August is just about upon us. We have had a very busy summer to this point. The June Deck Party/Commodores' event was a big hit with the presentation of the Clubs Awards for key Club Volunteers. The Dave Brown Lifetime Service Award was bestowed upon our own Marji Clune for her tireless efforts. The Nan Culver Lady Sailor Trophy given to the woman who best promoted sailing among women by participation in racing was given to Susan Bloom. The Spencer Alexander Award presented to the person considered to have done the most effective work for the club outside of duties required by the office held in any year was awarded to Janell Skeen. Many thanks to the event organizers Katie Bloom-O'brien and her family. Well over 100 club members and guests enjoyed a wonderful evening amongst friends and guests.
Club Manager Update June 2022
This past month has been exciting with the introduction of youth racing clinics by Landon Junge and Emily Avey. We also saw the inauguration of a youth Regatta which sailors who traveled from the Portland area and involvement with U of O and Oregon State College teams. The next step is the opening of Sailing instruction the week prior and week following to sail school and possibly beyond.
Club Manager Update May 2022
Many thanks to the countless Volunteers who have prepared the club for another great season. On the forefront we are preparing for Sail School and the introduction of our new Youth Sailing instruction Program made possible by many club members who have contributed to the Oregon Youth Sailing Foundation. You will be seeing the use of many of the recently purchased Opti and 420 boats once again purchased with donated funds to the Oregon Youth Sailing Foundation.
Another month has passed and we are nearing the end of Racing Season Series 1. Many more opportunities exist for Racers to be part of Regattas.
Please join us at this month’s General Membership Meeting and the Board of Directors Chili Feed on 6:00 pm Saturday 21st outside on the Clubhouse deck. Our Club is experiencing the typical Springtime membership growth so we wish to invite all members to come and greet the people who have joined the family.
Just as a reminder, If you have a boat or trailer in the center island grass area., it will need to be relocated and or removed before our Memorial Day Regatta
Club Manager, Paul Morrow
Club Manager Update April 2022
Well, Spring is here. We are preparing for a full return to normal operations. Many thanks to a large number of volunteers who continue to make our club a comfortable enjoyable escape from the reality of the worlds’ problems.
This months General Membership Meeting will be held as a picnic on the deck (weather is permitting and indoors if inclement). If possible, sharing of food should be limited to your Bubble or household.
On the horizon you will see some changes in dates on some special dates such as:
Skippers and Mates Dinner is joining the Deck Party/Commodores Celebration Awards Program on June 18th
Youth Racing Training: May 14th & 21st for youth sailors interested in sailing the 420s
Women’s’ Cup has moved to July 23rd
Harvest Day Regatta will be moved up to August 26th – 28th
Club Manager, Paul Morrow
March 2022
There is lots going on at EYC these days which is very exciting. And it is even raining as I write this which is great. But we still need everyone to do their rain dances!
We are in the process of hiring a new Media Manager at EYC. This is hopefully going to be done in the very near future. So stay tuned!
The new Member's Handbook is done and should be mailed sometime this week. If you don't get one, contact us and we will get on that. It contains all kinds of useful information. But a bunch of that information is up on the website including the calendar CLICK HERE I will remind you that in the era of COVID everything is in pencil.
We have formed a committee on Youth Sailing. If you are interested in being involved, please contact Paul Morrow or Commodore Matt Sprick. We have kids
February 2022
Well it is that time of the year when everyone is full of optimism and excitement. And a couple are a little panicked at how little time is left to get ready for the season. The USACE Fill Curve requires the Corps to start filling Fern Ridge on February 1 and have it full on April 15 every year. And they begin the drawdown on October 1 (if it is full) with the goal of having it empty in early November. This is all done in a linear manner as measured by elevation, not volume. Which is a little problematic. You can follow the Corp's progress HERE and there is also a link from our website under "Sailing" then "Connections".
The weather station is back up. Thank you Chris Thomas! The link to that is HERE While I am mentioning this, I should add that Chris has maintained our routers and ISP connections on the EYC grounds.
January 2022
We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season despite the obstacles set before us. I know I saw family members that I had not seen in a couple of years and do not take that for granted. I know that those of you who believe in Santa got Harken for Christmas. And those of you who don't got socks.
So how is the club doing? Good! Membership levels are steady. We have money. And we have a calendar full of fun events. I remind you that going inside the clubhouse requires masking up. And the same goes for crowded areas outside.
The water level has fluctuated some as it does during the winter months. The Corps plans to start filling Fern Ridge on February 1st, and to have it full by April 15. You can monitor the lake level here:
Club Manager November 2021
Our second season with the virus has come to an end. And while it was a pain to try to be a social club in a time when social activities are either banned or unwise, we are excited about next year. More and more people are getting the shots and the virus seems to be getting less dangerous. So as we go into our indoor season, please everyone be careful so we can start next year healthy and happy and anxious to get on the water.
We will be setting up next year's calendar pretty much like a standard year. The staff is also in the process of billing everyone for 2022 because our fiscal year starts on November 1. Dues are due! If you have any questions, let me know. Billing for moorage will be done April 1st. We will be putting out a new Handbook in January and an online version in the Members' Area of the website slightly earlier. Please send in changes in your listing in the directory area of the Handbook to me clubmanager@eugeneyachtclub.org or to Jose at mediamanager@eugeneyachtclub.org Remember that the gate code changes on the first of the year.
The Board has decided to declare a moratorium on travel trailer assignments and construction until they can make some improvements in fire prevention. But the cleanup after the fire is progressing and should be done soon.
Club Manager October 2021
Fall is certainly here. I would like to take a moment to encourage everyone to wander out to the club at times this winter. It is a great place for bird watching. Herons and Egrets are common and Bald Eagles are not uncommon. And if you want to do some work party while the lake is empty, please contact Marji Clune or Gary Powell. The requirement is 16 hours by August first. And there is a Work Party on October 23 at 9am.
I would like to repeat Port Captain Gordon Mattatall's moorage and storage admonishments. He will inspect for winter storage on November first and will bill everyone who is on the grounds at that moment. And we require that all boats and trailers be labelled so that this is possible. And we would like to remind you that it is your responsibility to maintain the ground under your boat and trailer, both summer and winter.
From the Club Manager September 2021
Well, this has been an interesting year. Pandemic, low water, and unfriendly algae have delivered a few body blows. But as a club we seem to be thriving and having fun! I am noting that we have had our Harbor 20 fleet grow from two boats to four boats, and we suddenly have a Weta fleet of three boats. Both are great boats!
Thursday night sailboat racing was hampered by the pandemic and low water levels so participation was down, though much of the season was completed. Racers skipped April and also the last race of the season last week. The race results are posted on the EYC/TYC Joint Race Committee website so you can peruse that at your leisure. The Santanas had to ramp launch each week and the Thistles had quite an adventure launching from the hoists until they finally gave up on that and ramp launched as well. Racing was not easy this year, so congratulations to all the racers; they really do deserve "participation trophies".
From the Club Manager August 2021
This is certainly an interesting year for the club and for boating in general. The double whammy of the virus and the drought have made our season both shorter and smaller. Thankfully, we still have seven feet of water at the ramp and most of the slips still have plenty of water. The level is dropping about three inches per week, though, so plan accordingly.
From the Club Manager July 2021
There is a bit of a good news-bad news on Work Party hours. This year a few of you were planning on doing your hours during Sail School or the Harvest Regatta, which have both unfortunately been cancelled (that's the bad news). So instead of billing for unworked hours on August 1, we are extending the period in which those hours can be worked through August 31. We will be bill unworked hours at $30/hour on September 1 (that's the good news!). If you need to complete those hours, you have an opportunity at the Work Party scheduled for Saturday, July 24, beginning at 9:00 am.
From the Club Manager June 2021
In a normal year, June is our busiest month with something scheduled all but perhaps 5 or 6 days. Not so much this year, but we will still have fun. We start with the Cuban-themed deck party on June 19. For ten bucks you can enjoy live music and food and a full-on party. July and August figure to be great with several events returning to the club. The Fourth of July, however, is still a bit up in the air since we didn't get our permit to set off fireworks. But there ia lot of events scheduled for the rest of the summer. The most up-to-date source of info is the online EYC calendar.
From the Club Manager May 2021
Wow! What a warm and beautiful Spring! Unfortunately, all those April showers we skipped have left us with a lower-than-normal water level. That's the bad news, but there is a ton of good news! The citizens of Oregon are beginning to get a handle on this virus. The club's events and activities are beginning to take place. We have a bunch of new members this year. And I am going to need sunscreen!
From the Club Manager April 2021
Spring is here! Time to get those sleepy boats into the water and to come out for the Work Party this Saturday, April 17, to spruce up the club. We have scheduled perfect weather to work in and hope to accomplish lots of good work. Several boats are already in and folks have been sailing.
The club is open for all the fun boating stuff we do as individuals and as household bubbles. We are not doing any social events yet because of the virus, but we are hopeful that things will improve dramatically over the next couple of months. The Board is closely following state and local regulations regarding social activities. Get those shots! And wear masks, socially distance, and wash your hands often.
From the Club Manager March 2021
As I write this, the water level is coming up almost at the pace it is supposed to. Fern Ridge Reservoir should be full by April 15 and if all goes well, it just might be. If not exactly then, it will be soon thereafter. We have probably five feet of water over the toe of the north ramp at the moment and people are sailing dinghies already. Keith Kincaid had his new (to him) fishing boat in a week ago, new members Emory Brown and Claire Lender had their sailboat out last Sunday, and the UO Sailing Team is out practicing weekly. Kudos to them all!
Covid is still in control of the schedule, so the Board has moved a bunch of spring events into the summer. We are optimistic though that we can do most of the social events we usually do this year, if not exactly on the traditional dates. As with everything in the Covid era, dates are in pencil, not ink. The latest version of the calendar is always on the website. I recommend you bookmark it, or you can add our Google calendar to your personal calendar if you wish.
From the Club Manager February 2021
There are good things happening! The water is coming up and we can already sail Lasers. The Corps seems quite determined to get Fern Ridge full this year.
And Eugene Yacht Club will be open for business! We are following Governor Brown's and the Oregon Health Authority's guidelines: wear a mask when not alone, limit gatherings to small groups, stay six feet away from people who are not family members, wash your hands often, and stay home when sick. Having said that, we have a full schedule of plans like any other year and even if we end up cancelling some group events early in the season, we encourage members to come out and enjoy EYC as it is easy to socially distance on the grounds. And this is a nice place to just be.
From the Club Manager January 2021
January has arrived and that means it is time to look forward to on-the-water activities in the sunshine! With that in mind, we have posted the club schedule on the EYC website. This is a Google calendar, so if you want you can incorporate it into your personal calendar. While we have set up a normal schedule, the virus is still in charge of the situation. So it is best to assume that everything on the schedule is in pencil, not ink. We will adjust as best we can under the Governor's guidelines. Being safe is always our mantra.
The first day of racing is scheduled for April first. The lake will be full on April 15. Sail School is at the end of June, almost as normal. Fireworks will go off (I really hope) on the Fourth of July and so on. The first couple of potlucks (including the Chili Feed on January 30) will most certainly be online events via Zoom, and others may get moved over to Zoom. But even then, the grounds are open to individuals and their bubbles to do individual stuff. We only ask that you stay outdoors as much as possible, wear a mask and social distance following the Governor's guidelines, and generally be safe.
From the Club Manager November 2020
This has been an interesting year, hasn't it? The "year from heck" I call it. Almost everything got cancelled and while many people got out in boats in spite of the low water level and the virus, it took considerable determination.
We are beginning to plan for 2021 with the idea that things will go back to normal in the coming months, that we will be able to be a "social club" with lots of great "social events," and that 2021 will be the best year ever.
The first task is to construct our calendar. Anyone with input on that should contact me really soon. Next up on the 2021 calendar is the first Work Party of the year on January 23 and the next General Membership Meeting on January 30 (probably on Zoom). I should add that the Port Commission has not only done a ton of work this last year, but they have some terrific projects coming up. If you want to get the invite to work on some of those, please let Marji Clune know.
From the Club Manager October 2020
Well, that time of the year is here. We put the boats away and try to think up other things to do until we can start boating again in the spring. But before we do that, though, there are four important things I need to tell you about: the Annual Meeting, dues billing, winter storage, and the Commodore's Ball.