Saxon speaks Business wisdom from a pioneer.
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Local knowledge of Haulover. A12 Vol. 5, No.11
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February 2009
Christmas charters fall up to 50 percent Pay the bills; By Dorie Cox When Capt. Greg Clark and his entire crew moved aboard the 161-foot charter yacht M/Y Lohengrin last year, they were ready for lots of guests and entertaining charters. Instead, they spent the holidays docked in Ft. Lauderdale. “We’re just sitting,” Clark reported in mid-December, a time when charter yachts are normally en route to the Caribbean. “Keeping the boat in tip-top shape, catching up on mini projects, organizing weekend outings together, getting ready for the next showing, and looking forward to the Miami show. “It isn’t what most of us signed up for, but we’re doing our best to keep busy and keep our spirits up.” Instead of waiting in the Caribbean for a charter, Lohengrin’s owner decided to dock in South Florida, where dockage is relatively cheaper. If the yacht gets more than a couple of charters booked, it will head down island. Until then, Clark and his crew wait for the phone to ring. “I tell the crew to look on the bright side,” he said. “In all industries and careers, it is unrealistic to never expect down time. This is just the first time for yachting. … We are at the mercy of forces beyond our control.” Captains in the Caribbean report a mix of charter experiences this winter, but for the most part, they admit things are slow. Charter captains and brokers report a decline in bookings of as much as 50 percent. Some yachts had no charters at all. More than a few yachts have cut crew, keeping a skeleton crew to keep the yacht clean and showable.
Holiday vacancies common
Yachts that are typically booked six months in advance of the winter holidays were available as late as the St. Maarten charter show in early December.
Stew Julie Brunet, left, and Stew Laura Ball spent part of January detailing M/Y Lohengrin‘s tender See CHARTERS, page A21 instead of tending to guests. PHOTO/DORIE COX
get owner to pay you back The topic of getting in debt with the boss has come up quite a bit lately. Lawyers talked about it at our monthly networking event, friends talked about it over my dinner table. So we decided to ask captains how often it happens. To be clear, we’re not talking about From the Bridge being owed salary. Lucy Chabot Reed Yacht crew, like most employees, work first, get paid afterward. For the purposes of the discussion at our monthly From the Bridge luncheon, we talked about just those times when captains pay for something that is clearly boat-related – provisions for a trip, dockage, fuel, even crew wages – out of their own pocket on the belief that they will be reimbursed. A quick poll revealed that five of the six captains in attendance had, at some point in their careers, fronted the yacht or the boss money. (That near unanimity was mirrored in our monthly
See BRIDGE, page A16
The victorious owner, guests, race crew and standing crew of the 45m S/Y Timoneer after winning the 2009 Superyacht Cup in Antigua in December. For more details from her cruising captain, Capt. John Campbell, see page A3. PHOTO/WWW.CLAIRE MATCHES.COM
TRITON SURVEY
Have you ever fronted the boss or the yacht money? No – 7% Yes – 93%
It didn’t take a mortgage crisis or market crash for megayacht captains to pay for expenses related to the yacht under their command. Most of captains in this month’s poll – 93 percent – acknowledged that they have fronted the boss or the yacht money at some point in their career. Surprised? Read more from this month’s survey, page C1.
– Lucy Chabot Reed
A February 2009 WHAT’S INSIDE
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She’s moving
The keel on S/Y Legacy has been lifted somewhat. Find PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO out what’s next. Page B5.
Advertiser directory C23 Boats / Brokers A15 Business Briefs A14 Calendar of events B17-18 Columns: Communications C6 Fitness C18 In the Galley C1 In the Stars B15 Latitude Adjustment A3 Nutrition C8 Personal Finance C17 Onboard Emergencies B4 Photography B16 Rules of the Road B1 Security B2
Stew Cues C5 Superyacht operations A18 Crossword puzzle C20 Dockmaster Profile: Dominican Republic B8 Features: The Afterlife C7 Fuel prices B5 Marinas / Yards B9 Networking Q/A C3 Networking photos C2 News A1,3,6,8,B5 Photo Galleries A22-23 Technology B1-7 Triton spotter B19 Triton survey C1 Write to Be Heard A9,26-27
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LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT
February 2009 A
More than moving across the water, real sailing soaks your soul I have just finished editing Capt. John Campbell’s story about the Superyacht Cup Antigua (at right) and I’m humbled. I know it wasn’t a huge race – in importance or size (just five yachts started the race). Still, I was struck by how little I know. Latitude I’ve been Adjustment around boats Lucy Chabot Reed for a while now, visiting them at the dock, getting tours at boat shows, even taking trips up the river. I’ve even worked a delivery on a motoryacht. But for some reason, it never felt like sailing. Probably because it isn’t. I know Webster’s considers sailing “the art of navigation,” the not-sosimple act of moving a vessel through the water. But when you read Capt. Campbell’s recap of the race, or stories like those that floated around as the 10th anniversary of that frightful year the Hobart race claimed six lives, you realize there’s so much more to sailing than hitting the throttle. My first real taste of sailing came three years ago in Antigua aboard a different sailboat with Capt. Campbell, a long-time friend of my in-laws. The yacht did list a bit, but there weren’t any crew scrambling about, hoisting or setting sails, harnessing the wind and the waves to make their craft move forward. Though a sail was up, it was more motoring than sailing. It all seemed so seamless, and safe. I got my first real taste of sailing fear in the BVI over our Thanksgiving holiday in late November. My husband
was at the helm. David grew up on a sailboat and spent his formative years in those very waters, so when he suggested (finally) that we take a busman’s holiday on a 39-foot Beneteau, I knew he could handle it. My in-laws joined us, giving the boat some 60 years of sailing experience. I wasn’t worried, and was even ready for the first 48 hours of seasickness that had struck me on a previous trip. The afternoon sail from Tortola to Peter Island was lovely. Holding my 6year-old daughter in my lap, watching my husband drape his hand over the wheel, feeling the sun on my face and smelling the wind, I could see how people get jobs on boats and never go back. Work and stress were already a world away and our biggest concern was where to anchor for lunch. After lunch, though, we beat to windward. The afternoon sail from Peter Island to Bitter End made me rethink my romantic thoughts of sailing. I shot David pretty serious daggers as if to say “knock it off and drive the boat right.” I put a foot on the side of the helm station to keep myself upright, convinced the boat was going to tip over and ruin my holiday. I looked at my father-in-law, casually propped against the aft lifelines, talking about something that had nothing to do with life and death. My motherin-law was in her element, arms outstretched on the back of the settee, identifying every outcropping of rock and telling stories about them from 20 years ago. She wasn’t even holding on. It took me a while before I realized I was the only one worried. Even Kenna took our angle as a matter of course and instead counted the number of times the sea splashed her face. She finally stopped counting – and laughing about it – somewhere around 26.
Eventually, I stopped being afraid. This boat wasn’t going to tip over. David knew what he was doing. Sailboats are meant to heel over. I wasn’t happy, but I was safe. Seeing photos of the Superyacht Cup (www.thesuperaychtcup.com) brought it all back, the wind, the water and the power at being heeled over, even a little bit. My heart raced reading his story because even though I only knew a tiny bit of what he spoke – I had clear skies and calm seas on my little sail – at least I knew a tiny bit.
It’s awesome to be on a craft that merges with the water and the wind to move you through space. And while we’re not yet ready to sell our house and escape somewhere on a sailboat, we are talking about where to go sailing this summer, even if it’s just a little sail. Have you made an adjustment in your latitude recently? Let us know. Send news of your promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
S/Y Timoneer wins Superyacht Cup By Capt. John Campbell The Superyacht Cup Regatta was held immediately after the Antigua Charter Show. Unfortunately, inclement weather delayed several boats from arriving on time, including defending champion S/Y Sojana. Boats coming from the Mediterranean fared no better than those coming south from the United States; it was a tough trip for both groups. Just five boats came to the start line, with S/Y Timoneer at 45 meters being the biggest, and the W class sloop S/Y Wild Horses the smallest at 24 meters. All the Superyacht Cup races are pursuit races, where each boat starts at a given time according to the allocated handicap. If the handicappers do their job correctly, all the boats would cross the finishing line at the same time. The Superyacht Cup organizers have adopted the so-called “bucket” handicap, devised by Jim Teeters. It
considers many aspects of the boat; not only measurements, but if you have to furl the headsail to tack, for example. Teeters fine-tuned the handicap as the races progressed and the racing could not have been much closer. In the final race, the first three boats finished within three minutes of each other. A remarkable achievement. The racing rules are modified a little on safety grounds. You cannot have yachts worth $20 million banging into each other. Safety is paramount and protests are strongly discouraged. The forecast for the first race was for 17-20 knots of wind. This was reasonably accurate, but what was not expected was that there would be strong squalls of 35 knots or more on each leg of the race. Normally, we sail Timoneer with six or seven crew, but for the racing we had 28 crew as well as four guests. The owner is 88 and still loves his
See TIMONEER, page A4
A February 2009 LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT
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Skilled sailors, time penalty give Timoneer the Cup win TIMONEER, from page A3 racing. From the pilot house he can join in the tactical discussions and monitor all aspects of the race. For the regatta he brought a friend who is 94, who also enjoyed the racing. Such a large team requires good organization. In overall charge and running the hydraulics was Phil Wade. He has worked for these owners for 17 years. He manages the boat and skippers the boat for the races. On the helm was Barry Jones, the skipper of Klosters, a Perini Navi. As tactician we were lucky to have Tomac from North Sails. Tom “Tomac� McLaughlin is a world-class tactician and not only do we appreciate his sailing skills, but he has the most wonderful way of explaining his tactics and the positions of the other boats to the owner. When asked if we are catching another boat, Tomac likes to tell the owner that we are not only catching them, but about to crush them like a bug. North Sails has always provided all the sails for Timoneer, and the owner likes to give Tomac a hard time if any boat ever manages to pass us, telling him that North must learn to produce faster sails or give him a bigger discount. It is wonderful to watch this relationship that has developed over many years. We had just one day to practice and allocate tasks before the racing started, although many of the race-crew are regulars on board for the regattas. Signe was the first boat away, and we, on Timoneer, were the fourth to start. The lead given to Signe proved to be insurmountable, although we tried hard. We were not able to carry the spinnaker on any leg, but we did set the mizzen staysail a few times. It seemed that every time we set it we got yet another rain squall and had a few battles to get it down in one piece. We managed to finish about three minutes behind Signe, who did benefit from a lucky windshift on the beat to the line. For the second day they gave us two shorter races. The first race saw a fair amount of drama. We snapped the mizzen sheet and cracked the boom as it hit the shrouds, so we were tentative about using the mizzen until we could assess the damage. Wild Horses was not so lucky. In the big seas and squally waves she cracked a bulkhead and had to retire from the series. We managed to pull back the lead of 22 minutes that we had given to Tenacious, and we won the morning race. Conditions were similar for the afternoon race, but the course was more favorable for us to set the
spinnaker. With spinnaker and mizzen staysail both pulling hard, we once again overhauled everybody to win the afternoon race as well. Tenacious lost her main halyard and was forced to send somebody aloft in difficult conditions. Despite heroic efforts of the crew aloft, they were forced to retire. The final race would decide the overall winner between us, Signe or Kalikobass II. It was all to play for. The handicap had been fine tuned, and we were last boat away. Signe appeared to be almost half way around the course
Timoneer bashing to windward. PHOTO/CAPT. JOHN CAMPBELL
before we started. Kalikobass started close ahead of us, and we caught up with her on the first reach. Our crew worked miracles and set the spinnaker and the mizzen staysail at the same time and we eased through the lee of Kalikobass. We set off in pursuit of Signe, but she proved impossible to catch. We managed to stay ahead of Kalikobass and second place would have clinched the title for us. We got close to Signe and in their enthusiasm they tacked just a moment too soon. They got perilously close to the buoy on the finish line, tried to luff around it but touched, right under the watchful eyes of the committee. She was awarded a time penalty, which was enough to ensure that we won the final race and the series overall. Kalikobass finished just a couple of minutes behind us. A very close race, and one that the owners and guests enjoyed immensely. Capt. John Campbell has been yacht captain for more than 20 years and a sailor all his life. He is currently in command of the 45m M/Y Timoneer. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
A February 2009 NEWS: Saxon on business
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Saxon: Remind owners to love their boats, business will return By Dorie Cox
primetime rates in the hopes of landing more clients, the infomercial market Bob Saxon made sure he had the took that as an opporuntity to step out crowd’s attention before quoting a from its late night slot. Since then, the character from Kenneth Grahame’s TV infomercial market has seen record “The Wind in the Willows”: sales. “There is nothing – absolutely 3. Do things to generate business. nothing – half so much worth doing as 4. Understand the competition. simply messing about in boats.” Know their weaknesses and strengths. Then he paused a moment to let that Pay attention to concepts like sink in. pricing strategies and markets. And “It is that sentiment we rely on most importantly, emphasize your and need our clients to believe in company’s strengths. also,” Saxon told the room filled with 5. Make a business plan. “It is business owners and managers in amazing how many companies don’t South Florida at a monthly gathering of have a plan,” he said. And follow-up on the U.S. Superyacht Association. the targets identified in your plan. “A Saxon went on to share his advice on plan doesn’t work if not used.” how the yachting industry can thrive 6. Realize that prospects are despite current economic challenges, asking “Why should I deal with you?” and it all has to do with heart. Scrutinize your company from your Saxon is known in the yachting customer’s point of view and clarify industry as the how to answer that charter pioneer who question for your ‘Business is bad on started Bob Saxon customer. all spectrums, not just and Associates. 7. Set out to yachting, but we’re in the differentiate yourself He sold to Camper & Nicholsons, marine business and we from competitors. remaining on to a program have to figure out a way Consider serve as president. or reward for client to cope.’ He left Camper last loyalty. Let them fall and is now a — Bob Saxon know you appreciate consultant with his Consultant their business. own practice, Bob 8. Make sure Saxon Consultancy. your company “Business is bad on all spectrums, has an ambassador. Every encounter not just yachting,” he said, “but we’re a prospect has with a company is in the marine business and we have to important, but the first one is the most figure out a way to cope.” vital. If a client has one bad experience Not all industries are down, he they may take their business elsewhere. added. “Lipstick and alcohol sales 9. Personalize your products and are up,” noting that things that make services. Know your customers, people feel good always do well in their names and needs. Everyone troubled economies. in the company must be a good Sharing experience from 30 years in communicator. the yachting industry and relationships 10. Be a better manager; take a with 3,000 yacht owners, Saxon offered course at Dale Carnegie. Become these tips to members a better speaker or presenter; join 1. It is possible to survive, “if you can Toastmasters. risk not cutting staff or advertising,” he 11. Focus on increasing accounts. said. Saxon cited growth in his business The former high school teacher in after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 him came out when he recommended when he retained his budget during a that business owners bolster time of cutbacks. themselves during this time by reading “The superyacht industry is still “The Black Swan: The Impact of the an expanding market,” he said. “In a Highly Improbable” by Nassim Nicholas stagnant market customers may not be Taleb, and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.” as upwardly mobile, but many owners He left the audience to plan for the are still holding prices. Speculators may challenges of the current year with a be disappearing, and lots of people are quote from The Art of War: looking for good deals.” “Whoever is first in the field and “Many new yachts are still being awaits the coming of the enemy will be built and delivered,” Saxon said, citing fresh for the fight; whoever is second in annual yacht building reports reaching the field and has to hasten to battle will their highest levels yet, and that the arrive exhausted.” 500-plus-foot yacht Eclipse is still on track to be delivered. Dorie Cox is a staff reporter with The “These yachts need service and Triton. For more thoughts on what staff.” the charter outlook is for 2009, see 2. Take advantage of opportunities. page A21. Comments on this story are When television dropped its welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.
A February 2009 NEWS BRIEFS
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With mooring field, Sarasota to limit anchoring to three days The Sarasota city commission passed an ordinance on Jan. 5 that would create a mooring field and make it illegal to anchor in the Southwest Florida city’s bay longer than 72 hours. Passed by a 3-2 vote, the ordinance will face a final review later this year, and Sarasota must get state approval for the mooring field. Bob Soran, a Sarasota businessman who would operate the mooring field through his business Marina Jack, is working to expand anchorage limitations statewide, according to a story in the Pelican Press on Jan. 7. He is working with State Sen. Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton) and two state agencies to introduce legislation this spring in Tallahassee to allow all coastal cities and counties to impose length-of-stay restrictions. Soran told the newspaper that he’s also contacted the staffs of the Florida cabinet officers – with the exception of Gov. Charlie Christ’s staff – and obtained their support for the bill. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection also back the bill. The FWC submitted to the Florida Legislature the draft of a law that, among other things, would create a pilot program to test boat anchoring and mooring regulations in various parts of the state. This is the seventh version of the law, which has been discussed and worked on since December 2006. Comments on the draft are accepted through the FWC’s boating Web site at http://myfwc.com/boating/.
USCG raises Great Lakes pilot fees
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship Directorate announced on Jan. 5 the Federal Register’s publication of the final rule increasing pilotage rates on the Great Lakes by almost 19 percent for 2009. The increase is due, in part, to recent changes in the American Maritime Officer’s Union labor contracts negotiated between the union and the owners and operators of ships on the Great Lakes, according to a USCG news release. The final rule and related materials may be reviewed at http://www. regulations.gov, docket number: USCG2007-0039.
Ship crews paid double in Aden Oil shippers are paying crews who sail through the Gulf of Aden
See NEWS BRIEFS, page A10
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Hudson River crash victims survived because of training By Capt Tom Serio US Air flight 1549, taking off from New York’s LaGuardia airport mid afternoon on Jan. 15, was forced to ditch into the Hudson River due to a bird strike. All 155 people onboard survived the impact and rescue due to many factors: An experienced coolheaded pilot, a smooth waterway with a cooperating current, and trained response teams who were there quickly. As much as the pilot is to be lauded, credit, too, is due to the captains who operated the New York Waterway Ferry vessels. These captains were the first to respond to the crash landing. The ferries rescued up to 142 of the survivors. Capt. Vincent Lombardi, at the helm of the ferry Thomas Jefferson, was first on scene and helped 56 passengers who were standing on the wings, in a life raft and in the water. Behind Lombardi was Capt. Brittney Catanzaro, piloting the Thomas Kean. At 19, she is the youngest ferry captain but still knew her drills. She and her crew pulled 24 passengers from the wings of the airplane. “We just did what we were trained to do,” she said to a throng of reporters after the rescue. “We got out there as fast as possible. We got as close as possible to the plane, and we got everyone out quickly.” The survival rate of this incident is no accident. Experience and continuous training by the airplane pilot as well as the NY Waterway ferry captains are to credit, and are factors yacht captains, too, must maintain. Non-planned events can test the mettle of the best captains. The time to plan for a disaster is not at the time of the disaster. Holding drills with the participation of all crew are essential in turning a potentially disastrous situation into one with positive results. Crew need to take safety training with a serious attitude to ensure the safety of passengers and themselves. Training is necessary since a
disaster can put a yacht and crew in an environment they are not accustomed to. With the NY Waterway ferries, they had to hold position against the wings to evacuate passengers, as the plane not only slowly sank, but drifted with the current. Uncertain if more people were in the water, they had to make sure they didn’t run over anyone or put the stern too close to people or other vessels. The ferry captains also had to approach the plane slowly initially so their wake would not overturn passengers standing on the wings. One thing noticeable on the television coverage was NY Waterway crew tossing numerous life jackets to plane passengers. Do yacht crew know where all the life jackets are stored? Are there additional life jackets in storage? Have they practiced throwing a life ring with a line attached? Know these answers before you need them. This was a cold New York day, with air temperatures about 20 degrees F and frigid water temps. Hypothermia was a real danger to those exposed to the elements. As a yacht captain, are you prepared to press your guests into rescue mode? Are they briefed that they might be asked to help in case of an emergency? Can your crew, who is used to following directions, now give them to others? These points need to be discussed ahead of time. It is not such a crazy idea that yacht captains and crew can be found in the same situation as the ferry crews. This could have happened on a warm summer day when the Hudson River is full of commercial and recreational vessels. Who knows, you may be the first one on scene of an emergency event. The time to plan for that is now. Capt. Tom Serio is a freelance captain, writer and photographer in South Florida. He also has a career in risk management. Information for this story was obtained by several news sources. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
February 2009 A
A10 February 2009 NEWS BRIEFS
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Use of Lloyd’s salvage form drops but revenue increases NEWS BRIEFS, from page A8 double salary, according to a story by the Reuters news service. The story attributed the action to an official at Saudi Arabia’s National Shipping Company (NSCSA). “The main change in operations in generic terms is that most ships are now avoiding the Suez Canal and going around Cape Hope, which adds to the number of days of sailing,” Saleh al-Shamekh, the company’s president of oil and gas, told Reuters during an energy conference in Dubai. “But on the ships that have to go through the Gulf of Aden, they are having to pay the crew more, double the salaries,” he said.
Use of Lloyd’s Open Form declining
Lloyd’s Open Form is 100 years old, but supporters of the salvage contract have a fight on their hands as takeup continues to decline, according to a report in Lloyd’s List newspaper in early January. At 71 LOF cases this year, use of the contract is at an all-time low. However, according to figures presented by Ben Browne of law firm Thomas Cooper at a recent Lloyd’s List Events salvage conference, International Salvage Union members’ salvage revenue rose 58 percent between 1992-2005 and special compensation revenue was up from “virtually nothing” to $33.8 million, the newspaper reported.
NOAA creates protected areas
The United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established eight marine protected areas encompassing 529 square nautical miles in south Atlantic federal waters to shield deep-water fish species and their habitats from fishing. All fishing for snappers, groupers, tilefishes, grunts, porgies, and sea basses is prohibited throughout the protected areas, which are located off the coast from North Carolina south to Florida.
“Marine protected areas are designed to provide long-term protection for our nation’s natural resources,” said Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “These areas of the South Atlantic were chosen because they feature known spawning grounds and nursery habitats for deepwater fish – especially for snappers and groupers.” The marine protected areas are critical to the survival of over 70 species of deep-water fish susceptible to fishing pressure. These fish are not good candidates for catch-and-release fishing because they suffer trauma when captured and reeled up from great depths. The new protected areas range in size from 21 to 150 square nautical miles. There is one area off North Carolina, three off South Carolina, one off Georgia, and three protected areas off Florida. Commercial shark bottom longline gear is also prohibited in these areas. All other types of legal fishing, such as trolling for tunas and marlins, are allowed because those gear types are not likely to incidentally catch the species warranting protection.
NMMA tells N.Y. to skip boat tax
The National Marine Manufacturers Association submitted a letter to New York Gov. David Paterson asking him to reconsider a proposed tax on boats more than $200,000, according to a story in Soundings Trade Only. The letter cites the failures of the national luxury tax of the early 1990s as evidence that a state boat tax would fail at providing New York with muchneeded revenue.
Antibes show adds chef contest
The 2009 Antibes Yacht Show, to be help April 2-5, has added the Private Catering Cup, a competition for chefs on yachts. The event is sponsored by caterer Private Catering and registration is open. The early round of the competition is judged on originality, presentation and taste. Once selected, the top six chefs will be invited to prepare a meal for eight, live at the Antibes Yacht Show on April 3 on the terrace of the Bastion St Jaume. The chefs will be asked to create a main course and dessert from ingredients chosen by Private Catering. They will have four and a half hours to produce the meal, but will know the ingredients two weeks before the final
MAP COURTESY OF NOAA
See NEWS BRIEFS, page A13
A12 February 2009 LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Haulover Inlet
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Bakers Haulover Inlet in Florida offers a thorny passage By Dorie Cox Of more than 60 inlets in Florida, Bakers Haulover Inlet is one that requires clear local knowledge or just plain avoidance, say local captains. This man-made inlet was dug in 1925 to connect Biscayne Bay with the Atlantic Ocean. Known as Haulover, it is located at statute mile 1080 on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), and is the only inlet between Miami’s Government Cut and Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. By land, it is north of Bal Harbour and south of Sunny Isles Beach at Florida State Road A1A. The fixed bridge has a vertical clearance of 32 feet with horizontal clearance of 125 feet. It is smooth sailing from the Atlantic Ocean, but near the jetties navigators should be aware of strong currents, constant shoaling and no channel that heads directly west to the ICW. Although the ICW is dead ahead of a vessel entering from the Atlantic, so too are sandbars. These obstructions require a vessel to turn either north Sandbars in front of the inlet, shown by map (above) and 2006 photograph (below). COURTESY OF VANTAGEPOINTGUIDES.COM or south to avoid hitting bottom or grounding. On this course north, there is an once in a while.” “If you see people in lawn chairs with Army Corps dredged channel abeam On this section of the ICW, Beatty coolers sitting in the water in front of of marker 6, so if you want to take your said, “If the wind is coming in, the you, don’t go that way,” laughed local chances, mariners can take a west turn markers on chains can be pushed so it Capt. Doug Abbott. before reaching markers 4A and 5. But appears they are in different locations.” Once inside the inlet, the safest watch for shoals. If the “pushed” markers are honored, way to the ICW, even with a southern “If you go off course by two feet, a vessel could be dangerously outside of destination, is to take a starboard turn you can hit bottom,” Brewer said. the channel. hugging the rocks. This unmarked “Especially at night, it is so easy to go Beyond the shoaling and current, channel hugs the coast heading in an outside the channel.” Brewer said mariners have to be almost due north direction at Haulover Capt. Deborah Streeter, a captain prepared for severe and fast-moving Beach Park. To stay in this dredged from the Florida Keys, knows about weather, too. Army Corp of Engineers’ channel, head shallow water and still doesn’t like “It picks up quick. The most I’ve toward markers Haulover. seen is currents up to 4 or 5 knots, but 4A and lit 5. The “Not my favorite when there is a front, you can really see channel and ICW COURTESY OF VANTAGEPOINTGUIDES.COM inlet,” she said in the waves,” he said about wind blowing are idle zones in this an e-mail. “We against tides at the mouth of the are busy with anchored vessels, and area. have gone aground inlet. “I often advise small boats to be boat shows bringing lots of sightseers. “If you stay close there in an 11 cautious or not go out.” “Summer can have more traffic to the marina, you’re p.m. attempt at “The half-hour slack tide is the only and inexperienced boaters, but winter OK,” said Capt. David navigation to the time nothing is going on sometimes,” can bring more fronts, making the Brewer of TowBoat ICW northbound. he said. inlet pick up more with bigger waves,” U.S. Miami. We were listening Local traffic can be seen crossing the Brewer said. “People get in trouble.” But navigators to someone calling sandbars, but for larger or unfamiliar The Army Corp of Engineers must be vigilant, as ‘help,’ contacting inbound vessels, the only other course dredged the ICW and the north Capt. Nigel Beatty the Coast Guard, is to stick tight to the south coast. Bal channel connecting to the inlet in 2006 warned. and not paying Harbour Beach Club Hotel-Marina is and previously in 1998. The ICW was “Take caution attention to where accessible by this channel as well as the dredged to a depth of 10 feet while the when you come in the markers were. ICW, but there is no dredged channel. channel was dredged to 8 feet. Both toward the ICW Seems like they sections are also dredged an additional “That section is for locals or and steer right on re-set them with 2 feet more as overdepth. This serves as the marina, but you have to hug an incoming tide,” everything,” Brewer said. “All of it in the advanced maintenance for the channel he said. “I have seen TowBoatU.S. Capt. David Brewer every tide and the shoaling/current of Miami inside his rib tug. middle is sandbar. You can see the edge and makes sure the waterways are at a vessel’s stern get their required depth. PHOTO/DORIE COX is horrific. But … because everyone anchors there.” pushed at a faster The Corps is preparing plans it looks like a good The sandbar inside of the inlet is rate and force a and specifications for maintenance place to party.” a popular daytime recreational spot boat’s nose into the rocks.” dredging of the inlet, tentatively Tidal conditions in the inlet are such to anchor. Directly west of the ICW is “Once you come in the jetty, you may scheduled for the end of 2009 or that even the channel markers don’t Sandspur Island locally known as Beer not have enough power,” Brewer said, beginning of 2010, at an estimated cost quite know where to rest. Can Island, where boaters anchor and “When the tide is going in, it begins of $3.5 million. go ashore. And on the northwest side “The shoaling never stops, that’s to suck you in and you don’t realize is Oleta River State Park and Florida why they have moveable markers here how fast you’re going. You can lose Dorie Cox is a staff reporter with International University where an for the ICW,” Brewer said of channel control. We had a sportfisher hit the The Triton. Comments on this story are unofficial anchorage is located. markers 6B, 7A and 7B. “The Coast rocks recently and it put a hole in his welcome at dorie@the-triton.com. Traffic varies in the inlet. Weekends Guard comes and moves them every bottom.”
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NEWS BRIEFS
FWC: Manatee deaths down, but boat props caused more NEWS BRIEFS, from page A10 competition. The winner will be decided based on presentation, taste and technical strategies. The winner will be announced that evening at the Captains’ Dinner. Registration closes Feb. 28. Download the registration form at www.privatecateringcup.com.
Manatee deaths down in 2008
required for USCG-licensed mariners on Jan. 13. Under the legislation that created the TWIC, workers who need access to secure areas of port facilities regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) also require a TWIC. Five cargo facilities were found to be non-compliant. Of the five, two were corrected on the spot and three were ordered to suspend MTSA-related operations, including the Port of Miami River Terminal. The facility was reopened the next day.
Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute documented 337 manatee carcasses in state waters in 2008. TSA, St. Lucia partner on security The low number of red tide-related The U.S Department of Homeland mortalities last year helped the number Security’s Transportation Security of documented manatee deaths remain Administration (TSA) and the St. below the five-year average of 357. Lucian Ministry of Watercraft Tourism and Civil strikes and perinatal Aviation signed a Joint FWC noted 337 (newborn) deaths Statement of Intent manatee deaths were the two most for the development commonly documented in 2008, below and enhancement manatee mortality of aviation security the five-year categories in 2008. initiatives, including average of 357. Both categories plans to conduct were above the fiveassessments, develop year average. Biologists aviation security documented 90 programs and share best practices, watercraft-related deaths and a record according to a TSA news release. high 101 newborn deaths. TSA will assist local officials in For more information, visit enhancing aviation security programs MyFWC.com/manatee. following an initial security assessment.
USCG shuts Miami facility over TWIC Coast Guard field teams from Sector Miami conducted spot checks at 38 port facilities in mid-January to assess compliance with new federal requirements involving the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), which became
TSA will assess such things as training needs, equipment, current aviation programs, and aviation security legislation. St Lucia is the first nation to participate in TSA’s ASSIST program. TSA hopes to expand the pilot to other nations in the coming months. For more information, visit www.tsa.gov.
February 2009 A13
A14 February 2009 BUSINESS BRIEFS
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New firm helps integrate helicopters, trains crew in operations Demand for support for helicopteryacht operations sparked the launch of Heli-Yacht International. With 15 years in the yacht and helicopter industries, Jay Schmidlapp will be at the helm. Heli-Yacht International can train crew to operate a helicopter, procure permission letters for helicopter operations, assist in jet fuel purchasing, shuttle a mechanic or spare parts to a yacht, and support general aspects of helicopter operations on board a vessel. The industry predicts an increase in the number of superyachts with helicopter capabilities, the company stated in a news release. Owners may
decide to purchase a helicopter or hire one occasionally, giving a company like Heli-Yacht room to grow, said Ryan Swakon, vice president of HYI. “We understand the needs on both sides of the industry,” Schmidlapp said. For info visit www.heli-yacht.com.
customized systems, SYS now offers climate controlled and security enabled warehouse storage space for vessels’ spares. Customers can access the storage when in port. For more information call +1-954-661-3749 or visit www.superyachtsupport.com.
SuperYacht Support expands
CharterWave relaunches site
SuperYacht Support has opened new offices in Ft. Lauderdale. SYS specializes in customized planned maintenance schedules for yachts including mechanical, electrical, deck and safety equipment systems. With more than 70 yachts using its
CharterWave.com, an online source of crewed yacht charter news and information, relaunched its Web site to meet increasing advertising demands, according to a news release. “Demand has risen dramatically in the past six months as the economy has declined and good value in advertising has become paramount,” CharterWave founder and editor Kim Kavin said. For info call +1-908-975-3031 or email kim@charterwave.com.
YachtZoo expands
YachtZoo has hired Jessica Althoff in the charter management division of its Ft. Lauderdale office. Formerly a charter manager of some of the most prestigious yachts on the market, Althoff specializes in marketing and managing yachts, encompassing the most well-known as well the most remote locations. Althoff will assist captains, crew and owners in facilitating every aspect of chartering worldwide, from sourcing vendors to
using agents. For more information, visit www.yacht-zoo.com or call +1954-767-1035.
Interlux’s Steve Schultz retires
Interlux veteran Steve Schultz announced his retirement in November after 29 years with the paint company. Schultz served as executive vice president of Yacht Coatings North America since 2002. He began as as Interlux marketing manager in 1980 and in 1984 he became general manager of Interlux US and then for Interlux North America. Schultz has served on International Paints’ global yacht executive board since 1987. He was global yacht marketing and technical director in England, New Zealand and the United States since 1998. Contact him in his retirement at srschultz@optonline.net or at +1-973776-3462.
Scarano opens in St. Augustine
Scarano Marine has opened a service and repair facility in St. Augustine, Fla. to handle maintenance repairs and overhauls on marine diesel engines, generators, electrical and electronic equipment. The new address is 400 Riberia St., Suite F. Contact the company at +1-904-826-3481 or visit www.scaranomarine.com.
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BOATS / BROKERS
Brunswick shuts Sea Ray plant, lays off 300, starts furloughs Illinois-based Brunswick Corp. (NYSE: BC) announced in January that it will mothball its Riverview boat manufacturing facility near Knoxville, Tenn., according to a statement. One of three manufacturing facilities in the Knoxville area, Riverview makes Sea Ray boats and will wind down production during the first quarter of the year. Production of certain models will be transferred to Brunswick’s Palm Coast facility in Florida, and a plant in Reynosa, Mexico. About 300 production and support positions at Riverview will be idled by this action. By mothballing this facility, Brunswick retains the option of restoring production should market conditions reverse and improve. Brunswick also reduced up to 275 more positions throughout Sea Ray facilities as well as at Sea Ray’s Knoxville headquarters. Sea Ray manufacturing facilities in Tennessee and Florida have scheduled at least a week of production furloughs each month through the end of June to reduce production rates.
in Mexico; M/Y La Dolce Vita, a 109foot (33m) Hargrave in the Bahamas, and M/Y Besame, a 100-foot (30.5m) North Star in Mexico.
Lauren at Abu Dhabi show
Sunseeker offers management
Fraser Yachts
CYBA elects new officers
The 88m Lurssen M/Y Lauren will be showcased at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Yacht Show in March. The yacht is one of the world’s 100 largest yachts. With luxury amenities and a minimum of one crew member for each passenger it is able to host up to 150 people and can sleep 48. Eighteen more superyachts will also be showcased. Scheduled for the show are eighty exhibitors including Platinum Yachts, builders of M/Y Dubai, the largest and most expensive yacht in the world. Fraser Yachts announced the following sales: S/Y Takapuna, a 112foot (34m) Valdettaro by broker Neal Esterly of San Diego; and M/Y Dolce Vita, an 85-foot (26m) Moonen by broker Jan Jaap Minnema of Monaco. New central agency listings for sale include: M/Y Leight Star, a 140foot (42.7m) Sun Coast Marine by co-brokers James Nason and Patrick McConnell of San Diego; M/Y Allegro, a 120-foot (36.5m) Benetti by broker Jeff Partin of Fort Lauderdale; M/Y Anchor W, a 115-foot (35m) Crescent by Esterly of San Diego; M/Y Exuma C, a 111-foot (34m) Christensen by broker David Legrand of Monaco; M/Y Leonardo, a 101-foot (30.8m) Azimut by broker Legrand; M/Y Lady O, an 82-foot (25m) Northcoast by broker Rick Baker of San Diego; and M/Y Meander, an 81-foot (25m) Northern Marine by Esterly. New central agency listings for charter include: M/Y Aerie, a 124-foot (37.8m) Delta in the Caribbean; M/Y Panache, a 110-foot (33.5m) Broward
Northrop and Johnson
Northrop and Johnson announced new sales listings of: M/Y Obrigado, a 98-foot MCP Yacht by broker Wes Sanford of Ft. Lauderdale; M/Y Opal C, a 131-foot Oceanfast by brokers Kevin Merrigan and Sanford of Ft. Lauderdale; and M/Y Kapalua, a 115foot Crescent by Gregg Child of Ft. Lauderdale.
Merle Wood & Associates
Merle Wood & Associates has signed M/Y My Shanti, a 212-foot Amels, and M/Y Sofia S, a 100-foot Azimut for sale.
Van der Vliet Quality Yachts
Van der Vliet Quality Yachts lists for sale: M/Y Windrose of Amsterdam, a 46m Dykstra, and M/Y Bharlin Blue, a 25m Hoek. They also report the sale of a 36m Benetti, 33m CBI Navi, a 24m Van den Akker, and a 26m classic yawl. Sunseeker Superyacht Management now offers yacht management to cover maintenance, operation and administration. “It’s no secret that a properly managed and maintained yacht retains a much higher value long-term,” said Ben Young, founder and managing director. “We can provide exceptional management support – reducing the risk of incidents onboard and making financial savings in the day-to-day running of the vessel.” CYBA International, an association of professional yacht charter brokers, has elected Louise Dailey as president. Dailey founded Jubilee Yacht Charters in Connecticut in 1982 and has been based in Osprey, Fla., since 1996. Karen Kelly of All Yachts Worldwide is now CYBA vice president. Ellen Stewart of Stewart Yacht Charters is now CYBA treasurer. Emily Mack of Ed Hamilton & Company is now CYBA secretary.
Zodiac unveils new RIB
Inflatable manufacturer Zodiac International announced the new model lineup from its Medline RIB range at the London Boat Show. Five new Medline models have been revamped. The latest and largest, the Medline IV incorporates a deep V hull, making it suited to all on-water activities. Standard features include a “kitchenette” and aft quarter with seating for four.
February 2009 A15
A16 February 2009 FROM THE BRIDGE: Fronting the boss money
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One captain would tell new owners: ‘I can’t pay for your hobby’ BRIDGE, from page A1 survey. See page C1.) “How do you not do it?” one captain began. “You have to keep things moving.” “I don’t recall ever having to loan the owner money, but technically I guess that’s what this is,” another captain said. “You do it just to keep the wheels turning. I’ve never not been reimbursed, and it’s never been a regular thing. That would be a red flag.” 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 at right. For most of these captains, the practice was out of the ordinary and usually under fairly serious conditions. “One boat I worked on had a $25,000 limit [on the credit card], but I ran that up immediately, and I had to have filters,” one captain said. “Anybody who has broken in an owner to crewed yachting has to go though a learning curve,” another captain said. “They don’t know what they’re getting into and you’re going to have some growing pains.” This captain said he’s fronted the boat money in the beginning months of new relationships with owners. When it happens, he sits the boss down and tells him, as diplomatically as he can, that he’s just an employee. “I don’t know why it should ever happen on a regular basis,” he said. “We’re not friends with these people. There might be a short learning curve and you back that up with an explanation: I can’t pay for your hobby.” Yet there were some captains in the room who regularly front the boat and the boss money, unworried at being reimbursed.
Attendees of The Triton’s February Bridge luncheon were, from left, Ian McCombe, Rob Zalunardo, Jay Kimmel of M/Y Sandrine, Greg Clark of M/Y Lohengrin, Axel Koch of S/Y MITseaAH and Rick Ackerman of M/Y Caribbean Sparkle. PHOTO/LUCY REED “If you don’t trust the owner, you shouldn’t be working for him,” one captain said. “But if they guy expects you to pay, there’s something wrong,” another captain said.
‘I have to play hard ball’
Several captains said this issue of fronting the boss money has more to do with the relationship a skipper has with the owner than with the owner himself. One captain has worked with an owner that “everyone warned me about.” “You hear bad things, and sometimes that makes you react a certain way,” this captain said. “But I like to get on the boat and find out for
myself what the situation is.” Before his tenure, the yacht had a reputation for not paying its bills and the captain ran into resistance as he tried to get work done. But after a learning curve – on the captain’s part this time, learning how to work with the owner’s personality – this captain said he was able to not only get bills paid, but get enough money for the boat to keep bills paid. “I hold the boat ransom,” he said. “I tell the owner, ‘sorry, this boat isn’t leaving until we pay this.’ I have to play hard ball. That works with this owner. I treat him the way he treats people, and he’s that kind of guy.” Usually, it takes time to not only
determine what kind of boss the owner will be, but what kind of relationship the captain can forge with him. “Some of these new guys just don’t know what a yacht costs,” one captain said. “You should never front what you can’t afford to lose. And if it happens two or three times, even after you’ve talked to him about it, maybe you don’t want to work there.” This captain pointed out that it takes time to develop trust. “A previous boss was a micro manager,” he said. “I told him, ‘you don’t need me, you need a robot.’ He started letting me handle things. It wasn’t a year before he trusted me implicitly.” This captain was with that owner more than five years. “They have to take a leap of faith,” he said. “Heck, we do, too. Who’s taking the bigger risk? If it doesn’t work out, he can just hire another captain. But for us, we’re reorganizing our life to work on that boat. We may have left a job, so I think it’s worth saying that we’re taking a risk joining a new boat.”
One captain fled ‘tight’ owners
The one captain in the room who said he has never fronted a yacht owner money said he never needed to. There was always a sufficient cash bank and credit cards with high enough balances. On the one yacht he worked on that didn’t have that, he only stayed a month. “And that’s only because I told him I would,” he said. Usually, though, this captain has not had a problem with money onboard. “I tell the owner I need cash and it’s wired,” he said. “If the owner was tight with money, I didn’t stay very long. You get the feeling he’s not going to pay. It’s
See BRIDGE, page A17
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www.the-triton.com FROM THE BRIDGE: Fronting the boss money
‘Some captains don’t know how to balance a checkbook’ BRIDGE, from page A16 happened two or three times in [my career]. Luckily I have saved and don’t have to stay in a job like that. “For a young captain who aims to please, I can see it,” he said. “He’s on top of the world in command of this nice boat. The last thing you want to do is confront the boss about money. You have to wait until it happens and explain it to him.” “And you have to be prepared,” another captain said. “You can’t tell him you need $10,000 and you don’t know why you need it.” This sparked a conversation about basic bookkeeping skills and how helpful they are not only in running a yacht but in gaining the owner’s respect. “Some captains don’t even know how to balance a checkbook,” one captain said. “It’s no wonder owners don’t trust them with piles of cash. Learn Quicken. It’s easy. Captains complain about how bad the owner is, but did you ever present him with a spreadsheet of your expenses?” “Driving the boat is 5-10 percent of our job,” another captain said. “Financial responsibility and crew management is the rest. You are the CEO of this multimillion-dollar vessel. What are you expected to know? At least management skills and how to manage the accounting. Young guys don’t know that.” One captain suggested that senior deck crew should be given the books as part of their duties. “It’s good training for when he will be a captain,” this captain said. “They think we’re sitting around doing nothing because they are doing it all, but the captain checks everything, so the accounting gets done twice.”
Don’t surprise new owners
These captains offered a few tips on avoiding getting into the boss for too much. First, make sure the match is a fit. “Every owner is different in how they handle affairs onboard,” one captain said. “When you interview for a job, listen to what he has to say. If I believe him, we develop a trust. If signals are going up, I don’t take the job.” Once you are onboard, decide on an amount and set a spending trigger when they want to be called and consulted. “And it’s not just a money level,” one captain said. “A bilge pump can cost $10,000. Have that discussion before you want to make those purchases.” “The worst thing you can do to a new owner is add to his list of surprises,” another captain said. “He’s already got a plateful of surprises,
things the broker didn’t tell him.” If it does happen that a new captain fronts the boss money, handle it professionally. “Go with the flow,” a captain said. “The first time the credit card doesn’t work and you have to dip into your pocket to pay, just tell him, ‘I’m just a working guy. You are the guy with the yacht.’” Another way to get away from paying for big expenses up front is to use an agent for things like dockage and fuel. Agents handle the transactions and keep the yacht moving, then generate an invoice that can go straight to the owner’s accountant or come out of the yacht’s accounts. For captains who take the opportunity to run large expenses through frequent flyer mile-based credit cards, one captain pointed out that paying the yacht’s bills on personal credit cards can be challenging to explain at tax time should an auditor come questioning. “You could have problems with taxes,” he said. “$50,000 on a credit card? You’ve got to explain that.” “My accountant says if you do that, you should have one card just for boat expenses, that way it’s not mixed in with your personal expenses,” another captain said. Another captain who has often fronted the boss money had his first bad experience this winter over salary. “I want everyone to know that when they have your account information and do direct deposit, that they can withdraw those funds, too, at any time.” His accountant advised him to open a direct deposit account that has a minimum balance. Once a pay check is deposited, it should immediately be moved to prevent it from being withdrawn. This captain was talking to lawyers to retrieve his back pay, and the captains all agreed that being owed salary is a completely different subject than temporarily fronting a bill, an action most of them have taken and, quite frankly, don’t see much wrong with. “It keeps the wheels moving,” a captain said. “It’s not that the boss doesn’t have money; it’s just that things happen that are unexpected. It happens.” 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.
February 2009 A17
A18 February 2009 SUPERYACHT OPERATIONS: Up and Running
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Charter industry offers cast of characters to get to know This part of MPi’s distance-learning course targets chartering on yachts. The charter management market is complex. In simple terms an owner will approach a qualified person or company to manage the chartering of his yacht. That person or company will act as the central agent. The central Up and Running agent will make the Chris Fairgrieve yacht available for charter to his client base. If he succeeds in negotiating a charter, he will act in the role of broker for the yacht. However, to maximize the owner’s revenue, the central agent will also make the yacht available for charter through other recognized brokers. Generally brokers fall into two categories: specialist brokers who concentrate on working for a small number of owners or clients, and volume brokers who will list a large number of yachts and look to meeting demands of many clients. The central agent (the term charter manager is sometimes used for this role) will be the main link between the owner and the charter client or his representative. The central agent will list the yacht and generally have first call on the available weeks. He will also be responsible for scheduling all weeks negotiated by other brokers. Any broker may approach the central agent for a specific yacht for a specific client. This broker will commonly retain 75 percent of the commission for the charter with the central agent getting 25 percent. When approached by a broker, the central agent normally gives the broker 48 hours to get the agreement signed with his client. If the broker is unable to, the vessel goes back on the market for other potential clients. When the charter market was small, the relationships depended on personal contacts. Brokers relied on knowing the owners and crews. The broker fulfilled a traditional role of joining a willing buyer and a willing seller. Recently, however, the charter market for vessels smaller than 30 meters has depended on volume to survive. The broker is mostly interested in whether the boat is available and whether the client can be contracted to pay for it. The suitability of the vessel is not really his problem. The client will have specified what he wants and how much he is prepared to pay for it. With the increase in large yachts, the charter business has moved toward the practices previously reserved for the
MPI Group of Surrey, England, offers a distance-learning course designed to bridge the gap between master certification and the reality of running a large yacht. The course is sponsored by the Professional Yachtsmen’s Association and Middlesex University. Course material was created by Ian Biles, with contributions from other industry professionals, including Chris Fairgrieve. For more information, call +44(0)1252-732220 or e-mail et@mpigroup.co.uk.
volume end of the market. As a result we have two styles of broker: l Individual brokers, who depend on personal relationships. They will visit the yachts before accepting them into their portfolio and will visit each year. They will meet the owner or owner’s representative at least every season and will be in contact with the captain every couple of days during charter. In addition they will build a significant relationship with the clients, including detailed discussions on their requirements at the early stages of the charter negotiations and ongoing calls after the contract is signed and when they are on the vessel. These personal relationships often carry forward for several years with a broker moving with an owner to another yacht and staying with a client over many seasons. l Modern brokers, where details are posted on a Web site of their vessels. The broker will normally have one or more salesmen who sell the charters. There will be specialist negotiators who vet the yachts prior to listing. The financial and contractual discussions are commonly handled by separate commercial departments. If you are involved in advising the owner on the choice of broker, much will depend on the owner’s personality and the nature of the yacht. If the owner is particular about his yacht, has a special crew and wishes to ensure that the quality of the charter guest takes priority over the number of weeks’ revenue, then a more personal approach of a small broker could be appropriate. However, if the yacht is reasonably common and the owner is primarily interested in getting as many weeks as possible in a season, then a large central agent with multiple broker listings could well be the best option. Talk to your peers on similar vessels for feedback on various brokers. The central agent or charter manager will expect to deal with the owner. As the captain, you are critical
See MANAGEMENT, page A19
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Captain part of broker-owner relationship MANAGEMENT, from page A18 to the transaction, but the owner is the only person who can set the priorities. He will indicate the flexibility of charter weeks, agree to the financial terms, and will be the one who cancels the charter agreement if the client’s actions threaten the quality of his relationship with his captain and crew. The charter broker should be expected to make a report to the owner on the state of the charter bookings before the season starts, once during the season and at the end. At the end of the season it would be sensible for the captain, owner and central agent to meet to review the future before the next season starts. The broker will try to be aware of what the owner is doing with the yacht at any time. And the central agent may see the captain as a means of gaining information on the owner’s plans, but such data should only be divulged with the agreement of the owner. Normally it is a single charter client who will enter into a business relationship with the vessel and/or the broker. Where the client involved is a family or a corporation, this should cause little problem. However, where the charter is to a group of friends, it needs to be clear who has the authority and ultimate responsibility for the charter. It is essential to have a clear idea of the client’s priorities before the charter vessel is chosen. [Next month, we will include MYBA’s guidelines for charter captains.] The art of any good broker is to match client demand to available vessel supply in a way that the two parties go away happy with the transaction. If the broker really understands the client’s requirements and has good relations with the vessel, he will have a fighting chance of building a successful charter. Then it is up to hard work, good selling skills and a bit of luck. The captain should work equally hard to ensure that the broker really understands the strengths of the vessel and the crew to enable him to match the yacht to appropriate clients. In simple terms he needs to sell the yacht to the broker in the same way that the broker sells the yacht to the client. Chris Fairgrieve is a consultant with Maritime Services International in Gosport, England, where he carries out surveys. He was in the Royal Navy for 13 years working as an electrical engineer and ran his own business in the 1980s developing a power monitoring system for yachts. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
February 2009 A19
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www.the-triton.com FROM THE FRONT: Christmas charters
Broker views on 2009 outlook Several charter broker professionals interviewed for this story offered these thoughts on the charter scene in 2009. Jennifer Saia, president of The Sacks Group in Ft. Lauderdale We have gone back to owners to get changes in pricing. Eight days for the price of seven and offers like that. .. We are, in the last few months, beginning to see incentives offered from the boats. There are still owners that are standing firm in their prices; that is rare in these times, but some are firm. I see European charters changing their business. In the U.S. we call our customers, where in Europe they wait on the customer to come to them. I see them starting to be more proactive. A recent article in Conde Nast said American money goes further in places like Mexico and Thailand. Most of our business now is in tried and true locations. The Med will always be strong whether we have market crashes or 9/11 events. The really good boats and crew will do really well. A slowdown may move out those that shouldn’t be chartering. It may get them out of the way and let the boats that really put in the time and energy to have the bookings. People are not going to book as far in advance. They seem to be waiting. Maybe they want to keep cash, but that will ease up. … In four to six months it will get better. Tom Virden, owner of www. boatbookings.com Our opinion is fairly positive. If you listen to the news it sounds bad, but we had a fantastic 2008 and wonderful
December and we expect a good 2009. We started this company four years ago. We are experiencing growth but it is hard to tell if the growth is due to being four years old.” The Russian market was a good part of our business, but not enough to leave us hurt if they are gone. I hear that many are still living like they have been. It is too early to tell. One aspect of the Med is last-minute bookings, like “we want to go to St. Tropez in two weeks.” … The best feedback will be on St. Tropez this year. The Russians love the French Riviera.” Ann Vernon, administrator of Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association (MYBA) I am not a broker, but I have talked to many and many feel the charter rates have been high. This may help to adjust the market to more realistic rates. For the past number of years, 20052007, bookings for the Med were made early. Now that has tapered down and people are not booking so far ahead. 2007 probably saw more clients than boats. They were looking for newer boats and specific dates, so they booked earlier to get their choice. We saw tapering of that in 2008. Boats in the 40 to 60 meter range are what clients want. In the 25 to 40 meter range we have so many boats, so clients feel they don’t have to book early. Clients know rates are being discounted so they are waiting. By the end of May everyone will know how the season is developing with events like Cannes and the Monaco Grand Prix. – Compiled by Dorie Cox
Holiday premiums are gone; late bookings are on the rise CHARTERS, from page A1 “At the show last year we saw two-week minimums and 20 percent premiums for the holidays,” said Capt. Roy Hodges of M/Y Atlantica, a 135-foot Christensen with an awardwinning chef. “We didn’t see that this year, and half the boats didn’t have bookings for the holidays.” Atlantica has between five and eight charters a year. In mid-January, after saying good-bye to happy guests, Hodges was awaiting word if they would book for next year’s New Year’s. That would make five on the books for 2009. “I have never in my 15 years seen so many boats available for the holidays,” said Jennifer Saia, president of The Sacks Group in Ft. Lauderdale. Many charter clients ask for incentives or book late in hopes of a discount. Others are choosing smaller
vessels to bring down the cost. “We had many late bookings,” Saia said. “We even had a turn around in three days, from call to charter. … Clients may take four to six days instead of a 14-day trip. Maybe instead of the regular four vacations, they will take one. Maybe not a 150-footer but a smaller boat this year. The mid-market, 75 to 130 feet, is strong.” Charterers are also aiming for less expensive destinations. “We deal with repeat clients and they do want to do something different,” Hodges said. “We have had three requests for Central America, specifically Panama. They have done the Caribbean and the Bahamas and want something new.” Tom Virden, founder of the online charter booking company www. boatbooking.com, agreed.
See CHARTERS, page A24
February 2009 A21
A22 February 2009 PHOTO GALLERY
Capt. Kenny Knight got a taste of East Coast cruising as well as South Florida’s winter weather as he picked up the owner’s new 60-foot Hatteras from the yard in New Bern, N.C. and brought it to Ft. Lauderdale for shipment to California. Big into West Coast fishing, Knight said this Hatteras will be fitted with a custom tower, including a bucket or crow’s nest. Better to see the fish from, my dear.
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Here’s Capt. Lee Rosbach and his bride of 35 years, Mary Ann, onboard their charge, the 121-foot Heesen M/Y Morgan Star. Rosbach and crew just returned to Ft. Lauderdale from a month-long excursion in cold Baltimore. With temps as low as 18 degrees, Rosbach said he learned a thing or two about cruising in the northern latitudes. Trying to ward off the morning chill, Deckhand/Stew Joanne Mackie was busy cleaning the power cord for M/Y Antares, a 130foot Westport. Look for her in the Bahamas and Caribbean this winter, and New England this summer.
You can never accuse Capt. Ken Horning of not working. We spotted him on his hands and knees maintaining the full teak decking on the 70-foot Horizon M/Y Lady Bull. Horning is a one-man crew on Visiting South Florida is the 153-foot Nays M/Y Argyll. Here are just some of the crew supporting this active vessel: this Florida-based private yacht, and From left, Bosun Mark, Deckhand Marinas, Second Stew Debbie, Deckhand and Nurse Scott, Chief said the owners are fabulous folks who “make the program work.” Stew Rachel and Second Engineer Ariel.
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The husband and wife team of Capt. Doug and Tobi Johnston keep the 87-foot Westbay Sonship M/Y Loie B shipshape. Find them in the Bahamas and Newport in 2009.
PHOTO GALLERY
February 2009 A23
Even M/Y Man of Steel has to have some downtime for maintenance. Here’s engineer Devo Middel cleaning some of the sacrificial piping. This private, 164-foot Heesen splashed late October, and just finished the crossing to Ft. Lauderdale on her own bottom.
Chief Eng. Tommy Howell says his 125-foot Heesen M/Y Seascape is so well built, he sometimes has to find things to do to keep busy. We found him on the docks in Ft. Lauderdale polishing the transom.
Okay, follow along carefully. That’s Capt. Eric West adjusting the flag on the 87-foot Warren M/Y Broadway, with Deckhand Leah Capitan watching on. Capitan is now a real captain as she just received her six-pack OUPV license. Watch out Capt. West; there’s a new “El Capitan” in town.
As Deckhand Maurice White of M/Y Showtime waxes, Mate Catherine Albright dutifully points out a missed spot on the 125-foot hull. This Broward is for sale; watch for her in the Yacht and Brokerage Show in Miami later this month.
PHOTOS BY CAPT. TOM SERIO
A24 February 2009 FROM THE FRONT: Christmas charters
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Deckhand Daniel Chafer, left, and First Mate Mark McDowell of M/Y Lohengrin PHOTO/DORIE COX keep busy with yacht projects at the dock.
Value-conscious shopping puts Croatia, Turkey on rise CHARTERS, from page A21 “People are doing a bit more value-conscious shopping, like travel to Croatia and Turkey,” he said. “Absolutely everyone wants a deal.”
Add value instead of cutting prices
Not every “deal” means discounted charter. For some, it’s meant improving service at no additional charge. “We’re not slashing prices, but we are doing value-added things like including delivery or charging a partial day rate or just charging fuel costs,” said Capt. Herb Magney of the 125-foot Palmer Johnson M/Y Milk and Honey. “We’ll pick them up at the airport or get rid of minimal charges like taxi rides and garbage hauling.” The quieter-than-normal holidays have left charter captains and brokers with a renewed energy to refocus on customer service, trim costs, and prepare for the inevitable economic turn-around. “In the past few years I think we were so busy we lost attention to details,” Saia said. “Now we can get back with clients, get to know the families and get back to the details.” She suggested captains take a stronger role in generating charters. “They need to send clients cards saying, ‘we just had a great trip and let us know when you want to come’,” she said. “They need to contact their brokers and they need to communicate with clients, brokers, everyone. It helps us all move toward the goal line.” In the meantime, captains such as Clark are just trying to keep their crews together. “I’ve been dealing with trying to cut costs for the boss, while continually inspiring the crew to appreciate their present circumstance, and not be tempted to jump ship in a down market,” he said. Not so easy when charter tips
are few and far between. And with cutbacks there are less tips from owners, no Christmas bonuses, and no annual pay raises. “That is the first level of acceptance,” Clark said. He tells his crew: “Let me remind you of all the good things you have here: free lodging, salary – a job. Are you going to feel sorry for yourself? “It’s the people who can remain positive and keep a good perspective through the tough times that I want with me when the good times roll our way again.” At the very least, he’s keeping everyone busy, and “I am doing everything to avoid having the conversation that I would have to lay off nine crew,” he said.
Distractions slow business
Virden kept an optimistic outlook for 2009, highlighting growth markets such as the Indian Ocean. “We call slow periods distractions,” he said. “Things like the Olympics, the September financial crash, U.S. elections. Whenever there is news, it distracts eyeballs from leisure activities. “We expect flat growth but hope for more growth,” he said. “But if it does decline, no one would be surprised. “We are cautiously optimistic because we are not seeing massive declines.” Saia agreed. “We saw this after 9/11 and the industry came back; we had a banner year,” she said. “People realized life is short, and they felt safe and secure on a boat. … I feel confident, based on calls from our long-standing clients, that things will be really good and they will book again this year.” Dorie Cox is a staff reporter with The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.
A26 February 2009 WRITE TO BE HEARD
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Pilotage rules can frustrate, but in Canada they at least are clear LETTERS, from page A27 be consistently complied with by both parties (pilotage authority and yacht master) or they must be changed to reflect current practice or necessity. In Florida (see F.S. 310) all foreign flag and certain U.S. flag ships with a draft of 7 feet or greater require a state licensed pilot when entering or leaving port or when under way upon the navigable waters of the bays, rivers, harbors, and ports of Florida. Gene Sweeney Former Florida State Pilot Commissioner Boca Raton
Canada has figured it out
This is in response to the great story “Do you like to steer away from harbor pilots?” and a quote within the piece: “It’s the same in Canada,” another captain said. “I have a devil of a time finding out what’s needed.” I understand the frustration of professional mariners in your story, but the pilotage requirement in Canadian waters is very clear. I have prepared an overview of the current regulations under Canadian law of all vessels that fall within the required pilotage service criteria, specifically which vessels require a Canadian-licensed pilot on board and which do not: A) In British Columbia, a ship must have a pilot on board if it is registered under a foreign flag and is over 350 gross registered tons. B) If a ship is registered in Canada it does not require a pilot on board unless it is over 10,000 gross registered tons. All areas on the B.C. coast including the west coast of Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands fall under the compulsory pilotage legislation. A British Columbia pilot is required
in all Canadian Pacific coastal waters and rivers. A megayacht captain only has to apply to the local Pacific pilots authority for a pilotage waiver that, if granted, stands for one calendar year as long as the vessel’s P&I insurance is in good standing. This waiver is evaluated by a member board within the authority. The main purpose of evaluation on each applicant’s submission is standing watch keeping (sea time) in local waters. This Canadian waiver model of acceptance is perhaps a simple example of a pilotage waiver for other international pilot authorities. This would be a real benefit to all parties concerned, including owners. I hope this overview will be of value to other captains who find pilotage regulations sometimes difficult to accept. Capt. Grant M. Lindsay M/Y After Eight
Report: Captain personally fined
I am a captain who is not new to the islands but is relatively new to South Florida. I have operated for many years on the West Coast and in Southeast Alaska. It is unfortunate that what should be a federal requirement and be federally supported differs greatly from one region to another. During this past cruising season in Southeast Alaska, a yacht captain was personally fined for not obtaining a pilot. The new regulation in Southeast Alaska requires any foreign flagged vessel of any type or size to use a pilot. In this particular case, a licensed yacht captain with local knowledge was working aboard a foreign-flagged personal yacht. Even though he was experienced in these waters and was a U.S. captain, he was in violation. Additionally, the yacht owner took the fee out of the captain’s pay for being
negligent about the legal requirement. Unfortunately, it is the Captain’s responsibility to know the different requirements for each region he is operating in. Thank you for a very interesting and important topic. Keep up the good work. Capt. Mark Fernandez Editor’s Note: Follow-up questions could not uncover the identity of the captain who was allegedly fined in Alaska. Anyone with more information about this incident is welcome to contact lucy@the-triton.com.
Thanks for the scam alert
I would like to thank Capt. John Wampler for his research about the guy from Nigeria that keeps sending job offers in the UK. I am in Ft. Lauderdale looking for a deckhand job and trying to make a career in yachting. I received that email from Capt. Johnson Smith offering me a job in the UK and all the rest. Because I am very suspicious, as Capt. Wampler was, I researched the sender and saw the letter Capt. Wampler wrote about the scam mails this guy sends. I hope someone can catch him and put him in jail. Once again, a big bravo to Capt. Wampler who warned yachting people. Stratos Korais Deckhand
Clarifying internet terms
I enjoyed your e-survey [“Yachts rely on Web dockside and at sea,” January 2009, page C1] There were some technical things that might have been wrong. For example, Ericsson W25 is a cellular 3G. Many boats may still be running laptop card cellular routers using Verizon, Sprint or AT&T cards. Some might even be sharing the connection off a laptop or a desktop PC with a card in it.
I’m not sure what a “marina wi-fi” is. If you mean a wi-fi sharing system (a wi-fi bridge or router), that connects to a marina (or any wi-fi hotspot) and shares on the boat. Syrens is also one of those. By the way, Syrens is no longer what you think it is. I think I blogged about it when I learned of it. There is actually no marine BGAN, or at least it’s not called that. It’s called Fleet broadband, and it’s from Inmarsat, despite who claims to be the best seller of it. Those other companies actually only make the antennas and Thrane-and-Thrane makes the actual transceiver/router unit. So it’s confusing when you say Inmarsat when Mini-M, Fleet 33, Fleet 55, Fleet 77, and Fleet Broadband are all Inmarsat. Wimax I don’t think is really out of the gate yet. I don’t know why captains would be saying that they want that when it won’t be available anywhere that they go, unlike wi-fi and cellular (and satellite) that are. And Wimax will probably cost money, as expensive as cellular 3G, if not more expensive on the monthly rate. I haven’t seen any marine Wimax equipment. I wonder if there are any marinas offering Wimax. I would think not, too expensive. I did work on a yacht, Hayfu II, with a Fleet Broadband. I was able to add it into an onboard network arrangement and switch it in. It connects quite handily and was reasonably fast. I think we measured 300kb/s on a speed test before shutting it off to avoid costs. I did have one boat, a couple years back, 110-foot Broward or something, that wanted to take me on a trip up north with them because they liked the idea of having a marine Internet guy onboard. Most of my customers feel that way. Alan Spicer Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
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February 2009 A27
Push owners to use their yachts One of the strongest lessons I learned from my parents was the belief that no one promised me tomorrow. There’s wisdom there that I revisit whenever my world seems to end. Take the day I was let go from the best job I ever had, first mate at the age of 24 on the brand new Detroit Eagle (the first one) with a captain and owner anyone would kill to My Turn work for. I thought David Reed my professional life was over. Months later, I was enrolled in college. After Sept. 11, many thought yachting and terrorism didn’t mix. But in the months and years after, the yachting industry experienced unprecedented growth. We’re at that point again, a moment in time begging for a shift in thinking. It’s an opportunity – for captains and managers, especially – to get owners back onboard. We have seen recessions before. In the early 1990s the yards in northern Europe were hit especially hard and lost lots of employees to other trades. Owners tend not to show wealth in recessions, and the current mood on Wall Street and in Washington is one of hiding wealth. So yachts are being sent to the shipyard, tied to the dock, perhaps cruising in less popular destinations, or actively for sale. The best thing captains, crews, managers, brokers, and the rest of the industry can do is remember why the owner bought the boat in the first place. I like to believe it’s for the feeling of a fresh wind in the face, but a friend noted it’s more often the time spent with family, showing off, scuba diving, or the simple joy of seeing new places. Owners can still have those things, and now is our opportunity to remind them. Call the owner, tell him his boat is ready, suggest a trip, e-mail an itinerary and some photos if you have them. Don’t wait for his call. No one promised you tomorrow, either. David Reed is founder and publisher of The Triton. Comments on this editorial are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
Face it, captains: Refusing pilot is about ego Having been a yacht captain from 1991 to 2005, I am aware of the situation regarding federal pilotage issues. However, I am now out of the yachting side of the business and am in the commercial side of boating (pilotage). It seems yacht captains are against pilotage regulations, although how many of these yacht captains are not qualified to operate the vessels they command, let alone to the extent of their licenses? What would make them think they are more qualified or capable than, say, a Mass. Maritime grad or Texas A&M mariner? How could they be so vain? I have seen many problems with navigation and safe operation of these vessels during my tenure as a yacht captain. (Remember the Lazzara hitting the jetties in Port Everglades?) With the size of yachts increasing as well as fuel capacities and hazardous materials onboard posing a threat to the environment, should an accident occur, would you not feel more comfortable having a captain who runs the entrance to the same harbor, day in and day out, than someone who runs it once or twice a year, and may or may not be competent? I would think environmental and Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com
Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com Advertising Sales Peg Soffen, peg@the-triton.com Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com Kim Tanner, kim@the-triton.com
News staff Dorie Cox Lawrence Hollyfield Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com
safety repercussions would answer that question more than adequately. Let the egos go. Capt. Jeffrey Palmer
Caught our ear in North Cove
We at North Cove were interested in your article “Do you like to steer away from harbor pilots?” [From the Bridge monthly captains’ roundtable, January 2009, page A1] As part of our effort to provide high quality customer service, we advise yachts entering and departing New York Harbor. The issue of when a pilot is needed has come up often. Currently, the NY Pilot rule is that any foreign-flagged vessel over 100 feet is required to take a pilot when crossing the bar (entering or departing the harbor). However, once in the harbor, a vessel can move around without a pilot, say, for example, an evening cruise past the Statue of Liberty. What is ironic is that the NJ Pilot rule sets the threshold at 200 feet for foreign-flagged vessels. North Cove has been lobbying the NY Pilots to also raise its threshold to 200 feet so there is consistency between the states that share the harbor. And thanks to your newspaper, we Contributors Carol M. Bareuther, Yvette Burks, Capt. John Campbell, Mark A. Cline, Jake DesVergers, Chris Fairgrieve, Beth Greenwald, Chef/Mate Julianne L. Hammond, Jack Horkheimer, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Alene Keenan, Jim Kelleher, Stew Anna Kozma, Keith Murray, Steve Pica, Rossmare Intl., James Schot, Capt. Tom Serio, Rachel Shapiro, Capt. Ned Stone, Chef Peter Ziegelmeier
will also follow up with the NYS Board of Pilots to see how they will treat a yacht on a “private cruising license,” which was referenced in your article. Michael W. Fortenbaugh Commodore The North Cove
States set pilot rules – period
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your recent roundtable discussion on harbor pilots. And I quote: “There are so many variables out there,” a captain said. “Conditions change all the time, with the angle of the sun and approaching storms. It should be our decision to make the call.” I couldn’t disagree more. The First Congress of the United States (in 1789) gave each state the power to regulate commerce within its waters, or put another way, establish pilotage regulations for vessels plying state waters. They set the rules, period. If you don’t comply with local compulsory pilotage requirements there are penalties and severe fines for “piloting without a license.” Conversely, I strongly believe that the local pilotage requirements must
See LETTERS, page A26 Vol. 5, No. 11.
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To carry or not to carry?
Take care of the ol’ ticker
On the dock
Bringing cheer
That’s the age-old question with guns.
Recognize heart attacks.
In the D.R.
Crew deliver the goods.
B2
B4
Section B
B8
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B12
February 2009
EPA discharge permits still await on the cloudy horizon
A lightning strike at sea can leave a yacht immobilized or worse.
PHOTO FROM BIGSTOCK PHOTO.COM
Prepare, sure, but you can’t avoid lightning By Capt Tom Serio The sky darkens with ominous clouds as you head toward shore. Still several miles off shore as the storm builds, there’s no place to seek shelter. You set the radar to see where the edge of the storm is, get on the radio for some local information, check the chart plotter for a fix on your location. Then it happens. CRACK. In a flash, it’s over. The yacht has been struck by lightning. A quick assessment shows that the crew and guests are OK, if a bit shaken. No obvious physical damage, except for a melted antenna or two. The helm reveals the real impact: all the electronics are fried. No radar,
chart plotter, not even the VHF. How could you have prevented this, or at least, minimized the chance of getting hit in the first place? Understanding the basics of lightning can make the difference between getting damaged and getting home in one piece. Lightning has several factors that keep anyone from lightning-proofing a yacht, but attempting to stacks the odds in your favor. There are several types of lightning: cloud to ground, cloud to cloud, and intra cloud. The two latter should have no effect on a yacht, though they may interrupt a GPS signal or so. Cloud-to-ground lightning is the issue. There’s a better chance of a bolt
of lightning hitting someone or something around Florida than, say, the Pacific Northwest. Why? Blame the two sea breezes that come from the east and west coasts. The “push,” as scientists call it, forces ground air upward and triggers thunderstorms. Be thankful you’re not in central Africa, the lightning hotspot of the world, where thunderstorms occur year round. Despite all modern man’s technological inventions, there still is no certain way to stop or prevent a lightning strike. Lightning intensities vary from mild to severe; up to 100 million volts, 45,000 amperes, and 50,000 degrees F.
See LIGHTNING, page B6
The United States has the distinct privilege to claim many titles. It is seen as a beacon of enormous prosperity, unlimited potential and endless compassion. It may also lay claim to being one of the most strictly regulated and heavily bureaucratic nations of the world. The latest Rules of the Road example of this Jake DesVergers can be seen in the December issuance of the Vessel General Permit by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There are numerous federal laws that protect the environment. One of the most important and allencompassing regulations is known as the Clean Water Act. Established in 1972, the statute employs a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to sharply reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and manage polluted runoff. These tools are employed to achieve the broader goal of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters so that they can support “the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water.” For years, the EPA granted an exemption to marine vessels, both private and commercial. Enforcement of maritime environmental rules was tasked to the U.S. Coast Guard. In March 2005, a U.S. District Court ruled in Northwest Environmental Advocates et al. v. EPA that the long-
See RULES, page B10
B February 2009 SECURITY: Weapons
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Before placing weapons onboard, ask yourself: ‘Will I shoot?’ Progressive firearms training continually strives to develop scenarios that more closely resemble actual situations. The goal is to raise adrenaline and heart rates while confronting the student with shoot-or-don’tshoot decisions. The Secret Service uses a running course of fire. The agents All Secure run from about Jim Kelleher 100 yards, draw and shoot at moving targets that present shoot-or-don’t-shoot decisions. The purpose is to attempt to simulate the heart rate, adrenaline flow and stress that occurs in a real-life shooting incident. Studies show that in actual shootings, trained law enforcement officers hesitate in shooting decisions. It was also found that most police-involved shootings take place in a range of seven yards or less, similar in range to the spaces on most yachts. Traditional training methods of shooting positions from relatively long distances under ideal conditions just did not match what officers were confronted with on the street. Why is it that these highly trained
officers continually train to reduce the time it takes to make that critical decision to shoot or not to shoot? The simple reason is that this decision, which is made in a millisecond, has life-or-death consequences for another human being, and possibly yourself. The decision to shoot or not to shoot must be near instinctive when confronted. And it can only become instinctive with continuous and ongoing professional firearms training. This training must include not only the shooting of the weapon but also protection of the weapon, both offensively and defensively. This means you must be prepared to prevent having your weapon taken from you and be further trained in disarming someone who has a weapon pointed at you. When I discuss with professional captains the decision to arm their vessels, most favor having a weapon on board, and most are specific as to the type, make and caliber of the weapon they prefer. When asked as to their training and protocols for use of the weapon, things get a little fuzzy. Some critical questions before you make that purchase: 1. When making the decision to have a weapon on board, you must first ask “Am I willing to use deadly force to stop the attack, and am I prepared to shoot
first?” The individual who is armed and has now boarded the yacht made the decision to shoot prior to coming on board. If you cannot honestly say yes, do not have a weapon on the yacht. 2. If you answered yes, will you commit to becoming and remaining proficient in the handling and firing of the weapon? If you won’t, do not have a weapon on board. 3. Is it worth the hassle? Outside the United States, laws pertaining to weapons on yachts vary drastically by country. In most instances, not only do the laws vary but the interpretation and enforcement add even more inconsistency. It is not uncommon for firearms to be surrendered, or the ammunition be segregated from the weapons and the weapons be under lock and key. This basically renders the weapons to a state of expensive clubs that are not accessible. If the weapons are neutralized and for practically inaccessible, one must ask if it is worth the aggravation of keeping the weapons on board. Having received some of the best firearms training available over the majority of my adult life, I am extremely comfortable around weapons. I would feel uncomfortable without a weapon on board. For those captains on the fence
about whether to have a weapon on board, I recommend not having one. If you question the decision to place the weapon on board for whatever reason, you most likely will not receive the proper training in its use, and more importantly not remain current and proficient in its handling and safety. But if, like me, you feel strongly that you would like to be as prepared as those with intent to do you harm, then arm yourself. When making this decision you must also be prepared to take responsibility for the weapon and the safety of those on the boat when weapons are present. It is extremely unfortunate when a weapon is needed to defend your life. But that pales in comparison to the consequences when an individual or child is injured or killed by a weapon that was not properly secured. Jim Kelleher is president of Securaccess, a global security consultancy based in South Florida. He is a retired U.S. Secret Service agent, a licensed U.S. Coast Guard captain, and the former vice president of security for the world’s largest fleet of private Feadships and Gulfstream jets. Contact him through www.securaccessinc.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
B February 2009 ONBOARD EMERGENCIES: Heart attacks
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Know the signs, act quickly to treat heart attack victims Every February, cards and gifts are exchanged between loved ones in the name of St. Valentine. The symbol for Valentine’s Day is the heart. Unlike the heart you will see on your Valentine’s Day card this month, the human heart is shaped more like a cone. According to the American Heart Sea Sick Association, Keith Murray heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. That is why it is important to reduce risk factors, know the warning signs, and train crew how to respond quickly and properly if warning signs occur. The heart is a muscle that works like a pump and sits right between your lungs. The average adult heart weighs about 10 ounces (280 grams) and it pumps about 1,900 gallons (7,200 liters) of blood every day. Think of the heart like a freight train: Lungs provide oxygen to the blood and the heart pumps the oxygenrich blood throughout the body. After the blood has delivered its oxygen, it returns to the heart and gets pumped back to the lungs for more oxygen. What can cause a heart attack? Some causes are preventable and are linked to diet and lifestyle. Other causes are due to genetics, infections, or factors beyond our control. About 2,500 people die from heart disease each day in the United States. Some of the major risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. Stress is also believed to raise the risk. Possible triggers can be exertion or excitement. So, you have a guest on board, clutching his chest. Is it a heart attack? Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. The person may also experience discomfort in one or both arms, their back, or their neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath is often associated with the chest discomfort, however it may occur first. Other symptoms include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness. It looks like a heart attack. Now what? The first thing you must do is radio for help. When a heart attack strikes, time is critical. The longer it takes the victim to get to the hospital, the greater the amount of damage that will occur
to the heart muscle. Doctors only have a few hours to restore the blood supply to the heart muscle by unblocking the affected heart artery. Treatments such as the administration of clot-busting drugs to dissolve the clot must be done in a hospital. Until you get the victim to the hospital, help him/her to a comfortable resting position. If the victim is alert, is able to swallow and is not allergic to aspirin, give one adult aspirin or 2-4 chewable children’s aspirin. If the person has prescribed medication such as nitroglycerin, help them take some. Medical oxygen can also be helpful to most people having a heart attack. What if their heart stops and they stop breathing? That’s cardiac arrest. This is where knowing CPR is important. Unlike the typical heart attack where the person can speak, a victim in cardiac arrest is essentially dead. Cardiac arrest has various causes including heart attack, choking, drowning, and electrocution. Treat cardiac arrest by first sending someone to get medical help and to bring you the Automated External Defibrillator or AED. Meanwhile, you begin CPR. Pressing on the middle of the victim’s chest between the nipples at a rate of 100 compressions per minute will force the heart to move blood and oxygen to the body. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation will buy time until you can shock the victim with the AED and get him/her to a hospital. Here’s some heart trivia for Valentine’s Day: l A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s. l Your heart is the size of your fist. l Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked. l The human heart can create enough pressure that it could squirt blood 30 feet. l The right lung is larger than the left because of the placement of the heart. l In one day, your heart beats 100,000 times. l Most heart attacks occur between the hours of 8 and 9 a.m. l People who suffer from gum disease are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack. Keith Murray, a former Florida firefighter EMT, is the owner of The CPR School, a mobile training company that provides CPR, AED and first aid training. He also sells and services AEDs. Contact him at +1-561-762-0500 or keith@theCPRschool.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
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NEWS: S/Y Legacy
Her keel lifted, S/Y Legacy gets ready to make a move By Capt. Tom Serio
I have options: Tampa, Miami or Jacksonville. We’ll decide soon.” S/Y Legacy, apparently not wanting While the yards in Miami are closest to leave Key West thanks to a stubborn geographically, they are several miles keel that slipped and was troublesome up the Miami River, making the passage to raise, was finally persuaded to lift her tricky with a partly descended keel. 40-ton appendage to a workable height. Legacy’s engines are working and Owner Peter Halmos reported she can travel at about 10 knots on one recently that engine, if necessary. representatives from The trip to a shipyard ‘We planned to go Perini Navi, the Italian will include at least to Tampa. ... Now I builder of Legacy, one escort vessel in have options.’ created a conceptual case there are issues. solution to the issue Halmos has not — Peter Halmos reported in last revealed details about Owner, S/Y Legacy month’s Triton. [See where or when he will story on page A1, take Legacy for full January 2008.] With some last minute refurbishment, but shipping her back modifications to their solution, “as to the Perini Navi yard is not out of the conceptual doesn’t always mean it’s question, he said. going to work,” Halmos said, the keel At press time, it was expected was lifted to a draft of 15 feet; fully that Legacy may set sail by the end of extended the keel draws 23 feet. This January. is sufficient clearance to motor Legacy out of Key West Harbor. Capt. Tom Serio is a freelance captain, Plans are being finalized as to where writer and photographer in South Legacy will go to be hauled and have Florida. He is a frequent contributor to the keel and other items repaired, and The Triton and has written extensively Halmos says he has options. about Legacy and her recovery. Read “We planned to go to Tampa, which previous stories on www.the-triton.com. was considered when the keel was Comments on this story are welcome at stuck,” he said in mid January. “Now editorial@the-triton.com.
February 2009
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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 Jan 15.
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Jan. 15, 2008
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 498/534 Savannah, Ga. 486/NA Newport, R.I. 571/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 607/NA St. Maarten 621/NA Antigua 545/NA Valparaiso 720/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 559/NA Cape Verde 865/NA Azores 486/NA Canary Islands 467/616 Mediterranean Gibraltar 492/NA Barcelona, Spain 501/1,163 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,148 Antibes, France 549/1,362 San Remo, Italy 618/1,431 Naples, Italy 602/1,459 Venice, Italy 670/1,430 Corfu, Greece 513/1,233 Piraeus, Greece 494/1,207 Istanbul, Turkey 546/NA Malta 462/545 Bizerte, Tunisia 625/NA Tunis, Tunisia 621/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 517/NA Sydney, Australia 508/NA Fiji 593/NA
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 775/NA Savannah, Ga. 786/NA Newport, R.I. 847/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 855/NA St. Maarten 915/NA Antigua 816/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 831/NA Cape Verde 844/NA Azores 815/NA Canary Islands 779/930 Mediterranean Gibraltar 771/NA Barcelona, Spain 798/1,467 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,505 Antibes, France 835/1,747 San Remo, Italy 927/1,955 Naples, Italy 808/1,734 Venice, Italy 926/1,726 Corfu, Greece 911/1,735 Piraeus, Greece 887/1,710 Istanbul, Turkey 849/NA Malta 753/888 Bizerte, Tunisia 782/NA Tunis, Tunisia 787/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 831/NA Sydney, Australia 839/NA Fiji 907/NA
*When available according to local customs.
*When available according to customs.
B February 2009 FROM THE TECH FRONT: Lightning
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Equipment may protect you at the dock, but not at sea LIGHTNING, from page B1 Lightning will go where it wants, through wires, jumping circuits, even through the hull. It needs to get to the ground, which is the opposite charge of what is in the clouds. There are a few things you can do to help it along and minimize impact to a yacht. The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), the folks who set the U.S. standards for boat and yacht building, address lightning in their materials, Section TE-4. “Lightning Protection.”
There, you can find all the specs for creating a “zone of protection,” which is basically a lightning rod with a conductor that is grounded at a height sufficient enough to create a safety cone around the yacht. Theoretically, if lightning is in the area, the lightning rod would take the strike as opposed to another part of the yacht within the cone. With a conductor of appropriate size (ABYC states No. 4 AWG tinned stranded wire), it should be run down toward the ground (the water) in as straight a line as possible. Lightning
doesn’t take turns and bends too well, and ABYC has standards for those, too. The grounding terminal should be a rectangular piece of metal (copper, stainless steel, aluminum or lead) which is in contact with the water. This zone of protection should help protect the yacht’s electrical systems from harm. But, due to the variables and the fact that Mother Nature remains unpredictable, this doesn’t always work. Some yacht manufacturers, such as Hatteras and Christensen Yachts, build in protection systems.
Christensen installs a rod that looks like an antenna, with a conductor straight down to the hull, connected to a bonding plate. None of their yachts have been struck by lightning so it’s unclear if it works, but it’s been built to the ABYC standard. Another way to protect a yacht is to ensure all appropriate metal components are properly bonded and grounded. Bonding is the connection of two or more conductive objects by means of a suitable conductor, such as a wire. Grounding is a type of bonding where one of the conductive objects is attached to a ground, typically a grounding plate or other conductor that is under water. Without a direct way to the ground, lightning has been known to blow right through a hull, which of course, creates a whole new problem for a captain. Metal-hulled yachts are a bit different, as the hull acts as the ground plate itself. And sailing yachts could use the mast as the rod itself, but depending on the material used to construct it (carbon fiber is considered a nonconductive material, according to the ABYC) and how it’s stepped (conductive grounding to the keel?). What is surprising is the lack of electronic components that could stop a lightning strike from wrecking the yacht’s electronics. Calls to several distributors and manufacturers came back with almost the same results: these items aren’t made and if they were, they probably would not sell them. Why not? Mainly due to liability concerns because lightning is not an exact science or even predictable. It leaves too much to chance. When plugged into shore power, the risk of damage by lightning is increase because a strike to another vessel or the dock can send a surge through the shore connection into your yacht. But there are layers of protection that can be installed in-line with the incoming power, according to Mike Prado of Atlas Marine Systems of Ft Lauderdale. “Onboard converters can insulate a yacht from extraneous spikes and surges,” Prado said. “Our classic line of converters contains transformers that can handle the excess energy.” So if you do need to pass through a thunderstorm, you should consider the lightning rod to create a zone of protection because doing nothing may leave you with a bunch of useless technology at the helm. Capt. Tom Serio is a freelance captain, writer and photographer in South Florida. He also has a career as a risk management professional. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
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TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
February 2009
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Phoney release units may fail to launch EPIRBs, life rafts CM Hammar, of Sweden announced in late December that someone is producing fake copies of its Hydrostatic Release Unit, the Hammar H20. “To an untrained eye, the copy is almost identical to the original product, with Hammar’s logo and address on the labels,” the company stated in a news release. “The fake might look almost like the original product, but there is one very important difference: the copy does not work.” The company tested several fakes and not a single one worked according to SOLAS specifications. The fake will not release a life raft or an EPIRB in an emergency. The company has tips to verify authenticity on its web site, www.cmhammar.com.
New weapon against pirates
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Defense’s Joint NonLethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) conducted, in December, a successful demonstration of a developmental non-lethal weapon designed to stop suspicious small boats. The program, referred to as Boat Trap, involves dropping a net from a helicopter into the path of a boat. The net entangles in the boat’s propeller, forcing the vessel to a safe stop. According to Darrel Webb, Maritime Project Engineer at the JNLWD, potential applications of the Boat Trap device include port security, protecting large vessels by reducing vulnerability to terrorists’ use of speed boats, and drug interdiction activities. The demonstration was held in Marathon, Fla. The JNLWD is working with the manufacturer to develop the documentation and drawings required to move the program to the next stage of the DoD’s formal acquisition process.
FarSounder now network capable
By including a dedicated processing server and thin-client software, FarSounder’s FS-3 range of sonars can now be connected to the bridge network. “Today’s modern integrated bridge systems are more and more LAN based, and this is the next natural step in bringing the unique features of the FarSounder sonar to within easy reach of the navigator,” said Ian Bowles, the company’s VP of sales and marketing, in a press announcement. FarSounder FS-3 sonars are capable of generating a 3-D image of the sea floor and in-water objects at navigationally significant ranges with a single ping. This same technology is adaptable to a range of other underwater security applications such as vessel or port perimeter surveillance, diver detection and ROV/AUVs. For more information, call Rhode Island-based FarSounder at +1 401-7846700 or e-mail info@farsounder.com.
Cobra launches new hand-held
Cobra Marine’s new MR HH425LI VP handheld radio can switch between VHF and GMRS bands with the push of a button. Allowing dual band receive and transmit, this All-Terrain-Radio lets operators make water or landbased contact. The first combination VHF/GMRS radio in the world, the MR HH425LI VP is fully submersible and complies with JIS7 standards. Offering a state-of-theart Rewind-Say-Again feature, users can play back up to the last 20 seconds of audio, making it easy to catch up with missed calls. It is compatible with other Cobra and GMRS radios and provides instant access to national weather information while also offering S.A.M.E. weather alert filtering. It can also monitor three channels
at once including 16, 9 and one userselected channel. Suggested retail price is $169.95. For more information, contact Chicago-based Cobra Marine at www. cobra.com/marine.
Intellian launches new antenna
California-based Intellian Technologies, a manufacturer of marine satellite entertainment and communications, has introduced the latest addition to its line of satellite TV antennas, the i4P. Fully compatible with Ku-band satellites, the i4P is designed to enhance the quality of reception in areas with linear polarization satellites. Combining a number of Intellian technological innovations into a compact form factor, the i4P includes an automatic skew angle control
system to ensure the highest quality reception available within the same antenna dish size and to eliminate the need for manual adjustment of the skew angle under the antenna dome. It has a suggested price of $5,245. For more info visit www.intelliantech. com or call +1-949-916-4411.
Colligo bridle gets patent
Arizona-based Colligo Marine has received a U.S. patent for its bridle plate mooring system. Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, the galvanized system maintains mooring line separation to minimize chafe and safely allows redundant lines to the mooring. For more information visit www. colligomarine.com or call +1-480-7033675.
B February 2009 DOCKMASTER SPOTLIGHT: Casa de Campo, D.R.
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Retired-U.S. Navy, Castillo brings his experience home By Dorie Cox Decades of military service led Frank Castillo around the globe, but he has settled back in his native Dominican Republic as harbormaster of Marina Casa de Campo. “I decided to join the U.S. Navy during college and I really liked my time overseas,” the retired lieutenant said. In 22 years of service, Castillo spent half that time in the Middle East and Europe. He spent several years in Retired Lt. Frank Castillo worked at marinas in Florida where he worked in Florida before heading back to his home, the marinas, learning the inPHOTO COURTESY OF CASTILLO Dominican Republic. dustry in Miami’s Coconut courses. World Golf Hall of Fame’s Pete Grove and at Harbour Towne Dye designed several of the courses Marina in Dania Beach. such as “Teeth of the Dog” and “Dye “I’m a quick learner with a great Fore”. staff, but I am still learning,” he said. “I “We also have good security, so there have the will to keep learning.” is no need to lock anything here,” CasThe eight-year-old marina is part of tillo said of the staff and video-surveilCasa de Campo Resort near La Romalance system. na. It has 314 slips for yachts up to 250 That laid-back atmosphere can even feet that include water, electricity and introduce guests to new-found friends, cable TV. The property has a yard with as it did for one family that had arrived a 250-ton lift, laundry and ship chanfrom the airport and went aboard an dler as well as a yacht club and sailing unlocked boat they thought was theirs. school. “They fixed drinks and started cookAside from being a destination locaing,” Castillo said, retelling the story. tion, Casa de Campo is a stop when “They made themselves comfortable.” heading through the Mona Passage The yacht’s true owners returned to between D.R. and Puerto Rico. find strangers lounging on their boat and called security. After a bit of confusion, the situation was settled. “The two families are now good friends and even invite each other for things,” Castillo said. “Marina Casa de Campo has been kept a secret,” he said. “But we will be at the boat show to show that we have a great facility.” Meet Castillo at the Miami International Boat Show this month, or visit www.marinacasadecampo.com for Castillo, center with hand on hip, more information.
and staff at Casa de Campo.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CASTILLO
“During our high season – November to March – we compete with St. Maarten and the Bahamas,” Castillo said. “We also get a lot of sport-fishing boats and transition boats heading to the Virgin Islands.” Casa de Campo does not show up on most electronic navigation charts, Castillo said. “We have contacted them, and they said we will be on in 2009,” he said. “People learn about us by mouth-tomouth.” This month will also see the first of a bi-annual Casa de Campo Race from Ft. Lauderdale. The five-star resort includes hotels, restaurants, shops, villas and five golf
Dorie Cox is a Triton staff reporter. We’re looking for suggestions for future profiles of yachting industry dockmasters worldwide. Contact us at editorial@ the-triton.com.
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MARINAS / YARDS
U.S. firm opens yard in China; marinas open in Caribbean Tricon Marine, a builder of yachts up to 180 feet (55m), has completed construction of China’s first and only North American-owned and operated shipyard. The half-million-square-foot complex is designed to operate at American and European standards of craftsmanship, cleanliness and security, the company said in a news release. At capacity, the yard will be the largest for composite yacht construction in China with production capability of 16 yachts indoors and inwater work on two additional yachts. Yachts under construction include a 92-foot long-range offshore performance yacht. For more info visit www.triconmarine.com.
SC signs state’s first Clean Boatyard
South Carolina has awarded the state’s first Clean Boatyard certification to Charleston City Boatyard in Wando, S.C. Lighthouse Marina in Chapin and Port Royal Landing Marina in Port Royal were granted Clean Marina designations. The state now has 12 Clean Marina facilities. Clean Marina designations must be recertified every five years. The Clean Marina Initiative is a voluntary program promoted by NOAA and others. It helps reduce pollution in US waters by encouraging environmentally friendly marina and boating practices.
Driscoll hires new concierge
New marina in mid-coast Florida
Sebastian Inlet Marina has opened in Micco, Fla., across from the Sebastian Inlet. The marina features 25 wet slips and 240 dry storage racks. “Storm design was important in the design and planning of Sebastian Inlet Marina,” said Ron Carey, manager of project development for Bellingham Marine, which oversaw the project. The original marina was destroyed by hurricanes in 2004. The marina’s wet slips accommodate boats from 30 feet to 45 feet with power and water. The dry stack building holds boats up to 40 feet and 38,000 pounds. It has been certified by the state as a Clean Marina, a Clean Boatyard, and a Clean Ship Store. For more information visit www. sebastianinletmarina.com
Driscoll Boat Works, a yacht repair facility on Shelter Island in San Diego, has hired Jaime Kensinger as new concierge, a position created with the influx of megayachts. A graduate of San Diego State University, Kensinger recently ran a luxury car rental company. With experience in marketing and public relations, she will assist crew visiting San Diego and will design activities for yacht crews. For more information, visit www. driscollinc.com.
St. Lucia marina refit done
Grenada marina officially open
Island Global Yachting (IGY) Camper & Nicholsons officially completed a multimillion-dollar opened the berths at its Port Louis reconstruction of Rodney Bay Marina Marina in Grenada in December. The in St. Lucia and welcomed the 2008 marina can now accommodate 30 Atlantic Rally for Crusiers (ARC). The yachts larger than 30 meters. When marina now features 248 reconstructed completed, the marina will have 400 slips and a new megayacht pier with 32 slips for vessels to 90 meters. berths for yachts up to 250 feet. For information contact +001 473 The next phase of development will 435 7432. include the property’s upland facilities and boatyard. Also, World Cruising Club signed a five-year contract to keep the Caribbean stage of the ARC at Rodney Bay Marina. For the past 16 years, the marina has been the completion stop for the 2,700nm annual voyage. For more information, visit www.igy-rodneybay. Grenada’s Port Louis Marina opened with the com.
season in December.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT LOUIS
February 2009
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B10 February 2009 FROM THE TECH FRONT: Rules of the Road
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Delays in enforcement dates adds to confusion RULES, from page B1 standing EPA regulation excluding discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel from the national permitting system exceeded the agency’s authority under the Clean Water Act. In September 2006, the court issued an order revoking this regulation (40 CFR 122.3 (a)) effective Sept. 30, 2008. The EPA appealed the District Court’s decision, and on July 23, 2008, the 9th Circuit upheld the decision, leaving the Sept. 30 deadline in effect. In response to this, the EPA developed two proposed permits to regulate discharges from vessels. Because the EPA and marine industry were not ready for implementation, the district court subsequently extended the date to Dec. 19, 2008. One day before the in-force date of this ruling, the EPA issued its final rules for the Vessel General Permit (VGP). Immediately thereafter, the same District Court issued an order, once again, delaying the effective date of vacating the EPA regulation. The new date is Feb. 6. As such, the current exemption will remain in place until that date. However, the EPA advises that the effective date of the VGP will remain as Dec. 19, 2008. It will not require permit authorization for vessels
and owners will not need to comply In summary, all yachts of 79 feet (24m) with the terms until the February date. in length and greater must comply with What are the requirements and the Vessel General Permit. general process? The overall desire For those yachts that are less than in this course of action is for each 300 gross tons and do not have the vessel to obtain a permit from the capacity to hold or discharge more EPA allowing it to discharge any of than 8 cubic meters (2113 gallons) the identified 26 effluent streams in a of ballast water are not required to controlled manner. submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to To obtain permit authorization, the receive permit coverage. They are owner or operator of a vessel that is automatically enrolled in the permit either 300 or more gross tons or has the process and must only comply with capacity to hold or discharge more than the best practices and recordkeeping 8 cubic meters (2,113 gallons) of ballast requirements. water is required to submit a Notice of Yachts of 300 gross tons or more or Intent (NOI). The deadline to do this have the ability to hold or discharge is June 19, 2009, but no later than Sept. more than 8 cubic meters of ballast 19, 2009. Until the September 2009 must submit an NOI in order to date, these vessels will automatically be receive permit coverage. As previously authorized, upon outlined, the permit issuance, deadline for One day before to discharge submission of an according to the NOI is Sept. 19. the in-force date of VGP requirements. There are this ruling [Dec. 19, The electronic numerous other NOI filing system is requirements 2008], the EPA issued not operational yet. in the VGP. its final rules for the It is expected to be There are also up and running by conflicts being Vessel General Permit late spring. After discovered that (VGP). Immediately the initial permit some states and application, the Native American thereafter, the same EPA will require tribal areas do District Court issued a one-time report not recognize the containing specific EPA’s program, an order, once again, information thus local delaying the effective for each vessel regulations will between 30 and take precedence. date of vacating the 36 months after The final permit EPA regulation. The new obtaining coverage regulations are under the VGP. a compilation of date is Feb. 6. Failure to meet 162 pages with any requirement internal references of the VGP will to numerous other constitute an enforceable permit federal laws and directives. violation. The EPA has included Hoping to get a better reporting requirements in the VGP understanding of the key points, one that ensure that the EPA, and other would hope that the summarized fact parties as necessary, are made aware of sheet would be better. At a mere 125 potential permit violations. However, pages, review of that document is a it remains unclear if the EPA, the U.S. project unto itself. Coast Guard, or some other agency will As the February deadline passes and be the inspection force. other portions of this new law begin It is highlighted that all vessels to take effect, check back for updates. equipped with ballast tanks that There will most certainly be a few operate in waters of the United States changes. must continue to meet the reporting requirements of 33 CFR 151.2041 and Capt. Jake DesVergers currently serves recordkeeping requirements of 33 as chief surveyor for the International CFR 151.2045 regarding ballast water Yacht Bureau (IYB), an organization discharges. that provides inspection services to The VGP details other spills and private and commercial yachts on unauthorized discharges that must be behalf of several flag administrations, reported to the EPA within 24 hours including the Marshall Islands. A deck of becoming aware of the discharge officer graduate of the U.S. Merchant should it endanger health or the Marine Academy at Kings Point, he environment. Otherwise, under the previously sailed as master on merchant VGP, vessel owners and operators must ships, acted as designated person for report all incidents of non-compliance a shipping company, and served as with the permit at least once a year to regional manager for an international the appropriate EPA regional office. classification society. Contact him at +1With this series of confusing actions 954-596-2728 or www.yachtbureau.org. and ever-ambiguous directives, where Comments on this column are welcome does that leave the yachting industry? at editorial@the-triton.com.
B12 February 2009 CRUISING GROUNDS: Haiti
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Karen Troy, back aboard Sophisticated Lady, said the trip rewarded her many PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAREN TROY times for giving a little of herself.
Two BVI boats, crew, bring supplies, outboards to Haiti By Carol Bareuther Captains and crews of two British Virgin Islands’-based charter yachts spent Christmas transporting gifts and supplies to residents of Ile a Vache, an island off the southern coast of Haiti. The starting point for this charitable sail began several years ago when Michael ‘Beans’ Gardner, an entertainer from Marina Cay Resort, co-founded the Good Samaritan Foundation. The foundation now operates a school for the poor children of Ile a Vache. In May, Gardner spoke to the Rotary Club of Tortola about his experiences in Haiti, and the club subsequently donated money for teachers’ salaries and helped provide water tanks. These two projects completed, club members set their sights on providing 10 outboard engines to the village’s fishing fleet. Fairwinds, a Gulfstar 55 skippered by Harry Birch, volunteered for the transport. When Gardner received a booty of school supplies, food, clothing and Christmas presents from BVI churches and community, Capt. Rick Moore volunteered the Jenneau 50 Sophisticated Lady to take these items. “The voyage sounded like a fun adventure,” said Karen Troy, who traveled aboard Sophisticated Lady with fellow crew and boyfriend, Iain Gray, as well as Gardner, and First Mate Kira Jerevanka. Both boats left Soper’s Hole, BVI, on Dec. 15. Battling engine problems and a severe storm that damaged both vessels, Sophisticated Lady finally anchored at Port Morgan on Dec. 19. Later that afternoon, the crew delivered gifts to the village of La Hatte.
“We had the privilege of traveling across the island by horse to attend an outdoor thanksgiving celebration arranged by the villagers,” Troy said by e-mail. “That was both a humbling and a joyous occasion. The children from the Good Samaritan Foundation School had prepared two songs to sing for us, which they did beautifully, and the pastor and each of the school teachers spoke to thank the crew who had bought so many gifts from Tortola.” Meanwhile, Fairwinds limped to port on Christmas Eve. The outboard engines were offloaded onto two fishing
See HAITI, page B13
A typical fishing boat.
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CRUISING GROUNDS: Belize CIty
February 2009
Megayacht crew takes donated medical goods to Belize City By Yvette Burks After two years of logistics and planning, a megayacht delivered more than $16,000 worth of donated medical supplies to the Belize Emergency Response Team in December, courtesy of the efforts of YachtAid Global. Founded by Capt. Mark Drewelow in San Diego, YAG puts donated items on yachts heading to Third World countries to deliver to the coastal communities they visit. “We have a client base that is typically already into charitable giving and they have a platform capable of delivering goods to the needy in locations that are already on the route plan,” Drewelow said. The act involved the volunteer efforts of several companies, several kind-hearted crew, and a big-hearted yacht captain who agreed to transport the goods. The Triton accepted the deliveries of the items from all over the United States and Chef John Rubino, who has worked with Drewelow in the past, picked up the more than two dozen boxes and delivered them to the megayacht headed to Belize. YAG and BERT coordinated not only with the supply companies, but with customs officials in Belize for easy processing of the materials, which were delivered on Dec. 31. “Achieving a process that caused
Crew shared meal with kids HAITI, from page B12 sloops from La Hatte on Dec. 26. “We subsequently traveled back to the village of La Hatte on a fishing sloop,” Troy said. “There was a further service of thanksgiving, this time conducted in the village church and attended by only the pastor, fishermen from the village, and us. “I was particularly touched when one of the fishermen approached me on the beach and quietly handed me the most beautiful sea shell I have ever seen as a personal token of thanks.” Repairs to the storm-damaged boats gave the crews more time to visit the island and get to know the villagers, before sailing back to Tortola. “I came away with an abiding and humbling sense of the generosity of spirit of the people we had traveled to and amongst,” Troy said. “I was rewarded many times over for giving a little of myself and my time.” Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
zero impact on the yacht, captain, crew and operation in general, will ensure that there will be more of the same coming your way,” said the captain, who asked that he and the yacht remain anonymous. Drewelow attributed the initial spark behind the entire effort to Carolyn Thurton, owner of Ventura Agency in Belize City, who suggested two years ago that YachtAid Global work with BERT. “She was instrumental in working with BERT and Belize customs to develop the protocol on how to handle
the goods’ entry in a streamlined fashion,” he said. “If we did not have Carolyn involved, it would not have happened.” BERT specializes in pre-hospital emergency response in and around Belize City. It responded to 2,622 emergency calls in 2008. Yvette Burks is the director of BERT. For more information, visit www.bertbelize. org. For more information about YAG, visit www.yachtaidglobal.org. Comments on this article are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
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IN THE STARS
The cosmos’ big red heart beats brilliantly for lovers By Jack Horkheimer
crescent Moon. Just before dawn face eastEvery year near Valentine’s Day, you southeast and if you have a clear, flat can see a brilliant red star I call the unobstructed horizon you will see Valentine’s Day star. This year we have three planets close to the horizon. Two an extra attraction for Valentine’s Day of them will be side-by-side and less night. Let me show you. than 1 degree apart, which means that On any night during the first two slightly less than two full Moons could weeks of February, just after dark, fit between them. The brightest of the face west where you will see the most two is the king of them all, 88,000-milebrilliant planet of them all, 8,000wide Jupiter. mile-wide Venus, the same size as our Just to its right and half the size as planet Earth but much more brilliant Earth is the rouge-gold Mars. because it’s completely covered by a To complete our trio, look above layer of clouds that makes it act like a them and to their right for the tiniest giant mirror bouncing back most of the planet of them all, 3,000-mile-wide sunlight it receives. Mercury. Think about it: Jupiter and Then, between the hours of 8 and Mars not quite two full Moons apart 9 p.m., face south and you will see and Mercury about 14 full Moons away. the star I call the But the planet Valentine’s Day star show is just beginning because it is bright and because if you go out On Feb. 27, Vered. Coincidentally, each successive day nus reaches its it reaches its highest you’ll notice them point above the change their positions. greatest brilliancy horizon every Jupiter and Mars will and will be bright Valentine’s week. This first get closer to each enough to cast a star is the brightest red other, and then Jupiter shadow. star we can see with and Mercury will the naked eye. It is converge and Mars called Betelgeuse and will move away. marks the shoulder star of Orion the Then on Feb. 21 they will form hunter. an exquisite trio and be joined by a If we compare Betelgeuse with our beautiful waning crescent Moon. If I own star, our 865,000-mile-wide Sun, had to pick one day to get up early, it Betelgeuse is so humongous we could would be Sunday the 22nd because fit more than 160 million Suns inside then an even closer and skinnier it. And that’s when Betelgeuse is at crescent Moon, and the three planets its smallest size, because Betelgeuse will be lined up almost in a straight row changes its size regularly like a gigantic, in a breathtaking sight. slowly pulsating heart, one that beats only once every six years. A most brilliant Venus When Betelgeuse is fully contracted On Feb. 27 about an hour or so after at its smallest size it is a whopping 500 sunset, face due west where you’ll be times the width of our Sun, but when it absolutely dazzled by the brilliant expands to its biggest size it is a super light of the most wondrous evening 900 times as wide. In fact if we could star, which is not a star at all, but our place Betelgeuse where our Sun is, at nearest planetary neighbor, 8,000-mileits smallest size it would reach out past wide Venus. the orbits of Mercury, Venus and Earth On this night, Venus reaches all the way to Mars. When it’s at its its greatest brilliancy and will be largest, it would stretch almost all the bright enough to cast a shadow. But way to Jupiter. something special will be added So why not surprise your personal because only one and a half degrees Valentine and have a hug while the away will be a three-day-old exquisite goddess of love smiles upon you in waxing (that is, growing), crescent the west just after dark. Then between Moon complete with earthshine. 8 and 9 p.m. face south and give If you miss it, on the 28th a stillyour sweetheart the biggest cosmic exquisite crescent Moon will be up and Valentine anyone will ever get, a to the left of Venus and will still make a gigantic red star slowly beating like fabulous sight. a heavenly heart. Is this a romantic cosmos or what? Jack Horkheimer is executive director of the Miami Museum of Science. This is Planetary dance the script for his weekly television show Please mark every day beginning co-produced by the museum and WPBT Feb. 16 through the 22nd as the Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public mornings you’ll make it a point to look television stations around the world. eastward 30 minutes before sunrise for For more information about stars, visit a celestial ballet of three planets and a www.jackstargazer.com.
February 2009
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B16 February 2009 PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo Exposé
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Latest camera innovations still don’t beat great photographs Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts. Reading about face detection and blink recognition, I wonder what’s next for new digital cameras. In October the annual 6Sight Future of Imaging Conference looked into the future of digital imaging. In the 1990s, the images being captured totaled less than 100 billion. It Photo Exposé is expected that by James Schot 2010 people will be taking more than a half trillion photos. Needless to say, imaging is becoming more prevalent than ever in our lives, and therefore the interest in its future innovations grows. How well do these new camera innovations work? Further in this article I will note what I have read about specific new features. One thing that’s certain is that cameras are becoming automatic beasts, with most requiring auto settings for their innovations to work. The burden is that you may end up spending more time fiddling with features on your camera than interacting creatively with the real world photographic process. You will have to decide what it takes to get that perfect photo. Is it a manufactured mathematical algorithm or your intuitive sense? With this question raised let’s look at the latest innovations and expectations. Face detection has been developed by Fujifilm. Its S6000fd can detect up to 10 faces. If, for instance, you had a couple (two subjects) at the left of the frame, with face detection selected the first subject would have a green box outline and the other (and all subsequent subjects up to nine) will have a white outline. The camera then knows to optimize focus and exposure, popping the flash if necessary, for the best results photographing the couple. A limiting factor of the feature is that a person’s face must face the camera and the lighting must be good for this to work well. In the smile detection auto-mode you depress the trigger button and the camera automatically takes a photo when it detects all subjects are smiling. This seems to work if the subjects face the frame and they want to smile. With blink recognition, if someone blinked in photo, the camera alerts you to take another shot. That’s great, if the subjects will give it another go. Cameras with auto red-eye correction will detect red-eye and automatically correct it. In some cases, you must manually correct red-eye in the oncamera display. The reality is that even the best systems have an 80 percent
accuracy rate. The JPEG XR architecture is likely to become a standard for the next generation of cameras. The original JPEG file standard was the digital equivalent of the output of film. This new architecture, which Microsoft wants to be the standard, will include an HDR (high dynamic range). HDR attempts to bring images closer to what our eyes see, and can be initially viewed as providing dazzling images. Why it is somewhat controversial is because it is another mathematical enhancement, not an aesthetic one. They are like photographs on steroids, images that are algorithmically enhanced at the surface, but at their core often remain poor images. Tools such as HDR will compound this situation, which is the growing confusion between a great technical enhancement and a great photograph. There are new digital cameras that will geotag your photos, recording the exact coordinates (longitude and latitude) where you took the photo. Besides tracking your life’s movements, it’s another way to sort photos. You could even create an interactive map of your travels with images that correspond to points along your route. There is the digital camera swim mask from Liquid Image, and Agfa Photo’s new DC-1338sT that offers a screen you can operate with a stylus. Let me not overlook camera phones, as they will be improving. Only about 12 percent of images captured by camera phones are ever downloaded for enhancements. This will change now that there are industry-wide initiatives to develop quality ratings using both objective and subjective data. I have saved mentioning image stabilization for last because it has been around a while. This feature allows you to get steadier shots at slower shutter speeds and when using a zoom lens. This feature is worth the extra cost, especially if you’ve got a 10x optical zoom or more. And what other innovations can we look forward to? They will include liquid lenses, specialized software-enhanced optics, nanomotors, new flash and image stabilization technologies, new generations of image sensors and imaging software. Change is inevitable. For better or worse, there is no stopping it. For now I need permission to go ashore. James Schot has been a professional photographer for 30 years and owns James Schot Gallery and Photo Studio. Comments on this column are welcome at james@bestschot.com.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 2009
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Boat shows, conferences, networking fill busy winter calendar Feb. 1 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch
(first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Free. www.fortlauderdale.gov
Feb. 4-8 29th Atlantic City Interna-
tional Power Boat Show, Atlantic City, NJ. 700 new boats and 440 booths. www.acboatshow.com
Feb. 4
Networking Triton style (the first Wednesday of every month), 6-8 p.m., with TowBoatU.S. at 15th Street Fisheries. Read more on page C3.
Feb. 5 The Triton From the Bridge lun-
Feb. 5-7 Seatec, 7th Exhibition of
Technologies, Subcontracting and Design for Boats, Megayachts and Ships, Marina di Carrara, Italy. More than 1000 exhibitors expected from Europe and 24 other countries. Organized by CarraraFiere. +39 0585 787963, www. sea-tec.it
Feb. 5-8 44th annual Fort Lauderdale
Billfish Tournament and SeaFest, Las Olas Marina. Event includes two-day offshore tournaments, family-friendly festival, music, silent auction and raffle. www.lauderdalebillfish.com
cheon, Ft. Lauderdale, noon. This is our monthly captains’ roundtable where we discuss the issues and trends of the industry. For people who earn their livings as yacht captains. RSVP to Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. Space is limited.
Feb. 6 29th The Pineapple Cup - Mon-
Feb. 5-6 3rd annual Yacht Engineering
Convention, Southern California Yachting Association, Corona del Mar, Calif. Open to all women from novice to expert with 26 workshops. Limited to 350, registration is $165. www.scya.org
Forum, Italy, for engineers, designers, architects, shipbuilding directors and technicians. Themes this year: helicopters on board: regulations and design; ecology and the marine industry; port of registry: analysis of parameters for choice of flag; designing a yacht from its hull. www.sea-tec.it
EVENT OF MONTH
tego Bay Race, an 811nm run from Ft. Lauderdale to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Classes eligible are PHRF, multi-hull, IRC and One Design boats. www.montegobayrace.com
Feb. 7 20th annual Women’s Sailing
Feb. 7-8 35th annual Coldwell Banker Miami Beach Festival of the Arts, east of Collins Avenue between 73rd and
A fun and festive time is had by all.
FILE PHOTO
Feb. 15 Triton party on the docks Yacht and Brokerage Show, Miami
All captains and crew working or near the Miami show this month are welcome to join us on the docks for our annual boat show party at the USSA pavilion on ramp 9 from 7-9 p.m. We’ll have Triton shirts to hand out. 75th streets. Juried artwork from more than 150 international artists exhibiting paintings, sculpture, glass, ceramics, jewelry, and photography. Free. web. miamibeachfl.gov
Feb. 7-8 and Feb 11-15 53rd annual
Los Angeles Boat Show, boats to 60 feet. www.losangelesboatshow.com
See CALENDAR, page B18
B18 February 2009 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Boat shows, conferences and networking on Feb. calendar CALENDAR, from page B17
Feb. 12-16 Miami International Boat
Show and Strictly Sail. Miami Beach Convention Center, Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center and Miamarina. One of the world’s largest boating exhibitions, including thousands of powerboats, engines, sailboats, electronics and marine accessories from 2,200 exhibitors. www.miamiboatshow.com
Feb. 12-16 21st annual Yacht and
Brokerage Show, Miami. This is the in-water show held in tandem with the Miami International Boat Show. Owned by the Florida Yacht Brokers Association, in-water-only exhibits will cover 1.2 million square feet of space over a mile-long strip of Indian Creek Waterway. More than 500 yachts are expected, ranging from 30 to 160 feet. Free, 10 to 7 each day. Free shuttles to the show between the convention center, Collins Avenue and Sea Isle Marina. Plus The Triton’s annual party on the docks (see Event of the Month). www.showmanagement.com
Feb. 14-16 46th Coconut Grove Arts
MAKING PLANS March 18-19 Tackling Piracy at Sea Conference London, UK For operators, regulatory bodies, security organizations and insurance companies. Seminars to examine improved international cooperation, greater naval protection, and the argument for industry to fund policing. www.quaynote.com, +44 (0) 20 8348 3704, info@quaynote.com
first Wednesday of every month), 6-8 p.m., in Ft. Lauderdale. Stay tuned for details.
March 5-8 Acura Miami Grand Prix.
Presented by the Premiere Racing team that does the Key West event each January. www.premiere-racing.com
March 6-8 6th annual Savannah Inter-
national Boat Show, www.savannahinternationalboatshow.com
Festival, Miami. More than 330 international artists and craftsmen. www.coconutgroveartsfest.com
March 6-15 26th annual Miami Inter-
Feb. 15-21 Advanced Marina Man-
March 7 32nd annual Waterway
Feb. 22 Intermediate Marina Man-
March 12-14 Abu Dhabi Yacht Show,
agement School by the International Marina Institute, Italy. Profit-management training course for senior marina professionals. www.marinaassociation.org agement School by the International Marina Institute, Charleston, SC. Focus on marina operations, policies, and procedures. www. marinaassociation.org
Feb. 24 Mardi Gras, New Orleans. One of the world’s most famous celebrations for this holiday of excess before the limits of Lent. 800-672-6124, www. mardigras.com
Feb. 25-26 Major League Baseball’s
spring training begins. Baltimore Orioles at Ft. Lauderdale Stadium, 954- 776-1921, 800-236-8908, first home game Feb. 25 against NY Mets; Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, 561-7751818, first game Feb. 25 against each other; New York Mets in Port St. Lucie, 772-871-2115; first home game Feb. 26 against the Marlins. www.flasports.com
March 4 Networking Triton style (the
national Film Festival. www.miamifilmfestival.com Cleanup, organized by MIASF. In 2008 more than 2,000 volunteers cleaned nearly 65 tons/235 cubic yards of trash from South Florida waterways. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. www.miasf.org Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre organized by Informa Yacht Group (owners of Monaco Yacht Show). Show to target elite power and sail buyers in the market for megayachts 30-100m. www.abudhabiyachtshow.com
March 16-19 25th Seatrade Cruise
Shipping Convention and 5th annual International Superyacht Symposium, Miami Beach Convention Center. This event gathers some of the world’s biggest names in business to large ships. Panel discussions to get insight into construction, destinations and operations of large yachts. www.cruiseshipping.net
March 20-22 Ladies, Let’s Go Fish-
ing! Naples, Florida Saltwater Seminar. 1-888-321-LLGF (5543), www.ladiesletsgofishing.com
March 26-29 24th annual Palm Beach Boat Show, Palm Beach. www.showmanagement.com
The Triton
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SPOTTED
Triton Spotter
Chef Peter Ziegelmeier snapped this shot when M/Y Rena stopped off at Fort Jefferson National Park in the Dry Tortugas off Key West. “M/Y Rena loves The Triton,” he wrote. Capt. Ned Stone, right, stopped along Manhattan Beach in California during a recent West Coast networking trip. He always takes his Triton to read on the airplane. Stew Anna Kozma, below, sent us this great photo after her Christmas trip to Haiti where she and three friends delivered $15,000 to the village of Passe Cataboise. “This money will be used to build homes for those who lost everything in the hurricanes as well as a hospital in the village. I left a few Tritons in the hands of some teens learning English. They really appreciated it.” Maybe they’ll be inspired to find yachting careers.
Where have you and your Triton been lately? Send photos to lucy@the-triton.com. If we print yours, you get a T-shirt.
February 2009
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January networking
February networking
Will he ever stop?
Photos from Claire’s.
TowBoatU.S. on Feb. 4.
Giving Luana a reason to smile.
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Section C
C3
Keep it Up
C4
New fitness regimen continues.
www.the-triton.com
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February 2009
TRITON SURVEY
Most captains have fronted the boss cash By Lucy Chabot Reed Statistics by Lawrence Hollyfield
From left: Chief Stewardess Sarah Egan, Eng. Geoff Egan, Chef/Deck Cameron Pasciak, Stewardess Suzanne McGoldrick, Purser/Chef Stephanie Hodges, Capt. Roy Hodges, Bosun Kathrin Eugen, and First Mate Yan Kunst. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. ROY HODGES
Twice as nice: Atlantica seeks coupled crew By Lucy Chabot Reed Many captains shy away from hiring couples, convinced that relationships bring problems and hassles to a yacht. But one captain has made a habit of it. Capt. Roy Hodges runs M/Y Atlantica with a full complement of couples, even encouraging the owner to expand the crew roster to an even number to accommodate one more couple.
“We’ve always had luck with couples,” Capt. Hodges said. “So many boats have issues with them, but I think you get a lot of loyalty and commitment from couples.” M/Y Atlantica, a 135-foot charter yacht, runs with four couples and Hodges wouldn’t have it any other way. He and his wife, Purser/Chef Stephanie Hodges, were hired in part because the owner wanted the stability of a couple at the helm. After joining the yacht, which had
previously run with a crew of seven, he convinced the boss to stretch the crew to eight. The owner is so committed to the concept, Hodges said, that part of the yacht’s yard time this summer was spent retrofitting crew bunks to accommodate couples. So now, when a couple takes time off, Hodges gets another couple to fill in. When a couple quits, as one did this
See COUPLES, page C16
When a captain e-mailed in that he had a story to tell about advancing an owner more than $100,000, we questioned why he ever let the debt grow so high. His response shocked us. “Have done it with 50 percent of the owners I have worked for,” he wrote. “It offers some interesting tax advantages, plus hundreds of points on one’s credit cards.” Really? We wondered if that was a widely held behavior. So we asked, first the captains in this month’s From the Bridge luncheon (see story on page A1) and in our monthly online survey. It turns out that 93 percent of the 201 captains who took the survey (and five of the six in attendance at lunch) have fronted the boss and the yacht money at some point in their careers. “It is quicker and easier to get parts for repairs ourselves as we know exactly where/why/how and the correct part,” one captain said. “The owner’s office
See SURVEY, page C12
In this era of leaner budgets, make decisions that cut food costs The economic situation has sent shockwaves that have impacted not only us yachties but countries that depend on us as a source of revenue. If you are lucky enough to have your job as a yacht chef, then why not save your employer as much cash as Culinary Waves you can? Mary Beth Gone are the Lawton Johnson days of gluttonous
spending, and buying what we believe to be the best there is for the yacht client’s appetite. Chefs can show that we understand how to control food costs onboard while opting for more economic ways to show our talents. Your menu will impact food costs. Are you buying filets or are you buying beef short ribs? Beef short ribs, when prepared properly, will be as elegant as that 8 oz beef filet and, depending on the tastes of the guests, might be more enjoyable. Who you buy or order from will also
impact food costs. Are you going through a middle man who delivers it to your yacht via a large truck or are you going out and searching for the food, bringing it in yourself with the help of the crew? Do you buy from the large warehouse companies such as Costco or Sams or are you going through a specialty shop purveyor? Do you compare food costs from different purveyors for the same item? This is possible if you are in an area that offers more than one purveyor. Sometimes that is not possible.
Also, be sure to give your purveyor exact specs for what you need such as cut, size or portion, grade, etc. so you are not given something that does not meet your needs. Are you ordering items that are imported from half way around the world or are you going regionally and sustainable, native to where you are? How much you buy will impact food cost. Having too much on hand can result in waste. Storing is crucial to food costs. If
See WAVES, page C10
C February 2009 NETWORKING LAST MONTH: Claire’s Marine Outfitters
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espite the rain and chilly (by South Florida standards, of course) air, more than 200 captains, crew and industry professionals joined us on the first Wednesday in January to network with Marc Burton and the staff at Claire’s Marine Outfitters in Ft. Lauderdale. We host these networking events for captains and crew to meet each other and to mingle with business folks who can make your working lives better. We network on the first Wednesday of every month. See the next page for details of this month’s event. Photos by Capt. Tom Serio
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NETWORKING THIS MONTH: TowBoatU.S. New River
February 2009
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Bridges open on demand for TowBoatU.S. New River The Triton hosts a networking event on the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. In February, that’s Feb. 4, and we’re meeting at 15th Street Fisheries. (Take 17th Street to Cordova, turn north to the stop sign at 15th Street and make a right (head east) all the way to the end.) This month’s networking is sponsored by TowBoatU.S. New River. Yacht captains and crew will recognize the red-striped tugs as those guys that make trips up the New River not so scary. The boys from YES (Yacht Entertainment Systems) will be there, of course, with the tunes. Everyone who reads and loves The Triton is welcome to attend. Be sure to sign in when you get there for a name tag so we know you are there. In the meantime, learn a little more about TowBoatU.S. New River from the company’s river supervisor, Capt. Michael Knecht. Q. So what is TowBoatU.S.? Are you related to BoatU.S.? TowBoatU.S. is the towing service program offered by BoatU.S. We are the authorized TowBoatU.S. provider for Broward County [the county in which Ft. Lauderdale sits]. You pay BoatU.S. for the annual membership and when you break down in our area, we come out and help you. Q. Isn’t BoatU.S. Knecht for small boats? What do you guys do for yachts? Our TowBoatU.S. New River division specializes in megayacht towing on the New River and Dania Cut-off Canal. We also make trips to Palm Beach or Miami and long distance tows from as far away as the Turks & Caicos or Bermuda. A yacht may be disabled and need assistance getting to a repair facility up the New River or just be too large to safely make the trip on its own. In either case TowBoatU.S. New River has specialized vessels and trained, experienced captains to assist. It is important to note that covered member tows due to the vessel being disabled can be free, and non-covered tows are billed at a substantially discounted member rate. Either way captains can save the owners money. Q. What goes into preparing a yacht for a tow up the New River? I schedule a time with the captain based on the tide that takes into consideration the size and draft of the vessel. When on scene with the yacht we make sure there are no obstructions on the yacht’s bow or stern for our
towlines to get caught in. Then a captain can just sit back and let us do the driving. Q. Why would a captain opt to tow a megayacht that is not disabled? The currents on the New River coupled with the amount of traffic and narrow areas found in many spots make it a wise choice for a yacht captain to contract a towing company to assist in getting their boat to its destination. We know how to keep these large yachts out of harms way and have
great working relationships with other commercial operators on the river. Bridges open on demand for us 24/7 when we have a boat in tow. Sometimes passing large oncoming traffic can be tricky; we plan early by communicating frequently with other traffic and passing in the safest places. Q. How did you get to be such an expert on the New River? I have been working here in Fort Lauderdale for TowBoatU.S. since 1998. During the last 10 years I have spent a lot of time towing on the New River.
When I first got here I learned from some of the “old timers” but now it seems I have become one of the “old timers.” I came here from the Western Pacific (near Hawaii and Truk) after working several jobs that involved large vessel towing and running harbor assist vessels. I am USCG licensed as a Master of Towing, 500 ton Near Coastal Master and Master of Submersible. Q. I understand there’s a way to get a
See NETWORKING, page C19
C February 2009 FEATURE: Capt. Santa makes rounds
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On Bequia, don’t let Luana Metz see this story By Carol Bareuther A megayacht captain’s jobs are many. Playing Santa, though, isn’t typically part of the contract. That didn’t stop Capt. Herb Magney of the 125-foot M/Y Milk and Honey from donning a big white beard and jolly red suit for a Christmas cheer dinghy spin through Admiralty Bay in Bequia, an outing that made for a holiday memory one 7-year-old girl and her parents will never forget. ’Twas the day before Christmas when Iris Moesing, who with husband Henry Metz, were on charter with guests aboard their 75-foot ketch, Shaitan of Tortola. The group was anchored off Mustique and the swell in Britannia Bay rolled nauseatingly. “It was so rough that for the first time in 20 years I got sick,” Moesing said. “Henry had to help me finish up dinner for the guests and I completely forgot about Christmas.” Moesing’s memory of the holiday came back later when she saw Santa in the form of Magney dressed in his festive suit. “I told him that our 7-year-old daughter, Luana, still believes in Santa,” she said. “I asked him if he would come to Bequia the next day and see her. He promised that he would.” Meanwhile, Luana was ashore with her adopted Bequia family, as she usually does when her parents are out on charter. This Christmas morning, she not only had awakened without her mom and dad, but an older friend had written in an e-mail that there was no such thing as Santa. “We arrived in Bequia and got the guests off the boat by about 4 p.m.,” Moesing said. “Then we picked up Luana and told her that Santa might come. ‘No,’ she answered. ‘Santa is all
Seven-year-old Luana Metz once again believes in Santa, thanks to the crew of M/Y Milk and Honey. PHOTO COURTESY OF IRIS MOESING fake.’” Back at the boat, Luana sought to prove this newfound knowledge to her parents. She walked over to Shaitan’s compass, pointed to the north for Santa and then to the south for the Caribbean. Surely, Santa couldn’t really travel all that distance. Soon after, Moesing spotted a redclad figure in the distance, gaining ground quickly by dinghy. “I told Luana that maybe we should go up on deck and start singing Christmas carols,” she said. “Maybe then Santa would come.” The two were singing “O Tannenbaum” at the top of their lungs when Magney arrived. “It was just perfect,” Moesing said. “All of a sudden, Luana believed in Santa again.” Santa asked if Luana had been a good girl and when she nodded yes, he gave her a foil-wrapped present. Then off he sped, calling out ho-ho-hos and Merry Christmases to all the boats in the harbor.
Later that night, the family went to dinner ashore and Luana spotted Santa’s dinghy. “I didn’t want to break the spell, so I told her I didn’t think it was Santa’s,” Moesing said. “She told me she definitely knew her dinghies and this was Santa’s. Didn’t I see the metal railing up front where he attaches the reindeer? And, of course, he needed such a big boat to hold all the reindeer and Christmas presents.” The next day as M/Y Milk and Honey pulled out, Moesing handed her daughter the VHF radio to say goodbye to Santa. Magney was listening and gave a final ho-ho-ho as he motored off. In the end, Luana had only one regret, her mother said. “She still had the VHF in her hand when she looked up at me and said, ‘I wish I could have petted Rudolph, just once.” Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
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INTERIOR: Stew Cues
Use slow down in economy to re-evaluate career, life When the bottom fell out of the international economy last year, it fell hard. Crew placement agencies have been swamped with out-of-work crew. Several dynamics of the industry have been affected, including salary. It appears that crew, especially green crew, are no longer calling the shots where Stew Cues salaries are Alene Keenan concerned. Now, more than ever, it is important to keep salary expectations in line with experience and training. It’s not all gloom and doom out there. Keep a positive attitude and keep in mind that there are several things we can do to make our industry and ourselves more recession-proof. 1. For starters, concentrate on making yourself the best value for the buck that an agency could recruit. It is important to upgrade your knowledge with continuing education. If your situation doesn’t allow you to take a class right now, look into the possibility of seminars or online training. Give yourself the gift of greater self-confidence, significance, and security. If nothing else, this will create hope for your brighter future. 2. Put your financial house in order. Get a clear understanding of your status by calculating your net worth. Total your assets, including real estate, and subtract your debt. Bear in mind that this is a reality check and can be a depressingly scary number. A healthy net worth should equal your age times 10 percent of your pretax income. For example, a 25-yearold making $32,000 a year can consider herself in good shape if she’s worth $80,000. At the very least, figure out what the number is so you know what to aspire to when the economy comes back around, as it surely will. 3. Track your spending. For two weeks, keep track of every penny you spend and divvy these expenses into categories, such as bills, beauty and transportation. Multiply each weekly spending category by 52. Look for insignificant purchases that add up to thousands. That $150 you drop every weekend on shopping, dinner and a movie, or drinks comes out to $7,800 a year. Ouch. Even if you view your life on the Heineken Scale (cost divided by $4 per
Heineken) this can get out of hand quickly. That $7,800 divided by $4 equals 1,950 Heinekens. 4. Have an emergency fund. If you stash 10 percent to 30 percent of your paycheck every month into a savings account bearing at least 4 percent interest you will have a cushion to protect you if you get laid off. Bear in mind that this is a thin cushion and that your earning potential in a land-based job will likely be much less than you make on a yacht. Be sure to factor in living expenses. It’s easy to forget how much products such as shampoo and paper towels cost, let alone groceries. (As a matter of fact, maybe we should be saving closer to 50 percent every month.) 5. Plan for retirement, even if you are unemployed. Write down short-term and longterm goals. This is a constructive thing to do when you are taking a rest between job searches. It really makes sense to take a minute and think about what it is that you really want from life. More than likely you have some solid experience under your belt and have been exposed to some pretty wonderful things in your yachting career. What do you love that you’d like to have more of? Would you like to start your own business? Figure out a time frame and put a price tag on your dream and crunch the numbers. Sometimes it is in the darkest hour that the brightest light appears on the horizon. Oh, and once you get that dream job, put aside an additional 12 percent of your income for retirement. 6. Above all, practice gratitude. Keep a journal and write down five things you are grateful for every day. This is simple to do and will pay off handsomely in helping you keep things in perspective and keep your attitude positive. It may be the only area of your life where you have control. And when things start going your way again, you will have a much clearer picture of the things that matter most to you. 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. Contact her through www. stewardesssolutions.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
February 2009
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C February 2009 ONBOARD COMMUNICATION: SitComm
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I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? I wasn’t really listening In distinguishing what communication is, we must remember that there is a difference between listening and hearing what someone says rather than what we think about what they’re saying. As I continually get reminded when writing these articles, they are for my learning as much as for SitComm my sharing with Rachel Shapiro everyone else. I have a lot of opinions. I have opinions about how people should eat, how they should express themselves, and how they should or shouldn’t spend their time. One of the secrets to my success in yachting has been that when I sign up for a job I agree with myself to leave my opinions on the dock. I recognized early on, and not without a couple of rude awakenings, that just as there are billions of people in the world, there are as many opinions on how to eat, how to speak, and how to spend one’s time. By making an agreement to leave my opinions on the dock I allow myself to hear what people say without my thoughts on their choices getting in
the way. I decided that it wasn’t my business to be concerned about how other people chose to live their lives; my business was insuring they had the best time possible on their trip. My access to insuring that my guests and fellow crew members have the best time possible when I’m on board is listening to them and what’s important to them. It doesn’t matter if I agree with what they say; the important thing is that they have the experience of being heard. A great tool I have learned is repeating, or recreating, what that person said to make sure my personal filters hadn’t distorted the message. By insuring that I actually heard what the other person said and not what I interpreted them to mean, I gave the other person the singular experience of being heard and listened to. My opinion on the matter isn’t important; I wasn’t hired because I have great opinions. I was hired to provide a service to our guests. It’s very easy to miss a request when I’m too caught up in my own thoughts about the request to hear the details. It’s also really easy to miss the value in another person when I allow my opinions to get in the way. A perfect example is the deckhand on the last boat I worked on. He’s an avid hunter and one of his favorite topics of
conversation was the sport of hunting. I have some pretty strong opinions on hunting for fun and I found my opinions surfacing when he would start to relate a story about a kill or start to expound on his passion. In keeping with my agreement, I put my opinions aside and just listened to his stories. I didn’t have to agree with him, all I had to do was hear him and let him know he’d been heard. He became a great friend and we had many conversations on a range of topics that were stimulating and educational for me. If I had allowed my opinions of his taste in recreational activities to get in the way I would have missed a lot. I used to think that looking at someone and not talking while they were speaking constituted listening. Then I started to notice the constant chatter in my mind during conversations. I would often miss what someone said because I was so caught up in what I thought about what they were saying that I couldn’t hear their words. Either that, or my mind was a million miles away. After I realized that I have a constant monologue going on in my head I became conscious of tuning it out and allowing the other person’s words in. Then, I repeat back to them
the main points of their conversation to insure I got everything. My experience of communication shifted and I started to notice that I had fewer misunderstandings with people, and people seemed to enjoy talking to me. It’s amazing what clear communication makes possible when living and working with people from various backgrounds and belief systems. We will always have opinions about the way it should be done or said; that will never change. What we have is the power to change how we let those opinions affect us and our relationships with those around us. Listening to and recreating with someone are invaluable tools. They provide the other person with the experience of being heard and understood, and they provide the listener with an experience of ease and grace in our communication with the people we come into contact with. Rachel Shapiro has worked on yachts more than 10 years. She now works to bring a more holistic approach to yachting with the Integrous line of allnatural cleaning products, and crew placement and seminars through Hands Om Crew. Contact her at +1-954-4656320. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
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LIFE AFTER YACHTING: Julie Liberatore
School keeps stew in touch By Julianne Hammond Before Julie Liberatore would agree to being a Life After Yachting profile, she made it clear that she has not left yachting. As manager of student administration at Maritime Professional Training in Ft. Lauderdale, “after yachting” does not apply. But she began her yachting career as a stew, so bear with us. Liberatore was last chief stewardess on large sailing yachts, having started on tall ships on the California coast. Her college education was in marketing and this function was her entry into the game, developing marketing strategies for the charter yacht. For nine years she worked in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and New England. Admitting that she had great fun at sea, at some point Liberatore realized that she no longer wanted “to live out of a duffel bag” or make one more decision “about whether to store the provisions under her bed.” “The transition from being crew to being a crew advocate was natural,” she said. “I just wanted to be the person I wanted to call when I needed help or clarification about rules or regulations.” And she’s done that. On a routine day she helps crew members with
information, career guidance and direction, and specific course education. Telephone inquiries come from someone with an interest in entering private yachting, or perhaps someone who wants to move from a tugboat to a tanker, or perhaps someone with several years on a cruise ship facing contradictory information about specific regulations. “I feel like I am on the front lines,” she said. She put herself there, in part with her passion for being involved. She is a member of the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency (MCA)’s Regulatory Qualifications Panel, a U.S. Coast Guard civilian representative in the Federal Merchant Personnel Advisory Committee, and a member of the International Superyacht Society’s board of directors. With all that drive and passion, why stay in yachting? “I get to see my friends, I get to travel, and I get to make a difference for the crew,” she said. Ah, still a chief stew after all. Julianne L. Hammond is a chef/mate on megayachts. Do you know someone who has made a successful transition from yachting to another career? Let us know at editorial@the-triton.com.
February 2009
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C February 2009 NUTRITION: Take It In
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Don’t let sugar, carb cravings drive your diet; control them Do you ever find that you can’t stop thinking about that bag of cookies in the galley – until you eat them? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and know that only a doughnut will put you back to sleep? Do you rely on a candy bar to get you through a busy afternoon? Some may say you’re suffering Take It In from a sugar Carol Bareuther craving. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a craving is “a vehement or urgent desire; a longing for” something. This sounds like a spoton definition of sugar or carbohydrate craving for many people. But it’s important to remember that cravings can occur for many reasons, and that you can control them rather than let them control you. Food cravings are extremely common. They are also frequently associated with specific types of foods such as chocolate or foods high in sugar or carbohydrates. Nutrition scientists have theorized that carbohydrate cravings are the result of a physiological need to alter neurotransmitters or chemicals in the brain. For example, when we eat carbohydrates, the amount of serotonin in the brain increases. Serotonin has several functions, including calming us down, helping us to sleep and making a somber mood happier. Most folks don’t know it’s a serotonin spike that brings on these good feelings and emotions; they see it as coming from that cookie, piece of cake or candy. Carbohydrates can make you feel better for other physiologic reasons. For example, if you skip breakfast and lunch, you’ll have low blood sugar by afternoon. Candy will cure this. But so will a bowl of oatmeal and fruit in the morning, and turkey sandwich for lunch. Another example is if you opt to eat a doughnut or pastry for breakfast and nothing else. All this sugar triggers a spike in your blood sugar. This spike causes a chain reaction where your pancreas releases insulin and insulin takes sugar out of the blood and into the body’s cells for energy. When this happens, low blood sugar again results. A handful of jellybeans will make you feel instantly better. But so will a handful of grapes. The best way to avoid these cravings is to eat regular meals and snacks every 4 to 5 hours while awake, and more frequently if you perform heavy
exercise throughout the day. Each meal should contain protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, soy, nuts), carbohydrates and fats. Protein can help stabilize blood sugar. An example might be breakfast at 7 a.m. with scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast and a sliced orange; a snack at 11 a.m. of an apple; lunch at 1 p.m. of a tuna fish sandwich and green salad; snack of fruit yogurt around 5 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. of broiled fish, brown rice and beans, broccoli and fruit salad. If you go to bed later than 10 p.m., you might want to add a small bowl of cereal and milk as a bedtime snack. Carbohydrates can also make you feel better for emotional reasons. For example, remember how much better you felt when your mother handed you that warm cookie after you scraped your knee? Today, if you’re hurt or simply having a bad day, you might automatically head straight for the cookies. The cure for this is to think of other ways to feel better. How about a soak in the tub? Or a brisk walk? Or a talk with a good friend? If you do have a cookie, piece of candy or slice of cake, don’t beat yourself up. Everything in moderation. It’s better to savor one bite-sized piece of Godiva chocolate a day than to binge on a 2-pound bag of M&Ms every week. There are two other tricks that may be effective in curbing carbohydrate cravings. In 2007, researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University in the UK found that when study subjects chewed gum, either sugar-free or regular, for 15 minutes hourly after eating lunch, their appetite was suppressed, specifically their desire for sweet snacks. Just this past year, scientists at Louisiana State University found that chromium picolinate, at a dosage of 1,000 mg for eight weeks, reduced hunger levels, food intake and fat intake in women with carbohydrate cravings. Chromium picolinate is the chemical compound that is sold as a nutritional supplement to prevent or treat chromium deficiency. Chromium is a trace mineral important in carbohydrate metabolism. Finally, don’t peg sugar and carbohydrates with supernatural powers. These ingredients aren’t bad for you. They aren’t good for you either. They provide calories and not much else. Most certainly they don’t contain any mystical powers that cause you to eat them out of control. Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian and a regular contributor to The Triton. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
C10 February 2009 IN THE GALLEY: Recipe
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Limiting portion sizes helps waistline, wallet WAVES, from page C1 not stored properly, waste and spoilage result. Are you rotating stock? First in, first out, and using older items first makes sure you keep your pantry stocked with fresh goods. Establish standard portions. The problem with our diets is our portion sizes and caloric intakes. Limit portion sizes while controlling costs. Standardized portion scoops make plating items easy. Buying meats preportioned helps to keep costs down, too. If you have a scale, be sure it is accurate. One tenth off and you have already lost money, increased the food budget and cheated your final paycheck in the end.
Waste can be controlled by using leftovers and not buying more than you need. This includes controlling inventory and not purchasing what you want versus what you need. When I go to the store or a specialty provision company I carefully watch what is put in the basket because that will drive up food costs. Unnecessary spending on items you might use will only drive your food cost higher.
Breaking down recipe cost
Let’s say your recipe calls for 2 ounces of tomato paste. You have to figure out the cost of those 2 ounces compared to the whole can to begin costing a recipe. Do this for every ingredient listed
in the recipe, then add the total cost to produce the recipe cost, then divide that by the number of portions for the meal cost. If you are on a charter yacht or cruise ship, this equation is a necessary function of your job. The portion technically should be the amount that is given or sold to the passengers. So if you had a mousse cake and divided it into 12 slices, the cost of the recipe should be divided by the actual portions. Here’s a basic idea of how to cost out a recipe. The main ingredients are easy. Lemons and limes might each cost 39 cents and the oranges, say, were 5 for $2. Sugar was sold in a 1-pound bag, so
you have to figure out the amount of cups in that bag to determine the price of the two cups in the recipe. Water is somewhat free, unless you use bottled water for the recipe. Knowing the cost of a recipe will help you decide on future menus and you will be more conscientious of the employer’s money you are spending. Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine, www.themegayachtchef.com. A professional yacht chef since 1991, she has been chef aboard M/Y Rebecca since 1998. Information for this column was adapted from Labensky’s “Applied Math for Food Service.” Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
Mary Beth’s Better Than Sex Breakfast That is what everyone calls it, thanks to our Eng. Bryan Roux. It involves a filet, a jumbo lump crab cake with a poached egg, hollandaise and truffles, and caviar on an English muffin. I swear, that is what everyone calls it. For the crab cakes: I like to use jumbo lump as the big lumps really stick out in the cakes. They are filled with crab meat – more expensive, but worth it. Ingredients: 2 cups mayonnaise 2 ounce Coleman’s mustard 1 ounce horseradish 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon celery salt Pepper to taste 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 4 eggs 2-3 ounces Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 2 lbs jumbo lump crab meat, drained Olive oil to fry Combine the first 11 ingredients. Mix well. Add the eggs and blend. Add the bread crumbs and mix together. Fold in the crab meat just until coated, being careful not to break up the lumps. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until the batter is somewhat stiff. Pour enough olive oil in a pan to reach halfway up the cakes. Heat until gauge reads 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop some crab cake batter and add to hot oil, turning only when brown. Don’t turn too often as the cakes will break apart. Note: You can also dip the cakes in egg
Caviar and citrus finish this delicious PHOTO/MARY BETH LAWTON JOHNSON dish. wash and then in more bread crumbs to coat, then fry for a crunchier cake. For the 8-ounce filets: 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed 3 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 teaspoon paprika 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed Grind black peppercorns until fine. Put the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed. Rub the paste all over the meat. Grill on all sides 3-4 minutes for rare. For the truffled Hollandaise sauce: I use the Knorrs Hollandaise mix and prepare according to the instructions. Add some shaved white truffle. To plate: Begin with half an English muffin. Top with a filet. Top with a crab cake. Top with a poached egg. Top with the Hollandaise sauce. Top with Beluga caviar.
C12 February 2009 TRITON SURVEY: Fronting the boss money
‘I just do it because it’s convenient at the time’ SURVEY, from page C1 purchasing department takes more than a week and is usually inefficiently wrong, causing delays.” By far, a majority said they have done it because they were confident they would get reimbursed and that paying up front was just easier, keeping the yacht – or a project on the yacht – moving forward. “I don’t front any of these items universally,” one captain said. “I just do it because it’s convenient at the time.” “I held the checkbook and knew that I could write a check to cover it from the boat account,” one captain said. “It was for convenience, and the miles.” Those miles are airline miles that some credit cards accumulate. The more money that passes through airlinesponsored credit cards, the more “miles” add up, letting the card bearer exchange them for free flights. “[Benefiting from] air miles is a relatively new question that is starting to be discussed,” a captain noted. “As long as the boss knows, why not?” Of the 7 percent of captains who said they do not front the yacht or the owner money, two-thirds said it just wasn’t necessary because the yacht had enough credit or cash to accommodate all its expenses. The remainder said they
weren’t confident they would be reimbursed. Despite the near unanimity of captains who have ever fronted their boss money, the results of several other questions we asked in our survey are pretty evenly split. Fifty-three percent of those who have ever fronted the boss money said they no longer do. “I hate to say it, but I think it is a terrible thing to have to front these people money,” one captain said. “If they have enough to buy the yacht in the first place, they should have enough to pay all of the bills and not expect the crew to have to front the money. I will not ever do this again, as I have been burnt, and I know dozens of other captains, mates and stews who have all been burnt also.” “The boss was new, we were new, so we covered for a brief time, then put our foot down,” one captain said. “He quickly stepped up with cash/card and it never came up again.” “Only under dire circumstances,” a captain said. “I would consider it disrespectful and inconsiderate of the boss to allow the practice to continue.” “It’s a hassle every time,” a captain said. “Even if you get repaid you have to think about it and that takes effort away from your other tasks. I now
See SURVEY, page C14
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Do you still front the boss money?
No – 53.0%
Yes – 47.0%
Has it ever ended badly?
Are you handling this issue any d light of the current economic situ
No – 53.5%
Yes
If you haven’t fronted the boss m
Yes – 33.9% No – 66.1%
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Not confident I’d get reimbursed – 32.5%
Not nece has a cr sufficien
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differently now in uation?
TRITON SURVEY: Fronting the boss money
117
l
89
s – 46.5%
money, why not?
essary; the yacht redit card and nt cash – 67.5%
Would not do it again unless it was to get [myself] out of trouble and there was a bonus attached to it, as in more money than I lent.
146 117
80
19
Day Vendors workers
Tips
Fuel
Dockage
Other
Why did/do you front the boss money? Check all that apply. 166
71 31
25 11
Confident Critical Credit card Boss To earn I’d get for missing/ new to airline paid back deadline denied yachting miles
6
Other Convenient
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If you’re worried the boss won’t pay you back, you shouldn’t be working for him. It’s the captain’s job to make the owner look professional, even if that means paying day workers or tipping the dock hands with your cash, and waiting for the reimbursement. l
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I have a petty cash account. I repay myself from that. I keep excellent recordsreceipts. If he has a question, I just hand him my expense book with all receipts. I have been questioned only once and never again. I don’t overspend. l
Provisions
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More thoughts on fronting money
If you fronted the boss money, what was the expense attributable to? Check all that apply.
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I have done this with three owners, all of whom I trusted implicitly. I do not follow the practice now as the yacht I am on is U.S. flagged, corporate owned, and would probably present an accounting issue. Your eyes have to be open, and you have to have total faith. I would be suspicious if the owner made a direct request. l
l
l
Earlier in our career we did it once. Our policy since then
is to never do it, even though that one time worked out fine. We are very against the idea of crew fronting money. In the very beginning of our current job the boat’s card was refused at the fuel dock. We called the boss and told him we would not move the boat until payment by him was arranged. His accounting guy quickly solved the problem and it’s never come up again. l
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The boat uses my corporate account as its checking and cash account. The account sometimes runs a deficit, which I supplement to cover. My salary also goes into this account so I always leave some of my money in there for back-up. l
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I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s good practice. I prefer to have a joint account with the owner where a certain amount of money is transferred monthly, thus allowing the captain to have cash on hand for tips and bills. A credit card is a good second choice. l
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Be careful and know your boss’ integrity and ethics. l
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Some owners feel that you putting your rear end on the
See THOUGHTS, page C15
C14 February 2009 TRITON SURVEY: Fronting the boss money
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Fronting the boss money ‘often ended up biting me’ SURVEY, from page C12 just smile and wait. It’s not my dilemma if the boat is late. I let someone else sweat the small bits.” “I have done this in the past as a solution to problems such as the boat card being refused,” a captain said. “I have discontinued the practice because it has often ended up biting me – long waits for reimbursement resulting in problems to my own account, etc. I make an effort now to make sure the boat card is up to date before making fuel or dockage purchases, and if necessary will initiate a phone call with the accountant to authorize another card number.” That leaves about 47 percent of captains in our survey who regularly front the boat or the boss money. “It was either this or leave the boat, and I like my owners,” one captain said. “I have a pretty long-term perspective.” “Sometimes I feel if I don’t do these things, the next guy in line will, and in these times, a little inconvenience is sometimes worth holding onto your job, or so you think,” another said. “I don’t usually like to mix funds, but if the boat runs out of cash, it’s probably my fault for not planning far enough ahead,” said a third. “Therefore if I needed to cover a bill or a purchase for the short interim until cash arrived, I would do it. I’m not worried about getting reimbursed. If I was, I certainly wouldn’t front the funds. A good owner is like gold. A bad owner is where these questions usually come from.” “Fronting the boss money is always a risk, no matter how much of a standup guy the boss may be,” a captain said. “As with any risk, there should be some reward. For me, knowing the boat is ready and my people will enjoy their vacation time keeps my stress level to a minimum.” “When the boat’s MasterCard is maxed and the vendor does not accept the Amex card, what choice do we have?” another captain said. “It is embarrassing to leave Publix with five shopping carts of provisions unpaid at the till with a line of people behind you waiting to cash out. I use my own credit card then but I immediately repay myself from boat cash, no questions asked.” “If you have a strong relationship with your employer and your judgment is obviously trusted, the risk is nil,” a captain said. Captains offered myriad reasons for ever having fronted the boss money. Mostly, the expenses were vital to the operation of the vessel, including crew wages, vendors and fuel. “Crew and day workers are a critical part of yachting,” a captain said.
“Owners do not see the need to pay them on time, but we as captains know they are essential. Therefore, I have paid people out of my own pocket to make things right.” “My ex-boss tried to [stiff] a great mechanic for an agreed repair,” another captain wrote in. “I paid with my personal money and asked the boss to pay me back or find new crew. He ended up paying me back.” Beyond the most typical yachtrelated expense of provisions, captains noted other things they are often called on to pay for, including “customs officials” (a handful of captains noted that) and prostitutes (one captain admitting to having paid for that). Usually, however, captains fronted money in emergencies, when required parts or labor exceeded the petty cash balances for example, or when a boat’s credit card balance didn’t cover an unusually large provisioning. And most captains had no problem with that. “The times I’ve fronted the boat money was to get the job done,” a captain said. “Boat credit cards get maxed out quite often and if I didn’t put the money up I wouldn’t make a deadline or be able to provision, etc. ... After fronting money so many times I now have a back-up card and carry quite a bit of boat cash.” “It’s not a good rule, but sometimes it has to be done to keep things going,” another said. “I always charge 10 percent to the boss when this happens for both cash and credit. This has helped make it easier for me to gain access to the accounts, to clear them with my own pass codes for checking and credit cards. Talk it over with the boss; usually, they will agree.” Many captains noted that they make this decision not only on the concept of loaning money to rich people, but on who the owner is as a person and boss. “It really depends on who the boss is,” a captain said. “I react to each boss and financial situation differently. With a fair, honest, reliable boss I don’t mind using my own money for small amounts and don’t allow the loan to remain outstanding for long.” “If you have a good set up with the boss, then you work on a trusting giveand-take partnership,” another captain said. “My boss has trusted me with his multimillion-dollar investment, then he is good for my pay back. ... If you are trusted then you should trust back. That’s the way I go along. The only time I lost was when I fronted crew cash, not the boss.” “Captains need to have good judgment,” said a third. “That includes
See SURVEY, page C15
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TRITON SURVEY: Fronting the boss money
February 2009
C15
Captains need good judgment – of the owner, too SURVEY, from page C14 judging the character of the owner and his operation. If you doubt that you will be reimbursed, you should start sniffing around for another command.” “The boss has paid every one of my expense accounts virtually instantly and has never questioned a single item on them, period,” a captain said. “I have an outstanding professional relationship with him (and his family). One can always find an area you’d just as soon were handled a little differently, but frankly most captains would kill to work for this guy. It’s not worth making an issue of it when I am so satisfied with my position. Admittedly, there are some owner types (and I have worked for some of them, too) for whom I wouldn’t do this in a million years.” Nearly half the captains in the survey no longer front money and think the practice is a bad one. “I used to do it but these days, after seeing that often as captains we are thought of a expendable, I have refused to do it,” a captain said. “No money transfered; no paying bills. I just pass on that the boss hasn’t sent the transfer yet and sorry, but you will have to wait.” “Captains need to educate owners on what their responsibilities are, and
the one at the top of the list is paying the bills,” another captain said. “All yacht captains need to get on the same page on several key issues and this is one of them.” “In principle, it is the sole responsibility of the owner(s) to meet the financial obligations of the vessel,” said a third. “New owners need to awaken and realize what is right/wrong,” a captain said. “I am very cautious about an owner who wants to make sure all monies associated with the boat go through my personal corporation. That type of situation has usually ended on a negative note.” “It is not a good idea as it turns out to be treated like a bill to you, which gets over-scrutinized, instead of being viewed as a favor,” a captain said. About a third of our respondents acknowledged that their experience fronting the boat or the boss money ended badly, with either a long delay in reimbursement (resulting in problems with their private accounts) or not being paid at all. “When fronting money, you can run into a conflict with the boss as to what he will pay for,” one captain warned. “We have lost hundreds of dollars due to this. We will only work for yacht
owners who have a working budget, credit cards and a cash float.” “Sooner or later you will get burnt, as I did,” another said. Another facet of this survey that was split was the question of whether captains handle this issue differently in light of the current economy. A bit more than half are not. The issue of tenure didn’t impact the statistics at all. Each tenure range – less than 5 years, 5-10 years, 10-15 years, 15-20 years, 20-25 years, and more than 25 years – was fairly even, with slightly more captains opting not to do anything differently, except in the 0-5 years and 5-10 years categories, where sllightly more captains in those groups are doing things differently. We also were curious to see if a captain’s tenure in the industry impacted the decision on whether to front the yacht money, but the numbers again were pretty evenly split. “Risky business now,” a captain said. “I did it for an old boss that was as good as gold. I’d be hard pressed to do it now. Too easy to get ripped off.” Of those in the industry less than five years, an equal amount do it as no longer do it. That roughly even split holds true through all brackets of tenure, with slightly more no longer do
it, except in the 20-25 year range, where slightly more captains still do it. “I don’t like fronting the money but due to the arrangement between the boat and my corporation it is sometimes necessary,” a captain said. “Fronting money is usually needed for two reasons: unexpected expenses that needed to be paid immediately, such as day workers, or I did not request sufficient funds in advance. “I don’t mind fronting the money in this current situation on a limited basis,” he said. “I do however charge interest if funds have been requested but not received, at 18 percent apr.” And at least one captain had no qualms about doing whatever it takes to keep the owner happy. “The boss is God,” this captain said. “Go the whole hog, or don’t work for him. Loyalty is everything. If it goes bad, walk away with your head high. Never get sour about bad things. If you do, leave yachting.” We conduct our monthly surveys online. All captains and crew members are welcome to participate. If you haven’t been asked to take our surveys and would like to be, drop us an e-mail at editorial lucy@the-triton.com to be added to our database.
‘In five years I stacked up a lot of miles and free flights. He was a great boss.’ THOUGHTS, from page C13 line financially is just part of the job. The owners paying the yacht’s bills and payroll on time is just inconvenient. They have the money. It’s not fair at all for the crew. l
l
l
The several bosses I’ve done this with were for various reasons. I had the cash in the checking account but was not cleared or I was confident it would be paid back as I had a good relationship with the owner. Also one owner asked me to get a personal airline miles credit card and submit the billing to his accountant each month. It was great. In five years I stacked up a lot of miles and free flights. He was a great boss. l
l
l
On smaller vessels, it is more common. On larger vessels, it has not been a problem. The issue is that as captain you keep very good accounts and take copies of every receipt, so when [problems arise] you have documentation and a leg to stand on. l
l
l
The boss always ran short and now he is broke and still owes me money. He made a lot of promises and did not
follow through. Lesson learned: If they can’t afford a yacht, don’t help them. l
l
l
I did it many years ago when I was a fairly new captain. The owner traveled a lot and was hard to get a hold of. Those days it was SSB and a phone in town somewhere in Greece or Turkey. The owner was excellent and always paid me back. I would not be so keen to do it today. The world has changed. Banking is easy and instantaneous, credit cards are accepted everywhere, owners can be contacted anywhere in the world, wire transfers are simple and there is no good reason not to have sufficient cash on board. Having said all that, if push came to shove and I thought it had to be done to get the boat out, I would still do it. Often small vendors do not take credit cards and very little money is allowed to be kept onboard, so between that and day workers it is hard to stay ahead. Lack of money on the credit card has also put me on the spot before, having to pay it myself and be reimbursed at a later date. l
l
l
I have never (and will never) pay an owner’s bills out of my own pocket, although I know several captains who have -- and who have usually ended
up regretting they did so. As far as I am concerned, there is an invisible financial check-valve between the owner and the crew. If the boss needs the captain to pay his bills, he can’t afford a yacht. It’s as simple as that. l
l
l
However poor the owner may be feeling, he is probably richer than me. If he/she cannot afford to pay the bills, it is time for them to sell the boat and me to look for another job. It should never be necessary for us to fund their lifestyle. l
l
l
The boss told me that was how he wanted to do it, said ‘the old captain did it this way.’ l
l
l
Boats have got to have a credit card. The first boat I ran had cash and a checking account only. That was really tough to stay ahead of the accounts. l
l
l
Rule No. 1: Never, never, never put up you own money, regardless of the situation. This is and should always be a red flag. These boundaries are here for a reason, to separate us from them
in that we are employed by them and not friends, confidants and lenders, even though this is often the case. l
l
l
It should never be done. His money, his boat. l
l
l
I would like to add a clause in my next contract that says I will not at any time use personal funds, credit card or any other personal account to temporarily fund the yacht for anything. ... In my opinion a truly professionally run program should incorporate, on both sides, timely, efficient owner funding as well as prudent onboard management of funds. With the financial environment such that it is, the delay of getting funds may get worse and we may hear more of this sort of thing happening. Don’t trust any boss. It does not matter how rich they are. It is getting harder to get your money back. They know there is very little recourse for us. l
l
l
I use the ship credit card for personal purchases, too, so it goes both ways. Also do it to convert my property rentals income into US$, so it’s definitely for convenience.
C16 February 2009 FROM THE CAREER FRONT: Running with couples
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Couples’ time off coordinated COUPLES, from page C1 fall, he hires another couple to replace them. “With singles, their family is at home and they always want to be someplace else,” Hodges said. “With couples, they want to be on the boat.” And they want to be together. Unable to find jobs together, Mate Yan Kunst and Bosun Kathrin Eugen worked separately prior to joining Atlantica. But they didn’t like it. “If it had stayed like that, we would have quit and looked for jobs together,” Kunst said. “Agents really discourage couples. They tell you when you come in together that you’ll never get jobs together.” Even though Atlantica was smaller than their other boats, Kunst and Eugen jumped at the chance to work together. They and the rest of the crew credit the Hodgeses for creating the environment that makes their relationship and career flourish. “It works so well onboard firstly because of Roy and Steph,” said Chief Stewardess Sarah Egan, who joined the yacht this fall with her husband, Eng. Geoff Egan. “They are a professional couple and have obviously hired the right crew that they feel will mix and gel well together. We all hang out with each other but Roy and Steph also make sure that each couple has time off on the same day.” The couple scenrio also tends to work well on Atlantica because of its itinerary. “Couples tend to enjoy the places we go more,” Stephanie Hodges said. “We spent three months in Eleuthera [last summer]. A single person in that environment would have gone crazy.” Capt. Hodges is careful in his hiring though. Not just any couple will do. He said he takes time to not only interview potential crew for their positions, but he interviews them together to make sure their brand of relationship will mesh well with the rest of the crew. “They need to be used to being around each other,” he said. “They can have different thoughts or approaches, but they need to be able to handle it together.” Despite the problems many believe come with hiring couples – that relationship problems result in job problems, that the yacht loses two crew when one partner leaves or gets fired – Atlantica’s crew can name more benefits. Hiring couples often eliminates the common problem of late nights and hangovers. “Single people tend to go out more,” said Chef/Deck Cameron Pasciak. “We go out together, but not until 3 or 4 in the morning.” Happy couples rarely fight. “When I talk to other captains, it’s the fighting that keeps them away from
couples,” Hodges said. “But I’ve run with couples for six years and it hasn’t been an issue.” When stress does creep in, it’s the partner that helps diffuse situations. “It’s relaxing at the end of the day, telling your partner what happened,” said Stewardess Suzanne McGoldrick. “It’s not gossip or drama like you get on other boats. It’s just unwinding.” “We try to have a short-term memory for all that stuff,” Stephanie Hodges said. Happy couples tend to work better. “When you are part of a couple, teamwork steps to another level,” said Sarah Egan, who has worked on boats with her husband for 10 years. “It’s not unusual to see Geoff washing dishes or doing a spot of laundry on his time off in the evening. That’s unusual for an engineer but he likes to help me any way he can to help me provide the service that is expected onboard a charter yacht.” Perhaps the best benefit is the subtle effect a couples-only boat has on not only crew, but guests too. “When they find out we’re couples, they’re always curious,” Eugen said “There’s a certain element from the Mrs.,” said Charlie Collyer, the former chief stew who left the boat last fall. “She relaxes when she finds out I’m in a couple, and the whole atmosphere relaxes on the boat.” “I think couples have a lot to do with it,” Hodges said of the friendly atmosphere on the yacht. “They’re just happier.” “It works because Roy’s so chilled,” First Mate Kunst said. “We worked on a boat were the captain was stressed in his relationship and was moody,” said Eugen, Kunst’s partner. “That spills over to everyone around him. With Capt. Roy, this just doesn’t happen.” “I’ve been very lucky with crew,” Hodges said. “I’ve really not had problems.” “You make your own luck with that by allowing people to do their thing,” Kunst said. But it’s not all about luck, the pure kind or the manufactured kind. Putting together a good crew is always a challenge. Hodges suggests that captains not disregard couples simply because they are a couple. “It is harder” to find jobs together, Hodges noted. “Not everyone wants a couple, and not everyone has the positions you want available. But I think you wind up with a happier crew. We’re like family.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. For more information about M/Y Atlantica, visit www. charteratlantica.com. Comments on this story or on couples working on yachts are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.
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PERSONAL FINANCE: Yachting Capital
Long-term strategy can help you buy low and sell high 2008 was, financially, an unsettling year, to say the least. Just about anyone with assets outside a piggy bank had reason to pause and wonder just what they should be doing. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 34 percent for the year. The Nasdaq was down more than 40 percent and the Standard Yachting Capital & Poor’s 500 was Mark A. Cline down more than 38 percent. Those who have mapped out a financial plan expect down cycles in the market. The biggest obstacle to overcome is the desire to do something hasty when the market falls because it feels better than doing nothing at all. For those of us without a crystal ball, adhering to a long-term strategy based on our goals, personal circumstances and risk tolerance is still the best option. If you understand this basic investment advice, you are in a better position to ride out any market volatility. Most markets go in cycles, but you need to understand those cycles. Many people call these cycles bubbles. Not too long ago we went through the dotcom bubble. Anything that had a .com attached to it would almost guarantee double-digit returns. Then too many people flooded that market, it became overpriced and collapsed. Next we had the housing bubble. Banks made it too easy to qualify for loans. Then housing prices got too high and, in combination with the slowdown in the economy, that bubble has now burst. Now that we see these last two patterns, we can begin to wonder what is happening with cash. Think about it. Many investors are putting their money into cash right now because they do not know what else to do or what to expect with investments. We will see some form of a cash bubble burst in the future. The feds are almost giving free money to the banks to lend, but banks are still gun shy. At some point they will start lending money again. This will help restart the economy. So how long do you keep money in cash? Don’t follow the crowd. Have your own plan that fits your objective. If you have cash, plan to re-invest before things turn around. Consider market fluctuations as a friend rather than an enemy. This view of the market takes the pressure off the immediate personal impact of market swings. Those who use a common investment technique called dollar-
cost averaging expect market change without fear. Dollar-cost averaging is when you invest a specific amount of money on a regular monthly basis. With this investment strategy, no specific timing is involved. Investors typically do this with some type of mutual fund or professionally managed investment. For example, if you have been consistently buying into the market the past six months then you have been purchasing your shares at a discount. If you have been doing this consistently, look at your position a year from now. If the market gets back to its highest level again your overall portfolio may be much farther ahead. When the markets are up, it’s good news for sellers but not for investors who plan to buy and hold for several years. Buyers like down markets because prices are low. Don’t misunderstand. This is not the time to snap up stock just because prices have fallen. Seek out quality opportunities through careful research. Any investment must be fundamentally strong and appropriate for your portfolio. During market volatility, though, such opportunities may be more reasonably priced. Rough economic times are to be expected and you should prepare for them. If it’s been a while since your last portfolio review, now is a good time to check your progress and look for potential opportunities presented by the current challenges. The temptation for many investors is to buy when the market is high, betting that it will only continue to climb, and to sell when the market tanks, hoping to limit their losses. This speculation can often cause investors to get in right before a downturn or to flee before realizing potential gains. The maxim “buy low, sell high” is great advice, but there is no way to accurately forecast the performance of the market. Market timing is not one of the best strategies. A buy-and-hold strategy can help many investors ride out the rough patches and possibly help them realize a greater return than if they had attempted to time the market, inadvertently missing out on the best days. With a long-term outlook on investing, perhaps time will help you achieve the goal of buying low and selling high. 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 column are welcome at +1-954-764-2929 or through www. capitalmarinealliance.net.
February 2009
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C18 February 2009 FITNESS: Keep It Up
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Change in routine keeps body and mind from getting bored
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Are you ready for another circuit workout? Add the challenges to increase the intensity level of the exercises. Remember, it is always good to change up your exercise routine; it keeps our bodies guessing. When we let our bodies adapt to a particular workout, we hit a plateau and stop Keep It Up seeing results. Beth Greenwald We definitely don’t want that to happen. There is always room for improvement. Dynamic Warm Up (6 minutes) You can perform the following exercises standing in place or if you have a little room, you can travel with them: Jog in place - 30 seconds High knees - 30 seconds Butt kicks - 30 seconds Alternating forward lunges - 30 seconds Straight leg kicks - 30 seconds Alternate leg kicks while reaching for your toe with the same hand Arm Swing - 30 seconds. Maintain 90 degree bend at elbow, bringing hand through motion of chin to pocket, start slow and speed up Repeat this two times, you should have begun to break a sweat by now.
chest with palms toward the floor just until your hands are behind your shoulders. Retract your arms back, bringing your body back to starting position and keep repeating, alternating legs. Challenge- use a thicker band. 3. Prone Row (1 minute) Hold a dumbbell in each hand and get in push-up position on weights and toes (wrists under elbows, feet wide.)
Keeping torso and legs still, bend left elbow and draw hand toward hip keeping arm close to body. Lower to start and repeat with right hand. Modification- perform exercise on your knees. Challenge- move feet closer together. 4. Bicep Curl to Press (1 minute) Holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, curl the dumbbells to your shoulders. Rotate
Circuit
1. Squat Thrust (1 minute) Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up. Challenge- add a jump after you stand up. 2. Alternating Lunge with Reverse Fly (1 minute) Hold ends of resistance band in each hand (make it challenging.). Lunge forward with one leg while outstretching your arms, opening the
the palms until they are facing away from the body. Raise the arms over the head until the arms are straight, but not locked. Slowly return your hands back to the starting position. Challenge- stand on 1 leg. 5. Double Jab with Dumbbell (2x20 repetitions each side) Placing a light dumbbell in each hand and hold near chin, palms in. Stand feet shoulder width apart, left foot forward, right foot back, both knees slightly bent. Throw a double jab, twisting thumb in and quickly punch your left fist twice. Do 20 reps, switch sides and repeat. 6. Jump Rope (2 minutes) Keep feet low to the floor, knees slightly bent, bring that rope around quickly. Challenge- alternate jumping on one foot. 7. Oblique Elbow Taps (1 minute) Sit with knees bent and heels on floor, fingertips on navel with elbows out to sides.
See FITNESS, page C19
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FITNESS: Keep It Up
Simple moves of quality, not just quantity can change body FITNESS, from page C18
Roll halfway to floor and rotate torso to right, tapping right elbow to floor, then rotate elbow to left Challengekeep heels off of floor. 8. Close-grip Push-ups (1 minute) Start in push-up position, placing the hands closer together, creating a diamond shape with the thumbs
and index fingers. Feet are together (balancing on palms and balls of feet). Keep elbows against your torso as you slowly lower yourself down into a push-up. Not easy, but keep it slow and controlled, remember quality not quantity. Modification- perform exercise on your knees. Rest, only for 2 minutes though. Hydrate, catch your breath and repeat the circuit two more times. At the end of the third circuit do a 3-minute cool down, jogging in place. Last but not least, remember to stretch. Hold each stretch for at least 15 seconds and go through all the main muscle groups. Another great workout. Keep it up. Beth Greenwald is the program manager for American Specialty Health’s Silver & Fit Program and an adjunct professor in the exercise science department at Florida Atlantic University. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and conducts personal training sessions as well as group fitness boot camp classes. Contact her at +1 716-9089836 or bethgreenwald@hotmail.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
TowBoatU.S. membership can land yachts a free river tow NETWORKING, from page C3 free tow. Tell us about that. One of the things that sets our company apart is the TowBoatU.S. membership program. Everyone knows that TowBoatU.S. covers small boats but many don’t realize that the program will cover the cost of towing a megayacht as well. As long as the owner is signed up as a member, the TowBoatU.S. service applies to any recreational boat owned, borrowed or chartered by the member. If the owner of the vessel is a TowBoatU.S. unlimited member and the vessel has an on-the-water breakdown within the coverage area, the tow will be free. If the vessel just wants our help for safety reasons, the tow will be at a reduced member rate. In both situations the owner saves money by being a member. On a typical 140-foot motor yacht, the owner’s unlimited TowBoatU.S. membership would provide free towing for on-the-water breakdowns of the yacht as well as the tenders and Jet Skis that are associated with the yacht. Further, if the owner had three vacation homes throughout the
country with small boats located at each one, his $135 per year membership would cover all of them as well. It really is a great value. Q. Your company does more than river towing, though. What else might a captain hire you for? Our company also provides launch services. If a captain gets under way for a last-minute sea trial and all goes well, we can send a boat to pick up the technician(s) so the captain can proceed to his next destination without having to come back to the dock. We also have two boats that are equipped with cranes. We have used both of these boats to assist with loading heavy equipment such as life rafts, refrigerators or generators onto yachts while sitting at a berth in a local marina. And we have other divisions that are not related to the yacht industry including our commercial charter, launch and containment boom divisions. Our goal is to be the first call for anyone that needs a towboat or a work boat ranging from 26 feet to 96 feet in South Florida.
February 2009
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BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS C20 February 2009
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BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS C22 February 2009
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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
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