ASI Awards Dinner Saturday January 22 - - Kate McRae - - ASI President

The 2011 ASI Awards Dinner will be held at :

 Knights of Columbus Monaghan Council

19801 Farmington Road

Livonia, Michigan(248)      phone 248-476-8383

Social Hour 6 to 7 PM

Dinner 7 to 8 PM

Awards to follow Dinner

Cash Bar

If you are planning to be there for dinner, RSVP Lisa the Sail Secretary (248) 393-4280  no later than January 18, 2011 (that's TODAY!). Dinner choices are Chicken or Vegetarian Lasagna. If you leave a message for Lisa please give her your credit card information and dinner choice. The cost for the dinner is $18.00.

If you cannot be there for dinner feel free to come for the awards. 

the Second Reef – News and Information for and about ASI’s Level 2 Sailors - - Jack Townsend

Good news; Chris Lamb has volunteered for the Assistant Boat Captain position on Interlude. Welcome to the 2011 L2 Maintenance Team Chris! Being an ABC is a season long commitment but along with enjoying the satisfaction of helping keep the L2 fleet in seaworthy condition for the membership there is also the opportunity to learn more about our boats and boat systems. A good choice for those members who want to develop good boat maintenance skills on their way to becoming a self-reliant North Channel cruising captain.

Since it’s existence ASI has dedicated itself to teaching it’s members how to sail, but in the last couple of years we have recognized the need to teach the membership about boat maintenance as well – not how to strip down and rebuild an engine or re-fiberglass a damaged hull but just good old everyday maintenance that should be as much of your keelboat sailing knowledge as learning how to raise a mainsail.

The first step in a good maintenance program starts with the pre and post sail checklist. Using the checklist before and after each sail is the start point in a good preventive maintenance program. You are the early warning system for our boats. In fact you are one of the most important parts of the maintenance team, without your input a problem may go un-detected for a week or more and may evolve into a more significant problem. To ensure good boat reliability and enjoy our wonderful, but short, sailing season we must all do our part in maintaining the boats. 

The checklist covers a wide range of boat preparation items both maintenance and sail preparation, and for those of us who only get in a few sails each year this is the best way to reacquaint ourselves with all the systems and make sure everything is in good order before we back out of the slip. There are a lot of things to remember before you head out and the checklist can help you organize your thoughts. 

Since the engine for many members is just a  big, smelly, noisy, complicated looking piece of metal hidden behind the companionway ladder – I will start there. Why do I need to check the engine before each sail, I don’t check my car engine every time I leave the house? I have heard this question many times and it is a good question, so maybe this will help you understand the need to do engine checks before each sail. 

Our boat’s have diesel engines which are compression ignition engines, and without getting into a long explanation at this time, I will just say that they are built to very, very close tolerances and while they are wonderfully simple in design they do need close attention. A happy diesel requires good lubrication, clean fuel, a good cooling system, and lots of air, preferably clean air.

Checking the oil; the preferred level is at the full mark on the dipstick or slightly below it, never over it. Oil provides the lubricity for all the engines moving parts, with out this film of protection the engine’s metal parts would rub against each other and prematurely wear out. But oil does more than lubricate, it also helps carry heat away from the internal areas of the engine that the coolant/water can not reach.

It is also a cleaning agent. Not all of the fuel burns during the engine’s combustion/power stroke, a lot of this unburned fuel or carbon is “blown” by the piston rings during the compression stroke. This unburned fuel will enter the crankcase area as carbon particles, commonly called soot, where they are held in suspension in the oil and then “cleaned” from the oil as it passes through the oil filter. Engine blow-by or soot is the reason diesel engine oil is always black – that means it is doing its job.

Oil also picks up any metal particles from engine wear and dirt that may have entered the engine via the air intake. How significant is this? It is generally agreed that particles in the 10 to 20 micron range cause damage and wear to an engine’s moving components, by comparison human hair is 70 microns. Oil grabs all of these bad guys and deposits them in the oil filter, or at least most of them. So making sure that we have the right amount of oil in the engine is important because unlike your car which can have up to 4 or 5 quarts of oil in them our little diesels only have 2 quarts of oil and that oil has to do a lot of multi-tasking. There are few more things the oil level and condition of the oil can tell you but I will get into that some other time. 

Checking the Racor fuel filter; this is the first filter the fuel passes through on its way to the engine, the secondary filter can not be checked, only replaced – if you replace the Racor then you should replace the secondary at the same time. Typically if there is a problem with the fuel you will see it in the Racor first. The Racor filters we use are 20 micron filters and filter out anything above that, the secondary filters usually range from 10 micron down to 2 microns with 10 being the typical manufacture’s recommendation. At the bottom of the Racor is a clear bowl, the observation bowl, here you expect to see a rose colored liquid, this is marine diesel fuel – if it is yellow it is automotive/road diesel, red is taxed different than yellow. If you see dirt, sludge or water in the bowl (water on the bottom as diesel fuel which is oil will float on top of water) you will need to drain out the water using the little spigot on the bottom of the bowl. This does not empty water out of the system it just allows us a benchmark, if we find more water in the bowl soon afterwards that means we have a significant amount of water in the fuel tank and it needs to be emptied and cleaned. Water is inherent in diesel fuel both from the manufacturing process, from storage facility tank leaks, and fuel tank condensation. So be sure to let the Maintenance Team know if you find water in the bowl, any amount – even if you are not sure it is water – water entering the engine during the compression stroke can damage the engine. Dirt, drain it off if you can but be sure to let us know you found some. Sludge, the black stuff that looks like chocolate pudding. This will and has stopped our engines by plugging the Racor filter which then cuts off the fuel supply, without warning. Always a fun time. So to keep this little surprise from happening give the filter a good look, if you see some in the bowl you can be sure there is more in the filter element – it is time to change the Racor filter – don’t go anywhere until you change the filter. Now we know this sounds a little scary but the Maintenance Team takes precaution against this, beginning with last season we have implemented an annual fuel tank inspection and cleaning program.

We will also be implementing a requirement to not refuel the tanks until they are between ½ and ¼ full so that we can keep fresh fuel in the tanks. 

Checking the Groco or Raw Water filter; it is not enough to just look to see if the water is clear of any debris, you must also pull the strainer basket and check for the “catch of the day”. Pieces of grit and other debris that pass through this strainer go to the raw water pump and this debris can damage the rubber impeller in the pump. .For Overture you also want to check the basket for bits of rubber. Overture does not have a coolant system like Interlude; it is cooled solely by raw (lake) water. To maintain the engine’s correct operating temperature it has a re-circulating thermostat system that periodically re-circulates the water back through the engine instead of out the exhaust – this is why at times you do not see water spitting out the exhaust, it is in re-circulation mode. If the impeller starts to deteriorate or break apart you may find bits of rubber in the basket. If you do, you will need to close the raw water thru-hull, open up the raw water pump and inspect the impeller – and replace it is you see any type of wear. If you are uncertain about what you see is wear then change it anyway. A blown impeller can plugged the engine’s water passages and cause overheating. 

Checking the V-belt; I know you are getting tired of reading so this is the last item. Most engine manuals say that by pressing on the belt at the longest horizontal span between pulleys you should see no more than 3/8” to ½” deflection with moderate pressure. What is moderate pressure? I guess this varies form person to person but I think the same amount of pressure you use to press the start button on the engine panel would be about right. If the belt is too loose it affects a couple of things. First this belt drives the cooling system, the raw water pump on Overture and the raw water and coolant pumps on Interlude. If the belt is slipping on the pump’s pulley then the pump is not turning at its rated speed and does not push enough water through the engine to keep it at its optimum operating temperature. Always keep an eye on the engine temperature gauge; extended overheating can cause damage to the engine and engine gaskets. Let the Maintenance Team know if the engine is running hot for any period of time.

Another key item the V-belt operates is the alternator. The alternator, contrary to popular belief is not designed to be a battery charger but it is most often used this way on boats. The alternator is the engine driven device that supplies electricity to all of the electrical devices that you are “currently” running; radio, fans, meters, etc. These are demand loads and by design the alternator addresses these demands before it addresses the re-charging of batteries. If the demand loads use all of the alternator’s voltage output then there is little or nothing available to re-charge the batteries. Don’t be too concerned about this as we have standard 51 amp alternators and you would have to have a lot of demand devices onboard, more than our L2 boats have, to use all of the alternator’s voltage output. However (there is always a however) if the alternator is not operating at the required RPMs or is not at its required operating temperature the rated supply of 51 amps can be much, much less. This is why we require that everyone motor, at a speed of 4+ knots out to the North or South buoy before shutting the engine down to raise the sails. This allows the alternator to run at its designed RPM level and operating temperature so that the output voltage is at a level where it can supply both the demand loads and re-charge the batteries, which were partially discharged from the high electrical demand of the engine start-up.

The batteries need to be brought up to a full charge, partial charges can result in sulfation of the battery plates and cause premature battery failure or inhibit the batteries from accepting a full charge (more on batteries and battery management at another time). If you motor further than the buoys this will help ensure the batteries get a full re-charge. Not spending the time to motor out to the buoys or an equivalent distance is not fulfilling the maintenance needs of the boat’s systems.

It is important to check this small little V-belt that supplies power to so many important components. If the belt is loose, loosen the two bolts on the alternator mounting and adjustment brackets, move the alternator outward, away form the engine, so that the belt is tighter and re-tighten the bolts. All belts, being rubber and under a load, will loosen over time – most of the time this is handled by the Maintenance Team during the bi-weekly maintenance checks but if you come across  a loose belt re-tighten it.

Also check the belt for cracking or other wear that could cause the belt to break – if a belt does break you can replace it with the spare belt located in the engine parts box in one of the cabin storage compartments. The most common indicator or alert that the belt has broken after engine start-up is the engine will begin to overheat since the belt driving the cooling pumps no longer in place. If your engine overheats this is the first thing to look for – a broken or extremely loose belt.  

Not sure how to do some of these items – well this year we are trying to put together, by spring launch, a Captain’s Operating Guide which will guide you through most of these fundamental checks, adjustments, and repairs, plus other operating adventures on the L2 boats..  .

No one is out on the water - but check out this picture Marilyn took of the man in the moon or the moon man (a moon nose). 

Don’t forget the General Sail Meeting, tonight – the Awards Show and the Chicago Strictly Sail Show.

If you have any questions about the boats and their systems let me know and I will try to include them in the maintenance articles. Just click here: Jack Townsend (rjtown24@yahoo.com)

-

Key dates in January ! 

Please note that we'll be holding the January Awards dinner at the Monaghan K of C Hall (same place we had the October dinner meeting), on Saturday, January 22. See Details above! That one you don't want to miss! 

Zyggi Lawrence has taken the tiller again, as General Sail Manager, to put General Sail back on course! The first General Sail meeting - in a very long time - is set up for 7 - 9 pm, Tuesday, January 18 at the Northville Public Library, 212 West Cady Street, Northville. That's tonight! Questions? Email Zyggi. 

Subsequent General Sail meetings will follow on the third Tuesdays of each month. Stay tuned for more details, but in the meantime, put it in your calendar!

Refine your sailing skills with Racing! - - Michael Golden

The racing program is open to all rated members!

The season opens with a workshop on right-of-way rules, safety, and go-fast techniques. Guided practice on the water with drills and exercises gives you a chance to brush up and learn new boat handling techniques.

We draw for crews with an experienced person on board to assist you. The Saturday or Sunday races are scheduled in the morning or late afternoon. Each crewmember gets to skipper when they are ready. You may learn how to rig and put up the chute at a dockside spinnaker workshop. You will have the opportunity to join a team and sail with the same crew sometimes. We gather at the dock or a cafe after on the water events to exchange ideas & make excuses!

Fees: The racing program is open to returning rated sailors at a fee of $25 for the season + two additional volunteer hours on Interlake maintenance. No charge to new L1 rated 2010 graduates for their first year in racing. First time racers, previously rated, are $15 for the first year.Sign up on the sail pass form and come to the racing seminar.                                    

The BASIC RACING SEMINAR is for all new racers and sailors thinking about improving on their skills. The meeting is Thursday, April 14, 2010, 7pm, at Busch’s Market, 37083 Six Mile Road, (East of Newburgh Road), Livonia, 48152.

Learn how boats go faster and safer in balance. New novice racers are required to attend that April seminar.           

ON THE WATER EVENTS: Check the web site or the Burgee for the race schedule soon.

Interlake Racing Program Steve Poulos, Manager Joe Jaeger, Race chairman

 Michael Golden, Instruction                         only one skipper, please

FINAL NOMINEES - the 2010 Fog Dog Award nominees - Claire Zepeda

What's a 'Fog Dog'? Thanks to to Phil Zepeda, here's the definition: 

A Fog Dog is a bright spot, sometimes seen at the horizon, as a fog starts to dissipate. Origin: From the fact that it accompanies fog as a dog accompanies its owner.  

Undoubtedly you know many ASI members who give generously of their time and talents – often with limited or no recognition of their enormous contributions. The ASI Board has just approved an annual award that will be given to one of those “unsung heroines/heroes”.  The award has been named the ASI Fog Dog.

FOG DOG AWARD NOMINEES

Below are listed (alphabetically) the nominees for the first FOG DOG AWARD.  Voting will take place at the January Awards Banquet. If you will not be in attendance, you can also vote via email: clairezepeda@gmail.com - I will confirm receipt of your vote.

• Dave Amsdill
• Don Caley
• Dave Clark
• Bill Lane
• JoAnne McClure
• Trudy Morse
• Jack Townsend

Before voting, be sure and read the nominations and tributes to these very dedicated sailors. 

Dave Amsdill

It isn't easy, singling out just one person for this award. There are so many that contribute so much! I've tried to think just of those that have done much, and yet have hardly even been noticed. 

So I nominate Dave Amsdill for the 2010 FogDog award. He's the guy that shows up for all the 'Thundering Thursdays' at Kent Lake, in late afternoon, to make sure that new sailors get matched up with rated skippers to sail the Interlakes. He's dependable and quiet. He's always on hand during Interlake 'put-in' and 'takeout' to either tow the boats to and from the farm, or work at the East Boat Launch, or at the farm. 

He's also saw a way to make the Milford 'boat house' more efficient. He did the design, bought the materials and installed shelves along the south wall to keep our sails dry and off the floor. He also modified our 'mast transit' trailer for carrying even more boating equipment.

Don Caley

Don was the ASI's first president, 1992-95, as it spun off from AYH.  While I was not a very active, nor involved, member in those days, I do recall that there were many items of major concern, a key one being how to keep the fleet and pay for them as I recall they were the property of AYH.  I expect what I have found to be his steady manner in handling whatever comes his way was a major factor in giving ASI a solid foundation in those crucial first years. 

I also found out recently that of the 18 years since ASI's origination, Don has been a Board member for most of them (right now, I'm forgetting the exact number, but I recall it was between 12 and 16 yrs....and can certainly check that out if needed).  So for all those years, he has been an active influence in what ASI has evolved to. Aside from those 2 major facts, Don is "Mr. Burgee."  He's the one that compiles and edits all the input to give us weekly notices during the sailing season, and off season as such arises.  As well, he creates columns & graphics - I recall the  North Channel articles this year - which I am sure were valuable to those sailing in those waters - or wanting to. 

He is also head of L1 maintenance, though he laughs that that means he doesn't have to do anything, but I expect he's a factor in what has become a reliable 5 man team, who not only year after year maintain the Kent Lake boats but have become a cohesive unit with their weekly Sat breakfast meetings - off season as well. 

In past years, he has headed up ASI publicity in Milford with their local press coverage, a relationship that allowed another to have one of the few press coverages that a team of 4 of us barely surpassed this past spring.  Don's prior contact gave us great coverage, which I had heard spun off to a sister newspaper. 

And to top off with a feeling of merriment, Don has been one to connect with the Milford 4th of July parade, another source of PR, to which members are invited to bring their children to ride 1 of the ASI boats.  This year, he created a mock mast & boom for the parade from which we could more visibly hang a banner. 

And I noticed just this past L1 take-out, that Don was the one to take on a task that seemed to have been overlooked.  The 7 dockboxes were not being transported.  So Don went to the farm, got the flatbead and made 2 trips hauling that load.   I'm sure that was not the most fun task, but Don took it on. 

Personally, Don is the reason I'm enjoying a greater involvement with ASI - as this past year's L1'manager.'  If it weren't for Don's gentle way of coaxing and reassuring, that may have been one more slot not filled in the Club. 

I know there is more that Don has had his hand in during his 18 years with ASI.  The above are just what I know. and are enough for me to nominate Don for the Fog Dog award.  He not only got ASI off to a good start, but has found ways throughout the years to create varied ways to be of service, spread the word of ASI, and be a steady, wise influence.  Frankly, I do have others in mind to nominate, but those will await other years. Thank you for this consideration.

Dave Clark

I would like to nominate Dave Clark. Dave has spent countless hours on Voyager's maintenance - keeping her in ship shape condition. Dave also timeshared multiple weeks in the North Channel - helping to fill the North Channel calendar - a definite financial benefit for the club.

Bill Lane

I nominate Bill Lane. He is the catalyst for the transition of so many.If it wasn't for him for the last 8 years, no one would reach level 2. And for the last two years, no one would reach level 3/4. 

Second nomination: I would like to nominate Bill Lane for the 1st annual Fog Dog award. Like many of the “founding” members Bill wore many different hats during the early years of ASI, eventually finding his favorite hat, his passion; teaching others, not only how to sail but how to love sailing. Bill has given countless hours, days, and years in the pursuit educating and encouraging ASI sailors at all levels, whether they are new to the sport or old salts, they can always count on Bill for help or advice.

I have often referred to Bill as ASI’s Pied Piper, teaching the beginning L1 student, guiding them onto L2, encouraging them into L4, where he puts the finishing touches on their sailing education with a transfer trip to the North Channel.  Like the rest of us Bill puts away his sailing gear at the end of October but unlike most of us his new season starts in November. There are plans to be made for next season’s shore classes, revisions made to the classroom manuals, new information to be added, improvements to be made, proofreading the changes, classroom presenters and assistant instructors to be lined for spring classes. This is a big job and it takes many, many hours of off-season preparation, all those hours culminating in March when Bill steps to the podium, taps the keyboard and the first slide pops up on the screen, and 30 students settle in for their first step in becoming a keelboat sailor.

Sounds like a lot of work doesn’t it? Now double the effort. When Barb Carlson had to relocate to North Carolina, vacating the L3-4 instructor position, Bill stepped forward and filled the void. During most of March and April Bill is teaching two nights a week, arriving well before 6 p.m. and leaving well after 10 p.m., always willing to stay a little later to answer questions or help someone with a chart plotting problem. In May Bill sets aside the classroom materials and heads for the boats, where he puts on his L2 on-water instructor’s hat. As soon as the L2 on-water classes end Bill must prepare for the L4 transfer trip where he is the Lead Instructor.

By the end of June, when all of the keelboat classes have ended Bill can relax a little and just concentrate on teaching, mentoring, and testing out L1 students. As L1 wraps up toward the end of August it gives Bill some time to organize and prepare for his annual Labor Day Lake Erie Flotilla, a hugely successful week of sailing among the islands of Lake Erie, leading the entire ASI keelboat fleet. Fog Dog or Pied Piper, Bill has opened the door for countless ASI sailors, helping them turn their dream into reality. Sailing from the islands of the North Channel to the islands of Lake Erie, Bill leads the way, ASI’s guiding light.

JoAnne McClure 

I nominate JoAnne McClure for the Fog Dog award. For many yearsJoAnne has lead the ASI instruction Program which is the heart of ASI.

Her well-organizing and capable skills are first rate in handlingthe complex instructional program. She developed the comprehensiveLevel 1 Manual for instructors which went a long way in standardizingthat program.

Every April, JoAnne runs a two day work shop for new andexperienced instructors which develops and hones teaching skills.

From spring to mid-summer, JoAnne is running the Level 1Instruction program. If she is not teaching, she is scheduling shoreschool and on the water instructors, securing class materials andgenerally making sure things run smoothly. Wait, there is more, withthe help of very capable instructors she coordinates the docking andcapsize workshops.

Year after year starting in the late summer while we are enjoyingsailing, JoAnne creates the next year ASI teaching schedule forLevels 1, 2 and 3/4. This is the most important schedule of the ASIcalendar. From that calender, she schedules all the class roomsneeded.

JoAnne has been active with ASI from its early development; she wasone of the first groups of trusties and a former ASI president. Manywho has sailed on a Saturday or Sunday on Kent Lake knows that JoAnneis the ASI cookie lady and has sampled those home made treats.

I nominate a lady who has given long and devoted service andintroduced most ASI sailors to the sailing basics. 

Trudy Morse

I nominate Trudy Morse for the Fog Dog Award. Trudy is a skilled and dedicated worker who selflessly gives her time to ASI. Her cool head and professionalism give ASI strength and stability.

She is a long time Level 1 on the water instructor

She was a Level 4 manager. 

She was the ASI Keel Boat Scheduler for four years. She kept the schedule for Level 2, Level 3/4 and ASI evening sails. 

She is co-head of level 2 and Level 3/4 instruction with Bill Lane and worked closely with former Level 2 head instructors Haim Schlick, and Lacy Ramsey.

She is the guardian of the level 2 shore school problems. she updates and keeps them in compliance with US Power Squadron Chart Standards.

She works with Bill Lane in the development and updating of Level 2 and 3/4 Power Point presentations, tests, student evaluation, and general class room curriculum. 

She is a Level 2 and 3/4 shore school instructor. At the level 2 and 3/4 level Trudy does the final checks of the problems and chart work. She gives individual attention to every student, some times spending 2-3 hours with students making sure they understand navigation concepts. While not critiquing charts she does class room presentations.  

She is on the team to generate all of the Lottery forms, procedures, and rules. She has been the behind the scenes coordinator of the Level 4 Lottery for the past 8+ years.She helped write rules for level 4 Lottery Rules and Timeshare best practices, working closely with the Level 4 Managers.

She helped create and update the ASI liability forms.

With others she developed the basic navigation class. The only navigation class that was offered to the general membership with no prerequisites needed.  

Jack Townsend

I nominate Jack Townsend as the first recipient of this award because I really believe that without him, this past year would have been a disaster. We may have only had one or two boats in service most of the year. He completelycleaned out two fuel tanks. Replaced a muffler and fuel filters and cleanedand rewired one bilge pump and rebuilt VIII bilge pump. The hours he spent "in the lazarrete" was amazing. Early morning to late afternoon. I always heard, "I just want to look at one more thing". The whole time he was working on Level 2 boats, he always made time to help me on VIII, and he was teaching whoever he was helping all the time by explaining everything, and explaining, and explaining, and explaining, and explaining. Every time I see Jack, I learn something and it's fun to learn from him. He seems to have time for everybody. Choosing a single person was hard because my instructors were so terrific andI know that they put in such long hours also. These and all the volunteers together are what makes this club great. Thank you all. 

I am proposing Jack Townsend, he spends endless hours repairing,improving our boats, they may have been out of use at times if not for Jack, he spent countless hours sharing his knowledge with other captains.  He is a joy to sail with, always encouraging.     

I have learned how to be safe and still enjoy sailing and learning from Jack Townsend. He seems to teach without telling you what to do. He inspires you to be a “captain” (not just regurgitate information) and assists you to be a better sailor.He can explain why you check the oil (and not mention this is the umpteenth time he showed you how to) He will take the time on a sunny, windy day to go over the cooling system, electrical system, radio use, head usage (and not mention he is wasting precious time share money/sailing time.) He knows he showed you this before, he knows he will have to show you again  but still instructs with the enthusiasm of the first time. PLEASE when giving him this award -Don't let him know he is always right but somehow acknowledge that he is.   

Jack Townsend epitomizes the definition of a fog dog. On a foggy day, a bright light on the horizon:  guiding, brightening, lighting the way. 

One example (of many that I can recall): During the week before the Annual-Ladies Only Time Share (involving all 4 keelboats and 20+ women sailors), one of the Level 2 boats had a very serious maintenance issue that took it out of service and required buying, fabricating and installing a major engine component. Jack spent hours (many of them in the confined, hot lazarette) making that repair.  In fact he was finishing the work well after midnight the day of the sail. He was definitely our bright and shining light that day!

NEW Booty and Swag - - Dave Clark

ASI now has it's own store! Queensboro Shirt Company has set up our own store to sell their products. All profits will be sent to ASI on a weekly basis.We have new logo's and new products including both printed and embroidered items. Pay with your own credit card and have the item shipped whereever youwant.

Your polo, sweatshirt or jacket will sport NOT ONLY the cool ASI logo, but also your area of special interest - racing, instruction, maintenance, cruising!  

You will be dealing directly with the Queensboro company. I will no longer be the middleman! I really hope this is a big improvement for you and our club. Please give it a try.  Here's the website:

www.asibootyandswag.qbstores.com  

Put this link in your favorites and it willbe easy to find whenever you are ready. Save this phone number in case you needsome help with your purchase.  (1-800-847-4478 Queensboro Shirt Company).I hope to add even more logos soon.

Thanks, Dave

'Strictly Sail' boat show in Chicago - - Tom Baker

Anyone want to go to the Strictly Sail show at the Navy Pier in Chicago the weekend of January 27-30, 2011?

Norm Schmidt and I are going over on Thursday (Jan. 27) and returning Saturday (Jan. 29) on the Amtrak train leaving from Dearborn. We will be staying at the Doubletree Hotel near the Navy Pier.  (Cost per night is about $100.) It would be fun have a delegation from ASI at this event.  Seminars are interesting and there's always lots of boats to look at. Email Tom Baker or call him at 313-319-2681

A Gala Evening with Gary Jobson* - - 

Great Lakes Yacht Club presents: A Gala Evening with Gary Jobson* 

All proceeds to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Michigan Chapter 

• February 11, 2011 6:30-11:00 pm
• The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House1100 Lake Shore RoadGrosse Pointe Shores, MI
• Music by Brian Lang
• Tickets $35
• Limited Seating
• Complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Cash bar available.

NOTE: There are a limited number of tickets remaining and they are going fast. Don’t miss out – order early. Invite friends, family, crew.Go to http://mi.jobson.llsevent.org or CALL 800-456-5413. 

To order tickets, please call 800-456-5413 or online at http://mi.jobson.llsevent.org

*Curious about Gary Jobson? See the article directly below. 

Gary Jobson's background 

Gary has won many championships, including the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977, the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race and many of the world's ocean races. In College at SUNY Maritime he was an All American sailor three times and was twice named College Sailor of the Year. He was sailing coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. He has won two EMMY Awards as sailing commentator for ESPN and PBS. 

Here's Gary Jobson's bio in Wikipedia:

Gary Jobson is a decorated sailor, television commentator, sailing lecturer, and author based in Annapolis, Maryland. He has recorded many achievements in his sailing career, having won multiple championships in one-design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977, the Fastnet Race, and many of the world's ocean races.

Jobson is also an active cruising sailor, having led expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and Cape Horn.In October 2003 Jobson was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame by the Herreshoff Marine Museum. In 1999 Jobson won the Nathanael Herreshoff Trophy, US SAILING's most prestigious award, and as of 2010 is the current president of US SAILING.[1]

Jobson is also the National Regatta Chairman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's sailing program.Jobson has authored 15 books on sailing, and is Editor at Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines. In addition to his print work he has been ESPN's sailing commentator since 1985. He won an Ace Award for Cable Excellence for his coverage of the 1987 America's Cup.

In 1988 Jobson won an Emmy for his production of sailing at the Olympic Games in South Korea and also won an Emmy for the 2006 Volvo Ocean Race on PBS.In college Jobson was named an All-American sailor three times and was twice named College Sailor of the Year (1972, 1973).

He graduated with his Bachelors Degree and Third Mate's License (Unlimited Tonnage) from the State University of New York Maritime College in 1973. He began his career as a sailing coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.Jobson currently races an Etchells, owns a Sabre 402, Whirlwind and has a partnership in a NYYC Swan 42, Mustang.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is honored to have had Gary serve as national chairman of The Leukemia Cup Regatta since 1994. In 2003, after years of committed service on behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Gary was diagnosed with lymphoma and, in his words, "became a beneficiary of the research advances I had helped support." He is now cancer-free.

the 2011 Detroit Regional Yacht-racing Association Winter Seminars

Here's a description of the 2011 DRYA Winter Seminar Series, scheduled for most Wednesdays in January, February, and March. All seminars are free (except for the CPR seminar with a nominal materials fee) and open to the public.

January 19, 2011:“Engine Maintenance & Trouble Shooting”

Everything in sailing is important, but some things are more important and frustrating than others. You may understand this better if you have been in the situation where the engine fails to start or charge the batteries. Our seminar presenter, Paul Lee, started Waterfront Boatworks in 1995. He grew up sailing at the DYC. While in the U.S. Coast Guard he was trained as a machinery technician and became a second-class petty officer. He has worked on engines ranging from Cooper Bessemer's (freight train engines) to 9 hp outboards.Topics to be discussed include:1. Understanding the cycles of an engine.2. How and why to do a compression test. How to adjust valve clearances.3. Understanding the fuel system. How to bleed the fuel system. How to change a fuel filter.4. Understanding the oil system. How to change marine engine oil.5. Understanding the marine exhaust system. 6. Understanding marine engine cooling systems.This offering to the series seminars will be held at the Great Lakes Yacht Clubon Wednesday January 19, 2011 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. No restaurant service available.

January 26, 2011:“Understanding Your Sailboat’s Electrical System”

Com. Skip Gmeiner and sons Ron and Steve will present an in-depth, but practical look at this sometimes vexing topic. The Gmeiners are well-versed in this topic area as their commercial venture, SPEMCO, is one the largest manufacturers of nautical switches and control panels in the world. Topic areas will include: 1. New Battery-Saving LED Navigation Lights 2. Changes in ABYC Wiring Requirements 3. New Tricks with Existing Wiring 4. New Ways to Charge Auxiliary Batteries  5. Trouble-shooting Ideas. This new offering to the series seminars will be held at the Bayview Yacht Club on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 from 7:00 -9:00 PM. Restaurant and beverage service will be available.

February 2, 2011:“Chartering”

Our fifth seminar is another of our new topics this year. It will be an in-depth coverage of chartering, for cruisers as well as racers. Hope Swift, a fellow sailor and owner of Swift Yacht Charters will bring her years of sailing and chartering experience to share with us.In this two-hour seminar she plans to: i.) Explain the function of an independent charter agent; ii.) Discuss chartering options including bareboating and obtaining the qualifications necessary for those new to chartering; iii.) Provisioning & otherconsiderations; iv.) Availability of captained and fully crewed charters including destinations, planning, and itineraries; and v.)Theme charters (e.g. Racing, Diving Healthy Living, and Honeymoon /Anniversary. We trust that you'll join us in the midst of winter while we dream of the joys of other seasons! The Detroit Yacht Club will be our hosts for this seminar from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. The Starboard Haven Lounge will be open with a limited (special) menu starting at 5:30 PM. Credit cards please; the formal dress code has been waived..

February 9, 2011:“Weather for Poets”

Pat Healy served as head dinghy team coach at theNaval Academy from 1976 until 1981 and then again from 1998 until 2002.In between he was the Canadian National Sailing Coach leading the Canadians to win five Olympic medals and twenty-two Pan American medals. After leaving Canada, Pat ran the Louis Vuitton Cup for the1995 AMERICA’S CUP. He has been the marketing director for theCommanders’ Weather Corporation, a private weather forecasting company supporting racing and cruising boats worldwide. Pat graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology."Weather for Poets" is a non-technical explanation of why there is weather, why the weather patterns look the way they do, thunderstorms, lake breezes,what to look for on the water and on the internet. Join us at the Tompkins Center, Windmill Pointe Park (home of the Grosse Pointe Sail Club) on Wednesday evening, February 9, 7:00 – 9:00 PM. No restaurant facilities available.

February 16, 2011:“Medicine Afloat”

Once out on the water, we are very much left to our own devices and preparation with knowledge and supplies is often the key to safely continuing our sail or even safely returning to shore. With this in mind, we continue our efforts to bring new ideas and new voices to our superb group of seminar presenters over the past years with the addition of Dr. Robert Welch, M.D., M.S. from Wayne State University, Department of Emergency Medicine. His Medicine Afloat seminar, given from a sailor's perspective is sure to provide us with an educational evening addressing practical care in the setting of short term cruising and racing. This is an evening not to bemissed! This seminar will be hosted by the Grosse Pointe Yacht Clubfrom 7:00 – 9:00 PM and as usual, is free and open to the public. Therestaurant will be open ahead of time, accepting credit cards only.Beverage service will be available. The formal dress code will be waived.

February 23, 2011:“De-Mystifying Rating Systems”

will be presented by DRYA ChiefHandicapper David Spiers and DRYA RC and Nautical Historian, David M.Coleman. The Holy Grail of any yacht rating system is the fair and equitable leveling of the playing field for often disparate vessels. The first part of the presentation will be a brief historical look at the evolution of sailboat ratingsystems. Prof. Coleman will review the evolution of thisconcept from the first 'America's Cup' race, through the mighty J's. Included will be a discussion of Herreshoff’s "Universal Rule" and the development of the alphabet classes (P, Q, R, and J) and the Meter Classes. The parameters from these early racing systems are precedent to today's and their evolution will be tracked descriptively and with visuals. The majority of the evening will briefly review the IRC, IMS, ORR and One Design handicapping systems and usage in today's yacht racing. Then we will discuss in detail the PHRF System used by about 80% of the racers in the world today, as well as who administers the databases and how consistency is addressed. We will cover the US Sailing databases, standards and what items affect the ratingand how we address them to give fair handicaps and racing across the many types of yachts racing today. Questions are welcome! Comments areexpected! The Detroit Yacht Club will be our hosts for this seminar from 7:00- 9:00 PM. The Starboard Haven Lounge will be open with a limited (special)menu starting at 5:30 PM. Credit cards please; formal dress code has been waived for the evening.

March 2, 2011:“Staying Alive With CPR”

When someone’s heartbeat or breathing stops, immediate CPR is critical to their survival. Learning how to properly administer Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a genuine life-saving skill. Get that training by joining us for a three-hour class taught by PC Loretta Rehe, and Ted and Janie Williford, fellow sailors and certified CPR instructors. There is a nominal fee of $30.00 to cover the cost of educational materials. Pre-registration before February 26th is mandatory in order to have adequate equipment and instructors on hand. Participation is limited to 30. If there is enough interest, a second class will be added on March 3rd at the same location and time. This seminar will be hosted, from 7:00 – 10:00 PM, by the Edison Boat Club. No food or beverages will be served. Pre-registration will be available at any prior Wednesday Night Seminar or through kevinvsherry@aol.com

March 9, 2011:“Saving Sailing … Continued”

This Seminar will be a significant follow-up on the special DRYA "Saving Sailing" Symposium last October that featured Nick Haynes, author of the best-seller "Saving Sailing." This seminar will feature Michigan native Dawn Riley who is an America's Cup and Around the World Sailboat racer who is also an accomplished businesswoman, community leader and youth-sports advocate, author, speaker, TV commentator and committed philanthropist. Dawn will discuss her own passion for `saving sailing' including her newest activities with the Oakcliff Sailing Center which is dedicated to training sailors, boat workers, owners and teams in order to raise the level of sailors and sailing in the United States. A panel discussion including a large group of local sailors (including Jim Rodgers) who have been meeting regularly at North Star to put together a "Saving Sailing"action plan will complete this fascinating and relevant evening. David Coleman will moderate the discussion. This program will be held at the North Star Sail Club from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. There will be a cash bar (cash or credit card). No food service.

March 16, 2011:“Basic Racing Rules”

“Saving Sailing … Continued” This Seminar will be a significant follow-up on thespecial DRYA "Saving Sailing" Symposium last October that featured Nick Haynes,author of the best-seller "Saving Sailing." This seminar willfeature Michigan native Dawn Riley who is an America's Cupand Around the World Sailboat racer who is also anaccomplished businesswoman, community leader and youthsports advocate, author, speaker, TV commentator andcommitted philanthropist. Dawn will discuss her own passionfor `saving sailing' including her newest activities with theOakcliff Sailing Center which is dedicated to training sailors, boat workers, ownersand teams in order to raise the level of sailors and sailing in the United States. Apanel discussion including a large group of local sailors (including Jim Rodgers)who have been meeting regularly at North Star to put together a "Saving Sailing"action plan will complete this fascinating and relevant evening. David Coleman willmoderate the discussion. This program will be held at the North Star Sail Club from7:00 – 9:00 PM. There will be a cash bar (cash or credit card). No food service.

March 23, 2011:“Safety at Sea”

This seminar, presented by Chuck Knowles and Margi Schneider, will be a practical discussion of safety issues and equipment that relate to both racing and cruising sailors. Chuck will present the very newest equipment available, and make numerous specific recommendations. Chuck and Margi are aggressively preparing their live-aboard yacht V-Twin for extended world cruising; lessons-learned to date, and planned upgrades will be discussed. This should be an instructive and entertaining evening. A special mystery guest will discuss safety from his perspective and explain what a sailboat ‘looks like' from the bridge of a fully-loaded 1000' freighter. This presentation is sponsored by West Marine. Please join us at the Grosse Ile Yacht Club on Wednesday evening, March 23rd from 7:00 -9:00 pm. The availability of food and beverage service will be posted later.

2011 Keelboat classes - - Bill Lane

Become a Level 2 Captain and sail the Level 2 O’Day 28' Keel boats Interlude and Overture on Lake St Clair. Learn the basics of: navigation and GPS, docking a keelboat, anchoring, keelboat sailing, radio operation, boat systems, rules of the road for power boats, and much more.

  Prerequisites are:

1. Declare sailing ability by submitting a sailing resume to head of Level 2 instruction.
2. Be an ASI member and Level 1 Sail Pass holder with all volunteer hours up to date.
3. Complete and present a certificate showing completion of US Power Squadron or US Coast Guard Auxiliary Safe Boating / Basic Seamanship course before the start of Level 2 classes. The class must have a navigation component. 

Sail longer and farther than ever before!

Contact Bill Lane, Level 2 head instructor, for details 248-891-6125

Email: wjl6355@gmail.com

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Level 3/4 class for 2011

Level 2 sailors, it is time to be thinking of joining the level 3/4 class for 2011

Sail to interesting ports such as

•       Thames River
•       Port Huron/Sarnia
•       Goderich
•       Kincardine
•       Port Elgin
•       Harbor Beach
•       Tobermory
•       Killarney

Georgian Bay and the finest cruising area in North America, The North Channel. Explore beautiful coves such as: Covered Portage, Snug Harbour, Marianne cove, The Pool and Browning Cove

Learn advance navigation techniques and enhance your knowledge of GPS

• Do off-shore sailing work
• Advanced anchoring
• Boat provisioning
• Crew organization
• Sail to a destination overnight
• Prerequisite are to have a Level 2 sail pass and work hours current, and to sail the Level 2 keel boats 8 times, 4 times as captain and 4 times as crew.

Contact Bill Lane for details 248-891-6125  or Email to wjl6355@gmail.com

One more thing...       - - Don Caley

The annual Awards Dinner meeting is this Saturday, as you've noted above. Monoghan's can be depended on for providing a great dinner in a perfect setting! Try to make it if you can; for me it kicks off the sailing season... or the start of the 'thinking about sailing' season. Hope to see you there!

The ASI Burgee is back on a weekly schedule. The next one will be next Tuesday, January 25. Please send your Burgee input to asidon@comcast.net by Sunday for inclusion in that Burgee.