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EDUCATIONAL OFFICER
Lt/C Stephen C. Kromer, P

Since this is the last issue of the Palmetto Log for the year, it is time for you to start thinking about what classes you would like to take in the spring. We would like to offer Advanced Piloting, Marine Electronics, Instructor Development, and Sail. We may also try to do Seamanship and Piloting for the new members who have joined the squadron in the last few months. It really depends on what y'all want. Please call me at 843-851-9112 or email me at skromer@tariffs.com and let me know. In the January issue of the log we'll provide specific schedules and instructor assignments. We are probably going to start these classes in mid-February. Why? It gives us all a chance to rest up from the holidays. Besides Janice and I are planning on a month long cruise to Florida in January and early February and we all know that we can't start the classes without me.

On Saturday 11 October the current piloting class did a compass deviation table for No Sense. Thanks to Wendy and David Walsh and Bob Gulbrandsen for crewing. I think the students learned a lot about doing a deviation table. Our next on-the-water training will be on Saturday 15 November during the Bohicket cruise. What we plan to do is a dead reckoning exercise around the Deveaux bank and then some plotting exercises using charted navigation aids. We have room for more folks to come on this trip, so if you want to brush up on your piloting skills come on along.

Now, just to prove all boaters have something loose in the thinking department, only a boater would spend a week getting to and from Myrtle Beach. As most of you know the District Change Of Watch is in Myrtle Beach this year. So, figuring that I was supposed to go, I starting thinking about it and decided that old No Sense could use a little vacation. Three days up, two days at the Change of Watch, three days back. Pure genius. Invited Wendy and David Walsh to crew. They said yes. Makes you wonder how they got voted into the squadron doesn't it? Oh well, at least the weather should be nice.

Steve

SAFE BOATING THROUGH EDUCATION

Thank you, also, to everyone who has helped with the Squadron's activities this year!!! There are so many people who have helped with everything this year - Just keep in mind that there are always openings for more people to help, as well.

Following the 8 November Change of Watch Ceremony will be our Holiday Party in December. The Party will be held on the second Thursday, that is the 11 December; festivities will begin at 1830. Please see party details elsewhere in this edition of The Palmetto Log.

Please, everyone, think of what you will help out with on this upcoming year's committees and activities. The Squadron has many openings in many different departments that will need to be filled before the New Year really kicks into gear. If you don't know what you want to do, take a peek at the Squadron Job Descriptions that the Bridge Officers have - that should help with decisions, also.

Everyone who is interested in participating in a Saturday course on First Aid and CPR, please contact me. It will take place during the winter months of this upcoming year; the course will be all day with a lunch provided. I truly need to know if there is an interest within the membership before scheduling this event to please let me know. Thank you!

For any more information on anything mentioned in this article, or anything else, please feel free to contact me at (843) 875-0510, or at cfyedisto@aol.com. Thank y'all!!

Cat

A Port Captain is a member of the United States Power Squadrons®, who stands ready, at all times of his or her choosing, to provide advice and assistance to USPS® members, and if the Port Captain chooses, to others making contact.

The Port Captain can recommend mechanics, sail makers, and repair yards in the area as well as medical and dental facilities in his or her locale. The Port Captain can also direct weary sailors and boaters to local restaurants and motels.

The Port Captain is familiar with the activities of local USPS® squadrons, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

While Port Captains are under no obligation to provide more than friendly advice, they are persons who enjoy meeting people and serving their fellows.

Still, their primary expertise lies in their knowledge of local waters and unmarked hazards to safe navigation. The objective is to provide information, reliable advice and comradeship. Their aim is make fellow members feel they are welcome and have found a friend.

It is inevitable that word of the program will circulate through the boating public....Port Captains are to project the image of being part of a fraternal organization devoted to boating safety. Persons interested in USPS® or the public Boating Course (SM) will be referred to their nearest squadron commander or squadron educational officer.
Knowledge, seamanship, service to others, friendship and fraternity -- this has been the essence of the United States Power Squadrons® since 1913.

I would like our squadron to have a Port Captain for each of the marinas in the Charleston Area and for the various rivers and canals in our area.. If you would be interested in serving as a Port Captain for either your home marina, or for any portion of the local waterways, please contact me. It's not much work, and it's a great way to communicate with our fellow mariners. You can reach me in the evenings at 821-1861, or during the day at 873-9200, ext 7126. My email address is jkromer@tariffs.com.

Janice

With a new Bridge and Officers right around the corner, I will begin working on the 2004 Directory to keep you in touch with your squadron. Now is a good time to be sure that I have your latest information. Please check your 2003 Directory, do I have the correct address and phone contacts? How about your e-mail address, do we even have yours? If not you could be missing out on a lot of information about your squadron. The e-mails sent out are taken from our directory listings. If you have any corrections or new information for me, please contact me at morningstar804@msn.com or write to me at 804 Law Lane, Mt. Pleasant SC. 29464.

Our new E-mail updates seem to be a great success; we try to keep you abreast of the latest events and changes to the schedule as posted in the Palmetto Log. I can't keep you informed if I don't know how to reach you. If you're not receiving squadron e-mails now, then I'm missing your address or have the wrong one. All members should be seeing at least two such messages each month. I need your help to make this work, Thanks.

Bob

As recreational boaters, we need to remind ourselves that the medium in which we operate is three-dimensional. Most of our time is spent peering over the bow of the boat, making sure we don't let something else share the same piece of water that we're moving toward…like another boat, or a pier or a floating oak timber. Then there's the second dimension -- that which lies abeam. We use this dimensional viewpoint primarily to watch another boat overtaking, or checking to see if the buoy we're passing is the one we noted on the chart, or just to see if the leaves on shore are starting to change color.

But we don't pay a lot of attention to the third dimension of our boating environment, the somewhat mysterious part that lies beneath the surface.

Occasionally, and unfortunately, we are jolted with a reminder that we are operating in three dimensions, and bring home evidence of it in the form of a prop ding or a gouged keel, or worse. Oh, there are a lot of objects lying in wait below the surface for our propellers and keels to kiss…rocks, stumps, wing dams … divers.

In about 1958, probably in response to lots of close calls between boaters and divers (advantage -- boaters), and largely the result of an increased interest in diving as a recreational sport, red flags with white diagonal stripes started to appear on vessels and floats in various parts of the country. The flag was a modification of the Navy number 7 flag, which was all red with a single vertical white stripe. It was bright and distinctive, and with the white stripe modified on a slant, rather than vertical. Michigan was the first state to officially recognize the new flag for what it was, and soon after, it became recognized far and wide as the "diver down" flag.

In the first few years following the introduction of the diver down flag, there was widespread confusion by boaters as to the meaning of the flag. Only a savvy few recognized its meaning as it waved at them from the spreader of a larger vessel, or from the antenna of a smaller vessel, or from a float on the surface of the water. When flown from vessels, most recreational boaters, who considered them just more yacht decorations, ignored them. And when displayed on floats, diver down flags often were the target of boaters who interpreted them as mid-channel markers. (Have you noticed that whenever a boater doesn't understand the meaning of a navigational aid, they consider it to be a mid-channel marker?) Some boats pulling water skiers used them as slalom markers. In the early years, even dive clubs and dive enthusiasts misinterpreted the meaning of the diver down flag. Some divers would fly the flag from their boats even when no divers were in the water, believing that the flag was simply to show support for the sport.

It's interesting to note that the red with white diagonal striped diver down flag is recognized by statute in most states, where restrictions are placed on how close you may come to the flag (usually 100 or 150 feet), but no mention is made of the diver down flag in the Inland or International Navigation Rules. The Navigation Rules do specify a flag to be used on vessels conducting underwater operations, including diving. The flag, which must be rigid, often is referred to as a dive flag. But the flag (the Alpha, or "A" flag) is more broadly required in cases where a vessel is restricted in its ability to maneuver. So even though when diving operations are being conducted it is appropriate to fly the Alpha flag, it would not be entirely correct to refer to the Alpha flag as a "diver down" flag, since it is flown in other situations as well.

But the message is the same. Whether it's a swallow-tailed Alpha flag, or the more familiar red rectangle with diagonally striped "diver down" flag, stay clear.

There is one more little known but related flag that is used in diving operations, and that is the "P" flag. The flag is blue and rectangular, with a smaller white rectangle in the center. Although the use of the "P" flag is not exclusive to diving situations, vessels conducting diving operations very often will fly the flag to signal a recall of all personnel back to the ship. So if you see a "P" flag flying from a vessel, slow down and be cautious. There may be people in the water.

In the years since the introduction of the diver down flag, diver associations and dive clubs have conducted extensive educational campaigns to make boaters aware of the diver down flag and its serious significance. Unfortunately, most boaters still don't recognize the flag or its meaning, even though it alerts us to the most serious underwater hazard that we can encounter…people.

So, be alert for the diver down flag, or any other signal that might indicate that there are swimmers or divers in our boating third dimension.

From Commander Bob's Boating Safety Handbook, www.commanderbob.com

Following the 8 November Change of Watch Ceremony will be our Holiday Party in December. The Party will be held on the second Thursday, that is the 11 December; festivities will begin at 1830. The Party will take place at Headquarters as in years past. Provided will be a potpourri of finger foods and munchables along with homemade eggnog and spiced cider. The bar will also be available. Please bring with you a wrapped toy for the Jenkins Orphanage (please have a tag attached identifying the toy inside). For those interested in participating, please also bring a wrapped gift for the ever-so-famous Chinese Gift Swap. $6.00 per person will be asked for at the door. Please call me (875-0510) or e-mail me (cfyedisto@aol.com) no later than Tuesday, the 9 December, to be included in the headcount.

Our 8 January 2004 Members Meeting will feature a Chinese Auction. For those unfamiliar with this type of event, Chinese Auctions are a combination of an auction and a raffle. Each participant buys a certain number of tickets for a set price. He or she then uses those tickets to "bid" on a variety of donated items on "auction". They can bid as many tickets as they wish on each item they are interested in, by depositing the tickets in a container assigned to that item. Rather than going to the highest bidder though, as it would at a regular auction, the item goes to the person whose ticket is drawn, at random, from the container.

This is an ambitious undertaking for me, and I am going to need help if we are to make this event fun and profitable for the squadron. Most import - we need donated items. Ideally, the items would be of a nautical nature, but anything that you no longer need, but is in good shape, will do. We will accept anything except clothing. The items can be brought to the meeting by 1800 so we will have some time to set up for the auction. The menu that night will be finger food, and everyone participating should bring something we can munch on while members are bidding on the auction.

I need volunteers to help with the set up, sell the auction tickets, and do the drawings. Please contact me as soon as you can if you are interested in helping. ----- WARNING, IF I DON'T HEAR FROM VOLUNTEERS SOON, I'LL BE MAKING PHONE CALLS AND BEGGING FOR HELP! As always, you can call me at 821-1861, 873-9200 ext 7126 during the day, or email to jkromer@tariffs.com.

On the afternoon of 21 September Paul Yura of NOAA gave a very interesting presentation to 12 of our members at headquarters. Paul spoke on "Spotting Severe Weather" and taught us the signs of oncoming storms and
tornadoes. The thrust of the program was to train us to become officialweather spotters for NOAA, and many of us signed up for the program. Paul is an interesting speaker, and some of the pictures he had of cloud formations and actual storms were fabulous. We have invited him tospeak at one of our upcoming general membership meetings as he has valuable information for all of us! Once we have final arrangements made with Paul, we'll let you know when you can hear his interesting stories.

Arrangements have not been finalized yet, but I thought I'd try to give you a "heads up" on what we are planning for our Members Meetings for the next couple of months. More will be offered on each meeting as we finalize the locations, etc.

12 February - Paul Yura of NOAA has agreed to be our speaker for this meeting. Paul gave many of us a tutorial in September on how to recognize severe weather, and a few of our members are no "Official Weather Spotters" for NOAA. Paul is an interesting and entertaining speaker.

6 March - Yes, that's right - Saturday, 6 March !!!! We thought we might try something different this year, and combine one of our Member Meetings with the cruise schedule. We picked the Hornick Cruise at Buzzards Roost scheduled for March. This is very tentative yet, as I have to obtain permission from our ExCom to change a meeting from the second Thursday of the month. (Nothing like announcing early and putting a little pressure on ExCom to agree!)

8 April - We have invited Claiborne Young to be featured at our April meeting. He hasn't responded yet, but I know he has been traveling. I hope to hear from him soon, and I'll keep you updated.

If anyone has any ideas or subjects they would like covered in future meetings, I am always looking for suggestions. Keep in touch!

Janice Kromer

The Annual Bohicket Cruise will be held over the weekend of 14, 15, 16 November. Please make your reservations at the marina as early as you can. The telephone number of the Bohicket Marina is 768-1280. There will be a potluck, byob, dinner at 1800 Friday onboard No Sense for anyone coming in or driving down on Friday night.

On Saturday, Steve Kromer and John VanWay will be taking the current Piloting students out on No Sense for on-the-water training. Anyone who would like to go along for the ride is welcomed. Please just call Steve at 821-1861 or email him at skromer@tariffs.com and let him know you plan on going on No Sense.

Saturday night will be a dinner at The Privateer restaurant and departure from the marina will be on Sunday morning. Please call me at 821-1861 in the evenings, 9873-9200 ext 7126 during the day, or email me at jkromer@tariffs.com if you plan on participating in any of the events during this great weekend.

The meeting was called to order by Commander Vince Lombardo at 1925 at the Headquarters Building. Those in attendance were : 1st/Lt Corrin Marinko, Lt/C Bob Gulbrandsen, Lt/C Charlotte Yeomans, P/Lt/C Martin Gipe, Lt Richard Finn, P/C William Lynes, Lt/C Loretta Lombardo, P/R/C Ed Kridler, P/Lt/C Cindy Kridler, P/D/C Bob Gissell , P/C Steve Yeomans, Lt/C Steve Kromer, Lt/C Janice Kromer, 1st/Lt David Walsh, Lt Wendy Walsh, Lt Nelson Hicks, P/R/C Ed Kridler. A quorum was established. The minutes for the month of September were approved and accepted as published in the Palmetto Log.

Executive: Per Lt/C Charlotte Yeomans: Thanks to Kirk and Daine Williams for manning the safe boating booth at Boat US. Also a well done to Bob Gulbrandsen for the set up and knock down of the same booth.

Educational: Per Lt/C Steve Kromer: Good news, we are having great turn outs for our educational courses. More details will be in the log.

Administrative: Per Lt/C Janice Kromer: Upcoming events are as follows the Shallotte River squadron event. The annual meeting will be Thursday the 9th of October. Bohicket Cruise is upcoming in November; please make your reservations soon. The annual Oyster Roast will be at hosted by Fred and Joyce Wichmann at Todd Hall on the 25th of October.

Treasurer: Per Lt/C Loretta Lombardo: The squadron remains solvent. The audit will be completed by the weekend of the 4th of this month. Questions about the possibility of posting the monthly budget in the Palmetto Log. It was decided due to the log being mailed to people other than squadron members this would not be possible.

Secretary: Per Lt/C Bob Gulbrandsen: Work has begun on the 2004 Squadron Directory; I will be looking for input as to new information from all our members. Nelson Hicks has undertaken a new section in the Palmetto Log called Members Boats. We need photos from our executive committee members to get the ball rolling. Please send your pictures and articles in to Nelson or Myself.

Commander: Per Cdr. Vince Lombardo: The squadron was contacted by the Fort Meyers squadron recently about a member of their squadron that was in harms way from hurricane Isabel. Thanks to our Port Captains system the squadron was able to offer assistance to their member at Buzzards Roost Marina.

Old Business: The subject of the Squadron bar is to be brought up to the membership about what to be done about continuing it. The new DUI laws put the squadron responsible if any of our members are stopped coming from a squadron function. If we do away with the squadron bar, another issue will arise about the soft drink bar. We will have to begin charging for the soft drinks if the Hard drink bar is terminated. The 2004 Budget Proposal was completed by Lt John VanWay and brought to the Executive Committee by P/C Billy Lynes. Steve Kromer motioned the acceptance of the Budget, Bob Gulbrandsen seconded the motion. The proposal was voted on and accepted as stands by the Executive Committee.

The Morningstar II owned by Bob and Mary Gulbrandsen. Bob and Mary turned to sailing after the gas crunch years ago, and feel in love with the romance of sailing. The Morningstar II is a 1985 Catalina 27 Tall-rig. Other than the wind, she is also powered by a Universal 20 diesel engine.

Bob and Mary enjoy cruising the coastal water of the Carolina's. They often bring their two dogs along with them; this means towing a dinghy for relief breaks for the animals. This photo was taken on the recent cruise to Morgan Creek Grill on the Isle of Palms, from the deck of Knotless II.