Celebrating 90 Years of Boating Clubs and Organizations!

In this Issue:

Instructions for September 19th 7pm Zoom General Meeting bottom of page:

Upcoming Events:

1. ABC/USPS Classes Starting September 26th!
2. Think PINK! CRYA Ladies Dinner on October 11th.
3. Halloween Cruise! Sand Island Oct. 13th to 15th.

In the news:

1. Welcome back Tomahawk Island Yacht Club to CRYA!
2. News from MCSO - River Patrol - Calling 911 more often!
3. Where in the world do you take expired Marine Flares?
4. Let's all be aware to be courteous and polite while boating!
5. Oregon's New ADV task force gets started. What we know.

Links of Interest - Or at Least Should Be!

St Helens City Dock Camera  Port of Camas Dock Camera

Report Dock Damage Here Report a Boater OSMB Here

Report a boater incident to MCSO River Patrol Here

www.crya.us

 CRYA Facebook 

 Marine Services Directory 

For advertising information contact cryanews@gmail.com

Americas Boating Club Classes

The New Sand Island Shelter is nearing completion and we are told that Clubs and Organizations of CRYA will be able to reserve the building for events!

As promised after using the old CRYA shelter for wood storage, we have been told that we will be able to use the shelter when it is complete. If you haven't seen all the work being done it is very impressive! We of course need to make sure we clean up after ourselves as well as honor all of the current island rules since the camping area is typically very full which is a good sign for future improvements on the island such as water and power. At some point the docks may also become a pay system similar to the St. Helens City docks. It is a small price to pay for all the enhancements and security improvements that have been established.

Welcome Back to the Tomahawk Island Yacht Club!

We are pleased to announce that the Tomahawk Island Yacht Club has reformed and joined back up with CRYA. For more information see below.

When should you call 911 versus leaving a message at the River Patrol Office?

In recent meetings of both CRYA and WOOO we have been told by our River Patrol officers that many of the calls that go to message at the River Patrol Office should really be treated as 911 calls. Anytime there is a threat to property or life that should be considered a 911 call. Stolen boats/PWC's are best known as quickly as possible to aid in recovery. Substantial waking of a moorage or marina area where damage is likely would also be considered a 911 call since it might give them a chance to respond while the offender is still on the water. The 911 dispatcher will put a priority on the call based on criteria that they have so a simple offense won't be listed higher than it should. Give our River Patrol and Sheriff's office the information they need on a timely basis to solve these problems and hopefully apprehend offenders. Of course, not every call should be considered a 911 call but do use the above criteria to decide if you are wanting to report and incident.

Where do you take expired Marine Flares for disposal?

Like many of you who have boated for more than a couple of years, I tend to acquire a lot of expired marine flares. I put some in my cars, keep some as expired spares on the boat, but still I seem to have collected a fair number of flares and wondered where I could turn them in safely. I live in Vancouver and what I found was the Police Department is the place to take them. Similar to Fireworks was the explanation I was given. Not the Fire Department. I took my flares to the Vancouver Police Department, and it was an easy drop off. No cost.

In Portland however calls to the Police department did not get the same answer. I stopped by Hayden Island Fire Station, and they didn't take them either but said to call Metro. I sent a request in to Metro and the response was quick that they are considered Hazardous Waste, and to take them to a Metro Hazardous Waste disposal site. Free of charge.

Now you can clear out that corner of the boathouse or garage of outdated flares.

Why might the new E-Flares solve your problem?

We all need to do our best to be responsible and to keep our Cool!

In CRYA we get many calls or emails from people about things going on in the rivers. It is so sad to see how many boaters do the right thing, but get frustrated by those few who don't. Believe me I get it! As Executive VP of CRYA I am aware of many complaints by boaters on the river and most every one of them is very legitimate as to why. HUGE wakes by boats in areas where damage to docks and boats can occur. Accusations of poor boating skills by others in very hostile ways. Just plain poor boating etiquette. With the growth of new boaters since the pandemic began, a whole new group of captains are coming out. Sometimes with maybe not quite enough education on boating rules and regulations. A boaters card is truly the least you can do to get prepared.

My personal story was being in the Bouy 10 area fishing with a friend on his boat. While keeping the boat into the current and straight a boat came up from behind me and said I was in his way. Mind you I had just gotten back from cruising for 6 weeks on my boat with not a single incident. He also said I probably needed to go back and get another test for my boaters card. Luckily one of the boat passengers quickly said "It's a big River". The other boater didn't like the answer and said something again where once again he was told, "It's a big river" and that he could fish anywhere around where we were. An overtaking boat is responsible to pick a path to avoid collision, not expect or hope the other boat will notice and get out of the way.

Bottom line is, keep your cool as best as you can. Escalation of an incident rarely has a positive outcome for anyone. Keep in mind the article above, if you are feeling threatened call 911 for assistance. And more than anything, do what you can to watch your wake, be courteous of other vessels and just go out to have fun.

And if you're unsure of your skill level, note the classes offered above by ABC/Power Squadron. Be prepared to learn every time you go boating, as that's what makes a good captain!

Doug Romjue - CRYA Executive VP

Oregon Abandoned and Derelict Vessel

Workgroup Gets Started!

On Tuesday September 12th the ADVAC Workgroup had its first meeting to decide on how to structure the future programs for ADV removal from Oregon Waters. Attendees from many marine related functions joined together to start the process in coordination with Oregon Dept. of State Lands (DSL) for the creation of an ongoing program dedicated to remove Abandoned and Derelict Vessels from our waterways. It includes both private and commercial vessels, with the goal of holding accountable the owner of these vessels. A great article written by KLCC's Tiffany Eckert can be found HERE.

Another great piece from a YouTube video of the problems happening in the San Francisco Bay Area shows just how important it is to rid our waterways of vessels that also house crime related activities on the water. That video can be found Here

The workgroup will work over the next few months to put forward possible legislation changes to make the process easier, as well as to define funding requirements for the future. The initial funding is 18.8 million dollars so a great start to the problem. Of note is that this legislation was passed and noted an emergency issue for the State of Oregon.

Have you seen the New Marine Services Directory Page?

Please help us to fund your Yachting Association by including your business. It helps us keep the work going for boating safety and service improvements for all boaters in our area and State. For more information contact info@crya.us, or if you are ready to help we have a PayPal link setup just for this purpose. PayPal Link. We all Thank You for the support.

Our Sponsors - Marine Services Directory Page

Sheffield Marine Propeller Downriver Customs Rocky Pointe Marina



McCuddy's Marina Cook Engine Schooner Creek Boat Works

Following Sea Marine

General Member Meeting Information 7pm

Social time starting at 6:30

(Time to figure out how to get into the meeting!)

Zoom Meeting Details - Here

Previous Meeting Minutes - August

Agenda for Meeting - Here

Treasurer's Report - August

Any inputs or request for guest speakers? Please let us know.