The Triton 200501 by Triton News Network

JANUARY 2005 Vol. 1, No. 10 www.the-triton.com

Caribbean charter shows off and running Captains want more contact with guests By Lucy Chabot Reed

Even before the inaugural St. Maarten Charter Yacht show began last month, captains and crew at the Antigua show had it ﬁgured out: Antigua is for sailing yachts; St. Maarten is for power yachts. “We didn’t even think of going to St. Maarten,” said Clive Brown, captain of the S/Y Melinka. “I’ve been told it’s a powerboat show.” No one meant for the difference in the two shows to be so pronounced, but it was. “It’s obvious there’s been a tremendous decrease in the number of motoryachts” at the Antigua show compared with last year, said Capt. Jeff Hardgrave of M/Y Exuma C. “And in St. Maarten, I expect you’ll see the same [small] percentage of sailing yachts.” Hardgrave was right. According to an unscientiﬁc walk of the docks at both shows, The Triton counted 81 sailing yachts and 24 motoryachts in Antigua. In St. Maarten, the 3-to1 ratio was reversed with 10 sailing yachts and 33 motoryachts. Show organizers on both islands said they didn’t intend for the show to separate along those lines. “It should be the captain’s choice, the owner’s choice,” said Kass Johnson-Halliday, chairwoman of the St. Maarten show, which began Dec. 7, the day Antigua’s show ended. “Obviously, we have more powerboats here than they had in Antigua, but that should be the owner’s choice,” she said. “Problems arise when clearinghouses start taking stands. They should let the owners decide, then it will sort itself out.” Several brokers interviewed for this story agreed that time would tell. Many attended both shows in December but were hesitant to commit to just one show in 2005.

Now you can know what Kristy knows. Page 5.

The crew of the 112-foot Westport Symphony II sparked up the IYC yacht hop at the St. Maarten show. From left: Capt. Will Keiser, Chef Oanh Huynh Keiser, Stewardess Dawn Cameron, Engineer Richard McCrea and Deckhand Sara Lund. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL KEISER “It’s awkward to have two shows back-to-back,” said Nick Trotter, a director with Meridian Yacht Charters in Virginia. “Going through two is twice as much trouble, but we’re not getting twice as much value.” Trotter disputed the notion that the St. Maarten show would evolve into the powerboat show and Antigua the sailing yacht show. “It’s mainly politics and economic stuff with the big clearinghouses and the central agencies” that decide where the boats go, he said. Will he attend both shows in 2005? “I would love to say no, I’m only doing Antigua next year,” Trotter said. “But the yachts will determine it. Not all boats show every year. I’m very unhappy with having to choose.” Many brokers attended only one show this year, unable or unwilling to spend 10 days or longer away from their ofﬁces at one of the busiest times of the year. “They should do what the original plan was and do the shows every

other year,” said Tim Clark, a broker with Yachting Partners International in England. “That way, it gives everybody a two-year effort to get ready for the show and make it really good. “This was a fantastic effort for a ﬁrst show,” he said of St. Maarten, though he didn’t think it was necessary to scatter the in-show yachts around four marinas. “The main thing is that there was plenty of room to put all the boats in one marina.” Will he attend both shows in 2005? “Depending on the boats, you have to do both.” One megayacht captain who has been attending the Antigua show on and off for 18 years said he sensed that brokers were passing by if they had already been on his yacht because they are too rushed. In years past, he said, they would have stopped to visit, even if they had been onboard before.

See SHOWS, page 12

Read about how crew get into and out of the industry in our new features, pages 6 and 7.

ST. MAARTEN – With the Caribbean season under way, The Triton hosted its December captains’ lunch in the midst of the inaugural St. Maarten charter yacht show. (See story, this page.) We asked the six captains able to attend what they thought of chartering, why they do it, what they like and dislike FROM THE BRIDGE about it and the one LUCY CHABOT REED thing they would change about it if they could. The most telling point of discussion was what was not said. None of these captains complained about the size of their crews, the busyness of their itineraries or the workload. “That’s what we sign up for,” one captain said. They did, however, talk about brokers. Most said they would prefer more contact with guests before the charter begins so they can better prepare. The information provided by brokers is often “sketchy,” leaving many details unanswered. Often, however, brokers don’t want that personal contact, they agreed. “Brokers don’t inform the clients very well of what’s expected,” one captain said. “They don’t give enough information to the client and the broker won’t let us call.” “I’ve been yelled at by a broker for calling the client,” another captain said, even though phone numbers are provided on the contracts. That broker insisted that any interaction with the guest be made through him, this captain said. One captain suggested it was easiest

See THE BRIDGE, page 13

See what few do in Costa Rica. Page 26

2 The Triton

January 2005

WHAT’S INSIDE Antigua, St. Maarten photos, pages 14, 23 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, Julie Blankenship, Diane Bradford, The Bridge, Kristy Fox, Don Grimme, Lisette Hilton, Jack Horkheimer, Capt. David Jaffess, Bob Kassner, Capt. Will Keiser, Lisa H. Knapp, Robert Luckock, Mate Joe MacVeagh, Donna Mergenhagen, Lyn Millner, Jeff Ostrowski, Capt. Rafe Palladino, Steve Pica, Jan Reed, Stephen Reed, Silvio Rossi, Rossmare Intl, Michael Thiessen, Ian Watson, Phaedra Xanthos Vol. 1, No. 10. The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group, Inc. Copyright 2005 Triton Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Crews on two islands, including the crew of S/Y Magdalus Terzo, prepped and polished and awaited charter brokers. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Advertiser directory 32 Calendar of events 31 Classiﬁeds 30,32-33 Crossword puzzle 31 Crossword answers 25 Features Getting Started 6 The Afterlife 7 From the Experts: Body Business 24 Manager’s Time 24 Into Account 25

Fuel prices Horoscopes In the Stars In the Yard Kristy’s column News Photo Gallery Reviews Taking Time Off Technology Pull-Out: Getting Under Way Write to Be Heard

20 28 29 15 5 4,8-11 14,23 26 26-27 15-22 34-35

4 The Triton

INDUSTRY NEWS

January 2005

Contract signings give St. Maarten first Syncrolift By Robert Luckock An agreement to construct the Caribbean’s first Syncrolift was signed in December, opening the door for offseason megayacht use of the islands. Officials with St. Maarten Shipyard said they expect a 3,000-ton Syncrolift to be operational by the end of 2005. Work to prepare the foundations for the lift at the shipyard on the lagoon side of Airport Road has yet to begin. However yard Managing Director Carl Vaughan said he anticipated work at the yard would be taking place sooner with a 150-ton travelift. The $12 million Syncrolift will have the capacity to lift vessels up to 250 feet and 3,000 tons while 10 remotely controlled robotic cars have a lifting capacity of 100 tons each. In addition to the travelift and Syncrolift, the yard will have 15,000 square feet of shop space and a portable 250-foot covered paint shed. “With this cradle system we have developed, boats can stay here for major refits during the hurricane season and not have to go back to the States or the Mediterranean to have work done,” Vaughan said. “We anticipate quite possibly lengthening the season as much as four months.” Vaughan said feedback from megayacht captains and engineers on the Syncrolift project was positive during the island’s first charter yacht show in early December. St. Maarten has more slips for megayachts over 100 feet than any other island in the Caribbean. Robert Luckock is a freelance journalist in St. Maarten. Contact him at rluckock@sintmaarten.net.

January 2005

KRISTY’S COLUMN

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Captains, crew move up, around and sideways in this industry Hello out there. We here at The Triton are starting a new column to keep track of – or to try to keep track of – all your comings and goings. If you relocate, change jobs, upgrade your license, start a new build, manage a refit, get married, have a baby … (you get the idea), let me know. If you have photos to LATITUDE share, please feel ADJUSTMENT free to send them KRISTY FOX along. I know your colleagues out there in reader-ville would love to know what you’ve been doing. I first have to say good-bye to Steve Huggins. He has been the captain on the 135-foot Feadship M/Y Lady Sandals for more than five years. He and his wife, Mate Julie Huggins, are taking their 7-month-old twins Grace and Sebastian, back home to Australia to work with the SeaTow Gold Coast franchise in Brisbane. “I’ve been very lucky the past 5-anda-half years,” Steve said. “I’ve got a guy who treats us well. We’re really just going home because of the children.” Steve’s been in the industry 18 years and was one of our first Bridge

M/Y D’Natalin II, the old Excellence 2. D’Natalin II is spending the winter chartering in the Caribbean with a crew of 10. Jeff used to run the 151-foot (46m) Benetti M/Y Dolce Far Niente.

Steve, holding Grace, and Julie, holding Sebastian, are going home to raise their kids. PHOTO/LUCY REED captains. I’m going to miss them and we all wish them the best. (Read more about Steve’s retirement on page 6.) Taking over for Steve on M/Y Lady Sandals is Capt. Nigel P. Beatty, fresh from a long vacation in Japan. He is the former captain of M/Y Monte Carlo, which had a busy and successful charter season in the Mediterranean. Nigel is also founder of a company called Super Yacht Logistics, which does project management for reﬁts and new builds. Super Yacht Logistics also does deliveries and relief captain’s work. Welcome aboard Nigel. Capt. Jeff Palmer has taken command of the 156-foot Feadship

Capt. Mike Travers has taken over the 115-foot Ragazza, a 40-knot Denison jet boat that charters. He’s the former master of another Denison, M/Y Alexis. For the past year, he’s been busy freelancing. He said it’s fun to be back on a jet boat and credits longtime friend Capt. Paul Canavan with teaching him much of what he knows. Mate Margaret Egan on M/Y Que Sera has received her USCG 500-ton captain’s license. Que Sera is chartering in the Caribbean this winter and is headed to Alaska for the summer. With trips like that, Egan will have her 1,600ton license in no time. Capt. Herb Magney has been anything but in limbo since his boss decided to sell M/Y Miss Lillie and build a new boat. What started out as a delivery has escalated into a position of Marine Safety Officer for a fleet of vessels including two 40m fast ferries, a 98foot T boat, two 300-passsenger fast ferries, a recently certificated passenger transfer barge, and a 450-foot casino boat.

Herb spent the fall training most of the boats’ captains in fast ferry operations and being the direct liaison with the U.S. Coast Guard to keep everything legal. He’s working 80-90 hours a week. Herb, get some sleep. The old M/Y Rasselas has a new name and a new captain. The 10-yearold Feadship is now M/Y Halcyon Days and is in charter for the first time in the Caribbean this winter. The 170-foot (52m) megayacht sold at the Monaco show. The new captain is Paul March, who was first mate on Rasselas last year. This Englishman has been in the industry 10 years and will run Halcyon Days with a crew of 13. Among our land-based friends, Amy Morley of Maritime Professional Training married the love of her life, Todd Beavers, in Fort Lauderdale on Aug. 6. She’s now known as Amy Morley-Beavers. Or just Amy to me. Networker extraordinaire Billy Hawkins has renewed his master’s ticket. He resigned from Concord Marine Electronics but has, as yet, not joined another firm. Send any news about crew or industry changes to Kristy Fox at kristy@ the-triton.com. Editor Lucy Chabot Reed contributed to this report.

6 The Triton

HOW I GOT MY START IN YACHTING

January 2005

Start in merchant ﬂeet paved road for megayacht career Getting Started By Capt. Rafe Palladino I guess it all started with my father. He was an unlimited shipmaster with some fantastic sea stories, and as a kid I wanted so much to follow in his footsteps. I have been around the ocean for as long as I can remember. My yachting career ofﬁcially started in 1987. I was working as a lifeguard and sailing instructor at a large resort on the west coast of Florida while attending college. Summer breaks gave me the time to serve as crew on many yachts and the opportunity to serve as a cadet in the U.S. Merchant Shipping Fleet. Upon completing studies at the University of Central Florida in 1992 and following up with classes at Texas A&M, I graduated with a Third Mate

Unlimited license. This gave me the necessary qualifications to acquire a position with a large U.S. shipping company as third mate on a tanker engaged in foreign trade. I really got to see the world on that ship. I remember one trip departing the Gulf Coast bound for the Bay of Bengal. Once there, I relieved a third mate on another ship that brought me across the Pacific Ocean to Oregon, thus completing a circumnavigation. The standard rotation aboard was three months on, three months off, which gave me a considerable amount of time to work on yachts and upgrade my qualifications. In 1995, I had enough sea time to acquire my Second Mate Unlimited and Master 1600GT Oceans license. A year later while sailing as a second officer aboard the 125,000 DWT tanker SS

Juneau, I was given an opportunity that would change my career path for good. I had just spent three months offduty working on a 125-foot Broward as a temporary captain. I was ready to ship out when the owner of the yacht offered me a permanent position as captain. I was 27 years old and looked at it as a great opportunity, so I took it. I worked for that owner for six years. He was a great guy who actually paid for my private pilot license as well as a seaplane and high-performance engine endorsement. In the summer of 2002, a captain position on the active charter yacht Bon Bon brought me back home to South Florida. Joining Bon Bon, the flagship of International Yacht Collection’s charter fleet, was a great opportunity. There is so much experience and energy in that office. I have learned so much from

being part of such a talented team. M/Y Bon Bon recently sold and I am helping out in IYC’s yacht management division, waiting to see what’s next. Contact Capt. Rafe Palladino through editorial@the-triton.com.

The Triton is introducing two new regular features: Getting Started, stories of how professional crew got started in the industry, and The Afterlife, proﬁles of former crew in their new careers. Send ideas or stories to Editor Lucy Chabt Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Retiring captain ‘lucky’ to leave young man’s job When Capt. Steve Huggins retired from the yachting industry in December, he noted that he felt lucky to be leaving. A new father at 43, he said he always remembered what a former captain/ boss told him early in his career. “He said if you get to be 45 and still in yachting then you’ve done it wrong, you’ve wasted your money,” Huggins recalled during a farewell party in mid-December aboard M/Y Lady Sandals, the 135-foot Feadship he has commanded for more than ﬁve years. “I think this is a young man’s industry,” he said. “People older than 45 should be playing golf and taking weekends off.” Huggins and his wife, Lady Sandals Mate Julie Huggins, are retiring from yachting to work with the SeaTow Gold Coast franchise back home in Brisbane, Australia. Their 7-month-old twins, Grace and Sebastian, spent the summer onboard while the yacht was in England, charming the travel agents who traveled on the megayacht. Although the yacht’s owner has been supportive of the Hugginses – allowing them to turn a cabin next to their own into a nursery – Steve Huggins said he wanted to be able to spend time with his children as they grow up. “We’re joining the real world,” he quipped. “Working on a boat isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle. You have to live the job.” Huggins spent 10 years of his career on yachts in Europe and around the Mediterranean. “I’ve been working on boats for 18 years,” he said. “It’s time to go home.” – Lucy Chabot Reed

January 2005

LIFE AFTER YACHTING

Real estate hobby turned into new career You’re in your 40s and have finally had enough crewing. You are ready to get reacquainted with the parts of your life that have been left unattended and hope there are still a few new chapters to write, in spite of having a career as fantastic as the master of a megayacht. Are you too old to find a great new niche? THE AFTERLIFE Capt. John Terrill LISA H. KNAPP has successfully made it to the other side with one foot still in the water. “We’ve all seen captains that come and go, swear they are getting out but then they’re right back in,” said Terrill, relaxing in blue jeans and bare feet in his waterfront, Ft. Lauderdale home. “They’re tired of the industry but don’t know what else to do,” he said. “I feel lucky having gotten out and still enjoy the yachting industry as much as I do today.” Terrill got his start in 1981 on an oceanographic research vessel with the U.S. Department of Commerce sailing Alaska and South America. Then he went to the East Coast and served as bosun on the historic presidential yacht Sequoia. By the time he left five years later, he was captain. “That gave me a great head start into the megayacht industry,” he said, ticking off the yachts under his command, including the 125-foot M/Y Emanuel and the 142-foot Feadship M/Y Fiffanella, now known as M/Y Cakewalk. Terrill started buying real estate while still at sea. “I’d buy a house, rent it out, save some more, buy another, and suddenly I owned four houses,” he said. “I was so interested. I decided to do real estate

for a living, beyond investing, one day.” Terrill did two circumnavigations in ﬁve years and started going to sea a lot. “Summers in Japan and Southeast Asia, God I liked it,” he said. “It was so lovely. I was later captain of the 142-foot M/Y Netayna V for four years. That’s a lifetime of yachting.” When he left yachting in 2001, he took a couple years Former megayacht captain John Terrill enjoys his off, redid the kitchen, land-based life in Ft. Lauderdale, and keeps one foot drove across the in the yachting community. PHOTO/LISA H. KNAPP country. Then last year he went to work for IntraCoastal Realty discipline while working onboard in Ft. Lauderdale. yachts. He found yachting to be good “There’s no end to the neat things training for real estate. you can buy,” he said. “You’ve got to “Yachting is a service industry at put brakes on it at some point. In the a very high level,” he said. “If you can long run, that is what will allow people transfer that same quality of service to to come ashore, work their way into any other biz, it’s a head start.” another industry and survive: if they His yachting contacts have also have saved enough money and have served him well. changed their tastes a bit.” “In Ft. Lauderdale, folks interested So does Terrill miss being at sea? in yachting are also interested in “I loved it all, but I don’t miss it owning waterfront property,” he said. because I followed my dream and Now that he’s on land, Terrill has bought a 40-foot sailboat,” he said. “I’m become a steward of the yachting still tied to the ocean and the yachting industry. He serves on the city’s Marine community. Advisory Board and on the board of “That’s what I would recommend to the Riverwalk Trust, whose aim is to everyone who gets out of yachting. Buy promote business in the waterways yourself a little boat and play on the and keep yachting in downtown Ft. water. Never turn your back on it.” Lauderdale, he said. “The political side of yachting Contact freelance writer Lisa H. captivates me now,” he said. “I am Knapp at lisa@the-triton.com. If you really enjoying this part of my life and know someone who has successfully am active in promoting the economic transitioned from yachting to a new impact of yachting to the community.” career, e-mail Editor Lucy Chabot Reed Terrill’s advice for easing out of at lucy@the-triton.com. a career in yachting begins with

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8 The Triton

INDUSTRY NEWS

January 2005

Two captains place in fishing tournament Capt. Ryan Butterwick of M/Y Carpe Diem and Capt. Jim Daisey of M/Y Australian Gold took home checks and honors at the annual Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament. Butterwick entered Carpe Momentum, the 37foot tender to the big yacht. The owner of Carpe Diem loves to fish, and so does Butterwick. The Carpe Momentum team included Carpe They enter up to 15 Diem Mate Ryan Kickel, left, and Capt. Ryan Buttournaments a year throughout the Caribbean, terwick, center. Also celebrating the win is Carpe PHOTO/KRISTY FOX Bahamas, Florida and New Diem crew member Bruce. York, Butterwick said. two years for winning first place for the Butterwick’s team placed second in the “Big Boat Challenge,” which was for biggest wahoo caught at 31 pounds. Jim and his team also fished the all boats 31 feet and larger. tournament last year and came in third They tagged and released five sailfish overall and got the biggest wahoo then, during the three-day tournament in too, at 43 pounds. late November, one shy of the winner. They took home over $3,000 in cash Carpe Momentum also placed fourth and gift certificates. overall out of the 70 boats that entered 2004 marked the tournament’s the tournament. 40th year. For more information or to Capt. Daisey was fishing on Catch participate, call (954) 523-1004 or visit One, a 29-foot SeaVee, owned by his www.billfishtournament.com. friend Mark Wodlinger. Tagging and – Kristy Fox releasing five sailfish landed Jim and his team first place for boats under 31 feet Tournament head buys business and fifth place overall. Jim personally won fourth place Charlene and Jamie Strauss, the angler overall and third place for male muscle behind the Fort Lauderdale angler. He holds the title for the last

Billﬁsh Tournament, have bought WetSpot Products, maker of the WetSpot water softener. Under their new ownership, WetSpot will continue to manufacture its signature water softener while adding new products to the line. For more information, visit www. softwetspot.com.

Yachtmasters date set The fifth Azimut-Benetti Yachtmasters will take place at Grand Hotel des Alpes, in Chamonix, France, April 4 to 7. More than 50 megayacht captains of numerous nationalities are expected to attend the event. The first and last day of the four-day event are dedicated to skiing on MontBlanc. Working sessions will cover such subjects such as integrated yacht management, power management systems, and updates on the MCA, ISM and Italian flag options. The annual Yachtmasters conference is organized by Azimut-Benetti with sponsorships from Asea, Boero, Caterpillar, Club 328, Dockwise Yacht Transport, EGP, The First Call, and VT Naiad. For details, contact Alex Guillard at

See NEWS BRIEFS, page 9

January 2005

INDUSTRY NEWS

Pirates shoot at yacht, new company to manage Jax yard NEWS BRIEFS, from page 8 + 33 493 80 14 23 or by e-mail at aguillard@benettiyachts.it.

Pirates shoot at yacht According to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, pirates in two small boats opened fire on a yacht underway in the Gulf of Aden (13:33.6N - 048:12.6E) on Dec. 12 at 10:31 UTC. A helicopter operating from a nearby warship responded to the Seventh grade students from the marine magnet program at New River Middle in Ft. yacht’s call for help. Lauderdale took a tour of Fort Lauderdale The pirates had fired four shots but there were no crew Shipyard before winter break. Yard President injuries or damage. The center Rick Roughen stands on the aft deck with did not identify the yacht. refit manager Mike Marcin. PHOTO/LUCY REED The Piracy Reporting Center is in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia. One-way charters introduced To report acts of piracy, contact the center via phone toll free at 60 3 2031 Horizon Yacht Charters (Antigua) 0014 or by e-mail imbkl@ introduced in November one-way icc-ccs.org.uk. charters between Antigua and St Brandy to manage Jacksonville yard Martin. Charterers will now be able to start or finish their vacations in French St. Martin at Fort Louis Marina where Developer MLG Capital of Horizon Yacht Charters has teamed Wisconsin has hired Brandy Marine of up with Virgin Traders to provide this Sarasota to manage the Ortega River service. Boat Yard in Jacksonville. Based at Jolly Harbour Marina on MLG recently bought the 80-yearthe leeward side of the island, Horizon’s old marina on the Ortega River, a Antigua base is the latest edition to the tributary of the St. Johns River. Horizon Yacht Charters family which Brandy had conducted a marketing includes the British Virgin Islands and study and financial analysis based on Grenada. It has already doubled in size upgrades and new facilities for the over the past year increasing its fleet marina, popularly known as “ORBY.” Improvement plans include 75 upscale size from five yachts to 10. Horizon Yacht Charters has a fleet of condominiums and a club house. 36 yachts in the British Virgin Islands, Existing docks with 235 wet slips 11 yachts in the Grenadines and 10 will be replaced by floating docks with yachts in the year-old Antigua & 200 slips configured to accommodate Barbuda base. longer and wider vessels. Horizon is the Caribbean dealer for Brandy has already installed an onBavaria Yachts and approved agent site management team brought in from for Fountaine Pajot catamarans. For its Marina at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Capt. Kristopher W. Schmid further information on Horizon Yacht is the harbormaster. Amy P. Garner will Charters, its bases and fleets, visit www.horizonyachtcharters.com. serve as office and financial manager.

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10 The Triton

INDUSTRY NEWS

January 2005

Two California sailors build American syndicate for Cup Sausalito Yacht Club members have voted overwhelmingly Dec. 12 to sponsor an America’s Cup entry - Sausalito Challenge 2007 led by Sausalito YC members Tina Kleinjan and John Sweeney. The vote paves the way for the only grassroots challenge that has come together in the United States since big-money KLEINJAN interests stepped into the race. Kleinjan and Sweeney have been working at bringing this syndicate together for more than a year. “The Sausalito Yacht Club has been SWEENEY so supportive and positive since we started the Challenge Series,” Sweeney said. “It’s ﬁtting that they would also be our yacht club of choice to challenge for the 2007 America’s Cup. The Sausalito Yacht club is a forward-thinking club that isn’t marred by politics and egos. They care about yacht racing and will obviously see the beneﬁts in the very near future.” An individual cannot enter a

challenge under the America’s Cup rules. “A yacht club must be the official challenger for the Cup, according to America’s Cup deed of gift,” said Tim Prouty, vice commodore of the 63-yearold yacht club. If approved by AC organizers, Sausalito Yacht Club’s entry will be the second Bay challenger, the other being Golden Gate Yacht Club. That syndicate is the BMW-Oracle challenge and is backed by billionaire Larry Ellison. Of the 20 syndicates that were planning to mount a challenge in November 2003, only five have registered, with Sausalito being the sixth. The original deadline for filing was Dec. 17, but the ACM Web site says that the entry deadline has been extended to April 29. According to Sweeny, himself a veteran of two America’s Cup campaigns (2000 and 2003), the Sausalito Challenge sailors are all United States sailors who have past ACup experience. The team is assembled and is expected to be announced this month. – Capt. Alan Hugenot Reprinted with permission from The Log, www.thelog.com. Photos by Chuck Lantz.

INDUSTRY NEWS

January 2005

Safety standards reaching all levels of yachts, crews By Lucy Chabot Reed It’s easy to comply with the ISM – just create a safety system, then operate to it. Any commercial vessel over 500 gross tons has to meet an international standard for the safe management of ships but it’s becoming de rigueur for vessels smaller than that to comply. Rupert Connor, president of Luxury Yacht Group in Ft. Lauderdale, described the particulars of the ISM (the International Safety Management Code) to about a dozen captains and crew during the St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition in early December. Under the International Maritime Organization, required vessels must have a safety management system, a manual that details the system, and a certificate approving the system. It is easy to comply with the ISM, but it does take some time up front, Connor said. First, megayachts must assign a designated person ashore. That can be an owner’s representative, landbased employee, borkerage or yacht management company. But the buck stops with that person in the eyes of the IMO, so pick him/her wisely, Connor said. Second, the yacht must create a system. The system should include all the safety practices most megayachts undertake already, such as training and drills, procedures for emergency situations, maintenance schedules, and procedures specific to the activities onboard (including, for example, how to safely launch a kite surfer). Included in the plan should be time for training and the frequency of training for each job. There are templates in various forms for safety management manuals online. “If it’s difficult or complicated – or it makes your life as crew harder – then it’s wrong,” Connor said. Third, familiarize crew with the system. Make them aware of safety procedures onboard and get their acknowledgement (in writing) that they have been briefed about them. It’s also a good idea to make them sign off on their job duties as well as record their next of kin. Leave this paperwork with the designated person ashore. Fourth, operate the vessel to the system. “Eventually, all yachts with a crew will be required to have a safety management program,” Connor said. Fifth, audit the system every three months. Make necessary changes to keep life onboard easy. Creating the system is labor intensive, Connor said, but once it is in place, it should be simple to audit and modify. Ongoing support

should require no more than 20 hours a month, which includes a monthly safety meeting with crew, drills and safety training, new crew orientation, follow-up risk assessment on new crew, and planned maintenance programs. Several captains wondered how to get time off for needed training when the owner balks at extra expenses. Connor recommended putting everything in writing and deliver it at the right time. “Don’t confront the boss face-to-face on board,” he said. “Do what we do, give him a monthly report and deliver it to his ofﬁce.” In those monthly reports, detail what safety equipment the yacht needs and any maintenance that needs to be done. Review time cards and analyze the hours the crew is working. Urge time off if that is appropriate and suggest action. “Put it in writing so you have a paper trail to cover yourself,” Connor said. “And get it in front of him when he has his business head on so he can look at the risk/assessment/liability scenario.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

ISM the easy way Regs4yachts, an English company that specializes in providing electronic support for MCA codes, has created a ready-made ISM system for yachts and management companies. ISM4yachts contains a complete set of draft procedures, emergency checklists, job descriptions, risk assessments, critical systems, maintenance routines and all other required documentation in an easyto-use and professional-looking set of binders personalized with the yacht or company logo and style. The company or yacht can advise Regs4yachts of amendments and then receive a personalized system. Yachts using this system have been issued with Documents of Compliance and Safety Management Certiﬁcates from Flag states. “It is a fast-track to an interim DOC for a new yacht manager, is tamper-proof and can save them weeks of work,” said Peter Small, sales manager for Regs4yachts. The package costs £4,500 and includes a six-month subscription to www.regs4yachts.com. Additional yachts can be added for £3,000. For details, visit www.regs4yachts, e-mail admin@regs4yachts.com or call +44 (0) 870 444 1240. – Lucy Chabot Reed

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12 The Triton

FROM THE FRONT

January 2005

The shows weren’t all tours and smiles. First Mate Gavin Hurn of S/Y Magdalus Terzo pulls fenders for a day sail off Antigua with brokers. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Show preference often falls with loyalties, convenience SHOWS, from page 1 “I don’t like the idea of splitting the shows,” he said “It just splits the industry.” His greatest concern is that St. Maarten-based yachts will get St. Maarten charters and Antigua-based yachts will get Antigua charters. John Mann, co-owner of Bluewater Books and Charts, chose only to attend the Antigua show in 2004, mainly because of time and expense, but also because he thought boats would go to both shows. “It’ll be interesting to see how it shakes out,” Mann said. “It’s a shame that there are two of these, but I think both will do well,” said Jimmy Floyd, co-owner of Smallwood’s, a uniform company in Ft. Lauderdale. He plans to attend both shows next year, a few days on each island. “There was a noticeable difference [in Antigua], but it was still quite good.” Michael Hand, operations manager at Wright Maritime Group, had only good things to say about the St. Maarten show. “The high point was getting off the plane, being greeted by a welcoming crew, getting onto a free shuttle and being offered a cool drink and a ‘Welcome to St. Maarten,’” he said. “The boats are well-represented and there’s a good cross-section of yachts. I think it’s going to be huge.” Still, several captains felt a loyalty to Antigua, where a charter yacht show has been held for 43 years. “St. Maarten is being unfair,” one megayacht captain said during the Antigua show. “It’s unnecessary to have two charter shows.” He credited Antigua with having more places to dock and being more like the Caribbean than St. Maarten, which he likened to the Med. The captain of a neighboring

megayacht said he would have preferred to be in St. Maarten, but his charter broker told him where to be. “It will be interesting to see how it shakes out in several years,” he said. “St. Maarten is cheaper and easier to get to, but charters are better when you start in Antigua so you have the wind.” Ownership of the Antigua show changed hands last year from the Nicholson family to a non-profit group called the Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting. Since then, organizers have added features to make it more convenient, such as free rides between marinas and to/from the airport. “There’s been a lot of changes here [in Antigua], but they probably waited too long to make the changes,” Exuma C Capt. Hardgrave said. “It’s a great place to come, but it’s always been a difficult place to do business.” One sticking point for the 2005 shows may be their dates. Antigua’s show traditionally has started the first Wednesday of December. This year, that was Dec. 1, giving St. Maarten organizers time to start their show immediately after it on Dec. 7. In 2005, the first Wednesday in December – and the start of the Antigua show – is Dec. 7. Organizers of the 2005 St. Maarten show said they were awaiting industry feedback before selecting dates. No dates had been set by press time. “We’re doing our best to keep this show the best charter yacht show in the world,” said Afsaneh Franklin, a manager of the Antigua show. “Competition is healthy.” To share ideas on the Antigua show, e-mail acym@candw.ag. To comment on the St. Maarten show, e-mail info@ charteryachtexhibition.com. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

January 2005

FROM THE FRONT

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Captains: Brokers in the Med last summer OK’d 5 percent tips THE BRIDGE, from page 1 – and less troubling to the broker – to make contact with the personal chef of the main charter client. The chef can then get the crew in touch with the personal assistant to answer other questions. “We make a point of calling everyone, with the chef having all the time they need to talk to the guests or a guest representative,” this captain said. As far as the itinerary is concerned, advance contact with guests can ease some unreasonable expectations and make the trip better for guests, these captains agreed. “They’re thinking jet time,” one captain said about the distances guests hope to cover on charter. “You’ve got to bring them back to reality.” “There should be dialog between the captain and the person booking the charter,” another said. “They can book it the wrong way so you’re sailing upwind or go to too many places. If the guests want to go shopping, we can help them with what areas are good and what time of year.” “I have, little by little, been able to train my broker,” one captain said. “This is what it takes to make a trip from A to B, this is what it takes to do the provisioning. It’s real important to train the broker.” “Some brokers are absolutely wonderful,” another captain said to several nods. “The faster they can do the hand off, the better,” a captain said. “I would rather do the work myself.” That work includes scheduling activities appropriate to the interests and abilities of the guests as well as careful provisioning to meet not only every need but also any desire. If a crew cannot determine the interests, abilities and desires of guests until Day Two, they’ve lost valuable time. One captain makes a point of having personal relationships with the key provisioning people such as liquor and grocery store managers. Then all it takes is a phone call to get many of the key parts of provisioning accomplished, saving this captain’s crew from a dash around each store. This captain advised that with about 24 hours notice, many grocery stores, including Publix, will vacuum-seal meat and get an order ready. The provisioning sheet has got to have particulars, all the captains agreed. One captain uses a provisioning sheet prepared by the boat instead of the one provided by the broker. “That’s why it’s so nice to get repeat clients,” one captain said. “You already know a lot of this and can be ready.” So what’s the best part about chartering? “The day they come, and the day they leave,” one captain said, to laughs. “The best thing is meeting people

and learning about them,” another said. “You’re always learning different social skills and developing team social skills.” “I’ve made some lasting friendships from charters,” a captain said. One such friendship resulted in a charter guest seeking out this captain for a 13month charter around the world. Attendees of The Triton’s December Bridge were, from And a guest has left, Mark Howard, Richard Mestier, Don Watkins, Carol now hired this captain to manage Benbrook, Murray Jacob and Mike Alfieri. The Bridge was held at Jimbo’s Cafe in St. Maarten. PHOTO/LUCY REED a boat. “Any crew who watercrafts were a headache. has been in the industry five or six “I’m on my fourth boat in 33 years years has repeat clients,” one captain and the first without a Jet Ski, and I’m said. “Most of the time, they come back glad.” for the captain or the chef. The food is a If they aren’t forever repairing them, big seller, and the captain sets the tone the captains agreed, guests use them in for the crew.” inappropriate places, forcing captains One captain mentioned a new to be stern and threaten to forbid their service being created by Ami Williams use for the rest of the charter. and the staff at Crew Unlimited that “You’ve got to be strict with them,” uses a database of working crew to one captain said. “The biggest liability help a charter client – or anyone else on charter is with the water toys. You’ve – locate a specific crew member. got to lay the ground rules.” “All my repeat [business] is because of me and my crew,” another captain said. “I think this is a great concept.” So, what if a client contacts you directly for a charter? “If you’ve got any sense for your future, you’ll redirect them through the broker,” one captain said. All other captains agreed. End of discussion. How competitive do charters get? “We’re definitely competitive,” one captain said. “We want to be the best charter boat out there. We’re always trying to do something new. When we hear of something another boat is doing, we try to do something better.” “I make mine as educational as possible,” said one captain, who turned the live bait well on the aft deck into an aquarium that’s filled with local fish at each port. They are returned to the ocean when the charter departs. “I teach them how to read the radar and Nobeltec so they know what’s going on. And I teach them how to run the tender.” “We push the snorkeling really hard,” another captain said. “We’ll hold their hand, we’ll drag them if we have to. We take lots of pictures of them underwater. People love that and they remember it. The more we push them in the water, the more they remember it.” They all agreed that water toys were critical to a successful charter, especially personal watercraft. But several captains said the personal

“I’ve found that if you’re strict, it affects the tip,” another said. “If you let them go, you get a good tip.” The captains were a bit hesitant to bring up the subject of tips, but were encouraged to speak their minds. “Most crew are on charter boats because they want that extra tip,” one captain said. “Mediterranean brokers are advising charter guests that 5 percent is a good tip. That puts the captain in a hard position.” The captains agreed that a tip of 10 to 15 percent is average. If the crew does an excellent job, they often see tips of 20 percent. “This is the vacation industry,” a captain said. “A 15 percent gratuity is added to everything. It should be in the contract.” The problem with a smaller tip is that it leaves the captain in an awkward position, several captains agreed. “When it’s not agreed to beforehand, the tip is organized the last morning before they depart,” one captain said. “The captain wants the guests to leave on a good note, and the broker doesn’t care because the charter is over and he wants them to come back next year. I’ve seen the owner kick it in to keep the crew happy.” If you have another view of the charter industry, contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

24 The Triton

FROM THE EXPERTS

January 2005

Solving the problem with ‘problem’ employees The term “coaching” often is used to describe the process of enhancing the performance of good employees who already meet expectations. Our focus in the next two columns targets employees whose performance or work habits are not meeting expectations. The purpose of coaching is to improve MANAGER’S TIME an employee’s DON GRIMME performance or work habits so that they meet expectations. Coaching can help a “problem” employee become a “good” employee. Use these coaching techniques  When an employee’s output or quality does not meet expectations  When an employee’s work habits interfere with performance  When an employee’s work habits interfere with others’ performance  When an employee is violating a policy or procedure. Think for a moment. Which of your employees needs coaching? All too often, when dealing with an employee whose performance or behavior does not meet expectations, we attribute the problems to some ﬂaw in the person’s character, labeling the individual a problem employee. Such attribution and labeling usually are unfair and unwarranted, and always are counterproductive. Before engaging in any type of intervention (e.g., discipline or even coaching), we need to identify the true

root of the problem. Most performance problems are due to one (or more) of ﬁve factors: 1. Expectations 2. Training and Ability 3. Job Design 4. Work Environment 5. Personal/Motivational Problem For every factor above, ask yourself (and the “problem” employee, when you meet with him/her): 1. Expectations:  Does the employee know what is expected?  Does s/he even know there is a problem? 2. Training and Ability:  Does the employee have the requisite skills, abilities and aptitudes to perform the job?  Has s/he received training to do the job? 3. Job Design:  Does the employee have the necessary tools and resources to perform the job?  Does the system support good performance? 4. Work Environment:  Is good performance rewarded ... or punished?  Is poor performance rewarded?  Is the employee being treated fairly?  Do working conditions support good performance? 5. Personal/Motivational Problem:  Does an issue or a problem exist in the employee’s personal life that may contribute to poor performance?  Is the employee’s attitude or morale preventing the employee from

successfully applying his/her skills and abilities? Here’s a suggested exercise: Select a person who needs coaching. Articulate in writing that person’s performance problems. Ask yourself each of the above questions as it pertains to the problems. Answer as best as you can. Determine for which questions you need additional information, e.g., from the employee and/or from others. As you completed (or, at least, contemplated) the exercise, you probably discovered you were unable to answer fully all those questions without consulting with the employee. That’s why we use inquiry. Inquiry is the opposite of telling or advocating. You ask for a person’s ideas or input in a non-judgmental way. You withhold telling what you think or arguing your point of view. You simply inquire and then listen to what the person says. You’ll be able to put in “your two cents” when you provide feedback, but not during this inquiry stage. Whenever facing a problem, ask for input from the people involved. Probe their prior experiences and perspectives, and ask what they think should be done. If their ideas are not workable, look for parts of the idea to build on ... and/ or credit the person for the idea and explain why you can’t use it. 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.

Take precautions if working the night shift There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep, with the emphasis on “night,” because a good day’s sleep is just not the same. If you’ve had to work a shift that throws off your sleep pattern, you know what I mean. Some people say they’re used to the topsy-turvy life of sleeping by day and working at night. BODY BUSINESS But for most, LISETTE HILTON shift work, which runs contrary to natural body rhythms, results in physical and other problems. Dr. David J. Seiden, medical director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center of South Florida, says night shift workers are at higher risk than regular shift workers for sleepiness, inability to concentrate and insomnia. Over time, many who work through the night become more and more sleep deprived and other symptoms start to develop, including headaches and gastrointestinal problems.

The ﬁrst thing to do, Seiden says, is to make sure you are dealing with issues related to the shift you work and not an underlying sleep disorder. Your doctor or specialists at a sleep disorder clinic can help you determine the root cause of your sleepiness or any other symptoms you have. If you have a choice as to which shift to work, get back on a regular daytime shift, Seiden says. “My general feeling is that people are not meant to be working these kinds of hours,” he says. If you don’t have a choice about when you work, Seiden recommends these simple tips: 1. Use good sleep hygiene practices. Make sure that you keep your bedroom environment as dark and noise-free as possible while sleeping. Avoid caffeine use within a few hours of bedtime or consider avoiding it altogether. 2. Eat healthy and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. To promote health and sleep, exercise about four to ﬁve hours before your desired sleep time. “When you exercise rigorously you tend to raise your core body

temperature. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to go from when the body temperature is at its peak to the nadir,” Seiden says. 3. Taking sedatives can be useful, from time to time. But the medications don’t have any effect on the underlying circadian process. Some have tried to use light therapy to address the circadian process. The idea is that you expose yourself to bright lights when it’s time to work and darkness when it’s time to sleep. 4. Keep your sleep patterns as consistent as possible, even sleeping the same pattern on your days off. 5. Most of all, don’t taking working the night shift lightly. Taking care of yourself while working the night shift is important, according to Seiden. Excessive sleepiness is associated with 50 percent of all accidents at work and can cause lapses in attention and increased reaction times, resulting in performance errors, he says. 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.

January 2005

RESTAURANT REVIEW: UNCLE HARRY’S

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Novice to Caribbean dines like a local at Uncle Harry’s By Lucy Chabot Reed Last month was my ﬁrst visit to the Caribbean. There, I’ve said it. I’m a life-long Ft. Lauderdale resident and editor of a newspaper for yacht crew. You’d think I would have made the trip before. But I didn’t grow up in the yachting circles I now cover, and I never wanted to travel there on a cruise ship. When I visit a place, I like to see it like the locals do. I take the back roads, walk wherever I can and eat in local places. I didn’t see much of St. Maarten on my short visit to cover the inaugural charter yacht show, but I did walk around a bit (thanks to unreliable shuttles). And thanks to an invitation from one of my few contacts on the island, I found a great local place to eat. Uncle Harry’s restaurant is on

Airport Road as you travel east toward the marinas on Simpson Bay. It has the good fortune of being situated on the water at St. Maarten Shipyard, which just signed a contract to build a 3,000ton Syncrolift, the ﬁrst Syncrolift in the Caribbean. By this time next year, you won’t recognize the place. But for now, Uncle Harry’s is a small place. Seats maybe 40, tops. On the dock beside it is a crate of lobsters. About 500 pounds of lobsters are shipped to the restaurant each week from Saba, according to restaurant owner Harry Van den Bosch. These are spiny lobsters, and Uncle Harry’s parboils them, then grills them. I shared a three-pound lobster with a colleague, and it was delicious. Served with a simple side salad and baked potato, we left stuffed and happy. The restaurant staff is friendly and multi-lingual, and caters to the yachting and motorcycling set.

I met a megayacht captain at the next table who was in town for the boat show. There are only three places on the island he likes to go. He forbids his crew from going to those places so he can unwind when he’s there. Uncle Harry’s is one of them. It’s the kind of place you go to be with the locals. It’s the kind of place that has a sexually intriguing business card that I can’t help but show around. It’s the kind of place you come back to, mostly because the food is good. It’s the kind of place where you know someone at the next Restaurant owner Harry Van den Bosch, with table, even a newbie like me. a 5-pound lobster, says his ﬁrst love is cooking.

Editor Lucy Reed, left, and Kristy Fox enjoyed a

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. smaller lobster for dinner.

PHOTO/BOB KASSNER

First step on journey of financial plan is finding net worth The entire idea of assessing our financial value can be very disconcerting. How does one go about assigning a numerical value to a lifetime, and why should we engage in such an off-putting (and frighteningly revealing) pursuit? Well, like it or not, there are some excellent reasons for quantifying your INTO ACCOUNT financial worth. The PHAEDRA XANTHOS most important reason is that you can’t gauge the distance to your end goal unless you know where you stand today. Our society has a tendency to promote the accumulation of material things at all costs in one breath and then condemn materialism in the next. Most of us want all the comforts that life has to offer and we don’t want to feel guilty about that desire. In order to achieve that level of comfort for yourself and your loved

Answers to puzzle on page 31

ones, it is vital that you begin planning early on. Wealth is not a destination one arrives at simply through the passage of time. It is an end goal that is achieved, like anything else in life, through hard work, careful planning and perhaps just a touch of serendipity. I’m sure that most of you are already well-acquainted with the hard work ingredient of financial success, and the serendipity aspect of it is out of our hands I’m afraid. What about the careful planning? Last month I began a discussion of the five steps you can take to create a rudimentary financial plan for yourself. The first step is to simply define your life goals using somewhat specific measurements. Now that you’ve used

your creative juices to imagine that fantastic life you’d like to build for yourself, take some time to put down on paper an assessment of where you are today. This assessment is commonly known as a net worth statement. Your net worth is calculated by adding all your assets including your home, car, jewelry, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, collectibles, and anything else of value, then subtracting all your debts including mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit cards, personal loans, etc. So assets minus liabilities equals personal net worth. This ﬁgure should be a positive number. It’s a great way to judge your improvement over time and every year

you can look at your net worth and watch it grow – if and only if you’ve stuck to your plans. Use this tool as your annual financial report card to track your success. Best of luck with your calculations. This is a general outline of how to construct a plan for yourself. A professional financial planner can be extremely helpful in the process and should be consulted for further development. 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@ transcontinentalfinancial.com.

TAKING TIME OFF

26 The Triton

January 2005

Walking among the clouds in Costa Rica By Jan Reed Often, the best vacations are the ones that are unplanned. My husband and I ventured to Costa Rica, lured by the rainforests we’d read so much about. We booked most of our accommodations online before arriving in San Jose, but on our first night, a friendly traveling couple suggested we visit a little hotel on a private reserve in Monteverde The author poses by her hotel room, nestled 4,000 PHOTO/STEPHEN REED called El Sapo Dorado, feet up in the hills of Monteverde. the Golden Frog. the hundreds of hummingbirds and We did it and had a fabulous holiday. butterflies, and breathing the cool fresh Monteverde is 4,000 feet up in the hills, air. We spotted strangler figs bigger and the “hotel” was really a collection than my dining room. of duplexes built like cabins, each with It’s easy to travel this country. You their own front porch and fire place. We don’t need to know Spanish and U.S. could see the coast from our porch. dollars are accepted everywhere. And The property only allows six people there is plenty to do, including whiteat a time to venture into the reserve. water rafting and tree canopy tours. We hired a guide for $40 and spent We did lots, but we liked best our five hours walking amid the clouds three days up in the clouds. (another level of rainforest), counting howler monkeys (our guide could Contact Jan Reed through editorial@thetalk to them; we saw 19), spotting triton.com. To contact El Sapo Dorado, toucans and sloths, getting used to e-mail reservations@sapodorado.com.

Megayacht ready Several developments are occurring in Costa Rica to prepare for increased use by megayachts. Peninsula Papagayo Resort on the northern Paciﬁc coast is under way with plans to build a 400-slip marina that can accommodate megayachts. A Four Seasons resort and 18-hole golf course are already open on the 2,300-acre resort. The Los Suenos Resort by Marriott has recently added a 250-slip marina to its property just north of the surfer’s haven of Jaco Beach on the country’s west side. An 18-hole golf course, casino and rainforest also share the 1,100-acre resort. In an effort to service the megayachts that have begun venturing to Costa Rica, Jimmy T’s Provisions has recently opened to create relationships with local distributors of key products from both the United States and Europe. E-mail info@jimmytsprovisions.com.

What we’re watching, reading The in-your-face documentary “Super Size Me” will make you think hard about stopping at McDonald’s. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock sets out to prove that eating processed food is bad for you. For 30 days, while under medical supervision, he chokes down every meal at Mickey D’s, consuming as much as 5,000 calories a day. The results shock his doctors: his weight balloons, his liver goes haywire, he feels lethargic and moody. Spurlock leavens the first-person account of his descent into obesity with visits to school cafeterias and interviews with health officials. Almost as soon as you think, “Yeah, but nobody eats three meals a day at McDonald’s,” Spurlock flashes pictures of Jesus, President Bush and Ronald McDonald to 6-year-olds. Ronald is the only one they can name, underscoring Spurlock’s point that the fast-food industry’s marketing efforts undermine our best efforts at healthy eating. Unlike the more famous muckraking film maker Michael Moore, Spurlock manages to shoot a low-budget piece of nonfiction that’s both journalistically credible and disgustingly entertaining. – Jeff Ostrowski

In the fall of 1991, recreational divers discovered a U-boat off the New Jersey coast in 230 feet of water. In “Shadow Divers” ($26.95, Random House), Robert Kurson tracks the identiﬁcation of the undocumented wreck from the ﬁrst trip through meeting surviving family members. Kurson’s retelling centers around two divers, John Chatterton and Richie Kohler. Once rivals, their dedication to the 11-year project survives professional changes, marriages and the deaths of three fellow divers. Diver or not, every reader will be swept along with the suspense and danger of the dives. At 230 feet, water is cold, visibility is “shadowed,” and currents are deceptive. The decaying wreck traps and kills two experienced divers. Another is killed by his response to the disorientation of the depth. The tension of the dives is mimicked in the searches of government records. Neither the German nor the U.S. government had record of a U-boat lost in the area. The author’s sub title, “The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II,” discounts the unproved theories. – Donna Mergenhagen Owner, Well Read, Ft. Lauderdale

TAKING TIME OFF

January 2005

Surfing still worth the ride as you live the pura vida By Jeff Ostrowski Of all my fond memories of Costa Rica, this is one of the best: I’m surfing a Pacific Coast beach break at dusk when the setting sun suddenly gives off an unearthly glow. The sky and ocean turn bright orange. The sun is low enough that every head-high wave casts a dark shadow that turns the drop into a pulse-racing leap of faith – I know the bottom’s there, but I can’t see it. The crowd is sparse, so there’s not much competition for rides, and after each 150-yard right, I paddle back out to catch another one until dark. Moments like those have turned me into a Costa Rica junkie. I’ve taken surf trips to Puerto Rico and Mexico, but I keep coming back to Costa Rica, drawn by the Central American country’s reliable combo of consistent waves, manageable crowds and natural beauty. How long the small crowds and unspoiled beauty will last is an open question. Costa Rica long has been a darling of surfers, backpackers and anglers from the United States, Canada and Europe, but the place no longer is a secret to tourists or resort developers. Still, my next surf trip will be to Costa Rica, in large part because it’s

hard not to score waves there. The Paciﬁc Coast has countless point breaks, beach breaks and rivermouth breaks. And the shallow reefs of the Caribbean coast can create Hawaiiansize bombs. Then there’s the lure of the nation’s “pura vida” vibe. Ask a “Tico,” as Costa Ricans call themselves, how things are going, and the answer likely will be “pura vida.” The phrase translates to “pure life.” True to the pura vida esthetic, Ticos invariably are polite and helpful. I once asked a kid working at a McDonald’s for directions. He spent ﬁve minutes drawing a detailed map on the back of a placemat. Even the scoundrels are polite here. A Tico once swiped my board from in front of my hotel room. When I discovered the crime and caught up with the thief just as he was about to disappear into some dense underbrush, he had the good manners to give back my board and run. Costa Rican coffee and beer add to the siren song. Both are as smooth and clean as the waves during a glassy morning session. Contact freelance writer Jeff Ostrowski through editorial@the-triton.com.

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28 The Triton

IN THE STARS HOROSCOPES By astronomer Michael Thiessen SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Your partner may make you feel jealous and unloved. Be aware that you don’t get anything for nothing. Those who have been too demanding should be put in their place or out to pasture. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) You should get into some of those creative hobbies that you always said you wanted to do. Be careful to avoid wrong doings. It will do you some good. AQUARIUS (Jan. 21-Feb. 19) Be sure to take care of the needs of your immediate loved ones ﬁrst. Family outings that aren’t expensive will be enjoyable and help strengthen ties. There maybe someone willing to take credit for your work. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Family outings should include visiting friends or relatives. Take care of your health; get lots of rest. Entertain those you wish to close deals with. Unexpected visitors will be a welcome surprise. ARIES (March 21-April 20) Be an observer before getting involved. You will be ready to jump on anyone who gets in the way of your progress this month. Get together with friends who like indoor sports. Get involved in groups that are creative in nature. TAURUS (April 21-May 21) Put something away in case of emergency. Trips will be favorable for business as well as pleasure. A better diet, exercise

January 2005

or a change to a relaxed atmosphere could be ways to soothe your nerves. GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Take a long look at your direction and consider your professional options. You could do extremely well in competitive sports. Family will not be happy with the time you spend away from home. CANCER (June 22-July 22) It may not be the best time to socialize with clients or colleagues this month. Don’t second-guess yourself; just do it. Don’t allow colleagues to stand in your way. Look into career choices and courses. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Your ability to help others will win you points. Plan to visit friends or relatives. You will get out of shape easily if you don’t keep on top of things. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 23) Your practical approach to life may charm someone who has been observing you. Social activity with friends and relatives will be most successful. Don’t blow situations out of proportion. LIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) Put your efforts into physical ﬁtness programs or competitive sports, especially with your lover. Family outings should include visiting friends or relatives. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Invite people home to discuss your plans for group fundraising events and outings. Too much too fast will be the attitude surrounding your home environment. Don’t blame others for your own stubbornness. Think about starting your own small business.

January 2005

IN THE STARS

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Saturn at its closest, biggest, brightest in mid-January By Jack Horkheimer What a way to welcome the new year. The most beautiful planet in the solar system – ringed Saturn – is at opposition in the middle of this month, which means that it is at its closest, biggest and brightest of the entire year and can be viewed all night long from sunset to sunrise. Starting the week of Jan. 10 at one hour after sunset facing east, you’ll see the brightest grouping of winter’s stars, Orion the Hunter, easily recognized by the three stars that mark his belt, the two stars that mark his shoulders, and the two stars that mark his knees. If you look just to his left, you’ll also see the two brightest stars of the Gemini twins Castor and Pollux. Just below them you’ll see an object that usually isn’t in this part of the heavens: planet No. 6 out from the sun, 75,000-mile-wide ringed Saturn. We’ve been visiting Saturn with our Cassini spacecraft for the past few months and have been discovering the wonders of this planet and its moon, Titan, in more detail than ever seen in human history. On Jan. 13, Saturn is ofﬁcially at opposition. Although opposition is a term astronomers use, it isn’t all that complicated. In fact, it means just what it says, that Saturn is directly opposite the Sun in the sky as seen from Earth. If you think about it, whenever the Sun is not in the sky Saturn should be. So as the Sun sets in the southwest in the middle of January, Saturn will be rising in the northeast and will be visible all night long. Saturn will slowly ascend from the northeastern horizon during the ﬁrst

half of evening and at midnight will reach its highest point just slightly south of overhead. Then it will slowly descend toward the west and will set in the northwest as the Sun rises in the southeast. The wonderful thing about opposition is that not only is Saturn visible for naked eye and telescopic viewing all night long but it is also at its closest for the entire year, which means that it is at its biggest and brightest. How close? Only 750 million miles away compared to its maximum distance of nearly 1 billion miles away. This means that Saturn appears much bigger in an amateur telescope and is much easier to view. If you got a telescope for the holidays, get it out now and take a look. You’ll be absolutely blown away.

You should easily be able to see the dark gap between the rings called Cassini’s division and you should have no trouble whatsoever seeing Titan, which is not only bigger than Mercury but is also the only moon in the entire solar system known to have an atmosphere. Get out your telescope now or ﬁnd a friend who has one because the lord of the rings is at its best.

See ﬁve planets at once

Above it but much dimmer, tiny pink 3,000-mile-wide Mercury. Above it, you’ll see reddish orange 4,000-mile-wide Mars. Close to overhead you’ll see giant 88,000-mile-wide Jupiter. In the northwest, the lord of the rings, 75,000-mile-wide Saturn. Just for fun draw an imaginary line from Saturn to Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Venus. It’s called the ecliptic and is the path along which all the planets travel.

2005 starts off with a cosmic bang because all ﬁve naked-eye planets are visible at the same time in pre-dawn skies. About 45 minutes before sunrise during the ﬁrst week of January, look southeast and you’ll see the brightest planet, 8,000-mile-wide Venus.

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.

GIVE IT UP

30 The Triton

CREW NEEDED Mate/stew/chef needed for 90-foot m/y. Winters in Florida, Bahamas. Summers in New York. Family cruising, ﬁshing, charter. Pleasant attitude, appearance a must. Will consider person with less experience. king18@worldnet.att. net Captain or couple (preferred) for 86foot Mangusta to run foreign-ﬂag vessel.

Strong engineering background, extensive experience running private yacht. Minimum 100-ton license. Summers in New York, winters in Florida. broffwarg@ williamsisland.com Experienced mate/ chef and freelance stewardess needed for 94-foot foreign-ﬂag charter yacht. Must be detailed oriented, self motivated. Individuals or couples considered. lancebondhus@yahoo.

Classifieds

com, 954-337-5888

New motoryacht looking for stewardess for Caribbean charter season. Self-starter, creative personality needed to work in great team. toptimes21 @hotmail.com Part time / possibly full-time captain position with minimum 100-ton license to operate Peterson Fuel Delivery tankship in SE Florida. Tankersman license a plus. Contact Anthony at 954-7643835 or send resume to sales@petersonfuel. com. Seeking team (captain and mate/stew or chef/stew) for 82-foot m/y based year round in the Caribbean. Must be U.S. citizen or

eligible to work on U.S.flag boat (no B1B2s). Minimum 100-ton masters and STCW95 required. Charter experience a plus. Great salary and benefits. captbarn@yahoo.com Are you a U.S. citizen, culinary trained, male 20s-30s, team-oriented, nonsmoker, friendly? Want to travel, able to handle all aspects of galley operations, available long term? Private m/y, 5 crew, 46 guests, needs chef. Salary and benefits. Send resume to yacht job2005@hotmail.com. Seeking a permanent captain with minimum 150-ton license, and a chef and cook/stew for a 90-foot m/y. apply@ goldquickline.com.

January 2005

www.megayacht.org

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 CREW AVAILABLE Need time away? Professional captain and/or team available to maintain systems aboard while riding the transport ship, as well as performing light maintenance and repair. USCG licensed captain. References available. scott@outerspaces.com 500-ton captain, STCW, unlimited radar, APCA, MMD, CPR, ﬁrst-aid. Honest, hardworking, nondrinker, non-smoker

with good engine room skills and a background in sportﬁshing. 954-2536685, barnaclebill26200 @yahoo.com Chef with STCW-95, 18 yrs experience, willing to do permanent/ freelance/charter. Experience on yachts, in hotels, catering, estate, restaurants and more. 954-600-2069, cheforvis@hotmail.com U.S. licensed, married and experienced captain and cook/ mate/stew team available for permanent position. Seeking power or sail 75 to 100 feet. jimkassel@yahoo.com

See more classiﬁed listings on page 32

WHAT’S UP?

January 2005

The Triton 31

On the Horizon in January Jan 1-9 New York National Boat Show, Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City. 212-9847000, www.nyboatshow.com Jan 6-9 San Diego Boat Show, San Diego. 858-274-9924, www. sandiegoboatshow.com Jan 15-23 Toronto International Boat Show, Toronto, Canada. 905951-0009, www.torontoboatshow. com Jan. 17 Slide show of Miami Beach, 7 p.m., Well Read bookstore, Ft. Lauderdale. Richard and Valerie Beaubien wrote “Discovering South Beach: Decowalking Tours of the Miami Art Deco District” and will present a slide show of the district. The couple is also leading a walking tour of the area as part of Miami’s Art Deco Weekend. Slide show is free. (954)467-8878. Jan 29-Feb. 6 49th Los Angeles Boat Show, Los Angeles, 888-BOAT-SHOW, www. losangelesboatshow.com Feb. 2 The Fox Network (held the ﬁrst Wednesday of every month), 7 p.m. Kristy Fox, who

Jacksonville, Fla., Alltel Stadium, www.superbowl.com and www. jacksonvillesuperbowl.com

EVENT OF THE MONTH JAN. 15-23 36th annual Boot 2005 Düsseldorf, Germany

Feb. 7-8 Carnival, Trinidad. Traditional holiday of excess before the limits of Lent. www. carnivalondenet.com

More than 1,600 exhibitors from 52 countries have registered to showcase boats, yachts and maritime products and services. Several of the 18 exhibition halls will be dedicated to megayachts. www.mdna.com, www.boot-online.de. handles business development and sales for The Triton, has made a name for herself in this industry by getting people together. The Triton is proud to present The Fox Network, Kristy’s signature socials. Come to network and make new friends in the industry. For location and directions, contact kristy@the-triton.com. Feb. 3-4 Industry Professional Development Summit, Ft. Lauderdale. Sessions will address workforce education as well

as training and professional development issues for boatbuilders, repair facilities and marinas, manufacturers, surveyors and dealers. (410) 956-1050, cchetelat@abycinc.org Feb 3-5 Seatec, the 3rd Exhibition of Technologies and Subcontracting for Boat and Ship Builders, Marina di Carrara, Italy. +39 0585 787963, www.sea-tec.it, m.musumeci@carraraﬁere.com Feb. 6 Superbowl XXXIX,

Feb. 8 Mardi Gras, New Orleans. Another conﬂagration of this holiday of excess before the limits of Lent, 800-672-6124, www. mardigras.com Feb. 12-13 Basic Weather course, MITAGS. Speaker is Lee Chesneau of the National Ocean Prediction Center. $325, includes lunch. (866)656-5568, www.mitags.org Feb 14-15 Super Yacht Conference, Ft. Lauderdale. Sessions and expo to address megayacht sector, including builders, brokers, owners, suppliers, management ﬁrms and crews. www.superyachtconference. com. Feb. 17-21 Miami International Boat Show, Miami, www. showmanagement.com. The inwater portion of the show is on Collins Avenue.

Answers on page 25

GIVE IT UP

32 The Triton

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

Company

Page

All Phase Marine Electric 21 Antibes Yachtwear 27 Argonautica Yacht Interiors 6 ARW Maritime 10 Bahia Mar Yachting Center 17 Boat Blinds International 4 Bradford Marine 27 Business cards 30, 32-33 C&N Yacht Reﬁnishing 2 Calypso Marine Electronics 11 Camper & Nicholsons International 11 Cape Ann Towing 18 Concord Marine Electronics 7 Edd Helms Marine 9 Elite Crew International 24 Florida Marine 10 Fort Lauderdale Marine Directory 25 Fort Lauderdale Shipyard 18 Global Insurance Net 21 Global Satellite 29 Global Yacht Fuel 28 Gourmet Market Caves Village 20 Island Marine and Industrial Services 17 Jones Boat Yard 7 Lauderdale Marine Center 16 Lauderdale Propeller 5 Light Bulbs Unlimited 8 Maritime Professional Training 34 Megafend 9 Mrs. G Team 26 Nauti Tech 4 Nautical Structures 27 Peterson Fuel Delivery 24 Rapdev.com 20 Resolve Marine Group 8 Rolly Marine Service 3 Roscioli Yachting Center 12 Rossmare International Bunkering 9 RPM Diesel Engine Co. 28 Sailorman 28 SeaThrust 6 Smile Perfect 4 Smith-Merritt Insurance 21 St. Augustine Marine 28 Sunshine Medical Center 29 Super Yacht Conference 19 Sweet Sop 13 TowBoatUS 11 Virgin Islands Charteryacht League 17 Windjammer Barefoot Cruises 22 Yacht Equipment & Parts 36 Yacht Productions 16

Conscientious & dedicated team seeking deck/mate, stew/cook positions on private or charter m/y. Seeking employer who promotes a high level of service. No travel restrictions, STCW, B1/B2 Visa. mtcrewers@hotmail. com, 954-554-7674 Freelance chef, Canadian with green card. Over 7 years experience with both chartering and private vessels. Fran at 954-5841207 or frances8905 @bellsouth.net Experienced American chef /stew or chef/ chef team, STCW95, 10 years exp with yacht/estates. Culinary degree. Will consider individual assignments. miludka@cs.com Experienced stew, just completed 3 years with owner, 6 guests onboard. Also did watches, anchor and exterior duties, (954)471-0487, tljohnson62@hotmail. com. Chef, skilled in Mediterranean, European and American cuisine.

January 2005

ton USCG license. Five years experience on large charter yachts. STCW, dive certiﬁed. Hard working and available immediately. 954-614-0554, juice4444@aol.com

Available for charter or private yachts, estates and special occasions. 904-728-8169, chefrjbateh@tanjarha. com, www.tanjarha.com Experienced yacht chef looking for a permanent position on South Florida-based yacht or estate, will travel. Experienced on deck also. Freelance OK. saefla4@aol.com Bartender/waitress with 2 years experience on Royal Caribbean. flipflop@hotmail.bg New captain looking for captain or mate position. I am a hard worker and want to continue learning about the boating industry. Tilly7116@msn.com American mate, 200-

inboard experience. Marine store sales person wanted. 2 years experience required and willing to relocate to Caribbean. paradise@candw.ag

150-ton master captain, 200/500 mate with engine room knowledge and STCW95. Fishing, diving and cruising. Over 20 years on the water. Will relocate for right position.619-223-2537

Yacht management company looking for technical superintendent for Ft. Laud. ofﬁce. Must be a Class 1 Marine Engineer or similar and U.S. citizen or green card holder. jv@ftl. cnyachts.com.

American stewardess, charter, private. Exerienced 12+ years on 100+ size yachts. Looking for freelance or full-time. Lynda 954-294-7772, lyndazee@yahoo.com.

Hiring full-time technicians in electrical, electronic, A/C refrigeration, hydraulic. Salary + beneﬁts. Nautitech, 954-527-0716, jack@nauti-tech.com

OTHER PROS

Tender/commercial diver for underwater maint. of yachts. Must be strong, have c-card, dive gear and driver lic.

Mercury-certiﬁed mechanics wanted, outboard and

GIVE IT UP

January 2005

954-325-1189 Marine propeller reconditioner, experienced in all phases of recon. Welding a plus. S. Fla., 954-894-8089

FOR SALE

OBO. 954-425-2759 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. 954-2923562

Marquipt 2000# aluminum davit, extendable boom. 6button remote, power pack, fresh Awlgrip paint. Weld down aluminum base. $12,500

Marquipt Med Ladder, 14’ folding aluminum w/SS trapeze spreader. $2,600 OBO. 954-4252759

Specialized classiﬁed listings are $15 per column inch.

Efﬁciency with private entrance, kitchen, own yard. Also 2nd room to

FOR RENT

rent in house. Washer/ dryer. No travelers. Must like cats. $550/mo. 6month lease min. FL&S, 954-584-1207, Fran Store your car safely behind a locked gate in Fort Lauderdale. Minutes from marinas, ship yards. $65 per month, $20 per week, $3 per day. 954-294-0641 Large furn. cottage, satellite, phone, utilities incl. Private patio, great neighborhood in Ft. Lauderdale. Minutes to Las Olas Riverfront. $250/wk, $995/mo. 954294-0641

The Triton 33

Isn’t this copy of The Triton great? Don’t miss the next one. Subscribe online with PayPal at www.the-triton.com, then click on subscriptions. For U.S. addresses*, mail $25 to: P.O. Box 22278,

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33335

NAME: OCCUPATION/TITLE: BOAT NAME/BUSINESS NAME: MAILING ADDRESS: CITY/STATE/ZIP: E-MAIL: PHONE: *For international rates, e-mail peg@the-triton.com.

34 The Triton

WRITE TO BE HEARD

January 2005

Yachting neophyte discovers fairytale world on the bridge By Lyn Millner I’m going cruising off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale on a Sarnico 55 with Ron (the yacht broker) and Peter (the man who’s buying this boat). Seas are 2 to 4 feet, there’s a light breeze, and it’s a perfect Sunday for a joy ride. I was going to take a ride on a Cigarette boat – those wicked, bent-forspeed hellcats. I looked into it. Really. I went to the Cigarette Racing Team’s Web site and saw pictures of the boats and tried to imagine what it would feel like to climb aboard the Son of a Gun or the Rough Rider. Just thinking about it made me blush. Because, you know, Cigarette boats are sort of, umm, well – They protrude mightily. Then someone told me I should wear a kidney belt if I rode in one. I guess, to prevent my kidneys from coming unmoored? So. This Sarnico is one pretty yacht – handcrafted in Italy, with twin 1,050 horsepower diesel engines and racing grooves running along its sides from mid-ship to aft. It’s sexy, but not in the flagrantly bodacious way of some powerboats. I settle into the U-shaped couch on deck while Ron removes the sun canopy and stows it behind the bench-style seat at the helm. We leave Lauderdale Marina, motor under 17th Street Causeway and make our way to the Port Everglades channel. People are looking at us. “You don’t see too many Sarnicos,” Ron explains. “This boat turns heads.” I move to the helm and sit beside him while he drives. My feet don’t reach the teak deck, and I swing them in mid air, thinking, “better my feet than my kidneys.” When we reach the channel, Ron kicks the engines into gear. The sound of the turbos winding up is the same noise a jet plane makes when it’s about to take off. For a second, I’m convinced we’ll leave the surface of the ocean. The bow lifts, but only a little, because there’s a leveler controlling it. We leave everybody standing still. We go halfway to Boca, cruising at an easy 38 knots with occasional bursts to 42. We turn around and cruise to Miami Beach Marina in no time. As we dock at Monty’s, Ron mentions that the trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami is faster by boat than by car. I’ll think about that the next time I’m snarled in traffic on I-95. When we’re heading home, Peter suggests I drive. I haven’t mentioned that I don’t know the first thing about boats, but I haven’t tried to pass myself off as a pro either. Here is the truth: I was in a canoe once. At camp. When I was 13. That is the sum of the experience I bring to this moment, as

the wind weaves crazy furrows in Ron’s hair and the boat lays out a sedate “V” way back in the water behind us. Peter looks at me and says, “You drive.” Pretty quickly, I learn that you can’t steer when your feet are dangling. I stand up, and it helps, but not much. I may be the last person in Florida to discover this, but driving a boat is nothing like driving a car. You turn the wheel, and the response is – the only way I can describe it compared to a car is – nonchalant. A boat treats your steering like a suggestion. I turned left, and I’d swear the boat veered right, and I thought, God, I really don’t know what I’m doing. But just then, the boat swung left. And then, of course, I had overdone it, so I had to compensate back the other way. I stood on my tiptoes to see over the windshield. I was terrified of hitting something, even though nothing was around. That’s when I first became aware of the U.S. Navy boat – a ramshackle runabout with a roof and a green bubble light on top, like the ones you see on police cruisers. It was headed right for us – its green light flashing – making a direct line from a partially submerged submarine a good distance away. I let Ron take the wheel. He slowed to an idle, and we waited for the runabout to approach. Two blond women stood in the boat. One held a bright yellow megaphone to her mouth and said, “Just making sure you guys are staying on course. It didn’t look like you were.” I wanted to crawl below deck and curl up in a little ball. At the end of the afternoon, when we docked at Lauderdale Marina, we pulled up right next to a Cigarette boat. Its motor throbbed – “tha-thungk-thathungk-ta-thump” – and Ron said to me, “You could have ridden in one of those, and you’d be deaf now.” The man and woman in the Cigarette had clearly had a thrilling afternoon. But seeing them made me think about the true nature of power. They were sweaty. Their hair was a complete mess. They may have had a greater horsepower-to-weight ratio, but we had arrived in air-conditioned comfort, and our kidneys were intact. Salt, grime and sweat can be part of an adventure, but there’s something to be said for the fairytale component of power. The Sarnico 55 was straight out of a fairytale. It even had its own set of fine china and a storage cabinet with little pegs that held each piece in place. Stepping off that yacht, I felt just like Cinderella. Lyn Millner is a freelance writer in South Florida and fraidy cat. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

WRITE TO BE HEARD

January 2005

The Triton 35

Give, don’t trash, ‘old’ yacht items I consider myself to be one of the fortunate people who have been given the privilege of working on a wonderful yacht for great owners. Like so many crew, we are given all we need, in fact, more than we really need. Recently our owners decided to make some changes to the interior of the yacht and asked me to dispose of the unwanted items, things like bedding, linen, crockery, silverware, etc. It pained me to throw these items away. In most cases, they were practically new, only used a few months by charter guests. Donating them to a place like the Salvation Army meant they would be sold. I wanted to give the items to people who really needed them, especially at this time of the year, rather than those that could afford to purchase them from a thrift store. By buying a copy of “The Homeless Voice” on the streets of South Florida, I found a shelter in Hollywood run by volunteers who give everything possible to people and families in need. They even help them get their life sorted out and back on track. I felt so good being able to give these unwanted, yet perfectly good things to people less fortunate than ourselves. (I made sure never to donate items that were monogrammed with the yacht’s name, however.) Since then I have taken clothes donated by crew, even sodas and food items that are close to their use-by date that would otherwise be thrown away. They are over the moon to get them. The address for this shelter is 1203 N. Federal Hwy in Hollywood, just south of Sheridan Street on the east side of the road (954-925-6466). Maybe there are other crew members out there who would like to help with donations, especially once the Christmas and New Year charters are over. L. Langridge, Chief Stewardess

Crew gathers for Thanksgiving dinner Thank you so much for the excellent Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and make some new contacts in the industry, not to mention one amazing dinner. A great time was had by all. Eng. John Q. Niles M/Y Status Quo I’ll not forget the Thanksgiving dinner you put on for everybody for a very long time. Capt. Ian James

Sorry to miss Triton events I’m up in Canada building a boat for a client but every time I get one of your e-mails [invitations to Triton events], I wish I could be down there in Ft. Lauderdale. Keep up the good work. Capt. Don Punkka

New way to ﬁnd crew

The elves of M/Y Intrepid (Chef Sylvie Staboli, left, and Stewardess Becky Smith) bring cookies and cheer to yachts docked around them at Sunrise Harbor Marina in Ft. Lauderdale. These recipients are Engineer Dan Agmon, in coveralls, and relief Capt. Peter Mullins aboard M/Y Turmoil. PHOTO/MATE JOE MACVEAGH

In response to your article on hiring crew [“Captains seek compatibility in new hires,” page 1], I’d like to share the best tool we have found that tells us whether someone will be great crew: an emotional intelligence survey. We now have ﬁve (out of nine) we’ve hired because of their results, not because of resumes or references. Knowing them before we hired them has made the job of managing crew a lot less stressful and more economical. For more information, go to www. crewinsight.com. Capt. Charlie Johnson M/V Piano Bar EDITOR’S NOTE: Crew Insight is owned by Piano Bar Chef/Stew Linda Bay-Johnson, Johnson’s wife.

Where am I?

Last month we asked readers to ﬁgure out on which Caribbean island the dockmaster in this cartoon is standing, based on the miles on the pole. Apparently, we made it too easy. Every e-mail we received was correct. He’s on Antigua. Several competent navigators (and a few technophiles) were eager for more of a challenge and voluneered to pinpoint exactly on which beach our little dockmaster stood. We shall have to make our next “Where am I?” cartoon harder. Congrats to Capt. Jeffrey Neuwirth of the S/Y Quixote, our winner selected at random, who gets a $50 gift certiﬁcate to BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply. We’d also like to send a belated public thanks to Derik Wagner from Global Satellite USA in Ft. Lauderdale for providing the distance calculations. Maybe that’s where our next challenge comes from. – Lucy Chabot Reed

Cartoon reminds us how to plot a course As many of us found while playing with our chart plotters to figure out the December “Where am I” quiz, the resolution at which you measure the start point and the geodetic datum of each chart that one involves will skew the range and bearing of each point of measurement. Also, do we use the center of the city, the major ship channel approach mark or the first 5-star Michelin-rated restaurant as a start point? As close as I can figure, Antigua is the most likely island. Using a great

circle route on a near latitude sailing from Palma and San Diego can skew things over to St. Kitts/ Nevis or perhaps the Kingdom of Redonda. Narrow the parameters of this interesting quiz and throw in a few obscure celestial or archaic plotting clues and I’ll use it for training my deck crew. We shall forget how to use pencil, paper and compass if we are not careful. Thanks for an interesting exercise. Capt. Jeffrey Neuwirth S/Y Quixote

Getting Under Way Technical news for captains and crews

Jan. 2005 Pages 15-22

PULL-OUT

Princess Mariana ﬁnishes repairs, work By James Barrett and Ian Watson Savannah, Ga.-based Global Ship Systems has recently completed engineering work and painting of the M/Y Princess Mariana. Based at the old Intermarine facility on the Savannah River, the yard was able to accommodate the 256 foot (78m) yacht. Built by Royal Denship and delivered in 2003, Princess Mariana required warranty work as well as mechanical and paint repairs. Global owns the former Palmer Johnson yard and has deep-water access, making it the choice for this

vessel of 2,479 gross tons with a draft of 14 feet-9 inches (4.5m). A team from the yard, including CEO Rob Creech and reﬁt consultant Leslie Lallande, visited the yacht in Barcelona this summer. Barry McCutcheon, the yard’s project coordinator, was onboard Princess Mariana for her trans-Atlantic journey from Spain, enabling him to develop a working relationship with the crew and the vessel before the reﬁt was to begin Oct. 1. On arrival in Savannah, Princess Mariana was dry-docked in the 535foot (163m) graving dock facility. One important problem that required investigation and resolution

was machinery throughout the boat suffering from insufficient raw water flow. The problem was indicated by air entering the raw water pumps causing them to surge. It was isolated to the two sea chests; one on each side of the vessel amidships by the stabilizers. The Global team worked on a new concept for the sea chests and submitted it to the yacht along with the new design from Royal Denship. It was decided that the design by the builder would be used, however the Global design would remain a consideration if the results of the current configuration did not meet

See PRINCESS, page 17

M/Y Princess Mariana is due back to Global in April. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBAL

Captain-turned-builder reﬁts a bit of Old Florida’s past By Julie Blankenship

The boatyard just off of I-95 and Broward Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale houses a little piece of old Florida. Stepping through the gates of Willy Classic Boats, the noise of trafﬁc subsides until there is just the whirring sound of a sander or the hiss of compressed air through a hose. The familiar boatyard smells of glass and resin permeate the humid afternoon. On trailers sit six classic ﬂats boats, ranging in size from 15 feet to 20 feet, all in various stages of construction. The poling platforms astride the large outboards combined with the skiff ’s graceful lines give these boats a look reminiscent of another time. Willy Roberts would have appreciated this.

Roberts a ‘master craftsman’ Chris Wettberg, owner of Willy Classic Boats, is enthusiastic when he speaks of the namesake of the company. “Willy Roberts was an absolute

Willy Classic Boats owner Chris Wettberg PHOTO/DIANE BRADFORD

master craftsman with a tremendous following,” Wettberg said, describing the buyers as old-school anglers from the Keys who use the boats for serious backcountry fishing. Wettberg, a captain and avid sportsfisherman himself, bought the boatyard five years ago and continues in Roberts’ tradition of custom building boats to fit the needs of clients. “Each one is different, but always keeping with the tradition Willy started back over 40 years ago,” Wettberg said. Roberts was Detailed in teak trim and painted in the retro colors of pale yellow, blue and green, Willy’s from a long line of boats are gentle reminders of another era. PHOTO/DIANE BRADFORD craftsman and boat builders. Born in history.” of the flats boat remains the same, Key West in 1914, his relatives come From that personal refit in 1990, Wettberg and his crew of six use more from the Albury family from Spanish Wettberg kept in touch with Roberts’ updated materials and techniques. Wells in the Bahamas. family and learned that after he died in Using carbon fiber and Kevlar Wettberg, on the other hand, taught 1993, his business sort of died with him. and a “vacubag” process to bond the himself to build boats. laminates together under pressure so “I just sort of jumped right into this Production hiatus that there are no air voids, creates a whole boat building thing,” Wettberg stronger, lighter product. said. “It really started when I was Though his granddaughter had kept “This technique was originally used running a 54-foot Rybovich down on the molds, production had stopped. by the military during the 1940s on Big Pine Key. It would take a few more years for airplane canopies,” Wettberg said. “I saw this 1968 Willy Roberts Wettberg to raise the money, but in With a high-profile client list, wooden skiff and it was for sale, so I 1999, he bought the business, the Wettberg builds about 25 to 30 boats a bought it, gutted it, rebuilt it and sold molds, the name, everything. year. it. I had done the research on Willy In 2000, he re-started production of “I’ve been approached with Roberts and fell in love with the whole Roberts’ classic line. Though the look See WILLY, page 20 idea of resurrecting the old man’s

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TECH NEWS

January 2005

Check for the numbers when buying your fuel By Silvio Rossi In addition to sulphur content, other values should be considered in buying fuel. The presence of traces of water in the gas-oil does not create problems in combustion but can effect the lubrication of the fuel pump. A fuel bunkering company should be able If the quantity is large, there to provide numbers. PHOTO/ROSSMARE.COM is an effect in the performance of the engine. In addition, most number, the faster and more uniformly customers do not like paying for fuel the fuel burns. and buying water. The CCAI (the Calculated Carbon Carbon residue is another important Aromaticity Index) is a measure of the factor. When fuel evaporates, some ignition delay of fuel. It is correlated to carbon is left and this residue – if too fuel aromaticity and asphaltenes, which much – can deposit on nozzles in the make the delay worse. cylinders. There is a method to calculate the Ash is another negative organoCCAI to know if the fuel can cause metallic material that remains after problems. fuel has burned. Deposits can be rust, Other aspects of the fuel can be sodium or catalytic residues. taken in consideration, but of course, The performance and quality of usually a yacht’s manager using a fuel can be ascertained ﬁnally by two professional fuel agent can avoid fuel values: the cetane number and the buying low-quality fuel. CCAI. The cetane number indicates Silvio Rossi is managing director of the ability of a fuel to burn completely Rossmare International, a worldwide once injected in the combustion bunkering company based in Savona, chamber of a cylinder. The higher the Italy. Contact him at info@rossmare.com.

FROM THE TECH FRONT

January 2005

Captain, yard execs happy with final results PRINCESS, from page 15 appropriate standards. The installation was inspected to Lloyd’s classification standards and involved adding vent pipes on the strainer covers, closing the existing through-hull inlets and opening two more underneath, and fitting baffles in the tanks to modify the water flow. Another issue was the poor condition of the related anode network, which requires more than 60 percent of the anodes be immersed in the raw water to be truly effective. All zinc and aluminum anodes were replaced.

Paint repaired above and below Princess Mariana was built with a steel hull and a GRP superstructure. Various paint repairs were required, including cleaning and repainting the existing Sigma antifouling coating, repairs to the superstructure paint work (Awlgrip), and tank repair and painting (Sigma). In addition, the Plimsoll Line marking was recalculated. The results were veriﬁed by Lloyd’s, the new levels marked and the boot stripe moved accordingly. Although the paint repairs were minor, the in-house quality assurance team monitored the preparation of the substrate and ensured that environmental conditions were in accordance with the paint manufacture’s speciﬁcations. The teak decks were sanded and about 15 percent of the planks were replaced. Mechanical work carried on during this period including warranty work to the hydraulic watertight doors. The forward tender garage doors under went some major repairs with the hydraulic rams being rebuilt, and the lock pins were re-machined. The engine room ventilation system had frequency controllers added to the substantial Danfoss blower/exhaust system. Leaks had been discovered in the fuel and ballast tanks, and repairs were carried out and certain areas re-coated.

It is important to note that before welding occurred, a tank inspection took place and a marine chemist certiﬁcate was issued to ensure that there were no volatile gasses present. In a letter to Global after the reﬁt, Capt. Brian Thorn congratulated the yard on a job well done. “I would like to thank you Rob [Creech] for encouraging us to believe in you, your support through all our troubles and your ability to provide what you said you would All zinc and aluminum anodes on M/Y Princess – a timely drydocking, good Mariana were replaced. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBskilled labor, good results and completion on time,” pillars. Depending on tide, the average Thorn wrote. “What more could a working depth is between 22-25 yacht want? When asked about the success of the feet (6.7-7.6m). The air draft of the Savannah bridge is about 95 feet (60m) project, Creech said, “I felt the captain at low tide. was very happy.” The yard is a full service facility It would appear so, as the yacht is with a 160,000-square-foot (48,000m2) due back at the facility in April for a full composite materials fabrication paint job and the installation of a new building. helicopter hanger.

Schedules key Creech also pointed the need for a good set of speciﬁcations for the impending work. “Without an accurate spec on what needs to be done, the yard can’t go hard at the numbers,” he said. “A lot of times, items on the work list are left open ended and that can really hurt the owner.” Project coordinator McCutcheon agreed. “Schedule is crucial,” he said. “You have to make sure that each job has the appropriate amount of time allocated to it.” The yacht departed the yard Nov. 28 headed for the Paciﬁc and the west coast of Mexico. The Global Ship Systems facility has a graving dock with a 1,000-ton railway system. The graving dock is 535 feet (163m) long and 65 feet (20m) between

James Barrett and Ian Watson are directors with Custom Yacht Consultants, which has ofﬁces in Ft. Lauderdale, London and St. Thomas. Contact them through james.barrett@ customyachtconsultants.com.

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TECH NEWS

January 2005

New mounts hold the vertical Holland-based Rubber Design BV has expanded the range of antivibration mounts with the newly developed MP range of mountings. MP-Mounts can be used for a range of applications, from internal combustion engines, generator sets, pumps and compressors, etc. With a load range from 250N to 55kN, the company said the MP-Mount is designed to achieve low vertical natural frequency, giving excellent isolation for equipment producing relatively low excitation frequencies. The standard MP-Mount is provided with a displacement limiter for control of the mounted equipment displacements, both vertically and horizontally. This is critical for transportable and marine applications. For applications where it is important to have accurate alignment of mounted equipment, the MP-Mounts can be provided with a height adjustment. For more information, visit www. rubberdesign.nl.

Muffler quiets exhaust Engineers with Georgia-based Centek Industries have created a muffler that combines the main underwater exhaust outlet and bypass silencer into one unit. With this configuration, the muffler not only quiets the exhaust system but

also helps route exhaust away from a boat’s stern. This eliminates the danger from backdrafting exhaust and allows boaters to converse in normal speaking tones, the company said. The muffler will work with exhaust systems on engines up to 2,000 hp. It is available in a variety of sizes to fit in restrictive spaces. Centek Industries manufactures a line of wet marine exhaust products. Its components are built of fire-retardant resins that also resist corrosion. Centek uses Vipel K190, a resin that withstands temperatures up to 350° F. For more information, visit www.centekindustries.com, e-mail info@centekindustries.com, or call 800950-7653.

Awlgrip gives support en Español Awlgrip has launched a Spanish tech support line in North America to permit users of the company’s professional yacht topside coatings to express themselves more fully and receive solutions to questions or problems. Awlgrip’s technical support is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central Standard Time). Para servicio técnico en Espanol: Tel: 847-599-6214. Fax: 847599-6209. (English Technical Support line: Tel: 847-599-6212. Fax: 847-5996209). Or visit www.awlgrip.com.

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FROM THE TECH FRONT

January 2005

Real art done on small boats WILLY, from page 15 opportunities to build larger boats,” he said, then pauses. “We’re doing some real artisan work here and the 15-footers, 17-footers, and 20-footers are just more manageable.” In a hand-written note in 2000 from Roberts’ granddaughter, Jean Wiggins, she supports Wettberg’s reincarnation of her grandfather’s business. Mainly because he promised to keep Roberts’ tradition alive. Pointing to a nearly completed 15foot boat, Wettberg said, “I like to think that the client is buying a little piece of Florida’s history when they purchase a Willy custom boat.” Julie Blankenship is a freelance writer in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

Wettberg called Roberts ‘a master craftsman.’ PHOTO/DIANE BRADFORD

Fuel prices Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Dec. 20. Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 390/395 Savannah, Ga. 400/NA Newport, R.I. 415/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 513/NA Trinidad 440/NA Antigua 578/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 420/NA Cape Verde 435/NA Azores 525/NA Canary Islands 423/NA Mediterranean Gibraltar 387/NA Barcelona, Spain 528/937 Palma de Mallorca, Spain 435/950 Antibes, France 436/1,225 San Remo, Italy 530/1,280 Naples, Italy 490/1,280 Venice, Italy 490/1,300 Corfu, Greece 470/978 Piraeus, Greece 446/956 Istanbul, Turkey 417/NA Malta 397/NA Tunis, Tunisia 402/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 422/NA Sydney, Australia 410/NA Fiji 480/NA *When available according to customs.

METRIC CONVERSION

January 2005

How big is that in feet? Get stumped when yacht brokers talk about the length of a megayacht in one measurement when you know it in the other? Converting from meters to feet and vice versa is easy with this chart. Basically, if you know meters, multiply by 3.3 to get feet. If you know feet, multiply by 0.3 to get meters. Or use these lengths to patch together the conversion:

Feet

Meters

Feet

1 2 3 4 5

3.3 6.6 9.8 13.1 16.4

80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310

25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

82.0 98.4 114.8 131.2 147.6 164.0 180.4 196.9 213.3 229.7 246.1 262.5 278.9 295.3 311.7 328.1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Meters 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.4 2.7 24.4 27.4 30.5 33.5 36.6 39.6 42.7 45.7 48.8 51.8 54.9 57.9 61.0 64.0 67.1 70.1 73.2 76.2 79.2 82.3 85.3 88.4 91.4 94.5

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