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Upcoming Events
Monday, March 16 - Neil Wildman from RCMSAR Station 2 North Vancouver - Neil will give us an introduction to Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. He'll share with us the areas they cover, types of vessels, crewing, and the types of calls they get. Neil is a member of Port Moody Squadron, Burrard Yacht Club, and is an advanced crew member for RCMSAR.
Saturday, April 11 - Bilgewater Bash! - Get ready to party on April 11 at The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Read on for additional event information and ticket details below in this Masthead.
June 6 & 7 - Men's Cruise - Are you a guy? Do you have a boat, or know someone with a boat? Then join the Men's Cruise coming up this June. Details below in this Masthead.
Past, current and incoming Power Squadron members are all welcome at Squadron Nights, held on the third Monday of each month. We meet at the False Creek Yacht Club on the north shore of False Creek under the Granville Street Bridge. The doors open at 7:00 pm, the event begins at 7:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
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 From the Commander's Log....
Michael Whatley holding a Dungeness crab, Port Graves, Gambier
Winter Cruising Booty
March brings us closer to the official opening of the cruising season: Spring. However, some of us more ambitious boaters like to get out earlier than that, and reap the rewards of being the "early bird to get the worm." Rafted up with our sailing friends, Michael Whatley and Linda Lavoie, we managed to trap the largest Dungeness crab I have ever caught locally! This bad boy’s carapace was wider than the outside edge of the crab ruler, an official measurement tool to ensure proper maturity size for responsible harvest. Anchored out in Port Graves off Gambier Island, the four of us had one heck of a crab feast!
Marine Communications and Traffic Systems Closures
Announced earlier this month by the Canadian Coast Guard, three of the five MCTS stations on our coast will be closing as the continued consolidation of our marine resources continues. Ucluelet, Comox, and Vancouver stations will be closing, leaving Victoria and Prince Rupert as the two remaining stations left to monitor all commercial traffic on the BC coast.
Bilgewater Bash Dinner Dance
Now is the time to get your tickets to the annual formal gala event of the year for Vancouver Squadron. Dress up, dine out, and get to know your fellow members at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club at Jericho. Door prizes, dancing and the infamous Bilgewater punch are all part of the fun of this night. This event will sell out — you can order tickets by calling Ruth Cuddeford at 604-294-5310 (Mon-Fri 0830hrs to 1700hrs) or by picking them up online via Visa/Mastercard at Bilgewater Bash Tickets Online. See more info on the Bilgewater Bash below!
Student Cruise
This past month we held our Student Cruise, part of the Boating Essentials class. This valuable outing allows students to practise the theory learned in the classroom by taking bearings and charting a course out on the water as they journey to Bedwell Bay. This cruise would not be possible without the generous support of the skippers who donate their time, vessels, and energy in making this happen. A very special thank you to Squadron Educational Officer John Steede and Bridge Officer Dave Atchison for organizing and executing this event. Well done!
Call to the Bridge
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Vancouver Power and Sail Squadron. This is also the time that we, on the Nominating Committee, begin our appeal for willing volunteer members to take a turn on the bridge for the 2015-16 year. We have some positions open, and would like to invite you to consider helping out. Be a part of our tremendous history! All skill levels are welcome! We only ask that you have a positive attitude and a desire to contribute to the enjoyment and fun of our squadron by helping expand our reach in teaching safe boating and contributing to social activities. Web/social media skills, marketing skills, communications, programs and event management are only some of the ways you can help influence the direction of our squadron. As a bridge, we meet once a month at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and we plan what we do as a squadron throughout the year. It doesn’t take much, and your help would be invaluable. Think you have what it takes? You could make the difference! Send me an email or call/text me at 778-386-5828. I’d love to hear from you!
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Join Us for Squadron Nights!
Our next meeting will be Monday, March 16.
Neil Wildman from RCMSAR Station 2 North Vancouver will join us and answer all your questions about search and rescue in our waters.
Squadron Nights provide a great opportunity to socialize with fellow boaters, find out what’s happening in the squadron, and experience fun and fascinating guest speakers. If you haven’t attended before, we meet in the FalseCreek Yacht Club pub. Guests are welcome! Be sure to mark your calendar for the third Monday evening of each month. We look forward to seeing you!
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Spring 2015 Course Schedule
Note: Course fees include all necessary course materials.
Boating Basics
Mar 24 - Apr 14, 2015, 4 weeks, fee $90
This course will also be offered in Chinese (Mandarin) (Mar 24 - Apr 14)
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Student Cruise - February 14, 2015
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We had our Boating Essential students out on the water on February 14 for a Student Cruise. We had 26 students take part, on 6 vessels.
 The skippers were: Bruce Buchanan on 38' Blue Haven, Terry Heselton on 45' Pierides, Ron Jupp on 60' Nimkish II, Bill Botham on 72' Deora, Allan Plausteiner on 40' September Song, and John Steede on 38' Daruma.
We also had 12 VPS members along to proctor the students. They were: John Hay, Peter Mokkonen, Paul Heeney, Sylvia Steede, Glen Hodgkinson, Daniel Blackman, Doug Johnson, Roger Middleton, Elizabeth Zygmunt, Derek Knox, Allan Strain, and Dave Atchison.
Thank you all very much!
In discussions that I had with the students, all found the cruise to be very rewarding and helped to make everything they learned in class make more sense. The on-water experience is so very different when faced with time issues, fog and limited visibility, motion, and other vessels.
Dave Atchison was once again instrumental in organizing the students to their vessels and was on hand the morning of the cruise to see that each and every one of the students found their way.
My most sincere thanks to Doug Johnson, who made us 14 colour charts at no cost, which were used on the cruise. Comparing them to our old black and white charts that we have used in the past, the response was positive.
This exercise was made possible only through the generosity of the skippers who not only donated their vessels, but their time and fuel.
On behalf of Vancouver Squadron and all the students, I sincerely thank you for your contribution to education, and perhaps making our waters just a little bit safer.
John Steede
Educational Officer
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Photos courtesy of Peter Mokkonen
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Vancouver Power and Sail Squadron Presents
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Photos courtesy of Dennis Steeves
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Your Response is Needed!
The 2015 Tide and Current tables produced by The Canadian Hydrographic Service, now shows tidal heights in metres only, no longer in feet and inches as well.
According to The Canadian Hydrographic Service, this is not a cost saving measure, but they thought it was in the best interest of yachtsmen and commercial operators.
They say that if they receive letters from as many people as possible asking for the reinstatement of the Imperial Measure (feet/inches), they will print both again in next year's publication.
Please express your concerns, being in favour of having feet and inches returned to our Tide Tables, to:
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NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 2015/16 BRIDGE
SHIPS ARE OPERATED FROM THE BRIDGE….. OUR SQUADRON IS NO DIFFERENT.
WE ELECT OUR BRIDGE AT OUR AGM IN MAY.
This early appeal is to all members to consider stepping up to get involved. Despite having some really good bridge members this current term, lead by Commander Jeff Booth, we still expect that some positions will need to be filled come spring.
PLEASE CONTACT ANY MEMBER OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND INDICATE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO TO HELP OUT.
- Chair: EARDLEY BEATON, P/Cdr
Phone 604-734-4900 or Email beatonsbeat@shaw.ca
- BILL STEWART, P/Cdr
- JEFF BOOTH, Cdr
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Saga of the Rotten Boat House
I'd like to share with you a journey of sorts which has been challenging, rewarding, and somewhat all-consuming over the past several months. It all started when my wife, Helen, and I purchased a waterfront property in Pender Harbour last spring.
We were extremely excited about the fact that we would have a new cruising base to depart from, very close to Desolation Sound, Jervis inlet, and so many other fine cruising areas to the north. We were also thrilled that a 50' boat house was included in the sale. This is were the saga begins: even with a tape measure in hand, it was hard to determine - prior to the purchase - if our Mainship, Acadia, could comfortably fit inside the boat house. Despite any doubts, I was confident that with a couple of modifications we could make her fit.
Over the summer in Pender Harbour, while preparing Acadia for our annual fishing trip, we managed to fall through more than one of the many rotting deck boards, so it was becoming clear that the 45 year old boat house was in pretty rough condition. What wasn't clear to me was how the Power Squadron and our educational training programs would all come into play in the coming months.
Starting in September, new dock construction took place up Indian Arm to create a working platform from which the boat house could be repaired. Upon hearing the costs of towing the dock segments from Indian Arm all the way up to Pender Harbour, it was decided we would tow the docks ourselves with Acadia, and preparations began with chart reviews to determine distances and navigational obstacles to be avoided. Weather would play a key factor due to the 13 to 15 hour time frame to complete the tow, and radio communications with Vancouver, Victoria, Comox, traffic radio operators would also play a role. The Power Squadron Boating Essentials, Marine Radio, and Weather programs helped make it all possible.
We had two dock sections to tow: a 63' x 8' section, and a 70' x 12' section. These docks weigh about 12 to 15 tons each, so we decided to tow them separately.
We looked for weather windows with clear weather and calm winds over a 2 to 3 day time period for both tows. The first tow began late in the afternoon, departure at 1500 hours, so this tow would go through the night with an arrival time to Pender of around 0200. Acadia was prepared with a light mast for the tow.
We found that steerage would be significantly compromised if we tried to tow the heavy sections with a conventional bridle, so a specially constructed snatch block and pulley system was utilized to enable Acadia the ability to achieve adequate steerage.
The tow went perfectly, with glass-like water, ebbing tide conditions, and slack water during our transitions under the Second Narrows bridge. We called in our tow to Vancouver traffic on Channel 12 when passing Cates Park and were monitored by Vancouver Traffic to Cape Roger Curtis, where we were passed over to Victoria traffic until we reached Welcome pass at the foot of Thormandy Island. Finally, Comox Radio had us until our entry into Pender Harbour. Success and a big sigh of relief was had by all.
The next tow proved to be somewhat more challenging: the tow would begin at 0300 we would be departing in heavy fog! Thank goodness for reliable electronics, chart plotters, radar, as well as the professionals at Vancouver Traffic radio. Once again, Boating Essentials would come into play when Traffic Radio requested our time of arrival and passage under the Second Narrows bridge. Thank goodness for learning 60-D-Street!
The dock in tow: our visibility would diminish to almost zero at timesLooking back towards lions gate bridge after emerging from the fog
Fog extended right down to the waterline. Even when directly under the bridge, neither the bridge deck nor the pilings could be seen.
With the docks now safely repositioned in Pender harbour, the deconstruction of the old boat house would begin.
Next came the construction of a new dock to secure the newly-acquired boat house over the Christmas holidays.
Lastly, the final tow of the boat house from St Vincent Bay at the head of Hotham sound in Jervis inlet.
It has been a huge learning experience, a fun adventure, and a rewarding one. We utilized the boating skills learned through the Power Squadron, and got a lot of helpful advice and experience gained from our boating friends and fellow members. Acadia is now resting comfortably in her new home in Pender harbour.
Don White
Public Relations Officer
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HELP WANTED
VPSS has an amazing history, and some of that
 history has been captured in photos over the years. The bridge would like to digitize these photos in order to create digital albums of all the great activities we have enjoyed over the years; to remember members, past and present.
Therefore, we are looking for some volunteers who would be willing to take on this project. If you are interested in helping our squadron to honour those memories, and have some thoughts about how it could be done, please reach out to Commander Jeff Booth or Historian Dennis Steeves, either by phone or email, and let them know.
Be part of a fantastic legacy project honouring Vancouver Squadron’s 60 years of service!
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Vancouver Power & Sail Squadron Men’s Cruise
Will be held on June 06 & 07, 2015
Indian Arm
- Make new friends in the boating community
- Lots of money to be won along with great prizes
- Other fun events
- Dinner prepared by Red Seal Chef “Phill”
- Transport Canada Safety Checks available
- Try participating in a navigation exercise and learn even more about your boat
- Visit other boats to see how they are outfitted
Please talk to other members of your Squadron and make them aware of this popular event. Encourage your male friends to join you. They do not need to be CPS members.
Put a crew together today! The more the merrier!
Vancouver Power and Sail Squadron Men’s Cruise Committee
*If you have any questions about this event – call John Steede at 604-230-0848
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Click anywhere above for more info (pdf download 1.1MB)
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BRIDGE
2014-2015
(Abbreviated List—Full List on our website) www.vpsboat.com
Commander
Jeff Booth........…………..(778) 386-5828
Executive Officer
Roger Middleton.……......(778) 388-2867
Educational Officer
P/Cdr John Steede..........(604) 274-0087
Asst Educational Officer
Glen Hodgkinson………..(604) 233-0443
Secretary
P/Cdr Marion Pearson…..(604) 228-0183
Programs Officer
TBA........................................................
Environment Officer
Bill Blancard………….......(604) 931-5153
Public Relations Officer
Don White........................(604) 221-1510
Webmaster/IT Officer
Peter Bennett…………….(604) 817-4165
Newsletter Officer
Nadia Mudge
Past Commander
Eardley Beaton……….....(604) 734-3944
Cruise Coordinator
Lois MacDonald
Historian
Dennis Steeves………….(604) 263-4276
Supply Officer (Regalia)
P/Cdr Don Zarowny……..(604) 267-7442
Change of Address or
Membership Inquiries
Twyla Graeme……….......(604) 738-8563
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