OSCA September Updates!

Ahoy OSCA Fleet!

Happy Fall everyone. This is a spectacular time of year to be on the water. The breeze is up, the skies are clear and there are fewer boats on the water. The only down fall is the days are shorter and the temps are cooler. Hopefully you still have a few more opportunities to get out for a sail!

We had quite a few events take place over a relatively short period of time. We had a huge turn out at the Dutch Harbor Rendezvous. The wine tasting was a lot of fun and the breakfast the next morning at the Village Hearth was delicious. A big THANK YOU to Rear Commodore Lee Rabbitt for organizing the event.

Two weeks later we had our Labor Day Rendezvous at the Bristol Yacht Club. We had another great turnout and the weekend was highlighted by the ever outstanding Lobster boil put on by Bill and Paula Kaylor. After dinner some folks took the launch over to Independence Park to listen to the RI Philharmonic as they put on the end of summer show. Too bad there are no more fireworks. However mother nature did provide fireworks in the form of thunderstorms that came through early each morning. We did have one boat get hit by th lighting. Pretty scary stuff. Fortunately there were no injuries on board. On a lighter note we were unable to hold the mercury races due to lack of wind so he Zmuda's get to hold onto the hardware for another year. There are a ton of people to thank for making this weekend a great success; Vice Commodore Jill Clement for organizing the event, David Arnold for procuring the yacht club, Bill and Paula Kaylor for the lobster dinner, the cast of thousands who set and cleaned up and to Anne and Steve Anthony for bringing us breakfast each morning.

About two weeks ago was the Newport Boat Show. I heard Catalina had three boats on the dock. We had good OSCA representation and I hope everyone who attended enjoyed the show. Thank you for your efforts to promote OSCA!

We have two events left for the season. One on the water and one on land. Here's what's coming up!

Columbus Day Weekend at Ida Lewis Yacht Club

Once again this year we will be enjoying the hospitality of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club (ILYC.) For those of you who have not been to ILYC before, the yacht club is a unique gem of a club with beautiful views of Newport Harbor. Check out their website at http://www.ilyc.org/default.html. The club has a very interesting history.

With the exception of the kitchen on Saturday evening, we have unlimited access to the facilities which is included in the price of the moorings. The club has a full kitchen at our disposal (please note - we can NOT use the kitchen on Saturday night as there is a large event going on); there are also showers and toilet facilities as well as the clubhouse itself.

If you need water, there is a central water barge in the harbor.

There is a town pump out boat available as well.

Gas is available at several marinas.

Call the harbor master on Ch 16 to get information on any/all of the above.

There is a public dock located quite close to the Red Parrott should you wish to take your dinghy in. Generally though, I'd advise against dinghy-ing in Newport harbor in the dark. ILYC is a considerable distance from the town, and finding your boat can be a bit harrowing in the crowded harbor.

The plan for the weekend is:

Saturday

Arrive at ILYC by 5 (ish) Jill will be organizing the moorings, so please email her that you are planning to come (*note that your check for the weekend should go to Kevin Rabbitt - see below)

Dinner at the Red Parrot - we will meet at the ILYC dock at 5:45ish to take the Old Port Launch into town.

*Note the Red Parrot will happily do separate checks, but they ask that people sit across from or very near those on their check.

Sunday

Breakfast 9:00 - If there are a couple of people who will volunteer to help with cooking and cleanup, Jill will bring the supplies to make pancakes and bacon.

Free day to enjoy Newport or relax on your boat or on the club deck and enjoy the harbor

Sunday afternoon - Patriots vs. Saints. Gametime is 4:30. Bring snacks to share. The ILYC bar will be open until 7:00 pm. For those that are not interested in watching the game, perhaps bring a board game with you and seek out kindred spirits.

Membership Meeting at half time.

Sunday Dinner will be Pizza

Monday

Breakfast at 9:00 (the usual continental OSCA breakfast)

Relax and hope for weather conducive to a wonderful sail.

Costs:

• Moorings: The club has 6 guest moorings and Mark, the steward said they can probably accomodate up to 10 boats total. Moorings are $65 per night and MUST be paid in advance in one check. To facilitate the advance payment, please get your checks to Kevin Rabbitt @ 51 Fieldstone; Coventry RI 02816 no later than Tuesday October 8th.
• Breakfasts - the cost of breakfast will be $2-3 per person per day. Jill will collect that money when we get there.
• Launch Service - Old Port Launch is available to take folks to town. They can be hailed on Ch 68, and their hours for the Columbus Day weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon) are 9:00 am-10:00 pm. They will pick up and drop off at the club, or your boat. Cost for the launch is $3 per person, each direction.
• ILYC Launch there is no charge for the club launch, which runs from about 8:00 am until 5:45 pm. Outside of those hours, you'll need to bring your dinghy ashore.
• Sunday Dinner at the Red Parrot will be pay-your-own. They will do separate checks, but please sit in proximity to those on your tab.
• Pizza - we will do a collective order and split the tab. BYOB if the bar is not open (it was last year, but there is no guarantee)

For weekend reservations - email Jill Clement at jill_clement@verizon.net. You can also text/call her on her cell at 401-932-6776.

Let her know the length and draft of your boat and if you will be there Sat and Sunday nights. Remember to send mooring fee checks to Kevin.

We will monitor channel 72 for the weekend and Jill will disseminate a roster of boats prior to Friday.

Haul Out Party

Plans are being made for our annual Haul Out Party. This year's event will be on November 9th at Jacky's Galaxie in Bristol, RI. We are working out all the deails and will have more information to you in the near future.

Enjoy the Fall season! The Red Sox are in the payoffs and the Patriots are off to a 3-0 start and hockey season will start soon (the Bruins are having a good pre-season!) By the way, has anyone been watching the America's Cup Racing? Talk about fast boats! It's pretty exciting stuff!

See ya soon!

Life is good!