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August 8 2017

'The Neuse Juice'

Volumn 44 Number 8

In This Issue...

Cruising
Lazy Days
Membership
Dinghy Poker Run
Communications
Member News
Misto World Arc
Remembrance

NSA Sponsors
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The 2017 Schedule

Seminars
NSA Events
Community Event

Seminar:Marine Communications
   Feb 16,

Seminar:CPR
    Feb 18,

Seminar:First Aid Training
    Feb 21,

Seminar:Navigation Rules of the Road
    Feb 25,

Oyster Roast/
   Feb. 25,

Seminar:Cruising Headsail Furlers
    March 4,

Seminar:Safety at Sea
    March 11,

NSA BridgeMeeting/
   March 18, 8:30-10:00

Shrimperoo/
   Mar 18, 

Seminar:Chartering in the Caribbean
     March 21,

Seminar:You are Now the Captain & MOB
    March 25,

USCG Safety Inspections/
    April 1,

Sailpack Oriental Intercollegiate Regatta, April1,2

Seminar:Sail Trim
    Apr 8,

Easter Cruise/
   April 15 - 16,

Oriental Boat Show/

   April 21 - 23,


Anniversary Race/   May 6


Seminar:NSA Cruising Primer/
    May 20,

Memorial Day Cruise/
   May 27 - 29


Hope Regatta
    June 9-11

Week Long Cruise I 
    June 17-24

USCG Aux Flotilla Weekend Navigator course
   June 22,23,27,28

Oriental CroakerFest/
   June 30 - July 2

Dog Day Cruise/
 
 July 8-9

Week Long Cruse II
   July 9 - 16


Dinghy Poker Run/
   July 22,


Seminar: Emergency Signaling Devices/
    Aug 5

Lazy Days Cruise/
   Aug. 19-20

Labor Day Cruise/
   Sep. 2 - 4

Seminar: Batteries & Charging/
    Sept 9

Oriental Cup Regatta/
   Sept. 15 - 16

Harborfest for Heartworks/
    Sept 22-24

Fall Cruise/
   Sept. 23-24


Autumn Raft-up/
    Oct 14 - 15

Seminar: Sailing the Word ARC/
    Oct 21

Halloween Cruise/
   Oct. 28 - 29

Annual Membership Meeting/
   
Nov. 11

Commodore's Ball /
   
Nov. 11,


Spirit of Christmas float/
    Dec 9 - 10


For details, go to Events List

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BULLETIN BOARD

BOAT/US DISCOUNT NSA members are entitled to a 50% discount when joining or renewing their Boat/US membership. Click here for details.


NSA FACEBOOK PAGE
Yes, we have one. Go here to join our members-only page. It's a great place to share photos and experiences.


For breaking news, the latest club information and coming events, watch the headline boxes on the new NSA Homepage or the old Homepage for now. 

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NSA Patrons and Sponsors

For more information on Patrons and Corporate Sponsors Click here


Patrons

Inland Waterway Provision Company


Apache LP Trucks,Goldsboro

S/V Pelikan

Deaton Yacht Sales

Inner Banks Sails & Canvas

Metzger Development

S/V Misto

St. Barts Yachts

Wayfarer's Cove Marina

Riversedge Surveying

Ray's Creekside Marina

Hope Clinic

River Dunes Realty

Cynthia Huffines Interior Design


Corporate Sponsors


















































































Sharon Stephenson
, 

Commodore


The Commodore's Log
 

A Little of This and That

August is here and we have several more events behind us, but still with an exciting schedule and happenings. More details on all are found in this edition of the Neuse Juice.

The coastal weeklong trip had fewer than anticipated participants due to various factors in life and with boats, as well as route changes due to the fickle of the winds. But those who completed the journey report an enjoyable week. There was even a wedding on the beach for club members Divis Carrascal and Tom Quigley. Best wishes to the two of you for a happy life together with more cruising adventures!

That trip did bring the unfortunate exacerbation of illness for club member Dorothy Stocks who required emergency transport to the hospital from Bald Head and her subsequent passing at New Hanover Hospital in Wilmington. See more details for her memorial service in this newsletter. Dorothy and her partner Steve Linke were the cruise captains for the Bald Head portion of the trip. We greatly admire her perseverance in making the journey and working to fulfill her role as cruise captain. In true NSA fashion, other club members stepped up to help out with the boat and taking care of their dog. Thanks to all of you. New member Dave Roletter wrote a very moving piece about sailing along with Dorothy and Steve down to Masonboro Inlet, which is shared with you in the newsletter.

A big round of applause goes to Amy Clifton and Wade Ellison for another successful Dinghy Poker Run. Lots of other club members helped with the preparation of the event as well as the event itself. Many businesses, artists and individuals donated items used for prizes and auction. It takes a “club” to make these things occur. We have made a donation of $4600 to the Hope Clinic.

Upcoming events are the Lazy Days cruise to New Bern and the Labor Day cruise to Cape Lookout. You will find more details of these cruises in the newsletter.

The biggest happening for the organizational side of the NSA is the rollout of our new website. We first started using the internet for our data, member directory, event registrations, membership renewals, etc in 2012 with the launch of the current website through host Member Clicks. This has served us well and certainly brought us into the 21st century of communications and club activity management, but did not easily allow us to do everything. Costs for this site have been rising, now up to $190/month. Certain aspects of the members’ side of the website were not compatible with use on tablets and cell phones. So the Bridge decided it was time for a change.

Bill and Susanne Lovelace have done a tremendous amount of work investigating web host options as well as doing the work of transferring our data to the new site. Wild Apricot will now be our new host, at a cost of $36/month – money savings we can use for our own purposes! I think everyone will be pleased with the site. Pages will look familiar since they have just been transported from one site to the next. Registering for an event is very easy and your confirmation e-mail will be very detailed about the event. It will be easy for members to upload pictures themselves instead of having to send to someone to do this. You will still need to sign up for forums, but forums seem to be much easier to use. These are just some of the changes I have noted.

We have chosen August 21 (solar eclipse day!) as the date to officially launch the site. This is also the Monday after the Lazy Days cruise, so note that all future registrations will be on the new website. Bill and Susanne have more details for you on how to access the site and how to get logged in. We want to make sure that everyone – and that includes your spouse, significant other, secondary member – is registered on the new website. We will be monitoring this, so be sure to get registered ASAP. When you run into other NSA members, encourage them to get signed up for the new site if they have not done so.

On a last note, I want to appeal to your sense of volunteering. As we start to wind down this NSA year, we are thinking about who will serve in various positions next year. If you have participated in anything with the club, I am sure you enjoyed yourself, but those events don’t just happen. It takes the work of club members to put together events and not just those with the Commodore or Vice-Commodore title. If you have any interest in becoming more involved at any level, let me know --- or I may just be hounding you.

Until next time.  

Sharon Stephenson
s/v Pelikan
Commodore 


Cruising Outlook


Cruising Update

As those of you who follow the NSA Facebook group know, the Week-Long II Cruise to Bald Head Island, July 8-16, was marked by excitement and surprise, but also by shock and terrible sadness. For the crews of the small group of six boats that set out from Beaufort following the Dog Days Cruise, the week will be one to remember for a long time.

Despite having to leave Captiva in port with lightning damage and travel by car, the week started on a high note. To our delight, we discovered in Beaufort that member Tom Quigley, s/v Mi Nena, had planned to marry his girlfriend, Divis Carrascal, on the beach at Bald Head Island during the week-long cruise. He’d been planning it for some time. When word got out in Beaufort, he and Divis suddenly found they had a readymade wedding party.

Except for a couple of close friends of the bride and groom, the wedding on the beach was an NSA affair.  Divis did not have her father to give her away, so she and Tom recruited John Messer, s/v Midnight Mary. John was perfect for the job, leading Divis on his arm down to the beach, his head held high like any proud father. After the ceremony, we toasted champagne set up on a bistro table in the sand like in one of those Club Med commercials.

Back in the marina, Dorothy Stocks, s/v Marigot, was feeling more ill by the hour. Dorothy had been recovering from more than a year of lung cancer treatment but had wanted badly to go on the Week-Long Cruise with her long-time partner, Steve Linke. They volunteered as cruise captains. She became so ill, though, that EMS evacuated her to the Southport hospital. Her condition worsened and they transferred her to the hospital in Wilmington, where she died on July 24.

Elsewhere in today’s newsletter is a moving account by Dave Roletter, s/v Stella Maris, about their sail with Marigot in the ocean. They were the only two boats that went on the outside to Bald Head Island. Dave describes how in the final hours the wind suddenly changed, allowing them to cut their engines and sail beautifully the rest of the way. It would be Dorothy’s last sail.

Donna and I are proud of the crews of the memorable 2017 Week-Long Cruise II: Steve Linke and Dorothy Stocks, s/v Marigot; Bruce and Kay Pratt, s/v Willow; Dave and Becky Roletter, s/v Stella Maris; John Messer and Pat Thomaier, s/v Midnight Mary; Doug Bristol and Patti Kline, s/v Now Voyager; and Tom Quigley and Divis Carrascal, s/v Mi Nena.

Our season continues. Next up, the Lazy Days Cruise to Grand Marina in New Bern, Aug. 19-20. Tom McElroy and Alice Petree, our cruise captains, are again organizing our international-themed cruise and social. Last year, we feasted on international cuisine and drink and had a great time. Please register as soon as possible here, and don’t forget that you need to call the Grand Marina and make your own reservation. See the article by Tom and Alice below in today’s newsletter.

We also have our annual trip to Cape Lookout over Labor Day weekend, our Fall Cruise to West Bay, an Autumn Raft-up in South River and our Halloween Cruise to Ocracoke Island still coming up.

Good Sailing.

Carl Crothers,
Vice Commodore/ Cruising
s/v Captiva 

Lazy Days Cruise

Lazy Days Cruise

The Lazy Days of August are already here and it’s time for NSA’s International Cruise, August 19, 2017. Set your sails for New Bern and prepare to enjoy exotic food and drink (and costumes if you have them) from faraway places. The idea is to pick a country and prepare food and drink from that country. We will have a cruise forum so we don’t duplicate countries too badly. Last year it was an amazing feast of delicious creations.

We will rendezvous at the New Bern Grand Marina on Saturday August 19 for our 4pm social. Skippers are responsible for contacting the Marina to make their own reservations. Phone: 252-638-0318

Rates: $1.50/foot $1.25/foot for Boat US Members Power: $6/night @ 50 amp $4/night @ 30 amp

Please note that the New Bern Grand Marina is beyond the Alfred Cunningham drawbridge in New Bern. Bridge monitors channel 13 or phone is 252-633-4799 Call ahead for opening schedules.

Please register here on the NSA website so we can know how many boats and people will be participating. So far we have 3 boats with Turkey / Ecuador / Saudi Arabia / Spain / French Polynesia. Don’t miss the fun and great food!

Alice Petree & Tom McElroy
Cruise Captains
s/v Highland Fox


Membership

An update from your VCs of Membership

New Members

In July we added six new members. We want to welcome the following new members.

Tracy Vail and Robert Pugh – Tracy and Robert are from Cary and sail their Seth and Barbara are from Wilmington and sail their 1986 Erickson “Solveig” out of Pecan Grove Marina.

Wayne and Gaynelle Abernathy – Wayne and Gaynella are from Elon, NC. They sail their 1990 Pacific Sea Craft “Pastime” out of Pecan Grove Marina.

John Buhrmann & April Bradley – John and April are from Wayne and Gaynella are from Durham, NC. John and April are currently boat-less but are seriously looking for that special boat to fulfill their dreams. I am sure that they will have many questions and our members are a good source for information.

Be sure to welcome them to the NSA when you see them at an NSA event.

NSA Seminar Series

Recent Seminars

Sailing to Cuba, The Forbidden Paradise

Here is a link to the video of this popular seminar. It is on the website by navigating to On the Water > Nautical Skills > Sailing to Cuba, The Forbidden Paradise.

Cruising the Bahamas

In July, we held a very successful seminar on Cruising the Bahamas. This seminar was well attended with lots of questions. Jerry and Donna Luh were the presenters and have been cruising the Bahamas for many years.  

This was a very informative seminar and several in attendance expressed a desire to cruise to the Bahamas this fall. It looks like an informal group may be forming around this popular cruising area. Jerry and Donna have some valuable documents that they will send out to anyone interested. If you would like these documents send an email to Donna Luh at bluejacket@embarqmail.com and she will get this information to you.

Emergency Signaling Devices

This past weekend we held a seminar on emergency signaling devices. This seminar was postponed twice in the past due to weather but this past Saturday gave us windows in around some rain showers to experience both day and nighttime devices. Led by Jim Nixon he covered all of the devices we have available and reasons to use each one. The demonstration was valuable since most if not all of us have never fired a flare or deployed an orange smoke. Also, we probably never seen these deployed on a boat that is in our viewing area while out on our boat. Jim arranged for a very real demonstration by having a boat to anchor out in the creek about 300 yards from our location. After we fired a certain device they fired the same device. It was really eye opening and gave us the knowledge to help us make a good decision on using the various devices in an emergency. If you want a copy of Jim’s document summarizing what was covered just click here.

Upcoming seminars

We have two remaining scheduled seminars remaining. Don’t miss these.

• Saturday, September 9th – All about batteries and charging systems.

• Saturday, October 21st – Sailing in the World ARC Round the World Rally).

In addition to the above seminars we are trying to schedule a seminar on Open CPN. Open CPN is a robust Chart Plotter Navigation software. It is designed to be used at the helm station of your boat while underway. Chart a course and track your position right from your laptop. The presenter we are after is the original developer of this popular software. If we are successful in getting this scheduled it will be in October. Stay tuned.

John Phillips and Cyndy Little
VC Membership
s/v Chardonnay


Dinghy Poker Run

NSA Charity Dinghy Poker Run Update

Amy and I want to thank all the wonderful folks who helped make the 2017 NSA Charity Dinghy Poker Run another record breaker! On Monday, August 7th, Commodore Sharon Stephenson presented a check to Hope Clinic of Pamlico County. Through the hard and dedicated efforts of all our volunteers, the NSA donated $4600! That is a new record and we are proud to give back to the local community that is home to many of us and to the NSA.

As many already know, the Hope Clinic provides much needed healthcare to people that would have no medical support without them. Also, I want to share, that through donated services of medical personnel, this provides over $32,000 worth of help. That is a lot of “bang for the buck”! Again this year we had a large number of local folks who are not NSA members join in. Everyone had fun on the water, great food and a very good time. I personally had four people tell me “I don't know why I haven't done this before but I'll sure be back next year.” For Amy and I along with all the volunteers this shows how the community rallies and one of the big reasons we love Oriental. If you missed it this year, then plan next year to be part of this wonderful experience you will never forget.

Again, we sincerely thank all who pulled together, worked hard and made this annual event a success! There are so many behind the scenes and that donated time and prizes it would take the entire Neuse Juice to list them, so to all of you, please know that Amy and I truly appreciate each and every one and the success really belongs to you all.

Amy Clifton and Wade Ellison
VC Dinghy Poker Run
s/v Anticipation Too


Club Communications

New, Improved NSA Website and YOU

As Sharon indicated above, the Bridge has decided for many reasons that a new provider is required for our web site. In fact, this very newsletter is coming to you from that new provider! We hope you enjoy the new look, especially if you are reading this on your mobile device. As your VCs of Communication, Bill and I are providing here a few tips to make this transition as smooth as possible for our members.

  • Your Bridge has decided that the best time to officially switch to the new site is after the Lazy Days Cruise: Aug 21--during the eclipse. Any registrations or forums after the Lazy Day's Cruise will be conducted on the new site. 

  • For those curious, here is a link to the new site: https://neusesail.wildapricot.org. The site will be familiar to you and most of changes are very positive. Many answers to your first questions can be found under the Help menu and you can email us at our new address at info.neusesailingassociation@gmail.com.

  • Yes, bridge email addresses will be from gmail now.

  • Make sure to check your junk mail box in case our mail was accidentally directed there!  

  • We will send an email later describing the process of entering your ID (your email address) and password update. For those who can't wait, go to this help page to get an password reset. 

Bill and Susanne Lovelace
VC Communications 
s/v TRiO


Member News

Member News

Welcome to NSA's Youngest Sailor!

It's a girl! Meet Grace Marie Griffin, born on 8/4/17 at 12:28 AM, weighing in at 8 lbs 15 oz. Grace, and Mom, Becky Lillemoe Griffin and Dad, Paul Griffin, of s/v Bluemind  are all doing great!


Pamlico Community College Non-profit Leadership Breakfast

On May 23, Pamlico Community College sponsored a breakfast for leaders of all the non-profit organizations in Pamlico County and included the NSA in this group. The college has put together a list of more than 70 non-profit organizations in the county. Approximately 170 people attended the breakfast, including John Phillips and me to represent our club. All organizations participating were introduced, although unfortunately John and I had to leave before the introductions were complete.

We were pleased that the Neuse Sailing Association was recognized as part of the county’s non-profit group and received this invitation.

Sharon Stephenson

Anyone Interested in Taking Someone Sailing?

The club recently received an e-mail from someone who was trying to find a way to get her father back out sailing. Her father is is 82, “but capable” she notes. He now lives in a retirement community in Greenville, yet has an extensive sailing history on the Chesapeake Bay and beyond, as well as serving as a sailing and navigation instructor at various points in his lifetime. He is bored and misses the water. His daughter is hoping to find someone who will take the two of them out for a sail.

If anyone is interested in this service, you can contact his daughter at bethhelmsrealtor@gmail.com.

Thanks

Sharon Stephenson

Misto World Arc

Vanuatu: The Land of Volcanoes, Huge Smiles and Colorful History

Early in July we said goodbye to our friends on the World ARC as they departed for Australia. We decided right from the start to break our world circumnavigation in Vanuatu, before heading to New Caledonia and New Zealand. 

Vanuatu used to be called the New Hebrides before independence in 1980. Indeed that's the name shown on our paper charts!  The 83 islands nestle between Fiji and New Caledonia and have a unique and colorful history. Before the arrival of the missionaries in the late 1800's the tribes were in a state of constant warfare and cannibalism was practiced by the victors. Conversion to Christianity meant that these practices slowly subsided, although the last incident was reportedly around 1969.

Each island has a unique languageand customs but what is constant are the welcoming smiles and enthusiasm of the local people whenever you arrive in an anchorage. On the outer islands village life continues in much the same was as it has for hundreds of years. Homes are made of thatch and bamboo, cooking is over open fires, fishing uses traditional dug-out canoes and barter is more common that the use of money. Fruit and vegetables are easily cultivated in the rich soil and are freely shared with visitors and pigs roam around all the villages (they used to be used as currency and are still important for traditional festivals and events). Some highlights of the islands we visited:

Tanna - we visited the volcano and watched amazing natural firework displays as the eruptions threw magma into the night sky. 

Erromango - in Dillons Bay we experienced amazing hospitality as the villagers and the WARC boats participated in a pot luck meal. We intend to return to Dillons bay in a few days to take nails and hinges to David to help him construct a yacht club there.  

Efate - we watched fire walking in a traditional village and saw fire dancers perform at a local beach bar. 

Malekula - we attended a traditional canoe race and festival.  We feasted on local fare including lap lap where root vegetables are cut up, covered in coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked buried under hot stones, roast pig and many local fruits. We swam with dugongs, gentle sea cows.  In Norsup we did a cannibal tour and visited both Big Namba and Small Namba villages to see dancing and learn about their culture. 

If you want an amazing cultural experience in places that have not yet really entered the 21st Century then consider visiting Vanuatu. The sailing is great and anchorages abundant, but above all the people love having visitors arrive to call.

Ros and Howard Cheetham
s/v Misto


Remembrance

Dorothy's Last Sail

On July 9, new members Dave and Becky Roletter, s/v Stella Maris, left Beaufort Inlet on the Week-Long II Cruise to Bald Head Island just behind Steve Linke and Dorothy Stocks on s/v Marigot. Later, after Dorothy became seriously ill at Bald Head Island Marina and was hospitalized, Dave wrote this moving description of their ocean sail with Marigot, which turned out to be Dorothy’s last, in an email to the group. Dorothy died from complications of lung cancer on July 24. I’d like to thank all those who made the Bald Head trip and who came together in so many ways to help their fellow members in need –  Dave and Becky Roletter, Kay and Bruce Pratt, John Messer and Pat Thomaier, and Doug Bristol and Patti Kline.   
Carl Crothers
Vice Commodore/ Cruising


 Some of you have known Dorothy

and Steve much longer than we, but with the news of Dorothy's passing, I would really like to share our first experience with Steve, Dorothy and her brother Tom.

We of course only met them on this trip, but had such an enjoyable time, at dinner in particular, interacting with them. Out of Beaufort, they of course had made the decision to go on the outside to Banks Channel, and my first real introduction to them was communicating by radio with Dorothy. 

They were probably 30 min ahead of us, and reported back once out of the inlet.  We made visual contact as we emerged from the inlet, only to see them passionately attempting to sail South with very light wind conditions and challenging wind direction.  So, we moved together down the coast, sometimes at shorter distances apart from one another than at other times, as we slowed our engine and fumbled with fishing tackle aboard Stella Maris, and they aboard Marigot, unknown to us at the time, battled fuel filter issues. 

Very early that morning we had a group chat as we had discussed the night before. Later in the conversation they indicated they were planning to go outside, which surprised me a bit. The forecast had changed or was changing.  So, she and I talked about the various weather reports, and the sea state, and their decision inspired us to reconsider the inside plan, and give our original plan for an outside run, a strong second look.  In the end, we felt confident enough to join them and I communicated our intent to Dorothy by radio.

During the last two hours we received a wonderful gift of a freshening and more Easterly wind, and our two boats together had a beautiful sail into Masonboro Inlet. I radioed to them at the time to check in, “Hey, we both just received a gift of wind…..isn’t this wonderful, Over?”  We had some joyful exchanges by radio as our sails filled, our diesels fell silent,  and it was then that Steve began to educate us on the filter challenges they had encountered.  But also by then we doing what both boats were designed for – sail!

We arrived at Masonboro Inlet ahead of them.  We brought in our sails and turned on our steaming lights as the daylight had just started to weaken, but we were still within sight of one another.  As a skipper with a strong desire to continue to grow my experience of ocean sailing, particularly on our “new-to-us-boat”,  Dorothy and Steve were an inspiration, and Dorothy was the voice of this by radio much of the time.  It was further inspiring to finally meet them in person, only then realizing that Dorothy was not necessarily in the same state of health and strength as the rest of us, but her spirit certainly seemed strong enough.  And of course, over the course of our lovely group dinner together we got to know them just a little better, and gleaned more insight into these fun and interesting people. 

So, our introductory encounter with them was not only positive but now quite memorable, in fact they are now a part of our own memories and sailing story.  And, in hindsight, I really can’t help but wonder if this gift of wind that Becky and I rode Stella Maris on into Masonboro, was really intended for Marigot, and for Dorothy, and we were simply fortunate enough to both witness and share in it.  We may never know for sure, but as I think back, that is what it certainly feels like today.

Like many of you, we pray for them all as they continue to move through this very difficult time.


Dave and Becky Roletter

s/v Stella Maris

  You can view Dorothy Stocks’ obituary here. The time for the celebration service in the obit is incorrect. The service will be from 4-6 pm, Aug. 13.    


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