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It seems that we just wrapped up last year’s sailing season and we are rapidly rolling into the 2008 season. The annual awards banquet was a great event and I enjoyed seeing many of you in attendance there. Carol Smith and her committee did a great job at the new venue, the JT Daugherty conference center. So the 2007 season is complete, but we have already been very busy preparing and planning for the upcoming year.
First, a big welcome aboard to our new BOD members: Frank Gerred (Director), Betsy Dodge (Secretary) and Clarke McKinney (Vice Commodore). Please contact them or any of the returning BOD members; Max Munger, LG Raley, Rod Schroeder, Dave Meiser, Jim Keen, Joe Kubinec, Smitty Smith or myself with your thoughts and ideas about club activities.
This year is already shaping us nicely, the tentative schedule has been laid out, the 2008 budget has been approved by the BOD, and each of your program chairs are actively working on their finalized program plans. Please welcome the new program chairs: Terry and Glenn Walters (Facilities), Kristy Yurko (Women's), Shawn Stanley (Junior) and Dan Schnieder (Race). Thank you to the returning program chairs Laura Stanley (Membership), Carol Smith (Social), Chris Miller (Cruise) and Tim Flaherty (Publicity).
It is looking to be another busy year! We have two boats (Bob/Mike Ironmonger and Rhumb Punch/John & Linda Edwards) getting ready to depart for racing in Key West Race Week, and eight other members heading down to support race management operations. I have overheard several cruisers planning their upcoming cruises, both locally here on the bay and beyond. I receive emails almost weekly from people interested in our Junior sailing camps, and we are working to establish a relationship with a local organization to support adult sailing classes. LG Raley and his team are already spinning up for this year's Screwpile Regatta. I, of course, didn’t even mention all of our normal club cruises, weeknight racing, rendezvous, Friday night socials and weekend big boat races. Busy for sure, lots of opportunity for each of us to take advantage of our club membership. Also, lots of opportunity for more of us to volunteer to support all of these great programs – none of this occurs without our membership support.
By now, you should have received your membership renewal letter. I hope that each of you will take the time to update your information and to mail in your renewal without delay. It is worth noting that we were able to approve a balanced budget for 2008 without raising either the dues or fees! This is a direct result of your program chairs and officers all doing a superb job in 2007 of keeping their programs in check and planning to do the same in 2008.
I look forward to seeing each of you at the clubhouse and very shortly on the water!
Don Behrens, Commodore
The SMSA Member of the Year is Carol Smith
When introducing our 2007 SMSA Member of the Year at the January banquet, Commodore Don Behrens stated “she is involved in EVERY program in SMSA.”
Well, what a hint! It could only have been Carol Smith, who has been a tireless volunteer for SMSA for some time.
In 2007, Carol actively raced, assisted the Small Boat program by cooking the after-race meals, cruised with her husband Smitty aboard their Beneteau 34 Noon Somewhere, and was our Social Chair for the year.
Carol Smith Member of the Year
Carol began sailing aboard a Cal ’22 in 1987 with her future husband Robert “Smitty” Smith as her instructor. “He was actually a pretty good teacher,” volunteers Carol when asked about obvious issues of having a significant-other as your sailing mentor. Smitty was a good enough teacher that they later married. They moved to St. Mary’s County in 1999 in order to work at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
It was a bonus for the Smiths that this area is an excellent sailing venue and about a year after arriving, they joined SMSA. “I enjoy the cruising the most,” Carol says. “The thing I’ve most enjoyed is the seven-day cruise in May, but really, it’s nice to just get away every weekend.”
As far as which of the many club programs she likes working with, Carol shows no preference. “I like doing them all. I like the people you meet, the people involved in SMSA. The most important thing is the friendships you develop here.”
As for the future? Carole says she’s looking forward to another great year on and off the water, and offers this advice: “Keep smiling.”
Tim Flaherty, Publicity Chair
First of all, we would like to thank Cindi Eaton for all of her work as the Facilities Chair over the past year. Cindi has certainly set a high bar to follow, and we will do our best to keep up the momentum that Cindi and her team of volunteers achieved. We’d also like to thank Max Munger, who has agreed to continue as the Bar Coordinator. Max puts in a ton of time and effort, and he doesn’t always get the recognition that he deserves.
We have some exciting improvements to our facilities planned for this year, that we all think will make the facility much more useful and efficient for all of us.
Outside, we are planning on completing the installation of the Small Boat Lift this Spring. Installation of the Lift is critical to our small boaters, and will help us maximize the dry storage income potential.
For the inside, the two main planned improvements are a heating/air conditioning upgrade for the front room, and the installation of a working sink in the bar area. Each of these will make the building more efficient for our own use, as well as opening up more opportunities for renting out the facility. We are also trying to figure out how to squeeze enough money from our budget to afford adjustable blinds for the front windows. Any of you who have been in the front room late on a summer afternoon know how blinding the sun can be coming through the windows!
Our Friday Evening Socials continue to be very popular and well-attended. Want to volunteer for bar duty? Max keeps a bartender sign-up sheet at the bar. If you are a member, feel free to get on the list! Non-members may only volunteer to bartend if a member is present with them. Also, don’t forget the Victoria racing which continues on Sunday afternoons.
We’re looking for bartenders to help out for the Sunday events as well - it’s even more laid-back than Friday evenings! And for those of you who signed up for TAM training, we haven’t forgotten. The plan is to set up training for early February, if possible. Stay tuned to the SMSA website for updates.
Hope to see you at the Clubhouse soon!
Terry and Glenn Walters, Facilities Chairs
Winter greetings to all! You should have received your 2008 Membership Renewal by mail. Payments are due on or before February 15th, so please send in your dues to ensure that your member information is included in the 2008 Yearbook. If for some reason you have not received your renewal, please contact me by email or phone (301) 737-4201.
Four new membership applications have recently been approved by the BOD:
Steve Allen, a long time Rock Lobster crew member, has been approved for an individual membership. Steve was sponsored by Rock Lobster owner, John Kriz.
Nancy “Nan” Russell, another Rock Lobster crew member, has been approved for an individual membership. Nan has also participated in the Small Boat Program this past year, most notably providing Race Committee assistance to Shawn Stanley for the One-Day Regatta held in June.
Kenyon Kramer has been approved for an individual membership. Kenyon owns a Flying Scot, which he plans to race on Thursday nights this season with our Small Boat Program.
Lisa and Andy Batchelor
Lisa and Andy Batchelor have been approved for a family membership. Lisa and Andy are long-time sailors who moved to the Solomons area in 2006 after each retired from the military. Seeking new careers in shorts and deck shoes, they opened and ran a sailing charter base at Solomons Yachting Center for two seasons. Both USCG Captains and ASA Instructors, they launched Sail Solomons (ASA affiliate sailing school) in 2007, and are expanding the school into a sailing club. Sail Solomons is partnering with SMSA to provide adult sailing education beginning Spring 2008 (details to be posted soon on SMSA’s website and in a future edition of the clew). When they’re not busy teaching on Sail Solomons’ fleet of Capri and Jeanneau sailboats, Andy and Lisa sail their Beneteau 323 Allora from her home berth on Mill Creek. They look forward to getting involved in SMSA’s many events and activities.
Please extend a warm welcome to these new members.
As we make our way into the 2008 season, I hope that each member will find the time to participate in our club activities and look for ways to introduce friends and acquaintances to SMSA …and the benefits of membership.
Laura Comeau-Stanley, Membership Chair
Enter the SMSA T-Shirt Contest
No, not a wet T-shirt contest! It’s a SMSA T-shirt design contest! We’re asking members to get a little creative and design an image for a T-Shirt we hope to produce for the club. This design should include the club burgee and the words “Southern Maryland Sailing Association.” The design will be printed on the back of the T-shirts and may have an accompanying small design on the front. The design that best depicts Southern Maryland sailing and SMSA activities will be chosen as the winner.
Entries should be submitted to the Rear Commodore no later than March 3, 2008. The winning design will be announced on Opening Day and in the April Clew. The winner will receive a prize of a $50 gift certificate. Shirts will be available at the clubhouse as early as Opening Day. So don’t delay! Get your pen, pencil, paints or Crayola Crayons out and start your design!
Robert “Smitty” Smith, Rear Commodore
Nearly 150 Members Attend January's Annual Banquet
Wayne and Sally Wilson (Virginia Dare) win the
Joseph T. McGrath Distinguished Cruising Trophy
Nearly 150 SMSA members and guests attended the 2007 Award banquet held January 5th, 2008 at the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center in Lexington Park.
This marked the first time the banquet has been held at this venue. Quite a few out-of-town members took advantage of the adjoining Fairfield Inn at special rates to spend the night following our fete.
Cocktail hour began at 6pm, and members enjoyed a reasonably-priced cash bar, in addition to delicious appetizers that the Daugherty Center Staff brought from the kitchen. Dinner began at 7pm, and members enjoyed a choice of Salmon, Prime Rib, or a vegetarian dish.
Following dinner, the new Board of Directors was installed and the 2008 committee chairs were introduced. The only change from the previous board is Frank Gerred taking over the spot occupied by David Arbuthnot.
As the new slate of officers was announced, club members noticed three changes from 2007: Betsy Dodge received a pennant as the new Secretary; “Smitty” Smith accepted the Rear Commodore's pennant, moving from Vice Commodore; and Clark McKinney was introduced as the new Vice Commodore.
Terry and Glen Walters were introduced as the new Facility co-chairs, while Christy Yurko was announced as the new Women’s chair. Shawn Stanley was also announced as the 2008 Junior chair.
Sarah Southworth (Kruggerrand) wins
several Non-Spinnaker awards
The awards ceremony started at about 8pm, and were presided over by 2007 Commodore Don Behrens and Vice Commodore “Smitty” Smith.
Cruising highlights of the awards included: Patricia Kimmel of Reflections receiving the Happy Hour Cruising Trophy for the highest number of cruise points in scheduled events; Ken and Ellie Mowbray aboard Swan beating out Gresh and Rene Sackett by one point to take first in the Cruising High Point Awards; Wayne and Sally Wilson of Virginia Dare winning the Joseph T. McGrath Distinguished Cruising Trophy.
Racing highlights of the awards included: Sarah Southworth of Kruggerrand taking top honors in the Invitational Series for non-spinnaker, and the Attick family doing the same for spinnaker class; Sarah Southworth also winning the non-spin middle distance award, while Jeff and Donna Moore took honors in spinnaker class aboard Little Lattitudes; Sarah Southworth also won the Governor’s Trophy as the club’s season high point winner for non-spinnaker, while the Atticks won the Commodore’s Trophy as the season high point spinnaker champion.
Carol Smith (featured elsewhere in this issue) received a huge standing ovation when she was introduced to the crowd as Member of the Year.
Tim Flaherty, Publicity Chair
Screwpile Challenge 2008 is Just Around the Corner
The Notice of Race (NOR) and the Official Entry Form are now available on the Screwpile Challenge web site www.screwpile.net.
The entry form has been redesigned and includes the waiver and release portion saving you time at registration check in. The form (2 pages) is friendly form-fill-in, making it easier to complete.
Please notice that the owner or skipper of a participating boat must be a member of US Sailing this year. To join US Sailing call 1-800-877-2451 or visit their web site. We have discontinued the use of Differential Entry Fees (DEF), making your entry simpler and at the same time supporting US Sailing. New members to US Sailing will receive the Rule Book, a $15.00 value, plus many other benefits. For example, you can now insure your boat through US Sailing .
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call me at 301-862-3100 or email chairman@screwpile.net.
LG, Screwpile Challenge Chairman
SMSA Supports Acura Key West 2008
Several club members will be racing or serving as race committee throughout the week of January 21-25, 2008 at the Acura Key West 2008.
Rhumb Punch, the 2007 Acura Key West winner of Division 4, PHRF-5, owned by club members John and Linda Edwards, will again be competing in the warm gulf coast waters off of Key West. While the crew remains the same, the boat has been transformed from a J-29 to a Mumm 30. Over the holidays, John and Linda bid a fond farewell to their beloved J-29, which they sold to a fellow J-29 class member living outside of the Chesapeake Bay area. In turn, they purchased a Mumm 30, formerly named Nanuk, which they have since renamed Rhumb Punch. While the competition is expected to be fierce in the Division 1, Mumm 30 class, John Edwards and his crew, which includes SMSA Members Clarke McKinney, Joe Szymanski, Shawn and Laura Stanley, and Jae-Nee Ausley, are very excited about sailing together in this event. Providing shore support for the Rhumb Punch crew will be SMSA members Linda Edwards, Mary Anne McKinney, and Sandy Leitner.
Also making a showing in Key West this year is Bob, a Colgate 26 owned by club members Mike and Becky Ironmonger. Mike and his crew, which includes SMSA Member Mike Lorenzini, will be racing in Division 4, PHRF-6. Mike and his crew are hoping for a strong race week showing and a fun time both on and off the waters of the Conch Republic.
Premiere Racing has a full compliment of SMSA members serving in a race committee capacity for Race Week this year. Included in that list, though in no particular order are: Don Behrens, Herb Reese, Keith Jacobs, Joe Kubinec, Tom and Danielle Moulds, Joy Dorethy, and Robert Herbig. Also attending and providing race committee support for part of the week are Melissa Behrens and Tracy Kubinec.
The tremendous representation of SMSA members involved in Key West Race Week this year is exciting and will certainly generate camaraderie and a host of great memories for all involved.
Laura Comeau-Stanley, Rhumb Punch Crew member
at the clubhouse
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I’m pretty excited to be gearing up for the 2008 sailing season! I was glad to see so many of you at the SMSA Banquet (a big Thank You to SMSA Social Program’s Carol Smith!) and at the cruise planning meeting. I’d also like to compliment everyone on the great discussion we had about things the cruising program might do this year. It was wonderful to have so many members involved in the discussion. I’m really looking forward to 2008!
Upcoming Events:
Chris Miller, Cruise Chair
Second Saturday Cruisers' Raft - February 9th
Not everyone can be in the Islands or Key West at this time of year, and it is a bit too cold to take to the local waters, but that shouldn't stop us having a tropical party at the clubhouse.
The first "Second Saturdays Cruisers' Raft" happy-hour starts at 4:00pm, and everyone can bring their favorite snacks to share, just like happy hour afloat. Well almost, the bar will be open, so you have to purchase your favorite beverages.
At around 6:00pm we'll do something fun for 30 minutes or so, and then we'll all eat potluck dinner. Please bring a main dish, vegetable, salad or dessert to share.
We need volunteer bartenders, so please contact Max Munger.
Mark Brownhill, Wavedancer
Cruising on the Intracoastal Waterway Seminar
On Saturday, February 16, SMSA will sponsor a seminar on Cruising the ICW. We will begin at 9:00 AM with coffee, juice, donuts and bagels.
Some of the topics we plan to cover are: Why travel the ICW, interesting places to stop, equipment recommendations, provisioning, charts, books and guides that work, importance of navigation software, weather monitoring, tides and currents, boat draft considerations, communications, anchorages and marinas, the time factor, getting your mail, etc.
We hope to have several “seasoned” ICW cruisers present these topics based on their own experience. Please join us with your questions. If there are any additional topics you are interested in, please send us an email or give us a call.
Frank and Rita Gerred
Just Call Me using a Digital Selective Calling VHF Radio
Marine Digital Selective Calling (DSC) enabled radios have been available since late 1999. If you have a VHF radio that is newer than that, the chances are good that it has a Digital Selective Calling capability.
What is DSC? It is a very slick capability that allows an initiating boat to digitally “hail” and automatically switch the listening channel of another boat by means of a channel 70 digital transmission. If you are already a user of DSC, you are part of an unfortunately small minority. On Virginia Dare we have met almost no one who uses it and have received just two-DSC calls in six-seasons of use. Ironically, the first of those was a “wrong number”!
By using DSC, a cruise lead boat can hail any other boat, or all the boats (group call) in a cruise, without the standard radio-communication protocol of a hailing on channel 16 and then switching to an agreed working channel: all that happens automatically for the receiving vessel of a DSC call.
The initiating vessel:
1) selects DSC call on the transceiver,
2) enters the destination radio’s unique “phone number”,
3) designates a working channel.
When the call is sent - the rest all happens via digital… “Good juju.” Numbers and vessel names can even be “logged” in your radio so that you don’t have to reenter them for subsequent calls to that station.
VHF Radio
When you receive a DSC call, your radio “rings” almost telephone-like (your first call will baffle you for a few seconds – minutes?). When you pick-up, the receiver will be automatically switched to whatever working channel the initiating caller designated. You begin conversation on the working channel, “This is the vessel Virginia Dare - over”, and skip the channel 16 hailing protocol all together (probably very much to the relief of the USCG as well!)
Want to hail another boat without alerting everyone listening on channel 16? I don’t know what mischief you’re up-to… but DSC is what you need. Maybe broadcasting to all your laughably pathetic position in the Governor’s Cup race in the middle of the night is just too painful. Of course, the working channel is still public access broadcast – but the audience is much smaller and nobody will know when, or which working-channel you will be on. There is also a “Position Polling” feature that can be set to allow your vessel to transmit its GPS position to a requesting vessel – no chat even required.
Your VHF radio user’s manual will quickly tell you if the radio is DSC capable. And if it is, you need to get an MMSI number. It will be your permanent 9-digit “phone number”. It means Maritime Mobile Service Identity – discardable information, just remember, MMSI-number. It is absolutely free and you may get one from Boat US® here http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/ or if you prefer SeaTow® here is the place http://www.4seatow.com/boating_safety/mmsi.asp . If you would rather deal directly with the Great Kahuna, here is Uncle Sam’s designated agency http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=home . Any of these will get you a free MMSI number – member or not!
VHF Handheld
Once you have the number, even the most severely techno-phobic parrot head can have it programmed into their VHF transceiver in minutes. Make sure that you get the number right however, because the firmware sees multiple attempts as fraud and you will have to send the transceiver in for reprogramming. (I shouldn’t have told you that – now you’ve said, “to H… with it”- haven’t you?) Bear-up! It will still work, just not in DSC mode and you haven’t been using that anyway now – have you? What’s to lose?
“But Wait”, as Billy Mays, the Oxyclean® guy always bellows, “there’s more!”
I’ve been talking about a mere convenience feature: DSC is much more than that. Your MMSI programmed radio is capable of sending a “Distress” message for you. Connect it to GPS via a simple pair of NMEA data wires and in an emergency your current GPS position along with your unique MMSI number can be digitally transmitted with the push of a single button, to all DSC capable radios. Correlated with the information you supply when you register for the number; boat name, hail port, boat size, etc., the USCG will have not quite all the information that a proper MADAY call requires, but grimly – close enough. We received a DSC distress message a few miles off Maine’s coast this summer, gloomy, but encouraging in that the USCG had the position of the vessel in distress within, well… milliseconds.
So… let's get digital! If you have the radio, the number is free and the programming is dead simple. I suggest our Association build a roster of member MMSI numbers, which would be handy for all of us - racers and cruisers alike. To start the roster, here’s our number 338010792: hope to hear from you next season.
Wayne Wilson, Virginia Dare
1974 CAL 29 SAILBOAT - with a brand new diesel engine. Runaway is a well built boat with a 29' LOA, 4'9" Draft, 9"3' Beam. She has a forward V-berth, an aft port and starboard settee berth, and a fold out berth for a total ability of sleeping 6 people. In the galley, there is a folding table, gimbaled 2 burner propane stove, a microwave oven and an icebox. The head has a commode, sink and portable shower head. Electronics include a radio, wind speed indicator, fathometer, speed gauge, compass and auto steering. The boat is powered by a 14.5 hp Kubota Diesel engine installed in 2006 (65 hours on clock) with a three blade maxi prop. Boat comes with full compliment of sails that are always stored indoors during off-season. The boat is stored out of water during the winter. Boat is ready to race or cruise the Chesapeake. Runaway is currently tied up at the Solomon's Island Holiday Inn - slip D2 (in front of the Naughty Gull). Please contact: Jake Karaczynski at jtkaraczynski@smcm.edu or call (301) 863-2338
Brigadoon - Catalina 34
INFLATABLE DINGHY - model HSS-230D from newfoundmetals.com. Brand new in box never opened. Over all length, 7’6”, beam 4’4”, wt 68 pounds. 3 chambers, for 4 HP motor. 772 pounds max load. Includes Carrying bag, aluminum oars, plywood bench, oarlocks, lifeline, lifting handles, drain plug set, $700, call Walt Rupp 301.863.0175 or email brigadoon5@verizon.net.
1986 CATALINA 34 STD. RIG - Two owners since new, 30’ LWL, fin keel, 5’ 6” draft and 14,000 lbs displacement. The cabin has two staterooms accommodating two persons each and a main salon capable of sleeping 2 adults. A great looking, well equipped coastal cruiser in excellent running condition. Brigadoon has good sails that have been lightly used and she comes with a bimini and dodger, pressure hot and cold water system, Adler Barbour refrigerator, Heart inverter/charger, high capacity house battery banks with monitor, wind generator and a battery monitor system. The dependable Universal diesel engine has been recently maintained with rebuilt fuel injectors, main fuel pump and valve a adjustment. Many extras are included to complete a sail away package. Asking $47,900. Call Walt Rupp, 301-863-0175. or email brigadoon5@verizon.net.
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