Spring 2013 - Issue #2
U.S. & Canada $6.99
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This is a free sample copy of our print magazine. See more at: www.cruisingoutpost.com Every issue 200 pages with only 30% ads, and 70% great cruising stories and information
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Cruising Outpost Feature Stories Page 46 Indonesia Cruising Rally This is a great way to visit these beautiful cruising grounds. By Gwen Hamlin
Page 130 Inside Marine Binocs We all need them on our boats, but what do we look for?. By Bill Cook
Feature: Westsail 32 Page 54 See why this was THE cruising boat of the ‘60s, and still is today!. By Charles Scott
Page 149 Boot Key Harbor Our staffer tells us why life there is so good for cruisers. By Steve Hall
Lost Soul Page 62 Can we save it? We don’t know, but we gotta try! By Bob Bitchin Page 64 Cruising the BVIs See what 40-50 Cruising Outpost readers can get into when they really try. By The Staff
Cruising Cuba Page 78 See where the cruising is good, and not so good, but always interesting. By Pat & Addison Chan Getting Looped Page 99 Circumnavigating the Eastern US can be a very fun voyage! By Captain James Cash
Cover: By Mark Roozendaal of his wife Deanna. Cover design by Richard Marker.
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This Page: Halfway across the Pacific heading to Hawaii from Cabo San Lucas. Photo by Gene LaPorte
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Cruising Outpost Departments Page 14 Just Bitchin Our large editor takes a look at what kind of nut goes out in deep water in a boat.
Out Cruisin’ Page 134 A few tales from folks who went out where the water’s deep.
Cruising News Page 18 All the news that fits in the pages allowed. Keep up with what’s happening.
This Must Be The Place Page 154 Cruisers like to share a good place to sail. Here are some you might like.
Just Because Page 34 Edider Editor Sue prepares for cruising after 32 years of living aboard.
Life Aboard Page 162 Live aboard? Here is some info from folks who have been there, done that.
Another Way Page 36 Tania Aebi has always looked at things a little different. Here’s her view.
Talk of the Dock Page 168 Zuzana takes a look at some marine goodies you should see.
The Admiral’s Angle Page 38 A look at what the Admiral is thinking while the skipper does his duty.
Tech Stuff Page 170 Input on how to keep up with the new gear and ways to fix the boat.
Did I Do That? Page 41 Here’s some dumb stuff cruisers actually admitted to!
From The Galley Page 176 Cruising makes you hungry. Here’s an idea to help with that problem!
Boat Designs Page 74-77 The Nordic Tug 39, Marlow-Hunter 40, Beneteau Oceanis 45 & Catalina’s 385
Critters Aboard Page 181 Folks who sail with their furry (and not so furry) family share some ideas and tales.
Lifestyle Page 86 Photos sent in from cruisers worldwide showing why we all want to get out there.
Bubba Whartz Page 186 You can never tell what he’s up to, and usually you don’t wanna know.
Captain Bilgeplug Page 104 Bought a boat? What were you thinkin’? The Captain will fill you in.
Cruisians Page 194 Here are some folks who live the boating lifestyle and like it.
Talkin’ Story Page 106 This is what sailors do. Join in and see what happens “out there.” Cruising Outposts Page 122 Looking for a friendly spot to hang? Here are a few we’ve found! Book Review Page 128 Read a good book lately? Well, we have and here’s what we found...
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Spring 2013 9 2/1/13 10:17 AM
The Passport 470 is known world wide for its long distance cruising abilities. Available in center and aft cockpit configurations, both have spacious aft deck storage and custom interiors. Offered in: 456AC, 456CC, 470AC, 470CC, 485AC, 515AC, 515CC, 545CC, 545AC, 585TC, and 615TC
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, C
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Editor at Large Sue Morgan
sue@cruisingoutpost.com
Large Editor Bob Bitchin
bob@cruisingoutpost.com
President Allan Saunders al@cruisingoutpost.com
Cruising Outpost 909 Marina Village Prkwy Suite 351 Alameda, CA 94501 Phone 510 900-3616 info@cruisingoutpost.com
Head Wench In Charge Heidi Benson
heidi@cruisingoutpost.com
Contributor Zuzana Prochazka
zuzana@cruisingoutpost.com
Life Aboard Queen Mother Robin Stout robin@cruisingoutpost.com
Staff Infection Tania Aebi Gwen Hamlin People Who Helped Us Create This Issue
Bill Cook Brandon Clifford Capt. Michael L. Martel Capt. Wayne Canning, Capt. James Cash Charles Scott Gwen Hamlin Jan S. Irons Jay, S/V Seaforever John Simpson Julia Hathaway Lanea Riley Mike Martell Morgan Stinemetz Pat & Addison Chan Rick Johnson Steve Hall Tasha Hacker Todd Duff Wade Rogers People Who Didn’t Help Us At All
Batman Tristan Jones Alfred E. Neuman Bill Gates Thor (Jody’s input) Taylor Swift (Bob’s input)
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Don’t worry. It only seems kinky the first time.
12 Spring 2013
Art Guru Richard Marker
rich@cruisingoutpost.com
WebMaster Steve “Sailing Guitarist” Hall steve@cruisingoutpost.com
Mobile Media Ray Fosdick
ray@cruisingoutpost.com
Marketing & Video Darren O’Brien
darren@cruisingoutpost.com
Boat Show Queen Jody “Bitchin” Lipkin
jody@cruisingoutpost.com
Boat Show Manager Dave Dudgeon
dave@cruisingoutpost.com
Boat Show Slaves Jeff & Marie Inshaw
jeff@cruisingoutpost.com marie@cruisingoutpost.com
Media & Video Princess Tabitha “Bitchin” Lipkin
------------------------------Advertising Goddess Lisa O’Brien
lisa@cruisingoutpost.com
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It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind, that determines which way we will go” - Jim Rohn
Just Bitchin One of the most exciting times I can remember was a couple days out of Mopilia, sailing from French Polynesia to the northern Cook Islands. I was on watch and it was pitch black. The winds were blowing at about 25-30 knots on our beam, which was a pretty good point of sail for Lost Soul. Her 42 tons felt secure as we were constantly being bashed by 10-12 foot swells. Occasionally we’d drop into a “valley” and get a “slapper.” A slapper is a wave that is about to crest just as it slams against your hull, throwing spray over the whole boat. It wasn’t the wind or seas that made this so exciting. As I stood behind our ship’s wheel I was enjoying the adventure of sailing through new waters. I’d checked the chart before coming on watch and saw that there was a mostly submerged reef “out there” somewhere. Manuae was the only thing we had to worry about between Mopilia and Suverov Island, which was our destination. I’d planned to pass this mostly submerged atoll slightly after dawn so we could keep a sharp eye out. The charts we were using were from a survey in the mid-1800s, (?) so it could be as much as five miles off its reported position, or so it said on the chart we were using. The problem I had was we were going a lot faster than I’d planned on. One thing you learn when cruising: if you have wind, use it. It could die at any time. And so, instead of passing said reef in the daylight, we were fast approaching it at 8-9 knots. Okay, being
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a prudent mariner, I had planned on passing five miles to the south of said reef. At 4:30 in the morning it was dark. Very dark. No moon, overcast skies, and occasional swells were breaking over our 8-foot freeboard. I was snug behind our dodger, staying as dry as I could. There was this weird “ball lightning” flashing in the sky. No thunder, just bright flashes of light and a crackling sound that accompanied it. I remembered thinking my biggest fear was we’d get hit, so I deployed our lightning gear (a 10-foot piece of 3/8” chain vice-gripped to our rigging) just in case. I was looking forward when a ball of lightning filled the sky, and in the brief light from the flash I saw what looked like a 15-foot breaking wave about a quarter mile directly in front of us! I froze for a minute. Could I really have seen that? As if in answer to the question, another flash of light in the sky and sure enough, what seemed like just a few boat lengths in front to of me, I could see breaking surf on the reef. I slammed off the autopilot, swung Lost Soul hard to port and watched as the reef receded behind us in the dwindling lighting. I remember how my pulse quickened. I can still feel the chill that passed through me. I felt more alive at that moment than any I can recall! Staying safe in a harbor my be secure, but to experience adventure you have to cast off those dock lines and head out into the storm.
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Cruising Outpost News A Calm Sea Defined A condition characterized by the simultaneous disappearance of the wind and the last cold beverage.
All the news that fits Inside Cruising Outpost Why Other Mags Think We’re Nuts
by Bob Bitchin
I guess the first thing you will notice is that this issue is bigger than most magazines -196 pages. What sets CO apart from other magazines is that we are what most publishing companies think of as nuts, whackos, or crazy people. You see, most magazines try to get about a 70% advertising to 30% editorial content ratio. Check out the other mags and you’ll see that’s why they are so slim right now. The marine ad dollars kinda dried up after 2007. A lot of magazines shut down, or went to 80-90 pages. It made good business sense. When we started CO we decided that we were a reader supported rag as opposed to an ad supported rag. Our readers pay good money for CO, and we feel they should get their money’s worth. This issue we are at our “target percentage.” We are over 70% editorial content, and the 30% ads we have are all marine related. End of lesson #1
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Cruising Outpost News All Washed Up?
“How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly ocean.” - Arthur C. Clarke
The Blue Planet Odyssey is a round the world sailing event aimed at raising awareness of the global effects of climate change by calling at some of the most endangered islands: San Blas Islands in the Atlantic Ocean; Tuvalu, Tokelau, Tuamotu, Micronesia, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean; the Maldive and Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. This global sailing event will also endeavor to highlight the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands, which lie on the Blue Planet Odyssey route, as well as the Arctic icecap during a transit of the Northwest Passage. There will be starts in every continent and at every stop at those endangered places, the sailors will take part in community projects such as building or installing wind and solar powered desalination plants. European participants will start from London in July 2014. On the way to the Canary Islands they will stop at several ports before crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean and will continue to Panama and the Pacific Ocean. The main route will be joined at certain points by participants who have started from New York, Miami, Vancouver, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Bob Bitchin & Jimmy Sydney and Shanghai. Cornell, Miami 2012
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Submitted by Stuart Gough My journalism teacher taught me to never waste space. She said every empty space was a waste of paper, so I am filling this space we had leftover here. I don’t really have anything to say, but I had an uneasy feeling just leaving it sitting there unfilled. I am sure that she would appreciate me doing this. But then again, she gave me a D, so maybe I should just turn this whole thing upside down to show her who’s the boss? Yeah, I think I’ll do that! Of course then I’ll feel bad because you had to turn the magazine upside down and get a magnifying glass to read this drivel. I guess I should apologize for that. Okay. Sorry. I won’t do it again. Just thought this space needed filling.
Jimmy Cornell’s BLUE PLANET ODYSSEY
After sailing 2,500 miles from Turkey, Ramazan Noyan Culum imagined that the British woman he loved would be swept off her feet by his determination to prove his love, and she would accept his hand in marriage. Instead, his eight-month odyssey ended inside an immigration office in Sussex, with her telling him he will be arrested if he comes anywhere near her. The love struck Turkish sailor had sailed his tiny 16foot sailboat across the full width of the Mediterranean in search of the woman who he met by chance in 2005, while vacationing in Cyprus on a scuba diving trip. He tracked her down through Facebook and bombarded her with love messages. But back in the UK, the woman had since married and had children. The UK Border Agency intercepted Culum off the English coast near Plymouth, where he was arrested.
Old Chart Caused Him To Run Aground
Three men were rescued by the Coast Guard after their sailboat ran aground and started taking on water. The owner of the boat, Chris McHugh from Beaufort, told the Coast Guard he was using an old chart and was going through what he thought was a channel when he ran aground traveling from Morehead City to Myrtle Beach. Conditions were too hazardous for the Coast Guard’s 45-foot and 24-foot boats that responded to reach the men. A Coast Guardsmen waded through the choppy waters to bring the crewmen from the grounded boat to safety. All three men aboard the sailboat were checked out by EMS and are okay.
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Cruising Outpost News
Plan Ahead
Boat Wrecks in B.C.
One woman is dead and a man is recovering after a bizarre incident aboard a sailboat off the east coast of Vancouver Island. Rescuers were called just after 3:00 p.m. when the listing nine-metre sailboat was spotted aground on rocks near Union Bay, just south of Courtenay, B.C. Air Force search and rescue technicians from the base in nearby Comox pulled a 44-yearold Courtenay man to safety and also located a 40-year-old Courtenay woman in waters near the grounded boat. RCMP say the woman was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox, but could not be revived.
(Upcoming Cruising Outpost Events)
Miami Strictly Sail February 14-18, 2013 - Miamarina Bayside Cruising Outpost Party Saturday, Feb.16! South West International Boat Show March 21-24, 2013 - South Shore Harbour Marina Houston, Texas Area Cruising Outpost Party Saturday, March 23! Strictly Sail Pacific April 11-14, 2013 - Jack London Square - Oakland Cruising Outpost Party Saturday, April 13! Bob Bitchin Cruising Seminar Now Being Planned for May 4-6, 2013 Cruising Outpost Party Saturday, May 4th! For more info on these and other events go to
www.cruisingoutpost.com
What? You didn’t learn your lesson from the previous page?
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Every Mack Sail Is Proudly Made In Our Stuart, Florida Sail Loft Our 45th Year
We built all new sails for this Kanter 52 tha t was fitted ou t for circumnavigati ng. Our rig ging department inst alled a Leisure Furl Boom and F urling Code Zero. MACK SAILS also painted sp ars, replaced all sta nding and run ning rigging, upda ted deck hard ware, hydraulics and electronics.
Photo: Kip Brundage
The Biggest Small Loft In The USA Call (800) 428-1384 info@macksails.com www.macksails.com Colin Mack & Travis Blain
WE SHIP EVERYWHERE AND PAY THE FREIGHT ON NEW SAILS AND MACK PACKS.
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Cruising Outpost News
Age Matters!
“A cruiser who is content with what he has is already rich... if he has the money to enjoy it.” - Cap’n Greybeard
Fred Folkerts has come up with a great idea: a place for seniors to discuss the specific problems they might encounter sailing. In his own words: “My hope is that this is the beginning of an on-going dialogue between us with the sole purpose of keeping us sailing (and active) longer than if we were trying to do it all on our own.” To that end he has created a website for Senior Sailors and named it, wait for it... The Senior Sailor! So, if you are getting a little long of tooth, why not take a few minutes and go to www.theseniorsailor.com and share your experiences with others! T. Mccracken - mchumor.com
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Cruising Outpost News Palmyra Mariner Rescued Hawaiian mariner James Blackford was rescued by the crew of the motor vessel Global Explorer and taken to their next port of call in Japan. His 60’ sailboat, the Makalii, was left behind and adrift. The Makalii was about 85 miles northwest of Palmyra Atoll when it issued a distress signal. The Coast Guard launched HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Barbers Point and located the sailboat, which had lost its mast, at about 2:30 a.m. The Coast Guard crew dropped a pump, radio and marker buoy to the sailboat, which had been taking on water, but boat master James Blackford said that the problem was beyond control, so the Global Explorer was diverted to assist.
The Bigger the Better A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn’t find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ‘Do these turkeys get any bigger?’ The stock boy replied, ‘No ma’am, they’re dead.’
It’s Worth It! Sailing is like a bad relationship... the costs are high in terms of aggravation, time, and money, but when she’s wet and you’re riding her, it all seems worthwhile.
Attitude is the ... Well, You Know!
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
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Cruising Outpost News
None Better They can save you and your boat in a hurricane! They have held in winds to 147 knots! Common Sense: The anchor that penetrates deepest with the largest fluke area will hold the most. Only the Super Max anchors do this! • They work in virtually all sea bottoms! • They are the least expensive and the lightest weight anchoring system when the preferred all nylon rode is included! • Ogling a Super Max is understanding advanced anchor technology! • Read endorsements from real boat owners, real tug boat test results from American Bureau of Shipping! • Read why the other anchors are dangerous! Companies that care for your safety choose Super Max Anchors! Ask Kadey-Krogan Yachts. If not the best anchor you have ever owned, return it for a full refund within 60 days!
Super Max Anchors creativemarine.com 800-824-0355
Forespar Founder Passes Away Forespar Founder, Dr. Robert (Bob) Foresman, died at his home in San Juan Capistrano, California, on December 30, 2012. Born in 1925 in Pasadena, Bob served in the Navy’s “V-12” program as an officer in the Navy Dental Corps in WWII and Korea. Bob’s passion was sailing and the ocean. His desire to optimize his boat led him to establish Forespar Products Corporation in 1965 where he designed and marketed unique marine products. Forespar is a recognized leader in the marine industry for the past 45 years.
A Legend Passes On Jan Clover Gougeon of Bay City, Michigan, died December 18, 2012 in Ann Arbor, Michigan at age 67. In 1969, Jan founded Gougeon Brothers, Inc. with his brothers Meade and Joel. The company began building boats and iceboats, and found great success in formulating, manufacturing and marketing West System epoxies for boat construction and repair. Over the course of his lifetime he designed Wee Three, Flicka, Splinter, Ollie and Pocket Rocket.
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Cruising Outpost News Wooden Ship Found on Beach A wooden ship from the mid-1800s, possibly a Civil War blockade runner, recently has been discovered along the beach at Cumberland Island. Archaeologists and park officials believe it could be a major historical discovery. The unknown vessel lay in the shallow waters off Georgia’s southeastern coast. A December storm shifted enough sand to make her visible. Most wrecks have been identified or preserved. “The Cumberland shipwreck,” is potentially one of Georgia’s most significant maritime finds in years.
Captain Ron
The Fastest Sailboat While many people may think of sailboating as a fairly tranquil activity, Paul Larsen has long equated sailboating with extreme speed. Larsen’s search for the perfect speedway ended off the coast of the small African country Namiba. This windswept coast is where Larsen spent 10 years in his attempt to break the boating speed record. He did it piloting the Vestas SailRocket Mark 2, a craft that Larsen described as “50 percent plane, 50 percent boat.” Larsen and his team broke the world speed sailing record in November. They were going in excess of 60 knots on a regular basis. Live Slow - Sail Fast!
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Cruising Outpost News
Seminar Class of 2012
Bob Bitchin Seminar Dates Announced
May 4-5, 2013 in Biloxi, MS, dozens of cruisers will be gathering for a two-day Cruising Seminar on the cruising lifestyle. On Saturday, May 4th, by invitation from Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino, there will be a Beach Party and Barbecue catered by the World Famous Shed Barbecue. If you have never been to one of these events, this is the ONE you should attend: dozens of great speakers with over 1,000,000 miles of combined experience, and a great party! Space is limited so go to page 72 for more info, or just go to www.cruisingoutpost.com and sign up now! Seminar Class of 2008
Boaters and Bikers Cross Country Tour Planned for 2013
A first-of-its-kind cross country boating and motorcycle extravaganza is being planned for early May, 2013 for members of the boating community and their friends. The“Boaterz n’ Bikerz Across America: A Hull of a Tour!” is in its final planning stages, and will incorporate a multi-day motorcycle trip from Florida to California, with fun boating and sightseeing stops along the way. Join the recently launched and designated Facebook Group at https://www. facebook.com/groups/ HullofaTour/
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Cruising Outpost News Bridge Over Troubled Water
This 40-foot motorboat fell victim to very high river levels when it tried to negotiate Chertsey Bridge on the River Thames. The boat was being cruised by its owner when it became stuck under the central span of the bridge. Water levels were unusually high resulting in the height between the underside of the arch in the bridge and the surface of the water being reduced. Despite “Strong Current Warning” signs, the skipper attempted the impossible and unceremoniously wedged his craft under the archway. The £500,000 yacht managed to get itself well and truly jammed under this ancient bridge in just a matter of seconds. As a precautionary measure, the two persons aboard were hoisted off by ropes after the road had been closed. The bridge itself was closed to traffic. With the arrival of another boat from a nearby boat yard, the cruiser was then towed clear and secured at a nearby marina. Much cheering and rejoicing from the less than sympathetic local community followed, whilst the erstwhile skipper looked for the hole in the ground that would kindly swallow him up. Submitted by Stuart Gough
The Law is The Law! In the 1400’s a law was set forth in England that said a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick as long as said stick was no thicker than his thumb. And hence, to this day, we have ‘the rule of thumb.’
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Cruising Outpost News Cooling Off Correction
No Parking Zone Orange County, California, Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol and Laguna Beach Lifeguards responded to an early a.m. call one Sunday and found a drunk driver… of a boat! The boat was so far up on shore it could not be pulled off. South Coast Highway was temporarily blocked off as crews pulled the boat off the sand and trucked it to Capistrano Beach to be dismantled. The 28-foot S/V Why Knot was deemed unseaworthy and the owner was unable to pay to remove it. The owner, Stephen Fryer of San Diego, was given the opportunity to come up with a plan and ended up signing over the boat to the city. Fryer was arrested on suspicion of operating the boat while intoxicated. There was extensive damage to the keel, rudder and hull. Fryer still may be responsible for the costs incurred by the city in the removal and destruction of the boat.
In 2009 Fiona, a 42’ Westsail cutter, on her passage.
Last issue, in ‘Cooling Off for the Summer’ our story said Belzebub II was the first sailboat that had made it through the Northwest Passage. But, as Gary Golden of International Marine Insurance pointed out, in 2007 Roger Swanson aboard Cloud Nine, and Eric Forsyth aboard Fiona in 2009, made the passage. International Marine Insurance Services had arranged insurance coverage for both of these sailboats, as well as the Nordhavn 57 trawler that also made the passage in 2009.
Time Flies Time flies like an arrow -- -fruit flies like a banana.
Cruising Outpost News Cruising
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You know you are getting older when Happy Hour is a nap.
Just Because The clock is ticking. It’s not the “time to go cruising” clock, but another more ominous clock; the one that eventually winds down in spite of our best efforts. By the time you read this my partner in crime will have celebrated his 70th birthday, and I’m on the final slippery slope to 60. We planned to go cruising when we were still young, so I guess this is the new young. Although I see an eyebrow raise here and there when I tell people our plans, I’m not concerned. We may not be in quite as good shape as we were 20 years ago, but we’re both still very healthy and active. Also, there are plenty of cruisers our ages and older that are out there proving that the lifestyle is not just for the young. I figure that cruising is going to help keep us young. Still, the clock is ticking and there are age-related considerations to make as we finish outfitting the boat. Thankfully, we’ve got technology on our side now. We’ve both had disc issues in the past, so avoiding back strain is important. An electric windlass is already installed and we’re still making rigging modifications to get everything led to the cockpit. When we were working with the folks at Forespar to replace our old wood masts we did some serious salivating over their boom furler. It would certainly make raising, lowering and reefing the mainsail much easier, but in the end we just couldn’t justify it. At 35 feet with a split rig, the mainsail on Because just isn’t that big - we should still be able to handle it for the foreseeable future. Instead, we decided on the Mack Pack mainsail cover and lazy jack combination
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from Mack Sails. We’ve used similar systems on charter boats and they work great. We will also get a Winchrite - an electric winch handle. Not only can we use it to raise the mainsail, we can use it for hoisting the dinghy and outboard, and I can use it to hoist Mike up the mast if necessary (I don’t do heights). Another thing we’re doing is building a new galley. That’s actually an original project that has somehow managed to remain number two on our projects list for 32 years. However, now that we have finally started it will include modifications we probably wouldn’t have made originally - like raising the counter height to make it a little easier on both our backs. We’ll also build front access to the storage areas that used to require a nose dive to get into, and we’ll build new companionway steps (the galley is on both sides) that are deeper and angled further out to make them safer. The last thing we will do is put together our electronics system. The advancements in boating electronics continue at an amazing rate and benefit cruisers of any age. However, things like AIS, chartplotters and readily available weather forecasts certainly make heading “out there” a little less daunting when you’re older and not feeling so bullet proof anymore. All in all, it seems that having let the clock tick longer than we had intended before going cruising will not be detrimental. Hell, it might even make it better than it would have been had we left when we were younger. Or, that could just be me exercising my one and only superpower - the ability to justify just about anything.
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BOB BITCHIN’S CRUISING SEMINAR May 4-5, 2013
THE ISLE OF CAPRI HOTEL, MARINA, CASINO & SPA - BILOXI, MS Once again cruisers from all over North America will be gathering for Bob Bitchin’s two-day Cruising Seminar. Join Bob & Jody, along with some of the most well known and respected speakers in the boating world for this information packed seminar on cruising. There will be a cocktail reception Friday Evening, May 3rd. Special room rates have been arranged for this event - just mention the Cruising Seminar
CRUISERS BEACH PARTY & BARBECUE* SATURDAY NIGHT, MAY 4TH Eric Stone Live - on the beach at the
Margaritaville Casino
Catered by The Shed Barbecue *Included in the seminar - Tickets available for non-seminar attendees! For more info go to www.cruisingoutpost.com and select “Events” Or you can email bob@cruisingoutpost.com Jody@cruisingoutpost.com Heidi@cruisingoutpost.com Phone 510-900-3616 ext 101 Seminar Cost (incl. Party) Single participant $450. Couple $825. Party Ticket (non attendee) $45. See website for special rates for our Founders Circle and Charter Members
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Another Way Porto Mogan, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. Day five. We were supposed to leave two days ago, but the spinnaker pole that was supposed to arrive on Friday won’t clear customs until Monday, so we’re spending an extra weekend ashore. Since we’d been scrambling to get everything ready for the Saturday morning departure, there isn’t much to do other than watch the fresh produce get older and be forced to relax a little bit, something that hasn’t been possible in the weeks leading up to now. Hopefully, on Monday, we will cast off the docklines for the Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean, the same passage an armada of sailors did with the ARC last month. For many, this is a first major ocean crossing, and some will seek support from a rally, while others bring experience aboard. We’re on my sister’s boat. Though we sailed her the 1400 miles down from England last summer, Jade and her husband, Nick, have never crossed an ocean. Neither has my brother, Tony, nor friends Maggie and Marco, and niece Sabina, which is why I’m here, telling them all how much fun this will be, trying to remember everything we need to do, glad for this little setback for everyone to get better acquainted with the boat before land disappears behind us. Because we’ve been here for more than two selfabsorbed preparatory days, we’ve made friends with another boat, a cruising family. The father is on a yearlong sabbatical, and with his wife and two children, they’d joined the ARC in expectation of other boats with kids and kid-friendly activities. Instead, it became a thing of crazy deadlines they had to meet; to get down here on time, they got caught in a fierce storm; in order to get the rally started on time for pre-Christmas arrivals in the Caribbean, the fleet left in more rough weather. The family got 300 miles before the electrics started acting up and they returned to the Canaries on their own with no more schedules and deadlines, and much happier. They have a daughter aboard close in age to my tenyear-old niece. Sabina has made her first cruising friend, a harbinger of what’s to come, as my sister’s family is meant to soon begin the cruising life, which goes along 36 Spring 2013 pg 36-37 Another Way.indd 1
with learning how to say goodbyes. The family is leaving today for the Cap Verde Islands, and although the parents are setting up an SSB schedule for the girls to talk, and they’ve exchanged email addresses, time and distance will eventually play its usual hand of exchanging one friendship on one island for new friendships and islands, which will also become part of the past, one friendship and landfall after another. Nick, my brother-in-law and future captain of this vessel, is on another segment of the learning curve that belongs to those who are in charge. Instead of appreciating a boat that is superbly ready to take seven people across the Atlantic, he is seeing everything that could break, thinking of everything that could go wrong, getting frustrated with every setback. While culminating months of purchases and preparation, he’s been gathering every horror story ever written or told. Last week, just before leaving home, I got three emails from him. Two were noonsite.com postings concerning this passage. The first announced that a sailboat had just been abandoned 700 miles southwest of the islands, warned sailors about the navigational hazard. It wasn’t too hard to turn that concern into discussions about finding it, salvaging another sailboat for ourselves. In the book “Adrift,” it took Steve Callahan 76 days to drift to the Caribbean, I tell Nick. After a couple of evening drinks aboard, we’ve started talking about transferring over Tony, Marco, and some kegs of beer to help them sit that one out much more comfortably than the seven guys who left a few nights ago to row across the ocean. The second email was about a floating art installation that was recently released from Gran Canaria. It seems some artists thought it would be a good idea to launch a pair of jumbo, fluorescent-colored dice onto a welltravelled sailing route. Ostensibly, the cubes will provide all the data about wind and drift actual boats can’t gather, and mariners are warned to watch for these obstacles as well. Brilliant. It would have been nice if they’d been built from foam, not wood. Art schmart. The last email was a recent blog posting from a Cruising 1/29/13 5:27 PM
family that was crossing the Caribbean when the mast fitting broke and the spinnaker pole came crashing down on the father. Massive head trauma, bloody pictures, story about getting help, brave children, happy ending. I wrote back to Nick: what are you doing to yourself? Stop. Life is full of obstacles, accidents can happen anywhere. He gets into cars in Vermont at night unthinkingly; when was the last time he googled images of people who’d been hit by deer, moose, or drunken teenagers? Stop reading this stuff. We’ll be fine. Classic case of too much information. You see, even though they’ve done plenty of chartering, have sailed with me, and on other family boat trips, Jade and Nick are relatively inexperienced. They now own a boat with a sterling reputation that is fairly new, wicked fast, and outfitted with all the latest navigational and safety equipment. They’ve run out of things to buy, and you can’t buy courage and confidence. These have to be earned by experience, by making mistakes and fixing them, by living the life. With the looming reality of a dream coming true, Nick’s vision of bringing his happy family to anchor in exotic island locales has been replaced by nightmares of children falling overboard, a wife getting hit in the head with a boom, the boat hitting a submerged container. It’s all about adaptations. I keep reminding Nick his fears are normal, that when making the transition from a comfortable life ashore to a boat becomes imminent, nothing feels safer, dryer, saner than the house, and nothing feels more insane, risky, and meaningless than the boat. For some reason, fear of the ocean is much more tangible and crippling than fear of all the dangers that exist around us every day on land. And, that’s fine. It’s okay to be scared, it’s never a good idea to be too cocky with the sea. The day will come when he won’t be waiting somewhere for another part and will have learned enough about that to be able to actually start looking forward to casting off those dock lines, settling into a watch routine, reading a bunch of books, reconnecting with the ocean and what it means to be out there. The few extra days of downtime have been a blessing. I catch hints of him beginning to relax, occasionally forgetting to worry about other people’s stories, and instead, enjoying the moment in his own. We’ve prepared as much as possible to meet things when and if they arise while getting from Point A to Point B with the same trade winds that have been propelling sailors and their stories for centuries of yesterdays, todays, and for us, tomorrow—if the pole comes. Cruising pg 36-37 Another Way.indd 2
Spring 2013 37 1/29/13 5:27 PM
The Admiral’s Angle Networking Recently, as I stood in the crowd sipping my plastic glass of red wine during the Friday night cocktail party of the annual Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) Gam (gathering of members) in Melbourne (Florida!), a couple I didn’t know, wearing “First-Timer” ribbons on their badge, came up to me and thanked me for “saving their cruise.” I was already feeling pretty good, even before the red wine, because my day -- the first day of the threeday annual event -- had gone well. Within moments of donning the giant button identifying me as an SSCA member – pinned to ribbons identifying me as a “Commodore” (member), “Pacific Crosser,” and “Speaker,” – I’d run into dozens of old cruising friends, enjoyed informative morning seminars, plus made the face-to-face acquaintance of cruising’s premier guru Jimmy Cornell, the featured guest of this year’s Gam. But, better than all that, my afternoon Women and Cruising seminar with collaborator Kathy Parsons had gone exceptionally well. I’ve been doing these interactive seminars with Kathy and others at SSCA Gams, boat shows, and even via Internet webinars, on and off for eight years, but this year at SSCA we did something different. We scheduled a “Women’s Brown Bag” lunch before the afternoon seminar. We wanted a more informal, interactive opportunity for these cruising women to meet one another, especially since so many of them are newbies heading south for the first time. Approximately forty women showed up with their Subway sandwiches and chips to join us around three round tables in the corner of the seminar room. Some were old friends, but many more were first timers. We asked each woman to stand up and introduce herself, tell about her boat, cruising experience, and destinations, but also to share with the group any special interest or hobby she was taking with her and if there were any particular concern she hoped to have addressed at the Gam. This sounds an awfully simple program, hardly anything revolutionary. But what a hit! The hunger to meet others with shared interests was palpable! We 38 Spring 2013 pg 38-39 Admiral's Angle.indd 1
had three avid birders. We had newbies heading to the Bahamas and veterans with Bahamian tips to share. We had -- would you ever guess? -- four textile artists who immediately started comparing notes on how to accommodate an avocation hard to fit on a boat. Participants scribbled down names and boat names and exchanged email addresses. Why is this important? Because eight years of caring about the kind of experience women have when they go cruising has demonstrated to us that cruising women have better experiences when we don’t feel that we are out there alone. Quite simply we women like to share -- interests and accomplishments as well as concerns and anxieties; and we grow stronger through reinforcement from peers. Of course, in most cases these women are not sailing alone. Most are cruising with partners – usually husbands or boyfriends, but even those of us who have the best-balanced relationships with our partners need and benefit from connections with other women. Some men are sensitive to the ways women’s needs and perspectives differ from their own, yet some are not. You might think the distinction a product of experience, but not necessarily so. Witness the long-time SSCA Commodore in a loud discussion over his sandwich whom we had to ask to relocate so that we could have our scheduled brown-bag gathering. He glanced around at all the women waiting behind him and groused, “I don’t believe in all this pink and blue stuff.” My retort was, “Neither do we.” But wait a minute. Aren’t I contradicting myself? Here’s what I think (and what I think has driven this column for six years): All women going to sea should constantly be moving forward in educating themselves about all the fundamentals of operating safely the boat that is going to be their home and transport. They need to be sufficiently informed to participate in decision-making, alert to the realities they will encounter, and (I hate ever putting it this way, BUT it does come down to it), confident that, should something happen to their partner at sea, they have the knowledge to get the Cruising 1/29/13 5:29 PM
anchor up or the sails down and get themselves home. Personally, I don’t see this as a “blue” responsibility. However, balancing that, I equally believe that cruising women must be supported in maintaining however-much “pink” in their perspective they need. For some women, that may mean a bit more emphasis on the accoutrements of femininity -- lipstick, jewelry or painted toenails – than others need, but for all of us it means a dependable network of girlfriends. Obviously, cruising events like SSCA Gams (which, by the way, take place all over the cruising world) are terrific ways to establish contacts with other cruising women with similar interests and shared destinations. Just by being a member and hoisting the SSCA burgee, you increase your potential for making connections in any anchorage, because it’s easier to go knock on someone’s hull that first time if the familiar burgee also flaps at the spreaders. The women in our seminar came up with many more specific ways they’ve cultivated new friendships out cruising. One single-hander invited all the women sharing a Bahamian anchorage over for mimosas. Another hosted neighbors to a book swap and pot luck lunch. A third described announcing on a morning radio net an interest in “meeting any women with a shared interest in weaving,” where “weaving,” of course, could be any hobby you have. It’s easy to follow-up with responders over coffee on your boat or at a shoreside palapa. A destination like Trinidad has all sorts of group outings offered on the morning radio net which throw you together with folks with like interests. But in any anchorage, even one without a net, a general VHF call to “anyone interested in a hike ashore,” for example, can bring you a willing new companion. Mentoring situations in which cruisers who are experienced in some endeavor connect to those who are less so are another great way to make connection at any stage. Don and I had already been cruising three years when one of our strongest friendships was built in Mexico with a couple who taught us the secrets of hunting and gathering seafood in the Sea of Cortez. Reaching out to teach or learn about a whole retinue of cruiser specific skills -- like exploring a market, cooking local dishes, snorkeling, using Winlink and Sailmail, reading weather faxes, sewing Cruising pg 38-39 Admiral's Angle.indd 2
canvas projects or rediscovering group games that you haven’t made time for in years like bridge, cribbage or dominoes -- are awesome opportunities for extending floating friendship networks. So, back to the SSCA Gam and the couple whose cruise “I saved.” What did I do that was so magical it saved the day? It seems the couple had attended SSCA’s “Heading South” gathering the previous afternoon, at which experienced cruisers pass along tips and ideas all intended to give new cruisers a leg up “learning the ropes” of leaving US waters for points east and south. It sounds pretty much like the mentoring I’ve been talking about. However, sometimes, sessions like these, despite their good intentions, can collect more than their share of “don’t do’s” and “watch-out-for’s” cumulating in an intensely negative impact. Such was the case for this particular woman, who tossed and turned all night in a maelstrom of anxious images and woke announcing to her husband that the voyage was “off.” Evidently, our simple session of women talking to women brought her back to an even keel, demonstrating how powerful an antidote it can be. It’s not that the serious topics of cruising don’t need to be addressed face on. Far from it. But the need for them to be balanced by the matters of everyday life and personal interests should never be overlooked, and that’s something we women do best for one another.
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pg 40 Shannon.indd 1
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Did I Do That? We all mess up at least once, and most of us a lot more than that. Here are some anecdotes from folks who not only have made a few mistakes, but actually fess up to them. Got a story of your own? Why not send it to us!? These folks did!
The Fishing Incident
or How Did You Glue a Pair of Gloves to Your Hands? I awoke early in the morning while we were anchored in Agua Verde in the Sea of Cortez to see my husband, Conor, preparing his rod and jigging lure. “I’m going fishing! Wanna come?” We mounted the outboard on the dinghy, jumped in, and like two giddy school children, we made our way 3/4 of a mile away to Roca Solitaria as the sun rose over the horizon. Once out there Conor dropped his jig in the water and started to jerk the lure up to the surface. Not two minutes later and he had a bite! Yeah, fish dinner tonight!!
Cruising Pg 41-45 Did I Do That? .indd 1
Submitted by Lanea Riley
As Conor raised the fish to the surface of the water we saw that it was small. Small and red. And pretty. This fish was a nice snack maybe, but not dinner. So we decided to let it go. Unfortunately, the fish must have been really hungry that morning, or maybe he was trying to impress another fish as he had been pretty aggressive in attaching himself to our lure. I handed Conor a small knife to help push the two hooks out of his jaw. Still no luck. Then, I heard a new sound. Psssshhhh...
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Scarborough Bay
Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did
Uh oh! Psssshhhh... Knife through the dinghy! Fish on the hook! Starting to sink! Psssshhhh... We stared at the clean cut in the dinghy skin in disbelief for a second before Conor slapped his hand over the opening. “Hold the rod!” Conor yelled as he rushed to start the outboard. Psssshhhh... The engine roared to life and Conor slapped his hand back over the opening, applying pressure with all of his might. “Pump! Pump!” he yelled. I left the fish on the
42 Spring 2013 Pg 41-45 Did I Do That? .indd 2
hook to skip across the water behind us, put one end of the foot pump into the one-way valve and pumped as fast as my leg could go. We held our breath until we got back to the boat, each silently working out how on earth we were going to keep this dinghy from sinking. We finally got back to Moondance and slammed into the hull. I threw everything out of the dinghy, jumped on board Moondance and went down below to get repair supplies. I emerged with Fast Cure 5200 glue, hypalon material and duct tape. We were fresh out of bailing wire. Do we take off the outboard? Do we leave it on? Do we cover the opening with duct tape so we can
Cruising
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at? - Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? -
take off the engine and lift the dinghy on board? We anxiously decided to repair the dinghy in the water with the outboard on the transom, but attached to the main halyard just in case. We had to move quickly. I gingerly stepped back into the dinghy and prepared the materials for my husband. After liberally coating a 3”x3” piece of hypalon with 5200 we slapped it over the opening. Psssshhhh... Even the Fast Cure version of the 5200 takes 30 whole minutes for the initial bond to take hold. Conor kept his hands over the patch and I set the timer. The countdown progressed minute by minute. At the 15 minute point it was actually starting to hold. OMG, is this actually going to work?! Now 10 minutes left…
Our Prize!
Psssshhhh... As the glue dried it was holding less and less. Air was creating new escape routes towards freedom from under the patch. Conor plied on more 5200. By this time he had so much glue on his bare hands that they were starting to slide off the patch, making it difficult to keep the pressure. This is the type of glue that warns, AVOID SKIN CONTACT. To get the extra glue off his hands he started to make hand prints all over the dinghy. Finally
Cruising
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Spring 2013 43 1/29/13 5:32 PM
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? (see next page.)
Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I do That - Did the glue started to cure, and then it really started to bond, taking off a layer of skin as Conor continued to hold the patch in position. After 45 minutes the fire drill was over and we prepared to take the outboard off the dinghy. At this point the dinghy was a mess and Conor had a solid white coat of 5200 on both hands. Not wanting to get glue all over the outboard, Conor asked for gloves. I gave Conor a pair of blue gloves so he didn’t glue himself to the engine. After getting the outboard squared away Conor realized he could not get the gloves off. Looking back, I wonder if it would have
44 Spring 2013 Pg 41-45 Did I Do That? .indd 4
been better to be glued to the engine or the gloves? We wondered if he would ever be able to go back to work if he was permanently wearing blue gardening gloves. I almost had to cut the gloves off. After lots of pulling I was finally able to get the gloves off, although he was left with lots of blue bits all over his hands. The next day we checked the patch. Feeling pretty good about our ability to avoid the disaster of sinking the dinghy and outboard and having to swim 3/4 of a
Cruising 1/29/13 5:32 PM
hat - Did I do That - Did I do That - Did I do That? - Did I Do That? - Did I do That mile back to Moondance, we were dismayed to see that the 5200 was peeling. PEELING?! Conor was still covered with white glue and bits of blue gloves on his hands, and the glue was already PEELING off the dinghy after just 24 hours?! The culprit was the sun; 5200 doesn’t like the sun and needs to be shielded in some way. We added duct tape over the dinghy patch. I know what you must be thinking... where does this couple come up with these brilliant ideas?! So now we have a dinghy
that is least likely to be stolen in any anchorage we visit: a big white spot of 5200 covered with duct tape and random hand prints all over the sides. Highly “experienced” dinghy, anyone? One month later in Santa Rosalia, we met Bill and Lisa on S/V Beyond Reason who offered to share their hypalon glue in exchange for a bottle of rum. The Sea of Cortez black market is alive and well, and soon we won’t have to hold our breath every time we get in to the dinghy! What about the fish? You better believe we ate it. That little red fish provided two of the most satisfying fish tacos we have ever had.
A. All were invented by women.all have in common?
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Spring 2013 45 1/29/13 5:33 PM
Sail Indonesia
By Gwen Hamlin
It
is hot, Hot HOT! We are just miles shy of the equator, a week after the equinox, and someone has turned the temperature to broil. We are crewing the Bali to Singapore leg of the the Sail Indonesia Rally, aboard Ivory Street, a 56’ Perry Prestige catamaran to help the owners keep watch for the spidery-looking fishing boats and drifting fish nets, the region is infamous for. Since leaving lush Bali, everyone has spent the days draped around the boat looking for any bit of shade or breeze. There is no land in sight, and we are motorsailing in light air and glassy seas toward Batam, the last stop in Indonesia. It feels like Waterworld. Hard to imagine that, after Batam, we cross over one of the world’s busiest straits, to Singapore, the end of our trip. Twelve weeks previously, in the last weeks of July, my husband Don and I were in Darwin, Australia along with most of the 104 crews participating in the 2011 Sail Indonesia Rally. Winter in Darwin is the cool, dry season, and backpackers and Aussie families on school break fill the streets and throng attractions like the Jumping Crocodile Tour on the Adelaide River or the Night Market in Mindihl Park. For weeks, boats registered for the rally for a year or more, had been sailing up Australia’s East Coast or west from the South Pacific to Darwin in time to assemble, do repairs, obtain Indonesian visas and do a last provision in
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Western-style stores. The majority were anchored out in Fannie Bay, the location of the Darwin Sailing Club; the rest, taking refuge from the huge tides, were locked up into one of Darwin’s three marinas. Don and I joined friends Tom and Bette Lee Walker on their catamaran Quantum Leap ten days before the rally start. Our early arrival was to ensure time enough for processing our Indonesian visas, but in between boat chores it allowed us to partake of all the meetings and parties that preceded the rally, reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Indonesia is a huge nation north of Australia and south of Asia, sprawling along some 2700 miles just below the equator! There are literally thousands of islands, major and minor, each hosting a history and biogeography a little bit (or a lot!) different than its neighbors. There are smoking volcanoes, rain forests, lava deserts and rice terraces; there are water buffalo, Komodo dragons, and orangutans, and in the towns there are Christian churches, Muslim mosques, and Hindu and Buddhist temples -- current beliefs everywhere superimposed on tribal and animist underpinnings. It is not the sort of country you stop one place and say you’ve been there! Sail Indonesia has evolved through the years from its origins in the Darwin Ambon Race which began in 1976. Civil unrest in the islands disrupted that race in the 90s, Cruising 2/1/13 3:41 PM
but the idea of organized yacht events was resurrected in 2000 by various ministries in Indonesia aiming to restore confidence in Indonesia as a cruising destination. Today, Sail Indonesia in an Internet-based organization (www.sailindonesia.net) with facilitators in Australia and Indonesia. The main bureaucratic objective is to simplify entry by processing yachts’ entry applications through the maze of Indonesian red tape, but an equally important objective is providing a bridge across the cultural gap for Westerners to their first “East Indies” experience. Organizers want cruisers to feel welcome in areas that rarely see a tourist (but which would like to see more), so they tie rally stops into local cultural festivals and put together gala dinners, interesting local tours, and dance performances to ensure that yachties see the best an area has to offer during the relatively small window of their visit. At the same time, they try to prepare cruisers for a place where things do not work the same way that they do at home, where things that should be simple, are not. “Different field, different grasshopper” is the mantra. All this effort is not selfless. Officials at local, provincial and national levels hope, beyond the short influx of dollars that cruisers themselves bring in, that somehow we will spread the word and lift the curtain of obscurity that stands between them and the bright light of foreign investment. For sailors, the result is really pretty amazing. The rally is essentially a 2000-mile-
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long coordinated cultural extravaganza, all for the entertainment and enlightenment of the crews that show up! Island after island, village after village, cruisers are feted, fed, and hand held. Our year, Sail Indonesia divided into two basic itineraries. The traditional “Western Route” entered at Kupang on Timor, jogged northeast to the island of Alor, then continued due westward along the chain of interlocked islands of Nusa Tengarra province to Lombok and Bali which frame the southern side of the Banda Sea. The so-called “Eastern Route” entered the country at Saumlaki in the Tanimbar Islands and then circled counter-clockwise around the Banda Sea touching at Banda and Ambon in the Moluccas (the original Spice Islands where Magellan met his end!), thence onto the Wakatobi Marine Park (a major dive destination) and Sulawesi, (where, among other things, many of Indonesia’s exotic wooden boats are built). Anywhere along this route, yachts could turn back south to Lombok and Bali. Bali – specifically the rally stop in Lovina Beach on the north coast -- was the point where the majority of boats planned to come back together, extend visisas, reprovision, pick up guests, or change crews. There is a lot of mindchanging about routes in the final weeks before departuring Darwin. Our hosts had settled on the Western Route but had committed to meeting other
Spring 2013 47 2/1/13 3:41 PM
The beehive
friends at set dates in Bali, Singapore and Thailand! This meant that like many boats in the rally, we sailed to a schedule that could not stay matched to the Rally’s. Participants have no obligation to stick to the rally schedule or itinerary, and flexibility is not discouraged. But even before you see firsthand all the effort put into each event, you feel a bit guilty at missing any of them. We set sail from Australia on July 26th with the rest of the fleet on a three-day passage across the Arafura Sea. When you have sailed the South Pacific, three days does not seem a long passage, especially in the pleasant conditions we experienced. But the cultural change from Darwin Welcome to Alor to Kupang, where the Western group (some 70 boats!) checked into Indonesia, was huge! Kupang was a perfect indoctrination into the “Different field, different grasshopper” perspective. The landing spot for this busy university city was a tiny cleared area on a rubble and trash-strewn beach off the popular Teddy’s Bar, but a troop of local men made this work by hoisting and carrying above the tide (as well as relaunching) all the fleets’ dinghies, no matter how heavy, several times a day throughout the week! After checking in (which took most of us at least a day), the national cell phone carrier Telkomsel was at the bar to equip sailors with prepaid phones, chips and data modems that would work (with varying degrees of success) throughout the country. And as we reveled in our first sips of cold Bintang, tasted our first nasi goreng (oh-so reasonable after pricey Australia), and sent arrival emails from our laptops via the free wi-fi, hawkers of ikat weaving, wood carvings, beaded necklaces, and other souvenirs
swarmed upon us like bees to honey. The first words you learn in Bahasa Indonesia after “Selamat pagi” (Good morning!) is “Terima kasih, TIDAK!” (Thank you, NO!”) The metaphor of a beehive for Kupang is apt. It is a busy, buzzing place, with the majority of the populace whizzing by several abreast on motorbikes carrying one to four passengers, huge loads of vegetables, construction materials, or whatever! Most cruisers took one or more tours, and local officials hosted not one but two welcome dinners with speeches, gifts and traditional dances. Our next stop, Alor, changed the feel. Alor, a two-day passage to the northeast, drew us by reports of good diving. When the fjord-like channel opened up between steep mountains with dolphins arcing, our enthusiasm soared. It faltered some when we discovered Kalabahi, nearly five hours up the channel, to be another cityscape, complete with big ships, trash and traffic hubbub. But enthusiasm rebounded in the face of genuine warmth in our welcome, from the children in rickety canoes to people on the street right on up to officials. Much effort had been expended to set up a floating dinghy dock; a guide and three university students were on hand and eager to speak English; and all the events and performances were actually attended by the hosting officials, who shook our hands one-on-one. A highlight of Alor was the Governor’s dinner for which organizers merged into the evening’s entertainment five yachtie crews dressed in traditional ikat. Plus, our two dives with Dive Alor (with several other boat crews) in the protected marine park lived up to the good reports, while a bus tour to a traditional village Scene from was haunting. a traditional village
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After Alor, the fleet began to disperse. Some followed the rally program to Lembata, the next organized stop. Others sought remote serenity at Adonara, an uninhabited anchorage at the foot of volcanoes that glowed red at night. Still others, like us, got a jump on the crowd by sailing offshore the whole length of Flores Island to get to Komodo National Park, a 1817 km2 protected area of sea and islands in the strait between Flores and Sumbawa. The iconic draw of the park is, of course, the famous Komodo dragons found on Komodo and Rinca Islands, but scuba diving is generating a lot of business. Labuan Bajo, gateway to the park, is a town learning to fit itself into modern tourism, and a large fleet of piraticallooking live-aboard safari boats bases itself in the town’s scenic anchorage. Ashore dive shops, lodges, hostels, and more westernized restaurants crowd the main street to service the largely European backpacker visitors. The good news for cruisers is that (with a permit) we can anchor out or find moorings in the park itself from which to enjoy the layered beauty of these tawny islands at our leisure. The diving is outstanding, with pristine and complex coral reefs and plenty of fish, although the best dives are prey to strong currents, and most diving is drift diving making knowledgeable guides and skippers to follow divers a must. We were quite satisfied with Bajo Dive who rendezvoused with us in anchorages several days in a row. A lively three-days passage later, Indonesia’s second largest volcano, Rinjani (3726m), loomed off our port bow, smoke rising from several active vents in a smaller cinder cone northwest of it, as we approached the northeast corner of Lombok. Rinjani is big enough to generate a moister climate than the other islands in Nusa Tenggara, and clouds gather above green slopes that gentle toward the north and west coast where we saw plenty of evidence of vibrant agriculture and a more widely-spread population. It was a big change from the harsher, more arid islands we’d been to so far. Our destination in Lombok was a “marina” in a “bay,” neither of which showed up by name on our charts. This was a waypoint provided by Sail Indonesia for a rally event to be held in a few weeks, but the waypoint was Cruising pg 46-52 Indonesia Rally.indd 5
offshore, and if a few other boats hadn’t preceded us, we wouldn’t have had a clue where to go in (a recurring issue with rally information!). Medana Bay Marina turned out to be a cove with about 25 moorings, another floating dinghy dock, and a palapa-style restaurant. Several newish resorts nearby were friendly to visiting cruisers. Except for Labuan Bajo on Flores, this was the first place we’d been in Indonesia where world tourism was a noticeable part of the economy. An enjoyable guided tour out of Medana took us through Lombok’s mountainous Monkey Forest and attractive rice and peanut plots to villages dedicated to polished presentations of traditional weaving, traditional woodcraft, and traditional pottery. However, we lunched on KFC (surreptitiously during Ramadan) from a modern Gili Aer mooring field
downtown mall (actually wolfing it down in the parking lot behind the car while our Muslim driver took a walk). Two things drove us out of Medana Bay. The Sasak people of Lombok are 90% Muslim (“But not fanatic!” as our driver insisted), yet the amplified calls from overlapping mosques to their faithful clashed over the anchorage for too many hours at night. Also, a nasty northwest swell materialized, rolling the monohulls unmercifully and making even our big catamaran uncomfortable. Relief was less than an hour away at the tiny sand islet Gili Aer. There are three Gilis – Aer, Meno and Trawangan – strung to the west like droplets of sand, but Gili Aer, with bracketing reefs, has the best protection for anchored or moored yachts. The Gilis are a mecca for attractive young European backpackers seeking to lie on the beach, dive, eat, Spring 2013 49 2/1/13 3:42 PM
drink and party for the least amount of money possible. I had thought it would be too touristy. Am I nuts!? What’s not to like? No traffic except pony carts, who approach with a jingle of bells; berugas (shaded platforms) to sprawl in with cold beers or inexpensive and interesting Sasak curries and stirfry; clear water for snorkeling and inexpensive diving (though not up to Komodo standards); and several inexpensive spas! What’s not to like about a $10 massage? On top of these delights were the awesome vistas of nearby Lombok’s mountains to the east, and, backlit by the sunset, Bali’s volcanoes. It makes a lovely postcard-like break for even the most ardent of cultural travelers! Unfortunately, the anchorage is not large enough to accommodate more than a quarter of the fleet at a time.
Since our hosts’ next guest was arriving shortly, we decided to join the backpackers on one of the fast ferries from Gili Aer to Bali. Like many of the other cruisers, we made the city of Ubud, Bali’s acknowledged cultural center, our base for touring the island. Hotel rooms can run the gamut of prices – in town, out on a rice paddy, or up in the mountains – but we were quite happy with our $25/day bungalow right on Monkey Forest Road. The Balinese know just how to use gardens, statues, shrines and pools to create calm sanctuary within yards of bustling commerce! We hooked up with a driver we liked who took us on the rounds of sites: several temples, a restored traditional village, both major volcanoes, famous rice terraces (one with at least 46 levels!), several of the craftsman Bali is famous for, and plantations in Bali’s revitalizing coffee industry (a particular interest of ours). He even bought us a durian, that notoriously One of Bali’s famous stinky fruit and took us to his own home to share it rice terraces with his family, revealing the Bali behind-the-scenes. In Ubud itself, we went to traditional dance performances of Kecak, Leggong, and Joged at venues near the palace nearly every evening, ate sumptuously yet reasonably, shopped for Batik and other souvenirs, marveled over the daily offerings that decorate and clutter every doorstep, and found enough time left over for a few more budget-friendly spa experiences. Bali was to have been the end of Don’s and my time in Indonesia, but luckily for us, a friendship forged at Gili Aer with the owners of the 60’ power cat Dedalus, morphed into a yacht sitting stint at Lovina while they did their own weeklong trip Most every cruiser in the rally planned some sort inland. This put us in Lovina with all the other rally of inland travel in Bali. Even before the Eat, Pray, boats assembling for the events scheduled there by the Love phenomenon, Bali has been a destination of the Buleleng Regency. mind, one where mysticism and meditation combine Quite honestly, one could do worse than let the with art, tradition and ceremony, with room left for a rally events of Lovina be your sole exposure to Bali. healthy dose of indulgence. Every night was a free dance performance similar to It is not easy, however, to decide where to leave what we’d seen in Ubud. During the day there were one’s boat while traveling inland. Berths at the marina culinary and craft exhibits representing styles typical or yacht club in Bali’s Port Benoa (near the airport of the North coast and time enough for excursions and tourist cities of Denpassar and Kuta) can be hard into the mountains, dive trips to north coast sites, or to get, plus strong counter currents in the strait and a to swing by several supermarkets for reprovisioning in dearth of good anchorages can make traveling back nearby Singaraja. Lovina’s beachside restaurants were north a daunting prospect. For this reason, some Rally diverse, several cruisers rustled up a culinary course, participants chose to leave their boats in Medana Bay or and perhaps most importantly, a local bar served up Gili Aer, while others waited until they were anchored the rugby final by satellite TV! at the rally base at Lovina Beach in the historic Dutch Because the Rally’s Bali event is where participants area of Buleleng Regency on Bali’s North Shore. are able to get visa extensions expedited, it brings 50 Spring 2013 pg 46-52 Indonesia Rally.indd 6
Cruising 2/1/13 3:42 PM
back together the widely-ranging participants of both the Eastern and Western itineraries. For many, it was the first time we’d seen each other since Darwin. This worked well for us when Greg and Chrissie of Ivory Street, whom we’d met in Darwin but who’d been on the Eastern route, invited us to join them for the final leg of the rally from Bali to Singapore. Ivory Street was one of the pearls of the fleet. Dazzled by the opportunity, Don and I were quick to accept even though we knew, in principle, that the family was planning a fast trip to Singapore. Whereas up to now, we’d traveled less than a thousand miles in a leisurely eight weeks with multiple stops, on this second leg, the rally would cover about 1200 miles in half that time, depending on which of the three rally stops cruisers chose to include. One of the most memorable destinations in this part of Indonesia is Kumai, Kalimantan (on the multinational island known as Borneo). Here you can choose from the famous multi-day river trip made in traditional klotoks (house boats) for a relaxing African Queen-style voyage up a jungle river or a one-day speed-boat version. Either carries you into the Tanjung Puting National Park to visit orangutan rehabilitation camps located there to study and support our endangered red-haired relatives which are only found here or in Sumatra. Visitors are likely to have unmatchable close encounters. Another tour opportunity for rally participants on this leg was based out of a secure anchorage in the small island group called Karimun Jawa. Here, in addition to locally-based events, was offered a fourday tour of central Java, visiting the famous Losari coffee plantation and Borobudur, the wondrous 1200-year-old Buddhist monument, said to be on a par with Angkor Wat. However, we did not get to do either of these tours! When a delay in getting our visa extensions returned in Bali ate up a few days from Ivory Street’s tight sailing plan, we were forced to drop out the planned stop at Kumai to see the orangutans, which was a huge disappointment. Instead, we found ourselves making the 1200 mile run through the Java and South China Seas to Singapore in nine days! On the long hot hazy days of those final days at sea, I spent a lot of time thinking about the wonderful opportunities of the cruising life and how easy it was to take them for granted. Ivory Street and Quantum Leap were not the only boats rushing to meet some Cruising
pg 46-52 Indonesia Rally.indd 7
Spring 2013 51
2/1/13 3:43 PM
Of course, you can never see everything. That’s a given. But Indonesia is a special cruising ground. It is a place of such diversity, both in geography and in culture. The people we met -- of whatever faith, ethnicity, or tribal allegiance -- were so genuinely warm and welcoming, and as a nation they seem truly committed to making their multiculturalism work! If there is any silver lining to the backup of cruisers accumulating in Malaysia and Thailand caused by the pirate crisis in the Indian Ocean, it is that many of these cruisers will have the alternative, should they choose, to go around again. The organizers of Sail Malaysia (which many Sail Indonesia rally participants join for the trip from Singapore up through Malaysia to Thailand) have a “Passage to the East” Rally -- from May to August -- to help cruisers cycle back around. I know, if we were still on our own boat, we’d be inclined to do it all again. Maybe the Eastern Route next time?
A Bali temple
rendezvous or schedule set up weeks or months earlier. There were boats even ahead of us who’d hurried through or skipped major and minor stops we’d cherished. Few were those boats who hit every planned rally stop or even tried.
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ANTARES The Westsail 32 by Charles Scott
I’ve owned Antares, my Westsail 32, for 20 years. My heart still goes pit-a-pat every time I see her. That classic sheer, the ship-like bowsprit, and her rugged no-nonsense construction still give me a thrill. Modern designs may have eclipsed the Westsail’s sailing performance, but for sheer beauty, romance, and passion nothing stirs the wanderer’s heart like the graceful lines of a Westsail. Designer Bill Crealock modified the 32’ William Atkins “Eric” for Westsail and she further traces her heritage back to the sea-rescue vessels of Colin Archer, a Norwegian naval architect of the late 19th century. 54 Spring 2013 pg 54-59 Feature Boat-Antares.indd 2
During a 10-year period starting in the early1970’s, over 1,100 Westsail 32’s were built. Marketed with polished advertising and glossy brochures, the Westsail 32 was key in promoting the popularity of world cruising as a lifestyle. Her lines have inspired a generation of naval architects and many modern cruising boats trace their lineage back to her. With her massive tiller and aft hung rudder, her uncluttered decks, generous sail plan and heavy displacement, she is the very epitome of the rugged offshore cruising sailboat. I first saw Antares, abandoned and grime streaked, in a boatyard back lot. But even in neglect, her beauty Cruising 2/1/13 3:37 PM
shone bright. From that first moment the attraction has never waned. The Westsail was available in kit form and the previous owner had attempted to build her himself. Unfortunately, he couldn’t have constructed a birdhouse, let alone finish the intricate joinery of a yacht interior. Through a dozen Detroit, Michigan winters I lived aboard year-round. I tore out entire sections and carefully rebuilt her from stem to stern. In the dust and the mess I dreamed of distant islands and swaying palms as howling blizzards shook Antares in the long, black nights.
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One of my first improvements was to install a hatch in the saloon. Westsail interiors are dark and the clear overhead hatch brightened the cabin considerably. I converted the starboard sea berth into bookshelves and hanging locker space and widened the starboard settee. I rebuilt the galley and the chart table, installed a new engine, converted locker space opposite the head into a small office, built shelves and lockers on the port side, installed a new mast support post, built a fold-out saloon table, installed a Force 10 heater and propane stove, and gave her a new headliner. These were but a few of my countless improvements.
56 Spring 2013 pg 54-59 Feature Boat-Antares.indd 4
Westsails are known for their heavy construction. One winter the temperature dropped to –24 F. Antares froze in solid, the marina bubblers overwhelmed by the cold. Her inch thick hull came through without a scratch. In the summers I cruised Antares throughout the Great Lakes. I worked on her for five years then took her to the Chesapeake, visiting New York City and Washington D.C. along the way. In Annapolis I replaced the standing rigging, then left her for the winter. I returned to a long list of projects before sailing her solo through stormy Gulf Stream seas to
Cruising 2/1/13 3:38 PM
Bermuda. We returned back home to Michigan through New York and the Erie Barge Canal. I no longer live full-time on Antares, but I still take her cruising every summer. I recently sailed her up to Isle Royale on Lake Superior, grateful as always for her stout build in the lake’s oceanlike seas. I’ve adopted the KISS system aboard Antares and kept mechanical systems to a minimum. Complicated, labor saving devices aboard are great when they work, but inevitably they will fail. The cost to repair and replace them have derailed many a cruise. I like things that don’t rely on the ship’s batteries. Some of my favorite gear aboard Antares
Cruising pg 54-59 Feature Boat-Antares.indd 5
is the manual Seatiger 555 windlass and the Aries self-steering gear. I have a 12v. refrigeration system, but use only ice when cruising to reduce power load. I use sun showers and foot pumps for my water system, and a handheld GPS to navigate. My analog sumlog and anemometer still work fine after 30 years. I still use hank on sails, but do have moments of roller furling envy when I douse the genoa on the pitching bowsprit in big seas. Engine access is remarkably convenient either through a large door from the saloon or by simply lifting the cockpit floor. Few boats have such easy and full access to the engine. When I replaced my aging two-cylinder Volvo
Spring 2013 57 2/1/13 3:38 PM
with a new Beta Marine engine I simply lifted the old motor straight up through the cockpit floor. High lifelines and ample bulwarks give me a secure feeling of safety. Wide, uncluttered decks make working forward a pleasure. A high bridge deck and small cockpit protect her from boarding seas. It was a Westsail 32 that survived hurricane force winds in the book “The Perfect Storm.” She has an easy, quiet motion at sea and even in a gale feels like she’s still tied up to the dock. Upwind, she is not a stellar performer, but some owners have reported thousand mile uphill runs
58 Spring 2013 pg 54-59 Feature Boat-Antares.indd 6
making over 100 miles per day hard on the wind. With her long bowsprit she does tend to hobbyhorse in short seas. The aid of the engine at low rpms will help her make upwind headway. She’s best on a reach and I’ve routinely made 140+ mile day passages, the Aries vane gear holding her steadily on course hour after hour. Antares is big for a 32, but I’ve singlehanded her thousands of miles and two friends have sailed their W32s solo across the Atlantic. The boat is named Westsail because it’s designed to sail west with the trades—all around the world.
Cruising 2/1/13 3:38 PM
Sail Greece
With Captain Woody and Tania Aebi
Antares wide beam carried fore and aft gives her enormous storage and living space for a 32. Her huge chart table is a delight to work at. The Westsail is a popular liveaboard vessel and unlike many boats from the ‘70s has held its value. One caveat: the owner of a Westsail better like doing brightwork—they have miles of exterior wood trim. The Westsail Owners Association is a devoted group with a quarterly newsletter (in printed and on-line form) and an active message board. The former Westsail production manager, Bud Taplin of Worldcruiser Yacht Co., is a fount of information. He provides Westsail parts and gear at reasonable prices. I’ve owned Antares for 20 years and admit I sometimes cast an eye on other beauties in the marina. But I always come back to her. There is something sensual about her graceful lines that still calls to me. When I walk down the dock she seems to tug expectantly at her lines, eager to be off over the horizon and onto another great adventure.
ANTARES LOA: 32’ 0” (about 40’ including bowsprit and boomkin) LWL: 27’ 6” Beam: 11’ 0” Draft: 5’ 0” Displacement: 19,500 lbs. Ballast: 7,000lbs Sail Area: 629 sq. ft. Engine: Beta Marine Diesel 1505 (35 hp.) Fuel: 70 gal. Water: 80 gal. Built: 1975 Cruising pg 54-59 Feature Boat-Antares.indd 7
May 11-18, 2013
For Sail Greece our old friends at Dream Yacht Charters have hooked us up with some awesome yachts in one of our favorite destinations. Prepare yourself for an entirely different adventure through the center of civilization. Explore Greece by sailboat with us and Adventure Voyaging. Tania Aebi and Capt. Woody will be your guides as we tour the amazing sights, sounds and eats of the Saronic islands. Greece—the land of gods, goddesses, and baklava. The islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, and Epidauros and Navplion on the Peloponnese, are all on the itinerary for this amazing week of sailing into ancient history and culture. There are only five boats, space limited. Rates: Couple, private cabin w/ head: $3900 Couple, private cabin, shared head: $3,600 Single, shared Cabin, Shared Head: $2400. Special Rates for Founders Circle and Charter Members
For more info go to:
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Select “Events” Or call 510-900-3616 Ext. 101
Spring 2013 59 2/1/13 3:57 PM
A Day Wasted On A Boat Is A Great Day!
If It’s Gonna Happen, It’s Gonna Happen Out There!
Cap’n Ron
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Spring 2013 61 1/29/13 5:36 PM
Be A Part of History - SV Lost Soul
1976
S/V Stone Witch
74’ Square-Rigged Tops’l Schooner
2013 S/V Lost Soul 56’ Stays’l Ketch
Passing It On - From S/V Stone Witch to S/V Lost Soul By Bob Bitchin
I learned how to sail from Captain Alan Olson aboard the S/V Stone Witch in the ‘70s. Actually, I learned more than sailing. I learned a lifestyle. That lesson saved my life. It took me from a drug-filled, violent life of an outlaw biker to the cruising lifestyle; one I have lived and loved for the past 35 years. Recently I experienced what a lot of folks have experienced since 2008. I went from riches to rags with the help of a very bad business decision. What I learned from it was as lifechanging as what I learned from sailing. I learned what is important. That no matter how far you drop, your friends can bring you back. 62 Spring 2013 Pg 62-63 Lost soul.indd 2
Okay, enough of this hokey stuff. Down to the epiphany I had. Everywhere I look I see photos of the boat that saw me through so much of my life - Lost Soul. She was more than a home to me, she was my vessel to adventure. Sailing her over 20 years made my life worthwhile. Along the way, hundreds of thousands of people saw what the cruising life could really mean to them, and it changed lives. Well, damn it, if I can get off my ass after being kicked to the ground financially, perhaps I can help others learn what I learned from Captain Alan so many years ago. Read on and see if you want to join this quest! Cruising 1/29/13 5:37 PM
Help Keep the Legend Alive - Be a Plank-Holder in Lost Soul This is a no-brainer, and when it comes to no brains, I got ‘em! A few people have been asking me how “we” can get Lost Soul back in the family. One sleepless night it hit me. There could be a way. I sent out an email to the people who helped get Cruising Outpost started, our Founders Circle. I figured they had a vested interest in what happens, and as it turns out, not only did they like the idea, but they gave me some great input on how to do it. I am gambling with this story in this issue. You see, Lost Soul’s listing won’t be up until 10 days after this issue goes to press. The owner and I have reached an agreement: if she doesn’t sell, we are on. So here’s the basic outline: Lost Soul is currently sitting in San Francisco in need of some work. The current owner has agreed to a lease-with-option to turn Lost Soul over to SV Lost Soul, Inc. to operate. After bringing Lost Soul back up to her prime sailing condition we will open her for all who participate to sail on her. Then we will plan an round the world sailing adventure. We will invite other boats to join us. On her arrival on the East Coast she will then spend the next year between New England and the Caribbean. Only Plank Holders will be asked to join the crew.
Want More Info? Go to our website at www. svlostsoul. com, and see if you want to participate. Cruising Pg 62-63 Lost soul.indd 3
SV Lost Soul
Year Built 1981- Refit 2003-2006 Builder Formosa Boat Company L.O.D. 56 feet L.O.A. 68 feet Draft 8 feet Displacement Net 38 tons Gross 42 tons Engine 135 HP Perkins (6-435) Fuel Diesel 450 Gal Water 225 Gal
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Adventure Voyage in the British Virgin Islands
By Bob Btchin with unwanted comments from Captain Woody & Tania Aebi. Photos by a whole bunch of people
The first-ever voyage with Captain Woody’s new Adventure Voyaging was a huge success. Six boats and almost 40 people met in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, for a week of cruising and fun. Captain Woody had set an itinerary to visit all the kewl places like the Willy T, the Baths, Leverick Bay, Anegada, and of course Jost Van Dyke to see the folks at Foxy’s and Corsairs. That was topped off with a special party in Cane Garden Bay with Eric Stone (who The helpful was skippering one of (& cute!) staff the boats) providing at BVI Yacht the entertainment! Charters
64 Spring 2013 pg 64-73 BVI Adventure VoyageR.indd 2
Woody: The night before our big cruise, all of our crews met up at Maria’s by the Sea for Rumbalias on Adventure Voyaging. It was good to get everyone introduced to each other and some local libations. Bob and his crew rolled in just after I closed the tab. How can you say no to a smiling Bob? “One more round!” Day one saw us pulling out of BVI Yacht Charters for a great downwind sail to the Bight at Norman Island and the world famous William Thornton, better known as the Willy T. About a halfdozen boats who were
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Adventure Voyage in the BVIs
cruising the area heard we were there and joined us for a great party. Woody and Heidi even “christened” the aft deck of the Willy T by jumping naked from the deck. Alas, no T-shirts are given any more! But the reputation is well intact. Tania: Some of us moored far away from the notorious party boat, avoided a wet dinghy ride, stayed aboard, cooked up some of Woody’s fabulous provisions—spaghetti and meatballs and cabbage salad—and just listened to the whooping and hollering from our cozy cockpit. The following morning the boats went their separate ways, with Tania Aebi and her crew heading out early to the Indians to snorkel, and the Bob Boat headed around the corner to dive at the caves on Norman Island. The plan was for a good sail upwind to Cooper Island to meet for the evening! Getting to Cooper Island meant two long tacks almost all the way back to Tortola, with steady winds and flat seas between the islands. We pulled in to pick up a mooring by mid-day, just in time for lunch. Woody: It rained the day we got to da islands, but it had cleared up and was now immaculately sunny, turning the water and the sky’s blues deep, contrasting the strong greens of the freshly watered island peaks. It was paradise the way you expect it. Folks started to go from boat to boat visiting and exchanging stories of how the sail went. The swim to the beach was easy, but once there the rocks and coral formed a small barrier. At least for me.
Cruising pg 64-73 BVI Adventure VoyageR.indd 3
The beach at Cooper Island
Granddaughter Tabitha swam into the beach, but as I tried, I kicked a rock, tripped on some coral, and in just a couple seconds, ended up with a bleeding toe, knee and hand. I swam back to the boat to lick my wounds. Tania, Jody and Lynn gave me sufficient sympathy to stop the sniveling. Tania: Thanks to Lynn’s drinks, the sniveling was funny. The group found out about the Cooper Island Cafe, so they swam ashore to partake. A few hours later, Doug reported there had been multiple attempts by local and visiting sailors to buy Tabitha a drink, but he was able to fend them off! He seemed proud of this. Tabitha, not so much.
Spring 2013 65 1/29/13 5:39 PM
The Baths on Virgin Gorda - Come on Randy, smile!
Woody: Most of the boats BBQed that evening. downing a great breakfast whipped up by Bill from South Dakota and Margi from Detroit. There’s nothing quite like chillin’ on aft deck with The Baths are probably one of the prettiest places good sailing friends, overlooking an idyllic beach, on Earth to swim and climb: huge boulders thrown keeping time by when the sun goes down. together on top of brilliant white sand, surrounded by Tania: There’s also nothing like availing crystal clear water. Truly a Kodak moment (showing oneself of happy hour ashore and returning my age there, huh). to the boat to find that Woody had stopped by Woody: I have been to the Baths a few times. I to fire up the coals and the grill was perfectly had never seen the water there that clear. We did the ready for the ribs! obligatory boulder run to Devil’s Bay. But when we That evening a blow came through, but we got back to the cat, we were well tucked in grabbed our gear and and spent a night snorkeled the front of catching up on much the boulders. The reef missed sleep. Come was not bad and there dawn we decided to were all kinds of caves make an early trip to swim through. Saw to the Baths to make my first wild Lionfish. sure we got a spot They are invasive but if in the most vied-for they want us to kill ‘em mooring field in the they should provide the BVIs. We got there boats with slings. I hear in time and soon we they taste like chicken. were exploring the Tania: We watched caves and beautiful the sun rise on the beaches, after Pirates of the Caribbean? No. It’s a natural formation.
66 Spring 2013 pg 64-73 BVI Adventure VoyageR.indd 4
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Adventure Voyage in the BVIs - Adventure Voyage in the BVIs - Adventure Voyage in the BVIs
way to the Baths and were the first boat there. Sailing off-peak is the only way to experience these popular places in solitude. For a little while, we had the whole place to ourselves. Pretty sweet. After a few hours of climbing boulders and finding a very kewl bar located atop the hill, we dropped the mooring and headed up and around the island to North Sound and Leverick Bay. Leverick Bay is run by our old friend Nick, who really knows
how to make cruisers feel at home. He’d set up a buffet for the crew, with just about everything anyone would want to eat, including a whole barbecued pig! Meanwhile, at Jumbies on the Beach, a band played “island music” and folks danced well into the night, only interrupted during the Jumbie show, which was a group of amazing locals who danced on stilts that were eight-feet tall! Quite an accomplishment when you consider they were walking on cobblestone, and even managed to dance up and down the stairs to the pool area! In the morning the group headed out for Anegada. I will let someone else tell you about that, as I had to sail over to Cane Garden Bay for a meeting. Chuck
The Bubbly Pool on Jost Van Dyke.
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Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? (see page 69 for answer)
The Jumbie’s show at Leverick Bay. Hey! They are TALL!
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The Woody Boat
The Tania Boat
The Bob Boat
The Bruce Boat
The Randy Boat
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The Eric Stone Boat
The OXO Boat
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and Margi joined Tania on her boat, and Bill joined John and Sandy. We planned to meet back up in Great Bay on Jost Van Dyke the following day. Woody: We got lucky with the weather. It was an amazing, sunny, warm, fast passage with strong beam trades scooting us along. The fleet bunched up then spread out. It was good to see the boats get put through their paces. And after the long sail, a long tricky entrance to test our skills – so un-BVI. Being out at Anegada is a great feeling. Just as he had done at Road Town and Leverick, Adrian Johnson and his crew met us as we rolled up to the dock at Potter’s in Anegada. On Tortola and Virgin Gorda, he had taken us on island tours. On Anegada, he arranged a steel drum band to play for us during our amazing meal at Potters by the Sea. Adrian runs charities on and off island including: www.sailbroadreach.ca. Tania: Unlike the other hilly islands of the BVI, Anegada resembles a South Pacific atoll, only as high as the tallest palm tree. With a population of roughly 200, and no major development, it feels so remote, like you’ve sailed much further than fifteen miles to get there. A large inland salt pond is home to a recovering flock of pink flamingoes that nearly went extinct in the last century. A group from our flotilla caught a ride from the island’s only anchorage to Loblolly Beach, and on the way there, we saw a wall of the pink birds on the far side of the pond, a
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special prelude to what followed. You don’t see many places like Loblolly anymore, an endless stretch of entirely undeveloped white sand to explore and beachcomb, fringed by the largest barrier coral reef in the Caribbean. Where the taxis drop off visitors, there is a bar and a few bungalows—otherwise, it’s all about the wind-whipped waves coming from Africa, birds, shells, driftwood. Sadly, the only sign of human life is the litter that washes ashore on lovely beaches around the world. I walked a couple of miles in one direction and thought how depressing it would be to actually count the water bottles. At least, we were able to scavenge a piece of line that was sorely needed aboard for tying down various things. On the Bob Boat we had a perfect downwind daysail around the Dogs, Grand Camino and all the way into Cane Garden Bay. After our meeting, we hung out and watched the sun set over St. Thomas and enjoyed a great pasta dinner aboard. In the morning, the trip to Jost Van Dyke was just a quick downwind sail. We doused the jib as we pulled into Diamond Cove near Foxy’s Taboo. Tania
A. Obsession
Cruising
Dinner time on Anagada.
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had told us about a short walk to a place called the Bubbly Pool. Here, the swell is pushed through an opening in the rocks and fills a bubbling cauldron. On the way, Jody had a brief incident with a cactus (Cactus-1, Jody-0!) and a bunch of curious goats came
Vinney at Corsairs. Watch out for his Fireballs!
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in for a closer look at these strange people. Woody: Lucky again, as we got amazing weather for the sail back from Anegada. Jody’s brief encounter with a cactus! The wind was aft and strong for a quick shot across the 26nm reach, past beautiful Sandy Spit and Sandy Cay, to Great Harbor, JVD. We would see those two soon enough. Then it was time to head over to Great Harbor, the Home of Foxy’s and Corsairs. We stopped in for a coldie and to say hi to Foxy, but he was fishing in Anquilla, so we moseyed down to visit Vinney at Corsairs. Vinney lives the life we dream about. He owned Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson before deciding he wanted to be a barefoot bartender in the BVIs, buying a house on the hill and opening Corsairs, which has been a harbor hangout for cruisers ever
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The view from Sand Island doesn’t suck!
since. He is also the first Official Cruisers Outpost in the BVIs. The group soon gathered at Corsairs. Since it has the reputation of the best food in the BVIs, the crew of the Bob Boat opted to have dinner. Man, what a spread. I ordered the lobster and jokingly said, “and I want a big one!” After an appetizer of some great conch fritters with goat cheese dip (wow!) they brought out the biggest lobster I have ever seen - a five pounder! It took awhile, but I managed to get the majority of it down before dispensing the rest to folks who didn’t order lobster. The rumors were true; Corsairs does have the best food. But watch out! If Vinney starts pouring you “fireballs,” use extreme caution when trying to walk or you will soon find yourself trying to brush something off your shoulder, only to find out it’s the floor! Tania: As previously mentioned, Woody provisioned really well, although there was some puzzlement over why he’d included a little container of allspice, a flavor that only gets used in pumpkin pies. We decided the great Ramen noodle chef had
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probably thought “allspice” meant “all spices in one container,” and was just being efficient with the purchase. Great Harbor was where Kay decided to try the recipe for allspice nuts, which turned out to be a delicious snack before venturing ashore to help Bob with his super-sized crustacean. We did manage to escape relatively cognizant of which dinghy was ours, and the next morning, we dropped the mooring ball. After a stop at Sandy Cay for a quick swim, we headed across to Cane Garden Bay and the party scheduled at Myett’s, featuring Eric Stone. Since Eric was skippering one of the boats, we knew they couldn’t start without us. The evening was truly magical: a perfect starstudded night with the calm waters of Cane Garden Bay reflecting a great sunset while Eric Stone’s music wafted out over the anchorage. Woody: We had the famous harmonica player Bob Gross on our boat. He sat in with Eric for a couple of songs. The place went crazy. It was a great night at the perfect venue. Thanks Val. All the boats managed to get in, as well as folks who’d heard about the party. Some came across island from Road Town, and others made their way to Myett’s on their own cruising boats. We even had a couple groups from previous Share The Sail events show up! How kewl is that? All told, about 100 people ended up joining the fun. Once again, in the morning it was up ‘n at ‘em, as we had to get to Marina Cay for the next event. It was about a 10 mile slog to weather. The winds were blowing and the seas threw what they could at us, but we all managed to make it after a quick stop at
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The pefect little island - Sandy Cay.
Monkey Point for some snorkeling. Tania: Yup, it was a slog . . . especially if you motored. On the way out of Cane Garden, all the boats were supposed to set sail for some picture taking, which turned out to be a very short-lived event. As soon as we left the sheltered bay and met the awaiting weather, down came the sails, on went the engines. We watched the fleet pull ahead of our boat and the Bruce Boat, the only two who continued to tack into the boisterous 25-30 knot winds and waves for a last exhilarating sail. The motorboats got to Monkey Point first and grabbed all the moorings, so we kept on, passing swimming turtles, and headed straight for Marina Cay. The last night was spent in the snug mooring field off Marina Cay and the world famous Pusser’s Restaurant. Late afternoon, a front swept in with a wall of rain and wind howling through the rigging, and between the secure mooring and the reef
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surrounding the cay, we slept calmly. Woody: We took Anne Adair from our boat over to Trellis Bay on the free Pusser’s shuttle. She is a pro windsurfer. We grabbed a couple rigs and tore it up … right through the rain squall. Tania: A last night is also a last chance to be creative with finishing up the provisioning. Aboard our boat of famished sailors, a delicious frittata polished off the eggs, onions, potatoes, cheese and tomato, and some Bisquick and apples made a fine torte for dessert. The ideal charter always needs a good supply of food, and Woody was the best provider. Thank you, Woody. But, since good company is the most important ingredient
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for creating wonderful memories, the biggest, fattest thanks to everyone who joined us. As usual, the time passed all too quickly. In the morning, Sunset from Cane Garden Bay. some boats had to pull into Trellis Bay to drop off folks with early flights. Then, it was a two-hour sail back to the BVI Yacht Charters Base to As usual Captain Woody did a great job putting return the boats. Woody: Thanks to Abbie & Cassie and the rest of this trip together, and everyone was talking about the next Adventure Voyage to Greece! You’ll find more the awesome staff at BVI Yacht Charters. Thanks for all who came out and sailed with us. You help us live on that event on our website. It’s scheduled for May, 2013. See you there? our dream!
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What’s Out There?
The Nordic Tug 39 combines advanced design and technology with performance and craftsmanship which start with a well designed pilothouse. The large command console features an array of advanced electronics, the helm features a high-end captain’s chair, and large windows provide great views and sightlines. The salon is designed for family with an optional dropdown 23” HDTV. In the galley, a convection/microwave oven and top-loading freezer are standard. The head has a sliding door for easy access, a large shower with seat, and a storage shelf. The reconfigured guest stateroom is great whether enjoying a weekend trip or an extended voyage. The Lynn Senour-designed semi-displacement hull is fitted with a 380 hp Cummins diesel with speeds from the upper ‘teens’ down to a fuel-sipping eight-knot cruising speed. The Nordic Tug 39’s extended range will get you to where the fishing is good and to beaches awaiting exploration.
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The Nordic Tug 39
Get all the facts: www.nordictugs.com
Nordic Tug 39 Specs
LOA 40’ (with roller) LWL 37’ 4” Beam 12’ 11” Draft 4’ 4” Power Cummins QSB 380 hp Weight (dry) 22,600 lbs Weight (wet) 26,000 lbs Fuel 320 USG Range Approx. 1,000 NM @ 8 knots Fresh Water 144 USG Black Water 32 USG Grey Water 9 USG Cruising 1/29/13 5:43 PM
What’s Out There?
The all-new Marlow-Hunter 40 is being launched during the 40th Anniversary of Hunter. She has superior sailing characteristics and is ready for the open sea or coastal cruising. Built in the United States, she is crafted by people who understand and respect the sea. The H40 has dual helm control, fold-down transom, chined hull and dual heads. The hand-crafted interior is made to fit each boat, not the other way around. The result is an interior fit and finish that is as functional as it is beautiful. Marlow-Hunter has gone all out with this new launch, built for cruising and great as a live-aboard. The team of Marlow-Hunter has once again come up with a boat that is an excellent value and looks great while under sail.
Marlow-Hunter 40
Get all the facts: www.marlow-hunter.com
Hunter H40 Specs
LOA LWL Beam Draft (Shoal/Deep) Ballast (Shoal/Deep) Mast Heght (Standard) Sail Area (Standard) Fuel Fresh Water Water Heater Inboard Engine Headroom Cruising pg 75 Marlow-Hunter 40.indd 1
41.3” 36’ 13’ 2” 5’ 2”/6’ 8” 6,027#/5,425# 61’9” 1,006 sq.ft. 50 USG 90 USG 5 USG 40 hp 6’6”
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What’s Out There?
The Oceanis 45 is a vessel built to cruise. Just looking around the large interior you will find a chart table that is also a living room table, which shows they have put great thought into it. On deck the open bathing platform, which makes access to the sea easier, catches everyone’s eye. The Oceanis 45 has four layout options with two, three, or four double cabins that make it suitable for a couple or a large family on a weekend cruise or sailing round the world. On board everything has its own place; nothing seems to get in the way. But the real thrill on this boat is when she catches the wind! The slightest gust will start her moving and she glides through the water in silence, as a sailboat should be designed to do.
Beneteau Oceanis 45
Get all the facts: www.beneteau.com
Beneteau Oceanis 45
LOA LWL Beam Draft (shoal/Deep) Ballast (Shoal/Deep) Displacement Sail Area Fuel Fresh Water Water Heater Inboard Engine Headroom 76 Spring 2013 pg 76 Beneteau 45.indd 1
45’9” 42’8” 14’ 9” 5’9” / 7’1” 6,693# / 6,191# 23,250 lbs. 1,068 ft (100% FT) 50 USG 151 USG 5 USG Saildrive 54 HP 6’7”
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What’s Out There?
Lead keels, long travelers for precise sail control, and lengthy inboard genoa tracks so the sail plan is balanced in all wind conditions, are just a few of the many design features that set the new Catalina 385 apart. More unique features include a watertight collision bulkhead aft of the anchor locker. A new backstay system creates an impressive cockpit for the avid sailor, and Catalina’s unique chain plates mast support system affords superior load resolution. The 385’s moderate beam is carried well aft for a spacious cockpit. Modest freeboard reduces windage and a beautiful hand-finished teak interior brings it all home with classic warmth and styling that has been a trademark of Catalina for 41 years.
Catalina 385
Get all the facts: www.catalinayachts.com
Catalina 385 Specs
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39.2” 34’5” 13’ 1” 6’ 10”/4’ 8” 5,200#/6,200# (2) 4D 676-869 sq.ft. 38 USG 97 USG 6 USG Yanmar 40hp 31 USG
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Cruising
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Cuba
The forbidden fruit is ripening fast by Pat & Addison Chan aboard Threepenny Opera
“Welcome to Cuba Captain,� said the smiling young Guarda Frontera officer as he stood up from our salon table and extended his hand in greeting. My wife Pat and I were tripping over ourselves to form an impromptu receiving line for the procession of Cuban officials who were climbing back up the companionway of Threepenny Opera. Our lack of coordination was due partially to fatigue from the rolly 80-mile sail from the Bahamas, and partially from the pent up nervous energy of the clearing in formalities. Cruising pg 78-85 Cruising Cuba.indd 3
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Cruising Cuba Currency It is a little confusing, but there are two pesos in Cuba. The convertible peso (CUC) is pegged 1:1 with the US dollar and the national peso (MN) is pegged at 24:1 CUC. Foreigners can carry both pesos and foreign currency is generally not accepted other than at banks and foreign exchange offices known as Cadecas. Most cruising expenses such as fuel and marinas are normally paid in CUC, but food of Cuban origin is normally paid in MN. Be sure to verify which currency is required as vendors may not tell you if you pay in CUC when MN is needed because both currencies are simply called pesos. All major currencies can be exchanged for convertible pesos at fair market rates; the one caveat is that the Cuban government levies a 10% tax on US dollars before they are exchanged. If you arrive with $100 US to exchange, the Cuban government collects $10 up front and then you will receive the exchange on the remaining $90. The duty does not apply to any other currency which is why most cruisers, even Americans, carry Euros, Sterling or Canadian Dollars. Non US issued credit cards other than Amex can be used in major centers if (and it’s a BIG if) the credit card machine is working. We found it was easiest to pay cash for everything so Pat and I used our Canadian Visa card to draw cash advances in local currency. We paid a small service charge for the cash advance, but we avoided having to carry large sums of cash. We also made it a habit to maintain the equivalent of about $20 in national pesos for shopping in local markets. 80 Spring 2013 pg 78-85 Cruising Cuba.indd 4
The channel leading into Havana Harbour. For now it is off limits to cruisers. Cruising boats must use Marina Hemmingway 10 miles to the west.
So this is Cuba I thought; not at all what I had imagined as I breathed a sigh of relief when we were alone again. Threepenny Opera, our Catalina 42 floating home of four years, was safely and securely med-moored on the main dock at Marina La Vita in the northeastern port of Puerto La Vita, Cuba. Our air conditioner hummed quietly as we were plugged into clean 120v shore power and we had just finished hosing the salt off of our decks using the plentiful fresh water from the dockside faucet. Our neighbours on the dock were other sailboats of various sizes ranging from 50-foot luxury catamarans to 30-something monohulls with flags from Europe, Canada and the USA. We could have been at a marina along the ICW except for the fact that our fees, with power and water, were only $.60 a foot. Our day had begun at 2:00 AM when we arose to prepare for a moonlight departure from our anchorage at Raccoon Cay in the Jumentos Archipelago of the Bahamas. Since there were only about 12 hours of good daylight, I had decided to pull the hook and head off
La Capitolio - the Cuban legislature. Look familiar?
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The Havana skyline, a mix of old and less old.
in the dark so that we would arrive in good light. When we cleared the banks at dawn, the seas started to rise and form confused triangular waves as the deep ocean currents of the Nicolas Channel crashed into the shallows of the banks we were leaving behind. With a quartering wind and rising seas, our GPS showed our ETA at the entrance to Puerto La Vita Cuba to be in about 11 hours. Fortunately, as we moved farther into deeper water the seas settled into a quartering swell that splashed green water over our decks when we bottomed out in the troughs. For the next several hours the trip was uneventful, albeit a little bumpy. At exactly 12 miles from the coast I began to hail the Cuban authorities on the VHF as prescribed by the 1999 cruising guide we had aboard. We tried several times to contact the relevant parties in both English and Spanish without success, so as we closed on the coast I was starting to get visions of being thrown in jail by cigar chomping guys carrying machine guns. I was seriously considering turning around when Pat spotted the lead buoy into Puerto La Vita through her binoculars. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the very substantial green
Lobster fishing is very good on the south coast of Cuba.
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Weather information Most of the Cubans rely on the twice a day broadcasts on commercial TV and radio. The Cuban Met Office provides a full range of services but they only operate in Spanish. You can get their forecasts through a recording on an 800 number, or via the internet. We relied heavily on our SSB for GRIB files and forecasts from NOAA and Chris Parker at the Caribbean Weather Center. It is important to note that vessels cannot rely on WiFi for their weather! Tablets and smartphones are fancy paper weights in Cuba!
Charts and Navigation We used the two excellent chart kits for the north coast of Cuba from the German firm NV. One kit covers the eastern portion from Punta Maisi to Varadero and the other covers the western portion from Varadero to Cabo San Antonio. On the south coast we used the Cuban chart kits from Geo Cuba. The quality was very good, but they lacked sufficient detail for serious gunkholing. Since our electronic charts were essentially based on the Cuban data, we found that a good bow watch, local knowledge and an abundance of caution were the best aids on the south coast. The German charts are available from many sources, but the Cuban charts are very rare outside of Cuba and even in Cuba are hard to find. In addition we also carried Nigel Calder’s and Simon Charles’ Guides. Both guides were useful from a planning perspective but it is important to remember that they are 12 years old and some information is outdated. Another useful cruising guide was Lonely Planet Cuba, as it gave us current details about local transit, currency exchanges and restaurants. Spring 2013 81 1/29/13 5:49 PM
Cruising Cuba Fuel Don’t expect to find a fuel dock, but all marinas can arrange fuel delivery to your boat. If you are planning on being away from marinas then be prepared to haul fuel from the local service station. In 2012 the official price for diesel was $1.20/liter, but local entrepreneurs can often supply fuel for less. Make sure you have enough propane for your cruise. Getting a US style tank refilled can be a challenge and if you do get it filled, it will contain butane and not propane, which fortunately worked fine in our Seaward propane stove.
The Cruising Grounds When it comes to cruising, Cuba is like two countries divided by north and south. On the north coast, your movements are very closely monitored by the authorities and the bureaucracy of clearing in and out of harbours can be tedious. In the nearly 600 miles we covered on the north coast between La Vita and Cabo San Antonio we were only allowed ashore at the marinas. We managed to do a little gunkholing in the bays well west of Havana but we were not allowed ashore. Anchoring in non-military zones is not forbidden, but it is discouraged, and launching your dinghy will result in a scolding if they see you. On the south coast the officials are much more relaxed and anchoring is usually permitted. We were also permitted to go ashore in any of the communities that we chose to visit and even allowed by a friendly harbour master to tie alongside at the town wharf because of bad weather. The snorkeling is excellent and lobsters were crawling all over the place. We definitely preferred the south coast.
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Fishing boats on the north coast at Matanzas.
can was in exactly the position indicated by our chart plotter. Having become accustomed over the past few months to the often randomly placed sticks that serve as aids to navigation in the Bahamas, seeing a sea buoy that could easily have marked a class “A� entrance in the USA instilled enough confidence for us to continue. With some reservations we cautiously committed to following a line of equally substantial red and green markers into the harbour. As if sensing our uncertainty, a voice in perfect English came over the VHF and directed us the rest of the way to the marina. In order to clear into the country we were met at the dock by no fewer than seven officials representing various ministries including customs, immigration, health, veterinary services, agriculture, the coast guard and pest control. The doctor from the
Nice solid docks at Marina Darsena in Varadero.
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Streetscape in Manzanillo, a typical small town. There are not very many cars on the road.
Department of Health boarded alone to see if we were carrying any communicable diseases. After having our blood pressure and temperature taken and answering a few questions we received a clean bill of health and were given a form releasing us from quarantine. As the doctor left the rest of the contingent, who had been waiting patiently on the dock, trooped aboard. The officials were all unfailingly polite and courteous to the point of removing their shoes before coming aboard. It was comical to see a group of men and women in crisply pressed uniforms leaning on one another for support as they removed shoes ranging from combat boots to three-inch patent leather stilettos! In our T-shirts, shorts and PFDs, Pat and I felt a little under-dressed. There were however, no cigar smoking armed guards in sight and we had
Produce in the local markets is abundant, inexpensive and very fresh. Try $.20 for a pineapple.
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Giveaways and Tipping As a foreigner you must be prepared to be “hit up” for stuff. Virtually anything you have on your boat will be useful to somebody and almost anybody, even officials will ask for “stuff” but nobody demands it. Usually the requests are small (do you have an English magazine, or a drop of silicone caulk), but the important thing to keep in mind is that the requests do not stop. So when you are rendering assistance you have to set a limit and stick to it. Recognizing that there are shortages of virtually everything, Pat and I hit one of the big box stores before we went and purchased large quantities of school supplies which we left with school teachers around the island. The current big demand items are writing paper, pens and USB memory sticks. Other cruisers have also been known to distribute travel sizes of toiletries. Tipping is normally not required, but rarely refused. In the larger centers or tourist areas, 1015% is more than sufficient, but in smaller areas, a rounding up to the next whole denomination is acceptable. We were always sensitive about over tipping so as to leave a clean wake for those coming behind us. Food Pork, lamb and in season produce is plentiful, fresh and inexpensive at local farmers markets. Poultry is imported and frozen, but eggs are local and unrefrigerated. Surprisingly for an island nation, buying seafood is hit and miss, and beef is very hard to find. The selection of beer, wine and spirits is good so it’s not necessary to stock up. Restaurants are everywhere and with the newly relaxed rules surrounding private enterprise there are more excellent choices everyday.
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Cruising Cuba Communications/Internet There are pay phones everywhere, but only certain phones can be used for international calling. International call rates are relatively high; for example we paid $1.25/min to Canada or the US. Cell phones are growing in popularity, but you will need an unlocked GSM phone and a friendly Cuban to access the network as local SIM cards cannot be purchased by foreigners. If you can get a SIM, domestic airtime is around $.25 a minute, calls to the US and Canada are $1.59 a minute and SMS is $.10 domestic and $1 international. Internet is available at the local ETECSA office. Rates are $6/hour and WiFi is generally unavailable outside of a handful of hotels for foreigners. When you do find WiFi it is $8/hr. Fortunately, we have a pactor and SSB onboard so we stayed in touch with friends and family via Sail Mail. Personally I would not go to Cuba without my SSB/Pactor or a satphone as part of my gear.
Entering and Leaving Cuba There are seven strategically located international marinas in Cuba. Clearing in and out of the country must occur at one of these marinas. If you arrive at a port other than the official ports of entry you will be turned away. The older cruising guides list ports that are no longer appropriate, so it is very important to ensure that you have current information. Visas are purchased on arrival, so current passports and vessel registrations are normally the only documents needed to enter. If you leave the country without clearing out you will have difficulty reentering at a later date, so plan accordingly as there are no shortcuts. There are two things to remember about leaving: firstly, be prepared for a full reversal of the clearing in procedure including the health inspection and secondly, keep enough CUC for your exit stamps, otherwise you may be delayed trying to find local funds.
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Dawn over Marina Jagua in Cienfuegos. Rowing is a very popular sport throughout Cuba. There is a large bareboat charter fleet based here so dock space can be limited.
not been shaken down for bribes to facilitate the clearing in. For about the next hour, there was a flurry of paperwork around our salon table and we were bombarded by a cacophony of questions. All of our answers were dutifully recorded on forms, often in triplicate, with the aid of well used carbon paper. Everybody spoke some English, but several of the officials spoke excellent colloquial English, so when there was any doubt they translated to ensure that we were all on the same page. At the end all we needed to do was to review the finished products and sign on the dotted lines. The fees for clearing in totaled $100 Convertible Cuban Pesos or CUCs, but the
Sidewalk butchers like this fellow are found everywhere in Cuba.
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Marina Darsena is a division of Marlin, one of the state travel companies in Cuba.
officials were pretty laid back about collecting their fees because they knew that, having just arrived, we would not have any local money. “Just pay us when you can,� was the comment. Overall it had been a pretty good day, and our first impression of Cuba was very positive. After having spent a total of seven months in the country and completing a circumnavigation of the island, Pat and I still have very positive feelings about our experiences. There have been a few challenges along the way, but nothing that would prevent us from going back. If you are thinking about going, we have included some brief thoughts on subjects that are important to cruisers.
Should I Go? Cuba is not for everyone. There are rules that can seem restrictive and there are widespread shortages of items that many of us consider to be basics. And for some folks we’ve met, the complexity of calling home or getting connected to the internet was a deal breaker. On the positive side however, the marinas are inexpensive, there is an abundance of marine life on the pristine reefs and the anchorages are quiet. The cost of living is low and even on the most modest income by North American standards, it is possible to live well. Doors are usually left unlocked and neighbours look out for one another, so it is very safe. Petty crime does occur, but it is rare. Politics aside, a trip to Cuba is, in many respects, a trip back in time to the late 1950s. With the recent changes in laws allowing for easier immigration, emigration and repatriation of their citizens, the coming of age of Cuba has begun. If you want to see it before it changes forever, now is the time to go.
Chance, a French cruising boat, rounding Cabo San Antonio, the western most cape in Cuba.
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Lif es ty l e A Look at Why We Do What we Do
Ever wondered why people love the boating lifestyle? Well, here in the Lifestyle section folks from all over the world give an insight into what it’s really like out there. If you have a photo you think tells a good tale, why not send it to us? We prefer you send a digital pic, in as high resolution as you can. Tell us who took the pic and where it was taken. We will probaby throw it into our “digital pile” and pull it out someday. We won’t send you any money, but you will be famous worldwide! Email to: Lifestyle@Cruisingoutpost.com.
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By Gracie Boelsems aboard Gecko Gecko, Emerald Bay, Catalina Island, California.
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Sunset on Martinique by Tabitha Lipkin.
By Steve Ellsworth, S/V Destiny, taken when they were cruising for 12 months “out there.”
Photo by Captain Squid
By Rob Bondy from Windsor, Ontario - Pudgie, Lake St. Clair.
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From Joe & Janet Childers of S/V Tango, Cape Lookout, SC.
Of Gary & Deb Stine racing on True North IV in St. Martin. It was a great race and a great day for racing. There were 21 people on the boat. They won the race.
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Always try to be modest and be proud of it!
Of Cameron at the helm of S/V Alfa Sol in Chesapeake Bay, taken by Dad Scott Moore.
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By John of Sandy enjoying sunset anchored in Wallilabou Bay, St Vincent - home of the Pirates of the Caribbean film set. They were on the way to hook up in the Tobago Cays with what turned out to be last ever “Share-the-Sail.”
By Paul Shipley, Dream Catcher, Sandestin, FL.
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By Melody Peterson of Alysa, San Diego Bay.
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By Mark Kramer of Penni, taken from atop the mast.
Adam Ellis and friend Mike sailing on the Great Lakes.
By Captain James Tanner of wife Amy’s first time sailing, leaving Road Town Harbor, BVIs.
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By Tabitha Lipkin atop Tortola on a “Jody Walk.”
By Todd Duff of Gayle feeding the sharks at Conception Island, Bahamas.
By Capt’n Ron of Tracy skippering their Catalina 310 on Lake Erie.
By Marvin Antle at a marina between Pula and Medulin.
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By Penni of Mark, sailing on a cold morning.
By Marc Leger of his better half boarding S/Y Saluda while cruising the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. They covered 604 miles in 14 days with four night passages.
By Rick Rhoads, Oriental. NC.
By Sam & Nancy aboard Windfall, of the pearl diving submarine Explorer abandoned in 1865 on Isla San Telmo in the Las Perlas Islands of Panama. The Explorer’s “diver’s hole” may have been an inspiration for Jules Verne’s fictional submarine Nautilus in 20,0000 Leagues Under the Sea.
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By Larry Grasse of the best green flash! Kapolei, Hawaii
You can’t trust dogs to watch your food
by Hod Arnett southbound in Great Dismal Swamp Canal
By Dave of Marianne sunning on Corsica River
By Racheli Ganz of husband Gan and daughter Lev, Tel Aviv, Isreal
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By John Simpson of Tarbert Slippery Pole, Scotland.
By David Ward: NAV AID if you are on the East Coast heading to the Caribbean. If you are on the Pacific Coast heading to Hawaii, turn right.
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By Paul Shard, sailing to Spain
Four US Naval Academy sailboats passing under the Triborough Bridge in New York City heading home to Annapolis from New England. The squadron was on a 1200-mile passage to Rockport, Massachusetts and back as part of the Academy’s leadership training program. Photo by LT Morena, Spanish Navy.
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By Winston Mitchell, S/V Kai Malie, Honolulu, HI.
By April White of sunset on the Intracoastal near Sarasota, FL.
The Ocracoke Inlet by Robert Mayo.
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Getting Looped Once Around The Eastern US by Captain James Cash
I cannot remember when I first learned that one could take a boat around the whole eastern half of the United States, but it was one of those ah-hah moments, and ever since it has been on my proverbial bucket list. In those days I heard the adventure referred to as the “Great Circle Route,” a continuous waterway up the East Coast’s Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), along the Hudson River, crossing into the Great Lakes via the Erie Canal, exiting the Lakes at the Chicago River, over to the Illinois River to the mighty Mississippi all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida and back to where you started. It was one of those boating adventures which has been just too alluring to shake. Apparently this interest has attracted many other boaters as well, because there have been hundreds of folks making the journey and an organization developed for these boaters devoted solely to doing this trip. The America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) www.greatloop. org was founded by Ron and Eva Stob after their circumnavigation in 1994. I was lucky enough to meet and have dinner with the Stobs at this past year’s (2012) Fall “Looper’s Rendezvous” at the Joe Wheeler State Park in Northeast Alabama, located
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on a tributary of the Tennessee River and a favorite stopping place on the Great Loop. To hear the story of their adventure, and the subsequent founding and promoting of the AGLCA, is just fascinating. Like most people from the West Coast, and many on the East Coast, they had no idea there was a way to voyage around the entire eastern part of the county in a boat. Though not boaters “per se,” they did enjoy the water and one summer in the early 90s arranged a cruise with friends on the beautiful Trent-Severn Waterway in Canada that connects Lake Ontario to northern Lake Huron. It was on this cruise they met other boaters that had come from the East Coast and learned about the “Great Circle Route.” Eva was the instigator and suggested to Ron, “Honey Let’s Get a Boat and do the Great Circle,” and, that’s how it started. Ron was a writer of travel books of California, and as the idea took seed, thought he may write articles he could publish. They took lessons, went to boating classes, bought a boat in Florida, made the trip, wrote those articles, and a newsletter for friends and family all which resulted in their self-published book, “Honey Let’s Get A Boat.” The rest, as they say, is history. With 2,200 books stacked in their garage, starting the organization was Eva’s idea of a way to help market and
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hopefully sell the books. In their navigation classes they learned that the “Great Circle Route” referred to open ocean navigation as the shortest distance between two points on the globe, so they borrowed a term they first saw in a Great Lakes waterway guide, The Great Loop, and started their cruising association. First introduced to the public at the 1999 Trawler Fest in Ft. Lauderdale, they were amazed at the reception they got. The organization exploded. There was pentup enthusiasm from boaters interested in a safe inland cruising adventure of 6,000 miles, that could be enjoyed without the intimidation of open ocean passages or overnight watches. Over the past ten years the organization continually
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grew. Soon the 2500 members demanded meetings and rendezvous to share stories, sponsors jumped on the bandwagon, and now there is a whole string of “Loop” connected marinas, boat yards, and resorts that cater to the “Loopers,” as the members are referred to. Unlike the old days, now there are “Looper Guides” to all the marinas, the anchorages, the service facilities, and restaurants with dinghy docks. There are even guides to the bridges: when they open, to what VHF channel they respond, and which ones “respond best to a female voice.” At this last Fall’s rendezvous there were over 300 attendees, and more than 40 boats tied up at the Joe Wheeler State Park facility. The meeting started
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ting Looped - Getting Looped - Getting Looped - Getting Looped - Getting Looped - Getting Looped - Getting Looped - Getting on Sunday afternoon with the registration and reception, and later at dinner all those currently making the trip were introduced and encouraged to say a few words. We heard from mostly couples, from every corner of the United States and Canada, as well as families from Brazil and New Zealand that were currently somewhere on the Loop. The event unfolded over the next three days with speakers talking on subjects ranging from “buying your boat” to travelogues about sections of the Loop. These presentations were mostly given by members sharing their experiences and were sandwiched between sponsored receptions, breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Many of the members attending with their boats opened them up for display and two afternoons were devoted to “Yacht Crawls” where attendees were encouraged to go aboard, ask questions and share stories.
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I had the pleasure to meet many current and would-be Loopers. For example, Jeff and Grace Bishop from Leicester, North Carolina had recently bought their North Pacific 42’ and are in the planning stage. We had heard the night before from a current Looper that their best advice was, “Quit planning and just get started.” When I asked Jeff and Grace what their biggest apprehension was, they said the barge traffic on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. This very issue was addressed later in the conference and the number “1” and
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“2” horn signals for passing port or starboard was discussed, often with much humor from interesting experiences. I also talked with several couples who had just made the decision to go and were looking for boats to make the voyage. The biggest question always seemed to be, “Can we afford it?” One such couple was Jonie and Lou Hess from Jupiter, Florida, who had recently sold their house and are living in a small apartment while looking for the just the “right” boat. Another couple from Kentucky shared that when they were getting started, they sold their home and bought a boat. When they drove to the boat to move aboard, a storm the night before had pushed their new boat out of the anchorage and they
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found it a mile across the bay on the rocks. For me the most interesting part of the rendezvous was the stories from those that were on, or had completed, the Loop. One veteran said he was most often asked about the cost of fuel for the trip. He said he always answered that they have spent more on wine than fuel, and that said it all. We also always heard, “You will need more time than you think you will need, and you will never get to explore all the places you want go.” It was also advised that if possible, find a “buddy boat” along the way…“that way you can have your photo taken passing the Statue of Liberty.” Another Loop vet, with a reported 35,000 miles under his
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The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard
keel, gave three pieces of advice: 1) be prepared, you are going to run aground; 2) take extra props; 3) always keep the Admiral happy (as the female partner is always referred to as “Admiral”). Weather was also a topic of great interest. The best comment was, “Don’t worry about the weather; the times we were
‘weathered-in’ was when we made the best of friends.” The photographs that accompanied the presentations were priceless and a testimony to why “The Great Loop” could very well be the best boating adventure in the world. However, one of my favorite photos was of a handwritten sign outside Bobby’s Marina which read: “Hot Beer, lousy food, bad service. Welcome, have a nice day.” Though the “Great Loop” is still on my agenda, the experience of attending this rendezvous has reinforced its priority and, “Honey I think we should get a ‘power boat.’
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Advice From Captain Bilgeplug We all know that giving advice to a sailor is one of the surest ways to get into an argument and/or to ruin a relationship. Therefore we have given the task to good ol’ Captain BilgePlug. Sometimes the truth hurts!
Dear Capt. Bilgeplug, I don’t seem to get enough time hanging out at my boat. When I’m at home my wife keeps me hopping with a list of chores. Mow the lawn, paint the garage floor, bury the dead cat, you know, the usual. I thought I bought the boat for a bit of rest and relaxation, but when we get to the marina, it’s just another long list of chores. Mop the deck, fix the lights, throw out the rotted baitfish. I’m starting to not like my boat. It just seems wrong somehow... Can you help? Jerry Kann M/V T-Back Dear Jerry, Powerboater’s are a strange and odd bunch. Too much torque mixed with exhaust fumes I think. It’s not surprising that you are turning to a blow-boater for advice. First off, you need to spend some time at the marina on your boat alone to begin the healing process. It can be a delicate maneuver separating yourself from the Admiral without drawing undue suspicion. They have a keen eye for any kind of a con involving going to the boat without them. Therefore it is imperative that you get her to think it’s her idea to stay home while you go to the marina. Grab a cordless drill, a can of oil, your tool bag, and procure a pretty towel from the guest bathroom. “Ummm, what do you think you’re doing with that towel?” she will ultimately ask. “I have to fix the flangeulator in the bilges. Remember the noise you told me about the last time we were out?” Look very concerned at this point. “I need you to hold the rhumb line while I lube it with relative bearing grease. If you cover yourself with this towel you won’t get any grease on your shirt.” “What??? I can’t get greasy, I just had my nails done.” “It will come out with some MEK, just soak your nails in it, oh- and can I use that Tupperware bowl? And don’t wear your nice shoes. The battery acid will discolor the toes.” Success becomes apparent as she is yanking the towel out of your hand. “Not that towel you don’t buddy104 Spring 2013 pg 104-105 Capt Bilgeplug.indd 2
boy, and you will have to find one of your little play friends at the marina to get all greasy with you.” “But honey, nobody there works for free, I’ll have to buy somebody some beer just to get them to help.” By now you should find yourself standing in the driveway with an old towel, beer money, and permission to be late. So, head for the boat, have a couple of cold beers, and take a nap while listening to some Eric Stone. The tide will have changed and you will once again be happy with your boat. Ahoy, Capt. Bilgeplug Dear Capt. Bilgeplug, As you are aware, we are all facing economic hardships and money is tight. We have had to tighten up our budget a bit and are now looking for alternatives, something other than fish. We passed some cruisers the other day and they suggested we try seagull. Are they any good? John Livingstone S/V Fletcher Wind Dear John, Interesting question, which reminds me of a story... I was sailing solo one time from Bermuda making a straight shot to Anguilla. That’s a great course to navigate; just head due south and favor a little to the left. I missed once and landed in Tortola, which is an entirely different story. Anyhow, I was becalmed about 300 miles north of the islands for a week. I hadn’t planned on staying at sea quite that long and my provisions were running a bit low. Like you, I was beginning to tire of fresh fish. Well, as it happened that day, a sea gull had perched himself on my solar panel. The more I stared at that bird the more it started to look like a chicken. I won’t go into the specifics involved, but let’s just say that a spear gun may be a bit excessive for this task. (Hey, I was hungry.) With a clean bird I headed below and started the makings of a nice chicken stew. I took what leftover vegetables I had, which was half an onion, two limp Cruising
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carrots, one cup of dry beans, and a small can of mushroom pieces and stems. I tossed everything into the pot with the bird and set it to simmer for a few hours. I spent the next three hours on deck cleaning up a scene that would have kept the best TV CSI investigators confused. Anyhow, I went below to taste the bird. I got my bone knife out and cut off a small chunk of meat. After about five minutes of chewing my jaw was starting to cramp. This bird would have to cook a bit longer. I remember my Grandma using a home made pressure cooker of sorts once. She put a couple of bricks on the pot lid to speed up cooking. Not having any bricks handy, I used some stainless steel safety wire and secured the lid in place.
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About a half hour later I was up on the bow splicing a jib sheet and removing feathers from the rigging when I heard the loud pop. Running to the galley I discovered that the pot had literally blown its lid. The safety wire had held, but split the lid right in the middle. The sea gull was lodged in the open portlight over the galley stove. The carrots, mushrooms, beans, and onions had long since merged into a gooey greasy biomass which had coated the underside of the companionway hatch cover. “Should be done now!” I said to myself and proceeded to taste the cooked delicacy. On a more positive note, the companion way hatch has not leaked since, and if you cut cooked sea gull into 1/4” strips you can use it to repack your cutlass bearing. Ahoy, Capt. Bilgeplug
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Hunting For Pirate Treasure Off Cape Cod by Mike Martell, Photos by Brandon Clifford, Julia Hathaway, and Mike Martel
The wind has suddenly piped up, freshening quickly out of the south. Captain Barry Clifford, scowling behind his sunglasses, shakes his head and signals to the crew, with some obvious disappointment, that it’s time to head for home. Adding to the anxiety is the knowledge that a hurricane named Irene is churning around in the ocean somewhere to the south, heading this way. There are preparations to be made. A swell has begun to pick up and the research vessel Vast Explorer strains at her spider-web of six anchors holding her off the beach on the exposed ocean side of Cape Cod. It’s too bad; in the past few hours divers have brought up stacked silver Spanish coins – a sign that they were in cloth bags, according to Barry; a couple of concretions that may be cannon balls encased in cemented sand and pebbles; tiny gleaming nodules of African gold dust; and intriguing solid silver knobs that once capped the scroll-ends of rolled charts in the Captain’s cabin, the first such artifacts that Barry’s expedition has ever found. All of the silver is the
color of barbecue charcoal – not quite black, not quite gray, but – charcoal. It’s getting late in the afternoon on this warm August day. One of the divers, Jeff, a tall man, braces against the wind and the motion of the ship and grins. He’s been diving with Barry for years. “Yup, whenever we start finding stuff – every time – old Bellamy starts blowin’ his horn!” He’s referring to Captain Samuel Bellamy – known as ‘Black Sam Bellamy’ – the notorious English pirate who ran his treasure-laden ship Whydah ashore in a howling April nor’easter in 1717 right beneath us. Only a few survived – not including the colorful, charismatic Bellamy – only to be hanged as pirates not long after. The crew of the Vast are matter-of-factly convinced that Bellamy haunts the site and that his bones lie below. Indeed, bones – human remains – have been found by Barry’s Expedition Whydah divers and crew over the years. Bellamy had plundered more than 50 ships before heading north, quite probably with the intention of
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meeting up with his lover, Maria Hallett, and sailing on together to Maine. The Whydah – formerly a slave ship and named for an African bird - was Bellamy’s biggest prize. It was a 300ton English slave ship that had just finished the second leg of the Atlantic slave trade on its second voyage and was loaded with a fortune in gold, silver, and precious trade goods. Bellamy converted the captured Whydah, outfitting his new flagship as a 28-gun raiding vessel (upgraded from its original 18 guns), and set sail northwards along the eastern coast of North America. But Whydah was swept up in a hurricane-force storm at midnight on April 26, sailing too close in the darkness to the outer arm of Cape Cod, and was driven onto sand bar shoals in 16 feet of water some 500 feet from the coast of what is now Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Shortly before midnight, the masts snapped and drew the heavily-loaded ship into 30 feet of water where she capsized and quickly sank, taking Bellamy and all but two of the Whydah’s 149-man crew with her. One hundred and two bodies were known to have washed ashore and were buried by the town coroner, leaving the others unaccounted for. The castaways were captured and prosecuted for piracy in Boston, and six were hanged in
October. Two were set free, the court believing their testimony that they had been forced into piracy. In 1984, Bellamy became famous again when the wreckage of the Whydah was finally discovered, the first confirmed pirate ship recovered in U.S. waters in modern times. At the time of its sinking, the Whydah was the largest pirate prize captured in the West Indies in the 18th Century, and the treasure in its hold included huge quantities of indigo, ivory, gold, and over 30,000 pounds sterling (approximately 4.5 to 5 tons). The discovery of the wreck was made in July 1984 by a diving crew led by underwater explorer Barry Clifford. In 1985, Clifford recovered the ship’s bell upon which were the words “The Whydah Gally 1716” and subsequently founded The Whydah Pirate Museum on MacMillan Wharf in Provincetown, Mass., dedicated to Samuel Bellamy and the Whydah. It houses many artifacts which were recovered from the actual wreck, including a sealed cannon whose contents, as revealed by fibre-optic examination, appeared to include coins, gold and jewelry. A portion of the some 200,000 artifacts so far recovered are currently on a sixyear tour around the United States under the sponsorship of The
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Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ St National Geographic Society. The tour is titled “Real Pirates” and more can be learned at www.whydah. com. The tour, according to Chris Macort, Director of Operations for Expedition Whydah, is well worth seeing. “All the best of the treasures that we have found – including the ship’s bell – is on that tour. It’s really not something to miss.” I signed on with Barry, his crew, and the 105-ton research vessel Vast Explorer on the advice of a friend who introduced me to the legendary Barry Clifford. It was an unusual part-time summer job, to be sure. Hard work and long hours serving as deckhand, engineer, even cook, once; but it was one of the most exciting jobs I’ve ever had, working with the divers and marine archaeologists and being one of the first to see the treasure and artifacts brought up. On expedition, the Vast goes out to the wreck site where a strategically-positioned network of anchors have been positioned, and ties up to them like a spider in the center of a web. Winches are used to jog the vessel around a few feet at a time to precisely locate the stern of the ship over a specific area. The Vast has been equipped with a custom-designed prop wash deflector that, when lowered into position, directs the stream of thrust from her twin screws directly downward where literally tons of sand are removed in a matter of only a few hours. The Vast’s engines are so powerful that when engaged in gear, the stern of the vessel actually lifts up a couple of feet from the force of the downward thrust. The
entire vessel vibrates, and plumes of dense sandy water can be seen welling to the surface yards away. This is necessary because the Whydah’s treasure isn’t on the surface of the bottom. It’s buried many feet down – from 20 to 40 feet - under three centuries of sand deposited from the eroding cliffs of Cape Cod. When the Whydah wrecked, she was very close to the actual shoreline at the time. So Barry and the Vast have to blast away many feet of sand to get down to the cobbles of the original beach before they can start finding the treasure that has percolated downward. Barry has studied the Ice Age geology of the Cape – his well-thumbed books on the subject are in a rack in the main saloon belowdecks – so each day is a sequence of ‘blowing’, then diving – divers are equipped with custom-designed metal detectors and magnetometers – and jogging the Vast around a few feet at a time to follow leads and signals detected by the divers. Barry knows what he is doing – his carefully annotated charts of the wreck site are no less than an archaeologist’s drawing of a wreck site grid, showing where cannons and artifacts have been found, drawn in, drawn to scale, against the outline of the overturned hull of the wreck. Much of the documentation is photographic, with still photos and underwater video taken by Barry’s son Brandon Clifford, who is also a professional for Olympus as an underwater cameraman. Brandon has been diving around the world with Barry since he was
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y - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ Story - Talkin’ a kid, and Barry never leaves a location (or ‘pit’) until Brandon has thoroughly inspected it with detector or hand held magnetometer and gives the thumbs up that the pit is “clean.” On one such occasion in 2007, hearing something deeply buried beneath a location that was supposed to have been completely excavated in 1985, Brandon discovered the cannon pile, which was 10 feet deeper than the same site where cannons were excavated in 1985. The question remains: what’s buried deeper? This is why the Vast and Expedition Whydah have returned to this location, Barry emphasizes. A system of precise DGPS receivers mounted directly over the deflector – dead nuts over the hole being dug – help Barry position the Vast precisely. But before anyone dives, the engines are shut down completely for safety. Then the divers get to work. The principal diver wears a suit equipped with pumped hot water and air supplied from the deck. It’s not deep water, but it is cold, not much above freezing. Without the hot water suit, a diver gets chilled in less than half an hour. With the hot water suit, a diver can work for two hours or more on the wreck site. The Vast remains anchored on site, in view of the beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore,
for several days at a time. We work from first light – grab your coffee and drink it fast – until dusk. Then the crew is treated to a meal, often cooked by Capt. Barry himself, who clearly enjoys cooking and is a very able fellow in the galley. We crewmembers clean up afterwards, always cautioned in the art of cleaning the captain’s treasured black cast iron pans – the secret to a good meal – and especially how NOT to clean them! We take turns on different days whipping up lunch for the crew. The deck is a busy place mid-day, and the divers and crewmen barely have time to eat, but it’s hard work in cold water, and they need to eat. The divers, including Barry’s son Brandon, not only search for the treasure but document it carefully as well, using underwater cameras and cameras on deck and in the conservation lab area. Barry doesn’t like the term ‘treasure hunter’. He insists that his work is more marine archaeology, but won’t deny that finding pirate treasure brings a twinkle to his eye after all. But there is no pirate treasure gift shop; the Whydah treasure is on tour and in the museum, which seems to me a living classroom, teaching thousands of people around the world every year what ‘real’ pirates from
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the Golden Age of Piracy were actually like. This is part of Barry’s mission. And the mission continues, since quite nearly four tons of silver remain buried somewhere in the wreck site. Perhaps the most intriguing thing to me is the image of Bellamy with a pistol in his belt, wrapped in red silk. This is part of the Bellamy legend, surviving from eyewitness accounts of him. The preservative effects of sand and silt have allowed Expedition Whydah to find and conserve actual pieces of fabric from the wreck. Some years ago, they also brought up the remains of a pistol – partially wrapped in a few remnants of red silk. At night, on the ship, I lie in my bunk thinking in the darkness of how I am sleeping anchored over the graves of Captain Bellamy and some of his crew, entombed beneath yards of sand and many feet of cold seawater. Indeed, the Expedition has brought up wood from the ship, carefully preserved by the smothering blanket of sand and silt. Many of the cannons brought to the surface were fully loaded – powder and ball – with the wooden tompions, or plugs, still in the muzzle. There were many cannon aboard – more than the Whydah could use – and probably plundered from other vessels since they were valuable. But why fully loaded? Intriguingly, Chris Macort says that powder retrieved from these cannons, when fully dried out, will still flash when touched with an open flame, even after nearly three centuries underwater.
During the night, while we sleep, the Vast rolls a little and it’s like being at sea in many ways, perhaps because we are. We are not sheltered at all from the ocean, which means that Barry needs to remain vigilant for weather changes since we are so close to shore. When it’s time to leave the anchor lines are buoyed and dropped, with the exception of the bow anchor which is raised. Then we head home, two and a half hours away around the curled upper arm of the Cape. So now we’re heading into port for the last time this season. Captain Barry hands out responsibilities and privileges carefully and slowly. You don’t get a new increment of responsibility until he is sure that you have earned it. On this last trip of the season, Barry gives me the privilege of nearly two hours of wheel time – I think I had 15 minutes at the helm the first trip - bringing the Vast almost all the way back to Provincetown. It’s a thrill to drive this 78-foot ship throttled up, out around the Peaked Hill Bars, and more slowly through the fleet of whales and whale watch boats. I don’t mind slowing down to keep the whales safe; it’s a magic time. Whales are spouting all around and a few breach the surface nearby, their great blue-grey backs and classic humps showing clearly in the waning day. Several of the crew come out on deck to snap photos. I’m enjoying every minute of it.
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The 2011 season had both thrills and disappointments. As Barry Clifford relates, “We spent 10 grueling days trying to expose a huge metallic anomaly, not necessarily magnetic (and not necessarily iron) from beneath the spot where we excavated the so-called ‘cannon pile’ of 13 cannon excavated in 2009.” Unfortunately, they could only expose the very tip of this huge anomaly since their equipment just couldn’t get them any deeper into the sand. “Things got even more frustrating after shifting our position to a new area approximately 50 feet downstream from ‘the cannon pile’ and found concreted stacks of coins and three silver map rollers and gold dust all over the place. To me, this meant that the coins were still stacked together in chests when they went into the sand, thus leading us to believe that we may be approaching a level where intact or semi-intact chests might be found,” Barry continues. The captured pirates testified at the time they were tried that the money was kept in bags in chests between decks. So it is quite possible that the treasure is under the guns in the ‘cannon pile’. This anomaly, which could be multiple chests of silver coins (as there is still nearly four tons of it down there somewhere), is approximately 10 feet below the ‘cannon pile’. “We had gone back to this location with the intention of cleaning up any gold dust or coins that may have been under the cannon, but instead discovered a completely new layer of wreckage much deeper than we could have imagined,” Clifford says.
“After ten long and frustrating days of digging on this spot, akin to digging a building foundation with an ice cream scoop, we could only expose the very tip of the target. And while divers could actually see and touch the concretion, which they described as exceptionally hot to their hand held metal detectors, and certainly not a cannon, our equipment just couldn’t dig any deeper.” The team also discovered a huge pre-glacial clay bank formation adjacent to the cannon pile, where divers observed caves and crevices that might act as catch-basins for coins and small objects. They recovered two more cannon and know of at least four more in the vicinity of this bank. Now, back at the dock, I step off onto the pier with my seabag, and Barry leans out the window of the bridge. He asks me what I thought of the trip. I reply that it was a great adventure, especially since the divers brought back some remarkable artifacts – real pirate treasure. Barry grins and calls out emphatically, “People don’t understand how much work it is to get this stuff!” He’s right. But for him and for the crew of Expedition Whydah, it’s worth all the sweat and effort, every minute of it!
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Lemonade Fr Anchored in your favorite anchorage watching the sun slide over the horizon, you are savoring the first night of that annual vacation cruise that you’ve been looking forward to for eleven months. Suddenly you notice the (fill in the blank … refrigerator, watermaker, etc.) isn’t working. Aw crap. What do you do now? 1. Immediately head to your home marina, curse “that damned boat,” tie it up and head home;
2. See if you can find a repairman at the nearest marina, hoping he can fix it in time to salvage part of your vacation; OR 3. Have you planned ahead, with alternatives or parts for most onboard systems, so you can continue to enjoy the well-deserved vacation you’ve been waiting for? The saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” But this assumes that
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From Lemons
By Jan S. Irons
you have water and sugar, necessary ingredients for lemonade. Similarly, aboard a boat, if you think through alternative systems or potential extra parts ahead of time, when something breaks, you already know what you’re going to do. Once aboard, we don’t want to give up a single day of our precious cruising time. Over the years, my husband David and I have spent time thinking through critical systems to have back up plans so that we don’t have to run for civilization after just anchoring in paradise. Here are a few examples: • Refrigeration is perhaps the most common system causing cruisers to cut short time aboard. What a shame if you only have a month’s vacation and the refrigeration goes out after the first week. You could be the hit of the anchorage and host a beach BBQ so the unfreezing meat doesn’t spoil. Or you may be able to use your well-insulated refrigerator as an ice box for the rest of your vacation if ice is available. Plus we always carry at least two weeks of canned provisions just in case. Our book, The Boat Galley Cookbook, International Marine Publishing, devotes an entire chapter to making edible meals with canned food. • Generators cause cruisers to spend a lot of time waiting for parts at marinas rather than cruising in
paradise. Like a diesel engine, if there are parts that are prone to failure, you may want to carry spares. Other than spare parts, if a generator fails, have a backup plan for all of the functions it serves ... how can we charge the batteries (diesel, solar or wind?), loss of AC current?, and so on. With the right preplanning, it is possible to continue your cruise without a generator. • Watermaker ... once upon a time cruisers cruised without watermakers. Now, over and over I hear boats heading back because the watermaker quit working. Most boats carry enough water to get by for a few days - especially by conserving water more than normal. You can always do it the old fashioned way and fill up with water at a nearby marina. If you have a watermaker, you should be familiar with what could go wrong ... with spares on hand so that you can fix it yourself. • Out of Propane? Most cruisers have a spare propane bottle aboard. Of course, it’s only useful if it’s full. Or you can use your grill if it has a separate camping propane canister – the exact reason our boat is rigged with the grill separate from the stove’s propane system. Aboard Winterlude, a tiny microwave functions primarily as a bread box, but in an emergency, we could fire up the inverter, and have
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dinner. Also consider what happens if something fails in the propane system - like the solenoid. Luckily when our propane solenoid failed, we were finishing our six-month cruise and back at the marina. Now we carry a spare, just in case.
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• iesel putters or ies? Check the filters and strainer first. Be sure to carry a complete selection of replacement filters, the more the better, never take just one. Beyond clogged filters, know your diesel. Carry spare parts for the most common failings - we’ve replaced a salt water pump, two alternators a martRegulator and many other “marinized” parts with the assistance of other cruisers and igel alder. ince our diesel is a 1985 Nanni Kubota 4 cyl 30 hp, not a common engine, we asked our diesel mechanic to recommend a spare parts inventory which has come in handy. • avigation uipment lectronics Communications … carry backups or spares for all critical navigation e uipment GP laptops
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chartplotter etc. We have paper charts and know how to use them. With four GPSs, one should work at any given time. We also have a sextant, but have never had to use it except for fun. SSB and VHF provide our primary communications, morning nets, boat to boat contact as well as weather charts, NOAA text forecasts and Chris Parker weather. We carry an Iridium satellite phone as backup for weather or e-mail, but have never had to use it except for calls home in an emergency. With two handheld VHFs and one built in, we’ve always been able to talk to other boats. • omeone gets sick? ummer ut if ou ve planned ahead, it might not mean abandoning the cruise. My husband, David, has an annual bout with bronchitis. His doctor was happy to provide an “insurance” prescription so we carry antibiotics aboard. A couple of times we’ve had to use it – once literally the next day after we finally left the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. But we didn’t have to return to civilization for meds. If you are susceptible to any routine illnesses, you may be able to save a cruise by talking to your doctor ahead of time. Of course, there are some systems that the strategy simply won’t work for – breaking a mast might be an example. But for everything else, think it through, improvise and en o our cruise
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Story by Capt. Michael L. Martel
These days I am working madly, crazily, like an obsessed man, on the restoration of my old antique wooden gaff yawl, Privateer 1. Every spare hour not at my business is spent sawing, grinding, sanding, shaping, painting, scraping, mixing foul epoxy, getting ears full of grinding dust and powder. I have not been this dirty and grubby and scratched-
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Working Madly up itchy since 1994-95, after I first bought her. But oddly enough, I almost feel like I did 15 years ago, just a little less flexible in the joints. There is a new spring in my step and a dogged determination; men who love boats understand this. I delayed this process for three years, like a wishy-washy ninny afraid of the task, too old for
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the challenge. Then suddenly, something snapped a few months ago. The dream came back to life again. I have fashioned a new oak stem, new timbers, and I will make her seaworthy and fit to cross the Great Deep. The many restoration problems and solutions crowd my mind and my sleep at night. Each separate task is like a chess-board move in sequence, first this, then we do that. It’s like old times; the gears and wheels of restoration strategy and planning are in full motion again like the gears of a great old clock. My mind works through my dreams and I awaken with a conflict; the need to work to make money, but yet the overwhelming urge to put on my ragged work clothes and repair to the boat shed and grab the grinder or the putty knife. I am eating the elephant, one bite at a time, but with a new and sharpened appetite, and a zeal to once again restore and launch my dear old friend. Remember this, as I have discovered of late: Dreams are eternal. They do not die with advancing age. No, they only fall dormant from inactivity or disuse. They do not fade or disappear as we grow older; that is a cruel illusion that we fool ourselves into believing. The fire of dreams can be rekindled by revisiting, by getting off your ass and going back after them. I am not younger, but I feel again the passion I had for rebuilding a boat back when I had no money (and what has changed?). The only way that I could own a boat to fulfill a Slocum-esque dream was to build one myself, like Joshua did, with a dream of taking it somewhere, as I do now, once again. Working toward the goal stokes the fire. ‘Wanting’ and ‘desiring’ are always invigorating; ‘having’ is the bucket of water that puts the fire out. And as I work, I think of the goal, the destination, and dare not speak its name. It could even be a fatal and foolhardy destination: Bermuda!
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Cruisers’ Potluck in St. Marys By Tasha Hacker
Luckily, the And since 2000, day’s journey this tradition has wasn’t nearly as continued, still brutal on the ICW hosted by the Rivas the previous erview Hotel and day’s trip on the its owners Jerry ocean. The sun and Galia Brandon, was out, there were bringing hundreds dolphins swimming of cruisers from around the boat, the nearby and afar cats were looking together each year happy rather than to celebrate. seasick, and we For us, With the anchor up at 6 am managed to eke into Thanksgiving was on Thanksgiving morning in Lanier Island, The St. Marys River made particularly Georgia, we were rushed to cover 35 statute miles at 12:45 pm with special not only by a deadline: 1:00 pm Cruisers’ Potluck potatoes boiling on because we got the stove and about to meet so many Dinner in St. Marys, Georgia. 40 anchored boats cruisers in one in view. place, but because As the story we got to meet goes, St. Marys’ Thanksgiving potluck tradition up with so many cruising couples our age, with began 12 years ago when a group of cruisers headed whom we stretched the restaurant’s patience south pulled into the river to wait out a Nor’easter. by staying long after clean-up, gabbing away When they started looking for ways to celebrate about our experiences and our plans. And then, Thanksgiving together, a local sailor named Charlie deciding we weren’t quite done with each othJacobs offered to cook up a turkey for the cruisers, ers’ company, we created an impromptu, movand the owners of the Riverview Hotel offered up ing after-party that involved boat-hopping in our their hotel’s restaurant lounge so everyone could dinghies from shore to Rode Trip to Serendipity gather there. to Hideaway.
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In the process, we managed to empty all three boats’ liquor stashes, pick up one more couple, convince the couple on Serendipity they should adopt a cat, make macaroniand-cheese for 10 people and discover that our wee little Catalina 34 is actually a lot roomier than it looks. And, funnily enough, at no point in the evening did anyone acknowledge that it was Thanksgiving or attempt to announce what they were thankful for on this day. Maybe the holiday itself wasn’t important to note, or maybe, like me, those around me didn’t feel the need to remind themselves out loud what they had to be thankful for. On this particular Thanksgiving Day, we were living life as though we were nothing but thankful for every day we had. And it seemed as though we were all so obviously grateful to be together at that time, in that place, and at this time in our lives. Perhaps “thanks” just didn’t need to be said. It was simply felt very deeply.
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Rough Weather Blessed Us With A Secret Place By John Simpson
Heading north up the chain of the Outer Hebrides on ‘Somerled’ during one August cruise. We were experiencing strong F5-7 NW’ly winds and they were set to continue. This made us all realise that although a visit to St Kilda was possible. It would be a completely pointless exercise, undertaking a rough 50 mile offshore passage. Then no possibility of landing with the dinghy to visit. Continuing past the Sound of Harris after leaving Loch Maddy in North Uist keeping to the east in the lee of the land. We were lucky as a crew to have a real West
Coast expert on board. Jennifer knew the area very well from cruising here for many years with her late husband. Suddenly she had a brainwave and mentioned an interesting place called Loch Scadabay. It would make a perfect lunch break from a coldish windy morning. Jennifer pointed out the entrance was pretty narrow but then widened out, rather like a keyhole. Both jib and then mainsail were dropped as we came into shelter just before the entrance. The wind was funnelling down through the tiny narrows, using the iron topsail would be a safer option.
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Once inside we found perfect shelter as the channel widen out. Unfortunately though, we ran aground in soft mud at the top! After a quick scan of the tide tables we calculated it was almost low water. Provided we dropped the hook clear of the rocks; a quiet lunch was in order, whilst the boat floated off. Recently someone mentioned to me that the Princess Royal and her husband enjoy this anchorage. I agree with them, apparently in the past there was a small factory devoted to weaving Harris Tweed. This hidden keyhole is well worth a look, if you’re cruising around Lewis and Harris.
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Cruising Outposts
Cruising Outpost - Corsair’s
Corsairs, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVIs By Bob Bitchin
The first time I went to Corsair’s on Jost Van Dyke I felt at home. Our crew had heard about the great food there, but I wasn’t prepared to find a kindred spirit running the place. You see, Vinny, who owns the place along with partner Debbie, decided a few years earlier that he was tired of running Rocky Mountain Harley Davidson in Littleton, Colorado (which he still owns!), so he bought the kewl house on the hill, threw away his shoes, and started bartending
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in paradise with help from Ghee & Roger, who are his left and right hands! In the ensuing years he has built a reputation for a home away from home for cruisers. I have been back dozens of times, and each visit it is just like coming home again. Located just a few yards off the beach in Grand Bay, it is the perfect location for cruisers to visit. The anchorage is perfect and sheltered from
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rsair’s - Cruising Outpost - Corsair’s
all but a south wind, which is very rare, but arrive early! The bay fills up pretty fast! So the next time you’re heading out to do some cruising in paradise, be sure to stop by our Official Cruising Outpost on Jost and say “Hi” to Vinny, Debbie, Roger, and Ghee. Vinny will most likely be sitting where I last saw him, behind the bar, serving up cocktails, entertaining the folks who stop by, and generally enjoying life to its fullest.
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Marina El Cid, Mazatlan - Cruising Outpost - Marina El Cid, Maz
El Cid Mazatlan
For cruisers who sail down the Pacific Coast of Mexico or up from Panama, one of the best marinas available is Marina El Cid in Mazatlan. What makes this such a popular marina is the cruising community that lives there. Dozens of cruisers have decided this is the best place in Mexico and have settled down to enjoy this great marina and hotel.
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The cruising community here is like a large family and Geronimo, the marina’s manager, goes out of his way to make folks feel at home there. But it doesn’t stop with the management. The staff here are all like family as well. The docks and grounds have 24/7 security, and the hotel’s great facilities are there for the boaters to use. A beautiful
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pool with swim-up bar, good clean water on the docks as well as 110 volt electricity, make this an ideal place to settle in for awhile. Marina El Cid Mazatlan’s facilities include a full service fuel dock as well as pump-out facilities. If you don’t feel like taking the boat out to go fishing, there is a full fleet of fishing boats here as well. Meanwhile, inside the hotel you will find a great cocktail lounge and restaurants that will make your stay extremely enjoyable for the galley slaves as well as the captain and crew! The marina itself is well protected behind a dog-leg entrance that keeps the lagoon smooth and quiet. For more info go to www.elcid.com.
Bottom Job
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The Roadhouse, Cabo San Lucas, M
The Latitude 22+ Roadhouse Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Watch out for the shark!
For over 30 years the cruisers’ home away from home in Cabo San Lucas has been the Latitude 22+ Roadhouse, home of No Bad Days! Mike Grzanich created Latitude 22+ back when the main road in Cabo was still dirt. It burned down a few years back, so he moved to their new roadhouse in the Corridor near Costco, with a killer view. The minute you walk into the place, you are home. This is a cruisers’ joint, to say the least. They make the best burger in Mexico, and on St. Patty’s Day their corned beef & cabbage is to die for. It’s not the easiest place to find, but if you just take a look when you head to Costco to fill the ship’s
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ucas, Mexico - Cruising Outpost - The Roadhouse, Cabo San Lucas stores, you will see it right up the road. It has a killer view and has the best, coldest and cheapest beer in town! You can actually spend a half-day just reading the crap on the walls: hundreds of license plates, business cards and photos of the people who have been making
The best view in Cabo
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Mike’s place their home for years. In fact, if you look close as you enter, you will see an old life preserver from the Lost Soul! So the next time you are cruising through Baja, be sure to stop into Latitude 22+ Roadhouse and say “Hi” to Mike. You will be glad you did!
Bob & Mike, 1994
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Book Review
by Capt. Jim Cash
A Year In A Yawl
By Russell Doubleday From the log of Capt. Kenneth Ransom With the formation of the American Great Loop Cruising Association (AGLCA) in 1999, the boating community is being given more and more information about the adventures of circumnavigating the eastern half of the United States through the various waterways, both natural and man-made, called the Great Loop. While today these cruises are mostly accomplished in twin screw power trawlers plying the Intracoastal (ICW) and TennTom Waterway’s “A Year In A Yawl” written in 1901 (available from Amazon), is about four young men making the “Loop” in a home-built 30-foot, engine-less sailing yawl in the year 1898. They begin their voyage from their home of St. Joseph, Michigan in the fall, where they were told their craft wouldn’t even make it across Lake Michigan to Chicago. But, make it they did, and with the northern ice nipping at their transom they followed the canals and rivers south down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers past Mark Twain’s boyhood home of Hannibal, Missouri, passing under
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the Eads Bridge at St. Louis (finished in 1874 when there were no automobiles on the roads) visiting the great river cities of Memphis, TN, Natchez, MS, and arriving in the winter months in New Orleans. The trip down the “mother of all rivers” took its toll. “...the cold, unending exertion, sickness, danger great, and economy took all zest out of the enjoying.” The story told from the pages of Ken Ransom’s log noted the expenses from St. Louis to New Orleans were $1.50 per week per boy. At New Orleans, one of the crew, who suffered the most from sickness, abandoned the voyage and the three remaining carried on. They hugged the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, their first taste of salt, noting the history less than 50 years before, of the Civil War battle of Mobile Bay. They toured Ft. Morgan remembering Admiral Farragut’s cry, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” as he ran the gauntlet between Ft. Morgan and Ft. Gaines at the entrance to Mobile Bay. They were said to have met the famous pirate John (Jaun) Gomez, claiming to be 123 year old, on a Florida barrier island. They captured and rode the back of a huge sea turtle and fought off a man-
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eating shark. They crossed through the Keys at what, I assume, is now Marathon and met the Great Atlantic for the first time. Sailing up to Miami they anchored close to the Cape Florida light and heard the story of the Seminole Indian attack on the light keeper and his assistant. They sailed their little yacht up the coast, ducking in and out of the barrier islands and putting into St. Augustine, New Smyrna, and anchoring close to Ft. Sumter where the first shots were fired of the Civil War in Charleston Bay. (Remember there was no ICW yet opened). They exited the Atlantic to traverse the Chesapeake Bay and visited Baltimore and Philadelphia. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France only 12 years before, welcomed them to New York. After a short visit and re-provisioning in NYC where they saw the “…Trinity Church set in the mist of, and almost dwarfed by, the higher buildings towering ten to thirty stories high,” it was up the Hudson River, past West Point, Albany, and to their left turn toward home at the Erie Canal. Here they had to drop their mast for the first time, bought a horse for $20 and proceeded to be pulled along the 400-mile ditch across the top of New York
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State. Along this route at a pace of two-miles per hour, they had an opportunity to tour “the great electric works of the General Electric Company at Schenectady, and the Optical and Camera works (Kodak) at Rochester.” It was October by the time they reached Lake Erie, where after re-stepping their masts, they were buffeted by constant storms. At Rondeau Harbour they arranged a tow from a pile driving barge to Detroit and their home state “...with St. Joe just west, so near by land yet so far by water.” They sailed up the St. Clair River and along the west coast of Lake Huron where they experienced their worst gale of the voyage. Surviving, they then went through the straits of Mackinac and back to their home of Lake Michigan and down the state’s west coast and back to St. Joseph. They were on their little sailboat just over a year, doing then, in a quieter time before world wars, air travel, VHF radios, GPS or even automobiles, what the “Loopers” of today take the same time or even longer to do in diesel powered boats. Perhaps that is part of what makes “the Loop” such a great attraction to cruisers today.
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The Truth About M Recently, a friend asked me to explain why there is such a marked difference in the prices of marine binoculars. A detailed answer would involve explanations related to image brightness, resolution, rigidity, water-tight integrity, anti-reflective lens coatings, baffling and a host of other considerations. However, while most consumers don’t have the background to interpret the myriad issues, they can understand the two most important points—the general lack of consumer understanding of the topic and the willingness of many vendors to take advantage of that. One need not understand all the facets of what makes a good binocular, but it should be known that a healthy case of common sense and 9th grade science, sprinkled with a tough skepticism, can bring one closer to purchasing that essential tool for the mariner. BUT, IT LOOKS LIKE A BINOCULAR A music store manager in my youth, I filled in for the guitar instructor when he was on errands. In that role, I spoke with mothers who were dumbfounded their child had been taking lessons—sometimes for months—but had not learned to coax a pleasing sound from their instrument. More often than not, the problem was in the “guitar” and not in a lack of talent. Sometimes strings were inordinately high; other times the bridge hadn’t been glued in the correct position. In either case, no pleasing sound was even possible. Let it suffice to say the parent seemed to take the over-simplified opinion that if it was made of wood and shaped like a guitar, it must be a guitar.
UNIVERSAL TRUTHS The same is true for binoculars—even marine units. As an example: consider that the Fujinon FMT-SX marine binocular will resolve well from the center to the edge of the field, when many instruments of lesser price... and quality, have images that start getting soft 1/3 to 1/2 way from the center of the field. Those lesser quality instruments are shaped like binoculars, but can they offer what you need? If a harbor light may just be only glimpsed at the edge of the field in a quality instrument, how many times might it go unnoticed by a cold, wet, wind-blown sailor using a cheaper instrument with a soft image at the edge of the field? INEXPENSIVE PRODUCTS GETTING BETTER... BUT One need not spend $1,000+ to buy an instrument of lasting value from the optical legends of Europe—some of which are actually manufactured in Asia. However, you cannot buy a binocular providing a quality image and offering years of service for $79.95—period; at least not for the marine environment! Some mariners consider a $250 binocular to be the Nirvana of instruments, yet various manufactures consider instruments at that price “disposable.”
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Marine Binoulars By Bill Cook
Here you have a Fujinon FMTC-SX, a Swift Seahawk (IF model) and a Steiner Commander. They range in price from about $400 to $1,000. These are lifetime instruments: waterproof, rugged, have wide fields of view and offer crisp images from the center of the field to the edge.
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TRUTH IN ADVERTISING? ALL THAT GLITTERS A binocular is sold by an “American” company for $420. Another came from a European “manufacturer.” It sold for $650. The difference between the two? Minor aesthetics, hype and $230! The “American” binocular and the “European” binocular were both made in... Japan! One came in a box boldly stating “Made in USA.” And, the box was made there! Even at the upper end of pricing, it’s a good value. But is it worth $230 more because of hyperbole in its advertising? You decide.
NO FAULT WARRANTIES “No Fault Warranties” are becoming standard in consumer optics, and folks are spending their dollars with companies that offer them. I would like to offer a slightly different translation of the phrase, “No Fault Warranty,” than many consumers seem to have: “We’re making so much profit off these suckers we can afford to hand out two or three replacements and still make money! Most people won’t bother returning faulty units, so we can give you a brand new instrument, making you think you made out like a bandit, even though in some cases, the second or third unit may not be any better than the first.” Are all “No Fault Warranties” like this? No! But, “buyer beware” is a phrase that should remain close to your heart... and mind. ADVERTISERS - A WAY WITH WORDS Finally, beware of jargon you don’t understand. Magazines and Internet sites are full of shamefully nonsensical trickery and potent buzzwords. — “Prismatic Binocular” means NOTHING! Nonprismatic binoculars (field glasses) were outdated by the end of World War I. — “Deluxe Lenses” — What does that mean, lettuce and tomato added? — “Supernatural lenses” —‘Nuff said! — “Balanced Optics”— as opposed to what? And what about the magazine ads? — “Large 50mm objective lens gathers 87% of incoming light.” — No! It may transmit only 87%, but it gathers 100%. Yes, I know what they meant; it’s plain, however, they didn’t! — “Large 50mm PRECISION objectives gather light effectively, for bright hassle-free viewing.” — Does that mean some sizes create a hassle!? Here is an instrument in a number of dualcolor color schemes sold in many marine stores under as many names for from $69.00 to $139.00. This binocular is not nearly as waterproof as the Fujinon or other individualfocus instruments, the image starts getting soft a short distance off-axis (from the middle of the field), the coatings in most iterations are single coats of magnesium fluoride, and collimation (alignment) can be affected—through flexure— by simply holding it in your hands!
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— The same binocular has a “right eye adjustment” that “can correct for any eye combination.” — I guess that means if you have three eyes you’re still set. — “Mirrored Optics Provide Faster Light Transition.” — They were looking for light transmission. But with light traveling the distance around the earth 7.45 times in ONE SECOND, how much quicker will it travel through a seven-inch binocular because of “mirrored optics” — whatever they meant by that. TODAY’S BIG THREE Magazines are replete with discussions of R.B.I. (Relative Brightness Index), R.L.E. (Relative Light Efficiency) and Twilight Factor. And why not? They sound so technical and help the freelancer pad his or her work with about 300 words. Still, I can’t think of a situation to use any of these measurements to forge a buying decision! Why not? These calculations presuppose equal quality of material, design and production. Fact is, the specifications for the best Zeiss 7x50 are going to be the same as any blister-packed import of the same aperture and magnification. Barring concerns of cost, would you need to perform any R.B.I. or R.L.E. calculations to choose the one you wanted to take home? . . . I didn’t think so!
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Sailing Alone For The First Time... Twice
By Stuart Gough
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For the would-be single-handed sailor, the first-time crossing of any expansive stretch of water that involves losing sight of land for several hours can be, at the least, intimidating and quite possibly nerve wracking for even the most hardy of souls. There is a certain thrill and sense of trepidation felt as the hazy outline of land recedes out of sight for the first time and you are truly alone on the water. It’s just you and the boat you are trusting with your life. You might well be enjoying the comforts of being on board a well-found boat complete with all the latest safety gear and having a selection from the current, overwhelming array of electronic wizardry at your fingertips. However, somewhere at the back of your mind there is still an overwhelming feeling of isolation mixed with a giant dose of uncertainty pumping through your system as you finally realize you are very much alone. The calm persona you presented to the outside world prior to departure might just have masked your true and inner emotional feelings. With the possible exceptions of mothers, who tends to see through these camouflaged feelings? For many sailors in the UK and the low countries of Europe, their first serious foray offshore will be across the English Channel. In no sense can it be compared to a voyage around Cape Horn or an Atlantic crossing, but to the impressionable novice it might very well seem that way in the days and possibly weeks of planning leading up to the event. Eventually, if left unharnessed, these thoughts take on the mindset of attempting to climb Everest, alone, at night, in sneakers, with only sandwiches and a flask of soup. Such is the enormity of the venture that the mind
starts to play those worrying and spiteful little tricks with, “what if this…” and, “what if that…” - thoughts that have concerned us all at some point. The inaugural solo passage will certainly be intimidating and will certainly be a major steppingstone in the fortunes of the first time adventurer. It does not matter how many books and articles have been consumed by our erstwhile sailor. These will count for nothing as the lines are slipped, the bow is pointed seaward and the feeling of that initial adrenalin rush is quickly replaced by one of inevitable anxiety. Each ocean, each sea, each open stretch of water offers it’s own peculiarities. They are all subject to different forces, different weather patterns and dissimilar conditions. Having made passage across one particular stretch of water one season does not make someone an expert of that particular area; there is no guarantee (or likelihood) the conditions will be the same next time. The fact is, though, sailing is all about having fun and going offshore is part of that. But you do need to carry out a bit of forward planning. Everyone has a first time, and in my case, I believe I had two: • he rst time sailed across the nglish hannel from England to the Channel Islands single-handed. • he rst time sailed across the Gulf tream from the USA to the Bahamas single-handed.
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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
They were two very different passages and two very different boats with one thing in common; I was sailing alone. The English Channel crossing from the Isle of Wight, UK to Alderney in the Channel Islands was undertaken relatively recently, following several years of making ocean passages on board a variety of yachts, both as skipper and as crew. Therefore, going offshore across a 70-mile stretch of water in a new Passport 515CC held few, if any, serious considerations or challenges that one might otherwise expect. This was the case and it became, if not exactly routine, certainly uneventful. That does not mean that a certain amount of planning and forethought didn’t go into the voyage. The fact I was single-handing a boat as large as this meant, by definition, that I needed to be aware of many factors before leaving the dock. The tides are
not too much of a problem. If you time your departure right they will push you one way, then back the other. A more pending problem is the uncertainty of heavy weather in this part of the world, but if you check the forecast and read the synoptic you should be fine. The most serious single issue encountered in the Channel, without any doubt, is the sheer volume of commercial shipping. For the single-hander this becomes even a bigger concern having to maintain an absolute constant lookout at all times and in all weather. The English Channel is one of the most restricted waterways on the planet and is also the busiest. There is a constant and closely regimented stream of some of the largest container ships in the world operating in these waters, interspersed by an endless variety of coastal ships adding to the peril. As such, there are strict traffic lanes to adhere to and any craft crossing these lanes does so entirely at their own peril. Traffic within the lanes has absolute right of way. If this were not enough to keep you fully focused and alert, add into the mix a plethora of assorted fishing boats that seem to delight in changing course at the same time, and apparently knowingly, onto the same bearing as the unfortunate sailboat. The only way of getting through this circus of marine traffic is to choose your moment, take a deep breath and be prepared to play nautical dodge ’ems under full speed. This is said with a sense of mischievousness, but you would do well to remember that these giants of the oceans travel a great deal quicker
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than any sailboat. It is not particularly the ship you can see a mile or two ahead that ought to worry you. It is more likely the one just appearing over the horizon that will give you serious concern… Not the time to be flying a spinnaker, trust me. There is no room for complacency in these congested and fast flowing waters. There is a need to be alert at all times. For many, including myself, the preference is a night passage, arriving early morning in good light which
That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away, and you have their shoes.
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helps make for a safe landfall. But for the novice, I can understand this would involve two demons having to be conquered at the same time: the first night passage and the first offshore passage... possibly too much to ask at one sitting! My ‘second first time’ story happened many years ago when I was more of a novice than I am now. I was en route from my home port of Savannah, GA with my little Catalina 27 to the Bahamas with a single thought in my head: five or six months of adventure. I quietly lay to anchor in Biscayne Bay. Now early December, I felt I still had time on my hands to reach Nassau for Christmas and then onwards to the Exumas for New Year. I was, I thought, fully prepared: ample supplies, full tank of water, full tank and spare jerry can of gasoline for my ever thirsty and somewhat unreliable Atomic 4.
Days came and days went. Cold weather systems from the north continually pushed through. Other sailboats left. Some came back saying the Gulf Stream was too rough and they were now heading downwind for the Keys. Others I never heard from again. Did they make it, or did they give up? I never knew. All of this added to the tension within me that was building up around my first solo offshore passage - the Bahamas, the glittering prize that beckoned me from across the waters. Or, should I take the easy way out and cruise to the Keys.? Eventually, after 10 days of pondering and waiting, the anchor was raised with a rush of adrenalin and indecent haste. Then, quietly, at 0200 hours I tentatively slipped out unnoticed through the Cape Florida passage. As the first of the Atlantic swells lifted the little Catalina 27’s bow she began to settle down and get into her stride. A strong and
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emotional cocktail of feelings of both anxiety and determination started to fill my thoughts. Within two hours I was into the Gulf Stream and all those questions I had asked myself earlier, such as when will I know I’m in the stream, were answered. The stunningly beautiful color and temperature of the stream was something I had never experienced before. Having quickly become accustomed to the motion of the ocean and the boat, while at the same time ignoring the protestations of the Atomic 4, my over-active mind began to turn to navigation issues. With my sights fi rmly set on Bimini and having no fi rst-hand knowledge or experience with the power of the stream (and more importantly, the effects it had on my little boat), I was a little concerned
that my passage plan and navigational skills might not be up to par. I lived with a constant fear that I might very well miss the islands altogether and if that was the case, how long should I keep going before I ought to turn around? These were the demons that were racing through my mind. I didn’t have anyone to share them with and so, in a sense, they began to grow in stature. At this stage, the fact that the distance between the US and Bimini is only in the region of 45 miles or so, seemed to have very little bearing to my unraveling thought process. It concentrated more on the line that I could possibly be lost at sea, following which, once my sandwiches were finished I could well die of starvation. How the mind works!
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Several anxious hours later my concerns were more than put aside when I saw a hazy group of palm trees on the horizon that indicated the existence of the Bahamas, and by pure magic, Bimini. That initial feeling of seeing land again and of equal importance, just where it should be, has stayed with me ever since. I was reminded of this several years later when sighting St. Lucia following an 18-day Atlantic crossing in a much larger sailboat. It was after my safe arrival in the Bahamas, and with renewed confidence following a couple of days of relaxation and exploration of Bimini, that I set sail for Nassau and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas there. Just me and my little Catalina 27. Many things have changed over the intervening years, but even now, when sailing on board our much larger, custom designed yacht built for world cruising, the excitement and joy of completing a passage either alone or with company is never far away. One should never become blasé about any voyage. It is still a big event, as is the amazing sense of achievement you get when you make your very first landfall. Take a deep breath and away you go!
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A Night On The Bayou Suddenly we heard the loud engine of a large boat bearing down. “What the ….?” Adrenalin driven, my husband charged up the companionway. A glaring spotlight beam from a tow boat and barge only feet away from our sailboat’s hull swept our cockpit and the surrounding area. John quickly returned to the nav station and radioed to the towboat captain. “You’re anchored in a dangerous place on this river bend Skipper,” advised the towboat captain. “Some other towboats and barges will be coming during the night from the salt distribution center upstream.” The transmission was spoken quickly as the towboat captain manipulated his barge around the bend and out to the waterway. This was not the adventure we’d envisioned when we bade farewell to our Pacific Northwest home of many years. It was a far cry from the turquoise waters and waving palms we’d imagined as our cruising ground. We didn’t know they’d come later during our five-year liveaboard adventure. Back to the beginning - retirement. The nest empty, we were going sailing. We had sailed
By Nan Scrimgeour Weston
Dunoon, our 27’ Catalina, on the Columbia River for a decade, took the classes and lived vicariously through others’ experiences as we devoured the books and magazines. Now it was our turn. We sold our belongings, said our good byes and headed down the road in our packed-to-the-gills Honda Civic. First I pulled out the tissue box. Then, later, I selected a doo-wop CD, gave a thumbs-up sign and said, “Honey, we’ve done it!” We were beginning our retirement adventure alone, together. We were on our way. It took two years to find our Pacific Rose, a 38’ Beneteau, in Texas. After outfitting and upgrading her from a weekend retreat to a liveaboard cruising vessel, we left Clear Lake and crossed Galveston Bay’s shipping lanes. We knew not what lay ahead, but welcomed the challenges as we stretched and grew into a new life chapter. We’d decided to travel to Florida via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) or “the Ditch” as it’s known. It stretches 1,300 miles along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Brownsville, Texas to
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Apalachicola, Florida. We would be mostly motoring just over 750 miles at an average speed of five knots per hour. The factors that led to our decision were our lack of radar, unsettled November weather and our unfamiliarity with navigating about the numerous oil rigs that dotted the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastlines. We’d heard some horror stories of sailboats colliding at night with unlit rigs. The GIWW seemed like the safer route. What we hadn’t realized was that it is primarily a commercial waterway used mainly by towboats and barges. A pleasure craft sailboat was not a daily sight; we saw only one other en route. A benefit was that through radio contact we met lively mariners from towboat crews to a container ship pilot, all the while becoming educated about commercial waterway navigation. Overnight anchoring is not allowed on the GIWW. We had charts for the Waterway, and we were using a cruising guidebook for the winding Louisiana bayous that flow into it. We followed one of these bayous for just over a mile and dropped the hook at a suggested anchoring site inching as close to the marsh edge as our 5’ 3” keel would allow. We did not stop to realize that the publication would have been written with both powerboats and sailboats in mind, and our keel caused us to be situated a further distance out from the marsh than a powerboat would be anchored. We’d sat in the cockpit and watched the sun sink below the horizon enjoying nature’s sounds as evening fell. We went below, lulled by the gentle rolling action caused by the water lapping into
the marsh grasses. We fell into our established nightly routine, clearing supper things in the salon and reviewing the next day’s travel plans. It was then that our peace was shattered by the loud towboat engine and the glare of the spotlight. After the towboat passed, we were faced with having to find another anchorage in the dark with only the aid of our millioncandle-power spotlight to sight navigation markers. “Well, think we’re up for the challenge?” my husband asked rhetorically. John pulled anchor while I handled the wheel. Carefully following our instrument depth readings as the bottom shoaled, we feared running aground. Yellow eyes peering through the black night from the marshes added to our tension. We ran aground. While I used the VHF radio to transmit our location to any vessel in the area, John revved the engine, rocking Pacific Rose in an attempt to free her from the Louisiana ooze. After many tries and as my concern was nearing panic point, he was ultimately successful. I sensed the relief in his voice when he said, “Okay, so far so good.” We slowly motored up the bayou. Eventually we saw a bright distant light breaking through the darkness indicating the salt distribution dock. Unfortunately for us, loading activity prevented our tying up, and occasional barge traffic prevented anchoring in the narrow bayou, omens of a long night ahead. Continuing, we found enough depth in a nearby area of the bayou to motor up and down. Although dark, it was near enough to the loading area that we could see the activity and allowed us to radio to any barge
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that came near. Keeping our running lights operating, we took turns at the wheel. We calculated that each lap took 20 minutes. About midnight the Captain was heard to mutter, “Are we having fun yet?” Under the dark sky bereft of stars, 2:00 a.m. found us drinking tea to stay awake and huddling under a blanket to keep warm as we completed each circuit on the bayou. Without a safe place to stop, we had to keep motoring back and forth all night while keeping watch for other vessels. At one point the tedium and tension were broken by a radio hail from a tow boat captain who’d completed loading his barge and was ready to head out to the Ditch. It took a couple of verbal lobs for me to understand his lilting Louisiana accent and for him to understand my Scots-Canadian-American brogue. It became comforting to listen to him. “Just wait for the daylight to come, go back down the bayou to where it joins the Delcambre River,” he drawled. “Follow the river, stayin’ in the center. It’s just a few miles to Delcambre. You’ll find fuel and docking there. Good Luck.” We thanked him, voiced our “Pacific Rose out” and resumed our weary bayou rotations.
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Throughout that night the constant clang of barge-loading activity was the background noise to our shivery, cold dampness. We felt keenly our lack of sleep, but eventually the darkness relinquished itself to the approaching dawn. As the day brightened, so did our attitude. Rejuvenated, we retraced our wandering and followed the Captain’s advice. With guidance from the friendly Cajun dock master where we refueled, we were soon nestled at the public docks amidst the shrimp fleet, one of the most productive in the country. That was before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Neither the sunshine nor the pungent smell of the fish nor the loud cries of the birds kept us from a long, sound sleep. During our couple of days in Delcambre we discovered that on a small waterway just off the bayou we’d come to know so well, was Avery Island, home of Tabasco Sauce. We read about it being one of five salt dome islands along the Louisiana coast formed from a salt plain left by an ancient saltwater ocean. We wanted to visit the pepper fields and the factory and were intrigued by the description of an enshrined, centuries-old Buddha. As we slowly approached the swampy entrance to the island’s little cove, I watched the depth meter as it registered lower and lower. John said, “It’s no good. The entry’s shallowing. We can’t get in.” We both felt the disappointment conveyed by these words. Instead of the anticipated visit to Avery Island, we gently turned Pacific Rose and pointed her bow toward the GIWW. We recorded the night’s adventure and our visit to Delcambre in our logbook. It is now our treasured Cajun memory. As the Captain motored along the GIWW I was busy below and heard him call down to me, “Next destination, New Orleans, 140 miles east.” The adventure continued.
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sin’- Out Cruisin’ - Out Cruisin’ - Out Cruisin’- Out Cruisin’ - Out’ Cruisin’ - Out Cruisin’ - Out Cruisin’- Out Cruisin’ - Out’ Cruisin’ Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time
The Cat’s First Trip By Ter That meant the boat could not leave the U.S. Of We had planned to sail from Newport, Oregon, necessity, a Mexico departure was delayed until 2013. leaving for Mexico on the 23rd of September, 2012. I still managed to cast off lines the After three years of off and on morning of the 23rd, motoring out into negotiating, the 54’ x 30’ catamaran Some 2,500 sunken the Pacific. Five miles offshore a pod of was only purchased 66 days earlier. dolphins raced up to play in the double It was a mess. Virtually every vessels have been operating system needed replacing bow wakes. A good omen. Twelve miles reported here. out, we turned north. The boat began to or repair. Only 12 years old, she was nonetheless, worn and ragged. Every hobie-horse on five-foot swells coming every six seconds. A 25one of those 66 days, work knot wind came straight on crews were on board. On the bow. one particular weekend, Eight hours passed nine men were working on different systems at the slogging uphill when the port engine, just rebuilt, same time. The timeline met, lost several quarts of oil into the bilge. We shut we still couldn’t head down. Bobbing on confused south. The Coast Guard seas, we cleaned the bilge, documentation center was temporarily fixed the running five months behind.
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problem and got back underway. No oil in the water. Whew! It was a close call. Eventually the swells went to 11 feet and the wind increased to 30 knots. Thankfully, the time between swells stretched out to 14 seconds, smoothing the ride. The boat ran perfectly all night. Everything worked just the way it was intended. The new electronic charts, radar, and a new inside helm, worked flawlessly. By two o’clock in the morning I was tired and turned over the helm. Too much caffeine and adrenaline kept me from sleeping. I stayed up and watched developments. At four o’clock we entered the channel approaching the Colombia River bar, likely the most treacherous major bar in the world. Some 2,500 sunken vessels have been reported here. Two sets of eyes were valuable now. I took the inside helm with the larger radar and chart display. My cruising companion, Andrew, the
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harbormaster of the McCuddy’s Marinas in Oregon, stood watch at the outside helm in the weather. We crossed without incident. He turned in before we got to Astoria. I took us up river in a deep fog. During the day it cleared and warmed. The hundredmile cruise up river was beautiful beyond description. At eight o’clock Monday night we called the Vancouver railroad bridge. It swung open. Twenty minutes later we called the Interstate 5 bridge manager to check on height clearance. Interstate 5 stood 72’ above the water. We needed 85’. Much to the chagrin of motorists going both ways on 1-5, the bridge sounded their horns and shutdown traffic. The bridge went up and we went through. We made berth by 9:15 p.m., washed the salt off the boat, and retired by 10:30. I had been up 38 hours. The word “tired” doesn’t quite describe it, neither does the word “thrilled,” which I was.
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See the “Back Story” of Treb The Whale at www.cruisingoutpost.com/Treb
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Paradise Found: Boot Key Harbor By Steve “Sailing Guitarist” Hall
According to the recording artist Eric Stone, “Paradise is not a place… it’s a state of mind.” I have to disagree, because after sailing my Allied Mistress S/V Endless Summer to Boot Key Harbor, I have found it. At least it is for this cruising sailor. In the middle of the Florida Keys you will find the infamous Boot Key Harbor. Boot Key is in the heart of Marathon on Vaca Key. That’s right, the harbor offers 360 degree protection from the weather, with a very convenient access to the Atlantic Ocean either through Sister’s Creek to the south, or to the Gulf of Mexico through the harbor’s marked channel to Moser Channel. You will find yourself going under a 65’ fixed bridge called… Moser Bridge. What really makes Boot Key Harbor special is the “family like” community atmosphere. The City of Marathon helped to make this possible by installing 226
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mooring balls to create this little city on the water. This convenience makes the harbor a great place to visit for a few days before a Gulf Crossing, or for a winter’s stay to avoid the cold that the rest of the country has to endure. The temperatures in Boot Key for the month of January, 2013 were mostly 82 degrees in the day and 72 degrees at night. This wonderful weather leads to some very pleasant sunsets. The monthly rate includes dinghy dockage, bicycle racks, a parking space, as well as a laundry facility, hot showers, tiki hut seminars and pot lucks. Your fee also includes a pump out once a week, since the Florida Keys are declared a Federal No Discharge Zone. All the conveniences of a home away from home! Location Boot Key Harbor is located near Mile Marker 49 on US Highway 1. The harbor is managed by the city
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of Marathon: a small community of fulltime residents and part-time residents that come in for the winter (and many end up staying for the year). Many of the stores you need for you or your boat are only a walk, a bike ride, or a short dinghy ride away. The city boasts major stores like Home Depot, West Marine, Publix and Winn Dixie, plus many various marine services, including several boat yards. Activities During the peak season, from December to May, you will find a variety of things to do from Tai Chi and yoga to pick-up softball games in the community park which adjoins the City Marina. Tennis Courts, a skateboard park, and a large amphitheater are also found at the City Park. Within walking distance from the dinghy docks you will also find the library, the Fisherman’s Hospital, the American Legion, a small community theater, and many other stores and restaurants. The “social center” is another awesome thing about staying here in Boot Key Harbor. It is an open air area that can be used for small meetings, or just
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hanging out with other cruiser friends. Wifi is free there in the center, with many picnic style tables and chairs, along with many books for trade, DVDs to borrow, and postal mail service. There are also two areas with movie theater style chairs and flat screen TVs. This is a perfect place to relax off your boat for the afternoon, as well as a great place to meet new friends and your neighbors. Marathon Cruisers Net Every morning at 9:00 a.m. the cruisers in the harbor will meet on the VHF radio to discuss upcoming events, introduce new arrivals, departing vessels, boats that need help, and an awesome “cash for trash” buy-sell-trade-give away flea market. Listening in each morning becomes a habit quickly, with so much information being shared. There is even a “stump the harbor” that brings out some interesting information. Conveniences The marina offers so much to the guests of Boot Key Harbor, with all the facilities and services located right there. There is also great reef diving, snorkeling, and many restaurants are accessible by dinghy. There is a public bus system
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Boot Key Harbor - Paradise Found: Boot Key Harbor -
that runs up and down the Florida Keys. You can take it from Key West all the way to Miami. The many airports are also close. You will find one in Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, or Miami. All of these conveniences make Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor a great place to enjoy the cold winter blues. Boot Key Harbor City Marina Latitude 24 42’ 33.8” Longitude 81 5’29.1”
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St. Pete Cruisers’ Party 14 years and still going strong!
Who’d a thunk that the little cruisers’ party we threw in St. Pete so many years ago would grow into a tradition? Well, the folks who were there sure thought it! This year was one of the best parties we’ve had to date. The night before the party a group who met at one of the events invited us to a tradition that was started when they all met at our party, and learned they were all from the same dock in the same marina - Dock 4! Ever since they have had a Friday night dock party! This year they invited Jody and I as well as Captain Woody! Kewl!
On the night of our party an estimated 9001000 people packed onto the Cocktail Barge for a little pizza and beer, and to hear the Eric Stone Band with Steve & Shelly Hall! Show Management, who put on this event, donated this great barge for the party. We dropped the float levels by 14.5 inches! Didn’t quite sink her though! Once again, we have to thank all of the industry folks that came together to help make this party such a huge success. Along with our regular sponsors, Harken, Forespar and Dream Yacht Charters, we had Mack Sails, Peterson Marine,
Among our helpers for this event we had a couple cuties! On the left is Lily, who helped us draw the winning tickets for the raffle, and on the right, our hostess was pretty cute herself.
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The group from Dock 4 across the channel from the show came in force!
Boaters and Industry folks enjoying a free beer, a little pizza, and a great night.
Spectra Watermakers, Sailology, Massey Yacht Sales, Murray Yacht Sales, Kanberra Gel, Prism Polsh and Copper Coat. Without these people we could not do what we do. We had over $15,000 worth of prizes for our raffle including a Spectra Watermaker donated by Peterson Marine, a one-week charter of a catamaran in the BVIs by Dream Yacht Charters, a Winchrite electric winch handle, and dozens of other prizes donated by the boating industry. The proceeds from the raffle go to the Mystic Seaport Museum to help with the refit of the Charles W, Morgan, the oldest remaining New Bedford Whaler. If you get a chance, check out our events listing on the cruisingoutpost.com website and see when there will be a cruisers’ party near you!
The winner of the Spectra Watermaker from Peterson Marine.
The happy winners of the Dream Yacht Charter in the Caribbean!
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Spring 2013 153 1/30/13 11:53 AM
There is No Place Anywhere Near This Place That Looks Anything Like This Place,
So This Must Be The Place! Castlebay, Isle of Barra, Scotland
by John Simpson
Castlebay, Scotland
Visiting Castlebay, Barra ,the most southerly inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides whilst yacht cruising the Western Isles has many great things to recommend it. Especially if you enjoy the craic ashore in good company and excellent seafood. Visitor’s moorings are laid in the north part of the bay, which shelves rapidly and is open to the south,
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but you’ll need a tender. If no buoys are available and you have to anchor, the holding ground is reported as poor. Sheltering behind the castle in strong southerlies could be uncomfortable, but there are good alternatives in Cornaig or Vatersay Bays. Right in the middle of the harbour is the spectacular Kisimul Castle. The current laird,
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American Iain MacNeil, Professor of Emeritus Law at Northwestern University, Illinois leased the castle in 2001 to Historic Scotland for a bargain price of a bottle of whisky and £1 a year for the next thousand years; roughly the amount of time it had been in his family! The castle is open and can be visited by the public. Given suitable conditions, inflating the dinghy and eating ashore is well worthwhile, especially if you are a shellfish fan. Barra scallops seem to be the largest and most succulent on the whole of the west coast of Scotland, whilst cockles are collected from the local runway, which is the beach at low water! Both are obviously very fresh, cooked beautifully, then served at prices a fraction of what you pay in Edinburgh according to CJ, one of our group. A particular group of six of us, sailing Somerled, Cumbrae’s 37-foot yacht and almost all strangers to each other at the beginning, had a great shore run here after a quick sail down from South Uist. This young in heart (if not years!) group became very well known to each other as the ‘bumbling geriatrics’ (the BGs) on this trip, and subsequently have sailed together on our sportscotland yachts for several seasons since then!
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Bahia Pinas (Pinnapple Bay)
In April of 2011 we found ourselves needing to make direct passage From Bahia De Caraquez, Ecuador, to Panama in order to bring our brigantine, One World, through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean. Because of insurance restrictions and time constraints, we elected to give Colombia as wide a berth as possible while still staying within the confines of the north-setting current which can usually be found within 50-100 miles of the Ecuador and Colombia coast. In order to properly locate this current we used NOAA’s latest OSCAR (Ocean Surface Current Analysis Realtime) website which
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By Todd Duff
very accurately predicted the major ocean current’s direction and speed and then, with some careful plotting of underwater topography and a bit of luck, we did in fact carry a one- to two-knot current virtually the entire way into the Bay of Panama. After 500 miles and on the morning of the fourth day into the passage, while still a hundred miles short of the canal, an unexpected alternator problem encouraged us to put into Bahia Pinas, a rather attractive looking indentation on Panama’s southeast Pacific coast just a few miles north of the Colombian border in the wild and untamed Darien province. Sunrise saw us off a misty, dark, mountainous
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is Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be
coastline that appeared to carry impenetrable jungle right down to the ocean. With rain falling in the 5,000-foot northern extremity of the Andes Mountains behind the coast, and sunshine breaking through to reveal rainbows and glittering whitecaps, we excitedly closed the coast. Even despite having the most up-to-date chart chips in our chart plotters, both of our units were substantially in error on both latitude and longitude in this section of the coast, but the entrance to the bay was straightforward and the heavily forested, steepto coast has few offshore obstructions. And so, by 9:00 a.m. we were safely anchored in the swellfree northwest corner of the bay. Sprawling along the shore at the head of the bay was the Tropic Star Lodge, home to a world class, and we were to soon find out, world renowned sport fishing resort located here in one of the most remote and inaccessible corners of Panama. Because of the close proximity to the steep drop off that carries on all the way down the South American coast to Tierra Del Fuego, and with the rich and bountiful shallows of the Bay of Panama beginning at the bay’s doorstep, the waters around Bahia Pinas offer arguably the most prolific and rewarding sport fishing to be found anywhere on the planet. The bay surrounding us had lush, precipitous green hills and a deep beach which, with the tide out, showed us why the single pier coming out from
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There are two theories about arguing with women. Neither one works.
Cruising
the manicured yet very rustic and wild looking shore was so long. The bay has 10-foot tides and a gently shelving bottom, so the muddy beach was uninviting. But the resort looked beautifully tended and quite attractive despite the extreme low water. Our anchor well set in 40 feet on a thick mud bottom, we quickly launched our inflatable and went into the floating dock and made the long walk ashore to introduce ourselves to the management. An email sent from the ship in advance of our arrival had the general manager, Robert Vargas, prepared for our arrival and within minutes we were given a brief history of what we were to learn is possibly the most famous sport fishing spot
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in the world. People the likes of John Wayne, Sean Connery, Guy Harvey and countless other millionaires and movie stars have visited this resort since it was founded by Texas sport fishing visionary, Ray Smith in 1959. At a total initial cost of $600,000, the man known as the “barefoot millionaire’ opened the fishing lodge in 1963. Vargas told us of how in the early years, people would fly in by Grumman Goose, an early yet dependable seaplane, to try their luck in the bountiful waters surrounding the Lodge. Originally intended as a simple guest house and retreat from the busy US, Ray Smith gradually developed the place into what is today, a stunning 15,000 acre eco-friendly and largely self sufficient resort of unparalleled beauty. Under new ownership since Ray Smith’s passing, management has been keeping things simple yet elegant. Maintaining the rustic 1960s charm while providing all of the modern amenities to their guests, the Tropic Star Lodge has kept its reputation as the place to go for a truly tropical fishing experience. Over the next several hours we were shown through the entire resort which includes not just the lodge and guest cottages, but also has its own sophisticated power plant with triple redundant systems, a complete boat repair and boatbuilding facility including the best stocked parts department we had seen since leaving the Virgin Islands a year ago, as well as a lumber yard, machine shop, fiberglass shop, haulout facility and covered storage for a portion of the fleet of 32 sport fishing
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boats that the Lodge maintains in impeccable order. Maintenance Manager Paul Carney boasted that they have never had a guest lose a day of fishing because of a breakdown and that typically, a guest would not have to wait for more than an hour for a replacement boat on the few occasions when one of their well maintained fleet has had a breakdown. Carney stated “People spend a lot of money to come here to fish, and their time is very valuable too, so we do our best to make sure they are not left waiting when an unavoidable breakdown occurs.” With 120 full-time employees and a dozen or so part-timers too, it is no surprise that things generally do run like clockwork. Carney was very kind to send out one of his mechanics who switched out our alternator and got us up and running, and for this they would not accept payment. That night we dined ashore in the very tastefully appointed communal dining area. We joined a group of mostly Americans who made us feel very welcome. A little uncomfortable about being the center of attention, we realized that because we had sailed in on a small tallship via the Galapagos and were not ‘normal’ in their eyes, we were a good source of entertainment! We did our best to answer all of their questions, but whenever possible tried to direct the conversations back to them and what they were doing down in southern Panama. One of the most interesting stories was that of a father and young daughter who were there to try
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is Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be Why are you reading this? This is just a line to make the page look pretty.
to set a world record. Little Tori was due to turn 10 the following day and her wish for a birthday present had been to try for a world record size fish. While at first I was a bit skeptical about a 10-year-old girl’s conviction as an avid fisherperson, as I listened, her knowledge of fishing and of the sport in general was quite amazing. The next day while finishing up a walk ashore, we were coming back through the grounds when we saw some commotion at the fish weighing station. There was triumphant 10-year-old Tori with a world record size rooster fish! Apparently she had known the depth and speed to troll at and was back in before lunch time with this monster that was almost as large as her. The next morning she went out again and came back in with a second potential world record for her age, a 73-lb. black tip shark. The bay’s high and heavily wooded hills conceal many secrets and within a day we had located some trails which led to beautiful secluded beaches, fantastic jungle landscapes and enchanting encounters with wildlife. Everywhere we walked, the beauty and natural splendor of the place captivated us. Around the point from our cove there is a small Indian village. Each afternoon, children in small cayucos would paddle around the point into our anchorage and show us their families’ wares. Each cayuco carried two to three children with a selection of intricately hand woven baskets and bracelets, hand carved paddles and model boats to
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sell. Some were truly works of art and we regret not buying more of them; especially when we saw the same wares for sale in Panama City with a 500% markup! At one point we had probably 10 cayucos surrounding us with 30 or so children climbing around or hanging on to One World and playing in the water next to us. Their smiles and laughter warmed our hearts and one afternoon the children took our younger crew back to their village with them to show them off. The village was small and dirty, and was quite a contrast to the paradise lodge around the corner, but the people seemed genuinely happy and of course, many of the families had one or more of their members in the employment of the lodge. While Bahia Pinas and the Tropic Star Lodge are not on the average cruising yacht’s itinerary, and are a bit off the regular route to and from the Galapagos, I would definitely stop again. Given the opportunity I might even go out for a day of fishing there! With a friendly and knowledgeable staff, a secure and safe anchorage and in a location that is just a day’s sailing from the Las Perlas Islands, Bahia Pinas is definitely worth a visit. As a footnote, leaving Bahia Pinas, while still within sight of the towering hills and small offshore islands, we caught a very large mahi mahi. It wasn’t world record size, but we felt like it was a nice going away present from a very special place!
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Port of Delcambre, Louisiana
The small community of Delcambre, Louisiana, in the heart of Cajun Country, is now accepting overnight and multi-day stays for recreational boaters traveling the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). Located in south central Louisiana, Delcambre is only six miles north of mile marker 145 on the GIWW. The new Port of Delcambre’s North Pier Marina opened in March, 2012. North Pier Marina provides an excellent new location in a safe haven, and offers cruisers comfort, security, and amenities that include power,
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water, WiFi, trash service, transportation to nearby points of interest, and free delivery of groceries to their boats. Services such as fuel, ice, mechanics, and marine hardware stores are nearby. North Pier Marina offers transient slips for both large and small boats (please see the details at www.portofdelcambre.com/ marina-info). The North Pier Marina is one of several projects in the Twin Parish Port District’s plans to promote Delcambre as both a commerce center and a waterfront center for
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s Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be
tourism. The first project, Delcambre Direct Seafood (www.delcambredirectseafood.com), has been very successful in helping local shrimpers make the world famous sweet white shrimp of this area available for sale right off their shrimp boats. The boat landing for the shrimpers is only a five-minute walk from North Pier Marina. Delcambre is near both Avery Island, home of Tabasco (www.tabasco.com/avery-island), and Rip Van Winkle Gardens on beautiful Jefferson Island (www.Ripvanwinklegardens.com). It is also only minutes from historic Abbeville, New Iberia, and Lafayette, Louisiana. Transportation to these venues can be scheduled with the Marina. Come visit us. Let us share the peace and comforts of our Delcambre Canal site, where sparkling mullet jump for joy, and egrets and herons fish in the shallows. Try our world famous seafood and Cajun cuisine. Please call the Port Director, Mr. Wendell Verret, at 800-8846120 Extension 1, or email him for a reservation at wverret@ portofdelcambre.com. Our Dock Master, T-Boy Renard, will help you get settled into your slip, and our Marketing Manager, Katherine Kenworthy, will help you enjoy all the amenities we offer as well as introduce you to the friendly visitors already at the marina. Come to Delcambre. You’ll be glad you did … and you’ll come back again and again. Oh, did we mention that they are one of our Cruising Outposts? By the way, Delcambre is pronounced ‘Delcome’ and rhymes with Welcome.
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Spring 2013 161 1/30/13 11:56 AM
Life Aboard
There are special rewards and challenges for those who live aboard their boats and for most, this idea evokes visions of warm tropical waters and a quiet harbor safely tucked away from wind, waves, and the hubbub of daily life. For people in colder climates, like those found in the misty and mountainous fjords of Southeast Alaska, living aboard a boat takes on a whole new meaning. Please understand that Juneau, Alaska, is in a temperate rain forest, not a tropical rain forest, and the key word here is “rain!” So, how does a person live comfortably aboard in the Great White North? It isn’t easy but certainly is doable. Let’s look at some special adaptations people do to themselves and their boats to make living aboard enjoyable in Alaska. • Keeping Dry While it doesn’t normally rain hard in Juneau, it does rain steady for days, sometimes weeks, so staying dry, whether dockside or underway, is very important. Underway, there’s a bevy of gear to help keep you dry; from dry suits to coastal waterway rain gear, waterproof Gore-Tex socks and gloves to
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Editor Robin Stout Aboard Mermaid
good ole Grunden and Helly Hanson PVC rain gear. Personal rain gear has come a long way recently so there’s no shortage of options and garments with high tech bells and whistles. I use lightweight packable rain gear for light showers or short, heavy downbursts, combined with Sperry Docksider shoes and Gore-Tex socks. It’s a lightweight setup that won’t slow you down on the foredeck. When things get rough, out come the coastal jackets and bibs from companies like Gill and Mustang, along with waterproof deck boots. Dockside, keeping dry means using boom tents or having a fully enclosed cockpit. A boom tent is also good at keeping the occasional sun off your dodger, winch and wheel covers during the summer months. On my boat, Lyric, I use a large boom tent that covers nearly the entire cockpit, dodger, and deck up to the mast. During winter months, many people who live aboard completely cover their boats with either canvas covers or with 6 mil reinforced poly sheeting, sometimes called Tuff Scrim or Dura Scrim. Canvas is usually only highly water resistant while poly sheeting is waterproof and that makes a big difference
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Living Aboard in a Cold Climate by Wade Rogers
when your boat goes through four months of winter. The idea here is to cover the boat completely so the deck dries thoroughly during the winter months. This also keeps the cold winter winds off the deck and reduces the speed with which heat escapes your boat. Dock shoveling is also a favorite wintertime activity! Juneau can receive a foot of snow a day for several days so keeping the dock snow-free is important. When snowfall is left to accumulate, begins to melt, and the weather goes through a “freeze/thaw” cycle, the snow turns to ice and the dock becomes very slick. Many people have fallen and broken a leg or arm in these conditions getting on or off their boat. Keep a snow shovel and some rock salt ready at all times. • eeping arm It does get up to 70 degrees occasionally in Southeast Alaska in the summer months, but early spring and late fall temperatures can be on the cool side. So, how do you keep warm in these conditions? Underway, layers are important. If it’s a bit cool, a light pair of fleece pants with a long sleeve tee shirt
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and a light windbreaker jacket might be ideal. For colder weather, break out the heavy fleece pants, the SmartWool undergarments (tops and bottoms), a fleece shirt, a fleece coat with Wind Stopper material, SmartWool socks, a balaclava, and fleece gloves. Why fleece and not down garments? Fleece is lightweight and dries very quickly. Down, while warm, is bulky and doesn’t dry very fast. On top of this, I’ll often layer my lightweight rain gear just to help cut the wind. Dockside, keeping the boat warm is quite necessary and many people depend on diesel stoves like Dickinson or Webasto. Combine that with cabin fans and perhaps a small, room size electric heater and you’ll have enough heat to beat the winter chill. The key is to keep warm air moving through the boat and vent the inside air to the outside. This will cut down on condensation. Underway, a hydronic cabin heater is a good option, especially if you’re on a power boat or a sailboat that has to run its engine. These are an easy DIY installation project and are relatively inexpensive. Some hydronic heaters put out as much as 40k British Thermal Units (BTUs).
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There is a majesty that is unique to Alaska and since the Southeast Panhandle has hundreds of miles of ocean access, where bears stroll along the shore and humpback whales breech and blow, it just makes sense to take it all in. Doing so requires a special knowledge of cold water sailing, of extreme safety at sea, a well founded boat, and owners who are willing to get a little wet at times. Those times, for people who live aboard and sail the expanses of these mountainous fjords, are punctuated by moments of world-class access to untamed wildlife as well as uncharted and unpopulated territories where silence is palpable. Imagine snowcapped mountains that jut straight out of the ocean, narrow protected waterways, hanging glaciers, seals, sea lions, Dahl porpoise, orcas, and humpback whales. Such is the beauty of sailing in Southeast Alaska. There are “yacht clubs” in Alaska and one of them is strictly for sailors. SEAS, or Southeast Alaska Sailing, was founded in 2009 with the goal of promoting sailing, sailboat races, boating safety and education. They sponsor the SEAS Cup races, a series of eight races to various locations around Juneau, Alaska, including overnight events and three day races over Labor Day and Memorial Day. SEAS also organizes and sponsors two, 220
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mile races, which are the longest inland waterway sailboat races on the West Coast. During both, the midway layover point is Baranof Warm Springs on Baranof Island, a protected bay with an amazing waterfall, public hot spring bathhouses, and a natural hot springs located beside a raging river. A short hike brings you to Baranof Lake and world class trout fishing. The Around Admiralty Race is a one of these races and is nonstop, 24-7, until you arrive at Baranof. The AIR, or Admiralty Island Rally, features several different legs with lengths from 20 to 60 miles and overnight stops in protected bays. During winter months, when boats are safely covered from the Taku Winds, a wind that blows off the Juneau ice field at up to 70 mph, SEAS conducts their educational series entitled “Sailors Talk” which span many topics including recent trips by club members or friends who are circumnavigating, “how to” boat repair tips, sail maintenance, the Coast Guard giving tours of their SARs (Search And Rescue) operations center, and a myriad of other sailboat related issues. During the off season, these Sailors Talk events keep the sailing enthusiasm alive until spring. For information about SEAS, visit www. seasailing.us.
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From The Editor of Life Aboard
Editor Robin Stout Aboard Mermaid
Waste Not! Did you know that any vessel with a waste receptacle on board (trash bucket or box, for example) must have a printed waste management plan? Don’t worry, it’s a very simple form available to download from the US Coast Guard at: bdept.cgaux.org/pdf/ WelcomeBoatersPDFs/ waste_management_ plan.pdf. Vessels over 26 feet also need a placard explaining that oil discharge is prohibited. Check near the engine controls or engine compartment to see if it’s already installed on your boat. If it isn’t, you can get a copy of a standard placard at: bdept.cgaux.org/pdf/ WelcomeBoatersPDFs/oil_discharge_prohibited_ printout.pdf.
Spring Cleaning? If you are interested in conducting a cleanup event in your area, visit BoatUS.com/Foundation/Cleanup to download the guide and start planning your event. Not ready to dive into planning your own cleanup event? Why not participate with an established event in your area? Your special skills, access to boats and understanding of local waterways could be invaluable to other groups in expanding their efforts during a cleanup event. Contact the ICC to participate in an established event by visiting signuptocleanup.org.
navigation, emergency distress, anchor alarms, and help with distances. There are apps for navigation, rules, flags and lights. GeeMeter tells you how hard you hit that last wave It tells you the G force of the impact. There are sensors that tell you just about anything happening on your boat when you are there or away. There is even one called Clam Tide that finds your location and gives you a week’s worth of tide predictions so you can go clam digging at the right time. Who knew phones were so useful?
Breath a Little Easier Warmer air temperatures high above the Antarctic led to the second smallest seasonal ozone hole in 20 years, according to NOAA and NASA satellite measurements. The ozone layer helps shield life on Earth from potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can cause skin cancer and damage plants. Even 25 years after an international agreement was signed to regulate production of ozone-depleting chemicals, the ozone hole still forms each year. In fact, it could be another decade before scientists can detect early signs of Antarctic ozone layer recovery, according to a paper by NOAA researchers and colleagues published last year. The ozone layer above Antarctica likely will not return to its early 1980s state until about 2060. To learn about what you can do to help and see photos, go to http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
There’s an App for That! There are smartphone and computer apps for just about everything imaginable. Many are useful for boaters and liveaboards. There are apps for 2006
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2012
Spring 2013 165 1/30/13 11:58 AM
L. B. C. P. The Long Beach Strictly Sail Show rises from the ashes!
For three years Bob & Jody’s Cruisers’ Party was held at the Long Beach Boat Show. Well, under new ownership it has started to come back, and our fourth party seemed to keep cruisers happy on Saturday night! Free pizza and beer perfect for a cruisers’ party.
Photos by Harley Finberg
Confused? Well, it’s pretty simple. You see, the So Cal Marine Association has been doing the Long Beach Boat Show longer than most people can remember. Over the years it dwindled to a pretty small show. We have been trying to revive it for the past three years by sponsoring a cruisers’ party at the event, but it seemed destined to die anyway as a combination power and sailboat show. In stepped the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Association) with a great idea. Why not add it to their line-up of Strictly Sail Shows? So Cal needed a good sailboat show, and the location was perfect. And so, on the 18th of October, a new show was born from the ashes of the old! Knowing a little about “coming up from the ashes” Cruising Outpost was asked, and enthusiastically agreed, to put on the cruisers’ party. And so, Saturday night the cruisers gathered on the lawn in front of the Cruising Outpost booth, with the Unkle Monkey Band handling the music, and a great party ensued.
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The Unkle Monkey Band kept folks dancing!
The happy winner of the Winchrite. Oh, yeah, she lives on a sailboat!
Our party sponsors all joined in to help make this a great event. The NMMA supplied the location, as well as the beer and pizza. Also cosponsoring this party we had our great group of regular sponsors: West Marine, Forespar, Harken, BioSolve and Kanberra. For this event sailors Ed and Michelle Gribben also joined as sponsors. If you don’t believe in karma, this might help. Ed and Michelle won two of the raffle prizes! Our grand prizes were a Winchrite donated by Sailology, and a sunset cruise for six aboard a catamaran in San Diego from West Coast Multihull Charters. We had some very happy winners! But the big winner was the So Cal sailors. This new show rocked! It was busy each day, and the 55 exhibitors all said it was the best show in years. The docks were lined with folks looking at new sailboats, and Discover Sailing was busy all four days taking new folks out and introducing them to what sailing is all about. We are looking forward to next year’s show, which we know will be even bigger and better, maybe even as big as “The Good Ol’ Days!” If you want more info on Strictly Sail Shows go to www.nmma.com.
The family drawing. (r. to l.) Bob, Jody, daughter Katie, granddaughter Tabitha.
More happy winners of the drawings.
A fun evening under the stars and palm trees in Southern California.
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Spring 2013 167 1/30/13 12:00 PM
Talk of the Dock
By Zuzana Prochazka
Taku Hatch Fan by Caframo
There’s a new fan in town and it’ll blow you away – possibly literally. Caframo of Canada has introduced a new 12V fan that is not only very versatile, but also amazingly powerful, and will clear stale cabin air in minutes. The Taku model installs via a suction cup onto a hatch so it’s portable from cabin to cabin. While the frame stays attached, the head swivels so that you can either draw hot smelly air out of the boat or blow fresh air in. It can also be swung down and angled onto a particular part of the cabin which comes in handy when you have to dry something specific down below, like varnish. The Taku has three speeds in the comfort mode plus a turbo mode called AirBlast Exchange which will clear 500 cubic feet of air per minute. Hold onto your hairdo because in turbo, Taku is seriously strong but you won’t need to run it at this speed for long to make a huge difference in your
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environment. The fan draws only 1 amp at regular high speed and 4.3 amps in turbo. In low, it draws a measly .2 amps so it’s very efficient. At a medium speed, the fan can re-circulate air in a 36-foot boat eight times per hour. To do such a big job, the fan is sizable too (12.5” x 14” x 3”) and requires a hatch at least 17 inches square to fit. Taku comes with its own powerful suction cup so there is no drilling required, and a sealed brushless motor for longevity even in the marine environment. It is made of UV resistant plastic and has all push-button operation even for the LED cabin light that is built into its center. You must run the 20’ power cord from the fan to a 12V outlet or you can hardwire it directly into the ship’s electrical system. The Taku retails for $190 and is available at most marine retailers. For more information, visit caframo.com.
Cruising 1/30/13 12:01 PM
Keep Cool and Be Seen Navi Light 360 Rescue by NaviSafe
We’ve all done it – held up a flashlight at night in a dinghy, trying to simulate a 360 degree light to avoid getting hit by other boats. Here’s a better and more versatile solution than blinding your partner with your wayward flashlight. The Navi Light Rescue by NaviSafe of Norway, is a waterproof puck of 16 LED bulbs that can serve multiple purposes. With all 16 bulbs burning, the Navi Light can be a 360° running light for your dinghy or because it is visible for two nautical miles, an anchor light. With ten of the bulbs on, it can be a 225° steaming light and with six bulbs, it can act as a 135° stern light. The puck can also flash with all lights on, acting like an emergency strobe or have only four bulbs on for a soft interior or cockpit lighting effect. To turn it on or off, just press and hold for two seconds each time. That’s something to keep
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in mind if you’ll use it as an anchor light atop a mast – how do you get to it? In constant 360° mode, the burn time is around 15 hours. On the dim 4-bulb setting, the battery life is up around 70 hours of constant operation. Use it on a kayak, dinghy, or sailboat, or stuff it in your backpack to use in a tent or on a dark path. You can attach it to your clothes or hat or just hold it in one hand. The Navi Light is small enough to fit in your pocket and comes in black or glow-in-the-dark green which glows for eight hours after ten minutes of light exposure. It is powered by three AAA batteries, is waterproof to 60 feet and floats. It is Coast Guard approved and has a magnetic attachment system and three lanyards. There is also a tricolor version for small sailboats. List price is $79. For more information, visit navinorge.no.
Spring 2013 169 1/30/13 12:01 PM
Tech Tips
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Guerilla Boat Repair “It does not have to be pretty, it just has to work” By Capt. Wayne Canning, AMS Guerilla Boat Repair is the art of making things work when you are 200 miles from the closest West Marine and the nearest boat yard is 150 miles and two islands away (upwind of course!). This is when you do what you can, however you can, to get and keep your boat working. It may not always be pretty but if it gets you home it is all good. Most of us who cruise away from civilization have had, or will have, our own Apollo 13 moment; that moment when we are miles from help and find ourselves struggling to put our equipment back together to get home. Like the crew of Apollo 13, we only have the stuff we carry with us on board to help us out when things go wrong. Having a good stock of supplies and more importantly, the right supplies, is paramount to being able to make repairs when needed. The problem we share with the ill-fated space crew is we can only carry so much stuff. The question becomes what we really need to cover any unforeseen problems.
To start off, let’s look at the supplies needed to handle most structural failures. Structural failures are those involving the wood and fiberglass of your boat. These repairs require having to patch or reinforce something that has broken or failed. For this type of repair you will need some basic raw materials along with fasteners and adhesives. I recommend carrying one piece each of 1/2”, 1/4”, and 1/8” plywood. The pieces should be at least four feet by two feet. This wood can be stowed under a berth cushion and be of general construction grade. If sizes need to be adjusted for storage that is okay, but try to stay as close to these dimensions as possible. Additionally, I like to carry some random pieces of aluminum shapes such as flat bar, tubing, and angle bar. Aluminum is great because it is lightweight and relatively easy to work and drill. To put this all together I have found that having a couple of quart size buckets of mixed fasteners onboard to be a real life saver. These buckets are
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filled with whatever miscellaneous screws, nuts and bolts that are typically left over from projects. Mixed fasteners like this take up less space than the traditional fastener trays and you can have a greater mix of sizes and types. I just collect these from projects done on the boat and miscellaneous scrounging. You never know what you will need and having a mix like this you are more likely to have that odd size screw or bolt needed. Additionally, I like to have a good supply of 3M 5200 fast cure adhesive. This stuff makes a great adhesive where almost nothing else will work. I have used it for everything from securing aluminum brackets onto fiberglass to gluing the bottom back onto an inflatable dinghy. For patching leaks I like to have several tubes of silicone hybrid caulking onboard. Also known as paintable silicone, this is inexpensive, has a good shelf life and cures fairly quickly. And just as importantly, it can be removed easily so that when you get to the point of doing permanent repairs you can easily take things apart.
It is also a good idea to have a couple of cans of Great Stuff spray foam sealant. Great Stuff is a spray foam that expands to fill voids and can be used to seal holes and leaks in an emergency. Along with the fasteners and sealant you will want to have a few heavy duty large tie wraps and a few large hose clamps. Additionally, I have found that carrying a few ratchet tie-down straps to be very useful. I have used these on many occasions to temporarily secure loose or broken equipment and fixtures. It is also useful to carry some fiberglass and epoxy resin along with some miscellaneous scraps of fiberglass material. The first step in any repair is having the materials to get the job done. Having some basic raw materials allows you the option of using these materials in creative ways to keep your boat moving. Most of us think of the spare parts, but overlook the raw materials often needed the most. A simple piece of plywood can be used to build a shelf, patch a hole, reinforce a bracket or make an emergency rudder.
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Windlass Change-Out Step By Step Way To Do It By Rick Johnson
Before After
The original concept was to construct a fiberglass box that would fit into the recessed portion of the aft bulkhead of the anchor well. But one issue that became apparent right away was that if the top of the fiberglass box was the same height as the surrounding structure, the top of the windlass would block the anchor well hatch from closing. The first modification was to drop the top of the fiberglass box to provide clearance. The finished dimensions were calculated to be 9.5” wide x 6” deep x 11” tall. Since I had the “finished dimensions, I
decided to construct a female mold and work from that. I estimated that the box should be alternating layers of fiberglass cloth and biaxial cloth. To save some money I used MAS epoxy resin which costs slightly less than West Systems. The Box I used 3/4” birch plywood from Home Depot for the mold. The sections were clamped together and the inside coated with a heavy layer of Johnson’s paste wax. I alternated layers using 8 oz fiberglass cloth and the biaxial cloth (medium weight). After every two layers of cloth
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I would add a layer of 6” wide fiberglass cloth tape to build up more strength in the sides of the box. I don’t remember the total numbers of layers, but it was probably around 12 layers. The box is a little over 5/16” thick; probably more like 3/8” on the face. The Top The top piece was constructed using 1/4” plywood cut to size. I then laid up alternating layers of 8 oz. fiberglass cloth and biaxial cloth (medium weight) until the whole top was 3/4” thick. I used four 1/4” x 2” stainless steel flat head machine screws (holes were countersunk and with 2 layers of 8 oz. fiberglass cloth (saturated in epoxy resin) between the top and the box) to attach the top to the box. Once the resin had set up, I trimmed the edges with a tablesaw. I used the tablesaw to cut a 1/4” groove (1/4” deep) in all four edges to
remove the plywood. I filled the groove using epoxy resin and Colloidal Silica. Using the template that came with the windlass, I drilled the holes for the mounting bolts and used a hole saw to cut the two holes for the rode and the motor shaft. The Flange The flange I decided to add to the port side was laid up in the same way using two 1” x 4” x 9” nailed together to form an “L”. Again, this ended up being about 5/16” thick. I sanded the two surfaces that would be mated together with 50 grit sandpaper. I drilled two 1/4” holes for a pair of stainless steel 1/4” x 1” flat head machine screws and nuts. I used two pieces of 8 oz. cloth (saturated in epoxy resin) between the box and the flange. Once, I tightened down the screws, I cleaned up the resin that was forced out. My original plan was to remove these screws after the resin had set up, but with the resin getting into the threads, I decided that I would just leave the screws in place. I made a fairing compound using MAS epoxy resin and Phenolic Micro Balloons. This needs to be very thick (like
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Fete Accomplie Esta Bien peanut butter). I used a plastic spreader from Home Depot. Between each coat I would sand everything smooth using 150 grit sandpaper and a palm sander. Once I had a smooth surface. I wiped everything down repeatedly with acetone. I then used a Preval disposable paint sprayer to spray 2 layers of gelcoat on the inside and outside of the box. The gelcoat I used was Finish Gel Coat - Waxed NonLam, Pint, White (#3745478) from West Marine. The color is not even close to my hull color and is a very bright white. I was not happy with the color, but decided that it was in the
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anchor well so no one would ever see it. Now that it’s installed, I don’t even notice the color. I did thin the gelcoat with about 20% acetone. Spraying the Preval did not work all that great, but the box is small and it got the job done. I was mixing about 4 ounces of gelcoat at a time. I would sand between each coat using 220 grit sandpaper. Then I would wash down the box with soap/water and finally wipe it with acetone to make sure I had removed any wax. The box was mounted in the anchor well using 1/4” stainless.
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Spring 2013 179 pg 179 Whitaker Yachts.indd 1
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Cruising 1/17/13 1:18 PM 1/31/13 7:54 AM
Critters Aboard: The Price of Eggs
By Jay, S/V Seaforever
an omelet! Our after dinner routine is that the plate “Honey! One of the chickens just stole my gets put on the sole so that the chickens peck the pizza right off of my plate!” leftovers. Then the plate gets passed to our other Such is the liveaboard life when you have two furred pet, Roxy, a 15-yearAustralorpe hens as pets. old female Jack Russel terNot that chickens on a You should see the look of rier, for final cleaning and boat are unusual; remember throughout history, shock when someone peeks into polishing. And yes, we have had a few “fang and beak” sailing ships had chickens the stroller expecting to see a battles as they establish their along with a variety of young child only to jump back pecking order aboard. other livestock to supBut there are cons to ply fresh eggs, milk and upon seeing The Girls. Priceless! having them: poop, and lots meat. Our hens, Ausof it! But hold on, that’s sie and Lorpie, give us about five eggs per week each, as these mostly docile a good thing. Rebecca has a garden box in the marina and adds chicken droppings to the compost critters can lay up to 325 eggs per year. Not too bad when you feed them leftovers and get rewarded with mixture, so now we not only get eggs, but fresh
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Critters Aboard: healthy vegetables and herbs. Our home, a Vagabond 47 ketch, has a teak and holly sole, so poop management is not too bad of a chore. “The Girls” (we don’t call them the chickens) occupy the V-berth during the day while we are off to work, and at bedtime sleep in a full-size dog pen. In the pen they also have a perch, play toys, edible treats and their nesting box where they lay those tasty eggs. So what else do The Girls like to do? Here’s where it gets interesting. We have one of those children’s jogging strollers and they are trained to jump inside of it. Rebecca takes them for walks to the park, where they like to get out and forage for bugs and dandelion greens. She will even hook the stroller to her mountain bike and take them for a
182 Spring 2013 pg 182-183 Critter aboard.indd 2
ride, usually to more distant parks or fields. You should see the look of shock when someone peeks into the stroller expecting to see a young child only to jump back upon seeing The Girls. Priceless! Recently, Rebecca went out of town for a week and I had the care and feeding of The Girls all to myself. The normal morning routine is where Rebecca sits on the sole of the boat, legs outstreched with her back to the settee, and The Girls get on her legs and groom while she is having her morning coffee and reading the news on her iPhone. Well, the routine just wasn’t working. They just wouldn’t come sit on my legs on Day 1. Day 2, they still stayed away. OK, there must be something wrong. So I looked back through my photos and found one where they were sitting on her legs. Problem solved! I went to the aft stateroom
Cruising 1/31/13 7:57 AM
and grabbed her pink monkey pajama bottoms and slid them up as far as I could, sat down with my coffee, and voila! They just hopped on my legs and started to groom. When we take the boat out on the bay, The Girls wear a custom made harness with a tether attached to the boat while on deck. After all, we don’t want to have a COB (Chicken Over Board) emergency situation on our hands! When Rebecca takes our little Cal 20
Cruising pg 182-183 Critter aboard.indd 3
for a daysail in the Oakland Estuary, they are quite content to be in the cockpit watching the world sail by. And for a bit of exercise, Rebecca will put The Girls on the front of her kayak for a paddle around the marina! You can see this on You Tube; just search for Chickens on a Boat Episode 1 and you will see this bright blue kayak with Aussie and Lorpie going for a ride. In Chickens on a Boat Episode 2 you can watch them sailing on the Cal 20. Enjoy!
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Bubba Whartz
financial wherewithal to buy champagne, managed to surreptitiously mix Sprite, orange juice and lots of cheap vodka in the right combination to get him where he wanted to go. He showed up the next day By Morgan Stinemetz at The Blue Moon Bar with bruises all over his face. BUBBA COMPARES BOATS & VODKA The Blue Moon regulars sweated the story out of Bubba Whartz is not known as a public speaker him after buying him a bunch of beer. The bruises, much beyond the murky confines of The Blue Moon it turned out, were bite marks. Tales like that make a Bar. In The Blue Moon, though, he has the respect reserved man cautious about straying much north of of many, particularly those who heard him defend Omaha, Nebraska, when traveling across this country the efficacy of strong drink in only destroying by automobile. weaker brain cells. That was several years back, I After reading the ad about Bubba’s upcoming seem to remember, but Bubba’s aural treatise was as public dissertation, I went to The Blue Moon Bar succinctly put as the Gettysburg Address, its logic an myself to see if I could get a feeling for his speech example of perfect Darwinian theory. at the Sarasota Yacht Club. I also wanted to vet His upcoming talk, the ad in the paper said, was to him about whether or not he would be wearing his be held at the Sarasota Yacht Club in June; the public overalls and his red baseball cap, the one with the to be invited. Captain Whartz, the ad went on, would Peterbilt emblem on it, when he spoke. His customary be tracing the parallels between yacht design and the duds were a long way from blue blazers, rep ties and production of high-priced vodka. It seemed a stretch button-down shirts that are often in evidence at the to me for Bubba to be Sarasota Yacht Club. talking in public about the My luck was good. “Not only are they ugly,” salient points involved in Bubba was sitting at the yacht design. bar reading the newspaper Bubba said. “They won’t sail. After all, I knew the when I came in. He They are like a 300-pound genesis of his yachting looked at Doobie, the female marathon runner, career. He had produced bartenderette. Doobie his own sailboat, Right looked at him and then unattractive and slow.” Guard, in one evening, looked at me and then, when he obtained, free of without saying a word, charge, a load of concrete that had been destined drew two mugs of beer in as pure a Pavlovian for I-75. He immediately produced some chicken response as I have ever witnessed. Who says women wire, slathered the concrete onto it and had a boat cannot be trained? after a few hour’s work. Whartz’s actual experience “Bubba, I read in the paper that you’re going to in yacht design, both before and after that time, be speaking at the Sarasota Yacht Club in June,” I amounted to looking at pictures in magazines and proffered as a way to get the informational ball rolling. building dream castles in the air. It was as vaporous Bubba said, “Yep.” as sea smoke. “And the ad said that you were going to talk about a Vodka, on the other hand, he had some familiarity relationship between yacht design and the production with. I’d heard of the infamous Mimosa Incident of expensive vodka,” I continued. several times at The Blue Moon Bar. Apparently, “Yep.” Whartz was terribly short of funds when he met a “Why?” compliant woman from South Dakota while she “I get a free lunch out of it.” was in Florida for Spring Break from Dakota State “No, what I mean is that I don’t understand University in Madison. The lady—her name was the connection between designing yachts and the Agneta—had a weakness for mimosas, an alcoholic manufacture of vodka,” I said. drink made with champagne and orange juice. “It’s not all yacht designs,” Bubba corrected. “It is It was all she liked to drink, she told Bubba, but the design of just one line of yachts, sailing yachts.” it made her very romantic. Bubba, devoid of the “And that would be?” 186 Spring 2013 pg 186-187 Bubba Whartz.indd 2
Cruising 2/3/13 11:22 AM
“The Buccaneer line that was put out by Bayliner 30 years ago,” Bubba said. “I’ve heard you take off on those boats before. And I agree with you; they are ugly,” I attested. “Not only are they ugly,” Bubba said. “They won’t sail. They are like a 300-pound female marathon runner, unattractive and slow.” Lost in thought as I examined a mental picture of a female marathon runner of such girth chugging down the road, I inadvertently tipped over my nearly empty beer glass when I reached for it. Bubba, ever alert, immediately signaled Doobie to bring two more beers despite the fact that his glass was still standing. Empty, but still standing. “Where is the connection?” I asked. “The people who designed those boats had no sense of taste whatsoever, and neither did the people who bought them” Bubba began. “Now, those yacht designers, who got laughed out of the naval architecture business, seem to have been hired as consultants in the manufacture and marketing of pricey vodka. Vodka is a natural for them. Vodka is tasteless, too, just like the bozos that designed the Buccaneers.
“So, what we have now is liquor companies who are basically selling a product that has no taste— and never has—touting the distinguished cachet of a product that is absolutely without recognizable flavor, and charging a hell of a lot of money for it. There have to be 10 to 20 different pricey vodkas on the market, all with lovely bottles and dynamic advertising that say ‘this is different’ when it is, in actual fact, not different at all.” “How did you come by this information?” I asked. “This is certainly an interesting take on modern marketing techniques that you have.” “I had a dream,” said Bubba. “A dream? You had a dream?” “You deaf or something?” Bubba snapped at me. He says that to me a lot. I try not to take it personally. Doobie rolled her eyes at me and brought the check my way. Bubba left for the gents’ room at exactly the same moment the check arrived. On the way, he stopped for a second to finish my second beer off in two swallows, and then he went down the hall. He didn’t return. He must have left by a back door because he never came back to say goodbye. He was probably just busy.
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Cruising pg 186-187 Bubba Whartz.indd 3
Spring 2013 187 2/3/13 11:23 AM
From the Galley Capt. Mike’s Swordfish the way it’s served aboard Privateer
By Michael L. Martel
This delightful dish is made with swordfish, but a thick fresh marlin, mahi mahi, or striped bass steak will also serve. It derives its flavor from a combination of spices – Sazon Goya, found in the Spanish ethnic section of your supermarket, garlic and white wine, in a mushroom cream sauce. It is actually quick and easy to prepare in the confined space of a boat’s galley and does not require either a lot of ingredients or create a lot of cleaning. You only need a pan with a cover, a mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, and a couple of utensils, and a small saucepan and possibly a measuring cup for the rice. It uses two burners. Begin with a one-inch-thick fresh swordfish steak, large enough for two. This is actually enough (with the other ingredients) for three servings, so double it for six. Other ingredients: • packets of a on Go a salt free seasoning. • peeled cloves fresh garlic • sp utter • ottle of dr hite ine prefera l pinot grigio • racked lack pepper and tsp ne ground white pepper • uarter edge fresh lemon • can of mushroom soup condensed • resh parsle garnish • Wild rice mi Start your wild rice first - it takes a while to cook. Open the packets of red Sazon Goya no-salt spice seasoning. Sazon Goya is very flavorful and a bright red-orange in color but this is not a ‘hot’ spice. Sazon Goya or Sazon Goya Azafran (‘with Saffron’) are both perfect for this. Use one packet per side of the fish; rub it on and into the fish on both sides. Do not add any salt at any time; the condensed soup has more than enough in it. 188 Spring 2013 pg 188 From The Galley.indd 1
Mince the garlic cloves fine, melt the butter in a large (wide) coverable pan, add the garlic and sauté on gentle heat until the garlic has slightly darkened in color and its flavor is now infused into the butter. Add the fish, and sauté on both sides until lightly brown. Keep the heat low enough that you do not burn the garlic or the butter. You want to gently cook the fish tender, not blacken it. Mix the can of mushroom soup ith can of the hite wine, rather than the usual can of water or milk. You want it thick enough to make a sauce. Oh, you have most of the bottle of white wine left? Now you know what it is for. Pour yourself a glass. Mix the soup, wine, white pepper, squeeze of lemon, in a bowl with a whisk. Now pour over the fish. Add cracked black pepper on top. Simmer covered over lo heat for minutes or so. Now you serve the fall-apart tender fish and sauce with the wild rice on the side. Pour some sauce on the rice. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with the rest of your wine, good and cold. The sauce will have a reddish-pink color from the Sazon spice rub. Enjoy! Cruising 1/31/13 8:02 AM
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Cruising Outpost
L i s t o f A d ve r t i s e r s Here is where you will find some of the smartest companies in the marine industry. There are others, but they just haven’t found us yet. Give ‘em time!
Marine Advertisers Alpenglow 125 Annapolis Sail Yard 176 Aquamarine 140 ATN 119 ATN 126 Aurinco 144 Balmar 45 Beaver Flags 140 Beneteau 13 Beta Marine 138 Bircher 143 Blue Sky Energy 115 Blue Water Sailing School 16-17 Bob Bitchin Seminar 35 BOTC Solar 147 BVI Yachts 73 Catalina 8 Celestaire 25 CO Products 51 CO products 52 Compac Yachts 175 Conch Charters 185 Container Yachts 43 Creative Marine 28 CruiseRO Watermakers 126 Cruising Solutions 144 CS Johnson 125 Ding Ez 147 DIY Watermakers 138
Dockside Solutions 146 Dream Yacht Charters 19 E-Marine 146 Eastern Yachts 180 Edson 4 Engle 105 EZ Battery 12 Forespar 24 Fortress Anchors 31 Garhauer 21 Greece Sail 59 Hamilton Ferris 103 Harken 37 Hylas 6-7 International Marine Insurance 114 Island Planet Sails 129 Jolly Rover 184 Kanberra Gel 119 KTI FilterBoss 26 Land Shark 151 Lee Chesneau 27 Lee Chesneau Weather 187 Linen Shop 143 Little Yacht Sales 182 Mack Sails 23 Mainsheet 146 Mantus Anchors 133 Marina El Cid 44 Marlow-Hunter 2-3 Martek Davits 147 Matt Chem 123
New Found Metals 114 Ocens 129 Opiate Avoidence Institue 137 Pacific NW Boater 127 Passport 10-11 Poly Glow 133 Polyplaner 105 Port of Delcambre 123 Prism Polish 15 Prop Protector 146 Quickline 115 Sailology 121 Sailtime 29 Salty Dog 144 Scandia Marine 117 Sea Tech 147 SeaBreathe 117 Sea Tech 144 Seminar 35 Shade Tree 121 Shannon 40 Solar Stick 195 South Coast Yachts 178-183 Spade Anchor 42 Spectra 116 South West Int. Boat Show 53 Strictly Sail Pacific 98 Subscriptions 60-61 Sunrise resort 116 Technautics 102
Tradewinds radio Wagner-Stevens West Marine Whitaker Yachts Wichard Yacht Controllers
127 177 196 179 32 137
Boats & Brokers Annapolis Sail Yard 176 Beneteau 13 Catalina 8 Compac Yachts 175 Eastern Yachts 180 Hylas 6-7 Little Yacht Sales 182 Marlow-Hunter 2-3 Passport 10-11 South Coast Yachts 178-183 Wagner-Stevens 177 Whitaker Yachts 179
Non-Marine Advertisers None! Why would we want that? This is a boating magazine. Ya wanna see fancy watches, pick-up trucks and highpriced cars, read the other mags!
Advertisers: You can reach the most active segment of the boating community - In Print or On-Line. Cruising Outpost Quarterly - Winter - Spring - Summer & Fall Issues www.cruisingoutpost.com Ads@cruisingoutpost.com 510-900-3616 #104
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My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn’t know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (Kerry, age 7)
* Cruisians Once a King, always a King, but once a night’s enough!
*A small, exclusive group of people who are mentally ill and feel, for some reason unbeknownst to anyone, that by getting on a small boat about the size of a jail cell and heading out into the most unhospitable place on Earth (the ocean), they will somehow enjoy themselves.
Ed dresses up pretty good! Below you see him making a toast to the Heads of State as ConsulGeneral of Liberia and Chair of the annual Gala Consular Ball. (Does that sound impressive?) But he‘d rather be as seen on the right, cruising in Monrovia, Liberia.
Jeff & Marie (better known as Ken & Barbie) have been a part of the Cruising Outpost from day one. Now they are running S/V Delphine for charters out of Grenada. How kewl is that? Okay, so we all know that sailing is fun, but Mark Kramer of Kaukanna, WI, seems to be having too much fun as he is sailing to Mac Island. Obviously he doesn’t understand how deep the water is?
Sascha Warunkiw is our newest cartoonist (see page 22) and is a Prairie Boy from Alberta. He got talked into buying a sailboat and discovered he had Viking genes. Wow, how cool was that? He couldn’t figure out why he never got seasick and loved climbing the mast in a storm to untangle this or that. 194 Spring 2013 pg 194 Cruisians.indd 1
Chuck & Margie Knowles love to cruise. Here they are, stuck on a boat with Bob & Jody in the BVIs. Can’t you see how much they were hatin’ it? Chuck works out of the Doyle Sail Loft in Detroit, and is the inventor of the ‘Halyard Saver” we sell at shows!
Ray Bush sails out of his home in Newport Beach, Sydney, Australia. This is a photo of him aboard his East Coast 31’ Hustler. He’s sailing into Refuge Bay to check out the waterfall. Hey Ray, thanks for the photo! Hope to see you down there soon?
Steve Peterson loves the life at sea. He currently lives aboard in Southern California, and tries to get out sailing with wife Melody whenever he can. Hi Steve! Cruising
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