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Alone ACROSS the INDIAN Ocea n +

Safer SAILBOATS

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ADVENTURES

SAFETY AT SEA

PA G E 4 4

PA G E 8 9

Yo u r P a s s p o r t t o t h e S a i l i n g L i f e

Hot and

Cold Fa n t a s t i c T h e Lu r e

Fi j i p. 5 8 of L ab ra do r

p. 7 6

On a Mission

Down Under

p. 5 0

Charter Vacations

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Wa n d e r i n g A l o n g t h e F r e n c h C a n a l s

p. 6 8

A Wi n t e r R e n d e z v o u s i n t h e B r i t i s h V i r g i n I s l a n d s

D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 6

c r u i s i n g w o r l d . c o m

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Contents N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r

2 0 1 6

F E AT U R E S

50

50 SAILING HOME TO AUSTRALIA A cruise along Oz’s east coast introduces a sailing family to life Down Under.

november/december 2016

6

After a short sail down the coast, we had the pleasure of sailing into Sydney Harbour past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. After San Francisco, it was the second great city we had sailed into.

”

SAILING HOME TO AUSTRALIA, PAGE 50

By Mike Li t zo w

58 A SPIN THROUGH FABULOUS FIJI Friendly people and fascinating islands leave sailors wanting more.

By To d d D uff

64 TIME OUT IN THE BVI Great sailing and fun times mark the third edition of the Jeanneau Owners Rendezvous.

Cha r t e r i n g, b y Je n Bre t t

68 LINGERING THROUGH LANGUEDOC Five knots proves to be the perfect speed to take in France’s Canal du Midi.

Cha r t e r i n g, b y Ti m Mu r p h y

76 WILD, WILD LABRADOR Abundant wildlife and stunning scenery await those who sail along this remote coastline.

By To m Zyd l e r

84 GHOST NAVIGATION An unmanned, autonomous sailboat collects environmental data at sea.

Sa il Green, by David Schmidt

ON THE COVER The crew of a cruising sailboat anchored off Malolo Island, in Fiji’s Mamanuca Group, heads out to explore a nearby reef.

Photo by Tor Johnson ONNE VAN DER WAL

cruisingworld.com

“

54 5 rt po

2016

Pa ss

rt po

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& Best Full-Size Cruiser Over 50 Feet Passport Vista 545 At Cockpit

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Contents N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r

2 0 1 6

SPECIAL SECTION: SAFETY AT SEA

98

november/december 2016

8

C O L U M N S

”

TORNADOES AT SEA, PAGE 98

10 Editor’s Log

The next several minutes were spent in full-throttle maneuvers aimed at skirting the waterspout, which had thickened somewhat and taken on a more ominous vortex shape.

HANDS-ON SAILOR

14 Underway

34 On Watch

89 SECURITY BY DESIGN From mast pulpits to handholds, high lifelines to proper nonskid, there are details to look for that will keep you safer at sea.

By Alvah Simon

94 WHEN YOU ARE THE FIRST RESPONDER 40 Green Wakes

44 Special Report

46 Waypoints

110

Of Watch

102 Return Engagement The Elan Impression 45 makes an awaited U.S. debut.

By Mark Pillsbury

Too many cruisers head ofshore without basic knowledge of first aid.

Don’t be one of them.

By Ji m Ca r r i e r

98 TORNADOES AT SEA Waterspouts are a frequent sight in the tropics. Here’s what to know should you encounter one.

By Sco t t Neu m a n

Charter News

146

BOATS & GEAR

101 FLAME OUT Have you checked the fire extinguishers on your boat lately? Be sure that you have the correct type in the right locations.

By Ste v e D ’An t o n i o

105 Born in the USA The homegrown Catalina 425 impresses on many points.

By Herb McCormick

107 What’s Going On Out There?

Weather-routing software allows for better voyage planning.

Electronics

by David Schmidt

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E d i t o r ’s L o g Dangerous situations can develop with great suddenness — so even when all looks well, watch out!

B Y

M A R K

P I L L S B U R Y

november/december 2016

10

I

t all started out so well, our little getaway last summer to the Elizabeth Islands and Buzzards Bay. Heeding the previous night’s forecast, which called for a lackluster northerly to slowly swing to the southeast and build in the afternoon, we cast of our mooring line early in the hopes we’d be well along our way before the breeze was on our nose.

It was a good plan. The water was calm when we left Wickford, Rhode Island, and though the current was against us for the first hour or so, we made OK headway. Not really thinking about our speed over the ground, I figured that by the time we reached the mouth of Narragansett Bay, 8 miles to the south, the outgoing tide would sweep us right along. Perfect, I thought, as we putted onward, me listening to the chatter on the VHF, toying with the autopilot, and watching fishing boats while my wife, Sue, and trusty hound snoozed below.

We were due for a good adventure. A combination of a recalcitrant engine, family schedules and numerous summer work trips and races on other people’s boats had meant we hadn’t sailed our Sabre 34 outside the protected waters of Narragansett Bay in over a year.

Don’t get me wrong.

Narragansett Bay is a fine, sometimes even challenging

Warm sunshine, a cold beverage and an empty beach quickly improved the crew’s outlook after a rough start to the trip.

place to sail. The afternoon sea breeze often climbs into the midteens and higher on most summer days, and it can get quite gusty between the islands and shore, where the channels narrow. Toss in an adverse tide and the ensuing chop, and occasionally the going gets downright sloppy. Ditto when a honking northerly screams down the bay across a long fetch of open water.

But while such conditions can keep you on your toes and make you focus on safety in the bay, they can also lull you into thinking that you — and your boat — are prepared for safety at sea. Yes, Mother Ocean was about to deliver a wake-up call.

“Dangerous situations can develop with great suddenness

— so even when all looks well, watch out!” the authors warn at the outset of the “Safety Afloat” chapter of Chapman Piloting & Seamanship.

I didn’t.

As we motored under the Jamestown Bridge and past Dutch Harbor, bound for Beavertail, at the southern tip of Conanicut Island, it didn’t occur to me to move a spare halyard back to the mast from the bow pulpit, out of the way of the jib. I didn’t bother hoisting the main while still in the lee of the shore; nor did I run below to dig out our chartbook or plot out the waypoints we’d need for the day.

I figured there would be time for all that if and when the wind did perk up.

Soon enough, though,

ocean swells began to lift us.

I watched the surf pound the rocky coast ahead, and as we neared open water, I noted that the wind, now right on the nose, was turning quickly brisk. I shoulda, I coulda, I didn’t. And then, we were out of the lee of land and smack dab in a mixing bowl where incoming waves met up with currents coursing out of Narragansett Bay’s two wide mouths. Powerboats sped past, churning up monstrous wakes, and Sue spilled into the cockpit, glared at me, and said, “I know where we are,” as she fled to the rail for relief. I’d forgotten what a nasty patch of water this could be when crossed too close to shore.

Minutes later I stood on the cabin top, braced against the swinging boom as I reached overhead with both hands to attach the halyard to the mainsail in the hopes of raising it and quieting the corkscrew motion of the bronco we were riding. “God, I hate boats,” I thought as the bow buried itself in a wave.

With the main finally set, we bore away to let it fill; the ride improved slightly, though we both knew we were in for a long and bouncy upwind motorsail to our planned destination in Cuttyhunk. “‘Plan ahead’ is one of the best pieces of advice you can be given in boating,” Chapman advises.

Duly noted.

MARK PILLSBURY

cruisingworld.com

WAKE-UP Call

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EDITORIAL E D I TO R Mark Pillsbury mark.pillsbury@bonniercorp.com E X E C U T I V E E D I TO R Herb McCormick herb.mccormick@bonniercorp.com S E N I O R E D I TO R Jen Brett jen.brett@bonniercorp.com M A N AG I N G E D I TO R Eleanor Merrill eleanor.merrill@bonniercorp.com E L E C T R O N I C S E D I TO R David Schmidt D I GI TA L E D I TO R Benjamin Meyers C O P Y E D I TO R Savannah Vickers ART C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Dave Weaver D E S I G N E R Tanya Loranca E D I TO R S AT L A R GE Bernadette Bernon, Cap’n Fatty Goodlander, Gary Jobson, Elaine Lembo, Tim Murphy, Angus Phillips C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I TO R S Jim Carrier, Wendy Mitman Clarke, Barbara Marrett, Jeremy McGeary, Lynda Morris Childress, Michel Savage, Alvah Simon, Diana Simon C R U I S I N G WO R L D E D I TO R I A L O F F I C E 55 Hammarlund Way Middletown, RI 02842 401-845-5100; fax 401-845-5180 cruisingworld.com V P, D I R E C TO R O F B R A N D S T R AT E G I E S Matt Hickman E D I TO R I A L D I R E C TO R Shawn Bean C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Dave Weaver C O N S U M E R M A R K E T I N G D I R E C TO R Leigh Bingham GR O U P M A R K E T I N G D I R E C TO R Haley Bischof S E N I O R M A R K E T I N G M A N AGE R Kelly MacDonald M A R K E T I N G M A N AG E R Tabatha Hunsinger B U S I N E S S M A N AG E R David Erne GR O U P P R O D U C T I O N D I R E C TO R Michelle Doster P R O D U C T I O N M A N AGE R Robin Baggett 407-571-4844 robin.baggett@bonniercorp.com GRAPHIC ARTISTS Jennifer Remias Shaira Barnette H U M A N R E S O U R C E S D I R E C TO R Sheri Bass

PUBLISHER S A L LY H E L M E 401-845-4405 sally.helme@bonniercorp.com ADVERTISING A DV E R T I S I N G D I R E C TO R , N E W E N GL A N D, M I D - AT L A N T I C & E U R O P E Ted Ruegg 410-263-2484 ted.ruegg@bonniercorp.com S O U T H E A S T, C E N T R A L U. S . & W E S T C OA S T Parker Stair 865-599-9791 parker.stair@bonniercorp.com CARIBBEAN David Gillespie 303-638-7909 david.gillespie303@gmail.com CLASSIFIED AND SPECIAL-SECTION S A L E S M A N AG E R Michelle Roche 401-845-4440 michelle.roche@bonniercorp.com DETROIT Jef Roberge - Advertising Director Joy Gariepy - Account Manager E X E C U T I V E A DV E R T I S I N G C O O R D I N ATO R Trish Means-Reardon 401-845-4402 trish.reardon@bonniercorp.com E V E N T D I R E C TO R Jennifer Davies 401-845-4412 jennifer.davies@bonniercorp.com E V E N T A S S I S TA N T James Imhof 401-845-4408 james.imhof@bonniercorp.com

C H A I R M A N Tomas Franzén H E A D O F B U S I N E S S A R E A , M AG A Z I N E S Lars Dahmén CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Eric Zinczenko CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Joachim Jaginder C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R David Ritchie CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Elizabeth Burnham Murphy C H I E F D I G I TA L R E V E N U E O F F I C E R Sean Holzman V I C E P R E S I D E N T, I N T E G R AT E D S A L E S John Graney VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING John Reese V I C E P R E S I D E N T, D I GI TA L O P E R AT I O N S David Butler V I C E P R E S I D E N T, P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S Perri Dorset GENERAL COUNSEL Jeremy Thompson

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NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2016

U N D E RWAY NEWS and NOTES from the CRUISING COMMUNITY

cruisingworld.com

Ed i te d by Je n B re t t

november/december 2016

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cruisingworld.com

november/december 2016

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UNDER THE TABLECLOTH: A VISIT TO CAPE TOWN ONNE VAN DER WAL

W

hat is it about Cape Town?

One of the world’s great landfalls under any circumstance, it’s all the more so when the Tablecloth — that seasonally permanent cloud that continuously spills over the side of Table Mountain — is set.

Generations of westabout circumnavigators have faced a consequential choice when they reach the Indian Ocean: keep Africa to port and transit the Red Sea to Europe, or turn left and eventually tangle with the treacherous Agulhas Current

until rounding the Cape of Good Hope, also known as the Cape of Storms.

Readers of Dove will recall that Robin Lee Graham originally chose the Red Sea route. But the 1967 Six-Day War, between Israel and Egypt, sent him south instead, spurring nine months of South African travel with his new bride that constitute some of his classic book’s most idyllic passages. By the early 1990s, most voyagers, including participants in the early World ARC round-the-world rallies, bypassed South Africa in favor of the

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MAIL MBE 2016 ••••••• •••• ` •• R

Matt Rutherford and the crew of Ault are surveying ice, temperature and salinity for NASA in the jords of Greenland. “If you were to melt the Greenland ice cap, you would add 21 feet to sea-level rise globally,” says Rutherford.

“We are horribly unprepared.” Watch the video at cruisingworld .com/1611rutherford.

A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF TANGIER I enjoyed “Tangier, By Accident” in the September Underway. As a sailor and a pilot, I’ve loved my time on Tangier Island (see below photo, taken from the air).

The island is a popular place for general aviation pilots to pop in for lunch and take a lovely stroll. Although I haven’t met Milton, I will try to do so on our next visit!

Kim Stevens, Publisher State Aviation Journal, Arizona Aviation Journal

WHY WE DO IT David Gillespie’s story in your September issue (“Tangier, By Accident”) put a smile on my face.

My wife, Beth, and I stopped on Tangier Island in September 2013 and stayed at Parks Marina. We are delighted to hear that Milton is still doing well. In those days he drove up and down the docks on a blue moped with his feet out like kickstands on both sides.

We thought for sure he would go swimming every time.

He also told us a great story when we were there. It started with our boat name, Elizabeth Anne. I told him the boat was named after my wife, who made me buy the boat. He said, “Oh,” in a very knowing way, and said that on the island they named their boats after their daughters. When asked why, he replied, “Because she’s always your daughter!” I also recall him flirting with Beth and telling her to look him up if

she dumped me. Thank you for reminding us why we cruise.

John and Beth Pohle Fleming 55, Elizabeth Anne WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? Upon opening the October issue, I’m struck by the size of the “cruising” boats your magazine is promoting through articles and advertising. They are beautiful and impressive. But is this the direction we want to go? I’m sure that for builders, designers, and the people who maintain these 50-, 60- and 70-plus-footers, that’s where the money is. But for the rest of us — that’s most of us, I suspect — what we see are boats taking up too much dock and anchorage space. I also suspect that these boats have too much waterline and too much windage to be easily single- or even doublehanded under most conditions.

Joe Bishop Covington, Louisiana

MARCO SCHULENBURG/BARBA (TOP LEFT); MATT RUTHERFORD (BOTTOM LEFT); KIM STEVENS (RIGHT)

cruisingworld.com

november/december 2016

Vi d e o: Oc e a n Re s e a rc h P r o j e c t

CE

16

umenting the orcas.

The crew plans to study whales through February, then spend March and April skiing and exploring the remote northern wilderness. Find out how to join the fun for a short or long leg at cruisingworld .com/1611barba.

E

This fall, join an intrepid band of adventurers sailing Barba to northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle, to spend a season doc-

D

Cre w Wa n t e d for a Whale of a Ti m e

northern route through Europe.

The balance tipped again in 2009, when pirate attacks of Somalia compelled Lloyd’s of London and other marine insurers to declare a war zone and withdraw yacht-insurance coverage for large stretches of the northwestern Indian Ocean.

Since then, round-the-world rallies and greater numbers of individual voyagers have chosen the southern route.

The payof here is undeniable.

Sure, the weather can get big of South Africa’s Wild Coast, but seasoned sailors learn to pick their windows, hopping southward down the coast between blows. The South African Weather Service (weathersa.co.za/home/marine) provides excellent forecasting, and Durban-based Cruising Connections (cruisingconnec tions.co.za/index.php/weather) compiles daily synoptic charts.

In Cape Town, the highlights span from the mundane to the magical. World-class marine services are available here, and provisioning is relatively inexpensive and abundant.

At press time, U.S. dollars go further than ever before, with an exchange rate near 15 rand to the dollar. Cape Town is a cosmopolitan city, with restaurants and shopping that hold their own with Paris and New York.

And you don’t need to go far outside of town to find the magic. It’s there at the top of Table Mountain, and throughout the whole Table Mountain National Park (sanparks.org/ parks/table_mountain), stretching over 100 square miles down to the Cape of Good Hope, a destination that deserves a place on every sailor’s bucket list.

Home to 8,200 distinct plant species, the park includes the Cape Floral Region, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Penguin colonies, chacma baboon families, great white sharks and orcas — all these inhabit the cape.

Yes, there’s something about Cape Town, something that deserves a long, deep look.

— Tim Murphy

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U N D E R W AY

At this fall’s Newport International Boat Show, dozens of new products and boats were unveiled to the North American market and entered into the annual Newport for New Products competition. A panel of judges and showgoers named five winners. The Maine Cat 38, an Americanmade performance

First light is a welcome sight after a night at sea.

DAWN WATCH

november/december 2016

18

cruiser (above) with a hull that weighs less than 500 pounds, took Best Sailboat honors. Best Product went to Forespar’s PureWater+, a water-filtration unit with a sleek design and easy-to-replace filter, and Garmin’s GPSMap 7600 chart-plotter series won Best Electronic.

For more about the program and winners, visit cruisingworld .com/1611nfnp.

Vi r t u a l B o a t Sh o w s Didn’t make it to Annapolis or Newport this year? Walk the docks from your desk with our galleries at cruisingworld.com/ 1611shows.

S

o, if this is “fair winds and a following sea” — pitching like a drunk college kid as we surf down dark, frothy waves — what would it feel like in rough winds, with waves on our beam?

Terrifying, I suspect.

I have the dawn watch on this passage from Bora Bora to Rangiroa, the shift from 0300 to whenever my husband wakes up. As I stretch and yawn, I try to switch gears to the less comfortable reality of night sailing. I check the heading and make sure the sail plan is still the same: wing-on-wing with the wind dead behind us, careening down 10-foot swells as we sail due west. Even though our 43-foot monohull was on this same tack all day, something about the dense, moonless dark makes it feel as though the boat is going faster. And as though I’m less in control.

I check our speed: 4.5 knots. Maybe we aren’t going as fast as I thought. Next I mess with the genoa to see if I can sheet it in to ease the vicious side-to-side swings. No luck. I settle into a corner of the cockpit to brace against the rocking and focus on the stars overhead.

This watch is my favorite. You know the dark will end. You get to stare at Orion as he ushers in the rising sun. You can watch the water change from black to charcoal to gray to silver to blue as the sun peeps over the horizon. And best of all, you can drink coffee without worrying about whether you’ll be able to get back to sleep after your shift is over. I love cofee, and brewing a perfect little cup to savor is

what I look forward to most during my watch.

I plot our position and calculate how long it will be until we reach our destination at the current speed: three days, 12 hours. I ignore the rattling in the lazarette, the dishes slamming to and fro below, and the occasional flap of the main when it backwinds. Instead, I turn on my favorite songs and sing along, write in my journal using the red light on my headlamp, and practice finding southern constellations. I read a bit on my Kindle.

At 0415, I notice we’re drifting of course. The autopilot is giving up, tired after trying to keep the heavy rudder in place through pushy water. It’s a common occurrence for the 20-year-old device.

I hand-steer the boat for an hour, pretending I’m Capt. Cook guiding a tall ship through unknown waters. It’s fun to be in control of the boat, to feel her surf the swells, and to use stars as my navigation.

But hand-steering is only romantic in small doses — my shoulders tire quickly. I’m grateful when the autopilot sputters back to life.

Around 0530, with dawn’s glow adding a rosy hue to the bottom of the black sky, I head below to put our scufed espresso kettle on the gimbaled stove. As I add honey and boxed milk to my mug, a particularly jarring swell tilts the boat, sweeping the cup and the kettle across the galley.

Wet grounds coat my hair, eyes, teeth, sleeves — casualties of the squirrelly sea. I go with easier instant cofee for round two, raising my cup in a toast to the rising sun. — Brianna Randall

COURTESY OF MAINE CAT CATAMARANS (LEFT); JEN BRETT

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QUANTUM SAILS

Just another “how to go cruising” book? Not this one. The author, who voyaged with his family as a septuagenarian feeling

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the cruising life. His personal account of how he and his wife got back out there is prescriptive, filled with stepby-step advice and philosophy aimed squarely at anyone who has reached retirement age but still harbors dreams

instead of plans. “Exercise,” “eat right,” “change your attitude” and “stop buying stuf ” are all part of his mantra. But take heart — page 182 starts a section titled “Don’t Stop Drinking.”

— Michael Robertson

NADINE SLAVINSKI (TOP AND CENTER); COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER

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With less stretch in all directions, composite materials preserve the sail’s shape under load, keeping it fl at with a straight, clean exit. Functionality of the furling system is also improved.

Father and son at the Amédée lighthouse on one of their last South Pacific stops (top). The view from the bottom of the stairs is impressive (above).

BER 2016

These issues put a premium on sailcloth. Only the highest quality woven polyester cloth will provide the required stretch resistance to cross-cut sails. Even better than woven cloth are composites designed for cruising applications. With less stretch in all directions, a composite sail will be easier to furl and unfurl.

This choice opens the door to two types of sail construction: tri-radials made from pre-made composite materials and Quantum’s proprietary Fusion M™ membrane sails.

EM

The best way to make a good in-mast furling mainsail is by controlling fabric stretch and finding a way to do that without the conventional batten structure. While vertical battens can help, they add thickness to the sail and can create furling problems depending on the cavity size and width of the mast opening.

••••

In-mast furling mainsails are popular on many cruising boats for good reason: the conveniences are hard to beat. Choosing the right sail material is critical to smooth operation of a furling system.

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spotted a lighthouse that looked as if it reached all the way to the floor of heaven.” That’s just one of many great lines in Jimmy Bufett’s romp of a sailing yarn, A Salty Piece of Land. And it’s absolutely accurate, as we discovered upon sailing to the Amédée lighthouse in New Caledonia’s magnificent lagoon. Maybe it’s the contrast of the sheer white tower against the turquoise waters of the lagoon. Maybe it’s the mesmerizing spiral pattern of the 200-plus stairs we climbed to reach eagle-eye views. Or maybe it’s the fact that we got there by sailing our sturdy Dufour 35 from halfway around the world. Whatever makes it so special, the Amédée lighthouse is one of the iconic landmarks of the South Pacific.

Built in 1862 and shipped in pieces from France, it’s still one of the tallest lighthouses in the world. Once the day-tripping crowds depart, Île Amédée can be a magical place to anchor for the night. I’ll never forget the light beam illuminating our cabin in regular four-second sweeps throughout a moonlit evening — or the 7-foot reef shark I met face to snout while snorkeling the next day. (I’m still not sure which one of us was in more of a hurry to get away.) And I’ll never forget the view back toward the lighthouse when we sailed out of Boulari Pass on the last major passage of a Pacific crossing that will live in our memories forever.

— Nadine Slavinski

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THE TRUTH ABOUT IN-MAST FURLING MAINSAILS

THE FLOOR OF HEAVEN

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CRUISING TIPS

U N D E R W AY

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. THOSE WHO SHY AWAY FROM CHALLENGES, AND THOSE WHO LIVE FOR THEM. WHICH TYPE ARE YOU? QUANTUMSAILS.COM

U N D E R W AY

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GIFTS FOR SAILORS 1. ASA cruising catamarans made easy • $24 • store.asa.com If there is a sailor on your list who is keen on learning to cruise on cats, this beautifully illustrated, highly informative textbook from the American Sailing Association will be welcome on his or her shelf. The book accompanies the ASA 114 course and covers a variety of topics, including multihull designs, sail plans, safety gear and boathandling skills.

2. MONTAGUE allston • $1,895 • montaguebikes.com Looking for a way to get around in port while cruising? The Montague Allston is a folding bike designed from the ground up for sailors.

Some of our favorite features include the rustproof and greasefree belt drive instead of a chain; a sealed internal gear hub; and lightweight aluminum construction. The Allston is quick and simple to fold up and weighs just 30 pounds.

3. SEALIFE micro 2.0 pro 5000 • $1,500 • sealifecameras.com This full-featured camera set is designed to help underwater photographers and videographers achieve brilliant, colorful images. The set includes the permanently sealed 64-gigabyte Wi-Fi-enabled SeaLife Micro 2.0 camera, two SeaDragon 2500 light heads, two grips and flex arms, a macro lens, and a 10x close-up lens.

Everything stores in a compact nylon case.

4. SAILOR BAGS chesapeake yoga bag • $85 • sailorbags.com

5. MAGMA marine kettle 3 • $250 • magmaproducts.com

Know someone who loves sailing and yoga (or just wants to look like it)? Check out the Chesapeake yoga bag.

Its roomy design can fit any size mat, along with a towel, water bottle and other gear. The sailcloth exterior, marine-grade zippers and corrosionresistant hardware should stand up to life aboard.

Nothing beats a cockpit cookout after a day of sailing. The newly redesigned Marine Kettle 3 now features waterproof electronic pulse ignition, a heaviergauge inner safety liner, and a new regulator that allows for more precise temperature control.

5 4 COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

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While Bluetooth speakers are nothing new, finding a secure place to put them in the cockpit is sometimes challenging. The Chant Sport solves this — it’s sized for cup holders. The water-resistant design floats; is made of recycled bioplastic, silicone and aluminum; and delivers big sound.

7. ICOM m93d • $350 •icom america.com

8. B&G triton 2 • $550 • bandg.com

This new handheld VHF radio is heavy on features, with a built-in DSC receiver, active noise canceling, an internal GPS and compass, and a 2.5-inch high-contrast display.

The slim unit also has a large 1500 mAh battery that provides nine-plus hours of use. Perfect for dinghy navigation, the M93D can store up to 50 waypoints.

The Triton 2 is an update to the popular Triton multipurpose sailinginstrument display. This new low-profile design uses transflective LCD technology, which makes use of reflected sunlight to provide superior daytime visibility and lower power consumption. In addition to NMEA 2000 data, sailors will appreciate B&G’s laylines and SailSteer data.

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COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

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9. BUGATCHI tropical fish swim trunks • $100 and up • bugatchi.com

10. RULE #5 sail messenger bag • $150 • rulenumber five.com

If winter plans include a warm-weather charter, or even if you’re stocking up the sail bag for next season, a smart-looking pair of swim shorts is a good place to start.

Mandalay trunks from Bugatchi are comfortable to wear, quick to dry and, just as importantly, colorful and fun. A wide range of other styles and colors are also available.

Gentleman sailors on your gift list can keep the nautical look going even when they’re far from the dock with accessories from Rule #5’s sail collection. The Sail Messenger Bag includes a pocket for your laptop, a lining printed with nautical charts, and a rugged canvas outer shell.

23 november/december 2016

6. HOUSE OF MARLEY chant sport • $120 • thehouseofmarley .com

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U N D E R W AY

AN ARTIST’S TOUCH

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Erol, a carver in the Solomon Islands, braces the delicate shell pieces on his foot while he shapes them (left). Each piece was then glued on the teak trim (right) for a unique souvenir.

Erol was quiet and thoughtful as we explained our ideas in a mix of English and Solomon Island pidgin. We discussed supplies needed and the number of nautilus shells required. He gave us a price and a time frame to complete the work, but still seemed reticent. When I mentioned that all the trim could be removed and taken ashore, he thrust out his hand to seal the deal.

I wandered up to Erol’s

house the next day to find him busy at work. I sat for a while and watched as he held the piece of shell against the sole of his foot and, with a few quick strokes of a small file, custom-shaped the nautilus shell. After a few inches, the bits of shell were glued in place and the process began again. He was focused and precise, a true artisan at work.

A week later he paddled out to Kate to deliver the last

piece of trim. I invited him down below to inspect the work that had already been installed. It was the first time a boat owner had asked him to do custom work. When I asked him if he was happy with the job, he gave a shy smile and nodded, his eyes full of pride. And that is the memory that is etched not only into our minds, but into our countertops, too.

— Heather Francis

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH ARTISANS From textiles and woven goods to carvings, in every place we’ve sailed, people are making and selling traditional handicrafts.

Commissioning local artisans to make specialty pieces or do custom work on board not only changes your living space, but it might also change someone’s life.

In 2011 we visited Lape Island, Tonga, where the villagers were making beautiful woven handicrafts and investing the profits from the sales back into the community. When we returned in 2013, the people had raised enough money to build a concrete jetty, pave a walkway across the muddiest parts of

the village, and pay for all the village children to go to school.

We asked them to weave a mat large enough to be installed as a headliner on board Kate.

Working with local artisans is rewarding but does require some planning. Give yourself time to research the local handicraft scene so you get an idea of the styles and quality of goods being produced. Doing so will also give you an idea about what would be considered a fair price for the work commissioned. And most of all, make sure you have ample time to allow for the inevitable “island time” hiccups. — Heather Francis

HEATHER FRANCIS

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ong before we arrived in the Solomon Islands, Steve and I heard about the carvings: beautiful bowls, seductive sea-creature figurines and menacing masks, all handcarved from local hardwoods and decorated with intricate mother-of-pearl inlay.

It sounded lovely, but as I looked around the small cabin of Kate, our Newport 41, I knew there was no place for such souvenirs.

Ever the ideas man, Steve came up with a plan. What if, instead of buying carvings, we got a tradesman to do inlay on some existing woodwork on board Kate? I thought it was a great way to commemorate our time in the islands; we could enjoy our souvenir every day instead of stowing it away for special occasions.

It was decided that the original teak trim on the galley countertop was the perfect candidate for our experiment.

A few months later, among the usual knickknacks on display ashore, we found a very unusual piece: a wooden fishing lure. Attention had been paid to the fine details and the finish work, two aspects often overlooked. We asked the carver if we could look at the rest of his work and were further impressed. We bought the fishing lure and asked him to come out to the boat to discuss our project.

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HEALING WINDS

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itting quietly at the dock, the white O’Day 28.5 Jubilee, built more than three decades ago, doesn’t look like much of a game-changer. But that’s exactly what it’s been for more than 300 people who have been dealing with cancer — either in treatment or finished with it because there’s nothing else to be done.

For the past two summers, Vermonters Suzanne Johnson and Glen Findholt have spearheaded an organization called Healing Winds to take those

patients, along with their family and friends, sailing on the scenic waters of Lake Champlain aboard Jubilee, providing them with a brief but valuable respite from their everyday challenges.

Says Johnson: “It’s really the one thing I know, from being a cancer patient, that families can do together, outside.

When you’re going through chemo, even a simple thing like walking to the mailbox is a trek, so this is unique. The patients can just sit in the cockpit if they wish, or they

Healing Winds is outgrowing Jubilee, its 1985 O’Day 28.5, and is looking for a sloop between 33 and 38 feet. If you’re interested in donating, contact the organization.

COURTESY OF HEALING WINDS

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can do whatever they want on the boat. But they’re on the water, and that’s healing.”

It’s a dramatic change for patients because they’re out there with no distractions and no set destination. “You go where the wind takes you,” says Johnson, “which is sort of what we all do in life.”

One of their more memorable passengers was Helen, who along with her sister Kathy and several other family members enjoyed a late-August sail aboard Jubilee. Two months later, Kathy called Johnson to say that Helen had died that morning. “She said, ‘I want you to know that the entire family is here in our living room, and they’re all talking about what an amazing sail that was with you,’” Johnson says. “‘You provided something no one else was able to — memories that

will be with us forever.’”

Healing Winds takes passengers with all types of cancer and of all ages. “They show up with whomever they want to bring in tow,” says Findholt. “We help them down to the boat, make sure they’re comfortable, and then we’re of for a three-hour sail.

By and large, most are not sailors, and some have never been on a sailboat before.” The boat is sailed by at least one licensed captain and a volunteer from the organization.

Launched in 2014, Healing Winds is a nonprofit with a board of eight and more than 100 volunteers, many of whom are cancer survivors or close to someone who has dealt with cancer.

Program participation has sky rocketed in just two years.

In the first season, they took out 115 patients and caregivers. In 2015, that number swelled to 187, and the 2016 season had nearly 300 guests.

For more information, visit healingwindsvt.org.

— Dave Powlison

U N D E R W AY

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NEXT ON THE SAILING-VACATION ITINERARY: PUERTO RICO’S PASSAGE ISLANDS

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f you charter this winter with The Moorings, no longer does Puerto Rico have to be a mere waypoint to your final Caribbean destination. Starting in January 2017, Puerto Rico and its nearby islands, also known as the Passage or Spanish Virgin Islands, are the destination.

Passports aren’t required of U.S. citizens, and direct flights from many cities are available.

Departing from Puerto del Rey Marina, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, trip options range from all-inclusive crewed charters to bareboat powercat charters aboard the Moorings 514 PC. Bareboat sailing charters depart from either the British Virgin Islands, where The Moorings’ flagship headquarters is located, or for a fee, from Fajardo. For details, contact the company (moorings.com).

For the best advice on sailing this destination, look no further than the region’s longtime expert and advocate, Donald M. Street.

His Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean: Puerto Rico, the Passage Islands, the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands is the go-to source.

— Elaine Lembo

COOL APP: MARINER EXCHANGE

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The new Mariner Exchange app features a clean design and easy-touse interface.

ecently I decided to put granite countertops in my kitchen. I went on angieslist.com and saw a list of companies that do that work. I then looked at what their customers had to say about the service they received; the comments were most revealing and helped me quickly cull the list. Within an hour, I was sending emails to three prospective installers with my questions, and a week later the job was done.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been as easy to find marine services. Obtaining repairs on my Catalina 34 has always been hit or miss, since there’s no reliable way to vet the repair companies or speak with their customers.

But the developers behind a new app called Mariner Exchange hope to change that.

Apple iOS device users can download the free mobile app from the app store (Android version coming soon). Mariner Exchange connects boat owners directly with nearby marine services in an easy-to-use format. When considering a service, you can review ratings and contact the contractor that’s best for you, receive an estimate, and even use the online payment system where applicable.

“My original concept was to create a boatsupply and commerce website,” says founder Alex Nicholson, “but when I started interviewing boat owners, I kept hearing the same story over and over again: Their problem was that they couldn’t find reliable service people. So I went back to the drawing board and put this whole thing together.”

To date, Mariner Exchange has obtained more than 1,000 registered users and 100 providers, all of whom carry liability insurance and are vetted

by Nicholson. The app is currently focused on the Chesapeake region, where Nicholson would like to make sure everyone is having a positive experience and leaving reviews before expanding to other markets. — Robert Beringer

COURTESY OF THE MOORINGS (TOP); COURTESY OF ITUNES

Crewed, power and bareboat sailing charters are available from The Moorings at its new base in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

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LEMON OR LIME COCONUT PIE CUPS

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COCONUT Lemon meringue pie has always been a favorite of mine. So when my partner, Steve, requested it in lieu of a birthday cake one year, I was happy to oblige. Since then, lemon meringue pie has become an annual event aboard Kate, our Newport 41. One year, when the big day rolled around, I went ashore in search of ingredients. There were no lemons anywhere, but I did find some good-looking limes. Completely obsessed with the citrus, I forgot to buy extra butter to make the pastry. I managed to sneak ashore one last time, but the little local shop had no butter. I wandered through near-empty aisles, wondering what I could do to save the birthday dessert. Then I saw it: a lone package of coconut cookies. A tropical twist plus a little imagination was just what this birthday needed. I bought the cookies, already thinking about how to revamp this traditional dessert, not knowing it would become a new favorite. As I walked, I found myself singing a familiar tune: “She put the lime in the coconut; she drank ’em both up.”

This dessert is delicious with either lime or lemon — whichever is available. If you can’t find coconut cookies, use whatever you prefer. Vanilla cookies, graham crackers or gingerbread are good choices! — Heather Francis

In a pot of the heat, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add cold water and lime or lemon juice, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Separate yolks from eggs.

Reserve whites and set aside (see “Meringues,” below). Add yolks, blending thoroughly, and then add butter. Stirring constantly, slowly add the boiling water. Put on heat and bring to a full boil, stirring gently. When the mixture thickens, reduce heat and simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest.

Have four red wine or six white wine glasses clean and dry.

Pour equal amounts of the pie filling into each glass. Leave on the counter until cool enough to place in the fridge. Chill for four to six hours or overnight. (To prevent a scum from forming on the filling, cover the glasses tightly with plastic wrap.) When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and remove plastic. Crush cookies into pea-size crumbles and add a healthy layer on top.

Garnish with a lime or lemon slice on the lip of the glass and add optional meringues (see below). Serves four to six.

P R E PA R AT I O N : AT A N C H O R TIME: 45 MINUTES, PLUS 4 TO 6 HOURS CHILLING TIME D I F F I C U LT Y : M E D I U M

Meringues: A Tasty Garnish Adding meringues is optional but easy and provides a special touch. While the pie filling chills, put the three leftover egg whites in a mixing bowl. Add about 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar and whisk until foamy. Very gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, whisking continuously (use a hand blender if you have one) until stiff peaks form. With a teaspoon, place small dollops on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until very lightly browned. Cool, then place one meringue on top of each “pie” before serving. Save the rest for enjoying later! Makes 16 meringues.

LYNDA MORRIS CHILDRESS

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1 1/2 cups sugar 6 tablespoons cornstarch A dash of salt 1 /2 cup cold water 1 /2 cup fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice 3 eggs 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 1/2 cups boiling water 2 tablespoons lime or lemon zest, grated finely 4 to 6 cookies (coconut preferred) 2 limes or lemons, for garnish

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O n Wa t c h Excessive? Perhaps. But, hey, just because I’m one of the lowest- cost vessels transiting the Indian Ocean this year doesn’t mean I can’t be the best prepared.

B Y

C A P ’ N

F A T T Y

G O O D L A N D E R

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B

y the time most American and European circumnavigators stare out across the Indian Ocean, they’ve already transited the largest, widest ocean in the world. They’ve also sailed halfway around our watery planet. Even more impressive, they’ve traveled down to windy New Zealand, been blown through the howling Torres Strait, and have waved at the nearby Roaring 40s and the Southern Ocean. Most have numerous gales under their belts. Thus they’re susceptible to a bit of a swagger. They figure they’re ready for anything.

They’re not.

The Indian, as we call it, is an ocean unto its own. Nobody ever considered calling it pacific. Sure, the Atlantic can kick up a bit, but that’s in winter.

On some level, it’s always winter in the Indian. It seems each time I’ve voyaged through this patch of roiled water, things have gotten weird. A number of times we’ve been sailing along with moderate but blustery conditions, a fixed wind speed, a steady barometer and a clear sky, and then all hell has broken loose. It is hard to say why conditions go from fresh to fearsome so quickly. Some say the bottom topography causes mysterious upwellings that dramatically afect the sea state. Others blame it on colliding ocean currents, with stray meanders of the Agulhas and East Equatorial clashing unseen beneath you. I am not a scientist. I cannot say. What I can tell you is that the Indian gets angry. It is as if the ocean itself becomes bulling and aggressive.

Yes, I have respect for the Atlantic.

Sure, I don’t take the Pacific lightly. But I approach the Indian with true trepidation.

The closer you get to South Africa, the more irritable she becomes. Most boats lost in the Pacific are as a result of navigational laxness. They are sailing along and

Fatty is fascinated with slowing drogues. Note the signed cone: All family members and guests aboard Ganesh get to sign one — that way the Goodlanders feel their whole tribe is rooting for them while the drogue is deployed.

CAROLYN GOODLANDER

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to vouch for you before the Facebook administrator ashore will send you the password. I’m not even allowed to mention the name of this (occasionally silly but also highly useful) Facebook group.

Heavy sigh. What would Joshua Slocum say?

In my research, one thing was apparent: It was a particularly rough year. Many South African sailors returning home, who had done this passage many times, were given a “good thrashing,” as one put it. These guys are tough. Anything that makes a Cape Town sailor frown would make me burst into tears, scream “Mommy! Mommy!” and call the U.S. Coast Guard for a helicopter.

Carolyn, of course, has other priorities. She is not only my wife, lover, best friend and first mate of 46 years, but also our ship’s seamstress. In addition, she has another title: Mistress of the Drogues. A few months ago, she inspected our ParaTech sea anchor, our slowing drogue made from webbing, our self-designed experimental Fat Flat drogue, and our Jordan Series drogue. Why so many? Because they do diferent things under diferent conditions at diferent times.

Most of the time we deal with gales simply by heaving to. However, a number of things (sails, track, sheets, blocks, rudders, rig, etc.) have to function properly to efectively heave to in 40-plus knots. This

Carolyn re-bolts the Monitor windvane to Ganesh’s transom. It was removed while the Goodlanders were in Asia so the grandkids could use the swim ladder.

is where our quiver of slowing drogues comes in. They act as backup.

If there is a lee shore and I desire minimal drift, I toss a parachute-type sea anchor of my bow. This is easy to deploy while heaved to but hellaciously dangerous to retrieve.

If I want to continue moving downwind (for instance, to escape the storm track or close with my destination), I toss over the Jordan drogue from my stern, with perhaps just a scrap of sail up to dampen my roll. Nice! (Though you get pooped often and your rudder is in

The Indian Ocean literally shakes boats to bits. Thus, we worked very hard for three months to prepare. considerable danger this way, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, especially of the Cape of Storms.)

Our other drogues are just smaller slowing drogues. The term “slowing drogue” can be a bit of a misnomer, as one helps us make better daily runs in heavy weather by reducing any tendency to round up and eliminating any possibility of pitch-poling. Thus our Monitor self-steering vane can steer far longer in truly gnarly conditions.

While Carolyn had her ancient bilgescented Pfaf sewing machine out, she whipped us up yet another version of the Fat Flat drogue — basically an experimental Jordan-style device that’s cheaper and stows more compactly.

Carolyn’s seamstress duties don’t stop with the drogues, however. She happily sewed my McMurdo Smartfind S20 pouch to my safety harness. (If I fall overboard, an AIS alarm aboard Ganesh immediately rings and Carolyn will be able to, hopefully, return to my position.)

Yes, I am a big believer in AIS, which is increasingly required in many countries, such as Singapore and Thailand. So for this crossing, I updated my Vesper Marine WatchMate 850 to a WatchMate Vision, which even displays via Wi-Fi directly on our iPad charts.

Since Singapore and South Africa are both so heavily transited by commercial traic, I also swapped out my old dysfunctional radar for a new Furuno wireless. (It is not really wireless, since it requires a power cord, but it is wireless in the sense that it reads out on both our nav-station iPad and our helm iPad.) Next up was a major project: fiberglassing an easily opened drain onto my Aqua Lift-style muler so if I roll 90 degrees or more to starboard, no water

GARY M. GOODLANDER

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hit one of those pesky low-lying isles like the Tuamotus. The Indian Ocean isn’t so kind. She doesn’t allow you to wearily row from reef to shore. Instead she literally shakes boats to bits in deep ocean. This season, by the reckoning of the transiting fleet leaders, 5 percent of the cruising fleet leaving Southeast Asia and Australia didn’t make it, being either forced to retire with severe damage or sunk.

Gulp!

Bear in mind that these sailors and their seasoned craft are the best of the best, not that it matters to the Indian. My point is this: Nobody who has ever transited this ocean takes it lightly. Thus, Carolyn and I worked very hard for almost three months to prepare.

One of the first things I did was attempt to get in sync with the ocean itself. I did this first in the old-fashioned way, by peering at my worldwide Pilot Charts for historical wind and swell data. Next I followed the transiting vessels on my SSB radio. Third and most surprisingly, I monitored a top-secret Facebook page.

That’s right, top-secret and by invitation only. Why? Because of the Somali pirates to the north. Paranoia gets thoroughly mixed with reasonable caution in the Indian, until you’re never quite sure what is prudent, what is paranoia, and what is just plain nutso.

Regardless, someone transiting has

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can gurgle into the cylinder head of my Perkins engine. (Heeling sharply to port isn’t a problem for Ganesh.)

This wasn’t fun. Trust me: Grinding fiberglass in a small, poorly ventilated space while directly on the equator is a pain. But the diference between cruisers and dreamers is that the cruisers do what needs to be done, no matter how onerous the task.

Next, I gave our storm trysail its annual inspection, as well as made sure our life raft and related gear were all set. We not only carry a hand-operated desalinator but also an AIS man-overboard device, a waterproof handheld VHF, and a strobe that can be hoisted on a box kite (all powered with solar rechargeable batteries). Excessive? Perhaps. Some would say I don’t need the Ocean Safety life raft aft, since I have an upside-down (triplelashed) inflatable on the foredeck, as well as a second Viking raft down below, but, hey, just because I’m one of the lowest-cost vessels transiting the Indian Ocean this year doesn’t mean I can’t be the best prepared.

Better safe than sorry.

Our genoa was almost 20 years old.

We had restitched it numerous times. So when I bumped into Phil, an eager young Kiwi sailmaker in Langkawi, Malaysia, I ordered a new one.

Then, continuing preparations, I noticed some excessive movement at the forward edge of our hard dodger and added four stainless-steel braces to eliminate it.

Needless to say, I did our mandatory just-before-a-major-crossing rig inspection armed with a magnifying glass. I felt every inch of our stainless-steel rigging wire. (It is much easier to spot strand cracks with your hand than with your eye.)

Since heavy weather dramatically increases the chance of fire ofshore, I looked at our fire extinguishers. I also inspected our propane system from tank to flame.

Darn it. At the last minute, I realized that the at-rest voltage of my starter batteries wasn’t what it should be. So I lugged four new batteries aboard to ensure we could crank up even if our house bank was somehow flattened. Just to gild the lily, I added a seventh solar cell and a new regulator dedicated solely to the starting group. Whew!

Yes, all of our regular running lights were functioning, as well as our low-draw superbright LED tricolor.

Next up was some TLC for our Perkins diesel: new primary and secondary filters, impeller, exhaust flange, and transmission filter. Plus, of course, all the usual fluids were replaced and the air-purifier filter was inspected. I also checked our engine maintenance log and discovered it was

Fatty’s Fat Flat drogue is an alternative take on the copyright-free design that his hero Don Jordan came up with; it’s cheaper to make and easier to stow.

time to renew our extended life coolant.

Meanwhile, Carolyn was still at work.

She was sewing up an additional spray dodger, which we’d custom-fitted to the midhatch so we could keep it open longer in diicult yet tropical conditions.

“Don’t forget we’ll have to dig out the winter clothes,” she reminded me.

“Remember last time how chilly we were in Cape Town?”

Drat! I’d forgotten.

“Do we still have our sea boots?” I asked. She shook her head negatively.

After so many years on the equator, I’d spaced out on such cold-weather details.

While I was inspecting the rig, I replaced our VHF antennas and added some modern LED spreader lights — oh, and a loud horn with numerous strobes that are wired into our burglar (and panic button) system.

Panic button? Yeah. Alongside my bunk is a button I can push, connected to a relay that turns on my siren alarms, strobes, horns and spreader lights. The idea is to scare away any unwelcome boarders while they are still outside on deck, rather than be awoken by them right next to me, with machetes in their upraised hands. (Yes, if anyone steps into our cockpit at night, the burglar alarm rings, but I can actuate the panic button if I hear swimmers or feel another vessel bump us.)

Next we renewed the weatherproofing around our cockpit locker and generally inspected our entire boat for watertightness during a roll. (Batteries, stove and sole panels locked in place — check!)

Of the seven yachties I know who have rolled, four of them were severely injured by loose but heavy UFOs winging around the cabin. Thus we’re careful with our storage, and we have storm plugs for all our dorades.

We re-greased all the winches and replaced two sheets and one halyard.

Ditto all the control lines and high-tech blocks on our Monitor windvane.

Actually, there was far more prep work than all I’ve mentioned here, but space compels me to close. You get the idea.

After all this work, we tied up to a dock next to a Malaysian restaurant to await being hauled out. A dockside landlubber with his girlfriend pointed to us and said: “Look at that — retired and lying around their yacht all day. That’s the life!”

“You betcha,” I replied, lazily grinning back. “We ain’t done nothing since, like, the 1960s, when we met during the Summer of Love!”

Fatty and Carolyn are currently on passage toward Arica, counting their calluses along the way. Their latest book is Storm Proofing Your Boat, Gear, and Crew.

GARY M. GOODLANDER

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G r e e n Wa k e s Here’s what sailors should know about offshore wind farms.

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O

nce all the paperwork was done and the foundations were installed on the bottom of the ocean, it took only about a month for the first ofshore wind turbines to become fully erected. And then, they were there: five of them, all in a line, standing watch over Rhode Island’s Block Island Sound like Don Quixote’s giants, spinning around and around with 240-foot-long blades to produce what will eventually become 90 percent of Block Island’s energy supply in the next few years.

And should all go well with these five wind turbines, there’s already a plan in place for the next chapter of ofshore wind energy. Deepwater Wind, the company responsible for building the first

five ofshore wind turbines ever constructed in United States waters, has already announced that it intends to build another 200 turbines in Rhode Island waters over the next five years.

Deepwater Wind isn’t the only company in America aiming to capitalize on the rise of the ofshore wind industry. The federal government recently awarded 11 leases of the coastlines of New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginia for the purpose of companies building more wind turbines. In California, another company, called Trident Winds, has just started working on a project to create 100 “floating ofshore wind systems” (FOWs, as they’re called).

What does all this mean for sailors traveling through these waters?

All Eyes on Britain If there’s one country that the United States is paying attention to when it comes to ofshore wind power, it’s the United Kingdom. As of 2015, at last count there were 1,650 wind turbines in U.K. waters — 175 of them alone in the London Array, the largest ofshore wind farm in the world. In 2008, after the United Kingdom overtook Denmark to become the world leader in ofshore wind power, it was estimated that it possessed over a third of Europe’s total ofshore wind resources. With all that potential, it’s no wonder the country is building up its capacity as quickly as it can.

Helping in the process is the Royal Yachting Association, which for many years has facilitated the conversation between recreational sailors and the ofshore wind industry.

“Our feedback to date from our members is that they haven’t had any problems sailing through wind farms,” said RYA cruising manager Stuart Carruthers in an interview with U.K. magazine Yachting Monthly in 2012. “But it should be stressed that the wind farms we’re talking about are limited to 10 square kilometers and a maximum of 30 turbines, so the

KERSEY STURDIVANT/INSPIRE ENVIRONMENTAL

The nation’s first ofshore wind farm is just of Block Island, Rhode Island.

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experience from that isn’t a direct read across to some of the bigger projects that are being produced.”

In 2015, the RYA published a list of recommendations about how wind-farm developers can minimize collisions by maintaining a minimum height for where turbine blades can pass. The list also called for a standardized layout of rows and columns for all wind farms.

“The RYA is representing to the developers through the government the need to maintain proper marking, to make sure exclusion zones are not put in place around wind farms, and that they meet minimum design parameters for rotor height and charted depth so that should you choose to sail through them, you still can,” said Carruthers.

X Marks the Spot For many sailors in New England, the Block Island Wind Project hearkens back to memories of the failed Cape Wind venture from the early 2000s. Controversy erupted when developers proposed the construction of 130 turbines of Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound.

Opposition came from nearly every side:

fishermen, American Indian groups, and property owners concerned that wind turbines would ruin their view.

A common billboard held up by protesters read, “Right Idea, Wrong Place!”

That message spoke to the opinion that wind energy was the correct move, but Horseshoe Shoal was a terrible place to erect more than 100 turbines. But where does one place a wind farm so everyone is happy?

To answer this question, Rhode Island created the Ocean Special Area Management Plan and invited numerous user groups, including recreational sailors, to come forward and identify areas of the ocean they frequented. Because of their proximity to Block Island, oicials from the local Storm Trysail Club were invited to share their expertise. Members of the community identified major routes used by the cruising community as well as areas where buoy races frequently occur.

Call it smart ocean planning or simply due diligence, but many feel that the Block Island Wind Project sailed through the federal permitting process because it worked so closely with the people who use the waters so frequently. Everyone from the Lobstermen’s Association to the United States Navy was brought into the process to give as much insight as possible about the prospective sites for the wind farm.

Impact on Cruisers Ofshore of Block Island, the United States Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone around each of the wind-turbine foundations while they were being constructed. Now that the turbines have been completed, however, boats are free to transit as close to the wind turbines as they wish, provided no maintenance is ongoing.

“There is no safety zone or exclusion zone when the project is in operation,”

says Meaghan Wims, from Deepwater Wind. “Now that the turbines are constructed, those restrictions are no longer intact. Boats are free to roam.”

If you do plan on sailing through the Block Island Wind Farm, or any other wind farm, be aware that depending on the height of your mast, you could run the risk of a collision with turbine blades. In the case of the Block Island Wind Farm, vessels with masts higher than 85 feet should take caution while navigating very close to turbines.

From a navigation standpoint, wind turbines can be considered a nuisance, but there are also some perceived benefits. The USCG considers the turbines to be aids to navigation, and they can serve as reference points for sailors; individual wind turbines and the perimeter of the wind farm will be represented on updated NOAA navigation charts. And although the USCG prohibits sailors from mooring on or climbing up wind-turbine platforms, mariners could tie up to them in the case of an emergency.

In a survey conducted by the RYA, over 80 percent of respondents who sailed through a wind farm had no trouble navigating, and nearly a third of the respondents rated the experience as a positive one.

Sailors who have transited through Block Island Sound are well aware of how much wind blows through the region, so the introduction of wind turbines should come as no surprise. For residents of Block Island, who currently rely on expensive diesel generators for their energy, the switch to ofshore wind power will come as a welcome relief.

Freelance environmental writer Tyson Bottenus is passionate about the marine environment and has worked with Sailors for the Sea and NOAA Fisheries.

STEVEN SABO/INSPIRE ENVIRONMENTAL (TOP); COURTESY OF DEEPWATER WIND

cruisingworld.com

In July 2016, right before the final assembly of the massive turbines, Deepwater Wind hosted an unveiling of the components at Port of Providence in Rhode Island (above). Each blade is 240 feet long and weighs 27 tons. The finished turbines stand 589 feet above the surface of the water. The wind farm appears as notations on NOAA charts (below).

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S p e c i a l Re p o r t In the midst of solo circumnavigation number six, on a long, singlehanded crossing from Dar win, Australia, to Durban, South Africa, there was no rest for the weary when the final few miles proved to be some of the most challenging.

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t 0500 Monday, August 22, our 53rd day at sea since leaving Darwin, Australia, the wind died, and Gannet, my Moore 24, and I were becalmed 10 miles from Durban Harbor, South Africa. Confident that the remainder of the 6,000mile passage would be over in a few hours, I took advantage of the smooth conditions to fit the outboard bracket and electric Torqeedo onto the stern. The Torqeedo had not been used in months, not since I’d powered the last half-mile to the marina in Bundaberg, Australia. I was pleased when it started at the first push of a button. Then I removed the tiller arm and tilted the Torqeedo from the water. It has a limited range, and I would use it only after entering the port.

A few minutes later the wind, which had been light and behind us, returned with a rush, but from directly ahead.

possible that the sea would be smoother closer to the coast.

I was wrong. The wind there was as strong and the waves steeper. I threaded my way through a half-dozen anchored ships awaiting entrance to the harbor, until I ran out of room and a mile ofshore tried to come about. Despite moving at speed, Gannet didn’t have the weight to do it. The wind stopped and shook Gannet, tied up to the pier in Durban, South Africa, after a 6,000-mile passage, looks no worse for the wear and tear.

Indeed, the boat probably held up better than the sailor (right), shown on Day 39 at sea.

I raised a triple-reefed main and partially unfurled the jib.

The wind continued to build and build. Had I not so wanted to get in, I would have stopped sailing by 0600. But I did and kept on. Gannet was heeled 40 degrees, thrashing through and under water, the lee rail buried. Activity below

The wind stopped and shook the boat like a dog shakes a bone. I had to do what I didn’t want to, and jibed.

was impossible. One of the rules on Gannet is the same as in boxing: Protect yourself at all times. Trying to heat water for cofee, momentarily I didn’t, and was thrown across the cabin. That wasn’t far, of course, but I lost some skin and got a good-size lump on my elbow. I drank the cofee with room-temperature water and ate a protein bar for breakfast.

With the wind coming partially over the point of land to the south, I thought it

the boat like a dog shakes a bone. I had to do what I didn’t want to, and jibed. The power of the boom going over was immense. Gannet went to almost 90 degrees, but Moore 24s are self-correcting boats. They seem to want to do the right thing, and as I eased the sheet, she came

WEBB CHILES

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up. Some. As I steered back past the anchored ships, one of them gave a blast on her horn that I decided to interpret as applause. To the south I could see the breakwaters at Durban, 7 miles away.

Wave after wave swept over Gannet and me. While being flailed in the failed attempt to tack, the jib sheets had tied themselves in a Gordian knot. Once clear of the ships, I tied down the tiller and lowered and subdued the mainsail, then went forward to untangle the jib sheets so I could furl the headsail. All brutal and dangerous.

Finally, under bare pole and being pushed north, I called on the handheld VHF to the anchored ships, asking for wind speed and forecast. One of them answered, reporting a wind speed of 45 knots, forecast to go to 50 with 20-foot waves and easing in 24 hours.

Gannet’s cabin was as wet as it has ever been, but she felt safer and much less likely to

be rolled. She had taken a beating. We both had.

I don’t think the waves ever reached 20 feet — perhaps 12 to 14 — but I have always preferred to err on the low side rather than high. Whatever their height, they were steep walls of seething water and big enough.

After an unrelenting afternoon and night, the wind began to drop at 1000 Tuesday, almost as abruptly as it rose. Even after all these years, I am sometimes amazed by how quickly waves decrease with the wind. By 1300, Gannet was headed back toward Durban, now 40 miles away, making 3 and 4 knots under full sail across a mildly undulating sea on a sunny afternoon. Two whales spouted a few lengths away.

Albatrosses glided above us.

We entered the harbor late the next morning and tied to the international jetty at noon.

This 6,000-mile passage had been diicult and

sometimes tested my limits, first with too little wind. A week out of Darwin, we’d been becalmed for almost 24 hours on a glassy sea, and Gannet had her slowest day’s run ever, of only 28 miles. I went overboard for a swim, startling a fish that seemed to be living beneath us.

Then we’d had two weeks of too much wind: 25-plus knots going to gale force twice. This was complicated by tillerpilot failure. I probably did 5,000 of the 6,000 miles using sheetto-tiller steering. In strong wind, this approach can result in accidental jibes. Twice I had to lie ahull because the risk of being rolled was too great. And Gannet’s interior was entirely wet, as was I. Every surface was covered in slime and mold. My sleeping bag was intolerably sodden, so I slept in wet foulweather gear beneath a foil survival blanket. Finally that ended, and we again had mostly too-light wind.

On a moderate day, with

only 6-foot waves, one of the waves broke and caught us just right, rolling the masthead into the water. I know it went in because afterward the masthead Windex was hanging of the side, and the masthead Raymarine wind unit was gone. I somehow don’t think this will be covered under warranty. (Gannet is the fourth boat whose masthead I have put in the water. This is a club you probably don’t want to join.)

Gannet has covered more than 9,000 miles since we sailed from Opua, New Zealand, less than four months ago. Despite being driven and tossed on the deep blue sea, she hasn’t sufered any structural damage that I can see.

We have done what we planned to do this year. We are both going to rest.

Six-time solo circumnavigator and writer Webb Chiles began his most recent great circle aboard Gannet in San Diego.

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Wa y p o i n t s It was while attached to one of these moorings, during a 35-knot wind gust, that we learned a valuable cruising lesson — and almost lost our boat to the South Pacific.

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a stranger’s mooring in almost all conditions. This time, however, not wanting to damage the fragile coral surrounding Palmerston or risk losing our anchor to a bottomless crevice within the limestone shelf, we tied up to a mooring, happy for a little rest after a fast, wet and bumpy downwind sail from Aitutaki.

Our welcoming party, Edward Marsters and two brothers, motored out from the lagoon in an aluminum skif to oicially clear us in to Palmerston before inviting us

After being cast adrift, the author inspected what remained of the failed mooring. What he found wasn’t pretty.

However, all are mere fractures in the reef, too shallow for keelboats to enter and even a challenge for a dinghy during strong trade-wind conditions, when turbulent currents frequently funnel from the lagoon at 6 knots. Anchoring outside, on the edge of the narrow limestone ledge, is precarious too, and so in an efort to encourage more yachts to visit, the residents, with the help of cruisers, have installed half a dozen moorings over the years. It was while attached to one of these moorings, during a 35-knot wind gust, that we learned a valuable cruising lesson — and almost lost our boat to the South Pacific.

Before my wife, Catherine, and I set sail from New York to circumnavigate the world on Dream Time, our 1981 Cabo Rico 38, we considered moorings not only a convenience but, naively, often a safer alternative to anchoring, and we would pick them up in and around Long Island and Block Island sounds without concern. Nine years and 30,000 nautical miles of cruising experience have adjusted our perspective, and unless conditions dictate, we’re now happier on the hook, trusting our own ground tackle — a 60-pound CQR anchor, 300 feet of 9-milimeter chain, and a Lewmar V3 windlass — over

Dream Time strained against her mooring lines before our pitching suddenly stopped, the tension eased, and we began to heel. ashore for a customary guided tour of their island. But with the wind blowing a steady 25 knots, the sky darkening, and Dream Time in need of a little post-passage attention, we politely declined the tour, asking instead to visit when conditions improved. Just an hour later, while we were busy organizing the cabin, a heavy squall line swept across the lagoon, bringing whitecaps over the reef. Dream Time strained against her mooring lines before our pitching suddenly stopped, the apparent tension eased, and we began

NEVILLE HOCKLEY

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e were clinging to the side of an ancient volcano, hanging on to the very edge of a mountain that fell away under our keel to a seabed that rested over 13,000 feet below. Just of our bow lay a ring of reef and a handful of tiny islands grasping at the surface. To our stern was the deep, unrestrained South Pacific Ocean.

We were moored on the leeward side of Palmerston, an atoll home to about 60 people. Each resident belongs to one of three families, all connected by one man, William Marsters, an eccentric English trader who settled here in 1863 with his three Polynesian wives.

Separated from Rarotonga, the capital of the Cook Islands, by over 250 nautical miles of ocean, Palmerston is an impossibly vibrant turquoise speck in the middle of the South Pacific, unspoiled by tourism and development. But Palmerston is also a remote and lonely place. Land disputes among the three Marsters families have prevented an airstrip from being built, so supply deliveries are limited to one cargo ship, which visits only every four to six months, and cruising boats that deviate from the traditional Coconut Milk Run. Just three passes on the sheltered western side of the atoll provide access to the protected lagoon: Small Passage, Double Passage and the optimistically named Big Passage.

to heel. We knew instantly that we were adrift, being swept downwind, thankfully away from the reef but carried out to sea. A portion of the mooring — an old fishing float, 15 feet of nylon rode and, we later learned, 30 feet of heavily rusted chain — was still attached to our bow, trailing under our keel.

For just a few seconds, adrift and powerless, we felt a deep and profound vulnerability. We were in no danger, but our security, if only perceived and however precarious, had been lost.

Even more sobering was the numb realization that if we had accepted Edward’s ofer and gone ashore, Dream Time,

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out of our sight, would have been swept away. With no Palmerston Coast Guard, local ofshore vessels or other cruising boats to assist, she would have been carried over the horizon with little chance of recovery.

Not wanting to foul our prop, we cast of the float and broken line (which I later

&

recovered by dinghy) and motored back to the reef, which in only a few minutes was surprisingly far upwind.

We selected another mooring, hoping it was in better shape than the first, but with conditions still too rough to dive and properly inspect the chain and surrounding seabed, we decided to also drop our

NEVILLE HOCKLEY

After their experience with the broken mooring, the Hockleys tried again with a diferent mooring (left), but dropped their anchor as well, just in case. The wreck of Ri Ri (right) ofered a sobering reminder of how quickly conditions can change.

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shackles worn to just a few millimeters of rusted metal.

With a clear view of the seabed, we dropped our anchor and secured it to a limestone fissure. For additional peace of mind, we lashed a length of ¾-inch rode

Palmerston resident Edward Marsters greets visitors who arrive by boat and ofers island tours.

from an anchor cleat directly to the base of the mooring and to a section of chain undamaged by corrosion and wear.

Later that day, we shared our excitement with Edward and returned the remains of the broken mooring, along with some new shackles and line from our lockers. Our island tour took us past the

remains of Ri Ri, a sailboat out of Philadelphia that, due to a mooring failure, was disastrously swept onto the reef a few years ago. Now, stripped clean with just a portion of the fractured hull remaining, the wreck provides a distressing and sobering reminder of just how tenuous our connection to security can be. We were

Neville and Catherine Hockley are currently meandering across the Pacific. Follow their adventures on Dream Time at their website (zeroxte.com).

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I dived on our mooring only to discover chain links and loadbearing shackles worn to just a few millimeters of rusted metal.

lucky, and thankfully our ordeal was little more than a valuable experience, one for which we accept full responsibility.

Many moorings, especially those in the remote corners of the world, are installed by passing cruisers who wish to help. Few of these locations, however, have the facilities or equipment to properly inspect and maintain the gear that we often rely on. So before you attach to a mooring of an isolated island or atoll, consider your options, as you may be safer anchoring. At the very least, inspect the mooring gear, and if you see a problem, try to donate a healthy length of chain, some rope, a few shackles, or a tank of air to make repairs. The locals and your fellow cruisers will be most grateful.

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anchor, suspending it a few feet above the coral as insurance against drifting into shallower waters and onto the reef.

We maintained an anchor watch that night, and when the following day brought calmer weather, I dived on our mooring only to discover chain links and load-bearing

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SA I L I NG Home to

A C RU I S E T O T H E T RO P I C S A N D B AC K I N T RO D U C E S A SA I L I N G FA M I LY T O L I F E I N O Z .

By Mike Litzow

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After San Francisco, Sydney was the second great city of the world that the Litzows sailed to on Pelagic.

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our Crealock 37, drove down the very lowest reaches of the Clarence River, in New South Wales, Australia, with main and jib drawing. The ocean swell was reaching us, but Pelagic was still hemmed tight by the massive stone breakwaters on each side of the river — an odd place to be sailing our bluewater boat. Our son Elias, 2 years old and firmly strapped into his car seat under the dodger, felt none of the tension of the moment; young children go to sea without carrying their parents’ mental cargo of concern over what might go wrong. My wife, Alisa, and I did feel the nerves of leaving port. But we also felt the impending release.

We came to the moment of peak tension as we approached the entrance bar. The river bars of New South Wales can be nasty, and a prawn trawler had been rolled on this one just a few weeks before. But we had the leisure of picking the right tide on a perfect day, and we easily slid over the shallows and into deep water beyond.

The place we were leaving behind, the

Obviously more comfortable ofshore, 2-year-old Elias (center) gets an early taste of watchkeeping. Australian friends Melissa Beit and Miles Holmes (above) enjoy a sail on Pelagic.

little beach town of Iluka, had found a special place in our hearts. It had given us a perfectly protected harbor, with coastal rainforest and miles of beach within easy walking distance.

And it had ofered us a group of like-minded Australians who, over an endless series of morning surf sessions and evening barbecues, could introduce us to the delights of being Australian.

This last part was particularly important.

When we had finished the year-and-a-half

sail from our home in Alaska and cleared into the port of Bundaberg, we’d known little of Australia. But we were newcomers with a diference. Elias and I cleared in on our brand-new Australian passports, obtained just for the trip, and Alisa on an Australian spouse visa. Although I had never lived in Australia, I’d had the good fortune to be born there. And so we’d had a mission when we left Alaska on Pelagic: to sail to Australia to discover this country that we were a part of.

At first our exploration of Oz had

MIKE LITZOW

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Pelagic,

revealed soulless vacation towns, the kind of places we clearly hadn’t left Alaska to see. But then we found Iluka, and it was there that we began to see what our Australia might look like.

Our planned two-week visit to Iluka had blown out to four months. But now it was time to move again, and we wanted to use the cyclone-free season to sail north in the tropics to Townsville, where I was born. Yet as any traveling sailor knows, the goal of a cruise is less important than how you get there. Our real hope was that

the slow travel and out-of-the-way places that are the hallmarks of coastal cruising would be an ideal way to discover more of the country.

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lias woke me a little before dawn, calling out from his bunk, “I’m all done in here!”

The family gathered in the cockpit for the sunrise, and we were reminded of the magic progression of dawn at sea. We watched the waves slowly change from leaden shapes to

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ost foreign yachts had left Oz for the cyclone-free season in the tropics, so we were without the company of other voyaging sailors, a group of people who are always surprising us with sudden good friendship. We missed the state of belonging to some sort of community, even if it was the ever-so-loose community of vagabonding sailors. So it was good that we had a goal for our travels: meeting our Iluka friends Miles Holmes and Melissa

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brilliant beaten metal as the light grew, and then we ate breakfast in the cockpit with the knowledge that we had ahead of us a whole day at sea to enjoy.

After just one night of sailing, Iluka seemed completely removed from us.

We were falling back into the habits of being underway — habits that had been tough to learn during our first few months afloat, but which were now second nature after sailing across the Pacific.

When outsiders think of eastern Australia, they think of the Great Barrier Reef. But the reef isn’t part of the picture for sailors; it’s too far ofshore, with few usable anchorages. Instead, the next few weeks found us exploring a low coastline of sandy straits and mud-bottomed creeks with eucalyptus-fringed anchorages where kookaburras cackled and parrots screamed. The little towns we passed had bucolic names — Seventeen Seventy, Yeppoon — and the anchorages had a restrained beauty. My 41st birthday caught us at Pancake Creek, a little tidal estuary surrounded by low sandy banks on one side and a high point, Bustard Head, on the other, complete with walking paths and a lighthouse to visit — our kind of place.

Alisa produced a cake for the event, of course, and when it came time to make a wish, I thought to myself, “There’s nothing else I want.”

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To figure out what “their� Australia might be, the Litzows cruised the east coast, stopping at both large cities and little beach towns (above) along the way. A raft-up with friends (below) turned out to be a great way to spend Christmas. Alisa (opposite) takes a turn at the helm of Pelagic, sailing down the coast of Queensland.

ONNE VAN DER WAL (TOP); MIKE LITZOW

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fter we said goodbye to Miles and Melissa, we continued north to Townsville. Instead of the southeast trades that we might reasonably have expected, we found northwesterlies that made the few anchorages along the coast unusable and kept us

tacking back and forth day and night. We passed a humpback whale cow and calf that breached and slapped the water with their pectoral fins. We passed flocks of pied imperial pigeons, striking black-and-white birds, flying over the water on their migration south from New Guinea. We made a trip inland to see a platypus in the wild.

Townsville itself was the completion of a grand circle for me, of course, but it was also a muted homecoming. I had no family still in Townsville, and no ties to the place. We set aside a month to stay there while I worked on my book every day. Alisa took advantage of the chance to get swimming lessons for Elias, and to enjoy the great

ahead of us, we hoped, and a kids cabin and an adult cabin seemed a good way to partition all the family togetherness that would entail. But where? Where would we park it for a year and contemplate that fearsome event, a boat swap?

People had often mentioned Hobart, Tasmania, as a jewel of Australia. I had been there only briefly 12 years before, and we knew no one there. More infor-

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playgrounds that are the heart of public places in Australia.

And during this time we began to answer some really big questions about our sailing future. A trip to the ultrasound lab gave us our first view of what we had long known to be the reason for Alisa’s recent vulnerability to seasickness: A new cabin boy would be signing on the following April.

We needed to figure out how to handle this crew change. We wanted to stop somewhere in Australia for a year to let the new crew get to a certain age before we started traveling again. And we were rethinking the open-plan layout of dear old Pelagic for a family of four. We had years of sailing

mation would be welcome before we committed to a full year in the place.

So when we found ourselves sharing the anchorage of Horseshoe Bay, on Magnetic Island, with Kukka, a smart-looking Malo 39 with Hobart as her hailing port, Alisa and Elias rowed over to say hello.

They came back an hour later with gold — a fresh stack of New Yorker magazines, unread by us, and news. Kukka, it turned out, belonged to Alex Nemeth and Diana Bagnall, and Hobart was merely a port of convenience; they were from Sydney. But Alisa had gone looking for news of Hobart and found something better: our people.

The crew of Kukka were on their first extended sail from home, with an eye toward longer trips in the future. Alex and Diana were both retired, he from being a pharmacist, she from journalism, and their children were young adults. Alisa and I were from the other side of the world, in the middle of our young-family years, with very diferent professional backgrounds. Yet we all hit it of immediately. Alex and Diana were two more good friends we never would have met if we hadn’t left home.

Kukka was soon of to pick up a visiting son at the Townsville Airport. But they left us with a warm invitation to visit them whenever we might find ourselves in Sydney.

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ummer was on its way back in, and with it the cyclone season. It was time to find our way south, and to sail our way into the answers to all those questions about the future.

We had been cavalier about the chance of getting caught with a long sail against the southeast trades while getting out of

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Townsville

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Magnetic gnetic Island I

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Beit, and their two kids, at the Whitsunday Islands. Of all the Australians we’d met so far, Miles and Melissa were most clearly our people — an anthropologist and a writer, respectively, who were happier to live the Australian dream in an out-of-the-way beach town than in one of the cities where most Australian cultural life takes place.

Miles and Melissa had wrangled special permission from the national park to camp on Haslewood Island, normally a no-camping area. We had agreed to rendezvous at a bay that appeared on the chart to ofer them a fine beach for camping and us a good anchorage for Pelagic. Sure enough, when we approached Haslewood and glassed the beach, there was their camp, right where a water taxi had left them.

After we had dropped the hook and shut down the engine, Alisa and I looked at the colors of the anchorage and realized, “Ah, we’re back in the tropics!” The Whitsundays are the premier tropical sailing destination in Australia, and like so many famous places, they sufer from the crowded anchorages to which our Alaskan sensibilities have never adapted.

But Haslewood wasn’t on the must-see list, and it gave us a break from the crowds.

Throughout our 10-day stay, we shared the bay with only one other boat and a handful of green sea turtles.

Our camping experience in Alaska was mostly of the winter variety, so it was a treat to compare how Australians camped in the sand with our memories of camping in the snow. Miles gave us lessons in aboriginal uses of plants on the island, and we felt a tiny bit of understanding of Australian ecosystems begin to dribble into our brains. We all took turns snorkeling the reef and watching the kids on the beach.

The stop at Haslewood was a nice break from our friends’ hectic routine of working and child-rearing in Iluka. At first it seemed like a vacation for us, too, a nice break from our routine — none of my biology work that pays our way, no boat jobs, no work on my book about the trip from Alaska. But then I thought about it, and I realized that these 10 days weren’t really a break from our routine; this was the sort of routine that we try to get into, the purest sort of cruising. We had lots of leisure time each day, in a fairly wonderful spot, and we were doing it with local friends whom we never would have met if we hadn’t chucked it all to go sailing.

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MIKE LITZOW; MAP BY SHANNON CAIN TUMINO

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their company. We felt the beginnings of a tradition in this new country.

After a short sail down the coast, we had the pleasure of sailing into Sydney Harbour past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. After San Francisco, this was the second great city of the world that we had sailed to on board Pelagic. Alex and Diana gave us more great hospitality, settling us into the visitors berth at the dock where they kept Kukka, handing us the keys to a car and their house, making us feel completely at home, and sharing the delights of the worldfamous New Year’s fireworks in Sydney Harbour. Then, after another too-short visit, it was time for us to head farther south if we wanted to meet our goal of crossing Bass Strait before Alisa’s third trimester began.

Tasmania would be new to us, but it would be a novelty within a larger pattern that was familiar. After more than a year in Australia, we felt comfortable in the place.

Part of being at home in Oz was the result of our physical knowledge of the continent — all the exploring that had seen Pelagic up and down the 1,100 miles of coastline

Three-year-old Elias helps inflate the dinghy (above) while cruising through tropical Queensland. Australian cruisers Diana Bagnall and Alex Nemeth (right) ofered hospitality and friendship during the Litzows’ time in Sydney.

the tropics, since we had mostly found northwesterlies on our way up the coast.

But — you can see where this is going — the trades reasserted themselves once we turned around and pointed the bow south. Day after day, we got up at 0400 and sailed all through the sunlit hours at a 30-degree angle of heel, tacking back and forth into the wind, dodging spray in the cockpit, and sopping up water on the cabin sole, and at the end of each day, we found we had made 30 miles.

Sailing to windward is uncomfortable enough for the nonpregnant, but Alisa was approaching that part of her pregnancy where everything is uncomfortable.

And Elias was 3 by this time, and didn’t necessarily understand why he had to sit next to us in the sloping cockpit for hour after hour, reading the same books and singing the same songs, and why he never got to go ashore.

Eventually we did make it out of the southeast trades back to Iluka. And all too soon we were gathering with our friends

there for a farewell barbecue at the beach. It was fun to think of settling down in Iluka long enough to have the baby, and we considered it. But the horizon still called; we weren’t ready to give up our wandering ways just yet. The draw of one more new place was too strong to resist, and Tasmania was in the oing.

Sydney was conveniently on our path down to Tasmania. Two weeks of sailing along an unfamiliar coast took us to Pittwater, the massive natural harbor just north of Sydney, where we caught up with our friends Peter Addenbrooke and Vanessa Georgeson on Akimbo, a wellkept double-ender that had carried them on years of adventures between Sydney and New Caledonia. They were some of our first Australian sailing friends. We had spent our first-ever Australian Christmas with them, and Peter had taken me for my first Australian surf. They now ofered us the hospitality of a raft-up on their mooring in Pittwater, and the visit was perfectly timed for a second Australian Christmas in

between Townsville and Sydney. But our real feeling for the place, the things we treasured and the bits that still confused us, had come from a hundred interactions with Australian friends: the barbecues and surf sessions, the anchorages shared with sailors, and the great pleasure of taking nonsailing companions for a sail. Pelagic had turned into our magic carpet for discovering this new country, the vessel that had shown us the out-of-the-way anchorages and that had put us in the path of these new friends who filled us in on what it meant to be Australian.

Cruising, like any travel, really is all about the people.

Ater a stay in South Arica, Mike Litzow and his family are currently crossing the South Atlantic and headed, very slowly, toward home in Alaska. You can follow along with the family’s travels on their blog (thelife galactic.blogspot.com).

MIKE LITZOW

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ONNE VAN DER WAL (TOP); MIKE LITZOW

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The gorgeous Whitsunday Islands (above) were a highlight on the family’s Australian journey. Keeping the crew cool and protected from the sun was a priority aboard Pelagic, at anchor of Haslewood Island with her deck awning set (below).

A Spin Through

In an island nation where the universal greeting of bula means “ W E L C O M E , F R I E N D ” and “ G ’ D AY, ” it’s hard to tel l which is better — the isles thems elves, or their wonderful people.

by T O D D

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gray dawn came reluctantly, with occasional drizzle that at times became torrential rain as increasingly heavy squall lines passed through. We’d left Niuatoputapu, Tonga, four days earlier aboard our Flying Dutchman 50, Small World II, and the leading edge of the cold front we had been racing ever since was finally over us. For several hours we’d been plowing through intensifying weather under triple-reefed main, staysail and reefed yankee. Just ahead lay our destination, Savusavu Bay, on the south coast of Vanua Levu, the second-largest isle in the island nation of Fiji.

It had been an interesting trip. What had started out as a fairly boisterous passage with 20 to 25 knots of wind and 6- to 9-foot seas had mellowed to an easy broad reach in 15 to 18 knots for most of the next two days. But conditions changed as we closed in on Fiji. At midmorning of our final full day out, as we skidded past several low atolls while entering Fijian waters, we watched somewhat apprehensively for a rapid wind shift expected behind the strong frontal line that was approaching us from the southwest; with each successive download of GRIB files, it drew closer. By around midnight of the final night out, as the wind lightened with the approaching trough, we actually reverted to motorsailing. At about 0200, the shift came, and with it the squalls began in earnest.

TOR JOHNSON

The

A local boat sails into a complex reef pass, common in the Fiji chain. Channel markers are a rarity, making line-of-sight navigation a key skill for voyaging through the islands.

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Fiji

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F·A·B·U·L·O·U·S

To

understand the dynamics of cruising Fiji, it is first important to note the region’s geography as well as its history. With more than 300 islands, by some estimates, and countless reefs and shoals (many of which are poorly charted), for centuries the Fijian archipelago has been a feared and often avoided area for shipping.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman first sighted the islands in 1643, but it was another hundred years before Capt. James Cook briefly went ashore on one

DIANA SIMON (OPPOSITE); GAYLE SUHICH

What to Know If You Go While Fiji is not necessarily on the direct path across the Pacific, on what is sometimes referred to as the Coconut Milk Run, many cruisers elect to sail northwest from Tonga, or come up from New Zealand and make Fiji their stop on the way toward Vanuatu and/or the Torres Strait. Still others stay in the region for years, sailing triangles from New Zealand to Tonga to Fiji and back.

Shopping in Fiji is a refreshing break for

Preparing yagona roots for fresh kava is an ongoing task in Fiji (opposite).

Small World II rests at anchor after an eventful passage from Tonga (below). The southern interior of Vanua Levu is lush and verdant (bottom).

of the eastern outlying islands. Then, in 1789, Capt.

William Bligh of HMS Bounty, having been set adrift in a small boat with 18 of his loyal crew, successfully navigated and began charting the archipelago’s interior waters.

Ostensibly en route westward toward Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies (where Jakarta sits today), Bligh had unknowingly chosen a course that took him through the often hazardous Somosomo Strait, between the rugged and lush island of Vanua Levu to the north and the larger, mountainous main island of Viti Levu to the south. To this day, the treacherous, reef-strewn area bears the name Bligh Water.

Although it is possible to safely transit the strait in benign conditions, when the trade winds rise above 25 knots, the Venturi efect between the two islands, combined with the strong currents that flow through the passage, can create challenging sea conditions for smaller vessels.

Forty to 50 knots of wind and steep, short 8- to 10-foot seas are not unusual.

Entering the island group along a course similar to ours, Bligh doubtlessly would have passed several enticinglooking landfalls. But it was well known that cannibals inhabited these islands, and so Bligh wisely avoided going ashore. Instead he sailed through what is today still some of the most diicult navigation in the entire South Pacific.

Although cannibalism has not been openly practiced in Fiji since the late 19th century, it is an important and undeniable part of the islanders’ heritage. Fiji’s most famous cannibal, Ratu Udre Udre, was finally laid to rest in 1840 after he had consumed, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, 872 people. We found the tomb and shrine to this man on the shore near Rakiraki, which attests to the reverence with which at least some Fijians still hold this barbaric custom from

the cruising kitty. After the exorbitant prices of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, we found Fiji very afordable. Gayle regularly stocked up on food for an entire week for the equivalent of about $20 USD. All visiting yachts arriving in Fiji are subject to an 18-month limit on their stay; after that, they’re subject to a 15 percent import duty. For that reason, most cruisers who decide to make Fiji a semipermanent base for a few years will sail up to Futuna Island, about 300 miles north of Vanua Levu, once a year.

Although Fiji is in the heart of the South

Pacific cyclone belt, there are innumerable decent hurricane holes, and excellent shelter is provided by Vuda Marina in cyclone pits.

Many cruisers do in fact base their boats in Fijian waters for extended periods of time.

Immigration allows for a four-month visa upon sailing into the country; it can be easily extended for up to six months. Further extensions require a visit to the immigration department and a legitimate reason for staying, which can range from doing work on the boat to writing a story about Fiji; it just needs to be valid and compelling.

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Luckily, the wind shift to the southwest happened gradually, so we were able to lay a course, with a few degrees to spare, past the heavy breakers of the menacing barrier reef to clear the entrance to Savusavu Harbor.

As we entered Savusavu’s narrow channel, we saw cruising yachts from all over the world anchored and moored along the straggling, somewhat dilapidated waterfront of the small, bustling city. Steam rose from the muddy banks, attesting to the prevalent volcanic activity in the region. The waters were murky from the runof of many rivers and streams — a marked contrast to the crystal-clear waters of the islands and atolls of the central Pacific, where we had been cruising for the previous two years.

Miraculously, by the time we had anchored and contacted the port oicials on the VHF, the skies had begun to clear. Shortly after, a boat came alongside with the oicers from health, immigration and customs. After a perfunctory fumigating of Small World to eliminate any mosquitoes we might have brought from Tonga, we were warmly greeted and welcomed to Fiji. Clearance was simple and straightforward, with a trip ashore later to finish the process. By midday we had moved farther into the harbor and picked up a mooring ball of the Waitui Marina.

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FA B U L O U S F I J I

While

in Vanua Levu, we rented a car and set of on land adventures. To the south we discovered verdant lowlands with winding rivers, while the semiarid northern plains were filled with extensive sugar cane plantations. The scenery was breathtaking. Looking out across the fields and seeing large groups of men and women using machetes to harvest the cane, we felt as if we were back in the 19th century. Narrow-gauge railway trains are still used to harvest sugar cane, one of Fiji’s most important crops. The tracks meandered across the rolling hills and wound along and over slow-moving rivers where children swam and cows bathed. Men sat on bridges smoking as the long trains moved across a landscape that was romantic and exotic.

Traveling farther east, the roads deteriorated but led to some remote coves and headlands that revealed pristine reefs with a huge diversity of coral. The mind-boggling proliferation of marine life we saw while snorkeling was quite a contrast 10° S to some of the fished-out places we’d observed in the eastern Pacific.

FIJI Fishing is so good in Fiji that when we VANUATU made our initial landfall, we put out a 20° S line and immediately caught a 23-pound yellowfin tuna. Our luck held nearly New Caledonia every time we fished thereafter, with almost instant success landing mahimahi 30° S or tuna. We began to wonder if even a bare hook might produce results while trolling in the deep channels between NEW the islands.

ZEALAND Leaving Vanua Levu, we made a 40° S relatively short passage to the nearby island of Namena, where my fiancée, Gayle, her daughter, Sarah, and her friend Adrian, who were crewing for 170° E us, wanted to do some scuba diving.

Although the island was enclosed within a barrier reef system that gave the impression that it could ofer some protection from northeast winds, we spent a very uncomfortable night bouncing about in a 4-foot chop. The island was nearly deserted and quite beautiful, and by the next morning the winds had eased and clocked to the southeast. This made for a leisurely but fairly long daysail down to the wellprotected harbor of the island of Makogai.

Makogai is one of the largest of the outlying islands of of Viti Levu’s east coast. The site of a leper colony for almost a hundred years, the once-deserted ruins are gradually being brought back to usefulness as the headquarters for a sea turtle nursery and giant clam sanctuary. We were the only boat in the anchorage, so we went ashore to ask the village chief for permission to stay there.

Because Fiji is a former British colony, most of Cruising boats the locals speak English well. We were soon met rarely visit by a young man who called himself the village northern Vanua spokesman, and he agreed to introduce us to the Levu (top). village chief. Our gift of yagona root was accepted, During a sevuand so, having been granted full access to the village, sevu ceremony, we spent the next couple of days hiking around the the ladies from nearby hills and climbing through the leper colony’s Small World ruins. A long dinghy ride and snorkeling expedition II dance with took us to one of the smaller nearby islands; once the chief and again, the rich sea life was incredible. Giant clams his brother were virtually everywhere in the deeper water. Some (above). were as large as bold Sarah, who dived down, swam right up to their open jaws, and peered inside.

With the continuing spell of calm weather, we took the opportunity to motorsail over to the old, frontierlike Samoa ISLANDS Islands seaport of Levuka, on the island of Ovalau, a day’s sail across the Koro Sea. Tonga Islands Situated on the windward side of the island with only an awash barrier reef to S O U T H PAC I F I C O C E A N protect it from the easterly wave trains, the port was initially chosen for this SOUTH FIJI ISLANDS VANUA LEVU PACIFIC site because square riggers could sail OCEAN Savusavu in, find a reasonable anchorage of the Bligh Water SavuSavu Bay KORO SEA town, and then escape by sailing either Lautoka Makogai 18º S Suva north or south a couple of miles to large VITI Ovalau Nautical Miles LEVU gaps in the reef. This allowed the ships Beqa 0 25 50 to make their way of the lee shore of 180º E 178º E the big island of Viti Levu, to the west.

Nau t i c al Mi l e s Ovalau, because it is a good distance 0 500 1000 of Viti Levu, also ofered a level of 180° E 170° W 160° W protection from raiding parties in those

GAYLE SUHICH; MAP BY SHANNON CAIN TUMINO

the not-too-distant past.

A much less threatening custom that is still widely practiced is the ceremony known as sevusevu, wherein the powdered root of the yagona pepper plant is mixed with water to become kava, a drink that’s shared communally while drinkers sit in a circle. Kava is consumed almost daily by many Fijians in a ritual that’s an important part of the traditional Fijian culture and lifestyle. Before leaving the town of Savusavu, we stocked up on the yagona root to use for gaining introduction to the village chiefs of the various islands we intended to visit.

TOR JOHNSON

Having

thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay on Ovalau, we sailed back out into the Koro Sea, still undecided about our next port of call.

Under spinnaker and main, we headed south along the coast in light winds that gradually increased and shifted more to the east. Turning to the west, we decided to stop in at the port of Suva, Fiji’s main port and largest city.

With an election only a few days away, we’d been warned by several longtime cruisers that we should stay away from bustling Suva until things settled down. Fiji gained independence from Britain in 1970, but since 1987, the duly elected governments have been overthrown by coups four times. The most recent of these occurred in 2006. We’d been told that random violence directed toward foreigners might result if people weren’t happy with the election results.

Choosing a good place to anchor in the somewhat crowded commercial harbor took a little searching, but ultimately we found a nice spot in 20 feet of water, an easy dinghy ride away from the Royal Suva Yacht Club. Once ashore, we learned that for a nominal fee, we could become temporary members of the club and use the facilities, which included a restaurant, bar and nearby showers. The club’s location, on the main road to downtown, also made it easy to catch a bus or taxi into the central part of the city.

Suva is a crucial center of commerce for the entire southwest Pacific. Hundreds of commercial ships from all over the world converge on the port each year. We found the city to have an unhurried but decidedly cosmopolitan feel. Interesting shops and restaurants abound, and we were able to find computer repairs, marine supplies and a great open-air market, where fresh fruit and vegetables could be purchased at what seemed to us to be incredibly low prices. Gayle was often able to fill two large grocery bags in the market for about $20 in Fijian currency, or $10 USD. After a few days in the big city, we sailed southwest to a nearby mountainous island called Beqa. The isle is the top of an eroded but rugged and somewhat precipitous volcanic crater with one side blown out, so a yacht can sail well up inside into perfectly sheltered waters. Entering through a barrier reef, we skirted along the eastern coast and then set a course to enter the breathtakingly

Catch of the day: A local boy on a remote isle carries home the reef shark he’s just landed for dinner.

The fishing in Fiji is quite remarkable.

beautiful, steeply wooded channel leading into the depths of the harbor. About a mile in, we found a spot in 40 feet of water and dropped the hook, surrounded by the stark, natural beauty of a quintessential South Seas paradise.

There was a small village ashore near the mouth of the bay; after ofering our bundle of yagona, we were warmly greeted by the chief and his wife, who were also hosting one of Fiji’s more popular singing groups.

We were invited into the chief ’s house, where a large, intricately carved bowl of kava was brought out, and we spent the next several hours getting to know our hosts, laughing and dancing.

Following several days exploring beautiful Beqa, we returned to Viti Levu and sought out an anchorage called the Bay of Islands, which is located between several small isles directly across from Suva’s large harbor. The wellprotected anchorage featured free moorings, but we chose to drop the hook in the firm mud bottom. We left the boat there for a few days while we rented a car and explored ashore. As we drove along the eastern flank, we marveled at the broad, slowmoving rivers and brand-new highway that traversed valleys and wound over rolling hills.

We eventually made our way around the somewhat desolate north shore to the sheltered west coast.

During this time the national elections took place, and yet, everywhere we went, we were greeted with smiles and waves and never felt even remotely threatened. In fact, the one thing we’ll always remember Fiji for is its friendly people. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with “Bula!” — which basically means “hello, friend,” “welcome” and “good day” all at the same time. If you are being greeted really efusively, you might hear “bulabula” or even “bulabulabula.”

For Sarah and Adrian, time was running short, so of they went to the airport and a flight home.

Gayle and I continued west, gunkholing the reef anchorages along Viti Levu’s south coast before spending almost a month in the western islands, beachcombing, snorkeling and hiking. Our two months in Fiji had gone by all too quickly, and it is with wistful thoughts that we remember our wonderful adventures in such a friendly, unique and beautiful place in our small world.

Following his cruise to Fiji, Todd Duff hauled Small World II there and eventually sold it to a Canadian cruiser. Ater returning to the British Virgin Islands, he resumed his career as a yacht broker, and has purchased an Amel Super Maramu, aboard which he and his fiancée, Gayle Suhich, are looking forward to new adventures.

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lawless days of the early 19th century. The town still looks much as it did back then, with many historic structures having been preserved or restored.

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Serenity, a Jeanneau 64, blasts out of Virgin Gorda’s North Sound.

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Beef Island e l Road Harbour h a n n eC ra k D s nci Fra Sir Peter Island

Road Town

Norman Island

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over to the Bight and met up with the rest of the Jeanneau crowd.

Participation in the BVI Jeanneau Owners Rendezvous is capped at 25 boats, and roughly 80 to 100 sailors participate.

“This is about the maximum number of people the restaurants can handle in the BVI,” said Fenn. Dinner at Pirates Bight was a delicious island bufet, followed by dancing. Despite the name, the pirate costumes weren’t needed this night (I was, admittedly, a bit relieved).

One of the benefits of attending the rendezvous is the opportunity for Jeanneau owners to spend time aboard other models. This year, the boat to see was the company’s new flagship, the Jeanneau 64. I hopped aboard for a sail on Serenity, the 64 chartered for the week, from Norman Island up Sir Francis Drake Channel to the Virgin Gorda’s North Sound (for a review of the boat, see “Superyacht Style,” August/September 2016).

The day was blustery, with abundant whitecaps out in the channel. Several squall lines passed over and fairly drenched us, but the sailing was exhilarating. The wind frequently gusted

to 25 knots, and Serenity handled it beautifully, easily staying on course even in the pufs. There was a crowd of people aboard, but the spacious boat was comfortable and had more than enough room for everyone.

As we sailed into North Sound and on to the Bitter End Yacht Club, the sky cleared, and it turned out to be a lovely day. Being the largest, speediest boat in the rendezvous, Serenity was the first one to the Anegada dock, and we were 18º 45’ N relaxing with beers and cheeseburgers as the others trickled in.

64º 20’ W With all the boats accounted for, Jeanneau vessels pretty much filled the docks. Ted and I went boat to boat delivering Cruising 64º 20’ W World swag, and that evening Jobson regaled the crowd with stories of his recent sail to remote Sable Island (see “Sand and Sea,” Virgin Gorda June/July 2016) and the infamous and deadly 1979 Fastnet race, where he sailed with Ted Turner aboard Tenacious and finished first.

A E With two days at the Bitter End, there S was plenty of time to relax and enjoy N A everything the resort had to ofer. Ted took E B out one of the club’s Lasers to do some I B beer-can racing, I went with a group on a Nautical Miles surprisingly steep hike up in the hills above 0 2.5 5 North Sound, and later we all relaxed by

LIZ SAUCIER (ABOVE); MAP BY SHANNON CAIN TUMINO

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s my plane approached the airport on St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I took in the gorgeous view of turquoise water and mountains and thought once again of how glad I was for this week away from the March gloom back home in Rhode Island. As far as assignments go, this one was a good one: the Jeanneau Owners Rendezvous in the British Virgin Islands, of which Cruising World was a sponsor. Having never taken part in something like this, I honestly had no idea what to expect.

But fun, I was sure, would be a given. Particularly because I was told to bring a pirate costume.

The first BVI Jeanneau Owners Rendezvous was in 2012, and it’s been a biennial afair ever since. During his time as the president of Jeanneau America, Paul Fenn organized the event as a way to connect with customers. “I thought by ofering a rendezvous in the BVI, it would give Jeanneau owners a reason to travel outside their normal sailing area and give all of us an opportunity to spend a week together, have fun, and be part of the Jeanneau family,” Fenn said when I spoke with him after the event. “It turned out exactly as I hoped.” For those who couldn’t make it to the islands on their own boat, a fleet of various-size Jeanneaus were available to charter from Sunsail, a co-organizer of the event.

Our week in the tropics began at the Sunsail charter base on Tortola with an island barbecue, complete with music and rum punch. Here I met up with my crewmates for the week — my colleague Ted Ruegg, his wife, Heide, and our friend Dave Robinson — and got to know some of the other rendezvous-goers.

Emory and Kim Zimmer hail from Cincinnati and were in the BVI aboard their new Jeanneau 53, Someday. For them, the rendezvous was a planned stop on their journey south from Newport, Rhode Island, to the Caribbean. “Kim and I had heard about the event from our broker, Glenn Walters,” said Emory. “We saw some photos online from a previous year, and it looked like a fun time.

We also felt it would be a unique opportunity to spend time with the folks who design and build Jeanneaus, as well as other owners.”

The busy rendezvous itinerary began the next morning with our Sunsail charter briefing. While the boys went over the charts, Heide and I took advantage of our time on the dock to pick up a few more provisions. Our ride for the week was a spacious four-cabin Sunsail Jeanneau 53 named Aeolus. Once everything was stowed, it was time to cast of for Norman Island, but our route included a detour to the airport on Beef Island to pick up a special guest, America’s Cup-winning tactician and television commentator Gary Jobson, who was booked as a dinner speaker for the following evening. Once we had him aboard, we had a fantastic sail

COURTESY OF EMORY ZIMMER (TOP RIGHT); JEN BRETT

the pool, rum punches in hand. More adventurous crews took part in a scavenger hunt that had them zooming around in dinghies looking for clues at various spots in North Sound.

One of my favorite aspects of this downtime was checking out the Zimmers’ boat, Someday. Their Jeanneau 53 was the same model as Aeolus, our chartered boat, and it was interesting to see how they had made the space so homelike and very much “theirs.” Nick Harvey, the president of Jeanneau America, and Erik Stromberg, Jeanneau’s director of product development, also spent time with attendees, chatting over cofee in various cockpits while answering questions about the brand and the boats. No longer strangers, everyone seemed relaxed and in the spirit when it was time to don the pirate garb for the party on our final evening at the Bitter End, which included a pizza bufet and dancing under the stars.

The next two days were free days on the itinerary, and rendezvous boats split of to favorite BVI destinations before meeting at Peter Island for the last night. Several crews, ourselves

included, chose to sail out to Anegada, a low-lying island about 14 miles north of Virgin Gorda that has a lovely, remote feel to it. Here we spotted pink flamingos, went snorkeling at Loblolly Bay, and had a lobster dinner on the beach, with the backdrop of the best sunset of the trip. By this point in the week, we were really settling into the sailing-vacation routine — waking up to gorgeous views, a short voyage and relaxing — and it was hard to think we’d be heading back home in a couple of days.

Our sail the next morning to Little Jost Van Dyke was easily my favorite of the trip, with a steady breeze, sunny weather, and good tunes on the boat’s stereo system. Once we had a mooring, we trekked out to the Bubbly Pool, a sort of natural Jacuzzi that occurs when conditions are right (they were), and followed it up with shrimp on the cockpit grill and a visit to Foxy’s Taboo beach bar. Not a bad day at all.

For the last day, Ted, Heide, Dave and I stopped at the Indians for a quick snorkel, and then all Jeanneau crews gathered at the luxurious Peter Island Resort. I spotted most of our new friends at the resort’s pool that afternoon, where a round of mudslides was the perfect treat. The weather that evening was simply spectacular for our last beach bash. The crowd chatted and mingled on the sand and sipped Peter Island’s tasty signature ginger cocktails. An excellent bufet dinner followed. The night closed with parting words from Paul Fenn and a lively rale where everyone brought home a goodie or two.

As I left the boat at oh-dark-thirty the next morning to catch the ferry back to St. Thomas and my flight home, I had plenty of time to muse about the trip. It was with near disbelief that I realized that just a week prior, nearly everyone had been strangers, just brought together by a love of sailing and a passion for their boats. So, yes, while I expected the fun, the unexpected camaraderie was even better.

Jen Brett is CW’s senior editor.

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Clockwise from center: Crews headed out on a scavenger hunt, which brought them to various points in North Sound. Gary Jobson, at the helm of Serenity, a Jeanneau 64, was a guest speaker for one of the evening events. Everyone got in the spirit for the pirate party. The competition was fierce during a beach cat race at the Bitter End. The Zimmers’ Jeanneau 53, Someday, reaches along on a perfect day.

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TIME OUT IN THE BVI

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Traversing 47 locks over six days gave the crew a first-class view of Pierre-Paul Riquet’s engineering marvel, the Canal du Midi, completed in 1680. The author handles the bow line as a lock pound fills (above). Plane trees and poplars (right) deter erosion all along the canal.

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Languedoc Five knots — by boat and by bike — is the ideal pace to take in the old stone, the sublime landscapes and the terroir delicacies of southern France.

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Lockkeepers’ houses each carry a sign marking the kilometers to the next lock, both up and down the canal.

ven if it weren’t for the grapevines of Minervois, Corbières and Limoux descending in rows down from the snow-topped Pyrenees and severe Massif Central mountains into the Aude Valley; even if it weren’t for the thousand-year-old stained glass, great Gothic arches, and layers of local marble and sandstone recalling the Paleolithic, Roman and medieval people who walked the hills and built the walls around us; even if it weren’t for the mild Mediterranean climate, encounters with the easygoing people of the Languedoc region, and the world-class delicacies they serve from their own backyard — even if it weren’t for all these things, I would come to the Midi just for the canal bridges.

The 17th-century Canal du Midi, linking France’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, is a marvel. But the stone canal bridges that appear occasionally along its route are truly incomprehensible. While a white-water river tumbles underneath, canal boats pass placidly overhead. To stand beside a canal bridge is to step into a real-life, three-dimensional M.C. Escher painting.

Yet the mind that created the Canal du Midi and invented the canal bridges was not of Escher’s Modernist age but of a far earlier time, when “horsepower” referred to horses. He was Pierre-Paul Riquet (1609–1680), and it was the Sun King, Louis XIV, who enabled Riquet to sculpt his seemingly deluded aspirations into the French landscape. Riquet’s canal was one of the greatest public-works projects of its time, and its successful completion in 1681 boosted

France’s economy for the next 200 years, until railroads finally superseded it.

The Canal du Midi — bypassing Gibraltar and all the complications of Spain, England and the Barbary pirates — stands today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a travel destination, it deserves a top spot on the bucket list of anyone who loves to wander by water.

A Time and a Place to Celebrate My mom loves to wander by water, and in recent years she’d occasionally suggested a canal trip in Europe as a good way for our family to gather. As much as I agreed, other priorities in our lives always seemed to nudge that notion aside.

Still, her idea had a powerful hold on us. Beginning when my sister and I were young teenagers, our family lived for several years aboard a 41-foot ketch on the Gulf Coast and in the Bahamas, and for all of us, that period remains a happy high point. In our own way, we’ve each been seeking to bring elements from our liveaboard days back into our present lives. So when we saw my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary approaching, my mom’s idea moved to top priority.

In the end, real life being what it is, we weren’t able to gather our whole family for a springtime excursion. But we did assemble a crew of seven, with a quorum from each of the generations.

Representing my sister’s family was Isabel Jennings, age 11. For my daughter Kate, 16, the April anniversary coincided with her sophomore-year spring break. My mom’s sister, Rose Meagher, joined us, as did our friend Jim Bricker. And of course, there was

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TIM MURPHY (BOTTOM RIGHT); JIM BRICKER

ital and thought we knew France, Languedoc was a revelation. The area is actually named for its diference from the Parisians. In the early Middle Ages, when the Romance languages were first diferentiating themselves from Latin, the French language dominated northern France, while Occitan stretched through the south from the Alps to the Pyrenees.

The northern French word for “yes” was oïl (now oui); in Occitan, the word is oc. And given that langue means “language,” langue d’oïl referred to the language spoken in the north, while langue d’oc — Languedoc — described the language spoken in the south. Beginning with the Fourth Crusade, around 1200, the north-south struggle for political and cultural dominance of the region was full of the horrors humankind has been perfecting for all of its history, and since then, generations of French policy Vineyards and canal bridges (right) are among the Midi’s frequent splashes of beauty. Jim Bricker (above right) is a graphic designer and artist; he brought his watercolors and painted the landscape (top right) as we cruised through it — at a luxurious walking pace.

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WHAT’S THE OLDEST THING YOU CAN TOUCH? ON DAY ONE, ISABEL BEAT HER PREVIOUS RECORD BY A THOUSAND YEARS.

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the anniversary couple: Tom and Sue Murphy.

Our introduction to Languedoc began in Narbonne, where we spent our first night before boarding the canal boat. Narbonne is a beach town, situated less than 10 miles from the Med. It’s also a medieval town, home to the original troubadours and to the third-tallest Gothic cathedral in France, and it’s a Roman town, with the stones of the Via Domitia, the ancient road from Rome to Spain (circa 118 B.C.), running right through its central square.

“What’s the oldest thing you can touch?” became our ongoing challenge to Isabel. She’d recently touched the 800-year-old Mayan stone at Tulum, in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. But here, on her first day in Languedoc, she’d already beaten her previous record by more than a thousand years.

The Languedoc region is not Paris, just as the Carolina Lowcountry is not Manhattan. For those of us who’d spent time in the cap-

CRUISING THE CANALS OF EUROPE 40-foot vessel were $55 (50 euros) per day or $495 (450 euros) per year; for charterers, tolls are included in the booking fee. Each canal system is defined by a “gauge” — that is, a set of vessel dimensions based on draft, bridge height, and the volume of lock pounds.

The gauge inside the Canal du Midi is smaller than those of other canals: a draft of 4 feet 5 inches and a height of 9 feet 10 inches. The more typical Freycinet gauge in other canal

systems allows for larger commercial craft up to 300 tons.

For our weeklong trip we used a trilingual waterway guide published by Èditions du Breil in France (carte-fluviale .com). Edition 7 of that series covers the Canal du Midi and environs.

For even deeper knowledge, EuroCanals Publishing (eurocanals .com), based in New Mexico, provides an excellent website and country-specific print cruising guides to all the canals in Europe.

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You could spend a lifetime exploring the canals of Europe and the British Isles aboard your own boat and still never see them all.

France alone offers 90 separate waterways covering more than 5,000 miles. Within each country, all canals are governed by an agency that oversees navigation and lockkeeping. The French National Waterway Authority (Voies navigable de France; vnf.fr) administers all French canals. The tolls for a

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have aimed to eradicate the Occitan language altogether. But still it has persisted, and since the 1970s, there’s been a popular movement to bring the language back into common use. It’s comparable to the Catalan and Galician revivals in Spain, or the Gaelic revivals in Ireland and Scotland. Throughout Languedoc today, you’ll find street signs written in Occitan as well as French. More to the point, during our entire stay, we never once met a person who fit the stereotype of the surly Parisian waiter.

Say Yes to the Garnish I was still jet-lagged and groggy on that first night in Narbonne, still dusting of my schoolboy French, when the question came: “Vous la voulez garnie?”

After our midafternoon arrival at the Toulouse Airport, we’d rented a big diesel Mercedes van, loaded all our kit and our seven selves aboard, driven nearly two hours down the A61 national highway, and located our hotel among Narbonne’s narrow cobblestone streets. At the front desk, I asked for a dinner

recommendation, and the concierge pointed us to Au Coq Hardi. The restaurant’s proprietor and I, in our imperfect mix of English and French, translated the menu choices to the rest of my family, and then the question turned to me.

Cathi described for me a special dish called garbure, a thick stew of pork and chicken and vegetables, that wasn’t on that day’s menu. Her description was too good to turn down. And when she asked if I’d like it garnished, I figured a nice sprinkling of parsley and chives would be lovely.

JIM BRICKER (BOTTOM); TIM MURPHY

The true meaning of her question was so much better.

In fact, garnie meant not a sprig of greens but an entire confit de canard — delicious, unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth duck leg. And when I was nearly finished with the broth, Cathi brought a small earthen cup of Corbières red wine.

“What the peasants like to do,” she said, “is pour it into the broth, then take up the bowl in both hands and drink it all down. Try it.”

From that moment on, I learned to say yes to the garnish.

Isabel had her first culinary epiphany a day or so later. I ordered a plate of escargot, then dared her to eat one. Eyes big, she thought long and hard before putting

CANAL CHARTERING My family chartered a Vision4 SL from Le Boat (leboat.com). Because Le Boat is owned by the same parent company as The Moorings and Sunsail, we were able to make all our arrangements in U.S. dollars with a travel agent in Clearwater, Florida.

The weekly rate for this boat, the flagship of the fleet, ranges from $2,800 to $3,800 in the spring and summer of 2017. If you travel with eight people, that comes to $50 to $68 per person per night. Smaller boats cost less. For our party of seven, we rented four bicycles; we used them every day.

The Vision4 SL, in its own way, is a marvel of engineering. Start with the length: 49 feet 1 inch (14.95 meters). By French law, any vessel larger than 15 meters requires a licensed operator; this boat comes to within centimeters of that mark. The boat’s height is precisely designed to fit under the Canal du Midi’s 17th-century bridges — provided that all heads are ducked, and all wine bottles removed from the flybridge dinette. Within the envelope of those hull dimensions is a fine hotel: four double cabins, each with its own en suite bathroom, plus an ample main saloon and a sizable kitchen. (Yes, “bathrooms” and “kitchen” are how the brochures describe them.) After a quick learning curve, operating the boat is relatively easy — and made easier by a bow thruster and an articulating pod driven by a joystick in docking mode.

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The Vision4 SL from Le Boat (opposite top) is a marvel of engineering: four double suites and ample social space, and just centimeters smaller than a vessel requiring a commercial license. The way was strewn with the freshest provisions (opposite bottom). The sunset was lovely at Trèbes (left).

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IF YOU GO We traveled to Languedoc in the third week of April. Two days of our week were sweater-chilly, with occasional light showers; the other days were short-sleeved and sunny.

Later in the season, it becomes drier and warmer, but crowds thicken between July 15 and August 31. May, June and September seem ideal.

Our canal itinerary was upstream, beginning in Homps and ending in Castelnaudary. Our travel agent from Le Boat made two excellent suggestions: that we set the date of our overnight

U.S.-to-Europe flights to land a full day before boarding the boat, and that we spend our first night in Narbonne, just 20 miles from the Le Boat base at Homps.

That said, we were able to improve on her third piece of advice, which was to fly into Barcelona, then take a train to Narbonne.

As much as we would have relished a visit to Catalonia, our tally of round-trip train tickets for seven people came to roughly $1,000. Instead, we booked flights into Toulouse, landing midafternoon, and rented a

one-day diesel van from Europcar. (We found that a one-way car rental across national borders was complicated and costly.) The van easily carried all of us and our bags to Narbonne for our first night, and then on to the boat the next day, all for less than $300.

My state-issued driver’s license and a credit card were all I needed to rent the car, and the driving time was less than two hours. The return train connection from Castelnaudary to Toulouse was an easy 40 minutes and cost us less than $15 per person.

from farm stands to restaurant tables, from cassoulets to wine confitures, the experience of tasting our way through Languedoc is one that each of us will remember forever.

Engineering Made Easy My dad was studying aeronautical engineering when he and my mom met in 1964. He loves solving boat problems, and he’s good at it. In our cruising years, the two of us got good at tackling projects together.

I love every chance I get to deliver a boat with him, and this chance — to spend a week together in a boat without a delivery schedule — was one we hadn’t taken in 30 years.

Running our chartered canal boat, a Vision4 SL from Le Boat, presented only simple problems. Nearly 50 feet long, the boat operates in two modes. The normal underway mode is with throttle and helm. This is as you would expect, except that the propeller is on an articulating pod, like an outboard-motor shaft mounted under the hull: When you turn the wheel, you actually change the direction of thrust. This simplifies maneuvering in tight quarters, and that’s even before the joystick comes into play. With the boat speed near zero, the helmsman can engage the joystick to control both the aft-mounted pod

RIQUET’S SOLUTION: FIND THE HIGHEST POINT THE CANAL WOULD PASS OVER, THEN SEND WATER FROM A RESERVOIR HIGHER STILL

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Sisters Sue Murphy and Rose Meagher handle lines as they climb the staircase at Trèbes.

a snail into her mouth. But once she did: Mmm ... Oh, yes. After that, hardly a meal passed her by without some snails in it.

It was fun to ask shopkeepers and restaurateurs where the wine, vegetables or meat came from. As often as not, they’d point out the back door. Before there were locavores, there was terroir. While our carbon-footprint-conscious millennials have created a sociopolitical movement out of eating food grown close to home, the French have always attached their personal and cultural identity to terroir. What does it mean? Basically just this: that the food and wine that comes from the earth right under our feet could not have come from any other place in the world.

And how. From market stalls to supermarkets,

and the forward-mounted bow thruster. Push the joystick to the left, and the 50-foot boat walks to port. Twist the joystick to the right, and the boat pivots in its own length. At first we had to get used to an electronic delay. But once we did, maneuvering was easy, even in the locks.

Speed on the canal is stringently restricted to avoid eroding the shore. Le Boat enforces this restriction by installing a governor on the engines of all of its boats, keeping the cruising speed to a sedate 5 knots — just faster than walkers on the towpath, but not quite as fast as cyclists — a perfect speed to take in the surroundings.

Our weeklong itinerary from Homps to Castelnaudary took us uphill through 47 locks and nearly 330 feet of elevation. We quickly found that our schedules were set by the lockkeepers’ schedules: 0900 to 1230, then 1330 to 1800 (a bit longer from

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May through September). If you missed a lock before closing time, we tied up to the bank near the bridge at Puichéric a little on the early side. Straightaway, closing time, there was no advancing. On the plus Rose, Jim and I hopped on our rented bikes and rode side, it was easy to tie up anywhere along the bank of into the vineyards. and settle in for the night, secure in the knowledge In Languedoc, art is not so much in museums, but that there would be no other traic on the canal. just is. Usually there aren’t signs; you have to know Only after several days of traversing the locks, what you’re looking for. At Puichéric, I realized we watching the lockkeepers, and reading about the were just a few miles away from a church I’d been canal did we finally understand just what a brilliant looking for, Sainte-Marie de Rieux-Minervois. It’s solution Pierre-Paul Riquet had discovered. He said to have been designed and built by the Master of certainly wasn’t the first to try a commercial Cabestany, a 12th-century sculptor whose identity is canal through this country. A cursory look at a unknown except through his works, which show up in topographical map of Europe sets up the problem: Italy, France and Spain. For this church, the sculptor Between the Massif Central mountains and the uniquely designed and crafted every marble capital on Pyrenees lies a relatively low plain — the so-called every column. Most interestingly, Rieux-Minervois is French isthmus — stretching from Narbonne to said to be the only seven-sided church in Europe — a Bordeaux. And with the Garonne River leading place of medieval mysticism like no other. into the Atlantic, all you needed to connect the two After that excursion, we all rejoined each other coasts was a navigable stretch from Toulouse to the back at the boat. We listened to a cuckoo across Med. The Romans, who brought aqueducts to the the canal, watched the light change on the bridge region, imagined such a canal. Charlemagne tried. through the evening, and debated all the meanings Leonardo da Vinci took a swing. But what no one of the word “romantic.” On my wall at home there could figure out was how to keep it full of water now hangs an oil painting Jim created from that without silting. gorgeous day at the foot of the Minervois hills.

Riquet was a hiker. He liked to take long walks When I look at it, I can still hear the cuckoo. in the Black Mountains above Carcassonne and Castelnaudary. It was there, in 1660, that Ü W he cracked the nut: find the highest point over which the Canal du Midi would have Gironde to pass, and then send water to that point F R A N C E Bay of from a reservoir higher still. Today you Biscay can visit each of those places: The Seuil Ü N Massif Central de Naurouze, just west of Castelnaudary, Mountains Bordeaux Garonne River is the canal’s high point, and all the water supplying the canal comes from the Bassin de Saint-Ferréol, up in the Rieux-Minervois mountains. Of course, it still took 12,000 workers 15 years to actually create the Ü N Homps canal. But Riquet’s eureka moment set it Toulouse Narbonne all in motion.

Castelnaudary Beginning with our first lock, at on Jouarre, my dad and I enjoyed puzzling Carcassonne Li u Canal through the lock gates and sluices, idend du Midi fe Ü N tifying all the parts of the system through Py ren which we were traveling. ees Mou Even the plane trees and poplars that ntains Mediterranean line the canal were Riquet’s idea: a lasting Sea Statute Miles solution to the problems of erosion and S P A I N 0 25 50 silting. This final problem, silting, was Ü E the reason for the canal bridges. In earlier All along the canal, slow days were punctuated attempts, the engineers tried joining the canal with by splashes of surprising beauty. The walled city of running rivers, but they became clogged with silt.

Carcassonne, with its 51 towers and massive medieval Isolating the navigable canal from the rivers was the ramparts, was almost overwhelming in its beauty. Red key, and the terraced design, stretching over 150 miles, brick Toulouse was a vibrant university town worthy allowed the canal builders to contain water from the of several days’ exploration. mountain reservoir in a stone structure above the But to me, for sweet moments of a quieter sort, levels of other riverbeds. Spillways between locks it would be hard to beat St. Sernin, a hamlet with a ensure that the water depth within any stretch of the lockkeeper’s house and little else. Here, during the canal is precisely maintained. lunchtime pause, we pulled over to the canal bank, brought out bread baked that morning and olives, Arts and Sciences charcuterie and cheese from the farms around us, Of course, the French Midi isn’t all about science and popped a bottle of Champagne, and clinked to the engineering. It’s about art, too. anniversary of the 50 years that brought us all here.

Jim Bricker is a painter, photographer and graphic designer — an artist with just the eye to appreciate Tim Murphy is a Cruising World editor-at-large and an the Midi landscape. At the end of one day, realizavid student of languages. ing we wouldn’t reach the lock at l’Aiguille before

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LINGERING THROUGH LANGUEDOC

Wild, Wild Labrador Abu n da nt wild life an d s t u nn i ng s cen er y await t h o s e bo ld e n oug h to b ra ve th e r o c ky f j o rd s an d swift cur ren ts o f a s u mm er in Lab rad o r.

Stor y & Photog raphs by

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pod of orcas caught up with us in Gray Strait, of the northern tip of Labrador. They closed in as much as possible without bumping the hull; I could have touched the 6-foot dorsal fin of the leading male if I had dared to lean over. A couple of days earlier, my wife, Nancy,

and I had sailed through the Button Islands, watching the sheer clifs at the northern entrance through a blizzard of flitting birds — thousands of fulmars and kittiwakes. Inside the channel, seals frolicked, keeping wary eyes on a massive polar bear scouting the water’s edge for a meal.

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Icebergs reach the coast of Labrador after a long drift from Greenland.

Well north of the tree line, jords cut into the mountainous land (left).

A pod of orcas swims alongside us in Gray Strait (center).

Welcome to Labrador, where the 200 miles of northern coast rise high above the water. Mainland rivers run out into the Labrador Sea through long fjords. The primary surveyed boat channels lead close to precipitous clifs, so our Mason 44, Frances B, often navigated by what looked like the ramparts of gigantic fortresses.

Mountaintops, sliced flat or molded into giant mounds, told of the destructive movement of ancient ice caps. Above them stood higher peaks, 3,000 feet and more, of hard granite patched with winter snow. Caribou lolled on the snow near the coast, seeking a cold breeze to keep away black flies and mosquitoes. The fjords are deep, and we often found icebergs planted in spots where the depth was perfect for anchoring. Most of the time, Frances B dropped the hook on a shelf of river detritus. The river outlets had the best view of the action ashore.

At the end of one fjord, caribou came to graze on a mound of gravel and grass abeam of Frances B. When the incoming tide changed the pasture into an island, the animals swam away. Across the water, a large inland lake sent out a roaring stream

— just the place to do laundry and have a cold bath. Burdened with buckets, green soap and towels, we brought the dinghy to the rocks and looked up right into the eyes of a polar bear. During summer, seals — the main food source for polar bears — migrate out of this area; hungry bears will stalk humans. We sailed without firearms on Frances B, and the flare pistol and whistles we carried seemed puny when facing a 9-foot, 800-pound carnivore. We quickly backed out, the noise of the outboard sending the bear into the hills. In another fjord we watched a foraging polar bear cross a river. An equally massive black bear fishing there took one look at it and sprang for the hills, leaving no doubt about who AP P ROAC H E S To have reasonable weather and easy ice conditions, try to arrive in south Labrador by mid-June and plan to leave by the end of September.

We had good early-summer passages rom Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. We went through Bras d’Or Lake to use Baddeck, Nova Scotia, as our departure port to the west coast of Newfoundland. Watch out for ice entering the Strait of Belle Isle in early summer. Good refuge harbors exist on both the Labrador and Newfoundland sides of the strait.

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Downwind, a grazing black bear suddenly rose on his hind legs and swung his head, sniing.

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was at the top of the power heap.

Strong winds of the highlands funnel through ravines and gaps in the hills, accelerating into violent williwaws. After getting boxed by stray squalls in Kangalaksiorvik Fjord, we tried to make sure to anchor in places facing across the axis of any hills to windward. It worked. Afterward, only once did we make such a mistake again, when we trusted the name Calm Cove on the south side of a mountainous landmass stretching west from Mugford Tickle. A frontal passage brought north-northeast gale winds that hurled down the river valley at the head of the anchorage. White-spume squalls raced across the bay, whipping up waterspouts; 40 hours of 50-plus-knot gusts made this a memorable visit. The 3⁄8-inch chain on our 72-pound Bruce anchor held well even though the boat tacked through 90 degrees, the gunwales hitting the sea. We did break a venerable 3⁄4-inch three-strand snubbing line and had to tie in a spare braid.

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ost of the fjords lie within Torngat Mountains National Park. The park’s base camp on

Saglek Bay aforded us a chance to see new faces after weeks in the wilderness. With a lecture/library tent, electric bear fence, helicopter, two ex-longliner tripper boats on moorings, hot showers, and cafeteria meals — civilization has some advantages — the camp hummed with students, geologists from Japan, Inuit children, and rifle-toting bear guards. South of Saglek, the coast returns to wilderness, with the exception of caretakers in Hebron, an old Moravian mission station being revamped as a historical monument. Both the base camp and Hebron stay open only about three months each summer.

When an east wind arrived, we sailed from Mugford Bay, avoiding the ofshore fog and swell. As we made our way south, a low, dense forest stretched behind the foreshore. Four wolves pranced at play on an open meadow. They spotted our movement and bounded into the green shadows as we pulled out cameras. Downwind, a black bear grazing through low grasses suddenly rose on his hind legs and swung his head, sniing.

Labrador fishermen of the past had a way with words. A “tickle” warned of a narrow

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Battle Harbour, a perfectly restored capital of the Labrador cod fisheries, provides a glimpse into the past (right).

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Nancy forages for mussels and blueberries at Challenger Point, Port Manvers (opposite bottom).

comes longliners from Newfoundland at the well-maintained wharf and has a small yard with the only Travelift in these northern waters. Yachts are also welcome. At the end of August we sailed to Cape Harrison, the only headland we couldn’t cheat. A wet northeasterly wind carried a bite of autumn. Running down big swells, we sent immense rafts of shearwaters flying, their wing beats loud over the water. Farther on, we passed a slew of little bays that had served as cod-fishing stations, with names like Indian Tickle and Ice Tickle.

At Hamilton Inlet, a vast wedge of

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e were on our way south and home after our third summer at the tip of the North American East Coast’s end. Now that it was August, Labrador was at its best: warmer air, fragrant meadows, and small flocks of eiders feeding for the flight south. The ice — both ofshore bergs from Greenland and the native winter floes — was mostly gone, except for a few persistent bits here and there. The sky stayed clear and the winds eased out before the autumn onslaught. Even the severe, stony mountains looked softer. At Nukasusutok Island, just south of Nain, the setting sun painted the bare rock clifs red.

We navigated mostly among islands, both for interest and safety, as the charts showed accurate depths along the “track usually followed” but only blank spaces farther out. Some major headlands required poking our bow into the big seas outside, but we were able to use tides to squeeze by inland of most of them. Three years ago, we’d been scared out of visiting Cape Harrigan Island by giant, confused swells and a lack of wind. Now we used the rising tide to sneak our 7-foot-draft vessel inland.

While waiting for the right tide in a bay on the north shore of the island, we trekked to the top and counted icebergs still afloat far ofshore. But we made sure to have our bear spray and noisemakers ready, as the area is a veritable black bear garden.

Normally you can’t dine out when cruising Labrador. In Hopedale, however, we had caribou burgers and caught up on emails in a restaurant overlooking the wharf. Hopedale was once the site of a Moravian mission to convert the Inuit to Protestant beliefs, foods and writing.

The mission buildings stood well maintained and included a museum. Hopedale was probably the northernmost harbor to see large numbers of the Newfoundland

WEATHER FORECASTS Excellent Canadian forecasts on the VHF cover the coast till just past Nain. Canadian Coast Guard Radio also transmits weather rom Hamilton Inlet’s Goose Bay on SSB radio 2598 kHz at 0707, 1137, 1737 and 2237 local time. At the northernmost regions, switch to Iqaluit Radio — 2582 kHz, 2514 kHz, 4363 kHz and 6507 kHz — at 1410 and 2235.

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Labrador was at its best: warmer air, fragrant meadows, and flocks of eiders feeding.

schooners that once worked the coast every summer to collect fish. For close to 300 years, cod fishing constituted the livelihood of thousands of people here. There were “livyers,” who came to fish and stayed in Labrador for good, and “floaters,” the seasonal fishermen from Newfoundland.

When a moratorium in 1992 closed the dying fishery, countless seasonal stations began to crumble.

Small-scale, strictly regulated fisheries continue for crab, shrimp and turbot.

The processing plant in Makkovik wel-

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passage, but a “rattle” was more serious.

Although the 25-mile Port Manvers run is more than a tickle, the tides race through the Second Rattle at the north end and the First Rattle at the south. We anchored of the northern end to time the currents.

Each morning, before going berrypicking ashore, we first made sure that the black bears had already made their rounds. In August, blueberries and cloudberries ripen, and bears like to eat them.

Most of our way south from Port Manvers led through inner channels interrupted by occasional sorties into the Labrador Sea. Wherever trees thickened and the land greened, there would be black bears.

Mostly on a vegetarian diet, they reputedly don’t attack people. Still, they tower over other American black bears and may not like competing foragers.

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We found cove after protected cove, joined by inner runs that used to shelter cod stations.

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the sea slices into the waist of Labrador for some 125 miles. It ends in Goose Bay, a major hub connected by roads and air to the rest of Canada. To us, the heart of Hamilton Inlet was in the Gannet Islands, just south of the mouth of the inlet. There aren’t any gannets there, but there are thousands upon thousands of puins and razorbills. The air was thick with birds streaking between the islands and the water at astonishing speeds. Stationary puins stood by the breeding burrows, and razorbill sentinels watched over their eggs, laid in the open on flat rocks. Protected from human invasion by law — and by 30 miles of open ocean from the closest town of Cartwright — this breeding colony thrives. The last researchers we heard of were chased from their hut by a polar bear stranded by receding ice.

Soon after leaving Hamilton Inlet, we followed the coast south. For the next 80 miles or so, we found cove after protected cove, joined by inner runs that used to shelter cod stations. Some houses still stand: piles of gray, weathered planks, a few maintained as summer cabins and used by descendants of the old fishing families who now live full time in half a dozen nearby

YACH T SE RV IC E S Yachts can tie up to all wharves ree of charge. Battle Harbour charges for dockage, although no supplies are available there. Diesel fuel can be attained by truck or jerry can in all towns. Water is sometimes available on the wharves. Grocery stores exist in Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Cartwright, Charlottetown, St. Lewis (Fox Harbour), Mary’s Harbour (a drive), Red Bay (a drive) and L’Anse-au-Loup. small towns. In one harbor, we slipped between the towering clifs of a long bay and then passed a ghost assemblage of timber sheds careening on broken legs into the sea. At low tide, the beaches around our anchorage appeared, covered with hundreds of scallop shells. On an island nearby, splashes of blue guano covered the rocks; gulls like blueberries too.

Cod wasn’t the only quarry in the sea.

There was a whale slaughterhouse started in Hawke Harbour in 1904 that lasted 55 years before being destroyed by fire — just about the time whales joined cod on the way to oblivion. Frances B had to squeeze by three awash rocks to reach the inner sanctuary of the harbor. Ahead, against a green slope glared an industrial dump of rusty red tanks and boilers. A gutted vessel leaned against the shore nearby.

We needed to top up our fuel and groceries. Conveniently, the wharf of a defunct Fox Harbour fish plant always keeps a free spot for a visiting yacht. Just behind the wharf began a planked trail with steps over the hills to the outer coast.

From the top, we could see dozens of blue

lakes to the northwest and sparkling white dots of ice on the ocean to the east. After tunneling through a tangled forest, we met a fork in the trail that descended to Deep Creek, once a small fishing hamlet, where heavy swell foamed almost all the way into a small cove.

“How hard was the life there?” I asked new acquaintances Elaine and Warrick Chubbs, sitting in their home in town.

“Well, it was handy to the cod-fishing grounds,” said Warrick, who grew up in Deep Creek. To keep the past alive, he maintains a fishing stage complete with boats and a cod-curing shed on the shore of Fox Harbour, a few steps down from their new house.

About an hour’s sail away lies Battle Harbour, with hot showers and laundry.

For more than 200 years — until 1992 — this was the virtual capital of Labrador fisheries, thronged with schooners and fishing boats. In 1909, explorer Robert Peary telegraphed the world of his success reaching the North Pole from the Battle Harbour Marconi station. Battle Harbour lives on as a museum; the village, fish factories, doctor and missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell’s clinic, and dories are preserved by the tenacity of the descendants of the old Labrador hands. During summers they come from Mary’s Harbour (10 miles away) to talk, in their lilting accents, of “them old days.” Tourists rumble to Battle Harbour from Mary’s Harbour on Iceberg Hunter, a venerable classic itself.

A strong northeaster filled in, and we carried the fair wind into the Strait of Belle Isle. The strait has a bad reputation for fog and odd currents, but this time luck was with us. Unexpectedly for September, Frances B passed a clatter of ice — what looked like tabletops, watchtowers and giant, glossy meringues. One icy hillside sloped into a flat skating rink that served as a beach to a harem of seals, only mildly stirred by the white apparition sailing silently by. And then, suddenly, it was all open water and fair wind until the west coast of Newfoundland.

Clockwise from top left: A harem of seals enjoy a free ride on an iceberg. Nancy takes in the dramatic coastline of Torngat Mountains National Park.

Puins have turned the Gannet Islands into their largest rookery in the Atlantic. All too often a huge, unwanted crop of seaweed emerged with the anchor.

Tom and Nancy Zydler are cruising the western coast of Greenland, north of the Arctic Circle.

AI DS TO NAVI GATI ON The Coast Guard maintains channel buoys up to the Nain area. Use the latest Canadian charting (paper and digital) to get the benefit of new surveys. We also recommend: Canadian Tide and Current Tables, Volume 1 and Volume 4 Canadian Sailing Directions ATL 121 and other volumes for Labrador as they become updated Cruising Guide to the Labrador, published by the members of the Cruising Club of America (Pilot Press; Weston, Massachusetts) Cruising Guide to Newfoundland, published by the members of the Cruising Club of America (Pilot Press; Weston, Massachusetts)

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strong southerly breeze blew over the sleepy seaside village of Port Townsend, Washington, on the morning of June 23, 2016, just in time for the start of the second annual Race to Alaska (R2AK), a

“human-powered” contest that takes racers to Ketchikan by way of Victoria, British Columbia, and the inside passage separating Vancouver Island from the mainland. While other teams synced their starts with the race committee’s gunshot, the Navocean team opted to let the fleet go before placing Nav2, their autonomous surface vehicle, into the still-ebbing tide. Nav2 immediately started fetching her waypoints while her creators followed astern in a RIB, hoping that the wind would hold and that their tidy ASV would beat the next tide cycle.

COURTESY OF NAVOCEAN

An early prototype of Nav2 plies East Coast waters while collecting data for scientific research.

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Ethan Arutunian and Stuart Lochner pose with Nav2 after a test sail at Seattle’s Shilshole Marina (above). The brain behind Nav2’s operations consists of a computer, scientific instrumentation and communications equipment (opposite).

a skilled boatbuilder, launched a rough remote-controlled prototype, dubbed MiniNav, which the team used to test hull shape and sail configurations.

Beyond their mutual interest in the design challenge of building an ASV, Arutunian and Duncan also share a strong interest in marine science. Arutunian had spent time at sea monitoring sperm whales of of Norway, and had sailed with Duncan from Maine to the Caribbean to make passive acoustic recordings of these charismatic creatures. He had experienced firsthand the physical and psychological

the team their design brief. “The overall concept was to build an advanced form of an ocean buoy,” says Duncan, Navocean’s chief designer. Instead of focusing on high-speed sailing performance (Nav2’s top speed is 3 to 4 knots), the team focused on stability, operational silence, and the ability to negotiate a wide range of ofshore conditions.

Like many startup ventures, Navocean experienced some starts and stops as Arutunian and Duncan balanced their professional and family lives with their nascent company. Thanks to a small grant

from the Maine Technology Institute in 2004, the pair built a second-generation boat in 2004 that incorporated a specialized computer, a more developed hull form, and more advanced autonomoussailing capabilities, but Arutunian and Duncan still were not satisfied. Some years passed, but in this case, the extra time brought with it significant advances in technology, such as miniaturized sensors and touchscreen-enabled mobile devices, as well as app-based software and graphically rich and intuitive user interfaces. Couple this with the advent of the Automatic Identification System and new scientific instruments, and the team had some powerful new tools at their disposal.

While the original MiniNav showed promise, Arutunian knew that future vessels would have to be fully autonomous and capable of carrying a sizable scientific payload to attract the attention of scientists and research universities. While the team’s second-generation ASV marked an evolution over its prototype, a purchase order from the University of Maine in 2014 allowed Arutunian and Duncan to build a larger, third-generation vessel, Nav3, with sensors for data collection as part of NOAA’s Northeast Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems.

2015, Arutunian and Duncan designed and built a brandnew fourth-generation ASV, which they named Nav2 in reference to its 2-meter LOA. They set out to use the 2016 R2AK, which had swept up the sailing community with its media-friendly 2015 debut, to demonstrate its capabilities on an international stage. While Duncan tackled the hull form, appendages and sail plan, Arutunian wrote all of the vesseloperations software and developed an app for controlling the ASV that can be run on smartphones, tablets or computers, giving the team a huge amount of operational flexibility. He also custom-built the ASV’s “brain,” which consists of a computer, server, scientific instrumentation and communications infrastructure. This equipment is contained in a watertight box — complete with temperature and moisture sensors — inside the hull, which is also watertight.

To navigate and sail, Nav2 carries a GPS receiver, Airmar wind sensor, listen-only AIS receiver, electronic compass and pitch-heading-roll sensor, which is used to make compass corrections. An autopilot maintains course, an unstayed carbonfiber mast supports the mainsail-and-jib sail plan, and a small, anti-jamming winch controls Nav2’s two-line sheeting system. In case Nav2 gets stuck in irons or is dealt a windless day, the boat is fitted with

DAVID SCHMIDT

ravages of seasickness while trying to write computer code belowdecks in a heaving seaway. In addition, he understood the pecuniary limitations of manned research vessels. “It’s so expensive today to send a team on a research boat and deploy your instrument for a week, once a year, to get that little snapshot of data,” says Arutunian, who adds that just chartering a research vessel for a scientific expedition can exceed $50,000 per day.

This dual interest in ASV technology and scientific research ultimately gave

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do many great sailing-related ventures, the Navocean project began over a bottle of wine.

The year was 2000, and Ethan Arutunian and Scott Duncan, two friends who met at Whitman College, were pondering a model sailboat, wondering how far such a craft could travel on the open ocean, sans active remote control or human input. The idea of building an autonomous sailboat sounded better and better as the wine bottle emptied, and later that year, Arutunian, a talented software developer, and Duncan,

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a small electric thruster, which the team had to remove to comply with the R2AK’s rules, but which will be aboard any ASVs deployed for scientific research.

Power is a precious commodity on any boat, and Nav2 runs on two lithium iron phosphate batteries that provide 40 amphours, as well as on four deck-mounted solar panels (rated to 35 watts in full sun) that trickle-charge the house batteries.

Arutunian says Nav2 uses just half an amp-hour per hour to operate under normal conditions, giving it an 80-hour range without any topping of; this range can be increased by decreasing sample and reporting rates.

Nav2 is governed by a series of algorithms that allow the boat to navigate.

It’s important to remember that just like an autopilot, Nav2 can’t anticipate oncoming pufs or wave sets, but instead reacts to changes in conditions. The algorithms rely on a series of performance notches that trigger the vessel to adjust trim. For example, if the apparent-wind angle is 120 degrees, Nav2’s program tells it to pay out a set amount of sheet; if the angle decreases to 90 degrees, Arutunian’s code automatically instructs the winch to pull in the sails by a designated amount.

“It will trim to every sail angle,” says Arutunian, “and it has the smarts to know when to tack upwind.”

Nav2 is also capable of navigating shallow waters — a challenge for the larger, more complex ASVs and underwater drones currently used to gather data. To meet the team’s scientific goals, Nav2 is designed to carry 25 pounds of scientific instruments, with bursts of up to 50 watts of onboard power available. Nav2 features transducer housings for an acoustic Doppler current profiler, which allows scientists to quantify how quickly water is moving across a given water column; a conductivity and temperature sensor, which is used to study physical properties of ocean water, including water salinity and heat; and a fluorometer, which is used to measure the intensity of fluorescence (i.e., the emission of light from algae or other ocean flora). Additionally, Nav2 can deploy towed sensors, and it can be fitted with bespoke instrumentation and sensors.

Not surprisingly, Nav2 carries a sophisticated communications system, which it uses to upload data, receive navigation instructions (such as new waypoints or data-sampling patterns), and report on any AIS crossing situations. Arutunian points to this communication system — which consists of Wi-Fi, a cellular modem and an Iridium modem — as the project’s most time-consuming work. Because Nav2 will upload data via an expensive Iridium connection when it’s ofshore,

DESIGN C O N S I D E R AT I O N S Scott Duncan says the team’s first-generation MiniNav featured a double-ended canoe design. Nav2 maintains this shape in her bow sections, which Duncan says offers a good balance between reserve buoyancy and the ability to negotiate seas, but the team’s most recent ASV features a traditional transom and sheer line, with a length of 6.5 feet and a narrow-beam hull (20 inches at the widest point). A deepdraft keel (2.5 feet) provides stability and righting moment, while a relatively short rudder (roughly 8 inches deep) provides steerage.

Duncan constructed the hull’s topsides and undercarriage using S-fiberglass and epoxy, which he hand-laid over impact-absorbing foam, leaving epoxy-coated foam for her watertight interior. The deck is also built using a foam core sandwiched between layers of S-glass, and carbon-fiber reinforcements are used throughout the vessel. All up, including its navigational electronics and instrumentation, Nav2 weighs just 85 pounds and can carry an additional 25 pounds.

“She is a displacement-hull vessel, designed to perform well at low speed,” says Duncan, who explains that faster speeds introduce unwanted “noise” to the vessel’s scientific instrumentation. While some noise can be filtered out (such as the sound of the rudder’s actuator), simply operating at slower speeds makes the platform more viable for scientific research. But to be successful in its research goals, the vessel has to be seaworthy.

“The vehicle must be able to navigate a broad range of conditions,” says Duncan. “If we’re not collecting data, we’re not doing much.”

part of Arutunian’s challenge was to minimize the volume of data that needs to be transmitted. He achieved this by adding data compression to the system. As a result, each of Nav2’s reports contains a mere 150 bytes of burst data.

Shoreside, Nav2 is controlled by Arutunian’s custom app, which allows users to set new waypoints, manually trim the sails, and monitor Nav2’s various navigation and scientific instruments.

While almost all of the vessel’s operations are autonomous, the ASV is designed to alert the Navocean team of any threatening AIS crossing situations via email and SMS text message; these are manually

negotiated — via the app — to ensure that humans are highly involved with Nav2’s collision-avoidance scheme.

Unfortunately, despite plenty of eyes being fixated on Nav2 during her R2AK attempt, the strong southerly breeze died before the ASV reached the Strait of Juan de Fuca. When a powerful 10-hour flood tide began pressing her back toward Port Townsend, the Navocean team made the call to abandon racing, as mathematically there was no way that Nav2 could reach Victoria within the mandated 36-hour window.

While the Navocean team wasn’t thrilled with this tidal setback, the success of an identical ASV, currently searching for harmful algae blooms of the Florida coast, more than satisfied their proof-ofconcept testing. The team plans to market their autonomous vehicles to universities, scientists and research groups at a price point between $70,000 and $100,000 (depending on instrumentation). Here the Navocean team believes they have another advantage, as many other ASVs on the market can cost north of $250,000.

To further lower the barrier to entry, they are also considering rental schemes to make the technology available to students and researchers who have more modest funding. “These things have the potential to change the whole research-gathering world,” says Arutunian.

Additionally, the Navocean team foresees possible government and military interest in tiny, near-silent ASVs that can patrol otherwise desolate waters for up to six months at a time without maintenance.

“One of the potential uses of these drones is that we can gather AIS data from places that no one is getting it right now,” says Stuart Lochner, who joined the Navocean team in 2015 to help with sales and mission support. “All that data is being sent to us; we could then provide it to servers like MarineTraic. So this is potentially a data portal, or a water-based repeater, for places where they don’t get AIS traic right now.

The military and U.S. Coast Guard are the kind of people who like to know what kind of traic is out there.”

So while Nav2 may never win an ofshore sailboat race, there’s little question that this multipurpose ASV represents a huge advancement. With Nav2’s ability to autonomously sail from one area of study to the next, negotiate shallow depths, and transmit highly compressed data with its (relatively) moderate price tag, odds are good that a project that began with a bottle of wine, a simple model sailboat, and a dream could have far-reaching impacts on the scientific community.

David Schmidt is CW’s electronics editor.

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1 S E C U R IT Y B Y D E S I G N A stem-to-stern inspection of any offshore cruising boat reveals the critical items and areas that must be addressed for safe voyaging.

BY ALVAH SIMON

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ALVAH SIMON

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he judges of the Cruising World Boat of the Year contest, a panel I’ve served on several times, often disagree about what makes a boat aesthetically pleasing, a good performer, or suitable for a stated purpose. But when it comes to what makes a boat safe, we all harmonize from the same hymnbook. After all, Mother Nature throws enough risk at us via wind, waves and shoal waters. We don’t need to carry our own hazards along with us when we leave the dock.

As an ofshore sailor, I ask the same simple question whenever I first step aboard a boat: “What structure stands between me and the deep blue sea?” Pushpits, pulpits and stanchions should exceed the ABYC minimum requirement of 24 inches in height, be robust enough to withstand the forces of a large human body being violently tossed across the deck, and have no built-in “boat bites,” like sharp angles or protrusions. I prefer the old-fashioned way of

Mast pulpits (aka “granny” or “sissy” bars) provide a safe, sound working space but must be properly installed to do so. The ones on the Passport 545 (left) are strong, high and well positioned. However, the custom pulpits on this 47-footer (right) are rendered useless because there is no room to even fix a winch handle, let alone operate one.

anchoring these features with a bulwark, as the rise on the side deck creates an eicient fastening system and removes any potential toe-stubbing

hardware from the deck itself.

Such bulwarks also enclose the side decks and capture the feet when one moves forward while on a pronounced

heel. The little windage they add is a small price to pay for keeping the decks dry without actually raising them further of the sea.

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Which leads to the next concern: In an attempt to maximize interior volume, modern designers are tempted to simply raise the entire deck structure. Yet if this is done without commensurate addition to draft and ballast ratio, increasing the static stability (known as metacentric height), one feels as if the boat is malevolently trying to pitch the crew into the unforgiving ocean; it is. The characteristics of tracking, pitch, yaw, heel, reserve buoyancy, and the penchant to broach are collectively known as “seakindliness.” Out there on an open sea, that quality is far more important than the color of the cushions.

Nonskid is my next priority, because a fall creates no minor injury a thousand miles ofshore. The nonskid should

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Clockwise from top left: The short length of this traveler will have little efect on mainsail trim, but will be a toe-stubber.

This cockpit scupper should have a screen to prevent clogging. This jib sheet runs exactly where someone will step when exiting the cockpit to go forward. Clearly labeled rope clutches make for safe line handling. While it may seem convenient to run all lines to one location, as on this cat, in practice it can lead to a Gordian knot of sheets and halyards. The clearance beneath these handrails tapers too sharply, which can jam fingers. The long lacing on these trampolines may let a foot slip through.

be aggressive and strategically placed. To determine where I actually need nonskid, I walk barefoot on the dock for a few minutes to get my feet dirty, and then go for an afternoon sail. Back at the dock, I find the tracks of my day written on the deck, and inevitably find footprints on large and slippery hatches, sloping cabin sides, cockpit coamings, and points of exit and entry onto the boat. Even if changed to a less aggressive and more attractive style, the nonskid should run below, onto the companionway steps and the saloon sole. This is a hightraic area, often wet and too often steep. The steps should have the shallowest inclination possible, with captured sides or significant bevels.

“One hand for yourself and one for the ship” only works when there are numerous and accessible handholds. I follow those same dirty footprints

ALVAH SIMON

Handholds can be misplaced and misshapen.

Slide your hand down the length of any handhold to see if it tapers into sharp angles that can jam and break fingers.

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and ensure that there are stout handholds all the way forward and aft that are not impossibly low to grasp. But handholds can be misplaced and misshapen. I slide my hand down the length of any handhold to see if it tapers into sharp angles that can jam and break fingers.

Handholds alone cannot guarantee that no one ever goes overboard. Thus the placement of padeyes for safety lanyards is important, as is the long and unobstructed run of strong jacklines. The aforementioned “one hand for yourself ” is most diicult when you’re working at the mast, and no number of lines running aft to the cockpit can ensure that one never has to go forward.

I love to see mast pulpits installed, but they need to

ALVAH’S TIP

ALVAH SIMON

I love mast pulpits, but only if they are high enough to lean safely back upon and placed far enough from the mast to allow winch operation in a strong working posture.

november/december 2016

be high enough for a sailor to lean safely back upon, and placed far enough back from the mast to allow one to operate the winch handles in a strong working posture.

Along those same lines, clear labeling of every line at the mast and the cockpit clutches greatly reduces the risk of, for example, accidentally releasing the topping lift and dropping the boom into the cockpit.

This should go without saying, but alas, it does not: The boom must be of suicient height and placement that it never, ever comes into contact with the human head.

Especially when the bridgedeck is elevated, the main companionway is Concussion Central, and at the least, there needs to be a strong dodger protecting emerging crew.

Trying to retrieve a life raft covered with wet lines and fenders from the bottom of

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Clockwise from top: The galley aboard this Beneteau 60 is well designed, with rounded corners, deep fiddles, strong handholds and secured countertop lids.

The enclosed galley on this 58-foot catamaran will keep the cook secure in a seaway, but note the sharp corners on the counters. On the Jeanneau 54, the expansive accommodation plan and saloon are divided into contained areas for safety in a rough sea. Everything about the galley on this Hallberg-Rassy spells safety: the enclosed area, fastened stove and recessed knobs, and the close attention to detail with fiddles, corners and handholds.

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a deep locker does not constitute a proper deployment system. The raft must be well secured yet accessible.

A designated locker is best, as rafts lashed to the deck or mounted on the rails may be damaged or even carried away by extreme seas. Ironically, the most popular location is on the cabin top, under the boom. The destabilizing efects of a heavy raft being installed that high above the water aside, it is logical to assume that the conditions that force one to abandon ship will be rough indeed.

Trying to deploy a raft from that height, just beneath a wildly swinging boom, is not the ideal scenario.

Even though most boats are owned by couples, when passagemaking, usually only one person is at the helm. It

ALVAH’S TIP

Clockwise from top left: The companionway steps on the Italia 13.98 are generously scalloped and have aggressive nonskid; also note the fire-suppression port, under the top step, into the engine room. Likewise, the steps on the Beneteau 60 boast a shallow inclination, good depth, proper nonskid and excellent handrails. This 43-foot Hallberg-Rassy has a companionway ladder that’s wide, deep, and has captured ends. The clear washboards on this Grand Soleil promote good communication between those topside and below.

You can tell quite a bit about builders’ attention to detail by their respective propane lockers. The one on the left is dangerously ill-conceived. The bottles can’t be fastened, the gauge is impossible to read, the gas line chafes against the entry hole, and the vents are plugged by lines that have been carelessly tossed in. The Oyster 475 (right) has a good example of a proper propane locker. The bottles are secured, the hose has extra length, the locker bottom is well ventilated, the regulator is sealed of against salt water, and the lid is well gasketed.

is essential that he or she has unobstructed access to the main and headsail sheets in the event of knockdown gusts or a sudden emergency. Visibility from the helm is another safety concern, not just forward and for periodic 360-degree sweeps, but up to the sails and masthead wind indicator.

On one of my Pacific crossings, four out of four Maydays I heard on the radio were related to steering failure.

As the simplicity of tiller steering is replaced by wheel and pedestal, it is essential that the steering mechanisms be carefully designed, properly installed, and accessible for regular inspection and maintenance. However, none of these precautions is foolproof. The emergency steering system must be easy to engage, positioned in such a manner that it provides the helmsperson with safe visibility, and able to create ample

ALVAH SIMON

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Ideally, galleys should be U-shaped or L-shaped to keep the cook secure. All cabinetry corners must be rounded. The stove must be properly gimbaled and fiddled.

next trip is to the bilge, to ensure that there is a proper collection sump, plenty of large limber holes, and an electric bilge pump with a capacity of 2,000 gallons per hour or more. An automatic float switch should be connected to this pump. There should be a large manual pump in the cockpit, preferably a double-action model.

All pumps should have intake screens accessible for cleaning.

I prefer acrylic washboards, which allow for visual communication between the cockpit and below. However, I feel strongly that those

washboards should not be tapered slide-ins, but rather hinged, drop-down and recessed, or even saloon-

ALVAH’S TIP I consider hidden dangers behind the exterior finish, such as jagged glasswork and exposed wires, to be canaries in the mine shaft, possibly indicating style over substance.

style swing doors. It is nearly impossible to slide out two tapered boards, step over the remaining one, and replace

ALVAH SIMON

The life-raft locker on the Bavaria Open 40 secures the raft well, is not too deep, and is located in a safe area for deployment (left). While a locker is preferable, this rail mount is specifically designed to keep the essential life raft from being washed away (right).

The transom locker on this pocket cruiser, exposed to the fury of the sea, compromises the boat’s integrity because it drains directly into the bilge (left). Boat bites come in many forms, and in this instance as a very sharp cabinetry corner (right).

them before gale-force winds whip them overboard or the next wave hits. I also look for dual-access latches on the main hatch, which do not lock anyone either on deck or below, as does the traditional dead-man bolting system.

Liquefied-petroleum gas tanks must be secured in a locker that vents overboard.

I trace the gas hose back to the stove, looking for sharp bends or areas of chafe where it passes through bulkheads.

The hose must have suicient slack in it to avoid taking the force of the full gimbal on the marine stove.

Ideally, the galley should be U-shaped or L-shaped to keep the cook secure. All cabinetry corners in areas of high traic must be rounded. The stove must be properly gimbaled and fiddled to keep heavy pots of boiling liquid from launching themselves across the cabin.

Heavy Corian sink and stove lids should be securable so they do not become deadly missiles in a knockdown situation.

Fire extinguishers and fire blankets must have designated stations at opposite ends of the vessel. The engine cover should have a marked port that a fire extinguisher can shoot through into the engine room without letting in a flood of fire-fanning oxygen.

I consider hidden dangers behind the exterior finish, such as jagged glasswork, protruding bolts, frayed cable and exposed electrical wires, to be canaries in the mine shaft. They portend more trouble and perhaps the manufacturer’s penchant for prioritizing style over substance. In short, a safe boat is usually a good boat. When searching for your next dream boat or refurbishing the cherished old one you already have, take a day to scour it stem to stern, focused on safety issues alone. This will pay dividends in health and happiness for years to come.

Two-time circumnavigator Alvah Simon is the author of North to the Night, a critically acclaimed first-person account of his winter in the Arctic.

93 november/december 2016

steering leverage to maneuver the vessel without completely exhausting the crew.

The latest trend in openended transoms all but eliminates the issue of slow-draining cockpits. But for those boats with more traditional enclosed cockpits, I always check the number and diameter of the scuppers, as well as their screens.

No drainage system, however, can guarantee the absence of downflooding in extreme circumstances. Nor does the ingress of water always come from the companionway. Therefore my

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HANDS-ON SAILOR

HANDS-ON SAILOR

2 WHEN YOU ARE THE FIRST RESPONDER Fo r m a n y c r u i s i n g s a i l o rs , f i rs t - a i d t r a i n i n g a n d p r e p a r a t i o n a r e

to handle anything the sea might hand us, I thought.

But we weren’t prepared.

And from everything I’ve gathered, neither are most sailors who set out on extended cruises.

A sailboat is a hazardous platform in a hostile environment. People on sailboats

afterthoughts, but they should be at the top of the to-do list before heading offshore.

SAFETY AT SEA

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W

hen I decided to sail across the Atlantic aboard Ranger, my 30-year-old Allied Seabreeze yawl, I spent a year refitting her.

I slept with and dreamed about marine catalogs, and spent thousands of dollars on things to keep the boat moving and the crew aboard

BY JIM CARRIER

(see “Ranger’s Refit — and the Real Rewards,” June 2003).

A month before departure, my first mate, a trusted, levelheaded sailor and nurse, called with bad news. He had just been diagnosed as HIV positive.

Suddenly, my nightmares of a man overboard or a hole in the hull became visions of bleeding cuts, gloves, barriers,

sanitation, and dealing in close quarters with a sick man still juggling his new medical cocktail. It was the first time I’d thought about the health of my crew.

Ultimately, he elected not to go, as did my third crewman. The nurse packed a first-aid kit, and I threw it under the sink and took of with two strangers, prepared

MEDICAL TIP Don’t wait until the last minute to think about a first-aid kit or medical training. There are many steps you can take before shoving off to ensure that you’re prepared for emergencies.

get cut, conked, bruised and burned, and can become nauseated, crushed, dehydrated, cold and sprained — and those are just the common problems. Sailors also bring

There are several companies and organizations that ofer comprehensive first-aid kits, such as this one from the Divers Alert Network. Another service that DAN provides is called DanBoater, an afordable medical-emergency system with paramedics on call 24/7 on a dedicated hotline.

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HANDS-ON SAILOR

COURTESY OF FOWEY MARITIME CENTRE (BOTTOM); STEPHEN FRINK

Inexpensive and widely available, resuscitation masks are now standard equipment in many ofshore sailors’ first-aid kits (top). The ready-to-use device allows you to give immediate respiratory support to a patient without compromising yourself. Hands-on medical training aboard a yacht, such as that ofered by the Fowey Maritime Centre in the United Kingdom, is an excellent way to learn the basics in real-world situations (above).

95 november/december 2016

There is growing interest in training sailors in first aid.

Here are some U.S. resources: US Sailing (ussailing.org) organizes regular Safety at Sea Seminars for ofshore racing and cruising sailors.

The Newport Bermuda Race (bermudarace.com) requires two crew with first-aid or CPR training.

There is also an ER doctor standing by for telephone and email consultation for the entire race.

Divers Alert Network has launched DanBoater (danboater.org), an inexpensive ($60-$100 a year) worldwide medicalemergency service that last year received 5,000 hotline calls. Paramedics are on duty 24/7. Local DAN ailiates also provide first-aid training.

MedAire (medaire.com), whose clients include megayachts, packs a sophisticated Global MedKit for 10 to 40 people. Using the kit requires training.

The American Red Cross (redcross.org), the American Heart Association (heart .org) and the National Safety Council (nsc.org) ofer firstaid classes for various levels of expertise.

Extensive wilderness survival training is available from the National Outdoor Leadership School (nols .edu) and Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (soloschools.com). The Maine-based Wilderness Medical Associates (wildmed.com) teaches a three-day ofshoreemergency medicine course.

These programs often provide more useful skills and in-depth knowledge than average first-aid classes.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary (cgaux.org), Power Squadrons (usps.org), the BoatUS Foundation (boatus .com) and many state agencies ofer boating safety courses, some of them online.

The U.S. Coast Guard has a mobile app (uscg.mil/mobile) with a basic safety checklist.

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FIRST-AID RESOURCES

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Are you prepared for health emergencies when you go sailing? Here is a checklist of procedures and practices that can help: First-aid or wilderness training. Two days is recommended for the skipper and another crewmember designated as health oicer.

A first-aid kit with fresh supplies that match crew training and expertise. Include latex gloves, face masks and CPR barriers. Check expiration dates, because some medicines, such as Tylenol 3 and Vicodin, become toxic when outdated.

A satellite phone, cellphone, VHF or working email account to call for advice, help or evacuation. Crew must be trained on these tools’ use. Post telephone numbers and email addresses somewhere visible.

A written crew health history including pre-existing conditions and medicines.

Injury-prevention tools, including PFDs, jacklines, shoes, gloves, water and dry clothing.

Pot clamps for galley stoves.

Also use a pressure cooker and galley straps. Wear a long apron when cooking, and put knives away. If seas are rough, eat peanut butter sandwiches rather than light the stove.

Handholds throughout the boat. Many boats usually need more.

Practice “what if ” scenarios — as you would for equipment failures — involving a range of injuries and conditions.

Take any injury seriously, especially if it impacts the head.

Try seasickness medicine ashore for possible side efects. Get fit. Bring enough prescription meds.

Learn how to use a blood pressure cuf, take a pulse, and take a temperature. Learn basic anatomy and the language of first aid. When you are beyond your knowledge and not comfortable, call for help.

first responders. Yet most of us are untrained.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, in 2015 in U.S. waters, 5,560 boats were involved in accidents with injuries or deaths. Only five — five! —

my first-aid kit appropriate?

Do I know how to use it? Do I know what is in it?” says Dr. Jefrey Wisch, a sailor, hematologist, and oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and the fleet surgeon of the Cruising Club of America, which runs the Newport Bermuda Race.

One study of transatlantic sailors by a French physician found that half of them waited until the final month prior to departure to think about a first-aid kit. Fifteen percent didn’t deal with it until two weeks before setting sail, reports David Hayes, a University of Quebec chiropractic professor and sailor who teaches seminars for the World Cruising Club.

Hayes’ own survey of hundreds of sailors in the World Cruising Club’s rallies indicates that 65 percent wait

MEDICAL TIP Master these easily learned first-aid sail: taking vital signs, treating burns, making splints and stopping bleeding.

Suture strips are a quick and easy way to address cuts or wounds temporarily without the need for actual sutures or surgery needles (top). Also known as butterfly closures, these adhesive bandage strips are applied across the laceration in a manner that pulls the skin on each side of the wound together. The American Red Cross is yet another organization that ofers compact first-aid kits (above).

are not prepared for medical emergencies,” says Dr. Miles Poor, a surgeon, ofshore sailing veteran, and longtime fleet surgeon to the Caribbean 1500. Because Americans are used to a “911 mindset,” he says, we forget that even a mile ofshore, we must be our own

of the skippers involved had American Red Cross first-aid training.

“People get drawn toward gadgets: Do I have the right sails? Do I have the right navigation tools? That’s great. But we need to think through the medical side of things, too. Is

least 20 days at sea with her husband and children.

“If there’s an emergency, you won’t have time to pick up a book,” Hayes says. “There are steps you need to take, that you need to be trained for.”

Medical experts can ruin your daydreams with accounts of ofshore emergencies: fingers cut of by fishing line, then cauterized in a frying pan in the middle of the Indian Ocean; a painful, untended dislocated shoulder during 15-foot waves from Hurricane Mitch; a mid-Atlantic lurch that knocked a sailor into a winch and left him brain-dead;

STEPHEN FRINK; COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS (BOTTOM)

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A FIRST-AID CHECKLIST

with them an encyclopedia of pre-existing medical conditions, from obesity and age to heart disease and diabetes. All are compounded by the isolation of a vessel at sea.

“The majority of sailors

MEDICAL TIP Most problems can be addressed with some common-sense forethought: good hygiene and hydration, adequate sleep, seasickness medication, wearing shoes and gloves, and always clipping in your PFD.

the monkey, and 3) don’t ride the elephant! He’s half-joking, of course, but there’s a lesson in there, too. Common sense can go a long way toward preventing mishaps.

Two people have died in 30 years of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, both after being struck in the head by a boom.

But the most common injuries have been galley cooking burns, followed by rope burns (some down to the bone), cuts, punctures from fishhooks and knives, and many blunt traumas — bruises, bumps and broken bones — caused by falling around the boat, says Jeremy Wyatt, World Cruising’s director.

There are many easily learned first-aid techniques that cruising sailors can master: taking vital signs, treating burns, making splints and stopping bleeding.

“First-aid training has prevented a bad situation from becoming worse,” says Wyatt.

“Eight years ago, one sailor broke his arm and sufered a puncture wound. The crew had the perfect dressing and splint, and thought about where to put the sailor, in a bunk where he couldn’t move. That was a well-prepared crew.”

The vast majority of the 2,613 injuries and 626 deaths reported by the Coast Guard

in 2015 were preventable.

Drinking alcohol and not wearing a PFD were often contributing factors. “The first thing that goes onto a boat is a full cooler,” says Vann Burgess, the Coast Guard’s senior recreational-boating safety specialist. “People never expect to enter the water. Any sailor should be wearing a life jacket. It will keep you alive.”

Most problems can be prevented or treated with some training and common-sense forethought: simple stuf like hygiene, hydration, adequate sleep, seasickness pills, wearing shoes and gloves, and wearing a clipped-in PFD. First-aid kits should contain supplies that a crew can use.

A suture or IV kit is useless without training. But you can use suture strips, and knowing just a little anatomy will help describe symptoms when you call for help.

As much as I pride myself on CPR and defibrillator training, I have learned that ofshore, it might help in a drowning or shock but would not likely save a cardiac arrest, because of the need for follow-up meds. The $2,000 spent on an automatic external defibrillator “could be better spent on first-aid training,” says Wisch.

“Sailors think about doomsday scenarios on their boats,” says Hayes, “but appendicitis can happen to anyone, and that’s lifethreatening. They need to be prepared for anything. The statistics say anything can and will happen.”

Miles Poor tells his ofshore classes: “In an hour, I’m not going to try to make you a doctor. But I want to make you realize that if you ask questions and can relay symptoms, you can go safely ofshore, never have an issue, and have a good time.”

Transatlantic veteran Jim Carrier is a former awardwinning journalist for The Denver Post and the author of The Ship and the Storm, a riveting account of the loss of the 282-foot schooner Fantome during Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

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a Gulf Stream chin laceration that required 12 sutures from Wisch — each stitch timed between waves.

Cruisers also explore exotic and primitive places. Daniel Nord, director of medical services for the Divers Alert Network, which reviews 5,000 calls for help a year, lists three pieces of advice: 1) Don’t rent a motor scooter, 2) don’t pet

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3 T O R N A D O E S AT S E A Though it’s traumatic to encounter a tropical waterspout, they’ re hardly a rare occurrence.

BY S COTT NEUMAN

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P repare yourself for what to do when you catch one spinning off the horizon .

SAFETY AT SEA

W

ith barely enough breeze to fill the sails on Symbiosis, our Tayana 37, we ghosted south through the Caicos Passage, heading toward the Dominican Republic. A wall of cumulus clouds stretched to the east beside us, looking only slightly menacing. Suddenly, a dark funnel descended from the sky several miles ahead. My pulse quickened. I put my

wife, Noi, on the helm and went forward to douse the main.

The next several minutes were spent in full-throttle maneuvers aimed at skirting the waterspout, which had thickened somewhat and taken on a more ominous vortex shape. Ultimately, our eforts

proved unnecessary, and the funnel disappeared into the squall line as quickly as it had formed.

At the time, what we experienced seemed like a freak occurrence. Later, as I did more research, I discovered that tornadoes at sea are not at all unusual and

Cool air plus warm water can spell waterspout. Tornadic waterspouts thrive on warm, humid conditions that would normally spawn thunderstorms.

POLINA SHUVAEVA/ISTOCKPHOTO

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WEATHER TIP Always move at right angles to the apparent path of a waterspout. The funnel of the spout will tilt away from the accompanying showers, which is in the direction it’s moving.

virtually all over the world. Their “capital� is Key West, where 100 to 500 of them form each year from about mid-May to late September within a 35-nautical-mile radius of the city. Other waterspout hot spots include the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Most are “fair-weather� waterspouts, tending to be relatively small. These are usually short-lived, lasting no more than about 12 minutes from formation to demise. By contrast, tornadic waterspouts are larger and can live up to 30 minutes, Golden says.

The typical waterspout is between 10 and 20 meters in diameter, but the largest of them can be 100 meters across. “Those big ones are almost invariably going to be the most dangerous,� he says.

Their destructive power is measured with the same yardstick used for landbased tornadoes: the Enhanced Fujita, or EF, scale. Waterspouts are often weaker than their land-based cousins, ranging from EF0 to occasionally as high as EF2.

That’s still plenty dangerous, Golden notes. At the top end, wind speeds can reach more than 175 knots.

For fair-weather waterspouts to form,

all you need is suiciently cool air over warm water. Tornadic waterspouts thrive on warm, humid conditions that would normally produce thunderstorms, explains Wade Szilagyi, director of the Toronto-based International Centre for Waterspout Research. “Larger weather systems do not necessarily have to be present,� Szilagyi says. “However, cold fronts and squall lines are favorable for waterspout development.�

Golden says large waterspouts usually occur in a slightly disturbed environment. “For example,� he says, “there may be a weak tropical wave that’s afecting the Keys. The largest waterspouts that I have documented occurred in those conditions.�

Waterspouts develop most often from about noon until late afternoon or early evening, going through several phases as they do so. They start out as a dark spot on the water, distinguishable from the air but not easily noticed from the deck of a sailboat. The ďŹ rst feature noticeable from sea level is a swirling column of wind-driven surface water known as a “spray ring,â€? which precedes the distinctive funnel vortex. Winds at the base of the waterspout, even the smallest ones, reach at least 45 knots, Golden says. “Any sailing craft that is caught in even a smaller waterspout is in signiďŹ cant danger,â€? he adds. “It isn’t the winds that are going to hurt you; it’s the ying debris from your own boat,â€? Golden says. “I have seen reports from cargo ships in the channel between Taiwan and mainland China that have been hit broadside and have had large containers thrown around the decks, doing a lot of damage.â€?

What should you do if you encounter a waterspout at sea, as we did aboard Symbiosis? “Always move at right angles to the apparent direction of a waterspout,�

Szilagyi advises.

But determining the direction of travel takes a bit of skill. “If you hold your index ďŹ nger in front of the funnel and it’s looming larger, sail or motor at 90 degrees, either right or left,â€? Szilagyi says. “Keep in mind the relation of the spout to any neighboring showers (at the water’s surface). The funnel will tilt away from the showers — that’s the direction it’s moving.â€?

Waterspouts’ speed of motion — 10 to 15 knots — is slower than land-based tornadoes, but still much faster than most of us can sail or motor. So don’t try to outrun a waterspout along its axis of forward motion.

If you should be so unlucky as to ďŹ nd yourself in imminent contact with a waterspout, you could be dismasted, and

99 november/december 2016

are actually quite common in tropical waters. In fact, we were to encounter two more of them weeks later, of the south coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Even so, I had no idea of which conditions are conducive to waterspout formation, how dangerous they are, how long they typically last, or, most importantly, how to avoid them when sailing. None of the fellow cruisers I spoke with could help either. So I decided to call a few experts to get their thoughts on the subject.

Joseph Golden is a retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologist who is said to know more about waterspouts than anyone else in the world. Beginning in 1967, he helped document hundreds of waterspouts in the Florida Keys over roughly a decade-long period, even taking measurements inside them from the cockpit of a ruggedized World War II training vessel.

While incidents of damage and loss of life at sea from waterspouts are rare, there are occasional documented examples.

Golden says that waterspouts can be found

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any loose objects on deck would become “airborne missiles,” Golden says. He suggests going below deck to avoid flying debris, but notes that there’s a real risk of capsize, especially on a smaller boat.

Lastly, Golden warns against the “foolhardy behavior” he’s witnessed WIND

5

WEATHER TIP COLD AIR

1

2

Warm water, in the 80s, is key to waterspout formation.

WARM AIR

increasingly often on social media.

“Some people in small craft have purposely penetrated waterspouts and managed to come out of it alive. That’s an extremely risky practice,” he says.

“If they do it again, they are going to get caught in a big one and could sufer very major damage or even loss of life.”

Scott Neuman is on sabbatical rom his job at National Public Radio as he and his wife, Noi, sail the Caribbean aboard Symbiosis, the couple’s Tayana 37. Follow their journey via their blog (svsymbiosis.blogspot.com).

Light winds from E and NE help spin updrafts of air, forming cumulus clouds.

Surface winds of 50 knots can produce sea spray at the base of the waterspout.

4

A dark spot on the water is the first sign o f a waterspout.

3 Rotation begins as warm air converges on the column of rising air.

WAV E S

Waterspouts form when warm water and cool air are stirred by light winds from the east or northeast. In the United States, the Florida Keys are a hotbed for spouts, which are especially likely to occur in humid summer months.

ILLUSTRATION BY TIM BARKER

With speeds of 10 to 15 knots, waterspouts are slower than landbased tornadoes but still faster than most cruisers can sail or motor.

Never try to outrun a waterspout along its axis of forward motion.

So what’s the difference between one portable fire extinguisher and another? The answer might surprise you.

BY STEVE D’ANTONIO

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE

STEVE D’ANTONIO

W

hen I recently asked a boatbuilder what type of portable fire extinguisher he installed aboard his boats, the response took me aback.

“Does it really matter?” he asked. “Aren’t they all pretty much the same?” Given the alphabet soup by which fires and extinguishers are defined and designated (see “U.S. Fire Classifications”), his answer could be forgiven. However, there are significant diferences between such designations.

While fire classifications might be familiar to some, the ratings of fire extinguishers — for instance, 1A and 10B:C — are often enigmatic. For Class A fires, a 1 represents the equivalent of 1.25 gallons of water; 2 the equivalent of 2.5 gallons of water; 3 the equivalent of 3.75 gallons of water; and so on. For Class B and C fires, the number represents the square footage of the area the extinguisher would cover.

The suix in Roman numerals that is used with marine fire extinguishers, such as in B-I and B-II, represents the relative extinguisher capacity (the larger the number, the greater the content). Sizes I and II are the most common extinguishers for recreational craft, while size III is found aboard larger and commercial vessels.

The most common and inexpensive portable fire extinguishers rely on dry chemical agents, including sodium or potassium bicarbonate. Ammonium polyphosphate, the familiar white powder used in Class B:C extinguishers, can have a detrimental efect on mechanical and electrical equipment, particularly if ingested by a

running engine or if used on or near sensitive electronics.

Monoammonium phosphate, often used in extinguishers with an otherwise desirable ABC rating, is a pale yellow color and is quite corrosive, particularly if exposed to water or even high humidity.

Furthermore, the manner in which this agent works (the powdered agent melts to smother the flames) makes cleanup especially diicult.

On the other hand, gaseous fire extinguishers — like the permanent units installed in some engine compartments — rely on a clean agent, one that leaves no residue and will

they can help prevent will more than pay for the additional cost if discharged.

The U.S. Coast Guard requirements for fire extinguishers are, in my opinion, woefully inadequate and should be considered strictly an absolute minimum. A 65-foot vessel is compliant with just one portable B-II and one fixed fire extinguisher (again, I don’t recommend following this guideline). My preference is for a portable ABC unit to be installed in every cabin, along with one clean-agent extinguisher mounted amidships, typically close to the engine and electrical panel. And no fire extinguisher should be more than three steps away.

Review your vessel’s firefighting capability. Augmenting it is often relatively inexpensive and is money well spent.

Steve D’Antonio offers services for boat owners and buyers through Steve D’Antonio Marine Consulting (stevedmarineconsulting.com).

U. S. F I R E C L A S S I F I C AT I O N S The following list details how fires are classified in the United States. This list difers slightly in Europe, Australia and other locales.

Class A: Wood, paper, cloth, trash and other ordinary materials.

Class B: Gasoline, diesel fuel, oil, paint and other flammable liquids.

Class C: Live electrical equipment. (Once the electricity is removed, these fires typically become Class A; ideally, electricity should be shut of before fighting the fire.)

Class D: Combustible metals (for example, magnesium, titanium and potassium).

Class K: Cooking fires, fats and oils.

Clockwise from top: Dry-chemical extinguishers are most common, but difer in significant ways. Having a fire extinguisher in every cabin makes good sense. Because they leave no harmful residue, clean-agent extinguishers are ideal for small electrical fires.

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not harm engines, machinery, or electrical and electronic equipment when discharged nearby or even directly onto those components. For portable extinguishers, gaseous units are especially efective on small electrical fires of the type that might occur behind consoles, or in electrical panels and engine compartments. They are an adjunct to, rather than a substitute for, a dry-chemical extinguisher, as they are not efective on Class A and B fires unless flooding an enclosed compartment.

Portable clean-agent extinguishers are available in a variety of agents and sizes, including FM-200, FE-36, Halotron and CO2, in everything from 1.5 pounds (this is very small, designed for light aircraft and automobiles) to 20 pounds. Ideally, at least one clean-agent extinguisher should be installed in a central location. While these extinguishers are more expensive than their dry-chemical counterparts, the damage

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HANDS-ON SAILOR

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B O A T S &G E A R N E W T E C H N O L O GY, R E V I E W S a n d

After a hiatus, E L A N Y A C H T S re-enters the North American sailboat market with a roomy and comfortable cruiser.

BY MARK PILLSBURY

COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURER

L

arge framed photos of gorgeous new boats bounding along under sail were what first caught my eye when I walked into the Springline Yacht Sales oice in Mystic, Connecticut, one morning last August. No surprise there.

But the pair of shapely downhill skis standing right beside one of the photos seemed a bit out of place in a marina oice — at least until I focused in on the stylish Elan logo stamped on their flared, rounded tips. I was there, after all, for a test sail on the Elan Impression 45, one of the Elan models that will be introduced — or should I say reintroduced? — here in North America at boat shows starting this fall.

For those who enjoy watersports of the frozen type, the Elan logo (with its distinctive small “e”) is a fairly common sight in lift lines that queue up anywhere from Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine to Whistler in British Columbia. But sailors would have to think back nearly a decade to recall the last new Elan sailboat model to be introduced here in the States. Since then, the company’s marine division has had a Eurocentric focus.

Deck saloon-style windows in the cabin house and portlights brighten up the Elan’s interior.

Elan, with headquarters in Slovenia, has been building boats for 65 years, starting with kayaks and other small craft. In the 1970s, it moved into the small-sailboat market and then into larger boats.

Since 1995, all of its models have been designed by Rob Humphreys Yacht Design, perhaps better known for its long line of Oysters.

A new interest in the American market developed when private investors Merrill Lynch International and Wiltan Enterprises Limited took the nationalized company private about a year ago. Elan is in the process of organizing a new dealer network in the U.S., of which Springline Yacht Sales is the first.

At the dock in Mystic, I found the traditional-looking Impression 45 sitting alongside a racier hardchined Elan E4, one of the models in the performance cruising line.

Elan also builds an S series of boats, similar to the E series but lighter in weight, and with fewer cruising amenities and more racing features.

The Impression 45, though, is a through-and-through cruiser, from its fold-down swim platform at the transom to the deck saloon-style cabin top, lounging cushions forward of the mast, and beefy anchor roller and windlass at the pointy end. When I started to poke around,

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PRODUCTS for the CRUISING SAILOR

B O AT S & G E A R

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pretty much everywhere I looked I discovered features that would make life afloat all the more comfortable: little things like teak cup holders at the end of the cockpit bench seats, and a sturdy stainless handrail that doubles as a fiddle around the top of the teak drop-leaf cockpit table. Below, as I stepped from the companionway into the saloon and walked forward, I instinctively grasped the handholds on the side of the galley counter, located to port at the foot of the companionway; on the side of the nav station, a step forward and to starboard; and on the side of the folded dining table amidships. Portlights in the hull and overhead let in lots of light, and opening ports (including one over the galley stove) promised good ventilation on a breezy day.

All Elan hulls are vacuum-infused. In the Impression line, the sides of the hull are foam-cored from the waterline up and solid glass below and where loads are carried. A layer of vinylester

resin is added to the layup to deter blistering. Decks are hand-laid, with a balsa core for thermal and sound insulation.

When it comes to getup-and-go, the standard configuration calls for a full-batten main and overlapping genoa. The boat we sailed had optional Seldén in-mast furling, electric Harken primary winches and a shallow-draft

Attention to Details A rubber strip ensures that removable floor panels won’t squeak when put back in place. Metal plumbing fixtures replace the plastic fittings found on most production sailboats.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S E L A N I M P R E SSI ON 4 5 LENGTH OVERALL 45’5” (13.84 m) WATERLINE LENGTH 37’6” (11.43 m) BEAM 13’8”

(4.17 m)

DRAFT 6’2”/5’3”

(1.88 m/1.6 m)

SAIL AREA 993 sq. ft.

(92.2 sq m)

BALLAST 7,297 lb./7,606 lb.

(3,310 kg/3,450 kg) DISPLACEMENT 24,030 lb.

(10,900 kg) BALLAST/DISPLACEMENT 0.30/0.32 DISPLACEMENT/LENGTH 218 SAIL AREA/DISPLACEMENT 19.1 WATER 136 gal.

(515 l)

FUEL 71 gal.

(270 l)

HOLDING 11 gal. (x2)

(40 l) (x2)

MAST HEIGHT 64’ (19.5 m) ENGINE 75 hp Yanmar DESIGNER Humphreys Yacht Design PRICE $269,000 Elan Yachts 860-415-4810 elan-yachts.com

SEA TRIAL WIND SPEED 5–10 knots SEA STATE Calm SAILING Closehauled 5 knots Reaching 6.5 knots MOTORING Cruise (2,100 rpm) 7.2 knots Fast (2,500 rpm) 7.8 knots

For a complete guide to Cruising World’s extensive online boat reviews and to request reprints from our older print archives of reviews, go to cruisingworld.com/ sailboats/sailboat-reviews.

COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURER; MARK PILLSBURY (BOTTOM)

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Well-placed instruments and electric winches at each wheel (above) give the helmsman fingertip control over the Impression 45.

Down below, an owner will find plenty of headroom and creature comforts in the master cabin aft (left).

keel. It also had an upgraded 75-horsepower Volvo diesel and saildrive (a 55-horsepower Volvo is standard).

Speaking of options, Elan ofers several packages that allow you to add an array of features to the basic production boat, starting with the layout below. You can choose to have a two-cabin, two-head couple’s layout; an owner’s cabin forward with twin aft cabins (as on the boat we sailed); or you can give up the separate shower and head stalls forward and go instead with a fourth cabin with bunks.

You can also dial in the finish and gear you want on board. The boat we sailed had several upgrades, including an anchor, windlass and 50 meters of chain; LED lighting, curtains and teakwood (light oak is standard) below; Frigomar reverse-cycle AC and heat; an 8-kilowatt Fischer Panda generator; and so on. The options do, of course, add up. A base boat sells for $268,000; the one we sailed was priced north of $300,000 and still needed electronics and instruments.

Unfortunately, on the day I visited, Long Island Sound lived up to its light-air reputation. Still, in breeze that ranged from 5 to maybe 10 knots, we tacked upwind at about 5 knots. As we cracked of to a reach, my GPS had us making 6.5 knots over the ground. Sightlines forward from both wheels were clean, and singlehanded tacking was straightforward, with plenty of room to maneuver behind the twin wheels.

The boat also responded well under power. The Impression 45’s bow thruster was on the blink for our test sail, but we had no problem leaving the tight quarters of the slip (though a dolphin piling dead ahead didn’t help things) or backing in when we returned.

A decade ago, the last Elan Impression we saw caught the fancy of CW’s Boat of the Year judges. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new 45 impresses them as well.

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B O AT S & G E A R

BORN in the USA

As American production boatbuilding huddles on the sidelines, the builders of the homegrown, impressive CATALINA 425 knock one through the uprights.

BY HERB MCCORMICK

COURTESY OF CATALINA YACHTS (TOP); HERB MCCORMICK

W

here, oh where, have all the U.S. production boatbuilders gone? The simple answer, if there is one, is that over the past several years, as high-volume European builders have leveraged their size and eiciency to become ever-larger players in the American marketplace, the homegrown domestic manufacturers have been squeezed tighter and tighter by a vast fleet of imports. Along the way, there have been multiple casualties among the ranks of Yankee boatbuilders.

Thank goodness that the venerable American builders of Catalina Yachts have not been among them. In fact, with the introduction of the new 425 — more than 1,000 units of the company’s previous 42-footer, originally launched

in 1988, were built — Catalina has issued a statement, and it’s a strong one. As wholesome and iconic a brand as good old Chevy, Catalina has produced

Ample Accessibility One of designer Gerry Douglas’ priorities on the 425 was system accessibility. This is evident in the dedicated locker, with all through-hulls grouped together, along with manifolds for all tankage.

in the 425 an afordable, wellcrafted boat that might not look much like the current wave of French and German imports (no straight stem, no hard chine, no drop-down folding transom), but which represents fine value, ingenuity and integrity. The 425 is a thoroughly modern example of an old-school cruising boat, and I mean that as nothing but a pure compliment.

There is an important link between the old Catalina 42 and the fresh 425: Both were imagined and brought to fruition by the company’s longtime in-house designer, Gerry Douglas. Inspired by the opportunity to take another swing at a boat he originally drew nearly three decades ago, at the outset Douglas established some clear priorities for the new design.

Saving weight was one of them. Thanks to a carbon core in the deck, a ¾-inch end-grain balsa core above the waterline, and the elimination of aluminum toerails at the molded hull/deck joint, among other innovations, the new boat is some 2,000 pounds lighter than the original model. Safety was another priority. The 425 has a seriously bulked-up rudder on one end and a watertight crash bulkhead, in case boat meets container, at the other.

Finally, believing that accessibility and maintenance go hand in hand, Douglas made sure that the steering quadrant was reachable from the dual aft cabins; that there were dedicated lockers for filters and machinery, including the genset; that the Yanmar diesel could be fully accessed quickly and easily; and that all the through-hulls were

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grouped together in one location in the port cabin. When it comes to systems aboard the 425, “logical” is the word that comes to mind.

Aesthetically, with its 81-degree stem (to prevent the anchor from banging the bow), minimal overhangs, low coachroof and gently sloping sheer line, the 425 is a good-looking boat. Starting at the pointy end and working aft, there’s a secure bowsprit with bobstay that doubles as an anchor roller and a tack point for an asymmetric kite or code zero headsail. The modified Seldén B&R rig has an extra set of forward shrouds to prevent mast pumping. An in-mast furling mainsail and standard 100 percent self-tacking jib are both by Doyle Sails (overlapping genoas are optional, though the nearly 12-foot tracks to accommodate them come with the boat). There’s a nice set of butterfly hatches that open in opposing directions above the saloon for maximum ventilation below (the legendary Don Street would be happy).

The functional cockpit deserves a little extra attention here. A split backstay terminates forward of twin Edson steering pedestals to give the helmsman plenty of room behind the wheels and good sightlines for the Raymarine chart plotter, stationed just forward in its own pod. A passageway between the helms leads to a swim step and boarding platform aft.

The generous starboard settee unfolds to create a nice double berth for outdoor snoozing beside the central cockpit table, which also houses a fridge. Via a large gull-wing hatch, the port settee opens directly into one of the twin aft cabins, and can be used to stash bikes or sails when not in accommodations mode. The double-ended German-style mainsheet is led to the helm and also to the coachroof, a versatile setup for either cruising or club racing.

Down below, the forward owner’s cabin features a large

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S CATALINA 425 LENGTH OVERALL 43’6” (13.25 m) WATERLINE LENGTH 39’3” (11.96 m) BEAM 13’8”

(4.16 m)

DRAFT 5’/6’8”

(1.52 m/2.02 m)

SAIL AREA (100%) 865 sq. ft.

(80.4 sq m) BALLAST 7,700 lb./6,700 lb.

(3,492 kg/3,039 kg) DISPLACEMENT 19,100 lb./18,100 lb.

(8,663 kg/8,210 kg)

The foredeck of the Catalina 425 is long and expansive, with all lines led aft and good nonskid and handholds (above). A secure bowsprit with bobstay doubles as a dual anchor roller and a tack point for an asymmetric kite or code zero headsail (left).

centerline berth with an elevating adjustable mattress for reading. A roomy adjacent head boasts a big shower stall.

In the saloon, the U-shaped settee and dining table to port face a central table to starboard, which is flanked by two comfy seats to double as the navigation station, complete with USB ports and 12-volt chargers. All air-conditioning ducts are fixed above the cabin windows for maximum eiciency. The L-shaped galley to port faces a second head to starboard, at the foot of the companionway. On our test boat, there were no fewer than five compressors: two for the AC and three more for the cockpit fridge, the deep freezer/fridge in the galley, and the wine cooler, respectively.

The interior LED lights are all on dimmers, and the light maple hardwood employed throughout the interior is quite handsome.

Catalina has taken 18 orders on the boat thus far; we sailed hull number one, a shoaldraft version, late this past summer on Florida’s Manatee River and Tampa Bay, in a fluctuating breeze of 6 to 10 knots. The 425 acquitted herself admirably, making over 6 knots upwind in about the same amount of breeze, and touching 8 knots on a tight reach in a bit more pressure under the asymmetric spinnaker. At all times, the helm was light and responsive.

Moving up from a Catalina 380, Russ Hoadley is the owner/skipper of the first 425, called Blue Heron. After our test sail, he was planning a cruise down to Key West, and later some ofshore racing to Mexico and perhaps Cuba. Russ’ joy in his new boat was both evident and infectious. His yacht was born in the USA, and he couldn’t have been happier with it.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

BALLAST/DISPLACEMENT 0.37 DISPLACEMENT/LENGTH 134 SAIL AREA/DISPLACEMENT 20.1 WATER 117 gal.

(442 l)

FUEL 62 gal.

(234 l)

HOLDING 54 gal.

(204 l)

MAST HEIGHT 62’11” (19.17 m) ENGINE 57 hp Yanmar DESIGNER Gerry Douglas PRICE $262,900 Catalina Yachts 727-544-6681 catalinayachts.com

SEA TRIAL WIND SPEED 6 to 10 knots SEA STATE Slight chop SAILING Closehauled 6.3 knots Reaching 8 knots MOTORING Cruise (2,200 rpm) 7.4 knots Fast (2,900 rpm) 8.3 knots

For a complete guide to Cruising World’s extensive online boat reviews and to request reprints from our older print archives of reviews, go to cruisingworld.com/ sailboats/sailboat-reviews.

HERB MCCORMICK

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B O AT S & G E A R

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B O AT S & G E A R

Satellite and online weather services, available on your chart plotter, and the latest weather-routing software will help you plan better routes for your next offshore voyage.

BY DAV I D S C H M I DT

MARK PILLSBURY

T

he first and second times that I tasted coffee happened in much quicker succession than anyone would have liked, thanks to my first dance with mal de mer. The year was 1987, I was 10 years old, and earlier that afternoon, my mother had heeded my unswerving pleas to help deliver Windancer, the family’s C&C 37, from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Long Island Sound. I can still remember how excited I was to stand next to my dad at the helm and wave goodbye to my mom ashore, and how I struggled — not 12 hours later — to hold my seasick head perpendicular to my shoulders as lightning flashed staccato fingers across the inky sky and Windancer’s bow slammed into the Gulf of Maine’s confused seas. While I didn’t exactly pass my first

ofshore test with high marks, I gained early insight into the real-world importance of accurate ofshore weather forecasts.

Modern-day mariners enjoy far better weather information than the scratchy VHF broadcasts that we listened to on that stormy night on the Gulf of Maine. Thanks to advances in communications and significantly more sophisticated weather-prediction capabilities, today’s weather forecasting and weatherrouting products give sailors impressive tools to avoid rough weather and take advantage of conditions to reduce passage times. Here’s a look at diferent options, the technology behind them, and ways you can best leverage all this information while underway.

Marine-weather tools can be broken into two

Manufacturer Contacts Adrena: adrena-software.com, +33-0-975-45-40-48 Expedition: expeditionmarine .com, info@expeditionmarine .com Ocens: ocens.com, 206-878-8270 PredictWind: predictwind .com, 866-800-2089 Raymarine: raymarine.com, 603-324-7900 SailGrib: sailgrib.com, henri@sailgrib.com SiriusXM: siriusxm.com, 866-635-5027 Theyr: theyr.com, +44-0-207-396-1006 TimeZero: nobeltec.com, 503-579-1414

categories: computer-based weather-routing software, and satellite- or Internetbased forecasting, which is integrated with a boat’s navigation-instrument displays. While the technologies are diferent, all of it depends on connectivity, whether it’s

by Wi-Fi, cellular hotspot, satellite or single-sideband radio.

Once devices are connected, data can be downloaded from a number of sources, including government agencies, like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and private sources, such as Ocens and SailGrib.

Satellite-based weather services such as SiriusXM Marine deliver reception far outside of Wi-Fi or cellular coverage, but they require a dedicated, networked receiver that ties into your navigation system,

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WHAT’S Going On OUT THERE?

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TimeZero’s routing software highlights a route in red to alert you to possible hazards (top), or you can use a weather overlay to find less wind and avoid a major low (above).

SiriusXM subscribers can quickly see a big-picture weather map (top) or drill down to monitor the direction of individual storm cells (above).

as well as a subscription plan.

(Receivers, commonly called black boxes, are available from all of the major marineelectronics manufacturers; see manufacturers’ websites for pricing information.)

SiriusXM Marine users can choose between three diferent levels of service: Marine Inland, Marine Coastal or Marine Ofshore. Bluewater sailors will want the Marine Ofshore plan. However, globegirdlers need to understand that SiriusXM Marine’s coverage footprint is not global; it is limited to the continental U.S. and international waters extending “hundreds of miles” into the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea (see siriusxm.com for specific coverage details).

SiriusXM Marine customers pay a flat monthly fee that can range from $13 to $55, irrespective of how frequently they use the service. Depending on the type of subscription, users can access weather information that includes weather-radar overlays, ofshore wind and wave forecasts, and marine observations from weather buoys. The information for these forecasts is supplied to SiriusXM Marine by the Weather Company (formerly WSI), and combines data from NOAA with information from other government, research and commercial sources to create proprietary weather forecasts using advanced post-processing and data-analysis software. These forecasts are then automatically pushed to subscribers.

For sailors cruising beyond SiriusXM Marine’s coverage map, or for those who want a second opinion, Internetbased service providers such as Theyr deliver detailed weather forecasts. Theyr employs diferent weatherdata sources in diferent global regions and runs this data through proprietary forecasting models on a supercomputer, allowing its experts to interpolate additional data to create detailed forecasts.

Theyr’s GRIB files play nicely with computer-, phone- and tablet-based routing software available for Linux, Windows and Apple platforms.

Taking things a step further, Raymarine and Theyr recently announced a partnership to deliver forecasts to Raymarine chart plotters through a subscription service that starts at about $15 per month. Users can tap into this content via Wi-Fi, cellular hotspot or satellite, but using this service with a cellular or satellite connection will add to your data usage charges.

Users can control the amount of data they consume, however, since Theyr Weather uses a “pull” model, wherein users manually select the forecasts they want to download to help contain costs. “Users can constrain the size of the download,” says Jim McGowan, Americas marketing manager at FLIR Maritime, parent company of Raymarine. He’s seen downloads as small as 25 kilobytes and as big as 15 megabytes. “For example, a user can download the weather for Puget Sound rather than the entire North Pacific,” he says.

These files are saved to the nav system’s internal hard drive or a micro SD card.

While satellite and Internet weather services provide users with a huge amount of information, these forecasts are displayed simply as a graphical layer overlaid on a chart.

The chart plotter doesn’t perform the actual weather routing, notes McGowan, but rather shows you the variables.

Weather information is not connected to the chart plotter’s routing functions, but the plotter can display the conditions to be expected along a particular route.

Much like radar imagery, SiriusXM Marine and Theyr Weather also provide a look at what’s ahead, but users need to know what they are seeing.

“It’s not like getting a forecast on your smartphone,” says McGowan. “These services visually show you the forecast, but you need to know how

COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

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B O AT S & G E A R

COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

This SiriusXM weather map displays storm conditions, sea temperatures, and conditions at a particular buoy.

A number of weather sources are available to feed data directly to your chart plotter.

raw data. This raw data is run through various weather models, and a 16-day forecast is sent to the PC as a GRIB file.

Once the file is downloaded, navigators can use the software’s time bar to drag the forecast chronologically forward to peer into the modeled future, or they can select the routing tool and let the software compute the fastest routing. Within auto-routing, users can set custom parameter options — for example, maximum and minimum acceptable wind speeds and wave heights. Alternatively, cruisers can use the software to plan their optimal departure time based on tides and weather. Users can review their expected sailing angles and name and label their routes, which are detailed in a table that can be copied into Excel for logbook purposes.

Once all factors have been considered, the user activates the route, and all germane route information is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

One of TZ Navigator’s newest features is a safety check that helps you avoid buoys and rocks by analyzing your route based on depth and vector charts. This includes a smart cross-trackerror feature that determines a route’s safe leeway. On your computer screen, safe routes are green, while routes that are too shallow or otherwise unsafe are colored red. Users can adjust their routing at any point, and TZ Navigator will recalculate its safety check accordingly. Once underway, the software can trigger auditory and visual alarms if a

sailboat treads too close to a navigational hazard.

While TimeZero is significantly more sophisticated than the original MaxSea software, TZ Navigator’s creators wisely preserved some of the older features in the latest software.

For instance, the software calculates the maximum distance that a boat can sail in 15-minute periods given forecasted conditions; these are marked on the PC’s chart-plotter page with a series of wavy lines, called isochrones. TZ Navigator calculates the fastest course to the next waypoint through the isochrone bands, marking it with a black line.

TZ Navigator was specifically designed to work on older or lower-speed computers or Windows and iOS-compatible tablets (see nobletec.com for specifics). “It’s not much of a system requirement,” says Algalarrondo. “I’ve used it on a $99 Dell tablet and it worked perfectly.”

Given that many wellequipped cruising boats carry both chart plotters and a computer or two, there’s little reason not to stack the routing odds in your favor and take advantage of satellite weather and computer-based weatherrouting software. Granted, there are cost considerations, but that’s a fairly low hurdle in light of the added safety and comfort that these technologies aford. After all, if we’d had today’s technology back in 1987, I might still be a cofee drinker.

David Schmidt is CW’s electronics editor.

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diferent vessel designs. If your boat’s polars aren’t available, Algalarrondo advises using the metrics of a similar sailboat.

Considering Furuno’s interests as a part owner in the former Nobeltec, it’s also not surprising that TimeZero software plays nicely with data from Furuno radars and sounders. While this is good for sailors running Furuno navigation equipment, TimeZero can also read NMEA 0183 data, allowing it to be brand-agnostic with NMEA 0183-compatible electronics such as wind sensors and speedos.

TimeZero’s latest software, called TZ Navigator, is touchbased and intuitive. To use it, a Windows-based PC (see TimeZero’s website for system requirements) must be running TZ Navigator ($500) and the TZ Routing Module (sold separately; $300), polars must be loaded, and the computer must have access to the boat’s GPS data. Algalarrondo says most cruising sailors also integrate AIS and windinstrumentation data.

Users then download a current weather forecast from TimeZero’s servers to their PC using available communications. (As with Theyr Weather, Algalarrondo suggests users download judiciously to preserve their data plans.) TimeZero has agreements with diferent global weather providers, including NOAA for North America, which supplies TimeZero with

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to interpret the arrows and barbs.” These are the symbols that show anticipated wind direction and speed. Typically, each full barb represents 10 knots of wind speed; a halfbarb depicts 5 knots.

While McGowan suggests that Raymarine chart plotters might eventually tackle weather routing, for the time being, this powerful tool is largely limited to website services, including PredictWind, and computer- and tabletbased software, including Adrena at $700, Expedition at $1,295, and TimeZero (what used to be Nobeltec and MaxSea) at $800.

“Weather routing today is about speed, safety and comfort,” says Frédéric Algalarrondo, TimeZero’s group sales manager. “The fastest route isn’t always what a sailor is looking for. They want a safe trip and an optimal time, so we added parameters so that a navigator can select the fastest route and avoid the high winds and waves.”

Given TimeZero’s wellhoned racing pedigree, including numerous wins in the singlehanded, round-the-world Vendée Globe race, it’s not surprising that this software uses a boat’s performancecharacteristic metrics, called polars, to determine its best route from Point A to Point B in light of the forecast.

Polars can be either manually imported or downloaded from TimeZero, which maintains a database for several hundred

CRUISING WORLD’S

CHARTERING From March through October, hop aboard Ningaloo Virgin for a cruise in the waters of the Exmouth Gulf, in northwestern Australia. Spain’s Balearic Islands ofer quaint villages and beautiful beaches (right).

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IN AUSTRALIA, TAKE TO THE WEST COAST OR EAST Cruise Ningaloo, which kicked of its bareboat charter operation from the town of Exmouth, in northwest Australia, in 2015, ofers Ningaloo Virgin, a 38-foot Leopard catamaran, for exploring the rugged and beautiful Muiron Islands Marine Management Area and waters of the protected Exmouth Gulf.

The region lies northeast of the Ningaloo Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Ningaloo Reef, Australia’s largest fringing coral reef. Fishing, diving, snorkeling, surfing and beachcombing are the area’s popular pastimes.

Exmouth Gulf extends over 50 nautical miles from north to south and some 30 nautical miles across. Prevailing winds blow from the southwest for most of the year and occasionally from the east. Shelter can be found year-round among its islands or on either gulf shore. Average depths throughout the gulf are 30 to 45 feet, and anchorages are typically in 6 to 10 feet of water. The charter company has created a sail trail with moorings to help clients create itineraries of a week or longer.

The high season runs from March through October, when, among other diverse marine life, whale sharks flock to the region; tours are also available from the Ningaloo Reef. From June through August, the Exmouth Gulf fills with migrating humpback whales.

Flights depart twice daily from Perth, Australia, for Exmouth.

The company plans to add a power cat to its fleet. For more details, contact Cruise Ningaloo (cruiseningaloo.com.au).

COMPANIES ADVERTISING THIS MONTH

SAILING CAT JOINS FLORIDA FLEET Closer to home, Southwest Florida Yachts has expanded its charter fleet at Tarpon Point Marina, in Cape Coral, Florida, with the addition of Southern Comfort, a 38-foot Leopard sailing catamaran with four cabins and two heads. The boat is equipped with a generator, air conditioning, complete galley amenities, electronics, an entertainment suite and a dinghy.

For details, contact Southwest Florida Yachts (swfyachts.com).

CRUISE SPAIN’S BALEARIC ISLANDS The Moorings ofers motoryacht vacations from Palma, Mallorca, in the western Mediterranean Sea’s Balearic Islands. The 434PC, which features four double staterooms, ofers a spacious layout for up to 10 guests.

Easily accessible by air, Mallorca is a warm-weather paradise known for picturesque beaches and quaint villages, each sharing an abundance of unique charms. Charters begin at the Marina Naviera Balear, in Palma’s Port de Mallorca.

Guests are free to venture to nearby islands, including Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera. For details, contact The Moorings (moorings.com). — Elaine Lembo

The Moorings 888-703-3176 p.37 Sunsail 800-797-5307 p.C2-3 Kiracoulis 800-714-3471 p.123 FPP Canal Boating 888-652-3969 p.124 Dream Yacht Charters 866-776-8256 p.111 le boat 866-649-2116 p.118 Tortola Marine Management Ltd. 800-633-0155 p.115 The Catamaran Company 800-262-0308 p.112-113 Footloose Sailing Charters 855-217-9217 p.120 Conch Charters Ltd.* 877-521-8939 p.114 Florida Yacht Charters & Sales 800-537-0050 p.122 BVI Yacht Charters 888-615-4006 p.123 Horizon Yacht Charters Ltd.* 877-494-8787 p.118 MarineMax Vacations 888-461-5497 p.119 Barefoot Yacht Charters* 784-456-9526 p.117 CYOA Yacht Charters 800-944-2962 p.121 Island Yachts* 800-524-2019 p.124 Southwest Florida Yachts* 800-262-7939 p.124 Harmony Yacht Vacations 888-542-2667 p.121 BROKERS Ed Hamilton & Co. 800-621-7855 The Globe Sailor 646-453-6602 LateSail 877-292-0737 Ocean Voyages 800-229-4444

p.124 p.123 p.122 p.141

*Also broker This directory is a list of charter companies advertising in this charter section; it is not an endorsement by the editors. Classified advertisers not listed. Listings are arranged in fleet size order.

“Charter companies” listed maintain fleets of bareboats and report that they maintain chase boats/personnel, carry liability insurance, return security deposits in 10 working days, deliver the boat contracted (or same size, type, age, condition, or better), supply MOB gear and offer pre-charter briefings. “Brokers” are not affiliated with any charter company; they book private or company-owned boats, crewed or bareboat.

COURTESY OF CRUISE NINGALOO (LEFT); COURTESY OF THE MOORINGS

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N EWS a n d N OT E S o n S A I L I N G -VACAT I O N O P P O RT U N I T I E S

STOCKHOLM

SARDINIA SICILY

PUERTO RICO

Now available for your next sailing vacation or to place in our Purchase for Charter program.

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Mention this advertisement when inquiring about a charter. We will reduce your charter rate by 10%!

Be a part of our social community:

Photo: Nicholas Claris

Live large. Earn large.

Not only are these new cats the largest, non-crewed

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four to six enormous en-suite staterooms, lavishly accommodating eight to ten guests plus captain.

The British Virgin Island’s Preferred Charter Operator for: Lagoon & Gemini Catamarans Email: charter@catamarans.com Phone: 800-262-0308 Web: www.catamarans.com

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“We took our knowledge and skills to the next level.”

“Neil was very knowledgeable and a great instructor. My husband and I have been bareboat chartering for the past 10 years. It was our 17-year-old daughters that wanted to get certified. We took the Live Aboard Cruising course as a family with Ofshore Sailing School in the BVI, and took our knowledge and skills to the next level.

We all now know “why” we make each sail adjustment, tack, jibe, etc. Sailing is now a bigger thrill than ever!”

Susan Burns • Nashville, Tennessee Fast Track to Cruising® Live Aboard

Day Sailing • Bareboat Charter Cruising • Performance Sailing Team Building Programs Florida • New York Harbor • British Virgin Islands

OVER 130,000 GRADUATES SINCE 1964

OffshoreSailing.com | 888.454.7016

A cruising ground that’s somewhere between heaven and earth, but a little closer to heaven.

Be a part of The Barefoot Lifestyle.

B

arefoot Yacht Charters

Celebrating 32 years of excellence.

Full service Marine Centre & Yacht Management Facility * Restaurant & Bar * Ocean-view Apartments Sail Loft * Surf Shop * Internet Café * Water Sports Centre * Boutique.

Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, W.I. | Tel: 1.784.456.9526 | Fax: 1.784.456.9238 | E-mail: barebum@vincysurf.com | www.barefootyachts.com

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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER | LUXURY FULLY CREWED & HONEYMOON CHARTERS | ASA SAILING SCHOOL

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At Barefoot Offshore, we offer the perfect sailing conditions of St Vincent and the Grenadines to bring the highest level of sailing to everyone on top quality, professionally prepared yachts, using the industry’s best instructors. We help all sailors, no matter their sailing ability, reach their desired level to move purposefully towards their sailing dreams!

Barefoot Offshore Sailing School is proud to celebrate our 20th Year anniversary of B.O.S.S - ASA affiliated sailing schools!

Discover Europe, Your Way on a NEW Cruiser Explore your European destination of choice from a unique viewpoint.

As captain of your own Le Boat, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll experience the charms of Europe. Enjoy winding your way through the beautiful landscapes, take some time to visit the many sites of interest or sip award winning wines from the local vineyards as you sit on the topdeck...

To learn more about the Le Boat experience visit

www.leboat.com/cw 1.866.712.2441 #LoveLeBoat

Expect more.

From the complimentary cocktail to the personalized chart briefing, our philosophy is simple; to treat you to the superior sailing vacation you deserve.

BVI

Why settle?

ANTIGUA GRENADA ST. VINCENT

Authorised Dealers

Toll Free JOHY[LYZ'OVYPaVU`HJO[JOHY[LYZ JVT www.OVYPaVU`HJO[JOHY[LYZ.com

Great Sailing Vacations, Incredible Value!

For endless good times on the water, look no further than Footloose Yacht Charters! Whether you’re a party of 2 or 12, we have the right yacht for you, at the most reasonable prices.

Wish and wait no more because it’s your turn to take the helm in the British Virgin Islands.

877.426.4326 | www.footloosecharters.com

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Serious training for cruising sailors, and those who want to be F O RT L A U D E R D A L E , F L • M A R S H H A R B O U R , B A H A M A S • S A I N T T H O M A S , U . S . V I R G I N I S L A N D S • N E W P O RT, R I

Learn to Sail & Cruise!

Liveaboard cruising courses, 3 days to 3 weeks.

Earn ASA Certifications in: • Basic Sailing • Coastal Cruising • Bareboat Chartering • Cruising Catamaran • Coastal Navigation • Advanced Coastal Cruising • Celestial Navigation • Offshore Passagemaking Also Available: • Private & Own Boat Instruction

888.492.5973 / 954.763.8464

www.bwss.com

U.S., British & Spanish Virgin Islands Catamarans l Monohulls l Bareboat l Skippered Reservations: U.S. & Canada +800-944-2962 | International +386-210-4155 CYOA Yacht Charters Frenchtown Marina l St. Thomas USVI | email: info@cyoacharters.com l cyoacharters.com

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Ordinary People. Extraordinary Vacations!

121

MIAMI

KEY WEST

S T. P E T E R S B U R G

BAHAMAS

CUBA

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w w w. f l o r i d a y a c h t. c o m Ê&#x2039; c h a r t e r s @ f l o r i d a y a c h t. c o m

122

RELAX

& unwind on a private bareboat or crewed charter.

BVI Yacht Charters is the first port of call for those looking to explore Natures Little Secrets by bareboat or crewed charter. Unmatched for choice and quality of yacht, island knowledge and customer service, BVIYC have every base covered to make this the vacation of a lifetime.

Call or email today toll free: 888 615 4006 or +1 284 494 4289 or email charters@bviyc.com

www.bviyachtcharters.com

Who said family run companies are a thing of the past?

Island Packet Yachts 201{ Dealer of the Year

1-800-524-2019 www.iyc.vi

Island Yacht Charters, Inc 2010 National EPA Environmental Quality Award recipient

In our 39 years, IYC has earned a reputation as the premiere Virgin Island charter company, offering exceptional personal attention and unequaled yacht quality. Sail one of our lovely Island Packets and enjoy the US and Spanish Virgin Islands as well as the British Virgin Islands. Call or e-mail direct to our St. Thomas, USVI office today!

Island Packets available: Estero, 370, 440, 445, 460, 465, 485 Coming soon, the Island Packet 520 and the Blue Jacket 40’

cruisingworld.com

Celebrating 39 years 1977-2016

U.S. VI RGI N I SLANDS

Management Program Florida Solar Energy Center certified

Owner Operators, Andrea & Skip King

IYC is the official Caribbean Dealer for Blue Jacket Yachts. solar panels aboard all our vessels.

6100 Red Hook Qtr., 18B, Suite 4, St. Thomas, VI 00802-1303 (340) 775-6666 • Fax (340) 714-4194 • email: sailing@iyc.vi

124 november/december 2016

Family Run Since Day One

Bareboat & Crewed Charters Worldwide

At a time when sound advice is priceless... ...Ours is Free.

oats look new and crews seem friendly online, but a picture never tells the whole story, so why risk your vacation on the unknown?

B

For over 30 years Ed Hamilton & Co has used their irsthand knowledge to arrange Bareboat and Crewed Yacht Charters Worldwide.

See why Ed Hamilton & Co has been named one of Conde Nast Traveler's Top Travel Agents for 9 years running and remains the most respected Caribbean brokerage in the industry.

&

Ed Hamilton Yacht Charter Agents

Co.

www.ed-hamilton.com 800-621-7855

CRUISING WORLD’S

BROKERAGE WHERE YOU’LL FIND the BEST USED BOATS on the MARKET

BOAT MONTH cruisingworld.com

•

november/december 2016

125

SWAN 53 NAI’A (1991) NAI’A is well known on the East Coast, as her live-aboard owners have sailed her up and down the East Coast & Carib. Upgrades include a furling boom, new sails, new rod rigging, and new electronics, never mind consistent routine maintenance. She is also the only Swan 53 with the two easy chair layout, which creates a very comfortable and spacious main salon. Owner’s cabin has the queen berth on centerline, with the twin upper/lower cabins forward. Plenty of storage for cruising gear in the forepeak. In Newport, at $275,000 as owners have now moved on board their Swan 60!

P L E A S E S E E O U R A D O N PA G E 1 3 2 Contact Berthon USA, Inc. 40 Mary Street, Newport, RI 02840 • 1-401-846-8404 • sales@berthonusa.com

The Leader in Sales for New and Pre-Owned Island Packet Yachts - Visit Us at UsedIslandPackets.com.

2004 Grand Banks 46’

2004 Island Packet 485

Palmetto, FL $598,900

Bradenton, FL $449,000

2005 Island Packet 445 Ruskin, FL $367,500

2008 Outbound 46’

2003 Island Packet 485

British Virgin Islands $444,800

Palmetto, FL $419,000

2006 Island Packet 440

2000 Outbound 44’

Brunswick, GA $349,000

Ft. Lauderdale, FL $305,000

2008 Island Packet 370

2001 Island Packet 420

2002 Island Packet 420

Palmetto, FL $289,700

Clearwater, FL $289,000

2004 Island Packet 370

2008 Island Packet 370

Punta Gorda, FL $244,430

Miami, FL $225,000

2006 Island Packet 440 Brunswick, GA $388,900

2005 Kasten-Bos & Carr 58’

Miami, FL $299,000

Palmetto, FL $295,000

2001 Island Packet 420

1996 Ta Shing Taswell 49’

2012 Island Packet 360

St. Augustine, FL $289,000

Gulfport, FL $249,900

Palmetto, FL $249,000

2007 Jeanneau 45’

2001 Island Packet 380

1977 Formosa Ketch 51’

New Smyrna Bch, FL $219,900

Palmetto, FL $204,900

Brunswick, GA $199,000

2000 Island Packet 380

2001 Island Packet 380

1998 Island Packet 40

1990 Passport 50’

2004 Hunter Passage 45’

Palmetto, FL $198,900

Port Charlotte, FL $189,900

Punta Gorda, FL $189,000

Tarpon Springs, FL $184,900

Longboat Key, FL $179,000

2004 Tartan Shoal Draft 37’

1998 Island Packet 40

1979 Grand Banks Classic 42’

1996 Island Packet 37

2000 Beneteau Oceanis 46’

Brunswick, GA $178,000

Palmetto, FL $169,900

Palmetto, FL $162,000

Punta Gorda, FL $159,900

Vero Beach, FL $159,900

1999 Pacific Seacraft 37’

1995 Island Packet 37

1997 Island Packet Cat 35’

1988 Irwin 44’

1988 Mason Cutter 44’

Brunswick, GA $159,900

Punta Gorda, FL $157,000

Brunswick, GA $141,500

Bradenton, FL $98,000

Brunswick, GA $139,900

Preferred Yachts – Exceptional Service – www.WhiteakerYachtSales.com Southern Tampa Bay - Palmetto, FL & Osprey, FL

Local: 941.776.0616

Toll Free: 888.717.SEAS

Boats are in the Water and Ready to Sea Trial.

Come on Down Today and Sail Away in Your New Boat!

1993 Jeanneau Sun Fast 52’ 1991 Tayana Vancouver 42’ Hilton Head, SC $139,000

1996 Island Packet Cat 35’ Titusville, FL $129,500

1972 William Garden 45’

2001 Beneteau 41’

1984 Seamaster 46’

St. Petersburg, FL $130,000

Brunswick, GA $129,900

Palmetto, FL $129,900

Palmetto, FL $129,900

1998 Island Packet 350

1988 Island Packet 38

1990 Island Packet Cutter 38

1986 Island Packet 38

Corpus Christi, TX $129,000

Palmetto, FL $125,000

Brunswick, GA $124,800

Brunswick, GA $118,900

2002 Beneteau 39’

2004 Catalina 35’

1995 Hunter Passage 42’

1988 Island Packet 38

2002 Gemini 105Mc 34’

St. Pete Beach, FL $117,000

Bradenton, FL $114,900

Punta Gorda, FL $114,900

Fort Piece, FL $114,900

Punta Gorda, FL $109,900

2000 Island Packet 320

1992 Hunter Passage 42’

2008 Catalina MkII 32’

2005 Gemini 105Mc 34’

1987 Morgan Classic CC 41’

Palmetto, FL $97,900

Palmetto, FL $97,000

Palmetto, FL $94,900

Melbourne, FL $94,900

Brunswick, GA $89,900

1973 CT Cutter Ketch 41’

2012 Catalina 31’

2000 Catalina MkII 36’

2006 Hunter 36’

2000 Gemini 34’

Brunswick, GA $89,500

Palmetto, FL $87,900

Brunswick, GA $87,900

St. Petersburg, FL $79,500

Brunswick, GA $78,900

1989 Island Packet 35

1996 Island Packet 29

1992 Island Packet 29

2004 Hunter 35’

1986 Cape George 31’

Palmetto, FL $78,500

Punta Gorda, FL $74,900

Palmetto, FL $74,000

Palmetto, FL $69,800

Palmetto, FL $67,000

1994 Island Packet 29

1978 Pearson Ketch 42’

1992 Endeavour Cat 30’

1975 Alajuela Cutter 38’

1987 Island Packet 31

Englewood, FL $62,900

Brunswick, GA $59,900

Bradenton, FL $59,500

St. Petersburg, FL $59,000

Palmetto, FL $57,000

Preferred Yachts – Exceptional Service – www.WhiteakerYachtSales.com Southern Tampa Bay - Palmetto, FL & Osprey, FL

Local: 941.776.0616

Toll Free: 888.717.SEAS

LITTLE HARBOR 62' CENTER COCKPIT Full comprehensive refit 2012/2014 – in need of nothing! Shallow draft, powerful hull form and roomy interior. Sleeps eight in four ensuite staterooms. Excellent potential as a charter yacht.

NAUTITECH 542, 2012 Owner’s Version, fitted with all the right cruising equipment and upgrades. High level of care from original captain since new. Not for sale or charter to U.S. residents while in U.S. waters.

ALDEN 54’ AFT COCKPIT SLOOP In excellent shape and lovingly updated. Handsome lines and 3-SR/2-head layout below. Custom tall spar, power winches, generator and new electronics.

S&S CUSTOM 53', 2004 Sparkman & Stephens pedigree, built in New Zealand.

Award-winning raised pilothouse design. Modern construction yields lighter, stronger offshore hull with increased performance. Call for details!

LITTLE HARBOR 53' CENTER COCKPIT Handsome shallow-draft Hood design finished to high standards, featuring a fantastic cockpit design and extensive upgraded equipment for easy, comfortable sailing. Just reduced to only $349,000!

HYLAS 51' Located in New England. Three-stateroom/three-head layout. Ready for cruising, with Leisure Furl boom for easy handling. New antifoul and entire bottom of hull repainted (2014).

ROYAL CAPE CATAMARANS MAJESTIC 500, 2007 Exceptionally large deck and cockpit spaces in a beautifully finished, five ensuite-stateroom layout.

Equipped for world cruising in comfort. Easily sailed by two.

LITTLE HARBOR 44' CENTER COCKPIT Maintained like new. Recent engine, generator, all new electronics, new mainsail, new canvas. Easy to singlehand, with electric furling main, primary winches, all lines leading to cockpit.

HYLAS 46', 2012 Last Hylas 46 built. With a huge number of upgrades, SPARROWHAWK is in excellent condition. Like a new boat, available now, without the build process. Call for details.

BRISTOL 43.3’ Last one built, features teak decks, stainless hardware, bow thruster, electric winches, cherry interior, great two-cabin layout, shoal draft and much more! New to market.

CHUCK PAINE/CABO RICO 42’, 2006 New Yanmar (2014). Custom layout for extended time aboard. Best of care and maintenance. Here’s a fresh and beautiful offshore sailboat, ready for new owners to enjoy.

Rhode Island (401) 683-6070 | Info@WellingtonYachts.com | Florida (954) 527-4230 TED HOOD 2 MILES DAVID 2 CHRIS FAIRFAX 2 DOLF HAFFENREFFER 2 CHET HARTSHORN 2 MURRAY LORD BOB MARSTON 2 JOHN PERKINS 2 JIM WETHERALD 2 BRUCE SZAMIER

SEE MORE AT WELLINGTONYACHTS.COM

qualit y yach t s from s w if t sure yach t s When you see Camdeboo, you know she’s built to go far and wide. She is a proven blue water machine. With her

Camdeboo 1990 Lavranos 50 smooth, round bilges, you can’t tell at first glance that she is built of steel, though her stainless capped toe rail gives it away. There is so much to like about this boat. She has a long seagoing cockpit. Her interior is finished $194,500

in beautiful teak with a mahogany cabin sole. With three enclosed cabins, she easily sleeps eight people. Headroom is 6 feet, 9 inches in the salon! She has one of the nicest galleys you will find. There is massive storage and plenty of tankage.

Camdeboo was purchased by her current owners in San Diego. After a refit in Victoria, British Columbia, they set sail with two families (seven people total) to live their dream of sailing the South Pacific. According to her owners, “Camdeboo is an ideal boat for family and multi-family offshore cruising; she is especially well set up for trade wind sailing. We found her to be safe, seaworthy and comfortable; and she was fast – we had a number of 200 nm days.” Angelo Lavranos is well known for designing capable boats with exquisite lines.

Camdeboo fits this description well. Priced appropriately, Camdeboo is well worth a look. – brad baker, swiftsure yachts

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Hallberg-Rassy 53 • 2003 • $550,000

Caliber 40 LRC • 1996 • $179,500

Garcia Passoa 46 • 1992 • $298,000

Shannon PH 60 • 2014 • $1,495,000 price reduced

Outremer 49 • 2010 • $615,000

Hallberg-Rassy 42E • 1986 • $225,000

Hallberg-Rassy 42E • 1983 • $189,000

Amazon CC 46 • 1992 • $175,000

Valiant 47 • 1984 • $239,000

Passport 456 • 2004 • inquire

C&C 48 • 1973 • $248,000

Farr Pilothouse 60 • 1997 • $675,000

NEW SAILING YACHTS for world cruising from Swiftsure Yachts 65 53 50 48 48 48 46 46 46 46 44 44 44

Manuel Campos Ketch Spencer PH Dubbel & Jesse Fife 8 Metre Tayana Swan Hallberg-Rassy Custom Perry Grand Soleil Swan Fantasi PH Beneteau 44CC Nordic

1941 1978 1989 1929 1993 1972 2000 1989 1998 1984 2004 1999 1983

$500,000 $150,000 $269,000 $250,000 $249,000 $80,000 $348,000 $180,000 inquire $255,000 $429,000 $139,000 $139,000

43 43 42 41 40 40 39 38 35 34 33 32 30

Custom Perry Hallberg-Rassy Roberts PH Hanse 411 Norseman 400 Jonmeri Hallberg-Rassy C&C 115 Nexus Red Wing J/100 Beneteau 323 Admiralty

1977 2005 1994 2004 1987 1986 2000 2006 2003 2008 2005 2005 2006

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SwiftsureYachts

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Quality and Value - major currency change - call for pricing

The all-new Hallberg-Rassy 44 World Premiere in Düsseldorf January 21-29

2001 Hallberg-Rassy 53 Shoal Draft, New teak decks, Hard Top, Bow hruster, Solar Panels, Forward Sonar, Watermaker Price $499,000 Call Free State Yachts Tel: 800-871-1333

2002 Hallberg-Rassy 36 Mk II Electric in-mast furling, electric winches, air conditioning, heat, bow thruster, freezer and more! Price $199,900 Call Eastland Yachts 860-767-8224

2003 Hallberg-Rassy 53 Hardtop, 8 kW genset, air conditioning, diesel heater, watermaker, autopilot with dual drives, washing machine. Price $525,000 Call Swiftsure Yachts Tel: 206-378-1110

2005 Hallberg-Rassy 37 Continuously upgraded and added to her already extensive inventory. Solar panels, Wind generator, Watermaker Call Free State Yachts Tel: 800-871-1333

2001 Hallberg-Rassy 34 Wheel steering, 6'1" draft, Webasto heater, 475 engine hours, excellent condition inside and out. Price $149,900 Call Eastland Yachts 860-767-8224

2000 Hallberg-Rassy 46 Electric sheet winches, genset, bow thruster, watermaker, solar panels, autopilot and windvane steering. Enroute to Florida. $348,000 Call Swiftsure Yachts Tel: 206-378-1110

2008 Hallberg-Rassy 43 Sale pending Tel 800-871-1333 2002 Hallberg-Rassy 43 Free State Yachts 800-871-1333 2002 Hallberg-Rassy 53 Free State Yachts 800-871-1333 2003 Hallberg-Rassy 36 Free State Yachts 800-871-1333

2003 Hallberg-Rassy 31 Eastland Yachts 860-767-8224

2003 Hallberg-Rassy 43 Swiftsure Yachts 206-378-1110 1986 Hallberg-Rassy 42E Swiftsure Yachts 206-378-1110 1983 Hallberg-Rassy 42E Swiftsure Yachts 206-378-1110 2000 Hallberg-Rassy 39 Swiftsure Yachts 206-378-1110 1983 Hallberg-Rassy 352 Swiftsure Yachts 206-378-1110

- Established 1943 NEW BOAT RANGE: HR 310 - HR 342 - HR 372 - HR 40 MK II - HR 412 - HR 44 - HR 48 MK II - HR 55 - HR 64

HALLBERG-RASSY USA NEW ENGLAND EASTLAND YACHTS, INC. Essex, CT Tel: 860-767-8224 eyi@eastlandyachts.com www.eastlandyachts.com

SOUTHEAST FREE STATE YACHTS Tracy's Landing, MD Tel: 800-871-1333 sales@freestateyachts.com www.freestateyachts.com

www.hallberg-rassy.com

SWIFTSURE YACHTS 1800 Westlake Avenue N. Seattle, WA Tel: 206-378-1110 info@swiftsureyachts.us www.swiftsureyachts.us

www.facebook.com/hallbergrassy

YARD IN SWEDEN HALLBERG-RASSY VARVS AB Sweden Tel: +46 304 54 800 info@hallberg-rassy.se www.hallberg-rassy.com

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F L OR I DA YAC H T G ROU P Sales • Charters • Service • ASA Sailing School Your Southeast U.S. and Bahamas Jeanneau Dealer

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The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449 is the perfect size for family or charter ownership. High performance and easy handling. Fully equipped. 4 cabins/2 heads. This vessel has not been titled only used at Boat Shows here in Florida. Price with options and commissioning too low to publish. Call Florida Yacht Group today 800-537-0050.

2017 Jeanneau 349 2/1 First 2017 Jeanneau 419 2/2 First 2017 Jeanneau 479 3/2 ICW 2013 Jeanneau 41DS Loaded 2013 Beneteau 37 Ltd Ed 2/1 2013 Beneteau 54 Super Equipped $399,000 John 2017. For Fall delivery - Pre- 2017. For Fall delivery - Pre- Mast. First 2017. For Fall deliv- with options $250,000 Dave Immaculate $169,000 Whidden 305-394-4266 Darren Sell 561-351-7333 McNally 561-262-3672 show pricing. Call for details show pricing. Call for details ery - Pre-show pricing.

Call for details.

OVER 3000 MORE AT WWW.FLORIDAYACHT.COM

50’ Beneteau 50 2001 .........................$215,000 49’ Jeanneau DS .................................. $279,000 48’ C&C Landfall 48 1981 .................. $199,000 2012 Jeanneau 509 Immacu- 2010 Leopard 38 Robertson and Caine Catamaran 4/2 late condition $359,000 $239,000 Darren Sell Darren Sell 561-351-7333 561-351-7333

2008 Jeanneau 54DS 3/3 Loaded with extras! $339,000 Darren Sell 561-351-7333

2006 Jeanneau 49DS 2SR/2H Modern cruising yacht $279,000 Bo Brown 727-408-1027

46’ Morgan 462 1983...........................$139,000 46’ Beneteau 461 2000 ..................... $199,000 46’ Beneteau 46 2008.......................$229,000 45’ Liberty 458 1985 ........................... $148,000 45’ Jeanneau 45DS 2008 ..................$229,000 45’ Hunter 45DS 2012.........................$239,000 45’ Hunter 450 CC 1998 ..................... $169,000

2008 Hunter 41’ DS 2/2 One Owner, Miami Vessel $168,500 Bob Deresz 786-218-3588

1996 Caliber 47LRC Miami $239,000 Dave Dodgen 305-781-2581

1995 Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35 5 cabin/1 head $131,000 Dave Dodgen 305-781-2581

1992 Tartan 372 Well cared for. Fresh water boat 1st 20 years $124,900 Bo Brown 727-408-1027

45’ Gulfstar 45 CC 1986........................$99,000 43’ Hans Christian 43 1983 .................$179,000 43’ Beneteau Cyclades 43 2005.......$100,000 43’ Beneteau 434 2009 ..................... $150,000 42’ Hunter 420 2002 ...........................$134,500 42’ Bavaria 42 Cruiser 2008 ............... $174,900 41’ Hunter Deck Salon 2008 .............$168,500

1990 Fountaine Pajot Casa- 1985 Liberty 458 2/1 mance 46. Professionally $148,000 Bo Brown customized. $219,000 727-408-1027 Darren Sell 561-351-7333

1985 Gulfstar 45CC Classic, ready with upgrades $115,000 Dave Dodgen 305-781-2581

1973 Hatteras 36 Convertible. Well maintained. $52,000 Dave Whidden 305-394-4266

40’ C&C 121 2006 ................................. $175,000 39’ Beneteau Cyclades 39 2006 .......$85,000 37’ Salona 37 2010 ................................$95,000 35’ Beneteau 351 1995 ......................... $55,000 28’ Sea Ray 28 2002 ............................$48,000 22’ Beneteau 22ASA .............................. $37,500

FOR CHARTER PLACEMENT

WE ARE SELLING! QUALITY LISTINGS NEEDED.

WWW.FLORIDAYACHT.COM

800-537-0050

INFO@FLORIDAYACHT.COM

www.berthonusa.com

I N T E R N AT I O N A L YA C H T B R O K E R S Jennifer Stewart Alan Baines Bill Rudkin

Phone 1 401 846 8404 Email sales@berthonusa.com

FPB 64 (2010) AVATAR: Launched in 2010, her owners have visited 22 countries and done 44,000 miles. She is a true expedition yacht, averaging 235 miles/day in comfort and safety on passage, with a range of up to 6400 nm. Designed by Dashew Offshore and build by Circa Marine in New Zealand. In Newport at $2,150,000.

EUPHORIA 54 (2015): Located in Annapolis. Hall carbon rig and boom, thruster, genset, a/c, three cabin layout, full factory warranty, at $995,000.

40 Mary Street Newport, RI 02840

The Newport Shipyard 1 Washington Street Newport, RI 02840

SWAN 56 KING DADDY (1998): Absolutely superb 56, with Offshore carbon rig, thruster, and loaded with upgraded/new equipment /sails/ electronics in the past 4 years, extra thick teak decks when built, rudder bearing just done. Offshore and cruise ready, would be a great Caribbean season for a new owner. In Newport, at $690,000.

CNB 93 (2001) SAVARONA: Successful charter or personal use, stunning condition, 3 guest + crew, carbon rig & centerboard, located South of France at $2,750,000.

NAJAD 332 (2006): Immaculate, beautifully built, barely used. Very few hours on the engine, brand new gennaker, awesome pocket world cruiser, in Newport at $220,000.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

RUSTLER 33, NEW BUILD: Base only $165K at current exchange rates, Rustler 24 also available, base $55K.

Baltic 43 (1988) ........................................... $149,000 Najad 39 (1992)........................................... $155,000 Swan 44 (1973) ........................................... $125,000 Swan 47CB (1985) ...................................... $169,000 Swan 46 (1985) ........................................... $199,000 Swan 57CB (1982) ...................................... $350,000 Tugboat (1897 build) .................................. $199,000 Swan 65 (1977) ........................................... $525,000

MOODY 54 DECK SALON (2017): New build, starting at $749,000 base, reserve Spring slot now.

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New or Used Purchase From a Dealer or—Individual Seller — Purchase Locally or Cross-Country — Refinance

APR is fixed for the life of the loan. Other rates and loan terms available. Rates are accurate as of September 15, 2016. See our website for current rates and terms, as well as financing for Live-Aboards, older boats and loan amounts below $25,000.

— enjoying your boat. Changing market conditions can affect rates, so act now to take advantage of our low APRs.

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NEW - USED - REFINANCE

WE ALSO OFFER: Live-Aboard financing I Loans for older boats (1919–1995) I Loans for part- and full-time charters *Estimated APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Subject to consumer loan program requirements and credit approval. Certain fees, closing costs, and restrictions may apply. APR applied to the loan is the APR in effect on the date the application is received and is valid until 30 days after the loan is approved. APRs may vary with loan term. Boat must be 1996 model year or newer; for boat model year 1996 to 2005, add .25% to above rate. Maximum loan term based on model year, loan amount, loan type, and lender guidelines. Other rates with different loan terms are available. Example of a recreational use Boat loan: A 10 year fixed-rate $55,000 loan.

Based on an APR of 3.99%, this loan has 120 monthly payments of $556.59 each.

Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

© 2016 Bank of the West. NMLS ID# 19116.

Photo courtesy of Sunsail and Randy Lincks.

The Moorings Yacht Brokerage has the world’s largest selection of pre-owned charter yachts.

T

he Moorings Yacht Brokerage sells over 200 pre-owned charter yachts from the world’s best builders each year. A yacht purchase includes the same “blue-water” ready equipment used to safely sail the boat from the USA, France, or South Africa factory to one of our many global bases. You too can take advantage of the same proven value realized by every other satisfied buyer worldwide whether you plan to sail locally or internationally. Call or email for more details on our select opportunities to own today.

Best Boats

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Best Equipment

2011 BENETEAU 50

Loaded: Gen, aircon, bow thruster, electric winches, much more….

Located BVI, St. Martin, & St. Lucia.

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2010 LEOPARD 46

Fully Cruise Equipped – Gen & Air Located BVI, St. Lucia, St. Martin, Belize, Abaco & Ft. Lauderdale Starting at $339,000 Reduced Price

2011 BENETEAU 43

2012 LEOPARD 39

Oceanis 43.3 and 43.4 3 & 4 Cabin available. Well equipped.

Located BVI, St. Martin, St. Lucia.

Starting at $129,000

Family cruiser, Owner’s Version. Full size drawer fridge/freezer. Gen & Air. Located in BVI, St. Lucia, St. Martin & Abaco. Starting at $250,000

2011 BENETEAU 40

Oceanis Series - Fully equipped 3 Cab/2 Head - BVI, Abacos, & St. MartinGreat sailing cruiser. Starting at $109,000 Reduced Price

Following Models Specially Priced Starting at Only... ’11 Jeanneau SO 53...$249,000 ‘14 Leopard 48 ......….$565,000 ’12 Leopard 44...........$380,000 ‘10 Jeanneau SO 42i...$120,000 ‘11 Jeanneau SO 409.. $115,000 ‘09 Leopard 40 ........... $225,000 ‘11 Beneteau 37.......... $95,000 ‘12 Jeanneau SO 379.. $95,000

•

Best Service

2011 JEANNEAU SO 44I

3 & 4 Cabins - Performance & comfort Nice electronics & bow thruster.

Located BVI, St. Martin & St. Lucia Asking from $119,000 Reduced Price

2010 LEOPARD 384

Spacious. Full size drawer fridge/ freezer. A/C. Solar panels. Located BVI, St. Martin, & St. Lucia Starting at $199,000 Reduced Price

2008 JEANNEAU 36I

Great Cruiser / Racer 2 Cabins /1 Heads Available in BVI Asking from $59,000

www.mooringsbrokerage.com | 800-850-4081 | info@mooringsbrokerage.com

A CRUISING SAILOR’S

Safety @ Sea and Holiday Buyers Guide The Original AGM manufacturers for the Marine and RV Industry

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Lifeline, a pioneer in AGM technology, was developed in 1985 for military aircraft. Lifeline’s series of maintenance free deep cycle batteries has been the leading AGM battery in the Marine and Motor Coach industry for the past 15 years. To learn more about Lifeline Batteries contact us or visit LifelineBatteries.com SEALED, PRESSURE RELIEF SAFETY VALVES COVER TO LIFTING HANDLES CONTAINER SEAL INTERCELL CONNECTIONS THICK PLATES AND HIGH DENSITY OXIDE PASTE MATERIAL ABSORBENT GLASS MAT (AGM) SEPARATOR

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POLYETHYLENE ENVELOPE

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LIFELINE BATTERIES, INC. 292 E. Arrow Hwy San Dimas, CA 91773 800-527-3224 www.lifelinebatteries.com REINFORCED COPOLYMER POLYPROPYLENE CONTAINER AND COVER

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THE Green ALTERNATIVE Repair your hatches without costly replacement.

Hatchmasters is an approved hatch and portlight master repair facility for North America. We stock a full line of repair parts for all makes and models of deck hatches.

• Restores the hatch to its original beauty by replacing the lens.

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Please contact any one of our Hatchmasters for more information Visit us at these boat shows: Fort Lauderdale, November 3 - 7 Toronto, January 20 - 29

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CRUISING WORLD’S

MARKETPLACE EVERYTHING YOU NEED to MAKE your ON-THE-WATER DREAM A REALITY

CHARTERS: FLORIDA/CARIBBEAN

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Virgin Islands Price rollback to 1993!

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 38’ Lagoon cat, 38’ Admiral cat, 42’ Leopard cat, or 44’ Voyage cat - 7 Nights for $2800 to $5600. Bavaria 33’, Beneteau 39’, Beneteau 43’, or Jeanneau 44i – 7 Nights for $980 to $4200. Free Sleepaboard if you fly EIS & Seasonal Specials. thecaptains compass.com

Virgin Islands Sailing Vacation Captain Only or Fully Crewed Sailing Charters since 1992 – 46ft Sloop “SOPRIS” Join Us in the Beautiful USVI & BVI for the Best in Sailing, Snorkeling, Shopping, Beachcombing, and Restaurants.

Ask About Our Discounted Rates, 15% Off for Direct Bookings. Visit our Website www.soprischarters. com 1-888-821-0012.

CHARTERS: FOREIGN

YACHT CHARTERS & CRUISES GREEK ISLANDS / SOUTH FRANCE ITALY / CROATIA www.alphayachting.com, info@alpha yachting.com US +1 954 234 2203, Athens/Greece +011 30 6974788888

Lagoon 380 Catamaran ‘Incommunicado’ – BVI Available for bareboat charter (captain can be arranged) from charming and easily accessible Sopers Hole, Tortola. 3 cabins + 2 heads is ideal for 6 guests. Boat is in excellent condition and interior is beautiful and comfortable. www.sailveritascharters.com

CHARTERS: WEST COAST SAN DIEGO SAILING ACADEMY ASA and US SAILING Certifications. Private Professional Liveaboard Programs. www.sdsa.com (800) 441-8672.

NAUTICAL GIFTS

Magical Greece, Cyclades, Mykonos, Santorini Come Sailing With Us On Our 60 Foot Sailing Yacht. www.vacation yachting.com

Ofshore Passagemaking Advanced Instruction - ASA Certifications. Celestial Navigation & Offshore Passagemaking. BLUE WATER SAILING SCHOOL. (800) 255-1840. www.bwss.com Sail the World!

Established charter yacht offering adventure sailing with World ARC Rally 2017/18. Island cruising and ocean legs available. Fun, friendly, professional crew. http://skye51.com Ofshore Passage Opportunities Your Offshore Sailing Network. Sail for free helping delivery skippers and boat owners move boats. Gain Quality Sea Time. www.sailopo.com call1-800-4-PASSAGe (1-800-472-7724).

Keep the Dream Alive for the Price of a Good Winch Handle. Since 1993.

INSTRUCTION/SAILING SCHOOLS Sail Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay ASA Bareboat Certification Eight day liveaboard. pacificsail.com 800-374-2626, info@pacificsail.com LEARN AT THE HELM™ Chapman School of Seamanship Career & recreational courses on sail and power vessels. 1-800-225-2841, www.chapman.org Vacation & Learn to Sail $695 for 2 + cottage with 22’ sailboat $140/night. www.americansailing academy.com (305) 451-4700.

OFFSHORE PASSAGE OPPORTUNITIES Ofshore Passagemaking Instruction Aboard a Hallberg-Rassy 46 in the Pacific & Atlantic. (360) 378-6131, www.mahina.com

SAIL THE WORLD BY TALL SHIP Experience life under square sail.

Learn to sail a tall ship. Jan to May 2017, from Bermuda to Grenada, Bequia, Martinique, Anguilla, BVI, Colombia, Panama, Cuba and Bahamas. No experience necessary. Barque PICTON CASTLE (902) 634-9984 www.picton-castle.com

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$3495 per week/couple includes my cooking.

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You can't get a better deal!!

We enjoy introducing sailors to the Virgin Anchorages aboard Rochelle, our Amel54.

CHARTS Charts Savings Up To 76% So. Pacific, Mex, Med, USA, Caribbean, Worldwide. Affordable e-chart back-ups. 37 years quality service.

Authorized NOAA & NGA POD Agent. BELLINGHAM CHART PRINTERS DIVISION, TIDES END LTD. (800) 643-3900, www. tidesend.com • sales@tidesend.com

BOATS FOR SALE

50’ Voyage Catamaran, 2005 Owners Version, ICW friendly mast, PH 866-365-0706, www.Catamarans inFlorida.com Edwards Yacht Sales 50’ Flying Dutchman, 1984 Genset, 3 A/C units, Bluewater Cutter! $87,500, PH 866-365-0706, w w w. S a i l b o a t s i n F l o r i d a . c o m Edwards Yacht Sales BOAT SELECTION CONSULTATION SERVICE Looking for the right boat for offshore voyaging? For a flat fee I will use my extensive experience to help you locate, evaluate, purchase and refit the best possible boat for your investment. John Neal, www.mahina. com/consult.

cruisingworld.com

46’ MORGAN CLASSIC, CENTER COCKPIT, KETCH, 1981 Excellent condition. No delamination/blisters. AC, GenSet. Located Charleston, SC. Request specifications/ photos at: agstwind@gmail.com

BOATYARD SERVICES Visiting The Caribbean This Season?

BRADFORD MARINE offers Dry storage and Full boatyard services for Multi-Hulls in the Bahamas. 33.5’ Beam Travelift. Long Term Storage. Hurricane strapping. COMPLIMENTARY STORAGE FOR BROKERAGE CLIENTS. Reserve your Space on the Hard Today.

Contact 877-287-1513, bahamas@ bradford-marine.com, or bradfordmarine.com/bahamas Best Little Boatyard In Beaufort, N.C. Store your boat in a clean, safe and secure boatyard at the best prices.

252-728-7358 www.beaufortmarine.com

Composting Toilet The ORIGINAL, since 2001 www.airheadtoilet.com PO Box 5, Mt. Vernon, OH 43050.

740-392-3642.

CREW

BOYE BOAT KNIVES Cobalt blades, extreme cutting power. No rust, ever. One-hand open/ close. Handcrafted in USA. Great reviews. Since 1971. www.boyeknives. com, (800) 853-1617.

MORE GEAR CRUZPRO INSTRUMENTS Digital multifunction instruments with alarms/NMEA0183 for depth, speed, wind, battery monitoring, engine gauges, tankage, gas detectors, chain counters, PC Fishfinder and accessories. USA: www.downwind marine.com, New Zealand: www. cruzpro.com, Australia: www. marinedirect.com.au, UK: www. energysolutions.com.

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The Best New Outboard Lifting Harness The best new outboard lifting harness. Strong, Safe and Simple. $39.99. Visit outboardlift.com

SAFE & DRY BOAT BUILDER

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Partnership in Growing, Profitable and Tax Efficient Yacht Charter Co in Caribbean brent@heatseekerinternational.com

SERVICES St. Brendan’s Isle Mail Service & More VIEW & READ YOUR MAIL ONLINE Serving cruisers since 1988. Income Tax Free Florida. 411 Walnut Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043.

(800) 544-2132. www.sbimailservice. com Email: sbi@sbimailservice.com

SELF-STEERING GEAR

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Don't anchor without it!

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MORE THAN 10,000 SOLD

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CLIMB YOUR MAST BY YOURSELF MASTCLIMBER he only single handed bosun’s chair that allows the operator to work ABOVE the mast head without leaving the chair.

Climbing the mast has never been easier or safer!

SERIOUS SAILING EQUIPMENT 800-874-3671 • atnic@hotmail.com

www.atninc.com

REMOTE OIL FILTER KIT You can remotely mount the existing OEM oil filter one meter away from the engine. Certified with most engine manufacturers.

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Sign up for Cruising World’s eNewsletter

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SAILS New & Used Sails In Stock Discount Custom Sails View our complete sail inventory at our web store. Search for your sail by size or by boat type.

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FREE END OF SEASON SAIL EVALUATIONS, Sail Cleaning, repairs, modifications, suncover maintenance/replacements.

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Since 1993

Donate Your Used Sails!

Developing Leaders, Producing Champions Tax deductible contribution. Supports collegiate, high school & community sailing at first and foremost maritime college - New York Maritime. Contact: Rob at rcrafa@ sunymaritime.edu or Paul at Masthead (800) 783-6953.

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National Sail Supply Quality custom built sails at reasonable prices. newsails@aol.com, www.nationalsail.com 352-540-9101.

ANCHOR & DOCKING • CABIN & GALLEY • CANVAS • DECK & COCKPIT ELECTRICAL • ELECTRONICS • ENGINE MAINTENANCE • HARDWARE LIGHTING • SAIL REPAIR & MAINTENANCE • NAVIGATION NEW & USED SAILS/RACING & CRUISING • PLUMBING • SAFETY • SAILING EQUIPMENT

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Shop Online: 24/7: BaconSails.com For Sails/Canvas/Service contact

For Hardware contact

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New & Used Sails Buy-Sell-Consign Large Inventory. (800) 783-6953, (727) 327-5361. www.mastheadsailing gear.com

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Check out the video and request a catalogue at

St. Brendan’s Isle Mail Service & More VIEW & READ YOUR MAIL ONLINE Serving cruisers since 1988. Income Tax Free Florida. 411 Walnut Street, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043.

(800) 544-2132. www.sbimailservice. com Email: sbi@sbimailservice.com

MEDICAL & SAFETY EQUIPMENT

www.sailcare.com info@sailcare.com 800.433.7245

Subscribers: 24/7 Customer service is only a click away!

Change Your Address Check Your Account Status Renew, Give a Gift or Pay a Bill Replace Missing Issues

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OceanMedix Prescription, Medical, 1st Aid & Marine Defibrillator Kits Inflatable PFDs, EPIRBs, PLBs Life Rafts, MOB Gear Safety, Emergency & Communication Equipment Useful Internet Links Other Cool Stuff - Since 2006 http://www.oceanmedix.com 1-866-788-2642

The Cruising Sailor’s Calendar The 2017 CRUISING WORLD Calendar takes cruising sailors to a new port each month. Come along!

Calendar measures 14 x 22 inches open. Large grid for your appointments. Cost is just $14.95 plus $3 for U. S. & Canada S&H per calendar. SPECIAL OFFER: Get $5 off each additional calendar when you purchase 2 or more! Please allow two weeks for delivery. MC/VISA/ AMEX orders call 888-224-0137 (outside US +515-237-3697), fax (401) 845-5180 (any time). Or mail orders (check payable to Bonnier Corp) to CRUISING WORLD Calendar, 55 Hammarlund Way, Middletown, RI 02842. Order online: www.cruising world.com/cal

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HISTORIC WATERFRONT HOME! ST AUGUSTINE, FL - Beautifully maintained home with sweeping water vistas plus a 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; dock creates a Boaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise! Easy access to the ICW and St Augustine Inlet, low tide depth 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Over 3,000 sq ft, 4BR/3Bath, gourmet kitchen, ZDON LQ SDQWU\ DQG ZRRG EXUQLQJ ¿UHSODFH 0DVWHU VXLWH LQFOXGHV VLWWLQJ URRP ZLWK a view. Bedrooms are generous in size with plenty of storage. 2-Car detached garage plus basement, and patio with imported pizza oven. Walk to Downtown Restaurants & the St Augustine Plaza. $1,240,000. For online

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Global Delivery Service USCG licensed, college degreed, non-smoking powerboat, sailboat delivery captains. (832) 541-7569, dr waynewitt@gmail.com, www. globaldeliveryservice.com

Vacation Cottage & Resort With FREE 22â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sailboats & Kayaks, Water toys, Fishing/ Snorkel Gear, Bicycles, Sunsets Cruise. ALL $175/Night. www.Key limesailingclub.com (305) 451 3438.

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www.ajguild.com

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Romance on the Carolina Waterways

3267$/ ,1)250$7,21 &58,6,1* :25/' 9ROXPH 1XPEHU Ī,661 ĥ 8636 ĥ ī LV SXEOLVKHG WLPHV SHU \HDU Ī-DQ )HE 0DU $SU 0D\ - - $ 6 2&7 1 'ī E\ %RQQLHU &RUS 1 2UODQGR $YH 6XLWH :LQWHU 3DUN )O &RS\ULJKW# E\ %RQQLHU &RUS $OO ULJKWV UHVHUYHG 5HSULQWLQJ LQ ZKROH RU SDUW IRUELGGHQ H[FHSW E\ SHUPLVVLRQ RI WKH SXEOLVKHU 7KH WLWOH &UXLVLQJ :RUOG LV D UHJLVWHUHG WUDGHPDUN (GLWRULDO FRQWULEXWLRQV VKRXOG EH DFFRPSDQLHG E\ D VHOIĥDGGUHVVHG VWDPSHG HQYHORSH (GLWRULDO RIILFHV DUH DW +DPPDUOXQG :D\ 0LGGOHWRZQ 5, 0DQXVFULSWV DUW DQG SKRWRJUDSKV DUH KDQGOHG ZLWK FDUH EXW QR OLDELOLW\ LV DFFHSWHG 3HULRGLFDOV SRVWDJH SDLG DW :LQWHU 3DUN )O $QG DGGLWLRQDO PDLOLQJ RIILFHV 32670$67(5 6HQG DGGUHVV FKDQJHV WR 32 %R[ +DUODQ ,$ ĥ 6XEVFULSWLRQ UDWHV )RU RQH \HDU Ī LVVXHVī IJ ,Q &DQDGD IJ RWKHU ,QWHUQDWLRQDO IJ 2UGHUV 2XWVLGH WKH 86 PXVW EH SUHSDLG LQ 86 IXQGV 3XEOLFDWLRQV 0DLO $JUHHPHQW &DQDGD 5HWXUQ 0DLO ,0(; *OREDO 6ROXWLRQV 3 2 %R[ /RQGRQ 21 1 & % &DQDGD

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hen renowned marine photographer Onne van der Wal popped the question “Does everyone know what a histogram is?” and my hand was the only one raised to admit I didn’t, I knew I was in trouble.

Van der Wal, one of about 45 top-end shooters in the “Explorers of Light” posse of professionals, sponsored by Canon cameras, was addressing a couple of dozen attendees at one of his regular photography workshops at his gallery in Newport, Rhode Island, last summer.

The occasion was the introduction of Canon’s new 1D X MKII camera — at about $6,000, it’s worth more than my ancient Silverado pickup truck — and the group consisted mostly of ringers: photography writers dispatched to review the gear for their respective websites and publications. A final spot had opened up that Canon graciously ofered to me, but I realized from the outset that, talentwise, I was way out of my league. Then again, I’ve had oodles of photos published over the years to accompany my magazine stories, and reckoned a little pro instruction wouldn’t hurt anything. Heck, I might even learn a trick or two.

Like a lot of sailors, even when I’m not working, I enjoy taking photos out on the water. With an ongoing panoply of incredibly cool boats from every era going to and fro in the city’s busy harbor, Newport is an especially good place to do so. But great marine photography is both an art and a science, and not an easy one at that. Oftentimes you’re shooting one pitching, moving object from the deck of yet another one. A good dollop of sea spray can gum up the works of an expensive camera body easily, and the light changes often and quickly. I’ve always admired the best nautical shooters, like van der Wal, who have their own distinct

One of the many images I took was of friend Jef Roy’s 30-foot sloop, Epiphany, closehauled of Newport.

Straight Shooter style. I consider them nothing less than artists, with technical skills to match.

Van der Wal readily admits that much of the magic and artistry in his work comes from the many hours he spends massaging raw files on his Mac. Me? Not so much. And I figure if I take 300 images and get five or six worth publishing, I’m doing just fine.

But we can all get better, right? Like any sport or activity, it’s all about repetition: The more you do something, the more adept you become at it. And van der Wal had laid out an itinerary that would maximize our opportunities to get great shots. First we’d board a photo boat to shoot the Tuesday night yacht races on Narragansett Bay. The next morning, we’d set forth into Newport to capture street and city scenes. Finally, by car, we’d head out to Castle Hill, at the mouth of the bay, to catch the famous lighthouse at sunset. It was a nice mixture of

activity on land and at sea.

As it turned out, the racing was my favorite part, and not a little because I was able to swap my knowledge of what was happening on the course with some tips from the camera pros, many of whom had no clue about the diference between windward and leeward. For a while there, I actually didn’t feel like an idiot.

And van der Wal couldn’t have been more helpful. At one point I asked him how cruising sailors could shoot better images. “Well,” he said, “iPhones are great, but you have to go to the next level and get a proper camera. You don’t have to break the bank. There are $600 cameras that are very good.

“If you’re shooting on board, get a wide-angle lens first,” he continued.

“They’re much easier to work with — no shake — and you can really compose your shots. On a boat, 90 percent of my stuf is shot with a wide-angle lens.

“And it’s so worth the money you spend on lenses,” he added. “If you’re on a budget and can bring just two lenses with you, I’d suggest a 24-105mm and a 100400mm. That’s an amazing setup. Camera bodies aren’t as important. Some are better in low light, some have bells and whistles, but they’ll all shoot beautifully.

You could send me of on an assignment with a $600 camera, and if I can put a good lens on it, you’d never know.”

Oh, and about that histogram. “It’s the little graph on the back of the camera that tells you what’s going on with the light hitting the meter,” he said. “It will tell you if you’re underexposing or overexposing and the quantity of brightness or darkness. Essentially, it’s a light meter.”

That seemed appropriate. After a couple of days hanging with the pros, even I was starting to see the light.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

To learn more about Onne van der Wal’s photography workshops, visit his website (vanderwal.com).

HERB MCCORMICK

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