hurricane season

Nauti News
Official Publication of the Sassafras River Yacht Club
HURRICANE SEASON
I don’t think any of us need to
be reminded of just how unpredictable and powerful hurricanes
can be. Long range predictions
have often been foiled by Mother Nature.
Many variables go into hurricane
formation, weather patterns like
El Niño and La Niña, wind shear,
and even Saharan desert dust
can affect the development of
tropical storms and hurricanes.
As coastal dwellers all of us have
experienced severe storms
which bring high winds, gallons
of rain, rough seas and the always dreaded tidal surge. Tropical storms and hurricanes however bring all of these features
simultaneously and in high proportions.
The time to consider the impact
of a severe storm is now while
the weather is good. Don’t wait
until the storm is approaching.
being the damage caused by
high winds increases much faster
than its speed.
Applying this to our boats the
thing we want to reduce is referred to as windage or the area
your boat presents to the wind.
The less windage, the less potential for damage.
The less stuff the wind is able to
push around, the safer your boat
will be.
Consider removing sails. Smaller
sailboats might consider removing the mast as well.
Furled headsails have a surprising amount of windage and are
one of the first things damaged
by wind, so they must be taken
down. Not only can they shake
your rig apart but if the wind
unfurls them, they can cause
damage to your neighbor's boat
as well. Mainsails are bulky and
should be removed also.
High Winds – Tropical storms
have winds of at least 39 mph,
while hurricanes start at 74 mph
and have been recorded at more
than 150 mph. What you may
not know is that the relationship
between wind speed and wind
force is exponential, i.e. the
force applied from the wind
nearly quadruples as the wind
speed doubles.
You may also want to consider
removing as much rigging, canvas, and deck gear as possible.
Biminis are sure to get shredded
in a strong storm, so take off the
fabric and the frames. Strip off
outriggers, antennas, running
rigging, booms, life rings, and
dinghies. Remove cowling ventilators and seal the openings.
Now there are a number of variables that can mitigate the force;
given the same wind speed the
force applied to a flat plate
would be greater than that applied to a cylinder or something
with rounded edges. The point
Rain – Heavy rainfall, 6 to 12
inches in 24 hours is not uncommon during a hurricane, and as
much as two feet can fall in a
day. Cockpit scuppers can be
overwhelmed by such torrents.
Boats stored in the water can be
sunk when rainwater backs up in
the cockpit and the weight forces
deck drains underwater, causing
them to backflow.
Make certain cockpit drains are
free-running. If your boat is staying in the water, remove heavy
items from the stern area, such
as anchors, extra fuel tanks, and
kicker motors, so that the cockpit scuppers are higher above
the water. Close all but cockpit
drain seacocks and plug the engine's exhaust port. Seal around
hatches, ports, and lockers to
keep water from getting below.
Seal exposed electronics.
Make sure the bilge pump and
switch work, and that the battery
is topped off. Shore power is not
likely to remain on throughout
the storm. Keep in mind that the
ability of the pump and battery
to remove water is usually greatly overestimated. Small boats
should be covered if possible.
Waves – Large waves can build
quickly. The longer the distance
over which the wind can build up
waves, the bigger the waves.
Waves make boats bounce in
their slips, displacing fenders and
increasing strain on dock lines.
Double up on dock lines, use
chafe guards, deploy extra fenders and/or secure the boat in the
middle of the slip. Smaller boats
can be overwhelmed, especially
if they are stern-to to the waves.
The bow is strongest and least
likely to be overcome by water
and should face into the waves,
if possible.
(continued on page 6)
August 2014
Volume 14 - Issue #4
UPCOMING EVENTS
 CRAB FEAST—Aug 15 – 17

 Marina Mixer #3 - August 30

 Oxford Cruise - Labor Day Weekend - Aug 30
to Sept 1

 Commodore’s Ball - ??
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Captain’s Cabin with
Commodore Joe
2
Ships Stores with
Vice Commodore Barb
2
On the Beach with Rear
Commodore Norm
2
At Sea with
Fleet Captain Sue
4
Chief of the Boat
Secretary Nicki White
2
2014 Board Members
7
Financial
Treasurer John Boyer
7
Nauti News
Page 2
Captain’s Cabin
Time flies when you are having fun! The
Summer seems to be in hyper speed and the
action at SRYC is keeping pace. I want to
thank everyone for their participation in this
season’s activities and events. The Marina
Mixers at Sassafras Harbor and Skipjack were
great fun and successful. It was wonderful to
catch up with current members and also
meet potential members. The club members
who attended “The Night at the Granary”
were treated to some great fun, music, and
not to mention the fantastic food! Thanks for
coming out! Our Fleet Captain Sue Medicus
has led the club to some outstanding loca-
Ship’s Stores
The store will be back for the crab feast.
Please remember that the Ship’s Store
cannot accept credit or debit cards, so
please be prepared to handle all of your
Ship’s Store transactions with cash or
check. We are using Monograms by Trish
for all of our logo items. Peruse the catalogue at www.monogramsbytrish.com.
Items may be purchased at anytime, not
just during Club events, by contacting me
directly by email or phone at: [email protected] or 302-737-7111.
tions to date and we are looking forward to
the upcoming cruises. Thanks Sue and Bob for
your leadership! Please contact Sue if you
want to get in on the open cruises for the
2014 season.
Did you say “Dinghy Poker Run”? Wow what a
great turnout and super job by Cheryl Murphy
and Steve Bartelt. The clouds cleared, the sun
came out, and what a day the club had! Thank
you Cheryl and Steve! The day’s fun did not
end there. SRYC had a ten boat raft out at
“$1.98 beach”. We had a fabulous time, great
camaraderie, and even dogs floated out on
rafts. “We have to do this again” was heard
throughout the evening as the Sassafras sunset did not disappoint us. Thank you for com-
ing out and participating!
Rear Commodore Norm Miron has a
great location and day planed for the
club at the Crab Feast. Please contact
Norm for information and to lend a
hand in the day’s events. Helena and I
are looking forward to seeing everyone in Rock Hall.
Safe Seas,
Commodore Joe Lynch
On the Beach
The 2014 Crab Fest is fast approaching . Remember this year it
is at Sailing Emporium in Rock
Hall . I know everyone will enjoy
the new location and all of the
amenities that they offer. Have a
wonderful time !
Thank you.
Rear Commodore Norm Miron
Barbara Burlingame
Rear Commodore
Yacht Club Reciprocity
As a card-carrying member of a yacht club, you are usually
entitled to special courtesies from other yacht clubs around
the country as well as on the Chesapeake Bay. These courtesies may range from simply being allowed to enter their facilities, to discounts on slip rentals. SRYC Officers have CBYCA
roster books which have information on member yacht clubs
on the Chesapeake Bay area. Contact a SRYC officer for more
information.
Chief of the Boat
Hard to believe that it’s already August!
Where did the time go?? We’ve had a great
season – so far – with our land and cruise
activities.
I don’t know about you but I can hardly wait
to get to Sailing Emporium and our annual
Crab Feast next week. Let’s hope Mother
Nature continues to smile upon us with great
weather for the rest of this boating season!!
Our membership now stands at 61 captains
and first mates. But we are always happy to
welcome new members to our fold! Feel free
to give any prospective members my name
and number – I’m happy to answer any questions they may have.
See you at the Crab Feast!!!!
Nicki White/Secretary
302-593-5334
Nauti News
Page 3
SRYC in Photographs—Summer 2014
Herrington Harbor South
Ernie gets his goose
Havre de Grace
Herrington Harbor South
2014 Summer Raft Out
August 2014
Page 4
At Sea
Greetings Yacht Club Members!
dark.
It is hard to believe that the 2014 season is
passing so quickly. The weather has been
great and this summer has been wonderful
for any boating activity, be it cruising, hooking
up in the river, rafting out, “dinghying” (I am
sure that is not a word) or just enjoying visiting at your dock!
We are headed into our biggest event of
the year – the annual Crab Feast at Sailing Emporium in Rock Hall. It looks like
we will have a great turnout. There are
approximately 25 boats reserved for slips
at the Emporium, there is a kick off cocktails/hor d’oeuvres get together at Harbor Shack on Friday evening, August 15th
at 5:00 p.m. Whether you are coming by
boat or driving down, come socialize with
fellow yacht club members the night
before our Feast. (Drinks and Food to be
paid for by the club members.)
I have thoroughly enjoyed our cruising trips.
We had a wonderful celebration for the 4th of
July in Havre de Grace. The town was really
hopping. On Friday night, vendors were outside on the main street, with music on every
street corner, a car show, and delicious food
along the way. Chairs were being set up
along the town parade route as early as 7:00
a.m. on Saturday morning, and it was quite a
parade for a small town. It lasted two hours
and there were bands from as far south as
Georgia and Florida. The yacht club joined
the rest of the marina slip holders on the
marina’s south lawn for food and drinks. Free
sodas, beer, chips and pretzels were provided
by the marina and they had large grills for us
to cook our hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken (whatever your preference). We sat right
by the water and it was cool, comfortable and
so enjoyable. I know for a fact that Sassy
enjoyed the view. We could view the fireworks at the park right from the marina, before retiring for the night. It was a wonderful
weekend.
Our trip to Herrington Harbour South and St.
Michaels was fabulous as well. Other than a
few minor rain interruptions, we all had a
great time. 24 of us had dinner at Mangoes
Restaurant and Tiki Bar on Wednesday evening for the kickoff of our trip. Of course, Sassy
was there for all the fun as well. The food
and company could not have been better.
Laughter is the key, and there was plenty of
that to go around. After a day of doing whatever was your pleasure on Thursday, breakfast across the street at Honey’s Market &
Deli, swimming, paddle boarding (my daughter and friend braved this new world for the
first time in their lives and we took lots of
funny videos), taking the marina shuttle into
town, or just hanging out by the Olympic size
pool, enjoying drinks from the Tiki Bar, we
gathered again on Thursday evening outside
the boats on B Dock for more food, drinks and
laughter that went well into the night. We
left early on Friday morning for a short cruise
across the bay to St. Michaels. We all had
dinner together at the Town Dock Restaurant
on Friday evening. The weather in St.
Michaels was perfect for both days that we
were there. We were able to walk, shop,
swim in the pool, and enjoy good food everywhere we went. We woke up to a little rain
on our final day, Sunday, and the cruising
back was a little rough, but everyone arrived
safely back in the Sassafras River.
The Dinghy Poker Run and Raft Out were also
great successes. We donated over $200 to
the Sultana Educational Project. The winners
of the Poker Run donated their winnings to
the Charity as well. We had nine boats in our
raft out and we were blessed with another
great weather day. It did not break up until
Only one cruise is left on the schedule.
This is the Labor Day Cruise to Oxford,
MD to the Brewers Marina. If you are
interested, please call the marina at
410.226.5450 to reserve a slip. There are
currently only two boats going down.
2014 is turning out to be a great boating
season! I am glad that so many have
been enjoying it with fellow yacht club
members. Keep the momentum going
and safe boating!
I look forward to seeing all of you at the
Crab Feast. Sassy will be looking for all of
you as well!
Fleet Captain Sue Medicus
Nauti News
Page 5
Marine Trivia
Sassy Says...
BOATER SAFETY QUIZ (Courtesy of Towboat US)
1.
When can a Navigation Rule be overlooked?
a) When operating less than 50 feet off shore.
b) In good visibility during the day.
c) If necessary to avoid immediate danger.
d) In calm waters and clear weather.
2. When a sailboat (under sail alone) overtakes a powerboat,
which vessel is the stand-on vessel?
a) The larger of the two.
b) The smaller of the two.
c) The sailboat.
d) The powerboat.
3. According to the Nav Rules, what factor should be considered in determining a safe speed?
a) The amount of fuel left in the tank .
b) The state of visibility.
c) The top speed the boat is capable of running.
d) The number of passengers aboard.
4. When must you maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing?
a) Only when other boats are in the immediate vicinity. .
b) Only when boating at night within one mile of shore.
c) Only in a situation where a risk of collision exists.
d) At all times as required by the Nav Rules.
5. What action should you take when nearing a bend in a narrow channel?
a) Sound five short blasts of the horn and run down the middle of the channel.
b) Remain in the middle of the channel only if your navigation
lights are on.
c) Stay as far to the outside of the channel to better see oncoming traffic.
d) Speed up and stay to the inside of the bend where the water
is always deeper
Take a boating safety course at http://www.boatus.org/
courses/ANSWERS: C, D, B, D, C
Sassy on Sultana -- Sassy learned that Dick from A’Day Away
signed up for the Sultana sail with the Club, but forgot to
make the required reservation with the Sultana - Diane was a
bit upset!
Commodore Joe and First Lady Helena bailed out the SHM
crew and ran the Marina Mixer at the SHM this summer. The
original plan was for the crews of the “Triple L” and the “Two
J’s” to co-host the mixer, but Dianne and Linwood have had
their bouts with ill health, and John’s broken ankle has kept
them out of commission for most of this summer.
The July 4 cruise to Havre de Grace involved some heavy seas
for CherMurph and Keeper of the Stars. CherMurph’s refrigerator open up during the ride, dumping the contents of same
into the cabin. The fun did not end there, the following day
Murph of CherMurph fame took a spill on the dock - it was not
due to inebriation but rather a sandal that snagged the dock
causing him to fall and spill a portion of his coffee – as it was
morning!
Boats cruising to Herrington Harbor on July 23 – 25 found
similar sea conditions to that of the Havre de Grace cruise.
Someday Came and Special K traveled on Tuesday in good
weather. Black Swan and Keeper of the Stars cruised early on
Wednesday with deteriorating conditions. Olympus and Summer Wind traveled later on Wednesday and found rough seas
and higher winds – taking spray over their respective bows.
While at Herrington Harbor one of the crew from Someday
Came decided to test the “waterproofness” of his cell phone
and took a swim in the pool with his cell phone in his pocket –
oops!
Meanwhile, over in St Michaels, the vessel Derailed Assets lost
an engine while in the process of docking due to some
snapped flange bolts (which were fixed the next day). We
understand that Capt. Ralph recovered nicely and got the boat
into the dock with only some minor damage sustained.
Not much else has happened recently on the cruises – a fairly
calm group of good seamen and seawomen.
Sassy hopes things liven up at the Crab Feast so that more
scuttlebutt and gossip is received.
If you have a story or bit of humor to share, just send an email
to SRYC’s Sassy at: < [email protected] >, Not to worry, SASSY
keeps everything “confidential”.
Hurricane Season
(continued from page 1)
Tie your lines to the dock cleats so that marina staff can adjust
them rapidly if need be. If they have to climb onto each and
every boat to secure lines it will take longer. If you are on a
floating dock, secure to the part that floats and not to the
stationary pilings.
Tidal Surge - Surge is rising water caused by a storm, and it
could very well be the highest an area has ever experienced.
The strong wind from a storm causes water to pile up on top
of any local tides.
On a fixed dock, a boat will rise as much as 10 feet or more
and it must be tied loosely enough to allow it to rise, but not
so loose that it bangs against the dock. Long lines taken to an
adjoining dock or piling and long spring lines will allow the
boat to move up and down while still holding it in position.
Floating docks rise with the surge, but if it's high enough, the
surge can float the docks right off the pilings. If the predicted
surge is anywhere near as high as the pilings, the boat must be
moved, preferably ashore.
potential for exposure to the storm. A marina with no protection from the storm's winds and waves is going to suffer much
greater damage than one that's tucked away. If you're not
comfortable with the location, move your boat.
As Superstorm Sandy demonstrated, forecasts don't always get
it right far enough in advance to allow for much in the way of
preparation.
The best advice is to follow your tropical-storm plan when a
storm is a substantial possibility, even before a watch is issued.
If you wait too long, bridges may be locked down, preventing
you from moving your boat, and your marina may already be
too busy to haul your boat. It's far better to prep your boat for
a storm that misses the area than to watch helplessly as the
one that should have turned makes a beeline for your unprepared boat.
Article Cited from Boat US Magazine—more information can
be found at www.boatus.com…
Sign up to get hurricane alerts sent directly to your inbox from
the BoatUS Hurricane Center at www.BoatUS.com/hurricanes
Boat US claims data show that boats are nearly always safer
when hauled out. But, as Superstorm Sandy showed, in an
exceptionally high surge even hauled boats can be floated off
their stands. On average, those boats fared better, than those
in their slips, many of which were carried away with their
docks.
Where To Keep Your Boat - Where your boat is kept is one of
the most critical factors in preparation. Smaller boats should
be put on their trailer and taken inland, but try not to park
them under trees that might be blown over or lose large limbs.
If you take your boat home, you may want to leave it, and not
your car, in the garage. A boat is lighter and more vulnerable
to high winds than a car. Boats on lifts are particularly vulnerable and should be taken ashore. Move your trailerable boat
early; roads may be traffic-choked in anticipation of the storm.
If your boat will be well away from potential flooding, leave
the drain plug out and use a cover if you have one.
Boats normally kept in their slip should be hauled out if possible; some marine insurance companies will pay for a portion of
the cost of a haul-out during a tropical storm warning or
watch. Check your policy.
The Boat US Hurricane Catastrophe Team has found that boats
stored ashore usually fare much better during a storm than
those kept in the water. Even if your boat survives the storm in
its slip, it could easily be damaged or destroyed by a neighbor's
boat that breaks loose due to poor preparation. If your boat is
going to stay in the water, you'll need to have a plan to tie it
securely, using extra lines that can be led to the next dock so
the lines won't be too tight when the water rises.
Some marinas have begun to haul out boats and use straps
embedded in concrete to tie them down, with good results,
though the boats must still be stripped of anything removable
that increases windage. Pay particular attention to the area's
Flotsam & Jetsam
SRYC members are welcome to place ads in the Nauti News for
boating related items. Editorial staff reserves the right to publish or not publish ads.
Send your ad to Steve at: [email protected]
Steve Bartelt, Editor
2014 SRYC Board of Governors
Page 7
Commodore – Joe Lynch
Radio Room
610-255-0520 / [email protected]
Oversees the Club and presides at all meetings
The Sassafras River Yacht Club’s
internet address is: www.sasryc.org.
of the Club and the Board of Governors
It’s a great site with lots of info; check
Vice Commodore –Barbara Burlingame
it out! For questions about the web
302-737-7111 / [email protected]
site or to submit an item, email to:
[email protected]
Keeper of the Ship’s Store (SRYC clothing, etc.),
Please send any pictures that you
alternate delegate to the CBYCA
would like on the website to me.
(Chesapeake Bay Yacht Clubs Assn.)
Rick Burlingame
Rear Commodore – Norm Miron
Treasure Box
717-442-0805 / [email protected]
Schedules all land-based activities for the Club
SASSAFRAS RIVER YACHT CLUB
TREASURER’S REPORT
(e.g., Snowflake Luncheon, Opening Day, Crab Feast, and
Commodore's Ball)
August 4, 2014
Assets
Money Market Account
Checking Account
Subtotal
Fleet Captain – Susan Medicus
$10,931
+2,045
$12,976
610-933-7271 / [email protected]
Plans trips and leads the Fleet on all organized cruises
Secretary – Nicki White
Less
Checks Outstanding
Credit Card Billings
$274
$347
302-836-1466 / [email protected]
Subtotal
$621
Treasurer – John Boyer
Net Financial Position
$12,335
Respectfully Submitted,
John P. Boyer, Treasurer
717-786-8343 / [email protected]
Webmaster – Rick Burlingame
302-737-7111 / [email protected]
Editor – Steve Bartelt
Boat US Membership Discount
Club members can get Boat U.S. membership at
half price. Our Cooperating Group Number is
GA 81008Y; use this number on your Boat U.S. application or renewal.
856-582-5892 / [email protected]
Immediate Past Commodore – Terry See
302-659-0884 / [email protected]