Perry Yacht Club

Memorial Day Celebration! Please RSVP.

Kelly Switzer — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:07:56 +0000

Kelly Switzer, Social Chair

We are inches away from the 890 mark, with more rain in the forecast. That said, we are anticipating a bustling Memorial Day weekend filled with sailing, racing, and FUN! Below is a run-down of the planned activities.

Please RSVP in the reply box below with your dinner count so we can plan accordingly.

SUNDAY, MAY 26 – MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION

8:00 a.m. – COFFEE & PASTRIES
Fuel up for The Dam Pursuit with some coffee & breakfast pastries, provided by the club.

10:00 a.m. – THE DAM PURSUIT (FUN RACE)
Open to all sailers, this is a pursuit race to the dam and back. No registration required. Meet at the clubhouse at 10:00 a.m. for a skippers meeting and we’ll go from there. We are looking for volunteers to man the committee boat. If interested, please contact Pat Allen at allenhouse4@gmail.com.

Sailin’ Sisters is seeking crew for their pretty pink boat, She Worthy. Don’t be fooled by her color, this is no sissy boat. She is a racing machine. This is a great opportunity if you’re interested in learning more about racing. Contact Amy Wilson at amy.hackler@kiewit.com or Joan Allen at allenhouse4@gmail.com. If racing isn’t your thing, but you want to take She Worthy for a leisure cruise, Sailin’ Sister would be happy to take you for a spin. Just contact Amy or Joan.

5:00 – 8:00 p.m. – BURGERS, BRATS & BEER
We are doing things a little different this year, with consideration to the reduced budget. The club will be providing hamburgers/cheeseburgers, brats and hot dogs. We will have volunteers on-hand between the dinner hours of 5:00 – 8:00 pm to grill-to-order for your group. This will allow families/groups to eat at a time that is best suitable for them. Side dishes are all BYO. This is not a potluck, although some groups may decide to pool their sides. Beer, soft drinks and water provided by the club.

9:00 – 12:00 p.m. — DJ & DANCING
Wear your red, white and blue threads and plan to dance into the night! We have a new DJ this year – she’s a hot blonde from KU, and we asked her to wear white shorts, just for you Bob.

See you at the lake!

Kelly Switzer
kelly_switzer@yahoo.com

The water is up and the beach is fine!

Chris Ross — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:46:32 +0000

Warm weather greetings from Buildings and Grounds. It has been a busy spring. Here’s the work that’s been going on at the club…

Clubhouse Shower. Gregg and Gary cut joints in the concrete floors of both shower areas to help prevent water from pooling and will help channel it to the floor drains. They also fixed water line leaks and repaired the hot water valves in the showers. Jeff Brinkmeyer installed new ADA compatible thresholds at the edges of the showers which should help keep the water in the shower to start with. Of course everyone should take care to clean up after themselves and leave showers, toilets and sink areas better than you found them.

Clubhouse Kitchen. We have MORE POWER! There are 4 new 20 amp circuits in the kitchen all GFCI. One at either end of the east wall, these were put there so we can plug the two big coffee pots in and not blow breakers. The reset for these is on the outlet so check at the outlet if they pop before going to the back room. Also, please plug high load appliances like multiple coffee pots, heaters, etc. into the new outlets and not into the power strip.

There are also two new outlets in the ceiling above the island, they are GFCI but at the breaker box not in the ceiling. That means we can run both roasters on the island or we can run two pancake griddles for sure, and likely, all four griddles. No more extension cords under the sink, YEA! If the cords for any of these appliances are not long enough to reach the ceiling, we can get some HD drop cords. We’ll wait to hear from the Kitchen Kittens!

The ice machine is at the club but the weather has prevented painting and hooking it up. We should have it working before Memorial Day. We’ll get back to you on use policy once this new toy is operational.

Beach. PYC now has full authority over our beach! Thank you Ron Finney and all the others that worked with the Corps of Engineers to finally get this done. We also have removed Rock & Sand so the beach is truly a great place again and will get better as the water continues to rise. How deep is the sand Lee? We will soon be bringing in more gravel to restore the road and the parking pad at the top of the beach drive. Everyone should take a stroll down and prepare to have fun. Of course bring your beach sailboats and also your flip-flops, beach chairs and cerveza……remember the words of a wise commodore who once said to always give back to the Lake.

Landscape. Shade is on the way! Thanks to all that helped out during work day and to Gina for keeping up with the ongoing watering. There are new trees and landscaping around the clubhouse and with a little time, care and watering they will replace the pine trees which we will continue to lose due to pine beetles. We also planted shrubs, created new rock lined planting beds with mulch and spread 200 lbs of grass seed which should help to stabilize some of the erosion around the clubhouse and deal with some of the bare spots. Besides that it looks good!

Camping Area. Please take care of it and tread lightly. Last year’s drought was hard on what little grass we had. Limit driving and parking on the grass as much as possible. We have a generous amount of graveled parking on property that should be utilized. We are discussing plans for how we might expand camping areas and also gravel some of the worst spots. Please also note that ground fires are not allowed in the campground. They are a safety hazard and a maintenance problem.

First Aid Kits & Defibrillators. Last but not least all the first aid kits have been restocked with bandages and supplies again. Help us keep them stocked all year by letting us know when we are running low. Also the defibrillators are getting their annual checkup and soon will be back in their handy locations. Thank you Ruth and Gary.

That’s all for now. Remember as PYC members we are all responsible for helping to maintain and care for your facilities. Please share any ideas you might have for improving PYC Buildings and Grounds. They are always welcome.

Yours in Sailing,

Chris Ross and Ricardo Oben
cdross@hntb.com and richard@northracecars.com
The B and G Boys

Dues will be due soon

Lee Cline — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:07:11 +0000

Lee Cline, Dock Master

PYC Sailors, Summer finally arrived and the water is up…yay!!!

Members are coming back to our harbor and it is filling up again – it’s good to see boats back.

I need your help: It’s almost June and I still don’t which slips are available for assignment. This is because I can only make assignments as I receive your dues. Please help me, Let me know if you will (or will not) be using your slip this season. I have new members wanting slips and boat lifts that I need to assign. Your slip is in jeopardy of being reassigned and we don’t want that.

Call or write to let me know your status or send your payment to Doug McCall. If you have lost your application find one on the PYC web site.

Thanks for your help!

Lee Cline
PYC Dock Master
(913)284-8821 mobile
sailor240@gmail.com

Cinco de Mayo: My that was a fun party!

Kelly Switzer — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:36:53 +0000

Those who attended the Cinco de Mayo party agreed: a fun time was had by all! So it wasn’t warm and sunny and we weren’t wearing t-shirts, shorts, or tank tops…but we were wearing mustachios!

The day started off with a Kentucky Derby party at Gregg and Gina’s with deadly Mint Juleps, finger sandwiches, lemon cake, betting on ponies, and a whole lotta cheering and screaming. Gregg joined the party via Skype (in what appeared to be some sort of a Tiki Hut?) Leave it up to Gregg to find the party wherever he goes. We missed him nonetheless.

After the Derby party, we migrated to the Clubhouse for a much needed warm meal of enchiladas, and a make-your-own nacho bar. Ricardo fired up the Rum-a-Rita machine, but frozen drinks don’t quite taste the same on a cold day! So we stuck with Mexican beer, and lots of it.

Alex’s hand-made Piñatas were the main attraction. Everyone took a swing and the pictures speak for themselves. Candy for the kids and mini-bottles of booze for the big kids. It was perfect.

The night was topped off with a campfire and the weather held out for us. Another great PYC party! For those who didn’t show because of the cold, you missed out.

A huge thank you to the Walter Family for hosting this party and thanks to Bill Buckheit for serving as roving photographer!

889.0 as of this morning and still rising!

Bruce S. Liese, Editor — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:15:19 +0000

Bruce S. Liese, Communications Director

What a difference a month makes!

At approximately 0900 this morning Perry Lake’s water level hit 889.0 feet. In one month the lake has risen more than three feet.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, “The top of conservation pool elevation for this site is 891.50 ft.”

In an article published just last week (May 1, 2013) by Commodore Mij Frierson and Treasurer Rich Wells, it was announced that the club would go into full swing as soon as the water level hit 890 feet. That’s just 12 inches from today! (Be sure to check out the article for the definition of “full swing”.)

So it’s time to pull the cover off your boat; air the tires on your trailer; inspect your rigging, spars, and hull; dig out the boat polish and wax; slap on some sunscreen, and; get ready to launch!

For details of the club’s low water dues policy, see the May 1 article. To “watch” our lake water rise, as sailing season really approaches, see the Army Corps of Engineers link.

Bruce S. Liese
bruce@kansascitysailing.com
PYC Communications Director

Rain, Snow, or Shine – Cinco de Mayo promises to be a good time!

Kelly Switzer — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:33:15 +0000

Alex and Stacy Walter have a great party planned, so don’t let the weather deter you from celebrating Cinco de Mayo, gringo style. There will be plenty of food, mexican beer, frozen concoctions (compliments of Ricardo), and activities for the kids (big and little).

Since there is no Derby party this year, we are bumping up the timing. Heavy appetizers including a nacho bar will start around 5:00 pm, so you can plan on that for dinner. Pinata beating will kick-off around 5:30 for kids, with adult version to follow. The timing for adult stick swinging will depend on how quickly Ricardo can work his machine.

If you decide NOT to come out please update your RSVP so Alex and Stacy can adjust food counts.

See you at the lake!

Kelly Switzer
kelly_switzer@yahoo.com
Social Chair

Big News from the Commodore’s Corner and a note from our treasurer

Mij Frierson — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:01:01 +0000

Mij Frierson, Commodore

Great news for PYC members regarding the upcoming sailing season at Perry Lake!

We have been monitoring the lake water levels following wonderful rains over the past 60 days. Thankfully the lake has now risen to 888.7 feet above sea level and is within 3 feet of the Army Corps of Engineers’ definition of “pool” at 891.5 feet, which is the optimal level. The current level is consistent with lake levels during a typical winter season. With continued rain forecast throughout the Missouri and Mississippi river watersheds the likelihood of the Corps reducing water in the lake is small.

At our April board meeting we discussed the most appropriate time to invite members back to their slips. Based upon the historical guidance given by past PYC Boards and the Army Corps of Engineers, it was decided that a lake level of 890 feet would be appropriate. At this level members can safely utilize all features of their membership, including the ramp and slips, and fully enjoy the 2013 sailing season. Presently some members have started to return their boats to the harbor, as the current lake level is sufficient to support even some of our largest boats. We’d love to see all boats back in the harbor but we want to emphasize that the safety of all boats and passengers in our harbor is the responsibility of boat owners, regardless of the water level.

Please understand that all outstanding membership fees are due when the lake level reaches 890 feet, regardless of whether or not you have launched your boat. If you choose to put your boat back in the water or return to your slip prior to that time we request that you pay your outstanding membership fees immediately.

Please keep an eye on the lake level by clicking on this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers link and do a rain dance today. We will post updates as we get closer to the magic number and will let you know when we hit 890 feet.

In closing I’d like to say thanks for your continued support of our club and let it rain!

Mij Frierson
PYC Commodore
beamreach@att.net

A note from our Treasurer: A great question was posed via e-mail by one of our members that warrants further clarification. In the event a member has paid their deposit but is unable to return to PYC (ie. remains at another marina) then their slip would continue to be held for next season with no further dues payment required. If the member is able to return to PYC then the remaining dues would be expected at that time of their return. If the member returns after July 1, then their dues would be subject to the pro-rated schedule that was previously communicated (January 18th article).

Rich Wells
rwserendipity@cox.net

Ay Caramba! Cinco de Mayo is almost here! Party on Saturday, May 4!

Kelly Switzer — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 02:12:47 +0000

The water is coming up and that’s muy bien!

Celebrate with us on Saturday night, May 4. Beverages and snacks will be available at 7:00 p.m.; kid’s piñata at 7:30 p.m.; adult piñata at 8:00 p.m. Please RSVP below.

Dress like your favorite bandito and plan to party!

Ready, Set, Race

Patrick Allen — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:00:36 +0000

With the water levels coming up and the boats moving back to PYC it is time to go sailing! Participating in sailboat racing is not only a fun and challenging experience but will also help you develop your sailing skills. This year’s racing schedule is filled with many opportunities to do that. Whether on a keel boat, multi-hull or centered board boat in the series or fun races there is ample opportunity this year to enjoy the thrill of racing. The schedule for this year is posted to the web site for your reference. Our first race this year will be a fun race Called the “Dam Pursuit”. The race will be held on Memorial Day weekend. Our series racing will begin in June.

As with nearly everything at PYC, things don’t just happen without great volunteers. In the case of the racing we need the Committee boat manned for each of the races. You do not need to be a racer to help out on the Committee boat. It is a lot of fun and you can learn a lot. So check out the schedule, pick a race and I will see you out on the water.

For any question contact Pat Allen at allenhouse4@gmail.com.

We’re back!

Ed Hockenberg — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:58 +0000

Ed Hockenberg, Vice Commodore

Our 30′ Catalina “Priorities” made her triumphant return to PYC on Sunday the 28th…an absolute beautiful sail from her temporary berth at Rock Creek to her rightful home on Rodeo Dock with no hazards encountered along the way.

I’m happy to report there are several other boats (one larger with a deeper draft of 6′) in the marina now with no reports yet from others of running aground or into low water hazards at this stage.

It’s great to be back at PYC and anxiously awaiting the arrival of other members.