Excerpts from the previous Scuttlebutt issue.

In the last two issues we've been tracking WRCC's evolution as a legally recognized entity. WRCC is now using an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is a Social Security number for other than individuals. This number is required in today's world to conduct business in accordance with regulations. All of our "business" - collection of members' dues and payment of expenses - takes place through a single checking account maintained by our Secretary/Treasurer. Our banking is conducted under our EIN in compliance with modern regulations. Our application for recognition as a not-for-profit 501( c )7 social club is pending approval.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to all the volunteers who keep the daily net running. I'm especially appreciative of you at this time when I'm pre-occupied with other responsibilities and have no access to my radio. I'm writing this from a tiny room at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where my wife Nancy KB3HYW is recovering from surgery (she's doing fine). Thanks also to those who have sent Nancy cards.

One of our members suggested recently that we all announce our boat names when submitting position reports. That's not always practical because of propagation; that said, I think it's a good idea because it will facilitate face-to-face contact among members on the waterways. Flying our burgee does that, too.

Happy cruising and 73, Peter K3PKC

ANNAPOLIS, MD, August 12, 2010 - On the afternoon of July 25th, a fast moving storm packing 70 mph winds, rain and lighting swept across the Chesapeake Bay. Over the next two hours, US Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, MD, received 37 calls from mariners in distress. Unfortunately many boaters and anglers, unaware of the super cell's fury, were caught unprepared. But it didn't have to be this way.

Today there are dozens of hi-tech ways to receive up-to-the-minute weather information aboard your boat. The BoatUS Foundation recently reviewed 28 products and services to see which provided mariners with the best information and has issued its recommendations for its top "picks."

"Sometimes bad weather can approach with few visual signs," said Program Manager David Carter. "Having these resources available can complement your VHF radio's weather broadcast."

The review, which covered satellite and phone-based weather services for the coastal inshore and inland boater, included free cellular phone text messaging services to fee-based subscription services that display weather information on a chartplotter. Each weather service includes hardware, such as a standard flip phone, smart phone, computer or chartplotter, as well as the software designed to present the information.

Foundation staff limited their focus to the actual content and depth of weather information provided. This included the ability to deliver local, land-based weather information (current conditions such as temperature, wind or barometric readings), hazardous weather warnings, radar imagery, land and marine forecasts, and NOAA buoy reports.

BoatUS Top WX Service Pics

• Best Free Flip Phone Option: NOAA's mobile.weather.gov
• Best iPhone App: MarineCast
• Best Blackberry App: Mobile Mariner
• Best Free App: WeatherBug
• Satellite Weather: XM WX Weather

About the BoatUS Foundation:

The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by the half million members of BoatUS, it provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America's waterways and keeping boating safe for all. To make a tax-deductible donation to this 501(c)(3) nonprofit, go to www.BoatUS.com/foundation.

It is coming up on dues time, and voting for officers for the Waterway Radio and Cruising Club. I will be sending out the Bill and Ballot around the first of November. Please check the email (or mail if you are not receiving email) to see if your dues are paid beyond Dec 2010. Dues remain the same this year: $16 per year. If you are receiving the newsletters via the postal service instead of email, add $4 (for a total of $20 per year).

Hopefully many of you are planning to come to the annual WRCC picnic in Melbourne on November 14th. If you want to pay your dues, or buy a burgee, come see me at the table.

Otherwise, all is well at this end. See you in Melbourne!

All the best,

88 Jeanie, N4WFM

There is much written these days about the threat of "superbugs". The term implies a menace to our health by bacteria that have grown immune, or nearly immune to commonly used antibiotics. Let me share with you some of what is known and possibly take away some of the heightened fear of them.

Bacteria are tiny one celled organisms, some of which cause diseases, like whooping cough, strep throat and tuberculosis. Viruses are even smaller, really just clumps of DNA or RNA that can't grow except when they live inside some other person's cells. Some such viruses cause diseases, too, like hepatitis, yellow fever, influenza, and the common cold.

Antibiotics can slow or stop bacterial diseases, such as penicillin for strep throat, azithromycin for whooping cough, and Rifampfin plus INH for tuberculosis. The problem is "some strains of whooping cough bacteria are resistant to azithromycin. Some strains of streptococcus are resistant to penicillin , and some strains of tuberculosis are resistant to Rifampfin.

These resistant bacteria are called by the "press" superbugs. While they represent a problem in treatment, a judicious doctor with up-to-date knowledge can usually work around this resistance by an alternative choice of antibiotics, or the addition of supportive agents. There is no magic involved. Also drug companies spend money and effort to constantly invent new antibiotics to outsmart these superbugs.

The management of the virus infections like influenza*, yellow fever, dengue, hepatitis, etc., is different. Antibiotics rarely stop these diseases, although considerable research has produced some success in slowing the clinical course of the AIDS virus. With viruses the best success has been the development of vaccines to prevent the illnesses produced by them. Bacteria, even viruses, are like all living things. They like to stay alive, and propagate. Hence, they are adaptable.

One example is the pneumococcal pneumonia bacteria. There is a vaccine for this, by the way. A lot of old people have taken such. Well, the "pneumonia vaccine" has suppressed a lot of pneumonia, and that's good. The problem is that this has allowed the emergence of a new and different strain of pneumonia bacteria, that the vaccine cannot prevent, and it is often resistant to the commonly used antibiotics. The "press" might call these germs "superbugs".

There was, in the past, a habit followed by both doctors and patients of giving a penicillin shot for a cold. This practice has produced "super bugs", those penicillin resistant germs. A penicillin shot for a cold, does no good, but does, in fact, kill the "good" bacteria in the nose, the throat and the lungs, and encourages the emergence of penicillin resistant bacteria.

I must include a few words about MRSA. One common cause of skin boils are the staphylococcus bacteria. (There are several types, some quite tame, and others quite infective like Staphylococcus aureus.) A generation ago these boil producing staphylococci could be cured by penicillin. Then they became resistant, so methicillin was invented. Then some of the strains of "staph" became resistant to methicillin, and were named methicillin resistant staph aureus infection, or MRSA. Even here, doctors can sometimes come up with treatment programs to thwart the infection (but not always).

The whole point is that understanding bacterial and viral resistance takes some of the fear out of it, and will enable us to work with the doctors if one of us, or a loved one, gets stricken.

I suppose the battle will long continue between mankind and disease causing organisms. At least now, you know a little more about it.

Jim C. Hirschman MD, K4TCV, Fleet Surgeon.

Looking for something to read this winter, a new coffee table book or just to add to your library? Look for these at your local library or book stores. Some old, real old (check online and used book stores), some not that old and some new.

Member Recommendations

Recommended by Ginny Filiatrault KA5YLM - "I have just finished reading this incredible book and recommend it to all my friends who love boats, who cruise in boats or are dreaming about boats"

Vintage Books for your Cruising Library

Cruising Library Essentials

Please send your recommendations Library Essentials or favorite reads to:
Scuttlebutt@waterwayradio.net

Seems amateur radio operators are helpful no matter where they're from.

From the ARRL Website 14-Oct-.2010
As the last of the 33 miners who were trapped 2300 feet deep inside (and 3 miles from the mine entrance) the San José Mine -- located about 27 miles from the Chilean town of Copiapó in the Atacama Desert -- rose to the surface at 0055 UTC on October 14, the world cheered in unison. The miners, who were underground for 69 days -- the longest time ever for miners to be trapped and survive -- all emerged relatively healthy.

According to the Radio Club de Chile (RCCH) -- that country's IARU Member-Society -- amateurs with the Radio Club Copiapó, CE1CPI, provided communication support between the authorities and emergency equipment operators inside the San José Mine complex, as well as with family of the trapped miners in the complex and authorities in Copiapó. "There are no other means of communication at the scene," said Radio Club Copiapó President Jose Maldonado Lazo, CE1RXY. "The group is working in the area of the mine with three phones, while amateurs in Copiapó "are covering all the needs of SENCO [a construction company], SAMU [ambulance and EMT], the Interior Administration and the fire and police departments. We do this gladly and hope that this has a happy ending."

According to Erico Jose Andrade, CE2EPB, Radio Club Copiapó has a lot of equipment, enabling the club to cover almost all of the Atacama Region: "This helped effectively from the outset after the accident, because the mine complex where the emergency occurred did not have contact with ordinary phones that could coordinate the rescue effort in the shortest time possible."

Some of the 80 members of Radio Club Copiapó installed amateur equipment in the mine complex, and volunteers from the club have, from the moment the mine collapse first occurred on August 5, have taken shifts to provide communication support. "This, together with additional mobile police stations, hospitals and fire battalions, kept everyone abreast of all the needs and urgent requirements," Andrade explained.

The following members or their families have recently received cards or flowers from the Sunshine Fund.

Nancy Colket KB3HYW-Recovering from surgery

John Atkisson, KB3FQQ-Silent Key

Henry Chance, W3UC-Silent Key

Joann Ferriss, KA5VNH- Silent Key - A memorial service is planned this winter when her friends arrive in Florida.  The date will be announced.

Arnold Vandenbelt, KB4IEE- Silent Key

Al Schwager, N4VIV-Silent Key

John Knauth, KF4OIP- Recovering from surgery

Jean Parker, AA4JS- Silent Key

Phil Kniskern, N4DFJ- Silent Key

Ken Jones, AI7X- Silent Key

Ginny Kynett, N4CYP-Illness

Terry Palmer, K1LCH- Recovering from surgery

Be sure to send any Get Well or Silent Key requests or notices to Debbie at

You might have heard during the introduction of each NET in the morning the words "… and we participate in the Marine Observation Program of the National Weather Service" and wondered what is that program?

The program's full name is the MAROB Voluntary Marine Observation Program. The MAROB Program is an experimental, voluntary marine observation program of the National Weather Service in the early stages of development. It seeks the participation of all mariners, both commercial and recreational, which are not part of the more in-depth VOS program. It is the goal of the program to collect as many marine observations as practicable, to improve the accuracy of coastal, offshore and high seas forecasts, by taking advantage of technological advancements in marine communications and the proliferation of the Internet.

In order to be of value to forecasters, MAROB observations should be sent from vessels in the unprotected waters of the high seas, offshore, and coastal areas, including waters of the Great Lakes and large, open, bodies of water such Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay and Biscayne Bay. Observations should not be sent from areas such as harbors and inlets where the observed conditions are not representative of the surrounding open waters.

Weather forecasts are generated on a 6-hour cycle using observations collected at 0, 6, 12, and 18 UTC. These times are referred to as the synoptic observation times. Observations collected at these times are of most value to forecasters, with those collected at the intermediate synoptic times of 3, 9, 15 and 21 UTC and other times to be of somewhat lesser value.

Any mariner is welcome to participate in the MAROB Program either by reporting weather information directly via WINLINK Position Reporter or verbally reporting weather information to shore-based station and then that station reports the data to the NWS. The latter is where our club's participation enters the picture.

When a cruising amateur reports his offshore position we ask for the weather conditions and then report that information via the MAROB program.

• The amateur's call sign to be used as an identifier. If the amateur is in an off shore race or worried about piracy, or just wants anonymity, he can request anonymity and we will report the identifier as the generic ‘SHIP'
• Date and Time (in UTC) of the actual observation
• Latitude and Longitude
• Units being used either TRUE or MAGNETIC, Centigrade or Fahrenheit, Meters or Feet
• Boat Course
• Boat Speed
• True Wind Direction (most marine anemometers will give this directly)
• True wind speed
• Barometric Pressure hPa
• Barometric Pressure Tendency (rising, falling, steady)
• Air Temperature

• Wind wave height
• Wind Wave Period
• Primary Swell True Direction
• Primary Swell Height
• Primary Swell Period
• Visibility
• % Cloud Cover
• Sea Surface temperature

For detailed information on the MAROB program from the NWS you can visit this site: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/marob.htm

Around the Waterways October 2010

Here are some things you should know for the trip south this fall:

• The Chesapeake City harbor on the C&D Canal has been dredged to 11 feet. Good anchorage, free town dock, and several restaurants and attractions.
• Need a boat yard near Baltimore? Try Anchor Bay East, on Bear Creek off the Patapsco. Full-service yard, fair prices and practices, and the lowest fuel price in the area. This yard has a great reputation among Baltimore boaters.
• The entrance to the Little Wicomico River at Smith Point on the Chesapeake was dredged to 10 feet this year. This opens up a nice anchorage, closer to the Bay than the Great Wicomico.
• The Dismal Swamp Canal is open with a controlling depth of six feet. On September 15 the locking schedule was limited to 0900 and 1500 hours due to low water, but that may change following the heavy rains of September 29. Debris was cleared from the bottom on September 15. For latest information you can call the Welcome Center at 252-771-8333.
• Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge (mm 337.9) will remain operational for about another month according to the Bridge Tender, then it will be removed and the new 65ft. bridge will be open.

• Frequent groundings have been reported at Alligator River (Mile 81 - follow the markers and ignore the chartplotter);
• Cumberland River at Brickhill River (Mile 703.5 - leave ALL the red marks to starboard southbound and stay well off them);
• south of Matanzas Inlet (Mile 792.5 - hug the shoreline on the red side); and
• at Bakers Haulover Inlet (Mile 1080).

St. Augustine's new mooring field south of the Bridge of Lions is open. They have 30 mooring balls in place, maybe more by the time you read this, with at least 15 available for transients at $20 per night or $120 per week. This includes use of the City Marina facilities.

Be careful of a new No Wake zone from Donald Ross Bridge (Mile 1009.3) to Parker Bridge (Mile 1013.7). This connects to the existing slow zone that runs through most of Lake Worth, so allow plenty of time. Locals say it adds a half-hour. Pretty soon the manatees will go faster than the boats.

Okeechobee Waterway Route 1 depth is 8 feet as of September 30, and should remain OK for the coming months. The Rim Route is not recommended. Check the depth on the first page of our website at www.waterwayradio.net.

Happy Cruising!
Peter K3PKC

Scuttlebutt is published quarterly to inform members about Waterway Net news, activities and items of interest. Email your material to the Editor for possible submission.

What to Send

Your Editor is always looking for articles and photos

News from gatherings and luncheons

Human interest stories, humorous, hair-raising and "Don't worry, honey. . ."

Bahamas and Island news

CW and Land Cruiser's news

Technical topics

Safety & navigation notices

Letters to the editor

Poetry

Boating/Ham events

Sea Chest: items wanted or for sale

Use your imagination and send it in

Send Silent Key and obituary notices to our Sunshine Lady.
Address changes should be sent to our Club's secretary.

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