Howdy Pardners...
As “The Duke” is away, Community Service Director Carole O’Brien conducted proceedings, assisted by stand-in “First Man” Shaun.
Carole drew on the Four Way Test #2 “Is it fair to all concerned?” for her "Today in History":
- 1858 Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln participated in the first of seven historic debates with Stephen A Douglas. The debates centred entirely on slavery.
- 2018 Australia introduced the Modern Day Slavery Act. Under review this year.
- 1808 Duke of Wellington defeated the French at the Battle of Vimeiro.
- 1904 American jazz icon Count Basie born.
- 1911 Mona Lisa painting stolen from the Louvre and not recovered for two years.
- 1942 Disney animated film “Bambi” released.
- 1959 Hawaii became 50th state of the USA.
- 1986 Carbon dioxide bubble from Cameroon’s Lake Nyos kills more than 1,700.
- 1987 Film “Dirty Dancing” released.
Kelly G: Club Service meeting after breakfast.
Gorby: Perkins Institute vocational visit date changed to first Friday in October.
Owen F: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” 19th September. $25 per head + wine (scroll down to events for more details).
David R: RYE student Felipe now changed to Year 10 syllabus at Kent Street HS. He has joined a soccer club and has new boots bought by Mill Point.
Rick S: Brian Conway now in a Care facility in Nedlands and is keen for visitors, Rick will coordinate roster. Lions Big Band dance next Friday, invites to join him & Mandy on table.
Carole O: Community Service meeting after breakfast.
Guest Speaker : Rob Parker - America's Great Loop
Rob is a “local lad”, born in Subiaco 1957. He attended Swanbourne Primary school then Christ Church Grammar School. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from UWA and was a Chartered Accountant for 35 years in practice and commerce.
Rob has been a member/sailor at RFBYC since 1969, then Treasurer 2016 – 2018 and Commodore 2020 to 2022. He is an avid cyclist, sporadic rower and frustrated 4wd tourer.
Rob and his wife have two children and two grandchildren. He described an ongoing boating adventure he and his wife are undertaking, called “America’s Great Loop”.
This journey circumnavigates the eastern half of the United States via protected inland and intracoastal waterways. Their plan is to complete the loop over four American summers on their boat “Boomerang”.
His talk covered the first leg of their trip, from Miami to Chesapeake Bay near Washington, D.C. and outlined the route for subsequent years. Rob shared detailed insights into logistics, planning, equipment, and daily life, including boat selection, essential software, navigating bridges, and the social aspects of the “Looper” community.
The
route stays within protected waterways, including the Intracoastal Waterway
(ICW) along the East Coast. A common starting point is Florida. The loop
proceeds up the East Coast, through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi River
system (or alternatives like the Ohio and Tennessee), and across the Gulf of
Mexico back to Florida.
Rob’s Four-Year program (4x American Summers – 9,700 Km)
Year 1 - April-June 2026 – Miami to top of Chesapeake Bay (2,600 Km) DONE
Year 2 - May-August 2027 – Chesapeake, via New York to St Lawrence River
Year 3 - June-September 2028 – St Lawrence, Great Lakes to Chicago
Year 4 - June-September 2029 – Chicago, Mississippi River, Gulf of Amexico to Miami
Year 5 - Option – Bahamas!! – 5 hours at sea
SELL IT IN LAUDERDALE
His boat, a 2020 Greenline 45 with two cabins and ensuites, renamed “Boomerang” has some essential features to be their home for up to three months -
- Air conditioning (critical in American heat and humidity)
- A washer-dryer for self-sufficiency, and a hydraulic platform for easy dinghy launching.
- E Bikes: “Absolutely fantastic” for getting from marinas to towns and stores, often four to five miles away.
- “Marriage Savers”: Headset communicators that clip onto caps, enabling quiet communication across the boat without yelling—especially useful during windy docking.
Rob shared many stories and photos of their journey and the wonderful social interactions with other “Loopers”, including the many evening “Docktails” shared at overnight marinas.
Their boat is current in a marina land storage, near Washington DC, awaiting the next leg of their adventure.
A PDF version of Rob’s very detailed presentation can be viewed via the following link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1O-1BFyZ6SCGkOlP5gtFJhVBOiV_bJMag&usp=drive_fs
Fines - Jenny McLean
Gorby - Being surrounded by “old” people, with him the only one seated.
Owen F - 60% of Nedlands Tennis Club have received dental treatment from him.
Smokers - are winners, because Pauline Hanson wants to slash tobacco tax.
Woolies - Shoppers who can’t tell between “best before” or “use by”.
Albany - homeowners – no gas
Augusta - dwellers for being featured on “Back Roads”
AFL - fans who are suffering indigestion over latest “animal behaviour”.
Winner of Heads and Tails
Thanks to Owen for the donation of wine each week.
Attendance
34 attendees in all, including guest speaker Rob Parker and brother Tony (Western Endeavour RC)
