March 2010 Publication of the Norfolk Naval Sailing Association
Skipjack leaving Deal Island Harbor
Commodore’s Corner
Many thanks to those of you who turned out for our first NNSA meet of the new year on February
23rd. In addition to celebrating the day after George Washington's birthday, we engorged ourselves on
"COMFORT FOOD," which only seemed right given the weather we had been having. As usual, our
club knows how to put on a good feedbag. We look forward to more, as always.
We talked some about re-commissioning our boats after this long, cold winter. Among many things, I
passed out a simple checklist that gave some ideas on how to find and fix all those pesky almost-faults
with thru-hull fittings and hoses and the like. The trick, as Tim Dull likes to say is to "keep the water
out of the people box." May we all do so with great vigor this year.
Sad Note: MWR dusted off some of their governing rules, and we had a “dry” meeting. However,
with the wet chill in the air, the coffee went down nearly as well. Hot buttered rum would have been a
big hit though. We'll keep working on this issue.
Our next monthly meet will be March 30th. The food theme is, of course, IRISH oriented, and we will
be celebrating the passing of the Vernal Equinox with a traditional sock burning ceremony. Let's add a
little creative writing along with the smelly socks: write us a poem that contains the words, "Neptune,"
"salt," "socks," "float," "sail," "sun," and any other nautical themes you can think of. You know, like-
"There once was a girl from Nantuckett..." Main order of business for the meeting will be planning
for the Azalea Regatta whcih we're sponsoring in April. Kathy will be looking for a bunch of
volunteers, so be ready to step up for something.
I don't know about you, but I am plenty tired of old man winter this year. My sailing itch is driving me
nuts; all we can say now is "soon, very soon."
Cheers/Dick
S/V Charis
Commodore, NNSA
Our Column:
Spirits:
1794 – The U.S. Congress established a daily ration for members of the U.S. Navy of one half-pint
distilled spirits, or, in lieu of that, one quart beer.
Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need: a homey home and simple pleasures,
one or two friends worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe
or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink, for thirst is a
dangerous thing. – Jerome K. Jerome
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. – Benjamin Franklin
Helpful Hints:
Painting:
The first Rule
Scrape and sand before you prime; prime before you paint.
The Second Rule
Start from the top and work down; apply antifouling paint last.
The Third Rule
Don’t paint around wet varnish, or varnish around wet paint.
Generally
Vertical surfaces (bulkheads, masts, etc.) should be painted or varnished in a vertical direction.
Horizontal surfaces (planking, etc.) should be painted or varnished in a horizontal direction.
Diesel fumes:
Spilled diesel fuel leaves an unpleasant odor that can nauseate some people, especially if they have to
be down below in heavy weather. It’s tough to get rid of the odor once it takes hold. Niels R. Jensen in
SAIL Magazine reported a retired diesel mechanic told him to use some liquid Calgon fabric softener.
It was one of the tricks of the diesel trade. Niels followed his advice, and when he had wiped down the
affected areas, the fumes disappeared and his boat was once again livable. He has since recommended
it to other boat owners with similar good results. From Sail Magazine February 2008
Chronicles…
HISTORY OF NNSA (from NNSA Historian Fred Wright)
The Norfolk Naval Sailing Association was organized in the fall of 1962 by a group of naval officers
who recognized a need for recreational and competitive sailing among service personnel. It was the
first such organization in the Navy, and was the corner-stone of the U. S. Naval Sailing Association.
An active program was established during the first years which included a sailing squadron, power
squadron and water skiing group. The NNSA sponsored its first regatta recognized by the Chesapeake
Bay Yacht Racing Association in September 1964.
In 1965, the Commandant of the Fifth Naval District sponsored construction of the Naval Station
Sailing Center supported by Special Services. Until that time, all programs and activities had been
conducted without benefit of a clubhouse.
As a member of the CBYRA and the North American Yacht Racing Union, the Norfolk Naval Sailing
Association is a recognized Yacht Club registered with Lloyds of London.
Given impetus by the success of sailing association in Norfolk, twenty-one naval sailing associations
have been formed throughout the world. In 1966 the same founders of NNSA went on to form a
parent organization, the U. S. Naval Sailing Association.
Racing News…
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME - Begins this coming Sunday, March 14 at 0200 (2am). Remember to set you
clocks ahead, i.e. Spring Ahead!
If you are interested in volunteering for RC Duty join us for this Free Seminar-
Let me know so I can sign you up
Kathy
Coming soon - NUTS & BOLTS RACE MANAGEMENT - March 20th, Saturday morning (9:00am -
12:30pm) at Hampton Yacht Club - FREE. Sponsored by CCV at HYC. This is a Basic Primer that will get
you through your annual race committee assignment. This is NOT "inside race management" material. It is
designed to keep you out of trouble when you go out to run club races. Registration opens at 8:30am; coffee
and breakfast goodies are courtesy CCV. Please do PRE-REGISTER, so plans can be made for adequate
beverages, goodies, and seating. Pre-register by email to mcbear@earthlink.net and say you want to attend
the RC Clinic, or call Lin McCarthy at (757) 850-4225. If you name is on a list somewhere to "do your turn at
race committee", this is for you!
The Azalea Fest is once again on us! This year we have decided to hold the race in Willoughby,
Close to Home, AND it will be a Two DAY event Saturday April 24 Keel boats and Sunday April
25th 2pm Dinghy Races!!!! Back by popular demand.
We can use all sort of help!
1. We need racers.... Langley had more on the course than NNSA last year. And this will be a fun
event. No hidden marks, no strange scoring. Probably no silver awards but I will find quality awards
early. Lets bring fun and fair back to sailing this year. It’s my #1 goal.
2. We need at least 4 other people on Crusader with us for Committee.
3. Captain's meeting place is provided again this year by Dave Baxter’s Sail Loft.
4. A point person for Pub 1 after party.
5. People to help at the after Race party....
6. Sunday we will need Dinghy RACERS....
7. Committee for the Dinghy Race
8. People to help with the cook out for the dinghy race....
SO there is the OPPORTUNITY for Everyone to Support the club and more importantly to
HAVE FUN doing what you love
Messing around with boats!!!!!
Kathy
BBSA Racing News:
-March 20 - Little Creek Wednesday Night racing series registration and awards - John Bergman -
littlecreek@broadbaysailing.org
-March 25 - Willoughby Racers Thursday Night racing series registration night at Rebel Marina - Dave Wilbar -
willoughbyracers@broadbaysailing.org
-April 7 - Little Creek Wednesday Night races begin
-April 8 - Willoughby Racers Thursday Night races begin
Other Southern Bay Racing News:
Brad Miller, who resides in Hanover, Virginia, is the first PHRF C boat to enter SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK 2010.
Brad returns to SBRW with his Beneteau 305, Schiehallion. Two more returnees, Dennis Hannick, King George,
Virginia, with his Tripp 26, Goin', and Sam Mitchener of Roanoke, Virginia, with his J109, Double Eagle are all set for
SBRW 2010.
On the college sailing front: Old Dominion University hosted the ODU Open South #1 this past weekend and teams
from 18 schools raced FJs for two days. The U.S. Naval Academy won the regatta, with the Georgetown 2nd, and St
Mary's third. Local collegiate teams and their overall finishes: ODU (4th); UVA (7th); Hampton U (9th); William & Mary
(14th); Christopher Newport (16th).
NEW SAFETY PRODUCT- Word comes from up on the rivah, Yankee Point on the Rappahannock, that there is a new
safety product out that seems worth mentioning. It replaces the bulky horseshoe buoy which as everyone knows is tough
to throw and sometimes takes some wrangling to get out of the holder. This is a Mustang™ Survival Rescue Stick::
MRD100 which is basically thrown like you would throw a stick to a dog (it’s that simple). On landing in the water it
inflates into a horseshoe float for a person. Mustang Survival claims it can be thrown 100’ and a practice stick is included.
Check out www.mustangsurvival.com/rescue_stick Check with your local boating equipment provider. If they don't have
it, they can probably get it for you.
To subscribe directly, send an email to mcbear@earthlink.net , put SBRNYCU on the subject line, give your name, and say, "Sign me up!"
SBRNYCU is free. You may reprint or forward all or any part of this publication as long as you give credit to:
SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE, Lin McCarthy, Editor
ONE DAY AWAY . . .
(This is a newer section with inputs from anyone who has ideas on cruising sites “one day a way”)
HORN HARBOR A nice spot, just a mile or two north of New Point Comfort Light, which I have
only started to use on my trips up and down the Bay. I was blown in there a couple of years ago
coming south out of Deltaville in a Nor’easter that just kept getting stronger all day. I had never tried
it before then, even with a shoal draft Cape Dory, as when you look at the charts, the channel is “blue”
water, not the sort of place you willingly motor into even when you’re looking for new places to
explore. However, the waterway guide was convincing enough, and I was wore out from surfing five
to six footers south all day in the storm in my little DART, so I gave it a try. Amazingly, even though
the entrance channel is open to the northeast, the waves flattened as soon as I rounded the big “HH”
day beacon just offshore of the channel. And true to the word in the guide, the channel really does stay
a wee bit above five and a half feet through the “blue” parts and deepens to a friendly seven further in.
Just follow the markers, but don’t hug any of them too tight. I’ve been in there a number of times
since with no problems in boats with up to five foot draft.
This time in SINDI K, our Tartan 34C with 4’ draft centerboard up and 8 ½’ draft centerboard
down, I found the Horn Harbor Marina is still a full service place with I believe a 70 ton lift. Much of
the place is self service including the ice. It’s in Mathews County and the area is about as undeveloped
as you can find in the southern Bay. There’s a great little anchorage on the port side just before you
get to the big green day beacon before the marina. They have a few transient slips available too if you
want to just hook up. A nice place to explore by dinghy, and I spotted two river otters in a nook just
up from the Marina; however, there are no restaurants or fine creaturely things available ashore,
although the marina lounge is very comfortable and full of reading material and there is a pool
available in the summer. There are a number of fine old wooden yachts under their floating boat house
that you could spend a good few hours just ogling. A good quiet gunk holing type of place.
Tim Dull
SV DART
The Great American Dock Party
On June 4 - 6, 2010 (in conjunction with SBRW) Hampton Public Piers is hosting a new event weekend titled "The Great
American Dock Party." We would like to personally invite you, your family and of course your boat to this inaugural
event. The cost for the weekend will be $3.00 a foot, which includes dockage for 2 nights, power, water and admission to
all of the weekend's events.
Friday June 4, 2010 will feature the second Hampton Public Piers Cook Off (please see enclosed for details). Judging will
begin at 7 pm. In addition, a corn hole tournament and limbo contest will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2010, from 5 pm - 7
pm, followed by the musical styling of Phoebus Rio. We have many great prizes for the weekend and will take
reservations until the marina is full, so reserve your spot early.
For more information or to make reservations, please call 757-727-1276.
Hampton Public Piers is Moving
Hampton Public Pies will be moving to the Hampton Maritime Center (formally the Cousteau Society
building) in March 2010.
DISTANCE CRUISERS . . .
From Maury and Ginger on GYPSY SAILS
10 February reply to NNSC Marina Manger’s update on weather at NOB:
The wind is coming out of the W to NW at a steady 20 with gusts to 30. I just tried walking the docks but since
there is a beach party going on at the club the dingies are packed solid. It appears that there is a shortage of
Capt Morgan. The docks are covered with those still hung-over from the celebration of the sun setting last
night so PLEASE be careful not to step on them or the ongoing preparations for tonight’s sun setting
celebration.
For those who need something to feel jovial about please watch FOX news and their coverage of the whiteout,
blizzard etc in the NE. Particularly noteworthy is the article of the ice drifts threatening to hole the boats still
afloat in Washington that are covered with two feet of snow.
Has anyone seen Al Gore on TV……???
DULL CRUISING NOTES:
PART II
MEAL PLANS
In the saga of preparing for the cruising life by starting short cruises, assuming you are now
well on your way to assembling the gear you need for a short cruise on the Bay, I will take some of
the worry out of meal planning. For those of you who have come alongside one of our sailing
association boats for an overnight raft up, and been invited aboard to share in an “impromptu” evening
meal, only to discover what appears to be an unending supply of roasted, braised, sautéed and
otherwise splendidly presented munchies coming up from down below, I am not about to give away
those gifted galley slaves’ secrets. And for those who are planning on a long term voyage for months
at sea with few chances for provisions along the way, I would recommend tracking down THE
CRUISING COOK, written by Shirley Deal, LOC no.77-78074. We are just planning on a few days
out there on the Bay; the galley slaves secrets will come out as you do more raft ups.
I hope to provide you enough ideas to keep your crews flavorably satisfied and willing to
come back for another trip aboard your vessel. There are no guarantees any of this will help with the
recalcitrant teenager, but I discovered long ago that most of them will prove docile enough if you can
just keep their stomachs full, and then let the fresh air do the rest.
Simplify
First, you need to keep things simple. Neither you, nor your chief cook, really want to be
slaving away down below for hours on end. And I bet neither wishes to spend the evening’s
moonlight time scrubbing pots and pans. That’s why Poseidon provided us with canned goods and
grills.
Galley Equipment
Next, figure out what sort of galley gear your charter vessel is equipped with: the Tartan 34C
has a two burner alcohol stove with a one burner butane stove backup, no oven, a charcoal grill to
hang off the stern rail, and a large 110V chill box; the Endeavour 32 has a microwave oven, a one
burner butane stove, you can get a charcoal grill from the sailing center, and both a large ice chest and
DC refrigerator; the 310 has an LP gas stove and oven, you can get a charcoal grill from the center,
and a combination ice chest and refrigeration system. Each additional piece of galley gear gives you
an increased range of food choices depending on whether you anchor out most evenings or are tied up
with shore power. (And no, the Endeavour 32 microwave doesn’t work at anchor, yet.)
Nutrition
From a nutrition standpoint, on a weekend or even weeklong trip, no one in your crew is going
to come down with scurvy if you do not provide a perfectly balanced diet every day. On the other
hand, you do not want to live on junk food the whole period either. If you plan a somewhat standard
breakfast, lunch and dinner and late evening snack routine, you will have covered most of the required
daily’s.
Planning
Your meal plans should revolve around the trip schedule; for instance, if your sailing day is a
long leg up the Bay with an early start, have hot instant oatmeal packs for breakfast (hey, you have to
heat up water for hot coffee anyway) with a glass of juice or milk, have deli meat sandwiches with
lettuce and cheeses for lunch (make these up the night before if you’re short-handed), and have bowls
of hot canned soup for dinner after you anchor in the evening. If you can handle the sweetness of
some of them, even “Breakfast to go” oatmeal squares work in the morning. Boil up enough water to
fill a large thermos to make coffee and cocoa the rest of the day. For those days you either plan to stay
in port or only move a short distance; have your scrambled eggs and sausages and toast for breakfast
(you do not want to try to scrabble eggs while underway and expect to keep them in the skillet), either
eat out in the port for lunch or dinner, and plan to barbeque a meat on the grill for the other meal. As I
said in the earlier cruising note; a grill is a great relief for both the galley cook and gets the heat out of
the cabin.
Also plan to eat out a few meals during the cruise; again this gives the galley crew a break and
helps break up some of the monotony of the food you may have planned. If you expect to walk
through the local town you are moored or anchored in, then usually lunch is the meal to have ashore.
Simple meal plan for typical weeklong trip:
Day one -long leg up Bay
Breakfast -hot oatmeal packs, coffee and juices
Lunch -deli or cold meat sandwiches w/cheese and lettuce
Supper -beef stew, (stir in egg noodles to thicken/extend), fruit cups
Bed time -cookies, milk, hot cocoa
Day two –in port at anchor
Breakfast -scrambled eggs w/cheese and potatoes, coffee, juices
Lunch -meat/cheese sandwiches, fruit cups
Dinner -steaks on the grill, mash potatoes, lettuce salad
Bedtime -s’mores on the grill
Day three –long leg across the Bay
Breakfast -hot oatmeal packs, coffee, juices
Lunch -meat/cheese sandwiches, fruit cups
Supper -meal in town
Bedtime -ice cream in town
Day four –in port moored
Breakfast -omelets, coffee, juices
Lunch -out in town
Supper -chicken on grill, pasta salad, fruit cups
Bedtime -cookies, milk, hot cocoa
Day five –long leg up and across Bay
Breakfast -hot oatmeal packs, coffee, juices
Lunch -meat/cheese sandwiches, fruit cups
Dinner -hot soup, lettuce salad
Bedtime -s’mores on grill
Day six –in port anchored
Breakfast -scrambled eggs w/cheese and potatoes
Lunch -meal out at museum
Dinner -brats on the grill, mashed potatoes, salad
Bedtime -cookies, milk, hot cocoa
Day seven –short day different anchorage
Breakfast -omelets, coffee and juices
Lunch -meat/cheese sandwiches, fruit cups
Supper -meal out at restaurant
Bedtime -cookies, milk, hot cocoa
Depending on your refrigeration systems, you may need to use up the non-precooked meats
early in the trip. Even if you have a good freezer system, buy and freeze your meats ahead of time to
both extend their life and lower the drain on your cooling system.
Ultimately, also bring snack foods; pretzels are great for mal de mar problems, cookies (Chips
Ahoy were my son’s favorite), individual snack bags of crackers, cookies, cheese crunches, potato
chips, etc. are also handy, and lastly, bring lots of apples and oranges. Nuts and dried fruits in a “trail
mix” are also good for the munchies and very healthful. Oh yes, and peanut butter.
Galley Standards
Some galley standards to bring along in addition to the ingredients for the above meals:
butter crackers jams
ketchup mustard noodles, pasta
mayo non-dairy creamer pepper
popcorn rice salad dressings
salad oil olive oil salt
shortening a few spices sugar
tea coffee vinegar
canned milk
And finally, Bisquick for nearly every use from shortcakes to dumplings.
Summary
I hope this will get you over the “what will we eat” hurdle. And if you noticed, hotdogs or
hamburgers are not included. So there are two more meals you can plan around. I have left out baked
beans for all of the obvious reasons; however, you have never had as much fun as when you have two
teenage girl cousins get together on a boat at night. I swear they are worse than boys….. You do
remember the Ya Ya Sisterhood don’t you?
In the next month or so I will cover trip planning to include tides, winds, tracks, way points
and anchorages and moorings.
Tim Dull
SV DART
CRUISING NEWS … Save the Dates! 2010 NNSA Tour
De’ Chessie… From the Cruising Commodore:
It seems the thing to do prior to Wedding and other invites is to send a “pre-invite” to save
the date. So…save the date for the annual NNSA Chesapeake Bay Cruise (AKA “Tour de
Chessie”) the week of July 4th, departing Saturday morning on the July 3d and returning the
following weekend. Next to bare boat chartering in the Caribbean, this is about as much fun
you can have exploring the Chesapeake Bay. If you go to the Cruising page of the NNSA
web site, you will see the great trip
we had two years ago when we
visited great locations like Deltaville,
Onancock, Tangier Island,
Chrisfield, Solomons, St Marys (4th
English Settlement in the US) and
Reedville. I would go back to any of
them again. This year we may push
on north, perhaps as far as
Annapolis. But again, who knows,
we may relive the the 2008 trip, it all
depends on what the other
participants want to do and of
course….the winds. John Peterson
SV Dream Date
Main Street on the water in downtown Reedville. A great place to anchor.
NNSA Officers
Commodore
Dick McCrillis Racing and Cruising Credits
Dick.McCrillis@norfolknavalsailing.org
Vice-Commodore
Kent Mack
kent.mack@norfolknavalsailing.org
254-3175
Rear Commodore-Norfolk
John Bouma
john.bouma@norfolknavalsailing.org
Rear Commodore-L-Creek
Mike Brannon
mike.brannon@norfolknavalsailing.org
Treasurer
Jason Ginsberg
jason.ginsberg@norfolknavalsailing.org
Secretary
Kent Mack
kent.mack@norfolknavalsailing.org
Cruising Captain
John Peterson
548-9376 wk 836-5116
john.peterson@norfolknavalsailing.org
Racing Commodore/PHRF
Kathy Barber
kathy.barber@norfolknavalsailing.org Kathy Barber, on the left, won the club’s Spahr Racing Award for her
Material/OPCYC Liaison very active participation both as skipper and as crew in Wednesday
Mike Barber nights, Frostbite Series, dinghy, and other local racing. She is
mike.barber@norfolknavalsailing.org appropriately enough our new Racing Captain for the 2010 season.
254-3174
Hospitality John Bouma, second from the right, received the Filulu Cruising Cup. In
Patricia Hazard addition to his usual times out on the Bay, his cruises in 2009 included
pat.hazard@norfolknavalsailing.org Norfolk to Bermuda and return, and Bareboat Chartering in the
Baggy Wrinkle Editor Caribbean.
Tim Dull
tim.dull@norfolknavalsailing.org Jim Gordon, on the right, received the Bravo Zulu Award for his
254-3174 numerous years of service as Treasurer.
NNSA Webmaster
John Peterson
548-9376 wk 836-5116
john.peterson@norfolknavalsailing.org
Club Historian
Fred Wright
572-5479 One of the very excellent sponsors for our Holiday party this year
Youth Activities Coordinator was Joe Coply (Diver Joe). His information is below:
Sally Berry
471-3883 Underwater Hull Cleaning
Joe Copley, Owner
502-9556 (C) 427-7017 (H)
MARJOE3@COX.NET
mailto:commodore@norfolknavalsailing.org