Leeward Ho!

General/Travel, People, ,

A short report from the Squadron’s Executive Officer – John Mason.

There’s snow on the ground.  It’s cold outside.  Time for some winter boating!  John and Pauline Mason, and grandson Xavier, took a March charter out of Sint Maarten.  Well we, and 158 others, ‘chartered’ a cabin on one of Star Clippers 370 foot boats.  Have you seen the ad in the Canadian Yachting that comes with a membership to CPS?  Take a peek a page 95, April; that’s the four mast clipper we were on. (Editors note – it’s Star Clippers through Europa Travel and Tours, here’s a link to their website.)

Pauline and I have been on three river cruises in Europe; this was different but just as good.  Our state room had a queen size bed, a bunk for Xavier, and a bathroom with shower.  Quite big enough for the trip.

St. Maarten, Nevis, Dominica, Les Saints, Guadeloupe, St. Barts. Each day we stopped on one of six leeward islands.  As well as possible tours ashore there were options for rafting down a river, zip lining through tropical forests, snorkeling through reefs, that kind of thing; or you could stay with the boat for wine tasting, water sports, including a ride to a nearby beach to swim and snorkel. The days could be full.

The week on the boat can best be summed up by Xavier who said day after day, “This is the best day of my life!”  His best days included tubing down the rapids, climbing the mast, learning to scuba, (he reported he could live underwater) and, even I have to admit, some of the very best meals.  There was a choice of three chef prepared dinners each day. If chicken, Chateaubriand or lobster were not to your taste, there was a steak or veggie dish.  Five or six meals or snacks through the day – just what a growing boy needs.

Pauline and I agree it was an excellent trip AND the Green Flash exists.  As I climbed down from the mast I stopped to see the sunset.  After years of watching for it, it happened.  A small flash of green in the center of an orange Sun. I saw it.

I am ready to do it again.

To get out of the way of hurricanes and catch the lucrative Mediterranean market, the boats are repositioned twice a year.  I have always looked forward to sailing across the Atlantic and I now think this would be a way to go.  Want to come with me?

Up, up and Away

caribbean 2013 390 caribbean 2013 383

Great Lakes Data Resource

Boating Information Links, Environmental / Weather, ,

I was provided information by Gerry Shipman of Sound Boat Works and a squadron member concerning ice coverage maps for the Great Lakes a month ago, and promptly forgot about it.

With a little bit of digging I’ve managed to find the site the map was sourced from at the NOAA (US – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency). This site has lots of other information that will be of interest to squadron members including winds, waves, surface currents and much more.

There is also specific information on Lake Huron including Georgian Bay. I’ve pasted a screen clipping from one of the composite Lake Huron pages. If you go to the page you will be able to click on the individual maps for a larger image and more detail. It’s worth a look. I’ve placed a link directly from the image below to the corresponding web page in case you want to take a closer look.

NOAA_GL_Snap

Low Water Meeting Reports

Boating News, Events and Presentations, Information/Reports,

Provided below is a list of the many documents that were prepared before and after the low water meeting that was held February 6th in Parry Sound. This meeting involved the Mayors, Chiefs and Reeves of Parry Sound and the surrounding communities. I was unable to attend because the meeting was closed to all but participants and the ‘official media’. But the North Star did a nice summary of the meeting, here’s a link to their article if you haven’t seen it already.

The Town of Parry Sound has, since the meeting, posted up the meeting report, the agreed meeting resolution, and the various presentations. You can access the town’s webpage through this link. Or you can open the individual documents through the links below. The Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron has ‘inventoried’ these documents on this site to ensure continued access to them. Also note that the Town of Parry Sound webpage has a very useful link to the Township of the Archipelago’s website where there are associated documents on the low water issue.

Here are the links to the individual documents hosted on this site related to the low water discussions. They are also available on the Town of Parry Sound’s website through this link.

Mayors, Reeves, Chiefs, Meeting Notes
Mayors, Reeves, Chiefs, Meeting Resolution
Archipelago Presentation
Georgian Bay Association Presentation
Owen Sound Meeting Notes
Midland Meeting Notes

Flotsam and Jetsam – Late January Edition

General/Travel

Here are a couple of items that might not have floated past your field of view in the last couple of weeks. Let me know if you have any other items that may be of interest to this blog’s readers. (communications@parrysoundsquadron.ca)

For the Romantics: 30 Beautifully Haunting Shipwrecks From Around the World

For the Masochists: All You Need in a Boat: An 8-Foot Hot Tub and Four Coolers

And here is a scene from the past summer in the Parry Sound area to remind you how lucky we are to have access to the some of the finest boating waters in the world. The scene will be very familiar to many of you.

Parry Sound Sunset

Does Someone Need A Power Squadron Refresher?

Boating News, Courses/Training, Uncategorized, , ,

A couple of recent marine accidents make me wonder if some of the professionals need to take a Power and Sail Squadron refresher course. Perhaps navigation?

In the first case a professional pilot working in San Francisco Bay crashed an empty oil tanker into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Apparently the damage was ‘relatively’ minor, but it is still somewhere north of $500,000. The pilot in question has had a few more ‘oops’ events in the last few years. Looks like he could use a navigation refresher. Here are some details.

The second more serious accident happened in New York City as one of the commuter ferries rammed into the dock injuring at least 57 people, 11 of them seriously. There may be some extenuating circumstances, but it still would be good for them to take a refresher. Here is a link to more information.

Taking a course with the Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron is a great way to learn important navigation and boat handling skills from experienced boaters and sailors. Here’s a link to more for more information.

Parry Sound October 2012