ABSECON LIGHT October, 2013 1 The summer is over for some of us and the time is near where we have to sadly put our boats away for the rest of the year. We had a nice raft-up at the Mays Landing Bulkhead and then a rendezvous at the Farley Ma- rina which was a success by all standards. A great time was had by all. The kayak/canoe trip on the Egg Harbor River from the Weymouth Furnace to Lake Lenape was a great suc- cess. See more about the trip on page ?. The purpose, other than to have a lot of fun, is to assist in cleaning up the river. Last year we picked up so much trash that we had to stop because the kayaks were filling up and we had no more room. One solution for that would be to have more members involved. Plus it is great for the river and the community. Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, fun, and a civic duty to keep our environment clean. We definitely had a blast. Since our last issue, the District had the Summer Council in Cape Charles, VA in conjunction with District 27 and we had approximately 15 members from Absecon Island attend. There were two Absecon boats on the District cruise, Four Play (Bernard/Carugno) and Assorted Nuts (Haley) and all went well with the exception of one pretty rough day from Point Lookout to the Tides on the Rappahannock. Our members will be proud to know that many boats from other squadrons turned back but the two AIPS boats traveled on to the original des- tination. I also just returned from San Antonio, Texas from the Governing Board. The only thing of note was the return of the initiation fee, $20.00, for new members. Delegates from AIPS voted against the measure but, it pasted by a small margin of the Governing Board. Don’t forget to attend the GWIE Dinner which will be the third Thursday in October and find out all the mistakes and funny things that have happened this past year. Upcoming Events/Birthdays ......... Page 2 Administrative Officer Report ........ Page 3 Executive Officer Report ................ Page 4 Educational Officer Report .......... Page 5 Safety Article ............................. Pages 6-7 D/5 Summer Council Photos .......... Page 8 AIPS Canoe/Kayak Trip Photos ..... Page 9 Canoe/Kayak Article ..................... Page 10 Fall Conference Registration ........ Page 11 Fall Conference Schedule .............Page 12 Commander Ralph A. Bernard, AP
Transcript
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The summer is over for some of us and the time is near where we have to sadly put our boats away for the rest of the year. We had a nice raft-up at the Mays Landing Bulkhead and then a rendezvous at the Farley Ma-rina which was a success by all standards. A great time was had by all. The kayak/canoe trip on the Egg Harbor River from the Weymouth Furnace to Lake Lenape was a great suc-cess. See more about the trip on page ?. The purpose, other than to have a lot of fun, is to assist in cleaning up the river. Last year we picked up so much trash that we had to stop because the kayaks were filling up and we had no more room. One solution for that would be to have more members involved. Plus it is great for the river and the community. Come on out and enjoy the fellowship, fun, and a civic duty to keep our environment clean. We definitely had a blast. Since our last issue, the District had the Summer Council in Cape Charles, VA in conjunction with District 27 and we had approximately 15 members from Absecon Island attend. There were two Absecon boats on the District cruise, Four Play (Bernard/Carugno) and Assorted Nuts (Haley) and all went well with the exception of one pretty rough day from Point Lookout to the Tides on the Rappahannock. Our members will be proud to know that many boats from other squadrons turned back but the two AIPS boats traveled on to the original des-tination. I also just returned from San Antonio, Texas from the Governing Board. The only thing of note was the return of the initiation fee, $20.00, for new members. Delegates from AIPS voted against the measure but, it pasted by a small margin of the Governing Board. Don’t forget to attend the GWIE Dinner which will be the third Thursday in October and find out all the mistakes and funny things that have happened this past year.
October 2013 1 Phyllis Dellasotta 1 Lou Orth 10 Nance Bernard 15 Nina Courter November 2013 5 Bobbie Jean Sooy 7 Patricia Orth 14 James Laymon 20 Christian Jensen 21 Dave Bernard December 2013 3 Jenna Kelly 5 Barbara Boakes 5 Roberta Dougherty 5 JoAnn Haley 15 Nancy Bernard 15 George Kourakin 18 Sandy Wytoshek 24 Walter Wytoshek 28 Betty Byerly 30 Chuck Haley
AIPS CALENDAR
17 October GWIE Dinner
Mill Street Pub, Mays Landing
1830
21 November AIPS Regular Meeting
Absecon American Legion 1930
22-24 November
D/5 Fall Conference Cambridge, MD
5 December
AIPS Holiday Gathering Mill Street Pub Mays Landing
1830
16 January AIPS Regular Meeting
Absecon American Legion 1930
26 Jan - 2 Feb
USPS® Annual Meeting Jacksonville, FL
Absecon Light is the official publication of the
Absecon Island Power Squadron,
a unit of the United States Power Squadron.
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Dear Absecon Islanders,
We have had three very well attended events this past summer. The first event was the raft out at the bulkhead in Mays Landing. We had
several boats in attendance such as Bruce Beach, Bill and Dianne Egan, Tony and Jacky with their gang And Breezin’ of course. It was a beautiful sunny day lots of swimming, eating and drinking. We want to again thank Keith Boakes for letting us use the Boakeswagon as our platform to con-gregate and cook. Our next summer rendezvous was at the Golden Nugget Ma-
rina that was held on 7 July. Everyone brought a dish to
share along with their favorite drink. It was a chilly night
but nice. We went up after dark to the Deck to watch the
band “Don’t Call Me Francis.” We rocked the Deck and had a
really good time.
Coming up is the GWIE dinner in October, the Christmas
Party in December and Founders Day in February. Join us!
Administrative Report David R. Bernard, AP
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Executive Report - Lt/C Apryl Bernard, P
The D/5 Summer Council Rendezvous with D/27 was another great
time. P/D/C Ralph Bernard, AP chaired a great southbound cruise to
Cape Charles. As was indicated in his message, the cruise had one
day with rough seas. But the D/5 members proved that they were
great boaters and weathered through. During the rendezvous,
there was a special Flag Raising ceremony with each squadron in
attendance presenting their 100th Anniversary Banners to the Past
District Commanders who in turn, passed it on and it was then
placed on a special flagpole. This was a great event. AIPS mem-
bers who attended were P/D/C Ralph Bernard, AP; Nance Bernard;
P/C Tony Carugno, AP; P/C Jaclyn Carugno, P; Matt & Ralph Carugno; and District Parliamen-
tarian Ben Sooy, AP. The weather was hot, but the company was great. Next year, the rendez-
vous will be in Crisfield, MD 1-3 August.
Ralph & Nance Bernard were our squadron reps for the Fall Governing Board in San Antonio,
TX. Highlights were given by Cdr Bernard in his message. Next year’s Fall Governing Board
will be almost in our backyard in Crystal City, VA.
Special thanks to all members who manned the booth at the AC In-Water Boat Show, held 26-
29 September at the Farley Marina. Another boat show is coming up sometime in either Janu-
ary and February. Manning the booth is a great way to help the squadron and get in for free.
The D/5 Fall Conference will be held on 22-24 November in Cambridge, MD. Reservation forms
can be obtained on the District website, www.usps/d5.org. All reservations are due by 25 Oc-
tober. A schedule of events is also posted.
It is merit mark time. All those who have chaired an event, please submit anyone who is wor-
thy of a merit mark to either myself or Ralph Bernard.
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Educational Officer Ashle Bernard, P
Hello AIPS Members! This summer has been a successful educational sea-son for the Educational De-partment. We have had nearly 20 local and visiting citizens take and pass our
ABC for NJ Boating Safety Certification. A few have even expressed interest in becoming members! It is wonderful to see the impact our instructors have in educating on the ways of boating safety. As the boating is season is winding down, another course is scheduled for two Wednesdays, 16th and 23rd October from 1800 to 2200 with the test on the second night. It will be held at the AtlantiCare Life Center, 2500 English Creek Avenue, Egg Harbor Township. The cost is $60 for the course materi-als. If there is any interest in enrolling please contact me at [email protected] or (609) 412-3524. Students may also enroll online at usps.org. Select "CLASSROOM Course" and click "America's Boating Course."
Educationally yours, Lt/C Ashle Bernard, P SEO, Absecon Island Power Squadron
Check out the Face-book page for Absecon Island. Take a stroll down memory lane. Photos from years past
have been posted beginning in the 70s. If anyone has any old photos you would like to lend me, I will scan them and put them on the Face-book page also. If you have not al-ready visited this page, this is the time to do so. Take a look and like the page. District 5 also has a Facebook page filled with photos from all dis-trict and national events. There are also photos from squadron events throughout the district. You can also follow District 5 on twitter!
Help us keep up to date: If you have an address, phone num-ber or e-mail change, please contact Lynn Graiser at the following e-mail: [email protected] or (609) 625-1536 with changes that are to be made.
Looks Like Chicken Pox - AKA Blisters You have just finished hauling your boat for the winter. You have blocked her, pressure washed the hull, cleaned the topsides, and are about to button her up for the long winter's nap. One last stroll around her, gazing at the long lines, the sleek hull...sleek! eek! MY BOAT HAS THE CHICKEN POX! Don't worry, it's not really Chicken Pox, it's blisters, and, as in most early childhood diseases, it is not terminal. But it does take some understanding of what causes blisters and what to do when your pride and joy shows up with them.
Water being absorbed through the gelcoat and fiberglass laminates in the hull causes blisters. Once thought impervious to water, it has been discovered that constant contact with water can cause it to be absorbed through the gelcoat from the outside and through the exposed laminate on the inside of the vessel (from standing bilge water). The water absorbed causes changes in the physical makeup of the hull and reacts with the resins, which build up residues and finally raise blisters by increased pressure on voids between the laminate and the gelcoat. This is what you see on the hull. This phenomena usu-ally starts occurring, although it may occur earlier, from the fifth to tenth year after the manufacture of the boat. It occurs when boats are left in the water for long periods of time and happens more frequently in fresh water. Once blisters start to show up, it is not necessarily time to panic. If you have a good antifouling paint on the hull and you only see a few blisters but no cracks in the gelcoat, you need not be too concerned at this point. However, if the number and size of the blisters increases and you start to find cracks in the gelcoat itself, it is time to jump into action to repair the problem. The first step is to remove the antifouling paint and get to the blister problem first hand. The next step is to open up the blisters to allow them to "bleed" the excess water. You may find areas where you can't actually see the blister but you do see water "weeping" from the gelcoat. Take a pocket knife to start the opening of each of the blisters and weeping areas and then grind down to solid laminate. Once you have opened these voids you will be rewarded with a very distinctive aroma which is generated from the foul residues. (Remember, water may also penetrate from the inside so make sure the bilges are dry.) Once all the blisters have been ground to solid laminate and the entire void exposed, allow the hull to dry for as long as possible. This may require a month or two or more. Older boats or boats in cold, damp conditions will take longer than newer boats or boats in hot, dry conditions. A good technique to test the hull for dryness is to tape a clear plastic sheet, about one foot by one foot, over the clean hull surface. Make sure all the edges are sealed with tape and adhere to the hull. After 24 hours, check to see if there is any condensation under the plastic. If not, you're ready to continue. If you find condensation you need more drying time. You can make a plastic skirt around the hull from the wa-ter line to the ground and place fans or, with great care, heaters to speed the drying process. There are many products available to make the repairs to the blisters. If you plan on doing the job your-self, talk to others in your boatyard or marina who have had success and ask them to recommend prod-ucts. It is important to follow the product directions carefully. Once you have your blisters exposed and dry, fill the voids and ground areas with the epoxy or fairing compound that you have selected. Once dry, board sand the bottom to fair in the repair and repaint with your antifouling paint. (Fair is a term used in ship building by which is meant the restoring to original shape any part of the ship's structure not
ABSECON LIGHT October, 2013 7
damaged seriously enough to necessitate actual removal from the ship for repair. In this case it means that you want to use a large enough sanding area so the repairs blend in and are not noticeable.) How can you prevent blisters? Well...the key is to keep the hull as waterproof as possible. Some boaters recommend the use of one of the good epoxy coatings to coat the entire hull. This can be time-consuming and moderately expensive however, it seems to cut down on the dreaded "chicken pox." If you want to undertake this endeavor, make sure the entire hull is clean and free of antifouling paint, any other foreign materials and moisture. Sand the gelcoat enough to make sure all the shine is gone. The color should be consistent and bright. Again, using your favorite epoxy which is intended for boat bottoms, build up a generous coat. Remember, the epoxy is what gives the protection. Try to get a minimum of 15 mils of thickness. This is about five times the thickness of a coat of paint and about the thickness of typical gelcoat. Once you have completed this operation and sanded to fair the hull, reapply your favorite antifoul-ing paint. Blistering is the most common reason that potential boat buyers back off or make substantially lower of-fers. Repairing blisters once they have occurred, or taking steps to prevent them, can improve the resale value of your boat. Reprinted from BoatSafe.com.
Members;
We need your help. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the prestigious GWIE award. While we know why
some members “won” the GWIE. We have no idea why others did. If you have received this award, please take the
time to let me know how and why. You can send the story to me by either e-mail or regular mail. As you can see
from the list below, there are many popular members who have “won.” Here is the list:
(Continued from page 6)
1953 Josiah White
1954 Joseph Somers
1955 Bruce Riddle
1956 Phillip Marvil
1957 LG Michler
1958 Tony Ruffu
1959 Fred Frisch
1960 William Friehofer
1961 Frank Schwickerath
1962 Marvin Greenwald
1962 Carl Odom
1964 Howard Mendon
1965 David Bennis
1966 John Keating
1967 EH Hickman
1968 Joseph Murphy
1969 Joseph Murphy
1970 Vince Whalen
1971 Henry Krause
1972 Frank Dougherty, Sr
1973 Morris Swope
1974 Everett Pierce
1975 Joe Lietz
1976 Frank Canavan
1977 Joseph Marshall
1978 Allan Bernard
1979 Ron Briggs
1980 El Bretz
1981 Albert Roller
1982 Dave Bernard
1983 Marty Steelman
1984 Robert Byerly
1985 Tom Dougherty
1986 Jimmy Rocap
1987 Charles Heuer
1988 Glenn Graiser
1989 Bob Pruchnicki
1990 Ron Stablini
1991 Chuck Haley
1992 Frank Clark
1993 Ralph Bernard
1994 Frank Dougherty, Jr.
1995 Charlton McGinnis
1996 Bob Benton
1997 Bert Boakes
1998 Jim Dougherty
1999 Richard Ims
2000 Keith Boakes
2001 Ed McGarvey
2002 Sandy Wytoshek
2003 Jim Schatzle
2004 Ralph/Dave Bernard
2005 Ralph/Dave Bernard
2006 Lou Orth
2007 Jaclyn Carugno
2008 Sandy Wythoshek
2009 Dave Bernard
2010 Sue Stiles
2011 Sue Stiles
2012 Roberta Dougherty
2013 ?
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AIPS CANOE/KAYAK RIVER CLEAN-UP Our annual clean up the Great Egg Harbor River canoe trip was held 21 September. It was a brisk autumnal day and a dozen or so Abse-con Islanders took to the head waters of the Great Egg Harbor River in search of unfortunately not very elusive trash. Our intrepid paddlers braved swift currents and log snags to pick up ten bags of trash, tires, scrap wood, at least 50 flip flops and several full beers (we made good use of these). My canoe was the biggest so when other people in kay-aks had full bags, they unloaded them in my boat. The upper river had the most trash but not much wind. The lake end didn’t have much trash but was very windy, making the last couple miles a little tough. We all met at the dock in the Atlantic County Park to load the canoes & kayaks and take pictures of our gang and the trash we picked up. The day was not over. We went to Boakes Funeral Home for crabs. (Thanks again Keith). The crafty crustaceans were duly cleaned and steamed to perfection for all to enjoy. We all had fun and yes yours truly did something I’ve never done; turned over. The canoe didn’t capsize but it threw us out. It was full of trash. One of our kayakers took a wrong turn and lost about an hour. We thought he was way in front and ended up catching us in the lake. Other than that all was well. These outings are for all members to enjoy, so please make every ef-
fort to attend. The committee persons work very hard to put these
events together and it would be disappointing for people not to come,
So come on out!
Lt/C Dave Bernard, AP
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2013 D5 Fall Educational Conference Schedule 21-24 November, 2013
