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PENDER ISLAND POWER & SAIL SQUADRON
ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2004

PENDER ISLAND POWER & SAIL SQUADRON
is a unit of
CANADIAN POWER AND SAIL SQUADRONS ( 1.)

 
 
 





EDITOR'S NOTES

Welcome to the eleventh edition of our quarterly electronic newsletter. As usual, an e-mail version is available for members who lack or don’t use Internet browsers. E-mail addresses and URL’s for World Wide Web hot links in the text are also appended as footnotes.

Your contributions and suggestions for upcoming issues would be much appreciated! Please send your ideas or articles to the editor.
 

EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S GREETINGS

 On behalf of all of us on the Bridge of the Pender Island Power and Sail Squadron, I would like to extend our wishes for a Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year to all our members and students. We are taking a short break over the holidays and will be back in January full of vim and vinegar, loaded with plans for the New Year.  We are confident that all our students will be graduating and hopefully they will all become members of the Squadron. We need you!

Also many thanks to our Bridge. We have had a successful year and will face a challenge in at least duplicating last year’s results in the coming year. Contributing your time so generously to make our Squadron outstanding is truly above and beyond. And last, but certainly not least, we thank all our instructors—we can’t do without you!

Have a happy and safe holiday.

Lt/C Nick Samsom, Executive Officer


EVAN WINS AGAIN!

Gerry and Helen's son Evan won third prize in his age category for the bookmark he designed and created for the CPS  BoatWise Bookmark Contest. The annual CPS  BoatWise Bookmark Contest is open to children or grandchildren of CPS members, or any young people who have taken BoatWise or Boat Pro courses. Evan's award consisted of a certificate and a bronze medal which Marti Tilley presented to him on Tuesday, 26 October. The top three bookmarks in each age category were kept by the editor of Port Hole for possible publication in a future edition. Watch future issues of this newsletter to see Evan's creation when it has been made available.

Lt/C Marti Tilley, Training Officer


CPS'S PORT HOLE CHANGING HOST PUBLICATIONS

CPS has announced that commencing in the spring of 2005, it has selected Canadian Yachting to insert and distribute its member magazine Port Hole. The French member magazine, Le Hublot, will be inserted in L'Escale Nautique magazine. The winter edition of Boats and Places will contain Port Hole for the last time, and the new agreement will commence in the spring.


OFFICER AT LARGE


The following information is from CPS training meetings  held recently in Toronto.

The new 5 module Boating course should be  ready by the spring of 2005, and will be the future Boating course from 2005  on. The first  3 modules are required for Pleasure Craft Operator Cards and the last 2 are necessary to complete the CPS membership requirements. The revised course features a new plotting and symbols chartlet which will be printed in COLOUR.
 
The vote for a $3.00 national dues increase was passed by a vote of 1452 for,  to 1052 against.

Cliff Miller of Vancouver Island North District is working on a flare module which should be completed in 2005 to use in conjunction with white practice flares from Orion.

The Orion company now has 12 gauge twin  star flares available to shoot from your launcher, thus overcoming the  inconvenience of trying to launch two single star flares in quick succession.

In the US Power Squadron, GPS is now the prime navigation system. The CPS Instructional  Techniques course is to be replaced by the new USPS Instructional  Development course.
 
Those boaters who have their ROC(M) (Radio Operators  Certificate - Maritime) retain that certificate for life; however all future  fixed mount radios and some hand held ones will be sold as DSC/GMDSS (Digital Select Calling/Global Maritime Distress & Safety System) capable. This will eliminate the need to make your initial calls on channel 16 and to monitor that channel. The new system will  work like a cell phone, in that if someone calls you, your radio will signal and you can check the screen to see who is calling and what channel they wish you to reply on. You will then have the choice of sending them a message digitally, replying verbally (as you would now) or ignoring them.

For those of you who have your ROC(M) certification but wish to be DSC/GMDSS endorsed, CPS will make available a Maritime Radio course - Module 2 in the new year. The course can be taught in an afternoon or evening and comes with a 20 question exam included. On successful completion of the exam, you will be issued a new ROC(M) card with the DSC/GMDSS endorsement. The charge for this, if there is one, will be minimal.

Those boaters who do not yet have their Radio Operators Certificate (Maritime) will be required, as of 1st January 2005, to take an updated Module 1 (similar to the past radio course) plus Module 2. The two modules together will take a full day (9 to 5) or more likely a day and a half. In other words according to Industry Canada all future Maritime Radio courses must include the DSC/GMDSS instruction as this is the way of the future in radio communication.

Anyone who is considering buying a radio soon should ensure that it is a minimum of Class D with a key pad. If the radio lacks a key pad it will be much more complicated to use. Also if you already have GPS, make sure the radio you purchase is compatible with the GPS. 

Lt. Tony Merry, Officer-at-Large



CPS AMATEUR RADIO ROSTER (HAMS)

The Members Moorings section of the CPS web site (1) features a list of amateur radio operators which has recently been updated. Click on Radio - Amateur - Ham in the list of sections. There you will find one Pender Island Power and Sail Squadron member's name. Any other ham operators out there who would like to be added will find the e-mail address of the responsible page editor at the bottom of the list.

 

TRAINING NEWS

Congratulations to Amanda Griesbach, Dave Hargreaves, Keith Landaiche, Liz Watts and Bunny Wilkes who completed the Fundamentals of Weather course on December 8th. The class average was 90.2%! Great work by all.


WINTER/SPRING COURSES, 2005

GLOBAL WEATHER    $ 80.00 CPS members    Wednesday evenings beginning January 19    8 weeks
      
For the mariner planning to travel offshore or individuals who wish to have a greater understanding of global weather patterns.


VHF - MARITIME RADIO OPERATORS COURSE    2 Days    $ 55.00 Saturdays   Feb 19 & 26, 0930 - 1600 each day

We are now required by Industry Canada to include the use of DSC (Digital Selective Calling) and GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress & Safety System), which makes the course two days long. Upon successful completion, on the second day, of a written and oral exam you will receive the certification necessary to legally operate your VHF radio, with DSC endorsement. 

plus

ROC-M UPGRADE (for those already holding a ROC-M certificate)    1 Day    $35.00   Feb. 26

If you would like the DSC/GMDSS upgrade, you may attend on the 26th only. Upon successful completion of a shorter exam (25 questions) you will receive a new ROC(M) card which will include your DSC endorsement.


 PRE-REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL COURSES
Call Marti @629-6767

Lt/C Marti Tilley, Training Officer


DISTRESS COURSE OR MODULE IN DEVELOPMENT

Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS-ECP) is developing a new distress signalling course that will train boaters on both pyrotechnic and non pyrotechnic distress signalling devices. Designed by CPS and C-I-L/Orion in Lachute, QC, the course focuses on the selection, use, handling and storage of the devices, and will be previewed at the Toronto International Boat Show in January 2005. The course will include video simulations and hands-on training, where graduates can discharge practice signals in a controlled setting with the full approval of coast guard, fire and police officials. At a recent filming event near Picton, ON, CPS joined Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety and other agencies to develop still and video images depicting the latest in distress signalling devices and their deployment.

The majority of recreational boaters are required to purchase, store and periodically replace their flares. Government regulations prohibit discharging red flares in a non-distress situation and many yacht clubs have ceased offering training or practice flare events. As well, there is no national distress signalling program available to recreational boaters. “Real world situations often require additional planning and equipment beyond the minimum required by government regulations,” says course developer Cliff Miller of Mill Bay, BC.

(From a press release passed on by Marti Tilley)


PAST COMMANDER'S REPORT 

As most of you are aware, our RCMP commanding officer Corporal Lyle Gelinas has been transferred to the Port McNeill detachment effective November 22.

Lyle's expertise and well developed sense of community have added much to Pender Island. When reminding us time and again about rules and regulations, he would use humour whenever possible thus helping us remember the subject matter more readily.

Lyle Gelinas offered his assistance to many organizations, services and events on the island including our squadron. He assisted with the Boat Pro course for grade 8 students each year and helped at a safe boating event we hosted at Otter Bay Marina a few years ago. I understand that he also provided some door to door courier service for us to and from Jack Paine on Galiano Island.

On Friday, November 12, Dick and I made an appointment to see Corporal Lyle. We thanked him on behalf of the Squadron for all his help and assistance over the years and presented him with a squadron burgee as a token of remembrance of the Pender Islands Power and Sail Squadron. Lyle was very pleased to receive the burgee and stated that CPS is a very worthwhile organization which he was pleased to assist in any way possible.

This is one RCMP officer who will be missed! Our loss is the community of Port McNeill’s gain—and Corporal Gelinas  has been promoted to a sergeant.

Lyle’s replacement, Corporal Chris Swain, will be arriving on the Penders in a couple of months.

P/Cdr Sara Steil

 
PHOTO GALLERY

Chief Proctor Bob Rose now has a new digital camera. It was necessary to update the operating system on my computer, but the end result, after much effort and stress has been well worth it. The following photos taken at the Christmas party on December 13, and edited by yours truly, are among the first group taken on the new camera. There may be more photos from the party in the next issue.


 
 


 Tom Kieffer, Secretary Helen Lemon-Moore, Environmental Officer John Cowan, Training Officer Marti Tilley and Marty Swan
have all been members of CPS for over 10 years.
 P/C Sara Steil,  Vancouver Island D/C Don Lassey and Treasurer Dick Steil are relaxing after a scrumptious meal.

 


 P/C Sara Steil, Vancouver Island D/C Don Lassey, Environmental Officer John Cowan, Treasurer Dick Steil and Boating student TaniaSchissler.
Officer-at-Large Tony Merry and Penny Tomlin enjoying their meal.

   

ENVIRONMENT

   
Boaters out on the water during the winter must be conscious of the increased hazard of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. A moving vessel will create a low pressure area aft of any superstructure such as a windshield or cabin known as the “station wagon effect”. A sufficient concentration of exhaust gases can be drawn by this effect into the sitting area to create a hazard. In the summer, there is usually enough fresh air circulating to avoid problems. Not so in the winter when people could be inside zippered canvas and CO may build to deadly levels. CO is particularly deadly as the poisoning is cumulative, with concentrations as low as 800 parts per million (.08%) rendering an adult insensible within two hours. To make it worse, symptoms of CO poisoning may be confused with seasickness, colds, or consumption of alcohol. Symptoms can include itchy eyes, flushed appearance, throbbing temples, ringing ears, headache and drowsiness. If CO poisoning is suspected, all persons should be removed to fresh air immediately and medical attention sought as soon as possible.

For additional information, see Carbon Monoxide: the silent killer aboard your boat, (2.) sponsored by Washington State Parks & Boat US. This is just one of several Internet web sites on the topic.

Lt. John Cowan, Environment Officer

 

ABOUT WHALES AFFECTED BY POLLUTION AND HOW ONE VICTORIA GROUP HAS TAKEN ACTION

Training Officer Marti Tilley has suggested that the following news might be of interest to our readers.

Poco, a young beluga whale, popular with boaters along the New England coast, was found dead on a beach in November. The Boston Herald (3.) has included the Associated Press story on its web site.

The small pod of killer whales in Alaska’s Prince William Sound appear to be doomed to extinction according to an article in the November 18, 2004 issue of the Juneau Empire (4.).  These and many other stories about orca whales are linked from the current news page (5.) of orcanetwork.org. An earlier issue of this newsletter has referred to Orca Network,(6.) but this topic is so important that it merits frequent repetition. The B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network, and its web site Wild Whales (7.) is a similar organization, but with a broader mandate.  This Canadian network is a collaboration between the Pacific Biological Station and the Vancouver Aquarium.  In the past, interested members of the public reported sightings of all forms of whales, dolphins and porpoises to one or the other of the above mentioned organizations.  Canadian sightings should now be sent to the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network. 

In reference to a story about PCB contamination in the Seattle area a US member of Orca Network asked "What good will all our efforts do when Victoria, BC is dumping raw sewage into the straits?! How can we get the Canadian Government to do something!!" The Orca Network folks mention the recent formation of a Victoria based organization, POOP or People Opposed to Outfall Pollution (8.). The mission of this group is to have fun while educating the public about the problems of dumping raw sewage into the Juan de Fuca Strait and to raise money to build a sewage treatment plant. Half of the funds raised is put into a trust fund while the other half is used for the group's operations.

Perhaps some of you have already heard about POOP, but it was news to your editor! Let us hope that their tactics work, and soon.


RECENT BACK ISSUES OF THE ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

        September, 2004
        June, 2004
        April, 2004
        December, 2003
 
 

FOOTNOTES

1.   http://www.cps-ecp.ca/english/index.html
2.   http://www.boatwashington.org/carbon_monoxide.htm
3.   http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=54253
4.   http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20041118/opinion/33490.shtml
5.   http://www.orcanetwork.org/news/news.html
6.   http://www.orcanetwork.org/index.html
7.   http://www.wildwhales.org/
8.   http://www.digdeeper.net/poop/
 
 


 

Editor:  Lt Fran Rose (S)  Phone:  629-2060  E-Mail:  frose at cablelan dot net
URL:  http://www.cablelan.net/frose/PIPS.html