Keelboat Classes
There were four empty slips on A – Dock this weekend! Both L2 keelboats were out all day Saturday and Sunday for L2 class, this was their “long” day weekend, sailing to the Metro Beach/Black Creek anchorage.
The L3 boats headed out early (sort of) Saturday morning for Cove Marina on the Thames River in Ontario, Canada. It was a great weekend of sailing and on-water instruction.
Lost Items
I found a Richardsons; clear plastic chart bag with navigation tools in it – 3 sets of dividers, 2 parallel plotters a Dockley’s Speedrose plotter (that’s an old-timer), and a Safeco Marine calculator. These items were found at the shore end of A Dock, since this was the weekend for navigation in both ASI classes we thought these items might belong to an ASI member. We are also contacting JB Marina to let them know we found these items.
If these items are yours please contact me ASAP – Marilyn Leece, my email and phone number are in the directory. Marilyn Leece
 L2 Keelboat Maintenance
The two L2 keelboats are still experiencing some minor technical difficulties which the Boat Captains and Assistant Boat Captains are trying to address as quickly as possible – unfortunately most of the BCs and ABCs are also in Instruction Classes. We are aware that you want to timeshare these boats for the Memorial Day Weekend and we are trying to get them in an acceptable (but not perfect) condition to allow timesharing – we will let you know very soon if the boats will be available.
Interlude BC – Jerry Brady
Overture BC – Mike Perrin
On Overture – you will notice something new this year; we have switched radios with Voyager III. Overture’s ICOM radio could be more easily adapted (available parts) for DSC (Digital Selective Calling). Richard Jaeger, our designated radio swapper, switched the radios last week; he still has a few minor adjustments for VIII to set it up for DSC. We made this switch so it will be easier for the L4 boats to send out a digital distress call and to stay in contact with the other L4 boat. Since these boats are sailing in remote waters it makes since to equip the L4 boats with this feature first. We will, in the near future, look to set up both L2 boats in the same manner. Even though the L2 boats are not sailing in remote waters we wish to have them as “distress” ready as possible – plus it will be as easy as making a phone call when contacting each other. No more “what boat name was that – of did you hear that, was someone calling us?”
Craig Smith – Maint. Dir., Keelboats
Tom Baker, Asst. Maint. Dir. – L4
Jack Townsend, Asst. Maint. Dir. – L2
Mike Perrin, Boat Captain - Overture
For more information about DSC read the following excerpts for BoatUs
“All DSC equipped VHF radios can send a distress call in digital form on channel 70. The call, sent in much less than one second, includes your unique identification number (MMSI) and if the radio is connected to a GPS or Loran C, the precise location of your boat. The distress call will continue to be sent until it is answered by another station. The station hearing the call will likely call your radio on channel 16 or, in the case of the Coast Guard on 22A and begin the process of bringing you the help you need. Having a highly automatic way of making your need for assistance known has obvious advantages.”
Here is another great feature of DSC. “A Class “A” VHF/DSC radio makes use of the "Selective" in DSC by calling other DSC radios by their unique MMSI number. These radios usually provide an electronic notepad that stores names and MMSIs for other boats or shore stations. Another station can be called by selecting the name or number from the stored list, choosing the channel number on which you wish to communicate and pressing a button. A digital call containing the MMSI being called, the MMSI of your radio and the channel number on which you wish to communicate is sent on channel 70. The called radio recognizes its MMSI and alerts its operator to the incoming call by emitting a ringing tone. The radio automatically switches to the communication channel chosen by the caller, allowing voice communication to proceed with no further action required of either party.”
http://www.boatus.com/husick/c_dsc.asp
Parking at JB
Although the marina slips are filling up fast there are still plenty of boats on the hard. Please be sure, especially on weekdays and Saturdays that where you park does not block access to a boat. The marina has some very heavy equipment they use to pick up the boats for launching and many of those equipment operators do not mind coming very, very close to your vehicle (or side mirrors). If you see an orange cone sitting in front of a boat do not park there or move the cone – or you may come back to a towed vehicle. Also there are many trailered boats in the parking and their owners need plenty room to access them – and there are many levels of trailering skills among JB’s trailer-boat owners.
The marina will try to contact people to move their cars but they won’t spend an hour doing it. Also many boat owners are still painting their hull bottom, waxing, and doing other activities that result in airborne contaminants that are looking for the perfect place to land.
So in this case, instead of “buyer beware” it is “car-parker beware”. | 
Please join us for open sailing, practice sails and guest sails on Thundering Thursdays 6 PM till dark each week beginning June 9. I will be keeping an email distribution list and will email a reminder and update of weather projections on Tuesday each week and will be accepting reservations via cell phone. 
DOCKMASTERS are needed at Kent Lake for all Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays throughout the sailing season. The dock master helps keep things running smoothly at the dock when there are a lot of boats coming and going, Also, it is helpful to club members who want to take children and non-sailors sailing to have someone to catch a line or give a timely shove. This is especially important on class days. Instructors should not have to conscript friends and family to serve as dock masters for when they are teaching. Best of all serving as dock master is a good way to earn work hours. There are two shifts per day AM (9 am - 1 pm) and PM (1 pm - 5 pm). If you are interested please email Anne at 