On a Friday Night

It was the Friday Night Social (FNS) at the Vero Beach Power Squadron (VBPS). These socials are held at the VBPS Building at 301 Acacia Road, right next to the William Barber Bridge.

There were lots of hors d'oeuvres provided by the Campbell's. As usual I was making the rounds and talking to people. During the evening a few announcements were made by Administrative Officer, Mrs. Janet Leh, thanking our hosts for the fine job on the food, along with a few reminders about upcoming events. Some people were circulating with sign up sheets for a few of the events.

After the FNS there was a Southern Cruise Captains meeting.

I think there were about 75 who showed all together. The rooms were packed and some guests even spilled out onto the back patio. It was a nice evening and the view of the bridge, the night-lights, the water splashing against the boats, and the cool breeze, helped add to the overall atmosphere.

If you missed that one there will be more so don't fret. All you need to do is drop on in and introduce yourself on Friday nights from 5:30 to 7:30 you can usually find us in good spirits and very talkative, at the VBPS Building.

Vero Green

St. Patricks Day - Its that time of the year. Another reason for a party or a celebration. It's all about the green. St Patrick's Day that is! What is the significance? If you are Irish it's quit the celebration. If you were married on the day then it's your anniversary. If you were born on that day its your birthday.

There are Irish books, beer, balls, blarney, big boys, bad boys, and beauties. Lets not forget Irish pubs, restaurants, jokes, music, language, and so much more. You can find out about the people, the land, potatoes and the immigration. Just look on the web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_people. Lets not forget the LUCK of the IRISH. Around Vero keep your eyes open and you will see the Vero Irish clan called the Irish American Society.

About a dinner - So guess who is having a St Patrick Day Dinner - the Vero Beach Power Squadron. The dinner is only $10 each. Come join us on Sunday March 15 at 6:00 at 301 Acacia Road, Vero Beach, FL, next to the Barber Bridge. The fare is corn beef and cabbage.

Upcoming Events

VBPS at the HIBISCUS Festival
Saturday April 18, 2009 from 9:00am - 5:00pm
Hibiscus Festival

Main Street Vero Beach
Vero Beach, Florida 32961 Get Directions
The Hibiscus Festival is a yearly celebration for the City of Vero Beach, to increase awareness of the historic downtown sector, raise funds for the three sponsoring non-profits that work towards the preservation and growth of the area (Main Street Vero Beach, Vero Heritage, Inc. and the Indian River County Historical Society), and encourages community participation from residents, organizations and businesses.

The VBPS was chartered in 1956. During the first few years they taught boating safety where space was available. In 1965 they financed and built the VBPS Headquarters’ here in Vero Beach. They have been teaching classes to the masses ever since. They have a new University Seminar Series coming soon. For more on the squadron see - www.verobeachps.com/

Vero Beach Power Squadron Raft-Up in Indian River

Vero Beach Power Squadron Raft-Up in Indian River

This is a community event sponsored by the Vero Beach Power Squadron (VBPS), a local non-profit boating organization who promote Safe Boating, thru education and practical experience. They have a few of these raft-ups during the year.

This one happened today, 2/28/09, at Hole In the Wall in Indian River in Vero Beach, Florida. There were 15 powerboats and 74 people. I was on board one of the boats and I can say it was a perfect day to be on the water. It was sunny all day with a slight breeze until early afternoon when the wind started to pick up.

The event starts at everyone’s boat dock and they pick the times to depart. Their departure depends on a lot of variables, which I will not get into. The key element is predicting arrival times relative to boat size. The rational is that you want the bigger boats to get there first.

There is a Raft Master, Harold Leh. He contacts the various vessel captains via VHF radio Channel 69 in as they approach and provides direction about who ties up to whom and in what sequence. This affair starts in the middle and works outward. Typically, one of the larger and heavier boats will be the Anchor Boat using an oversized anchor and long chain. When possible, the largest and heaviest boats are placed in the center of the raft up with the boats getting smaller as the boats raft-up to the left and to the right sides. If all goes well you have something like what is depicted in the photo.