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Lake Norman | ® |
| Sail and Power Squadron® | ||
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| Home | Squadron Officers | Events Calendar | Education | Activities | Picture Gallery | FAQs | Related Links | Interest Form | ||
| Activities (For brief description of the activity click item below:) (Check Events Calendar for dates of activity.) |
 (CLICK HERE
for a "printout- friendly" format)
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| Monthly General Meetings | Blessing of the Fleet Photo slide show available ! | |
| Raft-Ups Photos available | 
Vessel Safety Check |
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| Co-Operative Charting Cruise | Geodetic Survey and Chili Cookout Photos availble! | |
| Attic Sale | Change of Watch (COW) Photo slide show available ! | |
| Annual Boat Show | Annual Meeting | |
| Lake Cruises | Youth Day on the Lake | |
| Predicted Log Photo slide show available ! | Christmas Party | |
| LNSPS Bridge Club | "Bookworms" |
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Join us and be involved in the activities of the Lake Norman Sail and Power Squadron |
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Do not scroll down to view
rest of page. The information on this page is designed to be best viewed
by clicking on the links above. |
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Monthly General Meetings
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A
general meeting of our membership is held monthly, on the second
Tuesday, at
THE
ACROPOLIS CAFE & GRILL - 20659 CATAWBA AVENUE, CORNELIUS, NC (phone #
704 894-0191) and begins with an up-beat social hour around
1830 (6:30 PM).
We discuss the past month's events, catch up with other member's
activities and meet visitors and new members. A
"Dutch-treat" dinner is served prior to the meeting
which begins at 1930 (7:30PM). |
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THE ACROPOLIS CAFE & GRILL
| The Blessing of the Fleet |
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The is a very special day when our boaters and friends gather with their guests at a chosen spot on the waters of beautiful Lake Norman an our chaplain blesses all the boats of fleet and after giving thank for previous years of wonderful weather and safe boating again gives supplication for continued fair weather, with enjoyable and safe boating during the coming year. After the blessing, all participants gather for a hearty luncheon and fellowship, sharing previous years great boating stories. Below are a few photos from this years "Blessing of the Fleet. |
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| Raft Ups - Beach Gatherings Click Here for pictures of typical raft up activities | |
| Our Raft Up - Beach Gathering locations are subject to change this year due to new housing development on the lake. Please check our Web Page frequently for latest location information. | |
| When: | Please Click Here to check our Calendar of Events for the dates/locations of this year's formally scheduled raft-up - beach gathering dates. |
| What: | What is a raft-up - Beach Gathering?? A number of boats will tie up together usually centered one or more "Anchor Boats" and crews from the boats will visit from boat to boat enjoying food, drinks and fellowship. Alternatively, we will anchor our boats and gather on one of the nice island beaches on Lake Norman. Participants usually bring food items ranging from pancakes and snacks in the morning to hotdogs, hamburgers, salads plus desserts to share with their fellow boaters for lunch. A wonderful party on the water! |
| Time: Purpose: |
0900
(9am) to 1300 (1pm) - unofficially some boats may still be there the next day.
Please note that we have changed to time to morning hours instead of
late evening to avoid the huge crowds and wave action later in the day. Great fun and fellowship! Swimming, Water Ball, Lots of Good Food and Drink and getting to know each other better. |
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Cooperative Charting Cruise (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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Each year, as part of the USPS®/NOAA Cooperative
Charting Agreement, our squadron selects an area for its summer cruise.
NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) then provides copies of their latest charts of this area for
our use. At the scheduled time, members
of LNSPS will take to the water in their boats to compare what’s on
the water to what’s on the chart. Corrections and additions will be noted and reports of these
finding returned to NOAA for future chart updates. This
activity is particularly meaningful following severe
storms that occur during the previous Fall and Winter. Many of the aids to navigation
can be damaged or taken off station
by these storms and we anticipate a productive weekend.
Please consult the Calendar of Events for actual dates and area to be visited. |
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Click Here for more information. Click Here for pictures of Co-op Charting cruises |
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Geodetic Hunt and Chili Cookout (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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Various governmental agencies have installed over 750,00 permanent geographic reference
points, at precise locations, throughout the world. They provide a base geographic framework for mapping and
charting. Surveyors use them to
determine property lines, locate roadways, railroads and buildings.
Maintaining and up-grading information about these reference points is a
monumental task. Changes occur so
frequently that no amount of tax support would be adequate to supply the
corrections needed to keep the documents on these references current.
As part of its commitment to civic service, USPS has agreed to observe
these changes and submit corrections to the governmental agencies.
Click Here for more details. |
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Chili Cookout (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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This party just keeps evolving and moving its location from a sandbar in the lake to different members’ homes and changing the occasion from pure party to a victory celebration for a predicted log or successful geodetic hunt. The latest Chili Cookout followed a busy Executive Committee meeting. Here are some scenes from the ExComm meeting and Chili Dinner:
Some things stay the same like the undisputed master chefs and their hot and mild chili with cornbread and all the fixings. They would love for someone to challenge them to a Chili Cook-Off. Think your chili could beat theirs? |
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Change of Watch (COW) (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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This annual event, held each January, is the time when the newly elected officers of the bridge are installed and the previous officers are relieved of their duties. It is also a time when certain squadron members are recognized and are presented with various awards for their excellence in special activities and their contributions to the squadron during the past year.
This formal and festive occasion is a very special event and we all look forward to "dressing up" and enjoying a great meal, presentation of awards, 'roasting' the past commander and socializing aboard the Lady of the Lake as we cruise Lake Norman. |
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| Vessel Safety Check (with the USCG Auxiliary) | |
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What is a Vessel Safety Check (VSC)? A Vessel Safety Check is a courtesy examination of your boat (Vessel) to verify the presence and condition of certain Safety Equipment required by State and the Federal regulations. The Vessel Examiner is a trained specialist and is a member or the US Power Squadrons or the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. They will also make certain recommendations and discuss certain safety issues that will make you a safer boater. This is not
boarding or a law enforcement issue. No citations will be given as a
result of this encounter. We will supply you with a copy of our
evaluation so that you may follow some of the suggestions given. Vessels
that pass will be able to display our distinctive VSC decal. This does
not exempt you from law enforcement boarding, but you can be prepared to
make this a positive encounter. |
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Click Here to learn
about obtaining a FREE Vessel Safety Check on Lake Norman Click Here to open the Vessel Safety Check Website Home Page Click Here to read about doing a self-exam on your own boat |
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Annual Boat Show (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
| At the annual local boat show in February, we man two-person "watches" at a LNSPS booth throughout the 3-4 day show. Our booth is there to increase public awareness of and interest in the USPS, our Squadron, and our mission. We encourage boating enthusiasts to register and attend our Public Boating Safety and Jet-Smart courses and afterwards possibly join our Squadron. We distribute boating safety literature, show safety and educational videos, and answer many questions from the attendees. We also get a chance to fraternize with members of our sister squadron, the Charlotte Power Squadron, who also have a booth. |
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Attic Sale (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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The Attic Sale is the only fund raiser of the LNSPS and is held in the Spring of each year and is one of our highest member attended activities.. It usually takes place in a paved parking lot in Cornelius, NC and is a great social occasion as well as a fund raiser to support the Squadron's yearly activities. Items on sale are collected, donated, priced and sold by Squadron members. One might find anything from Appliances to Zebra blouses. Lots of fun items like plants, games, tools, electronic equipment, plus, as expected, a number of nautical items are available. This event It is a "FUN" morning with some members hamming it up and keeping the excitement high. In the end we have funds to run the Squadron another year and a sense of accomplishment, knowing that many of the local citizens have gone home happy with "great bargains"! |
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Lake Cruises (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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In Spring of each year, we de-winterize, tune-up and clean up our boats,
rendezvous at an appointed marker on the lower lake and, in a waterborne parade,
usually head northward to some designated location. This is our first scheduled
outing of the season and spirits are high for our "three-hour tour".
Note: LNSPS Vessel Safety Examiners will be available to check your boat and
award certificates to those in compliance with the regulations. ( In the past years
our destination has been
to Bill's Marina which is located in the northernmost point of the comfortably
navigable portion of Lake Norman.)
We plan our voyage to have a stopover for lunch and we have a wonderful time visiting with our fellow Squadron members.
Then, in good spirits and with satisfied appetites, we head back down the lake with renewed
anticipation for the coming boating season. In the Fall of the year,
we have a "Fall Foliage Cruise" to view the beautiful colors of the
changing leaves on the shoreline. Please
check the Calendar of Events
for the actual dates and the cruises destinations. |
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Predicted Log (These events are on the calendar for this year! Please check Calendar of Events for scheduled dates) |
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This is like a nautical sports car rally! Skippers are furnished a course of travel from waypoint to waypoint, usually marker to marker. The skipper of each competing vessel will then plot his or her course and calculate the predicted time it will take to run the course, from waypoint to waypoint, based on his or her knowledge of his or her boat and engine settings, the wind, water and current conditions. Plotting skills learned in boating courses and knowledge of personal boat characteristics are used in this process. The skipper will then run the course with an independent observer recording his/her times. The skipper is allowed to use charts, a compass, binoculars, and tachometers or other engine RPM setting methods but is not allowed the use of any speed determining device, GPS, watches or other timing device when he is running the course. Of course, "No Wake Regulations" and "Rules of the Road" must be observed at all times. This can get quite interesting, especially when unexpectedly encountering other vessels, particularly sail and fishing boats. The winner is the skipper who runs the course closest to his predicted times. This event is a great way to use a number of boating and navigation skills taught in our Boating Safety Course, Seamanship and Piloting courses. Participants will also become more familiar with their boats and will learn the lake, the markers and the practical use of the compass. Lots of fun! We often set up two categories at each event, Novice and Advanced. For skippers running the Predicted Log for the first time, they will run in the Novice Class and instructions are available to help calculate their predicted time. Novices may be permitted to run the course ahead of time to get familiar with the course and log rules. A member can only run in the Novice Class once, from then on they will enter the Advanced Class. Advance Class skippers are not allowed to run the course ahead of time! |
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LNSPS Bridge Club |
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Not-always-nautical but much enjoyed activity of our Squadron is the Bridge Club. This bridge group has been an ongoing Squadron activity for many years and meets monthly at members homes. It usually consists of three tables and is a priority social function for the bridge lovers amongst our Squadron members. (This Bridge Club is not strictly for the ladies. In fact, a few stalwart men have filled in for a few women who were unable to make a monthly meeting, but so far no males have officially joined.) |
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"Bookworms" |
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Not necessarily nautical but none-the-less a highlight for the many in the Squadron is the "Bookworms," a monthly book club that was started several years ago and is going strong. Membership is about 20 persons who meet once a month at a members home to review and discuss a previously selected book. The annual meeting for selection of the books is held in May and includes lunch along with planning the schedule for the election of officers. |
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Annual Christmas Party (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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This festive event is usually held in early December, celebrating the ending of a great nautical year and the upcoming holiday season. It is usually held at the Cowan's Ford Country Club and is a time when we all dress in our holiday attire and bring some of the best that our kitchens (or our wives' kitchens) can offer. This is a time for the Holiday Spirit to abound within our squadron --we have a great social gathering, re-living the events of the past year and the discussing planned upcoming activities of the New Year. The sumptuous feast is then enjoyed by all. |
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Annual Youth Day on Lake Norman (Please check Calendar of Events for Dates) |
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Squadron
members provide a great day on Lake Norman for boys and girls living
in area children's homes. Activities include boat rides,
swimming, canoeing, paddle boats, PWC rides, games and a picnic.
Financial support
for this event is assisted by our generous sponsors. Please
CLICK HERE to see those who have
helped sponsor "Kids Day" for 2012. |
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| Join us and become a member of the Lake Norman Sail and Power Squadron |
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Norman Sail and Power Squadron® All Rights Reserved.
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LNSPS® Home Page
Top of Page Modified on
Friday, December 21, 2012 02:51 AM
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