SPLASH! States Power Squadrons. Port Huron Sail and Power Squadron. Cdr Michael Nall, AP. Cdr Michael W. Nall, AP,

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1 SPLASH! United States Power Squadrons Port Huron Sail and Power Squadron A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE January, 2016 It has been an honor and a privilege to have served as your commander for the last two years. I don t know where the time went. I would like to thank all of the members for all the help this year and last. You the members are what make the Squadron what it is. We have a full Bridge this year please plan on attending the Change of Watch this year. See the notice in the Splash for the details and continue your support with the incoming Bridge. We have met so many wonderful people at the other squadrons while attending the spring and fall and National conferences, their change of watches, and other outings. This is a great organization. For all of the work it does for boating safety and education. We truly make a difference with our vessel safety checks and classes. Please take the opportunity to spread the word about us. And let people know what we do. Invite them to one of our meetings or to a squadron activity. Cdr Michael Nall, AP We are going to cancel the Second Sunday Pot Luck at the Squadron for a while since we have many of our members in the warmer climates this time of year. We will start them up when we have more people to attend them. Inside this issue: Executive Officer 2 Education Officer 3 Safety Report 4 Come for the Boating Education Stay for the Friends Cdr Michael W. Nall, AP, Change of Watch 5 Announcements 6 Calendar 7 Next General Meeting 8

2 Page Splash 2! Page 2 SPLASH! Lt/C Donald H. Mortimer Executive Officer Wow, 2016 already. I hope each and everyone of you had a great Holiday Season. As time goes by I see many changes in how we celebrate. It seems that it was only yesterday that our children where the stars of our activities. Now it is the great grand children. I am sure others of you have had the same experience. As we enter this New Year of 2016 I hope it will be happy and healthy for all. As we age we start to realize we have to do more than just hope. We have to take some actions to insure as much as possible that it is a happy and healthy new year. I feel we must also take some actions to help insure that the United States Power Squadrons and our unit the Port Huron Sail and Power Squadron have a great We can get started by attending our 72 nd Change of Watch at the Dorsey House on January 26. Remember, your family and friends are welcome. Our first General Meeting of this year will have a new location since the Maritime Center is closed until March. We decided to add some extra fellowship by having the meeting at a local restaurant. More information will follow. This is just a start for the year. Please attend and support all of our activities. This way 2016 will be as, Frank Sinatra sang, it's very good year, for our Squadron. Happy New Year Come for the Boating Education... Stay for the friends Lt/C Donald H. Mortimer Pollock Randall Funeral Home Inc. 910 Lapeer Avenue 1200 Michigan Avenue Port Huron, MI Marysville, MI (810) (810) Fax (810) Fax (810) Pollockrandallfuneralhome.com

3 v Splash! Page 3 Lt/C Richard A. Haas, AP Educational Officer I hope all had a great Christmas. The Boat U.S. Magazine from November 2015 had an article on nine (9) different apps for IOS and Android devices. Some are free. These include: co Dockwa This allows you to book slips, moorings and dock space from your phone or puter. Available for iphone & Android. Free. Dockwa.com Navionics Provides HD soundings to your phone or tablet provided your sonar has Wi-Fi. Available for iphone & Android. Free. Go Free Hooked This app is for anglers that allow you to merge your navigation data with your catch data. It is only available for the iphone 5 and is available through the itunes Store. Boaters Pocket Reference Contains information of many different aspects of boating. A handy go to source. It is only available for the iphone and is available through the itunes Store. $4.99. iexit A trailer boating app that will provide information you may need to get to distant launching locations. Provides information on fuel, lodging, and restaurants. Available for iphone & Android. Free. iexitapp.com Ship Finder Allows you to track AIS equipped vessels and gives you all the information on thr vessel. Available for iphone & Android. $ Boat U.S. App Lets you view weather, tide tables among other Boat U.S. services. Available for iphone & Android. Free. Boat Ramp Provides information on all the boat ramps available based on your current location. Also gives driving directions. Available for iphone & Android. Free. takemefishing.org Radar Now Gives you the current weather and what you as a boater is likely to see. Available for iphone & Android. Free for basic app. $5.99 for the premium version. ifishing Lite This app is a fishing simulator for the times you can t get out. Available for iphone & Android. Free. I wish all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Lt/C Richard A. Haas, AP

4 Splash! Page 4 Safety Report Marine Battery Saver From BoatSafe.com Thanks to Colin Foster for sharing this article with our viewers. Colin lives aboard the 71' motorsailer "Yandina". You can find additional information at Capt. Matt This is an empirical article based on 10 years of cruising experience, with no technical verification. WARNING: if you are not competent in 12 volt marine wiring practices you should have a professional installer perform this installation. The deep cycle batteries or battery banks usually found in cruising boats were designed for deep cycling. This may seem rather obvious but it turns out that if you don't deep cycle them you can destroy them. This is no problem when you are cruising away from shore power but for those long stays at the dock you need to take protective measures. With a battery charger maintaining a constant voltage, those intermittent loads such as flushing a toilet or running a water pump take just a tiny charge off the top of the battery capacity which is replaced in a few minutes by the charger. This short cycle, always at the same place on the battery plates, can produce a layer which can materially reduce the capacity of your expensive battery bank and shorten its life drastically. There are two solutions. One is to turn off your charger until the bank is about 20% discharged so that the battery is not short cycling at the same spot. This has the problem of remembering to turn it back on and also that you are using up the cycle life of your expensive battery bank. A much better solution is to completely disconnect the battery bank from your system and replace it with a regular automotive starting battery. These batteries are designed to operate in this manner and one small battery is adequate for supporting those intermittent 12 volt loads with the help of the on line charger. Now days you can purchase one for about $30.00 with a 3 to 5 year life guarantee. You probably are voiding the warranty by using it on a boat but you will be getting a battery that will support the load for many years at minimal cost. Marine supply stores sell an economical single-pole battery switch that makes the changeover simple. Put one in series with the battery being isolated so it can be disconnected. Leave the cheapo 12 volt in circuit all the time - it adds a little extra capacity. If your (now) isolated house battery is of the maintenance free type, it can be left idle for long periods with no significant loss of life but you should put them back on charge once or twice a year to keep them ready. If they are the lead-acid type, you will need to check the voltage more often. Respectfully yours, P/C Mark S. Krainbrink, AP

5 Splash! Page 5 Port Huron Sail and Power Squadron Requests the pleasure of your company at the 72nd Change of Watch In honor of Commander-Elect Donald H. Mortimer, P On Tuesday, January 26, 2016 The Dorsey House 6008 Beard Road, Clyde, MI (810) thedorseyhouse.com Commander s Reception 6:00 PM Buffet Style Dinner & Change of Watch 7:00 PM Cost $30.00 per person Cash Bar USPS Blazer or Other Appropriate Attire Guests Cordially Invited Please return your RSVP by January 17, 2016 P/C Dennis M. Raetzel, AP 3145 East Village Lane, Port Huron, MI ; dmraetzel@sbcglobal.net

6 Splash! Page 6 Announcements United States Power Squadrons Port Huron Squadron Is Offering USPS America's Boating Course A basic boating safety class designed to familiarize the student with the fundamentals of safe boating and qualify for certification in most states that require boating education before operating a watercraft. Course includes an introduction to Boating, Boating Law, Boat Safety Equipment, and Safe Boating. Course is six (6) weeks long and requires passing an endof-course test. The class meets for six consecutive Thursdays starting 4 February 2016, two hours per night from 7:00 to 9:00pm. The first night of class starts at 6:30pm for registration and class materials distribution Cost is $40.00 per student Additional Family Members $5.00 For re-registration call Bob Mattson at Or Dick Haas at dhaasphps@comcast.net This picture from the November General Membership Awards Ceremony was incorrectly identified. Here Pete Jones and Richard Haas are receiving the Keith E. Brooks Educational Award for excellent educational services to the squadron. Congratulations!

7 Splash! Page 7 Page 9 Squadron Calendar January January Junior Navigation class starts 6:30pm PHSPS Headquarters 12 January Executive Committee Mtg. 7:00pm PHSPS Headquarters 13 January Seamanship class starts 6:30pm PHSPS headquarters 17 January Toronto Boat Show Bus Trip all day With Sarnia Power Squadron 26 January Change of Watch 6:30-11:00pm Maritime Center Still time to RSVP. See flyer on page 6. February February Executive Committee Mtg 7:00pm PHSPS Headquarters 23 February General Membership Mtg. 7:30pm* Chinalite Restaurant Fort Gratiot NO SECOND SUNDAY POT LUCK DINNERS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Please attend the general membership Meetings to keep up with our squadron information. * Social (Half) Hour starting at 7:00pm precedes the General Membership Meeting. All PHSPS General Membership Meetings are held at the Maritime Center Vantage Point, Water St at the St Clair River, Port Huron, Michigan, 48060, unless otherwise designated. Your 2016 Flag Officers (effective Jan 26, 2016). Commander CDR Don Mortimer dmort4929@att.net Executive Officer Lt/C Wayne Hastings lwhastings@yahoo.com SEO Lt/C Richard Haas, AP dhaasphps@comcast.net Treasurer P/C Robert Frohm, AP bob@fkbrpc.com Asst Secretary Lt/C Mary Twiss, S mary@pridetrucking.com

8 SPLASH! 619 River St Port Huron, MI United States Power Squadrons Port Huron Sail and Power Squadron 619 River Street Port Huron, Michigan Change of Watch Tuesday, January 26, 2016 Dorsey House Restaurant 6008 Beard Rd, Clyde Twp. 6:00pm 7:00pm Commander s Reception Dinner and Change of Watch