Club News and Announcements Last updated: Thursday, June 17, 2010 6:49 AM   June 16, 2010 Please join us on Tuesday June 29 at 7:00 pm, Boat House, Waquoit Bay Research Reserve, 149 Waquoit Highway/Route 28. Light refreshments provided. Come learn about the Master Planning Process for Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve headquarters. Click Here for details about the meeting. Now we'd like to hear from you! Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR)   May 31, 2010 Thank You to All who Helped Get Our Club Ready for the Season Dock Construction Emir Smaykiewicz, Ken Sheperd, Dan Sheperd, Chip Benoit, Buck Buckanon, Don Karl, Jeff Kidder, Tony Troio, Russ White, Ellie White, Nancy Hanson, Don Lunn, Barbara Lunn, Chris Lunn, John Eldert, Chuck Harrington, Carole Lipka, Mike Goodfellow, Dennis Sawyer, Nason Swain, Tom Campbell, David Clark, Bill Cook, Peter Giacomozzi, Tim Flagg, Ken Leary, Wayne Flanagan Dock-in Dennis Sawyer, Steve Leaf, Don Lunn, Barbara Lunn, Ian Lunn, Don Karl, Paul Ketchum, Dan Shepherd, Ken Shepherd, Denise Shepherd, Bif Fleischmann, Peter Giacomozzi, Jeff Kidder, Hugh Mackenzie, John Palmieri, John Walden, Joe Lipka, Carole Lipka, Bruce Schernig, Walter Roy, Dave Hubbs, Bob Millard, Jim Downhill, Emir Smaykiewicz, Lee Crocker, Joel Rubin, Tim Flagg, Pat Ballo Clean-up Emir, Julie, Nathan & Braeden Smaykiewicz, John Eldert, Sue Eldert, Larry Gray, John Palmieri, Chris Dunn, Trish Mullen, Ellie White, Russ White, Nancy Hanson, Ted Schmul, Jerry Galick, Bert McConnell, Stephanie Adams, Duke Ellis, Fred Lawrence, Dick Porter, Jim Downhill, Rob Orchard, Kate Orchard, Dave Hubbs, Don Lunn, Barbara Lunn, Matt Lunn Barbara Lunn, WBYC Vice Commodore May 8, 2010 CLICK HERE see pictures from Dock-in-Day, May 8, 2010 courtesy of Denise Shepherd CALLING ALL HANDS Attention on the Deck The Commodore and the Board of Trustees welcome all Members to the 2010 Season at the Waquoit Bay Yacht Club! As our excitement rises with the warming temperatures and we all look forward to the next boating season, we take this opportunity to encourage all members to remember that our club relies on active participation from each and every one of us. We are a club that has been able to maintain low annual dues because our members contribute their time, talents and efforts to do the work that is needed to maintain our property, building, grounds and docks. We are a working club. The full social calendar that our club provides also relies on participatory contribution from our members to plan, organize, execute, and clean up after each event. In addition to the work involved, widespread participation in these social events also allows us to network to our mutual benefit, to strengthen our existing relationships and develop new ones. We rely on participation.  We need you. Schedules for major events are on the web site. We ask that you make a sincere effort to contribute your time, talent and effort to several of these events. Many hands make small work. Be a contributor. The Commodore and the board of trustees also want to ask for your feedback and suggestions relative to club operations. Are there themes for social functions that you can suggest? Do you have ideas for ways that we can get more of our membership actively involved in the work needed? Any and all comments and suggestions are encouraged. Please get involved and help make our club stronger.     March 23, 2010 - Message from the Commodore Hi everyone, it looks like spring has finally sprung. It is time for the snow bunnies to come out of hibernation, the snow birds to fly north, and the skiers to de-tune their skies. The board would like to thank Sue and John Harris for allowing us into their beautiful home for the Christmas party everyone had a great time. We have had the trim on the club repainted and some of it replaced. Also, the door has been sanded and painted.  The club has been power washed and looks great. Bert has added a new section to the WEB site called the exchange.  This is for club members to advertise marine products that they want to sell. We have 2 awards that are given out every year. The Ruth Lawrence award is given to the person who has contributed a great deal of time or services over the year. The second is the Cleat award given to the person who should have stayed home and not ventured onto the water and have something bad but not dangerous happen to them. The board has decided to allow club members to take part in these decisions, so if you know of anyone that may fit the bill let us know. We are planning on having the chimney repaired this spring because it is in bad shape and can not be used in its present state.     The dock rebuilding is going well and we are using a newer and safer system to anchor the docks which will make them a lot more secure. We will be building 2 new docks on Saturday the 24th of April so those who have helped before we would appreciate our help again, and of course any one else. Dock in day is set for May 8th so all you volunteers mark your calendar. Commodore Jim Downhill   October 12, 2009 - Now THIS is fishing! The blue shark was released.  The boat was a 69 ft. Bertram.  Spends the  summers in Oyster Harbors, winters in West Palm Beach.  There were close to 150-200 boats on the tuna grounds.  Custom sportfishing boats like this one, commercial downeast boats, and center consoles with outboards.  40 miles south of Chatham .  The large tuna went to market.  Shipped overseas;  the boat will get some where between $8,-9,000.   The fishing party were from my department at work  and my son was a guest. John Walden, October 2, 2009 James with the first bluefin of the day, 150lbs. 12 foot blue shark, 450 lbs caught and released 400 lb. bluefin James and I at the dock.  This bluefin was caught at 5:00pm, Friday October 2nd , 40 miles south of Chatham.   September 22, 2009 - Docks Out Day is Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 7:30 am September 8, 2009 - Pictures - Raft Up in the Bay - Click Here September 3, 2009 - Raft Up in the Bay The annual labor day raft up will be held at the first cove in Waquoit bay, on Saturday September 5, starting after noon . The water is 5 to 6 feet deep enough for most sail boats, or deep keel power boats. Spend the day or stay overnight. Contact Jim Downhill (jimcdown@comcast.net) or 508-695-0849 for more information.   August 29, 2009 - WBYC Annual Meeting Minutes will be posted when available. In the meantime, here are some pictures from the evening (Click on link below and "slideshow for best viewing.) WBYC 2009 Annual Meeting Pictures August 21, 2009 New Boat on Waquoit Bay The Downeaster, "EDMA", owned by Dan and Denise Shepherd   August 7, 2009 Notice to the Membership In accordance with the Bylaws, the 2009 nominating committee proposes the followingslate of Officers and Trustees for 2009-2010: Jim Downhill Commodore Barbara Lunn Vice Commodore Emir Smaykiewicz Rear Commodore Peter Giacomozzi Treasurer Carole Lipka Secretary Robert (Chip) Benoit Trustee - Term Expires 2010 Tim Flagg Trustee - Term Expires 2010 Nancy Hanson Trustee - Term Expires 2011 Betsy Young Trustee - Term Expires 2011 Article XV - Section 4 "There shall be no other nomination of Officers and Trustees except as follows: By notice signed by at least seven (7) Senior Members in good standing, another ticket of eligible nominees may be designated, provided the notice has been delivered to the Secretary, and posted by the Secretary of the nominating group on the bulletin board at the Clubhouse at least 10 days before the annual meeting. Whenever there is more than one duly nominated ticket, the vote at the annual meeting shall be taken on tickets, and not an individual member or officer; that is, each ticket must be voted as a group. A person may be a nominee on more than one ticket." The election of Officers and Trustees will take place at the Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 29, 2009. 2009 Nomination Committee Joseph Lipka, Chairperson (Original signed by Joseph Lipka) John Palmieri John Walden Information about the Annual Meeting   July 13, 2009 More news on things happening at the club. The race committee is having a regatta on the 24th, 25th and 26th of July. They are looking for volunteers to help out with parking, shuttling people to and from their boats, and other jobs that may come up during the day. If you have a mooring that will be vacant on any of those days we could use it for the knock-about.  There will be at least three clubs participating in the regatta .Please e-mail me if you would like to volunteer to help out on any one or all of the days. We are in the process of purchasing a new hard bottom inflatable to be used by the Jr. Sailing and knock about racing team.  The whaler and engine are not reliable.   This makes for an unsafe condition.      Jim Downhill, Commander jimcdown@comcast.net     July 4, 2009 Click Here to see the pictures from the Fourth of July 2009 at the club. June 29, 2009 Hi everyone. Summer on Waquoit Bay has officially started. The problem is no one told the weather man it was time for warm and sunny summer days.  I am glad to report that the club is in full swing and it should be a great season .We had our first raft-up and due to bad weather,  it was changed from Cotuit to Oak Bluffs.  Five boats participated.  Our junior sailing program is off to a great start with 30 students signed up for classes.  Thanks to Sudie Fay and her staff for putting together a great curriculum.  Our next event is the 4th of July picnic on Saturday with lots of hamburgs and hot dogs sponsored by the Race Committee.  Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities and parade for the kids. The best part is it’s FREE. CLICK HERE for all the details. We are still looking for volunteers to help out with functions.  If anyone is interested in volunteering to help out with the Sunday races please e-mail me at jimcdown@comcast.net. Here’s to fair winds and lots of fish Jim Downhill Commodore   May 24, 2009 ALERT Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve proposal for their 182 foot permanent pier was heard late February. They were told to submit a new proposal. There have been three postponements since that time and it is now on the agenda of Conservation Commission for July 29, 2009. WBNERR must file the next proposal 7 days before that hearing (July 22 at noon). After that time, it will be available at the Commission for public review and prior to July 29. Often the office at Con Com is closed but I have found the best time to “catch” them is after 1 pm. There are about 5 variances that they are requesting and must show proof. Because the land is in an ACEC area (Area of Critical Environmental Concern), this  law prohibits dock construction in that zone except if they can show good cause for the public use. WBNERR claims to have limited public access. A few of the other objections include: disruption to shellfish, actual use by “researchers” as opposed to the young people that patrol Washburn campsites, destruction to vegetation, construction from a barge (too shallow for a barge), no road access, maintenance of the area currently is poor to bad, no toilet facilities, no plan to restrict public from access and the aesthetics of this huge structure. Send letters to:     Conservation Commissioners     Falmouth Conservation Committee     Town Hall     Falmouth, Ma 02540 Include the following:     A clear statement as to why you are opposed.     What effect it would have on you      A little background of how long you’ve been using the Bay, etc. Thank you, Jim Downhill (jimcdown@comcast.net) Commodore CLICK HERE to print the above (.pdf format)   May 8, 2009 Opening day at the club is Saturday, May 23, 2009. Click Here for all the details. May 2, 2009 Dock-In day was held today and thanks to the hearty souls who braved the elements to get the jog done. CLICK HERE to see picture of the activities courtesy of Larry Gray. April 28, 2009 Click here to see the 2009 Social Calendar. Volunteers are still needed for a few time slots. Please contact Colleen Giacomozzi (508-548-4578) e-mail: pcgiacomozzi@hotmail.com to volunteer.   April 20, 2009 Dock in day will be Saturday, May 2nd, with the rain date being May 3rd. Again, many hands make short work and all are welcome. Opening day for the 2009 season will be Saturday, May 23rd. February 13, 2009 Hello everyone. I am sending this letter to all e-mail members of the club to inform everyone of an application that our neighbor to the North (WBNERR) has made. They are requesting to have a permanent pier that measures 142 feet long by 4 feet wide.  There will be a 22 foot aluminum ramp leading to a 10x20 foot float.  The pilings holding the pier will be 12 inches in diameter 20 feet apart. The pilings on the float will rise 17 feet above the water level. I have attended two meetings already held by the Conservation Commission in Falmouth.  There have been numerous questions asked by the Commission and concerned citizens.  WBNERR has also stated they will move any moorings that would interfere with their Pier. If you have any questions or wish to voice your opinion you can e-mail me at jimcdown@comcast.net .  The next meeting of the Conservation Commission will be held at the town hall on Feb. 25 at 7:00 pm.  The general public is invited to attend. Jim Downhill Commodore , WBYC    Click Here to print this letter   January 6, 2009 - IMPORTANT Click Here to read the WEBNERR Dock Project Description January 2, 2009 - IMPORTANT The Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) has made application to the Town of Falmouth, Conservation Commission to erect a pier from their boat house into Waquoit Bay.  A public hearing on this application will be held January 7, 2009 in the evening at town hall. The essence of the proposal is as follows: They wish to erect a permanent pier that measures 142 feet long by 4 feet wide to extend into the Bay where there will be a 22 foot aluminum ramp leading to a 10x20 foot float.  The pilings holding this pier will be 12” diameter, 20 feet apart, dug into the sand 15 feet and the pilings on the float will rise 17 feet above water level. There will be approximately 4 to 8 feet from the sand to under the pier, depending on tide. They will move their moorings to accommodate this pier, and presumably move others as well. (Remember there IS a mooring plan on file at the Harbor Masters office in Falmouth). The pier will start at the current cement stairs next to the boathouse as a ramp. The total length of the pier is 182 feet. Stairs will lead from the beach up to the pier. The pier will be permanently lit along the entire length. The aluminum ramp and float will be stored off site during winter months. They state that their “researchers” need permanent pilings to attached equipment, that they need to load skiffs from a dock, they need to stop the damage to their skiffs from pulling them up on the beach and to allow for greater comfort for their researchers to carry out their work. The number of actual researchers is unknown. It is known that their staff patrol Washburn Island Campground from this site. Facts: All of the land at the head of the Bay and beyond is in what is called ACEC land (Area of Critical Environmental Concern). One of the regulations in this State law is that there can be NO erection of docks, unless the public good can be demonstrated. (http://www.Falmouthmass.us/deppage.php?number-50) The proposal states that the public good is for school children to go out on the dock to view the water. No mention in the proposal as to the disposal of silt, sand and shells that will arise out of the erection of piles. No environmental impact assessment has been made public in this proposal. No plans are suggested for the restoration of fragile grass, sand, bushes and other natural vegetation that will be disturbed by the erection of this pier. WE ARE CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF WAQUOIT BAY for many reasons, the least of which is to preserve Waquoit Bay as a precious piece of environment. You may see this proposal at Town Hall, Conservation Commission.  YOU NEED TO VOICE YOUR OPINION ON THE ERECTION OF THIS PIER. WRITE A LETTER—APPEAR IN PERSON Click HERE to print the above Click HERE to go to the Falmouth Conservation Commission web site Conservation Commission Conservation Commission Adminstrator Jennifer L. McKay Conservation Commission Agent Mark Kasprzyk Location Falmouth Town Hall, Located in the basement 59 Town Hall Sq. Falmouth, MA 02540 Phone 508-495-7445 Fax 508-495-7449 E-Mail Address concom@falmouthmass.us Meeting Schedule Every Wednesday at 7:00pm (Town Hall Selectmen's Meeting Room)   Click here to view the photo gallery