Brian Styles wrote to Rob Martin on September 5, 2023 with this information...

After receiving the text message from Robin summarizing his conversation with the Gate Attendant at the Sundance Launch I was surprised and disappointed to learn that sailboats would not be allowed to utilize the Sundance Channel launch site. Subsequently I contacted Jeff McAdam, Manager for Parks and Community Services at Parkland County.

Jeff confirmed the depths of the channel are as shown on the channel depth map on the county website. The channel depths were taken on July 27, 2023, after the dredging operation was completed. Jeff did indicate there were problems dredging the channel and this likely resulted in the shallow depth of the channel near the location where the berm was placed by TransAlta following the CN train derailment in 2005.

The most shallow portion of the channel is shown as 5' on the county map. As previously stated, this depth appears to be present near the berm that was placed across the channel following the oil spill in 2005. The balance of the channel is shown as having a 7' depth. Rob Martin with the Edmonton Yacht Club confirmed these depths after sounding the channel in late August, 2023.

Jeff confirmed there is in fact a reinforced turf crane pad constructed with a composite "Geo Grid" for stability and erosion control. I personally inspected the site and can confirm this is true. The Geo Grid is visible under the fill used at the location, as shown on the conceptual plan for the facility.

Finally, I asked Jeff what the procedure was for launching sailboats at the Sundance Site. Jeff said that if one of the clubs wants to set up a crane at the location for launching sailboats he should be contacted, preferably 2 weeks in advance so that he can make the necessary arrangements to restrict the area while craning is occurring.

In summary, the launch site is open to sailboats. The depths are as shown on the channel map found on the Parkland County website. The water depth on July 27, 2023 when the Parkland County did their soundings shown on the map, as shown as real time data on the Wabamun Watershed Management Council website, was 724.274 meters above sea level. Water depth today is 724.262 meters above sea level or 1/2" lower than it was on July 27. The top of the weir is 724.55 meters above sea level. If we have a wet fall, a high snowfall winter and a wet spring we could see lake levels to the top of the weir, or about a foot higher than the water is now. With this in mind it is possible to see a minimum depth of 6' in the Sundance Channel during high water seasons.

If more information is required please contact Jeff McAdams at the Parkland County office at 780-968-8888.

Regards,
Brian

More information is on this page. Scroll down till you come to Sundance Boat Launch and click on that title. You should see information on the launch, including a link to Channel Depth Map.

Here are the Notice of Race and the Registration Form for the 2023 Spring Series of races.

SOLD!

I have a beautiful FD for sale. It was owned by members of your club until about 1980. It was custom built in Germany for the 1976 Olympic Trials and was in storage from 1978-2016. Very fast. It is on a trailer at Pigeon Lake. Three sets of sails with a trailer. Asking $3000. Contact David Alton at davidalt@telusplanet.net

Here is some info on the Flying Dutchman dinghy.

Let’s kick off summer Saturday, June 10 and get together over a RAFT-OUT dinner! What is a RAFT-OUT you ask 😀? All participants bring their dinner, maybe even their BBQ, and sail out on their boat (or hitch a ride on someone’s boat) to a point in the in middle of the lake where we tie our boats together, then eat together and generally make merry on a party flotilla. In case of uncooperative weather we move the potluck into the clubhouse.

Send question to Social Director Liliana Cordeiro, social@edmontonyachtclub.ca.

The Edmonton Yacht Club celebrates our centennial in 2023. Many of our birthday activities will take place during the Canada Day long weekend. The times for the following events are in the poster image at bottom.

Friday, June 30

• Outdoor games

Saturday, July 1

• Pancake brunch
• Fun water races
• Boat denaming & renaming
• 100th anniversary party (centennial drinks, music, dancing etc)

Sunday July 2

• Open House: Members of the public invited to tour the clubhouse and EYC grounds or go for a complimentary sail.
• BBQ supper - $15/person, tickets in advance; pay by Interac to treasurer@edmontonyachtclub.ca. Remember to say who is buying the tickets.
  
• Bar open at 7:00 pm, with an evening to reminisce and share memories of EYC over the decades.

All activities are weather dependant. A centennial dinner will be held early in 2024.

She is one of the first ‘sportboats’ designed by Leif Beiley to be light and fast at 2000 lbs (read a review from Sailing World). Hull #10 is from the first batch of boats that used kevlar before the later production boats used other cheaper composites in construction, so she is light, rigid and very fast.

Point of Order has a proven race pedigree, having captured the Alberta Cup three years in a row. She moves on a whisper of wind, but needs a few people to hold her down in a blow. She’ll do 12+ knots in a good wind if you get the weight in the right place, so buckle up.

She trailer launches in about two feet of water, then the 800 lb keel lowers on a powered gantry and bolts down for the season, drawing 5 feet, making her idea for lake use. To my knowledge she has always been a freshwater boat.

She was extensively refitted between 2016-2018 with: a new PhilsFoils Carbon Fibre racing rudder; new Tohatsu 4hp motor, sanded and refinished bottom with VC-17 and hull with 2-part epoxy paint; interior re-painted fresh white; new windows; deck fittings resealed; new backstay flicker; new tiller and upgraded Lewmar 16 two-speed refurbished primary winches. She is ready to go fast.

Sail inventory
2020 - new racing sails:

• Ullman FiberPath Black Aramid Main, used once
• Ullman FiberPath Black 155% Genoa, like new
• Ullman FiberPath Black 110% Jib, like new

Approx 2014:

• Quantum kevlar main, worn but usable
• Quantum kevlar 145% genoa, worn but usable
• Quantum kevlar 100% blade, good condition

Unknown age:

• 0.5 oz Ullman spinnaker, good condition
• 0.75 oz North Sails spinnaker, work condition

Disclosures: the newer green hull paint has a few chips, but boat comes with a sealed can of 2-part Interlux for touch ups. Tandem trailer was fully rehabbed two years ago, though it will need new rubber before too long.

Can’t manage it myself anymore but would consider selling a 1/2 share in the boat to someone interested in racing it together on Wabamun Lake.

$19,800 (or half that for a half share).

Contact don@civicgood.ca if you’re interested.

The following was written by SBYC's Dan Meade...

It is that time of year again to put ours boats away for the season. If you are new to this process or, maybe in need of a refresher. Here are a few things to do to your boat before you show up at the crane.

Is your mast going to be lowered by the crane or are you going to lower by yourself? If you are lowering by hand get help from some of the older hands around the club. It isn’t a bad idea to lower your mast at the club before you head down the lake. Trying to lower your mast by hand the day of crane out does not work, so have it done before hand.

If you are using the crane to lower your mast, a slightly different approach is required. Your boom has to be off the mast and all halyards removed from any blocks or cleats on the deck and wrapped around the mast and secured. Flag halyards should be removed if possible. The idea is to have as little clutter on, and around the mast as possible. If you have a dodger it will have to be removed as well. If you have wood blocks or devices to support the mast they have to be handy. This doesn’t mean running to your car to grab them. You have to have the appropriate tools to undo your stays as they will have to come off once the crane has the weight of the mast. Have something to support the bottom of your roller furling to your mast once it is down. The last thing to have with you when the mast comes down is HELP it usually takes four to five people to do the job efficiently. 1 person for each side of the spreaders, 1 at the back stay, usually someone large, because they are catching the mast and will have the weight of the mast to deal with. 1 person at the forestay to deal with the furler to keep it from flopping around the last 2 people that is you and the other person who you would like to have experience at this to hook up the crane sling and make sure all electrics going up the mast are disconnected and safe for most boats the lifting point is the bottom of the spreaders. For double spreader rigs the lifting point is the bottom of the upper spreader. To insure the sling does not hook up on the mast light on double spreader rigs, leave the fore halyard loose, then while the sling is going up the mast tension the forestay halyard to help the sling slide above the mast light. Have something to tie the mast to the boat handy.

Okay that is masts taken care of. Now we will deal with the boat. Do you have a knot meter sticking out the bottom of your boat, and do you have a plug for it? If so take it out and install the plug before you get to the crane. If you can’t , or don’t have a plug, make note of where all the through hulls are on your boat to insure the crane sling don’t end up on them. One further note on knot meters. If you don’t remove the knot meter tape the paddle on it before you leave at the end of the day. It won’t hurt it when you leave the crane site to park, but going sixty down the highway can mess them up pretty good. Trust me on that one.

Now we come to getting the boat itself ready for haul out. The boat has to be level in the slings when it comes out of the water. So make sure any holding tanks are empty and all your gear inside is distributed evenly so the boat sits in the slings on a level plane when it is lifted.

For the next part refer to the attached sketch

1. At the for and stern you need a tag line on starboard side of your boat they have to be 30 to 50 feet long
2. You need a line going under your boat tied to your life lines at the lift points on the boat. Most boats are marked where this is. If it is not then get help from someone who is familiar with the type of boat to show you and then mark the boat so the crane out guys can make sure without having to ask. How do I get a line under my boat you ask?

Take a thinner line, and make sure it is long enough to pass around the bottom of your boat tie a weight to it and feed it down until it is at your lift point. Take extra care doing the stern, so you make sure the line is not hung up on your motor rudder or prop shaft, if you have an inboard. For a weight I use a box wrench or an adjustable with a hole in the handle.

Now it is your turn. By helping other boats before you, you will have picked up a few things on the process. You get on the boat with a helper and each of you tie the line that goes under your boat on the port side to the sling you stay there until the slings are around the boat and attached. Now you and your helper get off the boat if the slings are moving around and don’t seem to want to stay in place, grab the line (small one), and the crew will tie the sling together to keep them from jumping around. I usually have the line ready to go and it near where number three is on the drawing. It is important that nobody has their hands on the boat as the slings tighten and take the weight of the boat. People always want to push the boat out from the shore wall which is okay, but have them do it once the boat starts to come up. Have someone who has done this allot stand at the bow and look to see if the boat is level in the slings. I always stop the lift for a second when the boat is about two feet up, then if it is crooked we can drop it and resettle it in the slings. This is critical as it is almost impossible to straighten the boat in the cradle. Have one person on the bow tag line and one person on the stern tag line. You want a good scope on the tag lines pulling straight down is hard, and dangerous. Oh one more thing. Did you have someone back your trailer in? If you have pads one person should be at each pad to hold it in position. Center the boat and check level try not to have the sling between a pad and the boat. Sometimes this is unavoidable. And the experienced people will help. throw the tag lines back up on the boat and pull the boat back to the parking lot and then come back and help with other boats.

Extra; putting a boat on a trailer with pads the racers way;

I always show up with my pad screws greased and lowered. We get the boat where we want on the trailer then I stand beside the crane operator, and ask him when he only has ten percent of the weight of the boat left hanging from the crane. Then I have everyone just snug up the pads and because they are greased, they spin up real easy then we are done and gone.

I hope this helps everyone and if you have a question ask someone before you show up at the crane.

Parkland Country wrote last week...

The Wabamun South Side Boat Launch will be open to the public in summer of 2023 and Parkland County is looking for input on potential names for the Boat Launch. Between now and April 23, you will have a chance to let your voice be heard about what name you feel will be most suitable for the boat launch.

To submit a possible name, complete the official submission form. Submissions must be received no later than April 23, 2023. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. All submissions received will be considered part of the public record and where applicable, submissions may be added to the naming registry for future use.

Please keep in mind the boat launches’ location, historical significance, and topography as you brainstorm an original and unique name.

The area includes boat launch, benches, washrooms. The park is located on Sundance Road, on the South Side of Wabamun Lake in Parkland County, AB. Submissions will be reviewed by County Administration to ensure they meet the criteria. A short list of names will be submitted to Council for final decision.

Thanks,
Carilyn

Carilyn Bjarnason | Community Development Coordinator | Parkland County

Hello Everyone,

The wonderful, warm, windy sailing days are quickly approaching and it is time to renew your membership. In order to plan for this centenary EYC season we need to know all the details of your anticipated membership renewal as well as to ensure your trailer/cabin, dock and mooring ball reserved spaces.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Edmonton Yacht Club and events are in the process of being planned requiring many club members to volunteer. In addition to the 100th there are many other ongoing volunteer positions needing to be filled to maintain the longevity of our wonderful club and to strengthen the membership bonds.Thank you for filling out the volunteer section of the renewal form.

The Membership and Renewal form can be completed and signed onscreen and attached to a new and separate email.(for organization purposes) and send it to membership@edmontonyachtclub.ca.

All the information needed to renew your membership are on our Members page.

As there are many details involved in getting the club ready for the season, the membership renewal forms are requested at your earliest convenience and the final due date is March 31, 2023. Renewal invoices will be sent out in early April.

Looking forward to seeing all of you this season!

Thank you,
Ken Wright
EYC Membership Director
membership@edmontonyachtclub.ca

EYC member Jeff & Lois Burton are selling a sewing machine...

The TN-146 is a zigzag, walking foot sewing machine suitable for sewing zig zag stitching on medium to heavy weight materials including leather, vinyl, canvas, neoprene and synthetics.  The TN-146 has a maximum stitch length of 5mm and a maximum width of 10mm.  This machine is perfect for repairing/making sails (can stitch a 2, 3, or 4 stitch zigzag pattern), making wallets, purses, leather straps, orthopaedic braces, wet suits, awnings, covers, tarps and other similar products.

• APPLICATION:  For Medium to Heavy Materials
• MAX SEWING SPEED:  1,800 SPM
• MAX STITCH LENGTH:  5 millimeters
• MAX ZIG ZAG WIDTH:  10 millimeters
• BOBBIN SIZE:  Large M class
  
• FOOT LIFT:  13mm (1/2")
• NEEDLE:  135x17
• THREAD:  TEX 30 to TEX 135

Asking $2,400. New, it retails for $2949 + GST. The machine has about 5 hours on it.