Yacht restoration school celebrates milestone at Summer Gala

On Saturday evening, July 11, supporters and fans of the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport will flock to the campus for the 12th annual Summer Gala.

The festive evening, "A Night Under the Stars," is the school's largest fund-raiser of the year. But this year's gala also marks a school milestone: the completion of the restoration of the 1831 Aquidneck Mill building. Gala-goers will celebrate on campus, under a tent placed in the shadow of the historic mill.

"After 14 years of fund-raising and work to restore our historic campus, we have fulfilled an important institutional mission: to safeguard our historic buildings as part of America’s working waterfront," said IYRS President Terry Nathan of the Mill's completion. "It is indeed a wonderful milestone — made all the more remarkable given the recent economic headwinds." According to Nathan, "A Night Under the Stars" is also a celebration of the brightest students who enter the doors of IYRS each fall and graduate as true craftsmen and technicians.

A live auction, featuring an impressive lineup of items that appeal to avid sailors and fans of classic boats, will be held during the evening. Among this year's auction items are: an IYRS-built replica of a rare 19th century Whitehall rowing boat; a day on the water with the A-team of BMW Oracle Racing, the U.S. Challenger of Record for the 33rd America’s Cup; dinner and a one-night stay onboard the extraordinary 1901 yacht Cangarda that was recently restored by Dr. Robert McNeil, who is currently restoring Coronet on the IYRS campus; and an opportunity to help build a scholarship endowment for gifted and needy IYRS students.

A silent-auction "Collectors' Gallery" will again be on view during the gala, with artwork by notable artists such as John Mecray and David Bareford, an IYRS-restored Beetle Cat, a Panerai Luminor 1950 Rattrapante Regatta Watch, and many other items. All proceeds from the auctions go to benefit the school.

An opening reception July 9 will preview the work of noted marine photographer Onne van der Wal.

Two levels of gala tickets are available. Guests can arrive at 6 p.m. for a cocktail reception, dinner, live and silent auctions, dancing, and a special performance by Kate Taylor, who shares a musical heritage with her brothers James and Livingston ($300 per person). Or guests can arrive at 9 p.m. for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dessert, silent auction, and dancing ($100 per person). The gala ends at midnight.

For information, click here. To purchase tickets to the opening reception and the Gala, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at 401-848-5777, ext. 217.

Marina program hits a milestone

Launched in 1997 offering boaters discounts on fuel, transient slips and repairs, the Cooperating Marina Program celebrates its 900th marina to join the program.

"During this economic downturn, marinas are looking for incremental revenue anywhere they can find it — and boaters are looking for a break," said Cooperating Marina Program director Jim Schofield. "We help marinas and boatyards find that revenue by tapping into the loyalty of our 600,000 BoatU.S. members, attracting sales a marina might not normally get."

The program requires marinas or boatyards to offer discounts to boaters carrying a BoatU.S. membership card. This discount can include up to 10 cents off per gallon of fuel, 25 percent off transient slips or 15 percent off repairs. "Over 300 of our Cooperating Marinas offer some sort of fuel discount, which is always popular," added Schofield.

Marinas participating in the program can have their own Web page on the http://www.BoatUS.com/marinas Web site.

Marinas interested in learning more about the program can e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (888) 333-2628.

Survey conducted of Civil War ironclad USS Monitor

NOAA and partnering organizations are deploying scuba divers and state-of-the-art technology this week to study the current condition of the USS Monitor, a Civil War shipwreck protected by a NOAA national marine sanctuary.

During the expedition, which concludes June 28, divers will survey and photograph visible sections of the Monitor using non-invasive techniques, including high-resolution digital still and video imagery. Deep Explorers and Rutgers University’s Institute of Marine and Coastal Science (IMCS) will also deploy an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that will scan the wreck using sonar and collect water quality data.

This is the first time a survey of this type will be conducted over the Monitor wreck site and the surrounding area. NOAA will use the information gathered during the survey to monitor the condition of the historic vessel and the sanctuary.

“This expedition will be invaluable to the Monitor,” said David W. Alberg, superintendent of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. “The information collected during this expedition will be crucial to our efforts to continue preservation of this historic shipwreck.”

The expedition is supported through contributions of time, equipment and other support by various individuals and corporations, including Rutgers IMCS, Aqualung USA, Silent Diving Systems, Deep Outdoors, TMBA Broadcast Animation, O.C. Diver, Margie II, Sartek Industries, Sony XDCAM, Sony HDV and Fujinon Optics.

To learn more about the expedition and to read daily mission logs, visit the USS Monitor 2009 Mission site.
The USS Monitor is located in 230 feet of water 16 miles off Cape Hatteras, N.C., where the ship sank on a stormy New Year’s Eve in 1862. In an effort to protect the nation’s most famous ironclad, the shipwreck was designated the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary on January 30, 1975. In the late 1990s through 2002, several iconic Monitor artifacts were recovered and are being conserved at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Va.

Sea level rise 'emergency' alarm sounded

Worldwide, sea level has risen about eight inches during the last century and, according to a report released June 17 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), it is rising at double that rate now.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted a range of 7 to 23 inches of sea-level rise in their latest 2007 Fourth Assessment Report.

Click here to view the entire release and a link to the entire U.S. Global Change Research Program report.