our neighbour up the A77 adopted the slogan “People make Glasgow”.
In our case this is true to the point of infinity… we must be the envy of many sailors throughout the Northern Hemisphere in offering affordable berthing in a harbour that can be entered sideways under any conditions, technical expertise, facilities and knowledge for drying out, weld, drill, lathe, solder, hammer (many sizes), glassing, heavy duty sewing, electrics, and anything else, PLUS a World Class sailing area provided free of charge by Mother Nature.
Advice of the amendments to the Constitution and Rules agreed at the AGM will be advised in due course, and updated on the website also.
To quote a certain Mr MacMillan, “you never had it so good” .
Let’s get together, explore our neighbourhood and enjoy each other’s company.
This year’s mantra and toasting slogan – “Wet the Anchor”
Bill Stewart – Commodore
FEES ~ Thanks to all those who have already paid!
Fees are due to be paid by the end of February and these are as follows
Full Member Subscription £66
Berthing Rights Fee if Applicable £66
Associate Membership Sub £20
These can be paid by cheque or cash – to the Secretary/Treasurer address – 61 Marr Drive, Troon KA10 6PP or through the bank. The details are Sort Code 82 68 21 Account number 30531227.
Late payment (i.e. after 28 February) will be subject to a levy of £5. Berth Holders are particularly required to pay on time or risk losing their mooring. If you do not intend to take up your mooring after 1 April, please advise and arrange for your boat to be removed by 31 March 2017.
Mooring Fees are due no later than 31 March 2017 – £633.50. Island Pontoon mooring holders will be advised in due course of their payment for the coming year. Account Number for Mooring Fees 40528098 (same sort code)
ADDRESS FOR CLUB CORRESPONDENCE
In a move to ease towards Babs’s withdrawal as the Club’s secretary/treasurer finally in 2018, any correspondence should now be addressed to Troon Cruising Club, 47 Harbour Road, Troon KA10 6DH. A postal box has been affixed to the gate so that the Post Office can deliver direct to the Club in future. Please also use only the email address – trooncruisingclub@gmail.com in future. Many thanks.
CRUISING
The club cruising season will start again on Saturday 29 April opening muster at Largs Yacht Haven
This season’s price for the berthing in Largs is £22 per boat for the Saturday night. We don’t have the price for the meal at the sailing club yet but will have it nearer the time. A list for names and boats attending will go up on the notice board in March.
This season I have your new Rear Commodore Carolyn joining me to help with the cruising side of the club
THE PROGRAMME FOR 2017
29/30 APRIL ~ LARGS OPENING MUSTER
17/18 JUNE ~ ARRAN
1/2 JULY ~ PORT BANNATYNE
2/3 SEPTEMBER ~TARBERT
9/10 SEPTEMBER ~ LARGS CLOSING MUSTER
We just hope for good weather this year
Ewan Black, Carolyn Voisey – Cruising Convenors
RACING PROGRAMME – to be advised in due course.
David Hutton – Hon. Racing Secretary.
SOCIAL
The Burns Supper on 10 February went extremely well, with various guest speakers entertaining us throughout the evening, and we were filled to the gunnels with traditional fare! The members, friends and guests contributed around £116 towards an appeal to help the Ayrshire Fiddlers with their trip to Canada and the States (Thomas Beard – Phil’s son – entertained us with some brilliant fiddle music and is going with the team on their travels), and the Club will also make a contribution towards this as a result of the excellent return from the raffle, still leaving a tidy profit for club funds. Thanks to everyone who came along and enjoyed the evening. Our good wishes to Hilary (Whiteside) who became unwell during the evening and had to be taken home. Hilary assures us she is fine now. Grateful thanks to Hillhouse Quarry, Buzzworks, The Jar (Whiskey specialists Troon) Loch Fyne Hotel and Spa, The Harbour Bar, Kyle Chandlery, Conway Hairdressing, Highgrove House Hotel, Hayes Garden Land, and various members of the club for their generous donations of prizes for the raffle.
The next item on the programme is a Burger n Beer night on Wednesday 15 March, when we will also be given a talk on the sailing facilities around Tarbert and Crinan. Please let us know if you can come along as the girls will not come if there are insufficient numbers. This will also help us to gauge how many burgers to buy in. (A donation to defray the costs will be appreciated!) More information on the Tarbert and Crinan talk will be available nearer the time.
Curry Night – We would like to try and do this on Friday 14 April, the night before the lift, so that we might draw a few members who haven’t so far tried our curry nights, but will be down making last minute preparations for the lift the next day.
In May hopefully we will be able to hold our annual Mediterranean Night, when members are invited to bring a dish of their choice to share with others who will do the same. But more of this later.
John Woods – Social Convenor
COMPOUND
Lift-in date is set for Saturday 15 April 2017 with a 7.30 am start.
Don Lindsay has taken over as Compound Convenor with immediate effect. His wealth of knowledge and expertise will be a huge asset to the club especially in respect to the ongoing improvements and maintenance to the boat transporter and other projects around the club. I have offered my full support to Don to work along aside him in finishing the projects in which I have been involved and to assist where I can in the many new projects I am sure Don will have planned. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you who have helped and supported me, and the club, in my time as Compound Convenor, and continue to offer your full support to Don in the future. Many thanks.
MOORINGS
I have been reappointed as Moorings Convenor and would like to thank our previous Moorings Convenor, Jack Gairns for all his hard work and commitment he put into this position. I have appointed a new sub-committee consisting of Stuart Cockbain, Iain Gairns, John Lewis and John Woods to work with me to bring a collective balance of expertise and knowledge and to work in an open, fair and transparent manner. We will be looking to work together to see where we can make improvements and enhancements to the moorings in general. We will be looking to post regular emails to keep the membership informed and also welcome any ideas and feedback from the membership. I hope we can count on your support and co-operation and look forward to working together. With thanks to George and Elaine who covered the position temporarily.
Lift-out 2016 ~ Belated thanks.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention all those involved in our lift procedure. The planning of a lift, be it lift-out or lift-in starts months in advance and only works because people have the desire to work together to achieve the same goal. We should be thankful to the members who put their boats and knowledge at the disposal of the membership, thus allowing members to both lift and step their masts safely. Thanks here to Jack Gairns, Don Lindsay John Hall, Bill Stewart and Robbie Gemmell and all those who assisted. The compound required a considerable amount of work re-positioning boats and organising cradles thanks to George Hunter and his team.
On lift day there are numerous appointed persons who take on specific tasks and with others, helping in the smooth running of each individual task to culminate in the end result.
It was particularly refreshing to introduce some of our new members to their first lift and for their willingness to help and take on and do all the tasks asked of them.
Thanks also to Izzy and her team who kept everyone fed and watered throughout the day.
There was an excellent turn out of like-minded members all willing to help and work as a team which was very evident when we had an unforeseen break down on our hoist. Many thanks to Jack Gairns and those who rallied round and turned what could have been a show stopper into a minor blip.
It was particularly evident that the original ethos and spirit of the club shone through and members worked safe together in good spirits with a laugh and a joke. I think a good day was had by all.
A special thank you to Brian Cooke our crane operative for his professionalism and helpfulness throughout the day and equally so to George Hunter for all his effort and hard work in assisting in coordinating this year’s lift-out.
Thanks to each and everyone who attended and made it a very successful day.
Kyle Stewart – Moorings Convenor