Deer Isle Yacht Club

December, 2020

Dear Members,

It has been an extremely unusual year for the Deer Isle Yacht Club. Early last Spring the Board of Governors took the important step of cancelling most of the events at the Club due to the COVID 19 pandemic; as the spring turned to summer it became clear that this had been the right thing to do. The one exception to this policy was a wonderful new event: the “Around the Block” race held on Labor Day, put together on short notice by our new Rear Commodore, Malcolm Forbes. Seven Bullseyes participated; all race-related events were appropriately limited and distanced; and most important, they had a great day on the water.

I am very pleased that the Club has been well “put to bed” for the winter. The floats are out and stacked and all boats are hauled.  This Fall a dedicated group of members spearheaded by Jeff Wakelin joined Buster Peasley in conducting checks on moorings. The importance of this exercise had been made eminently clear after three boats broke loose from their moorings. Luckily there were no serious issues, but these events emphasized the importance of all parts of the mooring system being up to date. To this end, the Club will be instituting specific recommendations to ensure that all moorings are safe; you will hear more about this as the year progresses.

The condition and future of the pier and walkway is another important issue under review. A subcommittee has met with engineers to look at alternatives for repair or replacement and the Finance Committee will address funding options in preparation for a comprehensive report to the membership.

The Communications Committee, headed by Virginia Gresham, has been hard at work all Fall bringing the DIYC into the 21^st century. The Instagram account has almost 200 followers and a Facebook  page has been added to our communications network and can be seen on our website. This is all thanks to the new (and younger) members of the BOG: Virgina Gresham, Mike Clarke, Malcolm Forbes and Hayden Childs. Following the DIYC provides a reminder of summer even in the dead of winter; if you haven’t already connected to one of these sites, you will enjoy doing so!

What happens next summer is, of course, dependent on how well the nation can get this pandemic under control. We all hope that we will be returning to a summer filled with fun events. We are actively looking for help on our summer events, and as soon as we have some idea as to how “open” we will be, the Events/Communications Committee will be in contact. The Rear Commodore will be setting up a Bullseye Racing Series and plans to appoint of Fleet Captain. In addition, Betsy Robertson is working on possible sailing lessons.

This is normally a season of great hope, and I believe we should keep that hope alive. We may all have a different holiday season, but if we all take the necessary protections now, we can look forward to a wonderful summer. I wish you all good health and please stay safe.

Cordially,

Eliza Harrison, 

Commodore  

P.S. In the spirit of giving, consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Deer Isle Yacht Club scholarship fund. You can either

1) Send a check with Deer Isle Yacht Club Scholarship on the memo line to: Maine Community Foundation, 245 Maine Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605

OR

2) Pay by credit card: Go to www.mainecf.org/givenow, a) Choose a specific purpose for your gift, b) Choose “Other: Deer Isle Yacht Club Scholarship.” You will receive a receipt by mail.

If you have questions, contact Susan Scholl, at schollhouse@aol.com 

or (301) 325-1035.