NOVEMBER A publication of the Goderich Squadron of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons.

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1 NOVEMBER 2008 IN THIS ISSUE: COMMANDER REPORT LAKE HAVASU PWC TRIP COURSES OFFERED A publication of the Goderich Squadron of the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons

2 Commander GODERICH POWER AND SAIL SQUADRON BRIDGE MEMBERS Cdr. Chris Thatcher, S Executive Jos Rommens, AP RR 2 N0M 1L Box Eugene St. Bayfield ON N0M 1G Training Gary Mayel Old River Road Bayfield ON N0M 1G Asst./ Digital Training Secretary Dave Laurie Treasurer Grant Lee, AP Membership Dave Bieman, AP Public Relations Maritime Radio Gord Grant Walter Davis River Ridge Rd. goderich ON N7A 3Y Mohawk Cr. Box 35 ON N0M 1L Box Cameron St. Bayfield ON N0M 1G Goderich ON Cell: RR Fuller Dr. Goderich ON N7A 3X Regalia Mike Strickland Kingston St. 100 Goderich ON N7A 3K MAREP/ Hydrogr. Communications Social Environment cthatcher@tcc.on.ca jrommens@hurontel.on.ca old.river.blews@sympatico.ca dlaurie@huroncounty.ca clintondental@cabletv.on.ca dbieman@tcc.on.ca sglmnd@aol.com ginadalkin@sympatico.ca mstseme@hurontel.on.ca Robert Benner, AP benner@execulink.com Bill Scott, AP TBA Bob Merriman & Dawn Cumming Boat Pro Tim Blackburn, AP Bayfield ON Youth Historical Editor The Skipper Safe Boating Expert Port Captain Goderich Courtesy Boat Inspector Port Captain Bayfield Port Cap. Grand- Band Past Commander TBA TBA Lize Rommens Dean Nisbett, AP P/D/C Fulton Charlton AP Jos Rommens, AP Dave Bieman, AP - Dean Nisbett, AP PO Box 160 Seaforth ON N0K 1W Jowett s Grove Road Bayfield N0M 1G RR 2 ON N0M 1L Box 1089 N0M 1L Suncoast Dr. W Goderich ON N7A 4H RR 2 N0M 1L Box Cameron St. Bayfield ON N0M 1G Box 1089 N0M 1L wscott@tcc.on.ca robert.merrimen@sympatico.ca tim.blackburn@cabletv.on.ca jrommens@hurontel.on.ca drnisbett@huronoc.ca jrommens@hurontel.on.ca dbieman@tcc.on.ca drnisbett@huronoc.ca Would you like to receive the Skipper by as a PDF file? It is faster, it s in color, more pictures and it saves your Squadron some money. Contact Lize Rommens The skipper is published by the Goderich Power & Sail Squadron. Letters and opinions are invited and welcome. Address correspondence to: L. Rommens, R.R.2, ON N0M 1L0 jrommens@hurontel.on.ca Articles may be copied provided credit is given. Commercial advertising: $20/yr.

3 COMMANDERS REPORT Summer boating season is over and hopefully all of you had a great and safe time on the water this year. Now with winter approaching, all your winter preparations for your boat have been or are near completion. We are running our normal fall boating course and have 7 students enrolled. All are doing a great job thanks to our many instructors. Please check the website for our courses for the January to May time frame, you might be interested in updating your Navigation skills by taking the next course up from Boating, called Seamanship. On a volunteer note, we are planning to attend a large number of events over the winter and spring timeframes and could use lots of volunteers to assist at the information sessions we will be able to provide. If we get lots, it makes a lighter load for everyone. This would include handing out information or answering a few questions. In addition, we would like to add some new faces to our Bridge for the next Squadron year, it is a good opportunity to see how we function and meet new people as well as help out a bit. Check out information on the winter Xmas gathering, you are all invited to come and join in the fun and festivities. ALSO, A NOTE OF INTEREST, AND A REMINDER, THAT ALL BOATERS MUST HAVE THEIR PCOC (LICENSE) BY SEPTEMBER PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION TO EVERYONE THAT YOU KNOW. POSSIBLY THE RUSH CAN BE AVOIDED BY TAKING THE CLASSES OVER THIS WINTER

4 Colorado River PWC Trip Lake Havasu, AZ March 2008 Lake Havasu, formed by the flood waters of the Parker Dam, offers the PWC adventurer a unique opportunity. Lake Havasu is a man-made desert lake 30 miles long with over 400 miles of shoreline to explore. Havasu is the Mojave word for blue water. Las Vegas is a two and a half hour car trip away, or if flying into Phoenix, AZ, about a four hour drive. The Colorado River, which carved out the Grand Canyon 200 miles to the north east, flows southward in this location separating Arizona from California. A series of dams have tamed the Colorado, and created a navigable waterway. One can safely traverse the Colorado all the way to Laughlin, Nevada, where there is a casino. At the northern end is Lake Havasu City, the new location of London Bridge. This historic structure was brought to America from London, England. On 18 April 1968, Rennie's bridge was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for US$2, 460,000. A popular urban legend is that he believed mistakenly that he was buying the more impressive Tower Bridge, although McCulloch denied this. As the bridge was disassembled, each piece was numbered to aid reassembly and those markings can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona and re-dedicated on October 10, The reconstruction of London Bridge spans a man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the cent erpiece of a theme park in English style, complete with mock-tudor shopping mall. London Bridge provides the only access to Lake Havasu Island, a picturesque large isle with beaches, golf courses, hotels, and tourist shops. Various on the water activities are offered from electric paddle boats, sightseeing tours, boat rentals (pontoon boats are popular), and of course PWC rentals. We contacted Chad & Jennifer of Whett Rods Ski Rentals. Their recently opened business offers brand new Yamaha VX110 Waverunners four stroke units. We were actually their very first customers. We were assigned unit #1 with exactly one hour on the meter! After a shore side lesson on the safe operation of the PWC, and some information on our intended destinations, we were off. As with all boating activities appropriate gear is required. In the summer Lake Havasu temperatures soar to 110+ degrees F (40+ degrees C!), however we showed up in March. Long wet suites, gloves, bandanas, and outer shells were in order.

5 The waterways and canyons of the Colorado lived up to my expectations, especially the Topock Canyon with its steep sheer rock walls. One can imagine the erosive raw power that carved it out. A short hike up one canyons leads to Native American rock paintings. South of Lake Havasu City offers boaters a long narrow lake with various canyons to explore, the most popular of which seems to be Cooper Canyon. Numerous vessels were rafted up enjoying the beautiful hot weather and blue skies. Camp sites are available all along Lake Havasu for those wishing to camp out. One of the advantages of a exploring on a PWC is the shallow draft. One can work their way into small canyons and cuts close to shore where the water may be shoal. Visibility is very good in this area as most of the silt deposits of the Colorado River are left behind in the reservoirs created by the dams. The high speed attained by PWC s, allow one to cover large areas in short order. Of course one needs to be aware of hazards. The shifting sandbars where the Colorado empties into Lake Havasu is one such hazard. We were able to get some local advice from some fisherman on the scene enabling us to safely transit this tricky un-buoyed section. There are limited aids to navigation in the area consisting mainly of a string of white buoys demarcating a no wake zone. Water levels vary so one must be extra cautious in low water periods. The Bridgewater Channel between Lake Havasu Island and the mainland is a narrow busy strip of water frequented by various vessels. Pontoon boats are common and we saw a number of the high speed models here. It is also common to see high speed cigar type boats traveling at high speed down the lake, and one needs to be aware of them especially in a smaller vessel like a PWC.

6 Lake Havasu s proximity to so many remarkable sites like the Grand Canyon, historical Route 66, and downhill skiing in Flagstaff (we were able to ski at the Arizona Ski Bowl) make it a perfect multifaceted vacation destination for the active adventurer. P/Cdr Dean R. Nisbett, AP

7 Boating Course Offerings for 2009 Course Date/Time Location Description Boat Pro Seamanship Fee $125 Navigating With GPS Electronic Charting Maritime Radio Course Goderich Squadron A Unit of Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons Mar 7, Apr 4, May 2, June 6, :00 am One day + exam night Jan 6, 2009 For 12 weeks Apr 1, 2009 For 4 weeks Apr 29, 2009 For 3 Weeks Apr 7, 2009 For 4 weeks To be determined The Approved Boating Handbook and the seminar prepare you for the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) exam with National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (USA) certification. The Seamanship Course extends the navigation and vessel-handling techniques introduced in the Boating Course. The GPS seminar for the outdoors enthusiast, back packer, canoer and kayaker. It will help the new user of the hand-held GPS receiver. This course takes over where Navigating with GPS leaves off, with the more advanced features of electronic charting. This complete package with CD, including the new Digital Selective calling, will prepare you to write the exam for the Restricted Operator Certificate (Maritime) with DSC Endorsement. Boating Fee $190 Sept 8, 2009 For 13 weeks On successful completion you will have the opportunity to join CPS and receive your Pleasure Craft Operators Card. Courses may be changed or cancelled based on interest, Check our website for more information and registration Attention associate members who took the Boat Pro course last year You can continue your membership by taking the Boating Course listed above Google : Goderich Power Squadron for more information Seamanship (Piloting) Remember all the fun you had with Boating Course! This is the next step. Add to your on the water fun. Learn about weather & heavy weather tactics, how to handle on the water emergencies and even marlinspike! ( learn the ropes, from knots, hitches, bends, and splices). Seamanship uses traditional navigation, GPS fixes, Way Points, along with the introduction of Deviation How to register: Call Dean at , or Gary at Dates: Tuesday Jan. 6 th, runs for 12 weeks Time: 1900 hrs Location: High School, Cost: $125