The Bay Starts Here

I am not a tree-hugger, especially when it comes to silly and unjustifiable laws like the Montgomery County (MD) bag tax. In eleven years living in this county, I never allowed one of those plastic grocery bags to hit the street. Instead, I recycled them as small trash bags, which freed me of the need to buy such bags.

Now I recycle grocery bags for use as grocery carriers because I refuse to pay five cents to use a new one. But now I buy small trash bags. Thus, my use of plastic has gone up thanks to the well-intended yet idiotic bag tax.. Since I'm inconvenienced to solve a problem I did not cause, I'm now less inclined to support environmental causes than before.

Sometimes those conservative Republicans have a point, but I digress. While I am not a tree-hugger, I am a boat lover. I do pay attention to clean water issues.

While walking Joe the Wonder Dog along Sligo Creek I found this interesting flyer on the topic by The Friends of Sligo Creek. I did not see the text posted on their site or anywhere else. It's a message worth reading, so here it is on Boating Fever.

"The Bay Starts Here ... says a sticker on one of the toilet tanks at the Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton -- telling one part of the story.

"Most of the water coming to the faucets and toilets of the Sligo Creek watershed is taken from the Potomac River above Great Falls, then processed and piped to our homes; about 10% comes from the Patuxent River to our east.

"Everything that goes down the kitchen sink or toilet flows -- following gravity -- to lateral pipes under the street in front of the house and then through trunk mains laid within the streambed of Sligo Creek. Leaks in these pipes mean raw sewage contaminating our creek.

"Sligo wastewater is piped on southward through Prince Georges County, joining other watersheds' waste, and then through a 23-foot diameter pipe underneath the Anacostia River, ending at Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in southeast Washington.  The filtered and treated liquid of Sligo Creek is returned there to the Potomac River. Then it flows to the Bay."

The flyer goes on to tell of a meeting about the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission (WSSC), the water and sewer authority, that is running a project to repair the sewer lines under Sligo Creek.

Maybe this is of interest only to me. But, it's worth knowing that clean treated water comes out the other end of the pipe to waters where we boat.

History of Potomac River Squadron now online

Founder’s Day 2012

View more PowerPoint from Potomac River Power Squadron

This is a brief history of Potomac River Power Squadron, a unit of United States Power Squadrons, that I presented at the squadron's 97th Founder's Day & Change of Watch Ceremony.

Potomac River's history is United States Power Squadrons' history. Potomac River is the oldest Power Squadron in continuous operation. Potomac River's early leaders, especially Dr. A.B. Bennett, SN, were significant early leaders of the Power Squadrons movement. (By the way, Power Squadrons" is always expressed as a plural.)

Slideshare.net hosts the presentation. It's on the free account so there is advertising and clutter if you go directly to Slideshare.

If you are like me and I know I am, you enjoy histories. If so, check out the links to these well-written histories:

Northern Virginia Sail and Power Squadron,

Corinthian Yacht Club (Washington, D.C.) A Historical Review.

Northern Virginia is a descendant of Potomac River Squadron, which was itself formed by members of the Corinthian and Capital Yacht Clubs.

Enjoy.

Chesapeake Bay Magazine features story on the Anacostia River, birthplace of the Potomac River Power Squadron.

When was the last time the Anacostia River got any good press?

I'm a native Washingtonian and I can't recall any. Even the positive story in Chesapeake Bay Magazine, that I am about to refer to you, goes by the headline The Bad and the Beautiful. The subhead tells the full story, however. "Washington's hard-luck Anacostia River may be the city's ace in the hole." (February 2012 issue, pp 22- 27, continued on pp 48-49)

The Anacostia is still muddy, still polluted, still infested with litter and I wouldn't eat anything caught in those waters, but the river is about to get the mother of all face lifts along with the nearby Washington Channel.

The projects are already underway, kicked off by the District of Columbia's heavy and much fought-over investment National's Park, the baseball stadium.

The magazine story touches on that, goes into the District's Southwest waterfront project for the nearby Washington channel and has waxes eloquent about features about the river of interest to small craft boaters. Yes, Anacostia still features wildlife areas. The Kenilworth Gardens, contains the sole remaining marsh that was the dominant feature of the area when George Washington picked the place as the nation's capital.

The area is important to the Potomac River Power Squadron. It was born there in 1915 when Dr. A.B. Bennett, then cruise captain of the Corinthian Yacht Club, convinced members of his club and the nearby Capital Yacht Club to join the power squadron movement.

The Corinthian was based on St. James Creek on the Anacostia. The have since moved downriver, but Capital Yacht Club remains on the Washington Channel. News accounts of the day reported squadron on-water activity from the channel to Occoquan Bay.

Potomac River Squadron is one of many sponsors of the Anacostia River Cleanup Day held annually on Arbor Day. Past Commander Howard Gasaway, Sr., P, is the spark plug behind both the squadron's participation and the clean-up day itself.

Read the feature story on the magazine's web site, www.cheasapeakeboating.net. Click here.

Long articles are hard on eyes, especially old ones, when read online. So look for the February 2012 edition of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, if you can find it.

For a brief history of Potomac River Power Squadron, check out the Founders Day presentation posted on SlideShare here.

Other Anacostia links:

washingtonpost.com - Anacostia River from then till now.

Anacostia Watershed Society web site - http://www.anacostiaws.org/

State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources - The Anacostia: River of Recovery

.pdf document - History of the Corinthian Yacht Club.

Web site - History of the Capital Yacht Club.

Web site - History of the District Yacht Club.

Web site - History of the Seafarer's Yacht Club.

Boating and Tennis Love 4U--Water Taxi Service to DC's Pro Tennis Stadium

"As you well know, Washington Kastles season is fast approaching, and D.C.’s pro tennis team (and most recent champions) (who are very aggressive at reaching out to local bloggers) have a new venue this time around.

"Kastles Stadium at The Wharf is in Southwest, and the team is set to announce that there will be limited boat parking at Gangplank Marina.

"This makes The Kastle the first tennis facility in the U.S. with boat-up parking, and the first pro sports venue in D.C. with boat-up parking. And it’s free for season-ticket holders, which might cause a gagging reflex in other local ownership suites."

Read the rest of this story on Dan Steinberg's DC Sports Bog (Washington POST site. May require registration)

Speaking of the POST, a story up today reports the start of a water taxi service from the South West waterfront to Georgetown. The service by American River Taxi is intended for commuters looking for alternatives to driving, biking (in this heat) or the Metro.

American River Taxi offers a service transporting baseball fans from Georgetown to Nationals Park. Commuter service is an expansion that may, or may not, catch on. The fare is $8.00 one-way for the 30 minute trip.

The Potomac Riverboat Company offers a water taxi service from the National Harbor in Prince Georges County to Old Town Alexandria that makes for a cool outing. The one-way trip is 20 minutes and costs $8.00 for adults.

I hope these services catch on. The District of Columbia ceased to be a boating mecca long ago. Yes, there are boaters here, but a boating supplies retailer or boat dealer is not to be found within city limits.

Photo: New members of Potomac River Power Squadron, a unit of United States Power Squadrons(r), after passing the basic boating class in 1963. From the files of Potomac River Power Squadron.

Be Careful On The Potomac

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Natural Resources Police say they plan to patrol aggressively on waterways across the state this holiday weekend.

Natural Resources Police say officers will target boaters driving in a reckless or negligent manner or under the influence of alcohol. And they will also be making sure boaters have required safety equipment.

Authorities also are advising boaters to keep a cautious eye on the upper Potomac River, where recent rains had pushed the river to hazardous levels. NRP says an advisory for the upper Potomac has expired, but any significant additional rainfall could cause hazardous conditions again.

NRP says last year its officers responded to more than 323 boating accidents that led to 13 deaths.
~ Associated Press Story taken from here.

Montgomery County Fire and EMS crews will be handing out hundreds of these fliers in Great Falls Park reminding people that you cannot swim, wade, or drink alcohol there.

Because as enticing as the Potomac is this time of year, it is always dangerous. Crews pulled a 12 year old boy who was swimming near White's Ferry after he became fatigued and couldn't make it on his own.

Mark Gleason, who patrols the C & O Canal on bicycle for the US Park Service, says the Potomac is very deceptive.

In some places, the power of the Potomac is obvious. But in others--a deadly hazard lurks beneath the tranquil surface.

"Most of the accidents people here are when they step in and the water is much faster underneath and it sweeps them away."

~ Read more at MyFoxDC.com here.

All this talk about the swollen waters of the Potomac is a reminder that it's the best time to see the river's Great Falls, the most awesome natural sight in the DC Metro area. The Falls' Maryland shore offers more access points for an up-close, intimate view of the river and the C & O Canal. The view from the Virginia shore is simply spectacular.

The Maryland side is accessible through the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park. Access to the Virginia side is through Great Falls Park. Both are National Park Service facilities.

Don't Go Into The Water

All the news focuses attention to the Mississippi River flood and the unfortunate circumstance of the people there. We have our own problems with the waters around D.C.

Flooding Potomac presents hazards for area boaters according to an online story by WTOP.

Heavy rains in the area has the Potomac River cresting its banks and creating navigational hazards for all boaters. The D.C. Harbor Police advises all boaters to stay off the Potomac through the weekend (20-22 May 2011).

A similar story on www.nbcwashington.com says the worst of the flooding is probably over, but advises boaters to stay off the Potomac this weekend. That story gave high tide (11:15 AM and 11:56 PM at Key Bridge) on Friday, 20 May, as a time for special caution for boaters and anyone along the waterfront.

The National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning for the Potomac River at Point Of Rocks affecting Frederick (MD) and Loudoun (VA) Counties and at Little Falls affecting Montgomery (MD) and Fairfax (VA) Counties. The warning is in effect until this evening. The warning was issued at 4:24 PM today.

A warning means that flooding is actually occurring. Take extreme caution when driving through flood areas. A vehicle can be swept away in as little as two feet of flowing water. Cars are not boats!

If you have first-hand knowledge of conditions along our waterways, leave a comment.

This story originally posted to the private Potomac River Power Squadron group page on SailAngle.com.

Photo Credit: natasialester 16 found on Photobucket.com

8-Foot Shark Caught In the Potomac River

I've been reading that fishing is good in the Potomac, but this is too much.

Guy named Willie Dean netted what he said is an eight-foot Bull Shark--in the Potomac River in St. Mary's County.

It's Dean who's calling it a Bull Shark. We'll wait for the authorities on that. But it was a real big fish. Really, really big.

The Chesapeake Bay is brackish water and we know sharks visit. But we expect to hear of them down in the Hampton Roads area, not in the Mid-Chesapeake, not in the fresh water Potomac about three miles from Point Lookout. Lemon Sharks in the Bay, maybe. But Bulls?

Bull Sharks have a particularly nasty reputation. They do attack humans. Here's how National Geographic describes them:

"Bull sharks are aggressive, common, and usually live near high-population areas like tropical shorelines. They are not bothered by brackish and freshwater, and even venture far inland via rivers and tributaries.

"Because of these characteristics, many experts consider bull sharks to be the most dangerous sharks in the world. "

And you thought jellyfish were the biggest hazard in the water. Another reason to be careful while boating.

Southern Maryland News published a story and picture of a pod of dolphins frolicking in the Potomac near Tall Timbers. Sharks and dolphins and what comes next? Bears? Oh my.

The Potomac River Is...Clean

Well, cleaner and clearer that it was than when I was growing up way back in 19 none-ya-business.

Rob Hedelt's story on Fredericksburg.com tells how much better the river has become (Trip on the river reveals differences).

Hedelt accompanied two Chesapeake Bay Foundation naturalists on a 44 mile cruise up the Potomac from Aquia Creek to D.C. The naturalists were there to measure differences in water quality of the river in Stafford County, Virginia and Washington.

Water clarity is one difference, ranging from one fathom down river to about nine inches around the Wilson Bridge.

The naturalists attribute much of that to the presence of water grasses, with more of it from Mount Vernon down river, less in the waters around urbanized Washington. Sea grass filter particulates from the water and form a nursery for the tasty Blue Crabs we so love in these parts.

The effort to clean the Potomac has been lengthy and not always successful. Thought it never sunk to level of the Cuyahoga River, Washington residents were once prohibited from contact with the Potomac, much less eat the fish caught there.

These days, governments cooperate more or less on improving water quality. An army of volunteers work to clean out the trash along the Potomac watershed. One of those people is Potomac River Squadron's P/C Howard Gasaway whose involvement in the Anacostia River Clean-Up predates his membership in the Power Squadrons.

Cleaner water means better fishing. That, and the new National Harbor, will reestablish the Potomac as a premier boating destination as time goes on.

That has to be good for the Potomac River Power Squadron. We lost a lot of energy as members moved their boats to the Chesapeake and joined yacht clubs located there.

Photo Credit: (cc) richmanwisco on flickr.com

Boating Education Saves Lives

You get into a lot when you get into a boat. Too

many recreational boat captains do not appreciate how tricky the water can be until they get into a jam. What they do then may cost them their lives, or save it.

So Many Lessons In Tragedy

Anthony Brown of Silver Spring, Maryland, commander of Potomac River Power Squadron, suspects that less experienced power boaters think of their vessel the way they think of their car. That thought occurred to him when he read Nick Schuyler's account of the tragic accident that took the lives of two NFL players as told in Schuyler's book Not Without Hope. Victims of the February 2009 Gulf of Mexico accident were pro football players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith, and Will Bleakley, a friend of Schuyler. Cooper was the owner and skipper of the 21-foot boat.

Cooper's anchor snagged on something on the seabed. Unable to get it up, the group tied the anchor line to the stern of the boat and tried to pull the anchor free. That's a big no-no, according to Brown. The dangers of tying off the anchor to the stern of a boat is one of the early lessons students are taught in the Power Squadron's Seamanship course. In Cooper's case, the anchor did not give way. Instead, the stern was pulled under water swamping the boat. The four men were thrown overboard as the boat capsized.

Brown suspects that the group thought of the boat as a tow truck. Faced the same situation a week before the accident, Cooper did one of the smartest things a skipper can do when an anchor can't be unsnagged. He cut the line, sacrificing the anchor for the safety of the boat and passengers. Schuyler says Cooper was determined not to lose another anchor.

Boat Handling Is A Skill

Chris Pickwick, of Adelphi, Maryland, a squadron past commander and boating instructor, says the incident forcefully illustrates the need for safe boat education and how to handle unexpected boating situations even when on a simple fish

ing trip.

"The United States Power Squadrons and a number of other private and state organizations offer safe boating education. This training would have been helpful for the four football players aboard a 21 foot boat who experienced a boating accident 75 miles from shore in the middle of Winter.

"After taking such a course, these boaters would have known that four big men on a small boat might have at least made the boat unstable if not overloaded according to the boat's U.S. Coast Guard Maximum Capacities Vessel Plaque. They would also have been aware that standing on the boat’s rear deck would contribute to its instability as would surging the engine. They would also have known not to anchor from the stern as this also drags down the lowest part of the boat. These boaters would have known the proper way to free the anchor, and the need to make a float plan in case of emergency.

"Other courses offered by the Power Squadrons such as Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, and Weather would have offered them further instruction them on how to plan a safe trip, how to handle the boat in heavy weather, the need to monitor the weather and to call for help before it was too late and the best way to manage hypothermia once in the cold water."

Schuyler is the lone survivor of the accident and the only one with a first-hand description of what happened. He is not an experienced boater, so Brown is not sure that Schuyler has the best grasp of Cooper's action. But the story itself is a cautionary tale for recreational boaters.

What's A Recreational Boat Captain To Do?

Recreational boat captains have fewer hours on the water than commercial captains or watermen. They are not required to meet commercial certification nor even have nautical charts on board. Sooner or later says Brown, every skipper must decide whether he is a boat driver or pilot.

For Brown, that was easy. He was looking for a way to reassure his non-boating, non-swimming passengers that it would be OK cruise with him. He took the Power Squadron's Safe Boating and Seamanship course before operating his boat. "I spent the equivalent an hour of class room time for every two hours of on-water time in my first year boating."

Organizations like the Coast Guard Auxiliary, community colleges and State authorities offer boating safety courses. Commercial schools go beyond that, but target their offerings to those who want a commercial captains license. The Power Squadrons may be the only group that certifies recreational boat skippers as having a body of knowledge in piloting and seamanship.

Skippers who take the Power Squadron curriculum from Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting to Navigation would be able to plot a course anywhere in the world as long as they have the proper charts, a sextant and a GPS. They would also be exposed to what can go wrong during a voyage and how to cope with it.

Know Before You Go

"All of boating is based on maritime practices and traditions" says Eugene Roberson, Mitchellville, Maryland, Potomac River's safety officer. Roberson points out that the captain of the Titanic was an experienced seaman, yet he sunk his ship. Boating is fun, but anything can happen on the water.

There's more to learn than safe boating, adds Roberson. Boating demands more self-sufficiency than does driving. The captain needs to know his mechanical and electronic systems. There's no pulling over if your boat breaks down in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. "Boating education saves money as well as lives."

About The Power Squadrons

Potomac River Power Squadron is one of over 450 local affiliates of United States Power Squadrons, the world's oldest and largest non-profit volunteer boating organizations. Potomac River Power Squadron was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1915 and is a 501c(3) non-profit educational organization. It's members volunteer their time on boating safety and education as a civic service. Most members boat on the Chesapeake Bay or Potomac River, but live in suburban Maryland or the District of Columbia.

Potomac River is one of four squadrons active in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The others are based in Rockville, Maryland, Northern Virginia and Mid-Potomac, centering on the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers.

The Power Squadrons offer a safe boating course that meets the requirements of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. The squadrons offer advanced classroom courses on boating. Its members volunteer to offer courtesy Vessel Safety Checks for non-commercial boats and perform other civic services around boating. United States Power Squadrons has been honored by four U.S. presidents for its boating safety and education programs.