Well, I think we are all exhausted by this weather!  Hurricane force winds from the west, followed by gale force winds from the north and now storm force winds from the south.  We don’t have any garden to speak of to our east which is a shame as that’s the only part that hasn’t been battered, flattened and salt-burned.

It was sad to see the Club marina take such a hammering – again.  If there is anything fortunate to report it is that the webcam on the Hamilton docks was working well, so at least we have video evidence of the boat which bounced along the outside of the western camber, taking out all the electrical pedestals before banging its way down the wave attenuator on the northern side of the marina and settling on the rocks between us and our Pomander Rd neighbours, Willie & Peta White.  Let’s just hope that the owner has a valid insurance policy.  I’ve always wondered by Marine & Ports doesn’t require evidence of insurance when one registers a boat, like TCD does?  Never question the machinery of government……

If we weren’t already punch-drunk from the wind, last night’s Membership Committee meeting produced more than a flurry of its own.   24 new members were elected and have joined our ranks, with 18 further provisional members pending election.  In all the years of my involvement at RHADC, I do not believe we have ever seen so many new members, but before we get carried away by records, let us not forget that these good folks are people, not numbers.  As we welcome them into our midst, we are conscious of our responsibility to all our members: to ensure that the Club remains a sanctuary in turbulent times, to be mindful of health protocols and always plan for safely in all our activities, to embrace and welcome change as our world changes around us.  Our membership is now more diverse than at any other time in our history and chatting with some of the new members (without mingling, of course) I am struck by how far and wide some of these folks have come and the stories than bring them to our shores are as different as they are – it’s fascinating.   Others have been in Bermuda for many decades, but have just now joined our midst.  It reinforces that we are all on this small rock together and wild as the ride is, we just have to make it work!

Elspeth Weisberg
Commodore
February 3, 2020