www .L ats a tts . com6 Latitudes & Attitudes #40 Fall 2022In This Issue... Bob Bitchin’s Attitude 12 Share the Sail – Croatia 35 And Then There Are Those Days 60 Boat Spotlight – Seawind 1370 76 Interview with Abby Sunderland 96 Bubba Whartz 118 Full Bore 134 Tin-Tin Treks North 144 Scuttlebutt Boat News 19 Migrant Raft 45 USVI/Around St. John 68 Boat Spotlight – Fleming 55 80 Talk of the Dock 104 Virtual Cruising 120 A Sophisticated Irrational Decision 138 I Found It At The Boat Show 150 Boat People 180Bosun’s Bag 171 Metanoia Sailing with Tania Aebi 32 Cruising the California Coast 52 Boat Spotlight – Oceanis 54 78 Underway – From Cruisers 84 Tips for Cruising 108 Don’t Try This at Home 128 Book Review 142 Advertiser Spotlight 178
www .L ats a tts . com8 Latitudes & Attitudes Publisher | Erik erik@kylemediainc.comKyle ON THE COVER This issue’s cover shot is tak en by and featuring Tabitha “Bitchin” Lipkin, grandaugh ter of the man himself. Check out the view above in our Share the Sail Croatia article on page 35. Latitudes & Attitudes Division of Kyle Media, Inc. (ISSN 2767-8954-PRINT / ISSN: 2767-8962 On-Line) (USPS 011-950) is published quarterly by Latitudes & Attitudes 7862 W. Central Ave., Suite F, Toledo, OH 43617. Periodical Postage paid at Toledo Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2022 Postmaster: Send address changes to Latitudes & Attitudes, 7862 W. Central Ave., Suite F, Toledo, OH 43617 Associate Publisher | David Levesque david@latsatts.com Office Winch | Mindy mindy@kylemediainc.comLeppala Grammar Guru | M.M. Frances Krutsch editorial@kylemediainc.com Deep Sea Designer | Sonia De Leon design@kylemediainc.com Window Washer Emeritus | Bob Bitchin bob@latsatts.com Boat Show Queen | Jody “Bitchin” Lipkin SusanJimShaneErinJessiejody@latsatts.comZevalkink-YeatesCareyMcClellanCashKoning Morgan Stinmetz Chuck Legge Ed MackieJohnVaranoSimpsonWhite Pope FlashBorisQueenFrancisElizabethJohnsonGordon Juan Valdez Chef Boyardee Elon ABBAMusk PEOPLE WHO HELPED US CREATE THIS ISSUE PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T HELP US WITH THIS ISSUE We Support Boating PRINTED IN THE USA 7862 W. Central Ave., Ste. F, Toledo, OH 43617 Ph: 877-775-2538 | Fax: 877-373-8177 www.latsatts.com INFORMATIONSUBSCRIPTION Latitudes & Attitudes 7862 W. Central Ave., Suite F, Toledo, OH 43617 SERVICESUBSCRIBER latsatts.com/subscribe877-775-2538 Staff Infection | Tania Aebi Contributor | Zuzana Prochazka Life Aboard Queen | Robin Stout Office Mascots | Jessie & Katie Bitchin & Eddie Levesque Concession Stand Manager | David Levesque
Sure there are tests we will endure during our voyage. That’s where the true adventure is. As I often say to Jody, the adventure begins when something goes wrong! Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love an easy sail. It’s what we all look forward to. Days of drifting under a warm breeze, with the boat slicing through the water, on your way to a tropical paradise. What could be better, right? Well, about the only thing better is the same scenario, but after making your way through a storm and looking behind you to see the dark storm clouds and lightning, filled with self assurance that can’t be found in our “let me protect you” world. Yeah, there is no doubt you would have an easier life if you were to stay home, wrapped in the security of the government’s arms. Knowing they won’t let you drive without your seat belt, or ride a motorcycle without a helmet, or do anything that might cause you bodily damage. Don’t buy that toy sailboat for your child. He might eat the mast and choke on it. Danger! Danger!Themost adventure most folks get in our lifetime is their two week vacation on a cruise ship. Oh joy! Now there’s an adventure! Maybe the food will be cold, or the bed a little lumpy. Now there’s an obstacle to endure, to feel like you’ve had an adventure, right? NOT! To feel like your blood is pumping, as if you have actually done something worthwhile, you have to fight the good fight! You need a worthy adversary! Not some wimp purser to snivel to! Like I said, there are those out there who just can’t understand why a person would ever leave a warm and cozy home, load all their stuff into a little boat, and sail off to face the same storms that Captain Cook and Tristan Jones faced. To those who don’t understand, there is no explanation. To those who do, none is needed.
BitchinBobBy
We gotta be nuts, ya know? Check it out...just what is it we all have in common? I mean besides smelly feet? Well? Ya know what it is? A desire to sell all of the stuff we have worked our whole life to gather about us, and then to move into an area slightly larger than a jailNotcell.only that, but, once we have managed to convince our significant other it will be fun, we cast off our lines and sail this vessel out into the most inhospitable environment on Earth. The ocean. Hey, it’s true! Where do you find things that eat men (and women) whole? Only in the ocean. Besides that, could you imagine if the sand dunes in a desert could form piles 100 feet high, and then fall on you? Well, that’s pretty much what happens in the ocean, right? But that ain’t even the half of it. To make it a little more fun, how about we jam a couple of sticks in the vessel, and tie on a bedsheet or two. What kind of idiot can actually believe he can make twenty or so tons of plastic and steel go across an ocean with just windpower?Okay,let’s make it a little sillier. Let’s put some electricity in these things. Sure, that’s it! Electricity and salt water...what a great idea. That’ll burn up the thru hulls a little faster...kewl! We could add some weight to the bottom of these things, so they’d drop to the bottom faster when filled with water, and maybe put some storage containers of sulphuric acid inside, in case we are able to roll it over. We could call these batteries! That, in a nutshell, is what people who have no idea why we go cruising think. Really, It’s true! They think we’ve slipped a cog or two. You know, a few fries short of a Happy Meal? Of course there is the other side of the coin. Our side. Here’s a sleek and ready sailboat, tied to the docks, filled with all the things that actually mean something to us. The feeling that fills you as you cast off to begin an adventure can only be understood by those who do it. To face an adversary like mother nature, with the full confidence that you have been thorough enough in your preparations to be prepared for all instances. What better feeling could there possibly be? Okay, there is one. The feeling when, after making your first crossing, you are pulling into your first distant anchorage. A fellow boater waves welcome, and you stand at the wheel, waving back. To those who have never completed such a voyage, it is pretty hard to explain what such a feat means.
www .L ats a tts . com12 Latitudes & Attitudes
Okay, ‘nuff said. Let’s go get nuts and go where the water’s deep. Sail on.......
enough!nightsonceButking.aalwaysking,aOnce
1. Take a few thousand dollars down to the docks, and throw it into the water. Then go home.
Remember, our yacht is in maintenance and this is our dinghy!
Party Anyone? In Annapolis? Who’s ever been to a boat show cruiser party? Who remembers one in Annapolis? Who wants one in Annapolis? You read that right...and don’t bother answering, we’ll do it for you. This coming Annapolis Sail Show will bring the Lats & Atts 25th Anniversary party! Cruisers and general party goers unite! It’s been a long time coming but on Saturday night, October 15th we’ll be throwing the grand poobah of all boat show parties when we celebrate 25 years of ruining lives and inspiring dreams. Book your trip to the show now! More info to come.....
Miss Sailing? Try This!
Wheelies? Who’da Thunk It? How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?
4. Make 12 sandwiches on white bread with bad meat and cram them into a bread bag. Eat them wet.
All the News That Fits Between the Sheets Fall 2022
2. Drink a half-gallon of tequila, sleep a couple hours, and then stand on a rocking chair for a few hours.
It’s simple, just contact the travel agent for the show and then email bob@LatsAtts.com to let us know that you will be joining us. We’ll get you the info you need for the free passes, the group dinner as well as arranging kewl nametags that identify you as part of the L&A Group. To hold your room(s) contact Carol Brodsky, at TTI Travel Inc.: cbrodsky@ttitravel.net or call (866) 674-3476. Nautical Trivia
Where did the saying “Three sheets to the wind” come from? (Answer on page 26!)
Lats&Atts Scuttlebutt
3. Have a friend throw buckets of saltwater on you while standing in front of a very large fan!
If It’s Gonna Happen, It’s Gonna Happen Out There
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 19 Issue #40
Join Us At boot Düsseldorf, The World’s Largest Boat Show!
It’s been a couple years since Lats&Atts brought a group of our readers to the World’s Largest Boat Show held in Düsseldorf, Germany. But the show is happening again, January 21-29, 2023. We’ve made arrangements to hold rooms at the Leonardo Hotel for Lats&Atts readers who want to see the show, and we have free admission tickets for those who join us!
www .L ats a tts . com20 Latitudes & Attitudes
BERMUDA RACE GREEN TEAM
Up to 50 sailors in the fleet will be tasked with monitoring their boat’s waste and innovating best sustainability practices. The Bermuda Race Organizing Committee has made sustainability a focal point of the biennial race. The past three editions of the 635-nautical mile race (2014, ’16 and ’18) have been recognized by Sailors for the Sea as “clean” regattas, culminating with a Gold classification for the 2018 race for its effort to minimize the impact on the environment. This year race organizers hope to achieve Platinum-level status—the highest level—and have laid out objectives to eliminate single-use plastic, maximize recycling and reuse, encourage thoughtful provisioning, and promote the use of environmentally friendly boat and dish-cleaning solvents that lack harsh chemicals, among a long list of suggestions. Competitors are also encouraged to fuel their boats with biodiesel or alternative fuels, to limit grey water discharge and to have designated water bottles for each crew member to eliminate single-use plastic bottles.
Ocean Tribute Awards
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 21
The Ocean Tribute Award 2023 call for entries is now open at https://oceantributeaward.boot.de/en/ Apply_now. Projects of interest are initiatives that develop innovative and future-oriented technologies to protect and conserve the oceans, contribute to reducing waste for cleaner oceans or promote sustainable management to protect marine and coastal ecosystems. Applications should be submitted online. Since 2018, the ocean tribute award (Euro 20,000) has been sponsored by the Prince Albert II Foundation, the German Ocean Foundation and boot Düsseldorf annually and presented at the boot trade fair (the largest boat and water sports trade fair in the world) in Düsseldorf, Germany in January. The goal is to support people, projects or initiatives in their marine conservation commitment. The jury will then evaluate the entries and select five particularly committed projects. The public can then vote for their favorite project in a public voting. Read All About It! Tropical Authors has gathered numerous writers who set their books in tropical climes, on islands, under the water, and along the coast! This is about to include our esteemed Publisher Emeritus Bob Bitchin’s Books. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter. You’ll get emails with new releases from authors, as well as DEALS! Tell ‘em Lats&Atts sent ya. Oh, yeah, and Bob’s books should start appearing there soon! You can sign up at TropicalAuthors.com.
Did you know that girls as young as 16 years old have sailed around the world all alone? We start our blog about the exciting sailing facts with the girls as the youngest sailors in the world. Jessica Watson from Australia and Laura Dekker from the Netherlands were both 16 years old when they completed their sea voyages in 2009. Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail around the world with no stops and completely unassisted! While the just as impressive Laura Dekker completed her own sailing adventure around the globe.
Founded in 2019 by two US Veterans, the American Odysseus Sailing Foundation has signed up for the Ocean Globe Race. The crew will be composed of Military Vets and First-Responders with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, who are given an opportunity to heal at sea, using research-based methods of learning to live with trauma through Adventure Therapy.
Veterans Join 2023 Ocean Globe Race
The American Odysseus Sailing Foundation enters the Ocean Globe Race challenge and adventure as a healing process for military Vets.
Both praise sailing as the central part of their recovery. When they met in 2019, they decided to join forces and share what had worked so well for them with other veterans, taking them on day trips, sailing expeditions, offshore adventures, overnight sail and offshore races.
Taylor Grieger, a former United States Navy Rescue Swimmer with several tours in more than seven countries, decided to deal with the stress of being first responder on disaster sites by sailing an old Watkins 36 around Cape Horn.
“Veterans go through a drastic shift when they leave the service, from being part of a tight-knit group you trust with your life, to an individualistic, self-oriented civilian life. There is little that therapy can do about it.” Cameron told us. “As Combat troops, we are trained to constantly identify and react to threats. It is exhausting in civil life, but useful at sea. Being on a boat that requires teamwork and some sense of hierarchy, offers a great opportunity to put those habits to use while doing what we love: sailing.”
www .L ats a tts . com22 Latitudes & Attitudes
Some Of The Youngest Sailors Are Girls
Cameron Walbin, a former US Marine with several combat tours was medically discharged after twelve years of active duty following injuries. Finding the transition to civilian life a challenge, he took to the sea, living aboard, cruising and racing on the East coast of the US.
The American Dream There’s a reason they call it the American Dream, cause ya gotta be asleep to believe it! - George Carlin Infiniti 52 lost in the North Atlantic Built in the USA, the first Infiniti 52 to be delivered has been lost in the North Atlantic after colliding with an unidentified floating object (UFO). Designed by Hugh Welbourn, the monoull is the first foil assisted high performance racing yacht developed for semi-custom production. It was in the North Atlantic while Tulikettu was sailing from Cascais, Portugal back to the Team Base in Gosport, United Kingdom. All four delivery crew members survived the situation unharmed, and have returned to the United Kingdom with their loved ones. The yacht collided with a UFO on April 18th. The EPIRB was launched on April 20th at 12:54 am UTC. Will Jackson, Tulikettu shore team manager, supported the Person-In-Charge via a continuous satellite connection. On April 20th at 10:45 am UTC, the entire crew was evacuated to an oil tanker that had been diverted to assist, and Tulikettu had to be abandoned at sea.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 23
www .L ats a tts . com24 Latitudes & Attitudes
Documentation Scam Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is advising boaters with vessels that have a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation to be wary of any letter arriving by U.S. mail offering renewal. While the Coast Guard does send official annual renewal notices by U.S. mail, other notices being received by BoatUS members are not from the Coast Guard but rather thirdparty companies whose name or return addresses may appear similar to that of the official U.S. Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC). These letters direct them to websites that may be mistaken for the actual Coast Guard NVDC located in Falling Waters, West Virginia, and appear to show a significant increase in the annual fee to renew Coast Guard documentation.
Sporting Ticket is now available for purchase online and in person at all three participating museums. Visitors can experience Newport’s storied traditions in sailing, tennis and automobiles for the price of just two museum admissions at $39 per adult. Ticket purchasers will have 90 days from the date of sale to access all three museums through the end ofThe2022.Sailing Museum features exhibits celebrating the National Sailing Hall of Fame and America’s Cup Hall of Fame. Discover the legends of sailing, try steering a sailboat, take the grinding challenge or fly over the water in the dome with SailGP.
www .L ats a tts . com26 Latitudes & Attitudes Nautical Trivia Answer The saying “being three sheets to the wind” referring to someone who is extremely drunk or out of control comes from this sailing term. On a sailboat, if all three of your sheets are out flapping in the wind you have no control over your sails and thus your sailboat. From page 19 Sailing, Cars, and Tennis?
The Sailing Museum, Audrain Automobile Museum and Inter national Tennis Hall of Fame have teamed together to provide access to all three of Newport, RI’s sports museums with just oneNewport’sticket.
For the past 25 years the Lats&Atts Staff has joined our readers for Share The Sail events all over this big blue ball we call Earth, and we are in the midst of creating the next one, this time to theButBahamas.wait!This is no ordinary event. The pandemic is (hopefully) over, and we are free to move about the world again, and what place better to enjoy being back out on our boats than to sail theWeBahamas.createdthe Flotilla Charter pro gram back in 1999, when we did our first event in Tahiti. Since then we have taken tens of thousands of boaters “out there” to see what the cruising lifestyle is really all about. This is a full week’s immersion in the cruising lifestyle.
So of course we will have to have a couple fun events during the sail. As usual we will host a party while there, and, also as usual, cruising boats that are not part of the share the sail will all be welcome for a small entry fee. Interested? If you want to get more info on this fun event, email Assoc. Publisher David Levesque (david@latsatts.com) and he will put you on the info list. As usual, this is on a first come, first served, as these events usually sell out! Don’t miss out. Email him today for more info!
Ah, but you will not be alone. Nay nay, say we. This is a group of like-minded individuals gathered to experience the cruising lifestyle. By the end of the event your life will be changed forever.
Share The Sail Bahamas - Join The L&A Staff At Sea!
www .L ats a tts . com28 Latitudes & Attitudes
April 25, 2022: Chittagong Anchorage, Bangladesh. Duty officer onboard an anchored product tanker noticed three robbers on the forecastle deck and raised the alarm. Crew mustered and proceeded towards the forecastle. Hearing the alarm and seeing the crew alertness, the robbers escaped with stolen ship’s stores. Incident reported to port control and the Bangladesh coast guard, who later boarded the vessel for investigation. Two days later, the stolen items were recovered by the coast guard and returned to the tanker.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 29 ACTIVE PIRACY REPORT from the International Commercial Crime Services: A Narrative of the Most Recent Attacks
June 19, 2022: Singapore Straits. Duty crew onboard a bulk carrier underway noticed two unauthorized persons in the steering gear room. Alarm raised, crew mustered and VTS informed. The persons escaped upon seeing the crew alertness. A naval patrol boat came to assist. Nothing reported stolen.
June 6, 2022: Callao Anchorage, Peru. Around three robbers armed with long knives boarded an anchored tanker. Alarm raised. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers escaped with ship’s stores.
May 27, 2022: Singapore Straits. Three robbers boarded a product tanker underway. Alert crew noticed the robbers and raised the alarm resulting in the robbers escaping empty handed.
May 16, 2022: Singapore Straits. Two robbers boarded a bulk carrier underway using a hook attached with a rope. Alert crew noticed the robbers and raised the alarm. Hearing the alarm and seeing the crew alertness, the robbers escaped empty handed.
May 27, 2022: Singapore Straits. Three robbers armed with long knives boarded a bulk carrier underway. Duty oiler on routine rounds noticed the robbers and informed the C/E. Alarm raised, PA announcement made, and crew mustered. Hearing the alarm, the robbers escaped with the stolen ship’s property. A navy patrol boat escorted the ship to the anchorage area.
I’ve already written about Christian in these pages, so here is a quick recap: Christian is one of my father’s two best friends. Street artists, they met in Paris’s Montmartre, immigrated to the USA together on the Queen Mary just before I was born, and he has always been part of our family story. When I was twelve, he bought the bare hull of a Westsail 32 and between selling paintings to fund his habit, spent the next four decades building her — literally.
www .L ats a tts . com32 Latitudes & Attitudes
By Tania Aebi
Last week, I returned from an offshore passage somewhere and found a message in my inbox, a picture simply captioned: “boat is in the water and here is the proof.” I don’t get many emails from Christian, this was very big news. There she was, floating at a dock, his 43-year-old dream being realized. I looked at my calendar, Independence Day weekend was clear for the 7-hour drive down to the Jersey Shore along with all the other holiday goers. July 2nd was a momentous day for The Boat that still doesn’t have a name.
Metanoia Metanoia
Sailing!
The marina owner is Richie, son of Richard, Christian’s good friend who passed away several years ago. Richie grew up watching Christian strolling back and forth with tools and parts in hand as The Boat took shape. He runs the yard now, a place where things are always being done — new docks, new buildings, a restaurant. He likes progress, and this year, he told Christian The Boat was going in the water and did it. More than half a life spent working toward making this happen, it wasWhentime.Iarrived, two of Richie’s guys — another Richard they call Washington because he’s from the west coast and puzzling over how he got roped into living in hot, humid New Jersey, and Reggie — were in the engine compartment, giving it the once over and forcing a pipe bend in the exhaust system that had been vexing Christian. Washington was fixing up his own boat in the marina with every intention of getting her to the Bahamas by this winter, he told me, while we watched Christian turn the key, listened to the Perkins rumble to life for the first time, sounding perfectly installed and aligned. Christian didn’t put endless thought and effort into every step of the way without seeking perfection. The engine compartment is so beautifully laid out and designed Washington didn’t mind hanging out and sweating in the hole longer, reviewing and
In May of 1985, an 18-year-old Tania set sail from Manhattan, New York, and became the first American woman and youngest sailor at the time to circumnavigate the globe. Upon her return to Manhattan in November 1987, Tania had visited 23 countries and sailed 27,000 miles. Nowadays, Tania runs charters and delivers boats all over the world when she’s not at home helping with her granddaughter, battling snow in the winter and weeds in the summer, or dreaming about writing her next book.
Reclined on her main cabin settee thinking about how to put this in words, I’d look up at the little wood stove at my feet, attached to its Charlie Noble smokestack. Charlie Noble, a cool term, is just one of many Christian learned about intimately as he gathered and forgot more about boat building than most of us will ever know. Every single piece of deliberately measured, cut, shaped, and sanded teak trim and molding is part of a girl with no name made real, one piece of wood and quart of varnish after another, all leading to the story of July 2nd.
Christian has lived in this marina for decades, a solid and focused presence among a cast of other Jersey Shore characters who call it home. On the top floor of one building, Richard Senior made an apartment available when Christian’s daughter was young, creating some four-season stability for her. The Boat was on the hard just out the doorway, and the apartment and adjoining deck turned into a boat builder’s workshop and storage unit. Boxes brought back from a zillion projects lurked everywhere, filled with empty paint cans, rags, old brushes, specific tools, and sandpaper. Lots of sandpaper. Used sandpaper everywhere, pushed aside in search of tackle to get The Boat ready for her first sail. Christian’s boat-building hoarding made it all happen. Living in a chandlery and salvage shop chock full of blocks and cleats and shackles and pins and lines and tools, there was anything we needed for every job.
This board, one of the first piece Christian had crafted, was made from a large slab of quarter-sawn teak, something that would be nearly impossible to find nowadays, before being converted into the perfectly fitting slat. I felt like crying.
Washington loaned us a fishing tape and with some string, we pulled through the first and second reef lines, redoing them until correctly positioned over the right blocks. Christian had forgotten about installing deck leads for the furling line, and we tied a series of blocks to the foot of each stanchion, ending with a jam cleat.
The next morning, July 2nd, Washington came over to help bend on the sails without a hitch. Up went the mainsail with battens and reef lines performing exactly as they should. Up the furling gear went the foresail, furling and unfurling exactly as it should, with sails that worked, exactly what we’d end up needing most of all. I cleared the decks, stowed building materials, containers full of screws, bits and bobs belowdecks to prepare for heeling. And then, the moment arrived, we cast off from the dock. There was no swelling music soundtrack, just an excited Washington and me with a trepidatious Christian, nervously waiting for something critical, forgotten, or overlooked, to reveal itself. The engine took us out the marina fairway, down a narrow channel alongside a public dock strung with crab pot lines, rounded a marker, and headed onto Barnegat Bay.
Clearly time to call it a day, we continued tacking further upwind until we could sail down the channel, then turn dead into the wind to pass the public dock lined with people and their crab pots. The engine obliged. Washington thought it was a transmission issue, and as long as we didn’t run it too hard, it wouldn’t cut out. Indeed, we made it back to her slip, and only then did Christian relax into a beaming smile. Other than the glitch with the engine, everything had worked, we’d gone sailing. If it weren’t for Christian, boats probably would have never become part of my story, and I wouldn’t be telling this one today. He will be 84 in several weeks, years of living the journey, not the destination. I have witnessed, I have listened, I have loved, I have learned. Now, The Boat needs a name.
Nobody had to say out loud that we’d immediately practice man overboard maneuvering as if we’d lost a child. We just did it. Struggling to keep the lovingly varnished board in sight, we tacked back and forth under jib alone in the gusty wind, crawling upwind of it, until the tense moment when we passed by, with one chance to grab it, or start all over again. Leaning as far overboard as I could while clinging to a stanchion, a lifetime of uncaught balls, misaimed snowballs, and all-around lousy coordination with items in motion was vindicated by the moment when my right hand felt it, grabbed it, held on to it, and swept it back onboard where it belonged.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 33 admiring the fuel lines and electrical wiring arrangements before leaving us to the sails. The afternoon was pretty windy. Christian and I did what we could to be ready for the next morning before the breeze kicked in. Blasting water with a hose from the gooseneck end, we emptied the boom cavity, which had languished unused long enough for feeder lines to disintegrate into fodder mingling with all kinds of other bird nesting material.
I revved up the engine, standard breaking-in procedure, and within minutes, it abruptly cut out for no apparent reason. So, we sailed. The wind blew stink, and a thunderstorm assembled in the distance. We let out some foresail, the boat heeled over and one of the companionway slats — which had been safely placed in the same spot on the level cabin top for 43 years, every time Christian went in and out of The Boat — slipped overboard. Swoosh, and there it was, floating on Barnegat Bay, the distance between us rapidly increasing.
BBUC: In the two years since the idea started, a few “little things” had occured. First and foremost, the COVID pandemic. For two years we’d all been stuck wearing masks, avoiding people, and not traveling. Add to that the fact that CroatiaBy Jessie Zevalkink, with comments by Bob Bitchin (Indicated with “BBUC” For “Bob Bitchin’s Unwanted Comments.”)
The email thread began in the fall of 2019. Attached was fifty some enthusiastic crew who signed up to sail Croatia. Some new to Share the Sail, some vets. By the time spring of 2022 had sprung, our original spreadsheet was full of red marks, cancellations, relocations and refunds. The entire event had fallen off a few cliffs, given CPR, and been resurrected and reborn in at a new Dream Yacht Charter base, with new crew, new boats, and a collaborative appreciation for getting out of the house. For many, it was the first flight they had gotten on since the world by a millennial’s standard ended.
The marina on a calm evening before departure
Katie, Jessie & Otis
On a Saturday afternoon, the cleaning crews flipped well over a hundred charter boats. The sun aloft, bake sail covers and canvas work. The dock was trafficked with carts, provisions, boxes, hoses, and tools. Ambition was in the air. One week of fully booked charters rumbled into the next from 9-5, captains and crews stepping on toes around 3pm. The whole operation, from my per spective, felt like Disneyland in comparison to where my family and I had just come from. My husband and I, prepared to captain separate boats for the event, had just spent four months aboard our rusty steel ketch born in the early 80s. We passed through the doldrums from the Sea of Cortez to Ecuador via the Galapagos, and for much of our journey, things like people who had answers, internet, hoses with water pressure, and monohulls with cockpits the size of an American living room were an anomaly.Wehad six boats in total, a convoy of Jeanneaus and Benetaus. The controversial vessel was the Sun Loft 47, which was referred to as a Mono Cat, or crossover. Jeanneau’s attempt at designing an aerodynamic sedan with the comfort of a Suburban. It’s awkward, and its blueprint had one intention only – to be a charter boat. The cockpit does indeed share the experience of a catamaran. Two full-size tables wrapped in cushioned seating drop down to become sunbathing beds. Twin helms placed towards mid-ship, gave comfort but poor
our home and offices burnt to the ground in the middle of said pandemic, well, it just adds a little “flare.” And we hate flare! The final occurence was that we sold the mag azine the Croatia Share The Sail would be on the original company, as we’d collected the money (and spent it dur ing COVID - LOL!) Meanwhile in Trogir, Croatia...
Share The Sail: Croatia The Skippers’ Meeting at Trogir Marina
www .L ats a tts . com36 Latitudes & Attitudes
BBUC: We had hired one local Skipper to help us find the best places to stop, and just before departure we had a skippers meeting and decided our route. After two years of planning, we’d pretty much planned this voyage at least three times.. A drone view would have captured the heavy boat traf fic in and out of Trogir in formation, as if there was an air traffic control tower lining up planes to land and depart a Class A airspace. But whoever was on shift in the control tower, was drunk. Sails rolled out of their furling after passing the main marker, captains chose a tack and traffic split port and starboard. We had a stunning Sunday. Light and cool headwind wind. Gentle tacks and an occasional low RPM push through the lulls.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 37 visibility. The fiberglass and stainless steel structure that supported a full cockpit and galley enclosure and hard top, meant you were required to “stick your head out of the window” to see your sails. But whosoever at the helm could be passed a cold cocktail, completely wind protected and within arms reach. There were aspects of the boat to laugh about, and there were creature comforts to appreciate. No one cared, and the ability or lack thereof of our vessels, that was insignificant. We were there for the company. The sea. The iconic “Game of Thrones” villages and the food. On Sunday morning folks rose ready to sail. Between 9am and 11am, crews made last minute runs to the market. A bottle of tequila. Milk. Toilet paper. Choco late. Captains realized their boats were missing items. A French press. Dinghy oars. Lines for dinghy davits. Snorkel gear. Every person on their own mission and no one to be found. Boat by boat, we motored out of the marina for a 25 mile hop to the Island of Vis.
BBUC: In our defense... Oh hell, there is no defense for dropping our boat hook. But I have to admit, seeing Jessie wrap her prop did kinda make up for it!
www .L ats a tts . com38 Latitudes & Attitudes our goosebumps. The forecast for the week was great, but everyone had their eye on Wednesday when a stiff north-easterly was predicted. We followed the headland around to Komiza on the west side of Vis and picked up a mooring ball. My boat arrived first because I am not shy with a diesel engine, and well, It was my first time running a boat with in-mast-furling and a self-tacking-jib. It took me a while to accept its simplic ity, and trust that it wasn’t all going to break at once. I had watched the maintenance guys on the dock the day prior. Panicked, sweating, and overwhelmed at the amount of fix-it jobs they had to complete before the next departure. We swim, we play, and we launched the dinghy while the rest of the boats get situated. Two men come over to collect cash for the mooring ball, $250 kuna, roughly $30 USD. The Bob and Jody Boat, along with twenty other charter boats arrive. The Bob Boat took a few laps to collect their mooring ball and drop their boat hook over the side in the process. I took the dinghy over to a) welcome them, and b) give them shit and on my way my outboard quits out. Fuel vent, fuel on, position neutral, choke out, I went through the steps again and again and it wouldn’t start. I craned over the transom to find the prop wrapped
with the painter. I untangled the prop wrap sheepishly and decided not to give The Bob Boat shit for dropping their boat hook. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been cruising, there are endless opportunities to look dumb. Who was I, to think I was a more experienced cruiser than to wrap a prop?
On Monday we had a light sailing day planned. There was a blue cave four miles away and the town of Vis just around the corner. Our crew decided to enjoy a slow morning before heading off, and we were happy to be the last to depart. By 11am we were ready to drop the moor ing ball and the engine wouldn’t start. It clicked over but did not catch. Our volt meter read 12.5, plenty of juice to start an engine. I played around with the battery isolators. I checked all the connections. I played around with how I was pressing the start button. I stuck my head in the engine compartment and listened over and over and over again. I dug out the boat manual and was completely con vinced that I was just doing something dumb (again) or that this 2020 Sun Loft was just smarter than me and the problem was very simple. I surrendered to my cell phone and called Dream Yacht Charter base, and they responded by sending a mechanic out. We waited until 3:30pm when two mechanics jumped on board with a volt meter. Our starter battery read seven volts. We left base the day before, with a soon-to-be-shot starter battery and were incredibly fortunate to still be on a mooring ball when it died. They re placed the battery and left. I felt better, knowing that I was not just doing something dumb, knowing that the Sun Loft was not smarter than me. And then I felt worse confirming my fear of sub-par maintenance on the companies behalf.
Share The Sail: Croatia
BBUC: As every sailor knows, the best part of cruising is watching others mess up. We’d wondered why Jessie left her mainsail up. When she arrived at our boat you should have seen the look on her face when she looked back at her boat and saw the sail up! Jody deep belly laughed, and we rushed back to our boat and rolled the mainsail into the mast. Thirty minutes later, another Sun Loft came cruising into the bay, looking for a ball. Oh Boy! 45 knots of wind. Now we’re having adult fun!
Alongside their boat, we looked back at ours to find our entire mainsail still up. My jaw dropped to my feet. We just lapped the mooring field during rush hour, and picked up a ball without having a goddamn clue that we never put away the headsail, I wondered why I was feeling un identified pressure at the helm. Not a single person on our boat noticed, and as much as I can blame the enclosure and hard-top on the Sun Loft, there was no one to be embarrassed for but me.
BBUC: The plan, as usual on a Share The Sail, was to sail individually (making for some fun races) but the first night there were four of the six boats anchored, and two tied up to the quay, and Jessie awaiting repairs. We join our flotilla the next evening on the island of Pak leni Otoci. It’s limestone foundation held a cartoon-like shape with round corners, soft edges, bays shaped like chubby fingers and toes. You could dip your bow around any corner to find deep water and rocky shores. At the helm and beneath our cockpit enclosure we did a lap around the mooring field. It was busy. Big boats, small boats, charter boats, fishing boats. We arrived at rush hour and we are not alone in lapping the bay to select the perfect mooring ball. We spotted one on the easterly edge, swimming distance to shore. I ma neuvered through traffic and lined us up for the chosen ball. My crew did a beautiful job with hand signals and communication. We secured the boat and were stoked toTheswim.locals came collect our money, $450 kuna this time ($65 USD). Some of the girls and I rowed over to The Bob Boat to say “hey” and “cheers.”
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 39
The water clarity was remarkable. Deep bays allowed sailing close to shore, and dozens of islands gave the sea protection from waves. When the land warmed up the sea gulped in hot air, we had 15-20 knot afternoon sails. Between the islands the air accelerated and on an average day it was truly the Disneyland of cruising. The British Virgin Islands of the Mediterranean. Easy, breezy, wide open. But the next day was Wednesday. The day the forecast went from “nice” to “not-so-nice,” but the forecast didn’t really matter because these boats were being captained by the kind of sailors who’d earned their position at the helm from crossing oceans in high seas to the standing waves of the Great Lakes. We’d seen it all, you know? How bad can it be? Plus, Jody had a gorgeous private dinner planned for the entire group on the island of Hvar. We needed to be there. We departed together Wednesday morning. It was going to be an upwind beat, we were expecting 20-25 knots. We were prepared for, and excited about a feisty day, and it started off exactly that. Three of us stuck pretty close, the others not far behind. Two of us in Sun Lofts had a nice match race with single reefs and a beautiful 20 knots on the beam. The Bob Boat took off with full sail and peeled away from us with benefits of holding a course much tighter to the wind than the Sun Lofts could. Around the easternmost headland of Hvar, we had roughly ten miles to tack through two islands before turning towards our destination. By 10am we had a consistent 30 knot blow. I reefed conservatively, as my trust in the rig maintenance and in-mast furling was slim-to-none. In the moment, I fully appreciated the under-sized rig and small sail plan of the Sun Loft, it was actually challenging to be come overpowered, therefore challenging to mess it up. By the time we had 35 knots of headwind, we were triplereefed and the engine was on to help hold a course into the wind. The other boats got smaller and smaller in the distance. My entire crew had a great time. My 1.5 year old son, Otis, wanted his mother at an incredibly inconvenient time. Mommy could not, and would not, leave the helm. The girls took turns with him down below, closing the door to a berth so he couldn’t see me. The weather wasn’t letting up, and it was not forecasted to. We were tacking back and fourth at this point with wind in the high 30s and low 40s, the spray stung my face, the lee side of the cockpit at water up to my knees and wasn’t draining fast enough. I was waiting, waiting, waiting for something to break. I stood at the helm, part of me really enjoying it, part of me terrified of the rig failing. “If there is no improvement in ten minutes, we’re turning around,” I told some of the crew. It was only getting nastier, and the masochist in me wanted to make it to our destination, but the mother in me knew it was stupid. We were the first boat to turn around and seek shelter.
BBUC: Now, I gotta admit, we did not expect that much
It was my husband, who has been sailing since he was a small boy. He eats, breathes, and smokes sailboat, they are his life, and boy, does he despise mistakes. At the helm and inside the enclosure, he steered around the mooring field, full mainsail up. My God, the pleasure I took from that moment… LOL!!!
Share The Sail: Croatia
Getting ready for a great feast in Vrboska
BBUC:
www .L ats a tts . com40 Latitudes & Attitudes
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 41 wind. By the time we were past the “no return” spot in the channel, it was blowing 40-45 knots fairly regular. Not a bad thing when you are on your own boat and know the rigging, etc, but on a charter boat, we were kinda waiting for something to break. Our Skipper, Drew, and his wife, Kali, were used to these conditions as they deliver boats across the pond. The sail was, to say the least, “An Adventure.” By the time we pulled into the anchorage for the night we were ready to drop anchor. Two of six boats made it to our planned destination that evening. Four of us ultimately turned around, and reconnected in the town of Stari Grad, which was by land, a two mile taxi ride from our dinner reservation. One boat nearly lost their dinghy, another boat had an entire section of canvas rip off in the gust, and someone else’s job block ripped off the deck. I was so exhausted by the time we reached Stari Grad and my poor son still just wanted to be with me. It was also my first time docking in the Medi terranean, which requires reversing in stern to a cement wall, picking up bowlines and walking them forward to secure the bow. The opportunities to mess up are boundless. It is reversing your boat into a tight parking space, typically with a crosswind, and likelihood of wrapping your prop. I’d be lying if there was not a huge source of anxiety as a first-timer. In the end, it went beautifully and I was proud of us. It had been a hell of a day, the relief of safety was huge. My face and lips stung with windburn for days after. Stari Grad was a terrific diversion. We organized
Hail, hail, the gang’s all here!
The fleet anchored at the Blue Lagoon
BBUC: Jody had worked for months setting up a special dinner in Vrboska with a couple named Ante and Kate Stipisic. (She just bought a Harley!) They used a friend’s restaurant right in the marina called Ruzmarin, owned by a man named Domagoj Kraljevic. It was a perfect evening, and everyone attended. The meal was unbelieveable, with a full six courses and plenty of local wine!
taxis and everyone made it to dinner. There was an entire restaurant set up just for us. Overflowing wine. Bread fresh out of the oven. Charcuterie boards were works of art. Fish leapt from the sea onto our plates. We laughed about our long and strenuous day, discussed our decision making, the things that broke, how freaked out we were and how much fun we had. Guests were thrilled to mingle with other guests and grateful to spend time with Bob and Jody, because in the end, we were all there for Bob and Jody. It really was a gorgeous dinner, and worth trying to beat upwind in 35 knots for.
www .L ats a tts . com42 Latitudes & Attitudes
Share The Sail: Croatia
The remaining two days were slow and relaxed and the weather returned to gentle. Return day was 5pm Friday, but it wasn’t just us that had to come back to base at 5pm Friday. It was a dozen other charter companies and a few hundred other boats returning to the same base. All boats needed to be fu eled up and back at the dock and I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. At Our last night, a feeding frenzy on the docks!
3pm there must have been six boats reversing into the fuel dock at the same time, another twelve preparing to reverse down a long fairway into their slip, and another twenty on there way down the channel towards the marina. There was a lot of raging rpm-ing, bow thrusting, and shouting. On some boats too many chefs in the kitchen and on some docks not enough staff to facilitate. It was absolutely chaos and I trembled as I lined us up to reverse down a long narrow fairway. I didn’t want to be the one who messed up. I didn’t want to be the woman who messed up. Opportunity for disaster was inches away in every direction. A man in a dinghy directed me all the way in. To our right there is a boat fully sideways and out of control in the cross wing, everyone “OOOOHHHING” and “AHHHING.” In front, another boat was reversing and, like me, needed speed to steer. Behind me is a boat pulling out forward. In this moment there was no room for error. I kept my speed up, began my reverse turn and slammed it into the designated space after having a yelling match with a guy on the dock who told me I was in the wrong space. It was (aside from watch ing my husband also leave his mainsail up in the mooring field) by far the most exciting and satisfying moment of my week. On the final evening we had a leftover’s party at the dock, nearly sinking the stern of a Sun Loft with people, booze, and food. We will all be looking forward to the next Share the Sail, wherever it may be held next in the world. It’s a memorable social event that truly requires a go-with-the-flow attitude from everyone involved. With so much admiration for all the years Bob and Jody have been facilitating Share the Sail, It was a pleasure to be a part of their grand finale. Where would you like to see Share the Sail take place next?!
BBUC: We are thinkin’ maybe New Zea land, or The Great Barrier Reef of Austra lia? Email us with your ideas!!
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 43
YouTube Creator ENCOUNTERS While Crossing The Atlantic Recently Migrant Raft By Erin Carey
Latitudes & Attitudes 47
Unfortunately, it’s still commonplace to find migrants making treacherous crossings across oceans on small, overloaded, poorly constructed rafts. The sailing community often discuss their actions if they come across such a raft carrying migrants. This was put to the test when Ryan Ellison crossed the waters from Lanzarote to Antigua in January thisRyanyear.and his partner Sophie Darsy have called Polar Seal, a 2007 Beneteau Oceanic 40, home for over four years. Ryan had an opportunity to sail solo for the first time. He was ready to push his limits and sail familiar waters on his own, face physical and mental challenges, and appreciate solitude. Ryan is no stranger to tough and challenging environments; he’s an ex-fighter jet pilot, marathon runner and mountaineering enthusiast. He’s handled many high-stress situations in the past and gone solo often.
On Monday, January 24th, he set sail towards Antigua on a challenge of a lifetime. Just over 24-hours after departing Marina Rubicon in Lanzarote, Ryan was sailing along the eastern coast of Fuerteventura, ready to face the strong acceleration winds the area is so well known for. A little after 15:00 that day, the winds picked up as expected, and he knew he was in for a rough ride through the night until he reached the lee of GranThroughoutCanaria. the day, there were various mentions of an adrift migrant raft. Sadly, mentions of such rafts are relatively frequent in this area. Ryan explained, “Sophie and I have discussed what we would do if we came across one of these migrant rafts”. In theory, the best policy is to observe the raft but keep a safe distance. Many rafts can carry over 30 scared people who could easily overwhelm a small sailing vessel and make an already bad situation infinitely worse. “If you get too close, people may swim for your vessel, leading to a dangerous multiple man overboard situation”. At 5:30pm, Ryan received a call: “Polar Seal, Las Palmas MRCC, could you please proceed to these coordinates and see if
48 Latitudes & Attitudes you spot any adrift rafts.” Without so much as a second thought, he redirected his route and headed to the coordinates four miles off his port side. Ryan recalled, “On my way there, I was full of adrenaline, but I really had no idea what I would find nor what I would do if I found it. I also took the opportunity to give Sophie a call on the satellite phone. If she saw my course change on the tracker, I knew she would be concerned, so I thought it prudent to keep her informed.”
I believe this is when one would say, ‘things are not going toRyanplan.”called clear-headed Sophie, and they discussed his plan of action. He would remain within a safe distance of the raft. Once night came, “I could see a faint glow of a flashlight which would come and go as the swell moved up and down. I’d shine my powerful Maglite in their direction regularly to reassure them that I was still there with them.” He was terrified, not only for the safety of those on the raft but also for himself. His imagination
Ryan was informed by the helicopter crew that they had to refuel and that a rescue boat was three hours away. They requested that he remain in situ and monitor the situation until the crew could return. Night was beginning to fall, “I had no idea how I would keep tabs on a black raft in the middle of the sea at night. I was alone with a migrant raft on my second solo night.
Less than 40-minutes later, Ryan spotted a bright orange rescue flag, 60 people and a raft. Without hesitation, he contacted MRCC to confirm the sighting. “I noticed on the chart plotter that the rescue helicopter was already en route. At this point, a flood of emotions poured over me. These poor people were sitting right in the middle of the acceleration zone. What if some of them bail and try to swim to me? How could I help them? What am I doing here?” The helicopter duly arrived, “I was starting to wonder how the operation would unfold. There were no other rescue vessels other than two tankers less than five miles away that ignored repeated radio calls from the MRCC and me. It’s shameful but not unexpected given how Mediterranean governments have treated ships that have picked up migrants in the past.”
Ryan, completely fatigued after having no sleep, saw three more sets of lights emerging from the black of the sea. “I was completely disorientated and thought I was seeing things. Was there more than one raft out there? This terrified me.
and senses became heightened, beginning to set in real fear.
Out of nowhere came a huge wave that flooded the cockpit, destroying the radio, cameras and logbook. “I started to cry. I was terrified. I was flooded with so many emotions; how does humanity allow this to happen in the world? Over 21,000 migrants come to the Canaries, many on rafts like this one every year. This event is traumatic for me, but these rescue people do this every day, sometimes two or three times.”
Ryan then received a call from his good friend and mentor, Andy Schell. Andy provided some emotional support that gave Ryan some much-needed inner strength. Although solo, Sophie and Andy were his crew that night, with him every step of the way. Throughout the night, MRCC would provide updates to Sophie and Ryan via radio and satellite phone.
www .L ats a tts . com50 Latitudes & Attitudes
At 9:30pm, the helicopter returned, giving a sense of hope to Ryan and all those on the raft. The helicopter pilot radioed Ryan and explained that he could resume his original course, “the pilot told me that if I had not stayed, most of the people on the raft would have died. It still makes me cry just thinking about it.”
Keeping track of one raft was proving difficult, now having to potentially monitor four was going to be near impossible. I kept thinking I would lose them or worse still, collide with them.”
Bio: Erin Carey lives aboard her Moody 47 called ROAM, with her husband and three sons. They have cruised throughout the Caribbean, across the Atlantic Ocean and are currently in the Med. Erin runs a PR agency called Roam Generation, working with travel, leisure and luxury brands. It is the only PR agency in the world run from a yacht.
The media reported the following day that the MRCC had rescued 60 people from the raft that Ryan came across and coordinated the rescue of over 300 people inThetotal.weather and Ryan’s emotions almost got the better of him. Strong winds pushed him further south, eventually taking him to Cape Verde. “I found warmth in the friendship of the sailing community. I found myself telling the story to people I’d just met. There was no judgement, just lots of support, hugs and tears. I spent the next two weeks in Cape Verde recovering until I was emotionally strong enough to continue to Antigua and to solo finish what I started!”
“This journey started as a path of self-discovery and ended with a story that the world needs to hear. The sea means many things to people. For some, it’s a livelihood; for others, it’s a way of life, a hobby or a passion. But for many others, just like the migrants, it’s full of dangers and high risks. As sailors, we have an unspoken duty to protect those at sea. I could not have sailed past the raft that night. There would be a cold place in hell waiting for me if I did. Emotionally, I also needed that help. The sailing community really stepped up and gave me a helping hand in a foreign country. I love this life and the people that I meet within it”.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 51
Cruising on the California coast in the long, lazy days of late summer was extremely satisfying. The bays and harbors are well located for comfortable day sailing and slow-paced mornings segue into exhilarating afternoons galloping ahead of the sea breeze to reach the next anchorage byAssundown.we sailed southwards aboard our Liberty 458 sloop, Distant Drummer, we sought out attractions to amuse even the most seasoned cruiser; nature and history provide a wealth of interesting places to explore, the cities are teeming with shopping, and there is a plethora of sights to see from fun parks to film studios. While cruising in California, I was captivated by the tales of R.H. Dana who spent two years aboard a Boston brig loading hides between San Francisco and San Diego. His memoir “Two Years Before the Mast” provided an intriguing cruising guide and it was interesting to compare the passage of today with his voyage nearly two hundred years ago.
MONTEREY BAY AND POINT CONCEPTION
www .L ats a tts . com52 Latitudes & Attitudes
We had been in the San Francisco Bay area for six weeks and had explored most of its nooks and crannies. We had cruised up the delta, hung out around the Bay, and sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge enough times to finally catch it naked without its habitual foggy shroud. As we passed under the Gate for the final time, we were graced by a pair of humpback whales. It was fantastic to watch them surfacing and breaching so close to the entrance to the bay. The passage from San Francisco to Monterey was a leisurely three day cruise, motor-sailing in the gentle Suzy Carmody, s/v Distant Drummer
CaliforniaCoastCruisingthe
CojoovernightWemainsail.stitchedthetwoabreeze15-20ktwithfullgibandreefsinnewly-stoppedinanchorage, a small cove which shelters behind Point Conception and has a great view of the lighthouse. It is one of the oldest lighthouses on the California coast but is rarely visited as land access is restricted by the military and by a private ranch, so only yachties get to see it!
Back in the early-1800s, Monterey was the seat of the Spanish government and boasted the only customhouse on the California coast. With the huge demand for canned sardines during WW1, Monterey mushroomed, but the old Custom House can still be found standing in the Presidio by the wharf. We sauntered along Cannery Row past the clapboard canning factories which have been renovated and transformed into fashionable shops and restaurants. The town was lively with summer tourists, but we saw no sign of the Montereyreally,reported…andkindfandangos,gambling“cock-fighting,ofallsorts,andeveryofamusementknavery”thatDanaashameitsoundedlikefun!HeadingsouthfromwehadaboisterousovernightpassagearoundPoint Sur with a 2m swell and the wind gusting over 40kts on the starboard beam. At sunrise, we noticed that a seam close to the top of the mainsail had split so we decided to stop in Morro Bay to repair it. We slipped through the channel between the sand spit and sugar loaf peak of Morro Rock and thankfully dropped the pick in the anchorage area opposite the old power plant. A colony of sea otters lives in Morro Bay and they are constantly diving and feeding, playing and nursing their fluffy pups in the tranquil water of the bay. Watching their antics provided a perfect distraction as I sat in a billow of canvas stitching the mainsail. Point Conception is a cape with an unhealthy reputation for strong winds and rough water; Dana reported “gales, swept decks [and the] topmast carried away.” We were somewhat luckier and enjoyed a beautiful sail from Morro Bay to Santa Barbara in a
the bay to Monterey on a crisp blue-sky day with a 20kt breeze on the starboard quarter was magical sailing; we were almost sorry to arrive at the harbor. A mooring field occupies the area to the west of Fisherman’s Wharf, so we anchored on the east side and settled in for a calm, clear night. Monterey Harbor is one of the few anchorages which is exposed to winds from the north, but luckily the wind had backed to the southwest and we were protected behind Point Pinos.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 53 morning breeze until a brisk northwesterly filled in during the early afternoon. The first night we tucked in behind the breakwater at Half Moon Bay and stopped for the second night at Santa Cruz. We dropped the pick on the east side of the pier, slap-bang in front of the world-famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk. As an aficionado of fairground kitsch, I rushed ashore to revel in all the fun of the fair. Later, as we tried to sleep, it was not the throbbing music and screams from the amusement park that kept us from the sea lion colony beneath theCrossingpier.
VE NTURA AND SANTA MON ICA BAY As we continued southwards down the coast, finding somewhere to drop anchor became more of a challenge. San Diego and the bays of the Channel Islands are the only natural harbors in Southern California. Many ports have an anchorage area behind the breakwater but anchoring in these zones is often limited to a maximum stay of seventy-two hours. These areas were patrolled by harbor police who seemed bent on steering us into marinas like sheep into a fold. As an alternative, the yacht clubs in North America have a brilliant system of reciprocity. They offer a few days’ free moorage and hospitality to cruisers visiting from other clubs and this provides a great solution to cruising without mounting up huge marina bills. The strong northwest winds which whistle around Point Conception and the western Channel Islands in the summer
SANTABARBARAANDTHECHANNELISLANDS
Thethefindingwasinbeingdownsidemiddayscorchingthesun.TheonlyofanchoredSantaBarbarathedifficultyinaplacetolanddinghytogoashore.surfmakesabeach
It was a clear, sunny day when we departed Santa Barbara and we had a fantastic sail across to the Channel Islands. With just the head sail up, we were flying along nicely in a steady 20kt sea breeze which blew until the sun went down. Santa Cruz Island is the largest of the group of steep, craggy islands that lie on the south side of the Santa Barbara Channel. We anchored in Pelican Cove, a pocket-sized crevice in the sheer cliffs that make up the north coast of the island. The anchorage is exposed to weather from the north but a mild westerly swell wrapped around into our notch, giving us a slightly rolly night. Pelican Cove has no beach so getting ashore is hazardous. Instead, we pumped up our inflatable kayak and explored the bay from the water, paddling amongst the dramatic caves and sea arches.
Little Scorpion Cove at the east end of Santa Cruz Island is an imposing anchorage lined with tall cliffs and tottering sea stacks. The water is as clear as gin and it was mesmerizing to watch the kelp fronds swaying in the swell as it dashed white against the rocky islands. We dinghied ashore to a small sandy beach and climbed up the steep path for a walk along the cliff tops. It was a glorious day, the visibility was sensational, and it was wonderful to see Distant Drummer anchored in the bay below and with Anacapa Island fading away into the distance.
Santa Barbara is a day’s sail from Point Conception. The wind was light, but we had the dependable southerly California Current helping us along, and we arrived in time to drop the pick to the east of Stearns Wharf as the sun set. We enjoyed sundowners on the back deck with a view of the twin towers of the Mission peeping out amongst the white-washed walls and red tiled roofs of the town and the surf pounding on the golden beach. The Mission at Santa Barbara was the tenth built by the Spanish along the Alta California coast. It was constructed in the early 1800s and is the only mission which still operates today as a Franciscan Friary. It is one the few old buildings still standing as most of the town was destroyed by an earthquake in 1925. The thick stone walls and arched walkways surrounding the rose garden and central courtyard provide a cool, hideawaydark
www .L ats a tts . com54 Latitudes & Attitudes CRUISING THE CALIFORNIA COASTCRUISING THE CALIFORNIA COAST
landing difficult; Dana described a group of Sandwich Islanders as they rowed their boat in to the shore: “...they gave three or four long and strong pulls and went in on top of the great wave.” We weren’t quite up for that and eventually we were able to buy a three-day permit to use the “skiff row” inside the marina.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 55 months tend to die out once they reach the Santa Monica Basin. We re-crossed the Santa Barbara Channel from Santa Cruz Island to Ventura, motor-sailing in light airs, and tied up at the Ventura Yacht Club. We received a hearty welcome at the club and an invitation to join in a pot luck at the club house that evening. We had a fine time chatting with the locals, listening to a few yarns, and gaining a bit of local knowledge about favorite spots. We were warned that Point Dume is another headland with a ruthless reputation. The Pacific swells pound through the gaps between the Channel Islands and wrap around Point Dume—making anchorage at Paradise Cove just behind the Point untenable except in the calmest seas. We struck it lucky again with surprisingly serene conditions and spent two fantastic days anchored there. Snorkelling at the Point with a couple of dozen sea lions was an unforgettable experience. They circled playfully around us and were curious, often swooping up for a closer look. Their bodies, which seem so cumbersome on land, were lithe and graceful underwater.TheMalibu shoreline between Paradise Cove and Santa Monica is home to some of the hottest real estate in the world; stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and Ellen DeGeneres keep the prices sizzling. As we sailed around the bay to Marina del Rey, we enjoyed gawking through the binoculars at the luxurious beach houses and sumptuous palaces in the hills above. At Marina del Rey, a roadstead anchorage lies close to the entrance channel, however the outer breakwater provides little shelter from the swell and anchoring there can be pretty rough. Instead, we tied up inside the harbor for a few days, firstly courtesy of the Del Rey Yacht Club and then the California Yacht Club; we were beginning to get the hang of the reciprocal system! Marina del Rey is just south of Venice Beach and Santa Monica and is an ideal place to leave the boat for a visit to Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We bought a forty-eighthour hop-on, hop-off bus ticket, climbed up to the open air top deck, and gorged ourselves on Hollywood craziness.
It is a short hop down the coast from Marina del Rey to San Pedro, where Dana noted that “...there was no sign of a town, not even a house to be seen”—incredible! Nowadays it has been engulfed by the Los Angeles sprawl.
The dock area of San Pedro and neighboring Long Beach is enormous, channeling vast quantities of imported Asian goods into the United States. The harbor in San Pedro has an extensive complex of marinas but a small corner behind the breakwater has been allocated for anchorage. We dropped the pick there and soon had a visit from the harbor police who generously gave us a permit to stay for two weeks. This gave us plenty of opportunity to explore the area and to share some good times with cruising friends Tom and Britta who live on their yacht Desire in the marina there. Dana reported that the “rascally hole of San Pedro” (love that description!) was unsafe during the violent northeasterly winds which blow out of the desert in the autumn and winter. These hot, dusty winds are known as Santa Ana and the west coast of Catalina Island is a great place to shelter from them. It is also a favorite place for Angelinos to unwind at the weekend and as a
ISLAND
CATALINABAYPEDROAND
The red dust and eucalyptus trees reminded us of northern Australia. We propped up the bar in the Harbor Reef restaurant, supped a couple of icy cold beers, and enjoyed the casual and easy-going pace of island life in the low season. Little Harbor lies south of Catalina Harbor on the west coast. It has no settlement, just a couple of empty beaches, a camp site, and a dirt road connecting it to the rest of the island. In the evening, we went ashore to use the showers and, as we were soaping up, we were startled to see two bison grazing amongst the palm trees. It was astonishing to see these primeval beasts on a small island just off the Southern Californian coast. Apparently fourteen bison were brought to the island in 1924 to be extras in a film called The Vanishing American. When the filming finished, so did the money to transport them back to the Great Plains—or so the story goes—but they seem to be thriving in their exile.
DANA POINT AND SAN DIEGO After a couple of weeks of happy gunkholing in San Pedro Bay, we departed for San Diego, the last leg of our California cruise. A light wind was blowing from the southeast and we tacked laboriously between container ships and Oil Islands. We passed Newport Beach where the coastline begins to rise and high cliffs replace the famous sun baked Californian beaches. After a hard day’s tacking, we reached Dana Point and decided to call it a day, hoping for better wind in the morning. The bay at Dana Point is protected by a long breakwater and is almost completely full of marina berths. There is a small anchoring area behind the breakwater but we enjoyed a reciprocal night at the dock, courtesy of the Dana Point Yacht Club. Dana Point is the zenith of Dana lore; statues of him abound around the town and a reproduction of the brig Pilgrim lies in the bay. He is immortalized for an incident that happened at San Juan while they were collecting and loading hides.
CRUISING THE CALIFORNIA COASTCRUISING THE CALIFORNIA COAST
www .L ats a tts . com56 Latitudes & Attitudes consequence, the most popular bays are full of moorings. However, cruising boats can usually find room on the fringes and in the deeper water to drop the pick. We anchored in Catalina Harbor on the west coast and walked across the isthmus to the small community of Two Harbors, which lies on the east side of the
The Oil Islands provide another surreal anchoring experience. These are man-made islands which lie off Long Beach Harbor and were constructed in order to develop the Wilmington oil field which underlies San Pedro Bay. The good people of Long Beach liked the money but didn’t like the view of ugly production platforms. So islands with palm trees were built around them and fake apartment buildings were erected to disguise the unsightly drilling derricks. Although anchorage is only allowed behind White Island at weekends, the Oil Islands offer a bizarre alternative to tying up in a marina for the night.
Dana reports that tossing the hides from the bluffs down to the beach was much quicker than carrying them down the dangerous cliff path. When a hide got stuck part way down the cliff he was lowered down “by a pair of top-gallant studding-sail halyards” to dislodge it. Thus, he became a bit
www .L ats a tts Latitudes & Attitudes 57 of a local legend and the area previously known as San Juan was renamed Dana Point. When we woke the next day, the wind had veered to a robust southwesterly and we had a glorious sail down to Mission Bay, a large shallow inlet which lies just to the north of the city of San Diego. Low bridges prevent sailboats from accessing most of the bay, but Mariners Cove is a lagoon close to the entrance channel, which is where we found a spot to anchor. Sipping sundowners in this tranquil cove, basking in the golden light of the setting sun, was heavenly. The next day, we rounded Point Loma, giving it a wide berth because of the kelp field on its seaward side, and passed through the channel into San Diego Bay. Dana considered San Diego to be “the best harbor on the coast, being completely land-locked, and the water as smooth as a duck-pond.” These days, the duck pond behind the sand bar is filled with container ships and naval vessels, super yachts and sailboats. The anchorage rules in San Diego require visiting boats to be inspected for safety and seaworthiness at the Harbor Police Dock. Having passed inspection, we were issued a 30-day permit for the A-9 Cruisers Anchorage, which is located conveniently close to downtown. From the anchorage, it is just a stroll along the waterfront to reach the Maritime Museum and USS Midway, and a short walk up the hill to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. The downside of the anchorage is that it is located adjacent to the runway of the international airport and the noise pollution is off the scale!
The late summer and early autumn months were a perfect time to be cruising southwards down the California coast. Although the winds were often light, we could rely on the afternoon sea breeze to switch on the turbo — and on our good buddy the south setting California Current —to keep us moving in the right direction. We greatly appreciated the yacht club reciprocal membership system and shout out a big thank you to the clubs who generously hosted us along the way. In the two hundred years since Dana visited California, megametropolises have mushroomed in once-deserted bays.
Harbors are now cluttered with marinas and anchoring rules, but there is still room for the freedom-loving cruiser to swing on the anchor and be delightfully happy.
AndTHOSEThereThenareDAYS
Attitude makes all the difference. Let me explain. We arrived in Kos Harbor and saw that there were laid lines, and I thought to myself ‘no crossed anchors here.’ The dock master was waving us in and I looked like a pro as I expertly backed our Jeanneau DS 40, SoulMates, to the dock. Just as Patty was about to toss the stern lines, we came to an abrupt halt and the engine stopped. Quickly, she threw the dock lines and we were glad that they were long as it was just enough to reach the dock. The dock master pulled up the first laid line, we tied it, and then the second to the bow. Relieved that we were safe, we wondered what happened. The dock master pointed to a third laid line between the other two, which was stretched tight — OH NO.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 61
Anchor off of a little, palm tree-covered island in crystal clear water, the boat gently rocking in a light breeze while you sit in the cockpit watching the sun go down with a Cuba Libre in your hand, glad you are not in the rat-race any more; or moor in a tiny Greek harbor and sit in the café behind your boat, sipping a great Greek wine while listing to Zorba the Greek and munching on calamari, olives, and octopus. Believe me, in over 14 years of cruising, SoulMates and crew has paid the dividends on more than one rum factory and winery. But there are those days when, well, you wish you were in a nice cozy house sitting in a recliner and watching old reruns of Lats&Atts TV and wishing you were there. Those days are what we call the dark side of cruising. Not that there are a lot of them, but each stick to one’s memory like a bad dream that never goes away. The real issue is how you handle those bad days, which will determine if you got what it takes to be out here to join this wonderful family.
Cruising is perhaps the most idyllic way one can spend their life.
On went the mask, snorkel, and fins and into the water I went to find mission impossible. The line was tightly wrapped around the shaft between the prop and the strut. “Let’s not panic,” I thought, “but let’s think this through…”First, I did not have gills so I needed a way to breathe underwater and, thanks to a very bright son who made me a homemade hookah, I could spend time under SoulMates cleaning theOutbottom.ofthe water, I climbed — time for the wetsuit and some weights. I turned the engine on for electricity, and back into the briny deep with a sharp knife I went. To say the dockmaster was not thrilled with my docking is a bit of an understatement, but he was all smiles when I cut the laid line and it was long enough to reach the dock so he could repair it. But now came the rest of the line, and boy was it tight — actually almost welded together — and I had to cut a bit and work it free. All worked well until Patty got concerned and pulled the air hose out of my mouth. Coming up, I looked at her and she just said, “I wanted to make sure you were ok.” As I coughed out that bit of saltwater I ingested, I thought “How can you argue with that?”
In the Black Sea, we knew the winds picked up in the early afternoon so we tried to be in a harbor by 1200 or so; it gave us time to see the local town and enjoy the culture. One day, it was so peaceful and calm, we decided to stretch our day by 10nm. We had 5kts of wind on the nose and the seas were flat and calm at 1200. By 1230, the winds began to pick up and were blowing 15kts and the seas became short, steep, and breaking — but, hey, we were almost next to the breakwater! By 1245, the winds were 20kts, gusting 25, and the seas were 3-feet-plus steep and breaking. We usually run SoulMates at 2200 to 2500 rpm and, with our Brunton variable pitch prop, we get really good speed, but on this day, we were at 3200 rpm going straight up and then slamming straight down, while trying to make 2-3kts. The wind picked up to 25kts, gusting 30, and the seas were getting even bigger now. “No need to panic,” I thought as we’ve got a great boat and I could see the harbor entrance… only there was a bunch of rocks just above the harbor entrance. I knew if I got turned too soon, the waves would pick us up and carry us sideways into the breakwater at the harbor entrance, but if I delayed too long, I would hit the rocks. Timing was everything and, just before the rocks, I got a smaller wave and made the turn and it carried the boat straight at the breakwater sideways. When I got SoulMates around, I was dead center of the harbor entrance, only we were doing eight knots, Of course, there are also those days when you think you got it all planned and the wind gods take over.
www .L ats a tts . com62 Latitudes & Attitudes
And Then There Are Those Days
After one and a half hours under SoulMates, I was able to cut off the last piece. We finished backing in and had a wonderful stay in Kos — but only because we were prepared and said ‘stuff happens, let’s deal with it.’ (Later, when I did a haul out, I installed a Spurs shaft line cutter.)
Collision or water coming into the boat? Maybe. But perhaps the worst thing that will really ruin your day is fire. It will take you and your boat down What is the worst thing a sailboat captain can experience? MOB? Maybe. Out of rum? Nope.
On the other side, we met Mehmet. It was Ramadan so nothing was open, not even a cay house, but if you know the Turkish fishermen, there is a cay someplace! We did find it and sat with the fishermen out of sight. People of the sea were hanging out together and no one there spoke English; we did not know much Turkish but we did communicate.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 63 surfing into the harbor at Tirebolu. My only thought was that I was hoping these charts were right on depth. Getting in the harbor, I looked at where we were supposed to tie up, but it was wide open to the harbor entrance with waves pounding on it. Luckily, there was another dock that was facing the entrance. It was full of fishermen and, as I turned and began to approach the dock with our bow towards the entrance, it was a mad dash as they rushed to get their lines out of the water and then grab our lines and tie us up. We had taken a two- to three-hour beating and were exhausted when a car pulled up. Assuming it was customs and immigration, I got the boat papers out but he said, “No, I have something for you.” Mehmet, a college professor teaching in the local university, had seen our fight with the sea. He handed me a kilo of fresh cherries and two rounds of bread, told us they would help us relax, and finished with a “Nicely done, Captain.” Mehmet and I still talkPattyoccasionally.stillhasno fond memories of that bashing, and me… well, let’s just say I am sure glad Jeanneau makes a great, strong boat and, yea, prayers are answered. Many a big ship captain told us the Black Sea is named “Black” on purpose. I never tempted her again or, for that matter, any other conditions that I deemed undesirable.
www .L ats a tts . com64 Latitudes & Attitudes very fast and, once it gets going, it is impossible toLeavingextinguish.the lagoon in St. Martins, I transited the Dutch side bridge and started around to Marigot Bay to set up for a 0400 departure to the BVIs. The wind was up a bit at 15-20kts and the seas were a good four to five feet, but I was taking them at an angle so no pounding and at 2200 rpm, I was doing a nice 5-6kts. All was good as I approached the final headland when I smelled something very unusual. I went below and saw a bit of smoke from the engine compartment. I pulled the plug on the side and saw nothing but smoke, but also no blaze. So, I opened the companionway hatch, and there I saw fire. I already had a fire extinguisher in hand and immediately sprayed the fire that was on the starboard side of the engine. Not only did I spray the fire but, because the fire was close to the fuel lines, I sprayed everything. With the engine still running, I slowly made my way into Marigot Bay and called for assistance just in case the fire started again or the engine died. A couple of cruisers came out to guide me in and help me anchor. The engine would not shut off except via the plunger in the engine compartment. Once all settled, I contacted my insurance company and they set up a surveyor who came out and tried to ascertain the extent and the cause. He was followed by a repair company who also developed a repair plan and determined what caused it. The best explanation I got was a wire had rubbed against the side of the engine in the back and shorted out, causing the fire. Why did it rub? No idea. But both people who came out said ‘whatever you do, do not start the engine.’ So, SoulMates got towed in and sat at the dock in Lagoon Marina undergoing repairs. The electrician doing the repairs said it was not much of a fire and that I did a great job reacting and getting the fire out quickly. But, to me, it was a huge forest fire that I never want to see again… even if it was a nice compliment on my reaction. And Then There Are Those Days
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 65
Over the past 15 years, SoulMates and crew have experienced many an anxious moment. Non sailors have asked many times, “Are you ever scared or frightened?” My response is always the same: I am way too busy to be afraid. If I think about it, I will lose my concentration and that causes a loss of focus, of processing all the alternatives, which could also lead to consequences that are not acceptable. Be calm and stay calm. Attitude makes the difference.
SevenSt.John,USVIDays Capt. Shane McClellan Around
Trust me, so is everyone. What you might want to consider is what has turned out to be the easiest charter location in the Caribbean: The US Virgin Islands. Having run charters on Guiding Light, my Lagoon 410, in the Virgin Island for most of the last decade, I can tell you St. John is an amazing charter location and one you will not regret checking out.
Are you having trouble finding a place to get away during these turbulent times due to COVID-19?
I know what you are thinking: A week to go around one island? Simply stated, you bet. St. John is packed with such a variety of different activities that you will love it and below is a sample of what a week around St. John would look like. Enjoy!
www .L ats a tts . com70 Latitudes & Attitudes Day 1 – Pick up or meet your boat. I prefer to start in Red Hook because it is on the east end of St. Thomas and a good jumping-off spot. If you start in Charlotte Amalie then you simply need to add a two-hour upwind motor to get to the east end. The first stop is on the southwest corner of St. John and it is the secluded Rendezvous Bay. Tuck up into the eastern part of the bay just off a rocky beach. Here you have the choice of two different snorkel spots. The one to the left is against the cliff side and you will be amazed at the variety of sea creatures you will find. The second spot is on the opposite side of the boat. This one is from the edge of the beach all the way out to the point. Halfway out you will start to find large rocks, walls, and overhangs that are covered in coral and fish. This snorkel is a bit deeper (15-25 feet) and more advanced, but is amazing. Day 2 – The first stop will be in Reef Bay in order to hike up to see the 500- to 1000-year-old PreColombian Petroglyphs and the last active sugar factory on St. John. It is also the only one that brought in steam equipment to run the factory. Once you are done with your hike head half a mile or so to the east and snorkel Tektite Point in Great Lamshur Bay. This spot has some cool history as NASA and NOAA ran underwater tests here back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Finish your day off at Salt Pond Bay where you will find only five other boats since you have to take a mooring while inside the US National Park that makes up two-thirds of St. John. Day 3 – Start your day off with a sunrise hike out to Ram’s Head, one of the most popular hikes on St. John. Other highlights of Salt Pond Bay are the wonderful beach, turtles, and snorkeling. If you want a more adventurous snorkel then check out the cliff between Salt Pond Bay and Blue Cobblestone Beach to the south (also where the Ram’s Head hike goes by). You can also walk from the beach to the other side of the peninsula and check out the artwork people have made using the coral on the beach at Drunk Bay. Around 2-3 pm head around Ram’s Head with the boat and find a place to anchor in Coral Bay so you can have dinner at Skinny Legs, which is a funky little burger and sandwich joint that people love to visit. Day 4 – Spend the morning snorkeling along the mangrovelined bays of Otter and Water Creek in Hurricane Hole. This is one of my favorite snorkels in the whole Virgin Islands because you will find coral, sponges, fish, and other creatures in and on the mangrove tree roots. It is a very different snorkel from what you will find anywhere else. Once done snorkeling head back to Coral Bay to have lunch at Lime Out, which is an amazing taco boat that has lilypads for your group to hang out in. Once done with lunch, head Seven Days Around St. John, USVI
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 71
www .L ats a tts . com72 Latitudes & Attitudes
to Newfound Bay on the east coast of St. John. This is a bay that I can almost guarantee you will have to yourself. Make sure you are comfortable with reef navigation because you need to sail between two reefs on a lee shore to enter the bay. You must have good light, so get here early. Once inside you can tuck in behind the southern reef and you will have an amazing breeze and view of the BVI. If the weather is settled enough to snorkel outside the reef, it is amazing. Otherwise do the entrance to the bay on both sides and you will find some good stuff.
I see rays coming into this bay all the time. Day 5 – Time to enjoy a four-mile downwind sail to Waterlemon Bay where you will find some of the best examples of soft corals in the VI. The best snorkeling is on the back side of Waterlemon Cay, which was John, USVI
Seven Days Around St.
the last place on the island where pistol duels took place. You can also enjoy the beach and walk over to Annaberg Sugar Factory, which is the most popular historic site on St. John and the largest of the five windmills on the island. Up on the hillside from the anchorage, you will find a garrison house and a great house. Day 6 – Today is beach day where you can choose from four different major beaches and a handful of small beaches to play on all within a one-mile area. Each beach provides its own atmosphere: Francis is quieter and has a boardwalk hike, Maho has food trucks, Cinnamon is the National Parks campgrounds, and Trunk is considered one of the most beautiful. My favorite is actually the small beach to the west of Cinnamon Beach. It is amazing and you will probably have it to yourself. You can moor at any of the bays,
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 73
www .L ats a tts . com74 Latitudes & Attitudes but I prefer Francis Bay because it is the calmest and provides the best breeze. Another choice is to spend the night in Caneel Bay or off Honeymoon Beach and dinghy around the corner into Cruz Bay to enjoy dinner and nightlife in town. Day 7 – You can Snorkel Whistling Cay and hang out on another beach in the morning and early afternoon before heading downwind to Christmas Cove. This is a very popular and great anchorage outside the National Park. There is great snorkeling to be found along a five-foot ridge at the head of the bay and around the Fish Cays in the middle of the bay. With that said the best part of Christmas Cove is having pizza for dinner from Pizza Pi, which is a boat built specifically to dish out some of the best pies you will find. Day 8 – Relax until you need to head back to the base to drop off the boat and have a safe flight home. About the Author After 11 years of running charters in the Virgin Islands & Eastern Caribbean, Captain Shane is setting sail for the Greater Antilles, including Cuba, and Belize. Check out his adventures at www.svGuidingLight.com. Seven Days Around St. John, USVI
What’s Out There?
The Seawind 1370 has panoramic toughened glass windows, with large opening windows forward for natural ventilation, and now includes a forward facing nav station and large galley up. Inside the master suite you can enjoy a large voluminous cabin with queen-sized island bed, walk in wardrobe, large windows for natural light and visibility and plenty of headroom thanks to the flat deck.
The protected twin helm stations have all controls and lines running under the decks and the cockpit is fully protected by a large fibreglass roof where over 1000 watts of solar panels can be housed. If you’ve been thinking about a cruising catamaran, you may want to visit www.seawindcats.com
Cruising Catamaran
www .L ats a tts . com76 Latitudes & Attitudes76 Latitudes & Attitudes www .L ats a tts . com
The very first thing you see when you board the Seawind 1370 is the quality of the gear used on the boat. The workmanship is obvious thruout the vessel, and it has been designed for the cruising family to get out there and see the world in Seawindcomfort.arebreaking new ground with this innovative 45 foot performance cruising cat. Combining some of the best features of their high-performance Seawind 1600 and award winning Seawind 1260 designs. She features a high performance hull design, yet balanced with spacious comfort and practical living spaces to produce an ideal world cruiser for couples and families. The Seawind’s tri-fold door remains to enable the saloon and cockpit to merge into one open space, or be closed in for warmth and security. The large saloon has a generous lounge and fold down table converting to another bed, while the cockpit features a cocktail bar and large transom lounge.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 77www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 77 Seawind 1370Seawind 1370 LOA 45’ LWL 45’ Draft 4’3” Beam 24’11” Displacement 24,250 lbs Power 2x 40 hp Fuel 155 USG Fresh Water 155 USG Holding Tanks 53 USG G et A ll T he F acts: www.seawindcats.com
There’s a new generation of high-end cruisers that optimize cockpit and interior layouts without sacrificing performance, practicality, or comfort. The Oceanis 54 is a delicate balance of form and function. She’s ready for a fast ocean passage or a leisurely double-handed sunset cruise. With an emphasis on quality, high-end materials, the Oceanis Yacht 54 represents the a modern monohull cruising design. The Oceanis Yacht 54 is a yacht that is loaded with the latest and greatest sailing technologies intuitively built into her systems, and they are designed to make the cruising experience as easy and as enjoyable as possible. Ship Control, an interface that allows access to boat data and components, is installed as standard. Shorthanding a 54-footer has never been easier.
The deck layout is designed for the cruising couple to easily handle the boat, so sailing short handed is not a problem. But it is large enough and comfortable enough for a crew of ten. In all Beneteau has come up with an innovative design for the cruisier who is willing to pay a little bit more for the ease of handeling and technicological advances, as well as the higher-end materiels that have gone into the production of this new design for the crusing sailor. Beneteau, being one of the largest boat manufacturers in the world, has a great number of dealers all over the world, which can be a Godsend when cruising the world. For more information, please contact your local dealer or go to www.beneteau.com.
www .L ats a tts . com78 Latitudes & Attitudes78 Latitudes & Attitudes www .L ats a tts . com
What’s Out There?
Cruising Monohull
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 79www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 79 Oceanis 54 Beneteau Oceanis 54 LOA 56’2” Hull Length 52’5” Beam 16’5” Displacement 36,586 lbs Power 80 or 110 hp Fuel 106 USG Fresh Water 190 USG Propulsion Sail or Shaft Drive GET ALL THE FACTS: www.beneteau.com
www .L ats a tts . com80 Latitudes & Attitudes What’s Out There? 80 Latitudes & Attitudes www .L ats a tts . com
The Fleming 55 is a well-proven raised pilothouse motoryacht designed for serious cruising. Her semidisplacement hull gives her great flexibility in performance. The Fleming 55 has a range of 2,000 nautical miles at 8 knots yet, with her standard Twin Cummins QSC 500 hp common rail engines, she can attain a top speed of approximately 18 knots. Maximum sustained cruising speed is around 17 knots where her moderate deadrise provides a very comfortable ride. On longer passages, Fleming owners typically cruise at a very economical speed of 10 knots, where the typical fuel burn is slightly more than 10 gph. The Fleming’s deep keel provides protection for the running gear and stability in following seas. Because noise and vibration contribute to fatigue, Fleming has paid special attention to producing a yacht which has become the standard in the industry for its whisper quiet, ultra smooth ride. Fundamental to this achievement is the use of Aquadrive anti-vibration drive systems. First introduced in 1986 it has benefited from a rigorous program of evolution. There have been literally hundreds of improvements made, both big and small. While its legendary hull design remains essentially the same, today’s Fleming 55 is a thoroughly modern yacht utilizing advanced technology, materials and construction methods. In 2019 construction of hull number 260 has recently been delivered, making it one of the most successful production yachts in history.
Power Cruising Yacht
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 81www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 81 Fleming 55 Fleming 55 LOA 55’9” Draft 5’ Beam 16’ Displacement 67,801 lbs Power 2X Cummings 500 hp Fuel 1000 USG Fresh Water 300 USG Holding Tank 100 USG GET ALL THE FACTS: www.flemingyachts.com
www .L ats a tts . com82 Latitudes & Attitudes LOOKINGSEAFARINGADVENTURE?MOREFOR FREEISSUES to active military personnel visiting us at any boat shows.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 83 www.LatsAtts.com/Subscribe Name Phone Email AddressCity State Zip/Country Code □ Check Enclosed □ Bill to my credit card (Visa/MC/Amex/Discover) Card # Exp. Date / CVV Signature Date signed / A09/22 □ Send the next 4 issues to my mailbox (One full year!) ............................ $25 □ Send the next 8 issues to my mailbox (Two full years!) .......................... $45 □ Send the next 12 issues to my mailbox (Three full years! Best deal!) $65 Access online e-zine versions at no additional charge. Get the print magazine in your mailbox, read online on your boat!MAGAZINE Outside of USA & Canada Please Add $10 per year for addtional postage MAGAZINE $25 A YEAR! Delivered direct to you! GET a FULL YEAR of GIANT PRINT ISSUES SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR ONLY of
84 Latitudes & Attitudes
By Pat Campbell, s/v Tehani, Warderick Wells, Exumas
Underway!
Ever wondered why people love the boating lifestyle? Well, here in the Underway section, folks from all over the world show us 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 the highest resolution possible. Tell us who took the pic and where it was taken. We will probably 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: Underway@LatsAtts.com.
Latitudes & Attitudes 85
Of Jake & Gallo Man in Edgartown By Bob of Cara at Ship MississippiIsland,Sound. By Joe & Jouliette on s/v Osprey, Pacific Seacraft 37. By Gary Peterson, Mexico www .L ats a tts . com86 Latitudes & Attitudes
26
By Rob, waiting for the wind, Lake Pepin, MN, Capri
By Robert Feld,CatalinaAvalon
By Greg Crowley, At Punta Colonet, Baja Mexico s/v Free
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 87
Spirit
By Dan & Ebeth Pitman, youngest, Matilda, helping the ready!Shamupegasus,princess,AwithCaptainthecharts.sippycup,andallatthe
By Marylyn Webb, Sailing in San Francisco
By Mark Thierman, Mermaid Kristina on Ocean Jedi in Tobago By Eric, Martha’s Vinyard & Nantuckett By Mer Grayson Jr. of Returning to the Susan II from a day at Anegada By Leo Roelofs, Chimo before the Pitons in St. Lucia By Adam, Pogoria moored in Hel, Poland By Brian Stork of his Mosescompanion,boatsailing in Maine www .L ats a tts . com88 Latitudes & Attitudes
45! www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 89
By Gordon King of his deck crew their Oceanis
By
on
future fore-
By Brent & Janet Schulze, Catalina Island. Paul Fishman, Fanshaw Lake, London, Ontario
ElderLarry-wish.ajustisplanawithoutgoalA
www .L ats a tts . com90 Latitudes & Attitudes
By Col. Chris Stokes of daughters Ruthie, Viv, and Frances Stokes laying on the trampoline of a Lagoon 380 in the BVI’s
By Chris Stokes, the Bahamas By Terry Billingsby, on Watauga Lake, Butler TN on Catalina
By Mike Stinson
30
By John, of Charlie, Frank, and Barney while sailing in Stuart, FL, on Cerulean 3520. Just great to be on theOnboardwater. the Aloha 34 Genie Of David, Cabo San Lucas, MX Of Jennifer & Missy, first time sailing. Picture taken on Lake Erie. They are sailing on Jennifer’s dad’s recently restored Kings Cruiser, Baltic Rose. Northern Queensland, Australia www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 91
By Kimberly Barkhurst, The calm before Hurricane Henri on s/v Penrose in Connecticut
By Joe & Juliette aboard s/v Osprey
By Randy McMeekin, Lake Ontario
Photo from Rock Hall, Maryland. Grandpa is taking the dog (Denver) and grandchildren (Ella, Andrew and Christian) for a dinghy ride
By Chris Stokes, The Kaneohe Sand Bar with Craig Batchelder, Brad Pearson, and Chris, Chris Jr., and Frances Stokes
By Connie Boasman, of Martin Carrierre with s/v Want To, friend Doug and wife Chris
www .L ats a tts . com92 Latitudes & Attitudes
By Allison Helfen, of Mac, a 14 1/2 year old golden retriever on our boat Kokomo in Seattle, WA
By Steve Olson, First Mate Chelsea enjoying a bit of cell service in Bandares Bay. Of Cata, Nela and Peter Isern departing for Key Largo from Miami
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 93
busy!quiteI’mheadmyinbutnothing,doingI’mlikelookmayIt River of Ryck in Greifswald, Germany By Cheryl, Gulf of Mexico By Cam Law of Lucy sailing on moonstruck Inner Hebrides, Scotland www .L ats a tts . com94 Latitudes & Attitudes
Of Cadence McCann, sipping a ginger ale on a broad reach between Anegada and Jost Van Dyke By Dianna Peercy, Kelleys Island, Lake Erie Curt & Jill Albro aboard Namahana in Mexico Of weather on the way. By Len on Moreton Bay, QLD www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 95
www .L ats a tts . com96 Latitudes & Attitudes
Sunderland
Followers of Latitudes & Attitudes may remember the January 2010 Issue #116 cover story about Abby Sunderland, the 16-year-old California native, and her attempt to be the youngest female to circumnavigate the globe, single-handed, non-stop. Well, that record attempt was foiled when she was rolled over in the Indian Ocean by a rogue wave, which collapsed her rig after sailing halfway around the world alone. Fortunately, she was rescued and is alive and well to share her story with us 12 years later. You can read the whole story of her adventure in her book Unsinkable, which was reviewed in the Summer 2021 issue of Lats &Atts I first met Abby when as a toddler she accompanied her father Laurence Sunderland on a job he was doing for me on my boat in Marina del Rey, California in the mid-1990s. Abby could sail before she could walk, as the Sunderland family lived on and off on their boats while cruising the West Coast of America and Mexico. In 2009, her older brother Zac completed a solo circumnavigation in his specially prepared Islander 36, using the Equatorial route, and for a while held the record for the youngest person to have accomplished this feat. Though I relocated from California to the Gulf Coast, Laurence and I stayed in touch. To my surprise, when I contacted him about doing the review of Abby’s book for Lats&Atts, I learned she had gotten married, had four children, and was living a typical suburban lifestyle in Mobile, Alabama near where I currently live. The following is her story, 12 years later. SimsAbigail
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 97 16-Year-Old Circumnavigator,Solo “Unsinkable”The Interview by Capt. Jim Cash 12 Years Later
L&A: How did the reality of the adventure stack up against your initial expectations?
www .L ats a tts . com98 Latitudes & Attitudes
ABBY: Now I’m having to dig real deep to try and even remember what it was I had expected all those many
ABBY: I’m glad I had the experience, but no, I would not let any one of my children attempt a similar trip at that age.
ABBY: My childhood and [cruising, live-a-board] lifestyle leading up to my big adventure was probably the biggest influence on it. Why the circumnavigation, especially solo, I don’t remember exactly. But, living a life so free, we were being home schooled, and full of family adventure definitely left me with a desire for more adventure and a need to challenge myself.
ABBY: She and I had been in touch to basically congratulate each other for completing and still being alive after our trips. We did not keep in touch over the years. To be honest this question still makes me laugh a little. In my mind, record or no record, both of us had done something incredibly daring and impressive. Having not achieved a record to show off, in my case, doesn’t diminish what we did and the experiences we had.
L&A: Who and/or what was the biggest influence on your desire to sail solo around the world?
L&A: Your brother Zac held the title as the youngest person to sail around the world, for a while, at age 16, joining the ranks with Robin Graham, and Mike Perham. Was he an influence, and how is he doing now?
ABBY: At the time I was furious with the press for making such a big deal out of that, it was my dream. Looking back, I now believe some of the criticism was probably fair, at least those criticisms we were aware of. But, we had weighed the risks and were proceeding with all due caution as we felt appropriate. I was a strong-willed teenager. Also, a lot of the criticism crossed lines though. Those were from people that didn’t know how I’d grown up, perhaps weren’t aware of the training and experience I had. In hindsight I wish my trip had not been so highly publicized, I was never comfortable in the spotlight, it made the whole process very stressful for me when I should have just been having fun and living my dream.
L&A: There was a lot of criticism leveled at your parents for allowing you to attempt your adventure; what are your thoughts about that, at the time, and now reflecting back from an adult perspective?
L&A: You were also attempting a world record. What were your thoughts when you heard Jessica Watkins (from Australia) beat you to it? Have you stayed in touch with her?
ABBY: I’m sure, looking back, that there may have been some sibling rivalry, but I didn’t think that at the time, I wanted to do my own thing. Zac is doing well. He is a licensed captain, working on the West Coast in the same marinas we grew up in.
L&A: As a follow-up, what does your adult self think about your attempt in general, would you let your 15-year-old son/daughter do it?
ABBY: I can recall a time or two when the thought crossed my mind. I shut it down pretty fast. Those thoughts are not helpful in life and death situations and giving in to panic was only going to cloud my judgment at a time when my life was dependent on my every decision.
L&A: It was reported that you still hold the record for being the first and youngest female to sail solo around
L&A: Looking back, what was the (1) most enjoyable; (2) most scary; and (3). most challenging aspects of your voyage?
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 99 years ago. I believe the reality was that it was hard, it was dirty, it was exhausting. The monotony was mind-numbing. The amount of mad determination that it took to make it through every single day as I look back on it, was amazing. I don’t know how I did it, or where I pulled the determination out of … my heart or gut, I guess. That’s not to say there were not a lot of great times and moments, but, wow, were there a lot darker times than happy times thinking back on it.
L&A: Did you ever think, “This is it! I’m going to die out here?”
ABBY: My team and working with them was one of the most enjoyable parts of my trip. Without them, none of the trip would have happened. I also have happy memories; the sunsets, the quiet nights, the starry, starry sky; if you haven’t been in the middle of the ocean on a clear night you just can’t imagine what the sky looks like. The scariest was my intense loneliness. As someone who is not a people person, I still felt a sense of terror, if I thought for too long about how alone I really was. Oh, and the incident that ended my trip was also a bit scary. I could list a thousand things that were challenging for me, but the thing that comes to mind first was staying motivated and keeping a positive outlook. Also, there was the daily wrestling with sails twice my weight, trying to find time to sleep, and troubleshooting the endless systems on board that would quit working. But those things would have been challenging for anyone. Also, maintaining the right attitude to deal with those adversities and not get dragged down by those negative thoughts became the key for me.
ABBY: I lived a pretty normal life. After my trip, I finished high school. I got married and had a couple of kids. L&A: What brought you to the Gulf Coast from Southern California?
Photo Credits: ©2022 GizaraArts.com
ABBY: Sailing is a great sport and can be a lot of fun. If you’re hesitant to get into sailing, know that it’s not as hard as you might think. Take some lessons, most yacht clubs have youth sailing programs, get to know the local sailors, and before you know it a whole new world of adventure and fun will be open to you. Hey, call me, maybe I can help.
ABBY: Y’all [try to remember she lives in the Deep South now] are still giving me such a hard time for this! I thought it was funny, I had been up all night dealing with system issues (I no longer remember what). I was just a tired kid trying to catch a few minutes of sleep. To be real, I was pretty worn down mentally. Rounding the horn was an incredible accomplishment for me. It was a fight to make it there, but I made it. Quite frankly it means more to me now than when it was happening, and if I recall, I had a pretty easy time of it, the weather was cooperating in my favor.
www .L ats a tts . com100 Latitudes & Attitudes
L&A: I read that your boat Wild Eyes was found still floating in the ocean, is that true, where was it found?
ABBY: My husband’s work, he was transferred to this area. L&A: Are you still sailing, do you have another boat?
L&A: What are your plans for the future, what do you see for the next 12 years, does it involve sailing, or working in the industry in some way?
Cape Horn. In your book, you state you were asleep when it happened, what was that like?
ABBY: Yes, Wild Eyes was found off the coast of South Australia in December of 2018. Floating upside down and looking pretty worse for wear, but still floating.
L&A: What advice do you have for young sailors?
L&A: It’s been twelve years since your solo circumnavigation attempt, what has happened in your life since then?
L&A: Abby, it’s been great catching up.
ABBY: Yes, now that my kids are in school, and I can see some time of my own, I am re-establishing myself in the yachting industry after several years. I have just recently joined Turner Marine Yacht Sales in Mobile, a fourthgeneration broker-dealer, and full-service boatyard and marina. I’m in training as an apprentice Yacht Broker. However, the plan is to be doing a lot more than selling boats 12 years from now, perhaps I’ll start doing some deliveries, maybe start teaching sailing. There are four active yacht clubs around Mobile Bay, including Mobile Yacht Club, the second oldest active Yacht Club in the USA, established in 1847 and where they have sailing trophies from the 19th Century. I’m hoping to get some support from these organizations in the future. I would love to start a Women’s sailing school, and perhaps get a branch of WOW (Women On the Water) program established in the area.
ABBY: No, I do not have another boat. Although I do hope in the not-too-distant future to have another boat of my own so that I can involve my own children in a world that was such a big part of my life growing up.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 101
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 103
Multihull Evolution: What’s happening in the world of two and three hulls?
Nobody’s roughing it on today’s multihulls as luxury becomes the focal point. Interiors have evolved from the white-surface plastic aesthetic to fine wood and leather finishes, indirect lighting, and mind-bending amenities. Exteriors include outdoor galleys and vast sunbeds with shade cabanas, cup holders, and popup lights.
SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM IN CATS AND TRIS.
No marine segment is growing faster than boats with more than one hull. Over the past 10 years, catamarans and trimarans have come into their own, and with these new designs have come radical ideas. CATS ARE CHANGING SHAPE
Catamarans are growing both in length and beam. Just look at the evolution of production cats from Lagoon, Leopard, and Fountaine Pajot. Some of these newfangled kitties have even grown flybridge decks where guests love to gather for happy hour with a Interestingly,view.even as some cats have grown taller, others from Catana, Nautitech and the Excess line which is built by Lagoon, have opted for sleeker sedan profiles that reduce windage and increase performance. With this shapeshifting has come a change in helm station location. All three of the above have opted to put the wheels back out on the hulls where they started years ago. These models are often easier and more fun to drive since they don’t need hydraulic steering that dampens the feel at the wheel, as it does when you’re steering from the flybridge.Foredeck space has morphed too from basic netting, which was used to keep the weight forward low, to solid deck sunbeds and forward cockpits. Leopard Catamarans pioneered the forward cockpit where people gather for happy hour or read a book at anchor. Bali has taken this concept one step farther with a hard deck that holds massive sunpads, settees, and tables. Solid decks make a dent in upwind sailing performance, but they multiply the usable square footage aboard.
HIGH-END CATS ARE ON FIRE Seven-figure price tags haven’t impeded the growth of upscale cats. HH Catamarans launched their first HH55 just a few years ago, and now this luxury line from Xiamen, China, includes a half dozen models designed by Morrelli & Melvin of America’s Cup fame. McConaghy and Outremer are other brands that are also chasing a discerning clientele, as is Polish builder, Sunreef, which creates behemoth cats bound for crewed charter.
TALK OF THE DOCK by Zuzana Prochazka
www .L ats a tts . com104 Latitudes & Attitudes
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 105
Fountaine Pajot offers four powercat designs over 40 feet, and Aquila has models from 28 to 70 feet. Their 28- and 36-footers even have outboard power, so these fast planing boats have more space inside since the engines now hang off the transom rather than take up space inside the hull. Compact cats from Aspen and Worldcat are great for cruising and fishing, and sailing trimaran builder NEEL has reversed their logo and is building large bluewater powertris under the LEEN brand.
CRUISING EVOLVES
Some people believe that monohulls are just half (or third) of a boat. Whether you buy that or not doesn’t matter, because the numbers speak for themselves. Multihulls are growing in both size and acceptance, and they’re evolving to do even more and go farther. If you’re ready to cruise on more than one hull, there’s much to choose from.
POWER MULTIS BLAZE A TRAIL
Sailing cats have paved the way for their stickless brethren. Increasingly, the power yacht market is turning to multiple hulls for more space and stability. Without a heavy keel to drag through the water, powercats are fast and fuel-efficient, which means more these days than ever before. Leopard now has three cruising powercats 40-53 feet, and you can charter one with The Moorings to try before you buy.
When two hulls aren’t enough, try three. You can fly a hull with day sailing speedsters from Dragonfly and Corsair, or you can go world cruising in comfort with LEEN’s posh models. Tris used to get a bad wrap as being less spacious than cats, but the NEEL/ LEEN line (43-65 feet) has changed that with a voluminous main hull and two amas that hold everything from fuel to stowage space. For an upmarket carbon cruiser, check out Rapido 60, designed by Morrelli & Melvin, or its smaller siblings, the Rapido 40 and 50, which have folding amas so they can fit into traditionally sized slips. One tri that’s still in the concept stage is the Van Geest and Rob Doyle-designed Domus. This 130-foot, 750-ton, futuristic sailing tri has 8,400 square feet of living space, and its James Bond styling will make your mouth drop. Let’s hope it becomes a reality.
THREE HULLS ARE ALL THE RAGE
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 107
If sailing was without its dangers and challenges, everyone would be doing it. Embrace your natural fears and trust your boat and your captain and crew. You’ve prepared the boat, you trust the structural integrity of the boat, and you are confident
FEAR IS EXPECTED
So the saying goes that “cruising” is fixing your boat in exotic places. Isn’t that the truth? Boats require constant maintenance: engine, heads, anodes, bottom paint, windless, rigging… on and on. Be prepared to troubleshoot, research the internet, and ask your mates for advice when you need help fixing something. It is part of the whole experience so best to embrace breakage as your constant companion and get in touch with your inner MacGyver. Rejoice your accomplishments as you learn new things every day.
www .L ats a tts . com108 Latitudes & Attitudes
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS REQUIRED
I was recently hanging out on a secluded beach with my sailor friend in Indonesia as we discussed how popular sailing has become post-covid. It seems like everyone wants to sell their house and go sailing. We agreed that the sailing part of the sailing lifestyle is small in comparison to the amount of maintenance and service you have to do when you own a boat. Between the two of us, we have a few decades of blue water cruising experience and we quickly went through the most important things we have learned the hard way about living aboard and traveling the world by boat. These are the highlights we came up with and they don’t include anything about actually sailing from place to place, but are some tips to help increase your confidence and make life onboard easier. By all means take the classes, get the certifications, watch YouTube, go to boat shows, and get as much experience as you can on the water. Gaining hours on any boat while you are getting ready to cruise is a key component to success. The best way to learn is by doing, so go on and get out on the sea. I cannot stress this enough. A lot of folks new to sailing focus on the boat and mechanics, however, the most valuable thing you will need as a blue water sailor is experience. So, while you are getting your boat ready to cruise, take every opportunity to sail your boat or other peoples’ boats to acquire valuable experience.
Tried and True –TIPS FOR CRUISING
By Susan Koning, s/v SHENEMERE
Anchoring, mooring, and docking your boat are skills that require practice. Docking a boat in tight quarters has many variables — wind, currents, tides, and your boat’s maneuverability, never mind an audience — so, get a coach, practice, and have many helping hands as you learn. Getting a mooring ball isn’t usually too difficult; the most common mistake with moorings is how you tie your lines to the mooring. Many a boat goes adrift when only one line is tied or improperly protected against chaffing of the line.
Anchoring is probably the most important part of cruising, but you’ll get plenty of practice as you sail from bay to bay exploring. I am no expert at anchoring. I still get acute stress when we anchor but have found these basic steps helpful: find the right depth for your boat, avoid any reefs, boats, or obstructions, and point the boat into the wind.
Dropping the anchor in good holding like sand or mud is optimal. Let out enough chain; the recommended ratio is at least 5:1 (chain: water) — five feet of anchor chain for every foot of depth you are anchoring in. Too many new sailors don’t put enough chain out; I personally feel good at 7:1. Once dropped and the chain is fed, it is recommended you let the anchor settle, meaning tidy up, have a cup of coffee or a cold beer, and let the anchor dig in. Take a bearing on land as to your position to a tree or house, etc. to make sure you aren’t moving. After a while, consider putting the engine in reverse very slowly to about 1200-1300 RPMs and look for the GPS to come to zero Rough Passage
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 109 in the capabilities of the captain. “I trust the boat and I trust the captain.” This should be your mantra. Everything else comes from your learned experiences. There is only one captain; no room for debate when in jeopardy. It is not a democracy, trust the captain’s judgment, and/or pick your battles. YOUR ANCHOR IS THE BEST INSURANCE
29 day passage worth of laundry. Fiji to Indonesia was a hot passage; not much else was worn but a sarong for both myself and my hubby.
Learn to read your environment; feel the change in temperature, wind direction, and clouds. This is a function of paying attention to your surroundings. Does it smell like rain? Did the temperature drop or has the sea state changed? Look for the gusts of wind as they travel across the water. You’ll quickly learn when it’s time to reef the main or close the hatches. Feeling the changes in your environment will very quickly become part of your DNA. IT’S YOUR CAR
Regardless of what dinghy you have, it is your main mode of transportation to and from the boat. When you take your dinghy ashore, you’ll want to be aware of the tides. If the tide is coming in as you beach your dinghy, you’ll want to throw out a dinghy anchor or if the tide is going out, you’ll need to drag it up the beach. If you’re tying your dinghy to a dock, it is common courtesy to leave the engine down so the prop won’t bang into and damage the other dinghys. Always be sure to start the engine prior to releasing the line; there are way too many stories of folks adrift by not following this common sense procedure.Important dinghy safety includes a “boat kill switch” worn on the operator’s wrist and attached to the ignition. Should the driver be pitched out of the dinghy in rough conditions, the engine will go dead. This prevents incidents of runaway dinghys running over, maiming, and killing the driver or passengers as it circles around and around unattended before either it runs out of fuel or someone can jump into it and take control — a dangerous maneuver that is not recommended! Keep in mind that clamoring into the dinghy and driving ashore is mostly inconvenient so you won’t want to have to go back for your sunscreen or insect repellant. I always have a backpack ready with my essential items: sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, tissues/wipes, umbrella for sun andw rain, facemask, and flashlight.
www .L ats a tts . com110 Latitudes & Attitudes (meaning you are not moving). This is a good rule of thumb should the wind pick up; you’ll be more confident that the anchor will (hopefully) hold fast. You might even consider diving on the anchor to get a visual on how it is holding. Finally, set an anchor alarm on your GPS or any one of several anchor alarm apps available on your smartphone. Don’t be that person that drops the anchor and jumps in the dinghy to race ashore without double checking the weather forecast. There are too many stories of the wind picking up and the person’s boat ends up dragging through the anchorage while they are ashore having dinner. Be sure to communicate with your crew at the helm where you want to anchor. If you’re at the bow of the boat, you can simply point, make a fist to stop, or thumb up to reverse… Whatever you decide on, it doesn’t need to involve screaming orders in a crowded anchorage. FEEL YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Tried and True – Tips for Cruising
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 111
STORMS ARE INEVITABLE
Today’s technology allows for much better weather predictions, but that is all it is: a prediction. The number one rule is to “wait for weather.” Wait for favorable winds to take you to your next destination and don’t be pressured to leave on account of someone else’s timeframe. It’s always good practice to secure anything that could fly off of the tables or shelves prior to departure since you’ll never know what the sea state will be until you’re in it… and then it’s usually too late.
The old saying holds true, if you’re thinking about reefing, it’s probably too late. Reef your sails early in anticipation of bad weather. Consider reefing in the evening so you don’t have to clamber onto a wet deck at night to adjust your sails. In rough seas, always keep one hand connected to the boat and move in calm, calculated movements as you support and stabilize yourself against the jostling shifts of the boat. In the event of a lightning storm, be prepared to stow your most vital electronics (phones, tablets, handheld GPS, etc.) in the stove. This is also a good time to find a secure place in the cockpit (tethering yourself to a secure place within) or tucked into a berth with a lee cloth. Always have your emergency grab bag handy should you need to abandon ship. An EPIRB, flares, drinking water, and passports are just a few of the things you’ll want to always have ready in a waterproof bag. Understanding your emergency equipment and MOB maneuvers will help alleviate anxiety. Rest assured that storms don’t last forever. You will get through it and have an adventurous story to tell at the next watering hole. THE GALLEY There is so much information on how to cook on board, it is ridiculous. The key takeaway is K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple…) Cook for the conditions and either have a meal prepared in anticipation of rough weather or have plenty of snack food when you are unable to cook underway. Stackable pots and pans and good quality airtight containers that all fit well within your galley are worth their weight in gold. Try not to bring cardboard onboard as it tends to harbor roach eggs, pests that once onboard are hard to get rid of. Plastic is a real problem in our oceans but when used/ reused/recycled responsibly, Ziploc bags are the easiest way to store frozen foods, etc. Canned food and long-life milk products have come a long way and there are many creative ways to cook with canned meats and vegetables when fridge space is limited. Sometimes the paper labels on cans come off; that will be the “mystery can” that is never opened so be sure to label the tops of cans with a permanent marker. You will want to stockpile an inventory of “your staples.” If you don’t eat it at home, you aren’t going to eat it on the boat. Knorr® Alfredo and Hidden Valley® ranch packets are something I loaded up on because I can’t find these items internationally. However, basic food items like tuna fish, coffee/ tea, sugar, pasta, rice, etc. are found everywhere, so I only keep a small inventory to avoid spoilage. Enjoy the opportunity to visit local fresh markets and try different fruits and vegetables as you travel. There are many substitutions you can use when cooking without the exact ingredient, so be flexible and embrace creative cooking. Making homemade wine and pickling fish are just some of the things you can play around with onboard.
Tried and True – Tips for Cruising
More boats have compact washing machines onboard, but it is by no means a necessity. A bucket of water with a little laundry detergent and a splash of vinegar (eliminates odors) will do the trick. You can stomp, agitate, and wring the clothes in the bucket. The key is to not use too much detergent; this will allow you to rinse the soap out as well. A good wringing will get rid of as much water as possible, and when you hang the clothes on a breezy day, they will dry in an hour or two. To prevent clothes from fading, I turn them inside-out when I hang them or I dry them under the awning.
On a side note, you should keep plenty of vinegar onboard for cleaning mold. Bleach doesn’t kill mold, but vinegar does. Never put bleach down your heads since it will cause the hoses to become porous and trap odors. Vinegar is a great odor eliminator for smelly heads.
TO SWIM OR NOT TO SWIM
IT’S JUST LINENS
ELECTRONICS
Author Susan Koning at the local market
WASHING
It’s been a long hot day sailing and you finally anchored securely in a beautiful, secluded anchorage. The water looks inviting. By all means, jump in, but do consider the visibility of the water. You don’t want to splash into murky water and confuse a predator into thinking that you are dinner. “Dinner o’clock” is not the best time to swim either; dawn or dusk is a more active feeding time and you don’t want to become part of the food chain. Also, be conscious of the currents before you take the plunge. Throw a piece of lettuce into the water and see how fast it is swept away, or lower yourself into the water hanging onto a line or ladder to test the currents. If you don’t, your crew might be picking you up down island. Be sure to tell someone on board that you are going for a swim and if you have plans to swim away from the boat.
I used to have an unhealthy attachment to bedding and linens. I soon learned that all I needed was a single change of sheets and a couple towels. No need to overdo it as these items take up precious real-estate onboard. The same can be said for clothes; you really don’t need seven pairs of shoes or 20 t-shirts. Light cotton sarongs are great towels, and in the tropics they can be worn by women and men as comfortable onboard garments. I also have a few men’s cotton dress shirts that I picked up at the thrift store; they are great sun protection.
The salt air is the death of electronics. Invest in air tight bags to store electronics when you aren’t using them or just use large Ziploc bags. Have a few portable hard drives so you can share movies, music, books, and charts with other sailors. A fun idea is to have a small portable projector so you can watch movies in the cockpit with a group.
www .L ats a tts . com112 Latitudes & Attitudes
ENJOY THE MOMENT After the hustle and bustle of land life, it’s a big adjustment to just slow down and appreciate a pace less hassled. I have met many sailors who are still rushing about even after years of cruising. I feel somehow they are missing out on the best part of the cruising experience — a long chat over coffee, a leisurely walk on the beach, or a casual get together at sundown. It’s the progression of the day… slow, calm, and appreciative of the moment… to be present in the opportunity to have released the dock lines and set sail. Meet the sailing community. Ask other sailors about places that you plan to visit. It is a generous friendships.thatwillofeclecticenjoyfromtoTakestockcanentrancethecommunityinformation-sharingsoaskaboutmarinas,anchoring,andandaboutthingsyouandcannotgetsoyoucanyourboataccordingly.timetointroduceyourselfyourneighbors,tolearnsharedexperiences,andyournewandoftentribeofsailors.Becauseyourcommoninterest,youbemakinginstantbondsoftentimesleadtolifetime
A few miscellaneous things to keep in mind:
• I t’s a small community of cruisers and you’ll soon find that it is a small world after all, so be careful of gossip.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 113
Wishing fair winds and following seas to all cruisers new and old.
• Immigration, customs, and port authorities internationally have become a bit more cumbersome since COVID so pack your patience, prepare your paperwork/ visa etc., and stay informed of changes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR I started crewing on sailboats in the 90’s where I met a South African single handed sailor in the Caribbean. We sailed together through the South Pacific and got married in Fiji. After selling our first boat in New Zealand in 1998, we went back to the United States and worked to get our current boat, a 51’ Beneteau Idyll, and set off again from Miami, Florida, five years ago. We are currently in Indonesia preparing for an Indian Ocean crossing to Africa in May.
IndonesiainkayakingSusanAuthorKoningKomodo,
• Just because the baguette in French Polynesia is the best you ever had and it is only $1, please don’t offer to elevate the price as a show of appreciation to the vendor. You might just inflate the price for the fellow cruisers in your wake. This holds true for tipping as well.
• Too many sailors get stuck in the “getting ready to go” phase and never quite manage to leave the dock. Beware of getting stuck; you don’t really need the collapsible bikes, etc. Stay laser-focused on the necessities and set goals. The key is to get out and sail as often as possible.
• Everything has a home. Keep tools, flashlights, binoculars, harnesses, basically everything on board in an assigned location. If you have to search for your flashlight or binoculars in an emergency, it might be too late. Never mind that in small spaces, clutter is a stressful distraction.
• Always ask the price of goods first — taxi, bus, veggie market, and fuel — so you are familiar with the “going rates,” can negotiate better, and don’t get taken advantage of.
4 Adventurers, 3 Days, 2 States, and 1 SailingPlatform
Rad came by our booth by pure chance, asking about SailAMate before offering us a tour of his boat docked in the marina. Rad also mentioned his plans to take a trip to the coast of Brunswick, Georgia, after the show, telling us he might have space for two more guests. That ‘maybe’ turned into a ‘definitely’ and so we packed our bags and prepared to board!
From Miami to Georgia, with Love In the lead up to the two-day coastal adventure, we were working hard at the Miami International Boat Show. As luck would have it, our booth was right on the marina, soaking up the rays while encouraging boat owners to sign up for our soon-to-launch platform, SailAMate. (What is SailAMate, we hear you ask? Think of it as if Airbnb and Uber were to have a child, on water, with a twist. It brings together like-minded boat owners and travelers, providing discounted water-based trips in exchange for skill-trading.)
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 115
Back in February, when the sun was shining and the Miami International Boat Show was in full swing, we received an invitation… one so irresistible we had no choice but to accept! In the days that followed, we sailed to the coast of Georgia in a Royal Cape Catamaran 570 Fl alongside Rafael Anthony Denez (aka Rad: a nickname that, as it turns out, is very fitting for the man himself). It wasn’t just the three of us either, with Sheila O’Neil — a certified stewardess and compatible crewmate — also joining us for the voyage.
It’s not everyday you sail with friendly strangers, but it will be very soon.
EVERYTHING BEYOND THE ORDINARY
www .L ats a tts . com116 Latitudes & Attitudes Sharing Stories, Trading Skills Aboard Rad’s catamaran, named Alesha D in honor of his daughter, we sailed thirty miles from Miami to take advantage of the Gulf Stream before it drifted further out to the Atlantic Ocean. The current propelled us up the coast of Georgia at a speed of ten knots, giving us plenty of time to sit down, relax, and watch the world go by. The journey also gave us the perfect excuse to disconnect from everyday life. With no Wi-Fi or cell reception, we had the opportunity to replace virtual interactions with real-life connections instead. We discovered that Rad was a UPS pilot dreaming of retiring and making the boat his home one day. Sheila spent many years working for Corporate America (at IBM!) before turning down a relocation to New York to stay in Florida. Her impressive knowledge of sailing, endless traveling stories, and determination to prove that anyone can sail no matter their age or gender left us in awe. We really couldn’t have asked for better company than Rad and Sheila! Of course, in true SailAMate fashion, we volunteered our skills in exchange for the free trip. Eli provided his talents as a sous chef, cooking up tiny pizzas in Rad’s famous air fryer, while all of us took shifts keeping watch of the boat until the early hours.
4 Adventurers, 3 Days, 2 States, and 1 Sailing Platform
Catching the mist above the water at 6am, watching the dolphins play in the waves, sitting at the flybridge (the chosen hotspot from dusk till dawn), and feeling a deep sense of peace — the trip may have only been for three days, but every moment was worth remembering. At night, the stars were visible for miles, which is something we aren’t used to back
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 117 home in Texas! Zero light pollution meant that every star could be seen, and Rad’s astronomer binoculars make ten times as many stars appear compared to the naked eye. After building SailAMate from behind a desk for over a year, venturing out to sea and viewing it from a whole new perspective was a truly magical experience. We learned so much from the adventure and we couldn’t be more grateful to Rad for sharing his home with us. His life motto of “slow down” has continued inspiring us, staying at the front of our minds as we plan SailAMate’s launch — and trust us, it’s going to be huge!
The SailAMate pilot launches in Florida, USA, later this year, with plans for a global rollout in 2023. To sign up for early access, visit SailAMate.com. You can also stay updated via our Instagram page (@sailamateofficial), with exciting announcements to come!
The crash of shattering glassware and curses of angry men exploded simultaneously in a microburst of chaos at the Blue Moon bar. Responsible for the crescendo was Captain Bubba Whartz who had come to the conclusion that the Gulf of Mexico belongs more to the United States than it does to the Republic of Mexico. In his exuberance about changing the name, Whartz — possibly over served – made a sweeping gesture with his right hand and his emphatic motion cleaned six beers off from the bar countertop. A small riot ensued.
Bubba Whartz Bubba Wants to Rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Florida
Doobie, who rarely gets involved in discussions at the Blue Moon had a question for Tripwire. “Have you ever seen a condom machine in a nunnery?”
instantly broke out in the Blue Moon bar. Mister Rogers could have done no better. One could see small clouds of testosterone disappear like coins fed to a slotCaptainmachine.Whartz, ever the gentleman, apologized for knocking the beers to the floor. Doobie set up the free beers she promised. Though only six beers and the glasses they came in had been destroyed, thirteen Blue Moon bar patrons applied for replacement beer. The nature of the bar business doesn’t always add up precisely, it seems. Maybe it never has. “As I was saying,” Bubba Whartz continued as if nothing had happened, “changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Florida, say, would help the disadvantaged residents of Longboat Key, Sanibel Island, and Naples.”
Tripwire, still hot under the collar because of the loss of his beer scoffed, “You’re out of your mind! Disadvantaged residents? My combat boots! People in those places live in ritzy homes and condominiums, eat at fancy restaurants, and have servants to do something as routine as turning down bedcovers. I’d bet most are draft dodgers! Women in real estate who sell properties at all three of those locations have grown rich turning over the same properties again and again. If they had to list or sell real estate anyplace else, they be as out of place as a condom machine in a nunnery.”
“Are you-you-you going to-to-to take your siss-siss-siss sweater off now?” Shorty asked Doobie. When exercised, Shorty has a tendency toward obsessive/compulsive behavior. Bubba, upset, cut him off. “We’re talking about changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Florida here, folks. Mexico doesn’t deserve to have its name on the body of water anymore,” BubbaBrunoasserted.Velvetier, ASAID, rolling, between his thumb and index finger, the purple paper parasol from his cream drink, observed, “Mexicans have some absolutely precious decorating ideas. I’ve always said that.”
By Morgan Stinemetz
“But they also have corruption, a permanent smog bank over Mexico City, out-of-control drug gangs, dangerous highways, and most of the people in Mexico don’t even speak English,” Captain Whartz said. “Is Doobie going to-to-to-to take off her siss-siss-sisssweater any ti-ti-ti-ti-time soon?” Shorty wanted to know. “They don’t speak English?” Tripwire, who may have been involved in some disturbance in Washington early in 2021, asked in a shouted question. “When did that happen? Probably a communist plot. The same thing happened in Cuba, and we all know what that meant!”
www .L ats a tts . com118 Latitudes & Attitudes
Tripwire, the Vietnam vet who still wears cammies, grabbed Bubba by the throat, uttering ominously, “You just signed your death warrant, pilgrim.”
Shorty, who stuttered badly, threw in “You-you-you knokno-kno-knocked over my beer, you son-son-son of a bih-bih-bih...”Doobie,the bartenderette at the Blue Moon, stopped the fracas before it flamed further out of control by telling the upset patrons that she would treat everyone to a free beer and take off her sweater after doing so. Just as there is nothing that will push a peaceful demonstration into an out-of-control riot quicker than the smell of tear gas, nothing will defuse a tense situation among men quite as rapidly as a chance to look at a woman’s boobs, bra or noHarmonybra.
“Once,” responded Tripwire, twirling his dog tags around. “It was in Spencer, Massachusetts. It was at St. Joseph’s, a Pappist Order, I asked some questions about it, but no one would talk to me. Nuns are hard to approach. Reminds me of girls I knew in high school.”
Bubba, possibly carried away by patriotic enthusiasm, urged, “If the gap of water between the United States and Cuba is already named the the Florida Straits, doesn’t it follow that the body of water above those Straits should be named the Gulf of Florida? These are perilous times, when men who believe in our country stand up to be“Yes!”counted!”Shorty hissed. “We nee-nee-nee-need to do that wheh-wheh-wheh-when some people aren’t wheh-whehwheh-wearing siss-siss-siss-sweaters.” Shorty sounded like an angry cobra.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 119
“I’m all for it!” Tripwire enthused. “Will it require commando missions with inflatable landing craft, automatic weapons, dead-of-night tactics? I’m ready to defend this country from attacks from Cuba by people who don’t speak English. Let’s go to the Florida Keys!” Tripwire sounded ready to go. However, loud noises always spooked him badly, to where he became as nervous as the family dog on the 4th of July, and no matter how much he talked the talk, he couldn’t walk the walk. Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. I knew better. Tripwire is reputed to cook hamburgers and hot dogs on his grille with napalm and prefers his buffalo wings super hot. There’s a rumor about that he lights his propane torch with his breath. Bubba was aghast. “Tripwire,” he choked, “no one from Cuba is coming across the Straits of Florida to attack the Keys. This is a political thing. We need to convince our representatives in Washington that, rightly, the United States has a vested interest in renaming that body of water the Gulf of Florida. And who named it the Gulf of Mexico in the first place? Spain! Think about it, Tripwire, that country isn’t even on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. And while I’ll admit that one of Spain’s sailors discovered America, it was us, the Floridians, who made this land prosper. Where would we be if developers hadn’t built beach-front condominiums? Look at all the golf courses in Florida. And while I’ll admit the news media gets all over a story about an alligator eating some Florida citizen, it doesn’t happen very often. Sure, we have the largest rattlesnakes in the country, but no one has been killed by one in years. And while is may be true that senior citizens clog our highways in cars they cannot operate well, think of all the world class shuffleboard competitors there are in Florida. Florida is unique. Certainly, it’s not too much to ask to change the name of a neighboring body of water to bring things up toHisdate.”small speech must have dehydrated Bubba some, for he reached for a beer—not his own—and drained it. During the five seconds or so Bubba was not talking, Shorty was able to interject, “Doo-Doo-Doo-Doobie, when will you take off your siss-siss-siss-sweater?” “Tomorrow,” Doobie replied. “What ti-ti-ti-time to-to-tomorrow?” Shorty wanted to“Sometimeknow. between open and closing,” Doobie replied. Women have been saying vaporous things like that for centuries. Men have been rising to the bait like trout during a mayfly hatch. When one thinks about it, Captain Whartz’s sally into renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of Florida aroused little interest. Tripwire’s bugle call to stave off attackers-foreigners he sometimes called them—turned rancid early when he got Cuba confused with Mexico and never quite comprehended that both countries shared only a common language. “Like Canada and the United States?” I heard himShorty’sask. attention to what Bubba was saying had, early on, shunted onto a dead-end siding. He never got back on track.
By David Levesque
VIRTUAL Cruising
www .L ats a tts . com120 Latitudes & Attitudes
From the Associate Publisher: Since this is my first go-round writing this section, I’ll be very upfront on this: My tech-savvy awareness kind of began, and is still stuck to some degree, in my teenage room making the original “playlist” mix tapes by cassette, using the eraser end of a pencil to wind to the desired place to hit record for the next song… So when the digital and virtual world evolved to where it is now with social media influencers, YouTube sensations, and other purported expert-level branded content,
I was, like most people my age, a bit overwhelmed and even digitally paralyzed. So when I took over managing the direction of this publication, diving into the world of the virtual cruisers was like being duct-taped to a chair and having a confetti cannon shot in my face. There are THOUSANDS out there and growing! So, where to begin? If you love this industry like many of us do, it’s a great issue to have. But the more I swam through the congested waters of content, one thing became very clear: These are mostly
SAILING NOMAD CITIZEN
Sailing Nomad Citizen is the family of Marvin, Dani, beautiful daughter Tara, and new months-old baby boy Soan! Much like
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 121
normal people living extraordinary dreams and documenting it for all to see, and there’s A LOT we can all gain from their offerings. It needs to be mentioned that perhaps one is looking merely for entertainment and your goal is never to leave the dock. Still, you’d just like to see some boats, intriguing personalities, the occasional tan lines, and silly antics…. BUT, if you’re a newbie or even a veteran cruiser looking for inspiration, instruction, and motivation, where do you start to sort through the pile and find the ones you can identify with? Key phrase: IDENTIFY WITH. Let’s face it, not everyone can take early retirement to the islands, land a gorgeous catamaran and make money hand over winch with a million followers, endorsements, and the like. Heck, many of us aren’t even capable of putting the content together properly to even land said followers and endorsements. (See cassette tape reference...) But that’s the beauty of this explosion of virtual cruising; much is reality, while some are made-for-TV drama, and some are sheer entertainment and laughs at the expense of others. Over the coming issues, we will expand this very popular section of the magazine and explore and feature a broader palette of the virtual cruising universe. In the hopefully post-pandemic world, we’ve been encouraged by the fact more and more have discovered what many of us in boating already knew: no one does social distancing like cruisers! Can I get an Amen? And yes, there have been many families raising kids on boats for years. However, with the rising popularity of YouTube and other social media platforms, the numbers doing so today are staggering. In a good way. And it’s encouraging to find families documenting the good, bad, and often ugly realities of raising kids. And let me tell you, after raising two of my own in a house, I give mad props to anyone willing to do it on a modest-sized vessel surrounded by water. When I found Sailing Nomad Citizen and the first photo that popped up was husband Marvin and wife Dani glaring at each other, I instantly felt the photo had sound. The sound of a baby crying in the background while the happy couple navigated through the issue du jour with their vessel. Now, perhaps the baby was fast asleep, and they were just disagreeing and working through a mechanical issue, but I was like, come on now, I’ve been there. I have dished out and been on the receiving end of those looks. The chances of a baby crying in the other cabin are north of 90%. And I bet there was eyerolling. Definitely eye-rolling. And my money is on the fact it wasn’t Marvin. Why do I know this? Because behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes….look it up. It’s a stone-cold fact as old as the pyramids. So my first thought was, “Man, I subscribe to that tribe. I get them.” And for the record, while perusing their content, seldom do we hear, “Marvin was right,” but it does happen. Just wanted to point that out for any fellas out there who may be feeling the eye-rolling behind them.
www .L ats a tts . com122 Latitudes & Attitudes
Virtual Cruising
~ Muhammad Ali many cruisers, they felt a collective emptiness in what many consider a “normal life.” Well, is anything normal anymore? Of course not, but when you think of normal life, then images of nice homes, cars, steady jobs, kids’ activities, and family gatherings come to mind. But for Marvin and Dani, the latter two points were where the emptiness simmered. For many of us, the responsibilities involved in creating the life we want often overwhelm the opportunity to enjoy what we already have. It’s a vicious cycle, and unfortunately, this world is not reversing the course anytime soon. As more and more adults are forced to work longer hours to provide for their lifestyles, and just basic ones at that, the family units we once knew are the unfortunate casualties. Yet, for Marvin and Dani, who at the time had a very young daughter Tara, this was not going to be their lifestyle. Recognizing immediately the need to maintain their physical and mental health first while they planned their family’s future, it was clear that trying to balance careers was going to be a challenge. So why not give it all up and go sailing?
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
It was a cold day in November when Marvin, Dani, and baby Tara departed the south of France for Spain. Armed with their life skills, confidence, love for each other, and Turkish coffee, off they went, learning as they go. Which honestly is what any of us do, right? Plus the coffee, of course. I was impressed and amused to watch them attempt to maintain their workout regimen with the baby in tow. Anyone that has tried to do that understands. Except they did it dockside. Major props there.
Watch the first episode. It’ll make you laugh and nod your head in understanding. And in each subsequent episode, you’ll see what Nomad Citizen is hoping you’ll identify: Maybe just a wee bit of yourself in each adventure.
A little about this multilingual family: Free-spirited Daniela (Dani) left native war-torn Yugoslavia for Hungary when she was 11, found her way to France, and settled in as a dentist. Which proper dental hygiene is not surprisingly very important
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 123
when cruising, correct? Husband, skipper, and entrepreneurial guru Marvin is from the island Reunion, an overseas department region of France. He spent 6 years in the National Navy and runs CrossFit gyms. Their ever-energetic daughter Tara is already quite the budding little sailor, helping in certain aspects of the boat as well as an unofficial translator to anyone speaking French, Serbian and English. And the newest addition to the clan is baby boy Soan, whom we really only learn about in the last few months, but whom I have a feeling will be taking over duties in a short time. Going back to the part about recognizing their need to maintain proper physical and mental health, it’s important to note this family has emphasized health. Watching the episodes, you learn quickly Dani has some mad skills in the galley, creating tasty dishes for the family while maintaining healthy diet aspects to coincide with the mind and spirit. With the occasional pizza mixed in for good measure and Marvin’s gastro-satisfaction.
Anyone who’s anyone who’s been a follower of Latitudes & Attitudes for the last 25 years knows one of our core philosophies is “Don’t dream your life, Live your dream!” I think this is one of the aspects which drew me to Nomad Citizen and their sometimes misfit imperfect adventures. I can relate, more than I care to admit, but I can relate. And I know many out there can. They’re authentic and not afraid to show the sometimes-hard reality of their ever-changing world. This is what the cruising lifestyle we embrace is all about! I’ve heard it said, “I’m not ready for marriage,” or “I’m not ready for kids.” Well, a show of hands, how many out there have said they’re not ready for cruising? Tough to find many who are. And Nomad Citizen certainly wasn’t, but their motto is “Stop Dreaming and Start Moving!” Sounds familiar, right? Check out Sailing Nomad Citizen. Let them into your world a bit. I know they’d love to have you be a part of theirs. Visit Sailing Nomad Citizen’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/c/SailingNomadCitizen See photos of their adventures on Instagram at www.instagram.com/sailing_nomad_citizen
CLASSIC BUILDER BECOMES POPULAR VIRTUAL CRUISER Virtual Cruising
www .L ats a tts . com124 Latitudes & Attitudes
With the astronomical rise of cruisers documenting their adventures on the likes of YouTube and Vimeo and the fascinating curiosity unsurprisingly arising from it of the vessels they trust to shuffle them around the globe, one has a wealth of inspiration and motivation at their fingertips should they choose to get out, do it and maybe try to make some extra income showcasing it to the global audience. Yet, with the thousands of cruisers and “vlogs” available to find on these social media channels, how many can lay claim to exploring the world’s waters in a boat that carries their name? Let alone one they built themselves along with over 340 sister vessels in use to date? Enter Tony Fleming and Fleming Yachts.
In a growing world of YouTube cruising vloggers and insanely popular drone-footage-heavy influencers, Tony Fleming manages to ride a wave all his own. Perusing the Fleming videos, narrated by Tony himself, one feels emersed in a timeless style, almost National Geographic-esque in that every detail of the natural surroundings is captured and intelligently expressed. Of course, Tony’s smooth British accent certainly helps carve this essence, to be very honest. I’m reminded of the travel documentaries my father would have in his video catalog we would watch on a comfortable, lazy Sunday afternoon. It’s quite a lovely and relaxing alternative to many other styles found in the virtual cruising universe. And much of the locations Fleming visits are as rugged and time-tested as the vessels themselves. To understand where Fleming Yachts is today and how Tony himself became an unlikely, and perhaps unintentional, YouTube personality, one needs to first dive back into the history and happenings which shaped the brand, the man, and the vessel.
In the early 60s through early 80s, Tony was working with the ever-popular Grand Banks trawlers being built in Hong Kong as
technical director. With engineer skills and an eye for enterprise, in 1983, Tony took a pilothouse design he had developed and, along with a business partner and a naval architect, selected a factory in Taiwan to produce what would eventually become the Fleming 55. After several hulls beginning at 50 feet, the designs were expanded to the now known 55. By the late 90s, over 100 Fleming 55’s were in use, and customer acceptance and increasing demand for larger models eventually ushered in the Fleming 75. But why stop there…2005 brought about hull number one of the Fleming 65, taken by Tony himself, aptly named VENTURE, and off he went on what Tony has been quoted as referring to as his personal “voyages of discovery.” Fleming Yachts have quite often been regarded as “the ultimate cruising yacht” not just by her owners but in boating circles worldwide. One unfamiliar with cruising may ask, why is this? A thorough review of Tony’s maiden voyage on VENTURE puts any questions to rest. Regarded as the “ultimate sea trial,” Tony took VENTURE from her home in Newport Beach, CA, north to the venerable cruising grounds of British Columbia, then Alaska, south to Mexico and the Galapagos, and on through the Panama Canal. Making her way up to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway, out to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, to finally rest for the winter in Annapolis. Over 20,000 nautical miles of adventure, reflection, experimentation, andThisinnovation.extensive nautical experience resulted in VENTURE II, an all-new-and-improved Fleming 65, making her debut in 2010 at the Southhampton Boat Show. Integrating many new features from the 20,000-mile “sea trial,” VENTURE II cruised Europe, eventually circumnavigating Iceland, the journey of which is skillfully documented on the Fleming YouTube channel and is what originally drew me to discover for myself Fleming’s adventures. Throughout the mid-2000’s Tony continued to cruise the original VENTURE throughout the west coast and Pacific Northwest, eventually and to date including all Fleming models in his journals and travels. With models ranging up to 85, the 55 is still the most sought after and delivered Fleming with over 250 worldwide.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 125
Learn
Visit
www .L ats a tts . com126 Latitudes & Attitudes
One might not equate Fleming’s oft-traveled cold, rugged waters of the Northwest as refreshing, yet the simplistic charm with which Tony documents his adventures is all that and so much more. The scenery is stunning, the narrative is intriguing and engaging, and the vessel is timeless. In a world over-saturated with noise, handheld devices dominating our every day, and media stimulating our every move, Tony and Fleming Yachts have mastered a balance between documentation and platform deliverance, continuously presenting a gift to the cruising lifestyle. more about Fleming Yachts at www.flemingyachts.com Fleming Yachts YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/user/FlemingYachts
Virtual Cruising
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 127
DON ’ T THISTRY HOMEAT by Chuck Legge DON ’ T THISTRY HOMEAT
Let me start by saying that I’m a 70-something armchair sailor that’s been talking about buying a boat and sailing off into whatever comes next since I was a 20-something armchair sailor. And my wife of 37 years, Sharon, has been with me for most of the delusive journey. She’s heard me drone on about my childhood weekends on my dad’s 20-foot cabin cruiser and my six years in the Coast Guard Reserve. She’s seen me pour over study plans, read and reread the accounts of Lynn and Larry Pardey, Tristan Jones, Joshua Slocum, et al. She’s patiently watched as I spend endless hours scrolling through endless websites of boat porn. I thought she, like I, had come to terms with the apparent fact; that this was just one of those things we would never get to. To quote Al Stewart: Now just like you, I’ve sailed my dreams like ships across the sea And some of them they’ve come on rocks and some faced mutiny And when their sunken one by one, I’ll join the company Old admirals who feel the wind and never put to sea. Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but in my opinion, any spouse worth their salt has the innate ability to call you on your bullshit. And my wife, being particularly salty, finally decided to call me on mine. Granted, it took her almost 37 years, but she had finally had her fill. Our son, Dustin, (actually my stepson) is living just outside Port Townsend, Washington. As most of you probably know, this is a boating Mecca. He kept sending us pictures of beautiful boats — sail, power, oar, etc. Wherever he would point his phone, there was another boat. This got me looking at Craigslist, and damn! Some of these boats were practically affordable. Among the more affordable was Wasabi, a Catalina 27 in Olympia. After some prodding, my wife persuaded me to call the owner and set up an appointment to see the boat. I think I left something out here. We live in Sutton, Alaska. There’s a couple of thousand miles and a whole lot of hard road between Wasabi and us. But Dustin was willing to drive
The main is up. The rail is down. The pots, pans, and loose stuff have tumbled onto the cabin floor; I don’t know what I’m doing. My last “cruise” was about 45 years ago on a 14-foot AMF Sunfish in Arizona. This is a Catalina 27 in the middle of Puget Sound. What the hell am I doing here?
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 129
www .L ats a tts . com130 Latitudes & Attitudes from Port Townsend to Olympia and take a look for us. Thank you, Dustin. He was no stranger to boats. He had spent a few years up here in Alaska and worked as a commercial fisherman in Prince William Sound. It is a beautiful slice of heaven as long as you don’t look too closely under the rocks, where you’re liable to find the remnants of the Exxon Valdez’s little miscalculation. He’s also pretty handy and can usually figure out what needs to be done to get something up and running. According to Dustin, the boat looked to be in good shape and could be taken out as is. Well, gulp, okay then. Up to now, this had just been an academic exercise. Okay, we found a boat. It may not be a bulletproof Cape Horner, but it was a sailboat… with a cabin. But come on now. I’m not seriously going to buy a boat that I have never seen on Craigslist. Am I? To quote my wife: “You’ve been talking about this since I’ve known you. You’re going to have your damn boat. “ Yes, dear. Wasabi turned out to be in pretty fair shape but needed to be moved from her slip in Olympia, so after a couple of days of increasingly discouraging phone calls, I found a slip in Seabeck. That’s about a three-day sail from Olympia, at the bottom of Puget Sound, to halfway down the Hood Canal. Great! That will give us, Dustin and I, plenty of time to learn everything we need to know. Right? I didn’t know that Puget Sound is famous for fluky winds. In the three days we were on board, we managed to fill the sails for about 45 minutes. The rest of our trip was courtesy of the nine-anda-half horse outboard. The trip was mostly uneventful. However, there was that time when we crossed the wake of a container ship. I was maneuvering around some flotsam. The Sound was full of logs and driftwood when Dustin said: Chuck, you should come hard to port. When I did, I saw what was probably a five-foot wake coming straight toward us. Wasabi lifted her bow out of the water on the first wave and slammed into the second, sending spray back to the cockpit. Well, that was worth the price of a Laterticket.that day, we anchored in Kingston. A beautiful little bay with a breakwater for the small boat harbor. It was too late to get to the fuel dock, so we anchored outside the breakwater next to an old tug. We saw the damnedest fish I had ever
From the cockpit, I put a bight in the stern line and, after a few tries, wrapped it around another dock cleat. Now we were attached. From here, I sprung from the cockpit onto the dock. Of course, by sprung, I mean I managed not to hit the dock on my face as I stumbled out of the boat. Holding onto Wasabi, I put a few turns on the cleat, walked up, and secured the bow. Easy-peasey. Well, not really. There’s still a lot of traffic up and down the canal,
DON ’ T TRY THIS AT HOME
I’m not sure why it’s called a canal. Where I grew up, a canal was a ditch with water in it. This looked to me to be more of Puget Sound. Anyway, we motored down the canal for about an hour, when we decided it would be a good idea to see if I could bring Wasabi into a dock and secure her all by myself. We saw a public dock ahead and moved toward it. This is what Dustin now refers to as the “docking incident.”
We turned in early, so we could get up when the fuel dock opened and start our last leg out of the main shipping lanes and down the Hood Canal. The gentle rocking of the incoming swell was all we needed to drift off to sleep. Did I mention that we anchored outside the breakwater? About two in the morning, I woke up when I was almost tossed out of my bunk; as the Wasabi started to roll alarmingly from side to side. I flattened myself to the dinette-turned-bunk and tried to sink into the cushions. The rolling didn’t slow and was, in fact, starting to increase. I managed to unsink myself from the cushions long enough to look out the cabin window to see alternating stars and water. After what seemed forever, probably about 90 seconds, the rolling started to slow; and we could settle back down to what would pass for sleep for the rest of that night. We figured it was one of the container ships, just making its presence known.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 131 seen swimming off the side during dinner. We found out later it was a rapstail skate. They are usually in much deeper water.
We came up on the port side with the fenders over the side. I managed to come up at a reasonable clip, slowing at pretty much the right time, and put Wasabi only a little past the end of the dock. I had a death grip on the last dock cleat and was able to scoot Wasabi back to where she could be secured. So far, so good-ish.
The next morning, we fueled up, motored through a pod of dolphins, and headed down the Hood Canal.
Up went the main. Since we didn’t know what we were doing, we set the main with the wind on our beam. The sail got most of the way up, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it to the top. It never dawned on me to put the bow into the wind to take the stress off those tracks, but oh well. We have the sail up, mostly, and we’reThatsailing.five-knot wind, in no time, developed into a 15 or 20-knot blow. Good thing the main was partially reefed due to my ignorance. This was quite a ride. Down went the rail. Up went my pulse, and Wasabi came to life. All the gear that wasn’t secured found its way to the cabin
An hour and a half later our destination was in sight, so we decided to kill the engine and have some lunch while we drifted in a slack tide. Just as we were finishing lunch, a breeze came up. This one felt different. This was no lazy summer zephyr. This one felt cold, and it spread dark traces across the water. It started at about five knots.
DON ’ T TRY THIS AT HOME
www .L ats a tts . com132 Latitudes & Attitudes and the wakes from passing boats and barges could slam Wasabi into the dock. She had to be brought in a little snugger. So up to the bow and snug her up nice and tight. Now back to the stern and... damn... too tight in the bow. So back up to the bow to loosen it up and then back to the stern to... damn... too loose in the bow. So snug the stern and back up to the bow and... really?... too damn snug at the stern. This dance offered endless entertainment for my stepson. After about ten minutes, I managed to secure Wasabi just in time for the wake of a passing barge to test my handiwork. Everything held justAfterfine.a few minutes, I undid all that work and fired up the old outboard to continue our odyssey. Off we went for about 50 yards. The engine sputtered and stopped. No matter how many times I cranked, the engine refused to come to life. Turns out that in all the “docking” activity, the fuel line had separated from the motor. The outboard had just enough fuel to get us away from the dock, and we were now about 200 yards off the beach and getting closer. So hook the fuel line up, and about 50 cranks later, nothing. As the beach got closer, I thought about dropping the anchor. Dustin said: “It’s a sailboat. Put the sail up”. Well, that’s brilliant. So up went the main, and off we scooted in about a two-knot breeze. The engine eventually fired, and we continued to Seabeck.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 133 floor. It was like she was shedding all the detritus and telling us: “this is who I am.” Actually, it was more like we didn’t know what we were doing or how to do it, and next time we would do better. I could taste the salt spray and feel the wind through the tiller. This was better than I could have ever imagined. Wind, water, and Wasabi all came together in one glorious dance. Sure hope we don’t die. Dustin and I took turns at the tiller, until we decided it was time to call it a day. I fired up the motor and put Wasabi dead into the wind so Dustin could go on deck and bring down the sail. We then motored into our slip, secured the boat, and cleaned up the mess in the cabin. After securing the sails, we got into Dustin’s van, which we had left parked a few days ago, and went home. It took a few days to get our land legs back, so as Dustin and I wobbled around Port Townsend, I was constantly reminded of Wasabi and our first trip together. I was conscious of all those years I had thought about this and put it off. So my parting words to anyone, who is still reading, are don’t put it off. Find whatever dream you have and follow it, if just for a little while. Don’t try this at home. Just get out, grab onto your dream, and do it!
FULL BORE by Ed Varano
It was the last evening of a twoweek, 670-mile trip from Beaufort, SC, to Oxford, MD, when my vessel and I were given no choice but to gird up our loins and fight for life with all of our primordial gusto. I was single-handing my sturdy sloop, a 1970 Douglas 31, to her new permanent berth, a little closer to my home in Pennsylvania. As we steamed into the last refuge of the journey, a humongous thunderstorm hit us head-on. Were it not for invisible forces and shear engine power, Penny Royal would have been defeated, laying on her side and beached, only a half-day from her final destination. The captain, having exhausted the budget and time for a trip that was already viewed as questionable by his life coaches, would have been busted. The day started beautifully with a coffee and a hello from the local trotline crabber. After pulling up the hook, I took a quick stop in one of the many gunk hole marinas that is tucked into the Chesapeake Bay coastline. Ingram Bay Marina was about a 1/2 mile away from the anchorage. With my eyes glued to the GPS navigation app on my phone, we tip-toed to the inlet on a winding path that was flanked by hidden tufts of ground just feet under the surface. Drifting so quietly into a perfect setting of serenity, I threw a line on an old dock and stepped off the boat. I filled up with diesel and ice and had a charming conversation with the owner/ dockhand. It was quite tempting to accept her offer of a night’s stay, which included a much-needed shower and a filet of the daily catch, but I knew there was another harbor waiting for us about 40 miles up the Bay. After threading the narrow inlet and weaving through the crab pots, we set out into a balmy August day with high temperatures in the 90s. I had a bimini rigged to the boom and tied to the lifelines for cockpit shade. The problem with this configuration is it’s only a few inches above my head when I’m standing and it traps the heat like a sauna. The best way I found to endure this oven was to dowse myself with buckets of the Bay’s salty brine, and then hold a portable 12-volt trucker fan blowing directly on my head until it dried, and then repeat non-stop. I was also glad to have filled up on ice when I did; cold drinking water on this day was a necessary luxury. The first weather warning on the VHF came in around 1 pm. It was that demanding crescendo of beeps followed by, “This is NOAA Weather Radio. There’s some tree-toppling, severely violent, every-type-o’watercraft sinking, big shit coming into your area this evening, and you may die if you’re not in an underground bunker…” These weather alerts are not rare, but this one seemed much graver since they were mentioning 50kt wind gusts and tornadoes, which happened to be the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. The radio was blasting away every few minutes and that beeping is annoying, so I decided to turn it off, enjoy the ride, and hope for the best. There was a massive lone anvil cloud in the opposite direction far to the east, but other than that, it was clear allThearound.ETA for Solomon’s Island was 7:30pm. There was a small anchorage about four hours sooner for ducking in to avoid the forecasted storms, but the inlet was shallow and not well marked, so I decided against it. The breeze was a shifty 10 knots and with the main sail and jib struggling to fill, I increased the engine throttle to regular cruising RPMs. I had been coddling the Beta 16hp at a cool 1800 RPM for the last few days since the water pump started leaking out the weep hole. I knew that if I kept the stress low on the pump, there was a chance I could finish the trip and avoid the hassle and expense of breaking down. As evening rolled in, I anxiously approached the outlying buoy to the Patuxent River. I was still at least an hour from the preferred anchorage, which of the three options, was the furthest up the river. About a halfhour into the long and wide river inlet, the first anchorage was to the left. It was protected by scant shrubbery on one side, and a submerged sandbar on the other. Supposedly, the resident US Navy personnel will use the spotlight
tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 135
www .L ats a tts . com136 Latitudes & Attitudes and loudspeaker on you in the middle of the night when your boat swings a little too close to shore. The next option was about 45 minutes to the right side of the river. It was a wedge of water between the channel into the town of Solomon and a row of residential docks. The image of getting blown into someone’s backyard, no doubt an exciting spectacle for the townspeople to behold, was not very appealing to me, so I decided to aim for the best anchorage. This spot was on the left side of the river, 12 feet deep, and well sheltered by land. It was located at the far end of the two-mile-wide Lower Patuxent Sanctuary, which was mostly 30 feet deep everywhere, and surrounded by US Naval Air Station property.
The lee shore was undeveloped and sandy, so I figured if I were to get beached, this would be an agreeable landing pad.
Hmmm…let me check the weather radar on my phone. An image that is seared into my mind — Penny and I, represented by a little blue dot on the right side of the screen, soon to be deleted by a hellishly red, pulsating brush stroke, that covered the entire screen from top to bottom.
FULL BORE
On the way back to the cockpit, I was able to get the answer to one of the many trivial questions that was circling through my mind for the last two weeks — How long would it take to cut the six lines holding the bimini in place should we get hit with a squall?! It took about 3.5 seconds including the javelin throw of it into the cabin. I followed down and set the current position on the anchor alarm app. Turned the radio up. Nothing but sirens. Frighteningly peaked out the cabin hatch. Huge darkness. Howling freight train gusts with full sheets of downpours, hail, and spume. Boat lurches broadside. Bow high up in the air and anchor breaks free. Anchor alarm from my phone now harmonizing with radio sirens. Percussion provided by cracks
Ok, now I was startled and thinking about what to do. I kicked up the throttle, and with the jib still pulling, I stretched in vain for any distance closer to safety. Soon after passing the first anchorage, the temperature became colder and the wind changed direction to head-on, so I quickly jumped up on deck and dropped the jib. I clawed ahead for another 10 minutes before an eerie contrast of white caps and dark clouds, supported by 20kt gusts, compelled me to drop the hook. Since I had just made it past Fishing Point and into the sanctuary part of the river, I was only about 1200 feet from the lee shore. A 35 lb. CQR and 200’ of chain all went overboard in a few seconds’ time. I was able to catch and secure the rode around the bollard as it flew out the hawsehole, but when the anchor grabbed the bottom and I saw how that chain tightened like a savagely hooked fishing line, I myself didn’t feel very secure.
I thought I should turn the radio back on and see what the latest is: “This is the United States Coast Guard, there’s some tree-toppling…blah de blah da…and if you’re on the water right now, you’re dead meat.” Even though it was looking very serious up ahead, this definitely got my attention. In my decades of boating experience, I don’t ever recall hearing a weather warning coming directly from the USCG on Ch. 16.
Then, in a flash of awakening, my body sprung out through the cabin hatch, grabbed the tiller, and slammed the throttle down full bore. Foundering about 10 feet from shore, the boat was bouncing off the bottom sideways and the depth gauge read 2.8 feet. Green water from the waves was filling the cockpit. But with each disastrous wave came a little bit of lift. A little bit of hope and relief. Like a dolphin squiggles and nudges to get back in the water after beaching some prey, so did Penny. She swam with all her might, I couldn’t believe we were given a second chance. For the next 45 minutes, I kept the throttle fully pinned down. I was confined to the cockpit sole, and other than pulling a lifejacket out of the seat locker, all I could do was steer the boat and hold fast. We were still connected to the anchor and whatever allowed the chain to never snag the prop was fine with me. Having been restrained to within a couple of hundred feet of shore, it was a cycle of getting blasted broadside and going backward, and then during the brief mercies, we would pound into the oncoming waves for any headway. Chaotically intense and panoramic, the lightning, thunder, and darkness was a scene unmatched by the wildest imagination. I occasionally screamed out in exhilarating bursts of excitement and wondered if the Navy security, watching from their trucks with high beams on, was enjoying this as much as I was. When things started to simmer down around 8:30 pm, darkness gave way to dusk. I was able to get up on deck and start cranking in the anchor. After scraping the bottom of Fishing Point for the last hour, the chain was full of fishing line. The task of cutting off big clumps along the length was not a pleasant reward for having just survived the storm, but I was not complaining. The ride to the anchorage was a humble triumph. The words “wow” and “oh my God” and “thank you so much” took turns trembling out of my mouth. Even though we were drenched and disheveled everywhere, Penny and I laid down for a very relaxing rest that evening. As my mind raced between the “what if’s” and the soon-to-be success of a great trip, all I could do was smile, close my eyes, and dream about the next challenge of the sea.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 137 of thunder and objects flying about the cabin. Panic and paralysis set in. Ten seconds and hundreds of feet closer to shore. Vertical four-foot-high waves steamrolling. The anchor grabs hold again. Five more seconds, still frozen in place. Just watching, no thoughts. Raging fury upon us. Anchor gives up easily. Weightlessness and no sound as we hurry towards the beach. My mind goes into a place of submission--in a daze, pondering thoughts like…”We will be shipwrecked in 5 seconds…The Navy security team I see driving down through the field to meet me on shore will have me in custody shortly…and I’ll get a warm cup of coffee…and a cigarette and…”
I started the journey with sailing lessons. I took a small boat course and then American Sailing Association’s 101 and 102 courses from a local charter company. I started sailing with meetup groups and sailed with an older guy who would sail us through the mooring field, pointing out unloved boats to buy. I was on a shoestring budget, having been laid off only two months before, and had resigned myself to not being able to afford a boat more than 30 feet. One day my friend called me up and said there was a boat on Craigslist that I had to buy, a 1969 Columbia
www .L ats a tts . com138 Latitudes & Attitudes
You never know when a chance conversation is going to change your life. I was in Belize on my post-divorce 59th birthday trip when I met a guy who explained that he avoided island fever by living on his boat and picking up and moving when he got tired of a place. He said there was always a festival somewhere, and I was hooked. I didn’t really have a boating background other than a love of Jimmy Buffet music, but it sounded so good I came home to San Diego determined to adopt the liveaboard lifestyle.
Decision by Mark Bath
LIFE ABOARD | Editor Robin Stout
Sophisticated, IrrationalA
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 139 36. We went to look at it the next evening, and I made an offer the following day. One of my friends called it a sophisticated irrational decision, and I couldn’t really argue. The boat was rough when it was purchased in April of 2015. Ninkasi had been just sitting at her mooring next to the airport for years and was coated with airplane dust. The batteries were dead, and the interior, which was pretty much original, needed a lot of work. She had been re-powered with a Universal diesel engine which I thought was new but later found out was used. On the plus side, there was new standing rigging and a start at deck paint. By this time, I was burning through savings, so I decided to move aboard. I spent my last two months at the apartment giving Ninkasi a thorough scrubbing, cleaning out the water tanks, and installing a new water pump, new batteries, a solar system, and a propane camp stove to go with the ice box. I did temporary security work and refereed kids’ soccer to make ends meet, buy the necessities for the boat and cover those expenses that inevitably crop up on a boat. For example, a couple of weeks after moving aboard, I was getting ready for the July 4th celebration, where I had a front-row seat on the water, when my holding tank burst! That’s not an issue I would wish on anyone, but a frantic drive up the coast to Los Angeles to a tank manufacturer who made one to spec, and I was back in business. I also purchased new dock lines and fenders and a used dinghy as the previous owner wanted their canoe back and I was set. Living aboard while working the boat was a lot like camping. I was working on one part while living in another. The move was also a continuous experience of downsizing. After my divorce, I downsized from the big house to an apartment, and moving aboard meant another round of downsizing and many, many trips to Goodwill. There were some things that I just couldn’t bear to part with, and I had to rent a small storage space to keep family heirlooms like my great grandfathers rocking chair until my kids were settled enough to take them.
My next project was finishing painting the decks which turned out to be a lot of work as it required stripping all the hardware off. Then I painted the interior, which made a huge livability improvement, but nothing made as much difference as cutting out the icebox and installing a refrigerator. After the paint and the refrigerator, it was time for a new two-burner stove and a formal propane system with safety valves and sensors. Of course, I also had to upgrade the solar system to keep the fridge running. I also replaced the head after some not-so-subtle suggestions from my girlfriend, and I have to admit it was a boost to livability. I eventually found a new job, so some niceties were in order, all the while keeping a gym membership at the nearby Sheraton for showers and the occasional getaway. Ninkasi got all new wiring and led lights and a new switch panel. I’m an electronics technician by trade and grew up on a cattle ranch, so I was able to do all the work myself. I also installed all new port lights to replace the leaky originals and spent five months removing and varnishing all interior wood.
www .L ats a tts . com140 Latitudes & Attitudes
The new job also allowed for new sails and a roller furler for the jib. Of course, after shelling out the big bucks for sails, the next day, the diesel engine crapped out. The water pump was shot, and it was at the height of the pandemic. That meant I couldn’t find a mechanic to address the problem. By the time I got someone out, the engine had rusted and was trash. I had to re-power the boat and decided to go with a QuietTorque 10.0 Sail Drive from Electric Yacht powered by eight six-volt gel cell batteries that I typically recharge with 800 watts of solar panels. I’ve been happy with the performance of the sail drive. Range depends on how fast you want to go, but if I run the little 2kw generator and keep the speed down to 2-3 knots, it’s virtually unlimited. The installation was super easy, and after removing the diesel, the sail drive and batteries took up almost no space. I’ve turned part of the engine compartment into tool storage, and eventually, I’ll remove the diesel tanks and turn that space into storage as well. A couple of years ago, I installed new cockpit cushions that made the outside much more comfortable. My current project of replacing salon cushions is in process. Looking back, I don’t know that I would do anything differently. Some of my early investments would have been more cost-effective if I’d waited until I could afford better quality, but those things improved my quality of life, so I don’t regret going ahead with them. If you’re thinking about buying an older boat and fixing it up, I’d say it pays to be handy, but you can learn anything from youtube, and you’ve just gotta try. I calculated the other day that I’ve put $25k into a $7k boat with a big chunk of that going toward the sail drive, and that doesn’t include all the sweat equity I’ve put in. I’m moored in San Diego Bay, and I love being in downtown San Diego where I can walk to restaurants and pubs. I spend a couple of days a week with my girlfriend since I met someone who didn’t read “live on my boat” as “essentially homeless,” as my voter registration says. If you ask me, 32 thousand for a million-dollar location is a major bargain. I’m looking at retirement at the end of the year; who knows — maybe Mexico?
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 141
Preparing to cross the Indian Ocean, Zeke was short on crew due to family departure and his partner’s trips back home and he turned to a website “Offshore Passage Book Review By Capt. Jim Cash
“At the end of life, looking back, would I regret it if I let this opportunity pass by?” “Yes” said my inner voice.” “Then go for it, and name the boat No Regrets. This opening in Mr. Holland’s book got to me, reminding me of the same question I and many other World Cruiser have asked themselves. He says he has had noI’mregrets.happy this book made it to the top of the list for review, though I have to admit it was lost for a while during a house move. I was sent the ‘color version’ on slick paper that made the book pretty hefty, but learned it was also available in a black and white, less expensive, version. For those of you dreaming about the time you may untie those lines, either for a vacation cruise or a circumnavigation, Mr. Holland’s descriptions will give you a good idea of the reality of cruising, both the good times, and the “What the hell am I doing?” times. We learn of the circumstances that came together for a co-owner partnership to buy the Atlantic 42 Catamaran designed by Chris White, and the agreement to join the Blue Planet Odyssey (BPO) rally organized by sailing legend Jimmy Cornell, leaving from Key West, Florida, to circumnavigate and help bring attention to Global Warming and the rising sea levels around the world. They got the boat ready to head south from New Jersey, cruised in and out of the ICW, including the historic “Dismal Swamp”, Norfolk, Charleston, Ft. Lauderdale and finally to Key West with BPO departure date only days away, then “goodbye Key West”, and “Hello Hemingway Marina, Havana, Cuba” as their first stop outside the USA, where they spent a couple days in that “politically incorrect” Island Nation to our south. Throughout the book our author is communicating with 7th graders back in his hometown in Maine, since education was part of the BPO objective. The questions ranged from weather to boat problems, the Bermuda Triangle, and if the Igunanas were friendly on the Galapagos Islands. Cuba wasn’t on the BPO agenda, more of a “bucket list” stop for the crew of No Regrets, and they later rendezvous with the rest of the flotilla in San Blas Islands, and meeting the Cuna [Kuna], I’ve seen it spelled both ways, people of the island, before transiting the Panama Canal and sailing off to the Galapagos where our author has a less than romantic view of dealing with the officials, the costs, and not being able to sail to or anchor in the many wonderful places. The photos of the wildlife they encountered were spectacular, and the Iguanas don’t look very friendly. The longest passage thus far, between Galapagos and Marquesas, estimated to be 21 days but lucking into a couple 200+ mile days they were converging on Tahawus on day 17. Marquesas, we learn is Spanish for Island of Men and that being tattooed originated here. The tattoos, we are told, can tell your life story in body art. Our writer shows off his new tattoo depicting the islands, sharks teeth as strength and courage, waves as a voyager, sea turtles as protectors, and the symbol for man. For the next several chapters we are treated to a sail though the paradise of the south Pacific, “you can’t live here long”, Zeke writes as he’s lounging on the beach, “the sun erodes your will, your initiative, it’s too easy to sit and do nothing.” Referring to Tuamotus, and Tuvalu, we learn of the concerns of raising sea levels. In Tahiti, we learn your home is where you anchor is. In Tonga, (Lape Island) there is a weekly feast for “Yachties” to earn the money to build a pier, then on to Vanuatu where the crew was invited to many native festivals. Much of this passage was a trip down memory lane for me, especially the visit to Funafuti, the capital of Tuvalu, where the campaign slogan to bring awareness to raising sea levels was “Save Tuvalu, Save the World”. Soon the crew was anxious to sail again and they were off to Australia where needed boat repairs were able to be accomplished and a rendezvous with family for a vacation through the northern country. But, soon they were off again for an exotic cruise through Indonesia. Having never been to that part of the world it was festinating to me to read about new places and see the wonderful photos. We are treated to the description of the Komodo Dragons, a very large reptilian creature that eats mostly dear, but anything within range including people if you are not careful. On Kumai we learn of the “O Green” organization with a mission to protect the endangered Orangutans. They were fixing the boat again in Phuket, and had medications confiscated in Sumatra.
www .L ats a tts . com142 Latitudes & Attitudes
A SATISFYING SAIL AROUND THE WORLD By Zeke Holland
They prepared the boat for the second longest passage of the voyage, 2000 miles an estimated 13 days to Port Mathurin harbor, Rodrigues Island. Along the way,they lost one spinnaker, broke the snuffer sock on another, lost a blade from the hydro generator, had the wind generator shake loose from its bracket, and the throttle control on one engine stop working…a pretty standard crossing. After a few days they were off to Mauritius for a 10 week hiatus for a trip home to the states, and another crew change where we meet Nora, before the crossing to South Africa and putting into Point Yacht Club in Durban. We are again treated to many wonderful photos of wildlife from the explorations taken while in South Africa before adventuring out onto what is called the “Wild Coast” due to the apposing prevailing winds and the Agullas Current. While making their way toward Cape Town to prepar for their Atlantic crossing, they stopped at the Port Elizabeth and Mosselbaai (Mossel Bay), the convenient “duck–in” harbors, used while waiting for the appropriate weather windows. Staying at the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town, they prepared the boat for the Atlantic and handled the paperwork to check out of the country. They decided to hug the coast north, and to put into Walvis Bay, in Namibia on Africa’s southwest coast. “Sand, Beautiful Awesome Magnificent Sand” is how Zeke describes it, as they tour the local landscape where the beach is never ending. Soon they were off, point the bow NW toward St. Helena, Island, “1,200 nautical miles (about 8 days)” he writes, it took me 12 days. He hired the same tour guide, Robert Peters, I had hired 17 years before… this cruising life style is truly a small world. He showed them all the sights, but where he showed them proudly the Island’s new airport, when I was there Robert was point to the area they hoped would one day be their airport and finally a connection to the outside world. Their next stop, Fernando de Noronha, off the coast of Brazil, was also the same path I had taken, though they elected a several day stay. We had fuel up and went on our way north while No Regrets sailed to the mainland put into the Paraiba River close to Joao Pessoa, one of the oldest Cities in Brazil, a designated stop for the BPO. Being on the west coast of the Atlantic, they could feel the taste of home and were preparing the for the trek north with Barbados, as their first Caribbean destination, and the conclusion of the BPO circumnavigation. Their crew person Nara departs here having been part of the crew for 7 months and 8,000 nautical miles. If you want the perspective of a newbie sailor, on an ocean voyage her narrative is worth a read. From there they sprinted through the Caribbean and Bahamas, though the photographs again are a treasure. “Yikes! I was not ready to leave her.” Zeke writes “but it was time to let go.” No Regrets was sold shortly after they “crossed their wake [on the ICW], mission accomplished! He proclaims. “Sailing around the world was deeply satisfying…a journey of the heart.” He writes.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 143
Opportunities”
and met TC, an Auzzi living in France, who joined the crew in Tua Pejat, and soon they were off with the Australian islands of Cocos (Keeling), in the path, anchoring first on Direction Island, and paid $8 (USD) for diesel in 2017.
www .L ats a tts . com144 Latitudes & AttitudesLatitudes & Attitudes
Tin Tin Treks
-
By John Simpson
Some time has elapsed now for me to write about Clive’s last fight with life. It has been a bit raw to write before. He bought his secondhand 43-foot yacht from another Scotsman at Moody’s at the top of the Hamble in the UK. Then, at the beginning of March, he asked me if I would help to sail her back to Scotland. Our early legs were great, making many quick miles due to a named storm blowing through just before we left. Heading east from the So lent, we were lucky to have Lisa onboard; she is a very fine crew but would only do our first leg.
Treks North
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 145
natuwww .L ats a tts . com146 Latitudes & Attitudes
www .L ats a tts . com146 Latitudes & Attitudes Tin Tin Treks North
Clive needed treatment for his cancer every two weeks in Aberdeen, which meant we did quite a few miles in hire cars, scooting from north to south and backFewagain.serious problems occurred with his Ovni 435 Tin Tin particularly as she had been a charter boat before Clive bought her from Ron Flockhart. Berthing her was easy. Though I did experiment with her keel lifted in Lowestoft, we were immediately blown sideways onto another boat. Leaving from there was dodgy on leg two as we were poorly charted, the banks changed, and his plotter was not updated fully. We left before dawn to catch the tide with a big swell after an easterly gale, which was not very comfy; we might easily have lost her with the shifting banks there. At Hartlepool, we lost the engine morse controls after locking into the marina. This was alleviated by a local shipwright who saw our plight from his own boat and towed us into a berth with his flubber. We left a bit late from there and just got away with her keel and rudder well raised by slithering down the mud bank after the lock, watched by the lock staff in total amazement. Given the cold, mostly north-west or northerly winds about Force 4–6+ after Clive’s latest chemo, during many of the early parts of each of these legs he
Finally, Clive finished his long struggle from down south to where he had planned to keep her in Arisaig on the west coast of Scotland. His voyage round about two-thirds of Britain had started off in spring with the cold North Sea, then ended three and a half months later in much warmer, balmy Hebridean waters after visiting twenty-three ports. We’d met many interesting characters in these places, sailing round the UK coast. This type of voyage is often more difficult than crossing an ocean, and many of these fine yachtsmen reflected this. Clive had a giant soul; his tough Highland spirit carried him through the tough times. A few weeks later, we took Tin Tin out further west to St. Kilda, and you could positively feel his joy. This was his wonderful penultimate summer. The next season we did some more cruising on the west coast, but he left us soon after, his cancer finally took to his brain.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 147 rally felt very poorly. Those early passages were mostly on my own whether driving to windward under sail or motoring; she was a tough cruising yacht. The autopilot did most of the work. I would just duck under the sprayhood, which was okay, then do the odd trip below to check on Clive, to make a brew, and eat some scoff. It felt very quiet down there. Often, I would start the heater to keep him warm until he felt better from his treatment. If we arrived early enough and we’d found a good fish restaurant, we ate very well. Arriving later, there would still be a curry house or even a Chinese restaurant still open. My wife, Janet, had fallen and hurt herself during our first leg, but my sister stepped in, giving me her car to get home from down south to Argyll rapidly. After that, on our three legs, we had easily driven Tin Tin into the north of England to Blythe, then had to head back a few miles to Newcastle due to bad weather; we couldn’t leave her at Blythe. Another of Clive’s friends, Doug Cam eron, joined him from Newcastle to Peterhead, which I felt rather bad about, but he understood Clive’s illness a lot better than I. Worked out well for us after all, as it was the start of my wife’s Alzheimer’s. This was also probably a blessing for Clive because he was forced to skipper Tin Tin more, and he got to know her very well. Clive took a long break plus small refit at Peterhead, which allowed his family and friends to go onboard his new toy. After that, it felt much easier continuing the journey as we both understood his boat more, plus the weather was mostly kinder. I joined him again at Peterhead to take her to Inverness and the start of the Caledonian canal. Because I was still coaching and examining sail ing, I didn’t have time to go through the canal. Stuart, and then his wife Linda, joined us for these last legs.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 147
His big heart and optimism are still with me whenever I am feeling down. The fact is that we were quite different as a Highland Scot and a professional sailor from Essex, but it never made any difference to us—except when watching rugby at either Twicker’s or at Murrayfield, then we could fall out quite badly supporting our teams. Perhaps that helped us to not be totally at odds most of the time, or was it just that we had both been world travelers, seen a lot of life, and recognized what was important? Personally, I would not buy an aluminum French Ovni yacht. I prefer faster yachts that I can single-hand easily. But, if I was heading right up north or south for some ice,they are perfect for these adventurous voy ages and an Ovni would certainly be on my list. It was fascinating meeting voyaging people sailing round the UK that season; most were heading south to the sun. Many of them have impressed on me our island’s ability to give them this freedom for travel, particularly those doing it on a small budget with scruffy, often cramped craft. We were lucky to enjoy their company.
www .L ats a tts . com148 Latitudes & Attitudes Tin Tin Treks North
www .L ats a tts . com148 Latitudes & Attitudes
Clive’s maiden trip would be a remarkable achievement for anyone, more so for someone who had almost no intestines left. But he summed it up with his Scottish way, “I’ve got a very small tail pipe now, John. Dinna, you worry how often I have to go to the loo, after eating.” What he did was quite remarkable. Ten days later, Clive, Stuart, and I took Tin Tin from
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 149
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 149
Arishaig out to St. Kilda and back during a ten-day passage for her first west coast jaunt. I will never for get the smile on Clive’s face nor his joy when walking on a bit of virgin sand in Village Bay with a huge num ber of seabirds around. One stage, we were running down to the south to Skye with his Tin Tin spinnaker set, watching a sea eagle being mobbed by smaller buzzards in Loch Bharcasaig in Skye. We even tried to fish (illegally) in the shadow of the Grey Corries at Loch Coruisk in competition with Stuart when we had dropped the pick overnight in Scavaig. It was brilliant being able to show him some of my favorite spots on the west coast. My mate Clive was not a normal man from the NE of Scotland. He had worked offshore all round the world and was incredibly good at surveying to find oil. Hav ing worked offshore most of his life being paid big money, he would then stay ashore for equal periods of time. Great fun, special times would be freshwater fishing for salmon or trout in either Scotland or New Zealand (he had a Kiwi mum) in extremely fast rivers. Often, he was away supporting Scotland or the Lion’s rugby tours in Oz, NZ, or South Africa. He loved many women, but his offshore at sea and a traveling lifestyle did not lead him into any long-term relation ships.Wehad some problems with his older Ovni, but what a fine cruising yacht. Though quite technical, it was mostly easy to fix with an excellent manual. We had a wee Morse problem in Hartlepool, and another tiny fault in Scarborough before that with the bow thruster, which took us about three hours to fix. The electronic self-steering let go on the way up the Forth into Lossiemouth, having lost hydraulic oil from an old pipe connection. Plus, the aft bog went wrong, but these were all minor problems, especially for a ten-year-old bareboat ex-charter yacht. The lifting keel and rudder gave this boat another spe cial dimension, which is why this concept of a ‘cruising yacht’ might be the way to go, provided you can afford one and want to push out your cruising parameters into ice, shallow water, etc. It would keep you very warm; they’re beautifully designed long-distance cruising yachts. It is one of the warmest, quietest, most efficient yachts for the size I have ever sailed on. The French, the French, what is it with the French?! They are always pushing design things on, as perhaps they have always done. Obviously, some are by computer design, but then they say: “Let’s go and see how this works offshore?” Perhaps because I have an Anglo-Sax on brain, these concepts are way beyond me—but I don’t lose any sleep about that.
About the Author: John Simpson grew up on the Thames Estuary at Leigh-on-Sea and was lucky to sail as a boy with his parents on an old sailing smack and race dinghies. (GP14s and then Flying Dutchmen in his late teens. Once married with children, he made my living from racing, delivering, coaching, and examining yachts (sometimes worldwide). He also did several fun trips single-handed with a Hurley 22 during the ’80s, crossing the Atlantic three times,until retiring in his late sixties.
-
Garhauer Dinghy Davit Block & Tackle System With Cleats
A Lot of Folks are looking for Replacement kit for use with Dinghy Davits. The good folks at Garhauer have answered the call, with this kit. In it you’ll find 2 Upper Triple Blocks with becket on the side to keep the lines from crossing and a cleat on the opposite side to make it easier to handle. The upper Triple Blocks have a U shackle that is welded to keep the block from spinning You’ll also find two 5/16″ X 60′ of line for rigging it to the two Lower Triple Blocks with extra shoulders to prevent the line from coming out of the sheaves You will also find the carabiners for conecting to the dinghy. The load limit on this exceeds 1,100 pounds, so you’ll know it’s strong enought to lift even the hardiest of dinghys. For more info on this system, and other garhauer products, go to www.garhauermarine.com.
Dinghy Davit Hoist Making It Easy To Hoist The Dink!Latitudes It At The Boat Show
www .L ats a tts . com150 Latitudes & Attitudes
& Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section I Found
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 151
Aquatabs is now available from Aquamarine Water Solutions and your local marina specifically for the marine market. They are world’s largest selling effervescent water purification tablets. What they do is to kill microorganisms in water to prevent diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, and other water borne diseases which end up leading to a 99.9999% reduction in bacteria, a 99.99% reduction in viruses and a 99.9% reduction in Cysts (Giardia) within 30 minutes of their use. Some of the advantages of this new product are that they are pure and are Highly Effective to preevent foul tasting and smelly potable water. It also protects you and your crew from giardia cysts, bacteria, and viruses. It is easy to store on a boat, as it has a long shelf life - lasts 2 years from the date of manufacture. and it is reliable. AquaTab has been a trusted brand for over 20 years. if you would like more information on how this new product can help on your boat, you can find more information on their website at www.aquamarinewatersolutions.com.
Pure The Easy Way Latitudes & Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section I
Found It At The Boat Show
Aquatabs Keep The Water Yoiur Tanks
In
The
www .L ats a tts . com152 Latitudes & Attitudes
Part Of Your AnchoringLatitudesSystem!&Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section I Found
The strongest link – the Mantus anchor swivel is stronger than its corresponding Grade 40 chain. (WLL is 1/5 UBS) Integrated swivel shackle design completely eliminates side loading, making this the safest anchor swivel on theThemarket.pinon the chain side of the swivel is the strengthlimiting part since the geometry of the chain determines the pin size. The Mantus anchor swivel and shackle is the first to feature an oblong pin to maximize the pin strength. With the aid of computer modeling and physical testing, we truly created a swivel that is the strongest link. Note the innovative shackle bolt design – no shackle dog! This slim hex head design (with holes for safety wire) offers a slimmer profile making it easier for translating through your bow roller.
The Mantus Anchor Swivel Strongest It At The Boat Show
• 316 L Stainless Steel, Precision Cast and ElectroPolished Body • Pin made from Duplex Stainless Steel and is mechanically polished and electro-polished.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 153
If you’ve ever been out cruising and sailed or motored over a line or net, you know what a hassle that can be. Here’s the answer!
Spurs Line Cutter Systems use the propeller’s rotation and inertial force to power the cutting action. As the offending line enters the propeller vortex, it is wound toward the propeller hub. The line is engaged by the rotating cutter blades and delivered to the stationary cutter blade. The sudden resistance sensed by the stationary cutter forces a cam action which causes the blade to be pushed outward, meeting the rotating blade and severing the obstruction. This shearing action means that the cutting blades never actually come into contact with each other. With each rotation, the cutters pass each other gliding on a thin lubricating film of water or within a few thousandths of each other, thus avoiding surface wear during long passages. The stationary cutter centers itself in the cutter guides as it passes through with each revolution of the propeller.
Show
If you plan on sailing anywhere you might encounter fishing nets, crab or lobster pots or floating line, you should check into putting some Spurs on your vessel, you will be glad you did. To find out more about the Spurs brand line & net cutters all you have to do is visit them at their website: www.spursmarine.com.
Keep Your Boats Propellers Clear from Lines & Nets Latitudes & Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section I Found It
Spurs Line Cutters For Shaft Or Prop At The Boat
The UCM1-3.5 is available in a standard version or in a modified configuration that is Ignition Protection Certified for use in gasoline powered vessels. Diesel gen-sets in gas boats are becoming more popular as generator manufacturers are dropping their gasoline lines due to safety and liability concerns. With a 5-10 gallon auxiliary tank, owners of gasoline boats can now enjoy the safety, reliability and fuel economy of diesel at about the same price as current gas gen-sets.
Ultra Compact Marine 3.5kW Generators
Next Generations UCM 3-9.5 is perfect for mid-size vessels, or as a back-up for large vessels. It offers Mid speed operation which provides low sound and vibration levels. Comparable sound levels to same k.w. heavy weight 1800 RPM sets. The Super efficient “Three Vortex Combustion System” provides greater power output and cleaner buring exhaust while reducing fuel consumption to a minimum. It features compact size & light weight.
www .L ats a tts . com154 Latitudes & Attitudes NextGen Compact Generating Getting Power Doesn’t Have To Be Big LatitudesDeal!& Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section I Found It At The Boat Show
Ultra Compact Marine Generators From 3.5kW to 9.5KW
Traditional direct-coupled 1,800 RPM gen-sets are often too large and heavy to fit in many small to medium-sized vessels where space is at a premium. Using a patent-pending design, Next Generation Power Engineering, Inc. offers ultra-compact, lightweight 3.5KW to 9.5KW diesel machine that don’t resort to the current trend of high speed 3,600 rpm operation. You’ll find more info at: http://www.nextgenerationpower.com 9.5KW3.5KW 5.5KW
Ultra Compact Marine 5.5kW Generators The UCM2-5.5 gen-set from Next Generation Power Engineering features a revolutionary design similar to its recent predecessor, the 3.5kW UCM1-3.5. Unique components include Next Generation’s patented, low-profile generator mounting system and Goodyear’s new helical cut timing system, which combine to allow the ultra-compact size. Dimensions are just 23” long x 17’ wide x 20” high, and dry weight is only 230 lbs.
Ultra Compact Marine 5.5kW Generators
www .L ats a tts . com166 Latitudes & Attitudes
www .L ats a tts . com170 Latitudes & Attitudes
It’s been an amazing journey to this point where Erik now owns this legendary title. I get to steer the ship, and Bob gets to be Bob again. We’re excited to be a team moving Lats & Atts forward, and we’re hoping you’ll all welcome us to the party. We know this publication lives and breathes on the cruising lifestyle stories sent in by you, the loyal readers. We encourage you to keep cruising, keep writing and keep sending all your stuff to us! You can forward anything you wish to share to: Submissions@LatsAtts.com
. Get out there and Live the Dream!
CREW the ZOO
By David Levesque
In our continuing effort to introduce you to the new ownership and management of your beloved Latitudes & Attitudes, the #1 cruising lifestyle publication on the planet, each issue we’ll take a deeper look at the history and shenanigans of the two dudes now running it and how the universe somehow mashed them together to become forever entwined with the main dude who started it.
Erik Kyle, the new owner of Lats & Atts, took the helm of his father’s publication Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine in 2001. What quickly became a labor of love, and a need to feed his growing family, Erik poured his heart and soul into expanding the Toledo-based free boating magazine into an international go-to resource guide for all things Great Lakes boating. In 2010 whilst navigating the aisles of the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show looking for the next great product to showcase to his Great Lakes audience Erik stumbled on me, David Levesque, figuratively, not literally, holding a stuffed Koala bear and pitching a lovely-smelling mold control product called Kanberra Gel. Now many of you have seen the part in Twins where Danny DeVito realizes Arnold Schwarzenegger is his long-lost twin? This moment didn’t pack quite the same aha punch. However, there was certainly an instant realization of total consciousness between these two, the kind of which can carry legendary seismic proportions. Anyways, Erik eventually sold me some advertising, the acceleration of the Kanberra-brand growth hit high gear, and a long-term business relationship and friendship was born. A few boat shows, viral videos, bad jokes, and cigars later, we two budding powerhouses were at the 2011 Newport Boat Show, and I introduced Erik to this character of a guy with the last name Bitchin I had met earlier that year in Oakland at the Strictly Sail show. Now, let’s pause to say there are few moments in life where one can say they felt as if long-lost kindred spirits had reunited. This was kind of like that. However, to Bob, we think he was taken aback, wondering if he was staring at another son no one told him about. Yes, put Erik and Bob side by side, and anyone would wonder or shut down the buffet. And it was like these two were publishing soul mates: Successful magazines, great relationships, and reputations in the boating industry, horrible joke tellers. And by experience and size, I quickly fell into line somewhere in the middle, literally. Many years and many life events later, here we all are.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 171 The Hard-to-Find “Stuff” for the CruiserBosun’s Bag
www .L ats a tts . com172 Latitudes & Attitudes
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 173
www .L ats a tts . com174 Latitudes & Attitudes Latitudes and Attitudes Word Search Find the words listed under the puzzle and circle each one as you find it. YTMFBCLYCATAMARANIRAM WAOOSALASURGELPITCHUR MICWOTEWALRUSBZNOCAEB RINHIBWRNAMPIHSDIMPLP AHSDTNSEQAFWWBNCPODYM DTEULDGDREFSTEEROHOLD RROBRAHNKNUWPBNPPHAEX AEIANESUOHLEEHWNADSLR YBBNBJLSPOLROYILDYRCR AEUIKFGNIGGIRPEEDFEAO YDEQLAIMZTROPRRWJDENH TIRYJGCSNUBEOPIAROTNC SWQIEXERHKRHRIYTKLAIN ELFTFXEDCDSOERDCHPVBA NEETSTOORAWYEPAHEHIVP SDGESAMHKAPOFJEDVIRSD WIUUKMMPCPOUTYLRANPTR OSXCARIPOTHBREAKERSAA REEHSEAHOEENNPHWHVVYO C EFORECASTLESIWHSAWAB HLETAGIVANMESOOLTOOFAharborhammockforecastlefootlooseflukefishdunnagedolphincrowsnestchoppycatamarancalmbuoybreakersboombinnaclebilgebeaconawashashoreanchorahoyadriftaboard reefradarprowprivateerportpooppitchpieroxeyeorlopnippernavigatemidshipmanmarinaluffleesideladderkeeljackinboardicebergholdhelmheave yardarmyachtwindlasswideberthwheelhousewhalewatchwalrusunderwaytowingtopmasttideswellswaysurgesternsteerstaysparshoalsheerscudrigging Nautical Word Search Created by Myles Mellor Answers on page 176 To Donate, Participate, or Volunteer, go CallOfTheSea.orgto:
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 175 25. ___ lion, kind of seal 28. Time just before an event 29. Big burger 31. Lowest part of a wave 32. Had had a dip 33. __Admiral, abbr. 34. Roughly: suffix 36. It’s tied to form a romantic symbol, 2 words 42. Rope used to control the setting of a sail in relation to the direction of the wind 44. Regatta sights 45. Flat-bottomed canal boats 46. He sang these great lines: “Hark now, hear the sailors cry, Smell the sea and feel the sky, Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic” - 2 words 48. Dieters want to drop them. abbr. 49. Period of time spent at the wheel, in slang 52. Standing rigging running from a mast to the sides of a ship 54. Wine lovers 57. Die down 58. Rescue cargo from a wrecked ship 59. Rope ladder permanently rigged from bulwarks 60. Website ending for a school 65. Miniature photo, maybe 66. High seas, old way 67. Throws out as a fishing line 69. Possess 71. Relaxation place 72. Hawaiian coffee district 75. ___ ski: move fast across the water 76. Girl mentioned 77. Body of water 79. Elevated railway ACROSS 1. Large headsail 6. Fishy lady 10. Personal commitment 12. “___ on deck!”, 2 words 14. Short rope used to bind a cable to the “messenger” (moving line propelled by the capstan) 15. Set out on a voyage, say 18. Had some fish and chips, for example 19. Singer of “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”- 2 words 21. Shoreline peril 24. Large mass of sand or earth formed by the surge of the sea 26. Compete 27. “Latitudes and Attitudes” show is on ____ Radio 30. He enjoyed sittin’ on the dock of the bay, 2 words 35. Wiener schnitzel meat 37. Rowboat crew member 38. Southern Cal big city, abbr. 39. Pointer on a gauge 40. Fruit that provides milk 41. Type of blonde 43. Letter addition, abbr. 47. Stationary device used to secure a rope aboard a vessel 50. Position of an anchor just clear of the bottom 51. Engage in a summer sport, 2 words 53. Stomach muscles, abbr. 55. System of masts and lines on ships 56. It scavenges for empty mollusc shells, 2 words 58. Overlapping boards in a clinker built hull 61. Place for a soak 62. River blade 63. Aqua lung device 64. Battery type 67. Angler’s goal, 2 words 68. “Help!” 70. ___ general rule, 2 words 73. Halfway between bow and stern 74. Boat the Beach Boys sang about, 3 words 78. Singer King Cole 80. Compass direction 81. Gala, for one 82. Belly-flop effect 83. Like the night-time sky DOWN 1. Caribbean or Caspian waters 2. Island in the Caribbean off the coast from Cancun, 2 words 3. Warriors’ grp., abbr. 4. Young’un 5. Road, for short 6. Humid 7. Buntlines, for example 8. It’s fresh at sea 9. Put one’s feet into the water and moved them around gently 10. Nomad 11. Napa Valley sight 13. Signing point 16. Lead-in for ‘’loss’’ or ‘’glance’’, 2 words 17. Sternward 19. Shrub with fragrant flowers 20. Up to this point 22. Supervising 23. Assist GIANT LATITUDES & ATTITUDES NAUTICAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wanna Cheat? The answers to these are on page 176 Created by Myles Mellor
www .L ats a tts . com176 Latitudes & Attitudes Wanna Cheat? Here are the answers to this issue’s Extra Large Maritime Crossword Puzzle and The Word-Search Puzzle. Go ahead, no one will know... except you!
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 177www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 177 This final Mackie White Cartoon. Mackie (Michael) passed away shortly after creating this Episode. His work has been in Latitudes & Attitudes for over 18 years! He will be missed by all who knew him and his work!
“Some 20 plus years ago, we were hesitant to advertise in Lats & Atts, since everything about the magazine was unconventional.
www .L ats a tts . com178 Latitudes & Attitudes FEATUREDFEATURED YEARS IN LATS & ATTS: 20 BUSINESS: Hamilton Ferris LOCATION: Massachusetts www.HamiltonFerris.com LATITUDES & ATTITUDES - Advertiser Spotlight
That “something” was a magazine devoted to the cruising lifestyle and having fun. For us, advertising in Lats & Atts has been that perfect match! For cost-effective advertising that reaches an active cruising audience with proven results, contact the folks at Lats & Atts!” Ham Ferris
We quickly found that the cruising audience we were looking for, was also looking for something unconventional in a publication.
www .L ats a tts . com Latitudes & Attitudes 179 Aero Yacht Ltd 28 Annapolis Hybrid Marine 103 Aquatabs Marine 22 Atlantic Towers & St. Croix Marine Products 143 ATN 107 Aumaris Nautical Jewerly 21 Bacon Sails 103 Beta Marina East/West 26 Bitchin Books 51 Blue Water Sailing School 58-59 Bocas Marina 109 Boot Düsseldorf 127 Coppercoat 113 CS Johnson 109 e -Marine Systems - Air SilentX 50 e -Marine Systems - Xantrex 115 Edson International 133 El Cid Marinas 24 Festiva Sailing Vacations 107 Flexboat International 181 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 155 Forespar Products Corp. 105 Froli Sleep Systems 141 Hamilton Ferris Co 43 HMC Handcrafted Mattress 107 How Not to Sail 176 ICA Group - NuTeak 113 Indiantown Marina 117 Kanberra Gel 20 Keenan Filters 7 Kilowatt Power Systems 133 L&A Ship Store 168-169 LA Subs 82-83 Lanex USA 119 Lasdrop 115 Little Yacht Sales 166 Mack Sails 25 Mack Yacht Services 27 MainSheet ~ Manson 141 Mantus Marine 101 MapTech 102 MarTek Davits 143 Newport Boat Show 101 Next Gen 143 Nova Luxe Yachts 127 O ffshore Sailing School 30-31, 143 Panama Posse 141 Phiber Systems 14-15 Port Ludlow Marina 111 Portland Boat Mattress 29 PYI 117 PYI - Kiwi Grip 111 Pyrate Radio 137 Rainman 18 Sailrite BC Sailtime 16-17 ScuttleButt 164 Sea Frost 42 SeaBags 119 Seawater Pro 4 Shadetree Fabric Shelters 105 Spurs Marine Manufacturing, Inc 103 Sudbury 66-67 Sunsail 94 The Finish Line 75 Ultra Marine West 13 United States Boat Show 106 Wichard 8 Bavaria Sail & Power By S&J Yachts 2-3 BVI Yacht Sales 160-161 Conch Charters 167 Curtis Stokes & Assocates 156-157 Eastern Yacht Sales 165 Island Packet Yachts 9 Little Yacht Sales 163 Passport Yachts 10-11 Royal Cape Catamarans 23 S & J Yachts 158-159 Seabbatical 166 South Coast Yachts 162 The Moorings 34 Banner Bay Marine 171 Boat Bistro.com 174 Call of the Sea 174 Cruise RO 171 DockStar Thrusters 172 Forget About It 172 Foss Foam & Rudders 173 Gig Harbor Boat Works 172 Har t Sytems 173 Hydrovane International 172 Keylime Sailing Club 173 Kiss-Radio Tek 173 M&B Shipcanvas 172 Magica Rust Remover 171 Masthead Enterprises 174 Mystic Knotworks 173 No Wear Guard 174 O ffShore Passage 173 Sailmaker’s Supply 174 Technautics 171 Visar 172 Zarcor 173 ADVERTISER INDEX These are the smartest advertisers in the marine industry! Be sure to tell ‘em where you saw ‘em. Marine Advertisers Boats, Brokers, and Charters Bosun’s Bag
Tom like the sailing lifestyle, and he joined us on our sail out of Trogir. He is kind of a game player. No, not that kind. Ya see, he designs the backgrounds for video games when he is working, but obviously he was not working when this photo was taken. It was taken aboard
Jeff & Marie have been a part of the Lats & Atts family for a couple decades. Better known as Ken & Barbie, they have “volunteered” to work shows ever since! They first appeared in 1999 at the first Cruiser’s Party, which was held on St. Pete. This pic was taken at the most recent St Pete Boat show in January.
Doris Colgate has recently been inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame Class of 2022
www .L ats a tts . com180 Latitudes & Attitudes Meet some folks who have managed to make a lifestyle out of most people’s dreams. Boat people can be found on oceans and seas, scattered around the globe. They can be spotted easily. They are the ones who have a glazed look in their eyes as they scan the horizons. Here are a few we’ve seen. Have you seen any lately? If so, email a photo and information to: submissions@LatsAtts.com Boat People
This is Captain Eric Forrester, playing while in Miami at the Miami International Boat Show. He and girlfriend Michelle were roped into working at the Lats & Atts booth during the show. No, this was not taken at the show, but after a few cocktails after the show closed. Eric was kinda born into the L&A Family, as he is Bitchin’s nephew!
Steve & Doris Colgate are well known to thousands of L&A readers, as the directors of Offshore Sailing Schools. Founded in 1964 by Olympian, America’s Cup competitor and National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Colgate, the school has brought tbhousands of people into our lifestyle!
The Bob Boat Meet Captain Drew and Kali. They were the skippers on Bob & Jody’s boat in Croatia, and they had waaaayyy too much fun! This was taken the day we hit 45 knot winds while sailing to our next destination. This was taken BEFORE the wind. You can tell because they are still smiling!!
Captain Harry Hughes JR is seen here on his 1993 Sea Ray 500 at Daytona Marina getting Salacia’s Incentive ready to do the Okeechobee Waterway Locks across midFlorida. From the Halifax River to our new port on the Manatee River, at Regatta Point. Approximately 350 NM. See, you can cruise on a Sea Ray! Looks like he’s got it all figured out!
