The American Vega Association

Happy New Year!

 Sent 1 January 2012:

First order of business is new passwords for the MemberShip pages of the web site.

As of now, you may log in using bear for user name and mouse for password. The earlier login and password will continue to work for a few more days...

...or weeks, but will be eventually removed.

2012 is another IFR year. This time held in Hundested, Denmark. Get the news at the web site. Dates, place and reservation info for the 12^th Annual Pacific Northwest VEGAtarian Rendezvous is also above the fold at AmericanVega.org

Have you been following Matt Rutherford in his attempt at a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the Americas in a Vega? Link on the Voyages page of the AVA web site.

Lealea V1860 will be taking a somewhat less ambitious, and we hope more comfortable, course in 2012 than young Matt. After some lazy cruising in the Hawaiian Islands, we plan to head North to Alaska. Vegaphiles may follow us on our YouTube channel or on our blog and website, CruisingLealea

If you are receiving this email, you are on the membership list of the American Vega Association. so if you want to be removed, let us know. Just reply to this email with REMOVE in the subject line and we will get around to removing you from the list eventually.

Hauoli maka hiki hou!

Chuck Rose

Grand Poohbah

SV Lealea, V1860

Somewhere in the Sandwich Islands

AVA at a Crossroads

Sent 9-12-2011

Once upon a time VODCA, the precursor to the AVA, was an actual association consisting of real people who got together in person to enjoy their boats. VODCA published a newsletter for its members that became so popular it was subscribed to by Vega owners far beyond the Chesapeake Bay. The newsletter consisted primarily of letters to the editor asking questions and letters to the editor with answers to the questions posed in the previous issue. The newsletter was more successful than the original association to the point that by 1990, far more people outside the Chesapeake Bay area subscribed than ever got together for VODCA meetings. Maybe someone can fill in some detail about VODCA for us. For me, it was never anything more than a newsletter that I looked forward to receiving every month…or every other month …or just once in a while.

Sometime in the ‘90s I guess the original club just faded away leaving only the still popular newsletter. Sidney Rosen, in his seventies, soldiered on, apparently alone producing the newsletter and mailing it out to about 200 people scattered all over the world. This is when the name changed to the more appropriate “American Vega Association”. I remember Sid asking for someone to please take over but no one did. Then one day in 2000 we received an uncompleted newsletter from Sid’s daughter along with a note letting us all know that Sid had passed away. Frankly, I felt a little guilty. I had published newsletters before and I knew I could have stepped up when Sid had asked, but I figured someone else would do it. Fortunately, Sid’s last newsletter included the annual membership list so I got a second chance to keep the newsletter alive.

Meanwhile, Tom Hamill founded the Yahoo Albin Vega Group. Sid was a frequent poster in the beginning, always closing his posts with “Fair Winds”. I chose “Fair Winds” as the title for the re-born newsletter. At first, I got a LOT of mail and continued Sidney’s tradition of making the mail bag the bulk of the content in the newsletter with a little editorial content just to tie it all together. Over the next few years, however, the mail trickled away to nothing and I found that the newsletter tended to consist entirely of my own writing. No need to wait for snail mail when you can get an answer to a question almost immediately on the internet. I doubt that when Tom founded this Yahoo Group in the late nineties, he realized that he was killing the newsletter. When Tom passed away, Steve Birch and I were able to secure joint ownership of the Yahoo group and appoint several moderators to ensure that it could be kept active.

Subscribers to the paper newsletter dwindled to less than a dozen by the time we ceased publication in 2007.

Well, this is the 21^st century and we are not the only organization dealing with the changes brought by the tech revolution. The Yahoo group is undeniably a vast improvement in the dissemination and sharing of information over the old paper newsletter. There is simply no comparison in speed of deliver, cost or accessibility. The website, http://americanvega.org , was just the logical next step. It might have been better to incorporate the forum into the website but we follow the dictum “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”, avoiding the choice of either closing down the Yahoo group or having two forums competing for posts from a small group of people. I intended the website to consist of member contributions and event notices, and to act as a repository for all the accumulated knowledge of VODCA and the AVA. I wanted to avoid it becoming “Chuck’s Vega website”. That’s what http://cruisinglealea.com is for. I hoped that people would contribute more but there have been no new member contributions in years. In point of fact, there never were except for a very few submissions for the “Voyages” page and one essay for “The Quarterdeck” pages. The great value of the web site is in the newsletter archives (We were able to get all the newsletters published after 1990 digitized), and the VORM. These two areas are password protected because the material there was contributed entirely by members. Real, dues paying, actively participating members – which brings us to the point:

I am unable, while cruising, to handle the necessary chores related to “membership” such as timely replies to inquiries, welcome email and password issuance to new members and maintaining the member list. My ability to manage the website is similarly restricted but daily attention is less urgent. I am willing to continue as webmaster, but something needs to be done about membership.

I see two options:

1. Someone steps up and takes over either the membership chairman duties (responding to inquiries, sending out welcome emails and maintaining the membership list) only, or the entire responsibility of “Grand Poohbah”, web site, funny hat and all.

2. If I continue as webmaster and Grand Poohbah (The hat is a size 7 btw) I would have to eliminate the membership list and passwords, opening the entire website to the public unless I can figure out how to automate the process. The worst thing we could do is continue to invite people to join, then not respond promptly when they try.

Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?

Chuck Rose

SV Lealea, V1860

Honolulu

Sent 5-12-10

Ahoy Mates!

The season is upon us it seems.  Projects are underway and everyone we know is getting ready for summer sailing.  It is an exciting time of year for sailors and I just realized that we have not sent out an email to the membership since January! (I always said they would be "Infrequent")

New members:

We have a lot of new members to welcome.

In Australia, Linda Pasquariello, SV Isis

In Sweden, Bo Mejner and First Mate Marie-Anne, V3200 Nostra Vega

In Germany, Max Kreiger

In Canada, Jeff Anning and Lisa Wolfe, V3326 El'nor

Jules Dupuis

In Norway, Andrew McPherson and Kristina Maceviciute

In the USA.,   Bryce Porter, SV Sea Star

Douglas and Georgene Pollard, V2225 Sea Legs

Wayne Vega (Catalina 27)

Jack Harrill and Nancy Mills

Lanny and Jacquemina Williamson

Matthew Mydlarz, V2855 Solace

Dean Unsworth, SV Que Pasa

Timothy Eccleston, V195 Strega

Ervin Jones

Norman Meissner

Rick Maxfield, SV Blue Max

Steven Fizpatrick and First Mate Rusty

Kristopher Setchfield and First Mate Lita, V1563

Jordan Zeigler and Karen Nielsen

 Welcome aboard all.

Vega Burgees are available for US $25 (Wayne, you really need one of these for that Catalina.  Just sayin') and may be ordered by clicking the PayPal button in the upper right corner of the home page at http://americanvega.org or by mailing a check to:

 Chuck Rose

2023 E Sims Way #218

Port Townsend, WA 98368

Rendezvous  X:

The 10th Annual Pacific Northwest VEGAtarian Rendezvous is coming up fast.  If you haven't made your reservations, NOW is the time.  Get the scoop HERE

Eight Bells

Time for a change of the watch.

I have been at the tiller of the AVA now for more than ten years.  I would be happy to continue but I do not see how I can manage the membership requests and keep the web site up to date while actively cruising.  Our unexpectedly long sojourn in the Pacific Northwest has allowed me to hang on a bit longer than anticipated but there is no getting around the plain fact that I cannot properly manage memberships and the web site while spending weeks, if not months, away from email and internet.

No special skills are required If there were, I couldn't do it.  The tools provided by our Network Solutions hosting service make managing the web site easy - no HTML required.  All you need is the desire to help and basic email and web browsing skills.

If you are interested contact me via reply email.

"Fair Winds"

Chuck Rose

SV Lealea, V1860

Looking forward to seeing you!

Clarification: The barbeque (chicken and/or ribs) is THURSDAY night at the SJI Yacht Club. Friday, there's more menu selection, including those great crab cake salads, burgers, and two special entrees. As I wrote earlier, the Club Manager suggested that Thursday might be a better night if there will be a "visiting group". Either Friday or Saturday, we'll have to get there early (Before 5:30) to insure a large, group table (preferably on the outside porch). Probably, most everyone who is coming Thursday should be in by then?

We can also arrange something for Friday, if that works best for folks and we can "herd the cats" up there before the mob hits. Sundown isn't until 9:30, so you might want to "Bless the Fleet" after dinner?

Let me know your thoughts. Can't wait to visit!
Fondly,
Mitzi

Attention Members,
 
We have several new members to welcome since the last bulletin:
 
Thomas Kummer, Vega 4318, Mochito, Bavois, Switzerland
Patrick Whitney, Vega 2425, Squirrel, BC
Robert and Jeannette Thorel, Vega 2620, Bella, Muskego, WI
Erik Gosen, Hacienda HIghts, CA
Dean Golnik, Vega 1597 Journey, New London, CT
William Harris, Arvada, CO
Bill Healy
John Kinsella, Vega 1447, Breakaway, Limerick
Henning Toxvćrd, Vega 1140, Vos Te Pas, Denmark
Q. Scott Kaye, Vega 26, Torrance, CA
 
Welcome aboard!  Current membership now stands at 225.

Recently heard from member Alfred Anderson, Vega 1079, Koloa of Kaneohe, Hawaii.  Al took me out sailing on Kaneohe Bay one day several years ago and he sent us some really great photos which I promise to put on the web site later today.  If you are going to be visiting Oahu, be sure to give Al a warm Aloha from us aanderson96744@yahoo.com

The Pacific Northwest Rendezvous at Friday Harbor is coming up soon so get your slip reservations in if you havent already or you may have to anchor out; not really a bad option.  For more information visit the Rendezvous page on the web site.  If you are planning to attend, please reply to this email and let us know so we can get a tentative head count.
 
We have been sold out of AVA Burgees for over a year and the company that supplied the last batch has gone out of business.  I have located a new supplier of excellent quality burgees that can supply us with a quantity in time for the Pacific Northwest Rendezvous at a reasonable price.  These would be best quality 400 denier nylon sewn, not printed, flags 12 X 18 in size.  The price for members would be US$20 each, allowing us to put a couple of bucks toward expenses.  If enough members indicate that they want to purchase a burgee I will go ahead and place the order so please respond promptly to this email if you want one or more.
 
This is as good at time as any to discuss finances so here goes:
 
We recently received our first check from Google for ad clicks at the web site.  Unfortunately, it was not quite enough to pay for one years hosting fees.  The good news is that the difference was made up by voluntary contributions.  Commissions from Amazon.com and the Logo Shop paid for 2007 and 2008 expenses but have dropped off to nothing in the past several months.  West Marine has notified us that our affiliate relationship has been cancelled for lack of participation; i.e. zero sales, so those ads will be removed from the web site in the near future.
 
In 2000, when I took over the AVA Newsletter and, by default, management of the Association, expenses ran over $2000 per year and most of that was raised by the $12 annual dues and by voluntary contributions.  We were able to give awards in the form of trophies to notable members and to contribute our share as a member organization of VODA. Today, association expenses are minimal since we have abandoned the printed newsletter.  Web site hosting costs only $120 per year yet we are having difficulty raising even that much and have not been able to contribute our share to VODA for the past two years.  Of course there is no money to support activities or awards.
 
The treasury is at net zero.
 
How can I help? You may ask.
 
Items in the Logo Shop yield the highest margin percentage 10% to 20% so purchase Vega logo items on-line.  We have complete control over the logo shop so if you have any suggestions, or of you want custom logo items bearing your boat name, let us know.
 
Books, DVDs and CDs from the Ship's Bookstore by Amazon.com yield 4% commissions if purchased through the Ships Bookstore.  Search for non-boating books by going to the Off Watch Reading section.
 
Google Adsense ads yield a few pennies per click but cost you nothing so click a couple of ads when you visit the web site.
 
Laura and I are prepared to order the burgees but we need some assurance that you will purchase them.  A minimum order of 25 flags sold at US$20 each will net $83 for the treasury so you can see that the mark-up is minimal.  Personally, I think that $25 each would be fair and, at that price, sale of burgees would go a long way toward easing the financial situation, but I am sure that some members would balk at the extra $5 and I would rather see them flying on more boats than sitting in a locker un-sold.  If you wish to make an additional contribution, feel free to do so.

Please respond to this email if you want to order a burgee and let us know if you want it delivered at the PNW Rendezvous.

If you haven't seen our videos on YouTube yet, visit the Vega1860 Channel and check them out.  More to come.

And that's all for now.

Fair Winds!

Chuck Rose
SV Lealea, V1860

As always, if you wish to be removed from the membership rolls simply reply to this email with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.