The Watch Keeper. News and Boating Tips from the USFBA

Transcription

1 US Freshwater Boaters Alliance May 2017 Volume 2, Issue 2 The Watch Keeper News and Boating Tips from the USFBA The Call From 911 Dispatch Came In at 2:49am This month s edition of the Watch Keeper was late in preparation. Normally it would have been put together last weekend and finalized after the first major boating holiday of the season, Memorial Day. But Saturday morning before 3:00am our 911 Response Team received a call from Mercer County 911 Dispatch that a male, approximately 5 9, wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and tennis shoes had jumped from a boat west of Safety Island and North of Windy Point. He was unconscious in the water. When asked, the 911 Dispatcher responded that he was not wearing a life jacket. And that started a search/recovery operation that concluded on Tuesday morning with the recovery of a body. Directed by Lieutenant Travis Martin of ODNR and Fire chief Ron Schulze of the Montezuma FD, the operation included ODNR boats with side scan sonar, cadaver dogs, boats from the USFBA, the Montezuma FD boat and St Marys Township FD, and the Celina PD boat. The photo on this page is of a dive team aboard USFBA vessel Get~Aweigh preparing to enter the water. For this issue of the Watch Keeper, we want to express our condolences to the family of the deceased boater. And we want to cover some things that we as boaters must do in order to insure the safety of ourselves and our passengers. Inside this issue Flashing Lights Response Team Formed... 3 LIA Summer Kickoff... 3 Member Spotlight... 4 Board Appointment... 5 Dredge Line Moves... 5 David Friedman... 6 Memorial Day... 8 Debris Removal... 8 Night Boating Dangers... 9 By the Numbers Upcoming Events Freedom Days Lake Fest

2 Flashing Lights When you see lights flashing on a boat they indicate a need for caution. Blue and Red are law enforcement or emergency vessels and are for support vessels indicating caution. If you were near the search area on GLSM Memorial Day weekend you saw all of the lights as the recovery teams worked. USFBA vessels had amber lights and were charged with securing the perimeter of the search area, shuttling people and dog teams to boats in the search area, conducting visual pattern searches, and providing the platform for the dive team. But you ll see us out with ODNR securing the perimeter for dredge line moves, fireworks displays, and other events. Please, for your safety and ours, take note when you see flashing lights and exercise caution in the area. And when directed to change course or leave an area, please do so. It s another way to boat responsibly and safely. 2

3 911 Response Team Formed Last year Sheriff Jeff Grey recommended to the Mercer County Commissioners that the sheriff s department dispose of their aging boat and turn all 911 non-emergency calls over to the US Freshwater Boaters Alliance. In meetings, 911 Administrator, Monte Diegel, and USFBA CIO Jeff Marcum established the protocol by which those calls could be directed to the USFBA. This year, the USFBA formally established a 911 Response Team composed of 7 members. They are pictured left to right, Jeff Marcum, Dick Heiby, Steve Lefeld, Paul Joseph, and Larry Stelzer. Response Team members not pictured are Kent Hughes and Kevin Mast. LIA Summer Kickoff June 3rd Kick off summer 2017 with the Lake Improvement Association's event on the East side of Grand Lake St Marys. There are games, food, and lots of activities for young and old alike. Visit our booth and meet USFBA Members and see the USFBA vessel, Zodiac 1. A reconditioned USCG fast rescue boat that did service in the Gulf of Mexico, Zodiac 1 is now in use on Grand Lake St Marys to assist boaters in distress. 3

4 Member Spotlight Michael Kent Hughes Kent Hughes is a newer member of USFBA. He and his wife of 38 years, Geri, retired to Celina and Grand Lake in October, They had resided in Johnston, IA, just north of Des Moines, for five years prior. Kent worked in marketing for E.I. DuPont and retired in As a retired Marine couple they desired to move closer to children and grandchildren. They also wanted to live in a location that would lure their grandchildren to visits. Geri read in a military periodical that Western Ohio was a top location for retired military; close to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, zero state tax on military retirement pay, and many other benefits. Geri and Kent had moved eleven times in thirty years all due to Kent s employment, so this time it was Geri s choice. They had lived by water much of their married life, Florida, North Carolina and Western Michigan. Geri grew up near Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, MN and was a swimming instructor. Kent spent years on Navy ships and has always enjoyed swimming, fishing and waterfowl hunting. To attract grandchildren and enjoy the lake, they decided to buy their first boat. During their first month in Celina, Kent and Geri visited Jeff and Deborah Marcum and Jeff told them of a group of boaters who could teach them about Grand Lake and boating. Jeff persisted until both Geri and Kent joined. When asked why they chose to be members of USFBA Kent says, We wanted an opportunity to learn about boating and boating safety and we learn a great deal from being USFBA participants. We enjoy the comradery of the members. Grand Lake has all the activities we enjoy and the USFBA has fun people who share our interests. List of priorities for retirement location. Close to grandchildren and children. Close to military base to take advantage of free travel, exchange privileges, etc. Reduced state tax on military retirement Near water for recreation Proximity to college or university (lectures and special events) Good hospitals and doctors 4

5 Dredge Line Moves Board Appointment Rich Branch The USFBA Board is pleased to announce that Rich Branch has joined the Officers Board as Secretary and Board Member. The Secretary is responsible for keeping records of board actions, including overseeing the taking of minutes at all board meetings, sending out meeting announcements, distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each board member, and assuring that corporate records are maintained. Rich graduated from Coldwater High School and lives in Coldwater. A member of the Coldwater village council, Rich and his wife June have been married for 39 years and have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. Rich has boated on Grand Lake since He's owned several boats over the years and boating has been a fun family activity. The reason Rich joined the USFBA is because he likes to be on the lake and this gives him an opportunity to do that while giving back to the community. 5 On May 3rd, the USFBA helped ODNR move 7,300 feet of Dredge Line from Windy Point to Bay View on GLSM. Frank Betterton, Dick Heiby, Kent Hughes, and Jeff Marcum provided perimeter escorts to prevent boats from approaching and hitting the dredge line as it was floated the 3 miles to the dredging location, positioned and sunk. On May 22nd, Dick Heiby, Jeff Marcum, and Larry Stelzer helped with the move of 3,800 feet of dredge line from the sailboat club harbor to Prairie Creek. Just one of the many ways the USFBA volunteers contribute to safe boating. Want to be a part of this kind of support? Visit the USFBA website and contact us about membership

6 A Lesson Hopefully Learned By David Friedman As most of you probably know, Memorial Day weekend 2017 was not pleasant on Grand Lake St. Mary s. The drowning of anyone is awful and we should more than make note of it. I heard the reports on TV here in Dayton as we were preparing to head for Connecticut and our boat for the summer within the next week. When I heard the report I started to think of all the times I have been on the water at night and under what circumstances some good, some not so good. In any event, we were always prepared for the worst with the hope that the worst would never happen. We had routines, we had rules and yet we still had enough room to have fun as well. Yes, I m in salt water and deep water, but I also have been on inland lakes late at night as well, especially when I was a kid and didn t know very much (although I thought I did). Large bodies of water, or small, the problems are similar. Distance and perception are much different at night. Visibility can be almost nothing but the reflection of running lights, if they had them. But there are rules that all boaters need to know and observe. I don t know why those folks were on that lake at 3:00 AM. There does not seem to be a logical reason. Fishing, not really. What was going on with them I have no way to know, but a reasonable person might say that should not have been. I know most of you have heard it time and time again about wearing life jackets, and you are probably sick of hearing it. This was a prime example of when it would have helped. Everybody thinks they are above wearing them that s it is not macho to wear one, but folks, they work. The Coast Guard just released the 2016 Boating Safety results on May 31st and unfortunately fatalities were up, accidents were up as were injuries. In previous years the trend was going down and now a significant upsurge. This accident will go into the 2017 statistics an unnecessary event but an unfortunate fact. I still like to sail at night. It is a magical time. It s very quiet and you really get a sense of the sea and perhaps your part in the universe. However, we have rules, not laws, just very practical rules that all sailors use when out at night, whether alone or with a full crew. These rules or practices are valid for sailboats or power boats it doesn t matter Continued on Page 7 6

7 A Lesson Hopefully Learned Continued From Page 6 By David Friedman Rule number one, EVERYONE wears a life jacket before they come on deck or into the cockpit. That life jacket has a whistle and a light on it, at a minimum. Nowadays they probably also have a Personal Locater Beacon (PLB similar to an EPIRB, a radio beacon that sends a radio signal to a satellite showing where you are). There are no exceptions. Rule number two is that anyone on deck, or coming on deck or walking around on deck has a safety harness on with a tether that is clipped to a line running the length of the boat. In the event that crew member is swept overboard for any reason, he or she is still attached to the boat. If those two rules are not observed on the boat by any crew member, they will not be invited back again. You don t have to be out on the ocean with big equipment to be safe. An inflatable life jacket and a simple harness with a tether will work at night. Better to be safe than sorry. Here s a quick story. Many of you may remember the story of the four football players in Florida a few years ago. These four physically fit young men went fishing during the day. When they left in the morning the weather was great, but during the day it started to go bad. They were about 50 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico and decided to pull up their anchor and go home. The anchor was off the bow of the boat and got stuck, so they decided they would try and pull it out by reattaching it to the stern of the boat and use their engine to release it. They applied full power, the stern went down into the water and the boat swamped and overturned. Only one man wore a life jacket and he was the only survivor. I have no idea what happened on that boat on GLSM that night. I doubt anyone will every really know. The only thing I do know is that it could have been prevented! Stay safe and learn from others. For questions or comments please feel free to contact me at David.Friedman@USFreshwaterBoatersAlliance.com or click HERE for more information. David Friedman is a long time boater with over 70 years of experience on the water from small lakes and rivers to coastal off-shore work boating. His experience ranges from operating and racing small power boats as a youngster to currently sailing a 33 foot sail boat on Long Island Sound and points east. He is a 35 year member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary He s held many officer s positions and has served as an Instructor of boating safety courses for the Auxiliary. 7

8 Memorial Day Too often we celebrate a holiday in the summer without remembering why it s a special day and who we owe our freedom to. Memorial day came and went this year but for the families of veterans who have sacrificed all defending our values it is a special day of remembrance. We the members of the US Freshwater Boaters Alliance want to take this time to thank those who have given their lives for us. To thank and honor their families. And to thank our veterans and active duty military for their gift of freedom. We will never forget! Debris Removal With the heavy rains this spring the lakes have seen a lot of debris. We ve towed logs, large branches, and other debris from the lakes. It s important to remember to keep an eye out when you re boating, particularly after heavy rains. The tributaries carry anything that can float into the lake. Hitting something can damage your boat or injure you or a passenger so keep a sharp lookout. 8

9 Night Boating Dangers We ve completed 5 tows this year. One of those was at 3 in the morning. Two occurred while we were assisting with this past weekend s recovery operation. Some things we want to point out. First, boating late at night adds a level of danger that must be understood. We will come out to assist you but the risk to our safety increases as well. Before you venture out in your boat at night, make sure you are prepared. That means that your boat has plenty of fuel, that it is mechanically sound, that you have an anchor, that you and all passengers are wearing suitable PFD s, and that you understand the special requirements of boating at night. And boat responsibly. Alcohol and water don t mix! USFBA 2017 by the Numbers Year to Date Patrol Hours: YTD Event Hours: YTD 299 Boats in Service: YTD 27 Tows completed: YTD 5 The US Freshwater Boaters Alliance Boaters Helping Boaters 9

10 US Freshwater Boaters Alliance The mission of the US Freshwater Boaters Alliance is to encourage safe boating practices by promoting boater education, connecting member boaters through formal marine radio communications when on the water, and providing assistance to other boaters when appropriate and safe to do so. Consider joining the USFBA Not only will we help you become a better boater, but your boat fuel and other expenses may be tax deductible. But the most important reason for joining the USFBA is the opportunity to serve your boating community while you continue to enjoy boating as you always have. We don t have uniforms. We don t require crews. Your family is welcome. What we do require is a commitment to safety, the use of a VHF radio, a current vessel safety inspection of your boat, and the completion of an acceptable About Boating Safety class. Interested in learning more? Visit our website at call our main number at (419) or us at CIO@USFreshwaterBoatersAlliance.com. And if you run into an issue on the water, call us. We are after all, Boaters Helping Boaters. US Freshwater Boaters Alliance Primary Business Address PO Box 101 Celina, OH Phone: (419) CIO@USFreshwaterBoatersAlliance,