Feb - Portland Yacht Club

the
PORTLAND YACHT CLUB MONTHLY
02
VOL 55 NO.2
05

PAGE 2 | The Portlight | 02.05
COMMODORE’S COMMENTS
G
erri and I have never
been to Paris, at
least not until New Year’s
Eve when our unbelievable
Entertainment Committee
transformed the club
into a French bistro of
magnificent proportions.
Organized by Jan and Donna Kay
Molenaar and Tom and Marianne Brusco,
the party bore the decorative touch of Ed
and Susan Burns, who pitched in and
unleashed a lot of imagination. All elegant,
all tasteful, all fun.
Here’s a flash from the small world department:
As we prepare to celebrate PYC’s
Centennial, guess who stopped by long
before the club’s beginnings. If you’ve
checked our 2005 Calendar, you’ll notice
the PORTLIGHT
published monthly by the
PORTLAND YACHT CLUB
1241 NE Marine Drive
Portland, Oregon 97211
P: 503.285.1922 | F: 503.283.4960
Email: office@portlandyc.com
EDITORS
Arvada Parrish and Lorry Hansen
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Stan Borys
Frank Tillman
OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES
Commodore .............. Bill Chevalier
Vice Commodore ......... Doug Foster
Secretary-Treasurer .... Heather Adams
Rear Commodore ............. Bob Lyon
Trustee (sail) Year 2 ..... Berkeley Smith
Trustee (sail) Year 1 .... Walt Witschard
Trustee (sail) Year 1 .......... Tom Brusco
Trustee (power)Year 2 ..... Lee Peterson
Trustee (power)Year 1 ....... Bob Bishop
our PYC Auction is scheduled for
November 4. Turns out that Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark went paddling by
the site of Portland Yacht Club exactly 200
years ago, on November 4, 1805.
They camped the night of November 3 on
Diamond Island (now Government
Island), then headed toward the Pacific on
the 4th. Their journals note they named
Tomahawk Island because Clark’s tomahawk
pipe was stolen there, and they called
what is now Hayden Island, “Image Canoe
Island” because of the ornamental Indian
canoes they saw there. (There are some
pretty ornamental canoes here now!) Wait
till the Auction Committee gets to work on this!
Speaking of committees, one of the best
ways for new (and not-so-new) members to
get acquainted and have more fun is to help
out on a committee. Just call one of the
committee chairs (listed in the January
Portlight) or call the office.
Urgent! Urgent! You must have your Crab
Feed reservations in by February 3.
Remember, attendance is limited to 390 people.
There are two Education Dock sessions in
February, one a CPR/AED class on the
12th, and a Diesel Seminar on the 26th. I
understand there’s a plot afoot to tell stories
about your commodore’s engines.
We’re also looking forward to the Feb. 11
Valentine’s Cookout, and the Open House
for Prospective Members on Feb. 20.
Prospects who indicated an interest at the
Boat Show or otherwise, will be invited,
and the Membership Committee will ask an
equal number of members to join the group.
The first weekend of the Portland Boat
Show was packed, and PYC’s booth was
getting a lot of attention. Membership
committee chairs Doug Foster and Bob
Bishop updated the booth, complete with
a non-stop computer slide show on a 42-
inch monitor.
Our membership incentive program is in
effect all year. Just sponsor a new
Boatowning or Active member, and you
will be awarded one month’s free dues, His
& Hers PYC t-shirts, 10 drink tickets and a
PYC Cookbook. Once your new member is
approved by the Board of Trustees, you’ll
receive your prizes.
The club’s new workboat has been put into
service, after a bit of reconditioning at Sells.
Our newest Trustees, Tom Brusco, Walt
Witschard and Bob Bishop, are the judges
for the Name the Boat contest, so we
should know the name of the successor to
Miss PYC sometime this month.
Here’s a harbinger of spring, in case you’re
getting tired of winter: our Spring Cruise is
only a little over six weeks away!
Bill Chevalier,
Commodore
For information
about commercial
advertising in the Portlight,
please contact the
PYC office at 503.285.1922
or email:
office@portlandyc.com

PAGE 3 | The Portlight | 02.05
COMMODORE’S REMINDERS
What’s Cookin’ in FEBRUARY:
February 5 ......................................................... Crab Feed
February 11 ......................................... Valentine’s Cookout
February 12 ............................................... Education Dock
February 16 ................................................. Board Meeting
February 17 ..................................................... Bridge Club
February 20 ............ Open House for Prospective Members
February 25 .......................................................... Cookout
February 26 ............................................... Education Dock
Marching Ahead to MARCH:
March 5 .................................................... Education Dock
March 10 .............................. Winter Meeting–All Members
March 11 .............................................................. Cookout
March 12 ................................................... Education Dock
March 16 ..................................................... Board Meeting
March 17 ......................................................... Bridge Club
March 18-20 ................................ St. Patrick’s Spring Cruise
March 25 .............................................................. Cookout
March 26 ................................... Children’s Easter Egg Hunt
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY!
24-Hour Event Reservation Line 503.735.0632
Online Reservations www.portlandyc.com
MANAGER’S REPORT
O
ur annual Crab
Feed will be happening
right after you
receive this Portlight.
Several things to remember
are that a maximum of
eight reservations can be
made for this event, and saving places for
your friends can be a problem. If you save a
place for a friend, please be sure they know
about it. Your friend may have planned to sit
somewhere else! When this happens, empty
seats have names on them and go unused.
I hope you noticed what a great job John
Naviaux and Jack Mitchum did on our new
storeroom. It looks like it has always been
there. They worked very hard on this project.
Volunteers make a big difference in the
success of our club.
PROSPECTIVE MEMBER OPEN HOUSE
T
he Open House that’s not exactly open. On February 20, PYC will hold
an Open House for prospective members who have indicated interest in
membership during the Portland Boat Show or otherwise. This "open house" is not a
general open house for all members. After it is determined how many prospects will
attend, an equal number of PYC members will be asked to match up with prospects.
As many of you already know, Chris Norman
has moved on with her life. She was such a
great addition to our staff. We will miss her
very much. Chris said that she may be able
to help out at large events. We wish her
good luck in her future endeavors.
Fred Carter,
Club Manager
If you are interested in helping host this event, please call the office at 503.285.1922.
10th OF EACH MONTH: Deadline for materials must to be delivered to the
Editors or PYC for inclusion in the following month’s issue.
CLUB ARTICLES, COLUMNS, AND ADS: Email to the Portlight Editor:
office@portlandyc.com; or drop off, mail or fax to PYC. (Microsoft Word format desired)
COMMERCIAL ADS: Contact PYC. Pictures: Drop off at PYC. (Original prints
or jpg format on a disk)
All articles and letters will be welcomed. Any letters to the Editor
must be dated and signed to be eligible for Portlight publication.
OOPS!
I
nto each life a little typo will fall.
On the back of the 2005 Calendar,
the Office phone number was listed incorrectly.
Please mark your calendar with the right
number: 503.285.1922
Thanks,
Bill Chevalier,
Commodore

PAGE 4 | The Portlight | 02.05
Annual Crab Feed
Menu
Crab, Oyster Shooters, Salad, French Bread, Beer/Pop, Dessert
(Halibut available for non-crab eaters.
Please advise when making reservations.)
Reservations by February 3rd | 503.735.0632
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW
CASUAL DRESS
Attendance limited to 390
Limit of 8 people in each member’s party.
02.05.05 | 5:30 PM
$ 25.50
per person
(children, half price)
CO-CHAIRMEN: Jim & Sandi Hansen / Mike & Tammy House
CRAB CLEANERS & SETUP:
Byron Backlar, Bob Lyon, Dick Dominey, Dale Richards, Bob Hansen, David Wilson, John & Glenda Wilson, Jack Moore,
Tom Stringfield, Ray Hansen, Don Price, Dave Wilson, Ted Leonardi, Hank Schwager, Lynda Hirst, Jan Molenaar
COMMITTEE:
Bob & Mary Lyon, Bill & Phyllis Brennan, Jim & Debbie Butler, Fred & Kay Koudele, John & Glenda Wilson, Bob &
Debbie Hansen, Ron & Dianne Frichtl, Roger Herndon & Valerie Scatena, Bill & Marcia Hoelscher, Mike, Cheryl & Katie
McNaughton, John Peterson & Nancy Pihl, Sam & Judy Sloan, Dave, Franci & Max Stuckey, Andy Thaler & Mitch Thaler,
Dave & Bev Rimbach, Mike & Mary Stainsby, Larry & Lee Ann Snyder, Tom Jordon, Bob Martin, Larry & Laura Cirotski,
Jeff & Melanie Sessions, Paige Miller, Roger Jorgensen & Sharon Brothers, John & Janet Colby
No Saturday Lunch
KNOW YOUR ROW–2005 COOKOUT THEME
Y
our 2005 Cookout Committee announces “Know Your Row”
to help club members get better acquainted with their neighbors.
Each month, one Friday night cookout will honor a row(s). We will
identify everyone in the honored row(s) so that you can have a drink
together and eat together if you want. Those attending will be in a
drawing for a free cookout dinner for two (but you’ll still have to bring
your own entrée.)
Can you be a row “sponsor?” You only need to make a few phone calls
to your fellow row mates and remind them to come to the cookout.
Call Rod & Judy Wells at 360.693.7080 or Robby & Nancy Zetlmaier
at 360.694.8852 if you can be a sponsor.
We hope you come and enjoy each and every cookout in 2005!
MONTH
ROW(S)
February 25 .............................................. J and M
March 25 .................................................. K and L
April 15 .............................................................. B
May 6 ....................................................... H and I
June 3 ................................................................ A
July 22 ..................................................... F and G
August 19 ................................................ E and N
September 9 ...................................................... D
October 14 ........................................................ C
November 18 .................. All other PYC members

PAGE 5 | The Portlight | 02.05
2005 ENTERTAINMENT
T
he New Year is underway, with your
Entertainment Committee hard at
work to make it a fine year for our club. We
already have two events under our belt,
with many more to come for your enjoyment.
New Year’s Eve came in very rainy, but for
those inside the club it was a walk in Paris.
Kudos to Ed and Sue Burns for really “putting
on the ritz” for the club. The theme was
wonderful and carried out well through the
decorations and props they arranged for us.
A delicious dinner was catered by Sam
Allen’s Monarch Hotel, as well as breakfast
items for the survivors. We had many compliments
on having the buffet set up right
in the middle of the dance floor. It made
dinner much more intimate for all. After
dinner, the tables were cleared and everyone
enjoyed a night of dancing, with music
provided by Sand Point.
At midnight the balloon drop became a
stomping festival, since we stuff some of
the balloons with drink tickets. This is
always fun. It turned out to be an unexpectedly
small group this year, but most
in attendance agreed that it was just the
right size crowd. Your Entertainment
Committee thanks all who attended for
your continued support of the club. Also,
a special thanks to Skip and Mary Ann
Nitchie and Fred and Kay Koudele who
volunteered to help decorate.
The Commodore’s Ball was a rousing success,
with 122 attending. Once again, the Monarch
Hotel did a magnificent job catering, supplying
a fabulous steak dinner. Master of
Ceremonies, John Colby, led us through
the time-honored “transfer of power” and
Gordon Ralph directed the traditional
Grand March, which is always a crowd
favorite! Sand Point rounded out the evening
with music for everyone’s dancing pleasure.
The annual Crab Feed happens on
February 5th. This is typically a sell out, so
I hope you got your reservation in early. We
apologize for not putting the price of the
event in the last issue, but at printing time,
the market price for the crab had not been
set. Although we did not expect a large
change from the previous year, we still
needed to be certain what the cost would
be due, to the volume of crab that we order.
As you can see, we are charging ahead into
the New Year, to make this one to remember
as we count down to our 100 year
anniversary in 2008. Please be sure to contact
us if you would like to help with any of
our functions this year. Helping hands are
always welcome, and it is a great way to
meet others and make good friends. This is
OUR club, and it’s the best!
Tom & Marianne Brusco
Jan & Donna Kay Molenaar
CHRISTMAS SHIPS
S
turdy PYC Members
Brave Christmas Ships
Hats off to two PYC members
who exhibited the endurance to
make their boats part of the
Christmas Ships! Each year Dan
Dishongh and Vickie Palmer
magically transform their boat,
Emerald Isle, into a Santa paddling
a canoe. Their boat participated
nightly on the Willamette
leg of the pre-Christmas parade,
while Ron and Linda Nurss lit up
Jazzy to look like the Little
Drummer Boy. Several members
of the PYC sailing fleet added to
holiday festivities by lighting up
their stays in the open moorage.

PAGE 6 | The Portlight | 02.05
NEW YEAR’S EVE

PAGE 7 | The Portlight | 02.05

PAGE 8 | The Portlight | 02.05
WINTER MEMORIES

PAGE 9 | The Portlight | 02.05
GROWING UP AT PYC
W
hen I was young, my father resigned
his position with the Studebaker
Corporation because they wanted to transfer
him to another part of the country. He
wanted to stay in the Northwest. Then the
Wall Street crash of ’29 occurred, and he
was out of a job.
He was Vice-Commodore of Portland
Yacht Club at the time, and the board was
considering hiring an on-site manager.
They offered him the job, at least for the
summer… he stayed for 15 years! His title
was Port Captain, so he became known as
“Cap.” We moved into quarters above the
ballroom in the old club house. When the
new club house was built, the old one was sold,
and moved to a location on Interstate Avenue.
The only transportation available in those
days, other than the auto, was the streetcar.
It came down Union Avenue (now Martin
Luther King, Jr., Blvd) to Columbia Blvd.
At that point, it took off on a trestle to
Faloma Street and then across the slough to
Hayden Island, where it linked up with the
Interstate Bridge and continued on into
Vancouver. To this day, the end of the old
trestle pilings and rocks has a green marker
that you pass as you travel down the slough
toward the I-5 bridge.
One winter the river froze over from bank
to bank. It was rumored that a car was driven
across and a sternwheeler was trapped in
the ice for a while. One spring the river
came up to within a few inches of the ballroom
floor. The river was much higher during
the flood of 1948, when the water was
4-5 feet deep over the floor, but it was still
kind of scary living there at the time.
In those years, the club had quite a few members
who owned canoes, small sailboats and
runabouts such as Chris-Craft, Dodge, etc.
They were dry stored in a large floating
building. Some were light enough to be
picked up and carried to storage racks.
Others entered a slip and were picked up by a
hoist that traveled on an overhead I-beam,
pushed into the house, and lowered onto
a cradle. Since the cradles had casters on
them, they could be pushed around into
their storage spaces.
Mother (Mauni) cooked dinner for the
Board of Directors before their monthly
meetings for a period of time. She also was
asked to take over the job of bookkeeper. It
was a position she enjoyed and continued
doing for 40 plus years. Many of you may
not know that PYC’s Mauni Elliott sailboat
races are named after my mother.
Activity on the river was pretty slow until
the first Saturday in May (Opening Day,)
just as it is now. Opening Day was an all
day affair with flag raising ceremonies, the
boat parade, sailboat races, an afternoon
tea, and a formal dance. Of course, we were
the only club around in those days.
There were cruises to Willow Bar (the present
site of our Outstation) and to the Lewis
River where a farmer would bring fresh
strawberries, cream, and the Sunday papers
down to the boats that were tied to the
bank. The big summer cruise was the
Rooster Rock Barbeque. We would put up
large tents for serving food, awarding
prizes, and providing shade for the pop, ice
cream, and beer. The drinks and ice cream
were buried in the sand with lots of ice and
wet burlap over the top. There were swimming
races, dinghy races, sack and three-legged
races. Also, a nail driving contest, soft ball
throw, and many other events. Cap would
hit up all the local merchants for donations
to be awarded as prizes. But the best thing
about the cruise was the barbeque. We took
an old southern black gentleman named
George Washington Jackson with us to the
park. On Saturday, with some help from
the kids, he would get his pit dug. He’d get
up very early Sunday morning and start his
fires. Then in the afternoon we would get
wonderful pork ribs, beef ribs, and lamb all
mopped with his “secret sauce.” It was
wonderful, and everyone would go home
with a full tummy and probably a sunburn.
Though not an official cruise, quite a few
members took their vacation time at the
end of August and first part of September
to cruise to Ilwaco. You could go fishing,
sightseeing or hiking, and of course, there
were the great raised glazed doughnuts at
the local bakery. One of our members loved
the kids, and he would organize us to hike
to the beach and collect firewood. Then
that night everyone would go to the beach
for a huge bonfire and wiener roast. After a
week or so, we’d cruise to Astoria for their
annual Regatta, which was bigger than it is
now. All sorts of races were held—fish boat,
sailboat, speedboat, etc. Usually a big name
band came to town and added to the festivities.
Everybody usually went home after Labor Day.
Sailing and sailboat racing were gaining in
popularity on the Columbia. At one time
or other we had organized classes of 16’
Snipes, 18’ Flatties, and 28’ Crods. Also,
there were usually a couple of handicap
classes. There were some odd things done
in those days, such as starting or finishing a
race at the gas dock, or sailing through the
cut between Hayden and Tomahawk
Island, which is now filled in. There was a
large gilnetter fleet in those days, and they
mostly lived on the Oregon shore, downriver
from PYC. Occasionally, a gilnetter
would pick up a race buoy in his net,
although we tried to set them as far inshore
as possible. Cap would get in the work boat
and go down to their place and with the
“possible” help of a bottle of bourbon,
barter with the gilnetter to get the buoys back!
December 7, 1941 brought about a lot of
changes. Many members joined the U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary. They painted their
boats “Battleship Grey” and put large white
CGA numbers on the bows. Once or twice
a week, we would patrol various facilities
along the river from sundown to sunup. Of
course, we got to watch them building the
Vancouver Shipyards and then the ships. As
I recall, one of the first ships launched ran
aground on the tip of Tomahawk Island…
Glenn Elliott
*Editor’s note: Glenn has been a member of PYC since 1939.
Glenn and Lois were Commodore and First Lady in 1980.

PAGE 10 | The Portlight | 02.05
EDUCATION DOCK
The Education Committee continues to bring you a great slate
of Saturday Sessions in 2005. Hope to see you there!
2/12 9:00 AM
CPR/AED Class–Kevin Shanders, Portland Fire Bureau
Portland Yacht Club has an AED. It will be carried to the Outstation or on other Cruises so that it
will be available in the event of an emergency. We want to have all members trained on CPR and the
AED so we can provide lifesaving aid to people suffering sudden cardiac arrest.
2/26 9:00 AM
3/05 9:00 AM
3/12 9:00 AM
1:30 PM
•Why should people who are responsible for operating an AED receive CPR training? Early CPR is an integral part of providing lifesaving aid
to people suffering sudden cardiac arrest. The ventilation and compression skills learned in a CPR class help to circulate oxygen-rich blood
to the brain. After delivering a series of three electric shocks, the typical AED will prompt the operator to continue CPR while the device
continues to analyze the patient.
•If AEDs are so easy to use, why do people need formal training in how to use them? An AED operator must know how to recognize the signs
of a sudden cardiac arrest, when to activate the EMS system, and how to do CPR. It's also important for operators to receive formal training
on the AED model they will use so that they become familiar with the device and are able to successfully operate it in an emergency.
Training also teaches the operator how to avoid potentially hazardous situations.
•What kind of training on AEDs will we do? The AHA has developed a new Heartsaver AED Course that integrates CPR and AED training
in a hands-on environment. The course is 3 1/2 to 4 hours long. All persons that take the class will receive a Certification Card from the
American Heart Association.
DIESEL SEMINAR–Dr. Diesel, aka Ted Leonardi, PYC and Dale Price, Diesel Mechanic Extraordinaire.
Back by popular demand, don’t miss it!
Boater Education Card Review and Test–Holt Cookingham, USPS
If you plan on attending, please pick up and read the self-study materials at the club before attending
so you can get the maximum from the review and pass the test. It is official! If you’re 45 or under, you
now need a Boater Education Card to operate a boat greater than 10 HP in Oregon. Boaters older
than 45 will be phased into the program in future years. Skippers, first mates, owners, admirals, crew
and significant others should get a card now! To get your card, come to the class for a review of the
available self-study materials and take the equivalency exam proctored by Holt Cookingham.
Future of Marine Electronics–Furuno and Rogers Marine
Cruising to Alaska–Margo Woods, Charlie’s Charts
YOUR PYC EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Michael Lewis, Lee Peterson,
Holt Cookingham, Norene Kudrna, Bill Paulbitski, and Ron Timmerman
EVENT RESERVATION LINE: 503.735.0632
ONLINE RESERVATIONS: www.portlandyc.com
Bring Your Sweetie
to the
Valentine’s Cookout
FEBRUARY 11th
$6.50
Salad bar, Brian’s fabulous baked beans,
baked potatoes, special Valentine’s sundae bar.
Reservations: 503.735.0632
Plan to join us for the first cruise of 2005!
St. Patrick’s Spring Cruise
TO WILLOW BAR
March 18,19,20
Details in March Portlight | Reservations: 503.735.0632

PAGE 11 | The Portlight | 02.05
COMING EVENTS
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
FEB
1 2 3 4 5
Crab Feed
No Lunch
6 7 8 9 10 11
Valentine’s Cookout
12
Education Dock
Lincoln’s Birthday
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Lunch
Valentine’s Day
Board of Trustees
Meeting
Bridge Club
Lunch
20 21
22 23 24 25 26
Cookout
Open House for
Prospective Members
President’s Day Washington’s Birthday
“Know Your Row” Education Dock
Honoring Rows J&M
MAR
27 28
1 2 3 4 5
6 7
8
9 10 11 12
Winter Meeting
All Members
Cookout
Lunch
Education Dock
Lunch
Education Dock
Lunch
13 14 15 16
Board of Trustees
Meeting
Bridge Club
St. Patrick’s Day
17 18 19
St. Patrick’s Spring
Cruise to Willow Bar
St. Patrick’s Spring
Cruise to Willow Bar
Lunch
“KNOW YOUR ROW”
COOKOUT
F R I D A Y
February 25th
Honoring J&M Rows • RESERVATIONS: 503.735.0632
PYC
COME HAVE FUN!
BRIDGE
EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
Happy Hour at PYC | 3PM - 7PM each Friday
. Light hor d’oeuvres ,
A good time to meet new members and enjoy some boat talk.
Next Meeting
February 17th
3rd Thursday of each month
The Ballroom @ 10 am

PAGE 12 | The Portlight | 02.05