Commodore's Corner 11/4/25

I enjoy backing in for haul-out, for the extra challenge…

I’ve been putting off writing this because it’s kind of an “end of season” edition of the Commodore’s Corner, and that’s essentially admitting that it’s over. Getting the sails off, winterizing, hauling out, etc. hasn’t exactly left me spilling over with free time, either.  But really, I tend to think it’s not wanting summer to be officially ended that led to my procrastination. But I can’t really continue in my denial spiral anymore; I’ve raked leaves and turned the furnace on, I’ve complained that it’s dark in the morning and in the afternoon, I’ve indulged in pumpkin spice everything… as much as I dislike it, fall is here. So now all I can do is embrace the nostalgia and remember the 2025 HBYC season for how great it was.

Very special thanks to B and D dock for hosting the September social, many steaks and shrimps were eaten. And thanks to everyone who helped out with any of the socials and cruises this year. And an even bigger thanks to David Makoroff for stepping up for next year’s social director and Rick Billheimer for taking over as cruise director!

The September membership drive was a great success this year, bringing in 11 new members during the month! Welcome to all new members if you’re reading, and if you have any questions or issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My contact information is all over the website, and although I won’t be commodore next year, I won’t be disappearing into the ether either.

Congrats to our new members Mike & Karen Walsh from F-dock for winning the new membership dock prize from Safe Harbor Sandusky during the month of October!

Huge thanks for all the support from my bridge: Carla and Marc, Joe K, Ron, Marianne and Chris. Kathy had an excellent first year as secretary, while Carla, Jessie, and Marianne had awesome final years in their roles as social / cruising directors. Thanks again to Larry for sticking it out one more year at least to lead racing. Thank you to Sharon and Nick for all you do with membership and clubhouse, and gratefulness to Deb for a great job as sunshine chair. Appreciation to Ken for handling the finances, Chris and Karissa for a fantastic year of goodies with the ship store, all the past commodores for the support, and Rick for everything you’ve done as AYC Fleet Captain. And last but definitely not least, thank you to Laura and all of the significant others of those mentioned above!

There will be two events happening over the winter, the HBYC Winter Rendezvous which is happening this year in Columbus, OH. Keep your eyes on email and the facebook group for updates! Also, our friends at the Associated Yacht Clubs (AYC) will be hosting their legendary ball in Romulus MI in February. If you’re interested in attending, get in touch with Rick Billheimer, AYC Fleet Captain, or let a bridge member know to get all the details! HBYC will be partnering with All Ports Yacht Club, Nugent’s Canal Yacht Club, and Put in Bay Yacht Club to create one of the speciality themed hospitality rooms at the event. It’ll be a blast!

And with that, we sail off into the sunset…

Thank you everyone who stopped by to read over the course of the season. I enjoyed my time at the helm! I leave everyone with a quote that (although originally about baseball) sums up my feelings about the end of the boating season:

"It begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive,and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops."

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 9/3/25

And just like that, it’s September. It’s been a busy time since the last update, so I apologize if this post is a bit later than usual.

First, I’d like to voice appreciation for everyone on E dock that helped with the August Venice-themed social / 30th Anniversary party! It was a fantastic evening, with a bit of a carb-crash aftermath, but nothing another piece (or three) of cake couldn’t fix.  Reminder that our last social of the year is scheduled for Saturday September 20th . B and D dock are teaming up to bring us a "Surf & Turf" extravaganza, so be sure to sign up for that!

RS Sign and the “Tail of the Snake” part of the island

We also had quite an awesome couple of cruises during the last few weeks. One of which we are maybe sworn to online secrecy on, but it rhymed with “Prattlesnake” and might require me to sell a kidney to afford. Really though, it was too much fun to list everything, thanks so much to Marianne for coordinating and Katie (if you’re reading this) for being such an awesome host! 

RS Island Cruise Crew: 9 Boats and one heck of a great time!

Dockside Movie Night, “Captain Ron” on the inflatable movie screen!

But not to be outdone, David and Doug coordinated an almost perfect (more on that below) Vermilion cruise over Labor Day that featured an OSU victory, putt-putt tourney, big-screen, dockside showing of "Captain Ron", impeccable weather, and even an impromptu sing-along of “Wish You Were Here” for all those members that couldn’t make it. It really was a tremendous weekend. Thanks to David and Doug for all your efforts!

Vermilion Cruise Crew, 20 boats!

And I can’t not mention it, but I still want to put a positive spin on the one mishap in Vermilion – the way everyone responded to help is a testament to our members and the “HBYC family” atmosphere that we have within this club. I don’t want to get into details here but do want to give a huge shoutout to Esther and Brian for stepping up with transportation, and everyone for their genuine concern and willingness to do whatever they could do to make the situation a bit less unpleasant.

And with that, we’re almost on to planning for next year. Congratulations and a giant thank you again to our 2026 Rear Commodore Chris Malott, and to 2026/2027 Trustees Brad Colon and Mark Knapp. Our club relies on the efforts of our member volunteers to keep things afloat, so if you’ve felt like giving back to the club in any way please let a member of the bridge know.

Reminder to all about the discounted membership rate for anyone that joins the club in September. The details of the discount are on the back of the membership form, so if any prospective members ask about any specific details, go grab them a form! And come down to the membership drive / HBYC game night this Saturday (9/6), starting at 5 pm, all are welcome and the more the merrier!

Thanks for stopping by, until next time – may the wind be always at your back.

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 7/23/25

Hot Dog prop on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, donated by one of Sean's favorite bands - Phish.

Hot dog! It’s been quite a few weeks! Thanks for stopping by the July edition of Commodore’s Corner. A lot to cover this month, so let’s get started.

Laura and I had the opportunity to participate in the Middle Bass Island cruise this year for Pirate Fest and continue for the first stop of the extended cruise in Cleveland. Special thanks to all the coordinators for those trips, Dave Makoroff for MBI, and the Altherrs, Hukills, and Waymouths (and of course Marianne) for the extended cruise. We had a great time swashbuckling, fleeing from snakes, and giving a ‘Prost’ over some German beers. Next up is Huron, which may be underway by the time this publishes, the AYC Regatta cruise to Ford Yacht Club, and then our visit to Rattlesnake Island (very excited about that one)!

Yo-Ho-Ho AND a bottle of rum?  In this economy? :) Some HBYC Pirates - present and past include Brian Hall (Far Left), Rick Billheimer, Damon Ferguson, and Chris Malott (3rd from right, 2nd from right and far right)

Last week C dock hosted the July social, thank you very much to everyone for their efforts in supporting that social. It’s always a big one because of the Stein Hospice race. And on that note, congrats to the Race in the Bay winners this year – "First Lady" taking victory in the Spinnaker class and "Wet Wombat" in the Jib and Main class. The race / social / raffle allowed the club to donate ~$800 for Stein Hospice this year!  Special thanks to Larry for all the efforts on the race, Chris and Karissa for coordinating the social, and everyone that chipped in, whether it was to help serve food, set race markers, or donate toward the raffle.

Our next Membership Meeting / Social / Cruiser Fun Race is on August 16th. It will also serve as the club’s 30th Anniversary Party! Expect more details on that out soon, but a quick note.  During the August membership meeting we will be electing our next bridge members and trustees. 

• For 2026 Rear Commodore, we have candidate Chris Malott.

• And for 2026/2027 Trustee positions, we have three candidates for consideration: Brad Colon, Mark Knapp, and Ron Tomallo.

There are only two Trustee positions to fill, so there will be a ballot to select the winners during the August meeting. But a huge thanks to all who put their name forward for a position.

I’d like to also provide details on the upcoming visit by Forest City Yacht Club. They are bringing about 30 boats from Cleveland, and will be here the weekend of August 8-10. We have given them permission to host their Saturday dinner in our clubhouse, which will be about 70 people. So, expect a lot of new faces that weekend. They are also having a Friday happy-hour at 7 pm, tentatively set for the marina pavilion, so if you’re around please do stop by and give a warm welcome.

And I’ll finish up with a quick mention on membership. We are again going to offer the discounted membership rate for anyone that joins the club in September. As part of that, we will try to have some sort of new member drive, likely the weekend of September 6 th . I was thinking of the club hosting a Texas Hold’em Tournament open to the entire marina to try and draw any new potential members. Be on the lookout for details once we’ve ironed out a firm plan, and reach out to me or other bridge members if you have suggestions, opinions, or questions.

Thanks, as always, for reading!

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Our small flotilla in Cleveland - part of this year’s Extended Cruise East!

Commodore's Corner 6/26/25

Ahoy mateys!

Welcome to the June edition of Commodore’s Corner. Let me be first to wish all of you a happy and safe Independence Day, as I may not see some people before then. Summer seems to be in full swing, and with that means that we’re all very busy trying to relax!

We knocked out the second social of the year in June, thanks so much to all the over-achievers on F and outside docks for planning and executing a great day, Chris and Karissa for chipping in (even though it cost them some pool time!), and of course Carla and Jessie for all your help, in addition to everything you both do for the socials all year. And we unveiled the “self-DJ” for the evening, let us know if you had any feedback.

Always best to heel this far on someone else’s boat!

Coming up soon, we are continuing the cruising schedule with the Middle Bass trip / Pirate Fest which flows right into the extended cruise out to Erie, PA and back. I’m pretty jealous that I couldn’t get the time off to take Portkey out to the Keystone State. Safe travels to all our cruisers.

Our next Membership Meeting / Social is on July 19th, and will be hosted by C dock. They’re calling it “BBQ & Barricade”. The food will be catered by Smoky D’z BBQ of Adrian, MI. Smoked Pulled Pork & Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes, Beans, and other sides. There will be live music from the band Barricade.

And of course, that is also the day of our Annual Stein Hospice Race. If you are interested in participating, or if you’re free to lend a hand helping run the race, please contact Larry Hurst.

Quick reminder to all members - we have a need for a Social Coordinator for next year while Carla is serving as Commodore. We also need to replace Marianne as Cruise Coordinator starting next year. If you think either of these may be up your alley, feel free to reach out to any of the bridge, we can fill you in on some of the details. And of course, if you are thinking about serving as a Trustee or Commodore position, contact any past Commodore.

Reminder that if you have a hard time keeping track of all the fun stuff we’re doing (even I can’t typically keep track of everything), the website “Events Schedule List” is kept up to date and serves as a great reminder. We also keep the HBYC facebook group updated with events and photos! If you’re not a member of the facebook group, there are QR codes to scan with your phone up in the clubhouse, or you can email our webmaster and we’ll get you added!

Thanks for stopping by to read my updates.

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 5/30/25

Commodore Sean’s Tartan “Portkey” gets launched!

Hello again, and thanks for stopping over for the late May edition of Commodore’s Corner!

Memorial Day is behind us, which I believe means that the summer boating season is now in full swing. If only the weather would start to agree…

Blessing of the Fleet Flag Raising 2025

As for the Yacht Club season, that is definitely starting to heat up. We have our first cruise scheduled for Kelleys Island in early June. Our first social / commodore’s dinner was a success, thanks so much Carla and everyone else that helped pitch in with making it such a fun time! We got the clubhouse garden area cleaned up, and had the Blessing of the Fleet – it’s been a busy few weeks and no signs of slowing down.

Our next Membership Meeting / Social is on June 21 st . It will be the start of dock wars, hosted by F and Outside Docks. More details on that to come. Plus, the first Cruiser Fun Race of the year is the same day, so please contact Larry Hurst if you’re interested in joining the fun and maybe “winning” some pickles.

Also remember that as you’re meeting all the new faces around the marina this spring to keep an eye out for those that may be interested in joining the club. Or if you see me around, you can always point me in their direction. It can be hard to ignore the persuasions of a Commodore, or so I tell myself!

Thanks again for reading. Hoping you’re all enjoying the season thus far! Stop by for a beer or a chat sometime.

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 4/23/25

Greetings everyone!  What a difference a few weeks can make!  The weather is starting to warm and the water calls us back.  We’re all excited for an awesome 2025 season!

The first social of the year is Saturday May 17th.  Venyx LTE will be performing.  Some may remember them from September of 2023 when a pair of certain rainbow-colored jackets seemed to be the hit of the dance floor It should be a great way to kick off the season.  Being the first social, we thought we would go back to a potluck style.  The club will provide a main course, but if everyone could please bring a side or dessert to share, we would appreciate it.  More details on the specifics to come in the weeks leading up to the social date.

Also remember that membership meetings are always scheduled for 5 pm just prior to the social.  It’s the best way to come and get any information on the club, or to get any questions answered or suggestions made.

There are a few changes for this year.  I’m sure many of you have heard that Janice Hearst stepped down from the Secretary position late last year.  I cannot express enough the appreciation that the Bridge and Trustees have for the many years of guidance and expertise that Janice provided.  Kathy Trask has accepted the position of Secretary for 2025, thanks so much to Kathy for taking on the role.  Additionally, Deb Crall has taken over as Sunshine Reporter, and there are quite a few new faces as Trustees, so please try to attend a membership meeting for acquaintance's sake, at the very least.

A quick reminder to get your cruise registration forms in.  The email with the form went out to membership mid-March, so it may have been easy to miss.  But the form is also available on the website under the Cruising page if you can’t find the form.  Thanks again to Marianne for all you do behind the scenes for the cruising program.

That’s all I can think of for now. 

Fair winds and following seas!

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 3/14/25

Hello all, and thanks for stopping by to read the most recent Commodore’s Corner. I’m going to try and keep these updates coming monthly, but don’t hold me to it too strictly. We’ll have to see how the year turns out.

At the end of February, we had a great showing during the Marina open house! Thanks again to all that came by to help with meeting prospective new members, it was much appreciated. We have a decent number of leads, hopefully a few will turn out. A quick reminder to keep your eyes open for any new faces around the marina this spring… a friendly HBYC member is our most effective recruitment approach.

A few news items – very special thanks to Deb Crall for taking over for the Sunshine Committee! And keep a lookout for the 2025 final cruising sign-up form. I’m told it should be available next week. Thanks so much Marianne for wrapping that up!

As we all are eagerly awaiting spring and summer to finally arrive, I will leave you with this apt poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien, which for me evokes feelings of both reflection and anticipation, both well-suited to this time of year.

I sit beside the fire and think

of all that I have seen

of meadow-flowers and butterflies

in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer

in autumns that there were,

with morning mist and silver sun

and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think

of how the world will be

when winter comes without a spring

that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things

that I have never seen:

in every wood in every spring

there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think

of people long ago

and people who will see a world

that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think

of times there were before,

I listen for returning feet

and voices at the door.

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 2/14/25

A new Commodore for 2025 means a new Commodore’s Corner post!

Commodore Sean Leengran and Lady Laura

First, I want to thank outgoing Commodore Jessie Homer for all she did in the last year, including pulling together the Winter Rendezvous after Benjamin stepped down.  It’s always fun getting together and the late-night game sessions were enlightening to say the least…

For those that don’t know me, I’m Sean Leengran and my wife is Laura Bruschi.  We’ve been at the marina since 2018 (F dock) sailing our Tartan 40 whenever we can get the opportunity.  I’m looking forward to a fun year, hopefully summer will be here before we know it.

In the meantime, we have a few events coming up at the tail end of winter.  The AYC 2025 ball is this weekend, 2/14-2/16 and I know we have several members that will be in attendance.  There’s also the Safe Harbor Sandusky Marina open house on Saturday 2/22/2025.  We’ll have a few members hanging around the clubhouse to welcome any possible new members, but if you’re free or just around that weekend, we can always use more help!  And finally, Rick Billheimer has been co-coordinating a bus trip to a few AYC clubs with All Ports Yacht club.  Details on this event, and many others, can be found on our Events page of the website. Chris has been doing a great job of updating our calendar of events there, so make sure you check for any details on Socials, Cruising, Races, Meetings, etc.  We’re still working to finalize the cruising sign-up, but that should be coming out soon!

Finally, we are still looking for someone to step in to lead Sunshine Report.  If you’re looking to help out and want more details on this small – but highly impactful – role, please let me know.

Sean Leengran

2025 Commodore

Commodore's Corner 7/1/24

I hope everyone is gearing up for an amazing 4th of July week/weekend. I know we have several boats leaving Thursday morning for our long cruise of the season and I wish you all fair weather and fun times!!

Some don't forget dates:

July 20th- our Pig Roast Social and Race to the Bay for Stein Hospice -Please sign up/pay for your meal in the club this weekend so they know how many dinners to prepare for!! Also if you would like to race please see or email Lary asap so he can calculate start times!

July 28th- Second annual Family Fun Day collaborating with the marina to put on fun activities for kids of all ages. The marina will be providing a sweet treat! Meet at the SHM pavilion at 11AM

I hope you all have an amazing week and I hope to see you up at the club!

Jessie Homer -Dock C 23 SV No Direction

Commodore 24

Commodore's Corner 4/15/24

AHOY THERE! Harbor Bay Yacht Club has a lot of exciting events and opportunities coming up! Here's a breakdown of the key details:

April 20th, 1-2 PM: Perrysburg and Lakefront yacht clubs will be visiting Harbor Bay Yacht Club. If you're available, stop by to help them have a fun time!

May 4th, 5 PM: The first membership meeting of the year will take place at the club.

May 4th, 6 PM: The first Commodore Dinner/Social with an Old World theme will be held. The menu includes dishes like sausage, sauerkraut, German potato salad, and Swedish meatballs. All food will be provided. Volunteers are needed for dinner help and clean-up. Live entertainment by the Anthony Culkar and Al Battistelli Band is planned, along with watching the Kentucky Derby with a fundraising twist (don't forget your Derby hats!)

May 4th, 10 AM: Volunteers are needed for a patio and grounds clean-up. Bring your garden tools and meet up to help spruce up the Clubhouse.

Fundraisers: Proceeds from fundraisers this year will support the Youth Organization, which offers financial support for boating classes or summer camps for children and grandchildren of active HBYC members. Approval from the board members is required.

June 1st: Cruiser fun race: please see the Racing page of our website for details and signup form! It is a just for fun race so now is your chance to get out there and have fun! There are several sailboats looking for crew, even if you have never sailed before, see a racer and have fun! 5pm our second membership meeting and @ 6pm B and members who do not dock at safe harbor will be putting on the social (more info to come) If you are a B or Outside docker please get together soon to start planning! If you would like to help but don't know who to contact please see Carla Smith, our social chair.

These events and initiatives are great opportunities for members to get involved and enjoy the club's offerings!

Can't wait to see you all soon!

Commodore Jessie Homer

(Dock D 59, sailboat: No Direction)