the 2006 North American Wayfarer Rally
Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence River,
Cedar Point State Park, Clayton, NY * July 28 - August 5, 2006
the final pre-Rally update
by Tom Graefe & Dick Harrington
...
 ----- Original Message -----
To: rally perticipants
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 4:39 PM
Subject: Cedar Point Rally Up Date
 
Participants & Campsite Assignments
Alan & Mary Asselstine, Ottawa, ON - no. 111*
Tom & Diane Erickson, Gardner, MA - no. 112
Tim & Rosemary France, Guelph, ON - no. 111*
André & Monique Girard, Ottawa, ON - no. 117
Tom & Nel Graefe, Norwell, MA - no. 114
Bill Harkins & Margie McKelvey, Arlington, VA - no. 113
Dick & Margie Harrington, Euclid, OH - no. 115
Chuck & Ginny Jordan, Eau Claire, WI - no. 120
Tony Krauss & Mary Abel, North East, MD - no. 107
Lisa, David, Josh & Krystal Nelson, Sidney, ME - no. 109
Ralph Roberts, Norwich, England - no. 108
Al & Julia Schonborn, Oakville, ON - no. 119
Kit & Patsy Wallace, Toronto, ON - no. 118
Brian Ritchie & Betty ..., Bellville, ON - no. 130
* Staying at the same campsite.
 
Rally Registration 
We request that everyone please confirm their participation by returning the attached registration form.  This is important because of the commitment we have made to the park ranger in reserving the campsites.  All of the campsite reservations are currently made for July 29th through August 5th.  This means that you need to arrive on Saturday, July 29th, and depart by the morning of August 6th.  In the event of late arrivals we can't be responsible for holding campsites, so if you need to change dates, now is the time to let us know.  We would like to receive your form within the next two weeks.
 
Your assigned campsites are listed above.  The fee is $13/day, except for Fridays and Saturdays which are $16/day.  There is an additional charge of $7/day for dockage.  You are to register at the park office and pay upon arrival.  Don't send us money!  The normal arrangement for obtaining dockage is first come first serve upon arrival.  I have been in close contact with the park ranger (Mr. John Cranker) and he has offered to assist us should we run into a dock space problem.  If you find dock space is limited when you arrive check with me (Dick). 
 
Rally Caps
In past years we've arranged for the purchase of a memento (pennants, T-shirts, etc.) to commemorate the event.  This year we are offering an attractive, handsomely embroidered sailing cap to mark the occasion.  The cost is $16.50 per cap.  You will find a photo description as well as a place to indicate the number of caps you wish to order on the registration form.  Payment will be collected upon receipt at the rally.
 
Sailing Charts
As pointed out in earlier e-mail the cost of procuring charts covering all the waters we potentially could be sailing is somewhat costly.  As an alternative, Tom Graefe has volunteered make available, photo copies of the more important portions of the charts.  Though more difficult to read this should be adequate for this occasion.  If you wish to take advantage of this offer please indicate such on the registration form.  This will be much appreciated by Tom.  Note:  Light weight paper will disintegrate rapidly when wet, so you will need a good waterproof chart case.  Clear contact shelf paper, reinforced along the edges with clear packaging tape, also works well. 
 
If you plan to purchase your own charts 'Waterproof Charts' offers what looks like very good waterproof charts consisting of a compilation of the US and Canadian charts of the region.  The two charts, nos. 78 & 141 are what you'll need.  They are printed on both the front and back and contain a lot of detail.   The cost is $25 per chart.  Their web site is: www.waterproofcharts.com.   
 
Identification/passports
The post September 11 boarder crossing restrictions are important to keep in mind.  We are not be restricted from sailing in Canadian waters, but are restricted from landing on Canadian soil (meaning Canadian islands, etc.) without clearing through Canadian and US customs.  We do not anticipating doing this, as the custom entry points are not conveniently located for our purposes and they may not be well set to accommodate a large group of small sailboats.  Never the less, common sense dictates that because we will be (theoretically) crossing the board numerous times while cruising, and there could be US or Canadian patrol vessels in the area, you should have two forms of personal identification with you at all times.  A passport is your best form of identification.
 
Preparation and safety
As always, good boating safety practice is going to be our number one concern during the Rally.  This year, we will reinforce this message by requiring all Rally skippers and helmsmen to (be able to) sign (in good conscience) the Declaration.  The declaration statement is included on the registration form and replaces the disclaimer used at previous rallies.
 
The requirements of this declaration are mostly familiar.  Most participants already provide adequate personal buoyancy and waterproof clothing.  But it is not as clear that everyone has ensured their boats meets the buoyancy capabilities required by our Class Rules - for details you can and should check out Wayfarer Class Rule 34.  We feel this is an important safety requirement and that every skipper owes it to themselves, their crew and also to fellow sailors who may have to take risks to rescue them, to ensure that your buoyancy meets Class requirements.  If you capsize, and even one only of your compartments floods, you are literally and figuratively sunk.  You will not be able to self-rescue. 
 
We realize that keeping the buoyancy tanks watertight is often a difficult and frustrating task, one that is frequently put off.  But please, put this at the top of your rally preparation 'to do' list.  If you need help, get in touch with us for suggestions.
 
Finally, as per the declaration, we strongly urge you to check your homeowners insurance policy regarding adequate liability coverage provided for sailing, as part of the overall policy.
 
Activities
As at past rallies we plan to organize many group activities.  These will not only include port-o-calls at harbor towns such as Clayton and Cape Vincent, island picnic stops and the like, but also evening group barbecue cookouts and a group dinner or two in town.  If you can, you might want to add a portable grill and folding chairs to your camping list.  Somewhere along the way various folks are going to want to take a day off to do some land side sight seeing.  Anyone looking for someone to join up with for a trip into town shouldn't have any trouble.    
 
Sailing season is here.  Happy sailing to all!
 
DICK & TOM

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