PRINCE WILLIAM YACHT CLUB
Boating at its best!
Welcome to the Prince William Yacht Club!
New Boat US: Whats Different about Fall Boating 3 Tips
New: Columbia University student kayaker dies in Potomac Rapids
17th Annual Patriot Cruise and Salute (PCS)
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Hurricane notes from your Safety Officer:
It’s That Time Of The Year Again
At this time, it is not clear what danger hurricanes and/or high winds will be to Prince William Marina during the hurricane season. Situational awareness goes for hurricanes also. Any serious boater should believe that it is best to hope for the bestbut prepare for the worst.
The following general points are from the sources below.
1. We should have a well thought out plan to hurricane proof our boat before it is needed. Many believe that a reasonable plan well implemented is better than a poorly followed great plan. Developing a checklist suited for our particular boat requires some forethought. Different type vessels require different plans. Boats up on jacks on land, boats tied up at floating docks, boats tied up at stationary docks, and boats stored on trailers all may need different plans.
2. We should think long and hard about the safety of ourselves and our loved ones compared to the value of any vessel we own. The heavy lifting should be done before any dangerous weather arrives, certainly not during the time when things are at their worst. RIDING OUT A HURRICANE ONBOARD IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
3. The first and perhaps the best choice is to move the boat out of harm’s way. For most of us, however, moving our vessel long distances is not practical. Reasonable alternatives might be to move from a marina with little protection to one with greater protection, securing the boat in a well-protected gunk hole off the river, or moving off the water and onto land.
4. Whether or not we are able to spend the necessary time trying to protect our boat is often related to whether or not we have all of our other ducks in a row. Have all of our family members been taken care of? Have we taken care of our house and vehicle(s)? Do we have the food, water, batteries, and whatever emergency items we need?
5. Danger is still present even as the weather improves. Many docks get slippery when wet and unstable in heavy wind. Most people walk on docks without personal flotation devices. It might be worth making an exception as the weather starts to improve and we walk a dock to check on our vessel.
There is a ton of information available on Google. For example:
• BoatUS. Hurricane preparation for boaters. Damage Avoidance Articles and Hurricane Preparation Articles. https://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/preparation.asp
• BoatUS. How To Develop a Hurricane Prep Plan. https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2019/august/how-to-develop-a-hurricane-prep-plan
• Chubb Insurance. 10 Ways To Prepare Your Boat For A Hurricane. https://www.chubb.com/us-en/individuals-families/resources/10-ways-to-prepare-your-boat-for-a-hurricane.html
Sep 24 is World Rivers Day and Fundraiser, led by Potomac Riverkeepers Network
Boat Parade 1200-1400 from Alexandria to The Wharf and after party 1400-1500 at Transit Pier/ Cantina Bambina $50/boat registration fee
Note: 27 Sep Admirals in Action class is full, we are coordinating for a class at the beginning of 2024 Season
6-9 Oct Commodore's Cruise to Solomon's Island
New: 6 Oct Joint VFW Post 7916-Patriot Cruise and Salute Golf Tournament
14 Oct 1800-2000 Captain's Hour #5 Hosted by H Dock
20-22 Oct Final Cruise to National Harbor Cruise
More Considerations for Hurricanes in Potomac/Occoquan/Chesapeake from your Webmaster
You can see east coast hurricane season has begun, creating devastation in FL, GA, etc. I’ve been through about 5 hurricanes and offer the following for your consideration:
1. Have a hurricane plan, now. Not when the National Hurricane Center announces the hurricane trajectory. Decide if you are going to pull your boat now, and not the week of the storm. Make sure Austin knows your plan, so the marina can plan
2. If the trajectory shows a hurricane hitting east coast In Wilmington NC, it is coming to the Washington DC/Potomac/Chesapeake Area. This is the BoatUS hurricane tracker website https://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/tracking.asp
3. Pull personal property off your boat (handheld VHF, portable electronics, fishing gear, tools and your registration/insurance) before the event. Consider using your mooring cover instead of canvas/camper top/aft curtain-the wind will blow it. Remember anything on the boat can be replaced, but you can’t. That’s why you want to visit the boat ahead of time/landfall
4. If you do pull it out and the storm doesn’t come here, that’s ok. You were prepared
5. If you do decide to keep the boat in the water, double up on your lines, including slack on the second and use strong (potentially oversized) for your boat if they fit in the cleats. A few years ago, the storm surge lifted the covered dock from Fairfax Yacht Club over the pilings, and all the boats drifted towards Belmont Bay marina.
6. Check your insurance policy, I think BoatUS covers the cost (or half) for named storms
7. While the season begins June 1, September and October are really when our area gets hit.
8. And most importantly, stay safe. Don’t visit the boat during the storm (or when the eye is going over), the rest of the storm will follow.
If you have questions, feel free to email me at webmaster@pwyc.org, Bob Schwartz our safety officer (safety@pwyc.org), or the other leaders at bridge@pwyc.org
Yacht Club founded by Black boaters is about boating and belonging
alternate plan to the VDOT I-95 exit to Old bridge rd project.
Bottom line up front (BLUF) is that the 123 coalition plan (Alt plan) :
1) saves about 25 businesses (restaurants, gas Stations, convenience stores & a marina) and 12 townhouses from closing/ destruction,
2) removes the Old Bridge/123 traffic light,
3) preserves the Devils Reach Rd traffic light
4) provides orderly flow to & from I-95
5) saves up to $70 million in construction costs over the VDOT proposals
Power and Motoryacht: How to maintain your nonskid deck
Power and Motoryacht: How to make your boat's engine last forever
Power and Motoryacht: Diesel Engine Myths
With No End to Scorching temps in sight, Boaters must be Prepared
5 tips from the BoatUS Foundation for protecting you and your crew while boating in severe heat
Power and Motoryacht: 11 Boating Mistakes you should really try to avoid
We know because, unfortunately, we've made 'em ourselves
If you are cruising near the 301 Bridge, plan to be hailed on channel 16 by the work crew demanding you slow to no wake speeds, even before the no wake buoys. They have people working 150 ft above the water dismantling the old metal bridge. Respectfully, acknowledge (e.g., Yes, Captain) and slow down. Even though they are not law enforcement, you don't want to argue with them that you are not in the no wake zone yet. The 5 extra minutes isn't worth it.
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