A really big THANK YOU and BRAVO ZULU (naval speak for “well done”) goes out to the many volunteers who assisted in AYC’s two (2) pre-season work parties this past weekend. In her recent post, Commodore Deb Heisler discusses the substantial progress made at Tempe Town Lake last Saturday morning – our Adopt-a-Boat fleet was cleaned, repaired, and readied for the upcoming races, our storage trailer was thoroughly cleaned and organized, and the parking lot was power-washed! Organized by Cindy Pillote, volunteers from AYC and ASU Sailing Club (thanks Devils!) numbered about 30, and ranged in age from 7 to 70! Read Deb’s comments here: Commodore’s Corner.
And, many thanks to Lake Captain David Newland who mustered and directed a smaller work party to clean, repair, and test AYC’s race support powerboats at Lake Pleasant. Helping Dave were Nelson Passos, Myles Danner with his crew Marc, and Bob Naylor. The boats were scrubbed and fueled, repairs were made, stocks and provisions checked, and anchor rigs for the marks were thoroughly checked.
In addition to plenty of heat, the day also provided a little drama. After cleaning, a little painting, and repairs, both boats opened their throttles for a test run on the lake – with a 50% success rate. A minor, recurring, fuel system problem quickly disabled the Whaler, setting the Danner family adrift, and affording everyone an opportunity to practice side-tow maneuvers. David quickly recognized the problem – it’s a cheap and easy fix, and the Whaler will be race-ready well in advance of Opening Day.
And, two summer stow-aways were discovered aboard the pontoon boat! One was captured (without assistance from Arizona Game & Fish), and safely released ashore with a stern warning. As for the other … well, the Sport Boat Fleet may have some help with Race Committee in a few weeks.
Great job volunteers, and THANK YOU!
Myles Danner expertly paints the mast 
Nelson Passos repaired a wobbly anemometer 
The Whaler returns to the dock under tow 
Stow-away #1 … of 2