Marinas for Sale - prices updated

See the Boat Jumble section.

The Christmas Spirit not over yet it seems!

Yesterday saw the annual Christmas Lunch of the Hout Bay "Business Orphans", held this year at Spiros in Main Road. Quite a cheerful event it was too, culminating with the traditional Greek breaking of plates etc etc. At least I hope they were the traditional ones! The event raises a fair sum for a worthy local charity too.

Give that man a Bells!! Just one more should do it!

Sail America; To: South African Miura Afficionados

My name is Tony Van Vugt. I own a South African Miura. It is located on the East Coast of the USA. In my travels I sometimes meet South Africans that would like to sail in the US. The East Coast with the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and its many rivers and bays is the preferred sailing area. The Miura is renowned in South Africa as a voyager. There are a dozen or so here in North America. While it is quite capable of doing so, and my Miura did, it’s a bit of a hassle and time consuming to sail a boat from South Africa to the States. I’m therefore offering my Miura for sale in the US so that she can be sailed here for as long as a new owner wants to do so personally or share with friends each taking the boat for separate periods.
I seek your advice as to how best publicize this opportunity among the SA sailing fraternity. I’m thinking about SA sail and boating clubs and, if need be, advertise with nautical publications. I would be glad to have your recommendations. To give potential buyers the opportunity to learn about the boat and east coast cruising areas I’ve put together and published a website. It may be found at: http://www.van-vugt.com/miura/. If you like, please have a look at it and let me know if it is clear enough.
Your assistance would be much appreciated.
Anthony Van Vugt
1031 Carper Street
McLean, VA 22101
USA
Email: anthonyvanvugt@gmail.com
Tel: 703 734 2727 (Home); 703 508 5377 (Mobile)

2010 Prizegiving

A short prizegiving was held during the Christmas Party, recognising the main achievements of our members during 2010. Briefly, these include:

• Best performance in the 2010 Opening Cruise (Yacht faraway, with a great display of bunting on the back of the mast!)
• Most Improved Sailor (Keith Gemmell - Keith is moving Savannah around the course at ever improving times, often singlehanded, and never misses a race if he can help it!)
• Most Active Sailor (Chris Sutton - our intrepid Commodore!) Say no more.
• Winter Series 1 Megafreight, 2 Faraway, 3 Savannah, 4 Nandi.
• Shareholders Award - a new award recognising "exemplary patronage and support of the club bar over a sustained period, far beyond the call of duty, and for associated perseverance and stamina".  A tightly contested award, the clear leaders emerged as Robin Parker and Alan Harrington, in a breathtaking tie. . . .
• "Beyond the Call of Duty" - Jeremy Nel. The highest award HBYC has, for a member that has made a truly exceptional contribution to the club, in leadership, action and behaviour. The trophy is a priceless brass mercury barometer prominently mounted in the club house. This trophy has not been awarded for several years, but the current committee was unanimous and enthusiastic in awarding it this year to Jeremy Nel, for his outstanding contribution to the club in 2009/10. Major achievements included a total revamp of the club premises (plus the requisite fund raising!), an awesome social calendar including motorcycle breakfast runs, oyster and champagne feasts, Friday night draws, Thursday Fireside tails, three new flat screen TVs, overhaul of the downstairs function room, great assistance in sailing events (mark laying etc), new Lipton campaign for junior sailors, and most recently even running the racing bridge!! Its a fair bit of work just to type this all. Jeremy was however unable to attend this function - taking a well-earned holiday in Zimbabwe - so Pierre Albertyn was asked to receive a token bottle of bubbly on his behalf. A formal thank you will be issued imminently by the Commodore.

 I can say this award was extremely well applauded by all members - and to Jeremy - most sincere thanks from all of us - the club simply wouldn't be anything like it is today without you! Give that man a Bells!

Christmas Party and Prizegiving

HBYC Christmas Party was a very festive affair, with fine food, music and great Christmas Cheer! Many thanks to Penny, Cheryl and Patricia who organised the whole event, and also to Jeremy Nel who somehow turns out to be the inspiration for most of these things. Proceeds went to a very deserving local charity too. There are some great people in this club! More pics here.

Spare a thought for a a few ARC Yachts who were battling their way in to Hout Bay in a very strong wind at the same time, with great assistance from the NSRI who towed two of the yachts into the harbour in exceptionally difficult circumstances (70 knot winds, one sans rudder!) - and in pitch dark. Well done to James Beaumont who led this rescue (as I understand), James is also a HBYC Club Member.

Crew Wanted Hout Bay - P.E. and back

Trip from Hout Bay to Port Elizabeth departing 15 Dec, Returning 3 Jan 2011. Phone Sam 072 788 2668

Updated list of Moorings for Sale

Click here to see them!

Whats on this weekend?

Friday night is Steak Night again, and the draw now stands at R3-200

Raffle tickets for the Christmas Cake on sale at R5-00

Boks vs England - Big Screen, Surround Sound, and Cold Beer of course

Only 10 tickets left for Christmas Party, dont miss out

Join Dick Jaeger of SY Tryer for his interesting tale "Towards Madagascar and Inside the island" next Thursday 2/12 at 7pm.

HBYC Welcomes the ARC Fleet!

HBYC is very happy to have some of the ARC Fleet with us for a few weeks! The ARC Fleet (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) is a fantastic event involving primarily Cruisers but also a few fast boats. Unfortunately I have been out of town so dont have pics to post yet - read more at

www.worldcruising.com/arc 

www.arcfanzone.com

 

or search for them them on Facebook. Photos will follow!

Thought for the Day!

This is an excerpt from the book Voyage written by Sterling Hayden in 1976.

He was a movie star heartthrob who set sail on a schooner named “Wanderer” at the height of his career. In his youth, he had been a ship’s boy and a dory man on the Grand Banks.

“To be truly challenging, a voyage, like life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest…” For example…"I’ve always wanted to sail to the South Seas, but can’t afford it”. What men can’t afford is not to go. We are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of security. And in the worship of security, we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine. And before we know it, our lives are gone. What does a man really need? Really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That’s all, in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time, payments, debts, preposterous gadgetry, play things that divert our attention from the pure idiocy of the charade.


The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be? Bankruptcy of purse, or bankruptcy of life?

(Thanks to Penny on Redwing)