Down to the (New) River
Yachtie poll A new monthly feature.
A22 Where to hold up, where to pass
Sail on, sail off The logistics of Dockwise transport.
A15 Vol. 3, No. 8
November 2006
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Struck by ship, Essence sinks, chef drowns
One swallow does not make a summer.
– Aristotle
By Capt. John Wampler
But seven years cruising the globe is a good start. ‘We have been lucky enough to cruise Galapagos, Greenland, to Greece, from Tobago to the Turquoise Coast of Turkey, Panama, Belize and just about every island and country in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as Canada, Ireland, France, the Azores, Bermuda, Italy, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Spain,’ said Capt. Chris Walsh from the M/Y Lord Jim. ‘I don’t know where we’ll head next. We’ve barely scratched the surface.’ See page B22 for the latest from Lord Jim and find out where they got those outfits.
See ESSENCE, page A21
PHOTO/CAPT. CHRIS WALSH
Safety at sea depends on vigilance As word of the collision that sank S/Y Essence spread around the yachting industry, so did the questions. (For some answers, see the story above.) While it may take months or even years for the exact details of that accident to be made public, From the Bridge we thought it Lucy Chabot Reed a good time to talk about safety. How many captains have been in an accident? How many know someone who has? Or are the stories we hear mostly rumors?
Quake shakes captain awake An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 hit the Big Island of Hawaii at 0707 hours on Oct. 15 10 miles north-northwest of Kailua-Kona. Capt. John Wampler was there celebrating his 50th birthday and running a 107-foot former U.S. Navy torpedo recovery vessel with a research group. Here’s his story.
By Lucy Chabot Reed The 92-foot sailing yacht Essence collided with a coal carrier in Long Island Sound on Sept. 20, sinking the vessel in the pre-dawn hours and taking the life of Chef Gina Bortolotti. Described by her captain as bright and competent, Bortolotti was awake when the collision occurred and was swimming to the tender when she disappeared under the water. Her body was recovered soon after by a Coast Guard rescue vessel, but she had drowned. Bortolotti and her fiancé, mate Nardus “Blue” Bothma, had been part of Essence’s three-person full-time crew for about two years. Together with Capt. Ian Robberts, they made the trip from Newport to St. Thomas twice and cruised countless hours through the Caribbean with the owner and charter guests. Robberts described Bortolotti as “totally professional. She was awesome.” “I treated them like my younger brother and sister,” he said. “We would have been on that boat together forever. It was a good team.” Robberts could not talk much about the details of the collision because of investigations and lawyers, but he could
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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. Two of the 11 captains in the room had been in a collision, but every single captain had experienced, witnessed or heard first-hand of near misses. “It’s so dangerous out there,” one captain said. “Anything can happen, especially if you aren’t paying attention every minute.” “I don’t hear about a lot of accidents, but every day, you hear the holy-cow stories.”
The sea stories began with one captain on a trip in the South Pacific where he saw a huge ship ply the waters near Papeete with a spar hanging from its anchor, the assumption being that the ship had run over a sailboat along the way and didn’t even know it. “It’s vigilance,” a captain said. “At 25 knots, it takes less than 12 minutes to get from the horizon to your location.” “Looking straight ahead isn’t good enough,” said another. “You have got to keep your eyes on the radar and keep looking back off your
See THE BRIDGE, page A19
So yesterday I am in a slumber at 0700. In my drowsiness, I thought I heard a big wave hit the rocks just below my second floor balcony at the Royal Kona Resort followed by a low flying jet. That’s what snapped me awake because I was nowhere near an airport. The shaking and noise rose in a side-toside crescendo and just as Capt. John Wampler got I was about to bolt out of out of Kona, as he put bed, the hotel it, wiki wiki. Here he is atop Mauna Kea, 13,978 violently PHOTO/CAPT. JOHN WAMPLER shook, with me feet. flying out of bed as the television crashed to the floor. I am not ashamed to say that I was scared out of my wits. The whole hotel was moving side to side and the noise was indescribable. I struggled to get my footing and ran for the bathroom, the smallest area in my room. The trembler lasted about 20 seconds and when all subsided I went to the balcony to check the water level in Kailua Bay. I went back into my room, picked up the television and noticed that the electricity was out. I figured this would be a good time to head to Hilo. I grabbed a quick shower in the dark and started to gather my belongings. That’s about the time that the first of many aftershocks jolted the hotel. What was packed in my bags, I threw off the balcony, grabbed some clothes from the closet and bolted for the door. The hotel was being evacuated and hundreds of guests and hotel employees were gathered in the parking lot as I got in my car and headed south out of town. An unforgettable morning. Contact Capt. John Wampler through editorial@ the-triton.com.
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November 2006
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The Triton
WHAT’S INSIDE Life begins in Atlantis, page A10
The first delployment of sculptures for a new manmade reef off Miami began in October.
Advertiser directory C23 Brokers/Boats A12 Business Briefs A25 Calendar of events B26-27 Classifieds C18-23 Cruising Grounds B19-24 Crew News A1,4-5,C3,5 Columnists: In the Galley C1 Latitude Adjustment A4 Management C2 Nutrition C9 Personal Finance C10 Photography C13 Rules of the Road B1
Well Read C15 Wine C8 Feature: New River A15-18 Fuel prices B4 How I Got My Start C4 Marina News B12-13,16-17 Networking A6, 23 News A1,8-11,16 Photo Gallery A23 FLIBS party A26-27 Puzzles/answers C14/C11 Technology B1-11 Triton spotter A23 Write to Be Heard A28-31 Yachtsman’s Poll A22
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November 2006 CREW COLUMN: Latitude Adjustment
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Lauderdale’s boat show time means it’s job-changing time There is too much news to be chatty this month, so here it comes. Capt. Martyn Walker, the longtime skipper on M/Y Montigne, has taken over the 205-foot Codecasa Apogee. With a crew of 17, Apogee will charter in the Med and Latitude Caribbean. No Adjustment word yet on what Lucy Chabot Reed Apogee’s former captain John Fleckenstein is up to. Capt. Curtis Cook handed the M/Y Relentless over to her new skipper, Capt. Robin Norquoy, in October. They planned to work together on the handover as the yacht has ongoing projects and planned charters. Capt. Jeff Hardgrave is off M/Y
Exuma C after two years and handed the yacht to Capt. Ken Maff at the Monaco Yacht Show. Ken says the yacht will be in the Antigua show this winter and cruise the Caribbean before hitting cool places such as Scotland next summer. Jeff has taken command of S/Y Zakouska, a Warren S87, which will keep him on the U.S. East Coast and in the Bahamas, closer to his young son and wife. Captains George Hall and Charles Keith can now officially call their jobs a thrill. The men have partnered together and bought a gofast catamaran. Dubbed Thriller, the boat can seat 48 people for a speedy tour of Miami’s waterways, mansions and famous beach. Offshore, it hits speeds of 55 miles an hour. With twin Yanmar diesel engines and Arnison surface drives, the boat has about 1,000 horsepower. On a recent mini-tour, the cat set out down
See LATITUDE, page A5
Capt. Charles Keith, left, and Capt. George Hall aboard their new business venture, Thriller, a go-fast catamaran based in Miami. PHOTO/ANDY CARRIE
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www.the-triton.com CREW COLUMN: Latitude Adjustment
November 2006
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Captains team up for a thrill, chef takes off to hit bottom LATITUDE, from page A4 cruise-ship row and came back the south channel, all to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” One-hour tours cost $25. George has two young children and wanted to be closer to home. Ironically, his wife Sabra says she rarely sees him as he’s working all the time. Charles, who has been a corporate captain with Hargrave, said he rarely sees them anymore because Thriller takes all his time. No one said starting your own business was easy guys. Check them out in the south pavilion at Bayside Marketplace or online at www.ThrillerMiami.com. Capt. Bernard Calot and Chef Claire Villemure have resigned from M/Y Lady Deborah after almost three years. They have taken command of M/Y Olga, the 121-foot Crescent that was formerly Baroness. (See the story on page C3.) Olga will cruise the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Galapagos in the coming months. Speaking of Lady Deborah, Capt. Herb Magney is back in school this fall after spending time this summer with his wife, Mate Tanya Magney, getting the yacht ready for an extensive refit. They then handed the yacht over to Capt. Zachary McAdams. They also brought new charter life to Lady Frances IV by bringing veteran charter Capt. Jackson McHorney on board. Herb is upgrading his USCG license, going after a new Cayman CEC and finalizing the move to MCA V CEC. Capt. Chris Young and Purser Kim Sandell spent the summer running M/Y Never Enough, the old Kismet. They were slammed with charters in the Med but took some time off in October while the crew handled the crossing. Not taking time off is what burned them out on their last boat. Lesson learned. Good for you. Capt. Gianni Brill is back on the water as skipper of M/Y Unforgettable. Capt. Mike Travers has left M/Y Ragazza and spent the summer in New York in command of the 106-foot MaryAnn. Capt. Gian Pietro Vaccari and the crew of S/Y Orion of the Seas competed in several races this summer in the Med, including Vela Clasica Menorca - IV Copa del Rey in Mahon. Afterward, they delivered the boat to Genoa for a short yard period and got her ready for the Regates Royales in late September. No word how they did. Keep us posted. Chef Brennan Dates, most recently on M/Y Charade, is taking six months off to ride his BMW motorcycle from
Miami to Ushuaia, Argentina, and back – 20,000 miles – to raise money for Parkinson’s disease. His dad was diagnosed with it at age 47, and though he’s not yet Dates sick, Dates said he thinks a cure is near and he wanted to do something. “I could sit around and wait, or I could go on a great motorcycle trip and
raise money and awareness,” he said. His goal is $150,000, 100 percent of which will be donated to the National Parkinson Foundation. He’s received sponsorship from businesses such as National Marine Suppliers for his equipment and he’s spending his own money for much of the traveling. “You don’t die of Parkinson’s, but it’s like torture. You can’t go to the bathroom on your own. You’re like a baby with your muscles flexed all the time.” For more information or to make a
donation, visit www.20thousandmiles forParkinsonsdisease.com. And last, but not least, Kristy Fox has joined the staff in the crew placement office at Northop & Johnson in Ft. Lauderdale. You may recall Kristy helped launch The Triton two years ago. Good luck out there Kristy. Send news of your promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
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November 2006 NOVEMBER NETWORKING: At Bluewater
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10 questions: Getting familiar with Bluewater Books & Charts Bluewater Books & Charts is hosting The Triton’s November networking social on Nov. 1 beginning at 6 p.m. at the bookstore. This is the bookstore’s third annual electronic navigation mini trade show. Come meet fellow yachties for hors d’oeuvres, beverages and demos of the latest in electronic chart software from Nobeltec, Furuno (MaxSea), Godfrey Navionics, C-Map and UKHO. Find the new Bluewater store at 1811 Cordova Road. Take 17th Street to Cordova (just east of US1) and head south. Bluewater is on your right as you enter Harbor Shops. ad.qxd 4:53 PM Page 1 Until Nov.9/14/2005 1, enjoy this conversation
with Vivien Godfrey, who owns Bluewater with her husband, John Mann: Q: So what’s new in electronic charts? Many, many things. So much, in fact, that most captains find it very hard to keep up with all the great technology that can help them navigate. The major trend is providing more accurate electronic charts at a far lower cost than in the past. In addition the information is updated and improved more frequently. Q: I’ll bet that’s a switch from what captains dealt with even five years ago. Certainly. The greatest change is that the electronic charts can, in many areas, now be used as the primary form of charting instead of paper. Paper has become the backup versus five years ago when paper charts were the main source for navigation. However, as you
know, vessels that need to meet flag state requirements mostly have to have corrected paper charts on board and the electronic charts will not meet those requirements. Q: In addition to charts, how can you help yacht captains with trip planning? Most captains like to have cruising guides that provide helpful information about marinas, shore facilities, and provisioning and entertainment options. We stock cruising guides for every destination and we also have a wide range of land travel guides, maps and coffee table books. The guests can use the guide books themselves to choose their shore-based activities. Q: You and John didn’t start Bluewater. Tell us how you came to own and run it now. A desire for a better life in the sun and near the ocean while suffering
from minus-40 degree temperatures in Minneapolis where we lived for 10 years before moving to Florida. Q: Don’t charts go way back in your family? My grandfather and father worked their whole careers for the company based in London that made and retailed charts, maps and travel books. The company began in 1853 and is still doing business today. I sit on the board. Q: What was John doing a decade ago? Both of us were working for The Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis. John was head of sales for North America and I was the head of Haagen Dazs for North America. John’s job including selling the Pillsbury Doughboy products along with Green Giant Veggies, Progresso Italian foods and Old El Paso Mexican foods. The really weird thing is that John loves ice cream and I love veggies. Q: And you own Armchair Sailor in Newport, too, right? Yes. John grew up in Gloucester, Mass., and when we heard in 2001 that the Armchair Sailor business might be for sale, we thought it would be a perfect chance to spend more time nearer his family in New England. In addition, many of our customers base themselves out of Newport. Q: Many think your stores are a cruiser’s heaven. How much business is focused on the large yacht sector? It is quite hard for us to estimate the sales by type of customer. Sometimes the customer dressed in a T-shirt and shorts is a cruiser and other times he turns out to be the mate or first officer or even captain on a large yacht. So we can estimate our sales better by product type than by the customer themselves. We think about 30 percent of our sales are to large yachts. Q: There are a lot of personal items in the store, too. Why that direction? We were very fortunate to move last year into our larger location. We have about 40 percent more selling space and can’t just fill up the space with more copies of Sailing Directions and flip cards. Local residents in Ft. Lauderdale are also our customers who are looking for gifts and general reading. We have added products that we did not have space for. Q: You’ve been in this new, bigger location a year. What’s next? We are announcing at FLIBS our new customized inventory management service. Two specialized large yacht team members will travel to a vessel and take a physical inventory of charts, software, electronic charts, professional publications and all other navigational materials. We’ll catalog and maintain the inventory, noting when a particular publication becomes outdated and needs to be replaced. For more on the service, turn to the Tech Briefs on page B10. – Lucy Reed
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November 2006 CARIBBEAN NEWS
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Passport law has little impact on Caribbean’s charter industry By Carol M. Bareuther American yacht charter clients and crew members must have a passport to enter or re-enter the U.S. from the Caribbean by air as of Jan. 8, and by sea as of June 1, 2009. This ruling is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Because 73 percent of U.S. citizens do not hold valid passports, the rule has prompted panic among Caribbean tourism leaders. In fact, Caribbean Tourism Organization SecretaryGeneral Vincent Vanterpool-Wallace has called it a “Category 6 hurricane” that could devastate the region’s economies. This led Caribbean tourism officials, working through the Caribbean
Community Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) and Caribbean ambassadors in Washington, D.C., to successfully argue against the original implementation date of Jan. 1, 2006. The widespread publication of this original implementation date put the region’s charter industry on alert. However, it seems that this is one segment of the Caribbean’s tourism sector that will be only negligibly affected by the new passport ruling. “All of my charter clients either have their passport or are still able to use their birth certificate and picture IDs,” said Ellen Stewart, owner/broker of Stewart Yacht Charters, based in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. “Plus, there are lots of notices from clearinghouses reminding brokers of the passport requirement.”
Pamela Wilson, general manager of the Virgin Islands Charteryacht League, in St. Thomas, agreed. “It hasn’t been an issue for us or cost us any charters or money that I’ve heard of,” she said. “I think about 90 percent of our clients probably had a passport before they even thought about a charter yacht vacation.” The impact in non-U.S. island nations has also been minimal. “A very small percentage of Americans possess a passport, especially when compared to other first-world countries, but I don’t think that has even been an issue for crewed charter yachts,” said Dick Schoonover, manager of CharterPort BVI, a Tortola, British Virgin Islands-based yacht clearinghouse. “For us, I sense that most of our charterers are already experienced travelers. I asked around a year ago about ‘when was the last time somebody had a group aboard that did not have passports’, and the answers were vague. Vague because it was hard to find anybody that could say something like ‘last week’, or ‘Oh, all the time!’” Further south in Antigua, Sarah
Sebastian of Nicholson Yacht Charters, said, “It’s not a big issue for us as we are used to telling our clients to have a passport.” Sofia Fay, marketing manager for Horizon Yacht Charters, in Tortola, BVI, agreed. “There’s hasn’t been much impact for us.” Likewise, Nerendra Sethia, charter broker at Barefoot Yacht Charters, located in St. Vincent’s Blue Lagoon, said, “The impact on bookings for us has been zero.” The 2009 delay in passport requirements for U.S. entry or re-entry by sea will be welcome by yacht charter crews, especially those who regularly travel between the United States and BVI. “Your passport can quickly get used up since it’s stamped each time you enter the BVI,” Wilson said. “For that reason, most crews use their birth certificate or picture ID. Crews can continue to do so for at least another year or two.” Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer living in St. Thomas. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.
SXM show adds seven seminars The third annual St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition (SCYE) announced the following seven seminars during the show scheduled for Dec. 2-5 in Simpson Bay: Update on U.S. Immigration regulations, presented by Danielle J. Butler from Hill Betts & Nash. This seminar will cover the legal aspects and regulations of non-U.S.-flagged vessels entering, cruising and chartering in American waters. Cruising in Cuba, presented by commodore and founder of the Club Nautico International Hemingway de Cuba, Jose Miguel Diaz Esrich. Commodore Esrich will detail the many facilities that Cuba has to offer as well as introduce the Marina Hemingway in Havana. (There will also be a demonstration by a Cuban cigar maker and a sampling of Cuban rum drinks including the famous Mojito.) Security awareness and preventative measures in the yachting environment, presented by Tony Sparks from Phantom Services. This seminar will provide information on how to be prepared for as well as how to counter security issues. Attending captains and crews will leave with a better understanding of the increased security issues in their environment and the preventative measures that will keep them and their guests safe. Wine tasting, presented by Martial Jammes from Le Gout du Vin. Targeted for chefs and stews, the presentation
will also focus on selecting the correct wine to enhance a meal and how to serve it correctly. Electronic charting update, presented by Justin Mann from Bluewater Books and Charts. What is new and notable from the major software and chart manufacturers. Discussion will cover data from both official hydrographic sources as well as private companies. Attendees will learn about what new features and content they can expect to see from these software providers. Marine fuels and lubricants, presented by the Sol Group, exclusive distributors of Shell products in the Caribbean market. This seminar will focus on advances in marine lubricants, using the correct lubricant and such matters as avoiding contamination in marine fuels. Satellite communication today, presented by Advanced Marine Systems of Ft. Lauderdale and Sint Maarten. This seminar will focus on new, fully stabilized marine satellite communication solutions. All seminars will be held at La Guinguette Restaurant’s airconditioned conference room. La Guinguette is located adjacent to the SCYE hospitality and exhibition center. Visit www.scye.com for a schedule of the seminars, coordinated by The Maritime School of the West Indies. All SCYE attendees are welcome. Non-attendees must contact info@scye.com for more information.
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November 2006 NEWS BRIEFS
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Work begins on 16-acre manmade reef off Miami The first deployment of objects that will eventually constitute the world’s largest manmade reef were expected to take place in late October about three miles off Key Biscayne in Miami. The Atlantis Memorial Reef is designed as a final resting place for
cremated remains and A non-profit arm will cover 16 acres in of the company, the water up to 55 feet deep. Atlantis Reef Society, Expected to become has begun efforts to an international dive preserve the reef as well site, the site will stretch as educate others about 900 feet in diameter and coral reefs, diving and include 40 bronze and marine ecology. Annual concrete sculptures, four memberships in the 10-foot-high gates, and society begins at $50. 3,200 columns for the For more remains. information, visit www. “It took us three and atlantisreefproject.com. a half years to get all – Lucy Reed the permits but we have them,” Gary Levine, USCG drafts plan to founder and CEO of save reefs Atlantis Memorial Reef, CBS reported in announced at a meeting October that the U.S. of Ft. Lauderdale’s Coast Guard has been Marina Mile Association With sculptures designed by world renowned sculptor Kim working on a plan to in mid-October. “Our first Brandell, Atlantis Memorial Reef is expected to be complete in protect Ft. Lauderdale deployment will begin RENDERINGS/WWW.ATLANTISMEMORIALREEF.COM reefs from freighters by three to five years. in 14 days and consist of changing the anchorage 1,000 pounds of concrete to craft bronze and concrete statues rules. and steel.” that will make up the site. Cremated Currently, vessels waiting to enter The for-profit side of the company remains of some 80,000 people will rest Port Everglades can drop anchor in two has invested more than $1 million inside the columns throughout the site. areas where three reefs run parallel to All of the structures are designed the coastline. and crafted with rough surfaces to Two ships have run aground on the attract microorganisms and encourage reefs this year, according to a report a coral reef ecology to begin. The on MarineLink.com. Since 1994, 11 project will take three to five years to ships have grounded themselves and complete. damaged more than three acres of “There’s no reason for this not to be reef, costing ship owners millions to the most visited reef in the world,” said repair. Levine, who owned Hurricane Harbor The Coast Guard wants to limit the Marina in the 1980s. size of the vessels allowed among the “Let’s say artificial reef,” he said. “I reefs and restrict them to certain areas, don’t want to take anything away from MarineLink reported. Vessels less than the Great Barrier Reef.” 575 feet would be permitted to anchor Developed by Atlantis Memorial The Society’s ‘Dome of Distinction’ between the second and third reefs, will recognize individuals and groups Reef, the site will be owned by the state called Anchorage A. Four ships would be permitted to anchor there at one who have made contributions to of Florida and will be free to divers. time. the diving community and marine Levine estimated that it would take more than three days of dive trips to Anchorage B would have three conservation effort. see all the sculptures. anchor points for a total of seven anchored vessels at a time. Others could drop hooks in deeper water to the east. Officials from Port Everglades, and environment experts on county, state and federal levels were expected to meet in October to review the proposal but no details were available by presstime.
New River Boating Center sold
Aqua Marine Partners and Vertical Yacht Club Development recently acquired the New River Boating Center just south of State Road 84 in Ft. Lauderdale. In the near term the yard will remain a yard and subcontractors are welcome, said Andrew Sturner, CEO of Aqua Marine Partners. Eventual plans for the site include a high-tech dry storage facility similar to the recently opened The Port on Southeast 17th Street,
See NEWS BRIEFS, page A11
The Triton
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NEWS BRIEFS
November 2006
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New CPR guidelines focus on chest compressions Yacht crew have begun taking courses in the new CPR guidelines that are designed to minimize interruptions to chest compressions. Studies show that effective chest compressions create more blood flow to the heart and the rest of the body, buying a few minutes of time until defibrillation can be attempted or the heart can pump blood on its own. The guidelines were published in 2005, but it has taken time for emergency healthcare providers to get trained and then offer the training to lay rescuers, according to a release from the American Heart Association. The most significant change is the ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths – from 15 compressions for every two breaths to 30. The 30-to-2 ratio is the same for adults, children and infants (excluding newborns). “As data was analyzed, the need for better chest compressions became readily apparent,” said Dr. Lance Becker, president of the American Heart Association Metropolitan Chicago Board of Directors and director of the Emergency Resuscitation Center at
the University of Chicago. “The more compressions victims receive, the better.” Another guideline change is the sequence of rhythm analysis and CPR when using AEDs to jumpstart hearts that have stopped beating. Previously, the device analyzed the heart rhythm, delivered a shock if necessary and analyzed the rhythm again. The cycle could be repeated three times before CPR was recommended, resulting in delays of 37 seconds or more. Now, after one shock, the new guidelines recommend that rescuers provide about two minutes of CPR, beginning with chest compressions, before activating the AED to re-analyze heart rhythm and attempt another shock. Studies have shown the first AED shock stops the abnormal cardiac arrest rhythm more than 85 percent of the time and that chest compressions between shocks can deliver oxygen to the heart, increasing the likelihood of successful defibrillation. To learn more about CPR and AED classes, visit www.americanheart.org.
YachtFest attendance doubles, three megayachts win awards NEWS BRIEFS, from page A10 The facility has a 30-ton TraveLift and berthing for up to 32 vessels in covered wet slips, open wet slips, and bulkhead slips. The main building offers 10,000 square feet of available office and shop space. Govan Marine Company of Pompano Beach has already expanded his mobile marine repair business there. The property’s new owners are working with city officials on plans and permits for a new facility. For more information about Vertical Yachts, visit www.verticalyachts.com. – Lucy Reed
YachtFest doubles in size
Attendance doubled at YachtFest 2006 in late September, according to a news release by event organizers. The seventh annual YachtFest presented by San Diego Marine Exchange featured more than 30 superyachts over the four-day show. Specific number of attendees were not released. “The quality of the attendees at YachtFest is equal to that at the shows in Ft. Lauderdale and Monaco,” said Vince Krivanek, general manager of Fraser Yachts Dealership. “With the steady flow of qualified visitors, attendance was exactly what we were
hoping for. This event proved very productive for us.” Broker Maggie Vale of Rhode Islandbased Churchill Yacht Partners and a broker for Christensen’s 157-foot series, was at YachtFest for the first time. “It was well worth the trip from the East Coast,” she said. “The show generated two charters and three customers interested in building a Christiansen yacht. The best part of YachtFest was the diversity of Southern California’s clientele – a whole new market for us.” The conclusion of the event brought awards to three yachts, announced at a party hosted by Pacific Yacht Refitters. The people’s choice was M/Y Destiny, a 70-foot sport motor yacht built by Johnson in 1999. The best interior went to M/Y Patriot, a 96-foot yacht with seven levels. The Bruce Vandale best-in-show award went to M/Y Barchetta, a new 157-foot megayacht by Christensen. (The award was renamed this year in memory of Bruce Vandale, of ShowBoats International and friend of YachtFest, who passed away this year.) YachtFest ‘07 is scheduled for Sept. 13-16 at Shelter Island Marina/Island Palms Hotel. For more information, visit www.yachtfest.com or call +1-858836-0133.
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November 2006 BROKERS / BOATS
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Lady Moura repair, refit to finish in February M/Y Lady Moura started her fourth visit in October to Blohm + Voss Repair, a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, according to a story on MarineLink.com. In addition to general repair and refit work, various preservation work on both the hull and the superstructure will be part of the job. The work is scheduled to be completed in February. Lady Moura was built in 1990 by Blohm + Voss. The yacht is 347 feet (105m) and has space for 61 crew. She has previously been in the yard in 1992, 1997 and 2003.
to offer two modern, but handmade transportation classics, The Northport 58 updates the elegant picnic boat of the 1920s and ’30s with advanced construction materials while retaining the wood and leather interiors. The Morgan Roadster is a special edition of the classic two-seater from the UK’s Morgan Motor Co., the world’s oldest car manufacturing company still owned by descendants of the founder.
Nichols sells Nuova Vita
International Yacht Collection’s Dave Nichols sold his central listing M/Y Nuova Vita, the 100foot Broward. Renamed M/Y Situations, an extensive interior refit was expected to be completed this fall. Broker Bob McKeage offers a new central M/Y Zaza, the 151-foot Tacoma, which can be seen at the Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show.
The spirit of the Sea
Detroit Eagle, others at DN Kelley
And the 120-foot Christensen Kakela (above) joins the IYC charter fleet in Florida and the Bahamas. For more information call +1-954522-2323 or e-mail info@iyc.com.
Adventuress enters regatta
M/Y Detroit Eagle was at D. N. Kelley & Son Inc. Shipyard in Fairhaven, Mass., for its annual dry-dock period. Work consisted of an ABS inspection, shafts, sea chests, top side paint and various other tasks. M/Y Invader is at the yard for a twomonth period and getting a laundry list of work done dockside, including teak deck work, engine room work, and extensive generator work. The 130-foot Westport M/Y Miss Sydney was hauled, painted and received a new HeadHunter MSD system. Other yachts serviced at the yard this fall include the M/Y Argyll, S/Y Knickerbocker, M/Y Kingfish, M/Y Kaleen, M/Y Miss Penny, M/Y Muse, M/Y My Commission, M/Y Canim and M/Y Miss Michelle. Contact D. N. Kelley & Son Shipyard at +1-508-999-6266 or through www. dnkelley.com.
Walkabout to Northrop & Johnson
Northrop and Johnson’s Ft. Lauderdale office has been appointed central agent for M/Y Walkabout, the 94-foot (28m) Lazzara. Broker Kevin Merrigan has also been appointed cocentral for M/Y Maverick, the 138-foot (42m) Sterling. For more information, call +1-954522-3344.
Updating classic boat, car
Seaforth Marine Group and the Morgan Motor Co. are partnering
PHOTO/ROY SEA
M/Y Sea & H, the 90-foot Burger formerly known as Argus V that burned in Lyford Cay in July 2004, still lives. Aside from being purchased and rebuilt (read those stories on www. MegayachtNews.com), part of her old name graces the home of a Ft. Lauderdale broker. “When the SEA & H sold, Bill Hipple gave me the letters and they went to my warehouse and there they sat,” said broker Roy Sea with Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales. “Then the roof blew off in 2004 (Hurricane Jeanne, I think). I moved out my old cars, papers and junk and threw a lot away. The letters went to my house in Ft. Lauderdale, and that got trashed with Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The SEA & H letters got close to the Dumpster many times. “Well, I still have them and three of the letters (SEA) went up on my house. If I find a girlfriend named Hillary or Heather then he ‘& H’ will go up. It may be a little redneck, but it reminds me of Mary and Gordon Henke [Sea & H’s original owners], two of the nicest people I ever met in the boat business.”
The classic ketch Adventuress (below) has signed up for the St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta to take place in January. Build in 1924, Adventuress has been restored during an extensive, awardwinning four-year refit. She will be in the Caribbean by the end of November for the first time since her restoration and will be available for viewing at the 3rd annual St. Maarten Charter Yacht Exhibition (www.SCYE.com) Dec. 25. Adventuress is normally based in Newport, R.I. Depending on charter requests the yacht may also sail in the St.Barth’s New Year’s races, Heineken Regatta, Antigua Sailing Week and Antigua Classics, and others.
For information about the St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta 2007, visit www.ClassicRegatta. com. For more information about Adventuress, visit www. NoLimitsCharters.com. Send news of your yard, marina or megayacht to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
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November 2006 FROM THE FRONT
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USSA networking event draws 75, adds several new members By Lucy Chabot Reed About 75 people attended the first networking event of the newly formed U.S. Superyacht Association (USSA) in Ft. Lauderdale in October. The group was created earlier this year to promote U.S.-based megayacht businesses around the world. “We go to these trade shows all over the world and see these beautiful displays by the British, the French and the Italians,” said Karen Blake, chairwoman of USSA and vice president of Palladium Technologies in Ft. Lauderdale. “You look around and say where are the Americans? We’re there, we’ve always been there, but we’ve been staunchly defending out little 100 feet of carpet, wondering how we can get a better spot next year.” Smaller companies benefit by having access to large events they might not have been able to participate in, such as international boat shows, said Executive Director Bransom Bean. “I think it looks like a good idea,” naval architect Kevin Kerwin said. “I’m a member of other organizations and it’s more social. I like the idea of an association focused on business. The American culture has a tendency to go
it alone. The rest of the world doesn’t do that.” The association got a boost soon after the event with the announced memberships of Trinity Yachts in Mississippi and Knight & Carver YachtCenter in San Diego. “A U.S. superyacht trade association has been a long time coming and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Billy Smith, VP at Trinity. “Other countries have had their trade association for years although most superyachts are actually American-owned and a huge percentage are built here.” “Given that the majority of superyacht owners are American and that the U.S. is home to some of the largest yacht builders in the world, we feel confident that USSA will be an effective and influential voice in representing this country’s megayacht interests to the world-wide yachting industry,” Bean said. Businesses that join by Dec. 1 will be classified as a founding member. Annual membership is $500. For more information, contact Bean at +1-800208-5801 or info@ussuperyacht.com. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
The Triton
www.the-triton.com FEATURE: Navigating the New River
November 2006
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Local knowledge of the New River By Capt. Michael Knecht
signaling with a horn is a good practice as I negotiate the many blind turns on Navigating Ft. Lauderdale’s New the river to let oncoming traffic know River can be a challenge for even the I’m coming. Remember, not everyone most experienced captain. The New listens to their VHF radio. River is filled with confusing markers, Now that we are through Tarpon twists and turns, currents and very Bend, there is about a quarter mile of tight quarters. mostly straight navigation. If someone Join me as I travel up the New River. had responded to our securité call, I I will point out a few interesting spots would have suggested that this is a along the way. (By the way, as we head good area for down-bound traffic to up the New River, we will be monitoring wait as we negotiated Tarpon Bend. VHF Channel 16 and VHF Channel 9. (No. 2 on the map.) Most of the river traffic and all of the At the end of this quarter mile, we bridges monitor Channel 9.) see that the river has a short bend. At As we start up the river from the this bend sits the building called the south, take note of the markers. Girl’s School. This five-story, dormitoryThere are two sets of markers in this style building sits on the north side of area: the New River markers and the the river. I like to make a security call ICW markers. If someone gets them in the straightaway so I can wait on my confused, their yacht can wind up side of the Girl’s School should I need aground on the Triangle. to pass something large. This is the first of many securité Now we are on our way to the tunnel calls we will make during our where U.S. 1 passes under the New journey. We will make all securité River. Here the river takes a bend to the calls (pronounced si-kyoor-i-TAY) on southwest. We will make a securité call channels 9 and as we approach. 16. The passage While it is a wide between markers 5 spot and passable, and 6 at the mouth we need to make of the river can sure that if the be tight for large current is running yachts and is not a we allow room good place to meet for the yacht with another vessel. the current on its Here’s what stern to swing as it I say when I’m comes around the approaching turn. It’s easy to get confused at the that area (adapt Now the river intersection of the New River and the takes a turn it to meet your Intracoastal Waterway. ICW markers back to the west situation): have a small reflective shape that as we approach “Securité, securité, securité. corresponds with the shape of the downtown Ft. TowboatU.S. New marker, in this case a square. Lauderdale. We River inbound the move with care as mouth of the New River at markers we come around this corner just before 5 and 6 with a motor yacht in tow. the Third Avenue bridge. It can be Any concerned traffic please contact tight when you have boats docked on TowBoatU.S. New River on VHF both sides of the river. If I need to pass Channel 9.” someone at Third Avenue, I choose to As we continue along the river, do it on the upriver side. one of the first good waiting areas The next bridge is Andrews Avenue. approaches between markers 7 and 8. The area between Third Avenue and (No. 1 on the map) We can comfortably Andrews Avenue can be a good place to wait here to pass a vessel coming out pass. (No. 3 on the map.) of Tarpon Bend. This is also one of the The next bridge we see is the FEC locations I like to use when meeting a Railroad bridge. This is the only bridge yacht to tow up the river. on the river that does not have a bridge Our next securité call is as we tender. It is computer controlled and approach markers 9 and 10. Here we goes down automatically when a train will announce our approach to Tarpon is coming. If is goes down, all we can do Bend. This is the first tricky spot. It is station keep and wait. is a blind S-turn and we cannot see Once we are through the FEC oncoming traffic. There are a number Railroad bridge, the river makes a of shallow spots approaching the bend sharp turn to the south at the Broward and on the inside of the bend that Center for the Performing Arts. As concern me as well. we approach this bend, we will make At this point it is important that a securité call. The area between the we not get out of shape as we navigate performing arts center and the FEC Tarpon Bend. Don’t be surprised Railroad bridge can be tight and is to come around the turn and meet usually not a good place to pass. The another yacht at the most difficult part. short straightaway on the south side It has happened many times. I find that of the bend can be a good place to
Knecht has been a captain since 1990 and has been running the New River with TowBoatUS for eight years. He was recently named the company’s river supervisor in charge of yachts. He monitors two VHF channels and two cell phones to talk to bridge tenders, boating traffic and his colleague, Christian PHOTOS/LUCY REED “Skinny” Denhard, on his own tug behind. meet another large vessel. (No. 4 on the map.) Now we are at the Seventh Avenue bridge, the last of the downtown bridges. Let’s pause here for a note about working with the bridge tenders. The tenders monitor Channel 9. I listen for other traffic calling the bridges as I approach. Sometimes it is possible to coordinate a shared opening with the other vessel. This saves the bridge an opening and has saved me from waiting because I got there just after the bridge closed. Remember, too, that the New River bridges have two lockdown periods: 0730-0830 and 1630-1730. Commercial vessels have one advantage in this situation: The bridges will open for towboats on demand, even during lockdown, so there is no waiting if you are under tow. About a quarter of a mile past the Seventh Avenue bridge is the fork in the river. The south fork leads to Little Florida and the bulk of the cities marinas and boat yards. The stretch between Seventh Avenue and the fork is a good place for us to wait for any traffic coming out of Little Florida. (No. 5 on the map.) We will make a securité call before we commit to Little Florida, a sharp S-turn that can be difficult, especially when there is a strong current. There is a short straightaway just upriver from the turn. If anyone responds to our securité call, they will probably wait there for us to pass. (No. 6 on the map.) The next areas we will approach are Ducksville and the Wiggles or Narrows. We will make a securité call at Ducksville and be prepared to wait there for any down-bound traffic coming through the Wiggles. The Wiggles is a quarter-mile stretch that can be tight for a large vessel and leaves
little room for maneuvering, let alone passing. And it is very unforgiving if a boat has a mechanical problem. We will listen as we approach the area for any down-bound vessels that may call the Davie Boulevard bridge, but not answer our securité call. Safely coming out of the Wiggles, we are in a wide area before we reach Davie Boulevard. We can stay here to pass a down-bound yacht waiting to enter the Wiggles or if we meet a downbound yacht coming through the Davie Boulevard bridge. (No. 7 on the map.) It may be wide, but we need to stay alert in this area. When the current is strong and the wind is blowing it is easy to get shoved around a bit. We are past Davie Boulevard and in the long straightaway (about a third of a mile) that ends with a 90-degree turn.
See NEW RIVER, page A18
The New River is a tricky place. High rises on both banks have created a windy canyon-like effect, small canals spilling into the river cause boats to slide, and the pump-out station south of the Andrews Bridge (above) dumps enough to push even the heaviest Feadships aside.
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November 2006 FEATURE: Navigating the New River
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www.the-triton.com FEATURE: Navigating the New River
November 2006
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GRAPHIC/CHRISTINE ABBOTT
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November 2006 FEATURE: Navigating the New River
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Blind corners require planning NEW RIVER, from page A15 This is another place where we will make a securité call before we commit to the turn. There is plenty of room on both sides of the turn for vessels to pass (No. 8 on the map) but no room in the turn for two vessels of any size to pass. After the turn we are back in a stretch of the river that is filled with yards and marinas. Farther along, we find ourselves in a quarter-mile straightaway that leads into a long curve that passes under the I-95 overpass. (No. 9 on the map.) We will make a securité call in this straightaway before committing to the curve. We can wait here for any yachts that are already committed to the CSX Railway bridge or coming out from under I-95. Now we are approaching one of the toughest spots on the river, the CSX Railway bridge. This is a problematic spot in perfect conditions. When the current is running and/or the wind is strong, it can be particularly dangerous. The CSX Railway bridge has a bridge tender. I like to call them while still in a comfortable place to find out if I am going to have to wait for a train. We will make a securité call and keep our eyes open for traffic that is not monitoring the VHF. It will be a difficult situation if we meet another vessel, even a small one, after we have committed to passing through the railway bridge. There is plenty of room on the upriver side of the bridge to have out-bound traffic wait. (No. 10 on the map.) We successfully maneuvered the most difficult parts of the river. For the next half mile the river takes relatively gentle turns until it comes to a 90degree turn to the west, just before the Secret Woods Nature Center. We will make a securité call in the straightaway before we commit to this turn. As we pass Secret Woods on the south side we approach more marinas and boatyards. Here, coming off
Knecht pauses in a good holding spot to adjust the lines. He pulls the 127-foot Feadship Golden Rule while his teammate pushes the stern to maneuver tight and tricky turns. PHOTOS/LUCY REED
the river to the south and heading under State Road 84, is a waterway to the Dania Cut-off Canal. The river continues west, past more boatyards on the south side and homes on the north. The New River continues west for miles, but this is as far as we will go on this journey. It’s a beautiful, scenic waterway but can be quite adventuresome for those who are unfamiliar with it. Along with the challenges of nature is the constant concern of other boaters. Without proper planning, forethought and the ability to react quickly to a chance meeting in a blind corner, a scratch or worse is possible. Capt. Michael Knecht is river supervisor for yachts at TowBoatUS in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at +1-954-2920948.
Constant monitoring of channels 9 and 16 is a must to traverse bridges in a timely and safe way. In the half-mile of wide, calm river west of the Davie Boulevard bridge, two inbound boats passed, one outbound boat passed and the Jungle Queen brought up the rear. Bridges open for commercial boats on demand, so it helps to coordinate shared openings. PHOTO/LUCY REED
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FROM THE BRIDGE
November 2006
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Captains: Coast Guard getting stricter on sea time THE BRIDGE, from page A1 stern quarter.” One of the captains who had been in an accident explained the details. “It was on the New River [in Ft. Lauderdale],” he said. “The tide was going out and I was going in. We were stopped at the Andrews Avenue bridge and I called [the other boat] on the radio. I told him ‘I’m tucked up, you come ahead.’ He radioed back that he’s waiting for me, so I come around the corner and there he was. “He hit me and all the sailboats tied up on the seawall, crack, crack, crack,” he said. “It was the most horrible sound. “I cannot drive up the river now without thinking of that,” he said. “Cape Ann Towing can charge whatever they want. It’s worth every penny.” “And who hasn’t been on the river when the Jungle Queen comes sliding around?” a captain said. “I rode on his wake once. The bridges have to open for commercial traffic and I tell you, that was the fastest I have ever been down the river. The last time, I couldn’t keep up.” “You have to know the rules,” another said. “Outbound naturally has the right-of-way.” “That’s not necessarily the case,” said a third. “It’s whoever has the tide on his stern. The commercial guys know that. It’s when you get the privately operated boats that you have the problems.” There was much discussion on the failings of owner-operators, many of whom have had little training and often don’t monitor their radios. “I consider myself a good boat handler, but it depends on the boat,” one captain said. “Some of them track like a go-cart. [The boat I’m on now,] you just close your eyes and hope for the best. We have an underpowered bow thruster and no keel, so we’re crabbing all the way down.” The conversation took a turn here toward qualifications and the significance experience – or the lack of it – plays in accidents. “As much as we have all these new rules and regulations, especially crew regulations, I’m finding that ‘qualified crew’ can’t even hold a compass course,” a captain said. “Schools teach the bare minimum. And we do it, too. We go to sea and switch the auto pilot on. I try to turn the auto pilot off and
Each month, The Triton invites yacht captains to lunch to discuss industry issues. If you are a hired yacht captain and would like to attend, e-mail lucy@thetriton.com. Space is limited.
make them all hand steer, at least for an hour.” “It’s the Coast Guard and the MCA’s fault for letting that sea time through,” one said. “But it’s our fault, too,” said another. “We know if they really did the sea time, but we sign off on it anyway.” “I just this year got a call from the Coast Guard verifying that this person did indeed work on my boat,” a captain said. “It was a four or five-year-old situation, but it was the first time in 25 years that I have ever been called. … The captain is responsible.”
“The crew member is responsible, too,” another said. “I did more than 30,000 miles as a deck officer on a 200footer. If I could have verified my sea time, I could have gotten in under the old rules, but I wasn’t comfortable with that. All those loopholes have stopped, but now you’ve got all these young captains who don’t really have the experience.” “I have to tell you that I got caught in a random audit, and I lost 700 days of sea time because I couldn’t verify it,” said a captain. “There are two former FBI agents out there working on this
stuff now. The days of signing off on sea time that a person hasn’t earned are coming to an end.” Those regulations, at least on commercially registered vessels, have also limited running time and specified manning levels. Still, many yachts operate as private recreational vessels and don’t always follow those guidelines, the captains said. “It comes down to manning,” a captain said. “Brokers will tell owners they can run with limited crew. How
See THE BRIDGE, page A20
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November 2006 FROM THE BRIDGE
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Faster communication gives illusion of more accidents THE BRIDGE, from page A19 many watches can you stand at three in the morning, especially by yourself?” “We accuse the mates, but it’s not the mates,” another said. “We go on long trips and we’re all tired.” So do you get the sense that yachting is safer or less safe than it was, say, 10
years ago? “I think people are safer,” one captain said. “There’s a lot less alcohol and drugs at the helm than there used to be.” “Our perception is that there are more accidents today because we hear about them more,” another said. “The gossip and the e-mails are around the
world 10 minutes after someone rams the dock in Newport.” “In the long run, stronger regulations will make the industry safer,” a captain said. “In the short term, you have all these people who don’t know a fuel filter from an oil filter. Seriously. I had one of them on my boat.” “We’ve got to keep cross training,” another said. “We’ve got to train the stew how to use the fire hose because we can’t be there every time something happens. I make a point of everyone going down to the engine room and
starting the generator. And when we’re under way, we turn off the auto pilot and steer. “Yachting is as safe as you make it,” he said. “You’ve got to train.” “Yeah, but there’s a lot more traffic out there,” another said. “You can do all the training you want but if the guy in the other boat is asleep at the wheel …. We could sit here all day and talk about close calls.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com for an invitation to our monthly Bridge luncheon.
Attendees of The Triton’s November Bridge luncheon were, from left, Bill Curran of M/Y Yangkhi, James Sevier M/Y Seabiscuit, Rob High (looking), Rob Messenger of M//Y Tamara K, Jonathan Pearson of M/Y Maverick, David Hare of M/V Thunder, David Cherington of M/Y Crown Legacy, Tim Smith of M/Y Solstice I, Doc Proctor of M/Y Simaron, Bernard Calot of M/Y Olga, and Tim Silva of M/Y Tenacity. PHOTO/LUCY REED
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FROM THE FRONT: Essence
November 2006
Bulbous bow gave crew time to don life vests ESSENCE, from page A1 explain how he remembered that night. The previous day, Sept. 19, the yacht and her crew were in Newport. Workers didn’t finish repairing the watermaker until about 1730 hours so soon after, the crew got under way for its 13-hour sail to Greenwich, Conn., where they had a commitment the next day. Conditions were good and the crew was used to sailing at night, which they had done all over the Caribbean and East Coast, Robberts said. They ran a two-on/four-off watch schedule, with part of those four hours off spent in the pilothouse. That way, if the person standing watch needed help, they had only to reach around behind them for a watch partner. After his watch, Robberts woke Bortolotti. After her watch, she woke Bothma, who took the helm. Bortolotti stayed in the pilothouse and Robberts went to sleep in the salon. At some time around 0400, Bothma identified a vessel on the horizon, but couldn’t make out the port light. He hailed the ship and there was communication between them, which was recorded by the Coast Guard, but he couldn’t determine the ship’s direction. He altered course in an attempt to pass the ship port to port, and the freighter T-boned the yacht midships on the port side. The collision woke Robberts, who ran to the pilothouse. Bortolotti and Bothma were both unharmed. They quickly donned life vests, analyzed the situation and began evacuating. They had a dead ship. Bothma used a handheld radio and hailed the ship, informing the pilot of the situation. The ship called in a mayday. The yacht’s rigging had collapsed from the impact on the Bortolotti on the starboard deck, so the life rafts weren’t Essence. accessible. They opted for the tender, which was being towed, tied to the starboard side. “Through all of this, they were totally professional,” Robberts said. “They didn’t once question my decisions, they didn’t hesitate, they didn’t panic. They did their jobs.” Robberts concluded that the water pressure from the stillmoving ship held the yacht against her bow, supported in part by the protruding bulb underwater, for 10-15 minutes. The freighter began slowing. The tender, still attached to the yacht’s starboard cleat, was dragged alongside
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MAT T H E W ’ S MA R I N E
AIR COND. INC.
Excellence in Marine Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Products and Services for Large Vessels
954 761 3840 Fort Lauderdale
The last crew of S/Y Essence: From left, Capt. Ian Robberts, Chef Gina Bortolotti and her fiancé, Mate Blue Bothma. Essence sank on Sept. 20. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. IAN ROBBERTS
the ship. When the yacht was hit, it listed slightly to starboard, sending the tow line under the hull. There was no way to reach down for the line and pull the tender close, so Bothma jumped into the dark waters from the port side of the yacht and floated to it, climbed in and tried to start it. “I needed to know it would start before I released it,” Robberts said. The tender wouldn’t start. “I could hear the boat creaking and I could feel we were getting more unbalanced,” Robberts said. “I knew we were going to go under, so I told Gina to jump in the water. It was dark and cold and scary, with this big ship bumping you. She didn’t argue or anything. She just jumped.” Robberts turned to make for the aft deck of S/Y starboard cleat to PHOTO/BLUE BOTHMA untie the tender. His first step was on the teak deck, his next was in the water. The yacht was pulled under that fast. “I was standing right by the port cleat. If the tender had been tied there, I could have just reached down and untied it,” Robberts said. “There are so many ifs. I could give you a hundred, maybe more.” With the tender still attached, it too was quickly pulled down. Bothma immediately came to the surface, Bortolotti did not. It is unclear exactly how or why she went underwater in her life vest. Most likely, the tender caught her as it was dragged down. During all this, the freighter was still
moving. Robberts found Bothma and together they searched for Bortolotti. The freighter tossed down a life ring with a light, but no rope. They were separated when Robberts swam to the freighter’s life boat, which was
See ESSENCE, page A22
401 787 7087 Newport info@matthewsmarineac.com matthewsmarineac.com
PROUDLY SERVING FT. LAUDERDALE, PALM BEACH, MIAMI AND NEWPORT
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November 2006 YACHTSMAN’S POLL
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Triton e-survey: Are you U.S.-bound? Welcome to The Triton’s newest feature, a monthly survey of readers. In October, we polled 808 captains and asked “Will you bring your yacht to the United States in the next 12 months?” We received 114 replies. Here’s what you said: Will you bring your yacht to the U.S. in the next 12 months? Yes No
102
To those who answered yes: Are you U.S.-based or visiting? U.S.-based Visiting
12
60 42
To those visiting, what is the primary reason for the visit? Yard work Provisioning Boat for sale Vacation
To those who answered no: Why not?
35
Just not in plans Immigration Other
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Comments from based-here yachts, both U.S.- and foreign-flagged, sized from 53 to 145 feet:
Comments from the just-visiting yachts, the majority foreign-flagged, sized from 61 to 240 feet:
“Dockage is a pain in Ft. Lauderdale and not cheap, but convenient for repairs, finding crew, and as a jump-off point for the islands.” “The dockage and yard work goes to the local yard where [the owner] has kept his boats for the last 20 years. Money and convenience have little or nothing to do with it.” “[The yacht] is registered in the U.S. because her owner is ex-military and wishes to wave the flag. He spent a tidy sum taking her out of Cayman registry, unbelievable but true. Therefore, I must hire only U.S. citizens.” “The owner is American and always U.S. flags his boats. We find it difficult to find decent U.S. crew, and I have been actively encouraging my owner to change flags with his next boat.”
“Our currency of operation is the U.S. dollar and obviously they go a lot farther in the U.S. than in Europe. I also find that we can accomplish more in a shorter period of time in the U.S. as opposed to Europe. Of course, the complicated entry process and unevenly applied immigration regulations in U.S. ports are a significant deterrent to many yachts and I know several captains who will no longer put up with it. However, for me, once the entry regulations are understood, compliance is worth the effort.” “We are familiar with vendors here and have strong working relationships with them; we tend to save major work for when we arrive in the U.S. (especially Ft. Lauderdale).
5 2 5
Comments from the no yachts, all foreign flagged, sized from 111 to 155 feet:
“The owner doesn’t bring the yacht over [from the Med]; they’re going to the Caribbean. The last time he wanted to go to the U.S., he had so much trouble to get in with customs and immigration, he refused to spend his money in the states.” “We will not be in the USA in the next 12 months due to our itinerary in the Pacific, although I must say with all the confused bureaucracy between agencies and fees for pilots etc., we are glad to be away.” “Cost of DockExpress not cost effective; it’s more economical to remain in the Med.” “We will not be in the States in the next 12 months. Not everyone in the world centers their plans on the U.S. of A.”
The Triton’s monthly survey takes place through e-mail. If you would like to take part , send an e-mail to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
Robberts: ‘Safety was always a priority, and I had the best crew’ ESSENCE, from page A21 battling to locate them in the dark. When he boarded the life boat, Robberts looked back, and saw the blue lights of a rescue boat in Bothma’s position. By radio, he understood that two people had been pulled from the water. He thought they were both OK, but Bortolotti had drowned. Robberts is still mystified by the accident. He has witnessed other yachts in both the United States and the Caribbean with questionable ethics, getting in all sorts of situations, he said. As master, he did drills with his crew regularly, and they practiced ‘what ifs’ all the time. “I just knew something like this was never going to happen on our boat,” he said. “We ran it so professionally, safety was always the priority and I had the best crew.” He’s concerned now for Bothma. He and Bortolotti had just recently gotten engaged and the day before the trip had asked for time off to get married. “He’s lost everything, his job, his fiancé, his future,” Robberts said, and in the next breath continued, “and her parents. Gina was their only child. I
can’t imagine what her folks are going through.” Bothma has been spending time in Southern California with Bortolotti’s family and Robberts is headed home to South Africa to put his life back together. All his paperwork and personal documents sank with Essence, as did his career, he fears. “I may try engineering, I’m not sure about being a captain again,” he said. “If you are the skipper of a boat that goes down ... you know how this industry is.” And then he shared a conversation he had with the owner, who is deeply saddened by the loss of one of his crew and his yacht, a place where “he’d come and just hang out with us.” “He asked me if I would hire Blue again, and I told him in a minute,” Robberts said. “The most wideawake person on the ocean is going to be someone that has had this frightening experience.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. Capt. Robberts and Bothma ask that friends of Bortolotti’s send the news of her death to anyone who knew her.
Lost dreams Here is a portion of Bortolotti’s most recent entry on www. bluegina.com. It has been edited for space: Well, here we are in Newport, R.I, for the rest of the summer. I love it here. It is such a scenic place and not just a little bit like coastal California, so for me there is a Bortolotti and Bothma were recently little nostalgia and familiarity engaged and had asked Capt. Robberts in it. for time off in the coming months to This year we are doing PHOTO/BLUE BOTHMA get married. more cruising around Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod. Our guests this year have all been really great … young, polite and lots of fun. We couldn’t be happier with our new situation. In other, more exciting news, we have bought a house in Northern California near the Trinity Alps. We got an amazing house that is only four years old and it is seated on nine acres with a breathtaking view of the mountains and the sunset. Blue and I are both nature babies so we are over the moon about it. Our plan is to work like dogs until next fall and save our pennies and then begin our exit from the yachting industry. I, for one, cannot wait to have a normal life. We will miss the friends we have made more than anything and don’t want to lose touch with them. Flyfishing in the mountains anyone?
The Triton
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Triton Spotter
John McMillan brought his Triton with him from his home in eastern Maine to San Francisco where he was conducting safety training with his company, McMillan Offshore Survival Training (www.mcmillanoffshore. com). Enjoying The Triton with Alcatraz over their shoulder are the children of McMillan’s cousin, Crea Pugh: From left Rosie, David and Lamar. Nothing wrong with starting Triton readers young. PHOTO/JOHN McMILLAN
PHOTO GALLERY
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Not only do we have coast-to-coast Tritons this month, we have coast-to-coast Golden Boys. On the U.S. East Coast was M/Y Golden Boy, a 94-foot Hargrave. Capt. Ian Benjamin, right, kept her looking good in Ft. Lauderdale in October as PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO she awaits a new owner. On the U.S. West Coast was M/Y Golden Boy II, a 115-foot Sovereign in the midst of a three-month stay at Knight & Carver YachtCenter in San Diego. Capt. Vareek Breaden, below left, reports that the vessel will head for South Florida and the Bahamas by year end. Next to Breaden are Chief Stew Linda Mattsson, deck/stew Karyn Reynolds, and Engineer/Mate Sam Hewitt. PHOTO/JOHN FREEMAN Yes, the yachts are related (at least we think so). The owner of Golden Boy sold it to move up into Golden Boy II. Word is he’s 23 years old and just may be the world’s youngest megayacht owner. Nothing wrong with starting yacht owners young.
Industry networks at Kemplon
At our September networking social, Capt.Walt DeMartini of M/V Dry Martini won the weekend stay at Big John Browns Hotel in Bimini, courtesy of the hotel. DeMartini scooted right over later that month and sent us this photo. From left, Bartender Banks, Capt. Walt, bartender Jammer, an unknown person, and manager Big C. If you haven’t joined us for networking, see what you’re PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. WALT DeMARTINI missing?
First Mate Julien Pijloo attaches a new rail and bracket to the flybridge of M/Y Olga, the ex-Baroness, while docked at The Boathouse in Ft. Lauderdale. The yacht pulled out of town in late October for the Caribbean. Read more about Olga and her crew on page C3. PHOTO/LUCY REED
Kemplon Marine Engineering Services in Ft. Lauderdale hosted The Triton’s October networking social. Just a year old, Kemplon was started by former Chief Engineer Jeff Kemp and his partner, former Chief Stewardess Colette O’Hanlon, to answer a need in the industry – one for quality work. Driven by a desire to do a good job, they were bothered by subcontractors giving Ft. Lauderdale a bad name. So they focus on the customer, getting the job done when they say they will, and doing it well. They call their business “a shipyard without the yard.” They not only do electrical, mechanical, plumbing and air conditioning repairs, Kemplon now has a workshop to handle all sorts of part fabrication. Started in a home office, Kemplon has grown to four employees and three part timers. Read more about Jeff and Colette and their business philosophy or take part in Jeff’s engineering blog at www.kemplonmarine. com. And join us for our next event on Nov. 1 at Bluewater Books and Charts (see story, page A6). With about 100 people enjoying burgers, dogs and beer, the networking was good. Above, from left, Geoff Orr of Yacht Chandlers, Kemplon’s O’Hanlon, Capt. David Johnson and Kemplon’s Kemp. PHOTO/LUCY REED Oh yes, and there was talk of many things engineering. Capt. Garry Schenck PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO gets an education at Kemplon’s warehouse/office.
The Triton
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BUSINESS BRIEFS
Captain starts yacht support with staff of shore-based crew Capt. David Johnson and his fiancé Tara Selett have launched Solemar Yacht Support in Ft. Lauderdale that offers services from project management and yacht management to deliveries and detailing. Johnson, skipper of a 110-foot Feadship, has been in the industry more than 10 years. Selett has worked for a South Florida chandlery in the provisioning and bookkeeping department for the past three years and will run the office and handle accounts. Solemar staff will include crew who have made the decision to be shorebased but still enjoy the occasional delivery and simply working on yachts. Part of the staff includes a 3000-ton licensed captain, a Y2 engineer, chief stewardesses and first mates. Contact Solemar Yacht Support at +1-954-610-3263 or info@solemarys. com.
Sea-Fire at presidential roundtable Ernie Ellis, president of Baltimorebased Sea-Fire Marine, participated in a roundtable discussion on Oct. 6 hosted by President George W. Bush. The focus was jobs and the economy, with emphasis on the entrepreneurial spirit and global commerce. Ellis outlined Sea-Fire’s history, its international presence and recent expansion into the Pacific Asia market. He also expressed an interest in relaxing regulations and opening the market with China. With more than 30 years experience, Sea-Fire is a developer of marine fire suppression technology. Sea-Fire’s FM200 fire extinguishers and suppression systems provide protection for craft ranging from PWCs to megayachts. For more info, contact Sea-Fire at +1-800-445-7680 or www.sea-fire.com.
Architect moves into yacht center
Belgian naval architect Bruno Bouckaert is moving his company, Innomare, from Rotterdam to The Hague. From Nov. 1, the office will be located near the marina of The Hague, where the city is developing a nautical centre for yachting-related activities. For more information, visit www. innomare.com.
Chef joins Sacks Group
The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals announced the addition of Betsy Millson-Anderson as a charter marketing manager. Millson-Anderson started in yachting as a chef in the early 1990s. She ended her career on M/Y Blue Harem, a busy charter yacht. She is a three-time winner of Antigua Charter Yacht Show’s Concourse des Chef competition. She left the industry in 2003 to become a certified special event
professional and created Queen Bee Productions, an event management company specializing in yachting events. For more info, contact +1-954764-7742 or info@sacksyachts.com.
Patrick Knowles hires Plachter-Vogel Patrick Knowles announced in October that Jane Plachter-Vogel has joined Patrick Knowles Designs, his custom yacht and aircraft interior design firm based in Ft. Lauderdale. Vogel, a well-known designer in the megayacht industry whose accomplishments include more than 50 custom yacht interiors, joins Patrick Knowles Designs as director of design. She had been president of PlachterVogel Design in Ft. Lauderdale. For more information, visit www. patrickknowlesdesigns.com.
CMI opens new HQ
Custom Marine Inc. (CMI) hosted business partners and civic leaders at the grand opening of a new corporate headquarters in Neenah, Wis. The new 95,220-square-foot structure has been designed to manufacture mufflers, exhaust systems and components for marine, turf care and specialty power products applications.
New owners at Sea Tow Savannah
Capt. Chad Walters and Capt. Jim and Deb Givens have recently purchased the Sea Tow Savannah franchise. The Givens are also coowners of Sea Tow St. Catherines, just south of Savannah. Capt. Walters, who is also owner of Sea Tow Ft. Loudon (Tenn.), will relocate to Savannah with his wife, Lehla. To contact Sea Tow Savannah, call (912) 356-8344.
Sea Tow R.I. gets grant
Sea Tow Rhode Island owner Capt. Alan Wentworth has partnered with charter Capt. Ed Hughes to establish Clean the Bay, a non-profit organization focused on removing debris from the shores of Narrangansett Bay, R.I. Their efforts have resulted in a $150,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the support of the U.S. Navy, R.I. Sen. Jack Reed and others. The grant will help fund Clean the Bay’s Project Clean Sweep, which will conduct ongoing clean-up efforts in the region. For information, visit www.cleanthebay.org.
JEM has new GM
Johnson Electronics and Machinery in Hollywood, Fla., has appointed Kevin Zervas as general manager. Zervas joins JEM after 13 years at Sea Tel, where he most recently opened and managed the technical support facility. Contact JEM at +1-954-792-4449 or info@ johnsonelectronics.com.
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November 2006 TRITON FT. LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW PARTY 2006
The Triton’s annual boat show party is all about catching up with friends you haven’t seen all year. Nearly 1,000 captains, crew members and business people joined us at Bimini Boatyard on Oct. 19 to do just that. “Thank you for a wonderful time. My progress through the crowd began at the door and every few steps there was someone to talk with in much detail, old friends and now new ones.” Capt. John, Nancy, Shaun, Michaela, Gary & Christina M/Y Serendipity II
“Great party. Thanks to all at Triton who made it happen.” Bill Leonard VP, Benetti Service USA
“On behalf of the MHG team I would like to thank you for a great party. We are very impressed with the turn out. I believe it must be a sentiment of the value that The Triton has to the luxury yacht industry.” Peter Hult MHG Marine Benefits
Psst: It wasn’t us who made the party great; it was all of you. Thank you for coming, for loving this industry and for being fun and positive people. We love our jobs and are proud to be your newspaper. – Editor Lucy Reed
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The Triton
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www.the-triton.com TRITON FT. LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW PARTY 2006
For more photos, visit www.the-triton.com.
November 2006
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November 2006 WRITE TO BE HEARD
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The Triton
Clearing his head after what he has read Time has come to do what some of us have learned to do but others have not: share. Not all things shared by others are always welcome, like foul body odors and foul odiferous advice. Some of you may find what I am going to share odiferous Having My Say and others may Capt. Herb Magney welcome it.
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I always make time to read The Triton and 25 to 35 pounds of maritime periodicals each month. Now it’s time to comment on some of what has been put out in print. First, The Triton’s “Lesson learned” series. There has been plenty of back and forth about “Should I call in, who to call, why should I when I’m just a yacht.” Having run both foreign-flagged vessels and U.S.-flagged vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast, here is a little advice that works every time, is legal and not a lot of trouble.
1. U.S.- or foreign-flagged vessels must get used to filing an ANOA. It’s free and between yourself or someone on the beach you can update the info if needed. Even if you do not think it may be required, or the local coast guard office says you don’t need to for your vessel, tell that to the guys in the fast boat offshore Port Everglades when they want to board you. File the notice and print the information out. Now you are in the system. Do you think for a minute that our fellow captains flying planes overhead go anywhere without clearance? The aviation industry and ours are not running on parallel courses, they are converging, and quickly. You good ol’ boys who hate paperwork and regulation best suck it up or find another line of work. 2. Call the 1-800 number for immigration, prepare to stay on the line for hours if needed to get a clearance number, and take it down in the log book with the name of the officer who gave it to you. You will not get a clearance number until you have docked. Save your comments on how silly it seems and how you could be smuggling right up to the dock. Think twice. Between the radar, the helicopters, the planes and the boats, the powers that be know the names of all the vessels coming in and where they go. Just because you did not happen to see them don’t for a minute think they have not seen you. With clearance number in hand, call the office you plan to go to and find out what time they want you there. Sometimes they are there and can take you, other times they will tell you to come in the next day. Always get the name of the person you talk to. Don’t forget to cancel any float plans you left with the management company or a friend. Second, there was a comment that jumping around from one boat to another is bad behavior. I don’t agree. If the agreement or the mission is to stay with the specific boat for 10 years, then do it. Someone tell me how many home builders spend 10 years working on the same house. Where would we be as a society if all of us stayed with the same task year after year? Our whole system is based on rotation. The president isn’t even allowed to run the country as long as some folks have run a boat. Our company, First Look Inc., has a specialty, and that is problem solving. Once we solve the problem, it’s time to help another owner. Just because someone has been doing something for years does not in any way mean they have been doing it right. Third, what knucklehead would say that having terms of employment or an agreement for the operation and management of a yacht is not worth
An employment agreement is only as good as your ability as master to enforce it. If you can’t make it work, don’t blame the system. This is just captains’ ignorance striking another mighty blow to the profession.’ the paper they are written on? An employment agreement is only as good as your ability as master to enforce it. If you can’t make it work, don’t blame the system. This is just captains’ ignorance striking another mighty blow to the profession. Do your due diligence before getting yourself into troubled waters with an unscrupulous owner. It’s a brave new world out there and if you’re not up to doing the job without whining about it, move over. And fourth, I must say thanks to people like Chris Taylor at International Yachtmaster training and Amy Beavers with Maritime Professional Training for reminding us that there are a lot of captains who do not know what they are talking about. Chris’ June letter to the editor setting the record straight with regards to the schools coming up with a regulation scheme so they can have more classes was way too nice and correct. Amy’s article was flawless; read it and learn something. Try to be responsible and professional and realize the point of view from the insurance companies that have sway over it one way or another. You are responsible for the safe transportation of passengers on multimillion-dollar assets. If you do not agree with the amount of schooling to maintain the opportunity given to you by the approving insurance underwriter, then complain to them and see what they say. The whole process requires that you should be responsible enough to study the work you do while at work and maybe during the process teach some of it to your crew. However I realize the whole concept of change and learning for some of you is as lost as Atlantis. With opinions being free, you often get what you pay for. Capt. Herb Magney is back in school this month after a summer working out management issues on two boats. Contact him through editorial@thetriton.com.
The Triton
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WRITE TO BE HEARD
October 2006
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November 2006 WRITE TO BE HEARD
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The Triton
U.S.’s right, left hands not communicating on visas After a multimillion-dollar refit in Ft. Lauderdale throughout 2005, I took [the yacht] down to the Caribbean for a season of cruising with the owner, family and guests. As to be expected after such a major refit, we had a few teething problems that needed to be addressed. I managed to rectify many of the problems myself but a couple of issues I needed to have looked at back in Ft Lauderdale. So we headed back north from Sint Maarten via the Bahamas. The trip to the Bahamas was not for the owner or even for pleasure; it was because my two British crew required their B1/B2 visas and the Bahamas had the nearest embassy. As the trip was not for the owner, we were not authorized to go on the dock, which meant on the hook way east of Nassau. We took the tender ashore to visit the U.S. embassy only to be turned away. We were told we had to buy a scratch card from the gas station, scratch it off and call the number on the card. I thought they were playing a practical joke on me and wasting my time, but I headed to the gas station and sure enough I got a card. Then I headed back to the boat to call on the ship’s phone. We were told on the phone that they only gave visas on Fridays and that the
upcoming Friday was fully booked. This We were checked in by phone and was not good news as we needed to now had to check in personally. We get the work carried out on the yacht wanted this over as we’d been awake sooner rather than later. I explained on throughout the previous night and the phone the importance of getting were really feeling it. We arrived at an appointment sooner as we couldn’t immigration to be greeted by an wait 10 days. uncrowded office, just what we hoped I was then told that since my crew for. But alas it wasn’t meant to be. were British they With my crew ‘Check, double didn’t need a B1/B2 having no visas, they check and triple check to enter the United would not check us States; they could in and threatened to your information enter on a visa waiver fine us up to $3,500 because even the program. This was each. They didn’t authorities get it something new to care that we had me so I got the lady wrong. I’ll also consider done as told. They at the embassy to explained that we immigration issues were not entitled to repeat exactly what when recommending was required. She use the visa waiver told me (incorrectly, the next refit location to program as we I later found out) the owner. It is making did not enter on a that a British citizen licensed commercial may enter the United parts of Europe ever carrier. States under the visa more attractive for Things were waiver program as going from bad to future yacht work.’ long as they have a worse, but we tried booked departing to remain calm and flight. treat the officers with as much respect Great news. We lifted anchor and as possible. We were each drilled steamed across to Port Everglades. On with incriminating questions, but we arrival, we called the 1-800 number and answered honestly and only gave the waited. I was glad I didn’t call on the information they asked for. sat phone because I was on hold for Ultimately the crew were given well over two hours. visas but, unfortunately, we did incur
fines. We have contested them but do not expect a reasonable outcome. One thing I did find out was that if a crew member has entered the United States on the visa waiver in the previous 90 days, they are entitled to re-enter. Personally, I won’t ever risk it. All my crew now have visas and I won’t ever do it any other way. In conclusion: Check, double check and triple check your information because even the authorities get it wrong. I’ll also consider immigration issues when recommending the next refit location to the owner. It is making parts of Europe ever more attractive for future yacht work. Epilogue: A few weeks later, my new second engineer went to the U.S. embassy in London to get a B1/B2 visa so he could join us in Ft. Lauderdale. He was turned away after being told that a British citizen on a British yacht doesn’t need a B1/B2 visa and can enter the United States on a visa waiver. So that’s two separate occasions we’ve been given the incorrect information. This account came to The Triton from a British captain on a foreign-flagged vessel over 110 feet. He asked that neither he nor the boat be identified for privacy reasons.
The Triton
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WRITE TO BE HEARD
November 2006
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Pilotage laws kill family trip, tradition Want to know how to ruin the owner’s summer trip that his family has been cruising for the past 16 years? Most summer cruises on the U.S. East Coast consist of going from Ft. Lauderdale to New England and even up to Canada. Many yachts, foreign- or domestic-flagged, pass through the Chesapeake and Delaware areas. This summer on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale, I received a call on the radio cruising from Cape May, N.J., to Annapolis, Md., via the C&D Canal. Not knowing it was a Delaware pilot on a passing tanker, he questioned what my tonnage was. Not thinking much of it, I told him it was 195 tons. Was that a mistake! He asked if a pilot was on board. The boss never had one nor has heard that one was needed. When I answered no, it was implied that I was breaking all types of laws and treaties. I was asked why I did not check in with the Coast Guard and give 48-hours notice, etc. etc. Thinking my captain’s license would be tarnished, I did what they said. A boat with black rubber tires came to transfer a pilot to our 103-foot yacht with a brand new paint job (don’t forget, the owner is on board). If that wasn’t enough, halfway through the C&D Canal we had to transfer and pick up the Maryland pilot via the rubber-tire boat. Once aboard, the Maryland pilot informed us that we had to take them all the way to Annapolis as they did not have the means to get off the boat. This was a $5,000 one-way cruising adventure that I recommend not trying. I don’t think we will be spending any more time or money in the Chesapeake or Delaware area. I do have to mention that the actual pilots who came on board were polite and felt it was as ridiculous as we did. They have never been on a yacht of our size and were not able to handle them. After talking with other captains about my experience I have found that there are ways of avoiding this fiasco, but they’re not fit for print. Name of captain and boat withheld for privacy reasons
Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com Business Manager/Circulation Peg Soffen, peg@the-triton.com
First mistake: Swimming to tender with line I read Tim Cook’s article [‘It was about 0500 and, as we watched, the tender broke free,’ page A28, September 2006] and a few things struck me. Firstly, he blames the entire incident on everyone but himself when really the biggest mistake was made by him when he jumped into the water with the tow line. Surely it would have been easier to have the captain position the boat as close as possible to the tender, then he could have swum, without the tow line, to the tender, climbed on and started it up. Also, as mate, would it not have been his duty to go to sea with spares? To not have one spare shackle onboard is crazy. Not having a go, but sometimes people are quick to blame others. Name withheld
Meat man got me, too
After reading the article “Have you met the meat man?” in October’s Triton, I was surprised to learn that [the meat man] was still up to his old tricks. I, too, was duped back in 2003 at the Hall of Fame Marina. He got the best of me with the same old song and dance Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com Advertising Sales Suzy Farmer, suzy@the-triton.com Graphic Designer Christine Abbott, sales@the-triton.com Abbott Designs Distribution Ross Adler, zakad68@aol.com National Distribution Solutions
that he gave to poor gullible Scott Fratcher. He was so articulate that I felt I was taking advantage of him. When the dust settled and I did the numbers, I was shocked that I had paid about $22 a pound for his frozen, vacuum-packed horsemeat. About a year ago, I saw him sneaking out of Lauderdale Marine Center but he was too quick for me and my baseball bat in hand. Then again, it’s our own fault. We need to be careful about the salesman that gives us that false sense of urgency. Unfortunately, because of his dirty actions, I have become distrustful and now snarl at probably the hardworking legitimate salesman that approaches my boat. Capt. Paul Pratt M/Y Princess Hannah
Monaco party was ‘fabulous’
Thank you for your Monaco party. I liked it last year with fewer people, but I have to say, this was fabulous in comparison, really. We all managed to catch up with so many people we rarely get a chance to see during the show when everyone Contributing Editor Lawrence Hollyfield Contributors
Carol Bareuther, Alex Berl, Ian Biles, Andy Carrie, Mark A. Cline, Capt. Conor Craig, Mark Darley, Capt. Walt DeMartini, Capt. Jake DesVergers, John Freeman, Jon Hacking, Sue Hacking, Amanda Hacking, Capt. David Hare, Jack Horkheimer, Capt. Craig Jones, Capt. Michael Knecht, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Capt. Herb Magney, John McMillan, Donna Mergenhagen, Capt. Michael Murphy, Steve Pica, Mate Allison Rese, Rossmare Intl., James Schot, Patti Sehi, Capt. Tom Serio, Capt. Chris Walsh, Capt. John Wampler
is beholden often to company duties. Thanks again. Karen E. Pranschke Executive Assistant Palmer Johnson Yachts
Another go-round, solo
When I wrote about running alone [“Operating a boat without crew can be done safely,” page A31, September 2006], I thought it would be stating the obvious to mention that there was a practical limit to the size of vessel one could comfortably handle alone and, although obviously there are exceptions (i.e., Alain Colas), a 58-foot Hatteras is probably as large as one might go. The majority of the people I know who read my letter got the fact that my final comment was “tongue-in-cheek.” Capt. Anonymous apparently did not get that memo. I am not sure what the size of my ego has to do with this as I explained my reasons for running alone and ego never featured but, as Capt. Anonymous hid behind anonymity to question the size of my ego, I in turn question the size of his testemonials. Capt. Ian Walsh M/Y Trim-It Vol. 3, No. 8.
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Fixing onboard problems
He sat in 6C, the bomb under 10F
Tackle that wood refinishing project yourself with special tools and some patience.
A near-death experience in 1986 led Garry Linne to start his own business. It evolved to become Megafend Mooring Products and celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.
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Where is that smell coming from? Your pipes are a good guess. Try Gamazyme.
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Section B
The Hacking family pushes the S/V Ocelot more than 500 miles west into the Java Sea, and finds hospitable people and volcanoes.
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A bustling time of the year The Triton’s monthy networking event and its Bridge luncheon pair with IBEX to kick November off with a South Florida flurry.
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Primer on Port State Control Sovereign and other self-governing nations have the right to control any activities within their borders, including those of visiting ships. Authority and control over foreign-flagged ships in a country’s ports, used for verifying compliance with the requirements Rules of the Road of the applicable maritime Jake DesVergers conventions, is called Port State Control. PSC comes into the scene when ship owners, managers, classification societies, and flag state administrations fail to comply with the requirements of international and national maritime conventions. It is well understood that the ultimate responsibility for enforcing conventions is left to the flag state, also known as the administration. Port states are entitled to control foreign ships visiting their ports to ensure that any deficiencies found, including those concerning living conditions and safety of shipboard personnel, are rectified before they are allowed to sail. In the inspection regime, Port State Control is regarded as complementary to the inspections performed by the flag state; each of them working together toward a common goal and purpose. In the last decade, a few shipping disasters caused alarming damage to the environment. They made the world concerned about the protection of their coastal waters. Subsequently, the following Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control were established. The International Maritime Organization played a major role in the formulation of these MOUs and the establishment of a standardized inspection approach
Catamaran family update
through IMO Resolution A.787 (19). Paris MOU member states: Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Acuerdo de Vina del Mar member states: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. Tokyo MOU member states: Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam. Black Sea MOU member states: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine. Caribbean MOU member states: Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao. Mediterranean MOU member states: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordon, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey. Indian Ocean MOU member states: Australia, Eritrea, India, Iran, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Yemen. The United States, though not a signatory to any MOU, carries out PSC for compliance with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations and other international maritime conventions. The Coast Guard is the main agency for enforcement as both an administration for U.S.-flagged vessels and as a Port State with foreign-flagged vessels.
See RULES, page B3
November 2006
DOCKWISE YACHT TRANSPORT
Dockwise loading master Jonathan Zier, far right, conducts a safety briefing with the SS3 deck crew. PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO
You can get there from here By Capt. Tom Serio Ah, Australia, New Zealand, the Med, Mexico, Caribbean, even the USA for those cruising from other lands. Some exotic locations may be far away, but they’re not out of reach. Enter the yacht transport business. There are several transport services available, but one of the largest – Dockwise Yacht Transport – does it a bit differently. Started as a heavy lift and transport company moving oil rigs, super cranes, even nuclear submarines, Dockwise has another line of business, transporting yachts around the globe with a unique float on/float off process that eliminates slings. I spent a day in October on the Super Servant 3 (SS3), a 458-foot (139m) yacht carrier, one of four dedicated yacht transport vessels in the Dockwise fleet. (A new yacht
carrier is under construction, specifically built to transport yachts. When it is ready next summer, it is expected to provide the fastest service between the United States and the Mediterranean. Cruising at up to 18 knots (instead of today’s 12), the new vessel will shave almost six days off the average 15-day trip. The process of transporting a yacht across an ocean starts well before the yacht is loaded. Placement of each yacht is carefully planned considering length and beam, load points, hull shape, weight and any underwater protrusions. Dockwise requires drawings of the yacht from the builder to plan the placement of keel blocks, loading stanchions and finally sea stanchions. While waiting for clearance from U.S. Customs officials that
See DOCKWISE, page B8
The Triton
www.the-triton.com FROM THE TECH FRONT: Rules of the Road
Guidelines clear for choosing which vessels to be inspected RULES, from page B1 Many factors help a port state control inspector select which ship to board. Suppose you are a 150-foot yacht calling at a small port in Long Island, with no other large yachts or commercial activity in the area. There is a good chance you may have a visit. In contrast, consider that you are one of dozens of yachts entering Port Everglades on a Saturday during the winter when there are 14 cruise ships, two tankers, and a cement carrier all docked. Are you a priority? Probably not, however, that is not a guarantee. Port State Controls and, specifically, the U.S. Coast Guard have clear guidelines when choosing a vessel for inspection. A comprehensive but simple targeting regime has been devised to consistently focus their boarding efforts on those vessels most likely to be substandard. This is a risk-based regime based on five factors: a ship’s owner, flag state, classification society, boarding history, and vessel type. The risks associated with each of these factors are determined based on boarding data. These determinations are used to assign points using a targeting matrix, which determines the boarding priority given to foreign vessels entering U.S. waters. These determinations are then separated for safety and security items. The lists below provide an example of current targeted flag states that receive the highest points assignment. For safety: Antigua & Barbuda, Brazil, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Honduras, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Portugal, Russian Federation, St. Vincent & the
Grenadines, Sweden, Ukraine, Venezuela. For security (ISPS-MTSA): Bolivia, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Denmark, Honduras, Netherlands, Russian Federation, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Thailand, Turkey. If your yacht is flying one of these flags, there is an increased probability for a PSC visit. However, as mentioned previously, a visit also can depend upon your classification society or operating history. It is safe to assume that if you just had a security breach from a stowaway upon arrival in St. Thomas, you can expect another visit when arriving at Puerto Rico, regardless of how the first situation was settled. What can you do to prepare for PSC? Operate your yacht in a proper and safe way in accordance with rules applicable to your size and there should be no issue. How do you make sure you’re doing so? The US Coast Guard provides two booklets that are inspectors’ training tools. Known as CG-840 books, these references provide an overview of the items to be inspected. They are available for all type of vessels, U.S.and foreign-flagged. Visit www.uscg. mil/tcyorktown/mSchools/MII/cg840. shtm to download them. Capt. Jake DesVergers is president of the US Maritime Institute. A deck officer graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, he previously sailed as master on merchant ships, acted as designated person for a shipping company, and served as regional manager for an international classification society. Contact him at 954-449-3444 or through www. usmaritimeinstitute.com.
November 2006
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November 2006 HOW TO: Strip Veneer
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There is an art to stripping wood properly By Patti Sehi “I had some water damage to a panel in my salon. I’ve already stripped it. Would you be able to come and match the finish?” Uh, oh. Could be trouble ahead. When I have a request like this I am immediately concerned with the condition of the veneer that has been stripped and how difficult it will be to restore it. Oftentimes, non-professionals who do not know the pitfalls of stripping a finish can sorely damage the veneer and the surrounding finish. When a window leaks or an air conditioning unit has not received proper servicing the moisture is retained in the finish and it begins to darken. If this goes on for a long period of time, the wood will become black and the finish will begin to disintegrate. The only solution to this problem is to strip the old finish, bleach out the discoloration and refinish the panel. In some cases it is necessary to replace the panel. This works and looks perfectly fine if the grain of the new veneer matches the old and the old finish can be matched in color and age effect. I have been very successful over the years in stripping and refinishing rather
There are many details involved in restoring a damaged finished wood surface (far left) and recreating the glow (near left), from choosing the correct tape to matching the color of the rest of the wood. PHOTOS/CAPT. CRAIG JONES
than replacing panels. The cost is considerably less, unless of course the owner has botched the stripping job by scraping off the veneer along with the finish and damaged the finish on the surrounding panels. If you would like to venture forth and save the expense of paying a professional to strip the panel, here is a basic how-to of removing a finish without creating a bigger problem. First, you must section off the area to be stripped with tape. In most cases the darkened areas are under window frames, door frames or in the center of the panel. It is necessary to strip the entire panel from the top edge to
the floor or counter top. This can be sectioned off by taping from panel seam to seam or to a nicely defined grain line. The most important point here is to use the correct tape. Shiny black 1-inch Scotch brand weather resistant tape No. 481 should be used as it will not allow stripper to bleed under the tape and disturb adjacent finish. And tape all four sides of the area to be stripped. Next, you will want to protect the surrounding areas in case the stripper splatters. For this you will need a roll of 2-inch masking tape and a roll of 18inch green masking paper. Treat your area as a patient being prepared for
surgery. Tear off appropriate lengths of paper and edge with 2-inch tape. Affix the 2-inch tape to the black tape. Tape and paper counter top or floor, anywhere the stripper may land. Now we are ready to begin stripping. I recommend Kwik Super Fast Marine Paint & Varnish Remover (the one with the red label) as it has served me well over the years. It is toxic so you may want to use a respirator. It will burn the skin so keep a wet rag handy in case of splatters. You will want to wear protective gloves. Using a 2-inch, 3-inch or 4-inch bristle brush and a plastic paint
See STRIPPING, page B5
Today’s fuel prices
One year ago
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Oct. 17.
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of Oct. 15, 2005.
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 521/558 Savannah, Ga. 517/NA Newport, R.I. 513/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 736/NA St. Maarten 675/NA Antigua 735/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (St. George’s) 795/NA Cape Verde NA/NA Azores 551/NA Canary Islands 535/663 Mediterranean Gibraltar 521/NA Barcelona, Spain 558/1,215 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,172 Antibes, France 704/1,318 San Remo, Italy 667/1,494 Naples, Italy 650/1,380 Venice, Italy 640/1,424 Corfu, Greece 649/1,210 Piraeus, Greece 631/1,187 Istanbul, Turkey 542/NA Malta 520/NA Tunis, Tunisia 561/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 560/NA Sydney, Australia 575/NA Fiji 582/NA
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 720/758 Savannah, Ga. 675/NA Newport, R.I. 609/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 799/NA Trinidad 728/NA Antigua 698/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (St. George’s) 703/NA Cape Verde 573/NA Azores 576/NA Canary Islands 582/NA Mediterranean Gibraltar 561/NA Barcelona, Spain 620/1,201 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,167 Antibes, France 610/1,151 San Remo, Italy 672/1,492 Naples, Italy 705/1,427 Venice, Italy 696/1,356 Corfu, Greece 725/1,194 Piraeus, Greece 654/1,098 Istanbul, Turkey 565/NA Malta 562/NA Tunis, Tunisia 576/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 579/NA Sydney, Australia 587/NA Fiji 605/NA
*When available according to customs.
*When available according to customs.
The Triton
www.the-triton.com
HOW TO: Strip Veneer
November 2006
B5
Because some steps take a long time, patience is a key STRIPPING, from page B4 pot into which you have poured the stripper, brush the stripper onto the finish in the direction of the grain. Use copious amounts and only brush the surface once, overlapping as you apply it. When you have covered the area with stripper, go back and recoat the entire area again. (If it is a large surface you may want to work in sections as the stripper will dry and you will have to recoat.) Depending on the product that was used and the age of the finish, removal will vary in ease. Traditional varnish will come up easily using a plastic 4inch yellow scraper. It can be cut down to smaller sizes to fit specific areas. If it becomes difficult to remove the varnish, rewet with stripper, wait a short time and resume removal. Water-base varnishes dissolve easily but turn to goo – tiresome to work with but they eventually come off. Urethanes (depending on age) are another story, particularly the popular thick, glossy type. I recommend very carefully sanding off upper layers with an orbital sander and 80-grit sandpaper until the remaining finish is thin enough to remove. Otherwise these finishes are practically impervious to stripper. Using a quart-size plastic paint pot, line it with green paper. Using your yellow scraper, scrape the varnish off and dispose of it in the pot. When you have removed as much as possible with the yellow scraper, you may have to scrape off remaining varnish using a 1-inch or 2-inch wood-handled scraper available in most marine and hardware stores. Using both hands on the scraper will give you maximum control when the scraper wants to slide off and scratch the veneer. This is what you want to avoid. Work slowly until you have removed all varnish. Now we have to deal with the residue that remains on the surface and in the pores of the wood. To completely clean the wood, I recommend using bronze wool. It is costly but well worth the price. Take the bronze wool and tear off hand sized sections, stretching it out to create maximum surface. Brush a thin coat of stripper on the veneer and scrub the surface with the bronze wool, turning it to use all surfaces. This will leave the panel clean and ready for sanding. If it is still blotchy, work the stripper, bronze wool and scraper if necessary until the panel is uniform. Sanding the surface of the veneer is next. Feel the fuzz on the surface of the wood. This is what you want to remove. You do not want to sand too hard as you may sand through the veneer. Begin with l00-grit sandpaper to remove the fuzz, always sanding in the direction of the grain. If you are experienced with a sander, have at it, otherwise I recommend hand sanding with a block until you are acquainted
with the process. Now repeat with 120grit sandpaper and again with 150-grit. The wood will be smooth and ready for bleaching. Using two part Klean Strip Wood Bleach (A & B), mix equal parts in a container and apply with a 2-inch, 3inch or 4-inch bristle brush, depending on the size of the panel. Brush in the direction of the grain, saturating the wood completely. When dry, apply a coat of part B to enhance the bleaching process. Now you can remove and dispose of the paper surrounding the panel along
with the paper in the pot. Very carefully and slowly remove the black tape by pulling straight down on it, not on an angle, lest you remove the varnish underneath it along with the tape. Let the bleach sit overnight. If the darkness in the wood is not sufficiently bleached out, tape with 3M 1-inch blue tape, re-sand with 150-grit sandpaper and repeat bleaching process. I have done this as many as three times to sufficiently lighten the wood. In some cases there will be a faint shadow remaining. It will be light enough to blend in the color while
staining. Sand surface with 150-grit and 220-grit to prepare for staining. There are a wide variety of stains on the market. Most of us learn by trial and error. It is preferable to use a sample board to practice on. If the correct color is elusive, you may wish to call a professional. Good luck. Patti Sehi owns her own wood refinishing business in Ft. Lauderdale and has been working on yachts for 19 years. Contact her at sehighl@aol.com or +1-954-524-0783.
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November 2006 CAPTAIN’S CALL: Drain and pipe odors
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The Triton
Odor on board? Put Gamazyme in pipes Keeping the interior of a yacht smelling sweet is always a concern to the stews. The reality of smell issues is that it really is the responsibility of the engineer. Keeping the showers, heads, sinks and drains smelling good is easy if one is using an ecofriendly product that works, such as those with enzymes. Captain’s Call A chemical that David Hare has no place on a yacht is common bleach. Bleach not only destroys the seals in shipboard heads, it also kills the much needed “good bacteria” in the gray- and black-water tanks. This “good bacteria” is required to help keep odor control in-check. Odors in garbage and waste collection areas, heads and galleys arise from the degradation of organic waste, causing an increasing bad smell of amine, ammonia and mercaptan gases. Traditional cleaning chemicals usually involve toxic chemicals such as caustic acids, chlorine and disinfectants that are harmful to the environment. Bioenzymatic cleaners are an effective and environmentally safe alternative. These
In addition to pumping a good smell onto yachts, Gamazyme BTC will keep all drains onboard running PHOTO/DAVID HARE freely. enzyme factories replace bleach, acids and caustics. The U.S. Navy invested millions of dollars to discover a solution for
their warships’ odor problems below decks. Chemists at a company called Unitor developed a totally organic way to control environmental odors. The product line is known as Gamazyme. Gamazyme cleaners contain active bacteria cultures that digest organic fat and grease (as a means of gaining carbon for food), and converting them into water and carbon dioxide. Gamazyme products are specifically designed for safe and effective treatment of drain lines, grease traps, gray- and black-water tanks. Gamazyme, which is approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Naval Medical Command, comes in several products, each designed for a particular shipboard task. Gamazyme 700FN. (By the way, the FN stands for “For Navy.”) 700FN is a super-concentrated powder with eight specialized bacteria strains to boost the biological activity in holding tanks. It breaks down all components of sewage – starch, protein, cellulose, animal and vegetable fats, oils, grease, hydrocarbons, detergents and sulphides in addition to breaking down the paper found in black water tanks. It comes in 12Kg tubs. I mix two cups of 700FN in a five-
See CAPTAIN’S CALL, page B6
The Triton
www.the-triton.com CAPTAIN’S CALL: Drain and pipe odors
Product line covers a wide range of issues CAPTAIN’S CALL, from page B6 gallon bucket of hot water, stirring every 15 minutes for an hour, to introduce oxygen into the enzymes. The bacteria in Gamazyme are aerobic, meaning they need oxygen to live. They literally come alive with the process of stirring oxygen into the brew. After an hour, I pour a cup of this enzyme brew into each sink, shower drain and head. If you follow this methodology every three weeks, your vessel will smell great and you will avoid water flow backs due to clogged drains. Gamazyme BTC. This is the only product I use onboard to clean my heads, sinks and showers. BTC stands for Biological Toilet Cleaner. This will absolutely keep your drains free running and leave a pleasant fragrance throughout the yacht. Normal toilet cleaners often use hazardous chemicals that cause disinfection and foaming. Because they kill all known germs, they also kill the natural-occurring good bacteria in the sewage system and they produce foam, which is a death to vacuum-style heads. The low-foam surfactants and antifoams in Gamazyme BTC ensure that the product does not contribute to foaming problems. I keep the one-liter containers in each head for daily use.
Gamazyme DPC. The drain and pipe cleaner comes in a water-soluble sachet that contains a blend of bacterial strains and enzymes. As with 700FN, DPC keeps sinks, drains, pipes, blackand gray-water tanks free of fats, grease, starch and other organic waste. Regular use eliminates obnoxious odors from escaping from shower and sink drains. Gamazyme Digester is a life-saver for an engineer who needs to keep the dirty water flowing and cannot afford a breakdown with owners or charter guests aboard. This patented liquid product contains a synergetic blend of highly specialized bacteria and enzymes that increase organic degradation and eats through organic waste products. I have been able to free the last dozen or so stuck float switches in my black- and gray-water tanks with Gamazyme Digester. This liquid is delivered in a 20-liter bag in a box packaging. Gamazyme Toilet Descaler is typically used in the cleaning and descaling of vacuum toilets and lines fouled with water scale and organics on board ships. The product is used as part of a preventative maintenance concept, however it will also cure existing deposits in pipes.
Toilet systems tend to experience scale formation at the toilet level and the pipeline level in vacuum conditions. Because systems under vacuum are dry 99 percent of the time, the water evaporates and a scale can form. Not treating the problem leads directly to expensive dismantling of the system every two or so years. This can be avoided by regularly adding Gamazyme Toilet Descaler in water-soluble sachets named Solupacs. Gamazyme BOE is a biological odor eliminator that contains bacteria, enzymes and a neutralizer that eliminates foul odors on contact. This is excellent for use in garbage cans. For years, I have been purchasing my Gamazyme products direct from Kevin Kelly of Unitor in Texas. Recently, Unitor was purchased by Wilhelmsen Corp., which has taken Gamazyme global. The largest purchaser of the product is the world cruise ship industry. Yacht crew can still purchase direct from Kevin. His phone number is +1281-867-2042 and his e-mail is: kevin. kelly@wilhelmsen.com. Additionally, National Marine Suppliers in Ft. Lauderdale can arrange for your purchase of Gamazyme. Contact Capt. David Hare at david@ hare.com.
November 2006
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November 2006 FROM THE TECH FRONT
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The on-off process is completed easily, cleanly DOCKWISE, from page B1 mid-October morning (there was no boarding until the all-clear was given), several captains and crew waited dockside to board the SS3 and get their yachts ready for unloading. “It’s the easiest on/off process, no hassle, and the yacht is relatively clean,” said Capt. Michael Schenk, who was onsite with two Lazzara representatives to pick up a 68-foot Lazzara. “For the cost of fuel and wear and tear, it’s not worth it to move the boat on its own bottom,” said Paul Rosco, Lazzara’s service manager. Under the watchful eye of SS3 Capt. Mykola Bulgaru, the ship’s crew of about a dozen orange jump-suited Ukrainians was busy preparing the deck for ballasting. Since yachts are secured for transoceanic voyages by welding sea stanchions to the deck floor, these stanchions needed to be cut off the deck and cleared away. The welded stanchions ensure the yachts stay in place during any kind of seas. One captain awaiting his boat said the ship encountered 15-foot waves and rolling seas, and there was no movement or visible damage to the yachts. Additional freestanding stanchions also support the yachts, and are removed once the yacht floats free. With captains and crew cleared for boarding, they check in with Donna Blom, Dockwise’s booking manager in Ft. Lauderdale. Blom finalizes paperwork, clears the yachts and turns over the keys to the captains. Her tasks also add a level of security, since all captains and crew need to be cleared for access to the port first, then access to the ship, then access to their yacht. If you’re not on the list, you don’t belong on the ship. Capt. Bulgaru readies the SS3 for ballasting as loading master Jonathan
Capt. Michael Schenk, left, and Lazzara Service Manager Paul Rosco were onsite to pick up a 68-foot Lazzara. With the cost of fuel and the inevitable wear and tear, it’s not worth it to a sail vessel of this size across the ocean on its own bottom, Rosco said.
Zier, an energetic, even keeled (pun intended) Dockwise employee, manages all aspects of the float off and float on. Zier invites me to tag along as he methodically runs his routine: check with captains on issues (none), check the bay deck for the all-clear (yes), give the deck crew a safety review complete with the loading plan diagram detailing the placement of yachts coming aboard to ensure those keel blocks are in place (they are), and keep an eye on the clock to stay on schedule (we’re off about an hour due to customs showing later than expected). Ballasting begins. The aft-end of the ship lowers first, ever so gently, letting seawater lap over the stern and in from the side scuppers. The SS3 had a load of 14 vessels, including the new Warren Yachts S87 (coming in for the boat show), the 115-foot Benetti Stella Maris, the 95-foot Yachting Developments Ltd. sailing yacht Vesper, the 88-foot Pershing Helios, and the 121-foot Sovereign M/Y Maria Layne. All but three will unload; those three will be joined by three more – including the 77-foot Wally sailing yacht Carrera – and continue the transport to the Mediterranean. Dockwise’s ships can handle any-size yacht and once transported the 243foot presidential yacht Williamsburg, but moves yachts up to about 120 feet, on average. As the ship continues to ballast, one by one the yachts start to float off the keel blocks and stanchions. The crew, now working from the catwalks, takes up the slack in the lines for each yacht, keeping them close to the sides. Dockwise contracts with dive services in each port to knock down and clear away the stanchions to prevent contact with the yacht’s running gear. In Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Diver is on site with four divers. Yachts are not permitted to start engines or generators while divers are in the water, so radio contact with Zier is imperative to a safe operation. With the ship ballasted down to almost 43 feet (13m) and all yachts free, the unloading begins. Everyone monitors Channel 17 for their instructions on when and how to exit. Dockwise accounts for just about every inch of the ship’s bay, including available space around a yacht that may be staying on board or special cradles that have remained on deck (now submerged) that have to be maneuvered around by other deepdraft vessels. Capt. Rick Lenardson of the M/Y Maria Layne had about two feet of clearance on either side as he maneuvered the yacht from the stern station past a sailboat that was staying on board. “We’re squeezing fenders on both sides,” he said during the move. He said earlier that he likes Dockwise for
The SS3 slowly lets on seawater so the stanchioned vessels can eventually float off. The cradle at center is for a sailboat that will float on. Departing PHOTOS/CAPT. TOM SERIO vessels must maneuver around it. its service and the ability for a captain and/or crew member to travel with the yacht (depending on size) and perform some maintenance during the journey, taking advantage of valuable down time. “Dockwise is the way to go, best thing since sliced bread,” he said. (This from a captain who was on the ship for six weeks from Tahiti.) It was another tight squeeze for the Warren yacht. Service Director Sean Noel arrived to meet deckhand Andy Pointner, who traveled with the new yacht from Australia, a two-month journey that also included several other stops in the Pacific before coming through the Panama Canal. On his signal from Zier, Noel backed the Warren down via a remote-controlled helm device while standing on the back deck. Dockwise crews were on either side, handy with fenders to avoid any contact. Noel mentioned that Warren uses Dockwise since there is usually no damage to yachts, and no special cradles are needed, unlike transporters
who top-load vessels onto freighters. “Dockwise is going to just about any port involved in yachting,” Noel said. “The boat looks fantastic when it arrives, and we’re very pleased. The only casualty was with a Hatteras sportfish, which had dead batteries. But not to worry. Dockwise contracts with Cape Ann Towing to be on-site for every offload in Ft. Lauderdale for this very reason. Cape Ann towed the yacht off and tied it along side, with nary an impact to the schedule. With batteries charged, the sportfish was on her way in a few hours. Cleanliness and exposure were issues for several captains. Since yachts sit in a dry bay during transit, they are better protected from the elements than those that sit on top of freighters and container ships, they said, noting too that freighters many times have specs of paint or metal that end up on the yacht, resulting in rust stains in the finish that have to be buffed out.
See DOCKWISE, page B9
The Triton
www.the-triton.com
FROM THE TECH FRONT
November 2006
B
Plenty of Dockwise personnel on hand during the process DOCKWISE, from page B8 As though sitting in testimony to the risk of the lifting process, a 50-foot yacht that slipped from its slings while being off loaded from a freighter in September and crashed onto the pier was still there on its cradle – her bow broken – just across from the SS3. During our offload, the float-on yachts began to show up. Zier hailed them on the radio and gave them an estimated time of loading. When the time came, several smaller yachts boarded first and tied to the sides. The Wally 77 had to sit in a specially made cradle that was welded to the deck
SS3 Capt. Mykola Bulgaru
before the ballasting began and was now underwater. In setting the cradle, Zier and the crew measured constantly against the plans, tying the blocks down securely to ensure no movement of the cradle or base it was sitting on. The Wally entered the bay, starboard side to, and once properly positioned fore/aft, was pulled sideways toward the center catwalk, right over the cradle. The dive team was back in the water to align the Wally, the other new arrivals and reset the vessels that stayed on board. Deballasting took several hours since divers check each vessel as it came in contact with the keel blocks, and set the stanchions. According to the plan layouts and specs on each vessel, Zier could tell the order of yachts to set. He was also in contact with the divers as well as the captain, ordering the deballasting stopped as the divers set stanchions and checked the yachts for as-close-as-possible vertical alignment. “This is the trickiest part, since you’re not dropping the yacht onto the blocks and stanchions but raising the ship to meet the yachts,” Zier said. Less than 10 hours after the process started, the deck was dry again and cleanup of the old keel blocks and stanchions had begun.
The Wally 77 settled in her cradle. Zier was not alone all day, as Dockwise Operations Manager Frank van Delft dropped in for a few hours. Also on site were booking agent Andrew Cohen, Sales Manager Jeff Last, and Catalina Bujor, the company’s marketing person. Why so many? Why not? They didn’t sit around drinking coffee either. They were on the ship, checking with crew, captains and agents on the day’s activities. “This is what we do,” van Delft said. “We all have an interest in the operation and success of each launch.” Between its four ships, Dockwise makes about 100 port calls a year, a number it expects will increase next
PHOTOS/CAPT. TOM SERIO
year with its new faster ship. At the end of the day, Zier walked the deck to check the job. Each yacht was snug, with the crew adding a few more stanchions before starting the welding process in preparation for the next morning’s sailing. Bidding Capt. Bulgaru good-bye, a handshake and smile assured me that my time onboard and in the wheelhouse was welcome. And Zier, pleased but tired, would be at it again the next day with another Dockwise ship arrival. Contact Capt. Tom Serio through editorial@the-triton.com.
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November 2006 TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
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The Triton
Bluewater Books offers service to large yachts Bluewater Books & Charts in Ft. Lauderdale now offers a new program for large yachts in which two staff members from the bookstore will conduct a physical inventory of a vessel’s charts, software, electronic charts, professional publications, cruising guides and other navigational materials. Bluewater’s Large Yacht Team will catalog the inventory, noting when items become outdated, and notifying the vessel. Bluewater will track a vessel’s purchases, no matter where items are bought, and make informed custom recommendations based on a vessel’s itinerary. Service cost depends on the level a vessel selects and the amount and type of inventory being maintained. For more information, contact Bluewater at +1-866-609-8951 or largeyacht@ bluewaterweb.com.
Sea Vision lights get certified
The fiberglass Sea Vision range by Underwater Lights USA has completed all testing to meet ignition protection requirements. Underwater Lights USA is the only underwater light manufacturer worldwide to receive this certification for lights specifically designed for gas/petrol powered boats. The tests entailed subjecting the lights to an explosive atmosphere test
and a high temperature operation test, which was conducted with the lights in the water. For more information, contact Ft. Lauderdale-based Underwater Lights USA through www. underwaterlightsusa.com
Renegade to paint at K&C
Knight & Carver’s Sam Brown, left, and Renegade’s Dave Thomas, announced their partnership at YachtFest San Diego on Sept. 15. PHOTO COURTESY OF KNIGHT & CARVER YACHTCENTER Knight & Carver YachtCenter in San Diego has announced a partnership with Renegade Super Grafix, a yacht painting firm based in Ft. Lauderdale, to provide painting services. For start-up operations, Renegade intends to relocate as many as 12 employees to San Diego with a total staff of at least 20 anticipated by year’s end, according to Michael Savides, the firm’s South Florida and Gulfport, Miss., operations manager. Douglas McCandless will serve as San Diego operations manager. For more information, visit www. knightandcarver.com or www. renegadesupergrafix.com.
Mobile base stations work in crisis Powertec Telecommunications has partnered with American telecommunications company Tecore to distribute two new mini GSM/CDMA base stations. The Rapid Response communication systems is a wireless GSM/CDMA solution that provides an immediate mobile signal in disaster areas where infrastructure has broken down or is sabotaged. The Flight Core communication system is a wireless GSM/CDMA solution that provides Internet connection and mobile phone reception for calls and SMS on board ships and aircraft. For more information, visit www. powertec.com.au.
SeaPack makes drinking water
SeaPack is a new emergency desalination system that transforms pure seawater into a drink high in calories to provide life-sustaining energy without the need of hand pump or electrical power. During an emergency situation at sea, reliability and simplicity are vital. SeaPack makes a survival drink from any available water supply: saltwater, brackish water, even muddy water. It is
small enough to fit in a kayak, life raft canister or in an emergency ditch bag and costs $99.95 per pack. For more information, visit www.sea-pack.com.
Replace float switches easily
The Mini Witch, a new electronic bilge pump switch from Water Witch, can replace any mechanical float in less than 15 minutes, eliminating the possibility of a dangerous stuck or worn-out float switch. The Mini Witch clamps to the pump’s hose with its built-in mounting tab, or it can be top-mounted to the pump itself with a standard hose clamp. The tab even contains a hole for custom mounting. Retail price is $29.95. For more information, call +1-800-654-4783, visit www.waterwitchinc.com, or visit booth No. 748 at the International Boatbuilders’ Exposition & Conference (IBEX) at the Miami Beach Convention Center from Nov. 1-3.
Australian firm opens US office
Mobilarm, manufacturer of the MOBi-lert automatic crew-monitoring systems introduced to the North American market at MAATS (Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show) in July, has opened a warehouse and distribution center in Guilford, Conn. MOBi-lert systems are designed to enable a quick rescue in a manover-board emergency. For more information, visit www.mobilert.com.
FCC denies AIS petition
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission issued a final rule in October denying the petition for reconsideration of the Automatic Identification System equipment certification requirements for ship station equipment, according to a review on MarineLink.com. The FCC concluded that there is no compelling justification for adopting domestic AIS equipment certification standards that diverge from international standards.
LED handle lights the way
Using regulated LED light technology and reflectors, IllumaGrip Handles are cool to the touch and draw little amperage. With an estimated bulb life expectancy of more than 20,000 hours, LEDs maintain intensity even when voltage fluctuates. Measuring 1.25-inches in diameter, the solid acrylic handles feature embedded reflective lines for maximum output. They exceed a 400-pound pull test. Builders typically use these handles in the entry way of the cabin for lighted assistance. The handles are available in three styles in lengths ranging from 18 inches to 34.75 inches. Suggested retail price starts at $120. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ Select by ITC at +1-888-871-8860 or through www.itc-marine.com.
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www.the-triton.com BUSINESS PROFILE: Megafend Mooring Products
November 2006
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Megafend and Linne celebrate 20 years By Lucy Chabot Reed Megafend Mooring Products turns 20 this month. Founder and President Garry Linne downplays the accomplishment, but it almost didn’t happen. Twenty years ago, Linne almost died. In 1979, Linne was a spray painter, working at Bradford Marine in Ft. Lauderdale, when he was given the opportunity to work with the Aga Khan in Sardinia. He was to be the AwlGrip representative in Europe, and with no real ties to Florida, he set off. For six years he flew to the world’s most exciting cities and worked with some of the world’s highest profile people. He might be doing that still if it hadn’t been for a few bad weeks in the spring of 1986. A nightclub in West Berlin was bombed, killing two Americans. The United States retaliated by bombing Libya, and an Arab revolutionary cell retaliated back by planting a bomb on TWA Flight 840. Linne was aboard that plane, sitting in seat 6C en route to Cairo. The bomb, a thing the size of a pack of cigareets tucked under seat 10F, tore a hole in the side of the plane. “I held on to the guy next to me and thought this is it,” Linne said in his signature baritone monotone, remembering the details as though it happened last week. “When it pitched and rolled, I thought it was over.” Though four people died in the explosion, the remaining 118 passengers and crew landed safely in Athens. But that was it for Linne. He wanted to go home. Back in the States, he decided to start his own business, a marine upholstery company that has evolved over the past 20 years into Megafend Mooring Products. Still working with some of the world’s highest profile megayachts and their captains, now he works for himself, setting the standard he wants and constantly working to improve it. If Linne feels he was given a second chance at life after surviving TWA Flight 840, he’s not willing to waste it on mediocre craftsmanship. Soon after starting his business, he took over control of the manufacturing process because it wasn’t up to the standard he promised clients. In early October, on a two-night layover at home in Ft. Lauderdale, he squeezed in a dinner interview between a trip to Trinity’s Mississippi yard (following up personally on new orders) and a visit to a Mexican tannery (to meet and talk to the men who make the leather that covers his fender hooks). Just where in Mexico, Linne won’t say. The world of megayacht mooring products is getting competitive and he plays his business strategy close to his
vest. What he will talk about are the new models he will launch this fall (including one with a fishing rod holder and a mooring whip; a patent is pending) and a new line of maintenance-free products. He’s also investigating a synthetic product that looks like leather but wears better. Delivering quality isn’t always about launching new products. To Linne, improving his existing line is just as important. He recently sent several fender hooks to an automotive laboratory for
testing. The tests showed him a few shortfalls that he’s working to correct, he said. Despite hitting the milestone of 20 years in business, Linne said he isn’t planning any parties or special celebrations. He’ll likely commemorate the day with a quiet dinner with his wife, Liz, at one of their favorite understated restaurants. And at least one toast will recall that 20 years ago, he got a second chance at life. Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
A few months before Garry Linne started his business in 1986, he PHOTO/ANDY CARRIE almost died.
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Mallorca’s Port Adriano clears expansion hurdle A plan to nearly double the size of Mallorca’s Port Adriano to make room for megayachts has received a favorable environmental impact report, according to a story on BYM.com. The report stated that the environmental effect of the developed port would be “similar to the present one” and there could be a beneficial effect from constructions designed to protect the marina, the Web site reported. The expanded mooring area will add 85 moorings to the existing 404 for yachts larger than 66 feet (20m), with 10 available for vessels over 165 feet (50m). Two government departments still must approve the project, according to BYM.com.
New docks in SXM
and weather conditions and includes three shipyards with all repair and maintenance facilities and a chandler. Located just a few kilometers from the Genoa motorway exit and adjacent to the Cristoforo Colombo International Airport, Marina Genova Aeroporto also offers a jet-to-boat limousine service. “The yachting market keeps confirming the positive trend for larger yachts, designed for increasingly demanding owners” said Giuseppe Pappalardo, managing director of Aurora Costruzioni S.p.A., the company building the project. “However, most marinas do not offer functionality and services tailored to the expectations of superyacht owners. The Marina Genova Aeroporto model came up exactly as an answer to these needs of efficiency, comfort and first-class standard of service.” It also will have a clubhouse with eight restaurants, high-end shops, and a residential village with 200 seafront apartments with terraces, private berth and garage. For more information, visit www.marinagenova.it.
High-tech dry-stack storage on way Cole Bay, Sint Maarten – The brand new Lagoon Marina is open for business. Located in the heart of the Cole Bay Lagoon waterfront, the marina has slips for up to 45 boats with up to 9 feet of draft. The face docks can accommodate boats up to 100 feet. Within walking and dinghy distance of Budget Marine, Island Water World and other marine suppliers, the docks are wired (110V and 220V) and plumbed. Cable TV and free Internet are available at the dock. The security gate is in place at the dock entrance and there is security at the road entrance. There is also a laundry room and restrooms/showers. The restaurant/bar still under construction. For more info, visit www.lagoonmarina.com.
Genoa megayacht marina starts
Marina Genova Aeroporto, the new harbor project being built in Genoa, is expected to be open in time for the 2007 Mediterranean cruising season. The harbor Pappalardo includes three large docks with 200- and 300-meter-long piers and 500 berths. One hundred of the slips are for megayachts 100 feet (30m) to 300 feet (90m). The harbor is protected from sea
Atlantic Marina Holdings has planned a new state-of-the-art dry storage facility in Ft. Lauderdale that will hold vessels up to 45 feet. The Harborage Club – Fort Lauderdale is slated to offer deep-water access from its 16th Street’s Seminole Canal location. It will be hurricane resistant and climate-controlled and operate with a fully automated, robotic stacker crane system. Designed by RTKL Architects, which designed Miami’s Mandarin Oriental and the Ocean Club Key Biscayne, will combine contemporary architecture with distinctive characteristics. The Harborage Club will also include an array of yacht club amenities including a rooftop infinity pool, a spa, a ship’s store, a poolside bar and gourmet restaurant, a business center and a concierge service.
See MARINAS, page B13
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Ferry service will ease travel around Honduras MARINAS, from page B12 A rental management service can lease out slips. It’s expected to open in late 2007. Visit www.theharborageclub. com for more information.
Honduras starts ferry to Roatán
Honduras-based operator Safeway Maritime Transportation Co., has taken delivery of its first Incat Crowther catamaran ferry for operation on the north coast of Honduras, according to a story on MarineLink.com. It will run between the mainland city of La Ceiba and Isla de Roatán in the Caribbean Sea. The vessel is a 150.9 ft. (46m) highspeed catamaran ferry capable of carrying 460 passengers at a speed of 36 knots. The main cabin accommodates 237 passengers, a first class cabin has seating for 60 passengers, and a VIP cabin has seating for eight passengers with access from the wheelhouse. Safeway provides two round trips a day. One way takes about one hour. For more information, e-mail safeways_ galaxy@yahoo.com.
Rum Cay off the ground
The Bahamas’ Rum Cay Resort Marina is a $700 million marina resort and residential development on 900 acres on the southern shore at Cotton Field Point. The initial development has begun with the construction of an 80-slip marina offering slips to accommodate yachts up to 200 feet. The residences at Port Santa Maria feature two- and three-bedroom luxury town-home condominiums, penthouse suites, shopping and dining, a condohotel, and a full-service spa. Plans for the marina include future expansion up to 200 total slips, fueling facilities, a restaurant and a bar. For more information, call 1-888RUM-CAY3 or visit www.RumCay.com.
Rybovich now ValvTect marina
Rybovich Marina in West Palm Beach, Fla., has been designated as a certified ValvTect Marine Fuel Marina. The fuel dock now offers ValvTect Marine Premium Diesel with BioGuard and ValvTect Marine Gasoline.
ValvTect Marine Premium Diesel with BioGuard micro-biocide is formulated to be free of bacteria. Special ValvTect additives in the fuel also disperse moisture, stabilize the fuel and lubricate. They also prevent and clean up injector deposits, the company said in a news release. Rybovich Marina caters to motoryachts 100 to 250 feet and sailboats with up to a 14-foot draft. It has floating concrete docks up to 200 feet long with pump-outs on each, plus high-speed fuel dispensers. The yacht service center provides metal, mechanical, carpentry, custom paint, fiberglass, electrical, refrigeration and bottom paint services. Rybovich Marina is undergoing a $100 million renovation to build a state-of-the-art service yard and upscale marina. It will include a waterfront restaurant, highend retail shops, business offices and a modern day crew lounge.
Race-day dockage
Marigot Marina Fort Louis has offered free docking for participating yachts on Friday afternoon and overnight during the St. Maarten-St. Martin Classic Yacht Regatta the third weekend of January. The 150-berth marina has recently been upgraded with a second sea wall to better protect docks and yachts from swells. Unlike marinas in Simpson Bay, Marina Fort Louis has direct access to the sea. The first yachts can be expected to arrive in Marigot during the first regatta leg on Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, starting from mid-day. A Friday Night party will be at the Marina Fort Louis parking lot with a live band, food and drinks and a VIP tent. The classics will depart Marigot again on Saturday morning for the second leg to Philipsburg. The regatta will finish Sunday in Simpson Bay. For more information, visit www. ClassicRegatta.com.
China to build builder
China State Shipbuilding Corp. and the government of the Fengxian District of Shanghai have agreed to create the country’s largest yacht building facility to build yachts for both home and export markets, but it is the latter that will be the main focus, according to a company statement and a story on BYM.com. China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which was established in 1999, is a state authorized investment institution, administered by the central government, and the mainstay of the shipbuilding industry in China. It includes about 60 companies such as builders, shipyards, design institutes and marine equipment manufacturers.
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Scrub Island should open in summer as an upscale destination Plans include 56 slips on fixed docks built of structural steel and concrete. Four slips will accommodate vessels up to 150 feet with the rest geared for 40 to 60 feet. Slips will first be offered to property owners. RENDERING COURTESY OF MDG
By Carol Bareuther Scrub Island, BVI, known best by yachtsmen as the home of Donovan’s Reef Beach Bar & Restaurant, will be home to a new upscale resort and marina development, due to open in the summer of 2007. Mainsail Development Group (MDG) of Tampa, Fla., broke ground in November 2005 on a $65 million development that will be built on a portion of this idyllic 230-acre tropical island in Trellis Bay, one mile north of Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. Plans call for a collection of 90 units – including 2-bedroom marina suites, stand-alone oceanview villas, spa bungalows, and a handful of homes and estates – overlooking the marina. Plans include 56 slips on fixed docks built of structural steel and concrete.
Four slips will accommodate vessels up to 150 feet with the rest geared for 40 to 60 feet. Slips will first be offered to property owners. “Since 50 percent of our property owners so far are from Puerto Rico and like to keep their boats with them, we anticipate plenty of room for nonproperty owners,” said Joe Brown, vice president of sales and marketing. Marina rates are $1.25/foot/day for short-term dockage, 90 cents/foot/day for the season. Reservations will be accepted beginning in March. The marina will be a full-service facility offering a fuel dock with both gasoline and diesel; in-slip electricity, water, Internet and cable TV; ice; and a small food and wine market with provisioning capabilities. The village will include two restaurants, two bars and four retail shops. The resort itself will boast a $2-million state-of-theart spa; eight swimming pools with waterfalls and swim-up pool bars; three secluded beaches reachable by a walk or short drive in a golf cart; fitness center; tennis courts; a water sports concession; helipad, and astronomy observatory. The real hook of the Mainsail Resort Marina & Spa is that it’s the first facility in the BVI to cater to power yachts, especially sports fishermen. “We’ve made a commitment to the BVI government to help grow the sports fishing industry and we’ll be doing that initially by setting up two annual sports fishing tournaments,” Brown said. “Our location is only 30 minutes from the famous North Drop.” For more information, call +1-813254-3110 or visit www.MainsailBVI. com. Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer living in St. Thomas. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.
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November 2006
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Porto Hussong ‘is going to become a megayacht center’ By John Freeman ENSENADA, MEXICO – Along this stretch of Baja California known as the Baja Riviera, Hussong’s Cantina in downtown Ensenada has long been revered as a legendary watering hole. Its namesake, Porto Hussong, an extragavent resort that’s about to take shape just north of Ensenada, now has its eyes on the globe-trotting megayacht clientele. The project will be built in partnership with Walter and John Hussong, brothers and descendents of the cantina’s founders and owners of a prized 16-acre property along the waters of Todos Santos Bay. Currently, the land is home to Quintas Papagayo, a collection of modest 1940s-vintage rental homes, two tired tennis courts and acres of unused dirt. The $350 million project will include an array of amenities, such as 450 private oceanfront condominiums, priced up to $3 million each; a 90-suite boutique hotel and private residence club; and a high-end retail center. For the yachting industry, the property’s calling card will be the decidedly upscale marina of 300 slips. Sixty will be for vessels up to 200 feet, as well as two for vessels up to 300 feet. “This is going to become a megayacht center,” Christopher S. Merson, CEO of Meridian Development Group, told a media tour in midOctober. “Our vision is to create a destination resort that will rank among the finest in the world.” With a growing population of 40,000, Ensenada is about two hours south of San Diego by car. Among yachties, it’s best known as the finish of the annual 125nm Newport Beach to Ensenada sailboat race, one of the world’s largest. Merson’s firm, headquartered in Reno, Nev., has developed successful
funding has already been established by outside sources and equity from Meridian’s other Mexican properties, assuring that the project won’t be halted by lack of pre-sales, a common occurrence in Baja. First-phase sales have been brisk, they said.
Marina designer John C. Corrough goes over details of Porto Hussong, a planned resort near Ensenada along the Baja California coast that hopes to attract megayachts when PHOTO/JOHN FREEMAN completed. high-end resorts in such Mexican cities as Cabo San Lucas, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco. John C. Corrough, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based marina designer, also brings impressive credits as the project’s marina consultant. He’s designed high-end marinas in Kuwait, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan, among others. The well-traveled Corrough is convinced that Ensenada will soon emerge as a megayacht center. “I remember coming here in the ’70s when it was just a sleepy little Baja town, but it was always a welcome way to end the race and we always made a stop at Hussong’s,” said Corrough, a veteran sailing racer. “These days, Ensenada has evolved to a point where it has now plateaued. We want to skip the next several levels and make it the place for yachts along the West Coast. Working with the Hussong family, we all have the vision and investment capital needed to make that happen.” The developers emphasized that full
John Freeman is director of communications for Knight & Carver YachtCenter. He spent more than a dozen years as a journalist at the San Diego Tribune and Union Tribune newspapers before joining the marine industry. Contact him at jfreeman@ knightandcarver.com.
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CRUISING GROUNDS: Bali
November 2006
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CATAMARAN FAMILY UPDATE: INDONESIA
Volcanoes, frangipani and a $5 an hour massage S/V Ocelot is a 45-foot catamaran that serves as the home of the Hacking family of Seattle, Wash.: Dad Jon, mom Sue and daughter Amanda. When they started their journey in Sint Marteen in December 2001, son Christopher was with them but he went ashore in 2005 to attend college. The Hackings originally planned to stop when they reached Australia last fall, but they have decided to keep on going. Here’s the second installment of their adventures in Indonesia. To read more about their travels, visit http://hackingfamily.com. Contact them through editorial@the-trtion.com.
08 October 2006 Java Sea, Indonesia
A delicious southeast breeze scoots Ocelot happily along the shallow waters of the Java Sea and a full moon lights our nights. We are four days into the gentle passage from Bali to Borneo, having stopped for a rest at a quiet anchorage off Bawean Island (05º44’S, 112º40’E) for two nights en route. Since leaving Komodo Island a month ago, we’ve sailed more than 500 miles west, skirting the north coast of Sumbawa where we saw a wonderful village building six huge traditional boats right on the beach. These 100foot (30m) monsters can be 30 feet (10m) high from keel to deck and are built using only dry-fit wooden pegs – thousands of them – but no glue or metal fastenings at all. On Lombok, enterprising young Mohammed paddled out to Ocelot in an outrigger canoe and we negotiated buying diesel, a trip to the local market, black pearls and touring Lombok, known as “the Bali of 30 years ago.” The economic contrast between the islands of East Nusa Tenggara (Timor, Flores, Sumbawa) and Lombok was evident in the well-paved roads. The homes and offices built of concrete had elaborately carved window frames and doors. High in the forested hills we stopped to feed peanuts to a troop of macaque monkeys perched on posts by the road. We enjoyed a glorious lunch under towering volcanoes amidst blossoming bougainvillea, frangipani and the lush green landscape of terraced rice, peanut, chili and tobacco fields. At sunset, we walked around the formal gardens and pools built by the last Balinese king to rule Lombok. Lombok is known for its fine pottery and textiles. Whereas crafts are done at the family level in Timor and Flores, Lombok has full villages devoted to one craft or another. A young Muslim woman took us through her village of stilted bamboo homes set around a communal well and small stables of horses and buffalo kept for transport and plowing. In each home
Mohammed and two helpers visited the Hackings, offering diesel and a guided tour. a woman sat at a back-strap loom weaving intricate “songket” cloth of cotton and silk threads died yellow, red, blue, green, silver and gold. At a pottery village, we watched artisans apply crushed eggshells or sand to the dark brown plates and bowls, creating patterns in bas-relief. Gili Air is a small, sandy bit of paradise off northwest Lombok and has no motorized vehicles, only “ben hurs” – highly decorated, pony-drawn carts that ply the sandy tracks carrying tourists or villagers and their goods around the island. The beaches are white and the water clear and warm. Lining the beach are dozens of bamboo and wood covered platforms, tables and chairs decked out in colorful cushions. Chalkboards announce the day’s specialties: seafood or chicken curries, gado-gado, fruit smoothies, cold beers and $2 Piña Coladas. Jon enjoyed a delicious $5/hour massage on a covered platform above the beach, with the warm, gentle afternoon breeze wafting over him. For four days we ate out two meals a day, never spending more than $10 for the three of us, even for the huge jumbo prawns, butterflied, grilled and served with garlic butter. Amanda and Sue joined other cruising women for a $5 cooking class in a small concrete kitchen with a fridge, two gas burners and two woks. They learned to grind, stir, boil and cook four curries and coconut/peanut dishes, then sat down to feast with their families. On another day, the local dive shop asked for volunteers to help with International Coastal Clean-up Day and the three of us spent a day underwater collecting fishing line, nets, plastic bags and bottles. While we yachties try hard to be green travelers, it was satisfying
PHOTOS/THE HACKING FAMILY
Dancing in Bali: fingers twitching and deliberate, stylized movements delivered with wide, unblinking eyes. to make the extra effort to actually improve the beaches and waters. The mysterious cone of Gungung Agung, Bali’s tallest volcano, beckoned to the west, and in late September we joined about 30 other Rally boats for 10 days of a kaleidoscope of culture. Set apart from the rest of Indonesia both religiously and culturally, Bali is a world
unto itself where the Balinese Hindu religion permeates daily life. Ancient and elaborate gilded temples are everywhere, as are puja, offerings of flowers, candles and food put out on doorsteps. Bali is crying for tourism after the bombings in
See OCELOT, page B24
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November 2006 CRUISING GROUNDS: Canada
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Canada’s Atlantic coast inviting, unspoiled By Capt. Conor Craig The Atlantic coast of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence have a long seafaring history and continue to maintain close links with the sea in all its aspects. Fishing, diving and wild and windswept coasts compliment the down-to-earth lifestyle of the locals to offer an unparalleled cruising experience. Unexplored and unexploited, this area offers the adventurous cruising yacht an experience to be found in few places on earth. The visiting yacht owner will certainly have a wealth of enjoyment and memories lasting many years, if not forever. We departed Norfolk, Va., in early July and steamed to Corner Brook on Newfoundland’s west coast to await the owners and prepare for a month in Newfoundland, three weeks in Quebec and Sagueney, and three more weeks around Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton.
Canadian shipping agent
I had decided to use a Canadian shipping agent to facilitate our travels and this turned out to be an excellent decision. In fact, it proved essential to maximizing the Canadian experience. Certainly it is possible to manage without any local help as formalities
ÜÜÜ°/ i ÀÌ Ûi°V iÜÊ9 À Ê ÌÞ½ÃÊ i}>ÊÞ>V ÌÊ >À > Ó£Ó°ÇnÈ°£Óää
In St. Anthony’s, the yacht was introduced to a pilot who gave tours from a PHOTO/CAPT. CONOR CRAIG seaplane in the Gros Morne National Park. are relatively easy, but the benefits of an agent are many. I met Roger Soubliere of RamseyGreig et Cie at the SeaTrade show in Miami and was very impressed. Roger and his team worked tirelessly to move our trip from excellent into the realms of the extraordinary. I used their facilities in the port of entry, in Quebec City and in the port of departure and cleared in and out of the smaller ports myself with information and contacts from them. It was certainly a value-for-money situation. Red tape was minimal with only a few considerations. ECAREG, the Canadian ship reporting system, requires knowledge of your cruising itinerary and movements. This needs to be done 96 hours and 24 hours before crossing and upon crossing the U.S./Canadian border. It can be done by phone, e-mail or VHF. From then on, the procedure is to call the appropriate coast guard radio and ask them to forward your details to ECAREG, though this needs to be done two hours before departure. Around Newfoundland, there are three coast guard areas: Port Aux Basques on South coast, St. Johns radio on East coast and St. Anthony radio on North and West coasts. In the St. Lawrence, there is Escoumais radio at entrance to the Sagueney, and Quebec radio at Quebec City. Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton have Sydney radio. Immigration is done at first port of call. We did ours at Corner Brook and it is a simple yet thorough affair. Passports, a few forms on alcohol onboard, controlled drugs in medical kit and plants and we were in. There’s a number on the form that serves as your record of entry for other ports. There is not a cruising permit per se, but you do need to notify customs on moving from
one province to the next, for example on leaving Newfoundland and entering Quebec. We flew the provincial flag below the Canadian courtesy flag in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton and Quebec, which went down well. Don’t use the CANPASS system as it’s for small vessels that are all American crewed and voyaging regularly in and out of Canada. It is not designed for one-off cruising with a multinational crew on a non-U.S.flagged vessel. Fuel is available and our best buy was in Quebec City with small duty and small sales tax. Major purchases can be submitted for reimbursement of the sales tax after departure from Canada, though only on items you take out, such as cameras and radios. Pilotage? Yes, indeed. Pilotage is mandatory in most large ports and many small ports in Eastern Canada and applies to foreign-registered vessels over 400 tons. It is even more restrictive in the St. Lawrence east of Tadoussac for any vessel over 100 feet. We found the pilots to be amenable and extremely competent. The pilots need to be booked 24 hours in advance and called 12, 6 and 2 hours in advance to confirm your ETA at the pilot station. For a two-month cruise in this area, pilotage fees can be in the region of $10,000. The phone number for the Atlantic Pilots Authority is 1-877-2723477. In several instances I personally felt we were unfairly charged for pilots and it did put a negative side on our trip. Some smaller ports that don’t require a pilot are great for large yachts. We berthed in Georgetown on Prince Edward Island at the commercial dock on several occasions. It was a superb facility. Everyone was
See CANADA, page B21
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Magnificent scenery merits more than a month to see it all CANADA, from page B20
Buyers came from across North America to bid on the six tuna, 600700 pounds each, that had been caught the night before. Tail slices, taken to sample the quality, went back to Double Haven with Capt. Conor Craig, left, and made for a fantastic crew dinner.
very friendly and helpful, and it was free. One tip, though: Always come into these small harbors in daylight as there are numerous mussel farms taking up most of the bay and are hard to see in darkness.
Accommodating people
We first spent three weeks circumnavigating Newfoundland and called in many ports along the way. We were always greeted by accommodating, friendly and wonderful locals. Jean-Pierre Andrieux in St. Johns stands out and he alone made this trip extra special with his extraordinary hospitality and knowledge of all things Canadian. Anthony in St. Anthony’s introduced us to the fish factory staff and fresh cod, as well as finding a pilot to give us tours from a seaplane in the Gros Morne National Park. Tony, our agent’s representative in Corner Brook, eased us through the customs and immigration formalities with professional expertise. All in all, wonderful cruising, but it is too rushed to see it all in a month. We steamed up the St. Lawrence to Quebec City and spent a leisurely four days there exploring the old city and its wonderful ambiance. The inner harbor, entered by a really small lock, is one of the better marinas in the area. We moved back along the St. Lawrence to the Sagueney Fjord and after seeing the white Beluga whales en route we anchored in Bai Ha Ha. Magnificent scenery everywhere and a spectacular trip up and down this waterway made this week another high point in our excursion. We moved on toward Prince Edward Island and spent a month in this area. We crossed to northern Nova Scotia and the picturesque Pictou Harbour (no pilot needed) with its wonderful museum and restaurants, and then on to pass the Canso Lock between Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island and into the Bras d’Or lakes through the St. Peters Lock. This is a tricky passage as the channel from the small lock to the lakes is 800 meters long with only 3 meters on each side of your vessel. Slow and careful is the key. Once in, the lakes are calm and scenic. We came alongside the jetty in Baddeck and spent a wonderful three days exploring the hinterland. Again we hired a plane from the resort and flew north to the national park and tip of Cape Breton. This park is spectacular from the air as you follow the Cabot Trail.
Marvelous tuna
We headed north out of the lakes and round the cape to Cheticamp on the west coast for a short stop (another
PHOTO/COURTESY OF CAPT. CONOR CRAIG
narrow/shallow entrance) then to Port Hood where a visit to the Glenora distillery was a necessity. In Port Hood we were able to see a tuna auction. There had been six tuna in the 600- to 700-pound range caught the night before and buyers came from all over the United States and Canada to bid for these wonderful specimens. They took core samples and a slice off each tail to determine the quality. These fish sold for $8 to $12 a pound, and were to be shipped to the States or Japan for sushi and sashimi. Duncan, from the factory, dressed the fish and supervised the auction and had many amusing anecdotes to liven up the bidding. We were able to take the tail slice samples with us and feasted well that night. Earlier in North Lake on Prince Edward Island we hired a fisherman and his boat for the day to try tuna fishing for the big ones. We had a great
day watching the unique methods of local fishing for 600- to 1,000-pound fish. Live baits with helium balloons and kites kept the baited mackerel splashing on the surface as well as longer lines on a balloon to keep the bait at a specific depth. We didn’t catch any tuna, unfortunately, and we found out later it’s the boat that keeps the fish. A topquality 600-pound fish can fetch up to $12,000, after all. We returned to Georgetown and, after the owner’s departure, we headed south through the Canso Locks again and headed for Jacksonville for our short dry dock period before the winter in the Caribbean. Canada was a very special experience for us and probably ranks with our best trip so far, which was a year cruising Indonesia. Everyone we met – without exception – could not have been more helpful, friendly
or hospitable. This combined with spectacular scenery and wildlife made an unforgettable summer cruise. Capt. Conor Craig is the skipper of M/Y Double Haven, a 168-foot Feadship. Contact him through editorial@thetriton.com.
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November 2006 CRUISING GROUNDS: The Adriatic
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Detour to Greece was a pleasant surprise By Capt. Chris Walsh Our plan wasn’t to cruise Greece this season. As luck would have it, we had a near-perfect crossing from Florida to the Adriatic, with stops in Bermuda, the Azores, Gibraltar and Sicily for pizza. After changing crew in Dubrovnik, we headed north for Pula, Croatia, to meet our first guests. At 4 a.m. we had a voltage regulator problem that fried a good handful of essential pieces of equipment, including the steering motors. Continuing on, slowly in the calm seas, the chief managed to swap an AC pump motor for one of the burned out steering motors, giving us enough control to dock in time to pick up the guests the following morning. We enjoyed a near-perfect month in Croatia and Montenegro, thanks in a large part to our agents A1JLT and to our Croatian friends. After fueling in Montenegro, we headed off for Turkey, having what could be called a close encounter with a leftover mine en route and a suspicious Albanian trawler. A thrilling night run through the Corinth Canal saved time and helped us make a weather window through which we made Bodrum, Turkey, comfortably.
The four philosophers are, from left, Capt. Chris Walsh, Dave Ackerly, Morgan Morrison, and Eng. Pat Price. Notice the perhaps original use of the epaulets. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. CHRIS WALSH We were eyeing Beirut, Israel and Egypt, but Scott Stamper at Atlass Insurance Group called to alert us to fighting erupting there. Greece and Turkey started looking very good at about that time. We’ve had several other hugely successful cruises in both Greece and Turkey, though usually with more planning. This time around we had the opportunity to take it slow and enjoy smaller, out-of-the-way islands as well as the required Mykonos and Santorini. Mike and the gang from A1 were once again an enormous help, and the weather cooperated. It was lucky that our guests enjoyed walking/ hiking, kayaking, swimming, diving, local culture and cuisine, with only an occasional bit of maintenance
shopping. Guests frequently included crew in activities, so everyone got to see places they’d otherwise never get to. We had a few days in Athens, where we adopted our new uniforms, before cruising south to Crete with stops at Idhra, Spetses, Navplion, Monavasia and Kithera. Having to wing it during high season could have been a nightmare. As it was, the entire trip went smooth as silk. Fuel was readily available (if a bit pricey), all provisions were at hand, cell phones worked everywhere, weather info was pretty much spot on, and anchorages weren’t crowded, generally. Capt. Chris Walsh skippers the 143-foot M/Y Lord Jim. Contact him through editorial@the-triton.com.
The Triton
www.the-triton.com CRUISING GROUNDS: Newport, RI
Christie’s of Newport auction a memorable one By Mate Allison Rese I think I’d be correct in calling, in yachtie terms at least, Christie’s of Newport world famous. So I can safely continue to report that the worldfamous Christie’s was sold earlier this year and reopened as 41 Degrees North just ahead of the 2006 summer season. The new facility has new docks and pilings, on-site laundry facilities and a small seasonal bar and restaurant, which closed Oct. 8 until next summer. That day officially marked the end of the Christie’s era with the auctioning of its equipment and memorabilia. Signed photographs, the actual upstairs bar, Christie’s signs, painted doors from the restrooms and other fun items made up the bulk of the sales. Yours truly here, of course, could not get away without two gorgeous chandeliers that once hung over the bar – for $25 a piece. The bar sold to Mike and Lori Ryan who had their rehearsal dinner there. Joe, a Newport resident and Christie’s patron of 33 years, bought both large Christie’s signs. The larger went for $750 (the highest-priced item on auction). He has no special plans for the signs, but rather intends to put them in storage for a rainy day. The most conscientious bidder perhaps was Cindy Lee of Armory
Antiques. Though she intends to offer most of the items for resale, sentimentality was the driving force behind most of her purchases. It may be of interest to note that a signed photo of Dwight D. Eisenhower did not meet its reserve ($500) so did not sell. We all have a favorite recollection of Christie’s. Mine revolves around my dog, Twisted Sister (Twisty for short). Twisty is a tiny one-of-a-kind creature (just like her human mother). I found her on the side of the road in Tortola nine years ago. She is well-behaved to the extent that she has been allowed to travel with me on most boats I have worked on. She probably has more sea miles under her belt than most people. The last captain we were with actually wrote her a letter of reference. But my Christie’s story. For many years I worked on Different Drummer II. The owner is a former successful jazz drummer, and at 70 (going on 17) had and still has an absolutely tireless spirit. My best memory of him is one year at about four in the afternoon, he stood with his nose glued to the window of Different Drummer, viewing the fabulous Saturday afternoon scene alongside the dock and said, “I should really go and take a nap, but I’m scared I’ll miss something.” So typical of the Christie’s scene. It was always the greatest people-
Twisty gives life to the expression PHOTO/ALLISON RESE ‘hair of the dog.’ watching spot in town. There was always something going on. That same night I was awakened by a commotion outside my cabin. I heard Twisty’s collar jingling and the owner had her leash on, trying to cajole her upstairs. When I asked what was going on he told me he was taking Twisty to Christie’s. For a late-night cocktail no doubt. Contact Mate Allison Rese through editorial@the-triton.com.
November 2006
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November 2006 CRUISING GROUNDS: Bali
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Stoplights optional on bus tour OCELOT, from page B19 2002 (that killed about 250 including 88 Aussies, 20 Indonesians and six Americans, the presumed target). The rally folks contacted the local tourism boards and organized several free tours for us, including elaborate meals and intricate dance shows. We saw several small backyard curio factories: Casting small coins (Chinese replicas), paintings, carvings, even decorating 3-inch-diameter brass cannon-shell casings. The dancing here is just like you see on TV, finger twitching, slow, elaborate stylized movements, wide unblinking eyes, “Barong” lions, the whole bit – but we’re sitting front and center for it all. High quality carvings, weavings, batiks, paintings, clothes, furniture, huge kites, etc., are very inexpensive, but the expected negotiations are tiring and time consuming. One could furnish and decorate an entire house in high style for next to nothing. Food and accommodations are also reasonable. On another day we went to a local queen’s cremation. After several hours of prayers and incense, the casket was put 1/2 way up a 50-foot (15m) ornately decorated tower that was then carried by about 250 guys down the street for about a mile (with a fire-truck spraying them to cool them now and then). The
casket was then transferred into a 10foot (3m) high black cow before being torched with surprisingly little fanfare. The bus trips were crazy. We had police escort and therefore didn’t stop for anything as plebian as stoplights. Sirens blaring and lights flashing, we bombed right through it all, taking our half of the road in the middle (really!) the whole way. If oncoming traffic didn’t show sufficient deference and move to the curb, the police car would charge them until they did. Another morning, we braved the roads in a rental car to enjoy the hill country with its rice paddies and temples. We all dressed in sarongs and were invited to enter Balinese temples where 2,000 people had put out elaborate offering baskets of fruit and (cooked) chickens. We followed a temple procession for about 30 minutes with their cymbals, drums, women in bright sarongs with fruit baskets on their heads, and brilliant yellow, gold and white umbrellas over all. We are now on passage across the Java Sea, headed for the jungles of Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) for a few days of river travel to see the wildlife, especially the orangutans. Fair winds & calm seas Jon, Sue & Amanda Hacking S/V Ocelot
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November 2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
EVENT OF MONTH The Triton’s monthly networking event Nov. 1, 6 p.m.
More than 150 people showed up for Bluewater’s electronic navigation trade show last year. One vendor said he made more important contacts that night than he did during the entire boat FILE PHOTO show.
This month we’re joining Bluewater Books and Charts for its third annual electronic navigation mini trade show. There will be snacks, adult beverages, and complimentary copies of a DVD of Bluewater/ Triton event on piracy last spring. Find us at 1811 Cordova Road in Ft. Lauderdale’s Harbor Shops. +1-954-763-6533, ext. 228.
70, 88, & 220 Ton Travelifts
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IBEX lands at Miami Beach from Nov. 1-3 Nov. 1-3 International BoatBuilders’
Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) in Miami Beach. For trade only. 800 exhibitors and manufacturers have signed up. Free demos throughout the show. Seminars also run throughout the show for a fee. Pre-conference seminars on Oct. 31. The show is produced by Professional Boatbuilder magazine and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. www.ibexshow.com
Nov. 2 The Triton Bridge luncheon,
noon, Ft. Lauderdale. A roundtable discussion of the issues of the day. Active captains only. RSVP to Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. Space is limited to eight.
Nov. 4-6 32nd annual Fall Charteryacht Show, American Yacht Harbor, St. Thomas, http://vicl.org/events.html
Nov. 4-12 45th annual Barcelona
International Boat Show, Gran Via Exhibition Center. More than 1,600 indirect exhibitors. Includes BCN Dive, a dive show. +34 93 233 2363, www.salonnautico.com
Providing you with the finest, fully-guaranteed service at a fair price in an expedient, professional and courteous manner. Major Refits & Renovations Drive Train & Running Gear A/C & Refrigeration Repowering Bow & Stern Thrusters
Dockside Service Ventilation Specialist Hydraulics Paint & Refinishing Teak Decks
Carpentry / Fine Woodworking Window & Hatch Repairs Full Machine Shop And Much More
954-585-1041 Lauderdale Marine Center 2005 SW 20th Street Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315
From: US Chart Services, Inc., 54-524-6566, colleen@uscharts.com To: The Triton, david@the-triton.com cc: mdoyle@mangomarine.com
Nov. 5 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Ft.
Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free. Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale.gov
Nov. 5-9 Intermediate Marina
Manager course, West Palm Beach. Topics include marina law, contracts, emergency response and fuel-system management. $1,695 for members of the Association of Marina Industries; $1,895 for non-members, includes lodging, food and materials. Produced by the International Marina Institute. Prerequisite for the Advanced Marina Management program the week of Dec. 4. www.MarinaAssociation.org, imitraining@MarinaAssociation.org, +1-401–247–0314
Nov. 8-10 25th annual BVI
Charteryacht Society Boat Show, Village Cay Marina, Tortola. www.bvicrewedyachts.com
Nov 9-12 ShowBoats International
magazine’s Yacht Rendevous at Fisher Island to benefit Boys & Girls Club of Broward County. 954-563-2822, www.yachtrendezvous.com
Nov. 12-19 23rd annual Miami Book
Fair International, the largest book fair in the United States with more than 300 authors and a half million visitors.
See CALENDAR, page B27
The Triton
www.the-triton.com
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
November 2006
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International WorkBoat Show returning to New Orleans CALENDAR, from page B26
workboatshow.com
This year’s guest authors include Frank McCourt, Pulitzer winner Edward P. Jones and Nora Ephron. On the streets surrounding Miami-Dade Community College. 305-237-3258 www.miamibookfair.com
Nov. 30-Dec. 2 3rd annual Cayman
Nov. 13-16 Global Superyacht Forum, formerly known as Project 2006, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Hosted by The Yacht Report. 985 euros. www.theyachtreport.com
Nov. 14-16 19th annual Marine
Equipment Trade Show (METS) 2005, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For trade only. More than 1,000 exhibitors expected. www.mets.nl
Nov. 16-19 29th annual St. Petersburg Boat Show, Bayfront Center Yacht Basin, St. Petersburg, Fla. www. showmanagement.com
Nov. 18-19 Marine Weather
Forecasting Workshop, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Dania Beach, sponsored by Seven Seas Cruising Association. Instructor: Lee Chesneau, former senior meteorologist for NOAA’s Ocean Prediction Center. $250 for SSCA members, $300 for nonmembers. Fee includes a workbook, lunch and snacks. www.ssca.org/ eventind.htm, office@ssca.org, 954-771-5660.
Jazz Fest, Pageant Beach, Grand Cayman. www.caymanislands.ky/ jazzfest
non-bar setting. Call us at 954-525-0029 for details as the date draws near.
Dec. 6-11, 45th annual Charter Yacht
*-]Ê -Ê www.antigua-charter Ê /Show, Antigua, yacht-meeting.com. www.antigua7 Ê 8Ê /t charter-yacht-meeting.com
Dec. 2-3 Florida Dive Show, Palm Ê
Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach. www.floridadiveshow.com.
Dec. 2-5 3rd annual St. Maarten
Charter Yacht Exhibition, Sint Maarten. www.charteryachtexhibition.com
Dec. 5 The Triton Bridge luncheon,
noon, Sint Maarten. A roundtable discussion of the issues of the day. Active captains only. RSVP to Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. Space is limited to eight.
Jan. 18-21 The St.Maarten-
St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta, www. classicregatta.com
Jan. 20-28 38th annual Boot
Düsseldorf, Germany. More than 1,700 exhibitors from 55 countries have registered to showcase boats, yachts and maritime products and services. Several of the 18 exhibition halls will be dedicated to megayachts. More than 280,000 visitors are expected and 2,500 journalists are expected to cover it. www.mdna.com
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Dec. 6 The Triton’s monthly networking event (on the first Wednesday of every month). Save the date. The location varies monthly to introduce yacht captains and crew to a different area business. Effective networking in a
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Feb. 4 The (U.S.) National Football League’s Superbowl XLI, Miami, www.superbowl.com
Feb. 15-19 19th annual Yacht and
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Nov. 29-Dec. 1 International
WorkBoat Show, New Orleans. Cancelled last year after Hurricane Katrina, the show is back. www. / ÕV ÊÕ«ÊÃiÀÛ ViÃÊv À\Ê/À ÌÞ]Ê â ÕÌ]Ê*iÀÃ }Ê> `Ê, Û>
MAKING PLANS
35th Winterfest Boat Parade Dec. 16, South Florida 35th annual Winterfest Boat Parade on the Intracoastal Waterway from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. The theme this year is “Broadway on the Water.” Entry fees start at $35. 954-767-0686, www. winterfestparade.com
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Brokerage Show, Miami, the in-water portion of the Miami International Boat Show, www.showmanagement. com.
March 22-25
22nd annual Palm Beach Boat Show, Palm Beach. www. showmanagement.com
Manage clearly Clear policies on board help let crew know where they stand and how to behave.
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Child on board A good owner relationship can open the door to crew’s family being welcomed.
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Section C
Not the face of a prison guard
White wines love food, too
Free Classifieds
Not anymore, anyway. Read the story of how Capt. Michael Murphy got his start in yachting.
Have some Chilean sauvignon blanc around and wondering what to serve it with? Try guacalmole. How about that Sauternes? Try foie gras. Find more tips by reading By the Glass.
Check them out, continuously updated online, with features such as alerts.
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New to crewing? Fit in By Alex Berl In this season of yacht sales and crew changes, megayacht crew around the globe are facing new jobs, new boats and new crew mates. So how do you survive being the new guy on a yacht? It’s not easy being new to a yacht, particularly when the rest of the crew have worked together a while. But it is not impossible. Again and again in this industry, new crew members – from deckhand up – join an established team and successfully integrate in a short time. Being a crew member on a megayacht means you not only work with your fellow crew mates, you must live with them in close quarters. So the first rule of survival is golden: Be the kind of crew member you would want on your team. Be nice, work hard, and be discreet. At every level keep a friendly, open and keen attitude. Personalities and attitudes will make or break the experience. Be courteous. You want people to enjoy working with and/or for you. You must develop mutual trust to feel comfortable in a lifethreatening situation at sea. We have a saying in the placement
Tips
l Be someone that others would want on their team. l Pull your weight. l Be friendly, but not overly chummy. l Watch, listen, learn. l And managers – earn respect; you can’t force it.
Expect to be assigned to, well, less-glamorous tasks at the outset. industry: Beginners start with beds and heads. In other words, if you’re new, you will make beds and clean heads, so don’t complain. Never work less than teammates. That could adversely affect how you’re treated and your position will be easily compromised. Remember, too, that the yachting industry is a small world. Word gets around quickly, therefore it’s important you do the job and do it well. When joining a boat at a managerial level, such as captain or chief stew, establish yourself in a different capacity. You’re the boss and you must let your crew know that from the beginning. Don’t strong arm the idea, though. Hold an initial staff
meeting to let each crew member know what is expected of them and how you will handle day-to-day personnel issues. It is important that these boundaries are laid out from the outset. There will be a lot fewer headaches and power plays on board when lines are firmly established. For example, a new chief stew is not only in charge of the interior of the yacht but also the interior staff working under her. She could come on strong but in acting like a tyrant she will alienate the crew she ultimately needs as a team. Or she could assess the personalities she will be working with, take it slowly and meld in. She will earn her team’s See NEW, page C11
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November 2006
When thin isn’t enough In all my years as a professional chef, I have encountered numerous people with eating disorders. I am sure you have, too; it is quite prevalent in our industry. Beauty reigns and so do altered body images. I’ve seen wives, owners, girlfriends and crew members with altered perceptions of what we are supposed to look Culinary Waves like. Mary Beth Our jobs as chefs Lawton Johnson entail working on some of the most beautiful megayachts in the world and for some of the wealthiest people. Our world – the yachting world – is more of a beauty-and-brawn contest than most worlds, which leads me to a sensitive topic: eating disorders from a professional chef ’s opinion. Years ago, eating disorders were not even mentioned in medical journals. Today, there’s a National Eating Disorder Association (www. nationaleatingdisorders.org) and a National Eating Disorder Month (February). Eating disorders are about much more than food. They are now widely viewed as psychological disorders where people use food in an attempt to control their worlds. For some, the cycle of dieting, purging and binging begins as a way of coping with a painful emotion. Ultimately, these behaviors do much physical and emotional damage. I have known several friends, yacht owners and guests with these disorders.
See WAVES, page C6
C November 2006 SUPERYACHT OPERATIONS: Up and Running
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The Triton
Make it a policy to have clear policies on board An important area to consider when managing a megayacht is that of policy. What approach does the owner want to the various aspects of the operation of the yacht? Depending upon the size, flag and use of the yacht, there may be no requirement for any particular regulatory Up and Running compliance. Ian Biles However, the lack
of regulation does not mean that a yacht should not aspire to act in a responsible manner. The Health and Safety Policy covers the well being of those on board (crew and guests) and those who come in contact with the yacht (contractors, officials etc.). Consider the following sample policy statement. “Yacht XYZ works on the principle that all injuries at work can be prevented, and promotes actively, amongst all those associated with its activities, high standards of safety consciousness, discipline and
individual accountability that this principle demands.” If the statement is changed, putting “the highest” rather than “high” in front of “standards,” the level of effort and accountability changes dramatically. The simple difference is that the term “highest” implies that there is nothing that can be done, whatsoever, to improve the standard. Whereas “high” implies there may be additional things that could be done. This is what is known as wiggle room. To some, such subtleties might seem pedantic. However, following an
accident involving the death of a crew member, both government authorities and civil lawyers will scrutinize the stated policy looking for areas where it has not been applied with the intent of holding the yacht (owner and/or captain) culpable for any failure. In the same way, the environmental protection policy operates in respect to the environment. The main areas for consideration are oil, garbage, black water, gray water and exhaust emissions. Selection of the correct standard and judgment criteria is vital; once the policy is published it can be used to hold the yacht to account. Another area to consider is that of drug and alcohol use. For a yacht, the question is whether it will be tolerated. The initial reaction of most captains is “of course not.” However, the issue is not that clear. Generally, a standard policy for crew can be used easily. It is incorporated in an employment contract and a breach of the policy results in immediate dismissal. What is to be done, however, for owners and charter guests? It is the captain’s job to raise such difficult issues (diplomatically) with the owner so he understands and complies with the owner’s wishes. If the owner wishes to use prohibited substances onboard and/or to allow guests to do so, the captain needs to be aware of his own position in relation to the law of the country where the yacht is berthed as well as the insurance position. In some countries (most notably the United States) the discovery of drugs on a yacht makes the yacht subject to seizure. As regards the captain, if it could be shown that he/she had prior knowledge of the presence of drugs on board, it is entirely conceivable that he/she could be arrested and detained.
See MANAGEMENT, page C11
MPI Group of Surrey, England, is introducing a distance-learning course designed to bridge the gap between master certification and the reality of running a large yacht. The course begins in October and is sponsored by the Professional Yachtsmen’s Association and Middlesex University. Course material was created by Ian Biles and future topics include the legal aspects of yacht management, interior management, chartering, repairs and security. For more information, call +44(0)1252-732-220 or e-mail et@mpigroup.co.uk. Visit www. meagyachtnews.com to read previous columns.
The Triton
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CREW PROFILE: M/Y Olga
November 2006
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Captain’s teenage son finds home, role aboard the Olga By Lucy Chabot Reed There are as many different programs in yachting as there are owners. And if, as captains have suggested, a good owner makes for a good experience, then Capt. Bernard Calot and his family just may have the best streak of luck in yachting. Calot has taken command of M/Y Olga, the 121-foot Crescent formerly known as Baroness. His wife is the chef and their 13-year-old son Rafael is the unofficial deckhand and electronics expert. “It’s a good deal for the owner,” Calot said. “He gets a deckhand for free and the family gets to stay together.” Sitting in the galley on the yacht, Calot grins like a little kid at Christmas. Just five years ago, he and his family were aboard their own boat in Cuba, trying to sell charters to extend their cruising life. But after Sept. 11, few of their countrymen from Canada were flying to Cuba, so business was sparse. There they met Capt. Wayne Nolander, a megayacht captain who encouraged them to sell their boat and step into the yachting world. That first year, they sent Rafael home to Canada to live with his grandparents and attend school. On his first school break, he joined them on the boat. “He was polite and helpful and when his vacation finished, the owner said he can stay as long as he liked,” said his mom, Chef Claire Villemure. That summer, Rafael joined the boat. Between occasional bouts of missing his friends, he says he’s happy to be there. He turns 14 in December. “I don’t understand why people say you can’t have kids on yachts,” Calot said. “If you have a good relationship with the owner, they want to keep you. The job is more than just the salary and all that. It’s being happy in your life, and having your family around is a big part of that.” It helps, too, that Rafael is an independent sort of kid, with good grades and an easy demeanor. He spends about three hours a day on school work and follows his classmates over the Internet. When he’s not studying, he’s the go-to guy for all personal electronics onboard, including laptops, iPods and video games. And he also handles traditional deckhand duties. His favorite? Washing down the boat. “Everybody does it as a team,” he said. He stands watch and is learning radar, Villemure said. And when he’s a little older, he’ll take his STCW so he might continue in yachting if he wants. “I miss my friends but I went very far in the islands,” Rafael said. “I can still
talk to them over the internet. I like it. I like working on the boats. It’s a good crew.” While young adults aren’t appropriate on every boat, there should be more flexibility with owners who run a family boat to include the families of their crew as well, Villemure said. “There are a lot of qualified captains with family that owners will not want to lose,” she said. But not every program is for everyone. Capt. Matt Hedrick, skipper of Baroness before she was sold, was offered the captain’s job on Olga. A busy family boat that plans to spend a lot of time in the Virgin Islands meant one of two things: relocating his wife and two children there from Miami or being away from them a lot. He chose neither and declined the post. “It’s a tough thing combining yachting and a family,” Hedrick said. “I’m going to move in another direction and that is up in size. Only on the larger yachts do you have the system that is in place in the commercial world already.” Though he and his wife worked together on yachts before children, he won’t consider bringing his family onboard now. There are too many social and familial commitments to uproot his family, he said. The alternative is regular, scheduled time off. “If they want to keep crew and professionals, owners have got to start treating it as a career,” Hedrick said. “These are mid-management positions, and they [owners] should treat them like they treat the managers in their own companies. “But at the end of the day is that the yacht is someone’s toy. They might be serious in their day life but when it comes to their yacht – and this has
The first crew of M/Y Olga, the 121-foot Crescent formerly known as Baroness: First Mate Julien Pijloo, deckhand Rafael Villemure, Capt. Bernard Calot (behind), Chef Claire Villemure and former Stewardess Monique PHOTO/LUCY REED Spieker, who has since left the yacht. been the complaint in yachting for years – all that goes by the wayside. “To keep people who regard yachting as a profession, there will have to be some concessions to a life beyond the
boat,” he said. “Otherwise, it’ll be a young person’s game.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
C November 2006 HOW I GOT MY START IN YACHTING
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Literally imprisoned by his job, boating gave a needed escape By Capt. Michael Murphy Man it was hot. The uniform shirt was plastered to my back, and the sweat dripped off my brow. Not much to do but daydream. Sitting in a guard tower watching over a prison yard was less than mindless, but it did leave a lot of time to daydream. My thoughts drifted to a conversation with Tommy. He had Murphy become a good friend lately, and I was fascinated with his stories of when he worked as a boson’s mate for the cruise line. The people, the places, the girls, and the whole nine yards, it sounded like. He had some awesome pictures to back it all up, too. Tommy said he thought I would love it, and I really thought I would. I decided to do it. When I finished the shift I called Tommy to find out what I needed to do. He told me he still had friends with the cruise line, and that he wanted to make a couple of calls, and then he would get back with me. I agreed to wait, but every shift at the prison was draining me. What an absolute hell on Earth. Finally Tommy called back, and told me to call Lue at the cruise line. I did and nearly fell over when she said she wanted to schedule an interview. I didn’t know that crew came and went quickly, as through a revolving door. I found myself a few days later in St. Louis in a beautiful business district, in a beautiful office complex. I felt the interview went well, but I had no idea
what would happen. The next day, I drove back a bit distressed about my upcoming shift, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. When I checked in I was assigned to yard duty, which at least lets you roam around instead of being stuck by yourself in a tower 30 feet off the ground. A call came in to report to the control center, so off I trotted. I was told I had an urgent message and, as anyone would, I expected bad news. I didn’t recognize the long-distance number, so out came the AT&T calling card and I dialed away. It was the cruise line, and they wanted me to fly to New York the next day to join the ship. My tongue caught in my throat, and I stammered as I said I would need at least one extra day to get things taken care of. I quit on the spot, turned in my badge and headed to my apartment to break the news to my roommate. Two days later I stepped off the plane in Albany, N.Y., and taxied to the boat. When I got there I felt like this was going to be the best thing I had ever done. An hour later, I looked at a heap of dishes in the galley, and wondered what the h^*# I had gotten myself into. Sixteen years later as a captain on a multimillion-dollar megayacht, I realize the journey and experience have made working on boats the best journey of my life. I encourage anybody who gets the chance to take the leap: it might be the best move they will ever make. Smooth sailing. Capt. Michael Murphy skippers the 120foot Christensen M/Y Kakela. Contact him through editorial@the-triton.com. How did you get your start in yachting? Send your story to lucy@the-triton.com. Who knows? You might inspire someone.
Charter captain of the year: Cowley Capt. Patrick Cowley of the 197-foot M/Y Paraffin took home Fraser’s Best Charter Captain of the Year award at the Monaco Yacht Club during the show in September. Cowley, who cruised this summer with his wife and daughter, thanked his family, crew and Fraser for supporting him. Also at the annual awards dinner, Fraser introduced a new award, one of excellence over a career. “For the owner to rely on his captain is really important and that’s what keeps them in the industry,” said David Legrand, director of Charter Marketing for Fraser Yachts Worldwide. “This award was chosen on three criteria: Longevity; honesty in the way he communicates with charterers, owners, brokers and crew; and care of his crew. To keep crew for long years is not an easy task. This captain succeeded. Capt. Gino Battaglio was honored
for his 28 years in the industry, most notably as skipper of yachts such as King, Kermit, and currently Lady Lola. “For 16 years, he had only two owners,” Legrand said. “We consider this a strong indicator of excellence. Our industry is suffering a little bit from instability.” Capt. Battaglio was joined by his son, also in yachting, to accept his award. “I ran a great ship,” he said. “Thanks to my family for supporting me for 30 years in this job. I love this job, and I work with passion. We reached this result as a team.” Fraser also honored a crew on a yacht over 40m, Passion. And best crew on a yacht under 40m was tied between La Dolce Vita and Freemont. Awards were sponsored by Blancpain and winners were chosen by charter guests. – Lucy Reed
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CREW PROFILE
Chefs becoming captains not as rare as we thought By Lucy Chabot Reed When Capt. Andrew Grego sat down with his September Triton, the front-page teaser grabbed him: “Chefturned-captain celebrates 25 years.” He wanted to read more about people like himself, a culinary-trained chef who now worked in the wheelhouse. When he read that the transition from galley to bridge was “un-heard of,” he shook his head. “I know of three other guys who have made the transition,” Grego said. “[It] is actually becoming more and more common.” As if to prove the A. Grego point, a week later in Monaco, Capt. James Rook introduced himself as chefturned-captain. The transition isn’t common, but it isn’t rare. And from what Grego and Rook said, it’s mostly about battling another challenge. “I just got bored in the galley,” Grego said. “Once you know the schedule, it becomes routine. I wanted something ... more mentally stimulating.” It was the same for Rook, a chef for 20 years before getting a yachtmaster offshore license from Australia. Grego was a chef about 12 years when he was hired as private chef to King Hussein of Jordan. He went to a New Zealand pub to celebrate and docked beside the restaurant was the 180-foot Perini Navi Independence. He asked the fellow on deck how a person gets to work on a vessel like that. The fellow was the captain and asked Grego what he did. Grego told him, and it just so happened
Independence was in search of a chef. “My first job in yachting and I step into that,” Grego said. “I knew if it didn’t work, I’d still have about five weeks of work and they’d fly me home.” He was onboard 18 months, handling charters for 16 guests plus a crew of 10. He came to own a 35-foot sportfish and fix-‘er-upper that became his hobby. He got his captain’s license about three years ago. When it was time to get another yachting job, he and his wife, Karen, searched for a chef/stew team position. “We mentioned Andrew had his license, so if something small came up, we might take it,” Karen Grego said. A week later, they got a call for an 82-foot Burger needing a captain/stew team. That first day, Grego had to bring the yacht down Ft. Lauderdale’s curvy New River. With no bow thruster, Grego was busy in the wheelhouse keeping a hand on each throttle and both ears on the radio. When he hit the port, he signed in relief, until an engine died. He called a marina looking for a T-head slip, but when he arrived, the only slip available was down a channel and inside. He made it, in reverse. “The owner was in the Whaler, watching,” Grego said. “He said ‘if you can do that, you don’t need a qualification period. You’re hired.’” The Gregos ran that boat for a year – he as captain, engineer and chef; she as mate and stew – before taking on the 90-foot Palmer Johnson Bellflower. So, which job is harder? “It’s all about stress level,” he said, “whether you are the chef or captain. On this boat ... I’ve got a charmed life.” Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
November 2006
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C November 2006 IN THE GALLEY: Culinary Waves, Recipe
Holiday Orange Cardamom-Glazed Duck with Sage Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing Recipe by Chef Mary Beth Lawson Johnson Photo by Richard Johnson This recipe combines the really old recipes from 1847 that belonged to my mother-in-law’s great-great-grandmother with an updated version of a classic orange sauce. I omitted the pork fat they used to use and substituted sausage instead. Also, back then, they used flour and butter to create a crispy skin. I have omitted the fat and used a more modern application with the glaze. It serves eight.
Orange Cardamom-glazed Duck 2 6-pound ducks 2 apples or 2 sweet onions, peeled 2 cups of orange sauce (comes with duck) or 2 cups of orange juice 2 cardamom pods 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 pinch cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons white pepper (or more, as needed) 2 teaspoons salt (or more, as needed) Rinse ducks with cold water, inside and out. Remember to remove the livers and gizzards from inside. Pat dry. Place either apples or oranges inside each duck. Truss and place in a
roasting pan. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil and reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove cardamom seeds. Brush the glaze over the ducks and roast according to package directions for 90 minutes to 2 hours or until done. Baste while cooking.
The Triton
People with disorders not hard to find WAVES, from page C1
Sage Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing 2 packages Jiffy Cornbread mix (Prepare and bake cornbread according to package directions. Bake and cool, then break into crumbs. 1 cup sweet corn off the cob or canned adds moisture and texture to the cornbread.) 2 cups Jimmy Dean ground sage sausage 2 tablespoons butter Duck livers and gizzards, chopped 4 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup onion, chopped 2 cups button mushrooms, chopped 2 eggs, boiled and chopped 2 teaspoons sage 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt, pepper to taste ½ cup to 1 cup chicken broth Optional ingredients: chopped apples, raisins, pecans or other nuts
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Cook the sausage until done. Remove and add the butter to the pan. Cook the livers and gizzards, celery, garlic, onions and mushrooms until tender. Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine the sausage mixture with the remaining ingredients and cornbread. Bake in a covered casserole dish until the moisture is absorbed.
One friend purged several times a day until she sought help, but by then she weighed 109 pounds. On a previous yacht, a woman in her late 30s would excuse herself from the dining table and go into the day head near the galley. Several minutes later, she would emerge with watery eyes and a red face. She had purged her meal. Her teeth were examples of what bulimia does to a person; the enamel was worn. This behavior happened every day. Did she think I didn’t see? On another previous yacht, a woman would take only a bite of food and exclaim I served too large a portion. (Usually, I serve 4 to 5 ounces of food.) After that one bite, she was done eating and would go exercise for hours. This was a daily occurrence with her as well, and she was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Another woman on this same yacht exercised for hours after eating a single spoonful of fruit or bite of a
See WAVES, page C7
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IN THE GALLEY: Culinary Waves
Chefs can’t take psychological problems as a personal affront WAVES, from page C6
An eating disorder comes from an altered body-image perception and carbohydrate. often develops in early adolescence as I distinctly remember one woman young women (and to a lesser degree, who went to a pharmacy in Costa Rica young men) enter puberty and their when the yacht was in port and got bodies begin to change. They can Fen-Phen after it was banned in the continue through the college-age United States. She weighed close to 100 years. Socio-economic pressures play pounds and so did her friends. a big part in their cause, said Dr. Claire What does this tell us? Skinny is not Lawton Birdsong, my sister who is a enough. These women suffer from an doctor in Columbia, S.C., and treats altered body or image perception in several patients with eating disorders. that they think they are fat. “Anxiety and stress play a significant As a chef, it makes me sad – and role in these disorders,” Dr. Birdsong angry at the same time – to watch said. “They can be caused by factors absolutely gorgeous, kind-hearted such as low self-esteem, feelings of women and men destroy themselves inadequacy or lack of control in their for the sake of thinness. I have watched lives to troubled family and personal expensive meals literally go down the relationships.” toilet or not touched at all for fear that Eating disorders are classified both the diner might gain an ounce. as anxiety disorders and psychological As yacht chefs, it is our job to illnesses that are hard to treat, she present cuisine that is safe, healthy said. They are treated with antiand as nutritious as possible. We depressants and almost always require spend hours making sure our meals psychological counseling. are perfect, not only “There is absolutely in taste but also in nothing you can do as An eating disorder a chef, nothing,” Dr. presentation. A lot often develops in of research goes into Birdsong said. “It has a meal; it’s not just nothing to do with you early adolescence. an idea of what’s for but with themselves dinner. We have to and how they perceive consider everyone’s diets first, then themselves. They either won’t eat it or presentation and how the meal works they will purge it. Nothing you can do on a plate, and final execution and will make it stop. They have to receive implementation. treatment in the form of psychotherapy It was extremely aggravating to have or counseling on an in-patient basis.” my cuisine dismissed with a wave of Long-term, women with these the hand or by someone who thinks it disorders stop producing estrogen is “too much.” It lends no credit to the and lose their periods and/or develop lengths chefs go to to please the owner osteoporosis or low bone density. and his/her guests. “Eventually, if not treated, problems In the past, I have tried to make with the heart and brain can occur, and more nutritious servings available in certainly death,” Dr. Birdsong said. the naive belief that if the food was It is estimated that nearly half of better, they might not throw it up. It all patients with anorexia nervosa took me a while to learn that their or bulimia nervosa recover, a third condition had nothing to do with me or improve and about 20 percent remain my food. It’s about them. They have a chronically ill. However, the duration psychological problem. of symptoms and level of personality There are different types of eating disturbance predicts a more negative disorders. outcome in bulimia. Anorexia nervosa is the condition So what am I supposed to do the of self-starvation and excessive weight next time I encounter someone with an loss. Sufferers of this condition often eating disorder? Play along? Load them minimize the seriousness of weight loss up with wheat bran, wheat grass and or deny it altogether. super green foods? Bulimia nervosa is the condition of All I can do is my job. I won’t overeating followed by purging (selfstop cooking for these people but induced vomiting), laxative abuse, sometimes I wonder if it is even or excessive exercising. Profound worth it. I have to constantly remind concerns about weight and shape also myself their behavior is the result of a characterize people with this disorder. psychological problem, not my food. Binge-eating disorder, introduced in 1992, describes individuals who Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified binge eat but do not use compensatory executive pastry chef and Chef de or inappropriate methods for weight Cuisine. A professional yacht chef since control. Usually they feel that they 1991, she has been chef aboard M/Y suffered a loss of control after such Rebecca since 1998. Visit her Web site at periods of eating. This disorder is www.themegayachtchef.com or contact usually associated with obesity. her through editorial@the-triton.com.
November 2006
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C November 2006 WINE: By the Glass
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White wines, paired correctly, produce dining delight As promised, I will explain in greater detail white wine food pairings. Most people consider red the more obvious wine to pair with food allied to the fact that people seem to drink more red than white. It has to be said that some of the most amazing pairings occur with white wine. Of course, white fish and seafood in By the Glass general work well Mark Darley with white wines. I will start by discussing the most amazing white wine matches and then move on to what goes well with the other main white varietals and styles of wine. For me, one of the greatest food pairings in the world is foie gras with Sauternes (or other Semillon-based sweet wines). The richness of foie gras and the unctuousness of the wine combine to quite a startling effect. Try it once and you will be hooked forever. Other great matches include guacamole with Chilean sauvignon blanc. With some superb examples (EQ and Leyda) of these wines entering the market, this is getting to be a better and better combination. Oysters and Chablis form a classic
combination. A wine that is becoming increasingly popular is Gruner Veltliner from Austria, which works beautifully with pan-fried scallops. I have always enjoyed Riesling and Gewurztraminer wines with Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese food. For the Gewurztraminer, opt for the drier New World styles, although I have had some success with the sweeter forms with more spicy food from the Orient. Sauvignon blanc goes well – believe it or not – with goat cheeses, although classically this wine works nicely with most seafood and freshwater fish such as trout. Sancerre and Pouilly Fume from the Loire Valley, Chilean examples and some of the more restrained offerings from California all work well. (I have deliberately omitted champagne until next month.) What of other grapes? By far the world’s most commonly grown white grape is chardonnay, which originates from the Burgundy region of France. Easily the most versatile and flexible white, it goes well in its less-oaked versions with most seafood, shellfish, lobster, roasted poultry, lightly sauced chicken and, in a pinch, even hard cheeses. Oaked wines can stand up to smoked salmon, crab, chicken in rich sauces, game birds and chicken Korma. Chenin blanc is becoming more
popular. The grape comes from the Loire region in France, though it is blossoming in South Africa. Dry styles go with most cold shellfish and grilled white fish. The sweeter versions go with a variety of desserts, especially if they have a citrus element to them. Pinot gris is becoming more popular both from Alsace and from Oregon. The Italian version, of course, is the ubiquitous pinot grigio. The richer versions (basically those not from Italy) partner well with Indian, Thai and some Chinese food such as stir-fried pork. Pinot grigio is a great aperitif but also goes nicely with most white fish and seafood if well chilled. I have to say more about Riesling as it is without doubt growing in popularity and ranks as one of the greatest noble grapes. Dry versions once again go well with Asian and even Indian food. Because many versions have a zesty lemon edge, they work well with any food that has spice in it, and the sweeter versions do actually partner with desserts including strawberries, crème caramel and profiteroles. Other varietals that are gaining in popularity include Verdejo and Albarino from Spain, and Vernaccia, Orvieto, Fiano and Vermentino from Italy, all of which – if nicely chilled – work with most white fish, seafood
and in many cases lightly dressed salads. There is more and more viognier around now and this seems to work with, you guessed it, Thai and Indian food, though this is a rule that applies to most of the aromatic white wines. A final word on sweet dessert wines such as Sauternes or late-harvest wines: Try to match the predominant flavor with the food. Muscat wines have an orange edge, for example, and others have distinct citrus flavors. If the wine has a caramel or nutty flavor base, try to match with desserts that mirror this. One thing to remember with really good Sauternes, Barsac or, say, Dolce from America: Try not to partner with too sweet a dessert; opt for foie gras or even blue cheese. Sugar with sugar is not always wise, especially if the bottle is expensive. The French follow this rule, and as they have been at it for years I see no reason to question their wisdom on this. Have fun with the partnering knowledge you now have and, if in doubt, ask your wine seller. We are happy to help make you look good. Mark Darley is a managing partner at Seventh Street Wine Company in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at mdarley@ seventhstreetwine.com or +1-954-5225560.
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NUTRITION: Take It In
November 2006
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Choosing the perfect ‘foodie’ present: a cookbook Looking for that perfect holiday present for a healthful foodie friend? How about a cookbook? This sounds like an easy choice, but the cookbook section at your favorite bookstore can be overwhelming. There are cookbooks written by celebrity chefs, health societies and food companies. Take It In There are Carol Bareuther cookbooks based around appliances – food processors, juicers and blenders, to name a few. There are cookbooks focused on a particular segment of the meal – appetizers, breads, meats and desserts, for example. And, there are cookbooks that celebrate cultures from around the globe – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. What if you don’t know what your friend’s favorite chef, appliance, food or cuisine is? How do you choose? What makes one cookbook a better choice than another? How can you tell which ones really promote sound, healthful eating? Other than simply picking at random, or by the look of the cover, or by the delicious pictures inside, here are some tips: Decide what type of cookbook you think your friend would like. Would she enjoy a book that provides a vegetarian slant to a healthy diet? Or would he prefer a book that offers recipes modified in salt, sugar or fat? Perhaps a book that provides recipes as well as menus and shopping lists that will help them get started on a more nutritious diet would do the trick.
Adding a personal touch
Once you narrow down the type of cookbook, identify those features that would make the cookbook most useful. For example, if your friend is on a mission to lose weight, you’ll want to buy a cookbook that includes low-fat, low-calorie recipes and perhaps meal plans that show how the recipes can be incorporated into a weight loss diet plan. Or, if your friend loves to bake, choose a cookbook that gives a number of recipes that feature nutrient-packed whole grains and a description of the taste, uses and nutrition of these grains. Next, turn a critical eye to the health specifics of the cookbook. With so many cookbooks available, you may find it difficult to identify those that are good sources of health information and those that provide quality recipes for eating well. Look for four items. First, make sure there is general information on nutrition and healthy
eating. Does the cookbook devote several pages or a chapter to nutrition goals and principles of eating healthy? Does the cookbook provide nutrient information – such as calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, sodium and fiber – per serving? Do the recipes closely follow recognized nutritional guidelines? Second, be sure healthy ingredients are the focus. Do the recipes emphasize plant foods – grains, vegetables, fruit, and dried peas and beans – and deemphasize animal protein? Are a variety of healthy foods used? Are healthy alternatives given for familiar dishes, and do they entice you to try different, healthy fare? Third, be sure the cookbook provides practical advice and helpful tips on such things as changing your dietary habits, selecting healthy foods, planning menus, shopping and reading food labels. Fourth, confirm that the book is written by a reputable author or organization. Is the cookbook written, co-authored or endorsed by established health care societies, organizations or dietary professionals?
Fine-tune your choices
Once you’ve whittled down your choices to a more manageable size, think of your friend’s personal preferences. For example, do you think they’d like a hardcover, softcover or spiralbound cookbook? Do they like to spend a lot of time cooking? If so choose a more gourmet guide. If not, choose something that offers fast and easy recipes. Finally, remember that one cookbook does not fit all. If after thinking through all these tips you still can’t make a good selection for
your friend, then choose the next best option: a gift certificate. You might want to tuck this in a card with a selection of cookbook choices you’ve researched and think they might like or a list of the current most popular health-oriented cookbooks on the bestsellers list. Either way, a cookbook is a great
gift option. And one that emphasizes a healthful diet will hopefully ensure your friend is around to enjoy for many years. Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian and a regular contributor to The Triton. Contact her through editorial@thetriton.com.
C10 November 2006 PERSONAL FINANCE: Yachting Capital
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Capital gains bill looms? Consider private annuity trust Many crew members have taken their extra earnings and invested in real estate or have taken a stock tip from someone with good insight. For those who have done well with those investments but now are reluctant to sell due to a big capital gains bill, there are a few alternatives.
Yachting Capital Mark A. Cline
1031 Exchange
This is the most well known method to defer capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes. This strategy allows you to sell appreciated real estate and defer the taxes due. However, there are U.S. Internal Revenue Service rules with the 1031 exchange: The seller must reinvest 100 percent of the sales proceeds into a replacement (like-kind) property or properties of equal or greater value to receive the benefit of the full tax deferral. In other words, the property owner is required to stay in the real estate business. Additionally, IRS rules also require the seller to set up the exchange within 45 days of closing. The seller must also identify the replacement properties.
The acquisition of these properties must begin within 180 days after closing the 1031 property. If the buyer does not meet the deadline rules then he loses the deferral and must pay all taxes due immediately.
Charitable Remainder Trust
This option, known as a CRT, is more for those who maybe have no family to whom to leave an inheritance. The CRT was created by the Tax Reform Act of 1969. It is an irrevocable trust, designed to convert an investor’s highly appreciated assets into a lifetime income stream without generating estate and capital gains taxes. CRTs have become popular in recent years because they not only represent a valuable tax-advantaged investment, but also enable you to provide a gift to one or more charities that have special meaning to you. When you establish a CRT, you or another beneficiary such as a spouse or other family member, receive income from the trust for life or for a term up to 20 years. When the trust ends, the remaining assets pass to the qualified charity or charities of your choice.
Private Annuity Trust
Alternative No. 3 is known as a PAT. This option is an excellent alternative
and has many distinct advantages over 1031 exchanges and CRTs. All allow you to sell appreciated real estate and defer the capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes. However, PATs can be used not only for real estate but all types of appreciated assets including stocks, businesses and personal property. A PAT eliminates estate and gift taxes on the property that goes into the PAT, thus shifting more wealth to the beneficiaries of the PAT (heirs of the property owner or a charity). Many analysts believe that today’s real estate markets have peaked, and that many areas of the country are experiencing a real estate bubble. A PAT will “lock in” today’s market values. For example, if an owner has investment property worth $2 million today, and the real estate markets decline, that same property may drop to $1.5 million or less. Selling high and investing inside a PAT will help secure that value, whereas a 1031 exchange simply shifts market value risks to a different property. Another advantage is that all assets in a PAT are considered outside the seller’s estate. In the event of legal action brought against any party of the PAT, including the original property owner who created the PAT, the trust assets are not attachable.
Depending on circumstances, the PAT income may be at risk if the PAT creator is successfully sued, but his/her heirs still have the PAT assets intact for their benefit. With a 1031 exchange, the owner still bears the full risk of losing the property in a lawsuit. Owning and managing a property can be demanding. Some property owners are looking to fully or partially exit the real estate or stock market. The PAT allows owners to retire, relax, reduce lawsuit risks, lock in today’s property values and receive a monthly income for the rest of their lives with none of the worries of everyday property management. With a 1031 exchange, the property owner still has to accept the liabilities of property ownership and manage the property and its tenants. The information provided here is to assist you generally in planning for your financial future. Proper tax, legal and financial advice should always be obtained relative to your specific needs by appropriate qualified professionals. Capt. Mark A. Cline is a chartered senior financial planner, private annuity trust adviser and mortgage broker. He is a partner in Capital Marine Alliance in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at +1-954-302-2372 or mark.cline@ capitalmarinealliance.net.
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SUPERYACHT OPERATIONS: Up and Running
November 2006
Standing orders set ground rules MANAGEMENT, from page C2 Establishing a clear drug and alcohol abuse policy removes nearly all of these potential problems and concerns. In addition to policies, a yacht’s standing orders set ground rules for conduct on board. Crew standing orders must provide all the information a crew member needs to co-exist with other crew. The problem with such standing orders, however, is that if you are not careful they can grow to become relatively useless tomes. They should be a mixture of philosophical aspiration and essential detail. As a guide, if they are more than 15 pages, they are probably too long. The idea of standing orders for an owner and his guests comes as a surprise to many people. It shouldn’t. All good captains have an “understanding” with the owner. That is, in effect, standing orders. The owner and guests need to know how the yacht operates and what they can expect from the captain and crew.
An easy way to provide this is in a well presented file in each cabin (including the owner’s) that gives all the necessary information. Many yachts already use this idea to provide information on the telephone system and entertainment system. Insert a few additions to this file and you have owner/guest standing orders. NEXT MONTH: Safety management. Ian Biles is the founder of Maritime Services International, a marine surveying and consultancy business. He holds a Class I (Unlimited) Master’s certificate and developed a risk management program for large yachts for a London-based underwriter. Contact him at ian@maritimeservices. demon.co.uk or +44-2392-524-490.
Answers to puzzles on page C14
Calmly build relationships NEW, from page C1 respect by working hard (if not harder), remaining calm under stress, taking responsibility for mistakes, giving kudos when due, and showing loyalty to her team and yacht. All new crew members should begin by being discreet. Don’t get too chummy too fast. Wait, watch and learn. It’s better to be a bit reserved and let onboard friendships build slowly. Let colleagues learn that you’re not a liability; you don’t spout off about anything and everything. They will more easily trust and accept you. Discretion applies to guests as well. Owners and guests tend to be renowned in their industries. They expect, and rightfully so, privacy. It is imperative that crew members remain discreet and keep confidential their guests’ onboard behavior. It is amazing how many large deals (and jobs) have been scuppered by a crew saying too much to the yacht next door or in a bar. By being the kind of crew member you want to work with – kind, hardworking and discreet – any new crew member can find a place on any yacht. And before you know it, it’ll seem like you’ve always been there and the boat wouldn’t be the same without you. Alex Berl is a crew placement agent with Camper & Nicholsons in Newport, R.I. Contact her at +1-401-619-0075 or ab@ npt.cnyachts.com.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo Exposé
November 2006
Make lighting judgments in a flash Welcome aboard photography enthusiasts. Last time the topic was composition and there will be more on that at future ports of call. Consider whatever is discussed, it is all to help you creatively take better pictures. Now let’s come back to that primary subject of controlling light, this time using Photo Exposé your cameras’ builtJames Schot in flash. The other weekend I was staring out at the Intracoastal Waterway. It was a typically pleasant, sunny day in South Florida. A big yacht came slowly floating by. A man was on the aft deck, holding his camera to take a photograph of a home on shore a couple of hundred feet away. Suddenly the flash went off and I knew he had taken his shot. The question is: Why did he have his flash on? This photograph, taken from the yacht a good distance from the home, derives no lighting benefit from the flash. There is only the negative result of depleting the camera’s battery power that much sooner. I bet he didn’t bring a charger or an extra battery. It’s also the same question I ask when I see one flash after another go off at a night football game by fans taking pictures from the bleachers. In this case, not only are the camera batteries being depleted faster, using the flashes add detrimental elements to the photos being taken. The flash will only light up the back of heads of spectators sitting immediately in front of you; it will have no effect on the playing field. Creatively this will make such a photograph less appealing. The people sitting in the one or two rows ahead are better left as silhouettes. Light from the camera flash exposing them only makes them a compositional distraction to what is really the focus – the players on the field. The light given off by the camera flash does not carry past two rows, so the players are exposed only by the bright stadium lights. The point is that the built-in flash on compact or point-and-shoot cameras is not very powerful. In technical jargon, the power of a flash is given by its Guide Number (GN), and for these cameras it is very low, meaning weak. Light output generated by a flash is also subject to a fall-off related to the inverse square law. This means for every doubling of the distance between the subject being photographed and the camera, the light from your camera’s flash that reaches the subject is diminished four times. If at 1 foot you have full use of the light output from the flash, at 2 feet
Flash fill saved this photo, taken in less than ideal light. you only have 1/4 of the light, at 4 feet only 1/16th, at 8 feet 1/32nd of the light reaches the subject. You get the picture. At 10 feet, the output light from a flash is tremendously reduced. The flash has to throw out all its power to light anything at 10 feet. Any subject further away may likely be underexposed (or dark). Even the most powerful independent flash units you can buy have their limitations. Nevertheless, the camera’s flash can come in very handy. For instance, I use it often for flash fill. Every compact camera has a flash, and “flash fill” means using it – even when it is daylight and you think you don’t need it – to fill in shadows with light. Check out the sample photo above, from The Triton’s party in April (from left, James, Sandy and Bill). This photo looks fine, although their distance was almost out of reach for the flash. If I had not used the flash, there would have been one of two results: We would have had the beautiful sunset sky, but their faces would have been completely dark and unrecognizable, or their faces would have been exposed well, but the background would have been washed out, showing no cloud definition. Either way, it will not be as nice as a flash fill photograph. Most digital cameras have three settings for the flash – auto flash, flash, and off. To use flash fill, you need to set it for “flash.” (I’ll explain more about the “how” and “why” next month.) For now, keep in mind that with flash fill you can capture the best of both worlds: clearly see the foreground subject(s), while also capturing the beautiful evening sky, clouds, and subdued backdrop. Just remember it will not work if your subject is more than 10 to 15 feet away. And don’t expect miracles; if any subject exceeds this distance remember you can turn the flash off and save your power for a
PHOTO/JAMES SCHOT
better occasion. I’ll discuss using your camera flash more next month. In the meantime, permission to come ashore. James Schot has been a professional photographer for 27 years and owns Schot Designer Photography. Feel free to contact him at james@bestschot.com with photographic questions or queries for future columns.
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C14 November 2006 PUZZLES
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SUDOKUS Try these new puzzles based on numbers. There is only one rule for these new number puzzles: Every row, every column and every 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 only once. Don’t worry, you don’t need arithmetic. Nothing has to add up to anything else. All you need is reasoning and logic. (Answers, page C11) Start with the Calm puzzle left. Then try your luck in the Stormy seas at right.
Stormy
Calm Answers to all puzzles on C11
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BOOKS: Well Read
Siren call of the sea has been captured in books In deference to the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, let’s review sea stories – old and new. The tradition of sea stories is a common thread among civilizations. Homer’s epic poem, “Odyssey,” is thought to be a compilation of oral history and folklore. Odysseus and his men took more than a decade Well Read to return to Ithaca Donna after the Trojan Mergenhagen War. Their sailing adventures include sirens, wizards and sea nymphs. If the idea of reading about Greek warriors holds no appeal, try Thor Heyerdahl’s “Kon-Tiki.” In 1947 Heyerdahl and five crew members left Peru on a balsa raft attempting to prove that Polynesian legend about the settlement of the islands. Kon-Tiki recounts their three-month adventure on the open sea. In the centuries between “Odyssey” and “Kon-Tiki,” sea stories have revolved around war, exploration and an obsession with a whale. Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” it is a great read for the long days of an Atlantic crossing. The boredom will seem mild after reading Capt. Ahab’s description of his meals: “I have fed upon dry salted fare … when the poorest landsman has had fresh fruit to his daily hand, and broken the world’s fresh bread to my mouldy crusts.” While ashore, try one of Melville’s novellas – “Billy Budd” or “Benito Cereno” – to sample his style. For non-fiction readers, or those interested in more detail of the socioeconomic world of whaling, Nathaniel Philbrick wrote “In the Heart of the Sea,” based on the journal of a sailor who served on the Whaleship Essex, thought to be the model for “Moby Dick.” To further define the time and place, read “Ahab’s Wife” by Sena Jeter
Naslund, which begins: “Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last.” It provides a perspective on the harshness of sea faring for the wives and children of sailors. Often romanticized, life at sea in the 19th century was brutal. Richard Henry Dana was the first author to chronicle the day-to-day physical and emotional hardship. In 1834, Dana signed on a trading ship as a common seaman. “Two Years Before the Mast” recounts his journey from Boston around Cape Horn, up the California coast, and back. It is an intimate portrait of the reality of life at sea. North American stories focused on the trade aspect, but the great marine series revolve around Royal Navy service during the Napoleonic wars. Horatio Hornblower was said to be Winston Churchill’s favorite fictional hero, created in a 10-book series by C. S. Forester. (Another Forester book, “The African Queen,” was popularized by the movie of the same name.) Patrick O’Brien is considered the most authentic fictional writer of the marine genre. His detail of rigging, the language of the period, and celestial navigation are an integral part of his Jack Aubrey novels. Each book in the 20-volume series begins with a schematic of the square-rigged ship, labeling the 21 sails. Guides are available for the reading ease of the landlubber. A new generation of readers was introduced to Capt. Jack Aubrey and his ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin, with the release of the movie “Master and Commander.” Electronic instruments, satellite communication, weather prediction, and modern charts may have tamed the sea, but there is still a siren call to water for many among us. Donna Mergenhagen owns Well Read, a used book store on Southeast 17th Street in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact her at 954467-8878.
November 2006
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C16 November 2006 IN THE STARS
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Jupiter, Mercury make amends for a lame planetary October By Jack Horkheimer
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And as you may know, October wasn’t a good month for planet hunters. Mars and Venus are hidden in the glare of the Sun, and Saturn doesn’t rise until after midnight, which leaves us with two naked-eye planets, Jupiter the largest and Mercury now the smallest since Pluto was reclassified. But Jupiter is still dazzling just after sunset and Mercury is getting ready to put on a rare show. The last week of October and first week of November, about half an hour after sunset, face southwest. If you’ve got a clear horizon, you’ll see Jupiter hovering above it. To the naked eye, Jupiter will appear bright and through even the smallest telescope you’ll see several bands of its atmospheric storms and its four largest moons. Jupiter is 88,000 miles wide, which means we could line up 11 Earths across its middle. Directly below it even closer to the horizon, you’ll see Mercury. Even though it’s closer than Jupiter it’s much dimmer because it’s so much smaller, a mere 3,000 miles wide. Now even though it pales in size and significance with Jupiter, nevertheless it can do a trick that Jupiter can never do, what we call a solar transit, which simply means that they can pass directly across the face of the Sun as seen from Earth. The last time Mercury transited was May 7, 2003. But on Nov. 8, practically everyone in North and South America will be able to watch part or all of this transit before sunset. Under no circumstances should you observe this with the naked eye. You absolutely must have protection to prevent blindness. If you miss it, don’t worry; it will happen again May 9, 2016.
1, 2, 3 ... observe
On Nov. 12, one to two hours before sunrise, face south and the brightest thing you’ll see will be an exquisite 21day-old Moon, more popularly called a last quarter Moon. Just below it, you’ll see the only planet easily visible this month, Saturn. Just below it, you’ll see the bright bluish star that marks the heart of Leo the Lion, Regulus. This is a perfect opportunity to compare three kinds of cosmic objects with incredibly different sizes and at incredibly different distances. The closest, of course, is our Moon. At 2,000 miles wide, it will be only 244,000 miles away this morning. Saturn is 75,000 miles wide, which means we could line up almost 38 Moons across its middle. And it’s a whopping 855 million miles from Earth. As big as Saturn is, it pales in size and distance when compared with Regulus. Regulus is a 1.4-million-
mile-wide star even bigger than our own 865,000-mile-wide Sun. But to understand how far away it is, let’s not talk in miles but in the speed of light. Our Moon is so close it takes only a few seconds for its light to reach us. Saturn’s light takes 76 minutes to reach us. Regulus’ light takes 77 years.
An invigorating meteor shower
Every November we are treated to a meteor shower, which appears to originate from Leo the Lion so we call this event the Leonid Meteor Shower. Last year it was a real dud because bright moonlight wiped out all but the very brightest of the meteors. But this year there’ll be no moonlight, so if you get far enough away from city lights and it’s clear out you should be able to catch quite a few. Very early on Nov. 19, say about 3 a.m., face east and halfway up from the horizon you’ll see the bright stars that make up the constellation Leo the Lion. (The front part of Leo is marked by stars, which trace out a sickle shape or backwards question mark and Leo’s rear is marked by three stars, which form a triangle. And this year you’ll see a bright light next to Leo which usually isn’t there, Saturn.) On the nights of the Leonid meteor shower, bright streaks of light appear to come from a spot within Leo’s sickle. But it’s an optical illusion because the meteors are millions of times closer than the stars of Leo. Meteors are nothing more than tiny bits of comet debris that slam into our Earth’s atmosphere so fast that they incinerate and cause gasses in our Earth’s atmosphere to briefly light up, kind of like the gasses in a neon tube. Because we have no bright moonlight to interfere this year, you can expect to see 15 to 20 meteors an hour if you follow the rules for optimum viewing. Start watching about 3 a.m. and make sure you are far away from city lights. Lie back in a sleeping bag or on a lawn chair with your feet pointing east, then slowly scan the sky back and forth for at least an hour and you should see a few bright ones. You’ll have a better chance to see more bright ones about an hour before sunrise because that’s when Leo will be almost overhead. Patience is required. And remember not to use a telescope or binoculars. This is a naked eye event. Jack Horkheimer is executive director of the Miami Museum of Science. This is the script for his weekly television show co-produced by the museum and WPBT Channel 2 in Miami. The show, which celebrates 30 years this month, is seen on public television stations around the world. For more information, visit www. jackstargazer.com.
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