Going Around In Circles?

A few years ago, having left Victoria BC on a beautiful clear morning, we were just clearing Baynes Channel via Plumper Passage into Haro Strait when, suddenly, we ran smack dab into pea-soup fog. A trawler just ahead of us, which we were comfortably following, quickly disappeared into the fog. Seemingly alone, we continued on, somewhat nervously, heading north for Sydney, trusting our radar, following the contour lines on our fathometer, and with June up on the bow, listening intently (until the cold fog simply froze her back inside) for any sounds.

Soon a tug came on the radio saying that he was just north of us and had made us and another vessel on his radar, cautioning us that he was towing a log raft. (And that's another whole story for a later blog posting!) Giving him our position, he wondered who the other vessel was that was "making dough-nuts" out there in the Strait.

Going round in circles - - not uncommon in such circumstances. But why circles?

An article published August 21st in the TG Daily (with thanks to Captain Mike Harlick for passing this on to me) gives some help.

Tubingen, Germany — People really do walk in circles when they're lost, and it's not because their legs are different lengths.

That's the conclusion of scientists in the Multisensory Perception and Action Group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics.

They dumped people in either in the Sahara desert or the Bienwald forest in Germany and set them walking "for several hours", following them via GPS and probably cackling with glee.

As long as the sun or moon was visible, the participants were able to keep a straight path. But a cloudy day foxed them completely, and they started to walk in circles without even noticing it.

"One explanation offered in the past for walking in circles is that most people have one leg longer or stronger than the other, which would produce a systematic bias in one direction," said one of the authors, Jan Souman. "To test this explanation, we instructed people to walk straight while blindfolded, thus removing the effects of vision. Most of the participants in the study walked in circles, sometimes in extremely small ones (diameter less than 20 metres)."

The leg-length theory was exploded by the fact that the circles were rarely in a systematic direction, with the same person sometimes turning left, sometimes right.

"Small random errors in the various sensory signals that provide information about walking direction add up over time, making what a person perceives to be straight ahead drift away from the true straight ahead direction," according to Souman.

The guys haven't finished yet. In future research, they plan to examine the even more bewildering question of how people use the sun and other cues such as tall buildings to guide their walking direction.

This sounds rather less unpleasant for their volunteers, as they get to use state-of-the-art virtual reality kit, including a cool, new omnidirectional treadmill.

The study is published today in Current Biology.

So, are we any wiser? Or are we still going around in circles. Your call.

An Open Letter

An often non-nautical bit of relaxed musing, from the aft deck.

To President Barach Obama, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Representative Jay Inslee.

I write from a level of frustration at the current debate for health care reform in our country. I do not think that I am alone in having great difficulty trying to track the progress, setbacks, design changes, charges and counter-charges, and political maneuverings surrounding this whole lengthy conversation.

I find it difficult to parse the various options to find in them any responsible and universal health care for all who call the United States home. A stranger might well wonder, “What on earth are they talking about?” For me, what we should be engaged in is a conversation that ensures care for all as a given reality, not just as an affordable option; a conversation that takes the burden off employers (and employment) as a conduit for health care coverage and places it within the public realm; a conversation that is not driven by corporate profits, their lobbyists, their beholders within and without the halls of Congress, but the responsible work of those who represent the common person; a conversation that recognizes human worth and dignity as the character of all our citizens, not simply as pawns in a marketing model or political or partisan strategy.

The current level of conversation, if one can even call it that, with its lie, distortion, fear-mongering, and vitriolic tongue is hardly what one could example as a First Amendment right. To hear the cry “socialism” is to re-hear the accusation “communism” of a few decades ago. And perhaps we need to again learn about neighbor and mutual responsibility and what that means in today’s world. I drive Interstate highways, I call 911, I pay school levies, my taxes fund agricultural subsidies, I pledge to my church’s outreach programs, I get my monthly Social Security check, I am on Medicare. Perhaps this and more could be seen as socialism?

I am very concerned where all this current conversation will end. I am deeply concerned that those who live on our margins, those who are disenfranchised, those of all ages who are vulnerable, will be bypassed and again ignored and forgotten.

A mark of a true democracy is how it treats those who do not have power, not by how many become powerful. The ultimate conversation around health care is a conversation about justice, about being able to live with dignity and security.

The art of politics is the making of the probable possible. I ask that you do all in your power and with all your skill to make health care for all, not just a possibility, but a reality!

Thank you.

E. Michael Jackson

Most boaters that I know quite naturally not only have concern for other boaters, but in so many instances are active in expressing this concern, e.g., keeping an eye on absentee vessels, offering tows, sharing cruising knowledge, you know what I mean. This blog posting (which you may or may not support) is written in that same concern for others in mind and with that old boater's candor.

Anchors Are For . . . . .

Not so long ago a fellow marina neighbor had his ground tackle laid out on the dock, cleaning the chain rode and then planning to re-mark the chain in 10' lengths. We had talked about using a white or bright orange blaze (sprayed Rustolium paint works very well). Said neighbor decided to leave all this ground tackle on the dock as he headed out for a three day cruise to the south Sound.

Wrong.

Sure he was not planning to anchor - - there are great moorages in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Olympia. But that's not the issue.

Some years ago we had exited the locks and just cleared the West Point buoy, making for the Bell Harbor Marina in downtown Seattle's waterfront. The sea was choppy, the sun bright and reflecting off the water back at us. A bit breezy, so with the reflection we had slowed down to about 5 knots. Suddenly the starboard engine shuddered and stopped, then the port engine. A quick shift into neutral, both engines restarted, but when engaged quickly shut down again. Trouble. Something had probably fouled the props.

Now adrift the wind was pushing us towards the shoal Magnolia Bluffs, so we prepared to drop anchor. My son David manned the winch, and as we drifted to shallower water, when the fathometer read 15 feet (tide was flooding) he let go the anchor. Now, secure and riding comfortably, we called Vessel Assist, suggesting that they bring a diver.

Long story short, it took close to three hours to cut loose a very long six-inch thick hawser that was adrift just under the surface, now a ball around the props and shafts. Three hours, five dulled knives, and who-knows how many hacksaw blades, but we were clear. The diver reported no visible damage, so once we finished the paper work, thanked the VAAA crew, raised anchor, we were off again.

Anchoring is not just for a fun way of "hanging out" in a cozy cove. It is also one's "emergency brake." Don't leave home without it.

Moons. Marinas, and Manufacturers

You might almost title this posting M & Ms, and M.

Last Monday brought back memories. My family and I were camping at Howard Prairie Reservoir, a beautiful lake a few miles east of Ashland, Oregon. Now a 1,900 acres recreational spot rated by some as the number one recreational area in Oregon, at that time it was a simply a rather primitive campground with wonderful boating. We had towed our Glen-L 13' sail boat there behind our VW bus. Aptly named "Aquarius" (What else? This was the 60's!) she was a great trailerable lake boat - - plywood hull, cat-rigged, wood mast, heavy, and had been trucked to many northern California lakes over the years.

That night we were stretched out under the stars, listening on the car radio to Walter Cronkite reporting the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. Up there in the high hills without any ambient light, the sky was crystal clear, the Moon very bright, the campground hushed in silent awe.

Gazing up it was so terribly hard to imagine a person actually walking on that surface. It boggled the mind. It stretched comprehension. It was unreal. But it was real. And that made it all the more amazing. Even now, four decades later. It still seems unreal even knowing that it truly was.

Some reality is awing. In today's economy, some reality is downright depressing.

Today's Kitsap Sun brought the news that the heralded Bremerton Marina is in trouble. It's a beautiful facility. We walked it a couple of months ago. Now it's 225 slip capacity is only at the 31% level. A casualty of the recession, according to Cary Bozeman, former Bremerton mayor (and Bellevue mayor before that) and now the port's chief executive officer, "We're at the end of being in the boating business anymore", although he does see the marina succeeding when the economy rebounds.

While maybe steering away from future marine activities, according to the Sun the port is showing some interest in a future possibility, the re-developing of the old Seabeck marina, the dream and hope of good friend Erik Bentzen. You'll find more on line about the Bremerton Marina and Seabeck.

But it's not just marinas in trouble. As the Boating Industry magazine points out, for months we've known that GM and Chrysler were headed for bankruptcy, as well as two of the largest RV manufacturers, Fleetwood and Manaco Coach. Now the second-largest boat manufacturer, Genmar, last month filed for Chapter 11. Genmar is the builder of 15 premier brands of recreational boats which include, Carver, Champion, FinCraft, Four Winns, Glastron, Hydra-Sports, Larson, Marquis, Ranger, Scarab, Seaswirl, Stratos, Triumph, Wellcraft, and Windsor Craft. Genmar's CEO called this "a perfect tsunami."

Frankly, I'm not sure how to tie all this together. Perhaps like an open ended mystery, you, dear reader, can create your own story endings. Good luck!

For me, I think I'll just continue to gaze and wonder, and also throw in some of that trust that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and perhaps a bit of moon dust to boot.

Happy Fourth!

I've always thought of myself as more of a world citizen than that of a particular state. Born in Canada, first five years of my life in what was then Ceylon, now Sir Lanka, back to Canada and then to California until post-highschool. Fifteen years in the Canadian Army with most overseas duties being United Nations roles (blue shoulder patches and blue berets being de rigor of the day), university in Quebec, then eventually back to settle in the United States.

I can remember during the heady post WWII days, probably many of you can, too, thinking of there being a world citizenship. Living in the San Francisco Bay area when the United Nations had its formational meeting in that city in 1945 probably had an impact on a twelve year old's thinking.

For years I was a "landed immigrant", aka a "Green Card Carrier", never thinking much about this except when voting came up, or when pleading a cause for immigrant (say Hispanic) workers. Then thirteen years ago I was naturalized and "admitted as a citizen of the United States of America."

In the 1960s my mother, a Canadian, had applied for USA citizenship. When she eventually came before the judge to be sworn in, for the first time she heard the naturalization oath and its clause "to bear arms in defense . . . " She refused. Some time later, when this clause was removed from the oath, that same judge contacted my mother, administered the revised oath during a private session, and my 70 year old pacifist mother became a US citizen.

I probably still think of myself as a sort of world citizen. I'm proud of my USA citizenship. Not forsaking my roots, I have what Canada calls "duel citizenship"; the USA does not recognize anything duel, much the pity.

So to my new adopted country, after those many years of being a homesteader here on your land, I say with all the rest of you,

Happy 233rd Birthday, America!

Happy Fourth of July!

Photo: Grandkids Caymon and Naomi raising the flag, the ensign, aboard the Lady Mick

Canada Day 2009

To our Canadian boating friends - - HAPPY CANADA DAY

Today is Canada's 142nd birthday. It was in 1867 that the British Parliament passed the British North America Act, establishing Canada as a sovereign nation. At that time there were just four provinces. Now there are ten plus the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, and the latest, the Nunavut Territory, created in 1999 and home to about 30,00 people, most of them Inuit aboriginal people.

Originally called Dominion Day, July 1st was restyled Canada Day in 1982.

And, yes, there is a Queen of Canada, Elizabeth II, who also happens to be the Queen of England, of Wales, and of Scotland. as well as of Australia, New Zealand, Antigua, Jamaica, Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Belize, St Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Papua New Guinea.

Now that should have you digging out the old Atlas!

So, Happy Birthday Canada, no worries, and long may your Loonies be on par.

From Sea Lions to Licenses

Back from a good "road cruise" in our brand new Toyota RAV4 V6 to Southern California where we saw a grandson graduate from high school and a granddaughter celebrate her 21st birthday. Then up the California coast where we looked at adolescent California sea lions (those humongous critters with funny noses) basking and molting, driving up the Big Sur. More family visiting with sisters in Santa Rosa and then up the always spectacular and beautiful Oregon Coast with a turn east to Corvallis to see friends.

Now 2,600 miles later, home in Kingston and back to the world of boating, where stories, comments, and questions always abound.

Sea lions to Licenses almost sounds like an Alice in Wonderland episode, and as the Queen of Hearts might say, "speaking of questions" (yes, this is a really unimaginative segue), some we continue to receive run like these,

"Do I need a state license to operate my boat?"

"Do I need something to boat in Canada?"

"We're fairly sure we're old enough that we are never going to need it in the US, but what about Canada?"

and on it goes.

Let me see if I can help.

First of all, if you plan to operate a boat that is 15-horse power or larger in the Sate of Washington, you will need a Washington State Boater Education Card.

Second. The Washington State Boater Education Card is being phased in. The following chart shows who needs one, and when:

Year	Age Group
2008	12 years to 20 year old
2009	25 years old and younger
2010	30 years old and younger
2011	35 years old and younger
2012	40 years old and younger
2013	50 years old and younger
2014	59 years old and younger
2015 and after	Any person born after January 1, 1955
A person born before Jan. 1, 1955, is exempt from needing a Boater Education Card in Washington

So, anyone who is or will be 25-years old or younger this year, 2009, must have a card. Next year, 2010, anyone who will be 30-years old or younger that year will need a card. And so forth.

Third. anyone born before January 1, 1955, is exempt from needing a card. So, if you are or will be 55 this year, 2009, or are older than that, relax and forget all about this card business, at least if you plan to stay in US waters.

Fourth. And this is very important. If you cruise into Canada and are there more than 45 days you must have the Washington State Boater Education Card. Canada is not concerned if you're there less than 45 days, but over 45? You must have a card.

Fifth. And this is very, very important. Canada does not recognize the "born before January 1, 1955" exemption. There is no age exemption in Canada! Of course, if you're there less than 45 days, no worries (as they say up 'there'). But over 45 days, even Old Skipper Methuselah needs a Card.

To get a card I suggest going to the BoatU.S. Foundation Online Boating Safety Course, which is free, except for the state's $10 card fee. The course is good and very user-friendly and successful passing will get you the card.

My own CruiseMasters Boating Instruction program does not include the Washington State Boater Education course. The state program includes both Inland and International rules, and covers sail and personal watercraft (PWCs) issues, while CruiseMasters focus is on powerboats (not sail or PWC) operating on International waters, i.e. all the salt water you see around the Northwest. It just is not feasible to combine the two. Having said this, I can provide the state's Boating Safety Course and I am authorized to issue the Boater Education Card.

So, get your card now, even before you're required to, and relax and be a safe and responsible boater. Summer is here, at long last, and as our favorite eatery waitperson says, "Enjoy."

D-Day, JUNO Beach

D-Day, June 6, 1944. JUNO Beach

Of all the troops involved in the D-Day landings, the men of the Canadian Army, with raw memories of the disaster suffered by Canadian forces in 1942 at Dieppe, might have had greatest cause for apprehension. The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division supported by the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, formed part of I Corps, whose D-Day objective was to secure Caen and push 11 miles inland to seize Carpiquet airfield.

These were ambitious aims, particularly as the presence of rocks offshore meant that the tide would not be high enough for the landings to begin until half an hour later than those elsewhere, and so probably facing an alerted enemy. The main immediate opposition would come from three, fairly low grade, battalions of the 716th Division, but of more concern was the possibility that 21st Panzer Division, believed to be south-east of Caen, might intervene quickly, possibly reinforced during the afternoon by 12th SS Panzer.

The Canadian landing would take place on JUNO beach, on either side of the mouth of the River Seulles. The problems presented by offshore rocks meant that the landings would have to take place at a time when the tide was so high that it carried the first wave of landing craft into the midst of the belt of beach obstacles. In the event, rough sea conditions delayed the landings further for between ten minutes and half an hour, so that the landing craft had to run the gauntlet of several hundred yards of heavily mined beach obstacles. Fortunately few craft were hit during the approach, but heavy losses were suffered as they withdrew. Confusion was worsened when most of the Canadian infantry hit the beach ahead of the amphibious armor which had been intended to land ahead of them. Equally concerning, the bad visibility had caused the main weight of the preliminary bombardment to overshoot, leaving the defenses both intact and manned by an alerted enemy.

The 7th Canadian Brigade hit the defenses at the mouth of the Seuiles, near the town of Courseulles. They were supported by DD tanks which had been launched from 800 yards from offshore, but engineer units did not arrive until half an hour later. In the meantime the infantry and DD tanks succeeded in dealing with enemy coastal strong points, but the late arrival of the engineers led to considerable delay in clearing exits from the beach. As a result, although forward units from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Regina Rifles were able to push fairly quickly about two miles inland, support troops became caught up in considerable congestion at the beach exits, slowing down the impetus of the advance.

Further east the 8th Canadian Brigade had been forced by rough sea conditions to land without the support of DD tanks. As a result they encountered some sharp resistance around Bernieres. The leading elements of the first wave of assault troops, from the Queen's Own Rifles, encountered heavy fire from German strong points as they crossed 100 yards of open beach from their landing craft, and suffered quite heavy casualties. However by the time supporting troops from the French-Canadian Regiment de la Chaudiere began to land 15 minutes later, immediate resistance, apart from scattered sniper fire, had been overcome, and by 9-30 am, the town of Bernieres was firmly in Canadian hands.

On the outskirts of the town, however, the Canadians were held up in the hedgerows and orchards by the kind of resistance, primarily from machine gunners and the ubiquitous 88mm guns, which was soon to become only too familiar. It took two hours to break through, during which time, owing to a breakdown in communications, follow-up units continued to land on the beaches, creating a major log-jam which was not cleared until 3pm. Although by then Canadian troops were about three miles inland, valuable time had been lost, and although by evening some troops had advanced about seven miles as far as the Caen-Bayeux road, the delay in reinforcements coming up meant that the leading units lacked the strength to push on into Caen itself.

D-Day had not proved to be the ordeal for the Canadians which many had feared. Problems had resulted more from the effects of adverse weather conditions than from the level of enemy resistance.

14,000 troops landed. 1,074 became casualties. Of these, 359 were fatal.

At the Canadian cemetery there is the grave of a young nineteen year old Newfoundlander. The simple inscription reads, "Well done, son."

Photo: A Royal Canadian Horse Artillery veteran of the Normandy invasion attends a ceremony at the Royal Winnipeg Rifles monument on "Juno Beach" in Courseulles-sur-Mer on June 5, 2009. With permission.

La Conner and the Swinomish Current

One of our favorite spots on the way to the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands is the town of La Conner on the Swinomish Slough. It's a good lunch break-spot cruising up from Seattle with great moorage for a temporary or an overnight tie. An easy walk into town where there are lots of boutiques and stores to visit, plus some good restaurants. One doesn't want to miss the Museum of Northwest Art on the east side of the main street. If it's raining, or even just drizzly, you can always make your way to the bookstore at the south end of the street where you can browse books, have a latte, and curl up in front of a cozy fire. And, friends Marcie Miles and Art Kaplan own and run the LaConner Yacht Sales.

We remember being there many years ago when the whole town had a Potty Parade fundraiser to construct modern public toilets in the heart of town- - they made it and the restrooms are very nice, thank you. We were moored there, returning from the Gulf Islands, when we our daughter called that morning excitedly exclaiming, "The whole world's falling apart!", and we learned of the attack on the twin towers on 9/11.

For years we have always headed north via La Conner, only once in these 24+ years did we head out of Port Townsend to the San Juans. We've never gone through Deception Pass, wimps that we may be. We like the calm and (most of the time) predictability that the Swinomish offers.

Three things jump out when transiting the Swinomish Slough. First, one pays close attention to the navigation markers, especially approaching the channel from the south. Cut inside the red #2 buoy and you'll quickly find yourself aground, stuck in mud. You religiously follow the "red right returning" rule, with a passion.

The second learning stems from the first. As you leave La Conner, making for Anacortes, you eventually pass under the state highway bridge. All of a sudden the green buoys are on your right as you continue up the channel. Yep, the system you've been following switches. Now, "returning" is from the north, from Anacortes, so now you're outbound; "returning" is for those heading south to La Conner. Of course you checked your chart before leaving home so you knew with premeditated confidence that this was going to happen. Sure you did.

A third learning, perhaps more accurately called experiencing, is the current flowing through the Swinomish. It can be strong and mean. At times flowing north, at other times flowing south, without any discernible relationship to tides. While you can get a tidal report for La Conner NOAA will simply tell you that the currents "are unpredictable".

Just this week, while teaching a boathandling client in LaConner, I asked a very friendly gas dock operator what was the local wisdom for predicting the current directions. He told me of a formula, he calls it a Rule of Thumb, that he used, source unknown, which goes like this:

The actual time of slack water and the duration of current flow are dependent on the range between high and low water (tide), and are affected by river runoff. Approximate is the best you can get.

• Use the La Conner tide readings (Seattle + 30 minutes)
• Slack water occurs 2 1/2 to 4 hours after either high or low tide
• Current flows north 2 1/2 to 4 hours before high tide to 2 1/2 to 4 hours after high tide
• Current flows south 2 1/2 to 4 hours before low tide to 2 1/2 to 4 hours after low tide

Not what you'd call precise measures!

So, for example, using Thursday, May 21st (the day I learned all this), and using the outside times, the Rule of Thumb would look like this:

• low tide at La Conner is 10:05 AM, high tide 4:47 PM.
• between  6:05 AM and 2:05 PM the current would run south
• there would be a slack sometime between 12:35 and 2:05 PM
  
• between 12:47 and  8:47 PM the current would run north

Certainly not precision, but at least ball park, somewhat. On the 21st itself, at 1:30 PM, the current was running south at still a healthy clip.

As a last resort check the La Conner Landing Marine Fuel gas dock as you cruise by; there's always a large arrow showing the  direction of the current. That's always precise, and be sure to come in against the current.

And another remember: No wake in the channel!

Any other wisdom or comment, folk or otherwise, would be greatly appreciated.

And thanks for patiently waiting almost 17 days since my last posting. That is, in case you even noticed. Have a great Memorial Day weekend - - the weather is finally and nicely cooperating!