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/tritonnews | www.The-Triton.com | April 2017
Crew at their best as the 100-foot M/Y Limitless burns
Obituary
Sailing yacht crew member falls from mast, dies.
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News Captains briefed in USVI USCG, CBP explain procedures, regulations in St. Thomas. 12
By Dorie Cox
Florida is home to many large yacht refit projects, some spurred by Florida's refit tax cap. The industry is monitoring efforts to create a similar but lower cap in Georgia. A lone worker is dwarfed atop a job at Derecktor of Florida PHOTO/LUCY REED in Dania Beach at the end of last year.
Florida yacht refit industry watches Georgia tax cap By Dorie Cox A bill to cap state sales taxes on yacht refits in Georgia has stalled in committee in the state senate, but its success in the state house has gotten the attention of Florida’s refit community. The bill, which overwhelmingly
passed the Georgia House in midFebruary, would cap state sales tax on parts and equipment during a refit worth $500,000. Florida legislators passed a similar measure two years ago, but its bill caps state sales tax on repairs worth $1 million. If Georgia’s proposed See TAX, page 47
M/Y Limitless, a 100-foot Hargrave, caught fire and sank on March 6 while on charter in the British Virgin Islands. Capt. Marvin Wilson reported that he, his crew of four, and six passengers escaped unharmed. Formerly named M/Y Da Bubba and Katina, the yacht was under way about 3:45 p.m. from Bitter End, Virgin Gorda, to Scrub Island when the starboard engine stopped. "I sent the first officer down to check and he saw smoke and flames," Capt. Wilson said. "On my way down I saw smoke out of the port exhaust," First Mate Carson Reddick, 23, said. When Reddick got to the engine room door, he saw flames through the window. The captain went to the engine room and pulled the CO2 fire suppression system when he realized he could not
Running to zero Agent enumerates cruising rules for Galapagos.
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Owner’s View Can you find your way ashore?
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Interior
See FIRE, page 44
The heart of yachting is passion, lifestyle, people From the Bridge Dorie Cox
Yachting is a complex mix of owners, crew, money, travel and much more. A captain recently wondered if the essence of the industry could be distilled to just
one word. We asked 10 veteran captains to do just that during this month's From the Bridge captains lunch discussion. "Passion," the first captain said. "When you first start, it is work, an obligation. With age you develop passion and over time appreciate aspects of the job you like better than you did before.
"We have to be passionate for what we're doing," he said. "Some people quit because they're not passionate enough." At the start, we asked each captain to write down his one-word description of yachting to get his first thoughts uninfluenced by others. As we went
See YACHTING, page 40
19 Events Triton Expo April 5
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Contents
April 2017 The-Triton.com
What’s Inside Columnists Career
16 Owner’s View 27 Crew Coach 28 On Course 33 Crew Compass 34 Taking the Helm 5 IGY Marinas, crew give back
News 1 Captains lunch 4,12 News 4 Obituaries 8 Marina/Shipyard News 10 Business News 26 Fuel prices 35 Technology News 36 Boat / Broker News 42 Technology
Events 14,15 Networking photos 48,49 Next Triton events 50 Calendar
Operations 16 Publisher’s Point 17 Rules of the Road 18 The Agent’s Corner 25 Sea Science 26 Diesel Digest
48 April 5: Time for Triton Expo.
Where in the World
38 Galapagos 58 Triton Spotter
21 Blueberry butter
Interior
9 Costa Rica marina open.
Write to Be Heard 51 Letters to the Editor 51 Crew Eye
19 Stew Cues 20 Culinary Waves 21 Top Shelf 21 Crew’s Mess
Crew Health
22 Take It In 23 The Yachtie Glow 24 Sea Sick Editor Dorie Cox, dorie@the-triton.com Contributors
Publisher Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com Advertising Sales Catalina Bujor, cat@the-triton.com Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com The Triton Directory Catalina Bujor, cat@the-triton.com
Carol Bareuther, Capt. Jared Burzler, Capt. Jake DesVergers, Fernando Espinoza, Paul Ferdais, Capt. Rob Gannon, Chef Mark Godbeer, Peter Herm, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Chief Stew Alene Keenan, Capt. Richard Kniffin, Capt. Brian Luke, Scott McDowell, Stew Melissa McMahon, Keith Murray, Angela Orecchio, Capt. Dan Payne, Deb Radtke, Matt Rosenberg, Capt. John Wampler, Capt. Jeff Werner
58 News by the dock of the bay
Advertisers
57 Business Cards 61 Advertisers Directory Vol. 14, No. 1
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Obituary
Deckhand dies after fall from mast on S/Y Germania Nova By Dorie Cox Deckhand Bethany Smith, 18, died in an accident onboard S/Y Germania Nova, a 181-foot schooner, on March 14 in Jamaica. She was cleaning the 196-foot mast when the ropes became undone and she fell to the deck, according to the BBC. She was transported to Port Antonio Hospital where she died from multiple injuries. The yacht was docked in the Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica according to Christine Downer, acting marina manager. Ms. Smith had worked on the schooner since February 2016, including a transAtlantic crossing and a charter season in the Mediterranean. She spent much of her life sailing with her mother, Sarah, father, David and younger brother, Bryn. They left Wales in 2007 onboard the family's 43-foot monohull S/Y Cape and spent three years cruising the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and west Africa before crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean. In her blog (Flutingtootingbethany), Ms. Smith wrote that she and her family had visited 19 countries in nine years. In entries dated in 2015, Ms. Smith described her work as a volunteer at a school teaching English
to disadvantaged teens, sailboat racing with her brother in Grenada Sailing week, and dockwalking in Antibes where she dayworked on S/Y Rowdy, which led to her joining the crew for Antibes Panerai Classic Regatta. She had completed her Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) crew training that year. The yacht's charter management company, Hill Robinson, released a statement regarding the incident. "Our thoughts are with the family, friends and fellow crew members at this very difficult time," the statement read. "Hill Robinson and the owners are doing everything possible to support the family and friends and, of course, an immediate investigation is already under way." Staff from the Errol Flynn Marina also offered support. "We would like to express our condolences to the captain, crew and family in their time of grief and will continue to offer any assistance needed to get them through the process," Downer said. Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.
BOATS CLEAN UP
More than 2,000 volunteers spread across Ft. Lauderdale’s Broward County on March 4 and pulled about 40 tons of trash from the region’s rivers during the 40th annual Waterway Cleanup. Organized by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, the clean up attracted more than 100 boats and hauled some interesting items, including lumber, waterlogged cushions, some money and an ankle PHOTO/Dorie Cox monitor.
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News Briefs Croatia lets smaller vessels charter
Beginning May 1, charter rules in Croatia will change, allowing vessels smaller than 40m to charter and charge VAT on all charters while in Croatian waters. According to the European Committee for Professional Yachting (ECPY), Croatian charter regulations currently state: 1. Non-EU-flagged yachts under 40m are not allowed to charter; 2. Non-EU-flagged yachts over 40m are required to purchase a charter license; and 3. No VAT on charter fees is due in Croatia if the charter starts outside the EU. Charters starting in Croatia must pay 13 percent VAT. Beginning May 1, the Croatian government will implement the following changes for the 2017 season: 1.Non-EU-flagged commercial yachts under 40m will be allowed to charter; 2. All non-EU-flagged commercial yachts will be required to purchase a charter license, even if charters start outside Croatia in another EU or nonEU country; and 3. If a charter starts outside the EU, 13 percent VAT on charter fees will be due in Croatia for the time spent in Croatian waters. Such a move would align Croatia with other EU Member States' implementation of a common regulatory framework across the EU. According to agents SOS Yachting Croatia, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs issues a limited number of licenses every year and demand is expected to be high. Licenses can be purchased through a licensed ship agent and are valid for the entire calendar year. For more information, visit www. ecpy.org or www.sosyachting.com.
Monaco show buys U.S. shows
European events and publishing company Informa Exhibitions has bought Ft. Lauderdale-based Show Management, producers of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, for $133 million, according to a statement released March 2. Informa Exhibition produces the Monaco Yacht Show. Show Management also produces Yachts Miami Beach (which it coowns with the International Yacht Brokers Association), the Palm Beach International Boat Show, the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show,
IGY MARINAS GIVE BACK
IGY Marinas gathered more than 400 volunteers at the end of February for its annual community outreach event, Inspire Giving through You. Company employees, marina staff, Anchor Club corporate partners, yacht owners, captains and crew spent the day supporting local charitable organizations in the Caribbean and Latin America. In Colombia, for example, volunteers from Marina Santa Marta partnered with Fundehumac to rebuild a school’s ceiling. In Mexico, volunteers at Marina Cabo San Lucas worked with the local fire brigade to provide a covered structure for the on-site vehicles and equipment, as well as install an anti-theft perimeter fencing and replace the facility’s water pump. In St. Lucia, Rodney Bay Marina volunteers constructed a gazebo, rewired security lighting, and and the Suncoast Boat Show in Sarasota, Fla. "Combining the world’s premiere show, based in Europe, with these five shows in North America creates a scale player in this attractive and growing vertical, further strengthening our relationship with leading yacht brokers and builders, providing good opportunities for cross promotion, and extending customer relationships across platforms and geographies,” Informa CEO Charlie McCurdy said in a statement. Show Management was founded in 1976 by Kaye Pearson and sold to Active Interest Media (AIM) in 2006. Efrem “Skip” Zimbalist III, chairman of AIM, will advise Informa Exhibitions during the transition. Zimbalist will retire from Show
created a kitchen garden at the New Beginnings Transit Home. In St. Maarten, Yacht Club at Isle de Sol and Simpson Bay Marina teamed up with the New Start for Children Foundation, where volunteers spent the day painting the interior and exterior of the foster home and installed a new television. In St. Thomas, volunteers from Yacht Haven Grande Marina and American Yacht Harbor began the initial build out on the Hydrologic Environmental Learning Center at Addelita Cancryn Junior High School. In Turks & Caicos, Blue Haven Marina participants constructed an outdoor play and discovery area for the Extraordinary Minds Ashley Learning Centre. To participate in the U.S.-based Inspire Giving through You outreach event in June, email Vivienne Yaple at LYaple@IGYMarinas.com. Management, and his staff will remain with the company. “We can think of no better company than Informa Exhibitions, with its global resources, to focus on the continued growth and success of these excellent boat shows while continuing to exceed the expectations of their exhibitors and attendees," Zimbalist said. The Ft. Lauderdale show, considered the largest in-water show in the world, is owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, which recently signed a multi-year contract with Show Management to produce the show. "Informa's acquisition of Show Management allows for an exciting international opportunity that extends
See NEWS BRIEFS, page 6
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News Briefs NEWS BRIEFS, from page 5 to exhibitors and the marine industry in leading global markets," said Phil Purcell, president and CEO of MIASF. "The Marine Industries Association of South Florida looks forward to continued collaboration with our partners based on a relationship that has been built over decades." Informa Exhibitions is a division of London-based Informa PLC, a global exhibition company, which operates 200 industry events a year.
Fairport earns certification
Ft. Lauderdale-based Fairport Yacht Support has been certified in the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC). The PYC was developed so large vessels could carry more than the Large Yacht Code (LYC) limit of 12 passengers. PYC allows up to 36 passengers on b oard so is more closely tied to the requirements of SOLAS passenger ships than to yachting. “In 2001, I was involved with one of the first ISM [International Safety
Management]-certified vessels and have watched the system mature over the past 16 years,” said Graeme Lord, president of Fairport Yacht Support. “As I delved into PYC, it became abundantly clear that this was a mountain to climb from yacht ISM certification. “These additional regulations have been easily deciphered by Aksel Huus, our DPA [Designated Person Ashore] from his many years working in the cruise industry. I feel very fortunate to be working with colleagues with such in depth understanding of the needs of passenger ships.” Huus holds an Unlimited Master’s license. He has worked on various vessels including cargo ships and cruise ships. “PYC is the future of yachting and we are looking forward to working with professional crew who understand the gravity of the code,” Lord said. “I also commend the Cayman Islands Registry, which understands the complexities of our industry and developed PYC while adhering to the relevant SOLAS regulations protecting all passengers on board.”
Number of crew jobs increase
YPI Crew, a recruiter of yacht crew, has released its annual compilation of yacht crew trends and statistics for 2016. Following are some key stats: Since 2013, there has been a 37 percent increase in yacht crew jobs. For the second year in a row, the category of yachts over 71m in length generated more jobs than any other category, with 34 percent of total crew positions offered in this range. Jobs offered on vessels 51-70m vessels came in second with 32.4 percent of available positions. The fact that this was not the case even three years ago shows that there has been an increase of vessels larger than 71m on the market, each requiring more crew than the average in previous years. This is iterated by the 5 percent reduction of jobs in the 31-50m category. About 70.8 percent of positions offered were on board private yachts, with the remaining 29.2 percent offered on charter vessels. Just 4.4 percent of crew positions were for captain. A yacht job trend that remains consistent is the increasing number
of those looking to start a career at sea. Last year saw new candidate registrations increase by 22 percent. For more, visit www.ypicrew.com.
PHOTO/ The Norwegian Coastal Admin.
Norway to build ship tunnel
Norway is studying the idea of building a mile-long tunnel (above) to help ships navigate more safely through the exposed Stadhavet Sea on the western edge of Norway. The Stad Ship Tunnel will be 1.7 km long, 37m high and 26.5m wide. The feasibility study has been funded and is under way. Construction could begin after 2018 and is expected to take about
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News Briefs four years at a cost of about NOK 2.3 billion or $267 million. Stad Ship Tunnel will be the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel of this size. It is part of the Norwegian national transportation plan that contains plans on large infrastructure investments to take place for the next 12 years (2018 – 2030) and is fully funded, according to Norwegian Coastal Administration, which is responsible for the project.
Captains gather for ballast info
Switzerland-based management and brokerage firm Floating Life International held a two-day seminar in early March for yacht captains in Nice to discuss safety, ballast water management, the MLC and the Manila Amendments. About 30 captains in and out of Floating Life’s fleet attended this third edition of the meeting. RINA Maritime Office Training Manager Enrico Ursomando explained the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments, which goes into effect on Sept. 8.
Other parts of the meeting included a technical discussion of new builds, discussion about MLC and the 2010 Manila Amendments, application of VAT, and a fashion show of Floating Life’s newest line of crew uniforms.
THOSE WHO TEACH
NOAA to improve chart coverage
The United States’ NOAA is drafting a plan to improve nautical chart coverage, products and distribution. The National Charting Plan describes the evolving state of marine navigation and nautical chart production, and outlines actions that will provide the user with a more useful, up-to-date, and safer product with which to navigate. With more than 15 million recreational boat users in the U.S. and a steady increase in vessel size over the last 30 years, electronic navigational charts (ENC) must keep up and stay as advanced and up to date as possible. Public comments are welcome through June 1. For information on how to provide written comments, see the Federal Register Notice at www. federalregister.gov, and search for National Charting Plan.
About 120 teachers and others from South Broward High School participated in a panel discussion about jobs in the marine industry and took a tour of Lauderdale Marine Center in Ft. Lauderdale in early March. The field trip was organized by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida to help educate teachers about careers in the marine industry so they can better help students who show interest in the PHOTO PROVIDED industry.
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A rough layout of Ft. Pierce Megayacht Center’s proposal to build on IMAGE PROVIDED Harbour Pointe Park in Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Another try for a megayacht marina in Ft. Pierce, Florida By Dorie Cox Former yacht captain Buddy Haack believes that megayachts should be able to get work done in Ft. Pierce, Fla. At the same time, that town’s home county of St. Lucie is ready to develop for the same reason. So Haack is preparing to share his vision of a new Ft. Pierce Megayacht Center with a proposal for county commissioners at their meeting April 17. The area is Harbour Pointe Park, 20 acres of waterfront land on the north side of the Port of Fort Pierce at the base of the inlet where the Intracoastal Waterway meets Taylor Creek. “It’s not far from the turning basin, and we’ve applied for a dredge permit,” Haack said. County officials had requested plans to develop the area, and in mid-March were given two proposals, according to a news story with Treasure Coast newspapers. The other is from a Ft. Lauderdale company called ASATA, the paper reported. “The county’s goal is the development of a world-class facility that will create well-paying jobs not only on Harbour Pointe itself but through the growth of existing businesses and the creation of new ones within the community,” the newspaper quoted a county report as stating. “In choosing a development partner, the county fully expects that the development of the site will create a wave of economic activity throughout the region.” Commission Chairman Chris Dzadovsky urged commissioners to move forward with this project at a meeting in mid-March, according to the
newspaper. “We cannot sit here and let this property stay idle when it could be used for an economic generator,” Dzadovsky said. About two years ago, Haack leased a nearby property at the former Indian River Terminal with similar intentions. On that site he managed several refits, including the 213-foot (65m) Codecasa M/Y Double Down, while working as managing partner with Taylor Lane Yacht and Ship in Dania Beach, Fla. Although that lease arrangement ended, the property’s success has fueled Haack’s desire to work in the area, which is about 100 nautical miles north of Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades. His plan includes an indoor shed that can house yachts up to 250 feet. Currently, the property is raw land; Haack expects the build out of docks, yard and buildings to take up to 30 months. “I have just always wanted to build an indoor yard with haul-out capacity, a kind of floating dry dock to pull in and lift,” he said. “We want a pleasant environment to work in with the yachts. People want to work inside, too.” The idea is to get the yachts, people and equipment out of the elements for safer, better working conditions, he said. “This is done in commercial and aviation, so why not in yachting?” he said. “The concept is a good one; it is badly needed. I got a call yesterday from a captain who wanted to come to Ft. Pierce. I had to tell him I’m not there right now, but we’re very confident.” Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton. Comment at dorie@the-triton.com.
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Marinas / Shipyards New management for Port Vauban Antibes’ Port Vauban, the largest pleasure harbor in Europe, is now operated by Vauban 21, a network of business and industry leaders. “Vauban 21 is a unique project in the Mediterranean,” according to a news statement announcing the management change. “Its aim is to elevate Port Vauban again to the status of Mediterranean Yachting Capital and to establish a model port with the highest level of service for the yacht owners and their guests.” About 135 million euros are planned to be invested in the two marinas over the next 15 years. The first priority for Vauban 21 will be upgrading the services at Port Vauban, the quality of welcoming guests, the technology and the general organization of the marina, according to the statement. The second effort will be creating a yachting campus in the area of St. Roch to offer the best training, seminars and conferences in the yachting industry. Vauban 21 will also invest in new capitaineries at IYCA and Port Vauban. The capitainerie on the IYCA will have a bigger and stronger helipad and a crew leisure facility with fitness center, library, etc. Storage boxes for the yachts will be installed all along the quay. The new capitainerie in Port Vauban will see a new, high-end, panoramicview restaurant with a large terrace on the rooftop, as well as a new yacht club for yacht owners and their guests. A 600-space underground parking lot will be added, as well as a new walkway of about 7km around the marina. Vauban 21 has the city’s management contract to manage Port Vauban for 25 years effective Jan. 1, 2017, and Port Gallice for 15 years. For more information, visit www. marina-port-vauban.com.
Golfito Marina Village opens
Golfito Marina Village in Golfito, Costa Rica is open for yachts up to 350 feet in length with side-to docking. The marina has a 700-foot main pier and a 260-foot fuel dock capable of fueling at 150 gallons per minute and 75,000 gallons of diesel and 10,000 gallons of gasoline stored on-site. Construction is ongoing and half
complete on the Shoppes at Marina Village and construction has started on the hotel and private Oceanside Villa. The Marina Village is scheduled to open late spring.
Zeelander Yachts moves
Zeelander Yachts moved all operations to a new assembly facility in Groot-Ammers, Netherlands in January. The location includes a showroom for customers to customize yacht interiors. For more visit www.zeelander.com.
APS expands in New Zealand
Asia Pacific Superyachts has opened a new office in Whangarei, New Zealand. Led by former crew member Karma
Butler, APS NZ has already serviced a handful of vessels coming to Whangarei, according to a news statement. APS NZ is able to assist with both refits and cruising. Amenities in shipyards in the area include a 2000-ton capacity slipway and sheltered berths of up to 120m. And Marsden Cove Marina can dock vessels up to 44m. In related news, APS has expanded in Langkawi, Malaysia, at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC). Joining
Capt. Charlie Dwyer at the location is Scott Walker of APS Singapore APS acts as the agent for yachts over 30m for RLYC, where Langkawi is dutyfree. For more visit www.asia-pacificsuperyachts.com
Van der Valk expands
Dutch builder Van der Valk Shipyard is building a new and larger construction hall this year to celebrate its 50 years building yachts. The expansion will enable the company to build motoryachts up to 40m in length. The yard has eight new build projects under way, with six ready for delivery in the coming months.
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Business Briefs Pinmar parent acquires ACA Marine Palma-based Global Yachting Group (GYG) – parent company of Pinmar, Pinmar USA, Rolling Stock, Pinmar Supply and Techno Craft – has acquired a majority stake in the French superyacht finishing company ACA Marine. Based in La Rochelle and founded by Chris Atkinson in 1997, ACA Marine is a fairing, painting and finishing company. Atkinson and fellow director Nick Carter will remain as executive directors and significant shareholders.
The company employs more than 180 technicians in shipyards in France, Germany, Holland and the UK. ACA Marine will operate as an independent business unit within GYG. Carter, who has been running the day-today business for two years, will become managing director.Atkinson will operate as technical and commercial director and drive business growth. GYG specializes in painting and maintaining superyachts, and operates in shipyards around the world. It has
provided services to many of the world’s most high profile superyachts. For more, visit www.globalyachtinggroup.com.
Frank joins C&N
Mike Frank has taken over as director of U.S. Yacht Management with Camper & Nicholsons International in February. Frank brings 30 years of experience as a captain with 480,000 nautical miles including Royal Australian Navy service. Most recently he was CEO of RMK Merrill-Stevens in Miami.
“I expect to build up the division and provide topline service and management for both motor and sail boats,” Frank said. “I should be able to do this with my network of brokers, shipyards, Frank captains and owners that I’ve worked with in past. We want to redevelop and expand because of the existing demand for these services, and as we grow we hope to introduce a technical person in our team by year end.” Frank grew up in New South Wales, Australia, and has a variety of sailing experience including 10 Sydney Hobart races from 1978-1987, the Southern Ocean Racing Conference and the Clipper Cup race around Hawaii. He and his wife, Wendy Frank of MTS in Ft. Lauderdale, met on sailboats and celebrate their 28th anniversary this year. Contact Frank at the office in Bahia Mar, 801 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale (33316), +1 954 524-4250, mfrank@ camperandnicholsons.com, www. camperandnicholsons.com. – Dorie Cox
Scholarship for crew begins
Ft. Lauderdale-based Edge Yachts will give away four courses this year to deck officers working their way to master, including HELM, Advanced Fire Fighting, Proficiency in Medical, and ECDIS. “We have created the EDGEucation Scholarship as a way to give back by promoting education for promising officers who display enthusiasm and ambition on their career path to a captain’s ticket ,” said Anthony Sands, founder and director of Edge Yachts. The HELM drawing is April 26; Advanced Fire Fighting is June 7; Proficiency in Medical is Oct. 17; and ECDIS is Nov. 4. All entrants must hold a valid OOW shore-based module certificate. To enter, visit www.edgeyachts.com/scholarship. Winners will be notified by email and will have a year to complete the course.
MedAire offers staffing onboard
International SOS company MedAire, a provider of medical, security and travel services for yachts, now offers short- to medium-term staff placement of medical professionals including doctors, nurses and paramedics. The temporary personnel will carry current insurance while remaining
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employed by MedAire for the convenience of the client. For more information, visit www. medaire.com/yachts.
physically disruptive obstacle to over-theside boarding. For more information, visit www. graypage.com.
Benetti trains captains, crew
Norwegian tours offered for yachts
A record number of more than 200 attendees – including captains, crew, yachting professionals and sponsors – attended three days of workshops, team building activities and entertainment at the Grand Hotel la Pace near VIareggio, Italy, for the Azimut-Benetti Yachtmaster 2016/2017 in early February. The event included speakers offering insights on a series of issues including information security, the role of communication in crisis management, optimum crew management and chartering from legislative and tax perspectives. This year’s event debuted a day-long session dedicated exclusively to stews, and was so well attended that an extended session has been added to the 2018 schedule.
Physical piracy barrier unveiled
New York-based Gray Page, a security advisory and consulting firm, has unveiled its new vessel perimeter protection system, DFence, after two years of research and development. Devised by Gray Page’s maritime security specialists and piracy experts, the DFence system is a modular barrier system to prevent unlawful over-the-side access to ships, oil rigs and other marine platforms and installations. It incorporates three outboard modules, each with a different profile, which makes climbing over it from below exceptionally difficult. The system has been devised specifically to repel, deflect and destabilize ladders, poles and other climbing apparatus. “We have been hardening ships against security threats such as piracy for years,” said James Wilkes, managing director of Gray Page. “Over that time we have looked at numerous ways of defending their perimeter rails, using razor wire and other improvised measures. Latterly, we have sea-trialled ‘security barriers’ produced by other companies. The problem has been that although each solution had some or all of the security properties we were seeking, none was as practical in a sea-going environment as they needed to be. “So, in the absence of a product on the market that did everything that we wanted it to do, we decided to develop our own.” As part of a layered approach to vessel and platform security, the DFence installation is both a highly visual statement that the security posture of the ship has been hardened, as well as
Yacht agent Bergen Ship Agency and high-end travel designer Exclusive Scandinavia have teamed up to offer support services for superyachts visiting Norway. Services range from custom highend cruising itineraries, shore-side tours and events, to entry clearance, custom procedures, port berths and crew support. Exclusive Scandinavia creates private and customized tours and cruises to the fjord and Arctic regions in all Scandinavia. The company was established as Heritage Adventures in 2007 and rebranded in late 2016. Bergen Ship Agency offers a range of yacht services in Norway.
For more information, visit www. exclusivescandinavia.no or www. bergenshipagency.no.
New firm turns stories into books
New Jersey-based journalist Diane Byrne has launched Superyacht Storytellers, a book creation and publishing company to turn stories involving yachts into custom coffee table books. “Every one of us has a story to tell,” founder Diane M. Byrne said. “We each likely have dozens, if not hundreds, of photos of our adventures sitting on a computer hard drive or, worse, on our camera’s memory card.” Byrne is founder and editor of MegayachtNews.com, a yachting website for American luxury yacht owners, buyers, and their circles of influence, and RedHeadInk, an editorial and marketing
services firm focused on affluent audiences. Joining Byrne in this venture is Beth Smith, who specializes in private publishing of personal histories and tributes, working with couples, families, and celebrities through her company A Life in Print. “There’s a plethora of publishing options available these days,” Byrne says, “but most require you to order hundreds of copies if you want customized designs, and even limit your customization options. “Superyacht Storytellers not only lets you commission just one copy if you wish, but our team works hand-in-hand with you to bring your oral history to life, and to make your photos, and memories leap off the pages.” For more information, visit www. superyachtstorytellers.com.
12 News Today’s fuel prices Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Mar. 15 Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 480/517 Savannah, Ga. 635/NA Newport, R.I. 705/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 746/NA St. Maarten 704/NA Antigua 705/NA Valparaiso 530/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 570/NA Cape Verde 460/NA Azores 583/1,175 Canary Islands 730/745 Mediterranean Gibraltar 514/NA Barcelona, Spain 495/1,100 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,315 Antibes, France 480/1,315 San Remo, Italy 626/1,573 Naples, Italy 580/1,510 Venice, Italy 640/1,900 Corfu, Greece 540/1,320 Piraeus, Greece 500/1,260 Istanbul, Turkey 621/NA Malta 690/807 Tunis, Tunisia 450/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 454/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 605/NA Sydney, Australia 560/NA Fiji 527/638
One year ago Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Mar. 15, 2016 Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 392/422 Savannah, Ga. 398/NA Newport, R.I. 432/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 633/NA St. Maarten 544/NA Antigua 601/NA Valparaiso 410/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 589/NA Cape Verde 343/NA Azores 412/1,095 Canary Islands 382/616 Mediterranean Gibraltar 420/NA Barcelona, Spain 394/999 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,166 Antibes, France 362/1,164 San Remo, Italy 495/1,419 Naples, Italy 462/1,463 Venice, Italy 488/1,784 Corfu, Greece 471/1,164 Piraeus, Greece 438/1,098 Istanbul, Turkey 562/NA Malta 379/1,292 Tunis, Tunisia 488/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 492/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 398/NA Sydney, Australia 403/NA Fiji 607/717
*When available according to local customs.
The-Triton.com April 2017
Yacht captains meet with USVI port officials By Carol Bareuther More than a dozen megayacht captains gathered March 3 at Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas to get the latest on Port State Control, U.S. Customs' clearance and Notice of Arrival issues. The half-day event served as a forum for captains based in and visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands to meet with representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Robert “Kale” Benton, a marine science technician for the USCG stationed at the Marine Safety Detachment in St. Thomas opened the forum with the implications of the USCG’s November 2015 policy letter titled “Guidance on Port State Control Examinations for Foreign Flagged Yachts”. The letter notes that yachts 300 gross tons and above that make voyages beyond the “boundary line” – from near shore to offshore waters – need to meet U.S. regulations and are therefore subject to Coast Guard inspection under federal law. Yachts of this size have three options, Benton said: meet all U.S. regulations and obtain a Certificate of Inspection, obtain equivalent standards issued via their flag state or yacht code, or unfortunately, go elsewhere. During these inspections, one of the most frequently found non-compliance issues is a lack of U.S. transfer procedures in place for oil in yachts with a capacity of 10,500 gallons of oil. This can prevent a yacht from being able to fuel in the United States. Benton also informed captains to
Robert “Kale” Benton of the USCG clarifies port state control exams and non-compliance for captains. Below, Capt. Donovan Clark of M/Y Attitude PHOTOS/CAROL BAREUTHER asks how to balance guest requests with laws. contact Sector San Juan Command Center (+1 787-729-6800) when they are unable to meet the time requirements for submitting Notice of Arrivals. Weather, mechanical failures and other special circumstances can make these time requirements difficult to meet. He stated that a phone call to the USCG can go a long way in assisting the arrival process. Beyond this, Alan Smith, chief supervisory CBP officer in St. Thomas, and Benton were asked what they saw as major challenges captains faced when entering U.S. waters, and what ways could captains prevent these situations. “Clearing in at our St. John office can be problematic because of crowding, especially between 3 and 5 p.m. in the afternoon when the day boats and ferries are coming back into the U.S. from the British Virgin Islands,” CBP’s Smith said. “Therefore, we recommend that captains come to clear in during the morning, if possible. Also, we encourage captains to give us a call (+1 340-7766741; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. AST) first to verify what documentation they need so that they can have this filled out and ready when they come in. This can make the process go faster. We do not monitor Channel 16.”
Capt. Donovan Clark of the 150foot Lurssen M/Y Attitude asked how to balance the lead time required by the USCG’s 24-hour Notice of Arrival reporting into the U.S. and guest requests to travel back and forth between the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as if the archipelago were one nationality. “Be proactive," USCG’s Benton said. "You can submit your notice of departure and arrival at the same time if you are leaving the U.S. for the BVI today and expect to be back in the U.S. tomorrow. Then, if something changes, you can always send in an update.” Benton also added that the USCG’s Captain of the Port can work with vessels to facilitate a hastened Notice of Arrival for those yachts that have issues such as a failing engine or generator and need to come into a U.S.-based yard for repairs. Representatives of air ambulance service AeroMD and tall ship El Galeon, which was at the marina for a port visit in honor of the territory’s centennial, introduced their businesses. And Phil Blake, general manager of Yacht Haven Grande wrapped up the event. “In future, our desire is to bring together private and government representatives from both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands to help facilitate engagement and awareness of policies affecting yachting in the Virgin Islands,” Blake said. Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
14 Triton Networking
T
Perry & Neblett
riton Networking met at the Ft. Lauderdale office of the law firm of Perry & Neblett on the first Wednesday in March. About 200 yacht captains, crew and industry professionals gathered on the rooftop of the company’s newest office on a clear Florida night for PHOTOS/DORIE COX beverages and pizza.
The-Triton.com April 2017
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Triton Networking 15
Florida Luxurious Properties
T
he Triton took networking to Las Olas Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale on the third Wednesday of the month in March. About 125 captains, crew and industry business people joined the real estate brokerage firm of Florida Luxurious Properties for a gorgeous Florida evening of making new connections and solidifying relationships PHOTOS/DORIE COX over Latin food and beverages.
16 Career
The-Triton.com April 2017
The best crew become expert tour guides on, off the water could get their hands on in multiple languages. This multilingual crew (six languages between them) paid off again. Peter Herm As is customary, prior to and after arrival, guests were “interviewed” as It is a given that a crew’s primary goal to what they might like to do, see and in life (OK, in their work life) is to make eat on their visit, both on and off the boat. Apparently, the crew’s research every boat guest’s experience incredible was effective as the guests unanimously while on the boat. reported once-in-a-lifetime experiences. However, I think it is just as And given that I don’t have a fancy important to ensure that the guests’ boat (no hot tub, only two bars) I off-the-boat experiences are just as can proudly report that the happy memorable. guest outcomes were a function of my I am sure most well-oiled charter brilliant choice of destination and the yacht crews are on top of this already, crew’s foresight on doing extensive local but as a refresher, let me dig into some research. personal experiences with my crew The crew also went out of their way in a new location last summer in the to query each of the guests on the results Adriatic. of the crew’s Whoever runs recommendations. the Croatian The crew kept a log of They even kept tourist promotion copious notes machine has done all of the guests’ opinions down to specific a great job with the on where they visited, menu items at yacht magazines what they enjoyed most restaurants. The over the years. crew kept a log of It had been on and what they enjoyed all of the guests’ my bucket list of least. When I showed up, I opinions on where places to cruise for was the beneficiary of all they visited, what years. Finally, last they enjoyed most summer, the boat of this research. and what they was there and it enjoyed least. was my turn to go. When I showed Normally, I up, I was the beneficiary of all of this travel to areas that are well covered research and actual user experience in guide books, on the internet and in reports. magazine articles, all of which I devour This summer, we are off to the prior to visiting. However, Croatia has northern parts of Croatia, which if only not yet generated the volumes of big half as good as the southern half will boat cruiser reports and articles we might see on more popular destinations still be a blast. I know my crew will have researched the places to go and see, in the Med or the Caribbean. right down to food as amazing as the This is a good thing for those of tuna we had in the exquisite waterfront us who dislike crowds, but it made planning for this trip unlike my previous restaurant in Kotor, Montenegro, last summer. cruising. I had to rely on the crew’s Every crew’s goal must be to provide rapidly developed “local knowledge” as once-in-a-lifetime experiences for the they had not been there before either. guests. To do so, they must become Prior to my arrival, we had sent the expert local tour guide, not just on friends and business associates to use water, but also on land. The guests will the boat there. The reports coming appreciate the effort, and the benefit back to me were highly complimentary. might just show up in that next pay Wisely, prior to my guests’ arrival, envelope or more days off skiing in New the crew had spent an extraordinary amount of time researching and scoping Zealand next winter. Bow west and high tide only. out the potential cruising grounds, restaurants, bars, car services, activities, Peter Herm is the pen name for a veteran dive sites, and anchorages. yacht owner who is an entrepreneur This was accomplished by talking based on the East Coast of the U.S. with other crew on the docks, agents Comments are welcome at editor@ and locals both in and out of the bars. the-triton.com. They also read all the guidebooks they
Owner’s View
Operations 17
April 2017 The-Triton.com
MLC allows crew complaint procedure; flag state can intervene Rules of the Road Capt. Jake DesVergers
The Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) provides seafarers with an extensive right of complaint. Seafarers are entitled to complain about any violation regarding working and living conditions on board. Complaints should initially be addressed to the superior on board. If the complaint is not resolved, the seafarer can refer it to the captain or to the owner. In addition, all seafarers are entitled to file a complaint directly with the competent flag state authority. Each flag state has established guidance for the development of procedures that allow crew to submit a complaint. Using the United Kingdom’s MSN 1849 as an example, we note that Regulation 13 of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labor Convention) (Survey and Certification) Regulations 2013 implements this into British law. To comply with Regulation 13 and the Convention, owners must put in place on board their yachts a complaints
procedure for the fair, effective and expeditious handling of seafarers’ complaints alleging breaches of the MLC. This includes seafarers’ rights. The on-board complaints procedure must seek to resolve complaints at the lowest level possible. However, in all cases, seafarers must be given the right to complain directly to the captain. Where they consider it necessary, the seafarer also has the right to complain directly to the flag administration and to port State authorities. The provision for and application of an on-board complaints procedure do not prejudice a seafarer’s right to seek redress through whichever legal means the seafarer considers appropriate. In all cases, whether these procedures are used, a seafarer is entitled to take legal advice from advisers such as seafarers’ representatives or a lawyer. When undertaking MLC inspections, flag-state surveyors will check the on-board complaints procedure for compliance with the regulations and this notice. In addition, surveyors will look for documentary evidence that any complaints made by seafarers have been followed up and resolved in accordance
with the procedure. The procedure must include safeguards against the possibility of seafarers and their representatives being subjected to any detriment because of making complaints. “Detriment” covers any adverse effect on a seafarer because of having made a complaint that is not wrongly created or maliciously made. All seafarers are to be provided with a copy of the on-board complaints procedure applicable on the ship. It shall also include contact information for the flag administration (as the certifying authority for the ship), for all the national authorities for the seafarer’s country of residence for any seafarers working on board, and the name of the person (or persons) on board the yacht who can provide confidential, impartial advice on their complaint and assist them in following the procedure. In the unfortunate instance when the complaint remains unresolved and the flag administration must be contacted, do so with a level of formality, professionalism, and accuracy. The flag administration will have a procedure that must be followed and a specific point of contact. If there is not a specific
form to complete, you will need to submit the following information: Name of the yacht Owner’s address and contact info Name and contact info for the captain Details of the complaint Action taken to date to resolve the complaint When submitting a complaint to the flag administration, it is important to remember that there is a process to be followed. Do not expect instantaneous action or results. As with any report, the accusation must be investigated. This will involve a review of the receiving complaint and subsequent interview/ research with the accused party. In my experience with crew complaints, the clear majority of reports deal with wage disputes. Thankfully, an estimated 95 percent are eventually resolved. Only in rare cases is further involvement by the flag administration and/or justice system required. Capt. Jake DesVergers is chief surveyor for International Yacht Bureau (www. yachtbureau.org). Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
18 Operations
The-Triton.com April 2017
Understanding the rules about clearing in, PWCs in Spain The Agent’s Corner Capt. Deb Radtke
Welcome to The Agents Corner, where I strive to answer pressing questions about yachting. Each week I present information from yacht agents around the globe on everything from entry and clearance details to fishing and diving regulations to the best places for local flavor. This week I address some common issues regarding the Balearics, the Spanish archipelago that are a popular destination for the yachting industry. My colleagues at Estela Shipping in Palma provided the following
information regarding the new regulations for non-EU yachts cruising the Balearic islands. When the yacht arrives into an EU customs port from a non-EU port, a customs declaration must be done to officially declare entrance. In Mallorca, the official customs port of arrival is in Palma. Once the process has been completed, the vessel can head to any other port in Mallorca. All professional crew must make an immigration entry clearance through the Port Police, even if they are EU citizens or they stay on the yacht. It is important to remember that the same is required for immigration departure clearance. There have been some customs
changes as of May 1, 2016, that should also be regarded: The moment a non-EU private yacht enters into EU waters, she has a total of 18 months to be in EU waters before declaring herself to the relevant authorities. It is no longer possible to request a bond for the yacht to extend the 18 months. Once the 18-month period is completed, the vessel must pay EU import VAT or leave EU waters. If any of these requirements are not met, EU VAT will be applicable. I have also recently fielded concern in terms of managing personal watercraft (PWC) such as Jet Skis in the Balearics. So here are some hard-and-fast rules that should be useful and help with safety so guests, crew and owners can
enjoy themselves hassle free: As per Spanish regulations, PWCs can only be managed by someone with a PWC license or any other or superior or ship license. This can be obtained by doing a one-day course, which can be done on board or at the PWC school. A person must be at least 16 to obtain a license and drive a PWC. It is forbidden to ride a PWC less than 200m from a beach, and less than 50m from the rest of the coast. A maximum speed of 3 knots is allowed in a navigation channel with buoys, access to the coast or a beach without marked channels, or within a port. The PWC must be 100m from any other vessel before exceeding 5 knots. A method of communication must be carried at all times (i.e. mobile phone/ VHF). One is not allowed to practice this sport within the ports, access channels, in the area of mooring buoys and in areas of high concentration of boats, whether they are sailing or moored, as well as sailing areas where regattas are. PWCs cannot be at a distance of more than 2 miles from the coast. When on a PWC as a passenger or driver, all must wear an approved life jacket, with a minimum of 150 Newton buoyancy. Water toys are permitted with a PWC, as long as it has the correct tow bar at the rear. To waterski or wakeboard behind a PWC, the second person on the PWC must face the person being towed. The maximum number of people allowed on the PWC is determined by the manufacturer. The minimum age for the handling of a PWC is 18, however minors of at least 16 can drive if they have written consent of a parent or guardian who registered at any harbormaster. The registration shall appear on both sides of the vehicle and is compulsory to carry third-party insurance. Operation is permitted only during the day, from sunrise until one hour before sunset. For more about PWC regulations, email palma@estelashipping.net or call +34 971 722 532. Capt. Deb Radtke owns American Yacht Agents in Ft. Lauderdale (www. americanyachtagents.net). After 16 years working on yachts, she found her niche shoreside assisting vessels visiting the U.S. East Coast and Great Lakes. Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Serve safely with variety of ceramic, porcelain Stew Cues Alene Keenan
Yacht stews care for numerous ceramic and porcelain items, including dishes, decorative tiles, art pieces, and collectibles. These items say a lot about the standard and level of service that may be expected onboard. Some yachts have three or more sets of expensive European porcelain dishware or “china”. Stews need to know the brand, the pattern name, and each piece name in their inventory. There are thousands of dishware patterns from different manufacturers in the United States and abroad. Replacements.com boasts 425,000 patterns. Interestingly enough, every U.S. president chooses his own china pattern, and Pickard from Illinois has produced china for several presidencies as well as for Air Force One. It even makes a special coffee cup that fits in a private jet cup holder. Expensive dishware requires proper care and maintenance. Most pieces have a mark stamped underneath identifying the brand and specific care instructions. Hard-paste porcelain should be hand-washed and is not safe for the microwave, dishwasher or oven. Nonporcelain ceramic such as stoneware and earthenware is typically used for more casual dinnerware. Many art pieces and collectibles are meant to be dusted and not washed at all, to avoid loosening any glued pieces. The story of ceramics is fascinating, reflecting history, artistic heritage, traditions and creativity. The term ceramic refers to any item made of natural clay hardened by heat. About 10,000 BC, clay from river beds was formed into crude baskets and bowls and left to sun dry. They probably noticed that fire hardened the clay after items were discarded and burned, and voila, we have our first ceramics. Three categories of ceramics are used in dishware. Earthenware or terra cotta is the oldest, dating from 1400-1200 BC. It is fired at lower temperatures (18002100 F) and must be glazed to be water tight. It is usually reddish color, chips easily, and is common in casual dishes and as bakeware. If you have been to Positano and the Amalfi Coast you have probably seen some in the shops. Stoneware is made of a heavier clay and fired at higher temperatures (2200-2400 F). It is dense, impermeable
and scratch resistant. Stoneware is microwave, oven, dishwasher, and freezer safe. It is sturdier than earthenware but not as strong as porcelain, a good choice for crew dishes. Porcelain is a distinctive category of ceramics. It is correct to say that all porcelain is ceramic, but not all ceramic is porcelain. In both soft-paste and hard-paste porcelain, the type of clay and firing temperature give different strength and appearance. Porcelain is fired twice to become fully vitrified. Kaolinite clay is used in fine porcelain. It is fired at 22002500 F, making it hard, impermeable, white, translucent, and resonant. Bone china is a sub-category that has 25-50 percent bone ash added, which gives it a warmer color and translucent quality. When Marco Polo first brought porcelain from China in the 14th century, it was worth nearly as much as gold. By the 1700s, highly coveted pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelain were found in Royal and aristocratic collections, but porcelain was too expensive for the masses. Europe was in love with porcelain and the quest was on. It took Europeans hundreds of years to learn how to make porcelain comparable with the masters in China. Here are a few examples. The Germans are officially credited with producing the first true hard-paste European porcelain in the early 1700s. The Vincennes factory in France dominated European ceramics for many years, after King Louis XV became the owner. He moved the factory closer to Paris, and his innovations and endless funds soon overtook the German porcelain industry. Today the central France region of Limousin is known for its Limoges enamelware. And fine oak. The Italians produced Medici and Vezzi porcelain. Wedgewood was established in England in 1759 and became famous for its Queensware. Later on, British companies added bone to their china as an alternative choice. Spanish porcelain goes back to Roman times, including Majolica whose origins lie in the Middle East. It was imported through Majorca, so anyone in Palma has seen this colorful ceramic. Contemporary Spanish Lladro Porcelain is famous for its fine artistic works. The history of porcelain is fraught with adventure and espionage. My favorite story is that of the 18-year-old German alchemist Friedrick Bottger, who was held captive in a forest near
Dresden by the Saxon king Augustus the Strong. He claimed he could turn lead into gold, and Augustus was obsessed. The alchemy didn’t work out so well, but eventually Bottger collaborated with Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and they came up with the recipe for hard-paste porcelain. King Augustus probably resented that he ended up with porcelain instead of gold but he released Bottger, who died five years later. “King Augustus, reportedly a selfconfessed shopaholic, never made money from the factory, as he kept the best pieces for himself,” according to “The European Obsession with Porcelain” by Thessaly la Force. “He died in 1733 at the age of 62, his kingdom in financial ruin but with a porcelain collection of 35,798 pieces”. All that glitters in not gold, after all. Alene Keenan is lead instructor of yacht interior courses at Maritime Professional Training in Ft. Lauderdale. She shares her experience as a stew in her book, "The Yacht Guru's Bible: The Service Manual for Every Yacht", available at www. yachtstewsolutions.com. Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
Interior 19
20 Interior
The-Triton.com April 2017
Shake free of sodium, increase awareness of where it hides Culinary Waves Mary Beth Lawton Johnson
We as yachties are surrounded by saltwater. We swim in it, fish in it, boat in it. We scrub our bodies with it to freshen our skin. Yet we spend a lot of energy trying to control this mineral it in our bodies. One teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium. The facts surrounding salt intake are disheartening. It affects more than just the feeling of extra weight gain. That is why we need to seriously take another look at sodium, where it is found and what we can do about it to live a healthier life. Everything we consume has some form of sodium in it. For those of us watching our weight or on a hearthealthy diet, sodium is first on our watch list. I had two crew members and many guests over the years who suffered from heart problems. The more sodium we consume, the more fluid will accumulate, putting
excess burden on the heart and blood vessels. Too much sodium can lead to spikes in blood pressure. With that, the risk of stroke increases, kidney function decreases and our cognitive abilities take a hit. About 10 percent of all deaths in the United States are related to too much sodium intake, resulting in about 1.65 million deaths a year. When the body has more sodium than it needs from nutritional sources, it will excrete it in the urine. But consume too much, and the body can’t keep up, resulting in swollen feet, puffy eyes, swollen tissues and fluid around the heart. The ideal amount of sodium for a man with heart problems is 1,200mg a day. That’s about half a teaspoon, not much for those who enjoy the flavor of salt.
As chefs, we have to find healthier ways to flavor food. Start with the absolutely freshest foods available, steering clear of prepackaged or frozen meals. They contain a lot of added sodium as preservatives. If buying frozen veggies for the boat or crew, buy them without sauce and make sure the package says “Fresh Frozen.” In fact, any product that will keep for weeks in the refrigerator should send up a huge red flag that it is loaded with sodium. Bacon and other processed meats are a big culprit here. When cooking with chicken broth or chicken seasonings such as bouillon, be aware that those can have a lot of sodium, too. Consider making homemade chips by dehydrating veggies. Slice veggies paper thin and slowly bake them or
use a dehydrator. Sprinkle with herbs instead of salt. Be sure to read all food labels. High sugar content can mask the sodium content so be sure to check every line on the food for sodium. For healthier guests and crew onboard, limit prepackaged foods and ready-processed meats. And start weaning diners off the salt shaker. Mix some herbs in with it, a little at first, then more and more until there’s very little salt but lots of flavor. A little known fact: It takes about eight weeks for our taste buds to adjust to less-salty food. In the meantime, step on the scale each day after going to the bathroom to see just how much of a difference sodium can play in weight gain through water retention. Seeing that benefit will make those weeks getting used to less salty foods just fly by. Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine and has worked on yachts for more than 25 years. Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
Interior 21
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Crew’s Mess Capt. John Wampler
More than a millennium ago, the only form of food preservation was by drying, salting or brining. It wasn’t until 1809 that Nicholas Appert invented canning as a new way for Napoléon to feed his troops. Revolutionary for its time, canning was considered a military secret. Commercial canning arrived in the United States in the mid-1800s but it wasn’t until the Civil War and the invention of the Mason jar that home canning took off. It is great for preserving fruit, vegetables, meats and making jams and jellies. Equipment: A stainless steel double boiler is best. A ceramic coated aluminum pot can be used if there are no scratches in the coating. 4 qt. stainless steel or coated saucepan
A candy thermometer A wide mouth canning funnel A jar tong for lifting jars out of the processing pot Mason or Ball jars with lids.
Ingredients:
1 cup seeded green bell pepper, finely chopped or ground 1/4 cup jalapeno pepper, finely chopped or ground, seeded if desired ( or more to taste) 4 cups sugar 1 cup cider vinegar 1 6 oz. packet liquid fruit pectin 3 -5 drops green food coloring (optional) Mix peppers, sugar and vinegar
in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, to 220 degrees on the candy thermometer. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Add pectin and optional food coloring. Return to heat, and bring to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. While the peppers are cooking, in the big processing pot bring to boil enough water to cover the jars. Include the lids and utensils to sterilize for 5 minutes. Ladle mixture into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars with the canning funnel to within 1/2 inch of top. Wipe tops of jars. Center
lids on top of jars and screw on bands firmly. Half fill the double boiler with water (or large pot with bottom rack) and bring water to a full boil. The boiling water should cover jars by at least 1 inch. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, cover and process for 10 minutes. After processed, carefully remove jars from water using tongs or a jarlifter. Place upside-down on a rack or thick towels and let cool without moving for 12-24 hours. Jars will make popping sounds while cooling if sealed properly. Check seal on each jar by pressing down on lid; if it doesn't push, it's sealed. If it does push down, store in refrigerator until used. Properly canned, you can store this jelly in a cupboard for six to eight months. Refrigerate after opening. Enjoy. Capt. John Wampler is found on www.yachtaide.com and has worked on yachts for more than 30 years. Comment at editor@the-triton.com.
Blueberry, Vanilla and Coconut Butter Top Shelf Chef Mark Godbeer
Working on yachts affords us the ability to travel the world and sample local foods and trends. I love it. To me it's one of the highlights of the industry, getting inspiration from places you wouldn't usually frequent. However, recently I returned home to South Africa and was blown away by how South African foods are trending in a healthy capacity. Everywhere I look, I am mesmerized by the never-ending fresh produce and the fusion local chefs are achieving with them. It’s wonderful and this wonder inspired me to make this healthy fresh blueberry, dairy-free butter. The use of rooibos tea and thyme really helps an earthy flavor transcend into this decadent concoction. The lemon elevates the flavor, using the acid to cut the
sweetness. This provides balance and eradicates the possibility of this butter being too rich. It's quick, easy to make and, to quote my wife, “it's scrumptious”. Ingredients: 4 cups blueberries 1 1/2 cups water (1/2 cup reserved for steeping tea) 1/2 cup honey 2 sprigs thyme 1 rooibos tea bag 2 lemons (1 zested, 1 peeled) 1 vanilla pod (deseeded) 4 Tbsp cornstarch 1 cup coconut oil In a heavy-bottomed pan set heat to medium, add blueberries, 1 cup of water and honey. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. While the blueberries are simmering, steep the rooibos in 1/2 a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the teabag and cool.
To the blueberries, add the lemon peel and vanilla pod and reduce the heat to low. Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornstarch to the tea and mix until incorporated (this is called a slurry). Slowly pour the slurry into the blueberry mixture, stirring the whole time. Gently cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove the lemon peel and thyme sprigs, then take the pot off the stove. Allow to cool for 20 minutes then transfer into a stand mixer. Add the coconut oil and lemon zest and with a whisk attachment, mix slowly for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. The blueberry butter is now ready to spread on pancakes, use as a topping, in smoothies, as a filling for cakes or simply eaten as is. Pictured, I used the butter to top my greek yogurt pancakes and served them with fresh fruit and coconut.
Mark Godbeer has been a yacht chef for more than 10 years (chefmark godbeer.com). His recipes are designed for the owner and guests. Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
22 Crew Health
The-Triton.com April 2017
Let those between-meal snacks boost health with wise choices Take It In Carol Bareuther
Say the word snack and images of junk foods such as chips or cookies used come to mind. Today, the act of eating between meals is on the rise due to hectic lifestyles, a greater number of one- or two-person households and most importantly, a perception that snacks can be a part of – even essential to – a healthful diet. In the U.S., 94 percent of adults snack at least once daily, and 50 percent snack two to three times a day, according to 2015 data from market research firm Mintel. Americans aren’t the only ones grabbing for a quick bite between meals. The global market for snack foods is projected to exceed $630 billion by 2020, driven by demand for protein-rich, organic- and natural ingredient-based snacks, per a report by Global Industry Analysts. So, how do we snack healthfully? It doesn’t mean rushing out to the store to stock up on items specifically marketed as snacks. Sure, some of these items (think bags of 100 percent whole corn tortilla chips or cans of nuts) do make nutritious snacks. However, what food researchers are finding is that there is a broadening of the definition of what constitutes a between-meal food. In fact, research by market research firm Technomic revealed that many consumers consider a salad a snack, not strictly a side dish, appetizer or even entrée. This means virtually any food in the galley, supermarket or restaurant can be fair game as a snack or snack ingredient. Here are nutritious snack ideas for a variety of likes and needs. 1. On-the-Go and Portable. Wholegrain crackers, granola bars, pretzels, meat or fish jerky, seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower, nuts and nut butters are all items easily stored without refrigeration in a backpack or drawer. Interestingly, an article published in March in the Nutrition Journal showed that replacing traditional snacks with nuts led to a more nutrient-rich diet that was lower in empty calories and sodium, and that also provided more heart-healthy fatty acids. If a refrigerator is available, or even cold packs, yogurt, cheese, hummus and
edamame are good alternatives. 2. Mini Meals. Ready-to-heat-and-eat veggie, poultry or bean soups are easy choices, filling and satisfying. So are store-bought packs of tuna and cracker combos, a mini meal easy enough to whip up in seconds in the galley, too. Ditto for salad bowls. Many companies now make salads complete with protein such as nuts or chicken, plus dressing. Or assemble a snack-size charcuterie platter from deli or galley ingredients such as meats, cheeses, a few olives and crackers. 3. Chips and Dips. Forget old school potato chips and sour cream onion dip. This hand-in-glove combination turns nutritious with trendy choices. Pair 100 percent corn chips with salsa, baby carrots with guacamole, or whole-grain pita with hummus. Researchers writing last year in the journal Nutrients found that hummus consumers had higher intakes of dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and iron as compared to non-consumers. 4. Breakfast All Day. This trend isn’t just for fast-food restaurants. Many traditional breakfast foods make great snacks any time of day. Examples are packets of instant oats topped with berries, granola stirred into Greek yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg and wholegrain crackers. 5. Fruits and Vegetables. Apples. Bananas. Carrots. There’s a whole alphabet of fruits and vegetables that check all the boxes: fast, portable, handheld, no-prep and healthy. Also, it’s easier now to find cut fruit cups in a variety of settings from grocery stores and mini-marts to takeout restaurants. In the galley, cutting up over-ripe or blemished fruit is a great way to prevent waste and have a healthy snack, too. In fact, researchers writing in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease back in 2011 found that those who were more likely to eat the recommended servings of disease-preventing produce did so by including these foods in snacks. So, don’t feel guilty about snacking anymore. Just make sure to choose snacks wisely. Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian and freelance health and nutrition writer. Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
April 2017 The-Triton.com
No more excuses; here’s a seven-day workout plan
On those days where the crew get no time off the boat, modify the cardio to skipping rope, squats, burpees, etc., and do an hour of yoga on Saturday.
The Yachtie Glow Angela Orecchio
Even if you’re having a long week, try fitting in a short workout each day. This workout can be done easily in a yacht crew cabin or on deck. Repeat three times each day for maximum results.
Angela Orecchio is a chief stew and certified health coach. This column was edited from her blog, Savvy Stewardess, The Smart Girl’s Guide to Yachting (www.savvystewardess.com). Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
Monday: 10 push ups 20 squats 15 lunges 40 crunches 30 second plank 35 jumping jacks 5 minute walk/ jog Wednesday: 20 push ups 20 squats 10 lunges 30 crunches 40 second plank 35 jumping jacks 7 minute walk/ jog
Tuesday: 15 push ups 40 squats 30 lunges 20 crunches 35 second plank 25 jumping jacks 6 minute walk/ jog
Thursday: 15 push ups 25 squats 10 lunges 35 crunches 45 second plank 30 jumping jacks 8 minute walk/ jog
Friday: 10 push ups 35 squats 10 lunges 40 crunches 50 second plank 25 jumping jacks 9 minute walk/jog
Saturday: 10 min walk/jog 10 minute stretching
Sunday rest
Crew Health 23
24 Crew Health
The-Triton.com
April 2017
The-Triton.com April 2017
Snake-bitten actors not accurate; try antivenom, medial care Sea Sick Keith Murray
One of the questions I am asked when teaching a first-aid class onboard a yacht is about snake bites. Just how deadly are snakes? Is it like you see in the movies, one bite and you are dead? First, here’s what not to do. 1. Do not cut or suck on the wound. In addition to the obvious risk factors to the rescuer, cutting into the bite site can damage the skin and organs, increase the risk of infection, and most importantly does not remove venom. 2. Do not use ice. Ice has no effect on venom and may damage the skin, causing frostbite. 3. Do not use alcohol. Alcohol will not help, and indeed may increase venom absorption. 4. Do not use a tourniquet. Tourniquets do not work on snake bites and may cause the victim to lose a limb. There are more than 3,000 species of snakes worldwide. Of these, about 500 are venomous. About 5 million
snakebites occur worldwide each year, causing about 125,000 deaths. In the United States, about 45,000 people are bitten by snakes each year; about 8,000 of these are from venomous snakes. The total fatal snakebites in the United States is fewer than 10 people annually. Snake venom is basically a modified form of saliva. It is used for self defense and prey immobilization, allowing the snake to incapacitate its prey before eating it. A snake’s venom acts quickly, affecting the prey’s central nervous system, lungs, heart and muscles. Let’s group lizard bites in with snake bites to treat both in similar manners. First thing: If someone is bitten by a venomous (poisonous) snake or lizard, seek emergency medical care immediately. Don’t wait until the person is sick or experiencing other symptoms. Never try to kill or capture the snake. Further exposure to the snake may risk an additional bite. A snake has the ability to bite and release venom by reflex action for up to 90 minutes after it is dead. Get as much information about the snake as possible. If there is no danger,
take a photograph. In the United States, the Poison Control Center (1 800-2221212) may be able to help identify it. Find the best medical care as quickly as possible. Not every medical facility stocks antivenom. When available, always call an ambulance. If not, call the hospital to ask for the best place to be treated for the specific snake bite. Symptoms from snake bites may appear within minutes or take hours to develop. Some may include severe burning or pain where bitten, swelling that starts at the bite and spreads, bleeding from the wound as well as blistering, fever, nervous system disruption, numbness, convulsions, excessive sweating, diarrhea, vision problems, increased thirst, nausea and vomiting, rapid pulse, difficulty speaking, and difficulty breathing and/ or cessation of breathing. The initial symptoms following a venomous snakebite can be misleading. A victim may have no initial significant symptoms, and then suddenly develop breathing difficulty and go into shock. If symptoms do not develop after 10-12 hours, it is possible that the snake
was either non-venomous or that no venom was injected. Even if symptoms do not develop, the victim should still seek medical attention and continue to look or symptoms for several weeks. Bites by nonvenomous species require good wound care. Wash the bite with large amounts of soap and water and carefully inspect the wound for broken fangs, dirt or debris. Victims that have not had a tetanus booster within the past five years should get one. Remove any constricting items on the victim, such as rings, watches or other jewelry that could reduce blood flow if the bite area swells. Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart. Cover the area with a clean, cool bandage to minimize swelling and discomfort, and continue to monitor vital signs. If any changes occur, immediately call or radio for help. Trained as an emergency medical technician, Keith Murray owns The CPR School, which provides onboard first-aid training as well as AED sales and service (www.TheCPRSchool.com). Comment at editor@the-triton.com.
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Operations 25
Gulf Stream current, eddies keep Atlantic’s river moving Sea Science Scott McDowell
The Gulf Stream “system” begins with westward surface flow through the Caribbean, looping through the Gulf of Mexico, then northward as the Florida Current (FC) and into the Atlantic. The beginning of the Gulf Stream (GS) “current” is defined as the location where the FC branches away from the U.S. east coast, south of Cape Hatteras. Thereafter, the GS acts as a river within the upper layers of the western North Atlantic, extending northeastward for more than 1,000 nautical miles with sinuous meanders and shedding of large eddies. The GS is prominent in satellite imagery from its contrast with cooler surrounding waters, as well as by satellite altimetry that detects the large vertical bulge of low-density water contained in the warm GS. In practical terms, the sea level in the GS is roughly three feet higher than on the north side of the boundary, where coastal waters are considerably more dense. Fortunately, the horizontal GS boundary spans 5-10 miles so there isn’t a large wall of water for mariners to encounter at the GS edge. The volume of water transported by the GS increases from 30 million cubic-meters-per-second (30 Sverdrupunits of flow) in the FC at Cape Hatteras to roughly 145 SV at the longitude of Newfoundland and latitude of New Jersey. This influx of water is mostly associated with deep entrainment from both sides of the GS. At this location south of Newfoundland, the GS branches with most of the flow contained in a northern leg, thereafter called the North Atlantic Current (NAC), which continues north and northeastward. At mid-ocean, the NAC transitions into a weak eastward flow called the North Atlantic Drift Current that transports relatively warm waters to latitudes higher than in any other ocean. This NADC is responsible for moderating climates in the United Kingdom and western Scandinavia. The GS is a major current in the North Atlantic with a close equivalent in the North Pacific: the Kuroshio Current off the coast of Japan. Although there is no Caribbean Sea nor Gulf of Mexico analog in the Pacific, the
Kuroshio and GS are both Western Boundary Currents that return flow to the northeast and the central ocean. These important currents balance the westward current flow at lower latitudes caused jointly by the eastward rotation of the earth and westward surface winds at subtropical latitudes. Amazing similarities in our two northern oceans. East of Cape Hatteras, our GS forms large eddies as the surface current meanders north or south from its average direction. As the GS bends northward, the clockwise current can turn sharply to the south and pinch off, creating a warm-core eddy that spins clockwise, thereafter embedded in cooler waters from the north. Warm water from the south side of the GS remains trapped in the spinning eddy. Warm-core eddies have typical diameters of 50-80 nautical miles and are readily distinguishable by satellite surface thermal imagery due to their contrast with cooler inshore waters. They normally persist for three months to one year while drifting southwestward, eventually coalescing with the GS. Similarly but opposite, when the GS meanders sharply to the south and turns counter-clockwise, another type of pinch-off eddy is formed containing relatively cool waters in comparison with surrounding waters of the Sargasso Sea, thus the name cold-core eddy. These eddies have typical diameters of 100-150 nautical miles and can exist for one to four years as they drift freely toward the south and southwest. They gradually become indistinguishable from the surrounding waters as their surface temperatures increase. The physics of GS eddies are well known and Atlantic mariners regularly navigate along their peripheries to gain from favorable currents on one edge or the other. My marinas guidebook provides NOAA websites for nearreal-time GS positions and locations of major eddies. Additionally, websites are given for private marine forecasters of Atlantic surface currents and GS eddy trajectories. Use oceanographic knowledge to increase your speed over the ground. Scott E. McDowell has a doctorate in ocean physics, is a licensed captain and author of Marinas: a Complete Guide, available at www.scottemcdowell.com. Comment at editor@the-triton.com.
26 Operations
The-Triton.com April 2017
Start of diesel engines is clear, but when did yachts come in? Diesel Digest Capt. Jeff Werner
The 1890s were heady times for Rudolf Diesel. He was a young engineer living in Berlin with his wife and three children. After a disastrous experiment with a steam engine that exploded and almost killed him, he turned his research to the Carnot cycle, a theoretical construct that explored how to efficiently turn heat into work. In 1893, Diesel published “Theory and Construction of a Rational Heatengine to Replace the Steam Engine and Combustion Engines Known Today”, a long title for his desire to establish a new type of engine with a breakthrough in efficiency technology. At that time, steam engines wasted as much as 90 percent of the fuel that powered them, giving them a 10 percent efficiency rating. Diesel’s invention, at first called a compression-ignition engine and which eventually bore his name, theoretically had an efficiency of 73 percent. Diesel obtained a German patent on his new engine that same year and built his prototype. It only ran for a minute. His persistence paid off though, and after much tinkering it continuously ran under its own power in 1897. His diesel engine was ready for efficiency testing and production development. Although it was only 26 percent efficient, it was better than the gasoline-powered internal combustion engines of the time. By 1899, diesel engines were licensed to be built in Germany, Switzerland, Russia and the United States. Diesel granted Adolphus Busch, who was developing the Budweiser beer brand, the U.S. license. Busch’s company built the first diesel engine in North America. For use in marine propulsion, reciprocating piston diesel engines offered two options: either connect the rotating crankshaft to a propeller in some fashion, or connect it to a generator to make electricity for a battery-operated electric motor. Both commercial and military naval architects chose to use both options. In 1902, the French submarine l’Aigrette was launched with diesel electric propulsion. Machinenfabrik Augsburg and Nurnberg built the licensed diesel engine for that underwater vessel. Today, that company
is better known as MAN. Submarine propulsion design was greatly influenced by l’Aigrette. By 1911, the French had 60 diesel submarines and the British had 13, while the other countries soon to be embroiled in World War I were building their own diesel electric submarine fleets. The first commercial diesel-powered vessels were built in 1904. Petit Pierre, a French canal boat 125-feet long, had a 25-hp engine with a variable pitch propeller for reversing. This bargelike vessel was used exclusively in the protected inland waters of the MarneRhine canal. Vandal, a 245-foot shallow-draft oil tanker plying the canals of the VolgaBaltic Waterway, used diesel electric motors. It was a revolutionary design at the time. A diesel engine turned three generators to supply power to reversible DC motors. It proved so successful that railroad locomotives use an almost identical propulsion design today. The first large seagoing ship powered by diesel engines was Selandia, built in 1911. It was a Danish liner built for the cargo and passenger trade for the run between Thailand and Scandinavia. The ship was 370 feet in length, capable of carrying 7,400 tons, and propelled by two diesel engines. Two 1,050-hp engines drove the ship at 11 knots. Since Selandia was not powered by steam, there were no smokestacks needed for the coal smoke, which gave it a remarkable silhouette for a ship of that era. The diesel exhaust went up through her rear mast. This caused the new breed of diesel-powered ships to be called “smokeless” or “phantom ships”. The history of diesel engines aboard yachts isn’t as well documented. Therefore, the Diesel Digest column is challenging the readers of The Triton to discover the first yacht or recreational vessel to operate under diesel power. Email your submission with corroborating details to editor@ the-triton.com. The winner will receive a gift from Diesel Doctor that will aid the fuel preventive maintenance program aboard a yacht. Good luck. Capt. Jeff Werner is a 25-year veteran of the yachting industry as a captain on private and charter yachts, both sail and power, and a certified instructor for the RYA, MCA, USCG and US Sailing. He also owns Diesel Doctor (MyDieselDoctor. com). Comments: editor@the-triton.com.
Career 27
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Get comfortable making those first steps in a new direction Crew Coach Capt. Rob Gannon
We all go through change and transitions in our lives. Some get thrown in our faces suddenly, and others we can think about and plan. This is an area I’ve been working with for the past eight years as a coach, this process of planning and dealing with transitions. I have written about this topic before here, but I don’t believe I’ve touched on these points in the process that I regularly share with clients. We all know that sometimes just starting a process can be the toughest part. Sometimes it can seem tough because we don’t know where to start. But here’s the thing: If we think a lot about a change or transition, we’ve already started. Change begins on the inside, and now it’s time to bring it out. This is also where the battle can begin. Our conscious minds, our thinking, and our egos and inner critics can start putting up a bigtime firewall to keep and put us in our place. These
forces must be recognized for what they are but also must be overcome. A true desire being brought forth and nurtured is more powerful than the excuses and noise of a mind that has been subjected to years of negative conditioning. If it’s approaching transition time, get on the right side of this battle in the head. To be able to move forward toward transition time, here are a few tips for putting together a reinvention of ourselves. First, write down your explanation about why you’re making a transition. Don’t write a book here. Try not to get off track with a long story. Edit it down to the main strong points. People and companies do mission statements all the time. Consider this a transition statement; clear, precise and on target. Maybe highlight how to apply skills to a new domain. Also, what driving force or theme keeps coming up? Remember, these are little but important exercises in gaining clarity to understand what we are moving into. Next, what’s the value you bring? Write down a few sentences identifying the unique knowledge or skills you
have that others in your new profession might not. We can also bring a trusted friend in here to help us see our positive and valuable skills. Sometimes our modesty or a lack of self-confidence can hinder us from seeing our true value. Those of us who have been in the yachting industry can really use the unique and intriguing experience of that life and the skills that life requires to separate ourselves and spark interest in folks outside the industry. I can personally attest to this. When I coach someone outside of the yachting world, there is definitely a fascination or at the very least a curiosity about the yachting life. We all can make that work for us in transitioning into many different professions. This very point ties into the next step. Third, find your common thread. We are not rejecting one identity in favor of another; we are transitioning across a bridge linking the old and new brands. Work on how to articulate that. Again, I can use my own experience with this. If I am speaking to a group that may not be familiar with coaching or the captaining of a yacht, I can clearly
articulate the connection of the two and how it was a natural progression for me and can be of value to them. I know this holds true for everyone from this industry but we have to be able to communicate and articulate it clearly and authentically. All three of these steps can be worked on and shaped before making any life-changing transition. The beauty is we can continue in our present positions but, instead of wasting time complaining and doing nothing, we can begin our process. Begin the process of growth and moving forward by just writing a few clear thoughts about the new you. This isn’t hard or scary stuff. This can be pretty cool and fun. It’s good to let our creative imaginations out of their cages, to prepare to spread our wings and fly. So don’t be afraid of getting clear. Clarity is the wind that can fill our sails. Enjoy the voyage. Capt. Rob Gannon is a 30-year licensed captain and certified life and wellness coach (www.yachtcrewcoach.com). Comment at editor@the-triton.com.
28 Career
The-Triton.com April 2017
Culture of challenge makes captains more leader than driver On Course Capt. Brian Luke
Last month I wrote about challenges captains and crew face when managing a modern superyacht bridge. I also wrote briefly about the idea that most superyachts enter and depart port conned solely by the captain. I tied this into the potential downside of him/her being the only officer on the bridge with knowledge and understanding of the limitations of the plan. I finished with the idea that many junior officers will not speak up if they feel the captain is embarking into a dangerous situation. This month was originally supposed
to be the second half of a two-part series. Because of the importance of evolution in the maritime industry, I am extending this to three parts. This month I will further explain the culture of challenge, which I believe will be easy to introduce to the millennial generation yet harder to appreciate for my generation of baby boomers. While operating within a culture of challenge, it remains vitally important the captain has sole responsibility for the execution of the plan. He must be effectively supported and challenged by other bridge officers. The method used to help facilitate this process means that the captain may need to move from an active conning position to more of a monitoring and leadership position.
The cruise ship industry is starting to adopt this method. Although we in the superyacht industry operate with fewer bridge officers, there is still something we can learn from this new approach. The major difference between the bridges of a superyacht and a cruise ship is in manpower. A cruise ship will have five or more bridge officers during exit and entry from dock; a superyacht bridge will generally have two or less, making us more like our relatives in the shipping industry which also generally operates with two bridge officers during these critical phases of operations. A role model within the maritime industry is the CSMART training center outside Amsterdam. CSMART is Carnival Cruise Lines’ Center for
Simulator Maritime Training. It is one of the premier maritime training centers in the world, and it is leading this “culture of challenge” and “role-based” bridge operations. The airline industry helped CSMART identify the need to change the way in which the captain manages the modern bridge. The method used to deliver this change is by continuing professional development (CPD), a generic term that goes beyond that which is required for licensing and certification and gives bridge officers the edge needed to safely operate today’s high-tech vessel and bridge systems into and out of overcrowded ports and anchorages with much larger ships. Most airline pilots today are required to complete some level of training on a quarterly basis, be it blended learning, classroom, line checks and/or simulator training. This is a significant change from the old days when the airlines used to provide a simulator training segment every six months and a line check once every year. And it’s a stark difference from the superyacht industry that does close to zero training after licensing and certification is achieved. Today, superyachts face many of the same challenges as a cruise ship. Superyachts are much larger and far more complex than ever before. They operate into and out of some of the same overcrowded ports, berths, and anchorages as cruise ships and container ships. Combine that with highly complex systems such as ECDIS and dynamic positioning and the old school way of training for licensing and certification is no longer adequate. CPD needs to be introduced to the superyacht industry if we are to keep up with our brothers and sisters in the merchant world. Refresher training required under STCW 2010 does not address most of what is needed. STCW 2010 and the refresher training simply brought us out of the Stone Ages. To facilitate safer vessel operations, it is important for the captain to become more of a manager. Actively monitoring the bridge requires the officers on the bridge to be role based in each of their positions. I will continue next month with a deeper description of role-based bridge operations, how it was developed and how it may help us in the evolution of the superyacht industry. Capt. Brian Luke is president of Bluewater Crew Training USA (formerly ICT) in Ft. Lauderdale. Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
Career 33
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Remember radio etiquette to be efficient, out of trouble. 10-4? Crew Compass Melissa McMahon
In this industry, communication is one of our top priorities when it comes to safety. Even though it is sometimes uncomfortable to wear a radio, it is indeed our lifeline. We must treat our radios onboard the same way we treat our cell phones: they should never leave our side and we must always check up on them. At the very least, they should always be clipped on when we’re working and charged with a full battery. One would think that all crew would have general radio knowledge and know how to effectively communicate, but that is not always the case. There are times when crew members scream on the radio or use harsh language. And then there are those who should move to the next channel to complete their 10-minute personal conversation. There are even some crew who don’t even know what 10-4 means. Radio communication should be professional, no harsh language, short and sweet, and no negativity, especially when guests are onboard. It turns into an awkward moment if a guest overhears an unprofessional radio call. Having an earpiece saves us from those moments, thankfully, but it can also create a distraction for the interior crew when they are focused on service or talking to guests and a fellow crew member is in their ear asking them questions or trying to get their attention. Selective hearing is a great skill to have. Then there are crew members who don’t even have their radios charged, then they get up, clip it on, and start working. I noticed one of the biggest pet peeves of a captain or heads of departments is trying to radio someone and they don’t answer because they have a dead radio battery. Situations arise fast onboard, so it is always important to leave the main channel open for when those events do occur. Some yachts use separate channels for each department, so when those departments need to talk longer than a couple minutes, switching channels is beneficial. It is also important to let the rest of the crew know the department is switching to a different channel. That way, if there is a situation onboard and all crew need to be informed, someone outside the department will switch to that channel to let them know and
update them on what is going on. When guests are off the boat and the atmosphere onboard is fun, then go ahead and make those little jokes in communicating. It is fun to hear conversations. When someone makes the whole crew laugh, that eases stress and tension from the work day. On my previous boat, a few stews and I used to talk in creepy voices or say lines from movies such as “Taken” (“I will find you”) or “Terminator” (“I’ll be back”). There is a line, however, that one does not want to step over. Remember that everyone is listening, even the captain. A label maker comes in handy when first receiving a radio. I label both
my radio and charger with my name because there are those crew members who misplace theirs and like to play a little game call see and snatch. There was also a situation onboard between the deckhands who decided to play a joke on another deckhand by taking his radio that he had unclipped during wash down so it would not get damaged. They hid it and didn’t tell him where it was for a couple hours, causing him to get annoyed and agitated. Let’s just say the joke didn’t seem funny to others and especially not to the deckhand who had unclipped the radio in the first place. Knowing where our radios are 24/7 is one of the most important tasks.
Luckily, no one ever took mine because I always keep it safe next to my bunk. But I’ve seen crew members leave chargers in the pantry, in the crew lounge, or on a seat in the mess, for anyone to take if it has no name on it. Keep in mind most radios are not waterproof so before jumping into the clear waters of the Caribbean or the blue water in the Mediterranean or the freezing waters of Alaska or somewhere else north, remember that a lifeline may be clipped on. Melissa McMahon is a stew from Long Island, N.Y. (www.longislandmermaid. com). Comments are welcome at editor@ the-triton.com.
34 Career
The-Triton.com April 2017
Delegating is not the easy way out; leaders bring others along Taking the Helm Paul Ferdais
Delegation is one of the essential skills for successful leadership. Without the ability to delegate, it’s not possible to become an effective leader. The challenge for some is their willingness to trust others to share the load. Unfortunately, the alternative to delegating is doing it all yourself. Leaders who don’t delegate end up with so many responsibilities that they’re unable to make their full contribution to their organizations. An unwillingness to delegate is often based on one of two viewpoints. The first rests on the idea of having to give up control. The other is fear, where a leader may not delegate because they are fearful that the other person may excel and be considered for advancement instead of the leader. Both of these viewpoints hold a leader back from being truly successful. Delegate anyway. Here are some steps to consider when deciding to delegate:
Step one: Prepare a list of everything that has to be done for the task to be completed successfully. Planning ahead helps complete the task faster. Unfortunately, many managers delegate first and think through the job later. Step two: Prepare the person being delegated the task with the proper training to complete the job to the necessary level. If the leader neglects to prepare the person then responsibility for failure rests squarely with the leader. Step three: Set clear expectations at the beginning based on the list created. Help crew members understand the outcomes expected in the completion of a task, not simply the activities that they need to engage in each day. For example, when a deck team does a washdown together for the first time, a leader needs to explain expectations about how the job is done. A leader may point out things to pay attention to, such as washing the underside of capping rails, washing behind doors that are usually left open, mopping the scupper at the end of the washdown, etc. When people know exactly what is expected, when, and to what standard,
they then have an opportunity to achieve the results we’re looking for. Step four: Delegate completely. Let the person to whom a task has been delegated know they are completely responsible for the task. This includes the authority necessary to complete the task, including purchasing parts or renting equipment. Employees have greater loyalty, commitment, and dedication to a job when they feel a sense of personal empowerment. Step five: Let them do it. Give the crew 100 percent responsibility. Don’t take the job back. We can inadvertently “take it back” by continually checking in, asking for too much feedback, and then recommending changes in the middle of the job. This displays a lack of confidence in the crew member. However, if crew members do their task improperly, then the leader needs to acknowledge they didn’t do a good enough job preparing the co-worker for the delegation. When something isn’t going to work out, step in. Don’t wait until it’s too late to speak up. Be aware that there may be a lot of questions when you delegate to
someone, especially for the first time. Be available and open to lend assistance if required for the team to succeed. Fortunately, if the crew are trained to the appropriate level, there may not be too many questions. Sometimes, despite all our preparation and discussion during the delegation process, things go wrong. How will this be handled? Will the crew member get fired? Will we seek to place blame? When delegating, prepare for when things do go wrong. How will you react? Think about what kind of problems can occur and include them when setting expectations at the beginning. When things do go wrong, it’s always better to try to find out what happened, why it happened, and what needs to be done to fix it. Be the leader who builds up crew members, not the one who holds them back. A former first officer, Paul Ferdais is founder and CEO of The Marine Leadership Group (www. marineleadershipgroup.com). Comments are welcome at editor@the-triton.com.
News 35
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Technology more than 35 years and come with a 10year limited warranty. For more information visit www. goldenboatlifts.com.
Navtor opens in UK
Flexible solar panels available
Solar panel company Sunflare now mass produces flexible, light CIGS solar panels. Sunflare has reengineered the manufacturing of CIGS panels with its Capture4 technology. Compared to crystalline silicon, Sunflare is flexible and light because it does not use a glass substrate and has thinner layers of semiconductors. It requires less energy to manufacture and does not use toxic chemicals. Compared to crystalline silicon, Sunflare captures 10 percent more energy from dawn to dusk at a comparable cost. It is more than 65 percent lighter than silicon modules and does not require an aluminum frame. For more information, visit sunflaresolar.com.
Akasol to launch battery system
German-based Akasol will present a world premiere of its new compact, modular lithium-ion battery system, AKASystem OEM, at the Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo in June. This system is well-suited for marine applications such as yachts because engineers have integrated standardised PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) modules from large battery manufacturers to enable them to meet the demanding requirements of commercial vehicle drives. The new battery storage system is interchangeable and can be connected in all customer-specific variations. For more information, visit www. akasol.com.
Golden Boat Lifts expands
Florida-based Golden Boat Lifts has launched a separate dock manufacturing company, Golden Marine Systems. The company will design, engineer and manufacture custom floating aluminum and stainless steel docks and gangways. The products have a life expectancy of
Navtor, a Norwegian e-navigation specialist, is opening its first base in the UK in Somerset, led by Richard Northover. Northover is a veteran of the maritime industry. After starting his career navigating and commanding commercial yachts, he took the role of UK and Ireland sales and marketing manager at Brookes and Gatehouse, before moving on to ChartCo and then Kelvin Hughes as regional sales manager. Most recently, he was commercial manager at the International Centre for ENCs (ICENC). Navtor’s ENC-based portfolio enables access to, and updates of, the latest digital charts. Weather and route optimization options can help enhance safety and fuel efficiency, delivering fuel savings of about 4 percent, the company said in a statement. Key Navtor products include the ENC Service, compatible with all types of ECDIS and available on a subscription basis; NavStation; NavTracker fleet management software; and NavBox, which automatically downloads the latest navigational data without navigators having to check for updates. Established in 2011, Navtor launching its ENC service in 2012. Since then, the business has grown to offices in Russia, Singapore, Japan and Sweden. For more information, visit www. navtor.com.
SeaDek expands installer network
Florida-based SeaDek Marine Products, a manufacturer of EVA nonskid products for the marine industry, has added 10 certified installers to its growing network. These new installers are in Colorado, Washington, Michigan, California, New York and Florida in the United States; Ontario, Canada; and the United Kingdom. Installers get hands-on instruction on SeaDek’s digital patterning processes, CAD design, and advanced installation techniques. A complete list of SeaDek certified fabricators and installers can be found at www.seadek.com/customseadek.asp.
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Boats / Brokers Yachts sold
M/Y Sharon Lee, a 112-foot (34m) Westport built in 2003 (ex-Betty Jane), sold by Northrop & Johnson brokers Cromwell Littlejohn and Kevin Merrigan for the seller. M/Y Non Plus Ultra, a 108-foot (33m) Sanlorenzo built in 2008, sold by Northrop & Johnson broker Michael Graff.
M/Y Marbella (above), a 108-foot (33m) Monte Fino built in 1996, sold by Northrop & Johnson broker Sean Doyle. M/Y Pura Vida (below), a 96-foot (29m) Ferretti built in 2014, sold by Northrop & Johnson broker Sean Doyle.
M/Y Triple Net, a 92-foot (28m) Monte Fino built in 2001, sold by Fraser broker Trevor Carroll. Asking price was $1,795,000. S/Y Whirlwind, a 90-foot (27.4m) classic yacht built by Holland Jachtbouw and Andrew Hoek in 1998, sold by Northrop & Johnson brokers Brian Commette and Simon J. Turner.
News in the sales fleet
Project Brage, a 284-foot (86.6m) custom yacht set to launch in 2019, will transform an existing commercial vessel and feature a 19m beam. Listed with Fraser brokers Jan Jaap Minnema and Vassilis Fotilas. M/Y Axioma, a 236-foot (71.5m) yacht built by Dunya Yachts in 2013, colisted with YPI and Denison Yacht Sales brokers Ken Denison and Glynn Smith. M/Y Icon, a 221-foot (67.5m) yacht built in 2010 by Icon Yachts, listed with Fraser for 52.5 million euros. M/Y Galaxy of Happiness, a 174-foot (53.3m) vessel built in 2016 by Latitude Yachts, listed with Fraser broker David Legrand in Monaco for 29.8 million euros. M/Y Lady Joy, a 157-foot (48m) Christensen launched in 2007, colisted with Northrop & Johnson broker Joe Foggia and Burgess broker Mike
Orchard for $22 million. M/Y Ocean Sapphire, a 135-foot (41m) vessel built in 2010 by Rodriquez Cantieri Navali, listed with BernardGallay Yacht Brokerage for 6.5 million euros. S/Y Le Pietre, a 115-foot (35m) ketch built in 2009, listed with Camper & Nicholsons. S/V Che, a 114-foot (35m) Sunreef catamaran delivered in 2010, listed with Camper & Nicholsons for just under 5 million euros. M/Y Elba, a 109-foot (33m) yacht built by Astilleros Armon in 1991, listed with Fraser broker Giulio Riggio in Spain for 3.3 million euros. M/Y Orso 3, a 108-foot (33m) Benetti delivered in 2013, now listed with Camper & Nicholsons broker Fernando Nicholson for just under $7 million. S/Y Zanzibar, a 103-foot (31.3m) fast cutter-rigged sailing yacht built in 1993, listed with Camper & Nicholsons brokers Arne Ploch and Charles Ehrardt for 3.3 million euros. M/Y MOS-AIC, a 91-foot (27.6m) yacht built in 2006 by Cantieri Navali Falcon, now listed with Camper & Nicholsons broker Charles Ehrardt for 1.45 million euros. M/Y Caramia, an 88-foot (27m) go-fast built by Amo in 2008, listed with Fraser broker Alex Krykanyuk for just under 2 million euros. M/Y SS Sophie, a 79-foot (24m) Trumpy built in 1947, listed with Northrop & Johnson broker Jonathan Chapman. M/Y Koon Woon II, a 65-foot (20m) trawler built by Selene, now listed with Northrop & Johnson broker Bart Kimman for $2.2 million. James Munn has joined Northrop & Johnson in Antibes as a sales broker. With 30 years of yachting industry experience, he has spent time as crew and captain, charter and yacht manager, a sales broker and Munn an owner’s rep.
Recent launches, deliveries
M/Y Amara, a 120m Oceano concept designed by Sam Sorgiovanni Designs for extended families, was unveiled at the Dubai International Boat Show in February. It can carry 20 guests. Project Maia, a 50m full displacement Heesen, launched March 8. Its classic
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Merrigan, D’Offay named top IYBA brokers for 2016 For the second year in a row, a broker with Northrop & Johnson won the International Yacht Brokers Association’s Sales Broker of the Year award. Kevin Merrigan, CEO of Northrop & Johnson, was named Broker of the Year for 2016 at IYBA’s annual meeting in January. The award is presented to a sales broker "in recognition for his or her outstanding Merrigan dedication and contribution to IYBA and the entire yachting industry.” Sales Broker Crom Littlejohn was named sales broker of the year for 2015. Merrigan has been a member of IYBA, formerly the Florida Yacht Brokers Association, for 25 years. He was on the board for 10 years, including a stint as treasurer. “When I first joined, there were less than 100 members; today, that number is more than 1,200,” Merrigan said. “The IYBA continues to do good deeds for the yachting car-inspired exterior design is by Clifford Denn and its interior is by Reymond Langton. It will be outfitted at the Heesen yard in Oss and be available for delivery in 2018 after sea trials in the North Sea.
M/Y Vertige (above), a 50m Tankoa sold in February 2015, has launched in Genoa, Italy.
News in the charter fleet
M/Y Trending, a 164-foot (50m) Westport, now listed with Camper & Nicholsons and available in the Western Med this summer.
industry, including setting and enforcing a high standard of ethics, establishing the maximum sales tax in Florida at $18,000, and working to minimize the duty issues for foreignflag yachts. It is a privilege to have grown with this organization and an honor to have been selected as Broker of the Year by my peers.” The Charter Broker of the Year award was presented to Daphne D’Offay, senior charter manager with Ocean Independence. IYBA also welcomed three new members to its board of directors during its annual meeting, including Grant Henderson, a broker with Sanlorenzo America; Andrew Miles, a broker with Westport Yacht Sales; and Staley Weidman, CEO of The Catamaran Company. IYBA President Paul Flannery announced that the name change FYBA to IYBA in November led to a surge in new membership applications. IYBA now has more than 1,350 members, a 10 percent increase over the last year. For more information, visit www.iyba. yachts. M/Y Wendy 1, a 112-foot (34m) Westport built in 2002, now listed with Northrop & Johnson and available this summer in New England. M/Y Exit Strategy, a 105-foot (32m) Hargrave built in 2006, now listed with Denison Yacht Charters and skippered by Capt. Gary Dezarn. Available in the eastern U.S. or Bahamas. M/Y Indigo, a 102-foot (31m) Sanlorenzo built in 2012, listed with Northrop & Johnson and available in Southeast Asia. M/Y Intervention, a 100-foot Azimut launched in 2010, now listed with Churchill Yacht Partners and available in Florida and the Bahamas this spring and New England this summer. John Philip Cichanowicz has joined Northrop & Johnson as charter retail director for North America based in Ft. Lauderdale. With nearly 30 years in yachting, Cichanowicz was a charter captain for 20 years, and was a Cichanowicz charter broker with Burgess prior to joining Northrop & Johnson.
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Permits, fuel, guides, part of visit to the Galapagos By Fernando Espinoza Fernando Espinoza has worked as a yacht agent for the Galapagos Islands since 1997. He has worked with many yachts over the years including M/Y Dream Seeker, M/Y Lone Ranger and M/Y Amanti. The Galapagos Islands, on the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, are an archipelago of unrivaled beauty, mystery and amazing creatures, now well-known as the “enchanted isles”. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere reserve. The Galapagos National Park also contains Galapagos Marine Reserve, which is considered among the top 10 best diving locations in the world. The Galapagos Park is a complex ecosystem, where 2 percent of the islands are dedicated for the use of humans and the rest is a national park. Along the well-marked trails of visitor sites throughout the islands, there are wild animals. The areas are actually an open zoo controlled by park rangers. Most yachts set an eight-day cruising itinerary because many islands are up to 40 miles apart. To visit Galapagos National Park, yachts must abide by the following governmental regulations for non-commercial vessels entering the area. Private non-commercial foreign vessels may only visit the Galapagos Islands Protected Areas once a year with a maximum of 15 days and cannot make passenger changes during the visits.
Plan ahead for Galapagos trip
l Permits required before visit Yachts should obtain permission or "autograph" to enter Ecuadorian waters through the pertinent authorities. Agents are authorized to process these for private yachts whose captains are
willing to follow Galapagos park rules and regulations. This process goes through several Ecuadorian governmental institutions and normally takes about eight weeks. In a last-minute circumstance, the process can still take up to a couple of weeks and issued only when there will be no changes on the guest or crew lists. Once the permits are approved and cruising fees paid, the agent must submit them to the director of the Galapagos National Park at the administration headquarter offices on Santa Cruz island in order to have the yacht’s cruise itinerary approved. l Arrival in the islands If a yacht is not working with an agent on arrival to any of the four inhabited islands, crew need to checkin to the port captain’s office and then to the immigration office to pay required fees. To avoid the entrance of foreign organisms to the islands, the yacht must obtain a certificate of fumigation from the last port in which it was stationed, which will need to be presented at this time. l Arrival to Galapagos National Park When working with an agent, arrival to the Galapagos Islands must be on Cristobal Island. All pertinent documentation and a park inspections are required in order to be granted an itinerary and final permission from the Galapagos National Park administration in Santa Cruz Island. l Galapagos National Park fees Each visitor to the park, whether entering by boat or commercial aircraft,
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Blue-footed booby (top left), Galapagos iguanas (bottom left), Galapagos sea lions (above) and Galapagos giant tortoise (bottom right) are a few of PHOTOS/STEPHEN REED the unique creatures in the archipelago. must pay the national park entrance fee of $100 per person for older than 12 years old and $50 for children under the age of 12; this is a one-time charge. For yachts, there is also a cruising fee of $200 per person (plus crew) per day of an approved itinerary for each day. The cruising Itinerary must be approved by the Galapagos National Park offices and the services of a naturalist guide are considered a normal requirement for all ships that visit the park. If a yacht prefers to anchor in one of the ports or use the services of local vessels only, visitors must pay only the entrance fee to the National Park ($100 per person, one-time charge); but under this regulation, the yacht cannot move to other islands unless issued a permit obtained by an agent. l Limited fuel in the islands Fuel provisioning for yachts is only on Baltra island; there are no marinas. Fuel is administered and controlled by the Ecuadorian government at the Navy and Air Force base. The facilities are only for diesel and aircraft fuel with a refueling dock for yachts and small cruise ships. It is mandatory to have a code permit, together with an "autograph", even for small amounts of fuel, in which case an agent can process the request. The inhabited islands in the region are Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela, where there are basic services, small shops, supermarkets, laundry services and good restaurants, but no fuel. l Facilities limitations Although there are no marinas, there are safe anchoring bays among all the visitor sites and among the inhabited islands, including Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Floreana. The two main airports are Baltra, next to Santa Cruz, and Cristobal, with
numerous commercial flights every day at both airports. The majority of food provisioning for all the local islands markets comes from the mainland cities of Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador. l Park guides requirements Among all the Galapagos visitor sites, it is mandatory that tourist activities are guarded by a licensed naturalist guide. A professional licensed guide is required for a private yacht. The guide stays onboard overnight for extended itineraries. For daily tours, guides can meet the yacht in the morning and disembark at night. Guide are compensated for their work. The cost for a knowledgeable, multilingual and experienced guide is between $250 to $350 a day. These guides are well-versed in natural history, geology and the unique animals including Galapagos land iguanas, marine iguanas, Galapagos giant tortoise, flightless cormorant, frigatebirds, blue-footed booby and Galapagos sea lions. Watch for next article, Optimize Galapagos Island visit with seven-day itinerary. Fernando Espinoza has worked as a yacht agent in the Galapagos Islands with Galapagos Yacht Agency (galapagosyachtagency.com) since 1997. Currently based in Miramar, Fla., he is a dive master with 30 years as a naturalist dive guide.
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From the Bridge Growth, unique life, strong connections are key for captains YACHTING from page 1 around the table, it turned out that most every word got a nod of agreement from the others. The individual comments are not attributed to any particular person in order to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in an accompanying photograph. Always a handyman, the first captain said he continues to improve because of his passion. "Over time, when you fix your own stuff by yourself in the middle of nowhere, when you have to figure it out, you learn to fix things faster and better,” he said. “You develop the passion to do it right. I like what I'm doing and I try to take pride when it is well done. We keep going because we love it." Another 30-year veteran chose the same word. At 5 years old, he watched his father's passion as a sailor as the two watched sailboat races. "He watched them intently," this captain said. "Then I started to really enjoy sailing and the water, my first passion. And I still enjoy it, the water, the problem solving, the challenges of docking and navigating." But he said he did not agree with the first captain that passion increases. "I think I was more passionate when I was younger," he said. "As I grow older,
I am losing my patience and I'm starting to think of it more as a job. But boating and the water are always No. 1." Another captain attributes changes in the magnitude of passion to maturity. "I'm not sure if passion fades, but your temperament mellows with age," this captain said. "You're not quite so impulsive, but you maintain passion for the ocean. If you lose that, you lost the whole point of being there." Lifestyle was the next most popular word captains settled on. "It's a lifestyle career, not something you leave at night," a captain said. It is the day-in and day-out aspect of the job that keeps him in yachting. "What keeps me going, and what will keep me going until I'm done working, is this lifestyle," he said. "It has a simplicity to it where I know all my problems are contained within 100 feet or so." This captain confirmed to himself that he wanted to be a captain after a career detour to the corporate world years ago. "What I learned during that time is that I complicated the hell out of my life," he said. "I owned a whole bunch of stuff. I made way more money and I spent all of it; nicer house, another car. Then I gave it all up." He left the corporate world, sold everything and is back on boats. And he
is happier. "I don't need to have a new car, I can keep it simple," he said. "I will retire better than I would have if I had made a half million because of keeping up with that life. Now yachting is defining my life." Another veteran also chose the word lifestyle to define yachting. "It's not what you see on magazines and TV," he said. "It's not what people think you do with champagne and caviar. It's not the glossy side, it's the reality side.” He also tried other careers outside of the maritime industry. "But I went back on boats," he said. "Before long, it was the right place at the right time and I ended up right back. Don't know what I want to do when I grow up, but this works." Another captain scanned the nine other captains at the table and said his word was people. "I never really thought I would have the opportunity to sit around a table like this," he said. "The captains and crew I've met are the strongest part of it for me. I'm just amazed that I've been able to truly befriend, to make lifelong friendships, with individuals that I would never have met, ever. This yachting community, the things we do, it's a really good thing." Although crew are spread around
the globe in places he may never get to, he said he has an international group of friends that he will never forget. "I'll probably never see some again, but we Facebook all the time and that's pretty important to me," he said. A sixth captain said the word dedication best encompasses his entire experience in yachting. "You have to have dedication," he said. "I must admit, I walk out from the bridge, sit on the front of the boat on a passage somewhere and think, 'All I want to do is be aware of this present moment, the sound, the smell, the tastes, the movement.’ It's the reason I got out there in the first place." This longtime captain conjured up the sensory awareness that he wants to foster in other people. He shared a word from another language which, in his best translation, means awareness and the present moment in time. "It's one of the hardest things I try to teach new crew," he said. "If they can grasp this concept of dedication, it will help them do a better job and enjoy their career. They can take it to the engine room. Being aware. Boat movements change. Is it the weather or is it the bilge filling up?" He said he doesn't love each separate duty onboard, but sees the overall picture. "Part of the reason you love the job is because it has all these facets and everything leads to a certain goal," he said. "But you don't love all the facets. If you want to sit down and go through end-of-month accounts, bookkeeping and audits, and you love it, I'm sorry..." The group laughed, and one captain said he actually did enjoy that part of his job. "You have to have the dedication to get through the s--t to get to the good part," the captain said. Another captain said empathy was his word. He had learned the significance of seeing things from another perspective during early work in the corporate and service industries. "Empathy is the biggest thing," he said. "The ability to put yourself in other's shoes, like the charter guests. I love doing charters, putting myself in their situation to know what they want." Another captain chose 24/7 as a
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From the Bridge description of the continual nature of yachting. He echoed sentiments from a couple of other captains. "You are always aware," the captain said. "Things change, there are sounds, movements, the effect of the waves, the shafts singing differently." It is not a vacation all the time like many people think, he said, but he loves his work. "I've got a boss, a budget, I'm in my office all day and all night," he said. "I'm at it all the time. We live with the people we work with." More than 30 years in yachting made it hard for one of the captains to whittle his description down to just one word. "Adapt," he said. "Patience and perseverance go hand-in-hand with adaptability. Initiative is in there, too. It's an ever-changing environment. You never know what the boss is doing, the weather, anything. You constantly adapt to lack of sleep, lack of comfort, lack of equipment, lack of manpower and lack of resources in one way or another." He said he enjoys the challenge of these changes. "You just adapt," he said "There's nothing complicated about it. It's just like living." After the discussion, we asked if anyone wanted to revise their word choice. The captains only wanted to make a few additions. Fun should be added to the list, one said. Teamwork, said a couple of captains. Challenge needs to be in there, another said. "Silly as it sounds, I got in for the challenge, to learn as much as I could," that captain said. "I wanted my own boat to sail around world and this is the perfect lifestyle so I figured this is the best way to do it. Then little by little, I tried more and more, it ramped up fairly fast." He said the challenges led him to realize he was good at being a captain. And the challenges keep it exciting. "Little by little, it was more boats, more places and more complicated scenarios," he said. His love for yachting is clear. Even though he spends the majority of his life at work on a boat and has traveled the globe, he still wants his own boat. As conversation time ran out, we asked if we could pick just one word out of all the choices. There was not a consensus, but every word resonated with each captain and that triggered the conversation back to their early days in
Attendees of The Triton’s April From the Bridge luncheon were, from left, Capt. Chris Day, Insetta corporate captain; Capt. William “Tucker” Yingling, freelance; Capt. Christopher Hezelgrave of M/Y Unforgettable; Capt. Bertrand Ruat of M/Y Rare Diamond; Capt. Rusten Nightingale of M/Y Shadowl; Capt. Phil Frost of M/Y H; Capt. Phillip Nash of M/Y Checkmate; Capt. Christopher Walsh of M/Y Archimedes; Capt. Carl Moughan of M/Y Eagle II; and PHOTO/DORIE COX Capt. Steve Steinberg of M/Y Illiquid. yachting. "Remember when we weren't getting paid for it and we still did it?" one captain said. "I joined my first boat for free, just to go to Alaska," another captain said. "They ended up paying me, but I didn't know I would get paid."
"We used to pay them for the food and beer just to go on the boat," said a third. So, is there one word that captures the heart of yachting? "Passion," a captain said. "A thousand percent, passion."
Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at editor@the-triton.com. Captains who make their living running someone else’s yacht are welcome to join in the conversation. Email us for an invitation to our monthly From the Bridge lunch.
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Oil mist can cause engine fire onboard, detectors an option By Capt. Richard Kniffin A shout of “fire” is probably the most dreaded word to hear aboard any vessel. Fires are deadly and destructive, can be difficult to put out, and could ultimately cause the loss of the vessel and/or loss of life. Last year was a record year for large yacht fires, beginning with the destruction of the yachts M/Y The One and M/Y Barbie in Marmaris, Turkey. All crew, especially deck and engineering officers, spend much time in firefighting training and participate in numerous fire drills. Special training is devoted to engine room fires, where most vessel fires originate. Emphasis is placed on prevention including good housekeeping practices and the removal of any one element of the fire triangle (fuel, heat and oxygen) that will cause a fire to go out or not start in the first place. All yachts built today are designed with fire prevention in mind and include fire bulkheads, non-flammable materials and have systems and equipment to detect fires and extinguish them. There are many fire items aboard such as smoke detectors, heat detectors, fire suppression systems, fire extinguishers, firefighting gear and tools, fire pumps and plumbing, etc. There are fire safety plans, international rules and a host of measures designed to prevent and, if prevention is not successful, to extinguish fires. Even when extinguished, depending on the severity and longevity of the fire, much effort and expense will be spent in repair and cleanup, not to mention the vessel being out of service. Fires become exponentially more costly for every second they burn. Yet, no matter how hard we try to deal with the prevention of vessel fires, they still occur.
Origins of oil mist fires
An important area of fire origination in engine rooms is oil mist. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) recognizes the extreme danger of oil mist fires in vessels: ISO 16437:2012(en) “The majority of fires which have occurred in engine rooms are generally caused by a leak or fracture from a flammable liquid system. Most engine room fires begin as a result of the ignition of oil mist.
Many mariners are not aware that oil mist is a fuel and can be present in the engine room without any warning. Oil mist is typically introduced to the engine room via a tiny perforation, fracture or leak of pressurized oil (fuel, lube or hydraulic) from injectors, fuel lines, high pressure pumps or high pressure oil lines that atomizes the fluid as it escapes. It is frequently undetectable by the naked eye. Oil mist may also form when oil contacts a hot surface causing the oil to vaporize. Oil mist is quite small, with droplets in the 1-10 micron range, and tends to disperse evenly in the surrounding air. It has a large surface area and a low flash-point temperature, making it very flammable when sufficient quantities are present. If the quantity of oil mist reaches the lower explosive level of 50 mg/liter and comes into contact with a heat source of 200 degrees C, it can explode. Ignition can come from heat sources such as bearings, turbochargers, exhaust systems and electrical sources such as electric contacts, faulty wiring, motors and static electricity. Oil mist explosions in large engine crankcases have been recognized for many years and devices to detect this have been required for quite some time. More recently, attention has been given to oil mist in the ambient air in engine rooms, and oil mist detectors for this specific problem have been developed.
Oil mist detectors vary
There are two types of oil mist detectors for engine rooms. The earlier “sniffer” systems have been around for a while. This type will extract engine room air into the unit and analyze it by nephelometry, the detection of oil mist due to light scatter. If oil mist is present, an alarm will be generated. They work well, however there are some disadvantages. Multiple units are needed to effectively sample the various areas in the machinery space because each local point of the machinery space ventilation will require a separate unit. The units are pre-calibrated so no adjustments are possible. Each sampling unit is somewhat bulky and most require AC power, so if the problem lies with the electrical generator, they stop functioning when the generator is shut down unless a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is provided. They have
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Example of a laser type oil mist detector two transceiver installation in a modern yacht engine room. The units are mounted to the overhead above PHOTO/J.K.MOLLER/GREEN INSTRUMENTS USA the main engines and generators. moving parts (fans), which require periodic maintenance, and some units have filters that must be changed. The nephelometric chamber that houses the light source transmitter, measuring receiver and compensating receiver will need periodic cleaning. This type of system is typically found on large commercial vessels. A more recent type of oil mist detector is the optical opacity meter. These were also developed for large commercial vessels but because of their small size, they are ideal for yacht installations. Initially, infrared light was used but the most advanced systems now use a laser. The laser is transmitted from the transceiver to a reflector and back, a double-pass detection method. The optical qualities of the laser are precisely known so any oil mist present will be detected by opacity of the laser light. There are a number of advantages to this type of system: They are much smaller, streamlined units. The transceiver and reflector can be mounted from 1m up to 15m (50 feet) apart, providing a large area of coverage. Generally, two units will cover a large engine room and the main reason for the second unit is not only to provide more coverage, but to also provide redundancy. They are also fully programmable so that warnings and alarms can be adjusted to any opacity parameter. These systems integrate into the vessel’s communications system using MODBUS TCP/IP protocol so they are easy to install. They have no moving parts so the only maintenance required is to periodically wipe the lenses clean. They use DC power (typically 24 volts), the same as most modern electronics, so are not affected if the vessel’s generator is taken off line.
Another big difference is that these types of oil mist detectors will also detect the presence of smoke. Earlier versions had more false alarms because of the longer light path, but advances in the quality of the laser optical beam analysis and the ability to program the units have greatly reduced or eliminated this problem. Multiple transceivers can work off of a single PLC (programmable logic controller).
Yacht safety comes first
Additional transceivers can be installed to protect other machinery spaces that have the potential for oil mist, such as generator rooms, hydraulic spaces (stabilizers and thrusters), and steering gear areas (lazarettes). Besides protecting from fire hazard, the early warning of oil mist presence will pay dividends in keeping the yacht’s machinery spaces clean. The system is type classed and certified by DNV-GL for classed vessels. Most importantly, it gives the crew an early warning of a hazardous fire situation. Marine insurance companies are still unaware, for the most part, that these systems exist for yachts, but this will change as more oil mist detectors are installed and fire casualties are reduced. This is already the case with commercial vessels, especially tankers and cruise ships. Fire fighting and fire extinguishing are important, but fire prevention is even more so. Preventing fires is the most cost effective method to avoid injury, damage and loss. Capt. Richard Kniffin is a 35-year captain and dive instructor with a background in vessel management and safety. He is president of Aquaventures (www.aquaventures.net) in Hollywood, Fla. Comment at editor@the-triton.com.
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‘Instinct took over’ as crew recalled fire, abandon ship drills FIRE, from page 1
"The stew was already there doing head counts, a guest kept the wheel stop the fire. Capt. Wilson called for forward, and the stew got the lifeboat," an abandon ship and made a mayday Houtz said. "The head stew was headed call, crawling on his hands and knees to the master to gather more guests.” through the thick smoke, he said. When the incident started, Reddick alerted the crew to gather Leetz instructed Stew/Deck Anna passengers to the muster station. Mikhaylishin, 20, to find guests in the Chief Stew Katie Leetz, 23, said this bow cabin as she looked for another was her first major one. emergency onboard "I went to the bridge ‘None of us could and realized one guest and that all of the crew really breathe. remembered their was missing," Leetz STCW training. said. "I woke her and Even though we "Instinct took over, did a head count out could jump, the we knew exactly what loud." water felt so far to do," Leetz said by Meanwhile, phone from a hotel on Reddick and Chef away.’ Scrub Island the day Gabe Hanlen – Chief Stew Katie Leetz after. "I never thought monitored guests on it would happen to the aft deck. me, but it actually "Smoke started happened." suffocating us and our eyes were Primary charter guest Dorsey watering," Leetz said. "Most people die Houtz was sunning on the fly deck that from smoke, I always knew that, but I afternoon. never experienced it." "I felt the captain bring the boat to a She said she recalled her training and stop and I saw black smoke on the port felt comfortable in her duties. side," Houtz said. He walked to the stern "My job is to account for all and and found the crew in action. secure lifejackets on people," she said.
First mate Carson Reddick, Chief Stew Katie Leetz and Stew/Deck Anna Mikhaylishin were back in Ft. Lauderdale in mid-March after the yacht PHOTO/DORIE COX they worked on, M/Y Limitless, caught fire and sank. "It was six-foot seas and there was no "Often they panic and can't properly way to get passengers on the tender,” buckle them. And I kept counting Houtz said. With secured pfds, the heads." guests slid in and held on to each other, "They crew kept us coordinated,” Leetz said. charter guest Houtz said. “It was scary; “We made a chain of people in the it happened so fast.” water and we looked back. There were By this time, the salon filled with 30-foot flames," she said. "We could feel smoke and was billowing out. the heat." "Literally within three minutes we "The mate threw a line, the captain were all on the aft deck," Houtz said. swam to us and the mate towed us away At the same time, Capt. Wilson went from the boat," Leetz said. to the bow to secure the yacht. The crew helped the guests into the "I dropped and locked the anchor to prevent the boat from drifting over us in tender when it was well away from the burning boat, the water," he said. and Capt. Wilson Reddick, Hanlen ‘They crew kept requested permission and two guests pulled us coordinated. from the coast guard the painter as the to leave the scene to tender was a distance It was scary; it get the guests to safety. from the stern. Leetz happened so fast.’ They headed to Scrub and Mikhaylishin – Charter guest Island. prepared the guests to Capt. Wilson get in the water. Dorsey Houtz said the time of the "It was not safe incident, from smoke to get into the boat," to abandon ship, was fast. Leetz said. Smoke continued to grow "The yacht sank a couple of hours and the stews continued to check on the later," he said. passengers. "The guest would stand to see what was going on while the tender was being Taking a breath after the fire pulled in," Mikhaylishin said. "We got Two days after the fire, Capt. Marvin them down, you don't want to breathe Wilson, crew and guests began to that kind of smoke for too long." replace phones, clothes and other items "None of us could really breathe," that sank with the yacht. Guest Houtz Leetz said. "Even though we could jump, said all those physical possessions are the water felt so far away." See FIRE, page 46
46 News
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‘Demanding’ crew outstanding, says first time yacht charter guests FIRE, from page 44 replaceable. "If we weren't wearing it, we don't have it," he said. "But we're all safe." Safely on land at a hotel on Scrub Island, the group talked about the experience. Houtz said although it was terrifying, he is ready to get on another yacht and charter again. The captain attributes that to the crew's work during the emergency. "The guests said the crew was so demanding, 'move here, keep your heads down, move there'," Capt. Wilson said. "When I said sweep, they went from room to room. Everyone did their job and they kept the passengers calm. No one was emotional, they were like rocks.” Capt. Wilson said the crew had recently done a fire drill onboard. "Only doing things like that over and over makes it second nature," he said. Houtz agreed. "This goes to show, you need to be calm," he said. "The crew were outstanding. We're all safe, and they're
"It's important people know the rules and this was a prime example of Looking forward after a look back leadership," he said. Carson stepped into the leadership A week after the incident Capt. role well, as did Leetz, Mikhaylishin Wilson was at sea delivering the said. And she surprised herself a bit tender back to Ft. Lauderdale and with how well she Reddick, Leetz reacted. and Mikhaylishin ‘When I said sweep, "We looked at stopped by The each other and they went from room Triton office to knew what to do," offer details. There to room. Everyone did Mikhaylishin said. were many firsts on their job and they kept "I was pleasantly this trip, including the passengers calm. No surprised to learn everyone's first the entire crew major fire onboard. one was emotional, they worked well under "It was Anna's were like rocks.’ pressure," Leetz first charter," Leetz – Capt. Marvin Wilson said. said. "And it was "And how the guests' first well we worked yacht charter." together," Mikhaylishin added. "And Even so, Reddick said the crew's the guests reacted well. I thought they proper action during the incident was would be in a frenzy but they listened a testament to a good and well-trained and were cooperative." team. Reliving the heat of the flames and "It was not all one person," he said. smell of the smoke made each of the But just as important as the three pause. teamwork during the abandon ship was "The worse has happened, it can only the delegation of responsibilities. still waiting on us."
go up from here," Mikhaylishin said. "Close your eyes and that's all you see." This past week, Reddick has had trouble sleeping because he imagines if the fire had happened at night. Although he doesn't like that thought, he's ready to get back onboard. He and the stews have stringent requirements for their next yacht job. "I will clarify that others know what to do," Reddick said. "I would recommend we do drills as accurately and realistically as possible." "I agree, we didn't think we would ever have to do this," Leetz said. "This is something you definitely want to ask about, to confirm they do drills and will practice," Mikhaylishin said. She wants more than a well-trained crew in case of emergency. "It's important that the boat is equipped and prepared," Mikhaylishin said. "If there is a fire, you can't just walk out the door on a yacht." Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton. Comment at dorie@the-triton.com.
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April 2017 The-Triton.com
Georgia yards hope to compete, Florida to stay on top TAX, from page 1 law passes, it would mean that refits half as large as those in Florida would benefit from a tax cap. For example, a $3 million refit in Florida would pay the state’s 6 percent sales tax only on the first $1 million, or $60,000. A $3 million refit in Savannah would pay, if this bill passes, 7 percent sales tax on the first $500,000, or $35,000. Under Georgia’s House Bill 125, any parts, engines or equipment above $500,000 that a boat owner spends to repair, retrofit or maintain a boat, would be exempt from Georgia sales taxes. The current Georgia sales tax rate ranges from 7 to 8 percent, depending upon the county. "Bringing more business into our state creates opportunities for everyone from florists to the local caulking business," said Ernest Joseph D'Alto, president of Thunderbolt Marine in Savannah, Ga. "We would see growth from carpenters, electricians, mechanics and more. There's a trickle down to restaurants, renters and drivers, and downtown Savannah will reap rewards with yacht crew here. "We saw that it served Florida well," he said. “Everybody's goal here is to see the bill passed." The bill potentially “levels the playing field” for shipyard services between Georgia and Florida, said Ryan Chandler, vice president of business development at Colonial Group, the parent company of Savannah Yacht Center that is scheduled to open this summer. This legislation will encourage "significant private investment that is expected to lead to the creation of over 700 Georgia jobs," he said by email. "Vessels of this class have their choice of shipyards from anywhere on the U.S. Atlantic coast all the way to Europe," Chandler said. "As it stands, Florida shipyards enjoy a tax exemption that makes Georgia uncompetitive. HB125 ensures that southeastern shipyards will be competing on the basis of quality facilities and services, not on tax treatment." Dania Cut Superyacht Repair in Dania Beach, Fla., benefits from the Florida refit tax cap. It has made the choice of location easier for many owners, said Deanna Tully, the company's accountant. "It has proven to be a financial benefit to get yachts to come to Florida when they have been looking at other
options," she said. "We specialize in superyachts, so it has definitely helped with bigger refit options." Florida may have a financial advantage now, but if Georgia passes the bill, that could change. James Brewer, head of business development at Derecktor of Florida in Dania Beach and a board member of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, said industry leaders are paying attention. "The fact that Georgia is trying to do this means they are following suit," he said. "It's all in the name of jobs and work for individual states. Ultimately, it's the competitive advantage to the client and anything we can do to enhance client experience is positive." But he thinks yards like his and others in Florida may still have an advantage. "We're in a lucky sort of situation in Florida; it's location, location, location," Brewer said. "We're still the preferred place to be for many yachts." Yards in South Florida are not so easy for Georgia to compete with, said David Morrison, one of the managing partners of Taylor Lane Yacht and Ship, also in Dania Beach. He said his yard is working on a yacht refit that could run to $4 million. "Georgia has to primarily compete with Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach," Morrison said. "Palm Beach has Rybovich, arguably the premier shipyard in South Florida in terms of crew amenities and big boat dockage." But the Ft. Lauderdale area, including Dania Beach, still rises to the top, he
Large refit projects are ongoing in yards in Florida, with most residing in the southern part of the state. Pictured here is work at Rybovich in West TRITON FILE PHOTO Palm Beach, Fla. said. "While the actual shipyards may lack in crew amenities, we have the one thing they don't have, that's Ft. Lauderdale," Morrison said. "Georgia has to compete with the ease of doing work in Florida and the fact that all the vendors are here, they don't have to fly in. And these are not just vendors, but great vendors." Aside from the South Florida’s yacht infrastructure of provisioning, crew houses, and other services, it is home to premier contractors. "Everyone is here and they are all good, you have your choice," Morrison said. "That's why Georgia is not ready to take business from Florida. They have a lot to compete with." And industry leaders want to keep it that way. "There is not a piece of legislation currently ready, but we have had
conversations and are looking at that opportunity this year," said Kelly Skidmore, public relations specialist with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. To organize new legislation requires working with members of the Florida legislature, the group's lobbying firm and association members for public support, Skidmore said. Phil Purcell, CEO/president of MIASF, was at the Florida state capitol in mid-March for several issues impacting South Florida and was expected to talk about gaining support to lower Florida’s cap. "It is a difficult year in the legislature, to say the least," Skidmore said. "But we will work on this." Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.
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Triton Expo It’s time for the spring edition of the Triton Expo, this year held on the first Wednesday of April from 5-8 p.m. at Bahia Mar Yachting Center. We’ve gathered about 50 businesses to showcase their goods and services for yacht captains and crew, we’ll add a little music and some casual nibbles, and we’ll have some great networking. This low-key, free trade show typically attracts more than 500 captains, crew and industry professionals. Here’s some advice to help our guests get the most out of the event. While it is casual, the Triton Expo is a professional networking event. Dress appropriately; come ready to meet new people; bring business cards. Prepare a little. Visit www.the-triton. com, hover over “events” and click on Triton Expo. Scroll through the list of exhibitors to see if there are any you want to learn more about, and make a point of visiting them during the evening.
The Triton Expo is an excellent opportunity to network for yacht jobs, crew TRITON FILE PHOTOS often bring business cards, resumes and a smile. Walk around and introduce yourself and learn about the vendors. You may not need their services today, but next month when you get that promotion or next year when you join a new boat, you might want to contact them. Have a goal for new contacts. A captain might make a point of meeting three new business owners, or collecting info from five new crew candidates. A new deckhand might seek out and
introduce himself to three captains. Ask a successful contact to introduce you to someone else. When making an introduction, find something that the two people have in common so they can more easily begin talking. You’ll be a rock star to both people if a new connection is the result. Collect business cards. Begin or expand your network of resources that will make you invaluable to your boss.
Jot a note on the back of the card so you remember something about the person. Follow up. Do what you say you are going to do. If you said you’d forward a resume or share a link, do it. Placement agents will be there, both exhibiting and walking around. Stop and talk to them. Update them on your career. Bring a few copies of your resume. This is a business event, not an evening out. Be professional. Consider this work for a couple hours, then maybe invite someone new out for dinner or drinks to reinforce a new relationship. All our readers are welcome to join us at Triton Expo on April 5 from 5-8 p.m. at Bahia Mar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, (33316). No need to RSVP; just bring business cards and a smile so you can meet some new people and companies. If you need a ride, call Yachty Rentals (855-55-SCOOT) to schedule a lift.
April 2017 The-Triton.com
Triton Networking 49
Marina Bay Marina The Triton heads back to the New River for networking on the third Wednesday in April with Marina Bay Marina in Ft. Lauderdale. Tucked into the south bank of the river just west of I-95, the historic marina has had a facelift under its new owners since the early 1990s. Join us for great casual networking Workman around the pool at the adjacent Falls at Marina Bay apartment complex between 6-8 p.m. No RSVP required. Until then, learn more about the marina and the new hotel going up beside it from Marina Bay Marina Dockmaster John Workman. Q. Tell us about Marina Bay Marina. We have 168 slips available on 15 floating docks. We can accommodate vessels up to 150 feet. Our vessels range from liveaboards to weekenders to broker boats for sale to vessels with captain and crew living on site. Our proximity to the airport and all the interstate highways makes the marina popular with out-of-towners who like to be a quick Uber ride from their plane to their vessel. Based on availability, we typically have slips available for a quick overnight stay all the way to full-time residency. It is important to note that due to the I-95 overpass at the entrance to Marina Bay, we cannot take any vessel with a mast higher than 52 feet. That is why we have so few sailboats here. Q. Anything new in the marina? We have added and upgraded a total of 10 new finger piers at the southern part of the marina, in front of Rendezvous restaurant. These docks are designated for vessels up to 55 feet and offer great access to the pool and restaurant. Q. There is an interesting history to the place; tell us more. In the 1960s, this site was dredged to access the sand and gravel for the construction of I-95 in south Broward County. This has created one of our unique features: a basin with a depth of over 40 feet. In the 1970s, the marina was created on the site. It was well known for its collection of 40 houseboats that were available for nightly rentals. Many
well-known people of the era spent time at Marina Bay. For example, Evel Knievel had his boat docked here. The restaurant, New River Storehouse, attracted national figures such as Bob Hope, F. Lee Bailey and Jimmy Dean, as well as local athletes. In the late 1990s, Jack Taplin purchased the marina and significantly changed the property. He oversaw the construction of the Falls at Marina Bay luxury apartments, moved the restaurant to its current location and upgraded the docks. Over time, it has developed into the luxury marina it is today. Q. You have apartments there, too, right? Do marina guests have access to the amenities? Yes, we share the property and amenities with The Falls at Marina Bay. All registered boaters and their guests have full access to the property including the pool, hot tub, fitness center, tennis and racquetball courts, showers and laundry facilities. Q. Tell us about that new hotel going up on the corner. The 150-room hotel should open this summer and will have a sleek modern nautical design. There will be a rooftop bar and lounge, bamboo Zen garden, and tapas lounge. The hotel will offer discounts and specials to the marina community, especially those associated with the Marina at Marina Bay. Q. Anything special planned for the Triton Networking event? We will have the Triton Networking event around the pool and hope for beautiful weather. We’re looking forward to live music, food and a bar. We will have information on the hotel available at the event, but I do not think the hotel will be ready for visitors. All those in attendance are welcome to tour the marina property. Parking is somewhat limited on site, so ride-sharing would be appreciated. For more details about Marina Bay Marina, visit www.marinabay-fl.com. Triton Networking is April 19 at the marina. By land, find the clubhouse and pool of the Falls at Marina Bay on the northwest corner of I-95 and State Road 84. Take State Road 84 west of I-95, turn at the first right at the base of the overpass. The address is 2525 Marina Bay Drive West, Ft. Lauderdale (33312), or call +1 954- 791-7600.
50 Calendar
The-Triton.com April 2017
Upcoming Events EVENTS OF THE MONTH April 5 Triton Expo Bahia Mar, Ft. Lauderdale The Triton’s popular Expo is open to yacht crew and industry – both working and looking – to help them develop the contacts that can make their careers better. More than 40 vendor displays with food and beverages, music and networking. www.the-triton.com
April 1-2 Marine Industries Association of South Florida's 21st annual Plywood Regatta, Dania Beach City Marina, Fla. Boat-building event to introduce middle and high school students as well as the community to the art of boat building. Proceeds benefit marine industry education. www.plywoodregatta.org April 2 National Marine Suppliers’
Yachty Nationals Invitational annual golf tournament, Hallandale Beach, Fla. The tournament will raise money for the Marine Industry Cares Foundation to benefit children and families in need. www.nationalmarine.com
April 6 The Triton Bridge luncheon, noon,
Ft. Lauderdale. A roundtable discussion of the issues of the day. Yacht captains only. Request an invite from Editor Dorie Cox at dorie@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. Space is limited.
April 8 PYA professional development
workshops including floristry, ballast water management, preparing for your OOW, and tax and residency planning. Find registration link through The Triton event calendar, the-triton.com
April 8 Westrec Marinas’ annual Captain and Crew Appreciation Party, Sunrise Harbor Marina, Ft. Lauderdale. By invitation only; registration required. Contact shmarina@fdn.com. www. sunriseharbormarina.net
April 19 The Triton’s monthly networking event with Marina Bay Marina (the third Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m.), Ft. Lauderdale. Join us for casual networking, no RSVP required. www. the-triton.com
April 21-23 Ladies, Let's Go Fishing! Saltwater Seminar, Dania Beach, Fla. Seminar to encourage women to enter the sports of fishing and boating by teaching in a fun, non-intimidating atmosphere. www.ladiesletsgofishing.com. April 22-23 Blue Wild Ocean Adventure and Marine Art Expo, Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. Seminars, workshops and demonstrations on freediving, scuba diving, fishing, lobstering, sports, photography, and art. TheBlueWild.com April 27-30 Colombia Nautica:
May 17 The Triton’s monthly networking
event with ISS/GMT (the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m.), Ft. Lauderdale. Join us for casual networking, no RSVP required. www.the-triton.com
May 26-June 12 26th Louis Vuitton
International Nautical Congress of Colombia, Cartagena de Indias. Showcase for the emerging boating market of Colombia. colombianautica.com
America’s Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs, Bermuda. The best sailors in the world competing on AC45F (45-foot foiling) catamarans. www.americascup.com
April 28 International Yacht Brokers Association Yacht Engineering Seminar. For brokers, technical service providers and other industry professionals. Educational symposium on the engineering aspects of the vessels attendees sell and service. iyba.yachts
June 1 East Mediterranean Superyacht Forum, Athens, Greece. Discussions include geo-political trends, global superyacht sales and projections, Eastern Med cruising, charter restrictions, cabotage in Greece and marina development. Quaynote.com
April 28-May 2 Palma Superyacht Show,
June 6-8 Electric & Hybrid Marine
Spain. A showcase of yachts more than 24m in length for sale and charter. Runs concurrently with Boat Show Palma. www.palmasuperyachtshow.com
April 29-May 2 4th Mediterranean Yacht Show, Nafplion, Greece. Organized by the Greek Yachting Association, includes a yacht chef competition. www. mediterraneanyachtshow.gr
May 1-5 Cayman Maritime Week.
Designed to attract maritime industry leaders, ship owners, yacht managers, brokers and professionals to showcase Cayman. caymanmaritimeweek.com
May 3 The Triton’s monthly networking event with V-Kool (the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m.), Ft. Lauderdale. Join us for casual networking, no RSVP required. www.the-triton.com May 4 The Triton Bridge luncheon, noon, Ft. Lauderdale. Yacht captains only. Request an invite from Editor Dorie Cox at dorie@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. May 4-7 36th Marmaris Yacht Charter
Show, Marmaris International Yacht Club, Turkey.. www.marmaris-ycs.com
May 12 U.S. Superyacht Association April 19-25 Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. 3rd annual Golf Classic, Plantation, Fla.
Antigua, West Indies. antiguaclassics.com
May 15-17 American Boating Congress, Washington, D.C. A comprehensive legislative conference that brings together recreational boating industry leaders to formulate public policy and present a unified front on issues that impact marine businesses. www.nmma.org
ussuperyacht.com
World Expo, Amsterdam. Showcase for electric and hybrid marine propulsion technologies, components and solutions. Joined by the Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium and Maritime & Naval Test & Development Symposium. electricandhybridmarineworldexpo.com
June 6-8 Marine Maintenance
World Expo, Amsterdam. www. marinemaintenanceworldexpo.com
June 7 The Triton’s monthly networking
event (the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8 p.m.). www.the-triton.com
MAKING PLANS June 19-23 Newport Charter Yacht Show Newport, RI Show dedicated to yacht charter professionals, agents, owners, brokers and captains showcasing yachts up to 225 feet. Includes seminars as well as, crew competitions include best charter yacht chef event, tablescaping contest, food and beverage challenges. www.newportchartershow.com
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April 2017 The-Triton.com
Letters to the Editor
Engineer’s attention can minimize fuel, water issues Let’s put the content of this column in perspective [Diesel Digest: “Law intended to clean exhaust unintentionally hurts engines”, page 35, March issue]. To start, while the maximum amount of dissolved water allowed in diesel fuel per ASTM D975 is 500ppm, the actual water content in fuel, as delivered, is usually well under 200ppm and the norm might be 100ppm or less. That 500ppm is the U.S. standard; European diesel fuel standard EN 590 limits water content to 200ppm. Substandard fuel storage procedures and facilities located in remote outposts might increase the risk of higher dissolved water content but a minimal amount of attention by the yacht’s engineer before and during fuel loading can greatly reduce the risk. Water content in concentrations of about 150ppm can be seen as a slight cloudiness when viewed in a clear sample bottle in bright light. Ensure that the delivery truck water drains are checked for free water and take regular samples during loading, especially after changing tank truck compartments. Reference to the EPA study on diesel fuel tank corrosion is slightly misleading. The subject of the study was underground fuel storage tanks (USTs) and the corrosion problems noted occurred in the vapor space above the fuel level. No increase was found in corrosion attributed to water in tank bottoms or in areas normally covered by fuel. While the EPA and the UST industry state clearly that minimizing water content is critical, they do not attribute the problems to dissolved water in the fuel. Centrifugal separators and coalescing filters used in combination between fuel tanks and engines should relieve yacht engineers of concern about a problem that more likely than not simply does not exist to the degree the column implies. Richard Boggs Owner, EnerYacht Ft. Lauderdale
CREW EYE Crew see yachting like no one else can. Send us images of yachting as you see it, in all its beauty and luxury, or all its toughness and tedium. Consider this page your canvas to share your views of yachting. Send photos to dorie@the-triton. com. Be sure to include where and when it was taken.
A
s they looked through their favorite work photos, Capt. Jared Burzler and the crew of M/Y Pipedreams found a classic from last year near Atlantis Paradise Island Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Pictured from left, Deckhand Hunter Rabon, First officer Chase Cunningham, 2nd Stew Niki Youra, Bosun Trevor Morton and Burzler.
Owners must trust, respect their captains CEO hat comes with captain’s job
From the start, just reading the title of this article, I felt myself becoming agitated [Owner’s View: “Captains must earn the right to be treated like a CEO”, page 17, March issue]. The owner has hired the captain to be his/her CEO. If the checks are properly done prior to hiring, that respect should be in place. Trust is what needs to develop, as it does in any corporation. I have stepped onto several vessels and the owner has been “yes”-ed to death. Whatever they want, whenever they want it. As a professional, I get to tell them no, it is not safe; no, three days in the yard is not enough for maintenance; no, that crew member is not a team player and needs to go. Insubordination or well-trained, experienced CEO? An owner needs to understand the complexities of running their yacht, their asset, their business. If they cannot acquiesce that authority to the captain,
they either have the wrong captain or perhaps shouldn’t own a yacht. Too often I hear owners say it is easier to keep the “devil they know” than to find a new captain. If their captain is not being transparent, is not organized, cannot manage their crew, it is the owner’s responsibility to find one that is and can. We are out there, and are proud to show our professionalism. We have the experience and yes, we are worth every bit of our salaries. Capt. Wendy Umla
Avoid micromanaging owners
Most of the time, an owner’s boat is his pet project and he enjoys spending time with it, therefore wants to know everything happening on it. But there is a difference between knowledge and interference. They obviously come from a corporate environment where a different set of rules apply, where they have loads of managers on different
levels who specialize in specific areas. On yachts, we don’t have the luxury of always following corporate rules or having loads of crew. Getting three quotes for every job is sometimes impractical and we would outsource to the vendor that we trust rather than the one with the beneficial price. Same applies with doing additional courses while we run on skeleton crew to save the owner money. Most of the time crew have to resign to do courses as yachts tend to give less time off. To read up on industry-relevant material is a good idea, but do you do this in your own limited time after a long day? Is experience maybe a factor, where younger or less experienced captains are pushed onto bigger boats to save money but lack in management experience, forcing the owner to micromanage his yacht, creating a culture of
See LETTERS, page 52
52 Write to be Heard
The-Triton.com April 2017
Letters to the Editor LETTERS, from page 51 micromanagement? Micromanaging prevents crew from being pro-active because they have to wait for instructions all the time. This creates a lot of frustration for crew, and so for the owner. If the owner wants to enjoy his yacht, he has to realize that the key to this is a happy crew. Do your interviews properly and explain to the crew exactly the level of activity the owner will have on the yacht. This applies to crew, too. Ask all your questions during the interview to understand exactly what culture you will be getting into. If you are a professional, you will most likely steer clear of micromanaged yachts. Capt. Willem Strauss M/Y Second Star
Missing Whale, too
Thanks for the recent comments on the loss of Whale [Capt. Paul “Whale” Weakley] beyond just his love of the water [“Missing a true mariner, kids and I seek more role models,” page 16,
March issue]. It’s hard to believe time has passed so fast, days he would have lived to the fullest if he were still here. I've not spent much time in Ft. Lauderdale during the past 25 years but did have the pleasure of pretty much living with him in the mid-1980s to early ’90s. When we (Pandora, 75-foot Little Harbor) had the house on Southeast 14th Street, he was always around. When he had it after that, we returned the favor. I'd give all I have for one more night by the pool or at Chuck’s and the racing crowd with him. PJ Bernard Woods Hole, Mass.
Missing Whale’s stories
Whale was a character for sure, and aside from friends we shared a love for tequila that, with a childish glint in his eye, he would instigate us to sip while he told his many stories. He loved being a larger-than-life character. Good hearted he was and one of a kind. I’m glad he stays in our thoughts. Thank you for bringing back
Here is Paul “Whale” Weakley in his signature Harley Davidson shirt, playing and donating at The Triton’s then-annual Poker Run to fund a scholarship. Above, he teaches a teenager how to whip and splice. FILE PHOTOS
thoughts of some happy times shared with the one and only Whale. Patti Trusel Pier One Yacht Charters
Always willing to help
Whale is indeed missed. I remember him well, and I think about him every so often. He even gave me a couch, which I still have because it was so nice. That was just the kind of person he was,
giving, caring, always willing to help. Thank you for writing this. It really tugged my heartstrings. Shalom Weiss Bluewater USA
Tears for jolly soul
Your story brought not one but many tears to my eyes. He was a jolly soul. Kristy Fox Fox Crew Placement
April 2017 The-Triton.com
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58 Triton Spotter
The-Triton.com April 2017
San Francisco, San Diego
Matt Rosenberg, national sales manager for Coverguard, that blue-plate protective coating, takes his Triton everywhere. Here he is in San Francisco on a business trip.
Capt. Dan Payne works onboard M/Y Allison E., a classic 76-year-old Stephens Brothers yacht navigating San Diego's Mission Bay. He makes sure to pick up the Triton every month. "The Triton articles on crew training and development have led to the elimination of floggings, almost," Payne said. "But seriously, I never miss an issue."
Do you read The Triton on a smart phone, tablet, laptop or in print? Show us by sending your Triton Spotter to editor@the-triton.com.