Catalina Fleet 21 - Chicago Region
FleetSheet Newsletter

May 2010

A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMODORE


Welcome to Spring everyone! I am happy to report that our boat has been splashed and in her summer home at Burnham Harbor. The Hammond Marina scheduled all of the boats to be launched over the weekend of May 1st. Our launch date was Saturday the first at 5:00pm but we were in early, shortly after noon. We worked on getting everything ready the remainder of Saturday for our planned trip to Burnham on Sunday. Our dock mates on “O” dock at Burnham, John and Faith Dreyzehner, sailed up with us on what turned out to be an ideal day. The weather was chilly in the morning but warmed up nicely. The wind started out on our nose but gradually shifted to the east for a nice broad reach. We made the trip in less than two hours with no incidents. Based on the first sail of the season I am optimistically looking forward to a long sailing season of fair winds and sunshine. I hope all of our members have a similar start of the season.

Speaking of the start of the season, our first season get together will be the Margarita Party on Saturday May 29th. As has been our custom the past few years the Margarita Party will be held on the lawn just south of the Burnham Park Yacht Club. There is usually a hint of Jimmy Buffet in the air and our hosts the DeAre’s, Lauraitis’ & Shereyk’s will provide us with $1 Margaritas and there will be a wide range of member provided munchies available. It’s always fun to see all our sailing friends again without the jackets and boots. After we have depleted the Margarita supply we will retire to the Yacht Club where we have the patio reserved for dinner and a brief meeting. I hope you all will plan on attending and seeing all your old friends from Fleet 21 again.

Be sure to check out the listing of outings that is included in this newsletter. We have attempted to schedule a wide variety of outings without having so much that we risk going overboard. I think we have a good balance of things on the schedule, I hope you agree.

That’s about all for now. Please feel free to contact me or one of the other members of the board if you have questions or suggestions. We are always looking for input and feedback and will be happy to discuss any ideas you may have. My number and the numbers of the board and committee members are in the directory.

Fair Winds
Bill Thompson
Commodore





RACING
By Dave DeAre

Fleet 21 members are involved in a variety of racing activities. If you want to get more active in racing, give me a call and I’ll try to connect you with racers/info. A few of the racing events that are scheduled for this summer:

June 11 – 13 Chicago NOOD Regatta
June 17 Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club Double handed casual race (contact Joe Vilimek at jvilimek@msn.com)
June 25 Queen’s Cup Regatta
July 24 Start of the Chicago Mackinaw Race
August 20-21 Chicago Verve Cup
August 27 – 28 Leukemia Cup (We have a Catalina start)

BUY/TRADE/SELL

Fleet members may list items they want to sell, trade or buy in this column without any charge. Send listings to Fleet Sheet Editor, 306 Linden Street, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 or fax to 630-668-8950 or email to deare30@sbcglobal.net. Listings will run for 2 issues unless you notify me otherwise.





Battle Flags for Sale $45.00
Our popular Catalina Fleet 21 battle flags
will be for sale at the Margarita Party.
The custom 36” X 54” flags feature the Chicago
skyline and the All Catalina logo.

 

TALL SHIPS PROGRAM

On June 10th our General Meeting features a presentation by Patti Lock on the Tall Ships slated to grace the Chicago lakefront this summer. Navy Pier welcomes over 20 majestic and historic Tall Ships from around the world as they make a rare return to Chicago, August 24 — 29. For the first time in Chicago, a Tall Ships festival of this size and importance will be located in one place — in a mile long display at Navy Pier.

You’ll hear about an opening day Parade of Sail on Lake Michigan as these storied ships with their billowing sails make their way to Navy Pier's docks. The tall ship festival offers diverse activities such as ship viewing, on-deck tours, sailing excursions, nightly fireworks, arts and crafts, entertainment, interactive greening initiatives and so much more. Be among the first to hear all the details!

Our meeting is on Thursday, June 10 at Burnham Park Yacht Club. The presentation begins around 8 p.m. Come early and enjoy dinner at the Yacht Club. Call 312-427-4664 for dinner reservations. We will try to arrange for parking at the Yacht Club.



 

Used Sails for Haiti

One of the biggest needs in Haiti is shelter, not just for housing, but also for hospitals, schools, churches etc. Mains and jibs can make very durable shelters—much better than flimsy blue tarps or old bed sheets.

On Saturday, May 15th yacht clubs along the lake will serve as collection points for all those blown-out jobs and mains hidden away in basements and garages. They will then be transported to a container parked in the lot of the Doyle sail loft at Grand and Damen and shipped out Monday, May 17th.

Drop off locations also include Crowleys Yacht Yard, Skyway Yacht Works and Larsen Marine.




 

Seven boaters saved in 2008 by Waukegan-based crew;
Kirk saved by Coast Guard at 16,
calls effort “essential for Lake Michigan safety”

CHICAGO – U.S. Representative Mark Kirk today joined with a survivor who owes his life to the Waukegan-based Coast Guard helicopter station in launching a public effort to save the station from closing. A plan to shutter the facility was included in the president’s 2011 budget.

"Each year, thousands of Illinois residents swim and boat in southern Lake Michigan with a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter only minutes away in Waukegan.” Congressman Kirk said. “If the Waukegan site were to close, helicopters would be dispatched from northern Michigan, increasing the response time from 17 minutes to over an hour. When I was 16, I nearly drowned in Lake Michigan. If it were not for the timeliness of the U.S. Coast Guard, I would not be here today. The third-largest city in the United States should not have to wait over an hour for a search-and-rescue helicopter. The Coast Guard should reconsider its plan, and keep the Waukegan facility open.”

Under the Coast Guard’s proposal, the two crews operating in the summer at Coast Guard Air Facility (AIRFAC) Waukegan, and crews based in Muskegon, Mich., would relocate to Air Station Traverse City in Michigan. The Coast Guard would retire the five H-65 Coast Guard helicopters serving Lake Michigan and replace them with four H-60 helicopters. The plan would increase the response time to an emergency near Chicago from the current 17 minutes to one hour and 12 minutes. According to the U.S. Search and Rescue Task Force, on average, individuals lose consciousness in 40-50 degree water after 30-60 minutes with an expected survival time of 1-3 hours.

On May 30, 2008, a 36-foot charter boat, the Fin Seeker, sank more than three miles east of Waukegan, Ill. All seven people aboard were safely rescued from the frigid water by a Coast Guard helicopter based at Waukegan. Helicopters attached to AIRFAC Waukegan directly contributed to operations resulting in seven lives saved and 16 lives assisted from 2004-2009. Jim Emma, one of the survivors rescued from Lake Michigan in 2008, joined Congressman Kirk in calling for the Coast Guard to keep helicopters in Illinois.

When he was 16, Congressman Kirk nearly drowned in Lake Michigan and owes his life to the rapid response of the U.S. Coast Guard. To view a newspaper article from the June 17, 1976, edition of the Wilmette Life which describes the event click here.
Last month, the congressman protested the plan to close AIRFAC Waukegan when U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen appeared before his committee.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security budget proposal is available at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/budget_bib_fy2011.pdf.

The text is below.
Rotary Wing Capacity........................................................................... -$5.5M (34 FTE)

In FY 2011, the Coast Guard will improve the efficacy of domestic air operations by realigning rotary wing capacity to provide four medium-range H-60 helicopters to the Great Lakes region. To facilitate this delivery of enhanced multi-mission capability, two H-60 helicopters from Operations Bahamas Turks & Caicos (OPBAT) and two H-60s from Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) in Chesapeake, VA will be permanently relocated to Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) Traverse City, MI. Upon arrival of the four H-60s, five H-65 helicopters presently stationed at CGAS Traverse City will be removed from active service.

The Great Lakes region is characterized by extreme weather conditions including heavy icing throughout the year. The H-65 lacks de-icing capabilities and is poorly suited for heavy weather missions. The H-60 brings "all weather" capabilities to the region as well as nearly twice the range and endurance of the H-65. Due to limited demand for services and improved endurance from the H-60, the Coast Guard will discontinue two seasonal Coast Guard Air Facilities at Muskegon, MI and Waukegan, IL.

Contact your congressman and tell them we need a Coast Guard Helicopter Station in the immediate Chicago area