Newsletter 1

COMMODORE’S CORNERBy Bob Buck

Well here I go again. After checking my past history I think this is my 5th time at attempting to lead my fellow CATSS members. Wish me luck along with a little bit of wisdom and ideas. We certainly face a lot of challenges this year with our shrinking membership and lack of enthusiasm. I would love to see a better turnout for our cruises and other club functions.

We have our annual cruise to the big Seattle boat show Jan. 28th. Discount tickets will not be available this year, however you can go online and buy your ticket along with free parking and a bowl of chowder at FX McRory’s. This is always a lot of fun. We all like to look for bargains and see what new designs and ideas the marine world has come up with.

Come join us at the Black Bear Restaurant for breakfast that is located in Federal Way on old 99.

I look forward to spending boating time with my fellow CATSS members this year. Let's all do our part to see if we can improve membership and participation. I hope to see you all at our next meeting January 19 at the Fife Bar and Grill.

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ANYONE UP FOR A BRACING SAIL?If you have ever sailed in rough seas, take a look at the video in the attached web site. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=T4FIS1FnOQg

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BIG SEATTLE BOAT SHOW JANUARY 28, 2012

Plan to attend the Boat Show on Saturday January 28th with CATSS. We will be meeting at 0900 at the Black Bear Restaurant in Federal Way. Join the CATSS group for breakfast and then carpool in to the show. You can purchase tickets online at the following website: http://www.SeattleBoatShow.com.

Tickets purchased online, will receive $20 off a $100 purchase in sporting goods at Fred Meyer, a free cup of clam chowder from FX McRory’s restaurant, and a free one-year subscription to a boating magazine of your choice. All for just $12.

CATSS JANUARY MEETING

The monthly meeting will be held at the Fife Bar and Grill at 6:00pm on Thursday, January 19th.

CRUISE CHAIRMAN’S REPORTBy John Segerstrom Vice-Commodore

Back in October, we voted to change the cruise weekend from the third weekend of the month to the fourth weekend of the month in hopes we will have more cruising opportunities and participation. Both CATSS and CAPS are experiencing a decline in cruise and event attendance. Our third weekend of the month was the same weekend that CAPS scheduled their cruises. With this change, we hope you will have more choices to cruise with both CATSS and CAPS. Starting in January CATSS will award cruise points for cruises participated in during the 2012 cruising year. Various points will be awarded to a boat based on the following criteria: Hosting the Cruise Articles for the newsletter before and

after cruise Pictures shared with the web

administrator for the web site Notifying the host boat of your

intention to attend the cruise Attending the cruise on your boat Attending the cruise without your boat Flying the CATSS burgee when

arriving at the cruise destination.

I will send a form copy to the host prior to each cruise to help keep track.

The first cruise of the two thousand twelve season will be January 28th, to the boat show. The Buck’s are the hosts to coordinate this cruise. Hope everyone that participates enjoys the show. We still need hosts for several months, please see the web page, Cruises 2012, for openings and email me with your choices. The locations listed are samples and if you

have a favorite you would like, just let me know.

I have established a Google Group so that we can send emails to all of CATSS members about functions and cruises and post dates on the Google Calendar.You will be invited in January when I get all the members email addresses inputted to the account. Look for an email from catssps@googlegroups.com. You will need to reply in order to accept the service. If that doesn’t work, email me directly at catssfleet1@gmail.com and I will add you in.

Shutterfly Picture Site has pictures of CATSS functions that I took over the past couple of years: the URL is http://catssfleet1.shutterfly.com/. Email me for the password and if you have pictures you would like to share and send them along to me.

The CATSS web site (www.catssps.org ) has been updated with the new Officers and Calendar. Newsletters will be added as soon as new copies are received.

*****CATSS CHRSTMAS PARTY

The annual CATSS Christmas Party was held at the Fife Bar and Grill and as the British would say, it was a smashing success. Twenty-four active members were in attendance for a steak or salmon dinner. Bob Buck was installed as Commodore for 2012. John Segerstrom was installed as Vice Commodore, Len Ward will remain as treasurer and DeVere Lindh will be the new editor of CATSS Ayes. Awards for good and bad happenings were gleefully handed out for the year 2011. Mike Jameson was unanimously nominated for the Black Cat award, given for outstanding service to or support of the CATSS organization.

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Moving on to the less prestigious awards. DeVere Lindh was awarded the Sextant Trophy, which is given for outstanding navigation or lack thereof, in this instance for discovering a rock this summer up in Canada. Continuing on, Barbara Buck received the Bent Prop Award for running aground with her leg and ankle while anchored in Eagle Harbor, She broke both real good, but is recovering well. Lowell Anderson, our outgoing Commodore, was awarded the Tattered Burgee for a second year for losing it the first time. It was thought that the coming year would give him time to find it for the 2012 award. The event was concluded with a raffle and gift exchange. Pictures are distributed throughout this issue.

2012/2013 Officers & Outgoing Commodore*****

WHAT IS YOUR BOAT TELLING YOU?

By DeVere Lindh

A recent article I read in Cruising World impressed me. A monthly contributor with the pen name of Fatty Goodlander made some good points I thought worthy to summarize. He started by describing an incident where a distraught sailor just airlifted to safety in Australia complained that the keel just fell off his boat in the Tasmanian Sea. The rescued sailor complained about bad luck, first water unexpectedly in the bilge for no apparent reason other than a rain squall and then this, the keel falling off. He further related that his bad luck had started in Tahiti

when he hit a whale, but he felt the repair was good with no leaks. The author goes on to state that a modern sailboat, nothing happens that isn’t telegraphed beforehand. Did the rigging suddenly become loose—check the mast step and swaged fittings. Did water suddenly appear in the bilge—check if it’s fresh or salty. Why is there suddenly slop in the steering—check the rudder or quadrant adjustment or cables.

I know personally about messages from a boat. I was on a charter out of Raiatea in French Polynesia heading for Moorea when I went off watch and found the floorboards floating on our Beneteau 47. For the next few minutes it was the proverbial assholes and elbows as everyone not on watch was checking through hull fittings and everything else that could leak. Finally someone tasted the water and it was fresh. The sea was not coming in at least. We finally discovered a fresh water line had come loose and no one had turned off the fresh water pump as the Charter Company had told us to do when not using water. A hundred gallons of fresh water less, we proceeded on our way. We had been warned of the boats propensity to blow the fresh water line as reported by a previous charter customer and had ignored the warning to our peril.

The list of things goes on, but the point to be made is that when something unusual happens, make a point of finding out the reason before the message is sent as a much stronger happening such as the keel falling off.

*****SUGGESTION FOR HOSE CLAMP INSTALLATION

Proper selection and installation of hose clamps is important to ensure the hose

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clamp remains free of rust and leaks don't develop due to crimping of the hose. The right way to install hose clamps is to stagger the double clamps that should always be used below the water line. The offset and staggered installation of the hose clamps creates a sort of labyrinth in the hose between the clamps. This will prevent a leak path from developing from any slight crimping of the hose.

Automotive and Marine hose clamps have several significant differences. Marine clamps are made entirely of stainless steel. The automotive variety use a stainless band and a plated mild steel screw mechanism that will rust up and make the clamp useless.

Clamps must be the right size. The "tail" extending out from the screw mechanism should not be excessively long or short.

*****All You Wanted to Know about Fuel Stabilizer The type of stabilizer that is selected depends on the type of fuel you are using for your inboard or outboard engine.

Non-ethanol and diesel fuels require a stabilizer that has a formulation that doesn’t promote marine growth in the fuel and will make any water present miscible. This is important since bacteria live at the interface of the fuel and water and a growth of bacteria can clog filters and injectors or carburetor jets. The stabilizer for these fuels will be labeled marine fuel stabilizer.

Ethanol containing fuels such as E10 or the newer E15 will absorb water from the air and the water will separate out over time. These fuels require a stabilizer that prevents phase separation and keeps water miscible to avoid bacteria growth. Stabilizer for ethanol containing fuels will

simply state ethanol gasoline treatment. If the container says it contains alcohol it will exacerbate phase separation in ethanol containing fuels and should never be used in diesel fuel as it will decrease the centane rating of the fuel causing difficult starting and other combustion problems in a diesel engine.

Some fuel stabilizers promise to work for both types of fuel, but like most compromises they don’t usually work well. Most stabilizers will contain petroleum distillates. This just means they contain solvents and lubricants that clean and lubricate parts of the fuel system. This label is more to alert the medics that treat you if you ingest it.

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MY THOUGHTS ON STIMULATING CRUISING PARTICIPATION

By John Segerstrom Vice-CommodoreThe following are some thoughts on how we may improve cruise participation. Move cruises to 4th weekend of the

month so that it is not the day after the monthly meeting. This will give those who want to have a longer weekend and not miss a CATSS meeting...

Summer Cruise??? Create a point system for cruising boat

of the year and have a reward or trophy for the winner.

Sample:* Points need to be related to cruising.* Points are assigned to boat name.* Points for hosting a cruise. (5 points)* Points for going to a cruise. (5 points)* Points for letting cruise host know you are coming in advance (Phone or email). (1 point)

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* Points for arriving with burgee flying. (1 point)

* Points for recruiting a new member on the cruise. (7 Points)

Vice commodore will be the Cruise Chairman and coordinate with cruising hosts for point tallying and posting results on the web site.

Create form to keep track of points. Locations to be suggested by the

membership via email, phone or any other communication.

Cruise locations and dates to be established by the officers at the beginning of the year from member- ship input.

Members that want company on non-official cruise weekends could send out an email on where they’re cruising to invite other members to join them. Maybe we could have CATSS Facebook page and post info on cruise locations on the wall.

Contact the Vice Commodore, who is also the Cruise Chairman for 2012, with your comments.

*****

SOME CANDID PHOTOS FROM CATSS CHRISTMAS PARTY

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Newsletter 6

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

NO-BAKE BOOZE BALLS

3 cups vanilla wafers (or, say, shortbread cookies), crushed1 cup powdered sugar1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped finely2 1/3 tablespoons cocoa powder3 tablespoons corn syrup½ cup rum, bourbon, Triple Sec, or Grand Marnierpowdered sugar, for dusting

Crush vanilla wafers finely using a food processor, a blender, or by placing them in a re-sealable bag and rolling with a rolling pin or wine bottle. Place crushed wafers in a medium bowl and add the powered sugar, nuts, and cocoa powder. Miss well.

In a small cup, mix the corn syrup and the alcohol. (This helps thin the corn syrup so it’s easier to mix with the wafer mixture.) To make these without alcohol, substitute orange juice.

Add the liquid mix to the dry mix and mix thoroughly. It will be very stiff.

Form the mix into 1-inch balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Place on a plate or piece of waxed paper to dry for 1 hour. Store in a tightly lidded container or re-sealable bag.

Makes two dozen.

If you don’t have time to shape the individual balls, make the mixture in an 8 x 8-inch pan. Sprinkle the pan with powdered sugar, press the mixture into an even layer in the pan, and then sprinkle the top with powered sugar and/or more nuts. Cut into ¾-inch squares.

FACTS ABOUT PUGET SOUND

Puget Sound is the heart and soul of boating in Washington State. The following will give you a leg-up for the next game of nautical trivia. Puget Sound is part of the Salish Sea.

The Salish Sea includes, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Strait of Georgia, and Puget Sound, and all their connecting channels and adjoining waters, and the waters around and between the San Juan Islands in the U.S

British Capt. George Vancouver first explored the waters of Puget Sound in 1792, claiming the area for Great Britain.

235,000 commercial vessels transit Puget Sound every year.

Puget Sound is a bay 90 miles long, with an average depth of 205 feet. Its deepest spot is 930 feet.

The average water temperature is 45 degrees and it reaches a balmy 53 degrees in July.

Puget Sound can have as many as 786 islands at low tide.

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CATSS 2012 REDEZVOUS SCHEDULE

LOCATION DATE HOSTSSeattle Boat Show January 28 Bob & Barbara BuckBlake Island SP March TBDPort Orchard May 18-20 DeVere and Billie LindhBoston Harbor June 23-25 Bob and Candy TurnerLong Branch July28-29 Bob and Barbara BuckPoulsbo August TBDPenrose Point SP September 22-23 John Segerstrom Dockton October 27-28 Lee and Oleta Artman

SIGN-UP A NEW MEMBER

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CATSS Membership ApplicationPlease fill out the form below and mail to:

Lyn Ward3506 North HudsonTacoma, WA 98407

Your Name: ___________________ Spouse: ______________________

Address: ______________________ Phone: ______________________

City: ________________________ State: _____ Zip: _________

Cell Phone: ( ) ____-- ______ Email Address: __________________

Type and Length of Boat: ______________________________________

Name of Boat: __________________________MMSI# ______________

Home Port: ___________________________City:___________________

First year membership: $46/year, General Membership: $40/year, Associate Membership: $25/year