Southwinds February 2012

SOUTHWINDS News & Views for Southern Sailors

Charter in the Florida Keys Cabo Rico 36 Review Cruise to Naples & Fort Myers Beach

February 2012 For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless

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February 2012

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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SOUTHWINDS NEWS & VIEWS

FOR

SOUTHERN SAILORS

10

Editorial: Bareboat Chartering in the Florida Keys

By Steve Morrell

13

Letters You Wouldn’t Believe

16

For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear

By Morgan Stinemetz

18

Southern Regional Monthly Weather and Water Temperatures

19

Short Tacks: Sailing News and Events Around the South

36

The Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show Preview and Seminars

38

Book Review: Jimmy Cornell’s Ocean Atlas

By Roy Laughlin

40

Bareboat Chartering in the Florida Keys

By Mike Alyea

46

Carolina Sailing: The Spirit of South Carolina —New Chapter or Final Voyage?

By Dan Dickison

49

Cabo Rico 36 Boat Review

By James Williams

53

Kids Sailing – Is There A Problem?

By Robert Wilkes

56

Cruise to Naples and Fort Myers Beach

62

Southern Racing: News, Upcoming Races, Race Reports, Regional Race Calendars

86

I Learned About Sailing from That: A Summer Night in the South Pacific

By Allen Richman

30 48 52 71 77 84 85

Marine Marketplace Southern Sailing Schools Section Florida Marinas Page Boat Brokerage Section Classifieds Alphabetical Index of Advertisers Advertisers’ List by Category

Bareboat Chartering in the Florida Keys. Page 40.

Photo by Rebecca Burg.

Cabo Rico 36 boat review. Page 49. Photo by James Williams.

COVER: Moth racing off Miami in the Moth winter series. Page 65.

Photo by Marylinda Ramos. More Moth photos at www.mlramos.photoshelter.com.

Each issue of SOUTHWINDS (and back issues since 5/03) is available online at www.southwindsmagazine.com 6

February 2012

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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February 2012

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SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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FROM THE HELM

STEVE MORRELL,

EDITOR

Bareboat Chartering in the Florida Keys This month we have an article by Mike Alyea about chartering in the Florida Keys. In the October issue, we published Mike’s story, titled “Keys Charter: Always an Adventure.” (read it online in Back Issues). Mike agreed to do further research and wrote this month’s article.

Mike’s charter was in February—the middle of winter— and you never know what you’ll get in winter, since the weather can change from week to week, and you generally must plan your charter out long before you can predict the weather. But all winter, it’s perfect weather for hanging out in shorts and T-shirt. There’s always wind, and, after all, it’s the Keys—always lively and more so in the winter as visitors from around the world descend on this island chain.

Lobster season is open in winter (Aug. 6 through March) and you can dive for this delicious meal (license needed), but

you might need a wet suit as the water gets down to 69 degrees average—not too cold, but bearable. That’s warm enough for millions to swim in summer in Southern California (remember Baywatch?).

Chartering in summer? Barring a hurricane, it’s pretty good, and I often think of the Keys as superb in summer: Water temp is in the high 80s, and every day is perfect with clear and sunny weather (and an occasional thunderstorm).

Of course, that’s if you don’t mind the high humidity, which is nothing when you’re sailing in a summer breeze—which is pretty consistent—and you get to jump in the water anytime and love it. But you better have AC for sleeping at night—or a real good wind scoop in the forward hatch.

So, take your pick; the Keys is good year around—and remember, in the Keys, it’s always an adventure.

Send us Your Youth Sailing Programs by March 1

editor@southwindsmagazine.com. We want to keep them around 700-1000 words, but a little longer is okay. Contact me with questions. Read the one in this issue about a summer night in January in the South Pacific.

In April, we publish our annual list of youth sailing programs, concentrating on the summer programs available for kids throughout the Southeast. We need these by around March 1. You can view the current list at the Youth Programs page at www.southwindsmagazine.com. Please send us the updated information and not just a link to your website. Send to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. We are also looking for someone (for pay) who would like to help compile this list.

Contact the editor.

Articles Wanted — “I Learned About Sailing from That” We are seeking articles about sailing experiences people have had over the years. Articles wanted: a lesson learned, a great experience, a funny experience—or whatever. Send them to

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Cover Photos Wanted We are always looking for cover photos, so all you photographers out there, please send them to us. We get lots of racing photos, but not so many non-racing ones. The only requirement is that it have a sailboat in it—or show part of the boat to show that the photo was taken from a sailboat. It can be anchored, sailing, motoring, at dock—or whatever else is possible. Composition is what matters; it just must be a nice photo to look at. It needs lots of pixels; the horizon must be reasonably level; it must be focused, and it must be a vertical photo. For pixels, we need at least 1700 pixels wide and 2200 pixels tall, so set your camera to the highest level of quality/resolution. Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com for questions. And we still seek racing covers.

www.southwindsmagazine.com

The 59th Annual

Mug Race

SATURDAY MAY 5

From Palatka to Jacksonville, FL along the St. Johns River

Hosted by The Rudder Club of Jacksonville For more information, go to

www.rudderclub.com And come early for the NEW Party-in-the-Park in Palatka Friday night!

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS February 2012

11

Ever See a Barnacle on a Fish?

A New Perspective on Bottom Paint…Inspired by Nature For more information, including a list of dealers, see ecoclad.com

Pnone (484) 905-6900 • Email info@ecoclad.com 12

February 2012

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

A.J. Liebling

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

E-mail your letters to editor@southwindsmagazine.com SOUTHWINDS IN ANNA MARIA Don’t I feel dumb! After YEARS of reading SOUTHWINDS magazine, I finally noticed you were based on Anna Maria Island, FL. I just wanted you to know I really enjoy your work and regional coverage. I especially appreciate your editorials and advocacy of “cruisers” issues.

SOUTHWINDS is one of my top three rags (along with Lats & Atts and Good Old Boat). And you can’t beat the price!

I have found local tradesmen and support the local marine industry—and I always tell them I saw the ad in SOUTHWINDS. Keep Up the Good Work Kenneth Weaver Perico Island (located across the ICW from Anna Maria Island) Ken, Thanks for the letter and comments. Technically, SOUTHWINDS is not located on the island, but I was when I purchased the magazine in 2002. It is now in west Bradenton, just a few miles east, but I still get the mail on the island at the small post office there in Holmes Beach. Since the postmaster there, Peggy, is the greatest postmaster in the United States, it’s a good idea to keep that P.O. Box—plus I get to visit that beautiful island—which still retains some ‘ol Florida charm—on a regular basis. And that’s also where I keep my Windrider trimaran..

Editor EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS NAVIGATION ADVICE Every time I switch on my chart-plotter at the nav station on my motorsailer Viva Yo, I get a warning on the screen not to entirely rely on the data presented and to use other methods of navigation that are available.

All chart-plotters carry this warning, yet at the inlets along our coasts, every day one can see all kinds of vessels from outboards to cruising sailboats heading offshore that carry nothing but GPS-powered methods. Some don’t even bother to carry a magnetic compass!

As an old time celestial navigator, I am horrified that anyone would put to sea without paper charts of the coast being transited. During any passage, I maintain a “running fix” of my position, and every hour or so, update the paper charts with a penciled in “fix,” as verified by the GPS. In this way, in case of any electronic failure, e.g., a lightning strike, I can plot a course from my last known position.

Most marine charts are designed for use on larger ships, so it becomes necessary to fold the sheets to fit the average yacht nav table. It becomes difficult to plot a position, because to get to the Lat/Long scales on the edges, one has to unfold and refold the sheet.

An easier way is to first establish a course line for your See LETTERS continued on page 14 News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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LETTERS

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February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

route and pencil it in on the chart. The next step is to get the Lat/Long of the center of the compass rose, which is on every chart. Enter this Lat/Long as a waypoint into your GPS and one can get course and distance from that point at any time. Establishing a fix can then be done by laying a straight edge across the “true“ degree to your previously established course line.

As most magnetic compasses require a deviation correction, it pays to keep a record of what your compass is reading when compared with the true course of your GPS, so that in the event of an electronic failure, you can steer a magnetic course to your destination.

Ken Clark S/V Viva Yo Ken, This is great navigation advice. But, as a result of my past navigation experience, the GPS has had another little known effect on boaters.

My first real navigation as sailboat captain was sailing from the Miami area to the Bahamas in 1979. This was long before GPS, and all I had was a chart, knotmeter, compass and a good watch, plus some chart tools: pencil, dividers and parallel rulers.

I had only a battery to run the knotmeter and running lights as there was no engine. My first crossing was at night so we would arrive under the safety of daylight the next morning.

Navigating that first time was one of the most exciting and interesting things I’ve ever done, as was every other time. I went everywhere by using only those tools, which included that entire summer cruising the Bahamas. When we crossed, we lost wind in the middle of the night—in the middle of the Gulf Stream—but because I had plotted our position every 30 to 60 minutes, knowing the Gulf Stream’s speed, we ended up roughly where we plotted—not at our original destination (Gun Cay), of course—but about 40 miles north in the Northwest Providence Channel.

When we realized that we were roughly where we thought we were, after all that plotting and working our way out of what we knew was the Gulf Stream—which was quickly carrying us north—we were ecstatic. It would have been nothing with GPS, but the feeling of triumph we attained from that navigation was worth all the GPSs in the world (well, maybe, not all). From then on, I looked forward to every navigation that was by dead reckoning, which included numerous approaches to cities and harbors at night, with only the tools mentioned above. If you have never done that, you have no idea what you are missing.

We lost this aspect with the advent of all these modern electronic navigation instruments—as great as they are. I hope that I will have the strength, and opportunity, someday to again make a crossing like that night and not use my GPS—all just for the thrill you get, although I will certainly keep one on board for safety. After all, safety is what it brings with it, too—and safety is important. But how safe are we if we depend on it too much?

Editor SEWAGE SPILLS AND PUMPING OVERBOARD Lest no one forget...next time anyone associated with a government entity of any kind speaks about anchored boats pumping overboard, please remember that after a 20-inch sewer main erupted—as reported in the Sarasota Herald Tribune—”an estimated 40,000 gallons of sewage made it into Sarasota Bay before officials built earthen berms and www.southwindsmagazine.com

used pumps to get the spill under control....”

Gee...how many boats and how long would it take to add up to 40,000 gallons? Let’s see; our holding tank is approximately 22 gallons, so if we were capable of making 22 gallons of waste a day (what a feat!), it would take us 1,818 days (almost 5 years) to equal this spill.

Judy Stahle Bradenton, FL Judy, We reported on that spill in the January issue, and I try to report on every spill I hear about, which is a very small percentage. Glad to hear other boaters are paying attention to this problem on their own.

Million of gallons a year of raw sewage spill from Florida municipalities into the waters of Florida. And we sail and boat and swim in them. So, the next time taxes are levied to fix old sewer pipes right away, I suggest complainers about boaters dumping either put up or shut up—IF their main concern is clean waters.

Editor EL TOROS AND SABOTS IN CALIFORNIA Dave Ellis states [in the December issue article on the Optimist] that “even the bastion of El Toros in Southern California and Sabots in Northern California, long the junior training boats of those areas, have large Opti fleets racing.”

First, the Naples Sabot is a Southern California boat, and the difference between that and the windward, or US Sabot, is that the Naples (Naples is an island in Alamitos Bay, Long Beach, CA) Sabot is a leeboard boat—and the Windward, or US Sabot, is a daggerboard boat. At least until recently, the Naples Sabot was both the youth trainer and a boat used as a dinghy (better to row and power with the leeboard)—and there are adults, including seniors, sailing the Naples Sabot (hard to envision myself at 190 pounds and 6’ 2” in an Opti, yet I have successfully raced a Naples Sabot).

Naples Sabots are raced in Long Beach, Newport Beach and San Diego. In the past, the larger fleet of Windward Sabots was in Marina Del Rey, King Harbor and other harbors north of Los Angeles.

The El Toro is a San Francisco Bay boat. It also was built as an offshoot of the McGregor plans in Rudder (as were all of the other prams of this era) in 1939 at the Richmond Yacht Club. The El Toro has a foredeck and also is a daggerboard boat.

I have been out of the Southern California racing scene for a number of years and understand that the Optis have surpassed the Sabots in some of the areas in Southern California. However, I suspect that there are far more kids (and adults) sailing Sabots than Optis in Southern California—and an El Toro is very rare there.

Bob Austin Pensacola, FL.

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club Hosts and Sponsors three prestigious Tampa Bay & Gulf Races All three regattas qualify for the SPORC Trophy (The St. Petersburg Ocean Racing Challenge) and the Suncoast Boat of the Year Special one-time entry fee if entering all three regattas at the same time — Evander Cup, Suncoast Race Week and Crown Cars Regatta Go to the SPYC Web Site Regatta Page for Details

Evander Cup 31st Annual Jimmy Burns Memorial Regatta March 3 Originates at & returns to SPYC downtown location.

28th Annual Crown Cars Regatta March 24 Location will be the SPYC at Pass-a-Grille location Racing in the Gulf of Mexico.

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All NORs will be on the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Website at www.spyc.org and West Florida Yacht Racing Association at www.wfyra.org

Reply from Dave Ellis: Yes, I noticed the gaffe when I read over the article after publication. The point is that the Optimist Dinghy is making great inroads on the fleets of both boats, wherever they are sailed in California. Yes, the adults can get into the California boats easier than the Opti. The Optimist Dinghy is the KID’s boat!

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012

15

For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear

A

s long as I have been a customer, I’ve never known Doobie to shut down The Blue Moon Bar when she can make a buck on other peoples’ thirsts, but she just did so on New Year’s Eve, of all nights.

Doobie, Trixie LaMonte, Tripwire, Bruno Velvetier, Shorty and Capt. Bubba Whartz all were going out on Right Guard, Whartz’s ferro-cement sloop, to trip the light fantastic and stop at a few bars by the water. I was invited, also. It was an honor I could not refuse. Bubba had scored at about the $150 level in the Florida Lottery, so he was the host; he put on the party. On board for his guests he had all kinds of eats, most of which came in small packages made of plastic and paper of the same type that cheese nachos come in. Certainly, Bubba had not used the services of a professional caterer for the victuals.

For wine, he had gone to the local icehouse and bought numerous pint bottles of many different wines. He called them “splits,” but I doubt that anyone officially in the wine industry would have made the same designation.

The plan for our assembled septet of celebrants was to stop at any bar that had a dock and have a drink before moving on to the next one. Bubba decided that we would all meet at Marina Jack, a downtown Sarasota eatery and bar combination with an outside deck area where alcoholic beverages have been known to be consumed in style, large quantities and with varying effects. Bubba would have the boat there, he said.

This plan had already been formulated before Bubba entered Right Guard in the Sarasota Christmas Boat Parade of Lights and rammed the judges’ float after being coldcocked by a half-full bottle of Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The whisky appeared to have come from the general direction of the assembled judges and politicians. The resultant confusion caused all the judges and politicians to be dumped into the waters of Sarasota Bay in their finery. This same scenario has happened, in one

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form or another, for the past dozen years or so, and it surprises me that people selected to be judges of the annual boat parade aren’t issued wet suits.

Often, though, citizens who have been either appointed or elected to positions of power within the municipal structure of the City of Sarasota are slow to learn what may seem obvious to others.

Be that as it may, we all assembled at Marina Jack and had a nice, circular table for ourselves. Doobie was wearing a pair of deerskin slacks, high heels, and beige cashmere turtleneck. She had a single strand of white pearls around her neck. I noticed that when she arrived and joined our congregation that the noise level on the Marina Jack patio dropped precipitously. She was followed by Trixie LaMonte, who was wearing a black skintight unitard, black high heels, and around her neck a single gold Krugerrand in a gold bezel on a demure gold chain. It was not like the big gold chains worn by rap artists and gangsters, and I was somewhat relieved about that. I have an aversion to rap artists and gangsters. They attract bullets like garbage dumps attract seagulls.

It may seem to be a case of overwriting to detail what the men—Shorty, Tripwire, Bubba and Bruno Velvetier— were wearing. Bruno had on something frilly. I was attired in my usual, conservative getup. Bubba had on a pair of overalls, a white T-shirt with some holes in it, sandals and a red baseball cap with a Peterbilt emblem on it. Tripwire was wearing cammies. Shorty was attired in a green suit. God knows why. He looked like a leprechaun. All he needed was red hair and a green hat.

I cannot remember what the others ordered for drinks at Marina Jack. I ordered an old-fashioned. Personally, I can, at home, make the world’s best old-fashioned. I learned how from my stepfather, a master at it.

For me, then, ordering an old-fashioned at a bar is a bit like buying a lottery ticket. I hope for the best. Consistently my expectations are dashed by universal bartender incompetence. When I worked in Aspen as a bartender about 50 years back, some of my customers were August Busch III, Jill St. John, Jimmy Stewart and his wife, Ted, Bobby, Joan and Ethel Kennedy, Dina Merrill and some lesser lights as well. I gave them what they asked for because I knew how and didn’t cut corners.

I should know better than to order an old-fashioned at a bar. Even when I go over every detail with the waitress, the drink comes back wrong. Even when I supply the bartender with written instructions and drawn pictures, the drink comes back wrong.

Thanks to my stepfather, the old-fashioned was one very tasty, satisfying drink, so much so that my former brother-in-law can still, to this day, remember how good they tasted when he and his wife and his two boys had drivwww.southwindsmagazine.com

By Morgan Stinemetz

en up to New Hampshire from New Jersey and arrived well after dark to be met with a couple of my stepfather’s old-fashioneds.

Commercial bartenders are like creationists. As far as they are concerned the old-fashioned arrived on this earth fully formed. It’s a religion with them. They cannot understand, maybe because their intellects are stunted, that throwing an orange slice, a cherry, a shot of whiskey and gunning some club soda into a glass is not sufficient, because the bartender actually tends to nothing. They are looking for quick. I am looking for a quieting, relaxing experience. Our goals are mutually exclusive. I know, however, the perfect old-fashioned evolved over time. It may have taken decades or centuries, even six thousand years.

At any rate, I am sad to say, my discussion with the waitress who brought a drink unlike the one I specifically ordered eventually led to a discussion with the bartender who made it and then eventually entailed a conversation with the manager. New Year’s Eve is a busy time. Lots of alcohol gets served in any drinking establishment. No one has time to debate the fine points of how to make one drink my way, when they have been creating the standard rightout-of-the-bartenders-guide old-fashioned since they started as a rookie. If you think a woman’s mind is hard to change, it’s like cotton candy compared to the thoughtless, roboticized, ingrained routine that some bartenders have practiced for years.

The upshot of all this is that we were asked—because of my recalcitrance—to settle up our bar tab and leave, though we didn’t have to pay for the old-fashioned I wouldn’t drink. Here it was, the start of a New Year’s Eve ramble and my, shall we say, needs caused a big hitch at the preamble, and we got thrown out of the first place we visited. It was embarrassing, to be frank. I got invited to the party and then caused the festivities to fizzle instead of sizzle.

To say that I was discomfited wouldn’t even begin to cover how dumb I felt. No one said a thing. They just filed back to Right Guard like a line of Indians on the Trail of Tears. Dejected, I wasn’t sure I was even wanted by the others. Doobie stood there with me. Maybe she could tell how bad I felt, that I needed a friend. Women seem to know things like that.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Doobie said to me. “You stood your ground when they brought you a drink you very specifically did not order. That’s honest and courageous.

Admirable even.”

“But I spoiled the evening,” I said, wincing.

“Not mine,” she said.

I looked into her eyes. They were shimmering like colored diamonds in the bottom of a nearly empty martini glass. My heart skipped a beat, I know.

“Look,” she said, “my car’s here. I’m going to take you home and you can make us both one of your perfect oldNews & Views for Southern Sailors

fashioneds. Just let me tell the rest of the guys that we won’t be joining them. I’ll be right back.”

She walked away, down toward Bubba’s boat. I watched her go, thinking of symphonies, adagios, poetry and grace and breathing in little gasps. I may have even moaned once or twice.

Within a few minutes she was back. She got a silver Porsche Carrera I had never seen before from valet parking, and in minutes we were flying through traffic as if we were on a cloud. The car’s stereo was playing Vivaldi’s Alla Rustica.

“What is it you need to make your drink?” she asked, looking right at me.

“An orange.”

“Okay” “Angostura bitters.”

“Check.”

“Canadian Club.”

“Right.”

“A muddler.”

“Got it.”

“Club soda.”

“No problem.”

“And some simple syrup.”

“I have that.”

It took 15 minutes to get to Doobie’s place, maybe less.

I didn’t count. It’s impossible to count when one is in a state of elevated bliss and fulminating expectations.

I initially made two drinks in her kitchen. They were perfect. She said so herself. And we had more, I know.

Sometimes, when things seem to be crashing down around you in a tumult of destruction caused by your own refusal to accept less than you expect, less than you deserve, divine providence can offer a helping hand. It comes in many forms. On New Year’s Eve last it came in a beige cashmere turtleneck sweater, a single string of pearls, high heels and deerskin slacks.

Unbelievable.

At milemarker 204 Call Dockmaster on VHF Ch 16/71 or phone 252-726-6862 Ex 3.

Morehead City Yacht Basin 208 Arendell St. Morehead City, NC 28557 252-726-6862 Ext. 3 See Our Sister Marina MATTHEWSPOINT On the River Neuse

www.moreheadcityyachtbasin.com SOUTHWINDS

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Southeastern U.S. Air & Water Temperatures and Gulf Stream Currents – February For live buoy water and weather data, go to the National Data Buoy Center at www.ndbc.noaa.gov

WIND ROSES: Each wind rose shows the strength and direction of the prevailing winds in the area and month. These have been recorded over a long period of time. In general, the lengths of the arrows indicate how often the winds came from that direction. The longer the arrow, the more often the winds came from that direction. When the arrow is too long to be printed in a practical manner, a number is indicated.

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The number in the center of the circle shows the percentage of the time that the winds were calm. The lengths of the arrows plus the calms number in the center add up to 100 percent. The number of feathers on the arrow indicates the strength of the wind on the Beaufort scale (one feather is Force 1, etc.). Wind Roses are taken from Pilot Charts.

www.southwindsmagazine.com

EVENTS & NEWS

OF INTEREST TO

SOUTHERN SAILORS

To have your news or event in this section, contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Send us information by the 5th of the month preceding publication. Contact us if later. We will print your event the month of the event and the month before.

RACING EVENTS For racing schedules, news and events see the racing section.

UPCOMING SOUTHERN EVENTS Youth Sailing Programs Go to our annual list at http://www.southwindsmagazine. com/yacht_sail_dir.php.

EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NC On-going adult sailing programs. Family Sailing. Ongoing traditional boatbuilding classes. www.ncmm-friends.org, maritime@ncmail.net, (252) 728-7317.

Composite Boat Builder Certification, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Melbourne, FL, Feb. 7-10 American Boat and Yacht Council. www.abycinc.org.

(410) 990-4460 Electrical Certification Course, Lamb’s Yacht Center, Jacksonville, FL, Feb. 14-17 American Boat and Yacht Council. www.abycinc.org.

(410) 990-4460 Safe Boating Seminar on GPS, St. Petersburg, FL, Feb. 15 Using GPS is a two-hour class presented in one evening and

News & Views for Southern Sailors

is available to anyone 12 or older. Principles of way-point navigation and shows you how to relate the GPS to your charts, and how to use the GPS and how to purchase one. Bring your handheld GPS if you have one. St. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7-9 p.m. St. Petersburg Sailing Center, 250 2nd Ave SE, Demens Landing, St Petersburg. Instruction is free, materials $25 per family. Maximum of 20 students. Preregistration required. Register at www.boating-stpete.org.

Gasoline Engine & Support Systems Certification, Broward College, Miramar, FL, Feb. 21-24 American Boat and Yacht Council. www.abycinc.org.

(410) 990-4460 Marine Varnishing Seminar, Sarasota, FL, Feb. 25 Everything you ever wanted to know about removing, applying and maintaining varnished surfaces on your boat, featuring renowned industry expert Capt. Doug Ely of Dakota Marine Yacht Services. 10 a.m. to noon at The Teakhut, 7081 15th St. East, Sarasota, FL 34243. For information or directions, call Roberto Centurion at (941) 755-5887.

ABYC Standards Certification, Miramar, FL, Mar. 6-8 American Boat and Yacht Council. www.abycinc.org.

(410) 990-4460 Adult Basic Sailing School, Boca Ciega Yacht Club, Gulfport, FL, March 7-April 12 Boca Ciega Yacht Club will be offering an adult basic sailing class beginning Wednesday, March 17. The course includes five Wednesday evening classes as well as four

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weekend waterfront sailing sessions. Students will put classroom theories into practice sailing the club’s Catalina 16.5 fleet. Cost is $250 per person including all classroom materials and a US SAILING Certification textbook manual. Participants will receive a complimentary threemonth membership. With a 2/1 student teacher ratio, this is the most reasonably priced program in the Tampa Bay area. For registration information, visit www.sailbcyc.org, or call Jennifer Rogers at (727) 345-7544. Preregistration is required.

Anchoring Seminar, St. Petersburg, FL, March 21 This is a two-hour class presented in one evening and is available to anyone 12 or older. The seminar explains how to select the appropriate anchor, rode and components and their use depending on sea and bottom conditions.

Tables are used to determine the sizing of your anchor and its components based on the size of your boat. Materials include USPS’s Anchoring Quick Guide and Student’s Notes with copies of the presentation slides. St. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron, Wednesday, March 21, 7-9 p.m. St. Petersburg Sailing Center, 250 2nd Ave SE, Demens Landing, St Petersburg. Instruction is free, materials $25 per family. Maximum of 20 students. Pre-registration required. Register at www.boating-stpete.org.

About Boating Safely Courses— Required in Florida and Other Southern States Effective Jan. 1, 2010, anyone in Florida born after Jan. 1, 1988, must take a boating safety course in order to operate a boat of 10 hp or more. Other states require boaters to have boater safety education if they were born after a certain date, meaning boaters of all ages will eventually be required to have taken a course. To learn about the laws in each state, go to www.aboutboatingsafely.com.

The course name “About Boating Safely,” begun by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, satisfies the education requirement in Florida and most Southern States and also gives boaters of all ages a solid grounding (no pun intended) in boating safety. Other organizations offer other courses which will satisfy the Florida requirements.

The About Boating Safely (ABS) covers subjects including boat handling, weather, charts, navigation rules, trailering, federal regulations, personal watercraft, hypothermia and more. Many insurance companies also give discounts for having taken the boater safety education course.

The following are ABS courses (with asterisks **): **Monthly Boating Safely Courses 2012 Schedule in Fort Pierce, FL/ Go to http://a0700508.uscgaux.info/ (click on Classes) for class information. 2012 schedule: Feb. 18, March 17, April 21, May 26, June 16, July 28, Aug. 18, Sept. 15, Oct.

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February 2012

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20, Nov. 17 Classes are usually very full. Call and reserve space on the preferred program date. $36 (+ $10 for each additional family member). Classes held monthly. Eight-hour class at 8 a.m. Flotilla 58, Coast Guard Auxiliary Building 1400 Seaway Dr., Fort Pierce FL. (772) 418-1142. **Vero Beach, FL. Sponsored by the Vero Beach Power Squadron (VBPS). 301 Acacia Road, Vero Beach, FL. Schedule at www.verobeachps.com. **Ongoing — Jacksonville, FL. Mike Christnacht. (904) 419-8113. Generally held once monthly on Saturdays. Go to www.uscgajaxbeach.com for the schedule, location and to register. **Ongoing — Ruskin, FL, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 75 Offers Home Study Safe Boating Course. Each month.

The flotilla has found that many boaters do not have the time to attend the courses, so they are now also offering a home study course at $30. Additional family members will be charged $10 each for testing and certificates. Tests held bimonthly. Entry into the course allows participants to attend the classes. To apply, call (813) 677-2354.

US SAILING COURSES IN THE SOUTHEAST (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX) For more on course locations, contact information, course descriptions and prerequisites, go to http://training.ussailing.org/Course_Calendars.htm, or call (401) 683-0800, ext.

644. Check the website – courses are sometimes added late.

US SAILING Level 1 Small Boat Instructor Course, New Orleans, LA, Feb. 22-25 This 40-hour course is designed to provide sailing instructors with information on how to teach more safely, effectively and creatively. The goal of the program is to produce

News & Views for Southern Sailors

highly qualified instructors, thereby reducing risk exposure for sailing programs. Topics covered in the course include: classroom and on-the-water teaching techniques, risk management, safety issues, lesson planning, creative activities, ethical concerns, and sports physiology and psychology. Must be 16 years old and have successfully completed a NASBLA safe boating course. Holding current CPR and First Aid cards is strongly suggested. Southern Yacht Club. George Goodall, georgeg305@cox.net, IT: James Miller.

US SAILING Powerboat Instructor Course, Clearwater, FL This course will prepare candidates to safely run the US SAILING powerboat courses and teach race support and powerboat operators precision boat handling and sailboat rescue and towing techniques. It is recommended that candidates have a Safe Powerboat Handling certification.

Candidates must also have CPR and first aid, be at least 18, and able to swim 50 yards with and without a PFD. Clearwater Community Sailing Center. Jennifer Davies, jenniferDavies@ussailing.org, (401) 683-0800. IT: Dick Allsopp, Richard White.

US SAILING Sailing Counselor Course, Seabrook, TX, Feb. 25-26 A two-day course designed to prepare camp counselors and staff from community sailing and scouting programs to supervise small boat recreational sailing activities typically conducted on sheltered and protected waters. Sailing counselor training will also provide a model for how a counselor might structure actual sailing activities. Must be at least 14 years old. Lakewood Yacht Club. Jill Hughes, howdy777 @comcast.net. IT: Stephen Gay. US SAILING/POWERBOATING Safe Powerboat Handling, Fort Lauderdale, FL, February A great course for those who operate whalers and similar

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single-screw powerboats including recreational boaters, sailing instructors, race committee and other on-the-water volunteers with some boating experience who want to learn the safe handling of small powerboats, or improve their on-the-water boat handling skills. A US SAILING Small Powerboat Certification is available upon successful completion of the course and satisfies the requirement for instructors seeking a US SAILING Level 1 certification. This is a two-day course with two full days; or a three-day course, part time each day; or the accelerated one full-day course.

Best Boat Club and Rentals, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Dean Sealey. dean@goboatingnow.com. (954) 523-0033: Accelerated One-day courses: Feb. 18.

Standard Two-day Course: Feb. 4-5

BOAT SHOWS Mid-Atlantic Boat Show. Feb. 9-12. Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, NC. www.ncboatshows.com.

Carolina PowerBoat Show and Sale. Feb. 17-19. North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NC. Southeast Productions Inc., (336) 855-0208. www.ncboatshows.com.

Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail,

Miami Boat Show, Miami, FL, Feb. 17-21. See pages 36-37 for show information and seminar schedule.

10th Savannah Boat and Outdoor Show March 2-4 Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. Friday, 12-6. Sat., 10-6. Sunday, 11-5.

Adults $8 ($5 on Friday). Ages 4-12, $3. Kids 3 and under free. For information, go to www.SavannahInternationalBoatShow.com.

27th Annual Palm Beach Boat Show, March 22-25 Flagler Drive on the water in downtown West Palm Beach and also at the County Convention Center, Palm Beach, FL. Thurs. 12-7, Fri. and Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-6. $14, $12 online.

Children 6-15 $5, $3 online. Children under 6 free. (800) 9407642. www.showmanagement.com.

4th Annual Southwest International Boat Show, Houston, TX, March 22-25 Largest in-water boat show in Texas. Sail America has partnered with the show to create a Sail America Village and will be selling space, managing seminars and running a Discover Sailing program. South Shore Harbour Marina, Houston.

Thursday, 12-6; Friday 12-7; Saturday 10-7; Sunday, 12-6. www.southwestinternationalboatshow.com.

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February 2012

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Southeast US Boat Show, Jacksonville, FL, April 20-21 Sailing has been a big part of the spring Southeast Boat Show in Jacksonville, FL, for the show’s 16 years, because the show’s producer, Jimmy Hill, is a sailor himself. The show’s sailing section, called Sailing Showcase East, was created as sailing’s East Coast spring venue and is marketed to sailors and treated like a stand-alone feature. Most of the big name production boats like Catalina, Hunter, Beneteau and Gemini are present.

This year, there will be more seminars.

Last year’s rigging seminar was a big hit, and Julian Crisp of Sparman USA will host rigging seminars at this year’s show. John Anderson of The Catamaran Company in St. Augustine will be holding a seminar in multihulls. John is a multihull expert with over 17 years of sailing and selling catamarans.

There will also be hundreds of vendors selling gear and accessories for both power and sail. The show is also as much a festival as it is a boat show with live music, good food, and a happy hour at the famous marina tiki bar—with a bikini contest on Friday at 6 p.m. The show is held across from Everbank Stadium at the Metro Park and Marina, 1410 Gator Bowl Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32202. The stadium parking lot is available for show visitors. The show can also be reached via water shuttle from the Jacksonville Landing.

News & Views for Southern Sailors

Dockage is available on a first-come, first-serve basis for those who come by boat. Some consider this the best boat show venue in Florida. There will be between 80 and 150 in-water sail and powerboats, and several hundred boats on land spread across the seven acres of the waterfront show. Hours are 10-8, Friday and Saturday, and 10-6 on Sunday. $10 entry and children 16 and under free.

OTHER EVENTS

International Marina and Boatyard Conference, Lake Buena Vista, FL, Feb. 1-3 Professional development seminars. Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Lake Buena Vista. International Marina Institute/Association of Marina Industries. (401) 682-7334. www.marinaassociation.org.

Trawler Fest, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Feb. 2-4 This event is sponsored by PassageMaker magazine and will be held at the Bahia Mar Resort & Yachting Center in Fort

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Lauderdale. Attendees come by boat and stay at the marina, or by land, staying at one of the local hotels or the resort.

Seminars, on a wide range of topics, include the following: How to select the right boat, single screw versus twin, custom boats, steel versus fiberglass, engine maintenance, electrical, anchoring, electronics, medical, safety, communications, living aboard, and local and long-distance cruising.

For more information, go to www.trawlerfest.com.

Nautical Rummage Sale, Jacksonville, FL, Feb. 4 The North Florida Cruising Club will host a Nautical rummage sale Saturday, Feb. 4, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the New Orleans Cafe, 12760 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville (Julington Creek/Mandarin). Sailors from various local clubs and organizations will be selling, giving, or bartering boating equipment and nautically themed household items. Call Barbara Burke at (904) 310-5110 for more information.

Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival, Feb. 10-12

South Florida Fairgrounds, West Palm Beach, FL. (954) 2057813. www.flnauticalfleamarket.com.

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2012 Useppa Island, FL, Catboat Rendezvous, Feb. 23-25 The Useppa Island every-other-winter catboat rendezvous will be held Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23-25. Those attending are invited to come a few days early and stay a few days later. There will be lots of sailing, races for the world championship of 15-foot Sandpipers, a beach party, and other fun events. For sailing information, contact Mike Albert at (941) 376-1200, mycopres@aol.com, or Jay Taylor at (941) 737-4807, jaytomato@aol.com. For housing, call the Useppa Island Club at (239) 283-1061. Mention Catboat Rendezvous 2012 for special rates.

16th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market, Islamorada, Florida Keys, Feb. 25-26 Sponsored by the Upper Keys Rotary Club. Held at Founders Park on Islamorada, MM 87, Bayside. New and used boats, marine gear, dive gear, products, clothing, electronics, antiques, fishing, nautical arts and crafts. Sat. 8-5, Sun. 9-3. (305) 453-3802. www.GiganticNauticalFlea Market.org.

www.southwindsmagazine.com

32nd Annual George Town Cruising Regatta, Exumas, Bahamas, Feb. 25-March 11 This is a cruisers regatta that builds up over several months. Most boats start arriving from around the United States, Canada and other countries in November and stay till March. When regatta days start, sailboat races are held in the harbor and around Stocking Island with volArticles Wanted About Southern Yacht Clubs, Sailing Associations and Youth Sailing Groups SOUTHWINDS magazine is looking for articles on individual yacht clubs, sailing associations and youth sailing groups throughout the Southern states (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX (east Texas). Articles wanted are about a club’s history, facilities, major events and general information about the club. The clubs and associations must be well established and have been around for at least five years. Contact editor@ Southwindsmagazine.com for information about article length, photo requirements and other questions.

News & Views for Southern Sailors

leyball tournaments and other beach events in between. Opening night of the regatta is a very big event held Feb. 27. The first event is the “Pass in Review” of the fleet. There also is Softball, tennis, coconut harvest, bridge, Texas hold’em poker, beach golf and much more.

For more information, contact Bill Sandelin, regatta chairman, at (305) 496-9553, or sandelin1@yahoo.com. www.georgetowncruising.com (go to Regatta Information for 2012 schedule).

33rd Annual Dania Marine Flea Market, Dania Jai Alai Fronton, Dania Beach, FL, March 15-18 The world’s largest marine flea market is held at the parking lot of the Dania Jai Alai Fronton, Dania Beach, FL. Private individuals and corporate vendors sell marine equipment, coral encrusted antiques, used boats, fishing tackle, diving gear, marine artwork and other boating related items. Thursday- Saturday. 9-6 p.m. Sunday 9-4 p.m.

Thursday $12. Friday, Saturday, Sunday $10. Children under 12 free. Free parking. Al Behrendt Enterprises, (954) 920-7877. www.daniamarinefleamarket.com.

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Sarasota Nautical Flea Market and Seafood Festival, March 31-April 1 Nautical flea market and public boat auction. New and used boats, seafood vendors, kids zone, beer and wine garden, and reggae music. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sarasota County Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. Vender space available. www.flnauticalfleamarket.com.

27th Morgan Invasion to be Held With Catalina Rendezvous, Treasure Island, Tampa Bay, FL, May 18-20 This year, the Morgan Invasion, traditionally held in Treasure Island in the Tampa Bay area, will also be a Catalina Yachts rendezvous. The Catalina Yachts’ factory is located in nearby Largo and has been since Catalina purchased Morgan yachts in 1984, changing the name of the factory to Catalina Yachts Morgan Division.

The Invasion and Rendezvous will be held at The Club Treasure Island on May 18-20. Visitors are welcome to come by boat or on land. Dockage is available for all boats, and a boat ramp is available for those who want to trailer and

launch their boat (ramp available at The Club). There is ample room for a large number of boats to raft together at the extensive docks at The Club. Boaters are invited to show up for the welcoming party on Friday afternoon and evening. On Saturday, there will be a race in the Gulf, followed by a party and awards ceremony.

Sunday is breakfast with Charley Morgan (who will be there all weekend), after which everyone departs. For more information, go to www.MorganInvasion.com, or call Dockmaster Les Lathrop at (727) 367-4511, ext 236.

Review Your Boat SOUTHWINDS is looking for boaters to review their own boat. We found readers like to read reviews by boat owners. If you like to write, we want your review. It can be long or short (the boat, that is), a racer, a cruiser, new or old, on a trailer or in the water. Photos essential. If it’s a liveaboard, tell us how that works out. Or—is it fast?

Have you made changes? What changes would you like? Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com for more specifics and specifications on photos needed.

Articles must be sent by e-mail or on disc. We pay for the reviews, too.

Gulfport Municipal Marina D

59th ANNUAL

Your Gateway to the Gulf & Boca Ciega Bay Aquatic Preserve

MOUNT DORA SAILING REGATTA MOUNT DORA, FLORIDA, MARCH 31-APRIL 1 The 59th Annual Regatta is open to all classes from Opti to Sunfish, Hobie to Wayfarer, Catalinas to Mutineers We hope to have up to 7 races, weather permitting.

Four boats will be required for a design class Inland sailing at its best, with outstanding food on Saturday night with music on the dock.

Well Protected Basin Transient Dock Transient Daily: $1.50/ft Transient Weekly: $5.25/ft For more information and registration form, go to www.mountdorayachtclub.com Or for the personal touch, call us at 352-383-3188.

We will gladly help you out.

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(727) 893-1071 www.ci.gulfport.fl.us 4630 29th Ave. S. Harbormaster: Denis Frain, CMM

250 Wet Slips 100 Dry Slips Marina Web Cam Floating Transient Dock Launching Ramp Monthly & Daily Rentals Marine Supplies Free Internet Access Free Public Pump-out Floating Fuel Dock Gas & Diesel Fishing Tackle Charter Boat Center Ice, Beer, Snacks Live & Frozen Bait Prop Recondition Monitoring VHF CH 16 FM

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NEWS & BUSINESS BRIEFS

Okeechobee Water Level Comes Back Up As of press date in mid-January, Lake Okeechobee is at 13.50 feet above sea level, dropping only a quarter of a foot since midDecember. This makes the navigational depth for Route 1, which crosses the lake, 7.44 feet, and the navigational depth for Route 2, which goes around the southern coast of the lake, 5.64 feet. Bridge clearance at Myakka was at 50.16 feet. For those interested in seeing the daily height of the lake, navigation route depths and bridge clearance, go to www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/ Operations/ LakeOWaterways.htm (copy this address exactly as it is here with upper and lower cases). This link is available on our website, www.southwindsmagazine.com.

The Everglades Challenge, Tampa Bay, March 3 What is the Everglades Challenge?

By Ron Hoddinott The Everglades Challenge is an unsupported, expedition-

The 2011 start of the Everglades Challenge at Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg, FL. Photo by Ron Hoddinott.

style adventure race for kayaks, canoes and small sailboats that starts above the high tide mark on the east beach of Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg, FL, and ends in Key Largo. It is run by the Watertribe, whose fearless leader, Steve Issac, conceived of the race in 2000.

This year’s event starts at dawn on March 3, although if you want a good look at the boats, go on Friday, March 2, when the competitors will be going through inspection and setting up their boats on the starting line. Along the 300mile course, competitors are required to sail, row, or paddle into three checkpoints, but not required to stay there. The checkpoints going south along the coast are Placida, Chokoloskee, and Flamingo before the boats head to the

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Bay Cove Motel in Key Largo at the finish.

Competitors sign the log book at each checkpoint, and push off to break personal bests, or to attempt to better records that have been set in years past. Previous records include the 2010 record of 1 day, 2 hours, and 12 minutes, set by Jamie Livingston and Kenny Pierce aboard a well-sailed Olympic-class Tornado 20 catamaran. The class four record for monohulled sailboats belongs to Graham Byrnes and Randy Marshall, who finished in 2 days, 5 hours, and 56 minutes in 2007, sailing Graham’s own design, the EC 22, an unballasted cat ketch.

World-renowned racers Randy Smythe, and Meade and Jan Gougeon have been entrants for the past few years. Anyone who is willing to sign a form releasing the Watertribe of any liability in case of his death can enter, as long as he has the entry fee of $395 per person, and he certifies that he is an expert in the handling of his boat.

The start can be viewed at the park on March 3 before dawn, or from a boat as the competitors head south through Tampa Bay. For more on the Everglades Challenge, go to www.watertribe.com and go to the Events page.

Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez Florida Raffles Catalina 22 The museum is raffling off, at $5 a ticket, a used Catalina 22, in good condition, with outboard motor and sails. The boat can be loaded on a trailer (trailer not included), or put it in the water to sail away. The boat can be viewed at the Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th Street West, Cortez, FL 34215. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the museum, or by mail at the same address. The proceeds will go to the museum’s award-winning Boat Works program, helping volunteers build a traditional wooden Florida skipjack.

The skipjack will be used in various programs, including the Turner Maritime Challenge at Cortez, the museum’s youth program.

The winning ticket will be drawn at the end of the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival on February 19. For more information, contact Ted Adams at the museum; call (941) 708-6120, or e-mail ted.adams@manateeclerk.com.

Clearwater Community Sailing Center Offers Spring Kids Sailing Program In recognition of the many kids just wanting to have fun on the water and not necessarily be competitive, the Clearwater Community Sailing Center is introducing a Kids Sailing Just for Fun weekend program, March 3 through June 2, Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m. Cost is $150 for three months. Kids will learn boat and water safety, while simply having a great time hanging out with friends, going on cruising rallies to various surrounding islands, trying out different types of sailing craft and learning more about the Intracoastal Waterway.

The center is also hosting a Share the Love Membership Drive, offering a Harken jacket for the member who introduces the most new members to the center

by Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. One of those new members will be eligible for a chance to win a renewal membership free in a drawing on Valentine’s Day. The center’s goal is 100 new members.

Center staff member Rich White was the recent recipient of the US SAILING Community Sailing Program Director of the Year award. For more information, contact Sue Steward at (727) 517-7776. The center is located on Sand Key at 1001 Gulf Blvd. in Clearwater. www.clearwatercommunitysailing.org.

27th Annual

& Raft & party on Friday Race in the Gulf & Party on Saturday Breakfast with Charley Morgan & depart on Sunday For more information/registration: MorganInvasion.com or call Les Lathrop at 727-367-4511 x 236

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RENDEZVOUS

SAILING FOR HOSPICE Hosted by The Club Treasure Island

May 18-20, 2012

Original Home of The Morgan Invasion

www.southwindsmagazine.com

The Shipwright Shop Holds Boatbuilding Festival in Fort Myers on March 8-11, Ages 11 and Up The Shipwright Shop in Fort Myers, owned by master shipwright Capt.

David Bickel, is putting on the Southwest Florida Boat Building Festival at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers. The event will be held at the 22nd Annual Southwest Florida Boat Show, March 8-11.

Teams of four to five people per team, ages 11 and up, are invited to build a boat. Professional boatbuilders will oversee the building of a boat over a two-anda-half-day period for the teams. Up to 20 teams of five people will build a 12-foot Bevins Skiff. Registration fees will cover all tools, materials and professional instruction. The teams will return home with their boats. Local judges will award prizes. No experience is necessary.

Sponsors are being sought for the event. For more information, for sponsorships, and to register, contact David Bickel at boatfestival2012@gmail.com, or call (239) 267-7526. www.theshipwrightshop.com. A video link is available on the festival at the website.

Mainsail News TV Launched by West Florida Sailor for Local and International Regatta Coverage Punta Gorda sailor Jeff Drechsler recently launched Mainsail News TV—an online TV website that has videos and news of national and international high end regattas, SEE US AT THE STRICTLY SAIL MIAMI BOAT SHOW, FEB. 16-20, BOOTH 921

SPARS & RIGGING

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along with information and coverage of local regattas.

Along with RSS feeds of regatta websites with video and commentary of regattas from around the world, Mainsail News TV will help local sailors get started in feeling more comfortable in getting into local racing. The website will have information, videos and help on racing rules, course tactics and helping local weekend and new sailors learn about boats they will be racing against. The site will have some coverage of small, local regattas. Videos are currently on the website about getting into sailboat racing, along with Jeff’s videos of interviewing entrants in the IFDS worlds in Punta Gorda in January. Jeff plans to video more local racing, something never done before.

Another department of the website is intended to encourage young potential sailors to pursue their ambitions by introducing them to youth sailing opportunities and venues, including the information on how to compete on a collegiate level or even obtain a sailing scholarship.

Log on at www.mainsailnews.tv, or call Jeff Drechsler at (941) 735-8363, or email Jeff@MainsailNews.TV

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February 2012

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Strictly Sail Miami at Bayside 71st Annual Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail Miami FEBRUARY 16-20

O

ne of the largest boat shows in the world, this event combines the main show at the Miami Convention Center, the annual Strictly Sail Miami Show at the Miamarina at Bayside Marketplace (see sidebar location and directions) and the Yacht and Brokerage Show on the 5000 block of Collins Avenue with in-water displays of powerboats at the Sea Isle Marina and Yachting Center at 1633 North Bayshore Dr., Miami.

Although many monohulls are at the show, the Strictly Sail Miami Show is also the largest catamaran show in the world. Sailboats of all sizes, monohulls and multihulls, are on display along with numerous vendors and exhibitors.

Boating and sailing seminars are held daily.

Children 15 and under free (must be accompanied by an adult to get in free). $18 for adults for a one-day pass, $32 for a two-day pass (any two days), Friday through Monday.

Premier Thursday costs $35. Hours are 10-8 Thursday through Sunday and till 6 on Monday. Two other boat show locations (not part of Strictly Sail) at Sea Isle Marina and the

Miami Convention Center are open 10-6 daily. E-tickets can be purchased in advance at www.miamiboatshow.com, or www.strictlysailmiami.com. Group tickets are available for groups of 20 or more (purchase 20 tickets at the regular price and receive five free tickets). All tickets include entry to the convention center show and vice versa if you purchase the tickets at the center. If you go to the convention center, a shuttle or water taxi will take you to the sailboat show and vice versa. Shuttle buses and water taxis run back and forth between the show locations.

For more information, go to www.strictlysailmiami. com. Tickets include a one-year subscription to one of the following magazines: Yachting, Motor Boating, Cruising World or TransWorld Surf ($10 value).

Discover Sailing Free half-hour lessons and sail with an experienced sailor from the docks. 10-6 every day—free. Sign up (online early available Jan. 15) to spend 90 minutes learning the basics of sailing. There will also be hands-on 90-minute Coastal Cruising clinics for more advanced sailors. Or attend one of the daily seminars (seminars going on all day) on sailing (see next page).

Yoga Onboard—A guide for Cruisers and Liveaboards See the seminar schedule for times and locations. Yoga will also be demonstrated and instructed onboard a boat.

Latitudes & Attitudes Miami Cruiser’s Bash Saturday night, February 18, the Annual Latitudes & Attitudes Miami Cruiser’s Bash. Enjoy the tropical sailing sounds of the Eric Stone Band live on stage with FREE pizza & beer!

Everyone is invited! But you must be inside the Strictly Sail gate, Saturday night by 6 p.m. or you won’t get in. So come early, enjoy the boat show and stay for the concert.

DIRECTIONS TO STRICTLY SAIL Miamarina at Bayside Marketplace, 401 Biscayne Blvd. Miami From the North: I-95 South to exit 395/Miami Beach East, exit at Biscayne Blvd. Turn right; follow Biscayne to Port Blvd. (NE 5th Street). Turn left; follow right hand lane into the Bayside Garage.

From the South: I-95 North. Exit at Biscayne Blvd. Stay in left-hand lane until the stop sign at Biscayne. Turn left on NE 3rd Street. Follow the left side of the road into the Bayside Garage. Additional Parking if Bayside is Full: Shuttle from park-and-ride facility at the American Airlines Arena, two blocks from Bayside. $10 per day.

36

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

STRICTLY SAIL SEMINAR SCHEDULE FREE Seminars. This list is also available online at www.strictlysailmiami.com.

Check the schedule, as some seminars require registration. “A” and “B” are the seminar tent locations at the show.

THURSDAY 11:45 Jeff Grossman & Jean Levine Grossman A Take the Drama out of your Dream 11:45 Charles Kanter B The Most Important Skill: Anchoring 11:45 Travis Blain C Sail Handling 13:00 Liza Copeland A The Caribbean Circuit 13:00 Steven Bowden B Communications for Cruisers 13:00 Vern Blanc C Yacht Financing & Insurance in the New Economy 14:15 Kathy Parsons A Proper Provisioning 14:15 Matthew Dunning B Outfitting a Catamaran for Liveaboard Cruising 14:15 Jean De Keyser C Chartering and Learning to Sail in Southwest Florida 15:30 Pam Wall and Kathy Parson A Women and Cruising 15:30 Tony Wall B Gulfstream Crossings: Wind and Wave Considerations 15:30 John Franta C Affordable Synthetic Standing Rigging 16:45 Pam Wall A Cruising the Bahamas 16:45 Bob Williams B Solar and Wind Power Technologies 16:45 Corinne Kanter C Galley Secrets A-Z FRIDAY 10:30 10:30 10:30 11:45

Jimmy Cornell Kevin Carlan Brenda Wempner John Kretschmer

A B C B

11:45 13:00 13:00 13:00 14:15 14:15

Kim Hess Liza Copeland Scot Wiliman Etienne Giroire George Day Mike Moriarty

C A B C A B

Planning Your Dream Voyage (90 Minutes) Basic Diesel Maintenance Sailing Made Easy Sailboats For A Serious Ocean 25 Great Sailboats For World Voyaging Healthy Cruising with Yoga Onboard™ Cruising for Couples Care and Feeding of your Mast How to Fly and Retrieve the Spinnaker The Countdown To Cruising LED Lighting

14:15 15:30 15:30 15:30 16:45 16:45 16:45

Travis Blain C Sail Handling Jimmy Cornell A World Cruising Today Pam Wall B Know your Boat: Build Confidence for Cruising Charles Daneko C LifeRaft Survival and Rescue at Sea Jimmy Cornell A Highlights of a Sailing Life Jeff Grossman & Jean Levine Grossman B Couples Cruising to the Caribbean Charles Kanter C Understanding the Catamaran Phenomenon

SATURDAY 10:30 Jeff Thomassen 10:30 Zack Smith 10:30 Jean Larroux 11:45 Kathy Parsons

A B C A

11:45 11:45 13:00 13:00 13:00 14:15 14:15

Anson Mulder Gerry Douglas George Day Kevin Carlan Chris Kreitlein Bob Bitchin Phillip Berman

B C A B C A B

14:15 15:30 15:30

Pam Wall John Kretschmer Liza Copeland

C A B

15:30 16:45 16:45 16:45

Bob Williams Kathy Parsons Lee Chesneau Patrik Swanljung

C A B C

SUNDAY 10:30 Tony Wall 10:30 Bob Williams 10:30 Charles Kanter 11:45 Jimmy Cornell 11:45 Tadji Kretschmer 11:45 Doug Hanks 13:00 Jimmy Cornell 13:00 Kathy Parsons 13:00 Doug Hanks 14:15 John Kretschmer

A B C A B C A B C A

14:15 14:15 15:30 15:30 15:30 16:45 16:45 16:45

Satellite Communications at Sea Parachute Sea Anchors & Storm Drogues Charter Yacht Ownership 101 Through the Bahamas to the Caribbean: Successfully Sailing South Spinnaker Sailing Designing Modern Sailboats for Today’s Customers The 10 Things They Never Tell you about the Cruising Life Basic Diesel Maintenance An Overview of Celestial Navigation Cruising the Big Blue Ball Called Earth Ten Biggest Mistakes when Purchasing a used Catamaran or any Boat Cool Products No One Knows About Force 10 - Storm Sailing Strategies The Cruising Countdown – Preparations for Coastal and Offshore Offshore Energy Management Proper Provisioning The Weather Briefing: Self Reliant Weather Interpretation Skills Solar Power on Boats: Facts, Myths and Hype

Gulfstream Crossings: Wind and Wave Considerations Marine Refrigeration Yacht Survey: Why? When? Where? Who? And How Much?

Impresiones de una vida en la mar (Highlights of a Sailing Life) Canal Boating in France Sailboat Buying 101 Pilot Charts Cruising the French and Spanish-speaking Caribbean Biscayne Bay’s Best Cruising Spots Atlantic Crossings: Lessons Learned from 20 Transatlantic Passages Liza Copeland B Voyaging Realities, Arrival Procedures, and Travels Tips Ashore Gardner Lloyd C Successful Docking Techniques Jimmy Cornell A Pacific Marathon: Antarctica to Alaska Pam Wall and Kathy Parson B Women and Cruising Marti Brown C Safety At Sea with Marine SSB John Gambill A Electrical Troubleshooting Pam Wall B Cruising the Bahamas Jean De Keyser C ASA Sailing Flotillas in Croatia and Chartering in Croatia

MONDAY 10:30 John Kretschmer, Moderator A Fit out, Refit, and Repair Everything (two hours) 10:30 Jean Larroux B Charter Yacht Ownership 101 10:30 Kim Hess C Healthy Cruising with Yoga Onboard™ 11:45 Phillip Berman B Finding the Right Catamaran to Suite Your Needs and Budget 11:45 Zack Smith C Parachute Sea Anchors & Storm Drogues 13:00 George Day, Moderator A Cruising Couples Forum (Two Hours) 13:00 Pam Wall B Hurricane Preparation 13:00 Steven Bowden C Communications for Cruisers 14:15 Kathy Parsons and Pam Wall B What Works: Tips and Techniques for Long-Distance Cruising (Two Hours) 14:15 Patrik Swanljung C Solar Power on Boats: Facts, Myths and Hype 15:30 Bob Williams A AC and DC Desalination (Watermakers) 15:30 Brenda Wempner C Bareboat Chartering in Exotic Destinations News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012

37

BOOK REVIEW Cornell’s

Ocean Atlas

By Roy Laughlin Jimmy Cornell, noted blue-water cruising guru and author, recently published his latest work, Cornell’s Ocean Atlas. The Ocean Atlas is a condensation of meteorological data into a month-bymonth presentation of wind direction, currents and other meteorological information relevant to blue-water cruisers. The data is presented as wind roses and current vectors for each intersection of latitude and longitude.

Cornell’s Ocean Atlas is based on a completely new and updated set of meteorological data, most of it collected by satellite and buoy remote sensing.

Jimmy’s son, Ivan (co-author on the Ocean Atlas), a computer scientist by education and a sailor by avocation, collected and analyzed the data. “Ivan analyzed NOAA and NASA data. He extracted and synthesized the information to end up with wind roses and currents.” The result is succinctly presented graphically in 129 charts.

Cornell noted that differences in his new compilation of data and older pilot charts arise from three likely sources.

First is that prior knowledge was often derived from limited or seasonally incomplete data. Satellites never sleep and have been on the job for two decades or longer, producing a substantially more detailed data record. The second is that some of the oldest observations were from sailing ships.

Measurements of true wind direction and speed need to be corrected for apparent wind, a correction that likely was not routinely made in ships’ logs, and whose uncorrected values have been passed down uncritically in old data sets. Climate change is the third significant factor necessitating a fresh, comprehensive evaluation of meteorological data for the world’s oceans. Differences between old and new wind roses for specific locations are often significant. The illustration presents two for the eastern Pacific. Cornell explained, “The

new one shows an entirely different wind, from the southeasterly [in the old charts] to northeasterly,” The father-son Cornell team undertook this massive data set evaluation because, “In Voyage Planner (a book currently near completion and to be available by mid-2012), I realized the current old information was no longer accurate and does not present an accurate view of the current weather.” The Cornell’s atlas reflects current meteorological research findings. The location, strength and coverage of global high-pressure cells and the weather associated with those cells have shown profound changes in recent decades—the cause of “change” in “climate change.” But Ocean Atlas is a presentation understandable and usable by blue-water cruisers. The chart format and spiral binding, that lays flat, are compatible with traditional nav station dimensions.

Cornell estimated that there are about 10,000 full time blue-water cruising sailboats currently voyaging; perhaps as many as 4,000 of them are Americans. This book is written primarily for this group. “I always try to describe my books as the kind I wish I had when I started out,” Cornell noted after 35 years of blue-water cruising. This book will also be an excellent reference for a much broader group, from oceanographers and meteorological students, to commercial shipping. It is a notable accomplishment, but for cruisers and those with dreams of cruising, it is an essential resource.

Cornell’s Ocean Atlas is currently available in select nautical booksellers in theUnited States. Bibliographic information is: Jimmy and Ivan Cornell; Cornell’s Ocean Atlas.

Published by Cornell Sailing, Ltd. December 2011. ISBN: 978-0-9556396-5-4. Size: 11.7” X 16.5” JIMMY CORNELL SEMINAR AT THE MIAMI BOAT SHOW Jimmy Cornell will give a series of seminars at the Miami Strictly Sail Boat Show (Feb. 16 - 20). His books will be on sale there. A one-day special seminar is planned for Saturday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m.

– 3 p.m.. Cost is $155 per person. Price includes the six-hour seminar with Cornell, and a buffet lunch—both on the Biscayne Lady party boat docked at the show, and a two-day admission to the Miami Boat Show. Seminar reservations can be made online at www.strictlysailmiami.com/attendees/features/features.aspx.

38 February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

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KEYS CHARTERING

Bareboating the Florida Keys

By Mike Alyea A tropical archipelago, the Keys consist of over 1700 individual keys, islands and isles that are bounded on the west by shallow Florida Bay and on the east by the Florida Reef. Photo by NASA.

Sea life, nightlife, bird life and the sailing life—the Florida Keys pretty much has it all. Sweeping in a 200-mile southwesterly arc from the southeastern tip of the Florida Peninsula, past Key West, to the Dry Tortugas, is a cruising ground unsurpassed in North America. Coral reefs, warm clear water, balmy breezes and sandy beaches abound, and you don’t need a passport to enjoy this tropical paradise strung out along our most southern shores.

Keys Geography Many people think of the Florida Keys as beginning on the north with Key Largo—the first key you land on when you cross the ICW as you drive south down Highway 1 on the Florida mainland. But technically, the Florida Keys begins south of Key Biscayne—up near Miami—with Elliot Key the northernmost key. The Keys are the exposed part of an ancient coral reef, and Elliot Key—the northernmost key on Florida’s southeast coast—is the first of these coral islands, while Key Biscayne to its north is a sand barrier island.

A tropical archipelago, the Keys consist of over 1700 individual keys, islands and isles that are bounded on the west by shallow Florida Bay and on the east by the Florida Reef. Beyond the reef is the northbound Gulf Stream—running at two to three knots—and the deep Atlantic Ocean.

The reef parallels this arc of keys on the Atlantic side all the way from Key Largo to a little past Key West, running four to five miles offshore. Then reefs continue west to the Dry Tortugas. Inside this reef, about midway, is Hawk Channel, a navigable route with depths of 15 to 20 feet that runs along the Keys from Biscayne Bay to just past Key West.

Key West is called Key West because the Florida Keys’ arc runs north-south at its northeast end and curves around to the west by the time it gets to Key West, where the Overseas Highway ends at its westernmost point. The Dry

Tortugas are straight west from there—out about 70 miles— where you can visit historic Fort Jefferson.

Cruising grounds are all of the Florida Keys from Elliot Key in the north to the Dry Tortugas in the southwest end, with great diving, fishing and cruising around coral reefs and tropical keys.

Keys Lingo: Inside, Outside, Bayside, Oceanside Navigating the Keys requires an understanding of some local terms, such as “inside,” meaning the bay side (the Gulf); and “outside,” meaning the ocean side (the Atlantic).

Addresses in the Keys on the Overseas Highway (Route 1, the main road running through the Keys) frequently say “Oceanside” or “Bayside” on them for easier locating.

Nautically speaking, sailors cruising the Keys quickly become accustomed to defining their float plan using the terms “inside” or “outside” when discussing on which side of the Keys they’ll be sailing.

The inside—the bayside where Florida Bay lies—is very shallow and, except for some man-made channels, is not suitable for keeled boats—or for any boat that draws more than a few feet. The ICW runs down the inside (starting at Elliot Key), mostly hugging the bay side of the Keys as it meanders its way to Key West. The ICW is shallower in the Keys than elsewhere, running only six to seven feet deep,

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depending on the tides, but most bareboat fleets are set up to navigate it. The rest of Florida Bay has too many shallow spots for a keeled boat to navigate on, although a few channels allow one to head west and north into the Gulf. Even small powerboats must keep their eyes open for the shallows.

A day spent sailing outside finds one on the ocean side of the Keys sailing in either Hawk Channel, or beyond the reef out in the Atlantic. Most people that charter don’t go inside, but follow the outside route in Hawk Channel, ducking in and out of it to go to the reef, or to the marinas and anchorages nearer the Keys.

The Upper, Lower and Middle Keys Geographically and conversationally, the Keys are divided into Upper, Middle and Lower Keys. While the delineation is not as specific as lines of latitude, the rough approximation is that the Upper Keys extend from Biscayne Bay to Lower Matecumbe Key, the Middle Keys from Long Key to Marathon and the Lower Keys from Bahia Honda to the Dry Tortugas. While this Upper, Middle and Lower Keys designation is a bit broad, the specific locations of marinas, resorts and restaurants are often referred to in association with the mile markers (MM) along the Overseas Highway as it runs from Key Largo, MM 120, to Key West, MM 0.

You can cross over from the outside to the inside, and vice versa, but only at two points. You can either leave or enter the ICW on the bay side. One is at the opening bridge (65-foot clearance to cables) at Channel Five (plus or minus 5 feet depth, depending on the tide), MM 71, between Lower Matecumbe Key in the Upper Keys and Long Key in the Middle Keys. The other crossover point is Mosher Channel (7 feet depth at low tide) where you can pass under the 65-foot tall span of the 7-Mile Bridge near MM 44. This point is also where the Middle Keys end and the Lower Keys begin. From these two crossover points, going west, one can enter channels which will enable one to cross Florida Bay into the Gulf and up to West Florida. Depths of around seven feet, plus or minus, are in these channels— also depending on the tide.

Sailing in the Keys — Lots of Skinny Water If there is one characteristic that defines sailing in the Keys—besides turquoise water, beautiful coral reefs and gorgeous sunsets—it would be shallow water—called “skinny” water. On the outside, you can sail for hours down Hawk Channel, or all day beyond the reef, without ever flinching. But when it comes time to enter a marina channel or find a protected anchorage, you will usually be looking at single digits on your depth sounder.

No big deal really, it’s just that shallow water requires a little bit of extra attention and planning. Integrate the local tide chart in your cross-check and plan your approach to most marinas at high tide. Local bareboat operators offer many boats with a draft of five feet or less, giving you a good margin for navigating shallower water. Or you might want to consider the catamarans offered in some local charter fleets.

The decision to anchor out or pull into a nearby marina overnight is usually dictated by your draft, the tides, the weather, sea state and the desires of the crew. In all but a southerly blow, you will find comfortable anchorages along the entire length of the Keys in eight to 10 feet of water, News & Views for Southern Sailors

Coral reefs, warm clear turquoise water, balmy breezes and sandy beaches abound in the Florida Keys. Photo by Mike Alyea.

often close enough to shore for a quick dinghy ride to nearby marinas, bars and restaurants.

Finding an accessible marina usually means targeting those located on the ocean side of the Overseas Highway to avoid bridge clearance issues. Most marina entrance channels have at least five feet of water, and usually more alongside the dock, enabling one to enter some at high tide, while not having to worry about resting on the bottom at the dock.

Although many charter yachts come equipped with shorepowered air-conditioning, it can be hard to beat the pleasure of an evening breeze in your own quiet anchorage at sunset.

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The docks where Treasure Harbor Marine charters is located on Plantation Key, Islamorada, in the Middle Keys. The marina is a small ‘ol Keys’ marina on the ocean side. Photo courtesy Treasure Harbor Marine.

Seasons in the Keys: When to Go It is important to consider the seasonal weather patterns in deciding when to visit the Keys, since the weather can be quite different as the year progresses. We’ll discuss Keys’ weather only here, as the rest of Florida can be quite different.

Winter—the real tourist season—goes from about mid-

November to mid-April (the “winter season”). During that time, the average high temperatures go from the high 70s to the low 80s by April, with the lows in the high 60s to the low 70s over that period. The water temperature goes from the low 70s to 80 by the end of April. Those 70s temps might seem cold to many, but keep in mind that the water on those Southern California beaches in summer rarely reaches 70. That means that for most people, there’s good swimming in Key West in the middle of winter, with real warm water in spring.

If you’re escaping the cold of winters elsewhere, you’ll find warm, sunny days with breezy winds punctuated by the occasional “winter northerly” that can blow in and drop temps by 15 degrees. Although the weather can be unpredictable, you’re likely to have the best sailing winds in winter, although some storms could bring conditions that you’ll want to find protection from—but nothing ever too serious.

In summer—which, for the purposes of this discussion, should be figured as the non-winter season mentioned above—the air temperatures, along with the humidity, builds up to around 90 in midsummer, but if you are on the coast, a breeze makes all the difference in the world. Evenings are so warm that you will love them with the breeze blowing.

Diving and swimming in these conditions can’t be beat, as the water temperatures are well into the 80s all the way into early November—and the water is very clear. Summer diving in the Florida Keys is one of the best things you can do, and you will really appreciate the walk-thru transoms in these conditions (as you will all year around in the swimmingfriendly Keys). The only downside to the summer is that it’s hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, but there’s only a very small chance of a major storm except in August, September and till late October.

One thing you can do with the summer is predict that every day will be the same—except if there’s a hurricane. It will be hot, humid, beautiful, warm water, and clear and sunny with a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Only a hurricane can throw off your plans—but you’ll know if one’s coming before you start your charter and can cancel without penalty. Plus, in summer, rates are down. Lots of advantages to summer, but you will probably want to sleep in an air-conditioned cabin, which means being at the dock, unless you have one of the larger boats with an onboard generator to run AC—or you just plain don’t mind those conditions. But you best be ready for them and at least have a windscoop to blow the breeze down below.

During the fall and spring seasons, these temperatures and conditions are in between the conditions mentioned above, but you also can have warm water and warm weather—and some charter companies might offer slightly reduced rates during these transitional seasons.

And for those who like lobster, you can dive (Florida license needed) for this delicious and wily beast from Aug. 6 through March 31, with a special mini, two-day lobster season in late July.

Charter and Sail to the Keys—or Charter in the Keys?

There are basically three ways to do a bareboat charter in the Keys: 1) You can charter from a location in the Keys and

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The Boot Key Harbor anchorage and mooring field in Marathon, Middle Keys—one of the most popular boating destinations in Florida. About 300 boats are in the harbor at the height of Florida’s winter season.

Photo by Steve Morrell

you’re right there; 2) You can charter out of the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area and sail to the Keys in a few hours; or 3) You can charter out of southwest Florida and reach the Keys after 24 to 30 hours under sail, entering the Keys on the bay side or heading straight to Key West or the Dry Tortugas.

Some companies even offer one-way charters, or pre-positioning of boats that will allow you to start or end your charter at the location of your choice. For instance, you can start your charter with 360Yachting out of Key Largo Harbor Marina and drop the boat a few days later in Key West.

Fun in the Sun Yacht Charters in Fort Lauderdale is another company offering a one-way charter service. You can board your boat at its docks, sail it to the Dry Tortugas and drop it in Key West to catch your flight home.

Plan your charter with Florida Yacht Group, and you get to choose between two bases, one in Miami and another in Key West.

Located in the Keys, Treasure Harbor Marine is a bareboat operator on Plantation Key in the Upper Keys that will help you get acquainted with local tide planning techniques by having you schedule your departure and arrival to coincide with high tide.

If your experience level or time frame doesn’t support a long distance itinerary, Florida Keys Sailing offers three-day charters, limits the operation of their boats to within 25 miles of their Marathon base and encourages skippers to take advantage of a free slip each night at their marina base.

Maybe you want to start your charter in southwest Florida and take a long sail south. If so, contact Sailing Florida Charters in Saint Petersburg, or Yachting Vacations in Punta Gorda. They allow skippers to island-hop or overnight sail their boats to the Keys.

Another popular option is to work with a local area charter broker such as Cruzan Yacht Charters, Miami Yacht Charters, The Catamaran Company, or Tropical Yachts.

These companies act like a “charter travel agent” and will review your level of experience, help with itinerary planning, and place you with a bareboat company or on a private boat that meets your needs.

No matter which way you go, working directly with the right bareboat operator or charter broker is sure to result in a great charter experience.

Getting There Before you can cast off, you’ve got to get there, and that couldn’t be easier. You can fly in and out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Key West International Airports. For southwest Florida, you can fly to Tampa, Bradenton/Sarasota or Fort Myers.

Once you land, a rental car will allow you to travel to and from your charter base. It’s also useful if you need do your own provisioning. Driving to and through the Keys is a great experience, plus driving guarantees at least one great meal at The Fish House in Key Largo, MM 102, on the ocean side of the Overseas Highway.

Planning Your Charter A successful plan begins with an understanding of which News & Views for Southern Sailors

Keys and anchorages you wish to visit and what options are available from the charter company you select. Ask yourself and your crew: Do we want to snorkel, dive, and fish?

Would we prefer exploring Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas or spending a couple of nights in a slip at Hawks Cay Resort & Marina in the Lower Keys?

You can spend full days under sail and knock off 50 miles between anchorages or slow the pace and linger at your favorite resort marina or dive spot. If the winds are favorable, you could start in Fort Lauderdale and be in Key West in a couple of days, then slowly meander back, and even explore the mangroves of Florida Bay, and then head offshore to sail the northbound Gulf Stream to home port For a week-long bareboat charter, you can expect to pay about $1500 for an older 32-foot monohull, to well over $4000 for a 41-foot Lagoon Catamaran, depending on the time of year. High season is typically mid-November to the end of May with low season being June to mid-November. You may see a seasonal variation of a few hundred dollars or more, although this will vary depending on the charter company.

If you have only a few days, shorter trips are available, though many companies set a minimum of three days for a bareboat charter.

Activities Abound in the Keys How are you going to keep your crew entertained for a week? How about diving, snorkeling, fishing, lobstering, spearfishing, exploring, bird watching, beachcombing, art festivals, nightlife, shopping and restaurants—what have I left out? Oh yeah, great sailing! You may not be able to fit it all in, and it’s not all available at every anchorage—but it is all here in the Keys!

While the fishing, spearfishing and lobstering can be fantastic in the Keys, much of the area lies within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Key Largo). As such, there are regulations to be aware of in order to avoid violations and fines.

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Bahia Honda State Park anchorage and beach—one of the most popular destinations in the Keys, whether by boat or by land.

Photo by Ebyabe, www.commons.wikimedia.org.

Pre-plan and log on to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website at www.myfwc.com for specifics and remember: “If in doubt, don’t take it out—of the water.”

For a well-rounded charter, mix in some resort amenities with some boating diversity, such as: motorsailing down the ICW, gunkholing the smaller keys, crossing 70 miles of open water to the Dry Tortugas and heading offshore to sail the Gulf Stream.

One thing’s for sure, you will not be bored in the Keys.

Some Highlights of the Keys for Planning Your Charter Now, with that overview in mind, let’s set sail down Hawk Channel heading toward Key West and stop at a few of the must-see locations in the Keys.

Home to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (MM 103), Key Largo offers some of the best snorkeling to be found in the Upper Keys. The beautiful reefs in the area are just a few miles northeast of a great anchorage at Rodriguez Key (MM 98).

Tavernier Key (MM 91), just a little farther past Rodriquez, is a beautiful mangrove green island set in a turquoise sea with an anchorage flanked on the southwest by a sandy white bonefish flat.

A one-hour sail south of Tavernier Key will find you approaching Holiday Isle Resort and Marina (MM 84) on Windley Key, with its white sand beaches, restaurants, water sports, art and shopping. The famous Keys’ Rum Runner drink was allegedly invented at this spot. Beware.

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To stretch your legs and explore ashore, anchor off Indian Key (MM 78), situated five miles southwest of Windley Key. Here you can dinghy in and explore the small uninhabited island and the village ruins that were long ago the center for the local “[ship]wrecking trade.”

Next, we enter the Middle Keys. Duck Key (MM 61), home to Hawks Cay Resort & Marina, appears as the shape of an upside down duck’s head on any chart. Once tied up at the resort’s dock, you can enjoy poolside bars, tennis courts, restaurants, fitness facilities and daily dolphin shows. The only problem may be getting your crew back onboard when it’s time to leave.

Coffins Patch Reef, located five miles southwest of Duck Key, seems to be off the beaten path for many divers.

It’s home to numerous species of fish, and if you’re only going to snorkel one reef in the Middle Keys, make Coffins Patch the one.

The lively sailing town of Marathon (MM 60) offers Boot Key Harbor and everything from a West Marine to a Publix supermarket. You’ll find a municipal mooring field, provisions, and full service marinas, though the mooring field can be very crowded in the winter. This is a huge mooring field and is one of the most popular ones in Florida. It is also one of the most protected harbors in the Keys, and many a cruiser spends his winter moored here.

Noted for stands of Elkhorn coral, Sombrero Reef, located just off Boot Key, is considered by many to be the numero uno location for snorkeling in all the Keys. The 30-acre expanse of coral ranges from a depth of two to 30 feet and is a perfect snorkel adventure for the entire crew.

After Marathon, you will sail parallel to the 7-Mile Bridge—a major Keys landmark and the greatest bridge expanse in the Overseas Highway. It is also one of the crossover points into Florida Bay. At the other end of the bridge, you enter the Lower Keys and you quickly come to a popular and well-known Keys destination for both boats and cars, Bahia Honda State Park (MM 37). Beach lovers will not want to miss Sandspur Beach at this park. Anchor near shore and enjoy what is arguably the most beautiful tropical beach in North America. Do wear reef shoes walking to and from, as there’s good reason for the name.

For a taste of tropical luxury, the western end of Newfound Harbor Keys—about five miles past Bahia Honda, is home to Little Palm Island Resort and Spa—so removed from the mainland that it can only be reached by boat or seaplane. Slip fees are expensive, but the opportunity to dine ashore in a resort setting comes with complimentary dockage while dining. The nightly fee here for a cottage could be almost as much as your next Keys charter boat. The movie PT 109 was filmed on this island, and water and power brought out to it for the movie enabled the island to be developed into a resort.

At the southernmost tip of the United States, you’ll find that Key West offers innumerable options for marina services, provisioning, dining, recreation and entertainment. An evening stroll down Duval Street will reveal that its colorful history continues on today, and the party-hearty reputation of the Conch Republic is well earned. Jump off here to sail 70 miles west to the Dry Tortugas with an en route stop at

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A beach in the Marquesas, the atoll-like ring of islands west of Key West. The Marquesas hold legends of treasure hunters, pirates and a rich history. Photo by Rebecca Burg.

the Marquesas. The Marquesas Keys lie 25 miles west and are arranged in the shape of an atoll, with shallow Mooney Harbor in the middle. A dinghy ride through the channels and mangroves provides for some excellent birding before casting off for points west.

Cross another 45 miles of open water and you will find the remote Dry Tortugas. However, you will not find provisions, water or services—and you may not even find assistance if needed; you are on your own in the Tortugas.

However, when properly planned and executed, you will find a beautiful tropical adventure, stunning sunsets and Fort Jefferson, the most isolated national park in the United States.

So, Let’s Go Charter There you have it; make a call, buy a ticket and go sail the Keys. Start at one end or the other, or somewhere in the middle. You’ve got the planet’s third largest barrier reef bounded by the cobalt blue Gulf Stream and over 1700 sandy keys, all of it mixed with the glitz of Miami’s Gold Coast and blended with the quirky character of the Conch Republic.

Regardless of your experience level, you’ll find that there’s something here for every sailor—after all, these are the latitudes that will change your attitudes.

Information and Resources Your yacht will likely come stocked with one or more cruising guides onboard, but below is a list of guides available.

While these guides offer good cruising information, the first two offer a little bit more personal and local information, and would be good, along with any of the other three.

Cruising the Florida Keys by Claiborne Young and Morgan Stinemetz. Lots of information on the water and land features, with information on entering channels and marinas, anchorages and approaches. The land information makes this guide unique with a bit of local history and color throughout the Keys.

Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys by Frank Papy. Papy has been spending winters in the Keys since 1967 and has produced his guide for over 30 years with at least 12 editions.

Papy’s 40 years in the Keys makes this guide unique. Lots of knowledge, both details and facts, along with unique local information.

Dozier’s Southern Waterway Guide Southern 2012. Florida, Keys and the Gulf Coast.

Florida and the Bahamas by Embassy Cruising Guides by Maptech.

Managing the Waterway. Biscayne Bay to Dry Tortugas. By Mark and Diana Doyle.

Combine any of these guides with the local area briefing given by the charter company, and you will quickly feel right at home navigating the Keys.

Before you go, log on to these websites and do a little tropical daydreaming while planning your trip. www.fla-keys.com www.floridakeys.noaa.gov www.floridakeysnews.info/florida-keys-weather.php

www.flkeys-diving.com www.myfwc.com www.floridalobstering.com Bareboat Charter Companies Treasure Harbor Marine, Plantation Key. www.treasureharbor.com. (800) 352-2628 360 Yachting. Key Largo Harbor Marina. www.360Yachting.com. (866) 561-2175 Fun In the Sun Yacht Charters. Fort Lauderdale. www.funinthesunyachts.com. (800) 327-0228 Florida Yacht Group. Miami and Key West bases. www.floridayacht.com. (800) 537-0050 Florida Keys Sailing. Marathon. www.sailfloridakeys.com.

(305) 731-8105 Sailing Florida Charters. Saint Petersburg.

Yachting Vacations. Punta Gorda.

Florida Keys Sailing. www.sailfloridakeys.com. ( 305) 731-8105 Charter Brokers The Catamaran Company. www.catamarans.com.

(800) 262-0308 Cruzan Yacht Charters. www.cruzan.com. (800) 628-0785 Tropical Yachts. www.tropicalyachts.com. (888) 575-1639 Miami Yacht Charters. www.miamicharters.com.

(866) 978-5450 Mike Alyea sails his 1982 Hunter 30 ‘Bout Time on Lake Allatoona, GA, and charters whenever his schedule allows. He’s sailed the Chesapeake, Puget Sound, Florida, Southern California and the BVIs, and is available for questions and comments at mikealyea@hotmail.com.

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CAROLINA SAILING

The Spirit of South Carolina

A New Chapter or the Final Voyage?

By Dan Dickison The Spirit of South Carolina. Unless some providential solution is devised in the near term, the Spirit will be sold, and one probable consequence is that it may sail away from the Low Country for good. Photo courtesy South Carolina Maritime Foundation.

O

n a cold, clear morning in early January, the Spirit of South Carolina tall ship quietly slipped its moorings and moved out into Charleston Harbor. Aboard the 140-foot schooner, a skeletal crew—assisted by 19 youngsters from a local private school—methodically raised the sails. Then, the traditional wooden vessel struck a majestic pose, gradually disappearing through the harbor’s jetties and into the Atlantic under full sail. It was an impressive sight; one that locals here have been privileged to witness countless times over the past five years. But it was also a bittersweet vignette for anyone aware of the ship’s shaky status as the centerpiece in a legal battle involving its owner— the South Carolina Maritime Foundation—several of the foundation’s board members, and the bank that holds a $2.2-million loan on the ship. The situation is complicated and far from resolved, but one aspect is clear: unless some providential solution is devised in the near term, the Spirit will be sold, and one probable consequence is that it may

sail away from the Low Country for good.

Word came to the public in mid-December that the foundation—the organization that built the ship and has operated it for the past five years—was in default on a loan from its principal creditor, T.D. Bank. The bank had filed suit against the foundation and three of its board members who are guarantors on that loan. It was astonishing news for some and less surprising for others, but either way, it didn’t bode well for a ship that has come to be revered by sailors and non-sailors alike across the Palmetto State.

Just days later, an op-ed appeared in Charleston’s daily newspaper, written by the chairman of the foundation’s board, Teddy Turner, Jr. “Many have been surprised and saddened by recent reports that the South Carolina Maritime Foundation has plans to sell our tall ship…” wrote Turner. “This has not been an easy decision, yet one forced by the financial strains of building and operating a tall ship in current economic times.”

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Classes on the deck of The Spirit of South Carolina. “The foundation’s ultimate goal is to serve as many students as we can, but there are only so many kids you can accommodate on a tall ship in a given year,” says foundation Executive Director Sarah Piwinski.

Photo courtesy South Carolina Maritime Foundation.

Sarah Piwinski, the foundation’s executive director, echoed Turner’s explanation. In an interview, she explained that the organization’s leadership was led to its decision by several compounding factors. “Much of what’s happened is due to bad timing. We’ve had a string of hurdles to contend with in the past two and half years, beginning with the departure of our then executive director and deputy director. The downturn in the economy meant greater challenges with fundraising. It was about then that federal funding stopped.”

“Programmatically,” she says, “we’ve done really well and the results are significant. People love what we’re able to do with the ship. We’ve had the chance to work with almost 10,000 students from all across the state. But financially, it’s tough to keep up.”

Piwinski, who has been with the foundation for six years, explained that operating the ship costs somewhere between $900,000 and $1.1-million a year, which includes staffing, upkeep, service on the debt, and all the associated costs. “The ship can bring in about $300,000 to $350,000 per year through the programs we run. So you’ve got about $650,000 to $700,000 to make up. We made up part of that gap with federal money, roughly $250,000 to $350,000 per year. But when federal funding, through earmarks, was no longer allowed, that hurt. That meant that we had a much larger gap to make up. When you add it all up—the drop in federal funding, the changes in personnel, the sluggish economy—it was a big hit. And that all happened in 2009.”

Another thing that happened that year was a reassessment of the organization’s impact. “We did a community survey,” Piwinski recounted, “and looked at our programs and their impact. We realized that through our multiday, atsea programs, we were not able to reach a diverse population within the area, the state, or wherever we traveled. We were reaching a population with higher income levels, and while that is a group we want to continue to serve, we really weren’t reaching the other end of the spectrum.”

So, the organization secured funding under the 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative (a federal, grant-funded project) to run a seven-week summer dropout-prevention program for at-risk students in Charleston County. For six of those weeks, they conducted shore-based programs, and then the students sailed aboard the Spirit for one week. “After that initial experience, we wanted to take it one step further. The foundation’s ultimate goal is to serve as many students as we can, but there are only so many kids you can accommodate on a tall ship in a given year. By having something like an after-school program, we could utilize the same principles that we taught on board the ship and apply them in a shoreside setting.”

Since then, the foundation has run its 21st Century program for two additional summers, while also continuing its day sailing and multiday programs. Then last spring, the organization took over the Shaw Community Center, the site of the former Boys and Girls Club in Charleston. This 11,000-square-foot facility, said Piwinski, enables the organization to focus more on shore-based programs, which it now does at the center as well as at two area schools.

“I know people see this move on our part as a deviation News & Views for Southern Sailors

from our core mission, but our core mission is to use experiential education to give students opportunities to broaden their horizons. We did that with an amazing platform on the tall ship. But it’s also a very expensive platform, and in today’s economy, more and more, people didn’t want to continue to fund it. It’s so sad to lose it, and I know people are heartbroken, and we really hope that the ship can stay here and continue to do educational programming, but that will take the ship making money at the same time.”

Piwinski’s assessment regarding the reaction to the organization’s move is accurate, but not complete. People in Charleston and elsewhere are indeed heartbroken, but many are also disappointed, perplexed and in some cases, angry. Reaction to these developments has stirred one group of locals to form a syndicate with the objective of acquiring the tall ship to keep it in Charleston. With luck, perseverance and substantial capital, there’s a chance that the Spirit can remain in the city of its birth. It’s a long shot, but then again, getting an authentic, 19th century tall ship built, launched and operating was, as well.

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BOATOWNER’S REVIEW

Alizee 2001 Cabo Rico 36

By James C. Williams

A

LOA . . . . . . . .38 ft. 7 in.

Fuel . . . . . . . . . .50 gal.

LOD . . . . . . . .35 ft. 7 in.

Engine . . . . . . . .40 h.p.

LWL . . . . . . .26 ft. 10 in.

Hull speed . . . . . . .6.85 Beam . . . . . . . . . .11 ft.

Bridge clearance . . .47 ft.

Draft . . . . . . .4 ft. 10 in.

D/L . . . . . . . . . . .395.12 Displacement 17,100 lb.

B/D . . . . . . . . . . . .34% Ballast . . . . . . .5,900 lb.

SA/D . . . . . . . . . .19.69 Sail area (total) . . . .817 Comfort . . . . . . . .35.45 Water . . . . . . . .146 gal.

Capsize . . . . . . . . . .1.71

News & Views for Southern Sailors

lizee is my fourth boat, and I came to her by a circuitous route. My first boat was a trailerable Venture 21, which I dry-stored and sailed out on San Francisco Bay in the early 1970s. When my boat partner wanted to sell and I could not buy him out, I ended up on dry land, which lasted for over 20 years. But a ride on a Tartan 32 in Salem, MA, pulled me back to the water.

At home in the San Francisco Bay area, I haunted marinas, devoured sailing magazines and took ASA’s basic and keelboat classes.

Through the ASA club, I sailed a variety of boats, and in 2000, finally bought my second boat, a Bob Perry-designed 1981 Islander Bahama 28. She was a great boat, yet I still fell victim to the sailor’s syndrome: lusting for a larger boat.

About three years later, I bought half-ownership in a 1980 Cal 39-2, a “cruiser/racer” designed by Bill Lapworth. Since I was now a sailor, which by definition is not terribly rational, I kept my Islander, as well, which, with dinghies, meant I had a mini-fleet. While the Cal was in and out of the yard more than once being repaired, refitted and improved, we sailed the Islander and looked forward to finally finishing work on the Cal. But when it was done, it turned out we had different dreams for the boat: cruising versus local sailing.

So, in 2008, my partner bought me out and, while I still sailed my Islander, my cruising dream led me to change my life. I downsized from house to townhouse and, sight unseen, purchased Alizee, a 2001 Cabo Rico 36 located in Annapolis.

Finding Alizee My experience is that older and reasonably priced used boats are often in pretty poor shape.

Owners gradually lose interest in sailing, stop maintaining the boat and let it deteriorate. I’m sure for many owners, the romance of sailing keeps their boat sitting idle in its slip for far too long. As a result, buyers are challenged to find a well-maintained used boat with solid rigging and sails that is also cosmetically in good shape. Moreover, whatever boat one finally chooses will probably be begging to have its electronics upgraded and its engine refurbished.

Thus, I began my search for a blue-water cruiser fearing the worst. Certainly, I thought, I’ll never find a turn-key used cruiser.

Because I was used to a fairly fast boat with traditional lines, I first looked at fin-keel boats such as the Swan and Hallberg-Rassy. I even made a failed offer on a newer model, cruisingSOUTHWINDS February 2012

49

BOATOWNER’S REVIEW

ready Hallberg-Rassy 36 sitting in last in 2007. Alizee is hull number Mexico. But since I wanted to cruise two, launched in 2001. the Bahamas and East Coast thinwater areas, I pushed such boats Overall into my second tier and looked at The first thing you notice about a shallower-draft, full-keel boats.

Cabo Rico is flawless workmanI narrowed my focus to ship. Quality is fundamental in Gozzard, Island Packet, Pacific construction, from solid-glass insuSeacraft and Cabo Rico. An unexlated hull to elegant teak cap rails pected encounter with a coral head and jewel-box quality teak interior. while chartering an IP 37 in the U.S. Starboard, looking forward. Below decks, Alizee is Welds on the 316 L stainless are Virgins persuaded me of the value bathed in stunning, honey-colored Costa Rican almost invisible; there is no wood of a full keel but otherwise proved a teak, varnished and hand-rubbed. You have to beneath the cabin sole to encourage disappointment. The IP handled search to find a bit of bare fiberglass surface. rot; louvered doors are identical sluggishly, and while its layout was Forward of the settee is the navigation table. inside and out; joinery throughout wonderful, the plastic interior is impeccable. Moreover, each boat made it seem rather cheesy to me. I comes with a photographically struggled with the importance of illustrated owner’s manual plus a aesthetics versus function, hoping I complete set of electrical, mechanimight find both in one boat. cal, plumbing, layout and elevation Among Gozzards I particularly blueprints, all for just that particuliked the Gozzard 37, which unlike lar boat the more numerous 36 model has a Alizee has a timeless quality. Her cut-away full keel and promised a sheer line is lovely, and the relativebit more speed and quicker hanly low profile of her cabin trunk dling. But only a handful had been blends seamlessly into the cockpit built, and none came to market coaming. The true clipper bow with while I was looking. Meanwhile, sprit keeps her from diving down the Pacific Seacraft 37’s canoe stern into waves. Below the waterline the and resulting small cockpit full keel is cut away by a third, and knocked it off my list. the rudder is attached to the keel’s This left me with the Cabo Port, looking forward, is an L-shaped settee with a trailing edge with the propeller Rico, a boat Ferenc Máté includes in salon table hinged on a wonderfully-crafted, bulk- completely protected in an aperThe World’s Best Sailboats (vol. 2) and head-mounted cabinet for china, glasses and sil- ture. The hull shape, resembling the which had captured me at a couple verware plus a small liquor cabinet. curves and shape of a dolphin, of boat shows. But, whew! ...what a gives her a smooth, gliding motion pricey boat! And, all those on the condition. She is very sea-kindly in market were 15 years or older, and all appeared to need a following sea, and her sail area displacement ratio puts expensive upgrades or refitting. I was sure I could never her in the cruiser-racer category. afford one.

About to give up and resign myself to bay-sailing my On Deck Islander, a new CR 36 listing in Annapolis caught my eye.

A true cutter, not a modified sloop, the rig is stable and forWhile priced over my head, she was Bristol and just six giving. The mast is keel-stepped, and the mast step is a years old. Curious, I phoned the broker and discovered the fiberglass bridge spanning a couple of floors. Sail controls owner had purchased another boat several months previare led aft, and the mainsheet traveler is forward of the comously and was very motivated. I calculated that if she surpanionway with a mid-boom sheeting arrangement. The veyed out and required little upgrading or refitting, I could Genoa and staysail sport Profurl roller furling. manage it if I got the price down. So I made a low-ball offer The cockpit is ample, and the curved seats are extremeand with just a little dickering struck a deal. Two months ly comfortable, even without cushions. A deep port locker later, she was mine. gives access to a Spectra watermaker and Heart charger/inverter plus lots of storage. There is another lockAbout Alizee er under the driver’s seat with access to the steering assemThe CR 36 is a W.I.B. “Bill” Crealock redesign of his earlier bly. The Edson pedestal supports ST-60+ wind/depth/ 34 model, which was launched in 1988 and saw over 20 speed instruments and ST-6000 autopilot controls. I replaced units built. Cabo Rico wanted to improve the appearance of an older Nauticomp repeater connected to a computerthe 34’s large transom and improve access to the steering based Nobeltec and Sytex radar system with a Raymarine system, so they asked Crealock to design a two-foot addiC-80 chartplotter with 4 Kw radar, Sirius weather and Typetion to the stern. To date, six 36s have been delivered, the B AIS. 50

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

Side decks are easy to navigate, 16,000 Btu air-conditioner. An offeven when it is blowing, and the set double berth with ample lockstanchions are tied into the bulwark ers and a small seat starboard comfor additional support. The deck is pletes the layout. non-skid; there are handy teak The 40-hp Yanmar engine is cenhandrails, and the mast pulpits give terline under the L-settee, and a enormous stability when working dry-storage bin adjacent to the douat the mast. The bowsprit hosts ble sinks. Along with an access CQR and Delta anchors twin staindoor in the galley, the settee lifts to less rollers. A Muir windlass is just give easy access to the engine. The behind the staysail foot with chain 45-gallon fuel tank is shaped to fit and rode dropping into an enclosed Compact, the galley is nonetheless filled with clever the bilge cavity and aft of the anchor locker accessible from the V- storage spaces. Corian covers for the Corian sinks engine, and the tank also feeds an berth. A storage locker behind the are stored cleverly in the aft cabin hanging locker Espar diesel space heater, which is windlass contains a wash-down when not wanted. mounted in the back porch storage hose and room for several lines. locker. Three Group 27 batteries are In designing the CR 36, the under the bottom step of the comback porch Crealock created added a very panionway steps. large aft locker to the boat, which provides ample room for fenders, lines, a Honda Evaluating Alizee 2000 generator and other equipment. A While not built for casual day-sailing or Kiss wind generator is mounted on a pole to race around the buoys, Alizee is suron the port stern – even with the refrigerprisingly quick. When the wind reaches ator running full time, it keeps the batter10 knots, she accelerates swiftly toward ies sufficiently charged while at anchor or six knots. The cutter rig gives stability sailing. I added Kato davits to stow a and great security, as my wife and I disWalker Bay dinghy, which adds more covered when we recently lost the clevis weight aft to offset 200 feet of anchor pin securing the foot of the Genoa in 15chain forward. knot winds. The entire forestay swung abeam the boat, but the inner forestay Down Below continued to support the mast until we Below decks, Alizee is bathed in stunning, could drop the other sails and secure the honey-colored Costa Rican teak, varGenoa and forestay. On a sloop, we nished and hand-rubbed. You have to would have lost the rig! search to find a bit of bare fiberglass surWhile the Cabo Rico is the driest face. Everywhere you look are cabinets boat I’ve ever sailed, on a port tack, I and lockers, and I have replaced all interirecently discovered a lot of salt water or light with LEDs. Ventilation comes The cockpit is ample, and the curved seeping in to the sole at the base of the through two dorades, four overhead seats are extremely comfortable, even starboard settee. Early CR 38’s suffered hatches and opening port lights, all of without cushions. leaks around the scuppers on deck, and which are screened. that, or a stanchion leak, may be my probThere is a port-side, U-shaped galley with double sinks, lem. As with any keel stepped mast, leaking around the boot a Force-10 three-burner stove/oven, a huge Nova Cool can be a problem. From other CR owners, one hears nothing refrigerator/freezer and Corian countertops. Compact, the but praise for seaworthiness and long-distance cruising. galley is nonetheless filled with clever storage spaces, to My wife and I have sailed Alizee to the Bahamas, twice which I added a teak spice holder and knife holder. Corian cruising the islands for a total of nine months. We have covers for the sinks are stored cleverly in the aft cabin hangsailed between Annapolis and Florida, easily running off ing locker when not wanted.

North Carolina at 10 knots under a reefed staysail in 30Beyond the galley is an L-shaped settee with a salon plus-knot winds and 10-foot seas. Most recently, we sailed table hinged on a wonderfully-crafted, bulkhead-mounted her from Daytona Beach around the Keys to St. Petersburg, cabinet for china, glasses and silverware plus a small where she is now berthed. Alizee is an exceptional cruiser, liquor cabinet. A straight settee is opposite on the starand while Cabo Ricos are still a bit expensive, I am well board side along with the navigation table between it and pleased that I went the extra mile. the small double-berth aft cabin. The VHF and SSB radios, a back-up Garmin GPS, battery monitors and electrical James C. Williams and his wife, Penelope Mayer, are members of panels are at the navigation table. The head is to port, forthe Dolphins Sailing Club of Tampa Bay. Their web site is ward of the main bulkhead. Starboard, across the companwww.alizee.us. ionway, is a hanging locker containing an after-market News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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Guest Editorial

Kids Sailing – Is There A Problem?

By Robert Wilkes

I have read with great interest Jabbo Gordon’s thoughts in the December issue on “Why Kids Don’t Want to Sail” and the comments of others in January, and would like to add my own perspective.

Designing a Recreational Sailing Program Some of the comments make sense. No one can argue with the proposal to “make it fun. Make it educational. Make it social.” Sailing games, trips to other waters, even fishing have their place. But I do wonder if such programs alone can retain the interest of today’s young people beyond their first year.

I see reports of programs which proudly claim to have taught hundreds of kids a year to sail. I just wonder what those kids do then. Nowhere in my travels have I seen or heard of thousands of teenagers playing sailing games, “gunkholing” or otherwise engaged in “recreational” sailing. What I have seen everywhere—and found on the Internet—is tens of thousands of teenagers racing at all levels in many different types of boats.

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Junior Sailing Is Not Shrinking Jabbo’s comment that sailing could be compared with a church with “not many folks coming through the front door” is far from reality. Gary Jobson, president of US SAILING, commented recently: “I think that youth sailing in America is incredibly vibrant. There’s over 500 high schools now with sailing teams around the country and

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Guest Editorial over 200 colleges with teams, so I think we’re doing pretty well. Last year I spoke at 118 clubs, and everywhere I go, the junior part of this is doing pretty darn well.”

The main drop-off in sailing seems to occur mostly at postgraduate age for socio-economic reasons.

show them what it is to win, to lose, to take calculated risks, to measure their performance against others, to accept that sometimes they will be lucky and sometimes unlucky. As Geoffrey Emmanuel put it, preparing kids “for all of the complex and diverse challenges of adult life.” And they will not learn this from “just day-sailing.”

There were frequent comments that “a majority of young folks may not want to race.” No evidence is presented, but even if it were true, is it not also the case that a majority of young folks may not want to eat healthy food, may not want to do their homework, may not want to read books, etc.?

Returning to Traditional Values Many of the comments on kids sailing called for a return to something the writers believe has been lost. But the father of Cliff McKay, the “first Optimist sailor,” was clear in 1948 what he wanted to achieve in promoting Optimist Prams: “Racing, rather The most damning word in a teenager’s than just day-sailing, is emphasized in vocabulary is “boring.” Photo by Steve Morrell. the Pram program. Experience has shown that this provides the most interest for the skippers Large Intake May Mean Large Dropout and that the character-building aspects are better realized Bill Sandberg wrote: “The first-year group may have 30 kids, when competition is involved.” down to 20 the second year, and less than 10 by the third.”

If, as M.F. Reid wrote: “We are too fat, too proud and too This need not necessarily be a cause for concern. It is good entitled”—is this perhaps because we don’t talk about charthat as many kids as possible get to try the sport of sailing. acter-building these days?

But they may also have tried other sports. A recent interview Racing does not mean that winning is everything. Sailboat with sailing Olympian Amanda Clark mentioned that she racing or any other competitive sport for young people will “followed her older siblings onto the water. Her brother and

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Racing does not mean that winning is everything. Photo by Steve Morrell.

sister left the sport for greener pastures—horseback riding, and soccer and lacrosse, respectively—but she was hooked.”

Should we count her siblings as dropouts? Sport for kids, I suggest, should be about finding something that they are good at and enjoy. If that is sailing, so much the better, but I cannot believe that for many it will be to ”sit in the back of the boat and watch clouds while dipping a hand in the water”.

of them, now aged around 20, still actively racing. Readers who don’t like statistics might have a look at the results archives on the USODA website (www.usoda.org) and check out the last-placed in the regattas of 2003; then Google their names plus the word “sailing.” (Google, e.g., “John Smith sailing”). They will find, like me, that a majority of these “unsuccessful” sailors are still racing.

Parental Pressure No one needs to tell me that some parents can be a pain. As secretary of the IODA, I met a few shockers.

As detailed in Dave Ellis’ excellent article on the review of the Optimist in December, the IODA largely stopped the arms race, with the added benefits that annual depreciation of an Optimist is minimal, and you need no longer transport your own boat to regattas. But parents naturally want the best for their children and may spend on coaches and travel what they cannot spend on gear. It is interesting that money does not seem to be a substitute for talent. At the 2011 US Optimist Nationals, the top 50 places were taken by sailors from 28 different clubs with, presumably, 28 different coaches. And internationally some of the top teams, such as Malaysia and Argentina, travel to only one or two major regattas a year.

Scott Mason wrote that parents “have much higher expectations than their offspring.” He is right, though not perhaps in the way he meant. Young people are reminded in every school test that not everyone can come out on top, and they don’t expect to in sailing. Not winning does not drive them away from the sport. In 2004, I made a study (www.optiworld.org/lowdropout.pdf) of 112 under-13 sailors at the US Nationals of 1996—surely those most under pressure from parents at a high-powered event at an early age. Eight years later, I could find on the Internet 72 percent

Racing Sells Sailing The most damning word in a teenager’s vocabulary is “boring.” Sailboat racing properly conducted—and, yes, that may have to include Notices of Race, black flags and protests—is fun. If fleet racing is getting boring, try team racing—short sharp races where quick thinking can be as important as boat speed and teamwork is essential.

Obviously the level must be appropriate to the age group involved, but racing is succeeding in attracting and retaining young people in our sport.

I end with a little anecdote I found on the website of the recent US SAILING summit where a club representative noted that “Sail Sheboygan used ‘Sea Scouts’ as a brand name for their junior program, but now they named their program, ‘Sheboygan High School Racing League.’ The program has generated more interest since this name change.”

Robert Wilkes from Howth in Ireland has been involved with Optimist sailing for over 35 years, initially through his wife, Helen Mary, and later as secretary of the International Class 1996-2008. He remains responsible for class development in new countries such as, recently, Belize and Mozambique. He followed his kids into sailing in his 30s, raced a 19-foot, local one-design for over 20 years without ever winning a race, and cruised both the Caribbean and Mediterranean with his family.

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ounding Cape Romano and heading north on Florida’s wild and exquisite southwest coast requires time and meticulous attention to the depth sounder and charts.

Negotiating out and around some very skinny water as far as three miles off the Cape is a patience test for a slow sailboat with a five-foot draft. Northbound, the ritzy skyline of Marco Island is always in sight, but we know it’s going to take us through breakfast, lunch and late-afternoon snacks to get there.

We usually sail right on by Marco Island, the last bastion of civilization at the base of the 10,000 Islands and that mysterious, powerful yet delicate treasure known as Everglades National Park.

A snowbird migrating north, Chip Ahoy had a late departure from Russell Pass in Everglades Park on a calm, sunny March morning. Located about three miles off the channel heading into Everglades City, Russell Pass is a lovely anchorage verdantly characteristic of the 10,000 Islands.

Its tidal white sand beaches, tangled, mangrove-lined estuaries and plankton-peppered brown-green waters are full of surprises, from seahorses to dolphin-watching park boats blasting down the channel and zigzagging into the bays to make a wake for the acrobatic mammals.

You never know what you will see here. Once I spotted a pink flamingo, in the same area where quintessential wildlife artist James Audubon came to sketch the birds of nearby Indian Key. My bird book says that today any flamingo seen in the wild is most likely a rare zoo escapee.

It was equally amazing to observe on another stay a full-out harbor blockade, with Immigration, Homeland Security, Coast Guard and assorted other local, national and federal police agencies on the hunt for smugglers of some sort. Throughout the night, their lights blinked along the channel. We never did find out what they were looking for.

In its hell-raising glory days, Everglades City was known to have a thriving marijuana highway. A noteworthy federal bust and the erosion of commercial fishing settled things down. But patrollers remain vigilant. Back in 2004, an assortment of law enforcement agencies surprised us with multiple inspections of our documentation and questions about where we had been and where we were going as Chip Ahoy lay at anchor in Russell Pass waiting out a cold front.

My mistake was hanging out bedding to air. The V-berth cushions propped on deck and clothes-pinned blankets draped over the cutter mast possibly made it appear that we were unpacking illegal immigrants or other contraband.

Cruisers passing through must adjust to the local climate, from weather to crime. With both, prepare, take a deep breath and pray for patience. When the second Coast Guard boat came over to ask for the same info we had provided to their fellow agency the previous day, I remarked that we should have our papers laminated after so much handling. Scott shushed me from further comment, shooting me one of those looks, and I was reminded that in all www.southwindsmagazine.com

cases the crew is to zip it. The rule is that the captain does the talking.

Chip Ahoy plies the waters in accordance with all applicable laws and requirements. It isn’t that we don’t carry life jackets or registration papers on board; I just don’t like being startled by police.

In 2010-11, another Russell Pass surprise awaited us. We were accustomed to constantly working the boat to midchannel in the main entrance, passing Indian Key. After that, the water normally deepens, but not this year. Shoaling across the Russell Pass anchorage entrance now makes entry and exit into this haven akin to threading a needle.

Working with the tides takes a good measure of stress out of the process. We were up at sunrise waiting for the water to come up, and the coffeepot was empty before the tide cooperated in a stress-free exit.

And so it was that by the time Chip Ahoy successfully rounded Cape Romano, Scott was calculating how far we could go before we ran out of light. The friendly, familiar Fort Myers Beach municipal mooring field had been the intended goal. The entry into Matanzas Pass from the bottom of San Carlos Bay is well known to us. Entering after nightfall isn’t a feat worth attempting, let alone finding and snagging a mooring ball in no light in a nearly fully occupied mooring field.

“We’ll never make it before dark,” opined Capt. Scott.

“Let’s give the Naples balls a try.” With some trepidation, I agreed. If worse came to worst, there are some possible Naples anchorages listed in the guidebooks. But we’d heard that the natives were not friendly to anchored boats.

Farther up San Carlos Bay, the Point Sanibel anchorage is a delight in settled weather. But the forecast indicated a sea change that meant we’d be hauling up the anchor in sporty opposing winds the next day. We don’t like to work that hard at anchoring. Our ideal scenario involves dropping the Delta and a bunch of chain on a sand or soft mud bottom in calm conditions. Plus, Capt. Scott had his heart set on a ball; he was just plain curious about the Naples Mooring Field.

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Traffic makes a wake on the way to the Naples mooring balls.

On to Naples A call to the Naples City Dock (239-213-3070) confirmed there were mooring balls available at the bargain sum of $10.60 per night (including tax), with a four-night stay permitted, or eight days within 30 days, with non-consecutive four-day limits (winter 2010). Yes, there are a lot of rules here. We were advised to proceed first to the fuel dock for a mandatory pump-out and inspection to ensure the holding tank was locked in the “non-overboard” position.

I’m not a Naples newbie. During our first America’s Great Circle Loop, Chip Ahoy docked at Naples Boat Club.

We had recently repowered our DownEast 32 sailboat, installing a Yanmar diesel in Tarpon Springs. Unfortunately there were some issues with the engine. We needed to stay close to shore services for a few days to replace a split hose and obtain an analysis of the ominous white gunk showing up in the oil pan.

At the time, Naples City Marina wasn’t an option because we also needed fuel, and the municipal gas dock was closed for renovations. Once we had maneuvered in opposing winds into the Naples Boat Club fueling area, it was just easier to slide over and tie up there. The plush clubhouse, delightful pool and friendly staff made it a visit to remember. I still need to return the Tristan Jones book, Adrift, that I borrowed from the clubhouse. I was only halfway through it when we left, and it was too good a read to not finish. That was seven years ago. I sincerely hope no overdue fines will be levied when I finally do return it!

Since Chip Ahoy’s last visit, we’d heard of an unpleasant reception for boaters anchoring in Naples. It was also unclear what the mooring field situation entailed. We knew the balls were back in operation following an untimely

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Scott assists a single-hander picking up a ball in Fort Myers Beach.

absence due to municipal wrangling with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection beginning in 2005. Reportedly, the department claimed that the city of Naples had installed the moorings without following the proper permitting process. Asking for forgiveness rather than permission may work in some cases, but not in this instance. In 2008, however, the 12 mooring balls finally received the official sanction.

Unfortunately, by that time the general perception in the cruising community was that boaters with large vessels and deep pockets who dock at marinas are preferred over the skippers with modestly sized vessels who are traveling on a budget. Reports of anchored sailboats being hassled added to the negative image.

My other concern was entering Gordon Pass and negotiating the rude traffic of the Naples waterway. On our first visit, we were waked unmercifully from the entrance jetty all the way down the 30-mph channel as we ran an obstacle course of indifferent pleasure and commercial touring vessels blazing along with little regard for the little people in their little boats.

Our entry into Naples this time was par for the course.

With thousands of more miles of cruising under my belt, I was able to remain composed despite dozens of trolling fishing boats blocking the waterway and the sailboat that

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passed us in the narrowest part of the channel. I was finally taking a moment to enjoy the spectacular homes that line the Naples waterfront when the inappropriately named gofast power yacht, Daisy, careened past us—and then sharply and inexplicably veered to port at 35 mph, aimed directly at the other sailboat’s starboard stern. Luckily, the sailboat was dragging an inflatable dinghy, so Daisy smacked that first.

The dink acted as a big bumper, deflecting Daisy before she could hit the mother ship. Daisy’s skipper had been fiddling about at the console with his head down at the console. He looked up when he hit the dinghy. His startled expression would have been funny if there weren’t so many vessels and lives at stake.

To his credit, he had the grace to apologize at the Naples City Marina fuel dock, explaining that he had been testing a new autopilot when the boat accelerated out of control. I think the 30-mph speed limit in the Naples channel is madness, anyway, but as always the cruiser must adapt to local customs.

Staff was ready to close up at five, which fellow harbormaster Scott could certainly relate to. Multitasking boating couple that we are, he was already uncoiling the hose on the pump-out machine for the required emptying and locking, while I gathered the documentation papers and mooring fee and then headed to the office for registration.

From the office doorway I heard Scott shout. It was the outraged sound of a man whose ball cap had just been knocked off by spewing sewage shooting straight up out of the tank. Naples was named by a group of rich Kentucky real estate developers for its resemblance to that ancient Italian harbor and its beautiful city known for its feisty, passionate population. The Italian phrase for eating shit is “mangiare merda.” In any language, Scott was in deep caca.

We had last pumped out in Marathon, four days prior, so the situation was easily contained after that first incredibly gross spurt. It could have been worse, but that was small consolation. With all haste, I registered.

Chip Ahoy was off the fuel dock in no time. I have never seen anyone catch a mooring ball faster. Rather than offloading the outboard engine to the dinghy, Scott nimbly climbed into our new inflatable and started rowing for the showers. He was halfway to the dock before he realized that the oars were still in the retracted position, like short little clown oars. I was reminded of grown men riding miniature tricycles in the Shriner’s Circus. Once he pulled the oars out to full size, he was rapidly ashore enjoying the amenities. A hot clean shower is a cruiser’s dream. Even more so in this case. Meanwhile the sailboat that had initially passed us tied up to an adjacent mooring ball. With Scott’s befouled hat and T-shirt soaking in a bucket of detergent and water, I www.southwindsmagazine.com

The Matanzas mooring field, looking south.

poured a shot of Nassau Royale and kicked back to watch the sunset.

The Naples mooring area couldn’t really be called a “field.” There are six alphabetically numbered balls directly adjacent to the marina in a niche off the canal and six more in a similar notch off the canal by nearby Naples Yacht Club.

Naples didn’t lure us into staying too long, because snowbirds must head north in the spring. We did not sample the many excellent restaurants, stroll and shop in Tin City or grab a taxi for provisioning at the closest grocery store, which is not within walking distance. But we recommend all this gorgeous Florida community has to offer and will now feel comfortable coming back.

Fort Myers Beach Bound Fort Myers Beach is an easy day’s sail from Naples. After the spring fog lifted in the morning, Chip Ahoy motored out the channel with the dolphins. A sailboat coming out of a culde-sac anchorage waved jauntily and promptly ran aground. Those trolling boats were even worse than the day before. A frenzied mass of anglers was being driven crazy by the amount of fish swarming and biting. Fishermen everywhere are like that when the fishing is red hot. They are catching fish and should not be interrupted. In this atmosphere of equal irritation, we swear they are purposely toying with us, seeing how long they can stay in the middle of the channel before they have to move. As I stood on the bow calling out “Excuse me, excuuuuse me,” Capt. Scott lost his cool at the tiller. There were some interesting conversational exchanges such as,“You have a nice day.”

“I will, at your funeral.”

Wincing, I was grateful for the comic relief provided by the dolphins that also crowded the channel. And with a sigh of relief, we hoisted sail in a fresh breeze headed for familiar Fort Myers Beach and its professional mooring field.

No mooring field is perfect. But this city mooring facility, privately administrated through the Matanzas Inn, is a superb example of a win-win situation. Because the inn is primarily a bayside resort with two restaurants, hotel rooms, a pool, hot tub, docking piers and a marina, you will need to approach your stay with some understanding that there are a lot of land-side customers here. The office does not monitor Channel 16. Some of the newer employees may not know much about the mooring field. But Matanzas Inn Manager Jerry Nestor specializes in hospitality. When you News & Views for Southern Sailors

call the front desk to arrange for your mooring ball assignment, you will receive clear and pleasant instructions on what balls you are not allowed to take and free rein to tie up to whatever suits according to your boat’s size. The mooring field phone number (239-463-9258) is posted on the fixed high bridge you will pass under after negotiating the beautiful, curving entry that passes close around Bowditch Point Park.

There are 70 mooring balls up the center of the bay, with a marked channel on either side. Cost was $13.78 per night or $260 per month in early 2011. There’s no limit on your stay. Check out the town of Fort Myers Beach website at www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov for complete Matanzas Pass Mooring Field information.

The preferred balls are closest to the fixed bridge, near the Matanzas dinghy dock encircled by a channel. Respect the channel and watch out for significant traffic, including the gambling boat The Big M and the behemoth Key West Express, which snuck up on us under the bridge while we were headed back to our boat in our dinghy one night. The “You Big, Me Little” theory should never be tested. I was reminded to always look behind me in this harbor.

In days of yore, Salty Sam’s Marina, at the opposite end of the long, narrow harbor, administrated the mooring field.

If you are stuck way down on “the end” coping with a long and sometimes wet dinghy ride to the Matanzas Inn, your consolation is being close to Salty Sam’s and the adjacent bar, The Big Game. Salty Sam’s has arguably the best Green Bay Packer football parties in Florida, and The Big Game features fabulous happy hour drinks and appetizer specials with a jillion TVs broadcasting the latest sports.

Beyond the end of the mooring field there, an anchorage is occupied by mostly local shallow-draft vessels.

Depths must be watched carefully when dropping the hook there, but it can be done.

On the Gulf-side shore opposite the end of the mooring field, a narrow, shallow channel with homes on one side and a mangrove thicket on the other leads to a small, muddy

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Looking north in the Matanzas Harbor mooring field, which offers incomparable access to popular Fort Myers Beach. You pass under the bridge to enter the mooring field as you come in from the Gulf.

landing where you can tie your dinghy to a tree and head to nearby Topp’s Grocery store. It’s in a rundown area of the Fort Myers Beach strip, and you should definitely lock your dinghy, but the store is well-stocked and has a nice selection of meats along with a tasty deli. Farther down the strip to your left, on the trolley or by taxi, there’s a Publix supermarket. Or you may ride the trolley to the mainland, where there is a Winn-Dixie, Publix, Super Target, etc. Traffic over this bridge to the beach sometimes creates a bumper-to-bumper waiting game. Riding the trolley saves money, but not time. A dinghy with outboard is more useful to the cruiser than a car in Fort Myers Beach. Almost everywhere you want to go, from the beach to the bars, is a short walk away.

On the mooring field, Harbormaster Mark Booda, aka “Booda,” takes care of all the pump-outs, mooring ball maintenance and other boater concerns on a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday basis. When you see him out on the field, you may hail him on 16 for a quick response. There is also a pumpout sign-up sheet in the Matanzas Inn office. The office is tiny, but stocked with cruiser essentials, such as area maps, trolley schedule, shower keys and Internet access.

But back to Booda: we find this low-key, cheerful har-

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bormaster to be wise, kind and competent. You won’t find a more helpful resource if there is anything you need. You may also count on kindnesses from the mooring field community. Boats are not within spitting distance, as they are in more closely spaced fields in Marathon and Naples. But you’ll find plenty of opportunities to meet and greet at the busy dinghy dock, or while doing laundry.

There are weekly boater get-togethers; info is posted in the cruisers Laundromat near the comment box. During past visits, we enjoyed a “Burp & Slurp” oyster feast, with cruisers kicking in $5 apiece for their share of tasty crustaceans and bringing along their beverage of choice. The same $5 deal applies at Surf Pie, where cruisers meet for hot, delicious pizza at the popular joint just off Times Square.

Following the trail of many cruisers, Chip Ahoy visits Fort Myers Beach on the way down to the Keys and on the way back up every winter. In early December, there are many balls available. After Christmas, the field begins filling up right along with the inhabitants of RV parks and condo complexes ashore, some of whom are former cruisers who still hang out by the waterfront and embrace the camaraderie of fools and sailors! By Spring Break, Fort Myers Beach is alive with girls in bikinis strutting down every block of the strip, escorted by young dudes in baggy swim trunks hanging low on their hips. The mostly older snowbirds nesting on the mooring field can’t help but be exposed to a young, enervating vibe. The harbor resounds with the shouts of the pirate ship’s crew taking passengers out to sea on morning and sunset cruises, often accompanied by the chatter of rented pontoon boats carrying five generations of family members—from grandmas to grandkids whooping it up. Add to that the live and canned music floating out from the many bayside clubs and restaurants, and young folk camping out on rental sailboats cranking the music as they learn to climb the mast. Fort Myers Beach is truly an energetic place to relax during high season.

As we approached our chosen ball, number 54 on the far end of the nearly fully occupied mooring field in March, Harv from the nearby catamaran, Camelot, dinghied over to hand up the mooring pendant. We’d last seen Harv and wife Anne in Marathon in the Boot Key Harbor mooring field. Help was appreciated, given wind and current challenges. A storm was kicking up; the temperature dropped.

This was Spring Break with sweatshirts.

While the field is a secure place to ride out bad weather, “ride” is the operative word. San Carlos Bay has two outlets. The southernmost entry, crossed by a lift bridge, is not recommended without local knowledge. Most moored here

www.southwindsmagazine.com

Salty Sam’s is no longer the mooring field administrator, but remains the center of football action, especially for Green Bay Packer fans looking for a tailgate party close to the field.

The Matanzas Inn hosts mooring field guests.

never see it, but all feel its influence. The tidal changes swirl the water, kick up chop and almost always result in a case of “blue ball,” caused by the painted blue stripe around the center of the white mooring balls. When the ball roams in the reversing current—and especially when there is wind against tide—the blue rubs off on the hull exactly like pool cue chalk. It’s a bugger to wash off.

We have seen balls submerged under moored boats numerous times. We have been awakened by the ball knockknock-knocking on the outside of the V-berth. Harbormaster Booda advises boaters to bridle up the ball as tight as possible, while still allowing some give for the tidal swings. It is an art and boaters should plan on making appropriate adjustments at any given time. We are always looking at different boats to see how they have addressed the situation; some of the mooring field regulars have clever rigs.

There are happy hours from early morning on in Fort Myers Beach, along with abundant live entertainment.

Visiting Bonita Bill’s is obligatory at least once, if not several times. Located on the bayside directly across from the Matanzas Inn, with a dinghy dock at the foot of the fixed bridge, Bonita Bill’s is a Fisherman’s Wharf institution featuring live music, cheap and tasty food, drink specials and an atmosphere you will not find anywhere else. The shrimp boat Cher docks here, and when she is in, shrimp can be purchased fresh off the boat for a very reasonable price. On Saturdays in season, the exquisitely coiffed Lycra-clad Peppermint Patty holds court; the moves on the dance floor are proof-positive that you can shake your tail feathers at any age. Scott has also enjoyed playing at open mike night at Bonita Bill’s, but only when the temps are above 60. Fort Myers Beach can and does get chilly in December and January, especially when the sun goes down. It’s just another reminder of Florida’s subtropical nature. In December 2011, I walked the beach in my foulies and boots, collecting interesting shells that would have been quickly snatched up on a warmer day. On the return trip in March 2011, Spring Breakers were once again infusing the strip with their energy but many had windbreakers on over their swimsuits.

That persistent, pervasive beach spirit typifies Fort Myers Beach, with its high-flying parasailers, perpetual happy hours and ever-present shrimp fleet. What a pleasure to discover a safe harbor where fun and function mesh so well.

We know it’s a “Keys thing,” but Capt. Scott has taken to blowing the conch at sunset in Fort Myers Beach. The mooring field has a prime view of the western sky. The sunsets are magnificent.

Mixing new ports with favorite stops keeps Chip Ahoy’s travels endlessly entertaining. Not-so-nasty Naples is great for a short stop, and Fort Myers Beach is a model of what a mooring field should be. I recommend both to cruisers exploring the exquisite waters of the southwest Florida coast. And I encourage Florida boaters everywhere to speak up in favor of well-run mooring facilities in their cruising waters. Pilot Program Stakeholder workshops began in June 2011 to gather public comments on what is and isn’t working. Many visiting cruisers who use the mooring fields are not able to attend the meetings in person, Thanks to the Internet, we can still comment. Charmaine Smith Ladd, a nautical writer covering the workshops, has vowed to forward all comments she receives to the appropriate officials.

“Please have others comment and continue commenting; do not stop,” she advises. “It will ALL be very beneficial in the long run.” Check out Charmaine’s reports on the meetings and add your voice to this important dialogue at www.cruisersnet.net Writer Cyndi Perkins and husband Scott completed two America’s Great Circle Loops and have been sailing on their home waters of Lake Superior for 17 years. Four years ago, they became snowbirds, fleeing winter aboard their 32-foot DownEast sailing vessel Chip Ahoy. Questions or comments may be sent to svchipahoy@gmail.com

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RACING SOUTHERN REGIONAL RACING Table of Contents News and Events Upcoming Regional Regattas Regional Racing (Race Reports, Club Racing, Upcoming Regattas, Regional Race Calendars) Southeast Coast (NC, SC, GA) East Florida Southeast Florida Florida Keys West Florida Northern Gulf Coast (Florida Panhandle, AL, MS, LA, TX)

UPCOMING REGIONAL REGATTAS

2012 Lightning Class Southern Circuit Gears Up, Savannah, Miami, St. Petersburg, March 10-18 For nearly 40 years, the annual Lightning Southern Circuit has been sending a fleet of 50 or so boats on a combination road rally and regatta that includes three stops in the South.

The series kicks off at the annual Deep South Regatta, held March 10-11 at the Savannah YC. On March 12-14, the Lightning Midwinter Regatta will be hosted at the Coral Reef YC in Miami. The Lightning Winter Championship in St. Petersburg will take place on March 15-18. Competitors from South America, Europe, and North America will be on hand, as well as former and current world champions and Olympic sailors. For more information, go to www.lightningclass.org.

32nd Annual George Town Cruising Regatta, Exumas, Bahamas, Feb. 25-March 11 See “Short Tacks” for more information.

44th Regata del Sol al Sol Gears Up for the 2012 Race, St. Petersburg to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, April 27 The St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s Regata del Sol al Sol—the race, from St. Petersburg, FL, to Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico— will be setting out for Mexico on April 27. There is a 50-boat limit. The entry list is up to 14 with two entries from Mexico.

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www.southwindsmagazine.com

The special early entry fee deadline of January 31 is fast approaching. After that date, the entry goes up to $900.

There is still a lot of time for boats to get prepared and turn their entry in by April 7, which is the final entry deadline.

(See the section called Fees in Notice of Race. Organizers are hoping to break the record of 43 entries this year.)

Elizabeth (Beth) Pennington, the chairperson, can be contacted through the website at www.regatadelsolalsol.org (click on Chairperson@regatadelsolalsol.org on the home page, or in the Notice of Race).

The “Island Activities” committee has lined up some very interesting extracurricular activities, which will include the ever popular Golf Cart Poker Run, miscellaneous parties, and the United States vs. Mexico basketball game. Check the website often for updates.

Anyone interested in joining in the fun on the island, but not necessarily wanting to sail, can fly to Cancun. Then, it is a short taxi ride and ferry ride, to Isla Mujeres. In order to keep track of the boats and others coming to the island, people can get their regatta hotel reservations and ground transportation through the website using the “special” reservation logos that will soon appear on the website.

There will be a special announcement when this occurs.

There is a secure website page for online entries, or mail the entry in (address available on the website). The regatta also now has a Facebook page. For more information, go to the website.

REGIONAL RACING NOTE ON REGIONAL RACE CALENDARS Regattas and Club Racing— Open to Everyone Wanting to Race For the races listed here, no individual club membership is required, although a regional PHRF rating, or membership in US SAILING or other sailing association is often required.

To list an event, send the regatta/race name, type of racing (PHRF, one-design and type boat), location, dates, sponsoring organization), e-mail and/or phone contact and/or website (if applicable) to editor@southwindsmag azine.com. DO NOT just send a link to this information Since race schedules and venues change, contact the sponsoring organization to confirm.

Contact information for the sailing organizations listed here are listed in the southern yacht club directory at www.southwindsmagazine.com.

Club Racing. Many clubs have regular club races year around open to everyone and new crew is generally invited and sought. Contact the club for dates and information. Individual club races are not listed here. We will list your club races if they happen on a regular schedule (eg, every Sunday; every other Sunday, etc.).

Note: In the below calendars: YC = Yacht Club; SC = Sailing Club; SA = Sailing Association.

Race Reports

Instead-of-Football Regatta, Oriental, NC, Jan. 1

By Carol Small January 1, 2012. 12:00 noon. Most sailors are in their armchairs, beverage of choice in hand and football on the TV,

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SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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RACING

Celebrating a cold New Year’s Day at the 20-year-old Instead-ofFootball Regatta in Oriental, NC. Sixty-three boats sailed, many crew with beverage in hand, instead of watching football. Photo

by Carol Small.

but, in Oriental, NC, things are a bit different. Sixty-three boats filled with upwards of seven crew (on most of the larger boats) sailed in the Instead-of-Football Regatta.

Starting between a floating football-shaped mark and a government mark, hundreds of sailors in Oriental chose to be out on the water instead of in their armchairs. This year, the weather and wind gods provided an absolutely perfect day and conditions for enjoying and celebrating the start of the new year. This is a fun race, and winners are determined by drawing from a hat at the required meeting following the race at the local restaurant, M&M’s Cafe, where adult beverages and free soup are enjoyed by all. The tradition was started more than 20 years ago, and one year, only three boats chopped their way from their slips through ice to participate. However, most years the weather is nice, and a large number of participants can be expected.

For more, including photos, on the Instead of Football Regatta, go to http://towndock.net/news/instead-offootball-regatta-2012?pg=1.

3-4 Y-Flyer Midwinters. Carolina SC (SC) 3-4 Laser Southern. Lake Lanier SC (GA) 10-11 Atlanta Cup. J/22, J/24. Lake Lanier SC (GA) 10-11 Deep South Regatta. Lightnings. Savannah YC. 17-18 Keelboat Midwinters. PHRF. Lake Norman YC (NC) Charleston Ocean Racing Association. www.charlestonoceanracing.org. South Carolina Regular local club racing—see club website for details.

10 Spring Harbor Race 17 Spring Harbor Race 24 Sheriff’s Cup to Bohiket Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org. New Bern, NC See club website for local club race schedule 5 Commodores Ball Regatta.

26-27 NYRA Invitational Lake Lanier. www.saillanier.com. Lake Lanier, GA See club website for local club race schedule 3-4 Laser Southern. Lake Lanier SC 10-11 Atlanta Cup. J/22, J/24. Lake Lanier SC 17 Around Alone. Barefoot SC. Long Bay Sailing. www.longbaysailing.com See club website for details.

2012 Calendar not posted as of press date

Race Reports

Bull Bay Single-Handed Race, Jacksonville, FL, Dec. 10

By Andrea J. Lynch, North Florida Cruising Club Secretary

Southeast Coast Race Calendar FEBRUARY South Atlantic Yacht Racing Assoc. Go to this site for a list of the clubs in the region and their websites. www.sayra-sailing.com. (state in parentheses) No regattas scheduled in February Charleston Ocean Racing Association. www.charlestonoceanracing.org. South Carolina.

Regular local club racing—see club website for details. No regattas scheduled in February Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org.

New Bern, NC. Regular local club racing—see club website for details. No regattas scheduled in February Lake Lanier. www.saillanier.com. GA Bull Bay Single-Handed Regatta race captains and race organizers Bill Luebker and Regular club racing—see website for details.

Ted Jones. Photo by Andrea Lynch.

4 1064 Race. Lake Lanier SC 11 Hot Ruddered Bum. University YC Long Bay Sailing. www.longbaysailing.com The 21st annual Bull Bay Single-Handed Race was held in Regular local club racing—see club website for details.

2012 Calendar not posted as of press date Jacksonville, FL, on Saturday, Dec. 10. Mother Nature proMARCH South Atlantic Yacht Racing Assoc. Go to this site for a list of the clubs in the region and their websites. www.sayra-sailing.com. (state in parenthesis) 64 February 2012

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vided 15-20 knots of wind straight out of the north with overcast skies. The race was run on the St. John’s River out of Fleming Island Marina. Ten eager captains participated in three categories. The race results were as follows: Racing A: www.southwindsmagazine.com

1. Benedek Erdos on Lil’ Bot; 2. Bob Porter on Wet Monkey; 3.

Manuel Lluberas on Truant II. Racing B: 1. Denise Smith on Just Breezin’ Thru; 2. Dale Carter on Francisco Sea Warrior; 3.

Peter Korous on Caper. Racing C: 1. Tom White on Contemplation; 2. Jerry Rehkopf on his unnamed Freedom 21; 3. Sten Lenkerd on Lily P. Appropriate libations were served after the race as flags were awarded. The day was a resounding success. Many thanks to race organizer Ted Jones and his race committee— Bill Luebker, Andrea and Matt Lynch, and Kevin Mahoney.

Thanks are also due to Tom White of Wind Dancer Sails for creating the unique award flags. www.nfccsail.com.

Upcoming Regattas

Catalina 22 Midwinters, Cocoa, FL, Feb. 25-26 The Indian River Yacht Club will again host the Catalina 22 Midwinters. Windward/Leeward races will be held on the Indian River in the vicinity of government marks 77 and 79.

Exact distance and course are weather-dependent and will be announced at the skippers’ meeting on race day. The skippers’ meeting and awards ceremony will be held at Lee Wenner Park, 300 Riveredge Dr., Cocoa, FL. Boats will be hauled out after racing on Saturday and stored, mast up, on their trailers. Entry fee is $40. Register on Feb. 25 at Lee Wenner Park on Saturday at 9 a.m. Skippers’ meeting will be at 11 a.m. The first race will start at 12:30 p.m. On Sunday, the first race will start at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Jerry Butz at jerry@boatersexchange.com. (321) 427-2155.

sometimes suspended during regattas. Also have a J/24 race series.

East Coast SA (www.ecsasail.com): a women’s series and a regular series; At least one event each month.

Halifax River YC (www.hryc.com). Commodore Cup Races Halifax SA (www.halifaxsailing.org): Sunfish racing weekly; Race series organized seasonally.

Lake Monroe SA (www.flalmsa.org): Wednesdays and weekends.

Lake Eustis SC (www.lakeeustissailingclub.org): Weekend races twice monthly, Sept through May The Sailing Club in Orlando. (www.thesailingclub.us) dinghy club race series, second Sundays (3 Exceptions) in the afternoon on Lake Baldwin. January through November, FEBRUARY 3-5 Wayfarer Midwinter Championship Regatta & MC Scow Train Wreck Regatta. Lake Eustis SC 17-19 42nd George Washington Birthday Regatta. Lake Eustis SC 18-29 Flying Scot District Championship Races. Lake Eustis SC 11-12 Hagar the Horrible. Distance race on Saturday; Fun race on Sunday. Space Coast Catamaran Association 16-19 Laser Masters Midwinters East. Melbourne YC 18 Sweethearts USO Regatta. NavyJax Yacht Club MARCH 3 Spring River Race. North Florida Cruising Club 13-14 Zenda U for MC Scows. Lake Eustis SC 15-17 4th MCSA Midwinter Championship Regatta. Lake Eustis SC 16-18 Sunfish International Master Championship 17-18 River City Regatta. Rudder Club 28-31 8th Annual First Coast Offshore Challenge. St Augustine YC.

2012 First Coast Offshore Challenge, St. Augustine, FL, March 28-31 First Coast Offshore Challenge, the premiere offshore sailing event of the spring season in northeast Florida kicking off the north Florida offshore season, is set for March 28-31.

FCOC 2012 features a new format this year with all events starting and finishing in St. Augustine.

Three offshore races will be held. Race one and two are on March 28 and March 29 and are held offshore St. Augustine. The third race is on March 30 and will race from St. Augustine to Jacksonville and back. The regatta is cosponsored by the North Florida Cruising Club and the St. Augustine Yacht Club. Participants come from throughout the southeast. Classes invited are Spinnaker, Non-Spin, Cruiser and One-Design. Complete information is available at www.fcoc2012.com.

East & Central Florida Race Calendar Club Racing (contact club or website for details): Rudder Club of Jacksonville (www.rudderclub.com): Weekend races organized seasonally and biweekly races on St. Johns River Indian River YC (www.sail-race.com/iryc): Weekend races organized seasonally; Wednesday evenings during daylight savings.

Winter Series begins Jan. 31. Spring/Summer series begins March 14. Wednesday evening races weekly.

Melbourne YC (www.melbourneyachtclub.com): Friday afternoons; Small boat Sundays on alternate weekends throughout the year, News & Views for Southern Sailors

Race Reports

Moths in Flight: Layline Miami Winter Series, Dec. 17-18, Jan. 7-8

By Marylinda Ramos Imagine flying three feet above the water. It’s a clear day; the water is flat; the wind is a refreshing seven knots. “So this is what it must be like,” you think, envisioning a gull skimming the surface on a breeze. “It’s so quiet.” You are flying. Literally—at way more than seven knots. And the entire hull is out of the water by three feet.

There is only one hull.

The Layline Miami Moth Winter Series is a three-event series that includes a regatta, clinic and slalom event held Dec. 17-18, a regatta Jan. 7-8, and in March, a chance for sailors to fly a demo boat at a clinic and slalom race in Coconut Grove. The series is sponsored by Layline and hosted by the Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Shake-a-Leg Miami is providing storage between events.

In the first two events world champions raced wing-towing alongside sailors who embraced the challenge to defy gravity. Bora Gulari, a previous U.S. Yachtsman of the Year, SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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RACING Upcoming Regattas

2012 Washington’s Birthday Regatta, Palm Beach Sailing Club, Feb. 18-19 Featuring ocean racing for all classes: Opti IOD all classes (except Opti Green), Lasers all classes, Sunfish, Snipes and Portsmouth. Palm Beach Sailing Club. Information and registration at www.pbsail.org. (561) 881-0809.

Built for speed, flight, and flat water, the Mach 2 Moth draws just 4 feet and uses foils at the bottom of the carbon fiber centerboard and rudder to lift it out of the water in just 7 knots of breeze. Photo by Marylinda Ramos.

Moth world champion, and U.S. National Melges 24 champion, won the first event with a hit-the-line-in-flight-withspeed strategy common among top finishers. John Harris, winner of the 18-foot Skiff Worlds and 2008 Moth World Champion, started out in the lead before Gulari hit his stride. Anthony Kotoun, a J/24 World Champion who is now the North American dealer for the Mach 2 Moth, won the second event in breezes too light for many to remain airborne. The rest of the fleet included a student, a banker, a pilot, an engineer and a physical therapist to one of the Olympic sailing teams. She built her own boat, Carbon Footprint.

Foiling is the skill to master and the key to happiness in a Moth. It’s the ability to get the hull out of the water, which reduces drag and increases speed. Seven knots of wind is enough to lift the 60-pound hull out of the water. Hydrofoils at the bottom of the four-foot centerboard and the rudder provide lift. A sensor skimming the water from the bow controls flaps on the centerboard’s foil to prevent the boat from lifting out of the water and out of control.

Tacking is the next skill set. At first, it may mean landing and foiling again. To maintain lift and boat speed, however, mastering the tack while on a foil is essential.

The most common response from Moth sailors about why they chose this boat is because it’s so much fun— whether or not they are competing. With championships coming up in Italy and Hawaii, however, the temptation to take flight is tough to resist.

Top 5 finishes in Event 1: 1. Bora Gulari; 2. Anthony Kotoun; 3. Matt Pistay; 4. George Peet; 5. John Harris. Top 5 finishes in Event 2: 1. Anthony Kotoun; 2. Brad Funk; 3.

Bora Gulari; 4. John Harris; 5. Erik Aakhus.

66 February 2012

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Washington’s Birthday Regatta, Barnacle Historic State Park, Biscayne Bay, FL, Feb. 25 The 17th annual revival of this regatta takes place on Biscayne Bay just off shore of Barnacle Historic State Park at 3485 Main Highway in downtown Coconut Grove. The regatta was first organized in 1887 by Commodore Ralph Munroe, founder of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and Coconut Grove pioneer. The race is open to traditional-style sailboats (eg, Mud hens, Sea pearls, Bullseyes, Sharpies, Bahama dinghies, cat boats, gaff-rigs, etc.). It is a great spectator event by land or sea. Award ceremony follows the race at the park.

The entry fee is a suggested donation of $15 per boat, made payable to The Barnacle Society, a not-for-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to support the state park.

For more information and the NOR, go to www.floridastateparks.org/thebarnacle/Events.cfm, or call (305) 442-6866.

2012 Acura Miami Grand Prix, March 10-13 Farr 40, Melges 32, Swan 42 and IRC boats are invited to race in this event. Four race days. Event details, entries and past results are available at www.Premiere-Racing.com.

Southeast Florida Race Calendar Palm Beach Sailing Club, www.pbsail.org. See club website for club racing. Races on the ICW last Sunday of each month (Son of a Beach Regatta).

Racing on Biscayne Bay: Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Association. www.bbyra.net Go to the website for local club races.

BBYC Biscayne Bay YC BBYRA Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Association. www.bbyra.net CGSC Coconut Grove SC. www.cgsc.org CRYC Coral Reef YC. www.coralreefyachtclub.org.

www.southwindsmagazine.com

LYC Lauderdale YC. www.lyc.org.

SALM Shake-a-Leg Miami. www.shakealegmiami.org.

FEBRUARY 2 International 2nd Olympic Qualifying Women’s Match 3 29er XX Class Regatta. CGSC 4 Comodoro Rasco Snipes. CGSC 4 Etchells FL State Championships. BBYC 4 Walker Cup. Stars. CRYC 11 Zagarino Masters Regatta. Stars. CRYC 24 Etchells Midwinter’s East Regatta. BBYC 25 Barnacles’s George Washington’s Birthday Regatta. CGSC MARCH 1 Melges 32s off Miami Beach. CGSC 5 Bacardi Miami Sail Week. BBYC CRYC, CGSC, SALM, US SAILING 12 Lightning Midwinter Championships. CRYC 16 46th Annual Don Q Snipe Regatta. CGSC 20 Nassau Snipe Series 23 Etchells Coral Reef Cup. CRYC 30 Snipe Pan Am Trials. LYC

Race Reports

Wave National Championships, Key Largo, FL, Dec. 1-3

a very petite lady. After the first day, Leah was in third place and still in contention, but as the winds picked up, her hopes for a third title were dashed. She still managed to take seventh place overall and win first in the Women’s Division.

On the other hand, Dave had a horrible day of sailing on Friday and was in 10th place, but rallied by winning several races and always finishing in the top five, putting him in the trophies at fourth overall in a very tough fleet of racers Four Miami sailors joined in the fun and placed well: Mike Powers, John Sherry, John McKnight and Jack Wolfe finished in places 10-13 of the 30-boat fleet of racers.

Barb Short of Key Largo, owner of Founders Park Watersports, finished in second place in the Women’s Division, and 17th overall. And local sailor Inger Hansen won third place for the women.

The Wave National Championships were hosted by the Upper Keys Sailing Club of Key Largo over the three-day weekend of Dec. 1-3 and sponsored by Catamaran Sailor magazine (www.catsailor.com), www.OnLineMarineStore. com and Founders Park Watersports.

Winds were 15-20 mph on Friday for the event, then jumped up to 22-plus mph on Saturday. Sunday eased off a bit, but winds were still gusting to around 20 mph. The Hobie Wave catamaran, however, loves heavy winds, and the sailors were all in seventh heaven about the ideal conditions of heavy air and fairly flat seas in Buttonwood Sound, on the bay side of the island chain.

The Wave is a roto-molded catamaran whose class has been growing rapidly in the United States and is considered one of the most active fleets in the country. The boat is 13 feet in length, has only one sail and is sailed by one person.

This national event has been held in the Key Largo area on the first weekend of December for 16 years now, bring-

By Rick White Barb Short almost out of control sailing in the Wave Nationals in Key Largo. Barb is owner of Founders Park Watersports in Islamorada.

Photo by Stewart Glegg.

There has only been one triple winner of the Hobie Wave Nationals since its existence until this weekend. Patrick Green from Put-in-Bay, OH—who now lives in Key West—sailed extremely consistently, and along with taking six bullets out of 16 races, won the event by 32 points over the second-place boat.

Local Key Largo favorites were Dave White and Leah White. Leah is a two-time past National Champion in the class, and husband Dave has finished second place several times.

However, this year the wind was too much for Leah, as she is News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012

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RACING ing lots of sailors and their friends to this great sailing venue during the off-season time for the Keys. The visitors always enjoy the great sailing in our warm and clear waters. Next year’s event is scheduled for Dec. 6-9, 2012.

Miami Sailors Win 27th Annual Key Largo Steeplechase, Dec. 10-11

By Rick White

This long-time traditional race begins in Barnes Sound, where the sailors head north to Angelfish Creek, then down Hawk Channel with spinnakers flying to a first-day finish on Lower Matecumbe Key, a 70-mile jaunt. The first boat finished in just under four hours, averaging almost 18 mph, and with top speeds over 30 mph.

Miamians Brett Moss and John Casey teamed up for the second year on a Marstrom 20 to win all the honors for 2011, both line honors and handicap. This was their second such victory in a row.

Mike Phillips and Kenny Pierce, also from Miami, were shadowing the leaders both days but had to settle for the second spot overall. They have been previous winners of the event.

The race is not for the faint-hearted, as often many sailors fail to make the entire distance without mishaps. A complimentary bottle of champagne is awarded to everyone who simply makes the entire distance and finishes.

The event was not without problems with several of the boats. One team capsized in Hawk Channel, and the skipper was separated from the boat with the crew unable to get back to pick him up. The crew notified the U.S. Coast Guard who arranged for Sea Tow to pick up the stranded sailor, unite him with his boat and crew, and go on to finish the race.

Another occurrence was at Card Sound Bridge. One of the boats decided to go under the bridge closer to the land to save some time, instead of the middle of the bridge, where it is highest. The mast hit the bridge and down came the carbon-fiber mast in splinters.

This famous race, known around the world by catamaran sailors, was founded and still managed by local Rick White and his wife Mary Wells. Rick has won the event many times in the past but now prefers to just run it.

Sponsors for the event are Catamaran Sailor magazine (www.catsailor.com) and its store at www.OnLineMarineStore.com.

Upcoming Regattas

Wrecker’s Cup Race, Key West, January, February, March, April Georgia sailors Mike Krantz and Dave Lennard were a close third place overall at the Steeplechase in Key Largo in December. Photo

by Rick White.

Sailors came from all around the United States and Canada to sail the 110-mile trek around Key Largo on high-tech, light-weight, high-speed beach catamarans on the weekend of Dec. 10-11. The event was based at Gilberts Marina, located on Jewfish Creek in Key Largo.

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This race is sponsored by the Schooner Wharf Bar on the waterfront in downtown Key West.

This Sunday afternoon race commemorates the race to a wreck that signified the old days when Key West’s main business was wreck salvage. Boats race seven miles out to Sand Key from the Key West waterfront and back. The race has five classes: Classic, Schooner, Multihull, Monohull over 30 feet and Monohull under 30 feet. Locals and visitors are invited and welcome. It is known as the “anything-butserious race.” First boat back wins. No protests allowed.

Sailing/boating rules and rules of seamanship always apply. www.southwindsmagazine.com

Four races are held over four months. The race is videotaped and the awards ceremony after the race at the bar serves a BBQ dinner while guests watch the race on a big screen TV. Beer drinking is very common.

Race dates are Jan. 29, Feb. 26, March 25, April 29. There is a captain’s meeting the day before the race at the bar at 7 pm, where “captains and crew contemplate strategy while reviewing course and race rules.” www.schoonerwharf.com.

Florida Keys Race Calendar Key West Community Sailing Center (formerly Key West Sailing Club). Every Saturday – Open house at the Center. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday evenings happy hour open house at 5 p.m. (305) 292-5993. www.keywestsailingsailingcenter.com. Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue in Key West. Come by the center to sail. Non-members and members welcome. Small-boat Wednesday night racing during Daylight Savings season. Small-boat Sunday racing year around at 1 p.m. Boat ramp available. Race in the seaplane basin near the mooring field. Dinner and drinks afterward.

Upper Keys Sailing Club (UKSC). www.upperkeyssailingclub.com. Go to the Club website for regular club racing open to all.

FEBRUARY 18-19 Key Largo Catboat Regatta 23-25 Force 5 Midwinters MARCH 17-18 Glander Cup

pages link at www.southwindsmagazine.com.

Sportboat Classes to Headline Charlotte Harbor Regatta, Feb. 2-5 The 2012 Charlotte Harbor Regatta is scheduled for Feb. 2-5 and will feature more than 100 boats in 11 classes, including the Viper 640, S2 7.9, Hobie 16, Hobie Wave, Weta, F16, F18, Flying Scot, Laser, Sunfish and Precision 15 classes. For information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, contact regatta co-chairs Clif Kewley at c.kewley@charlotteharborregatta.com, or Sarah Buck at sarahcommodore@live.com. www.charlotteharborregatta.com

St. Petersburg NOOD Regatta Offers PHRF Racing New This year, Feb. 17-19 The St. Petersburg Yacht Club is hosting the upcoming St. Petersburg NOOD (National Offshore One-Design) event on Feb. 17-19. Several popular one-design classes will be represented. Last year’s NOOD regatta featured nine separate classes with entries from across the eastern half of the U.S. New this year will be PHRF handicap class racing with a combination of windward/leeward and distance racing courses. All entrants for the PHRF classes will need to apply for a west Florida PHRF certificate at www.westfloridaphrf.org. Go to the Sailing World NOOD website for more information at www.sailingworld.com/nood-regattas.

Gasparilla Regatta, Tampa Sailing Squadron, Apollo Beach, FL, Feb. 4-5 SOUTHWINDS Annual Online West Florida Race Calendar Posted Sept. 1 For the past six years, SOUTHWINDS magazine has posted the race schedule/calendar on its website for all racing in the central west Florida area from just north of Tampa Bay south to Marco Island. The calendar includes all scheduled races of the West Florida PHRF organization (www.westfloridaphrf.org), plus club races in the area and any others that boaters in the area would like to post. The schedule is from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 each year.

Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com to list your race. Although all yacht clubs that are part of west Florida PHRF will already be included, regular local club races must be sent to us separately. We only list club races that are regularly scheduled (for example: every Thursday evening at 6 p.m.) plus the contact to enter the race.

Do not just send us a link, but send: The regatta/race name, type of racing (PHRF, one-design and type boat, or ?), race location, dates, sponsoring organization, e-mail and/or phone contact and website (if applicable). All pre-race write-ups that get a short paragraph in the “Upcoming Regattas” section of each region are for significant regattas in the area (decided by the editor as to what merits that) and must be kept in the 100- to 125-word range.

The race calendar can be accessed through the racing News & Views for Southern Sailors

Tampa Sailing Squadron will host the 48th annual Gasparilla Regatta. This regatta ties in with the annual Gasparilla celebrations, parades and pirate festivals in the Tampa Bay area. It also includes a shoot-out challenge to the Davis Island Yacht Club Racer/Cruisers for the coveted Pirate Musketoon.

Racing will include both Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker classes, as well as Racer/Cruiser, Multihull, True Cruising and Mother Lode. One-design fleets are encouraged to attend.

Go to www.tampasailing.org for more information.

Evander Cup (formerly Michelob Cup)/Jimmy Burns Memorial Regatta, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, March 3 Racing in Tampa Bay. In its 31st year, this race is a Suncoast Boat of the Year and St. Petersburg Ocean Racing Challenge event. All classes are invited. The event has enjoyed a varied venue over the years, finally landing at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The NOR and entry forms are online at www.spyc.org, and the West Coast Florida Yacht Racing Associations website at www.wfyra.org. Free beer, T-shirts, great food and entertainment after racing on Saturday.

SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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RACING 19th Annual Conquistador Cup, Charlotte Harbor, March 3-4

Suncoast Race Week, Tampa Bay, March 30, 31-April 1

Historically the largest regatta in southwest Florida, this event is run by the Punta Gorda Sailing Club and the Royal Order of Ponce de Leon Conquistadors. The regatta begins with registration on Friday evening, March 2, at the Punta Gorda Boat Club at 802 West Retta Esplanade. Two buoycourse races are planned for Saturday with Spinnaker, NonSpinnaker, Cruising, and Multihull divisions. A get-together is planned with a buffet dinner for Saturday evening at the adjacent YMCA Bayfront Center.

On Sunday, the reverse-start long distance Conquistador’s Cup will be held. In excess of 70 boats is expected for this event. The winner will be awarded the coveted Ponce de Leon Conquistador Helmet and gets his boat pictured on next year’s regatta T-shirt. An awards ceremony will follow the completion of Sunday’s race at the Punta Gorda Boat Club.

Go to www.pgscweb.com for the NOR and entry forms.

Hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in cooperation with the Davis Island Yacht Club and Bradenton Yacht Club.

A long-standing tradition among regattas on Tampa Bay, this will be the 34th year of this event. There will be three days of racing, beginning with registration and start at Davis Island Yacht Club and racing to Bradenton Yacht Club, then to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club where racing will be on windward/leeward courses for Spinnaker while all others will do a random leg course around government marks. This is a qualifier for both Suncoast Boat of the Year and St. Pete’s Ocean Racing Challenge. Notice of Race and entry forms can be found on the SPYC website at www. spyc.org, and the West Coast Florida Yacht Racing Associations website at www.wfyra.org West Florida Race Calendar Club Racing

Bradenton Yacht Club Annual Around Egmont Key Race, March 10 Racers can choose to go either direction around the island.

Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, Racer/Cruiser, Multihull, and True Cruising fleets. fishermensheadquarters@yahoo.com.

NOR at www.bradentonyachtclub.com.

Sarasota One-Design Midwinters, March 16-18 The Sarasota Sailing Squadron is hosting its annual OneDesign Midwinter Regatta March 16-18 for fleets of five or more boats. Anticipated fleets include E Scow, Daysailer, Albacore, I-20, S2 7.9 and Flying Scot, with invitations to all One-Design fleets with boats of five or more including Windmill, Laser, SR Max 21 and Melges 24.

For NOR, fees and schedule, go to www.sarasotasailingsquadron.org, or www.regattanetwork.com. Jim Barr, regatta chair: jbarr3620@aol.com.

Crown Cars Regatta, Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay, March 24 This event is now in its 28th year and continues to give participants a great time on the Gulf of Mexico. It is open to all classes with windward/leeward and random-leg courses for different classes. This regatta is a Suncoast Boat of the Year and SPYC Ocean Racing Challenge event.

NOR and entry forms can be found on the St. Petersburg Yacht club website at www.spyc.org and the West Coast Florida Yacht Racing Association’s website at www.wfyra.org. Entrants for Suncoast Raceweek can make arrangements to keep their vessels at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club downtown marina by making reservations with the dockmaster at dockmaster@spyc.org 70 February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

Boca Ciega YC. Gulfport. Every Sunday following the third Friday of each month. Skippers’ meeting at 10am, PHRF racing, spin and non-spin. (727) 423-6002. One-design, dinghy racing every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. March through October. Jim Masson at (727) 776-8833. www.sailbcyc.org.

Bradenton YC. Winter Races: Starting in October until April.

Races at 1400 hours each Sunday. Thursday evening races at 1830 hours beginning in April through Daylight Savings Time. PHRF racing on Manatee River. Lower Tampa Bay race second Saturday of each month. Contact John Izmirlian at 941-587-7758 or fishermensheadquarters@yahoo.com.

Clearwater Community Sailing Center. Regular weekend club races. www.clearwatercommunitysailing.org.

Davis Island YC. Regular club racing weekly. www.diyc.org.

Dunedin Boat Club. Spring/Fall PHRF racing in the Gulf of Mexico; June-Aug. Bay racing in St. Joseph’s Sound, alternate Wednesday nights. Paul Auman at (727) 688-1631, or paulrauman@gmail.com.

Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racing once a month, year-round john@johnkremski.com Platinum Point Yacht Club. Weekly PHRF racing on Mondays starting at 1 p.m. on Charlotte Harbor. www.ppycbsm.com Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, year-round. pbgvtrax@aol.com.

Punta Gorda Sailing Club. Charlotte Harbor. Weekly racing. www.pgscweb.com.

Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Friday evening races start in April. www.sarasotasailingsquad.com.

St. Pete Yacht Club. Friday evenings (except April 3) through Aug. 28. 16:30 starts off The Pier. www.spyc.org.

Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of each month, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet. www.venicesailing-squadron.org Boat of the Year Races (BOTY) (not yet confirmed - please check with West Florida PHRF -www.westfloridaphrf.org) Tampa Bay: (SuncoastBOTY) Caloosahatchee (Fort Myers area): (CBOTY) Sarasota Bay: (SBBOTY) Naples/Marco Island: (N/MBOTY) FEBRUARY 3-5 Platinum Point YC, Charlotte Harbor Regatta www.southwindsmagazine.com

4-5 St. Petersburg YC, Valentine’s Day Regatta 4-5 Tampa Sailing Squadron, Gasparilla Regatta 11 Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Cherry Pie Regatta (SBYA-BOTY) 11-15 Davis Island YC, J24 Midwinters 16-19 St. Petersburg YC, NOOD 18-19 Lake Eustis, George Washington Regatta 18-19 Wave Class Regatta, Clearwater Sailing Center 22-26 Clearwater YC, Laser Midwinters East 24-26 St. Petersburg YC, Distance Classic (SPORC) 25-26 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Island Classic Windsurfing Regatta 25-26 Sarasota Sailing Squadron and Venice YC, Windjammer from Sarasota to Venice (SBYA-BOTY) MARCH 2 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Pot O’ Gold Regatta.

3 St. Petersburg YC (PaG), Evander Cup (formerly Michelob) (WFPHRF-BOTY) 3-5 Punta Gorda Sailing Club, Conquistador Regatta 4-9 St. Petersburg YC, Thistle Midwinters 9-11 Davis Island YC, Fireball and Friends 10 Bradenton YC, Race around Egmont (SBYA-BOTY) 10-11 St. Petersburg Sailing Center, Allison Jolly Regatta 12-14 Clearwater YC, Snipe Midwinters 15-18 St. Petersburg YC, Winter Lightning Championship 16-18 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. One-design Midwinters.

16-18 Sunfish International Masters at Lake Monroe SA 17 Isles YC, Leukemia Cup (small boats) 22-25 Sunfish U.S. Midwinter Nationals at Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers 23-24 St. Petersburg YC (PaG), Crown Cars Regatta (WFPHRFBOTY) 24-25 Isles YC, Leukemia Cup 30-1 St. Petersburg YC, Suncoast Raceweek (WFPHRF-BOTY) 31-1 Mount Dora Yacht Club, 59th annual Mount Dora Regatta

Race Reports Upcoming Regattas

Maxine Sansom Series 2012, Pensacola, FL, March 3, 10,17

By Kim Kaminski The Maxine Sansom Regatta is a unique three-race series held on Pensacola Bay every March. The series honors Maxine Sansom for her work through the years on various race committees at the three Pensacola-area yacht clubs.

The race format has three different competitions, each one held at one of the three clubs Sansom frequently worked with. Each of these races is held by the individual yacht club fleet captains but are combined for an overall series trophy. The first race is held at the Navy Yacht Club of Pensacola in conjunction with its first race of the season, the Commodore’s Cup Race #1. The second race is held at the Pensacola Beach Yacht Club in conjunction with its springtime race, the Rites of Spring Regatta, and the final race of

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Quality Brokerage ASA Sailing School, Sailing Charters St. Simons Island, GA View our complete brokerage listings at www.dunbaryachts.com 800-282-1411 sales@dunbaryachts.com the series is held at the Pensacola Yacht Club (which was Maxine’s home club) and is known as the Maxine Sansom Series Final.

Participants can race in one race, two out of three races or in all three races. However, the overall series trophy goes to a participant of all three races. Race #1 will be held on March 3, Race #2 on March 10, and Race #3 on March 17, with the awards ceremony held at the Pensacola Yacht Club following the final race.

For registration and more information, go to www.pensacolayachtclub.org.

Mardi Gras Race Week, New Orleans, LA, February 21-26 The New Orleans Yacht Club is holding its annual premier racing event with One-Design racing Feb. 24-26. Mardi Gras is on Feb. 21. Boats and sailors arrive on Feb. 22, practice races are on Feb. 23 and racing starts on Feb. 24. With six boats constituting a class, the one-design classes expected are Melges 32, Melges 24, Finn, J/22, J/24, J/30, Lightning, Lasers, Kiteboards, Club 420s, Open Flying Scot, Viper 640, VX, V15, Moths.

More information, as well as hotels and directions are posted on the Web site, www.mardigrasregatta.org. Limited free “college style” housing is available.

RACING continued on page 84 SOUTHWINDS February 2012

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Rebuilt engine, $99,000, Harry, 941-400-7942

47' Vagabond, 1979, Genset, 4 Solar panels, A/C, New Sails, $150,000, Harry @ 941-400-7942

46' Beneteau Oceanis 461, 2000, Never chartered, 2 cabin, Electric winches, New Sails,. New electronics, Fresh Bottom, $195,000, Clark @ 561-676-8445

45' Voyage Catamaran, 2007, Many upgrades, Wireless remote auto, Extra Water storage, Spinnaker, Garmin 435 Plotter, $360,000, Tom @ 904-377-9446

44' Island Packet, 2008, Yanmar under 200 hrs, electric winches, upgraded to better than new. This is a must see! $525,000, Harry @ 941-400-7942

41' Tartan 412, 1990, Recent upgrades: New Sails, Refrigeration, Feathering prop, Upholstery, Radar, Canvas and MORE! $170,000, Kevin @ 321-693-1642

37' Irwin MK IV, 1981, Stack pack, new upholstery, Enclosed Center cockpit, many upgrades. $39,900, Clark @ 561-676-8445

34' Pacific SeaCraft, 1991, Beautiful bluewater cruiser, Solar, SSB, Auto pilot, refrigeration and more! $90,000, Kevin @ 321-693-1642

32' Catalina 320, 1995, Tall rig, wing keel, Dodger, Bimni, A/C, Flat screen TV, $44,900, Leo @ 941-504-6754

IHULL MULT

35' Hunter 356, 2002, Custom hardtop with solar panels, In mast furler, full enclosure, lines lead aft, Beautiful condition. $94,900, Kevin @ 321-693-1642

34' PDQ Catamaran 1990, Solar, Wind generator, Davits, A/C and More! $124,900, Leo @ 941504-6754

MULTI-HULLS 60' CUSTOM CATAMARAN 51'JEANTOT/PRIVILEDGE CAT 48' NAUTITECH CATAMARAN 46' FOUNTAINE PAJOT BAHIA 45' VOYAGE CATAMARAN 44' LAGOON POWER CAT 44' LAGOON CATAMARAN 44' LAGOON CATAMARAN 44' LAGOON CATAMARAN 43' VOYAGE CATAMARAN 43' PRIVILEDGE 435 42' LAGOON CATAMARAN 38' ROBERTSON CAINE CAT 36' ENDEAVOUR POWER CAT. 36' INTERCONTINENTAL TRI. 36' G-CAT POWER CAT 35' ISLAND PACKET CAT 34' PDQ CATAMARAN 23' TREMOLINO TRIMARAN

1999 1994 1998 2000 2007 2007 2007 2004 2007 1998 2001 2007 1999 2001 1969 2008 1993 1990 1979

$574,900 $499,000 $349,000 $239,000 $359,900 $569,000 $499,000 $359,000 $499,000 $259,000 $447,206 $449,000 $210,000 $169,000 $ 64,900 $249,900 $144,900 $124,900 $ 5,995

TARPON SPRINGS WEST PALM BEACH PUNTA GORDA ST. AUGUSTINE BVI SARASOTA CARIBBEAN GRENADA COLUMBIA FLORIDA ITALY FLORIDA GUATEMALA PUNTA GORDA GULFPORT DADE CITY TAMPA FT MYERS PANAMA CITY

BILL TOM HARRY TOM TOM DOUG KEVIN KEVIN BOB TOM TOM KEVIN RICK LEO ROY S. ROY S MARK LEO BUTCH

SAILBOATS 74' ORTHOLAN MOTORSAILOR 60' KROGEN WIEFL 53' PEARSON 51' MORGAN OUT ISLAND 51' BENETEAU IDYLLIC 15.5 48' SUNWARD KETCH 47' VAGABOND 47' VAGABOND 47' WAUQUIEZ CENTURION 47' GULFSTAR SAILMASTER 47' GULFSTAR SAILMASTER 47’ GULFSTAR SAILMASTER 47' WELLINGTON KETCH 46' BENETEAU 461 46' MORGAN 46' HUNTER 46' DURBECK KETCH 45' HUNTER 456 45' MORGAN 454 45' HUNTER LEGEND 45' HUNTER 450 45' HUNTER 456 44' GOZZARD G44 44' CSY 44' CSY WALK OVER 44' ISLAND PACKET 440 44' WELLINGTON

1939 1966 1981 1976 1986 1980 1979 1993 1986 1980 1979 1979 1975 2000 1979 2000 1974 2004 1983 1987 2001 2002 1994 1979 1979 2008 1980

$230,000 $350,000 $249,000 $100,000 $149,000 $165,000 $150,000 $200,000 $188,900 $179,900 $115,000 $134,900 $ 75,000 $195,000 $ 89,900 $134,000 $ 90,000 $209,000 $107,500 $ 88,900 $195,000 $189,000 $239,000 $ 99,000 $124,900 $525,000 $179,000

ARGENTINA DAYTONA ST. AUGUSTINE TREASURE ISLAND WEST PALM BEACH MELBOURNE ST. PETERSBURG FRANCE PUERTO RICO ST. JOHNS WEST PALM BEACH MADEIRA BEACH APOLLO BEACH STUART MADEIRA BEACH ST. PETERSBURG PANAMA CITY PUNTA GORDA PANAMA CITY CRYSTAL RIVER PALM COAST CAPE CANVERAL STUART VENICE PORT CHARLOTTE BRADENTON SARASOTA

KIRK JIM TOM HARRY JANE KEVIN HARRY HARRY ROY S TOM CLARK ROY S. JOE CLARK ROY S. JOE BUTCH WENDY BUTCH JANE KEVIN KEVIN CALVIN HARRY JANE HARRY JOE

43' 43' 43' 43' 43' 42' 42' 42' 42' 41' 41' 41' 41' 41' 41' 40' 40' 38' 38' 38' 38' 37' 37' 37' 36' 36' 36' 36' 36' 35' 35' 35' 35' 35' 34' 34' 34' 34' 33' 33' 33' 32' 32' 32' 32' 31' 30' 28' 28'

ENDEAVOUR CC IRWIN DUFOUR GIBSEA 43GS MORGAN NELSON/MAREK ELAN CATALINA BREWER BREWER 12.8 CATALINA MORGAN OUTISLAND MORGAN OUTISLAND MORGAN OUTISLAND TARTAN 412 HUNTER DS HUNTER 410 JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY PEARSON YAWL ISLAND PACKET CATALINA 380 IRWIN MK II PACIFIC SEACRAFT/ERICKSON GULFSTAR HUNTER IRWIN WATKINS ISLANDER PEARSON HUNTER 35.5 HUNTER 35.5 CAL PEARSON CATALINA 350 ISLAND PACKET KENNER PRIVATEER PACIFIC SEACRAFT HUNTER HUNTER CATALINA MOODY CHERUBINI RAIDER MORGAN OUT ISLAND CATALINA 320 ISLANDER MKII ALLIED BENETEAU FIRST 32 ALLMAND FALMOUTH CUTTER CATALINA MK II CALIBER

1980 1988 2001 1984 1990 1997 1984 1985 1992 1986 1982 1972 1990 2005 2002 2003 1974 1988 1997 1988 1998 1979 1987 1981 1981 1976 1975 1991 2002 1984 1981 2006 1991 1971 1991 1984 1984 1988 1977 1979 1977 1994 1979 1977 1984 1981 1981 1998 1984

$ 79,500 $ 99,500 $ 99,000 $119,000 $110,000 $119,500 $130,000 $115,000 $ 99,000 $ 98,500 $ 49,000 $ 65,000 $170,000 $125,000 $135,000 $169,000 $ 49,900 $149,000 $124,900 $ 84,900 $159,900 $ 44,500 $ 59,900 $ 39,900 $ 31,500 $ 44,900 $ 24,900 $ 49,900 $ 94,900 $ 34,900 $ 33,900 $127,900 $114,900 $ 29,000 $ 90,000 $ 29,900 $ 40,900 $ 46,900 $ 29,000 $ 22,445 $ 25,900 $ 44,900 $ 26,500 $ 29,900 $ 37,000 $ 25,900 $ 55,000 $ 36,900 $ 19,900

Edwards Yacht Sales Quality Listings, Professional Brokers Roy Edwards • Clearwater • 727-507-8222 Tom Morton • St. Augustine • 904-377-9446 Bill Mellon • St. Petersburg • 727-421-4848 Roy Stringfellow • Tierra Verde • 305-775-8907 Dean Rudder • New Port Richey • 727-224-8977 Mark Newton • Tampa • 813-523-1717 Wendy Young • Punta Gorda • 941-916-0660 Kevin Welsh • Melbourne • 321-693-1642 Kirk Muter • Ft. Lauderdale • 818-371-6499 Art Schmidt • Ft. Myers • 239-464-9610

www.EdwardsYachtSales.com • 727-507-8222 • 72

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

NEW PORT RICHEY ST. PETERSBURG ST. AUGUSTINE PUERTO RICO ISRAEL SANIBEL SARASOTA FT. LAUDERDALE BAHAMAS MADERIA BEACH APOLLO BEACH IN ROUTE MELBOURNE PUERTO RICO SATELLITE BEACH MELBOURNE PANAMA CITY GREEN COVE SPRINGS PUNT GORDA NAPLES TIERRA VERDE HUDSON DAYTONA BOCA RATON INGLIS WEST PALM MELBORUNE PANAMA CITY MELBOURNE PANAMA CITY ST. AUGUSTINE MELBOURNE BRADENTON PANAMA CITY MELBOURNE INDIANALANTIC APOLLO BEACH ST. PETERSBURG PANAMA CITY MELBOURNE PORT CHARLOTTE CAPE CORAL ST. PETERSBURG TARPON SPRINGS FT. LAUDERDALE PUNTA GORDA WINTER GARDEN N.C. PANAMA CITY

BOAT FROM

JANE JANE TOM TOM KIRK JOE HARRY HARRY TOM DEAN JOE HARRY KEVIN ROY S KEVIN KEVIN BUTCH TOM LEO BOB HARRY JANE JIM CLARK JANE CLARK KEVIN BUTCH KEVIN BUTCH TOM KEVIN HARRY BUTCH KEVIN KEVIN JOE BILL BUTCH KEVIN CALVIN LEO HARRY JANE KIRK CALVIN TOM WENDY BUTCH

LOANS 4.9%

Bob Cook • Naples • 239-877-4094 Clark Jelley • West Palm Beach • 561-676-8445 Leo Thibault • Punta Gorda • 941-504-6754 Joe Weber • Bradenton • 941-224-9661 Harry Schell • Sarasota • 941-400-7942 Butch Farless • Panama City • 850-624-8893 Calvin Cornish • Punta Gorda • 941-830-1047 Jane Burnett • New Port Richey • 813-917-0911 Doug Jenkins • Bradenton • 941-504-0790 Jim Pietszak • Daytona Beach • 386-898-2729

FAX 727-531-9379 •

Yachts@EdwardsYachtSales.com www.southwindsmagazine.com

Selling Your boat?

CALL KELLY!

WITH MASSEY YACHT SALES AGENTS FOR

How he can help sell your $75K to $1M sailboat 35 years sailing experience; 23 years yacht broker experience Certified Professional Yacht Broker (one of 3% of Florida Brokers) Kelly will come to your home, office or boat — evenings included!

Massey Yacht Sales sells more brokerage sailboats than any firm in the Southeast U.S.

Kelly Bickford, CPYB

www.huntyachts.com

54’ Morgan/Heritage Custom ketch 1993. This vessel is for the serious live aboard cruiser. Shoal draft, stoutly built. Call Courtney Ross for details 727.709.1092.

1990 Morgan Classic 41 MKII Out Island. Many upgrades in the past couple years, blister-free bottom job, A/C, new Furuno GPS. A truly “turnkey” cruiser, BRING OFFERS. Call Rick Grajirena for details.

727.403.9910.

41.1 Bristol Center Cockpit 1983.

This one owner boat has recently had her decks & nonskid professionally refinished, repowered Yanmar diesel, new Garmin Plotter/Digital Radar.

Asking $165,000.00. Call Tom D’Amato 727.480.7143

39’ Beneteau 393 Sloop 2002 140% genoa (2008) on roller furler, full batten main w/ "Stackpack" (2008), cruising spinnaker w/ ATN sock, 56HP Yanmar, dodger, cherrywood interior, Raymarine electronics w/ radar, Garhauer dinghy engine lift, and more.

Asking $117,500. Call Andy Gillis 239.292.1915 or andy@rossyachtsales.com.

2004 32’ C&C 99 well maintained and lightly used since 2008. Racing and cruising sails, full electronics, dockside A/C. Ready to race or cruise. REDUCED ASKING $104,000, bring offers. Call Rick 727.403.9910

44’ Morgan/Catalina CSY C/C Sloop 1988. Yanmar diesel, roller furling, radar, SSB, windvane steering, dinghy w/OB. Reduced to $67,900. Call Andy Gillis in Fort Myers 239.292.1915. andy@rossyachtsales.com

Massey Yacht Sales & Service TAMPA BAY AREA

kelly@kellybickfordcpyb.com Cell: 727-599-1718

Catalina Yachts Com-Pac Yachts RS Sailboats Used Boat Brokerage

New New New New New 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 1997 2012 2001 2012 2007 2007

RS Tera 9’5” . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2595 RS Q’Ba 11’5” . . . . . . . . . . . .$3895 RS Feva 12’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5495 RS Vision 15’ . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9495 RS 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,800 Catalina 14.2 Expo . . . . . . . .$6052 Compac Legacy 16 . . . . . .$11,500 Catalina 16.5 . . . . . . . . . . . .$7880 Compac Picnic Cat . . . . . .$10,995 Compac Suncat . . . . . . . . .$19,795 Compac SundayCat . . . . . .$17,245 Compac Eclipse . . . . . . . . .$26,595 Capri 22 Wing Keel . . . . . .$17,800 Catalina 22 Sport/Trl . . . . .$19,127 Catalina 22 Sport . . . . . . . .$14,946 Catalina 22 MkII . . . . . . . . . .SOLD Compac 23 MKIV . . . . . . .$34,995 Catalina 250 WB/trl . . . . . . .SOLD Catalina 250 WB . . . . . . . .$31,219 Catalina 250 Wing . . . . . . .$29,731 Compac Horizon Cat . . . . . . .SOLD

65’ Macgregor 6’ keel, recent re-fit at Snead Island Boat Works . . .$250,000 53’ Custom Herreshoff Ketch 1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$225,000 50’ Beneteau Oceanis Custom 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SOLD 44’ Morgan Catalina CSY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$67,900 43’ Hinckley 1976 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SOLD 42’ J/Boat 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$198,500 41’ Bristol 41.1 Center Cockpit 1983

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$169,000

40’ Freedom Ketch 1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$69,900 37’ Tayana Cutter 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$86,500 36’ Jeanneau 36i Sun Odyssey 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$137,900 35’ Catalina 350 Sloop 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD 32 Melges (2) ’05 & ’07 - good sails, light use, sellers will trade down $99,000 32’ C&C 99 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .REDUCED ASKING $104,000

Tampa Bay : 727.210.1800 Ft. Myers: 239.461.9191 Naples: 239.261.7006 74 February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

Your Authorized Dealer for -

SELECTED LISTINGS

Hyundai 53 1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$170,000 Catalina 470 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$221,000 Jefferson Sun Deck Motor Yacht 46’ 1987 . . . . . . . . .$143,900 Hunter 466 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$199,000 Wellcraft 4600 MY 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$159,000 Beneteau 423 ’04 & ’07 starting at . . . .$181,950 Grand Banks Classic 42 1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$193,750 Island Packet 420 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$295,000 Beneteau 411 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$149,000 Beneteau First 40.7 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$127,000 Island Pilot 395 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$225,000 Rampage 38 Express 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$160,000 Beneteau M38 1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$51,900 Beneteau First 375 1985 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$62,000 Hunter 375 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$65,000 Jeanneau SO 37 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$92,000 Beneteau 361 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$95,000 Beneteau 36 Center Cockpit 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$98,500 Grand Banks 36 1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$79,000 Pearson 36s ’79 & ‘82 starting at . . . . . . . .$38,950 Hunter Legend 35 1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,500 Jeanneau SO 35 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$95,900 Beneteau First 10R (34’) 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$129,000 Beneteau Oceanis 34 2012 IN STOCK CALL for PACKAGE Californian 34 1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$55,000 Catalina 34 Mark I 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 Mainship 34 Trawler 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 Beneteau 34 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$141,000 Hunter 340 1998, ’99 & ’01 starting at . . . .$55,000 Beneteau 331 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$78,900 CS 33 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$33,000 Nauticat 33 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$77,000 Beneteau 323 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$64,900 Beneteau 323 31” Draft 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$82,000 Catalina 320 MKII 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$111,900 Hunter Vision 32 1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 Taylor 32 “Danger Zone” 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 C&C 99 (32’) 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$97,500 Gulf 32 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,500 Beneteau Antares 980 32 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$155,000 Beneteau First 310 1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39,000 Hunter 310 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$46,000 Beneteau 31 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$119,000 Catalina 310 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$61,900 Sea Sprite 30 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$31,500 Endeavourcat 30 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$61,500 Fairways Marine Fisher 30 1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$66,000 Mainship 30 Pilot 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$69,000 Nonsuch 30 Ultra 1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 Alerion AE 28 ’04 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$78,900

(N) (N) (N) (N) (P) (S) (N) (N) (N) (N) (S) (N) (N) (P) (S) (N) (S) (N) (P) (N) (N) (N) (S) (S) (N) (N) (N) (S) (N) (S) (S) (N) (P) (P) (P) (P) (N) (S) (N) (N) (S) (N) (N) (S) N) (N) (N) (S) (P) (N)

Beneteau (31’ to 58’)

J/Boats (22’ to 43’)

Sense (43’ to 55’)

Details & Pictures - Go to www.MurrayYachtSales.com

Complete Gulf Coast Coverage New Orleans 504-210-3668 NewOrleans@MurrayYachtSales.com Pensacola 850-261-4129 Pensacola@MurrayYachtSales.com St. Petersburg 727-214-1590 StPete@MurrayYachtSales.com

Beneteau Power (28’ to 52’)

We have IN & OUT of the Water Slips AVAILABLE for our Listings!

www.MurrayYachtSales.com News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012 75

Performance Cruising

Serving Yachting Enthusiasts since 1994 2012/10 Sabre 386 Classic American Craftsmanship

2012 Delphia 40 Shoal Draft Swing Keel

2012 Sabre 456, 426 and Spirit 36 also available

2012 Delphia Sailing Yachts 33, 37, 40, 46CC & 47 See our Delphia 37 Classic at the Miami Boat Show

2012 Novatec 82' Euro Motor Yacht

Fine Novatec Motor Yachts from 46-82 Feet Classic Sedan, Island and Euro Series

SAIL AND POWER BOATS 66' 2004 NOVATEC ISLANDER ..............................................$499,000 54' 2006 HYLAS .....................................................................$990,000 54' 1988 CROWTHER CATAMARAN......................................$259,900 51' 2006 PASSPORT 515 VISTA CENTER COCKPIT............$895,000 50' 2003 SYMBOL PILOTHOUSE ..........................................$339,900 47' SEA RAY 2008 SEDAN BRIDGE ......................................$535,000 47' 2001 CATALINA 470 .......................................REDUCED $229,900 43' ALBIN TRAWLER 1986 CLASSIC DC .............REDUCED $99,900 42' 1983 BENETEAU FIRST .....................................................$78,900 42' 1987 SABRE SHOAL DRAFT ...........................................$135,000 42' SABRE 426 2004 ..............................................................$325,000 41' 2003 MAINE CAT 41 CHARTER CAT ............REDUCED $349,900 40' 1983 JEANNEAU SUN FIZZ ...............................................$81,000 40' 1997 SABRE 402....................................................................SOLD 40' 1956 HINCKLEY..................................................................$39,900 40' 1987 BENETEAU 40 FIRST CLASS 12 .............REDUCED 52,900 38' SABRE 386 2010 ....................................................................CALL 38' 1990 ISLAND PACKET CUTTER ......................................$149,900 38' 1983 SABRE 38 CENTERBOARD......................................$63,900 38' 1983 SABRE 38 CUSTOM BULB KEEL 5' DRAFT.............$79,900 36' 1996 SABRE 362 ..............................................................$139,900 36 1970 CHEOY LEE CUTTER YAWL ......................................$66,900 35' 1969 CLASSIC ANSTEY STRIDER ...................................$19,500 32' 1985 SABRE SHOAL DRAFT .............................................$45,000

Visit our website for detailed specs and more photos of all of our listings:

www.grandslamyachtsales.com CORTEZ COVE BOATYARD 4522 121st Street West, Cortez, FL 34215 • Toll-free 866-591-9373 • Tel 941-795-4200

info@grandslamyachtsales.com Frank Joseph: Frank@grandslamyachtsales.com 941-962-5969 Alan Pressman: AlanGSYS@gmail.com 941-350-1559 Nic Ware: NicGSYS@gmail.com 305-510-7081 Jim Booth: jboothyacht@yahoo.com 904-652-8401 Mark Vieth: ViethGSYS@gmail.com 305-479-6320 Wayne Johnson: Wayne@grandslamyachtsales.com 941-773-3513 HOME OF THE “FLORIDA SABRE SAILBOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION” (FSSOA). CONTACT ALAN FOR MORE INFORMATION. SELLING YOUR BOAT? Call the pros at Grand Slam for a confidential consultation and a free comprehensive analysis of what your boat is worth. Let us put our marketing program to work for you to get your boat sold.

76

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

CLASSIFIED ADS Ads Starting at 3 Months for $25.

FREE ADS — All privately owned gear for sale up to $200 per item E-mail ads to the editor, asking to placing the ad, and give your name.

Free Ads sent to us without politely asking to place the ad and/or without a name, will not be run.

For questions, contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com or (941) 795-8704 PRICES: • These prices apply to boats, real estate, gear,

dockage. All others, see Business Ads. • Text up to 30 words with horizontal photo: $50 for 3 months; 40 words @ $60; 50 words @ $65; 60 words@ $70.

• Text only ads up to 30 words: $25 for 3 months; 40 words at $35; 50 words at $40; 60 words at $45. Contact us for more words.

• Add $15 to above prices for vertical photo.

• All ads go on our website classifieds page on the first of the month of publication at no additional cost. Add $10 to place the ad early on the website.

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DEADLINES: 5th of the month preceding publication. IF LATER: Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com, or (941) 795-8704.

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lication, possibly later (contact us). Take $5 off text ads, $10 with photo, to renew ads another 3 mos.

SAVE MORE ON RENEWALS: Ask us about automatic renewal (credit card required) to take $10 off above prices on text only ads and $15 for ads with photos. Ads renewed twice for 3-month period unless you cancel.

BUSINESS ADS: Except for real estate and dockage, prices above do not include business services or business products for sale. Business ads are $20/month up to 30 words. $35/month for 30-word ad with photo/graphic. Display ads start at $38/month for a 2-inch ad in black and white with a 12-month agreement. Add 20% for color. Contact editor@ southwindsmagazine.com, or (941) 795-8704.

BOAT BROKERAGE ADS: • For ad with horizontal photo: $20/month for new ad, $15/month to pick up existing ad. No charge for changes in price, phone number or mistakes.

• All ads go on our website classifieds page on the first of the month of publication at no additional cost. Add $10 to place the ad early on the web-

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(All others contact the editor) Put your ad text in the subject line at the end when you process the Paypal payment, or e-mail it to: editor@southwindsmagazine.com. E-mail ALL photos as separate jpeg attachments to editor.

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3. Mail your ad in. Southwinds, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218, with check or credit card number (with name, expiration, address).

Enclose a SASE if photo wanted back.

4. We will pick up your ad. Send airline ticket, paid hotel reservations and car rental/taxi (or pick us up at the airport) and we will come pick up your ad. Call for more info.

We advise you to list the boat type first followed by the length. For example: Catalina 30. Your boat is more likely to be found by Internet search engines in this format.

Boats & Dinghies Boat Gear & Supplies Businesses for Sale

Help Wanted Instruction Lodging for Sailors Real Estate for Sale or Rent

Sails & Canvas Slips for Rent/Sale Too Late to Classify

TOO LATE TO CLASSIFY

_________________________________________ See this section at the end of classifieds for ads that came in too late to place in their appropriate section. Contact us if you have a last-minute ad to place—we still might have time in this section.

BOATS & DINGHIES

_________________________________________ 2007 West Marine dinghy Model HP2. A little used. 9’ 2” inflatable, weighs 88 pounds with a capacity of 885 pounds. Doesn’t fit on my davits, so want to sell. $900. (941) 9273373.

Sarasota, FL. (2/12) _________________________________________ New WindRider 17. $8995. Call Brian at Bimini Bay Sailing. (941) 685-1400

2007 Com-Pac Horizon Cat 20’. Yanmar diesel, w/trailer, Bimini top, cockpit cushions, dual battery w/built-in battery charger and much more. $31,671. Call Paul at Masthead Enterprises (800) 783-6953, or (727) 3275361. www.mastheadsailinggear.com News & Views for Southern Sailors

28’ O’ Day Sloop 1983, with Universal Diesel.

Clean boat, wheel steering, roller furling, 155% genoa, 100% jib, main w/2 reefs, Bimini, galley, stove, ice box, pressure water, enclosed head, V-berth, shore power, 2 anchors, VHF, depth. Sleeps 5. Asking $11,900. Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100.

1985 S2 9.1. Two Mains, 3 chutes, Harken RF, multiple headsails, cruising chute. GPS/Chart Plotter, Nexus instruments, Auto tiller, Life Sling, folding prop, Bimini. Bcoated. 5’ 6” draft. $17,200 OBO. (352) 746-1329, (352) 445-6359. (3/12)

J/29 for sale. Racing yacht. 1983 masthead/outboard version. Large inventory of racing sails. Almost new 2 1/2hp Tohatsu.

Interior recently refurbished. Well cared for by skipper until his recent passing. Located at Fort Walton Beach, FL. Asking $14,900. Call George at (850) 585-1028, or Rick at (850) 261-4129. (2/12)

1968 International 210 Racing Sloop.

Includes trailer. Very good condition. 29 ft, 10 in. Danish plywood hull with fiberglass sheath, aluminum spars, lead keel. http://1968international210.shutterfly.com, www.210class. com, $3700. Jacksonville, FL, (904) 923-3923. (3/12) SOUTHWINDS

February 2012 77

CLASSIFIED ADS J/30 1972 in excellent shape. Ready to race/cruise, many sails and all working instruments, green hull. Pics at www.salsaverde. org, in Apollo Beach, FL. Asking $24,000 obo. Call (352) 562-4030, magalie@salsaverde.org. (4/12) '02 CATALINA 470...................................$275,000 '01 CATALINA 470...................................$265,000 '90 MORGAN 41 .......................................$96,000 '06 BENETEAU 373 ................................$158,900 '84 CAL 35.................................................$35,500 '09 BENETEAU 31 ..................................$110,000 '85 J/27......................................................$22,000 '85 WAVELENGTH 24 .................................$8,500 '84 CATALINA 22.........................................$5,000 '07 WEST WIGHT POTTER 19 .................$11,500

$25,000 - 30’ custom built, aft cabin, cutter rigged ketch. Hull & Volvo engine & transmission were completely re-conditioned in 2007. Hand laid up fiberglass hull. Built in Sweden in 1980. Main cabin has 6-foot settee/berths each side and a semi-enclosed forward V-berth. Boat lies in Cortez, FL. Contact Tom O’Brien (941) 518-0613 tomob@obrienarchitects.com. (3/12)

31’ Mariner Ketch 1970. 44 HP rebuilt Perkins Diesel. Complete retro. Full keel. 2 mains, 2 mizzens, cruising chute w/sock, windlass, Bimini, dinghy, S/S propane stove, GPS w/charts. A must see at our docks. Asking $29,900. Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100

32’ Catalina 320 2000. Yanmar 27hp w/485hrs, wing keel, new Raymarine electronics 2009 incl. C70 GPS/Plotter, full batten main w/Dutchman, 135% r/f genoa, most running rigging replaced 2011, dinghy & O/B, electric windlass, and more. Excellent condition, lightly sailed. Asking $75,900.

Scott Pursell, Massey Yacht Sales, (941) 7204503, Scottp@masseyyacht.com.

32’ Catalina 320 Wing Keel. 1995,Tall rig!

Wing Keel! Perkins M30 just majored!

Marine A/C. $44,900. Leo @ 941-504-6754, www.SailboatsinFlorida.com. Edwards Yacht Sales.

33 CSY 1980. Beautiful liveaboard cruiser, Cutter rig, Deep Draft, 50 HP Perkins, A/C, Wind & Solar power, Inverter-Charger, Watermaker, ST5000 Autopilot, Lofrans Windlass, GPIRB, much more. $43,900. Riviera Beach, FL. (305) 942-3167. Email svsybarite@aol.com for specs and equipment list.

(4/12)

2011 Beneteau 34. $156,000. Commissioned 12/2010, AC, Refrig, AP, A90 Chartplotter, 4’6 shoal draft, In mast furling, r/f genoa, ST70 electronics, NEW Condition. St. Petersburg, FL. (727) 214-1590. Full Specs & pics at www.MurrayYachtSales.com.

34’ Hunter, 1984. Yanmar 23 hp, fridge, VHF, GPS, speedo, depth, dinghy, outboard, 4’ 3”draft. $23,000. Stewart Marine, Miami, (305) 815-2607.

31’ Beneteau First 310 1993. $41,000.

Shoal Draft, wheel steering, Volvo diesel power, refrigeration, excellent sail inventory including full batten main and spinnaker. Call Nic Ware (305) 510-7081.

Email; nicgsys@gmail.com.

2004 Catalina 310 $61,900 Over $30,000 of Upgrades All New Electronics, AC, Wiring, Batteries etc Shoal Draft, R/f Genoa St. Petersburg, FL 727-214-1590 x 3 Full Specs & Pics at www.MurrayYachtSales.com 78

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

1970 Pearson 33. Good sails. Full batten main. Profurl head sail. Westerbeke diesel.

Many upgrades. $12,700. Will consider trade of small boat on its trailer towards payment.

Call Jesse (813) 363-3172. (2/12)

Subscribe to SOUTHWINDS: editor@southwindsmagazine.com

34’ PDQ Catamaran,1990. Solar Panel! Wind Generator! Windlass! Dinghy & Davits! A/C & MORE! $124,900. Leo @ 941-504-6754, www.CatamaransinFlorida.com.

Edwards Yacht Sales.

$50 – 3 MO. AD & PHOTO 941-795-8704 www.southwindsmagazine.com

CLASSIFIED ADS

Bristol 35 1973. Good boat for a serious sailor. 6 ft. full keel, sea-friendly. Yanmar diesel. Dinghy w/OB. Autopilot, chartplotter, roller furling and all required equipment. Boat and all equipment in good condition. Ready to cruise. Location Jacksonville. $22,000. dporter@unf.edu. (4/12)

Wharram Tangaroa MKIV+, 2002 36 ’x19’. Beams lashed on top of deck, single mast with gaff wing sail, jib, large Bimini, unique cockpit, 6+’ standing headroom in extended cabins, 230w solar with large batteries, two 8hp Yamahas, inflatable with outboard, solid boat to liveaboard or cruise the islands, $65K. Dan (305) 664-0190. (3/12)

35’ Catalina 350 Sloop 2006. In-mast mainsail furling, 135% roller-furling genoa, dodger w/Bimini, A/C, Raymarine E80, ST series, & autopilot. Dinghy w/ outboard, $127,900 Raymarine E80, ST series, autopilot. Andy Gillis in Fort Myers. (239) 292-1915.

36’ Jeanneau 36i Sun Odyssey 2007. In-mast mainsail furling, roller-furling genoa, shoal draft, A/C, dodger w/Bimini, Raymarine E80, ST series, & autopilot. $137,900. Andy Gillis in Fort Myers. (239) 292-1915.

Intercontinental Trimaran 36’X18’X3’2”.

Molded FG, 36hp Yanmar. Extensively reconditioned/outfitted. Spacious cockpit: new cushions, full enclosures, Chart plotter w/Sirius radio/weather. Finely fitted yacht interior: two full-sized double beds, new upholstery, 10,000 BTU AC unit, solar panel, TV, 3-burner range/oven, cold-plate refrigerator, microwave, 2KW generator. Aft cabin. $64,900. Gulfport.(813) 956-3119. (3/12)

CAL 36. Classic racer/cruiser. Fast, Strong. 2005 diesel. Newer mast/boom/rigging. A/C and Heat. 7 sails. Fully equipped. Sailed regularly. OFFERS. (727) 821-0949. St. Petersburg (3/12)

37’ Irwin MK IV, 1981. Well maintained and upgraded! Totally Renovated. Custom Teak Master Stateroom, fully battened Main w/Doyle Stack Pack, Depth sounder, GPS, A/C & more! $39,900. Call Clark @ 561-6768445, Edwards Yacht Sales, www.SailboatsinFlorida.com

2008 Tartan 3700. Lightly used as a day sailer since new. Only 50 hours on the diesel engine, 5-foot draft, BLUE Hull, teak toerail, stainless steel hand rails, dorades. Generator, Air Conditioning, Autopilot, Chartplotter, Bow Thruster, Bimini, Cockpit Cushions and Remote Electric Anchor Windlass Control.

This boat has never been slept on so electric head, stall shower and beds are nearly new.

Call Bill at Massey (727) 492-7044

37’ Endeavour 1979, with 50hp Perkins diesel. Traditional “B” Plan layout with forward V-berth. Harken RF, GPS Chart Plotter, Radar, Auto-Pilot, Manual Windlass, S/S Davits, Marine Air, Propane Stove. Beautiful interior. At our docks. Asking $29,900.

Cortezyachts.com. (941) 792-9100

BROKERS: 2006 Hunter 36 trade in. We sold it new and took it in trade. Very well equipped and maintained, GPS, AP, A/C, canvas etc. Priced to sell at $111,000. Call Frank Hamilton at (941) 704-3300 or e-mail frankh@masseyyacht.com News & Views for Southern Sailors

37’ TARTAN Centerboard Sloop. 1977 w/ Westerbeke diesel, Harken RF, Jib, Genoa, Main, Storm Sail, Sea Anchor, Spinnaker, Autopilot, 2 X VHFs, SSB, Wind, Depth, GPS Navigator, Stove, Ice Box, Pressure Water, Dinghy w/OB, lots of gear and spares. Asking $49,000. Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100.

Advertise Your Boats for Sale.

Text & Photo Ads: $50 for 3-months.

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012 79

CLASSIFIED ADS

37’ Tayana Cutter 1985. “Pullman” berth layout, 33 HP Yanmar diesel, dual Harken furlers, Awlgripped topsides and deck, wind generator, watermaker. Asking $86,500. “ASK ANDY!” Andy Gillis (239) 292-1915 andy@rossyachtsales.com.

39’ Corbin Pilothouse 1981, 64 hp Pathfinder diesel 200 hrs, blue water cruiser, Gen Set, All Roller furling, solar, wind gen, radar, auto pilot, GPS, electric windlass, full galley + more. $99,900. Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100

39’ Beneteau 393 Sloop 2002. 140% genoa roller furler, full batten main, cruising spinnaker, 56HP Yanmar, Dodger and fly, Raymarine electronics w/radar, more. Asking $117,500. “ASK ANDY!” Andy Gillis (239) 2921915. andy@rossyachtsales.com.

Premium Island Packet 380 2003 Outstanding equipment, proven blue water ready to sail away for extended cruising. The owners have taken excellent care of this vessel, nothing left undone. For the serious buyer that knows what they want. Recently NEW Equipment Auto Pilot, Radar, Chart Plotter, Inverter, Windlass, JBL Stereo System, Wind, Speed, and Depth, VHF, and Flat Screen TV. Located in Indiantown, Florida. Details: John McNally (561) 262-3672 john@masseyyacht.com.

Massey Stuart FL location

39’ Beneteau 393 2002. $129,900. Shoal draft, new dodger, Raymarine plotter, ST60 system, and radar. Heat & AC. 56 hp Yanmar. “Call Kelly.” Kelly Bickford CPYB, Massey Yacht Sales.

727-599-1718. kelly@kellybickford.com

Schucker 40, 1980. Asking $99,500. Perkins 65hp, generator, AC/Heat, refrig, 200-gallon fuel/water, 100 gallon-holding, 14’ beam 3’ 2” draft. Call Bob for details. Located Cape Coral, FL. (239) 560-0664. Bring offers.

(3/12)

40’ Jeanneau Sun Fizz 1983. $81,000.

Proven Passagemaker. Radar, GPS, Perkins Diesel, Fridge and freezer, Solar panel and includes dinghy and life raft and lots more.

Call Nic Ware (305) 510-7081. Email; nicgsys@gmail.com.

1983 Sabre 38. Shoal Draft. 2 starting at $63,900. Choose 4’3” swing keel or 5’ Bulb Keel. Performance Cruising on a budget. Call for details or visit our website for pix and specs. AlanGSYS@gmail.com. 941-350-1559. www.grandslamyachtsales.com.

BROKERS: 38 Cabo Rico Cutter, 1981. Cruise ready now. Recaulked this summer, indigo canvas 2008, 6 coats epoxy 2007. Six sails, windlass, autopilot on rudder post, top loading fridge. $85,000. Stewart Marine, Miami. (305) 8152607, or www.marinesource.com.

80 February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

Advertise Your Boats for Sale.

Text & Photo Ads: $50 for 3-months.

40’ Condor Trimaran 1987. USCG-Documented Vessel with unrestricted Coastwise Endorsement. LEX-SEA was previously owned

by Ted Turner Jr. as Troika. Fast, fun and capable of ocean racing. Great sail inventory, recent Yanmar 29, Maxi Prop, New Dodger, Stack Pack, Hood RF, Custom Helm Seats.

RayMarine Electronics. Key Largo. $59,900.

Cortezyachts.com. (941) 792-9100

www.southwindsmagazine.com

CLASSIFIED ADS

2002 Beneteau First 40.7 $147,900. One Owner. AC, Full Racing Inventory, Full Electronics, Extremely Well Maintained, Race/Cruise Ready. (727) 214-1590 ext. 3.

Full Specs/Pics : www.MurrayYachtSales.com

41’ Morgan Out Island 416 Ketch, 1981.

Perkins 82hp diesel, fully battened main, spinnaker, #48 Lewmar self-tailing sheet winches, dinghy, outboard. $45,000. Stewart Marine, Miami. (305) 815-2607.

45’ JEANNEAU 45.1 Sun Odyssey 1996, Volvo Diesel, Twin Steering, 4 separate cabins, two heads w/shower, roller furling main, electric windlass, auto-pilot, Tri-Data, full galley, Rib w/ OB. Excellent performance. $109,000.

Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100.

47’ Catalina 470 Sloop 2001. $234,900. In mast furling, electric winch, GPS chartlplotter, bowthruster, full canvas package, generator, electric windlass, wind generator, refrigeration, freeze. Alan Pressman 941-350-1559, AlanGSYS@gmail.com

1999 Catalina 470. Bowthruster, Genset, 3 AC, Windlass upgrade, custom arch and davits, and a lot more. $224,000. New Orleans, LA. (727) 214-1590. www.murrayyachtsales.com.

51’ Beneteau Idylle 15.5, 1986. Wellequipped cruising yacht, low engine hours, Genset, A/C, radar, chart plotter, recent bottom job and more! $149,000. Call Jane @ 813-917-0911, Edwards Yacht Sales, www.SailboatsinFlorida.com

CORTEZ YACHT SALES SAIL

41’ Concordia Sloop 1953, Yanmar diesel.

Own a classic piece of yachting history, Actaea was the flagship for the New York Yacht Club and also has a winning racing history.

Completely restored and the most beautiful yacht. Last haul 4-11. Check our website for all info and lots of pictures. www.sayachtsales.com. (904) 829-1589

56' Custom Wood Schooner ’07 . . . . .$950,000 45' Jeanneau 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$109,000 40' Bayfield 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$89,900 40' Condor Trimaran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$59,900 39' Corbin PH 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$99,900 37' Tartan 1977 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$49,000 37' Endeavour 1979 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,900 31' Mariner Ketch 1970 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29,900 28' O'Day 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$11,900 POWER

42' Express Bridge 1988 Diesel . . . . . . .$92,000 34' Sea Ray 1983 Twin Gas . . . . . . . . .$24,900 34' Sea Ray 1983 Twin Diesels . . . . . . .$29,900 28' Diesel Charter Boat & Business . . . .$44,000

2006 Passport 515 Vista. Better than new.

Fully loaded, shoal draft, Yanmar 300 hours, generator, custom arch, Bow thruster, icemaker, refrig/freezer, in mast furling, full canvas and more. $895,000 AlanGSYS@gmail. com. 941-350-1559. www.grandslamyachtsales.com.

DEEPWATER SLIPS AVAILABLE

(941) 792-9100 visit www.cortezyachts.com CORTEZ YACHT SALES

2008 Beneteau 43. Air Conditioning, Generator, Radar, GPS, Autopilot, In Mast Furling $224,900. St. Petersburg, FL. (727) (214) 1590. Full specs at www.MurrayYachtSales.com.

Classified info — page 77 News & Views for Southern Sailors

Subscribe to SOUTHWINDS $24/year • 3rd Class $30/year • 1st Class Subscribe on our secure Web site www.southwindsmagazine.com

60’ Custom Aluminum Motorsailer 2003, Detroit Diesel w/600 hrs., Structurally overbuilt, Autopilot, Depth, Compass, SSB, GPS, Avon Dinghy, Electric dinghy davits, Washer, Dryer, Electric Windlass, AC, Crash Bulkhead, 59’ mast height, 5’ draft, 3 staterooms, Side Power bow thruster, Great Cruising boat.

Asking $249,000. www.sayachtsales.com.

(904) 829-1589

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012 81

CLASSIFIED ADS BOAT RENTAL WANTED

ENGINES FOR SALE

_________________________________________

________________________________________

Cape Cod Sailor - Boatowner (experienced & well qualified) would like to rent a sloop, approx. 30 ft.—give or take—for 1 or 2 months, for cruising in the Ft. Myers/ Bradenton area. Flexible on most aspects.

Please contact Tony Volk, tel. (508) 420-8834, or email TonyVolk@comcast.net. (2/12)

2 New Marine Engines. 2 New Yanmar 3JH4E 37HP V-Drives. Full Warranty. Type B Panels. $4800 each, or $9000 for the pair.

(941) 722-2400. (2/12)

BOAT GEAR & SUPPLIES

BOYE BOAT KNIVES. Cobalt blades, extreme cutting power. No rust, ever. Handcrafted quality, lightweight, great everyday and safety carry, stays sharp. Super reviews. Made in USA since 1971. www.boyeknives.com. (800) 853-1617. (2/12)

_________________________________________

FREE ADS Free ads in boat gear for all gear under $200 per item. Privately owned items only. Editor@southwindsmagazine.com.

(941-795-8704)

Running lights. Antique copper. Embossed port, starboard, stern and two masthead lights.

Some dents. Sound lenses. Electric needs overhauling. Approximately 5.5 inches high, 3.5 inches wide, 3.5 inches deep. All 5: $200.

(252) 331-1559. williamrwelton@gmail.com.

Marine Flea Market and Clearance—New & Used blocks, cleats, line, fenders, boat hooks, electrical, trailer parts, marine BBQ, portable A/C, furling units, anchors, winches & odd parts. Masthead Enterprises. 2201 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg, (727) 327-5361 _________________________________________ Catamaran Parts. NACRA 18-Square, two hulls, cross beams, sail with battens, assorted gear. Make an offer for each part or all. Dave Ellis.

St. Petersburg, FL. davesailellis@aol.com. _________________________________________ Stainless Steel Propeller, Michigan Match right hand 14 1/4 x 23”, part # 013050, $20 Shore power “Y” adaptor cable, like new, $100.

(609) 231-9052. (3/12) _________________________________________ Solar Panel, Siemens 55 watt, approx 31” x 23”, produces 2 amps, $50. Palmetto (941) 776-5580 or neaptide@tampabay.rr.com.

(3/12)

HELP WANTED

_________________________________________ Edwards Yacht Sales is Expanding! We have several openings for Yacht Brokers in Florida.

Looking for experienced broker or will train the right individual. Must have boating background and be a salesman. Aggressive advertising program. 37% sales increase in 2010, Come join the EYS team! Call in confidence, Roy Edwards (727) 507-8222 www.EdwardsYachtSales.com, Yachts@ EdwardsYachtSales.com. _________________________________________ Massey Yacht Sales Mobile Broker Do you prefer to sell yachts from your home office? If you do and are a proven, successful yacht sales professional, we have positions open for Florida west and east coast. Take advantage of the Massey sales and marketing support, sales management and administration while working from home selling brokerage sail and powerboats. Call Ed Massey (941) 725-2350, or send resume to yatchit@verizon.net (Inquiry will be kept in confidence)

INSTRUCTION

_________________________________________

CAPTAINS LICENSE CLASS Six-pack Captain’s License (OUPV) with no exam at the Coast Guard.

USCG APPROVED COURSE & TEST

Miami – Miami Beach March 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 2012 www.captainslicenseclass.com 888-937-2458

BROKERS: Advertise Your Boats for Sale.

Text & Photo Ads: $50 for 3-months.

$25–30 words–3 months 82

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

Text only ads: $25 for 3 months

www.southwindsmagazine.com

CLASSIFIED ADS LODGING FOR SAILORS

SLIPS FOR RENT/SALE

_________________________________________

Ponce de Leon Hotel Historic downtown hotel at the bay, across from St. Petersburg YC. 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 550-9300 www.poncedeleon hotel.com

________________________________________

WHY PAY BOAT SLIP RENT WHEN YOU CAN OWN YOUR OWN!! For sale, lot and slip on prime location in Pensacola, FL. 5 miles from Pensacola pass (open water) and 3/4 miles from boat ramp. Has a dock w/power pedestal and water. Private and quiet location in Davenport Bayou. Perfect place for your dream home on the water. (662) 2857129. Priced to sell $165,000. (4/12)

Tropic Isles Mobile Home Park & Marina.

Slips available $6.50/ft/mo. Utilities Included.

Sail the protected waters of Tampa Bay or the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. No bridges.

(941) 721-8888, or (941) 721-7687. (4/12)

R EAL ESTATE FOR SALE OR RENT _________________________________________

Tropic Isles Mobile Home Park & Marina. A 55+ resident-owner waterfront community.

Lots and homes available, with and without slips. Located on the coast of Terra Ceia Bay in the Palmetto-Bradenton area, FL. (941) 7218888, or (941) 721-7687. (4/12)

Waterfront home with dock for rent. Fort Lauderdale, Riverland area. Sailor’s Delight. 2/2 house on deep water w/pool, 65’ dock space, 8’ low tide. Please call (954) 294-2168.

SAILS & CANVAS

_________________________________________

SEE CLASSIFIED INFO ON PAGE 77 News & Views for Southern Sailors

WET and DRY SLIPS AVAILABLE. Very reasonable rates. Gulfport Yacht Club, Florida. Wet slips for boats up to 26 feet, shoal draft. Dry spaces up to 22 feet, mast up, multihulls welcomed. Next door to Gulfport Municipal Marina. www.Gulfportyachtclub.com. Pull down menu for rates. Contact davesailellis @aol.com. (4/12) _________________________________________ 35’ boat slip for sale or rent at Dowry Creek Marina in Belhaven, NC. Can hold a larger sailboat. $9,900 to buy or $125/month to rent. Call (303) 921-7767. (3/12)

Boating, fishing, relaxing on 20k acre lake in Northeast “Old Florida” in small, quiet, lakefront adult mobile home park. Conveniently located, reasonable lot rent. Homes from $3500 to $14,000. (386) 698-3648 or www.lakecrescentflorida.com (3/12A)

High (35+ feet ASL) wooded, building lot 1/2 mile southeast GeorgeTown, Exuma, Spectacular views: Elizabeth Harbour, Stocking Island, Crab Key. Road and Power in. Beach access. $65,000. (813) 956-3119. (3/12)

DOCK SPACE off SARASOTA BAY!! Slips start at $117 a Month on 6-Month Lease. Sheltered Marina accommodates up to 28’ sail or power boats. Boat ramp. Utilities included. Call Office: (941) 755-1912. (3/12A)

BROKERS:

Subscribe to SOUTHWINDS

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$24/year • 3rd Class $30/year • 1st Class Subscribe on our secure Web site www.southwindsmagazine.com

New: $20/mo Pickup: $15/mo

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012 83

ALPHABETICAL INDEX

OF

ADVERTISERS

Absolute Tank Cleaning .................................30 Advanced Sails ..............................................34 All American Boat Storage .............................30 Alpen Glow ...................................................27 American Rope & Tar ..............................31, 56 Aqua Graphics...............................................30 Atlantic Sail Traders .......................................34 Aurinco Solar.................................................31 Bacon Sails ..............................................34, 58 Beaver Flags ..................................................31 Beneteau Sailboats ........................................BC Beta Marine...................................................57 Bimini Bay Sailboat Rentals............................55 Bluewater Insurance ......................................61 Bluewater Sailing School ...............................11 Boaters’ Exchange .........................................54 BoatNames.net..............................................30 BoatUS Insurance ..........................................25 Borel .............................................................31 Bo’sun Supplies .............................................38 Cajun Trading Rigging...................................33 Capt. George Schott .....................................30 Capt. Jagger ..................................................30 Capt. Marti Brown ..................................30, 46 Capt. Rick Meyer...........................................30 Captains License Class ...................................82 Catalina Rendezvous .....................................28 Catalina Yachts.......................................IFC, 54 Catamaran Boatyard ...............................30, 41 Charleston Sailing School ........................47, 48 Clear Air Systems...........................................19 Clearwater Municipal Marina ........................52 Commercial Marine Coatings ..................31, 62 Coolnet Hammocks.................................32, 60 CopperCoat ..................................................59 Cortez Yacht Brokerage .................................81 Couples Sailing School ..................................48 CPT Autopilot................................................82 Crown Cars Regatta ......................................15 Cruising Solutions .........................................46 Dania Nautical Flea Market .............................7 Defender Industries .......................................10 Dockside Radio..............................................44 Doyle/Ploch Sails ...........................................34 Dr. LED......................................................9, 32 Dunbar Sales .....................................IFC,54, 71 Dunbar Sales Sailing School ..........................48 Dwyer mast...................................................82 Eastern Yachts ...............................................BC Eastern Yachts/Beneteau ...............................BC Eco Clad Bottom Paint ..................................12

Northern Gulf Coast Race Calendar See local club websites for club races.

LEGEND BucYC Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile, AL BWYC Bay Waveland Yacht Club, Bay St. Louis, MS CSA Corinthian Sailing Association, New Orleans, LA FWYC Fort Walton Yacht Club, Fort Walton Beach, FL FYC Fairhope Yacht Club, Fairhope, AL HYC Houston Yacht Club, Houston, TX GYC Gulfport Yacht Club, Gulfport, MS JYC Jackson Yacht Club, Jackson, MS LFYC Lake Forest Yacht Club, Daphne, AL NYC Navy Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL MYC Mobile Yacht Club, Mobile, AL NOYC New Orleans Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA PBYC Pensacola Beach YC, Pensacola Beach, FL PontYC Pontchartrain Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA PYC Pensacola YC, Pensacola, FL SYC Southern YC, New Orleans, LA

February 2012

SOUTHWINDS

courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. The lists includes all display advertising.

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RACING continued from page 71

84

TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides these lists as a NV-Charts......................................................31 Offshore Sailing School .................................48 Palm Coast Marina ........................................52 Pasadena Marina ...........................................52 Pedersen Canvas ...........................................40 Porpoise Used Sails........................................35 Regata del Sol Al Sol Regatta...........................4 Regatta Pointe Marina .....................................9 Rigging Only .................................................33 Rivertown Marina & Boatyard .......................52 Riviera Dunes Marina.....................................22 Ross Yacht Sales.............................................74 Sail Repair .....................................................35 Sailing Florida Charters..................................48 Sailing Florida Sailing School .........................48 SailKote ...................................................18, 35 Sailrite ...........................................................23 Sarasota Nautical Flea Market........................14 Schurr Sails....................................................63 Sea School ....................................................16 Sea Tech........................................................82 Seafarer Marine Supply .................................33 Seaworthy Goods ....................................24, 33 Shadetree ......................................................53 Simply Danish ...............................................33 Snug Harbor Boats & Co...............................54 Southeast US Boat Show .................................5 Sparman USA ................................................29 Spotless Stainless.....................................33, 37 SSB Radio Books......................................30, 46 St, Petersburg Yacht Club Races ....................15 St. Augustine Sailing Enterprises ....................48 St. Barts/Beneteau.........................................BC St. Petersburg Municipal Marina ...................52 Star Marine Outboards..................................34 Strictly Sail Miami............................................3 StrictlySailing.com.........................................78 Suncoast Race Week......................................15 Sunrise Sails, Plus ..........................................34 Tackle Shack ..................................................20 Tiki Water Sports ...........................................54 Treasure Harbor Marine.................................52 Turner Marine Yacht Sales ............................IFC Twin Dolphin Marina.....................................52 Ullman sails .............................................30, 35 US Spars........................................................57 Wayward Winds Book....................................45 West Marine ..................................................13 Windrider Trimarans ......................................24 Yachting Gourmet .........................................31 Zarcor Marine Products .................................21

FEBRUARY 4 Mardi Gras Regatta. PYC 5 Super Bowl Regatta. BWYC 11 Valentine Regatta. PBYC 12 Billy Goat Regatta. BucYC 25-26 Mardi Gras Regatta. NOYC MARCH 3 Maxine Sansom Series #1, NYC 10-11 USODA Gulf Coast Championship - BWYC 11 Maxine Sansom Series #2 – PBYC 17 Maxine Sansom Series #3 – PYC 17-18 Alfonso Sutter Laser D14 Championship – GYC 17-18 So. Nichols Team Racing – SYC 17-18 HS Sailing Regatta – PontYC 18-23 FS Midwinters - SYC 24-25 Dogwood Regatta – FYC 24-25 Spring Fling Jane England – JYC 24-25 N.O-Mandeville &Return – SYC/PontYC/CSA/NOYC 24-25 Elissa Regatta – HYC 24-25 Spring Showdown – FWYC 31 Ragtop Regatta – LFYC 31-1 Wet & Cool - FYC www.southwindsmagazine.com

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TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides these lists as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. The lists includes all display advertising.

SAILBOATS – NEW AND BROKERAGE Beneteau ...............................................................................................BC Boaters Exchanges/Catalina ...................................................................54 Catalina Yachts ................................................................................IFC,54 Cortez Yacht Brokerage..........................................................................81 Dunbar Sales...............................................................................IFC,54,71 Eastern Yachts .......................................................................................BC Edwards Yacht Sales...............................................................................72 Florida Yacht Group...............................................................................BC Flying Scot Sailboats ..............................................................................80 Grand Slam Yacht Sales 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News & Views for Southern Sailors

US Spars ................................................................................................57 CANVAS Pedersen Canvas....................................................................................40 Shadetree Awning Systems ....................................................................53 SAILING SCHOOLS/CAPTAIN’S LICENSE INSTRUCTION Bluewater sailing school....................................................................11,48 Captains License Class ...........................................................................82 Charleston Sailing School .................................................................47,48 Couples Sailing School...........................................................................48 Dunbar Sales Sailing School...................................................................48 Flagship Sailing......................................................................................48 Offshore Sailing School..........................................................................48 Sailing Florida Charters & School...........................................................48 Sea School/Captain’s License ................................................................16 MARINE ENGINES AND ACCESSORIES Beta Marine ...........................................................................................57 Star Marine Outboards ..........................................................................34 MARINAS, MOORING FIELDS, BOAT YARDS Anchorage Marina .....................................................................................

Catamaran Boatyard .........................................................................30,41 Clearwater Municipal Marina .................................................................52 Ft. Myers Beach Mooring Field ..............................................................43 Glades Boat Storage ................................................................................8 Gulfport City Marina..............................................................................26 Harborage Marina ................................................................................IBC Hawk’s Cay Marina ................................................................................52 Hidden Harbor Marina...........................................................................52 Madeira Beach Municipal Marina...........................................................55 Matthews Point Marina..........................................................................48 Morehead City Yacht Basin ....................................................................52 Palm Coast Marina ................................................................................52 Pasadena Marina ...................................................................................52 Regatta Pointe Marina .............................................................................9 Rivers Edge Marina ....................................................................................

Rivertown Marina & Boatyard................................................................52 Riviera Dunes Marina .............................................................................22 St. Petersburg Municipal Marina............................................................52 Treasure Harbor Marine .........................................................................52 Twin Dolphin Marina .............................................................................52 CHARTERS, RENTALS, FRACTIONAL Bimini Bay Sailboat Rentals ....................................................................55 Flagship Sailing......................................................................................48 Key Lime Sailing ....................................................................................33 Sailing Florida Charters ..........................................................................48 Treasure Harbor Marine .........................................................................52 MARINE SERVICES, SURVEYORS, DIVE SERVICES, INSURANCE, TOWING, BOAT LETTERING, ETC. Absolute Tank Cleaning .........................................................................30 Aqua Graphics .......................................................................................30 Bluewater Insurance...............................................................................61 BoatNames.net ......................................................................................30 BoatUS Insurance...................................................................................25 Fair Winds Boat Repairs/Sales.................................................................33 Innovative Marine Services................................................................30,34 Mrs. G Diving .......................................................................................31 CAPTAIN SERVICES Capt. George Schott..............................................................................30 Capt. Jagger ..........................................................................................30 Capt. Rick Meyer ...................................................................................30 MARINE ELECTRONICS Moor Electronics ....................................................................................32 Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication....................................................82 SAILING WEB SITES, VIDEOS, BOOKS BoatNames.net ......................................................................................30 Capt. Marti Brown ............................................................................30,46 MainsailNewsTV.....................................................................................53 Maptech Cruising Guide........................................................................42 SSB Radio Books ...............................................................................30,46 Wayward Winds Book ............................................................................45 REGATTAS, BOAT SHOWS, FLEA MARKETS Catalina Rendezvous ..............................................................................28 Crown Cars Regatta...............................................................................15 Dania Nautical Flea Market ......................................................................7 Evander Cup ..........................................................................................15 Jacksonville Boat Show.............................................................................5 Miami Boat Show ....................................................................................3 Morgan Invasion....................................................................................28 Mt. Dora Yacht Club..............................................................................26 Mug Race ..............................................................................................11 Sarasota Nautical Flea Market ................................................................14 Southeast US Boat Show..........................................................................5 St,Petersburg Yacht Club Races..............................................................15 Strictly Sail Miami ....................................................................................3 Suncoast Race Week ..............................................................................15

SOUTHWINDS

February 2012 85

I LEARNED ABOUT SAILING FROM THAT

A Summer Night in the South Pacific

By Allen Richman

I

t was summer, January, 1987, and we were halfway between Ponape and Chuk Lagoon in the Northern Marianna Islands. I had been sailing Flame, my 52-foot ketch, for over four years in the South Pacific—a real dream come true. My son Scott had joined me the year before in New Zealand, and we were having a ball being on board together. Before leaving Ponape, I had met Bill, a man onboard our flight from Guam to Ponape, who had expressed interest in sailing with us. It would be a short, three-day sail in ideal conditions from Ponape to Chuk.

Bill was a very likable guy and knew some people with the airline that I knew, so I invited him. My son and I, with the help of Bill and our friend Jack, departed Ponape for Chuk on Jan. 10 at nine in the morning. The weather was ideal. Before the sun had set on our first day, I had noticed that Bill was feeling very uncomfortable on the boat. He even had a hard time walking around on deck, considering he wasn’t seasick, and the boat was laying very level in the water. We were sailing downwind in light to moderate winds. The first night, Bill had showed concern about our navigation in how we knew our position. I tried to console him by explaining that not only was I a retired airline pilot, but I had been sailing the Pacific for many years and felt as safe aboard Flame as I did aboard a commercial jetliner.

Bill seemed to take the second night much better. But we were making too much speed, and our arrival in Chuk would be before daylight. I always plan my arrivals at all ports of call during daylight hours. Before I went to bed on the last night of our trip, I had Scott plot a tack out of our way to the northeast and then back on course to the west, so we would arrive about nine a.m. Even with the slowing maneuver, the wind had picked up and we were still going too fast to arrive after sunup. I decided to lower the mainsail and motor-sail with only a small headsail. I could not have imag86

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ined that this maneuver would benefit us later. It was three in the morning.

Our estimated arrival time was 9 a.m.

Bill had been on watch since 1 a.m, but with his experience level, he was having a tough time holding a compass heading, so I was standing watch with him. He was complaining that his life was in danger and that he was going to die aboard Flame. He was losing his sense of reality—totally losing it. It was soon my son's turn to come on watch and relieve us. As Scott entered the steering station to take the helm, Bill stepped out from behind the helm, made a left turn onto the deck and

rolled over the lifelines on the port side, disappearing into the night.

The next few moments were filled with decisive action. Jack came topside as I ran to the stern and launched our man overboard module. A man overboard at night in almost any sea conditions is usually a no-possibility situation for rescue. I took the helm, and Scott went forward and lowered the headsail, which only took a few minutes. Fortunately, we had taken the mainsail down earlier, as it would've cost much needed time to lower. In a few minutes, we came about. I went below and logged our present position.

We also had our spotlight going on the water. We started the search pattern using our overboard marker and strobe for a base point for the search. I was also communicating with airline traffic to alert the U.S.

Coast Guard in Guam to contact any fishing boats from Chuk Lagoon to assist us. Sea conditions were 2 to 3 feet, but the important factor working against us was the 70-degree water temperature. It meant that over one hour in the water would mean serious hypothermia, so we were not sure how long Bill could last after the first hour in the water. We had been concentrating our search pattern downwind from our floating marker and strobe light. The marker had a sea anchor, so it would have very little drift from its original position. After the first hour of searching, we all felt in our hearts we had lost Bill.

I thought I heard a voice upwind from our search marker. I knew it would be a slim chance that Bill would swim against the wind, considering he went overboard fully dressed—with long pants and running shoes. We turned upwind of our marker and started searching about 1,000 yards. It was almost 5 a.m, and I had gone down below to answer a call on our receiver. I heard a scream—and there he was! I came topside. Scott had Bill in the spotlight about 70 yards off our port side.

We prepared a line with the horseshoe flotation, and as we neared him, he seemed to give up and went under. But in a few seconds, he reappeared and had a good hold on the horseshoe. All of us got flat on the deck, and in a burst of adrenaline, we managed to get Bill on deck. He was blue and going into shock, so we covered him with blankets and carried him below. He had been in the water for two hours.

We arrived at the fuel dock in Chuk, and cleared in. Bill told us that he had become so annoyed that he thought his life was in danger and that the smart thing to do was to jump overboard and swim 35 miles to the lagoon. We later found out that he was an alcoholic, and because of my later efforts, he went into a special program for help. It took him over six months before he could even return to work.

For us and Flame, I thanked the good Lord for his help in an almost impossible situation. www.southwindsmagazine.com