ComefortheBoatingEducation…StayfortheFriendsSM

OfficialPublicationofDistrict6 Summer2016

TableofContentsCommander’s Corner .............. 1From the District Executive Officer .................................... 3From the District Administrative Officer .................................... 5Education Corner ................... 6A Message from the Treasurer for District 6 ........................... 6District 6 Membership Committee Report ................... 8From Around the District (and Beyond) .................................. 9Sailing Lake Ontario ............. 10D/6 Rendezvous Reflections . 12Seneca Junior Sailors Find Adventure on the Great Lakes 13The Editor’s Editorial ............ 25District Calendar .................. 27

Commander’sCornerByD/CWilliamHerrick,JN

BoyIsItSummer!So during our relatively snowless winter we longed for the sun and wind and the spray on the water and boy we’re sure getting plenty of opportunities to get our fill! We’re headed for another temperature record setting summer. I hope you all are enjoying plenty of recreational time. Since we last met here our squadrons were represented at the H. Lee White Museum’s open house in Oswego on May 21st, the first day of Boating Safety Week. Despite an overcast, chilly day, members from Syracuse, Ithaca and Susquenango responded to the call for help and were on hand to help educate the public about who we are and what we do. We had a Boating Simulator set up in the museum and it received positive comments from everyone who went for a virtual ride. A Coast Guard rescue helicopter did a rescue swimmer demonstration drop to cap the day off. Our District Rendezvous was held July 15th to the 18th on Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Seneca Sail and Power hosted us at their first annual pork barbecue at Clute Park and the Watkins Glen Yacht Club and Eyerock Docks both offered dockage and trailer equipment storage during the rendezvous. Hibiscus Harbor and its Wheelhouse Restaurant, Auburn Power Squadron’s home, welcomed us with open arms and a brand new banner for an enjoyable dinner and overnight stay for our “fleet”. Many thanks to Mike Sacco and his daughter Meghan for the courtesies extended to us and their long history of Power Squadron support. Ithaca Yacht Club was our final port of call and the gracious reception we received there was terrific. It’s a great location with great facilities and we really appreciated the consideration from everyone there. Look for rendezvous details in DXO Jeff Freedman’s column in this issue.

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I’ve been receiving a fairly consistent stream of emails from P/D/C Paul Roetling this summer that are encouraging. You all know that it’s possible to take an online basic boating course in New York now and that Power Squadron’s offering in this space was the first non-state course to be approved by New York. As District’s ABC Coordinator, P/D/C Paul notifies the squadrons when a student from their area registers for an online course so they can contact the student and offer support. At first it seems like the online course is antithetical to our mission. We’re supposed to offer and conduct sit-down classes in hopes we gain new members while educating safe boaters. How can we do that if we never see them? Well, consider who we’ve been seeing: To a large degree students who generally are interested in PWC certificates and little else. We’ll still get those students but I think we’ll see more who are interested in safe boating generally and are susceptible to being enticed to explore Power Squadron and its many benefits. The new model of support is focused direct one-to-one contact by phone or email with a student who has chosen to enroll in our online course, which is not the least expensive one available. The number of emails Paul has been relaying is consistently high; it’s not unusual to see four or five new students a day. Our next District event will be our combined Fall Council and Conference, date and location to be announced. Watch the next issue of The Deep 6 and your email for complete details

- Bill

The Deep 6 Published four times a year by District 6 of United States Power Squadrons.

District Commander D/C William A. Herrick, JN—Susquenango Binghamton, NY 607-723-4818 commander@uspsd6.org

Executive Officer D/Lt/C Jeffrey Freedman, AP—Syracuse Syracuse, NY exec@uspsd6.org

Educational Officer D/1st/Lt Ken Green, AP – Syracuse 315-682-9604 deo@uspsd6.org

Assistant Educational Officer [Position vacant] adeo@uspsd6.org

Administrative Officer D/Lt/C Nancy Bieber, S—Susquenango admin@uspsd6.org

Secretary D/Lt/C Alvin Carmon, JN—Syracuse Canastota, NY 315-247-2985 secretary@uspsd6.org

Treasurer D/Lt/C Ed Sanders, P—Ithaca Interlaken, NY 607-227-7592 treasurer@uspsd6.org

The Deep 6 Staff Editor D/Lt Tom Alley, SN—Seneca Big Flats, NY 607-562-3909 theDeep6@uspsd6.org

Editor Emeritus P/R/C Richard E. Ashley, SN—Syracuse The opinions expressed in The Deep 6 are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of United States Power Squadrons or of District 6.

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FromtheDistrictExecutiveOfficerByD/Lt/CJeffreyFreedman,AP-CN

D/6RendezvousThe 2016 D6 Rendezvous Cruise, arranged by Commander Bill Herrick and the Seneca, Auburn and Ithaca Squadrons was held July 15th – 18th. Tess and I, accompanied by P/D/C Judy Swanson, left Onondaga Lake Park Marina on Empire, our restored 1975 Trojan F-36 flybridge cruiser, on Thursday morning, July 14th. For navigation, we used Navionics on an iPad and iPhone, and recorded tracks on each leg of our 6-day cruise. A speed of 6–8 kts protects the canal banks from the wake created by our 8-ton craft, and we slow to a no-wake speed of 5 kts for kayaks, fishing boats, paddle boards, and along low-lying canal communities. The Erie Canal along the Howland Island Wildlife Management Area and up to the old Richmond Aquaduct is one of the most pristine and scenic parts of an Erie Canal voyage. We stayed the first night at Lock 25. We like its quietude and close proximity to the picturesque dam at Mays Point. On Friday, we back-tracked about 1 mile to the Canal Junction, transited through Lock CS-1, and proceeded down the verdant waterway of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, stopping at Barrett Marine in Waterloo for fuel at the attractive rate of $3.18/gal. In Seneca Falls we met up with Roger Lichtfield of Watertown and Syracuse Sail & Power Squadron in his houseboat style trawler, with his sister Marsha from Lake Winnepesaukee in northern New Hampshire, as crew, and cruised together with them for the duration of the Rendezvous. We then shifted from displacement to planing mode and ran down the western side of Seneca Lake from Geneva to Watkins Glen at 16 knots, arriving at the Watkins Glen Yacht Club in plenty of time for the catered barbeque feast in the Clute Park Pavillion. With a brisk westerly breeze and passing storms, the western side of

Seneca Lake was in the lee of the land where the water was much flatter than the 4 ft waves occurring on the eastern side of the Lake. The barbeque was a fundraiser for the youth sailing program of the Seneca Sail & Power Squadron. Seneca Commander Mark Erway explained the goals and programs of the United States Power Squadrons to the yacht club and power squadron guests; Seneca Youth Committee Co-Chair Katie Alley thanked the crowd for their support and described the youth sailing program that has evolved in Watkins Glen under the auspices of the Seneca Squadron. On Saturday, five power boats and four sailboats headed north up Seneca Lake. We stopped at the Rainbow Cove Restaurant for a lakeside lunch. Before lunch we encountered a wave of about 50 “cigarette boats”, spaced out about a mile across the western side of Seneca Lake heading south, approaching us at speeds of 50 to over 100 mph. We turned east to try to avoid them, but they came from the horizon so fast, and their line was so wide, that two of them had to veer far to the east to avoid colliding with us. No buoys demarcated the course for their organized event; nor were patrol boats keeping slower recreational boaters away from their path. In the interests of boating safety, we need to look further into this potentially terribly dangerous boating hazard. On Saturday evening, we checked into the Seneca Lake State Park Marina, where we were assigned to an 11-foot wide slip that was two feet narrower than our 13-foot beam. As we tied onto the wall at the end of the lane of slips, we saw that Tom Alley’s sailboat was aground in the mud; he was assigned to a slip that was too shallow for his draft. Fortunately, he and crew worked free of the mud by rocking their keelboat from side to side and were able to motor to a deeper slip. Clearly, better education of the marina staff is needed regarding slip assignments. Negative comments about the marina management by several marina tenants indicates a need for improvements at this marina by the NYS Parks Department.

United States Power Squadrons®

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On Saturday night we enjoyed another fine feast and camaraderie with fellow boaters at the Crows Nest Restaurant across from the State Park Marina.

Photo 1 - Following Avatar (Flagg) into Seneca Lake State Park Marina.

On Sunday, leaving the sailors behind, we proceeded back to Seneca Falls for lunch, with four Power Squadron cruisers--Jolly Roger (Lichtfield), Rose’s Roost (Rose), Life’s a Cabernet (Sanders), and Empire – locking together through the Cayuga-Seneca canal, and thence to Trade-A-Yacht Marina at Hibiscus Harbor in Union Springs. Avatar (Flagg) with grandson Jason and the Rouse’s came through a little later. In Hibiscus Harbor, Auburn Power Squadron Commander Jim Goodwin welcomed us with an outdoor takeout dinner from the Wheelhouse Restaurant.

Photo 2 - Locking through on Cayuga Seneca Canal with Rose, Litchfield and Sanders.

Photo 3 - Empire (Freedman) at Seneca Falls Dock.

On Monday morning in Hibiscus Harbor, we met Chris and Kyota Rose of the Hartwell Lake Power Squadron located in South Carolina. Informed by Marshall Shear of our Rendezvous, they had trailored their cruiser all the way from South Carolina to join our cruise. Before retirement Chris was the lead project engineer for a company that built power plants. He directed the building of one of the nuclear plants near Oswego on the shore of Lake Ontario. The weather was quite iffy on Monday, so together with the Roses we rented a car and drove to my favorite winery, Lucas Vineyards, in Interlaken. After lunch at the Busy Bee Market at Sheldrake Point overlooking Cayuga Lake, we drove to the trail leading to Taughannnock Falls where we hiked up the dry gorge to see a trickle of water cascading down the 215-foot cliff. On Monday evening, we attended the 75th Anniversary of the Ithaca Sail & Power Squadron at the Ithaca Yacht Club. Commander Sandy Sanders, and P/D/C Paul Flagg and Maxine recalled the history and programs of the Ithaca Sail & Power Squadron. On Tuesday morning we departed Hibiscus Harbor for the trip back to Syracuse. Our total boating mileage was 180 nm. The total cost of the cruise for Tess and myself, including fuel, dockage and meals was less than $800 for the week, somewhat comparable to, but far more enjoyable than, what might have been spent travelling by auto and staying in motels.

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Identifying boating safety and marina management issues on Seneca Lake was an unintended benefit of our Power Squadron Rendezvous Cruise. We saw numerous great blue herons, osprey, and kingfishers along the canal, along with one bald eagle. In Hibiscus Harbor many barn swallows flitted around our boat and a northern flicker was perched in a nearby tree. The most enjoyable aspect of the cruise, however, was making new boating

friends as we cruised along together and seeing old power squadron friends at each of the destinations. Thanks to Commander Bill Herrick and the Seneca, Auburn and Ithaca Squadrons for making this Rendezvous Cruise an enjoyable and memorable experience.

- Jeff

FromtheDistrictAdministrativeOfficerByD/Lt/CNancyBieber,P

CanoeingandKayakingWe all know that summer is the best time of the year for boating in our area. I hope you all have had a great season and have many new stories to tell. I have been doing some canoeing and kayaking this summer and have become aware that there are some unique boating mishaps associated with them. Here are some tips to follow before going out on the water to prevent problems: • Register your craft with the Department of

Natural Resources (DNR). • Check with New York State’s DNR for

instructions and requirements. • Taking the United States Power Squadron

seminar on kayaking and canoeing is important, especially if you are a beginner.

• You may also want to practice your swimming in case your craft capsizes.

• Take along a basic first aid kit, sunscreen, food and water in a waterproof bag.

• Make sure each passenger wears a life jacket even if they know how to swim. A nationwide study conducted by the United States Coast Guard found that the majority of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets.

• Know the water and weather conditions. Rough or high water can be dangerous, even for experienced paddlers.

• If you plan to go out on the water by yourself, let someone know where you’re headed and when you expect to return.

Once you’re on the water you’ll want to know how to navigate different bodies of water.

• On a river or large creek, avoid “strainers” – such as fallen trees – that could trap you.

• The ocean is a complex body of water with some natural dangers. When on the ocean, stick close to shore and make sure you know how to handle wind speed, current, and wave height.

• Daytime is the safest time to kayak or canoe. Visibility is low in early morning hours and at dusk, and predatory animals in the water tend to move closer to shore at night.

• On busy or commercial waters, stay outside the green and red buoys. Never try to “beat” a motorboat. It won’t happen and you are putting yourself in the path of danger.

• Wearing bright clothing and having proper lighting will help others to easily spot you.

• When choosing a canoe or kayak, pick a bright color for both the boat and the paddles to increase visibility.

• If you capsize, stay with your boat, which will float even if it is full of water.

So, if you have the opportunity, give canoeing or kayaking a try. It’s a fun, peaceful, and healthy activity.

- Nancy

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EducationCornerByD/Lt/CKennethGreen,APIn the wake of the spring D/6 Conference the summer is at its high tide. The Rendez-vous is aft in time. The Governing Board in Pittsburgh is on the horizon. Since my last report in this newsletter much has occurred in the depths of the Education Department, but so far the many initiatives I’ve referred to have not yet reached the point where they can surface. I’m referring to such items as the new course structure, e-publishing, blended learning, and OpenCPN, the new navigational software, all of which are still in development. The online ABC course seems to be picking up speed, though, as more folks are using it. I’m told that a new seminar, Cruise Planning, will be out soon, but am unsure exactly when. I should mention that the National Education Department has been having monthly telephone conferences with the DEOs and the ADEOs, very helpful as a communication tool. Among the topics discussed are improvements in the navigational software, a Spanish language version of the ABC course, an

initiative to drive members to some events, expansion of our collaboration with the Coast Guard Auxilliary and assistance for the Tall Ships program. I must mention again the awards we give out for outstanding teaching: The Chapman Award is still in contention. The teaching aids award is ripe for the taking as is the Prince Henry award. So I implore the SEOs to consider proposing their talented candidates for these awards. The deadline for me to send in our entries for the Chapman award is 9/1. Sadly, I have learned of several recent tragedies on the waters of New York and cannot help thinking that with the education we provide perhaps they could have been avoided. We must continue our efforts to reach as many people as we can. So, as we continue to enjoy our lovely summer, soon we will gaze forward to the fall season and start to get ready for the next round of activities: Courses, seminars, meetings, social engagements and all the many things we do to enhance our organization. I look forward to sharing them with you.

- Ken

AMessagefromtheTreasurerforDistrict6ByD/Lt/CEdSanders,

I suppose I should start by assuring everyone that District Six remains financially sound and secure. We have renewed a CD and are plotting a course to review the nature of our investments, searching for a secure, but better, return. But now, let’s focus on a recap of the summer thus far. July is fading fast as I look back to May. Sandy and I attended the “Waterfront Open House 2016” at the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego. There we encountered many familiar USPS faces and enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with

friends. If you have not visited the museum, I can highly recommend this as a destination. On display are many historical artifacts, photographs, and displays that we found most informative and thought provoking. Our combined boating experience, thus far, has been limited to Cayuga and Seneca Lakes and the adjoining Cayuga-Seneca Canal. To call ourselves “experienced boaters” is like calling ourselves “experienced drivers” when in reality we have never left the parking lot. The navigation instruments displayed in the museum served to remind me of the remarkable volumes of knowledge we have yet to gain. Being in a body of water where you are never out of sight of land is not nearly the challenge faced by these folks who served in the Merchant Marine in peace and in war times.

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I have heard of the Fresnel lens but never understood the mechanics of how it actually works. In one most interesting display in the museum, the theory and lens arrangement was explained where even I could understand and appreciate its complexity. The display included an explanation of the Fresnel Lens Classification System. Each lens fit into a classification, called an order, based on its size and focal length. Moving outside, I was drawn to the ocean going tug, the LT-5, Major Elisha K. Henson. There were lots of facts and figures to take in related to this tug. Just a few things I found intriguing:

• This is the only tug of this type remaining • It is the only tug to shoot down an enemy

aircraft • It burns 2.5 gallons of diesel per minute • Each connecting rod and piston weighs

about 1,000 lbs. • Each cylinder head weighs about 1,000 lbs. • The top rpm for the engine is 300 rpm • The engine and prop are directly connected,

no transmission • To go into reverse, the engine is stopped and

then started in reverse rotation And I think I have some difficulties handling my boat? Can you imagine! We did not get to see all the displays inside and outside the museum, warranting another visit! If you have not been, please add H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego to your places to visit. Just a few weeks ago, Sandy and I participated in the District 6 Rendezvous. We left Ithaca, preceded up Cayuga, through the C-S Canal and locks to overnight at Barrett Marine. Fran Barrett is always a gracious host. The next day we continued down to Watkins Glen to spend two nights at Watkins Glen Yacht Club. Again we received a warm welcome and were made to feel right at home. We met many of the members and spent two evenings spinning yarns and sharing stories and experiences. Chris and Nioka Rose from Mauldin, SC had trailered their boat to Watkins Glen to take part in the trip back to Cayuga. It seems they had encountered one Marshall Shear, known by many in District 6 as a character of

questionable repute, at Tybee Island near Savannah, GA last summer. It was there he shared with them the plans for the rendezvous. The cookout in Clute Park Friday night was excellently attended by USPS and Watkins Glen Yacht Club members. The proceeds from the dinner went to support the Seneca Sail and Power Squadron Junior Sailing Program. Mark Erway and Tom Alley provided welcoming comments. Not one to be a wallflower, our District Commander added his welcoming remarks. Katie Alley, Seneca’s Youth Committee Co-Chair, spoke most eloquently about the Junior Sailing Program. Saturday morning, a contingent of power boats and sailboats departed for Geneva. Saturday night found us gathering at the Crow’s Nest Restaurant adjacent to Stiver’s Marina. Once again, Sandy and I overnighted at Barrett Marine. Sunday morning, we started at varying times heading east through the C-S Canal. Five power boats, Avatar, Jolly Roger, Cabernet, Empire and Rose’s Roost travelled together through Lock CS-4 pausing for lunch at Seneca Falls. Here I was introduced to a much easier way to control the boat in the lock. I employed this new knowledge in the next two locks. Thanks, Bryan! After a break, we resumed our passage thru Lock CS-3 and CS-2 to overnight at Hibiscus Harbor. Once again a good meal and more yarns. Monday morning, Sandy and I (Cabernet) and Avatar departed for Ithaca and the familiar confines of Treman Marine Park. We drove back to Ithaca Yacht Club for the celebration of Ithaca Sail and Power Squadron’s 75th Anniversary. The dinner was well supported by Susquenango and Ithaca Squadrons. We were treated to live music and some belly dancing as well. It’s amazing the skills demonstrated by the PC of Ithaca and the P/D/C of District 6. And we have video to prove it! A good time was had by all! If you missed out on these activities, folks you missed a very good time. Sincerely,

- Ed

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District6MembershipCommitteeReportOneYearPeriodEndingJune30th,2016RespectfullysubmittedbyP/CThomasDixon,PandP/D/CChrisTertenik,SN National: Members 2015 32,405

Members 2016 29,892 LOSS -2,513

D/6: Members 2015 792 Members 2016 713 LOSS -79 JUNE, 2016 SQUADRON 2015 2016 DECREASE INCREASE

AUBURN 13 14 1 BUFFALO 46 42 4 HAMBURG 26 20 6 IROQUOIS 59 64 5 ITHACA 33 28 5 LOCKPORT 34 32 2 NIAGARA 9 7 2 RED JACKET 34 16 18 ROCHESTER 107 101 6 SENECA 87 82 5 ST. LAWRENCE 34 19 15 SUSQUENANGO 67 62 5 SWIFTWATER 100 83 17 SYRACUSE 103 111 8 UTICA 40 32 8 ***Niagara and Red Jacket are still being carried by National so we have included them on the list.

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FromAroundtheDistrict(andBeyond)AdvanceNotificationofFutureLeapSecondFromtheCivilGPSInterfaceCommittee(CGSIC)Yesterday, 18 July, the Air Force entered, into the GPS MCS, a Future Leap Second to become effective on 31 December 2016. As Navigation Uploads are/were performed over the following ~24 hours, GPS satellites will, one at a time, begin broadcasting this Future Leap Second, along with its date of effectivity and the Current Leap Second count, in accordance with IS-GPS-200. When specific satellites will begin broadcasting the new information will depend on the contact schedule over the next ~24 hours, which is dynamic and subject to real-time operations. When specific users will begin seeing the new information will depend on a number of factors, including satellite visibility and user equipment design.

V/R Rick Hamilton

CGSIC Executive Secretariat GPS Information Analysis Team Lead

U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center 703-313-5930

SenecatoOfferJuniorNavigation(JN)ClassTomAlley,SenecaSEOSeneca Sail & Power Squadron will be offering several sessions this summer and fall for JN students to do the field work necessary to complete their JN sight folders. Instructors Jim Morris and Tom Alley will meet with students and guide them through the process of taking the sun sights needed to complete their sight folders while the weather is still agreeable. (Getting one’s sight folder completed is often the most difficult part of the course, especially when classes wind down in the middle of winter!) For students new to the subject, sessions will include instruction on the proper handling and use of a marine sextant. For prior JN students trying to complete their sight folders, a group setting will be provided to help streamline the

collection of sight data for later reduction. Sights will be taken both from shore and from boats. There is no fee for attending sight-taking sessions. Formal JN classroom sessions will begin in the fall. Class dates, times, locations and costs will be announced when we have an idea of the number of students participating. Anyone interested, please contact Tom Alley by e-mail (SEO@SenecaPowerSquadron.US) or by phone (607-377-6262).

SusquenangoRendezvous–TallShipsFestival16-18September2016You’re invited! We have planned for our Squadron rendezvous this year to coincide with the Tall ShipsTM Festival in Brockville, Canada. This is a fantastic opportunity to see these spectacular ships up close and also enjoy festivities on both sides of the border. Please join us for a Wine & Cheese party, dinners together and other offerings including a sail-out aboard a tall ship, nautical demonstrations, competitions, vendors, entertainment, instructional seminars, re-enactments, historic encampments and evening fireworks. Please register by 06 Sept 2016. Contact Linda Rought (below).

Linda Rought ldrought@stny.rr.com

Comments?Questions?YourTwo-Cents?Do you have comments about any of the contents of this issue? Please send your letters to the editor (theDeep6@uspsd6.org) and we’ll share the best/most insightful here!

United States Power Squadrons®

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SailingLakeOntarioByLt/CJamesMcGinnis,APOne of the best parts of sailing Lake Ontario, is getting there. Last month I signed on as crew for the two-day trip from Watkins Glen to Oswego through the New York State Canal system. Tom Alley and Mike Crouse, the captains of Tomfoolery and Seek Ye 1st, respectively, had invited members of the Seneca Sail and Power Squadron Junior Sailing group to join them on their summer sailing trip to Lake Ontario. We left Watkins Glen on a Sunday morning having spent much of the previous day dropping the mast, securing it to the deck and loading provisions for the trip. We motored up Seneca lake on a breezy day that gave us a great start to the trip. At Geneva, NY we headed right into the canal system past the Seneca State Park, the Crow’s Nest Restaurant and Stiver’s and Barrett’s Marinas. I had been there several times before but never up the canal. This time we were headed east, first towards Cayuga Lake and then north to Oswego. The canal is typically 12 feet deep and 40 to 60 feet wide between the buoys. Officially, we were headed out to sea since the canal system connects eventually to the ocean at the Saint Lawrence Seaway at Cape Vincent, NY. So the green buoys were on our right and we stayed close to them at each bend in the canal. Boats are allowed up to 10 knots outside the no-wake zones and we kept the engine’s humming at around 6 knots. The Erie Canal System is steeped in history as part of the development of the State of New York in the 1800’s. The locks are meticulously maintained as a living museum and a testament to these days. We got a pass for the trip from the lock keeper at Waterloo and that paid for our passage for the remainder of the locks. Our crew on Seek Ye 1st consisted of Mike Crouse, John Read, Henry Cabezas and myself. At first, putting the boat through the locks required all of us to tie up to the wall and to tend the fenders and fender boards. The lock walls are concrete and covered with a combination of slime, seaweed and zebra mussels. You don’t want to touch them but you

can’t let go at the same time. The zebra mussels seem to be put there to squirt lake water a few feet from the wall in case you are able to avoid the seaweed. There are coated cables that run vertically from the top of the lock to the bottom in addition to ropes that hang from the walls. Soon we learned to put a loop of rope around one of the cables and allowed it to just slide down the cable from top to bottom. Without much tension on the lines, the fender boards just slid down the muck on the concrete and kept us from the wall.

Photo 1 - Seek Ye 1st travels beneath a lift bridge in Fulton, NY on the Oswego Canal.

We passed a couple locks and miles of canals that afternoon and arrived at Cross Lake around sunset. We had mounted Mike’s grill in the rail of the boat and cooked dinner while cruising the canal. Baldwinsville Lock was another 6 or 7 miles and the consensus was to push on, to make it to the lock tie up there for the night. Soon that entailed steaming down the canal in the pitch dark. Mike, John and Henry were on the foredeck with a spot light finding the buoys and giving me directions to head left or right through the twists and turns of the canal. Tomfoolery stayed in our wake and both boats made the slightly hair-raising trip without incident. There was a spot for our boats on the end of the dock, so we tied up there. After having a spot of cider for the crew, we all dropped off to sleep in no time. Poof!

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Photo 2 - Captain Tom aboard Tomfoolery in one of the Oswego Canal locks.

The next morning the lock keeper opened early. Maybe too early for the Junior sailors, who are generally not firing on all cylinders until a bit after 10AM. I say generally because they were able to sharply rise to the call of duty at 5AM one morning leaving Sodus Point later in the week. In any case, it was raining lightly as I decided to give Tom Alley at hand on Tomfoolery while John and Mike traversed the early locks on Seek Ye 1st. There is a three-way intersection in the canal just north of Syracuse and Onondaga Lake. One leg heads north to Phoenix, NY and the other east to Oneida Lake and on through more locks to the Hudson River. We took the northern route and headed on to Oswego. It is pretty much a straight shot through several

locks and we arrived in Oswego in the early afternoon. We arranged with the marina crew to step the mast at 8AM in the morning. It was exciting to finally be at the edge of Lake Ontario. We anticipated the next few days and discussed the plans to sail to Sodus Point the next day and then two days later a long reach to Cape Vincent across the center of the Lake.

- Jim

Photo 3 - Seek Ye 1st approaches one of the final locks in Oswego, NY.

Photo 4 - Lock O-6 on the Oswego Canal.

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D/6RendezvousReflectionsByCmdrMarkErway,AP

The 2016 District Six Rendezvous was the first one I had ever experienced in my few years with the Squadron. Not only did I get to participate as a boater, but I also got to participate as an organizer, working with our District Commander Bill Herrick and my own members in Seneca Sail and Power. Overall we had good weather, good food and good friends and I don’t think you could ask for more than that. Granted we didn’t have every detail worked out and we may have been able to offer more, but I felt that we did just fine for the first leg of the Rendezvous. On the Seneca planning team were other first timers who played major roles, such as our Secretary, Karen Stewart, who planned all the details for the Friday night BBQ. Our PRO, Howard Cabezas, who assisted with flyers and tickets and lots of other input. Seasoned vet, Tom Alley, led our skippers meeting and presented all the skippers with a beautiful full color chart of Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Katie Alley was all set for an early morning kayak tour for the adventurous. Seasoned veterans like Carrie Sproul, Charles Fausold and Jim McGinnis offered guidance, and Merrill Sproul gave lots of advice and took ownership in finding a place at the Watkins Glen Yacht Club for most of our visiting power boaters to stay for a day or two.

Our registrants came from near and far: Seneca Sail and Power members Tom Alley, Howard Cabezas, Mark Erway and Tim Waite with their sailboats. The power boats were Paul and Maxine Flagg, Sandy Sanders from Ithaca S & P; Jeff Freedman and Roger Litchfield from Syracuse S & P; and coming all the way from South Carolina, trailering their boat were Nioka and Christopher Rose. We decided that our Friday night dinner could play a number of roles rather than just having the participants get together for dinner. So we planned a BBQ at Clute Park as a fund raiser for our Junior Sailing program and sold tickets to Squadron members as well as dock mates, yacht club members and other local boaters. The idea was simply to get our name out there, meet non-squadron boaters and inform them of who we are and what we do. In addition to D/6 Cdr Bill Herrick, we were joined by past D/Cdr Judy Swanson. Also attending was a large contingent of Watkins Glen Yacht Club members, thanks to the efforts of Merrill and Carrie Sproul. We met a lot of new people, got our message out and managed to raise some funds for our Junior Sailors. We look forward to our 2nd annual BBQ next summer. On Saturday morning Captain Tom Alley held a skippers meeting where he shared his knowledge of the lake, handed out sheets that had points of interest and a GPS challenge. He also presented each skipper with a full sized, full color chart of Seneca and Cayuga lakes. (Tom had a very busy week, having just come off an 11-day Junior Sailing cruise up to the Thousand Islands and back, on which his forestay broke in moderate weather on Ontario, destroying his furler and genoa. Friday even before and after the BBQ he put together a new forestay, and at 0800 Saturday morning he restepped his mast.) Three sail boats set out as soon as the skippers received their charts. Wind was light and coming straight down the lake which meant every two miles spent tacking east and west yielded only about a 1/4 mile in actual

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northward progress at a cost of a half hour each tack. Howard and his family simply motored all the way, I tried sailing but finally gave in, and Tim Waite gave it a heroic try and ended up arriving in Geneva at 2130. And Tom motored up, overtaking me just south of Long Point. The motor vessels all handled the transit in fine form and we all reunited for dinner and a celebration of a beautiful day and the shared joy of boating in one of the most beautiful natural wonders on earth. Our dinner at the Crows Nest in Geneva was made sweeter by a water taxi which was provided by Seneca ASEO Jim McGinnis and we were also joined by members, family and friends who were able to drive up for the celebration. As for me and my wife, Annie, it was our first ever transit to Geneva, taking about 8! hours,

we were understandably tired but elated as we were ferried back over to our slip at the Seneca State Park and settled in for the night. We reflected on the fact that our membership in Seneca Sail & Power offered us the friendships, advice, encouragement and education that have given us the confidence and skill to safely boat on Seneca Lake. Now we’re ready for the next challenge. What an awesome experience!

- Mark ° ° ° ° ° ° °

Mark is the current commander of Seneca Sail & Power Squadron, which covers the area from Watkins Glen to Elmira, Corning, and portions of north-central Pennsylvania.

SenecaJuniorSailorsFindAdventureontheGreatLakesByD/LtThomasAlley,SN

SundayAfternoon,July3rdIt was just past two in the afternoon. The sun was shining brightly and the deep blue sky had just a few of those very picturesque, fluffy white clouds in it. The heat wave of the prior days had broken with the passage of a cold front the day before and the temperature and humidity had both dropped to comfortable levels. Winds were blowing from the west at about 15-18 knots and waves on Lake Ontario had slowly been building to 3-4 feet throughout the day. In other words, it was a near-perfect day for our Alberg 35. We had just tacked onto starboard to clear the shoals on the southern end of Grenadier Island when there was a loud “bang”. The backstay went slack and nearly laid down in the cockpit. Our foresail, furler and forestay went off to leeward, still attached to the masthead, but not to anything else. All I could think of at that moment was, “Oh, no! We’re going to lose the mast…”

OneWeekEarlier,SundayMorning,June26thAnticipation was in the air. Our fleet of two vessels was ready to depart on a grand adventure from the sheltered waters of Seneca

Lake and travel through the canals to Lake Ontario where our more experienced Junior Sailors would get a taste of voyaging on some bigger water. For Tomfoolery, a 1965 Alberg 35, it would be a homecoming of sorts as she had spent most of her 51 years sailing on Lake Ontario and among the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River. Accompanying us was Seek Ye 1st, a 1973 Islander 36, also a veteran of those same waters. With masts stepped and secured on our decks, and with both vessels laden with as many provisions as we could store, we set off mid-morning with the goal of reaching the port of Oswego, NY in two days. Weather was good and the canal traffic was light. Our students got to experience canal travel, including a pair of tandem locks in Seneca Falls with a total drop of nearly 50 feet, and miles of motoring through the Montezuma Swamp in central New York. By late evening we were at Lock 24 of the Erie Canal in Baldwinsville, NY, ready to bed down for the night.

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Photo 1 - Tomfoolery leaves Lock CS-3 in Seneca Falls, NY.

Monday,June27thDawn broke with a gray sky and drizzle in the air, but that was OK. It would make for reasonably comfortable motoring through the canal. After lunch the skies did begin to clear and by the time we were in the last few locks in Oswego, the sun was shining brightly, as if to say, “Welcome to Lake Ontario!”

Photo 2 - Oswego Canal Lock 8 doors open to show the Junior Sailing fleet Lake Ontario. Seek Ye 1st is ahead of us in the lock.

Tuesday,June28thSeek Ye 1st and Tomfoolery were scheduled with the local crane to get our masts stepped first thing on Tuesday morning, much to the disdain of our teenage sailing students who considered any activity prior to the crack of noon to be an obscene undertaking. However, this scheduling would allow us to sail to our next port of call that same day and arrive by late afternoon.

Photo 3 - Junior Sailor Maggie ascends Tomfoolery’s mast to help re-rig a flag halyard.

After spending the morning getting our vessels rigged we set out for Sodus Bay, a 25-mile westerly trip along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Winds were steady out of the west-southwest at about 10 to 15 knots, so we headed north for about 5 miles in order to reach the bay entrance on a single tack. Waves started out at about 3 feet and slowly built to 6 during the late afternoon. The net result was an exhilarating sail, with some of our junior crew finding their tolerance limits for the motion of boats. Also finding its limits to boat motion was Tomfoolery’s sole jar of salsa, which hurled itself from its shelf onto one of the fixtures of the galley sink, impaling itself on the spigot and sending both salsa and glass shards everywhere in the main saloon.

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Photo 4 - Junior Sailor Maggie studies up on seasickness during her first Lake Ontario passage.

By early evening, though, we found ourselves in the calm waters of Sodus Bay, anchored snugly in the lee of Newark Island, watching a really nice sunset.

Photo 5 - Seek Ye 1st enjoys the sunset at her Sodus Bay anchorage.

Wednesday,June29thAfter three long days of pushing through the canals, stepping masts, and then sailing hard against the prevailing winds, our crews had earned a “down day” to just relax. In reality, we spent the day cleaning up the boats and fixing the many little things that demand attention. Tomfoolery’s toilet had developed a particularly fragrant leak that had become quite overpowering over the last 24 hours. Once it

was determined that the leak was coming from the toilet bowl itself, the unit was removed from the boat for a thorough inspection. Fortunately, it was a simple fix (a drain plug on the back side of the unit had worked loose) and the stout sloop regained her rightful dignity after a good cleaning. The crew of Seek Ye 1st spent the day dealing with issues caused by a slipping alternator belt, finally getting that repaired by late afternoon. Their crew celebrated with a sail on a breezy and nearly waveless Lake Ontario before heading back into harbor for the evening. A walk into town to grab a few supplies (e.g., more salsa) was then followed by motoring back out to our anchorage between Eagle and Newark Islands to fix dinner, enjoy another beautiful sunset, and prepare for our longest leg of the trip in the morning.

Thursday,June30thThe day started early as the crews were roused at 04:30 in order to be underway by 05:00. The early departure was necessary in order to ensure arrival at our next destination, Cape Vincent, NY, while there was still enough daylight to ensure an easy landfall. Distance from one harbor entrance to the other was a little over 60 nautical miles, and at a conservative estimate of a 5 knot cruising speed it meant that we would be arriving around dinner time after 12 hours underway. Weather conditions were forecast to be good, with a west-southwest breeze of 10-15 knots and waves of less than 3 feet. Since this would be a downwind run, the passage promised to be far less boisterous than the trip from Oswego to Sodus Bay.

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Photo 6 - Sunrise on Lake Ontario as seen from Tomfoolery.

As the Sodus Bay light receded in our wake, dawn broke ahead of us as we sailed out into the open lake. The Junior Sailors aboard Tomfoolery took turns napping through the morning to make up for their lost beauty rest. As the sun rose higher in the sky, its warmth started stirring up the air and filling in the breeze and our sails began to get more effective. Seek Ye 1st could not resist the allure of the steady breeze and deployed her spinnaker, starting an all-day run where her speed touched 9 knots at times. Tomfoolery, not to be left behind, deployed a large “drifter” and enjoyed a similar broad reach down the lake toward the St. Lawrence Seaway. Although Tomfoolery “only” held a steady 6+ knots, she made up for it by sailing a more direct course toward our collective destination, arriving only about 45 minutes behind the faster Seek Ye 1st. (This was in spite of a brief “incursion” of Tomfoolery into Canadian waters near Wolfe Island by the Junior Sailing crew while the captain was napping, but that’s another story!) That evening both crews tied up at the New York Fisheries building in Cape Vincent where the public is allowed to dock free for up to 48 hours. Using a couple of picnic tables in a small park next to the building we cooked a simple but filling dinner for both crews before enjoying showers and a good night’s rest. The only downside to Cape Vincent? The mosquitoes were plentiful and voracious.

Photo 7 - Captain Mike cooks as Junior Sailors Katie, Maggie and Henry enjoy dinner in Cape Vincent, NY.

Friday,July1stOur original plan was to have another “down day” in Cape Vincent to reprovision, rest, and plan the next leg of our voyage into Henderson Bay. Weather forecasts, however, called for a cold front to swing through the area over the next 36 hours or so, creating very strong winds and waves in excess of 7 feet out on the lake. While short runs through conditions like this can be exhilarating, slogging through it for the better part of an entire day can get tedious. We decided to take the hint and continue downstream to Clayton, NY and use that as a jumping off point to visit Alexandria Bay and to see more of the Thousand Islands where we could tour Singer Castle and Boldt Castle while we waited for better sailing conditions. While in Clayton we swapped out some crew. Coach Jim would leave Seek Ye 1st to attend to some family matters, making room for Coach Andrea to join their crew. Aboard Tomfoolery, an additional Junior Sailor, Isaac, would join the crew for the duration of the voyage. Captain Tom had last been in Clayton nearly 20 years earlier, before their waterfront had been developed. The last time it had simply been a stopping point for fuel and a night on the public dock and nothing more. Now it was a vibrant town with an active waterfront, multiple restaurants, some attractions for visitors, and home to the Antique Boat Museum. Walking around town proved to be

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very interesting. The public dock now had full-time dock masters to attend to visiting boats, a nice bathroom/shower facility for crews and a functioning laundromat. The latter was used extensively by our small fleet after having been “at sea” for nearly a week!

Photo 8 - Just a couple of the exhibits at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY.

Photo 9 - Dark clouds roll in over the Clayton, NY waterfront as the cold front begins its passage through the area.

By late evening, winds had picked up into the low- to mid-20 knot range, causing flags to stand out straight and snap to attention on a frequent basis. Some waves being blown up the St. Lawrence River were also finding their way into our harbor, making for a bit of a bouncy night. After having been on the lake for several days, however, this was of little concern to the

two crew who, for the most part, slept soundly that night.

Saturday,July2ndOn Saturday, we made use of an extremely important asset: Coach Andrea’s vehicle! This way we could sleep in a bit, then drive the 15 miles to Alexandria Bay (rather than motor sail there in 2 hours), and spend most of the day pretending to be tourists. Our sightseeing ventures took us to Singer Castle on Dark Island, a “summer cottage” owned by Frederick Bourne, the CEO of Singer Manufacturing (of sewing machine fame), in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the tour of Singer, our ferry took us to the much more famous Boldt Castle on Heart Island, just across the river from Alexandria Bay.

Photo 10 - Singer Castle in the Thousand Islands.

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Photo 11 – The Singer Castle library.

Photo 12 - Singer Castle drawing room.

Photo 13 - Singer Castle wine cellar.

Photo 14 - Boldt Castle power house.

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Photo 15 - Boldt Castle playhouse on Heart Island near Alexandria Bay, NY.

After a full day of “touring” our crews returned to the boats in Clayton for the evening. Winds were still up in the upper teens and the odd shower was passing by. We were treated to a full rainbow before the last of the light rains cleared up. We were all hoping that it was a sign for a peaceful passage to Henderson Bay and Sackets Harbor on the following day.

Photo 16 - Junior Sailors (l to r) Henry, Katie, Maggie and Isaac in front of the "playhouse" at Boldt Castle.

Photo 17 - Seneca Junior Sailing fleet under a full rainbow in Clayton, NY.

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Sunday,July3rd

Photos 18-20 - Seek Ye 1st and Tomfoolery greet the wind-driven waves as they enter Lake Ontario from the St. Lawrence River.

We left Clayton, NY shortly after 0900 in the morning and motored southwest on the St. Lawrence toward Lake Ontario, where we intended to sail south and stop for the night in Sackets Harbor before continuing on to Oswego and the New York Canal System the following day. Winds were right on our nose as we motored up the river toward the lake. As we got closer to the river mouth, waves began to increase, making for some dramatic photo opportunities. Upon leaving the river and entering the lake, we were able to bear off a bit to the south. Both Tomfoolery and Seek Ye 1st elected to fly under jib alone in order to reduce some of the pitching and rolling from the waves. The day held great promise, and in just a few hours we would clear the Grenadier Island shoal and be able to enjoy a nice reach into Henderson Bay. Or so we thought.

SundayAfternoon,July3rdThe loud bang that startled Tomfoolery’s crew also motivated them into action. The helm was immediately thrown over so as to point the boat downwind such that wave action would be reduced and any wind-induced stresses on the rigging would be directed forward. The jib sheets were slacked to further reduce stress on the mast. Crew were sent to the foredeck to perform damage-control and to secure the now flogging sail and flailing furler and forestay. A radio call was made to Seek Ye 1st to inform them of our plight and to request they stand by to assist. Training kicked in and the Junior Sailor crew sprang into action without question or hesitation.

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Photo 21 - Tomfoolery just prior to her forestay failure.

Photo 22 - Tomfoolery just after her forestay failure.

The first order of business was to secure the mast to prevent it from falling over. Halyards on the forward side of the mast proved useless because they had become fouled during the

gyrations of the forestay and foresail, so the main halyard and its spare were run forward and used instead. These were tied to the anchor platform and then tensioned to minimize the mast “pumping” in the waves, which had now grown to about 4 feet. Work on the narrow foredeck was challenging, as the short period of the waves was causing us to bury the bow into every third one. Once the mast was secured, the next order of business was to snuff the foresail. This proved to be extremely challenging as the furler had been seriously damaged and the sail, partially reefed at the time, had become so tangled that it could neither be furled, unfurled or lowered. Manually attempting to rotate the entire furler assembly also proved futile as the fouled jib halyard had effectively locked the top of the furler in place. In the end, we freed up the main halyard and led it forward. (After all, we weren’t going to be doing much sailing at this point.) Timing ourselves with the waves, the crew attempted to wrap the halyard around the still flogging sail in order to snuff it to the remains of the forestay and furler. This was marginally effective, but the pitching of the boat and the narrow foredeck made it impossible to get a good enough angle to snare all of the sail. After nearly an hour of this, Tomfoolery’s exhausted crew radioed Seek Ye 1st to see if they could spare a crew member to provide some relief. They did so by coming alongside and, using their dinghy as a “floating bridge”, transferred Coach Andrea aboard. At this point, Tomfoolery had been drifting down onto a lee shore of Grenadier Island for over an hour, and the depth sounder was showing less than 40 feet. An attempt to motor to windward proved ineffective, plus the wave action placed unacceptable stresses on the jury rig holding up the mast, so the decision was made to retreat to the closest leeward harbor that could provide shelter: Cape Vincent. Three hours later, both Tomfoolery and Seek Ye 1st arrived safely in Cape Vincent’s sheltered harbor. The crew (and captains) could breathe again!

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Photos 23-24 - Deck-level view of Tomfoolery's jury rig as she limps back to harbor.

SundayEvening,July3rdWith a few hours of daylight left, both crews worked together to clean up the hastily made jury rigging aboard Tomfoolery and to see if she could be secured sufficiently for a trip back to her home port on her own keel. It was here that we discovered the extent of the damage sustained along with what we believe to be the root cause. The first order of business was to get the sail down and reduce weight and windage aloft. It was a disheartening scene. It took almost an hour to unwrap the sail from the furler. Not one section of the furler foils had escaped damage. Each one had a twist, kink or bend in it. At least one joint had sheared resulting in the sail being wrapped not just in unequal amounts at different levels of the stay, but also in opposite directions. Needless to say, the sail was ripped in several places and seriously stretched out in others. With the sail unwrapped, came the next question of how to get it down. The upper section of the foil had a sharp bend in it at the location of the upper swivel. It wasn’t going to move without a lot of persuasion, so that meant someone had to climb the mast to free the sail from its halyard. Given the condition of the mast and the risk involved, the captain could not order any crew aloft with a clear conscience, so he climbed into his harness. With the foredeck partially cleared off the spinnaker halyard was freed and was used as a primary forestay for the mast. In addition, the main halyard was used as a secondary forestay and cinched tight. The boom was removed from the mast to further reduce any force that would tend to pull the mast aft. (Keep in mind that our boom is 15 feet long and made of solid spruce, weighing about 130 lbs.) This freed up the spare main halyard and the boom topping lift, which could be used as a safety line. At this point, the captain ascended the mast. Once at the top, it did not take long to detach the foresail from the furler swivel and start helping it down the damaged furler foils. The jib halyard was also retrieved from the swivel and pulled back down to deck level where it could be used to help secure the mast. After the captain made it safely back to deck level, we got

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a better look at the damage to the forestay and furler.

Photo 25 - Tomfoolery’s not-so-straight furler extrusion after the foresail had been removed.

Photo 26 - Sheared joint on Tomfoolery’s furler.

Photo 27 - View showing where the clevis pin was that failed aboard Tomfoolery.

Photo 28 - Tomfoolery's foredeck showing gouges left by the furler as it flogged in the wind following the failure.

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With the foredeck cleared of debris, the crew used the jib and spinnaker halyards as temporary forestays, attaching them to the anchor platform which is solidly bolted to the hull and deck. The furler/forestay was then secured using a short line to the bow stem chainplate so that it would not flail around excessively during the remainder of the trip home. The forecast for the next day was for light and variable winds and waves of less than two feet, which would make for a reasonably comfortable trip for our injured boat back to Oswego, where the mast was to be taken down anyway for our trip back to Watkins Glen through the New York canals.

AnalysisDuring the cleanup, a curious piece of debris was found on deck, which helped explain what had happened.

Photo 29 - Portion of the lower forestay clevis pin found on Tomfoolery's foredeck during cleanup.

It was the end of the bronze clevis pin used to hold the forestay to the bow stem chainplate. It appears that the bronze pin had fractured just behind the cotter pin a while back, probably due to fatigue. The stresses on the pin in wind and waves continued to work the pin and

propagate the crack (note the different shades of darkening along the fracture surface) until it was sufficiently compromised to come completely apart that Sunday afternoon and allow the forestay to separate from the boat. With the bottom of the forestay free, the sail then flew to leeward until it was held back by the furling line which was still attached to the boat. By this time the slack of the furling line was used up, the furler and sail had gained sufficient momentum to really jerk on the furling line. The sudden load on the furler is what presumably sheared the lower joint in the furler extrusion (photo in previous section). At this point, the lower part of the sail started to furl while the rest of the sail tried to unfurl, causing a number of stresses in both the furler and in the sail. The torsional loads on the extrusion, combined with the whipping action of the sail in the wind and the lack of support from a taut forestay is what likely caused the damage observed in the furler foil sections.

RetrospectandConclusionsWhat is truly frightening about this incident is that the rigging was inspected the week prior when the mast was unstepped for the outbound trip in the canals. The shrouds were fine and all of the pins appeared to be in good condition. The photo of the shorn clevis pin, however, tells a different story. The pin had failed some time ago. Long enough for the crack to propagate and show signs of corrosion before it ultimately failed. Ultimately, the problem was not the clevis pin, but complacency. Our brethren in salt water and in areas that have year-round boating seasons have learned hard lessons about corrosion and metal fatigue and are, as a result, rigorous in their vigilance to ensure the reliability of their rigging. Living further north, in fresh water and with low duty cycles on our boats, it’s very easy to become complacent with these inspections. While I have made it a habit to drop the mast at least once every five years to inspect all of the rigging, and of doing opportunistic inspections whenever the mast was taken down

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for other reasons, it becomes easy to overlook details and to put off some things until “later”. I’ve read numerous accounts of boat owners replacing their standing rigging every five to ten years to offset the effects of salt water and to prevent the incident we just experienced. It stands to reason that fresh water sailors should do the same, but perhaps on a more appropriate schedule, say 10-15 years? Looking back, our family purchased Tomfoolery in 1996 – 20 years ago. (Where did the time go?) While we have replaced a few of the clevis pins (usually after the original was dropped overboard during some other type of maintenance), we’ve never deliberately retired any component of the standing rigging. This means everything is at least 20 years old. As a result of this incident, all of the clevis and cotter pins on Tomfoolery were replaced when we got back to our home port of Watkins Glen. The shrouds and stays will see a similar renewal in the coming year, with the old ones being kept as spares. Finally, the ultimate introspection: Will I take an extended trip with our Junior Sailors to Lake Ontario again? Absolutely. (In fact, they’re already talking about where to go next summer.)

° ° ° ° ° Tom has been a USPS member since the late '80s when he got serious about sailing and having fun on the water. He has been a Squadron Education Officer (SEO) first for the Niagara Squadron and

later for the Seneca Squadron for longer than he cares to remember. (c. 1995?) He also manages the Squadron web site and is the editor of the newsletters for both his squadron and for District 6. Tom and his family sail a 1965 Alberg 35 sloop, Tomfoolery, and are active racers and cruisers with the Finger Lakes Yacht Club in Watkins Glen, NY. When he's not sailing, thinking about sailing, or tinkering with his boat, Tom is either scuba diving, hanging out with fellow amateur radio operators, or (as a last resort) working as an engineer to support his sailing addiction.

Photo 30 – The “I Survived Ontario” crew (l-r): Captain Tom, Coach Andrea, Captain Mike, and Junior Sailors Henry, Katie, Isaac and Maggie. Tomfoolery’s furler (being held by Capt. Tom) was destroyed in the incident. The boat’s Genoa headsail (on the dock) suffered serious damage and will be evaluated in the critical care unit of a local sailmaker.

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TheEditor’sEditorialByD/LtTomAlley,SN

Ramblings on RiskManagementAs some of you know, I am a collector of quotations. One that comes to mind for this issue is from Admiral Grace Hopper:

“A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

When I first started boating, I was amazed (and still am) to see how many boats never left their moorings or slips each summer. It saddened me. By the same token, that’s not what people are made for, either. If we were to avoid all risk our entire lives, we would never get out of bed in the morning and enjoy our purpose, which is, frankly, to get out, to interact, and to experience life. In other words, to make a difference! There is risk associated with every action in our lives. From the mundane (getting out of bed) to the life-altering (falling in love), and all points in between, we are exposing ourselves to potentially devastating outcomes. But at the same time, we are also making possible the good outcomes which we crave. In other words, life is full of risk and we need to manage that risk appropriately. The question of “appropriate risk” is highly subjective and depends greatly on our individual tolerance of it. Those with a high tolerance for risk tend to find what terrifies some to be exhilarating and stimulating, while those at the other end of the spectrum find contentment with situations where the adrenaline junkies are nodding off.

So why am I rambling on about risk management? Because it’s what we do as boaters. Is the vessel ready? Is the weather favorable? Will my crew get seasick? What if…, what if…, what if…? In fact, I would argue that it is entirely accurate to state that the master of a vessel is the chief risk manager. I confess that I had some reservations about publishing the “Adventure” article about our Junior Sailing voyage. After all, suffering a near dismasting is not necessarily good PR for a youth program. Some will (quite probably) even volley charges of irresponsibility for exposing young sailors to such situations. One of the parents, however, helped bring some perspective. “I’m glad this happened to you,” she stated while picking up her child upon our return to home port. Clarifying, she said, “Because I know you would be able to recover and bring everybody back, and that you would turn it into a lesson on how our kids have to be prepared to handle the unexpected that life is going to toss at them.” A most humbling compliment, but I am quite certain that the word “prepared” completely fails to describe my mental and emotional state in the moments following the parting of our forestay. Applying this parent’s logic to The Deep 6, I’ve chosen to include the article. While there is risk of criticism, there is also the benefit derived of sharing the experience with others so that we can all learn lessons about metal fatigue, corrosion, emergency preparedness, seamanship, and ultimately…, risk management.

- Tom ° ° ° ° °

The editor has, once again, opened his big mouth. Please e-mail your comments to:

theDeep6@uspsd6.org

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DistrictCalendar2016August1 Summer issue of The Deep 6 publication

date. (D6) 24-28 Fall Governing Board, Pittsburgh, PA

(National)

SeptemberNo events currently planned.

October15 Deadline for The Deep 6 articles. (D6)

November1 Fall issue of The Deep 6 publication date.

(D6)

DecemberNo events currently planned.

2017January15 Deadline for The Deep 6 articles. (D6)

February1 Winter issue of The Deep 6 publication

date. (D6) 19-26 Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (National)

MarchNo events currently planned.

AprilTBD D/6 Spring Conference, Location TBA

(D6) 15 Deadline for The Deep 6 articles. (D6)

May1 Spring 2017 issue of The Deep 6

publication date. (D6) TBD Safe Boating Week

JuneNo events currently planned.

JulyTBA District Rendezvous (D6) 21 Deadline for The Deep 6 articles.

[Delayed to allow for coverage of District Rendezvous.] (D6)

° ° ° ° °

Do you have an event that you think others should know about? Please let me know so that it can be included!

– Ed. (TheDeep6@uspsd6.org)