Now Hear This ! San Antonio Sail & Power Squadron A Unit of the United States Power Squadrons, District 21 October 2014, Volume 55, No. 10 Commander’s Message Mack McKinney JN And now we wait… As I reported for our last Newsletter, Liz and I have completed the Navigation final exam and are waiting with baited breath for the results. In that issue I predicted that she and I would be our squadron’s latest “N”s, and I don’t revise that, but it sure would be nice to have our stars now! It looks like October is turning out to be an exciting month for San Antonio boating! I’m going to raise the burgee of the Port Aransas plyWooden Boat Festival once more. Wooden boat festivals of any kind don’t happen to often in Texas (one things of, perhaps, Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, or Port Townsend, Washington, or perhaps if you’re like me you’ll think of the festival at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY) so this is a very exciting time for Texas boaters. The festival is October 17-19 in Port Aransas, and occurs concurrently with Port Aransas’ annual Old Town festival so if you get sick of boats you can enjoy some of the festivities (and if you get sick of boats, don’t tell me. I wouldn’t understand.) Information on that is at http://www.portaransas.org/port-aransas-calendar-of-events/91-community-events/4854-oldtown-festival. The plyWooden Boat Festival, which is where you will find those with much less culture but more focus such as Liz and I, is a celebration of the wooden boat that is opened minded enough to include plywood. Even though I was once steeped in the snobbery of pure-dee, plank-on-frame-steam-bent-bronzefastened-take-three-weeks-to-prepare-for-spring-launch wooden boats (I confess) plywood has been a viable, make that a very good, wooden boat building material since the end of WWII! It may shock you to learn that that is even longer than your esteemed Commander has been around. Here is the skinny on the plyWooden Boat Festival: http://portaransasplywoodenboatfestival.org/. Be watching your email very soon for official announcement of our fall on-the-water rendezvous. We will be holding it on Canyon Lake on October 25th, same arrangements as last year. We will meet at the Marina (map to follow, and time to follow), and will provide water. Our ever-efficient AO has procured a pontoon boat for us, so we will have a central platform for the FOOD – bring some hors d’oeuvres, your own preferred beverage, $10 to help defray costs, and some good stories! (We will also bring our own anchor this year, thank you very much.) Those of you with your personal vessels are encouraged to raft off with us. This was an absolute blast last year, in spite of our past Commander’s attempt to wash the AO off the bow of the pontoon boat (only kidding, Frank) and I expect no less of a great time this year. I’m looking forward to seeing you all! Mack McKinney JN, Squadron Commander [email protected] 830-370-8488 Squadron Education Officer Tom Stapleton SN Assistant Education Officer Kent Rush, P Education Department News Price guards the new TV in the class room The board approved purchase of a flat screen TV for the training room at Alamo MiniStorage and we’ve purchased and installed a 42 inch Sanyo unit with a swivel wall mount. Price and Tom installed the unit two weeks ago. The TV has a quick release and also a stout table stand. This purchase was necessary for PowerPoint and video (sound) presentations, boating classes, and for our squadron Boat Show presentation in January of 2015. It will also be useful for our general meeting presentations and for seminars and ABC/3 Basic Boating Course held other than at Bass Pro Shop. Steve Rogers & Vernon Helmke of Alamo Mini-Storage were very pleased with this installation. October 2014 Now Hear This page 2 Squadron Education Continued ABC/3 Boating Safety Course: We have three classes booked at Bass Pro Shop for 2015 (Saturday 9-5): 7 Feb 25 April 22 August These are the best dates and we may also try for a mid November class this fall. ADVANCED COURSES: Navigation (N) class: The Navigation Class completed and submitted their final exams & sight folders. Exam results are expected in late October. Seamanship (S) class: class will start weekly classes on January 3rd at the Alamo Mini-Storage in San Antonio from 9am till noon and end January 24th. Cost: $50; sign-up by November 30th Piloting (P) class: This class will begin weekly classes starting Saturday Februrary 14th in San Antonio (Alamo Mini-Storage) from 9am till noon for 9 weekly sessions. Sign-up by January 3rd. Cost: $75 Advanced Piloting (AP) class: This class will start in February 14 in San Antonio (Alamo Mini-Storage) from noon- 3pm. Cost: $65. Sign-up by January 3rd. SEMINARS: Basic Weather and Forecasting: Saturday Oct 11th 1-3pm, lunch included at Tom’s house in New Braunfels. Cost: $34 payable upon arrival. Limited to 1st 6 students: email: [email protected] to register a spot. (we have just 4 openings left). Basic Trailering: To be scheduled in January-February of 2015 at Lake Canyon Yacht Club. No meal included; location and times to be determined. Cost: $35. Email Tom at [email protected] for sign-up. VHF and VHF/DSC: Saturday December 6th from 1-3pm, lunch included at Tom’s house in New Braunfels. Cost $35 payable upon arrival. Limited to 1st 6 students: email: [email protected] to register a spot. October 2014 Now Hear This page 3 Squadron Education Continued Proposed Cooperative Partnership With Lake Canyon Yacht Club Tom presents our proposal and the LCYC Board Meeting Tom met with the Board of Directors and many of the members and made a proposal for cooperation between of our organizations, specifically, conducting vessel safety inspections, teaching seminars and possibly some elective courses, and an ABC/3 Basic Boating Courses at the Yacht Club. He outlined the concept and mutual benefit for our presence at their on-the-water location. He was well-received and their board member, Stacy Wilson, volunteered to be their liaison with Tom Stapleton. We are working out a yearly agreement that would begin in January of 2015 and subject to annual review/renewal. We’re working out the details and language of this proposed agreement and will present to our board for approval. Sea Scouts of Canyon Lake are interested in two of our courses: Seamanship and Advanced Piloting but decided to start in January of the next year. They will be held most likely at the Alamo Mini-Storage conference room. We have a few new members that will most likely also take the Seamanship and Advance Piloting classes. District 21 Fall Conference and Training Aids Competition (Early October in Dallas): Tom and Martha Stapleton will attend, along with Earl Gilley. We will have two Instructor Development entries for best of the District training aids. We showed one of the two entries at our last General Meeting at Denny’s in San Antonio on dredging with the anchor. Tom will return the Prince Henry the Navigator trophy which we were awarded for training excellence over this past year. October 2014 Now Hear This page 4 All members are urged to take the advanced classes when offered; the material is exceptional and passing along your wisdom and knowledge is a very satisfying goal. In the coming months, we are going to prepare our Boat Show video and that is going to be very exciting and have a major impact at the January Boat Show. Our goal is to attract new members with a visual presentation that ‘Pops’. Tom Stapleton SEO, ONCOM,SN [email protected], 830-837-5058 Phrases and saying with a nautical origin: Foul Up…. Meaning today: Confusion reigns supreme. Derivation: From Old English word ‘ful’ (meaning grossly offensive to the senses), foul is an adjective with many nautical meanings: all indicative of a difficult or negative situation. An anchor is considered ‘fouled’ with it is entangled in its own cable. By land or sea, a hopeless mess or entanglement is described as a ‘foul-up’. Some popular acronyms include: SNAFU (situation normal, all fouled up) and more recently, FUBAR (‘Fouled up beyond all recognition’). October 2014 Now Hear This page 5 This month’s knot: October 2014 Now Hear This Anchor Hitch----a great knot to tie line to a ring on an anchor. page 6 Request from P/C Nell Moore concerning Merit Marks It’s that time of year again when I’m asking all of you to send in a report on what you have done for the Squadron this year so I can start work on compiling the Merit Marks report. Please send me information on what you did for each activity you helped plan or class you helped teach. Also send me the number of hours you have worked. Most of you know the drill so go back through the year since January 1 and let me know what you’ve done. All tasks are important. Email [email protected] Future Photo Directory I have received many requests for a new photo directory of our Squadron. In order to compile a photo directory, I of course need photos. I have committed to making this directory a reality, but I need your help!! You have a couple of options. 1) Take a great photo of yourself from the shoulders up, or use a current one, and email it to me. 2) Come to our next Social in September (which you should do, anyway) prepared to have your photo taken. Email to [email protected] — Liz McKinney Newsletter Editor October 2014 Now Hear This page 7 D/C Kenn Manning and CDR Joe Hill invite all D21 members to participate in a District 21 Nautical Cooperative Charting event at Lake Charles----14-15 NOV 2014 This D21 Cooperative Charting event will allow us to improve the accuracy of NOAA Nautical Charts 11347, 11331, 11348, and related publications Coast Pilot, Light List, Notice to Mariners, etc. The socials and meetings will be held at the LCSPS Anchorage building and dock on Kiwanis Ln in Lake Charles. It is located at the NE corner of the I-210 Bridge over the Calcasieu River. Construction of an overpass on I-210 to the new Golden Nugget casino will still be underway and require maneuvers around some barricades to enter Kiwanis Ln from W. Prien Lake Rd. Contact a member of LCSPS for the latest construction information. D21 Cooperative Charting Agenda 14-15 Nov 2014 Friday 14 Nov 2014 (LCSPS Anchorage) 1700-Captain’s meeting – Final assignment of search areas, identify & assign additional crew (if needed continue after meal). 1830-Food and Spirits ($10 food for Friday and Saturday, with cash bar) Saturday 15 Nov 2014 0800- Boats depart from various docks --- After completion of survey’s the Captain and crew’s assembly at the LCSPS Anchorage --- Prepare reports for submission to NOAA via CCWEB 1730 - Food and Spirits. ($10 food for Friday and Saturday, with cash bar) For information on the event contact R/C Ken Wilkinson, [email protected] or P/C John Loukas, [email protected]. Also let us know if you are thinking about attending so we can stock plenty of food and refreshments. For those arriving by boat along the ICW who would like to complete some surveys while in route please contact us to reduce duplicate surveys on 11348 and 11331. For information on marinas, docks, launch ramps, fuel, etc. contact the Port Captain Lt/C Harvey Kuttner, [email protected]. The hotels closest to the LCSPS Anchorage are on W. Prien Lake rd. between Lake St (I-210 exit 5) and Nelson Rd. They are L’Auberge Casino, Wingate by Wyndham, Marriott Springhill Suite, Hampton Inn, La Quinta, Inn on the Bayou, and the Holiday Inn north of Prien Lake Rd on Lake Street. Numerous hotels and casinos are available along I-10 and I210. PLAN AHEAD the hotels are busy on weekends!! October 2014 Now Hear This page 8 San Antonio Sail and Power Squadron presents Fall Commander’s Float October 25 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Canyon Lake, TX Join with other SASPS members for a floating social. Come ride on the Squadron provided Pontoon or bring the boat of your choice to raft to the pontoon. Pontoon will depart from Canyon Lake Marina and an easy to locate rafting location will be published prior to the event. Bring your favorite finger food or snack to share. Cost $10 per person. Checks can be made out to San Antonio Sail and Power Squadron. RSVP David Baltzell 916-208-8245 October 2014 Now Hear This page 9 Now Hear This Is the monthly publication of the San Antonio Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the U.S. Power Squadrons. Address all correspondence to: Editor—Now Hear This 159 Albrecht Rd Center Point, TX 78010 830-377-4459 Email: [email protected] For general information about SASPS, Please call 210-824-2888 Any article appearing in this publication is to be assumed as representing the opinion of the author and is not to be construed as reflecting the policy of the San Antonio Sail and Power Squadron or the United States Power Squadrons. Contributions are welcomed and must be received eight days before the end of the month. Email is the preferred method of transmission. Address and phone number(s) must be included with each submission. The Bridge for 2014-2015 Commander Cdr George “Mack” McKinney JN 830-370-8488 Executive Officer: P/C Larry Wiese SN 210-497-8469 Educational Officer: Lt/C Tom Stapleton SN 830-837-5058 Administrative Officer: Lt/C David Baltzell 916-208-8245 Secretary Lt/C Liz McKinney JN 830-377-4459 Treasurer P/C Nell Moore JN 210-493-4491 Assistant Admin. Officer Lee Gobernatz P 830-537-3956 Assistant Education Officer Kent Rush P 210-826-5863 Assistant Treasurer P/C Anthony “Tony” Gobernatz, Jr P 830-537-3956 Members at Large P/C Price Darling, SN October 2014 Now Hear This P/C Frank Christ, AP P/C Myron Hayes, SN page 10 SAN ANTONIO SAIL & POWER SQUADRON 159 Albrecht Rd Center Point, TX 78010 http:www.usps.org/localusps/sant SASPS Telephone # for general information: 210-218-9961 CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS (Further details can be found throughout this newsletter) October 10th SASPS Executive Committee Meeting, 11:30am, Egg & I Restaurant. 701 East Sonterra Parkway (Ex Com meetings will be on the second Friday of even number months.) 11th Basic Weather and Forecasting 25th Commanders Float on Canyon Lake November 13th SASPS General Meeting, 6:00 pm, Location to be announced! 13th Piloting Begins 27th Basic Weather and Forecasting 28th Basic Trailering Back Page