Coast Guard Day Starts Portsmouth's Celebration

By David Cartier
"A New Day in Olde Towne"

On August 4th, the City of Portsmouth kicks off a five day celebration - Portsmouth's 'Coast Guard City Celebration'.  The event is to honor the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and celebrate the City's elite status as a 'Coast Guard City'.  Portsmouth is one of only nine cities in the country to receive the designation from the U.S. Congress.

It is no coincidence that the event starts on August 4th.  August 4th is the 220th birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Opening Ceremony takes place at High Street Landing on Wednesday August 4, 2010 from 10 a.m. to  11 a.m. Activities include: Color Guard; National Anthem, Aircraft Fly-over, Band/Singers, Speakers from United States Coast Guard and government dignitaries at High Street Landing.

August 4 is celebrated as Coast Guard Day to honor the establishment on that day in 1790 of the Revenue Cutter Service, forebear of today's Coast Guard, by the Treasury Department.  On that date, Congress, guided by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, authorized the building of a fleet of ten cutters, whose responsibility would be enforcement of the first tariff laws enacted by Congress under the Constitution.

The Coast Guard has been continuously at sea since its inception, although the name Coast Guard didn't come about until 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service was merged with the Lifesaving Service. The Lighthouse Service joined the Coast Guard in 1939, followed in 1946 by the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection. Finally, in 1967, after 177 years in the Treasury Department, the Coast Guard was transferred to the newly formed Department of Transportation.

Coast Guard Day is primarily an internal activity for active duty Coast Guard personnel, civilian members, reservists, retirees, auxiliary, and dependents, but it does have a significant share of interest outside the Service. Grand Haven, Michigan, also known as Coast Guard City, USA, annually sponsors the Coast Guard Festival around August 4. Typically it is the largest community celebration of a branch of the Armed Forces in the nation.

In addition to celebrating their own day every year, Coast Guard members also participate as equal partners in Armed Forces Day activities. Click here to learn more about the events for Portsmouth's 'Coast Guard City Celebration'.
Photo of Portsmouth Coast Guard courtesy of the United States Coast Guard.

The NEW Unofficial Boater's Guide to Olde Towne Portsmouth Virginia

This is the “unofficial” Boater’s Guide for our great neighborhood, Olde Towne. “Unofficial” since any descriptions may be colored by our personal opinions as business owners and residents of Olde Towne – this is not an official publication of the City of Portsmouth. We have worked hard to provide information specifically useful to boaters and to do so as accurately as possible.

State law (no pump-out facility or electricity) prohibits Portsmouth from making its landings (High Street Landing and North Landing) officially available to overnight stays. But the landings are perfect for tying up and enjoying the many great shops, restaurants and attractions in town. We also have 2 great marinas on each side of downtown: Tidewater Yacht Marina and Ocean Marine Yacht Center, both of which have transient slips (see “Marinas” for more info).

We love boaters and we’re glad you’re here or coming here! Olde Towne Portsmouth is an historic seaport conveniently located at Mile Marker Zero of the Intracoastal Waterway and we have the deepest natural harbor anywhere.

You can pick up a copy of the "Unofficial Boaters Guide to Olde Towne Portsmouth" at Skipjack Nautical Wares next to the High Street basin or at the Starboard Coffee Kiosk (also located at the High Street basin)

You can also download the guide as a pdf. file by clicking on the link here.

If there is a piece of info we have overlooked, let us know! We
intend the “unofficial Boater’s Guide” to be updated regularly.
Write us at askus@skipjacknauticalwares.com.
Welcome!
– the gang at Skipjack Nautical Wares
(One High Street next to High Street Landing, facing the river!)
http://www.skipjacknauticalwares.com

Sharing the Bay

By Nicholas Alley

We have all been there: a beautiful afternoon, you are drifting along, and that small dot on the horizon becomes a full-sized container ship bearing down on you  at 25 knots and blasting his horn. As he passes close enough to you that you can hear the hum of the engines and see that the the draft marks  really are six inches tall, you  change your underwear, and ponder the age old question "Is there a better way to share our waterways with other vessels?"

The sad reality is that even in the age of modern electronics, collisions between vessels do occur, and close calls happen every day. Commercial vessels are growing larger and faster, and recreational vessels are growing more numerous every year. When collisions occur, every one losses. The recreational boater loses the boat and possibly his or her life, and the professional loses his or her license and livelihood.

Often the problem is one of communication and/or expectations. the ship, tug or barge, or passenger boat expects to be able to use the channels and have predictable behavior from the surrounding vessels. The recreational vessels expect to use the waterways without fear of being run over. The reality is we have to work together to make this happen.

Some helpful ideas:
1) Review and follow the rules of the road. This doesn't mean "red, right, returning" or "sailboats always have the right of way." The navigation rules of the road are explicit and apply to everyone. It is your responsibility to know and follow them. They are available at most nautical store and online at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/

2) Be predictable. Make your course changes early and obvious. It is hard to avoid someone who is swinging back and forth so his lights look like a Christmas tree or who is headed straight at you and alters course at the last minute.

3) Communicate. Turn your VHF radio to channel 13 and 16. Many VHF radios have duel watch, so you can listen to both. Commercial vessels monitor channel 13 to make passing, overtaking, and meeting arrangements. They also make "security" calls to let others in  the area know their location and intentions. Listen and you can learn a lot about the traffic in your area and impress your friends. It is much easier to stay out of the way of that tug if you know where he is headed. If you do call a vessel on channel 13, be concise and short, saying something such as, "I am the white sailboat with the blue awning southbound of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. I am planning to run outside the green buoys."

4) Don't assume. Don't assume that the other vessel sees you, has you on radar, will or can give way, can maneuver as well as you can, or isn't broken down.

5) Be understanding. What is the other vessel trying to do? How limited is its maneuverability? Tug boats towing can be run over or capsized by their barges. Ships take a long time to slow down and stop. Sailboats are restricted in what courses they can sail. Many boats have visibility problems. Consider what the other vessel is going through and what can do to avoid a bad situation.

6) Avoid the shipping lanes. Stay out of the main shipping channels unless you have to be there. Stay to the right or even run outside the buoy lines if you can. Cross the channels at right angles and as quickly as possible. Many shipping channels have auxiliary or secondary channels for small craft.

7) Read the chart. There are many areas that are particularly busy or dangerous and are marked as such, including pilot boarding areas, restricted traffic lanes, etc.

8) Avoid being "that guy." A) "The deep-draft sailboat" sailing down the middle of the shipping lane at four knots not hearing the ships  calling him on the radio. B) "Rodney" roaring straight at you, passing five feet down the side and waiving hello as you roll to death. C) "I think I can make it" crossing ahead of another vessel so closely that you disappear beneath the bow. D) "The racer" holding your course until the last minute so you can get the wind shift as it bounces off the side of the ship. E) "Fish until I die" getting three more casts in before before moving out of the way of the tug bearing down on you.

Some other things to help:
Tugs and tows transiting the Chesapeake Bay generally run the "deep water" on the eastern shore. Commercial vessels will generally run straight line routes "point to point," such as Bay Bridge to Thomas Point, to #83 buoy, to #78 buoy, to Cove Point, Smith Point and along the 76 degree10' longitude line to Thimble Shoals and Norfolk.

About the Author: Nicholas Alley started his sailing career teaching at the Annapolis Sailing School in the early 1980s and has since operated traditional wooden vessels and sail training schooners and coastal tug boats on the Chesapeake and beyond.

Questions and Comments: Do you have a question that you would like to ask Nick ?  A comment to add?  Please E-mail to cjosephelder@gmail.com

Visit "Cruising the ICW to Mile Marker "0" homepage by clicking here

Portsmouth Plans Coast Guard City Celebration

By David Cartier

A New Day in Olde Towne

This party has been in the making for almost 200 years. It's 'Portsmouth's Coast Guard City Celebration' from August 4 to 8, 2010.

Last December, then Rear Admiral Wayne Justice, Commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District and Portsmouth Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III made a joint announcement. The City of Portsmouth received the highly coveted designation of "Coast Guard City" from the United States Congress. The announcement followed a nomination on behalf of Portsmouth by then Admiral Thad W. Allen and the completion of a rigorous application review by the United States Coast Guard.

“For almost 200 years Coast Guard members and citizens of Portsmouth have forged a relationship that has stood the test of time,” said Rear Adm. Wayne E. Justice, Coast Guard’s 5th District commander.

This year, the City of Portsmouth has planned a five-day celebration to honor the men and women of the United States Coast Guard. The event kicks of on August 4th, a day celebrated as Coast Guard Day to honor the establishment on that day in 1790 of the Revenue Cutter Service, forebear of today's Coast Guard, by the Treasury Department. This year it is the 220th birthday of the United States Coast Guard. The event runs thru Sunday August 8, 2010.

Listed below are the events that will take place August 4 to 8, 2010 for Portsmouth's Coast Guard City Celebration:

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - Coast Guard Day

VIP Breakfast at Naval Shipyard Museum
9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m

Opening Ceremony
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Color Guard; National Anthem, Aircraft Fly-over, Band/Singers, Speakers from USCG and Government at High St. Landing


Thursday, August 5, 2010

57th Annual Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Seafood Outing
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The area’s best and oldest networking event includes a seafood buffet, adult beverages, live music, and business exhibits. Held on the beautiful Portsmouth waterfront, the Seafood Outing is a half century old Chamber tradition. In 2010, this iconic event will be held in celebration of Portsmouth’s special designation as “A Coast Guard City”. Entertainment by Portsmouth's own More Cow Bell. Enjoy mixing business with pleasure and admiring the sunset too!

This is a event by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. Click here, for tickets information. Tickets: Chamber Members: $30 and Non-Members $40. For additional Information, contact Sarah Kingsley at skingsley@hrccva.com or at 757.664.2507.

O.A.R. in Concert 8 p.m.

Platinum selling recording group O.A.R. just announced their Summer Tour, which will bring their critically acclaimed live show to 24 cities. O.A.R., who are currently working on their forthcoming seventh studio album, will make much-anticipated returns to several venues across the country including nTelos Wireless Pavilion.

Fans will not only get to hear some O.A.R. favorites this Summer like the smash hit “Shattered,” “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker,” and “This Town” but they will also be treated to some brand new music from the band’s forthcoming seventh studio album.

Over the last several months O.A.R. has made stops in all five band members’ home towns to write their next album.

Ticket Prices: $33.00 advance; $35.50 day of show. This is a General Admission concert.

Present a military ID at the box office or any Ticketmaster outlet and receive $3.00 off gold circle and lawn tickets purchased.  Click here, to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster.


Friday, August 6, 2010

FirstEvents Music and Entertainment on High Street
5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Evening includes a Crew Race (5:30 to 6:30) plus music and refreshments at High Street Landing.

First Friday in Olde Towne
First Friday is a stage for local merchants & restaurants in Portsmouth's Historic Olde Towne and one of the city's most popular evening escapes. Held the first Friday of each month, Olde Towne Portsmouth's thriving arts & antiques community opens it's doors along the 12 historic squares of High Street located between Effingham Street and the riverfront where crowds of casual browsers as well as serious buyers come to each festive event to visit our fine art galleries, quality antique shops and unique specialty stores, some host receptions and art exhibition openings. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. First Friday is held each month, rain or shine, year round. There is no admission fee for First Friday - participating galleries are open to the public.

Opening of Inspired Forms Exhibit
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Featuring artwork by J. Howard Johnson, Larry Johnson. Dr. Rod Taylor and Reggie Gist on the saxophone will perfom in the courtyard. Light refreshments will be served. Presented by the Courthouse Galleries, Corner of High and Court St., Portsmouth. 757.393.8543
http://www.courthousegalleries.com/

NOTE: Water Street will be closed from High St. to Parking Garage entrance at Admirals Landing Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Bike Tour
7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From nTelos Wirelss Pavilion

High Street Landing Events
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Displays and entertainment including USO, Tamaro Foundation, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Tidewater Maritime Living History Assoc., Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sonshine Artists plus guided tours of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum and Lightship Portsmouth.Olde Towne Farmer's Market 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Olde Towne Farmer's Market
 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Located on Court Street, items for sale will include fresh seasonal produce, flowers, plants, canned goods, jams, breads, honey and more.

Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Conveniently located in the Middle Street Garage at the corner of Middle & London streets and is held year round, rain or shine on the first and third Saturday of each month. Always Free Admission  and Free Parking!

First Responder Cook-Off
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
At High Street Landing

24th Annual Gospelrama
 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Featuring: • Davis & the Mighty Stars • Gospel Violinist Eric Taylor • The New Golden Trumpeteers • The Word Singers • The Joys • The Daughters of the King …and many more. For more information, call 757.393.0318. Sponsored by HOPS (Helping Others Progress Successfully). The event takes place at North Landing (Water Stage).

Counting Crows in Concert

Counting Crows has sold more than 20 million records and received an Academy Award nomination for “Accidentally In Love” from the “Shrek II” soundtrack. The band and particularly lead singer Adam Duritz are renowned for the energetic, passionate nature of their live performances. They frequently extend and rewrite songs live, adding extra verses or alternate middle sections and/or endings, sometimes fitting most of another of the band's other songs into the middle of the first. No two concerts are alike, even if the set list remains the same.
Ticket Prices: $49.75 reserved Orchestra; $39.75 reserved Gold Circle; $25 general admission lawn.
There is a $3 military discount off Gold Circle and lawn tickets. Bring the family, children 12 and younger are free on the lawn with a paid adult admission.  Click here, to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster.

NOTE: Water Street will be closed from High Street to Parking Garage entrance at Admirals Landing Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Traffic Circle will be closed from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.


Sunday, August 8, 2010

Memorial Ceremony
11 a.m. to Noon
Color Guard; Pipe Band; Piper; Singers; Speakers at High Street Landing

About the Coast Guard City Program:
The Coast Guard City program recognizes the communities that support Team Coast Guard across the nation. A city or municipality earns the distinction of being named “A Coast Guard City” by making special efforts to acknowledge the professional work of the Coast Guard men and women assigned to their area.

Coast Guard Cities regularly reach out to Coast guard personnel and their families and make them feel “at home at their home away from home.” The cities efforts illustrate a longstanding and enduring relationship with an emphasis on considerations the community has made for the members of the Coast Guard family. The Coast Guard is pleased to recognize Coast Guard Cities - those cities that have extended so many considerations to the Coast Guard family and their dependents.

The 'Coast Guard City' designation was created a little over a decade ago. On November 13, 1998, a law was enacted that allowed the city of Grand Haven, MI, to formally be called “Coast Guard City, USA”. Grand Haven’s designation was based on their long history of extraordinary support for Coast Guard personnel assigned to the Grand Haven area. The law also provided for other cities to be similarly designated with a 90-day notice of intent from the Commandant to the two authorizing congressional committees.

Other cities include Eureka, CA; Mobile, AL; Morgan City, LA; Wilmington, NC; Newport, OR; Almeda, CA; Kodiak, AK and Rockland, ME. These cities have made special efforts to reach out and acknowledge the professional work of the Coast Guard men and women in their area. Until today, Rockland, Maine had the distinction of being the last city to receive this recognition. Their designation came in June 2008. With this prestigious designation, Portsmouth becomes only the ninth community in the country to become "A Coast Guard City."

Portsmouth, Virginia - A Coast Guard City

The City of Portsmouth, Virginia has received the highly coveted designation of "Coast Guard City" from the United States Congress.

Rear Admiral Wayne Justice, Commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District and Portsmouth Mayor Dr. James W. Holley III made a joint announcement on December 16, 2009. The announcement followed a nomination on behalf of Portsmouth by Admiral Thad W. Allen and the completion of a rigorous application review by the United States Coast Guard.
“For almost 200 years Coast Guard members and citizens of Portsmouth have forged a relationship that has stood the test of time,” said Rear Adm. Wayne E. Justice, Coast Guard’s 5th District commander. “We take great pride living in Portsmouth and look forward to many more years of prosperity with the new honorable status of Coast Guard City.” The shared history of Portsmouth and the Coast Guard dates back to 1820 when the Lighthouse Service anchored its first lightship off Craney Island. In 1870, the Lighthouse Service boat depot and buoy service was established where nTelos Wireless Pavilion at Harbor Center is now located, and in 1874 the Sixth Life Saving District was established in Portsmouth.
Naming Portsmouth an official ‘Coast Guard City’ is certainly a fitting tribute to the longstanding and special relationship that the city, its residents and the business community have with the United States Coast Guard. This designation will bring an understanding and appreciation of the invaluable contribution that the United States Coast Guard brings to Portsmouth, Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
What makes Portsmouth's designation unique is that the city received the distinction on their first try. Special recognition should go to the hard work by the Mayor's ilitary Affairs Commission in submitting the application for this honor. Other cities have not been so fortunate. Rockland, ME had to go back to the drawing board and resubmit their request. Elizabeth City, NC has tried twice and has yet to receive the honor.

The City of Portsmouth is being recognized for its ongoing relationship and efforts with local Coast Guard units, including the Fifth District, Atlantic Area, Base Portsmouth and Sector Hampton Roads.

History of Coast Guard Day

August 4 is celebrated as Coast Guard Day to honor the establishment on that day in 1790 of the Revenue Cutter Service, forebear of today's Coast Guard, by the Treasury Department. On that date, Congress, guided by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, authorized the building of a fleet of ten cutters, whose responsibility would be enforcement of the first tariff laws enacted by Congress under the Constitution.
The Coast Guard has been continuously at sea since its inception, although the name Coast Guard didn't come about until 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service was merged with the Lifesaving Service. The Lighthouse Service joined the Coast Guard in 1939, followed in 1946 by the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection. Finally, in 1967, after 177 years in the Treasury Department, the Coast Guard was transferred to the newly formed Department of Transportation.
Coast Guard Day is primarily an internal activity for active duty Coast Guard personnel, civilian members, reservists, retirees, auxiliaries, and dependents, but it does have a significant share of interest outside the Service. Grand Haven, Michigan, also known as Coast Guard City, USA, annually sponsors the Coast Guard Festival around August 4. Typically it is the largest community celebration of a branch of the Armed Forces in the nation.
In addition to celebrating their own day every year, Coast Guard members also participate as equal partners in Armed Forces Day activities. For more information on the United States Coast Guard, go to http://www.uscg.mil/

About nTelos Wireless Pavilion
The nTelos Wireless Pavilion is an architecturally striking entertainment venue on Portsmouth's waterfront that has become a landmark and a premier regional attraction. Part of the lush five-acre Harbor Center Festival Park, the nTelos Wireless Pavilion is unlike anything in Hampton Roads - or anywhere else for that matter. With 6,500 seats, the nTelos Wireless Pavilion is large enough to attract a wide variety of acts, shows, and performers, yet intimate enough so that every seat is in a great location. The intimacy of this venue is one of its greatest assets.

There are a number of restaurants in Olde Towne to enjoy dinner or drinks before or after the concerts - within walking distance. If you need overnight accommodations, the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and the Governor Dinwiddie Hotel are within walking distance of Harbor Center.

For a unique concert experience, rent a boat slip from Ocean Marine Yacht Center (shown right) and dock right next door! Ocean Marine is conveniently located on the Elizabeth River, directly adjacent to the nTelos Wireless Pavilion. For information on boat slip rentals, contact Ocean Marine Yacht Center at 757.321.7432 or online at http://www.oceanmarinellc.com./
From July 8- July 17 Celebrate their 10th Anniversary Season with a Special $10 Lawn Ticket.

Tickets will be available at the box office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000, and online through Ticketmaster.
The Box Office will be open Monday thru Friday 10am- 6pm, Saturday, July 10 from 10am- 9pm, and Saturday, July 17 from 10am- 2pm. The Box Office will be closed on Sunday, July 11.
Get your tickets at the Box Office! There will be no additional fees! If purchasing through Ticketmaster, additional charges will apply. Courtsey photos provided by nTelos Wireless Pavilion.

Tickets available at the box office, all Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone or online at http://www.pavilionconcerts.com/ or http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or charge by phone at 800.745.3000. Convenience charges will apply.
How to Purchase nTelos Wireless Pavilion Concert Tickets (Helpful Links)

Individual Concert Tickets
Season Tickets
Seating Chart
Local Ticketmaster Locations
Box Office Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
PLEASE NOTE: All shows are rain or shine. All dates, times, and artists are subject to change without notice. A facility and parking fee is included each ticket price. Additional Ticketmaster charges will apply.

How to Reach nTelos Wireless Pavilion nTelos Wireless Pavilion, 901 Crawford Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704. Phone: 757.393.8181, Fax: 757.391.3249. http://www.pavilionconcerts.com/

Become an nTelos Wireless Pavilion 'Fan'on Facebook or 'Follow' them on Twitter. For more information on events in Portsmouth, go to http://www.portsvaevents.com./

Be a Patriot this Fourth of July Weekend

First Friday events: FREE.   Antiques to Flea Market: Admission FREE.   Olde Towne Farmers Market: Admission FREE.   Portsmouth, VA. Museums:  Admission FREE.   Patriot Days Celebration at the Portsmouth Shipyard Museum: Admission FREE. Watching the Fourth of July fireworks aboard the schooner SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE: SPECTACULAR.  Celebrating the Fouth of July weekend at Virginia's quaint historic seaport: PRICELESS!  Be a patriot! Visit Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA.