Running Lights Page 1 July 2015

SKOKIE VALLEY SAIL AND POWER SQUADRON

Membership Newsletter - Volume 15 Issue 7

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the FriendsSM

Running Lights Page 2 July 2015

A MESSAGE FROM OUR COMMANDER

First, the Serious Stuff: New boating laws in effect. Boaters must now display an orange flag when towing skiers or tubers. Police may now confiscate boats of F people caught driving drunk. Read the Lake County Sheriff Media Release on page 3.

The Chain O’ Lakes is one of the busiest inland water- ways in the country with 23,000 registered boats in the area, and a “Key West party” atmosphere. Be aware! Be smart! Be safe! Need a reminder? ”BASS” — BeAwareSmartSafe

Now, the Fun Stuff: The D/20 Cruise and Rendezvous is coming up on July 17th-19th. Hosted by Kankakee Valley Sail & Power Squadron, it will be held at the Kankakee Valley Boat Club. If you need hotel or dock reservations, please do Skokie Valley Sail & so as soon as possible. The “uniform of the day” is cas- Power Squadron ual. Or, if you insist, something with a USPS, Skokie Valley, or Evanston Squadron logo is also welcome. 2015-2016 Bridge Better yet, bring a boat, and join-in the fun!! On Sunday at 0900, a “Review of the Fleet” cruise-by will be held.

COMMANDER If you received a billing for your annual membership Cdr Don Sidman, JN 847-726-7309 dues recently, but have not yet sent them in, please do so immediately, if you can. We compile the Squadron EXECUTIVE OFFICER Roster Booklet from the dues and member status infor- I/P/C Ron Zingler, AP 847-634-3806 mation we get from National, along with other input from our members . . . and we don’t want to omit anybody ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER who still wants to be a member of our extended family. Lt/C Kim Ambrose, AP 847 917-2258 Our thanks to Jim Walkowiak, John Lenhard, and Al An- SECRETARY toni for the Chicago River Boat Trip. Jim organized this Lt/C Gail Sidman, S 847 726-7309 event, and John and Al were our two boat Captains. Nineteen SVPS members were on board the 2 boats we TREASURER used: a pontoon boat, and an electric boat built by Island Lt/C Sue Anthony, P 224-402-3107 Packet Yachts. Powered by batteries, it has an all- magnetic motor augmented by solar panels on the hard- CO-EDUCATIONAL OFFICERS shell canopy. The vessel runs with essentially no sound Lt/C James E. Soyka, SN 847-635-6239 at roughly the speed of a sailboat. The batteries, P/C Bud Lemke, JN 847-577-9522 plugged into a standard 110-volt outlet, recharge over- night at a cost of about $1.50. John told us that charge ASST. EDUCATIONAL OFFICER lasts about 10 hours. Read more about the trip and see Lt/C Richard Davidson, SN 847-295-8845 photos on page 10.

IMMEDIATE PAST COMMANDER Thank you, Paul and Lisa Sparkes for hosting the I/P/C Ron Zingler, AP 847-634-3806 Racine Sundowner at Reefpoint. The food was great. Another nice day! And Brinkley thanks you too! We have pictures from the Sundowner on page 5. ELECTED MEMBERS AT LARGE Lt Skip Ambrose, AP 847 767-4123 Next month, we’ll be reporting on our Red Cross CPR Lt Dave Anthony, P 224-402-3107 Certification Course, and the Escanaba / Door County / Lt Paul Sparkes, SN 847-202-4342 Sheboygan cruise. The summer is just flying by . . if only we could find a way to slow time down!

United States Power Squadrons® —Cdr. Don Sidman, JN

Running Lights Page 3 July 2015 Mark Your Calendar

July 2015 1 Wed Executive Board/Bridge meeting 1900 Alcott Center, Buffalo Grove 10-20 Fri-Mon Escanaba Door County Fish Creek Cruise Palazzo, see page 14 8 Wed Skokie Valley Breakfast Club 0830-1000 Market Square, Wheeling 15 Wed Publication Deadline—Running Lights Karen D’Amico (630-483-9741) 17-18 Sat-Sun D/20 Cruise & Rendezvous Kankakee Squadron, see page 9 22 Wed Skokie Valley Breakfast Club 0830-1000 Market Square, Wheeling

August 2015 5 Wed Executive Board/Bridge meeting 1900 Alcott Center, Buffalo Grove 5 Wed Skokie Valley Breakfast Club 0830-1000 Market Square, Wheeling 15 Wed Publication Deadline—Running Lights Karen D’Amico (630-483-9741) 19 Wed Skokie Valley Breakfast Club 0830-1000 Market Square, Wheeling 22-30 Sat-Sun Southern Lake Cruise Zingler, see page 4 25-30 Tue-Sun USPS Governing Board, San Diego, CA See page 11 Media Release Lake County Sheriff’s Office Alerts Boaters to New Laws May 19, 2015, Waukegan, IL - Lake County Sheriff Mark C. Curran, Jr. is again reminding boaters of the new watercraft laws taking effect in 2015:

Watercraft Towing: Senate Bill 1479 requires any watercraft towing a person to display a bright orange flag at the highest point of the boat’s helm. The flag must be visible from all directions and continuously displayed.

Watercraft Seizure: Senate Bill 3434 allows for the seizure and forfeiture of watercraft used in the commission of repeated specified offenses including operating under the influence of alcohol, drugs, intoxicating compounds or combination thereof.

Mandatory Boater’s Education: (Effective Jan 1, 2016)

Senate Bill 3433 requires all persons born after Jan 1, 1998 to take and pass a boating safety course validated July Anniversaries by the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources and hold a valid boating safety certificate before they can operate Jennifer Fergus 2014 2 yrs a motorboat with an engine over 10 horsepower. Michael Palazzo 2008 7 yrs Stephanie Palazzo 2008 7 yrs “Know the laws and obey the laws – they’ll keep you, Jim Geske 2007 8 yrs your family and friends safer on the waterways,” stated Dorothy Hughes 2005 10 yrs Sheriff Mark C. Curran, Jr. Clark Sanford 1994 22 yrs Bud Lemke 1984 33 yrs In addition, Sheriff Curran reminded mariners, “Boaters love the adventure and fun of a day spent on the water. However, accidents can happen quickly – so Congratulations to all on reaching don’t just carry a life jacket – “Wear It!” another milestone with the squadron. We appreciate your support. —Submitted by Lt./C Kim Ambrose Cdr Don Sidman

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This Southern cruise will take us to Saugatuck, South Haven and Chicago. The nine day cruise will be relaxed and informal.

Come join us on any leg of the cruise or the whole cruise. If you prefer to drive, please let me know as our dates may adjust due to weather.

The following is a cruise date and plan:

Date Day From To Miles Activities August Saturday Home Port Saugatuck 85 Dinner at Chequers & 22nd Coral Gables II Forno Marina Shops at Saugatuck August Tuesday Saugatuck South Haven 25 Beach Time 25th Municipal Marina Shops at South Haven

August Friday South Haven Burnham Harbor 50 Millennium and 28th Chicago Maggie Daley Park Navy Pier August Sunday Burnham Home Port 85 End of Cruise 30th Harbor 245 Miles

Please respond with inquiries and attendance to:

Ron Zingler 847-946-2516 cell [email protected]

saugatuck.com

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Racine Sundowner June 5-7

Original member Don Dorsch, Sr Tony Mass (Walkowiak’s son-in-law) with member Don Dorsch and Pam Dent Don Joanne Sidman & Zingler Paul & Lisa Sparkes with good friend from Racine Brinkley Thanks to Paul and Lisa Sparkes for hosting the Racine Sundowner at Reefpoint Marina. They provided the barbeque, potato salad, and free beer!! Others brought a dish to share. Everything was delicious! Photos were taken by P/C Ron Zingler Chip & Kim Ambrose Larry March & Tony Palazzo

Jim Geske Dave & Sue Anthony Jim Walkowiak & daughter Linda

Gloria with Linda & grand- daughter Sarah. How did Paul get in the family picture?

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U.S. Coast Guard Releases 2014 Boating Statistics Report

On 13 May 2015, the U.S. Coast Guard released its 2014 Recreational Boating Statistics.

Highlights of the report:  The Coast Guard counted 4,064 accidents that involved 610 deaths, 2,678 injuries and approximately $39 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.  Compared to 2013, the number of accidents increased 0.05%, the number of deaths increased 8.9%, and the number of injuries increased 2.2%.  Where cause of death was known, 78% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 84% were not wearing a life jacket.  And 77% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had not received any boating safety instruction. Only 12% percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received a nationally-approved boating safety education certificate.  Eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.  Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; where the prima- ry cause was known, it was listed as the leading factor in 21% of deaths.  The most common types of vessels involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (47%), personal watercraft (17%), and cabin motorboats (15%).  The vessel types with the highest percentage of deaths were open motorboats (47%), canoes (13%), and kayaks (10%).  The 11,804,002 recreational vessels registered by the states in 2014 represent a 1.7% de- crease from last year when 12,013,496 recreational vessels were registered.

Visit the link below for the complete report. www.uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-Statistics-2014.pdf

The USCG released its first Boating Safety Mobile App

Features of the mobile app include: state boating information; a safety equipment checklist; free boating safety check requests; navigation rules; float plans; and calling features to report pollution or suspicious activity.

freedigitalphotos.net When location services are enabled, users can receive the latest weather reports from the closest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather buoys, as well as report the location of a hazard on the water. The app also features an Emergency Assistance button which will call the closest Coast Guard command center, if location services are enabled. The app is self-contained, so personal information is stored on the phone and is not sent to the Coast Guard unless the user chooses to send it. The Coast Guard does not track a user's location, and the app does not track a user's location unless the app is being used. If you like to receive these types of boating safety updates from USPS, sign up for the monthly USPS News Blast. Read more about it on page 15.

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Hurricane Season According to meteorologist the Hurricane Season is from June 1 to December 1. Most hurricanes (not all) that reach the East and South East Coasts start as a storm over the Sahara Desert. If the conditions are all aligned correctly, the storm will head out into the Atlantic Ocean as a tropical depression. A tropical depression does not have any fronts associated with it. (No warm or cold front). The tropical depression will be carried west by the trade winds over the warm tropical waters. As it moves west it picks up moisture and wind. As it gains strength it becomes a tropical storm and gets a name assigned to it. When winds reach 75 mph the storm will then be classified as a hurricane. Many of these storms get tuned North by the Westerly Winds and the Bermuda high and never make landfall. However, those that do make it to the Caribbean will end up causing a lot of destruction to the land masses it encounters. Although the winds of a hurricane can be severe, the greatest amount of destruction caused by hurricanes is water damage. Fortunately, hurricanes can be tracked and notice given to those in its path. I have been caught on the edge of two hurricanes in my life and it is amazing to see all the preparations and safeguards that are taken to protect life and property. Photo by Stuart Miles (freedigitalphotos.net)

OUR , OUR GREATEST RESOURCE CAPTAIN AHAB’S QUIZ Here are the last few interesting facts about our Great Lakes, submitted by our dear friend Judy Walcoff:

35) In 1804, a Canadian warship, His Majesty's Ship Speedy, sank in Lake Ontario. In 1990, wreck hunter Ed Burtt man- age to find it. Only, he isn't allowed to recover any artifacts until a government-approved site to exhibit them is found. He's still waiting. 36) Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run at You’re a guest on a friend’s boat. An emergency occurs far out to sea. Fortunately, the boat is equipped with a Hanlan's Point Stadium in Toronto. It landed in Lake single-side band radio. What frequency would you use to Ontario and is believed to still be there. alert the Coast Guard:1,600; 2,182; or 2,282 kilohertz?

37) A lake on Saturn's moon Titan is named after (see answer on back page) Lake Ontario. It's called "Ontario Lacus.". Lt Tom Clark, AP, Contributing Editor Courtesy of Perchant Publishing

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SKOKIE VALLEY EDUCATION CLASS SCHEDULE

One more public boating course remaining this summer.

PUBLIC BOATING

7/11/15 Southport Harbor Saturday – 4 hours/2 weeks

If there are any member courses you would like to see offered this fall, please call and we will try to accommodate you. Refer to the back of the 2014/15 roster for a complete list of courses and seminars currently available to United States Power Squadron members.

Lt/C James Soyka, SN Lt Rich Davidson, SN P/C Bud Lemke, JN Skokie Valley Asst. Skokie Valley Co-Education Officers Education Officer

Successful Cruise Planning Students

Congratulations to Dave Anthony, Ron Zingler, Tony Palazzo and Alex Ganzman for successfully completing and passing the USPS Cruise Planning course!

The course is designed for members who cruise on either sail or powerboat, and covers cruise preparation and planning. It included in detail various aspects of provisioning, financing, navigation planning, weather and communications for long and short cruises. Additional topics discussed were entering foreign ports, anchoring, voyage management, emergencies afloat, medical emergencies and security.

A most sincere thank you to Dave Anthony and Ron Zingler for organizing and teaching the course.

Submitted by SVPS Education Officers Jim Soyka, SN and Bud Lemke, JN

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2015 EVENT & CRUISING SCHEDULE

5-7 Jun 2015 Sundowner - Racine Sparkes

13 Jun 2015 Chicago River Boat Ride Walkowiak/Lenhard

27 Jun 2015 CPR Class Sidman

10-20 July 2015 Escanaba Cruise Palazzo Kankakee Sail & 17-19 July 2015 D20 Cruise & Rendezvous Power Squadron Southern Lake Michigan 22-30 Aug 2015 Zingler Cruise Sundowner Pig Roast/ 19 Sep 2015 Ambrose Septemberfest

Hosted by Kankakee Valley Sail & Power Squadron

Friday: 1900 meet for dinner, contact Louise Potter Kankakee Valley Boat Club for information 815-933-1470 1600 Cobb Blvd, Kankakee, IL Saturday: Kankakee Valley Boat Club 0900—Coffee & pastries; registration 1000-1130—Competitive level waterskiing & water- boarding demonstration 1200-1300—BBQ beef & chicken buffet luncheon catered by the famous Bulls Barbeque 1330-1600—District 20 Council Meeting Bringing your boat? 1600-1800—free time; narrated electric boat tours Contact Tom Cunnington 815-928-8550 for of Kankakee River (sign up for time) docking info & local knowledge of the river 1800-1900—social hour (cash bar) 1900-2000—Dinner catered by Rigo’s Café. Choices: Hotel Options: Roast beef au jus All include complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, in- Chicken empanada door pool and fitness center Farm raised sautéed tilapia in Champaign sauce Hampton Inn, 815-932-8369, $129 per night Sunday: Kankakee Valley Boat Club 60 Ken Hayes Dr, Bourbonnais, IL 60914 0900—review of the fleet Fairfield Inn, 815-935-1334, $99 per night 1200-1600—visit the Kankakee Railroad Museum or 1550 IL-50, Bourbonnais, IL 60914 Frank Lloyd Wright Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 815-932-4411, $134 designed Bradley 62 Ken Hayes Dr, Bourbonnais, IL 60914 House is hosting an Comfort Inn, 815-401-5043, $98 per night art show ($5) 500 Illinois Highway 50, Bourbonnais, IL 60914

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Submitted by Commander Don Sidman, JN

13 June 2015 — The 2+ hour trip started at the old Montgomery Ward warehouse building on the north branch of the river. If you haven’t been to downtown Chicago recently, the humungous old warehouse is now a fashionable condo building with its own landing dock and river walkway.

We travelled up the river (north) a bit, then turned back south to Wolf Point and the Merchandise Mart, where the river splits to the east and the south. We headed east to the Lake Michigan locks basin area where we had a breathtaking view of Navy Pier. The threat of rain and Photos courtesy of P/C Ron Zingler, AP cold disappeared. It was a perfect day to be on the river!! and P/C George Doerner, SN

Turning back west, we passed the Tribune, Wrigley, and Trump Buildings for the second time, before reaching the river’s south branch. On the south branch, we passed the Civic Opera House, Sears Tower (original name)...and within 7 blocks of my old high school on Roosevelt Road.

Within view of Chicago’s Chinatown, on the near Southside, we turned back north to end our adventure, where we began. The day was perfect! Thank you Jim, John, and Al. Let’s go again!!

Bridget Doerner added...We had 2 boats Nauti-Time a 22ft. Pontoon boat. The Captain was Al Antoni with some piloting done by Skip Ambrose. The crew included Pat Antoni; Kim Ambrose; Sue & Dave Anthony; Mary & Jim Soyka. The other boat was What’s the Hurry. The Captain was John Lenard and his crew was Don & Gail Sidman; Larry & Christine Marsh; Joanne & Ron Zingler; George & Bridget Doerner.

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Activities Tuesday 8/25: - Guided Winery Train Tour Wednesday 8/26: - Chartered 6-Hr Trolley Tour Thursday 8/27: - Committee meetings—you are welcome to attend and participate in all open sessions - Dinner Cruise on San Diego Bay Friday 8/28: - Keynote Breakfast—Dr, Bruce Appelgate, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Seminars on Friday - Leadership Development Training - Department meetings, free seminars, exhibits Stargazing (Speaker: Ensign contributor Arnold Medalen) - Chartered 4-Hr Trolley Tour Saturday 8/29: California Dockwalkers (Speaker: Vivian Matuk, Environmental Boating Program Coor- - Official Governing Board Meeting dinator) - Social Reception and Luncheon, including guest speaker from Sea World Conservation Beyond Human Factors: Examining the Determinants of Recreational Boating Acci- San Diego Public Trolley hop on/off access dents with Spatial Analysis and Modeling is across the street from the hotel. A great way (Speaker: P/C/C Ernie Marshburn) to get to the world-renowned Balboa Park, The Widow Wave (Speaker: suspense author home to fifteen museums, various arts and in- Jay Jacobs) ternational culture associations, as well as the San Diego Zoo, making it one of the nation's Room Reservations largest cultural and entertainment complexes. Manchester Grand Hyatt At the San Diego Zoo, you will see some of the Dedicated website for our meeting is available on the world's rarest wildlife including giant pandas USPS website at www.usps.org/national/natmeetings/ and koalas. Visit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to glimpse some of the most exotic places. Make your reservation today! Special room rate of $145/night for our block of Gaslamp Quarter is less than a 1/4 mile from rooms ends on 12 July. Some nights are already the hotel and is Southern CA premier dining, sold out at the $145 rate and are now $175. shopping and entertainment district. Dr. Bruce Appelgate, Associate Director Scripps Institution of Oceanography Dr. Appelgate looks forward to joining us for breakfast Friday morning, 28 August. His keynote address is entitled, “At Sea Aboard Oceanographic Research Vessels: How the Scripps Fleet Serves Science and Society.” Dr. Appelgate brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and you will not want to miss hearing what he has to share! Photo credit: This photo is from the Scripps Oceanography 2015 Calen- dar. It is the R/V Sally Ride (AGOR 28) at dock at Dakota Creek Indus- tries, Inc. shipyard in Anacortes, Washington on the morning of August 9, 2014 christening. Read more about Scripps's newest research vessel at https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/navy-scripps-christen-rv-sally-ride.

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Egmont Key, Florida 25°36’03” N 82°45’39 W

Today Yesterday The lighthouse can only be The lighthouse was built in gotten to by boat. We 1848. It was the only light- went on a tour with the house on the Gulf Coast in United States Lighthouse So- Florida. In September of ciety, so they made all the 1848 a hurricane covered boat arrangements for us. the island with six feet of water and damaged the The Egmont Key is located new lighthouse. The keeper in Tampa Bay on an island and his family rode out the at the northwest end of the storm in a small boat that bay. I know that some of was tied to a tree. After the our members have used storm, when the keeper this light to guide them into saw the damage to the the bay. lighthouse, he rowed off to Tampa and never returned. The current light is a DC-24 electric rotating beacon. In the 1850’s, the island was The Florida Park Service and used as a temporary hold- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ing place for the Seminole run the lighthouse. Togeth- Indians until they could be er they manage the island. taken to the Indian Territory. Many of them died and are The entire island is on the buried at that location. National Register of Historic Places and it is a National During the Civil War, the Wildlife Refuge State Park. Confederate blockade- runners used the island as a base. The Union took over and used it as a military pris- This is the boat we on. There was a cemetery took to Egmont Key for Union and Confederate Soldiers. In 1909, the ceme- tery was closed and the bodies were moved to mili- tary cemeteries at other lo- cations.

Submitted by Bridget Doerner,N It was also used during the Photos by George Doerner, SN Spanish War, World War 1, and World War II.

Running Lights Page 13 July 2015 Boat for Sale 2003 Model 340 Sundancer  37’6” OAL  12’ Beam Graceful Journey. Asking $94,900.  Twin 8.1S Horizon High Performance engines Only 475 hours. All electronics & (370 HP Ea.) equipment included. Also included is  V Drive  Fresh water only a slip at Belmont Harbor for the 2015  Inside storage only season (a $5,000 value)  Meticulously maintained with all service documentation available Call John Lenhard at 847 867 3837  Camper top canvas new2013 for further details and  Bilge pumps new 2014 to arrange test drive  Raymarine RL70CRC Color Radar/Chart Plotter  Raymarine GPS  Furuno Auto Pilot & Depthsounder  Raytheon 215 VHF Radio  Mercury Marine Smart Craft Systems Monitor  Electric Engine Hatch  Sleeps 6  Cruisair Reverse Cycle AC/Heat  Cockpit refrigerator/freezer  Galley refrigerator/freezer  Whirlpool Microwave Oven  Kenyon 2 burner electric stove  Central Vac  AM/FM/CD Stereo  Toshiba Wide Screen TV in Salon  Toshiba TV/VHS Combo in Galley

6/13

6/13

1102 N. Main Street Algonquin, IL 60102

6/13

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SVSPS 10 Day Escanaba Cruise 10 July 2015

Well summer is here and we are looking forward to the Northern Lake Michigan cruise going to Door County and Escanaba. The Escanaba Cruise will start off early July 10th at sun up. With weather permitting our plan is to cruise 200 miles to the port of Fish Creek in Door County. We plan to take a fuel stop in Sheboygan or Manitowoc. Our destination port is Fish Creek Alibi Marina. Check out their website: http://www.alibimarina.com/about-the-marina/ The Alibi Marina is the largest marina north of Sturgeon Bay and is located in Fish Creek, the Heart of Door County. This gives boaters a convenient starting point from which to discover a very charming Door County village. Within a few blocks are the restaurants and shops of Fish Creek. Nearby is the jewel of the State Park system, – 3,700 acres for hiking, biking, swimming and exploring. Next door is the Harbor Guest House for anyone looking to spend a night off their boat? For our Transient Boaters we offer the right to play golf and use the full facilities at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club with proper introduction. Contact the Marina Office for more details. The Alibi’s Fish Creek location is a great marina from which to cruise to other lo- cales. Cross Green Bay to Menominee, Michigan; cruise north to Washington Island; south to Sturgeon Bay; or cruise to nearby Strawberry Islands and . Or North to Port Escanaba Upper Pen- insula of Michigan! After a 3 night stay we head north to the upper peninsula of Michigan to the port of Escanaba Michigan: http://www.escanaba.org/?marina The Escanaba Municipal Marina is located within the City's 120 acre Luding- ton Park complex on the west shore of Green Bay's Little Bay de Noc. The Escanaba Marina has a total of 165 boat slips, docks, and moorings with desig- nated seasonal and transient berthing. Vessels berthed in the Escanaba Marina are surrounded by a beautiful park setting and have access to one of the finest cruising and fishing areas on the Great Lakes. Our facility offers a full range of services including excellent slip accommodations, gasoline and diesel fuel sales, electric, water, and cable service, storage box rentals and sales, sanitary pump out, showers and restroom facilities, laundry facilities, bicycle rentals, ice, pop, snacks, free hi-speed internet, night security watchman, and more. Harbormaster Larry Gravatt and the marina staff look forward to your compa- ny and wish you an enjoyable boating season. Things to see in Escanaba in- clude Door County Historical Museum, Fayette Historical Town Site, Lighthouse, Beaches, Wines Vines and Brews. After a 2 or 3 night stay at Escanaba we head back to Sturgeon Bay. We plan to stop at the Center Point Marina. This will be an overnight or 2 night stay, in route to our next destination Sheboygan Wisconsin. CenterPointe Sturgeon Bay is a "Best in Class" marina with state-of-the-art floating docks and luxury throughout. Amenities include water and electric, restrooms and showers, laundry facility, indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, modern clubhouse with beautiful Stur- geon Bay views. Convenient by land or by lake, and just walking distance to local restaurants, and Sturgeon Bay events! With 150 slips, CenterPointe is sure to be able to cater to your docking needs. Our Final Stop before heading for home port is Sheboygan Wisconsin. This is a Skipper Buds Facility that we frequently stop at to break up the ling cruise to home port. It is a first class amenity and is close to town for restaurants and shop- ping. There is a lot to do in Sheboygan, Kohler Museums and Kohler plant tours. Shopping etc… but our stay will be short so we will plan as time permits. Next we Cruise to our home ports, ending our 10 day cruise to Northern Lake Michigan, Door County and Escanaba. Everyone is welcome to attend our cruise by boat or driving. All of our ports can be followed by car including Port Escanaba. If you are interested in cruising with us—by car or by boat—call Tony Palazzo at 847-956-6173. Here is a look at the preliminary itinerary, weather permitting !!!

Date Leave Port Leave Port Arrive Date Arrive Miles Notes 7/10/2015 Kenosha Fish Creek 7/10/2015 200 Fuel Sheboygan 85 miles 7/13/2015 Fish Creek Escanaba 7/13/2015 45 Fuel Fish Creek or Escanaba 7/16/2015 Escanaba Sturgeon Bay 7/16/2015 70 Top Off Fuel if necessary 7/17/2015 Sturgeon Bay Sheboygan 7/17/2015 85 Top Off Fuel if necessary 7/19/2015 Sheboygan Kenosha 7/19/2015 85 Total Miles 485

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BEFORE LEAVING THE DOCK: BE PREPARED “Let’s go for a boat ride!” Sounds fun and it will be, provided you do not encounter mechanical, weather or a myriad of other potential problems. Being prepared by carrying the mandatory (read as minimum) required equipment and optional gear can be the difference between catastrophe and minor inconvenience. A quick search at http://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/equipment/ will provide you a list of the mandatory equipment required for your vessel and please note, it changes with vessel length. According to this website, life vests, fire extinguisher, visual distress signal (day & night), sound- producing device (bell, horn, whistle, etc.), backfire flame control, ventilation, vessel lighting are requirements for vessels 16-26 feet. The website also states: “We further suggest that you equip your vessel with an anchor and a sufficient amount of anchor line; a de-watering device, such as a bilge pump in the event of flooding; and an oar, paddle or other alternative means of propulsion in case your engine fails...” To assist boaters with these safety standards, certified members of USPS provide a voluntary, free, and non-punitive vessel safety check. Upon meeting these safety standards, you may be eligible to display a United States Coast Guard sanctioned vessel safety decal. The next item of preparation is a “float plan” (a template is available at: http://www.usps.org/ o_stuff/fp_form.html). If you don’t fill out a float plan, at least let someone know where your gen- eral location and planned route will be, and most importantly your planned return time. When you do arrive safely back to shore, be sure to let the person with your float plan know. Many people rely on their smart phones these days. Confirm that it is fully charged with emergency numbers including one for a towing service. If you become stranded, can you communicate your location to rescuers? Several free downloads are available, but watch for a drain on your battery. Do you have a VHF radio on your boat? If not, a hand-held version is very handy and highly recom- mended. A chart for the water you will be navigating is essential, as is a GPS and a handheld com- pass? Being able to take bearings toward visible land marks can provide general location for tow service, provided you can identify the land mark. Extra water and snacks, a well-stocked first aid kit and tool box with basic items should always be onboard. Be prepared and be safe! Have fun this summer! By Leigh Ann & Mark Long, Staff Writers, USPS PR Committee

Editor’s Corner Are you currently receiving the monthly USPS news blast via email? You should!! When a USPS Committee has any news to share with members, they post a short news article into the email blast with links to get more details. This includes messages from the Chief Commander, member benefits, safety news, boating regulations, details about the national meetings, Ship Store sale items, and much more. In fact, the USCG statistics and press release about the new USCG Boating Safety Mobile App on page 6 of this publication came from the June USPS News Blast. To subscribe to this monthly email, just go to the USPS Admin Dept. home page, and click the link at the bottom of the page. http://www.usps.org/national/admin_dept/

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FROM: P/D/C Karen D’Amico, AP TO: 318 Somerset Dr Streamwood, IL 60107

FIRST CLASS MAIL

Be sure to visit our internet sites:

Skokie Valley: http:// www.skokievalleypowersquadron.org Editor and Publisher District 20: www.uspsd20Boating.org P/D/C Karen D’Amico, AP USPS: www.usps.org [email protected] Safety: www.safeboatingcampaign.com Contributing Editors Lt Tom Clark, AP Lt Bridget Doerner, N 1st/Lt Mike Hennessy, AP Captain Ahab answer: 2,182 kilohertz Photographers P/C George Doerner, SN P/C Richard Calfa, N P/C Ron Zingler, AP

Production Staff P/C Frank D’Amico, AP