It's not palm trees and Pina Coladas at CCB...What do we do in the winter?

You wouldn't believe how many times I have been asked the question... "what do you do full time or in  the winter?" While most people scrape off their cars, shovel their walks, put on their duck boots and trudge their way to work every day, dreaming of sunlit beaches, glistening waves and soft westerly breezes, I do not.

While I don't have a daily grind, a clock to punch or a boss to hover, (yes I do have one of the best jobs in the world)  I also dont sit idly by all winter readying my PFD for the first fleck of spring time.

As any sailing pro will tell you winter is often one of the busiest times of the year. Oh sure some bleach blond, jet set types scurry off to Saint Somewhere with the snow birds and others take to the slopes to carve up the winter days, I do not, and can not, for there is way too much going on.

1rst up, Swimming for a $1- yes that's right , just a $1. With our partner The Shehan Center in Bridgeport, we're committed to driving down the 80% of kids that don't know how to swim in the Cities of Connecticut. Just yesterday we found out that child deaths by drowning are the lowest they have been in decades. We'd like to think that that is because we are just so darn good at our jobs, but that probably isn't true.

Odd's are, numbers are down now, NOT because more kids know how to swim, but rather more kids dont have any place to access the water and instead spend their days in front of TV's, PCs, Wii's, X-box's, I-Pads, and all the other sedentary devices that occupy the youthful minds and times these days resulting in the highest rates of childhood obesity ever.

 Every Wednesday, we hit the pool, with dozens of kids from across the region and give them  a safe, affordable, fun way to learn about water safety and exercise while learning a important life skill. That comes with a whole bunch of costs, work and time that we sure would rather be using to sun ourselves in the BVIs, but then who would do what we do if we did?

Next of course, Beach Clean Up 2012! Ok so the ground is frozen and the winds whipping, who wants to be on a beach in New England right now, right? Well not us either- its cold. But that doesn't mean that in two months time, the weather wont warm and the millions of migratory birds, fish and people will not come back to Connecticut to once again enjoy the great spring weather we have and bountiful estuaries that these species come back to each year to procreate and populate. But before they do, we have to get in their and clean the beaches.

The State DEP, local conservation organizations and local governments restrict access to many of our estuaries, islands and beaches after April 15. The reason: we have to protect the birds. Beach cleaners would run the risk of crushing newly laid eggs and hatchlings if we waited until the weather was balmy and beautiful to get in and clean the beaches. Besides that, grasses grow so fast in late April (probably why birds decided to lay eggs there and why we cant see them) that plastics, paper and other trash that collects on the beaches over the rest of the year, becoming impossible to reach, collect and sequester.

 If we dont hit the beaches by March 15 and finish by April 15, we often lose the chance to catch the trash before it winds up in the water column and makes it way to open sea to kill the very birds that come to Connecticut to mate- ironic huh? And cold and uncomfortable, but important.

We use the winter months to engage volunteers, fundraise, get permissions, create great relationships like the one we have with Fairfield U who dispatch at least 250 volunteers each year to clean beaches and much much more. You try to clean 100 miles of beaches starting March 15 with no prep, no insurance, no permission and no help- Winter is busy busy busy- and when we're done, we get to enjoy cleaner waters to sail, paddle, motor, swim and fish in come summer- makes sense huh?

And then there's the summer- We plan great things to do every summer from our Maritime Explorers Program, to our Sailing For Adults Classes to our new Adult Racing League to our Membership Program that allows you to access our fleet and Sound anytime you want 24-7-365. To do that we're in negotiations with The City of Bridgeport, The University of Connecticut, The DEP and The City of Groton to put in docks, gain access to the water, come up with agreements on fees, permissions and insurance. That's a full time job in itself and once May 1 hits, you expect to hit the waves dont you? You dont want to hear, sorry we're waiting on this person to give us permission or that organization to give us the ok, or build the docks, ready the fleet, launch the moorings .yadda yadda yadda- it all has to be done by May 1 or it's game over for the season. That's why we work all winter.

So when when the clock strikes 12 on New Years Eve's we better be well on our way for March 15, April 15, May 1, June 30 and all the other spring deadlines we have hit each year or we have some very unhappy kids, adults, birds, fish, boaters, swimmers, fisherman, kayakers and all the other people we aim to serve each year and why we need your help in winter to keep the lights on, keep the ball rolling and keep the dollars coming in.

Remember, on these days when winter seems so robust and Spring so far off, CCB is not dormant. We have not headed South with the Plovers. We're not sleeping in, watching you clean off your car, sipping coffee or pulling the covers up over our heads- The hard working staff, board and volunteers at CCB are working together as a community to build a better Connecticut for everyone. So please donate today and help us better serve you when the sun shines this Spring.

Adult Racing League and CCB in 2012- Become a Member today!

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

The New Year is here and though it is cold and the winter is just now starting to ramp up, spring is only two and half short months away and we have some major plans at CCB. Of course I hope you caught the blog yesterday about our 2012 Month long Beach Clean Up in March where we hope to rid as many as 100 miles of Connecticut Coastline of Plastics that would otherwise work their way into the world's  five oceanic garbage patches. And to motivate the not-so-environmentally conscious, I hope you saw the Video we posted to Youtube- (if you missed it, it's up above)- where we talk about the need and why we do what we do at CCB.

Just last month we posted another video about Membership to our Youtube Channel and now we are working on a program that will hopefully bring the boating public to CCB in a big way finally solving the age old problems- where do I learn to race? and How do get good crew to race my boat?

As boaters we have known all to well both sides of this problem and as a public access program we are in a unique place to fix it!

Here is a write up our own Taylor Walker, of Team Chance and I put together describing the concept and the  mission of the CCB Adult Racing League- think of it as Thursday Night Softball meets sailing for the 25-40 adult age group. Here is it for your perusal:

" Connecticut Community Boating Adult Racing League

Objective: To share the sport of sailing through race training and friendly competition on board STEALTH,  an Evelyn 26.

Notes:

1)      The Adult Racing League will be sharing STEALTH with the kids of Team Chance racing. This team (kids or adults?) which races very competitively on Wednesday nights in the Mystic River Mudheads Association has shown great promise for the future. With their basic sailing on Monday evenings and race training on Wednesday nights the team will continue to develop during the summer.


2)      As a Sponsor of the Adult Racing League, Focus 421 and OMAX Ultra Pure Omega 3 will provide all team members with a team long sleeve tech shirt and one month of either eye or heart product. (outstanding!!!)

CONCEPT: This will be a pilot program starting this Spring where we gather a group of 8-10 adults to join in a model of shared learning centered around adult big boat racing. With success it will be our aim to expand to as many as three teams in 2012 and beyond for 2013. Ideally we would have multiple teams in a geographic region so that the team may elect to spar against each other to improve the over all skill of the teams and sailors involved

Plan:

                Phase 1: An organizational meeting for the first Adult Racing League Team based in Eastern CT will take place in late winter and we will begin in the early spring with shared learning by covering the basics of a boat campaign. With the assistance of Taylor Walker, Patrick Murphy, Kyle Fast and Jay Greenfield the team of young and old professionals from the CT Shoreline will develop a work list and budget for prep work for the season. They will also work developing a practice schedule one night a week. Coached by a prequalified safety officer the team will depart with the vessel and practice everything from tacking to complex spinnaker sets and douses. The team will learn how communication, team work and delegation are the keys to success in big boat racing. Arriving back at the dock the team will enjoy a small BBQ and a few beers to wrap up the evening with a chalk talk.

                Phase 2: Once the safety officers agree that the team is ready, they will be given the opportunity to compete in weekend events. Team members will pitch in the cash necessary for the entrance fee and begin racing in the eastern Long Island Sound weekend events. These events are complimented with a casual cocktail party and everyone has a great time.

                Phase 3: Each individual sailor will, once demonstrated proficiency has been achieved,be recommended to a privately owned boat and crew near them which they may chose to join and race on in Wednesday nights to further  their development as a sailor. Results: Our goal would be to develop skilled big boat adult sailors to satisfy the ongoing need for crew by privately owned vessels while at the same time satisfying the interests of adults ages 18-40 who might otherwise not be afforded the chance to expand and grown their knowledge of sailing and racing. This will help to garner the support of big boat owners and grass roots adults at the same time and raise membership numbers and dollars to continue to fund youth boating, swimming and sailing initiatives as well as public access to the Long Island Sound, a mission that is core to the cause of CCB.

Cost: 

The cost to members of the league is simple. Be an active paying member of CCB, the low cost of $35/month is easy and affordable. All League Participants are required to be annual sustaining members to Connecticut Community Boating and take a Sailing For Adults Course with a CCB Instructor prior to being recommended to service on private vessels. . Additional costs such as boat improvements above the basic  requirements of operation, entry fees,  food and beverage  and any and all other fees associated with the Adult Racing League will be incurred by the team based upon the schedule and cost of seasonal maintenance.o 

Connecticut Community Boating Beach Clean Up 2012

Connecticut Community Boating has long since proven our commitment to waterfront access, our belief that no child should be denied access to the water and that everyone deserves the right to enjoy a day on the water. But our local efforts do play into a larger picture and this spring, it is our aim to bring that the larger aspects of what we do to light. 

There are five gyres in each of the five Oceans of the world that now each play host to an island roughly the size of Texas and bigger, some 90 feet deep, made purely of trash and plastics. When you have cleaned as many beaches as we have at CCB, you realize, that that is not some far off problem that bears no impact on me and has nothing to do with me. As a State is it is "WE" that have caused the problem. Our Oceans team with trash that comes from local streets, local sewers and local trash cans. Connecticut's shores are choked with plastics, styrofoam, straws, bags, cups, tires and all sorts of disgusting nasty things that every day work there way into the watershed and find their way to the world Oceans. Check out a Video we prepared about this very important issue.

Think of the scene when Tom Hanks finds a porta pottie shell in the 2000 movie "Cast Away" and uses it as a spinnaker to make his way home.  Although it saves him and reminds him of "Bakersfield!!!", how do you suppose that giant chunk of plastic made it from America to the South Pacific? And what do you think happens to that straw that washes off the beaches of the Great Salt Marsh at Stratford into the Sound, out the East River, into the Gulf Stream, along the coast of Africa down around Cape of Good Hope and into the South Pacific where a small fish, bird or turtle consumes it on its way back north. Now multiply that times 7 Million and you can understand why this needs our attention. 

CCB is all about trying to make our local shores a nicer place to play, more affordable for all and revive the asset that we as a State enjoy. But how can we begin to want to enjoy it when it is filled with trash and pollution that is killing the world's ecology? So that is why, we start each year with help from Fairfield U, local churches, schools and many other community partners by cleaning the beaches. Sure it would be nicer to do it in the warm weather, but you cant do it in the fall or summer. The grass grows over the trash and the birds come in to nest. So we do it every spring in the hopes to raise awareness of the problem and do our part to stem the flow of trash into the Sea. 

But it cant be done without insurance, phones, volunteers, bags, gloves, gas, boats, and about a hundred other things that cost money. We need dollars from everyone to make this herculean effort happen. Please donate today and mark your calendar for March because Beach Cleanup Month 2012 is coming. Thank you.