Each year members of Wilmington Power Squadron (both power and sail, and even folks with no boat will drive to some land-based activities) get together and cruise for one week to various destinations around the Chesapeake Bay. See below for this year's itinerary. This year is no different, and the cruise committee is hard at work making reservations, designing a "cruise tee shirt", preparing agendas, etc. Check out the results of our yearly photo contests.
The cruise usually includes every other night in a marina, alternating with raft-ups and on the hook nights. This caters to everyone's favorites, and makes sure we all get some shore leave! Dinners may be either ashore in a restaurant, or potluck style.
Point to point sailboat races are a feature, as is the "Go-Rilla" event. Instead of round the buoy racing, races are conducted as we leave one port and head into the next. A PHRF handicap system is used to "even the odds"! Don't worry if you don't have a PHRF number for your boat. The Race Committee will come up with one for you.
The "Gorilla" event is an unusual agenda item, but one from which the members learn a lot about themselves, their boats, and safety. This event usually involves leaving for your next port of call with a sealed envelope with instructions to open the envelope at a specific time (after making sure you aren't in a channel or other hazard). The envelope contains information describing some onboard emergency which you are now experiencing (pretend of course). You need to figure out how to deal with that emergency, and actually do it (short of calling in a Mayday).
At the conclusion of the episode (you will have either a definite time limit or have fixed the problem), and at the end of the day, you may be asked to share your experiences with the others. This could be in verbal exchange, or the committee has been known to get creative and ask for poetry!
Members of your crew may also receive their own envelopes with instructions and their own emergency. This can make it interesting.
For example, one year supposedly the steering broke. The captain was busily investigating how to either figure out what the problem was by tracing cables or hydraulics or whatever. The crew was to wait fifteen minutes, open their envelope, and discovered their emergency was supposedly a tanker bearing down on them. The crew had strict orders not to interrupt the captain. They were to mimic (but not actually do it) a call to the mythical tanker on the VHF and explain what was happening.
Some captains "found" leaks or broken cables and "fixed" them with spare parts. Some dug the emergency tiller out of the deepest reaches of the hold. Some crews were able to figure out how to work the VHF, and some discovered they need practice. All in all, it was a very educational experience!
Everyone who has attended even a part of the cruise comes home excited, has stories to tell, and is anticipating next year's cruise. This is a great way to cruise around the bay, having fun, and enjoying the safety of others traveling with you.
Cruise
Itinerary for 2011 (coming soon)
June
18-24 2011
Thursday, June 8, 2011. 7:00 PM - Cruise Skipper's Meeting. Brandywine Hundred Library. Details and cruise kits.
“JUST CRUISIN”! Yep, that’s it! “JUST CRUISIN”, an appropriate title and theme describing the summer cruise. Whether you’re “Cruisin” by boat, or “Cruisin” by car (no numbing auto miles involved), either way works - just as long as you “Cruise”. Full week participation or single event, whatever,
“Just Cruise”.The charge of the committee was, and is, to encourage participation in this special week by creating an extraordinary itinerary with ports of call and activities that would appeal to both boat and boatless members. We begin with The Commander’s Kick Off Party and Picnic at Lankford Bay Marina. What more can be said about this ever popular and well attended event that kicks off the summer season with always memorable food, beverage, and camaraderie. Attendees, for food planning purposes, are requested to make reservations in advance (see Registration Form in the March - April 2011 Lubber’s Line issue for this and all other “Cruise” activities). Careful consideration has been given to port selection, shore side activities, and the availability of local lodging to not only entice, but to cater to our land traveling members. The eastern shore, specifically the Choptank River and surrounding locale, offers us as visitors not only panoramic water overlooks and indescribably glorious sunsets, but an opportunity to experience the personalities of some quaint area water towns.
Seasoned WPS cruisers will quickly recognize the ports of call as having been visited by any number of cruises past. “Something old, something new!” Predictably, we have once again included some of the perennial favorite squadron places and events but never, emphasize never, have we been able to offer a meal and cruise on a “paddle wheeler”, or never have we had the opportunity to “go ashore” to observe the reconstruction activities on Poplar Island first hand, never have we been able to offer dining at the beautiful Tred Avon Yacht Club, and so on!
Our week afloat is essentially as follows:
Saturday - Lankford Bay Marina (kick-off party),
Sunday - Rhode River anchor out,
Monday - Knapp’s Narrows Marina (poolside party and dinner at your choice of any of the great local restaurants) and a tour of the Poplar Island reconstruction site (limited availability),
Tuesday - Trippe Creek anchor out,
Wednesday - Cambridge Municipal Yacht Basin (complete with 3 hour dinner cruise aboard legitimate paddle wheeler),
Thursday - Broad Creek anchor out, and
Friday - Oxford Closing Ceremonies at the Tred Avon Yacht Club.
Finally, all members - new cruisers, old cruisers, potential auto cruisers - are encouraged to participate in all or any part (event) of our week afloat. Not specifically discussed here but unquestionably part of the planning is that the “Riverboat” theme will be readily apparent throughout the week. It will be visible in most everything we do from a truly must have theme appropriate “T” shirt , other theme appropriate garb, theme appropriate activities (maybe even to include a little “sport of chance”) – everything!
The Registration Form (deadline adherence requested) appears in the March - April 2011 Lubber’s Line issue. Need more details, interested in local lodging options, personal timetable conflict, general questions – whatever? Don’t give up just yet! Contact the undersigned or any committee member. The group is committed to aid and facilitate in any way we can to bring a little WPS “Cruisin” into your life!!!