united states power squadrons contact dennis krizek (see the seo column) to get on the ... waypoint...
TRANSCRIPT
April
2017
ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL
In this issue … Page
ORGANIZATIONAL
Last month at RSPS 1 Commander’s Corner 1 Executive Committee 2 Treasury Notes 3 Meet the New Bridge 3
CIVIC SERVICE
Executive View 4 Vessel Safety Checks 5 FAST 5 BOC Challenge 6 RSPS Joins Meetup 6 Sea Scouts 6
EDUCATIONAL
Education Log 7 New Piloting Class 7
SOCIAL
Administratively Speaking 8 RSPS Raft Up 9 Mark Your Calendars 9 D5 Events 9
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
A Cruise Remembered 9 April Birthdays 11 Membership Renewals 11
RSPS Web Site:
http://www.rspsonline.org
RSPS Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RSPS
Come for the Boating Education…… Stay for the FriendsSM
PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT The SKIPJACK newsletter is published monthly except the combined July/August issue. Deadline for articles is the 20th day of the month for the following month’s issue. The SKIPJACK is written by and published for the members of the Rockville Sail and Power Squadron (RSPS) Inc, a squadron and unit of District 5 of the United States Power Squadrons ®. Editor: Lt Gen McGlothlin Peterson 919-743-0023 or [email protected]. Distribution: Lt Lauren Cosgrove, P, Paula Sind-Prunier.
Last Month:
I’m not sure I like my article being on the front page. It’s like sitting in the front of the class. I prefer the back row! I’ll have to bury my bilge pump articles elsewhere.
Last month was a busy one for RSPS. We had a great Change of Watch at the Inn at Brookeville Farms early in the month with about 40 people in attendance including Randy Stowe, the D5 commander. It was great to see everybody. Next time I promise not to break any glassware. We also had a “small night out” on St. Patrick’s Day at the Bethesda Blue & Jazz Club with about 18 RSPS members enjoying a strictly social function. Ex-Governor Martin O’Malley played with his band O’Malley’s March as he has done for quite a few years.
Commander’s Corner Cdr Brian Reed, JN
Monthly Newsletter
Rockville Sail and Power Squadron United States Power Squadrons®
We celebrated spring with our second annual sock burning. Everyone is ready for time on the water.
April
2017
ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL
2017-2018 RSPS Executive Committee
Commander Cdr Brian Reed, JN 240.252.8809 [email protected]
Executive Officer Lt/C Gilbert Rose, P 410.533.9771 [email protected] Administrative Officer Lt/C. Paula Sind-Pruner 301.528.0753 [email protected]
Squadron Ed Officer P/C Dennis Krizeck, AP 301.300.0104
Secretary Lt/C. William K Stuart [email protected]
Treasurer Lt/C Jeff Cornish, AP 301.257.2676 [email protected]
Member-at-Large Lt. Chris Smith 301.445.0093 [email protected]
Member-at-Large Lt. Joe Spence, AP 301.806.3634 [email protected]
Member-at-Large Lt. Sam Snow 301.765.9666 [email protected]
Immediate Past Commander P/C Julien Hofberg, JN, IN, VE 301.642.2868 [email protected]
People may or may not agree with his politics, but all would agree that he is entertaining and actually pretty funny. The next evening we had our second annual sock burning party at Paula’s house, an Annapolis tradition brought to Montgomery County. I wasn’t able to make it but about a dozen people participated in the event/excuse to share a drink. March weather is always iffy, so a fireplace was used for the deed which made it a comfortable event as well.
So now we are looking forward. Remember this year we are getting back on the water with three, no, no, FOUR events! First up is the Father’s Day Cruise at Chesapeake Yacht Club on West River 17-18 June. For those who prefer marina stays, Julien has up to ten transient slips available and as I write this I know five boats that have turned in their $25 deposits and the required length/beam/draft form. Officially the deadline was last week but if you are at all interested, send an e-mail immediately to Julien or myself to get the latest status. This is a land and sea event, so you can drive to CYC and enjoy happy hour and dinner with us if you can’t make it by boat. And as I’ve said before, by land or sea you can still get back home Sunday afternoon in time for your brother-in-law’s obligatory father’s day cookout.
On-the-water event #2 is the “Wye Knot” cruise to the Wye River on the eastern shore 15-16 July. Chuck Wells is organizing and this is a raft-up in the northern branch of the Wye River. Put it on your calendar. I’m looking for a six boat raft-up so we can get an impressive picture on our website and Facebook page. Come and be immortalized on the web! On-the water events #3 and #4 are Day-on-the-Bay 12 August and a cruise to Maryland Yacht Club 10 September for the annual picnic and safety demonstration. Get those on your calendar!
Lastly, look for information elsewhere in the Skipjack for information on the 12 April and 10 May meetings and speakers. I hope to see you there.
And really lastly (yes I know that is barely English), we would like to do a spring/summer piloting class. It is outside of our normal cycle but we have at least three students interested. Contact Dennis Krizek (see the SEO column) to get on the mailing list for the organization of that class. ____________________________________________________
CONTENTS
April
2017
ORGANIZATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL
In February, we had another great Change of Watch ceremony at the Inn at Brookville Farms. Thirty seven Squadron members gathered to thank the past ExCom and welcome the new one. And at its first meeting last month, your new ExCom approved the 2017-18 budget. We’re planning another year of great programs! The budget-in-brief: events are priced to cover all costs including the speaker’s meal and gift; courses are priced to cover direct costs. Squadron dues—about 33% of total dues—and fundraising cover instructor development and materials, safety programs, and other charitable activities.
This is my third year as Treasurer, so I’ll be term-limited out, and we’ll be looking for a replacement for the 2018-19 year. ACPA is not required but you must have an eye for detail and a willingness to keep the records current and correct.
Questions (and volunteers) are always welcome at [email protected] . __________________________________________
CONTENTS
RSPS SHIP’S STORE
There are a number of new items available. Take a look at all the Squadron Pride items available for RSPS members.
The Executive Committee of the Rockville Sail & Power Squadron was installed at the Change of Watch on 4 March at The Inn at Brookeville Farms.
As an introduction to our new Bridge, we posed one question to them. "What is the most important lesson you've learned as a boat owner?"
Here are their answers – Enjoy!
Cdr Brian Reed, JN Always have a plan A and a plan B. With a workable backup plan in hand, you don't feel the pressure to do something stupid to make the primary plan work. As in, strong
afternoon thunderstorms are forecasted but you've still got 40 miles left to home port. Plan B, you've got the waypoint of a good anchorage between here and home already loaded in the GPS if needed.
XO Gilbert Rose, P Always have a Plan B! AO Paula Sind-Pruner In December 2015, I bought a Catalina 27 with the intention of refitting it and donating it to the Sea Scouts, to benefit their youth sailing and leadership development program.
Although my original goal was to finish in a year, if things stay on track, December 2017 is a much more realistic goal. That’s perhaps the first lesson I learned—when it comes to owning a boat, it will always take more time and money than you expected.
SEO Dennis Krizek Having been sailing most of my life, I learned that sailing takes me to the place I want to be.
Treasury Notes Lt/C Jeff Cornish, AP
Getting to Know the New Bridge
Fly an RSPS burgee on your vessel! You can get one for $30 at RSPS dinners or through Jeff Cornish at [email protected]
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
Secretary Bill Stewart Take your allocated boating budget, and triple it-because that's what it will take. On a more serious note, there is just so very much to learn; every time I go out I learn something new
Treasurer Jeff Cornish, AP I’m not actually a boat owner, but I did have the keys to Sea Scout Ship 3’s Rhodes Chesapeake 32. LoCo was donated to Friends of Sea Scouts of Maryland so she
gave a great lesson of how acquiring a boat only starts the meter running.
Members At Large
Lt Chris Smith Have a very healthy credit card and know that it will be used...and that’s just part of the endeavor! Besides that, education--and that’s everything from joining and getting involved in the RSPS, which will keep you from
performing (to quote my friend Gil Rose) “Bad Opera,” to talking with your dock mates and the local folks who can help you find a good mechanic, reputable vendors, the best places to eat, and the shallow spots to avoid--so you’ll always have a good day on the Bay!
Lt Joe Spence, AP Joe must be on the water, cause we didn’t hear back from him! Lt Sam Snow When you smell gasoline, stop everything, ventilate and find the source.
__________________________________________
CONTENTS
It’s going to be fun working on activities that are external to the squadron and pertaining to community involvement. That is what the XO (among other things) does. Having just completed being the AO, my hat is off to Paula for stepping up to do it, and she can use all our support to get it done. I really have no doubt she will be excellent, as her hard work and superb organizational skills will make it look effortless…but it’s not effortless, and she could use an assistant AO (hint, hint).
The first item on my list is the concern some have raised about the President’s proposed 14% budgetary reduction in funding for the Coast Guard. All boaters realize how vital the Coast Guard is to maintaining safe waterways, upholding laws, and providing for our personal safety. A couple of you have even written to your elected officials voicing their opposition. I called the Public Affairs Committee Chair for Power Squadrons National leadership and I told him how some Bridge Officers in Rockville felt about this issue and asked that National take a stand against this proposal. He explained that the issue was discussed and that a decision was made not to take a public stand at this time. We are all however encouraged to individually voice our opinion. I think many of you would agree with me that this budgetary reduction is the wrong decision, and as we work hard to keep the work and mission of the US Power Squadrons relevant we must be visible to the public on important issues. I would like to know what you think. Feel free to contact me.
Less controversial is the upcoming “wear your life jacket to/at work day” contest, sometime during the week before Memorial Day. As you may recall from last year, we encourage everyone to wear your life jacket to/at work and send a photo to our editor, Gen Peterson, who will be our judge. The winner gets a new inflatable PFD (well, almost new, as our last year’s winner, Paul Mermelstein, donated his winning PFD back to the squadron to save us a few bucks). Thanks Paul! Please submit your pictures to Gen at [email protected].
__________________________________________ CONTENTS
Executive View Lt/C Gilbert Rose, P
CIVIC SERVICE CIVIC SERVICE
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
The last item is a call for old fire extinguishers to donate to the Squadron, in anticipation of the summer picnic flare and fire extinguisher demonstration. Please let me know if you have one. __________________________________________
CONTENTS
I don’t know about you, but I am SOOOOOO ready for spring to take up residence in our part of the world. Every time I start thinking about getting the boat ready for a VSC, the weather turns cold and windy. Something has to give eventually. We have plenty of eager examiners waiting for you to call, plus a whole a bunch of new examiner candidates waiting to get certified.
Speaking of eager, our latest Century Club member (that’s over 100 VSCs in the preceding year) is Jim Brown. He’s going for a repeat this year, and has completed over 85 exams. He says he has a bunch more he wants to do before heading back! He wiped out my supply of forms last month, but fortunately I just got a new batch.
As an added bonus for you, the examiners will be carrying a fresh batch of coupons from West Marine that get you a 10% discount on safety equipment. You get one when you complete the exam, pass or fail. Go to this link for information on the exam requirements: http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=V-DEPT&category=virtual-safety-check
If you have a question about something or want us to do the exam please give one of the examiners a shout. See you on the docks! __________________________________________
CONTENTS
Climate change? Why, yes it does! 30’s, 70’s gale force winds, sleet. If you do not like what we are getting, wait a few hours.
Once the weather figures out what it wants to do, we will be out in the yard or on the boat preparing for spring activities. This means higher sun angles and increased exposure to UV rays. Not getting sunburned and being unhappy for another week is preventable.
Cover up with appropriate headgear, clothing, and fresh sunblock. Check the expiration date of the can you saved from last summer. If it’s expired, replace it. The UV blocking compounds degrade over time, and can be nearly worthless if you are more than a year past the expiration date.
Long-sleeved sun-blocking shirts are another option. They not only protect you from the UV, but will feel good on those cooler mornings we will have for a while yet.
Want to take a CPR/First Aid/AED class, but don’t want to spend an entire day in the classroom? I’ve got a solution for you. It’s a fairly new program from the American Heart Association called Blended Learning. • In a nutshell, students have the convenience of
completing the course at their own pace at work, home, or wherever Internet access is available.
• It can be used for initial or renewal training. • Once the student has passed the online portion, they
can take the skills verification in an afternoon. • When you pass that part, you get a two-year
certification. Want more information? Check with me, Alan Karpas, or get more details at http://cpr.heart.org/AHAECC/CPRAndECC/Training/HeartsaverCourses/HeartsaverCPRAED/UCM_473181_Heartsaver-CPR-AED-Online.jsp __________________________________________
CONTENTS
Vessel Safety Checks Stf/C Jeff McKinney, JN-CN
First Aid Support Team Stf/C Jeff McKinney, RN, JN-CN
Medical Officer, RSPS
CIVIC SERVICE CIVIC SERVICE
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
For the first time in the District, we are having a weekend event on Boat Operator Certification. Maybe the first question is, “What is BOC?” It is a credential that states you have accomplished a set of required courses, seminars and skills, and you have demonstrated competency on the water. Currently, the program consists of certifications for Inland, Coastal, Advanced Coastal, and Offshore.
I like the program. I like it because it combines your knowledge of boating with the skill of actually handling a boat. I believe that everyone in USPS should be at least an Inland navigator. It is not that difficult and it was fun. For those have completed the Inland level, Coastal navigator is next. I will be trying get my certification for Coastal at the Challenge on 20 May at Castle Harbor Marina on Kent Island.
Let me know if you are interested. I am compiling the list of names for each level. We need to know by 1 May if you are interested in participating. Hope to see you on the island! __________________________________________
CONTENTS
We continue to look for ways to connect to potential boaters in the online space. Rockville Sail and Power Squadron now has a presence on Meetup.com.
Meetup is an online social networking portal that facilitates offline group meetings in various localities around the world. Meetup allows members to find and join groups unified by a common interest, such as politics, books, games, movies, health, pets, careers or hobbies like BOATING!
__________________________________________ CONTENTS
Sea Scouts Sea Scout Ship 125—Man O’ War—is looking for a few good sailors! Sea Scouting is a co-ed program of the Boy Scouts of America for youth ages 14 (or 13 and completed 8th grade) to 21. The program uses sailing and other high adventure activities to strengthen character and build leadership skills among its youth members. Ship 125 is chartered by American Legion Post 295 and meets Sunday evenings at the Greenfield Lighthouse in Germantown. They sail out of Bowley’s Marina (at the mouth of the Middle River, on the Chesapeake Bay). The unit also has several small craft that they sail on the Potomac and local waterways. A Chesapeake Bay long cruise is being planned for summer 2017. Future plans include a charter in the British Virgin Islands in 2018 and Greece in 2020. Sailing experience is welcome, but not required.
Ship 125 is also looking for adult volunteers who’d like to share their knowledge with the youth, or otherwise assist in administration of the program. Single-event and
Boat Operator Certification Challenge
P/C Chuck Wells, SN
More Ways to Connect
CIVIC SERVICE CIVIC SERVICE
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
ongoing opportunities are available. Orientation training is required (about ½ day).
For more information, contact [email protected]. __________________________________________
CONTENTS
As I take my turn at the wheel of the Squadron's Educational Department, I have to thank Jeff McKinney for plotting a good course to for me to steer and establishing waypoints into the first few months of my watch. He also prepared a comprehensive informational session to get me on the starboard tack-if I fetch the Educational Department up on a shoal, I will have no one to blame but myself. Jeff was the Squadron Educational Officer for several years and I encourage you to give him a big thank you when you next see him.
Seminars 8 April, 1030-1200: Last of the Spring Seminar Series, Nautical Rules of the Road, presented by Dennis Krizek, Atlantic Edge Scuba, 211 Perry Parkway-Suite 4, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (http://www.atlanticedge.com/page/contact) This seminar will discuss how the laws driving your boat and your car are similar and also very different. For more information or questions, email: [email protected].
Boat Operators Certification School 20 May: On-the-water portion of the Boat Operators Certification for students and instructors, at the Castle Harbor Marina, on Kent Island. Please contact Chuck Wells ([email protected]) for more information about the BOC program and the Certification School.
Thanks goes out to our instructors: Denise Allen for teaching the How to Read a Chart and to Mike Collins for the How to Use a GPS seminars. Jon Griffin and Tom O'Brien are currently teaching the Marine Communications Systems. Jon is also about mid-way through teaching the Weather Course. Also, Chuck Wells is teaching the Maryland State Boating Course.
The Educational Department is in the planning stages for courses and seminars for the fall season. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome.
*NOTE To Maryland Senior Citizens Boating in other States:
I signed up for Maryland State Boating Course being taught by Chuck Wells to get my Certificate of Boating Safety (Maryland DNR/NASBLA). I was born before 1 July 1972 and I am exempt from being required to have a Boating Safety Education Certificate issued by the State of Maryland while operating a recreational vessel in Maryland waters. Most states do not recognize the Maryland grandfather clause and require you to have a Certificate of Boating Education Card in your possession. Some states do not even recognize the online courses and require you to attend a classroom session. The bottom line is that if you are operating a recreational vessel in waters outside of Maryland, you should check the appropriate state regulations to be compliant. __________________________________________
CONTENTS
Do you shop at Amazon.com? You can designate the Rockville Sail and Power Squadron as your Amazon Smile charity. Click the Amazon Smile button in the left column at www.rspsonline.org for details.
Education Log P/C Dennis Krizek, AP
EDUCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
Spring has arrived! The snow has melted, the trees and flowers are blooming, but most importantly the marinas are abuzz with folks taking off the winter coverings, scoping out what needs to be done before launching… and sanding, painting, washing, polishing, tuning, troubleshooting, upgrading, outfitting, installing, and getting excited about the start of the sailing/boating season!
This past weekend, members of the Rockville Sail & Power Squadron celebrated the coming of spring with the 2nd Annual Sock Burning. This year, in anticipation of a questionable forecast, we lit the fireplace and once again prepared for another indoor foray into spring. We ate, we drank, we shared stories of boating and sailing seasons past, and plans of adventures in the coming year. And, of course… we burned socks, as we kicked off the 2017 season!
As you move forward with your preparations to hit the water, don’t miss the Squadron’s upcoming meeting, Wednesday, 12 April. We will enjoy fabulous food and fellowship at Nantucket’s Reef Restaurant (9755 Traville Gateway Dr., Rockville, MD). In addition to your choice of tantalizing entrees, we will have an informative and enjoyable program. This month’s speaker is from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and will share insight gained from the NTSB’s investigation of a dangerous encounter between recreational small craft and commercial vessels, and the agency’s resulting report and safety recommendations regarding Shared Waterways. As a recreational boater, this is one presentation you can’t afford to miss! Join your fellow members for cocktails at 1800 and dinner at 1900, with the presentation to follow. See you there!
MEMBER SURVEY
As a member of the Rockville Sail & Power Squadrons, you should have received a member survey within the past month. I hope you took the opportunity to respond, __________________________________________
CONTENTS
but if not—your input is still valued and we’d like to hear from you! Responses have been rolling in, and they will help the newly installed bridge chart a course for a successful year. Survey results (and perhaps some new plans!) will be featured in next month’s Skipjack. If you didn’t receive the e-mailed survey and want to provide your input, please contact me at [email protected] and I’ll ensure you have an opportunity to share your thoughts. Whether through the survey or otherwise, the bridge is always interested in ways to ensure the Rockville Sail & Power Squadron is serving the needs and desires of its members. If you have ideas or feedback that might help the Squadron better meet your needs and expectations, please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the bridge—we are here for you. Here’s to a safe and enjoyable season on the water, together! __________________________________________
CONTENTS
Make sure to put these very important dates on your calendars. Some of the best times, greatest memories, are made during these Raft Ups!
17-18 June: Father’s Day Cruise, Chesapeake Yacht Club, West River (Julien Hofberg raft captain)
15-16 July: Wye Knot Cruise, Wye River/eastern shore (Chuck Wells raft captain)
9-10 September: Fall Picnic, Maryland Yacht Club (Gil Rose raft captain)
20 May: Day-On-The-Bay, meet at Smokehouse in Eastport afterwards ____________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
Administratively Speaking
Lt Paula Sind-Prunier
RSPS on the Water Raft Up 2017!
SOCIAL SOCIAL
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
Mark Your Calendars:
Seminar Series Where: Atlantic Edge Scuba 211 Perry Parkway Suite 4 Gaithersburg, MD
Please note that all start times are at 1030, weather permitting. They open at 1000, so you will have enough time to arrive a little early and get seated. The seminars will be done in the back half of the shop. Pre-registration is requested. Contact Jeff McKinney to register at [email protected]
8 April: Emergencies on Board – Alan Karpas, JN
General Meetings When: 12 April, 1800 Where: Stonehouse Grille Topic: NTSB speaker on "commercial traffic in our shared waterways".
When: 10 May, 1800 Where: Nantucket's Reef Topic: “Salty language - modern day words and phrases that derive from the Age of Sail" with guest speaker Art Pine.
_________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
2017 Events in District 5
Event Date Location Venue Bay Bridge Boat Show
21 – 23 Apr Stevensville, MD
Bay Bridge Marina
District 5 Spring Festival, Sail Regatta and Fishing Tournament
23 – 25 June Solomons, MD
Spring Cove
District 5 Rendezvous
22 – 27 July Lower Bay
District 5 Summer Council
28 – 30 July Norfolk, VA TBA
USPS Governing Board
10 – 17 Sep Dallas, TX TBA
Annapolis Sailboat Show
5 – 9 Oct Annapolis, MD
City Dock
Annapolis Powerboat Show
12 – 15 Oct Annapolis, MD
City Dock
District 5 Fall Educational Conference
27 – 29 Oct King of Prussia Delaware
TBA
____________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS
Last December fellow RSPS member Steve Smith and I along with five other long-time sailing buddies chartered a Beneteau 45 out of St. Thomas for a ten day cruise around the US and Spanish Virgin Islands. We chose this itinerary over the more popular BVI, hoping for less congested anchorages and the opportunity for more sailing.
Steve and I arrived a day early and stayed at the Bunker Hill Hotel, a small family establishment in the Old District of Charlotte Amalie. It was being run by Thomas, a young man whose grandparents founded the hotel some forty years earlier. Our connection with Thomas is that he grew up and was educated near where we live in Maryland and only recently returned to St Thomas to run his family’s hotel.
We spent the next day in a monstrous grocery expedition acquiring five or six carts of groceries (inadvertently, leaving only one of them behind) and numerous 2-bag side trips under the guidance and superlative efforts of Steve who was our cruise Quartermaster. That night, after rounding up the remaining members of our crew, stowing our supplies and having a nice dinner on shore, we spent the night on board the boat prior to commencing our charter. I recommend this strategy for anyone chartering because it puts you first in line for the next morning’s checkout. Although we were first, starting our checkout at 9 am, it was not until almost three hours later that we were able to get underway (some people just love to hear themselves talk), sailing through the narrow and scary Haulover Cut headed for Culebra.
That evening after a 20 mile sail, we arrived at the mouth of Ensenada Honda, Culebra and anchored behind the reef in Dakity Bay. Here we were able to check into
A Cruise Remembered Lt/C Jon Griffin, SN
SOCIAL SOCIAL
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
customs by phone without having to go all the way to the head of Ensenada Honda to the town of Culebra. This convenience was achieved through the Customs and Border Protection Service’s Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS) and the fact that the charter company had pre-registered our boat. That day and every day Steve posted his Orders of the Day on the companionway bulkhead, reminding everyone for which meal they were the chef, sous chef or cleanup person. As a result, tasty and timely meals were consistently served throughout the cruise without much of a fuss.
The next day we motored north and anchored in the bay on the north end of the small island of Culebrita. Although this bay provided good protection from easterly winds, rollers from N-NE made this anchorage a little uncomfortable. We attempted to remedy this by tying a line from our stern to a nearby mooring which aligned our boat to be more N-S, facing into the northerly waves. This helped, but we were aware that we were using two moorings – fortunately, this quarter mile pristine white beach bay was entirely ours. That afternoon we went ashore, some to swim and others to search for the trail to the lighthouse high on the top of the hill. We never found a path to it (there must have been one on the south side of the island), but we did observe hundreds of fiddler crabs living on dry land far from the water – why did they go there, and how do they survive so far from the water?
The next day we had a great 26 mile sail south to Vieques and then west along its coast to Sun Bay. During the sail, Steve broke out his fishing gear, deployed a hand line and caught a barracuda. When we reached Sun Bay, David, our crew’s Dingy Master, contacted his friends, Duwayne and Eugenie, who lived nearby on Vieques. They invited us to their home where we shared the mixed grill we were planning to do on board that evening. After dinner Eugenie arranged for a neighbor to take some of the crew to experience the nearby bioluminescent bay. The rest of us, concerned that after having consumed three or four Mai-Tias climbing in and out of a kayak might be dangerous, chose to stay at the party. The next morning Duwayne and Eugenie joined us for the day, sailing with us east along the coast to Bahia Le Chiva, our jumping off point for the long sail southeast to St. Croix.
With 8-10 foot waves and 20+ knot winds on the nose, the 43 mile leg from Vieques to St. Croix was a nine hour slog under power. Finally reaching landfall in Christiansted late that afternoon and tired of seemingly endless bouncing, we sprung for a slip at the marina and luxuriated in having our feet on terra firma. The next morning was spent reprovisioning, exploring the town and dealing with innumerable US National Park Service officials, rangers and bureaucrats in an attempt to obtain permission to anchor at Buck Island Reef National Monument. Finally we received it! So we spent that afternoon at Buck Island, snorkeling its reef and following the underwater nature trail.
The next day we had a fabulous 36 mile beam reach north to St. John, occasionally accompanied by a pair of dolphins gamboling off our port bow. After a great day of sailing, we moored in Great Lampshire Bay, one of the loveliest anchorages we encountered on the cruise. The next morning we motored to nearby Little Lampshire Bay for more good snorkeling and then sailed into Coral Bay and shore leave at Skinny Legs for lunch, rum punches, T-shirts, etc. Coral Bay is a very cool, laidback enclave that one resident described as “a summer camp for adults, and none of us are much inclined to grow up.”
Continuing our circumnavigation of St. John, we sailed into Waterlemon Bay on the north side of St. John where we found some of our best snorkeling. We also went ashore to explore a long abandoned sugar mill, whose remaining ruins could only remind one of the horrors of sugar plantation slavery. That evening while we were enjoying the sunset, a catamaran which was moored closer to the shore than we were, got underway but instead of leaving the bay, picked up the most distant mooring. Why, we wondered, did they do that? We found out a minute later when the mosquitos arrived. So we immediately got underway and grabbed the second most distant mooring, noticing that we were leading a parade of the four remaining boats doing the same thing.
On our last full day, we had a pleasant 20 mile sail down the Pillsbury Channel between St. Thomas and St. John, around Great St. James Island and then west to Water Island where we anchored in Flamingo Bay, spending the night just a few miles from the Frenchtown Marina where we started our cruise. The reason we wanted to so near was that Harvey, our group’s photographer, was committed to attend a formal wedding in Manhattan that
April
2017
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
following evening. The next morning we got an early start and soon sidled up to some pier in Frenchtown where we put Harvey ashore. Harvey grabbed a cab to the airport, caught his plane to Newark, got a cab to his apartment in Manhattan where he showered, shaved, changed into a tuxedo and made it to his cousin’s wedding on time. Ironically, by the time the rest of us did the things one needs to do to terminate a charter (refueling, pump-out, and unloading the boat), stormy weather conditions in the states delayed all our flights that afternoon (including for one of us, until the next day).
On the other hand, who cares? We had wonderful charter and an experience never to be forgotten by any of us! ____________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
04 Dennis M. Krizek 04 Thomas Pinckert 13 Charles F. Yost 17 Howard Rodkin 19 Evans Allen 20 Grace Sagayadan 21 Geraldina L. Blades 24 Alan I. Karpas 26 Zachary Ferrante 26 Patricia E. Talbert Smith
If your birthday does not appear in THE SKIPJACK in its proper month – please check if your personal data is up to date on the RSPS web site. ____________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
St Patrick’s Day “small night out” at the Bethesda Blue & Jazz Club with about 18 RSPS members enjoying a strictly social function. ____________________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
Membership Renewals
eceived a renewal notice from National recently? Renew online with your certificate and invoice
numbers. Your prompt renewal from the email saves trees, fuel, and the cost of mailing a renewal notice. http://www.usps.org/dues/
__________________________________________ CONTENTS
HAPPY SPRING ON THE CHESAPEAKE BAY!
April Birthdays R
April 2017 Volume 46, No. 4