SAND BANK YACHT CLUB NOTES

May 1999 Table of Contents

SAND BANK YACHT CLUB NOTES
by John Lacey

The period from mid-March to mid-April was busy, both socially and communally, for the Sand Bank Yacht Club. The community highlight was the design, construction, installation and illumination of a truly splendid marker at the entrance to Treasure Cay harbour. Woody Bracey, our recently-elected Fleet Captain, suggested in late January that we might serve our community and boaters in general by erecting a sign to welcome to Treasure Cay all who approach by sea. His intent was to replace the earlier sign which had disintegrated years ago, leaving two ugly dolphins and two even uglier cross pieces which, at best, were a discredit to our community and, at worst, a hazard to incoming night traffic.

The Club's executive officers endorsed Woody's idea at its meeting on 20th January, agreed to finance the project, and asked Woody to bring it to reality. Woody talked to Mike Sawyer, Treasure Cay Harbourmaster, the next day. Mike gave to project his enthusiastic support and volunteered to arrange for the sign's installation and illumination at the company's expense once it was completed.

The next day, at Woody's request, I asked Doreen Barth, a Club member, fine artist and frequent contributor to Club activity, if she would feel challenged artistically by the opportunity to paint an 8' x 4' mural to serve as a marker. After thinking about it overnight, Doreen agreed. Next day, Woody carted the 1" marine plywood board from Marsh Harbour aloft his station wagon. Doreen experimented, then chose the marine paint in appropriate hues. With a little advice, lots of encouragement from friends, a unflagging support and assistance from husband Bruce, who took responsibility for the graphics design and mechanical design requirements to ensure the sign's longevity, Doreen completed her work before the end of February.

She and Bruce left the sign to dry thoroughly for a week and then gave it a protective coating or two to protect it from the weather. In the event, there emerged from their work a truly splendid scene of the far-famed Treasure Cay beach with the words WELCOME TO TREASURE CAY HOME OF THE SAND BANK YACHT CLUB prominently but unobtrusively displayed upon it.

As the news of the sign's magnificence permeated the Treasure Cay community, many friends stopped by Windsong, the Barth's home on Windward Beach, to admire the fruits of Doreen's labour. All agreed that it is a magnificent piece of work, a credit to our community and to all, especially Doreen and Bruce, who participated in its creation.

Mike Sawyer, Woody Bracey and their helpers, collected the sign in early March and erected and illuminated it on 18th March, the first day thereafter with seas sufficiently calm to permit their work to be completed safely and well.

All who read this account are invited to witness this fine example of cooperation between the institutions and individuals who make up our island paradise. It is located about a mile southeast of the harbour entrance at latitude North 26 degrees 39.568 minutes and longitude 77 degrees 16.804 minutes. The work of Doreen, Bruce, Woody and Mike on the harbour marker project was recognised at the Club's Easter Parade party held on Easter Day, 4th April.

The Easter Parade was celebrated by 115 members and guests with brunch at noon at the Tipsy Seagull in Treasure Cay. The site had been prepared early that morning by a small army of volunteers, led by Betsy Bracey, in an Easter theme dominated by streamers, wall motifs, and colourful plastic nests filled with jellied eggs at each table. Bill and Myrna Floyd, Buddy and Linda Gerald, and Woody and Nancy McKay, were noticeable among them.

Brunch was prefaced at 11 am by a parade of 16 beautifully bedecked members' golf carts, led by Jane Dixon. It left the Little Switzerland parking lot, threaded its way westward to the traffic circle, back through Treasure Cay to Sand Bank Point, and thence to the starting place. Once there, a judging panel - comprising Doreen Barth, Kathleen Draper and Ruth Nymark - selected the best decorated cart regardless of decorative theme and the best decorated cart with an Easter theme, for awards to be announced during brunch.

Party participants then repaired to the Tipsy Seagull where they imbibed mimosas and bloody marys before and after brunch, which was prepared and served by Head Chef Elliot Sawyer and his staff promptly at noon. It comprised Danish pastries, muffins, johnny cake, coffee cake, dinner rolls, scrambled eggs, Eggs Benedict, hash brown potatoes, crispy bacon, sausages, grouper fingers, chicken fingers, assorted vegetables, fruit salad, pasta salad, orange juice, coffee and tea.

Most female participants graced the event with uniquely and, for the most part, very creatively designed Easter bonnets in myriad colours, shapes and sizes. Phil Cappello, Ed Carpinello and Dick Prince were chosen anonymously to judge the best among them at brunch. They failed. Instead, they chose five which they claimed to be of equal merit but which this author suspects was the produce of their reluctance to incur the wrath of those less fortunate ladies who had laboured so hard to win the coveted prize. The worthy finalists were Johanne Erhart, Sylvia Lister, Dorothy Rodgers, Helen Shelly and Carolyn Stern. Straws were drawn and Sylvia's name emerged as the winner. She won the Easter Bonnet prize: a beautiful, candy-filled Easter basket complete with fluffy Easter bunny and a magnum of vintage champagne.

The best decorated cart regardless of decorative theme was most meritoriously made by sisters Lorna Firstbrook and Kathy McAllister, with their husbands Bill and Jim. The foursome created an imaginative, flag-bedecked sailboat on wheels, the rigging of which reached to the sky. Many bystanders wagered that it would never stay the course. But it did, and they won. Their prize was another beautiful Easter basket.

Finally, Doreen Barth was awarded the finest of all the Easter baskets as a mark of the Club's gratitude for her work on the harbour marker.

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