September, 2001 Chartroom Chatter
August was a busy month for many clubs, including CBYCA. It started with the Easter Seals Duck Derby and the Wacky Duck Yacht Club Race. Over $95,000 was raised in the one day event, and I am happy to report that the yacht clubs raised over $4000. In addition to the Adopt a Duck program we had 11 yacht clubs sign-up for the Wacky Duck Yacht Club Race of which seven showed up for the contest. The winners were Belvedere Yacht Club, Marley Boat Club and Maryland Cruising Club. Everyone who attended had a good time and many are planning to attend next year. Most of the major sponsors are also looking forward to next year and are hoping to double the amount raised for Easter Seals. It really is for a good cause.
The CBYCA had their Delegates Meeting at Corinthian Yacht Club. I have been to many clubs over the years, but none surpasses the hospitality we were shown at Corinthian. Neither the Commodore nor any of their members could do enough for us. Everything was great and all day long they kept bragging about their steak dinners as "being the best steaks in St. Mary's County", and they were right. Thank you Commodore Ronald Ryland and all your members for being such good hosts.
As you know at the August meeting we elected the new officers for the coming year and I want to acknowledge IP/C Donald Antos and his committee for putting together one of the best slates of Officers and Board Members we have had in years. The CBYCA keeps getting better, stronger and more organized each year. Congratulations to Commodore Elect Joe Hellner, Vice Commodore Elect Ken Bean, Rear Commodore Elect Betty Stahler, Legislative Director Elect Tim Abel, and all the other Board Members.
At the same time we were having our elections, the DRYL was having their Queen Pageant. CBYCA had some of our local board members there to represent us and MAL John Garlotta to fill in for me. Also in attendance was our Queen of the Chesapeake -Candice Steele and a group of Princesses from several clubs. Next year I hope we won't have these two events on the same date.
This past weekend was the famous and historic Galley Slaves Weekend. Fun was had by all who attended and Crescent Yacht Club did it again. Not only do they have the Queen of the Chesapeake but they now have the Queen of the Galley Slaves. This coming year more clubs will have to get involved so Crescent can't do this again.
WOULD YOUR CLUB LIKE TO HOST A CBYCA BOARD or DELEGATES MEETING NEXT YEAR? I am looking for clubs that would like to host our meetings next year. There are a total of four delegate and six board meetings. We prefer that a lunch be available. If your club is interested please contact me by e-mail or at the phone number listed on the back of the front cover.
U.S. Coast Guard Public Meeting on the Cove Point LNG Facility The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) held a public meeting on the maritime regulations related to the re-opening of the Cove Point LNG facility to ship borne deliveries on Thursday, 23 August 2001, from 1530 to 1900. They were there to answer questions and to discuss their proposed recommendations on whether the Chesapeake Bay is suitable for LNG tankers of 950 to 1,000 feet in length. The discussions took place in three rooms in which these topics were be covered: 1) Issues related to ship transit in the Chesapeake Bay, 2) Issues related to the transfer of the LNG at the Cove Point pier, and 3) Environmental issues and miscellaneous topics.
The final two hours were devoted to oral comments from the public. The CBYCA submitted a statement where we asked that a plan be established to apprize boaters of the transit of these very large ships. We suggested that it would be appropriate for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on their "unscheduled marine information" broadcast system. In conversations with the USCG people after the meeting, they seemed receptive to the idea and indicated they would consider it seriously.
In a few months the USCG will issue its letter of recommendation regarding the suitability of the Chesapeake Bay for the transit of the LNG ships to Cove Point. Based on the fact that ships were used in the early 1980's, it is likely that the Chesapeake Bay will be found suitable. After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issues a certificate for resuming ship borne LNG and the related construction as proposed by the Williams Company (the owner of Cove Point LNG Facility), the USCG will review the Williams Operations Plan and their Response Management Plan. Unless something unusual arises, these probably will be approved.
At that time, any exclusion zones will be approved. Based on conversations with the USCG, the zone around the pier will probably not be larger than current one shown on the Chesapeake Bay charts. In conversation with USCG Boston, the transit exclusion zone currently in use for the LNG facility in Boston is 2 miles ahead, 1 mile astern and 50 yards along side. They are in the process of reducing the ahead zone to one mile. The CPO in Boston said that they had not recently received complaints about the LNG ships in Boston Harbor. He said that there is a pilot and a vessel mover manager aboard as the ship moves in the Boston Harbor and up the Charles River. He remarked that they suggest that any recreational boater who is near one of the ships should monitor channel 13 to keep abreast of what the ship and tugs are doing.
I managed to talk with three yacht clubs that have facilities within 3 miles of the LNG facility about their experiences with these large ships. None of them said the ships caused any problems for them. They seem to just avoid them and all other large ships in Boston Harbor.
The State of Maryland will probably not make any adverse comments on the FERC Environmental assessment. They will probably limit their comments to urging that the Federal process be a "seamless" one rather than the current separate reviews by FERC and the USCG.
Maryland Boat Act Revision Committee Meeting
The Ad Hoc Committee to Recommend Revisions to the Maryland Boat Act met for the first time on 14 August 2001. Bruce Gilmore of DNR chaired the meeting. Present were: from the DNR the head of their licensing operation and the two fellows in charge of hunting down boats in Maryland waters who have not paid the Maryland Boat Excise Tax, two boat dealers/brokers, Chris Washburn of the Washburn Boat Yard in the Solomon's, and Beth Kahr, Alan Black and Jack Neil of MTAM.
The thrust of the act is collection of the excise tax and how boats are licensed and titled. The major issue for the industry was how long a boat can remain in Maryland after a sale before the tax is due. It seems that Washburn does a lot of commissioning and repair business where boats are in his yard for four to six months. He does not want to lose that business if the law becomes more stringent. The DNR Atax@ folks were zealous about collecting as much revenue as possible. The industry folks said that overall money spent in the state will be less if the tax is rigorously collected as the larger (and Abig spending@) boats avoid Maryland yards. This was partially agreed to by the DNR folks and there were a couple of action items for the next meeting, 18 September 2001.
As an aside: the DNR tax police currently Ahave on watch@ 700 boats in the Annapolis/Baltimore area. Last year they assessed tax on 74 boats (from which they assessed $1.8 million in tax and penalty, and collected $1.4 million) -- of which they lost only one on appeal B from the A maintenance and repair scam@ B the main reason DNR wants the law changes. It's hard to see what might come of this. It appears that the industry feels that they have enough clout to keep anything they don=t like from happening. (It seemed that the DNR people, other than the tax police, agreed with that.)
Proposed Maritime Regulations for Annapolis Waters
I attended a meeting of the Annapolis City Maritime Advisory Board. This is a group of citizens appointed by the mayor of Annapolis to review proposed maritime regulations for the waters of the city. The main focus of the discussion was a proposal by the Annapolis Harbor Master's Office to tighten-up anchoring regulations and give the harbor master "ticketing" authority. The committee was generally in favor of the proposal, but has several "wording" problems. Also, they expressed the fear that stiffer regulations, vigorously enforced would damage Annapolis' image as a "boater friendly" city. The Harbor Master assured them that was not the case and the regulations were only to make Annapolis more "boater friendly." The matter was taken under advisement by the committee.
More on No Discharge Zones (NDZ)
In the Annapolis Evening Capital of 20 August 2001, page A 4, published an article about the level of Chesapeake Bay sewer discharges of raw sewage into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The article stated that from 1997 to May 2000, Northern Virginia reported 842 spills that released 241 million gallons of raw sewage; DC annually has about 75 spills that release 3 billion gallons of raw sewage; and Maryland has had at least 2,340 spills that released 418 million gallons of raw sewage. The article reported that spills are so common around Cumberland, MD that "...officials were surprised when the state told them last fall that they had to start notifying the public." Compare this with the minuscule amounts boaters may discharge; and with the fact that the Maryland DNR has said that boaters had over a million gallons of waste pumped from their holding tanks in 2000.
All of us in Maryland and Virginia should be contacting the Governor and our legislators to demand that immediate action be taken to 1) Stop this pollution of the Chesapeake By and 2) Stop singling out the recreational boater for stringent and onerous rules until the rest of the public house is in order.
State of Virginia Coordination
Coordination and liaison continues with both the Senate and House of Delegates through interaction with Senator John Chichester and Delegate Bill Howell and their staff members. Currently there are no pending bills in the Virginia State Senate or House of Delegates to evaluate and track. There is some indication that some pre-filing of bills may occur. I will continue to pursue. Additionally, Delegate Howell indicated that several inquiries have been received by Legislative Services. Specifically, inquiries about regulatory markers (no wake) on Smith Mountain Lake and whether or not the Virginia State Code requires that convictions for driving a motor vehicle under the influence automatically impacts the privilege to operate a boat or vice-versa. These are just inquiries, which are a long way from being considered as possible legislation.
Phase 1. Twenty-nine applications were received for consideration for BIG grants. Of these, several included both Tier 1 and Tier 2 requests, so there were actually more than 29 applications reviewed by the Virginia Source Selection Committee. Fourteen applications were forwarded to the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service, which totaled grant requests for $1.46M. Matching funds from the individual facilities totaled $804K. Information about grant approvals is expected this week.
Phase 2. Applications are now being accepted with a deadline of 31 August. The Source Selection Committee will meet in Richmond on 11 September to evaluate those applications submitted for this phase. Two Phase 2 applications have been received to date.
Reducing pollution in Virginia's coastal waterways by helping marinas and recreational boaters become more environmentally sensitive is the goal of this state voluntary program. Currently, 17 marinas are actively pursuing this program with about a 1000 more eligible to apply. These marinas are:
On 13 July, Mr. David G. Brickley, the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Mr. Mark Slauter, Coastal NPS Coordinator, visited the Aquia Harbour Marina to present the CBYCA (DSLVA) with a framed Clean Marina Pledge Plaque in appreciation of the support provided by the CBYCA. During the Potomac River Yacht Clubs Association Annual Float In at Ft Washington Marina, Mr. Harrison Bresee, of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, provided a display, which provided public information about this program. This Clean Marina Event was coordinated, in part, by the PRYCA and the CBYCA.
Art Murray CBYCA Safety Committee Chairman
The April/May 2001 issue of the Small Craft Advisory featured some articles concerned with law enforcement regarding the operation of a vessel while under the influence of alcohol. In of these articles covered the Oregon State Marine Board's campaign of public service announcements against Boating Under the Influence using radio, television and print media to reach the public. In addition to other announcements, they placed the following ad in the Boats for Sale section of various newspapers:
This subtle ad got the message to many of the boating public that getting caught boating under the influence can be expensive as well as embarrassing.
There is good reason why various law enforcement agencies are trying by every means to discourage people from consuming alcoholic beverages while operating a boat. Alcohol can have an adverse effect on people. Balance is one of the first things one loses when consuming alcohol. Coordination of arm and leg movements diminishes as the amount of alcohol consumed increases. There is an adverse effect on vision. The ability to distinguish between red and green lights is reduced. Peripheral vision can be reduced to the point where one can only see objects directly ahead, in other words, tunnel vision. Objects become blurred or are hard to distinguish. A person operating under the influence will experience a feeling of euphoria which can result in poor judgment and increase the likelihood of taking risks that a sober person would never consider. The rate at which the brain can process information decreases as the amount of alcohol consumed increases. If an intoxicated boater suddenly finds himself in a dangerous situation, he may not be able to react quickly enough to avoid a disaster.
Most states have established 0.08% of blood alcohol content (BAC) as the level at which a person is considered intoxicated to a degree where that person cannot safely operate a boat or vehicle. The amount of alcoholic beverage a person must consume to reach a 0.08% BAC will vary by the body weight of a person. Consider a 12 oz. can of beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine, or a 1 oz. shot of 80 proof liquor as one drink. A person who weighs 100 pounds and consumes three drinks in a two hour period will usually exceed a 0.08%BAC. A person weighting 240 pounds will approach that BAC when consuming six drinks in a two hour period. The normal fatigue induced after some hours on the water by exposure to sun and wind can only be compounded by the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Be wise, boat safely, boat sober.
Pennsylvania Boating Association
Southeastern Pennsylvania
Rex Beers - http://sport.nj.com/sport/pba
E-Mail pbase2000@juno.com
Fishing Skills Instruction Program Looks to Hook Women
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the Hemlock Girl Scout Council are teaming together to offer a first-of-it's-kind class to teach fishing skills instruction to women. The program will be held September 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Huntington, Pennsylvania. Participation is free and is open to women eighteen years of age or older. While the class is not a fishing clinic, per se - instead, focusing on techniques for teaching others to fish - previous fishing experience is not a prerequisite. All attendees will receive instruction on the basics of fishing, equipment and aquatic ecology. All necessary equipment will be provided. This training is perfect for women interested in teaching fishing skills to summer campers, scouts, or youth groups. Those who successfully complete the class will be certified to teach the Commissionn's S.M.A.R.T. Angler classes and will receive lesson plans, sample activities, resources and access to equipment. The class is the first instructor training the Commission has targeted specifically at females. "We would like for more Pennsylvanians to get out and enjoy our 'common wealth', but not everyone has the background and skills necessary to participate in outdoor sports like fishing and boating. Women have traditionally been under-represented in many outdoor activities. Workshops such as this one provide women with the opportunity to learn skills that will help them to have a safer and more enjoyable time in the outdoors while building self-confidence and competence," said PFBC Aquatic Program Specialist Laurel Garlicki, who will lead the course. In recent years, companies have realized the opportunity for profit the largely untapped female market represents. "Women now represent the fastest growing market for outdoor equipment and clothing," Garlicki said. "Having more women involved in outdoor pursuits is also important to natural resource agencies like the PFBC because women play a big role in influencing the ideas and activities of the future generations," she added. Pre-registration for the program is required. For more information, or to register, contact Garlicki at (814) 359-5193 or via e-mail at lgarlicki@state.pa.us.
Nominations Sought for Abele Conservation Heritage Award
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is seeking nominations for the 2001 Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award. The Ralph W Abele Conservation Heritage Award is the highest recognition the PFBC can confer on persons who distinguish themselves in the cause of conservation. The PFBC established the Abele Award to recognize citizens of Pennsylvania who have made outstanding contributions to the protection, conservation and enhancement of the aquatic resources of the Commonwealth. The award serves a memorial to Ralph W. Abele, longtime Commission Executive Director, for his steadfast and courageous work in protecting and conserving our natural resources. The Abele Award is presented to a Pennsylvanian who has dedicated his or her time and energy to the conservation of the state's natural resources, specifically the aquatic resources, through one or more of the following accomplishments:
Employees and active Commissioners of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission are not eligible for this award, but they are encouraged to submit nominations. Nominations may be sent to Dennis Guise, Deputy Executive Director/Chief Counsel, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, P.O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000 by no later than September 10, 2001. The nominations should describe, in a maximum of three typewritten pages, the following:
Past Abele Award winners include notables such as Ken Sink, Dr. Maurice Goddard, Lenny Gree, Dr. William Kodrich, Robert W. McCullough, Jr., Peter Dunca, James L. Myers, Larry J. Schweiger and Enoch S. ("Inky") Moore.
The results of the election of the 2002 CBYCA officers at the Delegates Meeting held at the Corinthian Yacht Club on Saturday 18, 2001 was as follows:.
| Position | Name | Home Club |
| Commodore | Joseph H. Hellner | Belvedere Yacht Club |
| Vice Commodore | Kenneth W. Bean | Marley Boat Club |
| Legislative Director | Timothy R. Abel | Prince William Yacht Club |
| Rear Commodore | Betty A. Stahler | Maryland Cruising Club |
| Qualifications Officer | Faye Broseker | Riverside Yacht Club of MD |
|
Directors of State Legislation: |
||
| Maryland | Charles Tulip, Jr. | Kent Island Yacht Club |
| Virginia | David L. Goodman | Aquia Harbor Yacht Club |
| DE/NJ/PA | Rex Beers | Ren-Del Yacht Club |
| Secretary | Karen Anderson | North East River Yacht Club |
| Treasurer | Donald H. Burton | Outcast Yacht Club |
| Publicity Director | Robert A Gattone | Happy Hour Yacht Club |
|
Members at Large: |
||
| Delaware River/NJ | Johnn Garlotta | Happy Hour Yacht Club |
| MD Eastern Shore/DE | Joseph Skinner | Harbour North Yacht Club |
| North of Baltimore | Don Parsons | Charlestown Yacht Club |
| Baltimore/South of Balt. | Tom Powers | North. Star Hunter Sail. Assn. |
| Southern MD/Annapolis | Norman Overfield | Spring Cove Yacht Club |
| VA/Potomac River/DC | Michael Coffey | Aquia Harbour Yacht Club |
| P/C Penny Orth | National Potomac Yacht Club | |
| P/C Fred Levitan | Chesapeake Sailing Assn. | |
|
Other Elected Officials whose Terms have not expired. |
||
| Nominating Committee
(2001-2003) |
Tom Mannion | Sue Haven Yacht Club |
| Nominating Committee
(2001-2002) |
Dan Pfister, Sr. | Zembo Temple Yacht Club |
| Commodore Ray Littleton will serve as IP/C and Chairman of the Nominating Committee upon completion of his term. | ||
Mark Your Calendars!
| Date | Time | Meeting | Location |
| 15 September | Sat. | 1000 | Board Meeting | Kent Narrows YC |
| 20 October | Sat. | 1000 | Board Meeting | Aquia Harbour YC |
| 17 November | Sat. | 1000
1300 |
Board Meeting
Delegates Meeting |
Belvedere YC |
| 15 December | Sat. | 1000 | Board Meeting | Key YC |
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