APRIL 2016 BEACON

Rear Commodores Comments…

As Mother Nature continues to think it is January instead of April, our thoughts are centered on getting the Club ready for boating season. While the Elite Brigade does not officially start until April 16 th , our Commodore Chuck and other dedicated members of the Club have been working hard on getting the Bar area ready for the season. Also, thanks to Darryl Campbell and his crew, the number 3 Fin is in the water and the new Thruster has been installed. As I did last month, I want to continue to list some educational pieces of information that is useful for all of our boating members. This month I want to discuss fire safety on your boat. This is an excerpt taken from Boating magazine, the May issue. Your fire plan consists of “I know I have at least one fire extinguisher somewhere on this boat”. Knowing the exact locations of extinguishers and how to use them and how to quickly secure the engines, blowers and electrical power are good starts. You also need an exit strategy (escape plan) in case the fire is beyond control. And the most important part is practice. Getting in the habit of taking a few minutes to review your fire/escape plan before each outing can make all the difference. A fire on your boat can create an immediate and overwhelming fear and panic that can cloud any capacity for making decisions. Having a practiced routine will allow you to jump straight into action without thinking – and sometimes a few seconds can mean the difference between extinguishing the fire and abandoning the boat. Also, make sure your extinguishers have been checked and have current certification labels on them. Look forward to seeing you at our Elite Brigade weekend, April 16th. R/C Randy Pagel