Download and read the Waterlog for September 2010.

ASPS MEMBERS: Log in and click here for the full details, time and location.

Ahoy, me Hearties… Come enjoy some food and grog and a swashbuckling good time in the Pirate’s Realm. So secure yer vessels and come ashore to the Wrape’s house on the evening of Saturday, October 30.

Pirate or Wench attire is strongly URRRRGED! Show yer scury faces in other attire and ye be walkin’ the plank! Avast, there will be a treasure for the best costume! Ye scallywags will be bringing your own rum, wine, and the like and don’t forget your favorite pirate munch and we’ll be having enough food fit for any crew of Pirates! A DF will be spinnin’ the music! A donation of $10 per person is strongly urrrged. Ayyyy, ye scurvy dogs…. ye be havin’ a fun time or ye’ll walk the plank!

Members, watch the DR for more details about the time and directions.

Wedding Island: 34′12.9 N  84′00.6 W  Marker 5TM (Two Mile)

Come enjoy camp fire and sing along…. Shady Grove canceled their Blue Grass so we are gonna make our own Bring something to share – hang out all day or/and all night. We’ll be monitoring channels 16 & 68.

“The best management training I’ve ever received”  “Superb Instructor”  “Leadership Training Tailored to USPS’s situation and environment”  “If USPS had had this 15 years ago, we wouldn’t be in the condition we are today.” “How can I get our entire bridge into this?” “Outstanding!—No other way to describe it”  “This is the kind of leadership and help that we need from national—Thank you”

Saturday, 13 November 2010 – 0800 to 1600 – Atlanta GA
Hyatt Place Atlanta Buckhead
3242 Peachtree Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-869-6161

Rate is $79 per night plus tax.  No parking fees.

Complimentary continental breakfast

Hospitality Get-Together – 12 November 2010 – 1830

Sign-up for class and find hotel link via USPS Leadership Development website:
http://www.usps.org/national/ot/TransitionfromWarriortoChieftainAtlantaGA.htm

Most of you have already heard about the SAO/DAO training program.  In fact, many of you have already attended at Disney or one of the other cities.  In short, it’s arguably the best leadership training that USPS has ever offered, and feedback from attendees borders on the amazing.  Now we need your help in reaching out to encourage others in your squadrons and districts to attend.

The Atlanta course has just been finalized, and it’s in the cultural, shopping, entertainment, and restaurant center of Atlanta!

And best of all, it’s almost FREE!  The USPS education fund has agreed to pay the cost of the course (excluding hotel, etc.) for in-coming and sitting district and squadron administrative officers.  Other bridge and committee officers and members are encouraged to attend for $50/per student to help defray materials and printing costs.  A course like this on the outside would easily cost $800-$1500.

The future of USPS hangs on the ability of our incoming officers to provide the insight, leadership, and skill to manage our organization.  This course provides the foundation for that leadership.  Unlike most management courses that many of us attended, this course focuses on the unique environment of a volunteer organization, taught by professional, nationally recognized specialists in leadership training.  Please help get the word out, put it in your newsletter, and encourage your “up-and-coming” leaders to attend.

One final point, the national Leadership Development Committee is finalizing the XO/DXO course and will offer it next year, but the prerequisite for XO/DXO training is that a student MUST have completed the AO/DAO course to attend.

We look forward to meeting “all y’all” in Atlanta!

Barefoot Sailing Club, in conjunction with the Atlanta Sail and Power Squadron, is establishing the SECOND Tuesday of each month to be set aside for formal sailing and sail related training courses.

These courses are open to all Barefoot Sailing Club and Atlanta Sail and Power Squadron members at no cost, except for course materials.

The training classes will be held at the Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 Lavista Road, Tucker, Georgia, in classroom 7.  The Tucker Recreation Center is located approximately one mile east of I-285, adjacent to St. Anthony’s Church.

Class times will be from 7 PM until 9 PM.

Pre-registration is required for each course. Contact Margaret Sherrod for details on how to sign up.

The schedule of courses is:

November 9, 2010:        Basic Coastal Navigation

Today, electronics have radically changed navigation, but understanding the basics helps you gain confidence in your equipment and your own skills. You will learn practical techniques to plan, navigate, and check your progress on the water. You will develop situational awareness skills using your eyes and navigation tools to quickly point to your position on a chart, and be able to use backup techniques when the electronics become suspect. This seminar will help captain and crew navigate safely and comfortably. The student kit contains The Weekend Navigator.

December 14, 2010:    Onboard Weather Forecasting

While not a course in weather, this seminar explains how just using your own senses can help you determine what conditions you will encounter where you are. By all means, a forecast is important. It will tell you what weather systems are headed your way, but they are challenged to tell exactly where and when conditions will change. Add your own observations and you have an extra edge. Add a couple of instruments and you can verify your observations. The seminar explains weather systems, how to understand clouds and their changes, using changing wind direction, temperature, and pressure to hone in on emerging weather fronts. The seminar includes the Onboard Weather Forecasting waterproof Captain’s Quick Guide to take aboard your boat.