Your contributions
and suggestions for upcoming
issues would be much appreciated! Please send your ideas or articles to
the
editor.
COMMANDERS
REMARKS
|
Well, the
summer is moving along with some nice warm weather, and the District
Rendezvous has come and gone. As in the past, it was held on Pender
Island at Otter Bay. The 55 people who attended from the District and
various Squadrons had a pleasant time. Six members of the Pender Island
Squadron were there.
|
Preparations are now under way for
the Fall Fair. Our challenge will be to equal or better last
year’s "performance". Not an easy task, but with the outstanding
abilities of
our bridge members we will be up to it. We will have a booth at the
Fair to provide information about the Canadian Power and Sail
Squadrons, our Squadron and the promotion of safe boating.
Our schedule for the fall courses
is lined up and the information as to what is available in the areas of
boating, radio, weather etc. will be found below.
Remember our mission: We are a
dedicated group of volunteers interested in increasing safety and
pleasure on the waterways through education.
Nick Samsom, Commander
NATIONAL
CHIEF COMMANDER DIES
Chief
Commander, Howard Peck, SN died on June 25. The CPS web site announcement of his
death (2) includes a link to his biography and
information about memorial donations.
TRAINING
NEWS
FALL COURSES 2005
BOATING $160.00
Learn more than the minimum
requirements.
38 hours of BOATING SAFETY
instruction includes whistle signals, aids to navigation system, safety
equipment, chart work, and more.
Thursday evenings beginning Sept
15th
PILOTING $125.00
Continuation of skills learned in
Boating. Learn the three aspects of Piloting: navigational and plotting
skills, seamanship skills and the boat's capabilities and performance.
Pre-requisite: successful
completion of BOATING and CPS membership
Monday evenings beginning Sept 19th
.
ADVANCED PILOTING
$125.00
Determine a course and fix a
position allowing for current, leeway and the prediction of tides and
tidal currents.
Prerequisite: successful completion
of Piloting and membership in CPS
Thursday evenings beginning
September 15th
FUNDAMENTALS OF
WEATHER
$80.00/CPS members, $100.00/non
members
16 hours
Learn forecasting techniques by
assessing cloud types, barometric pressure, wind direction and speed,
temperature tendency, and about High and Low pressure systems and the
weather associated with each.
Wednesday evenings beginning
October 12th .
Call Marti @ 629-6767 or Elizabeth @
629-3021 to register for courses.
Course fees must be paid in advance.
Lt/C Marti
Tilley, Training Officer
ENVIRONMENT
In June this year I was both excited and petrified to have been invited
to be one of three crew on board the sailing vessel Antares I, sailing
from Raiatea, French Polynesia to Honolulu. My last Pender Post
report described our experience in the Intertropical Convergence Zone,
the great low pressure band circling the globe where north meets south,
also known as the doldrums. Sailing from south to north, one
encounters the northeast trade winds quite suddenly. In our case,
the wind blew a steady 20 knots, but slightly more from the south than
usual. The decision was made to avoid the palms and gentle
breezes of the leeward Hawaiian coast and approach Honolulu from the
north. The wind built steadily naturally, and the rain
began. A glimpse of the Big Island, so eagerly anticipated after
three weeks at sea, was not to be. Maui too was shrouded in cloud
and rain. The sun finally came out as we fair surfed around the
corner into the Molokai Channel on an 18 foot following sea, arriving
off Waikiki shortly after midnight where we hove to in 30 knot winds
awaiting dawn.
As we entered the marina I was stunned at the rainbow flags flying
absolutely everywhere – why, all this for me? What a
welcome for such a modestly experienced sailor. Oops, forgot all
about Pride Day – Honolulu was turned inside out for the event.
A few downer observations on the environment:
Pender is light years ahead of French Polynesia when it comes to
recycling. Those idyllic islands have been walloped with
cellophane, plastic and other packaging. Refuse disposal is a
real problem, and recycling just does not exist, at least not on the
outer islands.
The famous crystal clarity of the water in the lagoons of Bora Bora and
Rangiroa was not evident in the yacht anchorages. Sewage
restrictions or pump outs? Not heard of.
The inner side of the fringing reefs of these islands bleached some
years ago, likely due to high water temperatures. This coral
graveyard is in huge contrast to healthy reef, brimming with life of
every shape and colour.
The garbage floating at sea was a shock too. Plastic bags,
plastic bottles, styrofoam. Some days you could spot some piece
of refuse every 15 minutes or so, to the point where we wondered if
there had been a wreck up ahead somewhere.
To end on a more positive note, there is nothing to compare with being
on watch alone late at night, alone with the stars, the
phosphorescence, and the waves. The retreat to end all retreats,
I’d say.
Lt.
John Cowan, Environment Officer
ROSTERS
The 2005 rosters listing
members of all the South Vancouver Island District Power and Sail
Squadrons have been received and are currently being distributed to
members of the Pender Squadron.
FREE COMPUTER DESKTOP IMAGES (WALLPAPER)
The CPS website offers
some beautiful images
(3)
taken by its members. They can be used as computer desktop
backgrounds. Instructions for downloading them are included, and
additional contributions are welcome.
PHOTO GALLERY
Most of the photos below were taken by Chief
Proctor
Bob Rose. Commander Nick Samsom took the picture of Frank Weniger receiving the Commander's
Challenge
award while the Steils supplied the photo of Frank Symes at his Legion
birthday party.
|
|
|
Sara Steil, who preceded Frank Weniger as Commander,
receives a bouquet at the Annual General Meeting as she bids farewell
to the Squadron Bridge.
|
During the Change of Watch, Nick
Samsom is pledged as new Commander by Don Lassey, Vancouver Island
South District Commander.
|
Nick relaxes with his wife Tina and daughter, Julie Lywood
on the Lacey's deck during the Change of Watch
event.
|
 |
 |
Cdr Nick Samsom and TO Marti Tilley in conversation at
the Vancouver Island South District Annual General Meeting.
|
Officers being pledged at VISD AGM, including TO Marti
Tilley
as District Training Officer and P/Crd Sara Steil as District
Environmental Officer. The new officers have received
their VISD burgees
|
|
|
Two grade eight students taking the Boat Pro course have just
rescued the Squadron's dummie, Chuckie.
|
Past Commander Frank Weniger receives the
VISD Commander's Challenge award at the
August 10 Bridge meeting.
|
|
Longtime member
Frank Symes receives a congratulatory card from the Power Squadron at
his 90th birthday celebration. The party was held at the Legion
on April 16. Presenting the card are Treasurer/Membership
Secretary 1st Lt. Dick Steil and then Commander Frank Weniger.
|
RECENT BACK
ISSUES
OF THE
ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
May 2005
December 2004
September 2004
June 2004
FOOTNOTES
1.
http://www.cps-ecp.ca/english/index.html
2.
http://www.cps-ecp.ca/english/hpeck.html
3.
http://www.cps-ecp.ca/english/wallpaper.html
Pender Island
Power
and Sail Squadron Personal Information Policy
(7.)
Editor: Lt Fran Rose
(S)
Phone: 629-2060 E-Mail: frose at cablelan dot net
URL:
http://www.cablelan.net/frose/PIPS.html
