Chart Chat Summary

Chart Chat took place on Saturday 20 January 2018, at Island Square on Mercer Island. Thirty people were in attendance. This is our annual planning meeting. John and Kerstin Hilton, HAPS Co-captains, presided. The minutes are below.

We are grateful to Mike and Nancy Mariano for arranging for the space, and to all of the members who came, participated, brought all of that yummy food and drink, and then cleaned up!

Comms: Using eblasts vs. Facebook for MM@ communication

1/20/18 – Stuart explained function of eblasts, and why Facebook is a better tool for communicating information between members. Members can still contact Stuart with their cruise itineraries, and have them posted for group to see.

Become familiar with the HAPS website

1/20/18 - Duane gave a presentation of the features of the HAPS website.  He showed how to upload a current photo of your boat or crew.  To access contact information, click on the boat owners name to be taken to a link.

Become familiar with the HAPS Facebook page

1/20/18 –Stuart gave an explanation of how Facebook can be used for Meet Me@ communication.  Later, Becky Thompson gave an on-screen demonstration of accessing the Facebook page.

Membership Information and Promotion

Cell phone communication on the water – safety, planning, keeping track of the group

Current Email allows member to member non-urgent communication, and HAPS business

1/20/18 – Sue put out a current roster for people to check accuracy of phone numbers, addresses, etc.

1/24/18 – Sue posted the updated roster.  Duane has added the information to the HAPS members only page.

Print – Being social the old fashioned way – using HAPS business cards and flyers

1/20/18 - HAPS business cards will be included in new member packets.  Merits of having post cards or tri-fold brochures were discussed.  Post card or flyers would be intended to be posted on bulletin boards or left aboard. Stuart will design send members a pdf that can be printed by individual members to post on bulletin boards, etc.

Current Status of the Fleet: As of 24 January 2018

• Total Boats 40

• New boats for 2018 5

• Renewing 25

• Non-renewing 4

New Members

1/20/18 – Sue called out names of new members. 

• Vince & Jo Haag

• Lee Jelinek & Chuck Ising

• Doug Miller & Karen Fletcher

• Kirsten Parks & Mark Walters (Present)

• Becky Thompson (Present)

Membership Renewals for 2019

• Call for 2019 renewals will begin on October 1st, 2018

• 1/20/18 – Members decided on a renewal deadline December 1st, 2019

HAPS Name tags

1/20/18 - Sue Tughan presented some options for magnetic tags.  Members voted in favor of having name tags made at club expense.  New members will be given one set of name tags each for skipper and crew.  Additional or replacement name tags will have to be purchased by the HAPS member.  Further research is being done.

Members Only password

The password has been changed for 2018. Comms notified the membership via email on 24 January. If you did not get your password (It’s the same for everyone), contact Comms at svselah@me.com

Membership home port locations

Members are almost equally spread around four basic areas:

• West of Puget Sound (Bremerton, Poulsbo, Brownsville)

• North of Seattle (Hood Canal, Port Ludlow, Everett, Bellingham)

• Seattle (Shilshole, Elliot Bay, Lake Washington)

• South of Seattle (Olympia, Tacoma, Des Moines)

Treasury Report

HAPS treasury is adequate to continue funding rendezvous, cruises, annual meeting and other events at the same level as previous years.  Thanks are in order to past fleet captains Mike and Ruth Murray for building the healthy treasury balance that exist today.  The current fleet captains pledge to follow in the Murray’s footsteps.

Better Boating Survey Results: The Top Three Items

Topic

• Docking skills 81%

• Anchoring & stern tying 77%

• MOB & using the Life Sling 71%

Event Proposals for 2018

Typical HAPS events are defined as:

• Meet Me @ (MM@) - Planned or spontaneous no-host gathering

• Rendezvous - Conventional hosted event at a specific location

• Cruise - Multi-destination event lasting 4 or more days

The 2018 HAPS event calendar is on the website: http://hunterpugetsound.com/rendezvous?view=calendar&month=January-2018

Greetings HAPS fleet

Kerstin and I are excited to begin our tenure as fleet captains.  Alright, we are also a little nervous, given that our previous fleet captains have set the bar impossibly high, over a very long time.

We begin with a new mantra: “Let’s get out there!” Kerstin and I are not spending near as much time aboard our boat as we would like; I’m guessing a lot of you are in—or rather out of—a similar boat. Daily life seems to interfere far too often.  Time to do something about that! 

We have heard from a number of HAPS members that they would like to see HAPS events planned during the “off season”, which we define as October thru March.  A growing number of us are now in a position to plan extended cruises of a month or more during the summer months.  Consequently we may be otherwise engaged when traditional HAPS summer events are held.  For the coming season, we will try to have at least one event each month.

In an effort to increase the number of events, as well as provide for differing style and schedule preferences, we propose to have three different kinds of HAPS events:

Rendezvous – Conventional Friday thru Sunday hosted event at a specific destination, with planned activities and meals

Cruise – Multiple destination event lasting 4 or more days, hosted with a float plan

Meet Me @ - Short notice or spontaneous, low key, no-host gatherings initiated by one or two members.

The Meet me @ event type isn’t really new. We’ve been doing it for years, by either contacting HAPS members we know and planning to meet in an anchorage or marina on a few day’s notice, or using the HAPS Facebook page to invite any HAPS member who is so inclined. But for 2018, we are going to actually designate some Meet Me @ months, and encourage members to do it, using Facebook, or asking Comms to do an eblast.

We’ve attached a draft 2018 HAPS schedule here, which we hope to finalize at Chart Chat, 3-6PM on Saturday 20 January, 2018. This will be a land-based, drive-in event, with a potluck to follow. We’ll get the venue out shortly. For now, please save the date if you can.

One of the challenges we face is the large geographic area of our home ports.  Larry Tughan has kindly prepared prepare a  map to illustrate that. We’ve posted it here if you’d like to see it. No matter where we hold an event on land or sea, someone has to travel quite a distance.  Our goal is to provide a variety of opportunities to gather with our HAPS friends.  Some will be localized, knowing that we probably won’t see the members living far away.

We also can see that, with so many opportunities, our gatherings will be smaller. So be it. Success is measured by how much fun we have, and by the new and time-tested sailing relationships we have as HAPS members.

Some might say that October-March is too cold for cruising. Most of our PNW-based Hunters have robust heating systems and cockpit enclosures that allow comfortable boating in brisk conditions. The truth is many of our favorite destinations like Gig Harbor and Langley actually have a lot going on in the Fall and Winter months.  While browsing along the streets of town you are never far away from a warm boutique pub, and the winds are better: the odds of actually sailing are really good.

We know there are times when it is just too much to get the boat to a HAPS event.  Not to worry, you can still hang with your boating family! We are looking at planning some events that can be attended without a boat.  The annual meeting in Brownsville was a prime example; no one came by boat, and yet we had a great time hanging out in the Brownsville Yacht Club clubhouse.

From a very informal poll at the annual meeting, we learned that quite a few members are interested in improving their boat handling and maintenance skills. Some of the events planned for the coming season will have an informational skill-building or technical component.

Our members have rich and varied interests.  Some are more social than others.  Some are energized by the hands-on sailing of their boats, and others are content to be along for the ride.  We have observed that connections between HAPS members are often made in the most unexpected places.  It can be a cockpit conversation during a raft-up, problem-solving a mechanical issue, or sharing a quiet moment in the kitchen while preparing a meal for the annual meeting. In the final analysis, it’s our relationships that make HAPS so special.

Let’s get out there!

John and Kerstin Hilton

Fleet Co-Captains

Captain’s Report on the HAPS Annual Dinner and Meeting, 2017

“I would categorize the annual dinner weekend a huge success.  Friday November 3, I got underway about 1200 in heavy snow and light winds from Bremerton Yacht Club headed for Brownsville about 10 miles away.  I received a text from Stuart that Steve and Barb in Starbright would be the only other boat at the rendezvous and that all others would drive in later.  I could not raise Starbright and noting 40 kts on the anemometer and heavy snow and being single handed I made the decision to return to Bremerton Yacht Club.  Steve Stark then called and said they were ready to get underway but after my report they too decided to arrive by car instead of boat.

“Friday night at Brownsville was a very pleasant evening with Steve Stark and Barb Rosenbaum, Dave and Mary Weale, new members Chuck and Lee Jelinek, John and Kerstin Hilton, Mike and Ruth Murray, and John Veatch.  The potluck was wonderful then we watched a movie. Since Friday was Ruth’s birthday I presented her with a birthday cake and cards from other members.  Barb supplied candles for the cake as well.

“Saturday morning we had the special treat of Phil Herring and Al Fooks discussing Sailboatowners.com.  Phil founded the website originally as Hunterowners.com in 1997-98 which later evolved to a parts supply business and the present website. (Stuart has written an account of that journey here.)  Al Fooks is the new owner.  Al went to work for Hunter Marine directly out of high school and started washing boats.  It took two weeks for him to decide that he didn’t want to wash boats for a career and he was moved to production.  He then climbed the production ladder with increasing responsibility then to warranty issues and customer service.  Suffice it to say he knows our boats inside and out and as Phil says he is uniquely qualified to manage the business.  Phil’s talk was very interesting and entertaining.  Al’s talk was an insight to his life, persona and motivation.  Both Phil and Al have a passion for sailboats but Hunter is at the heart.  Al’s passion for the business and our well being was palpable.  Thanks to both of them for a most excellent two-hour presentation.  The first hour was a informal talk and the second hour they answered personal questions from many of the 25 members that attended.  Kerstin Hilton cooked three salmon quiches and a veggie quiche for lunch.  Thanks Kerstin.

“About 1330 Stuart led us through the various pictures and stories that the assembled members had accumulated during the 2017 cruising season. There was a lively discussion about anchorages and marinas.

“After the photos, we set up for the silent auction which as in years past was well supported.  This year, $503 was contributed to our HAPS bank account. Thanks to all who supported HAPS through their gifts and purchases.

“Ruth picked up our dinner from “Smokin Robinsons” and it was fabulous.  BBQ pulled pork smoked chicken, beans, cole slaw, mac and cheese plus numerous high calorie desserts presented by the assembled members.  Ruth, Barb and Kerstin set up the tables.  The 31 dinner attendees ate well…and thanks again for the desserts.  We welcomed new members: Lee Jelinek represented herself and husband Chuck Isling, on Lady Lee a H45 CC, homeport Pleasant Harbor and Gary and Joanne Mallett on Anna, H30T homeport Driftwood Key.

“I presented our rendezvous hosts with small gifts, Ray and Deb Valpey Port Orchard, Tom Hubbard and Duane Rubash Des Moines,  Stuart and Linda Haps in Da Hood.  Thanks for making the year a great success.  Our treasurer Mary Scott, absent due to the birth of a grandson in California, our Membership chair Kerstin Hilton and our Comms officer Stuart Scadron-Wattles also received gifts.

“Ruth and I enjoy every one of you and are truly blessed to have been at the helm as fleet Co-Captains since 2011.  It is an exceptional group of quality persons and we treasure our relationship with you.  We look back on our association with HAPS since joining in April of 2004 with precious memories.  The last six years were absolutely superb with the support and confidence of all HAPS members.  We look forward to many more delightful times with our fellow HAPSTERS.  I also thank my lovely wife Ruth for her constant support and wise counsel.  As I wrote on her birthday card I am thrilled each day to know that she is my wife.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.”

Godpseed,

Mike and Ruth Murray

S/V Wings of Gold

Kirsten Hilton and Stuart Scadron-Wattles presented reports from Membership and Communications, respectively. Treasurer Mary Scott was not present, due to welcoming a grandchild into the world; the treasurer’s report will be circulated later.  Kirsten and Stuart presented the Murrays with two thank-you gifts for their unprecedented six years of service to HAPS: a personalized cheese board for Wings of Gold, and a “Word Map” tribute. Stuart also read two letters of appreciation, one from Ben and Emmelie Stewart, and one from Bill and Jeanine Bramstedt.

Our 2018 officer line up is:

Fleet Co-Captains:  John and Kerstin Hilton of New Shoes

Membership:  Sue Tughan of Beverly Jane

Treasurer:  Mary Scott of Too Cool Runnings

Comms:  Stuart Scadron-Wattles of Selah  assisted by Duane Rubash of Salish Mermaid

2018 Dues are…due NOW

Renew your membership by mailing a check for $60, payable to HAPS

Send the check to:

Mary Scott

HAPS treasurer

6563 170th Place SE

Bellevue Wa 98006

Save the Date

Watch for an announcement from the Hiltons, announcing Chart Chat 2018, and presenting the Draft 2018 Rendezvous Schedule, for your suggestions and additions.