Tender Bye Missing tenders recovered in the Bahamas. A4
Bad food
Connections
U.S. crack down on galley food, provisions. A23
Expo speakers give crew tips, advice.
C1
Vol.6, No. 2
www.the-triton.com
May 2009
CLEARING UP MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE M/Y AZTECA
Captain: Anchor incident exaggerated By Lucy Chabot Reed Unfortunately, it’s true that the 165foot M/Y Azteca dropped anchor a few meters from the coral reef outside San Pedro off Ambergris Cay in Belize. After that, though, much of the story that has made its way around chat rooms and Internet reports has gotten distorted, according to Azteca Capt. Salvador Villerias-Eckart. About 0530 on April 7, the yacht was approaching San Pedro, intending to clear in for a cruise in Belize. “We were coming from Cozumel to Belize, and we were told the best place to clear in is San Pedro,” Capt. Villerias-Eckart said. “Even our agent told us that.” While turning toward the pass, the tow line for the yacht’s 33-foot tender fouled the starboard propeller, causing the engines to stop. Winds were blowing from the north at 20-25 knots with seas of 5-7 feet. Initially, Capt. Villerias-Eckart didn’t realize the yacht was in a restricted area. None of his charts, maps or books indicated the area outside San Pedro as protected. And while they show the reef, none prohibit anchoring near it. “We saw some buoys, like fisherman’s buoys, so I dropped an anchor 100m off one of the buoys,” he said. From there, he intended to wait until daylight to dive and free the prop. With daylight, though, the swell continued and Capt. Villerias-Eckart took the tender ashore to clear in. While in the customs office, Azteca First Officer David Botton hailed him on the radio that locals had approached to say they had anchored in a restricted area. By the time Villerias-Eckart was
TRITON SURVEY
Did you consider yachting as a career when you started? No – 44% Yes – 56%
Now that you are in it, do you consider it a career? No – 7% Yes – 93%
More, C1
What is the best place to take a yacht? ‘Our first officer is a marine photographer, and he took photos ... We did not do the damage they said we did,’ Capt. Salvador Villerias-Eckart said. PHOTO/FIRST OFFICER DAVID BOTTON
finished clearing in, officials from several agencies came to meet him and accompany him back to the yacht. Once aboard, the authorities searched the vessel thoroughly and insisted that every guest, including the owner, awaken to prove they were who their documents said they were. “They were just not nice,” Capt. Villerias-Eckart said. “They are rude
Myths vs. Reality 1. Azteca did not drop two anchors; it dropped one. 2. The anchor did not drag over 150 meters of coral; it did not drag at all. 3. Authorities were not dispatched to the yacht; Capt. Villerias-Eckart was already ashore, clearing in to cruise in Belize. Photographs that say he was being “escorted to police headquarters” actually show him taking authorities back to the yacht. 4. Capt. Villerias-Eckart was not charged or arrested with
with crew, too, and they get seasick. “I offered to move the yacht to another location, even to Belize City, so we would stop causing damage but it was refused, saying that the yacht was detained until further orders, even if we continued to damage the reef.” Throughout the morning, local
See BELIZE, page A17
anything; he was asked to remain at the police station while authorities resolved the situation with the owner and lawyers. He was free to walk outside for cigarette breaks, make and take phone calls, and eventually invited the officers to lunch, buying them all pizza. 5. Azteca does not fly two flags (Bermuda and Union Jack); she flies the Isle of Man flag. 6. Azteca was not towed to Belize City; she departed the waters around San Pedro and cruised the islands before heading back to Mexico in mid-April. – Lucy Reed
We’re not sure about you, but we are pretty tired of talking about the economy and the depressing job situation. So at our captains’ roundtable discussion this month, we talked about yachting, specifically the best places to take a From the Bridge yacht. Lucy Chabot Reed “Someplace new,” one captain began. “I agree,” chimed in another. “Not St. Barts and St. Maarten again and again.” As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page A20. Going someplace new could mean an exotic port or, for at least one longtime captain, an otherwise popular place that somehow was not visited. “Even St. Lucia,” this captain said. “I just went last year. It was my first time See BRIDGE, page A20