USA Tables

USA Roster January 2024

Last updated roster. If you see any anomaly, please contact us asap.
This is a google drive document that everyone with the link can open and read after you enter the usual password used for most BOC documents.

USA Roster January 2024 Read More »

Annapolis Sailing Capital – 10 year Anniversary

Annapolis Sailing Capital Logo

Dave “Chief” Trawick (Scribe of the Annapolis Sailing Capital Table) and his wife & Kristy just emailed new material to be posted in. the page. We also amended the recipe page. Please email us news and relevant info regarding your table. These additions are spectacular. Thank you!
Send Email to Big Hopper.

Celebration:  Oct 13-15, 2023

We are grateful to our mentors Pete Chabot, John Craighill and Past National Table Captain, Charles Hankins in Investing the Sailing Capital Table and ushering us into establishment – 23 August 2013.

Since then, we have grown from six with Bob Howe Inducted posthumously to twelve and two Engages today.

Our Table has evolved into an active, yet informal, low-key Table with no distinct schedule outside of our monthly TAF get-togethers.  We began and remained humble which humility comes directly from all the contacts the Sailing Capital Brothers have developed with other Tables, the true nexus of the Brotherhood. We strive to meet or exceed activities common with other Tables and intend to keep meeting and growing our size and bonds.

More on the Table Page.

Annapolis Sailing Capital – 10 year Anniversary Read More »

Salade Liégeoise

Adding to the many recipes I had been asked to post on the website, this is one of my favorite. It is a recipe from the city of Liège in Belgium. Actually the capital city of the province of Liege at the Northeast of the Belgian country. How was it founded? Charlemagne- Carolus Magnus or Charles the Great – yes, the greatest conquerer of the Middle Ages marched north and united most of Western Europe for the first time since the classical era of the Roman Empire,. He “stopped” at a line traced by “Lille” in France, Brussels in the Flanders, Liege and Aachen in todays’s Germany. He had stopped established the oldest European university in Leuven/Louvain.
This clearly explain the “division” that exists today in Belgium as the “Latins” occupied the territories south of the line and the “Franks” continued to speak “Flemish” North of it… 🙁
Oopps – Yes I am Belgian and I tried to oversimplify History”. Anyway, why is this recipe “Liégeoise” or from the city of Liège”? I have no clue and I would love some feedback. All I can tell is that both my Wallonian side of the family and the Dutch ( Read from Flanders ) side family used to prepare the same dish.

Many a sailor couple asked me to describe it. It can be heavy and greasy. It can be very comforting at 2am amidst a night watch. It can be a great friends reunion’s appetizer. It can be enjoyed warm or cold. Bur really, it is better after having marinated overnight.

The main ingredient are “Princesses” – or in real American language “French Beans”. I guess “The Princess and the Pea” from literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen had no place in culinary prose. These are the ingredients:

  • Oignons – chopped ans losing cooked in butter, to become transparents
  • French beens – really better if bought fresh and cut off from their filandrous tails…
  • Bacon – Lots of it and thick cut if possible: chop 1/4″ wide.
  • Patates nouvelles – actually very small potatoes – better in the spring
  • Vinegar – The best you can get

This whole recipe can be processed on a galley’s one burner range! It does not need heavy refrigeration because of the vinegar’s acidity.

Chop the onions and cook them in a bit of butter until transparent ( Pan 1) . set on the side.
Cook the bacon SLOWLY to extract the fat- drop hem on paper towel to absorb the fat ( keep the paper towel to start the barbecue ! ) (Pan 1)
Blanch the French beans (Casserole 2) – Set aside
Cook the potatoes – not fully! Pour the water off and add butter ( to the bacon fat if you kept it in a bowl. “Caramelize “them in butter.
Add all the other ingredients
Add good wine vinegar. Put in fridge or serve

Best to eat with a heavy Belgian beer: Kriek Lambiek or Gueuze or Trappist!



Salade Liégeoise Read More »

Ce n’est qu’un Au-Revoir, mes Frères…

Click on the above image to visit the directory.

Audrey and Monty have the photos and slideshows on their SmugMug account. There are many of our Brothers and Captives who took the time and effort to send photos to make this great memory journey happen.  Many expressed their appreciation for everyone’s efforts.  The photos are to share with all Brothers worldwide.  The photos are right click protected. 

After clicking on a link you will see a page with multiple photos.  You can page through the photos one at a time with the arrow on the right side of the individual photo.  Below the group of photos are the page numbers. Use this to go to an individual page.  

ALL WORLD ZAFS – 1ST THROUGH 10TH 1,055 PHOTOS https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-jsBHTh
TABLES BY YEAR – 1,443 PHOTOS https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-39KTzv
10TH WORLD ZAF – GALVESTON 2023 335 PHOTOS https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-mSLXd9

She is currently adding photos to the 10th World Zaf and is just about done. She can add more at any time if anyone wants to share the photos they took during the event. Many have been snagged off of Facebook…with permission mostly!  😁
If anyone wants a copy of a photo or some photos “suitable for framing”, 😎 they can contact Audrey via email at photonotionsbyarogers@gmail.com.

Ce n’est qu’un Au-Revoir, mes Frères… Read More »

Lookout

Brothers and Mates, 

After discussion with our Captain Jungle Jane. I decided to revive our News Letter “Lookout”. Its purpose is to convey to our Brothers stories and report that may be of interest.  It is open to all New York Brothers. So if you have something interesting for our Table let Jane or me know and we can share your story with others. The advantage is that “Lookout” can be archived and not buried like emails.

ORZA!

Tony Olmer – Rascal

Lookout Read More »

A US Zoom Zaf

Zoomarrancho

The New York Table invites you to a “ZOOMARRANCHO”,

Saturday, March 6, at 5:00 pm EST

Fuhgeddaboudit!!! 

We will start promptly at 5:00 pm with a 30-minute video presentation about the many journeys we have shared together followed by an open Zoom event. If you feel creative, prepare a short skit of your own, and share your screen with us

Please RSVP no later than March 4 to Theo Olmer at theoolmer@gmail.com. She will send you the Zoom ID and password.
 We are looking forward to seeing everyone on the 6th!

Attending?(required)

Zoomarrancho Read More »

Pacific/South America/US East Coast Zoom Zaf

The New York Table has been enjoying Saturday night “Zoom Zafs” for several weeks now. Recently these Zafs were attended by guests from other U.S. tables. On May 3, the New York Table and Orza from the Chesapeake were thrilled to join New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and New Caledonia at 12:00 Sunday Canberra time – 22:00 Saturday EST.
Our Chilean engagé Andres proudly recited the Octalog in Spanish. ORZA!

Pacific/South America/US East Coast Zoom Zaf Read More »

ZoomZafs

New York Brothers usually meet at each other’s homes on a monthly basis. Recently, this has not been safe or feasible. We turned to technology to continue our tradition virtually and even increase the frequency of our Zafs.  We had two Zoom test sessions, inviting an increasing number of participants. 

The first ZoomZaf started with some hiccups – and not from too many Orzas … some of us had no mic or video… but could still participate. It ended up being such a successful break from our isolation that we decided to make it a weekly event. Every Saturday evening at 6 p.m.

“Baggywrinkle” has been waiting for three weeks for Amazon to deliver a camera. He was so eager to virtually embrace the Brothers that Elaine and he drove 40 miles to fetch a legacy piece of equipment Robert had used in Windows 7. (Elaine traded for it with some home-sewn face masks … but why bother when I have Norton antivirus software? Ha ha.) We spent an hour on the phone trying to install the correct video driver. No luck… they had to participate in the ZoomZaf with audio only. We’re hoping for next time.

Our latest Zaf on April 18 included Show and Tell stories about our confined activities: repair of polyethylene water tanks, construction of a bottle wall, major mask production for charities and friends, musings about the effects of isolation on introvert and extrovert personality types, work on jazzy piano techniques, increasing working hours in hospital administration, studying Spanish, sorting family archive pictures, sailboat re-powering, electronic rice-cooker repair and prepping for a hilarious skit for us.  Maximum number of participants is 10, we hope for more. We were happy to have our St.Augustine-Florida branch join in also. Baggy Wrinkle polka was most entertaining. <-Click to enjoy!

Please write below a comment on this post!

ZoomZafs Read More »

Albert Seidl

Albert Seidel, slipped his cable on May 3, and is now sailing the sea of eternity.

The Savannah Table is greatly saddened by Albert’s passing, but we all are grateful for our time with him, and his dedication to the Brotherhood.  Albert has stood out as the essence of what the Fraternity is all about.  His ship, his home, and his heart were always open and welcoming to his Brotherhood family. His stories, and stories about him, will be told into the future.  Today we see him at the helm of his beloved his Barkentine, a twinkle in his eye, and his broad smile in place, heading to the four points of the compass with a fair wind constantly at his back.
Sail on Brother Dokwaes, sail on high. Our deepest sympathy to Alise, and his family.
Adapted from J. H. Byrne, . Hamrick, J. D’Alusio, Sherry and Preston Carraway.

Albert Seidl

Alise does not plan a memorial or celebration for Albert at this time.  Family has recently visited and is home in their various countries.  However, Alise wants all of Albert’s friends to know that at a future date there will be a proper Pirate Celebration of Albert’s life and exploits. 

Albert Seidl Read More »

NYC Zaf 2019 Invitation

It appears that some Brothers were not aware of the April 1st deadline for the National Zaf in New York this August. Therefore we are extending the deadline to April 15th for registration. We look forward to seeing our Brothers for our Big Apple Party!

August 16 through 18, 2019 Join your brothers and celebrate BOCUS 60th anniversary, concurrently with NY Table’s 40th anniversary.

NYC Zaf 2019 Invitation Read More »

2018 Captains meeting and Tortuga Post 92

Please note that the current March 2018 edition of Tortuga Post TTP92-march2018 has the incorrect dates for the 2018 US BOC Assembly of Captains. ( Thank you J.  and S…)
The correct dates are:

  • Thursday August 16 – Early arrival reception at the Drum Point Lighthouse
  • Friday August 17 – Daily activities on the Island followed by dinner at the Calvert Marine Museum (pending availability) or Solomons Yacht Club.
  • Saturday August 18 – Captains meeting and Castle Downs Crab Races, Full summer pirate attire.
  • Sunday August 19 – Farewell breakfast at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center

Just a reminder… Brise Galets is still assiduously managing the distribution of our world wide newsletter, the famous “Tortuga Post”.  Its publication is usually announced by e-mail. If you miss it, all are available on   http://www.brotherofthecoast.org
You have to enter your e-mail address and the password. Had you forgotten this pw, it will be reinstated very easily by just retyping your email address, where the updated password will be sent.
The same website also present the worldwide roster. It also enables each Brother to update his/her own information.

 

2018 Captains meeting and Tortuga Post 92 Read More »

An epic life saving tale

Reading the last TTP, I can’t let this event fall in the forgotten tales bag. I therefore reproduce the TTP article here, easily searchable in the BOCUS website… – Big Hopper-.

Quote:

Brother “Swedish Navigator” – Gary Johnson – collapsed on the evening of June 8 th , following dinner on the first night of the Chesapeake Table Zafarrancho and USA Captain’s Meeting.. One moment he was deep in a conversation,, the next moment he was on the deck.. Gary’s life was saved that night by Chesapeake Brother Scott Rogers and A..JJ.. Eller,, wife of Chesapeake Brother Mark Eller..

Gary is a pretty tough old sailor,, but anyone who was there knows that it was the quick thinking and the truly professional application of CPR by A..JJ.. Eller and Scott Rogers that saved his life.. All of their training and experience was there for Gary when it was needed.. Scott is a retired fire fighter with EMT experience and is trained in CPR,, using it numerous times during his career..

Garry beginning of the party

A..JJ.. Eller is an operating room registered nurse who is also CPR trained,, although in her work she has not had to use CPR as much as Scott.. Sometimes CPR is the only option,, but it is not ideal.. In Scott’s experience,, when CPR is necessary the survival rate is fairly low,, sadly only about 5%% make it..

When Gary collapsed,, Scott and A..JJ.. sprang into action without a moment’s hesitation.. Initially Gary was breathing and had a pulse.. After a few minutes,, however,, Garry lost his pulse and Scott and E..JJ..,, working as an effective and highly skilled team,, administered CPR.. A..JJ.. was first to perform CPR, and after she tired,, Scott took over until the ambulance arrived.. Both made sure that Gary’s airway was clear to avoid choking,, with Craig Wright lending a hand.. Even though the hospital was close – by,, this event took place during Norfolk’s “HHarbor Fest””,, and many streets were closed or congested.. It took about 15 minutes for the ambulance to arrive,, while Scott and A..JJ.. attended to Gary.. The EMT’s took over CPR,, administered two shocks by AED (Automated External Defibrillator)),, and wheeled Gary to the ambulance,, where he was stabilized and then taken to the hospital..

When asked about how he felt prior to collapsing,, Gary said he had no warning at all – no shortness of breath or feeling dizzy.. He had never been told that his medical history would indicate a cardiac event could happen.. Thankfully,, subsequent testing found no arterial blockage or permanent damage,, but instead pointed to Atrial Fibrillation (AAFIB)) as the cause.. Gary has no memory of his collapse or the next four days in the hospital..

Gary’s son Jimmy came from Hawaii to be with him during his lengthy Norfolk hospital stay.. There were some speed bumps along the way,, but the “SSwedish Navigator”” is now back at his home in Cocoa Beach,, Florida,, with close friends nearby and receiving great care.. Gary is as feisty as ever and just celebrated his 80 th birthday on August 21 st . He now has a pacemaker which monitors his heart’s rhythm,, and if AFIB is detected,, it administers a mild pulse to shock his heart back into normal rhythm..

One take – away from this event is that if an AED were readily available,, it could have been used effectively to stabilize Gary rather than administering CPR.. National Captain Scott Ripley has taken this to heart and provisioned both his home and boat with AEDs.. Other Brothers should seriously consider purchasing an AED as a cheap insurance policy..

We are all grateful to A..JJ.. and Scott,, the ambulance paramedics,, and the doctors and nurses of Norfolk’s first class cardiac hospital,, for Gary’s recovery.. Lastly,, but most importantly,, the members of the Chesapeake Table,, too many to name,, visited,, encouraged,, and looked after Gary for the entire time he was in the hospital and rehabilitation center.. For those of us who could only call and send cards,, it was good to know that Brothers and their wives were there for him.. Gary and the Savannah Table can’t thank you enough for his incredible “eearly”” birthday present!!

Swedish Navigator’s 80th Birthday

Joe Citarella – USA Int’l Vigie & John Byrne, Captain Savannah Table

An epic life saving tale Read More »