Winter Scenery near Heron Lake

The Brazos Cliffs and adjoining peaks are visible in the misty distance as light snow
begins to fall near Rutheron and Los Ojos in far northern New Mexico. These photos were taken on December 30, 2007, as the old year faded under a soft blanket of snow.

Visitors in the bushes (left); I had to drive slowly down our driveway this afternoon
to let a couple of wild turkeys cross without becoming cross at me.

Corner of our cabin during a pause between winter snows

A few snowflakes and dramatic light from a year-end sunset

Double Spouts

The double-spouted water tower can pour thousands of gallons of water into locomotive tenders or tank cars on either side. Old-timey double-spouted water towers aren't exactly common, so it's a treat for railroad fans to see this one in action at the Chama railyard of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic railroad. About a foot of snow blanketed the railyard for its winter sleep at the end of 2007, with light snow falling late in the afternoon of the next-to-last day of the year.

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad in Winter

Visitors come to the Chama valley for many reasons, including sailing at Heron Lake and enjoying spectacular year-round natural beauty. During the summer and fall, many visitors also enjoy time travel by riding the historic Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado. But, on December 30th, the railroad is in the midst of its long winter slumber, with deep snow blocking the line in the high mountain country. Even down in Chama, the railyard was covered with a foot of snow on the next-to-last day of 2007. We hope this good start to the winter bodes well for the winter snowpack and next year's lake levels.

Passenger cars at the Chama depot

East side of Chama Depot for the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad,
with no waiting throngs of passengers at this time of year

Two passenger consists (trains minus locomotives) rest in foot-deep snow at the Chama railyard; at left can be seen a rotary snowplow.

Passenger car named for Bill Richardson, New Mexico governor
who is temporarily resident in Iowa.

more Chama Choo Choo photos

Old-time rotary snowplows wait to see if this will be the winter that piles up enough snow to put them to work next spring when it's time to clear the line at the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad along the Colorado and New Mexico border.

Tenders supply coal and water to fuel the locomotives.
Here is the tender for the 484 engine.

Critical to any working railroad is the equipment that is used to maintain the line and service the rolling stock. Maintaining the line is a big challenge for a high-altitude mountain railroad. Deep snow drifts can pile up during the winter along the rugged border of Colorado and New Mexico. During spring, railroad crews must clear the line before the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad can carry visitors up into the mountains between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado.

Portion of consist for work train

Profile of coal tipple

Two boxcars stopped in the woods on a snowy evening.
Their work done for the season, they rested on the less traveled road.

Rear view of section house and peek through branches at water tank

Brazos Cliffs, New Mexico, Winter Majesty

Standing guard over the Chama River Valley in northern New Mexico are the Brazos Cliffs. Behind them is scenic high country, and to the north are mountains of the New Mexico and Colorado borderland. The Brazos Cliffs are visible from most of Heron Lake and are part of the view enjoyed by sailors at Heron Lake State Park and by New Mexico Sailing Club members and visitors to the Heron Lake Marina. During the spring runoff, visitors can sometimes witness a seasonal waterfall, El Churro, that flows down the cliffs, usually for just a few weeks.

Heron Lake, New Mexico, winter view

View to the west, showing the wind warning island at Heron Lake in northern New Mexico. Mesas and hills in the distance are on the lands of the Jicarilla Apache nation. Winds on the western fringe of Heron Lake are sometimes lighter than on other parts of the lake. The La Laja boat launch ramp is set near the southwestern corner of the lake, between the dirt dam (spillway) and the main dam.

View to the northeast, showing part of the eastern end of Heron Lake and the approaches to the Narrows. Further to the east, through the Narrows, is Willow Creek Cove, with the mouth of Willow Creek, the Willow Creek Boat Ramp, and the Heron Lake Marina, which is owned and operated by the New Mexico Sailing Club and available to the public for slip rentals. Beyond are mountains of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. This view was taken from west of the Salmon Run and Island View campgrounds, along the southern shore of the lake. The property to the immediate north and east of the lake is the private Laguna Vista neighborhood; to the north and west is the Jicarilla Apache nation.

Heron Lake Marina, evening of December 28, 2007

The New Mexico Sailing Club owns and operates the Heron Lake Marina at Heron Lake State Park in northern New Mexico as a concessionaire of the New Mexico State Parks. The marina has to be closed in late autumn, as the cove freezes during the winter. During some winters, the whole lake freezes over, as happened in January through March of 2007. Shown above is a view to the southwest on December 28, 2007. Visible in center are the pavilion and marina shed, with A dock beyond to the right and the swinging gangway and gangway extension at left.

Heron Lake, New Mexico, Heron Lake Marina showing pavilion, part of work barge, A and B docks with the Narrows beyond. The piers and walkways were covered with a half foot of packed snow. All sailors and boaters are welcome to enjoy the peace and quiet of no-wake Heron Lake; slips are available by the night, month (limited), and season. The marina is operated and maintained by volunteers from the club and all slip owners are obligated to spend a half week serving as "dockmasters" to watch over the marina.

B and C docks with the mouth of Willow Creek Cove beyond. All of the cove was frozen; some of the ice was thick enough to be walked upon.

Gangway extension with marina shed in background.

An almost ghostly image shows part of the Heron Lake Marina (A dock) at twilight near the end of the year, December 28, 2007. Many of the small solar lights are still working and one can be seen glowing in the full-size picture.

Talking Turkey for the Holidays

At Five O'Clock Somewhere, our cabin near Heron Lake, New Mexico, we can usually count on seeing mule deer, but the wild turkeys are more unpredictable. After part of the flock was captured by Game and Fish officers a couple of years back (to be relocated to an area where turkeys were in short supply), the remaining birds became a bit more wary. But, they're not too wary now to visit us now and then.

Navidad en Nuevo Mexico

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo con bastante agua y vientos buenos por todos los marineros!

It's Christmas in northern New Mexico, with the moon shining brilliantly on a snow-covered landscape. The dramatic lighting shows the rugged Brazos Cliffs and the mountains of northern New Mexico and Colorado. Outside, some mule deer have just passed just a few yards in front of our cabin this chill yule evening. We have lit luminarias to light the wall below our house, in accordance with old tradition in this part of the world. Earlier, we drove by the village of Los Ojos, where the candles in their weighted bags lined the streets and the adjoining highway; it is the tradition to light the way on Christmas eve to welcome El Niño Christo.

The fire is lit, casting a cheery glow in the den. Dulce, our practical cat, is curled up on the back of the living room sofa just behind me, basking in the glow of lamplight just below a wall displaying colorful burgees. In front of me, the lights glow and sparkle on our Christmas tree. Poinsettias add cheer atop the dining table and on the piano in the den. In the den, our son is curled up on a sofa in front of the fire, listening to music and reading a sailing book. Now a young man of 18 with all sorts of exciting experiences this past year, he'll soon enough be out mostly in his own in life. For now we appreciate having this gentleman in our home who was only so recently just a kid.

Carol Anne has just finished preparing some desert tamales and dulce de leche.

Tomorrow, weather allowing, we travel south to Los Alamos to join family and friends.

May you have a safe and nautical new year. Pat

Quick Lake Update

Elephant Butte Lake is at elevation 4,330.76 feet above benchmark elevation, with 392,072 acre feet of water. It is up 6 inches in 71 hours and up 6.38' feet and 68,772 acre feet since the October 25 low-water point. Pass to the west side of Rattlesnake Island with caution; maximum depth is about 5 feet but dangerous shoals exist. Long Point will likely become an island again sometime during February.

Heron Lake is at elevation 7,146.77', with 206,377 acre feet of water. It is down 9 inches in 71 hours and down 4.53 feet and 18,734 acre feet since October 25, as water contractors continue to withdraw their allocation.

The Arizona Fish and Wildlife commission has confirmed the presence of invasive quagga mussels in Lake Pleasant, Arizona; see post below.

More winter weather is expected in New Mexico. Elephant Butte will probably see some wind as well as a moderate chance of rain or snow on Christmas Day. Daily highs will approach 50F during the next week, with lows around 20F. Heron Lake has a good chance of snow on Tuesday and a moderate chance of snow on Thursday night. During the next week, daily high temperatures will be lucky to reach the freezing mark, with nightly lows approaching 0F at times.

Alien Shellfish Invade Arizona

from: Arizona Game and Fish.
Lake Pleasant is the site for next month's Arizona Yacht Club Birthday Regatta and Leukemia Cup.

Quagga Mussels in Lake Pleasant

Posted by: "tabband" tabband

Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:37 am (PST)

Arizona Game and Fish Department
NEWS RELEASE

Dec. 19, 2007

Quagga mussel invasion confirmed at Lake Pleasant Boaters asked to
inspect their vessels for aquatic hitchhikers

PHOENIX -- Quagga mussels have been discovered at multiple sites at
Lake Pleasant, and state wildlife officials are requesting that
boaters and other recreationists take simple steps to help prevent
this Eastern European menace and other aquatic hitchhikers from
spreading to other lakes.

On Dec. 17, small adult mussels were collected from a dry-docked boat
that had been moored at Pleasant. A team of biologists from the
Arizona Game and Fish Department also discovered mussels in the
southern end of the lake from boat slips at the Lake Harbor Marina, at
the Pleasant Harbor Marina boat launch, and the 10-lane boat ramp
courtesy dock. Those invasive mollusks have been confirmed as quagga
mussels.

Quagga mussels, which have caused millions of dollars in damage in the
Great Lakes region, were first discovered at Lake Mead in January of
this year. Since then, they have been confirmed in lakes Mohave and
Havasu and their presence has been suspected, but not confirmed, at
Lake Powell. This past fall, quagga mussels were discovered in a
segment of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal in Scottsdale. The
CAP canal originates at Lake Havasu. Water from the CAP is used to
fill Lake Pleasant.

"We suspected that it was just a matter of time before quagga mussels
became established in Lake Pleasant, but we hoped it wouldn't happen
so soon," said Larry Riley, a fisheries biologist with the Arizona
Game and Fish Department.

Riley, who is heading the Quagga Team for the state wildlife
department, pointed out that a single quagga mussel can produce 30,000
to 40,000 fertilized eggs in a single breeding cycle. One adult female
quagga can release up to a million eggs in a single year.

Game and Fish Department officials are asking all boaters and anglers
throughout the state to help fight the continuing spread of these and
other invaders by routinely taking simple precautionary steps each
time they visit a waterway anywhere in the state.

Riley added that the presence of other invasive species, such as
golden algae, means all boaters and other water recreationists should
take simple, precautionary steps � every time they go to a lake, river
or stream.

Before leaving a lake or other waterway, always:

* CLEAN the hull of your boat, remove all plant and animal material.
* DRAIN the water from the boat, livewell and the lower unit.
* DRY the boat, fishing gear, and equipment.

If you are a day user, please wait five days before launching your
boat someplace else. This five-day waiting period will aid
tremendously in killing those hidden hitchhikers on your boat, such as
the microscopic quagga larvae. Also, it is a good idea to wash the
hull of your boat with high-pressure water, either at the lake, if
washers are available, or after leaving the waterway.

Visiting a self-help car wash that has high-pressure soapy water is an
excellent idea either on your way home, or while on the way to the
next lake � it can even help keep your boat looking new. Or, giving
your boat a hot soapy bath when you get home can also help protect
your investment and while also helping protect the next lake you visit.

Remember, many of these aquatic hitchhikers can harm your boat as
well. These invaders will attach themselves to boats and can cause
damage to boat motors if they block the flow of cooling water through
the engine.

If you are moving a boat that has been moored on a mussel-positive
lake, please take at least one of these extra precautions:

* Power wash the hull so that it is clean "to the touch"
* Bilge decontamination that consists of either a 140-degree hot water
flush of the bilge spaces or
* A household vinegar flush of the bilge spaces, or
* A mandatory minimum 27-day desiccation period where the boat is
removed from the waterway and allowed to dry out; all through-hull
fittings and bilge plugs must be opened to the air with no residual
lake water allowed to remain standing in the bilge spaces; if, for any
reason, water cannot drain or standing water remains in the bilge, it
must be treated with heated water or vinegar solution.

Quagga mussels do not pose a known threat to human health. Biologists
are concerned that quagga mussels may cause ecological shifts in the
lakes they invade, with consequences to valued wildlife resources.

Because these invasive mussels attach to hard surfaces like concrete
and pipes, they will affect canals, aqueducts, water intakes and dams,
resulting in increased maintenance costs for those facilities.

Quagga mussels are small, freshwater bi-valve mollusks (relatives to
clams and oysters) that are triangular in shape with an obvious ridge
between the side and bottom. The zebra mussel, a close relative of the
quagga, gets its name from the black- (or dark brown) and
white-striped markings that appear on its shell.

Quagga mussels are native to the Dneiper River drainage of the
Ukraine. Zebra mussels are native to the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas
of Eastern Europe.

These exotic mussels were first discovered in the United States in
Lake Saint Clair, Michigan, in 1988 and are believed to have been
introduced in 1986 through ballast water discharge from ocean-going
ships. Since their initial discovery, zebra mussels have spread
rapidly throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin states
and other watersheds throughout the eastern and central United States.
Quagga mussels have not spread as extensively.

These invasive mussels in Lake Mead are 1,000 miles farther west than
any other known colony of zebra mussels. The primary method of
overland dispersal of these mussels is through human-related
activities. Given their ability to attach to hard surfaces and survive
out of water, many infestations have occurred by adult mussels
hitching rides on watercraft. The microscopic larvae also can be
transported in bilges, ballast water, live wells, or any other
equipment that holds water.

They are primarily algae feeders. They feed by filtering up to a liter
of water per day through a siphon. These mussels consume large
portions of the microscopic plants and animals that form the base of
the food web. The removal of significant amounts of phytoplankton from
the water can cause a shift in species and a disruption of the
ecological balance of a lake or other waterway.

These mussels can settle in massive colonies that can block water
intake and affect municipal water supply and agricultural irrigation
and power plant operation. In the United States, Congressional
researchers estimated that zebra mussels alone cost the power industry
$3.1 billion in the 1993-1999 period, with their impact on industries,
businesses, and communities more than $5 billion.
For more information, click here or visit www.100thmeridian.org.

Kelley Fowke
Arizona Game and Fish Department

Boating Education Coordinator
phone 623-236-7381
cell 602-568-0638
fax 623-236-7903
kfowke@azgfd.gov
www.azgfd.gov
OUR OFFICES HAVE MOVED
New address: Arizona Game and Fish Department
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000

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HOW CORINTHIAN IS YOUR YACHT CLUB?

How Corinthian is your yacht club?

In the past, I’ve had fun describing and “rating” hypothetical yacht and sailing clubs primarily from the perspective of their formality, budget, facilities, and programs. Leadership, atmosphere, and friendliness were mentioned, but were only a portion of the description.

But, docks and decks do not a yacht club make, and trophy cases tell only one piece of the club’s story. The serious glue that makes a club succeed is the devotion and friendliness of its members. How do the members treat visitors, prospective and new members? How do racers and race officers treat competitors out on the race course – and after the races are ended? Is the club a respected, giving member of its community? What does the club give to the sport of sailing? The answers to questions such as these reveal the true heart and Corinthian spirit of the club.

Which grade would you give your club? Do you recognize anything at all familiar in the following six profiles?

AAA+

This club is a dazzling beacon to showcase the sport to the world.

The members of this club eat, drink, live, breathe, and bleed yachting and sailing in a selfless quest to improve the sport and turn the rest of the planet into sailing and yachting addicts. Religious cults and the military could learn tremendously from their recruiting techniques. Major corporations would be delighted to recruit CEOs and board members from club leadership – but no one wants to leave this club. Former members and alumni of the club’s youth sailing programs will do almost anything to return to their club. Seasoned club members and leaders are completely unable to survive very far from a boat on sailable water.

Officials, industrial magnates, and community leaders all brag about the club and are eager for a chance to cooperate with club leaders. This magic extends even to entrenched bureaucrats. Marine safety officials praise the safety records and progressive programs of the club (which comes as no surprise to those who know that club members share a profound respect for the sea). Zoning and regulatory officials immediately agree to implement club requests. Members of the club receive instant respect. Leaders of charities are eager to partner with this club because partnership means success; the club has a well-deserved reputation for overachievement in community service as well as in traditional yachting endeavors.

The club has many cherished traditions and a strong sense of history. Members are enthusiastic participants in club traditions and rituals.

At the same time, the club members and leaders deserve a reputation for a healthy sense of humor. They laugh readily at their own mistakes, don’t take themselves too seriously, and show real devotion to the simple joys and pleasures of sailing.

Prospects and new members “feel the love” immediately as they are made to feel part of the club family, welcomed at social events, asked about their sailing dreams and interests, invited onboard multiple yachts to cruise and race, involved immediately in organizing club events, recruited by competing club programs, and generally cherished and cosseted. New and prospective members learn what it really means to be wooed as leaders of club activities court them.

The club sponsors all sorts of programs, on and off the water, and the programs are well designed, organized, and attended. It’s not just that there’s something for everyone – it’s that there are a great many highly engrossing activities for everyone. Club leaders and members are eager to try new programs, host regattas for their region, and provide strong educational programs. Member feedback and input isn’t just requested; leaders follow up persistently to make sure that every member has a voice in the club and is heard – often.

New ideas are embraced with passion, as is just about everything and everybody else here. Education is supported everywhere, from casual bull sessions, to carefully planned clinics, to a lovingly maintained library. Supportive leadership and competent but friendly security also contribute to making people feel secure here. Commitment to environmental stewardship is real and not just a fad. Club communications are thorough, abundant, and well-thought-out; newsletters are a joy to read and are eagerly expected, whereas the club’s web site is a joy to navigate, a treasure trove of useful information, and painstakingly checked for accuracy and updated. Suggestions and questions are immediately routed to the people who respond quickly. Care is taken with even tiny details to ensure that members and guests feel welcome and appreciated.

No one is surprised when a windsurfer and a keelboat skipper swap boats for a weekend or when monohull sailors and cat people forget to count hulls and hop between boats. The club commodore is as likely to be zipping around the harbor in a little dinghy as calling tactics on a big boat in an ocean race. Nor do eyebrows raise the least bit whenever spontaneous, good-natured, low-key parties break out in the club on out on piers.

Abundant racing programs provide rigorous but friendly competition at all levels, with just a bit of slack and quite a bit of support for green crew members. Committed and casual racers have a choice of one-design and handicap fleets; in any given week a racer can enjoy serious or fun races in large or small keelboats, dinghies, or single-handed boats. The club is particularly committed to matching compatible skippers and crews, making boats readily available, and helping skippers maintain their boats.

What is in common for all types of racing is post-race camaraderie, in which seasoned sailors are happy to socialize with newbies and share tips and observations about sail trim, boat speed, tactics, rules, weather, equipment, and anything else. The race committee, race officers, fleet captains, and leading sailors are all eager to share tips with less competitive skippers and crews and help bring them up to speed with useful advice, practice and tuning sails, clinics, and appearances by guest experts. Experienced sailors are readily available to hop on to boats with less skilled crews. Racing fleets each have their own esprit de corps with traditions and fondly remembered stories.

Junior sailors, women sailors, special needs sailors, novices, and everyone interested in racing gets solid support from every quarter. Serious competitors get the full support of the club in seeking to win high-level championships and perfect their skills.

The junior sailing program gets consistently top marks from participants, parents, boat owners, and host clubs. Junior sailors are noted not only for their skills, but for the values of courtesy, friendliness, helpfulness, and sportsmanship that they learn from the program.

The race committee is thoroughly trained and has an almost uncanny ability to get off good starts, outguess the weather, and adapt to changing conditions. Race officers combine experience on the race course with training and certification at a high level. Pre-race briefings are well planned and organized to meet the needs of both experience and novice racers – and to respect their time. Notices of race and sailing instructions are written clearly and completely, are models of consistency, and serve as models for other clubs and sailing programs. Of course, racers are not the least bit surprised when they return to the harbor to find that accurate, legible, and complete preliminary race results have long since been posted.

When the club hosts large regattas, visitors are impressed with easy-to-follow, helpful signs, smooth parking and launching arrangements, abundant and solicitous volunteers, the lack of waiting in line, and thoughtful touches to be found everywhere. Time seems to pass very quickly at these events.

The racers’ protest room is so well run that it could be accredited as an institution of higher education. Law students, judges, and IYRU International Judges and Umpires come here to take notes.

Leaders and members are gung-ho, with a whole lot of cross-over activity going on with racers supporting cruisers, cruisers supporting racers, sailors embracing motor boaters, and everyone giving complete, wholehearted, undying support to junior sailing programs and to events that benefit the community. Volunteerism is epidemic, with members volunteering for multiple jobs and eager to be trained to do the jobs right. Employees are treated well, cherished as dear friends, respected and paid as professionals, allowed to do their jobs, and eager to work at this club. Club members serve effectively in leadership positions in regional and higher-level yachting and sailing organizations.

Members of other sailing organizations deeply fear members of this club as competitors and hold the members in awe for their accomplishments, organizational abilities, sailing wizardry, hospitality, and genuine friendliness. Fortunately, the leaders of this club are interested in going sailing and in making new friends, instead of boring old world domination. In fact, members of this club are perfectly content to play with only about 71% of the world’s surface.

“Walking on water is fine and well, but sailing on it is more of a challenge.”

~~~~~~~~/)~/)~~~~~~
~~~~~~/)~/)~~/)~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~/)~/)~~~~

A

Corinthian spirit is very much alive and well
at this outstanding club.

This club enjoys a nice mix of old and new members and good support for youth sailing and community involvement. The club is proud to host regattas and events to benefit sailing and the community, and is respected in the community. The club supports community outreach and sail training programs. Other sailing clubs are delighted to welcome visitors from this club. Members are interested in becoming better sailors; a variety of classes and presentations are held and are well attended. Staff members are cherished, enjoy their jobs, and are proud to work with the club. Club members have grown tolerably amphibious and would deeply regret being away from the water and from the club for very long.

Racers will find good opportunities for one-design and handicap fleet racing. Cruisers will also find their needs met with interesting, fun programs and destinations, along with support to achieve their cruising dreams, whatever their scope. The race committee is well supported and has a good mix of education and training. Fleet captains take their jobs seriously and vie to have the most active and most improved fleets.

Junior sailors are also well supported and have many opportunities to become better sailors, as do all members. Kids are well taught and supervised, well appreciated, and enjoy the club as a second home; members and parents in the community are pleased to bring their kids. All worthy accomplishments are recognized and celebrated and this certainly is true for kids and every other group at the club.

Volunteer participation is good and is evident everywhere in the life of the club; the club feels vital. Committees and groups are active and willing to try new programs and activities. The club is an important part of the lives of its members. Members are enthusiastic about recruiting new sailors, inviting them to the club and out on the water. New members will find it easy to get involved in activities. Members serve in sailing leadership positions or as ambassadors for their club. Leaders want and expect to hear from the membership about ways to make the club better.

~~~~~~~~/)~~~~~~~~
~~~/)~~/)~~~~/)~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~/)~~~~

B

Typical mainline, relatively healthy sailing organization.

Members are active racers or cruisers and the club has active on-the-water racing and cruising programs. On-the-water activities are balanced with education and social programs. Leadership is active in doing the right things and in trying to run a good club. Participation could be better, but it’s not bad, and the leadership encourages members to get out on the water and learn new skills. Leaders will respond to input from the membership or the community. The club is relatively active and respected in its community and is a member in good standing in the sailing community. Other clubs are not embarrassed to welcome its members.

New members are generally made to feel welcome and some effort goes into recruiting. At least a few “old salts” are willing to “show greenhorns the ropes”.

~~~~~~~~/)~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~/)~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~/)~~~~

C

An ordinary, run-of-the-mill club.

Members of this club are sailors, but maybe they’re getting a bit lazy. Dues are paid to the national and regional sailing associations, regattas are hosted, and existing programs continue to be run. But, there isn’t a lot of new energy or vitality; not much new is happening. Participation has slipped a bit, members are a little too comfortable, and there’s a tendency to hire staff to get things done. This place has more of a social feel as people hang around to talk about past glories as much as they gather to do something on the water. Competency varies from event to event.

Still, there is still a core of active sailors who get out racing and cruising; there are yet some newer and younger members, and there are probably still some kids around learning their way around boats.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~/)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

D

We’re a yacht club, aren’t we?
Remember when our club had better days?

The members of this organization might talk about sailing or yachting, even if they don’t really do much about it. This club may have hosted yachting events in the past, but isn’t doing quite so much in the present. Any trophies are likely gathering dust on the shelves and community involvement is a thing of the past.

It’s probably best that this club doesn’t try to host big regattas, because in the past the members never were quite able to make things go right even for small events. Intentions were good, but no one quite knew where to get started and stories about monumental foul-ups are still swapped whenever members imbibe sufficient lubricating fluid.

Don’t expect to hear the laughter of kids as they return tired, wet, and exhilarated from a day of sailing; there aren’t any (too much bother). On the other hand, some of the social events might still be pretty well attended, especially if the booze is cheap or free.

Yacht ownership isn’t really terribly important within the organization (but it’s nice if members have enough money to buy yachts), and there’s no requirement that leadership or anyone else have much knowledge of yacht racing, seamanship, or other things nautical. But, they’d really love to have some real sailors come by the club to entertain them with a presentation.

~~~~~~~~ $$$ XXX $%^&**%!^*!@#! $$$ XXX ~~~~~~~~~

F

A harbor-view restaurant that charges dues?
a.k.a. the drinking (yacht) club from hell

This organization doesn’t have much to do with sailing or yachting except for appropriating the name “yacht club” for commercial purposes. This joint is run for profit. And maybe for some things you don’t need to know about. Ya got a problem with that, pal? There may be some flashy yachts in a marina somewhere near by, but this is just a social club that’s set up to separate suckers from their investment accounts or wise guys from their laundered money. The club might look ritzy, but in important respects it’s more of a cesspool. This club offers counterfeit prestige and a dubious connection with legitimate yachting, but all it really has is a more direct connection with overprized booze or vendors of other mind-altering substances.

Education is a dirty word here, and kids are certainly NOT welcome (nasty little buggers; they’re all rotten mistakes). New sailors aren’t welcome, of course, unless they are accompanied by the right sort of overseas tax shelter and conform to the quirks, prejudices, and pet hatreds of established members.

The feeling here is, “Why bother learning to sail so long as chumps think you have enough money to buy a yacht and some nice-looking trophies?” The members lurking in this club don’t mind paying flunkies to do their dirty work – so long as the hired help isn’t paid too well, doesn’t need any respect, doesn’t mind being cheated, and is willing to put up with abundant abuse, insults, lechery, or bigotry from the members and their hyper-inflated out-of-control egos.

Established members may be surrounded by a cluster of associates falling into well-defined categories: (a) sycophants, suck-ups, go-fers, (b) drinking/drug/whoring partners, (c) decorative members of the opposite gender (ambulatory-pneumatic trophies), and (d) professional crew hired as part of the business of acquiring trophies. All of these had better do what they’re told, and shut up when they’re told, or else.

Club denizens tell stories that sometimes involve a yacht’s throttle, spirit (liquor) locker, or berth cushions (boudoir). But they’re really quite comfortable

(a) trying to impress each other with how important they are as masters of the universe,

(b) trying to swing big bizness deals (or at least pretending to do so), or figuring out new swindles and con jobs,

(c) swapping stories about how to cheat customers, employees, the government, prosecutors and juries, other sailors, and spouses,

(d) telling (the same old) dirty jokes,

(e) cursing and insulting the rest of the planet, and

(f) slithering out to play a nasty little practical joke at the expense of a new, naïve member.

Failing these fine examples of sportsmanlike behavior, they will fall back upon ridiculing, humiliating, and abusing a defenseless employee or bickering with each other if nothing better is available.

“So what if we pass water and puke in the harbor? You gonna stop us?”

Someone ought to round up a very tough posse to persuade these creatures to remove any reference to yachting or sport from this organization’s bad name.

Swimming Boats: It's 5 PM: Do you know what your boat is doing?

News has just come in regarding unexpected behavior in boats. According to a website describing activity in Conesus Lake, one of the minor Finger Lakes of upstate New York,

<<

Vitale Park

On the northern end of Conesus Lake, this park has a shallow sand-filled swimming area where boats can drop anchor and jump out and swim in the shallow water. There is also a playground, and there is usually some type of concert on Sunday evenings.

>>

Sailors, swimmers, water-skiers, canoeists, and other lake users are hereby warmed to keep a sharp lookout for Swimming Boats. Remember, that even though a Swimming Boat should yield right of way to swimmers and paddlers, that the actual behavior of Swimming Boats can be highly unpredictable.

It is possible that the behavior of the Swimming Boats may be influenced by the type of music played during the concerts mentioned in the website, particularly if large numbers of Swimming Boats congregate to listen to the concerts. It would be perhaps safer if Wagner's Ring Cycle, heavy metal/thrash, or rap music were not played at these concerts in the presence of large numbers of Swimming Boats.

Boat owners: Have you observed any unusual accumulations of bilge water, soggy boat cushions, etc., especially during dry periods? Perhaps this is a sign that your boat has gone swimming.

Marina owners, Park rangers, and responsible boaters should report any incidents involving Swimming Boats to the proper authorities.

Irresponsible boaters presumably can keep drinking after sighting a Swimming Boat until they get a more interesting hallucination or until they (either the irresponsible boaters, or the Swimming Boats, if the latter are in violation of any local ordinances) are observed by the aforementioned marina owners, park rangers, and responsible boaters, and detained.

Cookies for Sailors, Aaargh, Matey

Bill L. (Legio Mariae) sent this little gem. I take no responsibility for what happens if you try this recipe.

Since I missed the cookie exchange at the office this year, and having
been accused of being a  "good cook", I propose to share one of my
favorite holiday recipes with you all.

Should you care to make them for your family, please be sure to read all
of the instructions carefully before starting so you don't miss any of
the steps in baking them.

BTW - I'm not really a good cook, I only follow the instructions.
----------------------------------------------------
TEQUILA HOLIDAY COOKIES

1 cup of unsalted butter (no vegi-based substitutes please)
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Fine-grated rind of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
1 cup of nuts (I like pinon, but walnuts work)
2 cups of dried fruit (no prunes! dates, yellow raisins, sulfur-free
apples are good)
1 bottle of high quality Tequila (try Patron, and never ever cook with
liquor or wine that you wouldn't drink directly)

Sample the Tequila in a large glass to check quality

Take a large bowl, and check the Tequila again, to be sure it is of
the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer, Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy
bowl.

Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. Sip Tequila.

At this point, it's best to make sure the tequila is still OK, so try
another cup.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the flippin' fruit and that crazy cup off the floor.

Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, just
pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Check the Tequila

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.  Don't forget to
beat off the turner

Put the bowl through the window, finish off the booze and make sure   to
put the dirty stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY  HAULINDAZE AND MISTMAS TO ALL! 

New Mexico Sailng Club 2007 Retrospective

Pearl anchored in a moonlit cove; photo from Jeff R.

The 2007 season overall was a good one for the New Mexico Sailing Club. We welcomed new members, and increased the number of boats in the marina. Water levels rose such that the marina cove had about 30 feet of water and was within about 30 feet of normal full levels. Recent snow storms have gotten the snowpack that feeds our lake off to a good start, in spite of predictions of a possible weak La Niña year.

We have a good relationship with Heron Lake State Park and participated in the Osprey Festival and Heron Lake Town Hall, both of which were sponsored by the Friends of Heron and El Vado Lakes. It's in our interest to work with the park and the Friends to make the lake a more enjoyable place and to bring more sailors to the lake and the marina.

Improvements to the marina also continued; in addition to enjoying the new A dock that had been installed in 2006, members helped attach knee braces to strengthen B dock, and widened the connecting walkway from four feet to seven feet.

We held several successful social events in the pavilion during the season, and in Santa Fe and Albuquerque during the off-season. The grill that we'd purchased in 2006 was well used and appreciated. We saw more young people around the marina, with two scout troops and a large church youth group visiting the cove and sailing out of the marina. Racing participation increased, with 9 Buccaneers from three states and 11 other boats participating in the Rocky Mountain Buccaneer Rodeo on Labor Day weekend. We also tried a new event; though participation in the "dinghy day" was modest, people had lots of fun kayaking and sailing around the cove. I have very much enjoyed working with our members to try new events, improve the marina, and work to make the future more secure for the club.


Much remains also to be done to continue the success of the club and to provide for our future.

Paramount is the need for more members and more member involvement. Club burdens must be spread among more people. Additionally, more people mean more activities that can be held, more participation in events, more competition, more voice with local authorities, and more fun.

Another pressing need is to continue to rehabilitate the marina and extend its working life. We bought knee braces and floats to rehabilitate B dock. Almost all of the braces are in, but next year's work parties will need to install floats, set anchors, and perform routine maintenance. A great need is for more people to turn out to join the work parties. New docks cost a great deal of money, and we need more income so we can set aside funds to replace the older docks as they wear out and become harder to maintain. That means we need to implement higher fees or recruit more members to put boats in the marina. So, would you rather see fees go up steeply or would you rather welcome new members to the marina?

Financially, we can improve our position by creating a reserve fund, which could be applied to marina improvements as well as for getting the club through dry years. Finding a more competitive price for our single largest fixed expense, insurance, would also be a big help. Also, should we be given the opportunity to manage the mast-up storage lot at the lake, that would give the club a steady source of income. That would be especially life-saving if the marina has to close or re-locate during a drought. Our treasurer, George Soto, will be proposing options to the board and membership in the coming year. One possibility to be discussed might be giving members the opportunity to invest and receive an equity ownership position in the club.

Related closely to recruiting new members, but also important for enjoyment of the marina and safety, is marina access. Improvements to the trail can only go so far, and navigation of the trail in the dark, after a rain, or while carrying burdens, is unpleasant at best and hazardous or prohibitive at worst. Re-installing gangway access would help with recruiting, retaining, and re-enlisting members and in encouraging more use of the marina. It can be done, although it's a pretty good-sized project that will require some engineering work and lots of member support. Work has started and a thirty-two-foot gangway extension has been placed on floats and is being connected to the swinging gangway.

No doubt many other projects will want to be accomplished in 2008 to extend the life of the marina and make it more useful and enjoyable. One proposal is for a "comfort station" that would also house the pumpout and generator. Another useful idea is for installing a security gate at the gangway, which could help short-handing docksitting crews and improve security and safety when the marina is unattended in the off-season.

We also want to have plans in place for whatever the future might bring. Whether the lake goes up or down, we want to be prepared and able to keep sailing. To that end, we should have plans approved and in place to cope with whatever comes our way.

Yet, in doing all the marina work, we don't want to lose focus on the lifeblood of the club, which is its activities. Certainly I hope we continue the club-supported potluck dinners that brought lots of people to the marina. As well, I hope we can attract and host more events such as the Buccaneer Rodeo. We need to get more people out racing, which I think will happen in 2008. We need to train race committee volunteers to run regattas well and make Heron Lake the sort of place where sailors from other clubs will really want to visit. I will request that the board formally approve a reciprocity policy, to offer hospitality to visiting sailors from other clubs, and to improve potentially our reception when we visit other clubs. I hope members will come forward to Rich and the board with ideas for new events, such as a regatta during the Osprey Festival, which the Osprey Fest organizers have asked that we consider hosting, and perhaps use to encourage youth sailing.

All of these things require people to step forward to make them happen. So, I want everyone to consider WHICH job(s) they want to take on ... and have the answer ready when the new commodore and his board come calling.

Speaking of which, this is the time of year when we recognize and introduce our new officers. Rich and Bonnie, of Highlander, are much appreciated fixtures at the marina and they frequently have just the right cure to administer if the weather gets a bit chill or gloomy. The 2008 watch will comprise

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

Thanks are also very much due to our outgoing board members,
Bob Hopper, Dan Hoyer, Ken Mitchell, and Tom Riggs.

New board members will be
John Davey, Mac Jordan, Ed Knop, and Clif Meyer.

They will join continuing board members
John Polk, Rich Strasia, and Roger Vinyard.

We'll have a nice mixture of experience and should be well represented in 2008. I expect the members to give strong support to the board in the coming year. Please recognize and welcome your chosen board members and officers.

Snug lines and see you out on the water soon,
Pat

Meet Our New Commodore; New Mexico Sailing Club

Rich, aka "Highlander", shows off a piece of marina equipment.

New Mexico Sailing Club 2008 Membership

Form A-2

New Mexico Sailing Club

Membership and Waiting List
Application 2008

(Please provide us this information for the Membership Book.
Please type or print in block letters.)

Owner’s first and last name

Spouse/co-owner/crew name

Children: 1. ______________________ 2. ______________________
3. _______________________ 4. ______________________
5. _______________________ 6. _____________________

Address: _________________________________________
street

_______________ ____ ______________
city state zip

Telephone: ________________ ________________ ________________
(505 / 575 / ) home work cell

_____________
fax other

E-mail/website:

Boat information:

Manufacturer: ______________ Model: ___________________

Color: _________ Length (ft./in.): ____

Popular name or class of boat: _________________________

Rig type:

Boat name: ___________________________

Sail number for racing:

State registration number: ________________

Hull identification number:

Boat insurance company/agent:

____ Please accept these funds for membership

(Fee: $45.00) Date:

____ Please accept these additional funds of $20.00 to place
my name on the Waiting List.
(The one-time Waiting List fee of $20.00 will be credited
toward your first year’s rent on a permanent slip or buoy.)

Mail to: Rich Strasia

546 Highway 165
Placitas, NM 87043
or
New Mexico Sailing Club
PO Box 1795
Bernalillo, NM 87004-1795

Questions

Rich Strasia, Membership

George Soto, Treasurer

Rich Koch, Commodore

Update

Last weekend our family participated in the (static) parade of lights at Elephant Butte Lake. Our son became the "chief engineer" in arranging 3,600 lights on a friend's sailboat. December 1st was scheduled to be the last regatta date at the Butte, but high winds blew out the racing. Races are set to resume on January 26, with the Frostbite Regatta, followed by the Chute-Out on February 16.

This coming weekend our travels are likely to be much shorter; Saturday evening will be the holiday party for the New Mexico Sailing Club, to be held in Bernalillo, New Mexico, at the Coronado Grill. Mark, our host, is the former manager of the Dam Site Marina at Elephant Butte Lake and is a sailor and diver. For those who so desire, we will hold a white elephant exchange. Everyone who participates brings a wrapped gift and draws a number. The person with number one chooses a wrapped present and opens it in front of the group. Subsequent participants may also unwrap a present, or they may "pirate" an already-opened present. If a present is pirated, the person who loses it gets to choose an unwrapped present or may pirate any opened one other than the one that just got taken. Once a gift has been pirated twice, it is retired and exempt from further raids.

Wolf Creek Ski Resort, the back side of which is upstream of Heron Lake, is reporting 99 inches of snow. That's good news. Recent winter storms have helped get the snowpack off to a decent start in the high country.

Elephant Butte Lake is at elevation 4,329.00 feet above benchmark as of Thursday morning, December 13, 2007. It is up 1.9 inches in 24 hours and 6.7 inches in 71 hours. Water inflow at San Marcial is 481 cubic feet per second. The lake is up 4.62 feet and 49,127 acre feet since the low-water point on October 25; it's come up a bit more than an inch per day.

The pass to the west of Rattlesnake Island has a minimum depth of about 2 feet. Long Point will probably become an island again by the end of February.

Heron Lake is at elevation 4,324.38 feet above msl, with 214,527 acre feet. It is going down, with contractors taking their allotments. It is down 2.9 inches and 986 acre feet in 24 hours; down 8 inches and 2,774 acre feet in 71 hours; and down 2.53 feet and 10,584 acre feet since October 25.

Sailors may enjoy the full moon on Sunday, December 23, and January's Geminid meteor shower.

The Sailboat Regatta Scale

I've seen rankings of high-level regattas but not a comprehensive scale that covers the gamut of sailboat racing. So, here's a first rough cut. This sailboat regatta scale also can be compared to the yacht club rating scale I once wrote.


The Sailboat Regatta Scale

1. The crews of a MacGregor X and a West Wight Potter both thought they would sail to windward about the same time... (This could be the beginning of a bad joke that would be unkind and unfair to Powersailors and Potter Yotters, but you may fill in with your own punch line.)


2. The Boat Owners of Lost Lake will "race" to the other side of their small lake and back. If anyone gets too far behind, he or she is allowed to turn on the boat's motor to catch up; that way everyone gets back to the cooler of beer about the same time. Some of the skippers have seen the cover of a sailing magazine and looked at the pictures. Some of them can name the points of sail. Many of them know how to change a propeller.
or;
A bunch of kids are learning to sail a motley fleet of Sunfish. "Last one to the dock and back is a rotten egg!"


3. Low-level club racing, often with only a single race committee boat and no support boats, partially trained race committee; typical low-level "beer can" racing". Often only one fleet is started. Handicap fleets are more common; one design fleets are the exception. Trophies may or may not be given.

Protests are not often carried out because no one is very comfortable with running or participating in a protest hearing and procedural errors might make the results of the hearing invalid (or, alternatively, someone does know how to run a protest hearing, but it would cut too far into the post-race happy hour to be permitted to be held under normal circumstances).

Many of the skippers have a copy of the Racing Rules of Sailing and have a general familiarity with the Part 2 (When Boats Meet) rules, though their knowledge level drops off dramatically beyond Port-Starboard and Windward-Leeward. Some of the skippers have read sailing books and magazines or taken sailing classes.


4. Typical regattas hosted by a moderate- or medium-sized club, with a (mostly) trained race committee, a few club-owned signal, mark-set, and support boats, and some race participation by sailors from other clubs in the area. For a small club, this might be one of their biggest and most organized regattas of the year. Participation might range from a dozen to two dozen boats with perhaps a hundred competitors and volunteers involved. Multiple fleet starts are typical.

The race committee chair or at least one member of the r.c. typically has at least club-level race officer certification from US Sailing or the appropriate national sailing body. Most skippers and many crew are capable of enjoying an intelligent conversation about the racing rules, wind, weather, and tactics.

This is also typical of low-level local or regional regattas involving sailors from a few nearby clubs.


5. Regional-level or other significant and respected regattas hosted by medium- to large clubs with well-organized and equipped race committees. Such a regatta might have as many as a 100 boats participating in the races with four hundred crew along with additional on-shore spouses and friends to be entertained. Good crew are coveted by the better skippers; many crew graduate from organized youth sailing programs provided by the host club. Overall, participants are a mix, from rookies to the highly talented, with a few very competitive teams.

The race chair and several members of the committee have been trained at the regional and local level and the protest committee is formally appointed and trained. The regatta has sponsorship and a web site with on-line registration. Catering, hosting, and hospitality arrangements may be a mix of home-grown hospitality and hired services. Budgets may range from Euro 5 000 to 25 000. The regatta might be big enough to require a second course to be set up, with 10 to 20 race committee volunteers on the water and perhaps 20 to 50 volunteers and staff assisting on land. Local dignitaries such as the town mayor or a television news anchor will probably be roped into presenting awards.

Initial regional qualifying stages for youth, women's keelboat, and other specialized national championships may fall into this category.


6. Significant regional or national regattas that attract some international participation and large numbers of entries. Regatta budgets may range from 10 000 to 75 000 Euros and event management may be a mixture of professionals and well-trained, experienced volunteers, some of whom have participated in national- and international-level events. Volunteers may number a 100 or more and pre-event planning is performed by multiple committees. National- and regional-level commercial sponsors support the regatta. Top teams put this event on their calendar.

This level may also be typical of smaller, but significant events such as final qualifying stages for national youth, women's keelboat, and other specialized championships. Continental championships for cruising or less-popular classes with a moderate standard of competition may fall into this category.

Crew members are expected to be confident; anyone who isn't or who has a bad regatta may be "flicked" off the boat. Most crew are long-time sailors and many are former athletes. Skippers could have an intelligent discussion with Dick Rose or national authorities about the racing rules -- and some of them have.


7. Large, nationally or internationally sponsored regattas with significant budgets with some professional sailors and big-budget amateur programs, international participation. Crews are professional or semi-pro on the more competitive boats; and most crew are very experienced and athletic. Even the amateurs are talented sailors and many of them combine deep pockets with a lifelong passion for sailing.

The regatta has national or international level race management; regatta budgets may equal or exceed Euro 100 000 . Races are administered by national or international-level race officers and judges and are hosted by larger clubs with well-established and respected racing programs and race management staffs that are comfortable in working with national and international race officers, judges, and competitors. Special considerations at this level may include access control and badging, formal sponsor fulfillment plans, and formalized emergency and incident response plans.

Also, world championships for typical not-too-elite one-design classes and some small but historic or significant events such as national youth, women's keelboat, and other specialized championships or qualifiers for national Olympic teams.

Some skippers and crew might attempt to explain a Stuart Walker article about wind phenomena.


8. ISAF Grade 1 events, many one-design world championships, major tour events, some top-level continental championships, the top distance racing events (Fastnet, Hobart, Bermuda), elite trans-ocean or circumnavigation events, many world championship events, some elite invitation events, historic regattas. Professional sailors, sailmakers, and semi-pros dominate the top ranks here. True amateurs may be second-class citizens here, unless they have the lifelong passion, commitment, and experience to compete with the sailing rock stars. "Toto, this isn't casual club sailing any more."


9. World Championships for large one-design classes with significant representation of professional and Olympic-level sailors, Pan American Games, the very most elite one-design events, top Grade I events with Olympic ties. True Corinthians (amateurs) are a profound rarity here; professional-level preparation and planning are a given. There is little tolerance for error here. Results are far more important to many skippers than any sentimental considerations. Professionalism and a thick skin are mandatory.

The world's top race officers and judges are needed to control the world's top sailing egos.

The skippers and afterguard at this level have applied the latest scientific advances to supplementing, correcting, and customizing the Stuart Walker article on wind phenomena, but the information is Top Secret.


10. Olympic Sailing
or
10. America's Cup. Ratio of attorneys (lawyers) to sailors is approximately 3.14159 : 1 .