SCUTTLEBUTT

May - June, 2012

PO Box 71 Gabriola BC V0R 1X0

http://powersquadron.gabriola.org/

Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons

Gabriola Island Squadron

The Squadron Bridge 2012 - 2013

SQUADRON EVENT CALENDARGabriola Events Schedule - see website for updates ”Gabriola Power Squadron”Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup,. Sept 15 at 1400. Details to follow - check websiteGraduation Cruise - in June, TBA on the websiteVIND Rendezvous - July 27, 28, 29 at Page’s Marina - plan to attend! It’s a fun event!Marine Radio Course - June 5, 6, exam 12th. Contact Ralph Hagen 250 247-8491 or email (above)

“Gabriola Power Squadron”

POSITION NAME PHONEPast Commander Cecil Ashley 247-9653Commander Ian Waymark 247-7883Executive Officer Dawn Reeves 247-7132Admin. Officer Douglass Legg 325-7877Training Officer Ralph Hagen 247-8491Secretary Wendy Geddes 247-7918Treasurer Siggi Andrun 247-9794Membership Officer Elaine Pearce 247-7538Public Relations Officer Rufus Churcher 247-8779MAREP/Weather Bill Kalbfleisch 247-8027Assistant Training Officer Digby Jones 247-9150Assistant Training Officer Robert Weenk 247-0267Environment Officer Madelaine Ani 667-7891Cruisemaster Douglas Cunnian 247-7669Supply Officer Douglass Legg 325-7877Webmaster Robert Derksen 247-9792Social Officer Walter Berry 247-8651Safety Officer Robert Wood 247-7339Port Captain Dawn Reeves 247-7132Communications Officer Don Butt 247-7804Scuttlebutt Editor Don Butt 247-7804Privacy Officer Don Butt 247-7804

Member at Large Hans Andrun 247-9794

Member at Large Don Hutton 247-0019

Member at Large Bert Terhart 247-9301

“VIND”A Squadron in Vancouver Island North District

.Flare DayT h e A G M 2 0 1 2

Cdr Ian presenting the Past Com-mander Award to P/Cdr Cec Ashley. Smile of relief, Cec?Seriously though, JOB WELL DONE!Thanks Cec!

The Rudy Bohm Me-morial Award, present-ed to Siggi and Hans Andrun for exemplary action on the water embodying the spirit of CPS. They went out of their way to assist a vessel in need.

D/C Clifford Miller helping himself to some of the delica-cies produced by the “potluckers”. Deli-cious turkey and ham too! Thanks for attending and bringing along some light hearted humour.

Digby Jones, the knots expert, receiving the Windchime Award for out-standing contribution to Training.

Madeleine Ani receiving the Ar-thur J Nielsen Award for top mark (99%) in Boating for the year.Congratulations!

How many 50-50 tickets, Walter? A lot!

Thursday, April 26, Squadron members gathered at the fire hall grounds for a demonstration of fire extinguishers and flares. Fire Chief Rick Jackson gave an excellent overview of the require-ments of fire extinguisher maintenance. Did you know Rick has new fire extinguishers available for purchase at the fire hall? These are metal topped and can be refilled, wereas the plastic topped version cannot. There was ample op-portunity to fire off old flares, many of which worked just fine. They were discharged well inland, and low to ground, supervised.

B o at Gr e en

Madeleine Ani, Environmental Officer

That is the title of a guide subtitled 50 Steps Boaters Can Take to Save Our Wa-ters by Clyde W. Ford. The last Environmental Officer for the Gabriola Squad-ron, Mike Richards, is quoted on the first page as saying Boat Green is a “terrific resource for boaters who want to leave a ‘green wake’”. Who wants to leave a black oily wake? Didn’t think so . . .

Mike happens to be the Director of Special Projects with the Georgia Strait Alliance, a group “focused on protecting the marine environment in and around the Strait of Georgia” (their words). Check out www. georgiastrait.org. The current Environmental Officer, I do not have quite the same “Green Cred” as Mike but I will be offering tips throughout the year on how to boat green. A Heads-Up: I have already registered to host a Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup event on Saturday, September 15, 2012 at 14:00. Location TBA. Mark your calendars. Last year’s event at Degnen Bay was a great success with trailers piled high à la junk and debris-from-the-sea.

Less debris in the sea in the first place is the direction that Boat Green, the Georgia Strait Alli-ance and, I daresay, us eager beach-cleaner-uppers would have everybody go. The idea is to do what we can. As boaters privileged to enjoy the marine environment we should do our best to preserve it; not treat it as a dump. May I say, don’t dump where you boat? I will be turning to Clyde Ford’s Boat Green to guide myself and the Gabriola Power & Sail Squadron to cleaner, greener boating. Many of the ideas below are from Boat Green.

First, turn your mind to boating green-er.There are plenty of reasons to do so, among them: legal; cost; enjoyment of the natural world; and enjoyment of the boating experience itself. Safety, too! Next, consider concrete actions you can take to boat green this season and beyond. I describe general steps toward greener boating below. These I plan to flesh out in subsequent editions of Scuttlebutt:

• Use Best Practices when fueling• Oil spill Reporting, Prevention, and Clean Up

• Biodiesel. Yes, biodiesel. A powerful step toward boating green.• Electric or Hybrid engines. Another good idea!• Install a Dry Head. Seriously.• Plan to use pump-out facilities (and ways to minimize harm if you can’t)• Keep your vessel in good repair and working order• Service your engine• Solar• Batteries• Sail. Ancient, tried-and-true green technology. When it’s windy, anyway.• Enviro-friendly bottom paint• A clean bottom. Get rid of the gunk!• Enviro-friendly cleaning agents (baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice -- I use them at home.)• Safe anchoring. Respect the wildlife of the ocean floor.• Communicate with other boaters, including marina operators, about green boating initia-

tives.• Plan and execute Leave-No-Trace boating trips.• Read and learn about supertankers, the nastiness that is bunker fuel, and the cruise-ship

industry. Look into alternative boating.• Lastly, my personal fave: ♫Row Row Row your boat!

There are many more ideas out there as well as detailed information on how to realize the above concrete action steps. Boat Green is great resource that lists further resources, includ-ing websites, to visit in your efforts to clean up your boating act. It is published by Gabriola-based New Society Publishers.

Ford’s emphasis is on doing what you can. He recommends the pragmatic approach of picking one or two things that appeal to you and that you can follow through on. You might not be into installing a dry head (I am!), enabling biodiesel and solar batteries plus fixing every last bit of your boat this year. But maybe you could plan for pump-outs by taking the time to identify where facilities exist.

Or start the season with a freshly cleaned hull.

My recommendation: to start, read up on safe fueling practices and commit to executing them. Small steps can make a big difference. Go forth and boat green!

Boat Green (cont.)

From the WheelhouseIan Waymark, P - Commander

From TrainingRalph Hagen, AP - Training Officer

Hello everyone,

This is my first chat from the wheelhouse and I am the new guy on the wheel. If I can say our Squadron is a boat and I took the wheel from P/C Cec Ashley, I can also say the watch changed while the boat was well under way. This squadron does not slow down.

My first official function as CO was to attend a very worth while Officer’s Training seminar in Nanaimo. In typical Gabriola Squadron style we stole the show. Out of 21 participants from 10 squadrons, Gabriola Squadron was represented by 7 Bridge members. Both D/C Clifford Miller and AO Nicolas Fortin extolled the virtues of our Squadron.

On our way home, with typical squadron enthusiasm, a brief discussion of whipping and splicing lines was shared. Digby Jones had discussed the same topic with me over dinner at the AGM the night before. In minutes, the basis of a seminar on whipping lines, splicing 3-stranded line and splicing braided line was organized. The seminar will take place before the end of June and will be presented by ATO Digby Jones and MAL Don Hutton.

A few days later, 10 of us attended a flare and fire extinguisher demonstration, hosted by Fire Chief Rick Jackson and 3 members of the Volunteer Fire Department. Check our website at http://pow-ersquadron.gabriola.org/archives12.html, scroll down and see the pyrotechnics display.

A Maritime Radio Course will be offered on June 5 & 6 with the exam to follow a few days later.

Boating Safety Week is 3 weeks away and already our Safety Committee, under Safety Officer Bob Wood has completed 5 courtesy boat checks.

Our Environmental Officer, Madeleine Ani has organized our September Beach Cleanup and is as-sembling a 10 point check list to assure boat owners are being “green” owners and operators.

As your new Cdr I am supposed to tell you my plans for the Squadron for the coming year. At this point, I can say it is my job to keep the boat on course, full speed ahead with an eye to the weather. My very able crew, your Bridge, will keep the boat well tuned. I hope you all come aboard and enjoy cruise.

Sincerely

Ian WaymarkCommander

New year (operational), new crew (some) and new program (some)

RADIO Starting of the year we are doing a Maritime Radio course with the two classes being presented in the evenings on June 5 & 6 with the exam on June 12. Early registra-tion will get you the course material to enable you to read up in advance which is a great advantage going into the classes. Anyone interested call me 247 8491 or e-mail ralphhagen@shaw.ca

ROPE SPLICINGCommander Ian asked for a seminar on rope splicing. We are putting together a lesson plan and ex-pect to have this available sometime later in June. This will cover splicing for both double weave and three strand ropes. Watch the website for date and time. gabriolapowersquadron

The 2012 Fall program is not resolved yet and will likely be set out in the next Scuttlebutt and of course on the website.

Ralph HagenSquadron Training Officer

How about flying this flag on your boat this summmer!

We have a few left, but the supply has diminished. Don’t postpone - you may be out of luck.

Only $20 each

E-mail Ian Waymark: ian_waymark@shaw.ca

Thank you to our sponsors providing door prizes and other items for the AGM• Village Foods for declicious turkey and ham• Harbour Chandler for the radio• Page’s Marina for the Navigating Charts in our southern waters• Rufus Churcher for the shelf liners

Getting to Know You: Bios of Bridge Cdr Ian Waymark, cont.

Island Squadron become more involved and visible in our island community.

In closing, I hope to see many of you at our first monthly breakfast at Robert’s Place, 0930 hours, Thursday May 17 and each 3rd Thursday of the month after that.

Safe Boating to you all,

Ian Waymark

Madeleine Ani, Squadron Environment Officer

A prairie girl at heart, I moved from Alberta to the Coast to complete my education and become a lawyer. Now I practice law on Gabriola and in Nanaimo. Somewhat out of my element being surrounded by water, why not make the best of it? What better to do on my days off than sail? I took the Boating Course to get my bearings, lean the ba-

sics, and be safe out there. Charts are fascinating and the Coast is gorgeous -- plus boating is just plain fun. (Weather permitting, in my view.) The Squadron is a gang of fun, conscientious people who are smart about boating and promoting smart floating. Good people to know if you ever run out of gas!! JUST KIDDING!! If you wanted to practice your knots, say. Acting as Environmental Officer on the Squadron’s Bridge appeals to me because I can bring aware-ness to how we might, as boaters, keep our footprint (boat-print?) light. A greener boating experience is better for the wildlife -- including other boaters -- around us. In large measure, boating is about enjoying the outdoors and natural world. It is incredible out there! We are privileged to be boating and treating our ecosystems with respect is the safe thing to do, after all.

Madeleine AniLawyer & Notary Public

Ian Waymark, P. Squadron Commander

As I type this message, I have been your new Commander for nine days and I wonder just how I got here. Lets start at the beginning.

In 1951 my parents moved our family from England to Vancouver. Our first day in Vancouver was spent in my Aunt’s home one block from Kitsilano Beach. On arrival at the home I just went for a walk down the back alley. I met a man sand-ing his sailboat. He paid me 25 cents to help him sand the boat. I was the first person in our family to earn money in Canada and I was instantly introduced to boats and a week later I was introduced to boating.

From 1951 to 1960 I was in and out of small boats, ending up working at Frasers Marine running a clinker built lifeboat as I ferried boaters out to there

moored boats in English Bay. I earned my Seamanship badge in Scouting and purchased my first boat, a 16’ runabout in 1960. That boat was a major part of my life for three years. In 1965 I purchased property on Mudge Island, bought a “tin” boat and started my transition to becoming an “islander”. It was a long transition as I was a teacher in Abbotsford until the early ‘90’s. In 1974-76 I built my first boat, a 26’ Bruce Roberts Sailboat. I launched the boat in 1976, sailed it across to Mudge Island, sailed it the summer of ’76. After a serious car accident I had to sell the boat. I was confined to powerboats. I moved full time to Mudge Island in 1993. From 1993 to 1999 a 14’ Lund was my commuter boat. I would cross False Narrows in any weather and with two other “Mudgites” was often involved in giving aid to mariners who fell afoul of False Narrows. In 1998 I registered for the Gabriola Squadron Boating Class. I would travel to Gabriola in the Lund and then come home in the dark around 2130 hours. After 3 sessions I realized I was taking a course in safe boating but I was not being a safe boater travelling alone in False Narrows at night. I dropped the course. In 1999 I moved to Gabriola, register again for the boating class and completed it successfully. I became a member of the Squadron in 2001.

I joined the Bridge in 2003 as the Squadron Archivist; in 2005 I became the Treasurer and around 2009 moved up to being Cruise Master. Throughout many of those years I instructed part of the Boat-ing Course and was often present as a proctor. I completed the Piloting course around 2003. In 2010 & 2012 I was Fleet Captain for the Silva Bay Yacht Club and this year I am Secretary for the SBYC. In 2011, I became Executive Officer for Commander Cec Ashley and we forged a relationship that will see us through many years to come. I have earned the Rudy Bohm Award for Boating Excellence and I have earned the Off Course Compensator Award for a major “foul up” on the water. I enjoy boating and I enjoy promoting safe boating.

As Commander of Gabriola Power & Sail Squadron I plan to continue where Cec left off. I will do my best to promote enthusiasm and excitement within the squadron. I hope to see the Squadron present-ing advanced boating courses. I will promote inter squadron activities and do my best to have Gabriola

Ed. Note“Getting to Know You” will be a regular feature, and depending on success, I’ll be featuring members of the Bridge in future editions.