PERIODIC NEWSLETTER OF THE 
Port Oliver Yacht Club

COMING EVENTS

    Just after you receive this Telltale, on Saturday, September 8th, we will have the PORCAY Race.  What it will consist of will be decided by the Race Committee at the time.  The weather is predicted to be very nice.  The skippers’ meeting will probably be conducted on or around 10:00 a.m.     
The following weekend on Saturday, September 15th, the Corps of Engineers will conduct the Annual Lake Clean-up.  We have participated every year and, in doing so, have earned considerable goodwill from the Corps.  It is very important that we demonstrate our genuine appreciation of our beautiful Lake.  The Corps has been especially good to us over the many years.  Please come out and help pick up trash, and occasionally something really weird.  The Club normally uses the Committee Boat to move participants around our end of the Lake as well as supplying actual trash pickers.  We usually move the Committee Boat over to the Port Oliver Ramp between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. you can join us at the Club or at the Port Oliver Ramp.  The Corps gives out tickets for prizes given after the Clean-up at a hamburger/hotdog fest held at the swimming area.  Please wear your POYC t-shirts to show the Corps and others that we are good citizens and not “snooty yachties.”  Please also bring a wearable PFD (life jacket). 

KARL MILLEN REGATTA

    Surprise!  Barry Sanders won the Sunfish Class, again. Patrick Stewart came in second, and Rob Hatcher came in third.  Lee Huddleston scratched for a fourth, by capsizing his Sunfish and then being unable to get the boat back upright.  Lee swears that the mast filled with water, making it impossible to get the Sunfish back upright.  
    Greg Glass, in his O’Day 24, captured first place in the Cruiser Class.  Dado Basic with the help of Leeloo Basic and Willa Basic and just a little help from Terry Williams, on Dado’s Catalina 22 took second place.  John Burford in his Catalina 22 came in third.
    The wind changed 180 ° after the first race but Keven Klarer, the Race Committee, very innovatively just used the former “C” mark for a new “A” mark.

DOCKS

    First, let me say, without any chance of challenge, that our Dock Master, Greg Glass, has done an exceptional job.   There haven’t been any fussing because his instructions and enforcement have been clear and even-handed.  At the time this Telltale is being written, there are only two vacant slips.  But that kicks in the time limit for boats on the docks for longer than three weeks. 
    Only one “groan,” when I called Greg to check on another matter, he informed me that he and his family were vacationing in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Now who is watching out for our KET TV towers while he is gone? 

NAUTY CAL LANGUAGE

    As you know, I enjoy learning the derivation or source of nautical words.  Sometimes it explains how we came to call a particular item or activity by an otherwise unrelated or mysterious name.  Sometimes it helps us to understand or appreciate a nuance.  But, I just ran across a term and still have not understood the connection to sailing.  The term is “vogue” as in the well-known fashion magazine.  It comes from Old Italian by way of Old French and then Middle French, where it meant sailing or rowing.  But, of course, you knew that already, didn’t you?  And how could you ever expect to sail successfully without knowing this critical term?  At least now you know that you are in fashion.  
    During the Labor Day Holiday, I was at the Club by myself almost the entire weekend.  I grant that there was no sailable wind the entire three days.  The only person who showed up was the newest and probably youngest member talking with the longest active and almost the oldest member.  The young man was Cyrus Basil from Glasgow, who has recently acquired Spiritus, the Catalina 22 previously owned by Watson (as best I recall).  Cyrus is a delightful young man who could use advice and training from other Catalina 22 sailors.  Cyrus is a senior at Glasgow High School.  Home of the “Scotties.”  That was a source of some embarrassment for Cyrus at first.  I admonished him that the Scots were a very fierce tribe of folks who kicked the butts of the Brits, Angles, Saxons, Romans, and British for many years.  As you may know, the local descendants of the Scots throw a big “to-do” in May of each year.   One person who attended was asked about the experience.  His observation was, “There were a bunch of men wearing dresses (kilts) but no one was snickering.”  One of the athletic events is called “tossing the caber.”  The caber is a full sized telephone pole.  The contestant picks up the caber, stands it on one end, puts his hands under the end of the caber, runs with it, and then tosses it so that it lands on the other end and falls in a straight line.  “Hey, nice kilt, SIR.”
    We might want to have a display of sailboats designed by Sandy Douglas, such as the Thistle (national flower of Scotland) and the Flying Scott, at their next to do.  Perhaps some good publicity for the Club.
    Interesting story, but how does this tie into Nauty Cal Language?  After graduating Cyrus is hoping to attend college in the Netherlands, from where we get a significant quantity of out nautical words.   [Repeat]  For example, where do we get the term “Yacht?”  As a yacht club, it might be appropriate to know.  Back in the day, sailboats were all commercial vessels such as off-shore fishing boats or commerce haulers.  Private sailboats were not yet known of since hardly anyone had the free time.  Then some folks starting using boats to hunt waterfowl in the many wetlands in the Netherlands.  Shallow-draft boats for one or more people with bird guns.  You may be familiar with the German word for hunting, jaeger.  And from the liquor Jägermeister, you have concluded that the “J” is pronounced like our “Y.”  So, bird-hunting boats were “jaeger shift,” hunting ship.  So a privately owned and used boats were all “jaeger shifts” shortened to then become “yacht.”

THE ISLES OF SCILLY

    The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago (a group of islands) about 28 miles off the Cornish Coast of South-Western England.  It has a rather attractive flag.  It is red with three golden, running legs connected at the thighs.  I want to sail there so that I can get one of their flags as a courtesy flag for visiting yachts.  The archipelago consists of five larger islands and about 135 smaller islands.  The Isles of Scilly are famous for jokes that make you think – well, a little bit.  And yes the name is actually pronounced as though there were no “C” in it.  Here are some tidbits direct from the archipelago.
Tom Crips asked his wife what her birthday is.  She answered, “March first.”  So he got up and walked around the house and then asked her again.
Kevin told Denise that she should embrace her mistakes.  So she came over and gave him a hug.
Bob Sharlow watched a documentary on beavers.  According to Bob, “Best dam show I have seen.”
Rob’s dog Teddy ate a whole box of Scrabble tiles.  Took him to the veterinarian.  But no word yet.
Steve Stahl’s wife accused him of taking her thesaurus.  He said that he was appalled, aghast, and devastated.
Gary Reimer’s wife told him to put ketchup on the grocery list.  He did, but then he couldn’t read it.
Terry used to work in a bank, but a customer ask him to check her balance, so he shoved her.
Did you hear about the man who evaporated?  He’ll be mist.
If a child refuses to sleep, is she guilty of resisting arrest?
Someone stole my antidepressants.  I hope they’re happy.
 Leah’s husband asked her, “Did you know that cows kill more people than sharks?”  Leah responded, “I didn’t know that cows killed sharks.”
There was a shark attack that took off a man’s whole left side.  I couldn’t believe it when he said that he was all right.
Debbie bought a sweater that kept creating static electricity.  She returned it and the store gave her a new one free of charge.
Patrick’s wife asked him he had seen the dog bowl. Patrick answered, “I didn’t know he ever did. 
Anyone who did not get this Telltale, please let me know.

NEXT TIME 

    The next issue will be heavy duty nautical.  I have more information than my fingers can type.  But it you would like to submit a reasonable sized article, send it to me.  If you want me to focus on any aspect of sailing, let me know.  If I don’t know the answer (unlikely) I can find the answer.  Since we get new members frequently, I think that it makes sense for me to repeat some material.  This time for real, help me track down people who are not receiving the Telltale or other information.  Ask people, especially older members and new  members.

Lee Huddleston, Editor of the Telltale