Nettlle Screen FOUND

Our past Cruising Commodore knew its whereabouts.  It is available to members who are hosting a raftup. Contact me well in advance!

An Atomic 4 For a Spy Boat

In my last Mainsheet column  I mentioned an article in the December 2013 WoodenBoat Magazine titled "A Trumpy Fit for James Bond" by Dirk A.D. Smith.  I have permission from the author and the magazine to reproduce a few pictures and quote the article. I highly recommend WoodenBoat to anyone who loves boats . You can subscribe or get digital versions of the magazine at their website, reachable by clicking the logo below.

The article describes the development of a CIA-sponsored clandestine operations craft. The requirement was a 50 mile range, very low observability, and the ability to be submerged for a month and return with its small crew.  The author's father, Dawson C. Smith directed the project, and the boat was built at John Trumpy and Sons in Annapolis in 1953. The topsides can be seen below. The pilot could see through bubble, required because the boat ran right at the surface and was very wet. What really interested me was the prime mover, an Atomic 4. It was housed in a watertight shell which can be seen below. This shell could be sealed when the team reached its destination,  and the boat sunk below the surface.

Because of its low freeboard the craft had to be "flown" with dynamic pitch control fins.

Dirk Smith researches and writes on technology transition, and much more of his work can be found on his website, which you can reach by clicking the logo below.

Morgan Freeman - A30 Sailor!

Check out Morgan Freeman's article at the National Sailing Hall of Fame site. It appears he sailed an A30 on his first trip to the Carribean!

"I first sailed south in 1979, going to Bermuda on a 30-foot (9.14-meter) Alberg-designed sloop. The crew included my wife, Myrna; my youngest daughter, Morgana; and our cat, Zipper. It took 9 days to get there, and we stayed for 6 weeks, anchored in the shelter of White's Island in Hamilton Harbor. On the way back to New York in October, we hit our survival storm. Two hundred fifty miles due east of Newport News, Virginia, we ran into the worst weather I have ever experienced — sustained 50-knot winds and seas that appeared mountainous to me in my little sloop. Luckily, Morgana had already gone back to school, so it was just me, a deathly seasick Myrna, and Zipper on board. It is an experience that I will never, ever forget. It's like an exclamation point in my life. "

Association's Nettle Screen

If anyone knows the whereabouts of the Association’s Nettle Screen, please let me know.

It's a toroidal float with a fine net suspended from it. 

One company that sells them  uses a picture of an A30 Circle raft so you can see what it looks like deployed!

We don’t need it right now, but I would like to take a look at it and see if it needs any repair. It should be ready to go well before the medusae head up the bay.  Once I determine its status I will post here.

 

Maritime Career Fair

4th Annual Marine and Maritime Career Fair

When Saturday February 22, 2014 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EST Where Annapolis High School Cafeteria 2700 Riva Road Annapolis, MD 21401 Driving Directions

At our last February Seminar, Lee Tawney of the National Sailing Hall of Fame talked about the Maritime Career Fair.  If you have a child in 6th through 12th grade, this fair is worth the afternoon. It will expose them to many careers and pathyways in various maritime fields.  Unfortunately it conflicts with the final A30 Seminar, which is why I have missed those for the past 3 years. I run the table for Webb Institute, my alma mater, and one of the few that offers a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. There will be more than 41 exhibitors : 41 have registered so far as follows : ABYC American Sailing Association Annapolis Community Boating Annapolis Harbor Boat Yard Annapolis Harbormaster Annapolis Hybrid Marine Annapolis Yacht Sales Anne Arundel County Public Schools Association of Maryland Pilots Automotive Training Center -­‐ Marine Tech Bayshore Marine Center for Applied Technology -­‐ South AACPS Chesapeake Bay Magazine Chesapeake Boating Club Cooks Marine Service/Keep Kids Busy Foundation Eastport Yacht Club Foundation Fawcett Boat Supplies Harken IYRS Maritime Administration -­‐ US DOT Maritime Industries Academies High School Maryland Port Administration MD DNR Police MTAM -­‐ Marine Trade Assoc.  of Maryland National Aquarium National Sailing Center & Hall of Fame NOAA Oakcliff Sailing Oceaneering International, Inc. Scandia Marine Services SpinSheet / PropTalk The Landing School Tidewater Yacht Services U of MD Center for Environmental Studies US Coast Guard Academy US Coast Guard Auxiliary US Coast Guard Recruiting Office Baltimore US Merchant Marine Academy US Naval Academy Watermark Webb Institute

Gary Jobson - Windjammers Saturday March 8

Gary Jobson will return to the Severn School on Saturday March 8 at 8 PM as the final Windjammer's speaker of 2014.   I have attended many lectures by Gary since 1984.  That first lecture was in the Circle theater that used to sit on State Circle in Annapolis. He is always entertaining and has new news about the world of sailing that is worth hearing.  You can come to the door and get tickets.

See you there!

Here is the draft schedule : watch this space for updates! Note the Lodges are hosting a cruise to Reed Creek on the Chester River on 7-8 June, and they will take the Labor Day Cruise to the Wye River. Chesapeake Bay Alberg 30 One-Design Association
50th Anniversary (2014) Schedule
Cruise or Event	Coordinator		Race	Coordinator
APRIL
Early Bird Ridout Creek	Leigh	12-13
Spring Rendezvous Bay Ridge, Lake Ogleton	TBD	26
Follow-The-Wind	Walter	27-30
MAY
		2-4	NOOD	TBD
Maintenance Weekend Mill Creek	Lehman	17-18
Memorial Day Miles River		24-26	Annapolis to Miles R.	TBD
	Adams
		31	EYC Leukemia Cup (Non-High Point)
JUNE
DC Commute	Davis	31 May - 15 June
Reed Creek Chester River	Lodge	7 -8	PSA Overnight	TBD
O's Cruise Toronto Blue Jays at O's Lehman	Lehman	14-15
		21-22	Syronelle (Non-High Point)	TBD
		29	Osius Memorial	TBD
JULY
Fireworks Cruise Magothy River	Palmer	4-6
		11-13	Solomons	TBD
Summer Rendezvous Leighs Sillery Bay, Magothy	Leigh	19
Children's Cruise Rhode River	Pleisse	26-27
AUGUST
Commodore's Clean Up Cruise, PSA	Cooper	2-3
50th Parade and Open Boat	Maliszewski	9
Old-Timer's Pre/Post Race	Adams	10	Old-Timer'  (Non-High Point)	Adams
Magothy Cruise	Leigh	16-17
		30	Cedar Point (Non-High Point)
Labor Day Wye River	Lodge	30 Aug - 02 Sep
SEPTEMBER
		06-07	Rankin Memorial	Nikolich/  Williams
		13	Oxford	TBD
		14	Hammond Memorial	TBD
Football Cruise Rutgers at Navy Weems Creek	Gamber	20 - 21
		27	PSA  Rock Hall	TBD
		28	PSA  from Rock Hall	TBD
OCTOBER
Fall Rendezvous Williams Whitehall Creek	TBD	4
Fall Cruise Choptank River	Maliszewski	05-12
		11	Good Old Boat (Non-High Point)
Raven's Cruise TBD	Foote	25-26
NOVEMBER
Die-Hard Broad Creek	Palmer	01-02
DECEMBER
Picture Night PSA	TBD	6
JANUARY
50th Annual Dinner TBD	TBD	10