Alouette Hailer

The 2006 CPS Conference was held last month in Vancouver, at the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel. Jerry Powers, Chair of the 2006 Conference Committee thanked Pacific Mainland District and the members of the Squadrons for there financial support. For those who were able to attend either some or all of the Conference events, it was agreed that all were successful. Attendance was in the 340 to 350 range.

There are 538 students register in the Fall Boating Course compared to 552 in the fall of 2005 in the Pacific Mainland District.

Environment Canada will be changing the weather forecast format slightly in the spring. The major change will take place is, "Small Craft Warning" will be replaced with "Strong Wind Warning". This is already included in the latest version of the Safe Boating Guide. They are also standardizing the format of the broadcasts across the country. There will be a CD for the Fundamentals of Weather in the near future.

There will be a CD coming out for the Boating Course which will include the cruises and power point. Pass mark for the Boating Course is now 75%.

Maritime Radio will be offered over Distance Education by Sheridan College in the near future. They will still need a local RE to do the exam.

HQ expects to have a web based administration system in place by September 2007. Students will be able to register for courses and pay on line-HQ will credit the Squadrons with any funds received less the charges for the system.

The Curriculum committee has approved some courses by other providers to allow membership into GPS. If you get questions refer to the web-site. If the equivalency is not listed then it will take a little longer to as there will have to be an evaluation done.

The Annual Salmon Barbecue was a great success again this year. Over 50 people attended and from all reports, the food and the fun overcame the rainy weather and everyone had a super time. Thanks to the members who provided transportation to Christian Cove for those who needed a ride. Thanks also to the past and present owners of Christian Cove Resort, Ran and Ellie, Paul and Carol, for providing indoor space for us to carry on our barbecue out of the rain.

Our October Social was both entertaining and educational. Ann Clark from the RCMP did an excellent presentation on the "Coastal Watch" program. Her main point was, if you see or hear anything on the water or on the dock, which seems suspicious, or out of place, call the Coastal Watch at 1-888-855-6655, and let them figure out if it's something that needs investigating.

Our next social will be held on December 1 in the lounge at the ECRA Centre at 1800 hrs. Once again, it will be a Christmas Potluck Dinner. Bring your special dish and join in the festivities! There will again be guest speakers, a husband and wife team speaking on "Nine Years on the Seven Seas." Also, don't forget to sign in at the door as we will have some great door prizes. Mark Vanderwal, our 50/50 Draw Man, will again be selling tickets during the cocktail hour. Your odds are better than the 6/49 so watch for Mark with his roll of tickets!

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration is coming up quickly (June 1st, 2007) The Social Committee is still recruiting members to help with both the planning and doing the work to make this special event a smashing success. If you would like to join the committee, look for the sign up sheet at our Christmas Potluck, or call Peggy at 604-462-9440.

Well it is that time of year again, Christmas parties, shopping etc. So why not start your celebrations off with a Christmas Social Pot Luck dinner with the Alouette Squadron.

We have Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland, shown below on their sailing vessel Nor Siglar. They will be giving a talk and showing slides about their 9 year adventures on the 7 seas. I have included a flyer in the Hailer giving a little history of the two. I think this will be a very interesting show.

Christmas Pot Luck dinner to be held December 1st. Doors open at 6:00 pm for cocktails and dinner at 7:30. Start your Christmas celebrations off right and bring along your favourite dish and join us for the fun. Please also bring an item for the food bank.

You should also take note that it is the 50^th Anniversary of the Alouette Power and Sail Squadron in 2007 and things are afoot and we need volunteers to make it the great celebration it should be.

The Fall Boating Class is over the half way mark and going strong. T.V.M.D.C. is second nature and 60D St is just part of their vocabulary now. The biggest hurdle seemed to be accepting the fact that their fix was so far off their course line. But that’s all behind us now and after a few more cruises, they’ll be well on their way to successfully completing the course.

This class was the first to challenge the new course material, and National C.P.S. has stipulated that the passing mark is now 75% from the previous 80%. This should not be a problem as the average pass is usually well over the 80% mark Actually it was more of a challenge for the instructors to present the new format, but with the addition of the computers, some instructors are adding videos of their personal boating experiences to the presentations making them fun to do, and more relative for the class.

This Spring we plan to present a Piloting Course and Weather Fundamentals, two courses to really enhance coastal cruising. This is a good time to upgrade the skills and equipment wish list for next year’s cruising. The VHF courses should be commencing soon. Contact me, at 604 790 2550 or Lorena Bradey at 604 463 9258 for enrolment.

Just a note, that this month, Environment Canada will be reclassifying a "Small Craft Warning". It will now be known as a "Strong Wind" (20 -33 Kts)

I’m sure that most boats are tucked away for the winter, getting ready for the winter projects. Just remember, it’s most important to keep the moisture out of the boat while it’s sitting idle. It makes Spring cleanup so much easier.

Unfortunately due to the season and the weather there are no plans for any cruises. The last one that Anne and I were on was fantastic even though it was by camper. We visited some of the spots that we have done with the boat like Rebecca Spit, Campbell River, Nanaimo, Sidney etc. Took some wonderful photos and had a fantastic time, maybe next year we could set something up for a land cruise during winter lay-up. The two photos are that of Rebecca Spit and the anchorage Drew Harbour where we have anchored.

Click on picture for larger image
Drew Harbour	end of Rebecca Spit

At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they quit their secure jobs in order to fulfill a lifelong dream. Between 1991 and 2000, they traveled 56,000 nautical miles on their sailboat, Nor Siglar, a distance equivalent to more than twice around the world at the equator.

Their amazing offshore adventure, which began in Vancouver, took them to 76 countries and island nations, where they met lots of interesting people from different backgrounds, cultures and religions, and where they had many exciting and touching experiences, while also encountering dramatic and dangerous challenges.