Excerpts from the previous Scuttlebutt issue.

If this were a State of the Union address, I might begin by saying the state of the WRCC remains strong. All officer and staff positions are filled, there are volunteers for all net positions each month, our finances are in good order, and we are conducting business in accordance with post-9/11 regulations as a registered Section 501(c) (7) social club. (By the way, we're not a charity, so contributions aren't tax deductible.)

To all officers, staff and net volunteers, my sincere thanks for jobs well done. Some of our members deserve special recognition. In no particular order: Ron N1GYX, Chuck ND7K, and Phil K4TPT for conducting ham exams at various places during the year; Bill N4UMS for keeping our excellent website up to date; Earl WD0ETL for a superb job of coordinating our weather reporting; Karen Quick for her professional quality work on Scuttlebutt; Art KC0TPG for taming the MAROB monster; Tom K4WJC for being safety officer, manning our table at SSCA and filling in on the Net whenever needed; Paul KM4MA for coordinating boat watches and other information with the Coast Guard and other nets; Ned W4KS for organizing the annual picnic; Ed KC4JKW for managing our database of position reports; Jeanie N4WFM for everything she does regarding our member database, finances and roster; Debbie KD4GRR for spreading Sunshine; and Terry K1LCH for the daily simulcast of the net on CQ100. I'm sure I may have omitted someone, for which I apologize. Having written this paragraph, and looking for the first time in one place at almost everything WRCC does, I'm very impressed with everything you all are doing. VERY impressed. Not bad for a bunch of amateur radio operators on boats.

That said, there is always room for more people to become active. Please contact me if you would like to become a participant in the daily Waterway Net. Don't be shy; being a relay, net control, weather reader or daily fleet captain is a great way to get on the air. You don't need a land station with a big amplifier; 100 watts from a reliable rig ashore or afloat can work fine, depending on your location and propagation. And please don't assume the net volunteers you hear every week represent some sort of closed society; if you want to get in the game, we'll find a place for you.

Finally, as this year goes along I hope members will step up to lead the club in 2012. All of your three current officers ran unopposed in the last election. I won't run for re-election, and there's no guarantee VC Earl and RC Ed will want to move up; in fact, our club doesn't operate on the assumption that they will. Jeanie's column this quarter is devoted largely to a description of the officers' duties; I hope you'll examine it and realize that rather than being difficult or terribly time-consuming, the officer positions are a great way to be of service to the radio and boating community and an opportunity to make lasting friendships.

Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

73 - Peter K3PKC

Piping plovers are small shorebirds that have a taste for nesting on the best beches in eastern North America. Unfortunately the best beaches are also the most used for recreation so this bird is now on the endangered species list.

Piping plovers also have the best taste in winter and choose the many sand flats in the Bahamas for their winter habitat. Many of these areas are inaccessible for researchers so visiting yachtsmen cruising the Bahamas are asked to look out for these shorebirds and report sightings. Piping plovers are fairly easily identified beside most other shorebirds except other light colored birds such as sanderlings and snowy plovers. To be an acceptable sighting, the bird(s) must be identified by at least 2 people who can positively identify the birds, or better, take photographs of the birds, so carry a camera and binoculars when walking the beaches.

Some of the likely beaches occur in the Ragged Island chain, Andros, Exuma and any good wide sandy beach or tidal flats where they feed on wet sand at low tide. Good spots are often where there's good bonefishing when the tide is high. At high tide the birds can also be found roosting in the "rack" at the top of the beach.

Many birds have been banded and flagged, the flag is on one upper leg, there will be 2 color bands on each lower leg, see photo. If you can get close enough, please record which colors are on which leg, upper and lower color, this positively identifies the bird and can tell researchers where and when the bird was banded.

Report back to me (cwardlef@yahoo.com) the following information:

Name(s) of observers
Date, location, latitude and longitude
Number of birds (estimated or positively counted)
Details of any banded birds
Weather conditions and state of tide

Happy New Year to all of you! At the Annual Picnic in Melbourne in November 2010, I was talking to some members, trying to promote some interest in running for the club officer positions in the up-coming year. One question got my attention. It was "How much is involved in each position?" Well, that's a good question, and one that should be passed around. Some people do not want to run because they think the job is too hard. It is not. None of them are. We also have no requirement that you 'move up' from Rear to Vice to Commodore. If you want to run, we would love to have you, but you do not have to accept a nomination thinking that you have just committed yourself to a 3 year term.

I have included descriptions of pretty much every position within the Waterway Radio and Cruising Club, whether it is an election position or not. Look them over, and please consider getting involved. We need everyone.

This is a SUPER club, and I am personally very proud to be an active member.

All the best in the New Year.
- Jeanie, N4WFM

Description of Positions in WRCC

Commodore and Net Manager
Excerpted from the By-Laws: The Commodore shall serve as the Net Manager and shall supervise the operation of the net. The Commodore shall appoint a Secretary, a Treasurer (or a combined Secretary/Treasurer), a Fleet Captain, a Fleet Surgeon, Net Controllers, and such other positions, as the Commodore may require from time to time. They shall serve at the pleasure of the Commodore. Basically, the Commodore needs to either listen to the net each day to make sure it is running smoothly, or have a substitute available in his/her absence. The monthly volunteer assignment calendar is also published by the Commodore. Except for the calendar, this is a fairly simple job and no one should be afraid to run for this office.

The Vice Commodore shall assist the Commodore as requested, and shall perform all the duties of Commodore in the absence of the Commodore. Occasionally the Vice Commodore has been assigned to handle a job such as Weather Coordinator or Fleet Captain, but that is just an overlap in assignments. It is not required. If you ask anyone who has ever been in this position, you will find that you are just asked to monitor the net occasionally, and give input should the officers need to vote on something. It's that simple.

The Rear Commodore shall assist the Commodore and Vice Commodore as requested, and shall perform all the duties of Commodore in the absence of both the Commodore and Vice Commodore. Same as for Vice Commodore, this position might also include Weather Coordinator or Fleet Captain. And like the Vice Commodore position, you vote and occasionally monitor the net if both of the other officers are not available. Again, simple.

The Secretary/Treasurer maintains the WRCC Roster database; formats, prints and mails the yearly Roster of Members; prints and mails the newsletters to members who do not want to receive it via email; emails the newsletters to those members who want it digitally; collects dues; coordinates elections and counts ballots when necessary; processes new member applications and sends out New Member Packets; sells burgees and pins; basically does whatever needs doing to help keep the club running smoothly.

The Fleet Captain is responsible for obtaining and recording Float Plans and Position Reports. Priority is given to those on Float Plans, then to those actually underway and finally to anyone on a boat anywhere. The Fleet Captain is responsible for organizing the volunteers who make up the Fleet Captains for the Day for the month, and passing those assignments on to the Commodore for inclusion in the monthly volunteer calendar. A database of position reports is maintained and available to the officers and any member who requests it.

Fleet Captains for the Day are assigned to a particular morning of the week for a month at a time to support the Fleet Captain. All position and float plan contacts are logged and transmitted to the Fleet Captain as part of the permanent record.

The Weather Coordinator is responsible for organizing the volunteer assignments for those members who are Weather Reporters. This schedule is forwarded to the Commodore so it is reflected in the monthly volunteer calendar. Weather Reporters are a vital element of the Net's basic purpose, "…to encourage amateur radio communications to and from boats with emphasis on safety and weather information." (By Laws, Article II)

Reliable computer access to the internet is essential. The Weather Coordinator provides a 'script' to follow with all of the appropriate hyperlinks for each section to make the reporting go smoothly.

The Net Control Station (NCS) is responsible for running the daily net using the format and preamble supplied by the Net Manager. It is also the NCS' responsibility to see that the Net starts on time, that check-ins follow the Net format, and that the appropriate traffic is efficiently passed within each segment of the format. A good signal and a good ear are essential, but anyone can do it. The key word here is "control."

Designated Relay It is the responsibility of a designated relay to assist the NCS when and as requested to do so. The purpose is to give stations with weak signals or those outside of NCS' propagation a chance to call their traffic and to repeat any announcements or calls in to areas that cannot hear Net Control.

The Scuttlebutt Editor collects all of the regular columns plus any articles that members wish to submit and magically transform them in to an interesting quarterly reading. This publication is sent via email to the Webmaster and the Secretary for dissemination to the membership.

The Webmaster is responsible for all of the design and updating of our wonderful website, www.waterwayradio.net.

The Sunshine Lady is responsible for making sure our members who are ill receive a little 'sunshine' from the club in the way of cards or flowers. We also send condolences to the families of those members who have passed away. Funds come from donations that the members have given over the years ear-marked for the Sunshine Fund.

The Exam Coordinator, as the name implies, schedules the exams that we give annually at the time of the annual picnic in Melbourne. Occasionally other exams are set up when requested (like for MTOA in April 2010).The USCG Liaison coordinates with the US Coast Guard to help in the location of missing vessels. Emergency boat watches are broadcast throughout the net when necessary to locate a vessel of interest.

The Safety Officer keeps the membership advised of problems like ICW shoaling areas.

Historians maintain back issues of all Rosters and Scuttlebutts as well as any other historical paperwork deemed worth keeping.

The Fleet Surgeon makes himself available to assist members with medical questions that they need answered while they are traveling. He also occasionally writes an informative column for the newsletter.

The new CW Net manager for 2011 is John N6ANQ, now/MM. Thank you, John, for taking the job and thanks also to the retiring manager Barry VE3BZW. The CW net is rolling along averaging more than 15 check ins every day 7AM Eastern time (and before) 7.047 Mhz. A new CW Net Roster with other info will be out in January and sent to regulars and also available on the WRCC web site. Come and join us.

Fibromyalgia is a pestilence to a significant number of people, perhaps not so much to you active boaters but likely to some of your friends. It is prevalent enough, and resistant enough to management that "remedies" are advertised on television. It is a mysterious illness (I'll avoid the word 'disease') which deserves some discussion. Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder consisting of a mixture of symptoms. These include multiple body aches and muscle tenderness, lethargy, muscle stiffness, sleep disorders, sometimes irritable bowel syndrome, and varying degrees of depression mental and chronic fatigue. In some ways it is closely akin to "chronic fatigue syndrome".

Fibromyalgia mostly affects women in the age group from 30 to 50 and beyond. It is rare in teenagers; and in adults it affects women 9 times more often than men. Fibromyalgia is poorly appreciated by many doctors so has been called a "wastebasket illness," that which is left over when all other illnesses have been ruled out, or an "It's all in your head disease," but in recent years it is better diagnosed and treated than before. It does exist, and its victims do suffer.

Present thinking is that the illness results from an abnormal response to stressful challenges during childhood, but its more complex than that. It occurs due to at least three general broad factors. These are: 1) A person's genetic vulnerability and a poor adaptation to stress, especially the "stress-pain" combination; 2) Personal emotional problems; and 3) The sociologic environment in which a person lives.

Why am I going in to all this? Well, because those who suffer from fibromyalgia, do suffer, often for long years, with inadequate diagnosis, and with poor medical management. They often miss out on the joys of boating with family and friends. They often become addicted to sedatives and narcotics due to their desperation, and the desperation of their doctors. I'd like to help these things not to happen.

Anyone who suffers, or thinks they suffer, from fibromyalgia should be seen by a rheumatologist or, if not, by a doctor who is well educated in the disease. Since the illness has psychological, physical, and diagnostic features the patient may well need to see various consultants under the direction of the rheumatologist.

A host of medications are available and do offer some help. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that adoption of a Tai-Chi exercise program has provided considerable benefit to fibromyalgia patients (Reference: New York Times and New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Daniel Solomon). This makes sense because the illness is truly a" mind-body" illness. Google it!

DON'T get started on addictive muscle relaxants or narcotics like Tylenol-codeine or Oxycontin or Vicodin They won't cure you and only make the management more complex. If already hooked ask your doctor to get you off of these. Under a wise doctor's guidance consider duloxatine or gabapentine (Neurontin), and/or antidepressants, and the like. My thrust here is not to suggest any specific medication but rather to protect you from the wrong medicines.

Finally, I will focus on medication addiction. Yes, we all have pains. Yes, we all sometimes have severe pain. What to take ? What to give the patient in pain? The answer is: for acute pain, like a kidney stone or a heart attack, get under a doctor's care and let him/her manage your pain. For chronic pain do not start out on narcotics. You'll get hooked and have a nearly impossible time getting off. Use the NSAIDS, ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib (Celebrex), indomethacin, ketorolac, etc. Also, in patients with fibromyalgia, liniments and analgesic balms are often very helpful, especially when accompanied by gentle massage.

Refer questions to:
Fleet Surgeon,
Jim C. Hirschman, MD, K4TCV

For an overview article on fibromyalgia by John Buckner Winfield, MD, UNC Medical School , Google the search term "fibromyalgia emedicine"

Wang C et al. A randomized trial of tai chi for fibromyalgia. N Engl J Med 2010 Aug 19; 363:743. [Medline Abstract]

Yeh GY et al. Prescribing tai chi for fibromyalgia — Are we there yet? N Engl J Med 2010 Aug 19; 363:783. [Medline Abstract]

Why do the Fleet Captains keep asking for the offshore weather when boats at sea give their position report? The answer is the WRCC (Waterway Radio and Cruising Club) is participating in an experimental program with the National Weather Service. The following is a quote from the National Weather Service:

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 Voluntary Observing Ship (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.  (This quote is from http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/panemailhelp.pdf)

Now that you know why the Fleet Captains ask for this information from boaters underway and offshore you are probably wondering how this information gets to the National Weather Service. This is where my responsibilities come into play with the WRCC net.  Let me introduce myself. I am Art Howard, KC0TPG, and am living full time on my sailboat, Samana, a Challenger 35 Ketch.  I check into the WRCC net on 7.268 MHz LSB most mornings. When Peter Colket, our Commodore, asked for someone to help with the weather reporting during one of the morning nets, I volunteered.

Thus, when boats offshore provide weather reports, I collect them and put them into a software program called YOTREPS Reporter (pronounced Yacht Reps). YOTREPS Reporter formats the weather information correctly for the National Weather Service. I copy this formatted information into an Airmail Message and send it to yotreps@pangolin.co.nz where it is converted to the MAROB format and forwarded to the National Weather Service by Pangolin Software. All this sounds a bit technical but believe me it works very well. I use my laptop computer, Pactor Modem, and HF SSB to send the airmail shortly after the morning net. If I cannot hear the offshore reports on the radio, the Fleet Captain sends me an e-mail with the information so I can do my part. If I have most of the information and only missed a couple of items I ask for the missing information after Position Reports. Otherwise, I contact the Fleet Captain and let them know I have the information and no e-mail is needed.

Now those of you who provide offshore weather information, those that collect it, and the readers of this article have a better picture of why our club participates in, and how it performs for the National Weather Service. All of us boaters appreciate the work of the National Weather Service and use their forecasts so we may boat safer when it comes to the weather.

BoatUS Foundation Online Boating Safety Course Approved by  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

TALLAHASSEE, Fl. December 13, 2010 - A law put into effect earlier this year now requires boaters in Florida born after January 1, 1988 and operating a vessel powered by an engine with 10 or more horsepower to have successfully completed a boater safety course, carry a boater safety identification card and photo ID. However, some Sunshine State boaters could find it challenging locating a nearby boater safety course that's both convenient and fits their budget. However, the new Online Boating Safety Course provided by the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is now approved by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which allows the state's boaters to take the course at no cost in the comfort of their own home. For boaters over 22 years old, taking the course could also earn a discount on your boat insurance.

The online course and exam is also approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and recognized by the US Coast Guard as exceeding the minimum requirements for the National Recreational Boating Safety Program.

"We've loaded the course with interactive animations, videos and photos to give boaters an education that goes well beyond the basics of boating," said BoatUS Foundation Director of Boating Safety Chris Edmonston. "It includes videos that demonstrate important safety devices such as visual distress signals, how to get help in an emergency, how to prevent and extinguish fires aboard your boat, and the best way to fit a life jacket to a child so they will not slip out," he added.

"The best part of all is the course is free and can be taken at home, and it's designed so that you can stop and then continue at any time. I will guarantee you that everyone will learn something new," said Edmonston.

Upon successful completion of the course, boaters print out their own certificate of completion and forward to FWC which issues the boater safety identification card. To take the course go to www.BoatUS.org. For more information about Florida boater education, go to www.myfwc.com/recreation/boat_index.htm.

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

    Ted Gimble N1XVR surgery

    Marvin Whatley AA4YW hospitalized

    Barry Kipnis W4BSK death in the family

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

Britton Chance, W2IBK SK 1913-2010 - Brit, put in many position reports from his sail boats on Florida Bay and Barnegat Bay, NJ. He also was active in the CW Net for at least 17 years. Brit's quiet voice or short CW bug transmissions did not hint at the giant of a man he was.

Brit had been a ham since before WW II, an E scow champion and won a Gold Medal in the 1962 Olympics, Helsinki 5.5 Meter class (which had just replaced the R boats). Brit earned two PHDs (U of PA and Cambridge). Before the war he had invented a ship's autopilot and during the WW II he was a member of the RadLab at MIT where he helped improve Radar and the Norton bombsight. One of his circuits is still used in some radars. After the war he had a long and famous career as a research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania where a research building is named after him. Good sailing Brit, we will miss you.

A more detailed obituary can be found at the NY Times. Brit passed away Nov 16, 2010. Brit's older brother, Henry W3UC, active on the CW net, passed away earlier this year. Brit's son Brit Jr is a well-known yacht designer.)

I'd like to convey my thanks to the Waterway Net for your support during my recent delivery from Chesapeake Bay to BVI. In addition to providing weather information, the Net, Bill Trayfors, in particular, was an important conduit of information regarding the hospitalization and ultimate passing of a dear, elderly family member. While I certainly would have liked to be home, it was a great comfort to know what was going on.

For those that suffered through the daily traffic between Bill and me, you may be interested to know that "Golf Golf Foxtrot" is/was GGF, the nickname we gave John B Moore, a proud great-grandfather. GGF was 94 years old and entirely self-sufficient when he fell and broke his leg a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately he never recovered from the travail of surgery. While not a ham, he was a very technical person who spent much of his life in naval architecture and ship construction. He took great pleasure in following my travels by boat. His apartment overlooked the marina that is home to Auspicious and he kept a weather eye on the boat (and me).

We will miss him very much.
- Dave, s/v Auspicious

I don't know how the WRCC found out Marvin, AA4YW,was in the hospital, but we really appreciated the lovely flowers.

Marvin had a massive stroke on November 7. I was finally able to bring him home on December 16. The doctors, nurses, and therapists at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC are amazed at his recovery to date. The entire right side of the brain was initially involved. He could not move or feel his left arm and leg. However, we are extremely fortunate because his mind was not affected and he speaks fairly clearly. He does have a slight sag to his left cheek and can't feel anything on the left side of his mouth. However, he can now move both the left arm and left leg but still does not feel on that side of his body. That makes for balance problems, but he is rapidly learning to stand and walk with a 4-legged cane. He will be taking physical therapy 3 times a week for quite some time.

Again, thanks to the WRCC for the flowers and well wishes.
- Susan Whatley, KN4KD

There have been at least two reports of "aggressive law enforcement" in Volusia County, FL, near New Smyrna. One incident involved drawn weapons, but there's some controversy as to the reasons. One law enforcement officer was quoted as saying he does nothing for three months each spring and fall but stop boats for toilet inspections. The two widely reported cases suggest it's hard to avoid a $250 fine if you are stopped; they will find something wrong. Our choices are (1) observe the letter of the law strictly and hope for the best, or (2) make a 200-mile run offshore from Ft. Pierce to St. Augustine. By the way, shoaling has been reported in the St. Augustine inlet channel.

The most popular grounding spots in the ICW this year are Matanzas Inlet (M 792) and Cumberland Dividings (M 704). Do not trust your chartplotter in these areas -- the channels and some of the marks have been moved - and pay no attention to the magenta line! You can update your information regarding these and other areas at several websites. My favorites are activecaptain.com; cruisersnet.net; skipperbob.net; and waterwayguide.com.

Many bridge channels from Titusville to Miami are scheduled for dredging during the next six months. This will cause some partial obstruction and occasional delayed openings. You may want to call ahead.

The St. Augustine mooring fields are open, and they're very good. The marina manager explained to me how they were designed with the best technology in equipment and installation, and large swinging radii so that boats having dissimilar swing characteristics can't collide. One word of caution: The opening to the South field (below Bridge of Lions) is only on the north side, between the marina fuel dock and the nearest red daymark (I think it's #8). If you try to enter the field from the east or south, you will go aground. Also, some of the moorings are a long, long way from the docks, so you could be in for a wet dinghy ride in rough weather.

Okeechobee Waterway is in good shape, plenty of water in the lake and all locks operating. I have used only the Lake Route. The Coast Guard says the Rim Route is "open" whatever that means, but I wouldn't take a big boat there. The Ft. Denaud swing bridge is now on restricted opening; it will not open from 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM. Indiantown Marina now carries gas and diesel fuel. Moore Haven town docks have been refurbished, charge $1/ft with electric. Be sure to observe the no wake zone near the fuel dock west of Franklin Lock; as I was passing, the owner called the Coast Guard to report a motor yacht delivery captain who ignored it. Much discussion ensued.

If you've been listening to the net lately, you know there's a flap about the length of cruising permits in the Bahamas. As of this writing it's unclear whether there's a new policy, a change in interpretation of an old policy, or just an increase in capriciousness. Depending on where you clear customs you may be given anything from 30 days to 180 days. Port Lucaya and Chub Cay have been liberal with time, generally 180 days granted. Bimini and Spanish Cay have been giving 30 days. Earl Quick, WD0ETL, and Dick Giddings of the Cruiseheimers Net have collaborated on a list of Port of Entries and the number of days each gives. You can request a copy of the list from Earl by dropping an email request to vicecomm@waterwayradio.net. Spanish Cay and Port Lucaya have been liberal with time granted. Bimini and Green Turtle have been inconsistent.

The best information we have is that US citizens can sometimes get their time extended for to up to 6 months by going to the Head Office of Immigration in Nassau (not customs) before the permit's expiration date. The Head Office is the tall building at the top of a street known as Hawkins Hill in the middle of town.  The street up the hill is actually called Mount Royal Avenue, south from Shirley Street, with Immigration HO clearly visible and labeled at the top of the hill on the right.

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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