Join us on
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Join us on
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We are kicking off our Coastal Passage Making season this weekend with a splash! Four skippered boats and two tag-aIong boats (nearly thirty students!) will be heading out the Gate Saturday morning for our first CPM of 2010, making this our biggest CPM season launch ever. We are so proud of the students that go through this demanding, world-class program. They are put to the test, and when they are through they will have earned the privilige to be called Club Nautique CPM graduates. Way to go crew! We are looking forward to an incredible year.
If you're not in our CPM program, but you'd like a taste of the kind of offshore adventure that awaits just outside the Golden Gate, jump on our Whale Watching trip on March 6. Although we can't make any promises, this is forecast to be one of the best whale watching weekends of the year, as the California Grey Whales migrate north to their arctic feeding grounds. With a little luck they will wave a fluke and a flipper to us as they swim by.
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Today's Tip
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 Use your radar to estimate the Closest Point of Approach of another vessel.
On the way out the Gate a good CPM skipper is constantly thinking about traffic and avoiding collisions. In the ocean, radar is often the tool of choice for managing this exercise.
When a target appears on the radar, the first thing to do is to put an Electronic Bearing Line (EBL) and a Variable Range Marker (VRM) on the pip. If the pip moves down the EBL towards the center of the display, you are on a collision course.
But what if you're not on a collision course; how close will you pass? This is called the Closest Point of Approach (CPA). A quick and dirty method for determining CPA is to wait for a short interval of time (say six minutes) and put a straight-edge, such as a folded piece of paper, along a line that it connects the current position of the pip and its original position as marked by the intersection of the VRM and EBL. Now move the VRM so that it is tangent to the straight edge, and you have your Closest Point of Approach.
You can estimate the time to Closest Point of Approach by putting pencil tick marks on the paper at the old and new positions. The distance between tick marks will correspond to the time interval between sightings. You can extrapolate this to the tangent point with the VRM to estimate time to CPA.
Click on image to enlarge. This week's prize: A Portland Plotter  |
Nautical Noggin-Boggler WINNER!
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We selected our winner randomly from the correct answers submitted. Don't miss your chance to dazzle us with your knowledge and win a prize!
Congratulations to last week's winner of an Ecotrends mini tripod! FRED PAYNE
 
What simple accessory can you use with your camera to give your pictures bluer skies, brighter colors and bolder contrast, but which, if you turn your camera at the wrong angle, will turn the faces of your cockpit instruments black?
ANSWER:
A polarizing filter on your camera will give your pictures bluer skies, brighter colors and bolder contrast. It will also produce pictures in which the faces of your cockpit instruments turn black if you hold your camera at the wrong angle.
When light returns from non-metallic, reflective surfaces, such as the water, the light waves get polarized (wave components forced into a single axis) in a manner that produces glare, leading to washed out colors in your pictures. A polarizing filter on your camera removes the glare-producing components of the light in the same manner that polarized sunglasses reduce the glare that you see with your eyes, by removing the light components that are oriented along a particular axis.
Since the light from an LCD display--like the ones on laptop computers or a boat's cockpit instruments--is highly polarized, if you turn the filter to the wrong angle it will block out all of the light from the display and make it appear black. You can see this effect for yourself by looking at your cockpit display and tilting your head while wearing a pair of polarizing sunglasses.
On some digital cameras you need to make sure that you use a circular polarizing filter in order to avoid interfering with the camera's light-metering and auto-focus mechanisms.
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Cruise the Inside Passage
Information Evening
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Thursday, February 25th
7pm - 8:30pm
FREE!
Spend an evening with naturalist, photographer and Dolphin Charters owner, Ronn Patterson, and Club Nautique powerboat instructor, Richard Foregger, to learn about a once-in-a-lifetime adventure of cruising the Inside Passage!
The Inside Passage is wild and complex. Its waters are filled with islands and rocks of all sizes until it is often reduced to narrow winding passages. Yet it is protected from the outside ocean, initially by Vancouver Island and later by a complex of larger Islands. On its inside, deep fiords cut into the Coastal Range, ending at some of British Columbia's tallest mountains. No other stretch of the Inside Passage offers so much wilderness and so many wildlife opportunities. Its few scattered and remote human populations are still mostly native villages with their own Northwest culture. You will develop advanced navigational skills as you discover places still less explored.
Join Dolphin Charters and Club Nautique on this educational adventure onboard Delphinus, a 50' single screw trawler. Learn and practice navigation, piloting, docking and crewing. Our cruise starts from Port Townsend, WA, one of the most popular destinations in the San Juan Islands. We'll travel a long and rewarding passage through the famous Inside Passage, passing through Discovery Passage and Johnstone Straits, all the way to Ketchikan, AK.
Trip Dates: May 29 - June 7
Members: $2845/Non-Members: $2995
Early Bird Special:
Sign up by March 15 to receive an additional $150 off!
Price includes single berth accommodation and three meals a day prepared by on-board gourmet chef. Transportation to and from boat is not included. Participants can choose to participate in daily crew activities. Maximum of eight participants. Minimum of six.
DON'T MISS THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME ADVENTURE!
For more information contact
Dolphin Charters:
(800) 472-9942
trips@dolphincharters.com
or
Captain Richard Foregger
(707) 771-9799
Richard@captainslogtv.com
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Bareboat Prep Charter Share
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 Have you finished Basic Cruising? Get ready for your Bareboat class and build your skills. Join other Basic Cruising certified students and follow the guidelines that we set for you to practice specific maneuvers to prepare you for your Bareboat certification.
Session topics: Sailing, Motoring, Crew Overboard & Anchoring. Attend all four sessions and skipper one of the sessions and you'll receive four credits towards your experience requirement for Bareboat class.
Upcoming Sessions:
Saturday, February 27th
9:00am - 1:00pm - Anchoring - Alameda
1:30pm - 5:30pm - Crew Overboard - Alameda
Saturday, March 13th
9:00am - 1:00pm - Motoring - Sausalito
1:30pm - 5:30pm - Sailing - Sausalito
Members: $75*/Non-Members: $115*
*Take both morning and afternoon sessions and get an additional $10 off!
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Winter Wednesday Seminar Series
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Every Other Wednesday
November - March
6pm - 8pm
Alameda
 March 3rd
Cruising the Delta
Presented
by Bill Wells, Bay & Delta Yachtsman columnist. The Delta is a vast playground just a day-sail away. There are great places to discover and enjoy. Bill has been cruising the Delta his whole life and will share all the best places to experience the Delta at its fullest.
Free!
 March 17th
Mystery of the Tides
Presented by Club Nautique instructor, Joe Brandt.
Free!
Everyone welcome!
Please call to book your seat today.
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Catamaran Class
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 Saturday & Sunday
March 6 & 7
9am - 5pm
Alameda
Saturday & Sunday
February 20 & 21
9am - 5pm
Alameda
It's big! It's fast! It doesn't tip! It's great for entertaining! It's just darn fun! But it's different from mono-hulls, and if you haven't sailed a cat before you will want to take this class.
Come learn how to sail our big kitten and qualify to charter her.
Prerequisite - Bareboat Cruising Certification or equivalent experience
Ultimate Members: FREE
Members: $570/Non-Members: $760
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Big Boat Motoring Clinic
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 Saturday, March 6th
9am - 5pm
Sausalito
For Bareboat certified skippers and above (or equivalent qualifications). Taught onboard one of our larger sailboats. Learn how to use wind, rudder and prop walk to make your docking maneuver a success every time. Take this clinic to get the skills you need to feel confident motoring in any situation.
Ultimate Members: FREE
Members: $244/Non-Members: $325
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Asymmetrical Spinnaker
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 Saturday, March 6th
9am - 5pm
Alameda
These sails are big and beautiful and simply packed full of downwind fun, but they take a little extra know-how to get them working properly. Come learn and you too can experience the power and excitement of spinnaker sailing. Join us for this thrilling class and learn yet another aspect of sailing to add to your sea bag of tricks!
Ultimate Members: FREE
Members: $372/NonMembers: $495
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Special Poke Your Nose Out the Gate
Whale Watching Adventure! |
Saturday, March 6th
6am - 4pm
Sausalito
Ever wonder what it's like to sneak out the Gate and into the Ocean? We would love to show you. With a Coast Guard licensed skipper on board we can take the anxiety out of this amazing experience! It is so beautiful out there that we can't wait to share it with you!
This time we're putting a new twist on a popular theme and are joining a flotilla from the Sausalito Yacht Club to sail towards the Farallon Islands in search of migrating whales!
We will start at 6 am to catch a small ebb out the Gate and see how far we can get.
Space limited to 6 passengers. Call to book your seat today!
Members: $175/Non-Members: $233
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BVI Information Party
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Saturday, March 13th
4pm - 6pm
Alameda
Come find out about our upcoming trip to the British Virgin Islands November 12 - 19! Share a rum punch and learn how easy it is for you to get on a boat and take the vacation of a lifetime! Meet others who are looking for crew to fill their boats, or sign up to skipper your own boat and we'll help you find crew! If you prefer the reduced stress of having someone else in charge, sign
up to join our lead boat, with beloved instructor and Assistant School
Director, Dave Scott, as skipper.
FREE!
Everyone Welcome!Please R.S.V.P. |
Nautical Noggin-Boggler
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Reply to this email with your answer to the following nautical Noggin-Boggler. There is no need to change the subject line. Club Nautique will randomly select a winner from all correct responses received by noon on Monday, March 1st.
QUESTION:
You are on your CPM Tag-Along voyage and you receive an urgent call on the VHF radio from the boat on which your CPM Instructor is sailing. He says that he wants to rendezvous with you so that he can restock his Grey Poupon. His boat is exactly ten miles away, on a true bearing of 045. He is traveling due west at four knots. Your boat can travel comfortably at six knots in the prevailing sea state. What course should you steer in order to rendezvous in the shortest time, and what is your estimated time en-route to the rendezvous?
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Best Value in Sailing Lessons!
Winter Special
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 LAST CHANCE TO SCHEDULE CLASSES AT THE
$1195 PRICE!You won't find a better value in sailing education!
Club Nautique is the high water mark for sailing education. Starting on our performance keelboats designed specifically for training, and finishing on our fully equipped modern sailing yachts, you'll receive the best sailing education possible. Compared to other sailing schools, you won't find a better value than our modern classroom technology, our 67 hours of instruction and our experienced, U.S. Coast Guard licensed instructors.
Learn more about our Basic Cruising Skipper's PackageAS LOW AS $1195!*
Includes:
* Package price $1295 OR $1195 if classes scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2010 Offer expires 2/28/2010 |
Corporate Corner
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 Welcome to the new Keeping You Current Corporate Corner. Each week we will be bringing you news, ideas and tips relating to Club Nautique's Corporate Team-Building program. Our programs are designed for corporate team-building, client entertainment, and employee rewards for muscle-building your company in a most memorable way. The programs are ideally suited for the creation of everything from tightening your teamwork, to creating unforgettable client entertainment, to rewarding your top performers, or to simply offering your employees a discount on sailing or cruising lessons. If you feel your company could benefit by having employees with heightened enthusiasm, better teamwork, and greater productivity, please call or email us with the coordinates of the people responsible at your company for organizing these events to whom we can introduce our programs. We have special pricing available for companies booking events by March 31st. Call Dave Moore or Doug Perry at the Club Nautique office, 510 865-4700. |
Caught on Camera
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Charity Sail on board Firefly. Photos courtesy of John Kuony. Thanks John!
A charitable donation benefiting Camp Arroyo and YMCA scored these lucky ladies a beautiful day on the bay. Here they are taking in some rays.
Enjoying a gourmet picnic lunch.
Having a great time!
The America's Cup at City Hall!Some lucky folks went down to city hall on Saturday morning to welcome the America's Cup back to American soil. Thanks to Ashlee and Mark for the photos. Mayor Gavin Newsom and BMW Oracle Racing owner, Larry Ellison and his crew wave to the crowd. The Cup being closely guarded by a white gloved attendant.  A working replica of awe-inspiring piece of machinery that brought the cup home.
Isabella, Gavin and Ashlee pose with the Cup.
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Gear Bag full of Sailing Goodies
