TThhee BBaarr mmeetteerr - United States Power Squadrons BAROMETER.pdf · TThhee BBaarr mmeetteerr ... 1830 Refreshments; 1900 Dinner RSVP to: [email protected] ... the

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TThhee BBaarr mmeetteerr Tip of the Mitt Sail and Power Squadron

Michigan – District 9

A Unit of the United States Power Squadrons

FFeebbrruuaarryy 22001111 http://www.usps.org/localusps/tipofthemitt/index.htm VVooll.. 1122 NNoo.. 0022

Commander's Corner Cdr Thomas Rea, N

to prepare. Further, she was inspired by the way the

ceremony was executed in my absence.

She commented on how unique our squad-

ron is among those of our district, as well as on a

national level. As I read her e-mail, I was filled

with pride and, at the same time, sadness that I was

unable to be there to see it with my own eyes.

This brings to mind a remark I overheard at

last year’s District 9 meeting by a fellow squadron

commander, who half-jokingly compared his squa-

dron to a professional football game: Eleven guys

in desperate need of rest, being watched by

thousands in desperate need of exercise. I chuckled

at the analogy, and could see how this might be a

problem for some squadrons – but not Tip-of-the-

Mitt!

2012 has ushered in many new and exciting

ways for you to become involved in squadron

activities as a leader, or as a helper. In the last

three years, nearly half of our members have

volunteered to help out in one way or another…

and this is great! But what I wonder is why

everyone isn’t involved. Most squadron jobs re-

(continued on Page 03, Column 01…) »

From the SEO Lt/C Tom Tietjen, N

PowerPoint presentation.

The class is the largest in TOMSPS history

(twenty). You assemble tables, chairs, and all your

“hands-on” teaching aids. You raise the movie

screen. The coffee is brewing, and the class is

filing in. That’s when you flip on your computer

and slide projector and…. Blip. Nothing happens!

As incredible as it sounds, that very scene

played out the other night as ASEO Bill Fleck,

AP, took the podium at LaCroft Condominiums

for the TOMSPS winter Anchoring seminar.

We can all be impressed that he didn’t cut

the cable and sail away. Instead, he added some

chafing gear and rode out the storm with his usual

calm, conversational teaching style. Topics in-

cluded anchor types, bottom holding charac-

teristics, technique, rode requirements, kellets,

kedging, and a host of others.

The accumulated experience in the room

and free Q & A format assured those present the

opportunity to have their questions answered.

Everyone was disappointed that the slides

couldn’t be used for the seminar. They really did

contain some outstanding material, including

images of Bill and Birute's anchoring experiences

during their recent circumnavigation of the Great

Loop.


Do you think you

know what stress is? Ima-

gine this: You’re a volun-

teer teacher who has pre-

pared a two-hour seminar

on anchoring technique,

complete with a custom

I received an e-mail

from D/Lt/C Lalonde, P re-

garding our recent Change-

of-Watch ceremony, during

which she swore in our

Bridge for 2012. She was

pleased with the way our

leadership tackled in a few

weeks what ordinarily takes

the commander half-a-year

http://www.usps.org/localusps/tipofthemitt/index.htm

****

The Barometer Page 02 February 2012

From the SEO (…continued from Page 01, Column, 02)

As a result, we’ve hatched the idea of having not

one, but two seminars at our Spring Rendezvous

at Mackinaw City Municipal Marina.

In addition to Partner in Command – our

very popular seminar for those with little boating

knowledge who may find themselves suddenly

pressed into service – we’ll present the Anchor-

ing seminar again. It will be free for those

previously enrolled, of course. This time, we’ll

be sure that the projector is working, and that

Bill’s slides are front-and-center.

As a reminder, the Marine Communication

Systems class is filling up rapidly (limit 15

students). The class is 20 March to 24 April, and

the deadline for entry is 28 February. To sign up,

contact Jack Staats: [email protected]

Boat Safe… Boat Smart! □

February's on Fire! Lt/C Jack Weber, P

The 15 FEB General Membership Meeting

will be held at the Southwood in Petoskey.

1830 Refreshments; 1900 Dinner

RSVP to: [email protected] See e-mail notices from Lt/C Weber for details.

Bob Thoma, firefighter, will be giving a

presentation on fire suppression aboard boats.

Don't miss this important program! □

The Barometer is the official publication of the Tip of the Mitt Sail

and Power Squadron, and is published sort of monthly.

Editor: P/D/Lt/C Michael LeButt, SN

Webmaster: P/C James Ellis, AP

Deadline for submittals is the 1

st day of the month of publication.

e-mail to: [email protected]

The Tietjen Test Lt/C Tom Tietjen, N

Editor's note: We continue our column to test your

knowledge of things nautical. See how well you

know your stuff. Answers on Page 05 (no peeking!).

1. What is meant by "Arming the Lead"?

2. What is the "luminous range" of a light?

3. The Plimsol Mark is used to

indicate what? "WNA" stands

for_____________________ □

2011 Member of the Year!

For his tireless efforts and outstanding

contributions to Tip of the Mitt Sail and Power

Squadron, P/C Robert D'Alcorn, JN, was

presented with the Mary Ann Behrend Award by

ASEO Bill Fleck, AP, at the January Change-of-

Watch ceremonies. Congratulations, Bob! □

Mary Ann Behrend was a charter member

of Tip of the Mitt Squadron, and the driving force

behind its formation. □

Have you registered your DSC radio with

the MMSI system? It is free. You can get

an application and instructions from the

Boats/US website:

http://www.boatus.com/MMSI/ □

mailto:[email protected]



Commander's Corner (…continued from Page 01, Column 01)

quire no special education or skills and only a mini-

mum of time commitment. Volunteering is easy!

an all-volunteer organization. Without everyone’s

help, we can’t survive. I encourage you to fill out the

survey and return it to Bill as soon as possible.

On the same survey will be an area for you to

comment on the quality of our current direction.

Please be candid on this survey, as we really want to

get your input. How are we doing? Would you like to

see something different? Are the meetings held at

convenient locations and times? Is there anything

else we can do to make Tip-of-the-Mitt functions the

highlight of your month?

It goes without saying that I am proud to be

commander of this squadron. I realize, however, that

our success is much less a function of my efforts as it

is the cumulative contributions of every member do-

ing his or her part. I thank you for the privilege of

serving in this capacity. □

Bridge to Somewhere

Tip of the Mitt Sail and Power Squad-

ron is managed by a "Bridge" of officers, elect-

ed by, and responsible to, the membership.

Members of the Bridge also serve on

the Executive Committee, similar to a "board

of directors". The Bridge is assisted by ap-

pointed committee chairs and members, who

carry out the programs, functions, and acti-

vities of the squadron. The 2012 Bridge

officers are:

-Commander Tom Rea, N

-Educational Officer Tom Tietjen, N

-Executive Officer Bob Bokram, S

-Administrative Officer Bill Lovett, P

-Secretary Jack Weber, P

-Treasurer Bob D'Alcorn, JN

In addition to members of the Bridge, the

Executive Committee is made up of active

members elected by the squadron, plus the

most-recent past commander willing to serve:

-George Winn, JN Member-at-Large

-Michael LeButt, SN Member-at-Large

****

The Van Dam Staff is quite skilled, and

very dedicated to their craft. Michel Berryer,

our tour guide for the day was no exception.

Michel, a design engineer, came to Van Dam


Within the next month,

you’ll receive an e-mail

survey from Lt/C Bill

Lovett, our squadron ad-

ministrative officer, asking

you to inventory your skills

and interests, and to state

your willingness to partici-

pate in one or more of the

dozens of functions of our

group. Remember, we are

Vessel Safety Check

life jacket.

There are now many USCG-certified inflatable jackets

available that are type II and type III when used on recreational

vessels. The need for the jacket to be worn is dependent upon

the specific USCG certification of each individual jacket model.

The requirement is printed on the label affixed to the

inside of the jacket itself. Therefore, Vessel Examiners now

must check the label on inflatable life jackets to determine

whether or not they must be worn to count as PFDs. □

At the time the VSC manual

was produced, essentially all inflatable life jackets were “Type V”, and were

required to be worn to count as a viable

Sir, Oh, Sir! I'm from the United States Power Squadrons.

Could I interest you in a free boating course?

Piloting 101

LAND

WATER


Rare photo of Barometer photographer

P/Lt/C Michael LeButt, SN

presenting the Navigator Plaque

to Lt/C Thomas Tietjen, N

Welcome Aboard!

Shortly after moving to Petoskey in

1978, Chuck acquired a C & C 24 foot sailboat,

MissDemeanor, which he cruised and raced out

of Harbor Springs. He also crewed in the

Santana 525 race fleet in Charlevoix. A few

years later, Chuck became a regular crew mem-

ber with Dave Irish, and spent most summer

weekends racing and transporting sailboats

throughout Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Chuck married Lynette in 1984. The de-

mands of a law practice and raising two girls

curtailed his racing, but he still enjoys occasion-

al races, and has also cruised throughout the

Great Lakes as well as in the Caribbean.

“I learned about USPS last summer dur-

ing a memorable cruise on Lake Superior with

Tom Tietjen and Bill Fleck”, said Johnson. “I

realized there is still much for me to learn about

boating. I hope to have fun and increase my

knowledge by participating in USPS."

Since 1994, Chuck has served as Circuit

Judge of Emmet County. In addition to boating,

he enjoys various sports, including mountain

biking, skiing and golf. Chuck is a private pilot

and holds high performance, instrument, and

multi-engine ratings. He is an adjunct faculty

member at N.C.M.C., is on the board of the

Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community

Foundation, and serves in the leadership of the

Petoskey United Methodist Church.

Most of all, Chuck is a guy who loves to

learn – which makes him a perfect fit for the

TOMSPS. Please welcome Chuck to our squa-

dron! □

Charles “Chuck”

Johnson is new to our

squadron, but by no

means new to boating.

He grew up around

small sail and power

boats at the family

cottage near Newago,

Michigan.

The USPS® Pledge

“I do solemnly pledge to:

Abide by the bylaws of the United States Power Squadrons®;

Promote high standards of navigation and seamanship;

Maintain my boat and operate it legally;

Render assistance whenever possible;

And conduct myself in a manner that will add prestige,

honor, and respect to the United States Power Squadrons®.”

Attendees pay rapt attention to ASEO Bill Fleck's

demonstrations at the recent Anchoring Seminar

Anchoring Seminar students will come to appreciate the

Great Lakes' relatively protected anchorages –

compared to the open roadsteads found in places like

Santa Cruz Island, off Ventura, California.

1.


The Body as Vessel Cdr Tom Rea, N

Having spent so much time running in and

out of hospitals and clinics the past few months,

you might think I was distracted from my usual pre-

occupation with all things nautical. If so, I regret to

inform you otherwise.

Whether daydreaming in a waiting room, or

hallucinating under the influence of intravenous

sedation, I often found my mind wandering to the

interesting comparisons between the “vessel” that is

the human body and a boat sitting in dry dock.

Lying one sunny morning in a hospital bed,

for instance, I mused over the days when both of

my vessels were in their prime, and all it took was a

can of Brass-O, or a new coat of wax, or a good

suntan to turn everyone’s head! As I grew older

(and wiser, I might add), I realized that a cosmetic

makeover like that really didn’t affect the integrity

or function of my vessel. Other things were far

more important.

Chief among them was a singular

dedication to preventive maintenance.

(continued next column…) »

The Body as Vessel

(…continued from previous column)

What machine could operate for long – or even

efficiently – without attention to this detail?

Systems have to be checked periodically and

run through their paces. Fuels and other addi-

tives must be of the highest quality, free of

contaminants, and introduced in the correct

quantity at the proper time.

Manuals and guides were handy for do-

it-yourself jobs in those days, but are really no

substitute for professional advice when trying to

decipher a complex problem. The Internet had

some useful information, too, but you’ve got to

be careful of your sources: the strongest o-

pinions do not always represent the best advice.

Besides, some people are just trying to sell you

something you don’t need! With a little help

from my friends and some trial-and-error, I was

able to figure things out myself, too… most of

the time.

As a vessel’s problems become more com-

plicated, however, I learned that you really

ought to consider hiring a professional captain

to keep things running smoothly. In the hos-

pital, this person is called the “primary care

physician” – a guy or gal – with whom you

must communicate very well – who coordinates

the work of half-dozen or so specialized crew

members, who tinker in the various engineering

spaces on wiring, pumps, and plumbing

problems. When they work together in concert

these folks can really get your machine

humming along nicely!

I’ve also learned that even the finest

craftsman can turn one out of the yard with a

manufacturing defect. Some of these take years

to manifest and can produce dire consequences. (continued on Page 06, Column 02…) »

Answers to the Tietjen Test

1. Filling the hollow base of a

sounding lead with grease, soap, or

wax. When the sounding line is

dropped to the bottom to determine

depth, a sample of the bottom is

collected. This helps the navigator

determine his position from the

quality of the bottom, and also gives

an indication as to how well the

anchor will hold.

2. The nominal range (i.e. the light's intensity)

corrected for meteorological conditions less than

10 nautical miles of atmospheric visibility.

3. (a.) Indicates the legal limit to which a ship may

be loaded for specific water types and temper-

atures, which affect buoyancy.

(b.) Winter North Atlantic. □


Welcome Timothy McClure!

Charlevoix, where her father has been in practice

for 35 years.

Tim is a sales representative for a division

of Petoskey Plastics and works in the headquarters

building in downtown Petoskey.

He enjoys spending time with his family,

as well as being outdoors – mainly jogging,

biking, golfing; and is a beginning snowboarder at

the age of 37.

Tim is getting involved with the Tip of

the Mitt Sail and Power Squadron with his in-laws

– Dr. Jeff and Patricia Ricks, as well as his

brother-in-law, Michael Ricks – to learn about

boating and boating safety. He has no boating

experience, but has enjoyed many boat trips with

his wife and her family in the 17 years that he has

had the pleasure of knowing them.

Welcome Aboard, Tim and family! □

Tim McClure is originally from

the metro Detroit area, and moved to

Charlevoix with his wife, Kristen, in

the summer of 2009. They have a two-

year-old son, Patrick, and are expect-

ing their second child in July.

Kristen is a chiropractor with

her father in Charlevoix, at Ricks

McClure Chiropractic. She grew up in

The Body as Vessel

(…continued from Page 05, Column 02)

Add to that some extended periods of heavy use,

the occasional storm, or just day-to-day wear-

and-tear, and you can have serious problems on

your hands.

That’s when the wise skipper steers you

to a safe harbor. Once you’re fast to the dock,

help seems to come from all directions at once.

The whirlwind of activity can be confusing and

even a bit scary. Does one know what the others

are doing? Are they going to get in each other’s

way?

You can get involved in the details if you

want, but it is often best just to bite your lip and

hope for the best. It also helps to have something

to distract you from the process – and the bill

you’re soon to get!

It is comforting to know that your skipper

is experienced, and has overseen similar work on

vessels that were far worse-off. As the decisions

were made, I also remained fully aware that

there was only one owner of this ship – and that

was me!

My skipper was mindful of that one, too,

as were most of the members of my repair team.

With this understanding and two months of work

behind us, I am proud to report that the repairs

have been completed, and I am back underway.

All the boilers are lit and the order is full speed

ahead! □

Lt/C Tietjen authentically reads a special

message from the absent Cdr Rea at the

Change-of-Watch ceremonies

The Seamanship class is underway on Tuesday

evenings – in the capable hands of Crissie Staats

Did You Know?

► 02 February is United States Power

Squadrons’ "Founder’s Day".

In 1914, the United States Power

Squadrons was launched at the New York

Yacht Club.

In April 1914, Chief Commander Roger

Upton was granted a patent for the present

USPS ensign, bylaws were approved by the

Governing Board, and the Atlantic seaboard

was divided into six USPS districts. Boards of

Instruction and Examination were appointed.

USPS was incorporated on 19 February 1915.

► On 26 January, 1837, President Andrew

Jackson signed the law admitting Michigan to

the Union as the 26th state.

Happy Birthday, Michigan!

► Dutch teen Laura Dekker became the

youngest sailor to complete a solo circum-

navigation of the world in January. The Dutch

courts had tried to prevent her departure when

she was 14. She ran away to the Caribbean

island of Saint Maarten and began her journey

from there.

The 16-year-old completed her solo round-

the-world journey when she sailed into harbor

at Saint Maarten at 1500 (1900 GMT) on 21

January, beating the old record by eight months.


Bridge Officers being sworn in at COW

District 9 D/Lt/C (and Mr.) LaLond

► Hydrographic surveying

is the foundation of nautical

charts, and NOAA surveys

are continually underway. To

learn the details of surveying

on the Great Lakes, scan this

QR code with your smart

phone.

SEO Bill Fleck, AP, accepts a District award for

greatest percentage of students passing

Advanced Grades courses


Cooperate With NOAA Lt/C Bob D'Alcorn, JN

It has been said that the Cooperative Charting

program is recognized as having the highest user partici-

pation in all of the Federal services. Wouldn’t you like to be a part of such a worthwhile service that benefits you

while boating?

It's easy. All you have to do is to compare the

differences between the latest printed chart with what you actually see – either on the water or on land. Then you

record each discrepancy and its geographic location, and

report to the Marine Chart Division of NOAA. As the Cooperative Charting Chairman for Tip of

the Mitt Sail and Power Squadron, I can make it even

easier for you by providing forms for nautical chart sur-

veys, small craft facility reports, and for U.S. Coast Pilot updates. The U.S. Coast Pilot is a series of nine books that

contain a wide variety of information important to navi-

gators and recreational boaters. Book Number 6 covers all of the Great Lakes, their connecting waters, and the St.

Lawrence River. It can be found at:

www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm

If you like, I can also take your data and submit them as a CCWeb report. CCWeb is an acronym for the

Cooperative Charting Website that provides a mechanism

for handling the field data collected by USPS members.

Cooperative Charting is an agreement between USPS and NOAA, executed in 1963, to provide inform-

ation to the Marine Chart Division of NOAA, so that the

charts we all use for navigation are as up-to-date as possible.

There are six cooperative charting programs.

They include Range Line Surveys, Nautical Chart Update

Surveys, Coast Pilot Updates, Small-Craft Facility Re-ports, Depth Surveys and Inspection Surveys. To explain

all of these programs at once would take too much time

and space. What I will try to do in the next few months is to explain two or three of the programs in future issues of

The Barometer, so look for them.

If you have any interest in helping your fellow boaters by keeping the charts we use up-to-date, please

contact me and I will provide you with all you will need

to obtain the necessary information. Call me at 231-758-

4289, or send e-mail to: [email protected]. I will download the whole Cooperative Charting Manual to a

CD and provide it to you.

If you would like to learn more about Cooperative Charting, go to www.USPS.org/, then to “Site Index” at

the top and select "Cooperative Charting" from the list. □

It sure was a bummer not having Cdr Rea at

the Christmas Party or Change-of-Watch!

Lt/C Preston Long from the Coast Guard

Auxiliary explained the history of the ship's

bell system, and dismissed the 2011 Bridge

Change-of-Watch at the Grey Gables Inn

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm


http://www.usps.org/



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TThhee BBaarr mmeetteerr - United States Power Squadrons BAROMETER.pdf · TThhee BBaarr mmeetteerr ... 1830 Refreshments; 1900 Dinner RSVP to: [email protected] ... the