Crow s Nest. Official Online Publication of Lansing Sail and Power Squadron. A Unit of the United States Power Squadrons JANUARY 2014

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1 Crow s Nest Official Online Publication of Lansing Sail and Power Squadron A Unit of the United States Power Squadrons JANUARY 2014 Calendar of Upcoming Events January General Membership meeting... Coral Gables Speaker: Erika Jensen Drowhard with an update on Invasive Species 10 St Clair Shores Change of Watch... St Clair Shores 18 Grosse Pointe 75 th Commanders Ball... Grosse Point Yacht Club 21 Port Huron Change of Watch... Quay Street Brewing Co Strictly Sail Chicago Boat Show... Navy Pier 27 Executive Board Meeting... Headquarters 29-Feb 1 USPS Annual Meeting/100 th Anniversary... Jacksonville, FL February USPS 100 th Anniversary Cruise... Eastern Carribean Detroit Boat Show... Cobo Hall 16 Field Trip to Michigan Historical Museum/General Meeting downtown Lansing Grand Rapids Boat Show... Grand Rapids 24 Executive Board Meeting... Headquarters March Quiet Water Symposium... MSU 3 General Membership Meeting... Coral Gables Speaker: Carol Ray/Crewing on a Tall Ship 4 ABC class begins 4 week class... Haslett Middle School Spring Boating Expo... Novi 31 Executive Board Meeting... Headquarters

2 Welcome to 2014! It's great to be at the helm and I'm really looking forward to a super New Year. We're planning on participating in some great rendezvous with Detroit, Traverse Bay, and of course with D9 at the Grand Haven Coast Guard Days. We'll have lots of learning opportunities available with Advanced classes, Operations Training, Vessel Safety Check and Instructor Training classes. Also, we will be presenting the ABC public classes and USPS University seminars. We really need everyone to help out with these. We always need instructors (this is a great year to get certified as an Instructor) for the public classes, but we also need proctors, mentors, and seminar presenters. We are putting the finishing touches on a combined Vessel Safety Check program with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and several other squadrons. We need all the VSC Examiners we can get for this - why don't you get certified as a VSC Examiner and help us out? We are also looking forward to great things from our Sea Scout Ship as they sail into their first full year. Don t forget the upcoming Boat Shows! Put in a couple of hours, meet the public and give them the info about classes, boating safety and the Power Squadrons. You may never know but the time you spend might just prevent a boating accident. Finally, I like to say thanks to all the past bridge members who did such as great job during the last year. Thanks, especially, to our now Past Commander, Ralph Ziegler, for all the time, effort, and "smoozing." Boating is fun..let me (us) show you how! Cdr Dave Thompson, SN

3 E Education Corner By Lt/C John Quensen, SN SEO ` quensenj@msu.edu We had a successful fall boating series with several old and new members taking advantage of these targeted topic seminars. We will be scheduling more of these throughout the year. If there is a specific topic you would like to know more about please let me know. We are currently working on our winter and spring schedule of classes. We will be offering Piloting as well as Sail. ABC classes begin in March through Haslett Community Education. We will also offer an ABC class in conjunction with our Sea Scout Ship. We have an opening in the Education Department for an Assistant Squadron Education Officer. The duties of this office are primarily to enter public class information into the USPS database, help the SEO schedule classes and help where needed. We can make the job whatever you would like it to be. If interested, please contact John. Volunteer Opportunities Under Squadron Education Officer: Assistant Education Officer Chairman Board for Boating Advance Grade Chairman Elective Courses Chairman Public Seminar Chairman ABC class instructors Advance Grade Instructors Elective Courses Instructors Public Seminar Presenters Proctors and Mentors for all Classes BUM-BOAT - A boat employed to carry provisions, vegetables, and small merchandise for sale to ships, either in port or lying at a distance from the shore. Do You Know Your Signal Flags? ` O (OSCAR) - MAN OVERBOARD

4 SIX KNOT CHALLENGE The Six Knot Challenge is to tie six elementary knots as fast as possible. The world record of 8.1 seconds was set by Clinton Bailey Sr. Give it a try and see how well you can do. Under 20 seconds is pretty good - under 15 seconds is great! Challenge your friends at the monthly Squadron meeting at the Marlinspike Corner. Tie the following six knots: Sheet Bend Reef (Square) Knot Round Turn and two Half Hitches Bowline Sheepshank Clove Hitch

5 MAKING NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS By Marketing/PR Committee USPS I m an experienced boater: resolutions you ask? Remembering rules is really a task. To set the record straight and clear the confusion. Let me explain my New Year s resolutions. I ll turn on my blower, when cruising at slow I ll check all my flares especially their date. Cause CO is odorless and deadly, you know. In an emergency, there s no time to wait. I wear a life jacket when voyaging around, in most fatalities, the victim is drowned. I ll vow CPR to learn and more When emergency s aboard, help s away on the shore. When pumping my fuel I ll surely take care When setting my anchor, it s 7 to 1 Flying is fun, but not blown in the air. Cause drifting on shoals is really no fun. I ll monitor my fuel, the rule of thirds I ll check the forecast and watch the sky Going to empty, is more than absurd. with rain you get wet, but with lightning you die. I ll go into new waters; chart and GPS in hand what looks like tawny water, could be land. There s navigational hazards, pilings, shoals as you know. Local charts could save you a tow. With a man overboard, my engines I ll stop I ll never use alcohol when I m the skipper Ripper & avoid lancing him with my razor sharp prop. For under the influence we become Jack the I truly love cruising: avoid every mistake. But there s times I forget my vessel s big wake. In the spirit of the New Year I ll take time to pause. Remembering the injuries that those waves could cause These are my resolutions along with explanations a safer boater is my expectation. I ll do things right and forget my remorses. Everyone needs US Power Squadron courses.

6 Executive Department Happenings By Lt/C Rodney Ray, AP The executive department is responsible for external activities of the squadron. Underneath the department are a variety of activities. If you would like to volunteer to help with any of these activities please let Rod Ray know - -. Activities under the Executive Department: Boat Shows Doug Twiss, chairman Legislative Officer Safety Officer Parade Coordinator Vessel Safety Checks Rick Kane, chairman Liason Officer Public Relations Officer STRICTLY SAIL BOAT SHOW will be in Chicago on January This is THE show for sailors with seminars, trade show, boats galore all oriented to the sailor. Details can be found online for StrictlySail2014 Chicago. It takes place at Navy Pier. DETROIT BOAT SHOW is February at Cobo Hall. USPS District 9 will have a booth at the show and the Lansing squadron will have one day where they man the booth. Dates and sign up sheets will be available at the January Membership Meeting. GRAND RAPIDS BOAT SHOW is during the same time frame as the Detroit Boat Show. Members of Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Kalamazoo Power Squadrons man a booth at this event. It is a good show to go to if you can t make it to Detroit.

7 Invasive species update Join us for an update by Erika Jensen, Senior Program Specialist Monday, January 6, 2014 at 6:00 pm Coral Gables Restaurant 2838 E Grand River Avenue East Lansing, MI The Great Lakes Commission is a binational agency that promotes the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water and related natural resources of the Great Lakes basin and St. Lawrence River. Coming this year: February Field Trip to Michigan Historical Museum in Lansing March Crewing on a Tall Ship April Retracing the Route of Christopher Columbus May What s New for the Boating Season

8 Happy January Birthdays!! 1/14 Ron Buntin (26 ft sailboat, keeps in Traverse area) 1/21 Jim McCarthy (28 ft sailboat, keeps in Holland) to the following shipmates for their generous support of the Crow s Nest. Donations are for a one year period. A $40.00 donation covers postage for one month. MATE OF THE WATCH Jack and Dee Chamberlain (Jan 13) Dennis and Suzanne Dudley (Oct 13) Robert & Yvonne McLravy (Nov 13) Werner and Jeanette Meyer (Oct 13) Bob Miller (Nov 13) Joe and Deb Pysh (Apr 13) Dave and Brooke Thompson (Nov 13) Bruce Trudgen (Sept 13) Doug and Carol Twiss (Jan 13) Ralph Ziegler (Mar 13) Boat: Red Jacket Boat: Sacre Bleu In memory of Summer Wind Boat: Encore Supporter Boat: Adagio, Aurora & Ariel Supporter Supporter Boat: Twisster Boat: Sharon Ann

9 2014 Flag Officers COMMANDER... Cdr Dave Thompson, SN... EDUCATION OFFICER... P/C John F. Quensen III, SN... EXECUTIVE OFFICER... Lt/C Rodney Ray, JN... ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER... Open SECRETARY... Lt/C Tina Ziegler... TREASURER...Lt/C Phil White, N philwhite2049@gmail.com... ASST EDUCATION OFFICER... Open ASST SECRETARY... Open ASST TREASURER... Lt Robert Miller, AP... miller@pa.msu.edu 2013 Executive Committee Members at Large P/C Ralph Ziegler,JN ralphziegler@charter.net... P/D/C Mary Ann Jensen, SN jensene@msu.edu... Lt Kenyon Steiner kenyon.steiner@gmail.com... Lt Bronwyn Steiner steinerk7@juno.com... Lt Stephen Wilensky, AP stephenwilenskymd@gmail.com Chaplain Lt William Renfrew, P... About the Crow s Nest The Crow s Nest is a newsletter published monthly, September through May, by the Lansing Sail and Power Squadron, 2014 Forest Road, Lansing, Michigan Editor: Alanna Harvey alannawh@aol.com