TWIC is a go
No problem
Crew agents press on after MerrillStevens shutdown.
A12 Vol. 5, No. 1
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UK issues its report of the fire that sank Lady Candida. Ax
SURVEY
Shelter Bay Marina was at full-capacity March 19, as seen from the deck of the 177-foot S/Y Shenandoah. The small boats in the foreground are carrying actors and stuntmen filming the latest 007 movie. In the background are the S/Y Independence, the S/F Steadfast, the M/Y Olga, and others. PHOTO/RUSS GOEDJEN
‘I’ve never seen it this bad’ Maintenance work on two locks creates 2- to 4-week backlog The Panama Canal Authority has limited the number of yachts allowed to make the passage to six a day, creating a month-long backlog as of late March. Only three yachts from each direction are allowed to cross and they may only begin crossings every other day. “I have a 100-foot yacht arriving tonight (March 19) and they’re going to have to wait until April 22 or 23 to transit,” said Tina McBride, an agent for a shipping firm that helps arrange crossings between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. “I’ve been doing this 18 years and I’ve never seen it this bad. All the marinas here are full.” A recent steamship agent report showed a projected backlog of 119 boats and some say up to 120 boats
Rules broken
April 2008
PANAMA CANAL TRAFFIC JAM
By Kelly Cramer
U.S. Coast Guard statement affirms mariners need new ID. A10
will have to wait two to four weeks to traffic is one of the measures the transit. authority took to ease the back-up. The canal authority announced Also, yachts are allowed to cross only the restrictions in a March 14 at night, keeping the canal clear for advisory. According to Manuel E. commercial traffic during the day. Benitez, the authority’s vice president Factors such as weather and a boat of operations, a getting snagged in surge of arrivals in a lock also affect A recent steamship late February that whether 25, 30 agent report showed coincided with or 45 vessels get critical maintenance a projected backlog of through the canal work at two locks every day. 119 boats. are to blame for the Capt. Bernard current traffic jam. Calot of the 121Numbers that Benitez’s division foot M/Y Olga waited only nine days released for February since 2005 show and was able to leave March 19. only modest increases from 1,012 “They kept saying this date then vessels that year to 1,040 in 2006, that date,” Calot said. “And for yachts 1,244 in 2007 and 1,069 this year. arriving now, they will have to wait a In his memo, Benitez said all month.” maintenance work has stopped and Calot said he’s been told that the additional staff has been deployed to canal pilots, who have been working the locks. Because commercial traffic without a contract for a few years, is a priority, limiting non-commercial See PANAMA, page A18
Immigration problem-free to most crew By Lucy Chabot Reed Over the past few years, The Triton has published several stories about captains and crew who have had runins with U.S. immigration officials. Are these exceptions to a system that generally operates efficiently and properly, or do many non-U.S. megayacht crew have problems coming into the United States to work on a yacht? In an effort to get a sense of how prevalent this issue is, we asked yacht crew about their experiences. While there are a few passing mentions to crew aboard private yachts on some embassy home pages, we can find no explicit policy or law that plainly states which visa is the “right” visa (generally believed to be the B1/ B2) or “wrong” visa (generally believed to be the C1/D). See SURVEY, page A16
Non-U.S., Euro builders offer savings at a cost At the request of a couple of captains, we assembled operators (and previous operators) of Asian-built motoryachts to discuss the benefits and challenges of ordering yachts at significantly lower cost than Americanor European-built vessels. The conversation From the Bridge veered away Lucy Chabot Reed from vessels built solely in Asia and ultimately incorporated any vessels by builders that were either new to building megayachts or new to marketing their vessels to the
See BRIDGE, page A19
A April 2008
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WHAT’S INSIDE Ocean monitors, page A14
SeaKeepers Professionals lowered rates to draw more crew, like these folks on M/Y Silver Lining.
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LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT
April 2008
Greenwalds celebrate eight great years Capt. Tedd and Mary Ellen Greenwald have just hit eight years aboard the 91-foot classic Burger M/Y Go Fourth, a privately owned vessel based out of Delray Beach. “I think the key to this long run is a very knowledgeable owner who expects the highest professional Latitude standards in Adjustment maintenance, Lucy Chabot Reed appearance and safety as well as having no other full-time crew,” Capt. Greenwald said. The yacht has regularly scheduled trips to Derecktor where Greenwald says he has been going for 25 years. “We have totally renovated the vessel over the last eight years,” he said. “Butch Pliske surveyed the boat and had 35 pages of single-spaced recommendations and we have done them all and more.” The Greenwalds have hobbies outside the boat. Capt. Greenwald has developed his photography into a gallery-worthy collection. In fact, he recently exhibited in both Michigan
and Delray Beach (the annual run for the vessel), and recently sold a largeformat landscape for $1,000. We’re waiting for more. Mary Ellen has set up a mini greenhouse in the crew cabin where she recycles the orchids that decorate the boat. Watch for more about that in the months ahead, too. The couple have been married 27 years, nearly all of them on boats. (Three of those boats were for stretches of six years or more.)
Capt. Jeffrey Hoerr has left the M/Y Sea Bear (the former Vita Bella) after being with the boat for 2 1/2 years. He has relocated to Seattle to be with his fiancé and become a step-
father to twin boys. While there, he’ll oversee the build of a new Westport 130, Hull # 1527, and take her to Alaska this summer. Capt. John Fentress, formerly of M/Y Tooth Fairy and most recently a project manager at Thunderbolt Marine in Savannah, has taken over Sea Bear. “I’m very thankful for this opportunity,” Fentress said. “Ones like this don’t come along very often. It’s a perfect fit for me and my family. Jeff is a great guy, and we had a very smooth handover. I wish him all the best.” By the way, Hoerr reports in that his former crew mates from M/Y Wanderin’ Star – Mate/Eng. Kelly Swainson and Chef/Stew Sarah Schofield – are engaged. “Finally,” Hoerr said. Capt. Chris Walsh of M/Y Lord Jim was taking his Dynamic Positioning courses in Norway this winter. “I must be nuts; Norway in the winter?” he wrote in. “I could have taken the classes in Brazil.” No word yet on whether that counts extra. Capt. David Butler has taken
See LATITUDES, page A4
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A April 2008
LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT
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Capt. Lawson takes the helm of M/Y da Bubba (ex-Katina) LATITUDES, from page A3 command of the 165-foot Perini Navi Perseus. According to a nice write-up in his local newspaper in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, Butler was the relief captain on the yacht, repositioning her from the Med to the Caribbean on his sixth trans-Atlantic. He has also been bosun onboard since last year. Before joining Perseus, Butler was first officer S/Y Morning Glory and S/Y Lady Lauren.
For more crew names and faces, see photos from our most recent networking event on page C2.
like to make it sound like an Olympic event,” Jen Wallace said. We’ll keep our ears and eyes out for the next phase of the Wallaces’ careers in the fall.
Capt. Taylor Lawson has taken over the 100-foot Hargrave M/Y da Bubba, formerly Katina. With no time to lose, the yacht headed off for a charter in the Bahamas and he had to bail on our captain’s lunch last month. Next time, Capt. Lawson, next time.
Capt. Jim and Kim Steel of Steel Marine Towing in Ft. Lauderdale welcomed a baby daughter to their family on Jan. 8, Jaiden Mackenzie Steel. Check out that full head of dark hair. Capt. Tony Fergusson and Chef Dawn Cameron were married on Feb. 24 in Wainui Beach, New Zealand, accompanied by family and friends. The couple returned to Ft. Lauderdale in March to take over the exploration M/Y Quan Yin and prepare her for a world cruise. Talk about a honeymoon. After the recent sale of M/Y Halcyon Days, Capt. Stan Wallace and Purser Jen Wallace took some time off to relax and catch up with friends before heading home to Australia. Before leaving the northern hemisphere, though, Capt. Wallace, Fred Lemon of Wet Effect, Geraint Morris and Reinhard Perhab participated in the Toboggan Nationals in Maine. It’s really just a big party, but they
Chef Peter Ziegelmeier of M/Y Curt C and Veronica Lui were married March 8 in a lovely ceremony at the water’s edge in West Palm Beach. The music was fun and the wild table was made up of Ziegelmeier’s crew mates. The food, of course, was divine. Ziegelmeier had spent the previous three days preparing it. After 4 ½ years running the 180-foot Feadship M/Y Huntress, Capt. Mark Howard and Purser Susan Howard are resigning effective this month. Capt. Paul Knox is scheduled to take over this month in Savannah after one more charter to the Bahamas. The Howards say they plan to take a little down time in Ft. Lauderdale and promise to make time for some Triton events. Just in time, too. Our next networking event is the first Wednesday in April at Radio Holland’s new store (for more, see page C4), and our big birthday bash is on April 16 (see the ad on page A8.) Send news of your promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
The Triton
www.the-triton.com LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT: YachtAid Global
YachtAidGlobal makes first delivery of school supplies YachtAid Global, a charitable organization that engages megayachts to transport goods to needy communities in the world, has delivered its first shipment of school supplies to a village in Costa Rica. Capt. Mark Drewelow, formerly of M/Y Dorothea and head of the consulting firm C2C, founded YachtAid Global last year and shared the details of its first delivery this spring. M/Y Ice Bear, a client of C2C, departed Seattle in January bound for Costa Rica. The 167-foot Feadship frequents remote areas of Central America during the winter and has worked with YachtAid Global before. School supplies were ordered from Costco on Feb. 24. Marc Franken, owner of Frankentek, was YachtAid’s first corporate sponsor, taking financial responsibility for the entire school supply order. New Jersey-based Frankentek designs and installs security systems on megayachts. The next day the goods were delivered to Ice Bear and stored away for the long passage south. Capt. Cy Butler rose up to the task of carrying the supplies and engaging his crew to absorb the tasks necessary to host the effort. Enersto Andrade is YachtAid’s yacht agent partner with offices in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and Los Suenos
The well-dressed children contrasted sharply with the sparse appearance PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. MARK DREWELOW of their school. Marina. Since 2006, he has helped YachtAid find appropriate schools for assistance. He helped choose the school in the village of La Islita. La Islita is a boat ride through mangrove-lined waterways from Puntarenas and needs every sort of school supply imaginable. About a dozen children of various ages attend school there. As with most schools in Central America, the kids somehow are always neatly dressed. The smartness of the
kids is in stark contrast with the sparse school, which has a roof and floor but no walls and few supplies. “The school at La Islita is typical of the facilities that YachtAid Global works with: rural coastal communities that are off the radar,” Drewelow said. “With the growing number of large yachts visiting those areas, we have key elements in place to effect change.” For more information about YachtAid Global, visit www. yachtaidglobal.org.
April 2008
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A April 2008
NEWS: Lady Candida fire
Numerous errors cited in Candida’s fire, sinking
The Triton
Owners need to invest in seamanship This was written by a former marine safety instructor who is tangentially involved with the sinking of Lady Candida. It is for that reason that the writer’s name is being withheld, upon request.
By Kelly Cramer A maintenance plan, more sleep and better communication could have prevented a 2007 fire that destroyed the M/Y Lady Candida, according to a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in the United Kingdom. On a charter in late July last year about three miles off the coast of Corsica, a guest aboard the 96-foot Benetti reported smelling smoke. Clothes in the dryer were on fire, crew members quickly discovered. They were able to extinguish those flames but not in time to control the blaze. No one was injured – two crew members took the guests to shore in the tender. The captain and remaining crew used a lifeboat to get away after determining the fire was out of control. The MAIB investigated the fire and in a report issued in late February, the agency listed specific departures from
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The Lady Candida caught fire and ultimately sank near Corsica while on PHOTO COURTESY OF MAIB charter in July. No one was injured. requirements in the Large Yacht Code: l There was no safety management system. l No engineer was carried. l The captain had not completed mandatory fire-fighting training. l Regular fire and safety drills were not carried out on board. l No records of work and rest were maintained. l Seventeen persons were carried on board when only 16 were permitted due to limitations in life-saving equipment. l There were no crew or passenger induction procedures. l There were no routine maintenance tasks to check smoke detector batteries or clean lint from the
dryers. l The portable emergency fire pump was stored in a location with difficult access, and it had not been tested for five months. l Life raft servicing date was overdue by five months. l No children’s lifejackets were carried. l Neither the captain nor the senior deckhand was aware that the fire pump could be started from the galley. l There was no crew agreement in place. l Only two crew had written employment contracts. l No assistance to crew was See FIRE, page A9
A recent spate of articles in the yachting press about crew training and the passing of the “yachting lifestyle” brackets the boundaries of the crewing problem that is threatening to cripple the yachting industry even as it experiences its greatest period of growth. There really is a crew shortage. It is worldwide, and it is causing problems for the owners and operators of vessels from tugboats to tankers. Crews working longer hours for longer periods to meet charter schedules leads to retention problems. Good people who recognize bad situations find other places to work. The trend toward finding a technological solution to a lack of
See INSTRUCTOR, page A13
April 16th, 2008 • 6-9 p.m. Briny Irish Pub, along Riverwalk in downtown Ft. Lauderdale The Triton turns 4 and there’s no place we’d rather you be than celebrating with us. Join us for great food, a complimentary starter cocktail, music you love and some choice raffle prizes. Get creative and wear your best 70s garb because crew members with the greatest outfits will take home Triton goodies.
Space is limited so this party is invitation only for captains, crew, our advertisers and our special, loyal readers. If you fit into one of those categories, e-mail us at
birthday@the-triton.com to request an invite.
SPONSORED BY
B l u e w a t e r LT D • C a m p e r & N i c h o l s o n s I n t e r n a t i o n a l • G l o b a l Ya c h t F u e l • K e m p l o n M a r i n e M a r i t i m e P r o f e s s i o n a l Tr a i n i n g • M H G M a r i n e B e n e f i t s • O n C a l l I n t e r n a t i o n a l • P r a k t e k • S e a m o b i l e
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NEWS: Lady Candida fire
Former crew had documented that the dryers would overheat FIRE, from page A6 provided on the day they were shipwrecked. The names of the captain, crew, charter guests, owners and managers were not in the report. Mistakes by every level of the yacht’s management contributed to the fire, the MIAB said. Problems with the dryers overheating had been documented by crew who had left the yacht. An undated photo of the flap over the air outlet that was included in the MIAB’s report shows heat damage. That former crew had resolved the problem by regularly cleaning the air outlet, but that information had not been relayed to the captain or crew during a 2006 handover, according to the report. On the day of the fire, the dryers had been running all day and lint had built up in the air outlet. “Statistical evidence indicates that a large number of tumble dryer fires are caused by vent blockage leading to overheating and fire,” the report stated. “As tumble dryers on board large charter yachts are likely to be in frequent use, particularly when guests are embarked, the risk of lint accumulation is high. Therefore, it is essential that accumulated lint is cleaned from the machines and air vent pipes at regular intervals if overheating, and possibly fire, is to be avoided.” Had the crew been able to get water on the fire early on, damage could have been minimal. But not only did the alarms fail to sound, the crew could not get the fixed pump started and made no attempt to use the portable pump, according to the report. Furthermore, the captain did not initially slow the yacht or alter the course in order to reduce the wind over the foredeck. Fatigue, the report said, could be partly to blame for the captain’s poor decision-making. The MAIB said: “Given the vessel’s recent transAtlantic voyage in rough sea conditions, the captain’s increased workload following the departure of the engineer, the pressure of preparing the vessel for charter after returning from the Caribbean, along with the demands of operating a yacht on commercial charter, which resulted in the captain achieving less than five hours sleep in each 24-hour period, it is highly likely that the performance of the captain was affected by fatigue. “In addition, his decisions and actions were taken in an extremely stressful situation, and as the only senior deck [officer who] had been trained in fire-fighting and none of the remaining crew had participated in onboard fire and safety drills, the support available to the captain was
limited.” Because of severe weather, the yacht’s arrival in the Mediterranean had taken more than a week longer than the captain expected and the weary crew began a 10-day charter the day after their arrival on July 12. The engineer quit July 13 and hadn’t been replaced by the time the fire broke out. The yacht’s manager or owner may have wanted to consider other arrangements for back-to-back charters, the report said. According to the MIAB: “Yacht management companies cover all aspects of the day-to-day management of a vessel, including: technical management, registration, recruitment, administration and insurance, purchasing, ISPS, and ISM. However, the acquisition of such services is frequently seen by owners as unnecessary and expensive. This is unfortunate as the interpretation and application of applicable regulations is not always straightforward and, had the operation of Lady Candida been subject to periodic oversight by a person with an understanding of the requirements of LY1 and other national regulations, this would have at least provided an independent verification of the vessel’s compliance. Importantly, the absence of a safety management system would probably have been highlighted. “Adherence to the requirements of the safety management system would have then helped to identify and rectify many of the above departures, several of which were contributory to the fire and subsequent sinking. “It is understood that there is currently a shortage of appropriately qualified captains and crew within the large yacht industry. As the industry continues to grow, … the availability of trained personnel is unlikely to improve in the short term. In these circumstances, the importance of safety management in the large yacht industry, in ensuring the safe operation of its vessels, is likely to increase.” Finally, when the captain and crew who escaped on a lifeboat reunited on land with the crew who had taken the guests ashore, they contacted the owner’s legal representative in Paris. The representative told the captain he should be able to take care of himself and the crew on his own. A local firehouse put them up for the night. The following day, the captain was able to reach the owner who arranged for a friend in the region to house the crew until they could make arrangements to go home. Kelly Cramer is managing editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at Kelly@the-triton.com.
April 2008
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A10 April 2008
NEWS: TWIC regulations
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U.S. Coast Guard affirms that U.S. mariners need TWIC By Lucy Chabot Reed The U.S. Coast Guard issued a statement on March 13 reiterating its regulations that all licensed U.S. mariners must have a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) by Sept. 25. The Marine Safety Information Bulletin 18-08 issued by the commander of Sector Charleston reads, in part, that “all credentialed merchant mariners require a TWIC.” It cites several federal regulations, including 46
CFR 10.113 and 46 CFR 12.01-11. In citing 46 CFR 15.415, it points out that owners and operators of vessels are required “to employ or engage only licensed/documented individuals that hold TWICs.” The preamble to the TWIC final rule states, “MTSA was clear and unambiguous, leaving little if any room for agency interpretation. Essentially, all individuals must hold a TWIC in order to be eligible for unescorted access to secure areas of MTSA regulated facilities or vessels. In
addition, the statute was very clear that all credentialed Merchant Mariners will be issued a biometric identification card, which will be the TWIC.” The preamble also states, “Licensed mariners, regardless of their employer or working location, must obtain TWICs due to sec. 102 of MTSA (46 U.S.C. 70105(b)(2)(B)), which states that the TWIC requirement applies to ‘an individual issued a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariners document under part E of subtitle II of this title.’ Additionally,
the statute requires that any individual requiring unescorted access to secure areas of a vessel or facility regulated by 33 CFR part 104, 105, or 106 obtain a TWIC, regardless of whether they are licensed or unlicensed.” Chris Weiller, the port security specialist for USCG District 7 (which stretches from the Carolinas through Florida), said it is irrelevant whether a mariner needs unescorted access to a secure area.
See TWIC, page A11
Protesting this identity card isn’t the smartest fight to pick A few thoughts on the article about the TWIC program and about U.S. requirements in general. [“Rules regarding new identification card are unclear,” page A8, March issue.] First and foremost, a U.S. license – with the exception of towing – is a nonrestricted license. It can be used for any vessel within its tonnage limits. The plan is for the license, the STCW and the TWIC to be combined into one document. I have been reading the cons of this system for more than three years, and the TWIC is the only item of the system that is ready, so it doesn’t make sense except to the ones who make the rules. With that said, a careful reading of the rule-making proposals and other literature seem to say that if you have a license, you have to have a TWIC. If you are a professional mariner, you do what they say and get on with it. The process is simple. It takes a few minutes online and 30 minutes at the center. They e-mail you when it is ready and you set an appointment to pick it up. For far too long the yachting community has failed to realize that it works within the framework of a system that governs waterborne commerce. The sooner this is accepted, the sooner things will be better for all. It is better to pick your fight rather than fight it all, because soon no one listens and you lose all the time. The commercial industry has fought the TWIC program since inception and has gotten nowhere. Ignoring the program will probably delay a license renewal. Besides, having a TWIC shows – as of that date – you have a clean criminal background to present to employers, so there is one pro that needs to be mentioned. In doing a monthly review of the Coast Guard licensing site, I came across the following which you might want to put forth so individuals can make informed decisions about
applying for a TWIC without relying on some else’s assessment of the situation. In the license site under “Links” it goes to the TWIC and gives nearly 500 pages of information. Mariners need to check 46 USC 70105(b)(2)(B)(C)(D); 46 CFR parts 10, 12 and 15; 33 CFR parts 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 125; and 49 CFR 1515, 1540, 1570, and 1572. Just that you have presented this issue and have it out there this is the way for everyone to inform themselves to make decisions. Capt. David Black
Right hand, left hand, TWIC hand
When I read your article on the TWIC I decided to be safe rather than sorry and went online to their Web site and pre-enrolled. I then set up an appointment on the same Web site. The calendar was basically empty. My appointment was at 1000 on the 12th. A map was provided and the directions from the address provided in my application was provided. I arrived at 0956 and after my IDs were checked (passport, Merchant Mariner Document) and the method of payment approved (Visa or Mastercard) I was seated. I presented my Merchant Mariner Card, which expires on July 13 and indicates a full background check had been conducted, and was given two options. I could use the MMD card and get a TWIC, which was good only until the expiration at which time I would have to apply again. (The savings was about $25.) The other option was that I could pay the full amount of $132.50 and get a TWIC card for five years. To save having to do this all over I elected to pay $132.50. After my fingerprints and photograph was taken I received a receipt that stated that the application had been accepted. The Lockheed/ Martin sub-contractor told me that I See COMMENTS, page A11
The Triton
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NEWS: TWIC regulations
April 2008
A11
Mass mailing planned to eliminate ‘further ambiguity’ TWIC, from page A10 “There are two parts to the regulation: One, do I need unescorted access, and two, do I have a license,” he said. “If one of those conditions is a yes, then you need a TWIC.” The CFRs say that all mariners holding an active license, a Merchant Mariner’s document, a certificate of registry, or an STCW endorsement must obtain a TWIC by Sept. 25. Failure to do so “may serve as a basis for suspension or revocation of a mariner’s license, COR or STCW endorsement …” Weiller did clarify, however, that U.S. yacht crew who are not licensed but have an STCW certificate do not need a TWIC. Corey Ranslam, CEO of the maritime security firm Secure Waters, said
Secure areas complicate the ID issue for marinas COMMENTS, from page A10 would be contacted in 6-8 weeks. At that time I would have to schedule another appointment to pick up the card and have it authenticated. The entire event took 15 minutes. Now comes the ridiculous part. I have just submitted my U.S.C.G. license for renewal, (to include my Merchant Mariner’s Document) with photo and fingerprints, a full seven months before my expiration. The cost was $140. After eight weeks now, I have been told that the average turnaround time for the Miami office is 14-15 weeks. The majority of this time is held up by the background check. Sure seems like a duplication of effort and expense. Fortunately, I applied well in advance. Capt. Rusty Allen
Which marina workers need card?
I just came across some information about the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and I was about to send you an e-mail, then I thought to myself, “Check to see if The Triton has already addressed it,” and of course, you did. Well done. This concerns me from the perspective of our marina staff. In some locations we operate in secure port areas due to our ISPS/MTSA compliance. So now I need to figure out if all my employees need TWICs. Thanks for your diligence. Tim Keogh Marina Management Services
he was notified by USCG District 7 headquarters with an e-mail that stated, “Many believe wrongly that only those mariners that operate MTSA-regulated vessels or that frequent MTSA-regulated facilities will require a TWIC. That is an incorrect interpretation of statute and regulation.” According to a recent edition of Wheelhouse Weekly, a newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported that only a quarter of all maritime workers who will need a TWIC have begun the enrollment process. The agency said 190,447 people had pre-enrolled and 120,148 had completed the enrollment process. It anticipates more than 750,000 workers,
including longshoremen, truckers and port employees, are required to obtain a TWIC card. The U.S. Coast Guard is preparing a mass mailing to all current Coast Guard document holders that will “detail the TWIC program and applicability and will serve to eliminate most if not all further ambiguity with respect to the mariner community,” the statement read. Mariners can pre-enroll online at https://twicprogram.tsa.dhs.gov/ TWICWebApp/ or call 1-866-3478942 (TWIC). After pre-enrollment, an applicant must visit an enrollment center to complete the enrollment process and pay the enrollment fee (usually about $130). For questions, call 1-866-347-TWIC (8942).
Lockheed Martin has announced that mariners can now check the status of a TWIC application and schedule a card pick-up appointment online. Pre-enrolled applicants can log on to TWIC’s Web site at http:// twicinformation.tsa/dhs.gov, and click on the “Check Card/Status/Schedule Pickup” link on the left margin. The next step is to fill out the “Check Card Status” form to access the account. If the card status shows “Ready for Pickup: Yes,” mariners can schedule the “Activation/Pickup Appointment” online. Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.
A12 April 2008
NEWS
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The Triton
Trio expands into the gap left by Merrill-Stevens’ contraction By Kelly Cramer
under construction. “There’s plenty of business,” Thirty minutes after learning Overington said. “Our crew just moved Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock Company us along. We like taking care of people had eliminated their division, three of and we do it really well.” the company’s crew agents say they And so the three women decided to were overwhelmed by set up their own shop. At phone calls from the crew the suggestion of one of members they had been their clients, they decided AMA representing. to use their initials and Unlimited name the business AMA In conversation after Unlimited. conversation, crew asked The three prefer a that Alison Overington, personal approach. Marcy Williams and Ashlie “We will never Megrichian continue to be corporate,” said represent them. Overington, who started The news about Merrillthe crew agency at MerrillStevens’ closure of its yacht Stevens in June 2005. services division on Feb. 29 “Starting from scratch, I’ve spread quickly within the Alison Overington +1-954-643-4937 done it before and I can do yachting community. alison_ama@ it again.” That afternoon, bellsouth.net All have experience on company executives megayachts. delivered the news in a Overington worked meeting. In a press release, primarily as a stewardess CEO Fred Kirtland said the for 20 years. division had not “kept pace Williams also worked with the company’s overall as a stewardess for five growth.” years on the same yacht In all, 15 employees were and Megrichian was a day affected, according to the worker. company. Marcy Williams They say their honesty Andrew Cosgreave, who +1-954-330-4611 with those new to was president of Merrillmarcy_ama@ megayachts and the 24bellsouth.net Stevens’ shuttered yacht hour support they give is services division, was what will make their new expected to start with venture a success. Northrop & Johnson soon “A lot of the new people as chief operating officer. come to us with stars in Revenues at Merrilltheir eyes,” Williams said. Stevens have tripled over “They think they’ll be the past three years as the seeing the world on a yacht. company has expanded I tell them they will see it operations in St. Maarten Ashlie Megrichian – through a porthole.” and Mexico City, Kirtland +1-954-729-7143 Megrichian said they said. ashlie_ama@ will be keeping their openThe number of bellsouth.net door policy, even while employees at the Miami they are looking for office River shipyard and in the space. brokerage division have “We like to know our crew,” she said. doubled since 2005. “They know they can just pop in and “With these two divisions say hello.” accounting for the majority of our In that spirit, the three will be growth, the company continues to keeping “office hours” at local coffee focus on yacht sales and the expansion shops and will e-mail their schedules to and modernization plans for the clients. shipyard,” Kirtland said. They’re working full-time to make In a mass e-mail to crew at 5:30 placements in time for the busy p.m. that Friday, Mark Vollmer, summer season, they say. the company’s marketing and And they look forward to helping communications vice president, made crew not only get their start in the the official announcement to crew business, but also advance their and thanked the four crew placement careers. specialists for their efforts. “Today’s deckhand is tomorrow’s Overington, Williams and captain,” Williams said. Megrichian said they were stunned by the news but decided not to dwell on it. They said they did a brisk business Kelly Cramer is managing editor of at Merrill-Stevens and point to the The Triton. Comments on this story are number of megayachts on order and welcome at kelly@the-triton.com.
The Triton
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NEWS: Lady Candida fire
Yachting certifications must require mandatory sea time INSTRUCTOR, from page A6
the Lady Candida, with fortunately no loss of life. The MAIB report is competent crew has contributed its objective; it only references facts and own peculiar form of mayhem, with leaves interpretation to others. What GPS-assisted groundings heading is not referenced in the report is how the list. Owners and designers do not lucky are a couple of deckhands who hesitate to spend millions on gadgets “freelanced” the firefighting efforts. but balk at investing in the seamanship Freelancing is a firefighter’s term for without which all the electronics in the someone who rushes in without a world are worthless. plan or backup and starts fighting the The shortage of licensed crew fire alone. In this case the deckhand threatens the viability of the new builds provided a source of air to a growing now on the way, and we are beginning fire and risked his life in a smoke-filled to hear a renewed cry for easier and compartment with no breathing gear or faster routes to the bridge and engine escape system in place. room. Recent articles in the yachting There was no one in charge of this press bemoan the passing of the incident. There was no plan. In the few “yachting lifestyle” while describing minutes it took to lose the yacht the the tribulations of a wannabe engineer captain and two deckhands took turns who begrudges running in and out having to learn of the engine room There was no plan. about machinery and laundry room he shouldn’t have while a 20-knot The yacht’s crew was to “deal with” and wind fanned the unable to put a drop unashamedly states blaze. The yacht’s of water on the fire. that he will pick up crew was unable to a cell phone and call put a drop of water in a contractor to on the fire. Only one fix what he can’t figure out. It’s little life raft was available because no one wonder that crew issues lead the list was tasked with launching them until of reasons owners find other places to the fire had progressed too far to reach spend their leisure time and money. them. Rather than seek easier routes There was no plan, there was no to licensing, we should concentrate practice, there was no leadership on selection criteria for new hires or crew coordination. There was no and ask the regulators to reverse the seamanship. The courts have declared a proliferation of yachting certificates vessel unseaworthy for less. that require little if any real sea time or What could this captain have been experience. Seamanship is synonymous thinking? What pressures were on this with leadership, and current yacht individual that prevented him from licenses make no reference to either. telling the owner that after weeks When a crew member can move from of bad weather in a trans-Atlantic green deckhand to captain of a yacht crossing he and his exhausted crew in commercial service with fewer than needed more than a few hours to two months of sea time, the system has prepare for a charter? failed the owner, the charter guest, and Will it take the loss of a 70-meter the poor benighted soul who believes boat and 12 charter guests before the he or she is qualified for command at MCA and other regulators come to sea. their senses and recognize that yacht The MAIB report provides a litany machinery does not come with a of failures of training, leadership, and dataplate that says, “For yacht use only, seamanship that led to the loss of no training required.”
April 2008
A13
A14 April 2008 NEWS: SeaKeepers Professionals
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SeaKeepers adopts flexible membership system The International SeaKeepers Society’s has adopted a new, threetiered system for membership for its Seakeepers Professionals, the membership level created last year to attract yacht crew to the environmental organization. At the recommendation of the new nine-member Captain’s Advisory Council, SeaKeepers Professionals membership will now consist of the Captains Circle (at $250 a year), the Officers Club ($150 a year), and the Professional Associate ($50 a year). “Yacht crew literally have their eyes on the oceans,” said ISS board President Jim Gilbert. “Their presence provides great reach so it’s important for us to have their participation.” In addition, the CAC recommended – and Seakeepers adopted – a boat rate so an entire crew can join at a 20 percent discount and receive a SeaKeepers Professionals burgee. “The oceans are what we do and they’re deteriorating,” said Capt. Ken Bracewell, a new CAC member. “I’ve seen it in my 12 years on yachts. The Bahamas aren’t as pretty as they used to be. So what can we do as crew, other than raise money. That’s our mandate.” The CAC held its first meeting this spring, electing officers and setting up parameters and expectations for the group and for SeaKeepers
The entire crew of M/Y Silver Lining has joined SeaKeepers Professionals including, from left, Brooke Aretze, Ryan Davie, Brooke Haose and Charlie Clark. PHOTO/JEAN VALLETTE Professionals. Members and officers are: Capt. Charles Hacker of M/Y Aviva (president); Capt. Mike O’Neill of M/Y Lady Michelle (vice president); Capt. Ken Bracewell of M/Y Curt C; Capt. JD Ducanes of M/Y Mine Games; Capt. David Hare of M/Y Gran Finale; Capt. Ron LePard, formerly of M/Y Patriot; Capt. Michael Lovely of M/Y Katharine; Capt. Bart van der Horst of M/Y Silver Lining; and Capt. George Whitehouse, formerly of M/Y Floridian. Bracewell said the group discussed creating a “what can we do” manual of ways yachts can make less of an impact on the environment, including using biodegradable cleaning products. The International SeaKeepers Society was founded in 1998 by a small group of yacht owners concerned by the deteriorating condition of the seas. It has developed a monitoring system that installs aboard yachts and in other
ocean locations around the world, recording data for scientific research. SeaKeepers Professionals is open to anyone who has worked on a yacht in a paid position as their primary job for at least three months in the past three years. The Captains Circle requires a 500-ton license (or international equivalent) or a Y4 (or greater) engineer’s license. Upcoming SeaKeepers Professionals events include the second annual SeaKeepers Soirée, to be held Oct. 18 prior to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, and the inaugural Monegasque SeaKeepers Soirée, to be held Sept. 22 prior to the Monaco Yacht Show. The soirées are anticipated to raise $75,000 in support of SeaKeeper 1000 system installations in appropriate ports of call. Visit www.seakeepers.org for more information. – Lucy Chabot Reed
A16 April 2008 TRITON SURVEY: U.S. Immigration
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The Triton
If you’re having problems, take a look in the mirror: ‘Shab Have you ever been questioned for having the “wrong” visa?
SURVEY, from page A1
In general, according to the results from the 68 foreign crew who took our survey, the majority of crew coming to the United States have no trouble either obtaining a B1/B2 or using it to successfully enter the country. “I have never had a problem entering the U.S. by plane or yacht,” one British captain explained. “When I applied for a U.S. visa, I asked for a 10-year B1/B2 because I work on yachts. It was also written in the ships letter with my application that I needed a B1/ B2. When I write letters for crew entering the U.S., I always state that the crew is on a private yacht, being used for the owner’s personal use. I also state that the yacht will be in the U.S. longer than three months but less than six. “I find [problems are] due to the lack of professional attitude and dress when crew approach immigration officials. A shave, a clean white uniform polo and a smart pair of pants go a long way. Shabby clothes and a hangover will not do you any favors. I have never met an unreasonable immigration officer yet. Give the respect with a ‘yes, sir’ or ‘ma’am’ and answer questions clearly without any mumbling or ‘I don’t knows’ and you will have an easy time.” About half of the captains and crew who responded to our survey have been questioned for having the “wrong” visa. Half of those (about a quarter of the total) were detained for some length of time, and half of those (about 12.5 percent) were eventually denied entry or deported. “The common thread amongst crew members is that immigration officials don’t know that the B1/B2 visa is the correct visa for crew joining a private, foreign-flagged yacht,” said a British chief officer. “This is a big problem in airports that are not familiar with crew, i.e. Houston.” One statistic that troubled us was that Canadian citizens seemed more likely to be questioned and See SURVEY, page A22
No – 53%
Have you ever been deported the “wrong” visa?
Yes – 47% No – 88%
Have you ever been detained for having the ‘wrong’ visa?
When applying for your visa, obtaining the ‘right’ visa?
Yes – 25%
No – 75%
No – 74%
The Triton
www.the-triton.com TRITON SURVEY: U.S. Immigration
April 2008
A17
bby clothes and a hangover will not do you any favors’
d or denied entry for having Did you know that it is illegal to switch jobs while in the United States on a B1/B2? Yes – 12% No – 34%
Yes – 66%
have you ever had trouble
Have you ever had trouble obtaining the ‘right’ visa?
Did you know it is illegal to switch jobs while in the United States on a B1/B2? 76%
Yes – 26%
We asked crew to share their experiences good and bad and received several startling scenarios. I inquired about training to complete my helicopter license (I had already completed 35 hours of flying in the U.S.) and because of a rule change was told I needed to be on a student visa. Q: Was it possible to be on both a B1/B2 and a student visa? A: No. Q: Did I need a student visa for five hours of training per week? A: No. Q: Could you either put that in writing or direct me to the relevant regulation stating I didn’t need a visa for “less than 20 hours training per week”? A: No. Q: Can I talk to a superior or someone who could direct me to the regulation? A: No. This was the end of the conversation. I decided to complete my license elsewhere. I have requested (and been denied a request) to have my record corrected. It seems there is nothing I can do and the official goes unpunished for knowingly and fraudulently altering an official government document resulting in my being detained and questioned extensively every time I enter the United States, which I now avoid if at all possible. l
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U.S. officials at the airport in the Bahamas caused a big stink over some crew returning to their vessel in Florida, telling them to never come back to the U.S. Even though the crew had the right visa, the officer refused to allow entry and told the crew to fly back home. The captain and crew had to get an immigration attorney and are still in limbo with no passports, no visas, and some pretty upset owners. It seems pretty random on the chance of things See EXPERIENCES, page A22
A18 April 2008 FROM THE FRONT: Panama Canal
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The Miraflores locks in the canal last summer when it wasn’t quite as busy.
FILE PHOTO/CAPT. JEFFREY HOERR
Early Easter may have given a boost to megayacht traffic PANAMA, from page A1 are refusing to work overtime. Several sources confirmed what Calot had been told but requested their comments be anonymous. The pilots are working “deliberately slow,” according to one source. Another said there just aren’t enough pilots. According to statistics released by the Panama Canal Authority, there are 274 working pilots, down one from the same time last year. This year, there are 18 pilots in training. Last year, the authority reported that there were no pilots in training. Russell Goedjen, manager at Shelter Bay Marina at the north end of the canal, pointed to the increase in commercial traffic – an overall trend in global shipping – as well as more megayacht traffic, which could be attributed to Easter coming so early. “It backs up every year,” Goedjen said. “But it does seem worse this year.” Shelter Bay’s slips are filling up every night and Goedjen said a few megayachts have had to wait a day or two for a spot. Until mid-April, megayacht crew stranded there can be entertained by crews filming the next James Bond movie – watching as the actors pretend to shoot each other, Goedjen said. “I’ve been here for years and I just have never seen anything like this,” said Pete Stevens, an agent at Delfino
Maritime. The canal authority raised the fees on March 1. Yacht rates went up 7 percent and are based on length. Commercial rates jumped 8 percent and easily reach $350,000 a trip. For a $2,500 charge, megayachts are eligible to book same-day crossings and for a $20,000 “booking for daylight crossing” fee, they may cross during the day. Lisa Greenberg Falconi, a Ft. Lauderdale-based agent with Pacific Bound Yachts, said those slots can be booked based on a first come first serve basis from a list of available slots. Currently, she said, no slots are available for these types of yachts until May. Calot, who had never been through the Panama Canal until this trip, also blames a few impatient megayacht owners willing to pay a $20,000 surcharge for a guaranteed booking and several thousand more in tips to the pilots. “I think the yachts are creating some of the problem giving large tips like that – I’ve heard up to $5,000,” Calot said. “Sometimes we create the problem, not the locals. That is creating even more confusion. “It’s no good because now it’s like a game.” Kelly Cramer is managing editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at kelly@the-triton.com.
The Triton
www.the-triton.com FROM THE BRIDGE: Low-cost builders
April 2008
A19
‘What hits you are the problems after about two years’ BRIDGE, from page A1 American and European markets. “At $1.5 million, it’s a hell of a value,” one captain said. “But it is what it is. The fit and finish of the quality is apparent.” As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. All captains in attendance either work or have worked on a low-cost builder’s vessel. The captains are identified in a photograph on page A20. Before the conversation, we agreed on a few assumptions. While we did not delve into the cause of the phenomenon, it was generally acknowledged that there are more Asian- and Latin American-built vessels in the traditional megayacht fleet than there has been in years past. With the recent weakening of the U.S. dollar, several captains noted that American buyers are looking for greater value, and for that, many have turned to low-cost builders in less-common markets. We also excluded from the generalizations any Asian-based builders that have been selling to Americans and Europeans for years. Those builders have established track records and have already worked through many of the challenges that builders newer to the market face. So, with caveats in mind, we wanted to know whether these lower-cost new builds were truly a better value. “You’re getting what you pay for,” one captain said. “It may look nice, but in a short amount of time you’ll discover that it’s not engineered as well. It’s a tremendous value up front, no doubt about it. What hits you are the problems after about two years.” “But if you know that going in,
that it’s going to “We turn into cost a lot more to One captain said that quality control for commission, it’s a these builders,” the yachts in question tremendous value,” another captain were more expensive another said. said, explaining to commission, so any When it came that it was buyer to commissioning feedback that talk of building for 60 a new build from improved an percent less is hollow. a low-cost builder, exhaust line for several captains the air conditioner noted that some on one model that basic electrical and mechanical ended about an inch from the floor. systems often needed work to bring the “All it takes is an elbow joint and you’re yacht to the standards Western buyers good to go.” require. “They’re shipping equipment from “Maintenance is a nightmare,” one here [the United States] and they don’t captain said. “They’ll copy stuff. They’ll know how to install it,” another captain see a part and say, we can do that. And said. “They’re getting used to it, but their copy is not as good. You go to it’s still a big problem. You plug into replace parts in maintenance and they the dock and you’ve got to run around don’t fit.” flipping breakers.”
“The quality and the workmanship have always been there; they are great craftsmen,” said a third. “But electricity is still a concern for them.” “Inherently, they are more expensive boats to commission,” a captain said. “It’s a false economy to say we can build it for 60 percent less.” So are these builders receptive to a captain’s or an owner’s feedback? “Sometimes they take offense that you are downgrading their product,” one captain said. “You’ve got to approach it carefully. If you have a good project manager, they are [receptive]. Some say thanks, others hate my guts. But some who hate me know I’m going to nitpick and they know they will, in the end, make a better product.”
See BRIDGE, page A20
A20 April 2008 FROM THE BRIDGE: Low-cost builders
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The Triton
Reputable builders will offer service after sale completes BRIDGE, from page A19
Attendees of The Triton’s April Bridge luncheon were, from left, Steven Lumley of M/Y KelCon,Robb Shannon of M/Y Adventurer,Bob Belschner (corporate captain for Outer Reef ), Wendy Umla of M/Y Castaway, Carl Moughan of M/Y Jariya, Clark Shimeall Jr. of M/Y Joana, and Jake Rese of M/Y Stray Kat. PHOTO/LUCY REED
“My guy is spending $500,000 getting it [a new Asian-built yacht] to work right now,” one captain said of his boss. “How about spending $100,000 to have a project manager there holding the manufacturer’s feet to the fire?” This comment generated some conversation on the advantages of having a captain on site for much – if not all – of the build. “Hiring a captain to be there is their best return on investment,” one captain said. “But that’s going to happen in any yard,” another said. “They don’t see how beneficial it is to have a qualified captain there from the beginning,” the first captain replied. “They think the yard knows what it’s doing and they will go over once to see. … My guy took delivery without a sea trial. The yard told him they had done plenty of these and they were always just fine.” “Some yards don’t want the captain there,” another captain pointed out. “They say they hold up production.” “In their defense, I have seen captains get incredibly nitpicky and hold up production,” said a third. “You have got to have communication with the project manager, the captain and the owner, and the yard. The advantage of having the captain there is that once you have people’s names, it’s easier to build a relationship. It takes that communication to build a relationship.” In addition to hiring a captain/ project manager to oversee the build, these captains agreed that potential owners (or their representatives) should look for builders with some sort of warranty program or other support system once the yacht is delivered. “I found a total lack of understanding on what the market
would be here,” a captain said. “They thought they could just build a boat and ship it over and they’re done. There was no mentality of warranty.” “The key is having a support network, someone who is there to import the vessel and they handle all the warranty work,” another said. “If you are depending on a shipyard that is 5,000 miles away and they don’t speak English ...” This captain’s voice trailed off, leaving unsaid what everyone agreed was obvious: the buyer winds up on his own. “When you have a builder with no mentality for service after the sale, you’re stuck,” one captain said. “It’s up to the captain and owner to do their research. And these dealer/brokers must be empowered to authorize repairs.” One captain noted that the lowcost yards can get better, and do if they stand behind their products. The American-based dealer of an Asian builder has recently been given more authority from the yard because of all the warranty issues this captain brought to him. “If you go to a proper company, the quality is there,” another captain said. “The owner [of the yard] goes on each boat and I’m e-mailing the builder with all my questions. I get full support. Quite frankly, the boats are in good shape because the owner of the yard makes sure it’s a quality product.” “It doesn’t matter where the boat is built,” said a third. “It’s the integrity of the yard you want to look for.” Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com. If you make your living working as a yacht captain, contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed for an invitation to our monthly Bridge luncheon, lucy@the-triton.com.
A22 April 2008 TRITON SURVEY: U.S. immigration
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‘My only problem is their inconsistency’ SURVEY, from page A16 stopped than other nationalities. Canadians accounted for 15 percent of overall respondents to our survey, but were 38 percent of those who answered yes to being deported or denied entry. “I’m Canadian and I get everything from ‘you’re Canadian, you don’t need a visa (stupid)’ to ‘where is your B1/ B2 (stupid)?’” said one chef. “Port or airport of entry doesn’t seem to matter.” “As a Canadian I do not need a B1/ B2 visa to enter the States on a vessel but that does not mean I have not had any problems,” one chief stewardess wrote in. “I have been detained and questioned a couple of times now. Sometimes I have to fill out an I-94 and sometimes I don’t. My only problem is their inconsistency. One time I have major problems, the next time there are no questions asked. I hate that. I get nervous every time I go through immigration because I can honestly say I never know what is going to happen.” One good thing we noted from the survey results is that crew who seem to run afoul of U.S. immigration officials do not appear to be picked on based on the number of years they have been in the industry, on the nation of their passport, or on their position onboard. It’s equal opportunity skepticism. “Present yourself as the professional you are and be patient and nice to the customs/immigration officials,” one South African captain wrote in. “They have been some of the most helpful in my experience. Try Road Town, Tortola, for a truly unpleasant reception.”
There were a couple of exceptions, though: 80 percent of the South Africans in our survey were questioned about their visa, and 67 percent of chefs were questioned. We’re not sure what to make of that. “As I sit at the U.S. immigration office in Port Everglades watching my non-U.S. fellow crew members clear in, it’s obvious that there is a pattern,” one U.S. chief stewardess wrote in. “Non-US crew that are challenging or hostile to the immigration officers are given a hard time and often flagged, so that every time they come back into the country they are questioned more closely than usual. I wish that these crew members dealing with U.S. immigration would remember that these officers are simply doing their jobs. It is indeed illegal to be in the U.S. working with no intention of leaving other than a weekend trip to the Bahamas every three or four months, even if you are working on a foreignflagged vessel. Immigration officers are simply applying the law and shouldn’t be blamed for doing their jobs. “Our industry definitely falls into a gray area where the law is involved and so yes, a certain amount of subjectivity as well as lack of information comes into play on the part of immigration. That’s how it is. Live with it and stop whining. Chances are that your home country isn’t going to let U.S. citizens in to work for 180 days at a time either.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.
‘Non-yachtie ports’ apparently have different visa requirements EXPERIENCES, from page A17 going well, even if all the papers are proper. l
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Most non-yachtie ports require a C1/ D. My entire crew were refused entry in Alaska for having B1/B2s. So I got a C1/ D for everyone. Now we have problems in yachtie ports for having both. l
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I have only a B1 visa, not a B1/B2, and I have no trouble at all. l
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It is either pleasant or just a bloody nightmare, depending on who is at
the arrival booth. I was deported and denied entry into Puerto Rico for not having a visa when flying though in transit on holiday. (My B1-B2 had expired, but when I told the officer I was on the visa waiver and flying in so I did not need one, I was sent back to St. Maarten.) I now hold a B1/B2 and I am required to have a secondary interview every time I fly into the U.S., frequently missing flight connections. All CBP officials need a course in yachting. Capt. Colin Richardson M/Y Passion l
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I was denied entry on the basis that I had been there too long. It is not
See EXPERIENCES, page A23
The Triton
www.the-triton.com TRITON SURVEY: U.S. immigration
Point: ‘Treated like a criminal’ Counterpoint: ‘Never a problem’ EXPERIENCES, from page A22 explained to foreigners that staying six months and then leaving for a few days and then returning for six months gets you a lot of problems. I was told I was living there, promptly denied entry and had my visa cancelled. A year later, on reapplying, they apologized and said that shouldn’t have happened. I eventually got the correct visa, but it cost me my captain’s job on a 110-foot vessel, plus numerous expenses. I am still not able to use my passport and a waiver visa to transit the U.S. because their system can’t be rectified. Now every time I fly or enter by boat into the U.S., I get detained in the back room without fail. With an ever increasing and evolving industry such as ours, maybe they should open a new visa for us. l
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General impression over the past few years in USVI and Port Everglades has been positive. The attitude of the captain and crew must be positive and polite with forms filled in correctly. One incident however was with a crew member who flew to meet the boat after a crossing and came in via New York City to meet in Ft. Lauderdale. The NYC officer cleared her as a visa waiver despite her protestation. On re-entry later the officer at Port Everglades noticed the waiver stamp and concluded that she was in violation of the visa terms. No amount of (polite) argument could persuade him that his colleague in NYC had got it wrong. He let it slide but threatened seriously the deportation of the crew member.
On immigration in general
Many crew had general thoughts and advice about U.S. immigration: I try my best now to work on boats that don’t go to the U.S., and I also try to convince the owners I work for not to take their yachts to the U.S. I am tired of being treated like a criminal. l
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I have been questioned far more intensely in the last year or so but the questions have revealed that there is a substantial ignorance of our field of work and the country hopping that it involves. l
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I run a foreign-flag yacht in Ft. Lauderdale and it is very hard to find foreign crew. The industry is not understood by the U.S. government. With the falling dollar and immigration officials not making it easy, foreign crew are staying away. There are not
that many experienced American crew around. Yachting is a dying business in Florida. (I do not even want to talk about the shortage of dockage.) l
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First and foremost, get the facts and information correct before you get your visa. Second, do not get nasty with anyone from customs, immigration or homeland security. They will blackball you just because they can. Check and recheck all forms and make sure you have plenty of copies before turning them in. Just because one person says this is the way to do it does not make it the right way. The most important thing is to be honest, no matter what. Honesty will get you in, even with a mistake. l
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The B1/B2 is not the right visa for the necessities of yacht crew. The C1/D is not useful for us. A new visa specifically designed for foreign yacht crew is needed. l
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I have never had a problem that couldn’t be solved by patient, respectful, courteous discussion, remembering that visa and entry are a privilege, not a right. Avoid the word work in all discussions. It triggers an automatic sequence of bad news. l
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When applying, be well armed with all the right documents and knowledge. I have never had a problem coming in with all the documents needed. l
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It would be nice if all CBP where on the same page in the same rule book. I’ve been deported and denied entry, and I’m still allowed back. I do not believe a special visa is the answer. l
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It’s wrong that there are no clear rules about the B1/B2. Depending on if the immigration officers are having a good or bad day, they issue you one month or even six months. It’s ridiculous.
April 2008
A23
A24 April 2008
PHOTO GALLERY
The couples-only crew of M/Y Magic Days took a break in the Bahamas in February before heading to Grenada, just in time to catch the nippy weather. “No complaints, though,” said Capt. Jacques Falardeau, far right, who used to run the research vessel Kittiwake in Alaska.“I heard about the Kittiwake running to the Bering Sea, building ice on deck.” Here’s the crew of Magic Days, the old Crown Legacy, from left: Stewardess Kim Spies, Mate Christoff Spies, and Chef Sherrie and Capt. Falardeau. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. JACQUES FALARDEAU
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There is always work to be done, as we found Deckhand Luke Cahalane of M/Y Southerly prepping some wood panels. This 153-foot Picchiotti yacht is based in Ft. Lauderdale and makes trips to the Bahamas during the summer. PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO
Stew Amber Sowder of M/Y Shenanigans and friend Kyle from S/F Angry Scot cruise through the Bahia Mar parking lot aboard a cooler on the way to the party. Mate Rich Pierce of M/Y Dreamseeker and Deckhand Brian Welch (looking) first met aboard M/Y Rasselas, the 65-meter, three-deck megayacht, during a trans-Atlantic in 2005. “We used to philosophize about all sorts of things while we cleaned that boat all the way across the Atlantic,” Welch said. Jokes about the difference between God and a captain led to more serious conversations about religion and whether Jesus was a yachtie. (He hung out with fishermen, Welch said, but he didn’t have nautical experience so he couldn’t have been a captain.) The crew finally theorized that Jesus was a deckie, and Welch scratched this image on a napkin before printing about 200 PHOTO/LUCY REED T-shirts. He’s given them all away to like-minded, hard-working deckies. Jesus would be proud.
New Deckhand Jimmy Kniffen is busy placing the sunscreen across the bridge on M/Y CV-9, a 130-foot Delta. The mostly new crew had everything ready in early March for a trip to the Bahamas. PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO
Capt. Brad Helton, center, is living the dream. The new corporate captain for Viking Yachts, Helton brings his dad, Richard (left), with him on deliveries and catches up with good friend Capt. Chuck Hudspeth of M/Y Via Kassablanca, right. The excuse: an intimate event to showcase the offerings of Gary’s Seafood, a direct supplier to yachts of fresh and gourmet seafood and specialty items. Worth every bite. PHOTO/LUCY REED
The Triton
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PHOTO GALLERY
April 2008
From left, Capt. Tim Silva of M/Y Tenacity, John Teeto of Teeto Signs and Capt. Carl Moughan of M/Y Jariya take a break during their ice hockey game last month. For the past 20 years, the trio have gotten together every Tuesday and Sunday at Pines Arena for the South Florida Men’s League. Moughan, who like Silva is from Boston, has been playing defense since he was 7 years old. He played in high school and college but decided not to make it a career after breaking his nose “two or three times,“ he said. “It’s a rough way to make a living,” he said. “Boating is a lot easier.” He still has a nice smile, though. “Most of them are mine.” PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. CARL MOUGHAN Once you get talking to First Mate Douglas Rogers, left, and Chef Brian Wichterman, you don’t want to stop. These guys have cruised aboard the 106-foot Westship Rapture all over, but notably around Costa Rica, Mexico, and other hot spots in Central America. The yacht and her crew have transited the Panama Canal eight times.With an owner seriously into fishing, Wichterman said he has hundreds of photos from some exotic locations. In March, though, a trip to the Bahamas was in order before the PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO next big move.
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For more crew shots from The Triton’s monthly networking event at Evolve Watersports in March, see page C2.
Capt. Bob Kimball took his birthday trip to 10,000 feet in Utah again this year. By the time he visited in March, there had been 560 inches of snow for the season, with a base of 165 inches. What some skippers won’t do to get out of the sun. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. BOB KIMBALL
Triton Spotters
At left, DJ Parker, president of Neptune Group Yachting, and Julie Haiko, one of its charter sales agents, took their Triton to the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai International Boat Show in March. Above, Anita Warwick, health insurance agent, went home to Tasmania for a visit over the holidays and stopped in on the Australian Maritime College. They offer all sorts of training, including STCW and a tanker simulator.
Where have you and your Triton been lately? Send photos to lucy@the-triton.com. If we print yours, you get a T-shirt.
A26 April 2008
NEWS BRIEFS
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The Triton
Failure to file arrival notice nets $2,500 fine in Australia An Australian court fined a New Zealand yachtsman $2,500 on March 11 for failing to file an impending arrival report with local authorities, according to the Australian Customs Service. Timothy Foreman arrived into the port of Bundaberg from New Caledonia on Nov. 28, 2006 but did notify customs officials of his arrival. Foreman will also have to pay court costs of $1,417. “Provision of this information is essential for Customs to perform its role of protecting Australia’s borders from illegal activity,” said Roxanne Kelley, the customs national director of enforcement and investigations. Captains must notify Australian authorities of their intended arrivals at least 96 hours before they get there and must declare which port they are heading into. Further information on these reporting requirements, including reporting times if the voyage is less than 96 hours, click on www.customs. gov.au.
Family of deckhand dies in crash The family of Deckhand Erjo Junatas of M/Y Battered Bull was killed in a traffic accident in the Phillipines on March 8. Junatas’ 39-year-old wife, Minnie, their 16-year-old son Gene Noel and their 6-year-old daughter Margarette Ann were killed in the crash. “Erjo’s focus had always been his family, and he chose this profession as a means to provide for their well-being,” said Capt. Len Beck, skipper of the Battered Bull. “He had immense pride in the recent accomplishments of both his son and daughter.” Junatas started with M/Y Bullish three years ago and remained with the program on Battered Bull. The yacht was in the Caribbean for the charter season when Junatas received the news. He was scheduled to go home this month after the yacht returned to Florida. Junatas will be home in the city of Bacolod for an undetermined amount of time, Beck said. Friends may send letters or cards to Junatas c/o Battered Bull, PMB 135, 1323 S.E. 17th St., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, 33316, USA.
S. Carolina marina owners missing The owners of a South Carolina marina disappeared March 3 after meeting with a business associate that friends and family say the couple suspected was embezzling money, the Associated Press has reported. According to news reports: John and Elizabeth Calvert, who owned Harbour Town marina in Hilton
Head, S.C., lived part-time aboard their 40-foot M/Y Yellow Jacket at the marina. Elizabeth Calvert’s brother reported the couple missing March 4 when the two missed business appointments and work. Police found the yacht intact that day and later found the couple’s Mercedes empty, parked in a nearby lot. John Calvert, 47, wife Elizabeth, 45, have been married 20 years and recently took over the marina. The last person to see the couple alive was Dennis Gerwing, who killed himself hours after police named him a person of interest in the disappearance. Gerwing, 54, left two suicide notes, but authorities have not released any information about what he said. On March 15, police began searching area landfills and were using cadaver dogs. As of deadline, the search was ongoing.
Sails developers sue Ft. Lauderdale
The developers of The Sails, a proposed $220 million hotel-marina project on 17th Street Causeway in Ft. Lauderdale, have sued the city over its rejection of the project last year. Partners Tom Gonzales and Ron Mastriana filed the lawsuit in Broward County Circuit Court on Feb. 25. In the nine-page complaint, they say the city’s denial violates the state’s Bert J. Harris Private Property Rights Protection Act. They are asking for at least $59 million. The 8.5-acre project included a 350room hotel, 150 dry dock slips, 30 wet slips for vessels up to 200 feet as well as office and meeting room space. As of deadline, the city had not yet responded to the lawsuit. The city’s planning and zoning board denied the project 5-3 last year, citing a staff report that said the scale of The Sails was inconsistent with neighboring communities. This project was proposed for the old Best Western site at the southeast foot of the 17th Street bridge. Last summer, Gonzales, who owns Shadow Marine, and Mastriana, a local lawyer, notified the city of their intent to sue. Under the Harris Act, property owners can sue only 180 days after putting city leaders on notice. The law can force municipalities to compensate property owners who are denied reasonable use of their properties. According to the lawsuit, The Sails developers have a “reasonable, investment-backed expectation of developing a hotel-marina project within applicable zoning and land-use
See NEWS BRIEFS, page A27
The Triton
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NEWS BRIEFS
Corps of Engineers boat hits yacht in Virginia NEWS BRIEFS, from page A26 regulations.” When contacted this morning, a city spokesman said he was not yet aware of the lawsuit. Generally, the city does not comment on pending litigation.
Army boat hits yacht
A 74-foot yacht docked at Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Portsmouth, Va. was hit by a 66-foot-long Army Corps of Engineers boat on Feb. 27, the Virginian-Pilot reported. No one was aboard the yacht and no injuries were reported though the yacht sustained damage to the starboard bow, according to Terry A. McCann, a corps spokesman. Both the corps and the Coast Guard are investigating the crash which took place while the Mobjack, an 85-ton boat, patrolled the harbor. A floating dock at Ocean Marine also sustained damage. McCann said Mobjack Capt. Norman Harris has been assigned to administrative duties while the investigation is underway.
Clarifying Tortola customs law
Megayachts headed to Tortola do not need to anchor within site of
customs to clear in. Despite two vessels being fined in mid-March for heading to marinas first, megayachts that use an agent or have notified a marina of their arrival are permitted to enter, according to Comptroller Wade Smith, head of customs in Tortola. By BVI law, the agent or marina must notify customs that a vessel has entered and not yet declared, Smith said. The captain is then required to report to customs immediately upon arrival to clear in. Sources in Tortola have said that the fined yachts had either ventured too far from customs before clearing in or had behaved in a way that customs officials found offensive. Smith said he was investigating the fines and noted that they were unusual occurrences.
Ellison wins America’s Cup lawsuit Billionaire Larry Ellison won his legal bid and his BMW-Oracle will be the official challenger in the America’s Cup sailing race. Bloomberg News reported that the champion Alinghi has said the earliest it is willing to defend its title is May 1, 2009. Ellison’s BMW-Oracle filed a lawsuit
in state court in New York last year that claimed Alinghi did not have the sole right to set competition terms. A judge agreed and refused on March 18 to hear any new arguments in the case, effectively ending the lawsuit. The judge did say that the two sides could come back to court if they could not agree on a date to start the race, which began in 1851.
Furnace likely cause of Maine fire
A March 15 fire causing damages estimated at more than $1 million at the Patten Yacht Yard in Maine was likely caused by a broken furnace, according to the Foster’s Daily Democrat in New Hampshire. The Maine Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the blaze, which broke out early that Saturday morning and destroyed the company’s office as well as a garage with several boats inside. The boatbuilding shop also sustained damage from the flames as did a fuel truck, according to the newspaper. The yard is along the Piscataqua River in the southeastern part of the state near the border of New Hampshire. The Patten Yacht Yard builds custom boats and provides storage and repairs to yachts up to 50 feet.
April 2008
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A28 April 2008
MARINAS / YARDS
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Two more marinas under Island Global umbrella Island Global Yachting has added two marinas to its portfolio and appointed a new executive for its Middle Eastern and European division. The Ft. Lauderdale-based company has invested in the 240-slip Flivos Marina, which is six miles outside Athens and served as the VIP marina for the 2004 Olympic Games held in Greece. IGY, a worldwide owner, developer and manager of luxury marinas and yachting destinations, has been working to expand its operations in the Mediterranean, the company said. IGY has also been contracted to run the Turks & Caicos Yacht Club at the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa in Turks & Caicos. With 110 slips, the marina will accommodate megayachts up to 200 feet. The first phase of the resort will open April 5 and includes 48 rooms, the Nikki Beach Club, VIP Ultra Lounge as well as the largest megayacht marina in Turks & Caicos. IGY is currently contracted to design, develop and manage up to 40,000 berths for Nakheel & Istithmar Leisure in Dubai, UAE. The first project, Anchor Marina, is expected to be completed this year. Earlier this year, IGY promoted its development director, Michael Horrigan, to CEO for its businesses in Middle East and Europe. “Michael’s commitment and passion to IGY stood out from the very beginning and his vision for the company in the Middle East and Europe make him the right man for the job,” Garner said. After the Dubai Boat Show, Horrigan told the Gulf News that IGY is working with Nakheel Marinas to build about 40,000 new berths. “Dubai is the capital of waterfront growth with projects like Palm
The Turks & Caicos Yacht Club at the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa will be able to accommodate megayachts up to 200 feet. PHOTO COURTESY OF IGY Jumeirah, Jebel Ali and Deira, Umm Suquiem, The World, Universe and Waterfront,” Horrigan said. Founded in 2005, IGY has focused on buying, controlling and servicing luxury-yacht marinas and the surrounding upland properties. IGY operates under the signature Yacht Haven Grande collection and the IGY series brands, as well as several private labels.
Zoning board clears Pier 17
After 18 months of plan review and modifications, the city of Ft. Lauderdale’s planning and zoning board unanimously approved on March 19 the plans for Pier 17, the new marina slated for the former Summerfield Boatworks property on the north side
of the New River. With 26 covered slips for sale and three side-tie transient slips, the marina will be able to handle boats up to about 160 feet, which is about the biggest yacht that can make it that far up the river. The plans still need to be approved by Ft. Lauderdale city commissioners (at two meetings) before construction begins, but Brad Tate said he hopes to begin marine side improvements sometime this summer. For more information about the marina, visit www.pier17.net.
Bahamian official joins Albany
A former Bahamian government
See MARINAS, page A29
The Triton
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MARINAS / YARDS
Old Port Cove: more renovations MARINAS, from page A28 official has been hired by the developers building the luxury golfing and megayachting community proposed by Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Joe Lewis. Dr. Tyrone McKenzie has been named vice president of the Albany development company, which is handling the construction of its $1.3 billion resort community in southwest New Providence. The project boasts a megayacht marina, equestrian centre, a fitness centre with lap pool, spa, tennis centre, water park, adult pool and an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Ernie Els. Albany’s deep-water, megayacht marina is being designed and built to aesthetically rival the great resort ports of the world. “I am indeed very excited about my appointment with Albany,” McKenzie said. “To be a part of a project of this magnitude is an absolute honor. My intention is to see this to fruition and be a part of history in making Albany one of the most famous and luxurious resort communities in the world.”
Old Port Cove, phase 2
Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach, Fla., will begin a second phase of renovations in May that will double its
size and allow for megayachts up to 190 feet to dock in its south basin. All docks and piers and pilings will be replaced and a hardwood, decked floating dock system will be installed. New 100-amp power pedestals will be installed. The marina will also install a new fuel dock. Operations at the north marina facility will continue throughout the overhaul, which is expected to be completed this fall. In November, the marina completed a $7 million overhaul of its north marina. The company has also renovated North Palm Beach Marina and New Port Cove Marine Center in Riviera Beach. For more information, contact the Old Port Cove Marina Offices at 1+561-
April 2008
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A30 April 2008
WRITE TO BE HEARD
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Seeking value of crew placement
Capt. Confident’s Cheerios incident
When the first crew agency, Crew Unlimited, was started more than 30 years ago by Nord Peterson, he charged a week’s salary for permanent placement. I told him then that he was much too low. Prior to Peterson, crew were always provided by either Zeidel Uniforms Manager’s Time or Acton Bill Harris Uniforms for free, hoping crew would then buy their uniforms from them. Peterson eventually sold out to Eddie Seasholtz, who also worked with Norma Trease. A business employment agency (corporate headhunter) could charge six months’ salary or more to place a top executive. What is a captain but a top executive, at your figure of an annual salary of $964 a foot? A former first mate was making $152,000 on a 130-footer, a very capable guy. Maybe agencies should charge a premium for captains. A captain or owner uses an agency for its wisdom and experience in selecting a carefully screened crew. The good agencies are worth every cent they charge. A telephone survey conducted in late February of the seven most wellknown placement firms revealed that, for permanent crew, they charge anywhere from 7 percent of annual salary to one month’s salary. For temporary crew, they charge 20 or 25 percent of salary. Capt. Bill Harris
We’re in St. Maarten, and we have a contractor aboard trying to find out why the wireless network is unreliable. I’ve been nagging Capt. Confident for nine months about the network being unstable and unreliable. “Works fine for me” has been the standard reply. Of course, his computer is plugged into The Latest Rant the network in Mike Sandiland connection his cabin, which means he’s on the hard-wired network and doesn’t know it. Apparently one of The Boss’s guests wants to work wirelessly and can’t, so of course it has to be fixed now. I’m following the IT guy while he performs some computer voodoo. “Pinging the network with maximum size data packets,” he says. Right. We’re in the crew mess when there’s a commotion from the galley. Seconds later, Capt. Confident rockets down the stairs. He doesn’t even touch the deck, just leaps from the last step onto the settee, then rips up cushions and storage locker covers and rummages around. He didn’t find what he was looking for because he replaced things and launched himself up the stairs. Give the guy credit. Over 60 and he takes stairs faster than I ever could … or ever want to, come to think of it. The IT guy looks at me with raised eyebrows. I shrug my shoulders and say, “probably The Boss’s wife came looking for something we’re out of and freaked out.” Later, between fits of hysterical laughter, the chef explains what happened. It seems Capt. Confident showed up in the galley looking for a Cheerios fix and the container was empty. Rather than ask someone to find him some – after all, he is The Captain, which means he has multiple minions to do his bidding – he has a hissy fit, roars down to the crew mess and puts on that performance in front of a civilian. To top it off, he has another hissy fit, at the chef this time, on the way back to the ivory tower. Coincidentally (?) the chef quit soon after. Capt. Confident is probably still wondering why. Moral of the story: A captain who behaves like a lunatic in front of shoreside people embarrasses the ship, the crew, the owner and himself. This kind of behavior inspires neither confidence nor respect. Something bugging you about the way yachts are run? Let loose and contribute your thoughts to The Latest Rant at rant@the-triton.com.
The Triton
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April 2008
WRITE TO BE HEARD
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Spot-on, captain: There’s no way we are overpaid I was planning to write a letter to praise Capt. Dave Hole for his letter [“A 24/7 job, 48 weeks a year? No, captains are not overpaid,” page A30, January issue]. He hit the nail on the head and I am in complete agreement with his questioning what kind of program the captain is running who says we are all overpaid. I would suspect it falls far short of professional. Then I received an e-mail from a friend who is experiencing what we captains and crew experience on a daily basis. My friend is a life-long boater, sail and power. His love of boating inevitably led him down the path of ever-increasing waterline length, having recently commissioned the build of a 49-foot diving and fishing “dream” boat with three friends. He became the designer, project manager, and final outfitter, and they took delivery a month or so ago. Here’s what he said: “I have a whole new appreciation for a boat captain and all that he does. All I want to do is fish and dive, not troubleshoot 50 things that are either broken or you know will break soon. It always seems the thing you least expect gives you the trouble. I know that you are sitting back and chuckling now, and you deserve to do so. “The best lesson I have learned is that no good effort goes unpunished. You can kill yourself for three days on 10 tough items, get them solved, and nobody cares, but they are unbelievably quick to find the unimportant detail that needs attention, but is so miniscule in the scope of what needs to be done overall, that it is laughable. “I had an electronics box that got mounted, leveled, water-sealed, looked beautiful, and one of the guys could not help but point out the ¼-inch nick of paint that needed touch-up. Even though, the touch-up paint and brush were sitting in my truck ready to go for when I get around to the six other touch-up spots they never noticed. “I’m sure this complaining is old hat to you. Whatever they pay you, it’s worth it.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. Capt. Chuck Limroth M/Y Caprice
Government treatment of Legacy purely foolish To my mind this is an example of misguided government: A guy anchors the best he can. A natural phenomenon causes him to drag anchor. He drags through a bunch of sea grass. He obviously has money. So, let’s crucify him. Without knowing him, I bet that Peter Halmos [owner of S/Y Legacy] is entirely unhappy at having damaged the environment. He is even more unhappy about the loss of the use of his vessel, and even more unhappy about spending so much money and time recovering his vessel. You know what they do in the rest of the world? Nothing. It is a natural disaster and the wreck becomes part of the natural environment. Stop wasting so much effort on nothing. Put the money in a fund to save real people in Louisiana and not sea grass in Florida. At the risk of sounding callous, get real. Capt. Emile Coetzee M/Y High Chaparral
Leutwyler’s demise ‘very sad’
While going through The Triton, I was saddened to read of Roy Leutwyler’s death [“Miami police shoot captain,” March 2008, page A13]. I knew him well, going back some 30 years. He was skippering a 60-foot motor sailer by the name of Perigrina, Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com Advertising Sales peg@the-triton.com
Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com Business Manager/Sales Peg W. Garvia, peg@the-triton.com
Graphic Designer Christine Abbott, sales@the-triton.com Abbott Designs Contributing Editor Lawrence Hollyfield
a mini Rhodes ketch that was in Malta, when I was sent by the new owner to take over. She was having a new main boom made following some wind damage. He was then going out with a nice English girl (forget her name now; that’s what happens when you get sort of older). I next caught up with him in South Florida in the early 80s when I was doing a refit on the Prosit at Bob Roscioli’s yard on SR 84. Roy was then riding a hot Ducati motorcycle, which he used to race around South Florida on road circuits. I tried to find him when I was last in South Florida on Melreni but had no luck. Very sad to hear of his demise. Capt. Ian James EDITOR’S NOTE: If anyone knows how Capt. James can extend condolences to Leutwyler’s family, please e-mail editorial@the-triton.com.
Shortages to spike salaries
I’m a serving Master Master on a seismic survey vessel and an avid reader of The Triton out here at my present location in N.W. Australia. I read with interest your survey on salaries aboard the “white fleet” and the correlation between length and salary levels [“$1,000 a foot,” January 2008, page A1]. I would be interested to know Managing Editor Kelly Cramer Contributors Rosemary Armao, Carol M. Bareuther, Ian Biles, Rebecca Castellano, Mark A. Cline, Mark Darley, Jake DesVergers, Capt. Mark Drewelow, Capt. Jacques Falardeau, Capt. Jeffrey Hoerr, Jack Horkheimer, Cleveland Jennings, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Alene Keenan, Capt. Bob Kimball, Donna Mergenhagen, Chef Andrew Moss, Capt. Carl Moughan, DJ Parker, Steve Pica, Rossmare Intl., Eng. Mike Sandiland, James Schot, Capt. Tom Serio, Leo Speat, Jean Vallette, Anita Warwick
if your other readers consider the probability that impending shortages in the industry are likely to skew salary levels and put them under pressure, particularly in the light of recently published figures of megayachts under construction over the next four years. Reports say there are 700 worldwide. In the commercial sector, we’re already having considerable difficulty. Salaries have gone up 10 percent this year and are likely to jump 40 percent over the next three years (possibly even more and in an even shorter time frame). The order book for new tonnage in the merchant sector is very buoyant as international trade increases yearly. There is already a “black hole” in our industry and poaching between shipping companies is rife as experienced personnel move on to the highest bidder. Does that sound familiar? Keeping a good crew together as a captain on board a vessel with 60 personnel has never been harder, and I don’t have my hands on the purse strings. I have to employ other management methods to keep ’em sweet. Look forward to your next article. Capt. Nick Bennett CGG Symphony GC Rieber Shipping Ltd. Vol. 5, No. 1.
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What’s in your kit?
Thrilling Thailand
Our birthday, your present
Yachts often operate hours from help, so a properly thought out and well-organized medical kit is a necessity.
The Asian nation is scenic, exotic and erotic (and worth a trip, especially if you are up for a ride on an elephant).
The Triton is turning 4 and is throwing a party at Briny Irish Pub in Ft. Lauderdale, April 16 from 6-9 p.m. Dress for success, 1970s style.
B8-9
She’s free S/Y Legacy escapes after being landlocked two years in Florida Keys.
Section B
B10
B20
B26
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April 2008
Commercial yachts have to comply with STCW code
‘THESE THINGS ARE NOT TOYS’
Although submersibles have a tremendous safety record, many of the safeguards that exist for them are not in PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. SUBMARINES place aboard yachts. Pictured: The Triton 1000.
Making it safer for subs on yachts By Lucy Chabot Reed Rick Boggs is thinking about the future and he is concerned. In practice and on the drawing table, there’s a swelling trend to put more submersibles on megayachts, especially charter yachts. With about a quarter of his 40-year marine career spent working in and on manned submersibles, he cringes to hear them marketed to megayachts as “toys.” “I want subs on yachts, but these things are not toys,” said Boggs, who is the technical superintendent
at Camper & Nicholsons in Ft. Lauderdale. “It’s not a yacht toy like a jet ski. That’s a very dangerous way to look at it.” So he has Boggs begun the task of creating an industrysupported study group that will bring yacht builders, submersible manufacturers, flag states, naval
architects, yacht management companies and yacht crew together to write guidelines on how to integrate them safely. “As a management company, we’re looking at this industry and people putting subs on yachts and wondering what standards are going to apply,” Boggs said. “The IMO, the U.S. Coast Guard and ABS, the Cayman Islands and the MCA all have standards on construction and safety, but there are virtually no operational standards. …
See SUBS, page B14
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, sets certification standards for masters, officers, and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships. Commercial yachts are subject Rules of the Road to compliance with the code, as Jake DesVergers are any people who hold a certificate of competence for a certain rank. STCW was adopted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, and entered into force in 1984. The convention was significantly amended in 1995. The 1978 STCW Convention was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification, and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level. Standards had been established by governments, usually without reference to practices in other countries. Standards and procedures varied widely, even though shipping is the most international of all industries. The convention callls for minimum standards relating to training, certification, and watchkeeping for seafarers, which countries are obliged to meet or exceed. Note that the code is a minimum standard for certification,
See RULES, page B12
B April 2008
IN THE YARD: Getting along
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Big business of boating has pushed ‘gentlemanly days’ aside By Cleve Jennings Let’s address something new and personal this month. Something that’s perhaps even contentious. When collecting money owed, negotiating what you want,or pressing a point, it is useful, too, to remember just who you are dealing with. The world of yachting has changed dramatically over the decades and the unspoken and unwritten roles and rules of the past have changed. Examining some of those various roles and rules of both the individual yachtsman and the shipyard attitudes that have changed requires care. These stereotypical conceptions must be examined fairly, and without prejudice. This is especially true when examining the sometimes intractable and humorous differences between sailors and power boaters. It’s all so simple to recall the good old days when the yachtsman would bring his boat to the shipyard and trust that the work would be done properly and that the bill would be fair and accurate.
In those days, the “gentleman” yachtsman would, if dissatisfied with the work or disappointed by the bill, quietly pay and never return to that shipyard. The world was less litigious then; and recourse was usually apportioned with over a drink at the local yacht club. The ensuing conversation held with yacht club friends would typically reveal the yachtsman’s dissatisfaction or disappointment with the shipyard. Of course, if all had gone well the conversation would be different. On the other hand, in those good old days, many shipyards became spoiled and accustomed to being paid without undergoing any real serious scrutiny of the work or the billing detail. I should be quick to point out that in those days boats were smaller and less sophisticated, dollar amounts were also less and relationships around the waterfront were more collegial. A much more fraternal fellowship existed then. Those gentlemanly days are largely gone now. Yachting is big business today.
The financial numbers are huge. And almost everyone and their family can enjoy the sport of cruising or racing thanks in part to a more affluent society and a banking industry with aggressive lending practices. In the old days, only a few had access to the cash that now is readily available to most of us. This has spawned a new generation of boaters. This enormous increase in the individual boating public, coupled with production facilities pumping out more and more large and varied vessels and the current trend of diminishing service and repair shipyards (as a result of development), obscure both trust and professionalism today. This is not to suggest that there are not plenty of trustworthy and professional people out there, because there are. It’s not easy to believe that all these new boat owners have the education and experience to successfully operate their vessel in a professional manner and to do it safely. It’s also not easy to believe that all shipyards have the professional staff and properly certified technicians to do the job. Surely both must endeavor to do that. As a result of the occasional friction between the boat owners and their crew and the shipyard owners and their staff, everyone is now looking over everyone else’s shoulders and pointing fingers. Let’s not forget the lawyers in the background and their implied threat, or the surveyors in the foreground diagnosing liability. Everyone serves a purpose. The up-side to all this change is that everyone is paying attention to the professionalism of the work performed
and the adequacy of the billing detail, lest there be a fight and a subsequent lawsuit. This of course, reduces dissatisfaction and disappointment for all parties involved but severely ratchets up the stress level for all parties involved. There goes that old fraternity feeling. The down-side is that these potentially adversarial relationships may, or have, become a part of the culture of doing business in the marine industry, an industry that was perhaps elite at one time and is now perhaps somewhat more plebian. The times rush past, and so those who have the responsibility must embrace the changing cultures as they come. But one thing has remained the same: that enduring and humorous enmity between sailors and power boaters. Sure, sailors are penurious with their money while power boaters seem to throw it around; sailors are smugly slow and the power boater happily speeds along; sails are quiet and power is not; sailors are do-it-yourselfers and power boaters hire professionals; sailors think that they are nature and power boaters think that they own nature, so the cultures often clash as is the case with stereotypical conceptions. But we all share the same common love, the sea. Cleve Jennings, a former captain, has 30 years experience in the marine industry. He has held senior management positions in shipyards, with the Whitbread Round the World Race, and in banking. He has worked as a project manager on new builds and repair/ refits. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
B April 2008
TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
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Partnership to enable on- and off-shore high-speed Internet The U.S. division of Global Satellite has partnered with AGC Marine, a French marine telecom distributor, to provide broadband service in the United States. The service will enable on- and off-shore high-speed Internet access faster than DSL for unlimited usage on monthly or annual contracts on a shared or dedicated bandwidth. Onboard capabilities will include e-mail, e-fax, voice, data transmission, video conferencing, video-on-demand and telemedicine. “This strategic partnership between Global Satellite USA and AGC Marine will enable us to have stronger relationships with prospects in the South of France and across Eastern Europe as well as supplying a unique service to our customers in the States,” said Martin Fierstone, the CEO for Global Satellite USA. The Eutelsat broadband facility is available as a multi-regional service. Service areas include: the U.S. and Caribbean; the Mediterranean, Europe and the top half of the Red Sea; the Gulf Region; the Maldives; India; Asia; and Australia.
MOBi-lert 720i at West Marine
The Mobilarm MOBi-lert 720i Man Overboard System is now available at West Marine. Designed for boats up to
45 feet, the MOBi-lert 720i is a wireless system that provides instant alerts in man overboard events. Each crew member and passenger wears a small, rechargeable personal MOBi-lert pendant, which, if disconnected from the network through either submersion in water or distance from the network, will set off a system alert. Connected to a compatible chart plotter or GPS, the 720i will also provide valuable track back recovery information. The system can support up to six passengers and crew and, among other features, includes rechargeable pendants that can last up to four days on a charge. There is also a second built-in relay to sound an extra alarm or shut-off engine. The devices retail for $899.
Bahamas special edition charts
Navionics, an electronic charting and digital navigation data company, is offering a special edition about the Bahamas. The Bahamas Special Edition charts cover the northern Bahamian waters from Grand Bahama and Abaco to Long Island in the south, as well as the southeast coast of Florida. The new charts include surveyed content with spot sounding and depth contour detail. Prices start at $129.
Based in Italy, Navionics has developed and manufactured electronic navigation charts and systems for marine, in land lakes and rivers and outdoors use for more than 20 years. For more information, visit www.navionics.com.
Sonar gets passing marks
has sensors to monitor the hull’s movement and constantly adjusts the aim of the transducer mechanically to compensate for waves. The system is available with both an 8- and 10-inch transducer. New trawlscan technology in the software has added to the capabilities of this sonar as well. As the beam moves off the bow, the transducer will tilt up to scan a straight line perpendicular to the vessel’s course. Trawlscan is viewed on a second monitor with three off-center zoom modes to select from.
SunBrite issues all-weather LCD TV This shows forward scan on the top, port starboard bottom profile on lower half. Each screen has its own control to maximize target PHOTO COURTESY OF WESMAR detection. WESMAR’s newest sonar, the HD850, has just completed its first year in the field and the company said the new technology expands the forward scan view by 30 percent and electronically stabilizes the soundome. The active stabilization, which allows fisherman to find fish more quickly and monitor their paths,
SunBriteTV has introduced a new 46-inch, all-weather outdoor highdefinition LCD television with a suggested retail price of $5,495. Engineered for outdoor installation, Model 4610HD has a corrosion-
See TECH BRIEFS, page B5
The Triton
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TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
Man starts Hawaii-Japan trek in a vessel powered by waves TECH BRIEFS, from page B4 resistant, powder-coated aluminum exterior that protects internal components from rain, dirt, insects, and extreme temperatures. The TV’s baffled and filtered quadfan airflow system keeps the unit cool in temperatures up to 122 degrees. In a cold climate, its internally controlled heater activates automatically when the internal temperature dips to 32 degrees, heating it 20 degrees. The new model’s high-definition LCD screen displays an extra-bright 1920 x 1080 pixel image with 2000:1 contrast ratio. The screen is protected by an anti-reflective, impact and scratch-resistant window that is built into the exterior. It comes with a water-resistant remote control and a one-year, infactory, parts and labor warranty. Mounting kits are also available. For more information, visit www.sunbritetv. com.
Riding the waves, Hawaii to Japan Kenichi Horie left Hawaii for Japan March 16 in a wave-powered boat, the Associated Press has reported. Horie, 69, has sailed across the
world and has also crossed the Pacific Ocean in a boat made from recycled aluminum beer cans and powered by solar panels. The waves will supply the 3-ton yacht with the energy to move two fins at the bow of the Suntory Mermaid II. It is equipped with an engine and a 35-foot sail mast in case of emergency. Horie has said his 10-week trip – 4,000 miles at 5 knots – will be the world’s longest voyage in a wavepowered boat. He has taken several sailing trips that have called attention to green technology, including a 1992 trip from Hawaii to Okinawa made in a boat he pedaled.
Cummins Filtration upgrade
Cummins Filtration has expanded its Fleetguard standard off-highway exhaust series to include engines from eight to 50 horsepower, the company said. The options: Residential Grade for 18-25 dBA sound reduction; and Critical Grade for 25-35 dBA sound reduction silencing ratings. They contain a resonator for improved sound reduction and enhanced sound quality. Cummins Filtration is a wholly owned business unit of Cummins.
April 2008
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Today’s fuel prices
One year ago
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of March 14.
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of March 15, 2007
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 913/973 Savannah, Ga. 969/NA Newport, R.I. 1,032/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 995/NA St. Maarten 964/NA Antigua 920/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 887/NA Cape Verde 892/NA Azores 861/NA Canary Islands 902/1,057 Mediterranean Gibraltar 896/NA Barcelona, Spain 924/1,702 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,798 Antibes, France 977/1,953 San Remo, Italy 1,079/2,044 Naples, Italy 1,002/1,954 Venice, Italy 1,010/1,899 Corfu, Greece 1,088/1,854 Piraeus, Greece 1,076/1,836 Istanbul, Turkey 937/NA Malta 901/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 905/NA Tunis, Tunisia 898/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 891/NA Sydney, Australia 895/NA Fiji 950/NA
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 582/621 Savannah, Ga. 543/NA Newport, R.I. 611/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 691/NA St. Maarten 603/NA Antigua 648/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (St. George’s) NA/NA Cape Verde 522/NA Azores 593/NA Canary Islands 538/659 Mediterranean Gibraltar 522/NA Barcelona, Spain 554/1,197 Palma de Mallorca, Spain 558/1,231 Antibes, France 591/1,367 San Remo, Italy 671/1,398 Naples, Italy 674/1,495 Venice, Italy 632/1,291 Corfu, Greece 755/1,224 Piraeus, Greece 689/1,152 Istanbul, Turkey 546/NA Malta 519/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 505/NA Tunis, Tunisia 500/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 531/NA Sydney, Australia 550/NA Fiji NA/NA
*When available according to customs.
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B April 2008 SAFETY EQUIPMENT: Medical kits
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What to look for – and avoid – in an onboard medical kit By Rebecca Castellano Yachts are getting bigger, carrying more crew and passengers and traveling further than ever before and with the many responsibilities that the captains and crews have, deciding what medical supplies to have aboard is often an afterthought. If you are not a medical professional, it can be challenging to figure out what or how much you need. If the yacht holds certifications from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, for example, or does charters, then medical supplies are required; however many factors play into what kinds of medical supplies should be on the megayacht. In my career as a nurse, I helped many patients make informed medical decisions by giving them facts and information, telling them about the risks, the benefits and the alternatives available. I’m hoping my insights here will help captains, owners or the onboard medical officers decide what they should look for or avoid, before purchasing a medical kit or supplies. I don’t recommend anyone do it themselves but if they do, I strongly recommend you consult a medical professional about your needs and what to buy. The first factor is how the vessel is used, which will determine how
A defibrillator is a no-brainer; it saves lives. PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA CASTELLANO extensive medical supplies should be and what you should purchase. If your megayacht travels extensively over great distances and is often days from land or a region where adequate medical care is available, it would be
wise to have extensive supplies. Other considerations are chartering, the number of crew and guests on board and what kinds of activities guests and crew engage in like fishing or diving.
The age and health of crew and guests is a factor and if children are on board, pediatric supplies should be added. Generic drugs are a good and safe way to keep costs down, but make sure that the supplies come from a reliable and reputable source. When getting a quote, if the price quote is significantly lower than others, this may be a sign that the source of supplies is third tier. Drugs supplied from unknown manufacturers can be useless or dangerous. Make sure the medications and supplies you rely on have not expired. When ordering, ask for the longest expiration dates on supplies. You can expect a shelf-life of a year or longer on medications. Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase supplies or to restock. Plan ahead and allow enough time, generally up to three weeks, when placing an order. Look for suppliers who specialize in medical services. Medicine is an ever-changing field and you want a supplier that is staffed and managed by professionals (often a nurse, doctor or pharmacist) who keep abreast of current medical information and technology and who can answer
See MEDICAL KITS, page B9
The Triton
www.the-triton.com SAFETY EQUIPMENT: Medical kits
An organized kit contributes to minimized response time MEDICAL KITS, from page B8 questions about your supplies or kit. Don’t be afraid to ask what training or expertise someone has when they are trying to sell you a medical kit. Look for an organized system when considering a medical kit. Supplies should be organized and clearly and properly labeled. There should be an order to how things are put together. It should make sense to you. Time is of the essence in an emergency and you should never have to dump out a bag to search for an item. What is needed should be readily available and easy to locate. The system should also allow you to keep things organized. You should be able to easily restock items in their proper place. Your crew members are busy. Look for a system that minimizes the amount of time you or your crew needs to spend keeping organized and current. Additionally, with periodic turnover of crew, a good medical system should allow new crew members to become familiar easily. While all megayacht crew are required to have first-aid training and regular updates, your medical supplies should come with easy to understand instruction manuals directing you on what to do in an emergency. It is not enough to have just a bag or a list of supplies; you should expect to have instructions on how to use the items in your kit. Medications should come with clear, concise guidelines on what the drugs are used for, who should not use them, how they should be delivered and for how long they should be used. Look for assessment and recordkeeping tools with your kit. The ability to document information about a medical incident is very important. Should a crew member or guest require professional medical care, providing the doctor with information on what occurred and what actions were taken could be vitally important. In terms of risk management, insurance companies appreciate receiving this kind of documentation. Medical devices including defibrillators, oxygen equipment, glucose meters, pulse oximeters and telemedicine devices are helpful but not all are necessary. I think the defibrillator is a nobrainer because this device saves lives. The newest generation defibrillators actually assist CPR and are designed to be used by people with little training. Look for a device that can be reprogrammed when CPR protocols change. Some are capable of being
programmed in multiple languages, run on lithium batteries and have long shelf lives. Oxygen tanks are often included in larger kits and should be considered an essential item. If they are not included, their cost is relatively minimal and should be added. Telemedicine devices relay realtime medical information directly to a medical center and allow doctors to treat a patient virtually, either by phone or on the Internet. They are somewhat new in megayachting and still very expensive. Watch out for added hookup fees after you have purchased the equipment. These are popular with large private and charter vessels, megayachts with a submarine or dive vessels and when an owner or guest requires close medical monitoring. If you are considering a contract service that gives your megayacht access to medical advice, look for a service that gives you 24-7 access to a physician by all available means of communication. Find out if they can arrange rescue support or if they are familiar with your medical supplies and whether they can network with telemedicine devices. Look for programs that are based from a hospital or medical institution and staffed by specialists in emergency care and trauma units. Some of these programs are very expensive and you may not use this service very often so look for programs with a small administration fee and a pay-as-you-go feature. Shop around and always ask what is included and what will be charged as an extra fee. Lastly, when buying a kit or other equipment, pay attention to how well your provider services you and the products you purchased. Look for a provider with multiple locations to provide service as you move around the world. Find out if they offer a hotline in case you have a question. Look for companies which provide training and newsletters or product updates. I hope you find this information helpful when choosing your medical supplies or kit. Even the most experienced captain can find the process confusing and tedious. You have choices, but you need to ask the right questions. When you are armed with information, it can be a real life saver. Rebecca Castellano, a nurse and a lifelong sailor, is the U.S. sales manager for Ocean Medical International. She can be reached at becky@omi2.com for questions. Comments on the story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
April 2008
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B10 April 2008
NEWS: Update on S/Y Legacy
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‘I paid $400,000 in advance to the first company to come on site – some guy in a motorhome with a surf board. What did I know back then? He came recommended.’
– Legacy owner Peter Halmos
After two years of trying, Legacy floats free By Capt. Tom Serio S/Y Legacy is floating free once again after being marooned for more than two years north of the Florida Keys. The exciting moments came on Monday, Feb. 25, under the right conditions and with a little bit of luck. “We busted loose today,” owner Peter Halmos announced in an e-mail at about 1:30 a.m. the following morning. A definite sense of relief was felt in those words, not only by the man who wrote them, but also a bit by those of us who have been following Legacy’s saga. In an interview a few days later, Halmos said it was a relief to accomplish what he’d set out to do – recover his beloved 158-foot Perini Navi megayacht while minimizing the impact to the environment. Halmos lived on a houseboat during the extensive effort to free the megayacht. He said he has spent an estimated $1 million a month during the recovery period. Plans to refurbish Legacy are still in the works as Halmos focuses on getting the yacht towed to Miami, hauled and
Three weeks after being freed, Legacy remained in Key West Harbor while arrangements were made to transport her. The Jolly Roger is Halmos’ way PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. TOM SERIO to have a little fun. inspected. There is no schedule yet on when she will be shipped back to Italy for refurbishing. “I’m taking it one step at a time,” Halmos said. Obstacles from the insurance claims process to environmental regulations slowed the already laborious process and Halmos had to cover the initial efforts to free the megayacht. “I paid $400,000 in advance to the first company to come on site – some guy in a motorhome with a surf board,” he said, shrugging. “What did I know back then? He came recommended.” That early attempt involved sandbags and flotation foam, “a big laugh,” according to Halmos. At the same time, he found FasDam, a private engineering firm whose cofferdam system became the solution to free Legacy. Halmos had to change salvage companies, which is not easy. He had to reapply for permits and wait for approval. After months of waiting and $500,000 more, Halmos sent Fas-Dam home after receiving a permit that would have held him responsible for up to $22 million in remediation and fines. Frustrated by delays and hemorrhaging money, Halmos said he needed better representation. In stepped Tom Campbell, former NOAA general counsel, and Craig O’Connor, current NOAA general counsel. Now, Halmos said, “The nonsense stopped.” The three men renewed their focus. Halmos directed that a new permit to use Fas-Dam had to be in place by New Year’s Eve, or else he will take it all into his own hands. By 11 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2006, Halmos had a permit, to his terms, to proceed. “NOAA had to understand that they were not dealing with some two-bit idiot that could be pushed around,”
Halmos said. The permit, or contract, gave Halmos immunity and release from anything, although certain obligations were still on the table, such as repairing the sea grass at the location where Legacy sat. By this time, Halmos was having second thoughts about the Fas-Dam process, a gut feeling that something was amiss, and he didn’t want to use it. But the permit from NOAA was for FasDam, so Halmos brought the company back and paid for it start the recovery process. In the end, the Fas-Dam technique didn’t work and by this time, the 2007 hurricane season was fast approaching and Legacy was still in the same place it had been in the fall of 2005. Did it ever occur to Halmos to cut his megayacht up to get it out? “I never considered it,” he said. “Legacy saved my life; I was going to save hers.” Enter Byrd Commercial Diving of Miami, a marine salvage company amongst other things. Dave Byrd and his team had an idea for getting Legacy out, but it would take some special equipment and a new process to do it correctly. So Byrd found the equipment, Halmos paid for it all ($100,000 for the pump, $30,000 for the generator, etc.), and the “dredging” process began. The goal was to dredge just enough material to get Legacy’s keel to slide along. It worked, but there were still issues. With the seemingly constant windy conditions and cold fronts pushing through the area, the bow of Legacy would be set off course, causing her to bind up against the side of the dredged channel.
See LEGACY, page B11
The Triton
www.the-triton.com
NEWS: Update on S/Y Legacy
April 2008
B11
Halmos vows that his future captains will be engineers LEGACY, from page B10 Pulling Legacy out was the Byrd vessel Helen B, a utility tug boat with heavy winches and block and tackle gear. Helen B was anchored about a mile from Legacy, with shots of cable connected to make it from one vessel to the other and held in place with 16ton anchors. She was limited to 50 tons of pulling power to minimize damaging either vessel or gear. After about six months of digging, pulling, making significant headway, Halmos tasted freedom. But one more issue would come up, stopping Legacy in her tracks. While pulling the last few hundred yards, and dredging at a shallower depth, Legacy would actually cantilever on the bottom of her hull, forcing her rudder into the sea floor. “Duh, it’s the rudder, stupid,” Halmos said, chuckling. A little more digging solved that problem and Legacy was freed at last. Once afloat and nestled up alongside of the Helen B, workers moved the megayacht to a deepwater spot in Key West Harbor. Halmos said he will try to get his former skipper, Capt. Ed Collins, back for a few days to try to get the engines restarted. “Capt. Ed is also an engineer, and I find that type of background invaluable,” he said. “Any captains I have in the future will also have to be an engineer.” Halmos has been working with his insurance carrier to settle some of the claims, which was difficult at first but has improved now that he has a single representative working with him. The peace may have been fostered over the rep’s homemade dinners. “Pamela Hastings-Forkey has done a tremendous job as the ACE insurance rep, and I can’t ask for more,” he said. “And she makes pretty good fried chicken.” Halmos also had kind words for Byrd Marine. “I can’t recommend a stronger team than Byrd,” he said. After three weeks of freedom, Legacy still sat in Key West Harbor on March 14, tied to the Helen B. Adorning a staff at mid-ship was the Jolly Roger, arousing concern of the pirates for which she stood in forgone days. Halmos said he bought the skulland-crossbones at a drug store for $9.99 – likely the least expensive part of the recovery effort and a much-needed laugh for Halmos. By day, Capt. Tom Serio is a director of disaster management for a major retailer in South Florida. By weekend, he is a licensed skipper, lover of boats, and a freelance writer and photographer. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
In mid-March, the Legacy and the Helen B were still tied together, but in Key West Harbor.
PHOTO/ CAPT. TOM SERIO
B12 April 2008 FROM THE FRONT: Rules of the Road
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Manning levels likely will be different depending on the source RULES, from page B1 not qualification. It does not provide a guarantee of quality or the highest of standards. In addition, the convention does not deal with manning levels. IMO provisions in this area are covered by Regulation 13 of Chapter V of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, whose requirements are further supported by Resolution A.890(21): Principles of Safe Manning, adopted by the IMO Assembly in 1999, which replaced an earlier Resolution A.481(XII) adopted in 1981. Here too, the Minimum Safe Manning Certificate (MSMC) issued to commercial ships and yachts is just that, the minimum number of personnel needed to move the vessel between two points.
For example, a mid-size commercial yacht providing services to 12 charter guests may need upward of 10 to 12 crew. This would include several stewards or stewardesses and chefs, besides the traditional marine crew. In contrast, the MSMC may indicate that the same yacht needs only four total people to safely operate it: a master, mate, engineer, and deckhand. The MSMC is providing a minimum safety standard, not what it needs to successfully complete a charter. One especially important feature of the convention is that it applies to ships of non-party states when visiting ports of states which are parties to the convention. Article X requires the parties to apply the control measures to ships of all flags to the extent necessary to ensure that no more favorable treatment is given to ships entitled
to fly the flag of a state which is not a party than is given to ships entitled to fly the flag of a state that is a party. In plain terms, if the flag the yacht chooses to fly is not a signatory to the STCW Code, it will still be enforced by the ports it visits. There are no exceptions or exemptions. In December 1992, as details of the grounding of the M/V Aegean Sea near the Spanish port of La Coruña were being reported, the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) agreed to a U.S. proposal to conduct a comprehensive review of the 1978 STCW Convention. In making the proposal, the U.S. suggested that the review should specifically consider criteria used for ensuring fitness of watch standers and the role of the human element in maritime casualties. During the ensuing discussions, some delegations expressed agreement that the time had come for the organization to concentrate on areas relating to people, training, and operational practices rather than on issues dealing with improving ship construction and equipment standards. Consequently, the MSC directed one of its subordinate committees, the Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW) SubCommittee, to take the human element into account, and further that the subcommittee should complete the revision by 1996. In 1993, the IMO embarked on this comprehensive revision of STCW to establish the highest practicable standards of competence to address the problem of human error as the major cause of maritime casualties. A small number of consultants developed a document identifying categories of behavioral conditions which, in their view, could be improved with proper training and enhanced shipboard practices and arrangements. After considering these conditions in terms of the effects of the human element in marine casualties, the consultants prepared a preliminary draft of suggested amendments to the STCW Convention, including a number of proposals directly addressing the human element. They also included a proposal to develop a new STCW Code, which would contain the technical details associated with provisions of the convention. The amendments were discussed and modified by the STW Subcommittee the following two years. The most significant revisions concerned: l enhancement of port state control l communication of information to the IMO to allow for mutual oversight and consistency in application of standards. l quality standards systems (QSS), oversight of training, assessment, and certification procedures. l placement of responsibility
on parties, including those issuing licenses, and flag states employing foreign nationals, to ensure seafarers meet objective standards of competence. l rest period requirements for watchkeeping personnel. On July 7, 1995, a conference of parties to the convention, meeting at IMO headquarters in London, adopted the package of amendments to STCW. The amendments entered force on Feb. 1, 1997. All seafaring nations subsequently took steps necessary to implement the revised requirements, ensuring that licenses and documents would be issued in compliance with the 1995 amendments. Full implementation was required by February 1, 2002. Mariners who held licenses had the option to renew those licenses in accordance with the rules of the 1978 Convention by Feb. 1, 2002. Mariners entering training programs after Aug. 1, 1998 were required to meet the competency standards of the new 1995 Amendments. The amendments require seafarers be provided with “familiarization training” and “basic safety training,” which includes basic fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal survival techniques, and personal safety and social responsibility. This is intended to ensure that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and can respond appropriately in an emergency. It also provides the minimum amount of experience and training needed for license holders, allocated based upon the tonnage or kilowatts of a vessel. STCW, as amended, requires all training and assessment activities to be “continuously monitored through a quality standards system to ensure achievement of defined objectives, including those concerning the qualifications and experience of instructors and assessors.” The 1995 amendments require those responsible for instruction and assessment of the competence of seafarers to be qualified for the type and level of training or assessment involved. People who perform these roles are expected to have received guidance in instructional techniques and assessment methods. Capt. Jake DesVergers is chief surveyor for International Yacht Bureau, an organization that provides inspection services to Marshall Islands-registered private yachts of any size and commercial yachts up to 500 gross tons. A deck officer graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, he previously 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. Comments on this story are welcome at 954-596-2728 or www.yachtbureau.org.
B14 April 2008 FROM THE TECH FRONT: Manned submersibles
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How subs are integrated: Say ‘yes,’ then figure it out SUBS, from page B1
The Ocean Pearl is an ABS-classed, two-person sub built specifically for use on and with megayachts. PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAMAGINE
We need operational standards, not just technical standards.” He made a presentation to the Marine Technical Society in late January and encountered opposition, mostly because sub manufacturers feel they are already overly regulated and don’t want more rules. “I’m saying if you have a commercial sub that’s classed and you want to put it on a yacht, here’s what the yacht has to have and these are the operations that have to be in place,” Boggs said. “Otherwise, you don’t know what you’re dealing with.” Eventually, several manufacturers agreed to be part of the conversation and by mid-February, the International Superyacht Society agreed to host the group as a committee. Submersibles operate under many layers of regulations and standards, but trying to extrapolate them into the world of yachts is not easy, said Rick Thomas, an ISS executive board member who also owns Nautical Structures, a manufacturer of marine cranes. His company is working with a megayacht on its launching and recovery system for the sub via a crane. “We’re just now coming to grips with the fact that this is a reality,” Thomas said. “Truly, the industry doesn’t have a clue. Yards aren’t schooled in all the nuances to carry subs. Designers first say ‘sure, we’ll figure out a way to do it,’ then they go look for a way.” Getting experts together to create industry guidelines will hopefully ward off those created after the fact by regulatory agencies with limited knowledge of yachts. The yachting industry has learned this lesson the hard way, through both helicopter and man-overboard requirements, said Doug Sharpe, a naval architect and immediate past president of the ISS. “The problem is that in the vacuum created when you’re putting these things onboard for the first time with no standards, the next thing that’s checked is [the commercial industry],” Sharpe said. “The idea with subs is that, for the first time, let’s go through an industry group to determine the best integration and best operational parameters. So when the classification society and the flag state require operational standards, we’ll have them.” A handful of megayachts already carry submersibles, including the 414-foot M/Y Octopus, one of the first in recent history. Boggs said he has been in contact with her crew and they are willing to share their plan of operations, which has taken several years to successful integrate. “Octopus’ procedures would be the ultimate; it has a dedicated submersible
crew,” Boggs said. “But it’s a plan that most yacht owners won’t be able to match,” simply because of size and space limitations. M/Y Mine Games, which launched last year, also carries one. U.S. Submarines worked with Trinity Yachts to incorporate the vessels and has a 150-page manual on yacht-based operations for its clients, said company president L. Bruce Jones. “With a bit of common sense and proper preparation, yacht-based submersible operations are very low risk and a sub is a wonderful adjunct to a large yacht,” Jones said. “I know there is a movement afoot to establish regulations. I am diametrically opposed to such efforts as they simply provide one more reason for owners to dismiss the idea of operating a sub as being too complex and restrictive.” That’s exactly what Boggs hopes to avoid. He spent 10 years with International Hydrodynamics as a deep submersibles pilot. With that experience, he said the key issues the study group should address are manning and training because – even though submersibles are promoted as incredibly safe – putting them on yachts potentially removes many of the things that have made them safe. “Tourist subs have carried millions of passengers in all kinds of environments all over the world and there has never been an accident,” Boggs said. “Subs have a tremendous safety record, but the people who build tourist subs are from the commercial sector. They are shore-based with dedicated teams for operations and maintenance.” Will Kohnen, president of Californiabased submersibles manufacturer Seamagine, agreed. He compared it to the difference between buying an airplane and running an airport. “There are a whole lot of issues that have nothing to do with the sub itself,” he said. “We can deliver a perfectly classed sub and the yacht can still mess it up. And no one will see it that way. It will all be looked at as one thing. … The best thing we can do for our future is bring a professional submersibles organization in dialogue with a professional yachting organization.” Kohnen also agreed that the manning and training issues will be the most critical in ensuring safe operations aboard yachts. “It’s still being sold as a toy,” he said. “We like to use that word to sell tons of them, but it’s a short reward if crew don’t have the respect for these things from the ground up. Our safety record comes from years of professionals running them. Crew training is huge.” Seamagine has seven submersibles
See SUBS, page B15
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www.the-triton.com FROM THE TECH FRONT: Manned submersibles
April 2008
B15
Excerpts from Boggs’ presentation to Marine Technical Society Here are a few remarks from Rick Boggs’ presentation to the Marine Technical Society in New Orleans in late January: “Unless yacht managers, submersible suppliers, customers, and flag states work together to develop a rational and coherent standard for the installation and operation of manned submersibles onboard yachts we risk having unsuitable and possibly dangerous vehicles sold to unsuspecting buyers who place them aboard yachts illequipped to support them. As if that is not worrisome enough, the shortage of qualified crew available to the yacht industry is already falling far short of that required to support the existing fleet. “Of all the assets that contributed to the remarkable safety record of the submersible industry, very few exist
Which crew best-suited to pilot sub? SUBS, from page B14 in operation in the world, including two in tourist operations in the Cayman Islands and two on megayachts. The company’s latest is the Ocean Pearl, an ABS-classed, two-person sub built specifically for use on a shadow vessel that supports an 80-meter yacht. “Crew in yachting don’t tend to stay around for 10 years, so the question becomes how do you manage crew and have reasonable demands on them,” Kohnen said. “You can’t ask one guy to do five things.” The situation where the captain is trained to also serve as the sub pilot is “not particularly wise,” Kohnen said. “If something happens, nothing is as critical as the chain of command and the clear, proper execution of procedures,” he said. “That takes leadership. To relegate that to the second or third in command is very unwise.” So the first step is the one Boggs has taken: getting support for a crossindustry study group to define and establish operational standards that future yacht owners, builders and crews can use as a reference. His next stop: the American Superyacht Forum in Newport in June. “This could take a few years,” Boggs said. “But if the industry doesn’t do it, the MCA or some other thousandpound gorilla will do it for us.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.
onboard a yacht. Unless real-estate is submersible crew does not exist. Yacht allocated at the design stage there will crews are small; if there are extra hands be little space dedicated to submersible onboard, they are usually allocated storage or maintenance. Launch and to hotel staff – stewardesses and recovery equipment may be less than laundry workers – not the engineering ideal. The need for oxygen storage, department, which on even the largest pressure boosting, yacht will seldom and oxygen clean be more than 2 ‘Of all the assets that standards will be or 3. contributed to the a foreign concept. “If my Workspace for description of the remarkable safety record maintenance yacht operation of the submersible of hydraulic sounds negative, industry, very few exist and electronic I don’t mean it equipment will to be so bleak as onboard a yacht.’ not exist and all to put anyone too often neither off the idea. I will the skills to conduct them. Nearly believe that small submersibles and all of the facilities and resources you large yachts are a marriage made in have been accustomed to have at your heaven, or champagne and strawberries disposal will simply not exist. … they are just made for each other. It “The concept of a dedicated is a growing market and it is ripe for
the builder who understands it. But if we are going to be matchmakers we had better make sure our clients know exactly what they are getting into. “Cayman Islands and the U.S. Coast Guard have created a good foundation on which we might build a set of standards specifically applicable to yacht-based operations. The Cayman’s flag flies at the stern of most of the world’s largest yachts, they have the most experience in tourist submersible operations, and they are currently working on this issue. There are regulatory changes in our future regardless of what we do, but we are in a position today where we can take an active role in helping influence those changes.” For more information, contact Boggs at rb@ftl.cnyachts.com.
B16 April 2008
BOATS / BROKERS
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Churchill Yacht Partners shuts down sales division Churchill Yacht Partners has closed its yacht sales division, the company said March 3. With offices in Ft. Lauderdale and Newport, R.I., Churchill will now focus only on charter yacht management and retail charter bookings. Since buying Rikki Davis Yachts in 2005, the company has expanded its charter yacht management and retail booking divisions. “The closing of our yacht sales division will let us focus exclusively on supporting the continued success and growth of our charter management and retail booking divisions,” said Hap Fauth, owner of CYP and RD Yachts. “We look forward to continuing to expand our charter fleet and the number of retail charter brokers who work in our Rikki Davis Yachts division.” For more information, call +1-954527-2626.
Fraser Yachts
Fraser Yachts reported the recent sale of the M/Y Mystique, a 162-foot Oceanfast by broker Jody O’Brien in Ft. Lauderdale. And Fraser has added the M/Y Sensation, a 164-foot Sensation Yachts built in 2007, to its charter fleet in the western Mediterranean beginning this summer. The new listings for sale at Fraser Yachts include: The S/Y Lulworth, a 151-foot White built in 1920 and refit in 2006; the M/Y Peaceful Spirit, an 88-foot Versilcraft built in 1991; the M/Y Anna, an 86-foot Azimut built in 2005; the M/Y Luis Luis, an 82-foot Sunseeker built in 2004; and the M/Y Store Checks, a 76-foot Lazzara built in 1994. l Lania Rittenhouse is the new director of the charter retail division at Fraser Yachts in Ft. Lauderdale. Rittenhouse has worked in a variety of industries including cruise, tourism, and high-end retail with 20 years experience in marketing, operations and international business development. She joins Fraser Yachts from her most recent post at Norwegian Cruise Line in Miami as the vice president of hotel operations. Gerrard Harvey is Fraser Yacht’s new director of the company’s yacht management division in Ft. Lauderdale. A native of New Zealand, Harvey was in the Royal New Zealand Navy and in 1980 attended the officer promotion course before being selected to attend the Royal Naval Engineering College in the United Kingdom. In December 1992 he resigned from the Navy to become the director of marine operations with Blue Lagoon Cruises, a South Pacific-based boutique
cruise line operator.
International Yacht Collection
International Yacht Collection has recently sold the 112-foot M/Y Sea Bird, a 2000 Westport, which was listed by Jim Eden and Jim McConville.
Ft. Lauderdale-based IYC has added the new 230-foot M/Y Martha Ann (above) to its charter fleet. Launched by Lurssen this spring, the Martha Ann can accommodate 12 guests in six staterooms with up to 20 crew. She will be available in the Mediterranean this summer and the Caribbean in the winter.
IYC also has listed the 128-foot M/Y Mia Elise (above) for sale. According to IYC, the 2000 Palmer & Johnson has undergone a recent interior refit. IYC is a division of Trinity Yachts. For more information, call +1-954-5222323.
Knight & Carver
The 197-foot M/Y Senses is in Knight & Carver in San Diego for a twoto three-month refit. Senses has two helipads, a 42-foot Nelson tender, a 39-foot RIB that reaches 60 knots, a 28-foot sailboat, a 24-foot Hamatic RIB that goes 40 knots, as well as kayaks, jet skis and canoes. It is classified by Lloyd’s Register to navigate in heavily iced waterways. “She’s the perfect Nicholson bling for world travel,” said Capt. Geordie Nicholson, who has piloted the megayacht for five years with a crew of 12. “From the tropics to ice, she’s built to do anything,
See BOATS/BROKERS, page B18
B18 April 2008
BOATS / BROKERS
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Sunreef Yachts: order in for 1st double-deck catamaran
The 102-foot, double-deck catamaran is the largest made by Sunreef Yachts PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNREEF YACHTS and could be launched in 2009.
BOATS, from page B16
extensive.
and do it well.” In late January, the 193-foot M/Y Helios left Knight & Carver after a fourmonth renovation in which the interior was made more contemporary by HF Interiors, a Sweden-based interior fabrication firm that specializes in cruise ship projects. With more than 100 workers on the project, Knight & Carver called the Helios refit the company’s most
Sunreef Yachts
Sunreef Yachts has taken its first order for its 102-foot, double-deck sailing catamaran just as its megayacht design team has begun working on the company’s new model, the Sunreef 100foot. The Sunreef 100-foot will accommodate six guests in three cabins, each with its own bathroom and a separate shower. Two crew cabins for up to three people each will be in a separate area in the forepeak and will have additional, adaptable space. The fly bridge will be more than 500 feet. The Sunreef 102 will be launched as early as next year, the company said. It is the largest catamaran made by Sunreef Shipyard. ‘‘We are very excited by the interst in this model, it’s certainly the only double deck, an innovative Sunreef idea,’’ said Nicolas Lapp, Sunreef vice president. ‘‘It is really quite revolutionary in the superyacht world.” Based in Poland, Sunreef builds luxury catamarans and yachts up to 150 feet. For more information, visit www.sunreef-yachts.com.
Northrop and Johnson
M/Y Watercolours has joined Northrop and Johnson’s charter fleet. The 115-foot Trinity was launched in 1991 (Hull #1) and underwent a refit last year. She will be charter in the Bahamas this summer. For more information, contact June Montagne at jmontagne@njyachts.com or 1+954522-3344. l Northrop and Johnson added several high-profile yachting veterans to its cadre recently. Ann Landry joined as a charter broker. A 19-year veteran in yachting Landry and charter sales, Landry developed her passion for yachting in the late 1980s, when she embarked on a five-week vacation aboard a yacht in the Caribbean. She has worked with Koch, Newton & Partners and Merrill Stevens Yachts. For more information, contact her at alandry@njyachts.com or +1-954-5223344. Barb Tierney is the firm’s new executive director and business manager. Tierney is a past president of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association and is a founding member of the International Yacht Council. Norma Trease is the director of
See BOATS, page B19
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BOATS / BROKERS
New model by Mystic can reach 80 mph BOATS, from page B18 business development and will work closely with Northrop and Johnson’s expanded network of offices in the United States and Europe. Trease has more than 25 years of yachting experience as a crew member, the owner of a crew agency, and as a volunteer organizer for groups including the Professional Yachtsman’s Association and International Superyacht Society. Contact her through ntrease@njyachts.com or +1954 478-7448. Jayne Grimley is a new crew placement coordinator for Northrop & Johnson in San Diego. She got her start in yachting in 2005 as a freelance stewardess and has most Grimley recently worked at Merrill-Stevens Yachts in San Diego placing crew. Grimley can be reached at jgrimley@ njyachts.com +1-858-549-3344.
No Limits Yachts
Yacht brokerage No Limits Yachts in St. Maarten presented a new power yacht by Mystic Powerboats in Florida
on the final day of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta in March. Guests enjoyed the last race on board the new 70-foot M/Y Carpe Diem, which the company said is capable of speeds in the 80-mph range. Mystic Powerboats was founded in 1996 by John Cosker, a racing boat pilot, and has specialized in the design, engineering and construction of high performance power boats.
Perini Navi
The largest aluminum rig in the world, at 75 meters long, has just been stepped in Viareggio, Italy, on the S/Y Salute. Sea trials were scheduled to begin soon on the Salute, the first 56-meter cutter from Perini Navi. Ben Porteous, a project manager at Ocean Yacht Systems, was there when the rig was erected. “We have been working closely with the builder in Italy on this prestigious 56-meter project,” Porteous said. “The installation went extremely smoothly and we are now looking forward to the sea trials.”
Vicem Yachts
Vicem Yachts USA has opened an office in Newport, R.I., its third location in the United States.
Broker Ted Gersen will run the office, leaving Freedom Yachts after starting there nearly a decade ago as an engineer. Gersen also worked for five years with America’s Cup Charters Company of Newport as mate on the S/Y Intrepid, a two-time defender of the America’s Cup in 1967 and 1970. He helped with its restoration and in 2001, sailed with the yacht to the America’s Cup Jubilee in the Isle of Wight. Gersen can be reached at +1-401848-0028 at the new office at 547 Thames St. Vicem Yachts, based in Istanbul, Turkey, also has offices in Ft. Lauderdale and Long Island in New York. In Vicem’s Ft. Lauderdale office, Bret Schlanger will work as a broker. The University of Florida graduate had managed a fleet of 30 boats at Star Yacht Charters, which he co-founded. And Michael Grame joins the company as service manager. A graduate of Long Island University, Grame has worked as service manager for Modern Yachts of Hampton Bays in New York, Staten Island Boat Sales in Freeport, N.Y., and was the marina manager and test center supervisor for Bertram Yachts in Miami.
April 2008
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B20 April 2008
CRUISING GROUNDS: Thailand
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From ATVs to elephants to sex, Thailand is thrilling By Rosemary Armao
The writer on an elephant ride.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSEMARY ARMAO
The Thai don’t believe in coddling their tourists. And they don’t worry about liability claims much, which is how I came to find myself hurtling down a dark mountainside atop an ATV one evening last December, wondering how they’d get my body back home to the States. In the end, I survived that ATV ride. And the elephant trek through the woods, the bamboo raft down a bracing river, the vertical straight-up hikes, bloody boxing, bone-bending massages, white-water rafting, even kinky-sex night spots and fearsome fireworks. I lived to tell you: Thailand is a thrill ride of a vacation spot. The southeast Asian nation, shaped, as some cartography lover first noted, like the head of an elephant looking west and dipping its trunk into the Andaman Sea, is far away, not on the way to or from anyplace else. But contained within the outline of that enormous head is such a wealth of locales and travel experiences, plus great food and bargain-rate shopping that you won’t be easily bored during a week- or month-long stop. Our two weeks came at a peak holiday season when planes, trains and hotels are heavily booked and that slowed us down. At other times, or with more timely reservations than we made, tourists packing bathing suits and hiking boots can hop from the stunning beaches of south Thailand up to the forested north. Coming from Florida, which is not without white sand beaches, and knowing we couldn’t cover the whole countryside, we opted for a north country experience – just a hop from popular yachting destinations along the coast. But we began, as every trip to
Thailand of any duration ought to, in centrally located Bangkok, a sprawling, hustling, surprising capital of at least 7 million. This is the city to splurge on a luxury hotel – the legendary Oriental or the Marriott Royal Garden Riverside are good candidates. Both rest on the banks of the Chao Phrayo River, which you’ll want to explore. Ride one of the graceful, garlanded river boats that float past the grand hotels, street markets and temples. This is an especially wondrous journey at dusk when a red sun backlights the jagged city skyline spread along the shore. At the opposite extreme, be sure to hire a tuk-tuk – a glorified golf cart – to race you zig-zagging through crazy Bangkok traffic to see these top sights: the rich Grand Palace, the gigantic reclining gold Buddha at Wat Pho and the peaceful Golden Mount. We were not hot to visit a multitude of Buddhist shrines, but each of these was so spectacular we ended up with hundreds of pictures among our group. We shopped by day and played at night in Bangkok, eating at all hours in noodle stands and from street vendors. Without breaking a 100 baht note (about $3), we devoured fresh pineapple, pad thai, fried rice, custardy pastries and fiery Lawp Muu. The Thai love to watch westerners sweat, eating their chili-laced dishes. We never ate a single bad meal and saved enough on the food bill to feel vindicated about the elegant hotel rooms. I opted for a lazy float on the river the night the blood-lusting members of our group set out for the city stadium to watch pairs of men and boys kick, punch, elbow and head-butt each other. Muay Thai boxing, a kind of super martial art developed by the Thai army, is incredibly popular because it’s fast and can be devastating. A kick that provoked an explosive bloody nose was the highlight my traveling companions talked about endlessly and for the rest of the trip they pantomimed kickboxing and body-grappling moves. You must get boxing tickets in advance and compared to other diversions and food, they are an expensive $30. The body contact sport of my choice was Thai massage. On every block in the big cities of Thailand you will find at least two massage parlors offering back rubs, should massages, head work, full-body herbal treatments, a whole menu of optiond – though no sex, despite what you’ve heard – for practically nothing. Bangkok massages were the most expensive but we never paid more than $14 an hour and we got to the point where we refused to pay more than $6 an hour. Sometimes, we went in for body work two and three times a day. While our massages were all
See THAILAND, page B21
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The Chao Phraya River from atop Bangkok’s iconic Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn. PHOTO BY ROSEMARY ARMAO
Out walking and hungry? Bug vendors peddle crickets THAILAND, from page B20 platonic, we did have to sample the fabled sexy night life of Bangkok, of course. We visited Patpong and Cowboy Soi (soi means alley in Thai) during our Christmas-time visit. In line with the season, strippers in the streets trying to lure in customers donned red fur teddies and skimpy elf wear, which was festive. The streets, even before getting to the bars and clubs, offer such alluring diversions as the bug vendor – grasshoppers and crickets are surprisingly tasty – and a drugged, baby elephant whose handlers for a price would give you sugar cane to feed it. The women in our group were diverted by the numerous, oddly matched couples of young, barely covered Thai girls and middle-aged, paunchy and usually tipsy western guys. Overall, the show girls were scarred, razor-burned, out of shape by Las Vegas standards, and not too glamorous in ragged thongs and runny stockings. Still, it was impossible not to be mesmerized by the ping-pong show. A not especially sculpted naked girl got on her back on stage, wrapped a leg around the pole and fired out at us from an intimate bodily opening a ping-pong ball. We’d been equipped with paddles so as to participate. This,
See THAILAND, page B22
CRUISING GROUNDS: Thailand
April 2008
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B22 April 2008
CRUISING GROUNDS: Thailand
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White-knuckle elephant rides and white-water rafting THAILAND, from page B21 we remarked to each other, had to be the dirtiest thing we’d ever done. An ATV run through rugged countryside outside of Chiang Mai may have been the purest fun of the trip. Don’t bother booking adventures before actually arriving in the northern capital, which is a smaller, more manageable version of Bangkok. Hotels or agents in numerous shops in the tourist areas of Chiang Mai sport heavy scrapbooks of snapshots you can flip though to pick a risk. Elephant treks, shooting ranges, rafting in still or white water, temple visits, journeys to Hmong mountaintop villages, motorcycling or ATV, take your pick. None of us had been on an ATV and the touts told us no special skills were
Images of the country’s venerated King are everywhere in Thailand, on temples, pennants and roadside billboards like this one. PHOTO BY ROSEMARY ARMAO
needed. It was to have been a threehour tour. Sound like Gilligan’s Island? It was. We should have been warned by the release the ATV company had us sign before giving us helmets, which practically said: “We are gonna say we
didn’t know you if anything happens.” And it was a little worrying when one member of our group crashed into a bale of straw on the practice run and no guide offered any help. But we figured they would never give expensive machines like an ATV to tourists if they didn’t think we could handle them. Wrong. They do not care. The trip was nearly double the advertised length, which meant that for no extra money, we got twice the thrill and a high altitude, red-streaked sunset. But it also meant we had to negotiate a treacherous, wooded route down a steep mountain in the dark. It was worse for me because the only glasses I’d brought were sunglasses. My hands were numb, my legs were cramped and I was mentally constructing my will by the time we finally came back to the ATV store. I had reservations about riding on an elephant after this. Having been toppled by a mean horse and spit on by a nasty camel in the past, I am not a fan of climbing onto large animals that harbor resentment against human enslavers, but the rest of the group insisted. We hired guides who took us by bus from the city to a camp where orphaned and injured elephants were cared for by what appeared to be a gang of reckless teenagers. They boasted in Thai about drinking feats and all wielded sharp spikes used to control the animals. Despite all our reservations, it was an amazing ride. We had to hold on to keep from sliding to doom as the elephants walked through a forest and then down a steep ridge to a river. Guides also took us down that river in a Huck Finn like raft made of bamboo rods. The strongest of our group did duty as paddlers, straddling the raft and pushing it off of rocks and around eddies. Even those of us who sat through the drift ended up pretty wet, which made for a long, uncomfortable drive back in an air-conditioned bus. Bring an extra set of dry clothes if you go rafting. White-water rafting is a day trip from Chiang Mai and even in December when the water is not at its highest or fastest, the trip is worth it for scenery and wild-life spotting as much as for the sport.
The official sport of Chiang Mai may be shopping. The city is famed for its Night Bazaar and a separate weekend Bazaar, during which the city turns into a giant flea market. Kiosks and booths line the main street and between about 6 and 11 p.m. you can hunt, barter and buy simply everything. This includes custom tailored suit to hand soaps carved into flowers. Pocketbooks, jewelry, silk, T-shirts, frames, toys, flags, statues of the Buddha, boot-leg versions of every American movie and TV show ever produced. I am trying to think of something that could not be bought. The rules in this sport: First, you have to negotiate. Start out offering one-third of whatever price the vendor seeks. Walk away if the vendor doesn’t come down as much as you want. He’ll probably call you back. Second, older, white men will get better prices than anyone else. Thai culture is traditional and favors men over women, the old over the young and light skinned people over dark. They are simply accorded more respect and paid more attention. Third, don’t believe all you’ll read about the exceedingly polite and nonconfrontational Thai. In repeated encounters, the women in our group were cut off, snapped at and ridiculed by sales people. It seems that contact with tourists has made city dwellers prickly. We learned to meet such displays with a smart Thai expression that phonetically is: “MY RIP ROY,” a reminder that rude behavior is unacceptable. The same goes for tourists visiting Thailand. There are rules even in tolerant, laid-back Thailand. When visiting temples, do not wear shorts or tank tops. Cover arms and legs – but leave your shoes at the door. Do not sit with legs folded so that the bottoms of your feet face a Thai. That is regarded as a deep insult. Above all, never make a joke about the Beloved King or his relatives. It is not just an insult but a crime, rigorously enforced. Shrines to the royalty bloom on every bridge, street corner and public building in the nation. The king’s photo graces hotels and all other buildings. When the king’s theme is played over the radio everyone stops what they are doing and observes a moment of reflection. The entire train station played Statue and froze one afternoon as we went through. Rosemary Armao is a professor of journalism at the State University of New York in Albany. She has worked on assignment in Bosnia, Algeria, Uganda and Mongolia, to name a few. Comments on this article are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
B24 April 2008
IN THE STARS
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Occult occurrence: Watch the moon hide the seven sisters By Jack Horkheimer Greetings, fellow star gazers. Make sure to mark Tuesday night, April 8 as the night when a cosmic occult occurrence will occur. That’s because whenever one object in the heavens passes directly in front of another object and hides it, we call such an event an occultation because the word occult comes from the word “to hide.” And in the early evening of April 8, an exquisite crescent moon complete with earthshine will pass over the fabled star cluster the Seven Sisters and occult them, that is hide them from view for a brief time. Let me explain. Just after dark, facing west, you will see an exquisite, three-day old crescent moon complete with earthshine.
In case you’ve forgotten what earthshine is, simply keep in mind that the moon does not make its own light but shines by reflected sunlight. So the bright part of the crescent moon you’ll be seeing is sunlight bouncing directly off the moon and back to Earth. However, when the moon is a crescent, it frequently looks like there’s a dark full moon nestled within this crescent. And we call this earthshine because it is light from the sun bouncing off our Earth onto the unlit portion of the moon and back again. The crescent moon with earthshine is always a beautiful sight. But on this night if you look close by you will see several stars bunched up together in a group, the tiny cluster of stars known for thousands of years as the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. And on this evening, from many places across
North America, moon watchers will be Big Dipper almost directly above and able to see the moon pass slowly over just to the right of the North Star, its and hide several of the sisters’ stars cup pointed down in such a way that from view. if it were filled full of water, the water And although this will look would be pouring out directly onto the fabulous with the naked eye, I strongly ground below which gives a celestial encourage you to use a pair of significance to that old saying “April binoculars because not only will the showers bring May flowers.” moon with earthshine look great but Because every April in early evening you’ll also see dozens more stars in this the biggest water dipper of the cluster. It is actually a group of about heavens is indeed positioned so that 100 stars, 407 light years away, which it is pouring its imaginary water onto means the light we’ll see next week left the Earth below. Plus, because it’s so these stars 407 years ago in 1601, only high above the horizon, it makes it nine years before Galileo was the first very easy to use the three stars of the to use a telescope to discover the extra Dipper’s handle as a finder to locate sisters. two wonderful stars of spring which are I strongly suggest that you start also very high above the horizon. watching at dusk just before it gets Simply draw an imaginary line completely dark out and have a fairly through the handle of the Big Dipper clear flat horizon because the moon and extend it in the same curve or and the Pleiades will set about three arc as the handle and you’ll “arc to hours after dusk. And as it gets darker, Arcturus,” the brightest star of Bootes you can look to the left of the moon the Herdsman. and the Pleiades and you’ll see the Then if you extend that curve, that dim v-shaped group of stars called the arc, on from Arcturus you can speed Hyades which mark the face of Taurus, on to Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, the bull. the Virgin. Once again, using the In fact, Taurus’ red-eye star handle and its curve, arc to Arcturus Aldebaran should easily catch your then speed on to Spica. What could be attention as will Betelgeuse, the redeasier? shoulder star of Now brighter Orion the Hunter and Arcturus is relatively the red planet Mars, Mars, Castor and close – only 37 light which on Friday, Pollux combine to years away. That April 11, will be form an eye-catching means we see the visited by a wonderful light that left it 37 first quarter moon. cosmic tringle the years ago (1971). Every once in a first two weeks of Spica, however, while, a planet lines is seven times April. up with stars or other farther away – 260 planets and creates light years – than an eye-catching Arcturus. That means we see the light cosmic triangle. Such is the case right that left it 260 years ago and 28 years now with Mars and the two brightest before the signing of the Declaration of stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Independence. Once you understand how different But to make finding Arcturus and these three objects are from each other, Spica even more special, just remind you’ll want to rush outside and see yourself that when we look at them them. now we are really looking back in time, During the first two weeks in April because when I say that Arcturus is at about 10 p.m., face west. Extremely 37 light years away, I really mean that close to the horizon getting ready when you look at Arcturus this month to set, you’ll still be able to see the you are not seeing Arcturus as it brightest constellation of winter Orion actually exists now in the present but the Hunter. And to his left the brightest as it existed 37 years ago. And when star we can see in the sky, Sirius the eye you speed on to Spica and look at it this of his bigger dog. But directly above month you are really seeing Spica as it Orion you’ll see three objects, which if was 260 years ago. connected by lines, make an exquisite So find the Big Dipper this month right triangle. The object closest to the as it rains down April showers for May horizon is Mars. Directly above are the flowers, then arc to Arcturus 37 light two brightest stars of the constellation years away and speed on to Spica 260 Gemini the twins, Castor and Pollux, light years beyond. with Pollux being slightly brighter. Keep looking up. Every April, I remind you of how you can have fun with the Big Dipper in the Jack Horkheimer is executive director of early evening because it is positioned the Miami Museum of Science. This is in such a way that it gives credence to the script for his weekly television show folk saying. Plus it is so high above the co-produced by the museum and WPBT horizon, it can be used to easily find Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public two wonderful stars of spring. television stations around the world. Any night in April between 8 and 10 For more information about stars, visit p.m., look due north and you’ll see the www.jackstargazer.com.
The Triton
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PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo Exposé
April 2008
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Editing software such as Picasa2 makes filters accessible to all Welcome aboard, photo enthusiasts. Previously we tapped into nearly everything of importance covering our exploration of Picasa2, except for the Filtered B&W, Focal B&W, Graduated Tint under Effects and the bottom panel still to be covered. The Filtered B&W is useful. Many of us like the arty look of black and white, but Photo Exposé simply pressing James Schot grayscale in any program including the most sophisticated will not get you the best results instantaneously. In the old days, that is in the days of film (a medium of the past when a photographer had to be far more knowledgeable about the processes), we used color filters to enhance the performance of black-and-white film. Red filters were used to give maximum contrast between the clouds and sky. We used green filters to block green wavelengths and lighten foliage in respect to other aspects of a black-and-white photograph. Dark yellow diminished blemishes. Add a little orange and create vivid and clear contours in landscape and architectural photography. There are (or were) many more color, specialty, infrared, soft focus, trick effects filters (many I avoided) for black-and-white and color film, but in the digital age a photographer doesn’t need to know how they these filters affect light or image. Anyone can press buttons on their software program as the Filtered B&W allows in Picasa2 to quickly see changes that in the days of film could only be achieved by filters at the time you took the photo. That’s the way it is, so take advantage of it. I can add that Picasa2 does well, but with little sophisticated control. As there was in film photography, there is a learning curve that is demanding if you want to achieve greater control using more sophisticated programs. Through this ever-changing transition from film, photographs were mostly dependent on what was in front of the lens and processed by the camera. So much of this, most in this digital era, is being accomplished on the computer. There are two filters which can be used effectively today between lens and subject. Neutral density filters were used to control light. If you had a sensitive 400 ISO film in your camera and you wanted to use it in bright daylight, you could add an ND filter and reduce the light reaching the film. Polarizing filters block certain vibrating rays perpendicular to their foil grid. This reduces glare from sun or lamp light reflecting from a service. This can be a good thing as glare can be
very distracting and disturbing. Back to Picasa2 Effects: The Focal B&W gives you an area of color and black and white. You can adjust the positions and size of the area of color vs. black and white. It’s kind of gimmicky. I’ve coined a term – photographs on steroids – for photos made by using gimmicky effects or trickery enabled by computer-enhancing software such as Picasa2, but especially more powerful programs such as Photoshop. Often they essentially make something out of nothing – that is nothing very good, photographically speaking. And the last of the Effects options available is the Graduated Tint. This is again a computer version of glass or acrylic graduated filters that photographers and filmmakers used to put in front of the lens. A most
common version would be a blue graduated filter. The bottom third of this filter would be completely clear. Around the midway point, it would turn towards blue. At the top would be the most intense blue. In films you sometimes see a vista view with the sky looking intensely orangey brown. Likely, they use this effect to make it appear as such. This concludes a review of the editing possibilities with Picasa2. Not bad for a program that is free from Google. The bottom section, running horizontally in the program has items that are fairly self-explanatory. Your Photo Tray is on the far left to hold all the images you select to work on. This is followed right by Hold, Clear, and Add to, which do what they say. To the right of this is a star symbol,
an arrow spinning counter clock wise and the next spinning clock wise. The star symbol puts a nonpermanent star marker on the photo indicating you like it and the arrow flips the photographs in the direction they indicate, if needed. This is followed by horizontal tabs for things you can do: create a web album, e-mail, print, and so forth. I haven’t tried them. I never use this program myself, but I’m sure when you click any of these tabs, it will be clear as to what to do. Give it all a try; in the meantime, I’ll ask 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.
B26 April 2008
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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EVENT OF THE MONTH
Last year was luau; this year it’s disco. Come have fun. PHOTO/JAMES SCHOT
April 16, 6-9 p.m., The Triton’s 4th Birthday party
Join us as we celebrate our birthday. Think 70s, think big hair and tall shoes, think shiny and sparkly. There will be adult beverages, great food and music, and lots of great networking – all the things yacht captains and crew can expect at a Triton party. We’re taking over Briny Irish Pub on the New River in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Sign up for our e-mails at www.the-triton. com for more details as the date draws near.
You can pick your hemisphere: Antibes, China host boat shows April 2 Networking Triton style (the
first Wednesday of every month), 68 p.m., with our sponsor and Triton advertiser Radio Holland at their new offices at the northwest corner of State Road 84 and U.S. 1 in Ft. Lauderdale. Read more about Radio Holland on page C4, and see photos from last month’s event on page C2.
April 3 The Triton Bridge luncheon, Ft. Lauderdale, noon. This is our monthly captains’ roundtable where we discuss the issues and trends of the industry. If you make your living working on yachts, contact Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029 for an invite. Space is limited.
April 4-6 Fourth annual Honda Grand
Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla. This is the second race in the 2006 IndyCar Series. Med-style dockage for megayachts to 150 feet. www.acurayachtclub.com
April 6 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch
(first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Free. www.fortlauderdale.gov
April 7 Triton broker luncheon, Ft.
Yacht Show, Old Port. More than 200 yachts are expected in the water, including some over 50m. The PYA and the GEPY are hosting crew events. www.antibesyachtshow.com.
April 17-22 21st annual Antigua
Classic Yacht Regatta, Antigua Yacht Club Marina, West Indies. Although steeped in tradition back to the 1960s, this regatta of all classic yachts officially began in 1987. More than 50 yachts are expected. www. antiguaclassics.com
April 18-20 12th annual Ocean Fest
Dive and Adventure Sports Expo, Ft. Lauderdale beach, $9 ($7 online, threeday discounts), 954-839-8516, www. oceanfest.com
April 19-20 12th annual Plywood
Regatta, Dania Beach City Marina. Produced by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida to help introduce local school kids to boating. They build boats out of plywood one day, race them the next. Sponsors and mentors welcome. 954-524-2733, www. plywoodregatta.org
Lauderdale, noon. It’s time for brokers to have their say in a Bridge-style roundtable discussion of issues and trends. RSVP to Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. Space is limited.
April 20 29th annual Day at the Docks,
April 10-13 13th China International
April 20-22 12th annual Marine
Boat Show, Shanghai Exhibition Center. www.cmpsinoexpo.com/boat
April 17-20 Second annual Antibes
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
Design Resource Alliance Creative Conference at Sea Island, Ga. An annual gathering of marine industry See CALENDAR, page B27
The Triton
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sail for free on Boston waterfront CEOs. Invitation only. www.mdra.biz
April 21-27 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.mastersseries.com
April 23-25 Integrated Maritime
Auditor (ISM/ISPS) course, Ft. Lauderdale. Gives students knowledge and understanding of the ISM Code, ISPS Code, and auditing techniques, enabling them to carry out simultaneous ISM Code and ISPS Code internal audits. www. usmaritimeinstitute.com, training@ usmaritimeinstitute.com
April 24-27 Boat Asia 2008, Singapore. www.boat-asia.com
April 24-27 6th annual St. Michaels Food & Wine Festival, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. www. stmichaelsfoodandwinefestival.com
April 26-27 32nd annual Free-Sailing Weekend, Boston. Free sailboat rides along Boston’s historic waterfront from 1-5 p.m. kick-off the sailing season. Boston Sailing Center at Lewis Wharf. +1-617-227-4198, www. bostonsailingcenter.com
April 27-May 3 41st annual Stanford
Antigua Sailing Week. Traditional beach party after the first day of sailing moves from Dickenson Bay this year to Fort James to better accommodate the thousands of guests and their needs for parking. www.sailingweek.com
April 28-May 4 Fleet Week in Ft.
Lauderdale. Seven U.S. Navy ships and more than 6,500 sailors are expected in town. The Air & Sea Show, which has been held on Ft. Lauderdale beach on the first weekend in May for the past 13 years, will not be held in 2008 because organizers could not secure corporate sponsors for the multimillion-dollar event. For more information, visit www. nationalsalute.com.
MAKING PLANS June 24-27 26th annual Spring Charter Yacht Show Newport Shipyard
Dozens of charter yachts on display at this industry-only event. Yacht hops, industry seminars, crew kick-off party and a fam trip are all planned. www. newportshipyard.com
May 2-9 20th annual MYBA Charter
Show, Marina Molo Vecchio, Porto Antico, Genoa, Italy. Expect more than 50 yachts 80 feet and larger, scores of charter and sales brokers from around the world, and dozens of exhibiting companies. www.mybashow.com
May 2-11 16th annual St. Lucia Jazz
Festival. Main stage is on Pigeon Island. www.stluciajazz.org, slutour@candw.lc, or in the U.S. 800-456-3984
May 7 Networking Triton style (the first Wednesday of every month), 6-8 p.m., with our sponsor and Triton advertiser V-Kool. Location details available on www.the-triton.com as the date draws near.
May 14-25 61st Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France. www.festival-cannes. org
May 22-25 Monaco Grand Prix,
Monaco, www.visitmonaco.com, and scroll under “events.” Future race dates: May 21-24, 2009; May 27-30, 2010
June 24-27 American Superyacht
Forum, Newport. Hosted and organized by the folks at The Yacht Report, this is the U.S. version of the popular Project conference held each year in Amsterdam. Attendance is limited to 300 delegates; cost is $1,220. Ends with a Friday night regatta aboard historic 12-meter yachts. www.synfo.com/asf
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Networking: like taking vitamins for your career
The afterlife Chrissy Beck has made a successful shift out of yachting as part-owner of a dive shop.
Radio Holland Group, a satellite airtime and marine electronics provider, sponsors The Triton’s April 2 networking event.
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Stew column debuts Alene Keenan offers tips on taking care of yourself in this month’s Stew’s Cues.
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Section C
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Save cash Lock in current tax rates.
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Take five
Non-fiction mustreads.
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C18-23
Chefs who lie on a résumé may get burnt
Leo Speat, pointing, is the Royal Yachting Association’s principal U.S. examiner.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEO SPEAT
How to pass the exam: Prepare well Many in the megayacht industry will be very familiar with the Yachtmaster Offshore qualification awarded by the Royal Yachting Association of Great Britain. For a significant number of mariners, it has been the professional qualification that has helped them to further their careers in this business. For others, it is a personal goal for their future. As the RYA’s principal examiner in the United States, I have examined more than 100 candidates for the RYA Yachtmaster qualification here
Check them out, continuously updated online, with features such as alerts.
April 2008
FROM THE OTHER SIDE: LICENSING
By Leo Speat
Free Classifieds
in Florida so I thought that it might be a good idea to offer some insight to prospective Yachtmasters on what to expect from the test. Perhaps the captains who are working with them to build experience and sea time will also Speat find it of use. Every year, more people are taking the Yachtmaster exam. Through February, I have already examined 12
candidates. Last year, there were 60 exams. In 2006, there were 40 and 38 in 2005. Before then, the Yachtmaster qualification was really just getting off the ground in the United States. I handle most of the exams because while there is one other examiner in the United States, his availability is often quite low. The first thing to say about the Yachtmaster (power) qualification is that it is not an entry-level qualification. The young men and women taking this exam do need
See YACHTMASTER, page C13
Ever get the feeling that maybe you just don’t stack up to other chefs in this industry, especially if you just looked at their blazing hot résumé? Was it too hot to handle? I am sure you have seen other chefs’ résumés and you think yours doesn’t look that good. Do you get the feeling that your Culinary Waves qualifications and Mary Beth life experiences Lawton Johnson are not up to par with the rest of the crowd? How about the menus that they submit with their résumés? Aren’t they overly painted with fancy words and exotic ingredients and strange items? Don’t worry; you are not alone. I have seen scores of résumés by chefs who plump theirs up with so much batter it could fry them. I have also seen some menus that accompany those résumés and sometimes they don’t match up with the level of experience. Little white lies that lead to big megayacht jobs (and bigger money) that are based on adding extra batter to your résumé will ultimately burn you in the end. Recently, I chatted with a friend who is a reputable chef in the Bahamas, Andrew Moss, and we discussed the recent upset at the Food Network. A chef there has been fired because he
See WAVES, page C8
C April 2008 NETWORKING: Last month with Evolve Watersports
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A Capt. Ronald Billiot of M/Y Picasso; Capt. Rowan Brown and Chef Jennifer Brown of M/Y KenKaylas Kastle; Capt. Richard Jones, a corporate captain for Allied Marine Group; and freelance Capt. Marc Wilson.
bout 200 people joined us at our monthly networking event in March at Evolve Watersports in Ft. Lauderdale. Special thanks to our sponsor, Evolve owner James Papagno, for the food and beverages, and to Darren and Joey of Yacht Entertainment Systems for the lovely tunes. Make plans to join us the first Wednesday of every month for casual networking in fun locations. Read about the sponsor of our Bosun Laird Riddell and Capt. Rob High of M/Y April event (to be held April 2 Areti II meet Capt. David Hickok of Yacht Docktor. in Ft. Lauderdale) on page C4. PHOTOS/LUCY REED
Crew hang out in pairs: From left, Capt. Craig Mitchell and Chef/Stew Masseuse Norma Malouf, Capt. Steve Steinberg of M/Y Never Borred, Danielle Mitchell, Capt. Chris Evans and First Mate Lou Owen Stew Lana Greenwood, Stew Jade Highden-Smith, Capt. Luke of M/Y Intrepid, and Chef/Stew Gill Lawrence and Capt. Andrew Truant, and Chef Kim Loughlin of M/Y Commercial Break. Christodolo of M/Y Fredrikstad.
C April 2008 NETWORKING: This month with Radio Holland
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Radio Holland has evolved from Morse code to satellite Begun in 1916 by a group of Dutch communications? ship owners who saw how radio could We are providing a one-stop shop be used in shipping, Radio Holland for all communications. This is great Group has come along way from Morse for our customers as we can service code. the equipment when needed and The radio determine if it is airtime or equipment officers are failure if there is ever a problem. Most long gone, too, of our competitors will sell the airtime having made and equipment but do not have service way for satellite technicians on staff to continue communications. service worldwide. We sell and service VSAT and the Inmarsat family which The company still has offices in major includes the newest technology of shipping ports Fleet broadband and the Fleet family, Broderick worldwide – more Inmarsat C, SSAS (Ships Security Alert than 800 people work at more than 50 System) just to mention a few. Our locations today. airtime department can even supply This century, Radio Holland crew calling cards and prepaid cards to has evolved into a satellite airtime keep everyone in touch with home. provider and also provides, installs and Q. Why move to Ft. Lauderdale from integrates maritime electronics. Hollywood? This month, Radio Holland is Our business has blossomed over the sponsoring The Triton’s networking past few years. We felt it was necessary event on April 2 from 6-8 p.m. at its to be more accessible and closer to new Ft. Lauderdale office on Federal the yachting market in particular. Highway at State Road 84. If you can’t Our staff is enjoying the increased make it this time, find out more about interaction with captains and crew that Radio Holland and what’s new in our new location affords. We are also a broadband from Nicolas Broderick, the representative for more than 60 brands company’s southeast regional manager. of maritime products and this location Q. Tell us what you do. provides added exposure to display our Radio capabilities. Holland Group Q. Being that Triton networking is a specialized it’s such a large company in the company, how do event: April 2, 6-8 p.m. supply, installation, you make sure integration and each customer gets service of maritime personal attention? electronics and is also known as a Radio Holland has a quality satellite airtime provider. The company management department that ensures employs more than 800 people service and sales are handled in a worldwide in more than 54 branches, professional and efficient manor at strategically located along all major all times. Every service gets rated shipping routes. Radio Holland is and logged in our system and we rate part of Imtech N.V., one of the world’s the “first time right fix” as well as largest service providers in the field the captains’ response on the service of electrical engineering, ICT and provided. Radio Holland enjoys a high mechanical engineering. reputation worldwide as an all-around Q. How long have you been working maritime electronics specialist. Unique with megayachts? is its worldwide ISO:9001 certification, We have been involved since the granted by Llyods emphasizing Radio beginning in Europe. Radio Holland Holland’s focus on delivering quality at just celebrated 90 years. all times. Q. How is broadband changing Q. What sets Radio Holland apart marine communications? from the competition? Broadband has made the corporate I would have to say the people office more versatile. The customer who work in the company. Most of now has the option to be connected our technicians are factory-trained where and when they want to at in multiple products and areas of the high speeds that they can get navigation and communication at home or in the office. Broadband equipment. Most technicians have also communications also provides the earned the distinction of becoming ship’s owner and captain with tools surveyors for the many class societies. to operate a vessel in a more efficient We are a 24-7 company and always way as he or she can rely on up-to-date have someone on call to assist when data to make decisions. We have a necessary. Our worldwide capabilities fully-dedicated Airtime department in enable us to schedule service at all 54 Ft. Lauderdale; please stop by for any locations and we will follow the repair questions that you may have. until it is completed and the customer Q. What new innovations is satisfied. We are truly a one stop are you working on to improve shop for sales and service.
The Triton
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INTERIOR: Stew Cues
April 2008
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Invest in your body, stews; it’s your livelihood Congratulations. You made it through some of the toughest weeks of the year. Multiple charters, two weeks with owners aboard, 16-hour days, and your feet are killing you. Most stews have a long list of people they take care of on the job. Let’s not forget to add ourselves to the top of the list. With all the time and energy Stew Cues we put into taking Alene Keenan care of owners, guests, captains and the rest of the crew, take the time to organize your life to include some self-care. It’s not selfish; it’s mandatory. We have to start with the areas of our lives where a little fine-tuning will yield big rewards.
Sleep
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night. It’s easy to get caught up in the party circuit, not so easy to balance your work and social schedule. Sleep is vital. Our bodies need this time to repair and regenerate. Too little sleep compounds the adrenaline release that comes from long hours of hard work and little down time. The resulting adrenaline surplus that chronic stress produces can take its toll on you over time, contributing to high blood pressure and awful problems later on. Living in a continued state of stress leads to irritability, adrenal exhaustion and eventually to hormonal imbalances and weight gain. (This phenomenon is known as “burn-out” or “Grumpy Stewardess Syndrome”.) Take naps when you can. That can be just 10 minutes in your cabin with the lights off instead of sitting around the crew mess when you get a break. Learn some breathing and meditation techniques to practice when you have a chance. It doesn’t have to be a two-hour mediation session. Ten minutes will do wonders for your emotions. Your well-being is directly related to the amount of self-care you administer. Yachting can be an amazing lifestyle, but if you work or party too hard and don’t allow time for rest and recovery you’ll create problems for yourself later on.
Exercise
Even though it probably feels like you already walk 15 miles a day on the job, it is important to develop a balanced fitness program. Regular exercise will actually help normalize erratic sleep patterns and help you deal with difficult situations you encounter on the job.
Blow off steam with a combination of aerobic exercise, stretching, yoga and meditation, and weight training. With a little ingenuity, you can find the time and space to work out. Resistance bands and flexible weights can be used for a complete routine and require little room. Half an hour a day is all you need to make a significant improvement in your health. Find a way to incorporate activities that put you in a “flow” state where your mind is fully absorbed. Check out Qi Gong to energize body and soul. It is
extremely relaxing and beneficial.
Nutrition
How’s your diet? Do you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables? (Mango mojitos and bloody Marys don’t count.) Aim for more than seven servings a day. It sounds like a lot, but the results are worth it. In addition to vitamins and minerals, they provide antioxidants and enzymes that boost immune systems. With our lifestyles, immune systems need all the help they can get to protect us from colds and flu. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates
protects us from stress hormones such as cortisol that our bodies produce in response to a fast-paced lifestyle. It ensures a low-glycemic index, helping to avoid insulin resistance later in life and preventing health complications such as diabetes and heart disease. Monitor the amount of fat in your diet and cut down on saturated fats and trans fats, which are abundant in packaged snack foods and convenience foods. It starts simply. When you have a choice, choose wisely. Choose poultry
See STEW CUES, page C11
C April 2008 WINE: By the Glass
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Economic downturn is clearly being felt in the wine industry In spite of the efforts of the government officials in the United States to say the economy is not in recession, it is hard to feel otherwise. South Florida is especially sensitive to economic change because of the nature of business here. We rely heavily on overseas tourists, visitors from the north and in Ft. By the Glass Lauderdale on the Mark Darley megayacht industry for sales of wines and spirits. It is probably true that the yacht industry is seeing a downturn in business and this, in turn, has an effect on sales of wines and spirits. Even a cursory look at market conditions in 2008 indicates that the so-called “season” in South Florida is anywhere between 10 and 20 percent down from numbers last year, depending on whom you ask. This leaves retailers and yacht provisioners struggling to maintain their existence. In the wine industry there seems to be an increasing battle between large and small distributors and retailers for market share that has led to some interesting developments. It seems that the long-held belief that the liquor business is recession-proof may not be as true as many would want to think. On a personal note, I have observed that sales of spirits seem to hold up when the economy is in trouble whereas the sales of middle- to higher-end wines certainly seem to suffer. This leaves distributors and retailers pushing less expensive wines while hoping they can maintain the sales of the more luxurious brands. As customers become more costconscious, the drive for selling less expensive wine seems to increase. There is a also suggestion that the growing consolidation on the drinks industry is detrimental to the availability of good wine and that the pressure brought by a weaker economy is making this worse as large corporations who control the industry look to maintain profit margins. They do this by taking over brands and increasing production to feed case goals, which have an impact on quality. Many feel wine has become very uniform or dull, resulting in merlot, chardonnay and cabernet wines that seem to taste alike. This leaves the only means of differentiation in the hands of marketing departments – a worrisome development, to say the least. The customer ultimately can influence how matters develop. Years ago, the beer industry in England consolidated to the point that English
bitter had been reduced to a chemical product that pleased few and angered many. A group, The Campaign for Real Ale, came in to existence that mounted one of the most successful consumer pressure groups in British history. The result was the rebirth of traditional hand-crafted ales that gave consumers a choice. Large, corporate brands survived but the industry also rediscovered its diversity. It is to be hoped that the same can happen with wine. I do not wish to drink cheap, homogenized cabernet, merlot or even, God forbid, sangiovese or syrah. While the British experience was driven by consumer desire for diverse products, it is clear that the current American experience may be driven more by corporate business plans leading to vast seas of wine that vary only in the nature of the animal on the label and the quality of the art work. Europe will always be the source of the world’s more unique wines and the ready availability of, for example, good, inexpensive wines from Bordeaux. Notably, the 2005 vintage proves this. Italy and Spain are also making wonderful, inexpensive wines that I mentioned in previous columns. This means we do not have to quench our thirst with boring wines that do little more than enable corporations to pay executives; we can drink good wine that does not break the bank and which is representative of its native area. Even in these times, it is to be hoped consumers might, in their own ways, influence U.S. matters. As high-volume purchasers of wine, megayacht crew can decide if they want the uniform products of big corporations or more unique wines from smaller distributors. There has to be room for both. The result may not be the recovery of all the lost business this past year, but at least there will be some diversity allowing smaller labels in the wine business to survive. Bottom line: Support the small, independent retailer when and where you can. Without these companies, the leviathans of the industry will dictate our tastes and we would then need a Campaign for Real Wine. These are hard times for the wine and liquor industry. There will always be unique and expensive wines that the wealthy can buy. It is to be hoped that current conditions will not lead to the loss of the beautiful diversity that is the world of wine. If we can maintain this diversity, we will all have access to good wine irrespective of our income. Mark Darley is a fine wine sales consultant for Universal Wines and Spirits in Miami. Comments on this column are welcome at mark.darley@ universalwines.net.
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NUTRITION: Take It In
Water is the hydration king; sports drinks are the cash cow The beverage market is booming. consumption by 90 percent when Just look at supermarket shelves: compared to water. Sports drinks also there is plain, flavored and vitamin provide carbohydrates in the form of water; specialty coffees and teas; simple sugars, which can boost energy. regular and super Performance studies show that a fruit drinks; herbal diluted sugared beverage can perk beverages; energy muscular performance when consumed drinks hyped up 15 to 30 minutes into exercise. Of with caffeine and course, sugared sports drinks are also sports drinks. full of calories, which can be unwanted And that’s not when you’re exercising to lose weight. everything. The American College of Sports Sports drinks Medicine has said that there is little alone represent basis for drinking anything other than Take It In a big gulp of this plain water if you exercise for less than Carol Bareuther market. According an hour. to Information Exercise programs lasting longer Resources Inc., a market research firm than an hour are another story. When based in Chicago, the market for sports you exercise for more than an hour, drink alone grew by 19 percent last year your body may truly need a little sugar to reach more than $3 billion last year. and salt in a beverage to help you Marketers love this, but nutritionists absorb the water and to replenish what shake their heads because not everyone has been lost in exercise. In this case, needs to, or should, swig a sports drink. look for a beverage that supplies 4- to Why? 8 percent sugar or 50 to 80 calories Because it is actually water that’s per eight-ounce serving to promote the best beverage for staying hydrated fluid retention and delay fatigue. You and staving off dehydration. This is true don’t need extra whether you’re salt at this level of playing sports exercise. The American College or working long, When of Sports Medicine active days in the exercising hot sun. has said that there is intensely for four During exercise to eight hours, little basis for drinking of any type, your salt replacement anything other than muscles convert becomes more food into energy. plain water if you important and a This process isn’t drink that replaces exercise for less than an efficient and some salt and other hour. Exercise programs of the energy is minerals, such as lasting longer than an converted to heat, potassium, can be hence the reason hour are another story. beneficial. you get hot when Sports drinks you exercise. are available However, since everywhere, on land that is. your body can only operate at its best If you’re out to sea and find you need within a narrow temperature range, to drink a beverage with sugar and sweating kicks in to cool you down. minerals, you can always make your You can’t stop your body from losing own from simple ingredients. fluids via sweat. But, you can prevent For example, follow this do-itdehydration. Warning signs that you yourself recipe advocated by the are dehydrated include: fatigue, dry University of California at Berkeley: mouth, thirst, a headache, irritability, Dissolve one tablespoon of sugar and flushed skin, dizziness or cramps. At a a pinch of salt into one tablespoon of more severe stage, you may experience orange juice or into two tablespoons impaired mental performance, sunken of lemon juice. Add 7.5 ounces of cold eyes or muscle spasms. water and stir. Sports drinks don’t hydrate any The orange juice version tastes better than water when it comes to the best. Also, try adding a bit more routine or casual exercise. However, sugar than called for to the lemon. you’re often more likely to drink larger And swapping pineapple juice for the volumes of a sports drink due to its orange juice is also good. sweet and tart taste combination that The benefit of a recipe such as this is doesn’t necessarily quench thirst, but its low cost and convenience, as well as keeps you drinking long after regular doing the job of keeping you hydrated water has lost its appeal. and healthy. This steady intake could also be caused by the sodium chloride content Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian in sports drinks. Studies have shown and a regular contributor to The Triton. that a drink which provides sodium Comments on this column are welcome chloride, or salt, boosts voluntary at editorial@the-triton.com.
April 2008
C
C April 2008 FROM THE FRONT: Culinary Waves
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Chefs’ abilities will show when it’s time to put food on a table WAVES, from page C1 exaggerated his experience and lied about jobs on his résumé – fabrications he has now admitted. Moss and I discussed what a professional chef in five-star hotels would look for in a new hire. His comments on résumés stunned me. “Résumés are meaningless today,” Moss said. “Anyone can make themselves out to be what they are not. What they are will show when it comes time to prove themselves.” How right he is. Some chefs are not as qualified as others but they use big words or say they worked for famous people when they have not. Those kinds of things can look good on paper. Robert Irvine, host of the Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible,” suffered the ultimate of humiliating consequences as the story of his résumé-padding played out in the media internationally. The network canceled his contract after Irvine admitted he was not part of the design team for the Royal wedding cake for Prince Charles and Princess Diana, among other puffery. Irvine told a baldfaced lie to get ahead. I’m sure network executives are wondering why it took a newspaper to catch Irvine instead of the producers who hired him or the network’s human resources department. I have seen résumé after résumé and sometimes I wonder if the chef about whom I am reading really did serve food to the British royals or if they really were Paul Allen’s chef. Did they really win any awards and how do you verify that kind of information? You can’t really call Prince Charles to ask him. I am sure there are channels, but does anyone take the time? As I found out, it is rare that they do. That reminds me of a stewardess I worked with in the past who tried getting my job as chef by slipping her résumé to my boss behind my back. She was fired less than two weeks later and was immediately placed on a large yacht by a crew agency in Ft. Lauderdale who knew the story of what she had tried to do. Who is to blame here? I wonder if she is still in yachting. Ultimately, you will be discovered if you lie about your previous jobs, the types of jobs you did and your qualifications. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen. All you have to do is look at what just transpired at the Food Network to know you will be caught. I find it difficult to believe that no one checked this guy’s résumé. I mean really, would you have called his references or would you have taken it at face value if someone told you they
Résumé tips
l Be honest and say what you have done. If you haven’t done it, do not put it on your résumé. You might not get the job but at least you have your integrity and something better will come along after you have the experience to handle it. l Do not embellish the text with large, fancy words found in a thesaurus or invent titles to make you look more important than you are. Use language that reflects what you have actually accomplished at other jobs. l Do not apply for jobs that you are not qualified to do. If you don’t have a lot of experience and still want the job, then tell the captain about your ambition, but don’t lie to make you look like you are more qualified. If you can’t do the job and you lied to begin with, not only will you look bad, you will have reflected poorly on the captain who hired you and has to start recruiting again for someone who really can do the job. You don’t want to get a bad reputation in the industry. l Do not exaggerate the size of the yachts you have worked aboard. It is a pet-peeve of many captains, so state the actual length. l When it comes to designing menus, do not say you can do special diets if you have never done them and are not professionally trained in doing them. l Do not say you are familiar with classical cuisines and cuts if you are not. l Use simple words for menus. It is understood much better by the owner than fancy exotic words or ingredients.
helped design the wedding cake for Prince Charles and Princess Diana? There is the fear of insulting them, but it’s better than being embarrassed later by finding out they lied and you missed it. As chefs, we normally take an oath of honor upon graduation to uphold high morals and ethics at work. Frankly, I’ve seen that sorely lacking in the yachting industry. This is not to say that yachts don’t do a background check. Many do. But in many cases, checking résumés and calling references is sacrificed because captains need a warm body to fill the spot for the moment or for a trip. But it can happen any time. It is far better to be honest about your experience and work than to lie.
See WAVES, page C11
C10 April 2008 IN THE GALLEY: Recipes
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Recipes for a Bahamian dinner By Andrew Moss
Conch Fritter
1.5 pounds conch (fine dice) 6 oz. green bell peppers (fine dice) 6 oz. yellow onions (fine dice) 6 oz. celery (fine dice) 1.5 oz. baking powder 3 pounds all-purpose flour 4 oz. tomato puree ½ oz. fresh thyme Salt to taste Fresh hot pepper to taste Sufficient water to mix ingredients 20 oz. vegetable oil Mix all ingredients except vegetable oil. Heat oil in a pot on medium. Scoop batter into hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Place fritters onto a pan lined with hand towel to absorb grease. Yield: 1 gallon.
Mary Rose dip for Fritters 8 oz. mayonnaise 6 oz. tomato ketchup ½ oz. Tabasco sauce ¼ oz. Worcestershire sauce Juice from one lemon.
Mix all ingredients together. Yield: 16 oz.
Steamed Red Snapper Filets 4 lbs. red snapper filet (8 oz. portions) Pinch of Caribbean thyme Salt to taste Pinch of fresh hot pepper 1 oz. vegetable oil Pinch of Spanish paprika
Marinate snapper filets with ingredients and refrigerate 4 hours. Pan sear. Yield: 8 portions.
Creole Sauce for Snapper 6 oz. green bell pepper (julienne) 6 oz. yellow onions (julienne) 6 oz. celery (thinly sliced on bias) 5 oz. tomato paste
4 oz. fresh tomatoes Pinch of fresh thyme Salt and ground black pepper to taste 16 oz. Water 4 oz. corn starch and water mixed for thickening 3 oz. vegetable oil Place sauce pot on medium heat and add oil. Heat. Add peppers, onions, celery, thyme and tomatoes. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add tomato paste and cook about 4 minutes. Add water and reduce by ¼. Add salt, pepper and corn starch/ water to sauce. Stir constantly to avoid lumps and reduce heat. Cook for 5 minutes and add to fish. Serve hot. Yield: 16 ounces.
Green Peas n’ Rice
3 oz. julienne yellow onions 1.5 oz. fine diced celery Pinch of fresh thyme Salt and ground black pepper to taste 20 oz. chicken stock 10 oz. parboiled rice 3 oz. tomato paste Dash of kitchen bouquet 10 oz. green pigeon peas w/coconut milk 4 oz. vegetable oil Place a medium pot on medium heat and add oil. Heat. Add onions, celery and thyme. Stir until vegetables are tender, then add tomato paste and stir for about 3 minutes. Add pigeon peas, stock and kitchen bouquet. Stir about 3 minutes then add salt and pepper. Boil then add rice. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until all liquid is absorbed. Yield: 10 portions.
Cole Slaw
16 oz. shredded green cabbage 3 oz. shredded purple cabbage 5 oz. Julienne fresh carrots 2 oz. prepared mustard 5 oz. mayonnaise
Once the Guava Duff has been cooked, remove from the pot and let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. PHOTO/MARY BETH LAWTON JOHNSON 2 oz. granulated sugar Pinch of salt Splash of white vinegar Pinch of fresh hot pepper Combine all ingredients until properly incorporated. Refrigerate. Yield: 10 portions
Baked Macaroni n’ Cheese
16 oz. ready cut macaroni 2.5 lbs. shredded mild cheddar cheese 2 oz. fine dice green bell peppers 2 oz. fine dice yellow onions 2 oz. fine dice celery Pinch of fresh hot pepper Salt to taste 1 oz. vegetable oil 6 oz. butter 2 eggs 5 oz. whole milk 24 oz. water Allow water to boil then add macaroni and oil. Cook until tender, stir to avoid sticking. Remove 75 percent of water from macaroni and add onions, celery, bell peppers, butter and hot pepper. Cook on low about 2 minutes, then
add 1 pound of shredded cheese. Stir. Add egg, milk and 1 pound of cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add salt. Grease ½ size 2-inch-deep chafer, pour macaroni into pan and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350ºF until golden brown. Sit for about 45 minutes before cutting. Yield: 16 portions.
Guava Duff
2- 24 oz. tins of guava shells (fine diced) 8 oz. granulated sugar Pinch of ground cinnamon 32 oz. all-purpose flour 1.5 oz. baking powder 4 oz. vegetable shortening 8 oz. whole milk 8-10 oz. water 4 oz. egg wash Pinch of salt In a mixing bowl, add 8 oz. diced guava shells, sugar, flour, baking powder, shortening, milk, water and salt. Mix well. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth. Roll out dough to
See RECIPES, page C11
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FROM THE FRONT: Culinary Waves
Bahamian dinner RECIPES, from page C10 about ½-inch thick in the shape of a rectangle and cut into 2 pieces. Using 30 ounces of guava shells, add cinnamon and mix well. Spread onto dough leaving the edges free. Roll and seal the edges with egg wash. Roll onto pan liner and then into foil. Place foil into boiling water and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from pot and let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. Yield: 10 portions
Sauce for Guava Duff
10 oz. butter 8 oz. granulated sugar 10 oz. guava shells from above recipe Syrup from guava shells (above recipe) 8 oz. cream cheese 6 oz. brandy Whisk butter and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add cream cheese, guava shells and fold in guava syrup. Mix well. Add brandy and keep cool. Yield: 32 oz.
Gully Wash
100 oz. fresh coconut water All flesh (pulp) from young coconut Pinch of nutmeg 16 oz. condensed milk 10 oz. gin Whisk all ingredients briskly. Chill. Yield: 1 gallon.
April 2008
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One little white lie leads to ‘a chain of them’ WAVES, from page C8 Being honest will take you further because people respect honesty, at least I know I do and I expect it from everyone I work with onboard. If you cook your résumé, your performance on the job – the actual job skills needed to perform the job – and your lack of knowledge will show. Then you will have to endure the agony of being fired for having lied to begin with. Don’t do it. Don’t ruin your future. The yachting industry is small, and the word will get around. Chef Moss said it quite eloquently:
“Once you find one little white lie, you have found a chain of them and it’s over. Be upfront and straight up.” Whenever Moss was in charge of making a new hire, he said he considered the applicant’s basics such as education, which is traceable and verifiable. Then he would contact the previous employers for references and past work ethic and also do a drug test and criminal background check. Finally, he would put them to the test of experience, “where you couldn’t lie about it or buy it.” He would ask questions about the treatment of sauces and certain foods
and give the applicants a mystery basket from which they had to prepare a four-course meal in three hours. By the way, Moss is a professional, culinary-trained freelance chef and is available for hire or for charters (chefandrewmoss@hotmail.com). His résumé is worth believing. 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 1998. (www. themegayachtchef.com) Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
Now that you know what to do, it’s time to get started STEW CUES, from page C5 or fish (especially cold-water fish such as salmon) instead of red meat. Choose vegetables over starchy foods such as potatoes or pasta.
Bad habits
For those who smoke cigarettes, consider stopping. Smoking raises the risk for heart disease, stroke, and a range of cancers. Lung cancer kills more women each year than breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer combined. Smoking is becoming less acceptable
worldwide and certainly is no longer socially acceptable in the United States. There are lots of new products and techniques to help you stop. Hypnotherapy is getting rave reviews as a system for stopping smoking with powerful results. Go online and see what resources are available.
Decision time
Now, go out there and resolve to live fully, motivated to be healthy and to spend time taking care of yourself the way you take care of everyone else. Make the time to eat right, exercise,
and get enough rest. Identify and eradicate the things that are stressful. Make the decision to chill out and enjoy yourself. Get back on track and resolve to be good to yourself for a change. Alene Keenan has been a megayacht stewardess for 16 years. She is the founder of Stewardess Solutions, which offers training and consulting for stewardesses to improve their jobs and careers. Comments on this article are welcome at alene@stewardesssolutions. com or editorial@the-triton.com.
C12 April 2008 THE AFTERLIFE: Lauderdale Diver
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Chrissy Beck put her stamp on Lauderdale Diver with a detailed reorganization. She also beefed up training class schedules and plans to display an onboard dive compressor locker system. “I have totally dedicated every ounce of my energy into refitting this store,” she said. PHOTO/KELLY CRAMER
Being part-owner of dive shop makes transition to land easy By Kelly Cramer When Chrissy Beck left megayachts for a land job last year, she took a label maker with her. It’s come in handy as she worked on a major refit of Lauderdale Diver in the South Harbor Plaza along 17th Street Causeway in Ft. Lauderdale. “I have totally dedicated every ounce of my energy into refitting this store,” Beck said. “Everything is organized.” It shows. Custom cabinets line the walls of the store’s training and instruction room. Fins, goggles and wetsuits are neatly stacked and sized on individual shelves that are each meticulously labeled, evidence of Beck’s 20 years as a stewardess, chef and purser. The refit included new carpet, displays and shelving. She’s added upscale resort wear and is working on adding several popular labels to her growing apparel and shoe sections. Until April 2007, Beck, 44, worked alongside her husband, Capt. Len Beck, aboard M/Y Battered Bull, a 172-foot Feadship. Their daughter, Siena, lived aboard, too. But last year when Siena was nearly 5 years old and Chrissy Beck learned she was pregnant with son Hunter, now 9 months, the Becks realized it was time to start thinking about kindergarten and coming ashore. Battered Bull’s owner also owns Lauderdale Diver and offered the Becks – both avid divers – a partnership in the shop. “The boss – he is incredibly passionate about diving,” Chrissy Beck said. “He’s owned the shop about 20 years. We have a wonderful relationship with him; he treats us like family.” Leaving behind the traveling she loves has been an adjustment, she said. But having a house and a school for Siena makes it a good trade. “It was an easy decision for me,” she said. “Siena had to go to school and I
needed to be land-based.” For now, Len Beck, 45, has stayed on Battered Bull, which has a busy schedule with the owner. The family meets on the yacht when it can and Capt. Beck is considering working out a job-sharing arrangement with another captain. “The toughest thing is to find somebody who is compatible and who the owners will enjoy as well,” he said. He’s also looking forward to doing more at the shop, he said. “There’s some very interesting times ahead,” he said. “Growing the dive shop has been really exciting for Chrissy and as we discover more about the business, it’ll be an interesting landscape. “I do know the consumer and operational side of dive equipment,” he said. “We’ve spent so much time diving with this boat all over the world so when I talk about where to go and what to see, I actually do know what I’m talking about.” Until her husband joins her, Chrissy Beck has been putting her own mark on the dive shop. She’s beefed up the training class schedules and plans to add a display of an onboard dive compressor locker system that the shop will market to megayachts. Taking over the shop is a full-circle of sorts for Beck; diving is what got her into yachting. In the Bahamas to earn a diving certification in 1987, she was strolling around the docks when she was stopped and asked if she was looking for a job aboard a yacht. She wasn’t, but soon started as a stewardess. Kelly Cramer is managing editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at kelly@the-triton.com. For more information about Lauderdale Diver, visit www.lauderdalediver.com, which is undergoing its own refit but is still up and running.
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FROM THE FRONT: Licensing
April 2008
C13
Explanations about safety equipment often are muddled YACHTMASTER, from page C1
We use a 48-foot twin-screw motor yacht for the exam. It does not have to have had a good deal of seagoing a bow thruster, but it is extremely experience. By seagoing, I mean maneuverable and ideal for the job. bridge watchkeeping time, albeit Most candidates have had a fair under the supervision of a more amount of boat-handling experience, experienced officer of the watch. I see albeit in the tenders of a megayacht, many candidates who have thousands and we rarely have a failure in this area. of hours in their log book, but it If you want an area on which to sometimes becomes apparent that too concentrate, work on the allowances many were in a non-decision-making that have to be made for wind and tide. role far from land or other vessels. Again, this comes back to experience. There is no substitute for standing The best way to impress me and other watches by day and night in coastal examiners is not by going sideways, waters with the captain or officer bows onto the dock. of the watch making you assess the From what I have seen, candidates situation and take need to spend the appropriate more time working If you want an area on actions. on the areas of which to concentrate, The vast navigation and majority of pilotage. work on the allowances captains do a To make the that have to be made for good job training distinction as I see wind and tide. their people and it it, navigation tells shows when those you where you candidates are were and where standing with me on the bridge taking you hope to be in the future. Pilotage the exam. tells you where you are now. Most Unfortunately, some captains do candidates can produce a three-point not give sufficient training and it is fix, but that needs to be followed up therefore unreasonable to expect a with a dead reckoning and estimated prospective Yachtmaster to succeed if position to keep me happy. he or she is doing things for the first I have absolutely no objection to time during the exam. The candidates anyone using GPS, radar or the chart who undertake a two-week course plotter; they are there to aid navigation. prior to the exam should understand But they are just aids, so you need to that these courses are meant to hone be aware of the errors intrinsic in any the skills they have already; they are system you use. not designed to take you from “zero to I will, however, expect candidates to hero.” be able to use a compass and a chart. Looking at the exam format that When it comes to pilotage, I tend I tend to follow, it is only fair that I to turn the heat up a bit. I will ask emphasize the areas where candidates you to prepare an anchorage in some do well and those areas that need more navigationally constraining waters work. and then to go and execute your plan. Most candidates have exceptional Again, whether you use waypoints, knowledge of the lights and shapes radar, or clearing bearings does displayed by vessels when shown to them on one of the flash cards; however, unfortunately, the correct identification of those lights and shapes can be a little less certain when seen for real at night. Tides and tidal streams generally cause few problems as most have mastered at least one of the systems for interpolating between standard and secondary ports and the use of tidal stream atlases. Likewise, the purpose and use of safety equipment is understood to a satisfactory level but briefing it to others is often a bit of ramble through the boat mentioning things as we bump into them. Not good. It may help if candidates think of the equipment in terms of: “what is it, where is it, how do I use it and when do I use it?” Another area I generally see candidates demonstrate solid proficiency with is boat-handling in confined waters and for coming alongside. I tend to refer to it as “bumps and grinds.”
not matter to me. It’s your call; just convince me that you know where you are at all times and do not run aground. I’m afraid most candidates who fail do it in this part of the exam. No one is going to give a vessel to someone who is navigationally unsafe. Finally, just to make life interesting, while the candidates are doing all of the above, they need to remember their whole-ship responsibilities and keep on top of what’s going on around them. The international regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea work best when you remain aware of everything around you, take early action and don’t let situations happen. I hope all this hasn’t put too many people off; this is a valuable, professional qualification that marks you out as a competent sea-goer. My advice to aspiring yachtmasters is to make sure your captain is aware of your ambition and make it known that you want to benefit from his or her experience. They’re not psychic, so it pays to say something. Get to the front of the bridge and into a decision-making position. Another good idea is to ask your captain if you could prepare the first draft of the navigational plan for some upcoming passage and present it to them for critique. Your plan may get shot to pieces the first couple of times, but you will learn valuable lessons each time. If you are thinking of taking the RYA Yachtmaster exam, then I wish you every success and look forward to seeing you. I much prefer to pass a candidate than to fail one, so meet me halfway and prepare well. Leo Speat is the Royal Yacht Association’s consultant in the United
States and has been examining candidates in Florida and elsewhere since 2003. He is a former Royal Navy submarine officer with 30 years experience and has been a sailor most of his life. He lives in Florida. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
C14 April 2008 SUPERYACHT OPERATIONS: Up and Running
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The thought put into preparing a budget gives it value A budget is merely an attempt to “guestimate” what the future holds, financially. The job of a budget is to predict how much, and when, money is going to be needed to run the yacht. It will never be correct, but it is not intended to be. Its value is in the way it makes one think carefully about Up and Running what is likely to happen. Estimating Ian Biles details in the future concentrates the mind and will dramatically reduce errors and control costs. A budget needs to be approached from various directions, for example:
1. What is the yacht going to be doing? 2. When will it do it? 3. How much will it cost? 4. Where will its income come from? Each element needs to be thought about carefully. A schedule, or spreadsheet, should be set up with the months of the year along the top and the expenses down the side. Further down, space should be left for income that will probably be confined to only certain, predictable months. The first column should be the total column, e.g. the full annual salaries. This will not only provide the information for the full year but also act as an arithmetic control because the individual monthly totals at the bottom of the page should add up to the total of the total column. If they
don’t, you have made a mistake. Having worked out an itinerary for the season, the cost can be allocated on a time basis. For example, permanent crew wages can be calculated for the year and split up over the months by dividing by 12. Below these totals there should be an accumulating figure, this being the months added together so as to end up with the annual total again. From these should be deducted the estimates of charter income leaving a surplus or, more likely, a shortfall. It will be these estimates upon which the owner will need to arrange regular injections of money into the yacht’s account so that expenses can be met.
to what happened and why. When this is done he will have learned something more about his ship, her crew and the owner. He should use this knowledge to prepare a report for the owner and a budget for next season before he is asked for it. Not only is this good practice for captains, it will also increase the owner’s opinion and trust in his skipper.
Connect income to costs
It is absolutely essential that any particular income be matched with the correct appropriate costs. How costs are allocated over various income streams is subjective and there are infinite ways of doing it. Revisions are encouraged The intention is to set a level of Owners do not like random requests charter rate that will recover the costs for money. A great deal of ill feeling of the yacht to the degree acceptable to and negotiating with managers can the owner. On the other hand, there is be avoided by keeping an eye on the no point setting a charter rate so high budget and, when necessary, revising it. that the yacht is uncompetitive, gets There is nothing no work and no fixed in stone costs are recovered MPI Group of Surrey, England, about a budget, at at all. offers a distance-learning course least there should It is obvious designed to bridge the gap not be. It is much enough to set between master certification better to present against a charter and the reality of running a large your budget as a fee such things yacht. The course is sponsored best estimate that as crew wages by the Professional Yachtsmen’s will undoubtedly for the week, Association and Middlesex change. The types fuel, and directly University. Course material was of people who are attributable created by Ian Biles and future topics include the legal aspects owners of these expenses such as of yacht management, interior vessels know how marina fees. management, chartering, repairs budgets operate The first step and security. For more information, and will expect is to make an call +44(0)1252-732-220 or ethem to be revised. estimate of what mail et@mpigroup.co.uk. To read As the season the total costs previous columns, visit www. draws to a close will be. Many of the-triton.com and click on “news and things begin the elements will search.” to wind down, be guesswork, the conscientious but there will be captain should certain items that take out his various budgets (the will be identifiable, such as crew wages original and all the revised versions) and fuel and marina fees based on the and compare them with his actual expected itinerary. accounts. He should be able to identify It may be useful to divide these items where forecasts and actuals diverge and See MANAGEMENT, page C15 he should prepare for himself a note as
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SUPERYACHT OPERATIONS: Up and Running
Don’t keep your suppliers waiting for their payments MANAGEMENT, from page C14 into different categories. One category could be those items that accrue even when the yacht is tied up alongside such as permanent crew wages and victuals, maintenance and energy costs. Another could be cruising costs, the most obvious being fuel. Yet another may be those that relate directly to a charter such as guest food and drink, temporary crew, and domestic supplies.
Bills need a payment schedule
Although large amounts of money are spent on buying, maintaining and running a yacht, it is important to remember that a captain’s responsibility is to the owner. He will expect his money to be used wisely. Recording what has happened is essential housekeeping but controlling the funds is a commercial necessity. The amount of money available to the captain at any time will depend upon the budget he has agreed but to a large extent he will be free to decide exactly when he pays bills and how often. It is good practice to have a routine of paying bills at a certain date in the month, as one would with wages. Suppliers should be informed and in most cases will be happy if their bills are paid at the end of the month or the beginning of the next. It is bad practice to keep suppliers waiting for their money. If they have done what they promised then they are entitled to be paid on time. Some people think that it is tough business practice not to pay but all it does is damage the reputation of the yacht and her skipper. It may also get back to the owner. Most yachts require some form of cash to be available on board and therefore a system needs to be in place to ensure that the money is properly accounted for and controlled. One of the most common methods used for controlling petty cash is the impress system, which operates as follows: An amount of money (or a float) considered to be sufficient for the yacht’s needs is drawn from the bank and held on board in a safe. Every time money is removed, a voucher is filled in describing the amount that was taken, what it was used for and by whom. On a regular basis, the safe should be checked and the vouchers removed and filed. The amount that these vouchers represent should be drawn from the bank in cash and put back into the safe to bring the float back to its starting amount. This ensures that “petty cash” does in fact go through the cash book.
Put safeguards in place
However accurate and honest the bookkeeper, mistakes are inevitable. It is therefore essential that systems be devised to minimize the risks. These systems are known as internal controls. Risks include errors when data is recorded, incorrect payments made, payments made for the wrong or faulty goods, amounts owing being missed, information lost or corrupted, or theft. Safeguards to mitigate against these risks could include dual signatures on payments, the person ordering goods approves the invoice, all documents properly referenced and filed, regular back up of files, and using passwords to protect access to certain files. One of the most effective ways of bringing control is to ensure that at least two people are required to execute a transaction. It is particularly in the captain’s interest to make sure he does not make mistakes. Where practical he should arrange for another crew member to check his work. It is a legal requirement to retain certain documents and information for a period of time. For example, VAT records and taxation information must be retained for at least six years in case the Inland Revenue and Customs decide to investigate.
Benefits to two accounts
Where charters are a regular part of a yacht’s activity, it may be worth having a separate bank account for them. This has two advantages. Firstly, the deposits and charter money are kept separate from the ordinary ship’s funds and, secondly, it makes the bookkeeping simpler by making the information more easily identifiable. It may also be under the captain’s sole control, thereby eliminating the need for third-party signatures for relatively small amounts. There should also be a separate cash book. If a different account is not kept then care should be taken to ensure that all income and direct expenses are properly analyzed so that they can be matched. Ian Biles is the founder of Maritime Services International, a marine surveying and consultancy business. He holds a Class I (Unlimited) Master’s certificate, a degree in naval architecture and an MBA. He has developed a risk management program for large yachts for a major London-based underwriter. Comments on this story are welcome at ian@ maritimeservices.demon.co.uk or +442392-524-490.
April 2008
C15
C16 April 2008 PERSONAL FINANCE: Yachting Capital
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Lock in today’s tax rates Believe it or not, by historical standards, current federal tax rates are low. For example, the top marginal income tax rate has only been lower during 15 of the 94 tax years of tax existence The lower tax rates enacted in 2001 and 2003 are scheduled to expire after 2010, unless the Yachting Capital U.S. Congress takes action. Our Mark A. Cline next president will most likely determine future taxation. If you could choose between paying taxes at today’s rates or at the rates that may be in effect when you retire, which would you choose? It might seem far-fetched, but it’s a choice you may want to consider now. The real return on any investment cannot be measured without assessing the tax consequences. As tax rates change, they affect the amount of money you keep when your investments become distributed to you. This is the reason I advocate taxdeferred investments. Tax laws change constantly, so it’s fairly certain the tax rates you will pay in retirement will be different from the rates you pay today. By one estimate, the federal government is facing about $60 trillion in future obligations to Social Security, Medicare, and government employee retirement benefits. Given the enormous liabilities, paired with the recent trend toward enacting tax cuts with expiration dates, it’s very possible that tax rates could be headed higher in the future. When you think about it, we have not seen taxes this low since the Reagan years. If you feel that tax rates are going to increase, you might want to consider some options. A Variable Universal Life or VUL, which I have talked about over the past few months, is an option. You can also open a Roth IRA or convert retirement plan assets to one.
This will require paying ordinary income taxes on the amount converted. This option may be worth it, depending on tax status. Consult your tax and financial advisor for specifics. Earnings accumulate tax-deferred in a Roth IRA and withdrawals are free of federal income tax as long as they are made after you are 59.5 and the account has been in place for at least five tax years (except in cases of death, disability, or a first-time home purchase up to a $10,000 lifetime maximum). Unlike a traditional IRA, contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible. You must understand that you would be giving up an opportunity to not pay some current income taxes. But if tax rates move higher in the future, paying taxes at today’s rates might be the right option for you. Before you take any specific action, be sure to consult a professional. Congress recently passed legislation that will make more people eligible to participate in the Roth IRA in the coming years. You might want to check this out in more detail. This concept of paying now or paying later is part of one of my key financial strategies the “Exit Strategy.” When many captains hear the term “exit strategy,” they probably think more about how to leave the dock than for any other purpose. I know I did when I was an active captain. You most likely have heard the adage that those who fail to plan typically plan to fail. Have you ever come into a marina and things were not according to plan? This sometimes resulted in a fiasco during docking. Many of us however define planning differently. Therefore, it is realistic to believe that some of us do a better job of planning than others. Capt. Mark A. Cline is a chartered senior financial planner and mortgage broker. He is a partner in Capital Marine Alliance in Ft. Lauderdale. Comments on this story are welcome at +1-954-764-2929 or through www. capitalmarinealliance.net.
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LITERARY REVIEW: Well Read
April 2008
Here are my non-fiction gems; which ones hit your play list? If any of you watch Nightline, you “The Path Between the Seas: The are likely familiar with the concept Creation of the Panama Canal 1870of a play list. Once a month, a 1914” is one of many David McCullough correspondent from the television news masterpieces. The special appeal of the magazine interviews book is the consistent relevance of the a celebrity with the Panama Canal in the world and to this goal of linking the community of mariners. five favorite songs There are many parallel themes in of the guest with the story. Politics, medicine, finance, the development of engineering, and international their career. relations all contribute to the challenge Some of the of realizing the long held dream of segments are highly connecting the seas. Well Read entertaining and Winner of the National Book Award Donna after more than one, for history, it is a more compelling read Mergenhagen I have scrambled to than many contemporary novels of find a copy of a long- intrigue. forgotten or never-heard musical gem. The recent popularity of a contest to Hence, the idea of a play list of books accelerate passenger travel into space is column. not a new concept. Advancing science The only challenge for me is and discovery by means of a contest distilling the list to five. Even narrowed was undertaken in 1714 by the British to non-fiction selections is difficult. Let Parliament. me share my five non-fiction titles and In “Longitude,” Dava Sobel recounts then share yours – an opportunity to the fantastic competition to invent build a new wish list. what we know today as the marine “Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne chronometer. By offering millions of Frank is the book that comes to mind dollars (in today’s value) to determine whenever I am asked for a watershed longitude within a fraction of a degree, reading experience. I read with a the Parliament flashlight under pitted astronomy the covers because against mechanics The advertisement I could not put it and established that Shackleton ran down at lights out. scientists against It was a terrifying for crew including impoverished reality to a young girl inventors. Sobel’s “no guarantee of in a small rural town ability to explain survival,” was clearly with nothing to fear. science in the Imagining a girl written by a realistic context of the my own age living competition is a man. behind a closet was great contribution an indictment of the to the story. cruelty of humans. When I was Anne wrote her journal from the age climbing the corporate ladder, one of 13 until her family was discovered of my mentors recommended Beryl and arrested by the Nazis. Years later, Markham’s “West with the Night.” when working in the Netherlands, I Markham was raised in East Africa was unable to bring myself to tour the with an independence that permitted museum home of the Franks. her to pursue atypical choices for her It is no surprise to me that Ernest time and place. Shackleton’s “South: A Memoir of She became a bush pilot, then the Endurance Voyage” is used in a test pilot and a record-holder all leadership classes as a timeless while being courted by royalty and example. The advertisement that celebrities. Shackleton ran for crew including Her memoir is set between World “no guarantee of survival,” was clearly War I and II in an Africa which no written by a realistic man. longer exists. The courage and drive The series of crucial decisions she conveys is timeless. Shackleton made once it became On my list of second choices are clear the expedition was doomed are great titles that provided hours of brilliant in retrospect. As the icebound entertainment and education. They ship began to break up, the direction may have wielded great impact at to sort plates to salvage and transport the time, but the five selected have must have been heartbreaking to the withstood the tests of time and re-read. expedition photographer. Shackleton If you choose to try them, I hope the was definitive in his orders to destroy experience is the same for you. all other plates. Donna Mergenhagen owns Well Read, a His goal to eliminate the possibility used book store on Southeast 17th Street of later efforts to retrieve the plates in Ft. Lauderdale. Comments on this – risking lives, seeding dissension and story are welcome at 954-467-8878. sparking mutiny – was achieved.
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C17
C18 April 2008
PUZZLES
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SUDOKUS Try these new puzzles based on numbers. There is only one rule for these new number puzzles: Every row, every column and every 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 only once. Don’t worry, you don’t need arithmetic. Nothing has to add up to anything else. All you need is reasoning and logic. Start with the Calm puzzle left. Then try your luck in the Stormy seas at right.
Calm
Stormy
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C20 April 2008
Engineers Available
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Ad# 4524
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Ad#
Cold AC, low mileage, ABS, dual air bags, power windows, power seat driver’s side, dark green, tan cloth interior. Great ride! Jes@954 684-7566
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more classifieds on page C23
4506
For more details on any classified ad go to www.tritonclassifieds.com and enter in the ad #.
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CLASSIFIEDS
April 2008
C21
at Lauderdale Marine Center 2001 S,W, 20th St. • Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315 • Total Yacht Restoration • Awl-Grip Spray Painting Specialists • Fiberglass Fabrication & Repairs • Bottom Painting
(954) 713-0374 Office
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C22 April 2008
CLASSIFIEDS
WORLD OF YACHTING
John A. Terrill Mobile
REALTOR
Office
(954) 224-5847
(954) 467-1448
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E-Mail John@intercoastalrealty.com
(954) 467-6714
1500 East Las Olas Boulevard ~ Fort Lauderdale ~ Florida ~ 33301
The one source for all your yachting needs Here’s what we can do for you: • FIND CREW NO agency commissions or percentages no matter how many or how long you need crew members per year. • CREW Post your CV/Resume for FREE. • Order your APPAREL/UNIFORMS & much more online, phone, fax or in-person. • Custom Monogramming and Screen Printing • Find or sell a boat (or any other item!) on our boat classifieds. • GET MORE EXPOSURE Advertise with us! Post your charter brochure. • Find information on travel destinations, boatyards, flower shops, gourmet stores and more all in one place! www.worldofyachting.com 1126 S. Federal Highway, P. O. Box 230 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 Toll Free: 877-98World (877-989-6753) Ph/Fax: 954-522-8742
www.the-triton.com
The Triton
The Triton
www.the-triton.com Aptus Resume Tailor/Marine Medical Insurance services Yacht Owners, Captains Aptus Resume Tailor/Marine Ins and Crews...In Need of Tax Make your resume stand out! Assistance? Marine Medical Insurance
April 2008
CLASSIFIEDS
C23
Announcement
Yacht Insurance Consultant
Accounting & Bus. Consultants 1535 SE 17th St., Ste. B206 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 462-6045 www.aabconline.com Ad#
4270
American Motor Yacht Captain/Engineer; Real Marine Engineer not just a Motor Yacht Captain/Engineer USCG Captain & Chief Engineer 30 years++ exp, free to travel 80-130ft Long Term Commitment Tel 954 599-5235 Ad#
4466
Is Your Money working hard enough for you? Want to invest in Real Estate Now is the time for investors. We’ll show you how to create wealth in you spare time. Call us at: (954) 4496625
Ad# 4365
Dawn has dedicated her insurance career to building lasting relationships with her clients and the underwriters Gowrie, Barden & Brett represent.
www.aptusyachtcrews.com 1-604-469-7100 Ad#
4186
Spa Services Spa Chi...Brings the spa to you! Servicing Yachts, Corporations Residential and Events contact us @ 305-439-6181 Ad# 4166
Offshore Sailboat Wanted Unique Applicant SAILBOAT WANTED for TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING ecological world-wide tour Charles Brigham 954-661-2217 black_leopardstealth@yahoo.com Ad#
Personal touch service and around the clock availability are her trademarks. Dawn has been active in the marine industry all her life, in Yacht sales and service, charter management, new boat production and as a licensed insurance agent for the last 20 years. Dawn has extensive experience in boating and carries a 100 Ton USCG master’s license which further enables her to customize policies to suit her client’s needs. Call 800-262-8911 x 1653 or email: Dawns@gowrie.com
4282
Check out our online directory
www.thecaptainsmate.com
Company
A1A Chem Dry Advanced Mechanical Engineering Alexseal Yacht Coatings Antibes Yachtwear Argonautica Yacht Interiors ARW Maritime Bay Ship and Yacht Company Bellingham Marine Bertling Logistics Blue Water Alliance LTD BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply Bradford Marine: The Shipyard Group Briny Riverfront Irish Bar and Restaurant Broward Marine Brownie’s Business cards/Classifieds C-Worthy C&N Yacht Refinishing Camper & Nicholsons Int’l Cape Ann Towing Captain’s Mate Listings Claire’s Outfitters Constitution Marina Crewfinders Crew 4 Yachts The Crew Network Crew Unlmited Yacht Charters Crown Wine and Spirits Dennis Conner’s North Cove Marina Divers Discount Florida
Page Company
B21 B16 B18 B26 B21 C15 B11 A12 C7 A6 A32 C4 B4 B8 A29 C19-23 B14 A2 C6 A13 B6 &B7 C8 A19 B2 A29 B16 A13 C5 A26 B12
For more details on any classified ad go to www.tritonclassifieds.com and enter in the ad #.
ADVERTISER DIRECTORY
Dockwise Yacht Transport Dohle Yacht Crew Dupont Edd Helms Marine Elite Carpet WorkRoom Elite Crew International Explorer Satellite Comunications Evolve Watersports FenderHooks Finish Masters Gary’s Seafood & Specialities Global Marine Travel Global Satellite Global Yacht Fuel Gran Peninsula Yacht Center HeadHunter High Seas Trading Company Hill Robinson International Hot Yachtz International Registries IslaMoin Resort, Residences & Marina James Schot Gallery & Photo Studio Jeppesen Marine John Terrill Realtor Kemplon Marine KVH Industries Laffing Matterz Lauderdale Diver Lauderdale Propeller Law Offices of Cohn & Monioudis
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Company
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B5, C3 B2 B17 A20 B15 A5 A10 C13 B14 C16 C10 A7 A30 C15 B21 A28 A18 A4 B27 A19 B13 C14 C11 A11 A22 A15 B10 A13 B19 A22
Lifeline Inflatable Services Luxury Yacht Group Mail Boxes Etc. Maritime Professional Training Matthew’s Marine A/C Merrill-Stevens Yachts MHG Marine Benefits Moore & Company The Mrs. G Team Nantucket Boat Basin Nautical Structures Neptune Group Newport Shipyard Northern Lights Northrop and Johnson Ocean Medical International Old Port Cove Palladium Technologies Perry Law Firm Peterson Fuel Delivery Pioneer Linens Pond Hoppers Praktek Quiksigns Radio Holland Redline Marine Servicing Renaissance Marina Resolve Fire & Hazard Response Rio Vista Flowers River Bend Marine Center
C13 A23 C17 C24 B19 B24 B28 B26 B15 A3 B22 A22 A17 B11 A11 B27 C12 C2 C8 A26 B9 A26 B3 C17 A5 B25 B25 A4 C16 B20
River Supply River Services Rossmare International Bunkering Royal Plantation Island RPM Diesel Engine Co. Sailorman Seamobile Sea School Seafarer Marine Secure Chain & Anchor Servowatch Shadow Marine Shelter Bay Marina Smart Move Spurs Marine SRI Specialty Risk International Steel Marine Towing SunPro Marine Super Yacht Support Tess Electrical Sales & Service Total Wine & More Town of Palm Beach Town Docks TowBoatUS Turtle Cove Marina Vertical Yacht Club Marina Mile Westrec Marinas West Palm Beach Crew House Wright Maritime Group Yacht Entertainment Systems Yacht Services of Alaska Yachting Pages
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C7 C8 B27 A18, C6 A2 C9 C6 A28 A14 B20 A21 A30 B10 A20 C15 A16 A26 A22 A3 B23 A27 C7 C7 C10 A14 A10 A9 A18 B16 C16
M P T Celebrates 25 Years
MPT is the ONLY school in the USA offering ALL MCA Yacht & USCG Licensing Courses. MPT is the largest private maritime school in the country. MPT is equipped with a multi-million dollar S.M.A.R.T. simulation center. MPT offers FREE Career Counseling. MPT is approved for Veterans Training & Sallie Mae Financial Aid. MPT has been selected by many yachts, marine corporations, government agencies & thousands of mariners as their favorite school & exclusive training provider. MPT is still the best choice for knowledgeable, friendly career guidance, license training and certification!
Submit your MPT story and old and new pictures of classmates, faculty or yourself at MPT to amy@MPTusa.com for a Free Silver Anniversary Shirt!
My MPT Story I started my training at MPT in 1993, fifteen years ago, wow! I can honestly say that I learned many things that I have used throughout my career. I took a number of different classes with various instructors, but here are a couple of things that I will always remember: Beverly once said, “When doing your calculations, make sure you always line up all of your numbers and don’t be sloppy.” I can still hear her saying that whenever I am doing engineering calculations in my job. I also remember asking Elmer, “The Chief Engineer”, for advice and he profoundly said to “make the vessel’s engineering manuals your best friends and get to know them well.” I have learned over the years just how big a difference this can make for an Engineer. Thank you, Morley family and MPT, for everything you have done for me and countless other people in this industry!! Don Clark USCG Master Chief Engineer V.P. Project Management – Shadow Marine
Free! Come in or call for your
Free 84-page full color Career Reference Manual & Course Catalog or visit our web site to download a copy.
Thank You For 25 Years!
MaritiMe ProFessional training 1915 s. anDreWs aVe., Fort laUDerDale, Fl 33316 +1.954.525.1014 • www.MPtusa.com • info@MPtusa.com