Premier issue APRIL 2004 Vol. 1, No. 1
Megayachts not exempt from ISPS Code – yet By Lucy Chabot Reed Dockmaster Steven Carlson stands 5 feet away from M/V Samax. The 185-footer is from London and has been on his face dock at Hyatt Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale for a month. He smiles when he sees her there, knowing he can be a little more choosy about the smaller boats he makes room for in his marina.
But come summer, Carlson may not be able to stand so close to large megayachts because of new international security measures broadly interpreted by the U.S. Coast Guard. And he may have to make the painful decision to steer yachts such as the Samax up river to the Bahia Mar Yachting Center because he may not be able to provide a secure dockage area.
International regulations written after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States require ports and facilities such as Carlson’s marina to cordon off vessels larger than 500 gross tons. Though there are still debates about exactly how, Carlson already has increased lighting and roving guard presence around the marina. And he is prepared to make available
24-hour security guards and closed circuit camera surveillance. When it comes to the matter of erecting a fence to keep potential terrorists away, he said the Hyatt may opt to pass on accepting larger vessels. “This time of year, [large vessels] are a big chunk of revenue,” Carlson said. At $4 per foot per night, having See SECURITY, page 6
Triton captains take on issues
“The captain goes ashore in the dingy and asks for permission to anchor and visit the village,” Webster said. “They want to talk chief to chief.” Villages post sentries around their territories, and when a captain reaches shore, someone will approach him or her. When Surprise slowed off Liku Beach on Yasawa Island, it wasn’t
Welcome to the Bridge. Each month, the staff of The Triton invites 10 yacht captains to lunch to talk about industry issues and trends. We talk openly and frankly about these issues and what should be done about them. Our goal is to create a forum for the professionals in this industry. Sure, there will be some venting, but from that will come brainstorming and, hopefully, solutions to problems. As a newspaper, we accept the responsibility to not only hold a mirror up to the yachting industry and report what’s going on, but also to find out why things are the way they are and how to improve them. While we will identify the captains who attend our gatherings, we will not attribute specific comments to individual captains. Consider it a roundtable discussion, facilitated by Triton Editor Lucy Chabot Reed. Our first Bridge discussed the issue of some megayacht captains landing posts on large vessels despite limited experience. The issue, it seems, is that since the British government’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency
See FIJI, page 20
See THE BRIDGE, page 4
Even if you just want to hang out on a beach in Fiji, it’s best to request permission.
PHOTO/SHANNON WEBSTER
If cruising in Fiji, be sure to bring your manners By Lucy Chabot Reed Shannon Webster has been in the charter business 24 years and has traveled to remote regions all over the world. She’s even been to Fiji before. But a recent familiarization trip to the Yasawa Group of islands northwest of the main island of Fiji taught her things she never knew. “You don’t cruise in Fiji unless you
Welcome to The Triton. Learn about the paper and staff on page 2.
know the protocol,” said Webster, owner of Shannon Webster Charters based in Fort Lauderdale. Aboard the 115-foot expedition style M/V Surprise, Capt. Carol Dunlop and her crew of six Fijians showed Webster and other yachting professionals around the remote islands. The thing Webster said she remembers most – aside from the vessel itself – was the ceremony.
Explore the more technical side of yachts in ‘Getting Under Way,’ beginning on page 11.