The first regular meeting of the year 2000 will be held in the Anchor & Shield Club on Thursday, January 20, at 1930.

Mike Case – FC

Here is some general information gleaned from various sources:

• The entire program of Vessel Examinations has been revamped. We will hold a Workshop when the dust settles. Until then, continue as before.
• QE’s may now sign off tasks of members of their own Flotillas.
• FC’s and VFC’s, due to increased responsibility, do not have to maintain qualification in their respective Operations while in Office.
• Only the Air Ops Workshop is required by National. No doubt there will be District and/or Division requirements.
• Flotillas that do not have a conflict with members running for higher office may hold their elections without regard for Div or Dist election dates. Flotillas are required to offer the Sexual Harassment Workshop for all new members and those who have not attended before. We will most likely schedule this for March or April.

• The CG has authorized shore unit personnel to wear the unit ball cap with the Tropical Blue Long Uniform. I would assume that this would also apply to Aux personnel who serve aboard those units.
• Due to uniform shortages, personnel are still authorized to wear Air Force Trousers until 30 June 2002.
• The dark blue Auxiliary sun hat is authorized with undress or working uniforms in lieu of the baseball and utility caps. The only source is AUXCEN. No insignia is worn.
• The VE shirt is a polo type that is authorized only for CME’s. Our FSO-VE will be the coordinator.
• Auxiliarists may either wear all ribbons authorized, or may elect to wear only their senior three ribbons.
• The Blue Blazer may be either single or double breasted, two or three button, and have any style of pockets. The official Patch is that of the Aux logo with stars around it.
• QE’s may attach an "E" to their Operations Program ribbon.
• Both new and old style cap devices are authorized.
• Members who joined in 1999 are authorized for the CG Unit Commendation ribbon awarded for the 60^th Aux anniversary. All prior active members are also authorized.
• The Operations, Examiner, and Instructor Program Ribbons have been determined to be equivalent wards and are to be placed in the order earned. These are in precedence below the Aux Specialty Ribbon.

A new series of publications is being planned for use in Public Education classes. These publications are a series of case studies, based on actual accident reports, which can be used to simulate discussion of safe boating practices. The first of this series concerns the Morning Dew:

The week between Christmas of 1997 and New Year's Day of 1998, Mr. Cornett had just purchased a used sailboat, a 34-foot Cal sloop, christened the Morning Dew. He had been a recreational sailor for more than 20 years and had owned other sailboats.  He accepted the delivery of the Morning Dew in Myrtle Beach, SC, embarked his two teenaged sons and his teenaged nephew as either crew or passengers, and began a transit to Jacksonville, FL.

As near as can be reconstructed, Mr. Cornett's departure from Myrtle Beach on 27 December was delayed by an electrical problem on the boat, which he corrected by purchasing a new battery at an auto parts store.  He also purchased some charts and planned an inland route along the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW).  Equipment onboard included a magnetic compass, flares, VHF-FM radio, horn, and Type II PFDs.

At 10:00 p.m. on 27 December, the Morning Dew was seen at Little River, SC.  We do not know how far the vessel went on the 27th or where the crew spent the night.

At 2:30 the next afternoon, the operator of a salvage vessel saw the Morning Dew heading outbound in Winya Bay, moving toward the open ocean, cruising on engine power with sails furled on the boom.  The operator of the salvage vessel assumed the Morning Dew had missed the turn into the ICW and attempted to hail the sailboat on VHF-FM radio, but was unable to establish contact.  A sport fisherman also saw the Morning Dew heading toward the open ocean and also tried to send a warning, but failed to make radio contact.  Sunset in this area would have been approximately 5:22.

There were small craft advisories posted from Little River Inlet, SC, to Savannah, GA.  Winds were from the east at 25 knots and gusting.  Seas were running five to six feet.  Areas of rain and embedded thunderstorms reduced visibility to less than one nautical mile.  The water temperature was 55° Fahrenheit.

It is unknown exactly what happened on board the boat over the next 11 or 12 hours.  Evidently, around 2:00 in the morning (29 December) the Morning Dew struck the north jetty at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, right around low tide.  At approximately this time CG Station Group Charleston heard a faint call but could not raise the hailing vessel.  No search was launched.  Sometime later, the vessel sank on the south side of the jetty, probably after being driven over the rocks by the east wind and the incoming tide.  Mr. Cornett, his two sons, and his nephew died.  When found, Mr. Cornett was fully clothed in layered, makeshift foul weather gear.  One young male was dressed in shirt and pants, another in pants only.  Neither was wearing a personal flotation device.  The third young male was wearing a life jacket and boxer shorts.

1. Navigation - ICW markings, distinguishing navigation aids at night or in poor visibility, use of electronic aids such as GPS, radar, etc.

2. Equipment - legally required equipment vs. prudent equipment for a particular situation.  Items for discussion could include - exposure suits, proper clothing for weather conditions, EPIRB, anchor.  Other discussion items in this area might include known reliability of equipment on board including compass, flares, sound producing devices, VHF-FM radio, and battery.

3. General Safe Boating Practices - proper clothing for weather conditions, exhaustion, hypothermia, training of others on board in use of safety equipment (i.e. flares, radio, personal flotation devices), capabilities of others on board to take over helm in an emergency, difficulties navigating at night or in poor visibility - especially in unfamiliar areas, advisability of anchoring vs. making an approach to an unfamiliar harbor.

4. Rescue Realities - In order to have the best chance to be rescued in an emergency, the boater needs to be able to give rescuers their exact location, not a general location such as "off Cape Hatteras," and enough time to get there.  When a boater thinks they might be in trouble, they should establish their location and make notification immediately.