Lift-in scheduled

With the Memorial Union reconstruction/money laundering in full swing and Hoofers torn up for the duration, there hasn't been much news this winter.

However, in a sign that spring isn't too far off now, keelboat lift-in has tentatively been scheduled for Sat May 25 at 8am. We are being "safe rather than sorry" but keep in mind that this was one of the coldest March's on record in Wisconsin. See recent photo above (note the construction equipment just visible at far left).

The current weather forecast is for more snow this Wed-Thurs.

Pirate exhibit

Not much Hoofer news these days (does Hoofers even exist anymore?) but for those who are gung ho for Pirate's Day, and who live in the Madison/ Wisconsin area, you might want to check out the traveling exhibit on real PIRATES.

The exhibit opened last week at the Milwaukee Public Museum and will be there through May.

With the season winding down, there isn't a lot going on at Hoofers. Keelboat liftout is re-scheduled for this coming weekend. The Tech Intergalactics are on Oct 21 and after that the Buccaneer's Ball on Oct 25, but that's about it. Meanwhile, here's a video we came across (right) that might help lighten up the fall atmosphere.

Hoofer Shakedown

Uh oh. He's baaack! It seems that JC is once again "teaching" ASA lessons (check out the current lessons calendar). Hoofers is able to fill these expensive lessons because, as P. T. Barnum noted, there's a customer born every minute.

Is it too late to get your money back? (answer: yes, no refunds.) But here's some inside info: our recent post explained why Hoofer ASA lessons are not a good idea. They don't qualify you for anything, much less to skipper a charter yacht. Better to just join Hoofers and take lots of keelboat lessons.

But that comes with its own set of problems. If you can avoid being ripped off, and if you can stay out of club politics, you can learn learn a lot about sailing.

But it takes years to learn to become a good sailor, and Hoofers pretending that they can teach you in a short course is simply dishonest. You might learn something in a Hoofer ASA course: what not to do. But that's not the same as learning to sail.

Check out the video above to see what a Hoofers ASA sailing "lesson" is really like. NOTE: keelboats do not launch off the canoe pier!

Rnc Roc Boc

So far, the Republican National Congress (RNC) (anyone watching?) has been a clinic in how to manipulate people through lies, misdirection, and slander. In this case they're trying to get people to vote for them. But the same tactics are used by Hoofer "leaders", e.g. Board of Captains (BOC) members, to further their own positions within the club, to obtain benefits for themselves, and so on.

Republicans [Club leaders] have no interest in helping the general population [membership] or in strengthening the economy [club]. Their one and only goal is to obtain power and money for themselves. Eerie, isn't it..?

Anyway, check out the lakefront in this photo (above) taken on Saturday. The hottest summer on record, and the swim pier and sloop pier are both gone in August due to the Union construction. But hey, are we gonna have one badass glass box for rich folks on the Terrace!

In other news, the club has a new A-scow toy, although the donation may or may not be official yet. Things are so disorganized right now it's hard to know what's what. AUG 31 UPDATE: This evening, the A came in, kept both sails up flogging in a gusty (but gorgeous) 10-20kn east wind for more than half an hour, then sailed off into the dark without lights around 8:45pm and disappeared. Truly Hooferesque.

What's wrong with this picture?

Check out the photo (at right), taken today. Those are semi-sized cargo containers where the sailboards, 420s, and FJs should be! Handsome, aren't they. ;)

Believe it or not, those beauties are the new Chartroom (left) and storage room (right). Er, is it the new boathouse (left), and canoe storage (right)? Actually, it may be the new shop (left) and lifejacket storage (right). For the next year, those metal boxes will substitute for all Hoofer interior spaces--even when it's 90 degrees outside.

It looks like very few boat repairs will get done over the next year. We recommend asking for fluorescent lamps as they give off less heat than regular light bulbs, though it probably won't make much diff. Have fun in there, guys!

In a way, Hoofer employees deserve this torture for demanding millions in improvements and sticking 40,000 other UW students with the bill.