Blue Water Sailing Summer 2019

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WORLD CRUISING

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Tom, 16, pulls the SUP boards out of the lazarette, excited to lead mom and dad on an adventure to the beach.

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Julie, 24, back for one more family cruise before starting her first job after college.

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{ CONTENTS }

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SUMMER 2019

18 World Cruising

30 30 Charter Notes

Landfall Antigua: a Cruiser’s Home Away From Home

Antigua is the best island to use as your base when planning a winter of cruising in the Eastern Caribbean

by Bob Osborn

American Summer Sailing Vacation Guide

You don’t have to go far to find a wide range of chartering options for a summer sailing vacation

by BWS staff

26 26 Cruising Life

32

Beveridge Reef

Three shades of blue

by Joanna Hutchinson

32 Blue Water Boats DEPARTMENTS 6 Captain’s Log 8 Blue Water Dispatches 14 Bill Biewenga Offshore 38 Chandlery 42 World Sailing Adventures 450 Brokerage 52 Classifieds 54 Parting Shot 4

32 Lagoon 46: a Family Affair 34 Be Immoderate, Embrace Excess 36 P for Performance in the Leopard 50P

Cover photo: The new Lagoon 46

Photograph by Nicolas Claris

BLUE WATER SAILING

Cruising Compass The Weekly Journal for Sailors & Cruisers Be part of the sailing and cruising community every week! Sign up for the weekly journal, Cruising Compass.

ABSOLUTELY FREE In every issue, you’ll find sailing and cruising news you can use. Plus you’ll get tips from

experts on cool things to do on your boat, great areas for chartering, sailing schools and more. You’ll find information on sailing, seamanship and useful new gear and technology for your boat. And in every issue you’ll get a chance to win a Blue Water Sailing hat—just answer the Mindbender correctly and your name may be randomly drawn.

Log on to www.cruisingcompass.com and click the subscribe button.

(Don’t forget to tell your cruising friends…they’ll want to be part of the Cruising Compass community, too.)

Brought to you by the editors of Blue Water Sailing

BLUE WATER

{ CAPTAIN’SLOG }

Brave New World of Publishing

I

t’s 23 years since we started Blue Water Sailing in the attic of our home in Jamestown, RI and, it’s 24 years since Rosie, Si, Tim and I sailed our Mason 43, Clover, back into Narragansett Bay after a five-year circumnavigation.

On the long last leg home from the Canary Islands via Bermuda, we set ourselves the project of figuring out what we would do next. We knew we were now unemployable and that we’d have to work for ourselves. And we knew we wanted to launch a new magazine for blue water sailors.

The internet was in its infancy, but we had been following its development for the two years we had been cruising in the Med and could see its potential.

The question we asked ourselves was, would we launch right into online and digital publishing or start with a printed product and see how the internet evolved. The compromise plan was to launch digital products and supplement them with a quarterly print magazine. But, in 1996, we discovered, neither readers nor advertisers were ready for the digital experience; in fact, it took the boating audience almost 15 more years before you and they really embraced the online digital publishing.

Flash forward to today and 89% of our readers say they get their news online and 95% say they do all of their research on sailing related matters on the internet. Our website bwsailing.com receives 45,000 to 50,000 unique visitors every month, which is more than subscribe to the magazine (38,000).

We launched Cruising Compass 13 years ago and it now has just under 30,000 subscribers who read the enewsletter every week.

Two years ago we launched the all digital enewsletter Cruising Odyssey for those who cruise under power and that is rapidly growing into a real force in the powerboat market with 20,000 weekly readers and a great collection of advertisers.

This spring we rebranded Multihulls Quarterly as Multihulls Today, which is still a quarterly magazine, and launched an all new website. From that platform we are starting a new weekly newsletter by the same name that will go out to multihull enthusiasts around the country.

In this brave new world of publishing in the digital information age, our old business model, dreamed up as we sailed across the Atlantic, is now coming to fruition. The bwsailing.com website has become the primary engine of the brand and going forward we will publish the magazine on a quarterly basis. – Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

For all of the readers and advertisers who have made these 23 years possible and seen us evolve through the birth of the digital information age, many thanks for your support. We look forward to serving you for many more years to come.

Visit our websites: Blue Water Sailing: www.bwsailing.com Cruising Compass: www.cruisingcompass.com Cruising Odyssey: www.cruisingodyssey.com MutlihullsToday: www.multihullstoday.com

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photo by Bill Kund

SAILING Volume 24, Summer Blue Water Sailing, LLC 747 Aquidneck Avenue, Suite 201 Middletown, Rhode Island 02842 - USA phone: 401.847.7612 • fax: 401.845.8580 web: www.bwsailing.com SUBSCRIBER HOTLINE 866-529-2921

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Reprinting, photocopying or excerpting passages is forbidden except by permission of the publisher.

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BLUE WATER SAILING

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{ CRUISINGDISPATCHES }

Discovering Saba Erin Carey takes us on a cruiser’s tour of this steep, isolated and historic Caribbean island

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BLUE WATER SAILING

A

quick glance at my c ell ph one reminded me of the lack of coverage, causing the anchorage to feel even more remote than it first appeared. As I sat in ROAM’s cockpit, our Moody 47, I marveled at the birds in full flight in the shadow of the towering cliffs. Mountain goats could be heard bleating in the distance from impossibly high perches, and I watched in awe as a family of goats balanced precariously on a narrow ridge.

Arriving into Fort Bay earlier that afternoon offered little protection from the ever so slight northerly swell that caused our boat to roll as though we were still underway. With the ocean floor 20 meters below our yacht, it

was far too deep to anchor, so we had tied to a mooring ball before clambering into the dinghy to make our way to the customs and immigration office. We were eager to check into the country and explore the smallest municipality of the Netherlands, the Dutch island known as Saba.

We had planned our arrival carefully. With low winds from the east and minimal swell from the north, according to the port control officer, conditions were perfect. Unfortunately, that didn’t prevent the incessant roll that threw us around our bunks like rag dolls that night, rising the next morning with aching backs. We’d heard stories of cruisers being marooned on the island for days, unable to dinghy back to their boat due to the dangerous swell. How-

ever, now, as I stood on the barren shore, the ocean looked calm and innocent. Cliffs loomed above, and besides the customs and immigration office, a rundown bar and a dive shop, my first impression of the island was that it looked barren and inhabitable.

With a population of 2,200, we quickly discovered Sabaens to be some of the friendliest people we had met on our travels throughout the Caribbean. Seeking directions to town, “straight up mon,” was the reply we received. He wasn’t kidding. Thirty minutes later, we all but stumbled into the village amusingly named, The Bottom. Set in a valley surrounded by mountains, the stone walls and white cottages with their red roofs and decorative embellishments, looked like something out of a fairy tale.

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{ CRUISINGDISPATCHES }

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Colored shutters adorned the windows, and pink flowered vines entwined themselves around picket fences. The streets were spotlessly clean and the town quiet, almost empty. It felt as though we’d found a lost civilization or stumbled onto a movie set. If it wasn’t for the Rastafarians smoking marijuana, we could have believed we had accidentally sailed to Europe.

Perhaps the only Caribbean island without a beach, we were excited to explore what this unique destination had to offer. Aware that hitchhiking was a safe and acceptable way to get around the small island, we stuck out our thumbs for a ride to the village of Windwardside. As we darted along the cliff’s edge in the back of a pickup truck, we couldn’t help but wonder how many vehicles had come to grief

Summer 2019

on this road that many said should never have been built. With nothing between us and the sapphire water hundreds of yards below, our usually tanned knuckles were white, yet our faces exhilarated.

Arriving safely in Windwardside, the greenery that surrounded us on the mountain’s overhead were a stark contrast from the brown rock we had initially approached by sea.

Wanting to stretch our legs, we learned of a hike up the island's highest mountain known as Mount Scenery. The walk consisted of 1,064 stairs up to the summit of an active volcano, 887 meters (2,700 feet) above sea level. After only minutes on the trail, our hearts were pumping in our chests. A soft and delicate moss grew on all surfaces of the path, vines and creepers were competing for the life-giving light. Passing lemon

and cocoa trees, an unlikely pair, we made our way to the summit.

The higher we climbed, the steeper the trail became. Clouds began to drift through the trees like ghosts, disappearing the moment I tried to capture them on film. The stairs became slippery, and the ground was moist. After two solid hours, we finally reached the top. To our disappointment, the view was obstructed by a thick layer of cloud. We sat despondently, hoping and wishing our efforts would be rewarded. Several minutes later, the clouds parted like the heavy velvet curtains of an old theatre, and the sight before us took our breath away.

With only moments to appreciate the view, we marveled at the tiny towns below us. So perfectly in proportion, you could have mistaken the sight for that of a scale model of a small village.

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Turquoise swimming pools were dotted evenly between red roofs and shrubbery. With a clear view through to the neighboring islands of Eustacia and St Kitts and Nevis, we tried to take it all in before the next wave of clouds blew over. It was a truly memorable moment. Descending in an hour and 15 minutes, our ankles ached, and our legs were like jelly. We made our way back to our dinghy, hoping the roll of the sea had abated.

Approaching ROAM, we saw her mast swaying to and fro like a metronome. That was our cue to motor to the leeward side of the island to a mooring field known as The Ladder. Like a stairway to heaven, the ancient stairs in front of which we were moored, were 12

originally the only entry point to this fascinating island. The strong and hardy locals would ferry all of the islands supplies up the 800 impossibly steep stairs carved into the rock face. It was also said, that when royalty visited the island, they too were carried up the stairs, though perhaps not like a sack of flour.

If the land alone wasn’t impressive enough, one look below the water’s surface soon revealed a treasure trove of brightly colored fish and sea creatures. With rock faces that fall below the water as dramatically as they rise above, Saba is a diver’s paradise. Complete with caves and tunnels, pinnacles and seamounts, sea turtles could be seen gliding gracefully through BLUE WATER SAILING

the underwater wonderland while octopus and moray eels hid in secret crevices. Known as the Saba Marine Park, visitors can choose from a number of dive operators through which to experience the unspoiled natural beauty.

Saba is unique in that it doesn’t feel like the Caribbean at all.

After visiting endless palm treelined bays and beach bars, it’s a refreshing change. The fact that the surrounding waters are deep and daunting, with difficult access ashore only adds to Saba’s mystery. You won’t find a marina or cruise ship terminal, sun bed or coconut vendor. Yet you will find solitude, a place to disconnect and a real sense of adventure. You will dinghy ashore in what feels like open waters and your boat will rock and roll, you will hitchhike with strangers, and you will climb to great heights. You will witness incredible views from the back of trucks, and you will marvel at natures wonders. You will smile and greet each and every person you pass because that’s what Sabeans do. It’s any and all of these things that make a visit to the island of Saba, an absolute must for sailors of the Eastern Caribbean. BWS

Summer 2019

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{ BILLBIEWENGA }

From Marion to Bermuda… or Bust @Laurie Warner

Gulf Stream infrared image

Don’t be misled by the fact that it’s not the Newport to Bermuda Race.

It’s not easy. Without being an alarmist, the trek to Bermuda is strewn with problems and pitfalls at the best of times

I

t’s another Bermuda Race year, but this year the start is up Buzzard’s Bay and out of Marion, Massachusetts.

Racing, however, is just one of the many reasons that sailors fetch up on those wreckstrewn, reef-surrounded, sandy, and yet still hospitable Bermuda shores. At times, it can be a real trial by fire to get to those shores.

Fortunately for Marion - Bermuda racers, June is probably the best month of the year to make that passage, but even June can present its share of surprises. While Bermuda might be the ideal point in the Atlantic Ocean to make a stop whether you’re coming up from the Caribbean bound for New England, heading from Charleston or the Chesapeake Bay to Europe or involved in this year’s race to Bermuda, each route has its own set of obstacles to overcome.

Typically, when planning a pas14

sage, I break down the trip into a series of hurdles. I look at the tidal conditions that I’ll expect to encounter on departure. I closely monitor the weather patterns for days prior to leaving, keeping open my option to leave early, late or on schedule, depending on the weather we’re expecting and the type of passage I’m undertaking. Racing doesn’t necessarily allow for a flexible departure time and date, so preparation well in advance is of paramount importance. Safety is at stake, and that always takes precedence. If it looks bad, I know well in advance of departure, and as the Captain on my vessel, I can always elect to stay behind or delay my departure until conditions are more favorable. Little is gained and few friends are made by leaping into a storm pattern that blows the boat apart. A working knowledge of how to read and interpret weather information will provide

a huge benefit as you try to avoid the worst and take advantage of the best that the weather has to offer.

When leaving New England, I typically expect the weather to move from west to east. That’s not always the case. Sometimes low-pressure systems are spinning up from Cape Hatteras, heading northeast while remaining south of Cape Cod. Other times we may have to deal with a “back door” low pressure system, spinning around in the North Atlantic that decides to make a reappearance from the east. And still other times, a “cut off” low pressure system may be stalled in the western North Atlantic, holding up the weather systems’ parade. But in most cases, the lows and fronts will approach New England from the west. Those meteorological movements can be monitored on maps, using satellite imagery to get near-real time information about the frontal approach, BLUE WATER SAILING

{ OFFSHORE }

or by staying informed via VHF, SSB, satellite enabled plotters, or online text forecasts. The information is widely available to help you avoid heading out into the teeth of a raging Nor’easter as you begin your trip to Bermuda. Race committees will often provide weather briefings and, if necessary, occasionally delay the start dates, but ultimately, the decision to go or stay is yours and yours alone.

Marion - Bermuda racers encounter the first hurdle of the race early: getting out of Buzzard’s Bay. Often, it’s a relatively pleasant sail to the edge of the North Atlantic. Sometimes there’s more drama than you would care to encounter. A few years ago, friends of mine faced heavy weather for the start of the race.

Shortly after leaving the start line, while tacking back and forth in the face of high winds, one of the crew was hit in the head by the boom, suffering a concussion. It was a quick end to a short day’s sail and a trip to the hospital that followed. Fortunately, it all ended well with no serious side effects, but you should know that thorough preparation and early spring practice sessions is time well spent. Along the southern side of Buzzard’s Bay, the gaps between the Elizabeth Islands can be gusty in a strong southerly breeze as the wind funnels between those islands. You can find the best offshore weather maps online at the Ocean Prediction Center’s website, https://ocean.weather.gov/. It would be a valuable addition to your sailing skills to thoroughly understand how to read and interpret them. The wealth of information they contain will help you better understand how to avoid problems and more efficiently route your vessel. Classes and books are available to help you in that process, and a good list of symbols and acronyms can be found at: http://www.crsol.com/weather_routing_toolkit/idtoolkit/resources/content/weather_map_symbols_how. htm#_Toc69550185.

As racers from the east coast of the U.S. heading to Bermuda you will have more to consider than just the weather, of course. One of the major hurdles encountered along the way will be the Gulf Stream. You’ll need to give careful consideration to your strategy about how to approach and cross that major oceanographic feature.

Gulf Stream currents can move between two and five knots in some places, and the meandering warm water stream will definitely have a strong influence on your progress. In addition to the actual speed and direction of the current affecting your own speed over the ground, the current will influence the size and

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shape of the waves. If winds are strong and pitching against the strong current, the waves will be particularly steep and high. Strong northeasterlies can turn the Stream into a living, waking nightmare.

Conversely, moderate to strong winds from behind with the current moving in the same direction can turn the passage into a sleigh ride, ideally with warm, sunny skies dotted by small puffball fair weather cumulus clouds overhead.

As you approach the Gulf Stream, those small fair-weather cumulus clouds may be among the first signs that you’re getting closer to the warm current.

Fortunately, various types of satellite imagery can help us locate and plan for the various eddies and meanders of the Gulf Stream. Those images can often be found online. One of my favorite sites is the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab at: http://fermi.jhuapl. edu/. Another great site is the Rutgers site: https:// rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/data/satellites/. Among other means of identifying its whereabouts, altimetry data will confirm the Gulf Stream’s location by measuring the height of the water from space. (See: https://envisat.esa.int/live/envisat_live_03.html) Amazingly enough, the height of the water can vary as much as three feet or more, depending on the current, and satellites have been designed and equipped to measure those height anomalies. From the deck of your boat, however, other signs may include Sargasso weed streaming across the water’s surface strung out in long patches. The wildlife will change as well. Portuguese man o’ war will become more numerous, and it might be a good time to deploy the fishing poles if you’re not in a hurry. Tuna, dorado, flying fish and other species often like to cruise through the warmer water. The warmer water has other implications, as well. The warm air rising off the surface of the water, will not only create those little puffy clouds, it will also increase the likelihood of lightning and thunderstorms at night, adding power to any squall line that may be approaching ahead of cold fronts. The Gulf Stream will definitely deserve some respect, and it will get your attention.

There’s a reason that some people suggest the weather from 25 N latitude to 35 N latitude is called the “Bermuda High”. The sub-tropical highpressure systems in both the northern and southern hemispheres circle the globe, roughly between those latitudes and in both northern and southern hemispheres, often provide extremely light winds associated with high-pressure systems. The highs morph and change shape and location based on season and 16

BLUE WATER SAILING

the proximity of the encroaching low-pressure systems. Without getting too technical, all of that, of course is influenced by upper atmosphere conditions, driven by the jet stream and indicated on the 500 mb weather chart. Weather is a huge 3D evolving and everchanging situation. If you’re going out in it, you need to be aware of how weather works and how it’s going to affect you and the people with you. Racers won’t want to be drifting 50 miles from St. Georges while others are ashore knocking back Dark & Stormies. For the Marion - Bermuda crowd, the final hurdle into Bermuda can be a test of patience if the weather is light and conditions drifting. While the prevailing winds are usually moderate and out of the southwest in June, it’s not uncommon for the last couple hundred miles to take multiple days when the highpressure system parks itself over Bermuda. Plan your food budget accordingly.

Routing assistance to help you select the hoped-for winning route can be obtained from a number of sources including Commanders’ Weather (www.commandersweather.com ), Ken McKinley’s Locus Weather (www.locusweather.com ) and others.

Whether you use these services prior to departure or not, you should realize that you will always get better results if you understand the mechanics of weather and how it changes. Only then can you enter into a mutually beneficial discussion with the meteorologists, receiving and unSummer 2019

derstanding what will work best for your own unique situation as the conditions evolve throughout the passage.

Surrounded by shallow reefs, Bermuda is a jewel in the middle of the Atlantic. Getting there can, at times, be a trial by fire, but the reward can be a treasure at the end of the passage. Racers getting safely to Bermuda will almost certainly have a great time, but they should remember that their trip is only half completed. Getting home, they will face many of the same hurdles. Delivery crew heading back home are often less well prepared than their racing counterparts, and as July creeps into view, hurricane season starts to rear its ugly head. Ultimately, the key to having a great time on the Marion - Bermuda Race will be found in its preparation, both for heading down to Bermuda as well as for the return home. Understand the hurdles ahead, and plan for the unanticipated surprises that are bound to occur sooner or later. The adventure awaits. BWS Email: billbiewenga@gmail.com Websites: www.weather4sailors.com and my personal site, www.WxAdvantage.com

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Landfall Antigua: a Cruiser’s Home Away from Home

I

f you have never sailed the southeastern Caribbean, you’ve missed some of the best sailing anywhere. With a variety of well protected harbors, short line-of-sight sailing distances between islands and consistent tradewind sailing on a reach, for cruisers, this area simply cannot be beat. Make landfall in Antigua, arguably the sailing capital of the Caribbean 18

and you’ll know that you’ve come to the right place to begin your winter cruising season.

Brenda and I have cruised widely between Maine and Key West, multiple seasons in the Bahamas and a cruise that took us from George Town, Bahamas, westward along the south coast of Cuba. For us, after visiting so many wonderful cruising grounds, the eastern Caribbean

has become our go-to area for winter cruising where we have spent the last few seasons aboard Pandora, our Rodger Martin-designed Aerodyne 47 sloop.

And, our favorite landfall for beginning our winter season has become Antigua, Falmouth and nearby English Harbour, the home of Nelson’s Dockyard, the only operating Georgian dockyard in the world.

BLUE WATER SAILING

Antigua is the best island to use as your base when planning a winter of cruising in the Eastern Caribbean

by Bob Osborn

The British Navy chose English Harbour and Antigua as the base for their naval operations in the Caribbean during the age of sail as it and nearby Falmouth harbor are wonderfully protected, and offer trade wind sailing on a reach to just about every area of the Caribbean. Falmouth Harbour was a center of trade during the age of sail, a large natural, beautifully protected anchorage with Summer 2019

room for hundreds of boats and it still remains one of the best protected anchorages in all of the Caribbean. Nearby English Harbour, just a few steps away, was the headquarters for the English Navy, for 100 years, beginning in the early part of the 18th century.

English Harbour is home to Nelson’s Dockyard named after the iconic British naval hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, who lived in

the dockyard between 1784 and 1787.

The dockyard fell into disrepair after the departure of the navy in the early 19th century but in the late 1940s it was “rediscovered� by the Nicholson family that arrived from Ireland aboard their 72-chooner Mollimawk. The family landed on the island as part of a planned circumnavigation and were so taken by the 19

{ WORLDCRUISING }

weather window isn’t likely to last very long before the strong easterly trade winds return.

When making passage from the U.S. east coast, Chris recommends planning on making landfall in Antigua and from there begin your cruising season. The additional distance can usually be covered with less than a day of sailing

island and dockyard that they decided to stay and set about making improvements to the then decrepit structures. Within a few years, they began a small yacht charter business and sparked the development of tourism on the island and the charter trade in the Caribbean.

In 2016 the dockyard, billed as the only working, and now fully restored, Georgian dockyard in the world, was named a UNESCO world heritage site. For a cruiser making landfall following a long passage, there is simply no more spectacular harbor than English Harbour and the dockyard with its rich history and dramatic surrounding landscape. Add to this, the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the most iconic classic sailing yachts in the world completes the picture.

Many skippers, heading south for the first time, default to the British Virgin Islands as they are familiar with the area from many years of chartering. Make no mistake about it, for a week or two of chartering, there just isn’t any place that quite matches what the BVIs have to offer. This popular charter hub is a wonderful place to charter for a week or two, but it’s tough for cruisers who plan to explore many of the beautiful islands 20

to the south and to continue on without a painful run that will take them directly into strong easterlies.

Cruisers wishing to continue south from the BVIs to the next island, St Martin, must make a run of nearly 100 miles due southeast, directly into the trade winds. Some will say that this run is “easy if you wait for a cold front”. However, you are likely to find yourself waiting a long time according to popular weather router Chris Parker who says that a front, needed to stall the persistent and strong easterly trade winds, might not come that far south for weeks, especially during the period of “Christmas winds” that persist between midDecember and March. And, to add insult to injury, that favorable

farther than the Virgins and your point of sail, likely a close reach.

And, as a bonus, by the time you arrive in Antigua, you will have made all of the easting required to begin your cruising season. And, from Antigua, you can sail just about anywhere in the Caribbean, including the BVIs, on a reach or downwind.

Antigua’s main harbors are well protected from the large north swells produced by frequent Atlantic storms that are all too common each winter. These swells, growing out of powerful north Atlantic lows, make many anchorages to the north and on many of the smaller islands untenable.

Antigua is also home to comprehensive yacht repair services and BLUE WATER SAILING

excellent and safe places to leave your boat if you need to return home as well as convenient flights to the States and all at reasonable prices.

Additionally, when heading south, to the many islands between Antigua and Grenada, you’ll be sailing on a reach with the distances between islands offering short, line of sight sailing, with great variety, especially the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique as well as Dominica, the “nature island” with miles of well-maintained trails to explore.

Just south of mainland Guadeloupe lies Les Saintes, a tiny island archipelago with a charming Med-

Martinique, and its bustling capital city, Fort de France, offers anchoring in the heart of the action where and will you find yourself under the imposing view of Fort St Louis, an impressive garrison that has kept watch over the city for more than 300 years. This combined with a nearby city with a bustling mix of modern buildings and a historic city make this a must visit area. If you are fan of Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame, you’ll especially enjoy the city, home to a very unique cast iron building designed by one of his disciples, the Schoelcher Library, originally displayed in Paris during the Paris

Exposition of 1789 and then disassembled, transported and then reassembled in the city. It houses an impressive collection of thousands of rare books and is open to the public. Nearby there are other buildings of the period including Cathedral St-Louis, built of cast iron as well. The Cathedral has a busy congregation, with services and events on a near daily basis.

Another must visit area on the island, just south of the capital, is Sainte Anne, an impossibly quaint seaside village on the southern tip of Martinique that is a very popular winter home to hundreds of cruising boats, some staying for the entire season. Right next door, Le Marin is a great spot to leave your boat if you need to head home for a visit as it is home to the largest marina in the area with very reasonable pricing for dockage and moorings and a short run to a busy airport with daily flights to Miami on American Airlines for connections to the rest of the U.S. You’ll also want to plan to include the Grenadines in your cruising plans, an area of low lying islands and sandy beaches that will remind you of the Bahamas. And, be sure to visit nearby Bequia during the very popular Easter Regatta

iterranean-style village where golf carts are the transport of choice to some great ocean beaches. You may find yourself feeling like you are in the south of France as you stroll the quaint waterfront main street lined with wonderful, reasonably priced French restaurants and you won’t be able to head back to the boat without first stopping to enjoy a fresh baguette and cup of hot cappuccino.

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featuring a full schedule of small and big boat racing along with social events that attract locals from nearby islands as well as many cruisers. This island, with its rich tradition of boatbuilding, 22

is also home to skilled craftsmen that will tackle your canvas and varnish work at reasonable prices.

When Brenda and I visited the islands last season we had chaps (sun covers) made for our inflatable dinghy. They turned out perfectly and, amazingly, were completed within a day.

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As the season winds down you may choose, as many do, to leave your boat south in Grenada or Trinidad where you’ll be safe from seasonal hurricanes. For those returning to the U.S., sailing back to the Virgins, American and British, is an easy run, off the wind, and there you can join up for the Salty Dawg Spring Rally and make your way back to the U.S. and home.

Along the way you’ll want to be sure and stop in St Barths and St Martin and some of the smaller islands too if the north swell is not a problem.

Antigua is very safe and cruiser friendly. And, as rally port captain for the Salty Dawg rally, I have seen first-hand how welcoming the Antigua Yacht Club, government and businesses is for cruisers and how much they have gone out of their way to help us. Actually, there is more than a week of events already planned for the

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arrival of the Salty Dawg fleet this November. The Antigua Yacht Club even throws our group a free party when we arrive, with food and drink. The Club also hosts a variety of special sailing events such as the Caribbean 600, Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week, attracting spectacular yachts and powerful sailing machines along with world class sailors. To be in Antigua during these events with the many parties and exciting action is a very unique experience.

BWS

Bob Osborn is active in a number of sailing groups including the Seven Seas Cruising Association, Ocean Cruising Club and Salty Dawg Sailing Association that runs the largest rally to the Caribbean each fall, leaving from Hampton, VA. He has been keeping a blog for over a decade, with regular postings, of his and Brenda’s travels aboard Pandora

at www.sailpandora.com. A number of his articles have appeared in BWS over the last few years.

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MORE INFORMATION

Customs and clearance information: http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/page.php?page=40 Nelson’s Dockyard marina: http://www.antiguanice.com/ v2/client.php?id=963 Antigua Nice, Antigua visitor information: www.antiguanice.com Antigua and Barbuda Marine Trades Association: http:// abma.ag/ Chris Parker, Marine Weather Center: www.mwxc.com/

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Beveridge Reef Three shades of blue

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ne of the romantic images of sailing is that of disappearing into the distance, to be alone amongst nature. As sailors we are beckoned by the horizon and what lies beyond, driven by the thrill of exploring unknown territories and remote places.

These are times when we find ourselves freed from the call of duty on the shore, leaving social engagements, schedules and dates far 26

by Joanna Hutchinson

behind us. Such an environment is becoming harder to find these days, as even some of the most isolated anchorages have acquired a beach bar and WiFi. While these can be highly desirable, allowing one to keep in touch with far away family members and general life admin while swapping stories with fellow sailors over a sundowner, sometimes you just want to get away from it all.

Our stop in Beveridge Reef on our way from Bora Bora to Tonga felt to us about as close to this

ideal as we could imagine (in this world). It’s not exactly a place, as there is no land anywhere close (not until Niue, 130 nautical miles away). It’s a completely submerged atoll, a circular boundary of coral reef hiding just under the water’s surface sheltering a turquoise lagoon within, somewhere in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean.

The only things we saw above the water level were a couple of rocks and part of a shipwreck on the eastern edge! There was certainly no possibility to check Facebook out here.

There is a break in the outer reef on the western side allowing us to enter into the lagoon and find water shallow enough to drop anchor and give shelter in the middle of BLUE WATER SAILING

the South Pacific Ocean. The situation however might not always be as comfortable or idyllic as it sounds. Since there is no land, with strong wind and large swell, the waves break over the outer reef and flood into the lagoon which can result in a very rolly anchorage.

With really strong wind, it can be difficult even to enter the pass into the lagoon, which due to its position, with trade winds in this area coming from the east, can result in an almost always outgoing current, with speeds up to 6 knots.

Having had Force 6-to -7 easterly winds for the last six days since we set off from Bora Bora, we were fortunate to find the wind dropping to Force 5 as we approached. Our forecast predicted that the wind was to die further over the next

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few days, so we decided to head to the pass to see if it was possible to enter.

Standing on our coachhouse roof scanning the horizon with binoculars, it wasn’t until we were two nautical miles away that we could begin to make out a white barrier ahead, formed from the crests of breaking waves. Spray was being whipped up into the air in intervals, a clear sign of a reef.

Soon these white horses stretched out in a long line before us, it was a huge reef, about five nautical miles from north to south and about three nautical miles from west to east. Next a line of turquoise came into view just above the white.

This was the inviting color of the lagoon water inside the reef.

As we were nearing the pass,

we saw what looked like a small fishing boat ahead. As we tried to fathom how such a vessel might have made it out here, a humpback whale’s back broke the surface where we’d seen the boat - it wasn’t a fishing boat after all! It was two great humpbacks instead, with a calf. Always a pleasure to have the company of these majestic creatures, we slowed down to admire them.

Having had plenty of practice at entering atoll passes while sailing in the Tuamotus and Society Islands of French Polynesia over the last few months, we found this one straight forward with the reef clearly visible on either side making it obvious where to go.

The water in the pass was choppy with an outgoing current of up to

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3.5 knots, but with good visibility and the sun behind us, it was easy to navigate through.

The wind was still blowing an easterly Force 5, so we decided to head for the eastern side of the lagoon where we’d have the most protection from the reef. A large swell had built up from the last few days of strong wind and there was still plenty of chop as we motored through the lagoon, but the water was so clear that we could still see the sand and rocks below.

As we neared the eastern edge we could see a border of light turquoise signaling shallower water before the waves were breaking on the outside reef. We anchored at the edge of this shallower sand shelf in 10 feet of water and let out enough chain until we had more than 40 feet under the keel.

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We felt so secure that we’d be happy here even if the wind picked up. The boat was still pitching back and forth even on the anchor but after the 9 foot waves we’d been used to the last week at sea, we barely noticed the movement.

As soon as the anchor was down, we both sprung into the water, eager to see what was below us.

It was the clearest water we’d ever seen, it felt so refreshing. We spotted a fever of rays hiding in the sand beneath the boat, and were soon surrounded by 10 or so very curious six foot long grey sharks!

Needless to say we didn’t stay in the water very long…

Finally we were completely alone, with nothing on the horizon (metaphorically or physically), sitting in an infinity pool in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by three shades of blue, the bright blue of the lagoon, the light blue of the sand self, and the dark blue of the ocean outside. BWS

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American Summer Sailing Vacation Guide

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ost of us don’t have the time to sail our own boats far from our home water every year and instead enjoy summer after summer of exploring places we may have been many times before.

But, if you hanker to discover new cruising grounds and have a week or two to spare for summer vacations, then chartering a bare boat or attending a sailing school can make for a fun and unique way to try something new, build skills and make a family memory.

CHARTERING CLOSE TO HOME: NORTHERN EXPLORATIONS Around North America there are some of the best cruising grounds you will find anywhere in the world and during the summer months you can explore the higher latitudes. The Pacific Northwest, with all of its islands, canals, remote anchorages and spectacular scenery is the most popular charter area in America every summer.

Because of the often light winds in summer and the strong currents,

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you may opt to charter a trawler or a motorsailer. Or, if you are happy motorsailing, then there are plenty of modern sailboats to cruise aboard.

The farther north you start when exploring the Northwest, the closer you are to the wild country where you will see whales – orcas abound – eagles and osprey on the wind, and bears, deer, other wildlife ashore. The San Juan Islands are one of the true jewels of cruising the Northwest and offer enough variety of anchorages and on-land exploring that you could easily spend a whole week there.

The Great Lakes in summer are a cruiser’s paradise and the chance to do some sweet water sailing might really appeal to sailors from the saltwater coasts. Whether you charter in the more populous areas in Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan or venture to the more remote cruising areas farther north, you will find a magic combination of challenging sailing, beautiful anchorages, charming towns and great wildlife.

If you have time, then the North Channel of Lake Huron

is the choicest destination for a bareboat charter. You can get lost among these islands for weeks and forget about the rest of the crazy world you left behind. You’ll need birding binoculars for catching sight of the eagles, stout walking shoes for hikes ashore and plenty of bug spray.

The Maine Coast from Kenebunkport to Roque Island is considered by many veteran cruisers to be one of the cruising wonders of the world. You literally can spend a lifetime exploring the coast and can anchor in a new snug harbor every night for many years of summer sailing. Not that you would, when there are amazing coastal towns to visit like Portland, Rockland, Camden, Castine, Blue Hill, and Northeast Harbor.

The best months to cruise Maine, when there is the least threat of heavy fog, are from the middle of July through the end of September. May and June can be cool, damp and foggy. In October, the north wind packs a bite. If you want to sail to a summer art colony one day and to a remote and harsh Atlantic island the next, you can.

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You don’t have to go far to find a wide range of chartering options for a summer sailing vacation If you want a four-star dinner out, you can find it, and if you’re happy with a boiled lobster and a bib, you’ll be right at home. You can charter out of Portland, Rockland, Camden, Southwest Harbor and Castine.

C H A RT E R I N G C L O S E T O HOME: ON THE BEATEN TRACK If you aren’t bound for remote rocky shoress, pine cover islands and eagle nests, then maybe the more sedate and sandy sailing of Southern New England is closer to your style. You can start in the sailing capital of the Northeast in Newport, RI and head, either west into Long Island Sound or eastward toward Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and Nantucket. Either way, you will be sailing in fairly shallow, warm waters with mile summer breezes and a reliable seabreeze every afternoon.

If you head west, you can visit historic Stonington and Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and then cross to Long Island to explore Shelter Island before heading to Block Island for a day with the summer masses. If you head east,

Summer 2019

you have the Elizabeth Islands to explore, Woods Hole to visit, many great harbors and anchorages on Martha’s Vineyard and the remote, exclusive wilds of Nantucket. Everywhere you will find classic sailing yachts, good beaches, a wide variety of restaurants and a lot of old white steeples poking skyward above the maple trees.

If the mid-Atlantic suits your fancy, then chartering in the Chesapeake Bay will provide a great mix of good sailing, interesting harbors and a large dash of history. Starting in or near Annapolis, you can sail north to Rock Hall and then farther on to the Sassafras River.

On your way back, you could even stop off in Baltimore for a night on the town under the bright city lights. Or, you can sail southward to St. Michaels, Oxford and Cambridge and the Choptank River.

From there you can island hop all the way to Tangier Island where watermen still ply the crab trade in sailing vessels. If you are up for a cruise to the nation’s capital, you can sail to it up the Potomac River and you can even anchor off George Washington’s home at

Mount Vernon. The Chesapeake can be hot and calm during the summer and can be filled with jellyfish. The best times to sail are in spring and fall.

On the West Coast, San Francisco Bay is a sailing paradise with a wonderful city on its shore, many islands to explore and fun and famous towns like Sausalito, Belvedere and Oakland to explore. The bay can be both windy and foggy during the summer months and the water near its mouth can be surprisingly cold. But, when you sail inland the climate changes dramatically with both the water and the air being much warmer. If you want to go wine tasting, you can cruise up the Napa River and spend a lovely day in Napa Valley.

Or, if you want a taste of the delta mouth of the Sacramento River, you can keep heading inland and anchor amid the marshes where the birdlife is a sight to see. Although it is only about 400 square miles in area, San Francisco Bay and the adjacent bays offer plenty of fun cruising and the benefit of a visit to one of America’s most amazing cities.BWS

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Photos courtesy Lagoon: Nicolas Claris

LAGOON 46: A Family Affair

The new 46-foot cat from Lagoon is the third in the new Lagoon line of family friendly cruising boats

W

hen I was in France in April (2019) attending the International Multihull Show at La Grande Motte (near Montpelier), I had the opportunity to spend a morning aboard the brand new Lagoon 46 that was being displayed for the first time. Lagoon’s American Director, Frederic Signat showed me around and was pleased to report that the new design, which is a sistership to the new Lagoon 40 and 50, was already a huge success with dealers and new boat buyers around the world. I could see why.

I had sailed the new 40 and 50 after the 2018 Miami boat show and had been introduced to the new design concepts that Lagoon employed with this new generation of cats. They had hired the French design team VPLP to do the naval architecture and rig design with 32

the intent of making the new boats faster and much easier to sail.

Lagoon also employed noted French automobile designer Patrick le Quement to tweak the exterior styling, so the new boats look distinctive, stylish and thoroughly modern. The huge side windows that are set in a recessed section of the hulls that break up the large sides with graceful lines and curves. And, the slightly angled cabintop and hard-top Bimini neatly offset the strong straight line of the hull’s sheers.

The interior was handed off to Nauta Design, a group that has worked often with Lagoon and other Groupe Beneteau brands.

The new 46, like the 40 and 50, has been given a slightly more traditional look than recent Lagoons, with the use of teak colored veneers (Alpi wood), light colored fabrics and polished stainless steel.

The overall effect is elegance in a fine yachting tradition. Among

the many innovations Nauta and Lagoon added to the 46 was to make the berths walk-around; the berths are much easier to make up and the design allows you and your bed partner to climb in and out easily.

RIGGED FOR EASY SAILING VPLP has design many high tech, modern offshore multihulls that have set records around the world and across oceans. Their racing boats are always at the cutting edge of performance and powered by innovative thinking. One of the problems VPLP had to solve with the new line of Lagoons was to improve the boats’ sailing performance while, at the same time, making the boats easier for a small crew –often a couple—to handle.

The solution was to take a page from their racing boat designs and move the main mast aft to a point just about equidistant from the BLUE WATER SAILING

eas under the saloon floors, in the cockpit lockers, under the berths, under the forward sun beds and in the many storage cabinets. The bows of both hulls are large storage areas, too, for lighter items like sails, fenders and docking lines.

BWS THOUGHTS

bow and stern. Plus, they made the boom shorter and the mast taller and gave the mainsail a square top.

The new mainsail design is easier to raise and dowse while providing a more efficient and effective winglike sail shape. By moving the mast aft, they then could provide a very large self-tacking genoa and an extra large Code 0 or reaching sail.

A sail area-to-displacement ratio is a good indication of how well a boat will perform under sail.

The redesign of the rigs on the 40, 50 and now the 46 have increased the ratio result significantly. We definitely noticed this when test sailing the 40 and 50 and no doubt the 46 will follow in their speedy wakes.

LIVING ABOARD IN STYLE A 46-foot cat that has a 25-foot beam has about 1600 square feet of living space, plus the flying bridge and sun deck on top of the Bimini. In other words, the Lagoon 46 is about the size of a small suburban home, without a garage and basement. Or, in terms of boat comparisons, the Lagoon 46 has the accommodations of a 100 foot monohull. Either way, we’re talking about a very roomy cruising boat that will make a fine home for a family or a great cruising platform for you and two other couples.

The 46 has two configurations, a three-cabin-three head layout Summer 2019

that will be the “owner’s” version, and the four-cabin-four-head layout that can be a fine family boat or a good charter boat. As I noted above, the berths in each cabin are “walk-around” designs and are true double bunks.

In the owner’s version, the head is forward and huge with an enclosed toilet, a large shower stall and a long counter with the large sink. The space is as commodious as any bathroom on shore. The guest cabins and heads are in the port hull and offer tons of storage and hanging space. Both heads have shower stalls.

The saloon and cockpit flow together on a large connected space when the doors and windows are open. There is an opening window facing forward in the saloon, so you can enhance ventilation or hand things to folks who are lounging on the forward sun beds on the foredeck. The main dining table is in an L-shaped dinette. The nav station and desk are right next to it. The huge U-shaped galley is aft and to port. You can have up to three drawer-style fridge freezer units, so cold storage will never be an issue.

The cockpit has the outdoor “patio” table and L-shaped settee.

With portable chairs, you will be able to seat up to eight for dinner or you could host 20 for sundowners.

The 46 has tons of storage ar-

The new Lagoon 46, like her 40 and 50-foot sisterships in this latest generation, is a handsome, well conceived cruiser that will make an excellent floating home. It will be a fine sailing cat in the displacement cruiser category and will see you safely across oceans without beating you up. The design will also be a winner in the charter fleets.

Not too big, not too small, the new Lagoon 46 is just right.BWS

LAGOON 46 LOA 45’11” Beam 25’10” Draft 4’3” Displacement 36,603 lbs.

Sail area 1,507 sq. ft.

Mast height 78’8” Water 158 gals Fuel 274 gals Engines 2 x 45 hp.

Engines (option) 2 x 57 hp.

Lagoon Catamarans www.cata-lagoon.com

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Be Immoderate, Embrace Excess

T

he folks at Groupe Beneteau are on a roll. After the recession of 2008, the company has picked up huge market shares in North America and around the world. The company is the world's largest builder of sailboats and has been acquiring companies at quite a pace, including Seascape and Delphia in the

Building a cat for adventure and an active aquatic life, Excess is seeking the young at heart Even though Lagoon is already the largest builder of cruising catamarans (with Fountaine Pajot and Leopard right there with them), the company is in the process of launching a new brand of cruising cats called the Excess 12 and 15.

At 38 and 48 feet, the two new cats are designed to be attractive to younger, active buyers and sailors who like to cruise with lots of friends. The new boats are the products of design work from VPLP, Patrick Le Quement and the Nauta Design Group.

THE 12

last year or so.

Not content to rest on their success, the Groupe has set out to turn the multihull market on its head.

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The 12 at 38 feet comes with either three or four cabins and two heads. The three cabin layout turns over the whole port hull to be the owner’s suite, which has a large double berth aft, a study or desk amidships and a large head forward. The starboard hull has

two guest cabins that share a head between them.

The 12’s cockpit is a huge outdoor living space with an L-shaped dinette and table that will seat eight, plus two long bench settees.

This is where you and your sailing pals will spend most of your time in warm weather. The saloon joins the cockpit via a large sliding door and opening windows. Inside, the galley is to port with a large sink, and a stove/oven combination. The fridge is under the counter next to the sliding door. The dining table has room for at least six to sit for a meal and offers amazing 360 degree views of the scenery around you. With all doors and windows open, the living spaces of the 12 will be airy, bright and well ventilated.

The Excess brand is all about simplicity, fun and being “immoderate.” That means being active, and engaged in all sorts of water activities. The 12 is designed to carry surfboards, SUPs, kite surfing gear, SCUBA gear and kayaks.

It is indeed a cruising boat but the concept behind the Excess brand is to embrace a fun and adventurous lifestyle.

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THE 15 At 48 feet, the new 15 is a large and commodious cruising cat that, like the 12, has been conceived as a sailing platform, floating home and fun machine where the young and young at heart can truly enjoy sailing, cruising and water activities.

The 15’s standard layout offers four cabins and four en suite heads. This will be a great family boat and will work really well as a charter boat. For couples or a family that don’t need four cabins, there is an “owner’s version” that has the master suite in the starboard hull and two guest cabins with heads in the port hull. The master suite has a large walk around double berth aft, a ton of storage and hanging space, a lounge amidships and the giant owner’s head and shower areas forward.

For those who will be sailing in large groups or for charter companies, the 15 can be configured with six double cabins and six heads.

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The cabins are arranged three to a hull with the extra cabin on each side tucked into cabin spaces carved out of the bridgedeck. So, if you like to sail with a party of 12, this is the boat for you.

Like the 12, the 15 has a huge cockpit that joins the saloon through a sliding glass door and sliding windows. There are large tables in both areas so you can enjoy al fresco dining in good weather or moving inside when the rain starts.

Both the 15 and the 12 have twin helm stations at the back end of

each hull. This gives the helmsman a real feel for how the boat is sailing and a good look at the sails for adjusting trim. Plus, having helms on both sides offer great aids when docking on either side of the boat.

The 15 is a terrific platform for truly enjoying life on the water, for adventurous cruises and happy times together with a large group of family and friends. Don’t hold back, embrace excess and be immoderate. The boats will be launched at the Cannes, France boat show in September and BWS will report further after sea trials.

BWS

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This 50-foot cruising cat is built for family adventures, passagemaking and world cruising

P for Performance in the LEOPARD 50P

T

he April day that I set off from the Harbour Towne Marina south of Ft. Lauderdale was a picture perfect Florida morning, with puffy white clouds, the sun bright and warm and the tradewinds blowing a very pleasant 12 knots from the east. Onboard the Leopard 50P was Leopard’s marketing and media director Katie Baker and professional skipper Mr. Calvin. It was a very different morning than the last time we had been out testing a Leopard off Ft. Lauderdale when we were lucky to get ashore before being hit by a massive thunder squall and lightning storm. Luck was with us today.

The 50P handled easily in the tight quarters of the marina with Calvin expertly using the twin engines to get the boat to pivot in its own length. I often think motoring a big cat is like driving a tennis court around, they are so long and so wide. You would have a hard time doing this with a single engine, even with a bow thruster added. But with twin engines and with props 20 feet apart, you can really make the big beam cat dance.

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We motored down the Stranahan River to the big turning basin in Port Everglades, known as Lake Mabel, and hoisted the mainsail while the water was still flat. The square-top, fully-battened mainsail’s halyard runs aft to the raised helm on the cockpit’s starboard side, so one person can handle hoisting and dowsing the sail. But a second pair of hands is useful to get the battens through the lazy jacks on the way up or to get it to flake neatly as it falls into the onboom sail bag on the way down.

With the throttle well forward we punched out through the cut through the steep chop created by

the outflowing current against the easterly breeze. The 50P handled this well and was able to maintain 7 knots at 2200 rpms. Not bad at all.

Once clear of the channel, we turned south to take the breeze on the port forward quarter. Calvin rolled out the genoa and I trimmed for close reaching. The big cat, which has a displacement off 44,000 pounds, takes a minute or two to get her speed up but soon enough we were sailing and close to eight knots at 60 degrees to the true wind. Slowly we hardened up and trimmed the main and genoa until we were close hauled with the wind at 50 degrees to the wind.

That’s about as close as you will get on a big, displacement cat but we still held a reasonable 6.5 knots of boat speed.

After a couple of miles upwind, I put the big cat through a tack on my own while Katie and Calvin watched. Both genoa sheets are

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right at hand at the helm and both have dedicated electric winches. I threw the helm over and prepped the new sheet. As soon as the bows passed through the eye of the wind, I released the old sheet, hauled in the new one and found the foot switch to grind the sheet in. It took 10 seconds and we soon were sailing at 6.5 knots again close hauled.

We didn’t have a downwind sail with us, but when we cracked off to about 140 degrees from the wind the main and genoa did a fine job of getting the speed up to eight knots. The 50P felt lively despite her displacement and can turn in a very reasonable speed.

P IS FOR PERFORMANCE The 50P is a first cousin to the 50L, which Leopard brought out right after the P. The L stands for lounge since the 50L has a fourth sitting area—after the aft cockpit, saloon and forward cockpit—right on top of the hard Bimini top over the cockpit. This raised area is great for charter parties or for large crews but it can be somewhat exposed in bad weather or when at sea.

The 50P does not have the raised lounge, but it still has the three other sitting and lounging areas as the L. By removing the lounge, the 50P loses about 1,500 pounds of weight, which goes straight into sailing performance.

Plus, you lose the windage of the raised structure that can make maneuvering in cross winds dicey.

The 50P has a bit more sail area than the L, too, so you can count on better sailing speeds on all points of sail. In essence, the 50P is set up for ocean sailing and family cruising. The flat top of the Bimini is a perfect place for a large solar panel array that will make the boat self sufficient. The boat carries 243 gallons of fuel for a conservative cruising range of 1,000 miles at seven knots. You can load 185 gallons of water that will last a crew of four at least three weeks of conservative use at sea.

Plus, there is plenty of room for a watermaker and the 50P will most likely be equipped with a genset to run the ship while at anchor.

COMFORT TO THE MAX The 50P can be configured in

several ways, from a standard four cabin-four head layout to a five cabin five head plan. For owners who are cruising as a couple or with one or two children, the “owner’s” version might be the best layout with a huge master suite in the port hull and two large cabin with en suite heads to starboard.

The saloon and cockpit are set up for easy but gracious living afloat. The galley is huge, the main dinette in the saloon is big enough for eight people and the outdoor dining table will be big enough for up to 10. Leopard has given the 50P an elegant, simple décor that makes use of huge windows, light veneers, light fabrics and stainless steel fittings to give you a feeling of light, space and elegance. This is a boat you could sail to the ends of the earth, quickly, safely and in comfort. And, I learned that day, the boat we were sailing was bought by a circumnavigator couple who were going to go around again on their 50P. BWS

Leopard 50P LOA 50’6” LWL 48’11” Beam 26’5” Draft 5’3” Bridgedeck Clearance 39” Mast Height 77’2” Sail area (50P) 1,500 sq ft Water 185 Gals Fuel 243 gals Engines 2 x 57 hp.

Leopard Catamarans www.leopardcatamarans.com Summer 2019

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Every Mack Sail Is Proudly Made in our Stuart, Florida, Sail Loft Our 50th Year

Manta 42 Project led

instal Our rigging department a Boom a new Schaefer Gamm ak es m o n th is M an ta 4 2 th at coast st regular runs from the ea . We as of Florida to the Baham existe then built a new jib for th w full ne ing camber boom and ro ll erb at te n m ai n sa il fo r th e n si ve te fu rl in g b o o m . O u r ex catare experience with offsho booms marans and with furling ith a w provided our customer great integrated system.

Photo: Billy Black

The Biggest Small Loft in the USA

Call 800-428-1384

info@macksails.com • www.macksails.com WE SHIP EVERYWHERE AND PAY THE FREIGHT OF NEW SAILS AND MACK PACKS.

BETA MARINE RELIABILITY AND MORE!

THE

CHANDLERY

Engine Model Beta 38

More than just a reliable engine...all of our new engines are equipped with a serpentine belt drive system for the alternator at no extra cost!

What a concept! Engineered to be serviced easily

Beta 30 in a Morris Justine Engine Model Beta 14 Beta 16 Beta 20

Beta 25

Vessel Albin Vega Cape Dory 28 Catalina 30 Tartan 30 Catalina 30 Contessa 32 Island Packet 27 Pearson Vanguard Alberg 35 Morgan OI 33 Alberg 37 Pearson 35

Engine Model Beta 30 Beta 38 Beta 43 Beta 50 Beta 60

Vessel Catalina 36 Sabre 38Mk1 Valiant 37 Westsail 32 Hinckley B40 Valiant 40 Bristol 41.1 Morgan 41 OI Morgan 45 CSY 44

Some of our installations

Approved in California

Marine engines using Kubota Diesels from 13.5 to 100 HP. Including Atomic 4 replacements and saildrive engines.

Quiet diesels with clean emissions that meet current EPA requirements, without the need for computer controlled common rail complexity.

BETA MARINE US Ltd.

PO Box 5, Minnesott Beach, NC 28510 877-227-2473 • 252-249-2473 • fax 252-249-0049 info@betamarinenc.com

www.betamarinenc.com

The Feathering Prop For An Easier, More Enjoyable Sail For better performance!

THE 10 YEAR ANTI-FOULING PAINT • EPA and CA Approved; Doesn't Leach or Ablate • Prevents hard growth in all climates and water conditions • Anti-fouling protection doesn’t “die” when out of the water • Coppercoat has been successfully protecting boats around the world for 22 years

• Available in 2, 3 & 4 blade versions

• The blades will have identical pitch at all times

• Jprop uses only helical (continuously engaged) gears

• Fits all shafts and saildrives

_ For product and application information visit: www.CoppercoatUSA.com

For questions and to purchase Coppercoat Please call 321.514.9197

Imported & Distributed By

BETA MARINE US LTD

877.227.2473 40

252.249.2473

betamarinenc.com

BLUE WATER SAILING

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RISK NEVER SLEEPS. NEITHER DO WE.

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Summer 2019

41

ADVENTURES

Mahina Offshore Expeditions

Ocean Passage Making with Instruction

Master offshore voyaging aboard Mahina Tiare III, a Hallberg-Rassy 46. With a combined experience of 712,000 miles and 83 years, John and Amanda Neal’s curriculum offers you a unique hands-on learning experience.

w w w. m a h i n a . c o m |

360.378.6161

WORLD

SAILING

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42

BLUE WATER SAILING

Private Ownership - Charter Management The Americas|Caribbean| Bahamas|Mediterranean|Atlantic|Pacific|Scandinavia|Indian Ocean

Are You Dreaming of More when You Dream of Yacht Ownership?

MORE Catamaran Brands - 4 MORE Destinations - +42 MORE Ownership Program Options - 6

With Dream Yacht Sales You Get More of Everything!

Call1.855.208.6881 E-mail: sales@dreamyachtsales.com or Visit: www.dreamyachtsales.com

SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY Visit sunsail.com or call 800.437.7880 Bareboat | Skippered | Sail By The Cabin | Flotillas | Sailing Schools

Discover the world While some people are happy with cookie-cutter vacations, we know you crave something more like the exhilarating feeling of following your own compass and letting your inner seafarer roam free.

For those wind-hungry freedom chasers that want more than the status quo, we’re here for you and the world is waiting for you to pay it a visit. So get out there and grab life by the helm...

REAL SAILBOATS FOR REAL SAILORS

Charter green

Call/text 340-344-2143 www.iyc.vi

Island Yacht Charters, Inc National EPA Environmental Quality Award recipient

In our 41 years, IYC has earned a reputation as the premiere Virgin Island charter company, offering exceptional personal attention and unequaled yacht quality. Sail one of our lovely Island Packet monohulls and enjoy the US and Spanish Virgin Islands as well as the British Virgin Islands.

Call or e-mail direct to our St. Thomas, USVI office today!

Island Packets available: IP370, IP460, IP465, IP485 Coming Soon: Blue Jacket 40’

Celebrating 42 Years 1977-2019

U.S. VIRG I N I SLA N D S

Family Run Since Day One Owner Operators, Andrea & Skip King

available through our Purchase Management Program

Florida Solar Energy Center certified

IYC is the official Caribbean Dealer for Blue Jacket Yachts.

solar panels aboard all our vessels.

6100 Red Hook Qtr., 18B, Suite 4, St. Thomas, VI 00802-1303 • (340) 775-6666 • email: sailing@iyc.vi

Lagoon 42 - February 2016 - Photo Credit: Nicolas Claris

DISCOVER THE TMM DIFFERENCE

THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

New additions to the fleet

Since 1979 friendly and memorable staff has welcomed our clients, delivering first-hand local knowledge of the British Virgin Islands. Year on year we strive to deliver this experience whilst maintaining a diverse fleet of modern yachts at competitive prices.

We have kept our fleet fresh with many new vessels to enjoy. Additions to the fleet this season include: three brand new Lagoon 42’s, a 2016 FP Saba 50, 2017 Lagoon 450 and a 2017 Helia 44 Quatuor Evolution.

All the information you need to book your bareboat charter can be found on our website, www.sailtmm.com

charter@sailtmm.com

1-800-633-0155 For yacht purchase enquiries please contact Don at 1-877-648-6721 or don@sailtmm.com Representing these fine yacht manufacturers:

The World’s Leader in Multihull Sales and Service www.MultihullCompany.com

+1-215-508-2704

The Multihull Company Featured Brokers

Phillip Berman President 215-508-2704

Fort Lauderdale, FL 484-744-2740

Chris Rundlett Grenada

George Ottoni West Palm Beach, FL

Chris@multihullcompany.com

Cal@multihullcompany.com

Andrew Hodgdon North Carolina 910-477-2508

2006 Privilege 745 $1,999,000

2015 Lagoon 52 S2 $1,250,000

2015 FP Sanya 57 $999,000

2011 Alibi 54 $899,000

2018 Knysna 500 $899,000

2001 Catana 582 $749,000

2006 Lagoon 570 $699,000

2008 Catana 50 $620,000

2006 Switch 55 $599,000

2006 Antares 44 i $585,000

2019 Lagoon 42 $550,000

2015 Bali 4.3 $499,000

2011 Lagoon 450 $474,000

2008 Leopard 46 $420,000

2004 Dolphin 460 $414,900

2014 Lagoon 400 S2 $399,000

2003 Privilege 465 $395,000

2007 Lagoon 440 $359,000

Alexis de Boucaud

Phil@multihullcompany.com Alexis@multihullcompany.com

473-457-3245

Featured Listings

561-312-0010

Will Miller Charleston, SC 843-364-4123

Amhodgdon@multihullcompany.com Will@multihullcompany.com

Check Out Hundreds Of Our Listings Online

The Moorings Yacht Brokerage has the world’s largest selection of pre-owned charter yachts.

2013 LEOPARD 48

Knot on Call- 4 cabin/ 4 head Located in BVI Asking $479,000

2013 LEOPARD 48

Changes in Latitude- 4 cabin/ 5 head

Located in BVI Asking $489,000

2013 LEOPARD 48

Star Eyes- 4 cabin/ 5 head Located in BVI Asking $489,000

2014 LEOPARD 39

Sundog - 3 cabin/ 2 head Located in BVI Asking $269,000

2011 LEOPARD 39

Kipling- 3 cabin/ 2 heads

Located in Saint Martin Asking $235,000

2014 LEOPARD 39

Harvest Moon- 4 cabin/ 2 head Located in Placencia, Belize Asking $259,000

2014 LEOPARD 48

Blow n Go - 4 cabin/ 5 heads Located in BVI Asking 495,000

2012 LEOPARD 44

Shazam- 4 cabin/ 4 head Located in BVI Asking $350,000

2011 BENETEAU 50

Anchorman - 4 cabin/ 5 head Located in Antigua Asking $189,000

www.mooringsbrokerage.com | 800-850-4081 | info@mooringsbrokerage.com

sailing opportunities

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Sail to Discover Sail and Learn Voyages 2019 Leg 1...SW Spain to Canary Islands Leg 2...Canary Islands to Barbados Leg 3...Barbados to Curacao Leg 4...Curacao to Panama

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SAILMAKING EXCELLENCE Stuart • FLORIDA • Ft. Lauderdale

(772)283-2306 • FAX 283-2433 1-800-428-1384 www.macksails.com

Specializing in Packages

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Two Can Sail Want to learn to cruise together as a Couple? Captains Jeff and Jean can help you both become confident as individuals and as a team. Conducting prepurchase surveys, voyage training on your boat. Eastern US, Gulf Coast and Caribbean. www.TwoCanSail.com

BOAT SELECTION CONSULTATION SERVICE Looking for the right boat for offshore voyaging? For a flat fee I will use my extensive experience to help you evaluate, locate and purchase the best possible boat for your investment. John Neal www.mahina.com/consult

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888-989-6503 888-989-6503

Mattress Comfort www.tuftedtopper.com Without The Mattress Price!

Mattress comfort without the mattress price! www.tuftedtopper.com

EASYSTOW FENDERS® Stop filling up your valuable storage space with air. Easystow Fenders store in as little as 1/12th their inflated size. 5 foot models can replace hard to use fender board arrangements.

Practical Sailor rated heavy duty models“best choice”. www.easystowfenders.com 800-437-7654 Small Ad, Small Prices Standing and running rigging, life lines, winches, furlers, line and all types of sailing hardware. We are a rigging shop specializing in discount mail order. Problem solving is one of our specialties.

Since 1984.

Rigging Only www.riggingandhardware.com e-mail: sail@riggingonly.com or call 508-992-0434

Branching Out...

Seeking a Safer Tomorrow

Index of Advertisers DISPLAY Alexseal.................................................. 15 843-654-7755 Amel Yachts............................................ IFC ATN........................................................... 3 800-874-3671 Celestaire................................................ 12 800-727-9785 Chris Parker Weather................................ 8 863-248-2702 Coastal Climate....................................... 10 301-352-5738 Gori Propellers.......................................... 9 800-801-8922 Great Circle Sails..................................... 10 617-271-0712 Leopard Catamarans...............................BC Mantus.................................................... 13 Ocens...................................................... 17 206-878-8270 • 410-263-0008 Profurl..................................................... 16 401-683-5055 Sea Frost................................................... 8 603-868-5720 Watt & Sea............................................... 11 THE CHANDLERY AB Marine .............................................. 41 401-847-7960 Beta Marine............................................ 40 877-227-2473 • 252-249-2473 Coppercoat.............................................. 40 321-514-9197

Gowrie Insurance.................................... 41 800-541-4647 J Prop...................................................... 40 401-847-79656 Mack Sails............................................... 38 800-428-1384 PYI.......................................................... 41 425-355-3669 Sailrite.................................................... 39 260-244-4647 Switlik..................................................... 41 609-587-3800 CHARTER Blue Water Sailing Sch.......................48,49 800-255-1840 • 954-763-8464 Cruise Abaco........................................... 42 321-473-4223 Dream Yacht Charter............................... 43 855-208-6881 Island Yachts........................................... 46 340-344-2143 Mahina................................................... 42 360-378-6131 Sunsail...............................................44,45 800-437-7880 TMM........................................................ 47 800-633-0155 BROKERAGE Moorings................................................ 51 800-850-4081 Multihull Company................................. 50

MULTIHULLS QUARTERLY

Help the Manatees, Adopt One Today!

The ORIGINAL, since 2001 www.airheadtoilet.com • 740-392-3642 PO Box 5 Mt. Vernon, OH 43050

savethemanatee.org Photo © Wayne Hartley

52

Just $9.99 for four issues full of reviews, racing news and multihull destinations!

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self-steering Become a Shipbuilding Syndicate Member or Plank Owner. Find out how you can become a part of this historic ship.

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Blue Water Sailing readers: own boats over 30' own boats over 40' average LOA # of days onboard yearly have bareboat chartered

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ONITOR

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Sell through Blue Water Sailing’s CLASSIFIED SECTION AND REACH 130,000 POTENTIAL BUYERS EVERY MONTH

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SSV Oliver Hazard Perry will be Rhode Island’s own tall ship to join the select fleet of worldwide Class-A size Tall Ships.

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SAILING

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Email: Scanmar@selfsteer.com Check our Website with over 5000 photos

www.selfsteer.com 53

{ PARTINGSHOT }

A Gathering of Lagoons

54

BLUE WATER SAILING

Eighteen Lagoons in 2018 gathered in Lake Macquarie, Australia for a weekend rendezvous. Racing, parties, get-togethers.

Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Summer 2019

55

SAIL | 40 | 45 | 50L - 50P | 58 POWER | 43 PC | 51 PC

www.leopardcatamarans.com info@leopardcatamarans.com