The Triton 200604

Page 1

The other side

Brokers have their say in captains’ style.

A28

Vol. 3, No. 1

New marina

GiGi ‘a loss’

Old Best Western to be razed, rebuilt

Princess GiGi cut in two, towed to yard

A32

A6

www.the-triton.com

April 2006

Adrian Fisher Crew: U.S. immigration rules a mystery passes on, leaves legacy By Lucy Chabot Reed

By Lucy Chabot Reed Adrian Fisher, founder of the Antibes-based yacht crew placement agency that bears his name, died in his sleep in early March. He was 63. “It was terribly unexpected,” said Eleanor Bloodworth, Mr. Fisher’s personal assistant. “He hasn’t been ill. No one thought he would be leaving us so soon.” FISHER Known among megayacht crew for his terrific memory and love of fine food and wine, Mr. Fisher used an old world approach to service what he considered an old world industry. “Adrian was a thoughtful, kind person,” said Ann-Wallis White, a charter broker in Annapolis. “He was kind to people he didn’t have to be kind to. He was kind to people for whom he could do something. It’s the cornerstone of how this industry got started, and that’s not how it is now.” Several of his colleagues said they will remember his charming demeanor, passion for the industry and kind heart. “He was one of those incessant workers; wherever you are, he was always working,” said Sarah Sebastian, director of Nicholson Yachts in Antigua. “He launched a lot of people in this industry and he took care of people as well. He was never judgmental and always supportive. He gave really good advice. “It’s not so much that I’ve lost a friend, it’s that the industry has lost someone it could have used a little bit longer,” she said. “Some people starting out now will never have the guidance and stewardship of their careers that Adrian offered a lot of people. I’m sorry for that loss because there are too few people like that.” Mr. Fisher also quietly supported several charities and families in Antigua, a place he worked and lived

See FISHER, page A13

Six officials from the Department of Homeland Security – three representing the U.S. Coast Guard and three from U.S. Customs and Border Protection – fielded questions from captains and crew in March, reiterating the common understanding that their rules and regulations are not commonly understood.

“As a U.S.-flagged vessel under 300 tons, do I have to file an NOA when I come to Florida?” one captain asked. “The rules about Advanced Notice of Arrival are for large foreign-flagged yachts and they’re nothing new,” said Terry Steinford, assistant chief of vessel inspection for Sector Miami. “In 2001, the reporting time was changed from 24 hours [in advance] to 96 hours, unless you are on a journey of less than

24 hours. Nationally, vessels of 300 tons and more are required to file to the National Vessel Movement Center in West Virginia. In the 7th Coast Guard district – which covers South Carolina, Georgia, Florida except the panhandle, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – there is no low tonnage limit.” So any foreign-flagged vessel coming

See IMMIGRATION, page A14

Close quarters Neil Rooney, left and owner of Buccaneer Beach Bar in St. Maarten, goes along for the ride as Capt. Guy O’Connor brings M/Y Phoenix through the Simpson Bay Bridge in March. The megayacht’s stabilizer fins extend about 18 inches farther than the beam, making the passage a close call. The night before, the men joined about 250 other yachties for a party hosted by the new U.S. Superyacht Association at Rooney’s bar. Read more about the USSA and see photos from the party on page A30-31. PHOTO/DAVID REED

Captains: Know the rules before clearing in After two hours listening to officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security speak about yachting, a group of captains gathered to voice their thoughts on U.S. immigration policy toward megayacht crew. As always, individual comments are From the Bridge not attributed to Lucy Chabot Reed any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in

a photograph on page A27. The captains each had a story about a run-in with U.S. immigration officials, up to and including a denial of entry. They described incidents where they were permitted entry for anywhere from one week to the much-desired six months and everything in between. One of the most confusing situations for them was the variation in admission for different crew on the same vessel. Most were encouraged by comments from Bruce Boswell, chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Miami office, that a crew on legitimate business with documentation to

support it should request a supervisor if they are not granted enough time to complete their work schedule. Away from the seminar speakers, however, the captains spoke more candidly. “I think that guy’s dreaming [to say] call a supervisor,” one captain said. “It becomes a matter of how much do I want to push my luck?” said another. “Sometimes it works,” said a third. “Crying helps, too.” One captain brings a print-out

See THE BRIDGE, page A26

A

April 2006

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

WHAT’S INSIDE Rising tides .... Page A24

M/Y Dubai, the former Platinum, provided a nice distraction PHOTO/DAVID NICHOLS to Dubai Boat Show attendees.

Advertiser directory Business Briefs Calendar of events Classifieds Cruising Grounds Features: The Afterlife Crew Profile How I Got My Start Columnists: Fitness In the Galley In the Stars Latitude Adjustment

B30 A20-21 B30-31 B16-21 A40 B6 B23 B4 B11 B7-9 B28 A4

Nutrition Personal Finance Photography Predictions Rules of the Road Serve it Up Stew Cues Fuel prices News Photo Gallery Puzzles/answers Reviews Technology Write to Be Heard

B10 B12 B13 B26 B2 B24 B14 A33 A1,6-8,10 A22-23 B21/B5 B25 A32-39 A43

A

April 2006

CREW NEWS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

When boats sell, some lose their jobs, some get new ones

“FULL SERVICE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT” UNITED STATES . BAHAMAS . CARIBBEAN

• CUSTOMS & IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES • • PORT SPECIFIC REGULATION COMPLIANCE • • MARINE EQUIPMENT, PARTS & SUPPLIES • • BUNKERING • • BERTHING ARRANGEMENTS • • ITINERARY PLANNING • • SHIPPING & FREIGHT • • PROVISIONING • • FLOWERS • • PORT ENGINEER & STEWARD SERVICES • • ONBOARD ENTERTAINMENT & SPECIAL EVENTS • • OFFICE SERVICES • • V.I.P. SERVICES • • TRANSPORTATION & TOURISM SERVICES • • SECURITY • • BANKING TRANSACTIONS •

YACHTING UNLIMITED L.L.C

2019 sw 20th street, suite 232 . Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 33315 Office 954 525 5258 . Fax 954 525 5259 . Mobile 786 443 5567 info@yachting-unlimited.com

MEMBER OF THE BLUE WATER ALLIANCE FRANCE . ITALY . CROATIA . MONTENEGRO . GREECE . TURKEY

After seven years and 100 countries, Capt. Martyn Walker is no longer skipper of M/Y Montigne. The megayacht sold after the Miami International Boat Show. He’s taking some time off before deciding on his next move. “190,000 miles in seven years and didn’t ’it nothin’,” he Latitude said. Good luck Adjustment whatever life Lucy Chabot Reed in sends your way Martyn. M/Y Jade Mary welcomes Robert High as the new captain. Robert has been in the marine industry for 26 years now starting in the U.S. Coast Guard as an engineer, coxswain and boarding officer and has worked his way up to running some familiar South Florida boats such as Flyin Baia, Frosty’s Sleigh (post bridge incident) and Segue. He has just finished six months of school, completing his 1600-ton requirements. “I turned down several potentially

Capt. Robert High finished the requirements for his 1600ton USCG license in March, including this fire fighting course. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. ROB HIGH

great opportunities to finish all this up before they change the rules again,” Robert said. “The very gracious owner of Jade Mary just made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, allowing me time to HIGH finish.” M/Y Jade Mary is a 32m Leopard Concept with triple waterjets. She was built and commissioned last year and Robert is expecting a new one this summer in Viareggio, Italy. He and four other crew members will cruise the Med with the owner for the remainder of the summer ending up in Palma for Dock Express. This just in from Capt. Herb Magney: Make a plan, write it down with your dreams, and lo and behold, you may get the chance you have been waiting for. Tanya and I are now running the wonderful 103-foot Broward Lady Frances IV. The vessel came complete with a terrific captain-in-the-making named Dave Wood. Being part of the International Yacht Collection charter fleet has been a goal. We joined the vessel in Sint Maarten and started right in with a charter. Sint Martin is magic. We had not been on island more than 12 hours and ran into three groups of friends just on the street. By the way, Tuesday nights in downtown Grand Case is sweet. Everyone is on the street with bands, food stalls, artists, all the shops open and the restaurants full. A true Antillean adventure. The game plan is to travel back through the Turks, Bahamas and Florida then on up to the Newport Charter Broker Show in June. Send news of your promotion, change of yachts, or personal accomplishments to lucy@the-triton.com.

A

April 2006

NEWS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Broken and cut, Princess GiGi considered a total loss By Lucy Chabot Reed

be identified until investigations are complete. “The whole top was gone.” M/Y Princess GiGi, the 124-foot Once it was refloated, insurance Trident that capsized in the central representatives approved cutting the Bahamas on Feb. 6, is being called a hull to get it on a barge. total loss. “Even before it was cut in half, there According to several businesses was absolutely no way to fix it,” a source that worked on the salvage, towing and said. hauling of the vessel, the superstructure Doug Hoogs worked as the owner’s came off while the fiberglass yacht was representative on the construction of still capsized. It was towed like that to the yacht about 10 years ago when she Cat Island, the nearest lee shore, where was commissioned as M/Y Full Bloom. it was refloated. But the yard took designs and reBut because Cat Island wouldn’t or engineered them, Hoogs said, moving couldn’t dispose of it, the decision was the water and fuel tanks forward. made to cut it in half and lift it on a Hoogs told them to move the barge. tanks back, but The pieces were the yard balked, he ‘Some people are taken to Bradford said. The following speculating that the Grand Bahama in negotiations and Freeport where mediations resulted garage doors took it remained in in the yard declaring on water; that’s farlate March for bankruptcy. fetched. That garage is investigative work Capt. Robert watertight where the and surveys to Moore took over the determine what completion of the tender sits. caused the yacht to project and added ‘It seems to me that take on water and buoyancy forward some major system capsize. that Hoogs described Various sources as a high-grade broke apart. No boat suggested that the material can survive that kind of composite yacht is a total loss. sandwiched around calamity.’ In addition to its air. — Doug Hoogs hull in two pieces, Whether that there are “a couple Former owner’s representative construction of Dumpsters” full M/Y Full Bloom (now Princess GiGi) contributed to the of ruined material, capsizing is unclear. including Jet Skis, “She had operated tenders, fiberglass eight or nine years and interior, at the yard. with no risk to anyone,” said Hoogs, When workers arrived to try to now the U.S. sales representative for refloat the yacht, everything from the Chinese builder Kingship. deck up had broken off, sources said. “That boat went to Alaska and back, “It looked like a bomb went of in to New England and back. She’d been it,” said one source, who asked not to around.” Another scenario likely contributed to the capsizing, Hoogs said, including a possible system failure. “Some people are speculating that the garage doors took on water; that’s far-fetched,” he said. “That garage is watertight where the tender sits. “It seems to me that some major system broke apart,” he said. “No boat can survive that kind of calamity.” Investigations are continuing. Attorneys for the insurer would not discuss the case before deadline. On Feb. 6, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to Princess GiGi from its Operations Bahamas/Turks & Caicos base to the yacht about 60 miles northeast of Samana Cay. USCG officers dropped a dewatering pump but it could not keep up with the inflow of water, according to the Coast Guard. All eight crew members aboard were rescued by USCG helicopter. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

NEWS

April 2006

A

IMG denied Florida license; MHG, SRI go after crew market By Lucy Chabot Reed One of the yachting industry’s largest insurers of crew health plans has been denied a license to operate in Florida, leaving thousands of crew in the lurch come renewal time. The Florida Department of Financial Services denied on March 7 the application of International Medical Group (IMG) to do business in Florida. IMG had agreed to stop writing plans in Florida back in September after the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation determined they had been working in the state without a license. What this means for megayacht crew is that if they have a health insurance broker in Florida, that person cannot sell them or renew an IMG policy. MHG Marine Benefits had been working with IMG for years and helped the multimillion-dollar company create the international insurance plans in place for yacht crew today.

MHG takes new partner

On March 1, one week before IMG was denied its license, MHG announced at a Triton event that it was partnering with MultiNational Underwriters (MNUI) to underwrite plans for yacht crew. As of press time, they had not worked out the details on their plans, but some were expected to be available this month. Another underwriter that does have plans available for yacht crew – and is licensed to do business in Florida – is Specialty Risk International (SRI). The SRI plans offer a continuation of coverage benefit so if a crew member leaves a boat under a group plan, they can pay the premium plus an administrative fee and keep their coverage for up to six months. Neither SRI nor MNUI have figured out how to transfer former IMG/MHG clients onto new plans without a loss of benefits, time served or exclusion for pre-existing conditions. “That’s a legitimate concern,� said George Buskirk, director of the marine division with SRI in Indiana. Based on medical records, some of the options his company offers include getting coverage that excludes certain conditions, having a 24-month waiting period before coverage begins on some conditions, or being accepted. “We’ll work with everyone on a caseby-case basis,� Buskirk said.

SRI works to be online

SRI offers both individual plans and group plans for boats that choose to offer insurance. There were a lot of questions at The Triton’s event March 1 from yacht crew interested in making the transition more seamless. Another advantage SRI is trying to create in the yacht crew niche market is to make all their applications and

renewals accessible online. managing partner of MHG. “Our only “We’re working on that,� said goal in life is to provide insurance to Curt Carlson, vice yacht crew. It has president of sales at become increasingly ‘We will not abandon difficult to work with SRI. “We understand all those people.’ yacht crew don’t IMG, even though have access to IMG has served this regular paper mail.� — Andrew Dudzinski audience faithfully As for MHG, the for many years.� Managing partner company is still The state’s letter of MHG Marine Benefits denial to IMG didn’t trying to separate itself from IMG. surprise him. “We will not “It confirms us abandon all those in our decision to people,� said Andrew Dudzinski, change our insurance partner for

medical insurance in Florida,� he said. “We regret it because of the long association we’ve had with them, but we can’t work with them in Florida any more. That’s very clear.� MNUI is a one of several companies that belong to The Noel Group, including MarineCierge. The Noel Group is owned by John Noel, who also owns a megayacht. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. For more information, SRI at www.specialtyrisk. com or MHG at www.mhgmarine.com.

#LAIRE S -ARINE /UTlTTERS %ST

9ÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠ ÂœÂ“ÂŤÂ?iĂŒiĂŠ Â…>˜`Â?iÀÊEĂŠ-Ă•ÂŤÂŤÂ?ÞÊ-ÂœĂ•Ă€ViĂŠ ĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ ĂŒ°ĂŠ >Ă•`iĂ€`>Â?iĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠ7ÂœĂ€Â?`ĂœÂˆ`iĂŠ iÂ?ÂˆĂ›iÀÞ

3ERVICE 3ERVICE 3ERVICE #APTAINS %NGINEERS -ATES 7E #AN (ELP s 0AINTS 3EALANTS s !NCHORS #HAINS s $ECK 3UPPLIES s 0ARTS 2EBUILD +ITS s %LECTRICAL 0LUMBING

#OMPETITIVE 0RICING 7E $ELIVER ,OCALLY

5 3 $ISTRIBUTORS FOR s 3TOPPANI 6ARNISH s +LASSE 7AX s h"OAT *OYv 0RODUCTS iÂ˜ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂŠĂŒÂ…ÂˆĂƒĂŠ>`ĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠ`ÂˆĂƒVÂœĂ•Â˜ĂŒĂƒĂŠÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂş Âœ>ĂŒĂŠ ÂœĂžÂť

CING s #LEAN 7ATER 3OLUTIONS )NC U D O R T )N "IOREMEDIATION 0RODUCTS

3PEAK DIRECT TO EXPERIENCED STAFF AT OUR CONVENIENT LOCATION

#LAIRE S -ARINE /UTlTTERS 37 ND !VE s &T ,AUDERDALE &,

CLAIRESMARINEOUTlTTERS COM

A

April 2006 NEWS BRIEFS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Show Management, show contracts sold to media company One week after signing a 10-year contract to keep the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show docked at Bahia Mar Yachting Center, the company that produces the show announced that it has been sold for an undisclosed amount. Kaye Pearson, who over the past 30 years has built the Ft. Lauderdale show into the largest in the world, sold Yachting Promotions Inc. and the boat show contracts that go with it. Show Management is the boat show operations division of Ft. Lauderdalebased YPI. YPI was acquired by Active Interest Media (AIM), a publishing and event company whose magazine titles include Southwest Art, Vegetarian Times, Log Home Design and Black Belt. Show Management produces five major boat shows a year, including the Fort Lauderdale show, the Palm Beach International Boat Show and the Yacht and Brokerage Show in Miami. While behind-the-scenes business transactions have little impact on yacht crew, several captains noted that they would be effected if the level of professionalism during the shows declines. “We have a lot of dealings with the employees of Show Management,� said Capt. Dave Reams of the 122-foot Delta

- ,6 UĂŠ ÂœĂŒĂŒÂœÂ“ĂŠ*>ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒ UĂŠ<ˆ˜VĂƒ UĂŠ/ÂœÂŤĂƒÂˆ`iĂŠ*>ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒĂƒ UĂŠ6>Ă€Â˜ÂˆĂƒÂ… UĂŠ >ÀiÂ˜ĂŒĂ€Ăž UĂŠ iVÂ…>˜ˆV>Â? UĂŠ*Ă€ÂœÂŤĂ•Â?ĂƒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂŠ-ĂžĂƒĂŒiÂ“Ăƒ UĂŠ,Ă•Â˜Â˜ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠ i>Ă€

Que Sera, which showed in both the Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach shows this year. “They do a good job and are very responsive. As long as that level of responsiveness doesn’t decrease, it doesn’t really effect us.� Pearson will move into a consultant role for the company, according to a press release, but the rest of the Yachting Promotions team and organization structure – headed by Andrew Doole and Dane Graziano – will remain unchanged. All existing agreements with various marine trade associations also remain unchanged. AIM is headed by Efrem “Skip� Zimbalist III, previously the chief financial officer of Times Mirror and chairman and chief executive officer of its Times Mirror Magazines subsidiary. AIM is based in El Segundo, Calif. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. Revenues for the show account for about 81 percent of its $1.5 million annual budget. YPI also produces the St. Petersburg Fall Show and the Suncoast Boat Show, both of which it owned. – Lucy Chabot Reed

Huge cyclone hits Australia

A Category 5 cyclone hit North

Queensland on March 20 with winds up to 180 miles an hour. Two small, mostly rural areas were badly hit, flattening banana, sugar and tropical fruit orchards in the environs, according to Jim Fountain, economic development liaison officer for the Gold Coast City Council. “The marine industry was very lucky,� he said. “They received quite a few days warning and the main force of the cyclone hit mainly inland rural areas such as Innisfail and Babinda. The only known damage was a luxury catamaran totally destroyed while moored in the Johnson River.� Innisfail is about 60 miles south of Cairns, a popular tourist area and the jumping off point for trips to the Great Barrier Reef. Tropical cyclone Larry was downgraded to a Category 3 as the storm crossed land. According to Surfesvillage Global Surf News, the storm passed directly over Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but there was no immediate word on what damage the reef may have suffered. Larry is the third cyclone to hit Australia’s east coast this year and the eighth in waters near Australia during this season, which ends April 30. It appears to be the biggest storm ever to hit the country’s Pacific coast.

600 berths coming to America’s Cup A new project consisting of two marina facilities near the America’s Cup race courses will add more than 600 new berths to the Port America’s Cup. This is in addition to more than 40 superyacht berths already there. The North and South marinas are under construction and will open separately, with the 160-berth North Marina ready to receive boats in time for the Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts 10 & 11, beginning May 11. The South Marina (about 500 berths) will open by Jan. 1. The two facilities are designed to accommodate yachts from 40 to 95 feet (12-29m). For information or reservations, contact the harbor office at marina@ americascup.com. The Web site, www. portamericascup.com, is still under development.

Burger gets state grant

Wisconsin awarded Burger Boat Company more than $1.1 million in March as part of a Harbor Assistance Program grant to create jobs and improve the local economy. The money will be used to renovate a bulkhead and build a launch well on the Manitowoc River. The

See NEWS BRIEFS, page A10

"

, /-

UĂŠÂŁxäĂŠ/ÂœÂ˜ĂŠ/Ă€>Ă›iÂ?ĂŠ ˆvĂŒ UĂŠ iiÂŤĂŠĂœ>ĂŒiÀÊ`ÂœVÂŽĂƒ ĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠ>VVœ““œ`>ĂŒi ĂŠĂŠĂŠ9>VÂ…ĂŒĂƒĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠÂŁnä½ UĂŠ ÂœÂ˜Ă›i˜ˆiÂ˜ĂŒĂŠĂŒÂœ ĂŠĂŠĂŠ ÂœĂ€ĂŒĂŠ >Ă•`iĂ€`>Â?i ĂŠĂŠĂŠEĂŠ>ÂˆĂ€ÂŤÂœĂ€ĂŒ UĂŠ ÂœĂŒiÂ?ĂƒĂŠEĂŠV>ÀÊÀiÂ˜ĂŒ>Â? ĂŠĂŠĂŠ>}i˜VˆiĂƒ

UĂŠ Âœ`ˆwV>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ĂƒĂŠE ĂŠĂŠĂŠiĂ?ĂŒiÂ˜ĂƒÂˆÂœÂ˜Ăƒ UĂŠ >LĂ€ÂˆV>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜Ăƒ UĂŠ Â?Ă•Â“ÂˆÂ˜Ă•Â“ UĂŠ-ĂŒiiÂ? UĂŠ ˆLiĂ€}Â?>ĂƒĂƒ UĂŠ Ă•ĂƒĂŒÂœÂ“ĂŠ Â˜ĂŒiĂ€ÂˆÂœĂ€Ăƒ UĂŠ ˜}ˆ˜iiĂ€ÂˆÂ˜} ĂŠĂŠĂŠEĂŠ iĂƒÂˆ}˜

/"ĂŠ, /," 1 ĂŠ ,"7 , ĂŠ9 /-ĂŠ/"ĂŠ/ ĂŠ 7ĂŠ ,"7 , ĂŠ , ]ĂŠ7 ½, ĂŠ" , ĂŠ , ĂŠ 1 ‡"1/-ĂŠ ĂŠ 1 -ĂŠ ĂŠ " 1 / " ĂŠ7 / ĂŠ ĂŠ " * / ĂŠ "//" ĂŠ " ĂŠ" ĂŠ ĂŠ ,"7 , -° /P # S J E H F T P Q F O B D D F T T U P U I F 0 D F B O o N J O V U F T U P T F B - J D F O T F E * O T V S F E 4 V C D P O U S B D U P S T 8F M D P N F t /F X $ P O T U S V D U J P O # S P L F S B H F / & "WF t % B O J B ' M P S J E B t 1 ) t '" 9

SFGJU!CSPXBSENBSJOF DPN

A10

April 2006 NEWS BRIEFS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

SEAS2006 canceled; Dockwise breaks record; WestBay working NEWS BRIEFS, from page A8 grant requires Burger Boat to cover 20 percent of the expenses, about $300,000. To qualify for a Harbor Assistance Program grant, recipients must receive a favorable recommendation from the state’s Harbor Advisory Council and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s secretary.

SEAS2006 cancelled

After two years of testing the market with the SEAS (superyacht equipment and services) concept in the South of France, and the limited number of companies that had agreed to support the 2006 event, The Yacht Report has decided to cancel it. “It was decided that with so many events competing for the superyacht exhibition marketing budgets, that this new event would better serve the market if it was combined with the two existing and well-established businessto-business events, Project 2006 and METS 2006,” said Martin Redmayne, owner and publisher of The Yacht Report, which owns SEAS.

Dockwise breaks own record

For the second time ever, Dockwise Yacht Transport had three yacht carriers in Port Everglades ASH-136_HP_AD_T 3/21/06at the 11:17 AM same time in early March and broke

its previous record by loading, unloading and transshipping 88 yachts ranging in size from a 30-foot tender to a 170-foot megayacht. Dockwise Yacht Transport is a subsidiary company of heavy transport shipping specialist Dockwise headquartered in Breda, The Netherlands. Dockwise employs about 800 people worldwide and operates a fleet of 15 semi-submersible vessels. Four of these specialized vessels are dedicated yacht carriers

Yachts on HGTV

Many well-known names within the yachting industry were recently featured on a Home & Garden Television (HGTV) special titled “Extreme Yachts.” The program, which featured both classic sailing yachts and megayachts, took viewers onboard M/Y Blue Diamond and M/Y Sycara III. The show also visited the Trinity Yachts shipyard and followed the construction of M/Y Zoom Zoom Zoom. The episode highlighted some of the industry’s design firms such as Penumbra Marine and Claudette Bonville & Associates. Electrical power systems manufacturer Atlas Marine Systems also discussed the importance of shore power frequency conversion onboard yachts, making it possible for Page 1 yachts to travel anywhere in the world.

Christensen loses his yacht

A fire at the Columbia River Yacht Club in late January destroyed three boathouses and sank three yachts, including the 1998 Sea Ray that belonged to Dave Christensen, chairman and founder of Christensen Shipyards Ltd. The Vancouver-based yacht maker had owned the 63-foot vessel for nine months, according to a story in the Columbian News in Portland, Ore. He planned to make some improvements and resell the yacht, the newspaper reported. It was worth about $750,000, Christensen, 74, said Thursday.

West Bay gets OK to restructure

West Bay SonShip Yachts Ltd. of British Columbia received court approval Feb. 1 to proceed with a reorganization plan that will let it complete the construction and delivery of five yachts. The company is also developing a plan that will permit it to take on new yacht orders and service work, according to a press release. “With the assistance of the Court, our customers, employees and creditors we believe that the present shortterm plan will permit us to complete our production vessels and lay the foundation for security for our future customers,” said West Bay founder and chairman Ben Vermeulen.

America’s Cup to celebrate in China

The 32nd America’s Cup announced a ‘China sails into the America’s Cup’ concert, which will be staged in Beijing on April 1. The aim of the concert is to celebrate China Team, the first Chinese challenger in the America’s Cup. “The scores aren’t important at this stage,” said Bruno Troublé, initiator of the Louis Vuitton Cup. “What matters is that the crew is developing through competing with and against the best sailors in the world.” The team will build its racing yacht in China beginning later this summer. It is a collaboration between a group of Chinese entrepreneurs and the French Le Défi, which competed in the last two Louis Vuitton Cups.

U.S. to help in Straits of Malacca

According to a report in Maritime Executive magazine on March 1, details of a cooperation are being planned – after Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore sign a pact this month – that will outline standard operating procedures for maritime security, said Admiral William Fallon, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. “We are standing by to help,” Fallon said. “When this agreement is formalized, we will have a better understanding of what contributions the U.S. might provide.”

S LIPS F OR S ALE O R L EASE DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON, SC LIMITED SLIPS FROM 35 TO 120 FEET REMAIN

Minutes by land or water from the South’s finest dining, shopping and cruising. Call us or visit ashleymarina.com today, and secure your place on Charleston’s waterscape.

www.ashleymarina.com

8 6 6 . W E T. S L I P ( 8 6 6 . 9 3 8 . 7 5 4 7 )

MARITIME PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

MPT News One School – Unlimited Possibilities • The most complete full service private maritime school in the country • Multi Million dollar 45,000 Square Foot Campus • Over 20 years of Training Experience • STCW Safety Training Courses • Medical Courses • Basic and Advanced Firefighting • S.M.A.R.T. Simulation • Virtual Crew Vetting & Simulated Interviews

• • • •

MCA Approved Yachtmaster Program MCA OOW, Chief Mate & Master Modules MCA Engineering Modules USCG Licensing: All Levels Masters, Mates and Engineers • USCG Approved Yachtmaster to Master 200 ton Program • Onboard Training Itineraries • ISPS Security Officer Certification

MPT Now Offers MCA Engineering Modules MPT Receives the Prestigious Approval of the Scottish Qualifications Authority Maritime Professional Training of Fort Lauderdale, Florida has been recognised as an approved examination center by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). This approval will enable Yachting Professionals of all nationalities to take their MCA Engineering Examinations at MPT's Campus. MPT will now add all of the MCA Yacht Engineering Programmes to their extensive list of approved courses offered year round. These courses are all approved by the MCA and certificated through the National Sea Training Center at Northwest Kent College in the United Kingdom. MPT’s experienced faculty has assembled an impressive curriculum that will be a perfect blend of theory and practical training leading the mariner to full MCA Certification, including Oral Exam Preparation. MPT invites everyone to come to the main campus and tour their incredible 10,000 square foot Engineering Department fitted with more real equipment than any other yachting school in the world, including labs with 35 diesel engines and generators, Refrigeration and A/C Units, Welding Labs, Hydraulics and Pneumatics Equipment, Electrical Boards, Marine Heads, Reverse Osmosis Water Makers, Alfa Laval Centrifugal Fuel/Water Separator, Lathes and a complete machine shop, as well as associated tools for each area and numerous types of parts and equipment for demonstration, etc.

Free!

Visit us online for a Virtual Tour of our school

Come in or call for your Free 72-page full color Career Reference Manual & Course Catalog. It’s packed with helpful information! Visit Our Website: www.mptusa.com

Email Us: info@mptusa.com

Maritime Professional Training Masters, Mates and Engineers, Inc. 1915 South Andrews Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 Ph: +1.954.525.1014 Toll Free: 1.888.839.5025 Maritime Professional Training. All Rights Reserved.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FROM THE FRONT

April 2006

A13

Professional yet private, Fisher had ‘a lot of sides to him’ FISHER, from page A1 in over his career. When she asked, White said Mr. Fisher helped with scholarships to the Juniors Sailing Program and for local children to go to private school, and he gave funds and books for children in out-lying villages. But true to form, he didn’t tell people about those things. Sebastian, who lives year-round in Antigua and knew Fisher well, did not know he helped local children in that way. “He was very private,” she said. “There were a lot of sides to him.” Mr. Fisher was found the morning of March 9, lying on his sofa with the television and his computer on. In the days following his death, his closest acquaintances in Antibes could not locate his next of kin. An e-mail was sent out to his database seeking information about his past, which annoyed some of his friends who thought it inappropriate. “If he left his life behind, he did so for his own reasons,” White said. “He’d be mortified to know everyone is speculating about his past. It’s no one’s business. Taken at face value – one dimensional or not – he offered considerably more than most.” It is unlikely his agency can continue. Bloodworth was his only employee and Mr. Fisher handled all the crew placement work personally. “He had an amazing facility for remembering people and faces,” said Capt. John Campbell of the 35m S/Y Laymar II. “It is easy now with a good database, but back then computers were in their comparative infancy, and Adrian worked very successfully with his own mental database.” He likely will be remembered for his approach to crew placement. According to several captains and crew who consulted with him about their careers, Mr. Fisher was dedicated to finding the perfect match. “Adrian prided himself on choosing just one candidate to fill a position,” Campbell said. “Unlike a lot of crew agencies, he did not send a pile of CVs and leave the owner or skipper to sift through the candidates. “I can remember on several occasions that he would laughingly say that he was the least successful crew agency in the business,” he said. “An agency actually makes more money if they are less successful in placing their candidates – a steady turnover of crew ensures a steady income – but that was not Adrian’s way.” His way was more personal, more professional, more traditional. “He was a proper English gentleman and an old school yachtie,” Bloodworth said. “He was a lover of everything that had style and he was an absolute perfectionist in every aspect of his life, from his home to the bottle of wine to have with lunch.” She remembered fondly the

afternoon he announced he wanted to celebrate his company’s 10th anniversary. The actual anniversary was in November; this afternoon was decidedly before that. “He really wanted to go to this restaurant [Louis XV in the Hotel de Paris in Monaco] so he said let’s go celebrate,” she said with a laugh. “It was just the two of us. He used to take me to lunch all the time under false pretenses. He was famous for saying let’s go have a quick sandwich, and then

we’d be off to a three-star restaurant. “He was a lovely man to work for,” she said. “We had a lot of fun. I’ll miss him greatly.” A memorial service was held in Cannes on March 24, and he was laid to rest at Le Grand Vallon cemetery in Mougins. Perhaps his greatest legacy will simply be the way he treated people. “What we need to take away from this is to behave better toward each other,” White said. “Take a page from his book and be kind to people when

you have the opportunity. “We’ve lost too many people who were part of the solution, not part of the problem,” White said, referring to Rupert Deverteuil, Desmond Nicholson and now Adrian Fisher, all of whom passed away this winter. “All three of them were people who gave more than they took. And there aren’t many of them left.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

A14

April 2006 FROM THE FRONT

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Enactment, enforcement of laws two different things IMMIGRATION, from page A1 into the 7th district must file an ANOA? “That’s correct.� Several captains at The Triton’s second annual immigration and Coast Guard seminar on March 14 were puzzled and recounted conversations they have with Coast Guard officers on duty in the 7th district, primarily in South Florida, who tell them they don’t have to file. Just because officers in South Florida don’t issue fines

U.S. NOTICES OF ARRIVAL Who must file: All vessels – foreign and domestic – of 300 tons and greater must file an ANOA with the National Vessel Movement Center in West Virginia prior to entering any U.S. port. When entering the 7th USCG District, foreignflagged vessels less than 300 tons must file an ANOA either with the NVMC or directly with the local captain of the port. Vessels in these categories must file an ANOA for each U.S. port. When must they file: At least 96 hours before arrival from a foreign port, if the trip lasts more than 96 hours. If the trip lasts 24-96 hours, the yacht must file before departure. If the trip lasts fewer than 24 hours, the yacht must file at least 24 hours in advance. Any changes must be filed on a separate form at least 24 hours in advance or as soon as possible. Estimated changes to the time of arrival of less than 6 hours do not need to be reported. How must they file: Electronically to meet USCG and CBP rules. Phone, fax and e-mail filing meets USCG requirements but not CBP requirements. Download the form and guidelines at www.nvmc.uscg.gov

for not filing doesn’t mean captains don’t have to file, the panelists said. “Well, that’s confusing,� one captain said. What the law says and what the realities are in the trenches are two different things. The officers at the seminar were focused on educating crew on the law. The law says all foreign-flagged vessels, regardless of size, coming into the 7th District must file an ANOA. The fact that Sector Miami (which stretches from Malabar to the bottom of Miami) issue an advisory last summer that they will not be enforcing that law doesn’t mean that yachts don’t have to file. They do; there just aren’t any penalties if they don’t. Last summer, the USCG and CBP began working together to share the electronically filed ANOAs so captains would only have to file one. But there have been bugs in the system, most notably that the two branches of government have been using separate port codes for various ports of entry and the documents aren’t compatible. One captain recounted how he filed his ANOA online and got a confirmation, only to pull into port with the CBP officer unaware of his entry. According to the captain, that officer told him he didn’t care if the vessel filed somewhere else; CBP had no record of it. “I’m sorry you heard that from one of our officers,� said Bruce Boswell, the CBP’s chief at the Miami Seaport. “If you get that again, I want to hear about it. If you get any rude treatment, let us know.� All vessels that enter from a foreign port must get a clearance number from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and then report in person within 24 hours. For large yachts with upward of 20 passengers and crew, Chief Boswell said his officers can make arrangements to meet the vessel, if a request is made in advance. “We’ll try to meet you at the dock if you can give us a heads up,� he said. The Miami Seaport covers entry from Haulover Inlet to Black Point. He offered some tips on when to clear in: mornings on weekends are bad because of all the cruise ship traffic the

See IMMIGRATION, page A16

Homport matters Once again, the buzz after The Triton’s immigration session was the news that U.S. immigration law cares more about where a vessel spends most of her time than her flag registration. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been walking the docks around South Florida for the past few months in an educational outreach program to let boaters know about the changes to immigration offices since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. During their visits to public and private marinas, the officers have fielded questions from many foreign-flagged boats about the regulations. “This group’s mission was to spread that word that this is a new organization, to update our signage and to do some community relations,� said Chief Bruce Boswell, head of the CBP office in Miami and a panelist at the session. “By being out in the field, we find out where the lack of knowledge is, and this is one of them. Now we can address that.� As far as CPB is concerned, a yacht’s home port is not the name across the transom but where she spends the majority of her time. Log books and dockage receipts likely will reveal a yacht’s true “home� port. Though the CBP officers are walking the docks, they are not issuing fines or taking other action against yachts or their crews, Boswell said. It was unclear what action CPB will take, if any, in regards to yachts it deems home ported here but flagged elsewhere. The first step, Boswell said, is education. – Lucy Chabot Reed

ÂœÂˆÂ˜ĂŠĂ•ĂƒĂŠ ÂŤĂ€ÂˆÂ?ÊÓÇÊvÂœĂ€ĂŠ>ĂŠÂ“ÂœÂœÂ˜Â?iĂƒĂƒĂŠÂ˜Âˆ}Â…ĂŒĂŠÂœvĂŠĂ€iĂ›iĂ€ÂˆiĂŠ>ĂƒĂŠĂœiĂŠViÂ?iLĂ€>ĂŒiĂŠÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠLÂˆĂ€ĂŒÂ…`>ĂžĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ ĂŒĂ€Ă•iĂŠ >Ă€`ÂˆĂŠ Ă€>ĂƒĂŠĂƒĂŒĂžÂ?iĂŠ>LÂœ>Ă€`ĂŠ>ĂŠ-Â…>`ÂœĂœĂŠLÂœ>ĂŒĂŠ`ÂœVÂŽi`ĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ ĂŒ°ĂŠ >Ă•`iĂ€`>Â?i° UĂŠ ÂœÂ“ÂŤÂ?ˆ“iÂ˜ĂŒ>ÀÞÊVÂœVÂŽĂŒ>ˆÂ?ĂƒĂŠvĂ€ÂœÂ“ĂŠ ĂŠĂŠĂŠ ˜Â?iĂŒĂŠ ˆ˜iĂŠ7ˆ˜iĂŠEĂŠ-ÂŤÂˆĂ€ÂˆĂŒĂƒĂŠ UĂŠ >Â?Ă•Â˜Â‡ÂˆÂ˜ĂƒÂŤÂˆĂ€i`ĂŠvœœ`ĂŠ

UĂŠ >ĂƒÂˆÂ˜ÂœĂŠĂŒ>LÂ?iĂƒĂŠ UĂŠ Ă€i>ĂŒĂŠĂ€>vyiĂŠÂˆĂŒiÂ“ĂƒĂŠ

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FROM THE FRONT

April 2006

A15

Yacht symposium during cruise conference actually a good fit Superyachts, cruise ships: Things in common, things apart Mention many superyacht conferences and increasingly these days you’ll hear, “Oh it’s always the same people, in the same place, telling each other the same old things.” You couldn’t say that about the second annual International Superyacht Symposium held concurrently with Seatrade Analysis Cruise Shipping Rocky Bean Convention in Miami Beach last month. To begin with, it decidedly did not attract the same old yachting faces. Besides seafarers, amongst the more than 200 attending the first day were hotel people, ship managers, deep-sea captains, ship vendors, port authorities and four or five uniformed U.S. Coast Guard officers. So this year’s conference was the perfect place to explore so-called “real world” overlaps: parallels and synergy with commercial shipping, and some of the starkest contrasts. “Thing’s in common and things apart,” as Seatrade Magazine’s Christopher Hyman put it. Those things in common include ever bigger vessels, berthing shortages, manning shortages, regulations and training, terrorism and piracy. Those things not in common: under way time, standards of service, level of luxury. Perhaps more importantly, the

The first session was titled “The State of the Superyacht Industry” and featured, from left: Frank Brand, director of yacht management at Fraser Yachts Worldwide; Christopher Hayman, managing director of Seatrade; Steve Reoch, a broker with Ardell Yacht and Ship Brokers; and William Guthrie, a partner in the firm of Baker and Hostetler. PHOTO/ANDY NEWMAN symposium was an excellent test-bed for examining how something purely commercial, like Seatrade and its traditional stakeholders, perceive a world of unlimited budgets, sliding deadlines and almost sinful opulence. As Doug Sharp of the International Superyacht Society put it, “We sell dreams.” It may be a bit of a struggle, though, as the panellists couldn’t even agree on what a superyacht is or when one becomes a megayacht. What became brutally clear however was that the cozy cottage industry of yachting is growing up. And, like it or

not, the skills and bodies will come from the commercial side, if they ever can figure it out. Just ask Fincantieri and DML. But there’s more to it than even that. There’s gold in them-thar yachts, and not just on the toilet seats. There’s enough unabashed profit to be made (but probably not by the owner) to gladden the heart of the meanest spirited cruise company accountant.

Superyacht superlatives

Judging from the statistics rolled out, it’s not difficult to see why. Although the exact numbers didn’t

6 Ã ÌÊÜÜÜ°Ì i ÌÀ Ì °V Êv ÀÊ ÀiÊ`iÌ> ÃÊ>ÃÊÌ iÊ`>ÌiÊ`À>ÜÃÊ i>À]Ê ÀÊV> ÊÕÃÊ>ÌÊ x{ xÓx ääÓ °

always agree, “surge in demand” for superyachts is an understatement: l One contract every three days this year l 688 vessels under construction in 2005 l 22.5 kilometers of yachts on order l 3- to 5-year waiting times l 790 billionaires in the world with money to burn l Some owners even have three l Two helicopters, a submarine and a shadow yacht, just to carry the toys From the owner’s perspective, it’s hard to make much of an economic case for a superyacht. Rhys Thomas, principal of The Gables Associates Group, tried valiantly in the first presentation of the two-day conference to show yachts are not black holes and concluded they are, at best, gray attempts to defray costs. It was probably lost anyway when he said, “superyacht decisions are 99 percent emotional.” Cruise ships must make financial sense, but must dreams make financial sense? There was a time when, according to DVB’s Hugo Modderman, no one in his or her right mind would finance a yacht. Instead, they financed the owners and took a mortgage on their dreams just for good measure. Now DVB does. With the waiting time for new builds stretching into years, Modderman went so far as to say that a yacht actually increases in value from the time the contract is signed until she’s delivered

See SYMPOSIUM, page A17

A16

April 2006 FROM THE FRONT

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Capt. Allison Thompson of M/Y De Vrouwe Christina, and fellow crew member Scott Fratcher attended the seminar. PHOTO/ DAVID REED

Tip: Come through together when office is not so busy IMMIGRATION, from page A14

Put a world of experience to work for you ... the global leaders in crew placement & yacht management.

Camper & Nicholsons International/BSA The Quay, 1535 SE 17th St. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316

P: +1 954.760.5801 F: +1 954.467.8909 crew@ftl.cnyachts.com 12 Ave. de la Liberation 06600 Antibes, France

P: +33 (0)4.92.912.912 F: +33 (1)4.92.912.900 info@ant.cnyachts.com

The best-run yachts use CNI Management!

CBP officers have to deal with (“It’s like I-95 at rush hour.”); Afternoons during the week are better. There was a lot of discussion about the inconsistencies yacht crew face when clearing in. The appropriate visa for yacht crew is the B1/B2, which is a visitor for business/visitor for travel. U.S. lawmakers determined some time ago that tourists coming to the U.S. to travel could stay six months as a matter of course. The length of a visit under the B1 visa remains at the discretion of the officer, from one day to one year. “It all depends on the statements you make to the officer,” Boswell said. “Six months is the norm. It takes supervisory approval to get a year.” Several crew suggested that six months was not the norm in their experience and wondered how to get it. “There’s no way to dictate what you’ll get every time you submit these forms,” said Jack. “They are created this way purposefully to let people have discretion.” Crew on a private yacht must be able to demonstrate that they are getting paid from somewhere else and have a domicile somewhere else (not the boat) so it will be clear to the officer that they do not intend to stay. It was suggested that the officers are used to seeing cruise ship crew on C1/D visas, which permit entry for a maximum of 29 days. Sometimes, after clearing in 2,500 cruise ship crew on that visa, they may see a yacht crew visa, simply see “crewman” and stamp the passport for 29 days. “You are so terrorized and nervous in these situations that you just take what you get,” one crew member said. “If you don’t think that’s appropriate, ask the officer why and ask for a supervisor,” Boswell suggested. When applying for a BI visa, it’s critical that you specify you are on a private vessel. New hires at the state department are first given the job of issuing visas; mistakes happen. “If you recognize it’s wrong, address

it at that point.” There was some mention of abusing the B1 visa. For example, coming in and getting cleared in for six months (based on statements you made to the officer) then leaving after two weeks, or spending more time in the United States than abroad. “You can’t keep doing that over and over,” said Jack Garofano, assistant director of field operations for the CBP in Miami. “At that point, you need to look into getting an immigrant visa, a green card.” For crew traveling by airplane together, the panelists suggested they queue up together and all visit the same immigration officer. That way, each crew member will be treated similarly. “Isn’t there a manual somewhere that tells us what to do?” one crew member asked. “No, there isn’t a book,” Garofano said. “The best way to learn about this stuff is to come to events like this.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

MORE Q-n-A Q: The captain of a foreignflagged charter yacht wanted to know if he needed to file an ANOA when coming into Florida since the yacht won’t charter in U.S. waters and is therefore not commercial. A: The USCG’s commercial status of a yacht is irrelevant for CBP. All foreign-flagged yachts coming into the 7th District must file an ANOA. Q: One captain asked about the Non-tank Vessel Response Plans. A: The law goes into effect one year after the regulations are written. The Coast Guard has not yet written the regulations. Q: A captain asked about rumors that ANOA criteria might change from 300 to 100 tons or that it might switch to length versus tonnage. A: The panelists would not comment on the rumors and referred the audience to proposed notices in the Federal Register.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FROM THE FRONT

April 2006

A17

Yachting now more complicated, less frequent SYMPOSIUM, from page A15 – something like 10 or 15 percent.

So what do you do with one?

Well, one thing it appeared nobody really does much of with one’s superyacht is go to sea. Thomas pointed out that as a rule owners use them only one month in 12, which goes a long way toward explaining why there’s a shortage of berthing space and why Dockwise Yacht Transport is doing a gang-busters business carrying yachts over the oceans of the world. Peter Wild is a veteran deepsea commercial mariner turned marine consultant. In a truly ironic demonstration of the overlaps of commercial shipping, he used data from Dockwise to draw conclusions about the disposition of the sometimes super-secretive superyachts. “This is truly a global business and bigger than many people think,” he said. Capt. Curtis Stokes, a superyacht master who has swallowed the anchor to become a broker with The Sacks Group, knows how it is from his seemingly endless network of global contacts and spoke wistfully of a simpler day. “I’m glad I’m shore-based now,”

he said. “As yachts get bigger, they’re running into longstanding rules. My advice is hire an agent for each port and concentrate on keeping yachting fun.” Capt. Mark Howard is still at sea as master of the 180-foot Feadship M/Y Huntress. He echoed that “bigger means more regs” and, indeed, he almost groaned as he traced the regulatory history from STCW-95 to the MCA Large Yacht Code to ISM. “This is an enormous record-keeping exercise,” he said, drawing a line short of ISPS, acknowledging its efficacy for commercial vessels but questioning what it means for yachts when most U.S. marinas are not compliant.

What’s yachting got to do with it?

Somebody who is very clear indeed on the potential market for superyachts is that builder of some of the world’s biggest ships, Fincantieri. Enter Fincantieri Yachts. One in three superyachts is now built in Italy, according to statistics from the panellists. Not surprising, then, that Fincantieri would want a piece of the action. But as Seatrade’s Robert Jaques asked the first day, “With yachts getting larger, do the builders have to be more industrial?” With their alliance with veteran superyacht builder Azimut/Benetti

just over a year old and the ink hardly dry on their association with Florida’s oldest company, Merrill Stevens, Fincantieri seems poised to take on the world of superyachts. Leaving the less than 70-meter minnows to the proven Benetti, Vincenzo Romano, commercial director of Fincantieri Yachts, is under no illusions. Hinting of a contrast with so-called luxury cruise ships he commented, “High standard for cruise ships is not high standard in yachts.” Ron Baker, president of industry stalwart Merrill Stevens, provided the perfect segue to two clouds on the horizon for superyachts: people and dock space. His new Miami River facility promises bigger and better, but more importantly a training center. Almost audibly breathing a corporate sigh of relief at the injection of $40 million into his company by its new owners, he also demonstrated that some investors could see in the superyacht business a return from waterfront real estate other than by building condos. But with tower cranes standing where marine facilities once rested, where to berth any boat, let alone a superyacht, is becoming a burning issue. The recent sight of 414-foot

See SYMPOSIUM, page A18

/ i > Ê+Õ>ÀÌiÀÃ 0!#+).' 3()00).' -!), &/27!2$).' 3UBSTANTIAL %XPERIENCE WITH #APTAINS #REWS .EEDS n BOTH .ATIONAL )NTERNATIONAL #LOSE TO !,, &ORT ,AUDERDALE -ARINAS 0ICK UP 3ERVICE !VAILABLE -AIL "OX 2ENTALS s (OUR !CCESS )NDEPENDENTLY /WNED /PERATED

i Ì ÊÌ ÃÊ `ÊEÊ iÌÊ , Ê- ** Ê "8Ê Ü Ì Ê> ÞÊ- « i Ì°

/i \Ê­ x{®ÊxÎÇ Ç ä >Ý\Ê­ x{®ÊxÎÇ Óää£ VÀ ÃÃÊvÀ ÊÌ iÊ > iÀ >Ê > Óx{xÊ °Ê-Õ À ÃiÊ Û`° Ì°Ê >Õ`iÀ`> i]Ê ÊÎÎÎä{

A18 April 2006 FROM THE FRONT BMR-8516 The Triton LO7 9/19/05 1:20 PM Page 1

Mega Yachts. Premium fuel. High speed.

Fort Lauderdale, FL • On the Intracoastal Waterway between Day Marker 11 & 13 800-755-9558 • www.bahiamar.com

BMR-8516 The Triton LO6 • 4.92 X 8

The Triton

Megayachts growing faster than marinas can keep up SYMPOSIUM, from page A17

At Bahia Mar’s full-service marina, pumps are fast, prices are competitive and slip access is deep and easy. ValvTect® premium fuel and bulk rates available.

www.the-triton.com

Somebody has to drive

Octopus cooling her heels off Ft. “While yachting has a specific Lauderdale having been asked to leave [people] shortage, the same applies to Port Everglades for the day to make global shipping. We need a lot more room for ordinary cruise ships perhaps people to come into the industry,” said demonstrates it even more graphically. Andrew Dudzinski of MHG Marine It was suggested that some days Benefits speaking about meeting the owners regret having a big yacht when need for qualified crew. Echoing Capt. they have to put to sea to free up a Stokes he said, “Compliance is dead berth or find themselves in a container easy. The hard part is keeping yachting terminal because there’s no room at the fun. There’s no point in spending inn. $25 million on the hardware if you A somewhat distasteful possible skimp on the software.” source of relief of course would be Where are crews coming from? commercial ports, but they’re not Traditional places such as placement always yacht friendly. A port operator agencies and word of mouth, but in the audience asked what they more and more from the Internet and could do to make recycling existing ‘While yachting has themselves more crew. Increasingly attractive to luxury a specific [people] they come from yachts, conjuring up Eastern Europe and shortage, the same images of container the Far East. applies to global gantries festooned And to attract with lush vines and shipping. We need a lot them, they need gin and tonics served more people to come to be given good by union stevedores working conditions. into the industry.’ in coveralls and “Owners must — Andrew Dudzinski understand what black-soled safety Managing partner is reasonable,” shoes. But clearly AMHG Marine Benefits Dudzinski said, something must recommending be done. A problem for some, an advance notice of schedules and better opportunity for others. communication between owner and “The industry’s growth is crew. accelerating much faster than marina Encouraging professional development,” said Jeff Boyd of Island development and offering complete Global Yachting, which develops and transparent compensation and megayacht projects. The idyllic benefits packages are not just acts of company name belies the fact that IGY kindness, they are good business. A is an affiliate of Island Capital Group, well-trained crew saves money. a real estate investment banking firm “Eighty percent of accidents at sea who has seen the mother lode that is are human error,” he reminded. superyachts. This year’s Symposium fostered enthusiastic audience participation, especially the second day. A crew manager commented that they were seeing crew going back and forth between yachts and cruise ships, raising the question of what the industry is doing about it. A serving first officer, just in from a yacht, emphasised that there’s more to yachting than professional training. Referring to a special superyacht finesse and teamwork, she had a word of caution for those who might think the same skills apply on both sides. “As the first officer you may have to help wash the dishes.” At the end of the day the challenge for the industry is maintaining the dream. Above all, the industry must ensure that owners enjoy the experience. Keep the dream alive and they stay in yachting, they agreed. If not, there’s always another G5. Contact Bransom “Rocky” Bean at bbean@the-triton.com.

A20

April 2006 BUSINESS BRIEFS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Burger Boat Company expands, celebrates Burger the capacity to lift vessels as large as 200 feet (61m). The lift is designed to be upgradeable to a 600-ton lift and is custom built to move into construction bays. It has 16 tires of 80 inches in diameter and four-corner steering, all by remote control operation. Burger Boat Company also recently hosted a reception for captains in Monaco to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the opening of its office there. Information was shared on the six projects under way at the shipyard in Wisconsin, including the 43m trideck Sea Owl, the 47m tri-deck Time For Us, and the 44m fantail cruiser Sycara. They also discussed expansions at the yard, including a 43,000-squarefoot joiner facility and a new 40,000square-foot headquarter office. Burger Boat Company has installed a new 500-ton marine Travelift in time to launch the 144-foot (44m) Mirgab V this spring. The 2006 Marine Travelift Model 500 C Mobile Boat Hoist is the only one in North America, giving

Boathouse crew cleans up

The new management team of The Boathouse of Fort Lauderdale did their part in Broward County’s Waterway Cleanup in March. Nearly 3,000 volunteers removed close to 62 tons of

trash and debris from the waterways, beating last year’s haul by 12 tons.

The Boathouse crew are, from left, marketing manager Pamela Gaylord, asset manager Brian Smith, dockmaster Rob Esser (on the boat holding up the tire), property manager Jerry Hawes, assistant dockmaster Chris Thomas, and administrative assistant Maria Ramos.

New look for Bluewater catalog

In addition to its vast library of nautical titles, the 2006/2007 catalog for Bluewater Books & Charts will highlight the people who work there. Nestled in with product descriptions are short profiles of Bluewater’s staff, with photos and a summary of their

See BUSINESS BRIEFS, page A21

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Crocs turn big profit in 2005 BUSINESS BRIEFS, from page A20 boating experience. Staff like Jan Cosby, who has been at Bluewater for more than 13 years and who manages the Large Yacht and BICCS program. She and her husband, Don, have 33 years of experience in the Chesapeake Bay, Caribbean, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Great Circle, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. “The purpose of these profiles is to let the customers know that, for example, if they are traveling to the Mediterranean then they should talk to Jan,” said Chris Nelson, creative director at Bluewater. The new catalog includes more products, more passage planning information, and more emphasis on electronic navigation. For more information, call 1-800-942-2583 or visit www.bluewaterweb.com.

Crocs turn big profit

Crocs Inc., the Colorado-based company of those terribly comfortable clogs popular with yacht crew, announced that it turned a terrible profit for 2005. Net income was $16.7 million, compared to a loss of $1.6 million for 2004, according to a statement filed with Nasdaq. Revenues for the year were $108.6 million compared to $13.5 million in 2004. The company completed its initial public offering on Feb. 13, selling more than 11 million shares at $21 a share. The company and the selling shareholders received net proceeds of about $96.9 million and $126 million, respectively, from the offering. The company plans to use the proceeds to repay loans and for working capital. Crocs footwear incorporates a proprietary closed-cell resin material to produce a soft and lightweight, nonmarking, slip- and odor-resistant shoe. For more info, visit www.crocs.com.

“Having made the commitment to provide the ultimate in customer service in the marina industry, we decided to seek the top level experts in teaching personal success and leadership skills. We found that expertise in our own backyard in Peter Graziotto and Larry Garvis,” said Raymond Graziotto, co-owner of the marina brand. “The fact that Peter is a relative is a bonus. He’s not only an expert in the Dale Carnegie methods of attitudinal training, but has been intimately involved in our vision for the marina group since day one.”

Merle Wood sells boats

Sales for the first two months of 2006 have continued at the same record pace as 2005 for Merle Wood & Associates. Sales include the 192-foot October Rose, the 185-foot Oceanfast Sycara, the 145-foot Westship Boardwalk, the 105-foot Broward Passion, the 80-foot Leopard Xana, the 74-foot Hatteras Lady Michelle and the 74-foot Azimut Lady Z. New central agency listings include October Rose, the 127-foot Crescent Nice & Easy, the 118-foot Christensen Double G and the 88-foot Pershing TT Helios. For more information, contact Peter Croke at 954-525-5111.

New consultant to Taiwan

After two years working in Taiwan on the construction of the new 108-foot Hargrave M/Y Freedom, Capt. Steve Forest has started his own business, Pan Asian Yacht Service Taiwan R.O.C. The company offers surveys, consultation, management and planning for all Asian yacht projects. Pan Asia Yacht Service also will help owners schedule day trips into the culture and land of Taiwan.

Loggerhead takes Carnegie course

Seven Kings Holdings, a South Florida marina development and holdings company with nine marinas under the Loggerhead Club & Marina brand, is putting its employees through training and leadership skill sessions with Peter Graziotto and Larry Garvis, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training in Southeast Florida.

Ê ÕÃÌÊ Ê iÃÃ -«iV > Ê iÀ > Ê µÕ « i Ì Ê ii`ÊÌ Ê} ÊÌ Ê >ÌÞ>À`

SunPro Marine x{ ÈÈÎ Èn n È£ ÈÊ °7°Ê££Ì Ê-ÌÀiiÌ -Õ À Ãi]Ê À `>ÊÎÎΣÎ

April 2006

A21

A22

April 2006 PHOTO GALLERY

The 235-foot M/Y Utopia, the secondlargest Feadship ever built, visited Lyford Cay in March. Broker firm Edmiston said it recently sold the 2-yearold megayacht.

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Regatta rush hour Capt. Dale Smith Bridge openings into Simpson Bay Lagoon on St. Maarten are always interesting during regatta week, but the crew of M/Y Triumphant Lady and I found ourselves in the thick of it March 5. The days preceding the weekend had been pretty windy but, of course, when it came to the final race day, it dropped out completely. We were on our way back from St Barth’s and were shooting for the 11 a.m. inbound bridge opening, expecting the race fleet to be on the western side of the island and oblivious to the fact that the organizers had cancelled the race due to the lack of wind. Isle de Sol management told us to get as near the front of the queue as possible, since on Saturday there had been such bad road traffic congestion

PHOTOS/CAPT. JOHN WAMPLER

due to the extended openings that the bridge tender had lowered the bridge before all of the waiting yachts had passed through. Six inbound megayachts had been locked out. I can assure you that neither my crew nor the guys on M/Y Thirteen (who were directly behind us) made

First Mate Andre Bouse and deckhand Oliver Ayerra launch the 17foot Zodiac from M/Y Janet in Sunrise Harbor in anticipation of guests.

More than 130 yachting industry folks gathered in Ft. Lauderdale on March 17 to launch the U.S. office of the Blue Water Alliance, Yachting Unlimited. Capt. George Llop (right, speaking) will manage the office, supported by the principals from Italy and Greece. Above, Franceso Luise of the yacht agent company that bears his name, Capt. Giovanni Picinich and John Mann of Bluewater Books and Charts networked at the Jospehine S. Leiser Opera Center. For more photos, visit www.the-triton.com. PHOTOS/OLIVER REGUEIRO

PHOTO/LUCY REED

Inspired style. Exceptional protection. MEGAFEND mooring accessories are an outstanding union of style, function and unequaled quality in fender hooks, removable chafe gear and solid-core fenders. MEGAFEND Series 500 fender hooks and the all-new patent pending Fairlead design have set new industry benchmarks. The leathers are superior, the designs innovative, the hardware choices wide— and they meet or exceed the rigorous & enduring demands of your megayacht mooring protection needs. Megafend is an unparalleled custom service for those who appreciate the finest. Nobody does it better.

New blue leather color

New green leather color

Removable fluffy chafe gear

Removable ballistic nylon chafe gear

Our personalized service will help you with any of your custom mooring accessory needs!

Solid-core fenders

s

The Triton

PHOTO GALLERY

www.the-triton.com

April 2006

A23

The crew of 120-foot M/Y Kakela wrapped up their season in Costa Rica in March after much playing. From their base at Los Suenos Resort and Marina on the Pacific side, they did the canopy tours, whitewater rafting, hiked the volcano and national park, caught marlin and sailfish and in general had a splendid time. They’re heading up through Panama and back to Ft. Lauderdale this spring. Kakela crew, from left: Engineer Ken Cicchelli, Stewardess Angela Wright, Capt. Michael Murphy, Chef Sandi Harmon and Mate Adam Wass. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. MICHAEL MURPHY

PHOTO/RHONDA STEINER, M/Y TRIUMPHANT LADY

Triton spotter Jan “David’s Mom” Reed relaxes with her Triton on the deck of The River Kwai Jungle Raft, an 83-room hotel in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, about 190 km west of Bangkok and only accessible by boat. Rafts are tethered to shore in about 3 knots of current 40km upstream from the bridge of movie and World War II fame. Bring a flashlight to read your Triton; there’s no electricity. PHOTO/STEPHEN REED

any new friends during the 30 minutes-or-so of push-and-shove that ensued when the bridge opened. Lots and lots of very close quarters jostling for position, with yachts squeezing in everywhere. We made it, and at the end of the exercise, all was well.

Where have you and your Triton been? Send photos to lucy@the-triton.com. If we print yours, you get a T-shirt.

New Exclusive threadless patent pending Fairleads in quality 316 stainless steel

512

508

Rear mounted line holder

Fairleads can also be specified on many other Megafend fender hook designs.

509

503

504

Series 500 CUSTOM FENDER HOOKS

506

Corporate offices– Fort Lauderdale, FL USA 954.759.9929 www.megafend.com

507

510

CUSTOM FENDER HOOKS

|

REMOVABLE CHAFE GEAR

|

SOLID-CORE FENDERS

A24

April 2006

DUBAI SHOW

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

14th Dubai show strong, sandy The 14th Dubai International Boat Show took place March 14-18 and sources tell us it was the biggest and best yet. Despite the sand storm the final two days, the climate reminded broker David Nichols of International Yacht Collection of Ft. Lauderdale. “It’s at 25 degrees 10 north, same as here,” he said. “The inhabitants are from all over the world, expats, not just Arabs.” The show welcomed His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai World Trade Center, with his entourage. With more than 500 exhibitors listed and an expected crowd of about 25,000, the show is still a few years away from challenging some other global shows (Ft. Lauderdale’s show sees 100,000 visitors, for example.) But it’s not far. Most of the big names in yachting were there: Feadship, Amels, Abeking & Rasmussen, Lurssen, Benetti, CRN, Rodriguez, Trinity, Camper & Nicholsons, Edmiston, Fraser. Mark Melanger and Scott from Headhunter were there and were rumored to have taken a trip to the ski slope at The Mall of the Emirates. Michael Perkins, right, from Quantum also exhibited at the show. And lest we forget that M/Y Platinum is nearby, only now she’s named M/Y Dubai. At somehwere around 525 feet, she’s the largest megayacht afloat. She’s expected to start cruising in early April. – Lucy Chabot Reed PHOTOS/DAVID NICHOLS

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

April 2006

Harbor Shops is Now Open! “Say hello to some old friends and some new neighbors” ps is Now Open! ends and some new neighbors” Publix

Nature·s Remedy

Bluewater Books & Charts

Barnie·s Coffee & Tea

Boater·s World

Cellular Masters & Beepers

Charlie·s Locker

Harbor Breeze Drycleaners

Nature·s Remedy Harbor Shop ad.qxp 9/14/2005 Global Satellite1:43 PM Page 1 Barnie·s Coffee & Tea Curves Cellular Masters & Beepers Carvel Harbor Breeze Drycleaners Hallmark Essentials Boutique EB Games Seabreeeze Imports La Kasbah Nature·s Remedy Camille·s Sidewalk Café Happy Tails Barnie·s Coffee & Tea Cove Jewelry Harbor Cellular Masters & Beepers ERA Oceanside Davie Road Chicken SE 17th St. Natural BreezeGrill Drycleaners Harbor Harlequin Decor EMBASSY Essentials Boutique SUITES Superstore Sprint Great Clips Seabreeeze Imports Harbor Shops Stuff SR 84 Beauty 1900 Cordova Rd. (954) 763-4144 Nail Port Camille·s Sidewalk Café Tropical Smoothie Café

Essentials Boutique

ops is Now Open! NOW OPEN friends and some new neighbors” Cordova Rd.

US 1

I 95

at Harbor Shops

How to Find Us...

SE 17th St.

s

Cordova Rd.

arbor Shops

Harbor Cove Jewelry

Angelo·s Pizza & Pasta Visit our bigger, better-stocked Chicken Grill Natural American Home Mortgage Sprint Superstore yachting Superstore today!

From US 1, go east on 17th St. turn south on Cordova Road, after Embassy Suites SE 17th St.

How to Find Us...

Stuff Beauty Yacht Products Xtreme

From US 1, go east on 17th St. turn south on Cordova Road, after Embassy Suites

Tropical Smoothie Café Angelo·s Pizza & Pasta American Home Mortgage Xtreme Yacht Products

“BICCS helps us save time and meet compliance regulations - it’s a better way to handle chart correcting” Brett Fillis, Captain M/Y Mia Elise

BICCS

BICCS makes chart correcting a breeze

BICCS is a comprehensive program designed to handle chart and publication updating even while at sea. Software designed specifically for your vessel automatically transmits the corrections necessary for your intended voyage (Solas Chapter V). It also provides digital NTMs allowing full compliance to be achieved without the hassle of paper. Bluewater Inventory & Chart Compliance Service

Expect to spend far less time correcting your British Admiralty charts and maintaning your publications. Even store off-season charts with Bluewater for maintenance and correcting. BICCS makes chart correcting a breeze. Stop by our new Fort Lauderdale location for a free demonstration of BICCS and see what we can do for you! Or call Jan or John at 866-609-8951 or 954-880-9800, or email largeyacht@bluewaterweb.com for more information.

www.BluewaterWeb.com 1811 Cordova Road ◊ Fort Lauderdale ◊ Florida ◊ 33316

Seabreeeze Imports Camille·s Sidewalk Café Harbor Cove Jewelry Natural Chicken Grill Sprint Superstore Beauty Stuff

How to Find Us...

From US 1, go east on 17th St. turn south on Cordova Road, after Embassy Suites

Tropical Smoothie Café Angelo·s Pizza & Pasta American Home Mortgage Xtreme Yacht Products

A25

A26

April 2006 FROM THE BRIDGE

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Asking for CPB supervisor still an intimidating proposition • Group and Individual annual coverage as well as Short Term Medical Coverage. • Worldwide protection 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. • Coverage while serving onboard and while signed off. • Utilized by Captains, Crew, Luxury Yacht Owners, Management Companies and Marine Insurance Providers. • Contact us to find an Agent in your part of the world. • Agent / Broker inquiries welcome.

Contact Specialty Risk International, Inc. George Buskirk Director of Marine Division gbuskirk@specialtyrisk.com 317-575-2652 ext. 3377 www.specialtyrisk.com

THE BRIDGE, from page A1

crew carry the print out. “These guys [on the panel] are right and their from the U.S. Customs and Border approach is correct, but their guys Protection Web site that notes crew working the field don’t do it that way.” on private yachts need a B1 visa. (A “About 50 percent of the crew I see similar one from the U.S. Embassy in have a C1/D visa, which is for cruise Spain can be found at ship and freight crew.” www.embusa.es/cons/ The captains did ADVICE nonimmigvisac1d. find value in the FROM CAPTAINS html.) That, suggestion to come in accompanied by a during the afternoon of l Put crew through the letter from the boat a normal working day. immigration line together outlining that crew “You never know so they get the same officer. member’s duty and the what you’re going Chances are good they will yacht’s itinerary, always get the same results. to get when you works in getting crew come in on a Sunday l Have the same story the needed entry. evening, the guy knows about the intended length Still, challenging the nothing,” one captain of the stay and itinerary for CBP officers was not said. “Come in on a the boat. something they were Tuesday afternoon and l Print the criteria all enthusiastic about. it’s totally different. page from the web site “You’re The guys doing the that shows private yacht undermining these silly shifts aren’t the crew need a B1 visa. guys,” one captain sharpest guys.” www.embusa.es/cons/ said about asking for “It all boils down to nonimmigvisac1d.html a supervisor. “As soon the individual officer,” as you question them, said another. “Even they’re not just going to say, ‘you’re though they have rules, it’s up to them. right, come on in.’” Their job is to see the red flags.” “But often they don’t know the rules,” said the captain who has his See THE BRIDGE, page A27

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FROM THE BRIDGE

Attendees of The Triton’s April Bridge luncheon were, from left, Trevor Weavor (looking), Shane Wray of M/Y Milagro, Alison Rese formerly of M/Y Sharon Ann, Yves and Marta Verhoustraete of a 90-foot yacht, Stephen Pepe of a 95-foot yacht, and Jake Rese (looking). One other captain attended who did not wish to be photographed. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Captains: ‘Going foreign’ part of the cost of running boat in U.S. THE BRIDGE, from page A26 “So he told us to know the rules better and don’t be intimidated to ask for a supervisor,” a captain said. “It all comes down to how long you say the boat is going to be here. Until they start educating their officers, there’s really no way to make sure you get six months every time.” What about a visa extension? Does that process work? “I would never put someone through the extension process,” one captain said. “It’s less expensive and less hassle to go foreign. I’ve never had a problem. I give the crew the paperwork from their web site and a letter from me. “Ultimately, the cost of replacing crew is pretty substantial,” this captain said. “It’s better to put them on a flight, spend a night in a hotel and come back.” “The industry standard is to pay that flight,” another captain said. “Owners don’t always know that, but this is part of the cost of running the boat here.” A few captains discussed how to make some changes in U.S. immigration policy as it pertained to the yacht crew. A march on Washington

was suggested but not embraced, as was the idea of encouraging politically connected owners to step in. “We as an industry, no one represents us,” one captain said. “People involved in yachting deserve better,” another said. “If you come in on a B1 for yachting, you should get six months, no question.” “But it’s hard to say we’ll be here six months,” a third said. “Things are always changing.” “And none of this ‘that’s too much time’ because it’s not our call,” one said. “The owners determine where and when we travel, and for how long.” The conversation quickly spiraled into a litany of questions that no one had the answers to. “Why can’t we get what the cruising permit is?” “What’s the problem with crew staying here? Look around at all the money these yachts spend.” “It still boils down to: It’s the officer’s discretion,” one captain summarized. “They see the standard crewman visa as the C1/D, and that’s 29 days.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Each month, The Triton invites yacht captains to lunch to discuss industry issues and trends. If you are a hired yacht captain and find yourself in Ft. Lauderdale on April 5 or Genoa, Italy, on May 4, e-mail Triton Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com for an invitation. Come be part of the conversation and meet your peers. Space is limited to eight.

April 2006

A27

A28

April 2006 BROKER LUNCH

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Brokers have a turn Over the past two years of hosting monthly captains meetings, we’ve learned a few things about how brokers and captains work together, and how they don’t. So this month, we asked a few brokers how they see the relationship. While we intended this to be similar to our captains’ roundtable story – and permit everyone to remain anonymous so as to encourage frank and open discussion –the brokers in attendance didn’t mind if we printed their names. We invited about a dozen South Florida brokers to this lunch but, like captains, many were too busy to get away. We’ll get them next time.

Brokers: Professional captains, crew are vital to closing a deal By Lucy Chabot Reed

* i>ÃiÊ«>ÃÃÊ/ iÊ/À Ì °

> Ê x{°xÓx°ääÓ Êv ÀÊÞ ÕÀÊÃÕLÃVÀ «Ì ÊÌ `>Þ°

ÜÜÜ°Ì i ÌÀ Ì °V

interaction with the client. “It’s also an opportunity,” Kropf said. Despite the flack some megayacht “We’re concerned about them. Both captains give brokers, brokers our companies have the ability to help acknowledge that they couldn’t do their them find another job.” jobs without the crew. Ardell, for example, has a policy that “Captains are an important part if any captain comes in, he or she can of our job,” said Steve Reoch, a broker meet every broker in the office. with Ardell in Ft. Lauderdale. “They “Our policy is to treat them like a can make or break a deal.” customer,” Reoch said. “There needs to How they do that is by being be more interaction and understanding professional, or not. between brokers and crew. There’s a lot “We’re not just selling steel or of good rapport, but there can be more fiberglass, we’re selling the lifestyle,” than what we have.” said John Kropf, a broker with Camper For the most part, captains have two & Nicholson. “Crew is a part of that, a main complaints about brokers. First, big part of that.” brokers have a habit of bringing clients “In charter, you can have a junk to the boat with 20 minutes notice. But boat, but if you have when a client is in a great crew, you’ll town for just a few ‘There needs to be have a great charter,” hours on their way Reoch said. “But you more interaction and somewhere else, they understanding between often don’t have a can’t have a great boat and a junk crew brokers and crew. ’ choice. and have a great “It’s not good for — Steve Reoch charter. The crew is us either,” Reoch Broker an integral part of said. “The smallest Ardell Yacht & Ship Brokers things can turn them the equation.” Inevitably, that off, a smell, a messy fateful (and glorious) day comes when crew quarters.” an owner wants to sell the boat. It “I definitely tell the client that this could be that there is another one being was the crew’s day off, they just got off built or purchased, or it could be that charter or whatever,” Kropf said. the owner is getting out. “I think the captains think we do Whatever the reason, the captain this for fun,” Reoch said. “But just and crew are faced with a good chance because the guy’s in shorts doesn’t of not having a job when the boat sells, mean he didn’t just sell his company for yet they are expected to put on a happy $120 million.” face and “sell her.” (Yes, there may be The other big complaint from bonuses involved, but there’s still the captains is that brokers will often tell a possibility that the job ends.) prospective buyer that they can operate Still, Reoch and Kropf said they and the boat with fewer crew and at a most brokers expect captains to act smaller budget than is practical, just to professionally. make the deal. “You gotta feel for a captain when “That’s a fair comment,” Reoch said. you come on with a client and he parks “It happens from time to time.” his Maserati on the dock and brings his “We owe it to the captain and owner captain along,” Reoch said. to find out what that real number is,” Whether an owner comes with his Kropf said. “We can get it. The problem captain or the broker knows a captain is that most brokers are lazy. On a preis in the picture, they understood owned yacht, there’s a track record. that it’s also important for a broker Ask the captain. And find out from the to respect the current captain’s See BROKERS, page A29

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

BROKER LUNCH

Attendees of The Triton’s first broker lunch were, from left, John Kropf of Camper & Nicholsons and Steve Reoch of Ardell Yacht and Ship Brokers. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Behind-the-scenes hustle can get thwarted with bad attitude BROKERS, from page A28 owner what level of service they want.” “Another easy way it so count the crew beds,” Reoch said. So aside from annoying crew with last-minute visits and short-changing the annual operating budget, what is it that brokers do? According to Reoch and Kropf, they begin by sorting through the less-thanqualified “buyers” who call. While the Internet has helped brokerage houses with listings and leads, it has opened the door to more “flakes,” as Reoch called them. Once a serious buyer has been identified, they’ll do an initial assessment. “They don’t know what they want, but they know what they don’t want,” Kropf said. When asked if they have assistants to do some of the research and preliminary assessment work, he said, “The client trusts our ability to translate what they want into a boat. No one can do that but us.” Most of what they do is follow-up. “You’ve got to have a primary tier of clients,” Reoch said. “I have several tiers of prospects. They all have to be paid attention to, with phone calls, e-mails, coffee, meals, meetings on boats, whatever. Deals will take, at a minimum, months.” One of his clients bought a boat in

1985 and says he wants another one. Reoch calls him every month, and has for 20 years, but he’s never bought one. “There is just so much that goes on behind the scenes to get them to this point” of seeing a boat, Kropf said. “Maybe that’s why they trust us.” “Ask any broker’s significant other and they’ll tell you it’s a 24/7 job,” Reoch said. “I don’t turn my phone off; that’s going to be the time the $10 million deal goes to someone else. “When there’s a contract on the table, that’s all I do,” he said. “All I want to do is get to the finish line. There’s a mountain of paperwork with attorneys and surveyors, the list goes on. Any one of them can screw up the deal.” “The last thing we need is a captain with a bad attitude,” Kropf said. “We have to be professional throughout. We go through all this without the assurance that we’ll get paid. We’re not here to stab a captain in the back. We’re here to help them. If we displace someone on a boat, they are a priority to get another job, as long as they’re doing the job.” “Both captains and brokers have to understand we’re in this for the enjoyment of owners,” Reoch said. “If they stop enjoying their boats, we all lose.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

April 2006

A29

GettingUnderWay T E C H N I C A L N E W S F O R C A P TA I N S & C R E W S

Pages A32-37

www.the-triton.com

April 2006

Hazards associated with Shipboard Sewage Systems

GettingUnderWay

Shipboard sewage tanks, also known as chemical holding tanks or grey and black water tanks, can create various hazards when working on the pipes and tanks. These systems can generate high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide as well as methane and hydrogen gas. Sewage systems also contain biohazards that require certain precautions when working around Safety Matters these spaces. OSHA (29CFR1915, Blair Duff, CMC Subpart B) defines a hazardous substance as any substance that by reason of being explosive, flammable, poisonous, corrosive, oxidizing, irritant or otherwise harmful is likely to cause injury. NFPA 306 Standard for Control of Gas Hazards on Vessels defines toxic as any material whose properties contain the inherent capacity to produce injury to a biological system, which is dependent on concentration, rate, method and site of absorption.These definitions should be applied to these biological hazards as well the hazards associated with hydrogen sulfide. Typical biohazards associated with sewage tanks include the following: viruses, bacteria, protozoa (e.g. cryptosporidian) and worms (e.g. tape, hook and round). OSHA and ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) have not set established Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) or Threshold Limit Values (TLV) for infectious agents. Determining bacteriological organism concentration can take days and requires sending samples to a laboratory. Technology doesn’t allow for an immediate assessment of the environment. Testing for E. coliforms bacteria is often used to determine whether a holding tank is contaminated. Because there isn’t any established industry level, one should use other means to minimize the exposure risks. Before working on sewage systems, flush pipes and tanks several times with water. Use disinfectant in the system while flushing, if the system allows. Check to make sure valves are secured, insert blanks when possible and make sure the system is not under pressure. If entry is required into the tank, depending on the size of the holding tank, use ventilation, proper PPE to minimize contact with your skin, and test the See SAFETY, page A33

T E C H N I C A L N E W S F O R C A P TA I N S & C R E W S

Designed by Jenifer Briley & Associates from Coconut Grove, Fla., the project’s waterside view incorporates RENDERING COURTESY OF RON MASTRIANA the city’s marine ambiance.

Ft. Lauderdale’s refit

Intracoastal to get $100 million marina/hotel By Lucy Chabot Reed

Millions of dollars have been committed to two hotels on Ft. Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway that likely will change the face of the Intracoastal Waterway there. Work began in March on a $100 million project to transform the old Best Western property at the southeast foot of the 17th Street Causeway bridge into a new megayacht marina and luxury fivestar hotel. Temporary improvements were made to the bulkhead to enable secure dockage at the site while plans proceed to raze the old hotel and clear the property for The Sails, a 12story hotel, dry stack storage and a marina. The property is owned by Tom Gonzalez, owner of Shadow Marine, and is being developed by Ft. Lauderdale real estate attorney Ron Mastriana. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. “We’re raising the property to

the highest esteem to make it a leading hotel not only in the yachting community but in the world,” Mastriana said. Minor remodeling of the existing docks began in mid-March, with major work on to replace the entire dock and bulkhead expected to have begun in late March. Eventually, the marina will include 2,000 linear feet of dockage. When finished, the docks will be doubled in size to 10 feet wide with 480, three-phase power, WiFi and broadband, water, pump-out stations, “you name it,” Mastriana said. The one thing the marina will not have is a fuel dock. “It’s just too easy to get fuel by barge,” he said. The dock renewal should take six to eight months, Mastriana said, provided all permits are approved. Dockmaster Tim Nipple remains with the property. In other Ft. Lauderdale marina news, LXR Resorts announced its $50 million plan to renovate the

old Marina Marriott hotel on the northwest foot of the 17th Street Causeway bridge. The new property will be called Fort Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club. The property will include a new interior by designer Robert Barry and a signature restaurant. The hotel has 579 rooms, 33 slips for yachts up to 300 feet, and 20,000 square feet of meeting space. It is the 24th property in LXR’s growing collection of luxury resorts and hotels. “We intend to expedite enhancements, starting with repairs needed from last year’s hurricane damage,” said John Carns, hotel manager. Before joining the project, Carns was interim general manager at Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, and director of operations at The Ritz Carlton Resort in Naples. LXR Resorts also owns Bahia Mar Beach Resort & Yachting Center, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa, Boca Raton Resort & Club, and Naples Grande Resort & Club (formerly The Registry).

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FROM THE TECH FRONT

Air-supplied respirators required SAFETY, from page A32 atmosphere for oxygen, hydrogen sulfide and any potential explosive vapors (LEL) prior to entering the confined space. Use disposable gloves and Tyvek suits if available. Always practice good hygiene when doing any work on the sewage system, including washing your hands frequently. Last year, two incidents involving fatal exposures to hydrogen sulfide while working on sewage pipes occurred. In September, three people died and 20 were hospitalized aboard the Royal Caribbean M/V Monarch of the Seas. The sewage line ran through a water tank. Sewage leaked into the water tank and over time generated extremely high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. The workers died instantly when they opened the pipe. In December aboard a US Navy MSC vessel in Charleston, S.C., one shipyard worker died when a sewage line was cut while he and another worker were in the CHT room. The second worker was hospitalized. A marine chemist was not called to inspect the space, which is a violation of NAVSEA procedures, and the contractor did not have a competent person to retest spaces. Hydrogen sulfide has a “rotten egg” smell at low concentration levels. It is

a by-product of organic decay, such as the decomposition of plants or animals and their waste products. The risk of exposure to lethal concentrations of hydrogen sulfide exists anytime work is performed on sewage systems. The TLV-TWA is 10 ppm (8 hour/ day exposure level), the short-term exposure limit (STEL) is 15 ppm, the ceiling is 20 ppm and the “Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health” limit is 100 ppm. ACGIH 2005 has a Notice to Intended Changes to lower the TLV to 1 ppm and the STEL to 5 ppm. Hydrogen Sulfide is also flammable in higher concentrations. The 1 percent LEL (Lower Explosive Limit) is 400 ppm. Half-faced respirators do not provide protection to hydrogen sulfide. exposure. Only air-supplied respirators provide the necessary protection; they should be used for emergency entry. If hot work is required, a marine chemist should be called to issue a certificate that it is safe for workers and for the hot work. Blair Duff is a marine chemist with Marine Chemists & Testing in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at 305-4697594 or marinechemist@mac.com. Contact other U.S. marine chemists at www.marinechemist.org. For more information, visit www.osha.gov, www. nfpa.org or www.marinechemist.org.

Today’s fuel prices

One year ago

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of March 15.

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of March 15, 2005.

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 569/608 Savannah, Ga. 543/NA Newport, R.I. 583/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 715/NA St. Maarten 660/NA Antigua 671/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) NA/NA Bermuda (St. George’s) 712/NA Cape Verde 545/NA Azores 533/NA Canary Islands 525/648 Mediterranean Gibraltar 518/NA Barcelona, Spain 563/1,120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,069 Antibes, France 571/1,309 San Remo, Italy 666/1,270 Naples, Italy 656/1,281 Venice, Italy 645/1,258 Corfu, Greece 665/1,194 Piraeus, Greece 626/1,113 Istanbul, Turkey 543/NA Malta 509/NA Tunis, Tunisia 520/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 589/NA Sydney, Australia 597/NA Fiji 567/NA

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 469/501 Savannah, Ga. 477/NA Newport, R.I. 527/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 514/NA Trinidad 503/NA Antigua 550/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 554/NA Bermuda (St. George’s) 596/NA Cape Verde 473/NA Azores 495/NA Canary Islands 468/598 Mediterranean Gibraltar 479/NA Barcelona, Spain 557/1,152 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,128 Antibes, France 521/1,315 San Remo, Italy 695/1,279 Naples, Italy 689/1,285 Venice, Italy 684/1,292 Corfu, Greece 579/1,053 Piraeus, Greece 552/1,041 Istanbul, Turkey 485/NA Malta 472/NA Tunis, Tunisia 464/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 496/NA Sydney, Australia 480/NA Fiji 515/NA

*When available according to customs.

*When available according to customs.

April 2006

A33

A34

April 2006 SHIPYARD REVIEW

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

From a dream to world class; a shipyard with style Dreamers exist everywhere. Life seems full of babblers who bombard us with what they are going to do, and they never seem to get around to doing it. Over several years and three visits, I have had the pleasure of watching a visionary’s dream Captain’s Call turn from drawings on a napkin (while David Hare having lunch in the

back of a pick-up) to a high-class yacht facility. After 17 years, Jim Bento’s doodling on a napkin has resulted in a megayacht marine facility that is both rather desperately needed and user friendly for captains and crews. While heading to Ft. Lauderdale for the 2005 boat show, we decided to avoid the hurricanes that were zeroing in on South Florida and hauled M/V Thunder, a Delta Expedition-style yacht, at Ocean Marine in Portsmouth, Va., for a stabilizer upgrade, bottom painting and topside painting where

needed. Ocean Marine is a deep-water facility with 1,500 feet of alongside dockage across the ICW from Norfolk and within sight of numerous U.S. Navy complexes. This ultra modern haul-out yard uses a Syncrolift via a ground-level rail transfer system to haul vessels up to 230 feet and 1,250 tons. The feeling of total security using this slow moving vertical lift instead of a travel lift with slings is similar to being cuddled in a mother’s arms. With only one day warning of our arrival, Jim rearranged the yard’s schedule and made a space available inside his awesome twin-bay indoor paint booth. This amazing building has a water system that washes down the inside walls before painting to remove any possible dust. The building is heated through the floor for uniform heat throughout the structure. Even on the coldest of winter days, it is always a balmy 70 degrees in this enormous paint booth. A few years ago when I first visited Ocean Marine for a tour of M/Y Enterprise V, I vividly recall how small – at 190-foot – she seemed inside this paint booth. With attention to detail, Jim has installed water tanks for cooling towers so a yacht’s air conditioning units can run while inside the building. More than 1,000 amps of power are available for continual ship’s operations with both 60 and 50 hertz available. Large freezers are available for crew to store frozen foods if necessary while completing engineering projects that may take a freezer off-line. The yard never uses scaffolding as hydraulic lift platforms get the job done far more efficiently. Jim’s attention to detail verges on the neurotic as the forklifts in the dry storage building have white tires so as to not leave any black marks on the floor of the facility. Greg Cox was assigned to Thunder as project manager. His years in the industry show with his even-keeled temperament. With dozens of problems to be resolved at any one moment in his hectic day, Greg always seemed to be able to handle one more query with aplomb and patience. Ocean Marine prides itself on five-star customer service. When this world-class shipyard was recently confronted with a unique bottompaint removal project, Greg called in SodaBlast Systems to assist with solving the problem. Rob May, owner of Tidewater Sodablasting, used a highpressure, air-driven, non-destructive method of cleaning and stripping years of built-up paint. This method works on steel, fiberglass, aluminum, wood and composites. Ocean Marine pumps all environmental unfriendly debris into tanks for recycling. Its system

Most painters use scaffolding, which makes it hard to get long, straight paint streaks; the hydraulic lift at Ocean Marine solves that problem. PHOTO/DAVID REED

meets all of the latest environmental rules. Always conscious of using environmental friendly products as well as the time constraints on captain’s needs with rapid turn-around in haulout situations makes Ocean Marine a pleasure to work with. In addition to the paint department, Ocean Marine has a staff of outstanding marine engineers, the welding guys are top notch, the carpentry shop can compete with European standards, and the electrical guy is totally conversant with the latest digital needs of a superyacht’s bridge. All in all, a well-honed team of experts. The yard recently finished work on M/Y Fortunate Sun, a 177-foot Oceanfast. When it was finished, the owner was so impressed he signed up his other yacht – the 150-foot Tacoma ZaZa – for regular maintenance, repair and a paint job. As for location, downtown Portsmouth is a 10-minute walk from Ocean Marine. We found inexpensive, completely renovated hotel rooms for the crew at reasonable rates. A gym and many restaurants abound in the area. If you are tired of having your yacht painted in less than eco-friendly surroundings and being wrapped in plastic that is forever tearing and letting in dust, take a solid look at having your next haul-out done at Ocean Marine. These guys shine. For more information about Ocean Marine, visit www.oceanmarinellc. com. Capt. David Hare is a regular contributor to The Triton. His last story was about flying. Contact him through david@hare.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

COURSE REVIEW

Engine maintenance class a good way to spend a day By Capt. Tom Serio Ok, let’s have a quick lesson in German. Repeat after me, “Maschinenfabrick Augsburg Nueremberg.” Too difficult to pronounce? Here’s the abbreviated version: MAN, as in the engine manufacturer, the place where Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel engine back in the 1890s, the guys who created the first direct injection fast diesel engine. What’s so special about MAN? Many yachts use their power-plants for propulsion, one of Serio the favorites among engineers. They are prevalent among motor vehicles in Europe, and they also have a significant support network in the United States. One of them – MAN Engines & Components of Pompano Beach, Fla., www.man-mec.com) – recently offered a maintenance course at its facility, which I attended. Granted, full-fledged engineers probably know all the ins-and-outs of these engines, but for us captains who want to know a little more, tend to do our own maintenance, or are running private yachts as a one-man crew, a one-day class like this has a lot to offer. For a small fee, you attend the class at Man-Mec’s headquarters in Pompano. Greeted by Michele McDermott, the company’s public relations and events manager, you get smiles while you’re checked in and instructions for the day. When you enter the work facility, it’s like being a kid in a candy store. Spanking new engines sit lined up like soldiers, wrapped and ready to be opened and fitted out for their intended application. Shipped from Germany, these blocks are painted in a sand color primer to be finished in white before they leave this facility. Vincent Dallmier, the unassuming parts manager, can probably tell you anything you want to know about any of these engines, as he is noted as a walking encyclopedia regarding MANs. For classroom lessons, our unpretentious instructor looks like a student. But when he starts, it’s apparent Robert Scott knows his business: the little tricks on not just the mechanical injected engines but the new common rail blocks also. He expounds the common rail engines like a proud father, offering all the benefits of this technology and what it means to us captains. After the class work, we headed to the shop floor to run a common rail engine sitting on

the test bench. All hooked up, this baby started immediately, with no smoke, and was very quiet comparatively. My goal was to learn about maintenance on the MAN V-10, 1,050 hp engines I run in a 61-foot Sunseeker. What I walked away with was the know-how of changing oil and fuel filters, how to properly check oil and coolant levels and pressurize the coolant system if needed, what not to touch (just as important as what to touch), and other understandings to make me a little more valuable to the yacht and owner. I walked away with several documents (the common rail documentation was pretty good), service record book, a few glossy engine spec sheets and a large MAN floor mat. More importantly, I have a few new MAN friends in my list of contacts, willing to help out if I’m in a jam. So if you ever attend an engine maintenance class, I hope you find it as beneficial as this MAN class. It’s always good to know a little more. Capt Tom Serio has a Master 100-Ton license and is currently running a 61’ Sunseeker yacht for a private owner in Ft Lauderdale.

April 2006

A35

A36

April 2006 COMMUNICATIONS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

The A, B, Seas of maritime Internet service By Darryl Matfin Vessel communications can be trying at times, especially today with all the choices. Maritime communications have come a long way in 10 years, yet at the same time not very far at all. For most of us, our homes and offices are connected at lightning speeds. But our boats? Well, we’re lucky for dial-up speeds and a connection that does not time out. So the questions are, what services are available, and which is right for you?

Who are the players? Let’s begin with identifying the services available: Globalstar, Iridium and Inmarsat. Globalstar is a network of mid-level satellites relying on their Land Earth Stations (LES) to connect to the world. These satellites pass overhead about every 14 minutes. The equipment and airtime for this service is the cheapest of all three services and is not, however, completely global. Iridium is a low-level satellite system that still relies upon its LES, however most of the action happens in space. These satellites pass over about every 8 minutes. The equipment and airtime for this service is a bit more expensive, but it covers 100 percent of the planet and is slightly more reliable. Inmarsat consists of seven geostationary satellites (four for public use) that never move and rely upon a vast network of Land Earth Stations. The equipment for this is generally very expensive but also very reliable and covers about 90 percent of the planet. Globalstar equipment can be found just about anywhere for $699 for a handheld up to $3,000 for fixed unit.

You can expect to pay a minimum monthly fee as low as $30 for about 30 minutes of airtime. There are several monthly plans (which all include minutes) to choose from up to $499 a month, or Globalstar offers several pre-paid options, fax service, voicemail, and data. The fax and voicemail service have one-time service charges. Data is typically transferred at a rate of 9.6 kilobytes a second, although there is a second modem that can be used in conjunction to obtain speeds up to 14.4kbs. Iridium equipment can also be found just about anywhere for slightly more, about $1,700 for a handheld up to $4,000 for a fixed unit. Iridium monthly service remains at $35 with discounts in airtime when more minutes are used. Iridium also offers fax, voicemail and data, although faxing and data are not recommended because Iridium’s data rate is only 2.4kbs. Pre-paid options are available for both services and come highly recommended. The only downside is these options usually only carry a 12month validity. If you do not use your pre-paid minutes within the 12-month period, you will lose them all. You can buy time extensions and reload, which will extend your period.

Inmarsat well-known Inmarsat is probably the most recognizable service available and most widely used, with terminals beginning at $5,000 and exceeding $25,000. Inmarsat services require a bit more extensive explanation. I will break down the most commonly used services: Mini-m, Fleet 33, Fleet 55 and Fleet 77. Mini-m service remains the cheapest for equipment and airtime, about

$5,000 for the terminal and $1.50 a minute. Mini-m offers voice, fax and data, however connection speeds are only 2.4kbs and normally time out when trying to establish a fax or data connection. There are, however, many e-mail programs available that are designed to operate at these speeds and are quite reliable. Fleet 33 service is probably the widest used among recreational boaters mainly because of its cost and its services. Expect to pay up to $10,000 for this terminal and receive a connection of up to 28kbs for data (MPDS). Since the signal is compressed at the LES and most Fleet terminals compress the signal even more, this can seem quite fast but it’s still painfully slow for some of today’s more modern-loaded Web sites. Service for voice (4.8kbs) is about $2 a minute with data slightly higher. Fleet 55 service begins the HSD or High-Speed Data range. This terminal costs up to $20,000 and will deliver lightning fast speeds of 64kbs, an ISDN connection. Again the signal is compressed at both sides so in reality your connection speeds are slightly faster than your normal dial-up. Voice, fax, ISDN and data are available. The per-minute charges are the same for all the Fleet products. Fleet 77 service is similar to the F55 but offers a truly global footprint and data connection speeds up to 128kbs. Terminal pricing is about $25,000. How much do you pay for that fast connection? Up to $13 a minute. The Fleet 77 does, however, offer GMDSS classification and emergency services. MPDS is packet data and is billed by the megabyte. This service allows for an “always on” connection to the Internet much like we land-based folks are used to at home. The benefit for

this service is we now have the ability to remain online reading our e-mails and newspapers without racking up the per-minute charges. The downside is that it’s a shared channel with multiple users. If several users are online, the pipe gets smaller and the speed at which data flows slows down significantly. HSD is a direct connection billed per minute. This service is not shared and guarantees your connection speed. If you are connected via MPDS and are only seeing 28kbs, you may close that connection and open your HSD connection, as you are guaranteed the full 64kbs. The downside to this service is that you’ll be billed every penny of the per-minute charges so you can’t leave your connection on.

Boat size a key factor So which service and equipment are right for you? Unfortunately, only you can answer that one. Having sold this equipment for many years, I can only offer my opinions. The size of your boat is probably the easiest factor. It may be difficult to accommodate a 36-inch antenna (as comes with the Fleet 77) on your 37-foot boat. The next factor you must consider is how the boat is used. The recreational user that uses his boat four to six times a year doesn’t need a satellite phone. The owner who takes his boat out more, but prefers to get away from it all, also may not have a place for a satellite phone in his future. If the boat is used for business or absolutely must remain in contact, a F55 works, as this terminal gives us the best of both worlds – reliable global voice and relatively fast data speeds. The biggest considerations are the limitations: slow connection speeds vs. broadband, cost per minute, connection times when used in a wireless environment, and, most important, they are nearly impossible to call from the United States. Please ask when signing up for these services about LES direct billing. This service places the call directly from the subscriber’s LES straight to the terminal. And ask yourself how you will use this terminal. Is e-mail a priority? Do you need a Web-based e-mail program or will an LES proprietary email system suffice? We may not have to wait much longer for the next big thing, but it’ll still be several years before satellite catches up with our standards. Darryl Matfin is in marine sales with Larry Smith Worldwide, a marine electronics company with offices in Florida, Italy, Germany and the Bahamas. Contact him at 954-463-6292 or dmatfin@marine-electronics.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

April 2006

MCA: PWCs not exempt from collision rules As a result of the recent Court of Appeal ruling in the Goodwin case regarding the status of personal water craft (“Jet skis�), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued the following advice to owners and those in charge of these craft and other leisure vessels: It is the MCA’s view that the Appeal Court ruling does not give a blanket exemption for leisure vessels from regulations such as the Collision Regulations. There may be specific circumstances where regulations do not apply, however it is regarded as best practice for all craft to observe the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea at all times. Current bylaws made and enforced by local authorities are unlikely to be affected by this ruling and all craft should continue to comply with any local regulations. The ruling was made in respect to a criminal case. Owners are reminded that the rules on civil liability, whereby they may be liable for their actions in civil proceedings, are unaffected by the Court of Appeal’s judgment. “Whilst the MCA was disappointed with the outcome of the Goodwin case, we are now working to resolve the issues highlighted by that case, in order to ensure that regulations such

as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea are suitably complied with,� said Jeremy Smart, head of the MCA Enforcement Unit.

SeaFLIR releases imaging unit

FLIR Systems Inc. has released the SeaFLIR line of multi-sensor thermal

imaging products for maritime navigation, search and rescue, and security and anti-piracy applications. The SeaFLIR line of products feature a compact 9-inch stabilized gimbal, a thermal imager, a daylight/low light CCD TV camera and options that include an eye safe laser rangefinder and an optional laser pointer. This marks the first time FLIR has offered

the SeaFLIR product for use outside of military applications. The SeaFLIR thermal imager has a range of over 10 kilometers and can see through total darkness, smoke and most environmental obscurants. The stabilized gimbal provides steady imagery even in rough seas. In addition the rugged marinization of the SeaFLIR exceeds military standards and can withstand harsh maritime conditions including 200 knot winds. The long-range performance of the thermal imager and the optional laser range finder make SeaFLIR a powerful security device. Vessels that come within 10 kilometers can be detected and identified, day or night, and with the use of the laser range finder their location can be geo-positioned. “FLIR has leveraged the experience gained over the past 15 years deploying more than 200 SeaFLIR products for the U.S. Coast Guard and Special Operations Command in the design of the latest SeaFLIR products,� said Blaise Dagilaitis, FLIR Systems’ vice president of airborne and maritime business development. “Boat operators can utilize SeaFLIR as a navigation aid, and [it] provides an early warning system for potential

See TECH BRIEFS, page A38

A37

(-0#"- 8*'* ."3*/& 4:45&.4 */$ /8 SE "WF 'U -BVEFSEBMF '-

5BNBSB - %BWJT 1IPOF 4QFDJBMJ[JOH JO .FHB :BDIU DPNQVUFS TZTUFNT *OTUBMMBUJPO 3FQBJS %JBHOPTUJD /FUXPSLJOH 8J'J 8JSFMFTT *OUFSOFU 'MFFU & NBJM 4FSWFST &UDFUFSBT

/>“>Ă€>ĂŠ °ĂŠ >Ă›ÂˆĂƒ ĂŒ>“>Ă€>J}ĂœvÂ“Ăƒ°Vœ“

"Ă›iÀÊÓxĂŠĂži>Ă€ĂƒĂŠiĂ?ÂŤiĂ€Âˆi˜ViĂŠ ĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠÂœÂ˜ĂŠ>Â?Â?ĂŠVÂœÂ“ÂŤĂ•ĂŒiĂ€ĂŠĂƒĂžĂƒĂŒiÂ“Ăƒ° Âş Â˜ĂŠ ĂŠ7ÂœĂ€Â?`ĂŠ"vĂŠ i`ˆœVĂ€ÂˆĂŒĂžĂŠ/>“>Ă€>ĂŠ-…ˆ˜iĂƒ°ĂŠ-Â…iĂŠÂˆĂƒĂŠ ĂŒÂ…iĂŠw˜iĂƒĂŒĂŠVÂœÂ“ÂŤĂ•ĂŒiÀʺ iiŽÊ ĂŠÂ…>Ă›iĂŠ ˜VÂœĂ•Â˜ĂŒiĂ€i`°ĂŠĂŠ -Â…iĂŠĂŒĂ€>Â˜ĂƒvÂœĂ€Â“i`ĂŠÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠĂž>VÂ…ĂŒĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ>ĂŠ`>Ăž°ĂŠĂŠ qĂŠ >ÂŤĂŒ>ˆ˜

A38

April 2006

TECH BRIEFS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Brookdale to customers: Shelve respiratory escape devices TECH BRIEFS, from page A37 threats.” In February, the company received its first order for SeaFLIR for a private yacht. The yacht, an Ullberg 90, is being described as the most advanced sport fishing yacht ever built. The addition of the SeaFLIR III will provide an advanced level of navigation and security never before used on a vessel outside of the military. “Many sport fishing boats are currently touted as being the most advanced ever built,” said Robert Ullberg, the yacht’s designer. “[With

this yacht,] I started with a clean sheet and decided not to design a big sportfish but a 90-foot super yacht with a sportfish layout.” Ullberg will oversee construction, due to be completed this fall. For more information, visit www.FLIR.com.

Brookdale suspends RPEDs

Brookdale International Systems issued a notice March 10 advising owners and users of the company’s respiratory protective escape devices (RPEDs) to suspend use of these products, pending further notice. These products are one-time

MAT T H E W ’ S MA R I N E

AIR COND. INC.

Excellence in Marine Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Products and Services for Large Vessels

954 761 3840

emergency use, personal safety devices that provide quick, temporary protection from smoke in the event of a fire. The company called the decision to issue the suspend-use advisory a precautionary step based on recent test results that raised questions about the products’ catalytic conversion of carbon monoxide. This could present a risk of carbon monoxide inhalation to the end users. The company said in a release that it is not aware of any incidents where a user of these products was exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide while using the device. It is conducting an investigation and working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to address the issue. The company said it would notify users within 30 days of the notice about whether they should resume use of these devices, or whether the company will be taking correction action. The products affected by these suspensions include: EVAC-U8 Emergency Escape Smoke Hood EVAC+ Emergency Escape Smoke Hood SmokeEater Emergency Escape Filter for Survivair SCBA EVACpro Emergency Escape Filter for Scott SCBA EVACpro Emergency Escape Filter for Draeger SCBA

Boadicea in San Fran for repairs

Fort Lauderdale

401 787 7087 Newport info@matthewsmarineac.com matthewsmarineac.com

PROUDLY SERVING FT. LAUDERDALE, PALM BEACH, MIAMI AND NEWPORT

The 230-foot M/Y Boadicea arrived in San Francisco Bay on Jan. 29 for drydocking and repairs. Mike Anderson, Bay Ship & Yacht marketing manager, reported that the vessel was hauled out of the water for repairs that included underwater hull painting, hull plate renewal, tail shaft alignment, CP propeller repairs, and topside touch up.

Bay Ship & Yacht specializes in the refit and repair of super-yachts from around the world. The successful drydocking was accomplished three days ahead of schedule allowing the vessel to resume its travels in international waters.

Benetti picks K&C to service yachts

Benetti has chosen Knight & Carver YachtCenter of San Diego as its preferred service facility on the West Coast of the United States. Under the agreement, Knight & Carver will provide service at its San Diego Bay facility as well as offer a field-service team of yacht-repair and maintenance professionals for Benetti’s yachts at cruising destinations around the western Unites States. Over the next few months, Knight & Carver technicians and managers will undergo training with Benetti’s service team leaders at the company’s ship-building headquarters in Viareggio, Italy. The team will work in coordination with Bill Leonard, director of Benetti’s Service facilities in Ft. Lauderdale. Founded in 1971, Knight & Carver YachtCenter now employs more than 160 employees and specializes in the repair of large vessels, including luxury yachts, commercial vessels and military.

DuraSafe locks at Boater’s World

DuraSafe announced that all models of the company’s marine electronics locks are now available at U.S. retailer Boater’s World. The unique locks help prevent theft of bracket-mounted GPS, depth finders, chartplotters and VHF radios. The DuraSafe Marine Electronics Lock acts as a knob, replacing one factory knob from either side of an electronics unit. It is available in models to fit the different knob thread sizes of the most popular marine electronics and VHF radios on the market from Raymarine, Lowrance, Eagle, Garmin, Vexilar, Humminbird, NAVMAN, Furuno, Uniden, Standard Horizon and Cobra. Find them online at www. boatersworld.com, or call toll free 877690-0004. Wisconsin-based DuraSafe manufactures marine locks, trailering and towing accessories. For more information about DuraSafe products, call 262-544-5615 or visit www. durasafelocks.com.

New muffler meets regulations

Custom Marine Inc. has introduced a new stainless steel Sound Elimination Systems muffler that enables highperformance boats with engines rated at 500-horsepower and above to meet

See TECH BRIEFS, page A39

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

TECH BRIEFS

April 2006

A39

International Marine Standards Summit to be held May 9 TECH BRIEFS, from page A38 most sound emission regulations. This new muffler system reins in exhaust noise emissions to levels as low as 86 decibels with little to no measurable loss of horsepower or performance. Without this system installed, exhaust noise emissions for many inboard and stern drive powered boats can reach 90-105 dB. “Sound emissions from highperformance boats has been the focus of regulators for several years and is an issue our entire industry has labored to address,” said Joe Zelinski, founder and president of CMI. “At CMI, our focus has been on developing technologies and designs that harness sound emissions without impairing overall engine performance.” Sound Elimination Systems are designed for marine exhaust systems with tailpipes ranging from 4-6 inches in diameter and can be configured to fit inside any big-tube, thru-transom mount exhaust system, which allows the exterior look of the tailpipes to remain the same in appearance. This application requires close coordination with OEM boat builders to ensure a precision fit and finish to meet boat owners’ exacting standards. The mufflers are engineered to muzzle sound without restricting exhaust or creating unwanted backpressure.

ABYC to host standards summit

The American Boat & Yacht Council will sponsor the first International Marine Standards Summit on May 9 in conjunction with hosting the International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 188 Plenary Session on May 11. Both events will be held at the Loews Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, Md. The initial summit is designed to bring representatives from the global boating standards organizations (United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and others) together to: Identify the markets represented; l Identify the applicable standards and/or regulations for those markets; l Discuss current and future regulatory or standards projects for these markets; l Discuss issues hindering “reciprocity” and “harmonization” among these markets; and l Develop a contact list for information and future discussions. In addition to holding the standards summit, ABYC will be the host organization for the annual ISO TC188 Plenary Session. ABYC represents the United States in TC188, which is the ISO technical committee that updates and maintains small craft standards. ISO TC188 working group and

subcommittee meetings will also take place on Monday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 10, and draw technical experts from across the globe. For registration and additional information, contact ABYC Technical Department Coordinator Cindy Love at (410) 956-1050, ext. 28, clove@abycinc. org, or www.abyinc.org.

The lack of intact stability was the result of overloading allowed by a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection that was based on an inappropriate stability test done on a different pontoon vessel to which the Lady D was erroneously granted sister status, the magazine reported. The NTSB also noted that the Coast Guard’s regulatory stability test standards used an out-of- date average passenger weight standard that contributed to the overloading condition. As a result the Board recommended

that the Coast Guard revise their regulations to require that passenger capacity for domestic passenger vessels be calculated based on a statistically representative average passenger weight that is periodically updated. The Board’s investigation further determined that the National Weather Service failed to identify the developing storm conditions in a timely manner. Since the accident, the NWS conducted a study of its operational procedures and determined that forecasters needed a more aggressive and efficient approach in analyzing evolving weather conditions, which it

ÌÌi Ì Ê >ÌiÀÃÊ

ÀÕ Ã }ÊÌ iÊ *> > >Ê > > \

Bradford adds dynamic balancer

The Propeller, Shaft & Machine Shop at Bradford Marine recently added a new dynamic balancer and prop scanning equipment. Jeff Fussel, in the propeller business for 18 years, started the first full-service propeller repair facility in the Bahamas and is now in charge of Bradford Marine’s Propeller, Shaft & Machine Shop. The yard also offers free prop pick up and delivery to other facilities within a 50 mile radius.

NTSB cites stability in ’04 capsizing

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that insufficient intact stability and overloading caused the small passenger pontoon-style vessel Lady D to capsize March 6, 2004, when it encountered strong winds and waves in Baltimore’s Northwest Harbor, according to a report in the March 8 issue of Maritime Executive online. The vessel, carrying 23 passengers and two crewmembers, was en route from Fort McHenry to Fells Point, Md. Five passengers were killed and four suffered serious injuries. “This tragic accident happened as a result of a number of safety issues that fell through the cracks,” stated NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker, “Our recommendations will go a long way toward fixing those cracks and help ensure this type of accident does not happen again.”

vÊÞ ÕÊ>ÀiÊ ÌiÀiÃÌi`Ê Ê iÝ« À }Ê >ÌÕÀi]ÊÌ ÕÀ }Ê Ì iÊ ÃÌ À VÊ« >ViÃÊ vÊ *> > >Ê ÀÊ ÕÃÌÊ ii`Ê>Ê `À ÛiÀÊÌ Ê« V ÊÞ ÕÊÕ«Ê vÀ ÊÌ iÊ> À« ÀÌ]ÊV> Ê V > `Ê Ý«i` Ì Ã ÜÜÜ°iÝ« Ài «> > >°V 1°-°\Ê­ÇnÈ®ÊÓ{Ç xx Ó } >V JVÜ«> > >° iÌ *> > >\Ê­xäÇ®ÊÓÈä ÎÎx{ ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ­xäÇ®ÊÈÓ ÓänÎÊ âi iÃ Þ JVÜ«> > >° iÌ

UÊ «>ÃÃÊ ` ÕÃÌ }ÊEÊ ÃÌ> >Ì UÊ «>ÃÃÊ-> iÃÊEÊ,i«> À UÊ >À i]Ê ÕÌ ]Ê `ÕÃÌÀ > Ê ÊÊEÊ i>ÛÞÊ ÕÌÞÊ ÃÌÀÕ i Ì>Ì UÊ ÃÌÀÕ i ÌÊ,i«> À UÊ6 "ÊqÊ >À iÊEÊ ÕÌ UÊ-ÌiÜ>ÀÌÊ7>À iÀ ÎääÉÎäÓÊ7iÃÌÊ-Ì>ÌiÊ, >`Ên{ÊUÊ Ì°Ê >Õ`iÀ`> i]Ê ÊÊÎÎΣx

x{ xÓÓ {nnxÊUÊnää x£ x£ÓÎÊUÊ >ÝÊ x{ xÓÓ Ó£ÎÎ ÜÜÜ° ëii` °V ÊUÊ Ã«ii` JLi à ÕÌ ° iÌ

A40

April 2006 CRUISING GROUNDS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

The Blue Hole of Andros Island

Dive into the most majestic ‘sinkhole’ you’ve ever seen By Mona Birch Andros Island: Languidly it floats, east of Bimini and the Cay Sal Banks, west of New Providence and the Exuma Cays. Captains setting sail from Florida often view this island as a wet blanket that sits between where they are and where they want to go. Historically, boats and yachts have given Andros wide berth, avoiding the shallows of the Great Bahama Bank

on the west, and staying clear of the shoals of the Andros Barrier Reef on the east. In a country like the Bahamas that depends on good harbor, Andros remains an outback. The island shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand, though. It has its superlatives, including one of the largest concentrations of blue holes found anywhere on Earth. The name for these underwater cave systems is derived from the dark

blue color that distinguishes them in the ocean when viewed from the air. Andros has hundreds of them, both ocean and inland. The island, the fifth largest land mass in the Caribbean, is virtually honeycombed with tunnels, chambers and caverns that run horizontally between the land and the sea. For the most part, blue hole diving is the domain of the very experienced thrill seeker. Cave diving, as you might imagine, brings an extra dimension of risk to the relatively benign sport of scuba diving: A ceiling. Once you penetrate a cave, you can’t just go up. And underwater caves are dark; dive torches are a must. Furthermore, some blue holes – especially ocean blue holes – are tidal. When the tide is rising, the waters plow into the ocean entrances, sucking debris and divers with them. A receding tide, on the other hand, can blow out so hard it can render entry impossible. Needless to say, they are tricky to dive, even for experienced cave divers. There exists, however, off the east coast of Andros, a blue hole most benign. Positioned nicely between Andros and Nassau, it is known by Androsians as simply The Blue Hole and more imaginatively by divers

See BLUE HOLE, page A41

Ready to go? The Blue Hole is accessible from either the west side of Nassau, or the north central coast of Andros. Two dive operations visit this dive site regularly: Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas in Nassau (242-362-4171) dives The Blue Hole as part of an all-day excursion, $150 for three dives that also include the Andros Wall. A private dive master may be hired for $650 a day. The nearest marina is Lyford Cay Marina, with 74 slips and dockside depth of 10-12 feet. Small Hope Bay Lodge on Andros (242-368-2014) dives The Blue Hole as a single tank dive for $60 ($80 for two-tank dive). A private dive master may be hired for $85 a diver, two-diver minimum. The nearest marina is the Lighthouse Club Marina at Fresh Creek, with 34 slips and dockside depth of 18-20 feet. Once penetrated, blue holes reveal an ancient, lunarlike landscape of boulders and walls, like this cave dive on Andros. PHOTO/MONA BIRCH

ÜÜÜ°/ i ÀÌ Ûi°V iÜÊ9 À Ê ÌÞ½ÃÊ i}>ÊÞ>V ÌÊ >À > Ó£Ó°ÇnÈ°£Óää

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

CRUISING GROUNDS

The edge of the wall on the Andros Barrier Reef is honeycombed with caverns, tunnels and swim-throughs, offering great photo opportunities PHOTO/MONA BIRCH such as this one.

Collapsed cave roof allows divers to enjoy an easy exit BLUE HOLE, from page A40 around Nassau as King Kong’s Caverns. Others call it The Crater. This multimonikered blue hole is essentially a sinkhole in the reef. The top of the cave has fallen in, reduced to boulders that are scattered and wedged between the existing cave walls. Geologists call this formation Aston Collapse. The beauty of The Blue Hole is that any reasonably experienced diver (translation: good buoyancy control) can dive it – anytime – without a flashlight. And since the cave roof is collapsed, you can come straight up any time. The western rim of the cave is relatively shallow in about 40 feet of water. You slip over the edge and drop

down into a passage, like an alleyway, that appears to be bottomless. (Hold maximum depth at 90-100 feet for this dive.) Head south along the rim of the cave and explore the chambers of this fabulous formation. Swim past tumbles of boulders and deep snaking crevices. Peer into giant openings that go somewhere beyond the dark. At first glance, this aquamarine landscape seems positively lunar, void of even invertebrate life. Then you might spot a few midnight parrot fish and some sluggish crab. Sometimes a sea turtle. If you look up, though, you’ll see the silhouette of hundreds of fish and even shark cruising the rim.

See BLUE HOLE, page A42

April 2006

A41

A42

April 2006 CRUISING GROUNDS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Trip of the Year 2006: heliskiing off the Absinthe In its March issue, a panel of travel experts at Outside Magazine picked Sea to Sky Helisports & Megayacht Adventures as the winner of the grand award for The Trip of the Year 2006 in North America. Sea to Sky has created a trip based on the 201-foot (61m) M/Y Absinthe. The expedition-style yacht offers ocean cruising with heliskiing in British Columbia’s Coast Mountain Range. “A heliski adventure on M/Y Absinthe is a dream trip for skiers who are looking to combine outstanding back country skiing with ocean adventures on BC’s coast,” said Marc

Des Rosiers, Sea to Sky’s director of operations. “Cruising in the supreme comfort of an expedition yacht is the icing on the cake.” During heliskiing season (February to April), M/Y Absinthe’s “Double Mobility Concept” means guests can combine the heliski experience with whale watching, fishing, kayaking, or soaking in natural hot springs. M/Y Absinthe has a three crew members for every two guests, including a massage therapist. M/Y Absinthe accommodates up to 12 guests. In addition to the helicopter, the yacht is equipped with a 40-foot

(12m) sport fishing boat, tenders, wave runners, diving equipment, sea kayaks, water skis, wake boards, fishing gear and mountain bikes. From May to September, Absinthe cruises the Inside Passage to the Canadian west coast fjords and Alaska, offering guests helicopter flights over glaciers and wildlife with expert guides. From November to January, the yacht cruises the coasts of Costa Rica and Panama. For more information, call 604935-3228, (toll-free within North America, 866-935-3228 or visit www. seatoskyholidays.com.

Receding tide is a dynamic time to be in a blue hole BLUE HOLE, from page A41 Although you can dive this blue hole in any tide, one of the most extraordinary occurrences takes place during a receding tide, especially during the rainier summer months. As the tide recedes from shore, fresh water pours into the base of this ocean blue hole through fissures that connect to the interior of Andros. This fresh water is about 5 degrees Celsius cooler than the prevailing ocean water. The result is a halocline, a visibly discernible mixing layer of

fresh water and sea water, as well as a refreshing thermocline. In some places, cool water pours out over ancient riverbeds, cutting visibly blurry trails and cool mild currents as it flows into the Tongue of the Ocean. The best part is that, along with cool fresh water, the receding tide carries with it decaying vegetation from the land, a food source for minute aquatic life forms. It manifests itself in something that looks like freefloating spider webs that disintegrate, reassemble, and float away when you try to touch them. The effect is eerie to

the point of surreal. The full circumference of this blue hole is too large to explore on a single tank dive, so watch your air consumption and cut across the diameter of the blue hole when your air is down to 1200 pounds or so. Mona Birch is a South Florida freelance writer and adjunct instructor at Florida International University. She also ran Small Hope Bay Lodge in the Bahamas for 10 years, instructing its guests in scuba diving. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

Immigration laws need some logic Last summer, a small, old wooden American yacht took on board a female British citizen in Bermuda for the sail to Portland, Maine. The weather in May was absolutely brutal. I was about 75 miles south of them cooling my heels as I watched the center of the second low go right across the Gulf Stream. They were right in the center of the action. A perfect bull’s eye. This boat and crew were pretty banged up when they arrived in Portland – only to find that they could not clear in with a British citizen because of an exception to visa rules. The United States gives automatic tourist visas to citizens from a whole list of countries. Basically, if they show up on an airplane or at the border with a valid passport, they are admitted to the United States and given a visa. The exception to the automatic visa is if that very same person shows up on a boat, then no visa is given and entry into the United States is denied. This exception is not well publicized and people who are unaware are getting caught in this Catch-22 trap. In the case of this U.S.-flagged vessel, it was refused entry to the United States with the British lady on board. With no fuel, low food, miserable and soaking wet, they were ordered to return to Bermuda. A pretty hostile situation, really stupid and dangerous. As he passed Portland Head Light outward bound, it dawned on the dazed owner that he was in for an additional 1,500 miles in an ill-prepared boat and he turned toward Canada. There, he had a positive reception. The lady was welcomed and he only added 450 miserable miles to his 727-mile trip. While it was unprofessional to not know laws, the owner was not a professional. He was just a very tired recreational sailor without the resources to even know to have his antenna up on this issue. I am not sure what I would have done in his shoes. It would have been amusing to watch me try to get a different answer. I submit that there needs to be a more sensible and equally professional alternative available to immigration to deal with this type of rare, rare situation. At least a notice should be posted at the yacht reporting center in St. Georges to warn of the problem. Phin Sprague Portland Yacht Services

Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com

WRITE TO BE HEARD

April 2006

A43

“All three of them were people who gave more than they took. And there aren’t many of them left.”

- Ann-Wallis White, friend of Rupert Deverteuil, Desmond Nicholson and Adrian Fisher

‘Tool Leash’ keeps electronics out of the water In reference to your photo gallery survey last month of yacht crew and their use of two-way radios, Mate Bruce Chee (formerly of M/Y Sacajawea) wanted a bungee cord to save the radio (or cell phone) from going for a swim. I have used West Marine # 3761251 “Tool Leash” for a year. Dropping one new radio and one 2-week-old cell phone in the water convinced me. It’s about $10 at any West Marine. Capt. Craig Jones M/Y Carry-On

Stay ‘in the loop’ with The Triton

I was recently in Ft. Lauderdale for an STCW course and picked up your publication. Suitably impressed with the amount of diversified information, I will be signing up for a subscription. Until I read your paper, I thought the only way to get this kind of information was through the grapevine in the crew bars and along the dock. If you bumped into the right person, you might hear their version of incidents such as the Legacy and Princess GiGi, and then only what they had heard. But it is unlikely you would hear about the more boring, but important issues that affect us such as Homeland Security requirements and continually changing maritime regulations. Business Manager/Circulation Peg Soffen, peg@the-triton.com Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com Administrative Assistant Samantha Smith, sam@the-triton.com Graphic Designer Christine Abbott, sales@the-triton.com Abbott Designs Distribution Ross Adler, zakad68@aol.com National Distribution Solutions

I am based in New England and have been missing out on a lot of the goings on in the industry. If, like me, you rarely have the opportunity or inclination to hang out in a crew bar, then you miss out altogether. I look forward to being “in the loop.” Capt. John Cleverly S/Y Angel

Immigration seminar a plus

Thank you for organizing the very interesting meeting with the immigration and customs people [Connection event March 14, Miami Beach. See story page A1]. We learned a lot, but there are still a few gray areas, such as what is happening with regards to homeports. Thanks again for your positive input and help in the yachting community. Captains Yves and Martha Verhoustraete

Hatteras warranty envelope is back Most of my professional life has involved running and keeping a variety of Hatteras motor yachts. Over the years, one of the positive aspects of buying a Hatteras has been the warranty envelope offered to back up the product. Factory support is a very strong part of what Hatteras has been Contributing Editor Lawrence Hollyfield Contributors Carol Bareuther, Rocky Bean, Mona Birch, Andy Carrie, Mark A. Cline, Capt. Jake DesVergers, Blair Duff, Capt. David Hare, Capt. Robert High, Jack Horkheimer, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Dawn Kuhns, Capt. Herb Magney, Darryl Matfin, Donna Mergenhagen, Capt. Michael Murphy, Roberta Nedry, Andy Newman, David Nichols, Steve Pica, Stephen Reed, Oliver Regueiro, Rossmare Intl., James Schot, Capt. Tom Serio, Capt. Dale Smith, Rhonda Steiner, Pat Teodosio, Capt. John Wampler, Joy Weston, Maya White

about. Having just been through a Hatteras 80-foot motoryacht new build, many visits to New Bern and two months on site, several issues became clear. Hatteras is a production boat builder of more than 60 boats 50 to 100 feet. Big numbers, big boats. It appears irresistible to offer custom changes, lots of them. The 80-foot motoryacht has sold well as a result, and many good custom changes have been developed. But a production yacht manufacturer must keep the line moving. The pressure to do so is enormous. That’s where warranty service comes in, big time. We took delivery in June 2005. Our efforts to fix and finish were not going well until Mr. Pat O’Neal, director of quality and customer service, and his team came on board. I am pleased to report that Pat and his team have turned the warranty issue around and Hatteras Warranty is back on track. If we have a warranty issue, we call Pat and he and his team deal with the problem, because customer service – strong customer service – sells boats. Period. Capt. William W. Low M/Y Dani Vol. 3, No. 1.

The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group Inc. Copyright 2006 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact us at: Mailing address: 757 S.E. 17th St., #1119 Visit us at: 2301A S. Andrews Ave. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 525-0029; FAX (954) 525-9676 www.the-triton.com

Rules of the road

Dialed in

Capt. Jake DesVergers untangles the complicated world of maritime regulation.

Understand - and use all of your camera settings to take full advantage of its capabilities.

B2

B2

Free Classifieds Check them out, updated with loads of new categories and features.

B13

Happy Birthday to me ... Come celebrate April 27 as The Triton turns 2.

B30

B16-21

EarningYourStripes CAREER NEWS FOR CAPTAINS & CREWS

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

April 2006

How to find a good fit in yachting By Joy Weston For many people starting in the industry of superyachts, the secret of success is finding a good fit. To do that, you must first determine the kind of position on a yacht you want. What level of formality and rigidity do you want? Research what position you would like to hold and work toward it. Not knowing this only frustrates crewing agencies, captains and owners. Once you have the structure of the position you would like to obtain, ensure you have the safety training (STCW-95) under your belt, then research further training courses within your field you would like to follow. This will only enhance your skills and knowledge within the industry and the position you would like to hold. Make sure your training is internationally recognized, not just overseas but also back in your own country, i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and the United States. That way, you can use the tickets you have obtained at home not just overseas but back in your own country if you chose to venture home to work on superyachts. You may have to complete two or three courses through various countries but the main thing you need to be aware off is that these courses and qualifications can be used in various countries, which gives you the flexibility to be employable. Make sure your trainers have experience and knowledge within the superyacht industry. This is important as this can only enhance your skills and understanding of industry standards. The old saying “Straight from the horse’s mouth” is paramount. How

can you be professionally trained from someone who has little knowledge of and no work experience in the industry? Formalities and rigidity are important in the industry. Being on time for an interview with your crewing agencies, captains, chief stewardess or chief engineers is essential. Ensure you keep in touch with your agencies on a regular basis. Crewing agencies are like yachts; some are more personal, some more formal. Chances are that captains will use an agent that suits his/her needs. My best advice is to use a crewing agency that also suits your needs. The level of salary comes down to a candidate’s experience, knowledge,

skills and qualifications, and also the length of time a crew member has stayed in a position. Longevity is important. It’s not about how many yachts you have on your resume; it’s the time you have spent on one yacht. Finding a good fit is not all about the salary; it is about happiness, working in the right environment, working with the right captain and owner, and being able to learn and gain new experiences. The level of opportunity only raises with a crew member who has an open mind to listen and learn, and who has a good attitude to work as a team member. Opportunities can arise through having a well-presented resume, one that shows longevity, loyalty, and

putting time in to train in all aspects of the industry. A resume that shows your progress throughout the industry also shows a captain or owner your dedication and pride toward your career. Opportunity can arise through day work, too. As a crew member starting out, you need to show that you are keen, have pride in your work, have an outstanding attitude, that you are dependable and reliable. Do the work you have been asked to do without moaning and be prepared to help others when needed, even if this is outside your working hours or duties. The one thing I have learned from

See GOOD FIT, page B15

B

April 2006

YACHTING REGULATIONS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

MARPOL: what it is, what it means to yachts The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, most commonly known as MARPOL 73/78, is the most important of all global treaties established to protect the marine environment. The original 1973 protocol covered pollution by oil, chemicals, Rules of the Road harmful substances in Jake DesVergers packaged form, sewage, and garbage. Following a series of serious tanker accidents in 197677, a second protocol was adopted in February 1978 and subsequently absorbed the previous Convention. It entered into force on Oct. 2, 1983 and applies to all vessel types. The Convention includes strict regulations focused at preventing and minimizing accidental and operational pollution. The current requirements are outlined in six technical Annexes, each of which is designed to combat a particular class of pollutants. Annexes I and II are mandatory, with the remaining four voluntary per the discretion of each signatory nation (flag administration or registry). Annex I details discharge and equipment requirements for prevention of pollution by oil and oily substances. In addition to technical guidelines, it designates “special areas” considered vulnerable to pollution by oil. Discharges within these areas are prohibited, with minor well-defined exceptions. The use of reception facilities, an oil record book, and survey requirements are also described. Compliance for yachts 400 gross tons and upward is verified through issuance of the International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate. Annex II focuses attention on

the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances. It has no practical application to today’s yachts. Annex III has general requirements for preventing pollution by packaged harmful substances. A main source of reference for compliance with this Annex is the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code. Identical to Annex II, it has no practical application to today’s yachts. Annex IV originally applied to vessels of 200 gross tons and larger. Before it took force in August, it was revised to affect vessels of 400 gross tons and above, or those certified to carry more than 15 people, passengers and crew. New yachts must be delivered in compliance; existing yachts must comply with the provisions of the revised Annex IV by Sept. 27, 2008. The Annex requires yachts to be equipped with a sewage treatment plant, a comminuting and disinfecting system, or a holding tank. Discharge into the sea is prohibited, except when the yacht has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant or is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using an approved system at a distance of more than 3 nautical miles; or is discharging sewage that is not comminuted or disinfected at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles. Requirements for standard discharge connections and surveys are also outlined. Compliance is verified through International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate issuance. Annex V deals with different types of garbage and specifies the distances from land and the manner in which they may be disposed. The requirements are much stricter in a number of “special areas,” but certainly the most important feature of the annex is the complete ban imposed on all forms of plastic. A major component of this Annex is the maintenance of a

yacht’s Garbage Management Plan and associated records. Annex VI limits nitrogen oxide and sulfur emissions from exhausts and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone-depleting substances. Similar to other annexes, “special areas” are established for increased scrutiny. Incineration onboard of certain products, such as contaminated packaging materials and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), is prohibited. Compliance for yachts 400 gross tons and larger is verified through issuance of the International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate. The above-mentioned statutory certificates are issued following the requisite survey by the flag administration and/or classification society on behalf of the administration. In the case of inspection by Port State Control, verification is confirmed by a random boarding. From February-April, a concentrated inspection campaign by Port State Controls in Asia, Europe, South America, Canada and the United States will focus on compliance with MARPOL, Annex I. Two bulletins have been issued to assist with compliance. The first was issued by the Marshall Islands Administration, Marine Safety Bulletin No. 04-06. The second was issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, G-PCV Policy Letter 06-01. Visit www.registeriri.com and www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/ moc/docs.htm to download them. Capt. Jake DesVergers is president of the US Maritime Institute in South Florida. Prior to that, he sailed as master on merchant ships, acted as designated person ashore for a shipping company, and served as regional manager for an international classification society. Contact him at 954-449-3444 or through www.usmaritimeinstitute.com.

Save Up To $5000 In Closing Costs*

Stunning Design, Outstanding Amenities And Unmatchable Values Welcome You To An Incomparable, Carefree Lifestyle

Priced From $270’s Minutes to Las Olas, Downtown, and Fort Lauderdale Beach.

US1 17th Street Causeway 10th Ave

IMMEDIATE ON-SITE FINANCING AVAILABLE

A Division Of

Village East Visit our sales center: 2001 SE 10th Ave., Ft. Lauderdale | VillageEastCondos.com | 954.522.7032Federal Highway to 17th Street (Just north of SR84). Go east to SE 10th Ave, turn right and follow the signs. *Call for complete details. Limited offer. Select units only. Non-transferable and may not be substituted with any other offer. May be removed without notice.Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer. For correct representations, make reference to the purchase agreement and to the documents required by section 718.503, Florida Statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee. Not an offer where prohibited by state statutes. Plans, descriptions, materials and amenities are subject to change without notice.

B

April 2006

HOW I GOT MY START IN YACHTING

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Late bloom yields abundant joy By Capt. Tom Serio I’m pretty much a late bloomer in this business compared to many others who started in their late-teens, early twenties. Back at that age, I was still a land-based mechanic, keeping my head buried in cars and diesel trucks. Occasionally I got involved fixing an old 1960s-era Owens boat my friend had, with a few rubber bands here, a little glue there, enough to keep her floating and getting me and the boys to the local waterside bars. I spent the next 20-odd years working in the computer field and business side of corporate America. But along the way, I was fortunate to get into boating after my father, freshly retired and fulfilling a dream of owning a boat (and thanks to his heart medicine that countered any effect of mal-de-mer) purchased his firstever boat in 1987, a 34-foot Silverton Convertible. An impressive size for the first-time owner, but Dad wanted a vessel large enough for the family to enjoy, and coming from a brood of 12 kids (yes that’s right, same parents, no twins, but all that is a topic for another article), that was the entry-level size. Well, once the delivery captain

brought this (what seemed massive at people’s boats in New York, teaching the time) vessel to our slip in Freeport, hands-on boating to new owners, and N.Y., tied her up and threw us the keys, doing some deliveries for local dealers. I got my hands on the wheel and never I enjoy the diversity running different let go. vessels brings, always a new challenge For the next 17 years, I ran that boat that forces you to learn quickly. 99 percent of the time, once in a while One memorable trip was delivering allowing one of the other siblings to a 40-foot Albin trawler from Virginia take her out. to New York with ‘While holding down the my buddy Capt. Those first few Dennis Kaminek day job – got to have that years were spent and the owner. entertaining, with kids, Although we cruising the Long braces, college had many travel Island waters tuition soon, delays (remember and learning Piedmont cars, etc. – I the finer points Ugh!), of navigation, am running a Airlines? getting to Virginia thanks to the U.S. 61-foot late, leaving early Power Squadron the next day, Sunseeker for and its plethora runny eggs and of courses.Even a client who comes down burnt toast for though Dad to get out of the cold every breakfast (fed it to passed away after few weeks. the sharks), almost only two years — Capt. Tom Serio run over by a with the boat, we battleship, getting kept the boat in to Ocean City, Md., the family, allowing my kids to grow up in the fog and having the owner fall on the water and cruise extensively in asleep at the dinner table in Atlantic the New York region. City, it was a good trip. After receiving my OUPV “six-pack” Corporate America helped me move license in the early ’90s, I branched out with a small business running other See BEFORE, page B5

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

HOW I GOT MY START IN YACHTING

April 2006

B

The best of both worlds: a day job and a part-time captaincy BEFORE, from page B4 to Florida in 2003, taking a new “day” job but dreaming of boating all year round in the lower latitudes. Speaking of challenges, and much to the wonderment of other captains (and my wife) who may have been questioning my frame of mind if not my better judgment, I had the opportunity to run a 43-foot Tiara from Palm Beach to Rhode Island – solo. Yes, if something happened to me I would have been in trouble, and I don’t plan on doing a delivery like that alone again (you can talk to yourself only so much), but it was a fantastic experience, cruising along the Florida and Georgia coasts, running the ICW from Georgia to Virginia, coming into Myrtle Beach in the rain and at night, having a fuel pump go bad in Pamlico Sound, and the excellent prime rib at Coinjock Marina. I had to cut the trip short due to a fuel pump problem, leaving her in Norfolk to be repaired. (The owner took her to Rhode Island a week later.) With my time running boats in New

Answers to puzzles on page B22

Calm

Stormy

York and crewing/captaining the 85foot dinner cruise yacht Eastern Star there and in Ft. Lauderdale the past several winters, I was able to bump the ticket to a Master 100-Ton Inland last year. If you see the Eastern Star in New York, say hi to Capt. Nick and Laurie, great folks. Believe it or not, they built that yacht from the hull up, converting it from a fishing boat to a floating country inn. Now I have the best of both worlds. While holding down the day job – got to have that with kids, braces, college

tuition soon, cars, etc. – I am running a 61-foot Sunseeker for a client who comes down to get out of the cold every few weeks. This is a one-crew boat, making me the captain, engineer and chief bottle washer. But having the mechanical background, I can maintain the yacht and coordinate any work to be done. And having a 15-year-old son who is hungry for a few extra bucks to satisfy his guitar obsession (I never knew guitars could be that expensive), we keep that boat waxed and polished. What’s next? Who knows. Maybe

get an upgrade to the license, hook up with a few more yachts that could use a part-time captain, get to the Bahamas (just came back from the Keys; beautiful but that water does get skinny), the sky is the limit. I just don’t want to be 80 years old, sitting in a rocking chair saying, “I should have done that when I was younger.” How did you get your start in yachting? Send your story to lucy@the-triton.com. Who knows? You might inspire someone.

B

April 2006

THE AFTERLIFE: LIFE AFTER YACHTING

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Live where you want, love what you do By Lucy Chabot Reed

Licensed therapist Scott Sachs specializes in deep tissue massage PHOTO/LUCY REED and pain relief.

ad.qxd

9/14/2005

4:53 PM

Page 1

Working on boats was never Scott Sachs’ career, but it was the most fun he’s ever had working. A day worker for four years in and around the marinas and yards of Ft. Lauderdale, Sachs met some great people and made great money. And it served his ultimate goal: to find a place he wanted to live. Today, Sachs is a licensed massage therapist at Florida Medical Massage Center in Ft. Lauderdale, specializing in deep tissue massage and pain relief. He’s all about goals. “Most people go to school for a job and then go to a place where the job is,” he said. But it’s more important to find a place you want to live and where you

can be happy. For Sachs, that place was Ft. Lauderdale. “Hey, hurricanes are better than blizzards,” said this Chicago native. Back in Chicago, Sachs used to investigate credit card fraud. Suits and ties, a desk and phone, an office with no windows. He hated it, so one day he just left and took a walk along Navy Pier. He saw a guy rolling up a fire hose and offered to help. “Within two days, I was working on that 160-foot boat,” he said. “It wasn’t a luxury yacht. It took people out onto the lake for rides. It was the kind of boat you slapped paint on and washed with a fire hose. “I’d stand on the dock and welcome everyone as they came on board – 50 to 200 people – Welcome aboard, watch your step, welcome aboard, watch your

step.’” Sachs spent two summers doing that until he met a captain who needed help on a boat in Savannah. So he went there, scrubbing tanks and painting. Other crew in Savannah suggested he head to Ft. Lauderdale for a yachting job. He found it, several in fact. He worked for a time with a skipper on two-crew boats and did a lot of day work. He wasn’t attracted to the glamour of travel, he said, so sailing off for the Caribbean or Mediterranean didn’t really interest him. “I just liked the work,” he said. “And the people. You’re always meeting different people.” And he liked Ft. Lauderdale. He described those four years living in crew houses and working on boats as the “funnest experience.” “You get an awesome tan, meet awesome people and have fun,” he said. “The day work and all that money you can make became a venue to go to massage school.” He put himself through school and worked for various spas before settling in with Florida Medical Massage Center in the neighborhood north of Sailorman on State Road 84. “I worked on boats so I know where the pain is,” he said. He has lots of advice for crew thinking of coming ashore. 1. First, figure out where you want to live, then find something you want to do. 2. Save your money. Sachs follows the rule of goals: 10 percent of every dollar you make should be saved for your goals, be they going to school, buying a house, retiring early, whatever. “The toughest transition is paying rent and your car,” he said. “If you are going to jump off boats, you need to make enough money in a week to pay your rent.” 3. Stop drinking so much. Sachs said he saw a lot of crew members drink their wages each weekend. While it can be seen as in investment in friendships, it shouldn’t be done to excess all the time. “Don’t do anything with your money that’s not going to come back to you,” he said. After four years living in crew houses, Sachs said he still keeps in touch with the friends he made. “We call each other when we get off boats.” Do you know someone who has made a successful transition from crewing on yachts to another career? Let us know. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. Contact Scott Sachs at 954-295-2120.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

IN THE GALLEY

April 2006

B

If serving rabbit bugs you, it’s a fear worth conquering There is just something so barbaric about serving game meat. Eating buffalo and elk takes us back to prehistoric times and man’s huntergatherer phase of evolution when our basic instinctual need was simply to survive. Today as consumers, we tend to participate in the seemingly Culinary Waves mindless pleasure of buying game Mary Beth Lawton Johnson meat in plastic packages without much thought to how the animal lived or what it looked like. Times have changed from using spears to acquire our meals to using credit cards. The whole point being this: I serve game onboard, but this one had me a little queasy. When I was brought a request for rabbit, I was hesitant to serve it as I had never worked with nor handled the meat before. Also, I never expected to serve something I thought of as cute and cuddly (when it was alive). That just went against my principles as a chef and, more importantly, my love for animals in general. However, that moment of personal reflection made me realize that sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. Mine was preparing and serving rabbit. One quick phone call to D’Artagnan in New York City and the meat was en route. I decided to order the game cookbook as well, as it deals with cooking such meats as quail and wild boar in addition to rabbit. The meat arrived two days later and it looked exactly as I had pictured it – like a skinned rabbit. I cut it up relatively easily with a pair of kitchen scissors. I dredged it in a little buttermilk and then in seasoned flour and fried some, as requested. My nose told me it smelled divine, but my brain reminded me it was once a furry, big-eyed creature indicative of Easter and childhood Easter egg hunts. The problem was that I had to try what I was cooking. I never let any food leave the galley unless I know how it tastes. That way, there is no excuse for it not being 100 percent perfect. I closed my eyes, but said to myself, “No, I am not eating Elbert.” (That was my pet rabbit as a child. Or was he a guinea pig?) That didn’t help, so I tried again. I closed my eyes and nibble a little, trying not to cry. It helped that I was hungry and that Elbert was dead and that the end result was delicious. The next problem was the crew not wanting to eat it. I had to somehow

sneak it by them, disguise it or throw the rest away. Tossing it would be waste and I am particularly careful of my food wastes in the galley. I had defrosted quite a bit of it and did not have anything else pulled for dinner. I fooled them into believing that the fricassee they were eating was chicken. They loved it, and I never confessed that it was rabbit. Rabbit has been a staple in European – especially French and Italian dishes – as well as America dishes for a long time. Other cuisines use it as well but these are the three that I tend to see

more recipes for. Rabbit is healthier than chicken, having very lean protein with little to no fat (95 percent fat free). The meat is somewhat pink and a little firmer than chicken, especially the legs. It takes about the same amount of time to cook – or less – than poultry. And it’s high in B vitamins and higher in essential fatty acids. I found several purveyors that supply the best and realized that it was relatively easy to work with. The standard recipes we see in every cookbook are for Braised Rabbit with

Mustard, or Rabbit Cooked in Cream and Wine, or Rillettes of Rabbit. This month’s “Culinary Waves” includes my recipe for rabbit with ground rabbit, pork and ginger sausage and an artichoke lemon pesto. It’s a very light and different, but not overpowering, recipe to try for spring. For those who don’t know, rabbit originally is from African origin, closely related to the hare and was typically a symbol of fertility. Who wouldn’t have guessed that?

See WAVES, page B8

B

April 2006

IN THE GALLEY: RECIPES

www.the-triton.com

Farm-raised, wild rabbits need different preparations

Vanilla Black Tea Panna Cotta with Vanilla Honey This dessert follows perfectly a rabbit entrée as vanilla and rabbit pair very well together. 10 oz whole milk 10 oz heavy cream 2 vanilla black tea Bags 3 oz sugar 3 1/2 gelatin sheets 2 vanilla pods 1/2 cup honey Combine the milk, cream, tea bags and sugar in a pan. Bring just to boiling and remove from heat. Combine the gelatin sheets with a little cold water to soften. Squeeze out the water and add to the cream mixture. Whisk to incorporate and pour into eight 4-ounce ramekins. Refrigerate until set.

WAVES, from page B7

For variety, top with chocolate or fresh fruit. Scrape seeds out of vanilla pods into the honey and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let the flavors infuse. Unmold the panna cotta onto a

PHOTO/MARY BETH LAWTON JOHNSON

plate and drizzle a little of the vanilla honey over each. Serve immediately. (You also can top this panna cotta with chocolate sauce or fresh fruit. It all goes well with vanilla.)

70, 88, & 220 Ton Travelifts

Providing you with the finest, fully-guaranteed service at a fair price in an expedient, professional and courteous manner. Major Refits & Renovations Drive Train & Running Gear A/C & Refrigeration Repowering Bow & Stern Thrusters

Dockside Service Ventilation Specialist Hydraulics Paint & Refinishing Teak Decks

Carpentry / Fine Woodworking Window & Hatch Repairs Full Machine Shop And Much More

954-585-1041 Lauderdale Marine Center 2005 SW 20th Street Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315

From: US Chart Services, Inc., 54-524-6566, colleen@uscharts.com To: The Triton, david@the-triton.com cc: mdoyle@mangomarine.com SERVICE • ENGINEERING • SALES

NAVIGATION • COMMUNICATIONS • SYSTEM MONITORING SPECIALIZING IN MARINE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS PALM BEACHES

PH: 561-844-3592 FAX: 561-844-1608 FT. LAUDERDALE & BAHAMAS

PH: 954-463-6292 FAX: 954-463-6311 EUROPE

PH: +39-0584-426-140 FAX: +39-0584-945-166

http://www.marine-electronics.com

The Triton

IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING DEPT. TO DESIGN YOUR SYSTEM 40+ SERVICE STAFF – GMDSS, SOLAS, MCA, IMO AND CRESTRON CERTIFICATIONS; FACTORY-TRAINED ON ALL MAJOR BRANDS http://www.vei-systems.com

Using VEI monitors ... Lazzara 80 Flybridge Benetti Domani

The French name is connil or connin, and dates back prior to the 17th century as gracing the table in French cuisine. Some notable French varieties are the Burgandy tawny, the silver field rabbit and the Bouscat giant. The rarest is Angevin rabbit, even scarce in France. Most commercially reared rabbits today weigh 2.5 pounds to 3 pounds, sold either cut up or whole. The meat of the domestic rabbit is always tender and should be eaten young, roughly 7 to 8 weeks of age. Some farmers harvest their rabbits at 3 months or more and this could lead to tough meat. Check with the farms where you buy the meat to find out at what age harvesting is done. The rabbit should be jointed into six pieces: two front legs, two hind legs and two halves of the saddle. You can remove the tenderloin from the saddle as this is the most tender part of the rabbit. Marinating the rabbit in wine seasoned with shallots, carrots, parsley and garlic improves commercially raised rabbits. If the rabbit is wild, soaking overnight in milk will remove some of the gamey taste. Some of the best seasonings and herbs, condiments and vegetables to use with rabbit are: Ginger, thyme, sage, lavender, wine (red or white), parsley, bouqui garni consisting of the classic (3 sprigs of parsley, 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 3-5 peppercorns gathered in a cheese cloth) or you can use 4inch green parts of leeks to wrap the herbs in and tie with kitchen string. Other ingredients that pair well with rabbit are garlic, celery, carrots, tomatoes, Dijon mustard, rosemary, fennel, artichokes and creme fraiche, mushrooms and pancetta, or salt pork and vanilla. Try rabbit for a particular upscale menu item that is versatile, relatively inexpensive and abundant. Not only will your employer thank you, the benefits are in the healthy eating that rabbit provides. Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine. A professional yacht chef since 1991, she has been chef aboard M/Y Rebecca since 1999. Visit her Web site at www.themegayachtchef.com or contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

Unique taste needs a unique presentation.

IN THE GALLEY: RECIPES

April 2006

PHOTO/MARY BETH LAWTON JOHNSON

Spring Leg of Young Rabbit with Fresh Herb and Pork Filling with Ginger, Artichoke Lemon Tapenade If your desire is to serve a truly different but upscale entree that plays on uniqueness and versatility, consider serving rabbit this spring. Extremely healthy and lean, young tender rabbit assumes any personality paired with its light flavor such as the stuffing of ginger and pork with fresh herbs with the ginger artichoke lemon tapenade melting in your mouth with every bite. A marriage made in heaven. A marvelous choice for spring. Serve the roasted rabbit with a light spring salad, fresh steamed vegetables or with minted couscous. Serves 8 8 young tender legs of rabbit, bone-in (could substitute chicken) 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, trimmed 4.5 oz fresh ground pork (used to give some fat and keep the rabbit moist) 4 oz fresh ground rabbit (or veal) 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped 1 teaspoon lemon grass 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced 2 stalks celery, diced 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon anise seeds 1. Preheat over to 350 F. 2. Rinse the rabbit legs and pat dry. French the ends of the rabbit, pushing the meat down. Trim excess meat and add to stuffing ingredients. Create a pocket at the top of the meat, loosening and trimming any tendons. Set aside until ready to fill. 3. Combine the rest of the ingredients and process in a food processor until it comes together.

Where to buy rabbit Find rabbit at these purveyors: www.dartagnan.com, suppliers of the best sausages, game and truffles. Located in New York. I recommend them. www.fossilfarms.com, also offers exotic game meats. www.ardengrabbit.com, offers only the finest rabbit. Religious verses are quoted at the top of their Web site. Just scroll down.

6 1 Ê 7Ê, 6 ,Ê " Ê 6

4. Stuff each leg with 1/4 cup of stuffing. 5. Brush with olive oil or duck fat and continue basting while roasting, 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear. 6. Remove from heat and hold for plating.

Ginger Artichoke Lemon Tapenade This recipe pairs well with light proteins such as rabbit, fish, chicken or turkey. It could stand alone with crusty French bread as bruschetta. 1 lb baby artichokes, peeled, paired and cooked 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced Juice of 2 lemons 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest salt to taste 1 teaspoon white vinegar Combine all in a food processor, pulse to combine.

À iÀ ÞÊ-Õ iÀwi `Ê >ÌÊ7 À Ã

"* Õ Ê-iÀÛ ViÊ9>À`ÊUÊÇä / Ê/À>Ûi Ê vÌ

V >}iÊÌ Ê£Óä½ÊUÊ* ÜiÀÊEÊ->

> Êv ÀÊ v À >Ì

x{°xÓx°ä£Ç{

£xääÊ-7Ê£ÇÌ Ê-ÌÀiiÌÊUÊ ÀÌÊ >Õ`iÀ`> i

B

B10

April 2006

1 / 1 - Ê 1 /

*iÌiÀÊ °Ê ` «vVy iÀJ Ì > °V

LiÀ} >ÃÃÊ> `Ê « Ã ÌiÊ >LÀ V>Ì ÊEÊ,i«> À

>À«i ÌÀÞÊUÊ >Ãà VÊ9>V ÌÊ,iÃÌ À>Ì ÊUÊ*> Ì } ÓÇÊÞi>ÀÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ >À iÊ `ÕÃÌÀÞÊqÊ L iÊ >ÌÃÊÌ Ê-Õ«iÀÊ9>V Ìà Vi Ãi`ÊEÊ ÃÕÀi`ÊqÊ,iviÀi ViÃÊ Ê,iµÕiÃÌ ÓÎÈxÊ-°7°ÊÎ{Ì Ê-ÌÀiiÌ]Ê1 ÌÊx Ì°Ê >Õ`iÀ`> i]Ê À `>ÊÎÎΣÓ

* \Ê­ x{®ÊÓÇx ÈÈ£ >Ý\Ê­ x{®ÊÇ £ ££nn

NUTRITION

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Eggs don’t deserve bad nutritional rap April brings Easter and food vitamin. It helps the body absorb thoughts turn to eggs. Poor little eggs calcium, which is essential for the have long received a bad nutritional normal development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. rap. Sure, they do have a relatively high cholesterol content. The healthfulness of eggs in our One large egg, for diet is linked to the method by which example, contains they are prepared. For example, boiling 215 milligrams of and poaching adds no detrimental fat. cholesterol. However, frying or scrambling eggs The latest version in butter or bacon fat can double the of the Dietary calorie content and add substantially to Guidelines for the fat and cholesterol count. Americans suggests Eggs make great vehicles for that we eat no more introducing other highly nutritious Take It In than 300 milligrams foods into the diet. For example, Carol Bareuther of cholesterol a day. omelets and frittatas can be stuffed Why? Because many, with an assortment of vegetables. many studies have linked dietary One recurrent question about eggs cholesterol to a build up of fatty plaque doesn’t have to do with nutrition, but in the arteries that can increase the safety instead. The good news is that likelihood of heart attack and stroke. the risk of getting a food-borne illness Although no official from eggs is very low. However, the recommendation exists for egg intake, nutrients that make eggs a high-quality research suggests that heart disease food for humans are also a good growth risk does not increase in healthy adults medium for bacteria. In addition to consuming an average of 3 eggs a food, bacteria also need moisture, a week. It is important to favorable temperature remember that many Egg protein contains and time in order to factors – including multiply and increase all the essential genetics, body weight the risk of illness. and baseline blood fats In the rare event amino acids, which – influence the extent to are building blocks of that an egg contains which plasma cholesterol bacteria, you can reduce levels respond to dietary protein that the body the risk by proper changes. chilling and eliminate needs but cannot However, to think by proper cooking. make, in a pattern that itWhen of eggs only for their you handle eggs cholesterol content is to matches very closely with care, they pose ignore all the benefits the pattern the body no greater food-safety that eggs provide to the risk than any other needs. diet. While no one food perishable food. (other than a mother’s The inside of an egg breast milk, perhaps) was once considered provides everything that humans need, almost sterile. But, over recent years, the egg contains an array of necessary the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis nutrients. It was, after all, made to has been found inside a small number supply everything for the creation and of eggs. Scientists estimate that, on nourishment of a baby chick. average across the United States, 1 of Egg protein is of such high quality every 20,000 eggs might contain the that it is often used as the standard by bacteria. So, the likelihood that an egg which other protein is measured. Egg might contain Salmonella enteritidis protein contains all the essential amino is extremely small. At this rate, if acids, which are building blocks of you’re an average consumer, you might protein that the body needs but cannot encounter a contaminated egg once make, in a pattern that matches very every 128 years. closely the pattern the body needs. This Other types of microorganisms is why eggs are classified with meat in could be deposited along with dirt on the food groups and why egg protein is the outside of an egg. So – in the United called complete protein. States at least – eggshells are washed A moderate amount of fat, about and sanitized to remove possible 5 grams, is found in a large egg yolk. hazards. You can further protect About 1.5 grams are saturated and 2.5 yourself by discarding eggs that are grams unsaturated. unclean, cracked, broken or leaking. An egg also contains varying amounts of some 13 vitamins, plus Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian many minerals such as blood-building and a regular contributor to The Triton. iron. An egg yolk is one of the few foods Contact her through editorial@thethat contain vitamin D, the sunshine triton.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FITNESS

April 2006

B11

VV `>Ì }ÊÌ iÊ9>V Ì } `ÕÃÌÀÞÊv ÀÊ ÛiÀÊ£ÓÊÞi>ÀÃ

Do deltoid raises and emulate a bird in flight.

PHOTOS/LUCY REED

April focus: shoulder, deltoids This month we are going to concentrate on our shoulder and deltoid muscles, which support the rotator cuff. Start by stretching your upper body. Raise your arms over your head, hooking your hands together. Stretch to one side, then to the other, several times until you feel easier in the Go Figure waist and trunk. Pat Teodosio Then spread your arms out and make circles with your arms, rotating your shoulders, first one way, then the other. Now we will do a set of jumping jacks (1 minute, or about 70 jacks). Now, we’re ready to start on our shoulders. Get in a stable, seated position on an inflatable exercise ball, positioning your feet firmly in front of you to stabilize your upper body. Pick up some weighty dumbbells and lift them up to

your shoulders with your palms facing front. Push up with your arms until the dumbbells touch at the top, then come back down to the shoulder. Repeat to failure or close to failure. Do a minute of jumping jacks, then do another set. Do a few sets of these with as many reps as possible, breaking

them up with 1 minute of jumping jacks in between. Next we are going to work directly on the deltoids. Pick a light set of dumbbells, gripping the shaft of the dumbbell close to one end. Hold it vertically so that the head of the dumbbell rests atop your thumb and forefinger when you hold the weight vertically. Holding the dumbbell this way forces you to use your deltoid muscle to lift the weight rather than your forearm to grip the dumbbell. We choose light weights because these are very small muscles that need high repetitions to strengthen and define instead of heavy weights. Now raise one straight arm until it is even with your eyebrows and the center of your nose. If you are standing tall with your shoulders relaxed, you should feel this working the front deltoid muscle. Let the weight come back to your side. Do the other side. Continue this for several reps on each side until failure, as always. Do jumping jacks in between. Remember, also, to visualize. While doing the workout, keep a picture in your mind of the muscles moving the weight, then just follow the picture. While you are visualizing, put a speed and rhythm to every movement and your breath, then follow the speed and picture you’ve created. Next, we will do deltoid raises (photo at top of page). With light dumbbells again held in a vertical stance, bend your arms slightly and raise them to the sides, palms down. This move will emulate a bird flying and use your outside deltoids and upper arm muscles. Do several reps, several sets, with jumping jacks between every set. Do a little abdominal work when you are finished. I know you will feel better by working out every day. Doing it right with visualization and proper technique enhances workout efficiency, giving you more results faster. Pat Teodosio has been in the fitness industry for 30 years and owned Southport Gym in Ft. Lauderdale for 13 years. He now owns Go Figure, a 30minute workout studio on 17th Street. Contact him through editorial@thetriton.com.

7ii ÞÊqÊ Ì Þ vwV i V iÃÊqÊ-ÌÕ` ÃÊqÊ «>ÀÌ i Ìà Ó]ÊÎ]ÊEÊ{ÊLi`À i`ÊÊ ià /> >À>Ê °Ê >Û Ã

Õ ÞÊ ÕÀ Ã i`]Ê É ]Ê >L iÊ/6] /i i« iÊ> `Ê ÌiÀ iÌ

, 7Ê "1- UÊÓÊ«iÀÊÀ UÊ ÌiÀ iÌ

, Ê -/ / Ê- * i\Ê x{ xÓx xx >Ý\Ê x{ xÓÇ äx x ÜÜÜ°Ã >ÀÌ Ûi°V

B12

April 2006

PERSONAL FINANCE

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

How to make tax time a little less of a burden It is that dreaded time of year again. It is time that U.S. citizens have to give their Uncle Sam some of their time and sometimes more money. When we write the check – though it may be painful – it does not require a lot of time. We can also do this electronically. The difficult Yachting Capital part for many of Mark A. Cline us is finding all

our statements from every financial source. If you are self-employed, you also have to organize all your expenses for the year. For those of you who are more organized than others, this will obviously be easier. I have a helpful hint that I have found helps clients who bring in their shoe box full of financial statements. All financial companies – be they mutual funds or simply your bank – send you forms throughout the year, most commonly as monthly statements. Keep these statements in a folder instead of their envelopes. This

will make your life much easier at tax time. With investment companies such as those that manage your mutual funds or other stock or retirement investments, you’ll get two types of statements throughout the year. Every time you have any type of transaction on your investment – whether it be a dividend disbursement or new money going in – you will get a confirmation statement. These statements simply confirm the transaction. You’ll also get a quarterly statement that simply recaps your activities for

Ă€ÂœĂƒĂƒÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠÂ?ˆ˜iĂŠ°°° ĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠĂŠ/Â…iĂŠ/Ă€ÂˆĂŒÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂˆĂƒĂŠĂŒĂœÂœĂŠĂži>Ă€ĂƒĂŠÂœÂ?`t

-ÂœĂŠĂœi½Ă€iĂŠÂ…>Ă›ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠ>ĂŠÂŤ>Ă€ĂŒĂž°ĂŠ ÂœÂˆÂ˜ĂŠĂ•Ăƒ° >ÂŽiĂŠÂŤÂ?>Â˜ĂƒĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠÂ?ÂœÂˆÂ˜ĂŠĂ•ĂƒĂŠÂœÂ˜ĂŠ ÂŤĂ€ÂˆÂ?ĂŠĂ“Ă‡ĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠ ĂŒ°ĂŠ >Ă•`iĂ€`>Â?i°ĂŠ ÂœĂ€iĂŠ`iĂŒ>ˆÂ?ĂƒĂŠÂ˜iĂ?ĂŒĂŠÂ“ÂœÂ˜ĂŒÂ…°

™x{°xĂ“x°ääәÊUĂŠĂœĂœĂœ°ĂŒÂ…iÂ‡ĂŒĂ€ÂˆĂŒÂœÂ˜°Vœ“

the previous three-month period. Take a few moments to look at your quarterly statement. If you see all of your transactions from your confirmation statements on your quarterly statement, you can toss all those confirmations. When you get your year-end statement, make sure all the transactions are on it, then toss all the quarterly statements. Something you might want to consider to help ease the pain is to accomplish another objective when you gather this information. This is a good time to begin the process and map out your financial plan. Think about it, all the forms you are gathering for your taxes are the same ones you’ll need for you own financial plan. Look back at prior years’ tax returns. Did you overpay and get a refund? Some people see that extra money as a forced savings account, but think about it. That is a no-interest savings. Consider instead adjusting your tax payments and invest the difference. If you owe taxes at the end of the year, you’ll have the money to pay it but at least you get to keep the interest. If you choose not to take this task on yourself, there are options you should consider. What specifically do you need help in? How complicated are your needs? When talking to people who can help, find out how many hats they are wearing and whether they are generalists or specialists. This goes for anyone you consider hiring to do something that is out of your expertise. Just like doctors and attorneys, they each have a specialty. A physician that has a general medical practice normally will not do surgery and they will send you to a specialist when the diagnosis warrants. An attorney specializing in divorce law would not be a good option if you need a defense attorney in a criminal case. This is not to say that the law firm or doctors office does not have many attorneys or doctors in that firm that each have their specialty that they practice. In summary, this would be a good time to sit down with someone and map out your short term and long term financial plan. Talk to several people and ask a lot of questions. You don’t have to divulge all your specifics up front until you feel comfortable with the person. You must get that feeling of trust before you do anything. There still is a little more time left until the April 17th deadline. As I mentioned before you can still fund your Traditional & Roth IRA’s until April 17th. A former captain, Mark A. Cline is a financial consultant and mortgage broker, and is national marketing director for Capital Choice, a financial services firm with offices in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at (954) 7613983 or mark.cline@capitalchoice.net.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

April 2006

B13

Control the picture with shooting modes Welcome aboard, photography enthusiasts. Let’s get away from the bits, pixels and chips and dial a photo. We are about to take a journey that will explore the fundamentals to understanding how the primary controls work together to take the photograph you want to capture, so here we go. At right is the shooting Photo Exposé mode dial on my James Schot camera. I will reference it throughout this column. Your camera’s shooting mode dial may look a little different, or you may not even have one. Not to worry. Follow along and you will be able to apply what you learn. Essentially, if your camera has no way to dial shooting modes, it is operating in “auto” mode. What this means is the camera is on auto pilot and doing what is pre-programmed in the manufacturing process to try to meet the conditions of the photograph being taken. You have relinquished your control. Note the word try. That is to say, throw your fate to the wind. It may come in handy sometimes, but it’s not the ideal position for the thinking photographer. It scares me to use it, because I never know if it’s doing what I want. I don’t use it. Looking below “auto” on the dial, you will see a face representing the portrait mode. Next is a mountain-like symbol for landscape shots, followed by a star with upper torso for night scenes. Then there is a symbol I can’t describe for fast shutter, with the next for slow shutter, then stitch assist (for panorama), and ending with movie mode as you can see by the movie camera symbol. Some cameras have more than 20 of these modes. Incredible. Fireworks, cuisine and behind glass are just a few modes. I have to assume some people find all these mode settings useful, but it’s easier and certainly better to learn the basic photography. To that end let’s look above the “auto” mode where we see the letters P, Tv, Av, M and C. In my camera manual, these choices are appropriately called the “creative zone.” The symbol P represents Program AE, where the camera automatically sets the aperture and shutter. With Tv you can set the shutter, and the camera will then select the correct aperture. Using Av allows you the reverse control of Tv, or setting the aperture with the camera

then setting the correct corresponding shutter speed. The M represents manual mode, which allows you full control over shutter, aperture and other settings affecting exposure. Finally, last and least important in the creative zone is C for custom settings I never save. To understand how to best use these settings takes a basic understanding of photography and how a camera makes it possible. Photography is painting with light. Everything in a camera gets painted on to a light-sensitive digital chip. Without light, everything is undefined and black, and little-tonothing is exposed onto the chip. The right amount of light gives you a perfect rendering. But light changes from high noon to dusk, from sunny to cloudy. To adjust for these changes in light, cameras (with their lens) use shutters and apertures to control the amount of light reaching the chip (or – in days of old – the film) plane. A camera shutter is, with the exception of some larger professional cameras, always in the camera body right in front of the chip. It acts like a curtain that is always closed until you press the shutter release. Your setting will determine how quickly this curtain moves across the plane, and this speed determines how much light passes through. The aperture is an opening in the lens that can be set larger or smaller, and this again determines the amount of light allowed to reach the chip. Photography means “painting with light” and only by having full control of how your camera treats light can you have full control of your photos. Next month we’ll continue with the interplay of how the shutter and aperture work together to give you that control. Until then, permission to come ashore. James Schot has been a professional photographer for 27 years and owns Schot Designer Photography. Feel free to contact him at james@bestschot.com with photographic questions or queries for future columns.

"Twenty-Eight Years of Excellence ... and Personal Attention ... in Yacht Refinishing." Services Include: ◆ Interior/Exterior Refinishing ◆ Awl-Grip Specialist ◆ Complete Fairing ◆ Complete Refits Locations: ◆ Stuart ◆ West Palm Beach ◆ Boynton Beach ◆ Ft. Lauderdale JON DUNN, PRESIDENT

Licensed and Insured

www.DUNNMARINE.com 561.262.1399

B14

April 2006

INTERIOR

BRAVO DELTA ENGINEERING Flat Panel Technology

CUSTOM MONITORING AND CONTROL PANELS Bravo Delta Engineering fabricates and installs custom, backlighted panels to monitor and control shipboard functions. These panels provide the operator with an attractive and practical method of controlling and monitoring most shipboard operations.

ABS APPROVED

Anchor Light

NUC Lights

Bridge Deck

Boat Deck

Upper Mast

Lower Mast

Owner Absent

Panel Dim

Alarm Test

Meal Light

Accent Flood

All panel lines and text appear white during the day and a beautiful Aviation Blue at night. Illumination is fully dimmable for night operations. All electronics have been designed in house with serviceability and dependability a foremost consideration.

260 S.W. 32nd Ct. Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. 33315 Email: info@bravodeltaeng.com

Telephone: Fax:

954/524-2298 954/254-6370 954/525-0023

Website: www.bravodeltaeng.com

.AVIGATION #OMMUNICATION AND !UTOMATION s !ROUND THE #LOCK 7ORLD 7IDE 3ERVICE s )NTERNATIONAL #OMPANY WITH ,OCAL 3UPPORT s "UDGETARY TO 4URN +EY 1UOTES s &ULLY )NTEGRATED 3YSTEMS s .OW /FFERING &ULL !IRTIME 3ERVICES

,ET 2ADIO (OLLAND S 9ACHT $IVISION TAKE CARE OF YOUR EVERY NEED 'REENE 3T (OLLYWOOD &, YACHTING RADIOHOLLANDUSA COM

The Triton

Solo stewardess reigns as toughest job in yachting

As seen on Megayacht.com

Nav Lights

www.the-triton.com

0H &AX WWW RADIOHOLLANDUSA COM

OK, I’ll say it out loud. It’s time you have to decide (and quickly) what someone did. is most important and what can be taken care of later. So the bathrooms Being a solo stewardess on a busy 100-or-so-foot yacht is the toughest job get cleaned, but the towels are only changed once a day. The guest laundry in yachting. gets done, but casual T-shirts don’t This position get ironed. Cloth napkins are pulled often requires more through a ring instead of meticulously skills and more folded into animals and flowers. And energy than being a maybe paper napkins are used at chief stewardess on a much larger vessel. breakfast and lunch. When I first started solo stewing, I’ve done both, and I struggled with many of these while they have Stew Cues alterations from what I knew as proper. slightly different Dawn Kuhns It felt like cheating or laziness, or as if sets of challenges, being a solo stew See TOUGH JOB, page B15 allows less room for error (there is no one to fix it), less time for planning, and no time Try these stew-approved shortcuts for second-guessing. Not only must you organize Using shortcuts is always a judgment call. In and figure out how to some situations they’ll be acceptable, in others they make it all happen, you won’t be. If you’re not sure, err on the side of doing have to do it all yourself. too much. What is most important is that guests Can you keep 10 balls feel well cared for and pampered in every way. juggling in the air at l Sheets can be ironed as you put them on the once? Because that’s bed. If you’ve pulled them out of the dryer hot and what it takes. folded them well, you maybe be able to bypass To be a successful ironing altogether. Make sure the turned-down edge solo stewardess you looks good and always iron the pillowcases. must have incredible l If it’s a casual trip or meal, try using nice, organizational and decorative paper napkins for breakfast, or follow-through skills. If sometimes even lunch. Use leather or woven you can’t remember to placemats that don’t need to be washed; you’ll save check the laundry while yourself a ton of ironing. you’re serving lunch, l Every single napkin fold does not need to be you’re done for. (Actually, a work of art. The simple pull-through-the-ring is if you can’t remember to fine at breakfast every day, as long as you use a nice check the laundry every napkin and present it well on the plate. Use nice, half-hour all day long, simple folds for lunch, and save more elaborate you’ll never make it.) If folds for those days when you have time. Better yet, you can’t make beds and do them before the trip even starts and store the serve breakfast at the napkins already folded. same time, forget it. If l Plan ahead. If you’re pulling breakfast dishes you can’t serve a threefrom the dishwasher at 11 a.m. and lunch is at noon, course dinner, turn down put everything for the lunch table on a tray to the beds and clean showers side. Unless you’re under way or at a very unstable all at once, you can’t do anchorage, it doesn’t make sense to put them away, this job. There is no one only to get them back out in half-an-hour. else to get up early to l Streamline your cleaning products to a few set-up breakfast, and that multitask easily. Glass cleaner and disinfecting there is no one else to wipes are fast and easy cleaning tools when you stay up late at night with have guests onboard. Use paper towels instead of the guests. Oh, and did rags to save yourself the laundry. I mention the smile that l Keep a self-service bar set up and available has to be on your face at for guests that includes glasses, an ice bucket, and all times? frequently used bottles of liquor and mixers. That There’s another key to way, if a guest wants a drink while you’re knee-deep being a successful solo in laundry, they won’t have to wait for you or go stew and that’s the ability without. Some guests aren’t inclined toward this to prioritize correctly. On sort of self-service, but that’s OK. The set-up makes a larger yacht with more it easier and faster for you to serve them as well. than one stewardess, you l If you don’t have time or the tools to do an have time to do things elaborate table-setting for dinner, keep it simple exactly as they “should� and elegant. Use lots of candles. On most trips, be done. When you’re a every meal does not need to be a huge production solo stew in the middle or theme. On days when you plan more involved of a busy charter and the table-settings or themed meals, make sure to allow unexpected crops up, yourself time to do it well.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

INTERIOR

The reality is that one person can only do so much in a day I wasn’t doing my job correctly. But the reality is that one person can only do so much in a 17-hour work day. In the end, it’s more important to the guests that I’m smiling and happy and meeting their service needs than Q-tipping their bathrooms or ironing their T-shirts. This kind of prioritizing ability comes mainly with experience. A knowledgeable and willing captain can certainly train a new stew, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. More often, new stewardesses in solo stew positions are thrown into the deep end to sink or swim. More than once I’ve heard a story like this: A captain is desperate for a stewardess. He takes on someone with little or no experience because, after all, it’s just a 100-foot boat and a simple position. The candidate expresses doubts about her experience and skill level, but the captain insists he has confidence in her and tells her it’s not that difficult a job. Six weeks and three charters later, the captain is thinking that his new stewardess just isn’t working out. Why she isn’t doing a better job, he wonders. Why doesn’t she get it right? Sometimes the words dumb or lazy

come up. Sure, once in awhile those words might be deserved. But often it’s more a matter of lack of experience and lack of training. And on the owner or captain’s part, maybe it’s a lack of understanding of the demands of the position. It may only be an 80-footer, but it still has four staterooms with eight beds, four heads, and eight guests who expect to be served three meals a day. A smaller yacht does not necessarily translate into less formality or fewer demands. Whether it’s formal or on-thejob, owners and captains need to realize the need for training for solo stews, particularly new ones. It’s a multi-faceted job and it doesn’t come automatically to most people. It won’t be perfect right away, but a little bit of patience, training and appreciation for the complexities of the job can go a long way toward keeping stews productive and happy. #

-

9

#-

-9

#9

#-9

+

Thirteen years ago, Dawn Kuhns took a fun little six-month job as a stewardess. Having since traveled the world working on yachts large and small, she settled in Ft. Lauderdale and is still at it. Contact her at dangerousstew@hotmail.com.

Keys: open mind, professional attitude GOOD FIT, from page B1 working as crew member for 10 years and now a crewing agent for five years is to have respect for people. Respect the crewing agencies you work with, respect your captains/owners, and respect your fellow crew members you work with. Keep a professional attitude and outgoing personally, too. This will only strengthen you as a person and enhance your growth through the ranks within this industry. This industry brings the best out in people, but also

the worst. It also teaches you how to become a better person. Having outstanding customer service is essential. Keeping an open mind and staying dedicated only opens opportunities in your life and in your career that you would never imagine. You only get back what you put in, whatever you do in this industry or life. Joy Weston is the director and owner of Crew Pacific, a placement agency in Cairns, Australia. Contact her at +61 (0) 7 4041 7243, info@crewpacific.com.au or through www.crewpacific.com.au.

23 -!2).% % % " ( ) . )#

2 4%#(.)#/,$ §

B15

#

TOUGH JOB, from page B14

April 2006

!IR #ONDITIONING s 2EFRIGERATION 'ENERATOR ,OAD "ANK s !IR 0URIFICATION

/VER 9EARS OF 1UALITY %QUIPMENT 3ERVICE  )N HOUSE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT  3TAFF OF FACTORY TRAINED TECHNICIANS  2EADY TO INSTALL SYSTEMS IN STOCK  #OMPLETE IN HOUSE FABRICATION SERVICES  %XTENSIVE PARTS INVENTORY  #REW ASSISTED INSTALLATIONS AVAILABLE  &ULLY EQUIPPED SERVICE VAN FLEET  #OMPANY AIRCRAFT PROVIDING NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICE 3ALES s 3ERVICE 0ARTS s !LL -AKES Visit our Service Center and Showroom

230 SW 27th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Phone: 954.764.6192 Fax: 954.764.7259

Caribbean Service Center: Rob Marine, St. Maarten Visit us on the web at

www.richbeersmarine.com

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

CREW NEWS

CAPTAIN, CREW HONORED Capt. Sandra Yawn accepted the 2005 Distinguished Crew Award on behalf of the crew of M/ V White Star in February during the Miami International Boat Show. Crossing the Red Sea in the fall of 2004, the yacht encountered a storm when its hydraulics failed and it lost an engine. The crew pulled into an island off the coast of Yemen and found themselves in a military zone. Five days later, they started out. Within an hour, the electronics failed. According to the award committee of the International Superyacht Society, the second engineer noticed flames coming from the exhaust when a fireball suddenly ripped through the engine room. The fire was extinguished in minutes and all were accounted for, however now they were drifting with a destroyed engine room. Capt. Yawn was able to contact an American warship on duty nearby, which towed them to PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNATIONAL SUPERYACHT SOCIETY safety.

Athena, the largest private sailboat in the world, was named best sailboat FILE PHOTO over 36m and the sailboat with the best interior.

2005 Superyacht Design award winners announced After being delayed by Hurricane Wilma, the International Superyacht Society held its annual awards gala at the Miami International Boat Show in February and announced the winners of the 2005 International Superyacht Design awards. For best power boat 23m-32m, the winner is M/Y Tigre D’or II at 29,8m (98 feet), built by Hakvoort Shipyard, designed by Howard & Horsfield H2 Design. For best power boat 32m-43m, the winner is M/Y The World is Not Enough at 42,6m (140 feet), built by Millennium Super Yachts, designed by Mulder Design with interior design by Evan K. Marshall. For best power boat over 43m, the

winner is M/Y Ilona at 73,7m (242 feet), built by Amels Holland, designed by Redman Whiteley Dixon The winner of best interior for all power boats is M/Y Ecstasea at 85,9m (242 feet), built by Feadship/ Royal Van Lent, designed by Terence Disdale Designs. For best sailboat 23m-36m, the winner is S/Y Paraiso at 32,9m (108 feet), built by Alloy Yachts International, designed by Fontaine Design Group. For best sailboat over 36m, the winner is S/Y Athena at 89,9m (295 feet), built by Royal Huisman Shipyard, designed by Pieter Beeldsnijder. S/Y Athena also won the award for best sailboat interior.

April 2006

B23

*-]ĂŠ -ĂŠ ĂŠ /B24

April 2006

7 ĂŠ 8ĂŠ /t

CUSTOMER SERVICE ĂŠ / , ",ĂŠ - -ĂŠ ",ĂŠ9 /

* \ʙx{°Ă“ÂŁ{°£ĂˆĂŽÂ™

8F DBO IFMQ 8\ʙx{°Ă‡xĂ“°äxx{ 1VU ZPVS DBSFFS PO DPVSTF BOE USBWFM UIF XPSME 408 S.E. 17 Street Fort Lauderdale, Fl. 33316 954-522-2739

7E REQUIRE A HIGH STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE

1-800-Get-Crew (438-2739)

Crew@crewfinders.com | www.crewfinders.com

2 Dean Ave. #6, Newport, R.I. 02840 401-849-5227

&2%% 2%')342!4)/. 02/-/4)/. )3 '//$ &/2 -/.4(3 4(%. ! ! 9%!2 &%% !00,)%3 2%35-% ). 7/2$ 2%15)2%$ 4/ 15!,)&9 %80)2%3

7 ĂŠ 8ĂŠ /t ĂŠ / , ",ĂŠ - -ĂŠ ",ĂŠ9 /-

/ÂœĂ•VÂ…ĂŠĂ•ÂŤĂŠĂƒiĂ€Ă›ÂˆViĂƒĂŠvÂœĂ€\ĂŠ/Ă€ÂˆÂ˜ÂˆĂŒĂž]ĂŠ âÂˆÂ“Ă•ĂŒ]ĂŠ*iĂ€ĂƒÂ…ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ,ÂˆĂ›>

* \ʙx{°Ă“ÂŁ{°£ĂˆĂŽÂ™ 8\ʙx{°Ă‡xĂ“°äxx{

“Since 1990, The Original Boat Blinds and Shades Manufacturer�

WOOD BOAT BLINDS: Color assortment includes teak, cherry, mahogany, and maple matches. Custom colors. Satin or gloss. SHEER HORIZONTAL SHADES: Patented 2� headrail system. Wire retention allows for offset installations and prevents sway. CELLULAR SHADES: Compact 7/8� bright aluminum rails for tight installations. Moving rail and continuous cord lift systems.

1-800-242-3344 Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA www.boatblindsintl.com

The Triton

Be positive to customers, even if your mood isn’t

-PPLJOH GPS RVBMJmFE DSFX

&2%% #2%7 3)'.50 7)4( 4()3 !$

www.the-triton.com

High notes, low notes, coughs, The solution is to focus on each gulps, groans and deep sighs. Boredom, word you utter during an initial rudeness, reticence, enthusiasm, welcome and understand the impact frustration ‌. of cheating on those words. A greeting, Wait a said sincerely and not because of minute, back up. company policy, is essential. Instill a Enthusiasm? I was mantra of first touch, first impression prepared for all and let your yacht team know how of the rest when important this role is. booking a hotel Listen thoroughly to a guest’s stay recently, but request before moving them on to not enthusiasm. the next stop, and let them know However, one it is a pleasure to do so. Even when enthusiastic your duties are piling up or if you are Serve It Up individual actually swamped with other responsibilities, Roberta Nedry had a lilt in her don’t compromise the message and voice, a sound and especially the impression. Address a feeling that she was happy to be there. extra or other duty coverage when Three of the four encounters I had service starts to slip or moods dip. featured everything but enthusiasm l Everything but the Kitchen Sink: and I was delightfully surprised when it How about encounters that allow happened. In most cases, I was greeted guests to hear coughing, wheezing, without a greeting, with exasperation burps, gulps, yawns and sighs? These and annoyance, and even given the messy sound effects often take place runaround. One person kept directing when moods are not so great. They me elsewhere instead of answering my really take away from the business at simple question. I had to work very hand and may cause a gust to turn hard to send them the business the away or miss valuable information. owners said that they wanted. Guests and customers may also feel In the yachting world, guests start more anxious due to a perceived lack of off excited to talk to the voices that attention or interest. will be part of their experience. If the The Solution: Recognize that any voices do not share interaction is actually One understanding their excitement and an ear recital, too. The in fact move a guest audience has paid full voice can ease the toward frustration or price to attend and is anxiety produced by depression, chances are listening to everything. the other less-pleasant the experience will go If one of these sound interactions. aground. Crew cannot effects is imminent and afford to seem annoyed cannot be controlled, by or not interested in guest desires, no cover your mouth with a hand or turn matter what mood they may be in. away. Show your guest that healthy For me, the lilt was a breath of fresh attention is coming their way and that air. She sensed my happiness and fed minding their business is the business me even more. I did not get her name at hand. but she became famous to my ears l The Moody Blues: What a that day. She cared, she responded, difference a mood makes in the she focused and she appreciated. I was delivery of any message. Guests can tell not just a number, but a customer that if any crew member is having a good or got her full attention in that moment. a bad day just by the tone of their voice. She smiled through each word. I could Inspection of inflection can prevent feel it in her voice. She answered my guest infection. Most yacht owners questions and added a little magic to would like to represent their frontline my unmagical day. as those who are happy to get inquiries I was grateful and amazed that one and in turn the business. voice could ease the anxiety produced The Solution: Keep a mirror handy by the other less-pleasant interactions. and examine the mood projected What made her different and why? during each moody moment. Most Whether in a good mood or bad, guests would be delighted to hear the before the holidays or after, consider energy of enthusiasm, the power of what service moments do or don’t professionalism and the sincerity of a happen when your moods take over. smile, taking service to the helm and l The Rush Syndrome: This includes tossing moody blues overboard. the busy crew member who can barely breathe because he or she has so much Roberta Nedry is president of to do. He or she is so absorbed in a Hospitality Excellence, a Ft. Lauderdaletask and desire to be efficient that the based firm that provides consulting and guest is left with a cold introduction, training on how to deliver exceptional an abrupt transition and a poor first service. Contact her at 954-739-5299 or impression. roberta@hospitalityexcellence.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

BOOK REVIEWS/GIVEAWAYS

April 2006

B25

Where book sales are concerned, timing is everything By Donna Mergenhagen On March 28, Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” was released to the United States market in paperback. After three years on the best seller list with sales exceeding 50 million copies, the paperback release appears to be timed to the film release. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, the film opening is scheduled for May. The runaway success of “The Da Vinci Code” pulled Brown’s other novels – “Digital Fortress”, “Deception Point”, “Angels and Demons” – onto best seller lists. “Digital Fortress” is a thriller centered on the concept of an intelligence agency operating below the public radar. A massive computer programmed to detect and decipher electronic communication is infected, then disabled, by a virus. Tension revolves around the government code breaker stymied by personal agendas of co-workers, the vindictive motivation of the hacker, and the stumbling efforts of her academic boyfriend. An embattled NASA discovers a rare object buried in Arctic ice in “Deception Point.” Object analysis may alter history as we know it, future space exploration, and the impending presidential election. The election accelerates the timeline to determine whether the discovery is a scientific hoax, a political plant, or a valid specimen.

“Angels and Demons” opens with the discovery of a murdered scientist. Robert Langdon, a symbologist from Harvard University, is called upon to decipher a brand on the body. The action moves to London, Paris and then Vatican City during a papal conclave. An ancient secret society with a vendetta against the Catholic Church is in possession of a weapon of mass destruction. The clues to disarm it are hidden in a puzzle of Roman architecture and landmarks. In “The Da Vinci Code,” Brown again fuses religion, art and hidden codes. Symbologist Langdon again is summoned when a curator is found dead in the Louvre next to a cipher. The paintings of Da Vinci suggest proof for the theory that Mary Magdalene and Jesus married and produced an heir. The bloodline, which has been protected by a secret society for centuries, is threatened. Langdon and the curator’s daughter are key to protecting the bloodline and proof it exists. Soon after publication, “The Da Vinci Code” drew criticism from religious groups who considered it a sacrilege. A number of broadcast news magazines have explored the premise of a married Jesus, the artwork of Da Vinci, and the architectural locations in the book. The theory that any publicity is good publicity seems to have been born out by the record number of books sold. The controversy also

New Great Lakes waterproof chart books The first Great Lakes waterproof chartbooks are available from Maptech. The charts cover cruising and fishing areas of Lake Michigan and western Lake Erie, including Lake St. Clair. The four-color books are 12 inches by 17 inches and include GPS waypoints on each chart page. Each book also comes with a companion CD that features the identical charts as well as real-time navigation software that can be used on a laptop or a personal computer. The books include: “Southern Lake Michigan, Ed. 1: Chicago and north to Milwaukee

and Manitowac, WI, and Muskegon and Ludington, MI,” 50 pages, scales 1:100,000 and larger. $59.95 ”Northern Lake Michigan, Ed. 1: Mackinac Island to Lake Charlevoix, Grand Traverse Bay, Manistee, Door County and Green Bay,” 68 pages, scales 1:100,000 and larger. $59.95 ”Western Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, Ed. 1,” includes Detroit and St. Clair rivers, 60 pages, scales 1:100,000 and larger. $69.95. Maptech Waterproof Chartbooks are available at marine stores nationwide or from Maptech at www.maptech.com or 1-888-839-5551.

Free this month: Bimini, barbecue books If you want one of these books, just ask. We only have one of each title. First come, first served. Contact Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. l “Bimini Cruising Guide” by Dave Kresge (David Kresge, 2003, $24.95, www.biminicruisingguide) is an in-depth guide to Bimini. It comes complete with a virtual tour CD. A captain friend who frequents the islands says the book has a lot of great information for first-timers, as well as some local info for mariners who’ve been there before. Written with casual

tone and humor and includes a Top 10 Reasons to Visit Bimini list. No. 1: Political correctness is still just a theory. All in all, a useful book. l “The Barbecue Bible” by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing, 1998, $27.95) is one of the most popular barbecue books on the market. It includes basics and recipes from around the world. We still have that vintage copy of “Don’t Stop the Carnival” by Herman Wouk as well as “Reed’s Professional Yacht Logbook” if anyone is interested.

created a cottage industry for books that argued against Brown’s premise. The Opus Dei Society based in New York figures prominently in the story and the portrayal is less than complimentary. It has been reported that the society is negotiating with the film’s producers to minimize the negative depiction in the film. Copyright lawsuits have also added to the news on author Dan Brown. In February, authors of the 1982 book “Holy Blood, Holy Grail” claimed Brown copied the central premise of their book. The case is being tried in

London. Scientists will find fault with the analyses in “Deception Point,” technology engineers will take issue with “Digital Fortress,” and clerics may discount the bloodline of Jesus, but each of Brown’s books is a fast-moving thriller. Codes and secret societies are a new twist for most readers of the mystery-suspense genre. Donna Mergenhagen owns Well Read, a used book store on Southeast 17th Street in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact her at 954467-8878.

B26

April 2006

PREDICTIONS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Aries: Rise to the challenge in April ARIES (March 20-April 19) A worthy opponent brings out the best in you, or the worst. There is simply no way around it now, Aries, and it reads like a boxing ring announcer’s dialogue. Retreat to the orlop, marshal your defenses, and come out with a plan. Mars in opposition to Pluto on the 8th highlights a Looking Up situation that I Maya White suspect has been long brewing. Watch your back on the 11th, and you are ready to speak your truth by the 13th when Mercury and Pluto take a poke at each other. Prepare for a counter attack on the 18th when Mercury squares Mars. This is all dynamic, and will be best resolved by honest dialogue. A secret advantage: plan and execute your best offense before Mars enters Cancer on the 13th. Mars in Gemini can think on his feet, and is also very good with his hands. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) It’s a good month to be a Taurus. Yes, things have been changing, which is not easy

for any fixed earth sign. But the best strategy is to just let it be. Activate your powers of magnetism and you’ll be sittin’ pretty up on the quarterdeck. The Sun traveling through your house of endings says “clean up and clear out anything that no longer serves you.” The New Moon of the 27th presents an opportunity to make great headway. Maintain your cool on the 30th when your ruling planet Venus activates the transformer Pluto. These two can become obsessed and you may have to retrieve your heart with a boat hook. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) I see a promotion and a big raise this month, Gemini. You are aptly rewarded for the hard work you have been doing in the first quarter of 2006. With Mars in your corner recently fueling these efforts, it probably wasn’t even that hard. Some of you will have to ask for your pay day, though. Here comes the tricky part. The parts of your life that offer rewards also ask that you first come to a place of confidence and integrity within yourself. And, off-balance aspects place you at risk of going off the deep end. Spend some quality time up on the bridge and look before you leap. CANCER (June 21-July 21) You may

be feeling a bit under the weather and not even understand why. The first quarter moon of April 5th in your sign is a call to action, yet other compelling forces this month keep you aft. Blame it on the nighttime sky. Now in Cancer, the asteroid goddess Vesta loves to be loved. But, she also misuses her crab claws; reaching out to protect and embrace, yet pinching and hurting instead. Make time for family meals and I’m not talking hardtack or seapie. This is what feeds your soul now. LEO (July 22-Aug. 22) You want and need more from your partner than you get this month. Why is it that the thing that attracts you the most about this person is the same thing that leaves you hanging out on the ratline? It has to be for and about you (in a good way). Your changing taste in partnerships reflects a transformation within yourself. It’s like getting acquainted all over again with that person inside your body. Gain strength in port and roar in the marketplace. Your peak days are the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Heed the astrological tenant “As above, so below” this month Virgo. Mercury square Pluto

See HOROSCOPES, page B27

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

PREDICTIONS

April 2006

Cycle of creativity for Capricorn HOROSCOPES, from page B26 on the 13th announces that the depth of your introspection shall equal the height of your achievement, and the payoff is golden. Make a mental note that not all of this gold is the elixir of alchemy either. Some of it is real pirates’ booty! Mid month be prepared to act fast; have fun but play safe. The 23rd and 24th also beckon as compelling days to worship at the temple of the goddesses. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 21) This month the Sun always travels through your solar sector of relationships, and how has that been going? Professional relationships are in the flow all month. I suspect some business associations will blend into your personal life and become much more intimate. One day to note on your calendar: the 18th. Any relationship consummated on this day will be grand, but it may not stand the test of time. SCORPIO (Oct. 22-Nov. 21) Jupiter will be retrograde in your sign until July 5, presenting a chance to consolidate recent gains and reconfigure the ones that have not yet quite manifested. Just make sure you want what you ask for. A wish on the Full Moon of April 13 will bring quick results if you focus desires. You are still in the zone; don’t forget it. You make good headway all month and reach safe anchorage by the 20th. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 20) Stars deliver aspects that can change your life as Mercury, Pluto and Mars engage in a tai-chi square and you must navigate through the eddy. At month’s end, the wise Sagi will examine what happened, and how did it make you feel? Don’t be taken aback. You may be challenged to defend your position. Hold firm and stay with the current. Changes provide the core of a fresh foundation that begins with New Moon on the 27th. CAPRICORN (Dec. 21-Jan. 19) Hold off

on making major decisions the week of the 3rd as things may look differently later in the month when you have a safe anchorage. The 19th is your peak day for April. Many Capricorn lazarettes have been cleaned recently with Saturn retrograde; now you are ready for action. The good news is that you are preparing for a cycle of creativity and joy. Observe carefully and watch how healthy children engage in play. These water sprites are your mentors for the upcoming months. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 17) Hopefully, the presence of expansive Jupiter in your 10th house of public image has expanded all the right things; he should be adding positive growth to your career and reputation. This is a great month for Aquarius! The Full Moon of the 13th is in Libra, an air sign compatible with yours. The planets tango on the 18th in a dance that should make you happy. Things are looking good; the only day you may make the binnacle list is the 5th, when Saturn, the co-ruler of your sign, may bring up a stubborn delay. PISCES (Feb. 18-March 19) Expect the unexpected around the 18th. Venus and Uranus make for capricious bedfellows and you are a dreamer. For some of you, this brings a long-yearned-for release. It may come with a price to pay, though. Mythic Ouranos (or Uranus) was both a child and lover of mother earth goddess Gaia. He is mostly remembered as a son of a gun and his children were treated like little powder monkeys. Hold on in whatever way works best for you on the 23rd and 24th. Favorable aspects to your planetary ruler Neptune promise that all events ultimately favor you. Maya White is a professional astrologer living in South Florida. With 25 years experience, she is one of only 86 people in the world certified in AstroCarto-Graphy, a specialized branch of astrology that addresses issues relating to location and travel. Contact her at 954-920-2373 or through www. whitestarasrtology.com.

À Ì Ã Ê >ÀÌiÀi`Ê VV Õ Ì> Ì A full accounting and tax service available to expatriates, comprising the following: • All accounting work and payroll tax filings for U.S. corporations. • Corporation and personal income tax returns. • Due diligence work relating to business purchases. • Advise on international tax issues. • Non-resident aliens working in the USA. • Foreign bank accounts. `ÀiÜÃÊ VV Õ Ì> VÞÊ V nxÈÈÊ 7Ê£ Ê À°ÊUÊ À> Ê-«À }Ã]Ê ÊÎÎäÇ£ * \ÊÎäx ÎÓÎ £ÓÇnÊUÊ 8\Ê x{ Î{x xn{ÊUÊ > `x Óä{äJ> °V

• Mailbox Rentals & Mail Forwarding • Packing & Postal Services • Shipping Domestic & International • Free pick-ups & estimates for large shipments • Full Printing, Copy Center & Notory

FREIGHT

Next to Bistro Mezzaluna 757 S.E. 17th St. • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 Mon.-Fri. 8:00-6:00 • Sat. 9:00-5:00 • Sun. 9:00-1:00

Promenades Shops by Circuit City 20533 Biscayne Blvd. • Aventura, FL 33180 Mon.-Fri. 8:30-6:00 • Sat. 9:00-5:00

(954) 764-6900

(305) 935-1600

mbe17stcswyftlaudfl@hotmail.com

mbeaventurafl@hotmail.com

B27

B28

April 2006

IN THE STARS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

It’s April, kids! Time to play the Big Dipper Game By Jack Horkheimer Every April, I like to remind all star gazers how to play the old Big Dipper game. The Big Dipper in April is positioned in such a way that it gives relevance to an old folk saying and can be used to find two incredible stars high in the heavens. On any night in any April between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m., look due north where you’ll see the Big Dipper almost directly above and just to the right of the North Star. Its cup is pointed down in such a way that if it were filled full of water, the water would

pour out directly to the ground below. This image gives a celestial significance to that old saying “April showers bring May flowers” because every April in early evening, the biggest water dipper of the heavens is indeed pouring its imaginary water onto the Earth below. But aside from the water-pouring aspect of the Dipper at this season, we can use the three stars that make its handle as a finder to locate two stars of spring, which are absolutely wonderful and which are also high up in the heavens in April. Simply draw an imaginary line through the handle of the Big Dipper,

extend it in the same curve as the

handle, and you’ll “arc” to the bright its middle. The only reason it appears star Arcturus, the brightest star of so much dimmer than Venus is because Bootes the Herdsman. Then, if you it is so incredibly much farther away. extend that curve on from Arcturus, Venus’ average distance from the Sun is you can speed on directly to Spica, the only 67 million miles while George is a brightest star of Virgo the Virgin. whopping 1.8 billion miles. Brighter Arcturus is relatively Remember the old rule that the close, only 35 light years away, which closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster means we see the light that left it it travels and the farther a planet is in 1971. Spica, however, is almost 8 from the Sun the slower it travels. times farther away than Arcturus, Venus is so close, it makes one trip 260 light years, which means we see around the Sun every 225 Earth days. the light that left it in 1746, 30 years It takes George 84 Earth years to make before the signing of the Declaration of one trip around the Sun. Independence. And unlike the other planets, George Incredible as it seems, even though circles the Sun tilted on its side. So we rarely think about it when we look for 42 years its north pole is pointed at the stars, we are toward the Sun and really looking back in the other 42 years ‘So how did this time. How far back in its south pole is lovely planet [Uranus] time depends on how pointed toward the far away each star is. get the name George? Sun. Weird to say the least, just like its So when I say that Well, when it was former name. Arcturus is 35 light discovered in 1781 by years away it really So how did this means that when English astronomer Sir lovely planet get you look at Arcturus the name George? William Herschel, he this month you are Well, when it was seeing Arcturus not discovered in 1781 by named it George’s star as it actually exists English astronomer after King George the but as it existed 35 Sir William Herschel, years ago. And when Third of England. Other he named it George’s you speed on to Spica star after King astronomers not in and look at it this George the Third month you are seeing favor of this royal boot of England. Other Spica not as it exists licking immediately astronomers not now but as it existed in favor of this renamed it Herschel. 260 years ago. royal boot licking immediately So is it possible Later, in keeping with renamed it that we ever see stars now that are no the mythological names Herschel. Later, in keeping with the longer in existence? of the other planets, it names The answer is, yes was finally decided that mythological of the other planets, indeed, although it was finally decided we’re quite sure it should be renamed it should be Arcturus and Spica for the Greek god of the that renamed for the are still there. sky, Uranus.’ Greek god of the sky, Uranus, a name that Venus pays a visit has been abused and amused many to George ever since. Venus will pay a super close visit to a With your binoculars, Venus will planet named George on April 17-19. look like a brilliant diamond. And only On April 17, an hour before sunrise, face east and right in front of you you’ll 1 degree away, which is the width of two full Moons, you’ll see the bluishsee a dazzling bright object, our old friend planet No. 2 from the Sun, 8,000- green Uranus. But the best is yet to come because on Tuesday, April 18, mile-wide Venus. Venus is often called Venus and Uranus will be only 3/10 of the twin sister of Earth because it is one degree apart, about the same width almost the same size. Venus is the brightest planet of them as a quarter Moon. On April 19, they’ll once again be only 1 degree apart. all, but if you look down and to its left, Dust off those binoculars and keep you’ll see a faint tiny blue-green dot looking up. of light that is the dimmest naked-eye planet of all, the planet formerly known Jack Horkheimer is executive director of – no kidding – as George. If you can’t the Miami Museum of Science. This is find George with the naked eye, don’t the script for his weekly television show feel badly because I never can either. I co-produced by the museum and WPBT always use a small pair of binoculars. Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public Then it’s absolutely easy to find. television stations around the world. George is much bigger than Venus, 32,000 miles wide. It’s so huge we could For more information about stars, visit line up four Venuses side by side across www.jackstargazer.com.

B30

April 2006

ON THE HORIZON

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Company

Page

A1A Chem Dry B6 Alexseal Marina A24 Andrews Accountancy B27 Antibes Yachtwear B15 Argonautica Yacht Interiors A6 ARW Maritime B13 Ashley Marina A10 Automated Marine Systems B6 Axon Products B2 Bahia Mar Yachting Center A18 The Beard Marine Group B25 Bellingham Marine A35 Bennett Brothers Yachts A24 Boat Blinds International B24 Boater’s World A25 The Boathouse A34 BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply A44 Bradford: The Shipyard Group A33 Bravo Delta Engineering B14 Broward Marine A8 Brownie’s Yachtdiver A21 Buccaneer Beach Bar A34 Budget Marine B10 Business cards B16-21 C&N Yacht Refinishing A2 Camper & Nicholsons International A16 Camille’s Cafe A25 Cape Ann Towing B31 Charleston City Marina B4 Charlie’s Locker A25 Claire’s Marine Outfitters A7 Constitution Marina A36 Crewfinders B24 Deep Sea Adventures A20 Dockwise Yacht Transport A37, B32 Dunn Marine B13 Ecoland Expeditions A39 Edd Helms Marine B26 Elite Crew International B27 Emerald Bay A26 Essentials Boutique A25 Finish Masters B24 GelcoatColorMatching.com B4 Global Marine Travel A5 Global Satellite A41 Global WiFi A37 Global Yacht Fuel A35 Gourmet Galley A16 The Grateful Palate B11 Harbor Shops A25 Heidi Kublik Massage Therapist A4 Inlet Fine Wine & Spirits B5 Island Marine Electric B26 Kemplon Marine A28 Larry Smith Worldwide B8

Company

Page

Lauderdale Propeller A17 Lauderdale Speedometer A39 Lifeline Inflatable Services A26 Light Bulbs Unlimited A40 Mackay Communications B23 Mail Boxes Etc. B27 Mail Quarters A17 Mango Marine B8 Maritime Professional Training A11 Maritime Underwriters A16 Marshall Islands Yacht Registry A41 Matthew’s Marine A38 Megafend A22-23 MHG Marine Benefits A12 The Mrs. G Team B2 Multihulls B10 Nauti Tech A13 Newport Shipyard A6 North Cove Marina A40 Northrop & Johnson A18 Ocean World Marina A3 Oregon Camera Systems A19 Orion Yacht Solutions A39 Perry Law Firm A38 Pettit Paint/KopCoat B7 Pier 17 B9 Professional Tank Cleaning A40 Quiksigns A27 Radio Holland USA B14 Resolve Marine Group A20 Rich Beers Marine B15 River Supply River Services A28 Rossmare International Bunkering B28 RPM Diesel Engine Co. B23 Sailorman A2 Schot Designer Photography B28 Secure Chain & Rope Company B11 Shadow Marine A9 Smart Move B11 SRI Specialty Risk International A26 St. Lawrence Gallery B15 SunPro Marine A21 Sunshine Medical Center B31 Todd Michaels Floral Company B26 TowBoatUS B10 Turtle Cove Marina A38 Universal Travel A42 Village East B3 Virgin Islands Charteryacht League B28 Westrec Marinas A42 Wet Effect B9 Windjammer B29 Yacht Entertainment Systems B25 Yachting Pages B27 Yachting Unlimited A4

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

EVENT OF MONTH - THE TRITON TURNS 2

Birthday parties never lose their appeal, and this one will be a blast. See familiar faces, make some new friends, enjoy the food, casino tables, the raffle items and ... oh, yeah, have a complimentary cocktail FILE PHOTO or two. If you’re in South Florida, come by for the fun.

April 27, 6-9 p.m. Fort Lauderdale

The Triton is turning 2 so it’s time to party. Join us for a moonless night of reverie as we celebrate our birthday in true Mardi Gras style aboard a Shadow boat docked in Ft. Lauderdale. There will be complimentary cocktails from Inlet Fine Wine & Spirits, Cajun-inspired food, casino tables and great raffle items. No RSVP or tickets required. Just come have fun. Visit www.the-triton.com for more details as the date draws near, or call us at 954-525-0029.

Ferretti Group captains, get ready for your training Through April 30 Wired to Win:

Surviving the Tour de France, IMAX, Ft. Lauderdale, 401 S.W. Second St., 954-467-6637 or 954-463-IMAX (4629). Fly between the jagged peaks of the French Pyrenees into the lives of internationally ranked professional cyclists in one of the most grueling athletic competitions in the world – the 21-day Tour de France. Various dates and times.

April 5-7 Convergence Navi. The

annual training session for Ferretti Group captains on yachts over 80 feet (24m). www.ferrettigroup.com, convergence@ferrettigroup.com

April 1 Yachts depart Isla del Rey

in the Las Perlas Islands (60 nm west of Panama City) for year-long Superyacht Pacific Rally. After Galapagos, they go to Marquesas Islands. www.sypacific.com

April 1-2 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Ft. Lauderdale. This is the first tournament of the 2006 series featuring more than 150 of the top

athletes in this sport. The main draw competition is on Saturday, with men and women’s finals on Sunday. www.avp.com

April 2 SunTrust Sunday Jazz

Brunch (first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Free. www. fortlauderdale.gov

April 3-9 The Masters, Augusta, Georgia. One of golf ’s major tournaments. www.pga.com

April 6-9 11th China International Boat Show, Shanghai Exhibition Center. www.cmpsinoexpo.com/ boat

April 15-23 Tennis Masters

Series Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Country Club, Monaco. Clay court tournament with more than 2.4 million euro in prize money. http:// montecarlo.masters-series.com See CALENDAR, page B31

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

ON THE HORIZON

April 2006

B31

Tennis, fishing, diving, adventure sports: What’s your game? CALENDAR, from page B30

April 20-23 Boat Asia 2006,

Singapore. www.boat-asia.com

April 20-25 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Antigua Yacht Club Marina, West Indies. 268-4601799, classic@candw.ag, www. antiguaclassics.com

April 21-23 10th annual Ocean Fest

Dive and Adventure Sports Expo, Ft. Lauderdale beach, $9 ($7 online, three-day discounts), 954-839-8516, www.oceanfest.com

April 23 27th annual Day at the

Docks, Port of San Diego, signaling the official start of Southern California’s spring saltwater fishing season. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission, parking and shuttle. www.sportfishing.org.

April 26 Affordable Wireless

Communication at Sea, free seminar by Boat Owners Warehouse, featuring pros from Icom, Cruising Mail and Global Satellite. Includes a demonstration of Internet, faxes, e-mails and voice communication. 6:15 p.m. at BOW, 1720 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., 954-4575081. Refreshments, door prizes.

April 27-30 4th annual St. Michaels

Food & Wine Festival, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. www. stmichaelsfoodandwinefestival.com

April 29-30 10th annual Plywood

Regatta, Dania Beach pier. This two-day event is produced by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and helps introduce local school kids to boating. They build a boat out of plywood one day, race them the next. Sponsors and mentors welcome. 954-524-2733, www.plywoodregatta.org.

April 30-May 5 39th annual Rolex Antigua Sailing Week, www. sailingweek.com

May 2-6 18th annual MYBA

Charter Show, Genoa, Italy. www. mybachartershow.net

May 5-14 15th Annual St. Lucia

Jazz Festival. www.stluciajazz.org, slutour@candw.lc, or in the U.S. 800456-3984

May 5-7 16th annual Spring

Charteryacht Show, St. Thomas, USVI, American Yacht Harbor,

pamela@vicl.org, (800)524-2061. http://vicl.org/events.html

May 6-7 McDonald’s Air & Sea

Show, Fort Lauderdale beach between Las Olas and Oakland Park boulevards. Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration team and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. Free. (954) 527-5600, ext. 4; www. nationalsalute.com

May 7 SunTrust Sunday Jazz

Brunch (first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Free. www. fortlauderdale.gov

May 9 International Marine

Standards Summit and ISO Plenary Session, Annapolis. Hosted by the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), in conjunction with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 188 Plenary Session (May 11). For info, contact Cindy Love, at (410) 956-1050, ext. 28 or clove@abycinc.org, www. abyinc.org.

May 19 Australian Superyacht

Industry Gala Awards, Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove. For info, contact Lance Cushion at +61 (7) 5577 9933 or lcushion@ superyachtbase.com.

May 17-21 Beirut Boat 2006,

Beirut Lebanon. The fifth annual International Boat & Superyacht show. The Middle East’s luxury pleasure boat sector accounts for almost a fifth of global super-yacht sales. Surging luxury boat sales

have, in turn, generated massive demand for mooring facilities. Regional seafront developers have responded by building one luxury marina after another. www. biztradeshows.com/trade-events/ boat-beirut.html

May 17-28 59th Cannes Film

Festival, Cannes, France. www. festival-cannes.org

May 18-21 32nd annual Newport

Spring Boat Show, Newport Yachting Center, 366 Thames St., (401) 846-1115, www.newportspringboatshow.com

B32

April 2006

XXXXXXXXXX

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.