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. 

Hometown Hero- Not so sure about that one

I received a call yesterday from News 12 telling me that I have been nominated as a "Hometown Hero". Of course I was honored, and a little shocked. I have been fighting for CCB for the last four years with little fanfare and even less income. Not that I started out needing the former or expecting the latter.  But just now, when I have started embarking on other ventures in distant waters to keep myself afloat, having found living aboard in a landfill for the last four years less than romantic, I get a heart warming call from the local news telling me someone has noticed and called me a hero.

I am no hero. Heros save lives, champion lost causes and either die or win, stand on the decks of a rolling battleship and say things like, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead". I just want to make my my home state a better place to live, work and play.

 I've never been shot at, directly (although there were a couple of near misses in the landfill from duck hunters and the occasional target shooter). I have not been successful in my cause, CCB is far from done. And my charging call is "No child left ashore", doesn't have the grit of a seasoned old fighting sailor does it? I don't even have a tatoo!! No sir I am no hero.

But I AM for my home, my state and my waters. And I will not quit until we are successful. And maybe just maybe someday, I'll get paid to do what I love: build docks, teach kids and sail boats. That may not be too heroic and I wasn't sure I would keep flogging this pony much longer having hit the wall too many times. But when one of your neighbors thinks enough to call the local TV station and say "You gotta meet this boating guy" and they come out listen to you opine about how great it could be if we just had few more dollars. That's the good stuff. And it gets even better when one of your kids says, "That's MY Coach" and another person says "Great Job Chris, You deserve it".

For the first time in my life I had over 22 likes and 10 comments on a Facebook Post I wrote. When I saw that number I felt like some kind of rock star tweeting about my breakfast and everybody loving it, only it was my post saying I am Hometown Hero. For that one moment I felt like I could have been Brad Pitt, without money, fame or good looks.

So maybe I am not a hero, but it's nice to be treated like one. And when you can look at yourself in the mirror  and say, I am doing this thing because it needs to be done and my neighbors deserve it, you know your on the right path.

So thank you to whomever nominated me, and thank you to everyone who wished me well, congratulated me and otherwise treated me nice today. Thank you to News 12 for telling my story and giving CCB a leg up. And thank you for taking the time to look at the story- that I think shows one thing if nothing else, I need to lose 10 pounds before next summer. Cheers!

P.S.
Here is the story if you missed it.

The Master Plan- just in time for fall sailing

You may have asked yourself this week on one of these  beautiful pristine summer days, "What happened to CCB?" Well I'll tell you. Despite an apparent summer hiatus, CCB has been going strong this summer with a new board of directors, new programs at Mystic River Yacht Club and at the Shehan Center, the addition of Team Chance and now, after much ado, at the start of the fall season, approval from the City of Bridgeport to begin work on the downtown waterfront so that we may begin to restore public access to the waters of Long Island Sound. 

The Master Plan- It may seem ambitious but this is
master plan for the future of CCB 

There is much to do this season, when we hope to raise the funds to move "Jumbo" downtown, move the Fairfield U Sailing Stags to a new home for the 2011 Fall season, teach hundreds of kids to swim for $1 a lesson and restart the maritime explorers program at the Cardinal Shehan Center, build an open space complete with kayaks, row boats and moorings for public use, have the largest clean up at the Stewart B. McKinney Wildlife Refuge ever and much much more.

To reach these goals, we're doing something we've never done before- offering two for one memberships- when you support CCB with a individual, discount or family membership this fall. we'll extend you all the benefits it offers until January 2013. That's free sailing aboard any of our boats (still in service and with more to come soon we hope), discounts on classes, and of course the knowledge that you are helping to rebuild the waterfront of Bridgeport, so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy our greatest natural resource.

So for the balance of the year after labor day, open sailing will be serve-yourself at the CCB Boat ramp and with luck, downtown as the facility comes online. We'll be hosting classes aboard our 34' flagship on Thursdays from 530- sunset and Saturdays 9 til Noon. We'll also be running a chase boat for racing in the FJ's for anyone wishing to participate on Saturdays from 12-4.

On Saturday September 10th we will host a rigging day at the CCB Boat Ramp to get the boats in order for a big Fall Season. Please mark the date on your calendar and come on down and lend a hand and put the "community" in Community Boating.

For now that's all- we've got big plans ahead so help us set sail by donating or becoming a member today! Thanks!

Get your membership here

Fish Stories

Lucky Fisherman wishes to remain mum on world record catch

It's not often that a sea monster is pulled from Long Island Sound. When I was a boy in Stratford,  all the papers were abuzz when a 12-foot shark was pulled in off Milford. Years later, I had fears that my boat killed a 1000-pound leatherback turtle that washed up on Stratford Point. Last year a manatee played for days in Milford Harbor. And just this past winter I tracked a harbor seal that was sighted for weeks playing off the beaches of Fairfield County.

We know there are sea monsters out there in Long Island Sound. But it's not often that one so rare, so important to the local economy, so important to the health of our greatest natural resource and such a success story that heads across the country are turning. That is of course if the lucky fisherman would see it that way. Alas he does not.

Here's what we think we know- Sometime between 9 and 10 PM last night off Westbrook, CT, one Greg Meyerson hooked into a fish that would change the way we look at Connecticut and Long Island Sound. When daylight broke this morning and Jack's Shoreline Bait and Tackle opened, Mr. Myerson walked in with a 81.88 LB Atlantic Striped Bass to register and weigh the leviathan. That's what we think we know. Then things got crazy.

Greg Myerson displays his 81.88 LB Striper after weigh in this morning

The internet became wild with the news that the biggest striped bass since Al McReynolds caught his 77LB Striper off New Jersey in September 1982 was caught in Connecticut of all places. The name "Al Stromski" and photos of a man with a huge striped bass sitting in the bed of his truck began floating around. This was great news.

The local media sparked interest and the search for the fish and the fisherman began.

Now it seems the smoke is clearing and the truth is now coming out. "Al Stromski" is in fact Greg Myerson. The fish, yet to be certified as a world record holder, appears to be the largest ever caught. And Mr. Myerson would rather keep the great news to himself.

But this isn't about a man and his privacy. Or for that matter even the biggest and best fish ever caught. Some might say, if he didn't want the world to know he should have just thrown it back. Well maybe so. But then Connecticut would have been robbed of some of the best news to come out of the Sound in generations.

Long Island Sound is Connecticut's greatest natural resource. It is the reason we flourished as an industrial economy for the last 150 years and it is the reason we will flourish in the next 150 years. Not because of manufacturing or shipping, but because Long Island Sound is becoming one of the best kept environmental secrets in the country. It is a boaters paradise. From sailing to water skiing, paddling to fishing, the Sound abounds with delights for everyone and everyone deserves the right to enjoy it.

This fish shows the amazing return of the striped bass to our local waters- at one time, you were not allowed to keep a striper for fear that the population had collapsed. Now fisheman regularly pull 30 and 40 pound lunkers from the surf. And with the grand daddy of them all coming ashore today, we can be very certain that the population is not just back, but back to levels not seen since the 60's. Lunker bass were once so common, folks didn't even flinch when an 60-pounder came ashore. Now they are back and if it does pull the record into Connecticut's waters, we can be sure that this will get world attention.

Mr. Myerson may not wish to be a fishing celeb and really who could blame him. But the fish is what's important. Connecticut is fast becoming a birder's dream. And with seals returning, we can be sure sea life is on the rebound too. But when the world's largest fish is pulled from our waters that puts us in line with places like the Great Barrier Reef, George's Banks and the Gulf of Mexico. And fisherman and boaters alike will come from the world over to try and land a world record holder at a time when we need people to come to Connecticut in a big way.

So even if the fisherman may not want to be known, the news of the world's largest fish being caught in Long Island Sound must be heralded from the rafters. Because it is a sign that we're doing something right with our waters, have something great to offer the world and proof that Long Island Sound can benefit every Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island resident.

Congrats Greg- thats a heck of a fish!

The Biggest Fish I ever caught- also a potential world record holder that wasn't- a 239 Big Eye Tuna- mishandled and ineligible for the record 

The Summer is in full swing, but soon enough...

Buxton  now enjoys a short wade in her pool 

A small child sits on a dirty curb in 90-degree heat. The smile on their face belies the heat, humidity and dust. All those young eyes see at this moment is the chilly drip slowly making it's way past their tiny fingers before it strikes the dirt below; to be feverishly devoured by the panting pup at their feet who now stares at this child with ultimate commitment to both his safety and that of the strawberry ice cream in his hand.

This is a scene played over and over during these hot dog days of summer. And one that we relish every winter when the drifts of snow build cold against the window. But summer is here now so forget about the cold winds ahead and pour yourself another ice tea and enjoy the heat.

Because in the coming weeks, those ice cream cones will vanish and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils mixed with the stale smell of school bus fumes will take the place of that smiling child on the curb. That's at least what I plan to do.

You see this summer for me, was the first one in a very long time, when I got to be that little boy once again, with a dog by my side, eating a strawberry cone on the curb. Thankfully Buxton, who digs Strawberries as much as I do, didn't complain at the meager share she was offered as it seems now that I am grown, I can manage the drips a whole lot better than I could when I was 8.

But back to my point- I got to enjoy summer this year in way I haven't for too many years. I got my beach week at the Atlantic, I got my garden time, I got my swim in the lake and I got my lemonade in the shade in 90-degree heat.

My past years since starting CCB, I have had my fun. Seeing smiling faces at the helm of a boat for their very first time is incredibly rewarding. But the work and effort it took to get them afloat is a seven day a week venture and leaves little time for summer dreaming. Who's gonna pay the staff, how do we get them bussed to the water, where is the next insurance payment and did I return that call to the donor? All that worry left little time to relax under a shade tree- even if we did have a shade tree in the landfill which we really didn't.

Now I am not saying, I didn't love every minute sharing the sport of boating with a whole bunch of wonderful people. I am just saying, all that sharing left little time for me. And while I missed the kids, I missed the water and I missed the fun we all had together last year for Pirate Day, Dead Puppet Theater and Capture the Schroeder, I didnt miss the work and the worry.

Well now it's time to go back to work. There are thousands of  kids across Connecticut who deserve a chance to hit the waves. Thousands of family's who've never had the opportunity to quality family time afloat. And there are beaches everywhere that need a mess of  enthusiastic volunteers.

Now that the summer has reached it's zenith and the powers that be have given us go ahead sign, we're kicking into gear at CCB and starting work on a major plan to build a community facility in Bridgeport, and hopefully Groton and who knows where else in Connecticut. We'll build boating facilities everywhere so that every man, woman and child gets the chance to harness the wind and enjoy our greatest natural resource. I envision public boat fleets across Connecticut, as common as public pools and baseball diamonds. Community boating is the future for waterfront recreation and there is no reason why every community can't enjoy a fleet eliminating the burden of personal ownership and providing the shared enjoyment for all.

I apologize if you missed CCB and boating in the summer of 2011. But I ask for your support for the summers ahead. I ask you to think about the kids who stand on a beach and look out and yearn for exploration and adventure. I ask for you to think about what Long Island Sound means to you the next time your enjoying a frozen treat by the sea. I ask for you to join our effort, help create facilities for children and families everywhere and help share our message. The Cause of Connecticut Community Boating may have been on summer vacation, but now that we're back, we hope you'll join our cause.

Thanks!

PS- Big thanks to the good folks at Higgin's Crab House in OC, Maryland- My first crab feast with the family in over 20 years was wonderful!

Vibes to Offer Boating Access this Year

In a break with tradition and  bold step toward a new chapter for the best waterfront music fest in the Nation, The Gathering of the Vibes has decided to permit an often made request this year- allowing concert goers to camp on their vessel for the four day weekend.

The 90-acre Seaside Park that sits on the shore of Bridgeport, CT and Long Island Sound has for now some ten years called the Park City home much to the delight of wayward hippies and music devotees alike.  And many a summer has been blessed with soulful sounds bellowing from the Bridgeport beach in late July to the enjoyment of power boaters, sailboaters, kayakers  who bely their boats right up the rocky coast at the high tide for the music fest. But when the sun dropped every other year until this one, the water-based boaters picked up anchor and sailed on home as they were not allowed to access the venue from the water.

Not so this year. If you want to bring your vessel, drop your anchor and come ashore to spend four days sloshing through mud pits or baking in dust bowls to enjoy the dozens of acts that will play July 21,22, 23 and 24, such as my personal favs, Jane's Addiction and Toots and the Maytals- then you can do so. And then when you have sang til your throat went silent, used your last fleeting fleck of energy or just simply need a few moments of rack time to pop a few Tylenol and recharge for another go round on the concert field- then you can hop in your dinghy and row out to your vessel at anchor in Bridgeport Harbor or hop a cab to your boat at Captain's Cove and enjoy all the comforts of ship board camping.

Admittedly, as a guy who has slept in the some of  the strangest corners of Seaside Park and the Park City, there are some awesome shoreside spots to cuddle up in an catch 40 winks around, but nothing beats dozing off enjoying the sway of the boat, the coziness of the the cockpit and the echo of 40,000 decibels of the best funk, rock and reggae blasting over the harbors of Bridgeport, CT.

It's my guess that the Vibes will become a floating fiesta, with boats from across the East Coast making passage to the Park City for this one weekend for many years to come. And when there are a thousand   Sabres and Beneteaus  rafted to another thousand Bertram and Sting Rays for the last weekend of July and 50,000 sailors spend the weekend partying like it's 1999. It is my hope to be handing out CCB brochures by zodiac and telling folks for many years to come, CCB made this happen.

See you on the water this weekend at the Gathering of the Vibes 2011!

Click here to download the rules to boating at this years Vibes

Ready about, we're almost there!

Taylor Walker, one of the founders of Team Chance shows a kid the ropes aboard a Big Boat. Walker hopes to show many kids the ropes this season aboard the newest addition to the CCB fleet "Stealth" a 26' Evelyn.

In a move bringing us closer to our goal to reopen Bridgeport waters for all, CCB met with City Officials Monday to discuss plans to create a waterfront facility at 1 Stratford Ave in Bridgeport. With several approvals left at both the City and State level, it is far from a done deal, but big things move slowly and every move forward is a positive move towards a cleaner, healthier and more vibrant waterfront and Long Island Sound. We continue to work with City officials to devise a plan for the Sliver by The River and what we are terming, “The Bridgeport Boat Basin” located at the mouth of the Pequonnock River directly beneath the Bridgeport Transportation Center.

Once approved we will continue to grow our fleet and will offer College and high school sailing opportunities for Fairfield University and with luck the public high schools of the Greater Bridgeport region. We believe this facility will grow the ever-increasing tide of high school sailing in our local waters and continue the fastest growing trend in local high school sports.

 This comes in conjunction with a project we are working on in Eastern Long Island Sound, Team Chance. Tayor Walker and Jay Greenfield, college students, set to work last summer to build a new program in the CCB fleet. Their idea was to provide low income children with a chance to experience big boat racing at the helm of a performance sail boat and mentor the kids as sailors and racers. This weekend, Team Chance launched their little girl, a 26’ Evelyn Sailboat called “Stealth” and are preparing to visit at least a half dozen community boating centers around the region to give the kids of community boating a chance see what it’s like race on a go-fast boat and try to raise funds to support youth sailing and community boating. Team Chance and the crew will sail into Bridgeport aboard Stealth later this summer and hope to provide some local sailors with a chance to win the Park City Regatta.

This is a tack in a new direction for CCB. By intensifying our efforts to promote and participate in what we see as a growing trend for youth racing and sailing, a facet of sailing we have not previously delved into, we hope to further promote waterfront access for all. And with the huge growth this past spring in high school sailing in Fairfield County and the passions of our newest crewmates at Team Chance, we believe the waters of Connecticut have never looked better to provide every child with a chance to enjoy a day on the water.

Laser Radial Sailors from area high schools start with a signal from the Pequod at Pequot Yacht Club this past Saturday for the annual regional sailing competition, The Fairfield Cup. Fairfield Prep, a continual supporter and great friend of CCB, ranked second out of fleet of ten teams who competed in 420's , lasers and laser radials.
Congrats Prep on a strong showing and great season!

CCB to announce course change this week.

We are preparing to begin a new chapter in the life of CCB tomorrow and will post  an announcement about our future plans for Connecticut and Long Island Sound after a day of meetings and discussions with the City, State and CCB Board of Directors. In the announcement we will share our plans to open public access to the waterways of Connecticut for every man, woman and child on both sides of the Connecticut River, east and west. We have discussed plans to modify our efforts to provide even greater public access to the water and will fomerly lay out our mission and plan following these meetings on Tueday morning at 10AM. In the meantime, please take a look at this video to understand a little of our inspiration for this course change and recommittment to our mission.

Annnnnnnnnd........We're back.

After weeks of being down, we decided it was time to renew the old look and work on a new one at the same time. You can see from the old content on this site that it has been down for sometime but we're back and ready to roll.

Our plan to start a whole new season in a new location is on the rocks this weekend, but it's Mother's Day so make sure your Mom has a happy one and we'll have all the details on the new plan to bring CCB to Bridgeport Harbor (hopefully) by Monday.

Happy New Year and Thank You.

Happy New Year!
With your support, we provided over 750 children with their first chance to explore Long Island Sound and the sports of boating and sailing. What's more, we have now picked up more than 5000 bags of trash, restored a 40 year-old abandoned pier in a closed Landfill at Seaside Park and cleaned more than four tons of trash from the shores of Pleasure Beach and the Great Salt Marsh.

We're all about protecting the children, families and natural resources in our community, Won't you please help us before the clock tolls 12 on New Year's Eve? IN 2011, we plan to create a new floating facility in Bridgeport Harbor that will welcome thousands of folks back to the heart of the Park City and provide more than 1000 kids with a chance to enjoy the waters that sit just feet from their front doors. To get 1000 kids on the water, we need to raise $250,000 and to build a regional boathouse for all to use, we need to raise $1 million more.  So we need everyone's help and hope that when you contribute this holiday, you'll make CCB your cause for 2011 and ask your family friends to do the same.

As a 501c3 organization, your contribution to CCB is fully tax deductible and you will see the benefit of your contribution when you visit the Park City, when we build our new boathouse in 2011- So please, dig deep and make a contribution that fits your budget online here today to help us build a brighter future for our community tomorrow.

Many Thanks and Please have a Safe and Happy New Year in 2011-
P.S. We will be rolling out a new website Jan 1, changing our email service and changing our mailing address to 955 Connecticut Ave Suite 10012 Bridgeport, CT 06607- Please note this for your records and check out our new look for CCB on New Year's Day 2011.

Seaytee and the Fleet Weather the Storm

In an act reminiscent of the Battle of Bulge, rescuers crossed Cedar Creek today by row boat to check on the CCB fleet and our guard in residence against rats and mice, Ms. Seaytee Cat. Although the place looks more like a scene from the North Pole, reports indicate no damage to the fleet and Thanks to the warmth and compassion of CCB volunteers, Seaytee is a bit lonely but no worse for the wear.  Heavy snows have made roads into CCB impassable and will likely remain so until significant melting occurs. Please check back for updates as we dig out of this historic Christmas Blizzard and a very special thanks to Susie and Rich and the rest of rescue squad who braved bitter temperatures, icebergs and brutal winds to ensure th safety of the CCB fleet and our little girl.

The Week Before Christmas at CCB

Twas the week before Christmas and all round the Park,  
the boats were all covered and the trailer was dark.
Buxton was nestled in the back of my car,
and the chickens were wintering at a home not too far.
Seaytee stood guard ‘gainst the mice and rats,
 while I dreamed of summer when I’d hope to see bats.
The year at our back was one of the best,
with kids by the hundreds,  but still could I rest?
To reach a few thousand, that was my goal
and I knew that we could in the pit of my soul.
We have a great team, the brightest and best
and a fleet more than 50 with which we are blessed.
Our cause it is good, no child left ashore,
but how could we serve One Thousand more?
It came down to dollars and it came down to cents,
running a program is a great big expense.
And more was our station, in a former land fill.
How can you teach at the foot of a hill?
A hill made of garbage at the back of Seaside,
down a dirt road is where we did hide.
How could we tell the world what we did,
when our flame was kept under a municipal lid??
We needed a plan and we needed it fast.
Next year would be here,  as this one is past.
First to the team, lets call the clan,
 Now Alonzo, And Brooke and Schroeder and Joanne,
On Bridgeport, on Stratford, On Trumbull and Westport,
 Now Fairfield and Shelton and don’t forget Southport
Volunteers and Directors,  Family and Friends,
we need you all now to sail to the end.
The final chapter, it’s time, to bring it all home
to create a new boathouse for the kids of our zone.
A shiny new ship is just the thing,
to serve a few thousand  and make this program ring.
We’ll park it I think, next to downtown,
 in the harbor that’s blank and much of it brown.
Oh sure there’s a future for this spit of land,
 but plans seem far off and not quite at hand.
And besides we will float, where ever we can,
but here is the crux to the core of the plan:
It costs quite a bundle to purchase a ship
and to pay for a staff,  that’s smart as a whip.
To keep the boats painted, the sails in good order,
moneys the key,  from here to the border.
So please give of your dollars, please give your change,
Please become a member even though it seems strange
That you’d think to go sailing when it’s twenty below
In the middle of winter when the air’s full of snow
Cause while you’re aslumber this Christmas eve,
the folks at CCB are rolling their sleeves.
We’re getting to work, to serve every child,
the rich and the poor, the meek and the mild.
And before you can say Happy New year to one,
We’ll be working for all in the hot summer sun.

Do Good, Have Fun Sail Far-Merry Christmas
The CCB Staff

A Floating Boat house-The Final Chapter

It has been a long time coming and on the morning of the 2010 End of the Year meeting of CCB Board of Directors, we're taking stock in where we've been and aim at where we're going at CCB. 2010 has been a banner year for CCB getting more than 750 kids on the water, obtaining 501c3 status and and of course having the chickens and Seaytee join our family at CCB!

But many do not know the full concept of what was envisioned for CCB on that rainy St. Patrick's Day morning in 2007 when I quit my job and Connecticut Community Boating, Inc. was founded. And as we close the books on 2010, it is with great hope and big plans that we prepare for 2011.

In the coming year, I hope to finish the project I started by implementing the final phase for CCB- A floating Boathouse in Bridgeport Harbor.

We've been kicking this idea around now for a few years and we have finally reached the point where it is time to bring it all together.  It's gonna take a lot of fundraising, a fleet of volunteers and a good healthy dose of public/private partnership. But now that even Stewie is taking pot shots at the Park City, it's time that we change the view from I-95 as we dot the Harbor with tiny little boats sailing in the shadow of a big ship at the Greater Bridgeport Regional Maritime Education Center!

For a full description of our ambitious goal to bring Connecticut and beyond back to the City by the Sea- Click here.

Give the Gift of Sailing this Holiday Season

Stumped on what to get that person who has everything? How about a gift of sun drenched afternoons lazily bouncing around on Long Island Sound? Or how about the thrill of waves crashing over the bow while you scream along at 4 knots? Give the gift that covers 2/3rds of the world's surface and dates back to way before Odysseus longed to return to Ithaca. Give the gift of sailing!
When you get a gift certificate for those hard-to-buy-for people on your holiday gift list to CCB this year, we'll give you an added bonus- You and your whole family can sail the CCB fleet for Free! With every pair of enrollments for our SFA or Basic Keel boat classes you purchase, you will get a complimentary family membership to CCB. You can keep it for yourself or regift it to enhance that giving feeling- It's up to you, But your not gonna find a more cost effective way to hit the waves in 2011 anywhere on the Blue Planet.
But you gotta act quick, cause at the stroke of Midnight on Dec 20, this ship sails.

Click Here for more information and class details

Click Here to Get a Gift Certificate

The final days of the 2010 Summer Season are here

It has been an amazing year for us at Connecticut Community Boating. From officially becoming a 501c3 organization to having our biggest year ever with more than 750 kids hitting the waves for the first time in their lives, 2010 was by all accounts a banner year.

Now in our fourth season, we have doubled in size every year since 2007, when we started with one boat and a mission to ensure that no child is left ashore. Our growth is testament to the huge need and the burning enthusiasm our kids have for the waters that sit just yards from their homes and schools, and the shame that they have been denied access to for all to long.

We're thrilled that we can help impart a new chapter in the lives of our kids and help play a role in improving the quality of life for all in the Greater Bridgeport area.

In 2011, we will be rolling out a huge array of programming to bolster our effects, from continuation and expansion of the CCB Learn to Swim campaign where every kid can learn to swim for just $1 a lesson to a newly refurbished afterschool program where kids will get a chance to learn about and explore their local waters and enjoy a positive and safe extracurricular environment where they can do their homework and be mentored by sailors from all walks of life.

But now that the leaves are falling and there is a crisp feel to the autumn brezzes, we want to remind you that the season isn't over and our work is not done. We're feverishly working to fund the 2011 season, have classes going until the last Jack-O-Lantern light dims and planning a November to remember with a Junior Recognition Dinner on November 1 and an Adult Cocktails and Community Party on Nov 18th.

For more info on our 2011 plan of attack, our Fall Fundraising Drive or any of the other things we have cooking at CCB, please call 203-382-3661.

Thank you for making this a year for ages at CCB and We wish you a happy fall and smooth sailing!

2010 Pleasure Beach Boat Lift and Clean Up Biggest EVER!

Amid overcast skies and growing breezes, the 2010 Pleasure Beach Boat Lift and Cleanup kicked off. And by 2PM that same day, over 150 kids had their first chance to sail and the first opportunity to see the "jewel" that is Pleasure Beach for the very first time in their lives.

With over 230 volunteers, the Beach Cleanup was by all accounts the biggest ever. Cleaning up over 4 tons of trash and debris choking the shores of this delicate seaside landmark and washing into our world's oceans, The Beach cleanup was part of world-wide effort known as "International Beach Clean Up Day" and our volunteers were part of a 500,000 strong world-wide force, and by far the largest effort in all of Connecticut according to Kierran Broatch at Save the Sound who partnered with us in the event.

Students from Fairfield U, Fairfield Prep, Stratford, Bunnell, Central, Bassick, Harding and many more schools turned out with BuildOn.org, a student organization dedicated to community service, as well as folks from across the region to take part in the effort. And the throng of able bodied beach combers, were boat lifted over and back, with the tons of trash, in a fleet of more than a dozen vessels from CCB, the City as well as privately-owned .

This effort comes just days before the Town of Stratford is set to remove the cottages that are a great source of the trash that is scattered across the man-made peninsula that acts as a barrier island to the Great Salt Marsh and Bridgeport Harbor. As part of $900 Million federal stimulus grant, The Town that once owned of the Park City and then entire peninsula now known as Long Beach West and Pleasure Beach, will cart off the derelict structures and the waste that was left there when the 60 families were forced to abandon their claims and their care of the property after a long and hotly contested court battle in 2007. Since then the trash and debris has been left to scatter and spread across the property and into the Stewart B. McKinney Wildlife refuge.

The latest beach cleanup is part of a campaign that began in 2009 and has continued over the last year and across the area to remediate  the garbage that lines the shores of "Lewis Gut" and Bridgeport Harbor. CCB has coordinated this effort as part of our mission to provide access to the waters of Long Island Sound with a belief that pollution is one of the issues that prevents individuals from using and appreciating our local waters.

Having removed more than 5000 bags of trash from the Landfill at Seaside Park and making headway on cleaning up some of the most polluted waters in Connecticut, CCB turned its efforts in 2009 and it eyes to Bridgeport Harbor in the hopes that one day soon, we will be allowed to access our fleet in the heart of the Park City in Bridgeport Harbor where we have already received permission to install a mooring fleet, but lack a shore-based location to launch from. This cleanup is part of ongoing effort to expand our reach on the water and promote and protect our greatest natural resource for the kids of today and future generations.

Beach Week will Close Tomorrow, But Not Until We Finish a Herculean Effort

It's been a very long week starting last Thursday at The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Preserve when we kicked off an effort to clean the Greater Bridgeport Shoreline. And tomorrow when the clock strikes 2, Beach Week Cleanup 2010 will come to a close.

But before it does, we have one more assault to wage on the trash and debris that blankets our coastline. While we were cleaning one side of the refuge, we discovered an island and an inlet in the Great Salt Marsh that is no doubt one of the most neglected sites in all of Fairfield County.

Click on photo to see a satelite view of this location.

We saw foam billets by the hundreds, plastic bags and bottles by the thousands and enough Dunkin Donuts Cups, Duchess Wrappers, and McDonald's straws to wallpaper the Grand Canyon.

This discovery, much like the Storm last week that washed so much trash up on to shore, was a unique happenstance because of the first ever occurrence of Beach Week 2010 when we already had a host of cleanup efforts in the works. And with the final day of the week-long "Olympics of Trash Clean Up" still unscheduled, we knew exactly where to send the more than 150 volunteers scheduled to come lend a hand.

So tomorrow at 10AM, CCB and a host of other groups, individuals and organizations will arrive at the end of Long Beach Boulevard in Stratford. (600 Long Beach Blvd for you GPSers) There we will enter the Great Salt March and like a line of army ants, move the huge collection of debris to our staging area for municipal pick up.

Gloves, boots, hats and jackets will all be advisable as the Marsh is wet and muddy and the temps are expected to hover around 40 with a stiff easterly breeze. Also Garbage bags are in short supply as is water, snacks and anything else you will need- so please plan ahead.

Please call 203-382-3661 for more info and we will see you in the morning!!

The End of 2010 Beach Week Cleanup- But The Battle Will Rage On!

Today is our final day of our week-long marathon Beach Clean Up. It was hard work and it's hard to admit that so much progress is yet to be had, but the strides made by hundreds of volunteers this week cannot be ignored. Thank you to everyone who chipped in and helped us make a dent in the trash that lines our shores.

Why is it that with so much promise and so much hope for a brighter future in the winds these days, more people do not see that the future of Our State, Our City and Our Children flows freely in the waters that sit just feet from our homes. Long Island Sound, a treasure that built fortunes for our forefathers and a resource that holds so much promise for our future, is still assaulted by trash, by tainted run off and by neglect.

Our mission at CCB is to help show our community what LIS means to all of us. For the young, it is a classroom, a playground and a tutor that offers a host of benefits from lessons in self-worth to a life-time of education in exercise and healthy living. For adults, it is a chance to unwind and appreciate our community that is fully apart from the I-95 rat race. For those with special needs, it offers life skills, presents rewarding challenges resulting in developmental growth and a platform for fresh air and sunshine. And for our economy, LIS offers tourism dollars, business opportunities and lessons in green technology from by-gone eras.

The trash we pick up today may not alter the course of human events or even save a small portion of the wildlife we hope to protect. But it does help us mobilize and motivate those who have been shut out from the water and turned away from our greatest natural resource. By lending a hand in cleanup efforts we have shown our community some of the damage that is wrought from the senseless act of mis-disposal of trash. Our week-long effort has raised eyes from newspapers, TV and radio. And our efforts have helped show our political leadership that our residents care about LIS and that we expect great things from them for the future of our waters.

Today is the last day of Beach Week, but only the beginning of what is to come. We will mobilize our community by getting them sailing and caring about our waters. We will show a generation of kids who have been declined access to the water that LIS is their birthright and theirs to appreciate and learn from. When the last bag is stacked today, we will just be starting to tackle the issues that face our youth, our families and our community. We will teach every man, woman and child to sail and aid them in their enjoyment of Long Island Sound. We will host even more efforts to access the most remote regions of our waterfront with our fleet of 50 vessels and while there attempt to gather as much of the flotsam and jetsam that chokes our waterways.

This is just the start of what is to come and for those who have helped us this week, we pledge that your efforts will not be in vain. Your efforts are the seeds that will grow into a future of water awareness and will smooth the waves for a journey for every resident of our community who partakes of a warm summer day with sun and salt air that is as pristine as it was when the first Americans dropped anchor and called these waters home.

Thank you for all you have done and thank you for supporting Connecticut Community Boating. It is your hard work that has made this week a success and it is for you that we will continue to strive to make a difference in our community. Thank you.