August, 2001 Chartroom Chatter

Commodore's Corner

Ray C. Littleton

This year is certainly going by fast. It seems only a couple of months ago it was CBYCA elections, but sure enough, it has been a year. I would like to thank the nominating committee chaired by IP/C Don Antos for putting together a fine slate for the coming year. This organization keeps getting more professional every year.

I encourage all CBYCA Delegates to attend this meeting, as the Corinthian Yacht Club really going "all out" for this meeting, as you can see by the flyer attached to this issue.

The legislative issues have really been busy throughout the year and we are still getting involved with new state committees as fast as they can create them. Thanks to the efforts of our State Legislative Directors.

Weather-wise it has really been a great summer for boating and I hope all of you are as proud of the Chesapeake Bay as I am. The improved conditions of the Chesapeake Bay each year can, I believe, be attributed to your continuing efforts.

See you around the Chesapeake Bay.

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Rear Commodore's Report

Kenneth W. Bean

There is still a limited supply of burgee placemats available at a cost of $2.00 each, or four for $7.00. They make a colorful addition to a boat or kitchen table and are a great conversation piece. A few copies of the CYBCA Chartroom Chatter Roster Issue are still available for a donation of $10.00 per copy.

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Qualifications Officer Report

Betty Stahler

A list of participating yacht clubs with dockage/electric costs and accommodations has been mailed to all Member Club Commodores. I want to thank the Commodores that responded to my request for dockage information and would encourage those not listed to send me your clubs information. I will publish additional dockage information in the Chartroom Chatter as I receive them.

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Maryland Legislative Report

Charles Tulip, Jr., DSLMD

Cove Point LNG Facility Reopening

The Staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has released its environmental analysis report on the reopening of Cove Point to ship borne LNG deliveries. (I received my copy on 19 July 2001.) The FERC staff's recommendation is: "Based on the above environmental analysis, Cove Point's application and supplements, and implementation of our recommended mitigation measures in this EA [environmental assessment], we have determined that if Cove Point reactivates the facilities, approval of this request would not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. We recommend that the Commission Order contain a finding of no significant impact and include the mitigation measures listed below as conditions to any Certificate the Commission may issue."

Comment on the report must be received by FERC by 17 August 2001. Copies of the report can be gotten from the FERC website at http://www.ferc.gov and seeking Docket Number: CP01-76-000. In addition, a public meeting will be held on Thursday, 2 August 2001 at 1900 in the Holiday Inn in Solomons, MD.

Because the FERC report is so new, the State of Maryland has not completed it's review as this article is written. Their comment, finding, etc., will be discussed at the August Delegates meeting at the Corinthian Yacht Club.

The Coast Guard has responded to our letter campaign that they hold a public meeting before they promulgate the navigation rules related to the possible reopening of the Cove Point Facility. They will be holding that meeting on 23 August 2001 from 1530 to 1900 at the Holiday Inn in Solomons MD. At that meeting they will outline their process and answer any questions posed.

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No Discharge Zones (NDZ) in Maryland

On 27 June 2001, I attended a meeting hosted by the MD DNR to present their request to the EPA for two NDZ's - one is Herring Bay and the other is the Coastal Bays north of Ocean City. It seems that the Application will be submitted shortly and, judging from their comments, the EPA will approve them. As far as I could determine the only impact will be on recreational boaters with Type I or II MSD's (Electro-San is a typical such devise). The effective date will be the beginning of the 2002 boating season.

Since raw sewage or waste cannot currently be dumped overboard for the whole Bay, the impact of establishing these NDZ's cannot be but marginal. In addition, there was no clear explanation of how enforcement would be carried-out. The worry is that this and further NDZ's will administratively outlaw Type I and II MSD's in the Bay. When this was raised to the governmental officials present, no clear declaration of future intent was offered. They would only say that these two areas are the only one now under discussion.

As an aside, the DNR said that the pump-out stations in the state have removed over one million gallons of raw sewage from recreational boats in 2000. This represents a significant contribution by recreational boaters to help clean up the Bay. Unfortunately, this is less that one percent of the raw sewage the City of Baltimore dumps into the Patapsco River when ever there is a significant rainfall. We all should make known to the Governor and our Legislators that we are doing our part, and they should assure that the cities and towns along the Bay do theirs.

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Application For Membership

Secretary Rex Beers

Qualifications Officer Betty Stahler has presented the Applications for Membership submitted by Westville Yacht Club to the CBYCA Board of Governors for membership consideration. The Qualifications Officer reported that their Application for Membership and By Laws are in order, and recommends them for membership.

After due consideration, the Board of governors voted to accept the recommendation of the Qualifications Officer to issue notice to all Member Clubs in accordance with Article V, Section 4, Paragraph a. of the CBYCA Constitution and By Laws. It is anticipated that Westville Yacht Club will be voted upon for membership at our August 18, 2001 Delegates Meeting to be held at Corinthian Yacht Club.

Written comments from Member Clubs regarding the applicant Clubs should be directed to Qualifications Officer Betty Stahler within twenty (20) days at the following address: 3003 Mountain Road, Pasadena, MD 21122.

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Queen Of The Chesapeake 2001-2002

On Sunday, June 2, 2001, Miss Candice Ann Steele won the prestigious title of "Queen of the Chesapeake Bay" for the year 2001-2002. Miss Steele, Princess of the Crescent Yacht Club, was one of sixteen young ladies who vied for the title. First runner-up was Miss Ashley Corun, Princess of the Bush River Yacht Club. Second runner-up was Miss Gina Marie DeLuca, Princess of the Outcast Yacht Club. Besides being selected Queen of the Chesapeake Bay, Candice was chosen by the princesses to receive the Miss Congeniality trophy. This was the 54^th anniversary of the competition held annually at the Maryland Yacht Club for clubs that are a member of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Clubs Association. Queen Candice will represent the association of 130 clubs as a goodwill ambassador.

Although each contestant was quite lovely, the selection of a Queen was not based on beauty. The princesses answered a series of questions before an independent panel of judges and were evaluated on poise, presentation and personality. Queen Candice is nineteen years old and is a graduate of the Loch Raven High School class of 2000. She is currently employed at Solatan in Timonium, MD. Miss Steele will be attending Essex Community College and plans to pursue a career in social work. She enjoys working with children and spending time with her family and friends. Miss Steele is the daughter of Don and Joann McDougall.

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Weather

Art Murray CBYCA Safety Committee Chairman

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

One of the most unnerving and frightening things that you can experience when you are out on the water is being caught in a thunderstorm. Even an unexpected and rather sudden severe increase in the force of the wind can cause discomfort and problems, especially with the smaller recreational boats. If you are out in a sail boat and the wind fades away to a dead flat calm, your anticipated pleasure of a day of sailing may be ruined as you break out the paddles or fire up the engine. Should be sky become overcast and rain start to fall, you would have to break out the foul weather gear, if you had any on board, and deal with the misery that rain can bring. Having to close ports and hatches, stow various items under shelter, and maneuver with reduced visibility are just a few of the aggravations that rain can cause. However, you need not be the victim of weather if you know what to expect before you cast off your mooring lines.

There are several sources for weather information. Most daily newspapers display a section describing what the weather is expected to be on a given day, and the five or six days following. Television news programs usually devote some time to weather forecasts and cable television providers usually have a channel that is exclusively dedicated to reporting weather information 24 hours a day. Both AM and FM radio broadcast stations provide periodic weather information. The VHF radio carried on many recreational boats will have one or more weather channels that provide information on current and anticipated weather conditions in local areas. This information is continuously updated and transmitted. There are a variety of small inexpensive battery operated radios that are tuned exclusively to the NOAA weather channels. The telephone is another source of weather information. For example, you can dial 410-936-1212 anytime to receive current weather information for the Baltimore and Annapolis area.

Since there are so many sources for weather information available, there is no excuse for anyone to venture out on the water unprepared. If a cold front is forecast to pass through your area, you can expect a significant change in the weather. They usually bring severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, lightning, strong winds, and a drop in temperature. All of these can occur simultaneously as the front passes. If you are informed that a cold front is expected to pass through your area you would be wise not to go out on the water. If you are already out on the water, you should head for the nearest sheltered harbor, or get your boat ready for heavy weather. When planning a cruise, be it for a day or several days, consider weather in your planning,. And when cruising, keep informed of the weather forecasts. You should enjoy your time on the water and not be surprised by a sudden change in the weather that could make conditions unpleasant or even unsafe.

Boater Voter Coalition
Jerry Donofrio, Chairman

The ongoing BVC project, DE Clean Sweep, is still in Congressional Committee and moving forward according to staff sources of Congressman Rob Andrews. DE (Delaware Estuary) Clean Sweep is the vision of BVC Chairman Jerry Donofrio to have the Army Corps of Engineers remove debris from the tidal area of the Delaware River. The project has now expanded to include the area from Trenton to the mouth of the River a distance of over 60 miles. The project would also include a private/public partnership of boaters, landside volunteers and governments working to remove shoreline accumulations of debris.

The project is supported by the local Army Corps Command and currently rests in the House Armed Services Committee. The project may exceed the proposed $2.5 million announced during the April Earth Day news conference held in Camden by the Congressman. The project has bi-partisan support of Pennsylvania and New Jersey Congressman. Funding is being sought for the Army Corps to conduct a study of the problem to substantiate the projects anticipated need. Once the funding is secured the project will start to move in the year 2003-2004.

Gas Tax Rebate for boat gas purchases made in New Jersey is still a hot ticket item. The BVC will be conducting a search for sponsors to move the project into a bill for the Fall startup of the Legislative season. With all the political drool and froth ebbing from the mouths of this year's incumbents we should have the political hopefuls banging on our door for fodder to fuel their campaigns. Recently, Chairman Donofrio was interviewed by Boat US, for an article to appear in the September issue. The article will feature information on Gas Tax Rebates.

BOATER VOTER COALITION WEBSITE http:/SPORT.NJ.COM/SPORT/BOATERVOTER
Jerry Donofrio Sr., Chairman
11 Needlepoint Lane
Willingboro, NJ 08046
Tel 609-877-2561 voice mail box #3
Visit our Boater Voter Coalition Web Page !!!!
Information on Boating in New Jersey and PA.
Join The BVC. http://sport.nj.com/sport/boatervoter

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Personal Flotation Devices for Children

The number of drowning deaths of children involved in recreational boating has been decreasing in recent years. Statistics on boating accidents have shown that the rate of children drowning in states that require children to wear personal flotation devices (PFD's) is significantly lower than that of states that do not. By the end of 1995, 26 states had enacted regulations that required children to wear a PFD while aboard a recreational boat underway. The number of states that had enacted such regulations increased to 36 by the end of 1999. However, these regulations are not all consistent from state to state. They apply to children of different ages, while aboard boats of different sizes, and engaged in different activities. The age of children specified in these regulations can range from 12 years of age downward.

A new Maryland law applies to all children under seven years of age. This law requires such children to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved type I, II, III, or V PFD while on a recreational vessel under twenty-one feet in length when the vessel is underway. The PFD must be of the proper size for the child, and must be in good and serviceable condition. This law does not apply when such a vessel is moored, or at anchor, or when the child is below deck in an enclosed cabin. There are a wide variety of PFD's available for children. So there should be little difficulty in finding one that will be satisfactory for any child. Some children may object to wearing a PFD, but in time they should get used to doing so. It took some time for people to get used to wearing a seat belt when underway in an automobile, but now it is taken for granted.

Until recently, the use of inflatable PFD's was restricted to adults. The U.S. Coast Guard has now approved child sized inflatables manufactured by the SoSpenders Company. Approval of inflatable PFD's for children by other manufacturers is sure to follow. Inflatable PFD's are much more comfortable to wear and should overcome any objections a child might have to wearing a PFD. The inflatable type of PFD usually provides more buoyancy than the average type II and III PFD's and some are designed to inflate automatically when the wearer enters the water. In addition to having children wear a proper PFD, the prudent skipper should encourage any handicapped passenger to also wear a PFD while underway on a recreational vessel. An ounce of prevention can go a long way to avoid a tragedy.

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2001 CBYCA Meeting Schedule

Mark Your Calendars!

Please be prompt with your articles. It makes our job easier.

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Nominating Committee Report

IPC Donald Antos, Chairman

The 2002 Nominating Committee consists of P/C Tom Gorman, Tom Mannion, Dan Pfister, P/C Harry Seeback and IP/C Don Antos, Chairman. As required by the CBYCA Constitution and By Laws, Article IV, Section 7, the committee has assembled a slate of candidates for the 2002 elective offices to be voted on at the August 2001 Delegates meeting. The candidates noted below agree to be nominated for their respective office and if elected agree to serve to the best of their ability.

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