General Sail meeting - Thursday, March 10

Be there to be part of the planning process for this coming sailing season! Regardless of your sailing level, come to the meeting:

• to get up to speed
• to meet your friends
• to drink the coffee
• to celebrate the winding down of winter
• to make spring and summer sailing plans
• to hear the old guys* exaggerate their sailing prowess
• for no reason at all

Your voice regarding policies, preferences and costs will influence our direction. We meet at the Northville Public Library, Address is 212 West Cady Street, Northville. That's this Thursday! Questions? Email Zyggi. 

*not gender-specific

Open Timeshares for the North Channel!

You're a level 4 sailor? and you missed the lottery meeting? You're in luck! 

There are still two open timeshares on Voyager for July 2 and July 9, and one open timeshare for Manitou on July 9. Interested? Contact Norm Schmidt for details. 

Warm and Dry Level 1 Volunteer options - -    Joan Swain

 We've posted before the Level 1 "sail and boat cover repair sewing" events, which are coming up the next two Saturdays, March 12 and 19.  Now we have the time, location, and specifics. Kathy Chrzanowski is once again going to host and lead this event in her home.  Patrick MacArthur, as her able assistant has assured me that no special skills are needed - just your presence.

So, if you can measure, cut, or tape, and want to get a jump start on volunteer hours, all you have to do is: 

1. RSVP to Kathy at 248-363-6540 (leave message) or 248-877-6539 (after 3:30 PM).  Out of courtesy, Kathy needs to know how many to plan for.
2. Check out directions to 7471 Buckthorn Dr, West Bloomfield, 48324 (which is south of Commerce Rd and east of Union Lake Rd).
3. Aim to arrive at 9:30 AM.  

How long each day goes depends on how many show up, but estimates are you'll have the option to help out up to 3 PM or so.  Then:

  4.  Pat yourself on the back for not only being smart enough to get some volunteer hours in early - giving you more time to sail later - but also because your time and effort will be most appreciated.  The bonus is, you'll get to know other members and may feel more a part of the Club.

Lisa Drumm, our ASI Sail Secretary 

Sailing season is almost upon us! That means that, whether you're a new wannabe sailor or  a seasoned ASI member, you're probably going to be on the phone a lot with Lisa Drumm, our Sail Secretary. 

This note is to remind you of ASI's office hours, and the office phone protocol. In order to keep ASI expenses down, you can only 'talk' to Lisa in the mornings, on weekdays, between 8 and 10. But that shouldn't be a problem because you can call the office, ANYTIME, and leave a message for her to call you back. Which she will do, usually within a short time.  And of course you can email her at secretary@sailasi.org for a quick response too.

Lisa has been on the job now for five years, but how many of us have actually met her? Most of us know her for her friendly, up-beat, 'can-do' professional attitude, but have not met her in person.

Good news! There's actually a real person attached to that voice. Here's Lisa!

Photo shoot this Spring - - Craig Smith

All sailors of all levels, want to have some fun and help ASI get some great pictures and video’s for the website and other promotional ads?  

We are in the process of updating the website, www.sailasi.org, and we need some pictures and videos of us sailing and having fun. This spring we are planning a Photo Shoot on Lake St. Clair near Jefferson Beach Marina.  We will need sailors to skipper the 4 keelboats and 2 Interlakes and the power boat.  We will need camera crew and equipment. The JBM location will be the first photo event.  At a later date we will have a photo event at Kensington and then at Stony Creek. 

So, won’t you volunteer for this exciting adventure and who knows, maybe you will become a star on the ASI website.  You will certainly be a star in helping ASI. More information on date and time will available soon.  Please contact me soon so we can make plans, thanks.

Craig Smith 248-767-8871 cell craigsmith248@msn.com

The Interlake 'put-in' schedule

In four short weeks, we'll begin prepping the Interlakes for launching at Kent Lake and Stony Creek. Be sure to add these dates to your calendar!

• April Saturdays - 2, 9, 16, Boat preparation at Crawford Farm
• Saturday, April 23 - Transportation and installation of dock boxes and launch of the powerboat at Kensington Metropark
• Saturday April 30 - Trailering and launch day!

Stay tuned for more details!

Level 3/4 Manager(s) wanted - - Joe Jaeger, Vice President

JOB OVERVIEW: 

The Level 3/4 Manager is responsible for coordinating Level 3/4 operational activities.Specifically, these activities include:

• Communications to Membership regarding L3/4 specific concerns
• Hosting L3/4 specific meetings
• Represent L3/4 membership at General Sail and Operations meetings
• Lead Organizer for commissioning of L3/4 Keelboats
• Lead Organizer for decommissioning of L3/4 Keelboats
• Oversight for L3/4 Operational Activities 

This is a very important position for ASI.  While not directly responsible for all L3/4 activities, the L3/4 Manager is the primary liaison for the level and can be tremendously instrumental in all related efforts.  

You can volunteer to fulfill these commitments as an individual or as part of a team – i.e. co-managers.  In either case, your efforts will be greatly appreciated!  

Note that the Level 3/4 Manager is not responsible for organizing the North Channel timeshare lottery.  The Level 3/4 Manager is only responsible for coordinating this event with the North Channel Lottery Committee 

If you are a L3/4 member, please consider volunteering for this position.  The absence of an L3/4 Manager will be most consequential to you and your peers in L3/4. Contact Joe Jaeger for more details at joe@computer.org

Tomorrow night's DRYA symposium, with Dawn Riley

This Seminar will be a significant follow-up on the special DRYA "Saving Sailing" Symposium last October that featured Nick Haynes, author of the best-seller "Saving Sailing." This seminar will feature Michigan native Dawn Riley who is an America's Cup and Around the World Sailboat racer who is also an accomplished businesswoman, community leader and youth-sports advocate, author, speaker, TV commentator and committed philanthropist.

Dawn will discuss her own passion for `saving sailing' including her newest activities with the Oakcliff Sailing Center which is dedicated to training sailors, boat workers, owners and teams in order to raise the level of sailors and sailing in the United States.

A panel discussion including a large group of local sailors (including Jim Rodgers and our own Joe Jaeger) who have been meeting regularly at North Star to put together a "Saving Sailing"action plan will complete this fascinating and relevant evening. David Coleman will moderate the discussion. This program will be held at the North Star Sail Club from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. There will be a cash bar (cash or credit card). No food service.

Anatomy of a North Channel cruise - Part 1 

February's lottery meeting was the real beginning of the sailing season for many of us. Yes, there was lots of snow on the ground, there was more forecast, and it was still February. So what happened on that Tuesday? That was the date for the ASI LOTTERY MEETING - the event where all interested level-4-rated ASI sailors meet to do the initial planning and scheduling for the upcoming summer cruising in Lake Michigan’s North Channel.  

The planning, logistics and scheduling involved with ASI putting two 30’ keelboats in the North Channel are daunting tasks. But Norm Schmidt and Trudy Morse have been at it a while. Lots of things have to be decided – how many new L4 students will be going up on the ‘transfer trip’, where should the boats be placed, what maintenance remains to be done before they’re considered ‘ship-shape’ and ready for the 300 mile trip north on Lake Huron.

NEXT WEEK – PART 2 - HOW DOES ASI GET VOYAGER AND MANITOU UP THERE ? 

Op Ed column - What if ASI was no longer available? - - Joan Swain

 Being more involved with the Club last year, and even in the first two months of this, the topic of greater membership - new or renewed -  often arises.  As I learned last Fall, we are not the only ones wondering about the future of club sailing.   And, in case you haven't read the DYRA postings, "Saving Sailing" is going to be the topic at a meeting tomorrow. 

With all the talk about getting members and now, saving sailing, I started thinking about what I would have missed were it not for ASI.   My appreciation of what I've gained as a member is not necessary to list, but if you think about what you would have missed, I expect it falls under the broad categories of  'joy', 'knowledge' and 'fulfillment'.  

Back to the 'Saving Sailing' meeting tomorrow: the featured speaker, Dawn Riley, is not only a professional sailor, she has written the foreword to a book used in the Level 2 classes,  Basic Cruising. Coincidentally, her sailing life and skills all began on Lake St. Clair. In addition, there will be a panel discussing the topic, and on the panel will be ASI's VP, Joe Jaeger.    

In anticipation of an interesting topic, one that could impact any of us down the road, how about if some of us show up?. 

One more thing...       

The ASI Burgee is back on a weekly schedule. The next one will be next Tuesday, March 15. Please send your Burgee input to asidon@comcast.net by Sunday for inclusion in that Burgee.