Newsletter 2 July 2015

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Great turnout for Planting Day

A stunning turnout for the planting day on Saturday 27 June.  Around 35 volunteers got stuck in and had the 370 plants in the ground, mulched over and tied in a little over an hour.  Classic case of many hands make light work!  To those who turned up - THANK YOU!!  You did a fantastic job.

Jeremy Noakes of Hawks Nest Vineyard provided a quantity of the mulch and Brian & Vanessa Morrison trucked a heap of theirs onto the site with their tractor. Wheelbarrows were at the ready to spread it around, including help from little 4yr old Autumn Howson, who brought along her little red trolley and gleefully pitched in and did her bit. 

Thanks is extended to Craig McNaught who kindly sourced plants and helped space them about the property prior to planting. 

What we need now is some on-going assistance with maintenance of the plants.  We'd like to invite those who walk in the area to keep an eye on the growth of the trees and take a few minutes to do some weeding.  Mike Smith has offered to do a bit of spraying around the edges as required.

The occasional working bee may be needed, but meantime, we'd like to establish a small team of volunteers to oversee that the plants grow well, are staked and mulched when needed and watered at times if necessary.  We can co-ordinate working bees and such like through our email system, but need someone/some persons to take this under their wing.  If that person is you, we'd love to hear from you.  Phone Phil Brooker on 425 8775 or 0274758685.

Thanks again everyone!!

SYC AGM - Tuesday 11 August 2015, 7pm

The SYC membership year runs from 1 July to 30 June.  With the new year comes a focus on our subscriptions, the cost of these being set at our AGM.  Please be advised that the AGM will take place on Tuesday 11 August at 7:00pm at the SYC clubrooms. 

The handbook is again being revised and due for print and distribution in late August/early September. Would all members please take a moment to look at the current handbook to ensure that their details contained therein are correct.  Name, home phone number, mobile, current boat etc.  Invoices will be sent out fairly soon after the AGM and it would be helpful if you could advise any corrections to Jenny Bronkhorst at the office BEFORE these are sent out.  It is essential that we have your details recorded correctly in the office, on the invoices and subsequently, in the handbook.

We are privileged once again to have Louise O'Sullivan doing all the spadework in putting the SYC handbook together.  Those wanting to advertise in the handbook are now invited to contact Louise to discuss their advertising.  Deadline for completion of all advertising is 31 July. Please email louise@warkworth.net.nz or phone 425 7021.

Open Day at Algies - Saturday 11 July from 11.30am

The SYC Centreboard Division invite all those with sailing dinghies to take part in an Open Day at Algies Bay on Saturday 11 July from 11.30m-4.00pm.  Focus is on FAMILY FUN and it would be great to see littlies out with Mum & Dad, older siblings flitting around in dinghies, older people who haven't sailed for a while, getting back on the water for a day of fun.  Dust off/scrub down your old faithful and bring it to Algies Bay for an outing. There are seven plastic Opti's available for those who don't have a dinghy but are willing to give it a go. 

A sausage sizzle will be running all day, $2.50 + drinks $2.  And a coffee van will be on site.

A Bring & Buy will take place on the lawn outside the Algies Bay clubrooms for those wanting to sell or purchase bits and pieces to do with sailing/boating.  If you have a dinghy for sale, oars, an outboard, life-jackets, anchors, bouys, wet weather gear/clothing (particularly in childrens' sizing) - anything at all that you think someone can make use of, then tidy it up and put a price and contact phone number on it.  If it needs some explanation, be sure to add that too (ie what boat the sail fits, age of outboard etc). Unsold pieces should be collected at the end of the day or will be on-sold as a fundraiser for the division. 

Volunteers are needed to help them run the Open Day.  Are you available?    We need an extra patrol boat driver,  people to help the kids put on their life-jacket and/or rig up boats, help with launch and retrieval of boats,  someone to run the  bbq on a one-person/hour basis, and others simply to monitor the beach, keep an eye on the Bring & Buy and so on.  Extra hands and eyes, and words of encouragement for the youngsters; that's what we need.  Please contact Glenys Milne on 4222 479, 0274 805051 or email glenysmilne@yahoo.co.nz.

If you can't help on 11th July, but able to help out on an occasional basis, then we'd still like to hear from you so that we can establish a list of such contacts for future use. 

The Centreboard division prize-giving was held on 21 June whereby certificates and trophies were given out to young sailors for their efforts to date. SYC member Garth Naulls spoke passionately about sailing, stressing particularly the importance of parents getting involved in their child's sailing, supporting the club and those running coaching sessions.  It was a great evening and nice to see a good turnout of people, and pot-luck offerings. 

If your child/children are 9yrs and older and interested in learning more about the coaching courses offered, then please request a copy of the information distributed that evening, from Learn to Sail co-ordinator Mischelle Mills.  Email Mischelle at sandspitlearntosail@xtra.co.nz or phone/text 022 171 2550.

The Centreboard Division AGM will be held on Wednesay 29 July at 7pm at the Aglies Bay Clubrooms.  All invited.

Whilst centreboard sailing continues throughout the whole year, our club is closed until early October.  The season starts in earnest when the kids return to school for Term 4 on 12 October.   During this 'off season', the centreboard committee will be working hard to put together a programme of coaching, evaluate and establish the cost of courses etc.  Parents or interested parties are welcome along to the committee meetings which take place on the second Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in the Algies Bay clubrooms.  The next meeting will be held on Wed 8 July.

WWGFC AGM

Hawks Nest Vineyard Winter Sailing Series

There's been some great and very close racing this season.  Next race this Sunday 5th July with an 11am start off Algies Bay.  Come one, come all!  The bar will be open and the bbq sizzling upon return of the sailors at approximately 3-4pm.  Anyone is invited down to the clubrooms to join them. 

Winter races are fortnightly, the next ones being Sun 19 July and Sun 9 August.  For further information, email Jeremy Noakes on hawksnestorchard@xtra.co.nz.

'Thirsty Thursdays'

This is becoming quite the social hub!  SYC bar opens on Thursdays at 4.30pm until 7pm for members and their friends - ladies and men equally welcome.

House Manager Les Marsh is on the lookout for a few more bar staff.  The current bar staff would like to have a longer break between their rostered dates falling due, and this can only happen if more people join the roster.  It's easy, fun, free, with all training cheerfully provided.  If you can't make it on a certain date, simply swap with others. To find out more, please phone Les on 021 412 708 or email marsh.les.marsh@gmail.com.

Coastguard Boating Education Courses

Coastguard Boating Education is pleased to advise that they are holding a Boatmaster course locally!  Such courses usually take place at Mechancis Bay in Auckland over an 8wk period.  The Boatmasters course is being held over two weekends Sat 11/Sun 12 July & Sat 18/Sun 19 July, 8.30am–4.30pm at Sandspit Yacht Club.  A comprehensive course costing $475pp, with full details available online at www.boatingeducation.org.nz.

To enrol, and find out detailed information, please call 0800 40 80 90 or book online.

If anyone would like more boating education courses run at the yacht club, such as VHF etc, have a chat to Sue Tucker at Coastguard Boating Education and provided there is enough interest (they need a minimum of six people enrolled to cover the cost of delivery), they'll hold more for us.

Sandspit Harbour Management Plan

The Sandspit Harbour Study Project Advisory Group (PAG) are still on the lookout for anyone who may have data or records relating to Sandspit Harbour, such as water sample results, mangrove or shellfish counts, or historic photos to indicate how it looked in the past (both good and bad examples) etc.  Please contact PAG Chairman Bruce Fleming on 425 8717 or 021 623 330 or email him on brucefleming@xtra.co.nz. 

Marina happenings

It is truly an uplifting sight, in the early hours of the morning, before the sun has risen, to watch as the Sandspit Marina barges and tugs make their way quietly out of the Sandspit Harbour.  In the peace of the morning, all that can be heard is the quiet hum of the tugs and the murmur of voices on the water as the operators skillfully manoeuvre the two full barges out, until just beyond the harbour entrance.  Here they exchange the laden barges for empty ones, these ones having just returned from dumping their dredged material at the back of the Barrier.    This daily activity, timed with precision over the high tide, is particularly enjoyable to witness before the day dawns.

Still some brilliant weather for boating, the sun is often out and it's not too cold.... just don't fall in!

Glenys Milne

Publicity Officer