January 2026
North Coast Yacht Club
Quarterly Newsletter – January 17, 2026
Ike Kershaw, NCYC Commodore
Clubhouse
Stop by the Clubhouse and check out our million-dollar view of Lake Erie. The room is almost fully furnished. Comfortable sofas and chairs to relax and join in conversation or view a game on the large screen TV. A short bar is in place with a fridge for members to grab a cold beverage. Plans are underway to install kitchen items starting with a counter for food prep, a larger fridge and a sink to clean up without having to go downstairs. We will be requesting donations to help make these improvements possible.
Stairway Safety
As the Clubhouse is on the 2nd floor of the Coastal Marine facility, we are working on ways to increase safety when using the stairs. Our attempt to install a stairlift was not successful. We are now moving forward with installing a second handrail and increased lighting. Thanks to Mike Petsch for his diligent efforts trying to get the stairlift operational.
Cruising
We are still working on our full cruising program however several trips have been set. First cruise will be to Seaway Marina at Kelly’s Island, June 26-28. Second cruise will be to Middle Bass Island State Park for the Middle Bass Island Music Festival on July 11, 2026. Feel free to boat over with fellow members or take the ferry over to enjoy the music and fellowship with NCYC members. Lastly a trip to Leamington, Ontario will be led by Randy Reed over the Labor Day holiday weekend. A middle of the week cruise is still in the works.
Holiday Social
Our Holiday Social, held on December 13th was a great success. 42 members braved the snowstorm to attend the function held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Port Clinton. What a great place to hold a holiday function. All decorated for the holidays. An abundance of food was catered in by Chef’s Best, a caterer in Port Clinton with a large variety of desserts brought in by members attending. A great Wine Raffle was organized by Randy Reed with 56 bottles contributed. The first winner of 12 bottles of wine was Denise Ferguson. Also, thanks to Bonnie Bernard for donating back to the Club her half of the $300 50/50 raffle.
New Bridge and Board Members
We welcome Jarod Schmeider as our new Vice Commodore and Bart Beal as Rear Commodore. Jarod is a pilot for Progressive Insurance and lives in a lake home in the Coastal Marine community. Plans are underway to marry his fiancé, Lorrie Piotrowski, in August. Bart is a reseller of used painting and powder coating equipment. He lives with his wife Tammy on a 1969 Cris-Craft 47’ Commander in the summer and heads south to live on their 1987 Cheoy Lee Fast 66’ motor yacht in Demopolis Alabama. Denny Hilditch is starting his two-year term as Trustee. Denny lives in Warren and keeps his Bayfield 32C sailboat, Goat Shack, at Brands Marina next door to Coastal.
Membership Renewal
Membership renewal forms have at long last been sent out. Dues this year, as approved by members in December, are $350. Send a check in with your renewal form with any changes or go online to our website (northcoastyc.com) and submit payment that way. Please do your best to submit your dues as soon as you can. We start our year with limited cash and look forward to dues to pay our bills and support our members. Also the sooner members renew the sooner we know how large our membership will be for 2026.
Burning Snowman
If you are planning to visit the Burning Snowman Fest on February 28th take a moment to stop into the Clubhouse to get out of the cold. The Clubhouse will be open for members to use as a warm place to gather. We will have warm beverages and snacks available to share. In addition to participating in the festival activities, the burning of a 25-foot snowman can be seen from our Clubhouse Lake Erie facing windows. For more information go to the Shores and Islands website. (https://www.shoresandislands.com/event/burning-snowman-fest-2026)