September 2020 Volume 59.07

America’s Boating Club® is the registered trademark of the United States Power Squadrons®

2020, THE YEAR THAT WASN’T Fellow members of America’s Boating Club-Charlotte (aka The Charlotte Power Squadron)! Hope this message finds you well as best as can be expected. I must start out and say, we all need to send prayers to the Osmoski’s and the Esposito’s and to anyone else that may have health issues that I’m not aware of. I don’t know about you, but 2020 sure has been the weirdest year I’ve ever experienced so far in my lifetime. Cancel this, cancel that, darn everything is cancelled except living (thank goodness). We haven’t had an in person meeting since our Change of Watch. That’s crazy! No barbecues! no Children’s Outing, no public safe boating classes, no this and no that. I MISS YOU ALL As I prepare for being Commander once again (third time’s the charm) in 2021, I sincerely hope that all this virus mess will be behind us. We’re getting ready to celebrate our 60th Anniversary and I sure don’t want to have to do it virtually! Put on your thinking caps and offer suggestions about what we can do to make the year super special. I’ve handled the 40th and the 50th and really want the 60th to be one for the record books. OK? Lastly, if we’re lucky to hold some of our year events in the Fall, please plan to attend. Such as our Fall barbecue, predicted log and Christmas party. Let’s hope that we can do something this year. So with that, stay safe and healthy. That is my wish for each and every member of CPS. As they say, “This too shall pass”! I just can’t wait. Lt/C Charles “Bo” Ibach, III SN-ACN Squadron Executive Officer

31 August 2020 September Membership Meetings

Canceled

Watch the First Knots to Know Video

Every month America's Boating Compass will release a

new video for our "Knots to Know" series, which

demonstrates basic knot-tying for new and beginning

boaters. Thanks to a grant from the USPS Educational

Fund, Lafferty Media Partners filmed and produced seven

short videos featuring must-know knots through live

action and illustration. You can watch the first video on

how to tie the cleat hitch now. Check

boatingcompass.org on the 15th of every month for a

new video or subscribe to America's Boating

Compass, and be the first to receive a notification.

Amy Townsend

Read more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTUNcVNfRT4

A View From the Bridge 1

31 August September Membership Meeting - Canceled 1

Watch the First Knots to Know Video 1

Calender of Events 2

CPS Wylie Gator Book Club 22 June 2020 2

P/V/C Ralston Pound, SN 3

Happy September Birthday 3

Raleigh Virtual Schedule September 9 – 18 3

Coast Guard Seeks Input on Shallow Draft Waterways 3

Outer Banks Fishing Trip was Canceled for May 1-4 2020 3

Pictures from Outer Banks Fishing Trip – Oak Island or Bust 4

Ship’s Store 5

Charlotte

A View from the Bridge

2 Side Lights.

As we travel through this time, please watch your e-mails and check the Calendar of events on the website for updates

Calender of Events

Education, Civic Service, Friendship & Fun

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR EVENT UPDATES

NRD means “No Rain Date” September 2020 6-13 2020 Fall governing Board – Cancelled 12 VSC – Buster Boyd Bridge – 1000 – 1300 18 Side Lights articles due – Secretary 21 ExComm – Open Kitchen 1800 – 2100 26 Private Party at MMP (G. Privitte) October 2020 3 River Sweep – BBB 5 General Membership Meeting – TBD 17 MMP Cleanup – MMP 19 ExComm – Open Kitchen 1800 – 2100 23 Side Lights articles due – Secretary – Admin 24 TK Moore BBQ – MMP 23-25 D27 Fall Conference - Cancelled 26 Wylie Book Club – 1800 – 2000 November 2020 2 General Membership Meeting – TBD 16 ExComm – Open Kitchen 1800 – 2100 20 Side Lights articles due – Treasurer December 2020 No General Membership Meeting 7 Wylie Book Club 1800 – 2000 12 Christmas Party – River Hills Marina 12 ExComm – River Hills Marina +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ * Meeting Location Addresses

Crowne Plaza - 5700 Westpark Dr. Charlotte Lake Wylie Marina - 310 Blucher Circle Lake Wylie, SC LongHorn - 10605 Centrum Pkwy, Pineville, NC 28134 Merit Mark Point (MMP) - (Squadron L.k Wylie, SC property) See Roster, Pg A17 for directions Open Kitchen Restaurant - 1318 W Morehead Street Clt Red Fez Club – 16600 Red Fez Club Road Charlotte St John’s Episcopal Church - 1623 Carmel Road Charlotte Trio Restaurant – 10709 McMullen Crk Prkwy, Charlotte, NC Notice!! Locations are subject to change! Any location revisions and/ or meeting date revisions will be either published in the Side Lights or sent to you by email.

October 26 (Mon) Wylie Gator Book Club

CHARLOTTE POWER SQUADRON

A Unit of United States Power Squadrons Sail and Power Boating

District 27

Chartered 10 April 1961

2020 BRIDGE OFFICERS

Commander Cdr. John P. Moore, AP-IN

Education Officer Lt/C Marvin Chaney, SN

Executive Officer Lt/C Charles R. Ibach, III, SN-ACN

Admin. Officer Lt/C Tony Esposito, S

Secretary Lt/C Henry W. Bateman, JN

Treasurer P/Lt/C Mary D. Chaney. JN

Immediate P/C P/C Paula F. Stewart, AP

2020 MEMBERS AT-LARGE

Lt. George W. Davis, AP P/C Douglas Drum, Sr., AP

P/C Ken Elkins, JN P/C Will G. Granger, P-IN D/C Pat Hakanson, SN Lt. Patricia Mencel, S Lt. Rose D. Samonds P/C David M. Stewart, AP

EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT STAFF

Asst. SEO 1st Lt David H. Osmolski, SN-CN

SIDE LIGHTS STAFF

Editor P/C John A. King, II, AP

Photographers All squadron members

“SIDE LIGHTS” is published monthly* for the members of the Charlotte Power

Squadron. The deadline for articles is the Friday before the third Monday of each

month. Articles may be given, mailed or faxed to P/C John A. King, II before the

deadline. Electronic versions of your articles are preferred and can be accepted at

email address:. ( * July and August are combined as a summer issue, January and

February are combined as a winter issue.)

The opinions expressed in the articles of this publication are those of the writers and

are not necessarily those of the Charlotte Power Squadron or the United States Power

squadrons.

3 Side Lights.

P/V/C Ralston Pound, SN Some of you will remember Ralston Pound. He is a CPS and D27 Past Commander and Past National VC. Unfortunately, Ralston recently had a fall and is now in the skilled nursing care facility at Aldersgate. I’m sure that he would appreciate a card from those who knew him when he was active in the squadron. P/R/C John J. Rodgers, SN-CN

Happy September Birthdays

Happy September Birthdays P/C Ken Elkins, JN

Ms. Evelyn T. Johnson, AP Mr. Gerald L. Privette, S

P/C George Rogers, Jr., P P/C Paula F. Stewart, AP

Raleigh Virtual Schedule Sept 9 - 18

Note that although the "real" meeting in Raleigh has been cancelled, there are quite a few meetings scheduled. The link will take you to a spreadsheet that you may download that has the "latest" virtual schedule of meetings . Note that as a new version is available it will be posted and the date above will change. Check frequently for changes. Virtual meeting schedule Changes 9/2 Mark first Instructor Recertification full Add second Instructor Recertification Add Heritage and Protocol Committee meeting

Coast Guard Seeks Input on Shallow Draft Waterways

If you operate in navigable waters less than 12 feet deep along the East Coast, the U.S. Coast Guard would like you to take this 5-minute online survey to assess the East Coast Shallow Draft Waterway Systems. Your input will help the Coast Guard determine the Aids to Navigation (ATON) requirements in the shallow draft waterway systems. The survey will be open until Nov. 1, 2020. Please share the survey with fellow members and other boaters. If you have questions or comments, email CGNAV@uscg.mil using the subject line “Shallow Draft WAMS.” Take the survey using the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ShallowWaterWAMS

Outer Banks Fishing Trip Was Canceled for May 1-4 2020

Well three of us, P/C Doug Drum, P/C Ken Elkins and P/C John King decided to go to Oak island together for a non CPS fishing trip and I am glad that I did. We were at first disappointed that we would not be able to go out an eat at any of the restuarants in the area. Instead we got take out brough it back to the Blue Crab Shack (my home on Oak Island) and watched all the boats go up and down the ICW. At that point I realized we had a better view to enjoy dinner than most of the Restuarants.

Blue Crab Shack from the Water

The picture above was the first morning we went out to the deep blue fishing grounds of Oak Island, better known as Light House Rocks and Frying Pan Tower. Pictures from our fishing trip are on the following page.

All Photos by P/C Ken Elkins, JN

4 Side Lights.

Southport Marina as it was on 2 May 2020

Frying Pan Tower Amber Jack caught by Elkin’s and held by King as Drum looks on

King reeling in a White Grunt

Drum readies his gear to snag a prize

The trip in got a little bumpy

Outer Banks Fishing Trip – Oak Island or Bust

5 Side Lights.

SHIP’S STORE

From our own Ship’s Store.

If you are interested in showing your colors here are a few of the things

our Ship’s Store has to offer.

Long and short sleeve denim shirts Long and short sleeve white fitted

shirts A few colored golf shirts

Tote bags Lots of hats

Burgees of different sizes Ensigns of different sizes

If I don't have the size you want I can usually get them in a week.

See P/C David M. Stewart, AP at the next meeting.

September 2020 Volume 59.07

A View from Above