by Nathan Birney,
Rear Commodore for Power

Well it looks like we have a bunch of new “Wii heads” here at HCYC. I want to thank everyone who came out and enjoyed the Wii tournament. I hope everyone had a wonderful time and judging by the feedback received, it might very well become an annual or maybe even a semiannual event for the club. I also wanted to send a very heartfelt Thank You to everyone who made this event possible. Without the support of the Murphy, Goodwin, Perry, and Taylor families we would not have been able to bring this event to HCYC.

Coming up on April 5^th we will have the Spring Power Raft Up, I hope everyone will join us in enjoying what will hopefully be a beautiful afternoon and evening on the lake with fellow boaters.

As we all know boating season is almost upon us and it is time that we make sure that we are ready for it. I want to remind everyone that it is important for all of us to make sure we are ready for the season. Here is a quick 10-item list of things that you might want to check and see if they need replacing or even adding to your boat inventory.

1. Dock Lines- lines (even classic nylon lines) have a tendency to deteriorate over time (due to sunshine). The last thing you want is your boat breaking away from the dock during a spring storm.

2. Life Jackets- Just like lines these have a tendency to wear out overtime and need replacing. Officially, any jacket with rips or torn seams must be replaced.

3. First Aid kit- Lets double check and make sure the kit is well stocked and nothing inside of it has passed its expiration date.

4. Batteries- when was the last time you checked the water level in your batteries? It amazing how many people need a tow at the beginning of the boating season when their batteries won’t hold a charge.

5. Double check your boat registration - I hate tickets

6. Replace your flares when they reach their expiration date.

7. Replace your fire extinguishers or have them recertified annually.

8. Make sure your horn and VHF radio are in working order.

9. Make sure annual maintenance on the engine has been performed.

   Last but probably the most important go to these two websites to brush up on your knowledge of boating safety and Texas boating laws.

a.   http://www.boat-ed.com/tx/index.htm (for a Free online boating safety course)

b.   http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/boater_education (Texas Parks & Wildlife site on boaters safety and laws)

Let’s have a safe and fun boating season.

See you out on the water,

Nathan Birney

Commodore of Power