Events

Upcoming Events:

2008 Exciting Planned Rendezvous'

under construction

Past Events:

POTTER'S COVE Rendezvous 2007

The 2007 Potter Cove Rendezvous in Narragansett Bay, held on the weekend of June 22-24 and arranged by Bill and Carolyn Waterson, attracted 13 of our member boats. Potter Cove has no facilities but there are numerous privately owned moorings which Bill was able to obtain permission for us to use. Most boats arrived Friday evening and departed Sunday. This rendezvous is unique each season because all socializing, dining, and cocktail hours are facilitated by “dinghying” from boat to boat and rafting a couple of larger boats for group functions. Of course everyone brings their own food and drink and Friday night’s cocktail party and Saturday night’s potluck dinner saw many dinghies tied off the swim platforms of the host boats. The Quonset Point Naval Air Show was being held that weekend and a number of the flight paths were over Potter Cove providing some good views of our Navy’s air capabilities.

Second Annual Meeting (pdf)

June 1-3 Mystic Seaport 2007

June 22-24 Potter Cove

August 3-5 Plymouth

Labor Day Weekend Greenport

Annual Meeting 2008

First Annual Meeting

The New England Grand Banks Owners Association 2005 Annual Meeting was held on Saturday evening on February 19 th , and it was a great success. The Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club served as a wonderful meeting place for the business meeting, dinner and the award of door prizes.

I invite all of our members to click on the Annual Meeting link and read about it and view a number of pictures that were taken during the evening.

Dave Pearson

Fall Rendezvous in Mystic

Dave Pearson

Members of the recently formed New England Grand Banks Owners Association held their first rendezvous at Mystic Seaport Marina and Museum on a cool and very breezy fall weekend. In less than six months since the formation of the organization we were rewarded with the attendance of more than twenty-five members at our initial event held on October 15th . The late season schedule coupled with the forecast of heavy weather prevented many members from bringing their boats. However, a breezy, beautiful fall afternoon made it an opportune weekend for an outing by car and we enjoyed good participation.

At right: Members enjoying afternoon cocktail party aboard the Rejoyce II. The rigging of the whaleship Charles W. Morgan can be seen in the background.

Mystic Seaport is one of the jewels of old New England that makes cruising the area so enjoyable. At the Seaport's marina berthing is near historic vessels such as the Whaling Ship, Charles W. Morgan , the Fishing Schooner L. A. Dunton , and Sabino , the last remaining wooden coal-fired, steam-powered passenger ferry in operation in the U.S. Strolling around the Seaport houses and shops offers a glimpse at how seafarers and their families lived many years ago.

The two boats and their intrepid ship's company that braved the weather were Summerhaus skippered by Bob Greenhaus and Rejoyce II skippered and crewed by Dave and Joyce Pearson. Rejoyce II , a 42 foot classic, had an uneventful cruise coming up from Wickford , RI on Friday, but Summerhaus , a 36 foot classic, braved heavy following seas for over three hours on the passage from Long Island , NY on Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless neither the boat nor the skipper were the worse for wear and Bob made it to Mystic in time to join the group for the afternoon cocktail party.

Members Howard & Becky Hopps joined us for dinner, arriving aboard Turtle , a 32 foot sedan, which is home ported on the Mystic River . They were there to participate in their local yacht club's rendezvous, but were easily convinced to join us for dinner.

Aboard Rejoyce II

Everyone gathered for cocktails aboard the very crowded Rejoyce II , many of us meeting each other for the first time. It was a congenial get together with members discovering the many interests they have in common and great discussions about issues concerning the focus and future of our organization. Ideas and suggestions were raised concerning issues as diverse as our new burgee design, renaming the organization to be more representative of our membership throughout the northeast and the desirability of conducting another mid-winter event to discuss preparations for our activities in the 2005 season. As the dinner hour approached the membership began to adjourn to the Seamen's Inne restaurant on the Mystic Seaport property.

We all reassembled in a private dining room at the Inne to continue our social discussions and partake of a fine, full course dinner. All of our officers attended and were introduced to the membership, as was Fran Morey from the Grand Banks East Coast Office located at Goat Island in Newport . Dave Pearson provided a few opening remarks and thanked everyone in attendance for their great support of our growing organization. Fran Morey reiterated the interest of Grand Banks Yachts, Ltd. in encouraging and supporting independent owner associations.

Dinner at the Seaman's Inne

During the dinner, members attending the event were rewarded for their participation with nice looking commemorative tote bags. Everyone enjoyed the evening and returned to their boats, hotels or homes with a warm feeling from the satisfying meal, libations and knowing that the organization will continue to grow and be a place where they can find friends with similar interests.

Fran Morey and Dave Pearson enjoying a light moment.

The following morning dawned clear and with a blustery wind out of the southwest. After listening to the weather forecast Rejoyce II's first mate abandoned ship and returned home with fellow member Phyllis Toomey, leaving her husband John to accompany the skipper on the ride back to Wickford , RI .

The trip to and from Mystic Seaport is as interesting as the Seaport itself. The approach up Mystic River requires passage through an Amtrak swing bridge and a bascule bridge that carries the Main Street traffic in and out of Mystic. Both bridges are on schedules that accommodate rail and automotive traffic rather than vessel traffic. Summerhaus, Turtle and Rejoyce II departed the Seaport at 10:30 to make the scheduled 10:45 opening of the bascule bridge, and fortuitously Amtrak had no trains scheduled at that time and we were able to proceed through the open swing bridge with no wait.

After a relaxing half hour ride down the Mystic we entered Fisher's Island Sound where waves out of the southwest quickly built to 5 feet or more. The Rejoyce II turned east, parting company with Summerhaus as she headed west into building seas. The Rejoyce II crew spent an exhausting five hours steering, surfing, and occasionally broaching, in following seas up to ten feet. The wiser and smaller Summerhaus prudently came about and spent one more night on the Mystic River .

Turtle, followed by Summerhaus, navigating the Mystic bascule bridge.