C 36 Commodore’s Report - May 2003

by Brian Giersch, C36IA Commodore

 

In the February issue my first report as commodore addressed the importance of bring a “value added” atmosphere to the membership of our international association. Since that column was written the association’s board members met during Atlantic City’s Sail Expo for our annual officers’ meeting. In an effort to make our organization more service oriented the C36 I.A. implemented three innovations: 

New position:  Factory Liaison – Although the vast majority of us experience only the usual headaches of routine maintenance and the occasional pain the results from normal wear and tear, we must constantly be aware that a serious issue can arise. Unless you and your association take a proactive stand and stay current with the service bulletins, factory notices, etc., it is possible for a problem to sneak up on us and ruin our day. Such was the experience of several C36 owners who where suffering with a shift lever problem (always at the worst of times) and those who alertly are checking their Sherwood water pumps for the possibility of a missing cam shaft reinforcing sleeve. As our association members and officers discover potential problems, it will be the role of this association position to communicate with the factory, while both reporting to and from the membership. We are fortunate to have Phil Rojas, our most recent Past Commodore, serving in this capacity. Not only is he an excellent diplomat and good communicator, he lives not far from Woodland Hills and is a known (and respected) quantity with the management at the Catalina factory in California. 

For this position to provide effective benefit to the membership we must have good communication between the officers of the association and the membership. As we try to keep aware of issues raised in a variety of websites and chat rooms, it will be incumbent upon our C36 owners to keep the officers informed of issues/problems, should they surface. If you run into a manufacturing problem, warranty problem, or similar issue, contact Phil Rojas directly, or our Tech Editors (see below), or our webmaster, or, for that matter, any of your association officers. We will follow up with the factory, via Phil Rojas, and alert the membership as we have been recently, via the website, or even via a special mailing, as was the case with the cam shaft service bulletin. 

SECOND Tech Editor position:  Recognizing that, with the introduction of the Mark II version of the C36, we now have two distinctly different boats, the board of directors voted unanimously to create two Tech Editor positions. Bob McCullough has been serving exceptionally well as Tech Editor for the last ten years or so. Beginning with this issue, we are introducing a second Tech Editor, Tom Senator – a C36 sailor from New Jersey, who owns a Mk II. Bob will continue to advise C36 owners, as he has previously, but will specialize in pre-Mk II boats. Tom, as a Mk II owner, will address those issues unique to the newer boats. As issues are forwarded to the tech editors, Bob and Tom will sort out who will respond. Prior to publication of each Mainsheet Tom will send his Q & A’s to Bob, who will merge the material with his stuff. It will then appear in Mainsheet as one document. 

            How many other national/international associations are offering that degree of specialized service to its membership? See the related sidebar to learn more about Tom Senator. 

Instituted a regularly scheduled Chat Room: With the website attracting more interest each month, we find that its potential continues to grow as a vehicle to both communicate with the members and to serve the members’ interests. The chief architect of the website and its many facets is Dennis Stovall. A resident of Anchorage, Alaska, Dennis first came to our attention via the marvelously written stories he contributed –as well as the gorgeous photos that he used to illustrate them. He then volunteered to create our website and, most recently, was elected as Vice Commodore. Dennis is truly a visionary and sees your C36 association as a proactive, service minded organization that will, ultimately, set the standard for the national one-design associations. His very recent innovation is that of the fledgling chat room. February 19th saw its inaugural use. By any standard it was a terrific success, hosted by both the association Commodore and Vice Commodore. The chat room session drew participants from Maine, California, New Jersey and Alaska, as well as the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay. It even attracted an officer of another one-design association, who, undoubtedly, wanted to see how we were fairing in our first effort. Your association officers are now arranging for a regularly scheduled chat room, with one in the spring to be hosted by our two Tech Editor, focusing on Spring Commissioning. 

Via the Creation of new C 36 Fleets and the support of existing regional one-design fleets, our focus will continue to be on serving the interests of the local C 36 sailor, through the support of interested owners in common, regional support groups. We are hoping to have at least one association officer at each of the major sailboat shows, helping to man the Catalina Owners’ booth, promoting and encouraging local fleets. In the February issue we mentioned the reactivation of Fleet 4, Puget Sound and the efforts on the New Jersey coast to create Fleet 8. 

            With a January ‘tickler’ put out on Sailnet by Dennis Stovall, Great Lakes sailors, interested in supporting the creation of regional C36 fleets on the several Great Lakes, have begun surfacing. Chuck Reed, from Hammond Indiana, John Manchester, from Muskegon, Michigan, and Bob Uehlein, from Charlevoix, Michigan have each expressed an interest in helping recruit and support C36 sailors on the Great Lakes. It is our hope to spend the spring and summer spreading the word on the Lakes and developing a data base of potential regional fleet members. If all go well, Dennis Stovall and I will plan to meet with them at next January’s Strictly Sail boat show in Chicago, with the intent of creating additional local C36 fleets across the breadth of the Great Lakes. As you read this column, should it strike your fancy and want to get involved at the ground level (we do need you!), email Dennis or myself regarding your interest. You will find our email addresses on this page or on our website (www.catalina36.org). 

            We are aware that southeastern Lake Michigan is served by Fleet 12, but with the expanse of the lakes and the distances that separate C36 sailors (see related story), the creation of local fleets on Erie, Huron, Ontario and Superior, as well as southwestern Michigan and the upper peninsula can only serve the local sailor more effectively. If you are a Great Lakes sailor, get in touch with your national association officers so that we might assist in this effort. 

            By the time this edition is published I will have relocated to North Carolina and will be sailing Encore on the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound, with New Bern as her new hailing port. Actually, Fairfield Harbour on Northwest Creek will by my new home. We know of at least three other C36s already in the area of New Bern-Oriental-Beaufort. If there are others and you recognize the benefits of a one-design support group on the Carolina Sounds, email our Vice Commodore. He will forward your message to me. We will be establishing a new address and email service, but won’t have them available to the membership until we prepare for the August issue of Mainsheet. 

            With more than 2,100 C36s being sailed around the world, but only 300 actively involved in local fleets (Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Southern Calif., San Francisco, Puget Sound and SE Lake Michigan), there must be hundreds of you that would benefit from the creation of new or revitalized local C36 fleets. Hopefully, by this time next year we will have added/recreated regional fleets to support the interests of our scattered C36 owners.