The Triton 200411

Page 1

November 2004 Vol. 1, No. 8

ICW bridges to open twice an hour during test By Lucy Chabot Reed For 90 days beginning Dec. 1, the U.S. Coast Guard will restrict bridge openings over the Intracoastal Waterway in Ft. Lauderdale’s Broward County to twice an hour. During the test period, bridges will open even during traditional curfew periods during morning and afternoon vehicular rush hours. The test is designed to make bridge

opening times easier to keep track of and to improve the flow of boat traffic on the Intracoastal, said Barry Dragon, chief of bridge operations for the U.S. Coast Guard’s District 7. “We want to give boaters a consistent schedule on the bridges and an opportunity to make it through them without too much delay,” Dragon said. “Historically, we’ve done one bridge at a time, so we’re trying to look at traffic on the ICW in a holistic manner.”

A similar test worked well in Palm Beach County last year and was implemented there permanently July 19. Bridges in Broward County each operate differently, Dragon said, with some observing rush hour, some not, some opening every 15 minutes, some every 20 minutes, some depending on the season, some on demand. “It’s impossible to keep track of them all,” he said. “I don’t know how boaters do it.”

It may be difficult for weekend boaters, but for professional captains who spend much of their time on the water, the current system is not difficult to remember. “They’re locked down from 8:30 to 9:30 and 4:30 to 5:30; everybody knows that,” said Andrea Peterson, general manager of Peterson Fuel Delivery. “This is going to be a disaster. Opening

See ICW, page 14

Communication key to best captain/owner relationships

An agent at the Nuku Hiva anchorage in the Marquesas may help you get duty-free fuel, but cannot extend your visit. PHOTO/SUE AND JON HACKING

Can yacht agents really smooth the way in the South Pacific? By Sue Hacking Let’s face it. Megayachts stand out in Third World anchorages and agents may think you’re an easy take. When you enter the Yacht Club in Colon, Panama, or tie to the dock in Papeete, Tahiti, you may be met by an agent, or possibly someone passing himself off as an agent. Should you hire this person? That depends. On the open-air terrace of the Panama Canal Yacht Club (the only safe access point into Colon, on the

Caribbean side of the Canal), bonafide yacht agents will seek you out. For $500 and up they claim to do your paper work, secure your choice of tie-up options in the Canal, and bump you to the front of the line for a fast transit. Of these three promises, only the third is worth the cost of hiring an agent if transit time is crucial. (Except for around Easter, yachts can expect to transit within five to seven days of arrival in Colon, sometimes sooner.)

USCG to explain ANOA, ISPS interpretation at The Triton Connection Nov. 10. See page 3.

See AGENTS, page 15

Several discussions The Triton has had with megayacht captains lately have boiled down to how critical it is to find the right chemistry at work – chemistry between captains and their crew, between individual crew members, between expectation and reality. FROM THE BRIDGE So we decided LUCY CHABOT REED to ask the captains assembled for our monthly Bridge luncheon to consider the chemistry between captains and yacht owners. It used to be that owners and captains were the best of friends, even on megayachts. Is that still true today? Should it be? Does a higher level of professionalism inherently imply a lower level of camaraderie? Are captains more like employees (with someone else in charge) and less the person calling the shots onboard? As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page 9. Captains and yacht owners may very well become the best of friends – even in today’s environment of ever-larger

Two cities study their working waterfronts. See stories, pages 10-11.

megayachts – but the precursor to that must be a set of mutually agreed-upon ground rules, according to the captains. “If you don’t establish the relationship at the very beginning, it makes it real hard to know how to do your job.” “The day I started, I knew what was expected of me,” a captain in a new post said. “I haven’t slept since he got here, but I knew that going in.” There was some discussion on the value of written contracts that detail both general and specific goals for the megayacht from both the owner’s and the captain’s perspective. It is important, most captains agreed, that owners express their intentions for the yacht and captains express their desires for the job. “My last owner had a three-page offer letter,” a captain said. “It was magnificent. I’ve never seen anything like that in this industry before.” “Yeah, but very few owners want to put anything in writing,” another said. “Give us a write up, a mission statement,” one captain said. “How formal or informal do you want the yacht to be? And it should include what we need from them to do our job.” “What I ask owners is to be clear

See THE BRIDGE, page 9

Running from hurricanes, page 32.


2 The Triton

November 2004

WHAT’S INSIDE Moving on, page 12 Publisher David Reed

david@the-triton.com

Advertising/ Business Development Kristy Fox

kristy@the-triton.com sales@the-triton.com

Business Manager/ Circulation Margaret Soffen

peg@the-triton.com

Graphic Designer Christine Abbott

sales@the-triton.com

Distribution Ross Adler

National Distribution Solutions zakad68@aol.com

The Triton P.O. Box 22278 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33335 (954) 525-0029 FAX (954) 337-0702 www.the-triton.com

Editor Lucy Chabot Reed lucy@the-triton.com editorial@the-triton.com

Contributing Editor Lawrence Hollyfield

Contributors

James Barrett, Capt. Chris Berg, Ron Blom, Randy Bouffler, The Bridge, Mackenzie Daggett, Blair Duff, Don Grimme, Jon Hacking, Sue Hacking, Lisette Hilton, Jack Horkheimer, Frances Howorth, Capt. Michael Howorth, Lisa H. Knapp, Robert Luckock, Capt. Herb Magney, Donna Mergenhagen, Jeff Ostrowski, Steve Pica, Jean Quist, David Raterman, Silvio Rossi, Rossmare Intl, Ellen Sanpere, Michael Thiessen, Phaedra Xanthos Vol. 1, No. 8. The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group. Copyright 2004 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Former crew agent Carole Manto has sold her business and retired. Find out what’s she’s up to these days in our profile. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Advertiser directory 35 Calendar of events 36 Classifieds 33-35 Crossword puzzle 36 Crossword answers 32 From the Experts: Body Business 26 Manager’s Time 26 Into Account 27 Fuel prices 10 Horoscopes 29 In the Stars 29 In the Yard 17

Letters to the Editor 38-39 News 3,4,7-8,10-11,13,28 Opinions 30,37-39 Photo Gallery 16,25 Profile: Claude Hamilton 6 Carole Manto 12 Reviews: Books 31 DVD 31 Product 19 Technology Pull-Out: Getting Under Way 17-24 Travel: Taking Time Off 32


November 2004

NEWS

No ANOA needed for pleasure vessels coming to South Florida By Lucy Chabot Reed Private, recreational yachts less than 300 gross tons coming into South Florida need not file a 96-hour advanced notice of arrival (ANOA), according to Lt. Commander George Zeitler, chief of inspections with the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami. Under the national ANOA rule (33 CFR 160, subpart C), all vessels – foreign and domestic – larger than 300 gross tons “bound for or departing from ports or places in the United States” must file an ANOA with the National Vessel Movement Center in West Virginia. The rule also says that foreignflagged vessels 300 tons or less entering District 7 – which covers all of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina – must file an ANOA with the captain of the port. But the rule also gives a captain of the port the authority to waive the rule for vessels that don’t threaten safety, environmental protection, or national security. “We have not been enforcing [the ANOA on vessels less than 300 tons] if a vessel is a recreational vessel not engaged in trade,” Zeitler said. “But if they are a foreign-flagged commercial vessel coming back from a charter, yes, we are enforcing it.”

The ANOA rule has confused megayacht captain for months as some ports such as Charleston enforce the rule and others such as Miami and Ft. Lauderdale do not. Zeitler is scheduled to discuss the realities of the ANOA rule in Sector Miami as well as the district’s interpretation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code at the next Triton Connection on Nov. 10. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. For the rule and the form to file an ANOA electronically, visit www.the-triton.com/anoa.

ANOA: Who must comply?  All vessels larger than 300 gross tons are required to file an ANOA with the National Vessel Movement Center either online at www.nvmc. uscg.gov, by e-mail to sans@nvmc. uscg.gov, by phone at (800)7089823 or (304)264-2502, or by fax at (800)547-8724 or (304)264-2684.  Foreign-flagged vessels 300 gross tons and smaller entering District 7 are required to file an ANOA with the captain of the port. In South Florida, private vessels not engaged in trade are exempt.

The Triton 3


4 The Triton

BREAKING NEWS

November 2004

Bahia Mar, Pier 66 sold in deal worth $1.25 billion By Lucy Chabot Reed A week before the start of the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, businessman H. Wayne Huizenga agreed to sell his Ft. Lauderdale marinas in a deal worth about $1.25 billion. Huizenga owns Bahia Mar Yachting Center and Regency Hyatt Pier 66 under the company Boca Resorts, for which he is chairman and chief executive officer. According to a company announcement on Oct. 20, he agreed to sell Boca Resorts to an affiliate of The Blackstone Group for $24 a share, about 28 percent more than the stock’s market price at the time of the announcement. Officials with both marinas said they expected no immediate, noticeable

changes. “Right now, it’s not impacting us in any way,” said Steven Carlson, dockmaster at Pier 66, which is one of six locations for the boat show. “Chances are any true changes in management will be at [the corporate] level, not at the individual properties.” Kevin Quirk, general manager of the yachting center at Bahia Mar, agreed. “There’s no impact yet,” he said. “There will be [no changes] really at the property.” The sale still awaits final stockholder approval, but Huizenga owns about 98 percent of the voting shares and is in favor of the sale, according to the announcement. “South Florida is one of the most important markets in [the lodging and hospitality] industry, and to thousands of vacationers, business

travelers and meeting planners, our properties personify the South Florida experience,” Huizenga said. Huizenga started buying hospitality properties in 1997 under the public company Huizenga Holdings, which he created to own the Florida Panthers hockey team. He changed its name to Boca Resorts in 1999. He sold the hockey franchise in 2001. “We are excited to be part of this world-class collection of resorts,” said Jonathan D. Gray, senior managing director at The Blackstone Group. “We look forward to continuing the company’s tradition of re-investing in its properties, as we did during our previous ownership of the Savoy Hotel Group in London.” Preliminary plans for a renovation project at Pier 66 are still being pursued, dockmaster Carlson said.

“It’s a public company and that’s the premise under which [Huizenga] was selling,” he said. “Ultimately, the build out of this property is in the best interests of stockholders. Everything is still moving forward.” In addition to Bahia Mar and Pier 66, Boca Resorts owns three other hotels in Florida: Boca Raton Resort & Club, and Registry Resort at Pelican Bay and Edgewater Beach Hotel, both in Naples. It also owns two Florida golf clubs: Grande Oaks Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale and Naples Grande Golf Club. The Blackstone Group is a New York-based private investment firm with offices in Boston, Atlanta, London and Hamburg. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

ANOAs required in Puerto Rico, too M/Y Privacy was escorted out of San Juan Harbor in Puerto Rico in October because the captain did not file a 96hour advance notice of arrival (ANOA), according to news reports. The 155-foot Christensen made the news because it is owned by golf pro Tiger Woods, who was on his honeymoon, CNN reported. U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Tony Russell told CNN that officers boarded the megayacht while it was refueling and escorted it out of the harbor three hours later. Flagged in the Cayman Islands and weighing 498 tons, Privacy should have filed an ANOA with the National Vessel Movement Center in West Virginia. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Eric Willis told the Associated Press that the captain said he did not realize the United States enforced the security rules in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. – Staff report



6 The Triton

PERSONALITY PROFILE

November 2004

MCA’s Claude Hamilton: The man behind the Code By Michael Howorth The name Claude Hamilton is, to many yacht crew, synonymous with the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). He is the man responsible for overseeing work at the MCA on the revision of the Large Yacht Code and the production of Large Yacht Code 2 (LY2), which was complete in September. Hamilton’s maritime career spans decades. Most recently, he was the MCA’s chief examiner of masters, mates and engineers. Maritime administrations around the world are seeking to make registration of large yachts more attractive, Hamilton said. Many plan to change their national legislation with the provision of a code that can be declared as equivalent to the same IMO Conventions that apply to commercially operated vessels. Yet the creation of different codes raises the risk of having different standards within the industry, which could create chaos and, at best, uncertainty, he said. Many yachting professionals agree there should be one code in the industry with one set of technical standards, and that the inducements for registering under a particular flag should not relate to variations in safety standards. The Red Ensign is flown by yachts registered in the UK, Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Bermuda and Gibraltar. While this group has the majority of large yacht registrations, it is recognized that an international standard is essential for the efficiency of the industry. While the MCA’s Large Yacht Code was developed for use by Red Ensign vessels, it has become the de facto world standard, Hamilton said, adding that the future may yield adoption of an internationalized LY2 with national applications. “For Red Ensign administrations, the MCA Code is still in force and in its revised form, will continue to be used,” he said. Codes similar to the MCA code are either in practice or are being written in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Luxemburg, Malta, Marshall Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and The Bahamas. “We have shared our thoughts and information and welcome the support of other administrations in working toward a single standard,” Hamilton said. Due to retire in 2007 – although with the government changing retirement dates, he may go on until 2012 – Hamilton said he hopes to continue his involvement with the industry. The best thing about his job has been the people,

LY2 coordinator Claude Hamilton has worked on or around boats since 1965. PHOTO/FRANCES HOWORTH both inside and outside of the MCA. In addition to influencing the yachting industry on a global level, Hamilton also has a private life. Married to Rosemary for 21 years, he has two children – daughter Helen, 20, is studying to become a history teacher, and son Charlie, 19, plans to join the Army. “I have been sailing dragons for over 50 years, although now I only have a RIB which I use for safety boating and leisure out of Lymington on the south coast of England,” he said. He also enjoys to ski. Hamilton hands up those who saw him keeping honey bees or renovating classic cars in his spare time. “I enjoy old motor cars and seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on my 1937 Lanchester and my Series II Landrover, which is a rolling restoration project,” he said. “As for the bees, well, there is nothing to beat the taste of honey from one’s own hives.” Capt. Michael Howorth is writer for several marine industry publications. Contact him through editorial@thetriton.com.

The MCA has published its long-anticipated Large Yacht Code 2 (LY2), a set of rules under which megayachts ought to operate and the de facto industry standard. The code is available on CD. Pick up a free copy at the MCA’s booth at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, or look to download it from the agency’s Web site, www.mcga.gov.uk.


November 2004

NEWS BRIEFS

The Triton 7

Showboats: Orders for megayachts hit highest level yet New orders for luxury yachts surged 28 percent compared with year-earlier figures, according to ShowBoats International’s 2005 Global Order Book. This growth, a 144-yacht increase over 2004, represents an estimated $1.22 billion jump in the value of the industry’s new-yacht construction, according to the report. “Consider that since 1997, the international market for luxury yachts has more than tripled,” said Jim Gilbert, ShowBoats International editor-inchief. “In fact, this year’s 144-yacht increase is almost the same size as the entire global market of 1992.” Italy has retained its position as the world’s leading luxury yachtbuilding nation, with 249 units and 27,595 linear feet of boats – or 5.2 miles – under construction, according to the magazine. The United States again

placed second in that category, with 97 units accounting for 11,215 linear feet. ShowBoats International’s 2005 Order Book appears in the latest edition of the magazine, which will reach subscribers Nov. 1 and hit newsstands shortly thereafter.

Valvtech diesel now in Charleston City Marina in Charleston, South Carolina, has been designated a certified ValvTect marine fuel marina for the Charleston area and now offers ValvTect Marine Premium Diesel with BioGuard on the marina’s MegaDock. With more than 3,000 feet of dock space and in-slip fueling, City Marina’s MegaDock can accommodate megayachts up to 300 feet and is one of the largest transient facilities in the nation. The marina also offers high-

speed wireless Internet service, mobile pumpout service, a floating bathhouse with private showers, up to 480 volt/3phase shore power, and a courtesy shuttle to historic downtown markets and gourmet restaurants. For more information, visit www. charlestoncitymarina.com or www. valvtect.com.

Storms cause $680 million in losses In one of most active hurricane seasons on record, hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne have left an indelible mark on recreational boaters. Damage to all recreational vessels for the four storms totals $680 million, according to Boat Owners Association of the United States, This damage beats the $500 million caused by 1992’s Hurricane Andrew.

Bradford survives hurricanes Bradford Grand Bahama missed one day of operations after being hit by Hurricane Frances on Sept. 4. Frances caused major damage to the utility system on the island. Bradford sent a container of water, food and other supplies to its workers and also purchased a 275 kw, 400 amp generator to add to its two existing generators. When Hurricane Jeanne hit Grand Bahama on Sept. 25, Bradford was able to get back to work immediately. The yard is also preparing to haul the 150th vessel in its dry dock since it became operational in June 2000. Bradford’s 1,200-ton floating drydock can haul vessels up to 230 feet. The yard also has a 150-ton Travelift. For more information, visit www. bradford-grand-bahama.com.


8 The Triton

NEWS

November 2004

Development changes face of quiet marine neighborhood By David Raterman Regular visitors to Ft. Lauderdale will notice a different look to downtown this winter as several new office buildings and condo towers dot the skyline. Even in the once-sleepy area along Andrews Avenue south of the New River – a locale flush with megayachtrelated businesses – things are beginning to change. The most visible change is the $163 million expansion and renovation project at Broward General Medical Center that is nearing completion. Just north of 17th Street on Andrews, the hospital has added 400,000 square feet and a parking garage, among other improvements, and is a focal point of the avenue’s redevelopment. South Andrews is “an area where redevelopment is good,” said Greg Mooney, president of Nautilus Underwater Systems. “It’s an old neighborhood, but not necessarily run-down. It’s right off 17th Street. A lot of marine businesses would benefit. “We are pretty spread out because we’re so diversified,” he said of his company’s several locations. “If we do

expand, that’s an area where we’d like to do it.” About a year ago, Ft. Lauderdale city commissioners approved the Consolidated Downtown Master Plan, with emphasis on pedestrian areas and landscaping. Several groups, including the city, Broward General and The Madfis Group, an architecture firm on South Andrews, are working on an economic and beautification master plan for the South Andrews area. The plan calls for mixed-use residential development as well as business development.

Plan is for pedestrian area To make sure it has a part, a South Andrews Business Association formed and drew up some master plan ideas of its own. Its goal is to piggyback on the rest of the city’s redevelopment success. “Our plan is for a friendly, community-oriented, pedestrian, worklive-and-play-oriented space, a 24-hour type of place for activity, an area where crime is less because activity is more,” said Michael Madfis, a principal with The Madfis Group. “This area needs to have a central plan so it doesn’t become [just] a traffic corridor.” “There’s always been something special about South Andrews Avenue, and I’ve been surprised more companies haven’t dropped anchor there before,” said Frank Herhold, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, which has offices on Andrews just north of State Road 84. “Around South Andrews, you’re close to the water, the 17th Street corridor, the airport, I-95 and the Marina Mile area,” he said. “I can be downtown in City Hall in five minutes. We love this area.” Now that the downtown and South Andrews master plans have been created, their execution by the areas’ diverse groups (private, public, academic, commercial and residential) remains to be seen. “The city of Fort Lauderdale did its master plan, and SABA came up with its plan, which has some very good goals on parking, how does the area grow, how does the railroad impact it,” said Chris Wren, executive director of the city’s Downtown Development Authority. “But there are some real questions of how it will be implemented, so that it’s not just a bookshelf document.” David Raterman is a freelance writer living in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him through editorial@the-triton.com.


November 2004

FROM THE FRONT

Captains also play role in ensuring good match THE BRIDGE, from page 1 about their desires,” another said. “I give you a blank sheet of paper. You pencil in what you want out of this vessel or this trip. Then I will color it in. They just have to give us basic lines.” Once ground rules are established, the captains agreed that communication was the most important factor to developing a good working relationship with an owner. Open and honest communication is critical to both the owner’s enjoyment of his or her yacht as well as the captain’s enjoyment of his or her job. “I’m lucky this time,” said one captain who has a good relationship with the owner of his current yacht. “I’ve probably worked for every maniac in the industry. I try to keep it boss/ employee, even though they are friendly with me. They appreciate what I’m trying to do and I appreciate what they are trying to do.” “That’s the key, mutual respect, and that is developed over time,” another said. “It starts with honest and open communication.” The test to open communication comes when a captain has to tell an owner something he might not want to hear, whether that is unpopular news from the boatyard, a change in itinerary because of weather or equipment, or a refusal to set sail under certain conditions. “You’ve got to stand up to the owner now and then; it’s your license and your career on the line.” Another challenge comes when the owner wants to run the boat. “Some of them want to micromanage,” a captain said. “Then if something goes wrong, they want to hold the captain responsible.” Even camaraderie can hinder a job. “I have great owners,” a captain said. “He loves his crew, but sometimes that will interfere. He wants to party with them all the time.” “It’s hard when they are buddybuddy with the crew,” another captain agreed. “What happens if you have to make a change? You have to build a team, but if you have an owner overrule you, what does that say about your ability to lead?” One thing that has changed the captain/owner dynamic in recent years is the addition of more relationships. In addition to a broker, today’s yachting environment may add a charter manager, a fleet manager, a designated person ashore, a security person, etc. The solution may be some sort of owner training, even if it comes from the captains themselves. “Someone needs to write an owner’s manual,” a captain said. “A lot of owners need a little coaching.” Despite the challenges, most captains agreed that owners will typically hire captains they trust. “Owners who ran their own boats

Attendees to The Triton’s October Bridge luncheon were, standing from left, Jay Kimmal, Lee Winton-Burnette, Mitch Schacter, Ken Hornig, Curtis Stokes, Daniel Webster, Mark Diekmann, Mike Price, Robin Norquoy, Herb Magney (behind) and Robert Moore; and squatting from left, Christopher Milark, Ken Maff, Justin Onofrietti and Mike Kleisler. PHOTO/LUCY REED and stepped up are more trusting of their captains,” another said. “There needs to be more owner education, and especially more trust.” “They’ve got a multimillion-dollar asset there and it’s losing money,” a captain said. “Who are you going to put in charge of that? Someone you trust.” But how do you build trust with a new owner? Some captains suggested keeping daily logs of the work done onboard as many owners have little idea how much work captains do. Another way is to return the rebates. “How you help build it [trust] is with honesty,” one captain said. “Every kick back you get, hand it right to the boss. All those rebates we get on major appliances, give them over. It’s basically embezzlement if you don’t. It’s not integrity. That’s how you build trust.” Part of a successful hiring – and ultimately a successful captain/owner relationship – is the captain’s role in making sure the chemistry is right. “You’ve got to interview them as much as they interview you,” a captain said. “You’ve got to find out what is their purpose for having a yacht.” “We’re our own worst enemy when it comes to that,” another captain said. “It’s about more than just getting a job.” Several captains suggested following up an interview with a memo or just an e-mail reiterating what they heard the owner say about his goals for the yacht and what the captain’s needs are to accomplish that. And then consider a trial trip to see how both sides get along. “There has to be a personality match,” one captain said. “When people share the same ideals, it makes life so much easier. It really helps to have similar personalities.” One captain suggested that an ideal owner would have the capacity to be responsible for his own happiness. Then yachting can be what it was intended to be – fun.

“When we’re on the boat, we’re supplying the best service we possibly can,” a captain said. “Our job is to make sure that the boat is the best part of the owner’s life,” another said. “Most people can’t accomplish that for a variety of reasons.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

The Triton 9


INDUSTRY NEWS

10 The Triton

Fuel prices Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of Oct. 15. Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 438/467 Savannah, Ga. 450/NA Newport, R.I. 504/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 523/NA Trinidad 455/NA Antigua 471/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 543/NA Bermuda (St. George) 515/NA Cape Verde 442/NA Azores 494/NA Canary Islands 463/NA Mediterranean Gibraltar 460/NA Barcelona, Spain 542/NA Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,150 Antibes, France 531/1,237 San Remo, Italy 630/1,375 Naples, Italy 615/1,330 Venice, Italy 620/1,351 Corfu, Greece 516/NA Piraeus, Greece 495/NA Istanbul, Turkey 456/NA Malta 450/NA Tunis, Tunisia 455/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 451/NA Sydney, Australia 443/NA Fiji 512/NA *When available according to customs.

November 2004

Summit seeks solutions to save businesses By Lucy Chabot Reed The solution to Ft. Lauderdale’s dwindling number of boatyards and other working waterfront facilities may be as simple and as complex as a tunnel under the Dania Cutoff Canal. Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle suggested the tunnel – or a bridge for Federal Highway vehicular traffic – to open development opportunities for marine facilities on the waterway west of the road. He spoke to a gathering of several hundred marine industry professionals and government officials during the sixth annual Marine Industry Summit at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 on Oct. 18. The comment didn’t surprise local government officials, who have been thinking about a way to please both developers and marine businesses in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, but it sent a murmur through the crowd. Any such development is years in the future, though, said Susan Engle, coordinator of the Marine Master Plan with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF). The first step, at least for this year’s summit, is to make sure the industry is taken into consideration when Broward County begins its massive redevelopment master plan. “We’ve set the stage so we can bring the importance of our industry

to the people who make decisions,” Engle said, referring to elected officials such as Broward County Mayor Ilene Lieberman and U.S. Sen. E. Clay Shaw, both of whom spoke at the summit. “We want to be part of Broward County’s redevelopment plans.” The marine industry in the three counties of South Florida is an $8.8 billion industry and represents some 109,000 jobs, according to a study commissioned by the MIASF. The Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show alone has an economic impact of about $600 million – about the same as a Super Bowl, Naugle said. “I really feel that it’s our No. 1 industry in Ft. Lauderdale, and in Broward County,” he said. Making the industry a part of the county’s master plan gives it access to billions in redevelopment money and access to the power to acquire land, which might be necessary to develop property west of Federal Highway on the Dania Cutoff Canal. The waterway runs east and west at the southern border of Port Everglades and Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. Short of that long-term solution, dozens of people discussed more immediate ways to slow the loss of the region’s working waterfront. One group discussed the viability of having government groups purchase the development rights on a piece of property – a boatyard, for example – so its owners would be less inclined to sell to developers for the tempting up-front sales price. Another idea would be to freeze taxes on the property until it is sold. One of the goals of the summit was to bring the various government groups in South Florida together to look at the industry regionally. The recreational boating industry is “not on the radar screen” with elected officials in Miami, which makes getting marine-related projects done more difficult, said Phil Everingham from the Marine Council in Miami-Dade. A dredging project for the Miami River – which is home to all the county’s boatyards – was set to begin Oct. 28, the same day the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show began. “That effort took years and years to bring about,” Everingham said, noting that it only happened because the federal government is paying for 80 percent of the cost. “We’re struggling with the city. The county is OK with [the Miami River master plan], but we can’t make it happen without the city.” In Palm Beach County, the industry needs to have a larger voice when it comes to legislation or development plans that affect it, said John Sprague of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach. He noted that Riviera Beach had targeted to take out Cracker Boy

Marina and that a developer had wanted to buy Sailfish Marina before the public objected and the deals died. “Working waterfront legislation issues are complex and varied,” he said. “Our No. 1 concern is that yards are being built over.” Palm Beach voters are scheduled to vote on a $50 million bond issue on Nov. 2 that would enable the county to buy development rights on property. Doing so could halt the rise in property taxes that have pushed some to sell. “The single biggest cost to a Broward County marina owner is the property tax,” said Ted Drum, a Realtor and part of the second-generation family that owns Lauderdale Marina. “We just don’t want to sell, but we’re taxed on the highest and best use for the property.” The third generation has shown an interest in continuing to run Lauderdale Marina, Drum said, “as long as we can keep the costs down and the income up.” The summit, hosted by the city of Ft. Lauderdale and the MIASF, will incorporate the ideas into a report to government groups as well as the marine master plan. Several in attendance said they hoped they succeed in gaining a voice in front of the people who make decisions. “The stronger we are industry-wise, the farther we can go to protect our companies,” Sprague said. “We are under the gun. The majority of marine facilities will be gone in the near future. Their value is just too great. We lose the boatyards, we lose our entire industry. “We have to continue working on working-waterfront legislation to figure out how we are going to halt this onslaught that’s taking away our industry piece by piece.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

By the numbers:  1,400 megayachts visit South Florida each year  1,300 of them visit a boatyard  $140,000 – how much each vessel spends per visit  1,000 marine businesses in the region  $400,000 – the economic impact of each vessel  Half of the world’s charter yachts are represented by a South Florida broker  Half of the world’s megayachts listed for sale are represented by a South Florida broker. A summary of the results of a 2003 study commissioned by the MIASF.


November 2004

INDUSTRY NEWS

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San Diego looks to expand megayacht boatyard capacity By Jean Quist SAN DIEGO – A recent report stating that boatyards in San Diego were nearing or at full capacity raised a few eyebrows, especially among the city’s largest boatyard operators. The report, presented to the Board of Commissioners of the Unified Port of San Diego, estimated that the bay’s boatyards would reach 100 percent capacity before 2006. It also proposed that port staff investigate building a new boatyard to handle megayachts at the 30-acre site on Harbor Island that now serves as rental car parking for the Hertz, Avis and National companies. The plan is rife with difficulties, including finding acreage for the rental car lot relocation, lack of funding in the port’s capital budget, and numerous environmental permitting requirements. In its favor, the site has adequate deep-water bay frontage and is close to the airport and several upscale hotels hoping to attract a share of the megayacht market. Sam Brown, Knight & Carver YachtCenter’s president and CEO, was one of those surprised at the report’s findings. Brown has been involved with Knight & Carver since the BROWN 1980s, when his firm served as legal counsel. Last year, he was named president/CEO. Based in the South Bay, Knight & Carver has been repairing and refitting megayachts for three decades. The yard has a 330-ton TraveLift and teams with Southwest Marine to use its dry dock for vessels up to 300 feet. Brown rejects the port’s assumption that San Diego Bay boatyards are nearing capacity, and specifically, its finding that Knight & Carver is operating at 90 percent capacity. “At Knight & Carver, it would not be difficult to double or even triple our current capacity,” Brown said. “We currently run one shift from 7 a.m. to

Knight & Carver’s 330-ton TraveLift can haul megayachts up to 155 feet. The boatyard is considering buying a dry dock to handle even larger vessels. PHOTOS/JEAN QUIST

3:30 p.m. Southwest Marine, which has comparable physical space [nine acres], runs three shifts around the clock.” What especially incenses him were statements in the report that claim there is no facility in San Diego that can service yachts in the superyacht or megayacht category, and that since 1999, Knight & Carver has been operating at 90 percent of its capacity. “I would say a more realistic approximation of our capacity would be about 25 percent. We are in the final stages of a refit of the world’s 12th largest megayacht [the 301-foot Tatoosh].” Knight & Carver is not San Diego’s only yard with megayacht capacity. Driscoll’s Boat Works on Shelter Island has handled waterside repairs and refits of megayachts for years. Owner Tom Driscoll plans to redevelop another of his leaseholds, Driscoll’s

Wharf, to accommodate even larger vessels within the next few years. One of San Diego Bay’s oldest waterfront operations, Driscoll’s Wharf is currently home to liveaboards, commercial fishing vessels and more pedestrian sailboats and motoryachts. Driscoll plans, given port district approval, to undertake a major redevelopment of that property in 2007. His plans include landside capacity for simultaneous repair of four to five megayachts, with in-water capacity for half a dozen more. In addition to repair facilities, the facelift would provide berthing slips with full dockside utilities, rooms and office space for megayacht captains and crew, vehicle access to the slips and other amenities. Brown believes the boatyard capacity argument masks the real problem in attracting more megayachts to San Diego.

“It’s well known in the industry that there are few berths in the marinas here that can accommodate these yachts,” he said. “And there are severe limitations and restrictions on anchoring vessels anywhere in the bay. That is a really big issue. “The second problem is that megayacht captains and crew have the perception that San Diego Bay is an unattractive port to visit due to security restrictions and problems they’ve experienced with customs, immigration and the port. “Perhaps the port should [save] some of the millions of dollars they spend on these types of reports and build some berths or docks to accommodate the megayachts.” Jean Quist is a freelance writer in San Diego. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.


PROFILE

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November 2004

Pioneer crew agent making most of retirement By Lucy Chabot Reed Carole Manto was a tough crew agent. She rarely sugar-coated her thoughts, and when she placed crew, chances were good they would stay in the job for the long haul. She made a big impression on most who met her – for better or for worse. She retired this year, finally acknowledging the chronic illness that saps her of her energy most days and requires she breathe oxygen from a tube. Still, the feistiness many know her for is still there. Meeting in her new, downsized home in Ft. Lauderdale’s northern suburb, she rarely sits still. The thin oxygen tube clipped to her nose and secured over her ears is attached to a long hose that disappears down a hallway. She whips it around to follow her wherever she goes. After more than 26 years in the yachting industry – first as crew and a charter clearinghouse in the Caribbean, then as a crew placement agent and the owner of an agency – Manto has retired. She sold her four-year-old business, Carole Manto Inc., this year as well as the valuable building she worked out of on Southeast 17th Street in Ft. Lauderdale. Even so, she still rarely sits still. She bought a 33-foot RV that she plans to drive around the country. “I stay busy doing things for people still,” Manto said. “And I’m planning

road trips with my friends. I’m busier than I have ever been and I feel better than I have in a long time.” It has taken Manto years to get to this place in her life. She began losing weight about eight years ago, but she denied that problems with her health could or should slow her down. Last year, she spent 10 weeks in the hospital. Many of Newly retired, Carole Manto is planning to take road her friends came to trips and spend time with friends. PHOTO/LUCY REED say their good-byes, convinced that she was going to die. About that time, Carole was asked to “I smoked for 35 years and I head up the crew placement division at shouldn’t have,” Manto said simply, a brokerage house. a victim now of chronic obstructive “They knew we were good crew and pulmonary disease. “I wake up each day we were looking for something else to and think God’s given me life for this do,” said Manto, who received just two minute, this day, the next 15 years, who days of training from her predecessor. knows? I’m not going to lie in bed.” “The crew business was so much Manto knows her reputation as different at that time.” a tough crew agent, and that many She was fired from that job for people didn’t approve of her tactics. running over budget, a charge she But she makes no apologies for it. disputes to this day. So she asked Bob “I was always stressed out at work Saxon for a job. He hired her and she because everyone only wanted to talk stayed eight and a half years, turning to Carole,” she said. “That’s why I was his crew placement department into a the bad guy. If I wanted to go to the money-making division. bathroom, I had to hang my head and “All the methodology of Camper & rush down the hall. People thought I Nicholsons’ crew placement division was ignoring them. came from BSA, which Carole invented “Sometimes I hurt people’s feeling practically,” said Sandy Taylor, who and I don’t mean to do that,” she said. heads up Camper & Nicholsons/BSA’s “They either get to know me and love crew placement division in Newport. me, or call me the dragon lady.” “She invented, basically, the way we still The reality is that Manto was calling do crew placement, our filing system, things as she saw them. the way we check references, conduct “Others might say perhaps she interviews.” was abrasive, but that was more out Manto did more than create of a passion to have people make the a system, according to several right choices above everything else,” crew members who built long and said Marilyn Claffey, a former chief distinguished careers with her help. stewardess on the 184-foot Pangaea She created a philosophy. who worked with Manto for more than “Carole tried very hard to match a decade as crew and as her employee. crew with the owner,” said Margo “At the end of the day, there’s a whole Beamer, chef aboard the 132-foot Delta generation of captains and crew that Life of Riley. She is married to Life of she helped develop really prestigious Riley Capt. Steve Beamer. “She always careers.” told us, ‘Don’t take a job because of the Manto accepts the praise graciously. money; it’s the chemistry.’ And she’s “I met so many wonderful crew, and right. We’ve been in now 20 years and I helped a lot of people, I know that,” we’re just super happy doing what we’re she said. “I was good at it. It was a gift.” doing. Manto got her start in yachting on “She made me realize it’s not just vacation to St. Thomas in the 1970s. one or two things but the whole picture She was hired as a cook, even though that makes you happy.” she didn’t know how to cook. She fell in Today, Manto’s happiness comes love and never left. from spending time with friends and She and her husband, Richard working with her plants. She has begun Manto, chartered a boat for 12 years in to cook again and is planning all those the islands and ran a clearinghouse. road trips. “In those days, you worked hard for “I didn’t think I’d be alive today, but a couple years, then you took a year off God has a plan,” Manto said. “I figure to go cruising,” she said. “Otherwise you he still wants me to piss off a few more just keep working and you’re not going people.” to be happy.” When Richard’s father died, they Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at decided it was time to get off boats. lucy@the-triton.com.


NEWS

November 2004

Officials believe the cause of the fire was electrical.

PHOTO/LISA H. KNAPP

Fire destroys 55-foot yacht in marina By Lisa H. Knapp A 55-foot Fairlane in South Florida burst into flames Oct. 11 just moments after leaving its slip at Turnberry Isle Yacht Club. Its three passengers – the owner and two family members – jumped into the Intracoastal Waterway and swam to shore. None were injured. Fire officials from the city of Aventura suspect the cause of the fire to be electrical, but an investigation is under way. It was not known if the yacht was equipped with a halon system. Police would not disclose the name of the vessel, but confirmed that its crew were the owner and his family. The owner tied off the rope to secure the boat to the dock, but flames burned through the line as the yacht, which carried more than 400 gallons of fuel, drifted into the Intracoastal.

“We pushed the yacht with marine patrol boats, bumping it to keep it in the center of the waterway, to prevent the fire from spreading to other yachts,” police Sgt. Mike Bentolila said. The fire is the first of its kind in Aventura, a dense community of highend condominiums in northern MiamiDade County, about 20 miles south of Ft. Lauderdale. It is also the latest in a string of more than 10 yacht fires around the world this year. “We got lucky that it didn’t spread to the other boats,” Bentolila said. “This could have been really bad.” Turnberry Isle Yacht Club is a 117-slip marina, with a resort hotel, condominium and golf courses. Lisa H. Knapp is a freelance writer in Aventura, Florida. Contact her at lisa@the-triton.com.

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14 The Triton

FROM THE FRONT

November 2004

Business owners predicts test will create dangerous sitation might make set bridge openings hard to make. “The tide is the all important factor the bridges just two times an hour will here,” said Kaye Hendrix from Rolly create a back-up of boats. Marine Service, a boatyard on the New “You can’t compare Palm Beach River. “If they have to wait for bridge to Ft. Lauderdale,” she said. “It’s a openings, it’s going to mess a lot of completely different animal.” To sample the test, Dragon chartered people up.” Dragon said that the test period is a 50-foot boat and traveled on the ICW just that, a test. through Broward County at about 5 “This isn’t written in stone,” he said. knots, that vessel’s no-wake speed. “If it doesn’t make things better, we’re “Once boaters get used to the not going to do it.” bridges and times, they adjust their While District 7 covers all of Florida, speed to match that,” he said. “Cars do the same thing. If they know the bridge Georgia and South Carolina, no other goes up at 9 o’clock and they have to be area has the number of bridges as South Florida or the amount of ICW somewhere at that time, they will leave traffic, Dragon said. in enough time to make the bridge.” Palm Beach County, the first area One former megayacht captain tested for sequenced bridge openings, agreed that the current system of bridge opening times is confusing and a has about 20 bridges, Dragon said. Broward County has 11. Daytona new system might improve navigation. “What makes sense is keeping traffic Beach’s Volusia County, for example, has six, he said. moving on the water for everybody,” There are no plans to apply a said John Terrill, former captain on similar test to Ft. Lauderdale’s New the 140-foot Feadship Fiffanella. River, Dragon said, although his Terrill is now a real estate broker in Ft. office has requested vessel count and Lauderdale and a member of the city’s bridge opening data. If any tests are Marine Advisory Board. implemented on the river, Dragon said “Does it cause a build-up of traffic and a dangerous situation? That’s what they wouldn’t come until summer. Once the test on the ICW begins, the test is for. If it doesn’t, it might not Dragon encouraged boaters to honestly be such a bad idea.” and thoughtfully comment on it. But Peterson is convinced the new “We want comments, not petitions system would be dangerous. Planning or form letters,” he said. “We want to to travel at a certain speed to make the know why people like it bridges is unrealistic. or what’s wrong with it. “A tow boat could For the test period – set “We are advocates slow you down, or to begin at 6 a.m. on Dec. for the waterway users, you’ve got someone 1 and end at 8 p.m. Feb. 28 but the people we who doesn’t know what – these bridges will open don’t hear from are the they’re doing and you on the hour and half hour: waterway users. I know can’t get around them,” Atlantic Blvd., Commercial what the car people Blvd., Sunrise Blvd., S.E. 17th Peterson said. “There want. St., Dania Beach Blvd. and are too many variables. Hollywood Blvd. “We hope we get I scream loud and clear These bridges will open close to something that that this is a bad idea. at quarter past the hour everyone will be happy You’re going to have a and quarter to the hour: with.” lot of accidents right by N.E. 14th St., Oakland the bridges.” Park Blvd., Las Olas Blvd., Contact Editor Lucy Many megayachts Chabot Reed at lucy@ have to time their travel Sheridan St. and Hallandale Beach Blvd. the-triton.com. with the tides, which

ICW, from page 1


November 2004

FROM THE FRONT

Agent not needed to get through Panama Canal AGENTS, from page 1 By preying on people’s fears of not speaking adequate Spanish, agents hook many an unwary captain. The Canal Authority runs an efficient, English-language-based operation. As for help with the footwork and paperwork, the agents operate like this: they walk with you, or ride in your taxi, to the Canal operations building and the bank where you pay for the transit and post your deposit. They hand you the standard forms (in English), which you must fill out yourself. They charge $500 to be a handholder. The agent will arrange your admeasuring appointment and the scheduling of your transit, but the numbers are posted in the Yacht Club Office, and you can make the calls yourself. And yes, English is spoken. As for tie-up options, the agent cannot help at all. The Canal Authority personnel who come to your ship for admeasuring will ask your preference. Although your preferences will be duly noted, when the pilot steps aboard on the morning of your transit, he will tell you what your choices are that day. Most yachts have successful and relatively stress-free transits. Having an agent will do nothing to guarantee your position in the locks. Nine hundred miles southwest, in the Galapagos Islands, your largest problem will be corruption, and an attempt by the officials to take you (and your magnificent ship) to the cleaners. If you clear in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island), you have to sign a paper in the Port Captain’s office stating that you will use the services of an agent. Most boats sign the paper, ignore it, and pay the one-time published fee (based on gross tonnage) for clearance. The paper is written in such abominable English it’s really hard to tell what you’re signing. If you are not shown a list of fees, or you have other questions concerning the paperwork, an agent might be handy. The tourist office in town has a list. While most ships go directly to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, you may have less hassle pulling into San Cristóbal Island first. This is the administrative capital of the Galapagos, and at the head of the dock is an Ecuadorian Tourist Office. The government workers, who are personable and speak English, will help you with information on agents and published fees. They also know that the port captains in both San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz islands make a habit of telling yachts that they cannot change anchorages. According to Ecuadorian law, tourist vessels are allowed 21 days in the Galapagos, at any or all of the four inhabited islands. To increase your enjoyment of the islands, seek permission to tour the Galapagos in your own ship. This is done up to a year in advance, via the

The pilot boat in The Flats, Panama, brings the admeasurer and adviser to your yacht. PHOTO/SUE AND JON HACKING Ecuadorian government. Contact a consulate for information, or check on the Internet for agents in the Galapagos who can smooth the way. Thirty-two hundred miles west, in French Polynesia, there may be an advantage to hiring an agent if your first port is either the Marquesas or the Tuamotus. Because these are not “official” entry ports, you are granted a temporary entrance pass that must be presented upon arrival in Tahiti. An agent in Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, has promised some yachts duty-free fuel and an immigration extension of more than the allotted 90 days for non-E.U. passport holders. With an agent’s help, your official clearance papers are faxed from Tahiti to the Marquesas, and duty-free fuel can be purchased immediately. At the normal price of $1.05 a liter, and the duty-free price of 57 cents a liter, you might easily amortize the $150 agent fee by being able to replenish your fuel before arriving in Tahiti, lying 900 more miles to the southwest. However, the promise of an extended visa is bogus. All non-E.U. members must leave the territory after 90 days, either by plane or by ship. To be granted a longer stay you must complete a lengthy application with original marriage certificates, bank letters, insurance papers, etc., all translated into French. This can only be done at a French consular office in your home country before you arrive in French Polynesia, and the process takes at least three months. No agent can smooth the way. If Papeete, Tahiti, is your first port of call, no agent is needed to procure the papers for duty-free fuel, as these papers are presented to all foreign vessels upon completing customs formalities. Duty-free pricing is on a two-tier system. The least expensive fuel, at 47 cents a liter, may be used only once, at which point the paperwork is surrendered. The mid-range 58 cents a liter is available multiple times throughout one’s stay in French Polynesia and on all islands

where fuel is available. Before hiring an agent, ask what he/she can do for you. Get it in writing if possible. Then ask around – at the government tourist office, a diesel dock, the customs and immigration people. If agents offer a true service, the officials will be able to tell you so. If not, it’s better to handle your own paperwork. Long-time sailor and writer Sue Hacking is cruising the South Pacific aboard her family’s 45-foot Wauquiez catamaran, Ocelot. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

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26 The Triton

FROM THE EXPERTS

November 2004

Be assertive; it’s healthy, considerate, better than the alternative Of all the definitions we’ve seen of assertion, this is our favorite: “Assertion is speaking honestly about your thoughts, feelings and desires, while considering those of others.” Considering its inherent, uncontroversial virtues, it’s puzzling why more people are not assertive. Assertion allows us to express ourselves honestly, consider how others feel, feel good about ourselves, take

responsibility, negotiate productively and go for a win-win resolution. All are obvious virtues and positive values. So, why aren’t many of us assertive more often? The most prevalent reason is fear of rejection or disapproval. This is not an irrational fear. In fact, some people may not like what we are MANAGER’S TIME asserting. That is, DON GRIMME they may not like us, or at least that aspect of us, at that time. Being at peace with that disapproval requires a healthy self-esteem. Selfesteem is a topic unto itself, but one thing we can say about it here is: A key to building one’s self-esteem is ... assertion. The more often we “express ourselves honestly,” the more we will “feel good about ourselves.”

A word of caution: Assertion is not a guarantee you will get the results you want. But, in addition to all the benefits, assertion stands a far better chance of getting those results than aggression or submission. Should one always be assertive? We say yes, a person should always be assertive – in his/her thoughts, not necessarily in voicing those thoughts. Sometimes, maintaining silence is the wisest and most assertive action to take. That doesn’t mean endorsement of another’s actions or statements, but silence ... or, perhaps, acknowledgement. Something like: “I hear what you’re saying,” without adding: “I agree.” How to be assertive: 1. When appropriate, establish a mutually agreeable time and place to assert your needs. 2. Describe behavior objectively, without judging or devaluing. Say “I felt upset (or angry) when you took my idea and presented it as your own.”

3. Describe behavior clearly, specifying time, place and frequency. Don’t say “Why do you always do that?” 4. Express feelings calmly and directly. 5. Confine your response to the specific problem behavior, not the whole person. 6. Avoid delivering put-downs disguised as honesty. Don’t say “My honest feeling is that you’re a total idiot.” 7. Ask for no more than two specific (and reasonable) changes at a time. Say “I need you to listen to me without letting the phone or other people distract you.” 8. Be aware of your need for approval or acceptance. Don Grimme is co-founder of GHR Training Solutions in Coral Springs, Fla. He specializes in helping managers reduce turnover and attract excellent job candidates. Contact him at dgrimme@comcast.net.

Being in shape, happy is best defense for back pain Back pain can strike at any time. What seems like a simple move can send shock waves through our bodies and put us out of commission. We can help remain back-pain free by paying attention to those things that make us most vulnerable. Dr. Mark D. Brown, chairman of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the BODY BUSINESS University of Miami LISETTE HILTON School of Medicine, offers these tips for avoiding back pain: 1. Keep weight normal. If you don’t exercise, and eat and drink too much, you become deconditioned.

Deconditioning has been associated with increased incidence and severity of back pain. It has also been shown to make recovery from back pain worse than that of a conditioned person. When you’re deconditioned, Brown says, you’re more prone to injury because your muscles, which normally protect your body, fatigue faster. 2. Exercise. The most important thing any person can do is 30 minutes or more of aerobic exercise, at least four times a week. Some megayachts have exercise bicycles, treadmills or other aerobic equipment. If you can, use them. If you don’t have access to a gym, find a way to swim, walk, run or do something that gets your heart going. In addition to doing aerobic exercise,

Brown says to work on strengthening muscles that support the back. Do sit ups and light arm weights of five to 10 pounds using repetitions. “There are many studies that show that people who are active and working all day have the same incidence of back pain as those who sit all day. But the one who moves all day is likely to be in better shape and will probably recover faster than his or her sitting counterpart,” he says. 3. Plan your lifting so that you don’t have to lift and twist, particularly when carrying heavy objects (considered anything heavier than a gallon of milk). Think about that next time you get down into the engine room. 4. No smoking. Smoking is the single most destructive thing you can do to your back because it kills the tissue in your body, Brown says. It kills the lining of your arteries and it kills the discs in your back. It has been associated with a high incidence of back pain and it softens your bones, giving you osteoporosis (both men and women). “It’s just deadly every way you look at it – from the standpoint of cancer, heart disease and your back,” he says. “It deconditions your back.” 5. Enjoy your work. Studies show that the people who are unhappy about their work are more prone to injury and greater suffering from back and other pain. The message there, Brown says, is to like your work and “if you don’t like what you’re doing on the boat, look for something else to do.” Do you have a health issue you would like to know more about? E-mail Lisette Hilton, a freelance health reporter, at lisetteh@bellsouth.net.


November 2004

FROM THE EXPERTS

Dreaming of retirement? Start with a plan I speak to people almost every day who say they’re concerned about their finances. They say they’ve been meaning to start saving for a while. Usually, “a while” means the past 10 years or so. Financial planning is not fun for most people, and it’s an easy task to neglect in lieu of family, work and INTO ACCOUNT fun. PHAEDRA XANTHOS However, the fun and family can be enhanced – and the work can definitely be reduced – with a bit of timely focus on goal-setting, budgeting and investing. Here are a few tips on starting a financial plan: 1. Set specific goals. Define some goals and set a time limit for accomplishing each phase of each goal. Do you want to buy a home in two years? Want to save for a child’s college education in 10 years? Want to retire in 15 years – or maybe in 5? 2. Set a dollar figure to those goals. Is it a $300,000 home or a milliondollar home? Is it a $20,000 public college or a $200,000 Ivy League college? Want to retire in style ($100,000 a year) or just with the basics ($40,000)? 3. Assess the status quo. List all your assets (home, car, savings, brokerage accounts, 401(k)s, life insurance policies with cash value, etc.) and all your liabilities (mortgage, car loan, credit cards, student loans, etc). Then subtract your debts from the approximate value of your assets. This is your net worth. Recalculate this figure every year as a sort of financial report card. The higher it goes, the better you’re future looks. 4. Create a cash-flow statement. List your monthly and annual expenses and compare this list to your income. You may be surprised as you review your bank statements just how much you spend on trivial pursuits. Awareness can be a great budgeting tool. Once you determine how much you have left over at the end of every month, you will know how much you can save to meet all of those wonderful goals you have. The seafaring life lends itself well to positive cash-flow statements, but actually putting your excess cash to work will be your greatest challenge. By defining priorities, you are taking control. You will be consciously choosing what your financial life will be. 5. Analyze where your money comes from and where it goes.

Is that real estate you rent out earning as much as you do at work? Is credit card debt killing you? Are your taxes through the roof? Consider shuffling debts to improve interest rates. Paying 11 percent on a credit card is wasteful if you can qualify for a home loan at 4 percent. Look for tax-advantaged investments. Which investments have earned you the most? Is your 401(k) growing steadily? Is that brokerage account making big bucks for you? Invest that monthly leftover income in your future. 6. Stick to your plan. This is the hard part. Building

wealth is a sport that requires focus, frequent workouts and commitment. But the rewards can be great. For more information about how to create a financial plan, check out these Web sites: www.fpanet.org, http://planning.yahoo.com, and http://moneycentral.msn.com/ planning/home.asp. Have questions about how to invest your money? Ask Phaedra Xanthos, a licensed financial adviser specializing in the yachting community and owner of Transcontinental Financial Group in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact her at phaedra@tr anscontinentalfinancial.com.

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Make Money. Positions available for commision-based advertising sales reps around the world. For more information, contact Publisher David Reed at david@the-triton.com.


28 The Triton

CARIBBEAN NEWS

November 2004

Bobby’s Marina in St. Maarten begins work on $3M renovation By Robert Luckock ST. MAARTEN – Bobby’s Marina in Great Bay Harbour, Philipsburg, has begun a US $3 million facelift that will bring it in line with today’s state-ofthe art yachting marinas. The marina, built in 1968, is the longest established marina on the island. At one time, it was the only marina on the island. Marina owner Bobby Velasquez said an agreement was signed with local contractor Windward Roads to begin the first phase: casting the slabs for concrete docks. The existing wooden docks will all be replaced. “With everything happening in Philipsburg now, namely the beautification project and the boardwalk, we want to ensure Bobby’s Marina will continue to have its rightful place in the boating world,” he said. “We’re not changing any designs, merely replacing what was there before, but adding proper electric boxes, lighting, etc., and turning it into a modern cement marina.” Regarding the rest of the marina, Velasquez said it was too early to say in which direction that might head. “We would like to see the yard turning into something user-friendly that would benefit the community and

complement the beautification project, for example having a shopping complex and badly needed parking facilities,” he said. “But it all hinges on whether the government approves our Cole Bay boatyard, in which case this yard will close. “Whatever we do with Bobby’s Marina in Philipsburg, we want to do it right, so it blends in and enhances the island.” Plans for phase two include constructing docks to accommodate 12 megayachts, and a central fuel dock on the new breakwater. “If for any reason the Cole Bay yard does not happen, we’ll modernize right here, and again it will be something very professionally done,” he said. “We are not aiming for 150 megayachts on the docks. We still want this to be a multi-purpose marina and not an exclusively megayacht facility.” The new-look marina should be ready in time for next year’s season. Subject to approval of the move to Cole Bay, Velasquez added that the marina is deciding between acquiring either a 400- or 500-ton travelift for that yard. Robert Luckock is a freelance journalist living in St. Maarten. Contact him at rluckock@sintmaarten.net.


IN THE STARS

November 2004

HOROSCOPES By astronomer Michael Thiessen SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Don’t overdo it. Family members may not be easy to get along with. Don’t get into heated discussions. You can accomplish the most if you travel for business. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Spend time alone to avoid conflicts with family. Unexpected visitors will be a welcome surprise. Your self confidence will attract the opposite sex. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) Doublecheck the house on your way out. Relax and enjoy what you’ve accomplished when you’re finished. Sudden changes in your circle of friends could be interesting. It’s easy to meet people. AQUARIUS (Jan. 21-Feb. 19) Someone you live with will get angry if you neglect your duties. You might be overly emotional when dealing with your partner. You will be extremely sentimental, and if pushed by others you may hold a lasting grudge. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Avoid discourse with colleagues. Someone you least expect may not have your best interests at heart. Someone you live with is ready to play emotional games. ARIES (March 21-April 20) It’s a favorable time for investments and moneymaking opportunities to be successful. Unexpected visitors will be a welcome surprise. Be up front if you don’t want to be embarrassed. TAURUS (April 21-May 21) Don’t use the highway as a racetrack. Don’t upset family elders who don’t understand your situation. You may find yourself in the middle of an argument that has nothing to do with you. GEMINI (May 22-June 21) You can find solutions if you are willing to communicate. You are best not to say too much to colleagues. Your energetic nature and ability to initiate projects will add to your popularity. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Think twice before you say something you might regret. Much knowledge can be obtained through experience. Pamper yourself; the self esteem it brings will be most gratifying. Your lack of interest in your partner is a problem. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Your romantic inclination should lead to a committed relationship. Ask a close friend for advice. If you can’t get away, do something with friends. Uncertainties regarding your love life will surface if you have neglected your mate. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 23) Be honest if you wish to solve the problem. Your added discipline will enable you to complete some unfinished projects. Do things you enjoy instead of being a chameleon. You will be indecisive. LIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) Don’t be too quick to voice your opinion. Listen carefully. You will need to do a lot of research to get to the bottom of things. Changes regarding your career direction will pay off handsomely. Sudden romantic encounters will set your head spinning.

The Triton 29

Two brightest planets have celestial rendezvous By Jack Horkheimer On Nov. 4 and 5, the two brightest planets will have a super close meeting that we won’t see again until 2008. Plus, on Nov. 8 and 9, they’ll be visited by an exquisite, waning crescent moon. Early this month, at 45 minutes before sunrise facing due east, the brightest thing in the sky is our neighbor, 8,000-mile-wide Venus. Just below it 7 degrees away or 14 full moons apart (one full moon is 1/2 a degree) is the second-brightest but largest planet, 88,000-mile-wide Jupiter. The action begins on Nov. 1 when they will be less than 4 degrees or eight

moons apart. On Nov. 2, they will be less than 3 degrees or six moons apart. On Nov. 3, they will be less than 2 degrees or four moons apart. And then, ta da. On Nov. 4 and 5, they will be at their closest – less than 1 degree apart, which means fewer than two full moons could fit between them. On Nov. 4, Jupiter will be slightly below Venus to its right, but on Nov. 5 it will be just slightly above it. Jupiter has been below Venus through all of October, but after Nov. 5, it will rise above Venus. If you go out on Nov. 6, they will be about a degree and a half or 3 full moons apart. Then they’ll rapidly move

farther away from each other each day. As if this weren’t enough, on Nov. 9 an exquisite slender sliver of a 26-dayold moon complete with earthshine will be parked right above Jupiter. On Nov. 10, an even slimmer moon will be parked right underneath Venus, and all three will be equally spaced in a row. Jack Horkheimer is executive director of the Miami Museum of Science. This is the script for his weekly television show co-produced by the museum and WPBT Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public television stations around the world. For more information about stars, visit www.jackstargazer.com.


30 The Triton

OTHER VOICES

November 2004

Start with fresh air, maintenance to keep up air quality By Ron Blom Air quality is a growing concern aboard yachts. Poor air can manifest itself in many ways, including fatigue, headaches, allergies, heart problems and poor mental performance. Sometimes, toxic molds, cancerous dust and poisonous gases are part of the problem. Odors, which are generally not a health issue, often indicate a latent problem. There is no single method, product or application that will solve all the problems of poor air quality. What we see in our industry are inherent problems from the original build as well as growth of organisms resulting from the normal use of air conditioning equipment. They are the result of many factors including lack of maintenance or, with new builds, the materials the vessel and furnishings are made of. The main problem in this industry is the lack of fresh air. A good fresh air supply coupled with proper extraction air is the best defense to poor air issues.

But introducing fresh air may invite too much moisture through humidity. Molds, bacteria, funguses, viruses and the like need moisture to survive. When humidity combines with items such as wood, paper, glue, food, human and animal dander, these nasties grow. They reproduce by spreading their spores to colonize elsewhere. So how do we deal with problems in existing installations? The first thing is to clean the intake filters of all air conditioning units. Sometimes, we can upgrade the filters. A HEPA filter – which stands for high-efficiency particle arresting – will stop particles to micron ratings of less than 0.3. But this type of filter is not normally available in the marine industry. A carbon filter will help control odors and gases. An electrostatic filter will do a good job, but cannot be found in the sizes required in the marine industry. The other thing that is available, though extremely difficult to install into an air conditioning system, is

an ionizer. Similar to an electrostatic filter, an ionizer imparts negative and positive ions into the air. The charged particles attach to each other or to a collection system, which eliminates these particles from the air. An ionizer is available in small package units, but thus far the strength is too negligible to be effective. The units would only work in small areas with line-of-sight limitations. If the units were to be put into an air stream such as an air conditioner, the ions generated would be swept into the filter and the coil and other surfaces, canceling the charge. Ultraviolet light, when used in an AC system, performs different functions depending on the application. When used as a naked light in the air stream, it sterilizes some bacteria, viruses and mold spores, making them incapable of reproducing. This only works when the UV light has enough time to perform that function. Many people talk about the benefits of ozone in controlling odors, mold and

the like. But ozone is a poisonous gas. When an ozone generator is installed in a confined space, as we find in boats, the gas concentrates to unacceptably high levels. These are all methods of controlling poor air, but more effective would be to prevent poor air in the first place. Many systems have molds and dust in the air streams after the cooling coils and the blowers. There is a need to actually clean the coils and blowers as well as the ducting. In many cases, the cooling units and ducting should be replaced entirely. Many times this is the most cost effective way to solve the problem, especially with older equipment. If the cause of the poor air is not remedied, other methods of “repair” that seem less costly often do no good.

If it is possible to have too much time to think, an ocean crossing can afford it to you. This isn’t a long trip – eight days on the outside – but it’s enough to turn you toward philosophic tendencies. It’s

too many sunrises and sunsets sailing through perfect night skies that remind you of nothing if not a giant celestial snow globe. I imagine Orion suddenly coming alive, picking up our peaceful world,

shaking us for his enjoyment until the stars are rearranged and we are turned on our heads, oblivious to the perilous lives inside the globe. I sit on late watch, waiting, but we draw attention from no such Antaean, and for now, all is well. The days are still hot, but at night I can feel the pendulum of our FROM THE DECK travels swinging MACKENZIE DAGGETT more into the New York direction. I have taken to wearing wool socks, long pants, and three or four shirts. It is 70 degrees. How my tropical-spoiled body will survive another New England summer – a yachtie’s winter – I do not know. But we go where our boats deliver us and as long as that is not into an office, I am grateful. It has been a quiet trip. Almost too quiet. I have taken to sleeping so much that even my dreams have gotten lazy. What began as three or four seemingly normal dreams have amalgamated into one confused and repetitive study of the strangeness of an unchallenged human psyche … the seasick semantics of a movement-weary subconscious. Even the fish we crave seem to be sleeping. Six days into the trip, every experimental lure and hook has been tried to no avail. The West Indian delivery crew member has begun dancing around the aft deck, singing his self-penned mahi-mahi and tuna calling songs in an attempt to swing the fortunes of good fishing our way. It is like crossing a dead sea. No surfing dolphin, no frantic flying fish.

I feel incredibly inconsequential in comparison to the vastness. We have seen one boat in four days, and with no stimuli to keep our minds busy, imaginations are starting to run wild on watch. Between the pirateshrouding fog and the submarine sightings, this empty ocean has become a veritable mixing pot of movie plots. At mealtime, the crew relays the latest sensational story and laments our lack of fish. We have also begun to bet … on everything. Nothing is safe, not the number of fish we will or won’t catch, not the exact minute we will dock in New York. Even the hours in a day the deckhand will sleep is fair game. All of the winnings are going into the “New York Crew Spastic” fund, so nobody really loses, as long as you don’t count the hangovers we will all suffer from the morning after we finally hit land. I can almost hear the jingling bells with the words “and visions of Heinekens danced in their heads.” Excepting our lack of fish and parties, we are a happy seven taking no heed of the big blue doldrums. The water is flat, the wind is calm and, every once in a while, the sun is warm on our tan faces. I watch my captain at the helm as I write this. That man is still smirking. He is in his element. He has molded his lifestyle and his happiness into one seamless relationship and has created a world where his proverbial piece of paradise is at work. I’m in awe. We should all be so lucky.

Ron Blom is the owner of ARW Maritime, an air conditioning, refrigeration and watermaker company in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at ron@arwmaritime.com, or by phone at (954)463-0110.

Psyche plays seasick semantics during quiet ocean crossing

Mackenzie Daggett is the chief stewardess aboard M/Y Perseverance 2. Contact her through editorial@ the-triton.com.


REVIEWS

November 2004

The Triton 31

What we’re watching, reading Hitchcock DVD still fabulous

Dial up a mystery

Et voilà, speak French

Sailor pens second novel

You can have your director’s commentaries and making-of documentaries. For me, the best thing about the DVD boom is watching 65year-old classics in pristine condition. Such is the case with Alfred Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent,” freshly released on disc. Hitchcock’s second made-in-America flick, it was filmed on the eve of World War II and its sense of foreboding about the war still feels strangely prescient. New York tabloid hack Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) heads off to Europe to cover the impending war and, of course, finds himself tangled in a web of international intrigue. Hitchcock’s eye for stunning shots proves sharp as always. After an assassination in a rainy Amsterdam street, Hitchcock shoots the killer’s escape from above; we follow the assassin’s path by the twitching of pedestrians’ umbrellas. And the director turns the gears inside a Dutch windmill into one of the movie’s villains. “Foreign Correspondent” isn’t as creepily perverse as “Rear Window” or “Vertigo,” nor is it as tautly suspenseful as Hitchcock’s better-known films. Yet this flick still manages to feel fresh and significant after six decades. – Jeff Ostrowski

Helen Hawthorne has come to Florida to avoid a cheating ex and an unfavorable court judgment. Once a well-paid executive, she knows enough about the system to maintain her invisibility. Off the books, Hawthorne undertakes a series of minimum-wage jobs, all of which dump her into a mysterious murder. “Dying to Call You” (2004, Signet, $6.50) is the third book in the Dead End Job series by Ft. Lauderdale author Elaine Viets. With a talented combination of humor and critical observation, Viets incorporates the extremes of wealth in Ft. Lauderdale into the fast-moving plot. Working as a telemarketer, Hawthorne’s daily routine of abusive managers and angry customers is broken when she overhears a murder during a call. Her efforts to investigate dial up hilarious depictions of the call center staff pitching septic tank cleaner. Characters from Helen’s apartment building – including the classic landlady in purple Margery – help and hinder her investigation. Speeding to a finish on the Intracoastal, the story wraps local landmarks, personalities, and quirks into great entertainment. – Donna Mergenhagen Owner, Well Read, Ft. Lauderdale

Boaters have a unique language that travel guides seldom include. Kathy Parsons’ success with “Spanish for Cruisers” prompted the demand for a similar book of French terms (“French for Cruisers,” 2004, Aventuras Publishing, $29.95). Her initial challenge was to help English speakers use French well enough to be understood. Using a clever printing method where silent letters are gray and a columnar layout that includes the correct article that precedes masculine, feminine and plural nouns, one can easily communicate without knowing a word of French. The wrap-around cover provides a quick reference to each section, and an extra summary and table of contents is written in French to help a French speaker use the book. The book includes hundreds of drawings, diagrams and illustrations. Twenty-eight topics and plenty of useful information cover every situation imaginable for the sailor. Communication is the goal, laughter the by-product, friendship the reward. Perfect grammar are less important than giving a dockmaster the correct hull dimensions. – Ellen Sanpere S/V Cayenne III

Christine Kling’s mystery novel “Cross Current” takes place in the waters and land of Ft. Lauderdale and the Bahamas. It opens with a female tugboat captain waiting to tow a wooden cruiser that sank the previous night with 50 Haitians aboard. But while waiting for the ship to be raised, Capt. Seychelle Sullivan sees a Haitian girl bobbing in the distance. Sullivan lifts her radio to call for help, but stops, thinking “I knew for sure that if it was a 6-year-old Cuban boy, he might end up a celebrity. They’d take him to Disney World, give him a puppy. My guess was this one would get, at best, a trip to the airport.” The theme of Cubans who land in America being allowed to stay while Haitians and others are deported is significant. But social commentary never bogs down the engaging, fresh plot. The mystery unfolds as Sullivan realizes the girl is clinging to a submerged boat with no sails or motor. So how did it arrive from Haiti? And how was the woman next to her killed? “Cross Current” (2004, Ballantine Books, $23.95) is Kling’s second novel. For 20 years she sailed and worked around much of the world, including the South Pacific and Caribbean. – David Raterman


32 The Triton

TAKING TIME OFF

November 2004

Running from hurricane brings treasures, ruins By Capt. Chris Berg Greetings from Puerto Isla Mujeres marina on the Isla Mujeres, about five miles off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. After a full summer in the Bahamas, M/Y Intrepid and her crew made a touch-and-go stop in Ft. Lauderdale with Hurricane Frances on our wake. Rest and relaxation was shortlived, though, as Hurricane Ivan was headed our way. We played chicken

Stewardess/deckhand Becky Smith still smiles after crashing on her scooter in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

with it as we headed across the Gulf of Mexico until finally Ivan the Terrible turned north. Our hearts go out to all of Florida for all the hurricane misfortunes. We are starting our seventh week here on the Island of the Women. Our owner feels Isla Mujeres must be the magical hurricane safe haven and has been reluctant to release us from exile and send us back to Ft. Lauderdale. Isla Mujeres and Cancun are great. There is a laid-back, Mexican village atmosphere here, even though we are just 15 minutes by ferry boat from the downtown of wild and glitzy, Spring break-party Mecca of Cancun. So you can have the best of both worlds. You can take your pick of entertainment, shop at the island market or go to Sam’s in Cancun. Cozumel is also nearby. Our crew did a weekend scuba trip there. The whole Mayan cultural experience is fantastic. Many of the Maya ruins are nearby, including the remains of the ancient cities of Tulum, Chichen-Itza and many more. The beaches are also beautiful.

On the whole, things are cheaper. Dockage is reasonable. Diesel is up there, though, at $1.75 a gallon. Contact dockmaster Pierre Sanchez at nautipete@yahoo.com, by phone at 01152 9982873356, or by fax at 01152 998273346. We spent a lot of time exploring and having fun, using scooters and golf carts as our mode of transportation. Stewardess/deckhand Becky Smith crashed into a house the first day. Life is good here although it’s about time to return to yachtie Ft. Lauderdale so we can catch up on maintenance items properly. Capt. Chris Berg is the skipper of M/Y Intrepid during what he called a “good crew era.” He and his wife, chef Sylvie Staboli, have been onboard almost seven years. Stewardess/deckhand Becky Smith is starting her third year, and mate/deckhand Joe MacVeagh is finishing one year. Contact Berg at capt5066@aol.com.

Capt. Chris Berg (top) and chef Sylvie Staboli (above) explore ruins. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS BERG

Mate/deckhand Joe MacVeagh caught this tuna on the way to Mexico. Answers to puzzle on page 36


November 2004

The Triton 33


GIVE IT UP

34 The Triton

CREW NEEDED Experienced mate, stew needed for 100’ M/Y. Must be detail oriented, self motivated. Individuals, couples considered. George, geohall67@aol.com Seeking a permanent captain with minimum of 150-ton license, and a chef and cook/stew for a 90-foot yacht. Provide resume, references to apply@goldquickline.com.

see to all guest needs. captaintimc@yahoo.com MCA master looking for captain/first officer position on any vessel – power or sail – over 70’. Caribbean/ Europe/USA experience. Fluent English, French, Italian. JP, 954-663-6492, gpsail@yahoo.com

CREW AVAILABLE

San Diego area, mate/ deckhand for day work, deliveries. Experienced, reliable. Australian. Tony 858-232-1299

Charter yacht captain/ chef and stew team seek full-time live-aboard position. Both able to

Experienced British captain. MCA 3,000 tons, SSO, AEC, bodyguard trained. Army paramedic,

Classifieds

dive master. Non smoker, reliable. Med contract done; available now. +44 7770 453 334, marcus@harriott.net

Freelance chef, Canadian with green card. 7 years experience charter and private. Fran, 954-763-8905, frances8905@bellsouth.net

American stewardess, 12 years experience on yachts up to 180’. Seeking non-live-aboard position on South Floridabased power yacht. Also freelance, daywork. Dawn, 954-366-6862, ddk1509@hotmail.com.

Deckhand/anything full-time. American, retired from 20 years of aircraft maintenance, looking to be engineer, STCW-95. No wife/kids/ dog. Gary, 239-784-2074, naples01@aol.com

American captain and chef team can handle everything from fishing to cooking. 50 years experience combined. (561)309-6577, (561)5337257, beefishing@aol.com

Skilled chiropractor available for private or charter yachts. Specializing in chiropractic, neuromus cular & sports massage, yoga, physical training and spa treatments.

November 2004

Licensed, certified. Dr. Tina, yogadoc@earthlink. net, 912-898-1988 American stew with 14 years experience, extensive travels through the Bahamas. Dive master. Will cook for a family, detail oriented. Vicki Elwyn, 954-612-2503.

private, charter or delivery. Reliable, dependable and able to perform. Catherine E. Clement, 954-815-1025 Captain, off shore with 22 years experience. References. Mike Buzzi 954-253-6302, mikegone2c@hotmail.com

Freelance chef or chef/ stew available for charter or private. US citizen, STCW-95. Excellent references, professional attitude. Heidi, 954-2985504, cailleux@excite.com

Ft. Laud.-based freelance cook/stew team or separate. Smoke/ drug free, US citizens. Available as yacht delivery crew. References. cookstewcrew@yahoo. com, 954-764-0686

Chef/stew/mate, 10 years experience. Available full time or freelance,

Experienced American chef, broad culinary expertise, STCW 95. Full


GIVE IT UP

November 2004 time, will freelance. Will travel. Reb, 828-399-0318, rebwingfield@hotmail.com 1,600-ton licensed captains, 22 years experience, full or part time. Palmarine Yacht Management, deliveries, project management, new construction. 954-6845340, fax 954-764-8998 Freelance chef available for charter or private, and catering for yachts, homes and offices. Excellent references. Gail Murphy, 954-525-1398 American chef or chef/ stew. 13 years experience. Served Clinton and family. Temporary or permanent. Kathy Bell, 954-965-2735, 954-609-7513

American chef, hospitality specialty with 18 years experience. Permanent or freelance. STCW 95. 954-600-2069, cheforvis@hotmail.com Captain 1,600-ton, full time or part time, deliveries. Best prices to the Bahamas and the Keys. Tom, 954-925-7378

OTHER PROS NEEDED Marine propeller reconditioner, experienced in all phases of recon. Welding a plus. S. Fla., 954-894-8089 Tender/commercial diver for underwater maint. of yachts. Must be strong, have c- card, dive gear and driver lic. 954-325-1189

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

26’ Boston Whaler 2000. Used as yacht tender. Outriggers, depth sounder, chart plotter, radar, auto pilot, CD, VHF. Recent engine rebuild, Twin Yamaha 200s. $53,000. 954-292-3562

$125 weekly or $500 monthly, Large room in River Oaks area (SW 23rd Ct. & 15th Ave.) Spacious home with yard, washer/ dryer, parking & cable/sat. TV. Fran 954-763-8905

Marquipt 2000# aluminum davit, extendable boom with hydraulic rotation and elevation. 6-button remote, hydraulic power pack, fresh Awlgrip paint. Weld down aluminum base. $12,500 OBO. 954425-2759 Marquipt Med Ladder, 14’ folding aluminum w/SS trapeeze spreader. $2,600 OBO. 954-425-2759

3-room duplex apartment, Tarpon River area. For 1 or 2 adults. 612 S.W. 9th St., Ft. Lauderdale

Need crew? Need a job? List your needs for free in The Triton. Contact Kristy Fox at kristy@ the-triton.com or 954-931-1590

The Triton 35

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

Company

Page

All Phase Marine Electric All Services Antibes Yachtwear Argonautica Yacht Interiors ARW Maritime Bahia Mar Yachting Center Boat Blinds International Bradford Marine Business cards Camper & Nicholsons International C&N Yacht Refinishing Cape Ann Towing Concord Marine Electronics Crew Unlimited D.N. Kelley & Son Shipyard Edd Helms Marine Elite Crew International EnviroCare Solutions International Florida Marine Fort Lauderdale Marine Directory Fort Lauderdale Shipyard Global Insurance Net Global Satellite Global Yacht Fuel Gourmet Market Caves Village Island Marine and Industrial Services Jones Boat Yard Lauderdale Marine Center Lauderdale Propeller Light Bulbs Unlimited Maritime Professional Training Megafend Mrs. G Team MYD Ft. Lauderdale Nauti Tech Ocean Marine Yacht Center Prop Speed Puerto Isla Mujeres Resolve Marine Group Rolly Marine Service Roscioli Yachting Center Rossmare International Bunkering RPM Diesel Engine Co. Sailorman SeaThrust Smile Perfect Smith-Merritt Insurance St. Augustine Marine Sunset Harbor Yacht Club Sunshine Medical Center Superyacht Solutions Virgin Islands Charteryacht League World of Yachting Yacht Equipment & Parts Yacht-Mate Products Yacht Productions Yacht Woodworking Systems

20 27 18 11 37 12 23 28 33-35 9 2 21 4 32 4 19 12 18 38 32 14 8 7 8 11 9 23 13 31 15 37 21 26 5 7 19 13 8 3 24 6 30 38 21 26 22 28 3 28 22 22 30 20 40 14 18 15


WHAT’S UP?

36 The Triton

Nov. 3 The Fox Network, 7 p.m., Olé Olé in Las Olas Riverfront, Ft. Lauderdale. (954)525-0029, kristy@the-triton.com Nov. 4-6 30th annual St. Thomas Fall Charteryacht show, Crown Bay Marina. (800) 524-2061, www.vicl.org. Nov. 6-7 Basic weather seminar, Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS), Linthicum Heights, Maryland. Study basic weather, atmospheric pressure and wind, mid-latitude highs and lows, 500 millibar forecasting, and communications

SAVE THE DATE:

The first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Olé Olé in Ft. Lauderdale’s Las Olas Riverfront, join us for . . .

THE FOX NETWORK Kristy Fox, who handles business development for The Triton, has made a name for herself in this industry by getting people together. The Triton is proud to sponsor her signature socials. Come network and make new friends. For more info, e-mail Kristy at kristy@the-triton.com.

November 2004

On the Horizon in October

nauticalfleamarket.com

EVENT OF THE MONTH Nov. 16-18, Project 2004 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hosted by The Yacht Report, this event draws many of the industry’s leaders to discuss the state of the industry and its future. Keynote speaker for this year’s 10th anniversary Project is scheduled to be Jonathan Beckett, principal of Nigel Burgess Ltd. www.theyachtreport.com/project/yachtproject.asp at sea. $325 plus lodging. (866)656-5568, www.mitags.org.

discuss ANOA and ISPS. RSVP (954)525-0029

Nov. 6-14 43rd annual Barcelona International Boat Show, Moll d’Espanya del Port Vell, Barcelona, Spain. Mediterranean Marinas Conference will take place during the show. www.firabcn.es

Nov. 11-24 ShowBoats International magazine’s Rendevous at Fisher Island to benefit Boys & Girls Club of Broward County. Standard sponsorships $10,000 and up. Invitations to private yacht owners and sponsors only. Contact Jennifer Harris at jennifer. harris@boysclubsbroward.org or call 954-537-1010.

Nov. 7 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Ft. Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free. Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale. gov/festivals. Nov. 8-11 23rd annual BVI Fall Charteryacht Show, Village Cay Marina, Tortola. www. bvicrewedyachts.com Nov. 10 The Triton Connection, 2 p.m., Ft. Lauderdale location TBA. Guest speaker Lt. Commander George Zeitler to

Nov. 12-14 21st annual Miami Book Fair International, the largest in the country with more than 250 authors and a half million visitors. www.miamibookfair.com Nov. 13-14 15th annual Nautical Flea Market, Pompano Community Park, 830 N.E. 18th Ave., Pompano Beach. $3 entrance, parking is free. www.

Nov. 16-18 Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) 2004, Amsterdam. For trade only. At least 900 exhibitors expected. www.mets.nl Nov. 18-21 St. Petersburg Boat Show, St. Petersburg, Fla. www. showmanagement.com Dec. 2-7 43rd annual Charter Yacht Show, Antigua, www. antigua-charter-yacht-meeting. com. Dec. 5 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Fort Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free. Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale. gov/festivals. Dec. 7-11 St. Maarten Marine Trades Association Charter Yacht Exhibition, St. Maarten www. charteryachtexhibition.com. Trade only show. Feb. 6 Superbowl XXXIX, Jacksonville, Fla., Alltel Stadium, www.superbowl.com and www. jacksonvillesuperbowl.com Feb 14-15 Superyacht Conference, Ft. Lauderdale. www. superyachtconference.com.

Answers on page 32


November 2004

WRITE TO BE HEARD

Even small yacht fire calls up memories, realities of danger I thought I’d seen practically every kind of yacht there was. Yachts are a big part of my life and livelihood. I live on the Intracoastal, and have delighted – every day for years – in yacht watching from my home. As a captain’s wife, I’ve seen up close the big yachts my husband has crewed on and yachts he’s TIED UP IN KNOTS commissioned. LISA H. KNAPP There are yachts on our t-shirts, on our bedspread, on our magazines, and photos of special yachts on our refrigerator. I’m a boat show regular and even write about yachts and the people who crew on them, so I’ve seen many yachts. But the one yacht I’d never seen was a yacht on fire – until last month. I’d just returned from my jog as the news broke that a 55-footer was ablaze in my neighborhood. I grabbed batteries for the camera, a notepad, my cell phone and a copy of The Triton and shoved them in my knapsack as I hustled over to the scene. As I snapped pictures, I thought about the fire and wondered how it

started. It ended by gutting the vessel to a hollow hull. A fire on a yacht is one of my worst fears. My husband once sea-trialed a yacht that had a fire. The halon system came on, so things didn’t get out of hand. I got scared when he told me, and thought of how a fire onboard could change our lives, in an instant. My dad was discharged from his ship after an engine steamed in his face. I was about 4, but I remember the huge bandages on his eye. Children understand bandages; the bigger the bandage, the bigger the boo-boo. As I shot photos, I thought it a minor miracle that this fire was contained to only one yacht. For a moment, the dock lines of neighboring vessels looked like long fuses programmed for one big kaboom – just blocks from my condo. This fire was a little reminder of the complete lack of control over what could happen to a loved one working on a boat. It hit just a little too close to home, in every way. Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp is a freelance writer in Aventura, Florida. She is the wife and granddaughter of a captain, and the daughter and granddaughter of a marine engineer. Contact her at lisa@the-triton.com.

The Triton 37


38 The Triton

WRITE TO BE HEARD

November 2004

Hurricane storage more trouble than it’s worth In the October issue of The Triton, there were two articles on hurricane storage. One was written by The Triton, one by a shipyard operator. Rolly Marine Service is a familyowned shipyard under the same ownership for 37 years. While none of us want to see (and few have truly seen or experienced) a major hurricane event – much less four threats in 44 days – it is my opinion that Rolly will have to reconsider storing or safe harboring any vessels after this year. It is simply not worth the tremendous effort that Rolly Marine puts forth. No boat captain has any idea of what a shipyard goes through in order to get ready for such an event. When mandatory evacuations are ordered, bridges are locked down. That means boats that need bridge openings must navigate in groups up the river before the bridges lock down. At Rolly Marine, four boats were having shaft work done and were already out of the water. They first had to be lifted, then lowered and reblocked with stabilizing stands in addition to the regular blocking stands, before a single new vessel could be taken out of the water and blocked for the hurricane. Rolly only works on vessels 50 feet to 135 feet in length, so this was a major, labor-intensive task.

No boat captain has any idea what it is like to haul and block and secure five to six 100-foot boats in a 10-hour day, not to mention the stowing of tenders and jet skis and securing anything over 10 pounds. No boat captain has ever paid as much as $60,000 to rebuild a dock that was pulled over by high winds associated with an approaching storm, not to mention palm trees, power centers, light poles, etc., that have been used as secure mooring bases. No damage caused to our property from boats tying up here has ever been passed on to a hurricane storage boat. One only has to look at photographs of facilities on the west coast of Florida and the Stuart area after two storms within seven days to know that if Ft. Lauderdale experienced a direct hit, damage would be catastrophic to vessels and property. If there was a tidal surge associated with an approaching storm like the one with Andrew, everyone forgets that these vessels could be lifted six to 10 feet. This affects the height under covered sheds, how you tie up a vessel, and why you tie stuff down all over the yard. Embryonic shipyard owners who don’t know their costs or have the experience on how to get ready – yet have the audacity to pass judgment on those who do – should mind their

business and stay out of mine. Rolly Marine Service is just that, service. If Fort Lauderdale Shipyard wants to give away its services, then they obviously know what their services are worth – nothing. No price gouging was found at Roscioli Yachting Center or Rolly Marine. The vessel that reported Roscioli for gouging was an old Chris Craft Roamer that was towed from Bahia Mar by Cape Ann Towing at the last minute because her engines were not operating. And because it was one of the last vessels in, it blocked other vessels from leaving after the storm, preventing Roscioli’s yard from getting back to work. As for the captain who threw his wallet on Rick Roughen’s desk who claimed to have spent “tens of millions” of dollars at numerous facilities over the years, the captain or Roughen are delusional. We boatyard owners have substantial investments in our properties. We place our facilities in jeopardy every time we take in vessels for safe harbor from a storm. Winston Churchill said it best: “No good deed goes unpunished.” Greg Poulos General Manager Rolly Marine Service


November 2004

WRITE TO BE HEARD

The Triton 39

Yachting center needs leaders Since when does a county’s $8.8 billion industry go unnoticed? It’s hard to believe with the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show in full swing, but at most other times of the year, the residents of Ft. Lauderdale barely notice the yachting community. The industry is responsible for more than 109,000 jobs in Broward County and about 1,000 marinerelated support businesses. One megayacht captain suggested that yachting is Ft. Lauderdale’s factory. Factories used to be the hearts of towns all across America. They had a big building, a parking lot filled with cars and scores of people walking through the gate to work each day. There is no building or parking lot or corporate name on the yachting industry in Ft. Lauderdale, but it is the city’s heart just the same. Like blood, megayachts constantly flow in and out of this city – yet its citizens hardly notice. Captains and crew have other things to worry about, we know. As long as the yards are open, they don’t much care if a bunch of taxpayers notice. But guess what? If someone doesn’t pay attention soon, all those world-class products and services that attract megayachts to Ft. Lauderdale could be gone. There is no guarantee things will stay this way; in fact, there are plenty of powerful people who do not want all these yachts around. Real estate prices and development pressures are squeezing marinas and yards off the waterfront. It’s a reality. And Ft. Lauderdale’s industry is running out of time to figure out what to do about it. The Marine Industries Association of South Florida contributed $12,000 this year to candidates for political office. That’s shameful. It should have been in the hundreds of thousands. All sides of this industry have to step up to effect the kind of legislation that will protect Ft. Lauderdale’s heart, if not her soul. And she needs leaders to make the rest of the world know it.

Triton Publisher David Reed

The Triton keeps professional crew in touch I wanted to thank you for the great service The Triton provides us as professional yacht crew. My girlfriend, chef Lisa Cicone, and I have been on vacation since mid July. During this time away, we found that we can easily stay in touch with industry “goings on” just by logging on to www.the-triton.com. One of our many stops was near Salt Lake City. As usual, an Internet café was our first stop to check e-mail. I found myself spending considerable time on your site and reading the whole Triton publication. Now both of us do this often, enjoying the wide range of articles, helpful links, and the ease of use of your Web site. Thank you for making it so fun to keep current. Capt. Robert D. High

Price gouging complaints unfair The few captains who complained [“Captains allege unfair dockage rates in hurricanes,” October 2004, page 1] should rethink what they were saying about price gouging. The yards really go out of their way to accommodate us for any hurricane threats that we get, which may be a mistake on their part. I do not believe that marinas and shipyards are the best place to keep a

boat. Everyone will be shocked at the amount of damage and total loss if we should get a direct hit by a category four or five hurricane. Capt. Daniel Webster M/Y Joanne

Vittoria speaks out on Mirabella I’ve just read about your captains’ round table and felt that some of your readers would be interested in a thread started by Joe Vittoria Jr. on the BYM forum. www.bymnews.com/cgi-bin/ datacgi/database.cgi/Forum/Subtopic/ SubtopicID=00000461/firstrecord=0/ finalrecord=39/ It has already had well over 5,000 views and several megayacht captains have posted. Vittoria is referring to an article I wrote. See that at www. boatsyachtsmarinas.com/mirabella/ Marian Martin

Triton launch party good fun We would like to thank you firstly for the invitation to the Triton launch party [Oct. 19] and then for the wonderful prize we won [a seven-night Caribbean cruise donated by C&N Yacht Refinishing]. Please thank the sponsors and everyone else involved. Capt. Ian and Cici van der Watt M/Y Queen of Diamonds

Door prizes valuable I had a great time at your party. I won the haul out and bottom paint prize [donated by Fort Lauderdale Shipyard and MYD Ft. Lauderdale] so it was very worthwhile as well as fun. Capt. Matt Hedrick M/Y Baroness

Party good for business, too Just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for a great party. It was a great opportunity to meet the right people and get to know them in the Lauderdale area. Stephen Johns Managing Owner SeaThrust

You have a ‘write’ to be heard. Send us your thoughts on anything you read in The Triton or on other stuff that bothers you in the yachting world. Write to us at editorial@the-triton.com



Getting Under Way Technical news for captains and crews

Nov. 2004 Pages 17-24

PULL-OUT

Crew may need fire plan under new OSHA rule

a polyurethane top coat also from Awlgrip, was then applied. The yacht selected subcontractor Tung Luu of Luu Yacht Refinishing to do the paint job. “We are aware that many yachts have paint applicators that they have used for years or have been passed on by recommendation,” said Vance Hull, director of yacht services at Colonna Yachts. “We will support those painters with their service requirements for air, water and electricity.” Making use of the time the yacht was in the yard, Capt. John Johansen took advantage of Colonna’s workforce and marine resources in the immediate area. For instance, various repairs were carried out on the Northern Lights generators and the Caterpillar main engine. The yard was also able to make repairs to the bimini frame and other piping needs. During this period, the FM 200 fire suppression system was upgraded. To assist with engine-room maintenance, the aluminium deck plates were powder coated, which

On Sept. 15, OSHA’s final rule on “Fire Protection for Shipyard Employment” was published in the Federal Register. It is incorporated into 29 CFR 1915 as Subpart P. It becomes effective in midDecember and must be fully implemented within 90 days. This rule will have a large impact on shipyards and FROM THE YARD their employees BLAIR DUFF throughout the United States. It also affects the thousands of subcontractors who work in these shipyards. The new rules address safety and health risks associated with shipyard fire hazards. I advise each yard manager, contractor, insurer and captain to obtain a copy of this new rule and to review it to see how it will affect their role in ship building, repairs and maintenance. Sections of this new regulation include: a written fire safety plan, fire watches, hot work precautions, fire response, hazards of fixed extinguishing systems, land-side fire protection systems, and training. Subpart P applies to all shipyard employees including subcontractors who work in the yards and on vessels, regardless of geographical location, within the United States. Captains and their crew will have to know about a yard’s fire plans, including fire and evacuation alarms, and may have to have their own written fire plan, depending on the nature and extent of repairs on their vessel. According to the rule, each shipyard is required to develop and implement a written fire safety plan. This will have to be accessible to all of the employees, contractors and to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. The plan must identify fire hazards, procedures for recognizing and reporting unsafe conditions, alarm and evacuation procedures, and procedures for notifying employees and fire response organizations of a fire emergency. A copy of a yard’s fire plan must be given to the local fire department. The shipyard must review the plan with all employees and it must be documented.

See IN THE YARD, page 18

See OSHA, page 20

Berthed at the Colonna Yachts Sailing Center, S/Y Timoneer was coccooned in scaffolding and shrinkwrap for her paint job this summer. PHOTO COURTESY OF COLONNA YACHTS

Timoneer gets some southern hospitality By James Barrett Virginia-based Colonna Yachts, a division of Colonna’s Shipyard, has just completed a paint job and minor refit of the sailing yacht Timoneer. Located on the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River in Norfolk ,Virginia, Colonna Yachts is able to provide large yachts with deep drafts and tall masts easy access to an experienced and resourceful refit center. With more than 500 yachts on the 2004 order book and the numbers and sizes of yachts continuing to grow, it leaves the question of where to go for the yard period. The 148-foot (44.75m) Timoneer was completed in 2001 at Vitters Shipyard in the Netherlands. With an air draft of 159 feet (48.2m) and drawing almost 13 feet (4m), Timoneer is one of a growing number of yachts that are somewhat restricted in their choice of yards. There has been a gradual change in shipyard industry over the past few years. The commercial yards that once catered to the likes of the fishing, tug boat and commerce fleets are now opening their doors to yachts. Colonna Yachts did so in 1992 with an

emergency hauling of M/Y Virginian and has continued its service to the growing megayacht industry since. Commercial yards are more often better suited to cope with the physical proportions and ship-like systems of a yacht such as Timoneer. So how does a yard that is typically connected to refurbishing naval vessels fare when painting and servicing a modern and complex sailing yacht? Timoneer arrived at the Norfolk facility with just over a month’s notice. In the yard primarily for paint work, the yacht was berthed at the Colonna Yachts Sailing Center. The yacht was placed alongside one of the substantial bulkheads, but stood off from the dock so that an intricate scaffold structure supported by the deck could be built. This framework hung over the side of the vessel and reached down to the water line complete with walk-boards around the yacht. The entire structure was then covered using heat shrink plastic that formed a cocoon around the vessel. The hull was cleaned and sanded and made ready for the 545 or Awlgrip epoxy primer. Matterhorn White,


18 The Triton

FROM THE TECH FRONT

November 2004

Yard’s commercial history makes it a fit for big boats IN THE YARD, from page 17 enhanced the appearance of an already well organized machinery space. This was a brief visit for Timoneer; the yacht was in the yard for about 30 days. However, the time frame for service was not exceeded. Timoneer departed for Sweden via Iceland. In early October, she had already racked up more than 8,500 nautical miles. By press time, she was in Palma de Mallorca. Colonna Yachts has no overhead restrictions and is equipped with 800 linear feet of deepwater dockage, a 1,000-ton railway, and in-house capability for virtually any service needed. Yachts larger than 200 feet (60m) are served by the commercial yard, which is equipped with a 2,800-ton floating dry dock in addition to a series of railways. The yards are full-service facilities and offer a host of generators, fork lifts, cranes and loaders. Colonna Yachts is located close to the city of Norfolk, which hosts a major airport and a variety of marine support industries. Specialty subcontractors range from gold plating and marble to main engine service and supply.

Luu Yacht Refinishing handled the paint job. PHOTO COURTESY OF COLONNA YACHTS S/Y Timoneer follows the previous yard visits of S/Y Morning Glory, which dry docked for routine maintenance, S/Y Lethantia, which berthed for limited superstructure painting and interior refinishing, and S/Y Georgia, which berthed for various engineering items, interior refinishing, and a sail change. James Barrett is a director with Custom Yacht Consultants, which has offices in Ft. Lauderdale, London and St. Thomas. Contact him at james.barrett@custom yachtconsultants.com.


PRODUCT REVIEW

November 2004

Fuel additive ups run time During the course of another marine drama – broken generator the night before the owner’s 10-day cruise – the ever helpful diesel mechanic at Hyannis Marina turned me onto a fuel additive from Texas Refineries Corp. DZL-LENE XL/10 is the stuff. Some of the benefits are fuel injection cleanliness, better fuel economy, CAPTAIN’S CALL reduced exhaust HERB MAGNEY emissions and the prevention of fuel/water emulsification. Cummins Engine Co. performed a test to measure the effects of depositing on injectors – called the L10 Injector Depositing test – and found the additive helped achieve a 63 percent improvement in the CRC plunger rating. Cleaner injectors. With improved cleanliness comes better fuel efficiency. Better lubrication brings less wear, especially in the upper cylinder and ring zone as well as the fuel and injector pumps. The additive comes in five-gallon metal buckets with pour spouts. The metal bucket is a drawback: more rusty stuff on board. The contents, though, are truly remarkable. We had 3412E Cats, which are known for clean emissions. Nevertheless, there is always some

soot. After running the first load of fuel – 1,100 gallons at 60 to 80 percent load in following seas for most of the travels – there wasn’t any of the dreaded greasy black stuff to clean off the transom. The next three loads of fuel provided us with the same situation; no mess. I started paying even closer attention to our fuel rate at the same power ratings, a job made easier by the Marine Vision Displays. I noticed an average increase in run time per tank of one hour or roughly 100 gallons a tank. While in Wrightsville Beach, the technicians from Gregory Poole came to the docks to do a 20,000 gallon service on the mains. The technician could not believe the condition of the injectors. He asked why we had replaced the injectors and hadn’t logged it into the computer on board. I told him about the new fuel additive. We sent a sample back to their test labs and received the approval to continue to use the stuff. I now order the stuff over the phone and have it drop shipped to me wherever I am. For more information, contact Murray Nadelle at (954)344-6830 or visit www.texasrefinery.com. Contact Capt. Herb Magney at captainmagney@hotmail.com. To suggest other products for review, e-mail editorial@the-triton.com.

The Triton 19


20 The Triton

FROM THE TECH FRONT

November 2004

Rule requires designated areas, fire watches, response teams OSHA, from page 17 Contract employers working in a shipyard must have a fire safety plan for their employees, and this plan must comply with the host employer’s fire safety plan. Shipyards must designate areas for hot work, including work on a vessel, vessel sections and fabrication shops. The employer must inspect the areas to ensure that they are free of fire hazards. The shipyard must have a written fire-watch policy, and employees assigned to fire-watch duty must be trained by a qualified instructor. The duties and responsibilities of the fire watch are listed in section 1915.504. Each shipyard, contractor and captain should be familiar with these duties. If a captain is having a welder aboard his vessel for repairs, even if it is not in a yard, he/she will need to be familiar with the proper fire safety precautions. Each shipyard will have to decide whether it will rely on the local fire department or have an internal fire response team. If it is a local fire department, it needs to have a copy of the yard’s written fire plan and must hold training drills at the yard annually. This information is to be included in the written policy and it must

include a layout of the facility, access routes, and rescue and emergency response procedures. If a yard decides to have an internal fire response team, team members must be trained and equipped with proper fire fighting gear. The section of the rule on the hazards of fixed extinguishing systems on board vessels is mostly common sense, but it mentions when a system needs to be deactivated, precautions when working on these systems, and ensuring that all systems are operational during sea trials. Only trained employees authorized by the yard can operate and activate these systems. I have talked with several yard managers in South Florida and this new regulation was new to them. I’m only the messenger, but I’d like to help ensure that the marine industry stays current with the latest changes and regulations. Blair Duff is a marine chemist in South Florida and is working with several training schools to create a fire watch training course. For more information about the course, contact him at (305) 469-7594 or blaircmc698@yahoo.com. For more information about the new fire protection rule, contact OSHA at www.osha.gov.


November 2004

The Triton 21

Consider engine performance when buying low-sulpher diesel By Silvio Rossi Low-sulphur gas oil is often considered synonymous with good quality. But sulphur content is only one of the properties that ought to be considered when purchasing fuel. Air pollution is a serious problem all over the world. Transportation is one of the largest sources of air pollution due to the combustion of fuel in vehicles and in home-heating systems. Laws in modern countries are becoming more and more strict in requiring the reduction of emissions to protect human health and the health of the environment. The combustion of diesel fuel is a source of toxic particles formed by sulphur dioxide combined in the atmosphere. For this reason, modern countries set limits for sulphur content in diesel to be used on roads and in urban areas. The production and use of lowsulphur diesel can be considered positive for its impact in lessening sulphur dioxide, but one should also take into consideration the technical aspects regarding engine performance. Diesel fuel lubricity is an important

aspect during the combustion in protecting moving parts in fuel pumps and injection systems since these parts are fully fuel lubricated. High-sulphur fuel has enough lubricity. In fact, it contains sufficient quantities of trace components that adhere to metallic surfaces producing a film. Low-sulphur fuel is less active but no serious consequences to the engine have been recorded as yet. Engineers should be careful to frequently check the injection system and pumps for premature wear. The corrosive effect of sulphuric acid during the combustion of lowsulphur diesel is reduced, so it is possible to use lubricants having lower TBN that are significantly cheaper. In brief, the use of low-sulphur diesel is necessary for the environment. Nevertheless, in regard to diesel specifications, other parameters are important to be considered, including CCAI, Conradson carbon residue, ash, vanadium and sodium. Silvio Rossi is managing director of Rossmare International, a worldwide fuel bunkering company based in Savona, Italy. Contact him at info@rossmare.com.


22 The Triton

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

November 2004

Electronic charts certified C-MAP has obtained ISO 19379 certification for its CM-93/3 and NT-Link electronic chart databases, making it the first producer of electronic charts to be so certified. The certification was issued by Det Norske Veritas, the European typeapproval agency. ISO 19379 is the international standard for electronic chart systems databases, specifically in regard to the content, quality and updating required for safety of navigation. The CM-93/3 and NT-Link databases consist of about 20,000 electronic charts with worldwide coverage, mostly used on ECDIS and ECS on SOLAS-class ships as an aid to navigation. For more information, e-mail kcirillo@c-map.com.

SAAB launches IMO-compliant DGPS Sweden-based Saab Transponder Tech has introduced a new DGPS Navigator, which meets IMO and IEC specifications, including Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring. The R4 DGPS Navigator is offered as a stand-alone DGPS or optionally as an integrated DGPS/AIS system when interfaced with the industry-standard Saab R4 AIS transponder, providing a fully compliant solution for DGPS and AIS carriage requirements. The R4 DGPS Navigator comprises a 12-channel GPS receiver module with built-in dual-channel DGPS IALA beacon receiver, and a control/display unit with a high-resolution 6-inch sunlight-readable VGA screen. The system is designed to serve as the ship’s primary type-approved DGPS navigator, providing reliable output of position, course and speed to the ship’s radars, ECDIS, autopilot, AIS, VDR and other bridge electronics, with two bidirectional RS422 data ports and one RS422 output port.

Sperry integrates communications Sperry Marine unveiled its new iFleet suite of marine information technology solutions at the SMM maritime exhibition in Germany last month. The first iFleet installation will commence sea trials this year aboard a new containership fitted with the integrated navigation and communications systems coupled with voice-over-IP capabilities, and an Invsat 2400SE C-band VSAT system. Also introduced was StarStream, a hybrid satellite communications solution that combines a standard Inmarsat Fleet 77 or Fleet 55 ship terminal with a Ku-band or C-band digital broadcast receiver, providing low-cost broadband connectivity with continuous access to the Internet. For details, contact (434)974-2656 or visit www.sperry-marine.com.


November 2004

NEW PRODUCTS

Strataglass backs new cleaning products By Randy Bouffler On Sept. 30, Strataglass changed its recommendation for the care and maintenance of Strataglass and Crystal Clear 20/20 clear vinyl sheets. These sheets are used mainly in yacht enclosures and are subject to extreme exposure to the elements, including sun, salt spray and acid rain. Past recommendations of Aquatech and Collinite products provided a level of protection, but most warranty claims came from the improper use of these products on the clear vinyl sheets. Because of this, Strataglass worked with a group of chemists to develop a cleaner and polish combination that, when used as directed, actually extends the useful life of the vinyl and enhances the scratch-protective coating that made Strataglass famous. These products are manufactured exclusively for Integrated Logistics, a Virginia company, and marketed under the

IMAR logo. To keep the Strataglass warranty intact, IMAR Strataglass Protective Cleaner and IMAR Strataglass Protective Polish must be used to maintain all Strataglass and Crystal Clear 20/20 clear vinyl sheets installed after Sept. 30. Edison Irivine, president of Strataglass, is firmly committed to these products and recommends them exclusively. Recommended frequency of use for the IMAR Strataglass Protective Polish is every two to three months. Areas of high pollution should apply every four to six weeks. Between polishes and for routine maintenance, use IMAR Strataglass Protective Cleaner, which cleans and shines the vinyl and rejuvenates the protective properties of the IMAR Strataglass Protective Polish. This cleaner should be used weekly but is gentle enough to be used daily. Before using either product, ensure

the panels have been cleaned of all dirt, abrasives, salt, etc., using IMAR Yacht Soap Concentrate or another, equally gentle and high-quality soap. Rinse completely with fresh water and dry thoroughly. The IMAR Yacht Detailing Product Line includes the Strataglass Protective Cleaner (#301), Strataglass Protective Polish (#302), Yacht Soap Concentrate (#401), Yacht Polish (#402), and Yacht Clean and Shine (#403). For cleaning instructions for Strataglass, contact the company at (800) 581-5801 or visit www. scalisemarine.com/vinyl.htm. To learn more about these products, contact Integrated Logistics (703) 330-4693. To order product, contact Scalise Marine, (954) 462-0269 or order online at www.scalisemarine.com. Randy Bouffler works with Scalise Marine. Contact him at scalisemarine@bellsouth.net.

New ‘bib’ lets you catch finishing mess as you go Railstar, a Ft. Lauderdale company, has introduced a reusable “bib” to catch run-off material during finishing work. The retaining tray was designed to hang under a work area – a cap rail, for example – to catch items such as paint remover, varnish and scrapings. The sections of the tray can be connected together and to stanchions with cable ties. They can attach in just about any configuration, even around flairs and curves. The tray is constructed as a frame assembly. Temporary installation begins with applying protective tape, applying bonding material such as double-sided tape or hot glue, and connecting the tray lined. For more information, visit www. railstar.net.

Micro-fiber tack cloths speed prep

Have a little HDTV at bathtime

Swobbit Products introduced Paint Pro Micro Fiber Tack Cloths at the IBEX show. The design removes dust and contaminants on boat surfaces, which the company claims will reduce paint and mold preparation time. “Traditional tack cloths leave behind lint, dust and other contaminants, adding an extra step to the prep process,” said George Varga of Swobbit Products. Paint Pro micro fiber cloths clean a variety of finishes without chemicals or water. The lint-free, 12-by-14-inch cloths are safe for use with solvents, will not harden and can be laundered for re-use. For details, visit www.swobbit.com.

Aquavision TV has introduced a high-definition flat-screen television that can be installed around water, including yacht bathrooms and showers, or by the hot tub. The TV has a heated screen so it will not steam up when in use. Available in conventional 10.4-inch and 15-inch formats as well as 17-inch and 23-inch wide-screen formats. The TVs include a water-resistant remote control and ceiling-mountable, high-definition surround-sound speakers. It comes with a lifetime warranty. For more information, contact (972)998-2422 or visit www. aquavisiontv.net.

The Triton 23



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