Denis Sullivan Schooner

Denis Sullivan Schooner Comes to Bayfield in July
The Bayfield harbor will be home to the S/V Denis Sullivan Schooner July 25, 26 and 29. During these three days, the Chamber will provide on-site tours of the Schooner. In addition, on the evening of Sunday, July 25th, Bayfield visitors and residents will be able to take an “Evening Island Cruise”.
The S/V Denis Sullivan is a 137 foot traditional 19th century Great Lakes cargo schooner, built by a community of volunteers and launched by Pier Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2000. It currently sails as an education and research platform and has been leased by CESA in Ashland, for the purpose of conducting educational programs onboard.
The schooner will be sailing from Milwaukee to the Chequamegon Bay where it will visit the harbors of Ashland, Washburn and Bayfield. It will be arriving in Washburn, Saturday, July 24th and departing from Ashland, Sunday, August 1st.
For more information call the Chamber office at 715-779-3335.

Top Reasons for On-The-Road Breakdowns
A boating trip can be ruined long before their boat hits the water if precautions aren’t taken to safely prepare the tow rig. “When Something Goes Wrong,” a report in the February/March issue of BoatU.S. Trailering magazine cites the top three reasons for roadside breakdowns.
#1 reason: Flat Tires: You can take care of your tires but you can’t always take good care of the road surfaces your tires travel upon. Almost half (43%) of all calls for assistance can be chocked up to the simple but age old problem of flat tires. Ironically, it’s one of the easiest to fix when you have prepared for it. Have both a trailer and tow vehicle spare with you and practice changing them. For example, a tandem axle trailer can easily be driven up on a curb so the flat tire is off the pavement.
#2 reason: Bearing Failures: The second most common reason (20% of all calls for roadside assistance) is trailer bearing failures. The BoatU.S. Trailering Club recommends that bearings be inspected and repacked at a minimum each time the tow vehicle has its oil changed. A trailer that is rarely used may need to have bearings inspected and repacked as often as one that is used often. When traveling long distances, bearings should be inspected at every gas station fill up and checked for leaking grease, hub heat buildup, smoking or wheel noise - indicators that something is not right.
#3 reason: Tow Vehicle Problems: The third most common problem phoned in to the BoatU.S. 24-hour Dispatch Center doesn’t involve the trailer, but the tow vehicle. Fifteen percent of all cases were the result of running out of fuel, being locked out of the vehicle, or the need for a jump start.
“The findings show that some breakdowns are preventable and some are not,” said BoatU.S. Trailering’s Associate Publisher, Beth McCann. “The best way to protect yourself is to ensure your on-the-road ‘motor club’ provides both a trailer and tow vehicle.”
For more information visit www.BoatUS.com/traileringclub.

Sea Scout Ship Jolly Roger Honored With BoatU.S. National Flagship Award
The oldest Sea Scout Ship in the nation, SSS 24 Jolly Roger of Houston, TX is the newest winner of the BoatU.S. Sea Scout National Flagship Award, presented today at the Boy Scouts of America National Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. The award, created in 2002 by BoatU.S., the nation's largest recreational boating organization in honor of the 90th anniversary of Sea Scouting, recognizes excellence in program quality, youth achievement and adult commitment.
"Sea Scouts are tomorrow's young leaders of recreational boating," said BoatU.S. Chairman and Founder, Richard Schwartz. "Sea Scouts develop character, commitment and responsibility that will help these youngsters achieve any goal in life," he said.
Scouts in SSS Jolly Roger, sponsored by St. Stevens United Methodist Church, conducted 48 days of on-the-water activities last year. Its crew participated in 11 scouting events and contributed hundreds of hours of community service. Three of the ship's 28 crew earned achieved Quartermaster status last year, the Eagle equivalent for Sea Scouting.
The Ship also has overcome great adversity. A tornado nearly destroyed its three training vessels on December 30, 2002. They spent much of early 2003 restoring the damaged boats and a newly donated boat. SSS 24 Jolly Roger is also the first Flagship Award recipient that sails a small boat fleet -- no vessel is larger than 24 feet.
"Our Ship is like a long rope, reaching all the way back to our founding in 1923," said Skipper Chris Skeen, the group's adult leader. "Each Scout is a single fiber that twists together with their shipmates to form that rope. They overlap and pull together to share the load. Our group of adult volunteers share the vision, and have worked hard to continue our traditions," he said.
Sea Scouting is a co-ed program for youth age 14-20 that uses boats, seamanship and nautical skills to develop character and leadership qualities in young people. Sea Scout troops, called Ships, are active in sailing, canoeing and long-distance cruising as well as in learning boating skills like navigation, marine maintenance and marlinespike seamanship as well as safety.
For more information, Email: SeaScouts@BoatUS.com.

LAYLINE to Sponsor ICSA North American Team Race
Championship
The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) has announced that sailing retailer Layline Inc. will sponsor its spring team racing championship from 2004 through 2007. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Layline was founded by Walt Brown in 1986 when he was racing Lightnings and could not readily find cool new parts and tricks. The business grew from the shed in his backyard into a mail-order catalog and now includes an online sailing superstore.
"Lots of people who become avid sailors are introduced to sailing in college," said Layline President Walt Brown. He hopes that college racers will "take a non-sailing buddy sailing" and believes that those in the sailing business have a responsibility to advance the sport, something he hopes to do through Layline's sponsorship of the team racing championship.
College sailing has grown from its beginnings in the 1890s as an informal club sport, into a co-educational sport with approximately 200 active colleges participating. Racing now occurs every weekend during the fall and spring and on numerous weekends through the winter. Ever increasing numbers of sailors - both professional and Olympic caliber - have honed their skills on the college racing circuit.
For more information on ICSA, visit: www.collegesailing.org.