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Cat TalesMarch 1998 |
Wayne Savage, Commodore
It seems as if spring is
here, or at least was here, and thoughts are turning to getting ready for the
sailing season. Sanding and painting the bottom; installing new electronics and
other gear; engine tune-up; cleaning and repairing sails; discussing
modifications and improvements with other sailors and experts. Yes, there's
just so much to do. Could we have at least one nice weekend so that I can get
some of it done?
Planning for this spring's events is well underway. The
Flag Raising Brunch invitations to past members have already been sent out, and
most appear to have been delivered, with only 11 of 124 having been returned as
of this writing. For those of you who know some the former members, this may a
good opportunity to give them a call about attending and letting them know we
would love to have them help us kick start the new sailing season.
We
are also beginning to hear and read reports about the Whitbread celebrations to
be held in Baltimore and Annapolis in late April and early May. As noted
elsewhere in this newsletter, the CCYC annual Ice Breaker coincides with the
re-start of the Whitbread on May 3rd. Bill Weeks will be leading the
preparations for a land/sea party on Saturday, followed by a "View the Start
from the Bay" on Sunday. A great way to celebrate the first Whitbread event in
the Chesapeake.
Yes, the CCYC sailing season is almost here, and we look
forward to seeing you all at these early events and on the Bay this summer.
Bill Weeks will be speaking on Batteries, Chargers, and
Electrical Systems. Bill has been "rewiring" Fortnight III, so
come for the Lessons Learned.
Mark your calendar for the 20th of March
at the Fleet Reserve Club in Annapolis. Join club members for dinner at 6:00 PM
by calling 410-263-4614 for reservations, then join the pre-meeting social at
7:30 upstairs.
The CCYC Spring Flag-raising Brunch will be Saturday, April
4th at 9:00 AM. Jeanne Helldorfer has arranged for our brunch to be at the Deep
Creek Restaurant and Marina in Arnold, MD this year. You should have received
your invitation by now. Please mail the enclosed card with your check to Joan
Savage, our treasurer, at your earliest convenience, but no later than March
25th. We've also invited many past members, so it's also a reunion. Please join
us and let's catch up - it's time to get a start on the new sailing season and
have a nice brunch with a water view.
The speaker will be Tom Dove, the
Technical Editor for Chesapeake Bay Magazine and contributing writer for many
other magazines, among other accomplishments. He's a captivating speaker and
his not-to-be-missed topic will be "Shooting Your Boat" - with a camera. All
the information to capture the perfect picture for that perfect spot on the
wall.
We're looking forward to seeing you again!
Joan & Wayne Savage, Second
Wind
Dr. John Gregory of West Marine, former Professor of
Electrical Engineering at Sanford University and world sailor, spoke about
marine VHS and GPS technology at the February 20th meeting. While at Stanford
he taught and did research and development work on the GPS system and marine
radio communications. Dr. Gregory and his wife Donna have been sailing on their
boat, Arcadian, in many waters around the world, including Australia, the West
Coast, and the Caribbean, with significant time in the Bahamas. This
combination of theoretical and practical experience provides "Dr. John" with a
wealth of insight into solving the electronic problems we all face.
Dr.
John discussed radio communication and GPS operations on sailboats, focusing on
types of problems faced by boaters, and possible solutions. Of particular
interest was his discussion of antenna "tuning" by assuring cable lengths were
multiples of ½ or 1 l (wavelengths) from the antenna to the radio. He
also discussed tuning of the antenna itself to optimize performance at the
normal club communication frequency (channel 72). He noted that any break in
the insulator on radio cables could reduce operating performance significantly.
Noise on DC lines can also be the source of radio problems, calling for use of
filters to dampen out noise generated by the engine or other
sources.
When discussing GPS he noted that the accuracy of the system
averages 165', with a maximum error of 300'. This inherent error (without
differential capability) has several practical meanings, one of which is that
when using GPS-driven navigation, one must be careful when approaching an area
with rapid depth reduction. You may think you are hundreds of feet from the
shallows while actually about ready to go aground. Hence, good planning is
appropriate; using appropriate corrections to waypoints that could be a problem
is a great preventative measure.
Dr. Gregory presents technical seminars
at West Marine stores in the Annapolis area. Topics include depth sounders,
fish finders, radar, VHF radio, single sideband radio, product evaluations and
how to get the most from your electronics. To get more information on
schedules, call the West Marine store nearest you.
Bill Wesley, True Blew
First clean the
prop to a shinny condition. Then coat the prop with a mixture of Interlux
353-354 in equal proportions - no thinning. Then re-coat the prop with two
coats of bottom paint. This coating will keep your prop clean for the whole
year!
Gerry Helldorfer is planning a CCYC sailing event to
circumnavigate the Delmarva. This would be an opportunity to experience a
relatively short nonstop cruise with an offshore leg. The idea is to put
together a group of 2-3 boats and crews and sail nonstop from Annapolis north
on the Chesapeake, through the C&D canal, down the Delaware Bay and into
the Atlantic; continuing in the ocean to the mouth of the Chesapeake and back
up the Bay to Annapolis.
This trip is about 200 miles, with the leg from
Lewes, Delaware to Cape Charles offshore. The boats would sail as a group and
the crews would practice the things common to an offshore trip. Each boat would
have a crew of 4 to 6. The trip takes about 4 days and would probably start on
a Thursday in June.
If you might be interested in joining this trip,
please let Gerry, Wayne Savage or me know. This trip must be planned well in
advance and there are preparations necessary for the boats and the crews.
Depending on the number of boats available and members interested in
participating, openings may be limited.