The meeting at Bayland Community Center was called to order at 7:05. Officers in attendance were Brent Hwang, Commodore; Greg Fan, Vice Commodore; Bruce Bodson, Fleet Captain; Christy Long, Newsletter Editor; Alice Nissen, Recorder; Natalie Wiest, Ex-Officio; and Tom Douglas, Conservation Chairman. A total of 17 people attended the meeting in person and 10 attended via Zoom. The last month’s general meeting minutes were approved.
Tom gave the conservation report. The San Marcos River Cleanup, sponsored by TRPA, was on March 4th, which is the longest river cleanup in the USA. A total of 200 people took part in the cleanup of which 10 were HCC members. Christy thanked those who helped with the dinner and cleanup. Tom stated TRPA has an updated website. On March 11, Buffalo Bayou Regatta will take place. Registration is on the Buffalo Bayou Partnership website. On March 25, Armand Bayou Trash Bash Event on Armand Bayou, which has over 600 participants. Natalie is HCC leader and signup is on the event calendar. It is necessary to sign our waiver and their waiver. Harris County On-Site Wastewater Seminar: an all-day seminar will be held at Trini Mendenhall Community Center. This affects all of us as there are many septic tanks in our area.
Bruce gave the fleet captain’s report. There have been two events since last meeting with 13 participants, 12 members and 1 nonmember, for a total of 14.5 miles and 118 total miles for the year. On February 25, Lake Charlotte Challenge Recon for 11 miles. It was manageable, no obstructions, good current. San Marcos River Cleanup for 3.5 miles. Upcoming events: on March 11, Buffalo Bayou Regatta for 8.8 miles; on March 5, Ides of March Paddle in Arkansas; on March 18, Brazos River SH159 to FM 529 for 20 miles; on March 24-26, Inaugural Paddle Fest at Bastrop; and on March 25, Ouachita 49er training run for 40 miles on the Trinity River, US 59 to SH105. On April 1, Lake Charlotte Challenge for 1.2 miles and 9.8 miles. Race map shown with a written description. We are still looking for sponsorship. We will provide water and granola bars.
Greg announced our speaker, Richard Cunningham, who is a member of HCC, and will speak about “The Challenge of Sailing a Kayak.” Richard began by stating that it is not difficult but can be confusing. There are many types of sails: the most basic is the downwind sail; umbrellas and kites also work but you have less control. He showed an interesting video of kayak sailing. There are lots of store-bought downwind sails. Fixed sails work best but can get in the way, i.e., under a bridge. A bigger sail is faster but less stable. Outriggers stabilize the kayak, and a keel makes all the difference. Sails are easy to install and use. Richard brought his own kayak to the meeting and demonstrated how easy and quickly the sail goes up and down. Lee boards add stability and keep the kayak from drifting sideways. The lee board is used on the opposite side of boat where wind is blowing and pushes back against going sideways. Sails are easy to install and dismantle without tools. Lots of questions were asked. We were all impressed with Richard’s craftsmanship and great setup on his kayak. Richard’s presentation was enjoyed by all and a few of us were inspired to try this new sport.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.