Delavan Lake Breeze August 2021

Breeze Delavan Lake

AUGUST 2021 VOL. 9 NO. 3

PUBLISHED BY SOUTHERN LAKES NEWSPAPERS

Serving the Delavan, Delavan Lakes and Darien area

IMPROVE YOUR BOATING SKILLS • BOATING WITH KIDS • WATER SAFETY TIPS

PAGE 2 • AUGUST 2021 • DELAVAN LAKE BREEZE

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On the water handling

DELAVAN LAKE BREEZE • AUGUST 2021 • PAGE 3

WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR BOATING SKILLS

Waterways are filled with friendly boaters, just think of how many times someone has waved as you passed by. As much as there’s shared appreciation of this fantastic boating lifestyle, there’s a greater appreciation for boating properly and safely. boat handling tips Whether it’s the middle of summer or the coolest part of winter – and even when its too cold to hit the water in some parts of the country – any time is an ideal time to practice and improve your boat handling skills. Knowledge is power, after all.

Follow these boat handling tips to ensure a tip of the hat comes with those friendly waves whenever you find yourself on the water.

Take a class

Most states require boat owners and operators have some type of formal educational training or even a boating license. If you haven’t already, sign up for instruction, provided by the U.S. Coast Guard and other top-notch organizations you’ll find listed on our Boat Safety Courses, Education and Training page.

Some courses are online, while others are in person.

If you want to get started right away, you can also study some of our step-bystep boat-handling guides with Discover Boating; they cover all the basics: • Towing and trailering your boat to the ramp; • Launching your boat; • Driving your boat; • Anchoring; • Docking; and • Loading your boat back on its trailer.

Practice nav skills

If there’s a secluded beach you’ve been dying to anchor off of, map out your route now. This way, you’ll be even more confident when you cast off the lines.

Check your nautical charts, or a marine navigation app, for water depths, submerged obstacles, or other potential difficulties along the way, too.

Double check equipment

Start with life jackets. Now’s the time to

Keep your boating skills honed by taking classes, practicing navigation tactics and always double checking your equipment.

STOCK PHOTO The Breeze

ensure buckles and seams are intact, and that the flotation devices don’t have holes, either.

Also ensure that your kids haven’t outgrown the life jackets they used last summer as well. Discover Boating has a whole guide to help you, see “Life Jackets, Vests and PFDs: How to Choose the Right Fit” at discoverboating.com.

Learn boating knots

Tying oneself up in knots is a good thing in this case. Can you tell a cleat hitch

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Ask for advice

Last but not least, ask for specific help to improve your boat-handling skills – and do it well before spring launch.

Is there a fellow slip holder at your

marina who always seems to know what to do?

Or maybe your friend or family members who’s been boating for years, could show you the ropes?

How about the dealer who sold you your boat – has he or she encouraged you to reach out with questions?

Take advantage of these knowledgeable people now, to become one of them yourself.

Source: www.discoverboating.com.

Delavan Lake

Breeze

EDITOR: ............................................... Tracy Ouellette CREATIVE DIRECTOR: .............................. Heidi Schulz PAGE DESIGNER: ..................................... Jen DeGroot ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ................. Vicki Vanderwerff

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from a clove hitch? Take some time to get familiar with all the basic boating knots – check out our step-by-step instructions here.

Then, keep some spare line by the TV or your favorite chair to ensure you keep practicing.

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On the cover: Emma and Madison handed out flyers to let the community know about the July 17 antique and classic boat parade on Delavan Lake. The parade was in appreciation of U.S. Military members along with the first responders and nurses who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic. See Page 4 for more information and photos of the parade.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Breeze

PAGE 4 • AUGUST 2021 • DELAVAN LAKE BREEZE

Parade of thanks

An antique and classic boat parade on Delavan Lake July 17 was organized to show appreciation to nurses and first responders who worked through the pandemic and to military, according to Gary Huge (shown above with friend Judy Jacobson), whose family sponsored the event along with The Inn Between and the Delavan Boat Shed. The police boat led the way and many residents could be seen with flags and signs of gratitude.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS The Breeze

SOUTH SHORE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD

By Michael S. Hoey CORRESPONDENT

The Town of Delavan board recently approved the financing and awarded the bid for the reconstruction of South Shore Drive. Several residents attended the meeting and voiced strong opposition to any delay of the project.

Residents who spoke at the July 20 meeting said they feared the project – one they said they were promised in April was funded and would be completed in 2021 – was going to be delayed. They said the road is in terrible shape and needs to be reconstructed this year. One resident said he replaced his driveway this summer anticipating the project would begin as scheduled on July 12. It has not been started.

Another resident, Michelle Keller, said she would be very upset if the project does not get done this year because a couple of businesses complained about it.

Administrator John Olson later said the Village Supper Club and Delavan Lake Resort issued concerns about the potential negative impact to their businesses and asked that the project not begin until after Labor Day. Keller also asked where the money is in the town. She said the town is working on a new park building, built a new fire station, passed a referendum that added EMS staff and the school district passed a referendum to rehabilitate the high school’s athletic fields. She wondered where the money for

the South Shore project went.

The board discussed the financing of the project first. Olson said the town anticipated in April the financing for the project would be in place in time to begin the project on July 12 as scheduled. The town’s 2020 audit, he said, was delayed due to treasurer Lexi Oltendorf resining and the time it took to hire her replacement. The completed audit was necessary for the town to get the financing needed for the project.

Another sticking point was the impact of the project on property taxes. Supervisor Katherine Gaulke said she did not believe residents were aware before the July 20 meeting that the financing for the project would impact their taxes. She said even though she agreed the road needs to be reconstructed, it was irresponsible of the board to have put the project out for bid without knowing what the tax impact would be. The financing the board voted on will raise property taxes by $16 per $100,000 in property value.

Supervisor Lynnette Phillips said the project was not something the board could have waited until the last minute to approve and she did not believe town officials were being irresponsible.

The motion made to adopt the financing proposal for the project passed 4-1 with Gaulke opposed.

Chairman Larry Malsch then made a motion to award the bid for the work to Wolf Paving in the amount of $2.6 million.

Gaulke asked Malsch to amend his motion

to include a stipulation that the project not reach the businesses that would be negatively impacted by it until after Labor Day. Malsch said that was not necessary because Wolf Paving had agreed to start the project at Bailey Road and there was little chance it would reach the businesses before Labor Day. The motion passed unanimously.

Olson later said the timeline for the project will likely change due to the delayed start. He was not sure when work would begin, but since it did not begin on July 12 it’s likely the project will not be completed until December instead of late November as originally planned.

Water’s Edge funding The Town Board also recently approved a budget amendment to increase the amount of money the town will spend rehabilitating the Community Park building into the Water’s Edge event center by $170,000. Olson said the project is already over budget and there are two big pieces of it he believes are key to the ability of the town to rent out the space in the future.

Olson said the money allocated to rehabilitating the parking lot in the budget for the project was not sufficient and another $110,000 is needed to complete maintenance and drainage work that should be done to maximize the ability for the town to rent out the space.

He also said an elevator is necessary for the second-floor loft, which is seen as

a very enticing feature to potential renters and to gain occupancy from the county due to American with Disabilities Act requirements. He said the cost to add an elevator would be approximately $60,000.

Olson did say there was money left from the 2019 bond the town took out for other projects that could be designated for this purpose.

Phillips said she has had concerns about the Water’s Edge project since the beginning. She said she felt it was a project town residents did not ask for and could not afford to use and the project, in her opinion, had been rushed forward.

Those comments drew applause from the audience.

However, Phillips said, not approving the additional funding for the two remaining parts of the project would be like everything that had been done so far was for nothing.

Malsch said he agreed the project did not move through the approval process the right way, he did not agree an elevator was necessary, and he said the additional parking lot work should have been included in the original budget. He suggested money raised from a mural fundraiser be used to help fund the elevator.

Supervisor Mary Knipper said she was unhappy with the project’s costs and felt as though the board’s arms were being twisted to approve more funding.

The motion to approve the additional funding passed unanimously.

Kayaking dos and don’ts

DELAVAN LAKE BREEZE • AUGUST 2021 • PAGE 5

Adhering to certain dos and don’ts can make kayaking safer.

Kayaking is a healthy and enjoyable activity that attracts new enthusiasts all the time. Part of what makes the sport so popular is the relative ease with which people can get started.

Kayaking requires minimal gear (kayaks can be rented if not purchased) and no advanced skills are required. However, kayaking is not to be taken lightly, as water sports can be unpredictable. Adhering to certain dos and don’ts can make kayaking safer.

• DO choose the right boat. There are boats rated for kayak racing and those that are strictly for recreational purposes. Some boats are meant for calmer waters and others for waves and open seas.

• DON’T forget to check the weather forecast before heading out in the water. Storms can come up relatively quickly, and offshore winds can make it challenging to paddle back to shore.

• DO let someone know where you’re going and how long you plan to be out on the water.

• DON’T touch or get too close to wildlife, as animals can be unpredictable and even dangerous.

• DO dress for the water temperature and not the weather outside. This helps ensure your health if you intentionally or accidentally enter the water.

• DON’T skip wearing a life jacket/buoyancy aid.

• DO expect to get wet, even if you do not fall in.

Splash up will occur from paddles and some water will get in the boat regardless.

• DON’T forget to bring along some snacks and water.

• DO bring a fellow kayaker along. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned professional, bringing a friend along ensures someone can go for help if you’re involved in an accident or suffer an injury.

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STOCK PHOTO The Breeze

Bring learning onboard for the kids this summer Remember the old rhyme “no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks”? It brings back fond memories of flying out the school doors and flinging our backpacks into the corner, forgotten until summer’s end.

Now that we’re grown up, we know ongoing learning is not only good, but also enjoyable.

Here are five ways from Discover Boating to bring learning onboard your boat this summer, without your kids grumbling over the lesson plan.

Knot Tying 101 The minute your kids can tie their shoes, they can learn to tie a bowline.

Graduate them on to a clove hitch, a square knot, a figure-eight knot, and more.

From picture books to online videos made especially for kids, helpful resources abound.

If you have two or more kids, consider making a game out of it: Whoever can tie a knot properly the fastest gets to pick the next new knot to learn.

Drivers ed Each state has its own regulations in terms of requiring a boating license for motorized craft. However, there’s no age restriction on learning certain terminology and the “rules of the road.”

Teach your preschoolers, for example, what “port” and “starboard” mean, along with “red right return.”

Older kids, meanwhile, can comprehend additional channel markers, and what your boat should do in head-on

or crossing situations.

Navigational know-how Kids just learning to read can learn to identify speed and other basic data on your helm instruments. If you have a touchscreen chartplotter, these same little ones can learn what a waypoint is, and how to tap a position on screen to mark one.

School-age children, tweens, and teens can help map out routes in advance.

Similarly, they can ensure plotted courses don’t coincide with submerged objects or land masses.

Cooking classes If your boat has a galley, involve all ages in meal planning and preparation.

Flex their math muscles (without them knowing it) by adapting recipes to the number of people in your family. On a related subject, see our article 10 Steps for Planning a Successful Boat Camping Trips, for an opportunity to plan a full weekend onboard. swim lessons on a boat Swim lessons This is especially helpful, and all the more fun, if your kids can’t go to summer camp this year. Show them how to properly enter the water from your boat, and safely swim around it. Have them count the number of strokes it takes to swim from the bow to the stern, and back (bonus: they’ll be so tired at day’s end they’ll go straight to sleep, without a fuss).

Source: www.discoverboating.com.

Boating is a great summer activity for families. Teach the kids the basics of boating while out on the water.

STOCK PHOTO The Breeze

PAGE 6 • AUGUST 2021 • DELAVAN LAKE BREEZE

RESPITE STAYS NOW AVAILABLE! Statistics show boaters who wear life jackets and take boater safety courses are most likely to stay safe on Wisconsin waters. Make sure everyone onboard has a properly fitted life jacket before heading out on the water.

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It’s peak boating season, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds boaters that wearing a life jacket could save your life.

To date, 16 people have died in boating incidents so far this year in Wisconsin.

Operator inexperience, inattention, recklessness and speeding are the four leading causes of tragic watercraft crashes, and the leading cause of death is drowning.

The majority of people who drown in boating accidents know how to swim but become incapacitated in the water such as being injured or unconscious, exhausted or weighed down by clothing.

“Wearing a life jacket is the easiest thing you can do to make sure that your next boating trip won’t be your last,” said Lt. Darren Kuhn, DNR Boating Law Administrator. “Make sure you and all other passengers are wearing it with the buckles fastened before you cast off.”

The department does not track all drownings – only those fatalities linked to the use of a recreational activity item, such as a boat, kayak or canoe. Boating

incident reports to date for 2021 and previous years are available online here.

Statistics show boaters who wear life jackets and take boater safety courses are most likely to stay safe on Wisconsin waters. Always follow the basic safety tips below and enjoy Wisconsin’s great lakes and rivers with family and friends.

Water safety tips The DNR offers these tips to stay safe on the water: • Sign up now to take an online boater education course; • Always wear a properly fitted life jacket that has a snug fit and is fastened when you’re on or near the water; • Enjoy the waters sober and know your limits. Alcohol blurs a person’s judgment, reaction time and abilities; and • Know that river shorelines and sandbars pose unseen dangers. Higher, fast-moving water can tax an individual’s boating, paddling and swimming skills.

Be ready for the unexpected and always wear your life jacket. More boating safety tips are available at dnr.wi.gov.

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DELAVAN LAKE BREEZE • AUGUST 2021 • PAGE 7

Boat ramp etiquette 101 LEARN THE BASICS OF LAUNCHING YOUR BOAT Every boater should know the Rules of the Road – or what’s also come to be known as basic “boating etiquette” for safe, courteous navigation – before pulling away from the dock. However, there’s another set of mostly unwritten rules comes into play at the launch ramp.

A popular boat ramp can be a busy place, especially on a summer weekend.

The process of launching and retrieving hundreds of boats is like running a circus with no ringmaster – so etiquette, custom and courtesy are all that stand between good order and havoc.

A good boat owner takes pride in appearing ship-shape at the ramp and contributing to efficiency. Those who are unprepared, or just oblivious, can mess things up in short order. So don’t be that boat owner.

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers and Discover Boating offer some of the basics of boat ramp etiquette, starting with a few tips that will make your launching and retrieving process smooth and stress-free, including: • Always complete all prep work first in the staging area – out of the way of ramp where other boaters are launching; • Launch quickly and efficiently; have others in your crew assist you to make the process easier, if possible; • As soon as the boat is off the trailer, pull back up the ramp and park in a designated spot; • When retrieving your boat, use a courtesy dock or tie up away from the launch area until your trailer is in place;

and • Load the boat onto the trailer, secure the winch at the bow and the safety chain; then proceed to the staging area to finish unloading and securing your trailer.

the hot bulbs.

Launching the boat

Now you are ready to back down the ramp and launch. If you have a crew give everyone instructions on how to help, or how not get in the way. If someone is If this is your first time at the launch available to drive the boat off the trailer, site, park out of the way and take a minute that person can put on a PFD (personal inspect the ramp and dock – check the floatation device) and get into the boat and water depth, which side the dock may be on be ready to start the engine and pull away. when you launch, and the flow of traffic as • Start the engine before releasing the other boaters line up to launch. boat from the trailer. This way if your Your goal is to be as efficient as possible engine will not start you can simply drive when it’s your turn to actually back down back up the ramp to trouble shoot; and launch. With that in mind park in a • Either use dock lines to walk the boat designated staging area, or out of the way down a dock and away from the launching or traffic, to prepare your boat and do the area, or have your driver move the boat out following: of the way; and • Visit the pay station and take care of a • Your boat driver may wait on the water launching fee if one is required; while you park and pick you up from the • Install the boat drain plug; end of the dock, or move the boat away • Check that the key is in the ignition – from the launch area and tie up. this would be a good time to bump the key As soon as the boat is safely off the into the “start” position just to make sure trailer, pull back up the ramp and park in a you don’t have a dead battery; designated spot.

• Load all your gear into the boat – fishing tackle, coolers, tubes, skis, etc.; Reloading the boat on the trailer is • Attach fenders to the dock side of the simply the reverse of launching. Drop boat; the vehicle driver and passengers off on • Remove the transom tie-down straps a dock. If there’s a courtesy dock or dock and the outboard motor brace if you use away from the launch area, it’s OK to tie up one. while you wait for the trailer. If not, move • Attach dock lines to the bow and stern the boat away from the ramp area and wait cleats; and for the trailer to be backed down.

• Unplug the trailer lights from the tow • The driver gets the vehicle in line – if vehicle to keep cold water from damaging

Prepping boat for launch

Retrieving the boat

there is a line – to take a turn backing down the ramp; • The boat driver needs to pay attention and be in position to approach the ramp when the trailer is in the water; • Load the boat on the trailer. Secure the winch at the bow and secure the safety chain; • The boat driver can stay in the boat while you pull up the ramp; and • Drive to the staging area, or away from traffic, to unload coolers and gear from the boat, secure transom straps, trailer lights and get ready to hit the road.

Clean, drain, and dry

Before driving away it’s important – and in most places, the law—to remove weeds from the boat and trailer and to drain the bilge, live wells and bait wells before driving away from the ramp. This best practice has been coined, “Clean, Drain, Dry.” This prevents the spread of invasive species like milfoil and zebra mussels.

There may be signage at the ramp with guidance for this procedure, or check with your state DNR for local regulations.

Learn more by visiting StopAquaticHitchhikers.org.

Source: www.discoverboating.com.

Some simple courtesy goes a long way when you’re launching and retrieving your boat.

STOCK PHOTO The Breeze

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