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Upcoming Events
Monday, March 21 - Meeting Night - George Creek, President of the BC Marine Parks Forever Society will be our speaker. He will be talking about the Society, but mainly about the new Stern Tie Stewardship Program. Join us to learn more!
Saturday, April 16 - Bilgewater Bash! - The 2016 Bilgewater Bash will once again be held at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Jericho.
Ticket prices and ordering details are
below in this Masthead, so mark your calendars and buy your tickets
before they're all sold out!
Monday, April 18 - Meeting Night - Patrick Dickie will tell us all about single-handed sailing to Hawaii. Come and hear about this great adventure!
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....
Vancouver
Squadron’s Annual General Meeting, Change of Watch, and BBQ (AGM/COW)
will be be held on May 9 this year at the False Creek Yacht Club,
and it’s now time for the Nominating Committee to begin looking for
volunteers who may have an interest in serving on the Bridge.
Being on the Bridge is an honour, as your efforts help guide the
direction of our Squadron. Typically there are approximately 20 members
serving on the bridge in any given year. Work is divided up into
categories to help ensure efficiency in executing the mission of our
organization: To share the knowledge of safe boating through education,
to engage fellow boaters in social activities and fellowship, and to
partner with boating agencies and organizations interested in furthering
the message of safe boating.
The commitment we are looking for is at least one year, preferably two,
where we have 10 monthly meetings to cover off the business of the
squadron, and any related or ancillary events. Our meetings are held in
person at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, usually the last Monday of
every month, except July and August, where we find ourselves. and most
folks, out boating!
We don’t expect you to be a CEO or high level executive. You may have
talents in a given area that would fit nicely within our bridge that
would help out. All skills, big or small, can play a part. So if you
think that someone might be you, why don’t you reach out to us, and
we’ll meet with you to learn more about you and your interests, share a
little more in depth about what we need, and see where you might fit.
If you are interested, or think you might know a member who would be a good fit, please send an email to myself directly: Jeff Booth - <cdr@vpsoat.org>
I look forward to hearing from you!
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Join Us for Squadron Nights!
Our next meeting will be Monday, March 21.
Our speaker will be George Creek, President of the BC Marine Parks Forever Society.
George spent 32
years as a general insurance underwriter and independent broker,
retiring in 1996, and has been Director of the BC Marine Parks
Forever Society since 2004. He and wife, Barbara, spend as much
time as possible on their 35 foot Californian trawler “Tan Car”, and
he's a member of Nanaimo Squadron.
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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The Vancouver Power and Sail Squadron’s Annual Commander’s Bilgewater Bash Dinner Dance is a gala event where the Commander declares “The 2016 Boating Season is now open”. Dress is semi-formal and be prepared for a delicious RVYC buffet dinner, door prize draws and dancing to a DJ! The famous secret formula Bilgewater punch is free!
Tickets are $90 each
- Doors Open at 17:45
- Bilgewater begins flowing at 18:00
- Famous RVYC Buffet at 19:00
- Door Prizes at 21:00
- Dancing to the DJ follows dinner & door prizes
- Doors close: at 24:00
There are only 120 tickets available for this fantastic event.
Order soon so you are not disappointed!
A quick and easy way to get your tickets right away.
Call Ruth Cuddeford
604-294-5310
(Mon-Fri 8:30-5:00)
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 In Memory of...
P/Cdr Doria Isherwood, AP
Doria passed away on January 22 after a prolonged battle with cancer.
Despite receiving setbacks over several years, she maintained a positive
attitude and just a month before her death, she was planning another
get-together with me for coffee or lunch.
A strong supporter of CPS and VPS, she joined the squadron in 1979,
achieved the grade of Advanced Pilot in 1983, and was the squadron’s
Membership Officer in 1985-87, Executive Officer the following year, and
Commander in 1989-90. But that’s not the end! She worked at District as
Membership Officer for two or three years before returning to help our
squadron again. Records show that she was Membership Officer in
1998-2000 and Treasurer in 2003-2008 and was still helping in 2011. She
became a Life Member of CPS in 2004 in recognition of the many years and
hours that she contributed to the organization.
She was a gritty and very capable administrator. Witness the fact that
in the 61 years that VPS has existed, Doria has been its only female
Commander.
Many stories can be told about her, but the one that garnered much
attention relates to the infamous Stag Cruise (now known as the Men's
Cruise). It was one of the traditions to hold the cruise over a weekend;
it was a popular affair with boats and people arriving from not only
VPS but also from surrounding squadrons, and culminated with a sail past
and salute as the vessels returned home. The Commander was expected to
attend! Doria solved this dilemma by flying into Camp Latona where all
the fun was taking place on Sunday morning. She took the traditional
salute standing on the pontoon of the float plane, dressed in her white
slacks and blue blazer, as was the tradition of the day.
A
Celebration of Life is planned for March 23 at the Granville Island
Hotel Dockside from 1 to 3 pm. Brenda, Doria’s daughter, has requested
RSVPs by March 15. You can either email me at prg@telus.net or the MC, Kerry, at kabjarnason@shaw.ca.
If you can attend, please try to wear your blues and greys.
~ Peter Girling, P/Cdr
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Photo (seaplane) courtesy of Adele Runikis
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Thank you to Dennis Steeves for pulling this out of the archives.
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Education News
Starting Dates
- Maritime Radio - Jericho Sailing Centre - Saturday, April 02, 2016
Maritime Radio 
The Maritime Radio course teaches emergency radio procedures and
everyday operating techniques. Learn all about the uses of marine
radios, choice of frequencies, operation, phonetic alphabet, procedural
words and phrases, as well as Digital Selective Calling and the Global
Maritime Distress and Safety System, (DSC/GMDSS). All mariners,
including recreational boaters, will want to take advantage of the many
features and capabilities of this innovative form “automatic” radio.
Secure your lifeline. Be sure that you and your family take the Maritime
Radio course.
This complete package with CD, and the new Digital Selective Calling,
will prepare you for the Restricted Operator Certificate (Maritime) with
DSC Endorsement exam. To operate a maritime radio, you need the
certificate. It's the law!
How to sign up for courses:
Go to boatingcourses.ca.
Click on British Columbia (on right).
Scroll down and click on Vancouver (on right).
Scroll down & click on the name of the course that you want, remember to check the date.
Click on Register for the course that you want.
 Scroll down and click on Register online. |
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RVCC SAFETY CHECKS
If you'd like to have a safety check done, please contact Jerry Powers at
604-921-8896, or jwpowers@shaw.ca
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Volunteers Needed
Recreational Vessel Courtesy Check
With
our boating season now only weeks away, we are making plans to
assist local recreational boaters by ensuring their vessels are in full
compliance with all mandatory Transport Canada requirements. This
is done through a system of voluntary safety checks carried out by CPS
volunteers within the Recreational Vessel Courtesy Check (RVCC) program.
Are you interested in becoming a RVCC volunteer?
A typical RVCC day would be a Saturday or a Sunday for 3-4 hours and
involves an examination of the safety equipment onboard. You would
be determining that the requirements of the regulation for the
size of vessel have been met, and the required documentation, such as a
boat license or registration and operator’s card (PCOC) are on board. A
recording of this information is done by filling out a check list form
and a copy is left with the boater.
The
time required for a free voluntary courtesy check is between 20 and 30
minutes and is only done after first receiving permission from the
boater. If all safety equipment and documentation requirements are met, a
CPS decal is issued, indicating that the vessel was in compliance with
all safety regulations at the time of courtesy check. If the vessel is
not compliant with all regulations, we highlight those items to be
corrected on boater’s copy of check list form.
Training
for RVCC volunteers is most important and we currently have an ideal
opportunity to conduct a training session some time before the end of
March 2016. The training session would be 4 to 6 hours in duration
and would be taught by a Safety Officer from the Office of Boating
Safety (Transport Canada). The training session would be scheduled
for a Saturday morning that would be suitable for most of the
volunteers.
Help others be prepared with the correct documentation and safety equipment.
Contact Jerry Powers (RVCC Co-ordinator - Western Region) as soon as possible to take advantage of the training session coming up.
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 Cruise Coordinator's Corner
by Cruise Coordinator Ingrid McLaine,
cruisecoordinator@vpsboat.org
Wow! Is it boating season already? Yes it is! And keeping with
tradition, our first cruise of the year will be to a cozy,
VPSS favourite...you guessed it...Bowen Island!
- Friday, May 13 to Sunday, May 15 - Bowen Island Cruise
If
you can’t make it out on Friday, no problem! Come on Saturday. If
you don’t have a boat, don’t worry! Just come by ferry; There’s plenty
of great accommodation to book.
For
those who are coming by boat: Please reserve by phoning the Union
Steamship Marina at 604-947-0707 and let them know you’re with the
Vancouver Power and Sail Squadron.
Please also call, text or email to let me know you’re coming: 778-879-9024 or cruisecoordinator@vpsboat.org.
Itinerary (optional)
Friday Night:
1800 hrs: Meet up at Tuscany’s Pizza.
Saturday:
1100 hrs: Hike to Dorman Point, 1 ½ hours return (plan to bring a lunch).
1700 hrs: BBQ at the Tower (beef/veggie  burgers will be provided). Please bring a potluck dish.
Sunday:
Breakfast at the Snug Cove Cafe.
And for those looking to burn a few calories after breakfast:
A 20-minute hike up to Artisan Square to check out the cool
art shops as well as the gorgeous views.
We hope to see you there!
Stay
tuned for details about more great cruises over the summer. If
you have any suggestions for cruises that you would like to attend---let
us know! (cruisecoordinator@vpsboat.org).
If you're interested in attending any
the cruises listed above, or if you have any questions, please call or
text Ingrid Mclaine at 778-879-9024 or email me (cruisecoordinator@vpsboat.org).
If you have any ideas for future cruises, please let me know!
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February 2016 Meeting Night
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The
February social meeting went without any hiccups, despite having some
last minute changes. Marine Surveyor John Johnstone was booked for
our April meeting instead, but very graciously agreed to come at
the last minute to our February 15 meeting when our scheduled
speaker had an emergency arise and could not make it.
So I have two reasons to thank John, one as mentioned for his
re-booking, and one for a great talk and discussion on marine surveys.
John peppered his talk with many examples of boating experiences, common
survey issues (and errors!!), and general marine knowledge based on his
own, and others', experiences on and around the water.
He could draw on his own qualifications as John worked for the Canadian
Coast Guard and Transport Canada Marine Division, has sailed and raced
extensively on both coasts, is on the Vic-Maui Technical Committee and,
his best qualification, has previously taught CPS courses including
Piloting and Radar. 
His discussion was titled "Getting the most out of your marine survey"
and he lead us through the full program from why we need a
survey, to how to build a maintenance plan.
In his reasons for boat owners to have surveys done, insurance was
number one, not only for providing the best evidence to base your policy
on, but also to help mitigate any damage claims. Buying and selling end
up probably being the most popular reasons for surveys to be done, and
John (as well as some members) gave us many good examples of that.
John discussed what is involved with a survey in great detail, telling
us all the various areas to be covered during the physical check,
including: The main systems, structural integrity, wear and damage, and
most importantly, all the regulatory requirements that our boats must
adhere to. He also provided information on in/out of water surveys, what
documentation is required, and extras available like underwater survey
and photos.
We learned how to prepare for a survey, getting our paperwork and our boat into the right condition. He stressed the importance of working
with your surveyor: Ask questions, be there when he/she is looking
at your boat, and if possible, have your last survey available. 
One of the more interesting parts of the presentation was the discussion
on the most common insurance claims and therefore the most common items
to be reported on. I think very few of us guessed that electrical shore
power connections (burning) were the second most common items on
that list. We all seemed to know propane was number one, and most
assumed that the ignition on inboard gas engines was last, after storage
of hazardous materials, thru-hull fittings and waste systems.
He rounded out the evening with thoughts on how important it is to use
your survey to its best advantage: Adhere to its recommendations,
keep it with your other documents, and use it to help update your
insurance company. He stressed the importance of a good maintenance
plan, with budget considerations, to help keep your boat safe and
seaworthy.
We had a lot of great questions from the audience, including
several personal stories that all added to an enjoyable evening.
Brian Kennedy
Programs Officer |
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Photos courtesy of Dennis Steeves
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SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING FOR VPS
This has been a great year for Vancouver
Squadron in Social Media! Thanks to all the members who have clicked,
liked, and commented, we have had an enormous increase in traffic and
awareness.
Let's keep it up and fill those classrooms!!
The more people we can reach, the more potential students we can have and the better we can help educate our fellow boaters.
Cara Duffield
Public Relations Officer
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Have you renewed your membership?
It takes just a few moments to renew online, and that gives you access to a multitude of benefits. A few include:
 Six issues per year of Pacific Yachting
magazine, which include Propwash, the Pacific Mainland District
newsletter, containing news of other squadrons. (The other six issues
are available at the special discounted rate of $1.83 per issue). Canadian Yachting magazine, which includes The Port Hole, with national CPS news and information.- The
opportunities to further expand your boating knowledge through CPS
advanced and elective courses, and to pass on your knowledge through
proctoring or lecturing.
- The
right to fly the CPS flag. (Police and Coast Guard recognize the CPS
flag as meaning the vessel has a knowledgeable skipper).
- The opportunity to obtain comprehensive CPS boat insurance at significant savings.
- 15% discount of the non-member rate
- 2.5% additional discount for each of any three other courses successfully completed
- 2.5% additional discount for achieving a complete Certificate
- 5% discount for an automatic extinguishing system
- 10% discount for having any four of the following: LORAN, GPS, SatNav, RADAR, Depth
- 10% discount at Rona
Most importantly, membership gives you
the opportunity to make new boating friends and have fun at various
squadrons' social events and cruises, so renew today!
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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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Photos courtesy of Jerry Powers
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For Sale
2009 Aluminum Boathouse 52 X 26 Currently at Mosquito Creek.
Boat entrance: door height is at least 22’ 8”; automated roll up door with remotes, UHMW sliders on side of doors
Floor: 3/4 inch plywood with non slip paint
Electrical: 100 amp/24 circuit 110 volt panel. Multiple outlets, fluorescent lights, shore power is 120/50 amp marine twist lock.
Has a mezzanine with staircase and railing.
Multiple 8 ft translucent skylights. Currently houses a 36 Grand Banks with mast up.
$90,000
Phone 604-943-4602
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The Shore Family is offering their vacation home near Lund, Desolation
Sound, for a squadron discount of 10% during the summer, and 20% during
any other season.
Just 2km across the water from Savary Island and 2km south of the
Copeland Islands... Come Experience a piece of British Columbia coastal
heaven!
For more information, visit shoresatlund.com
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