America's Volunteer
Lifesavers
Flotilla 86 Venice, FL
www.cgauxvenice.org
7th District
James P. Sleichert, Commander Edward J. Stebner, Vice-Commander
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James P. Sleichert, Commander Edward J. Stebner, Vice-Commander |
| March, 2010 Judi Bidwick, Editor Judi Bidwick, Photographer |
| Flotilla Commander's Message
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James Sleichert |
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March, 2010 |
Vice
Commander
FROM THE VICE FLOTILLA COMMANDER DESK: February is just about gone, and all flotilla activities have been going along at a good pace. Many thanks to the instructors who have spent many hours with the 2nd session of Public Education classes currently underway. Member Training has been very busy with training on the water and reviewing boat crew and coxswain tasks for the many members who need to do their three-year requalification. Starting on February 24, the first Qualified Examiner Mission will take place for coxswain and crew who will be requalifying. Then later in the week one initial crew will be qualifying. Best of luck to the members who will be qualifying; remember under new guidelines you will be expected to know or task as much or more than an initial candidate. Remember to relax and think smart when you’re with the QE. Even though the weather hasn’t been that great coxswain and boat crew training on Thursday mornings have been well attended. If you haven’t attended any of the training at Marine Max or the Training Center, I would suggest you do so especially members who need their three-year certification. Many thanks to Guenther Hennig on his very informative Emergency Medical Techniques and First Aid session that he is presenting on Thursday’s at the Training-Center. For the members who don’t attend the training, come join us on Thursday’s; we all can learn something. The instructors work hard to make their presentation interesting. Coxswains and boat-owners, it would be nice if more facilities could be available for OWT on Thursdays and sometimes for a safety patrol or even for a night mission. Because of new guidelines for two candidates per boat, we will start planning coxswains and crew persons who need three-year certification or initial qualification to meet the new guidelines and have are QE Missions spread out in a timely manner and not all at one time. Mentoring and Vessel Safety Check Program is going well under the guidance of Patrick Wheeler. Mark your calendars. Vessel examiners for the Southbay Marina annual vessel inspections which will be held Friday and Saturday the 26th and 27th of March. I will be attending a Division and Commanders Workshop next month in North Fort Myers and Wednesday, February 24th, the Always Ready Program at Flotilla 84 in Sarasota. Edward Stebner,
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March, 2010 |
Communications
In an effort to continue to focus on recruiting and training members as radio watch standers we are planning a telecommunications seminar for Wednesday, April 7th, at 9:00 AM at the Training Center. The purpose of this session is twofold: first, review radio watchstander procedures; secondly, discuss new Digital Selective Calling Tracking and Navigation System (DSC-TNS) programs and capabilities for vessel tracking. We encourage everyone to join us for this training session. We appreciate the support you are providing this year for our safety patrols and OWT sessions. The communications schedule is available on the Flotilla calendar. The Monthly TCO Brief This month let's review some VHF radio procedures and techniques for distress calls. MAYDAY calls are distress calls of the highest urgency and should be reserved for situations in which "there is immediate risk of loss of property or life". In other words, MAYDAY calls are issued if a vessel is sinking or on fire or, if someone on board is seriously injured or ill. The procedure to issue a MAYDAY call is simple. The recommended distress call format includes the word MAYDAY spoken three times in succession, followed by the distress message, which should include:
A typical MAYDAY call follows: (1) “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, this is Nonsuch, Nonsuch, Nonsuch. MAYDAY, Nonsuch. Position 54 degrees 25 minutes North, 016 degrees 33 minutes West. My boat is on fire and sinking. I require immediate assistance. 4 people on board are taking a lifeboat. OVER.” After a MAYDAY call is made, the vessel in distress should wait for a response; if there is no response after a minute or so, the entire broadcast should be repeated. If you hear a MAYDAY call, stay off the radio and let the Coast Guard or other law enforcement agency handle it. However, write down the information given in the broadcast in case you have to make a MAYDAY relay -- a call made by a vessel (or radio station) on behalf of the vessel in distress. If a vessel makes a MAYDAY call and it is not acknowledged by the Coast Guard after a single repetition and a two-minute wait, a vessel (or radio station) receiving the MAYDAY call should attempt to contact the Coast Guard on behalf of the vessel in distress by broadcasting a MAYDAY relay. Suppose, for example, you are five miles offshore and you hear a MAYDAY call. After waiting for two minutes no response is received from the Coast Guard. A second MAYDAY call is repeated, still without a response. You are then required to make a MAYDAY relay. Most likely the vessel sending the call has a weak signal or is too far offshore for the Coast Guard to receive the signal. The procedure for a MAYDAY relay is the same as for a MAYDAY call, except that the term MAYDAY relay and the name and call sign of your vessel are used. You should perform a MAYDAY relay without hesitation if you see a vessel in trouble (on fire or sinking) or have been asked by the distressed vessel's owner or captain to perform a relay. Once a MAYDAY call is issued, the code of "Silence" goes into effect. You may hear the Coast Guard (or the distressed vessel) broadcast SEELONCE MAYDAY or SEELONCE distress, which means that the channel may only be used by the vessel in distress and the Coast Guard (and any other vessels they ask for assistance in handling the emergency). The channel may not be used for normal working traffic until SEELONCE FEENEE is broadcast. (1) Audio recording of Mayday call made from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Collapse, Tampa Bay, Florida, May 1980 (MP3 format) (updated URI, June 29, 2005) To hear this message go to http://www.islander.org/5-11-05/skyway.mp3
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March, 2010 |
Communications Services
Several member contacted me about inactive or non functional links on our website. If you come across any, please E Mail me at deniskeyes@comcast.net. We received our first payment from Sarasota under the FY 2010 WCIND Grant. For anyone submitting an invoice to the Flotilla, I need the following for that invoice to be eligible for reimbursement:
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An invoice (A copy of your Master charge receipt will work also) Thanks
Denis Keyes
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March, 2010 |
Marine Safety
My report for February follows up on the goals set for visiting our area of responsibility. My first visit was made to the Crow’s Nest Marina and I spoke with the dock master, Jack Mehl. The subject was how to improve marine safety with ongoing traffic heading out to the sea because of dredging and marine contractors--Inner Space Services, Inc (ISS) performing dredging around Snake Island and the Inlet Jetties for the past week. His view of this is for the U.S CGAUX to be there for guidance on the knowledge of the local waterways. Also there have been discussions about the proper way of identifying the passage out to the sea by the dredging company. (the issue was brought up as a subject and discussed on 2 February, 2010 in the monthly Flotilla meeting) Navigations Systems Officer has been informed about this issue. Secondly, I visited Freedom Boat Club and spoke with their Venice Dock Master about environmental and polluted waterways near their marina docks. Pollution is caused by the drainage from nearby parking lots which is surrounded by condominiums. This problem has to be addressed by the City of Venice Sanitary Sewage System Department. I contacted the above department and have to schedule an appointment in the near future. Regarding the Fishing Line (Monofilament) Recycling Program located at St. Augustine FL, I was not successful in contacting anyone about how to empty the dispensers and how to install additional dispensers at the end of the South Venice Jetty and North Nokomis Jetty. I intend to contact them again. I have contacted the Sarasota County Local Rule Committee Chairperson who discussed with me the new recommendations regarding the Manatee protection zone in the Sarasota County waterways. He informed me that there will be a change in the speed from 25 MPH to MINIMUM wake. There also has been a proposal to extend the Slow Speed Zone to the west by Marker 3. In conclusion every visit I make I learn more and more of the problems with marine safety and environment protections.
Roman E. Gzyl
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March, 2010 |
Member Training
The Member Training Program has followed the first quarter outline that Lou Magyar designed. He continues to be out of town so I have taken over his duties since the end of December. Our first Qualified Examiner Mission was canceled due to high winds and low temperatures since the Venice Area of Responsibility has no secluded or hidden waters that could be used when the Gulf of Mexico is “out of bounds.” Those who were ready for the QE practiced in Robert’s Bay a number of times in high winds and uncommon conditions. Both crew and coxswain were prepared for the mission that has been rescheduled. Al Bidwick has done a masterful job instructing members on Search and Rescue patterns. He has introduced some techniques that make plotting an easy task regardless of the type of pattern used. If the weather would cooperate and the winds would moderate, we would be able to practice routine maneuvers in the Intra-Coastal Waterway. The blows have been intense and on several occasions, Station Cortez has curtailed member training orders. Recently, Al and I performed the radio watch that covered the recent Rescue 21 downtime. This was approximately two hours—2000 to 2200--in the evening of February 23. We hope to get boats on the water March 4 to continue our practice for the next QE mission.
Judi Bidwick |
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March, 2010 |
Navigation Systems
Due to the very cold winter very little has been accomplished with checking Aids To Navigation. When on patrol coxswain and crew should keep a lookout for problems with ATONs and report them to Station Cortez. Please follow with a report to me. J.D. Harrison |
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March, 2010 |
Operations
Mustang suits, cold weather, cloudy skies, cold water temperatures have dominated our patrols and training--as if you weren't all acquainted with these.
Soon it will be better. Thanks to all the hardy soles (souls) who have kept going on the water during all of this. They must be tough as shoe leather
by now,
Crew who would like to become coxswain are encouraged to go on boats often, and improve their boating skills. To be a coxswain does not require you to
have a boat--just an attitude
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March, 2010 |
Public
Affairs
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March, 2010 |
Public
Education
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March, 2010 |
Personnel Services
We have one new member who has been approved and will be sworn in at our next meeting. I will continue to contact others who have shown an interest in finding out more about the Auxiliary. John
Kandes |
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March, 2010 |
VESSEL EXAMINER
The Vessel Examination Program is slowly coming back to life. Mother Nature and the cold weather caused a very slow start to this year's activity. To date each vessel examiner has been supplied with twenty decals and a basic supply of literature to start off the year 2010. At my last update, Roman Gzyl had checked nine boats after completing his qualification. Congratulations, Roman! Judy Bidwick has checked eight and Jim Sleichert has checked four. Charlie Weede has completed his five and is now a qualified vessel examiner. Congratulations Charlie! I have completed twenty-four Vessel Safety Checks at the time of this writing. We need vessel examiners for Saturday, March 6th at the Venice Yacht Club. Please contact me if you can be available to help on this busy occasion. Good Luck to everyone with your endeavor to do twenty vessel examinations this current year. Patrick Wheeler |
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March, 2010 |
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The mentoring program is still in place and is available to any member who requires an experienced person to advise and guide them. In a voluntary organization such as ours it occasionally happens that a mentor's private life keeps him or her from being available for their mentoring duties. This problem is easily solved if I am informed of the situation by either party. A temporary mentor will be assigned or a replacement can be made from my list of mentors. Members of our flotilla in the above situation are requested to follow this procedure and allow me the opportunity to do my job as Mentor Coordinator. Patrick Wheeler
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March, 20100 |
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Meeting
Minutes
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March, 20100 |
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Monthly Calendar
MONTHLY CALENDAR--MARCH, 2010
FLOTILLA CALENDAR
BSS Navigation, Training Center Monday, March 1 Flotilla Meeting Tuesday, March 2 Member Training, Marine Max Thursday, March 4 BSS Chapter 10, 12 Thursday, March 4 Vessel Exams Venice Yacht Club Saturday, March 6 BSS Radio Monday, March 8 QE Mission Tuesday, March 9 GPS Registration Wednesday, March 10 Member Training, Marine Max Thursday, March 11 BSS Exam Thursday, March 11 Daylight Savings Time Sunday, March 14 GPS Class Monday, March 15—18 Member Training, Marine Max Thursday, March 18 Member Training, Marine Max Thursday, March 25 QE Mission Thursday, March 25
Upcoming Events: Shark’s Tooth Festival (Public Affairs Event) April 10-11
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March, 2010 |
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General Information Florida Boating Accidents Can Be Avoided With A Boater’s Safety Course (reprinted from http://jmmlawyers.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/florida-boating-accidents-can-be-avoided-with-a-boaters-safety-course/) February 12, 2010 The United States Coast Guard 2008 report on Florida boating accidents shows 616 accidents of which 50 accidents involved fatalities that killed 55 people. In addition, there were 371 non-fatal injuries and over $22 million dollars worth of damage due to boating accidents. 106 of these accidents involved collision with a fixed object, 20 from striking a submerged object, and 190 were due to collision with another vessel. 25 people were forcibly ejected from their boat and 45 people were injured falling overboard. Across the country, over two-thirds of boating fatalities were due to drowning and 90% of the drowning victims were not wearing life jackets. The primary causes of the accidents, injuries and property damage are operator inattention, careless or reckless operation, no proper lookout, operator inexperience, and passenger or skier behavior. Many accidents also involve consumption of alcohol. In fact, alcohol was a leading contributing factor in 17% of the boating fatalities in 2008. Effective January 1, 2010, Florida law now requires that persons born on or after January 1, 1988, complete a NASBLA-approved boater education course prior to operating a vessel powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or more (this includes personal water craft such as jet skis and wave runners). The law also requires that persons affected by this legislation have in their possession a boater safety identification card issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and photographic ID while operating a vessel. Florida does not have a "boating license." The Boating Safety Education Identification Card is proof of successful completion of the educational requirements and is valid for life. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission offers several ways to take an online boater’s safety course. They also offer on-site classes and correspondence courses so boaters can complete requirements as conveniently as possible. For personal safety, everyone onboard your vessel should be wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). Florida law requires that:
Florida boating accidents can in the blink of an eye and for numerous reasons: you can slip and fall overboard slipping on the deck or from inattention, drinking on the boat can contribute to a fall overboard, bad weather can contribute, and being hit by another boat can cause a fall overboard. In most instances, the passenger either does not have enough time to grab a life jacket before falling overboard or is unconscious and unable to put on a life jacket, so it is important for all boating passengers to wear a PFD at all times.
New Method to Evaluate Risks to Boating Safety in Florida
In Florida, the state agency that regulates recreational boating, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is dealing with that kind of controversy more and more often. As the numbers of boats that cruise the state’s inland coastal waterways increase, so do requests from boaters, shorefront property owners and waterfront businesses for new — or more tightly enforced — speed zones. That’s weighed against an obligation to ensure boaters are not unnecessarily burdened by regulations. FWC decided it needed a more uniform, defensible way to guide how speed zones are identified. What the state is testing now is a data-driven, computer-based approach that factors in what had been difficult-to-capture variables, and maps them in way that takes much of the guesswork out of the risk analysis process. Florida Sea Grant’s boating and waterways researchers are assisting FWC with the design of the decision-support framework. One key feature uses geographic information systems (GIS) technology to generate graphics and maps that help regulators and boaters more quickly understand relative safety risks specific to individual waterway segments. In the past, FWC often marked new speed zones based on subjective criteria, such as the number of complaints received. In contrast, the new system can incorporate more criteria such as bridges, boat ramps or other existing marine infrastructure, the number of boating accidents or citations issued, and physical features of the waterway. The methodology also includes feedback loops that account for input from boating safety experts and the boating public, the kind of qualitative data gathered through surveys and workshops. The outcome of the process is a numeric weighting and ranking of waterway segments according to their estimated degree of boating safety risk. With a quantifiable ranking of that segment as a guide, FWC can write more appropriate safety zone rules, and better allocate scarce law enforcement resources. Sea Grant researchers helped FWC develop the model using the Martin County portion of the Intracoastal Waterway, and are now assisting FWC with its application to the Intracoastal in Palm Beach County. FWC plans to use this risk analysis approach to guide the revision or establishment of speed zones to all waterways under its recreational boating jurisdiction. Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pressrow by Chris Pearson (submitted by Edward Stebner, VFC)
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