NWWB Notes: The Renton Sailing Ctr. Invites You to Enjoy Guest Speaker, Amanda Swan Neal, An Inspiring Woman on the Water, Wed. Mar. 24th on Zoom

Member Beth Frisken, who kindly helps us with Zoom for our meetings, is on the board of the Renton Sailing Center www.rentonsailing.org Their mission: Promote the sport of sailing in the community through classes, races, clinics and recreation sailing.Vision: Provide safe, accessible sailing for everyone in our community. 

The Renton Sailing Center would like to welcome you to their March Guest Speaker Presentation with Amanda Swan Neal! Wednesday March 24th, 2021 at 7 pm Pacific Daylight Time. For a Zoom link send an email requesting one to: info@rentonsailing.org

In 1990 Amanda completed The Whitbread Around the World Race (now The Volvo Race) as rigger aboard Maiden, the first all-women Whitbread boat. Please join us to hear what are sure to be inspirational stories from this experience, her lifelong career in sailing, and how we can encourage girls and women to get out on the water and thrive in the sailing community. 

Renton Sailing Center is a 100% volunteer driven community sailing center located at the south end of Lake Washington in Gene Coulon Park. We are affiliated with US Sailing and offer classes in Small Boat Sailing and Basic Keelboat certification as well as an annual center membership program for access to sailing a variety of boats, sailing mentorship and new sailing friends. 

Our center meetings are open to guests free of charge. If you enjoy this presentation and would like to support community sailing, please feel free to leave tips in the form of donations which can be made here. 

NWWB Notes…Caring about and engaging in things that inspire women all started for me when someone who was involved in such turned around and helped me to see the importance. Marilyn Michael

NWWB Zoom Meeting Mon. Mar. 15th 7pm Judy Nasmith, Providing Early Inspiration for Women On The Water in the Northwest.

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(Zoom link for the meeting will be available by Saturday. If you don’t receive one, send an email to nwwbviv@gmail.com requesting a link if you desire to attend)

There are a whole lot of you who have good memories of our presenter this coming Monday evening. Judy Nasmith is joining us. Apropos to a meeting of women boaters, Judy was the creator of an early signature event dedicated to women on the water in the Northwest. Many of you may remember attending, and even presenting at, her yearly Women’s Boating Seminars which ran for 20 years.   

We all have stories to tell about our evolution as women on the water. And, whether we feel so or not, each of our stories are filled with interesting tales to tell and can inspire other women. Judy’s started young.

The thread of Judy’s life started in South Africa. Her parents enjoyed lake sailing and at 6-years old she and her sister enjoyed a Sunfish onboard a dammed up lake near their home and at age 9, she got her first boat, a Dabchick sloop.

There wasn’t much boating after adolescence until she found herself a single mom in Dallas, TX and happened to see a Hobie Cat in a neighbor’s back yard. She ultimately bought a 16-footer and, once again, she was back on the water.

Drawn more seriously to boating, she decided to earn her Captain’s license.  A new husband and a Valiant 47 entered her life and in 1996 they moved to his hometown of Seattle living aboard the Valiant at Shilshole.

Judy kept active on the water. After a short stint skippering in the San Juans, she followed an interest in teaching and certified as an instructor through the International Sail and Power Association. 

With a background in sales, yacht brokering appealed to her. She’d often been the lone woman in boating activities, she was a rare woman skipper and even rarer as a woman in the boat brokerage business. She saw the need to reach out to women who were often taking up boating with their husbands and needed understanding and guidance. This was part of the reason for creating a yearly Women’s Boating Seminar, an event that inspired many women throughout the Northwest.

So, join us Monday and meet Judy, or come and reconnect if you were one of the lucky ones who attended her yearly seminars. She’s had an interesting evolution in boating and and lucky for Northwest women, a special interest in helping women drawn to the water..

NWWB Meeting on Zoom Monday, Feb. 15th 7pm Join Kam Boulle With Tales of Cruising the Intracoastal Waterway and Living the Cruising Life in the Bahamas

If you haven’t received a Zoom Link and desire to attend, request it by emailing nwwbviv@gmail.com.

Longtime member Kam Boulle found herself sailing the Intracoastal Waterway and spending three winter seasons from 2018 to 2020 onboard a Malö 40 in the Bahamas. She and her partner would fly back and spend a couple summer months in the Northwest leaving the boat in both Virginia and Maryland to avoid hurricane season.

Initially they planned to explore Alaska before heading down the west coast, but fate stepped in and they found their perfect boat in the Bahamas.

“We made a snap decision and spent the next 6 months clearing out houses. The new plan was to spend at least 4 years sailing; first in the Bahamas, then to Europe, and South America, etc. Being fairly spontaneous, we kept adapting to our circumstances. We never made it past the Bahama Archipelago and the east coast of the US. When COVID hit, there was quite a scramble among the cruisers from Canada and Europe. We decided to ship the boat back to the Pacific Northwest where we will eventually pick up the original plan for exploring.”

Kam has tons to share. Here are some of Vivian’s question, you may have more

“As an Armchair Traveler it’s an area of the world I am totally unfamiliar with so I would love to hear about the Bahama Archipelago, see where it is and what it looks like. I’m sure many of the gals would love to know how you went about cruising over there. Did it live up to your expectations? What foods you enjoyed and learned to cook? How were the snorkeling and water sports? Were the people welcoming to the cruisers visiting their islands?”

Kam’s Bio
Though not owning a boat herself, Kam was an early member of NWWB and active in numerous boating groups in the Northwest. In 2016 she spoke on our Seattle Boat Show panel as a non-boat owner but active sailor inspiring those women who didn’t own boats in ways of creating boating experiences for themselves. After a two decade hiatus from sailing, Kam had just stepped back on board for the fun and adventure that can be found on the water. Her earlier years were spent racing on a variety of boats and in almost every crew position. Most of her sailing had been in inland waterways and lakes, from sea level to 12,000 ft above sea level. Around the time of the panel, she met her partner at the Puget Sound Cruising Club.

NWWB Meeting Jan 18 7pm – You may request the ZOOM LINK at nwwbviv@gmail.com until 5pm tonight. Come enjoy learning about the Seattle Boat Show Connected.

George Harris, head of the Northwest Marine Trade Assoc. with share with us about the new Seattle Boat Show Connected. It’s a way to make a plan for getting the most from it. Those gals attending will receive a promo code for the $5 entrance level or to apply to another level.

NWWB Meeting Mon. Jan. 18 7pm – George Harris, Head of Northwest Marine Trade Assoc. will Introduce Us to the All New; All Virtual ‘Seattle Boat Show Connected’ – Learn About What’s Offered, How to Participate, What It Took to Put it Together, and How to Navigate the Virtual Show.

(***If you haven’t received, by Sunday, the post with the ZOOM LINK and notice about a special free show entry promo being offered to gals attending, email nwwbviv@gmail.com before noon on Monday.***)

It’s a new world on just about every level, especially participation in large crowd events like the January Seattle Boat Show. Many boat shows around the country just cancelled. The Northwest show is such an anticipated event, though, that the Northwest Marine Trade Association took on the challenge to bring you a virtual show.

George Harris, Director of the N.M.T.A., sponsors of the yearly shows, will be our guest. He will talk about taking on the challenge and what it took to create the show. We’ll learn what we can gain from it and how we can enjoy it in new ways

He’ll make sense of navigating the show and not missing elements we might enjoy but didn’t know about. This will offer you an opportunity to MAKE A PLAN for your participation in seminars and events that are scheduled over 4-days.

Relax with your snacks and lighten the learning curve for enjoying this large event online. Don’t miss a thing. Let’s all learn how to fully participate in a this unique and first ever virtual Northwest ‘Seattle Boat Show Connected’.

NWWB Meeting Mon. Jan. 18 7pm – George Harris, Head of Northwest Marine Trade Assoc. Will Introduce Us to the All New & All Virtual ‘Seattle Boat Show Connected’ – Learn About What’s Offered, How to Participate, What It Took to Put it Together, and How to Navigate the Virtual Show AND Receive a free link for the entry to the show at the $5. level or to apply to any other level.

www.seattleboatshow.com

It’s a new world on just about every level, especially participation in large crowd events like the January Seattle Boat Show. Many boat shows around the country just cancelled. The Northwest show is such an anticipated event, though, that the Northwest Marine Trade Association took on the challenge to bring you a virtual show.

George Harris, Director of the N.M.T.A., sponsors of the yearly shows, will be our guest. He will offer those attending a free $5 level entry to the show which can be applied to any other level.

He will talk about taking on the challenge and what it took to create the show. We’ll learn what we can gain from it and how we can enjoy it in new ways.

He’ll make sense of navigating the show and not missing elements we might enjoy but didn’t know about. This will offer you an opportunity to MAKE A PLAN for your participation in seminars and events that are scheduled over 4-days.

Relax with your snacks and lighten the learning curve for enjoying this large event online. Don’t miss a thing. Let’s all learn how to fully participate in a this unique and first ever virtual Northwest ‘Seattle Boat Show Connected’.

Keeping in Mind the MV Lotus When Considering Year-End Giving

We’ve enjoyed some lovely and lively potlucks yearly onboard the MV Lotus and hope one can happen again in 2021.

Merry Christmas! We hope you are staying safe, warm, and dry out there. There are just a couple weeks left in 2020 and we are all wishing for a much better 2021. Did you know that December is the most giving time of the year? You still have time to make a year-end donation that will help Lotus pull through the challenging finish line of the pandemic and start 2021 with the means to move ahead. If you feel like you are seeing a lot of fundraising messages from Lotus all of a sudden, you aren’t wrong! We do not normally rely on direct fundraising requests for our operating revenue. In normal years, we keep Lotus afloat and maintained with income from our lodging, events, teas, and tours. But 2020, as you have probably noticed in your own lives, has been a little different! We have only brought in a quarter of our usual revenue… not nearly enough. We very much appreciate the generosity so many of you have shown us in these difficult times… and hope you bear with us a little longer, until we can get back to normal. All donors making contributions in December will be invited to a special “donor-only” tour of M/V Lotus in summer of 2021 if and when we are allowed to open the old girl up again! And don’t forget, all your donations to 501(c)(3) organizations up to a total of $300 for the year may be deducted from income on 2020 taxes, even if you do not itemize!

Make Sure Santa Doesn’t Put Coal in Your Stocking… Donate Now!

Thank you and we hope to see you on board Lotus sometimes in 2021!

Thank you! From the all-volunteer crew of the M/V Lotus Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donations are welcome at any time!

Lotus is also a participant in the Amazon Smile program, which allows you to earmark a non-profit organization for donations from every purchase you make at Amazon… at no cost to you! Please consider making the M/V Lotus Foundation your designated recipient today.

NWWB Meeting Mon. Dec. 21 7pm Tami Allen On How Boaters Can Prepare For Roles They Might Play as Lifelines When Major Disasters Occur

Zoom link will arrive later in the week, if you haven’t received it by the Sunday Dec. 20th, email a request to nwwbviv@gmail.com. Meeting starts at 7pm.

We are excited to welcome Tami Allen from Bainbridge Island. Tami is bringing us important information about the roles we as boaters could possibly play in major emergencies.

Tami created the Bainbridge Island (Bravo India) Emergency Flotilla. The concept of a flotilla of private boats that could be used to help in disasters came to her after she found herself living aboard in Moss Landing California during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. She’s worked with boaters during the oil spill response in Louisiana. Her goal is to bring local boaters into emergency preparedness preparation and response water operations. The Bainbridge Island Emergency Flotilla is unique in the Northwest and Tami would like to play a role in seeing the concept expand.

Some examples of flotillas have been boaters helping to transport those stranded in Manhattan after 911, transporting residents from roof tops after Katrina , and even escaping wildfires in Australia. Tami’s goal in the Pacific Northwest is to include boaters in the emergency operations in their communities well ahead of an event. Tami believes that boaters will often respond in time of need.  As a flotilla, they could be included in the planning stages with their local police, fire, and their local Emergency Operations Center.

(Note from Marilyn: If you are available I encourage you to catch this meeting. Hearing Tami explain about the role boats can play in disasters, a light bulb went on…with our potential for a major earthquake in the Northwest, boat owners who’ve thought ahead and who are prepared could be lifelines. In the case of the Bainbridge Island Flotilla, these boat may be the only way off the Island in an emergency situation.)

Tami has served on Bainbridge Island as the City’s harbormaster for the past 20 years.  When she isn’t working on police boats, she serves on the spill response team for the state of Washington.

She has cruised in Mexico, Canada and Cuba. With her 100 T Master, Mate and AB she owned a charter business in PNW for the past decade with her 50’ gaff cutter “Lille Danser”, worked as a Seaman on the Washington State Ferries, continues to sail on her 15-foot West Wight Potter and looks forward to a future charter trip with the LOL (Little Old Ladies) sailing group to Croatia. Off the water, Tami plays fiddle with her partner/wife Claudette in their band WHOZYAMAMA.

Links offered by Tami:

Short documentary “Boatlift”. https://youtu.be/18lsxFcDrjo  (AKA Cajun Navy, Dunkirk, Boston response)

Bainbridge Flotilla drill: http://archive.kitsapsun.com/news/local/in-emergency-bi-will-have-to-ferry-in-emergency-workers-ep-422085919-358617651.html

Bainbridge Prepares: https://bainbridgeprepares.org/teams/

Geographic Response Plan: https://youtu.be/ZbsFGdtRTdI

FEMA basics for flotilla members: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-700.b

Nixle:  From any phone, 888777, then enter your zip code. (enables local police or emergency managers to send you a message to your phone in the case of emergencies.)

NWWB Note: Coast Guard Plea to Paddle Craft Owners

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard and its Washington and Oregon boating safety agency partners urge the labeling of paddle craft and owner responsibility on the waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Reports of unmanned and adrift paddle craft divert federal, state and local response boat and air crews on hundreds of dangerous and costly searches that turn out to be false alarms. Since 2016, 13^th Coast Guard District aircraft and vessels have launched on 746 individual cases of vessel reported capsized and adrift.

All were unmanned and adrift, not resulting in an actual distress. Each case represents a minimum cost of approximately $40,000 to the taxpayers to respond and conduct searches for possible persons in the water. For the 13^th District, this accounts for an operational cost of approximately $29,840,000.00. 

The Coast Guard treats every distress call and report of an unmanned paddle craft as if a real life is at stake.

“Unmanned adrift vessel search and rescue responses are the No. 4 response activity in the Coast Guard nationwide,” said Dan Shipman, recreational boating program specialist for the 13^th District. “By properly securing your small craft, on the beach, dock or your vessel from being set adrift, you’re not only saving taxpayers’ dollars, you are helping protect your property, the environment and possibly the life of someone who is actually in need of  assistance.”

The Coast Guard urges the public to do the following three things:

Help us help you find your kayak. Mark It!  Take responsibility for your paddle craft by labeling with an ‘If Found’ sticker. This label allows responders to confirm if someone is actually in trouble and collect information to help search efforts.

Take responsibility for recovering your paddle craft. Unmanned and adrift kayaks, canoes, dinghies and rowboats often cause hazards to navigation in the waterway and increase the level of risk and fatigue on response crews tasked to find the owners associated with the unmanned paddle craft.

Do your part to prevent false alarms. First responders deployed in search of unmanned paddle craft divert resources away from actual lives in distress.

For more information on paddle craft labeling, contact your local Coast Guard Auxiliary and visit iffoundsticker@d13cgaux.net  to get free “If Found” stickers to help label your paddle craft.

To get a free vessel safety check – “I want a vessel safety check”- go to http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=V-DEPT&category=i-want-a-vsc.

Let’s pull together to paddle smart and paddle responsibly. 

Public Service Announcement – “Stop the search. Mark It!” – Washington-area radio stations:https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/64603/paddle-smart-psa-stop-search-mark-seattle-radio-stations

Public Service Announcement – Stop the search. Mark It!” – Oregon-area radio stations:https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/64604/paddle-smart-psa-stop-search-mark-oregon-radio-stations

-USCG-