Check out this video demonstration of the new Garmin Chartplotter with touch screen.  It's amazing to me how all this technology works.

Below is the summer cruise schedule.  Please note that the date for the Clambake has changed!  Due to scheduling with Marine City Yacht Club, the new date is 22 September.  Hope to see you on the water this summer!

Vermilion Cruise: June 8-10, 2012 Put-in-Bay Cruise: June 22-24, 2012 Kelley's Island Cruise: July 13-15, 2012 Maumee Bay State Park: July 18-20, 2012 Middle Bass Island August: 17-19, 2012 Weeklong Vacation Cruise: August 20-26, 2012 Whiskey Island: Aug 20-21 Leamington: Aug 22-23 Pelee Island: Aug 24-25 Home: Aug 26 Anchor Out: Sept. 1-2, 2012, location TBD Clambake September 22, 2012 - Marine City Yacht Club - Marblehead, Ohio

Well it's the beginning of March, and that means the Walleye are going to start their spawning in the Maumee and Sandusky Rivers.  For more information about the best fishing spots, ODNR has a webpage devoted to the Walleye.  Please be careful out there as the water is very cold!

This is pretty major news: Garmin is releasing an iPad and iPhone app for marine navigation.  The app will use their BlueChart vector charting product.  So if you have a Garmin plotter on your boat, you will have the same chart available in your iPad.  Apparently they are also going to allow users to transfer waypoints and routes through Wifi.  One of the other more interesting features is that they will include ActiveCaptain data in the app.  ActiveCaptain is crowd sourced data about points of interest to Mariners.  Individuals can write reviews of Marina's and hazards to navigation.

I thought this website might interest people:  http://www.usedboatequipment.com.  This website is just getting off the ground, so it does not have very many listings.  Currently you can get a "basic" listing for free.  I imagine if the site really takes off that will not last for long.  If you are looking get rid of some items that have been lurking in your basement for some time.  This might be a good place to turn junk into some cash.

A new national bridge was elected at the annual meeting of the United States Power Squadrons in Jacksonville.  This was a more interesting meeting and election as some of the positions recommended by the Nominating Committee were challenged.  For those challenged positions, we were asked to vote for candidates.  Congratulations are in order for Bob Bradenstein and Louis Ojeda.  Bob Bradenstein won the election for National Education Officer.  Louis Ojeda won the election for National Administrative Officer.  Rounding out the Bridge in the uncontested elections is John Alter as our Chief Commander, and Bob Baldridge as our National Executive Officer.  Congratulations to the entire bridge as they work hard to move the organization forward.

Wow, this is an amazing story!  Scott Douglass and his brother-in- law Rich St. Pierre were fishing in the Atlantic off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts aboard his 23' Regulator named Queen Bee.  A rogue wave washed them both off the boat.  Luckily they were able to swim to shore.  Scott thought that was the last time that he would see his beloved Queen Bee.  That was three years ago, in August 2008.  

I just received the Founders Day information from Mike Thal. Cleveland Power Squadron is hosting this year's event at Sterle's Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th Street, Cleveland, OH.  Founders Day will take place on 12 February, 2012 at 1300 (1:00pm).  The cost is $25 per person.  For Reservations, send checks to Larry Novak, 8326 Glen Oak Dr, Broadview Heights, OH, 44147.  For any questions, call Mike Thal: 330-995-4067 or 216-513-6688.  The menu is available to view on the venue's website.  Menu choices are in the Family style listing at the top.