Ideas and Procedures for All Catalina Fleet 69
Updated 1/18/08

This file lists ideas for meeting program topics, ideas for cruises, and information on how to run a cruise. If you would like to present a specific program or would like to hear a particular topic, please tell an officer. If you would like to host a cruise, choose an idea (or make up a new one) and read the procedures for additional information.

Meeting Ideas


Cruise Ideas we have used in the past:

Cruise Procedures
While the cruise chairperson is responsible for the overall cruise schedule and themes and makes sure everything goes smoothly, we have cruise chairpeople for each individual cruise. Sometimes they select their own theme and sometimes the chairperson suggests the theme. It's nice to have 2 sets of people work on a cruise: someone experienced at cruises and someone new to it. It helps to spread the workload and the knowledge. The usual budget for a cruise is $60, and if the chairpeople go over that, they absorb the cost. The budget for the holiday party, of course, is much higher. It also includes the cost of the awards.

In the past, we met at Starnes Island around 2:00, sailed around for a while, then went to a cove where we dropped an anchor off the stern and tied the bow to the shoreline (tree or rock.) The problem with this plan is that rarely do cruising sailboats meet at an appointed place and the same appointed time. So, now we sail on our own, looking for each other, and meet in a cove at an appointed time. Popular locations in order of preference are Barry's Cove, Arkansas Bend, and Devil's Cove in the off-season. Long Canyon used to be the best but is now getting populated with houses. We have cruises every month except December, when we have the Holiday party. We used to have many evening cruises, but since the lake is very busy now, we have done this less. i.e. many people didn't want to spend the night on their boats and would sail back to their marinas in the dark. The breakfast cruise is the exception; usually most attendees spend the night.
The key to scheduling is to set the schedule early in the year, publicize it, and try to not change it. Full Moon weekends (or the weekend before the full moon) are the best. Consider Austin Yacht Club Regatta and Series race schedules, as many cruisers also race. The Holiday party is almost always the second Saturday in December. (The AYC Annual Banquet is usually the first Saturday night of the month.)

In recent times we have liked to sail to restaurants on the lake and sail afterwards. Popular places are the Volente Beach Club and Shades (tho their parking is difficult). Some like the VBC because if their boat is out of commission, they can drive and meet the group.

The fleet owns at least the following and the social chair has to track it all, after each cruise, which sometimes isn't easy:
1 small and 2 large tables, large 3-burner stove, and grills to put over a campfire.

Each cruise chairperson is responsible for making sure the campfire is out (sometimes they are prohibited by the county during dry spells) and that the shoreline is in equal or better condition than how we found it.

Before each cruise notice goes out, make a quick check to make sure it includes who, what, when, where, why, how, etc. A map is nice for newer members (now on the web). Also, mention a phone number (which has a recorder) which people can call in case of inclement weather. If we know in advance that the weather will be bad, we will either reschedule, move to indoors, or cancel the cruise.