Greetings from your marine chair and the launch and haul gang

The 2010 boating season is here. Launching commenced service on April 17. A lot of marine maintenance work was completed and all equipment is “go.” A thanks to everyone who helped.

It is that time of year when all good HYC members prep and launch boats and clean out the yard. The official launch season started April 17th ends June 13. Last year we extended the launching into July to compensate for the really wet spring. Please adhere to the last launch date of June 13 and not get lazy or wait for the last minute to do boat prep and launch. We are all volunteers launching your boat and it is not kind or courteous to abuse your fellow members.

Our official launch days are Saturdays and Sundays however, the launch protocol we used last year worked well so we will do it again this year. Last year we launched any time YOU could schedule at least 3 boats and the tide was right. This added to your convenience and made weekend launching less hectic by reducing the number of weekend launches. But the operative process is YOU need to schedule the boats for off weekend launches and I will schedule the launch crew. We will try to make the launch process as painless as possible, but there are some rules that need to be followed. The first one is please be prepared and the second is arriving early.

Usually we can launch up to 3 hours before and up to 2 hours after high tide with the deeper draft boats centered on the peak of the tide. However this year the tides are not peaking very high so the window of opportunity is diminished and this puts more stress on being prepared and arriving early. If you miss your appointed time then you may have to reschedule for another day. Remember sometimes the wind adds to the tide and sometimes takes away, so please be a little flexible.

Empty cradles left in the yard are a real problem during launch operations. They just get in the way and often have to be moved several times in order to get boats clear. It puts extra work on the launch volunteers, so if your empty cradle is left assembled, it will be dismantled and the owner charged in accordance with the storage contract. While I am discussing clutter in the yard your car falls into that category and really hampers moving boats. To date I have managed to not hit any cars with the yard car or forklift but statistics are not on my side. When we are moving boats please park cars out side the yard and only bring them for loading and off loading.

When you plan to launch you will need to:

1) Have valid boat insurance and a copy of the summary page on file with the club.
2) Be paid up on all monies owed the club
3) Schedule your launch date and receive confirmation from the Marine Chair. Launching is “By Appointment Only.”
4) Verify with a call or e-mail me the day before stating you are ready to go.
5) Arrive early and in plenty of time to have your boat ready to go at the appointed time.
6) Check in with a committee member as soon as you arrive.
7) You must be present and have two (2) additional crew to help launch.
8) Dismantle your boat cradle the day you are launched. Have a mooring for your boat
9) Harlem Yacht Club does not permit launching your boat if you have not complied with 1, 2 and 3 above.

It will be helpful if your engine works. But if you are having trouble please let us know ahead of time and we will ensure that the launch is ready to assist. Remember the “Launch gang” is all volunteer and will always appreciate a helping hand.

Have a safe and happy boating season.

The Marine gang and
Jeep Califano 973 838 3548, 201 220 9117 (cell) marine@hyc.org. jeeprs2@optonline.net

Weekend launch dates with good tides are: