Community Boating Inc. Executive Director's Blog

What's the best way to improve your sailing skills?

2011-04-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

The absolute best way to develop and improve your sailing skills is to go racing. Even if you are less than thrilled with the competitive adenaline that racing can bring out in folks, there is absolutely no better way to become a better sailor. Clear;ly I'm biased here. But my bias is from a lifetime of sailing, racing, cruising, and teaching/coaching. Because of my experience on the race course, my cruising skills are better than most. Racing teaches boathandling, sail trim, awareness of wind, current, weather,...the list goes on. So if you want to improve your skills as a sailor this year, no matter how good you think you are, you need to go racing. Here's how:
Click here

Charlie

Great news for the Charles River!

2011-04-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

The last couple of years I have learned more about algae in the Charles River than I really wanted. While the Charles River has been getting dramatically cleaner over the past 10 to 15 years, in the last few years we have witnessed problems with algae blooms which raised concerns about human contact with the water. The algae can produce toxic stuff which may (NOTE THE WORD MAY) not be so great to come in contact with and certainly not to ingest. The science is incomplete and therefore lends itself to many, often conflicting, conclusions. Simply put, add the right mix of nutrients in the water (I suspect we may want to have a word with the folks upstream who apply fertilizer to their lawns), add sunlight, warm it up and algae has a feast. To be fair this algae may be responsible for giving our planet oxygen. For that I will always be grateful. But all things in their proper time and place I say. At the risk of being one more NIMBY person, I say go make your oxygen somewhere else.

So here is some great news. Power plants create a lot of heat and have to constantly cool things down. The Kendall power station in Cambridge is no different. As I understand it in the past they would use river water to cool things off and then when done return it to the river. However, it would still be kind of warm, maybe 100 degrees Fahrenheit +/-. So the really good news is that they are implementing new technology that will reduce the amount of warm water returning by 95%....95%!! That's a lot a percent. Here is the link to the article about this great development for all of us who play on the Charles River.

Charlie

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/02/02/power_plant_plan_to_cut_discharge_send_heat_to_boston/?page=1

Dock project approaching completion!

2011-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

On opening day (April 1) under snow and rain I espoused to the news cameras that it was really 80 degrees and sunny at Community Boating. I think I mentioned something about weather being a state of mind. hmmm...I know I was feeling the fact that being open at all on April 1st was really quite remarkable. To have seen, day to day, the dock construction throughout the winter and perhaps understand better than most that there were many more reasons for the project to fall behind than push ahead, such as a brutal winter and materials coming from third world countries on slow boats, I am still pinching myself to see that we are open and coming close to completion. Some of the areas still being worked on include the 420 floats, the high performance floats, the boat ramp by the crane, the fence around the facility, some areas of decking and bumpers along the edges of the entire structure. There's also a "punch list" being worked through. I'm feeling pretty comfortable that we will see the entire facility 100% by mid May. Keep an eye out on this web site, blog, and Basin Breezes, for info about when windsurfing and Lasers will be "open". They're coming soon!

Spending so much of my attention and energy focused on the construction project makes me miss paying more attention to sailing. This is one reason why I really appreciate our great staff. There's a reason why CBI received a lot of awards this past winter from the US Sailing Association. Thanks to the work of our program directors this winter we will see great programming again this summer. Just today we have a group of kids from two Boy's and Girl's clubs embarking on a week long course of sailing instruction - a jump start to the summer junior program. Last weekend CBI hosted an important high school qualifying regatta. Sign-ups for the Accessible Sailing Program are underway and the adult program will see a continuing emphasis on on-the-water instruction and advanced classes such a sailboat racing (Look to our class schedules on the web site to see what's being offered). While I honestly feel a little pride for all of us in the new facility, I am most excited about what we will do with it in the future. It's no mystery - we're gonna turn more and more folks, young and old, into sailors. Think of that song " What the world needs now....(more sailors!)

Charlie

Opening Day is Here! Weather Forecast - Sunny, 80

2011-03-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered that weather is a state of mind? I hope so. Because I have for a long time now been boasting and bragging that it is always Sunny and 80 on the dock at CBI, ......which it is. In fact I even promised my boss (CBI's Board of Directors) that we would open on April 1 and I would personally deliver a sunny, gorgeous, and warm day. Recently a few naysayers have pointed out to me that the weather forecast for tomorrow includes snow. What's your point I say? Let's consider... Isn't weather as we generally know it something that we experience? And haven't we all noticed how no two people can be counted on to recount in the same way experiences that they allegedly share? Therefore we see that no experience is the same for any two individuals and therefore experience is an invalid basis for quantifying states of being and any related issues. So while it may appear to some that snow, rain and cold will be the dominant features of the weather tomorrow, the truth is that it will be warm, sunny, and windy.

Welcome to the 2011 sailing season!

Charlie

Opening Day Weather Forecast

2011-03-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

Beautiful weather expected for Opening Day. In fact the weather is going to be so brilliant that no matter what the weather actually is, it is going to be beautiful, brilliant, fantastic and generally wonderful. This is a fact. And I am willing to stand by this forecast no matter what. So here are the plans we have made.

Thanks to a lot of hands helping out at the work party last Saturday (65 in total) we got a lot of the boathouse put back into order. Starting tomorrow we will be launching, with the help of the contractor's crane, R19s, Sonars, and Launches. The focus on Saturday will Mercuries in the slip - as many as possible. That will give us all of next week to rig, tune, and tweak. We invite everyone to take next Friday off from work, come lend a hand in the morning and go for a sail in the afternoon. I have to confess that I am so excited to get the 2011 sailing season off and running and do it on April 1. A part of me really thought that we might not be able to sail until mid April. So a big hats off to the management team at the DCR and the crew at CRC Contractors for pushing this project all the way through. Remember what this winter was like? The workers who built this dock never took a break even when the wind, snow, and cold seemed unbearably harsh.

Now onto a more worrying subject.. There are not many who sail at CBI who do not recognize the ebullient southern voice of Jim Johnson. I don't know if I've ever met a more enthusiastic sailor in my life. One thing I've learned at CBI over many years is how easily enthusiasm in our adult members turns into a certain childishness. I am of course completely immune to this. Jim on the other hand, is another story. While purportedly visiting the boathouse to renew his membership for 2011, Jim was found to be preparing to rig a Mercury and go sailing. Photos attached.

Upon interrogation Jim explained "there is a pretty good wind today." Well, yes Jim there sure is but that doesn't make what you were doing right....does it? .....mmmmmm........... there sure is a nice wind.......mmmmmmmm...... gotta go....

Charlie

So what's that dock made out of anyway?

2011-03-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

As the dock moves toward completion I've been asked a few times about the materials used. The piles are greenheart and the decking is purple heart. They are both imported from South America. This can raise concerns about whether the dock is being built out of eco friendly and sustainable materials or contributing to deforestation and global warming.

When the design work was started almost 4 years ago CBI and others raised the question/concern about what materials would be used and advocated for the dock to be built out of sustainable resources. For all of our information I have copied the relevent parts of the contract specs used by the DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) .

Charlie
(SECTION 02300-2):

6. Greenheart piles shall be supplied by a company that operations in the Guiana Shield countries are in
conformity with the International Conventions and National Forestry Regulations relating to the
management of forestry concessions. Company shall enforce the protection of the endangered species
listed by CITES (Convention on Trade in Endangered Species) and the bio-diversity of the ecosystems.
It respects the Intellectual Property Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, whose communities are the
beneficiaries of the Company’s field operation.
7. Greenheart piles are supplied by a company that stresses the need for low impact forestry operations,
ensuring that its forestry extraction is state of the art while constantly monitoring the effect of its
logistics systems on watershed management and its use of biodegradable wood preservatives.

(SECTION 06100-2):
3. Tropical hardwood shall conform with the International Conventions and National Forestry
Regulations relating to the management of forestry concessions.
6. Tropical hardwood shall be supplied by a company that operations in the Guiana Shield countries are in
conformity with the International Conventions and National Forestry Regulations relating to the
management of forestry concessions. Company shall enforce the protection of the endangered species
listed by CITES (Convention on Trade in Endangered Species) and the bio-diversity of the ecosystems.
It respects the Intellectual Property Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, whose communities are the
beneficiaries of the Company’s field operation.
7. Tropical hardwood shall be supplied by a company that stresses the need for low impact forestry
operations, ensuring that its forestry extraction is state of the art while constantly monitoring the effect
of its logistics systems on watershed management and its use of biodegradable wood preservatives.

Junior Instructors In Training complete complete winter projects

2011-03-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I made a promise to the world. I said I would get rid of all the snow, at least in my neighborhood. I just needed a little time. I'm pleased to report that my work is now done, ahead of schedule and under budget! By next Monday all the ice left in the river will also be gone! Boy does that feel good to get that out of the way.

Last winter CBI Director of Youth Programs, Amy Lyons, hosted a group of Junior Program Instructors In Training. Amy worked with these CBI sailors to develop skills as future sailing instructors. They taught classes, gave presentations, and worked on projects including knot boards and man-over-board "dummies". Amy's report follows along with a "class picture"

CBI is many things. One thing which many adult members may not be aware, is how much CBI is a youth training, development, and leadership program. Sailing teaches many valuable skills and concepts. But nothing compares to the experience of teaching sailing to others. There is a good chance that one day you will be seeing some of these faces on our dock staff. And when you do I predict that they will amaze you at their self confidence, responsibility, knowledge, and general where-with-all. Congratulations IITs!
Charlie

Community Boating's first Winter Instructor In Training program was a great success! The nine juniors who participated learned skills that will help them be excellent IITs, and they also made instructional aids that will be useful to all Community Boating members. Over the course of seven meetings, these juniors lead team building exercises and learned how to construct lesson plans. Each junior chose a topic, and wrote their own lesson plans which they presented to the rest of the group. Their presentations were all excellent, and we are excited to have such enthusiastic and well-trained IITs on board for this summer! The IITs also made four new "person overboard" buoys, and three traveling knotboards that will allow members to practice tying basic knots. We would like to thank the following juniors for taking part in this program: Maria Condon, Tori Condon, Gregor Dieckow, Chris Dsida, Khalil Kaba, Andrew Lazaro, Fiona O'Connor, Sam White, and Ben Zheng.

Pictured (left to right) back row: Chris Dsida, Gregor Dieckow, Khalil Kaba, Maria Condon front row: Fiona O'Connor, Tori Condon.

Winter IIT participants show off their handiwork - three new knotboards for our members!

Amy Lyons

CBI makes changes to junior program membership price

2011-02-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

For many decades CBI has charged a $1 membership fee per child to participate in the summer junior program. Commencing in 2011, CBI is changing course. We will now charge a sliding scale based on household income. Critical to discussing this change is understanding what continues to be a priority for CBI and has not changed - junior membership will still be $1 per child for families with annual household income of less than $75,000. At the bottom of this blog is a link to the 2011 Junior Program Application form..

A couple of questions I have been asked are: Why now? What prompted this change? And is it connected to the dock replacement? So I want to offer some discussion to these questions.

In 2010 CBI's Board of Directors adopted a 5 year strategic plan. It articulates our commitment to "Sailing for All" and provides for the needs of our programming today and for future generations. From this foundation, we took an in-depth look at our junior program pricing and came to the decision that $1 per child for all children was not a sustainable model for CBI in today’s world and in the future.

In the past two years, CBI's junior program grew to close to 2300 participants. Along with this numerical growth, in 2011 we're expanding our programming into the spring, the fall, the winter, and on weekends. Furthermore, we are improving the quality of programming by offerings diverse interactive lessons on topics such as the environment. The total junior program cost in 2011 will be approximately $300,000.

Additionally, the need to replace much of our fleet in the near future is an immediate and growing concern. I believe this price change has come at the right time for the right reason. It supports sailing for all, both today and in the future, while keeping our commitment to minimizing economic barriers to the sport of sailing.

The last question - Is this price change connected to the new dock? The answer is no. It is related, however, because CBI has accepted responsibility to deliver ambitious programming which lives up to the investment made by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the DCR, and other supporters of The Esplanade and "Sailing for All", something that we take seriously with humility.

I believe that the meaning of the new Community Boating Dock will be found in how well we meet our mission of "Sailing for All" in the 21^st century. In addition to increasing the quantity and quality of the Junior Program, CBI plans to double the size of our accessible sailing program in 2011 - something which wasn't possible before with the smaller dock - and to host more regattas such as the Massachusetts Special Olympics Championship. So while there is no direct linkage between the new dock and the change in junior program pricing, both changes will make CBI a stronger organization, and a more effective and impactful organization.

Charlie

Link to CBI's Junior Program application: http://www.community-boating.org/images/stories/JP_app_2011_web.pdf

CBI and staff receive multiple national awards!

2011-02-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Reprinted here is our press release announcing the awards CBI and staff received in January at the US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium. Congratulaions to CBI, Tom Moore, and Amy Lyons!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 07, 2011

Contact: Marcin Kunicki

Community Boating, Inc.

21 David Mugar Way

Boston, MA 02114

P: (617) 523-1038, x.23

Email: marcin@community-boating.org

Website: http://www.community-boating.org

Boston’s Community Boating Wins Four (4) National Awards

Community Boating recognized at US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium with awards for outreach and inclusion and excellence in sailing

BOSTON, MA – Community Boating, Inc. (CBI) received four prestigious awards at the US Sailing National Sailing Program Symposium in Clearwater Beach, FL, January 2011. The program received two awards—the prestigious US Sailing Captain Joe Prosser Award for Excellence in Sailing as well as the US Sailing Community Sailing Council Outstanding Inclusion and Outreach award for its efforts in Youth and Universal Access Programs. Additionally, Junior Program Director, Amy Lyons of Somerville, MA received the US Sailing Community Sailing Council Outstanding Director of a Seasonal Program Award. And Operations Director, Tom Moore of Brighton, MA received the US Sailing Community Sailing Council Outstanding Leadership Award.

Community Boating Executive Director Charlie Zechel states "It is a true honor for all of us at Community Boating to receive this level of national recognition and a testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff and many volunteers. As Community Boating prepares to launch it's 65th sailing season on the Charles River, we remain committed to the concept of "Sailing for All" and look forward to expanding our programming in areas of accessibility. The Commonwealth and partners have made an important commitment to our programs by rebuilding the docks this winter. CBI is equally committed to expanding accessibility to the sport of sailing for all individuals."

US Sailing, the national governing body of sailing awards the Captain Joe Prosser Award at US SAILING's National Sailing Programs Symposium in cooperation with the United States Merchant Marine Academy's Sail Training Program (Kings Point, NY). This prestigious award recognizes the life achievement of the Merchant Marine Academy's first sailing master, Captain C.A. "Joe" Prosser, USMS. The award celebrates an exemplary contribution toward improving the quality and safety in the training or instruction of sailors. Nominees shall embody all characteristics of sportsmen: namely honor, integrity, and a selfless dedication to the sport. In addition to the trophy, a $500 credit funded by US SAILING’s Training Committee will be awarded annually to the selected school or program for Instructor Training. For more information on US Sailing awards, please see: http://training.ussailing.org/ProgramMgmt/Awards.htm

Community Boating is the nation’s oldest and largest community sailing program offering learn to sail programming for adults, kids and individuals with special needs on the Charles River. The mission of Community Boating, Inc., is the advancement of sailing for all by minimizing economic and physical obstacles to sailing. In addition, CBI enhances the greater Boston community by using sailing as a vehicle to empower its members to develop independence and self-confidence, improve communication, foster teamwork and acquire a deeper understanding of community spirit and the power of volunteerism.

Be Good To Our Environent -Spare the plastic bottles!

2011-02-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today's guest blog is from our very own Director of Youth Programs, Amy Lyons. Thank you Amy.

Water Water Everywhere…

I don’t know about you, but sailing and being surrounded by water always makes me thirsty. If you share this sentiment, please read on before you dip your hands into the Charles for a sip… I’ve got a better solution.

CBI wants to put an end to two pervasive problems among our membership – drinking Charles River water, and buying single-use plastic bottles. For your health, and the health of our environment, we’ll be selling reusable aluminum water bottles for the low price of $6 each, as well as installing a new water fountain with a better filtration system. Cool, refreshing, filtered water… aaaaaahhhh.

Did you know:

Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting
90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the bottle itself
38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water
24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles
The average American consumes 167 bottles of water a year
Bottling and shipping water is the least energy efficient method ever used to supply water

Be the envy of all your friends with a small piece of aluminum that says “I care”.

Best features of these bottles: there’s a spot to write your name, so no one can steal your awesome bottle (believe me, they’ll want to!), and they have a carabiner – attach it to yourself or your boat to keep that cool water coming!

Buying one of these bottles is a no-brainer, however choosing the right color can be difficult. Here are a few notes on what these different colors mean – choose wisely. These bottles also make great gifts, but you’ll want to make sure that you choose the appropriate color for your friends and loved ones.

Handy Color Guide:

Black is a very powerful color that portrays one of class, elegance and wealth.
Purple portrays rich powerful kings, leaders, wizards and magicians.
Green is the color of nature and health. It represents growth, nature, and money.
Blue has a calming effect; it is a color of loyalty, strength, wisdom and trust.
Red is a very strong color that evokes a powerful emotion of passion; it is a symbol of pride and strength.

You can order your water bottle TODAY by calling or emailing the Front Office (frontoffice@community-boating.org).

Stay Hydrated,

Amy

Some take aways from the National Sailing Programs Symposium

2011-02-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

During the last week of January, CBI program managers Tom Moore, Marcin Kunicki, Amy Lyons, Andrew Alletag, and board member Adam Schepp and I spent a not unpleasant week in Clearwater Florida attending the US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS). NSPS is the annual conference hosted by US Sailing bringing together close to 300 individuals who manage, direct, and support sailing programs from every corner of the world ( mostly community based). This year the attendee who travelled the farthest came from Hong Kong. CBI made some what of a splash this year by sending a delegation of 6 and receiving several awards for various outstanding achievements (Details to follow in my next blog). I haven't attended an NSPS in several years. This one made quite an impression on me. I am truly bursting with pride to see how CBI's management team is regarded on the national stage. Tom, Marcin, Amy, Adam and I were all breakout presenters (Andrew, you get a pass for being the rookie this year!). US Sailing and NSPS are a lot like CBI - many. volunteers giving to others and receiving back in return.

Sometimes you take for granted what is in front of you every day. And I am guilty of this as much as anyone else. When I see where CBI is today, and compare that to so many other programs, not just in the US but on the international stage, and recognize our large and engaged volunteer community, I see the fruition of a beautifal idea and the core strength of CBI. This is important because with the construction of the new dock, I am very much impressed that the state's investment of close to $3 million, is based in part,on CBI, who we are and what we do, and more importantly what we will do in the future. The impact of CBI is in many ways much bigger than the small sailing area we enjoy today between the bridges.

While the dock gets closer to completion with each day, CBI gets closer to a new beginning. I suspect that great beginnings are built on great endings. CBI is 65 years old in 2011 and has had a truly great run and a long list of accomplishments. Now it's time for us to build the next 65 year together. Next blog - CBI Operations Director Tom Moore, Director of Junior Sailing Amy Lyons, and CBI receive multiple national awards!

[So we weren't gone that long and when we came back there is snow piled high and thick everywhere. What happened??!! What did you all do??!! Sigh.......My promise - it will take me 7 to 9 weeks but I will get rid of all the snow. You're welcome.] -Charlie

Dock Progress!

2011-01-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of views of the dock today from our second story window.

Every week, CBI Operations Director Tom Moore, Director of Fleet and Facilities Greg Tobey, and I join the weekly construction meeting held by the DCR with Bourne Engineering, and CRC Company. At these meetings every detail of the ongoing construction project is reviewed, audited, and approved. It has been a great experience for me to see how the whole process comes together. I have been singularly impressed with the professionalism, competancy, and efficiency of all parties involved. In so far as folks will agree, I would like to bring attention to the individuals who are building these wonderful dock day in and day out. Today I'd like to introduce Rozeta Nikolova. Rozeta is the Resident Engineer for the DCR on this project. When work is happening on the dock Rozeta is here at CBI. She inspects and reviews every pile, timber, and fastener, insuring that the dock is assembled precisely as designed. She spends a lot of time with a hard hat on inspecting the work, rain, snow or sunshine. Rozeta is one reason I know this dock will be just simply brilliant. Thank you Rozeta.

Some More Project Pictures

2011-01-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

We've installed new cabinets in the Volunteer Room.

After demolishing the women's room counter and mirrors, we are ready to install new counter tops.

Some Winter Projects (Besides the dock!)

2011-01-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

While the docks are moving along, we've been busy with other projects as well. Here you see the new paint job on the Sisu safety launch. Thanks to the wider garage doors installed a couple of years ago we can now bring larger projects inside.

The back store room (formerly known as the sail loft) is receiveing new shelving to replace the old metal cabinets.

With change in the wind, CBI stays focused on what's important

2011-01-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

For the past several months I have been distracted nearly everyday by looking out my office window and watching the construction of the new docks progress. I've learned a lot about how pilings are driven into the earth and what happens when they hit a layer of Boston Blue Clay (not a pretty sight!), tropical hardwoods, management of government funded public works and how to move a large barge through 12" thick ice (it helps to have a big crane). The most exciting part of the new dock is the opportunity it will provide us to improve and expand our programming. I am personally looking forward to not spending so much of my time and energy talking about how the dock is falling apart and needs to be replaced. I am so happy to be working on other projects! So it looks to me like 2011 is going to be a pretty good year. In 2010 our board of directors approved a 5 year strategic plan and our board approved an ambitious budget for 2011 including a new safety launch, new engines,new windsurfers, (to name a few) and expanded programming in both our junior and accessible sailing programs. As we ramp up to opening for the sailing season it occurs to me that while CBI is experiencing a lot of change this year, we are also firmly holding on to those things, which over many decades, have not changed much - our community, volunteerism, and sailing for all by minimizing barriers to the sport of sailing. We remain focused and committed to those things, which after all, are what is really important.

-Charlie

Blog #24 10/21/10 Wildlife and barges in the river

2010-10-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

So this blog has taken a little hiatus since my last posting on Sept. 4 about American Airlines. Sadly my effort to elevate AA's social conscience has fallen a bit short. Sigh....so it goes.... But now I have many better things to write about including strange creatures and a large object in the Charles River. You may have heard that late in the summer a 4 foot alligator was captured up river. This is ominous for someone who occasionally swims in the river, either through capsize or the Charles River One Mile Swim (http://www.charlesriverswimmingclub.org/). I am comforted that it was only 4 feet long. However what about it's mother or father? That's what really concerns me.
Another visitor to the Charles River was spotted numerous times over the past week - a harbor seal. We've seen him/her several times as have many other folks at MIT and the Duck Tours. I spoke with the NE Aquarium (as have others) and yes the seal probably belongs on the other side of the locks. This isn't the first seal to wander up river from the locks and hopefully it will find it's way back out to the harbor soon on it's own. In the meantime the NE Aquarium is aware of the seal and is monitoring the situation to see if they will attempt to capture and remove it to where it more properly belongs.

Now onto barges. The demolition/construction barge/crane has arrived and is parked alongside CBI's docks. The barge arrived today only a couple of hours after the official "ground breaking" for the dock project, where Secretary Ian Bowles, having received extensive training by your truly, fired CBI's world famous signalling canon to initiate the demolition of the dock. The canon's mighty bang was awesome and thunderous, a show of explosive force, truly terrible and magnificent all at the same time. After the smoke had cleared, and the smell of gun powder lingered briefly, the windsurfing shed met it's demise at the hands of a large tractor. As you may realize by now, all this is to say, in as long winded a way as possible, that the dock demolition has begun in earnest. We've shifted the web cam (http://www.blogger.com/cbi-weather) to face down the dock so you can watch the progress of the project online.
Here's a picture of the barge and crane today.

Tomorrow I'll review the status of the project and the financial support from both the state and private partners which are making the new docks a reality.

Charlie

American Airlines, Can't we just be friends?

2010-09-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

With this blog I'm going a little bit out on a limb and I hope it is not a big mistake. Has anyone not seen one of those beautiful pictures of CBI and our sailboats on the Charles River with the Boston skyline behind? Recently some sailing friends showed me a great picture of CBI from an American Airlines advertisement. It made me want to come to Boston, and I'm here every day! It's an image which has become iconic to Boston - as it should be. CBI is a Boston original -the first community sailing program in the nation and the largest too. Volunteerism and community are the core values which drive our organization .We serve thousands of children with outreach to inner city neighborhoods, and hundreds of individuals with disabilities through our Universal Access Program. At the core, CBI's programs use sailing as a vehicle to bigger and better goals as articulated in our mission statement. See our mission statement here. http://www.community-boating.org/about-us/mission

As is often the case when we see a great image of CBI in a commercial advertisement there is a little voice inside that says, "Hey! that's us!" And almost immediately after, "That company should support CBI some how. After all they are in fact using us to help market their business!". Regardless of how sensible that sentiment might appear to us it apparently doesn't hold a lot of water in the corporate world. Many corporations have used the picture of CBI for their own marketing purposes. And we are still waiting for them to send CBI a little something for the holidays.

So my friends wrote a note to American Airlines suggesting that a little corporate support might be a good idea. If I were a large corporation like American Airlines I would want to associate myself with a fine organization like CBI, especially when CBI has such a highly visible and iconic image. Well maybe not. Since I have a pretty big soft spot in my heart for CBI I thought the tone of American Airlines response to us was mean. AA explained that they purchased the image from a reputable third-party online vendor and claimed that using the CBI image was not an attempt to convey to viewers that AA sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with CBI. They conclude "As such, American also declines Community Boating, Inc's request to contribute to it's organization. This letter is sent without waiving any of American Airlines rights or remedies all of which are expressly reserved."

Ouch! I think they missed the point. Maybe they are just not nice? maybe they just woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning? We teach kids to sail. We charge a buck. We teach individuals with disabilities to sail. We charge a buck. We're a pretty nice organization. They ought to support us. They could do worse.

So here's my idea. Forward this blog onto friends and let's all just pull at their heart strings a little and see if we can interest American Airlines in "Sailing for All' especially for children and individuals with disabilities. I'm sure once they think on it for a moment they'll recognize a pretty good idea. American Airlines - you can contact me directly at charlie@community-boating.org. Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Charlie

Hurricane Earl and the 1-2-3 rule.

2010-09-02T09:57:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Earl is looking like a nice visit to the Carolina's is in order. And then maybe a little romp up our way. Fortunately I have no experience sailing in, around, or about a hurricane. I will be content to keep it that way and I believe this is a widely and wisely accepted course of action for most folks. However, if you sail enough distance over enough time, you will probably come in contact with situations that should be avoided, a hurricane being the most obvious and extreme example. So have you heard of the 1-2-3 rule? Sailors have lots of little rules, saynings, and kernals of wisdom to keep them from getting themselves into trouble. The 1-2-3 rule helps you avoid bumping into a hurricane. Since that seems like a good idea I am sharing it with you here.

1 - 100 miles / 24 hour forecast
2 - 200 miles / 48 hour forecast
3 - 300 mile / 72 hour forecast

How to apply the rule: 1) Look at the 24 hour forecast for the track of the hurricane. Stay 100 miles away from the track. 2) Look at the 48 hour forecast for the track of the hurricane. Stay 200 miles away from the track. And last but not least 3) Look at the 72 hour forecast for the track of the hurricane. Stay 300 miles away from that track. This is a little bit simplified so check out this web site for more information.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/205500.shtml?basin

Charlie

Check Out Next Issue of Basin Breeze for Information About the Fall Season, Great Weather Book, Dock Project, Sail a Twelve Meter in Newport.

2010-08-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes peeled for the next Basin Breeze newsletter. We'll be posting information about the fall season.

Here is an outstanding book about weather designed to give you the basic tools of forecasting with a focus on sailors, mariners, and aviators. Might come in handy as a big hurricane is just starting to barrel it's way up the east coast. Should pass us us on Thursday.

Weather Predicting Simplified by Michael William Carr, published by International Marine.

CBI has chartered the classic 12 meter yacht Weatherly, on Sept 19 in Newport RI. We've got 14 crew spaces available. The cost is $200 per person. This is truly a unique sailing experience you shouldn't miss. I know I won't. Sign up at the front desk before all the spots are taken.

Next Tuesday, September 14, construction work begins in earnest on the front office. For 14 days showers will be offline and we'll have portable toilets available.

Charlie

Kids Sail The Stars" and Racing Under the Stars on Block Island Sound.

2010-08-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

I recently sailed in two sailboat races which I will remember for a long time. The first was CBI's "Kid's Sail the Stars". As a guest "star" I was paired up with two junior sailors and charged with offering as much support, advice, and wisdom as I could to help them get around the race course as well as possible. I was not allowed to steer, trim or otherwise physically put my hands to the task. Neither of the juniors I was sailing with had raced before. We sailed 4 races. What I enjoyed most about the experience was that while our finishes were generally near the back of the fleet, their enthusiasm was at the top of the fleet. Half way through the evening, one of them just blurted out, "This is so cool. I love this". What I percieved was that they both had great instincts, and a fearless love of trying to make the sailboat move faster. They loved being on the water. I don't think they will find themselves near the back of the fleet too much longer.

The second race was the Ida Lewis Long Distance Race. We started at 1:00 PM last Friday and finished a bit after 12 noon on Saturday. Generally light winds prevailed and the wind forcast was only about 50% correct (what a surprise). We sailed well, made good decisions, and finished near the top of the fleet. But what a night. Clear clear skies. A brilliant sunset. Light from the moon glistening on the water. The moon set early in the morning and the milky way came out in all it's splendor. Sunrise was like one more encore of a virtuoso performance. Through out a sailboat race you are constantly focusing on VMG (velocity made good), proper sail trim, having the right sails up for the wind conditions, and keeping your focus positive even when things go wrong. You fill in the gaps with good food and a brief nap (if you're lucky).Working together in a single minded effort with your crewmates ties the whole experience together. It does my heart good to know that CBI opens the door to sailing for so many, especially kids. I know that the two juniors I sailed with will one day find themselves sailing, maybe racing, under the moon away from land. I hope they will remember their experiences here at CBI. I also hope that they will adopt an attitude of giving back to others, having received much themselves. Then I'll know that CBI did what it's supposed to do.

Charlie

"Go Sailing Young Man/Woman, Go Sailing"

2010-08-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

This morning I listened to a talk show on NPR. The topic was about 20 something's - the phenomenon that more young adults are living at home longer, becoming fully independent later in life, and delaying casting off their last dockline and setting sail on their own. I've no idea if this is a good thing or not. I think maybe not. Social scientists have started studying these young adults, comparing them to past generations and will let us know what the data suggests soon. I'm hoping that they will discover that leaving the nest (mooring) sooner rather than later is a better way to go about life. I also hope that they take a look at kids who sail and discover that sailing fosters the qualities of independence which make for strong, individuals and young adults who are likely to leave home sooner rather than later. Maybe a whole generation will hear the words "go sailing young man/woman, go sailing" much as the generation after the Civil War heard the phrase made famous by Horace Greeley, "Go west young man, go west".

I realize that this blog entry treads very close to waxing philosophical. For this I ask for your indulgence. Also I want you to know that CBI's IT department is working night and day on upgrading this blog so comments can be submitted and we can start having dialog. I'm worried about this. I'm concerned that my blog honeymoon is about to be over. Ah well, time to cast off the dockline.....

Charlie

Guest Blog -Irving Itzkan Explains Some Sailing Terminology

2010-08-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to have Irving Itzkan write today's blog. If any of you have ever been fortunate enough to have Irv as your instructor then you will understand my enthusiasm. A life long sailor, volunteer and instructor at CBI, Irv also dabbled, on the side I think, in physics having held research positions at MIT and Harvard, just to name the two I am familiar with. Regardless of Irv's interests outside of sailing I am thrilled to have Irv offer today's blog which I'm sure you'll find interesting. Thank you Irv!-c

Sailing Terms
In my sailing classes at Community Boating, many students are often fascinated by those sailing terms that are completely new to them and some want to know their origin. The one that seems strangest is “boom vang”, the tackle that keeps the boom from riding up, and I usually have to repeat it and even spell it. I explain, using the very old joke, that the boom did not get its name from the sound it makes when it hits your head, (slipping in an oblique cautionary note), but is actually Dutch for “tree” (in German, “baum”), and that “vang” comes from the same Germanic root as “fang” and the root means “to grab” hence “boom grabber”. The device was originally used on the aftermost fore-and-aft sail on large ships which is called a spanker. The spanker is stretched between two spars, the lower one is called the boom and the upper one is called the gaff. The original vang was attached from the end of the gaff on the spanker to the rail, and its purpose was to act as a preventer to keep the gaff from accidentally gybeing (crossing over to the other side of the ship) and causing the sail to “hourglass”, that is, to have the boom on one side and the gaff on the other.

“Painter”, the line attached to the bow of a small boat, always seems strange because of its English meaning of “artist”. However it comes from the old French “pendoir” (modern French “pendre”) which means something which hangs, as in pendulum or depend. The pendoir was a line that was hung from the stern of a ship at anchor to enable the crew of arriving small boats to grab it and tie up, and from this a line which ties up a small boat became a painter.

The origin of starboard and port is always of interest. In the early days of sail, ships were steered with a steering board, which was mounted on the right side of the ship, and that side of the ship became the steering board, or starboard side. Then, in order not to have to unship the heavy steering board, ships were always parked with the unencumbered, that is the left side, towards the port. A board to facilitate the off-loading and on-loading of cargo, called the lading board, was then rigged on the left side, and that side of the ship became the lading board, or larboard side. However larboard and starboard sounded too much alike, and created dangerous confusion, especially when shouted orders competed with strong winds howling in the rigging. So “larboard” was changed to “port”, since it was the side of the ship towards the port.

Irv Itzkan

Dock Construction Project - Show Time! Best Weather Web Sites

2010-08-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

After almost 7 years we finally get to stop talking about the "new docks" and see project move forward for real. Here are the most important dates effecting our sailing operations this fall..

August 23    420s decommissioning and storage begins. Plastic docks returned to "Head of the Charles" with our thanks. Hauling and storage of keel boat, mercuries, launches begins.
Sept. 7      High Performance dock closed. Lasers and Windsurfers decommissioninfgand storage begins.
Sept. 7     Front Office construction begins. Office closed. We will access the dock next to the building and set up a makeshift office in the mainbay. This last 3 weeks.
Oct. 4      Demolition and piling removal begins at high performance dock.
Oct 11     Last day of 2010 sailing season.

Once the fall gets here I feel a little down when mention of the last day of the sailing season is made. Not this year. This year October 11, our last day of the sailing season, feels more like a well anticipated birthday with a special present long hoped for. The dock we stand on today have given us every last measure of it's engineered life, then a bit more, then quite a bit more, and finally, through some force of nature not fully understood by science, the 2010 sailing season. If one can feel gratitude for an inanimate object then our dock is a good candidate for that. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to thank those who built it many decades ago. It has served thousands very well. I hope folks 50 years hence will think kindly towards the efforts of CBI , the DCR, The Esplanade Association, The Solomon Fund, and the many supporters of the project.

Best weather web sites     For those of you who missed Isaac Pato's weather talk "Extreme Weather Forecasting for Sailors" here are the best weather web sites you should know about.
www.spc.noaa.gov      -easy to use graphics, easy to check every day
www.wunderground.com      -excellent non-government weather website, has the best free radar data on the web
http://adds.avia/onweather.gov     -best free satallite data
www.twisterdata.com     -medium and long range models
http://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov     -Thunderstorm models
http://en.wikipedia.org     -good starting point to answer your questions.

Charlie

Tornado Chaser

2010-08-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't fully appreciate my statement in Blog #15 that Isaac chases tornadoes (Really!), here is a snippet from a recent email conversation I had with Isaac when I asked him about his first tornado experience.

"I saw my first tornado on March 8, 2010. We got within 500 yards of the EF-2 tornado in western Oklahoma and watched it completely demolish a family's trailer home. We were the first responders on the scene, and discovered the family safe in their storm cellar."

Need I comment that most folks run away from tornadoes?

-Charlie

Extreme Weather Forecasting For Sailors!

2010-08-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

What: CBI Staff member Isaac Pato presents "Extreme Weather Forecasting for Sailors". When Isaac is not busy teaching sailing at CBI he chases tornados (really!). Aside from this one quirky characteristic, Isaac has always seemed perfectly mainstream to me A meteorology student at the University of Oklahoma, Isaac will combine his love of sailing and weather in this presentation. If you've never heard of the 500mb chart then come and have your eyes O P E N E D.

WHEN: Saturday, August 7, 2:00 PM

Charlie