The Chowder Chatter Newsletter of the Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society A Premiere Sailing Club of Southwest Florida Next Full Moon March 19 March 2011 COMMODORE S MESSAGE It s been a successful February. Great turnout for EPOL and a larger than expected participation at Steve Roake s racing seminars. That s what we like, membership involvement! March will be another busy month. You don t want to miss the general meeting. We will have a very special guest speaker, but you ll have to attend to find out who it is. This is followed by the Shrimp Festival race with our famous CMCS shrimp boil the next day. We wrap up the month with two cruises. That s three opportunities to get out on your boat! I read recently in one of the sailing publications that boaters traveling COMMODORE from state to state may find themselves not qualified to operate a boat Bob Duff in a particular state. This includes Florida. More and more states are commodore@cmcs-sail.org enforcing the NASBLA (National Association of State Boating LawAdministrators) laws. From what I read if you re not qualified your boating could be limited or even restricted in a particular state. Once you have passed the training course you are qualified to operate a vessel anywhere in the United States. Local training is available. If you are interested call or email me and I ll give you the information. Fair Winds Bob Duff bob-duff@comcast.net S/V Chase The Clouds Oyster Festival 2011
Summerset Report SUMMERSET 2011 STEVE ROMAINE CHAIRMAN SROMAINE294@YAHOO.COM 267-2538 Just over 200 days to go! Yes, the 46 th Summerset Regatta, October 7 th -- 9 th, 2011, will be here sooner than you think. STEVE ROMAINE VICE COMMODORE, SUMMERSET SROMAINE294@YAHOO.COM website is www.pandave.com. Major planning has already taken place, with signing on with Bonita Bill s for the Skippers Meeting and the Pink Shell Resort for the Saturday Cocktail Party around the pool, as well as the Awards Banquet Sunday Evening. We have signed with Dave Lapio s steel drum entertainment for Saturday s cocktail party. This should prove to be a great addition. Dave s 2011 Grant Fund applications are now available from Chuck Milbrandt, fund administrator, or myself. Chuck can be reached at 541-0614 or cdmilbrandt@comcast.net. Edison Sailing Center will begin to take summer course applications March 15 th for the various summer program dates, so don t be disappointed in either not getting the session you wanted or not getting your youth a grant. Start the process early Don t worry be happy -- we have the grant $$$, and ESC has the courses. You need to complete the paperwork, and the kids will thank you! Speaking of Thank-you s... we have received thank you letters for our direct cash contributions to youth sailing and marine programs from: The Sarasota Youth Sailing Program, The Ostego Bay Foundation, and the Davis Island Youth Sailing Foundation. DIYSF writes: Your generosity will help to support the safety of the sailors of the Tampa Bay Area in an environment which stresses safety, good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty courage, and respect for authority, the community, and marine environment. We appreciate these letters and remember, the more sponsorship dollars coming from an area, the more they receive in return, to help fund their youth programs. A part of the 2011 Summerset Regatta, CMCS will once again sponsor a Community Day at West Marine. Five percent of West Marine sales that day will be earmarked for the ESC. This year s Community Day will be Wednesday, April 20 th, at the McGregor Store Only. The Saturday before, April 16 th, sailors from the ESC will hold a car wash and hot dog sale at this store to promote customers returning Wednesday to make larger purchases. Please encourage everyone to visit the McGregor Blvd. store (across from the Landings) on April 20 th to buy! Thanks! Look for more surprises and announcements about the 46 th Summerset Regatta next month. Meanwhile, thanks for your support. I know you have already put April 20 th and October 7 th, 8 th, and 9 th on your must attend calendar. Hope to see many of you at the Conquistador Cup, the Towers Race, the Leukemia Cup, and others. 2
RACING NEWS February has been a busy month! Our Racing Rules Seminar, held on February 10 th and 17 th at Northern Trust Company s Fort Myers facility, was a tremendous success! The seminar was presented by Carol Robinson, who did an excellent job presenting numerous racing situations and the rules that applied. We had about 48 participants! Thanks to Carol and Northern Trust for an excellent program. Rear Commodore of Racing Steve Roake social hour at 6:30 PM). The next upcoming event will be a short seminar on race management for those that might like to help out with committee boat duty. This seminar will introduce racers and cruisers alike to the activities of the race committee. It s not meant to make you the person-in-charge, just to expose you to the various jobs required to manage a race on the water. I encourage crew and non-racers to attend. We need volunteers to help with race committee work so the racers can race! This seminar will be not more than an hour in length and will begin at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 15 th (prior to the March General Meeting The Edison Gulf Regatta was the second regatta of the 2011 racing season. It was a great day to be on the water! With temperatures in the 70 s to low 80 s, calm seas and light southerly breezes, what more could one ask for! (Maybe more wind?! Less fog?!) We were able to get in only one race. Fourteen boats in four divisions participated. The Multi-Hull Division was won by Ned Christensen in Passion III, followed by Paul Perisho in Aquilla. The Spinnaker Division was won by Tom Gore s Judy, followed by Joel Andrews Macushla and Forrest Banks Midnite Rider. The Non-Spinnaker Division was won by Steve Romaine s Air Supply, followed by Cecil Hazen s Desperado, Gary Blessing s After You and Tom Horner s Bentley. The True Cruising Division was won by David Naumann s Jolly Mon, followed by Roger Horton s Wicked Wicked Ways and Bev Duff s Chase The Clouds. This was the second regatta in the six-regatta buoy race series. After two regattas, the series leaders are: Passion III in multi-hull, Judy in spinnaker, Desperado in non-spinnaker and Jolly Mon in True Cruising. After the Edison Gulf Regatta race, we enjoyed a great happy hour on Lee Roy Selmon s patio in Ft. Myers. About 39 people attended. The next regatta will be the Shrimp Festival Regatta on Saturday, March 19 th. This will also be a Caloosahatchee Boat-Of-The-Year Race. In the interim, remember that the Conquistador Cup, hosted by the Punta Gorda Sailing Club, is coming up on March 5 th and 6 th. Carol Robinson explains racing rules to skippers and crew. 3
March Cruising Report EPOL has come and gone, The weather cooperated and gave us beautiful, clear, sunny skies. Another successful cruising event in the books for CMCS, And what great attendance! We ended up with a total of 16 boats at the event, and many people driving up to participate in the outing. Arriving boaters were greeted with a welcome basket assembled by Dee Vaigl. Rear Commodore of Cruising Ned Christensen Friday In the afternoon, everyone drifted over to the Tiki hut and enjoyed cocktails, snacks, conversation and games. Pizza was ordered later for those who needed additional nourishment. Moving the cocktail hour outside into the balmy evening turned out to be a great choice, instead of in the small room above the dock masters office. Saturday This is the part we all waited for. All you can eat oysters. I think everyone did just that, because we still had oysters left over. Several people commented that the oysters were sweeter and more tender than in years past! I was impressed by all the people who volunteered to help, and bring this event together. From getting the tables and chairs, getting the oysters, and then volunteering to shuck and fry oysters. My thanks goes out to all who helped to bring this feast together and make it a success. In the afternoon, everyone made their way into the shade of the Tiki hut and made preparations for the cocktail hour, hor d oveuvres and pot luck dinner. Later in the evening those that wanted to, walked over to watch the parade. Several of the CMCS boats were decorated with lights and looked quite impressive! Sunday After an enjoyable outing most boats made their way home, while a couple of others continued on up to the Franklin Lock to spend another night out. Jimmie Chew and crew with the Welcome Wagon 4
Sanibel Bight/Macomber Book Bash March 25, 26, 27 Kim Brown/Judy Anderson- Trust Me!!! kim@kimcbrown.com The Fleet will travel to St. James City in support of longtime (ancient?) member/past Commodore Bob Macomber s book bash. Technically it is the Annual Pine Island Reader Rendezvous- http:// www.robertmacomber.com/. This doesn t mean Bob is going up scale this is St. James City- but some folks use bash as a verb rather than a noun. No sense encouraging them. There are claims that this cruise is too easy after all you can come by car if you wish. However, it does test some of the most basic cruising skills required of SWFL sailors. First, you must successfully navigate Miserable Mile past the dreaded Danger Island. Then you must decide where to anchor. As you know, Sanibel Bight /York Island are really 2 distinct anchorages. Which you choose depends on the wind direction- current and expected. Finally, your dinghy navigation skills are tested- both before and after bashing. Judy and I will wander up into Pine Island sound on Friday afternoon and see if there is a consensus on where to anchor Friday night based on the wind. Cocktails @5P on Trust Me!!! or a suitably larger boat we have commandeered in the anchorage. This book is based in the Caribbean and Haiti so for extra credit bring a related hors d oeuvre. Extra credit for what you may ask- Well there will be a test covering Wake trivia. Start studying nowthere will be prizes. On Saturday morning the fleet will move to the anchorage off York Island/St. James City if we aren t already there. You are encouraged to have dressed both yourself (clean summerset t-shirt or better) and your ship. The festivities run from Noon-6p on Saturday at Woody s up the Monroe Canal (by boat) or on Stringfellow in downtown St. James City (if by car). We ll dinghy in about Noon (I am not a late lunch sort of guy) but this is CMCS so feel free to march to your own drummer. Bob will hold court and try to sell as many books as possible. HEADS-UP! Bob is handling his own book sales at this event and he doesn t take credit cards this is different than years past. So bring cash/check. Sunday we ll do Rock, Paper, Scissors to arrive at a lunch consensus (Ragged Ass or Waterfront) for those interested. Drop me an e-mail if you re coming so I can be sure to have enough tests ;-) We will monitor 16/72 while on the water. kim 5
Danger Island 2011 The Annual 2011 Danger Island Festivities are scheduled for Friday, May 27 th through Monday, May 30 th (Memorial Day) 2011. Where is the NEW Danger Island? Danger Island, as shown on all 2011 nautical charts, is located on the entrance spit to Pelican Bay. After nineteen and a half years at Picnic Island, we must move north for the sanity of our members. The Pelican Bay anchorage is one of the favorites of CMCS as a getaway for rest and relaxation (R & R). Who is going to Danger Island? Danger Island is the number one cruising event of our club each and every year. We normally have 30 vessels and 100 members, family and friends. This is also the favorite cruise of the CMCS Canine Corps. If you feel left out because you do not have a dog to bring, call me. How are you going to reach Danger Island? Some examples are sailboat, powerboat, on a very friendly member s boat, submarine, helicopter or swim. There is also the Tropic Star, a passenger ferry which leaves daily from Bokeelia on Pine Island. What happens on Danger Island? Danger Island is not like Las Vegas. What happens on Danger Island will appear in the next Chowder Chatter. Your Governor-for-Life, our talented team of Lieutenant Governors and Executive Administrative Aides have planned and will execute many exciting events. Examples of activities are as follows: Friday: Happy hour, sing-along and telling stories about members not attending this weekend. Beach barbeque and potluck prepared with your propane or charcoal grill, if you have one. Otherwise, begging for heat is permitted. Saturday: The Prestigious Black Tie Croquet Tournament. The Tie-less Couples Horseshoe Tournament. The Hairy Ball Bocce Tournament The Aerial Corn-Hole Diving and Bombardment Contest The Grand Chowder Contest. The Shell of the Conch. The Great Fire at Sunset Beach. 6
Danger Island We should elaborate a bit on The Grand Chowder Contest. We are the Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society. This is where the term Chowder comes to light. We would like you to prepare Chowder for the contest. What exactly is Chowder? Chowder is whatever you say or advertise. Some examples of the chowders served in the past are all kinds of real chowder-chowder, plus chocolate chowder, ice punch chowder, punctured coconut chowder, guacamole chowder, spaghetti chowder, rum chowder, goombay chowder, poison chowder, etc. Starting to get the picture? In a pinch you can take the leftovers from a week of dinners, throw it in a pot, add water and pepper, heat and serve to the tired, weak, dizzy and confused attendees at 5:15pm. Thanks to a very generous donation, this year s First Place Prize will be a 32 Flat Screen with Remote. Think about bringing Chowder, as this will be the highlight of the day. Sunday: Final beach cleanup. Head across the island for the beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico for a day of total relaxation. Monday: Relax then head for home or next anchorage. Follow the Chowder Chatter for the next few months for additional information such as: what to bring, what to wear, times of each activity, when to nap and when to duck. Also, look for the names of our lieutenant governors and administrative assistants who have volunteered this year, so you will know whom to bribe. See you there, Russell Vance Governor-for-Life - Danger Island Florida Anchoring Rights Struggle Enters Next Phase Last Friday, February 25, 2011, stories began to appear in the Florida press heralding the next, evolutionary step in the Florida Anchoring Rights struggle. This development was not at all unexpected, but it does presage a call to arms for the cruising community. We MUST ALL heed this call if the Floridian anchoring rights whichave been earned after so much blood, sweat and tears over the last decade are to be maintained. In response to this happening, we have just published a major article/editorial on Florida Anchoring Rights. If you have ANY interest at all in ever dropping the hook in Sunshine State Waters, we urge you to go to: http://www.cruisersnet.net/51696 Good luck and good cruising to all! Claiborne Young CruisingWriter@CruisersNet.net http://www.cruisersnet.net 7
LADIES BRIDGE CLUB Provisioning Workshop. - March 10th 7 p.m. Bring your own provisioning list, paper to write on and a pen/pencil. By the end of the night, we should come away with new ideas, updates to our old list, or even a new list in which to provision our boats/campers in a better way. RSVP: Danny Hazen 540-1752 1525 SW 53 rd Lane *bring a small appetizer to share and your own beverage *********************************************************************** TO: FROM: RE: All members of LBC & CMCS, and friends & family Susan Stier CMCS GALE WALKERS A force to recon with You can contribute to the fight against breast cancer 365 days a year by participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. This year, the race will be held on Saturday, March 12. Registration and race information for the 5K Run / 1 Mile Fun Walk can be found at www.komenswfl.org. If you register before February 25, your packet, including tee shirt, will be mailed to you. If you register after the 25 th, you will have to pick up your packet. Cost of the event is $32. CMCS GALE WALKERS will also receive, from LBC, a special-designed bib to be worn on the front of your tee shirt. Dee Vaigl s talent is evident once again for our team. I know you will want one too! We will be A FORCE TO RECON WITH!!! So, get signed up and start collecting donations. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate survivorship, honor those who have lost their battle and raise funds and awareness for the fight against this life-threatening disease. Feel free to contact me at 573-8402 or stiertj@netzero.com with any questions. Ladies Bridge Club Schedule For 2011 - March 10 (Thursday) Provisioning, Food for Cruising Danny Hazen - March 12 Walk for the Cure -Sue Stier - April 13 (Wednesday) Ostego Bay tour with Betty Goodacre, spouses included, 9:00-12:00 Joan Perkett - May 12 (Thursday) Kayaking Teresa Roake - June-Sept No meeting - October 16 - Day Sail (Sunday) Diane Fowler - November 10 (Thursday) Yoga on Board the JudyJudy with Teresa Roake/Candice Thiele - December 14 Christmas Party & Pirate Swap (Wednesday) Location to be announced 8
Membership Report Ahoy to all to day and as I greet you at the monthly meetings. The Annual Calendars have been delivered and/ or mailed to all members as of this week. If you haven t received yours, give it another couple of days then give me a call or Email me. Have only had one returned. Also, most information any member needs is available on the CMCS WEB site www.cmcs-sail.org. I hope that everyone will visit this site and many thanks to our WEB Master, Jerry Pim. Each month we have new sailors join our ranks and you can find these folks on our roster on the WEB site. Make a practice of downloading their information each month to your Calendar/ Directory. The Fleet Recruiter won t give personal contact info. FLEET RECRUITER Bev Duff membership@cmcs-sail.org At the February meeting we had many guests including former members Ian Davis and Mike Kayusa. Other guests were: Bruce Vanderlawn, Tom Weller, Barbara Deagle, Jack Buckley and John Finnegan. We are always happy to meet prospective members. Membership is looking for members who want to be mentors to fellow sailors who join our ranks. This encompasses reminding them of meetings & events, answering their questions about our club and generally making them feel welcome. If this sounds like something you would like to do please let me know. John Finnegan made the leap of faith to join our ranks. John and Anita have an O Day 322 currently named Miss Cathleen. They are former Miamians and relatively new to sailing but eager to learn more. John is a pilot with Air Tran (soon to be Southwest Airlines). He checked an interest in racing so all your other O Day owners ~ look out! Reminder to take a look at your Annual and make sure the information we have for you is correct. Type-O s are always possible and the calendar committee works very hard to make sure everything is correct. Since we have so many members who are Crew memberships a separate roster is being kept for the race committee for those members who are looking for crew. That should also be available on the WEB site so members can call sailors who are looking to enhance their skills on the water. That said all the information contained in this year s Annual/ Calendar/Directory is available on the membership only portion of the WEB site. See you all out on the water ways of SW Florida! 9
A large group of racers attended the Racing Rules Seminar presented by Carol Robinson at the Northern Trust facility. There were 48 participants. Sunshine Over the Yardarm My report for the CMCS newsletter this month: Card was sent to Jo Beauvois who was back in the hospital. Thanks, Pauline Wylie West Florida PHRF West Florida PHRF welcomes you to sailboat racing on the West Coast of Florida. In an effort to further educate our members and keep you abreast of how WFPHRF operates, we will be offering an electronic newsletter quarterly that will cover various aspects of handicapping and rating boats that participate in sailing events throughout the West Coast of Florida. Please click on this link to download your copy of the West Florida PHRF newsletter: http://www.westfloridaphrf.org/ documents/ WFPHRFNewsletterSpring2011.pdf Oysters Oysters and More Oysters Shuckers. 10
C.M.C.S. CHANDLERY Buy, sell, trade Members, to advertise your boating-related items free in the CMCS Chandlery, e-mail Don Lawson, Chowder Chatter Editor at chowderchatter@cmcs-sail.org or use your roster for telephone information. Your ad will be listed for 3 months unless you notify me to take your listing out sooner. Non-members are welcome to advertise their items at a price of $30.00 for 3 months. Business cards or business related listings sent in digital format only : Members: 3 months, $25.00 Non-members: 3 months, $50.00 Send a check made out to C.M.C.S. to : DOCK SPACE FOR RENT Sail boat accessible. Easy access to gulf, south of Cape Coral Parkway/off Skyline. 5305 SW 8th Place. $200 per month. Additional information contact Dina May 630-269-4338 or dina.dinamay@gmail.com Marine Equipment Needed 50 Amp to 30 Amp shore power adapter Aluminum dock ladder (for permanent mounting to dock) If you would like to sell, please contact Russell Vance, 239-471-2757 or vances105@comcast.net. 3/11 TEVA SANDALS Teva Wraptor men's sandals (with toe protector) - size 12, worn barely once. Paid $120 - will sell for 1/2 price of $60 OBO. Call Ray at 850-3027 to see! CMCS Photos Please Contribute Don t forget to visit the club photo share site http://cmcssailclub.shutterfly.com 4/11 5/1 11/10 6/11 11
CMCS Chowder Chatter c/o Don Lawson, Editor 1411 SW 53rd. Ln. Cape Coral, FL 33914 chowderchatter@cmcs-sail.org CMCS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS MARCH 2011 March 10 Ladies Bridge Club March 13 Landlubber s Cruise March 15 1830 hours Membership Meeting Social 1930 hours General Meeting with Speaker Author Robert Macomber March 19 Shrimp Festival Race March 20 1800 hours Shrimp Boil March 25 Sanibel Bight Cruise March 31 Cape Haze Cruise WWW.SAIL-CMCS.ORG 12