Cruising
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newsNotes
So sorry we were gone for a week. We moved to a new control panel at our hosting company, and they didn't tell me there was a switch we could pull to let you know we were down for maintenence and it was no fault of yours. Oh, well.
Boating Skills & Seamanship Course Offered by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has scheduled a "Boating Skills and Seamanship" Course in Bellingham, beginning Sept 13,2010 through October 25.
The 13 night course will be held 6:30 PM, at St. Lukes Conference Ctr, 3333 Squalicum Parkway Bellingham, WA 98226:
Monday Sept 13, TH Sept 16, M Sept 20th, TH Sept 23, M Sept 27, TH Sept 30
M Oct 4, Wed Oct 6, M Oct 11, TH Oct 14, Monday Oct 18, Tues
Oct 19, Monday October 25
This comprehensive course offers recreational boaters instruction and information covering safety equipment, boat handling, navigation, water and weather, federal and state requirements for boating, and much more. Anyone interested in learning or expanding their knowledge of boating is encouraged to attend.
Graduates of the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary "Boating Skills and Seamanship" course meet the boating educational requirements for the mandatory Washington State Boater's Education Card. Many insurance companies offer discounts to graduates of the boating education course.
The boating course fee is $40.00 and there is no additional charge for family members who share the same manual. For class registration and enrollment: Contact John Milczewski, 360-752-0391 or email John Milczewski
For more information on Coast Guard Auxiliary, or visit their website. Your local Coast Guard Auxiliary will help you navigate your way to a safe boating season.
Flotilla #: 1300108 +--------------------------------------------Course 1: ABS
Start Date: 08/21/10 End Date: 08/21/10
Start Time: 8:30 Cost: $25.00
Address: Milltown Sailing Assoc 410 14th St
City: Everett, State: WA Zip: 98203
Contact Person: Angela Rifner
Phone: 360-435-4833 Email:rifangela@msn.com
Course Remarks: About Boating Safely
Course 1: BSS/13
Start Date: 09/21/10 End Date: 11/04/10
Start Time: 18:30 Cost: $50.00
Address: Milltown Sailing Assoc 410 14th St
City: Everett, State: WA Zip: 98203
Contact Person: Angela Rifner
Phone: 360-435-4833 Email: rifangela@msn.com
Course Remarks: Boating Skills and Seamanship
Course 1: HTR
Start Date: 07/17/10 End Date: 07/17/10
Start Time: 08:30 Cost: $25
Address: Milltown Sailing Assoc 410 14th St
City: Everett, State: WA Zip: 98203
Contact Person: Angela Rifner
Phone: 360-435-4833 Email: rifangela@msn.com
Course Remarks: How To Read A Nautical Chart
Bellingham Sail & Power Squadron offers America's Boating Course at Bellingham Technical College Tuesday, Sept. 21 to Nov. 9, 2010, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This introduction to maritime safety and piloting teaches the basics for safer sail and power boating. It includes navigation of local coastal waters using the mariner's compass, nautical charts, and plotting tools. It is recognized by insurance companies as a factor in lowering risk and fulfills the requirements for the Washington State Boater Education Card.
For a $95 fee, students receive instruction, course manual, chart plotter and membership in the United States Power Squadrons. This course is the first rung in a ladder of more advanced courses - ranging from seamanship to celestial navigation - offered locally by the Bellingham Sail and Power Squadron, a division of the United States Power Squadrons.
Students will need dividers and NOAA Chart 18421 (Strait of Juan de Fuca to Strait of Georgia). To register call BTC at (360) 752-8350 and ask for Item #4560. For more information go to
www.boatingisfun.org.
Some Events
The Wawona Exhibit, sponsored by the Anacortes Museum opens at the Maritime Heritage Center next to the SnagBoat 'Preston'. It is a free program and begins at 7 pm with sea shantiesAn Arts Festival in Anacortes August 6-8th
La Conner Classic Yacht and Car Show Saurday Only, August14
And the Skagit County Fair is August 11-14th. It is at the County Fairgrounds.
And mark the Fair on your calendars now, That is the NorthWest Washington Fair held in August of each year in Lyndon.
These are but a few of the events that are out there, and certainly the weather should be no deterrent.
Go and enjoy yourself!
Go 'Home' to read a Letter From the EditorSupport:
Contents:
(This is just a part of all the great stories we have for you. More will be up by the 20th)Amber Oelschlager
by Shelagh Considine
We always talk about marine facilities and marinas as being the hub of activity, but we forget about the backbone of the marine industry, the office manager at all these yards and marinas. Amber Oelschlager is the office manager at the Landings at Colony Wharf in Bellingham. more...
Plastics in our OceanPay attention to this one!
Everything comes wrapped in plastics now days. Or on a bed of plastic. Or in a bottle made from plastic. We drop it on the ground when we no longer need it, or toss it into a garbage can because it is more convenient than a recycle bin. Through run-off or rain, it ends up in the water where it lives a long life all of its own. The plastics that float end up being carried in currents to an area in the sea of no winds (we know it as the doldrums), forming an island of garbage. These islands of plastic soup are larger in area than the United States! We know of six of these large islands in the oceans of our earth. They have been seen by satellites!
more....
Feeding Babies
by Shona Aitken
Tim Wittman
by Shelagh Considine
He answered
"My family goes back 5 generations and Guemes was almost always referred to as Dog Island. more....
Pacific Marine Gallery Any boater at the north end of the sound is familiar with Pacific Marine's front door, which is open every day but Monday. The shop sells used boat parts so the former owner can move up to other things. They offer the widest array of 'boat things' that is imaginable, people coming from all over to find that one part, that one piece; or to see what other mariner moved away from.
Mike and Mary Kimmich opened the Pacific Marine Exchange, on the corner of 'C' Street and Holly in 1993, the Gallery in 1994. They had a wonderful idea, to combine boat parts with local art! As way of explanation, Mike said "People who enjoy boating usually enjoy all the other fine things in life!
more....
The Small Boat Experience
by Carole May
In the San Juan Island area, there are three pods of resident orcas, known as the southern residents. The three pods are J, K, and L pod. On our trip, met up with members of J pod, and they were quite active that day. The highlights were the many breaches, spyhops, and even a couple of cartwheels. It was a wonderful experience and the two couples had a lot of questions which I was able to answer for them. more...
Nautical Superiority A few boaters around Frosty Inlet are unfamiliar with the correct sound signals to use in restricted visibility, which is a nettling issue if they have the same problem I have: the dinky horns manufactured for small boats. The air horn that came with my sailboat sounds like a flat-pitch piccolo in pain.
by Jim Devaney
At the onset of summer, I was out for an afternoon sail in light air, ghosting along on a starboard tack slower frozen molasses, when a huge Ocean Excalibur motor yacht cut me off. I was the leeward boat and lucky to have avoided a collision because the cruising castle blocked my breeze. I blew several short toots on my little hand-held pressurized air horn but they ignored the puny peep, chirp and tweety sounds. more....
and soon to be coming... aquariums that use gulf water,whale watching in the San Juan's, and a trip to Nanaimo.
An Interview with Allan Olson, General Manager
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
by Shelagh Considine
The Swinomish Tribe has 15 square miles of land, 95% of it waterfront. When asked about plans for a marina, he sighed, and said "That is a long story".
Evidently they had permits for a marina, but the county filed a lawsuit, effectively stopping development.
Plans are afoot to install transient mooring so you can tie up your boat while enjoying a meal or a show at the casino. more...
A listing up their upcoming events and...their future plans include a float with a transient tie-up so you can boat there and play or enjoy the restaurant. Centrally located, the casino is a broad based experience and an integral part of our community. more....
For years Cruising was a hard copy, distributed in the Marinas and chandleries of our area. It seems to be the sign of the times that all publications are going to the Internet.
It is a more convenient and cost conscious way of disseminating information.
I would ask you to bookmark this page and remember to come back every other month to read stories of your friends and neighbors; but I realize each of us have very busy lives. So I ask each of you to leave your email address here, or send them to mail@sailpowercruising.com and we will send you out an email bi-monthly with a link to these pages.
In the old days you could promise honest use of these addresses, and I still do. I will not share, sell, rent, or otherwise abuse your address. It will be used solely for the purpose of reminding you (with a link) of a new edition to read.
We have an area that is exciting to share, and I wish you to be a part of it.
If you have ideas of an interesting neighbor or friend who should be interviewed, or see a story unfold that would fit perfectly in these pages, please contact us and share that information.
After all this magazine is for you to enjoy, to get to know your neighbors and the artistry of your local craftsman better: to share ideas on new uses of local boatyards; to open your eyes to a part of life you have all around you.
To awaken an awareness of how neat the Pacific Northwest really is!
We are very blessed, indeed!
