Captain’s briefing Tips from federal officials. A4
Internet scam
Tattoo who?
Some employers frown on ink. C1 Vol. 5, No.9
www.the-triton.com
Safety drills do get done, but do they get done well?
Eager crew give Capt. JC Castro resumés for on open mate/stew position on his 75-foot Hatteras.
PHOTO/DORIE COX
A fair success: 500 crew, 27 exhibitors From many corners of the globe, a diverse crowd came armed with resumés and business cards. Each had a story as varied at their background. More than 500 l Photos, A24-25 people attended The Triton’s first Job and Crew Fair in Ft. Lauderdale on Nov. 10. From employed crew, newbies trying to break into yachting, seasoned crew looking
A27 December 2008
THE TRITON’S JOB AND CREW FAIR
By Dorie Cox
Captain warns of bogus job offers.
for change, to yachties hoping to enhance their positions, most sectors of yachting were represented. “I’m not sure if this is a good sign or a bad sign for the industry,” said Capt. Les Annan of M/Y Portofino of the high attendance. Twenty-seven exhibitors were also there, representing education, placement services, insurance and benefits, professional services, provisioning, brokerage, travel, and
more. Asked why so many appear to be seeking positions, Sue Price of Crew Unlimited elaborated on a few possibilities. “First of all, it’s getting cold in Australia,” she quipped. “We also hear stories of how someone’s brother’s friend is in the industry and said to come to Ft. Lauderdale. And, if crew do
See JOB FAIR, page A23
Yachties’ election voting totals mirror U.S. results: Obama a clear winner Yachties of the world voted decidedly for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for president of the United States. More than 60 percent of yacht captains, crew and business people who cast ballots in The Triton’s mock yachtie election chose Obama, who came out the winner in nearly every category. See the full story and more statistics on page C1. U.S. voters also chose Obama on Nov. 4, though the margin was a closer 53 to 46 percent. Obama, the nation’s first black president, takes office after a ceremony Jan. 20. – Lucy Reed
McCain – 38% 461 votes Obama – 61% 740 votes
This month’s discussion topic comes courtesy of a captain who is worried. I bumped into him at the Ft. Lauderdale boat show and he wanted to know why we don’t write more about safety, a topic he considered the most important in the industry. And he spent the next 15 From the Bridge minutes telling me Lucy Chabot Reed why. So I invited him to lunch. He couldn’t make it but his topic did. And I asked it as bluntly as possible. Do you do safety drills? Most everyone nodded. I was skeptical, so I pressed the nonnodders. “I’m not as experienced as everybody else here so I’m glad to be here to learn more,” one captain said. “Not as frequently as we should,” another captain admitted. “You’ve got to find the time, and it’s not easy. I ask the crew to help me find the time.” As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page A20. Several captains offered some suggestions for the time problem. “We do our safety briefing with guests when they’re getting settled,” a captain said. “We give them a welcome cocktail and the first mate gives the briefing, goes over the safety gear and muster station. Within the first day, we’ve had a fire drill and a man-overboard drill. They’re part of it and they can see we can handle any situation.” “Something I found effective with time is with people on watch,” another captain said. “They have assignments. I tell them to find all the life jackets and fire extinguishers on the boat. In the morning briefing, I’ll ask them for the schematic. Then I toss out a scenario:
See BRIDGE, page A20