Rod White, Commodore

Kurt Greissinger, Director & Compass Editor

Tradition, tradition! Tradition! Reading these lyrics doesn't have the same effect as hearing them from Tevye. Traditions are a roadmap for life. Per the prologue from the musical with the same name, “Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as—as a fiddler on the roof.”

I was reminded of this recently when speaking with new members at one of CYC's traditions, the Commodores Ball. Not only is it a time to formally dress up or wear the club uniform (a tradition in and of itself), it is a time to celebrate the current AND past commodores who dedicate their time and talents to the club. Two more not-to-be-missed traditions are coming up this month; Burning of the Socks and Blessing of the Fleet. The former more lighthearted and the later more respectful and somber. Add to that Change of Watch in December along with a host of other club traditions and you've got yourself a firm foundation for years ahead.

A Bunch of Blarney

By Karen Watson

Kissing the Blarney Stone in Tampa during St. Patrick’s Day weekend definitely looks like an annual event for the Clearwater Yacht Club Cruisers come March.  Irish eyes shone brightly on us as Frank and Terri Giardina took the helm again this year to guide the weekend of revelry, bringing back the favorites: dining at Harpoon Harry’s on Friday and a special night at the Lightning Game vs. NC Hurricanes on Saturday.

The traditional dyeing the River O’Green and a Rough Riders’ parade added excitement to the marina and downtown Tampa. Additional outings featured a Candle Pour in Hyde Park and lunch at the Oxford Exchange for the women. A round (or two) of drinking ensued at Yeoman’s British Pub for the gentlemen. What more could the men want anyways?

While the wind sent some of our crew home on Sunday, a few brave souls dispersed by boat or car on Monday after a quick breakfast of donuts and juice. All our leprechauns arrived safely home, just in time to continue the celebration at the Club’s St. Patrick’s Day Party on the 17th.

Kate Wall, Chair, Yachting Committee

Christy Poorman & Anne Grace

Happy Spring!

The Bow Chasers have been back on the water enjoying the beautiful weather and taking advantage of the breezes that Mother Nature has offered.

St. Patrick’s Day, although sunny, the wind was a blowing. Our plan was to be on our little bay and show our fellow members what and how we sail our little boats. Instead we had to have fun in the dry-dock….Win/Win!!!!

March 19th we held our first ever Craft Cocktail Class with Ariel behind the bar. Did you know that Ariel has published 15 of her own cocktails? Ariel has served many stars and superstars? And, Ariel has studied the science of the craft? 

Take the “Dirty Martini”….many love those. Ariel makes a “Dirty Italian” that makes the old version a nothing drink. Even her garnish; pickled veggies, Greek dressing and olive oil drops, make it an award winner.

Between drinks we cleansed our nose and palate by sniffing coffee beans and a sip of coffee….it really works!!!!

Next she made her Black Cherry Martini.The most refreshing and not too sweet start to any meal. Ask her to make one for you!

….smell the beans….sip of coffee….

And finally was her Banana Bread Old Fashioned. Ariels banana puree, amaretto and walnut bitters added to bourbon made a great end to our experience. 

We had a great turnout, a great group of ladies and Ariel is a great teacher! Cheers!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Please join us. Meet new friends and catch up with old acquaintances.

April 15th

Calling All CYC Women who Love being on the Water! Marine Max will be at CYC presenting their “Women on the Water” program with Captain Keith.

Come and learn or improve your skills in steering, docking, anchoring, reading marks, with chalk talk then practice what you learned on the water!

Stay tuned for more details. Class size will be limited. See the program flyer where you can scan to register. Our class is full, however there is an official wait list so be sure to put your name if you didn’t make the commitment yet!

April 27th

Rainbow Regatta

The Bow Chasers will host the annual FWSA Rainbow Regatta with the Dunedin Windlasses out of the Clear Community Sailing Center (CCSC) on Gulf Blvd. This Regatta hosts both Sunfish and Opti/Pram classes and up to 50 entrants

If you are interested in sailing, the sailing Bow Chasers meet on Tuesdays at 9:15am at CYC, west side, where the prams (dinghy sailboats) are kept neatly in the rack. Come on down and see what we are all about as we rig and sail the historic prams designed specifically for Clearwater by Clark Mills circa 1948.

As a member of CYC you are also members of the CCSC (Clearwater Community Sailing Center) on Gulf Blvd- across from Sand Key Park. If you are new to sailing or just need a brush-up on your skills, you can make arrangements with CCSC. They are very accommodating and willing to teach their skill.

Father Bob Wagenseil,

Fleet Chaplain

“April Showers ….”

“Though April showers may come our way; they bring the flowers that bloom in May.”

Songs from the past are often remembered in the present because their words continue to speak truth to us today. The most helpful ones are not simply grounded in the naiveté of wishful thinking, but rather in the lived experience of people just like us including sailors who sang about their survival of storms at sea and their safe arrival in peace at the harbors they were bound for. (Psalm 107 verses 23-30: “some went down to the sea in ships…” is a prime example) Their song still speaks truth for us today, as well, and we hear it proclaimed each year at the Blessing of the Fleet.

This month, Jews and Christians once again recall and reclaim the songs of faith which still speak to us in the present, as well, even though written and first sung thousands of years earlier by the People of the Passover: those Hebrew slaves in Egypt who survived the chariots of Pharaoh and arrived in the Promised Land. They are, as well, the words of the Easter Hymns of the followers of Jesus their Risen Savior and Friend who through his death and resurrection brought them “out of darkness into light, out of sadness into joy and out of death into life.”

April 2026 is the month of Passover and Easter which makes it truly a month for Hope grounded not in wishful thinking but in the lived experience of the People of God; and if there is anything helpful which we might learn from that experience it runs something like this: The waters of the Red Sea will not overwhelm us. The chariots of Pharaoh will not destroy us. The hardships of the desert will not stop us along the way. Violence, cruelty, injustice and even death on a Cross will not have the final word. Because through it all, from Egypt to Easter to this very day, God’s final Word runs like this: “I am making all things new.”

Yes, April showers will once again come our way, and storms at sea will attempt to overwhelm us, and from our CYC perspective, the next Hurricane may threaten us (been there done that!); but as the continued existence of the Clearwater Yacht Club for more than a century also serves to remind us and to teach us: the storms will pass and the cleanup will begin, and plans for the future will take shape and will “bloom” once again with the promise of new life for us all. That’s always been our song. May we sing it together in the days and years to come.

Richard & Roslyn Cooke - Clearwater, FL

Joseph Spinosi - Largo, FL

Bruce & Christina Erbeck - St. Pete, FL

Jeff & Alysia Hall - Eads, TN

Daniel & Caroline Knuth - St. Pete, FL