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If you haven't checked it out already, the PRYC website has been revamped (pointrobertsyachtclub.com), and it is fantastic!
We are hoping that you will find it easy and enjoyable to use, and we hope that it will be an effective way for us all to stay connected. The Covid pandemic still has us all separated, but we are hopeful that we can come together again soon. In the meantime, let's stay in touch via the website, AND A SCAVENGER HUNT!!! Members, check your email to for the notice and attached SCAVENGER HUNT document with questions whose answers are all found on the website. Enjoy perusing the new site, maybe learn a thing or two, and earn a chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to Steveston Marine!!! Submit your answers by Friday, May 21, Bonus points if you:* Submit a recent photo of your boat - especially if it is in a new temporary home - we want to see where everyone has ended up! (or stayed…) * Submit a blog entry describing any boating Covid adventures you have had - this page could be a great avenue for sharing information…where you are, where you are going... https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XH29Z6X Have fun! Carmen Jackson Member-at-Large, PRYC
My winterizing of Volti Subito has always been minimal; I like(ed) to do weekly check ins on her, and could easily take care of issues as they appeared. For example, if the temps were forecasted to plummet the next, I'd simply run another light-bulb warmer, or open up the engine compartment to make sure that area stayed warm. Volti's design has a VERY flat bottom with no bilge well to speak of -she could easily have 3 gallons of water in her before the auto bilge would ever trip. I've never liked that, but just pumping it out each week was part of the excuse to head down to the boat; not so easy now.
I knew I wanted/needed to do something given the less frequent check-ins, but I had a couple criterion; 1) had to be cheap (what can I say), 2) not need to alter/modify _anything_ on the boat, 3) temporary in nature. I subscribe to Practical Sailor and (too) regularly receive an email from them focusing on an old story from a past article. This one fit my need. For about $75 bucks I got a great system that I can leave in should I want to, or in 10 minutes pull it out without there ever being a trace of it. The heart of the system is a small 12v pump ($30 on sale) that can run dry for up to 5 minutes, a $12 multi timer (17 on/off settings), about 40' of clear, flexible tubing, several T fittings to create a manifold with, some 90° barb fittings along with some scouring sponges to act as filters for the angled pickup tubes. I managed to run all the hose and the electrical feed through existing access holes. The only 'permanent' thing was wooden mounting plate for the 12v pump, but it's hidden down inside the port settee storage area. The multi timer can program down to 1 min. intervals, so I simply set it to run for 1 min. at a time. I arbitrarily set it to run 3 times per day (created this in the rainy days of November); one or 2 times might be sufficient, but figured why bother. I was concerned about how best to expel the discharge (could/should I tie into the existing bilge hose? Dangers of creating a back syphon situation? etc), and opted instead to just run the discharge hose up through the portside stern lazarrette and take it down to the cockpit scupper. I may rework that part should I decide to leave it installed later, but for now, it's fine, functional, and didn't disturb the integerity of any part of the boat. How does it work? I think great. So far the most excess I've been able to sponge out (after a month's absence) has been about half a cup. There's a couple of pictures above showing some of my adaptations, but I just based it off a much more detailed/step-by-step article linked here. How's your boat doing? This season is different for most of us. Usually we have quick and easy access to check/use our boats 24/7, but few are experiencing that this year. There are a few different monitoring options out there for boats -most in 'boat buck' pricing, and if one is looking at a long term solution, that may be a reasonable way to go. But if you're only looking for (hopefully) short term solution.... till we can resume regular PR access, a simpler (less expensive) solution to your peace of mind sure would be nice. I was conversing with P/Cmdr Don and he brought up a solution that fit his needs and situation. I think I'll be exploring it further for our boat as well, and so I asked him if he'd be willing to write up a little summary of his experience and he agreed to, so here it is. No, it's not marine rated, no it's not a bunch of things, but if it looks interesting to you; check it out. Remember, Don nor the Club take any responsibility for anything (some may say that's just the norm anyways), but hopefully that's sufficient for a legal release. Don? -Shane =============== Ecowitt is a company that produces a number of weather monitors. It’s simplest configuration consists of the gateway monitor pictured below, which sells for $41.00. As a standalone unit, it will monitor temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. I put one on Sosueme in Otter Bay and connected it to Otter Bay’s Wifi. I don’t recall the connection procedure, but it was very simple. I then downloaded the Ecowitt app to my phone, and with that I can monitor the conditions on Sosueme. The second image is the first page of the monitor on my phone. The second page (not shown) gives you graphs showing the last 24 hours. The information is updated every minute. The Ecowitt App has a number of alarm settings. I have programmed two alarms: one is when the temperature on board falls below 5 degrees, and the other is when there is a power outage for more than 1 hour. The power outage alarm has worked well thus far. The temperature hasn’t fallen below the threshold yet. There are many additional monitors that can be added to the Gateway. I mistakenly thought that the Gateway was just that, and didn’t have any monitoring capabilities, so I bought a separate monitor for an additional $20. I didn’t need to do that, because the Gateway is also a monitor. I put it elsewhere in the boat, so I have two separate monitoring points. That is really unnecessary, but I already bought the second monitor. There is also a “water leak” monitor that I plan to purchase for $15.00, and put in the bilge. I just discovered it recently, but before I can purchase it I need to go to the boat and record the frequency of my Gateway to ensure a match. If you go to Ecowitt.com you can see their full range of weather monitoring devices. Having a boat that isn’t within a short drive is something new to me, so this device gives me peace of mind. Cheers. Donald Boyle  Dear fellow Members,
On behalf of the entire Board, I'd like to wish everyone best wishes this holiday season. While we have to roll with things as they come and some important family traditions may be disrupted, it may also be a chance for new alternatives to make their way into future years celebrations (in our house, this will be the first time we're mixing our own Black Russians on Xmas eve, but we will because some things are sacred!) No matter, it is always family and friends that are the most important. So we hope you are able in some way, to share and enjoy some moments –in person or via a virtual Christmas dinner –with them all. Amidst all the holiday hubbub and the fast approaching end of 2020 (thank goodness!), your Board is optimistically looking ahead to 2021 and solidifying some dates –as much as they can at this point. Please check the website/calendar for dates and tentative plans. We will of course, have to be adaptive to whatever restrictions may be in place at that time, but we're taking a 'glass half full' approach. With our vessels now spread near and far, our Cruises may more aptly considered Rendezvous; in a socially distant way of course. Vern has been factoring in responses from our previous moorage survey, and also looked for destinations that include available land based accommodations for those not able/wishing to rendezvous by boat. All this and more is in the works for 2021, check the website regularly for updates/info. May you and yours have a healthy & meaningful Christmas, and enjoy the turning of the page into 2021. Regards, Shane Fawkes PRYC Commander Things you think of when you can't sleep....
While the majority of members have repatriated their boats, one of the most used day-to-day parts of my Point Roberts based boating is my Nexus card. Regardless of the Border closure, its' expiry date marches on. Past experience tells me that as long as you've submitted a renewal request, that is sufficient for a current cardholder to continue using it. However, if it lapses you need to begin the process again from scratch. I'm going to check our expiry dates then go back to bed! Welcome, and I'm glad we're all here. I'm pleased to be serving as PRYC Commodore this year, but have to admit to being a little apprehensive of the circumstances I'm stepping into... a Club that can't get to their Club!!! It kind of harkens that Tom Hank's movie "The Terminal".
Crewing as a non-member on a couple different boats for Series racing, I was already benefitting from the PRYC racing program before Lisa and I joined, and was easily coerced by skipper/Board member (now P/C) Drew Rickard to member up and later, to serve on the Board. There are many who have given their time to help guide the club through the years; all doing so to help foster something we all benefit from. That's how Clubs work. So thank you to this years Board for the time and energy you'll be spending in your rolls over the next 12 months. In spite of the challenges presented, I know you're commitment resourcefulness will serve the Club well. While most of us aren't able to access our home port -many taking temporary refuge on other docks, I hope that we can all work together to find creative ways to remain connected and engaged through this (already too lengthy) challenging time. Respectfully, Shane |
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