WAUKEELOG Waukegan Sail & Power Squadron, a Unit of the United States Power Squadrons ® District 20 Promoting Safe Sail and Power Boating

Published Six Times per Year wspsboating.org

Dec 2009-

Jan 2010

Coming Events

3-6 Dec St. Pete Boat Show

Excom 06 Dec

D/20 ExCom Sat 5 Dec

Excom 13 January 1900 Tacos El Norte Gurnee

13-17 JANUARY

Chicago Boat Show

COW 16 JAN 1730 Country Squire Grayslake

28 Jan Public Boating Class

CLC ABC3

28-31 Jan Strictly Sail Navy Pier

COMMANDERS COMMENTS

CDR. OSCAR LUTZ N

After two years of service in the squadron as commander, this is my last official letter to all of you. It has been an honor and pleasure to serve in this capacity. My words cannot express the gratitude for all of the help and support that has been provided by all of you. All that has been accomplished is due to the efforts of every one of you. A personal thanks for the excellent executive committee that has done an outstanding job in making our squadron a GET IT DONE and CAN DO organization. The officers were Tenney Ford, Elisabeth Geltz, Jan Guthrie, Michael Lutdke and Tom Parkinson. The members-at-large were Frank Herbst, Charles Perkins, Randy Rossi, and Mark Villano. Keith Baldwin, an honorary member of the board, did a great job as membership chairman (we had 13 new members sign up in 2009). It was my good fortune to inherit most this staff from Julie Sanders and it is fortunate that this staff will go on to work with Michael Ludtke (replaced by Sheldon Wecker as the new AO) who takes over the reins on January 16. So I am certain that the activity level you have become accustomed to will continue for the following year. As you know, the new executive committee officers were elected at this November Membership Meeting. It was a well attended and fun event with dinner, drinks, the election of officers, Tom Parkinson’s review of the Spring educational schedule, and an excellent fact filled presentation by Jan Guthrie of her recent trip to the French Mediterranean Sea. The new officers will be installed at the Change Of Watch dinner on January 16 at the Country Squire. Please plan to attend this premier event; it is the most festive of the year. An invitation will soon be mailed to you. About one third of our members are actively involved with helping the squadron in one form or another. To recognize this support, Merit Marks were processed this November for 38 of our members for their contribution in 2009. A special appreciation to all of our educational people for instructing the courses and seminars during this year. They are the yeomen of the squadron. These are Keith Baldwin, Tenney Ford, Paul Green, Jan Guthrie, John Josko, Bob Kunath, Ken Miller, Rex Miller, Tom Parkinson, and David Sallmann. Also a special thanks to our unsung heroes, who edit the EFlash News, the Waukeelog and our own website. Ellen Ludtke has a knack of knowing what information to pass on to us every month and wonderfully keeps on continued on third page….

In this Issue… Commanders Notes SEO Comments XO Comments AO Comments Birthdays Cool Web Sites Editor Ramblings Be a USCG Captain! Uh-Oh, Asian Carp alert WSPS Photo Gallery

New Member: Seaby Bess, Libertyville

WSPS Officers Commander Cdr Oscar Lutz N 847-680-7461 ojlutz@aol.com Executive Officer Lt/C Michael Ludtke N 815-678-4300 wspsxo@gmail.com Educational Officer Lt/C Tom Parkinson JN 847-223-8076 tprknsn@gmail.com Administrative Officer Lt/C Elisabeth A. Geltz, JN 847-433-0288 elisabeth@egeltz.com Treasurer Lt/C Tenney Ford S 847-615-2356 illinoiscarbide@sbcglobal.net Secretary Lt/C Jan Guthrie, S 847-338-8808 jan@buy-a-boat.com Waukeelog Editor Bob Kunath, AP 847-540-8175 bobkunath@gmail.com

This fall has been a gradual preparation for winter – mild weather for putting away boats and preparing land-based homes and gardens for the coming season. Once everything is settled we can look forward to spring educational opportunities. The fall public boating class at College of Lake County (CLC) had six students, four of whom were youths. However, with the great rapport that John Josko (chairman/instructor) and Tenney Ford (instructor) develop in the class, all passed the exam and three stayed on to take the optional “beginner piloting” part of the course. The Piloting class, presented by Keith Baldwin, started in September with nine students at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Gurnee Mills. The class includes four new members and is in the process of submitting the exams. The Piloting class will be repeated in 2010 starting in February on Wednesdays (see calendar for details) – this and previous Piloting classes will provide enough students for the Advanced Piloting class planned for the fall of 2010. The new Marine Electrical Systems (MES) class, presented by Rex Miller, also started in September at Bass Pro. The class had light bulb combinations to connect to batteries, dismantled parts to examine, and a take-home multimeter for each student. MES is an enhanced replacement for ME101 and it (or ME101) is a requirement for the first level of Boat Operator Certification (BOC). Five students completed the class – please see the sidebar for their names and congratulate them. Cruise Planning by Ken and Anne Miller has completed for the five participating students. After the exams were turned in the class had the great treat of a slide presentation of Ken and Anne’s Circumnavigation – which had provided many examples to enhance the course materials. This class was also the best fed ever as Captain Betti and Donna supplied great treats throughout the course. Mike Ludtke (Executive Officer) and Dave Sallmann (Seminar Chairman) have organized a series of seminars with Waukegan Yacht Club on the first Tuesday of the month. In October there was Boat Handling by Captain Bob Kunath, in November Marine RADAR by Rex Miller, and December is Marine VHF/DSC with special focus on DSC by Dave Sallmann. These seminars are held at Waukegan Yacht Club and are open to the public. They are a great opportunity to meet and update skills during the off-season and are a way for non-members to see some of our more advanced materials. The 2010 public classes at CLC kick off in January with the America’s Boating Course on Thursdays. In addition, a series of eight seminars will be held at CLC on Mondays starting in February – see the WSPS web page http://www.wspsboating.org/Classes/Seminars.html for details (on the CLC web site all our sessions come under CREC and there is a link for registration on the WSPS page). The CLC sessions are looking for help from members – the students need to meet and talk to other members in addition to the instructors. Attending and “proctoring” the classes is a great way to get into the fun of boating instruction (please contact John Josko). Another winter/spring class is a new “Sail 2009” class by Jan Guthrie which she declares to be a useful update. This class will start on Tuesdays in February 2010. Let’s put a special effort into recruiting for this most attractive class. The Seamanship class will be scheduled in before May at the convenience of the participants and instructor(s) – we may repeat a variation of our 2009 Webinar presentation. Continued two pages down….

Cool Web Sites USPS MEMBER DISCOUNTS www.usps.org/national/admin_dept/membenefits.htm Get discounts on insurance, marine equipment, Dell computers, charts and other stuff. Real Time Buoy Data www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ Log on to NOAA buoys for the latest waves, wind, etc. Links to Marine weather forecasts. Free Electronic Charts www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ Wind Projections/Weather www.windmapper.com

EDUCATION OFFICER LT/C TOM PARKINSON, JN

EXECUTIVE OFFICER LT/C MIKE LUDTKE, N

Happy Birthday Seaby Bess Dec 02 Dietrich Bronst Dec 03 Brian Cox Dec 09 Frank Herbst Dec 11 Richard Kofsky Dec 22 Sheldon Wecker Dec 26 Dick Lazar Dec 27 Mark Davenport Dec 28 Gayle Booth Jan 04 Carol Kunath Jan 06 Donna Schuster-Regan Jan 08 Michelle Vavrusa Jan 15 Andy LeBoeuf Jan 19 Robert Sloat Jan19 Helen Parkinson Jan 30 Sharon Bucher Jan 31 If you don’t see your special day listed contact Roster Chairman Ellen Ludtke.

815-678-4300

As we approach the end of the year, I find myself reflecting on the past year and what we accomplished. In the spring we had a good representation at the Chicago power and sail boat shows. At our Larsen Marine Boat Show booth a lot of good friends and power squadron members got together to talk about boating and see the USPS GPS Seminar. We helped our friends at Bass Pro Shop with their Reel-it-in Days. We moved the Used Equipment Sale to the harbor patio, which made the event well attended. The flare shoot was a lot of fun (I can’t wait for my parachute flares to expire so we can try those!). Over the summer, Waukegan Harbor hosted the Nina & Pinta tall ships, where Cdr. Oscar Lutz N presented both captains WSPS burgees. Our Vessel Examiners did an excellent job, making sure our members, and others in the harbor, met the USCG requirements. The kid’s PFD loaner displays at Waukegan & North Point were again well used throughout the season. In the fall we partnered with the Waukegan Yacht Club to present a series of seminars on the first Tuesday of the month. Each month a few more people show up, so momentum is building as word spreads. I hope we continue this tradition into 2010. I’m sure there are some accomplishments I’ve missed. Certainly there are too many people to thank individually. If you participated in any of these events/programs, thank you. I hope that includes just about everyone. If not you, you are missing out a good time, with good friends. I look forward to 2010 and serving as your Commander.

MikeMikeMikeMike

New Announcement! Starting November 6th

The Waukegan Yacht Club is Open for Dinner Friday and Saturday Evenings from 5:30 - 9pm

Featuring Weekend Fish Fry $9.50

Open to the Public For Reservations Call (847) 623-4188

Commander’s comments continued from first page…. top of our membership roster. Bob Kunath does a magical job of moving around all those articles and pictures to give us one of the best looking squadron newsletters anywhere. He never fails in prodding us (gently) to get the articles in on time. Jeff Geltz, our guru of the keyboard, has won a number of awards for our website. My main job for 2010 will be as a member-at-large on the executive board. Keith Baldwin and I will be organizing the 2011 District Spring Conference and hope to enlist some of you to help. Wishing you and your family Happy Holidays and a successful New Year. Boating is fun, we’ll show you how to do it safely OscarOscarOscarOscar

Marine Electrical Systems Class Grads:

TENNEY S. FORD III THOMAS M. PARKINSON MIKE R. VEHLOW MARK R. VILLANO THOMAS E. CLARK of the Skokie Valley squadron Instructor: REX MILLER

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER LT/C ELISABETH GELTZ JN

Go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com

You pick out a thank you card

and Xerox Corporation will print it, then send it to a soldier that is currently

serving in Iraq/Afghanistan.

You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member

of the armed services. Editors note: I did check out this site at Snopes.com, it is valid. Xerox and other companies have been providing this for our Military for over three

Happy Holidays, Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and shared with family and friends. While Spring may seem far away, we seem to have a busy calendar between upcoming holidays, Chicago boat shows, the Deerfield Fishing and Outdoor Rec Show, and the Miami Boat Show in February and Trawlerfest in January both in Florida – Lots of boating events to choose from to keep you in the spirit ! The 2010 Calendar is already posted on the website and filled with events throughout the year. Please mark your calendars now for the Change of Watch Dinner on January 16th at 5:30PM at Country Squire Banquets in Grayslake. Upcoming Winter/Spring and Fall classes, seminars and District events are also included. The District Spring Conference in March will be at the Hyatt in Deerfield. We will have a hospitality suite and hope to have lots of members join the weekend festivities as it is so close. Please take a moment to read through the whole calendar so you don’t miss anything !

ElisabethElisabethElisabethElisabeth

SEO’s comments, continued from second page…. The off-the-water season is a good time to get checked-out for the first level of Boat Operator Certification. Any of our certifiers - Keith Baldwin, Paul Green and John Josko - can check you off against the requirements and advise on the best way to complete them (for example the CLC seminars cover many requirements). The On-the-Water part will be available in 2010. At the District 20 Fall Conference we learned that Prince Henry will not be with us at the Change of Watch Banquet but will be with the Racine squadron – please congratulate their members when you meet them (WSPS came second). We are third place for District award for Educational Achievement. However, our Training Aids won awards, both the multi-engine handling – conceived by Jan Guthrie and crafted by Paul Green - and the anchoring demonstration from me. Time to sharpen the ice-boat skates - Fair winds to all!

TomTomTomTom

You are cordially invited to the

Waukegan Sail & Power Squadron Change of Watch

At The Country Squire

19133 W. Rte 120, Grayslake IL 847-223-3022

Honoring 2008-2009 Cdr Oscar Lutz, N and

Incoming Cdr Mike Ludtke, N Saturday 16 January 2010

Cocktails at 1730 Dinner at 1830

Change of Watch Program and Entertainment follow dinner

Dress: Uniform A or Business Casual

Look for your formal invitation to arrive by US Mail by mid-December

Goo

WAUKEELOG EDITOR

Bob Kunath, AP bobkunath@gmail.com

Random ThoughtsRandom ThoughtsRandom ThoughtsRandom Thoughts By now, you would think we would know better. A friend once told me, “the bad thing about looking for something is that sooner or later you’ll find it and have to buy it.” So, after two years of staring at the boats cruising the ICW behind our house in Venice, Florida, and spending too many afternoons in boat shows, we came across a deck boat that looked like it might offer some fun. Wait… don’t we have a perfectly good trawler in Wisconsin? Yeah, but this is Florida and six months is a long time. That of course prompted some Internet research, some more running around and finally the purchase of a Hurricane deck boat with a 4-stroke Yamaha outboard. Now the real fun starts, endless hours again on the Internet and West Marine deciding what gear and equipment will make this boat perfect. At least we don’t have to take any more USPS boating safety classes. So, just to scratch that itch too, I signed up for the JN class at the Venice S&PS. I started that course 6 years ago, got lost in the details and had to abandon the course, which was taught in Waukegan by Gordon Bloom. Maybe a different instructor could get through to this rapidly calcifying brain. So, I show up for the first class in Venice to find the class is taught by….Gordon Bloom! He lives a few blocks from us, spends the winters here, too. We’re still going to boat shows, though. December 3rd and 4th we’ll be at the St. Petersburg boat show hawking Waterway Guides and Skipper Bob books for our publisher, Waterway Guide. The “Skipper Bob’s Cruising Lake Michigan” that we just updated is now available; the Great Lakes Edition of Waterway Guide 2010 (we cover Lake Michigan) will be ready in January. If you just happen to be in St. Pete this week, stop in! Our squadron continues to make a significant contribution to safety and expertise of the boating public. Our membership is up (which is not the national trend) and we have a terrific lineup of great classes and social events. Thanks to Oscar and the Bridge, and best wishes to Mike and the new old Bridge as he leads us forward. Finally, you’ll see some cool articles in this edition by one of our members, Capt. Betti Mors, P. Thanks, Betti! And to the rest of us, like Jim Moran who sends in stuff regularly, share your stories right here by sending them to me. I need to get away from this PC and spend some time on our new boat! BobBobBobBob

The following named individuals have been elected to serve in their respective positions and will be installed at the Change Of Watch meeting on 16 January, 2010.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Bridge Officers

Commander Cdr Michael Ludtke, N Executive Officer Lt/C Sheldon Wecker Administrative Officer Lt/C Elisabeth Geltz, JN Educational Officer Lt/C Tom Parkinson, JN Secretary Lt/C Jan Guthrie, S Treasurer Lt/C Tenney Ford III, S

Members At Large P/C Oscar Lutz, N Lt Randy Rossi, P Lt Sean Sullivan Lt.Marlene Cox, S Lt.Gary LeVine

NOT ON EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: ELECTED Assistant Educational Officer Jeff Geltz, JN

Assistant Treasurer . Mark Villano, P ELECTED COMMITTEES

Nominating Committee

Chairman P/C Paul Green, SN *1 years Lt. John Josko, AP** *2 years P/C Oscar Lutz, N 3 years Auditing Committee Chairman Lt.David M. Zacher, *1 years Lt.James Moran, AP *2 years Lt. Helen Green 3 years Rules Committee Chairman P/C James C. Moran, AP *1 years P/C Richard Kofski, SN *2 years P/C John Bucher, P 3 years l * These individuals were previously elected to a multi-year term and are restated here only to indicate the remaining term. ** Cannot serve as Chairman, as bylaws require that position must be held by a Past Commander. Respectfully Submitted on 22 November, 2009, John Josko, AP P/C Paul Green, SN P/D/C Keith Baldwin, SN

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Living for Those Moments By Captain Betti I remember the first time experiencing being out in the water and seeing no land anywhere for hours. It was the summer season I had bought Yacht Betti. Aside from having an 8 inch poured fiberglass from the water line down the entire hull (built to ocean cruise and withstand the impact of micro-bursts; she was wide on the hips (15ft Wide) and long (LOA 47ft). She had a good diesel engine & generator, but no GPS, Radar, nor any Sails (bare poles). Late August, off to follow the Tri-State Sailboat Race across the lake to St. Joseph, just to go for the long distance ride. Logic was if something did go wrong, there would be plenty of sailboats around to give a hand. Provisioned the boat and got it ready for a long crossing. Had a hand held GPS, a watch, a compass, charts, navigation tools, plenty of batteries and all the safety equipment that can fit in a sail dry-bag. Off we go, to test yacht Betti and my fortitude. Departed from North Point Marina at 1800hrs, magnetic heading 110deg, sea states 1 to 3 ft waves, cloudless skies and approaching sunset astern the boat, southwest winds at 5 knots gusting to 8 knots. I was full of FEAR (Feeling Excited And Ready). I took the helm the first watch and saw a beautiful sunset at my stern. It got so dark I had to stay alert and hope I was on course. I saw something on the water about 5 miles in front of me that looked like fire. I quickly woke up my first mate and frantically asked him to call the coast guard because I was convinced it was a boat on fire. He quickly came to look at what I was pointing and calmly assured me that it was not a boat on fire. He took the helm and requested for me to go immediately get my camera. With much hesitation, I did what he requested. As I pointed my camera at the fiery boat (so I thought) on the water; the fire got bigger and brilliant red. A red moon surfaced out of the water; lighting up the entire horizon with it fiery red glow. I was extremely touched; it felt like taking communion with nature. My knees got weak and I fell in a trance. I live for those moments of divinity with nature. I will never forget that incredible moment.

Asian Carp Alert ….from the

November 21, 2009 Voracious Invader May Be Nearing Lake Michigan By MONICA DAVEY CHICAGO — Asian carp, the big, hungry fish that the authorities here have for years been desperately trying to keep away from the Great Lakes, appear to have moved closer than ever to Lake Michigan. The carp, a non-native species that some fear could destroy the ecosystem of Lake Michigan by consuming what the lake’s native fish eat, have long been making their way up the Mississippi River, and since at least 2002 have been the focus of an enormous effort to prevent them from reaching the lake here. But on Friday, officials from the Army Corps of Engineers reported that genetic material from the carp had been found for the first time in a nearby river beyond an elaborate barrier system, which has cost millions of dollars and was meant to block their passage. That, officials said, means that the fish could be within several miles of Lake Michigan — and with only one lock, regularly opened for boats, between them and the Great Lakes. No one seems certain how the carp could have found their way through the complicated barrier, which is not unlike a really powerful underwater electric fence. And in truth, federal and state officials said, no actual carp have been spotted. But most authorities said the genetic material was a likely sign that at least a few are present. “This is absolutely an emergency,” said Joel Brammeier, acting president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, who said that recreational boating on the lakes could also be severely damaged if the carp arrived. (Elsewhere, Mr. Brammeier said, the silvery fish, which can grow to 100 pounds, sometimes leap, hitting boaters.) “If Asian carp get into Lake Michigan, there is no stopping them,” he said, “and the volumes of water and geography make containment impossible in terms of the other Great Lakes. Control is impossible.” The carp were first imported to the United States in the 1970s, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, so fish farmers in the South could clean their algae-filled ponds. Flooding led to their spread into the Mississippi River system in the 1990s, and the trip north began. Mr. Brammeier and some others called for the immediate closing of the lock on the Calumet River that still sits between the signs of the fish and Lake Michigan, though others doubted it was feasible to stop shipping traffic through that lock. “All options are on the table,” said Jacqueline Y. Ashmon, a spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers. “We don’t have any specifics.”

What does it tak e to get a captain’s license? (Capt. Betti) The first day I walked into the class room to get my captain’s license; I was told to go home by the all male students. As the only female student, I took it as a challenge to stay and complete the course. There were about 46 students in the class. 40 of them were there for a six pack license (Operator Of Uninspected Vessels, or OUPV) and 6 of them were there for a Masters license. I started with wanting a six pack. The first day the instructor weeded out 10 students by the end of the day, due to attitudes. The instructor mentioned that attitude is everything and he will not grant Captains licenses to those with bad attitudes because it could kill you and everyone onboard. The following days, he continued to weed out students with know-it-all behaviors because it made it unfavorable in absorbing the large amounts of new material necessary to pass the test. At this point, it was a test of character and fortitude. There were 12 of us left and he continued to test our commitment for being a Captain and completing the course. I was the first one to cross over from getting a six pack to getting a masters license. The instructor took that as an incentive/dare for the rest of the students that were left yet to cross over. I figured it was already tough enough. I might as well go all the way to make it well worth no matter what the outcome. I honestly have to share that this was the most difficult thing I have ever done. All the education and degrees I had (UIC Medical School, Rush University Surgical Nursing, Grad school for Biochemistry, etc…) did not even scrape the surface of difficulty because the Masters Captain’s License tested every part of my being. It was well worth it! Steps to successfully getting your Captains License:

• Take the following courses either from USCG, Chicago Yacht Club, Navy Pier or more affordably by joining the WSPS (Waukegan Sail and Power Squaron). I did it thru the WSPS organization. They focus on the safety education for all boaters. Their classes go for 8 wks in the evening usually 7pm to 9pm, one day a week. Some of the classes are offered in the weekends.

• Courses that would help pass the Captains class are: Seamanship, Weather, Piloting, Advance Piloting, Sailing (basic & advance), Knots for boaters (power & sail).

• Sea time - you need at least 360 4-hour days at sea either as a helms person, deckhand, first mate, or crew. There is a sea time documentation form that the owner of the boat (can be yourself) you were at sea with, needs to sign off to certify your time. The legal support document would be a copy of the log book. If there was no log book then a notarized letter stating you did the amount of hours. Get a signed sea form for each and every boat you were aboard.

• First Aid & CPR/AED Certification by the American Heart Association. • Three letters of recommendation that attest your character and demeanor. • DOT Drug Screening, Medical (hearing, vision, blood work). I have that address to get all of this in one

place for $150.00 you may be able to have your work cover it. • TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Card), issued by Homeland Security. • Merchants Mariners Documentation is the actual license document you carry around with you at sea.

Looks like a red passport. • Remember the only thing you have to complete is the course before you go and take the Captains exam,

the rest can wait until after you pass the test and you are ready to apply for your license. Editor’s notes: I also hold a Master’s license, and found the WSPS courses of great value in preparing for the review course and test. That motivation drove me to the WSPS in the first place. I took the 9-day OUPV review course at Sea School in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2004 while we were on our 2-year Loop trip. Go to http://www.seaschool.com for more information.

WSPS Photo Gallery

Thanks, Oscar, for a great two years as Commander!

Best wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season

and a safe, healthy and fulfilling New Year

from the Bridge of the Waukegan Sail and

Power Squadron and the Editorial Staff of

the Waukeelog