It was brought to my attention at the Vallejo 1-2

[dolfinbill]

I read the forum everyday in my list of reading the the newspapers online. I find it fascinating, entertaining, and full of news about our northern california sailing world. I do post occasionally. SDK

I also read the forum, almost every day. My take-away is that the SSS is really special, there is nothing else like it on the west coast. It's sad that traffic makes it harder for many to attend meetings and being a volunteer organization definitely has it's problems. But Dolfin and I are in San Diego and there is nothing like the SSS down here. There's the PSSA in LA but there is no comparison. So my message is this - embrace what you have up there, it's really special, warts and all. Sure there are challenges but the SSS has always overcome them and I'm pretty sure you will continue to do so because what you have is precious and you don't want to loose it.

By the way, I wandered into Driscoll's boatyard in Shelter Island today and ran right into John Woodworth. He just crewed on a Hinkley from SF. What a treat.

Bill Meanley
Dolfin, Crealock 37

 

[BobJ]

Whoever did it, thanks for the e-mail update via Jibeset and the update to the SSS Home Page. Apparently a poke now and then is effective, even if it's done here on the forum!

 

[Philpott]

Whoever did it, thanks for the e-mail update via Jibeset and the update to the SSS Home Page. Apparently a poke now and then is effective, even if it's done here on the forum!

Re that email update via Jibeset: the Cruise Down on Saturday, Nov 16 is to Sierra Point YC in Brisbane, NOT Sequoia YC in Redwood Shores. The devil Is in the details.

 

[AlanH]

I really don't want this discussion to die out, so I'm poking it one more time.

What can we do to maintain...really, grow.... the SSS community again? More people show up to races than to anything else. An event where you stay overnight and sort of HAVE to socialize with the other people is a really good thing, wich is one reason I really like the Vallejo 1-2 and the Half Moon Bay race.. It's so easy to sign up online, show up at 9:30 on Saturday, race around the Bay until 3:00, sail home, put the boat away and never even know who was on the other boats.

 

[Intermission]

I really don't want this discussion to die out, so I'm poking it one more time.

Alright Alan, I'll byte.

Is the geographic center of the membership in Alameda?
What if there was occasional variation in the Lat/Long of meeting places?
Folks that normally would be overwhelmed at traffic mountain, would get an easy commute, and the East Bay folk could sit in traffic instead?
Try to get North & South Bays in once each, the first year, and see if anyone salutes?

 

[jamottep]

In the days of electronic communication and social media I think it's simply a matter for the communication leader to decide what channel to use and continue to use it. A newsletter is the most commonly used tool. Happy to help getting organized with one.

 

[jyriv]

I think we need a different way to build the community. I remember, when I joined, pre-internet, I looked forward to meetings where I could hang out with my friends and the men and women I admired, who were role models as I developed as a sailor. I think we need to bring that back.

How to do it?

Honestly, the Cruise-In's are a big help, but still only 6-8 boats show up. We could have 30.

I'm not a member but follow this forum often. As a 99% singlehanded sailor, would be nice to meet others.
For me, might be fun to try some SSS races, but the bureaucracy to participate is too overwhelming, so no.
Regularly scheduled cruise-in events would be fun.
Now, I'm down in Santa Cruz so it's a multi-day trip for me for any SFBAY event so it's difficult, but occasionally doable.
FWIW. Probably not much.

 

[tiger beetle]

Re that email update via Jibeset: the Cruise Down on Saturday, Nov 16 is to Sierra Point YC in Brisbane, NOT Sequoia YC in Redwood Shores. The devil Is in the details.

I still don't find any reference to the SSS cruise-out on the SSS home page, nor the Calendar (linked to from the home page main menu).

As Don mentioned the Forum isn't for 'official' communications, and the cruise-out is not a race so it makes sense that reference to it would not appear on jibset. Oddly, the only place someone would discover the existence of a planned cruise-out is on the forum, and that only works for folks that look at the forum where they *might* run across mention of the event.

Tiger Beetle won't be able to make the cruise-out as I'll be headed down the coast.

- rob/beetle

 

[Wylieguy]

I know I'm an "old" member and that things and methods of communication change, so here are some thoughts, tempted through that filter & some thoughts about today..
1) The idea of giving t-shirts was an "advertising" gimmick. Wear the shirt; advertise the SSS. How about including the SSS website/Forum address as part of the design?
2) Boat names for the 3-Bridge were my idea. The thought was if a boat name was on the shirt, the skipper might wear it more often, especially to sailing events of various kinds. Advertising.
3) For awhile we tried a specific mailing to skippers who had sailed the race the previous year to remind them it was coming up the current year. And sometimes we telephoned them a few days before the Skippers Meeting to remind them again. In today's could either/both Jibeset and the SSS member list provide the same reminder function?
4) Oakland YC meeting location. Historically the OYC has been the SSS meeting location, at first because of member connections, the fact they welcomed the SSS, and the fact that most of the boats participating in SSS events "lived" in the E. Bay. The actual "headquarters" was Shama's office (with its computer & her phone number) in Mill Valley (and the Mill Valley P. O). I think moving sailing meetings around to different locations can be tricky due to "tradition" and making sure everyone planning to attend is informed - and remembers. How about moving the start time from 7:30 to 8:00 to allow more travel time? The meetings are not very long, so that wouldn't push the going home time too late.
5) About "new" SSS events (S. Bay Cruise, RAIDs. etc.). I think a general notice, either email or Jibeset in today's communication world.

 

[AlanH]

Can we make the cruise-ins "official" events? As in ...on the yearly calendar. They wouldn't count for season racing points but if one or two were on the calendar next year, that would help.

Re:moving meetings. I see the logic of both views. "Everybody knows they are at the OYC"...so moving some from the OYC is confusing. On the other hand, it would be nice to to go a few!

 

[AlanH]

It took me two and a half hours to get to the meeting last night, and I was ten minutes late. Seriously, I left my office at Stanford at 5:00. I got to the OYC at 7:40. I left the meeting at 8:40 to drive over to Ballena Bay to buy two spinnaker poles from a Craigslist ad. Now the Wildcat has a backup and I can shorten the other one for the Piper. I'm wearing the orange Around the Rocks shirt to work, today. Kudos to Gordie Nash for reading some of the names off of the SSS Doublehanded Season Trophy. It was nice to remember Paul and Dawn Miller. I see that they donated the Half Moon Bay Trophy. They were wonderful people, and I remember them fondly. I got to know them through SSS meetings in the mid-to-late 90's and early 2000's. I got to know them face-to-face, as people, not as "that red foul weather jacket on the Rozinante". or a boat name and registration number on an online database.

Driving home took me the usual 45 minutes. That's three and a quarter hours that I spent in the car last night, for a one hour meeting. Attendance at the meeting was 38 people. I counted. Yet there were probably twice that at the Vallejo 1-2. There seems to be no interest whatsoever in actually addressing the issue of attendance and the SSS community, so I think I'm done making noise about it. yay for the community building functions of jibeset and streaming video.

i was going to raise the issue of there being nothing at all about the 2020 SHTP on the SSS Website, but, you know.... whatever. I'm hoping to go again in 2022 or 2024, so I hope the race still exists, then.

peace, out.

 

[Philpott]

Coincidentally, I visited with Ed Ruszel last week, and he had this photo of Paul and Dawn Wood. Here it is, just for you, Alan.

 

[Wylieguy]

I left Santa Rosa at 4:30 yesterday afternoon and arrived in Alameda almost 2-1/2 hours later last night. It's about 70 statute miles. And the Richmond Bridge was flowing okay with its 3rd East bound lane! That's why I suggested an 8:00 hour for the meeting instead of 7:30. (I drove back in less than an hour and half, even with 1 Westbound lane on the Richmond Bridge closed down)
Yes, Paul & Dawn & Ed & Ants & Shama & Peter and several dozen other SSS folks from the 1980s, 90s, and into the 21st Century were/are really nice folks and helped maintain the club through some tough times. Building times. I hope 30 years from now the present day folks helping keep the club on course will be similarly remembered - that the SSS with continue to thrive.

I have a Vallejo 1-2 Story, which I may have told already (I'm one of the old forgetful ones). In 1983 the Vallejo 1-2 was my 1st SSS race. Started and Finished at the GGYC - a much longer day each way. In my Coronado 25 with no self-steering I placed 3rd both directions (and there were more than 3 boats!). I was exhausted & hooked & a number of decades later am looking forward next year's edition. Thanks to Don and the others who helped put on this year's race. Pat Broderick, "Cibola" "Amanda" "Elaine" & "Nancy"

 

[BobJ]

Sure - post announcements directly on the SSS website home page, along with sending an email from the SSS club to each club member. Those that don't use email (and it's likely at least one person doesn't use email), then they might want a post card

No reason to stop using the SSS forum to disseminate information, but it's unwise to expect information posted to the forum has the same exposure as something posted to the SSS home page.

- rob

This is like the old and always-lengthy argument about requiring SSB radios in the SHTP. The SSB allowed all skippers to participate in the communication. This forum also allows for this. An announcement on the website or via Jibeset is merely a one-sided communication. To be frank, I think the website-vs-forum argument is more about some people's need for control.

In reading articles by vBulletin (this forum's software), it's clear that the biggest hurdle in building and maintaining a forum like this is getting content. We have that here, although it would be wonderful to see more of it, from a larger group of skippers and interested parties.

Sailing forum statistics show that despite the limited number of regular posters here, the SSS forum is one of the most active in sailing. With one or two exceptions, sailing forums average only 1-5 posts per month. I also receive e-mail updates to some sailing lists, and they can go for months without a single post. This forum is far more active than that, but it can die quickly if the handful of us who do post were to stop.
.

 

[pogen]

I ran stats one time, for the SSS Forum, and also on Sailing Anarchy, and something like 5% of users generate 80% of posts. I think this is a universal rule, there are always a lot more lurkers than active posters.

 

[BobJ]

Same with volunteers - in most organizations (and the SSS) <10% of the members do >90% of the work.

Fortunately, it's likely that some (many?) of the forum lurkers are actively involved in SSS activities, so the "community" and communication are happening here.

 

[Wylieguy]

Ed Ruzsel's name reminds me of how he led the VHF cheerleading on LongPacs, Farallones, and other races. There was lots of friendly chatter and joking. Most skippers knew each other from attending SSS meetings, so I forgave Ed on a ocean race under "challenging" conditions when he VHF-ed to the entire fleet that I was displaying my "Marina del Rey" racing stripe. It was not the time to leave the cockpit to pull in the fender, so it dangled all the way to the Lightship until I went forward to wing out the jib (non-spin ocean division then) on the way back in. I don't know if Ed remembers, but I brought the offending fender to the awards meeting (no award for me!) and he signed it with a marker. Each time I used it afterward I was reminded to check to make sure I was racing on SF Bay and not Southern California.

 

[BobJ]

Most skippers knew each other from attending SSS meetings, so I forgave Ed on a ocean race under "challenging" conditions when he VHF-ed to the entire fleet that I was displaying my "Marina del Rey" racing stripe.

Photo by Kristen: