GYC Cruising

Cruising

GYC has a small but growing cruising fleet. Both 2007 and 2008 had three cruising events. June and August had one long weekend cruise and July was a two week cruise.

Cruising is fun most of the time. Sailing as a group, visiting new ports, making new friends, and of course, informal racing always takes place. The times that we don't have fun is during bad weather and the dreaded breakdown. Last year one of our cruisers actually replaced his engine during the cruise. A second member had a major engine problem AFTER returning from a month long cruise. How's that for timing?

GYC welcomes all members to participate. It doesn't matter if you are a novice sailor or a first place racer. See Paul Nielsen about the cruising schedule for 2009.

Reciprocal Information

Genesee Yacht Club, on the east side, north of the O'Rorke Bridge, can accommodate boats from reciprocating clubs in vacant members' slips. (There is no charge, but the stay is limited to 2 days). The fixed docks have a minimum depth of 6 feet. The club monitors VHF Channels 16 and 71. Visitors are welcome to use the club's den with fireplace, television, DVD player and fully equipped kitchen. Wireless Internet access will be available in 2009 at no charge to guests.

Club facilities are: 15-amp power and water at docks; washrooms, showers, free local telephone, picnic area, ice, and gas barbecues.

Photos of Marinas & Yacht Clubs

Check out this LINK to help plan your cruise this year.

GYC CRUISING UPDATE (Ruth Palmer)

GYC June, 2010 Cruise

Click on the image for full size

Gardening is beginning to take a back seat to sailing as the season picks up. We went on a club cruise to Brockport Yacht Club this past weekend. BYC is the closest yacht club destination to the west of Rochester. The folks there are friendly and in truth they are probably our neighbors, so close is their club to ours. I think it’s about 14 miles west of us on the coast of Lake Ontario.

By my count 11 sailboats made their way west to BYC over the 2-3 days of June 24 - 26. We made our plans during the depths of winter while our boats were on the hard and we were dreaming of the fair winds and warm breezes of the coming season. Our plan was to not only to sail from our club to theirs but to carry a feast of hot dogs supreme as a token of our thanks for Brockport Yacht Club’s hospitality.

Those of you who know sailors know that every participant has a story that will be told to any and all club members who happens by. Our group is no exception. From the guys who hoped to get a head start on Thursday and encountered engine problems to the folks who brought up the rear on our return Sunday afternoon there are stories to tell and dramas galore.

But first we partied and schmoozed. BYC has a bunch of friendly folks who welcomed us and partied with us. We had a great cocktail celebration followed by an extraordinary hot dog feast with dishes to pass and wonderful desserts. Then as if that were not enough there was a bonfire on the beach overlooking Lake Ontario.

Sunday morning was hazy and warm with somewhat of a breeze out of the northeast. In others words an invitation to set sail early. We were first off on Watercolors with others following close behind. The first sad tale is about Steve and Nancy Piquet’s Lit’l Bo. It lost oil pressure in the channel and was towed by Moonstruck back to BYC to await repair.

Meanwhile, Gnadige Frau motor-sailed past Water Colors on their fast journey back to Rochester. Their course was interrupted by a collision with an unmarked obstacle near Rosy’s beach. It knocked Gretchen’s chocolate milk across the pristine cockpit of that Island Packet. And BTW it also wrenched the hook off the clew of his roller furled main which required herculean efforts to put to rights.

For Pete’s sake this is really getting long winded. There are other less dramatic tales to tell. Mighty J made its first cruise with the club. Cadence made its first cruise ever. They soldiered on Saturday in an open cockpit in the wet. Congrats to them both as they’re still smiling. White Bird is a new White Bird to Joanne and Ralph so it must have great fun to make this journey.

As I said in the beginning each of us has a tale to tell. The folks I’ve singled out have reason to tell their story in detail. The rest of us can recall this trip using their stories as a road map to our individual memories.

Click here to view pictures of the 2010 cruise to Brockport Yacht Club

GYC 2010 Cruising Update

This is a review of the sketchy plans we made at our last meeting.

We planned on leaving Rochester on the 17th of July, staying in Oak Orchard the 18th and 19th, and in Wilson the 20th and 21st. We would continue on to one of the yacht clubs in Bluffer's on 22nd, and look to be in Toronto (probably at Island Yacht Club) on the weekend of the 24th.

Some will go home from there, others may go on to Mimico from there, and some folks are planning to get to Hamilton by the 27th and then work their way back to Rochester.

All this is subject to weather, subject to availability of slips, subject to personal plans of many cruisers who will meet up with us in various configurations, subject to whim - all the usual disclaimers. Hope this is somewhat helpful.

For Breaking News updates, visit GYC on Facebook

Participating cruisers for 2009

Marcia & Pat Barrett
Gretchen & Harry Fisher
John & Lucy Appoloney
Joanne & Ralph Mudge
Linda Barton
Elaine & Burt Ringelstein
Sue & Paul Nielsen
Ruth & Ken Palmer
Chris & Mike Leavitt
Sheila & Dick Weinberger
Gaelyn & Harley Lovejoy
Naomi & Chic Lasser
Bob & Julie Blakley
Bob & Nancy Elliot
Tom & Ann McEwen
Bill Staples
Randy Burr

Genesee Yacht Club now on Facebook.

MMSI addresses are now in the GYC 2010 Member Directory

Click image for larger size

GYC Clubhouse

BookletCharts™
Up-to-date charts you can print at home for free.

The experimental BookletChart is made to help recreational boaters locate themselves on the water. It has been reduced in scale and divided into pages for convenience, but otherwise contains all the information of the full scale nautical chart. Bar scales have also been reduced in scale, and are accurate when used to measure distances in a BookletChart. Excerpts from the United States Coast Pilot are included, and chart notes are consolidated on a single page for easy reference. Emergency information for the charted area is printed on the back cover.

Print as many copies as you like. Use them at home, on-board, or attach a page or two to the Float Plan that you leave with a friend, relative or local marina before heading out on the water. In an emergency, your Float Plan gives pertinent information to enable them to contact the local marine police or Coast Guard with necessary details. Click HERE for the rest of the story.

Click here for U.S. Coast Guard Float Plan

One of the photos of the July 2009 cruise.
Click on image to visit slideshow.

Cockpit party on "Spendin Time"