FAIRFIELD COUNTY DIVING ASSOCIATION June 2008 Volume 15 Issue 6 2 Inside this Issue M — The Presidents’ Corner morning to arrive at the Onandaga Presidents’ Corner Hello All!!!! welcomed by the sounds of fog page 1 It is mid-June as I write this horns in the distance. Thanks to month’s Presidents Corner and Capt. Palmer and his new GPS sys- summer is finally in full swing. tem or we may never have found Salt Cay--Saving Whales the buoy. and an Island page 2 We had our kick-off season clam- bake about a week ago on June The visibility below the water was 7th (probably the hottest day of actually better than topside – we Events of Interest the summer so far – it was in the estimated about 25 to 30ft of visi- page 3 high 90’s during the day). Tem- bility. Oh, did I mention the flat seas and virtually no current, until peratures cooled off a bit for the the tide turned at least. By the start of the festivities and there time we surfaced we could see Clambake Raffle Winners was a little wind helping to cool us all down. We had a great Watch Hill, RI and the sun was page 3 time and the food and company shining. It was a picture perfect was excellent. Thanks to Mark day for diving and just having a for all of his hard work and plan- plain ol’ good time. We finished Shipwreck HMS Ontario ning for a great event!!! off the day with a nice relaxing Discpvered page 4 dive on the Olinda and another A small group of us also braved cookout and beers after we loaded the heat that day and went to back up the cars. As you can tell Soaring air ticket prices Brownstone for a couple of dives we tend to eat and drink pretty page 5 to warm up for our first of three well after these FCDA dives. If you are interested in coming on an- dives aboard the Thunderfish. other one of our charters contact The thermo-cline, at 30ft, was a Mel Rich to see if space is still FCDA Donors I page 5 welcomed reduction in your core available for the July 19 or August temperature; I hit about 60ft and 23 trips. The location of the dives the temperature was a balmy 36 is still to be determined. FCDA Donors II page 6 degrees but quickly upon surfac- ing in my comfy dry-suit my core I hope you summer is off to a temperature rose and I started great start and you are finding sweating again. As usual, Mel time to enjoy yourselves, I t does FCDA Member Ads brought his grill and we had won- go by very fast. Well that is all the page 7 derful gourmet spread of food to rambling I have for now. There are a lot of great presentations satisfy your appetite. and FCDA dives coming up in the The first of the three dives on the next few months and I hope to see Next FCDA Meeting Thunderfish started out with a you all there. page 8 bang. We had a pretty thick fog as we left New London in the Until next time SAFE DIVING!!!!! Page 2 volves writing and photographing Secretary’s Note: this unique place. We need your help to spread the word and stop the project. Sign Tom Provencal received the fol- Well, developers found it too, and the Save The Whales Petition for lowing e-mail and forwarded it to not just any developers. These starters. This can be found at the FCDA Board’s attention. We all are a group who claim to be de- http:// believe this is worth reading and veloping the island for "green" www.thepetitionsite.com/36/help- consideration. Take a look at the and "sustainable"tourism, but in save-the-whales-and-reefs-of-salt- web sites and maybe you would reality plan to bulldoze and re- cay like to take some action. shape the entire 2.5 square miles as a playground for the rich and famous. They plan to build a Also, if you are feeling frisky about From: Michele Belanger-McNair marina that will cut a channel this, visit [mailto:[email protected]] through the middle of the island, www.friendsof.saltcay.org and Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 not only destroying a historic learn more about this issue and 9:07 PM preservation area, but this chan- consider a contribution towards nel will cut through the Atlantic taking legal action this summer. Subject: Salt Cay--Saving Whales Humpback Whale migration trail, and an Island cut a swath through pristine coral Most of you will never visit Salt reef, and generate pollution and Cay, some of you have. It is a Good day friends; silt by building a marina for mega magical place where time stands yachts to come into the island. still and simpler times take over for It is not often I go to my address a while. We don't need another book and send out a plea for any- They plan to build an 18 hole golf marina, golf course or 5 star hotel thing. But I think all of you who course, clubhouse, "low density" for the rich and famous. We can are receiving this email know my housing to the tune of hundreds win this battle, of that I am confi- love of our little island home, Salt of sites, expand a runway to al- dent. But we need to get our mes- Cay, and that my retired life in- low small jets; two 5 star hotels; sage out and make the British gov- a tourist town and dockage so ernment, which oversees the Turks Carnival can "bus" their custom- and Caicos, realize this must be ers more easily to the island from addressed now and not when it is cruise ships. Nothing about too late to stop even the initial de- this development is "green" ex- struction. cept with money. The develop- ers have managed to get rights Thank you for your consideration. to 80% of the island and the cur- rent (though in trouble) govern- ment is endorsing it. These Michele Belanger-McNair P.O. Box 3005, rights are not yet finalized and Fairfield, CT 06824 are subject to being overturned The Fresno Chile Pepper Co. & Salt by the British government-which Cay Photography Compass Rose is part of our project of stopping Cottage of Salt Internet mail: [email protected] the proposed project. Cay PO box 5355, Fresno, CA http://members.aol.com/fcda 93755-5355 USA Other developments in the Turks 559.222.7282 Fax 559.222.1243 2008 Board and Caicos Islands have been Turks Island 649-255-4782 able to thwart developers with Skype: salt.cay.photographer Presidents Matt Rownin & petitions and injunctions. The Mike Cassetta residents and homeowners, as www.fresnochile.com Vice-President Mark Shannon well as guests from all over the www.SaltCayPhotography.com Secretary George Sharrard world, are rallying to stop this www.saltcay.us Treasurer Paul J. Gacek development with similar action. Page 3 Events of Interest to FCDA Members July 12-13, 2008 - Dive Cape Ann - For more information email Mel Rich Jr or call (203) 554-1762. [email protected] July 19, 2008 - Wreck Dive aboard Capt Bill Palmer's Thunderfish - For more information email Mel Rich Jr or call (203) 554-1762. [email protected] August 23, 2008 - Wreck Dive aboard Capt Bill Palmer's Thunderfish - For more information email Mel Rich Jr or call (203) 554-1762. [email protected] Anyone interested in a dive trip to Virginia Beach? Several WWII era wrecks lie between 60 and 100fsw. This is being proposed as a 4 day trip. If interested contact Jeff at [email protected] “Kick Off the Season” Clambake Raffle Winners After a wonderful meal of lobster with all the fixing's provided by Swanson’s Clambakes on Saturday, June 7th, the club held its regular raffle to support our DAN Diamond sponsorship. The winners were: Shortie Wet Suit redonated by George Danielczuk - Mark Shannon; Save A Dive Kit Bag donated by New England Dive Center - Laura Provencal; Document Case donated by New England Dive Center - Jeff Susa; Bull Frog Sun Block donated by New England Dive Center – Paul Gacek; Sea Drops donated by New England Dive Center – Jim Saxe; Mares Cap donated by Tom Provencal of Mares – Mau reen Cassetta; New England Dive Center Tee Shirt donated by New England Dive Center – Andy Cummings; Sea Drops donated by Rex Dive Center - Mel Rich, Jr.; Two Weekday Dutch Springs Passes donated by Dutch Springs - Laura Provencal; Dive Mask donated by New England Dive Center - Mel Rich, Jr.; Sea Drops redonated by Mel Rich, Jr. - Laura Provencal; Mesh Dive Bag donated by Orbit Marine Dive Center - Andy Cummings; Mini Dive Strobe donated by Rex Dive Center - Ben Danielczuk and Mares Dive Bag donated by Tom Provencal of Mares - Jim Saxe. Thanks to New England Dive Center, Orbit Marine Dive Center, Rex Dive Center, Dutch Springs, Tom Provencal of Mares, George Danielczuk and Mel Rich, Jr. for donating raffle prizes to support our DAN sponsorship. Remember, you can't win if you don't buy tickets and you can't buy tickets if you don't get up and come out to FCDA events and meetings! Page 4 Shipwreck Explorers Discover 1780 British Warship in Lake Ontario The HMS Ontario, a British found adrift in the lake. In late ago he teamed up with Dan warship, built in 1780 has been July 1781, six bodies from the Scoville to search for shipwrecks discovered in deep water off Ontario were found approxi- off the southern shore of Lake On- the southern shore of Lake On- mately 12 miles east of the Niag- tario.