From the Commodore ~ Adam White
November 3, 2020
Dear Members,
The Proposed Burwell Hoist Project is one of the most ambitious projects our club has considered over the last decade. It’s to be expected that there are lots of questions and some confusion over the correct details of the project. I’m hoping to clear up some of those misconceptions in this letter and hopefully foster some ongoing and productive dialogue around the hoist project and its role in the future direction of our club.
So what exactly is the hoist? The hoist is an electrically powered, swing arm boom that is capable of lifting a 4,000-pound boat, which will help to fulfill the club’s mission of supporting one design and youth sailing by enabling easier launching and hauling of one-design boat. The hoist would sit on a concrete platform on top of pilings, erected next to the existing pier but not connected for safety reasons. As you come into the Club parking lot it would be where our current drop off parking spots are. Check out the attached picture to see the location the hoist is imposed on.
The Board and the Hoist Committee have worked very hard over the past year to keep the membership informed. Unfortunately, many circumstances, including the pandemic, have made it difficult for us to do this in the most effective way possible. Moving forward, the hoist committee will place a higher priority on outreach. To that end, here are some details about how we are proceeding:
Policies and procedures – charitable donations
To my knowledge, the Burwell gift is the largest the club has been offered, and it has highlighted the fact that we don’t currently have procedures in our bylaws to guide us in receiving such a donation. Currently, we are working with Malcom Poole to help us develop these procedures. Once that process is complete, this will be formalized by the board and adopted into our bylaws to guide any future donations.
Mission and future direction of Harraseeket Yacht Club
The board has met with Malcom Poole for a number of nights and many hours to discuss many things that are important to the ongoing mission of HYC. In the end, the majority of the board came to the consensus that our Mission and focus to promote boating among our youth needs to remain at the heart of our actions as we carry the torch of the founding fathers. This focus is especially important as we continue to grow and evolve as a club, with new policies and procedures to guide us. We have created a purpose statement and are currently working on a Capital expenditures policy and the Gift acceptance policy mentioned above.
Permitting issues
Barney Baker and his team have been working tirelessly to organize our permits and the additional permitting necessary for the current float plan. Last year, we added floats inside along the rip rap as well as an extension to the inflatable float docks. This work was done without knowing that additional permits were required to do this. The hoist is part of this permit application but not the sole reason for the additional permits.
Burwell gift questions
There has been some discussion and questions around the Burwell gift itself and I have attached a wonderful letter from the Burwell family that will hopefully answer some of these questions.
One Design sailing
One Design sailing has been part of our club since its inception and discussions about selecting a new boat for our One Design class have been happening since well before the idea of the hoist was introduced. I’m seeing an increasing number of young families joining the club and the waiting list, as well as wanting to participate in Wednesday night and one-design racing. No matter if people decide to buy Lightnings, J24s or Melges 24s I look forward to the future of one design at HYC. Currently, there is a small group of members that are working on this and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish.
Burwell Hoist project vote
The Burwell Hoist project will not be able to be presented to the membership for voting until the permit agencies and authorities have provided input and the final design can be shared with confidence. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions so we can continue to encourage productive and constructive conversations amongst all of our members for the benefit of HYC.
Best Regards,
Adam White
Commodore, Harraseeket Yacht Club
Membership Outreach Update 31July2021
Membership Letter – October 30, 2020
Freeport Coastal Waters Commission Presentation – September 9, 2020
Maine DEP NRPA Hoist Application – July 9, 2020
March 4, 2021 -Map of some clubs with hoists
Freeport Coastal Waters Commission – July 15, 2020 – HYC Hoist and Float Improvements