The day after I brought ILENE around from the Huguenot to the Harlem I retraced that path, helping Bennett bring Ohana around. But Ohana’s sails were mounted and we enjoyed a pleasant sail. - our first of the season. On both days I passed David’s “Hidden Hand” on her mooring at the City Island YC. And on both days we had a brief wait for 2Cs to put the bridles on the moorings.
Three days at the boat on its mooring to report — short days partly because launch service ends at 4 pm. The mission, each day in addition to cleaning, was primarily to mount ILENE’s sails. The first try it was blowing with gusts to 26 knots. That is not a condition in which to be trying to mount sails on a mooring. When up or part way up, before furling, the boat veers and the headsails cross from side to side and are likely to blow me overboard. The other two days I was helped by Samuel, who had a day sail with me last summer and is an eager and quick learner. Thank you Samuel! But we only got the small jib and the main up. And the main still needs one short batten - all five were cradled together on the deck last fall but one walked away. Fortunately, Mark, P.C., bought a new Mainsail this winter for his catamaran “Deuce of Hearts” and offered me one of his old ones. Thank you Mark!
The Genoa is not up because once up it must be furled and before the attempt, I tested it and the furler drum is corroded and does not turn freely on the forestry. So Rigger Jeff Lazar will be visiting ILENE soon, to fix the furler. The Genoa our least used sail; Lene, if she had her way, would never fly it.
In any event, once I provision her with bottles of beer, water and seltzer ILENE will be ready for the inaugural outing of the Old Salts on Wednesday.
The longest day was Saturday, May 5. It was the Harlem’s annual Spring Work Party, and by all accounts the best attended and most productive in memory. Thirteen separate projects were accomplished including three to repair and protect the docks, one for the winch house (used to launch and haul out boats), groups that polished all the silver sailing trophies and did the gardening and the group I got assigned to which lightly sanded and painted the railing around the deck. We started with only six of us doing the sanding, which was not done as thorough as I would have liked, and grew when we got to the painting until, at one time we had ten brushes working, six of them shown here.
It is kind of like the building of the a Great Wall of China: throw enough of us peasants into the job and it is amazing what can be accomplished. When they first opened the can the paint looked pink but it dried a nice shade of barn red. Our club is grateful for its leaders who planned the projects, shopped for all the supplies and tools and organized the rest of us into teams. Inside and out the rail now looks pretty good and hopefully will last a few seasons. I went around at the end pushing extra paint into all the upward facing cracks and crannies, to try to keep water out. We “charge” a $25 fee for those who do not attend, which is very cheap compared to four hours of physical labor, but the charge is more of a request for a contribution—unlike the practice at some clubs, the fee is not enforced. In fact, the two work parties per year are great social opportunities to get to know members and make new friends. It reminds me by a weak analogy of Tom Sawyer’s fence painting party.
The bagels and coffee had been served inside the greenhouse before and lunch was on the patio, after. I have to hand it to our caterer, Anne and her crew. She had served a packed Cinco de Mayo party the night before, a baby shower in the part of greenhouse behind the painters while we epwere working, a first communion party for a family of about 16, our ”free” lunch and then she ran a bourbon and mint themed Derby party in the evening.
But between the work party and the Derby party we had a well attended membership meeting. All good news: the Small Business Administration loan that we took to repair the Clubhouse after “The Storm of the Century” nor’easter in 1992 has been paid in full and SBA returned a thousand dollar overpayment and reported that we had never missed or been late with a single payment. We have more money in the bank than usual, membership is increasing, activity, the lifeblood of any club, is bounding and perhaps best of all, there was none of the snide back biting “questions” that made such meetings a hostile environment when I joined about 30 years ago and during my first decade. We have come to appreciate the diligent competent work of our elected volunteer leaders.
I had come to the Club by public transportation and got a ride to his home in Alpine NJ with Bennett, where Lene had driven, and we had a gourmet dinner cooked by Harriett before a round of games and a drive home. A long but fun filled day.
My next post will report on Sailing!
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