Go to Home Page Mobile Version Go to Home Page Desktop Version

From the Commander
Cdr William (Billy) H. Lynes, AP

I'm sure everyone by now is aware of the financial situation at the national level. And, oh yes, ours isn't much better locally. Please contribute what you can to our fund-raiser this month. A successful fund-raiser will go a long way towards removing those comments of concern from our treasurers' report.

A dues increase from national is pretty much inevitable. If (when) national mandates a dues increase it will fall upon us at the squadron level to sell it to our troops. This will become especially acute when trying to recruit new members. As the old saying goes 'there is more than one way to skin an armadillo'. Should initiation fees be raised in lieu of dues for new members? Should there be a grace period to allow for the time lapse between boating coarse and dues year? Family member dues increase? One time surcharge for all members? There are many options.

It was our privilege to have National Secretary V/C Ernest Marshburn, SN present at the District 26 Spring Conference in Georgetown. The message he brought from Chief Commander Jensen, SN encourages local input for consideration in the decision making process of how to overcome the money crunch. V/C Marshburn welcomes your comments via email, marshburn@greenvillenc.com, so that he may relate our local concerns to the national bridge.

Also of note are the comments of National Treasurer V/C Kerr, SN in "THE ENSIGN®" regarding membership retention as a means of combating income shortfall. This is definitely a squadron level endeavor. V/C Kerr suggests member involvement as a means of minimizing non-renewals. While membership retention is not a great problem at Charleston Power Squadron, I am of the belief that we could do a lot better in the area of member involvement. We have many hard working dedicated members in our squadron doing multiple tasks without complaining. Though these individuals may be reluctant to ask for help, I'm in a position to know they could use some. I'll ask for all. Please lend a hand if you can to lighten the load of these strong members. I'm sure you'll find the experience very rewarding. With over two hundred members in the squadron, there's no reason for anyone to be overloaded. Further, I don't think we'd be hard pressed to find two hundred tasks to do in a squadron year. If everyone puts their oars in the water Charleston Power Squadron will go further easier.

We at Charleston Power Squadron are planning to host a family oriented, fun filled District 26 Fall Conference and Change of Watch this October 19th thru 21st. I can't praise Past Commander Boo Ward, JN and her committee enough for putting all this together. The exact itinerary with time of events is still being finalized but this is what we are planning.

The main event will take place at Town and Country Inn on Savannah Hwy. District Administrative Officer D/Lt/C Marge Schulte, SC will be taking reservations.

Friday evening at Buzzard's Roost Marina will be an oyster roast and, of course, hot-dogs will be available for those who wouldn't dare put one of them in your mouth. Also, for this event we have a Raingutter Regatta planned. To make everyone competitive you must use a BSA Raingutter Regatta Kit. I encourage everyone to buy their kit in advance so that your creativeness will be evident in your completed yacht. The kits are available at your local BSA store or BSA catalog for $3.95. I will have a limited number of kits available at the event and one put together at the last minute can be competitive, it just won't be pretty. Competition will be in three age groups, born thru 12, 13 thru 17 and 18 thru Strom. Trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place and best in show in each age group.

Saturday will of coarse be the very informative and enlightening Fall Conference. The Spouse's Luncheon and Day Trip will be a guided tour of historic Charleston and lunch at an excellent restaurant. Shopping time will also be built in. Children's Activities for Saturday will take place at Charlestown Landing, the site of the original Charlestown, established in 1670. This is a very interesting place even if you're not children.

Saturday evening will be the District Change of Watch and Banquet at the Town & Country. Also, in an adjacent banquet room, will be pizza and a movie for the children. This will be well chaperoned and supervised and right next door if parents want to look in on their future Power Squadron members. Entertainment by a very funny comic guest is also planned. Please do not slip out of the banquet and stay over there watching the movie.

Sunday Brunch will be at the Charleston Maritime Center overlooking Historic Charleston Harbor. Afterwards you are encouraged to spend some time enjoying more of our beautiful city. The Maritime Center is right next to the South Carolina Aquarium and the IMAX Theater.

You'll note that I haven't mentioned cost. Prices will be announced ASAP based on numbers of participants but will be as minimal as possible.

EDUCATIONAL OFFICER

Lt/C Steve Rawe, N

Thanks again to those squadron members who participated in the PublicBoating Course at Hobcaw Yacht Club. Thirty-two out of forty-seven participants were able to take the examination and several of these have joined our squadron.

A Boat Smart Course will be held on Saturday 5 and 12 May at Duncan's Boat Harbor in North Charleston. This is our abbreviated two-day course lasting four hours each Saturday. The same material as the public Boating Course, with the exception of coastal navigation, is covered in a condensed version. This format is convenient to some members of the public who are unable to participate in the longer course.

Congratulations to Jim Davis, Steve Kromer, John Milton, and David Walsh for successfully completing the Marine Electronics Course. Gene Gilfillin, N, has ably instructed this course. Gene and John Milton also successfully completed the Instructor Qualification course taught by Peggy Bauer, AP. Peggy and John Patten, SN continue to devote their time unselfishly and successfully in the instruction of their courses. Frankie Clemons, Lee Mims, Johan Prins, Mar Jia Sindram, David Walsh, Wendy Walsh, and John Barcza successfully completed John's Seamanship Course.

Gene Gilfillin by completing the IQ course has become our most recent Full Certificate (SN) member. Congratulations again to Gene!

EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Lt/C  J. Stephen Yeomans, P

There is a ton of activities happening for you to get involved with in the squadron! The most important (to me) is the preparation for National Safe Boating Week (19 - 25 May). We will be stuffing safe boating packets before the May Executive Committee meeting (starting at 1800). These packets will have information not only about the squadron, but also about many different types of safety issues concerning boats and the water. They will be handed out during Safe Boating Week by our Vessel Safety Examiners, and anyone in the squadron who can help get the word out regarding safety on the water.

By the time you read this, the In-Water Boat Show at Charleston Harbor Marina will have come and gone. These shows are one of our best (and cheapest) opportunities to stress to the public the importance of our educational offerings, as well as the opportunity to be in the squadron. We routinely get pages of names and phone numbers of people who want more information on what we have to offer and, in reality, many of our basic boating students come from these boat shows. They are fun. They are free. They net us new members. Why is it a challenge to find workers for our booth? If you've been in the squadron more than a year, and have not yet donated two (2) hours of your time to work one of the two (2) shows Charleston has each year, please get in touch with me. I just have to ask what the holdup is. Involvement is FUN!

Speaking of involvement AND safety, the Vessel Safety Examiner's program is up and running full swing. These masters of preparedness inspected many vessels during the recent Hornik Cruise, and are looking to continue their quest toward boating safety during National Safe Boating Week. They would, however, like to swell their numbers. If you would like to get involved, please get in touch with P/C Tony Ward, AP, and let him know you would like to go through the training for this very important USPS program.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER  
 Lt/C  Vince Lombardo, P

Fourteen squadron members braved the morning sunshine and soft breezes on 10 March 2001 to search for geodetic marks in the West Ashley and Johns Island areas. We divided into four teams and with compass, GPS, shovel, and measuring tape, set out to successfully recover 17 marks. By "recover", we mean to have located and examined survey disks placed over the years by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the National Geodetic Survey, and the South Carolina Geodetic Survey.

The recoveries have been transmitted to the National Geodetic Survey by a new online reporting system that came on stream 1 April 2001. USPS 77-4 forms have been prepared for submission to our District Cooperative Charting Chairman, our own D/Lt/C Vince Lombardo, S, so that the squadron and individual members will receive proper credit for the recoveries.

Special thanks to the squadron members who took part in the recovery outing: P/D/C Kenneth Beeber, SN, P/D/C Robert A. Gissell, SN, Lt Michael S. King, AP, Joan King, AP, D/Lt/C J. Vincent Lombardo, S, Robert J. Lovinger, Sophie L. Lovinger, Cdr William H. Lynes, AP, William Marinko, P, Lt Corrin Marinko, JN, P/D/Lt/C Kathryn Page, S, Sarah H. Shiner, S, and David E. Walsh.

P/C Frederick Wichmann, AP, also recovered marks that are placed close by his home.

The United States Power Squadrons in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is sponsoring a National Vessel Safety Check day on June 2nd. All West Marine Stores and all Boat US stores except four will provide space, advertising and promotion such as flyers and safety items discounts to the general public.

The "Hello all Stations" is a call to all USPS and Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examiners for their help in coordinating the manning of all participating locations with Vessel Examiners. Vessel Examiners already work with many yacht clubs, marinas and use boat ramps around the country. This is also included. We have over 1,000 VEs in USPS and over 8,000 in the Auxiliary for a total work force of 9,000! All Safety Checks with the date of June 2nd will be used to determine the success of this day.

Our Goal is to increase the public awareness of this fantastic program. Helping to save lives is a great bonus! More details will be forthcoming in the Ensign and various other forms of communication. Thank you for your support of the Vessel Safety Check Program!

P/D/C Luis Ojeda, JN, USPS National Chair VSC

What, exactly, are dock lines? There are really two types, the first of which is those used to secure your boat to your home slip, or someplace for an extended stay when you won't be constantly around to check. The other type (which we'll call TRANSIENT lines) are those that you will carry with you to moor at a public landing, the yacht club, a friend's pier, rafting with friends or for cruises where you will tie up at different docks or marinas.

You should carry at least six lines with you at all times for safely mooring your boat. They should be 10% longer than your boat (a 30' boat will need 33' lines, measured from the tip of the eye to the bitter end). If you decide that all of the lines don't have to be that long, you may decide that four of the lines can be slightly shorter to be used for bow and stern lines (spring lines must be longer).

The advantage to having all of the lines long enough for springs is that you don't have to search for the proper length. Why four bow and stern lines ? If you are lucky enough to get a slip at your next overnight stop, you will need four and you will need one or two spring lines to control forward and aft motion.

What size (diameter) line do you need? We show below suggested sizes recommended by reliable marine supplier. But first, before selecting your chosen diameter, consider the size of your cleats. It is fruitless to select lines to large for the cleats on your boat. Cleats should measure 1 inch in length (measured from tip to tip) for each 1/16 inch of line diameter. For example, a 1/2 line (8/16 inch) requires an 8-inch cleat. If your cleats are too small for the line recommended, consider replacing them.

Boat length to: 27' 28-36' 37-45' 46-54'
Line Diameter: 3/8" 7/16" 1/2" 5/8"

Although there are a number of different materials used for lines, we will only consider the two main types used for this purpose. For purposes of transient docking, nylon is the generally preferred material. Nylon comes in three strand twisted and braided construction. Three strand is cheaper, size for size, has more stretch (desirable for this purpose) but is rougher on the hands. On the other hand, braided lines tend to snag on rough pilings and other abrasive materials and generally have a shorter life when used for dock lines.

Each transient line should have an eye splice on one end. It is desirable that the eye be large enough to slip easily over the size piling you expect to encounter. Splicing the eye may affect your choice of construction material depending on who is going to do the splicing. Most people find splicing three strand is more to their liking than splicing double braided line.

From the US Coast Guard Operations Newsletter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be sure to visit the new site of
COMMANDER BOB'S BOATING SAFETY NOTEBOOK
http://www.commanderbob.com/

Since this article is being written prior to the Spring Governing Board, I thought I'd write, not about national events, but about something important at the squadron level. Please re-read the title of this piece again, then think about it.

Yes, I'm thinking about the Boner Award, and what it stands for. The Boner Award is usually given for a gross violation of good seamanship or navigational skills. The boating season is upon us, and its time to start adding up points.

Last year, the award was not given for a gross violation of seamanship or navigational skills. It was given to the ever elegant and graceful Cindy for having boots shorter than the water depth when wading ashore at the Cape Romain Cruise.

I think this is a tribute to the boating skills of our members. Maybe we were thinking and paying attention when we were on the water last year, and didn't do dumb things. Maybe we put into practice the many lessons of our USPS courses. Maybe we followed the USPS Pledge "to promote and perpetuate high standards of navigation and seamanship." It sure looks like we practiced what we teach and preach; we did well enough in our boating that we had to search for a reason to give out the award.

May we do as well during the 2001 boating season. While it is always good for a laugh when we hear about one of our members doing something dumb on the water, it's also very nice to think about our members not doing something dumb on the water. May we all have a safe and happy boating season. May it be as successful as last year so we will have to think hard to find a reason to give out the Boner Award.

Having recently accepted the responsibilities of Meetings Chair, I want to encourage you to send me your ideas for venues and speakers. We'll be trying some new things and really NEED your reactions as we go along.

The first big change will be at the 10 May meeting which will be held at Headquarters beginning at 1930(1830 Happy Hour) It will be a Strawberry Festival. We ask you to bring your favorite Strawberry dessert to share. We'll only have coffee and dessert for this meeting. There will be a $3.00 fee if you don't bring a dessert.

We have a very exciting program. Charlie Sneed of The Spirit of South Carolina Tall Ship Project will tell us all about what's happening. You may have heard that a Tall Ship is being built here. Now you'll get the insider's scoop. Check out their web site at www.scmaritime.org [Note: this is a dead link as of 15Dec2013]

Come aboard to experience fun and safe boating among the greatest folks on the globe- Members of the Charleston unit of The United States Power Squadron.

Bob and Mary Gulbrandsen, (804 Law Lane, Mt. Pleasant, 29464, 884-0798)
Eric Andersen, (684 Libby's Point, Mt. Pleasant, 29464, 216-8658)
Ty Brown and Becky Boyd and son Ben Boyd, (2408 Maybank Hwy, John's Island, 29455, 559-5932)
Neil and Deborah Fisher, (738 Jim Isle Dr., 29412, 406-7505)
Mona Krall (1161 Plantation Ln., Mt. Pleasant, 29464 971-0936)
Cynthia and Lloyd Sutton, (2943 Foxhall Rd., Charleston, 29414, 556-2389)

Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Frankie Clemmons, Membership Chairman