CBYCA Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CBYCA Board Meeting and Delegates Meeting

At the

Bush River Yacht Club

17 November 2007

Report of SIYC Delegate

 

1.      I am pleased to announce that I have been elected Qualifications Officer to the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club Association, and even more pleased to announce that Bob Kuzmick has agreed to replace me as Solomons Island Yacht Club’s Delegate to the CBYCA (contingent on the appointment by the Bridge of SIYC).   I look forward to pleasant company on every 3rd month.  Car pooling with Bob will be pleasant, as these meetings often require long drives,

 

2.      The November meeting was held at the Bush River Yacht Club, which is about 30 miles north of Baltimore on the Bush River.  The Bush River has a controlling depth of 4’ and dredging it back to 6’ has been a goal of the CBYCA for the last few years.  It looks like it will happen this year.

 As noted before there is no one yacht club model, but Bush River YC is similar to ours.  It has 150 regular members, and 150 slips.  The initiation fee is $800 and regular members have slips and pay $800 per year for their membership.  They offer a social/pool membership, with bar and social privileges, for $500/yr and finally a pool only membership of $200/yr.  All regular members are required participate in two clean-up days and to work 20 hours per year.  They have one full time employee.  All classes of members are required to buy an annual coupon book for $100 and the coupons are redeemable in the bar, and food.

 The price of drinks and food is about the same as SIYC and the building is about half again the size.  With the large pool, grounds and parking area it looks like the whole site covers about 5 acres.

 3.      CBCYA has grown in 2007 adding four new clubs have joined and one resigned bringing the total of member clubs to 129.  The 70 year old Rock Hall Yacht Club resigned because of an aging and declining membership.  There is new leadership that is trying to restore its vitality and bring it back with children programs, dances and other activities aimed at younger member families.  CBYCA has been told to expect it back in few years. 

  1. Automated External Defibrillation:  The CBYCA is looking into a program facilitating the use of AED in yacht clubs.  For every minute that a person in cardiac arrest goes without being successfully treated (by defibrillation), the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent.   After approximately three minutes, irreversible brain/tissue damage occurs. Emergency cardiac care requires both CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED).  The price of the AED has decreased to less than $1,000, but this is a small part of all that is required.  CPR trained members would have to be trained in recognizing cardiac arrest, and the use of the defibrillator.  Nevertheless, we are a group of that could benefit.  Issues being checked out are the Maryland state law and regulations, requirements of training costs and access, and the relationship to the “good Samaritan Act.” CBYCA will make recommendations in early 2008.
  1. Boat Noise: The Maryland Environmental Protection Agency has taken notice of the noise created by some high performance boats with loud exhaust systems.  The existing rules are ineffective and new rules are being considered with noise measurement made from the shore line, and an exception for sanctioned races.

 

  1. Water Discharge from Boats:  CBYCA urges all boaters to tell their U.S. Congressional and Senate Representatives to support the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. Bill 2550 and S. 2067) to avoid cumbersome overboard discharge rules and permits when boating.  As reported earlier, a Federal District Court issued an order eliminating the decades old recreational vessel excursions from the Environmental Protection Act.  The effect is to bring our boats under the same discharge rules that apply to major commercial vessels, we may need permits for all forms of water discharge from a recreational boat in the same way that commercial boats do.  The EPA has held hearings to establish vessel discharge rules (72 Fed. Reg. 34241) but has not published rules yet.  Absent a stay of some sort, the new rules will become effective in September 2008.    An appeal has been filled in the 9th Circuit Court but it is not likely to rule before new regulations are published and enforced.  The recreational boating community wants the former exemption reestablished. Thus, supporting the two above bills is critical.  Contact information for our congressional and senatorial representatives will be available below and on SIYC web site.  I have written Representative Hoyer, and Senators Mikulski and Cardin.  I hope other SIYC members will do the same.

 

7.      LNG docks:  The states of New Jersey and New York are considering an offshore island 160 miles out that will take 5 tankers at a time and pipe it ashore.  Five at a time obviates the need for the other proposed docking facilities, but probably will not affect the Cove Point faculty.

 

 

8.      Maryland’s Governor O’Malley’s Marine Industry Task Force had its 1st meeting October 9th.  It is consolidating state efforts in support of boating such as marketing Maryland as a boating destination, manufacturing, service and maintaining waterways.

 

John Zalusky,

Delegate

 

Appendix:

Senator Barbra Mikulski

503 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, DC 20510-2003

202 224 4654

http://mikulski.senate.gov

 

Senator Ben Cardin

509 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, DC 20510

202 224 4524

http://cardin.senate.gov

 

Representative Steny Hoyer

1705 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

202 225 4131

http://majorityleader.gov/

 

 

John L. Zalusky, 13018 Barreda Blvd., Lusby, MD 20657, 410 326 3037, 443 271 3867, jzalusky@earthlink.net

 

 

 

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