Category Archives: Canadian Power and Sail Squadron

May19

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #31

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #31

NO SAIL PAST THIS YEAR?

NO PROBLEM…

   WELCOME To The SCYC DRIVE PAST 2020

You will recall last year’s Sail Past when husband was the Commodore of their local yacht club. (Refer to May 20, 2019 in the archives on the Blog Roll) TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #28 (SCHOONER COVE YACHT CLUB’S NON-TRADITIONAL SAIL PAST 2019) Last year(due to gale force winds) the members manned their boats tied up to the dock and toasted the COMMODORE (husband), as he was ferried past their sterns in a dinghy, waving his SCYC burgee. This year, the club could not even assemble on the docks for their Sail Past Ceremony, as gatherings that size are prohibited … Read the rest

May4

TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #30

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TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #30

HUSBAND’S DREAM BOAT SHOW

(IN MIAMI, OF COURSE!)

Normally when couples rent a beach house in Florida for the month of February, it’s to escape to the sunshine and relaxation on the beaches. This didn’t seem to materialize for husband this year. No, he had a nefarious scheme planned, ahead of time, that would ensure he had a full-on day at the MIAMI BOAT SHOW. How, you might ask, did he manage to make that happen?

Well, for starters, the happy little vacationers had set up for a 33 day stay in a Beach House in the St. Petersburg area. Husband had already scoped out the MIAMI BOAT SHOW, knowing that the last day of the event would be … Read the rest

May20

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #28

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #28

SCHOONER COVE YACHT CLUB’S

NON-TRADITIONAL SAIL PAST 2019

It is the beginning of May and Yacht Clubs all over the Pacific NW are celebrating their opening day of the boating season with a dignified Sail Past ceremony. Schooner Cove Yacht Club, located in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, had such a day planned for their membership. Now if you recall from reading other Prairie Girl Learns to Sail posts and previous COCKPIT CONFESSION stories, Prairie Girl’s husband became Commodore of the SCYC in November, 2018. Of course, the Sail Past is something that all members and guests love to participate in with the dock ceremony and the parade of boats sailing past to salute the Commodore and the Commander of … Read the rest

Feb6

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES#25

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES#25

NEW BOAT DILEMMA

For those of you who follow my Prairie Girl Learns to Sail posts, you will know that husband recently decided that their 28 foot Catalina (the TwoCan) just wasn’t adequate anymore and became the proud owner of a 35 foot Beneteau (the TwoCanXL). And if you read my blog (Prairie Girl Series #23-Dec. 2, 2018), you will also know that Prairie Girl is somewhat challenged in the sailing skills department. This is noted in the author page of her book, WHO’S the CAPTAIN? that states:

“MARY LAUDIEN (alias PRAIRE GIRL) is a fair weather sailor (better known as a cruiser). She has never taken a sailing lesson or a power squadron/VHF Radio

… Read the rest
Dec2

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #23

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #23

HUSBAND TRADES UP TO A TwoCan XL

It’s hard to believe when they visit the marina where husband and Prairie Girl moored their TwoCan, that it is not their sailboat any longer. How is this possible, you ask? Well, dear readers, read on…

It all started last summer when husband and Prairie Girl attended their first CATALINA RENDEZVOUS. They had a great time chatting with the other Catalina boat owners and having opportunities to board those boats of interest. Of course, the 28 foot TwoCan was one of the smallest boats in attendance. It quickly became obvious to Prairie Girl that a BIGGER BOAT for husband would be forthcoming.

After touring all the beautiful 36+ foot yachts… Read the rest

May30

TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #20

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TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #20

A FISHY START to the BOATING SEASON’S

OPENING DAY

May 6th was the official start to the BOATING SEASON for our Yacht Club.  Members spent days ahead of the event with haul outs to power wash their boats, scrub the hull and paint the bottoms, finishing off with the onerous process of waxing and buffing.  Prairie Girl, in the past, had never shared in this part of the boat prep. Of course, it didn’t help that husband kept making bookings and cancelling them. (Apparently the forecast was for rain… which, she might add, did NOT materialize on the second booking!).

 

However, the real glitch in the booking process ended up being the timing.  Of course, the pull-out’s 3rd … Read the rest

Apr17

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #19

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #19

PRIMED FOR SAILING SEASON

How did it happen to be mid-April already?   Some of Prairie Girl’s and husband’s friends already had their boats hauled out in March and have them in tip top shape, ready to sail when the weather clears up. They’ll be out on the water in a flash.

Not so for this sailor and her Captain. They’ve actually cancelled their haul- out twice now, believing they didn’t have a good weather window. Wrong! The sun shone after the morning showers and husband freaked out that he had let his coveted haul-out spot go. When will it possibly get done with the many Yacht Club executive meetings and regattas (He is a Vice Commodore, after all…) and … Read the rest

Jan30

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

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TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

PRAIRIE GIRL’S CAPTAIN IS VICE COMMODORE!

Not only did they join the yacht club, but also through questionable circumstances, husband was voted in (by acclamation) at the Yacht Club’s annual meeting! You’re shaking your head at this point, knowing that he probably has the smallest yacht in the club and sails less than anyone else. To affirm your suspicions, just review the Prairie Girl Post #15 – WILL THEY EVER SAIL AGAIN?

In the early fall, husband was called by the Past Commodore to ask whether he would consider letting his name stand for the Yacht Club’s Executive Team. Husband, now retired 9 months, didn’t have his work excuse to fall back on, now did he? So he cautiously … Read the rest

Oct22

TENDER TUESDAYS

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TENDER TUESDAYS

PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #17

PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN PAN

CALL:  Duchess of the Seas (1 to 3X) (named after their dog)   This is TwoCan   Over

Reply: TwoCan   This is Duchess of the Seas   Go to Channel six eight   Over

Response:   Duchess of the Seas    This is TwoCan  Roger six eight  Out

After switching to the working channel six eight:

Establish Contact:     TwoCan   This is Duchess of the Seas   Over

(To be continued at the end of this post. You know you want to read the final portion of this transmission!)

Sounds simple, right? You’d think a former principal who was relaying information to staff and students daily over the PA SYSTEM would not find using the boat’s VHF/DSC radio … Read the rest