SOUTHWINDS News & Views for Southern Sailors
Regatta Time in Abaco The Art of Stainless Steel Anchoring in the Bahamas
September 2006 For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless
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SOUTHWINDS NEWS & VIEWS 6
From the Helm: Our Clean Waters? By Steve Morrell
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13 Southern Regional Monthly Weather & Water Temperatures 14 Bubba Gets High By Morgan Stinemetz 16 Short Tacks: Sailing News and Events Around the South 24 Our Waterways: Misc. News and issues about our waterways around the South. 28 Hurricane Season 2006. Misc. News, Surviving Hurricane Ophelia. Strapping Your Small Boat to the Land. 32 The Art of Stainless Steel By Chuck Husick 34 Anchoring in the Bahamas By Kimberly Grant
The art of Stainless Steel. Photo by Steve Morrell. Page 32.
38 Youth Sailing at Halifax Sailing Center By Roy Laughlin 40 Old Florida versus New Florida By Ina Moody 42 PHRF Racing Tips: Light Wind Racing By Dave Ellis 44 That Tropical Tango: Race Week in Abaco By Rebecca Burg 49 Women’s Trilogy in the Northern Gulf Coast By Kim Kaminski 51 Race for the Roses By Julie Connerley 52 Southern Racing: Southern Regional Racing Reports and Race Calendars 70 You Might Be a Race Boat Captain if… By Brent Swager 56-57 Regional Sailing Services Directory – Local boat services in your area. 68 Alphabetical Index of Advertisers 69 Advertisers’ List by Category 69 Subscription Form
Anchoring in the Bahamas. Page 34.
COVER:: Louise, a Bahamian entry, sailing in Abaco Race Week. Photo by Rebecca Burg. Story page 44
From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…SOUTHWINDS Covers Southern Sailing News & Views for Southern Sailors
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FROM THE HELM
Our “Clean” Waters
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n the past few years, I have become more interested in boat waste and how it affects the waters we sail and swim in, although for years, I have known how non-point source pollution (pollution that you cannot pinpoint its exact origin) and sewage overflows have been spoiling ocean waters and causing beach closings for decades. In the ’90s, I had a boat in San Diego, CA, and was aware of frequent sewage overflows by the county into the ocean. On top of this was the enormous impact that water runoff had on ocean water quality after a rain. The county of San Diego has a standing advisory to “avoid contact with ocean and bay waters for a period of 3 days…” after more than 0.2 inches of rain falls. With all the claims by waterfront landowners that anchored boats are polluting their waters by dumping human waste, I became interested in what causes beach closings in Florida—besides the red tide. After very little investigation, it appears that many beach closings are caused by legal public sewage overflows. With all the controversy about liveaboards in upper Tampa Bay, it turns out that no beach closings have ever been attributed to boaters’ waste there. They have been the fault of sewage overflows in Hillsborough County and water runoff after heavy rains. In August 2003, a main broke on
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Davis Islands and dumped two-million gallons of raw sewage into Hillsborough Bay. That’s a lot of holding tanks. I began to look into the reporting of sewage overflows by public utilities—and found they don’t make this information easily accessible. I read a recent report by the Clean Water Fund, which was an update of a 2005 report the Fund did on sewage overflow and its reporting in Florida. They found the reporting was pretty much non-existent and difficult to access by the public. They made recommendations. The 2006 update found nothing had changed much (www.cleanwaterfund.org/Reports.html). How much raw sewage is Florida dumping into our waters? The original report focused on all Florida counties in 2004 and found that over 55.8million gallons of sewage were dumped. The 2006 report did not examine all the counties, but did a sampling and estimated between 44.6 and 50.3 million gallons of sewage were dumped in 2005. But these figures were very difficult to obtain. This is partly because approximately 2000 of the 2700-plus treatment plants are privately run and the sampling was only taken from the public facilities, as obtaining overflow data from private companies is difficult. Although the law states that all overflows must be
reported by phone (you read it right), there is no enforcement of this requirement. Therefore, data is very limited. One thing is for sure: Fifty-million gallons of raw sewage dumped into our waters is too much. This along with polluted nutrient runoff from rains is destroying our waters. Beach closings have increased in Florida in the last year, not decreased. And this is not just from red tide. Most beach closings are from these sewage overflows (which are legal), nutrient runoff, and—particularly in the Florida Keys—leaking septic tanks and old cesspools. Although waterfront landowners constantly claim cruisers anchored off their properties are dumping sewage in their waters, it is the landowners—along with all the rest of us who live on land and on the water—who are allowing millions of gallons of sewage to be dumped into our waters—and legally. We need to put a stop to it. With all the current growth and lack of funding for improved treatment facilities, the problem will only get worse before it gets better. Let’s not get to the point where we have standing advisories against swimming after every rain. I’d hate to see the day when a crew overboard wants to get back on board quickly because the water was unsafe. Steve Morrell Editor
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News & Views For Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS Media, Inc. P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, Florida 34218-1175 (941) 795-8704 (877) 372-7245 (941) 795-8705 Fax www.southwindsmagazine.co e-mail: editor@southwindsmagazine.com Volume 14
Number 9 September 2006
Copyright 2006, Southwinds Media, Inc. Founded in 1993
Doran Cushing, Publisher 1993-2002
Publisher/Editor editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704
Steve Morrell
Advertising Go to www.southwindsmagazine.com for information about the magazine, distribution and advertising rates. Steve Morrell editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704 David Curry davidcurry@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 761-0048 Jerry Baily jerry@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 586-8638 Regional Editors EAST FLORIDA mhw1@earthlink.net
(321) 690-0137\
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA RACING miamiyachtracing@bellsouth.net
(305) 380-0106
Roy Laughlin Art Perez
Production Heather Nicoll
Proofreading Kathy Elliott
Letters from our readers Dave Ellis Vern Hobbs Walt McFarlane Art Perez Morgan Stinemetz
Contributing Writers Rebecca Burg Rob Eberle Kim Kaminski Ina Moody Walt Reppenhagen Brent Swager
Artwork Rebecca Burg angel@artoffshore.com Julie Connerley Kimberly Grant Roy Laughlin John Norton Hone Scunook
Contributing Photographers/Art Rebecca Burg (Artwork) Kim Connerley Rob Eberle Kimberly Grant Joy Kaminsk Kim Kaminski Roy Laughlin Ina Moody Dan Owczarczak Walt Reppenhagen Morgan Stinemetz EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY: SOUTHWINDS encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists, jokers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, including sailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world and generally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some faroff and far-out place. SOUTHWINDS welcomes contributions in writing and photography, stories about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical articles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronically by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if possible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruising and just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution if digital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to us for scanning. Contact the editor with questions. Subscriptions to SOUTHWINDS are available at $19.95/year, or $37/2 years for third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card numbers may be mailed with name and address to SOUTHWINDS Subscriptions, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704. Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a secure server on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. SOUTHWINDS is distributed to over 500 locations throughout 10 Southern states. If you would like to distribute SOUTHWINDS at your location, please contact the editor.
Read SOUTHWINDS on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. News & Views for Southern Sailors
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LETTERS Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one. H.L. Mencken In its continuing endeavor to share its press, SOUTHWINDS invites readers to write in with experiences & opinions. SOUTHWINDS WINE The whining in SOUTHWINDS about the put-upon liveaboard boating lifestyle could do with a few reality checks. Living on a boat actually is an alternative lifestyle and should be enjoyed as such. Expecting the vast mass of people who don’t have the guts to pack it all in and follow their dreams to give you their approval is pointless. The fact that
liveaboards need the approval of shoreside drones is quite an indictment of the liveaboards’ ability to live free. I wouldn’t own a liveaboard boat if it weren’t for plastic. A wooden boat and cotton sails would kill my love of the lifestyle in a hurry, not to mention my wife’s desire to live on a boat. We aren’t alone in this and our clogged marinas and waterways prove my
point. The days when a few hardy souls moved onto a boat with no amenities and were considered pleasantly eccentric are long over. Our waterways are clogged by herds of people living afloat and demanding the amenities and securities of life ashore. Living on a boat is by definition a nomadic lifestyle, and therefore expecting to live as a nomad and not see things changing as you go is another way to prove you don’t understand the lifestyle. The landlubbers detest change, as proved by their foundations, wind insurance and angry letters to the editor (!). Going with the flow is romantic only if you really are comfortable going with the flow. Right now the North American flow is pushing us south into foreign parts and if crossing the Gulf Stream scares you, you aren’t the free-form romantic nomad you pretend to be. Find the free anchorages and enjoy them, even by yourself, until they get crowded and banned—in México perhaps, or some island unknown to us all. Read history if you think the past was more forgiving of eccentrics than 21st century Americans. True eccentrics have always been outcasts—some of them even got crucified, and to prove how eccentric they were, they enjoyed the experience. SOUTHWINDS needs to find a place where pleasure presides. We had years of Cushing (former SOUTHWINDS editor/publisher) whining about Cuba (closed tighter than ever to us nonCanadians), and now we have to read pages of complaints about the gentrification of Florida. I’d like SOUTHWINDS to find room on the pages for words about the sheer fun of sailing, not the explaining, the whining, the detailing, the racing, just the sheer unadulterated fun of being out on the water. Just a small part of the magazine perhaps, enough to draw back those of us who actually like living on the water, no matter what our neighbors think of us. Phew! Whining sure takes a lot of energy and I’ve gotta go have some fun. See ya, Michael Beattie Miki G Michael and Miki: What would the world do without whining? Most of our letters are whining. Yours is an example: Whining See LETTERS continued on page 10
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about whining. And the letters we get, plus my editorials and other articles, are whining about the people on shore whining. So you are whining about us whining about others whining. Where does it stop? Or: Where does it end? It’s a whining world. We do get some letters about happy experiences, or at least experiences that don’t whine, but each month I print this quote at the beginning of our letters’ section: “Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.” (H. L. Mencken). I am glad you took advantage of it. You make some great points, and it is letters like this that often remind us of one important fact: Stop and smell the roses. Thank you for that. I also noticed it didn’t appear as though you disagreed with anything we have been printing on this subject, but really added to the debate, expanding on the idea that liveaboards are eccentrics by their very nature. Personally, I think Paul Ehrlich was right. He wrote The Population Bomb. Editor GET BOAT MANUFACTURERS TO INSTALL TYPE I MSDS I have been loosely tracking the articles and “Letters to the Editor” printed in SOUTHWINDS over the past year, such as the ones in the April 2006 issue concerning the increasing number of restrictions being placed on the use of anchorages. At least one of the reasons cited for these restrictions is the concern for possible illegal waste disposal in the anchorage. Rather than believing that boaters are operating in a responsible and legal manner, rampant illegal waste disposal is assumed. Since most motor and sailing vessels are indeed equipped with a waste disposal system that permits direct discharge of waste into a body of water, it’s not difficult to understand the legitimate concerns of the local citizens and public officials. I suggest that one approach to this issue, albeit longterm, is to install on-board waste treatment systems on all new motor and sailing vessels and set a goal of retrofitting all other vessels with such systems within five years. I believe if the boat manufacturing industry would voluntarily install such systems on all new vessels, it would send a very powerful and responsible message to public officials and the boating and non-boating public. Safe discharge and no-discharge waste disposal systems currently exist. See the Charles Husick article on “Type I MSDs and How They Work” in the April 2006 edition of SOUTHWINDS. Moreover, such an action by the boat manufacturing industry would likely stimulate the development of even more effective and reliable systems and ultimately drive down the cost of such systems to help facilitate retrofitting of existing vessels. I understand that addressing the waste disposal matter does not resolve all the issues concerning the open use of anchorages, but I think it would be a significant positive and responsible step for the boating community to take. Roger Seals Baton Rouge, LA Roger: I agree with you and this has given me some ideas. Right now, the Type I MSDs are not even allowed to dump in many waters because of the blanket, across-the-board No Charge Zones that exist in so many places where they are unwarranted. Type I MSDs should be allowed to be dumped in most of our waters that are not tiny bays and harbors with tiny openings, meaning washing them out with seawater is difficult. This is not because of the bacteria or viruses present, as these Type I’s do a great job of eliminating them. That is proven. In fact, these systems clean the water up a bit. There is some See LETTERS continued on page 12 10
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phosphorus and nitrogen, but it is also proven that the amount these Type I’s contribute is minimal and really no impact. (It is possible that poorly washed small bays could be affected by Type I’s and I don’t know enough to say one way or the other, so I defer that judgment to those with more knowledge.) I also strongly believe that No Discharge Zones have stopped further development of Type I’s dead in their tracks. But if we could get the boating industry, like the big three sailboat manufacturers
(Beneteau, Catalina and Hunter), and the cruising powerboat companies (too many to name here, but look at the power they can wield—no pun intended) behind this effort, maybe we could change these laws and the mindset of those opposed to these on-board treatment systems. How about if we get the NMMA, BoatUS and all the boating magazines involved? If we can persuade the environmental organizations (that I strongly support in almost everything they do) to support this effort, then I bet we can get the waters even cleaner. They need to under-
stand this. We must spread the word and get behind this effort. There is too much misinformation on these treatment systems. Write your congressman, BoatUS, your boat manufacturer… Editor COAST GUARD LICENSING PROCESS TAKING LONGER You might want to notify all holders of Coast Guard licenses from the 6-pack on up who must now waste an incredible amount of time when renewing their licenses. Now, we have to actually show up in person at the office (in my case, Charleston, SC) that issues our licenses and bring with us at least our original Social Security card, our birth certificate or passport, and our fingers. This last thing is really important. The Coast Guard already has our fingerprints on file from our initial licensing, but it wants to make sure we haven’t changed fingers. This two-day trip I have to take is solely for the purpose of getting fingerprinted again. And no, you can’t go to your local police station or Coast Guard station to get your fingerprints taken because that would make too much sense. So—for all of this wasted time traveling and the cost of staying in a hotel and eating six meals on the road and paying for the gas and wear and tear on my car, I will spend approximately one-and-a-half minutes getting fingerprinted. This is supposed to prove somehow that I am not a terrorist, though for the life of me, I can’t figure out how. They must be much smarter than me, I guess. Oh, also. The turnaround time for renewals is now around six months or more, so you have to start early. Charleston used to do this in a couple of weeks. Miami has always been understaffed, so it’s probably going to really take a long time there. Eric West Eric: Does all this time the Coast Guard is taking to process these licenses mean they won’t have time to maintain buoys, markers, channel depths, etc? Terrorists will run aground like everyone else. Maybe that is the strategy. Unfortunately, I see the Coast Guard’s new role of coastal security is taking time and money away from maintaining good waterways. Security is good, but who said, “If you want total security, go to prison.” (It was Dwight Eisenhower.) The Coast Guard and our waterways were underfunded before. Now they are really underfunded. Hope you feel more secure, or maybe I should say, hope you are more secure. Editor
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Southeastern U.S. Air & Water Temperatures and Gulf Stream Currents – September Weather Web Sites: Carolinas & Georgia www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtml Florida East Coast www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml Florida West Coast & Keys http://comps.marine.usf.edu Northern Gulf Coast www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/
NORTHERN GULF COAST Pensacola, FL 74º lo – 91º hi Gulfport, MS 74º lo – 91º hi Water Temperature – 85º
WEST FLORIDA St. Petersburg 76º lo – 88º hi Naples 73º lo – 90º hi Water Temperature St. Petersburg – 84º Naples – 86º
CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA Cape Hatteras, NC 69º lo – 81º hi Savannah, GA 67º lo – 86º hi Water Temperature Cape Hatteras, NC – 76º Savannah Beach, GA – 81º
EAST FLORIDA Daytona Beach - 72º lo – 89º hi Jacksonville Beach - 73º lo – 85º hi Water Temperature Daytona Beach – 82º Jacksonville Beach – 82º
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA Miami Beach – 76º lo – 89º hi Stuart – 74º lo – 89º hi Water Temperature Miami Beach – 83º Stuart – 81º Gulfstream Current – 2.5 knots
FLORIDA KEYS Key West 79º lo – 88º hi Water Temperature Key West – 86º
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.
News & Views for Southern Sailors
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.
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Events and 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, possibly later. Contact us if later. Racing Events: For racing schedules, news and events see the racing section.
UPCOMING SOUTHERN EVENTS EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING/SUMMER CAMPS Ongoing – Boating Skills and Seamanship Programs. St. Petersburg, FL, Tuesday nights, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Satisfies the Florida boater safety education requirements. Eleven lessons, every Tuesday. Lessons include: which boat for you, equipment, trailering, lines and knots, boat handling, signs, weather, rules, introduction to navigation, inland boating and radio. (727) 823-3753 Boating Safety Courses, St. Petersburg, FL: St. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron. Six-week Public Boating Course begins every Monday. Includes safety information plus basic piloting; charts, course plotting, latitude/longitude and dead reckoning. Satisfies Florida’s under age 21 boater requirements. (727) 867-3088. Other courses continuosly offered. (727) 565-4453. www.boating-stpete.org. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 14-4, Jacksonville, FL. One-day Americas Boating Course. Sat.: Sept. 16. Captains Club, 13363 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville FL. Meets Florida state boaters card requirements. Call John Davis at (904) 821-9692.
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Clearwater Coast Guard Auxiliary (Flotilla 11-1) Public Boating Programs: Americas Boating Course (2 lessons): Oct. 14-15, evenings. Clearwater Sailing Center, 1001 Gulf Blvd., Sand Key (Clearwater). Adults and youths. Basic Coastal Navigation Program (includes charting tools) – seven lessons, begins Sept. 28. Evenings For more information on upcoming education programs or to request a free vessel safety check, visit http://a0701101.uscgaux.info/ or call (727) 469-8895 Ruskin, FL, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 75 Offers Home Study Safe Boating Course The Ruskin flotilla each month offers a Boating Safety course in Ruskin, but 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 will be held bi-monthly. Entry into the course will also allow participants to attend the classes. To apply, call (813) 677-2354. North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NC, www.ncmm-friends.org, maritime@ncmail.net, (252) 7287317. On-going adults sailing programs. Family Sailing. 2-6 people; 2-6 hours. Traditional skiffs or 30’ keelboat. $50-$240. Reservations/info: call The Friends’ office (252) 728-1638 Marine Service Managers Course. West Palm Beach, FL. Association of Marina Industries. (401) 247-0314. Sept. 9-12. www.marinaassociation.org. Basic Electrical Course, Sept. 12-14. Wilmington, NC. American Boat & Yacht Council. (410) 956-1050. www.abycinc.org.
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Legal Seminar for Marine Industry Professionals, Insurance Agents and Attorneys. Oct. 25. Exclusions, Defenses and False Pretenses.Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort and Marina, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club. Susan Rose. (654) 791-9601 West Marine Free Seminars, September, Tampa Bay The following are of interest to sailors. West Marine has many other seminars on fishing. Contact stores for more information. South St. Petersburg Store 5001 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL (727) 867-5700, start time 6 p.m. 9/21 Network Expansion. Tim Earle from Raymarine Clearwater 111477 US 19N (727) 573-2678, start time 6 p.m. 9/2 Labor Day Boat Show and Barbeque Tampa 3905 W. Cypress St. (813) 348-0521 9/4 Labor Day Bash. Food and Freebies Clearwater 1721 Gulf to Bay Blvd., (727) 447-5320 start time 6:00 pm 9/7 Hurricane Prep. 9/14 The Ins and Outs of your GPS w/ Les Cohen and Eric Lewis 9/21 Maintenance 101 for Boats, Outboards, and Trailers w/John Homer from West Marine Boat Service Crystal River, 160 SE Hwy 19 (352) 563-0003 start time 6:00 pm 9/7 Basic GPS 101 w/Capt. Bryce Jamison 9/21 Basic GPS 101 w/Capt. Bryce Jamison
BOAT SHOWS The Fall Boat Event. Sept. 15-17. Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. Savannah, GA. (256) 509-3574. www.bkproductions.biz. Tampa Boat Show. Oct 12-15. Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL. NMMA. (954) 441-3228. www.tampaboatshow.com. Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Oct. 26-30. Marine Industries Association of South Florida. (800) 940-7642. www.showmanagement.com.
NEWS Fourth Annual Florida West Coast SSCA Rendezvous The Seven Seas Cruising Association will hold its fourth annual West Coast Rendezvous in Punta Gorda, FL, on Saturday October 21 at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. Both power and sail cruisers are welcome to come by land or sea (no airplane landing facilities at the yacht club). There will be seminars on cruising the Caribbean, on-board emergency health care, Bahamas cruising information for the first-time cruiser, and gathering school supplies and books for children. There will also be an open forum hosted by a panel of cruisers. A nautical flea market and vendor displays will be held during a two-hour lunch break. Pre-registration is required by Oct. 10. For more information and to register online, go to http://ssca.org/eventind.htm. You can also e-mail Bruce and Marilyn Conklin at Goldconk@yahoo.com. The annual SSCA Rendezvous will be held on Nov. 1012 in Melbourne, FL. More information on that meeting can be found at www.ssca.org. (SOUTHWINDS will have more information in the October issue.)
NOAA Introduces Free Online Charts NOAA has just introduced a new, free public service at www.NauticalCharts.gov/viewer. “This NOAA On-Line Chart Viewer is a great web-based tool for planning routes, research and quick reference,” promises NOAA’s Tom Loeper. Included are more than 1,000 charts of U.S. waters—updated weekly—covering 3.4-million square nautical miles. Loeper invites questions and comments, and can be reached at thomas.loeper@noaa.gov.
Online Cruisers Net for Southeastern Boaters An innovative new Web site developed by cruising guide author Claiborne Young and “Hard Aground” nautical author Eddie Jones brings up-to-the-minute useful information to anyone with a click of the mouse. The Salty Southeast Cruisers Net (SSECN), www.cruisersnet.net, 18
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which began last November, is what used to be known as an electronic bulletin board. This format, which most now call a “Net,” allows mariners to post stories and accounts of what they find to be new, different or just plain interesting during their time on the water. The Cruiser’s Net has proven to be an efficient and extremely popular way for the southeastern cruising community to share information in an almost real-time format, while it is still fresh and timely. Young is the moderator of the Salty Southeast Cruiser’s Net, and strives to help insure that postings are generally accurate (to the best of his ability) and germane to local cruising knowledge. “The SSECN’s information is some of the best that can be had, since the cruiser posting information on the Net has usually just traversed the waters through which the reader will soon be voyaging. It doesn’t get more up-close and personal than that!” Young said. Young has written cruising guides for Florida, the northern Gulf coast, the Carolinas and Georgia. For some time, he had been gathering information from mariners and sharing it through his Salty Southeast e-mail newsletter. But the news was perishable and the newsletter was distributed only three times a year. Young came up with an electronic bulletin board for cruisers covering the waters of the southeast from North Carolina to New Orleans. Postings on the Cruiser’s Net are geographically divided into pages representing the waters of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, eastern Florida, Florida Keys, western Florida, the northern Gulf Coast (Florida Panhandle to New Orleans), the Okeechobee Waterway, plus the Bahamas. This exchange of information, which is free, can range from critical news like water depths and changes in aids to
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navigation, to more subjective opinions on restaurants, anchorages and marinas that cruisers might visit. The Cruiser’s Net also carries regular editorial features on marinas, anchorages, and restaurants. Captains can also access an index of live coastal webcams. And soon cruisers will be able to post their onthe-water, digitized photographs for their fellow mariners to enjoy. Exchanging up-to-date information among cruisers on the coastal waters stretching from New Orleans to North Carolina is a great idea whose time has come.
SSCA Offers Basic Meteorology Course for the Recreational Boater, Sept. 9-10, Hampton, VA By Roy Laughlin The Seven Seas Cruising Association began offering basic meteorological courses for recreational boaters less than a year ago. These have been so successful the organization began offering them around the country. The course will be given in Hampton, VA, at the Hampton Yacht Club Sept. 9-10. The course instructor will be Lee Chesneau, a USCGcertified STCW (Standards, Training, Certification and Watch-making) basic and advanced meteorology instructor. Lee is also a former senior meteorologist for NOAA’s Ocean Prediction Center. Participants who complete this basic course are eligible to take an advanced course later in the year. The advanced course will include a Coast Guard letter of certification.
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Cost of the course is $250 for SSCA members and $300 for non-members. Included are a workbook, lunch and refreshments both days. Class size is limited to 20 people. Nancy Birnbaum, SSCA editor, notes that it is cheaper to join SSCA than to pay the non-member price, and new members are always welcome. Southeastern sailors ready to take a break from hurricane-gazing may find a weekend in Virginia taking a weather course a great diversion. For more information, contact SCCA at office@ssca.org, or (954) 771-5660. For online registration, go to http://ssca.org/eventind.htm. Marina information is also online at www.misshamptoncruises.com/joys.htm.
Call For Entries: $2500 Boating Safety Youth Program Award Do you know of an individual or group who is helping kids learn how to stay safe on the water? The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) is calling for entries for its Boating Safety Youth Program Award that recognizes individuals or organizations who have developed and imple-
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mented innovative youth boating education programs that focus on recreational boating safety. Co-sponsored by the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.), the award includes a $2500 cash prize. The deadline to apply is December 31. For a youth boating program to qualify, it must include boating safety practices and be targeted to youth under 18 years of age. Previous awards have gone to school districts, summer camps, scouting groups and U.S. Power Squadrons. The award’s $2500 prize is designed to be used for the implementation or enhancement of a youth-oriented boating safety program. This can include equipment, audio-visual aids, printing, teaching aids, program promotion and advertising, or rental of a meeting space. The winner will also be invited to attend the annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit in March of 2007 in San Antonio, TX, during which they will present a conference session on their award-winning program. Travel expenses including transportation, lodging and meals for one representative are included. For more information and an application, go to www.SafeBoatingCouncil.org, click on “award programs.”
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New Web Site Lets Boaters Swap Ideas . . . And Stories The Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatU.S.) recently created a free message board at www.BoatUS.com/boatgroups to give owners a forum for sharing information about specific maintenance, parts, and installation and performance issues for their boats. More than 250 individual boat brands are represented and divided into two sections; power and sail. A Bayliner owner, for example, could swap tips on where to get a good Bimini top, or Catalina owners could debate the benefits of “standard” rig versus “tall” rig sail plans. The Web site also includes listings of similar boats for sale in BoatU.S. online classifieds and in BoatU.S magazine, as well as boat reviews by surveyor, designer and columnist Jack Hornor, and boat links for each brand. BoatU.S. encourages boaters to start posting questions, comments and creating discussions. “We are asking that boat owners ‘jump in,’ but understand it may be a little while for others to join in the discussion,” said Terri Parrow, vice president of BoatU.S. Internet operations, in a statement. Manufacturers not currently added to the message
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board roster may be included by e-mailing the web administrator at BoatGroups@BoatUS.com. BoatU.S. membership is not required to use the message board, and anyone can view the postings. However, if boaters wish to chime in on a subject or would like to be automatically notified when a message is posted, they must register. There is no cost to register.
BUSINESS BRIEFS Yachting Vacations Joins With Massey Yacht Sales and Expands Charter Fleet to Include Catalina and Hunter Massey Yacht Sales of Palmetto, FL, and Yachting Vacations of Punta Gorda, FL, recently announced an agreement to sell new Hunter and Catalina sailing yachts into Yachting Vacations’ charter fleet based at Burnt Store Marina on Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL. The agreement calls for Massey and Yachting Vacations new yacht sales representatives to provide custom configured Hunter and Catalina yachts to individuals or corporations to enter into Yachting Vacations’ Charter Yacht Management Program. “The Charter Yacht Management Program allows yacht owners to drastically reduce the cost of yacht ownership during the time the yacht is in the charter program, while the yachts are being maintained at Yachting Vacations’ top quality level. This is particularly important during these times of high fuel and slip costs, and is a great advantage to those yacht owners living in Florida part time,” said Ed Massey of Massey Yacht Sales. Yachting Vacations, owned by Chris Rogiers, has been chartering boats out since 1984 at Burnt Store Marina. Their fleet includes both monohull and catamarans from 32 to 48 feet. Their cruising grounds cover Florida’s west coast and the Florida Keys. The company also operates an American Sailing Association (ASA) sailing school, providing ASA certification levels from Basic to Advanced Coastal Cruising and also offers new and brokerage yachts.
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OUR WATERWAYS
S O U T H W I N D S “Our Waterways” Section SOUTHWINDS has created this section to inform our readers about changes in our waterways. We believe that Southerners are in the midst of a great change occurring on our waterways—through the conversion of many boating properties to condominiums, restrictions on anchorages once thought to be more open and now being more restricted and regulated, and other economic forces at work. This section will also concern itself with the environmental health of the waters we boat and swim in. Our coastal waters and our waterways belong to all of us, and all of us have a right to use them. These waters are not just for those who can afford to live on the water, and it is up to us boaters and lovers of these waters to protect that right. We hope that by helping to inform you of these changes, we will contribute to doing just that. We are looking for news and information on changes, land sales, anchorages, boaters’ rights, new marinas, anchoring rights, disappearing marinas, boatyards and boat ramps, environmental concerns and other related news. Independent writers wanted on these subjects. Contact Steve Morrell, editor@southwindsmagazine.com, or call (877) 372-7245. We regularly receive many letters to the editor on these issues. See the “Letters” section for more opinions and information. Some letters will be published in this section if appropriate. In the coming months, we will be developing our Waterways pages on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. Visit those pages for links, information, articles and more.
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Fort Myers Beach to Lose Historic Marina
Mid-Island Marina, one of the oldest marinas in Fort Myers Beach, FL, is to be rebuilt and converted to private dockominiums, with the recent approval of the Fort Myers Beach planning agency for the $18-million project. The six-acre marina will be renamed the Snook Bight Marina. While many believe the conversion to dockominiums is a bad trend in Florida, others believe it is saving a lot of marinas from becoming condominium projects. The marina will increase its wet slips and dry slips that are currently rented out. A restaurant, swimming pool and Internet café are part of the plans. The marina has been around since the late 1800s when it was part of the original village of Fort Myers Beach and served as the post office for Estero Island, Sanibel and Captiva. For more information on the marina, go to www.snookbightmarina.com.
Progress Slow On Cedar Key Marine Improvements By Vern Hobbs Long overdue enhancements to marine facilities at Cedar Key, FL, reported this year in the January 2006 issue of SOUTHWINDS are continuing but have slowed considerably. The construction of Gulfside Marina, on the island’s southeast corner, has come to a virtual halt after the completion of a dozen slips and associated dockage. Further
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progress is expected on the ambitious project, but no definite completion date is set. Replacement of the municipal pier damaged by hurricanes Francis and Jeanne is likewise at a standstill. Local merchants, however, say that the funding for a muchimproved pier, which will include deep-water transient slips, has been secured and that construction is expected to begin after this year’s hurricane season has passed. Ashore, the extensive face-lift and historic preservation of the downtown area is progressing, but also at a snail’s pace. Developers have set up a sales office and visitors’ center on Second Street replete with plentiful artists’ conceptions of the finished project, which will include a private marina servicing the boating and game fishing activities of the project’s “fractional owners.” Despite television news reports that suggested otherwise, Tropical Storm Alberto’s visit to Cedar Key in June left only minor street flooding in its wake. No significant damage was reported.
Thunderbolt Marina in Georgia Gets a New Face-Lift By Capt. Walt Reppenhagen TMI (Thunderbolt Marine, Inc.) in Thunderbolt, GA, is finally getting new concrete face docks. Known to many a mariner as “Palmer Johnson,” the property has actually been owned by the Honey family since 1965. During its long and interesting history, the property was leased to a number of other companies prior to Palmer Johnson. Few sailors really knew that Palmer Johnson only leased the property from TMI from 1992 to 2003. (After losing their lease, Palmer Johnson then purchased Intermarine, located near the port of Savannah, but soon filed for bankruptcy and sold that property to Global Marine.) Honey’s son resumed operation of the boatyard and marina in 2003. So make a note in your old cruising guides. It is now called “Thunderbolt Marina”—not “Palmer Johnson.” The marina was a much anticipated stop for many an ICW cruiser for decades—due to its clean showers, friendly staff, and most important, free Krispy Kreme doughnuts and morning newspaper, delivered at first light to your vessel. Often the first question still asked by an arriving captain—before the lines are even secured to the dock—is, “Do
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Work on the Thunderbolt Marina. Photo by Capt. Walt Reppenhagen.
you still have the free doughnuts in the morning?”… and the answer is still, “Yes, we do.” TMI, for reasons unexplainable, has never posted signs on its yacht repair facility or the adjacent marina, so the ghostly shadow of the old Palmer Johnson sign on the side of the large repair building is all that identifies the property. Perhaps the ambiguity of its identity or the decrepit nature of the decades-old docks has turned away more cruisers than the owner would like to admit, but finally the latter has been rectified. After a wicked thunderstorm on July 8 destroyed a part of its face dock, the long-promised new docks became priority number one, and within a few weeks Myrick’s Marine Construction pulled up with its barges, cranes, and pilings, as trucks delivered the new concrete docks. Working with TMI employees, the remains of the old docks and pilings were removed, a new platform and ramp were built and installed on the gazebo, and the new docks were assembled and secured with new concrete pilings—all within about two weeks. New fuel hose reels were installed, and most of the new wiring is now strung. Soon the pedestals will be in place, ready to greet the first transient. Now, if only they could just nail up a sign with their name on it, perhaps you could find the place. Thunderbolt Marina is located at mile marker 580, just north of ICW red marker 36 in Thunderbolt, GA. It is 12 miles up the Wilmington River, from Wassaw Sound inlet, and you can find them on the World Wide Web at www.thunderboltmarine.us.
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OUR WATERWAYS Florida Marinas Purchased to be Converted to Dockominiums
Yacht Clubs of America, based out of Fort Myers, FL, recently purchased marinas and properties in Tampa, Naples and Key West. The properties will be turned into private “yacht clubs” (a term used not in the traditional sense as most yacht clubs are known) with dockominiums or rackaminiums. The loan for the purchase of the properties was for $200-million and is recognized by many as a sign of investment support for the positive future of the “dockominium” trend in marinas. In Tampa, the new “yacht club” will be known as the Tampa Harbour Yacht Club and will be on the site of the current Bayside Marina and the Rattlefish Raw Bar & Grill. Half of the loan money will be used to buy the Tampa property and others in Naples and Key West, and the other half will be used to reconstruct the properties. The new clubs are expected to attract wealthy boat owners who will be purchasing the slips.
Brevard County, FL, Considers Merritt Island Marina Purchase for Public Marina
The Board of County Commissioners authorized an auditor group to advise it of the purchase value of a marina facility on Merritt Island near the SR 520 causeway. This property was formerly the Indian Cove Marina. A condo developer, Towne Realty, purchased the upland property and marina and has completed three condo buildings. Company officials have indicated a willingness to sell the marina but have not firmly indicated a price. County Commissioner Ron Pritchard has been shepherding this purchase through the maze of county entities that would be involved if it happens. His goal is to have a 131-slip public marina, which would rent slips on an annual lease at affordable prices. Southwinds reported this story last spring. While nothing is more definitive now than it was then, the county is working to create criteria to determine if this property’s purchase is possible.
Anchoring and Mooring Forum in Brevard County, FL
On Sept. 21, the Brevard County Agricultural Extension Center will hold an Anchoring and Mooring Forum featuring experts who will speak about existing regulations and
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other issues associated with anchoring and mooring. This forum is in support of Brevard County’s emerging Marine Management Plan. The forum will be held at the Agricultural Extension Service Building, 3695 Lake Drive in Cocoa. Final schedule has yet to be completed. Please call the center, (321) 633-1702, or check the Web site, www.brevard.ifas.ufl.edu for details.
City of Clearwater, FL, Considers Building New Boat Slips to Revitalize Downtown
In an effort to enliven the downtown area, city officials in Clearwater, FL, are proposing to lure people with a new marina. The plan for a new marina was proposed two years ago as part of a larger downtown plan, which included a new parking garage and amphitheater. Although voters turned down that proposal, officials have learned that it was not the marina that was opposed. In fact, many support a new marina. The new plan has several features, which are tied into making the waterfront the main attraction. The plan includes 129 new wet, floating boat slips on the north and south sides of the Memorial Causeway. This marina will also include dockage for day visitors. A promenade on the pilings of the old bridge will also be built along with a 500foot pier. Room for restaurants and shops will be added, along with expanded restroom facilities. If passed by the voters, a city requirement for the area, the marina and other projects would be completed by 2009. Links for Our Waterways Issues Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway issues. www.atlintracoastal.org. BoatUS Foundation. Great source of information and links on miscellaneous issues. www.boatus.org. Florida Inland Navigation District, a taxing district for management and maintenance of the AICW in Florida. www.aicw.org. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. www.gicaonline.com. Marine Industries Association of Florida with links to local associations. www.boatflorida.org. Marine Industries Association of South Florida. www.miasf.org. National Waterways Conference promotes, educates and lobbies on behalf of all of the nation’s inland waterways. www.waterways.org. Ocean Conservancy dedicated to the protection of the oceans. www.oceanconservancy.org. Reef Relief. A non-profit group which is dedicated to preserving the reefs, based in Key West. www.reefrelief.org. Gulfbase.org. A research database for Gulf of Mexico Research. www.gulfbase.org. Surfrider Foundation. www.surfrider.org. A grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches. Clean Water Fund. www.cleanwaterfund.org. Organization that monitors and works at keeping our waters clean. Produced a 2005 report on sewage overflows in the state of Florida. www.southwindsmagazine.com
News & Views for Southern Sailors
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HURRICANE SEASON 2006
Surviving 2005’s Little Hurricane: Ophelia in Oriental, NC By Amy Lorenzo
September Hurricane Section September is the height of the hurricane season, and hopefully we will get through this month without any major storms. This month we have a few tips and articles by readers who sent experiences in—which is what we are really looking for; not just ideas and suggestions but real-life stories of success and failure. We continue to ask our readers to send us your stories and experiences. Some might not get published until next season, but they will all eventually go on our Web site hurricane pages. One thing for sure: Hurricane season will be back again next year.
Certainly, Hurricane Ophelia will not go down in the record books as the strongest storm to hit North Carolina. From a mariner’s perspective, however, she may have been the most frustrating.
B
orn off the coast of Florida on September 6, 2005, Ophelia was full of surprises. Her slow development had prediction models fighting among themselves. Television weather forecasts showed the storm’s projected path, a twisting cone shape I hadn’t seen since advanced calculus. Mariners seeking greater clarity may have checked the NOAA discussions, but forecasters there did not instill confidence. They predicted the storm to make landfall as a Category 1 but added that “to err by one or two categories is not impossible due to our lack of skill in forecasting rapid intensity change.” My husband, Tom, and I found ourselves amid this
Securing Your Dock Down Submitted by Herman Schiller As an additional prep for your dock, I have found that anchoring it down is very important when waves try to lift the entire dock. Since the moment a piling moves even 1/4 inch, friction between the piling and the underwater soil drops to near-zero. I have implemented a solution that has worked so far in coastal North Carolina. Use galvanized, 4-foot-long mobile home anchors under each cross-tie between pilings, and tie them to the cross-ties with bolts and 3/8-inch hot-dip galvanized chain. The anchors were screwed into the soil using a surplus, 4-inch-square section of trailer tongue stock, with a pair of 1-inch diameter holes at the top for a 4foot-long pipe handle to slide through. The trailer tongue stock fits over the saddle at the top of the mobile home anchor. The chain and its rope extension is passed through the trailer tongue and tied off at a cleat I fastened to the side of the trailer tongue. All you do is remove a board or two directly over the cross-tie, and start screwing the anchor into the bottom, and when done, bolt the chain to the cross-tie. Last year, my neighbor’s dock disintegrated, and large sections of it hit and came to rest on my dock. My dock suffered some gouges, but nothing else. 28
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confusion. Just as Ophelia was poking her head up near Florida, we were setting off in our 36-foot PDQ catamaran, Dream Catcher—for the third time in as many weeks. The first trip was called due to weather (heat index above 100). The second was called due to battery problems (we replaced an aging 8D battery with four golf cart batteries). The third was destined to fail as well, this time due to a hurricane. In retrospect, we should have seen it coming. Not because we are better weather forecasters than NOAA. We are not. But if there was ever a storm made for us, Ophelia was it. In true cruiser fashion, she was going nowhere fast. She picked a destination, then changed her mind within hours. Occasionally she danced in the middle of the Atlantic with no apparent goal in mind. Fortunately for us, our adopted summer home of Oriental, NC, lived up to its reputation as a sailing-friendly town. When it became clear that Ophelia posed a threat, we were offered refuge with friends, at a dock that had withstood previous hurricanes. Safe harbor was a boon. Getting there was another story. A separate system sent gale-force winds to the area, a sort of welcoming committee for Ophelia. Running for cover meant plowing into a six-foot chop on the Neuse River that sent up more spray than a log plume ride at an amusement park. The 12-mile trip took more than three hours and left us tired and drenched. Yet immediately upon arrival, we joined the frenzy of hurricane preparations: stripping the
A boat washed ashore from Ophelia. Photo by Amy Lorenzo.
boat, deploying all our anchors and fenders, and rigging a web of lines to every available piling. Then we waited, and waited…and waited. Ophelia did a little do-si-do in the Atlantic...and put us squarely in her sights. Around us, preparations were completed with images of two hurricanes in mind. Of course, Katrina, reports from which dominated the news, reminded everyone of nature’s immense power. For Pamlico County residents, thoughts also turned to 2003’s Hurricane Isabel, another slow-moving hurricane that had hit this area harder than any storm in memory. Many homes that had withstood Hurricane Hazel in 1954 were condemned after Isabel. In the intervening two years, the town had grown upward by seven feet as homes and businesses were raised above flood levels. Oriental was better prepared than ever, but no one wanted to see a repeat performance. After days of growing suspense, Ophelia finally made landfall on September 15. Overnight, the Oriental Town Dock reported peak gusts above 90 knots. It was enough to SOUTHWINDS Web Site Hurricane Pages Visit the SOUTHWINDS hurricane pages at www.southwindsmagazine.com for stories and articles on how to save your boat during a storm, tips, links to other Web sites, great weather links for hurricanes and more. This Web site is becoming the best save-your-boat Web site on the Internet.
News & Views for Southern Sailors
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HURRICANE SEASON 2006 down trees, rip shingles off roofs, and blow a few boats onto shore. But the storm surge on the Inner Banks fell several feet short of Isabel, and most mariners and landlubbers came through with minimal damage. As for us, we weathered the storm aboard Dream Catcher, adjusting lines as the waters rose. There were a few harried minutes around 3 a.m. when the force of our boat pulling against the dock seemed more than the structure could withstand. Hoping the worst was upon us, we put maximum pressure on the windward anchor to ease the load on the dock. Fortunately, it was enough, and Ophelia—the little hurricane of 2005—moved on soon after.
Strapping Your Boat to the Land By Roy Laughlin
W
hen hurricanes threaten, conventional wisdom advises moving a sailboat from water to land for the highest level of protection. On land, two threats still exist, however. The first is wind damage, either due to wind forces on vulnerable components such as sensors, lighting, unstowed sails and Biminis. More severe wind damage to the hull and rigging may occur if the sailboat is blown over, or other boats or large objects in the vicinity, lofted by the strong winds, strike the boat on land. Storm surge or flooding is the second risk to boats on land. If moving water undermines chocks and supports, the boat is likely to fall over. Sufficiently high storm surges will float the boat, resulting in damage similar to that sustained if it were left in the water at a pier. Even with the risks, tying a boat down with straps is usually advisable. Strapping significantly enhances resistance to a boat being blown over by wind and may keep it upright if it is struck by another boat or other heavy object. A boat that is struck by another object may be damaged. One that falls over will undoubtedly incur more damage
This boat wasn’t strapped down till after the storm. Notice the chain locking it to the fire hydrant. Hopefully, there won’t be a fire. Photo by Roy Laughlin.
and leave the owner with the post-storm task of setting it back upright before any other effective repair/salvage efforts can occur. Strapping will likely be less useful to mitigate damage if the boatyard floods due to storm surge. Surge may undermine the sailboat’s support, allowing it to heel or fall. Smaller, lighter boats may be damaged by the stress of straps against the hull when buoyancy and waves striking
HURRICANE TIPS Storm Tip: Adjusting Your Dock Lines Set up your dock lines so they can be adjusted from the dock. If your boat is secured to a piling that you can’t reach, then have your lines set up to be adjusted from the boat. If the storm is not too severe and you can get to your boat during the storm, then adjust your lines as you watch the wind, the chafe, and the storm surge. You might not be able to get on the boat to adjust those secured to pilings, but at least you can adjust those secured to the dock. Extreme storm surge causing both high and low water can be destructive, and you might be able to adjust the lines and save your boat. Yachting Vacations (see Southwinds article, August 2005), a charter company in Punta Gorda, FL, was able to get to the dock immediately following the strong core winds of Hurricane Charley and checked their lines right after the storm. Seeing a low storm surge, they had to leave the dock—and the area—as they saw the water rushing in rapidly. Mark your lines on the boat and dock, at the adjustable end, with a colored line (or some other method) woven into the rope so you can correctly reset them each time you return to the dock. This is especially helpful for the lines adjusted on the boat. Got a tip to help others? Send them to editor@southwindsmagazine.com.
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the boat put exceptional loads on the hull where straps cross it. These forces may greatly exceed wind stress and gravity for light boats. On the benefit side, however, a strapped boat of any size will be less likely to drift away. The avoided damage of a drifting boat pounding against immovable objects is often a lot more significant than stress fractures that may result from straps. So strapping is still worth serious consideration even if flooding around the boat is likely. The best straps are ratcheting tie-down straps made of nylon or low-stretch fiber. Use as many as you can, spreading the load across the hull, deck and gunnels wherever these are able to take the load. Wide straps are better than narrow ones, but the expense of heavy-duty straps like those used by truckers can exceed $50 each, depending on where you buy them. Attach the straps to helical anchors drilled into the ground so that the attachment eye is at or below ground level. They should be snug but not under tension. Several boatyards reported that strapping boats down greatly reduced expected boat damage during the past two hurricane seasons in Florida. Two boat characteristics make strapping advisable. First, a light boat such as a dinghy or beach catamaran will almost always be better off if tied down. Second, a larger, ballasted keel sailboat will have sufficient height and mass to avoid being floated by all but exceptional storm surges. These sailboats will be subject to more wind force, however. Strapping these larger craft will almost always provide sufficient protection to justify the effort and expense. Risk assessment is always more accurate when based on experience. Boatyard personnel or neighboring boat owners who use this technique are invaluable sources of information and insight to make strapping successful. While no technique of boat protection is guaranteed to avoid all damage, moving the boat to land and securing has been one of the most consistently reliable techniques for a boat owner who does not moor the boat on a protected canal or bayou with high banks. If an absolutely reliable hurricane damage avoidance strategy is required, one must sell the boat and move to Nebraska. Strapping has some appeal to that option. In 1999, Hurricane Irene caught many central Floridians by surprise, including this writer. The system was expected to remain over land once it crossed the coast near Flamingo. Instead it returned to the sea south of Fort
News & Views for Southern Sailors
Send Us Your Hurricane Stories We are always looking for stories on your experiences, to learn those techniques that succeeded and those that didn’t, as we can learn from both. Ideas, tips and Web site links wanted: editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Pierce and moved parallel to Florida’s east coast. Brevard County had northeast hurricane winds all morning when westerly tropical storm force winds were expected. I left my 19-foot beach cat on the bank of the Indian River, pulled back under a tree. This strategy has always protected the boat from summer afternoon squalls, similar, except for shorter duration, to Irene’s expected tropical storm conditions. By the time Tropical Storm Irene changed course, the winds were nearing hurricane force, much too strong to lower a mast and put the catamaran on its trailer. I had little option other than to tie my catamaran to a power pole so that it would orient to the wind if it floated, an occurrence that seemed impossible the day before but was now likely. Within five hours, the Indian River rose five feet and remained at that level for six-plus hours as the storm and flood surge worked its way south toward Sebastian Inlet. As Hurricane Irene’s eye passed north of Cape Canaveral, the winds shifted to the west and the rains abated. I was more than happy to see my catamaran floating undamaged on a lawn submerged under 18 inches of the Indian River. I’m sure had I left it tied down, it would have been damaged, perhaps significantly. So that a reader does not get the wrong impression of my opinion about the value of strapping, I usually store my catamarans on trailers in my backyard, protected from the wind by a cluster of palms and, during the recent strong storms, anchored. The changes of flooding in my back yard are nil, however. The decision not to tie down on the bank was a result of 35 years of watching it flood during storms.
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STAINLESS STEEL
The Art of Stainless Steel By Charles Husick
A
lthough you may not have thought much about it, the stainless steel bow pulpit or railings on your boat may be a piece of fine nautical sculpture. Your appreciation of the artistry and value of this sculpture may rise as mine did when you damage that too-often overlooked piece of stainless steel. The bow pulpit on my 46-foot Irwin ketch survived 23plus years with only minor, easily repaired damage (caused by another boat). However, I recently tested the integrity of the pulpit by running it into a stout piling while docking at a nearby yacht club. Unfortunately, the kinetic energy of 34,000 pounds of boat was more than sufficient to override the minimal speed of the impact. The thoroughly crushed upper rail and overall distortion of the entire pulpit severely bruised my pride and would require the acquisition of a new piece of sculpture. Since we were about to invest in a new bow pulpit, we decided to learn how this piece of nautical sculpture would be created. After investigating the available choices, we elected to visit what turned out to be a virtual artist’s atelier, Embree Welding, in St. Petersburg, FL. At first glance, Doug Embree’s facility appeared to be a typical structural welding shop. A mixture of machine tools, saws, shears, a brake, well-used Bridgeport milling machines, a number of hand and hydraulic-powered tubing bending devices and an assortment of electric arc welding outfits, each accompanied by a tall cylinder of argon gas. We noticed that the raw
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material storage racks contained only stainless steel. The only common steel we saw was outside, at the back of the shop. Our new sculpture would be constructed using 1-inch o.d. type 304 stainless tubing purchased from the mill polished to grade #10, the highest available. As we know from past experience, stainless steel is actually “stain” or rustresistant and does not offer total immunity to oxidation. Doug explained that he excludes all common steel from the primary work area to avoid contamination of stainless welds with particles of ferrous material that could later rust. He is also very careful to ensure that no ferrous material comes in contact with the work during the extensive polishing work needed to smooth the welds. We have seen and admired railings on powerboats that extend for more than 70 feet, with no sign of a joint anywhere. Since the longest lengths of tubing are far shorter (about 30 feet in length) and since working with a 70-foot length would pose problems in the shop, it is obvious that these seemingly continuous rails must contain virtually invisible splices. Embree makes the splice by first cutting the ends of the tubing to be joined at a precise 90-degree angle. A foot long length of 7/8-inch tubing that will just fit into the inside of the 1-inch rail is prepared by cutting two narrow slits for half the length of the tube. Two additional slits at 90 degrees to the first slits are then cut beginning from the opposite end. After cleaning, the slit tubing is forced into the ends of the rail to provide mechanical strength across the joint and to ensure that the joined tube will be in precise alignment. A very carefully done circumferential weld joins the three pieces of tubing into a continuous length, after which the polishing process eliminates all visible evidence of the presence of the joint. The Bridgeport milling machine is used to prepare the ends of the lengths of tubing used to support horizontal rails. The required cuts can be complex since the support rail may intersect the top rail at other than a 90-7degree angle. To assure a high quality finished product the machining must be quite accurate, filling a large gap when welding won’t do. The material content of stainless steel (steel that stains less) creates special requirements if the corrosion resistance www.southwindsmagazine.com
A bad stainless steel weld. Photo by Chuck Husick.
A well-done stainless steel weld. Photo by Chuck Husick.
of the metal is to be retained after welding. The nominal composition of the type 304 material used for boat railings includes between 18 and 20 percent chromium plus 8-12 percent nickel, both highly corrosion-resistant materials. It should contain no more than about 0.08 percent carbon, 2 percent manganese and 1 percent silicon. So long as these materials are totally blended to form an alloy, the steel will be “stainless,” corrosion-resistant. The challenge comes when the material is heated to very high temperatures during the welding process. If the stainless steel is exposed to the air (both the nitrogen and the oxygen in the air are harmful) during the welding process, some of the materials will disassociate, leaving areas that are no longer corrosionresistant. The finished weld may be structurally sound and of excellent appearance; however, after a short exposure to the marine environment, rust lines will appear and in time the joint may fail. Doug Embree’s skill in welding stainless steel and the training of his welders reflects his years of work in the commercial nuclear power industry. The corrosion problem is dealt with by excluding air from the area being welded with the use of a tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding machine. A continuous supply of inert gas, in this case, argon, is delivered to the tip of the tungsten welding electrode, immersing the weld area and excluding all the air. The filler metal required to complete the welds is supplied in the form of a 316 stainless steel wire. The materials consumed in the welding process, the tungsten electrode, the 316 wire and the argon gas, account for a substantial part of shop overhead cost. Building stainless steel sculptures requires a great deal beyond the mechanical cutting and welding of lengths of tubing and mounting pads and plates. It requires artistic judgment to create the complex bends required for most of the structures Embree builds. We saw an impressive example in the handrail for a large circular stairway being built for a Gulf-front home. This work is done primarily by hand, aided by some basic hydraulic-powered bending tools. The ability of the craftsmen was obvious in the various pieces of work in process in the shop. A great deal of patient work remains to be done after the welds have been made and checked for mechanical
integrity. Regardless of how carefully the weld is done, the appearance of the joint won’t pass muster for use on a yacht. The weld area must be worked to remove any extraneous metal and subsequently polished to a mirror finish that matches the fine polish of the tubing as received from the mill. The polishing process begins with use of 100-grit sanding disks and progresses through 150, 220 and 320 grit followed by polishing with a sisal wheel impregnated with polishing rouge containing a rust inhibitor. The result is a mirror-like finish with only minimal evidence of the welds. Our new, finely polished pulpit was fitted on the bow of the Bonne Étoile, the wiring to the combination bow light connected and checked, and the six mounting bases secured to the cap rail and bow platform. It shone brightly, making the remainder of this almost 24-year-old and well-traveled boat look a bit shabby. We took comfort in the fact that after a few weeks’ exposure to wind, waves and sun, this new piece of nautical sculpture would fit right in with the rest of the boat, looking purposeful and intent to serve its purpose. Some boatowners polish; we prefer to spend our time sailing. Don’t do as I did and try to use your bow pulpit as a fender. It won’t work and replacing it with a new work of art of appropriate quality will create a substantial cavity in your wallet. But, if you must invent a new sculpture, you will at least be prepared for the experience.
News & Views for Southern Sailors
SOUTHWINDS
September 2006
33
ANCHORING
IN THE
BAHAMAS:
Techniques to Make Your Anchoring Safe & Comfortable By Kimberly Grant
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e’ve all gone through it, the learning curve that comes with a new skill. And just when you think you’ve got it down, something comes along and gives you a lesson in humility. Well—anchoring is one of those skills, and it doesn’t seem to matter how much you’ve done it, there will always be a situation where you learn something new. After cruising in a shoal keel monohull, we bought a catamaran, and I remember being on the verge of tears the first time we anchored in a place with both poor holding and strong current. Fortunately, since then I have become reasonably proficient with anchoring our boat in the Bahamas but have watched countless others repeat some of these same frustrating—and sometimes dangerous—mistakes. There are several factors which make anchoring in the Bahamas different from Florida. The bottom type is more varied, and there are many situations where current has a bearing on your technique and comfort level, but the best difference is that you can see the bottom, so diving your hook means you know it’s well set. Being so close to Florida, many boaters assume that— as in the Intracoastal Waterway—you drop the hook, back down on it and you’re set. In many places, this is the case, but there are numerous anchorages in the Bahamas where
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more complex anchoring skills are needed because of differences, especially in holding and current. Add to these the weather changes in the Bahamas. And quite frankly, there’s nothing better for ruining a good night’s rest than an anchoring problem. So, in order to assure a good night’s sleep—as well as the safety of your vessel and its crew—it is important to have a good understanding of anchoring in
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Boats anchored in deep water surrounded by shallow water.
whatever situation you find yourself. Here is a primer on techniques that have been gleaned over years of cruising in the Bahamas, which should help you avoid the pitfalls associated with re-inventing this wheel. Evaluate the Overall Picture Ground tackle aside, there are three things to think about when anchoring. First, evaluate the overall picture. Look at the charts and decide which locations will give you the best protection for the forecasted weather conditions. Second, you want to look at the specifics of the locale once you get into the area. Finally, once your anchor is set, you might need to fine-tune for things you didn’t notice earlier. When considering the overall picture, you should look
News & Views for Southern Sailors
carefully at the chart and what the guide says. The cruising guides might point out swell or excessive boat traffic that aren’t obvious on the chart. Don’t assume because there is an anchor on the chart that it is the best spot for your boat in the present conditions. Really study the chart and consider both the land for its afforded protection, as well as what exposure the sea will present. If there’s a cut nearby, it could send you swinging when the tide changes, or if there are shallows, you could swing and be on the bottom at low tide. Finally be aware of the weather forecast; what starts out as a windward shore can turn into a lee shore if a cold front comes through and the wind clocks. Once you’ve chosen the approximate area and are looking for a spot to drop the hook, you have much more infor-
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CRUISING THE BAHAMAS mation than what’s on the chart and guides. Observe the wind and current conditions. Check the bottom, looking for clues that might not be obvious on the charts. If there are boats anchored, see how they are laying to the wind. Look at the water surface and see if there are indications of current running against the wind, or swell wrapping in. Don’t assume that just because someone’s anchored nearby that it’s the best place for you too. We like to anchor close to shore for calmer water, less scope and a shorter dinghy trip, but sometimes close to land you get a surge that is less pronounced farther out, and on calm days the bugs will surely let you know if you are too close. Where current is a factor, there are two things which will affect how you lie at anchor; the wind and your keel. The deeper draft and more full your keel, the more the current will impact. Conversely, the shallower your draft and smaller your keel, the more effect the wind will play on how you lay. These factors need to be considered when you choose your anchoring location, where you drop your hook relative to other boats and which anchor configuration you choose to use. Choose the Best Technique Once you have determined the location for your anchorage, then you have to decide what technique is best for the situation. For areas where there is strong current—which is a good portion of the Bahamas and all of the Exumas—there is a technique commonly used called a Bahamian moor. This technique is imperative in tight anchorages and less so if there is plenty of swinging room and good holding. The idea is that the boat stays in essentially the same place, pivoting on the bow as the current ebbs and floods. It requires using two anchors set at 180 degrees to each other, with the boat’s bow pivoting in the middle (see diagram). While the diagrams for this technique show the anchors both taut, in fact there needs to be enough slack so the keel and rudder clear the second rode when the boat swings. The easiest way to set this is to set your first anchor, drop back twice the length of your desired scope, drop the second anchor, then pull forward on the first until you are in the middle. This is much easier said than done, and often it is more agreeable to set the second hook with a dinghy. The trick is setting the first anchor in the right place so that you sit a safe and comfortable distance from your neighbor, as well as allowing adequate scope and having the second anchor well set so that it doesn’t drag when you swing onto it. The actual set-
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SOUTHWINDS
ting of this system is often the cause of much heated debate, sometimes resulting in entertainment for the neighbors. A second technique that is beneficial to know in the Bahamas in anchorages where the swell sets you rolling beam-to-beam is called a swell bridle. This system allows you to turn the boat so that it rides bow into the swell, which can be a tremendous relief from the side-to-side roll. To set a swell bridle you add a second line to the anchor chain, about 15 feet from the anchor and then fasten the line to a stern cleat adjusting the length so the boat turns bow to the swell. We have used this technique countless times, and it is the best way to turn a swelly anchorage into a tenable one. Fine-Tune Finally, once you’ve picked your spot and your anchor is set, you may need to fine-tune things. Keep an eye on things as the tide changes and watch your location relative to your neighbors. If things don’t feel quite right, make adjustments so that you are sure in your position. If you think you’re not in a good spot, move, or if your hook isn’t in good holding, reset it. Remember that resetting the hook at three in the afternoon—no matter how frustrating—is way more fun than at three in the morning. Fortunately, the majority of the anchorages in the Bahamas are not terrifically crowded, and it is not often that a Med moor or anchoring fore and aft is required because of limited space. The majority of the time we find a spot where we can swing comfortably on one hook with ample scope, but for those situations where one of these techniques is needed, it is comforting to know you can use them proficiently to assure that you are comfortable and your boat is secure. Kimberly Grant is a freelance photographer and travel writer. She has been cruising winters in the Bahamas, with her husband, aboard their catamaran, Nice-n-Easy, since 1996. They enjoy exploring the out-of-the-way places and meeting local characters. Her photography work can be seen at www.kgrantphoto.com. www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHEAST COAST RACING
continued from page 53
9-10 Blackbeard Regatta – Ensign, SJ21, Laser - BSC, New Bern, NC 16-17 J24 Weekend Regatta – J24 - ODC,Oriental, NC South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association, www.sayra-sailing.com 2-3 Labor Day Regatta – Open - Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, SC. 9 Mt Pleasant Youth Regatta – Opti, Sunfish, 420, Lasers – Hobcaw Yacht Club, Mt Pleasant, SC 9-10 Cat Fest , Catamarans, Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, SC 9-10 Scott & Rocks – Flying Scots, Lightnings – Lake Murray Sailing Club, Columbia, SC. 9-10 All Island Regatta – Yacht Club of Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island, SC 16-17 Lighting Invitational – Lightings-Augusta Sailing Club, Augusta, GA 16-17 Leukemia Cup / Wassaw Cup – PHRF, Open - Savannah Yacht Club, Savannah, GA 22-23 10th Annual Charleston Leukemia Cup Regatta – PHRF, Open-Charleston, SC 23 Around Paris Island – Sunfish, Hobie - Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, Beaufort, SC 30-1 Southeast Opti Championship – Opti - Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, SC 30-1 Out Back Regatta – Open – Columbia Sailing Club – Columbia, SC 30-1 Laser States – Laser – Western Carolina Sailing Club, Anderson, SC OCTOBER Charleston Ocean Racing Association, www.charlestonoceanracing.org 1-7 Sunfish Worlds 21-22 Alice Cup 29 Witches Brew Lake Lanier, GA. www.lakeniersailing.com 6 - 8 BFSC Open Regatta, Barefoot Sailing Club 28-29 Halloween Regatta, Lake Lanier Sailing Club Long Bay Sailing Association www.longbaysailing.org 7 & 21 Fall Series 1 & 2, Little River Inlet, SC. Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org 7 Neuse Solo – PHRF, Ensign, J24, SJ21, Etchells – ODC, Oriental, NC 14-15 Pamlico Cup Hospice Regatta / ICRC – PSC, Bath, NC 14-15 Jacklass Regatta – Laser – MCBC, Merriman, NC 21-22 Ensign Invitational Regatta – Ensign – ODC, Oriental, NC. 28 Halloween/Winter Series – PHRF – NYRA, New Bern, NC. South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association, www.sayra-sailing.com 6-8 Sea Dog Barefoot Open – Open – Blackbeard Sailing Club, New Bern, NC 7-8 High School Regatta – 420 – Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC 7-8 Pursuit of the Cure Regatta – PHRF – Outrigger Yacht Club, Huntersville, NC 7-8 Octoberfest Regatta – Open – Geechee Sailing Club, Thunderbolt, GA 13-15 Halloween Regatta – Open – Augusta Sailing Club, Augusta, GA 14-15 Highlander Pipe Regatta – Highlander – Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC 14-15 Lightning Atlanta Cup – Lightning – Lake Lanier Sailing Club, Flowery Branch, GA 14-15 Old Salty Regatta – Thistles – Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC 14-15 Atlanta Classic Sailboard Championship – Open – Lake Lanier Sailing Club, Flowery Branch, GA 21-22 Hospice of the Upstate – Open – Western Carolina Sailing Club, Anderson, SC 25-29 MC Nationals, MCs, Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC 28 Spook Regatta – Pursuit – Lake Townsend Yacht Club, Greensboro, NC 28 Stede Bonnet – PHRF – Cape Fear Yacht Club, Southport, NC 28-29 Carolina Ocean Challenge – PHRF, J105, Harbor 20 – South Carolina Yacht Club, Hilton Head Island, SC 28-29 Holloween Regatta – Snipes, Atlanta Yacht Club, Acworth, GA 28-29 Turkey Shoot, Open, Keowee Sailing Club, North Seneca, SC News & Views for Southern Sailors
SOUTHWINDS September 2006
37
Youth Sailing at Halifax Sailing Center By Roy Laughlin
R
umors of sailing at a sailing center in Daytona Beach have circulated outside that town for several years among the beach cat crowd. Those rumors would have been substantiated much earlier if even locals could explain how to find the center to someone unfamiliar with ancestral trails in downtown Daytona Beach. Locals can get a visitor to within a thousand feet, and then he has to find an anony-
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mous dirt road running between a ball field and the sewage treatment plant. The dirt road dead-ends at the Halifax Sailing Center. It’s like the back side of the moon: a place rarely seen but well worth the effort to look. The center is more or less an acre with catamarans, sailing dinghies, an open pavilion, dock, ramp and a long sandy beach on the Intracoastal Waterway. It is minimally
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Two young sailors on the water at the Halifax Sailing Center. Photo by Roy Laughlin.
contrived and maximally useful. It’s a refreshing change from the edifice complex infecting other places to the point that facilities are ‘‘improved’’ until they’re no longer useful. The aroma of “s’mores” was the first evidence of children in the vicinity. It was afternoon break, and one of the mothers was preparing s’mores in a toaster oven: fuel to keep the sailors going for the next few hours, including a couple of hours to be spent participating in the Thursday evening club races. The second sign of kids was the line of Optimist prams and Sunfish neatly and competently lined up along the beach. And finally, it becomes apparent that the sailors on the water are all small body editions of their parents, some of whom are at the center helping Dan Meddis, the instructor. The youth program at Halifax Sailing Center is just four years old and is growing each year. In 2006, the club purchased 10 Optimist prams for its youth sailing program. Along with the Sunfish, these are the basis of the center’s youth program efforts. Acquiring new sailing dinghies is just one component of an increasingly organized youth sailing program, according to Christopher Baker, Halifax Sailing Center’s vice commodore of events. In 2006, the center offered two components in its youth program. The first was a weeklong camp followed by a two-week racing class for 9- to 15-year-olds. The camp is loosely structured, with sailing a centerpiece of a week of on-the-water recreation that includes swimming and, of course, the s’mores. Camp includes learning racing rules and is effective enough that camp kids race the Thursday evening club races if they wish. The two-week racing class follows the “camp.” Sailing center organizers expected that most of the camp participants would follow into the racing classes, although continuation from camp to the racing classes is not required. (And camp is not a prerequisite for the racing classes.) They found that the young sailors were much more enthusiastic about the camp than racing classes. Next year, according to Baker, they’ll have more camps and fewer racing classes. It is tempting to speculate why racing classes would be less popular than camp. But it was obvious on the day of News & Views for Southern Sailors
this writer’s visit to the camp session, that there just wasn’t anything that could be done better at camp, from the active involvement of numerous parent volunteers to the constant effort of the sailing instructor, Dan Meddis. Let’s not forget the s’mores, either. On Thursday evenings, adults show up for the evening small-boat races. Although these adults may hide their faces behind s’mores and the same expressions of ecstasy while sailing as the kids, you can tell they’ll be acting like adults after the next sunrise because they’re bigger than the kids. During the races, everyone is a kid having a good time. If Thursdays only lasted for seven days and it was summer all year long… Facilities at the Halifax Sailing Center are deceptively modest. Activity looks so much like kids hanging out anywhere the water is cool during a hot summer. Sailing, however, teaches them a skill engaging both body and mind. It gives a taste of responsible independence. If they make a mistake, the wind invariably deprives the undisciplined of the desired outcome. The wind benevolently continues to blow, however, encouraging the chance to try again. Sailing experience becomes a key to understanding life experience. You might not expect to find that at the end of a dirt road until you find the Halifax Sailing Center. For more information about the center and its program, please see www.halifaxsailing.org. Contact names and phone number are listed on that Web page.
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39
OLD FLORIDA
Ol’ Florida vs. New Florida By Ina Moody
Little Harbor is on the east side of Tampa Bay.
W
left Marina Jacks, and headed north. A brisk westerly filled hether under sail or power, boating on Florida’s our sails, which sent us flying up Sarasota Bay, arriving at west coast offers a veritable smorgasbord of Cortez Bridge only a few minutes too late for the noon places to dock and explore, although it appears as opening. With a 20-minute wait, we decided to make a fuel if more and more of the quaint, little marinas and fishing stop at Cortez Fishing Center, which is located at the southvillages are giving way to either condominiums or firsteast end of the bridge. class resorts. Therefore, after spending a week at Marina In our book, this little marina also qualifies for the defJacks in downtown Sarasota, we decided we were ready for inition “Ol’ Florida.” Across the road from the Seafood a taste of the “Ol’ Florida.” Shack, it’s an overTwenty years ago, sized bait house with before we traded up a handful of small to our present Morgan boats, rental and oth33 OI, Eclipse, we erwise. Cortez Fishowned a Pearson 26, ing Village and the which we kept at beaches of Anna Bahia Beach Marina Maria Island are in Tampa Bay. We within walking disliked it there. The tance. Unfortunately, marina had covered at least, on this trip, and open slips, a Cortez Fishing Center boatyard where you lacked the “Ol’ could work on your Florida” hospitality own boat, and it we expected. There offered protection was no one to help against hurricanes, as us tie up. The speakit was nestled in the er that used to be by mangroves at the end the fuel tanks was of a long canal with gone, and between two 90-degree turns. trotting back and On days when you forth on the long didn’t take your boat pier, first to get the out, you could go to Cortez Fishing Center, a bit of Ol ’Florida. Photo by Steve Morrell. fuel turned on—and eat at one of two a second time to retrieve our credit card that the woman at places. Going upscale meant going to Bahia Beach Motel the bait house insisted on keeping while we fueled up—we where the restaurant’s entire ceiling was covered with life missed the next bridge opening. But it didn’t deter us. Maybe rings with boat names from past visitors; the food was it was an off day for the Fishing Center, and we still had excellent and the view over the bay was spectacular. But for Bahia Beach to look forward to. It would be like coming local flavor and real fun, you’d go to Cedar Grove, which home after a long absence. was an old ramshackle tavern next to a bait house on a rickCortez Bridge and Anna Maria Island Bridge are timed ety old pier. The tavern looked as if it was ready to fall into pretty well so if you make one, you make the other, and the water, but the sign over the door proclaimed “DON’T once we cleared ICW marker 68, we turned eastward under JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.” It was owned by a retired the beautiful Sunshine Skyway Bridge and into Tampa Bay vaudeville family, and on nights when the place was rockwith its miles of shoreline and many inviting anchorages. ing, you’d be royally entertained by a four to five piece We ignored the Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort on the east band whose members knew all the old sing-alongs and side of the northern end of the Skyway, and we ignored could play all the instruments well, and without amplificaShell Point Marina on the west side of the bay, at the mouth tion (not that they needed any). of Little Manatee River. We were going to Bahia Beach It was with these kinds of nostalgic memories that we 40
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The view overlooking Tampa Bay from the bar at Little Harbor. Photo by Ina Moody.
Marina for a bit of nostalgia. We were in for a surprise. What a difference 20 years can make! In the old days, we’d look for the opening in the mangroves just north of the beach in front of the motel’s flat-roofed restaurant. What we saw on this trip was an actual “skyline” of numerous condos, mostly two to three stories. And, to the immediate south of the restaurant, we saw construction cranes hovering over what looked like five- to six-story buildings. We almost missed the good Ol’ No.1 dolphin that marked the entrance to the Bahia Beach channel, because of numerous other day markers that indicated a new channel had been dug to another marina that had been built to the immediate south of the beach. At this point we had already learned from a friendly Sea Tow operator that Bahia Beach Marina no longer answers the radio under that name. Its new name is Little Harbor, and once we arrived, we agreed that it was an appropriate name for a place that boasted deep-water access, 300 wet slips, 200 high-and-dry slips, on-site fuel dock, bait and tackle store, fully stocked ship’s store, boat ramp launch and boat trailer parking. As transients, we were required to show proof of our marine insurance before they’d assign us a slip. Since we hadn’t brought along the proper papers, we went back up the channel to the motel dock—that no longer is Bahia Beach Motel—but The Resort & Club at Little Harbor. Here, however, we found some Ol’ southern hospitality in Stu Gibson, dockmaster at Little Harbor Resort. He was friendly and efficient and quickly allocated a slip for us, met us dockside and helped us tie up, whereupon he sent us to the lobby to register. From then on, the good times began rolling although nothing was like we remembered. The whole place had been transformed, inside-out. The entrance to the lobby was graced with a landscaped herring-boned brick-paved entry, and everywhere was lush greenery reflecting the image of the new slogan “Caribbean-style, island resort on Tampa Bay.” After registering and cleaning up, we went to the restaurant. Here, too, the only thing we recognized was the magnificent view over the bay. The renovated restaurant sported an unbelievable buffet, and there was a new, expanded patio where we enjoyed drinks with a respectable amount of liquor in them. The evening breeze was refreshing, and the sunset was as magnificent as ever. The food was as good as we remembered, although it too had been updated with plenty of decorative touches and leaning News & Views for Southern Sailors
more toward an island menu than old-timey cracker fare. After our experience at Cortez Fishing Center, and our disappointment over not finding the “Ol’ Florida” we had been looking for, and learning that nobody around had even heard of Cedar Grove Tavern, we accepted that time changes everything, and if there must be a change, then Little Harbor Resort showed us that change can be for the better. Nevertheless, that night, after the calypso beat from the patio bar had died down, we sat in the cockpit, enjoying the starlit sky. Looking into the dark shadows of the mangroves, we thought, for a brief moment, that we could hear the sing-alongs from Cedar Grove Tavern, but it was only the breeze whispering echoes of a bygone era.
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PHRF RACING TIPS
Light Air Racing, Successfully Enduring Drifters By Dave Ellis
L
ike it or not, we sail in an area that is known for light air sailing events. How do we race our PRHF boats in the drifters we are likely to have? If there is smooth water with that very light air, forget the old adage about full sails for light air. Instead, upwind, make the mainsail rather flat, similar to heavy wind. The outhaul should be pulled almost tight. If you have a means to bend the mast with the backstay, do it. Pull the Cunningham, or pull the halyard tension, just enough to almost remove the wrinkles at the luff. You want the draft fairly far aft. The first part of the mainsail is messed up by the mast anyhow. Ideally the boom should be raised up just enough to allow the top batten to be parallel to the boom. The weight of the boom pulls down and closes off the top of the sail. Some boats have a vang that can push up as well as down; others tighten the topping lift to lift the boom a bit. You will have to let it off and re-tighten after each tack. Check the top full-length batten, if any, after each tack or jibe. As for the genny, if you have pre-bent your mast with
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the backstay, you will have a tight forestay. While this is not ideal, it seems to work best with those boats with a relatively larger mainsail than jib. It is unlikely that boats with a larger headsail than main would have an adjustable backstay anyhow. In either case, the foresail can be a little fuller than the main. Pull the halyard only enough to almost remove the wrinkles, but no more. In really light stuff and smooth water try moving the jib fairlead back, yes back, an inch or two. It seems that there may not be any wind at all at the bottom of the sail so you want that area flat for no drag. But aloft you want the sail to twist off to match the mainsail. Don’t forget to move the jib fairleads forward of average when the wind picks up to 2 knots or so. Then you want the jib full and not cranked in very far. Unless you move the fairleads forward, the top of the sail will be luffing. Get the crew weight to the lee side of the boat. If the sails can fill from gravity, whatever wind there is can do its work instead of first filling the sail. Most boats are designed for a wind speed of between 8 and 12 knots. Below that and
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PHRF RACING TIPS
Light Air Racing, Successfully Enduring Drifters By Dave Ellis
L
ike it or not, we sail in an area that is known for light air sailing events. How do we race our PRHF boats in the drifters we are likely to have? If there is smooth water with that very light air, forget the old adage about full sails for light air. Instead, upwind, make the mainsail rather flat, similar to heavy wind. The outhaul should be pulled almost tight. If you have a means to bend the mast with the backstay, do it. Pull the Cunningham, or pull the halyard tension, just enough to almost remove the wrinkles at the luff. You want the draft fairly far aft. The first part of the mainsail is messed up by the mast anyhow. Ideally the boom should be raised up just enough to allow the top batten to be parallel to the boom. The weight of the boom pulls down and closes off the top of the sail. Some boats have a vang that can push up as well as down; others tighten the topping lift to lift the boom a bit. You will have to let it off and re-tighten after each tack. Check the top full-length batten, if any, after each tack or jibe. As for the genny, if you have pre-bent your mast with
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the backstay, you will have a tight forestay. While this is not ideal, it seems to work best with those boats with a relatively larger mainsail than jib. It is unlikely that boats with a larger headsail than main would have an adjustable backstay anyhow. In either case, the foresail can be a little fuller than the main. Pull the halyard only enough to almost remove the wrinkles, but no more. In really light stuff and smooth water try moving the jib fairlead back, yes back, an inch or two. It seems that there may not be any wind at all at the bottom of the sail so you want that area flat for no drag. But aloft you want the sail to twist off to match the mainsail. Don’t forget to move the jib fairleads forward of average when the wind picks up to 2 knots or so. Then you want the jib full and not cranked in very far. Unless you move the fairleads forward, the top of the sail will be luffing. Get the crew weight to the lee side of the boat. If the sails can fill from gravity, whatever wind there is can do its work instead of first filling the sail. Most boats are designed for a wind speed of between 8 and 12 knots. Below that and
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they tend to have a lee helm, especially with the biggest foresail in the inventory up in the front of the boat. Heeling induces a bit of weather helm to balance that tendency. You will not be able to point very high. The sails may look okay, but if the keel is not going through the water, you will have more leeway than if you cracked off a few degrees. Most boats have less wetted surface, hence drag, if crew weight is also put forward, depressing the skinny bow and getting the aft sections out of the water. Especially if there are waves during drifters that move the top of the mast fore and aft, forget the adage about keeping crew weight together. Instead, spread the weight apart, keeping the forward and lee side weight in mind. At those slow wind speeds, the moving of the rig and sails is more damaging than the boat’s bumping the swells. You can’t go unless the sails push you. Spreading the weight inhibits the boat from bobbing fore and aft. On reaches, go ahead and give your sails some shape by straightening the mast, letting off the Cunningham or halyard, letting the jib halyard off a touch. It is especially important to lift the boom on reaches. The genny takes care of itself, especially if you can lead it out to the edge of the deck. If you are using a spinnaker, drop the pole down to match where the luff wants it to be. It will be lower than any
News & Views for Southern Sailors
normal breeze. Pull it back up in puffs and down in the really light stuff. Otherwise the sail won’t fly. If you are using the ‘chute, douse the foresail in light air. Don’t forget to trim the main. It is still a big sail, even with the spinnaker up. On a spinnaker reach you will have to pull the boom in farther than you think. With a spinnaker that only goes up the mast part way, twist the mainsail out markedly above the head of the ‘chute. You will have to do this with the vang or topping lift trick. Again, don’t forget the topping lift and top batten when you jibe. More important than any of this go-fast stuff is going where the wind is blowing. A 2-knot puff will increase your speed and momentum over a drifting boat enough to give a huge lead. Keep your eyes open for wind coming down the course. If you are drifting upwind and get a header, chances are it would be best NOT to tack. It is likely either a place with no wind at all, or a puff ahead and you are in the outfall of it. Keep going. Unless you need to meet a puff, tack as seldom as possible. Generally, stay out of the middle of a racecourse and out of the middle of a lake. There is usually better breeze at the edges. Now, you get to pick which edge.
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That Tropical Tango — Regatta Time in Abaco, July 3-11 By Rebecca Burg
A dramatic start in the cruising fleet sure looks like a feeding frenzy of some sort.
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ursing a frosty drink while sitting on powdery sand under the shade of a coconut palm isn’t a bad way to begin a sailing regatta. On July 3, cruising families, race crews and locals gathered on a deserted isle for the much anticipated Fiddle Cay Cheeseburger in Paradise pre-race beach party. Jimmy Buffett tunes set the sea-breezy mood while cheeseburgers, margaritas and other refreshments were served. It’s an ideal way to kick off the popular sailing extravaganza, Regatta Time in Abaco. Celebrating its 31st year, Regatta Time is an annual tradition that offers nine days of thrilling competition and party scenes while encouraging a supportive, flotilla-like tour along the Bahamian out islands in the sheltered Abaco Sea. Part of the event’s appeal is that its friendly, yet professional structure accommodates serious racers as well as the fully loaded cruiser who normally doesn’t race. Many boaters, both trawler and sail, are delighted to tag along just for the social opportunity. This year’s Abaconian adventure once again lived up to its famed reputation.
July 4, Race One Six fleets paced near the committee boat, each group waiting for its turn to start. Shuffling behind the gate, the spinnaker boats flexed their sails and sized up potential rivals. The horn sounded. To the tune of shouted commands and snapping Kevlar, a solid wave of bouncing bows sprinted over the start. The heat was on. After all six fleets started and spread over the sea, the prevailing 10-15 knot southeasterlies dropped to 9 knots. In the PHRF fleet, Tim Leonard’s Meantime lost footing and shadowed St. Clair, Rick Hall’s slippery Cal 29. Clair managed to keep Meantime at bay while dogging Balamena II, Peter Christie’s Nassau entry. Fleet leaders, Ken King’s 38-foot Sabre, Quintette, and Jim Miller’s Sea Turtle promptly established a close rivalry. These two often scuffled around the marks, pilfering each other’s wind while trying to induce unwanted tacks. Finishing 21 seconds apart on corrected time, Sea Turtle ended up in first with Quintette in close second. “You’ve got to expect some tough competition,” says Quintette’s Ken King. King and his crew hail from Charleston, SC. Armed with sailing aces like Stuart Walker, Frickie Martschink and 12-year-old Ford Law, Quintette is one of those tough competitors. Even the leisurely cruisers were drawn into the thrill of the chase. “We were playing Mi Amore’s game,” says Jim Harrison, crewing on Defiant in the E-fleet. “And we were
The famous Cheeseburger in Paradise pre-race beach party.
losing!” Harrison, new Lay day, July 5 to the regatta and at The great flock of first reluctant to race, anchored sailboats sat was hooked. “So we still while a pastel sun played our own game rose over the glassy bay. and I think we won,” he Not even a halyard says with a grin. dared to clink. The floralJoe Tosta’s Florida scented breeze curled entry, Mi Amore, crossed through open hatches, the finish line first but and a wild pair of parplaced second on corrots squawked at the rected time. Tosta has new day. Boats began to been racing his classy Oliver Liddell’s Blue Moon earns first overall in the RTIA fleet migrate to Great Guana 37-footer in Abaco since the mid 1980s. Cay for a sunny afternoon Mount Gay Rum party at the Olympic medalist Randy Smyth was behind the conBlue Water Grill. trols of the Corsair 28, Rocketeer II. Campaigned by Kenny Winters in a variety of prestigious regattas, this tri-hulled Back Up and Racing, July 6 action figure took first place with ace tri’ jockey Glenn By July 6, sailors hit the water running. Today’s race was a Howell sailing Meltemi fast on Smyth’s heels. weather variety show from drizzle to sun and strong wind Another frequent flier with a long trophy shelf, Bob to none. “We’re calling this new sail the Eclipse!” joked Harkrider’s Bad Boys, was caught by a pocket of light air Bobby, Abaco Rage’s bowman. The old sail, a massive trianand lost valuable seconds. The regatta’s intrigue is not only gle of baggy cotton canvas, was known as the ‘Cloud.’ the quality competition, but the challenges from unpreThese terms are quite fitting. Abaco Rage, the 28-foot wooddictable conditions. Current, shifty winds, summer sprinen Bahamian sloop with a 65-foot mast, has been busy winkles, island obstacle courses and waves are all thrown into ning national regattas. In race one, Rage took an easy first. this wild, tropical thrill ride. That afternoon, the awards “Again, we had good, close racing,” said Carl Wehe of party gathered at Green Turtle Cay’s Settlement Point with Glory Daze in the D-fleet. Daze, enjoying its second Regatta, refreshments by Bristol Cellars and Bluff House. was known as the honeymoon boat with two newlywed
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RACING Mt. Gay Rum providing cold drinks and valuable giveaways.
Tanglefoot wins the “Man-O-War” race, PHRF fleet
The final awards party at Snappa’s, Marsh Harbour
couples onboard. “There are at least five of us who are sailing tight together,” Wehe says. Mark Webb’s blue Oceanis, Sponge Cake, ended up taking first place with Glory Daze in second. Dana Hunter’s C&C, Blue Sky, placed third with Abaco Rage literally limping in behind. With a firecracker-like bang, Rage had lost a stay and was forced to slow down. After the race, as Abaco Rage was being rafted to her mother ship, the 64-foot powerboat Nomad, a squall passed through the area. Taken by surprise, Nomad was caught in a lee and driven ashore. Rage was helplessly sandwiched between her 60,000pound mother ship and the shoreline. Bystanders feared the worst. “The 46
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Rage!” came a saddened voice over the VHF. “She is crushed...” As sailors convened at that night’s party in Nippers on Guana Cay, they heard the news. Abaco Rage, a cherished cultural icon, did not die. Rig intact and still able to float, the sturdy sloop only suffered a few cracked ribs and some gouges in the hull. Out of the race, Rage would be hauled for repairs. To the disappointment of the E-fleet, Joe’s Mi Amore also had to drop out after the squall had damaged her bowsprit. Second Lay Day, July 7 On July 7th’s lay day, sailors met for a party at Curly Tails restaurant in Marsh Harbour with Corona Beer and
Tricky Wind Day, July 8 July 8th’s race saw trick winds near 10-15 knots. With more tight, hisbow-almost-touched-my-bow acrobatics, D-fleet’s Glory Daze earns a first and pushes Sponge Cake into second place. Playing the windshifts, Mike Kramer’s crafty Nonsuch 33, Backdraft, sees a quick rise in ranks and takes third after intercepting Blue Sky with seconds to spare. It was an all-out battle of the Beneteaus as Richard sails Annie’s Revision into first in the C-fleet after relentlessly stalking Ladd’s California entry, Blue, which dropped to second. Dominant in race two, Blue had earned first place over Frank Brown’s Dragon Fly, the largest Beneteau in the fleet. Michael’s Sweden 37, Susimi, had earned first place in race one and ended up in third today after eluding David’s powerful 44-footer, Les Cheneaux. With such close competition, it wasn’t easy to defend one’s rank. In the PHRF fleet, Andrew Wilhoyte took his 35-foot Morgan, Tanglefoot, to the top with Mike Stocker’s San Juan, Eagle 1, in second. That afternoon, crews unwound at the race party in Snappa’s restaurant with Yellow Air Taxi sponsoring the fun. Independence Day, July 10 With their rock solid rivalry in the Efleet, Bill Robinson’s Defiant, out of Key West, couldn’t help but taunt William Powell’s Running Free like the proverbial schoolyard bully. Flicking her sails, the Morgan slowly swaggered around the drifting Pearson’s nose. Running Free hastily unfurled a headsail and pursued her rival. Through the week, these two swapped ranks with regularity. Today’s race began with a 12-knot wind, which faded mid-course. All fleets slowed, even the trimarans. Peter Korous’ 35-foot Pearson, Caper, mizzen sail askew, began drifting in a circle while the crew grabbed a few rods and went fishing. “Muchacha, you’re heading in the wrong direction,” joked a rival boat on the VHF. “I’m trying a new strategy,” said David Porter on the Bristol Muchacha. Chrissy on Keweloa donned swim fins, www.southwindsmagazine.com
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RACE ABACO hung off the boat’s stern platform and kicked. Keweloa remained on course. Finally, the balmy trade winds returned, and sailors got back to business. In the RTIA fleet, Michael Catalano brought the Melges 24, Moving Party IV, into another first place just seconds over Oliver Liddell’s big Beneteau, Blue Moon. So far in a tie with Party, Blue Moon also has two first-place wins for the week. One more race will determine who the fleet’s grandmaster will be. Stuck in the middle, David Behney’s Xtreme and Jon Charlton’s Papa Jack vied to blow the curve. Hope Town Harbour Lodge hosted that night’s race party. Fireworks and revelry provided a festive flair as Bahamians celebrated their 33rd Independence Day. Final Race Day, July 11 The final race in the series greeted sailors with sunshine and a firm 15-knot breeze. The first to hit the finish, Blue Moon calmly strode over the line and earned first overall in the RTIA fleet. In the multihull division, Rocketeer II won five out of five races. Garland Luhring’s Sticky Tongue was able to play keep-away with Nalu and took a fast third with Bad Boys in second. Colin Whittaker’s Sempre Amantes had won first in C-fleet with Blue sliding into second place for the day. Despite best efforts in the D-fleet, Backdraft hit second after surrendering to Sponge Cake, which won another first. First-place winner in E-fleet, Running Free started and remained ahead of Defiant, which fumbled and tripped over
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its own sheets. New Zealanders Dave and Chrissy Harrod of Keweloa were also thrilled to cross the line ahead of the Morgan Out Island and give their friendly competitors the “Abaco salute.” An experienced cruiser, but a new face in the regatta, Dave has never tried to race his boat, a Hunter Passage, before. “It’s absolutely exciting!” Dave says. “We kept getting better and better in each race. I just wish we had a few more days.” Balamena II won first place today with Sea Turtle in second followed by Quintette. Earning the best overall score for the PHRF fleet, Sea Turtle reigns. “We just keep going,” Turtle crewmembers Walt and Amy both say when asked about their team’s success. This isn’t the first time that this boat stole the show. “Don’t give up and don’t get discouraged when something goes wrong,” Amy adds. In one race, when the wind tore Turtle’s chute, the crew kept on sailing without it. The final awards party with Continental’s airline ticket raffle took place at Snappas in Marsh Harbour. Everyone had something to take home after several days of trophies, prizes, party favors and great memories. Once again, more cruisers found that they’re part of the adventure when they were able to answer an unusual question sometimes posed by fellow travelers. (Of course, the answer to the question can be discovered at the next Regatta Time.) The question is, are you a turtle? For more photos and results, see www.artoffshore.com and www.rtia.net.
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RACING ACE ABACO Women’s Trilogy – Fast Women, Bikini & Race for the Roses Regatta By Kim Kaminski, Captain on Polish Navy, winner of the Women’s Trilogy
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hree different women’s competitions make July a special time of the year for women sailors along the northern Gulf coast. Crews also seek to win the Overall Women’s Trilogy Trophy – the Triple Crown award for the best all-female team competing in all three events. For the past two years, Elaine Boos and crew from New Orleans have been the defending Trilogy champions. Last year— six days before Hurricane Katrina hit—Elaine brought the perpetual award home to New Orleans to display at the Southern Yacht Club, which was destroyed during the storm. Many of the trophies, pictures and paraphernalia from the past were destroyed. After the storm, Elaine and her husband George rummaged through the club debris, found the tro- Crewmembers on the Spinnaker A Class boat Forerunner prepare to drop sails phy and had it restored. She proudly brought the during the final race in the Women’s Trilogy series. Forerunner took second place rebuilt trophy back to this year’s competition. during this year’s Race for the Roses. Photo by Dan Owczarczak.
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RACING 15th Annual Fast Women Regatta, Point Yacht Club, Josephine, AL, July 14
Unstable for her perseverance as the last boat to finish the race. A box was also given to Belinda Gobeli and crew on Jes-Be-N-Me, who earned second to last place.
This first race in the series offers a special award for the first-time 19th Annual Race For female skipper in a competition, The Roses, Pensacola although this year, no one participated in this category. Beach Yacht Club, Six boats (two spinnakers and Pensacola Beach,FL, four non-spinnakers) entered the Crewmembers from Polish Navy were all smiles winning the Women’s Trilogy Trophy. Pictured left to right: July 29 race, which was held on Perdido Bay on a triangle course with one- Kim Kaminski, skipper, Brett Holk, Trilogy Trophy pre- The final race in the series has the senter, Pat Cornish and her daughter Kelly Wilcox. distinction of being the first allmile legs. The winds blew steadily Photo by Joy Kaminski. female PHRF sailing event in the out of the south for the start of the race, but throughout the day a thunderstorm north of the northern Gulf Coast. Three different windward/leeward area interfered with the winds, which shifted from the south courses for the Spinnaker class and one steeplechase race to the southeast and back to the southwest. Fortunately, the for the Non-Spinnaker class were set. The day began under moderate conditions (10-12 knots storm stayed to the north the entire day, making for a rainfree competition. Suzanne Riddle and her team on Mud Flap out of the southeast), promising a good day for sailing. Later, Girl took first place in the Spinnaker class. Julie Denton and the weather changed. In the middle of race #2 for the crew on Return to Tirhalle earned first in the Non-Spinnaker Spinnaker fleet and halfway through the Steeplechase race class. Beautiful, engraved pewter trays were presented to the for the Non-Spinnaker class, the winds were absorbed into a winners. The Best All-Female Team Perpetual Trophy was storm system that seemed to be developing toward the won by a mere .25 of a point with Polish Navy (Spinnaker northwestern part of Pensacola Bay. After a short period of time, the racers drifted about in a class) winning over Riptide (Non-Spinnaker class). building tidal current with little to no wind. The teams were barely rounding the marks of the course or using the tides to maneuver the boats around the course when an abrupt 18026th Annual Bikini Regatta, Navy degree strong wind shift hit the racers. Cool temperatures Yacht Club, Pensacola,FL, July 22 and a stiff 18-knot wind blazed in, leaving several teams The second race, the Bikini Regatta, is the oldest in the series. scrambling to douse their spinnakers and raise their headFifteen boats competed (nine spinnakers and six non-spin- sails in response to the sudden wind shift, while others, who nakers) with seven of the 15 teams racing all female (four were alert to the changing wind conditions, easily tackled spinnakers and three non-spinnakers). One of the non-spin- the strong breeze. The race committee shortened the course naker boats, Delphina, elected to kick off its only male due to the wind and because some teams still did not have crewmember prior to the race just to compete in the all- time to put up their headsails. They delayed the next race female category. The Bikini Regatta allows 50 percent of the until the winds dropped to a milder 7-9 knots. The only crew to be male. However, special recognition is given to the problem with delaying the final race was that halfway boat with an all-female team in conjunction with the through, the winds went light once again, forcing the race Women’s Trilogy requirements. committee to again shorten the course. Mother Nature also wanted to join in the excitement by The delays continued on shore due to a protest, the Nontantalizing the sailors with dark stormy clouds and gusty Spinnaker class being undecided. Finally, two-and-a-half winds prior to the race. Fleet Captain Stu Hamblin delayed hours late, the Spinnaker trophies were given out. The race the start as everyone waited to see if the storms in the west committee then continued with the protest proceedings and would interfere with the day’s events. After an hour-and-a- the Non-Spinnaker trophies were presented to only one comhalf delay, a windward/leeward course was set, and the race petitor: Julie Connerley and her team on Coquina, which after began. Shortly after the start, the winds died off, challenging an elapsed time of 6 hours and 20 minutes. the sailors to test their skills in the battle of light winds and Linda Thompson and her crew on Rum Aground earned strong tidal currents. Eventually, the sea breeze filled in, and first in Spinnaker A Class and also won the Overall Race for the the racers were able to complete the course. Roses Trophy. Suzanne Riddle and crew on Mud Flap Girl capLee Newkirk and the all-female crew on Sirocco earned tured first in the Spinnaker B and ended up second in the overfirst place in Spinnaker A. Kim Kaminski and her all-female all fleet. Ellen Hunt, Karen Kriegel and crew on Blind Reach team on Polish Navy earned first place in Spinnaker B. earned the Amanda Werner Spirit of Sailing Award (a special Jeannette Prochaska and her team on Tenacious earned first recognition memorial trophy given to the team that displays place in the Non-Spinnaker class. The best all-female trophy the essence of competition in the Race for the Roses event). was won by Sirocco, winning over Polish Navy by just 12 secThe Overall Women’s Trilogy Trophy went to Polish onds. Delphina earned best finish for all-female team in the Navy, skippered by Kim Kaminski with her all-female team Non-Spinnaker class. A special recognition award (a box of of Belinda Wing, Pat Cornish, Alexa Bestoso, Ellen Costigan, chocolate Turtles) went to Dianne Godwin and crew on Kelly Wilcox and Sue Stephenson. 50 September 2006
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Rum Aground and Coquina take honors at Race for the Roses By Julie B. Connerley, Captain on Coquina, first place in Non-Spinnaker
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BYC member Pandora de Balthazar, owner of Antique European Linens & Decadence Down, sponsored this year’s event for the second time. Her involvement began last year as a tribute to her late mother, who loved roses. Also, her former husband competed in the Finn Olympic class sailboat competition. “So I understand the importance of sponsorship, especially at a local level,” she explained. In 2004, pre-Hurricane Ivan, 28 boats competed. Last year, post-Hurricane Dennis (two weeks before the event), only five spinnakers and four non-spinnakers competed. For 2006, the number of competitors only slightly increased to 12—a harsh reminder that the effects of two back-to-back devastating hurricane seasons along the Gulf Coast will impact sailing activities for possibly several years. Ft. Walton Yacht Club, which has had representatives in the last two Roses regatta, sent two boats, Cantankerous and Rudder Madness. Eight spinnaker boats were divided into two classes and raced three windward-leeward courses totaling eight nautical miles. Early in the competition, a weather front came through, deteriorating wind conditions. Linda Thompson, skipper of Rum Aground, recalled, “The wind had died and we were just looking around, wondering where it was going to come from. Suddenly everyone on the boat felt the slightest bit of cold air on their noses and then the immediate smell of St. Regis Paper Company! We doused the spinnaker and put up the jib.” The wind went from zero to 20 knots in less than one minute, leaving all competitors scrambling to shorten sails. Twenty minutes later the front had passed and with it, the winds. Fortunately for the spinnaker boats, the race committee could easily shorten their course legs. Unfortunately, that was not the case for the four nonspinnaker boats. They were given an approximate 16 nautical mile “steeplechase” course around Pensacola Bay. After the front passed, with these changing winds, the non-spinnaker fleet was spread out along this long course. Eventually it was shortened, eliminating the last two marks, for a total distance of 13.7 nautical miles. Meanwhile, spinnaker boats finished their races well ahead of the non-spinnakers and headed back to the clubhouse. As the highest rated boat on the racecourse, the R/C later hailed Coquina to inquire if she was “still racing.” When told, indeed she was, the R/C advised her to take her own time at the finish line! Six and one-half hours after the race began, Coquina, alone on the bay, drifted across the finish line and called in her finish time. Unfortunately, the other three non-spinnaker boats, although finishing over an hour earlier, did not sail the proper course and were disqualified. Trophies have traditionally included roses and champagne. This year, baskets of perfumes donated by local department stores Belks, Dillard’s, and Parisians replaced News & Views for Southern Sailors
The crew of Coquina (from left to right): Debbie Griffin, Patsy Mellin, Sandra Hardin, Terry Osman and skipper/owner, Julie Connerley. Photo by Kim Connerley.
commemorative ceramic ware. In the spirit of sportsmanship, race organizers presented each of the disqualified non-spinnaker competitors with first, second, and third place perfume baskets. Coquina took home the roses and champagne and the skipper’s name will be engraved on the perpetual trophy residing at PBYC, along with the spinnaker fleet winner’s name.
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REGIONAL RACING RACING NEWS Limited Slip Availability Causes Premiere Racing to Announce Changes for Acura Miami Race Week Premiere Racing recently announced a change in venue for the Acura Miami Race Week in 2007. Because of problems resulting from the 2005 hurricane season, the Miami Beach Marina—the official race site—has faced a limited number of slips, restricting the amount made available to Premiere Racing for race week. Consequently, Premiere Racing has been forced to downsize on the number of events and will not be holding the multi-fleet ocean events as previously planned. The Farr 40s will still race as planned, and the event is now called 2007 Acura Miami Grand Prix. A second featured class will probably be the “big-boat” IRC class with numerous programs. Other classes, such as the Mumm 30, might still enter the program. In the two years that Premiere Racing has run the race week, they have brought it from a 58-boat event up to a 142boat event, consequently the squeeze on available slips. For the following year, in 2008, Premiere Racing will reevaluate its plans to again expand the venues as it seeks out more available slips. The Miami Beach Marina will remain the official site for the 2007 grand prix event. The Thursday to Sunday racing format will continue with regatta dates March 8-11. The “Acura Grand Prix Awards” will again be awarded to the combined winners of the Key West and Miami events for those applicable classes. Information and details on the 2007 Acura Miami Grand Prix will be posted on the Premiere Racing Web site, www.Premiere-Racing.com
Special Olympics Sailing Regatta, Lake Lanier, GA, Sept. 8-10
Area skippers are invited to participate in the annual open Sailing Regatta, benefiting Special Olympics Georgia on Lake Lanier September 8-10. Races will be Saturday and Sunday. There is a $250 donation-based entrance fee and the skipper who raises the most money wins a prize, which will be announced Saturday night. If you’re interested in sponsoring a skipper, please e-mail Jessica Bennett at Jessica.Bennett@SpecialOlympicsGA.org. For more information, visit www.SpecialOlympicsGA.org.
Fifth Annual Harkers Island Regatta, Beaufort, NC, July 22-23 “Not Your Ordinary Boat Race” By Rob Eberle
REGIONAL RACING Reports, News And Race Calendars
Regattas and Club Racing— Open to Everyone Wanting to Race
Sunfish sailors in the Harkers Island Regatta. Photo by Rob Eberle.
The races listed here are open to those who want to sail. No individual club membership is required, although a regional PHRF rating, or membership in US SAILING or membership in a regional sailing association is often required. (If individual club membership is required, please contact us and we will not list their races in the future.) For publishing of your event, questions and information, send us your race schedule by the 5th of the month to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Send in the name of the event, date, location, contacts (Web site, e-mail and/or phone), and, if you want a short description. Do not just send a link in to this information. Since race schedules and venues change, contact the sponsoring organization to confirm. For changes to be published, contact the editor. Changes can be put on our Web site, if possible.
The fifth annual Around Harkers Island Sunfish Race was held July 22-23 in a strong southwesterly breeze. With 17 boats, the local Sunfish fleet was joined by seasoned racers from Florida, South Carolina, New York and Washington, D.C. This popular event requires a unique combination of skills as sailors must circumnavigate Harkers Island through open water, travel under a narrow drawbridge and traverse shallow marsh waters—often by pulling their boats. Local Beaufort sailor John O’Connor took line honors for the second time in five years. After 10 miles of strenuous racing, O’Connor said, “This year’s race was very challenging with lower than normal water depths, currents running against wind direction and a stiff breeze gusting over 25 knots.” At the finish, O’Connor, taking first, barely beat out Nicholas Zahradka, another local Sunfish racer who sailed
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the other way around the island—an option for the race. The after-race party was hosted by Harkers Island residents George and Wendy Evans and MOBYC (My Own Bloody Yacht Club). Sunday brought light winds for the second day of the regatta and short-course racing around the buoys. Regatta sponsors were Eberle Marine Surveys, Prospective Technologies, Inc., and Beaufort’s Friends of the Museum. Contact Rob Eberle at eberlemarine@cox.net for information on next year’s regatta and other local Sunfish racing events, all of which are open to the public.
Pirates Take Over Jordan Lake: Jolly Jordan Optimist Regatta, Raleigh, NC, July 29 By John Norton Twenty-seven pirates ages 8-14 battled in the hot sun on July 29 to determine who would win the second annual Jolly Jordan Optimist Regatta, hosted by the Carolina Sailing Club and the Carolina Sailing Foundation. The Jolly Jordan Optimist regatta is a one-day regatta whose theme is always pirates. There is always entertainment planned in case the wind is light, or there are thunderstorms in the afternoon. This year the weather cooperated with a west-southwest wind at six 6 mph, gusting to 12 mph. There were four fleets sailing two different courses. The green beginners fleet was close to shore so Mom and Dad had a great view of the racing. The more experienced Red, White and Blue fleets sailed a longer course in the middle of the lake but were still visible from shore. The Carolina Sailing Club celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Each year it hosts the North Carolina Governor’s Cup and the Lightning Borderline Regatta along with many district and national events for Tanzers, Isotopes, Thistles, Lightnings and Flying Scots. The Carolina Sailing Foundation is a newly formed 501 C3 organization whose mission is to promote the sport of sailing with an emphasis on education. Further information about the Carolina Sailing Club or the Carolina Sailing Foundation is available at www.carolinasailingclub.com.
RACE CALENDAR SEPTEMBER Charleston Ocean Racing Association, www.charlestonoceanracing.org 1 Offshore Fall Race 16 Fall Ocean Race 23 Leukemia Cup 30 Fall Harbor Race Lake Lanier, GA. www.lakeniersailing.com 9 - 10 PHRF Championships, Lake Lanier Sailing Club 15 -17 SSC Special Olympics Regatta, Southern Sailing Club Long Bay Sailing Association www.longbaysailing.org 6-23 Summer series racing, Little River Inlet, SC. 15-18 Cape Fear Open, Cape Fear Yacht Club, Southport, NC. Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org 2-3 The Oar Race Regatta - PHRF – NYRA boty - FHYC, New Bern, NC. SEE SOUTHEAST COAST RACING CALENDAR ON PAGE 37 News & Views for Southern Sailors
EAST FLORIDA RACING 1st Annual St. Johns Optimist Regatta By Roy Laughlin Youth sailing programs include a schedule of regattas like the one initiated by Jacksonville’s Florida Yacht Club. This regatta welcomed 18 sailors, 6 to 18 years old. The roster of participating clubs, including the Florida Yacht Club, Epping Forest Yacht Club and the Halifax Sailing Association, gives a good idea of the extensive growth of youth sailing programs in east Florida.. This two-day regatta was held July 15-16 in the St. Johns River off the Florida Yacht Club. The course was an Olympic Course designed for the International Optimist Dinghy class. The final rankings follow: 1, Briana Miller, FYC (Florida Yacht Club); 2, Mike Pentereli, FYC; 3, Bennett Harell, FYC; 4, Kyle Rumfeldt, FYC; 5, Dlaney Caron, Halifax Sailing Association. The Florida Yacht Club organizers expect this event to grow next year. This year’s novice sailors will be racing in the Red, White and Blue fleets. At the rate youth sailing programs are expanding, there will be an ample number of new sailors in the Green fleet for the Yacht Club to continue this regatta until it becomes a tradition.
RACE CALENDAR SEPTEMBER – CENTRAL AND NE FLORIDA 1,8,22 Fall Rum Race. Melbourne Yacht Club 2 Herb Elphick Memorial race (Offshore Series #5) North Florida Cruising Club 2-3. Labor Day Regatta. Includes Hobie Fleet 111 catamaran regatta, formerly St. Augustine Summer Sizzler. Rudder Club 2-3 Labor Day Club Series. Lake Eustis Sailing Club. 2-4 Labor Day Cruise. East Coast Sailing Assoc–Cruising 3 Steak and Lobster Regatta. Port Canaveral Yacht Club 6,13,20,27 Wed Evening Fall Series. Indian River Yacht Club 9,23 Fall Series #1,#2. Rudder Club 10 Women’s Fall #3. ESCA-Women’s 16-17 Club Series. Lake Eustis Sailing Club. 16 Fall Race Series #1. ECSA 17 Summer Race Series #3. Indian River Yacht Club 23-24 Wildcat Regatta. Lake Eustis Yacht Club (beach cat regatta) 24 Dixie Crossroads Cruise. East Coast Sailing Association–Cruising 30-Oct1 Club Series. Lake Eustis Sailing Club. 30 Hands on Helm Regatta. North Florida Cruising Club. OCTOBER– CENTRAL AND NE FLORIDA 1 Small Boat Racing. Melbourne Yacht Club 4,11 Wednesday Evening Fall Series. Indian River Yacht Club 7 Fall Series Race #2. East Coast Sailing Association–Racing 7,21 Fall Series #3. Rudder Club 7 First Saturday at Sebastian Inlet. Indian River Catamaran SOUTHWINDS
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RACING 7 14 14-15 14-15 20 21 22 21-22 21-22 27-29 28-29 28-29
Association Small Boat Race. Smyrna Yacht Club. Navy Day Regatta, Fall Series #2. Navy Jax Yacht Club One Design & J-24 District Regatta. Florida Yacht Club Club Races. Lake Eustis Sailing Club Fall Rum Race. Melbourne Yacht Club Fall River Race & Fall Series #3. North Florida Cruising Club. Women On Water Regatta. Rudder Club Fall Regatta, Small Boat Races. Melbourne Yacht Club Florida Inland Lake Championship. Lake Eustis Sailing Club (Opti, Laser, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Club 420 for sailors 8 to 18) Fall Regatta, Big Boat Races. Melbourne Yacht Club Hiram’s Haul. Performance Sail (Beach Cat Distance Race) Club Races. Lake Eustis Sailing Club
RACE CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 9-10 Florida State Snipe Juniors. CGSC. 2-day regatta for Snipes. 9 BBYRA PHRF#9. MYC. Race #9 of the BBYRA Annual Series, Open to all PHRF boats registered with BBYRA. 10 J24 Fall #1. Flat Earth Racing. J/24. One-design racing. Must be registered with Flat Earth Racing. 16-17 BBYRA OD #1 – Lime Cup Regatta. BBYC. Annual Miami to Ft. Lauderdale Regatta for PHRF and Assigned Rating Classes. 30 BBYRA OD#9. CRYC. Race #9 of the BBYRA annual series for one-design classes registered with BBYRA, Legend BBYRA Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Association. www.bbyra.net BBYC Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. www.bbyra.net CGSC Coconut Grove Sailing Club. www.cgsc.org MYC Miami Yacht Club. www.miamiyachtclub.net.
Key West Sailing Club. Every Saturday – Open House at the Key West Sailing Club. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (305) 292-5993. www.keywestsailingclub.org. Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue in Key West. Come by the club to sail. Nonmembers and members welcome. Wednesday night racing has begun for the summer season. Skippers meet at the clubhouse by 5:00 p.m. and boats start racing at 6:00 p.m. in the seaplane basin near the mooring field. Dinner and drinks afterward. Upper Keys Sailing Club. www.upperkeyssailingclub.com 54
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Bradenton Yacht Club Fall Kickoff Regatta, Bradenton, FL, Sept. 22-24 The 24th Annual Fall Kickoff Regatta, the “kickoff” event for the Tampa Bay/Sarasota Bay area winter racing season will be held at the Bradenton Yacht Club on Sept. 22-24. The regatta comprises two days of racing in Tampa Bay, north of the Manatee River inlet. Four classes, spinnaker, non-spinnaker, true cruising, and multihull, will make up the threerace regatta. Free dockage is available at the yacht club. In previous years, upwards of 70 boats have participated in the regatta, most of which raft up at the Bradenton Yacht Club bulkhead on the Manatee River. Deeper draft boats can usually find dockage available at Snead Island Boat Works down the street from the club. Partying for the event begins on Friday night, as boats begin to gather at the club, and continues after the racing on Saturday afternoon and then again on Sunday. For more information, and to register online, go to www.bradenton-yacht-club.org, or call (941) 729-5401. For dock reservations, call (941) 721-4330.
Last Year’s Optis Nationals Champ Repeats In Sarasota, FL, July 24-28 By Morgan Stinemetz
Opti Nationals, Sarasota Sailing Squadron, July 24-28. Photo by Morgan Stinemetz. Matthew Wefer, 14, of Glen Head, NY, did just enough to win the Opti National title at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Even though his first of seven races was his worst, he had the composure and, certainly, the experience to keep on plugging. Wefer is a repeat National champion in the bluntwww.southwindsmagazine.com
bowed prams, having won the title last year at Norfolk, VA. On the win, he said, “I feel great. I expected to do pretty well, though, because I won last year. And I will be competing next year.” In the last day’s racing, the red, blue and white fleets got down three races to add to the three they notched on the Tuesday prior and the one they raced on Wednesday. There was no racing on Thursday as thunderstorms speckled Sarasota Bay with lightning and also took the wind with them when they left. Wefer’s line score was (14)-2-1-2-9-1-7. With seven races sailed, the racers were able to discard their worst race. Second overall in the combined fleets came Simon Kjellstrand of Sweden. He had two more points than Wefer, but he had to eat one race in which he finished 11th, and even a first-place finish in the last race wasn’t enough to put him on top. Kjellstrand finished 11-1-4-(17)-5-2-1. Blue fleet racer Raul Rios was third in the combined, but he is younger than either Wefer or Kjellstrand, so we may be seeing his name in print somewhere down the line. Third in the red fleet and fourth overall was Haley Powell of Bermuda. Powell was the top girl sailor in the regatta and also won the girls’ National title on Monday. Rios, who is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was first in the blue fleet with a line score of 4-4-2-5-4-8-(35). Second in blue went to Antoine Screve of Coral Gables. His line score was 2-3-8-14-3-6-(15). Declan Whitmyer of Stamford, CN, finished third in blue with finishes of 9-(44)-11-4-4-3-20. In the white fleet it was Bermuda’s Kyle Burgess in first, Sam Hopkins of Gulport, MS, in second and Stefan Schuurmans of Houston in third. The red, blue and white fleets sailed seven races in three days of racing, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. No racing was done on Thursday when the weather failed to cooperate. In the green fleet, which was able to get in 10 races in three days, Trevor Trepton of Oconomowoc, WI, finished first. In second was Samantha Purton of Valrico, FL. Third went to Ben Mohoney of Venice, FL. The Opti Nationals had 280 racers in the red, blue and white fleets and another 65 in the green fleet. All in all this was a very big regatta, and the race committee did a topnotch job in keeping the racing right, the competitors safe and the racers and family members all fed well. It is not by chance that the Opti Nationals have been sailed out of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron twice in the past four years.
30th Annual Crow’s Nest Regatta, Venice, FL, Sept. 30, Oct. 4 and 7 The 30th Annual Crow’s Nest Regatta is scheduled for Sept. 30, Oct. 4 and Oct 7. The regatta is composed of three events. On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Venice Youth Boating Association (VYBA) will race IODs and Portsmouth Division on Venice’s Roberts Bay. On Wednesday Oct. 4, the Venice Women’s Sailing Squadron (VWSS), a.k.a. “The Bitter Ends,” will race Pram and Sunfish on Roberts Bay. The regatta’s main events will be on Saturday, Oct. 7 and will be on courses in the Gulf off the Venice Jetties. There will be three races for West Florida PHRF classes: spinnaker, non spinnaker, true cruising, and multihull. There will also be a race for those “once-a-year racNews & Views for Southern Sailors
ers” to enjoy the fun of the day. (This race will be handicapped by the race committee.) The regatta is also a participating event in the Sarasota Bay Boat of the Year series. The Crow’s Nest Regatta is a charity event for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, which benefits Venice youth activities. Free overnight dockage is available for race entrants. For entry information, contact Brad LaRoche, Crow’s Nest dockmaster, at (941) 484-7661.
RACE CALENDAR The 0nline West Florida Race Calendar will be available on the SOUTHWINDS Web site by September 1. It will cover racing in West Florida from Marco Island in southwest Florida north, up to and including Clearwater. www.southwindsmagazine.com. Club Racing Bradenton YC. Evening Races Daylight Savings time of year. Races at 6:30 p.m. PHRF racing on Manatee River. For info call Larry Lecuyer, (941) 729-5401. Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racing once a month, year-round. john@johnkremski.com Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, year-round. pbgvtrax@aol.com Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Friday Series PHRF/multihull. Every friday through to Sept. 15. 6:30 p.m. start. Motley Sunday Cruisers Pursuit Race. Free pursuit race every Sunday, 12 a.m. skippers briefing, BBQ after the race. www.sarasotasailingsquad.com. Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of each month, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet. www.venice-sailing-squadron.org SEPTEMBER 1 Davis Island YC. Labor Day Night Race to Sarasota S. S. PHRF 2-4 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Summerset PHRF. Saturday, Fort Myers Beach to Naples, buoys Sunday 2-3 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Labor Day Regatta, All classes 3 Tampa Bay Catamaran Sailors. Union Regatta, Dunedin Causeway 9 St. Pete Sailing Association. Race #1 PHRF 9 Gulf Coast Sailing Club, SAMI. Ladies Day Regatta, PHRF 9-10 St. Petersburg YC. Bruce Watters Regatta. Optimist Green Fleet 16-17 Davis Island YC. Keelboat regatta 16-17 Treasure Island T & YC. Neubauer Optimist Dinghy Regatta 17 Davis Island YC. Dore Drake Regatta. Women’s PHRF 23-24 Bradenton YC. Kickoff Regatta. PHRF 23-24 Lake Eustis SC. Wildcat Regatta, Catamarans 30 Tampa Sailing Squadron. Appleton Estate Rum Regatta, PHRF 30 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Hurricane Race OCTOBER 1 Tampa Sailing Squadron. Fall Women’s Race PHRF 7 St. Petersburg Sailing Association. Race #2, #3 7-8 Venice YC/Venice Sailing Squadron. Crow’s Nest Regatta PHRF See WEST COAST RACING CALENDAR continued on page 56 SOUTHWINDS
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REGIONAL SAILING
Sailing Services Directory starts as low as $10 a month.
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ADVERTISE IN THIS SERVICES DIRECTORY STARTING AT $8/ MONTH. EDITOR@SOUTHWINDSMAGAZINE.COM OR CALL (941) 795-8704
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WEST COAST RACING CALENDAR continued from page 55 7-8
Dunedin Boat Club. Dunedin Cup. Dinghies, Cats, Ensigns, Sea Pearls, Sunfish, Prams, PHRF. Contact Rod Collman (727) 734-3749. 7-8 Clearwater YC. Junior Championship, Laser, Radial, Opti 13-14 Naples Yacht Club. Boca Offshore Regatta, PHRF 13-15 SPYC. Venice YC. Distance Classic, PHRF race to buoys, race back 56
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14-15 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Kayusa Cup South Seas Race, PHRF 14-15 Edison Sailing Center. River Romp, dinghies 19-22 St. Petersburg YC. Rolex Women’s Match Race, Invitational 20-22 Davis Island YC. Classic to Clearwater, PHRF
20-22 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Sunfish Women’s North Americans 21-22 Lake Eustis SC. Florida Inland Championship. Laser, Radial, 4.7, Optimist dinghy, Club 420 28-29 Clearwater YC. Clearwater Challenge, PHRF 28-29 Davis Island YC. Sunfish Women’s Regional Championship www.southwindsmagazine.com
SERVICES DIRECTORY Call (941) 795-8704 or e-mail editor@southwindsmagazine.com
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UNDERWATER SERVICES
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Wednesdays of the Month - April thru October Fort Walton Yacht Club – April thru October
RACE CALENDAR Wednesday Evening Fun Races – Pensacola Yacht Club – 2nd and 4th News & Views for Southern Sailors
SEPTEMBER 2-4 Lipton Cup (Capdevielle) Bay Waveland Yacht Club 9 Great Lake Regatta Corinthian Sailing Association, New Orleans, LA 9,30 Commodore’s Cup #5, #6 Navy Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL
9-10 Back to School Regatta (Capedevielle) Pontchartrain Yacht Club, Mandeville, LA 16 Lost Bay Regatta Point Yacht Club, Josephine, AL 16-17 Louisiana State Optimist Championship Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA 23 Middle Bay Light Regatta Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile, AL
Continued on page 68 SOUTHWINDS
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CLASSIFIED ADS CLASSIFIED ADS — 3 Months for $25 Place your ad early on the Internet for $10 • Classified ads with text only for boats are $25 for a three-month ad for up to 30 words. $50 for ad with horizontal photo ($65 if vertical photo). Check or Credit cards accepted. Must be for sale by owner – no business ads. Boats wanted ads included. • Free ads for boats under $500 (sail and dinghies only), all gear under $500, and windsurfing equipment. For sale by owner ads only. • All other ads (including business ads) are $20 a month for up to 20 words, add $5 a month for each additional 10 words. $10 a month for a horizontal photo. Frequency discounts available. Contact editor. • All ads go on the SOUTHWINDS Web site. For a one-time $10 fee, we will place your ad on the Internet before going to press on the next issue. • No Refunds • The last month your ad runs will be in parentheses, e.g., (10/06) is October 2006.
BOATS & DINGHIES
_________________________________________ Inflatable Dinghy for sale. 8’ 8” Plastimo P270K. Solid wood floor. PVC. Oars. Never used, in perfect condition. $750/Best Offer. Bradenton, FL. (941) 795-8704. Craig100@tampabay.rr.com.
• Ad must be received by the 10th of the month. TO PLACE AN AD: 1. On the Internet www.southwindsmagazine.com This applies only to the $25 and $50 ads above with and without photo. Pay with Paypal and put your ad in the subject line. If a photo, then e-mail to editor@southwindsmagazine.com as a separate jpeg attachment. 2. Via E-mail and Credit Card. E-mail your ad to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Text can be put in the e-mail. Send photos as a separate jpeg attachment to the e-mail. Pay by mail (see below) or credit card. You can call us with a credit card number. Give us the credit card number, expiration, billing address and name on card. Call (941) 795-8704. 3. Mail your ad in. Mail to SOUTHWINDS, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175. Send a check or credit card number with information as listed in #2
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Advertise your business in a display ad in the classifieds section. Sold by the column inch. 2 inch minimum. (3 column inches is 1/8 page) MONTHLY ADS
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Caribe 10X RIB, 2001, 10’ Inflatable dinghy, Fiberglass V hard bottom, Yamaha 15hp, Anchor, New trailer, Great tender or small runabout, $2,985 Rick (813) 376-8040. (10/06)
1971 O’Day Rhodes 19 Sailboat, 3’3” Keel, Johnson Sailmaster-6, Tohatsu3.5hp Outboard(s), Includes 10 ft. Zodiac, Battery, Sails, New Bottom Paint, Electrical, many Accessories, Good Condition. $4800 OBO. www.RedMcKenna.com. (813) 8318585. (10/06) 1986 Seaward 22, shoal draft, new rigging, upholstery, paint, 2003 Suzuki 4-stroke 6HP motor, VHF, depth finder, AM-FM radio, solar panel, open ports, trailer. $6,500. rf2tilly1@earthlink.net. Call Ralph (352) 2830836. (11/06)
above. Mail the photo in (35mm best). If you want the photo back, enclose a SASE. Add $5 for a typing charge. 4. Telephone or fax your ad in. Call (941) 7958704 and give us your ad over the phone. There is an additional $5 typing charge. If you have a photo, you can mail it in. We can take your credit card number, or you can mail a check. Fax: (941) 795-8705. 5. Do a combination of the above. E-mail, call in or send the ad text in via Paypal on our Web site. Email the photo directly to the editor. If you don’t have a scanner, mail the photo to us separately. Call the editor at (941) 795-8704 with any questions. 6. We will pick up your ad. Send the editor a check for air flight, car rental, hotel, travel, eating and entertainment expenses, and he will come to your location and pick up the ad. Any ads to be picked up on tropical islands or other resort destinations will be free.
COST PER INCH
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TOTAL COST
$19 $22 $25 $29
2" 2" 2" 2"
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Tanzer 22CB. Main, Genoa, Jib, Spinnaker, 9.9HP Electric Suzuki, Compass, Speed, Depth, Ice Box, Porta Potti, Boom Awning, Screens, VHF Antenna/cable. Sleeps four. Great Weekend Cruiser, Racer. More. $4000. (239) 542 3753. (10/06)
Catalina 27, 1984, Tall rig, 4’ draft, 15 hp Universal diesel just serviced, Harken roller furling, Edson wheel steering, depth, speed, pressure water, stove, ice box, anchor, Lewmar ST winches, 110 shore power, air conditioner, battery charger. $13,900. OBO for quick sale. www.cortezyachts.com or call (941) 792-9100
PaceShip 23, Roller Furling, Spinnaker & Pole, DC refrigeration, Marine Head, Depth meter, 9.9 Yamaha 4-stroke electric, Battery Charger, 2 batteries, Grill, Bimini, Dodger, Alcohol stove, Cockpit Cushions, 5 winches, $3500 OBO (727) 534-3425.(11/06)
Boat classifieds start at $25/3mo. 62
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CLASSIFIED ADS 28-foot Morgan Out Island 1974. Cruise ready, Autohelm, two GPSs, depth finder, radio, compass, Yanmar diesel, sleeps six, 3foot draft, docked at Shell Pt, FL. Selling for health reasons. $9000/best offer. (850) 5399044. (11/06) _________________________________________ Viper 830 28 ft Sprint sailboat with trailer, carbon mast, motor, instruments, new sails, plus extras $39,500. Located in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. call Mike at (850) 243-1804, e-mail Mike at pam.guthrie@cox.net. (11/06)
Catalina 30 1991 MK II Ultimate Cruiser, Std rig, wing keel, full bimini/dodger, new spinnaker, 3.5kw Genset, A/C, Electric fridge, watermaker, icemaker, microwave, inverter, 2 battery chargers, Link 2000, Raymarine SL 70 Radar, 425 Chartplotter, Tri-data, 4000ST Autopilot with remote, Garmin 128 GPS, Loran, JVC CD/Stereo, 8.6’ dink with Nissan 2.5OB, $49,900. Niceville, Florida (850) 6992717. (11/06) 1981 Cape Dory Cutter 30. Well-equipped cruising boat. Surveyed 2002 at $35K. Tough boat, no damages in Katrina. Volvo Diesel. New head and sailcovers in 2005. $32,000. John (228) 343-9546. (11/06)
30’ Pearson, Racer/Cruiser Sloop, 1976, red, Excellent cond., 2 mains, 3 jibs, 3 spinnakers, spinnaker pole. Tiller, marine radio, stove, new pot, sleeps 6, $12,900. Madeira Beach, FL terrycshan@aol.com. (727) 581-4708 or (727) 244-4708. (11/06)
31’ Sloop. New 20 hp Universal, New Sails, Autopilot, Depth/knotmeter/distance, windspeed, Loran, Bimini. Cold molded. Slip in St. Petersburg, FL, included. Well-maintained. www.angelfire.com/fl5/boatforsalefl. Must sell! (813) 230-5751. (11/06) 32’ Westsail (1977) Perkins 4-107 diesel, Aires vane, Harken roller furling, S-L windlass, 35CQR, 33 Bruce, cold plate refrigeration, air conditioning, Garmin chartplotter. Dodger & Bimini. Exceptional condition, little used. $55,000/OBO. Call (954) 560-3919. (11/06) News & Views for Southern Sailors
1985 Bayfield 32C Cutter full keel cruiser, with 18HP Yanmar diesel and only 3’ 9” draft. Edson wheel steering. Datamarine depth and speed. 25# CQR anchor with chain and rode. Bow sprit. Dorade vents. Isomat spars. 8 winches. Excellent sails. S/S stove and oven. Ice box. Sleeps five. Classic H.T. Gozzard design. Only $21,900. Major Carter. www.CortezYachts.com (941) 792-9100
Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35 Catamaran. 1996. Ready to cruise. Many extras. Solar panels, new fridge, windlass, twin Yanmar 18s, dinghy with Merc 6 (4-stroke). $135,000. Joan or Steve. (954) 321-1603. (10/06)
33’ Glander Tavana 1985 center board mast head sloop. Newly painted bottom, hull, topsides and non-skid. New rub rail, teak hatches. New jib sail. 30 HP Vetus diesel. Great Florida and Bahamas boat, draws 3’ board up. A no-nonsense boat offered below market at $10,000/best offer. Needs TLC. Call Major Carter (941) 792-9100.
33’ Endeavour Sloop. 1984. draft 4’6”, Profurl headsail, auto pilot, refrig-AC/DC, H/C press water, VHF, GPS, solar, sailing dinghy, 4hp OB, 22hp Yanmar diesel, new bottom paint. (772) 335-0180. $36,000.’ jackstuff@bellsouth.net. (11/06
1973 S&S DEB 33 centerboard sloop. 3’7” 6’3” draft, diesel, tiller autopilot, good sails, Bimini, dodger, VHF, depth, roller furling, AC, 8’ dinghy w/OB. $20,000 OBO. (941) 918-8310 (941) 320-7505. (9/06)
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CLASSIFIED ADS 3-Bladed Feathering Prop,$1,000. Like new. Used on 36 Catalina, less than 200 hours. Sarasota, FL. (941) 766-0008. ask for Bob H. (11/06) _________________________________________ Used Boat Gear for Sale. Paratech 15 & 18— both with line and chain, Stainless Propane stoves, 10’ Dyer Sailing Dinghy, 8’ Walker Bay Sailing Dinghy with Inflatable Tube, Offshore life vests, 6-man coastal life raft, 36’, 26’, 30’ masts & booms, some with rigging. Nautical Trader, 110 E. Colonia Lane, Nokomis, FL, (941) 488-0766. Shop online at www.nauticaltrader.net.
WIND GENERATOR, FOUR-WINDS (NEW) with 9’ pole mount, air-brake, swivel base. $1,200 OBO (includes shipping). (813) 5459218. (10/06)
Complete standing rig for a 20’ Irwin MiniTon, includes 28’ mast with boom, step, stays, preventer, traveller, main, jib, spinnaker, fiberglass centerboard, rudder, SS bow pulpit, stanchions, hatch cover, & 2 Lewmar winches. $900 for all, or call for prices. (727) 896-1939. (11/06)
$50 for 3 months for Ad & Photo 941-795-8704 News & Views for Southern Sailors
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September 2006
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CLASSIFIED ADS 2- 8000# boat lift straps, 14’ long, D ring ends, used once. $100 for both. (281) 3241416. (10/06) _________________________________________ Rigging cable. 7 x 19. Stainless Steel. Nonmagnetic. 7/16” diameter. 600 ft for $1200. (904) 794-0937. (10/06) _________________________________________ Two Montague folding, full-size bicycles; perfect for cruising. Like new, with many extras, including soft carrying cases. “A bicycle that folds, not a folding bicycle.” $350 each. (941)743-7156 or (941)504-3302. (10/06)
BUSINESSES FOR SALE/ INVESTMENTS _________________________________________ FOR SALE: Florida East Coast Sail Loft. Established 10 years. Well-equipped, extensive inventory and client list. Walking distance to several marinas. New sail design, construction and repairs. Custom canvas work, exterior/interior, and cushions. Strong used sail inventory. Respond to LOFT220@hotmail.com. (9/06) _________________________________________ Licensed contractor in Florida with experience in high-end residential work and light commercial, both new and remodeling, seeks to qualify a builder/company. I am a very responsible, honest, experienced builder with excellent qualifications seeking a company needing my advice and experience in the contracting business. Only very quality-oriented and responsible people need contact me who are in the Tampa Bay area. Craig100@tampabay.rr.com.
CHARTS & BOOKS
_________________________________________ Discount NOAA, NGA, Maptech nautical charts and software. NOAA chart sale $15.50 each! Visit authorized chart agent www.DiscountNautical.com. (11/06) _________________________________________ Ocean Routing – Jenifer Clark’s Gulf Stream Boat Routing/Ocean Charts by the “best in the business.” (301) 952-0930, fax (301) 5740289 or www.erols.com/gulfstrm
CREW AVAILABLE/WANTED
_________________________________________ Visit SOUTHWINDS “NEW” boat and crew listing service at southwindsmagazine.com
DELIVERY SERVICES
_________________________________________ DELIVERIES. ICW, Coastal, Caribbean & Gulf, Sail or Power, by USCG Licensed Captain with 30 years professional experience Including two transAtlantic deliveries. (443) 243-4925 or www.marylandsailing.com (8/06)
HELP WANTED
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SEE CLASSIFIED INFO ON PG 6 2 66
September 2006
SOUTHWINDS
SAILMAKER St. Petersburg. Industrial Sewing Machine and Hand sewing experience for new sails and repairs. Must be capable of lifting 40 lbs. Benefits available for full-time work. Must have valid FL Drivers license. EOE. Contact: Peter O. (727) 471-2040, Doyle Ploch Sailmakers. _________________________________________ Articles and race reports in the Carolinas and Georgia. editor@southwindsmagazine.com. _________________________________________
Sailing Instructor/Administrator wanted. Venice Youth Boating Association, in Venice, FL, is looking for Administrator/Head Instructor to oversee our junior sailing program. Must be US SAILING level 1 certified. Call (941) 966-4851 or e-mail veniceyouthboating@verizon.net. (10/06) _________________________________________ Writers, Reporters, Articles, Photos Wanted. SOUTHWINDS is looking for articles on boating, racing, sailing in the Southern waters in all regions, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. We are also looking for other articles on the following subjects: marinas, anchorages, mooring fields, disappearing marinas and boatyards, marinas and boatyards sold for condos, anchoring rights, sailing human interest stories, boat reviews, charter stories, waste disposal— and more. Photos are wanted on all these subjects, plus we want cover photos (pay $65 for cover photos) of both race and non-race subjects, but about sailing. Cover photos must be very high resolution and vertical format. _________________________________________ Writers and Ideas Wanted on Waterways Issues. SOUTHWINDS is looking for writers, acting as independent subcontractors to research and write articles on subjects discussed in the Our Waterways section. Must be familiar with boating, good at research, have computer skills, high-speed Internet access and work for little pay. Most important, you must have an interest and passion for the subject and want to bring about change and improvement of boaters rights, waterways access, and disappearing marinas and boatyards—with lots of ideas and energy to help bring about improvements through various means (that are, of course, legal and principled). You may choose your subject within these parameters. We would also like to get an organization going to promote these interests if you can help. Writers, photographers, cartoonists, jokers, magicians, philosophers and others of questionable professions may apply. Send info to: editor@southwindsmagazine.com. _________________________________________ Massey Yacht Sales Positions-Sail and/or power yacht sales positions available in the Massey St. Petersburg and Palmetto dealership offices. Best marina dealership locations, excellent sales, marketing and service dept. support. We are new yacht dealers for Catalina, Hunter, Albin, True North, Nordic Tugs, plus offer a large inventory of brokerage sail and powerboats. Applicants must be computer literate, have successful yacht sales history, good knowledge of yachts and builders, be a team player, motivated and hard working. Best yacht sales income potential on Florida west coast. Call Massey general sales manager Frank Hamilton at (941) 723-1610 or fax resume to (941) 729-7520. _________________________________________ Murray Yacht Sales is adding professional yacht brokers and customer service personnel to its successful team. Immediate needs include: yacht broker in St. Petersburg office, yacht sales experience required; Rigger/Service Tech in New Orleans office. E-mail résumé to info@MurrayYachtSales.com. _________________________________________ Service Dept. Rigger. Massey Yacht Sales is accepting applications and resumes for sail and/or powerboat riggers/outfitters. Many employee benefits including paid holidays, paid vacations, health insurance, workmen’s comp insurance, performance bonuses, and good hourly salary. Must be hardworking, honest, have own tools and be a team player. Excellent service department support and organization. Call Alice Winter, ext. 10, service dept. mgr. at (941) 7231949, or fax resume to (941) 729-7520. www.southwindsmagazine.com
CLASSIFIED ADS REAL ESTATE FOR SALE OR RENT
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INSURANCE
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SAILING INSTRUCTION
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Waterfront Lot for Sale with deeded, deepwater dock on Little Gasparilla Island, Charlotte Harbor, FL. Power and water included. Walk on the beach and watch the sunset on a private island. By owner (305) 613-8425. (12/06)
South Brevard, Florida Townhouse. Intracoastal Waterway. Deep water. Dockage available. No bridges. 2/2.5. New roof and AC. Pool. Tennis. Built 1974. Association fees $236 including water. $249,900. macwriter@gmail.com. (9/06)
Waterfront Home for Rent in New Port Richey! (Pasco County). 2BR, 1BA, 1 Carport. 40-foot Boat Dock. On 15-foot deep sailboat canal! Neat and clean. New tile and paint. Just 30 minutes from Clearwater. $1,300/month. (727) 452-4851 or (727) 939-4850. (9/06)
LODGING FOR SAILORS
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SAILS & CANVAS
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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 FAX (727) 896-2287 www.poncedeleon hotel.com
SAILING VIDEOS
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Sarasota, FL Waterfront Townhouse w/Deep water boat slip for rent. 3br/3ba, 3 floors, 2 fireplaces, gated, pool, tennis. Protected boat slip accommodates up to 70-foot boat. Direct access to Gulf. Walk to restaurants and shopping. For info call (561) 213-2390. (9/06) Perfect 2 bedroom Waterfront Townhouse For Sale. Ultra-furnished—even has HDTV. Very close to Fort Myers Beach. 16-foot boat dock at front door—seconds to the Gulf. $489,000. (239) 565-2277 or (239) 454-1817.
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September 2006 67
CLASSIFIED ADS
SAILS & CANVAS CONTINUED
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TROPHIES/AWARDS HALF HULLS
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INDEX
OF
ADVERTISERS
TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides this list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. This list includes all display advertising. Air Duck American Marine & Supply Anesco Marine Annapolis Performance Sailing Aqua Graphics Atlantic Sail Traders Banks Sails Beachmaster Photography Beneteau Sailboats Beta Marine Bluewater Bay Yachts Bluewater Sailing Supply Boaters Exchange Bob and Annie’s Boatyard Bo’sun Supplies Bradenton YC Kick Off Regatta Bubba Book Catalina Yachts Clearwater Yacht Club Regattas Colligo Engineering Cortez Yacht Brokerage Crow’s Nest Restaurant Cruising Direct Sails Defender Industries Dockside Radio Dunbar Sales Dwyer mast Eastern Yachts/Beneteau Edwards Yacht Sales E-marine First Patriot Health Insurance Flying Scot Sailboats Garhauer Hardware Glacier Bay Refrigeration Gulf Coast Yacht Sales Gulf Island Sails Higgins, Smythe & Hood Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack Hotwire/Fans & other products Hurricane Hoops J/Boats - Murray Yacht Sales JR Overseas/Moisture Meter JSI - New JSI Kevane Sails Lake Fairview Marina, Precision Latts & Atts TV Leather Wheel Lex-Sea Charters
66 19,22 65 43 57 30 57 65 BC 33 16,17 65 10,22 20 23 47 14 19,22 45 29 64 42 7 4,65 24 19 66 19,61,BC 58 65 67 63 27 25 61,62 17,19,22 60 17,38 65 31 26 13 67 17 67 56 63
Life Captions Video 18 Massey Yacht Sales 19,21,34,37,IBC Masthead Enterprises 4,22,68 Mastmate 15 Melbourne Yacht Club 48 Mike Chan Boat Repair 23 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau 59,BC National Sail Supply 25 Nautical Trader 14 New JSI 13 Noble Awards 68 North Sails 48 Patricia Knoll Realtor 28 Pensacola YC WFORC 51 Porpoise Used Sails 68 Precision Yachts 17 Premiere Racing Key West 9 Quantum Sarasota 3 RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke 29 Rparts Refrigeration 36 Sailing Services 7 Sailrite 10 Sailtime Fractional Sailing 12 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats 60 Schurr Sails 41 Scurvy Dog Marine 24 Sea School 34 Sea Tech 32,65 Snug Harbor Boats, Precision 17 SSMR 4 St. Augustine Sailing School 67 St. Barts/Beneteau BC St. Petersburg Strictly Sail 11 St. Petersburg YC Regattas 49 Suncoast Inflatables 6 Sunrise Sailing Services 57,64 Sunstate Realty 28 Tackle Shack 17,38 Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program 31 TowboatUS 15 Turner Marine 19 UK Halsey Sails 8 Ullman sails 40 Watersports West 66 Weathermark 22 West Marine IFC
NORTHERN GULF COAST RACING continued from page 57 23-24 Coco Seeman J22 Regatta Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA 23-24 Race Week (Capedevielle) 30-1 Wadewitz (Capdevielle/one design) Fairhope Yacht Club, Fairhope, AL
WINDSURFING GEAR
__________________________________________ Wanted: Used Prodigy (standard or race), other boards, miscellaneous windsurfing equipment. Steve (941) 795-8704, editor@southwindsmagazine.comw 68
September 2006
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OCTOBER 2006 7 Commodore’s Regatta. Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL 7-8 GYA Multihull. Ocean Springs Yacht Club, Ocean Springs, MS 7-8 Hospitality Regatta. Jackson Yacht Club, Jackson, MS 13-15 WFORC. Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL 14 Gumbo Regatta. Lake Arthur Yacht Club, Lake Arthur, LA 14-15 Fish Class Worlds. Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile, AL
21
Schreck Regatta (Capdevielle). Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL 21 Fish Class Regatta. Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile, AL 21 Charity Regatta. Pensacola Beach Yacht Club, Pensacola Beach, FL 21 New Orleans Closing Regatta. New Orleans Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA 22 Southern Yacht Club Closing Regatta. Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA 28-29 LPRC (Lake Pontchartrain Racing Circuit). New Orleans Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club, Tammany Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA 28 Anniversary Broken Triangle Regatta. Mobile Yacht Club, Mobile, AL www.southwindsmagazine.com
ADVERTISER INDEX BY CATEGORY TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides this list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. This list includes all display advertising. SAILBOATS – NEW AND BROKERAGE American Marine & Supply 19,22 Beneteau Sailboats BC Bluewater Bay Yachts 16,17 Boaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats 10,22 Catalina Yachts 19,22 Cortez Yacht Brokerage 64 Dunbar Sales 19 Eastern Yachts 19,61,BC Edwards Yacht Sales 58 Flying Scot Sailboats 63 Gulf Coast Yacht Sales 61,62 Gulf Island Sails 17,19,22 Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack 17,38 Higgins, Smythe & Hood 60 Lake Fairview Marina, Precision 17 Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina//Hunter/Albin 19,21,34,37,IBC Masthead Yacht Sales/Catalina 4,22,68 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau 59,BC Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats 60 Snug Harbor Boats, Precision 17 St. Barts/Beneteau BC Suncoast Inflatables/ West Florida 6 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg 17,38 Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program 31 Turner Marine 19 Weathermark 22 Watersports West/Windsurfing 66 GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIES, CLOTHING Air Duck Hatch Windscoop 66 Anesco Marine 65 Annapolis Performance Sailing 43 Bluewater Bay Yachts 16,17 Bluewater Sailing Supply 65 Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL 10,22 Bo’sun Supplies/Hardware 23 Colligo Engineering 29 Defender Industries 4,65 E-Marine 65 Garhauer Hardware 27 Hotwire/Fans & other products 65 Hurricane Hoops 31 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 26 JSI - New JSI 13 Leather Wheel 56 Masthead Enterprises 4,22,68 Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign 14 NEW JSI 13 Rparts Refrigeration 36 SSMR 4 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, Precision 17,38 Watersports West/wet suits, etc 66 West Marine IFC SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGING SERVICES Atlantic Sail Traders 30 Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida 57 Cruising Direct/sails online by North 7,67 Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging 66 JSI - New JSI 13 Masthead/Used Sails and Service 4,22,68 National Sail Supply, new&used online 25 NEW JSI 13 North Sails, new and used 48,67 Porpoise Used Sails 68 Quantum Sails and Services 3 Sailing Services 7 Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL 41 SSMR 4 Sunrise Sailing Services 57,64 UK Halsey Sails 8 Ullman Sails 40 West Marine IFC CANVAS Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida 57 News & Views for Southern Sailors
JSI - New JSI Quantum Sails and Services USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIES Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL SAILING SCHOOLS Sea School/Captain’s License St. Augustine Sailing School MARINE ENGINES AND ACCESSORIES Beta Marine RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke REAL ESTATE Pat Knoll, Sunstate Realty RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOAT YARDS Bob and Annie’s Boatyard Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina FRACTIONAL SAILING/CHARTER COMPANIES Lex-Sea Charters Sailtime Fractional Sailing MARINE SERVICES, SURVEYORS, INSURANCE, TOWING, BOAT LETTERING, ETC. Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy online Beachmaster Photography First Patriot Insurance Health Insurance Mike Chan Boat Repair TowboatUS MARINE ELECTRONICS Dockside Radio JR Overseas/Moisture Meter Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication BOOKS/CHARTS/VIDEOS/AWARDS Noble Awards Lats and Atts TV videos Life Captions Video REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWS Bradenton YC Kick Off Regatta Clearwater Yacht Club Regattas Crows Nest Regatta Melbourne Yacht Club Pensacola YC WFORC Premiere Racing Key West Sailing For Miracles Benefit St. Petersburg Strictly Sail St. Petersburg YC Regattas Tampa Sailing Squadron Rumgatta Regional Sailing Services Directory Subscription Information Alphabetical Advertisers’ List
13 3 14 24 34 67 33 29 28 20 42 63 12 56 65 67 23 15 24 26 32,65 68 67 18 47 45 42 48 51 9 35 11 49 47 56,57 69 68
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September 2006
69
You Might be a Race Boat Captain if… By Brent Swager
C
apt. Sandy is a very capable boat captain; licensed, Coast Guard-approved and a soughtafter instructor. His picture is found in the dictionary under “laid back.” Sandy is a mild-mannered Sunday school teacher whose lips never utter a curse word or hateful expression. Yes, Capt. Sandy is one of the most easygoing sailors you could ever meet. Until race day.
On race day, Capt. Sandy undergoes a miraculous transformation. His lungs become gigantic bellows and orders are flung at former friends and crewmates with all the enthusiasm of an angry drill sergeant. “It’s a sea-going phenomenon,” said Dr. Phil, during a recent show that featured Capt. Sandy and his racing zeal. “I’ve seen this dern kinda thing many a time; I call it the
‘Race Boat Captain Syndrome.’ ” “We’ve tried an exorcism on him,” chimed in Father O’Blivion, “But the force is just too strong.” The Clinic Responsible for Atsea Events (CRAP) issued warnings recently that Race Boat Captain Syndrome is on the rise and advises local sailors, particularly those entering PHRF races, to administer this important self-exam.
You Might Be a Race Boat Captain… • If you can recite the right-of-way rules in between shouting orders at your crew. • If you think the crew moves faster if you pepper your tacking instructions with colorful adjectives. • If you’re sure your PHRF rating is part of a bigger conspiracy to keep you from winning. • If you steer with one hand and hold a bullhorn in the other. • If you’ve ever given your crew nicknames like Dead Weight, Slow Hand and Strong Back. • If you can rig a whisker pole. Under way. Using duct tape and toothpicks. • If you have to bribe your crew with promises of beer and T-shirts to race with you after your first race. • If you ask the crew to bring only light beer aboard to cut down on weight. • If you spend more time and effort cleaning the boat’s bottom than you do your own. • If you keep a loaded weapon to fire warning shots across the bow of faster boats. • If Monday is just “five more days” to race day. If you exhibit some of all of these signs, you are surely helplessly infected. There is no cure. Might as well get that spinnaker out.
Have an interesting story? That’s funny, sad, a tear-jerker, a learning experience, heartwarming—or just a good story? Send to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. 70 September 2006
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