Latitudes & Attitudes #39 Summer 22

It's Time To Cruise Away! It's Better Out There!

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™ 2022 Kyle Media, Inc.

In This Issue...

Page 12

Page 18

Issue #39

Page 19

Bob Bitchin’s Attitude

What The Hell Were We Thinkin’

Scuttlebutt Boat News

Page 32

Page 37

Page 44

Another Way Tanis Aebi

Jessie’s Acapulco Adventure

Cruising Costa Rica

Page 52

Page 58

Page 70

De Ja Vu

Belize Adventure

Free Soloer

Page 76

Page 78

Page 80

Boat Spotlight

Boat Spotlight

Leopard 45

Boat Spotlight Fontaine Pujot Motoryacht

Page 84

Page 96

Page 102

Elan E6

Underway

Seawoman

Talk Of The Dock

Page 104

Page 120

Page 128

From Cruisers

Lifestyles

Virtual Cruising

Getting The Monkey Off

Page 132

Safety At Sea

Page 134

RCR Marina 50th Anniversary

Page 142

Page 144

Page 146

Page 180

Captain Boomies

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Trinidad Adventure Page 171 Page 178

Bosun’s Bag Advertiser Spotlight

Summer 2022

Book Review

Boat People

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Made in the USA Latitudes & Attitudes 7 4/21/22 12:20 PM

It's Time To Cruise Away! It's Better Out There!

™

Belize Costa Rica Delivery Deja vu Publisher Erik Kyle erik@kylemediainc.com

Janitorial Assistant Emeritus Bob Bitchin bob@LatsAtts.com

Associate Publisher David Levesque david@LatsAtts.com

Boat Show Queen Jody “Bitchin” Lipkin jody@LatsAtts.com

Office Manager Melanie Kyle billing@LatsAtts.com

Staff Infection Tania Aebi

Copy Editor Savannah Hess savannah@kylemediainc.com Kyle Media 7862 W. Central Ave. Suite F Toledo OH, 43617 Phone: 877-775-2538 Fax: 877-373-8177

Contributor Zuzana Prochazka Life Aboard Queen Robin Stout robin@LatsAtts.com

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LATITUDES & ATTITUDES DIVISION OF KYLE MEDIA, INC. (ISSN 2767-8954-PRINT / ISSN: 2767-8962 ON-LINE) (USPS 011950) 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

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Th i s Is s u e ’ s C o v e r :

This issue’s cover is from Kiana Weltzien who wrote the Seawoman article astarting on page 96. Sailing is her way of life, and you can see why!

People Who Helped Us Create This Issue Jennifer Abrusia Peter J. Bourke Suzie Carmody Capt. Jim Cash Doug Crenshaw Capt Boomies Bruce Brown Shane McClellan Darren O’Brien Thomas Renner John Simpson Rudy Socha Kiana Weltzen Jessie Zevalkink

People Who Didn’t Help Us With This Issue The Beatles The Rolling Stones Eddie Van Halen

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I’m almost always doing something, and when I’m not, I should be!

By Bob Bitchin I can vividly recall the first time I decided to cross “the channel” and sail, single handed, the 23 miles from my home port of Redondo Beach, California, all the way to Two Harbors on the exotic island of Catalina.

I was scared! I don’t mean nervous. I mean scared.

It’s nerve-wracking trying to gather the gumption to untie the dock lines for the first time for a “long voyage.”

Eventually, sailing to Catalina came to be even less than an afterthought. After a few years, Catalina became my second home, and I got to where I wouldn’t even check the weather. Just go; small-craft warnings be damned!

And then there was the first time I sailed across an ocean. It was beyond daunting. It was downright scary.

Looking at a chart of the Pacific Ocean from the US to Australia for the first time, I realized just how small the dots of the Hawaiian Islands were. There were a few other fly-specks located “out there” and somehow I was supposed to find them using the same old navigation they used a couple hundred years ago.

Ya see, when I started sailing, it was late in life, and the evening we left Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for Hawaii, I was scared to death. Of course, I couldn’t let my crew know that, right? So I put on a face of bravado and we sailed out of Cabo at sunup, heading west!

Now, I guess I wasn’t so much ‘scared’ as worried. I had decided I wanted to make the crossing the old-fashioned way, meaning I had my handy-dandy Celestaire Sextant.

Back in “the day,” we had a tradition on Lost Soul.

Every afternoon at sunset, we’d roll a fatty. You know, marijuana, reefer, ganga—whatever you wanna call it.

Now, one of the side-effects of smokin’ the wackytobacky is paranoia. So, there I lay, on my bunk in the aft cabin after partaking of a sunset joint, and all of a sudden I was scared. How was I supposed to sleep? We were

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sailing off into a vast expanse, trying to hit a fly-speck after about 2,700 miles—using just a sextant, a clock, and a compass.

Over the years, I ended up sailing back and forth between the continental US and Hawaii at least a halfdozen times. It got to be so mundane the last time we made the voyage that Jody and I didn’t even start to provision until the day before we left, and we did it without a list. We just walked through Costco with a couple flat carts, getting a case of this, a case of that, a few dozen eggs. You know, just a walkthrough grabbing goodies we thought we’d need.

They say that fear has stopped more voyages than any other factor. Fear of the sea. Fear of hitting something. Fear of fire aboard or falling overboard or a hundred other reasons. But, what I finally learned over the years out there was the more experience I had, the less fear I had. Every year, for over 30 years, I found less and less things to be afraid of.

One day, I realized something: all my life, I looked for things that I was afraid to do—and then I did ‘em! No, I am not a brave individual, far from it. I do try to think things through and, in doing so, I see the things that could happen… and then fear starts to rear its ugly head.

But those are not things that “will” happen, just things that “might” happen. Once you have the experience, you start to realize that Franklin D. Roosevelt was right back then in 1932 when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

So, what’s the answer? It’s pretty simple, really.

All you need to do is get past the “scared.” Once you get past being scared, life opens up for you. New adventures. New dreams fulfilled.

Fear has kept more boats tied up in the marinas than anything else. But, as sailors have learned for thousands of years, once you get “out there,” it ain’t so bad!

Analyzing my life, I realized something else. I’ve been lucky enough to live through some great adventures over my lifetime; my most exciting adventures started out when I decided to do something I was scared to do; and then I realized that was actually WHY I did them—to overcome my fear.

That’s why I jumped on a motorcycle and rode all over the world. That’s why I jumped on a sailboat and sailed all over the world. It’s why I have had so many great adventures.

So, the next time being a bit scared gets in your way and you need to get past the fear, just do it!

You will find that each time you do it, you will not feel the fear!

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What The Hell Were We Thinkin’?

Forgive your enemies. It will confuse the hell out of them!

Bob Bitchin Twenty-five years ago, my wife, Jody, and I returned after sailing all over this big blue ball we call Earth. ike most cruisers, we were broke (thus, the fact that we returned .

The only thing I knew was creating magazines; Latitudes & Attitudes was born. A magazine for those of us who work hard for our boat parts and live the boating lifestyle.

The magazine grew into a T show and a radio station. We created flotilla chartering with our hare The ail events, created cruisers’ parties that were held all over the world, and held dozens of Advanced Cruising eminars, teaching thousands of people about the lifestyle.

We couldn’t be more proud of what we have created. A magazine that has become the number one-selling boating lifestyle magazine in the .

In order to keep it going in the same vein as it was started, we have made a deal with yle Media to take over, with avid evesque as Associate Publisher. I plan on staying for a couple years, and then who knows ff on a new adventure

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Erik Kyle

David Levesque

My wife and I have been huge fans of Latitudes & Attitudes and have been close friends with ob and Jody over the years. We love what they have been able to do with this magazine and, as aspiring “cruising” sailors, we love the content from all the readers and experts.

At this point in our lives, we are sailing a 411 eneteau; all three daughters grew up on our sailboat and have this sickness in their blood ince our family has been publishing Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine for over years, we have had our sights on an awesome title like ats Atts for a long time. I know we will E E be able to fill ob’s shoes ord knows that ut it is our hope to continue this incredible platform of letting the readers contribute incredible content and share with other like-minded cruisers.

This “platform” of ats Atts is what we look forward to continuing, expanding and improving on over the coming years. ou are the biggest part of that et us share your lifestyle with others, encouraging everyone to “cast off their lines” and adventure

I first met ob and Jody at the akland oat how in 2 .

We both tried selling each other our respective stuff and I quickly realized I had met my match. It was a battle of wits and we were both unarmed. ver the years, I played as advertiser and sponsor of the parties and ob, in turn, agreed to be nice to me and also sell my product. usiness turned to friendship.

The individual who gently nudged me into this lifestyle is now the new owner of ats Atts himself, Erik yle. When dealing with Erik, there is no such thing as gentle nudging. ou thought ob had drive and inspiration Hold on to your tank treatments because this is gonna get fun.

My family and I live in the uffalo, , area, and sail our abre 2 on ake Erie. uckle up kids, the next generation of Latitudes & Attitudes is going to knock your block off.

Get on board and believe me when I tell you the journey is the destination.’

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4/19/22 3:06 PM

Lats&Atts Scuttlebutt If It’s Gonna Happen, It’s Gonna Happen Out There

Issue #39

All the News That Fits Between the Sheets

Prepping for The Golden Globe

The Golden Globe Race is a single-handed, nonstop round-the-world race, with no assistance, no GPS and no modern electronics on board. The adventure will start on 4 September 2022.

23 sailors from all over the world will embark on an adventure of a lifetime for more than 200 days – away from the rest of the world, navigating with a sextant only. It will be a unique experience with highly motivated competitors.

Summer 2022

Barcelona To Host 37th America’s Cup In 2024

A mixture of history and modernity, Barcelona is one of the most iconic and attractive cities in the world and will become the first venue in the world to host both an Olympic Games and an America’s Cup event.

America’s Cup Defender Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton announced Barcelona as the Host Venue after a long and competitive venue selection process. “Barcelona really is one of the most recognised cities in the world so to have the ability to host the most recognised sailing event in the world is hugely exciting. As Defender of the America’s Cup, we have always felt the responsibility to grow the event, the audience, and the sport of sailing on a global scale and certainly having the event hosted in a significant city such as Barcelona will allow us to propel the growth trajectory on the global sporting stage.

With the 37th America’s Cup and the AC75’s racing within a few hundred metres of the Barcelona beach, waterfront, and race village fan engagement zones, it will be nothing less than spectacular.”

The Speed of Sound

Light travels faster than sound, which is the reason that some people appear bright before you hear them speak.

Nautical Trivia What does it mean when they say “Fit’s The Bill” and what is its nautical history page 26!

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Latitudes & Attitudes 19 4/26/22 12:23 PM

Port Royal Opening Day

Here are some photos of the Port Royal Yacht Club opening day ceremony aboard KIN SHIP, Saturday, April 9th in King Harbor.

Plastic Ocean Pollution

Every year, tons of plastic manufactured on land is dumped into the sea.

But scientists have yet to complete the work of figuring out all the nooks and crannies our plastic pollution nudges its way into.

“Ninety-nine percent of all the plastic is missing,” oceanographer Erik van Sebille says on Unexplainable. “We have dark plastic. Like the astronomers have dark matter and dark energy, we oceanographers, we don’t have an idea where most of the plastic in our ocean is. We’ve lost it.”

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4/26/22 12:23 PM

The Universal Rule

The Universal Rule was invented by Nathanael Herreshoff in the late 1 s and saw a surge in popularity from the early 1 2 s to 1 in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

A C (later renamed HA A was launched in 1 and was the last Universal Rule Q-class sloop to be built.

Q-class sloops are known for their relatively substantial cabin volume, speed, and strength—those that remain are coveted by classic-yacht aficionados.

The Dead Zone!

Where do the most deadly creatures like zombies go for sailing? To the Dead Sea.

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52nd Newport Bermuda Race Eyes Second Largest Fleet Ever oasting a fleet of 21 yachts, the ewport ermuda ace is set to return for the 2nd “Thrash to the nion Patch” on June 1 .

The fleet size for the 635-nautical mile race, co-hosted by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, is shaping up to be the second largest in the race’s history, trailing only the 265 yachts that entered the centennial anniversary race in 2006.

The entry period closed on April 3, and as the provisional entry list stands, 2 entrants in this year’s race also sailed the 2 1 race. Although the 2 2 race was postponed due to C I -1 , the pandemic only whetted ocean racers’ enthusiasm for the classic yachting event that traverses the Gulf Stream, the northerly flowing ocean current off the U.S. eastern seaboard.

Say What?

Where did Bugs Bunny decide to park his boat? At the ‘What’s-up dock!’

Sailing Museum Official Opening The ailing Museum officially opened its doors to the public on May 1 th, 2 22.

Located on the waterfront of downtown Newport in the historic Armory Building built in 1 4, the museum offers an innovative multi-media experience.

An educational and cultural non-profit organization, The ailing Museum features the National Sailing Hall of Fame and America’s Cup Hall of Fame. In the space once used as the Press Room for the America’s Cup, the heritage of sailing will be celebrated, the legends of the sport honored, and new sailors and innovators inspired. In addition to the Halls of ame, The ailing Museum features a mix of high- and low-tech interactive exhibits that share the principles of sailing.

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“OCEAN TRIBUTE” AWARD 2022 This year, the Düsseldorf Aquazoo with its maritime biodiversity provides a unique backdrop for the award ceremony of the “ocean tribute” award 2022.

“And the winner is Helio ec,” Petros Michelidakis announces in the award ceremony film. And his fellow competitor, rank chweikert, explains why both the jury and the public voted for HelioRec from Nantes: “The French company scores with its environmentally friendly electric charging stations (EC for the maritime sector based on floating solar power plants. nused water is converted into a clean energy source through a floating offshore solar cell system. The main objectives of the project are to save land area in a port area, generate a clean energy source, establish fast charging stations for electric vehicles and electric boats in the port, and realize new digital services for data prediction and optimization. Other concepts of the project are fast charging stations for electric vehicles and electric boats in the port. Another goal is the circular economy approach: recycled plastic is used to manufacture floating systems, reducing system costs and carbon footprint.” boot Düsseldorf has been the home port and motor for international water sports for 53 years. boot is the largest boat show in the world.

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Photo by Patrick Sikes

Hydrogen Powered Chase Boat

Emirates Team New Zealand launched their prototype hydrogen-powered foiling chase boat in Auckland today with Emirates Team New Zealand team member Andrea Joy christening her ’Chase Zero’ in front of the wider team.

Chase Zero is the first boat to be launched in this America’s Cup cycle, and one that is hoped will set the foundations of a seismic shift towards a cleaner, more sustainable future in powerboating around the world.

“I hope we can look back on this today as the start of a hydrogen motorboat revolution,” said Sir Stephen Tindall - ETNZ’s sustainability ambassador and supporter of the project, before the boat was craned into the water for the first time.

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Still Blowing Hard

The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta is the premier classic sailing event of the Caribbean, attracting a large number of Classics every year from all around the world. In its 33rd edition this year, the event enjoys a wonderful variety of competitors including traditional craft from the islands, vintage, classic and historic ketches, sloops, schooners and yawls making the bulk of the fleet, Tall hips and more newly-built Spirit of Tradition yachts and Dragon class.

The utterfly course saw the ’ Alfred Mylne cutter, The Blue Peter, built in 1 2 , win the vintage class and the 1 S&S Swan, Montana, beating the rest of the fleet in her historic class. The 1’ yawl Bequia came first again in the pirit of Tradition class, as did Aschanti IV in the schooner class.

This event is one of the true classic yacht events held all over the world.

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4/26/22 12:23 PM

Maritime Music Website

A new website is being developed for all of the Sea Shanty fans out there in search of festivals to attend and bands to listen to. It is called the Maritime Music irectory International, and it is being developed by a couple of old salts who have been performing this kind of music for 40 years.

“We just launched our Kickstarter campaign!” said Dean Calin, website project head and the founder of maritime music group, ounding Main.

“We have so many of our back-end elements coming together for this website. We will be the only directory, anywhere, of international maritime music performers and festivals. When an event is looking to hire performers of “Sea Shanties” they can search this directory for experienced bands and individual performers accepting bookings.

Likewise, maritime-themed bands looking for performance opportunities can search this directory for likely places to get booked. Fans of the music can find festivals in their area to attend, or they can see what music or videos their favorite bands have recorded and follow a link to where they can order them online All in celebration of the Music of the Seas!”

Ocean Race The 2023 Ocean Globe Race (OGR) is entering its final phase of development, pushed along with pure passion and commitment from its 23 paid up entrants.

This crewed race around the world, with sextants and paper charts in the spirit of the original 1 Whitbread Race, continues to attract strong interest from sailors.

Steinlager II sailing with the NZ sailing trust. The Classic Challenge for Whitbread Maxis and Whitbread/ Volvo 60 yachts is now cancelled.

Among the final developments is the cancellation of the “Classic Challenge”, originally announced six months after the OGR was launched. This Class was added to the three Retro Classes due to strong lobbying from Whitbread , olvo and Maxi- acht owners wanting to enter. The organizer finally agreed and a wider range of yachts related to the golden years of the Whitbread were invited.

In the first six months eight expressions of interest were received from some exciting teams, however, two years later, no entry deposits had been received. iscussions with potential tart/ inish ports and stop-overs have been challenging due to COVID pressures, and a few other around the world races happening at the same time. Following feedback from ports, the OGR fleet is now reduced to 30 yachts from all three retro classes to simplify logistics. yachts between 4 and feet takes up a bit of space!

This is the biggest, fully-crewed round-the-world race in decades, and now there are only seven entries left to fill.

Nautical Trivia A Bill of Lading was used to acknowledge receipt of goods and the promise to deliver them to their destination in good or like condition. Upon delivery, the goods were checked against the Bill of Lading to see if all was in order. If so, they “fit the bill.” ( rom page 1

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4/26/22 12:23 PM

Island Packet Specialists www.mackyachtservices.com 772-260-4912 info@mackyachtservices.com 800-531-7024 W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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Latitudes Latitudes && Attitudes Attitudes 25 27 4/26/22 12:23 PM

Summer Sailstice Save the Date, June 18, 2022

Duh, I knew That!

How do you get a good deal on the boat? When there is a sail on it.

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Summer Sailstice was founded in 2 1 by John Arndt, as the global, annual celebration of sailing held on the weekend nearest the summer solstice. The annual Summer Sailstice sailing event is free to all participants and has grown from 200 boats signed up in 2 1 to almost , boats today. Since many sailors join in the fun on many different boats, the actual number of Summer Sailstice sailors participating is estimated at almost 1 , annually. A spectacular weekend uniting and bonding a critical mass of sailors worldwide in a common, publicly visible, inspiring event to demonstrate and celebrate sailing.

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rainmandesal.com Latitudes & Attitudes 29 4/26/22 12:23 PM

I Have Not Not Lost My Mind At All During This Pandemic

by Capt Shane McClellan

Many of my friends and family have wondered how I am doing given that I am alone aboard Guiding Light, a agoon 41 , during this year-and-a-half-plus-long pandemic the world has been dealing with. They are worried I may be lonely, getting restless, and losing my mind.

The truth is that I have not had time given all that has happened aboard.

It all started when I had to repel the pirate attack from Jack Sparrow (should there be a captain with that title?) and the crew of the Black Pearl.

They sailed in during the second week of the quarantine and all I had to defend myself with was the plastic cutlasses from my pirate costumes collection. But a captain must defend his ship and so up top I went with a cutlass in one hand, a pistol in the other hand, and a dagger in my teeth.

They put up a valiant fight, but I came out victorious. To my admiration my fellow captains around me came over to check on my health after seeing me running around the deck with plastic swords. Wasn’t that nice of them? ;) Days after recovering from the pirates I had to help put down the Suliban uprising (extra geek points if you guess where that race comes from). They sailed in like

the Sea People of the ancient world and set ashore at Pigeon Point, St Lucia, where I happen to have the boat anchored next to. They dug in at the old British fortifications when the local police arrived and I had to swim around the point and come ashore behind them one night. It took all my training watching Chuck Norris movies, but I was able to capture the leader and force the surrender of all Suliban followers.

Given all I have done to secure the Guiding Light and help protect the island you would think I would be appreciated, but . My ungrateful crew decided to stage a mutiny after I got back from the uprising. They tried to slap me into irons as soon as I re boarded the boat. I tried to reason with them, since we have been friends from birth, but they were like rabid dogs. In the end I had to fight tooth and nail to reclaim my captaincy and I made each of those scurvy laced, scally wags walk the plank.

With all the events of the last month who has time to be lonely and let ones mind go to waste? By the way, can you ask them to loosen the sleeves on this tight white jacket? Thanks (laughing like a mad man)

Whale Threats On Oceans

ix of 1 great whale species are endangered or vulnerable to extinction despite decades of protection from whaling. Conservation charity WWF is calling for action by countries to safeguard the marine mammals along their “whale superhighways”The world’s whales are facing increasing threats in their key habitats and the “blue corridors” they use to migrate through the oceans, a report has warned.

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ACTIVE PIRACY REPORT from the International Commercial Crime Services: A

arrative of the Most ecent Attacks

April 13, 2022 04:53.9N – 001:40.9W, Takoradi Anchorage, Ghana. Two robbers in a fishing boat approached and boarded an anchored bulk carrier during heavy rain. They broke into the forward store and stole ship’s stores. The duty crew on rounds noticed the robbers, and informed the officer on watch who raised the general alarm and sounded the ship’s horn. Crew mustered. Hearing the alerted crew the robbers escaped. Port control informed. A patrol boat was sent to the location.

2022-04-13 April 9 .2022: 22:13.5N – 091:44.1E, Chittagong Anchorage, Bangladesh. Unnoticed, robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier during cargo operations. They stole the rescue boat’s engine and escaped. The theft was noticed by the duty crew on rounds. A search was carried out. Authorities informed.

2022-04-09 April 3, 2022: 01:31.20N – 001:30.68E, Around 261nm SE of Accra, Ghana. A bulk carrier was boarded by an unknown number of pirates and the crew retreated into the citadel. On being notified of the incident, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre immediately alerted and liaised with the Regional Authorities and international warships to request their assistance. An Italian Navy warship and its helicopter responded and proceeded to render assistance resulting in the crew and ship being safe. The vessel proceeded to a safe port under the escort of the warship.

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ANOTHER WAY GOOD LUCK WITH THAT

By Tania Aebi

Over the years, I have used this space to tell the stories of young people who’ve entered my orbit, showing us what gumption, dreams, and some savings can accomplish. Back in the day, my odyssey provided all kinds of vicarious thrills for my elders. And, because of that story, I’ve become an elder for subsequent generations seeking advice or validation for their desires to see and experience the world on their own terms, all while keeping in touch got easier and easier. From regular mail to email, to satellite phones and text updates, communicating nowadays is nothing like it was during my trip. Back then, I had to either find telephone offices on big enough islands to make collect calls, or write letters and then find envelopes, stamps, and post offices, and walk uphill both ways.

The most recent adventuress is my niece, Sabina. It is her turn to have a gap year and so far, the WhatsApp messages and actual postcards have been great winter month entertainment for fellow elders and me, hunkered down around wood stoves. It started last October in Mallorca. I had a job delivering a Swan 68 from there to the Canary Islands, crewed by offshore experience seekers.

Ready for an open-ended adventure beginning with me and this boat, abina flew to Palma, and we picked her up at the airport. Her very sensibly-sized baggage immediately earned her good marks. She has always been a quick study, and she continued to very easily figure out the elements of living aboard, from making cups of tea to standing watch.

That voyage took us from Mallorca to Gibraltar and Madeira, before my final docking in as Palmas, Gran Canaria, by which time Sabina was totally smitten with sails, decks, the ocean, docks, life on the very comfortable Swan. But, I was leaving the boat to a new crew and command for the next leg, a sold-out trans-Atlantic. Continuing with the crossing to aint ucia with this lovely boat was her ideal, but couldn’t happen; there was no room for her.

Another berth became available through the same outfit on another wan , on another Canary Island, with a whole other crewing situation. She reluctantly reserved a spot with her eyes wide open for a better opportunity. I still had a couple of days there and, while doing laundry, I noticed a flier on the wall for a very inexpensive and cute 28-footer with a list of included equipment, all that was necessary for an Atlantic crossing.

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I flippantly pointed it out and said, “Hey, you have savings. Buy this boat and sail across yourself.” sually, flip comments get treated flippantly, but not with Sabina, who turned all her formidably strong-willed determination on doing just that. uying a boat, figuring out how to sail it, and getting to the Caribbean on her own? She could do it, no problem. No amount of describing how much sheer grunt work and learning it would take to pull this off could sway her. For her, it was totally doable.

Who was I to disagree? Unusual plans for an 18-year-old, the kind that make for very sleepless parents and doubtful onlookers, doesn’t make an idea undoable. I had once proven that to plenty of doubters and myself, and Sabina had grown up with that story. Telling her she couldn’t do it would be like telling her to not smoke and drink while exhaling in her face surrounded by empty beer bottles. Instead, I did my best to stress the importance of preparation and making ample use of every ounce of prudence.

Before I left, we went to see the boat, and she really was a sweet little thing. English built when fiberglass got laid up nice and thick. Good simple rigging, decent upkeep, self-steering, several ground tackle options, a new engine. Everything was in fine enough shape for her to practice sailing among the Canaries, cross to the Caribbean, then island hop her way up to Saint Maarten to sell the boat before hurricane season began, when it was time to end the gap year and go back to school.

The timing and logistics all looked really good on paper, especially since she was able to stay on the Swan 68 for a couple more weeks while making her own ride happen. With the marina filling with participants in the ARC rally, she was also surrounded by other experienced and knowledgeable sailors for support and advice. After I left, we kept in constant touch with WhatsApp updates, so I heard how the work of pulling off such an adventure began with a difficult seller, a yard with no time to haul for an inspection, and sale and registration paperwork to figure out without a broker. Throughout, she kept googling and talking to other sailors who variously supported and worried. She followed up on suggestions and plugged away.

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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, raising her sons, working on her next book, or battling snow in the winter and weeds in the summer. her elders that enough strings got pulled between them to find a spot on her first ideal, the lovely Swan 68. They’d be able to squeeze her on after all, she was told. She thought I’d be disappointed; I thought it was brilliant. Scare a bunch of parents and older people at the dock, and suddenly a safe and comfortable berth turns up. And I wouldn’t have to worry about being blamed if anything went wrong.

No matter how much I believed in her, I would have worried. Instead, she let me off the worrywart hook and began with the fun and lighthearted updates of an 18-year-old swanning across the Atlantic to Saint ucia and aint Maarten.

Then, through connections and more internet communicating, she found a position on an English 2-foot-catamaran sailing from the Pacific side of Panama to the Galapagos and rench Polynesia. This boat out-swanked the Swan with multiple fridges and freezers, generators, engines, and water makers.

She had just turned 19 and was doing a once-in-alifetime Pacific crossing to uku Hiva at the same age I did on my 26-footer with none of the above luxuries.

An ocean crossing is an ocean crossing is an ocean crossing. No matter how you do it, with or without others, and motoring much of the way, you get a story. This one was meant to have several more chapters about sailing between the Marquesas and Tahiti, but it ended in Nuku Hiva when the owners decided to be on their own. Sabina and the two other crew flew to Tahiti, where she followed another lead. An elderly Frenchman poking his way around the world while his uninterested wife stayed home to W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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work in France was searching for his latest crew, somebody to help him sail to Fiji from Raiatea.

Sabina responded to the ad, and got the chance to sail a more modest and sensible Hans Christian 43.

There can be a lot of wind and large waves between rench Polynesia and iji, and she’d be riding rollicking trades with a fun and real boat, closer to the water, the sounds, the motion, the smells of being out there with sloshing bilges. Super.

In the springtime of her youth, they are now underway, and abina is busy filling her second journal book. At the time of this writing, the first crocuses have started blooming and the wood stoves have cooled down. As this generation of elders starts spring cleaning, we will keep looking forward to her next emails and texts, reminding us what having dreams and realizing them by being open to the world and new horizons and experiences feels like.

Unlike so much of what we’re getting nowadays, these are stories we’ll never tire of hearing.

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SAILING ALEKONA Acapulco Adventure

By Jessie Zevalkink-Yeates

Over the course of a decade, I have been gathering, studying, getting my hands dirty, disassembling, and putting back together all things “cruising.” There are themes that I have found to ring authentically true. I’ve built a sailing life around learning lessons, most often the hard way—no matter how many times I have had to learn them over and over again. One: However much time you think it’s going to take, double it. Two: However much money you think it’s going to cost, triple it. Three: Be prepared to receive everyone's opinions, and strong ones.

Our most recent sailing season took us from San Carlos in the Sea of Cortez to the coast of Ecuador. On our way south, we spent several weeks at the Acapulco Yacht Club staging for the 10 day passage to the Galapagos Islands. The notable weeks we spent met each of these themes: we stretched our budget; we stretched our time; and we experienced the exact opposite of the opinions in which we had listened. I’d like to highlight the last theme, because I love a good experience that conflicts what I was told to expect.

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SAILING ALEKONA Those who have not been “out there” (offshore sailing/international cruising) will tell you why they don’t think you should go. Your family members and your friends, the ones who love you the most, won’t tell you this directly though. Instead, they will ask you subtle questions with the hope of making you think through the risks that they didn’t realize you’ve been thinking through since last year. They will place all of their reservations and worries on your chest, hoping to let the weight settle, hoping that if you can’t breath well enough you might change your mind.

Those who HAVE been “out there” will tell you, with blunt force, where to go and where not to go. They will tell you what to do and what not to do with a sledge hammer. They will warn you about their personal experiences and they will be very direct. Like a woman sharing her birth-story, their desperate want for you to understand their suffering can be overwhelming. They want you to feel, in your bones, what they’ve been through out at sea—and so they don’t hold back. In a round-about way, everyone around you, experienced or not, will tell you what they think about what you are doing. I’ve always considered this a fascinating aspect of cruising and I’ve found it to be quite motivating. When your coherent flow of reasoning is constantly interrupted, it is a fabulous way to strengthen your inner psyche.

We had heard (not subtly, but forcefully) from other cruisers that Acapulco was one of those places we should sail right by. It wasn’t worth stopping. It was dirty. It was unsafe.

No place for a baby. Having already made up our minds, we needed a place to prepare for a 10 day passage to the Galapagos. We needed marine services, fumigation services, sail makers, and machine shops. When you need things on a sailboat, you go where you can find them, as that is your only choice. You go because you have to. I did my research, and I would not consider myself unworldly. Acapulco has been dubbed Mexico’s deadliest city for over five years. It is littered with graffiti, trash, drug cartels, homicide, and organized crime. It is not a place to walk around alone or after dark or maybe even at all. Spending over $1200 for a two week stay was, for us, an outrageous financial decision, however we decided that $90 a day to be at a dock with high security was a complete necessity for what we had to accomplish during our stay. It was what we needed.

Everything I ever knew about sailing was different for me this year. With ambitious plans to make it from Mexico to Chile, we had thousands of miles at sea to prepare for.

As a new mother with a soon-to-be-walking son, you can

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Acapulco Adventure imagine my emotions ran hot. We’ve had dear friends join us as crew, in which we covered all costs for, and we chose these helping hands over privacy. We’ve sailed along coastal areas without any trade winds or wind consistency what-so-ever.

We’ve invested in a higher standard of safety equipment and communications.

We’ve baby-proofed the boat to the best of our ability. We’ve chosen different sail plans and adjusted courses for comfort.

We’ve prioritized everything necessary to make the Alekona safe, not pretty. We chose a dock at the Acapulco Yacht club over a mooring ball in the bay.

The water was particularly clear the morning we waited in the channel for a panga to guide us to our slip at the Acapulco Yacht Club. We had been at sea for three days, south from Bahia De Navidad, to where two hemispheres would converge 17 degrees below us. From Acapulco, we would count down the rings of latitude until we arrived in the Galapagos where we could split the world into equal parts.

I remember the smell of cigars, vanilla, and the warm streets from yesterday’s stale sun. Not enough breeze in the doldrums to freshen the city air. I couldn’t believe we had made it that far. Acapulco felt far. I felt far. No matter how many plans we had dreamed up and strategized, one thing was never certain—we never knew if we’d actually make it.

The unrelenting heat and heavy air placed us in the tropics. It placed us close to the equatorial circumference. Each breath was full of moisture and density. Small tarantulas took naps in the sails we had flaked on deck. Clothes clung to our skin.

The fiery sun seared our outermost layer of skin. The only air circulation was created by humans, following the vacuum our bodies created as we moved through tight spaces. Our project list was scribbled on a receipt, pulled off of the navstation as I walked by. It was hot, and we had a lot of work to do.

The Yacht Club assigned us an along-side tie as requested. Two men with big smiles arrived early in the morning to help us secure our lines. Eager to exit the steel oven we were living in, we walked slowly through the grounds of the yacht club and checked in with Mary at the office. Airconditioning slammed into my face when I slid open the office door and it was delicious. Mary spoke just enough English for clear communication. She gladly accepted my money and was helpful, answering all of my questions. If we weren’t at a yacht club, we had to be at a five-star resort. There were staff working in all corners of the club, but it was quiet and calm.

The landscaping alone must have had half a dozen full time

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employees—it was aesthetically stunning and well thought out. The open-air palapa restaurant was inviting and clean and it smelled of orange-infused water and fresh flowers. The shower block was spotless and stocked with bright blue bath towels.

The pool looked like a postcard framed in by symmetrically wind swept palm trees.

For a few dollars, you could order a whole ice cold coconut with a straw in it.

We had been dropped into a gated oasis situated in one the most violent cities in the world. Pleased was an understatement; we were stoked.

A handsome and confident gentlemen named Enrique approached us on the second day. He is the manager of the yacht club and made us feel at home. He was quick to give us his personal phone number and be our direct point of contact for anything we needed during our stay. Enrique introduced us to everyone we needed to know and insisted on helping us find everything we were looking for. He followed through with his word and checked in with us daily.

We were the only transient vessel in the yacht club, there were no other cruisers passing through, and as a result we were highly noticeable. The

club was a local’s clique, a generational fraternity. An elitist society. As blondehaired, english-speaking people, we stood out—but we stood out with genuine interest to members of the club.

They were curious and kind. They wanted to know how they could help. They made us feel like we belonged. They gave us advice and told us to be careful when we left the yacht club grounds. We listened and took their word to heart. There were things we needed outside the gates and we did begin to leave the grounds frequently. We appreciated it when Enrique, a father of two, smiled and said, “If you go looking for trouble, you will find it. Just like every other city. But, you would have to go looking.”

The list we had to complete consisted of projects like replacing our roller furling, installing Iridium-GO, installing an AIS transmitter, fixing a fuel leak, changing filters, etc. We left the yacht club every day for some reason or another, for hardware or for food. Every fifth car on the hot pavement was the skull of a Volkswagen beetle; without being labeled as taxis, that’s what they were.

Our rides through the chaotic city, inside the beat-up beetles, were a W W W . L AT S A T T S . C O M

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Acapulco Adventure

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thrill. Squeezed in the back seat, we had to be careful where we put our things because there were holes in the floor of the cars. The men drove as if their sole purpose was for the passengers to experience as much inertia as possible.

We could see where the stick shift connected to the gearbox. Exposed wires on the dashboard shook as the gas pedal was pressed with each green light. I couldn’t believe I was actually paying to get anywhere—it was ridiculously fun. We raced through the city to collect things like oil filters, flares, and angle grinders.

Our Spanish speaker, Jane, and mechanic, Callahan, went in search of a machine shop. We were in need of a very specific stainless fitting custom machined to attach our roller furling to the top of the mast. They were dropped off in front of a bunch of collapsing buildings, where Jose was hiding his golden machines that could produce exactly what we needed. Jose was genuinely honored to be a part of such a unique project. He never had any Americans walk through his door.

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different deteriorating beetle taxi. His colleagues allowed Callahan to use any machine he wanted. They all became fast friends. On the last day, I went along to see the shop. Jose made it clear he was not ready to say goodbye. We got to watch his partner cut beautiful 1/4 inch thick stainless washers with the lathe. They lingered and chatted. Jose gave us a handcrafted bottle of liquor and many hugs. His price was beyond reasonable for the work we had done and his gratefulness was felt. It was mutual and our experience at the machine shop with Jose was the exact kind of experience I was hoping to walk away from Acapulco with.

The city was glued together with crumbling cement.

We had to be careful where we walked, every tenth step was a hole in the ground or shattered glass. It was a complete tornado and vibrant painting all at once. People sold anything and everything on the side of the street or in the middle of the street: a dirty phone charger; a half deflated balloon; an unripe mango; a massage. Whatever they had to offer, they would sell. There was a man with a python, another with

STOP ODORS

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SAILING ALEKONA

Acapulco Adventure a bucket of kittens. Children ran wild everywhere. They played on the sidewalks and in the alleyways. Mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters filled the beaches. There was cooking everywhere. Wherever one could find a flame and a pot, they were cooking—plantains and corn, chicken and beef, rice and beans, jugs of juice and cotton candy. It was bustling with family, flavor, music, and culture. It was exploding with playfulness and fractured with survival. It was one of the most captivating cities I had ever been in and—my god—did they love my son Otis.

Traveling with a 1-year-old in Mexico was my greatest delight. It came with guaranteed smiles from not only women and other children, but also from the men. It made conversation warm and easy. Out of nowhere, a stranger would walk out of their tienda, reach out their arms to him and whisper sweet nothings in Spanish. They never wanted him to leave. It was as if they loved him as much as I do. Having Otis created instant acceptance in Mexico. It allowed for quick and personal connection. It allowed for fast friends.

When we returned to the gates of the yacht club where Alekona was secured, there was staff waiting for us with a golf cart. They would take us to the end of our dock and help unload our provisions. We didn’t have to tell anyone who we were; they all knew. After one week, we learned that there was 24 hour armed military surveillance at the club. They were keen, quick, and silent. They lived in a small building up high, surrounded by mirrored windows, watching everyone and everything at every hour. Their presence was unnoticeable until there was a weekend regatta. Captains and crew arrived from all over Mexico. Dozens of racing boats with expensive equipment were getting launched just for a weekend race. Luke and Tyler got invited along and spent the whole weekend racing with a local family. The guards made themselves known. They stood watch all over the premises, machine guns at their side, until the regatta was over and the boats were packed away and secured.

We spent five months on our boat this season, cruising a huge section of Pacific Mexico, the Galapagos, and Ecuador. Acapulco Yacht Club was an exceptional highlight.

It was a surprise. It was unexpected. It wasn’t what we were told it would be. It was Acapulco. I re-learned the same three lessons I’ve learned over and over. It took more time than I planned for, but it was worth it. It cost more money than I budgeted, but it was worth it. All the while, I also strengthened my inner psyche by not letting other opinions interrupt my coherent flow of reasoning. It was a fine example of why it’s important to go out and create your own experience; there’s a good chance it will be very different than you were told. Just remember to double your time-frame and triple your budget.

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Latitudes & Attitudes 43 8/25/21 2:00 4/25/22 8:42 AM

Cruising C My husband, Neil, and I had left Mexico in March on board S/V Distant Drummer, our Liberty 458 sloop, with a plan to spend the rest of the year on a leisurely cruise down the west coast of Central America.

After enjoying the delights of El Salvador and Nicaragua, we arrived in Costa Rica in mid-May and were looking forward to exploring the coast and visiting several of the national parks.

The west coast of Costa Rica can be split into three cruising areas.

In the north, Golfo de Papagayo is exposed to the Pacific swell, but the rocky coastline has several sheltered anchorages and some great surf spots. Golfo de Nicoya, in Central Costa Rica, is an excellent cruising ground with a myriad of beautiful bays and islands protected behind the Nicoya Peninsula.

The southern region of Golfo Dulce has only a handful of anchorages but is a wild and remote place with amazing wildlife in several outstanding national parks.

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Costa Rica

By Suzy Carmody

The three months we spent cruising on Costa ica’s Pacific coast, seeing the beauty of its shoreline and the fantastic diversity of its flora and fauna, was a remarkable and memorable experience.

Golfo de Papagayo During the winter, the Golfo de Papagayo is prone to strong northeasterly “papagayo winds” caused by easterly trades from the Caribbean funneling through low points in the Central American mountains. These offshore winds create rough conditions off the coast and picking a gap between them is a primary consideration when transiting this area.

When we left Nicaragua bound for Playas del Coco in Costa Rica, no papagayos were forecast and we enjoyed an easy reach across Bahia Salinas in a light easterly breeze. As we rounded the ragged rocky point of Cabo Santa Elena, the wind dropped in the lee of the cape and we motorsailed past the jagged teeth of the Murcielagos Islands.

The horseshoe-shaped bay of Playas del Coco is a sheltered anchorage guarded by a reef to the west and by Punta Cacique and the Islas Pelonas to the north.

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Cruising Costa Rica It is the northern port of entry for Costa Rica so we went ashore to complete the Customs and Immigration formalities. We found the office of the Port Captain in a faded blue building near the beach and registered our arrival. Our next visit was to the nearby Immigration ffice, then back to the Port Captain for more paper shu ing before a bus ride to the Customs ffice at the iberia airport. y mid-afternoon, we were back in Playas del Coco chopped and stamped and clutching our three month cruising permit, the maximum length of stay permitted in Costa Rica.

The Golfo de Papagayo, also known as the Gold Coast, is a popular spot for tourists. As a result, the towns have ATMs, well stocked supermarkets, and casinos—the best place to get good WiFi! Away from the gringo beaches, there are still plenty of remote islands and empty bays, which is where we set about exploring.

The nearby Bahia Culebra has half a dozen tranquil coves, each rimmed with an arc of golden sand fringed with rainforest and dotted with an occasional coconut palm.

Under Costa Rican law no buildings of any kind can be constructed within a fifty meter zone of the high tide. It is designated as public land, keeping the coastline uncluttered and preserving the unspoilt beauty of the natural shore.

We enjoyed many balmy evenings listening to the howler monkeys high in the canopy behind the beach. At dusk, the gruff bark of the alpha males echoed across the bay, sounding primal and exotic.

The Murcielagos Islands are part of the Santa Rosa National Park so they are completely undeveloped and fishing is prohibited. We anchored in a truly idyllic bay at the eastern end of the island chain; the aquamarine water was super clear, warmed to a pleasant 29°C by the brilliant sunshine, and we had great fun snorkeling on the rocky reef with colorful and inquisitive fish darting all around us. There is a ranger station in the bay and boats are required to pay a fee to anchor; however in the three days we were there, we waved to the rangers but they did not approach the boat.

With strong offshore winds and a rolling southern swell, the Gold Coast is a natural draw for surfers. Bahia Potrero Grande is not a great anchorage as the rollers tend to drive straight in, but tucked down at the southern end behind Ollie’s Point we found some reprieve. We dropped

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the pick for a night so that Neil could surf Ollie’s, a well known point break on the other side of the bay. Just north of the bay is the airstrip from which Oliver North supported the Nicaraguan Contras via arms sales to Iran in 1986; the surf break was named after him.

Back in Playas del Coco we reprovisioned for the voyage south to Golfo de Nicoya. The main water in Costa Rica is potable and was readily available at taps dotted along the malecon behind the beach. However, with breaking surf and three meter tides, getting the water on board was a bit of a workout. We chose high water to avoid a long haul across the beach and, while I held the dinghy out beyond the surf line, Neil lugged jerry cans through the waves and heaved them on board. Repeat eight times and bingo—our water tanks were full!

The west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula is open to the Pacific swell and the few bays where it is possible to anchor on the 100 NM passage are often rolly and uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, we decided to make the voyage in day hops rather than run the risk of getting entangled in fishing nets while sailing at night close to the coast.

We motorsailed to Tamarindo (or Tamagringo as the locals sometimes call it!) in drizzle and a light north westerly breeze. The rain continued the next day but the breeze picked up, and we had a soggy starboard reach down to Samara. The bay at Samara is protected by reefs which extend from both sides, almost closing off the entrance. We entered cautiously at low tide and found a spot deep enough to drop the pick, but at high tide, when the swell pounded across the reef, it was a rolly anchorage.

Lightning is a constant fear in the wet season in the tropics and in amara we experienced an terrific storm.

As the first drops of rain splattered on the deck, we turned off the power, unplugged the computers, and put our essential electronics (GPS, phones, VHF) into the oven hoping to protect them from a lightning strike. We laid in bed, watching, as dazzling forks of lightning illuminated the clouds, followed by ear splitting cracks of thunder. We tried to count the seconds between them but they were almost simultaneous. Eventually the storm rolled away but the rain didn’t stop all day.

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Cruising Costa Rica

Golfo de Nicoya ur first stop in the Golfo de icoya was Montezuma at the southern end of the Nicoya Peninsula.

It was not a great anchorage as it is open to the southerly swell, but the small town is picturesque with a laid-back arty beach culture. Known locally as “Montefuma,” the village offered yoga at dawn, nuts and seeds for breakfast, and some uplifting herbs afterward, sold by a local neo-rasta. It was a great place to relax for a day or two! The hike to the waterfall followed a river through the rainforest; the myriad tones of green, the drone of the cicadas, and the cool chill of the water after a hot walk brought back memories of Borneo and the Marquesas.

Bahia Ballena is a short sail along the coast from Montezuma and is a favorite anchorage for cruisers passing through Costa Rica as well as for boats planning to explore the Golfo de Nicoya. We anchored on the southern side of the bay close to a fishing village and threaded our dinghy between the pangas, through a spider’s web of mooring lines, to tie up at the concrete jetty. A walk along the dirt track through lush rainforest led us to a deserted beach where we watched the surf crashing against the rocky shore and basked in the wonderful emptiness of it all.

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With a multitude of anchorages each only a couple of hours apart, cruising on the east coast of the Nicoya Peninsula is relatively simple and straightforward.

However, strong tides stream in and out of the gulf and hopping between the islands needs to be planned with the tide tables close at hand. Currents up to 5kt flow around the boney finger of Islas egritos, creating turbulent water at the point. As we sailed up to the small town of Paquera, we raced past on a flood tide taking care to give them a wide berth.

After a quick stop to provision in Paquera, we headed to Isla San Lucas where we planned to explore the remains of an old prison. The island had been a penal colony from the time of the conquistadors in the 16th century and served as Costa Rica’s Alcatraz until it was finally abandoned in 1 1. n a prisoner’s arrival at the dock, a ball and chain was manacled to their ankle, which proved to be an effective method for preventing them from swimming away and was not rescinded until the 1960’s.

The prison, whilst deserted, is open to look around so we kayaked ashore to explore the old buildings. The prison held around seven hundred inmates in seven cell blocks ringing a semicircular courtyard. The prison yard was underlain by a huge cistern with two holes in the roof

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and apparently prisoners were lowered down into the holes and left waist deep in water for days or weeks as a form of solitary confinement. It was fascinating to look at the graffiti on the cell blocks; featured religious images or naked women as well as a host of other things that the prisoners were longing for.

Puntarenas is the largest town in the Golfo de Nicoya and was developed in the early nineteenth century for the export of coffee to Chile and later to Europe.

Coffee was first grown in Costa ica in the 1 ’s and thrived in the rich volcanic soil and cool high altitudes of the Central Valley. After a new port was built at Caldera to accommodate larger modern vessels, Puntarenas fell into decline and is now home to the Gulf’s fishing fleet.

The town is built on a sand spit and is not an easy place to anchor; the sheltered north shore is shallow with meandering channels and sand bars. At high tide, we used a pilot to guide us up to the Costa Rica Yacht Club and we got through with just a few inches under the keel.

We tied up to the floating dock where we were assured that there was adequate water for Distant Drummer’s two meter draft. A quick look at the depth and tidal range revealed their error but it was too late to turn back! It was no big surprise when we sank into the mud at low tide.

The sudden tip ten degrees to starboard twice a day was

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a little unnerving and we had to watch out that our rigging did not get tangled with the mast of the adjacent boat.

We stayed in Puntarenas long enough to provision and top up our propane tanks, then departed for Golfo Dulce. The sail south from Golfo de Nicoya was heavenly—a port tack in a light south easterly breeze, warm sunshine and butterflies fluttering around the boat.

We anchored overnight at Herradura—a pretty, crescentshaped bay at the entrance to the gulf—and the next day the wind veered and we had a brisk 20kt right on the nose for our passage to Quepos.

Manuel Antonio is both the smallest and the most famous park in Costa Rica. After obtaining an anchoring permit for the park in Quepos, we sailed to a bay on the west side of the reserve and tucked in behind Punta Catedral where we were sheltered from most of the swell.

In the morning we walked through the park to pay the entrance fee and hired a guide who helped us spot some of the weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit the park.

Many of the more timid animals receded into remote parts of the forest when the gates opened but that was also when the white-faced Capuchin monkeys got active.

They are natural performers and their acrobatic antics entertained the crowd as they swung down to the paths hoping for treats and to pick a few pockets.

Latitudes & Attitudes 49 4/20/22 4:51 PM

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Cruising Costa Rica

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Golfo Dulce With a fickle wind and a north-setting current, we motorsailed most of the 50 NM passage from Quepos to Drake’s Bay. The bay is named after Sir Francis Drake who anchored his famous ship there, the Golden Hinde, back in the 16th century.

Interestingly, in Costa Rica, the British hero is remembered only as a notorious pirate and his treasure is purportedly buried somewhere close by.

Located at the northern tip of the Osa Peninsula, the main attraction of Drake’s Bay is a visit to the Corcovado National Park. It is the biggest park in Costa ica and, because of its inaccessibility, it is off the itinerary for most tourists.

Our Corcovado expedition began at some early bleary-eyed hour with a panga arriving alongside Distant Drummer. We climbed aboard and gradually woke up during the hour and a half ride down to Sirena, one of the ranger stations in the park. Our guide, Carlos, had worked as a research assistant at Corcovado for many years and was fantastic at identifying monkeys and birds high up in the canopy, finding tiny lizards and frogs lurking in the shadows under leaves, and tracking down the elusive tapir.

We peered at boa constrictors entwined in the bushes and glimpsed raccoon-like white nosed coati in the dense undergrowth of the jungle. Then, as we gathered to board the panga, a tapir wandered out onto the beach. It grazed on the low branches of a tree for several minutes before trundling across the sand to sniff around the water line. It lay down on the rocks and dozed while a tickbird (yellow-headed caracara climbed along its back picking the ticks off one by one. We watched, mesmerized, as the tapir

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enjoyed a spa treatment, until we finally had to leave for our journey back to Drake’s Bay. The weather was squally as we sailed around the Osa Peninsula from Drake’s Bay into Golfo Dulce. A gusty southwest wind and endless rain made the 60 NM voyage feel longer and we were glad to enter the protected bay at Golfito and drop anchor on the edge of the channel opposite the town. In the midtwentieth century, Golfito was a major banana growing region and the town was developed by United Brands to pick, package, and export the fruit. Since the decline in the banana industry, Golfito is best known for its duty-free shopping center—handy if you need a case of rum!

The waterfront is dotted with marinas catering mainly to the sportfishing industry but Land Sea Services provides a focal point for cruisers passing through the area. For a small fee, cruisers can tie up at the dinghy dock, use the showers, WiFi, or the laundry service or hangout in the clubhouse chatting to Katie and Tim who know all there is to know about the area.

Golfito is also the southern port of entry to Costa Rica and it was time for us to continue our voyage south into Panama. Cruising the Pacific coast of Costa ica had been delightfully exotic; anchoring in jungle-clad bays with the grunting call of howler monkeys in the trees at night, sailing with beautiful butterflies fluttering around the boat and dolphins splashing in the bow wave, and spotting the strange and elusive creatures that inhabit the national parks all made it a truly unique experience.

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Delivery D

Thirty-plus years ago, my wife and I were young, crazy, and living aboard a Catalina 27. I was working for a yacht broker right at the marina, doing whatever I could. he was an office gal, dressing up in lipstick and heels every weekday and stepping off the boat onto the finger pier for the morning commute. We were living the life!

Once in a while, the broker would ask us if we wanted to move a boat from point A to B, and we almost always said yes. This particular delivery was from Fernandina down the ICW to Jacksonville. It was the middle of

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y Déjà Vu Two Trips On The ICW, 30 Years Apart!

By Doug Crenshaw

January and it was cold for a couple of Florida-grown sailors. It also was the one time I really wish I’d said no… but I already mentioned we were crazy, right?

The boat was a Starwind 27 with a one-lung Yanmar. She was supposed to have her bottom cleaned but, as is normal in these things, that didn’t happen. It was hard to tell how long barnacles had been growing on her, but looking at the amount of them, we wondered if she might have roots growing into the bottom too!

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Delivery Déjà Vu

On the hard for a little work

Rudder repair

Ready to go!

Needless to say, the going was slow—and by ‘slow,’ I mean 3 knots was the absolute best she could maintain, maybe 4 knots in spurts since much more than of the throttle made the anmar want to overheat. We considered turning back but we had said yes, and we meant to deliver.

The highlight of the trip was coming around a bend heading into Nassau Sound.

The wind and the current were against us, and the boat pretty much stopped moving.

We sat next to a channel marker for 10 minutes going nowhere. Something had to give!

We turned out of the channel and anchored in about eight feet of water. With some trepidation and plenty of bluster, I stripped down to skivvies—for lack of anything better—and using the stern ladder, I managed to coax my body into the frigid waters to attempt to clean the prop. By pressing my cheek against the transom, I was able to reach under the stern to the prop without putting my head underwater. Using my pocket knife, I scraped away as best I could while slowly turning blue. It was probably no more than 10 minutes, but it felt like forever.

There were two guys fishing in a jon boat not far from us, and we later wondered what they thought of the show. inally, job done, my wife helped me out, got me dry and warm with a towel and coffee, and I gratefully slipped back into my clothes.

Firing up the engine and hoisting the anchor, the difference in a clean prop was immediate.

We were moving and making progress! The rest of the long, slow journey was thankfully without incident. We learned more than one lesson from the experience, and we still talk it about today.

Fast forward to 2022 and we’re back in Fernandina again, this time for our own boat.

We were buying a 1980 Endeavour 32, the biggest boat we had ever owned. The admiral was really happy with her choice, which meant that I had none ut I was fine with it too, as Endeavour’s enjoy a good reputation.

ON THE HARD AFTER A LITTLE WORK No barnacles on this one; she had been on the hard for over a year. She was in good shape, dry with no leaks. There were a few issues to be dealt with, the most pressing of

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Two Trips On ICW, 30 Years Apart which was some delamination of the rudder. Fortunately, the previous owner was very negotiable, the yard had skilled workers available, and work progressed without incident. We added our labor to what tasks we could—such as repainting the boot and sheer stripes, and various cleaning and maintenance chores. Before we knew it, the day for splashing her was at hand.

One thing we hadn’t been able to do was run the engine, a 2-cylinder Yanmar this time. After all these years, I guess we were still a little crazy to buy a boat without knowing she was going to run, but we had no reason to doubt. Sure enough, with a cough and a bit of smoke, she fired off and quickly settled into a steady diesel rumble, and once she warmed up, the smoke disappeared. Awesome!

Murphy wasn’t done with us yet though. Once we got her to a temporary slip, we found out the key switch was not reliable; that was an easy fix at the local West Marine. The stuffing box was leaking like a sieve, but that was also quickly dealt with. Unfortunately, the head refused to work and it was old enough that parts were hard to find. With time running out, we opted to simply replace it. Not a fun job as any sailor knows, but the end result was worth it a throne fit for a queen The morning for our trip back home to Jacksonville dawned clear and cold. As we cranked up the Yanmar and got ready to slip the lines, we looked at one another.

We were both thinking about the last time we made this same trip! We laughed a little nervously and shrugged it off. Hey, this boat was nothing like the Starwind. She was a real sailboat with pedigree. C’mon, let’s do this!

She surprised us right from the start. She was smooth and fast. I had no tachometer so I just revved up by feel.

Even so, we were doing 6.2 through the water with plenty of throttle in reserve.

Wheel steering was new to us and took a little while to get used to. We couldn’t get the autopilot to engage properly; it seemed like a clutch problem. Well, that would give us plenty of time to get used to the feel of the wheel!

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A very cold morning

Nassau Sound

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Delivery Déjà Vu

Two Trips On ICW, 30 Years Apart

It was turning out to be a beautiful day. The lack of wind made it easier to deal with the cold, even though it would have been nice to put up canvas and see how she sailed.

Alas, that would have to be another day. We spent our time talking about a name for our new baby. She was currently “Morning Calm,” but that Main Street Bridge in didn’t suit us. The Downtown Jacksonville Catalina 27 had been “Breezy.”

Another sailboat had been “ econd Wind.” We figured something would come to us when we got a chance to sail her.

In the meantime, we motored along making good progress. The tide was against us, slowing our SOG (speed over ground) to about 4.5 knots or so.

We didn’t know it, but this was setting the tone of the entire journey. till, before we knew it, we were coming around that same bend where, 30 years ago, we’d anchored and I did my version of the Polar Plunge. Not this time! We plunged across the sound, laughing with the memory of the event, wondering if those fishermen still tell the story of that crazy sailor who climbed in the The current is kickin’ water in his underwear!

The only bummer on this trip turned out to be the tide. When we finally turned on to the t. Johns iver, it was at a full gallop. The knotmeter read 6.3, but the GPS was letting us know the sad truth of 3.6 knots over the ground. Ah well, it was still a nice day, we were on the water in a new-to-us boat with all new adventures waiting. Once again, we were living the life!

We finished the journey without incident. The tide even loosened its grip on us after we got through downtown Jacksonville and into the broad part of the St. Johns where we have sailed for so many of the 30 intervening years on so many different boats. We are eager to see where we might go with this one.

A good sailor never stops learning. Our future plans include the Bahamas and perhaps further, but we know we still have more to learn even after years Almost home! of sailing. ou can follow our journey on our ouTube channel: OldMan and Miss Mirage.

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A Beli

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elize, where the jungle quite literally meets the sea; where, below the surface, a menagerie of coral presents itself in a magical display of dancing colors and shapes; where the variety of species both above and below the water are staggering and often hard to visually digest; where the vast jungles have swallowed the history of the Maya peoples that once 58 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 58-67 A Belize Adventure-edited.indd 2

commanded the landscape; and yet again, travel has reminded me of what I do not know—and why I should not expect anything of a place and its people.

Our journey started on the Hummingbird Highway, a magical and newly constructed, relatively speaking, 53.7-mile-long road through citrus farms and past W W W . L AT S A T T S . C O M

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elize Adventure

By Jennifer Abrusia

small villages, flanked by lush jungle. It connects the northern and eastern points of the country to the southeastern coast. As our soft-spoken host drove us the three hours to our awaiting sailboat, I, unable to hear the conversation in the front seat, got lost staring out in disbelief at how little man’s impact showed on this path.

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A Be li ze Ad ve n t u re

I’ve since learned that the population of this small Central American country is only about 400,000 contained within square mileage equal to that of about the size of New Jersey, which holds 8.9 million residents. With that comparison in mind, you might be able to appreciate how undeveloped this view was.

As I settled into the ride, head against the window, I found myself almost in a daydream, reflecting on the movie I watched on the plane, “ oadrunner.” It is a film about the life of my travel-writing idol, Anthony Bourdain, and one that I could spend hours pondering when a flash of a bird caught my eye. I rudely yelled, assuming our host’s ears worked the same as his voice, “Do you have Toucans here?”

Indeed they do, and so began our journey into the beautifully unexpected.

We arrived at The Reserve near the village of Hopkins, an 11, -acre development with a checkered financial past that you can read up on for yourself, road weary and provisioned. Our home, and escape pod from all things 2021 for the next nine days, would be a 1968 triangle called Mira that our captain and host meticulously restored. While we do have the credentials and skills as a couple to bareboat charter our own sailboat, the reef system here is a World UNESCO site and is rigorously protected. Should you run into the reef, the fines and potential jail time are no joke. I read one example of a cargo ship running aground and the website mentioned the Environmental Protection Act in the aws of elize. The laws apparently stipulate a fine up to

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$200,000 or 3 times the monetary value of the damaged area, whichever is greater. Not wanting to give our future sailboat kitty to the Belizean government, it more than made sense to find an alternative way to explore this area. ur kind and informed host, with his conveniently laid out ship offering a separated aft cabin, was ideal.

For the next few days, we explored the mainland by motorbike. We rented from Motorbike Rentals & Alternate Adventures in Hopkins, run by Emma who can only be described as one rad chick. She was incredibly knowledgeable about her well maintained bikes and very thorough in her advice and pointers. She even provided us a cell phone for emergencies, which, thankfully, we did not have to use. She gave the thumbs up on our plan to visit the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve, a twenty-minute ride from the entrance to The Reserve.

At the intersection for the preserve is the Maya Centre village where we bought our park tickets and could explore a few little shops and a chocolate factory, after which we headed eight miles, and yet another 20 minutes, up the dirt road, through the jungle, past a local healer’s compound, and into the sanctuary. Once there, they were kind enough to let us store our helmets in the office and off we went on the shorter of two waterfall hikes, en’s luff.

Now, it’s at this point that I will choose to spare you my full excitement about the ants and their roads—no, superhighways that they built, traversing the jungle floor with nary a leaf or stick on them other than those being

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carried by the thousands of busy ants. Every “road” we came upon appeared to be the exact same width with little retention walls bordering them. I did mention we were in a jungle, right? The fact that it rains there, I don’t know, all the time, and yet there were superhighways of ants, in pristine condition throughout, was astonishing to me. In my mind, the truth is one of two things: 1. They have tiny excavators they bring out under cover of darkness; or 2. They are aliens. Either way, I would gladly accept the risk of bot fly infestation for the opportunity and grant money to study these little guys… but, I digress.

The small waterfall was lovely with a chilly, swimmable pool. It was surrounded by all the epically oversized, green, leafy foliage only a jungle can boast. From there, we hiked the rest of the way to the top where the view really emphasized the lack of human impact on the land. Looking out, one could only wonder if some of the mountains in view were in fact ruins reclaimed by Mother Nature, as if to erase an entire moment in history. In fact, it is believed that this area was once part of the epicenter of the ancient Maya world with an estimated 400,000 inhabitants at its peak from about 250 A.D. to 1000.

On the way out of the park, we walked a 0.25-mile trail leading to the downed plane of Dr. Rabinowitz. He was a world-renowned zoologist and wild cat expert that helped establish this preserve and used the plane to track the jaguar movements and population. He and the two other occupants aboard during the crash only sustained minor injuries, but the mangled plane sits in its final resting place as a reminder of how difficult and dangerous the work of preservation can be.

Another twenty-minute ride, a friendly police checkpoint, and a few stops to rest our car seat accustomed butts landed us at the pristine Maya Beach Bistro. This little gem of a restaurant was highly recommended by Emma. The menu was full of local ingredients that the chef transformed into very creative dishes. Menu items like snapper and potato mousse, lobster bread pudding, and shrimp French toast did not disappoint this girl who spent the last 16 years in Charleston, SC—one of the culinary hubs of the US. The location, where I can only assume every Corona commercial was filmed, as well as the kindness of the staff added to this unexpected casual culinary

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experience—all whilst smelling of the post hike perfume, Eau de Deet and Sweat.

That evening back in the marina is difficult to capture in words. The boat was waiting just as we left her in this lonely marina. As far as we could tell, outside of the heavily armed and very kind security, we were the only ones there. The financial debacle I mentioned before has left this property a five-star ghost town.

It is our vague understanding that the amenities were built before the homes and whatever transpired next resulted in few of the planned homes being completed. The handful that were completed are beautiful, however, we noticed some are being left unmaintained and are in disrepair. The marina is supposedly financially separate from the property, but to our surprise, the entirety of the reserve, including the pool and beach area we explored, are impeccably maintained… and yet completely void of humans. I truly hope they can sort this gem out as its proximity to the reef system and many unbelievable islands is truly ideal, as we were to learn in the following days.

After taking advantage of the well-appointed facilities, now clean and exhausted, we prepared for bed at 8pm.

Our circadian rhythms were already re-established, a strange evolutionary system that is always unconsciously reawakened, if you will, by the second night we are on

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a boat. Here, in the silent and beautiful surroundings, blanketed by the soft glow of moonlight, my man and his full bladder were coerced above deck. To his surprise, at the end of his stream, he discovered the most magical sight: bioluminescence. The still and undisturbed waters of this empty marina made for an incredibly dense display of their light. Running out of bladder reserve, he hollered for me to join him. As we scrambled to find things to disturb the surface, we remembered the resident catfish living below the dock.

Excitedly, we began to coax them out with breadcrumbs and marveled as they became trails of blue light slithering through the blackness of night. Through and around, around and through, the dozen or so fish danced about creating a light show we will never forget, all because no man can miss the opportunity to pee off a boat.

Morning found us in Hopkins with a few hours to explore before returning the bike and reuniting with our host to provision properly and set sail. This village is home to the Garifuna peoples. These are the descendants of an Afro-indigenous population from the island of St. Vincent.

Their combined cultures were that of fate; the survivors of a wrecked slave ship and a steady stream of escaped slaves were welcomed on St. Vincent. There, they intermarried and began new lives. Sadly, this is not the end of their displacement, but in the late 1930’s, they made their way to W W W . L AT S A T T S . C O M

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Belize. Here in Hopkins, and several other villages, they work to maintain their culture and way of life.

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the Rhum Bar before scouting out the Sittee River marina— as we are always on the lookout for future sailing stops. While there, we popped into the Curve Bar overlooking the river and enjoyed watching some local fishermen pass by. efore returning the bike, we made one last stop at the highly recommended Ceviche Bar. The combination of Covid’s impact on tourism and our timing of the typically-slow shoulder season allowed for a private experience at this fun bar/pier. The cold, clever cocktails were amazing but hard to drink in the swings that slid from the bar out to the edge of the pier. We decided it best to find a more stable(ish seating option and ordered the establishment’s name’s sake dish. Sailboat-like trampolines that flanked the bar area and reached out over the turquoise water were definitely the right call and allowed us to look out over our planned sailing grounds with anticipation.

Bike returned and reunited with our host, it was time to provision. An interesting fact about the grocery stores in Belize is that about 90% are Chinese-owned. The Chinese originally came as sugar cane workers in the 1860’s, but most did not stay in the harsh working conditions. However, in the 1980’s, Belize made it easier for foreigners to do business and slowly the immigrants that did remain worked their way up. I understand that the Chinese ran the lottery system there for many years, which aided in the funding of such ventures. Nonetheless, the stores are varied in their selection. We visited two in Hopkins. One was small and more market-like, and the other was far bigger with a more substantial selection, particularly frozen and refrigerated goods. Produce is sold in season and was more readily available in stands along the roadside as far as I could tell.

Also noteworthy: along the roads, as we approached an area with some homes or businesses, there were speed humps in lieu of stop signs where we often found locals selling homemade goods and produce.

Back on our ship, we sorted out our gear, secured all loose items, and released the lines. We were to spend the next five days exploring the reef system and several of the little islands dotted throughout the area. ur first night was spent anchored alongside Lagoon Caye, a mangrove island that was quite the bird sanctuary. We awoke to sounds of W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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the pelicans diving on their breakfast combined with the chatter of seagulls and an eagle ray on the hunt.

From there, we motored—due to lack of wind—to Moho Caye. This is a private 12-acre island that charges BZD $20.00 per person for visitors to hang for the day. The island has picnic tables and grills available, as well as kayak rentals. The reef around the island is full of life and it was here that we stumbled upon a nurse shark snuggled up under the coral on the seafloor, not at all bothered by our curiosity. A cuddle fish was conversely very uncomfortable with our proximity and quickly swam off. This tiny island is a great place to spend an afternoon enjoying time beneath the palms, listening to the sea lap against the shoreline. It is a calm, no frills spot where you can be one of very few—if you don’t count the sea life. Oh, and rumor has it, there is a very old, very large, very stealthy iguana that calls this island home. Please send me a pic if you spot him!

Day two found us motor-sailing three hours north to South Water Caye. This island is home to a few small “resorts,” a handful of caretaker locals, some cool dogs,

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and IZE, a study abroad facility. IZE has a bar that is open to the public stocked with cold beer and fun cocktails and complete with a view of the resident bonefish school that cruises about hoping for some snacks to be tossed their way. The little bar is buzzing with activity. Hang out long enough and you might see one of the local dive companies who utilize this spot to bring their guests for a lunch break.

I’m not sure what the actual rules are, but no one seemed to mind us wandering around the island and exploring the three main resorts. I am hesitant to use ‘resort’ in this context, but they are all-inclusive, quaint, and beautiful. Here again, with that extraordinary combo of Covid and shoulder season, we found ourselves alone on the most pristine tropical beach.

We spent the day snorkeling and lounging in hammocks strung from palm trees that appeared as relaxed as us in their casual reluctance to being upright, until the setting sun signaled our time at this little paradise was over and we needed to find an anchorage for the night.

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A morning sail to Tobacco Caye, a little 3-acre island with a year-round population of around thirty people, quickly proved to be our personal favorite stop of the trip.

While a few hurricanes have done their part to reshape the population and “infrastructure” of this caye, it was the puritan settlers in the 1600’s who attempted to grow tobacco here that gave it its name. The approach to this small and colorful island is a rickety dock flanked by piles of discarded conch shells reaching out of the water. This leads you into the sparsely populated, residential area where we were greeted by a handful of locals lounging in hammocks or chairs. Shouts of “Welcome to Tobacco Caye!” embraced us as we began to take in the charm of this place. The island sits solidly in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve and a snorkel mask is not required to get a glimpse of the marine life surrounding you. The clarity made it impossible to not see all the brightly colored fish here. ays are numerous and seem to congregate around the docks, where I can only assume they are more than happy to clean up scraps from the fisherman. The humble homes appeared destined to be victims of the next major storm, but, somehow, also as if they had successfully endured many a good storm already.

The island was sectioned off into a small residential area in the middle surrounded by a few guest houses and all-inclusive lodges around the perimeter.

Wandering without any possibility of getting lost— as you can see one side of the island from the other—we found our way to the Reef’s End Lodge where we were warmly greeted by Lily. She happily stepped away from her computer and took the time to tell us about the island as well as the lodge she and her husband run. Their main building, with a restaurant/bar and a common area for their

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guests, was accessed by another more-hardy dock. It was built above the water in a lagoon at the south end of the island. The water below was teaming with brightly colored tropical fish and several of the local rays.

Lily told us she initially found her way here as a diver on multiple trips and that it was love that eventually shifted her life from New York City, where she had clearly honed her art of cocktail making. They have a few waterfront cottages and a main building with several rooms for travelers.

This is an all-inclusive lodge and their guests must be tended to first, but ily let us know that she was happy to accommodate us for meals with notice and that there was a

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snack hour we were welcome to enjoy without reservation.

Our sailing log is not extensive, but our experiences are typically less welcoming. It turns out Lily and her husband are sailors, so they are happy to welcome the stray salty if they can. Quick side note: she mentioned that they will sell provisions and even ICE if they have enough.

Lily generously suggested we stash our things in their common area while we explored—after tempting us with the snack menu to come later that day: conch ceviche and conch fritters. That was all I needed to hear. Excited to snorkel and ready to build up an appetite for all things conch, we donned our trusty masks, fins, and snorkels

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A Be li ze Ad ve n t u re and spent the next few hours surrounded by the most beautiful reef we have ever seen. The variety of shape and color, combined with the sheer amount of sea life, was overwhelming. Weightless in the water, out of our natural element in this magical world where sound is different and light can change everything, it is easy to lose sense of time. I found myself hovering over sections of reef studying the symphony of movement.

The sea fans swayed while small fish darted and large fish prowled.

Rays of lights pierced the surface, illuminating reds, oranges, and greens in the coral head.

The sound of parrot fish feeding on the reef was ever present while the distant boat motor sound was difficult to place.

Once back on dry land, we drifted in silence back to the dock at Reef’s End, where Lily made us amazing cocktails and we sat, digesting what we had just seen. For the next several hours we stayed right there, enjoying the view, each other, and all things conch. Also, it turns out fish was now on the menu after a local fisherman had stopped by with fresh snapper while we were out on the reef.

Question: If Robinson Caruso had a child in Florida, named him Dustin, and Dustin married a Pennsylvania girl named Kim whom he sailed around the Caribbean with until they bought an island, built a treehouse on it, had an amazing kiddo named Ama—who is eight-yearsold at the time of this publishing—and lived happily ever after, would you read their story? Or, at the very least, visit their island? Well obviously, this is not a story about the Caruso family, but it sure is a modern-day story worth telling.

Hideaway Caye is a tiny mangrove island in a small group of private islands situated around a cove in arguably the prettiest section of the reef. Dustin and Kim bought the place after sailing around the Caribbean for 13 years.

They started the construction with help from the Mennonite community, who framed the original structure that houses an open-air kitchen, dining/bar area, and loft. They enlisted the

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expertise of some local Maya workers to build the massive and meticulously-constructed thatch roof that covers this communal area. From there, they slowly added a main house, a guest house, and several other tucked-away nooks that are all connected by boardwalks. There, the family of three and a few dogs and chickens, live and run a small “restaurant” and a one-unit Airbnb.

The experience is unique, to say the least, and will not be in your local guidebook. Catering to sailors, they have secured three mooring balls that are first come, first serve in the cove. If you are lucky enough to score a ball and radio in using the station number painted on the ball, you can bet someone, probably Dustin, will reply and let you know what is on the menu for that night. The mooring is $25 a night unless you join them for dinner; then it is included in the meal cost.

We arrived in time to have our choice of mooring because this was not our host’s first rodeo. In fact, their families had become close, and their girls even developed a friendship.

After a quick introduction, we jumped in the dinghy to explore the reef. Winds prevented us from accessing what they described as “the best snorkeling on the reef,” so we settled for the leeward side which was not a disappointment in the least. With good light and light winds, we were treated to yet another spectacular snorkel session.

Upon return to Hideaway, Dustin, the gracious host, immediately offered up some of his homemade rum punch while we sat on the dock taking in the uniqueness of this experience. We quickly learned that tonight’s dinner options were lobster or conch steaks. We chose lobster while a few others, now on the moorings, opted for conch.

To our delight, Dustin jumped into the shallow water on the back side of the dock where he proceeded to pull a few conchs from beneath to kill and clean. He was gracious enough to show us the proper technique for the conch, and then pulled the lobsters from a cage also beneath the dock.

With help from Ama, they dispatched and cleaned our very fresh meal for that evening.

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Fun side story: as we sat enjoying rum punch and conversation with the handful of people coming and going, what looked like a little thrashing worm on the dock caught my eye. Upon closer examination, I was shocked and delighted to see a very, very small seahorse writhing in a few drops of water, trying to work its way back into the sea.

It must have been attached to the lobster cage and was, upon discovery, immediately scooped with care by a local captain that had joined us. It was heartwarming to witness how he was so quick to protect and save this little guy. After allowing us a look in his palm, he returned it to the safety of the mangrove roots.

That evening, Kim prepared an amazing meal for what ended up being about 15 sailors. We observed as Dustin, the consummate host, told their story over and over with the same genuineness as more guests arrived. One can only imagine he has uttered those words thousands of times, but he seemed content in the moment each time. The lobster, the rum, the voices and laughter floating about from different tables, Ama and a friend from a neighboring island who had come for a sleepover scurrying about, it all made for the perfect energy to end yet another magical and unexpected day in Belize.

There are many ways I could describe King Lewey’s Caye, but I think “an adult playground that you just need to see” covers it. A complete juxtaposition to our previous days’ adventures and vibes, we were greeted by a colorful cast of pirate sculptures, parrots, and the friendliest local staff. The small “resort” island is clean and welcoming.

There are oversized chess boards, connect four games, and bean bag tosses to entertain you when you are not at the bar or in the ocean.

They even have every influencer’s dream swings over the water. (I admit they were actually cool, and I most certainly did it for the gram. y the day’s end, we had happily swum the circumference of the island, enjoyed many of the games, ate delicious tacos, and drank very cold tropical cocktails. Although this island is not surrounded by reefs, there were plenty of fish living in the relative security of the island and its structures to entertain these snorkelers. This

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place is, comparatively, the Myrtle Beach of the islands, but sometimes you just have to get cheesy and end your day with a parrot on your head.

After our fill of ing ewey, we departed for a three-hour sail back to the marina. We pointed our pirate ship toward the mainland where the rain clouds hung heavily over the mountains in the distance. Mother Nature impressed with evening light on the rain clouds, reflecting the most vibrant pinks and oranges across the sky.

The setting sun loomed large as it peeked in and out of the clouds, constantly reshaping our backdrop. On the fore deck, we sat closely and silently, taking in the feel and smell of the healing salt air we knew we would soon miss. Lulled by the sway of the ship, we were able to settle into our gratitude for the beauty and uniqueness of this trip. Quite literally, from the jungle to the sea, this remarkable country, rare in its lack of physical human manipulation, warm and friendly locals, and robust wildlife habitats, reminded us that having things isn’t everything… but that preserving what you have can be.

Understanding that political muscle drives every country and knowing that, here, the obvious lack of real industry makes for a harder way of life than we know, does not exactly equate to a ‘worse’ way either. It seems to hold true that with less stuff comes more community.

Contrarily, more country wide wealth and infrastructure often means longer life expectancy and better measurable quality of life, but so often, less connection. Maybe I am romanticizing what I hope to be, but what remains is that I always leave places like this very torn. I am drawn to the idea of life on a little mangrove island relying on the wind and sun for power as well as my neighbors and our shared respect to sustain, but then I hear the world calling.

At this juncture, it seems the desire we have as a couple to grow through shared experience, combined with an overwhelming desire to touch all sides of the earth, will need to be satisfied further before we, too, decide to Hideaway.

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g n i d n a H e e l e b r u F o D ith a r w e o l o S er

et yP

B

e

urk

o J. B

T

he invitation arrived back in Janu-ary from my good friend Hank. He asked if I’d like to double-hand a boat from St. Martin to Annapolis, by way of Bermuda, a passage of a little under 1,500 nautical miles.

Despite the perils of Covid, I was excited. Hank has spent the last thirty plus years as a delivery skipper, moving sailboats of all sizes and vintages along the US east coast, to and from the Caribbean, and occasionally trans-Atlantic. The offer to double-hand with him promised not only the warmth of the Caribbean for a few days before we reached more northern latitudes, but an opportunity to up my game by sailing with someone who I knew to be a master of the art; Hank learned to sail at 7, I learned at 46, an age where you learn by study, not by instinctive attachment.

Hank wanted to leave in mid-April, an early delivery as the weather systems have yet to settle into their more benign early summer pattern. Storms in the North Atlantic seemed a remote consideration as I sat in my cozy house in Rhode Island and looked out on the blanket of snow covering the back yard.

The boat had the wonderful name of Spray, wonderful because that was the name of Captain Joshua Slocum’s boat when, in 1898, he became the first per-

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Spray fell off over, but never sank. The entire starboard cabin and the cain sole replaces as she sat on her starboard side for a month

son to sail alone and unassisted around the world. This Spray was a twentyyear-old Tartan 3700. Tartan is a US boatbuilder with a reputation for delivering strong and attractive boats. The recent history of the boat dates from September of 2017 when she was knocked down as hurricane Irma swept over St Maarten. She didn’t sustain any hull damage from the knockdown, but a hole was punched in the deck. Whatever triage occurred in the days following the hurricane, it took time to address the multitude of injured and dying boats littering the island, and Spray was left to endure a period of languishment. Hank bought the boat for $4,000, no doubt one of the smaller checks he wrote in his saga of bringing this lovely sailing yacht with the sparkling blue hull back to life. pray fell off over, but never sank. The entire starboard cabin and the cain sole replaces as she sat on her starboard side for a month.

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estoration

done. Will finish back in the states before listing

Arrival Shock The list of old equipment on the boat was very short, as everything from the mast and the sails, to the engine, electronics, sailing instruments and stove were brand new. That said, it was a shock at first sight. Hank had partnered with one of the local yacht workers to rehab the boat, and a crew emerged that seemed unique to this part of the world. They were all islanders of a sort: Caribbean Ben, Kenny Leigh, Ozzie (Aussie) John and Quint; from the islands of St. Lucia, Dominica, Australia and England. Each had some serious competence in boat matters and they all had a loose devotion to deadlines; the type of approach that’s made ‘island time’ something between a

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philosophy and a time zone. They needed a leader herding them, directing, guiding and encouraging their progress. Hank was hard at work on this role when I arrived, but there was still work to be done as the beautiful new instruments were still sitting in their boxes, no power from the new battery bank had yet been directed to even such mundane uses as the overhead lights, the new stove was awaiting the arrival of a necessary connecting piece and the cockpit was missing the steering pedestal, a rather critical assembly that would house the new compass, steering wheel and instrument pod. The pedestal was crafted by Lewmar, the venerable British maker of boat equipment, but unfortunately their shipping department was also operating on Island Time. Eventually it became clear that this coveted kit would not arrive in time and Hank had it redirected to the states. I’m sure it was annoying to pay the local machine shop to hammer the old wheel back to a roundish geometry, but this was done and the old steering pedestal was reinstalled, even though the grab arm over the top was missing, the compass was a little vague on its recollection of magnetic north, and the instrument pod was gone so the control panel for the autopilot had to be mounted on an electrical box affixed to the pedestal at knee height.

It would have been hard to argue that the boat was ready for sea, but readiness for sea is a spectrum. No boat has ever started a passage without something remaining on the to do list. ‘Seaworthiness’ is another question, and a much more binary one.

I would come to learn that there wasn’t anything unseaworthy about this boat. The hull was strong and made its way cleanly through the water. The rigging and sails were new and correct. The rudder and steering system – apart from an ever so slightly out of round wheel – was solid. I would indeed come to appreciate how seaworthy this boat really is, but at that moment I was thinking more about the spectrum of readiness, and had the skipper been anyone but Hank I would no doubt have returned to the airport. I knew that Hank understood what it takes to get a boat ready for sea, or at least ready enough, and I had a hunch that the next couple of days would be like watching the final minutes of a jigsaw puzzle where the remaining pieces fly into place and the finished picture emerges.

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St. Martin to Bermuda Leaving St. Martin heading north you have the familiar consistency of the easterly trades for a few days to speed you on your way, and indeed we only occasionally fired up the engine to charge the batteries.

As we left the trade wind belt the winds grew lighter and we found ourselves motoring for most of the last third of the one-week leg to Bermuda.

The only real surprise I had on the first leg was the information release that arrived over dinner one evening when I happened to ask Hank how he’d come by the large 6-person Plastismo Life Raft that was ensconced in a cannister and filling the cockpit. Hank had called me a month or two earlier to ask whether I considered it important to have a life raft on our passage. I’d tried my best to say yes; that I considered it an item of more than passing interest. I’d pretty much put life raft thoughts out of my mind when I arrived in St. Maarten and saw that Hank had acquired a high quality 6-person raft. That sized raft would have given us room to party if we’d needed the refuge, but it was a large cannister, too large for the boat really, and the only space for it was in the well of the cockpit.

Apart from the ugliness of having to stare at this huge piece of emergency kit every time you stepped up into the cockpit of the boat, its presence, combined with the absence of any grab rail, led to a certain awkwardness as I moved back and forth to the helm, whether to adjust the autopilot controls or take the wheel. We would be doing a lot of hand steering in the second leg of our passage, but back to the life raft.

Hank told me that he’d been taking out the trash at the marina in St. Maarten when he noticed that someone had left the life raft in the dumpster. There was certainly no sign of degradation or other objective reason to believe the life raft would not provide relief should we require it, apart from the inspection sticker being about ten years out of date.

A conversation in Bermuda The second leg was a different animal. It began with a couple of days of delightful sailing before moving onto the next acts which included two gales and one very nasty squall. One of the reasons I’d dismissed my own reservations about our weather window was my view that any heavy weather we might encounter would be an opportunity to gain a little more experience. You

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Halfway home. At the Customs docks waiting to get covid tested.

Plugged in and resting dockside at the St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club, in St. Georges Bermuda. can’t improve your ability to sail in heavy weather if you never practice, and an opportunity seemed to be opening up. I don’t think for a minute that we were imprudent when we left knowing that a couple of fronts, along with their associated mischief, would be rolling over our route. We had a strong boat and a depth of experience, and there was nothing in the weather situation to indicate that a serious storm might develop while we were at sea. What we did was sacrifice some comfort to keep to a schedule, and in my case to up my game.

The Two AM Moment I don’t know why, but there always seems to be a two or three o’clock in the morning moment on long boat passages.

Latitudes & Attitudes 73 4/25/22 8:50 AM

Double-H anding with a Free Soloer This one happened at about that time, while Hank was on watch and the breeze was up in the high thirties. I was sound asleep when I heard a loud crash, much louder than the sound made when the hull comes off a wave and you have the bang/thud of the landing. I looked into the main cabin, a part of the boat that had already resembled the living room of a frat house on a Sunday morning. I quickly noticed that the scene in the main cabin had changed from that of a friendly pillow fight to something more violent, as many of the cushions were now pinned down by the door to the forward cabin. The door had apparently swung open, lifted off its hinges and landed with that loud crash. Other than a slight scratch on the door, there was no damage, but the best that could be done was to secure the door. You can’t hang a door with one hand when you’re holding on with the other.

The gales abated, as they all do, but they left behind a damp boat. The boat had wonderful new hatches and ports, but the installer must have run a tad short of sealant as he worked to finish the job. All mariners know that the sea will find your mistakes, and the ongoing molestation of the waves caused some of the new ports to leak. These were leaks of annoyance, not leaks to trigger the bilge pumps. Still, it’s more comfortable if you can keep clothes and bedding dry when you’re heading north in early spring.

Free Soloing Hank had a PFD (a personal flotation device aka a life jacket with a built-in harness) hung belowdecks. As a US Coast Guard licensed captain, I’m sure he would not want to be stopped and have to explain why he didn’t have a PFD on the boat. It looked almost the same as mine, though far newer, and that mystery was explained when Hank mentioned that he’d never worn it. I like wearing a PFD in rough weather; I think of it the way I think of a seatbelt, where the most important benefit is probably its role as a psychological reminder that you’re engaging in a potentially lethal activity. There is of course another approach. Simply stay on the damn boat. Watching the way Hank moved about the boat as it rose and fell, heeled and yawed, and went through the repertoire of movements required to gain passage through the sea, I came to think of myself as climbing with Alex Honnald, the famous free-Soloer of rock climbing. I’m not a climber. The 65 feet of mast on my boat is the most I care to climb, and I always use a rope for that, but that was the comparison that came to my mind.

I realized that Hank’s confidence, his sureness of footing, and his in-the-moment focus were the factors that kept him safe.

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Watching Hank’s movements on Spray, it occurred to me that he didn’t really walk about the boat, he flowed. He was clearly in his element.

The End Game There was a short list of annoyances on that second leg, and perhaps the biggest was the loss of the engine.

It was brand new with barely 150 hours of use when it retired from service while we were still 50 nautical miles east of the Gulf tream. A check of the fuel filter found it pristine, which was actually bad news as a fuel problem would have been easy to fix. The engine refused to rejoin the program and we both agreed that it was likely an electrical issue. We resigned ourselves to a slower passage as the winds were moderating into the single digits, though thankfully from the southwest which meant for a nice angle towards the Chesapeake. Hank announced that we would hand steer for the remainder of the trip, except perhaps when we were having dinner. The autopilot is the biggest energy consumer on the boat and we had no way to charge the batteries once the engine had gone out. We also powered off the refrigeration, the main sacrifice of that decision being no cream in the coffee. These were smart calls as they ensured that we still had use of the radio, sailing instruments and navigation lights for the duration of the voyage. Hand steering for the last few days of our passage allowed us to manage our energy budget for the duration; or at least the boat’s energy budget, mine was starting to get a little low. The loss of the engine was a setback for Hank as his schedule was much tighter than mine, but for me this annoyance turned out to be a blessing. Hand steering a yacht at sea, along with knowing how to deal with heavy weather, are skills that require practice and development. Hand steering tunes you to the wind and the sea state, but without devoting the training hours it can quickly become exhausting.

The end game morphed into a beautiful sail as we stayed a few miles off the coast on our way to the broad entrance to Chesapeake Bay, the boat sliding along in 8-10 knots of wind. It would have been idyllic except for the realization that, simply due to schedules, we would not be able to take the boat to Annapolis as planned and that we’d have to finish our passage in orfolk, irginia. A few minutes before midnight rolled onto the clock we tied up in the snug harbor of Little Creek, just a few miles into the bay. It was far from the hardest passage I’ve made, but it was a long way from the easy list. For Hank, I sensed that it was just another couple of weeks in the work year, the frustrations over parts and delays exchanged for the joy of being at sea.

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4/22/22 10:01 AM

What’s Out There?

Cruising Monohull

The new design of the Elan E6 from the Humphreys Yacht Design team added performance while keeping the dual-purpose of cruising in mind at all times. Elan’s E6 offers the highest consumer-level technology while staying lighter than others in its class. The twin rudder and helm utilizes AI technology for lightness and stiffness, and a hull with a T-shape keel.

The yacht has been designed to be easily sailed by an experienced couple. Three pairs of Harken winches, positioned for trimming and fast unobstructed movements, are the result of in-house testing with an Olympic sailing team. ptional storage boxes with a grill, sink and a refrigerator are available, as well as two sizes of bathing platforms. The mainsheet ropes are fed to dedicated boxes

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on the cockpit sides keeping a very clean overall look, and ease of handling.

While always keeping performance in mind, the livability of this yacht cannot be overlooked. A very comfortable living area, above and below decks, makes this a good choice for those who want a performance cruiser.

The natural oak veneered interior is enriched with a solid wood finish.

This new E offers a lot of what modern cruiser’s are looking for. Ease of handling, comfort, as well as performance comparable to racing class yachts.

If you’d like to get more info on the new Elan E6 it is easy. Just go to www.elan-yachts.com.

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Elan E6

GET ALL THE FACTS: www.Elan-Yachts.com

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pg 76-77 Elan E6.indd 3

50’2” 9’2”/7’10” 14’9” 24,802 lbs Yanmar 56 hp 63.4 USG 97.7 USG 7,202 lbs

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What’s Out There?

Cruising Catamaran

The Leopard 45 was awarded ‘Boat of the Year’ honors in 2017. The vessel was designed by naval architecture company Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design, with exterior and interior design by Robertson and Caine. The new Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran builds on the best features of the current eopard range, but, most notably, offers new exterior styling and interior accommodations.

Since the launch of the Leopard 45 in 2017, the exterior styling has evolved and they are now offering the innovative hardtop lounge on the Leopard 45.

This lounge feature was first used on the eopard and includes a seating area, a sunbed, and a table. Access to the lounge is provided by stairs leading up from the aft cockpit—without disrupting the helm station. The helm

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station remains protected and integrated into the cockpit and the rest of the boat.

The new 4 is available in a - or 4-cabin layout offering an entertainment package with increased aft area. The open plan saloon and galley offers a larger forward cockpit and more onboard area.

The Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran delivers well-built quality with new styling and a sensible and practical layout with multiple entertainment areas.

Leopard has been known for their cruising cats for many years, and this new 45 will be on display at upcoming boat shows. If you attend, be sure to stop by and check them out.

If you’d like more info on these cruising catamarans, you can go to leopardcatamarans.com.

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Leopard 45

Get All The Facts: www.LeopardCatamarans.com

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45’ 42’11” 4’11” 24’2” 32,849 lbs 2x Yanmar 45 hp 185 USG 205 USG 70ft Latitudes & Attitudes 79 4/19/22 2:45 PM

What’s Out There?

Power Cruising Cat

Fountaine Pajot’s new 44-foot power cat has added a great new design in the world’s blue-water cruising cat market.

The MY6 has an unprecedented amount of living space with a large saloon, flybridge, and a decadent master suite. he offers sleek panoramic windows throughout, granting 360-degree views.

The MY6’s semi-displacement hulls were built to deliver performance, fuel efficiency, and stability in all sea conditions.

There are plenty of places to be comfortable including a large flybridge with lounges, a dining table to

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truly enjoy the cruising experience, and a large forward cockpit with sun lounges and cabin access. Add to that a raised contemporary saloon and a cockpit that opens from the galley with the option of a fixed or hydraulic aft swimming platform and comfort truly abounds.

This power-cruiser was designed for extended cruising adventures. It has an excellent galley complete with a full-sized refrigerator and plenty of storage.

Additional features include a hydraulic gangway and dinghy crane which make the cruising experience eminently safe and easy. ind more at their website, www.fountainepajot.com.

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Fountaine Pajot MY6

GET ALL THE FACTS: www.FountainePajot.com

Fountaine Pajot MY6 LOA Draft Beam Displacement Power Fuel Fresh Water Holding Tank W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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46’ 4’3” 21’7” 45,000 lbs 2x Volvo 300 hp 528 USG 195 USG 92.4 USG

Latitudes & Attitudes 81 4/21/22 10:07 AM

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Latitudes & Attitudes 83 4/22/22 9:53 AM

By Ray Muzika, Rovinj, Croatia

84 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 84-95 Underway - MKC-edited.indd 84

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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.

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Latitudes & Attitudes 85 4/19/22 2:36 PM

By Cheryl & Ted Smith, of s/v Sea n ‘Tea, San Juan Islands

By Jeff Thornton, of Grace sailing out of Ft. Pierce

By Steffi Schiffer, of Joe & Juliette on s/v Osprey

By Cynthia, Dave sailing in the Piscataqua River, Portsmouth, NH

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By Dennis Mullen, onboard Different Drummer in Oriental, NC

By Cheryl Bular, of Jamieson, Jack and Ben during Mac to Mac race

By Peter Isen, Diving Saturday with the University of Miami’s rescue a reef program off Key Biscayne.

They have a coral nursery to grow coral and replant them on the local reefs.

By Roger Martinson, Bellingham, WA

By Moez, of Mary in the BVI’s

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Latitudes & Attitudes 87 4/19/22 2:36 PM

By Mark Thierman, Mermaid Kristina on Ocean Jedi in Tobago Joe, Melinda, Susie and Dennis, cruising friends getting in a hike on Santa Cruz Island, So. Cal. Taken with Joe’s selfie stick!

By Bob Ashana, Maiden Voyage, Pop on s/v Ashana, Peril Strait, AK

Conchy Joe hangin’ with Foxy on Jost Van Dyke

88 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 84-95 Underway - MKC-edited.indd 88

By Loren Davis, Cow Wreck Beach, Anagada, BVI’s

By Hal P., of Tropic Soul and Ma-Ru (behind) while at anchor on a very calm Clipper Cove in San Francisco Bay

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By John Powell, in the BVI’s

By Will, rainbow over Yorktown, VA

By Melanie Farmer, photos from the Golden Fleece

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Latitudes & Attitudes 89 4/19/22 2:36 PM

By Cindy Holden, Nevis, Caribbean

By Gary, Spirit of Sobraon, Malaysia & Borneo

By Tony Zappala

A goal without a plan is just a wish. - Larry Elder

By Cheri Howard, thumbs up in the BVI’s

90 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 84-95 Underway - MKC-edited.indd 90

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By Tom Fleming of a BIG girl!

By Scott & Jana Helm, s/v Blithe Spirit II

By David

By Robert Feld

By John, of Charlie, Frank, and Barney while sailing in Stuart, FL, on Cerulean 3520. Just great to be on the water.

By the Liflands (Bill, Andy & Karen) on a Sail Italia charter in Sant’Angelo on Ischia, off Naples, Italy

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Latitudes & Attitudes 91 4/19/22 2:36 PM

Of Jeff “The Mouth That Roared” Thornton and family, Ft. Pierce, FL

By Robert Scott aboard Honeymoon Forever, Key West, FL, on our way to Mexico. Not the most auspicious of starts!

Martin Carrierre welcomes s/v Want To into Portsmouth, Dominica, with fresh flowers

By Rich Thacker, Traverse City, MI

By Terry Hogan, Tersane Creek, Australia

By Frank Durant, Grand Cay, Abacos

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By Tammy

By Theresa aboard s/v Irene on Frenchman’s Bay, Maine, with daughter, Madison, on the bow

By Steve Olsen W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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Latitudes & Attitudes 93 4/19/22 2:36 PM

It may look like I’m doing nothing, but in my head I’m quite busy!

By Charles Parks, off the coast of Stuart, FL

By Robert Feld

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By Chris Cox of Raccoon Straits

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By Ann Todd, s/v Jule II in Lunenburg Harbor, Nova Scotia

By Bill, Chris arrives in Key West for the trip home to Sandusky, OH, aboard s/v Wendy Mishelle

By John Simpson, Firth of Clyde during a cool April W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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By Meryl Rose, of Lily, a seaworthy Shar-Pei, aboard Breezin’ II

Latitudes & Attitudes 95 4/19/22 2:36 PM

Seawoman

By Kiana Weltzien

Mara Noka m oved angrily and I were st through the ill getting ac choppy sea. quainted, bu sailing he lik My boat t I could tell ed. Some w this was not aves would as I came up the kind of completely e on them; oth ngulf my win ers would ju through the dward bow st splash be deck plankin twe g with such vengeance th en the hulls and spurt at not one in ch of deck space was le ft dry.

96 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 96-100 Seawoman.indd 2

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Already at sea, not yet a seaman...

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Latitudes & Attitudes 97 4/19/22 2:48 PM

Seawoman

I hid away in my doghouse, pretending the world around me didn’t exist, pretending I was dry and stable, pretending I hadn’t just put myself on an old wooden boat and headed out into hundreds of miles of open sea. I had crackers and mangoes to keep me company as my stomach churned, and my mind was eased slightly by the reassurance Hans had given me that conditions should calm once we were about 100 miles out.

Ontong Java moved gracefully through the water, her thick stems powering through the waves. Due to our angles, Mara Noka pointing higher, by sunset, we had drifted apart considerably. “ all off and come more towards me,” Hans said over the radio. I sat in my cockpit—a funny looking wooden box with a sunstroked wheel and a line leading to the tillers wrapped around its pin—and turned it an inch toward starboard. Hans had taught me that I need only make fractional changes to the wheel and the boat would obey diligently.

Mara Noka veered off from his more comfortable, slightly stalling, upwind position and immediately picked up speed. The feeling of the increase in speed and the waves coming more on the beam was disconcerting, but after 15 minutes like this, Ontong Java was much closer. I kept on for another 15 minutes.

When it came to wearable gear, I was completely unprepared for the harsher elements of sailing. I had no warm clothes save for one thermal shirt, and my rain jacket cost $1 at the Chinese store in Panama. It was warm enough to not wear any pants, and the whole thing was made easier without having to change in and out of wet clothes. Yet, I never realized how

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uncomfortable wind and sea spray could be, and I cursed every harsh drop of water that shot onto my legs.

It was hard for me to judge distance in the dead of night, but at some point I could see the outline of Ontong Java’s magnificent crab claw sail illuminated by the E bulbs hanging inside a peanut butter jar halfway up the mast. Close enough. I turned the wheel back to its original position and clambered back into the dog house, timing my movements with that of the boat’s so as to not knock my head straight through the roof.

Hans was interchanging watches with his crew, Marius, every three hours. Knowing they were awake and mostly alert just a couple of miles away gave me the freedom to sleep for almost one whole hour before the alarm on my phone would chime. Every time it did, I looked through the window of the doghouse, which pointed towards the bow, and then poked my head out of the doghouse entrance so I could scan my stern. It seemed every other time I woke up, I would notice a hatch cover on either bow would be slightly ajar. I’d climb out, shu e to the front in a slightly crouched position, and close the hatch. The wind was blowing at a strength I had never experienced at sea, and most areas of the boat resembled a children’s fountain playground—those ones spurting water from the ground with varying force. On one of these trips to the bow, I discovered my trampoline net was coming undone. “I can’t face it,” I thought. “I’ll take care of it once the sun comes up.” As encouragement to my own procrastination, I added, “Besides, by tomorrow we will have done 1 miles and things should calm down.”

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4/19/22 2:48 PM

Already at sea, not yet a seaman...

After another one-hour round of sleep, I awoke to a pink sky. The sun would rise soon. I climbed out of the doghouse and scanned the horizon for Ontong Java. ast I had seen her bright deck light, it was merely a speck on the black horizon, like a lone low-hanging star on a cloudy night. Now, I saw her nowhere.

I took a look around Mara Noka to analyze how we had fared our first night out in the turbulence of the Caribbean Sea—disaster. I saw disaster everywhere. My trampoline had suffered such a beating that it had come unlashed from all points except the foremost beam, and its tattered remains dragged through the uneven waters at our current speed of 5.5 knots. That was hardly the worst of it. The splashboard on my windward bow had disappeared in the night, and having nothing to prevent the waves from swamping the deck, one of the hatch covers I had spent all night closing now laid a few feet away from the compartment it covered. In turn, the compartment was full of water. I had been storing some wood at my windward bow; it was all gone. My heavy inflatable dinghy was hanging halfway over the side of the boat. “ isaster, disaster,” my mind stuttered.

I was angry at myself. I had avoided work the night prior and now I had more work than I knew how to handle. My body wasn’t moving but my thoughts wouldn’t stop, “I could have secured the W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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trampoline and fastened the hatch covers. A little late for pre-emptive strategies, don’t you think ” After a few seconds, I got my limbs to move and put myself to work. I pointed the boat as high as it would go,

Latitudes & Attitudes 99

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Seawoman

Already at sea, not yet a seaman...

slowing my speed down by half, and scrambled to the front. omehow, with some effort, I managed to bring the dinghy back onboard. I situated it behind the mast in the middle of the deck where I could be sure it would stay. I then climbed into the starboard bow with a bucket and began to bail the nearly 2 liters which filled the compartment, where, for some reason, I had chosen to store my sails. I brought the heaviest things on deck—water pouring out of sail bags like a bad dream—and placed them under the dinghy.

Finally, it was time to face my biggest obstacle: removing the trampoline and getting it on deck safely.

I scooted myself to the very front of the boat with a knife and began cutting all of the ties that attached the trampoline to the forebeam. The further they got out of reach, the more I inched myself onto the forebeam itself. Soon I was straddling the beam, toes dragging in the water, breaking the peak of every wave. After finding safety on the port bow, I held on tightly to the heavy plastic dragging through the water and cut the final tie. “ on’t let go,” I commanded and complied.

Once I climbed back onto the deck near the mast, I started hauling in the trampoline. Somehow, I managed. It was not in the best shape, but it was mostly intact. I rolled it up, secured it with a couple of reef knots, and set it under the dinghy with the rest of the evidence of the day’s disaster.

I scanned the horizon again. This time I could spot a tiny black sail on the horizon, and it seemed to be getting closer. By midday, Hans came through over the radio, “Cheesecake, cheesecake, do you copy ” I heard the call as I was laying in my bed either half asleep or in the middle of smoking a spliff either way, ignoring the world around me. “Hi, sweet pea,” he came back after I answered. “We’ve

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been fishing all morning. Would you like some lunch ” At present, the wind was blowing somewhere around 15 knots, and gusting a bit higher. We were both still sailing at a fairly quick pace, beating into the wind. “ ut how ” I questioned.

“I’m going to sail up to your stern and I’ll toss it across,” he said.

Sounded daring, but daring was the story of my life as of late, so why not About an hour later, Ontong Java reached my side. With Marius at the tiller, Hans stood at midship, and, in a swift motion, the boats came close enough that Hans was able to chuck a plastic bag filled with goodies across. It slipped through my hands and landed on deck.

I waved at them, smiling, as they veered away.

I opened the bag and inside I found a couple of books and two Tupperwares: one ceviche, and one sashimi with Hans’s special ginger soy sauce—5 stars. I felt so lucky.

“Cheesecake, cheesecake,” the radio called.

“Thank you so much for the food, my love.

It’s giving me life. Thank you,” I replied, ignoring any radio formalities for we were in the middle of the sea.

“Can you tell me what on earth happened to your boat ” Hans came back sternly. “ on’t even ask ” It was embarrassing to have such an incredible seaman as my mentor, my teacher, and find that my bad habits of being lazy and choosing not to act quickly were shining brighter than any of my accomplishments.

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Latitudes & Attitudes 101 4/22/22 10:07 AM

Talk of the Dock By Zuzana Prochazka

Charter Certification What’s the Story?

Thinking of chartering? Do you have the proper license, or will you need it at your chosen destination? Do you know where to get one? Nowadays, all yacht charter companies in Europe and the Seychelles are required by port authorities to obtain official licensure documentation from their bareboat clients. In the Caribbean, on the other hand, yacht charter companies require only a resume demonstrating sailing knowledge and sufficient on-thewater experience. To ensure boat and client safety, charter companies and hosting countries have now made crystal clear requirements as to what is acceptable documentation for bareboat yacht chartering. It boils down to sufficient documentation of skills and experience, and licensure where required.

Sailing Licenses There are three common licenses accepted in Europe for recreational bareboat yacht charter sailing: (1 The International Certificate of Competence (ICC The ICC was created by the United Nations under Resolution 40. European countries that signed the resolution have each appointed an official sailing body in their own country to issue the ICC. For example, in the UK, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) issues the ICC. Although the U.S. and Canada are not signatories to Resolution 40, the RYA is still able to issue the ICC for U.S. and Canadian citizens. The downside, however, is that you have to find an RYA school. At present, in North America, there are only four RYA schools – one in the U.S. and 3 in Canada.

102 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 102-103 Talk of the dock.indd 2

(2 The International Proficiency Certificate (IPC The American Sailing Association (now renamed American Sailing but let’s call it ASA for recognition’s sake , is a training and certification program which has been around since the 1 ’s. It offers an IPC which can, in some instances, take the place of an ICC. A A offers the IPC for a small fee for any student who has completed coursework through ASA Bareboat 104. US Sailing also offers the IPC after completion of their bareboat handling courses. The IPC and ICC are not interchangeable in the eyes of European governments but most yacht charter companies with European charter bases will accept either.

(3) The Sailing License and Credentials (SLC): NauticEd (circa. 2008) is a training and certification body recognized by the . . Coast Guard and NASBLA (the boater licensing authority accepted by each individual state . auticEd offers the C which is gained by passing online courses and an on-the-water assessment of competence with a NauticEd Instructor. The SLC is accepted by all yacht charter companies and European port authorities and is additionally written on the official ministry list of acceptable licenses in Croatia.

Check What is Required Prior to bareboat chartering in any country, it is a prudent idea to contact the charter company directly to ascertain what documentation they require for bareboat chartering in their country. You will be told you need a sailing resume, or a sailing license (or both). If you’re told

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4/25/22 8:55 AM

The Latest Industry News & Gossip you’ll need a sailing resume, prepare one for yourself and your first mate detailing your past history of sailing experience and any certifications or licenses you hold.

Most of the major charter companies like Dream Yacht, Navigare, Moorings, and Sunsail have an online form you can complete or copy to create your own resume. If the charter company requires a license and you don’t have one, you’ll be denied the ability to bareboat. In that case, you can either try to obtain a license prior to chartering or you might even consider different countries that may be less restrictive.

A . . Coast Guard ( CG six-pack or master license is unfortunately not accepted as a valid license in Europe because there is no practical on-the-water assessment associated with its issuance. This is despite the fact that everyone who sits for the CG six-pack exam must provide a sworn statement of days of on-water experience. I hold a CG 1 -ton ticket but once I did the extra work to obtain a license, I’ve never had any issues with acceptance.

Skills and Experience Without practical on-water experience, chartering is still challenging no matter what your stamp of approval may be. This is why all yacht charter companies require at least a resume of experience in addition to any certification or licensure they may also require. And rightly so. New boaters present a higher risk for insurance companies - and us, who may be quietly anchored nearby.

Skills you should perfect with actual practice before considering chartering include docking, anchoring, mooring (including Mediterranean mooring), heavy weather sailing, knot tying and understanding mechanical, electrical maintenance and emergency issues. Practice, practice, practice and then repeat. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience so get your certification but make sure your skills match the paperwork. Sailing 30 footers on weekend afternoons in 12-knots of breeze is nothing like managing a 4 -foot cat in 2 -knot trade winds for a week or a -knot Mistral wind seemingly coming from nowhere. Competence comes from knowledge, skills, and lots of experience.

Check the Sources Check with your charter company or yacht charter agent before you book a bareboat charter to understand the exact requirements. Some countries have some additional requirements (for example, Croatia requires a VHF license). Then check RYA.org.uk, ASA. com, ussailing.org, or NauticEd.org for the best way to gain a license that suits your needs. Don’t wing it or you can lose a lot of money and time if you’re denied a boat upon arrival or are forced to hire a captain at the last minute. Don’t leave this issue until a week before departure because it takes time and money to get the proper credentials. Make it easier on yourself ahead of time so that, by all means, you can enjoy the sailing when you get to your destination.

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Latitudes & Attitudes 103 4/25/22 8:55 AM

Sailing Outside The BVI’s

By Capt Shane McClellan

The British Virgin Islands is the “charter capital of the world” for good reason with almost every island having a nice anchorage, a beach bar/restaurant to entertain you, and mooring balls available for your convenience. With that said, if you want to have solitude and quiet anchorages to enjoy the natural side of the Caribbean, then the BVI is not necessarily your best choice.

Having run charters in the Virgin Islands and the Eastern Caribbean for over 10 years, I have come up with several alternative Caribbean locations for the different things people are looking for, and these locations will be way less crowded than the BVI. Check them out!

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BEACHES Who doesn’t like a great beach? The BVI has some amazing ones from White Bay with the Soggy Dollar Bar to the island of Anegada, but have you considered…

Shoal Bay, Anguilla – This is one of those lesser known beaches that somehow only the rich and famous are in the know and escape to. Really though, the entire island of Anguilla is one great beach after another with 33 different ones in total.

Philipsburg, St Maarten – How lucky do the Dutch have it to have the capital of their half of the island sitting on a mile long beach? The advantage of this is that when you need a break from the gorgeous beach, lots of water toys, and the multitude of beach W W W . L AT S A T T S . C O M

4/22/22 8:03 AM

bars, you can simply retire one street over and do some high end shopping.

Grand Anse, Grenada – This two-mile long white sand beach is lapped at by the sheltered turquoise Caribbean water. Throw in some palm trees and it is just about as postcard perfect as you can get, which is why most of the high end resorts have chosen this location.

SNORKELING This is the reason so many of us come down to the Caribbean. We want to swim in the crystal-clear water and see all the amazing sea life up close and personal. From the colors to the variety, you never get tired of the coral or fish. In the I, the Indians archipelago, Dog Islands, and the wreck of the SMS Rhone are some of the favorites, but sometimes these are so crowded with people you get kicked in the face more than you see fish. Instead, consider Tobago Cays, Grenadines – This reef protected pocket of paradise is full of turtles—I saw 12 in a 10foot area once rays, and fish plus snorkeling the reef is a highlight. I mean, if it was good enough for Captain Jack parrow to film here, then it must be good enough for us to snorkel.

Underwater Sculpture Garden, Grenada – A couple miles away from St. George’s is a bay with a dozen or more sculptures that have been placed on the sea floor in 1 -2 feet of water.

Buccoo Reef, Tobago – This circular reef system consists of five reef flats, is almost three square miles in size, and was rated as the third most spectacular reef in the world by none other than Jacques Cousteau.

ADVENTURE Okay, I will admit that the Baths are the #1 site in the entire Virgin Islands and they prove to be amazing when you explore the nooks and crannies between the rocks. The problem is that when the cruise ships start ferrying guests over there, you get to play ‘follow the leader’ through the maze. How about some alternatives for the adventure you seek?

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䈀漀挀愀猀 䐀攀氀 吀漀爀漀Ⰰ 倀愀渀愀洀愀

Full Service Marina  Calypso Cantina www.bocasmarina.com bocasyachtclub@yahoo.com Haul Out Yard  60-Ton Travelift www.bocasboatyard.com bocasyachtservices@yahoo.com

㤀뀀㈀ ᤠ⸀ 㔀ᴠ一Ⰰ 㠀㈀뀀㄀㐀ᤠ⸀㐀㔀ᴠ圀 Latitudes & Attitudes 105 4/22/22 8:03 AM

Maho Beach, St Maarten – Besides this beach being a wonderful place to hang out, grab a cocktail, and even get an aloe vera massage, the adventure is the fact that the end of the airport’s runway is simply two small traffic lanes away. This affords some amazing photos as the planes approach less than 100 feet overhead. Some people even try to hold onto the chain link fence as they get blasted by the wash from the jumbo jets taking off.

Dangerous? Adventurous? Check and check!

Plymouth, Montserrat – Taking a tour down to the former capital of Montserrat is a surreal experience since it is abandoned and buried under 39 feet of mud after the 1 oufri re Hills volcano eruption. It feels like walking around Pompeii and the end of the world at the same time.

Indian River, Dominica – Taking a tour up the Indian River on the north end of Dominica will make you think you have been transported to the Amazon jungle as you spend over an hour slowly gliding up the river with a rainforest canopy overhead. The animal and bird life alone makes this worth it.

HISTORY A large number of my guests love to hear historically-based stories of the different islands we pass by. The BVI has a lot of fun stories, but how can any of them compete with actual World Heritage Sites?

Brimstone Hill Fortress in St Kitts - “The Gibraltar of the Caribbean” is an almost-1000-foot, sheer-sided hill that the British built a massive fort on top of. Today, it is one of the most well preserved fortifications in the Americas.

Nelson’s Dockyards in Antigua – Began in 1728 in English Harbour, these docks and repair facilities became some of the most important British facilities as they serviced almost all the Caribbean fleet and was well situated to protect British Caribbean assets. Today, this WHS is both a working yard and a historic museum.

Bridgetown in Barbados - Historic Bridgetown and its garrison were first established in 1 2 by the ritish and is the only island in the Caribbean to never change colonial hands.

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HIKING While most people do not come down to the Caribbean thinking about hiking, there are some amazing hikes down here.

The Quill, Statia – While nearby Mt Scenery on Saba gets a lot of glory for being up in the clouds, I loved hiking to the top of The Quill even more. This is a dormant volcano that last erupted 1 years ago, but when you reach the rim and look down, you can still see the volcano shape covered in the trees. The best part is when the clouds just spill over the rim.

Morne Trois Piton, Dominica – 27 square miles of precipitous slopes and deeply incised valleys littered with fumaroles, hot springs, freshwater lakes, a boiling lake, and five volcanoes makes this one of the longer, harder, and unique hikes in the Caribbean. Plus, it’s a WHS. The Pitons, St Lucia ide-by-side 2 -foot high spires sit right at the water’s edge, making this one of the most stunning views you can find. The best part is that right next to them is the only drive-in volcano in the Caribbean—and a hot spring mud bath is also possible.

SOLITUDE Given how popular the Is are, it is tough to find much solitude in this island chain. es, you can find an anchorage here and there where you might be the only boat, but I am talking about where you might be the only boat on the whole island!

Sombrero Island miles from Anguilla, out in the middle of nowhere, is Sombrero Island, a mile-long aircraft carrier-looking island that juts up out of the ocean.

You do not want to visit unless it is especially calm, but when you do, all you will find is a bird colony and the remains of three different lighthouses. In order to make it up the 4 -foot cliffs, you have to use a steel ladder attached to the rocks.

Isla Aves – On this tiny little sand spit of an island 12 miles from the nearest land in the middle of the Caribbean ea you will find a grossly oversized W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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When I sailed by, I was able to get within a quarter mile of shore without the depth sounder registering the sea floor.

Just be careful because a friend sailed by a few months back and enezuelan fisherman armed with machine guns tried to board him.

Barbuda While the first two listed were mostly in jest (although I did enjoy visiting them), Barbuda is one of the best kept secrets in the Caribbean. I could have put it in any one of the above categories with its sevenmile long beach, reefs everywhere to snorkel, one of the largest frigate bird colonies in the world, and walking along the “Highlands” to find the sinkhole; I chose to write about it here. That is because the entire week I was there, I did not see another boat. That is solitude!

Are these the only places to find each category in the Eastern Caribbean? Absolutely not. This list is just examples of what you will find when you are sailing outside the Virgin Islands.

------------------------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 it out at www.svGuidingLight.com.

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Rally To The Caribbean

By Offshore Sailing Opportunities Each year, hundreds of boats sail south in the fall from North America to the Caribbean, or west from Europe via the Canary Islands to the same West Indies. While many make the passages on their own, a growing number of boat owners sign up in organized rallies. What is a rally? Like the caravans of old where travelers were tethered by strings of camels traveling between oases, offshore rallies today tether their boats by AIS, email, and satellite trackers.

Many people buy boats to be free to do what they want when they want. Very often weather patterns dictate the best times to depart to popular cruising grounds. How do you convince a bunch of free-spirited people to follow a schedule?

108 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 104-119 Lifestyles.indd 6

ffer discounts and socials to entice registration and then deliver on what you promise.

While all rallies were canceled last year, the summer and fall of 2021 saw a long-enough break in Covid numbers to encourage people to make plans to head south. The NARC Rally (North American Rally to the Caribbean) had twenty-one boats join—seventeen from Newport, RI, and four from the Chesapeake ay with a final destination in utch Sint Maarten. The NARC Rally is the only rally that breaks the passage into two legs. WRI (Weather Router Inc.) provided a departure weather report and recommended Gulf Stream entry and exit waypoints. Without a stop in Bermuda or choosing a route to pass nearby, you are

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sailing SE into Southeasterly trades from the northwest, otherwise known as upwind. The route through Bermuda breaks up the 1 mile passage into two almostequal passages of four to six days. While weather forecasting has gotten much better over the past twenty years, forecasts more than five days old are still pretty unreliable. The North Atlantic in the fall is not a time to be caught out.

The other nuances of the rally concept are balancing the right amount of safety requirements with socials ashore. Negotiate discount dockage and other marine services and you convince people to join. The A C ally chooses ewport and ermuda; the former, one of the premier sailing centers and the latter, a traditional safe harbor of welcome and refuge for centuries. oth harbors offer what sailors want marine services and welcoming hospitality. The NARC Rally delivers with a Surf-n-Turf dinner at Benjamin’s in Newport, one of Latitudes and Attitudes’ recommended harbor haunts. An annual tradition, all skippers and crews get a twenty-percent discount on food the entire stay in Newport, which comes in handy when there is a weather delay. While Bermuda was still under Covid restrictions to small gatherings and testing upon arrival, Covid numbers and hospitalizations were very low, so the rally was able to host the annual Fish Fry at the famous White Horse Tavern in St. Georges.

New this year was a full week of activities in both ermuda and int Maarten for those visiting for the first time and in no rush. While Covid curtailed some events in Bermuda, the full week in Sint Maarten made up for it.

Sint Maarten stopped requiring a Covid test November 8th, just before the rally’s arrival, for fully vaccinated people. The full week of activities—organized by Sacha and Max of www.CaribbeanFoiling.com—included an island bus tour, Topper’s um Tour, an offer to ride the world’s longest “Rainforest Zip Line” and casino bingo.

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Maarten Yacht Club, and dinner at the Soggy Dollar Bar were also included.

With mentors galore to give advice and answer questions in port, the rally offers a sense of community.

While most helpful ashore, sailing south in the fall is serious sailing. Every boat needs to have at least one or more crew who have been offshore before and have the skills and fortitude to make the right decisions. With AIS, there is usually a boat within tangible distance.

Regardless, participants need to understand and accept a certain level of responsibility and not expect rally benefits to include refueling at sea, push button evacuation, or culpability.

That said, this year’s NARC Rally was the easiest on record. Starting in November, bad weather systems start sweeping across the US and out to sea every three or four days. There is very seldom an eight-to-ten-day weather window to make the 1 -mile passage. Plan on at least one storm at sea. The manifesto is to depart with a weather window and get to Bermuda, wait out bad weather in port, and depart when it clears. Good weather at sea meant we were stormed-in for four days in port.

This was the first time in years the fleet qualified for duty-free refueling in ermuda; you need to guarantee enough fuel consumption to have a truck bother to make a delivery to the commercial wharf. In most recent years, there was always wind to sail to the island.

The NARC Rally was started in 2000 when Hank chmitt, who runs the ffshore Passage pportunities ( P crew network, started moving a fleet of wan

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Charter yachts twice a year between the French St. Martin and Newport. Since there were ten Swans departing together, Hank decided to invite other boats to join their departure at the end of hurricane season. The charter company went out of business a long time ago but Hank kept the Swan Program and NARC Rally going.

What once was mostly a group of professionals moving boats from one sailing center to another has morphed into a rally. The goal was to help the amateur sailor sail south in company with a core group of professional skippers who have completed the passage hundreds of times between them. Since the purpose of the rally was never to make money, the rally remains free with a per head fee for socials and meals ashore.

The dates for next year’s rally are all set with Saturday, October 29, as the date to be ready for departure. There is discount dockage in Newport up to a week before departure at the Newport Yachting Center. We will keep the new format of a week full of activities in Bermuda and St. Maarten. This is especially designed for first timers who have not sailed south before and who are in no rush since they are taking the winter off. ut, what if you do not have a boat ou have two options. If you have been offshore before and can be an asset aboard, you can volunteer as a crew in the rally. If you lack sailing connections and sea miles, but think you are ready for some challenging offshore sailing in the North Atlantic, you can apply to the wan ffshore ailing Program. Go to www.SailOPO.com for more information.

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The Boat Psychiatrist

By Tomas Renner

I am Tom Renner, Captain Tom Renner, and I And, it is true that I treat all sorts of boat work for a major boat parts supplier where my unofficial dysfunction, such as over-complication syndrome, title is Boat Psychiatrist. I treat our retail customers bow/stern complex, and many levels of outright boat with loving care because I possess the same or similar psychosis. Basically, I analyze boat dreams in a noncharacter disorders as they, a truth that is commonly Freudian way, because to Sigmund Freud there are NO attributed to all psychiatrists. I fondly refer mistakes and, in boating, everything is a to some of them as my “patients.” Let me mistake. Some patients who come into be perfectly clear, I do not possess a PhD the store are receptive to and respond to of any kind but I am very well suited to this analysis, but many of those are relatively new to boating and have not yet developed title. I have a lifetime of sailing experience, deep seated neuroses. have had good fortune in an earlier I remember a couple who came and career to have a custom yacht built to my were excited to tell me about their new specifications, and have sufficient formal 4 -foot powerboat also their first boat. education to know some about psychology.

During the conversation, I mentioned paper I also have a license to practice philosophy. charts. They retreated warily, stating that Oh, I almost forgot, I have a Master they had a chartplotter and cell phones.

Captain’s license, too, and at one time was Was I trying to sell them stuff they don’t professionally employed as a slave Sigmund Freud need? The boat dealer said none of this! on somebody else’s yacht.

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For the next hour, I taught them how to use charts for dead reckoning, do coastal navigation, and be aware of the benefits of the Eldridge book in case they were without electrical or mechanical power.

They understood and followed all my advice by purchasing charts, a bearing compass, plotting tools, a handheld VHF radio, and an EPIRB. The germ of their first psychosis had been snatched from its cradle and crushed to death.

They came back a month later and thanked me for saving their lives.

Their brand-new boat had experienced power failure in one of the most dangerous areas of the northeast US cruising waters, and they were able to successfully navigate away from the danger.

But not all newbies are aware of their newbiness, and they generally don’t take kindly to psychoanalysis disguised as a gentle, friendly, knowledgeable boat stuff salesman. ne such gentleman came into the store and I greeted him and asked what kind of boat he had. He proudly said he had just purchased a MacGregor 2 . The hair on the back of my neck stood stiff.

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He walked arrogantly away. I knew this was going to be freeboard for this ballastless kite of a boat, and the a challenge. minimum rode necessary to set a GOOD anchor is I once overheard a beautiful woman who sold 1 feet. boats for a living describe the MacGregor 2 as He walks by the anchors. “I know what I am a “Terminal boat.” I asked her why and she said, doing. I have feet ” “ ecause once someone buys a MacGregor 2 , they And so on through the store. I am patient but will soon quit boating forever.” fearful that I will meet him somewhere out on the water From the point of view of a Boat Psychiatrist, and he will crash into my beautiful Hans Christian ketch personality types are very closely and consistently at knots. That is how things work. matched to the boats they own, We finally get to the book kind of like dog people who look section at the end of the store. similar to and behave like their I reach up and pull “Chapman’s “I DON’T NEED THAT! I AM AN dogs. MacGregor 2 ’s are bought ENGINEER AN I KNOW EVERYTHING!” Piloting” from the shelf. I hand new and then immediately traded I looked him dead in the eyes and it to him and begin to offer it as amongst like-minded personalities thrust the book into his hands. a suggestion when he turns to who have an affinity for gadgetry, “IGNORANCE will get you hurt out me and barks, “I DON’T NEED those who want a sailboat but THAT! I AM AN ENGINEER AND I there. ARROGANCE will get you killed.” only one that can do knots and KNOW EVERYTHING!” can run from sea monsters and I looked him dead in the storms in a jiffy. uch a sailboat, with a 1 hp outboard eyes and thrust the book into his hands. “IGNORANCE and liquid ballast, exists only in the MagGregor 2 , will get you hurt out there. ARROGANCE will get except that it does not sail at all and it is the worst you killed.” motorboat on the water. It possesses EVERY BAD He took the book. idiosyncrasy of a motorboat, EVERY BAD idiosyncrasy I never saw him again. Terminal Boat. of a sailboat, and does so in a way that it will do nothing I engage everybody. I am excited because every but murder the desire to ever go boating again. The boat is a dream boat and I want to know their dreams. boat does everything badly. It is a boat because it I am a dreamer, too. I saw a picture of a Hans Christian floats. The owners of such boats Well, it’s like dogs 43 ketch in a magazine and spent 13 years working to and their dog owners possessing similar traits. get one of them custom built for me. I love dreams.

So, I sense danger for this customer who should I once engaged a middle-aged couple who were become a patient as soon as possible. I quickly catch looking in the dinghy section of the store. I know about up to him and engage in non-invasive conversation, dinghies and, nine times out of ten, they are a tender to pointing out all the stuff a larger boat. I asked what kind of boat they had. in the store as we pass.

What they then did was describe to me in When we get to the exquisite detail a -foot sailboat its color, its anchoring section, I ask equipment, its interior and so on—for an hour. What about his anchor. He started out as three people engaged in an exciting says, “I have one.” conversation began to unravel when I could not figure Knowing what I out what kind of boat this know about MacGregor was. A Hinkley? Morris? boat owners, I would A Sparkman and Stevens bet real money that this built where? Nothing came boat has less than 100 to mind. feet of anchor rode, I was in a psychotic sold with the boat to wonderland. Down the him by the previous rabbit hole with two people neurotic short-term who were made for each owner. Anchoring other. I figured all this out depths in most Long when they finally asked Island Sound harbors about the price of a dinghy. are 20 feet or more.

When I got specific about Add five-feet of how big were their davits

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or did the boat have a garage, they looked at me dead on and went blank. A dinghy was beyond their reach.

“Oh, no, we don’t have any boat yet.”

Aah. There is a difference between a dream and a psychotic episode and I had experienced it first-hand.

ow, I am the first one to say that one E E knows who one is talking to, so I approach each person in a very open mindset. After all, I was once a longhaul trucker with a picture of a Hans Christian 43 in the sleeper of my Kenworth. But I kept a dream that was so far off to myself lest I would appear fanciful or mad, and when I did let others know about it, I was president of a good-sized company with a new boat on order.

I saw these “customers” many times again, but never as patients. Their dream never materialized except in reverie. They needed somebody with a real PhD and a prescription pad.

Outside these remarkable exceptions, being a Boat Shrink is a wonderful profession. I get to interact with knowledgeable customers and learn what I do not know. I am painfully aware of what I do not know. While customers like the engineer may have a blissful life of being all-knowing, I embrace the pain of learning.

Once, early in my new role at the supply store and while waiting on a customer, I was concerned that my customer was combining dissimilar metals, but I did not have the correct answer. Another customer nearby in the aisle abruptly cut in and helped. He was a welder who knew all about dissimilar and similar metals and what to do to solve our problem.

So, it goes both ways. He educated me on the contact of dissimilar metals. I wound up solving the welder’s electrical problem by taping out the deck plan of his runabout in the middle of aisle 3, setting up and supplying him with correctly measured wire, terminal blocks, fuses, panel, and everything else he needed to

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rewire his boat. We wound up being reliable resources for each other for years.

A boat is a paradise of dreams, loaded aplenty with vexations and frustrations. A marina is a floating apartment building inhabited by all manner of “experts” eager to lead you down their own rabbit holes chock full of misinformation. Dockside neighbors are always willing to share their latest mistake as a perfect solution to your own problem.

This is the apoleonic Proximity Complex; very difficult to fix. The apoleonic Personality rules the wharf with undeserved self-assuredness and affixes himself to the nearest and latest boat problem.

Good patients often bring this dockside guru into the store to assist in compounding the mistake the guru made for them dockside. One such incident occurred when one of my favorite patients came in with The Guru of the do-it-yourself “yacht club” across the street.

They entered the store and came directly to me.

I was at the counter, and my customer and I exchanged greetings. The man with him stared at me and was not overly friendly. I smiled at him, then asked what I could do for them.

116 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 104-119 Lifestyles.indd 14

My patient explained to me that his boat had been struck by lightning while on the hard at the Boatyard across the harbor.

“Oh, no!” I said. I had sold the previous owner a fully integrated electronics system a year before he bought the boat, so I knew what equipment was aboard.

“Joe here helped me file the insurance claim and helped me through this.”

It became clear that Joe was Napoleon and he was still staring up at me.

My patient then proudly presented me with the $4,000 insurance settlement check.

“Don’t cash it,” I said. “That won’t replace the electronics you had, and please tell me you had the boat surveyed after the strike.”

“I already signed the release and, NO, I DIDN’T GET A SURVEY,” he said, stricken. Realizing the ramifications of what I had said, the color drained from his face. He seemed to stagger at the counter.

Napoleon went batshit nuts.

My patient was near fainting, Napoleon was incensed and yelling at me, defending his handling of the situation and impugning any possibility that I might have any relevant input here. It got loud. The situation left the rails real fast.

As a Boat Psychiatrist, I know that separating the patient from the guru is delicate surgery, and can result in the death of boat dreams.

Eating crow was the best initial tact. “Oh! I am so sorry! I spoke without thinking! Forget what I said. Let’s go over here.”

I took my patient by the arm, steadying him as we walked away from the expensive chartplotters and toward the cheaper stuff. apoleon was right behind. “ et’s go look at a Hawkeye depth finder, then we can go look at some epoxies and fiberglass mat to fix the damage to your hull where the lightning exited.

Naah, you don’t need that radar anymore.”

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By Rudy Socha The derelict and abandoned vessels that litter waterways up and down the East Coast of the United States are not just an eyesore, they are a hazard to shipping, yachts, and recreational boaters.

Usually these derelict/abandoned vessels are sitting along the edge of waterways with some of them submerged and unseen during high tide. The genesis for many of these vessels is that they had come into disrepair and the owner did not want to spend the money to either fix the boat or send it to a landfill.

Instead, they offered the boat up for sale at a very cheap price or as a free “project boat.” Unfortunately, the people that acquire these boats are either felons who could not find a place to rent on land or someone who wanted a boat and could not afford to purchase a working vessel. The new owners acquiring a project boat also could not afford to rent a slip at a marina so they found a place to anchor it. To further compound this problem, most have little or no boating experience and do not know or understand boating or maritime laws and regulations.

Since these problem boats are usually anchored away from marinas, they fall into an unlivable state

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quickly. The batteries die after a month or so and then the bilge pump quits working. This causes water to build up under the floor with each rainstorm. Once it gets above the floor boards, the boat is usually abandoned as soon as the next “project boat” is found. A secondary problem is sewage. The holding tank is usually full by the 3rd week and the occupants do not want anyone near their boat, so even if a free pump out is available, in many cases it does not happen. The occupants of these boats use a bucket during the day and then dump it overboard at night so they are not seen doing so.

These problem boats pose a great danger to everyone, especially during and right after a storm or king tide. This is when these boats move and either drag anchor or float off the shore line and are at the mercy of where the wind, tide, and current will take the vessel.

When a container ship or large yacht hits a 30-foot recreational boat, not much will happen to the larger ship. But if it happens at night and suddenly you have a debris field, an immediate search and investigation is required. An automatic search has to be made in case the boat was occupied at the time of the collision. The investigation is needed to find out which boat was hit, who the owner is, and all of the circumstances involved in the collision. This can tie up a vessel for anywhere from four hours to several weeks and prevent the vessel from leaving the immediate area until the investigation is complete.

Solutions are few. Fiberglass vessels can not be used as artificial reefs. The composition of fiberglass is glass fibers coated with or encapsulated by plastic.

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This material breaks down and will contaminate shellfish in the immediate area over time. The many different compositions of fiberglass also prevents it from being recycled. ome fiberglass boats have solid poured hulls while others have wood hulls with a fiberglass coating both inside and out. The composition of the plastics used in the mix recipes varies between manufacturers.

On saltwater boats older than 30 years, many of the parts are corroded in place and cannot be reused. The boating industry recommends fittings and winches either get rebuilt or replaced after 20 years.

The best solution is to get these boats into landfills and this is a costly and time consuming process. In most states, the process is the same; the last known owner has to be identified and contacted. This requires obtaining the state registration number or hull id number. If the boat is sunk, usually that number cannot be found or read. If the vessel’s owner is found, they are given a short time frame to remove their boat. The problem is that most of these known owners for derelict and abandoned boats do not have the funds to have their boat removed. This also poses a problem for law enforcement since judges will consider this if they write the owner a ticket. Under these circumstances, having the owner surrender their title and ownership rights becomes the best solution.

This results in that vessel becoming a ward of whatever entity they surrender it to, and that entity also assumes all responsibility for that vessel from that point forward.

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United States. The biggest obstacle faced is funding the removal costs. Removing a derelict vessel can cost anywhere from 1, to over 1 , . ased on the volume of abandoned boats we see remaining on the East Coast of the United States, it will take between 1 2 million dollars to remove the rest of the boats. Demographically, most of these boats reside in the southern states from North Carolina, south.

The reason for this is that these are warmer climates which are more suitable for living aboard a boat year round combined with more old boats available as “project” or “free” boats. Furthermore, most of these boats reside in critical wildlife areas. If they were residing on a state’s tourist beach, they would be removed immediately, but based on their location and limited impact on tourism, state and federal funding for removal is extremely limited. That is why so many abandoned boats have resided in place for years.

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Sailing Soulianis I

f you are a boater searching for online video entertainment, it becomes readily and at times frustratingly apparent there are multitudinous YouTube channels devoted to some form of recreational boating. rilling down to a specific genre of interest, say cruising/sailing, there are still literally hundreds of choices. With, of course, a wide range of subjective filmmaking qualities.

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BoatersTube video channel profiles are dedicated to the memory of longtime Latitudes & Attitudes contributor Paul Kortenkamp, author of the first four Virtual Cruising articles. The continuing series is now written by Darren O’Brien, former creator of Latitudes & Attitudes TV. An experienced writer/director/producer in film and video, Darren shares his insight into popular boating channels available on YouTube and other video sharing platforms.

s

Of the previously featured YouTube boating channels in this Virtual Cruising series (see sidebar for a complete list), the majority started out essentially as home movie-level productions without any formal training or education. Over time most of them W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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became really good at it. In some cases, with many hundreds of thousands of subscribers and hundreds of millions of views proof of their entertainment value. But it’s more than just smooth video productions with precise editing and fluid camerawork that

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Virtual Cruising creates these huge fan bases. The story arcs, which can literally be years in the making, is an equal if not even more important part of the equation. irk and auren of ailing oulianis, who’s evolving story (baby on board!) is very entertaining, just happen to be a little unusual in the cruising YouTuber category in that they actually started out in video production. In fact, that’s where their whole life together began.

The couple met in the video production program at Michigan tate niversity. With an instant attraction and a shared interest in documentary work, they graduated in 2008. Originally, while creating a life together, they tried to make their way in the documentary film world. While irk eventually found steady work in web project management, auren ended up employed at a commercial documentary film company.

Even though she was thankful to be employed in her chosen field, she was working on documentaries for a company that had their own agenda. Which, for a creative person craving a deeply personal connection to her work, just wasn’t quite the dream job she envisioned. auren recalls, “I couldn’t see myself working 4 hours a week at something I really didn’t care about.” efore entering the workforce, however, while at M the couple began a love affair with the concept of cruising.

While still in university, auren joined irk on a semester abroad in Australia where they took a weekend sailing trip to the Whitsundays. It was then and there they fell in love with the idea of living on a boat. pon returning to school in Michigan, they began dreaming of ways to combine their passions of videography and sailing. From those ruminative beginnings, it took them a decade to finally launch what started as a two-year sailing plan. auren explained the long prelude. “We had student debt to pay off, we needed to save to buy a boat, and

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S ail ing S o u lia nis

we wanted to figure out how to sustain income once we left the dock.” he then succinctly elaborated why the initial cruising plan was only for two years.

“In short kids.” The couple didn’t want to wait too much longer to start a family, so they decided they would first experience a couple of seasons sailing as just a couple. “We set a goal to go sailing and cruising without kids. ind of like a long honeymoon,” added irk.

The income part of the plan ended up comprising of a few different facets. They invested in rental properties and found work that allowed remote telecommuting. But for those of us who get to enjoy watching their adventures unfold online, the most important piece of the income-while-cruising puzzle was utilizing their education and experience in the creation of their popular YouTube channel, ailing oulianis.

Of course, you can’t really have a successful sailing channel without a sailboat. Much like the protracted time it took to enact their sailing plan, the couple’s search for the right boat took nearly two years. “We researched thousands of sailboats online, saw hundreds in person. We made some crazy decisions, like driving 1 hours through the desert in Mexico to see a catamaran and moving from an

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Virtual Cruising Diego to the Midwest in the dead of winter to get the right boat in the right cruising grounds.” That right boat turned out to be a parkman and tephens designed Tartan built in 1 . he is a “classic plastic” sloop rigged vessel with a shoal draft and centerboard, which was a prerequisite for cruising the Bahamas and traversing the Intra Coastal Waterway. Fully loaded with the board up, her draft is about 4-feet 6-inches. “We can get in closer than deep draft boats,” irk says with a smile. “We’d drop anchor near the catamarans and look back and see all the other monohulls anchored way out in deep water.” irk and auren named her oulianis, a reference to a star in the book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. “The twin stars of oulianis and Rahm lie in the mysteriously-located Horsehead ebula, which the characters of the book only arrive at with the help of the Infinite Improbability rive,” explained auren. “As it seemed like an infinite improbability we found this particular gem of a

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S ail ing S o u lia nis boat, naming her oulianis seemed pretty apt.” erdy sci-fi humor fans familiar with the intergalactic way will appreciate they also named the dingy Rahm.

Classic sci-fi references aside, another thing that sets irk and auren apart from the average boating YouTuber is their videos started out extremely well crafted. Their education and production experience is immediately evident from the very first episodes, with smoothly developed visuals and story lines that feel effortlessly put together. They do a very good job of capturing and integrating beautiful “b-roll” footage, which is typically overlayed when they are talking on camera for otherwise extended periods of time. auren, who does the bulk of the editing, is also very adept choosing and interweaving just the right choice of music. And when it comes to being on camera and directly addressing the audience, they are both quite engaging.

“We didn’t set out to be celebrities,” irk recalls. As auren felt they needed to be in front of the camera to establish that personal connection with the viewer, she

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Virtual Cruising had to do a little convincing of her husband. “I was very resistant in the beginning, because I wanted it to be more about the boat. auren insisted on showing our personalities.”

Fans of their channel will heartily agree that was the right choice. Individually, irk and auren will alternate being on camera, often lending their unique perspective to a given circumstance. Each has a very thoughtful, easy-to-watch persona with a completely natural, unscripted delivery. And they both possess a great sense of humor.

But it’s when they are on camera together and playing off each other that they really shine, often cracking each other up. They are a very cute and endearing married couple that seem to get along really well (case in point with the title of episode #85, “Teamwork Makes the Dream

Work” . After watching a few episodes, you find yourself smiling with and rooting for this intrepid husband and wife team as they tackle adventure after adventure. And, as you’ll see in many episodes, boat project after boat project!

But arguably, the most important project they ever collaborated on is their beautiful baby daughter, Renata, who has given their videos a whole new level of contagious enthusiasm. Although irk admits, “We’re trying not to make it be the baby channel ” As new parents, they’re also quite cognizant about featuring Renata on camera, as at this point in her little life she has no say in it. Her mother says, “We want to do her justice. We don’t want her being embarrassed with what we did when she’s 12.” All part of the longterm plan, their first child represents the next step after the cruising-asa-couple beginning. “We planned this middle section to have a baby

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S ail ing S o ul ian is and take some time off,” auren explained. “Then maybe consider a more appropriate, larger vessel for future long-distance cruising.”

With more than 1 videos uploaded to their ouTube channel, new viewers will have to make that choice of watching from the beginning or starting with later, more current episodes. I can confidently recommend the former, as not only are the videos very well done from the get-go, but their ever-expanding narrative is also highly entertaining. As well, you get an interesting variety of subject matter and locations from sailing the underrated Great akes to motoring sans mast down to the Gulf of Mexico via the Illinois, hio, and Tennessee ivers, the Tenn-Tom waterway, and of course some anxiety-inducing time on the mighty Mississippi (“Barge after barge after barge…”) Eventually, Florida and the Bahamas become the reward. And, as mentioned, you will also see a lot of boat work and upgrades to oulianis as they valiantly try to DIY everything.

The most watched video on their channel is episode 22, “How Much does a luewater ailboat Cost ” with more than a half million views. auren says, “A lot of people who watch our channel want to buy a boat and go sailing too, and how much the boat costs is one of the first questions that comes to mind when you start dreaming about the cruising life.” ut if they had to pick a personal favorite, it would probably be episode 2, “Captain’s og Crossing the Gulf tream.” auren explains, “It’s quite different from most of our other episodes. It’s funny, the amount of footage I had to work with for this one was next to nothing, because a big portion of it was missing audio and was completely unusable. ut, I ended up working this into the story, we got creative with the audio mix, and I think we conveyed quite well what sailing actually sounds like, and consequently how it can make you feel.”

Knowing full well they and so many other vloggers are inspiring would-be cruisers around the world, irk wanted to add a little bit about the perceptions of cruising. “There’s a slight misconception that cruising is an all-or-nothing endeavor: that you have to get rid of everything, sail off and never come back. ut there’s a lot of value in a middle path. espite what it looks like on ouTube, you don’t have to sell off everything to enjoy the cruising lifestyle.”

While irk and auren don’t make cruising, working, and parenting look super easy, it is super easy and imminently enjoyable to watch them do it. They certainly make it all look more than worthwhile, too. It is a lifestyle choice, after all. And within that, there are even more choices and no one-size-fits-all approach, whether your dream is to fully ditch society and the rat race altogether or just find an infinitely rewarding way to cruise and work. In either regard, ailing oulianis should be on your viewing list.

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A

s a very simple sailor, I’m quite superstitious.

Never go to sea on the thirteenth (especially if it was a Friday) on any long ocean passage and I believe that certain ports have it in for you.

At Hartlepool, they hung a monkey during the Napoleonic wars between Britain and France. (They called him ‘Hangus’!) This is not a place on many sailors’ best port lists; but it’s an interesting industrial small town with a family museum of an original Napoleonic war naval Frigate—which is wonderful.

Getting The Mo

Though I’ve only taken a boat into Hartlepool twice, this place feels like one of those I’d better not try for a third time. The first was when I arrived with a load of kids in a North Sea nasty north-easterly blow coming down from Lindisfarne with a French Pilot cutter called ‘Jolie Brise.’ She’s a lovely 55 ton gaff-rigged craft but getting her large mainsail down without injuring eighteen-year-old school leavers from Dauntsey’s tickled my brain slightly. This sail weighs a few tons when it’s wet.

The wind moved onshore, now blowing a yachtsman’s gale. It was dark, too. I was only onboard because the person they’d employed to skipper her at this school hadn’t yet passed his skipper’s qualifications. Making sure the boat didn’t wreck with careful pilotage and not hurting any kids by getting a lee to drop this mainsail safely were the two major things on my mind. I’d probably hung onto a full mainsail for far too long, but we’d rattled down here well.

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Monkey Off Your Back

By John Simpson

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Getting The Monkey Off Your Back There are two harbours for yachts in Hartlepool, but at low tide and with blowing on shore, the commercial port was the only option. It was well lit and buoyed. Careful, advanced organization and a good crew brief are more important on larger craft with the weight of the gear.

After delegating and choosing each team, I sent her next potential skipper up to organize getting the sail down with some of the young trusted big lads. We had the leavers school first rugby fifteen and their ladies onboard… seriously fit people.

Once into the harbour entrance, it proved to be much easier than anticipated. Though, this channel wouldn’t have been possible without the lump working (her diesel engine). Once into the Merchant pool, it was flat calm and we dropped everything easily. Then moored up against some rubber tires.

It was not, perhaps, the prettiest way with some of the UK’s most interesting old gems but needs must. Nobody got hurt, apart from her potential new skipper’s pride by being sent forward to her mast, but he’d done a good job.

Twenty years later, not having visited this town in between, I was helping a good pal get his 43ft. yacht from the Hamble to the Arisaig from the North Sea via the Cally canal. Our entrance was nowhere near as dramatic.

We locked into the marina with no worries. Sure, we’d had another northerly gale, but not NE. We also arrived in daylight; we’d had good lee from the land.

Our problems only started when the engine morse handle dropped off in my hand immediately after exiting

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the sea-loch. There were only two of us onboard and neither ‘spring chickens’ anymore. Hoisting or even unfurling any sail didn’t feel like the right option. To cut a long story short, we were blown south down this marina. ending off almost totally out of control until we ended up at the bottom on the Basin wall, just underneath some new high-rise apartments with a few strange looks from local folks walking their dogs.

Luckily, a young live-aboard shipwright had seen our plight.

He launched his flubber and towed us upwind into a proper berth. This took a while as his M hadn’t been used for a while and kept cutting out. He wouldn’t even take a drink or any reward because he was working early the next day.

The people of this town are friendly, generous folks.

Though, they did hang a French monkey many years before!

He’s now the symbol of their local Football League Club…

My friend and I left his yacht there for a week while we went back home to Scotland. After returning, I took a few pictures of many tatty old yachts that had been abandoned by owners’ dreams probably due to a lack of money. Whilst Clive was trying to get over his latest bout of chemo, we’d almost finished fixing the aft bog and I took a quick walk to see what it was like offshore. It was blowing northwesterly quite strong, much to my dismay but we’d have a slight lee to work with to head further north towards god’s own.

There is a tiny third, last strand to this yarn.

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orth ea ebb tide and finishing working on that toilet.

The marina staff warned us that outside their loch channel had siltted up; we’d be stuck on the mud outside. They didn’t know our secret weapon was a

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clever French Yacht with a lifting keel and rudder. We slithered easily down the mud bank into deeper water, then set sail. I felt as if I’d got that Hangus monkey off my own back…

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Finding The Best Life Jacket

By Bruce Brown

I have been saying for years that the best lifejacket you could own is the one you will wear.

Not the one that matches the boat trim colors, not the one the brings out the blue in your eyes and not the one you see the hot shots wearing.

So what might make the choice easier?

I would coach you, as a boater to first consider what you are doing most of the time when you are on the water?

Are you standing, in that stylish pose, holding a backstay and allowing the breeze to toss your hair?

Are you in the bilges, bailing to keep the boat afloat? (If so, perhaps this piece is more important than for others!)

Are you sitting at the helm, or in the cockpit enjoying the day on the water? (Hopefully, this is a better representation than the first two!)

Since we spend most of our time on the water sitting, we should try on different life jacket types, to see how they “feel”.

You may find that different life jackets fit different body types. Some fit people with shorter torsos.

Some are longer in the torso.

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ome will be “dual sized” ( -M to allow more people to fit a single vest. ome may be individually sized. These may for closer to your body type. Some will be “universal” sized to adjust to a wide range of people.

The important thing about sizes is to find one that fits you!

Can they be adjusted so you can’t lift the vest shoulders above your ears? It you can. It is too large.

Can you close all the buckled/zippers to close the vest fully on your torso? It not, it is too small!

What you should seek is the Goldilocks fit - Just Right!

Once you locate a vest that is the correct size, find a chair and sit down.

Does the vest pop up and hit your chin? How about movement? Did the vest shift up because the bottom hits your legs once you are seated? Then it is too long in the torso.

The best fitting life jackets should be adjustable as you layer up and down as the temperature changes.

The best fitting life jackets will hug your torso and not shift when you sit, and will stay out when someome tries to lift it at the shoulders. (It should not rise above your ears.)

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or hand warming pockets? (Remember your life jacket goes on top of your top layer!)

Do you want reflective tape or material on the outer shell, or would you rather be stealth?

Would a soft collar make a difference?

Take time to stroll through the lifejacket aisle in your favorite marine hardware store and check out the different types you will see.

Consider the features of each.

Try them on and spend some time sitting down! Then, make boating safer and wear it when you are afloat. ee you on the water, and “ e afe ut There”.

You might consider picking a lifejacket that performs well for the type of boating you enjoy.

Some life jackets are designed for kayakers.

They may have a high back to allow a kayaker to be more comfortable when a seat has a high backrest.

Some life jackets are designed for fishing with specific pockets for flies and tools.

Some life jackets have integral safety harnesses for offshore sailing.

Are pockets in a life jacket a feature you think is importanf? Storage pockets (for your bitcoin bank)

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A Hidden 134 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 134-137 RCR Marina's 50th.indd 2

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For those cruisers passing through uffalo, either on the Great Loop or just out and about I’d like to tell you about quite the diamond in the rust-belt rough you may not know about. As we celebrate our -year anniversary in 2 22 it would be nice to say the C achts of today is the result of some grand plan back in 1 2. However, such is not the case, we were simply enjoying what we were doing back then, and the fact we are still doing it today is the result of hard work, wonderful team members and of course loyal customers and some luck along the way.

50

By Don Finkle

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ur story really began back in 1 1, when the owners of our predecessor company decided they wanted to scale back. oungstown ( oat Company was owned by eek and Margaret airbank and they wished to retain their hips’ tore but sell the others parts of the business, a boatyard and boat sales operation, to their longtime head man, obert C. “ ob” eese. At the time I had just started working at C and ob told me he planned to buy the company and wanted me to come along. o arm twisting was required as I am from a sailing family and was infatuated with boats.

We needed a name for the new enterprise, and after some failed attempts at incorporating in tate under names with “sailing” in them our attorney told ob “just use your initials” and that is how we became to be C achts. While we were disappointed at first it has proven a blessing as C is unique in an industry full of sailing-this and sailing-that. ight from the beginning our business stool had three legs boatyard (mooring and winter storage , service and maintenance, and boat sales. We continue that combination today, and over the years it has proven to be a huge part of our success, and in fact survival when so many

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A Hidden Gem Turns 50

others have come and gone. ver the first half of our existence our motto was “Exclusively ail”, and we were important dealers for C C achts, Hinterhoeller, Pearson and J oats, among others. eing young and a bit impetuous we experimented with other brands here and there, often because we, being racers, wanted to sail the boats ourselves. We should add that being avid campaigners of the boats we sold certainly helped us in many ways. ur customers got to see that we were invested in the sport like they were, it showed that we had reasonable sailing ability, and it promoted the brands. ur first major construction project was the marina in uffalo that we built from scratch and is today our main operation. The second was another marina in Henderson Harbor, , where we had a charter base and sailing school. ob eese was responsible for designing and overseeing construction of both locations.

We eventually sold the Henderson Harbor marina after we got out of the charter/school business. In addition to owner properties we ran the uffalo mall oat Harbor for the iagara rontier Transportation Authority for four years, and for one year the Erie asin Marina for the City of uffalo. ver the years most of our brands disappeared like most of the industry, so we picked up new ones in their place. We sell J/ oats as one of their original dealers and also eneteau ceanis irst, eneteau Antares lyers, and ack Cove express motor yachts.

These brands are each highly sought-after.

We could write a book on all the changes that have taken place over the years, far too much for this article. However, some deserve special mention.

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thePyrate s th oughly 2 years ago a couple, good customers, said they wanted to buy a Trawler, but only from us. We realized that in most ways a boat is a boat, and it was time to ditch “Exclusively ail” and join the powerboat world. till sailboat remaining as specialists, we gradually began to deal in what we call “sailors’ powerboats”, i.e. owneast tyle, Trawlers, Picnic boats, etc. ver time we expanded to a broader spectrum of powerboat sales.

Another significant change for us was becoming a serious brokerage house to go along with our new boat sales. We were an early adopter of computers at that time.

Changes in the way families operated led us to realize that free time was becoming more limited, hence we needed to move closer to our customers. We therefore opened another marina in owntown uffalo, and sales offices in ochester, , odus Point, , Erie, PA, and then andusky, hio. We still have our home office in oungstown, and we still provide marine services to the oungstown acht Club as we have from the start. ur latest physical addition is a heated indoor showroom and storage building in our uffalo marina. eing able to commission and service the boats we sell in our own yards gives us an advantage. The boatyards are just as important to us today as they were in the beginning. etween the two yards we store about boats in the winter, provide 1 wet slips in uffalo and typically between - moorings on the ower iagara iver. ur service teams continue to expand their capabilities. ur staff totals roughly 4 people consisting of full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, in service, sales and admin. We owe so much to their dedication, competence, and the cheerful way they interact with our customers and suppliers. There will come a time when ob and I are no longer with C due to age, but it is our expectation that C will continue to provide service to the boating community for many years to come. ext time you’re in the area please stop by, say hello and maybe you might just find an unexpected gem.

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Latitudes & Attitudes 137 4/22/22 4:39 PM

LIFE ABOARD Editor Robin Stout

The How’s And Why’s Like most readers, my husband and I have both been dreaming of sailing a cruising boat as a way to travel and explore different cultures. We both love traveling and we love boats. avid, years old, grew up sailing, and for the last 2 years has been racing - 2’ boats in the an rancisco ay Area, including two Pacific Cup races and five return deliveries. I am 4, and started sailing in Austin on ake Travis in 2 when I bought my first boat, a Catalina 22 (which was quickly upgraded to a Catalina 2 .

I learned a lot about sailing in those early years from sailing with people better than me. ften mid-week, I’d want to go sailing and I’d have to single-hand my boat. uring my time in Austin, my friend, en, finished a solo circumnavigation, and he was the talk of the town!

I attended a few of his talks and his photos amazed me; photos of different cultures, animals, beautiful water.

Here was a guy who was living his life on his terms and exploring the world. I started wanting to do the same thing without fully understanding what it was I wanted.

I had owned my own web development business since 1 , and I’d already proved that it didn’t matter where I lived, that my work would follow me, because I had moved to Austin in 2 2. I thought someday I’d go cruising, and I could work from the boat. I didn’t know how I was going to do this, but I figured it would work its way out eventually.

I moved back to the an rancisco ay Area in 2 when I realized in order to fulfill “the dream” I was

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going to have to be somewhere that I could sail into the ocean. Initially I was a member of ailtime, which allowed me to learn how to sail - ’ boats in the windy bay, getting used to tides, currents, big wind, dodging commercial traffic, and honing my right-of-way skills. I’m thankful to all the sailors that were better than me, those on Lake Travis as well as the Bay Area, that helped me become a much better sailor and get prepared for this life we’ve chosen to live.

In 2 1 , I met my husband, avid Parker. ne of the things we had in common was a long interest in going cruising. He had a ’ Islander reeport at the time “Prudence” (or ld Pru and she was a project boat.

Being a Bob Perry design, she had great lines and a great layout, but she needed a lot of work. The first three years of our relationship, we spent a lot of time together working on the boat, working on the engine and fuel system, replacing deck hardware, and just general boat upkeep.

We also sailed this boat a lot. uring these years, I learned a lot about sailing on the bay and learned what didn’t work on a boat for me. This boat had the engine under the floorboards in the salon, making it very difficult to work on. avid spent a lot of time face down on the floor and it was impossible to get to the underside of the engine without pulling it out of the floor.

In 2 1 , we cruised the Maine coast on a abre .

We fell in love with abres during that trip the beauty of the workmanship, the boat felt solid, American made in

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ew England, and it sailed like a dream.

When we returned from that trip, we went back to work on Prudence after having discovered where the latest leak was coming from. When that leak fix turned into a major project, I suggested to avid that we buy a abre and call it a loss on this project boat. es, we had put a tremendous amount of time and money into fixing this boat up, but I was tired of chasing these problems and knew that a newer boat would give us less struggle. We found our abre “Prudence” (or ew Pru in eattle and had her shipped down to the ay Area.

This boat was a huge upgrade. The engine was under the stairway and accessible. he didn’t leak. he wanted new deck hardware and running rigging and a new electronics package, but in reality she didn’t need anything. We went to work on her also, replacing all the deck hardware (including winches , all the running rigging, lifelines, all electronics, all lights, and were finally able to stay on a boat that we owned; we had never managed to stay on Old Pru at all. We spent many fun weekends over at Angel Island as “cruisers” using our dinghy to play around, visit other friends on boats, and take the dog onto shore. or a while, we even thought we would use this boat to go cruising. lash forward to 2 2 and Covid, and like so many others, our lives changed. or a while we couldn’t do much of anything but sail, so we sailed without a crew. y August of that year, it was clear avid’s job wasn’t going to come back anytime soon; we were living in a small condo and both of us were home full-time; I was also working from there during the day. We decided to sell the condo and move to Port Townsend, allowing avid to achieve a lifelong dream of going to a boatbuilding school. He attended the Marine ystems program at the orthwest chool of Wooden oatbuilding, which added to his already large arsenal of boat skills. We left Prudence in the Bay Area and assumed, at the time, that we would ship her to the Pacific orthwest. After arriving there, it became clear that we were going to have a hard time finding a slip for our boat, so we decided to sell her. We were boatless for four months, then the itch started again…

The day we sold our , we ended up with a 42’ slip, so we decided to start looking for a boat up to 42’, beginning the search by trying to find another abre in the Pacific orthwest. There weren’t a lot of abres on the market at any given time, especially on the west coast as they are an

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east coast boat. We looked at a abre 42 that we nixed when we realized it was just a larger version of our abre . We looked at a abre 2, and it was also not enough change from what we had (definitely newer, but still similar size . We did branch out beyond abres and looked at a ceptre 41 (perfect for P W sailing , and even briefly considered our friend’s Aleutian 1 (but it was in Antigua .

We looked at all the boats that John Kretschmer recommended.

Nothing was striking us, and that’s when we decided to sit down and write out what we wanted in a boat. At the time I don’t recall making priorities for our cruising boat, but that’s what we were doing.

1. Must have an engine accessible from all sides.

2. Must have a shower stall separate from a head. . Must have two cabins large enough for us and our friends to go with us (and some of our friends aren’t on the small side .

4. Must have a swim step so getting off the dinghy is easier. . Must sail fast. . hould be a boat from the last 2 years.

With these priorities, our budget went up And then up again, and up a bit more. ur friend and bestabre-broker-in-America, Allison, called and said, “Have you considered a abre 4 2 ” Well, it certainly hit all the priorities, but the last time I looked at 4 2s the price was way out of our budget. I had seen the Jim Taylor designed 4 2 five years prior and I loved the layout. The engine is mid-ship under the galley and the galley wraps around into the center of the boat. It’s big enough for two people to work in it, and it splits the salon up so it looks like there are actual rooms in the boat. The 4 2 actually hit all the priorities and then some.

We put an offer on a lower-priced 4 2 in outh Carolina, knowing that we could fix any issues that it might have. However, when it failed survey on an electrolysis issue, that felt like it was more than we wanted to deal with. After we went into contract on that boat, a 4 2 in the ay Area dropped in price. I had Allison call on that boat, and like everything during Covid, the vultures were circling and it was looking like that boat would sell soon. We made

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an offer on that boat, sight unseen, while we were in outh Carolina with a clause in the contract that allowed us to back out if the boat didn’t meet our inspection. The offer was accepted, and we were now in contract on a boat that looked far nicer and better taken care of than the one that failed. Within days, the 4 2 in the ay Area belonged to us, and we delivered her to ichmond acht Club with the same crew that delivered Old Pru back in the day. We had a renaming ceremony a few weeks later.

“Prudence” (or Pru u u was finally who she was always meant to be, and we finally owned a solid, stable cruising boat.

The only problem was that we were still living in Port Townsend, Washington.

The night we took possession of PruNuNu and moved her to our club, we were glowing from having survived one of the best days in a boat owner’s life. We realized we now had a cruising boat. All it took was the question “Hey, avid, we have a cruising boat now, why don’t we come back to the Bay Area, move aboard, and go cruising in a couple of years We’re not getting younger, and I can keep working from the boat for a while.” I don’t think it took five minutes for the agreement to take place, and by the next morning we were already putting all the pieces together for our return to the ay Area. The only issue we had was that we didn’t have liveaboard status, and we had no place to live. ut, small problems really.

Upon our return to Port Townsend, we started thinking about how we were going to pull this off. We were living in a 2 sq ft large ictorian, and we had plenty of stuff. I started with the guest room, listing stuff on acebook Marketplace at a cut rate just to get it gone. We did save some of our nicer furniture, and we put that into one -Haul torage Pod that is still in Port Townsend. We decided that, since we were choosing to be vagabonds and didn’t know for how long we were going to be living like this or where we were going to end up, that we would just ship our stuff wherever we end up. Why didn’t we just sell it all We sold a lot of it. We just couldn’t yet We’re stepping off a cliff and don’t know how this is going to turn out. nce we made the decision to downsize, it seemed to just flow. The biggest issue to downsize was clothes and shoes. n our boat, we both have a large drawer, a small part of a hanging locker, and a bunch of baskets to store stuff. or the most part, we’ve

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gotten rid of almost all of our clothes and have a full season change of clothes that will fit under the berth on the boat.

We returned to the ay Area on ovember 1, 2021, four months after we decided we were going to go cruising, and moved right onto the boat. The first few weeks oscillated between feeling idyllic (“we’d finally made it” and feeling terrified (“we’re homeless vagabonds” . I had to come to terms with the fact that I’d spent my entire adult life working to put a roof over my head and now I did not have a roof. I’m an organizational fool, so not having everything in its place has been a challenge also. I love living on the water and I’ve grown accustomed to living in our small space (thankfully it’s a beautiful small space . A couple of months ago, I told avid that “we used to live with our furniture and now we live in our furniture.” (If you’ve seen the interior of a abre, you know what I’m talking about.

Prudence is an outstanding boat, and more than I ever dreamed of. I can work comfortably on my laptop at the nav station. I have a erizon Mi i for G signal, which works great for all my database and programming tasks as well as streaming movies at night when we are hanging out. We are living in the ay Area for under 1 /month (quite a bit less than that actually in a beautiful area with a water view. ur West Highland White Terrier, Ernie, has also taken to this boat well. He runs around the deck, spends his time on the bow watching the world go by.

It’s afforded Ernie a lot more freedom than he had in our house since we never had a backyard.

We have a lot of larger upgrades to make to this boat, including the battery system, electronics, standing rigging, and a new rudder. Everything else is fine. And that acronym AT “ ust ut Another Thousand” has become “ ust ut Another Ten Thousand.” They weren’t kidding when they said the bigger the boat, the bigger the cost.

We’re both very well aware that many cruisers never leave the dock. They don’t have a deadline, or the boat will never be quite ready. We’ve decided that we will be doing the Pacific Cup 2 24 race on our boat, and we’ll deliver it back up to the Pacific orthwest to spend time in some of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the nited tates. After a round trip to Alaska and back the following season, we’ll start to head south, hopping down the coast and staying a few months at a time.

We’d like to go through the Panama Canal, and head to the Caribbean. rom there, we’ll make our way back up toward New England and either sell Prudence there or cross the Atlantic. ur ultimate goal is to settle in Europe after this phase of our lives.

Being vagabonds, I can say now that this is all subject to change.

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Latitudes & Attitudes 141 4/22/22 4:53 PM

Book Review

By Capt. J im Cash

S.A.I.L. ABOVE THE CLOUDS How to SIMPLIFY your life

By Carole D. Fontaine

When I first received this book and quickly saw it how the novice couple finds a small sailboat and gradually seemed to be a self-help book, my first thought was that gains confidence while learning to sail. They wanted to this did not fit our usual review genre. After scanning a few become sailors, so their choice, a 25-foot MacGregor, was chapters, I found that this was also a true-life story about appropriately named Wannabe. We can all relate a couple that made the decision to dramatically to the stories about those early adventures, the change their lives by buying, then mistakes and misjudgments, even the angry moving aboard, a sailboat. In addition, shouts of “I’M SELLING THIS DAMN BOAT!” before making the decision to live-abut, unlike many novice sailors, Carole claims board, they were in the biker scene, they were instantly hooked. having ridden their Harley-Davidson “We were in love with boating,” Carole motorcycle down to Florida from eastern explains and soon she agreed to Eric’s idea of Canada. Bikers to boaters, why does buying a larger sailboat and living on it. The that sound familiar? So as a tribute to boat search was on, and the downsizing our “Editor Emeritus,” the existential Biker began. The Harleys, the MacGregor, and to Boater himself, Bob Bitchin, we review their van were on the market, and as luck S.A.I.L ABOVE THE CLOUDS. would have it, they saw an ad which read As you might imagine, S.A.I.L. is an “1982 41 Morgan OutIslander sailboat acronym. S for Simplify, A for Align, I for looking to trade for small sailboat with Integrate, and L for Let Go, and this is the first of trailer and van.” a four-book series covering the first letter in the They had been living in a series, Simplify Your Life. Initially there are several three-bedroom home with a pool and now they sections explaining how to read and understand the would have to downsize. How small of a space do you self-help intentions of the book. Its author, Carole, says think you need to live and be happy? At the time, they were “If you want to sail above the clouds, you must first in their late 20s and early 30s, the age when doing away let go of the anchor that weighs you down.” There is a with the “toys” of life is particularly difficult. Stuff represents “disclaimer” identifying stature, security, success, Carole as a Life Coach, and accomplishment. explaining that her tips Carole offered that As you might imagine S.A.I.L. is an are offered as tools for unencumbered by stuff, a healthier life, but also acronym. S for Simplify, A for Align, they were free to explore, suggests that you see a free to roam, with more I for Integrate, and L for Let Go, and time to enjoy life and each healthcare professional should you feel the need. other’s company, and this is the first of a four-book series From a sailing that it was the best tradecovering the first letter in the series, off she’d ever made. perspective, the story begins over 20 years As part of the self-help Simplify Your Life. earlier as Carole and portion of each chapter, her husband, Eric, were here her “action step” is sitting on a Florida beach “get rid of clutter” and one evening, still hung she shares her thoughts over from the night before after a particularly good party, that an unhealthy attachment to material things will lead to watching the sunset and contemplating their lives and what unhappiness. As they settle into the live-a-board life, soon the future would bring. They had emigrated from Canada to they are ready to venture out and the writer is sharing their Florida a few years before and were caught up in the South first off-shore excursion as they prepare to hit the open Florida biker scene, as Eric was working at a local Harley ocean. Carole’s thoughts are mixed; it is a strange feeling, dealership. Eric saw a sailboat on the horizon. “We could at the same time both exhilarating and petrifying. get a boat,” he offered. We are then treated to the story of

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Their first ocean adventure is crossing over to the Bahamas, and they choose to do it with a night sail.

‘Windsong’ opened our eyes to the possibility of living our lives on a much larger scale… the first time I broke free of the box that had defined my life. (Living the dream, isn’t that what us sailors strive for?)

A big part of the cruising and “live-a-board” lifestyle are the stories told and activities witnessed on the docks and at anchorages. Carole found them “freaking hilarious” and one day Eric suggested starting a magazine and publishing all those stories. That is how their magazine Real Sailors was born, partly as a joke, partly as a challenge. We are then taken through the joys, challenges, and tribulations of the business of magazine publishing, ending with bankruptcy. However, Carole writes,”I’m glad I did it.” Moving on.

For the final chapters, we are presented with the realities of the live-a-board lifestyle including whom to invite on board and whom to leave on the dock; the realities of finances and the hard lessons of the acronym of B.O.A.T. (Break Out Another Thousand) when doing boat maintenance. According to Eric, “You can do anything you want in life, as long as you’re willing to sacrifice something.

What are you prepared to pay for your dream?”

As we wind down this first of the four-volume guide to a better life, our twosome has moved from the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan port of Ft. Lauderdale, to the quiet and sublime paradise of the Florida Keys. From here on, we learn about “What’s Ahead” and are treated to a short excerpt of her next three volumes. Carole’s “life lesson” is to simplify your values, and this book is an excellent example of how.

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Captain Boomies Docking Without Divorcing Lifting my head up from my cocktail at the marina bar, I heard yelling. The whole bar had moved to the rail to see what was amiss in the water below. No carnage, no destruction, just a married couple having an awful time docking their boat.

The husband was at the helm, wagging an ineffective fender at the back of his wife’s head. he was hopelessly trying to boat-hook a dock line that had fallen into the water, hanging tantalizingly from the farthest piling while the boat drifted further from the slip despite occasional lurches created by the helmsman mashing the throttle. They were screaming and angry, and I expected that they would be divorced by the time they finally tied up.

I don’t know the current state of their marriage, but this wasn’t the first time I’d seen a couple resort to vicious shouting while docking.

The problem seems common enough to have a t-shirt pop up at every boat show “I’m sorry for what I said while docking the boat.”

They should sell them with a card for a divorce attorney.

Instead of buying the shirt and calling the lawyer, the other option is to hire someone like me. I’m a licensed captain who can drive anything that floats, and I just happen to know the secrets to docking without divorcing.

I used to drive big white yachts for billionaires. The stakes were high and the boats were expensive. I understand the pressure of pulling up to a yacht club with all eyes on you, and I use those skills to teach boat owners how to drive their own boats better. ometimes I coach cruising couples that just bought a bigger boat and they need a little tweaking. ometimes a couple is planning their biggest passage yet, but they worry that one of them doesn’t have the skills to handle an emergency. And while I have coached same-sex couples and a few solo women skippers, most of the time

144 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 144.145 Captain Boomies.indd 2

I teach husband and wife teams how to dock their boat without the yelling and stress. et’s dive in with some of my best tips for docking without divorcing:

1. Never approach a dock at a speed faster than you’re willing to hit it. If it’s slow enough,

everyone gets bored, even the spectators on the dock, and you can’t have boredom and panic at the same time. f course, you need to maintain enough speed to maintain control but that might be slower than you think. In close quarters, you spend most of your time in neutral and occasionally bump it into gear.

2. Stop the boat just before you get into the marina to set your lines and fenders, create an approach plan, and

check how the wind and current are acting on your hull. Also, think about an “exit strategy.”

Knowing which direction the wind and current will take you lets you plan things like fender location and line set up before any shouting begins.

Communicate your plans ahead of time. Talk them out calmly; no yelling unless human injury is inevitable. This is the only time I will yell at you, “Don’t put meat between the boat and the dock!”

The plan should include the approach, the docking side, the line that should be attached first, and the plan to attach subsequent lines.

3. Embrace the “victory lap.” When I don’t like my initial docking approach, I pull all the way out of the marina and take a victory lap with lots of celebratory whooping and shouting of “ eaaah ictory lap I’m still on a boat!” It reframes the situation from a stressful failure to a joyful triumph.

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ut your wife girlfriend or signi cant other on the helm. Jumping to the dock, heaving

lines, lassoing pilings, and hauling fenders is physically demanding work, swashbuckling work, sexy work, hard work. Pushing a little throttle around doesn’t take a lot of strength, so why do I see so many big men making their tiny wife do the hard jobs?

Even if you only try that last tip once, you might learn one of the best secrets to docking without divorcing and that’s learning about your partner’s experience onboard, and greater understanding of crew leads to more ease and love.

Unfortunately, I can only coach so many sailors a season so I’ve started discussing, and sometimes yelling, about things I think boaters should know on social media.

Find me shouting into the void on youtube, facebook, instagram, or my website at www.CaptainBoomies.com.

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T

Trippin’ T

rinidad is arguably the second most famous Carnival in the world after the one in Rio and is an amazing time. But Trinidad has so much more to offer e en if you come a different time of year than Carni al When you come by boat, you will almost certainly have your boat in Chaguaramas since for such a large and wonderful island, there are surprisingly few places to anchor. Chaguaramas is the former site of the largest US Naval Base outside of the U.S. and was active from World War II until 1963. Now it houses half a dozen or more boat yards and repair facilities and is a great place to work on your boat.

When you need a break during boat projects you can always walk down the road to the Chaguaramas Military History Museum which opened in 1 1. Within this building you will find the passion of Gaylord Kelshall, which is the history of the world as it relates to warfare and Trinidad.

It is packed full of some great information and presentations… even if it has become a bit run down after Mr. Kelshall’s passing. Outside you will see many pieces of military hardware, but I have always been drawn to the 1980’s airliner for some reason.

Another thing you can do in between boat projects is some hiking in the hills of the surrounding area. If you hike the Bamboo Cathedral early in the morning, you can find howler monkeys and an abandoned US Missile Tracking Station complete with buildings and a large satellite dish.

In Chaguaramas, one guy you will want to search out in the Power Boat Shipyard is Jesse James. He is the go-to guy for all cruiser needs and is also a great tour guide. The tour I recommend the most is his “Taste of Trini” because Trinidad has an amazing mixture of Caribbean, Indian, Middle Eastern, and European food and is the most unique food in the entire Caribbean. I can not recommend the Taste of Trini tour enough.

In order to visit the rest of Trinidad, you will have to rent a car or hire a tour guide. The best

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starting point is Port of Spain, where most of the tourist sights are centered around the Queen’s Park Savannah. This includes the zoo, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the Americas, the National Academy for the Performing Arts, the National Museum and Art Gallery, and the Magnificent even. “The Magnificent even” is the name given to seven buildings built in the first decade of the 20th century that show the prosperity of that time.

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’ Thru Trinidad

By Capt Shane McClellan on s/v Guiding Light

None of them really allow tours inside, but it is fun to walk along the street and see each one.

Well above Port of pain you will find ort George, which was the main part of a complex of fortifications to protect the city and port. It began in 1802 and ceased operation in 1864 without ever seeing combat. The fort is quite small since there are no barracks, but the view is well worth the trip up.

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rom Port of pain, there are two main highways; one goes east and the other goes south. Going east will take you to a couple places in the Northern Range, which is the mountain range that runs the whole length of the north part of Trinidad. The first two stops are above the town of t.

Augustine with Maracas Waterfall coming first. f the many waterfalls in the Northern Range, this is the most famous and one of few that will still flow during the dry winter months. It is a relatively easy 30 minute walk to the base of the waterfall.

Latitudes & Attitudes 147 4/22/22 4:57 PM

The next spot is Mount St. Benedict Abbey and is fairly close, but to get there we have to drive back down the mountain to town and then go back up a different road but I think it is worth it! This monastery was founded in 1 12 by monks fleeing persecution in Brazil. After searching, they bought this piece of land that sits 4300 feet above the sea. Besides the amazing views, make sure you get there early enough to enjoy the popular afternoon tea time served in the guest house on site.

Another wonderful experience in the Northern Range is having lunch at the Asa Wright Nature Center. This research and bird center is nestled deep in the rainforest and is always cool and humid. Asa Wright and her husband bought a cocoa plantation in the late 40’s and it grew from there. You can visit for the day, which will include lunch, watching the hummingbirds on the veranda, taking a guided walk into the jungle, and playing in the waterhole looking for tiny frogs, but if you are looking for something special, you should consider spending the night up here in one of their small rooms truly romantic.

The final stop on the eastward trek is the ariva Swamp. Here we met up with Bobby so he could take us down the waterways in a small boat to Bush Bush Island in the middle of the swamp to look for red howler monkeys and white-fronted capuchin monkeys. While walking around the island, we saw macaws and a few snakes, but did not see any anacondas, which are very tough to spot.

If you go, make sure you ask about the tide because it gets too shallow in the swamp at low tide even for his small boat. Also know that there are watermelon farms around this part of the island, so make sure you stop at one of the many stands!

If you head south from Port of Spain instead, you will come to another swamp called Caroni Swamp. This one is completely different because you are in bigger boats and do not get out. While you can find many birds, snakes, caimans, and more, the main features in Caroni Swamp are the flamingos and the scarlet ibis, the national bird of Trinidad & Tobago. The best time to visit Caroni Swamp is in the late afternoon when the scarlet ibis return from their daily flight to enezuela, 11 miles away. arther down the west coast you will find Pitch Lake, which is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world. It covers 100 acres up to 250 feet deep. Native Amerindian legend says the lake was formed when the people were celebrating a victory over a rival tribe and they got carried away in their celebration. They proceeded

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to cook and eat the sacred hummingbird which possessed the souls of their ancestors, so their God punished them by opening the earth and conjuring up the pitch lake to swallow the entire village. Geologically speaking, the lake sits on the intersection of two faults, which allows oil from a deep deposit to be forced up. The lighter elements in the oil evaporate under the hot tropical sun, leaving behind the heavier asphalt.

It was so freaky to walk on the Pitch Lake, but it is nothing compared to swimming in a mud volcano, which is part of the same geological activity as the Pitch Lake, although the mud is not hot; it is just forced up from down below. The mud is a half an hour or so further south from Pitch Lake.

Those are the highlights of Trinidad by car, and even though there are not many places to go with a boat, there are a few cruising destinations worth mentioning. irst, just outside Chaguaramas, you will find some small islands along with oil rigs and anchored freighters in the Gulf of Paria. One is a prison island, which is part of the Diego Islands. Gaspar Grande Island actually forms the southern border of Chaguaramas ay. ou will find a scattering of nice homes along the coast of this small island and a couple bays you can take your boat, but the big draw is the underground lake in the middle of the island. You have to arrange tours with the Chaguaramas Development Authority, but it is so cool to descend down and find a fair-sized pool of water with sunlight streaming in from the holes in the ceiling. If you do go, take the time to check out the old World War II artillery gun emplacements also.

The highlight of any cruising in Trinidad is the island of Chacachacare where a leper colony sat for 70 years until it was finally closed in 1 4. It is now a “ghost town” and one of the best buildings to see is also the first you will come upon. The doctor’s house is a two story empty house that is fascinating to check out. Two small coves deeper into the bay is where you will find the settlement the lepers lived in. Most of these buildings are destroyed, but there is a generator shed and chapel still standing.

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Across the bay you will find the best part from the leper colony era. This is the Dominican Sisters of Mercy’s convent and chapel that was built in 1926 to house the nuns that took care of all the leper patients. The site consists of a lower chapel and upper dormitory plus an out building for the kitchen. After the leper colony shut down, the Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard used this building as a barracks… but for only six months since it gained a reputation as being haunted. The soldiers felt as though they were held down in their sleep and being pushed up the stairs by an unseen hand. The ghost is dressed in white with lipstick on and is believed to be the sister who committed suicide and was buried at the nun’s cemetery.

When at Chacachacare, make sure to take the time to hike to the top of the island and see the lighthouse.

It was built in 1897 and sits on top of the 774 feet high hill. rom the top you get a great view back to Trinidad and the bay down below, plus enezuela is only - miles away.

Heading the five miles back to Chaguaramas, you will find Monos Island, which is another quiet spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of Trinidad. There are actually two bays on this island but I prefer the southern one called Grand ond ay. As you enter, you will find a group of second homes, and once you are tucked back into the bay, it shallows up and is pretty protected.

The last cruising spot is Scotland Bay and is actually on the mainland of Trinidad, but around the corner from Chaguaramas. This is a nice protected bay you can enjoy as long as you are okay being with the enezuelain fishing camps. I took some guests there and we had a blast playing on a rope swing and listening to the howler monkeys in the morning. cotland ay is off the main entrance of the ragon’s Mouth the northern channel into the Gulf of Paria. When you sail out of the Dragon’s Mouth, you can go straight north 85 miles and get to Grenada or you can turn to starboard and cruise the north coast to get to Tobago, which is 55 miles away. If you go along the northern coast of Trinidad, there are four anchorages you can stop at, but only if there is no swell and the wind is south of east.

Latitudes & Attitudes 149 4/22/22 4:57 PM

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Lasdrop Shaft seals features two distinct seals that are designed for quick and easy instalation. The Gen2 Seal is a mechanical face seal, and is considered their permier/commercial grade option. This seal incorporates a compressed pressure housing as opposed to a tradtional bellows, giving you a lower maintenance shaft seal option.

After picking up the seal, and looking over the components, it is clear this is manufactured with very high quality products, and their unique integrated water lubricated bearing allows the Gen2 seal body to follow the shaft, which will insure proper shaft seal alignment. This seal packs a punch and looks like a proven commercial grade seal for almost any marine application.

Lasdrop also offers the Elite Seal, a lip seal with an integrated spare seal seal providing you with a lower lifetime maintenance. Their unique split-face plate allows you to swap out that tired seal with a new seal (just be sure you install on the shaft at the time of initial installation) in just about 10 minutes. No special tools are required, just out with the old, and slide on the new in minutes.

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When we saw this at the St. Pete Boat Show, we Dive Deeper with Nomad knew it would be a winner—and they even donated one Nomad is a 15-pound battery-powered tankless to our ra e Thanks, guys diving system that floats on the surface like a buoy and To learn more about dive systems, please delivers compressed air through a hose as you breathe visit www.diveblu3.com. underwater at depths up to 30 feet. Battery run time is typically about 60 minutes and spare batteries can be swapped in for extra dive time with ease.

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Latitudes & Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

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Latitudes & Attitudes 153 4/20/22 5:38 PM

I Found It At

The Boat Show Zen Watermaker Designed to Fit into Tight Spaces

With the new Zen Watermaker, all components are integrated in the main manifolds and there are very few external components like fittings, pipe, or valves. These features make the en watermakers very compact with a special ultra-flat design. In fact, en’s design allows it to fit into tight spaces and be installed in any position, horizontally as well as vertically.

It’s not much bigger than a briefcase Zen 30 is the Schenker watermaker ideal for a crew of 1-4 people, in a 30-40 foot sailboat or in a 25-35 foot powerboat or catamaran. Capacity lit/h . Gal/h; Power upply 12 / 24 C; Consumption 11 watt; Weight 21 g 4 . lbs; Membranes ne - 2. ” x 21”

Zen 30

Zen 50 is the watermaker ideal for a crew of 4-6 people, in a 35-45 foot sailboat or in a 30-40 foot powerboat or catamaran. Capacity lit/h 1 .2 Gal/h; Power upply 12 / 24 C; Consumption 24 watt; Weight g .14 lbs; Membranes Two - 2. ” x 21” Zen 100 is the Schenker watermaker ideal for a crew of 6-8 people, in a 45-55 foot sailboat or in a 35-45 foot powerboat or catamaran. Capacity 1 lit/h 2 .4 Gal/h; Power upply 12 / 24 C or AC; Consumption 4 watt; Weight 4 g 1 . 2 lbs; Membranes Two - 4” x 21”

Zen 50

Zen 100

Latitudes & Attitudes Event & Boat Show Section 154 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 154 Zen Watermakers.indd 1

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4/20/22 5:40 PM

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pg 165 SouthCoast Yachts.indd 1

Latitudes & Attitudes 155 4/22/22 10:11 AM

1982 53’ Mason - $189,000 Crystal Hanley - 407.247.8733

1989 48’ Privilege - $185,000 Steve Horinek - 239.887.0898

1978 44’ Kelly Peterson - $65,000 Curtis Stokes - 954.684.0218

1990 42’ Catalina - $69,500 Lars Bergstrom - 910.899.7941

1985 41’ C&C - $32,500 Brent Anderson - 651.528.4198

1979 40’ C&C - $40,000 Curtis Stokes - 954.684.0218

1990 40’ Norseman - $70,000 Tristan Weiser - 609.420.0469

1997 40’ Hunter - $72,500 Steve Horinek - 239.887.0898

2000 39’ Dehler - $99,000 Mary Catherine Ciszewski - 804.815.8238

To see more details about these and all other yachts around the globe, please visit our website at

www.curtisstokes.net 156 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 156-157 Curtis Stokes.indd 2

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4/22/22 10:15 AM

Worldwide Yacht Sales Yacht Charters New Yacht Construction

1972 36’ Cheoy Lee - $27,000 Curtis Stokes - 954.684.0218

2000 36’ Endeavour - $150,000 Tristan Weiser - 609.420.0469

1994 36’ Sabre - $89,900 Brent Anderson - 651.528.4198

1985 36’ Sabre - $54,900 Lin Earley - 757.672.2778

1994 35’ Beneteau - $64,500 Tom Russell - 904.382.9610

1976 34’ Tartan - $21,000 Mary Catherine Ciszewski - 804.815.8238

1986 32’ Jeanneau - $28,000 Curtis Stokes - 954.684.0218

2004 31’ Beneteau - $58,900 Crystal Hanley - 407.247.8733

1988 30’ Ted Brewer - $49,000 David Robinson - 410.310.8855

1.855.266.5676 | 954.684.0218 | info@curtisstokes.net W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

pg 156-157 Curtis Stokes.indd 3

Latitudes & Attitudes 157 4/22/22 10:15 AM

pg 158-159 S&J Yachts.indd 2

4/22/22 10:20 AM

pg 158-159 S&J Yachts.indd 3

4/22/22 10:20 AM

‘The Informative Brokers’

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR VESSEL IS WORTH IN THE CURRENT BOATING BOOM? Boat prices were up 10% last year alone as demand increases, so if you've ever thought about selling, whether to put that money in the bank or to upgrade your current boat, now is the perfect time!

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It really is a seller’s market currently - If you’ve been wanting to sell or upgrade your yacht, there’s no better time!

Get all the knowledge and expertise of a brokerage working for you, in your best interest. A brokerage that has proven their trustworthiness, dedication, and dependability for over 40 years!

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pg 160-161 BVI Yacht Sales.indd 2

2004 34’ GEMINI 105MC ‘INTO THE MYSTIC’ $115,000

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4/22/22 11:22 AM

62’ LAGOON 620 $1,500,000 ACTIVE CREWED CHARTER YACHT BUSINESS INCLUDED!

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FIND US ONLINE AT BVIYACHTSALES.COM CALL US ON +1 (941) 900-4510 ‘The Informative Brokers’ pg 160-161 BVI Yacht Sales.indd 3

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Y OUR VI R T UAL B R OK E R

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162 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 162 Atomic tuna.indd 1

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4/22/22 12:29 PM

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pg 163 Passport Yachts.indd 1

Latitudes & Attitudes 163 4/22/22 12:48 PM

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716-745-3862 www.rcryachts.com 164 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 164 RCR Yachts.indd 1

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4/25/22 10:16 AM

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pg 165 Eastern Yachts.indd 1

Latitudes & Attitudes 165 4/25/22 9:35 AM

pg 166 Little Yachts.indd 1

4/25/22 9:38 AM

CELEBRATING OUR 43RD SEASON ON THE ANNAPOLIS HARBOR!

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cary@sailyard.com W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

pg 167 Little Yachts/Annapolis Sailyard.indd 1

3 5 ’ 3 2 ’ 3 0 ’ 2 8 ’

B eneteau O Seaw ard 3 2 F reedom 3 0 E ricson 2 8 +

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www.sailyard.com Latitudes & Attitudes 167 4/25/22 9:52 AM

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1 1 9 5 K app D rive Cl earw ater, F L 3 3 7 6 5 168 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 168 .indd 1

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pg 169 Conch Charters.indd 1

Latitudes & Attitudes 169 4/25/22 10:09 AM

pg 170 Sail GP.indd 1

4/21/22 4:34 PM

The Bosun’s Bag Hard-to-Find “Stuff” for the Cruiser

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pg 171-176 Bosun_s Bag 39.indd 1

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Latitudes & Attitudes 171 4/25/22 1:14 PM

SternPerch Seats

After market seats, pads, and rail cushions

To Donate, Participate, or Volunteer, go to:

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172 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 171-176 Bosun_s Bag 39.indd 2

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4/25/22 1:14 PM

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pg 171-176 Bosun_s Bag 39.indd 3

REMOVABLE WIRELESS MADE in USA Learn more at

DockStarThrusters.com Latitudes & Attitudes 173 4/25/22 1:14 PM

Giant Latitudes & Attitudes Nautical Crossword Puzzle Created by Myles Mellor

Wanna Cheat? The answer to these are on page 176 Across

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1. Large wave 4. Gin based cocktail 12 13 14 15 8. Turning a boat into the wind 12. Small ropes used as a ladder to climb rigging 14. In a ship, 2 words 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 15. First bird Noah released from the Ark 16. Place to chill out 23 24 17. “___ a hit!”

27 28 29 30 26 19. Engine 22. Ratatouille ingredient 31 23. Nurses, abbr.

24. Home room 32 33 34 35 26. Settle a bill 27. They’re used in navigation 29. Venetian boat 36 37 38 39 40 31. Ventilate 32. Vast chasms 42 43 44 34. Famous triangle 45 46 47 48 49 35. Life ___ (survival gear) 36. Everyone 50 37. Tropical reptiles like crocodiles 40. Ship’s seepage well 51 52 53 54 55 41. Stylish 56 57 58 59 42’ Curtain fabric 45. Iberian city famous for a sweet wine 60 61 62 63 46. Having more rough waves 48. Treasure 65 66 67 50. Well-kept 68 69 70 71 72 51. Santa’s helper 52. “___ overboard!”

74 75 76 53. “’Cause I got this ____ in my Pocket” Justin Timberlake 77 78 79 55. Arrival estimates, abbr.

56. Beer variety 25. Cruise ship customers 60 Cruise vessel 28. Pub game 61. Takes the anchor up 29. Slowly moving mass of ice 19 Engine Across 63. Former oar-powered warships 30. To __ for 65. Steeped brew hell fish 1 Large wave 22 Ratatouille ingredient 66. Cape ___ MA ar e food fish, words 4 Gin based cocktail 34. Sea shores 23 Nurses, abbr.

68. Moved strongly, as rough seas 70. Bad weather to be caught in at sea, 2 words 37.wind Two-hulled craft 8 Turning a boat into the 24 Home room 74. Come closer to 38. Apple computer 12 Small ropes used as a39. ladder to climb 76. Man “Modern” word starter 26 Settle a bill rigging 77. “Thunderball” killers 43. Curve or bend in a coastline 27 They're used in navigation 78. Rope or cable used to pull another boat cean s oor, for e am le 14 In a ship, 2 words Venetian boat 79. Toward the back of a boat 47. Whence fruity drinks are29 ladled 15 First bird Noah released from theBailey Ark ___ Grammy nominee 49. Corinne 31 Ventilate Down 50. Compass direction 16 Place to chill out 1. Term referring to a wave passing, 2 words 32 Vast chasms 54. Fjord nation 2. Where the river meets the sea 17 "___ a hit!"

57. Duke or earl, e.g.

34 Famous triangle 3. Luau souvenir 58. Fountain, for one 4. Compass point, abbr.

59. Tops of waves 5. Hole reinforcer 60. Canal sections 6. Planet’s path 61. Walk in water ords with ash or fo 62 Start 8. They come in and out 64. Musical ability 9. Go all the way around, like Magellan 67. Speak manually 10. They put money in 9 oast ard officer Abbr 11. Chinese percussion instrument 71. Give a stage direction 13. Fishing equipment 72. Smeltery input 17. Florida Keys, for example 73. Week day, abbr.

18. Starts out to sea, 2 words 75. Word indicating position 20. Tribute poem 77. Compass point 21. Save from disaster

174 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 171-176 Bosun_s Bag 39.indd 4

11

25

41

64

73

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4/25/22 1:15 PM

Nautical Word Search

Sail for Free!

Latitudes and Attitudes Word Search Find the words listed underCreated the puzzle and circle each one as you find it.

by Myles Mellor Aanswer on page 176

Learn by doing. Get sea miles towards a license. All while helping boat owners and delivery skippers move boats since 1993.

Keep the dream alive for the price of a winch handle.

Visit our website for previous passage opportunities.

1-800-4-PASSAGe (800-472-7724) www.sailopo.com

Find your next Dock-and-Dine. .com

C M B F W A K E C E U D R A O B R A T S K

O S A A K N A L P G N A G U U A N I R A M

N R L T A O B E F I L B B O D Q U A Y K S

A I L H A R B O R M A A Y P A D D L E C R

R N A O D E C K Y O R F U I F A E S P A R

A I S M P U L T I O R T L N R A F R E T T

The Bosun’s Bag Advertising Section

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A S C M A E B E O L L U H K A H C R E R R

T L P E J P T C N I R K K T I T Y R R E F

A I C N O E A S B G S K L J A M X S T K T

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F R R K I T E R U N O N H A L I W O H N W

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B T G R O M M E T E D O L E A B V D T S E

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Seafaring Q & A Sailing Is Serious... Or Is It?

What is the name of the boat that is famous among people?

Relation-ship.

What was the name of the boat filled with football players portsman-ship.

Where did ugs unny decide to park his boat At the What’s-up dock ’ How was the boat turned into a party boat Through pier pressure.

What kind of vegetable is not allowed on ships eeks.

W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

pg 171-176 Bosun_s Bag 39.indd 5

Where did the flying boat land At the air-port.

Why did the students go on the boat?

To get their scholar-ship How did the wedding on the boat go?

They had a ferry-tale ending Why did the dolphin chase the boat?

To find its porpoise How do you get a good deal on the boat?

When there is a sail on it.

How to make a boat feel healthy Just give it some vitamin sea.

What was the name of the pirate that did not fear the tides Johnny epth.

What was the name of the optometrist who came on the boat?

A see captain.

What happened when the boat carrying red paint crashed against the boat carrying blue paint?

The crew got marooned.

What is the name of the boat made of stones A hard-ship.

Latitudes & Attitudes 175 4/25/22 1:15 PM

International Flags & Their Meanings

Wanna Cheat?

C M B F W A K E C E U D R A O B R A T S K

O S A A K N A L P G N A G U U A N I R A M

N R L T A O B E F I L B B O D Q U A Y K S

A I L H A R B O R M A A Y P A D D L E C R

R N A O D E C K Y O R F U I F A E S P A R

A I S M P U L T I O R T L N R A F R E T T

M K T L J N T H M R U E E O C P I L O T B

A S C M A E B E O L L U H K A H C R E R R

T L P E J P T C N I R K K T I T Y R R E F

176 Latitudes & Attitudes pg 171-176 Bosun_s Bag 39.indd 6

A I C N O E A S B G S K L J A M X S T K T

C O Z G R B G G E O I T U Y C E N A E A O

F R R K I T E R U N O N H A L I W O H N W

E A E N O J L H U N O M E T F W N V R N I

Here are the answers to this issue’s Extra Large Maritime Crossword Puzzle and The Word-Search Puzzle as well.. Go ahead, no one will know... except you!

C J S A E V A E H S W J S S F A E E D I N

D W A T C H G A Y T T A Y W C I E R H P G

I H T S O H G D M E C B L V O F R K C S V

B T G R O M M E T E D O L E A B V D T S E

E T A R I P S R R S S A K K E D G E A K S

A Y A W L S L O C Y V R E A H C T I H C S

C S H E E T F O V A O D E D K C O L B O E

H N A R R O W S N K D A L I S T Y A R D L

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4/25/22 1:15 PM

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pg 177 Mackie White .indd 1

Latitudes & Attitudes 177 4/20/22 5:42 PM

FFE EATU RERDE D ATU LATITUDES & ATTITUDES - Advertiser Spotlight

YEARS IN LATS & ATTS: 26 Years BUSINESS: ATN Inc. LOCATION: Hollywood, Florida “I am very happy to have been part of the Latitude and Attitude advertisers for more than 25 years: they cater to OUR customers, and Bob and Jody have been steadfast and loyal great friends. Thanks to them, many people have discovered the easy side of Sailing, (away from Yacht Clubs) Just “Keep On Sailing” with Latitudes and Attitudes.”

www.ATNINC.com 178 Latitudes & Attitudes Featured Advertiser-ATN.indd 2

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4/27/22 10:40 AM

ADVERTISER INDEX These are the smartest advertisers in the marine industry! Be sure to tell ‘em where you saw ‘em.

Marine Advertisers

AB Inflatables 181 Aero Yahcts 20 Annapolis Hybrid Marine 103 Annapolis Sailyard 167 ATN 109 Atomic Tuna Yahcts 162 Aumaris Nautical Jewelery 21 Bacon Sails 141 Bavaria Sail & Power by S&J Yachts 2-3 Beta Marine 28 Blue Water Sailing School 34-35 Bob Bitchin Books 50 Bocas Marina 105 BVI Yacht Sales 160-161 Collection Yachts 75 Com-Pac Yachts 168 Conch Charters 169 Coppercoat 111 CS Johnson 107 Curtis Stokes & Associates 156-157 Eastern Yacht Sales 165 Edson 110 El Cid Marinas 24 eMarine Systems 40 eMarine Systems 113 Festiva Sailing 31 Forespar 103 Froli Sleep System 143 Great Lakes Scuttlebutt 101 Hamilton Ferris 23 HMC Handcraft Mattress 111 How Not To Sail 133 Indiantown Marina 115 Kanberra Gel 41 Keenan Filters 7 Kelly Bickford 143 Kiwi Grip-PYI 117 L&A Ship Store 68-69

Lanex USA 119 Lasdrop Shaft Seal 113 Little Yacht Sales 166 Little Yacht Sales 167 Mack Sails 25 Mack Yacht services 27 Mainsheet-Manson 141 Mantus Mairne 105 Martek Davits 143 Newport International Boat Show 36 Next Gen 141 OCENS 115 Offchore sailing School 13 Pacific NW Boater Tested 145 Passport Yacht Brokerage 163 Passport Yachts 10-11 Phiber Systems 14-15 Port Ludlow Marina 109 PYI Inc. 107 Pyrate Radio 137 Rainman 29 RCR Yachts 164 Royal Cape Catamarans 51 S&J Yahcts 158-159 SaiiGP-Chicago Harbor 170 Sailrite 182 Sailtime 16-17 Sea Frost 22 Seabatical Longterm Charters 168 Seawater Pro 4-6 Shadetree Fabric Shelters 117 South Coast Yachts 155 Spurs 110 Strong Fire Arms 119 Subscription Ad 82-83 Sunsail 43 The Moorings 57 Ultra Marine West 9 Wichard 8

Boats, Brokers, Charters

Aero Yahcts 20 Annapolis Sailyard 167 Atomic Tuna Yachts 162 Bavaria Sail & Power by S&JYachts 2-3 BVI Yacht Sales 160-161 Collection Yachts 75 Com-Pac Yachts 168 Conch Charters 169 Curtis Stokes & Associates 156-157 Eastern Yacht Sales 165 Little Yacht Sales 166 Little Yacht Sales 167 Passport Yacht Brokerage 163 Passport Yachts 10-11 RCR Yachts 164 Royal Cape Catamarans 51 S&J Yahcts 158-159 Seabatical Longterm Charters 168 South Coast Yachts 155 The Moorings 57

Bosun’s Bag

Banner Bay Marine Boat Bistro.com Bulkhead Energy Call of the Sea Cruise RO Watermakers Dock Star Thrusters Dockside Radio Forget About It Foss Foam & Rudders Gig Harbor Boat Works Hart Sytems Hydrovane International Marine Inc. Keylime Sailing Club Kiss-Radio Tek M&B Shipcanvas Magica Rust Remover Masthead Enterprises No Wear Guard OceanMedix OffShore Passage Opportunities Sailmakers Supply Technautics Zarcor

Non-Marine Advertisers

None! Why would we want that? This is a boating magazine. Ya wanna see fancy watches, pick-up trucks, and high-priced cars, read the other mags!

Latitudes & Attitudes : Winter - Spring - Summer & Fall Issues Next Issue: Fall 2022 Ad Insertions by 7/11/21 - Art Due 7/15/21 - On Sale 8/30/22 Contact Us Today: ads@LatsAtts.com 877-775-2538 W W W .L AT S A T T S . C O M

Featured Advertiser-ATN.indd 3

Latitudes & Attitudes 179 4/26/22 9:05 AM

Boat People

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

Looks like Dr. Dan Shelstad takes his being on watch seriously. Here he is “watching” while he and wife Emily were cruising the U.S. Virgin Islands and BVI’s with friends.

When he wasn’t on watch, he was busy snorkeling, hiking and generally having a good time. The couple loves the cruising lifestyle and hope to do more of it!

This is Captain Bill from the tallship Jolly Rover in Key West. He and Bob Bitchin “share a background” and have traveled many of the same highways, and sea-lanes! Captain Bill is known for having the best “Sunset Sails” off of Key West, and is one of the only “official tallships” of Lats&Atts!

Eugene Damiani made the mistake of volunteering to help out at the old Chicago Boat Show. Over the years, he became a part of the Lats&Atts Family.

Since we stopped doing the Chicago Show, we don’t get to see him as much as we’d like, but he did make us a great pizza when we were driving to the east coast shows from California!

Eugene Damiani made the mistake of volunteering to help out at the old Chicago Boat Show. Over the years, he became a part of the Lats&Atts Family. Since we stopped doing the Chicago Show, we don’t get to see him as much as we’d like, but he did make us a great pizza when we were driving to the east coast shows from California!

Meet Miranda Douglas. She’s from the Clearwater, Florida, area and we met her at the St. Petersburg Boat Show.

She just got her six-pack license and is working towards her Captain’s license.

She wants to sail around the world someday(!) and especially down to Tonga, our favorite cruising grounds!

This is Brian. He had a great idea for a new product for boats. He didn’t make his fortune with it, BUT, he re-purposed his “Solar Stick” so it could be used in the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq to create power for our troops. Now he’s sailing in Florida with his gorgeous wife, Dr. Steph!

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