When At Sea, Keep Clear Of The Land!

Transcription

1 Orion A unit of the United States Power Squadrons District 12 Sail and Power Boating America s Boating Club Wo rc e s t e r C o u n t y S a i l A n d Po w e r S q u a d ro n When At Sea, Keep Clear Of The Land! Cdr Steve Mullen, JN Publilius Syrus, Roman author, 1 st century. B.C. Good advice if you think about it. And if you think about it, that is what much of the Power Squadron s training is all about from America s Boating Course, through Piloting, to offshore Navigation. A boater typically strives to interact with the land only at a time and place of her or his own choosing. This is true whether you are bringing the boat back to the ramp at the end of a long day of fishing, beaching your canoe for a lunch break, dodging sand bars at the mouth of a river, or tying up at a dock. A savvy skipper has planned ahead and knows where the hazards and obstacles are and how to avoid them. For a very high profile example of what can happen if you do not heed Publilius Syrus advice you don t need to look any farther than the wreck of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia this past January. A friend sent me a link to a video of the ship s final maneuvers. The video runs something over 14 minutes and it is well worth going through the entire thing. The video was made from the ship s broadcast AIS information. (See sidebar on page 3 if you are not familiar with AIS). gcaptain.com/gcaptains-john-konradnarrates-the-final-maneuvers-of-thecosta-concordia-video/? I must emphasize that Investigators are a long way from determining just what happened that day. And certainly, as with all disasters at sea, we will find that more than one person made mistakes during that fly-by. I ll never pilot the likes of a ship the size of the Costa Concordia. But as I sat and watched the video, I couldn t help but think back to some of my more interesting boating experiences and how a cascade of events can result in getting to know your neighbors at the dock, or the dock itself, just a bit too well. I also think back to an experience with a rented inboard/outboard powerboat (I am a sailor). In this case, some of my Power Squadron training helped me understand just what was happening with the boat as I was trying to pull along side a dock and allowed me to avoid any problems. A point was made in some of the commentary about the Concordia that typically on a ship that size, the Captain gives the order and it is up to the Mate on duty to actually issue the commands that will carry out the Captain s desires. How many of us may invite friends or family to go out with us and ask them to drive the boat while we take care of other business? I know I have. As Captains of our vessels, no matter what the size, it is up to us to ensure that not only ourselves, but also all of our crewmembers have the skills and experience to keep clear of the land. Volume 59, Issue 1 April 2012 The Executive Committee meets on the second Wednesday each month at If you wish to participate, and we hope that you do, contact Cdr Steve Mullen, JN for the location of the next meeting. Inside This Issue: Squadron Officers 2 Squadron Calendar 2 Meet the Commander 3 RV & Boat Show 3 Mystic Seaport Rendezvous Change Of Watch 6 Spring Blooms 7 Friends of WCSPS 7 4

2 Page 2 Worcester County Sail & Power Squadron Bridge Officers Commander Cdr Stephen Mullen, JN 62 New Boston Road Sturbridge, MA smullen@meganet.net Calendar of Events 11 Apr WCSPS Executive Committee Meeting 28 Apr Rendezvous At Mystic Seaport Treasures From The Museum Orion 9 May WCSPS Executive Committee Meeting Executive Officer Educational Officer P/D/C Warren Hawkins, JN 87 Oakwood Lane Worcester, MA hawkw87@yahoo.com May Safe Boating Week? Jun Manchaug Pond Vessel Safety Check Day 30 Jun 5 Jul OpSail Boston Celebration 2-9 Sep USPS Governing Board Detroit MI Administrative Officer Secretary Lt/C Jill Winski, AP 46 Torrey Road Sutton, MA wcsps-jw@charter.net Treasurer Lt/C Richard Kozlowski, JN 29 Merrick Street Worcester, MA richkozlowski@verizon.net Orio the members of: Worcester County Sail And Power Squadron Editors: P/D/Lt/C Dick Winski, AP & Lt/C Jill Winski, AP 46 Torrey Road Sutton, MA wcsps-rw@charter.net Orion is published 7 times a year by Orion is Deadline for the next issue of Orio 1 May 2012 Please send your articles, stories, and photos so they might be included in your newsletter. Dick & Jill United States Power Squadrons, USPS, America s Boating Club, the USPS Ensign, and the Trident Design are Registered Trademarks of United States Power Squadrons.

3 Volume 59, Issue 1 Cdr Stephen Mullen, JN As your new Commander, I feel a couple of words of introduction are probably in order. I have been a member of the Worcester County Sail and Power Squadron since As I noted previously, I am a sailor, even though my family has had powerboats ever since I can remember (my Dad loves deep sea fishing). I learned to sail dinghies in Southern California and had a great time with a beach catamaran Meet The Commander summers as I was growing up. Then I left SoCal and took a 30- year break from boating. Well, almost. I did take canoe lessons in the bayous of Louisiana in the early 1980 s and have been out a couple of times then, and even after I moved to New England. But I finally got back into boating in a serious way in 2003 when I bought an elderly Catalina 27 as a project boat. I have been rehabilitating it ever since. I remembered my Dad taking Page 3 a Power Squadron course when he first got his boat. I did the same when I got the Catalina. The Admiral (my wife, who has also taken the basic courses) and I do mostly day sailing on the Narragansett. I have met some of you at various meetings, classes, and activities over the past five years or so, and I look forward to meeting and getting to know better those of you I now know only as an entry on our roster. Worcester RV, Boat & Camping Show Cdr Stephen Mullen, JN Our most heartfelt thanks go out to the following people for taking time out of their busy schedules to make our time at the Worcester RV, Boat and Camping show the success it was. In no particular order: Rich Kozlowski Bruce Arey Warren Hawkins John Storms A very special thank you goes out to the members of the District Bridge and our sister squadrons who came to help us out. D/C Wayne Lambert, AP and P/D/C Paul Nordquist, AP Photo on preceding page by P/D/Lt/C Dick Winski, AP Wayne Lambert Joe Kelliher Tom Gonsiorowski Barbara Herrmann Paul and Shirley Nordquist Because of your efforts the classroom for the ABC course is absolutely full. I know I had a good time at the show. I hope you all did as well. (Sidebar From Page 1) AIS AIS, or Automatic Identification System, is an automatic tracking system used primarily on commercial ships. It is very much like the aircraft tracking system that the Air Traffic Control system uses to keep track of each airplane that is in the air. AIS broadcasts a vessel s unique identification, position, course, and speed. It is currently required for all international voyaging ships of 300 tons or more, and all passenger ships. It has been described as a poor-man s radar because any vessel or land station equipped with the right receiving and display equipment can track and monitor other ships in the area, as long as they are AIS equipped. It is used in navigation primarily for collision avoidance and is a supplement to, not a replacement for, radar. In busy shipping areas, Vessel Traffic Services, VTS, uses it for identifying and locating vessels and to manage ship traffic.

4 Page 4 Orion Let s Rendezvous At Mystic Seaport Museum There Is A Brand New Exhibit Titled: Treasures From The Collections And We Are Going To Go See It! Date: Saturday, 28 April Museum Hours: (9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.)

5 Volume 59, Issue 1 Come by boat, by car, or by carpool. Come as early as you can to enjoy the museum for as long as you wish. Then, at 1045 (yes Battle Plan that is 10:45 A.M.) we will gather outside the R.J. Schaefer Exhibit Hall, Map Location: 50, and then storm the exhibit at Page 5 General Admission: Adults: $24 Seniors: $22 Youth: $16 Group of 10 or more $19 in advance Check out the Museum website at: Check Public Libraries for discount passes R.J.Schaefer Exhibit Hall Location 50 Contact Stephen Mullen if you plan to attend at: smullen@meganet.net Cell Take an in-depth look at some of the finest artifacts drawn from the collections of Mystic Seaport. For more than 80 years, the Museum has developed collections vast in depth and scope and known worldwide for their documentary and research value. Less widely recognized but no less significant are the artistic treasures among the Museum's extensive holdings. These objects of creative expression - inspired by the power, mystery, dangers, beauty, solitude, and resources of the sea - merge impressive artistic skill with maritime content to reveal the broad influence of the sea on American life.

6 Page 6 Orion Change Of Watch Left. P/C Ted Robbins, N receives 50 year Membership Award from Cdr Bruce Arey, JN and D/C Wayne Lambert, AP Above: P/D/Lt/C Dick Winski, AP accepts Distinctive Communicator Award Right: Cdr Stephen Mullen, JN is sworn in Photo by Lt/C Richard Kozlowski, AP New Commander, Steve Mullen, bestows parting gifts to P/C Bruce Arey, JN. Gifts included a Past Commander Flag, A plaque of appreciation and USPS Brief Case Additional photos by P/D/Lt/C Dick Winski, AP

7 Volume 59, Issue 1 P/D/C Warren Hawkins, JN The sun is over the equator, the trees are budding, flowers are sprouting and the sound of sanders is heard near the shore. All signs that Spring is upon us. Also flowering is our spring boating course, ABC3, being held at the Regatta Point Community Sailing facility on Lake Quinsigamond. Last Spring we had 8 students; this year we have 27 in the class that started March 29 th, including 10 students below the age of 18. All this bodes Spring Blooms well for the prospects of encountering safe boaters on the water this year. And, not only is the classroom filled, it is populated by enthusiastic and active students, who, I predict, will pass the course with flying colors. I also expect that many of them will go on to take the Seamanship course we plan to offer in the fall. This year, again, we will be offering a free 6 month trial membership to the graduates of the course, and I suspect that many will renew and become full time, active members of he squadron. It is satisfying to see Friends Of WCSPS Page 7 boaters, both those new to boating and those with years of experience, coming to our class to gain the knowledge we know is essential for safe and enjoyable boating. ABC Students at Regatta Point Photos by P/D/Lt/C Dick Winski, AP The following is a list of companies and organizations who have supported our squadron Doyle Sailmakers The sailmakers of choice worldwide 1 Division Street E. Greenwich, RI Eastern Mountain Sports Shoppes At Blackstone Valley 70 Worcester Providence Turnpike (Rt. 146) Millbury, MA Manchaug Pond Association Promoting the welfare and correct use of Manchaug Pond blogspot.com New England Yacht Rigging Full-service rigging and sailing equipment P.O. Box Water Street E. Greenwich, RI Regatta Point Community Sailing Sailing for all 10 Lake Avenue North Worcester, MA Up And Running Technology Satisfying Your Technology Needs 3 Sutton Avenue Oxford, MA

8 W o r c e s t e r C o u n t y S a i l A n d P o w e r S q u a d r o n Worcester County Sail And Power Squadron 46 Torrey Road Sutton, MA Phone: wcsps-rw@charter.net Web: Lat: Lon: N W A unit of the United States Power Squadrons District 12 Sail and Power Boating America s Boating Club Mystic Seaport Museum Rendezvous Saturday, 28 April Come By Boat, Auto, Or Carpool. New Exhibit Titled: Treasures From The Collections Boating Is Fun We ll Show You How!