2023 Commodore Ball: Gerald Gates Vice Commodore

Jibe talking interviews some members of the club during the 2023 Commodore Ball. Gerry Gates sits down with us a talks a little about his coming vice commodore position, and about his coming plans for the 2024 year!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Well tonight we have another special podcast for you coming to you from Jolly

(00:05):
Roger where pirates come to play they don't like me saying that so I say it
every so often but tonight we have the new incoming Vice Commodore he can
introduce himself. Well good evening good morning wherever your world is. You sound
like you're on the Truman Show that's it didn't they say that good evening good
afternoon anyways go ahead. My name is Jerry Gates I'm the new Vice Commodore

(00:28):
for Jolly Roger Sailing Club and tonight is a dinner for installation. What would
make anybody want to be a Vice Commodore at a club did you hit your
head on your boat or what? That's a really really good question you know
what there's no pay if they don't like me I'll give the check back. There you go
they could double your salary. Yeah absolutely no I don't I guess it's

(00:52):
something that you would want to take and be part of and do for the good of
the organization. It's like it's very difficult honestly to get people to
step up and do things and I decided that in the middle of last year that I would
come forth and and put my hat in to try to further develop the club and

(01:16):
enhance hopefully enhance what we do at Jolly Roger. I know I know it's very much
appreciated because you're right it is a it is hard to find people to commit to
that because it is a lot of work and it's kind of a thankless job because when
things don't go the way that people want you guys are the ones they point the
fingers at and call you blockheads and anyways of course in some cases like

(01:38):
Phil's case it might be deserved but you know but so yeah so I mean how long have
you been a member of the club let's go with that. I joined the middle of last
year okay so what would that be about 15 18 months? Close enough yeah and of course it
depends on when people hear this but yeah yeah 15 18. Now do you own a boat?

(01:59):
Actually I have several I've got a 12 foot dinghy 22 foot Catalina and a 30
foot Catalina. Now the 30 foot's new right? 30 foot's brand new from not brand
brand new to me yes. Okay what what made you think you wanted to go up to a 30?
Well the 22 is for in my mind is not big enough to actually get out past the

(02:24):
river area that we sell in and I went on the buccaneer race this past
summer. Whose boat were you on? I was on Matt's boat. Well the losing boat. Well I
don't know that you would call it a losing boat we came in third. I saw you
guys out there did you see you guys were having some issues but go ahead by the

(02:45):
way I came in second just that you didn't know and Matt came in third
anyways go ahead. I found the pliers. Thank you and that was our Commodore a Phil
Fry who keeps interrupting the podcast and he hasn't even started drinking yet
anyways but now I know but go ahead. But to continue with the story yeah I did
the buccaneer race last year yeah had such a blast out on the Lake Erie and I

(03:06):
thought there is no way in the world my wife is going to enjoy bouncing around
in a 22 out there on Lake Erie so made arrangements to pick up a larger boat
and having it haven't had it in the water yet I do have to do some work on
it but we'll get it out on the water this spring. Now does your wife like to

(03:28):
sail? I would say she enjoys it as long as she understands what to do and she's
new to sailing I sailed some 40 years plus ago so I had I have a pretty good
understanding of what needs to be done and what what to do just rusty in areas

(03:50):
where my wife is totally brand new so we went through the sailing classes that
Jolly Roger offers and I highly recommend that to any new sailor even
older sailors. I would agree. But she went through that thoroughly enjoyed it may
not fully comprehend everything but at least she has a basis now of knowledge

(04:12):
that she didn't have prior to going to those classes. Now problem is when my
wife sails with me she thinks I'm yelling at her because I say get over
there and so I think sometimes us guys have to be a little more careful about
how we give instructions. I would agree with that. And for other guys it's not a
big deal because we're just used to it and just tell people you know well we

(04:35):
can't say what we would tell them but anyways. Yeah well you know for the
ladies when you're out on the water like that and they don't have the knowledge
they they comprehend it as though you're you are scolding them if you will.
That's you know that's a good way to put it scolding maybe that's a better word I
should have used you're right. And for them we understand what we're trying to

(04:59):
get accomplished you know to make the vessel move and they may not truly
understand where the winds coming from how to how to tell where to put the
sails and different things like that. So it's okay just like when we were
younger and we were learning to sail the first time that's probably how we
should take an address and look at it as though we are again learning all over

(05:23):
and so we're actually learning to communicate to them how to become a
sailor on the water. You know it's interesting we were kind of talked a
little bit about our wives but I had the incoming commenter on and she was
telling me one of her goals is to get more women involved with sailing actually
sailing not just coming out and maybe doing the dinner or you know standing

(05:46):
on shore but and I think I would love to see that. I did a podcast on women in
sailing and it was fascinating we have a member in our club I think who's 85
Betty Mann Warren and she's talked about sailing and then we have a just a number
of ladies we have Bill Owens wife who's quite an accomplished sailor so so what

(06:09):
are you gonna do are you gonna keep three boats? Oh yes absolutely the
smaller boat can be a dinghy now for the 30-footer or a fishing boat or a small
sailboat because it because it is a sailing dinghy. Now when you mean smaller
boat you're talking about the one you built right? Yeah that's the one I built

(06:29):
yes a 12-foot. Yeah now if you guys those of you who maybe just found the podcast
for the first time you may want to check it out Jerry tells us about when he
built actually built this boat which was pretty fascinating and you're thinking
what you could pull that behind your 30? Yes. That's a good idea. Yeah I don't know

(06:51):
that it would fit up on the deck you know a lot because it's not an
inflatable. Right it'd be hard to lift under the deck probably. Well the beauty of it is it only weighs 90
pounds as big as it is I know you're looking at it over there we have it here
in the hall at the installation dinner. 90 pounds? But the boat itself only
weighs 90 pounds. A lot of those dinghies even those inflatable things weigh more than 90 pounds. Yeah it's

(07:13):
it's very light it's it's it's totally 90 pounds and with with the sails all up
if you do it that way then it's it's roughly 130 pounds. That's still not a lot. No not at all. Wow 90 pounds. Now do you use a motor on that? You can I have I have an electric outboard for it. I wish I mean those

(07:35):
electrics are seem like they're so expensive but I would love to have one of
those. Well this is a trolling electric motor. Okay okay. But I do understand what
you're talking about the new motors that are coming out for outboards. Yeah they're
pretty uh pretty intense. Over a thousand dollars normally. I mean I'm looking at
them going well I guess I'm going to be a polluter for a while more. Yeah. Of course

(07:58):
on a sailboat let's face it you don't use your motor that much it gets you out
you shut it down and you sail I mean. Right. If you're gonna be a power boat or that
is not what that's you don't want to be in a sailboat because you're going like
six knots and I don't know what would the hull speed be on a 30 probably eight
you think eight nine knots? If my memory serves me correct I think it's between
seven and eight knots. Okay. We took it out on a sea trial just before fall and

(08:25):
so I could make sure that the engine and everything was functioning correctly and
it was out there without a mess on it but we had it at about three-quarters
throttle doing eight knots no problem. Okay okay. Now what would what changes as
an incoming all of the leadership that comes in has vision what were some

(08:46):
things you are going to drive and want to see change what does he happen and
change doesn't mean that things have been bad it just means what are some areas?
You know that's a that's really a tough question for me to answer at this
juncture because the club to me currently it is such a fine well-oiled
machine that I'm not sure you know what avenues now little things might be tweaked

(09:13):
as an example you know I was thinking we could do raffling 50-50s at meetings
which aren't currently being done possibly a calendar with the events on
the calendar that you could take and purchase. I thought you meant like a like a beefcake
calendar with us like sailor guys on there or something. Oh I don't know about

(09:35):
that. No not sailors and speedos some of the members. I don't think that would go
over too well but but at any rate you know having a calendar that would have
all of the dates of events so that you know a lot of people would like to just
flip through and say oh yeah well maybe I could do that or do this or whatever

(09:55):
you know for the various functions that we have whether it be lunch bunch or
racing or or meetings or what have you things like that. So you're thinking more of a
printed thing because I know some of that's available online but not
everybody goes there so you're thinking also maybe have a few well ones who
might be able to sell to make some money. Yeah well that's what I'm thinking
you know like Ken Saban is an excellent photographer for the club. Excellent

(10:17):
photographer. We could have various photographs around the perimeter of the
calendars and one big main one on the upper sheet. Yeah so I've got some ideas
about that kind of thing. Now right now while we're on the podcast we also
have one of our members Bonnie who's getting involved. We're gonna leave this
in. No we won't. We'll edit this out. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Well yeah you're gonna buy me a drink

(10:43):
because they're free tonight. Cheap skate? Yeah cheap skate? Anyways so anyways so I
agree with you though maybe maybe change was a bad word I guess enhance because
you're right right now our our club is probably one of the healthiest it's ever
been. The numbers are up you know financials are good. We have members to

(11:05):
get involved. We had I know you guys had a number of work parties this year where
we had in excess of 20 people showing up to pull docks and right and do stuff
like that and when I started you'd be lucky to get eight or ten. Yeah and the
other thing the other thing I've noticed too is that in just a short time I've
been here the the membership has grown I'm gonna say safely 15 18 percent. I

(11:30):
agree with you. And you know a dying club does not do those kinds of things. I
agree. With numbers so our club is definitely a healthy club. I agree. It's a
club that welcomes people. It's a club that trains people and it's a club that
helps people so all of those kinds of things is what makes for the enhancement

(11:51):
of new members coming into Jolly Runners Sailing Club. I agree. Well thanks for
your time. Thank you for having me. Good luck next year. We'll be around watching. Have a good evening. Thank you.