Southwindsdecember2003

News & Views for Southern Sailors Raider Boat Review Tall Ship in Charleston: The Spirit of South Carolina Resins, Glues & Goos for Fiberglass Boats

December 2003 For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless

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MORE THAN 270 STORES • 1-800-BOATING • westmarine.com HURRY! PRICES GOOD DECEMBER 2ND THROUGH DECEMBER 24TH, 2003

2

December 2003

Southwinds

Selection varies by store.

www.southwindssailing.com

SINCE 1977

FLORIDA’S LARGEST HUNTER, CATALINA, MORGAN, MAINSHIP & CALIBER DEALERSHIP In Stock - Save Over $10,000

2004 Catalina 387 New Model – RF main & genoa, elec sail handling winch, depth/knot/wind, VHF, autopilot, anchor windlass, refrigeration, elec head and much more.

Reg Sailaway Price $177,646. Save Over $10,000 with Boat Show Savings

In Stock - Save on Limited Introductory Pricing

2004 Hunter 41 New Model – Loaded with electronics, expanded stereo, Flatscreen TV/DVD, bimini, RF mainsail & jib, elec halyard winch, refrigerator/freezer, Force 10 stove, Harken hardware and much, much more.

Massey Sailaway Only $199,950.

FREE Airconditioning System

2004 Hunter 44 Deck Salon New Model – Loaded with Hunter and Massey options, flatscreen TV/DVD, expanded stereo, bimini, RF mainsail & jib, elec halyard winch, Harken hardware and much, much more. Massey Sailaway Only $261,238 42 Catalina ‘01 . . . . . . . . $189,500 42 Catalina ‘96 . . . . . . . . $119,000 42 Catalina ‘89 . . . . . . . . $109,000 42 Beneteau ‘83. . . . . . . . . $77,500 41 Morgan ‘89 . . . . . . . . . $124,900 41 Morgan ‘87. . . . . . . . . . $89,500 41 Morgan ‘73. . . . . . . . . . $49,900 41 Hunter ‘04. . . . Call for TurboQuote 40 Jeanneau ‘01 . . . . . . . . $175,500 40 Jeanneau ‘00 . . . . . . . . $155,000 400 Catalina ‘03 . . Clearance Price-Call 40 CaliberLRC ‘04. . Call for TurboQuote 40 CaliberLRC ‘97 . . . . . . . $244,900 400 Beneteau ‘97 . . . . . . . $134,900 40 Beneteau CC ‘97 . . . . . . $120,000 40 Beneteau ‘96. . . . . . . . . $98,900

MONOHULLS 45 ft. to 65 ft.

48 Tayana ‘00 . . . . . .

470 Catalina ‘04 . . Call 47 CaliberLRC ‘04. . Call 466 Hunter ‘04 . . . Call 46 Beneteau ‘01 . . . . .

46 Beneteau ‘97 . . . . .

46 Bavaria ‘99 . . . . . .

456CC Hunter ‘04. . Call 45 Morgan ‘95 . . . . . .

.. for for for .. .. .. for ..

. $449,000 TurboQuote TurboQuote TurboQuote . $260,000 . $199,000 . $199,000 TurboQuote . $239,500

40 ft. to 44 ft.

44 Morgan ‘90 . . . . . . . . . $174,900 44DS Hunter ‘04 . . Call for TurboQuote 44 Hunter ‘04. . . . Call for TurboQuote 44 Beneteau ‘95 . . . . . . . . $178,000 43 Endeavour ‘81 . . . . . . . $139,000 42s7 Beneteau ‘96 . . . . . . . $179,000 42 Hunter Passage CC ‘92. . . $144,900 42CC Hunter ‘04 . . Call for TurboQuote

35 ft. to 39 ft.

39 O’Day ‘84 . . . . . . . . . . $83,700 387 Catalina ‘04 . . . . . New Model-Call 386 Hunter ‘04 . . . Call for TurboQuote 383 Morgan ‘82 . . . . . . . . . $64,900

In Stock - Save Over $20,000

2004 Mainship 40 Trawler New Model – In stock and ready to cruise, Yanmar 370 diesel, Flag Blue hull, gen, air, bow thruster, electronics, Vac-U-Flush head, Jenn Air flybridge summer galley, washer/dryer, TV/DVD, stereo and much more.

Massey Cruise Away Only $346,151

Pre-Boat Show Open House Sat & Sun Jan 24 & Jan 25, 2004.

Purchase your new Catalina, Hunter, Caliber or Mainship at the Pre-Miami Boat Show Open House and SAVE - SAVE - SAVE!

380 Hunter ‘00 . . . . . . . . $120,000 38 Shannon Ketch ‘79 . . . . . $124,500 38 Morgan CC ‘93 . . . . . . . $137,500 380 Island Packet ‘99 . . . . . $245,000 38 Hans Christian ‘83 . . . . . $139,000 38 Catalina ‘81 . . . . . . . . . $45,000 38 Beneteau ‘01 . . . . . . . . $147,000 376 Hunter ‘97 . . . . . . . . $121,000 37 Hunter ‘98 . . . . . . . . . . $95,000 37 Hunter ‘97 . . . . . . . . . . $95,000 37 Gulfstar ‘76 . . . . . . . . . $49,900 37 Endeavour ‘83. . . . . . . . . $58,00 37 Endeavour ‘82 . . . . . . . . $65,000 365 Pearson ‘80. . . . . . . . . $56,000 36 Tashiba ‘87 . . . . . . . . . $135,000 36 Jeanneau ‘98 . . . . . . . . $104,500 36 Hunter ‘04. . . . Call for TurboQuote 36 Catalina ‘03 . . . Clearance Price-Call 36MKII Catalina ‘99 . . . . . . $119,900 36 Catalina ‘94 . . . . . . . . . $85,000

36 Catalina ‘94 . . . . . . . . . $84,500 36 Catalina ‘94 . . . . . . . . . $79,500 351 Beneteau ‘96 . . . . . . . . $77,500 350 Catalina ‘04 . . Call for TurboQuote 35 CaliberLRC ‘04. . Call for TurboQuote 30 ft. to 34 ft.

340 Hunter ‘01 . . . . . . . . . $97,500 34 Ericson ‘87. . . . . . . . . . $57,900 34 Catalina ‘03 . . . Clearance Price-Call 34 Catalina ‘98 . . . . . . . . . $89,500 34 Catalina ‘87 . . . . . . . . . $49,500 33 Hunter ‘04. . . . Call for TurboQuote 33 Hunter ‘95 . . . . . . . . . $64,500 33 Hallberg Mistral ‘72 . . . . . $60,500 320 Catalina ‘00 . . . . . . . . $89,500 320 Catalina ‘04 . . Call for TurboQuote 320 Catalina’99 . . . . . . . . . $97,500

310 Catalina ‘04 . . . . Call for TurboQuote 306 Hunter ‘04 . . . . . Call for TurboQuote 30 Hunter ‘88 . . . . . . . . . . . . $38,500 CATAMARANS 44 Dean Catamaran ‘99 . . . . . . $285,000 37 Prout Snow Goose ‘84 . . . . . $115,000 37 Prout Catamaran ‘94 . . . . . . $115,000 35 Prout-Catamaran ‘72. . . . . . . $59,000 34 Prout Catamaran ‘90 . . . . . . $99,900 TRAWLERS 430 Mainship Trawler ‘04 . Call for TurboQuote 40 Mainship Trawler ‘04 . Call for TurboQuote 34 Mainship Pilot ‘04 . . Call for TurboQuote 30 Mainship Pilot ‘04 . . Call for TurboQuote

We have a large assortment of Sunsail, Sun Yacht and Stardust phased-out charter yachts available at favorable prices. Call for details.

The Massey Team of Yachting Specialists – experienced sailors one and all – are dedicated to helping other sailors make sound, knowledgeable decisions relative to yacht selection, ownership and custom outfitting.

TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU ON FLORIDA’S WEST COAST – IN THE HEART OF AMERICA’S FINEST CRUISING AREA.

Palmetto, FL 941-723-1610 • TOLL-FREE 800-375-0130

Brad Crabtree

Scott Pursell

Frank Hamilton

Dan Howland

St. Pete, FL 727-828-0090 • TOLL-FREE 877-552-0525

Edward Massey

Bill Wiard

Mary Beth Singh

Jack Burke

YOUR SATISFACTION IS OUR MEASURE OF SUCCESS

www.masseyyacht.com • E-mail:

yachtsales@masseyyacht.com

Al Pollak

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

Southwinds

December 2003

3

ADVERTISER INDEX BY CATEGORY

(See page 53 for alphabetical list)

SAILBOATS — NEW AND BROKERAGE

MARINE ENGINES

Beneteau Sailboats Back Cover Boaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats 3 Carson Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back Cover Cortez Yacht Sales 48 Eastern Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back Cover Finish Line Multihulls/ F-Boats & Used Multihulls 41 Flying Scot Sailboats 51 Hunter Sailboats 17 Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina/Jeanneau/Hunter/Mainship 7,24,29,35,45,IBC Masthead Yacht Sales/Catalina 3,25,53 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back Cover Performance Sail & Sport/Hunter/Hobie/Windrider 11 Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District/St. Pete.

27 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats 48 Snug Harbor Boats/Compac/Elliot 13 St. Barts/Beneteau Back Cover Suncoast Inflatables/ West Florida 31 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg 23 Ullman Sails/Hunter Sailboats, West Florida 20 Windcraft, Trimarans and Catamarans, Sail or Power 8 Weathermark Sailing/Catalina/Vanguard/Hobie 15

Beta Marine Fleetside Marine Service Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, St. Pete.

GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIES Air Duck Hatch Windscoop Bluewater Sailing Supply, www.bluewaterss.com/ Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL Bo’sun Supplies/Hrdwre/Rigging www.bosunsupplies.com Defender Industries, www.defender.com Fujinon binoculars Garhauer Hardware/www.garhauermarine.com Glacier Bay Refrigeration/ www.glacierbay.com Grin Designs/Scully/Dinghy sail & More Harken Gear Hotwire/Fans & other products Island Marine Products/Davits,motorlocks,etc.

JR Overseas/Moisture Meter Masthead Ent. www.mastheadsailinggear.com Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign Performance Sail & Sport, www.perfsail.com Rparts Refrigeration, www.rparts.com Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, St. Pete Sailor’s Soap Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg West Marine

19 13 3 44 52 28 10 28 34 9 51 46 27 3,25,53 38 11 34 27 11,14,39 23 IFC,33

SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGING SERVICES Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida Cruising Direct/sails on-line by North Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging Hong Kong Sailmakers Masthead/Used Sails and Service National Sail Supply, new&used on-line North Sails Sabre Sails/ Ft. Walton Beach, FL, & Mandeville, LA Sail Exchange/www.sailexchange.com Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, St. Pete.

Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL Snoop Sails & Canvas, Sarasota, FL SSMR Rigging & Chandlery UK Sails, www.uksailmakers.com Ullman Sails/West Florida

52 18 52 40 3,25,53 42 14 36 44 27 42 38 46 19 20

CANVAS Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida Sail Covers & More, buy on-line, www.sailcovers.net Snoop Sails & Canvas, Sarasota FL

52 53 38 45 30 43 46

SAILING SCHOOLS Capt. Josie Sailing School for Women Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District/ St. Pete.

Sea School/Captain’s License www.seaschool.com

RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOATYARDS Bob and Annie’s Boatyard Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District/Tampa Bay FL

22 3 27

REAL ESTATE/WATERFRONT LOTS ReMax Realty/Angie Jones

16

CHARTER COMPANIES Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, Sunsail Sailtime, Time-Share ownership

27 51

MARINE SERVICES,MARINE SURVEYORS, MARINE INSURANCE, MISC. Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy on-line Bluewater Insurance/ Florida Davis Maritime Surveying First Patriot Inc, Insurance Agency, Paul Phaneuf

50 12 43 26

MARINE ELECTRONICS Dockside Radio JR Overseas/Moisture Meter Rolls Batteries/Surrette, www.rollsbattery.com Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication

11 27 8 47

BOOKS Bubba Stories Book Great Outdoors Publishing

14 20

YACHT CLUBS Ft. Pierce YC

49

REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWS Regata del Sol al Sol Subscription Information Alphabetical Advertisers’ List

21 This Page 53

SUBSCRIBE TO Southwinds $12/YEAR $20/2 YEARS (3RD CLASS) (941) 795-8704 • www.southwindssailing.com P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175 New — Subscribe On-line on our Web site — a secure site — using your credit card: www.southwindssailing.com

Name _________________________________________ Address ________________________________________

USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIES Don’s Salvage, Clearwater FL Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL SSMR Rigging/Consignment/St. Pete

41 50 27

53 27 39

City/St./ZIP ____________________________________ ENCLOSED $ ________ Check ___ Money Order ___ Visa/MC

#__________________________________

Name on Card __________________________________ Ex. Date _______ Signature ______________________

4

December 2003

Southwinds

www.southwindssailing.com

Southwinds NEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

6

From the Helm

11

Letters

16

Bubba Stops One-Design Regatta

By Morgan Stinemetz

18

Racing Calendar

20

Books to Read

22

Tall Ship in Charleston: The Spirit of South Carolina

By Dan Dickison

24

Boatek: Shore Power Variations and Adapters

By Stephen Sommer The Spirit of South Carolina. Photo by Bill Baum. Page 22

26

Resins, Glues, and Goos for Fiberglass Boats

By Rebecca Burg

30

Good Samaritan Towing

By Wayne Spivak

32

Raider Boat Review

By Dave Ellis

34

Southern Sailing: Tall Tales of the Modern Sailor

By Dave Ellis

36

Sailboat Racing: A Question of Balance

By Morgan Stinemetz

38

Racing and Regattas

46

Short Tacks

49

Classifieds

54

The Flambé Lady of the Dry Tortugas

By Morgan Stinemetz

53

Alphabetical Index of Advertisers

4

Advertisers’ List by Category

4

Subscription Form

48

Where to Pick Up Southwinds

COVER Boats sail home to port in Dunedin, FL. Gary Hufford photo.

Raider Boat Review. Photo by John Drawe. Page 32

From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…Southwinds Covers Southern Sailing LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

Southwinds

December 2003

5

FROM THE HELM HOW MUCH WOULD YOU ESTIMATE YOU SPEND ON YOUR SAILBOAT PER YEAR? At Sail Expo St. Pete, this was one of our main questions in our reader survey that we asked visitors to fill out. The range of answers was considerable. Among those answers were, “Too much,” “All that I have,” “Husband won’t tell.” In term of dollars (which was our intention in the question), we received amounts ranging from $1000 to the highest of $50,000. We assume that person bought a boat or did some major retrofitting! We did have one person answer millions, but we took that answer in jest (we apologize if it wasn’t meant to be). Another series of answers included the following, which indicate our need to rephrase the question next year, “52 days,” “365 days,” “two weeks.” Totally reasonable answers, and only after receiving these responses did we reread our question.

SHOULD SOUTHWINDS COVER TRAWLERS AND THE TRAWLER LIFESTYLE? This was another one of our survey questions, and we also received varied responses. Although we offered a yes or no option, we did leave space for comments (always a dangerous thing to do), and here are some of the answers, “Why not?” “Keep it a sailing rag,” “Stay focused on sailing,” “I plan to buy a trawler someday,” “No opinion,” “Won’t offend me,” “How about a separate trawler magazine?” Most opted to check the yes or no box, and the opinion is pretty much split 50-50, with a few gray areas of comments without checking one of the boxes. We are still considering it and might throw an article or two out there to see the response we get.

WHAT TYPES OF COVERAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ ABOUT IN THE MAGAZINE? Answers to this question were generally comments in favor of what we do cover with a little bit more emphasis on sailors looking for articles on boat maintenance and tips, boat reviews, and coverage of local areas for cruisers to visit, like anchorages, gunkholing spots, and marinas.

PLEASE LET US KNOW MORE For those of you who would still like to give us your opinion, please let us know, preferably in e-mails. This is an ongoing survey about reader interests, so send us those letters. We would also like to thank those visitors at the show who gave us all those positive comments about the magazine. We gave away three prizes and 12 subscriptions in the survey/raffle, and we would like to thank Steve Smith Mobile Marine Rigging for donating the prizes of a lazy jack system and a boom vang. Thanks also goes to Brian and Brenda of Air Duck who donated their weatherproof wind scoop (put on the market for the first time at the show) for one of the three prizes. Thanks also to Jo-Jo of Sunrise Sails, who I am sure handed out more than a thousand Southwinds magazines herself as she greeted at least that many visitors at our booth. An enjoyable show for all.

Steve Morrell Editor

WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED Stories and photographs wanted in the following areas: Boat Reviews: Old boats, new boats, large boats and small boats.

Sailing Experiences: Stories and photos about experiences in places you’ve cruised, anchorages, marinas, or passages made throughout the Southern cruising waters, including the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

The Politics of Sailing: “Politics begins when two or more people get together.” Politics affect us all and particularly in the general world of boating and our waters. We have already heard about anchoring, liveaboards and other topics (like Cuba), but there is always more.

Race reporting: Generally, we are always looking for someone to send us race coverage throughout the Southern states, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Specifically, we are looking to hire someone to coordinate all racing, who is into racing, a good writer and photographer, and willing to work a lot of hours, do some traveling, and doesn’t need a lot of money to get going with a great potential for the future.

Maintenance and Technical Articles: How you maintain your boat, or rebuilt a boat, technical articles on electronics, repairs, etc.

The Florida Keys: Racing and cruising articles about the keys.

Cuba: Of course, there is always Cuba, and regardless of how our country’s elected officials try to keep Americans out of the Caribbean’s largest island, it will open one day as a cruising ground.

Today American sailors can legally go to Cuba and cruise if they follow the proper procedures. If you have a story about such a trip, let us look at it.

Bahamas: Trips, experiences, passages, anchorages, provisioning and other stories that are of interest.

Hurricane Stories: Hurricanes are a part of owning a boat in the Southern waters, and we would like to hear how you and your boat might have been affected by a storm or how you prepare your

6

boat for one. Send us letters or articles.

December 2003

Southwinds

Individuals in sailing industry: Interesting stories about the world of sailors out there, young, old, and some that are no longer with us but have contributed to the sport or were just true lovers of sailing.

The Caribbean: Stories about the warm tropical waters farther south of us.

Charter Stories: Have an interesting Charter story? In our Southern waters, or perhaps in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or points beyond in some far-off and far-out exotic place?

Miscellaneous Photos: Photographs are always enjoyable, whether for their beauty, their humor, or for many other reasons, and we take them alone.

Cover Photos: Southwinds is always looking for nice cover shots of all types. Cover shots are paid for, but donations accepted. They generally need to be a vertical shot, but we can sometimes crop horizontal photos for a nice cover picture. They need to be of a good resolution. If digital, they need to be taken at a very high resolution (and many smaller digital cameras are not capable of taking a large high resolution photo as is on a cover). If a photograph, then we need it scanned at high resolution, or if you send it to us, we can do so.

Letters to the Editor: For those of you who are not as ambitious to write stories, we always want to hear from you about your experiences and opinions.

Contact editor@southwindssailing.com for more information and questions.

www.southwindssailing.com

New is Better Mid-Size Cruisers 30'-35'

Center Cockpit Cruisers 42'-45'

Aft Cockpit Cruisers 38'-46'

New Hunter 44 Deck Saloon

When it comes to owning a yacht, pre-owned is good.

• • • • • • • •

New model design and sailing performance New construction techniques New electronics, a/c systems and gensets New flat screen TV’s and DVD’s Customize your yacht the way you want it Peace of mind of factory/dealer warranties On-site and mobile dealer support Free extensive systems/yacht handling orientation

New is better.

When you purchase your new Hunter from Massey you get free yacht décor dollars to finish off your new interior. But the best part of purchasing a new yacht is that it really costs about the same as buying a late model pre-owned yacht.

Call or come by and discover the dollars and sense of owning a new yacht. New is better.

Pre-Boat Show Open House Sat & Sun Jan 24 & Jan 25, 2004.

Purchase your new Catalina, Hunter, Caliber or Mainship at the Pre-Miami Boat Show Open House and SAVE - SAVE - SAVE!

One Call Starts a Team Reaction!

Palmetto, FL 941-723-1610 • TOLL-FREE 800-375-0130

Brad Crabtree

Scott Pursell

Frank Hamilton

Dan Howland

SINCE 1977

www.masseyyacht.com St. Pete, FL 727-828-0090 • TOLL-FREE 877-552-0525

Edward Massey

Bill Wiard

Mary Beth Singh

Jack Burke

Al Pollak

Southwinds NEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

Southwinds Media, Inc. P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, Florida, 34218-1175 (941) 795-8704 (877) 372-7245 (941) 795-8705 Fax www.southwindssailing.com e-mail: editor@southwindssailing.com

VOLUME 11

NUMBER 12

DECEMBER 2003

Copyright 2003, Southwinds Media, Inc. Publisher/Editor Steve Morrell editor@southwindssailing.com Advertising Sales Representatives Gary Hufford (727) 585-2814 gary@southwindssailing.com Steve Morrell (941) 795-8704 editor@southwindssailing.com Design/Graphics Production Heather Nicoll, io Graphics Proofreading Kathy Elliott Dick Boblenz Dave Ellis Stephen Sommer Liz Tottenham Bill Baum Gary Hufford Diane Marsh

Contributing Writers Rebecca Burg Dan Dickinson Al Humphers Ron Nicol Wayne Spivak Morgan Stinemetz Contributing Photographers Rebecca Burg Debra Gingrich Bryan Kaminski Kim Kaminski Charlie Sneed Morgan Stinemetz

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY: Southwinds encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists, jokers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, including sailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world and generally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some far-off and far-out place.

Southwinds welcomes contributions in writing and photography. Stories about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical articles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronically by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if possible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruising and just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution if digital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to us for scanning. Contact the editor with questions.

Subscriptions to Southwinds are available at $12/year, or $20/2 years for third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card numbers may be mailed with name and address to Southwinds Subscriptions, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 7958704. Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a secure server on our Web site, www.southwindssailing.com.

Southwinds is distributed to over 500 locations throughout 10 Southern states. If you would like to distribute Southwinds at your location, please contact the editor.

Read Southwinds magazine on our Web site, www.southwindssailing.com.

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December 2003

Southwinds

www.southwindssailing.com

10

December 2003

Southwinds

www.southwindssailing.com

LETTERS “Freedom of the press is limited to those H.L. Mencken who own one.”

In its continuing endeavor to share its press, Southwinds invites readers to write in with experiences & opinions.

SHOULD Southwinds COVER TRAWLERS?

I’ve just read “From the Helm” in the November 2003 issue in which you discuss the possibility of covering “trawler boaters” in future issues. Great idea.

I’ve been involved with offshore racing here on the Gulf Coast for 35 years and have made the Regatta al Sol (northern Gulf Coast to Cozumel and Isla Mujeres) some 12 or 14 times round trip, and from that standpoint one would assume me to be a dyed-in-the-wool sailor. As I become older, however, the trawler or powerboat option becomes more and more interesting. The idea of being able to go dead to weather under cover with heating and air conditioning a possibility seems awfully attractive after all those years of sun and rain, to say nothing of the cold discomfort of winter racing, and is not only interesting, but downright sinfully tempting.

With this in mind, I’ve noticed that while there are all sorts of books, pamphlets, advertisements, how-to videos, and magazines touting sailing, there are NO publications serving the average man in a powerboat that does not involve either millions of dollars, fishing, or near super-sonic craft that suck up fuel at an astonishing rate. Even the sailing magazines by and large are aimed at the large, new, and expensive markets. Southwinds and Good Old Boat are the only publications that I know of that address the interests of the average income boater.

Your magazine has a number of good articles each month that address common areas of interest and is much appreciated. I pick mine up at Pass Christian Yacht Club and look forward to its appearance. Thank you for good information, good writing, and interesting subjects. Again, I’d appreciate articles written by (I detest the term) “trawler boaters” that address the how-to of day-to-day cruising under power.

Van Tanner Bay Saint Louis, MS Van, Thanks for your comments on the magazine. We are trying to be a magazine where we have writers who relate closely to the day-today concerns of our readers, the average sailor, although “average” is a difficult term to pin down. As for trawlers, we have gotten a lot of “yes” responses to our query for coverage-both at the boat show in our survey (not 100%, though), and in calls and conversations.

We might explore that territory lightly.

I remember bringing my boat down here from South Carolina and starting the day at 7 a.m. in a storm in pouring rain and cold, standing on the foredeck, trying to make out the next ICW marker.

Suddenly, a trawler passes us and I see a couple inside, at the helm, drinking coffee in dry clothing. “There’s something to be said for that lifestyle,” I said to myself. When I was younger, I wouldn’t have thought about it at all. One isn’t surprised to see more sailboats with pilothouses these days, either. And yea-we need a better name than “trawler boaters.” Anyone out there with ideas (and no sarcasm, please)?

Editor See LETTERS continued on page 12 LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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LETTERS Continued from page 11 WHO DOES OWN THE ANCHORAGE? I enjoyed and benefited from the article “Who Owns the Anchorage,” by Capt J. Michael Shea in the November issue. Now I have a question that I have not seen addressed in Southwinds or by anyone else. Maybe Capt. Shea could help. Who is responsible for the crab pots? And what liability occurs when a boater snags one?

Passing between Anclote Key and Tarpon Springs a couple of weeks ago, it was nearly impossible to navigate around the multitude of floats and traps dropped in that area.

It was just about sunset, and some of the older floats had turned black and could not be seen, and we hooked one on the rudder. The damage was minor to the boat and the trap, but do I owe the crabber for the damage to his trap, or does he owe me for the damage to my rudder?

I enjoy sharing the water with the many different users, but it seems to me that placing so many traps so close is not an efficient means of operation. The potential for damage to the traps and the boats is high.

Please enlighten me.

Mike J. Liles Lifestyle Mike Capt. Shea will be answering these questions in a future article.

This anchorage article proved how little I know about the issue, and I believe we will learn more in future issues about the subject.

Editor

SAILOR MOVES TO CUBA: A SAMPLING OF LIFE I live on the north coast of Cuba, west of Havana. I have been visiting Cuba since 1999, mostly by sailboat, and have spent most of my time here since I met my wife. I have been married for a year and a half with a 20-year-old stepson and a 13year-old stepdaughter. I’ve been here in Cuba for the last 60 days, and now it’s time to fly to another country for a new visa, as I’m required to do so every 60 days. I’ll return in a few days after I buy some items for my house that I haven’t been able to find here and that will fit in my backpack.

These are just a few of the inconveniences that Americans have here. Some others are: I can’t attend my stepdaughter’s school functions or rent the local hall for my wedding party, and they didn’t want to sell me more than three cases of beer for the party when they found out who was getting married. I’m building a new house here, and most of the time I can’t ride in the truck to get building supplies because I’m a tourist, and there is a big fine for Cubans who fraternize with tourists or rent their truck to one. This means that my wife does most of the buying of material. I must add that the Cubanos here are very friendly, and the resistance only comes from officials. I don’t like them getting any money anyway, although almost all money ends up with the government, as in any country.

Cubans are allowed to receive, per household, up to $300 every three months from the United States, via Western Union, from family. This doesn’t sound like much, but that’s a lot of money here for a family of four when a peso is only four cents.

The exchange rate is 26 to 1, for the U.S. dollar. I buy lobsters for 15 and 20 pesos-that’s 80 cents for the big ones. And I get fresh butter at one dollar a pound, but most Cubans can’t afford butter. Fresh pork is 64 cents a pound, and whole chickens are under $2.00. You have to cut it up yourself, just like the pork. Rice is 15 cents a pound, black beans are 28 cents, 12

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eggs at 8 cents each, and fresh fish is less than 40 cents per pound. All of these prices are black market or street prices.

Tourists always pay more because they eat in private legal and illegal restaurants and don’t have the luxury of a stove and wife to cook for them. A meal here runs from $3 to $5 for chicken and up to $12 for lobster. Lobster is highly illegal for a Cuban and so is beef. If a Cuban gets caught killing and eating beef, he can get 20 years. A close Canadian friend of mine had two lobsters in his refrigerator when the officials were inspecting his new house. They took the whole refrigerator. A Cuban would have gone to jail.

Even with all the pitfalls here, I wouldn’t change a thing about my life or how I got here. However, I would like to change the living conditions of the Cubans, and in the future I would like to tell someone more about how I got here and the conditions and problems someone has being here long-term.

From my perspective I am able to see Cuba as no tourist can, but I’m an outsider and people won’t talk to me with the ease I would like-even my own wife.

I live here in fear of the government. Not the Cuban government, but the United States government. When I travel, I have to be careful to whom I talk, and how I go so as not to be detected. I always travel legally, but the U.S. bureaucracy doesn’t always see it that way, and I don’t want any hassles.

As a citizen of the United States, the government can’t tell me where I can or can’t go, so they have come up with regulations, not laws, enacted through presidential orders. The United States Supreme Court ruled over ten years ago that I can go where I want. The bureaucrats don’t seem to agree.

There haven’t been any cruisers here for over 90 days, and the people here are starving for yaties...and I mean starving.

The money the cruisers bring here goes through the whole town and makes jobs for construction, encourages people to grow more vegetables, raises more chicken and pork, puts clothes on kids’ backs and buys school supplies. I don’t want to encourage anyone to break any laws or have any bureaucratic hassles, but the Cuban people need the whole world to help bring them out of the 1950s and help them be free and independent as most of the world is. The best thing all of us can do is make your voice heard, to Congress, the President, and anybody that will listen. Most of all, remember, your loudest voice is your vote.

Name Withheld

RACE AROUND CUBA POSSIBLY PLANNED I did the Conch Republic Cup this year and had a great trip other than the return home. All the letters I’ve read have pretty much hit the nail on the head.

About the race around Cuba: When we were at the regatta party in Havana, I spoke with Commodore Escrich of the Havana Yacht Club. He had plans of having a race around Cuba in two years. He was talking about a 20-port race with a party and awards each night (fully funded by Cuba). The last stop would be Havana and awards given to the overall winner. All of this was with his interpreter’s help. He speaks very little English and I even less Spanish.

Please leave my name and address off of this, as I had my fill of the welcome home party.

Name Withheld Name Withheld, We are getting a lot of letters from people with this name, and I wonder if there was a fad going on about the time these people were LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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LETTERS Continued from page 13 born. Nevertheless, anyone who has heard more about this race around Cuba, we would like to hear from you.

Editor

HELP IN CROSSING THE GULF OF MEXICO (These letters are in response to a reader who sent in a query about getting more written information or other sources on crossing the Gulf of Mexico.)

Nigel Calder published the Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean a few years ago — 1991 to be exact. His sections on navigational considerations and route planning contain information scripted for your questions. Calder is available at West Marine and most other marine stores. When I purchased it in 1991, it was priced at $29.95. Some materials in his book may be dated, but not much and certainly not his observations on the aforementioned topics.

Good luck.

AB Treasure Island, FL The Regata del Sol al Sol (from St. Petersburg to Isla Mujeres) is a great starting point, even if you do not want to race. The dotted track keeps you within range of shelter, and out of the sea-lanes, and if you would contact the race group in advance, and tell them what you have in mind, you could leave early and join up in the Tortugas.

They have had this race for years. There are others.

Dan Ahern Popeye

MARATHON WELCOMES BOATERS: CHANGES BRING SUCCESS FOR ALL MIRACLE IN MARATHON Over the years much has been written about conditions, both pro and con, in the city of Marathon in the fabulous Florida Keys, especially the most controversial spot, Boot Key Harbor.

The heart of Marathon lies at mile marker 50 on US Route 1, the Overseas Highway. By cruising boat, it is roughly midway between the glitz of Miami and the decadence of Key West. It is a perfect cruising destination for anyone considering cruising Florida. Boot Key Harbor is, without doubt, the best, most protected and most convenient harbor in all of the fabulous Florida Keys and possibly all of South Florida.

For many years, it was not well-represented in the sailing press. Complaints varied from hostile harbor inhabitants to lack of public landing facilities and tricky anchoring among sunken and derelict boats. Fortunately, those days are over.

There are presently 64 mooring buoys in the harbor. The derelicts are mostly gone; the bad attitude types are down to a cranky handful. The new city marina is fully staffed with friendly competent people; an operable pumpout vessel exists, and the dinghy docks are first rate. The marinas bordering the harbor are gracious and caring, and the marine industry is the best in the Keys, as is the provisioning, with major facilities of every description within easy walking or bicycling distance.

Despite an amazing amount of recent development and building of facilities, Marathon is still a quaint small town with a friendly populace. It is an island town roughly fifty miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, thus maintaining the best of the 14

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ambiance and lifestyle of the raucous maritime past while accommodating the needs of the present and future.

With the homeland security measures generated since 9/ 11 and the dramatic raise in the entry fee in the Bahamas ($300 plus $15 for each person beyond four) the much-improved Boot Key Harbor and the delightful city of Marathon are certainly viable cruising destinations and the best jump-off spot for the Panama Canal, Caribbean, Mexico or the Bahamas.

Why do I call this sea change a miracle? This is one place where cruisers won the battle for acceptance. Understanding the limitations imposed on anchoring, both by federal and Florida state governments, the city of Marathon has actually gone out of its way to create a cruiser-friendly environment.

This includes the ability for people to live aboard and work in town legally and economically by simply picking up a cityowned mooring at the very nominal fee of $150 monthly. (Plus dinghy dockage either at the city marina or other facility of their choice.)

Sail on down and see for yourself.

Charles E. Kanter, Chairman, Near Shore Waters Committee Marathon, FL (In the heart of the fabulous Florida Keys)

TOWING AND SALVAGE, AND HOW ABOUT A QUESTION AND ANSWER MARITIME LEGAL COLUMN? I enjoyed Capt. Shea’s article on towing and salvage. However, there is recourse for people under admiralty law. I would like to know what the recourse is. Also, I would like to see a question-answer column for admiralty law and what the law specifically says.

What I would like to know is who defines “in peril”?

Can the boat owner challenge the tower/salvor’s definition of “peril”? Also, if the tower tries to declare the boat “in peril,” doesn’t the owner have the right to release the tow and refuse it?

Also, can’t the elderly man claim the dinghy was not in peril? If the salvage was on the dinghy, I would have just given the man the dinghy. There must be some recourse.

Regarding anchoring rights, there was a group in a North Palm Beach anchorage that sued the municipality and won.

One of the attorneys keeps his boat in the anchorage. I don’t have the number to call, but there was a number at the dinghy beach. If anyone knows, you may want to have the person send you the information. These municipalities can be fought and we can win.

Sarah Smith St. Augustine, FL Sarah, We are working on establishing a question and answer column if we get enough questions from readers (and we are getting more and more all the time). Anyone who has questions directed to such a column, please send them to editor@southwindssailing.com. We will also work on answering your above questions.

Editor SHARE YOUR OPINIONS WITH THE EDITOR: PO Box 1175 Holmes Beach FL 34218 Fax: (941) 795-8705 E-mail: editor@southwindssailing.com Web site: southwindssailing.com LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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RACING CALENDAR We’d like to encourage all sailing associations, yacht clubs and regatta sponsors to notify us of upcoming events in your area.

Simply fax or e-mail us by the 10th of each month to ensure that your racing and regatta schedule will be included.

Send to calendar@southwindssailing.com or fax to 941-795-8704 Southwinds Magazine also offers reduced advertising rates for regattas.

FLORIDA EAST COAST

FLORIDA WEST COAST & INLAND

NORTHERN GULF (AL, FL,LA,MS,TX)

JUNIOR REGATTAS

DECEMBER 6 - 7 Star Commodore’s Cup Coral Reef Yacht Club coralreefyachtclub.org

DECEMBER 6 - 7 Laser District 13 Open St. Petersburg Yacht Club Spyc.org

DECEMBER 6 GMAC Bowl Regatta PHRF/Portsmouth Fairhope Yacht Club (251) 928-8888

DECEMBER 6 - 7 Junior Olympics Jensen Beach, Florida ussailing.org

DECEMBER 26 - 29 Orange Bowl Regatta Lasers and Lighnings Optimists and 420s CGSC/CRYC coralreefyachtclub.org

DECEMBER 5 - 7 Tornado Catamaran Champs Clearwater Community SA 727-462-6368 DECEMBER 6 J-24 & Melges 24 Davis Island Yacht Club Diyc.org

JANUARY 10 - 11 SAC Etchells Champ’s BBYC (305) 858-6303 JANUARY 10 - 11 Bob Levin Star Regatta CRYC (305) 858-1733 JANUARY 14 - 16 Ft. Lauderdale - Key West LYC ((954) 527-2223 JANUARY 19 - 23 Terra Nova TradingKey West Premiere racing, inc Kwinfo@Premiere-Racing.com JANUARY 27 - 30 Rolex Olympic Class Regatta ussailing.org JANUARY 31 - 2/1 FSC Etchells Champ’s BBYC (305) 858-6303

DECEMBER 27 - 28 Sugar Bowl Regatta PHRF - Southern YC One Design - NOYC & SYC Syc.org SOUTHERN STATES (AK, GA, NC, SC,TN)

DECEMBER 6 Cmcs Sunfish Regatta Edison Sailing Center Fort Myers 239-277-9352

DECEMBER 7 1064 Regatta Lake Lanier Sailing Club Llsc.com

DECEMBER 27 PHRF Couple’s Race Davis Island Yacht Club Diyc.org

JANUARY 1 New Year’s Day Race Barefoot Sailing Club llsc.com

JANUARY 9 - 11 505 Midwinters Gulfport, Florida, YC davesailellis@aol.com JANUARY 10 - 11 Davis Island Commodor’s Cup PHRF Diyc.org JANUARY 30 - 2/1 Moth, Windmill, Snipe, Jet 14, Flying Dutchman, H-18 Cat Spyc.org

DECEMBER 26 - 30 Orange Bowl Regatta Coral Reef Yacht Club coralreefyachtclub.org

CARIBBEAN JANUARY 13 Commodore’s Race BVI JANUARY 16 - 18 St. Lucia Sailing Club Regatta JANUARY 31 - 2/3 LaSource Grenada sailing Festival

SAILING CLUB DIRECTORY IS NOW ON THE INTERNET

For a list of yacht clubs and sailing associations in Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, visit our Web site southwindssailing.com. Their addresses and Web sites will also be listed. We are asking all these organizations to e-mail us your Web site address and we will put a link to it.

Yacht Clubs and Sailing Associations: Please update your phone numbers by e-mailing yachtclubs@southwindssailing.com and give us your Web site address also.

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SUBSCRIBE TO

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SEE PAGE 4 Now subscribe online at www.southwindssailing.com at a secure site using your credit card.

BOOKS TO READ MAXIMUM SAIL POWER:

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$12/YEAR $20/2 YEARS SEE PAGE 4 Subscribe online at a secure site for your credit card www.southwindssailing.com

The Complete Guide to Sails, Sail Technology and Performance

By Brian Hancock Described by the publisher as the “first comprehensive guide to sails and sailmaking in 25 years,” Maximum Sail Power covers just about everything that has to do with today’s sails.

Although really aimed at the sailor, professional sailmakers will also find this book full of usable information. For the sailor, whether looking to buy sails or became a better sailor, everything is covered, and in a language which the layman can easily follow. This truly is a “comprehensive” guide. The author states that the book can be read in sections, or each chapter as it is laid out, depending on the needs and knowledge of the reader. The book starts with a trip visiting your sailmaker, then takes you through how sails are made, the material used, and the latest technology. After that, the book goes into different types of sails-spinnakers, storm sails, cruising sails, racing sails-the list goes on. The book finishes with several chapters on sail trim, sail handling, sail care, and finally a discussion of the theory behind how a boat sails. With all the changes in sail technology and materials in the last decade, many sailors will find this book a useful guide to not only learning about what’s out there, but increasing their knowledge of sail trim and handling. Nomad Press. www.nomadpress.com. $44.95

CRUISING GUIDE TO THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FLORIDA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPPI, LOUISIANA Fourth Edition

By Claiborne S. Young Claiborne Young, along with Pelican Publications, seems to have the cruising grounds from the Carolinas to Louisiana pretty much covered. (Although, Florida’s Big Bend was not written by Claiborne, Pelican did cover that one section in another guide.) Keeping this area updated-covering the coastal cruising grounds of the Southeastern United States-must be a full-time job, and one wonders how it can be done unless Claiborne and others are out there cruising constantly. Perhaps they are. He does get help and thanks his research assistant, Andy Lightbourne, for his help. This book is 566 pages long, and a lot of marinas, waterways, anchorages and restaurants, to name only a small part of the book, are covered with updated information. For the first time, approximate latitudes and longitudes of many of these are given in the book. Cross referencing is also done with Coastal Charts for Cruising Guide to the Northern Gulf Coast.

A simple comment from the introduction gives one an idea of the cruising waters: “Where else can captain and crew cruise for a single day and pass from the gin-clear, emerald green waters of the Florida Panhandle to the mud-rich brine of Mobile Bay?” Sounds like lots of great seafood, too. Pelican Publishing. www.pelicanpub.com.

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LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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TALL SHIPS

Tall Ship in Charleston: Spirit of South Carolina

By Dan Dickinson

“I

f you build it,” goes the hackplay of maritime artifacts, and manneyed refrain from Kevin aged a maritime festival as well as a Costner’s 1989 blockbuster film race to Bermuda, all of that on little Field of Dreams, “they will come.” The more than nominal contributions. Now, founders of the South Carolina Marisays Sneed, “it’s time to get serious.” time Heritage Foundation in CharlesThe Spirit of South Carolina — the ton, SC, adopted that same notion name given this classic vessel despite roughly three years ago when they deits unfinished state-was envisioned cided to build a classic wooden tall ship. with two purposes in mind: to serve After fewer than six months of actual as a platform for sail training, targetconstruction-in which 23 sets of live oak ing the youth of South Carolina, and frames have been attached to a keel as a floating goodwill ambassador for scarfed together with enormous the Palmetto State. Despite the public Angelique timbers, indeed “they” have Charlie Sneed and the Spirit of South Carolina. Photo by nature of those roles, the SCMHF isn’t come. They’ve come in the form of more Bill Baum. pursuing public funds to build and than 200 dedicated volunteers and a handful of committed board operate the ship. “We’ve always envisioned making this hapmembers. They’ve come in the form of crucial in-kind dona- pen via private and corporate backing,” explains Sneed. “Not tions from the city of Charleston, Makita Tools, and numerous that public support isn’t welcome, but we’re trying hard to avoid other entities. But the “they” that the organization’s founders getting the ship or this organization entangled in the politics truly had in mind at the outset of this ambitious project were that so often accompany such support.” donors — big donors — the kind who can cut substantial checks.

The realities of a tight economy coupled with a less than And “they” haven’t made their way out of the cornfield just yet. formal approach to fundraising have made it difficult for the “We hope that’s about to change,” says Charlie Sneed, the SCMHF — a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation-to maintain executive director of the SCMHF and one of several wooden its build schedule. Sneed says the organization had initially boat enthusiasts who dreamt up this idea. “We’re in the process planned to launch Spirit in the fall of 2004. Unless construction of launching a statewide capital campaign that we think will resumes soon (it’s been in hiatus since May), that date will have assist us in connecting with and attracting the kind of contribu- to be pushed back. All of this, says Sneed, hinges on a successtors who can truly make a difference for this project.” Aside from ful capital campaign. “We’ve got a realistic budget, and we’ve nearly completing the skeleton of a classic, 90-foot tall ship, the managed to do quite a bit thus far,” he said, “but you can’t build organization has also erected a boatyard, established a small dis- and operate a wooden tall ship on credit; we’re hoping to se-

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cure significant funding that will see this project through.” Sneed said the precise goals of the campaign remain proprietary for the moment.

The ship itself is Photo by Charlie Sneed closely patterned after a pilot schooner that was coincidentally built just 200 yards from where the Spirit now sits. In 1872, a young shipwright and entrepreneur, Samuel J. Pregnall, built and launched a 65-foot schooner he christened after his wife the Frances Elizabeth. That vessel served harbor pilots in Charleston for 24 years before being sold to pilots in northern Florida. Sneed and his SCMHF colleagues have uncovered information that links the design of the Frances Elizabeth to the schooner America, famous for begetting the America’s Cup. That, says Sneed, is just one of a number of interesting discoveries that his organization has unearthed regarding the region’s maritime history through its work with this tall ship. He says it’s indicative of something else he and his colleagues hope will “come” once the ship is built-a maritime heritage center.

Though the organization’s initial mission is to build this classic schooner to represent the state and augment the educational experience of South Carolina youth, Sneed says: “Eventually, we hope this ship will spark renewed interest in the region’s maritime history, and we plan to accommodate that interest by way of a maritime heritage center.” He hopes the efforts of his group will provide South Carolinians an opportunity to reconnect with a portion of their history that has been largely overlooked. “Most

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

Photo by Debra Gingrich

historians and preservationists in this state can recite chapter and verse about the significant buildings and homes in our coastal communities, but few can tell you about the development of the waterfront in places like Charleston, or about the ships that serviced our harbors for almost two centuries. That’s because we really haven’t paid much attention to our maritime history here, which is something our efforts can help to rectify.”

On December 5th at the boatyard, organizers are hoping to put in place the final frame of the vessel’s skeletal structure.

Once funds begin to roll in, shipwright Mark Bayne and his crew will commence planking the ship with the hope of speeding the project toward completion sometime later next fall. For additional information, or to make donations, on either the Spirit of South Carolina or the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation, call (843) 722-1030 or log on to www.scmaritime.org.

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By Stephen Sommer 2. A white return or common wire, which has little or no voltage on it compared to ground and is used to return the current to the power source that is supplied by the source.

3. A black hot wire that carries up to 50 amps and measurable voltage of 120 volts compared to the return and ground wires.

4. A red, hot wire that also carries 50 amps at 120 volts compared to ground and return. This is not the same as the black wire because it is out-of-phase with the black wires.

That means that as the current alternates, this wire is at negative 120 volts at the same instant as when the black wire is positive 120 volts. This means that if you measure from the red to the black wire, you will measure 240 volts. This is just like when you connect two 6 volt batteries in series to make a 12 volt battery.

The 120/240 volt, 50 amp power source can provide 12,000 watts of power because it is actually two separate 120 volt, 50 amp power sources in one connector.

Once you understand what makes up each source, you can work out the

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

limitations of each adapter: 120 volt, 30 amp to 120/240 volt, 50 amp adapter: In this case, there is only one “hot” wire from the source, so the adapters generally connect the one input hot wire to both of the output hot wires. This makes all the 120 volt appliances work, but the 240 volt air-conditioners, which are connected across the two hot wires, get zero volts because the two inputs are not “out of phase.” The other limitation is that the total load on the output wires is limited to 30 amps before the shore power breaker “pops.”

120/240 volt, 50 amp to two 120 volt, 30 amp adapter. This adapter works almost too well. Most of these provide one hot wire to each output connector and connect two ground outputs to the ground input and two return outputs to the return input. The result is that you have two 120 volt, 30 amp outputs that are limited to 50 amps by the shore breaker. This really isn’t safe because the 30 amp connector and wire can be overheated by 50 amps.

120 volt, 15 amp to 120 volt, 30 amp adapter: The wiring on this is straight-

forward and works just fine with the current limited by the shore breaker.

Two 120 volt, 30 amp to 240/120 amp adapter: This one can be a little scary, because it makes a lot of assumptions about the dock power, unless it is one of the high tech and expensive “smart Y” devices. If it’s just a cable, connect the adapter with the shore power breakers off and then turn on the shore power. The sparks can be blinding if the dock power is miss-wired. It’s also possible to get an output that has two identical phases, with no 240 volt power available, like the first adapter. It that happens, try different shore power sockets.

Stephen Sommer is a degreed electrical engineer with extensive experience in electrical, mechanical, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems and holds a USCG Masters license. He consults in all areas of yacht systems, which include all the equipment on board yachts beyond a basic hull and motor or sails.

Have a systems problem or question?

Ask Stephen Sommer: boatek@southwindssailing.com.

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MAINTENANCE

RESINS, GLUES & GOOS: PART I The Basic Foundation for Renewing & Maintaining Your Fiberglass Sailboat

By Rebecca Burg

P

ulled from her natural element, dripping and vulnerable, Angel seemed to lose her last shred of dignity. She was gawked at, her exposed nether regions poked at, prodded and sprayed with a hose. The weary 1978 Bayfield 29 was then unceremoniously propped high and dry on the stands.

My new baby. Previously a neglected orphan, Angel required serious surgery, and her life was in my hands. Her restoration and seaworthiness depended on the proper application of the many marine materials on today’s market. Initially confused by the puzzling array of new items at the local chandler, I conducted extensive research and relied on a background in engineering to become familiar with everything that could possibly benefit Angel’s restoration. The knowledge is invaluable for any self-reliant boat owner.

The most common materials used for restoration, repair, and as a foundation for cosmetic work, are fiberglass and resins, fillers and additives, sealants, adhesives and various specialty items. Knowing what’s available and understanding a material’s application and proper use allows a boat owner to make educated choices. As a result, your boat’s long and productive life rewards you with safe travel and unforgettable escapes.

FIBERGLASS RESINS The most commonly used fiberglass resins are polyester and epoxy. Many boats today and all older fiberglass boats are laid up with polyester resins. Most off-the-shelf polyester resins today simply require the addition of a catalyst to initiate curing.

Sensitive, they cure between 70 - 80 degrees F and will cure

Angel

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www.southwindssailing.com

faster when in direct sunlight. Epoxy resin is more costly than polyester, but is preferred by many boat owners today. A two-part system, epoxy is stronger, extremely versatile and has a longer shelf life than polyester. Most important, epoxy is perfectly compatible on an existing polyester hull. Likewise, polyester resin is compatible with a hardened epoxy surface. However, avoid mixing epoxy and polyester resins when both are wet.

Because of its availability in my locale, I used Angel’s interior looking forward before the West System brand ep- retrofitting. oxy products for Angel’s restoration. This system conveniently includes user-friendly dispensers for the accurate mixing of resin to hardener and a variety of resin fillers, additives and tools. Easy to follow charts and labels explain the finer details for proper application of each available product. The major epoxy systems provide different types of hardeners that allow the epoxy to cure at specific rates.

Slow-curing hardeners are best for penetrating and sealing and

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

Angel’s interior looking forward after retrofitting.

when working in hot, humid conditions. Fast-cure hardeners are preferable for use in cooler ambient temperatures or for small, fast repairs. Avoid adding more than the recommended hardener or the epoxy mixture will set too soon or deteriorate, compromising the strength of the repair.

Curing epoxy resin will create heat, and the wet mixture must be spread out in a wide container or it will set prematurely. Avoid clumping epoxy-saturated rags, which can easily create a fire hazard. Cured epoxy resin often leaves a greasy blush (amino acids), which must be cleaned with mild soap and warm water. Most important is your safety when working with these various, often volatile substances. Shield the skin with nitrile gloves, and protect the lungs from vapors and sanding residue. It is known that over time, skin exposure to epoxy can cause serious allergic reactions and blistering.

A major use for resin is fiberglass lay-up. The most common glass cloth, called E-glass, is compatible with both epoxy and polyester resins. Different weights and weaves of E-glass cloth are used in repair and structural reinforcement. Chopped strand mat is applied as a first layer to create a secure bond to an existing fiberglass hull. Woven roving is a heavy and strong cloth used in the middle layers of a repair. For high strength and stiffness, a new cloth with a biaxial direction is available.

It’s composed of two non-woven layers of cloth stitched together at a 45-degree angle. Regular fiberglass cloth, a thin and sturdy weave, comes in different weights and is used as a top layer in a repair due to its smooth surface.

Since fiberglass is relatively brittle, avoid creating sharp

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FIBERGLASS angles during structural work. Partially cured fiberglass is easily trimmed with a sharp blade but is difficult to cut once cured.

Tools can be cleaned with acetone. Avoid adding acetone to uncured resin or to fiberglass surfaces as it will interfere with curing and will soften hardened fiberglass. Acetone must be stored in an airtight metal container. A fellow cruiser had learned this the hard way when acetone stored in a plastic container eventually ate through it and proceeded to dissolve a hole through his boat’s fiberglass topsides.

The West System and products like it also offer a range of fillers and additives to be stirred into a batch of wet epoxy mixture. Detailed label instructions help the boat owner to determine what would most suit his or her needs. For example, the West System’s white flour-like high density filler is used to create a range of consistencies for working against gravity, bonding and for extremely strong repairs. When cured, this particular filler is difficult to sand. The low density filler is useful for fairing and filling small dings in a fiberglass hull, and it is easy to sand. Usually, the harder the cured material is to sand, the stronger it is.

OTHER RESINS AND FILLERS Vinylester resin, a relative newcomer, is more costly than epoxy. It provides excellent water resistance and is used as a barrier after a boat’s gelcoat has been removed for major blister repair.

A vinylester based filler, such as 3M’s Marine Premium Filler, is a readily available and valuable resource when in the yard. A convenient two-part mixture, this thick substance was easy to work with for filling small dings and for creative repairs in both fiberglass and wood. Used above and below the waterline, the strong cured resin can be sanded and painted over. Workable against gravity, the vinylester filler cures quickly and when in direct sunlight, one must work fast.

I had even used the tough vinylester filler to restore a torn three-inch section of teak on Angel’s decorative trail board.

The ragged void was cleaned and filled with several successive layers of the mixture. Craft-store Popsicle sticks helped to sculpt the filler and blend it with the existing wood. When fully cured, the vinylester was sanded and painted with craftstore acrylic paint to match the teak’s color. The creative repair looked as good as new and spared me a costly custom replacement.

Marine Tex, a two-part epoxy-based material, also became an invaluable tool in the yard. Activated by a catalyst, Marine Tex mixes to a thick peanut butter-like consistency and cures

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hard and waterproof. The gray-colored mixture was used to repair a small crack in Angel’s bronze stern tube, again saving me a costly custom replacement. The gray can even be used to repair exhaust manifolds, tanks, engine blocks and piping.

White Marine Tex has served well in an emergency repair to a gouged fiberglass dinghy. It is also safe on most plastics. Most important, only marine specific fillers and materials should be used on your boat.

Auto body fillers, though convenient, do not hold up to the marine environment. Some automotive fillers actually absorb water over time and are weaker than marine fillers. Your boat deserves the best. Your and her safety depend on it.

NEXT MONTH IN PART II: Sealants and Soft Adhesives: Older Boat Repair Miscellany

BOOK RESOURCES: Buchanan, George. The Boat Repair Manual, 1985.

Arco Publishing Inc., NY. Ettlinger, Steve. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Everything Sold in Marine Supply Stores. 1995.

William Morrow and Company, Inc., NY. Modern Boat Maintenance. 1989 Sheridan House, Adlard Coles, Nautical.

Spurr, Daniel. Spurr’s Boatbook: Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat.

1993. McGraw-Hill/International Marine Vigor, John. Boatowner’s Handbook: Reference Data for Maintenance, Repair, Navigation and Seamanship. 2000.

International Marine/McGraw-Hill.

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Towing a vessel - it’s more involved then you think!

Good Samaritan towing: “First of all, do no damage.”

By Wayne Spivak United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

T

his summer, my wife and I went to one of our favorite haunts for dinner.

It’s a pleasant place to eat, and what makes it even more delightful is that they not only have a mean coconut shrimp dish, but they are right on the water.

Sometimes we go by boat, other times by car, but in either case, one of our pastimes when we eat at this restaurant is watching the boaters passing by the eatery. We always get a good laugh while watching people try to dock their boats at the restaurant. This is in part a result of the rather strong current that ebbs and flows by the restaurant and the strong winds that tend to blow.

If only people understood the physics involved in docking a boat, and that speed, or rather the lack of it, is a crucial factor in easy docking, we wouldn’t laugh as much. But this article is not about docking. Maybe another article will cover the techniques needed for an easy docking maneuver. This article is about towing.

So what do my culinary tastes and entertainment values have to do with towing? Well, while watching the boats and the waterfowl playing in the estuary, I noticed a boat being towed by a Good Samaritan. What I saw vís a vís, the tow situation caused those little hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

GOOD SAMARITANS Let me start by saying I applaud people who are willing to be Good Samaritans. I really do; otherwise why would I be involved with America’s Volunteer Lifesavers(tm), with the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary? But there is a difference between being a good and goodhearted neighbor and taking unnecessary risks because of sheer ignorance.

This country is based on neighbors helping neighbors. It is the indomitable spirit of volunteerism that drives many of our social organizations, our educational institutions and to some extent, government service. It is for this reason that many states have enacted legislation that protects the Good Samaritan from acts of negligence.

Hippocrates gave some sage advice for medical emergencies, and it works for 30

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all Good Samaritans: Primum non nocere.

“First of all, do no damage.”

The English incorporated this advice into common law, now called tort law.

Today, we have two legal terms that apply to the Good Samaritan: negligence and gross negligence. Negligence can be defined as: “... a duty to ensure that a person’s actions do not cause harm to others.” (Hippocrates code) (Duhaime.org) Gross negligence is “any action or an omission in reckless disregard of the consequences to the safety or property of another. This is sometimes referred to as very great negligence, and it is more than just neglect of ordinary care toward others or just inadvertence.” (Duhaime.org) So, by definition, it becomes imperative that if you are to offer assistance, offer only the assistance which you are capable of providing safely.

TOWING Towing is not a simple procedure! There is a tremendous amount of stress involved, and it affects both boats and the towline you are using. I’m talking about stress, as in forces-the types of forces you learned about in physics class. And we’re talking some major forces; enough that a miscalculation could cause someone’s death.

What follows is meant to give the reader a basic understanding why towing is dangerous. This article is insufficient to make the reader prepared to tow any vessel of any size.

The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary provide their members with several different boat handling courses. Most of these courses contain sections on towing.

As an auxiliarist in the boat crew program, you first learn about towing in the mission oriented operations chapters.

Here you begin to learn the methodology behind a tow, but very little of the theory.

We’re talking the “how-to” under guidance of a coxswain.

Auxiliary members would then refine the process of towing in the coxswain program. Here more emphasis is placed on theory, so that the coxswain, who is in charge of the auxiliary vessel (called a facility) can make informed decisions

on whether to initiate the tow, and if the coxswain feels confident that the tow can be safely handled, what type of tow to undertake.

In the auxiliary operations course AUXSAR (Auxiliary Search and Rescue), a sizeable portion of this course is about towing. This course provides all the theoretical information about towing. The course material states, “Almost everything done during a tow is potentially hazardous; a successful tow is one during which no damage is done to the engine(s) of the towing vessel, no damage is sustained by either vessel, and no one sustains an injury.”

Essentially, there are four factors that impact a towing situation: the hull characteristics of a boat doing the towing, the hull characteristics of the boat being towed, the construction and diameter of the line used to tow the disabled vessel, and the sea state (waves, wind, and current). With all the different makes and models of vessels, as well as different line types, you can see that every tow is unique, making towing as much an art as it is a science.

I mentioned stress before, as one of the many reasons why you really need to learn how to tow a vessel before you actually just do it. There are three types of forces that a towboat, the towed boat and the lines that connect them, undergo.

These are acceleration forces, steady forces and shock forces.

A brief definition will help you understand the dangers involved. Acceleration forces is the stress placed on the vessels and the towline during the time the towed and towing vessels are dead-inthe-water, to the time they reach their maximum (constant) towing speed.

Steady forces is the stress placed on the vessels and the towline during the phase after maximum (constant) speed is reached. These forces are just involved in pulling the towed vessel through smooth water at a constant speed.

Shock forces occur because of the sea state. Towing in calm, smooth water would produce little or no shock forces.

Towing a vessel where there are five-foot waves, at 30-second intervals would prowww.southwindssailing.com

duce considerable shock forces. Just picture your boat slowing down and speeding up as it goes up and down waves.

The towed boat is doing the exact same thing. But it probably is not in synch, so the towline is being stretched and then goes slack, and then gets pulled tightly again and stretches.

An average size vessel towing a vessel of equal size will, at a minimum, incur several hundred pounds of force, depending on the type of line used, sea state, etc. While many lines may contain ratings for several thousand pounds of force, those statistics are for brand-new line.

Lines that are well-used, or that are weathered, are probably capable of sustaining loads much smaller than what they are rated for.

DEAL BREAKERS – WHAT CAN GO WRONG USUALLY WILL So great, now you know the factors that influence a tow and some basics on what the forces are. So what? Without doing all the math and physics involved, all you need to understand is: Recreational vessels are often ill-equipped to handle the stresses of towing for a variety of reasons: • While every piece of equipment has different breaking characteristics, given enough stress, any part of this towing system could break, and often with catastrophic results. If you must tow another vessel, examine its hardware (cleats, bits, etc,) as well as your own to make sure it is bolted through. Never attempt to tow another vessel using a “ski rope” or other lightweight line incapable of sustaining the stresses outlined above. Under no circumstance should anyone stand directly in line with the towline, because if it were to break, it would “snap back” like a rubber band, wreaking havoc with everything in its path.

• The cleats and deck fittings on most boats can only accommodate smaller lines,which limits the amount of force they can take, and thus the size of the vessel you can tow. How fast you tow another vessel can impact the forces exerted.

• The pitch of most propellers on your average recreational vessel is geared toward maximizing speed of the vessel, not torque. Using the average propeller with a pitch of 19 or 21 inches results in a great deal of slip (inefficient movement of water through the propeller), making towing inefficient and stressful on an engine.

• The amount of power it takes to tow a vessel, if done improperly, could cause serious damage to one of the most expenLOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

sive pieces of equipment in your vessel your engine(s)!

• The average recreational vessel does not carry lines of the length that may be necessary to minimize the shock forces by keeping the vessels “in step” with one another.

It is important to adjust the length of the towline to minimize the shock forces caused by wind, waves, and/or current.

• If the boat doing the towing is an outboard or an inboard/outboard, you have another potential disaster — getting the towline caught in the prop of the tow vessel. At the very least, this usually means cutting the towline free from the prop, possibly totally disabling the towboat, resulting in the need for another potential tow.

Given the information above, I hope you can see that there are a myriad number of things that can go wrong when towing another vessel. In any case, if I was a professional gambler who was asked to bet on whether the average recreational boater could tow another boat without incident, I would pass, as the odds favor the house. The “house” here is the fact that you’ll likely experience damage to either the towed boat, the towing boat, or that someone on either vessel would

sustain an injury.

BEING THE GOOD SAMARITAN I hope I’ve shown you that part of being the Good Samaritan is learning when to just stand by and when to act, at least when it comes to towing. Under most circumstances, towing should be left to professionals especially if you want to avoid the label of appearing grossly negligent.

Standing by, and waiting with the other vessel, is still considered offering assistance, since should the situation worsen, you would be able to provide help in sheltering the occupants of the other vessel. You can also provide protection from other vessels and help communicate with the Coast Guard.

If you want to learn how to tow a vessel, why not join the Coast Guard or the Coast Guard Auxiliary? We’d be more than happy to teach you the skills you need to be not only a better boater, but a trained lifesaver.

To find out how to join, contact your local Coast Guard (visit www.uscg.mil for details), or visit the Coast Guard Auxiliary Web site at www.cgaux.org and click on the Flotilla Finder link on the right side of the page.

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BOAT REVIEW

Raider Sport Dave Ellis

T

he Raider Sport is a boat that turns heads. This is a craft that would look very much at home in a Star Wars movie. Darth Vader would sail this boat. Darth Raider?

Designer John Drawe enjoys a good lightweight planing dinghy. Most of the genre, however, are difficult to sail, tip over readily and have nowhere to put the cooler.

Drawe dreamed, planned and consulted with kindred spirits like Paul Keller, Kenny Allen and sailmaker Joe Watters to come up with a fresh approach.

It is not quite true that the boat is designed around a twelve-quart cooler. But there it is, in its own fitted well just behind the mast, ready for use.

The lines flow around a dinghy hull as pleasing to the eye as to the sailor’s butt.

16’2" This is simply the most com- LOA 15’11" fortable small performance LWL Beam 7’4" boat you will find.

6.5" I sailed the boat on two Draft Board up Board down 41" occasions during the Sail Expo St. Pete Boat Show in Hull Displacement 200 lbs this time that I realized that I’d reached 3 adults or 400 lb.

November. The first time Capacity over to the low side of the boat and Sport 123 sq. ft. Raider: 108 sq. ft. was with the boat in the Sail Area scooped the shrimped sail into the boat, Sport :carbon Raider: aluminum original Raider version, al- Mast waterlogged and all. Try that in another Sport: carbon Raider: hollow aluminum dinghy. though with the carbon spar. Daggerboard 12 quart There was a breeze where a Cooler This boat just refuses to capsize. Two Laser sailor was hiking Portsmouth rating 91.5 men can stand on the low side deck much of the time upwind. with the sail aback and it does not capMy 185 pounds kept the Raider quite flat simply by sitting on size. The only way to get the thing to go over is to go forward the “wing” of the deck. It was almost embarrassing to be so of the mast and reach far up and pull it over. Hang on because comfortable. it will try to pop up. Pull the boat all the way over until the It took a while to dial in the sail since the carbon mast is mast tip touches the water and let go. It will right itself with no quite bendy and de-powers the sail quickly. The stiffer alumicrew help. This is a true self-righting boat. No, there is no num mast that is on the standard Raider may have been a better weighted keel. Just the lightweight daggerboard and rudder choice. After getting the combination with the vang, traveler and a clever hull/deck design. and sheet, there seemed to be little speed or height difference The crew capacity is 400 pounds, so you and a crew can upwind between a Laser with a coach behind it in a powerboat gain weight and still sail the boat. and my first attempt at the Raider. In puffs the Raider was faster.

Two versions of rig are available. The Raider has 108 square On a run, the Raider quickly passed the Laser, but only if the feet and the Sport 123 plus the asymmetrical spinnaker that boat is sailed upright. When using the common practice of heelattaches about 7/8 up the mast. The Sport version replaces the ing to weather, the boat was the same speed as the Laser. aluminum mast with a carbon spar and has controls leading to On reaches the Raider comes into its own, planing and surfeach side of the boat. ing readily in winds not usually associated with that kind of Construction is by Johannsen Boat Works, the same folks fun. When the wind pipes up, the rudder does not load up with who make the Trinka. Fit and finish are better than dinghy sailweather helm as so many cat-rigged dinghies do. ors have come to expect. The hull must be quite strong as there When I next sailed the boat, it was rigged as the Sport verare confirmed stories of major collisions resulting in little damsion with the larger mainsail and asymmetrical spinnaker. The age. E-Glass and epoxy are used in the molds for the hull. speed difference off the wind was significant. The sail is rigged The Sunfish was a breakthrough boat in its day. The Laser with the usual modern pull up-pull down continuous halyard continues to be sailed by thousands of sailors. In the new cenand worked very well. I managed to get a hockle in the line tury, perhaps it is time to go faster without the bruises and hikright in front of the boat show spectator dock and shrimped the ing pain. nylon sail. But it went back up flawlessly to jibe through the And for some of us, perhaps time to have a performance anchored fleet in spectacular fashion. boat with a built-in cooler.

It was not until dousing the asymmetrical without incident Go on line to www.raidersailboats.com for more information.

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LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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33

SOUTHERN SAILING

By David Ellis

Tall Tales of the Modern Sailor

A MIGHTY WHACK

Sailors have been known to have a story or two to tell. A ‘gam’ the line over the edge of the He was a big man with a big was a group of sailors, originally whalers, sitting around having dock, the mighty boat was free.

Well, it worked. The 28boat. The Royal Gaboon was conversation and telling tall tales. a race unlike any other. In the There are stories to tell of our era of sailing, too. Maybe you footer with nearly 500 square 1950s and ’60s anything was have one or two you’d like to share. By all means write them up feet of sail straining took off allowed, except engines, on and send them to Southwinds (editor@southwindssailing.com). like a shot, heading for the enthe 40-mile dash to Sarasota. Or just phone and get in touch with me, and I’ll write them up trance of the harbor with the crew hanging on.

Paddles, swimming the boat, and credit you with the story.

All, that is, except for Big carrying it across points of All of these stories are true, although not all are first-hand land, capsizing under bridges accounts. The names are NOT included. I know them in most Guy. Judges may have given and even occasional skulldug- cases, but it doesn’t matter who they are. The stories stand by him a “6,” as he did a half gery were allowed or tolerated. themselves in sailing lore. gainer over the stern as the The start was “Le Mans,” deck took off without him. where all the skippers lined up Took a while to get that big E-Scow back to Big Guy. in front of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club until a cannon went off at around 8:00 a.m. Boats had to be docked or anchored near the dock out front. One boat had a long fishing line at- CAN’T FIND GOOD CREW NOWADAYS tached to the dock while the boat was clear across the basin.

The Thistle sailor always won the races in his fleet. EveryBut the big guy had another plan. body else tried for second.

The wind was blowing pretty hard from the west. Since One day the fast guy was leading the fleet on his lake, as the entrance to the Municipal Marina on the St. Petersburg usual, when he noticed to his dismay that he had long ago waterfront was to the east, why not tie the stern of the E-Scow passed the windward mark. If he turned around to go back to to the dock, set all sails, including the spinnaker, and be strain- it, his lead would suddenly make him the tail-ender in the fleet ing at the leash. as others noticed and turned around to go back.

All worked to perfection. While not particularly fast to What to do? the boat on the dash across the street, at least somebody didn’t “Quick, drop the main,” he whispered to his crew. lock the gate at the last minute this year.

“Say what,” was the reply.

“Here I come! Get the ax ready,” said Big Guy. “Just do it,” he retorted.

“Crash!” Down into the back deck he jumped, and with a quick handoff of the ax and a mighty whack with the blade on See SOUTHERN SAILOR continued on page 47

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SAILBOAT RACING

A Question of Balance

By Morgan Stinemetz

I have been sailing the same sailboat for 27 years. It has been a learning experience for me from the get-go.

It still is. And maybe the simple truth that makes sailing such an enchanting sport for us is its mystery and diversity.

Sailing is never the same, day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute.

O

ver the years, I have had some successes racing. It was just plain good luck at times. Other times the success came because we out-sailed or out-smarted the other guys.

Short of hiring some hotshots, getting titanium blocks, tracks and rigging, a carbon fiber spar and a suit of racing sails, there are some simple things which a sailor can do to make his boat perform better.

One of those things that take a little time and effort, but no money, is getting the boat to sit on its lines. This is just a matter of looking carefully at the boat while it is at rest. You want to get off the boat to do this. The farther away you are, the better perspective (within obvious limits) you’ll have. If you can use a known perfectly vertical object to compare your boat’s spar with, then you’ll be able to get it right rather easily.

In the marina where I keep my boat, I have put a vertical level on a support beam from a building to make sure it is

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plumb. I can sight from that vertical beam to my boat and see if a little adjustment is needed. Usually, it is not. That’s because I can use the same level in the companionway of my boat to check for port and starboard balance. The bubble shows me what to do.

Because the gas tank in the lazerette and the boat’s galley are on the port side, there was a port list. I have had to balance the boat by taking the heavier items in the lockers on the port side and moving them to starboard. It took some work and a lot of checking the horizontal level and the vertical configuration, but I eventually got it done. The boat sailed better right away.

Next up was the problem of fore and aft trim. My boat has an 18-horse outboard hung on the back of it, which makes it stern-heavy. The class I race in requires that the outboard remain in place while racing, which is okay with me. An 18-horse outboard is not fun to take off the back of the boat and store below and then put back on after the race. Couple the outboard’s weight with a gasoline that weighs six pounds to the gallon and you will understand the stern-heavy predicament. Besides, the boat I own, an Ericson, traditionally has had some problems with its stern squatting. It is a persistent complaint I have heard from other Ericson owners.

What to do? Move as much weight forward as you possibly can. If that means stowing sails in the forepeak to get weight forward, then do it. Assuming that you have a water tank forward, keeping it full is another way to put weight where it’s needed.

Adding weight to a racing sailboat is generally a no-no, but if a little extra weight-not a lot-will make your boat trim out like it was meant to, then I think you can get by with some extra pounds.

To help me gauge what kind of trim my boat has at any time, I have mounted an inclinometer inside the companionway to see what kind of horizontal trim we are getting. Additionally, I have a fore and aft reading inclinometer to tell me about bow-down trim. It, too, resides in the companionway, but its orientation is 90 degrees from the first one. That means that it must be attached to a surface that runs parallel to the keel. It needs to read in one-degree increments, too. Fore and aft trim is far more subtle than horizontal trim.

The point of this exercise is to have your boat flat when it is at the dock and where you can do something about correcting any ambient list. When you are going for the gold-or, as the case may be, bronze-is a bad time to start thinking about boat trim.

Work on the problem early. You can’t fix it late. Then, in order to win, do what Buddy Melges has suggested for years now. “Start first and steadily increase your lead until the finish.” Works every time. www.southwindssailing.com

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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RACING & REGATTAS WEST FLORIDA ROLEX 2003 OSPREY CUP ST. PETERSBURG, FL, OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 2

By Morgan Stinemetz Starting out one race down from Saturday’s beginning of the final series in the Rolex Osprey Cup-a women’s match racing round robin sailed in Tampa Bay off St. PetersburgHannah Swett of Jamestown, RI, sailed well enough in the first two races on Sunday to win them both. In the fourth race, Swett had a leeward start and a slower one than Claire Leroy of France and was never able to dig herself out of the hole she found herself in. Leroy won race four, which evened it all up 2-2.

The match racing championship came down to one race.

Winds were 13 knots from 045 as the two teams jockeyed for position before the final show- Hannah Swett and crew deal with spinnaker wrap. Rolex 2003 Osprey Cup. Morgan Stinemetz photo. down. Racing in 26-foot Sonar one-design keelboats, the boats each had a crew of four. The ing again. Within 50 feet of the finish, Swett fouled Leroy. And ladies sailed them like dinghies, roll tacking and spinning them an on-the-course umpire boat raised a yellow flag. Swett would around in pre-start maneuvers like toys. It was a concert of have to do a penalty turn. During the penalty turn, Swett again fouled Leroy, and this time an umpire raised a black flag. Discoordination and precise movement as technical as ballet.

The last race was a stem-winder. Leroy made an unex- qualified! Mort!

Winner: Claire Leroy from St. Quay, France. Crew mempected hitch right before the start. Swett took the start while going fast and in clear air. Inexplicably, Swett tacked over to bers were Julie Gerecht of Brest, Julie Bossard from Brest and cover Leroy right off the bow of the committee boat. She Ingrid Cerrato from St. Quay. They won the Osprey Cup by slowed down. The boats split tacks up the weather leg, but earning it the hard way, coming from behind to sail as well as Swett was in the lead, albeit by not as much of a lead had she boats can be sailed.

“We felt very, very good,” said a soaked Leroy in heavily not tacked right after the start.

At the first leeward mark, Swett had 10 seconds on Leroy, accented English after putting her boat away. She and her teama lifetime in match racing. However, at the top of the final mates went for an impromptu swim when the other competiwindward leg, after a tacking duel that made the sails look tors gave them a congratulatory push into the water.

Bossard, a member of the French navy, added: “All the like scissors, that lead was just three seconds. The boats came down the final run glued together, chutes filling and collaps- way around the course during the last race we said, ‘Don’t

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lose. Don’t lose.”

Carol Cronin of Jamestown, RI, finished third by dusting off Christine Briand of France in the final race of three.

2003 STILETTO NATIONALS, SARASOTA, FL, OCTOBER 29-31

By Ron Nicol The 25th Annual Stiletto National Championship Regatta was the dream that came true for the sailors that participated in this silver anniversary event. For many years, we have been saddled with light winds and summer-like conditions, but this year Mother Nature dished up some “fair winds and good sailing.”

This event has been held traditionally in Sarasota since 1980, the first being sailed in Annapolis, MD, in 1979. Most thought it too cold and blustery, so Larry and John decided to hold it in Stiletto’s hometown of Sarasota at the Hyatt-a most impressive pre-quay lagoon filled with 28-plus Stilettos. Reminds me of the days gone by. The Nationals were held at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for several years until we went over to Lucaya, Bahamas, in ’87. Then we sailed from Regatta Point in Palmetto in ’88 and dove down to the keys in 89 at Hawk’s Cay resort on Duck Key. Since 1990 Sarasota Sailing Squadron has been home to this event, and hopefully it will continue there with the great support of Stiletto Fleet 1 and the Squadron.

Race day one on Sarasota Bay was a windward/leeward course, twice around, with 10-15 knots of wind. Swim Mart took first in all three races.

On Thursday, day two, was the long-distance race in the Gulf. This race is weighted and counted for two races in the overall standings. Team Stiletto won on corrected time.

The final two around-the-buoy races were held on day three with 20-25 knots in Sarasota Bay and Swim Mart winning.

I would like to commemorate this regatta to TJ Johnson, a friend and sailor who will not be forgotten. Fair winds, Ron. Results: Modified Class; 1-Mike Speth Swim Mart 6.25; 2- Ron Nicol Team Stiletto 11.50 ; 3- Steve Steakley Strider 18.00 ; 4- Bob Buzzelli Fetish 19.00 ; 5- Jon Dowd Iguana 19.00; Stock Class; 1- Bill Pardue Sea Traveler ; 2- Dave Ehlers Yin Yang; 3- Archie Kerr No Worries

BRISK WINDS AND HOT COMPETITION MARK CLEARWATER CHALLENGE

By Al Humphers, principal race officer This year’s Clearwater Challenge on Nov. 1-2 was absolutely spectacular, with five fast races sailed in two days in the Gulf

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of Mexico. Hosted annually by Clearwater Yacht Club, this year’s event, sailed in 12- to 20-knot breezes, featured two courses. Sport Boat and Spinnaker A and B divisions sailed a windward-leeward course north of Clearwater Pass while Non-spinnaker A and B and True Cruisers sailed a triangle course south of the pass.

The Spinnaker course challenged the racers with five legs around a one-mile course. With brisk winds, three windward and two leeward legs in each of five races brought plenty of action, not to mention exercise and bruises. The Sport Boat division, won by Mike Carroll’s Henderson 30, New Wave, saw a lot of excitement when a crewmember from Tack Tick went overboard when a hiking outrigger malfunctioned in the second race. Fortunately the individual was safely retrieved by another quick-to-the-rescue competitor.

Taking first place in Spinnaker A was Robert Hobb’s B-32, Abbey Normal. Spinnaker B was won by Ray Mannix’s J-29, Semper Fi. The Non-Spinnaker course proved challenging as well, when in the first race, all but one of the Non-Spinnaker A boats missed a rounding mark and received DSQ’s for that race. That race became the throwout for many. First place Non-Spinnaker A went to Mark Wesson’s Catalina 42, Escapade; Non-Spinnaker B to Hall Palmer in Lucky Duck, a Wyliecat 30. True Cruising honors went to the Creekmore 40 Coconut, sailed by Allen Lindsey.

This year’s regatta also introduced what hopefully for local sailors will become a tradition for future years. The week prior to the Challenge was the Davis Island Yacht Club Classic, a 65/100-mile distance race (non-spinnaker had the 65-mile course) from upper Hillsboro Bay to Clearwater Pass.

The Classic provided Tampa Bay sailors a great venue for bringing their boats to Clearwater, leaving their boats at Clearwater Yacht Club during the week and returning the following weekend for Clearwater Challenge’s around-thebuoy format and after-race partying.

Results Sport Boat: 1, New Wave Michael Carroll CYC; 2, Wings Bob Reaves TITYC; 3, Tack Tick Mike Siedlecki SPYC. Spinnaker A: 1, Abbey Normal Robert Hobbs DIYC; 2, Pocket Rocket George Wolf; 3, Rocket Jamie Myers DIYC; 4, Time Bandit George Haynie DIYC; 5, Daring Robert DeMoss DIYC; 6, Fire & Ice George Cussins DIYC; 7, Mariah Jose V Suarez-Hoyos DIYC; 8, Stampede Geoff Burdge; 9, Orangutan Bob Glaser DIYC; 10, Hot Tub WM Terry DIYC; Spnnaker B: 1, Semper Fi Ray Mannix Windjammers; 2,Riva Dick Crowl CYC; 3, Fat Bottom Girl Richard Gress Bird Key; 4, Marisol J.A. Booker; 5, Full Bore Donald Fritz Harbor View YC; 6, Desperado Ron Augustine CYC; 7, Instant Karma Ken Friedman Windjammers; 8, Jackal Allen Davidson SPSA; 9, WildKat Harvey Ford SPYC;10, Mystic Jay Myers CYC. Non-spinnaker A: 1, Escapade Mark Wesson BYC; 2, Prime Plus Frank Hanna ABYC; 3,

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RACING & REGATTAS Baroscious Jim Mallory DIYC; 4, Addiction Richard Booth. Non-spinnaker B: 1, Lucky Duck Hall Palmer SPYC; 2, Tango III Rafael Paris TITYC; 3, Island Hopper Carol Elwood; 4, Xta Sea Richard Pearson SPSA. True Cruising: 1, Coconut Allen Lindsey DIYC; 2, Shady Lady Steve Honour SPSA; 3, Ooh La La Victor Gandoff Windjammers; 4, Easyout John Hamm SPYC; 5, Little Feat Bob Fox CYC; 6, Sonia-Cate Donald Miller Windjammers; 7, Sundance Dan Wallace FOMA; 8, Chesapeake Tom Ferrara Windjammers.

EAST FLORIDA

SINGLE-HANDED OFFSHORE RACE, CLEARWATER YACHT CLUB NOVEMBER 3

By Liz Tottenham The Melbourne Yacht Club Fall Regatta and Race Week was a great success by all accounts, in part due to winds that were reportedly gusting to nearly 30 knots.

The action kicked off on Saturday with the smaller boats, including Flying Scots, Raiders, Sunfish, multihulls, Portsmouth class and Lasers, whose crews battled 15-knot winds.

The following weekend featured Optimist prams, a reverse handicap Rum Race, and PHRF spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes, Catalina 22, and the bigger multihulls, Melges 24s, and the Sunfish Invitational, hosted by Sunfish Fleet 669.

“We are very excited about the interest that has been shown in the club’s regatta and race week,” said Dave Noble, regatta chair and owner of Noble Awards and Engraving.

“We hope to continue this growth in interest for sailboat racing in the area. We’ve shown that it’s a great sport and a wonderful way to enjoy Brevard’s great natural resource.”

The event started well with 35 boats, some from as far away as North Carolina, participating in six classes.

The next day the winds were out of the north ranging from 5 to 12 knots, the skies very grey and wet. The rain fell all day.

As the last Friday night “Rum Race” of the year for the October 24 Rebel Rally, racers were told to bring flashlights in order to find the marks and finish line. Good advice, it turned out, as light winds kept the racers out on the river till well after sunset. The winners were: cruiser class, Jim Miller, Sea Turtle, Satellite Beach; racer class, Gary Smith, Five Speed, Indiatlantic.

Saturday’s strong breeze of more than 13 knots was punctuated with gusts of 20 knots (some reported much stronger gusts), giving the racers the kind of competition they live for. The winds created some problems for spinnaker boats, with more than a few blowing out sails and having to rely on patches and standby equipment.

Sunday was kinder on sails and equipment, with winds dropping to less than 10 knots by the end of the two races.

Amy Lacy, on the Melges 24, Animation, was philosophical about the strong winds and the strain on the equipment.

“There wasn’t a boat out there that didn’t have to overcome

By Dick Boblenz On November 3rd the Clearwater Yacht Club sponsored the 1st Annual Single-Handed Offshore Race from Clearwater to Tampa Bay via Southwest Channel to finish at Green (#3), a distance of 29 miles. Conditions were heavy starting in a 20to 25-knot northeast breeze, which built as it switched to the southeast and gusted to 50 knots in storms that lowered visibility to 100 yards. The fleet was paced by the race committee in Mermaid, a 41-foot Hatteras, which took frequent water over the flybridge.

Honors were taken by Frank Hannah of ABYC in his Beneteau 44, Prime Plus. In second was Hall Palmer of SPYC in his Wyliecat 30, Lucky Ducky, and third was the race organizer Bill Baker of CYC in his Irwin 41, Mariah.

ST. PETERSBURG SUN COAST CLASSIC WINDSURF REGATTA NOVEMBER 1-2 Eighty windsurfers traveled from places as far away as Canada, Texas, and California and competed for two days on Tampa Bay. At stake was bragging rights for the 2003 Sun Coast Classic, which included the North American Mistral Prodigy Class Championship, and the National Seniors Championship.

Their ages ranged from 15 to 81, and they competed in 17 different classes. The weather was beautiful with temperatures in the 80s and wind gusting up to 18 mph. This allowed the racers to complete nine races in two days.

Results (Division followed by first place winner): 1st start PRODIGY Grand Master; Lelbach, Bill; Prodigy Junior; Boersma, Mark; Prodigy Master; Hawes, Sean; Prodigy Men; Rhodes, Randy; Prodigy Seniors; Simmons, Al; Prodigy Women; Simmons, Susan M; Sport Fleet; Grand master; Colcord, Ned; Clysdale 190 Lb + and up to 9.5 Sail; Dewolf, Henry; Seniors; Quigley, Mike; Women; Adair, Anne; Senior Nationals 65 years +; Hope, Christopher; Senior National 70 +; Nugent, Pat; Senior Nationals 55+; Bogan, Steve; Formula Grand Master; Miller, Guy; Formula Masters; Aguilo, Joan-Pere; Formula Juniors; Willis, Bob; Formula Women; Faller, Ellen; Formula Men; Barre, Vincent; Formula Seniors; Sylvester, Steve; Sport Open 7.5 masters; Kaszuba, Robert; Open Men; Money, Erik; Open Women; Mazanek, Tina; Open Unlimited(no divisions); Meitzen, Marlin

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MELBOURNE YACHT CLUB FALL REGATTA AND RACE WEEK, MELBOURNE, FL OCTOBER 18-19 AND OCTOBER 23-26

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something (breaking or tearing) on Saturday,” said Lacy. “Today, the wind was lighter, but still, the competition was terrific.”

The Flying Scots were also competing for the Florida Sailing Association’s State Championships during the first weekend. Sunfish competed for that championship on the 25th and 26th. Results are listed below.

Jim Miller, winner of the PHRF Non-Spinnaker class and Boat of the Week award, was impressed by the quality of racing throughout the two weekends.

“It was a great competition and great for sailing,” he said.

“We were sailing against some good competition. I’ve been doing this for many years, but this was just great fun.”

Melbourne Yacht Club expressed its thanks and gratitude to other area yacht clubs for pitching in to make this one of the most successful race weeks in Melbourne Yacht Club history.

For more information on the Melbourne sailboat racing community, contact regatta chair Dave Noble, 779-5222 or email at dave@nobleawards.com, or contact the Melbourne Yacht Club fleet captain Gary Smith, 674-0886, or e-mail him at fivespeed05@hotmail.com, or visit www.sail-race.com/.

Oct. 18-19 Results Raider Class: First, Karl Saylor, Georgia; second, John MacNeill, Indialantic; third, Paul Keller, Michigan. Portsmouth Class: First, Tom Clough, Palm Bay, JY 15; second, Mike Barile, Jacksonville, Day Sailer; third, Marci Butz, Rockledge, Catalina 14.2.Sunfish: First, Dave Silverman, Indian Harbour Beach; second, Bill Haberland, Satellite Beach; third, Jim Edwards, Satellite Beach. Laser: First, James Liebl, Titusville; second, Paul Henderson, Merritt Island; third, Chris Wiecks, Ft. Pierce. Multihull: First, Chuck Hernden, Satellite Bech; second, Scott Hubel, Melbourne; third, Matt McDonald, Satellite Beach. FSA Flying Scots Gold Medal: Chuck Leib. Silver: Fred Strommer. Bronze: Matt Wey.

Palm Bay; Bert McAllister Trophy (for overall corrected time): Duncan MacKenzie, Satellite Beach, Dirty Dog.

UPPER GULF COAST FISH CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA, BUCCANEER YACHT CLUB, MOBILE, AL, OCTOBER 18-19

By Kim Kaminski The Gulf Yachting Association’s (GYA) Fish Championship Regatta was held at the Buccaneer Yacht Club in Mobile, AL, on October 18-19. Eleven member clubs were invited to participate in this fourth annual two-day racing event sponsored by the Fish Class Association.

The Fish class boat was the original inter-club vessel used for racing competition between the GYA member clubs. Its design incorporated features of the New England Sharpie (straight lines and chine) and some of the Biloxi Cat (wide beam and low freeboard) to which was added a V-bottom for easy entrance and smooth wake. The boat has a gaff rig, which is more difficult to sail since the angle of the gaff rig is an important factor in securing the best speed under varying wind pressures. The name “Fish” was adopted for each named fish in the coastal Gulf waters, but over time the numbers on the sails were easier to use to identify the various competitors and so the fish names on the transom were abandoned.

The racing teams from the Pensacola Yacht Club (PYC) earned the overall first place honors at this year’s regatta. Two clubs (Buccaneer and Fairhope) tied for third place, with three yacht

Oct. 25-26 Results PHRF Spinnaker “A” Fleet: First place, Duncan MacKenzie, Merritt Island, J29 DirtyDog; second place, Sherry Beckett, Satellite Beach, Lindenberg 28 Fast Lane; third place, Gary Smith, Indialantic, Lindenberg 28 Five Speed. PHRF Spinnaker “B” Fleet:First place, Frank Ziolko, Melbourne Beach, Tug; second place, Greg Kowalski, Melbourne, Slot Machine; third place, Larry Etheridge, Melbourne, Purr-fect.

PHRF Non-Spinnaker: First place, Jim Miller, Satellite Beach, Sea Turtle; second place, Jerry Ross, Melbourne, Sleighride; third place, Del Wiese, Indian Harbour Beach, Chasing Rainbows.Catalina 22: First place, Alan Jepsen, Palm Bay, Lil Flash; second place, Brad Ruffe, Titusville, Mercury Rising; third place, Albert Pivonka, Maitlant, Bang-a-rang.Sunfish: First place, Paul Strauley, Sanford; second place, John Meyer, Virginia; Charlie Rahn, Plantation.

FSA Sunfish Gold Medal: Paul Strauley, Sanford, FL; Silver: Charlie Rahn, Plantation, FL; Bronze: Tony Elliott, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Melges 24: First place, Brian Harrison, Atlanta, GA, Satisfaction; second place, Alex Shafer, Eustis, FL, Tommy Bahama; third place, Doug Kessler, Atlanta, GA, Liberty 3.

Other awards presented Sunday afternoon: Boat of the Week: Sea Turtle, Jim Miller, Satellite Beach; Sailor of the Week: Jim Edwards, Satellite Beach; King of the Prams: Hasty Miller,

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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RACING & REGATTAS sun became more intense, the winds began to decrease back to a more manageable moderate breeze of 12 knots.

Many of the comResults, (place, club and points): 1- Pensacola Yacht Club (3); 2-New petitors were well-seaOrleans Yacht Club (5); 3-Buccaneer soned at handling a Yacht Club (7); 4-Fairhope Yacht sailing vessel, making Club (7); 5-Mobile Yacht Club (10); their efforts on the wa6-Point Yacht Club (15); 7-Bay Waveland Yacht Club (15); 8-Fort ter look easy. The NonWalton Yacht Club (15); 9-Gulfport Spinnaker and Cruiser Yacht Club (16); 10-Navy Yacht class (with a total of 18 Club Pensacola (18); 11-Ocean boats) had the first Springs Yacht Club (21) race start and sailed a 14.86-mile course THIRD ANNUAL around Pensacola Bay PREEMIE CUP with the Spinnaker REGATTA, class (total of 11 boats) Dan Owczarczak and Kim Kaminski earned 1st place in their class and in the Overall SpinOCTOBER 25, starting five minutes naker Fleet during the double-handed charity sailboat race - the Preemie Cup Regatta PENSACOLA BEACH which helped to raise funds for the Sacred Heart Hospital’s premature babies neo-natal later and sailing a unit. Dan and Kim won on a 36-foot Hunter sailboat. Photo by Diane Marsh.

YACHT CLUB slightly larger course

By Kim Kaminski of 15.32 miles.

The third Annual Preemie Cup Sailboat Regatta was held on Last year the sailing vessel Windward Spirit earned the October 25, by the Pensacola Beach Yacht Club in Pensacola, honor of having the highest elapsed time out on the racecourse FL. Twenty-nine sailboats registered for this popular charity with a finish time of 3:58:40. This year, that honor went to sailboat event, which helps to raise funds for the neo-natal Dare II who earned the highest elapsed time of 3:57:19. Windunit for pre-mature babies located at the Sacred Heart Hospiward Spirit earned the honor at this year’s event of being the tal in Pensacola.

The fall weather conditions for the charity race were ideal and perfect for any sailor. The partly cloudy skies, warm temperatures, and moderate breezes (12 to 14 knots out of the southeast) encouraged the participants as they began their quest - to help raise funds for premature babies by competing in a sailboat race with only a two-person crew. This double-handed race enticed sailors to try their hand at racing against other boats and teams and to display their skills at handling their boat with only two people on board. This is not a simple task, especially when the majority of the boats that were racing measured in at over 30 plus feet! Even the boats that were under 30 feet had their hands full maneuvering around the racecourse dodging the bigger vessels. As the afternoon progressed, their challenges during the race increased due to the intensifying winds out on the racecourse, which built to up to 15 to 17 knots. Luckily, as the afternoon clubs, The Point, Bay Waveland, and Fort Walton ending up in a tied position for fifth place.

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most improved competitor by earning a finish time of 2:19:06. The top honors for a husband and wife team in the Non-Spinnaker and Cruiser class went to Bob and Karen Kriegel on their boat Caribbean Soul with the trophy for the best husband and wife team in the Spinnaker class going to Hal and LeAnn Pickering on their boat We Be Jammin.

The Amanda Werner Spirit of Sailing Award went to the sailing team on Spinnaker class competitors try to capture a light breeze on the the first leg of race number 1 during the Pensacola Yacht Club Sundance which ar- Championship held in Pensacola on November 1. Photo By Kim Kaminski. rived late to the racBozeman / 1:48:38 ; 3rd - De Ja Vu - Bill Kraft / 1:57:06; 4th - SAPO - Ryan Lynch / 2:17:33; ing area but still competed in the race.

5th - Parrot Head - Al Greene /DNF; Class E - 1st - Ez-Duz-It - Kim and Julie Connerley Beautiful hand-made dinnerware trophies (specially cre1:44:17; 2nd - Land’s End - Jeff Schroeder / 1:57:16; 3rd - Blown Away - Bob Buker / ated by artist Cissy Martin) were given to the first, second 1:58:34; 4th - Don’t Worry - Dave Oerting / Julie Denton 1:58:44; 5th - Corsair - Kelly Rysula and third place finishers in each class. The big winners of the / DNF; Most Improved - Windward Spirit - Buddy Tippin; Amanda Werner Spirit of Sailing day, Terry Kreitzberg and his teammate on Big Sky, earned Award - Sundance - Bob Dean; Husband and Wife Team - Non Spinnaker - Caribbean Soul - Bob and Karen Kriegel; Husband and Wife Team - Spinnaker - We Be Jammin - Hal and first place overall in the Non-Spinnaker and Cruiser class LeAnn Pickering; 1st in Fleet Non-Spinnaker - Big Sky - Terry Kreitzberg; 1st in Fleet Spinnawhile the “dynamic duo” of Dan Owczarczak and Kim ker - Applejack - Dan Owczarczak and Kim Kaminski Kaminski (yours truly) on Applejack earned first place overall in the Spinnaker class.

PENSACOLA YACHT CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP Results: SPINNAKER - 15.32 miles Class A - 1st - Phaedra - Bob Patroni / Rick Zern 2:08:35; 2nd - We Be Jammin - Hal and LeAnn Pickering 2:09:00; 3rd - Road Tripp - Mark Braxton / David Kellen 2:10:56; 4th Sirocco - Bruce Lee /2:13:22; 5th - Awesome - Paul Barrett /2:18:13; Class B - 1st - Applejack - Dan Owczarczak / Kim Kaminski 2:04:51; 2nd - Achushi - Jessie Mayo / 2:08:43; 3rd - Forever Mind - Pee Wee / 2:09:36; 4th - For Sale - John Burgess /2:09:48; 5th - Dare II Mike Kirk / 3:57:19; 6th - Roka Dobi - Ron Bray / Roger DNF; NON-SPINNAKER - 14.86 miles Class C -1st - Big Sky - Terry Kreitzberg / 1:40:14; 2nd - Carribean Soul - Bob and Karen Kriegel,1:42:05; 3rd - Kanaloa - Mike Beard / 1:48:35; 4th - White Lightning - Bob Wolfe / 1:51:08; 5th - Aurora - Dick Dunbar / 1:53:11; 6th - Windward Spirit - Buddy Tippin / 2:19:06; 7th - Moby - Robert Falkner 2:28:36; 8th - Sundance - Bob Dean; Class D - 1st - Delphina - Jim Pantano / Debbie Stockwell 1:43:42; 2nd - Caddy Wampus - John

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

SAILBOAT RACING SERIES, PENSACOLA, FL, NOVEMBER 1-2

By Kim Kaminski The Pensacola Yacht Club held the first two races in their Championship Sailboat Racing Series on November 1-2. A total of 19 sailboats of various sizes (from the smaller sailing vessels like John Burgess’s For Sale, or Be Gobeli’s Jes-Be-NMe, to the monster sailboat of Crawford Rainwater’s known as God Speed) had managed to escape from the shoreline and make their way out on the waters of Pensacola Bay for a weekend of sailing competition.

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RACING & REGATTAS The PYC Championship offers sailboat racing competitors one more opportunity for a chance to race against their fellow enthusiasts in the last series regatta of the year in the Pensacola area. The race competitors sailed in two classes Spinnaker (13 boats) and Non-Spinnaker (6 boats). This race series welcomes sailors from the different area yacht clubs to race in a total of at least four races over a two weekend period (November 1-2 and November 15-16). Boats may enter in one or compete in all of the races where trophies will be given to the top three finishers of the day in each class. However, the overall championship trophy can only be earned by the top finishing member of the Pensacola Yacht Club.

For the first day of competition, the racers were faced with an interesting day for sailing. Light winds (3 to 5 knots), a heavy outgoing current, and Indian summer temperatures (up to 82 degrees) greeted the sailors as they made they way out onto the waters. The race start for the steeplechase course that was scheduled for the first day of the series looked like a slow-motion movie of “Let’s go Sailboat Racing .” At one point in the race both the A and B Spinnaker classes were drifting backwards towards the starting area, and the Non-Spinnaker class had to delay its race start. Even a few clever sailors dropped their anchors to prevent the backwards drift but soon struggled to get their anchors on board when the very light breeze filled in from behind and spinnaker sails started popping up all over the racecourse. The winds were spotty at first and slowly began to fill in from the southeast, ending the day with a steady breeze of 8 to 10 knots. Due to the inconsistent and light breezes the original long distance steeplechase course was shortened to a six-mile race.

On Sunday, the racers were scheduled to compete in two races (both a double windward/leeward course). However, Mother Nature was even more inconsistent with the winds than the day before. The race committee had to postpone the start of the first race as they chased the wind around the bay, finally setting the race course up in the southern end of Pensacola Bay where light breezes were more consistent, but the cross currents were strong. The light breezes slowly died off as the afternoon began to wane, and the decision was made to only complete one race for the day.

Results: Pensacola Yacht Club Championship Race 1 Standings SPINNAKER - 6.06 miles Class A; 1st - Atlantic Union - Doug Sansom ; 2nd - Latex Solar Beef - Doc Bellows ; 3rd - We Be Jammin - Hal Pickering; 4th - Phaedra - Bob Patroni; 5th - God Speed - Crawford Rainwater; 7th - Patriot - Mark Taylor DNC; Class B; 1st Applejack - Dan Owczarczak; 2nd - For Sale - John Burgess; 3rd - Waz - Ben Myars; 4th -

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Roka Dobi - Ron Bray; 5th - Antares - We B DeGuys; 6th - Emotional Rescue - Tom Flaherty; 7th - Halcyon - Bob Baxley; NON-SPINNAKER - 6.06 miles; 1st - Sundance - Bob Dean; 2nd - Mariah - Ed Markham; 3rd - Jes Be-N-Me - Be Gobeli; 4th - Carpe Diem - Tom Elliot; 5th - Blown Away - Bob Buker; 6th - White Lightning - Bob Wolfe; Pensacola Yacht Club Championship Race 2 Standings; SPINNAKER - 4.4 miles; Class A; 1st - Patriot - Mark Taylor; 2nd - Atlantic Union - Doug Sansom; 3rd - We Be Jammin - Hal Pickering; 4th - Latex Solar Beef - Doc Bellows; 5th - Phaedra - Bob Patroni; 6th - God Speed - Crawford Rainwater; Class B; 1st - Roka Dobi - Ron Bray; 2nd - Emotional Rescue - Tom Flaherty; 3rd - Waz - Ben Myars; 4th - Antares - We B. De Guys; 5th - For Sale - John Burgess; 6th - Applejack - Dan Owczarczak; 8th - Halcyon - Bob Baxley, DNC; NON-SPINNAKER - 4.4 miles; 1st - Sundance - Bob Dean; 2nd - Carpe Diem - Tom Elliot; 3rd - Mariah - Ed Markham; 4th - Jes-Be-N-Me - Be Gobeli; 7th - Blown Away - Bob Buker DNF; 7th - White Lightning - Bob Wolfe DNC

Watch for the final results of the Pensacola Yacht Club Championship, held Nov. 16., in next month’s issue.

KEY WEST FANTASY FEST REGATTA, SUNDAY OCT. 19 KEY WEST, FL

By Rebecca Burg The once rowdy Wild West resembled a ghost town. Key West that is...

In lieu of tumbleweed, clumps of brown Sargasso bobbled in the glassy harbor. Smothered in a hot, dusty tropical haze, the island was silent. Anchored sailboats were scattered about, disorderly and confused by a limp tide and lack of wind. Bows pointed every which way while unseen fin keels and spade rudders toyed with slack rodes. Single-handed cruisers, Defiant and Angel, were rafted up, lazily sharing one anchor. For a few windless weeks, the two sailboats had clung together like lovers in a remote mangrove cove. They had nothing else to do. It would take cool winds and a loud party to coax this languid little island back to life. Near the end of October, that’s precisely what happened. A mild cold front breezed through and Key West erupted in glittering color, crowds, costumes and revelry. Fantasy Fest, celebrating its 25th year, is a playful, adult-oriented, weeklong party. The festivities extended over the water as boats hoisted sail for the yearly Fantasy Fest Regatta. Organized by the local sailing club and the efforts of sailors Ivy Gray and Matt Blomberg, the race welcomed any sailboat over 20 feet in length.

Eager to play, sailboats shook themselves loose, a cool new wind teasing their sails. Sizing each other up, they convened over the aqua harbor. About fifteen knots of northeasterly breeze and clear subtropical sunshine made the day. Near

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a massive cruise ship engaging in a lifeboat exercise, race participants timed themselves and shuffled for advantageous positions behind the start. The smaller racers, edgy and swift, pirouetted within inches of each other and dashed between beamy cruisers. Schooner Dream Catcher, the largest boat in the race, gently shouldered past her much smaller sisters. Defiant, unusually hyper and over-caffeinated, was obviously compensating for weeks of lost sailing time. To assure that her crew was just as alert, she luffed and flogged me with a jib sheet.

Anticipating the start, boats began to tightly cluster behind the line. Ed, alone on the committee boat, gave the signal.

The race was on. Like greyhounds released from the gates, sailboats poured past the start in a mad dash for the first buoy. On the cruiser’s course, Moonspinner led the way with Blue Ice tight on her heels. Defiant, pulpit festooned with Fantasy Fest beads, slid behind Blue Ice. Blow Me and Nina scurried into position behind the group. Dream Catcher suddenly recovered from a slow start and approached Moonspinner.

The spinnaker-flying racers followed a different course far northwest of the cruisers. Some of the racers seemed to cling together while Rage, a tall, dark and handsome visitor, fought to recover a late start. Sassy Lil Rascal worked to maintain her ground in the midst of notorious speedsters BlaBlaBla, Thin Ice and Class Act. On the cruiser’s downwind leg, sailboats were wing-onwing, slowed and rolling over the pale luminous blue. Dream Catcher lost her valuable ground. The stately schooner sails the dance. Moonspinner and Blue Ice still battled for the lead. Blow Me stealthily crept up to Defiant, who slowed after her telescoping whisker pole collapsed a few times. Bouncing over ungainly waves, affable little Nina remained near the rear. With a significant handicap, the classic sailboat’s position was deceptive. The racers slipped over the finish while the cruisers followed. A few boats had tight schedules to adhere to and sailed off course, unable to finish.

Sailors met that evening at scenic Schooner Wharf for food, spirits and awards. As the electric orange Key West sun fell into the Gulf of Mexico, Ed announced the Fantasy Fest race winners. Enthused sailors remained after sunset, recalling the day’s adventures. Enjoying the nighttime view, I watched schoo-

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

ner America materialize out of the darkness. Absolute elegance, she calmly slid bowsprit first into her slip. Content but tired tourists clunked down the gangway and stumbled onto solid ground while the schooner’s crew tucked her in for the night.

Heard before she was seen, wooden schooner Western Union eased stern first into her slip. A small pusher dinghy aided the beautiful schooner like a tiny worker ant tending to her royal queen. A sailor could never tire of watching the tall ships and classic boats that sailed local waters. Soon it was time to jump into the dinghy and go home. A long Fantasy Fest week awaited.

Results: Spinnaker: 1st - Thin Ice, 2nd - BlaBlaBla, 3rd - Class Act, 4th - Sassy Lil Rascal, dnf - Rage; Cruising: (non-spinnaker): 1st - Moonspinner, 2nd - Nina, 3rd - Defiant, 4th - Blue Ice, 5th Blow Me, dnf - Dream Catcher

WEST MARINE SEMINARS (Call your local West Marine store for other seminars) Fort Lauderdale Store 2300 So. Federal Highway (954) 527-5540 What: Tuesday Nights 7:00 p.m. All Tuesday night seminars are FREE at our FlagShip Store - 2300 South Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. Please feel welcome to call us for more information and seminar subjects anytime at (954) 527-5540.

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SHORT TACKS REEF WORLD TO OPEN AT REEF RELIEF

By Joel Biddle, Reef Relief educational director Reef Relief is planning a new educational experience for Key West.

It’s called Reef World. Reef Relief’s gift store will move just around the corner to Reef Relief’s Environmental Center on the boardwalk of the Historic Seaport. Reef World will open where the store used to be at the foot of William Street. A video-viewing area, an interactive computer station, a children’s activity area, an information and reference library for adults, and a classroom area for presentations-all these elements-will be combined together to make Reef World a powerful and very enjoyable educational experience for residents and visitors of all ages who are interested in discovering the wonders of our magical underwater world.

“Reef World offers the opportunity for our children to have a dedicated area to learn about coral reefs and the need to protect them,” says Joel Biddle, Reef Relief’s educational director.

“It will also provide a forum for the general public with cutting edge ideas about coral reef ecosystems and efforts under way to save them. Reef Relief will provide specialized sessions for teachers as well as students, hotel staff and their guests, civic organizations, and let’s not forget our day visitors who are planning on-the-water activities.”

At Reef World, no visitor will go away empty-handed. Fishing and boating information, Reef Relief teacher kits, Coral Reef guides for students, and more, will be readily available. In addition to videos, slide shows, and DVDs already available at Reef Relief, new multi-media projects will enhance the activities at Reef World.

The opening date for Reef World is expected by year’s end in December. Sponsors and volunteers are needed to help renovate the new facility, set up media stations, and to host visitors once the center is open.

Reef Relief is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to preserve and protect living coral reef ecosystems through local, regional and global efforts. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Gift memberships are available, and the on-line store features eco-friendly gifts for the holidays. For further information, contact Reef Relief at www.reefrelief.org, reef@bellsouth.net, or (305) 294-3100.

TYBEE ISLAND BEACH CATS MARATHONS The Tybee Island Sailing Association, organizers of the successful Tybee 500 that debuted last May, has teamed up with the Outer Banks Catamaran Club to produce two back-to-back five-

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hundred-mile races starting next year. The contests will form a new 1000-mile annual challenge called the Atlantic 1000. According to race organizers, these two events, the Tybee 500 and the Outer Banks 500, will culminate in a third award honoring the sailors with the best-combined time for both.

Race registration will begin on January 1, 2004, with surf sailors given the choice of entering either or both events. The Tybee 500 will run the same course as last year from Islamorada, FL, to Tybee Island, GA, May 10-15. The Outer Banks 500 will start on May 17 where the Tybee leaves off, ending at Kill Devil Hills, NC, on May 22.

Each race will have five mandatory checkpoints between start and finish classes and will consist of 18- and 20-foot production catamarans, factory spinnaker-rigged with beams of no more than 8.5 feet, including Inter 20, Nacra 6.0, Hobie 20, and the NAF 18. Web site addresses are: www.tybee500.com, www.obx500.com, www.atlantic1000.com.

2004 USEPPA ISLAND CATBOAT RENDEZVOUS The Fifth Biennial Useppa Island, FL, Catboat Rendezvous will take place over the weekend of January 30-February 1, 2004.With catboating as a common denominator, it should be a fantastic weekend.

The 15-foot Marshall Sandpiper World Championships will take place again this year. Most likely the 22-foot Marshall World Championships will be held, too; and maybe the 18-foot Marshall Sanderling Midwinters, if we have enough catboats.

You don’t need to have a Sandpiper or even be from Florida to attend this event. Bring your catboat if you can. If not, just come and savor the tranquility of a real island off the southwest Florida coast. You will be able to crew with someone as the boats sail around Pine Island Sound, be part of the race committee, maybe crew in the races, or watch from a spectator boat. Racing will take place most of the day Saturday and Sunday morning.

In addition there will be a Friday night pot luck beach party, a Saturday morning guided tour of Useppa, finishing up at the Useppa Museum, a Saturday night fish fry dinner at Useppa’s historic Tarpon Bar, and brunch after the races on Sunday. It will be a time to renew old friendships and make new ones.

You do not have to be a member of the Catboat Association to attend this rendezvous, though you are encouraged to join by mailing the Catboat Association, P.O. Box 246, Cataumet, MA 02534 (Initiation fee $30.00, yearly membership $20.00). Or visit the Web site at www.catboats.org.

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SOUTHERN SAILOR

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34)

So down came the mainsail, all over the heads of the three sailors on the lead Thistle.

“You idiots!” loudly shouted the Thistler. Flailing around, rocking the boat and generally pretending to get the sail back up, they acknowledged the rest of the fleet as they sailed by gleefully.

Whereupon, of course, the champ pulled his mainsail up and turned back to the mark to win yet again.

THE DEEP WATER MARK In some areas, racing marks have to be placed in really deep water. Lake Lanier has some deep spots. Marks are usually planned for the tops of old hills. Sometimes at low water those shallow spots become a parking lot of grounded boats when an RC doesn’t do its homework. Don’t ask how I know.

How do you set a mark in 300 feet of water or more? It is no problem unless you need to move the mark during a race.

Tough to find volunteers for that job.

So the technique was developed to use normal inflated marks attached to heavy monofilament fishing line. Small lead sinkers were attached every 50 feet or so. If the mark needed to be reset, they would simply cut the fishing line and let it sink to the ooze far below, move the mark and set another cheap concrete home-made “anchor” with new fishing line.

One popular race the lead boat got to the windward mark, only to cut it too close and snag the mark with its rudder as it turned off the wind.

Try as they may, they couldn’t shake that mark with the nearly invisible line around the rudder shaft. However, as they headed off the wind, the very long line in several hundred feet of water allowed the mark to come right along with them.

The second-place boat easily made that moving mark.

Then the third and fourth boat cut the corner and started for the moving mark. Finally other boats had to reach well off to make it. Then the middle of the fleet boats that were not previously laying the mark at all said, “All right!” and could now lay the mark.

Suddenly the mark sank below the surface and broke loose from the rudder. The stretched fishing line then hurled the mark back upwind with dispatch.

All those boats that were reaching off for the mark, all of those skippers who were gleefully looking at serendipity, now, to their vocal dismay, found the mark well to windward again, in its original position.

The lead boat did its obligatory circle and sailed on.

How would you like to be on that protest committee?

measure in. However, it was noticed that he used a St. Pete Sailing Center pot to boil the lead in and then dutifully put it back up on the shelf. We tossed it, of course.

One Finn sailor of note drove in from California but was not able to sail. His boat and trailer were all bashed in. How did it happen? It seems that he had driven as far as the middle of Arizona when the trailer’s bearings gave up. He needed parts.

The next town was on up the interstate several miles, so he unhitched the trailer and boat off the side of the highway and tooled on up to get the needed parts. Finn sailors are used to fixing things, including themselves.

By the time he started back up the highway to retrieve the trailer, it was dark. On the map he noticed that there were no exits for a considerable distance beyond where the trailer was stashed. If he drove west to that exit and then back east to the boat, he would be traveling perhaps 50 miles extra distance, so, being an innovative Finn sailor, he simply drove the wrong way up the interstate. There wasn’t much traffic. When he would see another car coming he simply went off into the grass, turned the headlights off and kept on going.

This worked pretty well. He was making progress back to the trailer, occasionally having to pull over and flip off the lights.

Once there were several cars and trucks in a clump coming at him, so he did the usual thing over into the grass.

Suddenly there was a mighty CRASH. You guessed it. He had run into his own boat.

FLAMBÉ LADY

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54)

people stopped by just to look at Pat and talk with the woman who had lifted two modern-day castaways from the depths of despair to the heights of happiness with courtesy, friendliness, skill, imagination and generosity.

At the Crow’s Nest Regatta in Venice at the start of October of this year I ran into one of the guys who had been down there in the Dry Tortugas 25 years ago. He may have been on the Irwin. He may not have. I can’t recall. He reminded me of the incident. He had not forgotten.

Neither had he forgotten what Pat was known as the rest of the time we were all there...The Flambé Lady of the Dry Tortugas, a legend in her own time. If people wonder why some people like sailing so much, this story exemplifies one of the reasons.

A FINN SAILOR’S SAGA The Finn is an Olympic one-person boat that is not for the faint of heart. It is heavy by today’s standards with one big sail.

It has been said that if a Finn sailor is not bruised and bleeding by the end of a race, he is not sailing well enough.

While there are doubtless some very bright Finn sailors, as a group they are not known for their attention to cerebral matters.

Before the Savannah Olympics there was SPORT, St. Petersburg Olympic Regatta Training. A then-new trapezoid race course was introduced. The Finn fleet all started together and then independently wandered around several race courses randomly rounding marks. It is not known whether any of them actually finished the prescribed course.

One sailor melted lead to pour into his hull so that it would LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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C L A S S I F I E D

A D S

“In August, you began running an advertisement to sell my diesel engine in your classifieds section. I am pleased to advise you that I have a buyer as a result of the advertisement. Please discontinue it. FYI, I have also had inquiries from West Africa and France as Capt C.T., St. Petersburg, FL a result of the Internet ad you made available. I’m MAJOR impressed!! Thank you very much.”

CLASSIFIED ADS for $5 PER MONTH ALL ADS UNDER 30 WORDS FOR PRIVATELY-OWNED BOATS, GEAR AND PRIVATELY-OWNED DOCK/SLIPS FOR RENT. THREE MONTH MINIMUM, $15 whether ad canceled or not. Add $5 per month for photos, same minimum policy.

Check or credit cards accepted. Mail or e-mail ads by the 10th of the month.

All photos must be sent electronically or the actual photo — no photocopies.

Photos must be horizontal, not vertical, otherwise add $10. All ad text e-mailed must be in upper and lower case, not caps.

Ad is cancelled after 3 months unless renewed. Sailboats and trawlers only please.

The last month your ad runs is in parentheses at the end of the ad. You must call by the 10th of that month to renew for another 3 months.

Call (941) 795-8704, e-mail to editor@southwindssailing.com, or mail to PO Box 1175 Holmes Beach FL 34218-1175.

ALL ADS GO ON THE INTERNET, AND YOUR WEB SITE OR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE AD WILL BE LINKED BY CLICKING ON IT.

BOATS & DINGHIES

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDS

8' Thunderbird yacht dinghy. For sailors and rowers. Aluminum mast and boom. Dacron Sail. Xlnt.

Condition. $800. (352) 563-0022 (2/04)

Advertise your businessin a display ad inthe classifieds section. Sold by the column inch. 2 inches minimum.

(3 column inches is 1/8 page) Monthly Cost Ads Per Inch

12 6 3 1 1978 15' Mutineer Centerboard, daysailer. 1Mainsail, 1- Working jib, reconditioned trailer.

Ready to go sailing. $950. (601)545-7550 rbradley@c-gate.net (1/04)

$17 $20 $23 $27

Minimum Inches

Total Cost

2" 2" 2" 2"

$34 $40 $46 $54

FLYING SCOT 19’ Very attractively priced new boats used only for the Adams Cup finals. Racerigged and professionally tuned. Includes North Sails main, jib,spinnaker, and galvanized trailer Available in late October at Lake Norman, NC. For details Call (800)-864-7208 (12/03) Buccaneer 18' daysailor/racer. Two mains & jibs, one chute, 2HP OB, trailer, all new top notch running rigging, Harken hardware, great condition. A fast, fun, and easy boat to sail. $2,900. Dan (941) 758-7276 or Hennessyzoo@AOL.com (2/04)

For Sale 17' O’Day Sailor (type II) $2,195 or OBO. Modified for single handed sailing with Roller Furling, Tiller Tender, Electric Trolling motor, and topping lift. Custom cockpit cushions, custom cockpit cover, main sail cover.

Depth sounder / fish finder. Two sets of sails.

Two head stays. EZ load Trailer. Call Glenn at (813) 949 0341 (1/04)

Hunter 212 (2000) 21' centerboard mini-cruiser or great daysailor with large cockpit. Bimini, 5 hp outboard, compass, front hatch, cockpit cushions, porta-potti, cooler and more! $ 7,800. obo 941-721-4452 (2/04)

19' Lightning 1975 Allen - 12612 New mast 5/03, new rudder, all new lines, lots of new rigging with North sails. Pictures available, $2900. Firm. 813818-4596 or vmcintir@tampabay.rr.com (2/04)

1980 Skipper 20' Shallow-draft sloop and trailer.

3 sails, self-bailing with motor well, displacement 2,000 lbs. Adult v-berths, opening ports, and quarter berths. $2100 OBO. Stuart FL (772) 8784721 (1/04)

86 SEAWARD 22, 8’4" Beam, 1’11" Draft, Wing Keel, Fully Battened Main, Furling Head Sails, 8hp Honda 2001 Four Stroke, Autopilot, Depth Gauge, VHF, AM/FM, Trailer, $8,995. Titusville, rceballos@bellsouth.net, (321) 264-0101 (2/04)

1981 Hunter 22' w/1997 Honda 8hp OB, cabin sleeps 4, porta-potty, 3 sails, boat is in great condition and ready to sail! $4500 negotiable. Panama City, FL 850-769-0427 (2/04)

1973 21' Reynolds Catamaran Great Beach cat.

Good Condition. Needs a little TLC. Call for details. Includes continental trailer. $2200 OBO. Must Sell. (239) 765-4433. Ft. Myers Beach (1/ 04) Catalina 22 10hp, autohelm, gps, ladder, ff, compass, kt meter,vhf, am/fm, potty, bilge pump, solar, boom kicker, vang, trailer, new main, bimini, covers, hull paint, companionway, $4500 850678-4478 (2/04) LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

23' Tempest Oday Excellent Condition, four sails, 9.9 Johnson Sailmaster Outboard, Head, GPS, VHF, Depth Finder, Trailer, Too many extras to list. $4,000. Located Long Beach MS (1/04) Southwinds

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J-27 (1985) Joe Cool Excellent condition. New North 3DL Genoa. Quantum sails in great condition. New bottom. Many extras. Very clean. Well maintained. Located in Coconut Grove. $15,000.

Lionel Baugh at (917) 821-3308/(305) 969-8107 or email at baughlionel@hotmail.com (1/04)

23' Hunter sloop w/15hp electric-start Evinrude and trailer. Draft board. Interior needs a little work. Illness forces sale. Sacrifice $3000 (352) 563-0022 (2/04) 23' Ranger, Gary Mull ultralight, centerboard flyer, with full battens in as-new mainsail. 4-wheel galv. trailer. $4,000. Will take day-sailer as down-payment. 941-330-0685 (2/04)

Glass Bottom Boat 25’ tour vessel. Built 1997 in Nova Scotia. ’99 Honda 130hp OB. Eight 2' X 2' glass windows w/steel safety hatches. Shallow draft. Pristine condition. $45,000 USD. (902) 354-3610 (12/03)

7' Hunter, Yanmar diesel runs well, shore power, aircond, bow & stern pulpits, dbl lifelines, $5,900 Miss. Coast 228-806-9316 Gaspergou30@aol.com (12/03)

O’Day 25 - 7 sails, roller furler, (4) cockpit winches, (2) halyard winches, VHF, D/S, compass, knotmeter, autopilot, 1993 9.9-hp Yamaha 4stroke, two-axle easy load trailer, $8,800 (941)575-7839 (1/04)

1984 Hunter 27 well maintained sailboat, wheel steering, roller furling and inboard diesel engine.

9’3' beam and 6’1' headroom. Second owner from new. Moored at St. Pete Marina. Asking $12,950 - call 813-817-0104 (12/03)

1983 Horizon 26 Sloop 9.9 Yamaha, 6’1" headroom, full galley, enclosed head, 4 berths, shoal draft, teak interior, fast, seaworthy, new bottom paint, bimini, top shape. $6500.00. (727) 5856681 (1/04)

27’ Catalina, roller furling jib, 8hp Honda, newer interior, new Bimini, depth/fish finder, VHF Radio, auto and manual bilge pumps, dinette model, in water, $6500 Call Ken 727-327-1813 (12/03)

28' RANGER, IMMACULATE, FRESHWATER MAINTAINED RACER CRUISER WITH $16,000 IN RECENT IMPROVEMENTS, 12 SAILS, NEW YANMAR CALL 770-619-4002 OR CAPTAIN_RON@COMCAST.NET (1/04)

28' Lindenberg, 1983. Excellent all around race boat. Refurbished in 2000. New mast, rigging, main & #2. 5 Sails, Tuff Luff, Cushions, Potti. All Race Equipment Included. Faired bottom. Dry sailed. Trailer included. $13,500. Call Paul (727) 327-5361 or (727) 576-2424 (12/03)

28' Coronado 1975, Sailmaster 9.9 motor, great shape, new bottom, sail cover and bimini, large interior, separate head, sleeps 6. ready to sail. Asking $10,000. Apollo Beach (813) 649-1811

1973 Catalina 27, tall mast, extra heavy duty rigging, internal halyards, 5 winches,2 opening ports, sleeps 6, good cushions, main, jib, and spinnaker, head has holding tank, atomic 4 removed and set up for outboard, clean bottom and boat, sell for best cash offer (361) 442-9351 grove777@aol.com (2/04)

Newport 27 Sailboat - 1976 Great Condition.

Sail the Coast and the Caribbean in style. New Sails, Radar, DGPS, Autohelm, Windpilot, Color Sounder, Atomic 4. Pensacola, FL 850 393-7009 http://www.net5.com/newport27 (12/03) 1973 Albin Vega 27, 3’ 10” draft. Volvo 10 hp diesel. R.F. Jib, full batten main w/lazy jacks. dodger, UHF, GPS, DF, knotmeter, excellent condition. Great sailer. $10,500, (239) 337-4977 (1/04) 27' Catalina Sailboat ’84 Diesel Wheel, bimini, enclosure, autopilot, radar, pressure water, propane stove, wind generator, refrig, dinghy, davits, fantastic upgrades, just back from 4 mo. in Bahamas. specs pictures at www.geocities.com/catalina_5477, WPB FL 561-547-0500, eve 561-281-2689, $15,800 OBO (1/04) 50

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For Classified Ad Info See page 49

www.southwindssailing.com

C L A S S I F I E D

A D S

CAL 31 1980 Freshwater since new. Lite use.

Many upgrades in 2002. Located near Atlanta, Ga. $27,500 Call (770) 540-9796 (1/04)

1984 J29 Masthead/Inboard diesel. New bottom, new sails plus delivery sails. VHF, CD, Auto pilot, battery charger, knotmeter, depth, sailcomp, all safety gear and much more. $24,500 call Jeff (251) 533-7906. (12/03)

Farr 30 Updated & Harkenized. New Paint, Graphs, Rigging, Sails, Bottom. Includes Trailer.

Pictures: www.rushteam.com. $17,000. 615371-4700 (2/04)

32' Pearson Vanguard Classic in great shape and very well equipped: Yanmar, Harken Furling, New Sails, equipped to cruise see www.dneve.com/ sultana or call (305) 772-7218, $24,000 (1/04)

2000 Catalina 320 Excellant condition,davits, new RIB, Cruiseair AC, full description and pics at boattraderonline.com $84,500 call Garry 912355-5818 or gwhit@bellsouth.net (1/04) 1998 PDQ 32' Catamaran. Set up for cruising. Excellent condition. RIB with OB. Asym Spin. Lying Biloxi, MS. $129,500 call (228) 326-9425. (2/04)

1983 C & C 35 Mk III Great Cruiser/Racer, Yanmar, 11 sails, Bunks for 7, Stove with oven, A/C (’00), Refrig (’00), Feathering Prop (’03), Self Tailing Winches, Harken Roller Furler, Bimini, Covers for everything, Autopilot, New Batteries, etc., etc. This boat needs nothing. $ 62K. (504) 3920840 or cwilke@haywilkgalvanizing.com (1/04)

2001 Maine Cat 30 (www.mecat.com) Screecher, spinnaker, davits, radar, map GPS linked to autopilot, solar panels on hardtop, full plastic or screen enclosure, 2' draft. lying CC, TX $155,000. (361) 215-4340 (1/04) Pearson 33 1986 hull #16 Draft 3’10' w/cb, perfect for racing or cruising the shallow waters of Bahamas & Florida. a/c, davits, refrigerator, many extras; documented, asking $41,000. sailboat86@att.net; (239) 549 2849 (2/04)

J-30 Hull 279 1981 Ready to race, cruise. sleeps 6. Mylar Genoa, jib, main, spinnaker, New cored cabin roof, new faired bottom, new compasses, Yanmar diesel. reduced to $19,900. (954) 6842869, (954) 401-8892 (1/04)

1984 Cal 35-MarkII (5' draft) 32hp Diesel, Fully cruise and liveaboard equipped with A/C/heat, microwave, stall shower, etc. Numerous recent upgrades and parts replaced. e.g.Genoa vasmith1@yahoo.com or (941) 505-1558.

NO BROKERS PLEASE. (2/04)

1986 ENDEAVOUR 33’, Yanmar, R/F, A/P, GPS, VFH, Propane, SSB, Davits, Dodger, AC, RIB w/OB, asking $47,300 OBO, see at www.geocities.com/captaincarrier/ourboat.html e-mail: captaincarrier@yahoo.com, or call (727) 821-3922. (12/03) Hunter 33 1980,4' draft,sleeps 6,roller furling, diesel, electronics, A/C. New refrigeration, Autohelm, 100 amp alternator, charger, fresh paint.Coast Guard inspected.Pristine! $25,000.

(941)235-1890 (12/03)

Tartan 34 1971 Very good condition. Well equipped for cruising or racing. New inflatable.

All included. $14,000. Ken (239) 404-9797 kenpfaltzgraff@aol.com (12/03) LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

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C L A S S I F I E D

A D S dwyermast.com • Masts • Booms • Hardware • Rigging

Beneteau 38 1990 model new genoa, Icom SSB, compass, inverter & more. Laying Tortola, BVI. $62,000. sloopm38@hotmail.com or (305)-3104653 (1/04)

DWYER Aluminum Mast Co. 203-484-0419

36’ Bruce Roberts Steel Hull Welded to roadready trailer. An economical beginning for a serious bluewater cruiser. This hull is fair and professionally welded. $5000. (904) 476 3353. (1/04)

Ericson 38 1981 Good condition. Recently surveyed. Autohelm, refrigeration, dinghy w/ob, dodger, bimini, gps, 2 VHFs, roller furling just rebuilt, Nice interior, very fast comfortable cruiser/ racer. West Florida, $53,900/OBO Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100 (2/04) 38' 1999 Catalina 380, full electronics, central a/c, autopilot, dinghy and outboard, many extras, excellent condition, located in Ft. Lauderdale, $138,000, (954) 475-8460 or email at jrg5919@aol.com (2/04)

Ericson 39 1978 rebuilt 2002, surveyed. Allnew 38 hp diesel, electrics, plumbing, windlass, autopilot, canvas. Plus dinghy, o/board, etc $49,500. Private sale. Andrew (954) 524-4765, e-mail brandtwo@bellsouth.net (1/04)

41' Downeaster Pilot House. 1980 one owner.

AC New sail, Main, Liveaboard , propane stove, elect. Refrig. 67hp Ford Leiman Engine. 200 gal.

Watertank, GPS, Single SB, 2 cabins. $59,000.

Mr. Hall (813) 645-6985 (2/04)

BOOKS & CHARTS

36' Catalina, 1988, wing keel, new dodger, canvas, cushions inside and out, Gunert Refrig. Elec.

Windlass, davits, Garmin Chartplotter, LPG Stove, custom A/C, custom bowsprit, excellent condition, $69,000. (941) 330-1222 (2/04)

37' 1989 Hunter 37 Legend Is fast and comfortable and gives you the perfect weekender or cruiser. Equipment includes: depth, autopilot, 2 VHFs, battery charger/inverter, dodger, bimini, and more. $69,000 (727) 363-1124. (1/04)

41' Gulfstar ketch 1973 cruising equipped, ready to go. 2002 - 10 barrier coats and Strataglass enclosed bimini, lived aboard 14 years, selling medical reasons, photos, details: $55,000 www.shevard.com (904)284-9986 X2040 (12/03)

Ocean Routing – Jenifer Clark’s Gulf Stream Boat Routing/Ocean Charts by the “best in the business.” (301) 952-0930, fax (301) 574-0289 or www.erols.com/gulfstrm

Condor 40 Many recent upgrades including new Calvert Main,2000 Genoa, new Bimini, 1999 twin Yamaha 9.9’s, new halyards, new Raymarine speed & depth, Yanmar genset, $72,000. E-mail camsimmons@pdq.net or call (281) 218-0026.

(1/04)

Pier 17 Charts & Publications DMA-NOAA-TOPOS-NTM-Textbooks. South’s largest nautical store at 4619 Roosevelt Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32210. (904) 387-4669 (800) 332-1072 Fax (904) 389-1161

BUSINESS/INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Sabre Sails is expanding its dealer network. If you are interested in a rewarding business with a fun side, call (850) 244-0001 or e-mail sabre@sabresails.com Sailtime.com is looking for base operators on the Florida coast. This may suit existing marine business owners who wish to add an additional income stream. Sailtime is a unique business model that requires minimal capital and no staff. Tel. (813) 8170104 or jtwomey@sailtime.com

38' ALUMINUM S&S Design Sloop Built 1972, by Minnefords. Owned/raced by Ted Turner in 1973 Admirals Cup. Converted to liveaboard. (503) 621-9761 over40pirate@aol.com, for pictures, info. (12/03) 52

December 2003

Southwinds

CREW AVAILABLE Visit Southwinds new boat and crewlisting service at southwindssailing.com www.southwindssailing.com

C L A S S I F I E D CREW WANTED Visit Southwinds new boat and crewlisting service at southwindssailing.com

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Authorized dealer for Siemens, Kyocera, Solarex, and Uni-Solar solar panels, Air Marine wind generator, Deka, Trojan, and Surrette deep cycle batteries.™ Toll free (877) 432-2221 www.e-marine-inc.com

MISCELLANEOUS BOAT GEAR NEW & USED

Teak boards, anchors - Fortress FX23, Danforths, Deltas, Bruce, DQR, Aqua Finn Sailboat, Mirage sailboard, Dyer Sailing Dinghy, Navico PT 100 (new) Tiller Pilot, Autohelm 4000 wheel Pilot, Walker Bay Dinghy. Nautical Trader (941) 4880766. www.nauticaltrader.net/ (12/03)

blades 16"x4", shaft 1 1/8" x 35" + prop. $350 OBO, (772) 878-4721 (1/04) Honda 9.9 HP 4 stroke outboard, 2000, 8" shaft, elect. start , 6 amp alt. output for battery charging. Exc. cond./ low hrs. Only $1550. ($2939 new) (941) 505-9772 (1/04) GPS New Garmin Street Pilot III (deluxe). Portable GPS w/ auto routing and voice. Includes CD-Rom, mounts, data card, etc. Great for boat and/or car! $600 obo. 386-426-5978 (1/04) SSMR INC. Visit our Consignment Shop and Chandlery. Of special note: see the AQUA DUTCH inflatable reviewed in October’s Cruising World rated “Best quality for the price.” We are the west coast of Florida’s dealer support network, and have over 100 boats in stock ready to price and ship. Come see us for all your marine needs or empty your locker with us and add to your cruising fund. Call (727) 823-4800 or Fax (727) 823-3270, “A cruiser friendly shop” Ibeearigger@juno.com Two Maxwell winches, 3 1/4H by 2 1/4D. Both for $100. New heavy duty spinnaker car with track. $100. (850) 932-6742 (12/03)

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE Office and warehouse space available for lease to marine related businesses. Great for boat brokers or sales representatives. High speed internet access. JSI (727) 577-3220

SAILING INSTRUCTION

Wheels Custom Leathered – Satisfaction guaranteed, 1 year warranty. Free turks head. Over 100 satisfied customers last year. Contact Ray Glover at Sunrise Sails Plus (941) 721-4471 or sunrisesailsplus@msn.com Dahon Stainless Steel 3-sp Folding Bikes Great condition $450 pair, Pur-35 manual watermaker never used new $550, Used Magma propane grill $60, email Jim @lagartaboat@yahoo.com (1/04) Excellent 34’7" Aluminum Mast 3’6" spreaders, 12' 8" boom, 11’10" whisker pole. Mainsail, 3reefs, 3 winches, 15 mast steps, rigging, insulated backstay, can deliver. Make offer. Call (863) 675-4244. (1/04) Spinnaker Pole 15’x4" with 2 piston ends. Very good. $350 OBO (772) 878-4721 (1/04) Dripless Packing Proven high-tech propeller and rudder packing that outlasts all other packings and is virtually dripless. Easy to install. Bilges stay dry.

Won’t damage shafts.

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SAILS & CANVAS

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A D S

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Air Duck 19 Aqua Graphics 50 Atlantic Sails 16 Banks Sails 52 Beneteau Sailboats BC Beta Marine 41 Bluewater Insurance 12 Bluewater Sailing Supply 13 Boaters Exchange 3 BoatUS 37 Bob and Annie’s Boatyard 22 Bo’sun Supplies 44 Bubba Book 14 Carson/Beneteau BC Cortez Yacht Sales 48 Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina 3 Cruising Direct Sails 18 Davis Maritime Surveying 43 Defender Industries 52 Dockside Radio 11 Don’s Salvage 45 Dwyer mast 52 Eastern/Beneteau BC Finish Line Multihulls 41 First Patriot Insurance 26 Fleetside Marine Service 50 Flying Scot Sailboats 51 Ft. Pierce Yacht Club 49 Fujinon 28 Garhauer Hardware 10 Glacier Bay Refrigeration 28 Great Outdoors Publishing 20 Grin Designs/Scully 34 Harken Gear 9 Hong Kong Sailmakers 40 Hotwire/Fans and other products 51 Hunter Sailboats 17 Island Marine Products 46 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 27 Massey Yacht Sales 7,24,29,35,45,IBC Masthead Enterprises 3,25,53 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau BC National Sail Supply 42 Nautical Trader 38 North Sails 14 Pasadena Marina 40 Performance Sail & Sport 11 Regata del Sol al Sol 21 ReMax Real Estate/Angie Jones 16 Rparts Refrigeration 34 Sabre Sails 36 Sail Covers & More 53 Sail Exchange/Used Sails 44 Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District 27 Sailor’s Soap 11,14,39 Sailtime 51 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program 48 Schurr Sails 42 Scurvy Dog Marine 43 Sea School 39 Sea Tech 47 Snoop Sails & Canvas 38 Snug Harbor Boats 13 St. Barts/Beneteau BC Steve Smith Mobile Rigging (SSMR) 46 Suncoast Inflatables 31 Surrette (Rolls) batteries 8 Tackle Shack 23 UK Sails 19 Ullman sails 20 Weathermark sailing 15 West Marine IFC, 33 Windcraft Catamarans 8

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53

The Flambé Lady of the Dry Tortugas

By Morgan Stinemetz

I

t was 25 years ago this past Columbus Day, on October 12, 1978, when three inexperienced sailors set out for the Dry Tortugas from Longboat Pass. I was one of those sailors, and it was upon my boat that the three of us were sailing. The trio included Ray Aubrey, who now lives in Palmetto, Patricia (Pat) Clark, whose last name in now Odham, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, and this writer.

Ray was a nearby neighbor in Bradenton and a close friend.

Pat had been my next door neighbor when we both lived in Aspen in the 1960s.

With a quarter century more experience now than I had then, plus a Coast Guard masters license that I now hold, I cringe at the naiveté I exhibited back in 1978 when the idea of the trip first entered my brain. For navigation, we used dead reckoning and a borrowed Vecta, which was a RDF steering device that had the frequency crystal for the Loggerhead Key light radio beacon in the Dry Tortugas. You pointed the Vecta in the general direction you wanted to go, listened to the sound it emitted and then took the compass course in the direction where the sound was least audible. That direction was called the “null.”

After weathering a squall line on the way down and getting the roller furling on my boat jammed so we couldn’t furl it up, we had to sail in the same direction as the wind for hours to keep the sail from shredding. No one was dumb enough to want to go onto the foredeck at night to try to fix it. Lucky thing, too.

With the roller furling problem corrected in better conditions and the light of day, we meandered our way down to the Dry Tortugas in about 56 hours. Our sailing skills were not exactly razor sharp. There is an old saying about God protecting fools and drunkards, and I think that came into play in both categories. When we got there, we sailed across one of the reefs and managed to catch a kingfish with the fishing gear we were trolling.

We had the kingfish for dinner that night. It was delicious.

Clueless, I also anchored the boat in a very dangerous place, we found out later, as the first front of the season hit us that night and put a lee shore right behind us. The next day, after much deliberation and lots of talking out just what we had to do, we put up the main with a reef in it, used the engine where we could and motor-sailed off the two anchors we had put out.

It takes but a few words to tell of that here, but it took hours to accomplish successfully. It was very scary.

Eventually, we found our way into the anchorage at Garden Key. Protected from the northwesterly winds we had been getting by the land mass of Bush Key and the looming presence of Fort Jefferson, the anchorage was rough by Dry Tortugas standards, but mill pond smooth compared to what we had just gotten away from.

We got the anchor down and settled in. The winds howled in the rigging, but we were safe. I offered up a few thanks to the heavens for any spiritual help, real or imagined, that had come our way.

We were not the only boat there. There were probably a

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Lady Patricia, the flambé lady of the Dry Tortugas. Photo by Morgan Stinemetz

dozen or so others. One was a commercial shrimper. If a boat that big was in there, these guys knew it was real ugly out on the water. There was a lovely sloop there with some equally lovely women on it, watched over by one of the girls’ fathers. Anchored to our east, kind of off by its lonesome, was an Irwin 32-1/2-foot ketch with a center cockpit. It was out of Venice.

There were things to do in the Dry Tortugas. We fished with no success. We toured Fort Jefferson, making the trip over from the boat in an Eagle inflatable I had bought for a song. It had Ray’s minuscule Sears outboard on the back. I forgot how the first night went, but I remember that it was windy enough to flip over the dinghy with Ray’s outboard attached. The next morning Ray was faced with cleaning out the saltwater from the engine.

He got a break from the park rangers at Fort Jefferson, because they gave him some freshwater to use, there being no freshwater available for boaters in the Dry Tortugas. (The fort gets what it needs from cisterns.) He got another break because the father of one of those pretty girls on the sloop was an engineer. He and Ray disassembled the engine, cleaned it up, put it back together and had it working. It was an amazing feat.

I think that it was the third day that we were there that Ray and I went to see the people on the shrimper. We were welcomed aboard, given a pair of gloves and set to work “heading” shrimp.

We may have worked a couple of hours, but we left with three pounds of fresh shrimp and a few lobster tails. It was a huge haul for us.

Pat, I forgot to mention, is a gourmet cook. I don’t remember everything about the feast we consumed that night, but it had white wine and all the sautéed shrimp and lobster and wild rice three people could eat. We were living well.

Things were not so fortunate on that aforementioned Irwin ketch out of Venice. Two of the crew from that boat, motoring by in a dinghy, stopped by our boat on the way into Garden Key on their way to a supposed impromptu party that was going to take place on the dock there that night. Did we want to go? Belching from too much good food and a lot of wine, we demurred.

“What did you guys have for dinner tonight,” the two young men asked innocently. “Well, there was the shrimp and the lobster and the rice and the wine,” we replied. “What did you guys have?” The answer was Fig Newtons and warm beer. The skipper of their boat made them call him “Captain,” too.

Jarred into action by abject adversity staring her in the face, Pat immediately invited the two guys on board for dessert. Digging out a skillet, she sliced several bananas lengthwise, put some butter on to heat up and then flambéed the bananas in butter and Remy Marten cognac, finishing off the concoction with a dusting of powdered sugar. The two guys thought they had died and gone to heaven. The memories of Fig Newtons and warm beer must have faded as they partook of Pat’s culinary expertise, not to mention admiring her good looks.

We didn’t mind skipping the party. We’d had all the excitement and good food we could handle anyway. But the next day, See FLAMBÉ LADY continued on page 47 www.southwindssailing.com