Fantastic Florida By Vesta Rue Kraken. Up and Coming

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1 Volume 14, Number 1 The Official Newsletter of The Sailing Club, Inc. Winter Up and Coming The new season is nigh upon us, and that means that several events should already be on your calendar. In fact, by the time you read this, you should already have received your notices in the mail. In brief, here s what s in store: CPR/FIRST AID SATURDAY, MARCH 5 The Safety Committee is again pleased to sponsor a training session in which participants can become certified in Adult CPR and Standard First Aid. This session, taught by the Red Cross, is open to all Club members, family and friends. For full details, and to download the sign-up form, go to the Club s website, and look under Upcoming Events. ANNUAL MEETING & DINNER FRIDAY MARCH 18 We invite you to join us at our Annual Meeting and Dinner as we usher in the 2005 sailing season. The evening will begin at 6 PM with a cocktail hour, where one can browse and view the trip displayed. This will be followed by dinner, a brief business meeting, the installation of the new Board, and the highlight of the evening the 2005 trip presentations. The 2005 Membership Package will also be available starting that evening, which of course, includes trip sign-up forms. Following the meeting, there will be time for additional grazing around the trip displays. The event will be held at the Somerset Hills Hotel. For full details, go to the Cub s website and look WEBMASTER WANTED Our current guru, Rob Chichester, is stepping down by the end of this year. Rob has done a fantastic job over the past few years maintaining and updating all the info there. He is looking to pass the baton to some eager sole. Little prior experience is necessary, able to spell html a plus. This is a telecommuting opportunity and provides the same benefits as our other volunteer positions. If interested send an to the Commodore at commodore@thesailingclub.org Fantastic Florida By Vesta Rue Kraken Certainly, the inundation of hurricanes that Florida experienced this past fall would have reduced the prospects of the Club trip to the Gulf Coast ever happening. But the sun (eventually) rose and the tides started back out, and surprisingly, Burnt Store Marina, where our luxurious Island Packets awaited, was virtually unscathed, while the very near town of Punta Gorda was decimated. While many people s lives have been disrupted, by November, things had regained some sense of normalcy. And so, on a delightful Sunday evening, we all gathered for a meet-and-greet barbeque at the marina. Chief Cook and Trip Leader Ken Jones slaved over the hot coals to provide everyone with plenty of hamburgers and hotdogs. Perhaps it was his way to avoid the mosquitoes. If you were wondering where the New Jersey mosquitoes go in the winter it s Florida. The following morning, after a chart briefing by local resident and former club member Tom Crow, who also joined us on the trip with is own boat, we headed out across Charlotte Harbor on a beautiful sail to Pelican Bay. Tom had given a pretty detailed description earlier to the challenges of the narrow entrance channel to the bay. Ray Gray, however, chose this opportunity to do a dress rehearsal for a later opportunity with TowBoatUS, substituting former members Harvey and Marianne Goldberg as the rescue craft, as they have gone (Continued on page 4) In This Issue Fantastic Florida 1 Up and Coming 2 The Shallow Sea 2 Commodore s Corner 3 Pictures, Pictures, Pictures 2 & 4 Club Calendar Back Page

2 The Shallow Sea By Mia McCroskey Coming in to Pelican Bay on the first day through an unmarked, very shallow channel, we watched the numbers on the depth gauge drop from single digits to decimals to zero. And then we felt the telltale drag on the keel as we came to a stop in the mud. Sure, we d gone over this in the skippers meeting that morning. But once we were pulled off and towed through the actual channel we couldn t believe just how close to the sandy beach we needed to be to find the deep water. Should have gotten a better look at Ken s chart! Day two was absolutely glorious: We followed the locals out into the gulf through an unmarked channel hugging the shore. Then we reached out to sea on a generally northerly heading, taking advantage of the breeze while we had it. Mid-day we hove-to for a rejuvenating lunch followed by a swim for some of the crew. The entrance to Venice turned out to be a breeze and we enjoyed a great spot along the long dock. Dashing ashore, we borrowed marina bikes for a cycling tour of town not to mention a bit of exercise before dinner. We got an early start out of Venice on day three to find some wind. The day grew grayer and as we motor sailed through the afternoon we were sprinkled by the edge of a small squall. And then the worrisome reports from the boats ahead reached us one of the fleet had run aground in the channel approaching the Longboat Key bridge. In the middle of a relaxing week, these were our tensest moments. We began to analyze our options if we could not get through the channel. The prospect of anchoring off of Longboat Key in choppy seas was very unappealing after a long day of sailing. But if we went north to go around the upper end of Anna Marie Island we d get there, into unfamiliar shoal waters, just as darkness fell. Our third option was to turn around and run back to Venice. That would be disappointing, but probably the easiest course. (Continued on page 5) 2 All Photos By Mia McCroskey The Official Newsletter of The Sailing Club, Inc. 19 Budd Lake Hts. Rd., Budd Lake, NJ Steven Krakauer, Editor The Sailing Club Board Officers Commodore Dave Steward Vice-Commodore Jon Stufflebeem Membership Secretary Tom Davies Treasurer Cliff Rimpo Charter Liaison Laura Lauglin Past Commodore Cecile McKenzie Members at Large Joe Brozek, Julie Conway, Jeff Hamer, Steve Krakauer Clara Matejka, Vic Oburg, Lillian Parsons, Doal Sanderson Jane Schumann and Larry Sherwood. Please send all newsletter submissions to: Steve Krakauer, 11 Clark Court, Basking Ridge, NJ news@thesailingclub.org

3 Commodore s Corner January 29, 2005 P. Davis Steward After spending 13 months with 9 others on Anvers Island off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula 35 years ago, you wouldn t be terribly surprised if I told you we all were ready to bid that place farewell. Little did I fully understand then what a profound impact that period of time would have on my life, my dealings with others and what true dependencies we all have on one another for our very lives. Indeed, true legends and remarkable leaders, at least to me, showed their real stuff in the very area in which I spent that year. Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer, known affectionately as Captain Nat, hailing from Stonington, Connecticut as master of a sealing vessel called Hero, was reportedly the first to sight the Antarctic continent in Captain Nat went on to become a great ships master, designer and builder and was known for his ship handling prowess in docking his vessels in New York harbor s East River. Remember, this was a time when ships had no auxiliary power. Sir Ernest Shackleton, though unsuccessful on all major journeys he undertook, was regarded as one of the greatest leaders of his time, and this rings true in the diaries of the men in his expedition and their enormous affection and respect they had of him. Shackleton s boat journey in a 22 foot life boat, James Caird, from the doomed HMS Endurance to South Georgia Island, an 800 mile trek in the world s worst ocean, stands as a testament to his leadership and resolve. Two others that displayed courage, leadership and a true ability to understand and assist others were the Endurance s skipper Frank A. Worsley and Second Officer Tom Crean, each a seasoned leader and explorer in their own right. So, what is it about these four individuals that made them known for what they were? I believe they all displayed the following qualities. The ability to listen, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to level with the rest of the team by letting them know exactly the circumstances of their situation without holding anything back, the ability to recognize and praise others when called for, as well as the ability to take others to task when needed. Above all, they were fair. Probably less noticed is that in my reading of these gentlemen, they were all good followers before they became good leaders. Perhaps it s my bias, but notice that all these men spent most of their lives aboard ship, first as part of the ship s company and ultimately as an officer or skipper. True teamwork is most tested when one s safety is dependent upon another to pass the test. When one fails, we all fail. As your Commodore for the past two years I have often thought about these qualities, how I admired them in those of whom I think highly, and how difficult it is to really pull it all off. I have reasoned that if I could at least leave the impression with others that I have done most of these things well, then I would have led The Sailing Club well, too. I now know that unlike the island on which I spent 13 months, I will truly miss steering the Club. This is a good reason for term limits! I thank each of you for the trust and faith you had in me, and for the support and commitment many of you made to the club. And now, I will step aside but hopefully not so far as to be in the shadows of obsolescence. I look forward to supporting those who come after me as so many before have supported me. Fair winds, Dave Steward Commodore 3

4 Fabulous Florida (Continued from page 1) over to The Dark Side, now owning a small powerboat. Pelican Bay proved to be the ideal spot for a raft-up, and the victuals and libations were up to the usual Club standards. The winds started out light the next day, and some began by motoring, or motor-sailing. But by midday, the freshening breezes brought smiles to everyone s faces, and a timely late afternoon arrival to Venice Inlet and the nearby marina. Some arrived earlier in the day and spent the afternoon cycling and strolling about town, oblivious to the wonderful winds that developed after they docked. On Tuesday, the forecast was for brisk winds, so those that didn t do town the day before had the morning available for that. Brisk turned out to be an understatement, as the winds by mid-afternoon were over 20 knots, and reached near 30 by day s end. Although the skies looked threatening at times, it never did really rain. So although it was a chilly 65 o, it was probably the best sailing of the trip. The entrance to Longboat Passage, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway), is supposed to be between the channel markers. But the effects of Mother Nature from the storms are not always above ground. The channel, it turns out, had shifted quite a bit south. Since the lead boat was our local resident-former member, we didn t feel any more assured when he discovered this undersea anomaly. But the TowBoatUS operator (nicknamed Icuddatolduso), provided information that made it easier for the rest of the fleet to make the passage unscathed. Everyone made it through, waved to the drawbridge operator, and turned right into the ICW. Everyone, that is except Ray and his crew. Ray is rumored to have said; It looks deeper over there. Head that way. In fact, it was not. Fortunately, Mr. Icuddatolduso had just finished settling accounts with his previous customer, and provided immediate, though expensive, relief. [See The Shallow Sea elsewhere in this newsletter] (Continued on page 5) 4 All Photos By Mia McCroskey

5 Fabulous Florida (Continued from page 4) Clear skies appeared Wednesday for the motor and sail down the ICW to Sarasota, where we had slips reserved at Marina Jacks, and within walking distance of downtown. Sarasota has become a major city on the Gulf Coast, with many cultural, dining and shopping opportunities. Some folks walked over to Selby Gardens, while others cabbed it over to St. Armand s Circle to shop and dine. After the adventures of the first few days, the remainder of the week seemed pretty tame. After Sarasota, the original plan was to anchor in Lemon Bay. Because of its location, this would have meant motoring the next two days on the ICW to our final night out at Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island. So instead, we motored on Thursday down the ICW, gawking at some very expensive homes, and some not so expensive, on our back to Venice and The Crow s Nest Marina. This gave some a chance to spend the morning in Sarasota, as the trip was only a few hours. Venice proved to be just as hospitable the second time around, and they hadn t changed the combination to the showers yet! The last full day of sailing saw some folks go out the inlet (then shouldn t it be called an outlet?) and, with a southerly wind, set sail on some long tacks offshore (lunch in the Cayman s anyone?). All arrived in one piece, and without incident at Miller s Marina. Everyone had dinner that night at THE restaurant in town. It must have been the only restaurant, because it was packed, and deservedly so. The food was creative and unique, with a bit of flair, but not too pretentious. Those of us waiting to be seated generally hovered over the others of our group who were already dining, and made pests of ourselves, which didn t exactly encourage them to hurry up so we could get a table. Alas, even the winds felt tired on Saturday, and we all motored back across Charlotte Harbor to Burnt Store Marina, offloaded the boats and settled accounts. Some folks lingered in Florida a while, but for most, it was goodbye to the Sunshine State on a warm and sunny day, with fond memories of a trip well done and some GREAT stories. 5 The Shallow Sea (Continued from page 2) Fortunately, our fleet-mates found and communicated the proper channel outside of the red buoy and with the assistance of TowBoatUS got through the bridge. We followed their instructions and breathed a sigh of relief as we made it through to the inside as well. We breathed too soon, however. For shortly after passing under the bridge, in the gathering gloom and moderate winds, we misunderstood the profusion of channel markers and ended up solidly aground on a shoal. No amount of reversing the prop, shifting weight and frustrated cursing would free us. Finally we took the path of least resistance as asked our fleet-mates to send over the tow boat that was still with them at the dock. After twenty minutes of hard pulling the tow boat got us back into the channel and guided us to the dock where our companions were already made fast. We opted to raft up at the dock so that we set foot on dry land for a little while dry, that is, in the nature of the restaurant bar where our skipper stood us all a round. Thanks to Steve s tow insurance and the leniency of the tow boat operator our bill was cut by more than half. The next morning, before we left for our next leg in the ICW, Cecilia telephoned Boat US to get a policy for our use. Naturally we didn t run aground again. Our crew of five included four blues and one red, and a week after the elections this provided endless fodder for both friendly teasing and serious discussion. Positions were staked out early on and defended cheerfully, and we never came to blows so it was all well and good. Cecilia and Ray inhabited the boat s two private cabins although technically Ray was sharing with Doug. Instead, Doug arranged cushions on the floor of the main salon with John and Mia on the two settees above him. We formed a companionable slumber party, the banter with the cabin-dwellers gradually giving way to reading by flashlight. Both Doug and Ray were working on Dan Brown s Angels and Demons, while Mia was tapping away on a novel on her laptop when not reading The Dante Club.

6 Schedule for 2005 Dates May May June July 30 August 1 August 13 September October 8-10 October Location On-Water Training Two-Day Intro Seamanship & Navigation Rally Havre De Grace Small Boat Day Barnegat Vancouver, BC Chesapeake Bay So. Chesapeake Circumnavigation c/o Krakauer 11 Clark Court Basking Ridge, NJ 07920