New Mexico Sailing Club, Heron Lake update

Although a few boats have left the marina, fall sailing can be one of the great secret pleasures of Heron Lake. Fall colors, geese flying overhead, and a quiet lake are just a few good reasons to go out on the lake.

News:

The Buccaneer Rodeo on Labor Day weekend was a big event, with 9 Buccaneers (18-foot centerboard sailboats with main, jib, and spinnaker) from Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, plus 6 B fleet and 5 A fleet boats racing. Another Bucc came from Colorado just to socialize and watch. Pictures, results, and lots of info have been posted to the regatta web site, http://bucc18.blogspot.com.

Please let me know if you have any pictures to share from Labor Day weekend or this summer!

We had a big crowd for the social on Saturday, Sept. 1^st, as well as a successful ice cream social and awards ceremony. Lots of thanks are due to Carol Merovka and her team for organizing the potluck, and to folks who helped out on race committee, including Lee Brammeier, Gerald Byrnes, Mack Jordan, George Soto, and Bob Hopper. A quick board and club meeting on Sunday ended as a fierce rainstorm drove some us inside the dockhouse to discuss the possibilities of filming a “marina survivor” episode.

This past weekend Al Sharp, Gary Landon, and I installed another piece of finger pier for widening the connecting walkway. We still need to connect a few more bolts and put some cleats on the east side. There is only about a five-foot gap to be filled to finish the widening project.

The raft to support the gangway extension is also coming along; it’s now a trimaran. The state parks will be bringing us one of our old 32-foot gangways to put on top of it.

Pete Barlow has ordered parts for the pump-out.

Kevin Duncan has the parts and the motor from the work barge to be repaired.

The club has ordered more floats; we need to confirm when they might be arriving so we can hire a forklift and have people to unload them.

Herna at Henry’s wants us to get the concrete anchors out of their yard.

Mark Paz plans to dive at the marina on the weekend of October 20 to help prepare the marina down for winter by disconnecting moving the cross trusses between B and C docks..

Does anyone have information on the “Black Pearl”, a black motorboat with a large awning? This Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, it came to the marina from the main body of the lake, where it had been beached in the Laguna Vista cove, stopped in a slip that it didn’t belong to, then, when leaving, collided with Camelot and at least one other boat. The operator did not apologize or leave information; he just hit and ran. We believe the operator was a trespasser/freeloader, and not a marina customer or guest of any members.

The lake has come down a bit lately, with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District releasing some water on weekends, but we are still within about a foot of this summer’s highest levels and have plenty of water to enjoy with the lake well over half full.

Heron Lake is at an elevation of 7,154.04 feet, with 236,915 acre feet as of 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007, with about 28 feet of water in the marina area. Since 8 p.m. Thursday, it went down 4.5 inches and 670 acre feet. During the middle of August, the lake hovered around a peak level of 7,155.10’, with 241,581 acre feet of water.

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New Mexico Sailing Club

Nominees

Rich Koch, Commodore
Ernie Newman, Vice Commodore
George Soto, Treasurer
Lisa Carlson, Secretary

Board of directors nominees

John Davey
Mack Jordan
Ed Knop
Clif Meyer

Continuing terms:

John Polk
Rich Strasia
Roger Vinyard (will need sub until May)

Terms ending in December 2007:

Bob Hopper
Dan Hoyer
Ken Mitchell
Tom Riggs

We still need MANY volunteers for plenty of jobs to be done.

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Calendar

September 15, Saturday

– a bit of work on the marina to get the connecting walkway’s latest widening finished, clean up the marina, re-adjust gangways and winches, perhaps get anchors out from Henry’s yard, work on the gangway extension and set a location for its skidway, set up for future end-of-season work parties.

– Oktoberfest in Laguna Vista

September 22, Saturday – Desert Classic Regatta at Elephant Butte

September 29, Saturday – Sunrise Regatta (long distance race) at E. Butte

October 6, Saturday

– Heron Lake Town Hall Meeting, Visitors’ Center, 10:00 a.m.

– last NMSC club and board meeting at the lake, 1 p.m.

– Fall work party; get floats under dockhouse, clean up

October 13, Saturday – Governor’s Cup Regatta at Elephant Butte

– last weekend of dockmasters

– note that the gates for the road to the marina point will be locked after the last dockmaster leaves, except when we have weekend work parties or someone working on the marina

– remove club dinghies from the water

October 20, Saturday

– 10:00 a.m., End of season work party; prepare marina for winter; remove BC cross trusses, swing out long trusses from B & C docks, stack picnic tables, stow grills, remove vhf radio, remove life rings and fire extinguishers, post marina closed signs, lock gate at end of weekend

December 8 – boat parade at the Butte

December 15 – tentative date for NMSC holiday party, probably in Bernalillo

January, 2008 – club budget meeting, date and place to be arranged

April 5, 2008 – possible low-water point and mini-work party to keep marina on an even keel and repair any possible winter damage

April 19, 2008 – possible date for spring work party

May 3, 2008 – possible opening date for Heron Lake Marina

May 24 – Memorial Day weekend; regatta

May 31 – Mallory Cup at Elephant Butte

June 21, Saturday – summer solstice weekend

July 5, Saturday – Fourth of July weekend; regatta, etc.

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COME ONE, COME ALL

TO THE ANNUAL

FRIENDS OF HERON AND EL VADO LAKES

TOWN HALL MEETING

OCTOBER 6TH, 10AM TO 12 NOON

HERON LAKE VISITORS CENTER

Special Representatives from:

New Mexico State Parks

Bureau of Reclamation

New Mexico Sailboat Club

New Mexico Game & Fish

Come and express your views!!  Refreshments will be served!!

*** A Thank You picnic will follow at the Group Shelter for those who helped

with OspreyFest and to build the new trail.