THE HAILER

April 2003 Volume 7, Issue 3

Commodores Column

Hello Everyone…………

It's been a Great Summer so far!!! The Champaign Brunch has always been a favorite of everyone and this year was no exception, perfect weather, perfect people, and perfect party. Little John and Terri - Thanks! Those two have hit on something that I think will be one of the most successful and anticipated parties for years to come…the Moonlight Cruise….what a great time we had. The weather was ideal and the moon was spectacular.

Be sure you get your Grand Raffle Tickets. Every Board member is selling them. 1st Prize is $5,000.00, 2nd Prize is $1000.00, and 3rd Prize is $500.00.

As summer winds downs and we begin to think about back to school days, we can all look forward to Labor Day weekend celebrations, in the meantime, be especially kind to yourself and those around you…Ya'll be careful out there!

Jim Missroon

CTYC List of Upcoming Events

Aug. 21 Labor31 Day Party - On the
Beach

Oct. 4 Past Commodores Party -
Duck Club

Oct 11 Full Moon Cruise on the ANASTASIA

Nov. 8 Membership Party - TBD
Dec. 6 Holiday Party - Crown Plaza

Fleet Captain's Notes

I can't say "Thank You" enough for all the help and support we have received from our members this season. To use the Full Moon Cruise as an example, we tried something that really has never been done before. We had a few bugs in our plan, but our members were patient and things went just fine. We learn every time we do something and feedback is always good.

Honestly speaking, I had planned the party quite differently than it ended up. After our first 30 or 40 checks came in, we sort of restructured our whole party.

It's readily apparent, that people want to be back on the river!

Did anyone know that our First Commodore has not been on a boat in six years? He and Gerri lasted as long as everyone else.

On a humorous note, when I say feedback is always good, someone walked up around midnight, after several cocktails, and made the comment, "It looks like you are starting to lose your crowd"….My first thought was "WHERE COULD THEY GO?".

The Club would like to also thank the Grafton Ferry Company for such a wonderful cruise, the Ruble Inn for the use of their picnic tables, Rail for the great music, and Sharkey's Cove for the awesome food.

We felt so good about this party; we have decided to add one more this year and you'll soon be seeing another flyer. On October 11th, (another Saturday night with a full moon) we have rented the "ANASTASIA" (paddle wheeler from Alton) for a sunset leaf watching cruise. Same food, and music, but again, we are limited to 140 individuals. If the weather is a little chilly at that time, we can utilize the inside of the boat if needed.

FIRST THINGS FIRST - LABOR DAY WEEKEND! We are going back to the beach! (A flyer will be out soon). We learned enough on our Memorial Day party how to avert a few of the small problems that popped up. Arrangements are being made for a Hog Roast and live music on the island. Mark your calendars for Sunday August 31st.

We will have enough food to serve 400 people. Invite your friends and let's show them what a great group of people Contrios really is. A few details are left to be worked out, but we are on a tight track to make this happen and a great event for all to attend.

CONTRIOS WEB SITE: Our web site should be up by the time you receive this newsletter. The web address is: WWW.Contriosyachtclub.org Please log on and try it out!

In a closing note, AGAIN, we cannot stress enough, the appreciation we feel for all the support that you have given us. It is an honor to be part of such a great bunch of people!

Little John and Terrie

CTYC Board of Directors 2004 - Election Nominee Submittal

Once again, it is time to request applications for the CTYC Board of Directors election for 2004.

Per the CTYC By-Laws, the Board of Directors is an elected board voted upon by the voting members of CTYC. All regular and Emeritus Life members, in good standing, are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors, and eligible to vote on said Board.

Board positions up for election in 2004 are:

· Commodore
· Vice Commodore
· Rear Commodore
· Fleet Captain
· Secretary
· Fleet Surgeon
· Director 2
· Director 3
· Director 4
· Director 5

Following past year's tradition, the Commodore position for 2004 will be reserved for the previous year's Fleet Captain. Consequently, the Nominating Committee will not accept applications for the Commodore position for 2004.

If you are interested in applying for a Board position, please review the position's "Qualifications" and "Rights and Duties" as they are explained in the CTYC By-Laws. This will ensure that you are eligible for the position, and that you understand what is expected of you, should you be elected. The CTYC By-Laws are printed in the back of the CTYC Member Roster.

To submit your name for nomination, please send a note to the Nominating Committee, specifying the position you are seeking. Nominations can be sent to:

Mike Ramirez
Nominating Committee Chairperson
20 Sterling Pointe Court
St. Charles, MO 63301

Or submitted by email to dmrami@hotmail.com

If you have questions concerning the Board of Directors or the nominating and election process, please consult the CTYC By-Laws, or submit your question to the above email address.

Remember, serving on the CTYC Board of Directors is an excellent way to meet additional members, and to understand the operation of your Club.

Notice to Mariners

The article immediately below was written by Fred and Nancy Akers of the "Helena G". They have provided us with a very vivid description of their ordeal while trying to navigate a nasty and not well marked dike within Boulter chute. This article should be all the warning you need! Cruise carefully!

(Nancy & Fred: We're glad you're OK and that the "Helena G" will soon be too!)

So You Think You Know The River?

It was a beautiful Saturday before Father's Day. We had the "Helena G" cleaned up and ready to raft with my brother and some close friends. We contacted each other over the VHF and rendezvoused in the Dardenne Slough in front of the Yacht Club of St. Louis.

We headed up the Boulter Chute where about 3 years ago the Corps of Engineers constructed rock dikes, narrowing the navigable path. We had used this route for the last 3 years without any problem.

There are five boats in our flotilla, we being the third boat in line. This time the turbulence was the worst we had encountered with 3 to 4 foot swells. The "Helena G" was tossed pretty badly.

Everything went smoothly and everyone enjoyed the gathering.

However the trip home Sunday was quite different. Nancy and I were in the lead coming back through the chute. We negotiated the upstream dike with no problems. I decided that since I was tossed significantly on the way up, that I would stay on plane downstream. I lined up "as usual", however when we crossed the dike, Nancy and I were thrown forward as we struck the rocks. We lost propulsion and I thought I had knocked off the props.

I radioed to our friends and told them we had struck the dike and I lost power. They responded and started heading our way. About 3 minutes later the high water alarms started sounding and I told Nancy that we must be taking on water rapidly. She raised one of the hatches and sure enough the water was over the battery box.
I got back on the radio and related our situation and asked them to hurry, that "Helena G" was sinking. Fortunately, Nancy being the organized person that she is had most of our stuff together. A short time later, one of the runabouts arrived piloted by Mike Keachie, and we decided to abandon our boat. That was a very, very sickening feeling.

I got Nancy into the runabout and transferred our necessary possessions. The radio squawked and one of our other friends said that we needed to tow the "Helena G" which would slow down the influx of water due to the venturi effect of the water passing by the opening. At this time we had no idea how the water was entering the boat.

After some difficulty, one of the larger boats, piloted by Rich Vogler, tossed a line and I was able to get it cleated off. Rich started to tow our boat back to Yacht Club of St. Louis. My brother asked one of the other friends to get on the "Helena G" and lend me hand.

Oh, by the way, Nancy is on a different boat having a hissy because I am still on our sinking boat. One of the other boaters, (Mike's dad Bruce) decided that he would take the controls of my brother Murphy's houseboat as he is alone on his boat, so that Murph can get on my boat to help out. They make the switch and Murphy and Mike, join me on the "Helena G". We are still losing ground to the rising water. The water by this time is about 18 inches below the cockpit deck and rising.

Murph asked if I had a bucket to bail the engine compartment. The only vessel we had was a 13 gallon trash can. Murph being much more svelte than I, sits with his legs in one of the hatches in the aft of the boat and I hand the trash can to him, he dips the can and fills it, lifts it partially out of the water, and I then bend over, lift it and empty the water over the stern.

After about twenty minutes, we are making headway and the water is slowly receding.

Nancy fortunately reached the Yacht Club and because we had someone upstairs on our side, Charlie, one of the employees who live close to the club, is home and heads for the lift to pull us out.

This is where things become a little comical. Mike, who rescued Nancy, is helping Murphy and I bail the boat. As we enter the harbor, one of the people on the docks, throws a hand pump toward us to use. Unfortunately the pump lands short and heads for the water. Mike strains to reach the pump and I hear a commotion and look up to see Mike's feet disappear overboard. He had fallen in trying to retrieve the pump. I said to Murph, "there goes Mike", to which he replies "Where is he going?" He is ok and quickly rejoins us aboard. Mike starts to pump and Murph and I are starting to tire. The pump set up is such that someone needs to hold the exit hose to keep the water flowing out of the boat. So now after I dump the water, I hold the hose while Murph refills the trash can. After I grab the trash can, Murph holds the hose. Naturally, this was not always accomplished with the synchronization of a well oiled machine, and there were a few pumps that went back into the engine compartment.

We are now approaching 30 minutes of bailing. Murph and I start to tire and we start to switch positions. I am still running on 100% octane adrenaline as I continue to dump the trash can. By this time we are at the newly constructed lift however, Charlie is having difficulty locating the keys. They always hide the keys at night but they are not in the designated spot. On a whim, Charlie checks the ignition and there they hang.

My hat is off to Rich Vogler, who towed our boat; he did a marvelous job. The entrance to the Yacht Club of St. Louis is narrow and the current is fairly swift. But I digress…the boys and I am still bailing and am getting more tired. Rich, who has completed towing, joins us aboard and assists in bailing.

Finally I felt the reassuring nudge of the slings as they start to lift the "Helena G". We have drawn quite a crowd; among them is the "Sin or Swim" with Kim and Rich asking if we need anything. As the boat is winched out of the water, Rich compliments me on a fine job of pulling both shafts out of the boat, the starboard side being gone, including the stanchion. Both rudders are bent nearly 90 degrees and the port shaft and mangled prop dangle in the bent stanchion.

Dave Weber, one of the owners of the Yacht Club, arrives with his work boat and asks us to get off the "Helena G" while she is being hoisted out of the water. He takes us back to my slip, but the event is not over.

Mike steps on the side of the boat to climb onto the dock, his foot slips and he falls between the boat and the dock. Again, thankfully, he is not injured and crawls out of the river. I decide to exit off the bow of the metal work boat and I slip and end up on all fours. I have bruised knees and pride, but we all start to laugh hysterically.

Well the damage is still being assessed and now the insurance claim will be submitted.

Thanks to all my friends, my brother, the man upstairs and a score of others. Everyone is OK, and we saved the "Helena G" from sinking.

I thought I knew where I was going but apparently misjudged the opening.

We need to raise some S __ __ __ with the Corps of Engineers. I'm going to ask our Board to look into lodging a formal complaint with whomever, to stop the wanton disregard for the safety of pleasure boaters by the Corps of Engineers. If you have any ideas, please send them to Nancy and me by e-mail at: MSTYNLAFPASLM@aol.com .

Fred and Nancy Akers
(Of the bruised "Helena G")

Reporting an Emergency
By Corporal Mike Porter, Missouri State Water Patrol

Each year the Water Patrol receives numerous emergency calls from boaters on the Alton Pool. These calls include assistance needed regarding boating accidents, medical emergencies, mechanical break downs, towing and overdue boaters to name a few. It is important that boaters know how to properly report an emergency to reduce our response time and efficiently utilize other resources such as air and ground ambulances and volunteer search and rescue organizations.

Boaters in the Alton Pool area can report an emergency by contacting the Water Patrol by cell phone or, if coverage is not available, marine radio on Channel 16. The Water Patrol monitor channel 16 and has ability to respond on that channel as well. If using a marine radio and you do not get an immediate answer from an officer, contact United States Coast Guard on channel 16. Due to the limited range of marine radios transmitting boat to boat and officer may be out of range and not receive the call or receive only partial information. By utilizing the Coast Guard's repeater tower system, a boater can give information to the Coast Guard who will relay to our department.

If you are reporting an accident, make a mental checklist of all information prior to placing the call for help. Tell the dispatcher what your emergency is, and then the dispatcher will want the following information:

§ Your name
§ Location of the accident
§ The kind of help you need (towing, medical, etc.)
§ The nearest location to send an ambulance
§ The name of the vessel operator and any other persons involved in the accident (if known)
§ A description of the vessel(s) involved with registration number(s)

If you are calling from a cell phone, give the cell phone number. It may be necessary for the dispatcher to contact your for more information prior to an officer's arrival. When you are talking to the dispatcher, try to remain calm so important information is not overlooked. If certain information is omitted, it could take longer than necessary for an officer to respond to your location. Your patience and cooperation are important for fast, efficient results. As always feel free to stop and ask questions any time you see us at the marinas or on the water.

To report an emergency, contact:

Missouri Sate Water Patrol - 573-751-3333
St. Charles Country Sheriff's Department - 636-949-0809
United States Coast Guard - 319-524-7511
Marine radio channel 16

Although there is a current staffing shortage on the Alton Pool, existing officers there are augmented routinely with Water Patrol officers assigned to other areas.
*Note - Past experience of dialing 911 from a cell phone on the Alton Pool results in the call being transferred to St. Louis City Police Department making response timely.

The Adventure Continues - Our Overnight Crossing
By Rae and Bob Vogel

Thursday, May 30 - 16 days into the trip: Another absolutely beautiful day! Johnny was still working on the boat that morning so we busied ourselves with making sure things were stowed and secured for the voyage. Mid-afternoon Johnny went out with us for a sea test. He declared the boat fixed and fit for travel!

At 3:40 that afternoon we left Tarpon Springs, headed for Apalachicola. Spirits were high as we left the inlet. A few dolphins escorted us for a bit. The sky was blue with a few puffy clouds. The water was relatively calm. Perfect cruising conditions. We were even kind of excited about "pulling an all-nighter".

As the day turned into night Captains Bob and Mike were in the pilothouse keeping an eye on the electronic gadgets and the waters around us. Lindsay, Pat and I were reading in the salon. Life was good!

Midnight found us still making good progress. We had clear skies and stars a-plenty overhead. Behind us, in the distance, a thunderstorm gave us a spectacular light show (way behind us I might add, no threat to us). Lindsay and Pat decided to take a nap and went below. As a result they missed an amazing show. At about 1:30am a whole pod of dolphins (it seemed like at least 20) swam alongside the boat. They were on both sides of the bow - jumping over each other in an attempt to be the leader. They stayed with us for quite a while, and then disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

2:00am was nap time for me. I stretched out on the couch in the salon and "rested my eyes". Bob joined me about an hour later. At 3:50am we were roused when we heard, and felt, the boat slow to idle speed. Mike told us that the port engine had shut down spontaneously, "Like she ran out of fuel." was how Mike described it. Of course we knew that couldn't be the problem given our fuel capacity.

So while the guys tried to figure out what was wrong in the engine room, Lindsay and I took over in the pilothouse. It was a clear night (OK early morning). The radar located the only other vessel in the vicinity (most likely a shrimper) about a mile off the starboard bow.

At 4:45 the decision was made to continue on one engine. Even on one engine we made pretty good progress and made it to Apalachicola at about 12:30pm. We radioed Deep Water Marina and explained our predicament, and concerns about maneuvering in wind and current with only one engine. Not to worry, they had a "tug-let" and could help to "horse" us into a slip. Soon we were all tied off and plugged in.

Well, we made it across the Gulf. But, it was Friday - if a diagnosis wasn't made quickly we would be there for the weekend.
To be continued...

Contact the Editors

Well, we're down to 1 last newsletter before the end of 2003. As a reminder, Rae & I will be saying goodbye as your editors at the end of this year. With that in mind, we still need a VOLUNTEER (please?) to take the helm of "the Hailer."

If you want to learn a little more about your club, especially the new members out there please make that phone call to either Rae or me and we'll be more than happy to educate you on what we do and how we get it done. Please volunteer!

Contact us at:

Rae Vogel
Nanavx2@yahoo.com
950 Barnard College Lane, St. Louis, MO 63130
314-721-1133.

Debbie Barlow
SimplyMarvelous1@MSN.com
6621 Cortena Drive, Hazelwood, MO 63042
314-895-1569

CTYC
950 Barnard College Lane
St. Louis. MO 63130