The Beacon
Volume 28 Number 7 July 1998
The Official Newsletter of the Saanich Peninsula Squadron
A UNIT OF CANADIAN POWER AND SAIL SQUADRONS
| Commander | Cdr | Helen Louwerse | 655-3532 |
| Past Commander | P/Cdr | Glenn Gallins | 656-4904 |
| Executive Officer | Lt/Cdr | Ken Reeves | 655-3602 |
| Training Officer | Lt/Cdr | Greg Nutt | 656-5684 |
| Assistant Training Officer | 1st Lt | Arthur Scott | 656-7010 |
| Training Aids Officerr | P/Cdr | Cliff Cunningham | 656-7120 |
| Treasurer | 1st Lt | Bill Morrow | 656-7826 |
| Secretary | 1st Lt | Paulette Nutt | 656-5864 |
| Membership Officer | 1st Lt | Diana McBratney | 656-4590 |
| Supply Officer | 1st Lt | Gay Miller | 656-5190 |
| Editor, Beacon | 1st Lt | Carol Sidwell | 656-4590 |
| Publisher, Beacon | 1st Lt | Agnes Simpson | 652-1291 |
| Communications Officer | P/Cdr | Stephen Denroche | 656-6177 |
| Marep Officer | P/R/C | Ray Berry | 656-2790 |
| Computer Officer | 1st Lt | Colin Gallins | 656-4904 |
| Public Relations & Entertainment Officer | 1st Lt | Cliff Kachaluba | 652-2359 |
| Social Cruise Captain | P/Cdr | BobParkinson | 727-8417 |
| Student Cruise Captain | 1st Lt | Martin Pepper | pgr388-1727 |
| Port Captain | 1st Lt | Gordon McAninch | 656-9587 |
| Environment Officer | 1st Lt | Leslie Head | 655-4656 |
| Archivist | P/Cdr | Giles Perodeau | 656-4525 |
| Auditor | ***** | Brenna Litwack | 656-0084 |
| ******************************* | ****** | ******************* | ********** |
Meetings of the Bridge are held on the third Thursday of each month (except in July and December) at 1930 in the Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club. All members welcome. Articles for publication in The Beacon must be received by the Editor by that date.
COMMANDER'S
COMMENTS
For those of you who plan to travel south to the USA this summer, there are some rules you must know. I am quoting from the most recent "Crossing to 49th" which is produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Very specific US regulations govern what you may bring into the United States. These cover alcohol, tobacco and gifts. Also included are various prohibited and restricted articles such as lottery tickets, liquor-filled candy, products made by convicts or forced labour, and products made from endangered species, such as ivory. Be sure to check out all the rules and regulations before you set sail for the USA.
July looks like a busy month. I'm very pleased that CPS will be represented in the Sidney Days Parade. Lesley Head is looking for volunteers. Please give her a call. Many thanks to Greg Nutt of MarineTech, for supplying the truck, trailer and boat.
Bob Parkinson, your Social Cruise Captain, has arranged a fun weekend at Ganges Harbour on Saltspring Island July 18-19. As usual, there will be a quiz and games with special prizes for the lucky winners. Remember this Marina requires one week's notice for reservations. You can expect a call from your phoning committee. Another upcoming cruise will be to Montague Harbour July 31-August 1. I look forward to seeing many of you at these social cruises.
Saanich Peninsula Squadron now has its own web site on the internet. Key in http://www.islandnet.com/~cps-sps/ and enjoy. Thanks to Colin Gallins who spent the time bringing us further into the computer age.
Did you know that our Squadron has put in place a time when we can be reached on our VHF radios while cruising? Channel 9 at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes. It's fun to call out and see who's out there!
Regards,
Helen Louwerse
"To love what you do, and feel that it matters --- how could anything
be more fun?"
Katherine Graham
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Did you know we have a new Bridge Officer?
A new position has been established on the Bridge this year. 1st Lt Lesley Head has been elected to fill the position of Environment Officer. Lesley writes:
This position is a new one developed over the last four years at Headquarters and I found an article in March 1995's Port Hole written by the then Chairman of the Environment Committee, Christof Kaufmann, in which he explains this position as follows: "Participate in activities or actions which will advance knowledge and understanding of environmental issues, to help protect and preserve the environment, and promote and advance the best interests of CPS."
He goes on to say: "Continuing environmental education of CPS members must be a high priority. We must keep abreast of the many new federal, provincial/state and local environmental laws affecting boaters; learn about new environment-friendly products and procedures on and around boats, and acquire the knowledge to teach others how to be environment-conscious boaters."
A reminder to everyone cleaning their boats this season: be aware of the chemicals you are using. There are a great many products on the market that have been developed to be environmentally safe. They may cost a wee bit more, but in the long run it's worth it.
Did you also know . . .
Vancouver Island South District is considering the establishment of a new CPS Squadron in the Victoria area? Discussion is now underway to see if it would be feasible to create a Royal Oak Squadron. If this comes about, all CPS members in this area will have the option of remaining in their present squadron or transferring to the new squadron.
Our Commander, Helen Louwerse, won the Vancouver Island South District Commanders Challenge this year. Congratulations on a job not only well done, but done superbly.
More congratulations: D/Lt/C Ken Clarke (now the Executive Officer of VISD) won the MAREP trophy for submitting the most MAREP weather reports in Canada last year.
Our total membership is now 241 members. Of these: 6 are Life/Sustaining members; 186 are Regular members; 48 are Family members; and 1 is a Junior member.
We have recorded 142 boats among our members. There are 103 power boats ranging in size from 14 to 50 feet, and 39 sailboats ranging in size from 22 to 53 feet.
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We now have a new web page on the internet. Those of you with access might like to take a look: http://www.islandnet.com/~cps-sps/ And, while you're at it, take a minute to send an email to the membership officer, ste@uvic.ca, and let us know your email address, your boat name and size (eg. power 36 or sail 42 or whatever) and where you keep it moored.
Did you know that in the Pacific Region there are 583 buoys, 1338 beacons, 28
staffed light stations and 50 fog signals maintained by technicians employed at Coast Guard bases in Prince Rupert and Victoria.
New regulations announced:
The BC Environment Minister recently announced new rules to restrict emptying of boat sewage into designated fresh and saltwater bodies of water. Holding tanks will be necessary for pleasure boats in many areas. Provision has been made for a phase-in period.
The following article is reprinted from The Wheelhouse (by permission of the Editorial Committee), a publication of the Lake St. Louis Sqn, June 1998.
About 4,000 drown yearly in U.S.
Five times more men than women
The figure of 4,000 deaths by drowning in the U.S.A. each year comes from the "University of California at Berkley Wellness Letter" and is followed by a partial explanation of the discrepancy between the number of men drowned and the number of women drowned. "Men tend to be in water more than women", the report states (although I might have wanted to add the qualifier "hot" to that statement) and goes on to give reasons why this is so. "men are more likely to swim along, drink alcohol before swimming or while boating, swim in oceans and lakes (rather than pools), and/or swim at night. Young men are also more likely to take risks when swimming or boating - and to overestimate their swimming ability."
Net Sites of Interest
An excellent site with remarkably good tutorial on the GPS (as well as, of course, product information) is the site maintained by Trimble at http://www.trimble.com. Good explanations. Another site is http://www.garmin.com.
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BOATING SAFETY REGULATIONS
. . . . . . . AT A GLANCE
Age Restrictions for Operators of Powered Boats and Personal Watercraft (PWCs)If under 12 and unaccompanied/ unsupervised by a person 16 years of age or older: not allowed to operate a boat with an engine more powerful than 7.5 kw (10 hp)
If at least 12 years of age but not yet 16 years old and unaccompanied/ unsupervised by a person 16 years of age or older: not allowed to operate a boat with an engine more powerful than 30 kw (40 hp)
If under the age of 16 - will not be allowed to operate a personal watercraft
Competency of Operators of Pleasure Yachts
As of April 1, 1999, youth (under 16 years of age) will need to meet the specified training requirementsAs of April 1, 2002, any person operating a powered recreational vessel less than 4 metres (this includes personal watercraft) will need to meet the specified training requirements
As of April 1, 2009, all operators of power boats would need to meet the specified training requirements
People aged 55 years and over, when the regulations come into force, will be exempt
People that have already taken boating safety courses will see their course certificates recognized
Experienced boaters will have the option of taking a challenge test without taking a course
Foreign visitors who have a pleasure boat in Canada will be granted a grace period of 45 consecutive days
People renting a vessel will be required to complete a dockside checklist
*Operators will be required to obtain an operator's card showing a proof of competency and to carry it with them at all times while operating a power boat.
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Cruise Report --
Winter Cove 23 - 24 May
Saturday was a great day for walking in the Marine Park and watching various boats including a large sailboat shoot thru the gap. Happy hour may have to be renamed because by the time it was over it was time for bed and everyone had eaten more than enough to last thru the night and well into Sunday so Pot Luck Supper was postponed until the next cruise at Maple Bay. Sunday brunch saw bacon, eggs, pancakes, and toast available for everyone plus coffee, tea and juice. This was followed by a tour of Horton Bay ( east side of Mayne Island ) led by the fearless leader, Dorian 1. We discovered that the current can certainly roll thru there!! Then we all decided to take the long way home so throttles back and enjoy the scenery. A great weekend!!!
Your Cruise Master, Bob Parkinson on Dorian 1
Phone me at 727-8417 if you have questions or wish to reserve for any of our cruises. Leave a message if I'm in the bilge (my usual place).
Please note that all the Marinas are now requiring a weeks notice in order to hold space available for us and any other groups, so make a note to plan for that requirement for future cruises. Moorage rates listed (under Coming Events) are subject to change without notice.
New members
Welcome to the following new members:
Martin Russell, Robert Smith, Nolan Peters,
Bill Spaetzel, Lloyd Jernslet, Gail Jernslet,
Come and meet us on a Squadron cruise. Call Bob Parkinson for details of the next cruise, 727-8417.
The Roster
The 1998 Roster has finally been printed. Your copy will be in the mail this week. Please check your entry carefully. If there is any error or omission, please advise the Membership Officer, Diana McBratney, at 656-4590.
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