The Winter Boating Course was held from January to April and had twenty-one students with twenty earning a passing grade. The top mark was 98% with two students scoring 97%. All students also passed the PCOC course which is now mandatory for all recreational boaters. A PCOC seminar and exam was offered on June 20 at the Salt Spring Sailing club and had 35 participants – all Sailing Club members. All participants achieved a passing grade on the test with one student scoring 100%.

A VHF Radio (ROC [M]) Course was offered in May/June – 4 classes – and was attended by 13 students. All students passed the written and verbal exam. It is worthwhile remembering that it is a legal requirement that any VHF Radio Operator transmitting on marine band frequencies must possess a Restricted Operator's Certificate (Maritime).

The Fundamentals of Weather Course was held in October/November – 8 classes – and was attended by 8 students. Given the kind of weather we have been experiencing over the last month, the timing could not have been more appropriate. Clouds, fronts, low and high pressure systems, rain, hail, wind – the reasons and causes are now clear as day. Forecasting is sometimes as much an art as it is a science in the Gulf Islands but understanding the fundamentals does add significantly to the practice of safe boating. One certainty is that a forecast of "continuous rain starting about 0900 often heralds a wet day."

I, and all of the Bridge members, would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the following volunteers who contributed their time and effort to a successful year of training Salt Spring boating enthusiasts.

Boating Course
Kathleen McCurdy, David Questo, Gordon Ford, Jenny & Derek Barrio, Laura Dafoe, Bob Reynolds, Hans van de Sande, Karl Mech, Jim McGuckin, Hugh Greenwood, Tom McKeachie, Jay Fraser, Ole Andersen, Jon Healey, and Peter Howell.

PCOC Seminar
Peter Howell, Derek Castle, Lynn Clark, Anders Nielsen, Kathleen McCurdy.

VHF Radio
Gordon Ford, Klaus Mortensen, Bob Reynolds.

Fundamentals of Weather
Eric Van Soeren, Taylor Devlin, Harold Page, and Reg Dunkley.

A very special thanks to Lynn Clark, Training Officer, for her enthusiastic and tireless efforts in making these courses happen.

The Boating Course for 2010 is scheduled to start January 12 and will run until April 20. The course will be held at Gulf Islands Secondary School. Please look for more information on our events page or contact Brian Keir at 250-537-0086.

We are hoping for a great turnout so please encourage friends, neighbours, acquaintances – old or young – to consider taking this very interesting, informative and challenging course. A one year membership in Canadian Power Squadron accompanies successful completion of the course.

As well, an Instructor Development Course will be held at the Sailing club on January 8, 9, and 15. It will be conducted by Michael Doyle and Lynn Clark. Michael is a professional instructor who has had his own training company for over twenty years and has trained for CPS and various professional organizations. Lynn has been involved in teacher training and curriculum design in various locations around the globe. All members who would like to volunteer to teach elements of future training courses are invited to attend. Please advise Lynn Clark of your interest. Many squadron members have incredible know-how and experience in the boating world and can contribute greatly to the training of new and future boaters in safe boating practices.

The Vancouver Island South District (VISD) has begun publishing a VISD newsletter – The Rudder – that will be published three times a year and distributed to all members of the eight VISD squadrons. This newsletter is intended to provide information on upcoming events, opportunities to volunteer, information on the CPS Strategic Plan, news of the 2009 CPS Conference and AGM, and much more. www.visd.org

THE Hull Truth of Boat Names

According to Boat U.S. Magazine, the current top ten (most popular) recreational boat names are:

• Seas the Day
• Summer Daze
• Second Chance
• Aqua-Holic
• Wind Seeker
• Dream Weaver
• Black Pearl
• Hydrotherapy
• The Salt Shaker
• Sea Quest

The one name that has been the most popular over the past 20 years...Serenity....

Some other creative names:

ARE You Ready for…BRRR…Winter?

Anders Nielsen, Cruise Master, (250) 537-0831

We don't really want to admit it to ourselves, but…winter is coming! For many of you, that means winterizing your boat. Whether you haul out or leave your boat in the water, there are many things you can do now to keep your boat safe, and ready, for spring.

If you leave your boat in the water, the most important thing you need to do is closing your seacocks and ensuring that all through-hull fittings are in good order. Check hose clamps as well, to ensure that, in the event heavy wet snow weighs your boat down, water cannot get in through normally above water through-hull fittings. Ensure that your bilge pump works properly, and that your source of power is adequate at all times to run the pump. If you use battery power, a solar panel is an excellent way of keeping it topped up. I use a very affordable water-proof 5.5W panel from Canadian Tire, which comes with an array of connectors, for all charging needs (Product #11-1884-4, about $70). It has built-in overcharging protection.

For a complete list of actions that all boaters should consider in the next few weeks, West Marine publishes a handy winterizing guide or download the pdf file www.westmarine.com/pdf/WinterizingChecklist.pdf

For those of us who suffer from "Docking Anxiety," help is available. Try the docking simulator at www.spot.pcc.edu/~mtrigobo/docksim/ . Upon successfully docking in all six positions, you will be awarded the most difficult dock position at your marina.

As we approach December and the holiday season I want to remind all of you of the upcoming Christmas Dinner. It will be held at the Salt Spring Sailing Club on Friday, December 11 at 1800 hrs. Tickets are $20.00 per person and are available at Volume II Bookstore until December 5. For more information, please call Gaye Gardiner at 250-537-0831. This should again be a very enjoyable evening and a highlight of the festive season.

A Christmas gift suggestion for the directionally challenged – Nautical Socks

Bob Charlet

Executive Officer