Remember our annual Christmas Party at Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery on Sunday December 8, 2002 beginning at 1400 hours. Reservations are required. Call Jeanne Fuson (615) 365-9938. Feature Story Snyder Family Cruise to the Bahamas Part 3 by Martha Snyder

In part one this series we followed along with the Snyder family aboard their ketch, Martharitaville as they made their way from Jacksonville, Florida down to Ft. Lauderdale. Then in part two, they sailed across the Gulf Stream and over to Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. The third part of this report will deal with the trip back home.

After having spent some seven weeks in and around Marsh Harbour, we were really starting to feel at home in the Abacos. Martharitaville had proved to be a very comfortable boat to live on. Sailing her around in the beautiful Sea of Abaco had been wonderful and she had performed beyond our expectations, never giving us any problems, except once.

Some friends of ours had flown over to Abaco to spend a week with us in the islands. While they were there, we decided that it would be nice to take them over to Elbow Cay for some sight seeing and snorkeling. The trip over to Elbow Cay was just another day, sailing in paradise. Once we were on the island, we walked around the narrow “streets” of Hope Town and enjoyed looking at the nice old houses in this quaint little village. Around 1200 we went for lunch at a little café before heading out to the reef for some afternoon swimming.

After about an hour or so, the sun was starting to go down and we were ready to head back over to Marsh Harbour. Only one problem, the old trustworthy Perkins diesel refused to start. So, we had to sail her back, even though there was hardly any wind.

When we turned into the entrance of the channel to Marsh Harbour, the wind was right on our nose and there just wasn’t enough room to maneuver Martharitaville over to the dock. So, a couple of other boaters came out to help us. They tied their dinghies on either each side of our boat and towed us the rest of the way in.

The next day we discovered that our engine wouldn’t start because the fuel injection pump had failed. Fortunately, Kurtis was over in the States taking care of some family business and so we were able to call him and have him locate a pump for us. He had it shipped over the following day. We were shocked when we saw the receipt for $1,450.00, plus $98 for import duty! But, at least we were up and running again, thanks to the help of a Bahamian friend who also happened to be an airplane mechanic.

Hope Town Lighthouse

Since we didn’t need to be back in Nashville

until the middle of September, we had planned to stay in the Bahamas until somewhere around the end of August. However, on the 6th of August, the outer edge of tropical storm Cristobal passed through the Abacos. It brought with it a lot of heavy rain, wind and tidal surge. We were stranded on the boat for two days. Then after the storm left, the water level was very high. In fact, it was nearly level with the top of the dock and almost reached up to road. The dock owner said that he had never seen the tide rise that high before.

After the storm, we began noticing that each day there were fewer and fewer boats anchored in the harbor. When we realized that ours was practically the last boats remaining, we began thinking that maybe we had over-stayed our visit in the Bahamas.

We had heard many hurricane stories and

Music City NotesVolume VIII Number 12 December 2002

Notes – Music City Power Squadron Page 2 Vol 8 Number 12 December 2002

experiences from the local people we met. They vividly recalled how hurricane Floyd had practically destroyed everything on their island back in 1999 when the eye of that storm passed directly over the Abacos. Needless to say, the Abaconians take hurricane season very seriously. So, when we saw all of the cruisers making preparations to leave, we realized that our trip was coming to an end. Even though it was two weeks earlier than we had planned to head home, we began making readying the boat for the trip. We spent the next two days doing laundry, getting a few more provisions and saying our good byes.

We had plotted a course that would take us up to the northern most Cay in Bahamas and then from there straight up to Jacksonville. So, bright and early the next morning, we sailed out of Marsh Harbour, up passed Guana Cay and then through Whale Cay Pass. And just as we had expected, the surge was kicking up pretty good. However, the wind was in our favor and the sailing was really fun!

Fowl Cay

We arrived at Green Turtle Cay in the afternoon,

threw out anchor and went ashore to visit some friends we had made earlier in our trip. Gary and Marianne Saunders are very hospitable folks; in fact, they had us into their home for breakfast both of the mornings that we were in New Plymouth. Our second day there, we took our dinghy over to No Name Cay for some scuba diving and beach combing.

We went back to the Saunders’ house to watch the Weather Channel on TV, after which we were confident that we would be having good weather for the trip home. The following morning we headed out for Carter’s Cay. And we enjoyed another great day of sailing. But, again, we were amazed by the fact that ours was one of the only boats on the Sea of Abaco. Back in June when we were making our away through those same waters there had been a lot of boats sailing and motoring around. But now, there were none!

We arrived at Carter’s Cay in the late afternoon, and in order to reach our anchorage, Capt. Dave had to navigate through a very tricky channel using a range of

two wooden poles with coke bottles on top of them. This cay is usually uninhabited; in fact, it is an old abandoned U.S. missile tracking station. But, when we were there, there were a few Bahamian lobster fishermen camping on the island. We felt a little uneasy about going ashore and exploring this isolated island, so we spent the evening reading and relaxing onboard our boat, before climbing into our bunks.

We left early the next morning while the tide was still up and headed for Walker’s Cay. Once we were back in open water and under sail, we were soon joined by several dolphins swimming in our wake. We had another fantastic day of sailing, and around 1200 we were making a very slow, careful approach into Walker’s Cay. And, once again, we found ourselves maneuvering through water so shallow that we only had about a foot of water under the keel. And besides that, a heavy storm was coming up behind us, which was making us anxious to get into port as soon as possible. But, we didn’t make it!

Approaching an unknown cay

We were almost into a slip at the marina when

the rain and wind hit us. Several other boaters came running over to help us tie off, and it was a good thing that they did. The wind was pushing on our starboard side forcing us right into a mega yacht on our port. Fortunately, the storm soon passed, allowing us to spend a very relaxing afternoon on Walker’s Cay. We really liked this island and would have stayed another couple of days, but we felt that we should take advantage of the good weather to make our ocean crossing.

We set out for Jacksonville the next morning, after topping off the fuel tanks and buying a $5 bag of ice! We were excited and a little nervous about this last leg of our journey. The weather was perfect, except that the wind was a little too light for good sailing. The sky was clear, the temperature was warm and the ocean was a beautiful, deep blue.

From Walker’s Cay up to Jacksonville, Florida it’s a straight course of about 270 miles. By taking this

Notes – Music City Power Squadron Page 3 Vol 8 Number 12 December 2002

route we would be out on the open ocean, out of sight of land, for 2 days and 2 nights. However, we would save 2 or 3 days of travel time by not returning to Ft. Lauderdale and going up the ICW.

The first day out of Walker’s Cay was pretty uneventful. We passed a couple of large fishing vessels working their traps. Then that night we began seeing lights from other boats, as well as seeing them popping up on our radar screen.

The second day was very hot and we were glad that we still had a little of that $5 ice to put in our drinks. That night was pretty tough, because we were all pretty tired after standing our respective watches at the helm. At around 0130, a large pod of dolphins starting riding alongside us. Martha went down below and watched them from close range out of the port light. They followed us for about an hour and a half. It was incredible!

That night we had been keeping an eye on a couple of large freighters that had shown up on the radar screen. Then, at around 0245, one of them passed about 1 ½ miles off our stern. But the other one appeared to be on a collision course with us. In fact, it eventually passed within a ¼ of a mile of us! We’re pretty sure that they never even saw us.

Finally, at around 0430, we tied off at the dock at Mayport Marine, tired but happy to have completed such a great trip. We raised the quarantine flag and hit the sack. Then, the next morning we cleared U.S. Customs and headed the final 35 miles up the St. John’s River to our home base at Mulberry Cove Marina. We had been away from home for some three months. And even though we were glad to be home, we almost immediately set about planning our next cruise.

Back Home

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

Our squadron’s 2002 Annual Meeting will be held 13 January, 2003 at Logans Restaurant on Elliston Place, Nashville, TN. Activities beginning at 1800 hrs. The election will be held at approximately 2000 hrs.

Pursuant to ARTICLE 11, Sections 11.1 through 11.5 of the BYLAWS OF THE MUSIC CITY POWER SQUADRON, dated 17 August, 1995, the election of officers for 2002 will take place at this meeting. This represents your official notification of that meeting and election. Candidates for office to be voted upon at the annual meeting may be (1) nominated by the Nominating Committee as herein provided; (2) by petition in writing signed by at least five active members in good standing, and filed with the secretary at least fifteen days before the date of the election; (3) if vacancies exist in the properly formatted slate of nominees at the time of the election, they shall be filled by nominations from the floor, duly made by active members. To date, the secretary has received no petitions. Listed below is the slate of nominees for offices selected by the nominating committee. Commander: Terry Fitzpatrick, AP Executive: Jeanne Fuson, AP Administrative: Suzanne Campbell, P SEO Lyle Fuson, AP Asst SEO: Mike Swinea, P Secretary: Bob Duthie, AP Treasurer: Fred Burr, AP Members-at-large: Debbie Doyle, S Mike Majka, S David Snyder, S Nominating Cte: Russ Shaffer, SN 1 yr Ken Holbert, AP 2 yr Edie Oathout, JN 3 yr Rules Committee: Russ Shaffer, SN 1 yr John Wilson, AP 2 yr Marshall Oathout, SN 3 yr Audit Committee: Cindy Edwards, AP

Email Addresses We need email addresses for the following members. Bonner, Butner, Denmark, Doyle, Franklin, Gremillion, Martin, Richards, Roberts, and Smallwood. Please email bob@duthiemm.com.

Save Postage & Trees . . . Now get your Newsletter Sooner via Email If you would like to receive this newsletter via email please send a request to bob@duthiemm.com. It will be sent as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file of approximately -500K to 1000K bytes.

Notes – Music City Power Squadron Page 4 Vol 8 Number 12 December 2002

Happy December Birthday Troy Sheppard 12/10 Imogene Warner 12/11 Bob Duthie 12/23 David Chambers 12/27 Marion Maxwell 12/29

Event Place Time Date The following calendar is provided for planning the remainder of your MCPS year. December 2002 4 EXCOM 8 Christmas Party January 2003 1-5 National Annual Meeting/ 6 EXCOM 13 Annual Meeting 8-12 Nashville Boat Show 28 or 30 Boating Course? February 2003 5 EXCOM COW (TBD) General Meetings are held the 2nd Monday. EXCOM Meetings are the 1st Wednesday. Logan’s is on Elliston Place near its junction with West End Avenue

The Bridge Cdr Edie Oathout, JN Commander 1108 Brenlan Court Mt Juliet, TN 37122 (h)615-758-0132 email: Edie0@aol.com Lt/C Terry Fitzpatrick, AP Executive Officer 6104 Melbourne Dr. Nashville, TN 37215

(h) 377-6630 e-mail: tbfitz@hotmail.com Lt/C Jeanne Fuson, AP Administrative Officer 438 Longhunter Ct. Nashville, TN 37217 (h) 615-365-9938 email: jeanneaed@home.com Lt/C Lyle Fuson, AP Education Officer 438 Longhunter Ct. Nashville, TN 37217 (h) 615-365-9938 email: lyle_fuson@gspnet.com Lt/C Bob Duthie, AP Secretary 220 Carden Ave Nashville, TN 37205 {h) 292-3193 e-mail: bob@duthiemm.com Lt/C Fred Burr, AP Treasurer 3117 New Hope Road Hendersonville, TN 37075 (h) 824-4485 e-mail: fburr63992@aol.com Published by: John Wilson, AP Newsletter contributions may be sent via email to bob@duthiemm.com

Trivia Question of the Month Last months question: What is the definition (detailed please) of the green light onboard your vessel? Sorry, no winners (or players) this month. What I was looking for was that the green light onboard your vessel is located on the right side as looking forward, and shines from dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam. On to this month. Although this may not be nautical in origin, it could easily apply to sailors. What is the origin of the phrase "mind your Ps and Qs?" Be the first to e-mail Russ Shaffer with the correct response at and you will be recognized in the next issue of Notes. Do you have a trivia question? Email your questions to Russ Shaffer, SN areles@myexcel.com

Notes – Music City Power Squadron Page 5 Vol 8 Number 12 December 2002

Administrative Officer’s Report Lt/C Jeanne Fuson, AP The November General Meeting of the Music City Power Squadron was one to remember. The membership really turned out to hear speakers Thom & Ceile Garrison tell of their Trans Atlantic crossing.

It was a record crowd of 37. The evening ended with everyone thinking of the day they too could make such a wonderful voyage. Next month Bob Duthie will publish a full story of this remarkable trip. A reminder that there will be no General Membership Meeting for the month of December. The Music City Power Squadron will hold it’s annual Christmas Party at Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery on Sunday December 8, 2002 beginning at 1400 hours. A gift exchange will be held. Each member is to bring a wrapped gift suitable for either male or female with a cost that should not exceed $10.00. This is a fun exchange enjoyed by all. For those planning to attend, your reservation must be in by December 1, 2002. If you have any questions, call Jeanne at (615) 365-9938.The Happiest of Holidays to Each & Everyone. Jeanne

Education Officer’s Report Lt/C Lyle Fuson, AP Do You Want Your Captains License? Get your captain’s license! What Power Squadron member hasn’t envied the title-because of the knowledge and experience it implies and the opportunities it may offer. For some of us, who have taken the majority of USPS courses, envision the Captains License as part of the final education process. In addition, boating regulations get tougher every year. It is, in fact, illegal to accept as much as a beer from a guest on your boat unless you hold the proper Coast Guard-issued operator’s license.

The primary drawback for working power squadron members to get the necessary instruction to get a Captain’s License is the amount of time required to be away from their places of employment. Most schools who offer Captain’s license instruction require at least 10 consecutive working days in the classroom. The other possible drawback to this type of instruction is that the courses drill the student with just the answers required to pass the exam. Their educational philosophy is that passing the exam is all that counts; whether the student retains the material for later use is irrelevant. Because of these issues, several members have inquired about the possibility of forming a group to study for their Captain’s License. If enough interest exists, we could possibly begin classes to assist our members in the quest for a Captain’s License. The approach would be to explain the principles so that the member can not only answer the questions at the examination, but also come up with the answers in real-life situations years down the waterway. All of the courses that we teach in the power squadron will provide education toward mastering most of the subjects covered in the exam. Therefore all members wishing to apply for the Captain’s License should take as many USPS courses as possible. It is highly recommended that members enroll in the upcoming Advanced Piloting class if you are planning on studying for the Captain’s License. All of the exam subjects covered in the Navigation General and Navigation Problems will be taught in the Piloting or Advanced Piloting courses. To obtain a license for either Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels or Master/Mate of Inspected Vessels to 100 gross tons, you must clear two hurdles: • Prove to the Coast Guard that you qualify (meet all of the

regulatory requirements for the license which includes: Physical exam, Drug test, Sea service, Proof of age and citizenship, Proof of Social Security Number, First Aid card, CPR Certificate, and Boating Course Certificate).

• Pass a multiple choice written exam The Coast Guard examinations are divided into six subject areas: (1) Rules of the Road which includes Colregs, International and Inland, steering and sailing, lights and shapes, sounds and signals; (2) Deck General which includes ship handling, mooring and anchoring, marlin spike, regulations, block and tackle, towing, trim and load lines; (3) Navigation General which includes weather, tides and currents, tidal currents, charts and publications, aids to navigation, locks and dams, compass, Loran, GPS, and radar ; (4) Safety which includes first aid, fire fighting, pollution and sanitation, lifesaving and survival, man overboard, small engine operation, and radio; (5) Navigation Problems which includes latitude, longitude, distance and course, dead reckoning, fixes by bearings, running fixes, relative bearings

Notes – Music City Power Squadron Page 6 Vol 8 Number 12 December 2002

and distance off, current set and drift, current vectors and course to steer; and (6) Auxiliary Sail Endorsement. Operating licenses for vessels up to 100 gross tons fall into six categories as shown on the following experience requirements. As you go through the requirements and content of the exams for each, you should be struck by the fact that-except for the limited licenses (number 1 and 4)-the only significant differences are in experience (what the Coast Guard terms sea service). You may want to compute the sea service you can document and apply for the highest level license for which you are qualified. Licenses are issued in increments of 50 gross tons, except when the service was gained on vessels of less than 5 gross tons, in which case the limit will be 25 gross tons. Otherwise, the tonnage limit is calculated as the greater of: • the tonnage on which at least 25% of the required service

is calculated as the greater, or • 150% of the tonnage on which at least 50% of the

required service was gained The waters in which the license is valid depends on where the required sea service was gained: Inland-inland of the Boundary Line, as specified in 46 CFR part 7. The Boundary Line is NOT THE SAME as the COLREGS Demarcation Line which separates International and Inland Rules of the Road waters. Near Coastal-waters to seaward of the Boundary Line to 200 miles offshore. A Near Coastal license may be restricted to a smaller distance offshore, such as 100 miles. A Near Coastal license is also valid in Inland and Great Lakes waters. Great Lakes-obviously valid in the Great Lakes. An Inland license is not valid in the Great Lakes unless it specifies Inland and Great Lakes. DO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR CAPTAIN’S LICENSE EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS UNINSPECTED VESSELS License for Operating Uninspected Passenger Vessels at Yacht Clubs, Marinas, Formal Camps or Educational Institutions-AKA "Launchtender"

a. Minimum age: 17 b. Satisfactory completion within the past five years of a

safe boating course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators or conducted by the USPS, Red Cross, or CG Auxiliary

c. 90 days operating same type of vessel within the preceding three years

d. Letter from prospective employer stating type of vessel and area of operation

2. License for Operating Uninspected Passenger Vessel Upon Inland Waters-AKA “Six-Pack”

a. Minimum age: 18 b. 360 days operating a small vessel c. 90 of the 360 days must have been within the past three

years 3. License for Operating Uninspected Passenger Vessel

Upon Near Coastal Waters-AKA “Six-Pack” a. Minimum Age: 18 b. 360 days operating a small vessel, of which 90 days

must have been on ocean or near coastal waters c. 90 of the 360 days must have been within the past three

years INSPECTED VESSELS 4. License for Operating Inspected Inland Passenger

Vessels at Yacht Clubs, Marinas, Formal Camps or Educational Institutions

a. Minimum Age: 18 b. Satisfactory completion within the past 5 years of a safe

boating course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators or conducted by the USPS, Red Cross, or CG Auxiliary

c. 120 days operating same type of vessel, of which 90 days must be within the preceding three years

d. Letter from prospective employer stating type of vessel and area of operation

5. Master of Inland Steam or Motor Vessels of Not More Than 100 Gross Tons

a. Minimum age: 19 b. 360 days operating a small vessel, of which 90 days

must have been within the preceding three years c. For Auxiliary Sail Endorsement, 180 days service on a

sail or auxiliary sail vessel 6. Master of Near Coastal Steam or Motor Vessels of Not

More Than 100 Gross Tons a. Minimum age: 19 b. 720 days operating a small vessell, of which 90 days

must have been within the preceding three years c. Of the 720 total days, 360 must have been on ocean or

near coastal waters d. For Auxiliary Sail Endorsement, 360 days service on a

sail or auxiliary sail vessel ENDORSEMENTS

Auxiliary Sail Endorsement a. On an Inland Master License, a minimum of 180 days of

service on a sail or auxiliary sail vessel b. On a Near Coastal Master License, a minimum of 360

days of service on a sail or auxiliary sail vessel

Notes – Music City Power Squadron Page 7 Vol 8 Number 12 December 2002

If any member is interested in studying for the Captain’s License call Lyle Fuson at 615-365-9938, 615-770-8564 or e-mail lyle_fuson@gspnet.com Editors Note: There is a good article in the December issue of MOTORBOATING magazine entitled “Call Me Captain” on page 60 that talks about reasons to and ways of obtaining your captain’s license. The article gives a number of websites for more information: http://www.uscg.mil/stcw/m-pers.htm www.seaschool.com

Surf the Web Visit the MCPS Website www.usps.org/localusps/music Editor’s photo gallery

It was a great year on Kentucky Lake.

Kentucky Lake at Blood River

Blue Heron (J32) sailed from Old Hickory Lake

Rough Water on Kentucky Lake

Sunset on Kentucky Lake

Music City Power Squadron 1014 Dawson Road White Bluff, TN 37187-4206

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