It is starting to look like winter is finally behind us and the warm weather is just around the corner. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am sure ready to start doing some boating and diving. If you take a look at your calendar, you will see the divers have a number of activities during April and May with trips to Key Largo, Vortex Springs, as well as local dives. We had to make some changes to the boating activities calendar due to the continuing lack of dock space and schedule conflicts. We had to cancel the April Jazz Fest Cruise because Seville Harbor Marina is still closed. The progressive dinner cruise date moved from April 29 to May 6, and the new date for the Commodore’s Champaign Cruise is now September 2nd. Our July 4 cruise location will have to change because Seville Harbor will still be closed. If you have an idea for a July 4th cruise, please get with Pat Seip.
Our annual Pot Luck diner was a great success with 65 people attending. Thanks to everyone for bringing all those great side dishes and desserts. I am still full from all the great food.
For those of you who have been paying attention to our financial statements, you have seen that the club has been in the red for a couple of months lately. This has drawn some much unwanted attention from the Services folks. Even though we only lost a few dollars in those months, it has highlighted the organization. They are pressuring us to raise our dues, but I think we can put ourselves back in the black without having to resort to raising dues. No one likes to be the one to raise prices, but with the continually increasing cost of goods, the board felt it was time to make some slight price increases. So, the board voted to increase the cost of Family Night to $2.50 per person and to raise the price of Corona to $1.50 per bottle. (We have only been breaking even on Corona for some time now.) I know this is an unpopular move, but the last thing we want is to continue to highlight ourselves and have Services step in and “help” us. Hopefully everyone understands this was a necessary move and takes it as such. I will continue to do everything I can to avoid any more price increases.
I want to give a special thanks to Robert Hyde for donating the big screen TV to the club. As soon as we can build a new platform to place it on; you will see it in action.
Our next club work day is scheduled for 8 April with a rain back-up date of 29 April. We didn’t have a very good showing at our last work day, and there are still a lot of things around the club that need to be taken care of. So, I encourage everyone to come out and donate as much time as you can. Our work will only make the club a better place.
I look forward to seeing everyone on the water soon.
| Tom Graves |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
REMINDER: Don’t forget the club has a worked day scheduled for April 8th. So plan to donate some of your time to improve our club for all of us to enjoy.
ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR FAMILY NIGHT IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, EITHER TO HEAD UP A CREW OR ASSIST WITH PREPARATION, SERVING AND CLEAN-UP. PLEASE CALL HAZEL AT 678-7084.
Volunteer Honor Roll
Apologies to Bill Martin and Kevin O’Leary and James Altum, they bartended at the December membership night and the wrong names appeared in the December-January Sea Notes
FEBRUARY
Family Night Cooks & Crew: Kevin and Christi O’Leary, Johnnie and Marianne Coil and Barry Bradshaw
Bartender: Jack Dickason and Ken Lengfield
FEBRUARY
Meeting Night Cooks & Crew: Tom and Joan Brandt, Bill Carver and Carmella Noll and Ina Santos
Bartenders: Bob and Karen Gramm
MARCH
Family Night Cooks & Crew: Phillip and Astrid Krajeck, Joe and Diane Stevens and Vivian Roesler
Bartender: Larry Roesler and Kevin O’Leary
MARCH
Meeting Night Cooks & Crew: Troy and Kay Dent, John and Joan Faris and Phillip and Astrid Krajeck.
Bartenders: Kevin O’Leary and Keith Dodson
*****If you don’t see your name listed then perhaps it’s time for you to volunteer******
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April Family Night will be hosted by Gramms. THEY NEED HELP!!! Please call Karen at 651-9514.
April Membership Night will be hosted by the Coltons.
“George’s Chicken” is literally finger licking good. If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing a real treat.
Remember
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THE
GRAPEVINE By Joan Faris |
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Since our Sea Notes were last published we have had three members hospitalized. Anne Waugh fell and broke her pelvic bone, Charlene Harris under went back surgery, and Ben Busby spent some time in the hospital. They are on the mend and we wish them a speedy and complete recovery.
Our members continue to trot the globe. In February Gary and Sandy Miller took a cruise to the Galapagos Island which they both said was nothing short of spectacular. Sandy shared some amazing pictures with us of the truly unique animal life including several dozen shots of blue-footed boobies and a couple of shots of Gary. Ray and Pat Seips braved the ice and snow and traveled to Nashville, Tennessee. Pat swears she saw Elvis – several times. Gary and Nancy Combs traveled to the Bahamas where they met up with Ray and Peggy Storey for a week of casual cruising on Jellico Cat. They reported that the Storey’s are doing really well and still enjoying the cruising life. We hope to see them in our waters this summer. Bob and Karen Gramm just returned from ten days in Hawaii. Bob had to go to Hawaii on business and Karen went along so they could turn the trip into a mini vacation after Bob completed his work. I’m jealous – it seems like the places John goes on business have hundreds of miles of sand but no oceans. I guess he needs to take lessons from Bob. Finally Robbie and Karen Roberts are now on vacation in Paris, France and can you believe it, Robbie is also there on business. I really have to talk to John!
Remember, when you hear about any of our members who need a little cheer or deserve recognition PLEASE call or e-mail me and I will take it from there. Contact me by phone at 678-5834 or e-mail joanfaris@aol.com.
See you at the club.
Membership
ReportBy Bob Gramm
We now have 141 memberships (82 boaters, 32 divers, and 27 boater/divers).
Please welcome the following members who joined since the last Sea Notes:
Jason Bryan
Bryan & Melissa Campbell
Sean Carlson
Bill Gilmore
Andy & Sherry Hollingsworth
Michael & Maryann Rickerd
Joseph & Mary Staudenraus.
If you are not receiving EYC emails from Fred Westfall or if your email address has changed, please contact me (bobgramm@cox.net) and we'll update our list.
Dates To Remember
APRIL
April 7
Family Night
April 8 Work Day at Club
April10 Advisory Committee Meeting
April13 Aero
Club Safety Meeting
April 14 Game Night
April 16 Tavernier Dive Trip
April
21 Membership Night
April 28 Dive Flight Meeting
April 29 Dive Flight Cleanup/Fixup Dive Shack
MAY
May 5
Family Night
May 6 Progressive Dinner Cruise
May 6 Vortex Springs Campout/Night Dive
May 8 Advisory Committee Meeting
May 11 Aero Club Safety Meeting
May 12 Game Night
May 13 Local Dive-Destin East Pass Jetties
May 19 Membership Night
May 22 Submit Sea Notes Inputs
May 26 Dive Flight Meeting
May 29 Dive Flight Booth @ Gate to Gate Run
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Boating Activities |
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Summer is almost upon us and time to clean up our boats and get ready for boating. April 7th is hamburger night. We could bring our boats to the club and Friday morning cruise to Marker 51 and stay until Sunday. If you are interested please call me at 243-5860 or e-mail me at patrays@aol.com.
May 6th is the Progressive Dinner Cruise. We will leave the club at 2PM and cruise over the Comb’s for drinks and appetizers. From there we will head to Dave Vachons for Salads. Next we will go back to the club for cook your own meat and a potato. It is nice if the boaters invite non-boaters to cruise over on their boats. I will need to know how many you will have on your boat by May 1st.
Happy cruising!
See you on the water soon!
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Dive Activities News By Robert Hyde
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VORTEX SPRINGS NIGHT DIVE
Local and visiting divers are blessed with a multitude of local diving locations. Sometimes we get spoiled by the ease of diving in the Gulf and forget about the wealth of fresh water springs within a few hours of driving. Vortex Springs is only an hour away encompassing a large spring basin, a cavern, and man-made training structures simulating cavern passages. This is also the perfect spot for a night dive. Once the hoards of day divers have left, the spring is very peaceful, almost serene. You can look over the water and see the glowing lights of the night divers--the perfect place to do your first night dive. We suggest you get their early and get familiar with the spring in the daylight hours then it will be much easier to dive at night. So come join us on 6 May, for a fun, easy night dive at Vortex Springs.
USS ORISKANY SINKING
A 55-year-old aircraft carrier that saw action in Korea and Vietnam began its final voyage Thursday, headed for burial at sea.
The former USS Oriskany left the Beaumont Ready Reserve Fleet for Pensacola, Fla., where it will become the world's largest manmade reef, the Beaumont Enterprise reported Thursday.
The 888-foot-long ship, known as the "Mighty O," was home base to U.S. Sen. John McCain in Vietnam and was featured in war movies of the 1950s.
Manmade reefs provide a safe way to dispose of old vessels that also fosters a rich marine habitat and opportunities for sport fishing and deep-sea diving, Navy authorities said.
The ex-Oriskany's final resting place will be 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola and 212 feet under water. The super structure will start at 60 feet and the deck at 100. The sinking is planned for May 17.
DIVE FLIGHT CLASSES
Beginner Dive Classes: 8 and 22 April, 13 and 27 May
Advanced: 6 May
Rescue: 3 Jun (earlier is requested)
Summer
(May-Oct): Renters work both Friday
and Monday
Winter Hours: Renters work
Friday only.
Only one renter
required Equipment return
and rental:
1730-1900. Schedule
Conflicts:
Step 1:
Swap with another renter.
Step 2:
See step 1.
SOUND-OFF
SeaNotes includes a new feature “Sound-Off.” The Sound-Off column offers an opportunity for EYC members to comment on Club issues or happenings, positive or negative. The ground rules are simple: (1) address an issue, idea, or concern (2) no personal attacks (3) no anonymous inputs. Space permitting inputs received will be published in the printed version of the SeaNotes. All inputs received will be posted in website version of the SeaNotes.
EDITOR’S
NOTE: There have recently been some
questions as to where to send your submissions for the “Sound-Off “column. You may send your submissions directly
to Tom Graves at tommy.graves@eglin.af.mil or
directly to me at jan@atplus.com. A reminder of the
ground rules: (1) address an issue, idea, or concern (2) no personal attacks (3)
no anonymous inputs. Space
permitting inputs received will be published in the printed version of the
SeaNotes. All inputs received will
be posted in website version of the SeaNotes. If you choose to put in an anonymous suggestion, please use the suggestion box located at
the EYC clubhouse.
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What’s Cooking at EYC? By The Galley Gourmet |
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Roasted Red Potatoes with Bacon & Cheese
3/4 cup Ranch Dressing
3/4 cup finely shredded Italian style five cheese blend
¼ cup real bacon bits
2lb. small red bliss potatoes, quartered (about 6 cups)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon in large bowl. Add potatoes and toss lightly. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13X9 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 40min. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Eglin Yacht Club Sea Notes
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Robert Penney Board Member 609-0725 |
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Bob Gramm Board Member 651-9514 |
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Peter McNally Board Member 651-2891 |
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Boating Activities-Pat Siep |
243-5860 |
Membership - Bob Gramm
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651-9514 609-0725 |
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Club Manager-Neil Schaible |
678-7084 863-5555 |
Reservations-Linda Gail Martin |
651-4452 651-4452 |
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Budget/Finance-Neil Schaible |
678-7084 |
Secretary-Connie Inman |
864-2461 |
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Safety/Boating-Vacant |
Safety/Diving-Kevin Crump |
678-6922 | |
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Sunshine-Joan Faris |
678-5834 |
Quartermaster-Karen Roberts |
863-1794 |
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Entertainment-Hazel Schaible |
678-7084 |
Editor/Website-Jan/Fred Westfall |
609-8075 |
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Diving Activities - Robert Hyde |
244-3150 651-2891 |
House-Keith Dodson |
651-0750 |
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News Circulation-Shirley Howell |
651-8427 |
