Boating Clubs

John Dauster, Commodore
505-2122
jndauster@aol.com
www.marinersofpgi.org

July, 2009

Known as a club concerned with boating safety, the Mariners have on their website an Education page. The latest safety tip comes from Dolores Bell and Diane Shuhart who provided a firefighting training school’s dramatic video on a stove-top grease fire.

The video shows deep fat fryer on fire. A firefighter approaches with an 8-oz. cup of water attached to a 10-foot pole. When the firefighter dumps the water into the pan, a fireball quickly shoots up and engulfs the ceiling and entire kitchen. That’s because when water is tossed onto a grease fire, the water sinks to the bottom, quickly becomes overheated and its explosive force of steam blows the burning oil up and out. Imagine the devastation in closed quarters such as on a boat! Don’t pour flour or sugar on the pan either, as one cup would be equal to two sticks of dynamite. What you SHOULD do is first shut off the source of fire or heat, then cover the pan’s opening with a wet towel or washcloth. Don’t attempt to remove until the pan has entirely cooled. A tight fitting lid can also smother the flames. Again, don’t remove until the fire is out and the pan has cooled.

Now for lighter stuff: June’s outing to the Babcock Ranch and a tour in a Swamp Buggy was a huge success, with Mariners still chuckling over the fun that day.

Upcoming is the July Bowling event that every year seems to get wilder and wilder.

Cruises planned for July are the Fisherman’s Village Marina July 4th celebration from July 3-5. A Burnt Store Marina Brunch Cruise is planned for July 12, and an Isles Yacht Club Lunch Cruise is slated for July 23.

Roger Cohen, Commodore
(637-9525)
rogercohen@comcast.net
www.PGIslanders.org

JuLY, 2009

It is really hard to believe that half the year has gone by and we still have so much cruising to do.

It was great being away on the boat for six weeks and seeing so many fellow cruisers from Punta Gorda along the way as we circumnavigated Florida and explored the Keys.  I don’t believe there is a more active boating community than the Isles. It is nice to socialize with so many club members at so many different places. We saw the Burkhart’s, Alexander’s, Caldwell’s, Elliot’s, Dye’s along the way and spoke with the Roes, Haswells and McAlears, Taits, Fullers and Deutches at some point on our mutual journeys.  This didn’t even count the members of the other clubs that we saw and visited with.

Along with the fun of boating comes the trials and tribulations. One of our members was rear ended by a sail boat coming under a bridge along the East Coast and our Vice Commodore was dragged into another boat as the second boat tried a unique way of anchoring after dark.  In the first case, the incident was caused by inattention of the following boater. In the second, it was caused by a boater who had no idea what they were doing and was a menace to those around him. The bottom line is, regardless of how good we may think we are, we still have to deal with a world in which people are less than optimally trained and sometimes are distracted at the wrong time.  We have made a decision to ratchet up our education program to include skill building for our members to insure we are as well-prepared to deal with incidents as we can. We welcome both members and non-members to our monthly meeting to attend any of these sessions. We will have the first at our August meeting with a presentation on anchoring.

While we have many folks who have headed up north, we have a whole bunch that are enjoying the warm (make that hot) summer months and July saw the repeat of our successful July 4th celebration at Laishley Marina. We had a full complement of boats for the holiday and combined that for our Second Annual BBQ and General Meeting. Our thanks to Bert Fidler and her crew for hosting the event for the second year.

So if you long for something fun and exciting to do on the second or fourth Monday of the month, come join the Islanders at St Andrews and see how much fun you can have both on and off the water.

Safe boating and enjoy your summer!

Nick Tarzia, President (639-5587) 
mailto:nic4mat@yahoo.com
www.pgicruisingclub.org

 

JULY, 2009

A TALE OF THREE BOATS---With apologies to Charles Dickens.

Members recently shared stories of memorable boating experiences, which included tales of woe as well as fun.  One member recalled a great trip with fond memories to the Bahamas with another couple aboard their sailboats.  Their only problems were a blown 25-amp fuse, algae in the fuel tanks, which required removal of the tanks for cleaning, changing two fuel filters and installing new batteries.  The final insult was snagging a crab pot, which stalled the engine.  The two couples had a fantastic trip, which tells one how much sailors will endure to enjoy the water.

A second reply recanted an adventure in an area known as Hell’s Gate along the intercostal in South Carolina.  These enthusiastic boaters left their overnight dock and were at full plane when they suddenly came to a complete halt.    To their relief, it was a soft grounding in very forgiving soft mud.  In an hour and a half, the low tide was replaced with rising waters and the determined boaters were on their way without the expected vibration.  Their second stroke of good luck was falling in behind a large Hatteras and smaller Roballo run by seasoned delivery captains who made the most of their knowledge by leading the group.  It was a banner day with more miles covered with better fuel economy than any other day on the voyage.

The third tale is a personal one from the writer of this article.  We had just purchased a Chris Craft double cabin and were on our way to our homeport.  It was an unlikely crew of two couples, a ten year old and a very pregnant dog.  The child and the dog would not have been aboard if the dog could have been boarded but no vet would take the expectant mother dog.  You guessed it!  The dog, ignoring her whelping bed, delivered puppies right in the middle of our bed.  If that was not enough excitement, we suddenly heard a loud bang and both engines shut down.  A passing shrimp boat took us in tow and dropped us off at a wildlife refuge.  It was a fitting dockage.  The culprit was a blown exhaust manifold that was temporarily repaired and the voyage ended without further incident minus the child, dog and two women who were rescued by car.

Every story should have a moral and these three do as well.  Boaters are very resilient characters that face adversity head on.  There are always challenges on the water as there are in life. PGI Cruising Club members do more than go to Happy Hour, visit local sights and go out to dinner.  We are a hearty group who love living in this boating paradise with its beauty and challenges.  Often friends from other parts of our country ask why we continue to face the threat of hurricanes.  The answer is simple—it’s the price you pay for living in Paradise.

You are always welcome to join us.  Membership chairs, John and Pat Dorney, will be happy to answer your questions. 941-637-8767.

Gary Kline,Commodore
(575-8540)
grkline@comcast.net
www.pgiseafarers.org

July, 2009

 

While many of the Seafarers are leaving for the summer months or doing extensive traveling by land, the rest of us continue to enjoy the waters and other attractions in Punta Gorda.  Many of us are expanding our Seafarers weekend at Marina Jacks into a week long trip up and back, stopping at Yacht Clubs, Marinas and Anchorages along the way.  Dinner and Billiards at Coral Rock was well-attended and a great time was had by all.

July brings us a luncheon cruise to Waterside Grill at Gasparilla Marina and a night out for darts and draft beer at the Ice House Pub and Restaurant.

Our twice monthly Social Events at St. Andrews continue to draw many people out on Thursday nights.

Check out our website at www.pgiseafarers.org to learn more about our club and please accept my invitation to attend one of our Socials held at 5 pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursday at the St. Andrews South Golf Club and learn more about the club that knows how to have fun.