WRPC’s next board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Gold’s Gym in Wenatchee on Wednesday, February 17. Everyone is invited.
Update on Wolf’s Eye Injury
I can see clearly now...well, almost. After an overhanging dead branch injured my left eye while paddling up the Columbia last summer, I am almost back to normal. Had a 2 1/2 hour operation by a specialist in Seattle before Thanksgiving which repaired the partially detached cornea and with the help of sutures changed the shape of the pupil from an elongated banana form back to something resembling a circle or square. The great news is that the cataract which formed as a result of the trauma meant I got a new lens which now gives me better uncorrected vision in that eye than before the accident. So sometimes good can come out of a bad situation. See you on the river. The 2-3 foot thick grounded ice flow at the mouth of the Wenatchee is gorgeous...like paddling in the Arctic!
New Boats in the Annex
The Annex is an ever-changing landscape of boats. In addition to the 8-person rowing boats, Troy and Evan, you will be seeing two more crew boats WRPC has acquired (free!) from Pocock Racing Shells in Everett. The 8-person Pocock shell (1987) is currently in Tom Feil’s shop waiting for some patching, epoxying and gel coating. The other boat is a 4-person Vespoli crew boat. The Vespoli 4 is a heavy boat and you should use caution when transporting it. Stepping platforms and a pulley system are being investigated by the board.
Midweek Paddle
The organized midweek paddle mentioned in the November newsletter has been changed from Thursday mornings to Tuesday mornings. The start time of 9 a.m. remains the same. Interested members meet at the Lindstrom Barn. This is a leisurely paced paddle open to all skill levels, providing an opportunity for beginners to get on the water with a group of more experienced paddlers. Weather and unforeseen circumstances occasionally alter this schedule so it is a good idea to contact either Kim George at kgeorge50@charter.net or 679-6247, or Yvette Downs-Matson at 782-4440 to confirm.
A Conversation with Tom Feil
by Linda Stephan
Tom has been a member of WRPC since the early 1980s and is WRPC’s second-ever Knight of the Rack. He has been very involved with the club over the years and has given a lot of his time and energy to help individuals and the organization. Most recently he has accepted a board position with WRPC.
Q: You have been a long-time paddling companion of Glen Frese. Can you describe some of your experiences? A: In June of 1995 Glen was injured in a biking accident. Late that summer he returned to paddling with new challenges. He started in a very stable plastic boat. As he moved up to a less stable boat, an outrigger was added along with a deck controlled rudder. At first, the dock was not handicap accessible so he had to be carried down the steps. Later a handrail was added by the club and he was able to make it down by himself. He has been along for the paddle almost every Saturday and Sunday. Glen has developed great balance and strength. Seasons and weather have created much diversity and some surprising adventures. One more difficult adventure happened in very cold weather. The river had frozen in an area we were trying to navigate. I was chopping through ice to form a narrow passage. Unfortunately, in the process Glen tipped over. I needed to quickly back up and get in the water myself to help Glen back into his boat! A chilling experience! Q: How were you involved in retrofitting a kayak for Ed Farrah? A: I purchased a double kayak originally used in the Outward Bound program. The youth sized cockpit was modified making it a foot bigger and the seat was taken out. Ed’s air cushion was added. I added a back rest and seat belt to be used as a chest strap. He looked very stable and we are looking forward to seeing him out again in this next NEW Year!!! Q: You are currently the boat storage manager for the club, but also it seems that you are the designated on-call person involved in the care and repair of our club boats. What can you tell us about that role? A: Virtually all of the club boats excluding the rowing shells have been repaired in some way, from minor to major damage, from rudder cables to small leaks. The Seal has probably had six pair of new cables installed. One kayak at one point was in two pieces after colliding with a tree! An unusual event happened sometime in the mid 90s. I was made aware of possible flooding because of high water. When I checked the boat house, the water was so high inside the lower area that the first three levels of boats were floating! I carried some of the boats upstairs and took home as many as I could fit on my trailer. Q: What has been a rewarding experience you have had? A: I enjoy the water but at the same time, I am aware of its dangers. I enjoy overcoming the difficulties and risks involved with the river. I have experienced the challenge of going out in different conditions and sometimes turning back. In all the years of paddling, I remember only once not going out at all because of the weather. The wind and waves has been the most usual cause for difficult conditions! Q:Do you have any goals you would like to see for WRPC members? Also, tell us about a great memory. I would love to see club members experience adventure beyond the local river areas. It would be great to do extended trips. A lofty goal would be to paddle every stretch of the Columbia (even over years!) I remember when Bob Derry built the first dock for the club. We mounted an outboard right to the dock and motored across the river to place it for use!
Final 2009 Tallies
Bentley 24
Harnish 24
Sturzl 24
Welty 25
Gorham 26
Milliette 27
Feil, D 31
Ranne 32
Garrison 33
Rieman 34
Sutherland 34
McClune 36
Derry 38
Grim 38
Lunz 38
Snyder 38
Valaas 38
Ockinga 41
Bartel 47
Keller 48
Smith, S 48
Hohnstein 51
Jaecks 53
Jackson 61
Riggs/Ingle 66
Stephan 84
Koch 87
Heinlein 90
Harris 91
Wallace 94
Frese 102
Gasi 106
Willinsky 117
Kaputa 118
Feil, T 122
Siroky 127
George 140
Tobiska 156
Koos 193
Peters 204
Mueller 287
2010 Boat Storage
Below is a listing of space assignments:
1 Frese, Glen
2A Club, Double ss Futura Double Ser#FTASS143F292 2B Club, ss Finn Mako XT, Green Ser#?
7 Club, Kayak EZ Rider Eskimo 17' Ser#ERF67153K494
8 Club, Kayak P.W.S. Seal Ser#PWS4086HJ293
9 Club, Kayak Prijon Seayak ser.#?
10 Club, Shell Maas Aero 21' Ser#?
11 Club, Shell Maas 24' Ser#?
12 Club, Shell Maas Aero 21' Ser#?
13 Club, Shell Maas 24' Ser#?
14 Club, Shell Maas
15 Feil, Tom
16 Smith, Steve
17 Club,
18 Jaecks, Dave
19 Gasi, Isak
20 Crocker, Rocky
21 Snyder, Ron
22 Harris, Sandra
23 Farrar, Ed
24 Koos, Shaun
25 Club, OC-2 Huki, Tandem V2-Z
26 Stephan, Linda
27 Tobiska, Larry
28 Derry, Bob
29 Johnson, Skip
30 Riggs, Randy
31 Welty, Nan
32 Haas, Rita / Thorson
33 Jackson, Kathleen
34 George, Kim
35 Kaputa, Mike
36 Gorham, Jay
37
38 Valaas, Susan
39 Ranne, Brigitte
40 Heinlein, Jim
41 Lunz, Sharon
42 Sturzl, Cora
43 Feil, Dick
44 Willinski, Joe
45 Hansen, Michael
46 Wallace, Howie
47 Club, ss Finn Mako XT, Red Ser#?
48 Sutherland, Steve
49 Peters, Terry
50 Koch, Burt
On basement north wall: Ocean Kayak Scupper Ser#XKA05125C494 & Vagabond
Club boats in Lindstrom Barn:
Ocean Kayak Sprinter Ser#XKA00589h696 on north wall Green Finn Mako XT ss#?
Double Kayak Ser#?
Clipper canoe 18' Jensen Ser#ZWDJE001C505 Futura Carrera Ser# FTASS282E494
Futura II Ser#?
EZ Rider Eskimo 17 Ser#ERF67153K494
P.W.S. Seal Ser#PWS4086HJ293
Prijon Seayak Ser#?
Maas Aero 21' Ser#?
Maas 24' Ser#?
Maas 24' Ser#?
Maas Aero 21' Ser#?
Red Finn Mako XT ss Ser#?
Ocean Kayak Scupper Ser#XKA05125C494
Seda Vagabond on north wall ser # ?
Huki, tandem outriger V2-Z ser#?
Club boats in Annex:
Troy 8 shell, Vespoli
Evan 8 Shell, Vespoli
RP2 8 Shell, Pocock
McIntosh Foundation 4 Shell, Vespoli
Malcolm, Alden double rowing shell
Coffey Racing Shell Ser#?
Double Kayak
30 R2R kayaks
Other club boats, Outside of boathouse:
Clipper 17'6" Tripper Ser#ZWD
Ocean Kayak Sprinter Ser#XKA00589h696
Futura Blade ss Ser#FTASS382F595
Damaged Canoe Kevlar Ser#? From Dave Akers
Damaged Canoe Blue Clipper Tripper 17'6"
Mako SS from Larry Ensley
Please remember that tallying of 2010 signouts will be compiled using signouts from October 15, 2009 to October 14, 2010.
If you have any questions about how the 2011 Lindstrom Barn assignments will be determined, please look at the Lindstrom Barn policy on the web site or contact Tom Feil, boat slip manager. Note: As members find loopholes to the existing Lindstrom Barn policy, Tom reserves the right to plug ‘em!
WRPC Jr. Rowing
The excitement is mounting! David Bentsen is the program director of the rowing program that WRPC is putting into place. This is a huge undertaking and kudos to David Bentsen for stepping up to the plate. You will obviously be hearing much more about this in upcoming newsletters. At this point, the focus is on development of the junior crew program. It is anticipated that there will be a junior boys coach, junior girls coach, and a masters coach. At this time, coaching staff includes Jim Dahl, Bruce Schott, and Anne Hessburg, time permitting, as well as Sarah Grim and Kathryn Stevens, both of whom have enrolled in a Level 2 coaching course. If any members feel they have a special niche they could help fill, please contact David or simply come to the next board meeting. It would be a great opportunity for members who want to get into the action at the outset of a new chapter in WRPC’s history.
New Newsletter Editor . . .
Many of you have already met Kathryn Stevens and will remember the wonderful article she prepared for the Wenatchee World on crewing in Wenatchee. What you may not know is that she was also a coxswain for Gonzaga University’s crew program. And now she is going to be the new newsletter editor for the WRPC newsletter! We are very fortunate to have her on board.
Do you have anything newsworthy you think should be shared with our readers? Any special trips you’ve done? A boat you’re trying to sell? Upcoming events or reports of completed events? Simply send Kathryn an email containing the article you’d like published. Please be aware that Kathryn is new to WRPC and she will need a completed article sent to her (as opposed to cryptic phone messages, conversations in passing, or "knowing" something needs to be published). Kathryn will compile the newsletter and then send it to Carrol Watson for distribution.
New Years Day Paddle
Oh, yeah, a beautiful morning on the Columbia to start off a brand new year--how fine is that! Present were Jim Heinlein, Tom and Dick Feil, Vitek Siroky, Skip Johnson, Wolf and Tom Mueller, Glen Frese, Kim George, and Joe Willinsky. We shared stories, hot chocolate and Joe’s cookies together afterwards.
