America’s Boating Club of West Michigan sm For Boaters, By Boaters Grand Rapids Sail and Power Squadron

waterspout

Vol. 65, Issue 4, December 2018

The official newsletter of the Grand Rapids Sail and Power Squadron 1620 Olson ST NE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 USA

www.grsps.org

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Table of Contents News from the Commander………………………. 3

GRSPS 2018 COW Pictures…………………….... 4 Administrative News……………………………... 5 Educational News………………………………… 6 December Birthdays……………………………… 7 Calendar of Events & Meetings………………….. 8 Lansing Sail & Power Squadron COW…………... 9 Ship’s Store – 2019 District Conference…………. 10 The Legend of Northern MI Christmas Ship.. 11 Member Spotlight – William Isenberg…………… 14

Way Back Photo………………………………….. 15

Boaters Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem… 16

Commander’s Club & Newsletter Deadline……… 19

Bridge Officers / Executive Committee

Cdr Jack L Draper (Open) Lt/C Greg Heath Commander Executive Officer Administrative Officer

Lt/C John Colley Lt/C Marcia A Thompson Lt/C Char Pearson Education Officer Secretary Treasurer

1st/Lt LeeAnna Geiger-Stehouwer 1st/Lt Eddie Kleinfeld Assistant Secretary Assistant Administrative Officer

Cdr Jack L Draper P/C Curt Campbell Lt/C Greg Heath 1st/Lt/PC Donald Matthews Lt/C John Colley P/C David W Ristow Lt/C Marcia A Thompson 1st/Lt LeeAnna Geiger-Stehouwer Lt/C Char Pearson 1st/Lt Eddie Kleinfeld P/C David Brinks

Open Lt/C Marcia A Thompson Editor Publisher & Webmaster [email protected] (616) 606-5299 [email protected] [email protected]

The waterspout

The waterspout is published nine (9) times a year, September through June, by Grand Rapids Sail and Power Squadron, 1620 Olson St, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. It is published for Squadron members by the staff of the Squadron Secretary.

The articles, advertisements, and opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect USPS or GRSPS policy unless so designated. Articles may be reprinted without permission if credit is given to the author, GRSPS and the waterspout.

All members in good standing and approved non-member advertisers may submit articles and items for publication. They receive no gratuity.

The editor reserves the right to revise, change, or reject any materials submitted to the waterspout, consistent with standards of accuracy, fairness, good taste, and available space, subject to the approval of the Squadron Commander.

To Advertise In The Waterspout, Contact: [email protected]

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View From The Bridge

Jack L Draper, Sr. Squadron Commander

Bridge News Happy Holliday Seasons,

I would like to thank everyone who attended our annual Commanders Ball at Thousand Oaks Country Club this last month. Once again, we had a nice room, great food and a very nice atmosphere with music provided by our own Eddie Kleinfeld. District Commander Michael Babiarz attended this year’s event, sharing his ideas on change and its ongoing effects on our organization.

I was very pleased to see we have full Bridge this year, with the only exception is the XO Officer position. Additionally, this year several assistant officers as well. This is really appreciated that these members have stepped up to help.

This year’s Bridge Officers are: Administration Officer: Lieutenant Commander Greg Heath Assistant Administration Officer: 1st Lieutenant Eddie Kleinfeld Education Officer: Lieutenant Commander John Colley Secretary Officer: Lieutenant Commander Marcia Thompson Assistant Secretary Officer: 1st Lieutenant LeeAnna Geiger-Stehouwer Treasurer Officer: Lieutenant Commander Char Pearson Our 2019 Executive Committee Members are Past Commander: David Ristow Past Commander: David Brinks Past Commander: Don Matthews Past Commander: Curt Campbell

This springs district meeting will be held in Grand Rapids, MI. I’ve asked Greg and Eddie to work with Mary Ann Jensen and Ralph Ziegler, as both squadrons have committed to supply volunteers for the conference. Please be willing to helping out when asked and please plan on attending this great event and show District we’re are able to help put on a great event.

By now you have all received your ballot on the proposed name change. If you have already sent in your ballot, I would like to say thank you. If you haven’t, please take a couple of minutes to fill it in and get it mailed back to us. Voting will end on December 18th and your voice needs to be heard. In my letter, I stated we had members up to Whitehall however was I sure wrong on that. When we received Richard Young’s ballot, he reminded me we have members in Ludington and he suggested I need to update my plotter since I was off by 35.9 nautical miles. It just proves once again; we are truly representing all of West Michigan.

Our annual Christmas party this year will be at Swann Inn on December 13th and I hope to see you all there. Please remember to bring an unopened gift for the children of DA Blodgett-St. John’s. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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View From The Bridge

Lt/C Greg Heath Squadron Administrative Officer

Administrative News

Eddie Kleinfeld and I are already hard at work coordinating our future dinner meeting locations and speakers. Eddie actually has most of the locations confirmed, as you can see below. We are now working on securing guest speakers, on which we would love to hear from you regarding topics or speakers you are interested in hearing about or have contact information on that you can share with us. This is truly the most challenging part of our task. We strive to keep our topics and speakers fresh, new, exciting and relevant. Please reach out to Eddie and myself with your ideas. Thank you.

December Dinner Meeting: Date: December 13, 2018 Place: Swan Inn, 5182 Alpine Ave NW, Comstock Park, Social Time: 6:30 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM Event: White Elephant gift exchange (bring a small gift to exchange with fellow members) : Also bring an unwrapped gift to be collected and donated to a local charity for children

RSVP to myself and Eddie Kleinfeld by December 11, 2018 Greg Heath: [email protected] Eddie Kleinfeld: [email protected]

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Lt/C John Colley Squadron Education Officer

Educational News

GRSPS offers several online courses but there are some changes and updates coming for 2019. The current National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) certificate expires at the end of 2018 and the National Basic Public Education Committee has spent the better part of 2018 securing the renewal of our NASBLA certification which is effective for a three-year period beginning January 01, 2019.

The biggest changes are coming to the way the squadron offers the America's Boating Course (ABC). There is a new power point with up to date presentation, up to date state exam, and up to date answer key. The instructors can still only issue the State DNR boating Class Card with an administered State exam but the biggest change is ABC will no longer be offered online to comply with the new NASBLA certification.

There are not too many other changes at the moment though. GRSPS offers several online courses. sign up to take one or take them all as a refresher... they offer volume discounts!

 Using GPS on your boat  Your marine VHF radio  Marine traffic near you  Weather for boaters  Planning your cruise  Boating on rivers, locks & lakes  Boat propane systems  Prepping your boat and dock for a hurricane  Getting home when the captain is disable.

For further information on boating courses or other trainings, contact John Colley at [email protected].

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Happy Birthday

December 2018

Renee Mika ~ Dec 1 Eddie Kleinfeld ~ Dec 6 Vincent Mulford ~ Dec 12 Vicki Proos ~ Dec 12 Marcia Thompson ~ Dec 13 Jeannie Wilcox ~ Dec 16 Thomas Trimpe ~ Dec 17 Jill Miller ~ Dec 31

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GRSPS Events & Meetings

Graphics Links For further information, contact Eddie Kleinfeld at [email protected] Elephant Ornament https://tinyurl.com/y974zadu Border https://tinyurl.com/ycell4mt Future Dinner Meetings Your Invited https://tinyurl.com/yct43bo8 ~ Save the Dates ~ January Dinner Meeting February Dinner Meeting January 10, 2019 February 7, 2019 Fujiyama’s • Grand Rapids, MI Location TBD

March Dinner Meeting April Dinner Meeting Spring Fling Dinner March 14, 2019 April 11, 2019 May 18, 2019 Amore • Comstock Park, MI Hearthstone • Muskegon, MI Muskegon Country Club

~ Other Dates ~ Safety Weekend Boat Rendezvous 1st weekend of June • Muskegon June 29, 2019 • Snug Harbor

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The Legend of Northern Michigan’s Ship

By KIM SCHNEIDER on December 24, 2015

Photo by Chicago Historical SocietyCaptain Herman Schuenemann (center) and two members of his crew

With a load of fragrant evergreens from Michigan’s Northwoods, a legendary schooner carried the spirit of Christmas—and an example of unusual courage—to turn-of-the-century Chicago. Then one stormy year the Christmas tree ship never came. Captain Herman Schuenemann was not as jovial as usual as he lowered the evergreens into the hold of the grand but aging schooner in a small harbor in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It was late November of 1912, and the legendary “tree captain” and his crew of 16 had just five days to run the length of Lake Michigan and still reach Chicago by Thanksgiving. There, a loyal crowd of families and merchants would be waiting for his arrival and the festive cargo he’d been hauling for 25 years. He had not yet disappointed them. His nickname was “Santa” among the local children, but Schuenemann was no doubt thinking about money as well as holiday spirit. The tree captains of the Great Lakes made a living by sailing inexpensive old boats—boats others had deemed un-seaworthy—well into the stormy winter season on the lake. With a high demand for the trees, Herman could make three times as much as he’d invest in the harvesting, crew salaries and charter fees and even double his annual income between Christmas and New Years. And facing a lawsuit over an unpaid debt this year, he needed to squeeze every penny he could out of this voyage.

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But the fate of his brother, August, couldn’t have been far from his mind when Herman made a fateful decision that day and yelled to his crew, “keep ‘em coming,” until the schooner was packed with its biggest—and heaviest—load ever: some 10,000 trees. August Schuenemann had miscalculated the risks back in 1898 when he sailed a rickety $250 boat with a load of 3,500 trees and in a gale was thrown against the shore and killed. That was the only year Herman had stayed behind, and only because his twin girls had just been born. But Herman took yet another risk in 1912 when he opted not to re-caulk his aging vessel. He even sailed against the advice of a loyal crew member, who said he’d had a premonition of trouble. No one knows just what he was weighing when, as lore has it, he simply replied: “There are children in Chicago waiting for Christmas trees.” “This is the tale of the Christmas Ship that sailed o’er the sullen lake. And of sixteen souls that made the trip and of death in the foaming wake.” –1912 newspaper story The ship left port on a gray but calm day and wasn’t spotted until the next afternoon when the lake got suddenly rough. At about 3 p.m., the Rouse Simmons was spotted by a ferry boat about five miles from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with its sails tattered, its hull coated in ice and its distress signals flying. At the same time, on Chicago’s Clark Street Bridge, the atmosphere was festive as children clapped their mittens in excitement. Families pushed past peg-legged vendors and elegant carriage drivers in fur-trimmed hats to get to the edge of the water; each wanted the first glimpse of the ruddy-faced man who would arrive any minute bearing “gifts from the North.” Even the hint of snow couldn’t dampen the holiday spirit as the crowd scanned the harbor for a single, snow-covered pine tree entwined atop Schuenemann’s 80-foot mast. Every year, with the tree flying like a Christmas flag, the captain would sail past the modern side-wheel steamers to the dock, where the waiting crowds could take their pick from the overflowing stacks of fragrant balsams. Schuenemann’s arrival was always the best assignment of the year for cub reporter Vincent Starrett of the Chicago Daily News. He especially looked forward to the start of the annual assignment—a cup of Christmas cheer in the captain’s cabin, where, as he would later write in an article about the custom, the two old friends would “discuss the perils of Lake Michigan as if it were the Atlantic Ocean.” Readers were also eager to hear more about the Christmas trees, which had firmly entered the ranks of tradition in Chicago and across America by that time. Brought to America by German immigrants, the custom had finally overcome a heavy resistance by the Puritans, who had called the trees “a plain case of idolatry.” But the tree business was booming in 1912 as the cities of New York and prepared to dedicate their first municipal Christmas trees in Times Square and Boston Commons. When the captain reached Chicago in the early 1900s, he could expect a brisk trade that would go on all day and sometimes into the night, Starrett later would write. “Prices were not excessive for the day,” he recalled. “For 75 cents, one could get a full-sized tree; a dollar would give you the choice of the best. They all went quickly, for the Christmas tree ship was a Chicago tradition.” But as the day of expected arrival wore on, Starrett and his colleagues were starting to worry as they waited. Night fell and turned into another day, then another, and rumors began to fly about the ship’s fate. Starrett would visit the docks for another two weeks before he got enough information to write the story for the Daily News, which he began: This is the tale of the Christmas Ship that sailed o’er the sullen lake. And of sixteen souls that made the trip and of death in the foaming wake.

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Boisterous Chicago newsboys swarmed the street shouting the headlines of the day: “Rats Fled Doomed Christmas Ship,” and the inaccurate, “Christmas Tree Schooner Sighted. Ship May Be Safe!” Rumors dominated the front pages until mid-December when Christmas trees started to wash ashore and become entangled in fishermen’s nets. On December 13, a bottle and a note torn from the ship’s log washed up on shore in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and solved the mystery. It read: Friday – Everybody goodbye. I guess we are all through. Sea washed over our deck on Thursday. During the night the small boat was washed over. Leaking bad. Ingvald and Steve fell overboard Thursday. God help us. —Herman Schuenemann The message wasn’t the end of the story, though, and it was the response of the captain’s wife, Barbara, that turned history into legend. When the snow fell in Chicago that next November, Barbara Schuenemann and her daughters were standing proudly aboard a newly chartered Christmas ship as it sailed into port with the snow-coated pine tree flying in the mast. She carried on the tradition by both ship and rail until she died 22 years later. Over the years in the same Chicago harbor, wily entrepreneurs—perhaps not at all unlike the Schuenemann brothers—have tried to bring back the spirit of the ship and capitalize on the sentiment it inspired. But the newer “tree” ships docked at Navy Pier haven’t yet found the secret of the captain’s three-masted schooner. And no modern-day Santa can yet compete with the man with twinkling blue eyes who’d sell trees under a make-shift string of white lights and a sign proclaiming: “Christmas Tree Ship. My Prices are the Lowest.”

TODAY’S CHRISTMAS TREE SHIP Chicago’s boating community reenactment of the olden days of the Rouse Simmons landing in Chicago is now portrayed by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw. The trees are off-loaded from the Mackinaw by local youth volunteers, including Sea Cadets, Venture Crews, Sea Scouts and Young Marines and loaded onto trucks for distribution to more than a thousand deserving families throughout Chicago by Ada S. McKinley Community Services. The gift of Christmas trees to deserving families is made possible by the generous financial support of our sponsors, donors and contributors. In 2017, more than 1,200 Christmas trees were delivered from Northern Michigan to families in Chicago. The 2018 Christmas Tree Ship will be Saturday, December 1, 2018. Source: https://mynorth.com/2015/12/the-legend-of-northern-michigans-christmas-tree-ship/

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Member Spotlight

P/Lt/C William ‘Bill’ Isenberg GRSPS Squadron Member

Bill Isenberg joined the Grand Rapids Power Squadron in 1968. He taught many courses and conducted many Marine Electronics Seminars for GRSPS and other organizations. He has served on the USPS Marketing Advisory Team since its inception in 2011. Additionally, he assisted with the research study for USPS National Survey of Members conducted during 2012. He assisted with implementation of the new ABC/USPS Marketing Strategy and Promotion Campaign.

Bill’s career began as Marketing Research Manager for Steelcase and Herman Miller Inc. He also taught the subject of marketing for Western Michigan, Aquinas and Davenport. Bill’s wife, Barb and he have had a boat at Grand Isle Marina in Grand Haven for about 50 years. Currently, they have a 10 Meter Trojan sedan with a fly bridge. In the past, Bill have enjoyed working on their boats and other boats as well. Recently, he has been assisting a friend in restoring his 44 foot US Coast Guard Motor Life Boat in Grand Haven. This boat is a classic USCG rescue vessel with self-righting and self-bailing abilities plus twin Detroit Diesel engines. One can only imagine how many lives have been saved by this and similar vessels and their brave crews.

Barb and Bill have enjoyed cruising on Lake Michigan and in visiting other Marinas across the US. They have found the Americas’ Boating Club, US Power Squadron courses to be very valuable in providing safe boating and always try to convey that information to other boaters. As they say “Come for the Education and Stay for the Friends.”

Each month, the waterspout will highlight one or two of our members. If you would like to submit your profile, email us at [email protected] for further information. We’d love to share information about our members and their boats!

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Way Back Machine

If you recognize people in photos from the past, please email GRSPS’ webmaster at [email protected]. We’d love help identifying people in our picture database.

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Twas the Night before Christmas Poem [Boater Rendition] by Charlie Long December 24, 2013

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the lake Not a wave was stirring, not even a wake. The dock lines were wrapped 'round the cleats with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their vests, While visions of wakeboards danced in their heads. And mamma in her 'kini, and I in my board shorts, Had just settle our brains for a ride in the jet boat.

When out on the lake there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the bow I flew like a 557hp motor, Pulled out my binoculars and looked for other boaters .

The moon on the waters of the still winter lake Gave the lustre of a mirror with a large shiny face. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature red boat, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old boater, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St Nick. More rapid than jet skis his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

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"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the bow! to the top of the hull! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As warm waves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the hull-top the coursers they flew, With the boat full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the lake The prancing and pawing of each little hoof to the wake. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Mounting port side St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed in chinos, board shorts and flip flops, And his clothes were probably from Tommy Bahamas. A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was smiling his best, And the beard of his chin was as white as a wave crest.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the storage, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, off the port side he dove!

He swam to his boat, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all jetted like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!" https://www.fatboysh2o.com/blogs/the-boating-blog/11088817-twas-the-night-before-christmas-poem-boater-rendition

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18 The Commander’s Club

An Honor Roll of Special Members Representing a minimum gift of $50 per year

David and Sallie Brinks George and Carol Mandigo

If you would like to join the Commander’s Club, contact Jack Draper at [email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/AmericasBoatingClubofWestMichigan/ http://www.grsps.org/ [email protected]

Valentine

Copyright © 2018 “Grand Rapids Sail and Power Squadron”, All rights reserved.

Our Mailing Address is: 1620 Olson ST NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 19