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Lazy Log November 2012

The official publication of the Pensacola Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the

United States Power Squadrons©

and a member of District 15.

Commander

Commander’s Fi-nal Comments

I t’s hard to be-lieve that this

month wraps up two years serving as your Commander. It just seems like yes-terday that P/C Bar-bara Merrick, P, passed me the gavel

and with it turned over the responsibility of leading our squadron. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve in that position and I will always be grateful to you for putting your trust in me. At the time I took on this responsibility I had already served six years as your Squad-ron Educational Officer and had also been in-volved at the district level, so I thought I knew a lot about how things worked. I soon found out I had a lot more to learn as squadron com-mander. I will remain involved with our squadron and I promise to be available to help the incom-ing commander in any way I can. Thanks again for putting your trust in me.

100th Anniversary Streamers For those of you who don’t know, 2014 marks the 100th year of the founding of United States Power Squadrons®. You will be hearing more about this in the months ahead. According to P/R/C Greg Scotten, SN, of the national Marketing/Public Relations Committee, at the National Meeting in January 2013, each district will receive a parade sized USPS Anniversary

Ensign. Over the next year, each squadron will be able to order a parade flag streamer tem-plate to be designed by the squadron. The streamer from each squadron will be attached to the Anniversary Ensign. On the morning of the 2014 Governing Board meeting each dis-trict’s Anniversary Ensign will be presented with the streamers from each squadron at-tached. Not many organizations reach the cen-tury mark. Let’s be proud that we have. Don’t forget. We’re not just Pensacola Sail and Power Squadron. We are also United States Power Squadrons.

Remember, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

Cdr Ron sends … Thanks.

Rules of the Road Question Inland Rules Only

You are navigating in a narrow channel and must remain in the channel for safe operation. An-other vessel is crossing the channel ahead of you from starboard and you doubt whether your ves-sel will pass safely. Which statement is true?

a) You must stop your vessel since the other vessel has the right of way.

b) You must sound one short blast of the whis-tle and turn to starboard.

c) You must sound the danger signal. d) You must stop your engines and you may

sound the danger signal. Answer on page four ...

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Lazy Log … November 2012 Lazy Log The Lazy Log is the official publication of the Pensacola Sail and Power Squadron, Inc. It is published monthly and details the activities of the squadron.

Corrections or updates to this publication may be addressed to the Commander or Secretary via either phone or email using the contact in-formation as recorded below.

The Pensacola Sail and Power Squadron is a pri-vate non-profit fraternal organization dedi-

cated to “Safe Boating through Education.” We restrict membership to no one requesting only that members show an interest in sharing our charter and learning the principals and practice of safe boating through education.

We hold regular business meeting and social events during the calendar year. Membership information may be obtained by visiting our website at … www.usps-psps.org … or by con-tacting either the Commander or Secretary.

Safe Boating is no Accident; Safe Boating is Fun … let us show you how.

Officers and Staff Commander … Cdr Ron Swope, SN 850.453.5303 … rlswope@cox.net Executive Officer … Lt/C Alan Wright, AP 850.432.8716 … apwright8@yahoo.com Educational Officer … Cdr Ron Swope, SN 850.453.5303 … rlswope@cox.net Administrative Officer … Diane McKeon 815.721.9201 … d_m_ebersberger@yahoo.com Secretary … Lt/C Harry Hebb, SN 850.492.6477 … harry@hebb.me

Treasurer … Lt/C Harry Hebb, SN 850.492.6477 … harry@hebb.me Past Commander … P/C Barbara Merrick, P 850.261.6444 … barbaramerrick@cox.net General Membership Executive Committee Vacant Lt Phyllis Swope, JN 850.453.5303 … pswope11@cox.net Lt Frank McKeon 850.530.6211 … fmtexas@yahoo.com

Birthdays This Month Bob Burton … 11

Jace Howell … 25

Contact Us Our website is available to assist you in answer-ing questions about us and what we stand for. The URL is www.usps-psps.org. As well, it lists all the officers of the squadron, the most re-cent details of our meetings and rendezvous, a squadron calendar of events which we try to maintain as up-to-date as possible, a complete listing of our educational program, our Vessel

Safety Check program and many of the other activities we are in-volved in. Please feel free to peruse our site whenever you wish. If you don’t find what you are looking for, send an email to one of our officers or staff members. We will make every effort to answer your ques-tions in as timely a manner as possible.

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Lazy Log … November 2012 Educational Officer

Educational Proficiency Award

C ongratulations go out to Lt/C Alan Wright, AP, upon earning the Educational Profi-

ciency Award. This is presented in recognition of his successful completion of the grade of Advanced Pilot and three elective courses. Again, congratulations Alan.

Great Lakes Cruising Club School Webinars

USPS members can now take the 2012-2013 webinars put on by Great Lakes Cruising Club at reduced registration rates. Some 40 webinars are scheduled between October and April. The sessions are usually 60 to 90 minutes long and are conducted live with participants having the ability to interact with the class similar to a real classroom. There are no tests. The webi-nars are conducted by experienced boaters having significant knowledge of the subject or area under discussion. Click on http://www.usps.org/e_stuff/glccs.html for more in-formation.

Public Boating Classes Scheduled This past summer we began offering our boat-ing safety classes through the Pensacola State College Continuing Education Department. The courses are listed in their PSC Continuing Edu-cation brochure that lists a wide range of rec-reation and leisure courses available for adults and children. One problem from our standpoint is the long lead time we have for scheduling classes. This past September, we had to submit the schedule for classes for the spring 2013 term. Ours will be taught in February and March. We have scheduled an ABC3 Basic Boat-ing Safety class for February and another in March. In addition, we have also scheduled four seminars, each to be presented twice.

Cdr Ron sends … thanks.

SEO Question of the Month Under Florida law can a PWC be operated at any time after sunset or before sunrise?

Answer on page four ...

Executive Officer

T hanks to P/C Dean Hoffman, P, for opening her house and hosting the annual PSPS Ok-

toberfest. It was great food and great company. Dean, it’s always a pleasure.

Get well soon wishes to P/C Barbara Merrick, P, who is recovering from back surgery. We all hope to see you soon.

The Niceville boat trip and rendezvous was a great success. Thanks to P/Lt/C Carl Woodall , AP, who organized the three day event. The des-tination was Blue Water Bay marina which re-minded me of the Florida Keys. The setting was a sandy bay, palm trees and blue water. The ma-rina is rustic and charming with a great restau-rant and pub, outside seating and tables overlook the dock and bay. More photos on page seven.

We hope to organize another similar event next year so keep an eye on the Lazy Log.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Change of Watch on 10 November.

Lt/C Alan sends … thanks.

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Lazy Log … November 2012 Some Answers Past Commander

SINFULLY SIMPLE FRUIT COBBLER 1 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole milk 1 stick melted butter 2 cups fresh or frozen, raspberries, blackber-ries, blueberries or combination of all

Spread berries in bottom of 8x8 seasoned cast iron skillet. If you're using frozen berries, there will be juice. Do not drain.

Whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour and milk until just blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour bat-ter over the berries in cast iron skillet. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown and bubbly.

P/C Barbara sends … thanks.

I’ve learned that when I am feeling terribly unloved by someone, I need to ask myself what I’ve done to love them … Ed

Rules of the Road Answer Well, here is one of the most violated Rules in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties waters! The answer is "c", not "a". It is not "a" because Rule 9, "Narrow Channels" gives YOU the Right of Way. You MUST sound the danger signal in INLAND Rules, and you MAY sound the danger signal in International Waters. This author wrote a letter to a local sailing club whose sail-boats were doing U-turns, tacks, gybes, et cetera, in Bayou Chico Channel (No, it was NOT PYC). The sail boats thought they had the Right of way over the power boat and in an Inland narrow channel they did not. The Club later acknowledged that they should have known better.

Also on the west side of town, the author sounded five short blasts at a motor vessel, only to be greeted by a return wave of the hand. Thinking that this vessel was just being friendly, he continued in extremis.

Jerry Guertin sends … thanks.

SEO Question of the Month Answer Technically, the answer is yes. In Florida, per-sonal watercraft may be operated from one half hour before sunrise until one half hour after sunset. So that leaves a 30 minute win-dow of opportunity. However, between sunset and sunrise they must display the appropriate navigation lights. Since most PWC’s don’t have navigation lights, the answer, in most cases, is no. Florida’s recreational boating require-ments, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva-tion Commission, 2011.

Cdr Ron sends … thanks.

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Lazy Log … November 2012 THE CENTENNIAL YEAR AHEAD

T he year of anticipating the 100th Anni-versary of the United States Power

Squadrons is upon us. If you are involved in the squadron mission to make your organization your area’s “go to” group, then the days leading up to 2 February 2014 are full of GOLDEN op-portunities. With the tools of anniversary lo-gos, ensign shirts, and displays of our heritage are important at meetings, classes, civic gath-erings, and youth poster contests.

From a historical perspective we should all be-come familiar with our heritage. It began sim-ply when a man at the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts, saw that people buying those newly developed recreational power boats needed special instruction. So ef-fective was Charles Chapman’s boating safety course, that when Undersecretary of the Navy, Franklin Roosevelt, saw it, he encouraged yacht clubs from around the nation to assemble in New York. On 2 February 1914, the New York Yacht Club was the site in which, Roosevelt’s support brought the United States Power Squadrons into existence.

Since its foundation, the organization has worked with the national government on boating issues. During World War I it conducted classes for the United States Navy and through the years the services of its members have been vital to the US Coast Guard, The Na-tional Oceanographic and Atmospheric Admini-stration (NOAA), and in general the Depart-ments of Commerce and Homeland Security.

Today, the dedicated service to boaters began one hundred years ago by Chapman, lives on in the organization’s primary objective. At the national level, on state boards, but most impor-tant in the local communities it is a beacon helping to make each boater a safe and confi-dent person on the water

The fact that all squadrons and districts have an important role in this landmark year will be

symbolized in impressive pageantry at both the 2013 and 2014 Jacksonville Annual Meetings. At the closing of the 2013 Annual meeting on Saturday 19 January, the event will be intro-duced with an impressive presentation of thirty-three parade sized USPS Anniversary Ensigns. Every district commander will receive one to commemorate the year in their home districts. Each squadron will be able to order a parade flag streamer template to be designed by them and to be attached to the district flag pole. The district commander is to return the Flag and Squadron streamers prior to the 2014 meeting. At that time, on the eve of the

Golden Day, the opening ceremonies of the Sat-urday Governing Board will include the presen-tation by each district of its Anniversary En-sign adorned with the streamers from each of its squadrons.

Take advantage of all the outreach benefits that will be possible. Let everyone know that The United States Power Squadrons’ members say: “Boating is fun…We’ll show you how!”

P/R/C Gregory T. Scotten, SN Publications Marketing/Public Relations Committee United States Power Squadrons

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Lazy Log … November 2012 Contributing Editor

T he bonding and zincs are some of the most mysterious systems on a boat. Much

like medicine which is best learned one patient with one disease at a time at a time, electroly-sis and corrosion are best understood one boat with one problem at a time. Or are there two problems?

My boat the Starbuck is a 45 foot Cabo. The major metal parts made are linked by an exten-sive bonding system. The propeller shafts were originally unzinced but were protected because of a metal bushing connected to the drive shafts and held by springs which was part of the bonding system. The only zinc was a large plate in the water at the stern of the boat which is part of the bonding system.

Everything was fine until a mechanic unknow-ingly kicked the spring loaded connection to the bonding system off the drive shaft of one en-gine. I don’t know how long this was present before I noticed it and pressed it back in place. It may have been a few months. The next time the diver who maintains the boat looked at the props he noticed oval areas of corrosion on both props.

Next year I upgraded to new props. The old ones were not too badly damaged. I put on shaft zincs to supplement the stern zinc. When I pulled my boat out of the water for Tropical Storm Isaac, I noted that the starboard pro-

peller had the telltale oval erosions of elec-trolysis. This was in spite of good shaft and stern hull zincs. When I checked the resistance between all the metal parts out of the water, I could find no increased resistance. Once the boat was back in the water, I measured resis-tance between connection points in the bonding system and found a weak connection between two sites in the stern of the boat. Though it appeared normal from the outside, the wire felt loose and the connector had severed from

the wire. It had the tell-tale pinkish red color of electrolysis (See picture left). I could measure an increased am-

perage across the loose ends of the wire. I can only assume that my propeller was acting as an anode for the system which was not being to-tally protected by my zincs. I have repaired the system but must now wait to see if the problem stops.

Lessons learned: a) Electrolysis is sneaky. b) Zincs don’t entirely protect against it. c) The source is not always obvious. d) Look for pink corrosion and this can be hid-

den under paint.

P/Lt/C Dave sends … thanks.

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Lazy Log … November 2012

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Lazy Log … November 2012

Good times at the Hoffman ...

Photographs contributed by Dave Nicholson and

Bernie Wachter … thanks.

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Lazy Log … November 2012

To the left is a card from P/C Dean Hoffman, P, thanking us for the donation made to Heifer In-ternational in the name of P/R/C Al Hoffman, AP.

To the right is a card from Boy Scout Troup 409 thanking us for the donation made to them in the name of P/C Richard Cole-man, AP.

Pensacola Sail and Power Squadron 11932 Longwood Drive Pensacola, Florida 32507-9035

The Annual Meeting and Change of Watch will be conducted on Saturday, 10 November, at Halls Seafood Restaurant, 920 East Gregory Street, Pen-sacola, FL, 32502. A social hour starts at 1730 with the meeting starting at 1800.