time flies - pwyc.orgnov 11, 2018 · safety chair bob schwartz “alexandra” (f-12) secretary:...

Lifeline

Member Club Of: Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club Association (CBYCA) &

Potomac River Yacht Club Association (PRYCA)

Prince William Yacht Club

Time Flies

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the Helm ..... 2-3

The Deck Log ……..4-8

From the Rear Commodore………...9

Ships Manifest………....10

Two Kinds of Boaters………….11-14

Wreath Laying Ceremony…………...15

Change Of Watch………………….16

Upcoming Events……………………..17

Commodore, Dennis R. Gatens

[email protected]

PWYC BRIDGE

COMMODORE

Dennis Gatens

“Buzzed Gobbler” (K-15)

VICE COMMODORE

Mike Connolly

“Summer Daze” (D-3)

REAR COMMODORE

Steve Levenson

“Murphy’s Law” (H-39)

SECRETARY

Mark Robeck

“Side Bar” (K-16)

TREASURER

Bob Carr

“CarRUISIN” (G-07)

IPC

J Gaston

“Patriot Dreams” (H-43)

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

Una Murphy

“Murphy’s Law” (H-39)

SOCIAL COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR

Sherri Connolly

“Summer Daze” (D-3)

SAFETY CHAIR

Bob Schwartz

“Alexandra” (F-12)

WEBMASTER

Andy and Sara Harrover

(Boatel)

PRYCA DELEGATE

Open

CBYCA DELEGATE

Tim Abel

“Adventuress” (C-2)

LIFELINE EDITOR

Denise Guess-Parsons

“Finally Got It Right” (F-6)

FROM THE HELM

The fall season is a time of change as we transition from our season of being

underway, as much as possible, to the holidays. While we all would've liked a

sunnier season, it was a great season nonetheless. Change also comes to the PWYC

board and Fleet Captains that will lead our yacht club into 2019. At our PWYC

General Meeting on 3 November our 2019 board was voted in. Thank you to IPC

J Gaston and Steve Harrison for leading the effort to bring a new board forward for

approval. Our new board is:

VOLUME XXVI—ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2018

2

Cont’d. on page 3

Delegates

Potomac River Yacht Club Association (PRYCA): Dennis R. Gatens

Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club Association (CBYCA): Tim Abel

And thank you to J Gaston for continuing as our Immediate Past Commodore (IPC).

I am pleased to serve another year as your Commodore, and thank you to our 2019

leadership team for stepping up to lead our yacht club. And thank you to Mark

Robeck, Steve Levinson and Bob Carr for their contributions to our 2018 season.

We are always looking for volunteers to keep PWYC great!

Bridge

Commodore: Dennis R. Gatens

Vice Commodore: Mike Connolly

Rear Commodore: Vicky Carr

Treasurer: Sherry Samar

Secretary: Ralph Ocasio

Fleet Captains

Social Co-captains: Denise Guess-

Parsons, Sherri Connolly

Safety: Bob Schwartz

Newsletter: Denise Guess-Parsons

IT Services (formerly Webmaster): TBD

FROM THE HELM


3

Dennis R Gatens

Commodore, PWYC

Buzzed Gobbler, K-15

Our closing ceremony, lead by Vice Commodore Mike Connolly, was well

attended, with gorgeous weather. It was a very appropriate closing to our

season. As I mentioned during the ceremony, it is a great nautical

tradition that also offers us a chance to step back and think about those

who have sacrificed for our flag and for those who will in the future.

Then the fun began...it was another great chili and mac & cheese cookoff

(with very humble but deserving grand prize winners!), followed by our

photo contest. Mike will be telling you all about it. Thank you to I, J docks

and the boatel for planning and hosting another great PWYC event!

At our General Meeting, I brought two new business items to the floor for

introduction and discussion.

The first is my plan to initiate a contest, among membership, for a design refresh of the PWYC burgee. While we are

all fond of our current burgee, I feel that a contest to seek new design ideas has merit. Look for more details at the

December board meeting and in the December Lifeline.

The second item I brought to the floor was the board's consideration of an annual membership fee increase. The

budget that funds our events throughout the season is largely the result of membership dues. Balancing my

responsibility to manage our budget, with our goal to continue to offer great events, I feel it is time to consider a

membership fee increase. This topic, as well, will be discussed at the December board meeting and in the December

Lifeline. If the board is to approve an increase, it will not be retroactive and it will be announced with a reasonable

amount of advance for members to renew at the current rate before an increase would take effect.

McHarg Great Loop Update After a one month hiatus, the

McHargs are once again underway and are heading down the Missis-

sippi. It was great to see Kris and Rick at the October Captain's Hour.

They plan on arriving in Key West for Christmas, and their current

plan is to be back at Prince William in April. We wish them continued

safe, maintenance-free travels!

Happy Thanksgiving to the PWYC and Prince William Marina family!

Vice Commodore, Mike Connolly

[email protected]

THE DECK LOG

Cont’d. on page 5

.Well…here’s to the end of the 2018 boating season. Due to the weird weather

and subsequent debris in the Potomac, I think we can all agree that we’ve seen

better boating years.

Our Oktoberfest celebration on 20 October was a great event. Thanks goes to

Lou Ward, Laurie Ryan and the rest of H dock for a fantastic time.

Our Closing Day ceremonies were another awesome opportunity for PWYC

members to enjoy our shared passion for boating. According to the PWYC by-

laws, we had a quorum at the General Membership meeting…albeit just barely. I

want to thank everybody who helped get the word out and those who were able

to attend, but I also want to emphasize the importance of our General Member-

ship meetings. We don’t have many and when we do, there are frequently items

to address that are important to the future well-being of our organization. We

need to ensure that we have a quorum if there is going to be a vote.

Many thanks to everybody who helped make our flag lowering ceremony a suc-

cess: Robyn Gatens delivered a wonderful invocation; Tim Abel’s sound system

always helps us give proper respect to our Colors; J Gaston and Scott Parsons

once again performed the flag detail duties most ably.

Debbie Eatherly is definitely the master of organization for the annual Chili and

Mac & Cheese Cookoff. We also need to thank the Peruzzis and the rest of the

Boatel, as well as the Kirbys, Beth Lu, Terry Becker and the rest of I dock for

helping Debbie. Debbie would also like to thank Carlton, Emily and Doug from

PWM for being the judges for the competition.

…and the competition was intense for the coveted awards! Here are the winners

that keep Chef Gordon Ramsay up at night:

Mac & Cheese

Judges’ awards:

1st Place – Kris Blanchett

2nd Place – Mike Connolly

3rd Place – Pat Ocasio

…and the People’s Choice: Mike Connolly (that’s a threepeat!)

Chili

Judges’ awards:

1st Place – Christine Mason

2nd Place – Kris Blanchett

3rd Place – Beth Lu

…and the People’s Choice: Una Murphy

4


THE DECK LOG

Cont’d. on page 6

5

During our Closing Day activities, we also recognized the next Ansel Adams hopefuls…the winners of our annual Photo

Contest. We had 62 entries for this year’s competition, which our resident expert photographer, Tom Payne says is a

great turnout. Please thank Tom Payne for organizing and judging our photo competition. And the winners are…

Category Places: Chris Borner, “Coles Point Beach”


Category People: Pat Ocasio “Peace on the Bay”

THE DECK LOG

Category Boats: Bob Carr, “Boats be Calm”

6

Cont’d. on page 7


Category Humor: Stephanie Burget, “Squirrel!”

THE DECK LOG

.

7

Cont’d. on page 8


Category Wildlife: Sherri Connolly, “Patiently Waiting”

…and the Grand Prize Winner is: Una Murphy, “Momma and her Babies”

THE DECK LOG

.

8

Mike Connolly

Summer Daze, D-9

Sooo…Una Murphy is a master chef and photographer…she’s got skills.

Thanks to Dennis & Robyn Gatens for setting up the slideshow at the Chili and Mac & Cheese Cookoff. I think the

slideshow was a big hit and we plan to show it at the Change of Watch (the “COW”) on 23 February. With that in mind,

if you have more photos from this past year, please email them to me ([email protected]) and we’ll add them

to the slideshow.

Although the boating season is over, that doesn’t mean that there are no more 2018 PWYC events. Don’t forget about

the Boat Lighting, sponsored by PWM, on 8 December. Also, the annual “Wreaths Across America” event is scheduled

for 15 December…championed by our distinguish club members, Ed & Christine Mason. Look for additional infor-

mation on these PWYC traditions around the marina and via electronic messages.

See you (next year) on the water.


mailto:[email protected]

Rear Commodore, Steve Levenson

[email protected]

From the Rear Commodore

Well, another boating season is ending…

Let’s take a minute to reflect on the past season. It goes without saying that the weather this summer was not ideal for boating or on-the-water events. A good lesson learned is that every event we plan needs an alternate date set ahead of time so that our members can plan accordingly.

We did have some fun, Yacht Club-organized boating trips in the 2018 season, including our annual Father’s Day trip to Colonial Beach, cruise to Point Lookout and Pirate’s Night on the Hook. Big thanks to all members who helped make these trips fun and successful.

A highlight of this past year was the Bay Cruise, organized by Vicky Carr (CarRUISIN’) and Frank Beatty (Uptown Girl) with an assist from Chris McCalla (CCA Gang). The trip was such a success that plans are under way for another week next year, stopping at all new ports.

I have heard some feedback that many of our on-water events are geared towards cruisers and not members who have their boats in the Boatel. There is no reason we couldn’t have a great Boatel event next year. Whether it is a trip to Alexandria where a hotel could be combined for those uncomfortable sleeping on the boat, a longer distance day trip or whatever is desired. This requires a champion to come up with an idea and be willing to help organize. PWM is a unique marina with plenty of experienced boaters that will help with planning of such an event.

Captain training was another goal this year. Thank you to Chris McCalla and J Gaston (Patriot Dreams) for stepping forward and helping to educate those of us who have questions or need refreshers. Chris did Long Range Cruising Planning and Jay taught best practices for rafting boats. Who has more ideas? Radar interpretation? Navigation? We have a very deep bench at PWM so no idea is out of bounds.

Please get involved. Closing day or at the Change of Watch (COW) is a good time to bring your ideas and try to get on the 2019 event calendar.

Steve Levenson

Rear Commodore

Murphy’s Law H-39

9


As another boating season comes to an end, I would like to extend my thanks to all PWYC members who joined or renewed in 2018 and look forward to your continued participation during the 2019 season! Closing day is on Saturday, November 3rd. Effective immediately, all membership dues collected will go towards your 2019 membership dues. I will be at Closing Day if you would like to renew then with cash or check, but in general, you have 3 different ways to renew for 2019:

1) Make payments via PayPal or Credit Card at PWYC.ORG (click on “Payments” which will take you to your annual renewal options)

2) Send a $75.00 check made payable to: PWYC to

PWYC Membership Committee

c/o Prince William Marina

12849 Gordon Boulevard

Woodbridge, VA 22192-3240

3) CASH – send me an email and we can connect to collect your dues. I will give you a

receipt for your cash renewal.

If you know marina friends or dockmates who are not yet PWYC members, please recruit them for membership in 2019! Also, don’t forget to encourage all of our current members to renew!

Membership Chair, Una Murphy

[email protected]

Ship’s Manifest

Membership Chair

Una Murphy

[email protected]

10


Bob Schwartz, Safety Officer

[email protected]

Two Kinds Of Boaters Exist, Those Who Have Gone Aground And Those Who

Will Not Admit To It.

11

Force Majeure repair issues are unusual occurrences that a reasonable person would consider to be beyond the control of a vessel owner. Think a wiring harness suddenly going bad. According to the Service Manager at Prince William Marina and at least one technician, the most common occurrence this past season resulting in usually preventable, non-Force Majeure vessel downtime was running aground with all the damage associated. As can be expected, there is a ton of information on the Internet describing what should be done to avoid running aground, while running aground, and after running aground. The reader can use Google and/or YouTube to explore the dos, don’ts, and what-ifs to whatever depth she/he desires. The purpose of this piece is to provide some thoughts on avoiding running aground while in

the normal boating areas of the Potomac and its tributaries and the Chesapeake and its

tributaries.

Following that purpose, what is contained in this submission is one person’s compilation of what is available on the Internet. As usual, everyone is on their own out there. As usual everyone has to make their own decisions. As usual any thoughts, suggestions, and/or corrections are welcomed. Piss Poor Planning Promotes Piss Poor Performance

Knowing our vessel, studying relevant charts, reviewing tide and current tables, finding out about the weather, checking appropriate Coast Guard notices, setting up our electronics, speaking with knowledgeable people, preparing passengers, etc. might be just some of the things we need to do to prepare ourselves for a great day afloat. Prior planning is especially important when preparing to do anything new whether it is heading below the 301 bridge for the first time or crossing the Chesapeake and entering a marina for the first time. Situational Awareness (Once Again)

No matter how familiar or unfamiliar the waters we cruise, too many boats run aground because their drivers are unaware of what is happening around them. In other words, they lacked situational awareness (https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Situational-awareness).

Cont’d. on page 12


https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Situational-awareness

Cont’d. on page 13

12

Two Kinds Of Boaters Exist, Those Who Have Gone Aground And Those Who Will Not Admit To It.


All the careful preparation in the world will not help if the person driving the boat is not paying attention to what she/he is doing, not listening to any previously set electronics, or not paying attention to where the vessel is heading. In Rule 5 it is written that every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation (https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf). It might be wise in spots where there is a danger of grounding to have someone standing next to the vessel driver and report the water depth showing on the console. It might be wise also if the person driving the boat puts the cell phone down and/or was not partaking in any of the onboard festivities while in these spots. To be situationally aware we must (https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Situational-awareness):

• Perceive what is happening around us.

• Understand what is happening around us.

• Use these to think ahead and predict how it will affect our vessel. Safe Speed

BoatUS defines groundings as either soft or hard (https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/prep/aground/). They classi-fy any grounding where you can free your own boat as a soft grounding. It is a soft grounding even if it takes a great deal of time, or wind, wave, or tide action to help you back into deeper water. Most groundings of this type do not involve major damage, or result in leaks. Hard groundings are another matter. Running solidly up onto a mud bank, or getting caught on a reef or rock(s) may cause/will probably cause all kinds of damage to a vessel, not to mention possible injury or death to passengers. In the same piece, BoatUS writes that the best thing to do after a hard grounding is stay with the boat, put on a life jacket, do what you can to stop any leaks, and call for help. It might be wise to deploy an anchor in such a way as to avoid being driven further aground. We have the best chance of surviving either type of grounding with the minimal amount of damage under the circum-stances if we are moving at an appropriate speed for the conditions as per Rule 6 (https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf). A reduction in speed may also mean the difference between a tow off from TowBoatUS and a salvage claim (https://offshorerisk.com/en/knowledge-base/understanding-the-difference-between-towing-and-salvage). A towing bill typ-ically is based on an hourly rate. The bill for a salvage reward may be based on a percentage of the value of a salvaged vessel because of the potential risk and costs involved in saving the vessel from damage by wind, weather, waves, and tide.

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf

https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Situational-awareness

https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/prep/aground/



https://offshorerisk.com/en/knowledge-base/understanding-the-difference-between-towing-and-salvage

https://offshorerisk.com/en/knowledge-base/understanding-the-difference-between-towing-and-salvage

Many companies consider any job that requires more than one towing vessel (such as a hard grounding), or a job performed in perilous circumstances (such as in fog, shoal water or in a storm) to be a marine salvage job. The laws of marine salvage can apply to recreational vessels upon navigable waters as well as large ocean liners. Also, it is not necessary for a salvor to be a professional tower/salvor. Passing boaters and professional salvors are both entitled to present a claim for a salvage reward. Any owner of a recreational vessel ought to be aware of the difference between a simple tow and a salvage operation. She/he should also know how to protect themselves from a potentially large dollar charge (insurance?). Local Knowledge Leaving the main channel to embark on a voyage of exploration (for you) of a strange anchorage or a new waterway (for you) can get pretty hairy pretty quickly even if you are prepared, have great situational awareness, and are moving along at the proper speed. To quote the great Gilda Radner character, Roseanne Roseannadanna, “Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it’s always something — if it ain’t one thing, it’s another.”

Sometimes that something is that the markers at the junction of Main and Strange are more far apart than we are used to seeing. Sometimes that something is that they appear to be randomly placed. Sometimes that something is that the channel as marked on the chart is merely a suggestion when actually seen. Sometimes that something is that the opposing forces of wind and tide makes for a difficult entrance or pass through. Not to give oneself the best chance to stay floating and avoid a potential/probable grounding situation makes no sense. There is no shame in asking for help via VHF. There is no shame in getting as much local knowledge as possible. The wisest move might be to hang around outside and watch how a few boats handle an entrance. Or, hang around outside, wait for a similar sized vessel to appear and follow her/him in. Either contact by VHF to ask permission or just tag along behind them. Watermen are great leaders. They are always entering and leaving. Hint, hint, hint: If a waterman is on the water close to you and motions for you to move somewhere, do it. Things become easier after initial tracks are laid down on the chart plotter. So, leaving somewhere might be easier than get-ting there. However, things can change between entering and leaving or coming and going.

13

Two Kinds Of Boaters Exist, Those Who Have Gone Aground And Those Who Will Not Admit To It.


Bob Schwartz

Safety Officer

Where did the year go? It has definitely been a tough one with so much rain and it seems it always

came on the weekends. I hope everyone still got some great boating in and the extended forcast looks

like we will still have a few good days so get out there and enjoy before winterizing. We are actively

scheduling winterizations so be sure to get you request in soon. On that note I would like to welcome

Kelly Behm to our service department Team as our new Dispatcher. Many of you know Ryan that was

in that position; he decided to explore other things. We are excited to have Kelly she brings some

great knowledge with her and we are excited to hear her ideas and believe she will be a big help to

Doug and a great addition to the team so be sure to say hello to her next time you are in the service

department. As the weather starts to cool down, watch for an email as we determine when we will start

shutting off the water on the docks.

Annual PWM Christmas Boat Lighting:

It is time to start thinking about those themes and decorations for the big event. The boat lighting this

year is Sataurday December 8th and will start at 5pm. We hope and encourage both seasoned

participants and new ones to decorate their boats to impress! There are big money prizes including

$200 for the best on each dock. Be on the lookout for a Christmas letter and info on the event going

out in the mail soon. If you have any questions about the event please let me know. Let's have the

biggest brightest marina yet!

Boat Load of Hope:

Once again durning the boat lighting event we will be collecting items for our Boat Load of Hope (food,

toys, teen gifts, bikes, coats etc) which are all needed for the local community to make a special

Christmas for others. We are the largest donor for this local group so lets keep up the good work and

fill that boat. If you can't get to the stores or don't know what to buy we will also be taking checks

made out to Volunteer Prince William (they will then purchase items needed). I ask everyone that

attends the boat lighting to bring at least one item or make a donation. If you can't make the boat

lighting we are also collecting in the showroom and parts department prior to the boat lighting.

Thanking you all in advance!

Misc Tibits:

--Still have your Christmas shopping to do? We have Sea Ray, Bayliner and Scout items in stock and

can special order something special. We also have the Guide to the Potomac River which is always a

great gift.

--End of Sea Ray Sport Yachts and Yachts. I am sure many of you have heard the news that Sea Ray is

no longer buidling Sport Yacht and Yachts but will focus on the 19-40' market. We are sad about the

news but hope they may start up again in the years to come. That being said we are actively looking for

a new line of larger boats. If you missed the PWYC meeting, Carlton talked about the change and let

everyone know that if there is a larger boat that you are intersted in moving up to don't hesitate to let

us know, we have lots of options. We are also working with Marine Max and have the option to sell any

of the larger boats they sell also. If moving up is in your future come talk to us and let us know what

you are looking for.

--The Electric Palm is taking reservations for company Christmas Parties, if you need a place for a

party contact Cody!

14

View from the Quarter Deck


Michele Price, PWM

15


16


Denise Guess-Parsons

Lifeline Editor

Finally Got It Right, F6

Monthly publications of Prince William Yacht Club

All articles, photographs, and announcements must be received by the

20th of each month

Submit via email to: [email protected]

Upcoming Events For the Yacht Club:

December

1 Board Meeting 10:00 a.m.

8 Christmas Boat Lighting (PWM)

15 Arlington Wreath Laying (TBD)

17


time flies - pwyc.orgnov 11, 2018 · safety chair bob schwartz “alexandra” (f-12) secretary:...

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