Socials

Thank you to everyone that volunteered their time and effort in 2023 for socials. They truly cannot happen without you! Start thinking about what you might want to volunteer for in 2024 to make it a year to remember. A list will be available at the Annual Meeting of proposed events for the new year.

I know that some people might be intimidated by hosting an event, however, it isn’t as complicated as you might think. The club covers the cost, there are volunteers to help with set up, serving, and clean up. If you have any interest in hosting an event, please get in touch with me at bariautumn@gmail.com or 240-520-2109. For our newer members, it is a great way to get to know people and the club.

FROM THE HELM

At the last writing we were ready to have the second edition of the collaborative effort with Nuttall’s store - a wine/beer event. Deanna - as usual - was wonderful to work with. As predicted we had fine beverages - great food - and spectacular music from “Something Different”. It turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Thanks to all who helped pull it off.

A point of interest - there was an application to the VMRC to establish oyster grounds in the Ware River adjacent to the Yacht Club. This was officially opposed by the Club and opposed individually by BOD members. The application was denied.

The Board has made efforts to spread information to members of the Club about the need for a dues increase. This will need to be voted on at the Annual Meeting in January. Please plan to attend.

The Board has also been concerned that in some extraordinary circumstances - such as a dues increase - that an ability to cast a vote should be made available to members who are not able to physically attend the meeting. Amended bylaws will be presented to the Annual Meeting and if approved will provide a mechanism for electronic voting. Specific details will be sent out prior to the meeting. As always - questions are welcome.

I hope evertone has had a wonderful Christmas Holiday season - wishing all a Happy New Year! Hope to see you in January.

Final Quiz of the Month. Who said - concerning a prominent American politician: “not like Teddy Roosevelt - his motto seems to be - talk big and carry a twig” ?

Bob Davis, Commodore 804-725-8791

The Latest Fleet Scuttlebutt ...................

Happy New Year to all. Well, there isn’t much to report during this time of year. Fortunately, the winter solstice is behind us, and the days will once again start to get longer. The one item I can’t go without mentioning is of course our 60th annual Governors Cup Regatta coming in August of 2024, which we’ve already started planning for. Our goal is for this year’s event to be bigger than ever, which means we’ll need lots of volunteers, particularly in the areas of hospitality and buildings and grounds. As you all know, our club operates on volunteer support, so your involvement is essential to its success.

If you would like more info on how you can get involved to support this event or have questions about the duties involved in these areas, please contact me. I can be reached at (757) 349-5980 or jgarret1@gmx.com.

Now on to the Nautical term of the month. We’ve all heard the phrase “Turning a Blind Eye”. The origins of this term are attributed to British Naval Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.
In 1801, during the Battle of Copenhagen, Admiral Nelson deliberately held his telescope to his blind eye, in order not to see the flag signal from the commander to stop the bombardment. Needless to say, he won. Turning a blind eye means to ignore intentionally and completely. I know…….. riveting isn’t it!!

Fair winds and steady seas,

Jim Garrett - Fleet Captain

Princess in Yorktown?

You might have noticed “No Princess” signs throughout the area. You have also probably heard that Princess Cruises is on track to make Yorktown a port of call. While the Yacht Club doesn’t have an official stance on the issue, some of the information pertaining to the preservation of Yorktown and the York River and Mobjack Bay it is presented here.

If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Adams at alyssaada@gmail.com or visit  https://preserveyorktown.org

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Preserve Yorktown?

Preserve Yorktown is a group of citizens concerned that the cruise industry with large ships like the Princess Island (2,200 passengers + crew) are attempting to make Yorktown, Virginia an international port of call. Yorktown will be used as a transportation hub to Williamsburg and Jamestown. Yorktown is a small historically significant village of 285 people with no existing infrastructure to properly manage the influx and transport of large groups without adversely affecting the waterfront that is already a destination for locals and land tourists. The members of Preserve Yorktown believe the cruise industry will fundamentally alter the character of this small historic village.

Is Preserve Yorktown anti-tourist?

Absolutely not - Preserve Yorktown is for sustainable tourism. We endorse and promote American Cruise Lines (ACL) whose 200 passenger riverboats have been visiting Yorktown for 20 years. We met with the CEO of ACL to encourage their visits and for ACL to expand their offerings of Yorktown - this was well received. We welcome responsible tourism approaches compatible with the character of Historic Yorktown.

What large cruise ships are coming to Yorktown and when?

It is unclear. Originally the pilot program was to include only the Island Princess and the Emerald Princess for approximately 5 to 8 visits for 2024-2025. However, per cruisemapper.com there are 13 visits scheduled between Princess (10) and Holland (3) during 2024-2025. Island Princess has 2,200 passengers. Emerald Princess has 3,000 passengers and the Zuiderdam Holland has 1,964 passengers. The three proposed York County “approved” dates for the first ship arrival, the Island Princess, are June 10, 21, and 27, 2024.

What is a pilot program?

The pilot program, as we understand it, is a testing period to see if the visits are successful. This may be the case but based on the experiences from other port cities this is likely a “soft” launch of a new market with expansion to follow. The allocation of funding for a pier, even before the start of the pilot, is strong evidence that future expansion plans are already in the works.

What are the key reasons many people do not want Princess coming to Yorktown?

It’s a matter of improper scale, air and water pollution, traffic, overcrowding, lack of infrastructure, and no proven economic benefit to York County. Once Princess comes, it will “open the door” to other large cruise lines as has occurred in other ports. For example, Holland America put Yorktown on their itinerary in 2025 for multiple visits without the express permission and approval of York County.

How do large cruise ships affect the infrastructure and resources of port cities?

The influx of large cruise ships puts a strain on the infrastructure including water and waste management systems, transportation networks, police/security and other public services. Local resources may be depleted to meet the demands of cruise ship passengers.

What is the significance of foreign flag vs US flag ships and the implications?

Princess Cruise Lines and others fly a “flag of convenience” to avoid paying US taxes and labor laws. The article, Economics of Cruise Ships, states that, “According to annual report filings, the major cruise lines pay an average tax rate of 0.8%.” The industry exploits US infrastructure but does not give back its fair share. BTW the Federal corporate tax rate is 21%. American Cruise Lines with its river-class ships (<200 passengers) is American built and registered, unlike the Princess’ large ocean-class (2,200 - 3,080 passengers)

How do large cruise ships impact the overall sustainability of tourism in coastal areas?

Large cruise ships can have a negative impact on the overall sustainability of tourism in coastal areas. They often prioritize profit over environmental and social considerations, leading to the degradation of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, the displacement of local businesses and communities, and in Yorktown’s case, the commodification of its historical legacy.

What are the basics of ocean-class cruise ship pollution?

These ships are floating cities. Princess’ small ship has over 3000 people aboard (passengers & crew). This requires significant power generation when in a port. To save money cruise ships burn "bunker fuel" to generate power. Pitch black and thick as molasses, it is made from the dregs of the refining process. It is loaded with sulfur, heavy metals, and other toxins that, when burned, produce noxious gasses and fine particles that can harm human health and the environment. Some of the toxicants are “scrubbed” from the exhaust, but open-loop scrubbers flush this directly into the water. There is also water pollution from offshore dumping of gray/black water. In addition to water pollution the air pollution, light pollution, and noise pollution are of concern. Learn more about York River pollution, here.

Was the York County decision process regarding Princess visitations transparent?

York County voters and taxpayers in York County were not made privy to any information regarding Princess making Yorktown a port of call until it appeared as a fait accompli in a February 2023 press release. There was no public notice, no transparency, and therefore no public input from York County taxpayers. In December 2022 (prior to the February press release) York County requested $15M from the Commonwealth for the construction of a pier. Again, with no public statement. From FOIA’d documents we know that correspondence from Princess and the Watermen’s (the proposed site of the peer) were marked “CONFIDENTIAL” and “EYES ONLY.” It is likely that some had good intentions but the process clearly lacked citizen input and transparency.

Who decided it was a good idea for Princess to come to Yorktown?

That is the million-dollar question. Was it the president of Princess Cruise Lines? Was it York County governance or Virginia commonwealth governance? Was it a lobbyist? Was it a few private individuals/institutions who stand to benefit? Was it the Colonial Williamsburg trustees? Preserve Yorktown does not know who initiated the Princess pilot program.

What are the metrics used to evaluate the success or non-success of the pilot program?

A valid question - It is a question that Preserve Yorktown has not received an answer from either Princess or York County.

Was a cost-benefit analysis performed?

The county was asked this question. The response from the York County Public Information Officer, was “We do not have any records that are responsive to your request because at this time there’s nothing to review since the pilot program has yet to begin.” Analysis was not performed by the county but we know from a Key West Report, the cruise industry estimates are greatly inflated.

Who stands to benefit from large cruise ship visits?

As far as we can tell the entities that stand to profit most are not located in York County and include 1) Princess Cruise Lines 2) Harbor Pilots out of Hampton or Norfolk 3) AFR Tours out of Norfolk 4) Colonial Williamsburg, 5) Jamestown Settlement, 6) possibly a few local businesses, 7) possibly the county through port fees (although infrastructure costs are unclear). Large cruise ships are considered “fortress hotels”. Entertainment, food, and lodging are all included, there is little incentive to spend money on land other than the cost of a land tour. Passengers that have chosen to go on a land tour disembark in the morning and are back on the ship by 5 PM. They will not spend money for dinner or a hotel as land tourists do.

Would Princess make a good business partner for York County?

You decide. The US Department of Justice fined Princess $40M for deliberately dumping waste and falsifying records. Additional fines followed for repeat offenses and probation violations. The U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida stated, “The corporate defendant here ignored the court, choosing instead to thwart the compliance plan that was put in place to protect our environment. As this probation violation proceeding demonstrates, the government will not tolerate defendant’s blatant violation of court orders.” Read more here, here, here, and here.

What is the situation in other ports of call?

Savannah’s city council voted to only allow 200 passenger river boats to dock in their historic district citing a study indicating no economic benefit from large cruise ships. Monterey Bay blocked the mega-cruise ships as well. Charleston ended its contract with Carnival as a debarkation port and put limits on day visits and numbers of ships. The Key West community voted to limit cruise ships putting Governor Ron DeSantis,presidential candidate, in a pickle having to choose between his touted environmental record and a campaign donor who wants to expand Key West cruise ship operations. Bar Harbor, Sitka, Santa Barbara, Juneau are all looking to decrease ship visits as are worldwide ports including Venice, Marseille, Dublin, Amsterdam, Barcelona among others citing over tourism, environmental damage, threatened heritage status, and air pollution. The quiet of the pandemic led many ports to reevaluate their relationship with cruise industries. Many realized that the pros did not outweigh the cons.

What other organizations endorse or align with Preserve Yorktown’s mission?

The Conserve Yorktown Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the York River Sierra Club have all made statements against the mega-cruise industry in Yorktown. There will be more to come.

What action can I take to support the mission of Preserve Yorktown?

Spread the word, sign our petition on Change.org, email the Board of Supervisors, join our Facebook group, and follow our Facebook page. If you are local, attend a Board of Supervisors and Preserve Yorktown meetings. Put a NO PRINCESS sign in your yard - email us to get one PreserveYorktown@gmail.com.

What is the relationship between Carnival Corporation and Princess?

Carnival Corporation is the biggest cruise operator in the world with over 90 fleet vessels across nine cruise line brands including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, AIDA Cruises, Costa, P&O Cruises (UK), P&O Cruises (Australia).

How will cruise ship passengers come ashore and get to Williamsburg and Jamestown?

Few details have been shared officially on the logistics of moving 1000s of cruise ship passengers through Yorktown. For the “pilot program,” the ship will be docked in the York River. Princess cruise ships have tenders that will carry passengers to the Yorktown public pier. Tenders typically carry 150-200 passengers at a time. Note that these tenders are not small. Still, assuming 2000 passengers come ashore, 10 to 13 tenders will have to dock to let off passengers. From correspondence with the USCG, our understanding is that these ships will require a higher level of security than the small river-class cruise ships that currently frequent Yorktown. We believe that the public pier will be guarded and closed to the public during the time that Princess is in Yorktown. Again, assuming 2000 passengers and 50 passengers/bus, approximately 40 buses will be needed to move the passengers to their Williamsburg and Jamestown excursions.

Long term plans are also unclear, but we know funding has been allocated for a pier. Current concepts show this pier at the Watermen’s Museum as a tender pier. Unofficially we have been told that docking these large ships at the waterfront is “off the table.” But Preserve Yorktown still has valid concerns given the track record of the cruise industry at other ports of call. In even small towns, like Sitka, Alaska, piers have been built to dock these massive ships. Private piers are a serious concern also as they allow the cruise industry to side-step local government controls. Lastly, even if these ships do not directly dock in Yorktown, the river pollution is not mitigated by tendering passengers.

River Pollution Info Stop Princess Info Position Info Things To Do Info

FROM THE HELM

Well - not like they had much of chance - that would be the oysters. Will Grant and family repeated the grand assault of last year and were again victorious - not an oyster was left. It takes a lot of effort to pull this event off. Many thanks to them and everyone else who participated: food, cooking, decorating, and cleanup. Also - thanks to all who attended - continuing the record of this event as an annual success. Early good news - they are anxious to do it again next year.

As this Telltale is published - the next event is the next iteration of the Nuttall Store/WRYC wine event. As previously noted it has been re-formatted. Nuttall’s - as usual - has been wonderful to work with. Good beverages, great food, fantastic music should work for a great entry into December holiday celebrations. Looking forward to a fun evening.

Number 5 out of 6 - please plan to attend the Annual Meeting on Jan 20. Significant Club issues are to be addressed. Hopefully all Club members have become aware of this. Questions are welcome - phone numbers are available. Informational meetings will be on Wednesday Dec 6 and Thursday Jan 4.

Quiz of the month - who said: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull” and “Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake”.

Bob Davis, Commodore 804-725-8791

The Latest Fleet Scuttlebutt ...................

Wait a minute……...its December already?? What happened to November? I think I missed Thanksgiving too as I don’t remember eating any turkey and gravy, stuffing and potatoes. All I do know is……….

“The sail loft is locked, the Opti’s and Laser’s put away “
“The Keel boats are sitting on the hard at Holiday”
“The Albacores are stowed in the field if you look” “We’re done for this season, it’s now in the book!”

Yes, another sailing season is in the books. All in all, I think the Club had a pretty successful year. By my count we had over 12 folks taking adult sailing classes at various times, we graduated a number of new junior sailors through our very successful Jr. Sailing program, and our always popular Governors Cup came off without a hitch. Thank you to ALL the volunteers who made it happen. And now we look forward to our 60th Anniversary Gov Cup event next August 2024!

And of course, my last Nautical phrase of the month for 2023. This month’s phrase is, “Feeling Blue”. In early times, if a captain or officer of a ship died while at sea, the crew would fly blue flags and paint a blue band along the ship’s hull, signifying the color of the officer’s uniform. Over time, this symbol of grieving was equated with feeling sad or melancholy. Which reminds me, this is my last Telltale article as I am supposed to retire my Fleet Capt’s hat as of December 31st. I guess we’ll see. Thank you all for your support over the last 3 years, I appreciate it.

Fair winds and steady seas, Jim Garrett, Fleet