Women's boat safety class

Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

With boats streaming into the area, the boating season is poised to kick into high gear. Even with the uncertainties of low water, invasive species inspectors and high fuel prices; Lake Tahoe is still calling to us to play in her beautiful waters. For most people, it will be a summer filled with great memories.

For some first mates, however, there will be stories of the skipper becoming incapacitated or falling overboard and how unprepared they were when they found themselves Suddenly In Command. While many women are excellent boat operators, some are reluctant to take a role in operating the boat. Unfortunately, there will be times when you will have no choice but to step up and take the helm.

Dee Dee Kincade, Division Commander of the Coast Guard Auxiliary for Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada with 10 years experience sailing and living aboard her boat in the Caribbean, reports that building boating skills builds assurance on the water. Some of those skills involve understanding how to respond in various boating emergencies and how to properly communicate to emergency responders. Becoming familiar with safety equipment and being comfortable on its use makes one feel safer on the water.

Having confidence in your skills and knowing that you have prepared for a safe day on the water allows you to relax and have fun. And having fun is what boating is all about.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary North Lake Tahoe Flotilla has created a special program for women taught by Coast Guard Auxiliary women experienced in both power boating and sailing. This 6-hour boating safety primer is designed for those not generally at the helm, and will help you “be prepared” with the basics in case of a boating emergency.

You will learn about how to assess and communicate common boating emergencies, understand basic boat operating principles, line handling, what new life jackets there are on the market and what equipment is required and suggested to be on board.

A training representative from the Incline Fire Department will be leading us in a “hands on” fire extinguisher demonstration and will speak on basic first aid for events that may occur on a boat and near the water. The Red Cross will also be on-hand to answer first aid questions. Misfortune occurs in seconds, and you have the rest of your life to be grateful that you knew what to do because you were prepared.

The class will be offered at the D W Reynolds Community Building, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village on Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The registration fee is $30 and advanced reservations are highly recommended. To register, contact Dee Dee Kincade via email at ddkincade@charter.net or call (775) 831-7192.

Opening Day on the Lake

Summer officially begins Memorial Day weekend with four days of festivities on the West Shore during the 3rd Annual Opening Day at the Lake. Deck opening parities, swing bands, historic tours, parties, barbecues and the Seaplane Splash-In are among the many festivities scheduled.

Opening Day is a great way to celebrate the start of summer and to enjoy the many wonderful activities the West Shore has to offer. You can also download or pick up a Passport for a chance to win many great prizes.
Take your Passport to participating locations and get at least 15 stamps to be entered in the raffle for lodging at Granlibakken or Chaney House, Jet Ski rental, $200 savings bond, Sunnyside Resort dinner for two, Tahoe House gift certificate, lift tickets to Homewood Mountain Resort, wine basket, bike rentals and more.

Download a Passport at http://www.tahoewestshoreassoc.com/ or visit any of the locations with Opening Day events.

The best part is that many of these celebrations are accessible by boat. So get a group of friends and family together and head out on the lake for Opening Day.

Friday, May 22
Start the day and the weekend by lending a hand at the annual West Shore Cleanup. Signup at 8 a.m. at Homewood Mountain Resort, then hit the neighborhoods to clean up.

Afterwards, head to Sunnyside for its Deck Opening Party. A great place for lunch and dinner, the party starts at 11:30 a.m. with a live band and raffle from 3 to 7 p.m. (Check out Barbara Keck’s wine column, It’s Grape, featuring Sunnyside’s wines in this issue.) Sunnyside offers three buoys for tie-ups and boaters may dock on the pier, with all spots on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s also a buoy taxi service and a dingy for guest use.
Rideout Community Center is hosting an Open House and Bingo Party from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 23
The popular guided tours at Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park and Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay State Park start for the season. Tours are offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ehrman Mansion and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vikingsholm Castle. There’s a public pier at Sugar Pine you can tie up to and you can land your vessel at the beach next to Vikingsholm (just stay off Fannette Island, its closed until June 15 for nesting birds).

West Shore Café is hosting Jazz on the Deck starting at 11:30 a.m. and Bridgetender has its Patio Opening Party starting at 4 p.m. West Shore Café offers 25 buoys for its guests with complimentary boat valet service.
Finish the evening with the Swing Dance at 8 p.m. at Granlibakken Resort. Tickets are $25 per person or $40 per couple.

Sunday, May 24
Tahoe Maritime Museum, one of the lake’s gems, is holding a First Anniversary Party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with kids activities, guided tour at 2 p.m., store discounts and a commemorative item while supplies last. Admission is $5 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.

Sugar Pine Point State Park debuts its newest exhibit featuring historic memorabilia from the 1960 Winter VIII Olympic Games held in Tahoma and Olympic Valley. The dedication is at 11:30 p.m. in the Pine Lodge Barn and Coach House on the lake side of the park. The exhibit will feature racer’s and official’s clothing, Olympic credentials, publications, race course markers, photographs and more.

Tours also will be offered at Vikingsholm Castle from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at Ehrman Mansion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday, May 25
Today’s when the Seaplane land on-masse at Obexer’s Marina in Homewood. The Mike Brown Seaplane Splash-In is loads of fun whether you’re on land or on the water. The Splash-In is scheduled at 10 a.m. and many of the planes pull into the beach for spectators to get an up-close view. This is also a great time for wooden boat cruising, so keep your eyes open for those beauties.

A barbecue will follow at Obexer’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the Fly-By Finale from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

Guided tours will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ehrman Mansion, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Vikingsholm and at 2 p.m. at the Maritime Museum.

Sub explores Lake Tahoe

Tahoe Maritime Museum (http://www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org/) presents Submarine Exploration in Lake Tahoe by Scott Cassell, President of the Undersea Voyager Project (http://www.underseavoyager.org/), May 7, 5 - 7PM. $10 with light refreshments served.

The Undersea Voyager Project’s (UVP) mission is to circumnavigate and study the Earth's oceans at depths of 100–1,000 feet utilizing human piloted submersibles. UVP will advance and communicate scientific understanding of the oceans and human impact on the marine environment to a global audience.

Hear from charismatic Scott Cassell about UVP’s first in-water activity with “Great White,” a manned submersible that will dive for 6 weeks in Lake Tahoe this summer and travel 100 miles along Lake Tahoe. Great White will perform water quality testing and will search for animal life, shipwrecks and signs of pollution. The scientists will also perform vibra-core sampling of the three earthquake faults. The Project’s findings will be broadcast to classrooms all over the world.

TRPA inspection fees start June 1

Boaters launching at Lake Tahoe will have to pay a fee to help fund an inspection program aimed at preventing the introduction of aquatic invasive species such as the quagga and zebra mussel beginning on June 1.

Boaters can have their vessels inspected at certain locations free of charge through the end of May; boats that stay in Tahoe need only be inspected once if an inspection seal is kept intact.

When a vessel comes out of the Lake, an inspection seal will be attached to boats so that they do not have to be inspected or pay a fee again as long as the boat returns with the seal intact. For more information, call the TRPA hotline at (888) 824-6267 or visit www.protecttahoe.org.

Vessel fees
Non-motorized vessels & vessels with intact inspection seal – No charge
Vessels up to 16’ - $10
Vessels over 16’ & up to 25’ - $30
Vessels over 25’ & up to 39’ - $40
Vessels over 39’ - $60
Vessels with ballast tanks, bladders & live wells - $10 additional

Boat camp closed

The Emerald Bay Boat Camp will be closed most of the summer while a new pier is being built at the Boat-In campground.

The camp will reopen when construction is complete. For details, call (530) 525-3340.

Boat safety classes

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a series of one-day boat safety classes including Suddenly In Command, taught by and for women, About Boating Safely and Kayak Safety. The classes fill up fast, so register early.

About Boating Safely covers a variety of boating topics from an introduction to boating, boating laws, safety equipment, navigation, boat handling, knots, handling emergencies and much more. The class is offered May 16 at Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, June 27 at the Incline Fire Station and July 25 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. The class is $40 per person, or $30 each for two or more.

Suddenly In Command is a special class on June 6 designed for women who are not typically at the helm of a boat. This course is unique to the Tahoe and helps prepare women in case of a boating emergency. Trailering, line handling, knot tying, launching, first aid, communication, required equipment and basic boating operating principles will be covered in this female-only class. The class is $30 per person.

Kayak Safety, offered Oct. 10, will include an introduction to kayaking, selecting a life jacket and protective clothing, recommended safety equipment, cold water hazards and more. This class also is $30 per person.

For more information on the Auxiliary, call division commander Dee Dee Kincade at (775) 831-7192. For information on classes or to register, call Jerry Gilmore at (530) 587-3334. To receive a free Vessel Safety Check, call Joe Harris at (650) 279-9159. You also can visit www.northtahoecgaux.org.

Free vessel safety check

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will offer a free Vessel Safety Check on May 23 at Meeks Bay (don’t worry, they don’t report the results to anyway) and will come to your home or any other location to provide you with this free safety check.

Minimum safety requirements for power boat under 25’ include: Numbers and registration; PFDs (life jackets); one throwable cushion; one fire extinguisher; working ventilation system; installed backfire flame arrester; work sound-producing device; working navigation lights; and visual distress signals.

Boat safety checklist

Make sure all equipment and lights are working before leaving shore.

Safety equipment on board should include: Radio, life jackets, compass, chart, fire extinguishers, anchor, line, paddle, bailers, lights, flares, sound signaling device (like a whistle or horn), first aid kit, basic tools and spare parts.

Wear a life jacket at all times.

Don’t drink and drive.

Do not overload the boat beyond its capacity.

Stay on the lakeside of “Danger Shoreward”
buoys.

Stay at least 600’ from shoreline.

Obey 5 mph zone in buoy fields and within 600’ of shore.

Watch for underwater debris in spring that is washed into the lake by streams.

Know the weather conditions.

Plan afternoon trips on the West Shore to avoid dangerous winds.

In high winds, head to a sheltered harbor and wait it out.

Take a boat safety class.

Get a free vessel safety check.