Happy New Year. Hope this message finds you and your families well. We are about 90 days away from being in full swing of the start of the 2022 sailing season. We have much to do before the warm weather hits and we can begin to enjoy our time on the water. At this time we are planning to have a spring banquet but that of course is subject with the influence of covid. We have not had a spring banquet the last two years because of covid but this tends to be a time that we can enjoy each others company and provide a view of what is planned for the coming season. This is also a good time for our new and old (long term) members to get to know one another. As details become more solid we will post details about this and hopefully we can finally put covid in our rer view mirror.
Once the weather breaks we will begin work in earnest on the gin pole. Our hope is to have this project competed and operational by the time the first mast needs to be raised. At the same time we will be installing the additional floating docks to fill the requests that have been confirmed. It is likely that dock days will become “dock day” with the increase in floating docks plus other changes that have been implemented to decrease the work that is required. By the end of February we should be able to provide aa more detailed plan of the work and time required to make the docks operational.
For those who use VC-17m Extra as their bottom paint you may have noticed limited availability of the product and increased pricing if you can find it. I have contacted Interlux to determine why there appears to a limited supply of the material. What I have been told by Interlux is that they are continuing to make VC-17 and that they have had supply chain issues but they are shipping every day. Since we have several members using VC-17 I am going to attempt to see if we can negotiate a supply and a price from our local West Marine store. If you are a VC-17 user and would be interested in participating in a group buy please contact me and let me know the quantity you would be interested in purchasing. While purchasing on line is possible the freight on this material is extremely high because it is considered a hazardous material. If we are able to have the material shipped to the West Marine in Indy we should be able to avoid the hazardous material charge. I will update this information as it becomes available. Switching from VC-17 to any other bottom paint requires that all the VC-17 is removed from the boat. Watch for more information.
Work on slip assignments will be underway shortly. Remember that you fees need to be paid by March 15, 2022 to allow you to retain your slip or to give you the best opportunity to obtain a special request. Every effort will be made to grant everyone their request but it may be necessary to make some adjustments dude to availability. If you have a special request pleas note that on you application form for consideration. From the forecast that we have at this time the number of on the water slips available will be at or very near our current capacity.
At the end of last season we attempted to present a program on radio protocol. Due to time constraints this training was not conducted. We will offer this program in early spring and will be provided on multiple dates and time. The training will focus on the proper method of hailing another craft, how to properly signal an emergency, the appropriate channels for recreational boating and why a radio is better than a cell phone on the water. Last year there were three particular occurrences on Prairie Creek where radio communications would have provided a quicker and better response to assist others in need. We would like to encourage the use of radios on the water and for those traveling on Federally controlled waters is a requirement on some boats.
One of the many strengths of MSC is the willingness of our members to share knowledge. During the past year I have been approached by members who expressed their appreciation for what another had shown them and was something that other members might be interested in. Currently we do not have a mechanism that allows us to capture these thoughts and experiences and puts them in a format that can be shared. If you have an idea or a skill that you think others might enjoy let one of our board members know so that we can take that idea and find a way to share the knowledge. Let us know your thoughts.
Looking forward to wonderful new year!