Fund Raising Campaign for the BCC & FC Forums

FC Forum
1

I have been wondering who is funding the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter forums and did several inquiries. Cape George, although they own the tooling and rights to produce the BCC and FC, did not pick up the check for maintaining the sites on the Internet. Nor do they support the Cape George user forum. The Cape George user forum is funded by the users of the Cape George forum. Hence, we are on our own. The choice to keep these sites running, secure and spam free is up to us.

Coledata has upgraded the sites to keep them current with respect to Internet developments and security issues. As is prevalent with most websites they are constantly under attack by hackers. Why? They want your information - name, telephone number, address, e-mail address, etc. etc. This information has value to companies as well as criminals. The BCC & FC Forums are attacked about 200 times per day. Thanks to Coledata’s efforts, the site has never been breached. To constantly upgrade the site and keep it secure, Coledata constantly donates time and labor free of charge, and at their own considerable expense built the “Who’s Where” page for the site.

On checking with John Cole I find there was a request by Coledata for funding when the Sam L. Morse Company was terminated in February 2007. Only 21 donations were received out of a membership of 188 listed vessels, 567 subscribers and 850 regular viewers and yielded enough funds to carry us as far as July of this year.

Still, the sites require considerable server resources, power and maintenance. As of the current date, the cost of these services has exceeded the funds we raised last year by $300. The Forums, that’s us, are $300 in debt.

We need to raise money to keep the site on the Internet. Yes, we need a fund raising campaign. I would like to suggest a goal of $1,000. These funds will keep the site online for the current year and the next year (remainder of 2008 and the year 2009). What do the BCC & FC sites do for us? Let me list some of the benefits:

  1. Knowledge Database (There are 4995 posts on the BCC forum and 120 on the FCC forum. There are a further 8,000 archived records.),

  2. Exchange of ideas and projects,

  3. Photo gallery for a visual Internet presence,

  4. Private messaging

  5. Keep people interested in the BCC & FC,

  6. Help maintain the BCC’s & FC’s market value,

  7. Maintains a BCC & FC presence on the Internet,

  8. It’s a place where your BCC & FC questions are answered (Actual hits on the site (where data was viewed) is ~ 57,500 since January 2008.).

Please, I do not want to hear screams of charlatan, etc. etc. It’s our site and we have a choice. We can raise the funds and keep the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter forums on the Internet. I do not want to think about the other option.

I am asking you to make a donation to pay the current debt and keep the forums on the Internet. To kick off the campaign, Lenora and I of the Bristol Channel Cutter IDUNA have donated $250. You can make a donation via PayPal by clicking on the Sam L. Morse Co. logo at the top of the webpage and selecting “Owners Page” - http://www.samlmorse.com/. When the "Owners Page opens select “Donation” in the top menu bar or click on the following link - http://www.samlmorse.com/?a=donations. Checks should be posted to Coledata, BCC & FC Forums, 419D Concorde Street, Havre de Grace, MD 21078 USA

Fair Winds Shipmates,

Rod & Lenora

2

Wow, I am thrilled that we have generous individuals who believe in the importance of this website. Thank You.

Currently we have generous donations from Nica and Jeremy Waters, Thomas Winkler, Warren Frazer and Scot and Dot Odell.

If we can meet our goal of $1,000, we will have a enough funding to support the site through December 2009. We are not there yet. Please make a donation to support this website. The amount you donate is not as important as just donating whatever you can. It’s your website, the place you go to ask questions and find answers. Please make a donation and help support the website that is advertising free, spam free and secure.

To all who have made donations, Thank You, Thank You.

Fair Winds,

Rod

3

Roger:

Thank you for your generous donation. Without individuals like you and the others who have also donated generously, this website would have to shutdown. It would be history and part of the legend of the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cuter.

I do not know if it was foresight to head up this fundraiser as it was an economic necessity to raise the funds to keep the website on the Internet. So far 7 individuals have the foresight to understand how valuable the website is. That represents only 1% of the 567 subscriber to the website.

Where are the rest of the subscribers? If the subscribers would each donate $5 RIGHT NOW, we would have enough funds to keep this site online for several years. It’s not how much you donate, it’s the fact that you show your appreciation for the enjoyment most of us receive from reading the threads and project discussions that take place here. I look at the hits at the gallery and know other sailor enjoy looking at these fine boats just as much as I do.

IF YOU HAVE NOT DONATED PLEASE DONATE $5 OR $10 NOW. If you think Coledata makes any money from the funds we raise to keep the site online, you need to think again. Coledata does not even break even. John Cole does this because he believes the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter are some of the finest sea boats built. Regardless, Coledate has to meet a payroll and servers, software, human resouces and electricity cost money.

Thank You again,

Fair Winds,

Rod

4

Paul:

Thank you for your generous donation to help support this website. The BCC & FC website are so important to our community. In this age of large plastic production boats, the BCC and FC standout in any port as an example of what sea boats were all about in the age of sail. Technologies and materials have change since those times but the sea has not and our boats were built for the sea.

We just posted IDUNA’s position at Who’s Where and saw your posting for the Forked River on Barnegat Bay. Who’s Where is just cool and I believe a valuable asset for the FC and BCC website.

Again Thank You for your support.

Fair Winds,

Rod
BCC IDUNA

5

Mark of the BCC Salute:

Thank you for your generous support of this website. Its’ because of sailors like you who understand the importance of this website to the BCC and FC communities that this fund raising campaign is a success.

When we owned our Nor’star Flicka African Moon, we were alone until I started the Flicka website. Today the Flicka community is vibrant and very active. Without the BCC and FC forums we would be “out there” alone in a sailing community that believes the large plastic production boats are proper passagemakers. I believe you would tell them otherwise. Your voyage from California via the Panama Canal to the Chesapeake Bay was incredible - wow.

Again Thanks You for your donation.

Fair Winds,

Rod

6

Ben:

Thank you for your generous support of the website. One of the great aspects about this forum is we can offer support to projects such as your’s and at the same time those projects give us new ideas or ways of doing things.

Saw your Elizabeth’s posting at Who’s Where - cool.

We need younger sailors, such as yourself in this traditional boat community. It’s good to have you aboard.

Thank Again,

Rod

7

Ron:

Thank you for your generous support of the forum. It’s great that BCC sailors have come together to recognize how important this site is, especially to someone who is based in Alaska. I believe this forum keeps the enthusiam alive for these wonderful boats and can offer support to BCC’s in remote locations.

So far it’s only been the Bristol Channel Cutter family that has given support to this website. I am hoping the Falmouth Cutter family will start donating to help support the website. We have more than achieved our goal but I would like to raise about $2,000 to keep this website on the Internet for a few years before we have to have another fund raising drive. Counting our pledges, we have raised close to $1,500.

Where are the Falmouth Cutter Sailors?? Please support this website. It’s not how much you donate but that you also become an “owner” of this website. Donations of $5, $10, $20, $25 all help keep this site online. If you do not have a PayPal account send a check or a few dollars to:

Coledata
ATTN: BCC & FC Forums
419D Concorde Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
USA

The Falmouth Cutter is a wonderful seaworthy boat and some would say it is perhaps a better sailing boat than the BCC. Certainly, it was one of Lyle Hess’s favorite designs. Sailors have made incredible voyage in Falmouth Cutters.

Falmouth Cutter sailors, we need your support. Please make a donation to this website. please help keep these legends alive.

Again, Ron, thank you for supporting this site.

Kind Regards,

Rod

8

I was thrilled to see the core pledges and donations of $25. I truly believe we can support this site if we have 25 sailor donate $25 each when the next funding campaign comes around in about 2 1/2 years. This time around we have some very generous supporters.

Current the drive is about $200 short of our $2,000 goal. What we need is 8 sailors to step up to the bat and donate or pledge $25 each. Please come forth to support this website.

I will be bound for the Turkey Shoot Regatta this Sunday, hence I will not be around to be the spokesperson for the Campaign. Let’s reach our $2,000 funding goal for the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter website by Saturday.

I most apologize for not being “on the air” yesterday. Simply, I “ran out of gas” but am energized today to push for support of this website. Please reach in your pocket and make a $25 paypal donation or make a pledge and mail a check to:

Coledata
ATTN: BCC & FC Forums
419D Concorde Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
USA

9

Kate and Bernie:

The BCC and FC forums thank RogueWave Yacht Sales for your generous support of this website and every think you have done to support the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter. Wow - thank you.

We now have raised $1,790 not including outstanding pledges. Let’s go for $2,000. We need four, yes only fourn more donations or pledges to make our goal of $2,000. I am sailing tomorrow for the Turkey Shoot Regatta. If you enjoy this forum, $25 is only 48 cents per week for one year. Where else can you purchase this type of information for 48 cents per week?? If the forum answers one of your technical questions or helps your with a project, you have more than recouped your $25.

Please make a donation.

Thank You,

Rod

10

Jimmy:

Thank you so very much for your generous donation. I am thrilled we have sailor such as you who believe in this website.

We are $185 short of our $2,000 goal. Thanks to you, we are closer to reaching our goal than we were this morning.

We still have time to make the goal before I sail south for the Turkey Shoot Regatta.

Again Thank you,

Fair Winds,

Rod

11

I will mail out a check for 50.00 to help the website. This forum is a priceless thing to have for our boats.
Regards
Russ Andrews
Jolly Dolphin#3

12

Russ:

Thank you so very much for your generous donation. Wow, I am thrilled. We are currently at the $1,965 mark. Your support of this website will push us over the $2,000 mark.

Yes, where else can you go to find information about the Falmouth Cutter and have your questioned answered. I read the FC forum for new ideas and information and have help one Falmouth Cutter owner in our area several times. Hopefully he will make a contribution to this great website.

I do not believe there is a BCC’s owner who does not like the Falmouth Cutter. They are a great sailing boat and I believe they sail better than the BCC. In the late 1980’s we were sailing out of Clear Lake Texas in 25 to 30 kt of wind. At the time we owned a Dolphin 22. Off our port quarter was a Falmouth Cutter. She had her staysail sail set, a reef in the main and was riding easy in the chop of Galveston Bay. The skipper was smoking a pipe and enjoying a very comfortable ride. I will never forget that sight and how well the boat sailed. I believe the skipper’s name was Rex Johnson.

Again Thank You for your generous donation.

Fair Winds,

Rod

13

Rob & Lori:

Thank you so very much for your generous donation. As of today, we have raised $1,965. Without sailors such as yourself, this site would vanish in the Internet ether and Mon Desir, hull #18, would be “out there” all alone.

Where else can you go to find information about the length of each piece of standing and running rigging on the BCC? The source for that type of information is at this website. Your contribution to keep this website running tells me you know how important it is to have a central location for information about the BCC.

This weekend we had the rare opportunity to watch another BCC under full sail. Lightfoot was a beautiful site and expertly sailed. We were aboard Calypso. The two BCC’s received many compliments at the Turkey Shoot Regatta.

Again, Thank You for your generous donation.

Fair Winds,

Rod

14

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE BRISTOL CHANNEL CUTTER AND FALMOUTH CUTTER WEBSITE.

We, let me repeat, WE have raised $2,065 in this fund raising campaign. I want to thanK all the sailors who supported and recognized the importance of the Bistrol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter website.

Following is a list of our supporters:

Lenora Bruckdorfer
Mark Giegel
Nica & Jeremy Waters
Roger Olsen
Rob Wood
Mark Pliskin
Harry Fuller
Rogue Wave Yacht Sales
Johnathan & Chris Fulford
Tim Pieria
Paul Achenbach
Thomas Winkler
Warren Frazer
Craig Lund
Gary Mynett
Stewart Gillies
Jay OdellBob & Lois Plank
Luis Gomes
Ronald Thompson
Benjamin Eriksen
Richard Cross
Jimmy Peter
Ron Downing
Nathaniel Berkowitz

Without you, the Bristol Channel Cutter and Falmouth Cutter website would have disappeared from the Internet. It would be just another part of the history of these wonderful, beautiful seaworth boats. It may be part of the history but now it is “living history.”

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You,

Fair Winds,

Rod
BCC IDUNA

P.S. It’s not too late to send in $5, $10, $25 donation.