Joomla! site syndication http://flsail.com 2008-08-21T12:41:59+01:00 http://flsail.com http://flsail.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png text/html 2008-08-08T10:18:01+01:00 http://flsail.com http://flsail.com/index.php/Community-Submissions/Broken.html Yes, I know that the login feature is broken, and there are a few other things that have been removed, making this site pretty much simply a blog. When I get some time, I will put things back together, do some site maintenance and improvement and actually try to get it working as a community site again. In the mean time, if you have any questions or want to submit anything send it to jon at flsail dot com. Thanks! text/html 2008-08-07T11:05:20+01:00 http://flsail.com http://flsail.com/index.php/Sailing/Failing-Frip.html Not much better than a trip to nowhere with good friends. Stormbringer was hijacked by bunch of people armed with copious amounts of beer and food on Saturday, although some people (cough cough Justin) didn't know how to pronounce the name of their feer forrectly. For the record there is NO F in Leinenkugel! Dresses were lost, dolphins frolicked, garlic spread shared and a good time was had by all. Most of the day was spent at anchor in the middle of Tampa Bay with a life line off the back. I don't think the backflip contest off the bow pulpit was documented however. We actually were able to sail with 9 on board thanks to a light but steady west wind in the afternoon after the swim call. I just had to shout "duck" so the folks on the front deck could lay below the path of the tacking genoa. I'm typically an advocate of having the smallest boat that can get you where you are going, but damn I really wish I had a Wharram catamaran (http://www.wharram.eu/photos/index.cgi?mode=image&album=/Tiki-range/Tiki-38&image=PICT1111(Medium).JPG) or a Gemini (http://www.geminicatamarans.com/Performance_Gemini.htm) with a huge amount of deck space and netting for days like this, I can't fit enough people on the boat! I posted some photos, check out the slideshow below, or click on it to go to the album. text/html 2008-08-07T11:37:36+01:00 http://flsail.com http://flsail.com/index.php/Community-Submissions/Need-a-Rigging-help-in-Tampa/St-Pete.html A few weeks ago an evening thunderstorm shredded the sacrificial canvass strip on my roller furling genoa. We called up North Sails in St Pete to help us out. The trick of it was that the jib halyard was jammed and I couldn't get the sail down. They recommended Mike from www.bayrigging.com (www.bayrigging.com). Mike was very thourough and professional and his communication via email and cell have been outstanding. I am definitely holding on to his contact info! Thanks Mike! text/html 2008-07-28T12:34:10+01:00 http://flsail.com http://flsail.com/index.php/Thinking-Green/Clean-Boating-Act-of-2008-Response-from-Congresswoman-Ginny-Browne-Waite.html I sent an email concerning the Clean Boating Act to my member of Congress, and what do you know I got a response. Nice to know she understands that sometimes regulations go a bit too far. Though I thought her poke at "activist judges" was kind of funny. Ahh, politics. So I figured I would post her response so others may see where she stands on the issue. Dear Jonathan: Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention. I appreciate the time you took to contact my office on this important issue and welcome the opportunity to respond. When Congress passed the Clean Water Act, and the Environmental Pollution Agency (EPA) passed implementing regulations, the measure never was intended to cover discharge from recreational boats. The measure was meant to target the large polluters - cruise ships, cargo tankers, and supertankers. However, in an effort to punish supertankers polluting the Great Lakes, this U.S. District Court overturned the exemption for smaller, recreational boats, and instituted a discharge permit requirement for any boat by 2008 that discharges anything from deck water to engine cooling water. In a single decision, this judge ended a 34-year exemption that has worked for all those involved, added millions of dollars in permitting fees and hours of application procedures, and created unnecessary chaos for anyone who enjoys a leisurely boat ride. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the harm activist judges inflict on our democratic process. As you know, Congressman Steven LaTourette (R-OH) introduced H.R. 5949, the Clean Boating Act of 2008. This legislation would prevent the EPA from requiring permits for normal discharge from recreational boats such as deck runoff or bilge water. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is currently considering this legislation. Should the bill leave the committee and come before the whole House for a vote, I will be sure to keep your comments in mind. You may also be interested to know that I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 2550, the Recreational Boating Act of 2008, which addresses the very same issue by reinstating the 34-year-old exemption on pollution discharge permits. Throughout my tenure in public service, I have always kept an open door and an open dialogue with my constituents. As Congress addresses the many challenges facing our nation, I hope you will continue to share your thoughts and views with me. Accordingly, I encourage you to visit my Web site at http://brown-waite.house.gov to email me and find useful information about our 5th Congressional District. It is my honor and privilege to serve the people of Florida's 5th Congressional District and my offices and staff are here to provide you with any assistance you may need. Sincerely, Ginny Brown-Waite Member of Congress text/html 2008-07-23T10:15:08+01:00 http://flsail.com http://flsail.com/index.php/Thinking-Green/Clean-Boating-Act-of-2008.html The EPA has introduced regulations known as the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which would require permitting of all vessels and regulation types of discharge from those vessels. The regulation is targeted at commercial ships which have large ballast tanks. Most pleasure craft do not have these tanks. This additional permit for recreational boaters (RGP) is not as restrictive as the the vessel general permit for craft over 79 feet, and does not cover as many discharge types. The RGP permit may cost from $8.79 to $25.99 per year for motorboats, $5.39 to $22.59 for sailboats, and $0.29 to $2.39 per year for non-motorized small craft. A bill, known as the Clean Boating Act of 2008, has been introduced which distinguishes between the recreational boats and commercial vessels. As responsible boaters we should be aware of the regulations being passed that affect us and our environment. Please take a moment to look over the information on this site and see where you stand on this issue: www.boatblue.org (http://www.boatblue.org/)