NRPS

Squadron News

February 2012
Commander's Message

   

Hello to everyone.

It feels like it’s been a long time since I saw everyone even though we just had our January meeting. I guess it’s the winter funk setting in. So rather than bemoan the cold wet weather, I plan on thinking about upcoming summer and hoping for an early spring. But for now, since the weather is such that I would rather be indoors, it’s a good time to do those little items on the boat in preparation for the summer time. To get our boating “fix” we are doing some updating on our boat – all of the things we talked about during the summer but never got around to doing. I guess we were too busy partying.

So get into the spirit of boating by looking at your calendar now and deciding where you will be cruising this year. With the price of fuel we may all be cruising right in
our homeport. The rumor mill has gas going to $5.00 per gallon by Memorial Day – yeah, at that price homeport looks real good.

Another way to get into the spirit is to sign up for boating classes, volunteer to help our instructors with the ABC classes, or even get with Lt/C Frank Brown, AP to take a class to become an instructor. If we have more ABC instructors everyone can share the load with teaching since the number of Safe Boating classes is increasing each
year. P/C Fletcher Beadles, AP is teaching the Advanced Piloting class right now – for those who have taken this class you can volunteer to work with Fletcher. Helps everyone in the class while sharpening your skills. Now to our next “Atta Boy”.

Thank you to all of the VSC Examiners for doing such a great job this year. I don’t know if the number of inspections completed has broken any records for the squadron but this is the highest number of inspections completed since I became a member. Thank you for taking your time to ensure we have safe boats on the water. Even though P/C Lilly Stone, JN and Frank Brown have done an outstanding job with their inspections, everyone who has inspected any boats also gets a pat on the back. Job well done.

Don’t forget that our next meeting has been changed to 7 February . For those who weren’t at January’s meeting, it was voted on to change February’s meeting since
the second Tuesday was Valentine’s Day and we don’t want to interfere with plans for that day. Also don’t forget the food drive – let’s bring a record amount this month. If you are like me, you probably need to prepare your donation now while you are thinking on it. Otherwise you are likely to forget so get it ready now. I will see everyone on 7 February – until then safe boating.

CDR Mary Fisher, AP

Squadron Commander

Nansemond River Power Squadron

Executive Officer's Report

  

 

Shake off the winter doldrums and enjoy one of these events.

4 February-18 March: Winter Wildlife Boat Tours. Virginia Aquarium Winter Wildlife Boat Trips are offered through 18 March. Trips typically run on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays. Sightings are not guaranteed. The two and half hour adventure costs $28 per adult (ages 12+) and $24 per child (ages 4-11). For further information, current schedules or cancellations, visit VirginiaAquarium.com or call (757) 385-FISH.

10 February-12 February: Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show. Fri. 2/10: noon-9p.m.; Sat. 2/11: 1000-2000; Sun. 2/12: 1000-1700 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Call 385-2000 for additional details.

25 February: 2012 Ghent Winter Bar Crawl. READY! SET! CRAWL! Already the most charitable pub crawl in the nation, the Ghent Winter Bar Tour will try to outdo itself once again as it hits the streets of midtown Norfolk for the biggest night out this winter! As always, all proceeds from this event will benefit a fantastic organization making a big difference in our local community - Edmarc Hospice for Children! The pub crawl will journey once again down Colley Avenue, 21st Street, and the surrounding locale in the historic midtown Norfolk neighborhood of Ghent from 1600 until 2100 (or whenever the last bar closes). And to cap it all off, we're throwing our biggest block party yet in the parking lot behind the Belmont House of Smoke featuring three live bands, games and prizes!  http://www.ghentbartours.org/events/norfolk/ghent/winter/bar-tour/

25 February-26 February: Otter Days. Learn about these amazing creatures and the challenges they face in the wild. Hosted at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine
Science Center from 1000 to 1400.

 

 Lt/C Mark Presson, P

 Executive Officer 

 

Educational Officer's Report

We ended the year with another Educational achievement—the testing for the Weather Class recently concluded. Instructor P/C Art Aikin, N, prepared the 12 students and all passed on the first go round. Congratulations to P/C Fletcher Beadles AP, Lt/C Frank Brown AP,  P/C Jack Eure JN, CDR Mary Fisher AP, Janet Horn P, Lanny Horn P, Gene Monroe P, Lt/C Mark Presson P, Lt/C Matt Schulze P, Bob Wallace JN and P/C Donnie Weaver AP.

With the successful completion of this class, Fletcher, Frank, Jack and Donnie were rewarded the Educational Proficiency recognition, given for having achieved AP plus 3 elective class recognitions. Fletcher Beadles is again leading our Advanced Piloting Class in Suffolk. After that class, we will have Engine Maintenance. We hope to have a seminar or two also during the Spring/Summer timeframe.

Our first Virginia Boating Safety class for 2012 is set for 6-20 February in Portsmouth. We already 21 folks signed up. We intend to offer the USPS ABC3 Safe Boating
Class soon after the February class.

Have an idea for a class? Let me know. Call 472-4178 or e-mail at frank.brown@gmal.com.
CLASS SCHEDULES FOR 2012

ADVANCED PILOTING

Began 17 Jan 2012

Instructor: P/C Fletcher Beadles, AP

VIRGINIA SAFE BOATING CLASS

Instructors: Eure, Hanbury, Brown, Stone

Dates 6, 13, 20 Feb 2012

Location: Portsmouth Boat Club

Cost FREE (State Class)

 

INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT

Instructors: Frank Brown & Lilly Stone

Dates TBA

Location: TBD

Cost $25.00

 

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Instructors, Dates and Location: TBD

Following AP

Cost approx $40.00

 

 

  Lt/C Frank Brown, AP

  SEO

Put education and fun on your calendar

Administrative Officer's Report

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a great New Year. Last month’s general meeting was held at George’s Restaurant in Suffolk and was well attended. Please provide feedback to the bridge if you have any suggestions or requests for an alternate food menu. Next month’s meeting will again be at George’s Restaurant.

At the general meeting, the new bridge was voted on and can be reviewed on the web site. The Change of Watch (COW) dinner is scheduled for 10 March at Cedar Point Country Club. We are still working out the menu and cost details and will provide them at the next meeting and on the web site as they are finalized. We are asking that everyone who plans on attending pay in advance in order to help with accounting, so please be prepared to pay at the next general meeting.

As always, check the website frequently as details about events are updated regularly. Hope to see you all at the COW!

 

Lt/C Matt Schulze, P

Administrative Officer

 

 

 

Safety Officer's Report - "A FEW REMINDERS"

There is nothing new in this article, but I thought in light of some recent news articles, a repeat of some does and don’ts from past articles might be helpful, particularly at this time of year when most of us have our boats up in storage and may not be visiting them as often as we should.

First, in the last article, I spoke of the dangers of using a light bulb in the bilge as a heat source. Recently in Lambton, Ontario, Canada there was a fire in a storage shed containing some 65 boats and three antique automobiles. The loss was estimated at $40 million. The cause, from investigations by the fire marshals, has been traced to a light bulb in the bilge of one of the boats. Apparently the bulb shattered and some of the hot pieces fell on flammable material. Nobody has enough insurance to cover $40 million! The good news is that, with the end of incandescent bulb manufacturing, this problem may go away since the new fluorescent bulbs do not give off enough heat to be of any use. Only approved heating devices should be used to heat bilges and boats, regardless of where they are stored.

Recently in Ft Myers, Florida, a 45 foot boat burned to the waterline and sank. The fire was first noticed when black smoke started coming out of the engine vents.
Shortly thereafter, a member of the crew opened the hatch to the engine room to inspect the problem and the fire spread and engulfed the entire vessel. Another boat in the area removed the 5 adults and 2 dogs off the boat and the fire company got the fire out about two hours later, at which time the hull sank. The good news here is that it was a diesel powered boat, so there was no explosion as there would have been on a gas powered vessel, and no lives were lost The bad news is that it was later determined that the Halon system in the engine room had, in all probability put out the original fire, but when the crew member opened the hatch, the influx of air caused the fire to reignite. With the Halon system exhausted, there was nothing to stop it the second time. Remember, If you experience an engine room fire, as tempting as it may be, do not open the hatch to the engine room. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last smoke is detected before opening any passage ways or hatches to the engine room. If the Halon system did not put out the fire, there is not much chance you are going to be able to contain it with a hand held extinguisher.

Finally, if any of you are moving boats during cold weather and the temperature is at or below freezing, I suggest you take along a container of Morton salt. When the
water temperature gets down in the low forties and the air temperature is in the mid thirties, a boat moving through the water and taking spray will often times develop ice on the gunnels. Sprinkle a little salt on any surface you need to walk on and it will melt the ice and provide extra traction . I realize salt is hard on the gel coat, but
a little compound and wax in the spring should fix any marring. Besides, I would rather deal with damaged gel coat in the spring than go for an unscheduled swim in the middle of the winter!

Happy New Year and be safe out there.

     P/C Art Aikin, N

     Squadron Safety Officer and Port Captain

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