Cruising

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Our annual Icebreaker Cruise happened on April 20-21 at Deep Creek Restaurant, off the Magothy. 43 people came, including many new cruisers, nearly filling up our private dining room. Great food and good times. Thanks to Wally Gribbin for arranging and the great staff at Deep Creek.

Next Up: EYC Link-Up Event, April 28 

Due to the overwhelming turnout at our Pot-Luck Dinner, we are having a follow-up planning meeting and social hour at EYC on Sunday, April 28 from 4 to 6 PM, downstairs in the Conference Room.  No reservations needed. EYC will prepare heavy hors d’oeuvres ($10 charge, cash please), plus fresh oysters and a cash bar in the hallway.

We’ll start by presenting our cruising program as planned so far.  Then, in a “job fair” table format, we will have experts and cruise coordinators available to answer your questions.  We will ask you for your ideas, recruit additional cruise leaders, and provide the opportunity to sign up for planned cruises.  It should be a fun and educational event for all, especially if you are new to cruising with EYC.

Questions?  Need more information?  Contact Rob Greve This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 410-990-1642 or Bill Sieling This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 443-458-5537.

Now that your boat is ready (it is, isn't it?), here are some places to go with your friends. Hoist the sails and/or open the throttle, and head for ....

Day Cruises:

Want go out just for a day? This year, the Cruise Committee is organizing a number of day cruises/picnics. The first will be Saturday, May 4, 1 to 4 PM, to the Palisades community off Little Round Bay on the Severn (39° 02' 26.5" N, 76° 34' 23.9" W). You can even come by car. Bring a picnic to share; there's a pavilion, a dock, and even porta-potties. Host is Pete Chambliss This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 410-923-2726.

Raft-Up in the Rhode

May 18-19 we'll have a traditional weekend raft up cruise to the Rhode River (38° 52' 56.87" N, 76° 32' 03.05" W), hosted by new members Cynthia Palmer and Jim Brooks This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (302-598-1269). Bring an appetizer to share for Happy Hour. This location is close enough for many people (especially for those with power boats) to get home Saturday evening if you’re so inclined.

Memorial Day Weekend plans:

Make plans NOW to attend our annual Memorial Day weekend event (May 25-28): at Granary Creek off the Wye River, with fun, frivolity, games and dinner ashore at the beautiful Wye Island NRMA. This year, we’re working with the House Committee to make Sunday a "Family Fun Day." EYC co-hosts this event each year with the Chesapeake Bristol Club and the Magothy River Sailing Association. Come by land or by sea. Bring your friends. No reservations needed. Click here to see the flyer.

Note: Unlike previous years, dogs are welcome, providing 1) they are leashed at ALL times, 2) they are cleaned up by their owners, and 3) they remain outside of buildings.  There will even be a dog contest.

Leukemia Cup !

Attention "recovering racers!" Don't forget that EYC hosts the annual Leukemia Cup regatta on Saturday, June 1. Enter the Leukemia Class for "boats that don't normally race," which describes us perfectly. We even get our own course around government marks, rather than windward/leeward stuff the "real racers" prefer. Last year, we had at least 5 EYC cruisers racing. Here’s your chance to invite some additional crew, have some low-key fun without committing to a race schedule, attend parties at AYC and EYC, and raise money for a good cause. Go the EYC Racing web page to register.

On the same day will be a Power Cruisers Event, a "Predicted Log" contest similar to a road rally. See the event website for more information.

Baseball and Baltimore

Plan ahead: Join us at the ball game! On Saturday, July 13 we travel to Baltimore to see the Orioles defeat the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. This is a rare twilight game beginning at 4:05 PM and includes a free team jersey giveaway. Get your tickets NOW ($22) as this will sell out. Call Anne Sieling (443-458-5537) to place your order. EYC Cruisers will be staying at Henderson's Wharf in Fells Point. Call the marina at 410-732-1049 to make your own reservations. From there, you can walk or take a taxi or water taxi to Camden Yards. There's also parking at the marina for those visiting by land yacht.

The Cruising Committee meets monthly to plan activities. We welcome EYC members to attend and provide input and new ideas. We have reserved the conference room on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM.

Remember, every Thursday is “cruisers’ night” at the club. Join us for dinner in the restaurant or a drink in the bar. Look for the folks wearing the oval red and white name badges and introduce yourself. This is an excellent way to meet others interested in cruising. 

EYC Cruising Committee 2012 Summary Report

Submitted by Bob Arias, 25 October 2012

2012 saw the cruising committee coordinating about 16 on-water cruises events for the club, plus a number of seminars and social events.  Many were “come by land or sea,” enabling members to come by land yacht, if needed. We’re happy to again report that quite a few new and younger EYC members (or at least new to cruising) have joined the “regulars.”

We continued having a Cruising Steering Committee, to help in planning and come up with some new ideas. Tom Baugher, Dorothy Jagen, Ron and Dawn Hughes, Rob and Carroll Greve, Bill and Anne Sieling, and Wally and Jean Gribbin volunteered and were very helpful.

The cruises rendezvoused at many locations which included cruises to the Magothy, the Rhode, the Wye, Baltimore, St Michaels, Rock Hall, Plum Creek, Cambridge, the Pokomoke, and the Chester. We had at least 4 entries in the Leukemia Cup “cruising” class.

Of special note, Cyndy and Roger Feldman volunteered their home for the kickoff potluck dinner in March, in lieu of over-filling Juanitiaville's limited space. And we stayed in the Magothy for the first cruise, filling Deep Creek's lower dining room!  And we enjoyed the tall ships and Blue Angels in Baltimore for the "Star Spangled Sailabration."

Due to construction, we skipped the Chesapeake Cruisers Inter-Club Rendezvous year, but plan on doing it again in August  at the club, inviting about 30 yacht and sailing clubs from the middle bay. 

The Thursday evening cruising ‘rendezvous’ at the club for dinner has grown in popularity with 20-30 cruisers participating each week.  At least 3 impromptu weekend cruises started at these dinners.

We hosted some land events, including several pot luck dinners, and seminars on boating topics during the winter, which were well attended.

The Memorial Day cruise continues to be popular, and this year, the weekend found some 40+ club members and over 20 boats and land yachts gathering on the Wye River for two days of great activities.  We called it "WyeIsland 2.0" for the new and innovative games and events. Nevertheless, attendance was down about 10% from previous years, and the event lost a little money. Many thanks to all the volunteers from EYC, the Bristol and the Magothy River Sailing Clubs for making it such a great weekend.  The combined effort of three clubs in the Annapolis area ensured a successful Memorial Day event.

We want to thank all the volunteers who acted as cruise coordinators and anchor boats this year.  These include Wally and Jean Gribbin, Roger and Cyndy Feldman, Paul and Judy Chatterton, Tom Baugher, Dorothy Jagen, Rob and Carroll Greve, Jae Sherwood, Ron and Dawn Hughes, Pete and Jane Chambliss, and Bill and Anne Sieling.  And a special thanks to Kathy Arias for helpful advice and putting up with my crazy ideas.