Gabriola Island Power & Sail Squadron

Why Take Our Boating Courses?

Boating is what we do. Canadian Power Squadrons exists to share with the boating public and those interested in boating, (even if they do not have a boat), the knowledge and experiences that will make leisure water activities the best they can be.

JOY IN BOATING

by Rufus Churcher, Public Relations Officer

It is remarkable that such an animal as the human ape gets so much pleasure from sailing and power boating. 'Just messing around in boats', as expressed by Kenneth Graham through Ratty in The Wind in the Willows, appeals to many who like to sail, motor, row or paddle for pleasure in all sorts of weather. Some like to boat in a home-made vessel and others like smart custom-built vessels. It does not matter what the cost in time and money may be for the boat, she will give the boater immense pleasure.

Boating in any form will bring experiences and skills with the pleasures. One can have the lift of seeing your home-made craft float and not leak. You know that all one's work has sufficient craftsmanship for the boat to be seaworthy - at least if it is properly designed and rigged. And soon some time on the water will begin to turn the novice into someone who begins to feel at home on the water. One learns how to handle oars or sheets or motors, and to know instinctively what movement to make to turn in a desired direction. The limits of speed when rowing or paddling are soon apparent, but are harder to understand when sailing, and sometimes difficult to resist when in a power boat.

A lovely sunny day with a calm sea invites the novice to enjoy a pleasant cruise, but a change in the weather can make the journey rough or even wet. Wind direction is less important when in a powered vessel, but a change to a head wind but can turn a gentle downwind sail into a series of tacks and lengthen the distance by 1.5 to 2 times. An experience of this sort teaches the sailor to assess the weather or consult the weather predictions. One soon learns that knowing what the wind, weather and sea surface will be like after one has set out will make the trip that much more enjoyable.

Where one is going becomes important as it is essential to go round land that is across one's track. One is limited in possible trips if what can be seen is all that there is. Some sort of map, or a proper marine chart, raises the possibilities as a trip may be planned around an island or to a further destination, perhaps for swimming or a picnic. Taking a course by way of reading the coast or shore when passing by and relating it to a map is known as conning, as in knowing where one is, from time to time. If notes of the trip are recorded in a book or the track of the boat is drawn on the chart, then a log of the trip and a plot of the track of the trip has been kept. This is one of the first steps in keeping a record of where and how the boat was operated.

A boater should take care not to run into or close to other boaters. It is a cardinal rule in seamanship to avoid collisions as, unlike on the road where an accident is a crash, on the water the collision may well result in sinking and loss of the boat. Always be watchful to see what other boaters are doing, especially those behind one and out of sight most of the time. And have the required safety gear (anchor, life jackets, bailers, oars or paddles, etc.) required for your boat - and of course the operator must have his Pleasure Craft Operators Card (The Card).

Remember, you get more fun, pleasure and joy from boating if one does not have an accident, has the gear needed; accidents can be held to a minimum if one behaves thoughtfully and sensibly.

Membership in the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons, of which Gabriola Island Squadron is one, brings many pleasurable advantages - Membership in a group of like-minded boaters with whom one can join in social events and who will be willing to help in solving problems in maintaining a boat or in planning cruises, or even what boat to purchase. Also available are classes, from simple introductory (Seamanship) to highly advanced (Celestial Navigation), given by enthusiastic and experienced instructors (costs are for materials only), on water cruises where the 'How To' aspects of cruising is demonstrated, all offered in a spirit of camaraderie. If desired, a member may participate in the squadron's affairs and administration, and if really enthusiastic, the member may advance through a series of offices and ranks within his own squadron, within groupings of squadrons, and to the National Organization.

These remarks just touch the surface of the possibilities available to a member in comradeship, social gatherings, and information and practice to an interested boater, both on shore and on the water. The Gabriola Island Power and Sail Squadron holds classes at all levels of pleasure boating. Contact Rufus Churcher ( Public Relations Officer) at [250] 247-8779 or Bob Weenks (Past Commander) at [250] 247- 0267 for further information.