The Triton Vol.7 No.5

Veteran stew dies Paul Morrison dies in Barcelona. He was 38.

A9 Expectations

Captain navigates alternate route B1 Vol.7, No.5

Who’s in the Gulf One captain drives tugs to help in cleanup.

A3

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August 2010

BAREFOOT BANDIT BUSTED IN BAHAMAS

TRITON SURVEY

Capt. Billiot helps police catch a thief

What are you doing now?

No plans to leave dock – 7.1% Cruising w/ owner & guests – 26.5% Yacht work – 16.6% Between trips Looking for – 19.0% work – 18.5%

By Dorie Cox Trailing a fleeing fugitive, Capt.

Ronald Billiot navigated a boat loaded with gun-wielding Bahamian police through the dark near Harbour Island on July 11 in pursuit of the elusive Barefoot Bandit.

“Five minutes later and he would have been gone,” Billiot said of the tracking and capture of Colton HarrisMoore, the 19-year-old man police have been searching for since 2008.

Harris-Moore is wanted in connection with some 70 robberies and thefts in at least seven states between Western Washington and Indiana that started after he escaped from a halfway house. He is accused of stealing at least two single-engine airplanes, one that he crash landed on Great Abaco Island on July 4, according to news reports.

Media reports dubbed him the Barefoot Bandit after videos surfaced of crimes committed by a barefoot male.

In February, according to one news report, Harris-Moore allegedly drew

Cruising with charter guests – 4.7% Taking time off – 3.8% Transitioning out of yachting – 1.9% Taking classes – 1.9% – Story, C1 From left, Capt. Ronald Billiot of M/Y Picasso, Jordan Sackett, the owner’s son and Capt. Pat Young of M/Y Sea Hawk after assisting police in the capture of Photo from CAPT. RONALD BILLIOT Colton Harris-Moore in the Bahamas. chalk-outline feet all over the floor of a grocery store during a burglary in Washington’s San Juan Islands.

Although Harris-Moore’s adventure began more than two years ago, Billiot’s began about a day before the capture.

“There were wanted posters of the Barefoot Bandit put up all over the island, and the dockhand at Romora Bay said he heard he [Harris-Moore] had landed, so we all went down to the docks to check on our boats,” said Billiot, skipper of M/Y Picasso, a 92-

foot Broward docked this summer at Romora Bay in Harbour Island, Eleuthera.

“Everybody knew he was near,” he said. “We knew he had been spotted on the island and he’d stolen a boat, a 44-foot Sea Ray, and put it on the Backbone.”

The Devil’s Backbone is a reef that has damaged many vessels near the north end of Eleuthera.

individual comments of the captains are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion.

The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page A13.

U.S. Coast Guard, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and most licensing governing bodies, require captains to undergo medical exams with a doctor signing off that a captain has met requirements.

The yacht captains at lunch support licensing requirements, but said good people can be excluded by such rigidity.

Taking that a step further, a captain said, “Whether crew have medical conditions should not be the coast guard’s issue, it should be the doctor and the captain’s decision.”

Crew, on the other hand, are under no such directives. The captains said

By Dorie Cox

they usually ask for a candidate’s health information during the job interview.

“I sit and talk with them, so it’s not like an attack, they will open up,” a captain said. “I think they get nervous if you make them write it and they may not put stuff down.”

Some yachts have formal paperwork, including crew contracts that allow dismissal for false or withheld information.

One captain required crew to file a medical report with the first officer and the captain.

“If it’s not contagious, airborne or blood, I’m OK with most conditions,” this captain said, “But, that’s if they can do their load and are healthy.”

“But, I think everyone lies because they’re afraid they’ll lose their jobs,”

Like a video game of moving targets, today’s yachts and commercial vessels are seen as pink or green symbols on a computer display screen.

The Automatic Identification System, or AIS, is the most comprehensive way for captains to gain navigational data on nearby vessels and is being used by large and small boats around the globe.

The short-range coastal tracking system was adopted in 2000 by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) as a requirement for vessels larger than 300 tons, but it has become standard on many more yacht bridges, mandated or not.

The benefits of collision avoidance, enhanced communication and rescue assistance outweigh the possibility of unwanted followers, according to several megayacht captains.

“AIS is so handy,” said Capt. Joei Randazzo, a freighter captain who is currently freelancing. “We used to

See BRIDGE, page A13

See AIS, page A14

See BANDIT, page A4

Captains: Medical issues won’t KO good crew Instead of disqualifying captains and crew from working on yachts because of their health issues, captains prefer to be prepared to handle any medical situations.

“I really hate to lose good people for medical issues,” a captain said.

“It’s not horrible to have medical From the Bridge issues onboard, they can’t be eliminated,” Dorie Cox another captain said, “eventually we’ll all get something.”

This month the Triton invited megayacht captains to discuss how they feel about captains and crew with medical conditions working in the industry.

At the monthly luncheon, the

AIS helps yachts avoid danger zone

A August 2010

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WHAT’S INSIDE

The Triton

It’s a small world

Mexico, Greece, France? Around the world in six hours. See PHOTO /CAPT.TOM SERIO page C3.

Advertiser directory Boats / Brokers Business Briefs Calendar of events Columns: Fitness In the Galley Latitude Adjustments Nutrition Personal Finance Onboard Emergencies Photography Rules of the Road

C16 B5 A16 B14 C14 C1 A3 C8 C15 B2 B10 B1

Stew Cues C5 Crew News A8, 9, 10, 17, C9 Fuel prices B5 Marinas / Shipyards B6 Networking Q and A C4 Networking photos C2-3 News A6 Photo Gallery A12 Puzzles C16 Technology briefs B4 Triton spotter B15 Triton survey C1 Write to Be Heard A18-19

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LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Crew, too, are moving this summer, not all on yachts Just when I think I get a handle on what crew are up to, someone reminds me there’s far more to learn.

Take Karen Anderson, a veteran in the yachting community who has been working hard ever since I’ve known her to make herself more valuable as a first officer.

When she received the Latitude invite to take Adjustment our survey about Lucy Chabot Reed what crew are up to this summer (see the results beginning on page C1), she instead sent this note: “I was going to fill in the what-areyou-doing-this-summer survey, but there are no boxes to check for helping out with the oil spill recovery efforts,” she wrote in early July.

It never occurred to me to offer that as an option on the survey. I was more focused on owner’s cruises, charter trips, yard work, things like that. It embarrasses me to realize I was asking about boats instead of the people who run them.

What a relief to get Anderson’s email. Too late for this month’s survey, I know, but a great topic for discussion.

“As a captain who has enjoyed a wonderful, adventurous life above and below the sea for the past 28 years, I felt duty-bound to help mitigate this unprecedented natural disaster,” Anderson wrote. “With the assistance of Stacy at Crew4Crew, I secured a position with Ft. Lauderdale-based Resolve Marine Group at their Mobile,

Ala., facility. I am serving as crew aboard the tugboat Summer Star with the assignment of supplying Decon barges along the Gulf coast. At present we are stationed in Pensacola.

“The barges are anchored out and serve as a decontamination pit stop for the cleanup boats that dock alongside to be cleaned and stripped of their oil waste prior to returning to port. The goal seems to be keeping the contaminates away from clean harbors and waterways that are being protected by mile after mile of yellow oil boom.

“The crew aboard Summer Star have been helpful and gracious in showing me the ropes. My first day aboard involved pushing a 200-foot barge ahead on the winding ICW from Mobile to Pensacola. We stayed inside due to the high seas from Hurricane Alex.

“It was very different from piloting a yacht, but there were enough similarities that, after a while, I managed to keep the barge on a reasonably steady course. I’m still getting use to wearing the steel-toed boots and hard hat while aboard.

“As a diver and lover of the sea I am hopeful that I can continue to serve in some capacity until this disaster is cleaned up. I would be interested in knowing of other yachties involved with the cleanup.”

There you have it. Any other yachties out there working on the spill? It’s not too late to ask what crew are up to this summer.

Send news of your Latitude Adjustment (promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishment) to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton. com.

Yachtie-turned-tugboat driver, Karen Anderson, aboard Summer Star.

August 2010 A

A August 2010 FROM THE FRONT: Barefoot Bandit

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Jordan Sackett, left, and Capt. Ronald Billiot heard quite a battle. “There had to be 25 to 30 shots fired, I can’t figure Photo from CAPT. RONALD BILLIOT how he wasn’t hit.”

‘You could see the gun in his hand’ BANDIT, from page A1 With captains, crew and onlookers hanging around the docks, securing their boats, Billiot checked the surveillance equipment footage on M/Y Picasso.

“We had our camera pointing toward the dock office and you could see him in the video,” he said. “ ‘That’s the bandit,’ I yelled. He was barefoot with a backpack. You could see the gun in his hand.”

Police were everywhere on island because they figured the teen was casing boats for a get-away vehicle, Billiot said.

Ben Johnson of M/Y LuCea, an 80foot Lazarra, told the group assembled that he just saw an Intrepid go south with no lights. Johnson told the guards about the vessel and the local police switched into gear.

Because Harris-Moore couldn’t walk around undetected, he had passed the people on the docks by swimming out about 150-200 yards to the end of the dock where he stole a boat and motored slowly to escape, Billiot said.

The police asked, “Who owns this?” pointing at Picasso’s tender, and asked Billiot if he could take them to follow the fleeing boat.

Jordan Sackett, the son of Picasso’s owner, asked his parents if the cops could use the boat and he and Capt. Pat Young of M/Y Sea Hawk joined Billiot.

“We load up six officers with shotguns and Uzis into our 27-foot Boston Whaler,” Billiot said. “You’ll see that on the video that’s all over the news.”

Billiot’s was the only boat out in the pitch black and he ran her with no lights. He headed for the quickest

A wanted man no longer. way to the sea, the south cut between Eleuthera and Harbor Island.

And then they saw the boat, like a ghost boat through the haze, he said.

Harris-Moore had gotten stuck on a sandbar, and Billiot began idling closer.

“We could see him standing up,” he said. “He wasn’t stuck, but he was moving slowly, like maybe he couldn’t figure how to lift the motor or something.”

Everyone was hollering and Billiot saw a flash, possibly a shot from HarrisMoore’s gun.

“At that point, there’s so much commotion, he puts the gun to his head and says, ‘I’m going to kill myself, don’t come any closer. I’m not going back to jail, don’t come any closer,’” Billiot said.

Harris-Moore started to move his boat in an attempt to elude the police

and Billiot told the police, “If you don’t do something now you’ll lose him.”

“We would definitely lose a 32-foot Intrepid with the weight we had on board,” he said.

So, police shot the left engine with the shotgun and the right engine with the Uzi, Billiot said.

“There had to be 25 to 30 shots fired, I can’t figure how he wasn’t hit.”

As Billiot navigated closer, HarrisMoore dropped to the deck and started throwing things overboard, including a backpack, computer, papers and a gun.

Billiot maneuvered the boat along side for five officers to board the Intrepid and handcuff him. Billiot used a bridle to tow the boat back.

“Scary? Yes, it was scary, but it was an adrenaline rush,” Billiot said by phone from Harbour Island.

The next morning, Billiot took the police back to retrieve the items HarrisMoore threw overboard.

“We found the Apple computer,” he said. “It was floating like a sea fan.

Guess it was the neoprene cover. We found his iTouch or iPhone or whatever, then we found the gun. It was cocked, there was a spent shell, one in the chamber and two live ones.

“He had two or three hundred gallons of fuel and could have made it to Turks or Florida,” Billiot said. “He could have gone 200 miles and they wouldn’t have caught him.

“The Bahamian police don’t have boats,” he said, “so if it hadn’t been for us and the sandbar, he would have been gone.”

Dorie Cox is a staff reporter and associate editor with The Triton.

Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.

A August 2010

NEWS BRIEFS

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Bank forecloses on MerrillStevens, Spencer still there Spencer Boat Co. still busy

Coconut Grove Bank filed a notice of foreclosure on June 30 against MerrillStevens Dry Dock Co., according to a story in the South Florida Business Journal. The weekly newspaper cited Miami-Dade County Circuit Court records and noted that the foreclosure notice was part of a counter-complaint the bank filed after the boatyard sued it on June 2.

None of that has had much impact on work at Spencer Boat Company, which has been in operation on the property since January.

The travel lifts are moving, employees are busy and the calendar has boats booked through fall, superintendent John Spencer said.

“The bank likes me being here,” Spencer said. “They know this yard is more valuable when it is working than when it’s vacant.”

The yard on the Miami River has been known as Merrill-Stevens for more than 100 years, and has been owned by the Westbrook family since 2004. Spencer leases the property and facilities from the Westbrooks.

The yard has felt no repercussions from the legal maneuverings between Merrill-Stevens and the bank. Spencer said he believes the Westbrooks will resolve the problem, and in the meantime he’ll keep things running.

“We’re not getting rich,” he said, “but we’re still here.”

– Dorie Cox

Italians board M/Y Axioma

Italian authorities boarded the 155foot (47m) M/Y Axioma in early July, following a tip a Russian fugitive was aboard, according to news reports.

Charter guests were taken to the Lipari police station and questioned.

Five hours later, they were released with no charges being filed.

Burger may face layoffs

Wisconsin-based Burger Boat Co. notified state officials on July 8 that it may lay off about 70 employees – about a third of its workforce– by the end of the year, according to a story in the Herald Times Reporter. Cut employees may include carpenters, finishers, metal workers, mechanics, fluid power technicians, pipefitters, electricians and office administration, according to a letter the builder sent the state.

The company has “been working hard to avoid any further layoffs but business conditions are unsettled at this time,” the letter said.

In an interview with the newspaper, Burger President Jim Ruffolo said the letter was sent only “should a worstcase scenario play out.”

“The company is positive and continues to seek new projects, which could minimize layoffs and make the notice a moot point,” he told the Herald Times Reporter.

State law requires any company of 50 employees or more to notify the state 60 days before any layoffs.

Petra chef wins at Rendezvous

Chef Michael Goller of M/Y My Petra, a 44m Heesen, won the Concours des Chefs at The Rendezvous in Monaco in late June.

“This is thrilling to win this prize,” Goller said. “I knew I’d done a good job but then I knew all the other chefs would have done a good job, too, otherwise they would not be working on a superyacht, so I can’t tell you how excited I am to win this award.”

Chef Craig Stevens of the 62.5m M/Y Icon won the Special Prize for Outstanding Dessert.

The Rendezvous, which included 15 yachts from 39m to 75m, was organized

by Boat International Media in collaboration with SYBAss. Chefs were judged by a panel of Michelin-starred chefs, led by head chef to Prince Albert of Monaco, Christian Garcia.

Rena chef wins at Newport show

Chef Peter Ziegelmeier from M/Y Rena won the 2010 Best Charter Yacht Chef Competition at the Newport Spring Charter Show in June for yachts larger than 100 feet.

Chef Meghan Jussaume of S/Y Endless Pleasure won among yachts smaller than 100 feet.

Fire destroys yacht in Palm Beach

A fire broke out on the 104-foot M/Y La Diva as it entered Palm Beach Inlet early morning on June 27. The captain quickly pulled into Rybovich Marina and all seven crew were able to get off the yacht, formerly Ivana.

According to a story in the Palm Beach Post, the fire burned throughout the day and into the evening. Three firefighters were injured attempting to extinguish the blaze.

San Francisco possible host for Cup San Francisco is the only U.S. city being considered to host the next America’s Cup yacht race in 2013 or 2014, according to the defending champion BMW Oracle Racing team as reported by Bloomberg News. Four unidentified European locations remain in contention.

States sue to close locks

Five Great Lakes states have filed

See NEWS BRIEFS, page A9

A August 2010 OBITUARY: Former Stew Hilary Frischhertz

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Ex-stew, owner of flower business, dies By the Frischhertz and Briggs families Hilary Frischhertz, a former yacht stew who left yachts in 2000 to start a family and eventually started Yacht Flowers, died in June after a short illness. She was 45.

Hilary was born Hilary Upson Briggs in Providence, R.I., on Oct. 12, 1964. She grew up in a sailing family on the New England coast. Her father was an avid sailor himself, having sailed all over the world since he was a child. So while raising kids, he inspired family time with sailing. They spent every summer on the ocean.

Starting on a small rowboat where we had lots of laughs (in fun) watching Hilary try to row in a straight line – or in circles – she eventually learned how to sail small boats and was taught to suck the salt out of the straps of her orange life jacket, read the Hardy Boys, and tie all sorts of boating knots.

As the family got older, the boats got bigger and the trips got longer. We sailed all throughout the islands of Maine together for weeks at a time, just the five of us. We also sailed to Cape Cod, mostly around Chatham, and also Newport to see the Tall Ships when she was about 10 years old.

The family bought property on an island in Maine, and there she

The Fischhertz family: From left, Hilary, Bryce, Cameron and Scott. spent many summers with her “salty” grandparents, aunts and uncles, lots of cousins, and her brother and sister, swimming off the rocks into the freezing water, cooking marshmallows around camp fires, and running around in small power boats under the stars.

She met Scott Frischhertz in the summer of 1994 when he was the captain of a 60-foot sloop named Solitaire. They met at a party in the same house her parents rented in Marblehead, Mass. when Hilary was young.

Hilary worked in Boston as a booking agent for a modeling agency on Newberry Street; she worked weekends in a clothing store in Marblehead. They spent that summer bouncing between Boston, the Cape, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Whenever they didn’t have owners on board, Hilary and Scott were together.

In the fall, Scott set sail for the Bahamas, stopping in Annapolis and Hilton Head. Hilary met him in both places. Once in Marsh Harbour, they spent many hours on the phone and decided they should be together.

Hilary quit her job at the modeling agency and moved onto Solitaire that winter. The owners weren’t around much in winter so Hilary and Scott had a lot of time alone.

In the summer of 1995, they presented themselves as a team and landed a job on the 96-foot Broward M/Y Carib Queen, Scott as captain and Hilary as everything else: chef, stew and deckhand.

On June 29, 1996, Scott and Hilary were married at Hilary’s parents’ home in Maine.

In August of 1997, they moved to Brazil to oversee construction of the new Carib Queen, a five stateroom motoryacht set up for charter.

Hilary was chief stewardess for several years and left yachting in the fall of 2000 to return to the modeling industry. She was in charge of the kid’s division of the Green Agency on South

Beach. She left the Green Agency in the spring of 2002 just before their first son, Cameron, was born on July 1.

Hilary enjoyed being a mom. They had a second son, Bryce, who is now 5.

In the fall of 2003, Hilary started Yacht Flowers with a launch at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

Since then, her success has grown to include a client base of individual megayachts, National Marine Suppliers, Sanlorenzo Yachts and Roscioli Yacht Center. Her success was built on a reputation of being creative and seeing the business of flowers as an art. Her sense of color, composition, great taste, passion, and high quality kept her clients returning year after year.

Since the early sailing days on Solitaire, Hilary and Scott have returned to the Bahamas with Hilary’s extended family every spring. Hilary’s favorite time was spent on a beach with family and friends.

Flowers were the colorful accent to Hilary’s life. The true color for her was having a beautiful family, fabulous friends and an amazing husband. Scott plans to continue the Yacht Flower business, as well as continue with his own V-Kool business.

A funeral for Ms. Frischhertz was held in early July in Ft. Lauderdale. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to educational funds established for Cameron and Bryce at the following: UBS Financial Services Attn. John Masor 1800 N. Military Trail, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33431 1-800-937-7071 SCOTT FRISCHHERTZ FBO CAMERON FRISCHHERTZ COLLEGE FUND 529 ACCOUNT NUMBER BX56970-J6 SCOTT FRISCHHERTZ FBO BRYCE FRISCHHERTZ COLLEGE FUND 529 ACOUNT NUMBER BX-62071-J6 Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

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OBITUARY: Stew Paul Morrison

Veteran steward of yacht Paraffin dies in Barcelona

By Ellen Anderson The yachting community lost one of its best known stewards on 23 June. Paul Morrison passed away in Barcelona, Spain, due to heart failure.

He was 38 years old.

Paul is loved by many and well known in our industry. He has worked on various well-known vessels, including M/Y Paraffin, M/Y Utopia, M/Y Rasselas, M/Y Little Sis, and M/Y Libertad, to mention a few.

He has been involved with yachting

since May 1992, when he joined his first vessel, M/Y Il Vagabondo.

Paul will always be remembered for his love of adventure, his giving nature, dedication to his profession, and his kind approach to all he came in contact with. He had a love of sailing and motor yachts and always provided the highest level of service while on board.

He was a skilled and dependable butler/chief steward and a leader and manager both ashore and at sea.

He had many friends scattered all around the world and leaves behind a loving family. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, both professionally and personally.

Paul’s life will be celebrated on 30 July at 2:30 p.m. at Eastbourne Crematorium in Langley, UK. All friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the British Heart Foundation.

Capt. Watson da Silva will take M/Y Paraffin out of Barcelona harbor to scatter Paul’s ashes at some date later this summer. Friends are welcome to attend. Contact EA-wmg@ wrightmaritime.com for details.

Ellen Anderson works with Wright Maritime Group in Ft. Lauderdale and worked with Mr. Morrison for six years aboard M/Y Rasselas.

Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.

Freighter spills oil, briefly closes St. Lawrence Seaway NEWS BRIEFS, from page A6 a lawsuit in federal court to try to block Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune. The suit asks the court to close shipping locks in the Calumet-Sag Channel and the Chicago River while other control methods can be put in place, including nets, physical barriers and fish toxins to control carp movement.

Oil spill closes Seaway

A 200m freighter carrying wheat ran aground near Montreal on July 12 after losing power, according to news reports.

M/V Richelieu hit a bank near the Cote Ste-Catherine locks and leaked an estimated 50 to 200 tons of oil into the St. Lawrence river south of Montreal. The spill was contained and a sectioned reopened July 15.

USCG Sector Miami gets new head

Coast Guard Capt. James O. Fitton, Sector Miami commander, relinquished command to Capt. Christopher P. Scraba on June 25.

Commander Scraba, a native of Putnam, Conn., graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., in 1985 with a degree in government.

He also holds a master’s degree in public administration and national security and strategic studies.

Commander Scraba will assume the responsibilities and authorities of captain of the port, search-and-rescue mission coordinator, federal maritime security coordinator, officer in charge of marine inspection and federal onscene coordinator.

Fitton, who has been in command since June 2008, will retire after 32 years of active duty service.

August 2010 A

A10 August 2010

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CREW NEWS

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Team Gulf Rascal when it won the July Open Billfish Tournament last summer. Capt. Billy Borer is far right in the light green shirt. PHOTO/DEAN BARNES

Professional sportfishing isn’t all piña coladas and parties

By Carol Bareuther The life of a professional sportfishing captain may seem straight out of a Hemingway novel: traveling to the world’s hottest angling spots, managainst-beast fights by day and hard drinking revelry at the dock each night.

But as one captain is fond of saying, the profession isn’t all piña coladas and parties. It is, however, an extremely rewarding career for captains with the right combination of experience, skill and character.

“Ninety-nine percent of really good captains start as mates,” said Capt.

Eddie Morrison, who has helmed the 45-foot Viking S/F Marlin Prince in the charter fleet fishing out of St. Thomas for the past 23 years.

“You need to know what’s happening in the cockpit before you can take the helm.”

Morrison Yet it takes more than being a good fisherman to be a good sportfishing captain, said Capt. Billy Borer, who runs the 68-foot Hatteras Gulf Rascal and annually fishes out of St. Thomas, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

“The top guys are well-rounded,” Borer said. “That means that they are proficient in all aspects of fishing, navigation, safety, dealing with others, and boat management and maintenance.”

Maintenance skills are huge, especially considering most sportfishing captains run their vessels without an engineer aboard.

“Your boat is like a house that’s gone through an earthquake every day,” Capt.

Morrison said. “There are always issues – the engine, plumbing, cosmetics.”

Capt. Mike Lemon, who has run the 58-foot Revenge since 1993 and mainly fishes out of St. Thomas, agreed.

“We can easily fish 60, 80, 100 days a year, and a lot of our success when fishing comes from the pre-work and

maintenance,” he said. “When you’ve got that opportunity to catch a big fish or a lot of them, you really hope that you’ve done everything possible to make sure the boat performs right when it’s needed the most.”

Lemon admitted he’s competitive and that’s what clicks between him and owner.

“There are so many categories of sportfishing captains,” he said.

“Some are more like those who drive motoryachts; others are competitive, hard-core fishermen like me; and still others are a bit of both.

“What qualities are best for a particular job all depend on the owner and his or her expectations,” he said. “If the owner wants to only fish 20 days a year and you’re a fishermen, this isn’t going to work for you, no matter how good the money.”

Owners all have their idea of what’s good fishing, and so do charter guests. “[The owner] doesn’t expect me to make him happy,” Capt. Lemon said.

“He knows how the fishery works.

We’ve gone out some days and haven’t caught anything. The important thing is to always be ready and give 110 percent.”

In charter fishing, Capt. Morrison said, the trick is to target the species that are biting.

“For example, we can catch blue marlin in every month of the year, but the bite is hottest from June through October,” he said. “In the spring, we go after dolphin and in the fall its wahoo.

Some boats, if they sense the guests aren’t solely focused on fishing, will cruise and stop to let everyone go for a swim if the fish aren’t biting.”

The advantage of the profession is the travel, meeting new people and, of course, the fishing.

“It’s a fantastic way of life,” Capt.

Borer said. “Pay attention to who you meet because if you’re lucky, he could be your boss for the next 20 years.”

Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

A12 August 2010 PHOTO GALLERY

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We found crew working all over the 151 feet of the North American Yacht M/Y Argyll. At right, Deckhand Jack Davis and First Mate Mark Dubync polish the aft overhang.

Below, shining up the starboard side name are dayworkers Scott Guthrie and Jake Fernandez. Look for Argyll in Newport and points north this summer.

Yes, Virginia, some captains do clean their own yachts, as witnessed here by Capt. Philip Thompson onboard a Sunseeker 66. With water in hand and bucket close by, Thompson keeps M/Y Tradition sparkling as part of his program.

Look for this yacht and her crew in New England this summer, then back to North Miami for the winter.

The crew of M/Y Intrepid – from left, Chef Sylvie Staboli, Capt. Chris Berg, Stew Rachel MacVeagh and Mate Joe MacVeagh – celebrate Photo from Capt. Chris Berg the Fourth of July in the Bahamas.

Working the day away on the 173foot Amels, M/Y Kiss The Sky, Bosun Carl Conder was busy prepping for a cruise to Canada soon. Onboard for more than two years, Conder likes to employ the K.I.S.S. work ethic (Keep It Simple and Shiny).

Having just come through the Panama Canal, the 85-foot Ocean Deckhand Jacques LeRoux Alexander M/Y Crescendo was in was all smiles when we asked for a need of some sprucing up, when we photo. This South African keeps on found Engineer and “all around the maintenance of M/Y Penny Mae, guy” Buddy Barnes taking a breather from the chores. a 138-foot Richmond Yacht.

Unless credited otherwise, photos by Capt. Tom Serio

Here’s First Mate Jeff Calabrese on the private M/Y All Risks, an 82foot Rayburn, at the home dock in Port Washington, N.Y. A two-crew operation, All Risks will be cruising New England and Montauk, N.Y., this summer.

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www.the-triton.com FROM THE BRIDGE: Medical issues

August 2010 A13

‘Epilepsy should be disclosed’ BRIDGE, from page A1 another said.

Each captain told a story of a crew member with a medical condition. One captain had a potentially fatal event because the crew member did not divulge her medical status.

“She had asthma and ran out of her medication,” this captain said. “She hadn’t told me of her condition, but we got her to a doctor. It was very scary.”

Would he have hired her if he had known about the asthma?

“Yes, I probably would have hired her,” this captain said. “We just would have made sure she had enough inhalers because we would have known about it.

Now, I ask what meds they take.”

“I was on a one-person watch on a boat, after I was off the boat I heard one of the guys fell overboard and drown,” another captain said. “He was epileptic.

It could have happened when he was the one on watch.”

“Epilepsy should be disclosed,” said a third.

A topic that each of the captains was familiar with was when crew were unable to perform their jobs because of a medical reason.

In all of the stories, other crew covered for the sick people.

One captain’s crew was taking a strong drug for an inflammatory disease and she was often unable to do her job. The rest of the crew made sure the work was done.

Another crew had debilitating migraines. The others onboard would volunteer for his shifts.

“But, then it can be an issue with fatigue and people will lie, saying they took breaks when they didn’t,” a captain said.

While another captain said he had a guy with a back injury, because he was a good crew member, everyone on the boat worked with him.

“We all knew his limits,” a captain said. “Since he had pain after a long shift, we would help him to have shorter shifts.”

“Usually, the people know themselves and can help themselves,” another captain said.

“There seems to be more Type 2 diabetes, the manageable type,” said a third. “I have a crew that’s kept it under control for five years. But, people are creatures of habit and so many of them don’t fix their bad habits, they don’t help their diabetes.”

Some conditions exceed the captains’ acceptable limits. One captain said the owner would fire him if he hired someone with HIV, AIDS or hepatitis.

“I’m more concerned about their prescriptions,” another captain said. “Some of these drugs make me nervous.”

“How they deal with their pain is important,” a third captain said. “I

try to ask question about how they deal. Do you go to a chiropractor? An acupuncturist? And eventually, they say they are on this, and that, drug.”

“Being a drug or alcohol addict are about the only things that get you off my boat,” a captain said.

The captains agreed that drugs and alcohol are the biggest issues and one added smoking to the list.

“When they can’t smoke, they’re ornery,” a captain said. “I’ve fired crew for smoking. It’s in the crew agreement.

If you’re a social smoker, you’re a smoker.”

But that is not where the potential for medical crisis ends, several captains said. It’s one thing to have a captain or crew with known medical conditions, but guests will rarely fess-up when they have underlying medical conditions.

“I’m actually more concerned about the guests,” one captain said.

“Guests don’t even tell you when they have the flu,” another said, “We’ve had our whole crew down because of that.”

Several of the captains agreed that the safest course for all onboard is to train the crew to handle sickness and emergencies and to have a wellequipped yacht.

“I think the industry should be more medically trained, versus getting rid of qualified people and older captains,” a captain said.

“We have a doctor available on call 24/7,” one of the captains said. “We have defibrillators.”

“I think it’s important for the captain to be the medical officer and go through the training,” a second captain said.

“If he does the ER training, he really gets a wake up call as to what can happen,” another captain said.

“The medical person in charge course is so different from the STCW, and the advanced courses are so indepth,” this captain said. “You do IVs, you’re in the emergency room and you see reality.”

Often on a yacht, there is one medical officer in charge, and it’s usually the captain. But captains agreed that there should be several people.

“You have to remember, anything can happen on a boat, even to the captain,” one captain said.

Captains want to know the medical conditions of everyone on their yacht, but better yet, they want their crew to be prepared to handle anything.

“We’ll always help if someone has a condition,” this captain said.

“It comes down to teamwork and that’s what yachts are all about. We help each other.”

Dorie Cox is associate editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com. If you make your living working as a yacht captain, e-mail dorie@the-triton.com for an invitation to our monthly Bridge luncheon.

Attendees of The Triton’s August Bridge luncheon were, from left, Adam Marani of M/Y Hooter Patrol III, Rick Lenardson of M/Y Status Quo and M/Y Free Spirit, Denise Fox (freelance and looking) and Doug Abbott of M/Y Odalisque.

PHOTO/DORIE COX

A14 August 2010 FROM THE FRONT: AIS

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The Triton

‘No boat should be without it’ AIS, from page A1 have to get in the danger zone to have a commercial ship answer the radio.

Now, we just see who it is and call them by name.”

“The simple concept, equipment list, and short learning curve all contribute to its worthiness,” said Capt. Douglas Abbott of M/Y Odalisque. “I call it Ah, I See.” Features displayed on the screen include vessel type and name, maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) number, call sign, destination, speed over ground, course over ground, range, bearing, heading, the closest point of approach (CPA) and time to closest point of approach (TCPA). It even has messaging capability.

“It’s the next best thing since sliced bread and electricity,” said Capt. Herb Magney of M/Y At Last, “No boat should be without it, even if it was only a requirement for night navigation and foggy weather.”

Maintaining their roles as prudent

AIS transmits most all information about a vessel, its course and movements.

PHOTO FROM FURUNO

mariners, megayacht captains are quick to point out that AIS is meant as an aid – not a replacement – for radar and good, old-fashioned visual observance.

“It doesn’t remove the need for a vigilant radar watch and a constant ‘outside the window’ view,” said Capt.

Ted Morley, chief operations officer at Maritime Professional Training in Ft. Lauderdale.

Morley has used the system in yachting and in the commercial deepdraft industry.

“All the benefits aside, it is important to remember that the information is only as good as the person who input it,” he said. “Garbage in, garbage out, is often the case.”

“It’s great at night or in stormy weather when you can’t see,” said Capt.

Stephen Hill, a freelance captain for both charter and private yachts. “Since it identifies who you are contending with, it’s not just a light on the horizon [where you ask] ‘what is that and which way is it going?’”

Some vessels run AIS separately on dedicated hardware, but many

See AIS, page A15

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

FROM THE FRONT: AIS

Broad access to yacht data is troubling to some AIS, from page A14 integrate the information with other electronics.

“Our AIS is interfaced to the Transas and radars so it enhances those navigation features,” said Capt.

Jeff Ridgway, currently running relief on M/Y Battered Bull, a 52m Feadship.

“When the Transas cursor is placed over an AIS target, we instantly get all the information needed.”

When run through the electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) and a vessel’s automatic radar plotting aid, all the AIS navigation information is in one location.

“When I have AIS information overlaid on my ARPA/ECDIS display, it really helps in the ability to communicate with other vessels should passing arrangements need to be made or if you are in doubt as to their intentions, especially in congested waterways where it may be difficult to discern one vessel from another,” Morley said.

“It also reduces the likelihood of communicating to the wrong vessel on the VHF,” he said. “You can call the specific vessel by name and be able to recognize their call sign when they respond.”

Mark Mitchell, service manager at Voyager Maritime in Ft. Lauderdale, installs and services both A and B class AIS units.

The Class A is International Maritime Organization (IMO) compliant; Class B is sub-compliant, occasionally a full transponder but typically only a receiver.

Once a vessel decides whether it will only receive or transmit as well, hardware choices vary by manufacturer.

A user-interface is a big deciding factor.

“Some have a small control head with a hard-to-use keypad, and some, like Furuno, are bigger and are easier to put information into,” he said.

Receivers are easy to integrate into a yacht, because they only use VHF, Mitchell said.

“But even transponders are simple to add as after-market,” he said. “The only trouble is cable-pulling.”

Capt. Abbott knows a little about that, having done it recently on servera; yachts.

“As far as retrofitting a yacht, the cost for a Class A will run three- to five-thousand dollars, plus installation, which is down from a lot more money when they were first mandated,” Abbott said.

“And the way the rules are going with lower tonnage vessels mandated to have them, it’s ‘you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.’”

Several captains report one concern: by transmitting all this safety information electronically, it becomes available to just about anyone with a computer.

When paired with radar and the Transas, data received from AIS integrates PHOTO/DORIE COX for more precise navigation.

Several Web sites have taken to publishing yacht information on the Internet. Web sites such as www. marinetraffic.com allow computer users to see the same information yachts use.

The site describes itself as an academic, open, community-based project created for several reasons, including the study of marine telecommunications, the simulation of vessel movements, the statistical processing of ports traffic and the design of models for the spotting of the origin of a pollution.

But the International Maritime Organization condemned the publication of AIS data transmitted by ships at its 79th session in December 2004.

The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) agreed that the exposure of AIS-generated ship data on the Web, for example, “could be detrimental to the safety and security of ships and port facilities and was undermining the efforts of the Organization and its Member States to enhance the safety of navigation and security in the international maritime transport sector.”

It urged member governments to discourage such publications.

Citing more reasons to use AIS than

not to, many captains rarely turn their systems off. Even yachts on the hard often have their AIS on.

“On the down side, when you get to a cluttered port, the AIS signals on the electronics show up as a big mess,” said Mate Sue Mitchell of M/Y Aqualibrium.

“You cannot see anyone’s name or make out anything at all. It’s just a pool of green scribble.”

When the yacht was loaded onto the Dockwise [ship] recently, the captain insisted all yachts aboard the transport ship turn off their AISes so the ship’s own AIS would be the appropriate signal being transmitted for safety and communication purposes.

Most yachts just leave the AIS on, that is, except maybe the immensely private, extremely wealthy or notoriously famous.

In the highly technical and electronic world of megayachts, the automatic identification system actually can offer a human touch.

“AIS can make you smile,” Randazzo said. “We usually have a little chat after radio contact, if they speak English.

Making a friend breaks up the watch.”

Dorie Cox is a staff reporter and associate editor with The Triton.

Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.

August 2010 A15

A16 August 2010 BUSINESS BRIEFS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

‘Nav-Tracker finds stolen boat in Bahamas Nav-Tracker finds stolen boat

A 33-foot HydraSport equipped with a tracking device was recovered in Bimini eight hours after it was stolen from Treasure Cay in the Bahamas early on July 14, according to a company news release.

The tracking device was the NavTracker 1.0 wireless boat location and GPS tracking system from Paradox Marine.

“There is no question that without Nav-Tracker, my boat would have never been found,” said Jose Mas, the owner. “I had just installed the system two weeks before and I was amazed at being able to track the boat and follow the thieves.”

Last year, Paradox Marine received a service medal from the U.S. Coast Guard in recognition of the role NavTracker 2.0 played in the recovery of a Contender stolen in the Bahamas in September 2008.

As many as 27,000 boats are stolen annually and the odds of recovery are about 1 in 10, according to the International Association of Marine Investigators.

When a Nav-Tracker 2.0 transmitter is mounted on a boat and armed, a wireless “fence” with a 500-meter range can be created.

If a boat is moved outside of this fence, Nav-Tracker 2.0 uses Inmarsatbased GPS satellite technology to monitor a boat’s location and notify up to four people by e-mail and/or text message every 15 minutes with the latitude/longitude, speed, heading and distance to the closest city.

Group to honor conservationists

A new group called Angels of the Seas has initiated a new conservation contest, enabling grassroots organizations, individuals, conservation groups, tournaments, corporations and more to compete for honors for their conservation efforts.

“Right now, especially with the Gulf Oil spill, the nation has become focused on the importance of marine conservation,” contest founder Betty Bauman said. “It’s time for those who make a difference to be recognized with a Nobel-style program.”

In conjunction with the Save Our Seas Foundation, Bauman, who runs Ladies! Let’s Go Fishing clinics, has launched the Angels of the Seas campaign to accept conservation projects for awards at the Miami International Boat Show in February of 2011.

For information or to request an entry form, e-mail AngelsOfTheSeas@ gmail.com.

San Diego provisioners merge

Two San Diego-based provisioners have merged to expand their business beyond Southern California.

In addition to their provisioning

specialties, Pacific Provision and Supply and Pacific Yacht Refitters have added two new divisions: Yacht Care Services and Project Management Services.

Pacific Provision and Supply (www. pacificprovisionandsupply.com) offers galley provisioning, deck gear, engineering, parts, interiors, paint and rigging, and is an authorized dealer for Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), Lifeline Batteries, Alexseal, Flexiteek, Teekay, Fenda Sox, Aere Fenders, Cantalupi Lighting, Vinturi and more.

Pacific Yacht Refitters specializes in corrosion control, marine coatings, yacht finishing and applications.

ISS partners with Asia conference

The International Superyacht Society has partnered with Informa Yacht Group’s Asia Superyacht Conference (ASC) slated for Oct. 12-14 at ONEº15 Marina Club in Singapore.

Now in its second year, ASC will focus on superyacht design and construction, superyacht ownership and sales strategies in Asia as well as discussing Asia as a world-class cruising and chartering destination.

The inaugural event included 150 superyachting professionals from 30 countries.

USSA elects new board, officers

Tim Davey of Global Marine Travel and Billy Smith of Trinity Yachts will continue in their roles as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the U.S. Superyacht Association for 2010-2011.

They are joined on the executive committee of five by returning directors Mark Cline of Cline Financial Group, Michael Karcher of Karcher, Canning & Karcher, and John Mann of Bluewater Books & Charts.

Two new directors have been elected to two-year terms: Michael Bach of Fraser Yacht Services; and Eugene Sweeney of Marshall Islands Yacht Registry.

Re-elected members who are returning for a consecutive term are: Vicki Abernathy of Praktek Mark Bononi of MHG Marine Benefits Donna Bradbury of BWA Yachting Kristina Hebert of Ward’s Marine Electric Kevin Quirk of LXR Marinas/LXR Resorts Corey Ranslem of Secure Waters, David Reed of Triton Publishing Group Gary Tice of On Call International, and Derik Wagner of SeaMobile/MTN. In related news, the USSA has named NautiCom Communications as its new manager.

NautiCom President Kitty McGowan, who has been in the association management business for more than 20 years, replaces Julie Lynn

of Marketing Solutions, who helped with the creation of the USSA. The USSA is a non-profit trade association whose mission is to protect and promote the superyacht industry of the United States.

For more information visit www. ussuperyacht.com.

TowBoat owner buys three more

Capt. Scott and Shonda Stebleton of Palm Coast, Fla., owners of four TowBoatUS towing ports in Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, Titusville and Palm Coast, have added three more: TowBoatUS Jacksonville, TowBoatUS Julington Creek and TowBoatUS Jacksonville Beach.

The new locations were purchased from retiring Capt. Randi Olsen.

TowBoatUS Jacksonville is located at Sadler Point Marina on the mouth of the Ortega River. TowBoatUS Julington Creek is located at Mandarin Holiday Marina near channel marker No. 12 and adjacent to the SR 13 bridge.

TowBoatUS Jacksonville Beach is located at Beach Marine, just northeast of the new McCormick Bridge at day marker No. 34.

Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach any of these ports by calling the company directly at +1 904-2237541; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 1-800-391-4869.

Viking buys USA Services

Viking Life-Saving Equipment has purchased USA Services in Norfolk, Va. Effective Aug. 6, the 12,000-squarefoot facility will operate under the Viking name, improving logistics and distribution for its regional sales and service partners.

“Our goal is to provide comprehensive sales and service of all USCG- and SOLAS-regulated equipment,” said Viking Vice President of the Americas Al Osle. “The expansion to Norfolk will enable us to service key shipowner and defense customers.”

The new facility will also offer liferaft, evacuation system, lifeboat and fire service.

For info, visit www.viking-life.com.

SYG has iPhone app

SuperYacht Global (SYG) has introduced an app for the iPhone that stores all core data onboard so captains and senior officers can retrieve information even without an Internet connection.

SYG is an affiliation between selected companies creating a network of professional service providers to offer vessels shoreside support throughout Europe and Asia. SYG has 22 members and has plans to expand to the Americas and the Pacific.

For more information, visit www. superyachtglobal.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

CREW NEWS

Capt. Harold Moyer, Mate Kirstie Milne, Chef Wendy Weller and Stew Megan Shorrocks on S/Y Irishman.

PHOTO FROM CAPT. HAROLD MOYER

‘Girls’ work together to make exceptional crew

By Dorie Cox Harold Moyer is surrounded by women, both at home with a wife and 3-year-old daughter and on the job with an all-female crew.

Although the “girls”, as he calls them, have been put on hold during the sale of S/Y Irishman, a 92-foot a Palmer Johnson ketch, the crew is standing by and has signed up for deliveries with Moyer in the interim.

Mate Kirstie Milne of New Zealand, Chef Wendy Weller of Florida, and Stew Megan Shorrocks of Australia proved to be a tight team, said Moyer during a recent stop in Ft. Lauderdale.

“When they came onboard, the job just got easier,” he said. “They ran the deck.”

While many male deck crew aren’t expected and often don’t help on the interior, Milne automatically kicked in to do it; and vice versa.

“Some stews never see the light of day, but this group teams up together to get the work done and help each other,” Moyer said. “It’s not in their job descriptions, but they worked so well together.”

Milne came first. She was hired with a phone interview, sight unseen, and has worked with Moyer almost three years.

Her resume “didn’t even have a photo,” she said. “Harold called and I didn’t think he was serious, it seemed like a five-minute conversation, and the next thing I knew, I had a ticket to fly.”

Moyer told her that because it seemed that she would ask if she didn’t know something, and because she was recommended, he hired her.

“You could never have arranged or organized it better,” Milne said. “The key was, Harold allowed everyone to be themselves.”

Moyer let the crew adjust as needed, she said. If they wanted to go to the market they could switch the schedule to work later or get up earlier.

“The job, it was our life and we enjoyed it,” Milne said.

Shorrocks worked with the team

more than two years. She met the captain and Milne in Antigua and started helping with boat tasks, such as cleaning the tender, she said.

“They adopted me and I ended up on the boat for the next two years,” Shorrocks said. “They took me in as one of their own.”

The equation was patience, smiles, laughter, and the fact that the crew respected each other and the captain, she said.

“In the end, it was still the best boat,” she said. “I have worked for other captains, but I haven’t seen anyone who makes it so fun.”

Moyer knew Weller since 1994 when they met in St. Thomas. Later, when her catering company, Chef on Demand, was in a slow period, Moyer hired her.

On the Irishman, Weller said she could concentrate on cooking and sailing the boat because he gave them freedom.

“He was so confident in the crew he didn’t do any micro-managing,” Weller said.

She had so much more help with the “girls” because they always came down to the galley to give her a hand and they bent over backward to help.

“It was a nice change from being in a macho crew situation,” she said. “The camaraderie was great.”

During the creation of her awardwinning dessert in the Concours de Chef at the Antigua show last year, Weller said the girls helped her 100 percent of the way.

Capt. Moyer loves to talk about his exceptional female crew; the smooth sailing, the teamwork, and the fact that they love his daughter, Bailey.

“And,” Moyer added, “it doesn’t hurt that all of them are well-versed in the engine room.”

And, as to hiring an all female crew in the future?

“I would definitely do it again.”

Dorie Cox is a staff reporter and associate editor with The Triton.

Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.

August 2010 A17

A18 August 2010 WRITE TO BE HEARD

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The Triton

What’s with the snooty attitude toward freelancers?

By Chef Adam Mazzocchetti I’m a culinary-trained chef from Melbourne, Australia. I have worked on yachts for the past two years. Though it may seem like a short time, I have been able to extract and secure the best of what I seek in a tough but enjoyable industry.

The reason for my essay is this: Why is there such a negative connotation associated with freelance chefs in the private yacht industry?

Being fortunate to enjoy success in yachting, I have had my fair share of different employment opportunities across a variety of vessels. I have resigned or departed for my various reasons, but this has not hindered my employment chances in the slightest.

Still, the initial reaction from

crew placement agents and senior yacht crew is always the same dull association of “Oh, you have a lot of short jobs listed” or “very patchy CV; this will effect your employment chances.”

These statements always humor me.

It riddles me that, in an industry run so tightly by captains eager to meet that budget so they can collect their annual bonuses, there is still such an attitude toward freelance chefs.

Having earned a degree in financial planning and being fortunate to have owned my own practice where I employed 18 staff, I totally understand the benefits of having reliable people to work for you. I also understand that reliable and dependable staff are more expensive.

In my pre-yachting life, I found that

the most cost-effective way to maximize my staff recruitment efforts was to hire high-end contract staff with proven track records who weren’t bound to my practice. Then I paid them a high-enough premium to secure them regularly, which increased revenue and more than subsidized the fees I paid to employ them.

But most beneficial was the reduced amount of cost in taxes and other such expenses associated with paying a full-time staff member.

My case study is not a new wheel by any measure, and is a well-adopted concept around the world by many large corporations to effectively increase the bottom line. I am merely using my experience as a means to support my argument of the upside benefits of employing freelance contract chefs in the yacht industry.

Some chefs prefer the security of a permanent position. Then there are others who prefer the luxury of being able to move around. Would it be so bad if a network of freelance/ contract, high-end private chefs would be available to work regularly with different yachts and service their owners’ needs?

It makes much more financial sense for a yacht to redirect and use its second or junior stew to assist with crew cooking in down times than to have the owner’s private chef doing this. When the owner is aboard, hire in an experienced chef who comes from a reputable agency background to satisfy the owner.

Paying a good chef $10,000 for a month, three to four times a year -based on my research and experience, this is an average owner’s use of their yacht -- is far cheaper than hiring the chef full time for $90,000-$100,000

a year plus insurance, benefits, etc.

(Obviously, for a live-aboard, charter or high-use vessel, this would not be appropriate.)

Might there be more questions to ask? Should captains learn better business practices? Does the private yacht industry need to be better educated on the benefits freelance chefs can actually deliver?

Arguably, there are many variables to factor into my main question, though, to actually make an effective freelance chef network viable. Still, that should not leave the obvious question unasked: Why is there such a negative connotation associated with freelance chefs in the private yacht industry?

Chef Adam Mazzocchetti has worked three freelance gigs so far this year and turned down four others to spend time with his family this winter in Australia.

Comments on this essay are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

Chef Adam brings up an interesting point. Does the industry frown upon the staccato of a freelancers resume, be they chef, stew or mate? Is there a place in the industry for freelancers?

This will be the theme of next month’s survey, so if you are a yacht captain or crew member and want to be invited to take our survey, just visit

www.the-triton.com and create a login. We’ll send the survey out by e-mail in early August.

– Lucy Reed

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

WRITE TO BE HEARD

August 2010 A19

Story on my friend King was well done I was pleasantly surprised to read your August 2007 article about my friend Presley King, which I found via a Google search. [“Presley King: sailor, racer, instructor, Olympian ... banjo player,” page A21] I thought it was well written and respectful of him, unlike another article I saw from a recent BVI King Spring Regatta.

Presley is a very special guy. I used to be his first mate for many offshore sailboat deliveries, mostly to or from the BVI. He taught me an amazing amount about sailing, helmsmanship, reading the winds, fishing, and the sea.

In return, I was in charge of any electronics beside his GPS and the boats’ VHF radio, did most of the paperwork at customs offices, and was a sympathetic ear for anything he cared to vent about.

Presley probably has enough stories to fill up a small book. I certainly would buy one.

Greg Ames Senior Software Engineer, IBM Raleigh, N.C. Editor’s note: To read the story, visit www.the-triton.com and either search for Presley King or enter http://thetriton.com/ node/5037

Tax break shouldn’t drive flag decision I couldn’t agree with Jake DesVergers more [“Pros, cons of foreign registration,” page B1, July issue].

I hope that come July 1, owners do not run to pay the [$18,000 cap on Florida sales and usage] tax without thinking through this decision, as a vessel’s nationality is more than just whether or not to pay taxes.

An owner must think about where the vessel cruises, do they plan to charter, what is the nationality of their crew, where was the vessel built, plus more.

Danielle Butler Lawyer, Fowler White Burnett Ft. Lauderdale

Campbell’s museum story inspires Thanks, Capt. John Campbell, for spreading the word about a gem of a museum and an amazing American family [“Herreshoffs made yachts that endured,” page B1, July issue].

I sailed on three Herreshoffs in the 1970s as racing crew, and Capt. Campbell’s article has inspired me to revisit the museum when I am in New England in October.

Merrily Boyde Retired, SW France Campbell

Tritch’s advice still helps new crew It was great to read the presentation on “Keeping your Resume out of the Trash”

by Capt. Laura Tritch [Page A1, December 2009].

I’m a newby embarking on a career in the superyacht industry and having her recommendations have been brilliant.

She gave a great insight of seeing a CV through the eyes of a captain.

Sharon Greene Auckland

Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com

Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com Advertising Sales Becky Gunter, becky@the-triton.com Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com

News staff Dorie Cox, dorie@the-triton.com Lawrence Hollyfield Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com The Triton Directory Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com

Contributors Ellen Anderson, Carol Bareuther, Mark A. Cline, Jake DesVergers, Frischhertz and Briggs families, Beth Greenwald, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Stew Alene Keenan, Capt. Rick Kemper and the crew of M/Y Aurora A, Chef Adam Mazzocchetti, Keith Murray, Steve Pica, Capt. Mike Pignéguy, Rossmare Intl., James Schot, Capt. Tom Serio, Capt. Ned Stone

You have a ‘write’ to be heard.

Share your thoughts about anything that bothers you with fellow crew either in these pages (by e-mailing us at editorial@ the-triton.com) or through our forums and comments sections online at www.the-triton.com.

Vol. 7, No. 5.

The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned

by Triton Publishing Group Inc. Copyright 2010 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact us at: Mailing address: 757 S.E. 17th St., #1119 Visit us at: 111B S. W. 23rd St. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315 (954) 525-0029; FAX (954) 525-9676 www.the-triton.com

Giving him the Heimlich

Taking advantage

Play that hand

When food and laughter don’t mix.

Use technology to shoot better.

Our 4th annual Poker Run

B2

Section B

B10

Spotted in the Far East

B14

www.the-triton.com

B15

August 2010

ISM changes expected to minimally impact yachts

NO MONSTERS, NO WHIRLPOOLS

The small boats of the Portoferraio waterfront.

Photos/Capt. Mike Pignéguy

Navigating, enjoying Strait of Messina

By Capt. Mike Pignéguy Passing through the Strait of Messina in ancient times was considered to be perilous in the extreme, mainly because of the existence of the mythical monster Scylla and the giant whirlpool Charybdis. Those, combined with strong currents and eddies, other whirlpools and violent squalls descending off the mountains, made taking this shortcut a serious undertaking.

The alternative was to brave the weather and sail all the way around Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean.

On our way from Athens to Toulon on the 26m motor yacht Aisling a few summers ago, we had decided to brave all the perils of the Strait, and I timed our passage through there to be in daylight so that we would see the stunning 3,274m Mt. Etna on the Sicilian coastline.

I need not have bothered as just after rounding Italy’s southernmost Cape Spartivento to approach the Strait, we

And at home in Lauderdale

From left, Aisling Stew Tamlyn Leahy, Capt. Jono Leahy and Capt. Mike Pigneguy in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. were deluged with rain accompanied by violent squalls. With visibility down to half a mile at times, we didn’t sight land until we were well into the northern and narrowest part of the Strait.

The weather forecast was not good,

so we decided to put into Messina for the night, the harbormaster assuring us of a good berth. But on approaching in the wind and rain, I decided the

See MESSINA, page B12

July 1 marked the 12th anniversary of the in-force date of the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships, the ISM Code.

When established in 1994, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) created a precedent by Rules of the Road its actions and Jake DesVergers deviated from the traditional “fix-all” process. By setting the ISM Code in motion, the IMO enacted an amendment to the existing International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea that focused on the human element.

The ISM Code applies to all passenger ships, including high-speed craft regardless of tonnage and all oil tankers, chemical tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers, cargo highspeed craft, self-propelled MODUs on an international voyage, and all other cargo ships of 500 gross tons or greater.

For regulatory purposes, a commercial yacht is considered a cargo ship.

As with any law or regulation, its implementation and use over time provides the industry with a list of good and bad qualities. So in December 2008, the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO adopted Resolution MSC.273 (85), which in turn adopted amendments to the ISM Code.

This marks the second set of amendments in the Code’s short but active lifespan.

Under IMO procedures, these amendments were deemed accepted

See RULES, page B8

B August 2010 ONBOARD EMERGENCIES: Sea Sick

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Eating, drinking and laughing: prime time for obstructed airway A woman who recently took my class was eating lunch when a co-worker stood up and grabbed his throat. The man looked scared as he was unable to cough, talk or breathe. She asked him if he was choking, he nodded yes. She asked him if he needed help and again he nodded yes.

She stood Sea Sick behind him, Keith Murray wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed.

After a few squeezes, a piece of food that was lodged in the man’s throat popped out and he began breathing.

Scenes like this happen every day.

Some are successful saves, yet many people die from choking, also called foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO). Unintentional obstructed airway (choking) injuries are one of the leading causes of unintentional death in the United States. Choking is a condition caused by inhalation of a foreign object that partially or fully blocks the airway. If the airway is not cleared quickly the victim will most likely die. When you are not breathing, you are in respiratory arrest.

Respiratory arrest will ultimately lead to cardiac arrest which means your heart stops and you are dead.

Often choking happens with adults in restaurants or at dinner parties where the victim is eating, maybe having a few alcoholic beverages, laughing and having a good time.

The combination of food, talking, laughter and a few cocktails can be deadly if food accidentally becomes lodged in the airway. But you can help.

Here are the four steps to treat choking with the Heimlich maneuver.

Step 1: Ask “Are you choking?”

Remember, someone who is truly choking cannot answer you but can nod.

Step 2: Ask “May I help you?” Yes, in the United States you need permission to touch a conscious person.

Step 3: Standing behind the choking person, wrap your arms around his/her waist as if in a hug. Make a fist with your stronger hand, placing the thumb side about one inch above the victim’s belly button. Grab the outside of the fist with your other hand.

Step 4: Strongly squeeze in an upward manner, thrusting your fist into the abdomen. You are trying to force

the air out of the body, which should dislodge whatever is in the person’s throat. We are literally trying to knock the wind (and lodged food) out of our victim. Continue until the victim can breath or passes out. If the person passes out and is still not breathing, you will most likely need to begin CPR. Performing the Heimlich on a pregnant woman is different. You do not want to thrust on the mother’s stomach as you could injure the child.

On pregnant women, move your hands higher to the sternum, the flat bone in the center of the chest. You are now squeezing the lungs instead of the abdomen, which should push out whatever is caught in the victim’s airway.

Performing the Heimlich on a large bellied man is also different. If the victim has more belly than you have arm span, move your hands up to the victim’s sternum and treat just as we did for the pregnant woman.

For an infant less than 1 year old, do not perform abdominal thrusts because of possible damage to their internal organs. Instead do what I like to call the “Heinz Ketchup technique.”

If the infant is not breathing, hold the baby on your arm with his/her face in your hand. Be careful not to cover the nose and mouth with your hand.

Hold the head stable and lower than the rest of the body for gravity to assist you.

With the other hand, smack the baby between the shoulder blades five times, as if you were trying to get ketchup out of a bottle. Now, roll the baby onto your other arm, this time face up. Still holding the head, press down on the baby’s chest with two fingers, giving five chest thrusts. Repeat until they baby cries. Once the baby is crying you have airflow.

Beware of someone who appears to be choking heading to the restroom.

Often choking victims feel something stuck in their throat and leave the dinner table thinking they might throw up. This, however, is a big mistake.

They need help and quick action must be taken otherwise they could die. If you see someone who appears to be choking heading to the restroom, ask if they need assistance.

Keith Murray, a former Florida firefighter EMT, is the owner of The CPR School which provides onboard CPR, AED First Aid Safety Training for yacht captains and crew as well as AED Sales and Service. Contact The CPR School at +1561-762-0500 or www.TheCPRSchool. com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

B August 2010

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

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Iridium, Boeing in new deal; Awlgrip revises its topcoat Iridium extends deal with Boeing

Iridium Communications has entered into two long-term agreements with The Boeing Company that redefine the relationship between the companies for maintenance, operations and support of Iridium’s satellite network.

Under the first agreement, relating to the operation and maintenance of Iridium’s current satellite constellation, Boeing will provide support for Iridium’s satellite control system (SCS), giving Iridium cost savings and benefit from the release of more than $15 million in restricted cash required under the prior agreement.

The second agreement is a new support services contract under which Boeing will become the exclusive operations and maintenance provider for Iridium’s next-generation constellation, Iridium NEXT. Under this agreement, Boeing will further upgrade Iridium’s SCS to become fully compatible with Iridium NEXT.

Awlgrip revises topcoat

Yacht coatings manufacturer Awlgrip has revised its topcoat and expects to release it to the industry upon completion of advance previews with customers, which are under way.

“Awlgrip is now in a position to take the necessary step to ensure that the topcoat is in compliance with forthcoming legislation changes that will limit use of certain chemicals,” said Ken Hickling, Awlgrip’s global manager in a company release.

“Fortunately the replacement solvent, for which we hold sole user registrations, provides the characteristics as the one it replaces, ensuring that the Awlgrip topcoat remains the same as before.”

For more information, visit www. awlgrip.com.

USCG certifies Headhunter plant

Ft. Lauderdale-based Headhunter, specialists in yacht plumbing and sanitation, has received eight certificates of approval for new models in its Tidal Wave HMX sewage treatment plants, the first to be approved according to the new performance standard set by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization.

The Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) adopted the new resolution MEPC 159(55) in 2006, though implementation began the first of this year. In response, the U.S. Coast Guard issued Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular Number (NVIC) 1-09 , which laid the procedural framework for the Marine Safety Center to evaluate manufacturers of sewage

treatment systems according to the new standards.

To date, Headhunter is the only manufacturer in the world to have this type of product approval from the U.S. Coast Guard.

For more information, visit www. headhunterinc.com.

Underwater light needs no thru-hull

Australia-based Aqualuma Underwater Lighting has introduced a new surface-mount light designed to be mounted to the transom of a vessel.

Housing nine LEDs, it measures 5.4 inches long, 3 inches high and less than an inch deep. It is factory-sealed with a two-wire installation that doesn’t require bonding. It draws less than 1.4 amps at 12V DC and is reverse-polarity protected.

Available in brilliant white, ultra blue and ultra green, the Surface Mount Light comes with 12 feet of tinned, submersible cable and Aqualuma’s twoyear warranty. It retails for $598.

For more information, visit www. aqualuma.com.

Scandvik has new battery charger

The new Dolphin Premium Series Battery Chargers from Scandvik Marine incorporate the latest charging technologies in compact, easy-toinstall units.

With three isolated outputs capable of full charge rates, Premium Series 12-volt chargers feature four charging programs (including a Lithium Ion Iron Phosphate charge cycle with Integrated BMS), a weekly automatic equalization of each bank and a silent night mode.

They come in 10-, 15-, 25- and 40-amp models.

For more information, visit www. scandvik.com.

New service manager at Nauti-Tech Ft. Lauderdale-based Nauti-Tech, yacht systems specialists, has hired Richard Young as its new service manager, replacing David Bell, who is starting a new career.

Raised in England, Young trained in the British Royal and Merchant navies before joining the yachting industry in 1987.

After 10 years as a yacht engineer, captain and charter manager, he owned and operated an electrical and electronics service company in the Mid-Atlantic region before relocating to South Florida in 2007.

Young is an ABYC-certified master technician with more than 25 years of technical experience servicing yachts.

Nauti-Tech specializes in yacht systems, including electronics, electrical, hydraulics, air conditioning, refrigeration, gangways and davits.

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BOATS / BROKERS

Heesen signs two more; M/Y Alysia, Phocea sell Heesen Yachts has signed contracts to build two more yachts -- a 50m vessel and a 47m vessel. These bring to four the number of contracts Heesen has signed in 2010. The Dutch builder has 14 yachts in construction.

September 2011. Big Fish will carry scientists and film crews to document the areas and archipelagos.

She is sailing with a full complement of SeaKeeper 1000 ocean/weather/ climate monitoring equipment.

Edmiston, along with agents Burgess and Peter Insull’s Yacht Marketing, has sold the 280-foot (85m) M/Y Alysia. The yacht will be renamed Moonlight II, and will be on the charter market with Edmiston.

The sale stemmed from a lead during the 2nd annual Abu Dhabi Yacht Show in late February. Another deal emerged from the show: a new build 34m Westport for more than $11 million to a Middle East client.

Alloy Yachts has begun construction on a 39m explorer yacht designed by Rene Van der Velden. AY44 is expected to be completed in 2012.

Lürssen has launched the 286foot (87.2m) M/Y Phoenix 2. Moran Yacht & Ship negotiated the contract, compiled the technical specifications, and oversaw construction during her three-year build.

Burger Boat Company has launched M/Y Sea Owl, a 142-foot (43.3m) tri-deck motor yacht. She has five staterooms, including a main deck master suite, and crew quarters of four doubles with en suite bath. A captain’s stateroom is aft of the wheelhouse and also en suite bath.

The 124-foot Delta M/Y Sea Owl has joined The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals’ brokerage division as a central agency listing. Formerly the Lady Linda, the yacht has recently had a refit to add zero-speed stabilizers, a Fleet 55 Satcom, a new audio/visual system, and a security package.

After almost three years of construction, the 45m expedition yacht Big Fish departed Auckland Harbor on June 28 to begin a polar circumnavigation. First stop will be Papeete in the Society Islands, then on to Ft. Lauderdale for the boat show this fall, the Antarctic, the Amazon and the Northeast Passage.

Big Fish is the first in a series of world cruisers from Aquos Yachts.

The second vessel, a 50m, six-stateroom version code-named Star Fish, is under construction at McMullen & Wing Shipyard in Auckland.

With a steel hull and 10,000-mile range, she is planning a one-year circumnavigation via both poles, which will take her down the western coast of South America to the Antarctic Peninsula then north into the Upper Amazon Basin.

Then, she will attempt to become the first yacht to cross the Northeast Passage, over the top of Russia, in

Fraser Yachts has sold its central listing S/Y Phocea, a 246-foot (75m) Arsenal by broker Jürgen Koch of Palma. New central listings include M/Y Ariela, a 129-foot (39.6m) CRN Ancona by Jan Jaap Minnema of Monaco; M/Y Serque, a 130-foot (39.6m) custom yacht by John Weller of Ft. Lauderdale; M/Y Printemps, a 112foot (34m) Heesen by Antoine Larricq of Monaco; and M/Y Diamante, a 92foot (28m) Paragon by Weller.

New central listings for charter include M/Y Sojourn, a 130-foot (37m) Gambol Industries in the Pacific Northwest, and M/Y Beyond, a 110foot (31m) Inace in the Caribbean and Panama.

Merle Wood and Associates has added the following to its central listings for sale: M/Y Azteca II, a 163foot yacht built by Nereids Yachts (joint with Engel & Volkers Yachting); M/Y Kanaloa, a 159-foot CRN; M/Y O’Khalila, a 150-foot Palmer Johnson (joint with Yachting Partners); M/Y Starship, a 143-foot yacht (joint with Chamberlain Yachts); and M/Y Annastar, a 117-foot Delta.

M/Y Azteca II also joins Merle Wood’s charter fleet.

Ocean Independence has sold the 23m Cape Horn Trawler M/Y Lord’s Warrior by broker Jeroen Minnema in Antibes, and the new 26.5m M/Y Cecienne by broker Marc Haendle in Palma.

The firm has added the 30m Benetti M/Y Favorita for sale with broker Bjorn Vang-Mathisen in Geneva and for charter in the Western Med with OCI charter management.

New to its charter fleet is the 43m S/Y This is Us, the former Skylge. The aluminium Holland Jachtbouw is Lloyds classed and MCA compliant and will cruise the Western Mediterranean this summer and the Caribbean this winter.

Patrick Danaher, former marina manager at Boston Yacht Haven, has joined Northrop and Johnson’s brokerage team in the Boston office on Long Wharf. Contact him at patrick@ njyachting.com.

August 2010 B

Today’s fuel prices

One year ago

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of July 15.

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of July 15, 2009

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 605/645 Savannah, Ga. 585/NA Newport, R.I. 600/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 745/NA St. Maarten 810/NA Antigua 970/NA Valparaiso 790/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 830/NA Cape Verde 685/NA Azores 710/NA Canary Islands 705/NA Mediterranean Gibraltar 695/NA Barcelona, Spain 750/1,470 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,390 Antibes, France 645/1,465 San Remo, Italy 810/1,625 Naples, Italy 770/1,542 Venice, Italy 775/1,555 Corfu, Greece 720/1,790 Piraeus, Greece 695/1,785 Istanbul, Turkey 670/NA Malta 720/1,550 Tunis, Tunisia 650/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 655/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 695/NA Sydney, Australia 715/NA Fiji 770/NA

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 504/541 Savannah, Ga. 497/NA Newport, R.I. 551/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 602/NA St. Maarten 734/NA Antigua 606/NA Valparaiso 780/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 615/NA Cape Verde 526/NA Azores 547/NA Canary Islands 497/705 Mediterranean Gibraltar 475/NA Barcelona, Spain 523/1,220 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,206 Antibes, France 575/1,415 San Remo, Italy 701/1,575 Naples, Italy 642/1,506 Venice, Italy 666/1,473 Corfu, Greece 704/1,362 Piraeus, Greece 687/1,345 Istanbul, Turkey 538/NA Malta 486/1275 Bizerte, Tunisia 548/NA Tunis, Tunisia 540/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 542/NA Sydney, Australia 551/NA Fiji 602/NA

*When available according to local customs.

*When available according to local customs.

B August 2010

MARINAS / SHIPYARDS

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Savannah yard sold to oil company; new owners at Broward GSS yard sold to oil company

A megayacht shipyard on the Savannah River that has changed hands twice this decade has been sold to its land neighbor, oil company Colonial Oil. The yard, once owned by Palmer Johnson and recently run as Global Ship Systems, was operational again this year as Savannah MegaYacht.

That operation closed three months ago when Colonial Oil contracted to buy the property, according to a story in the Savannah Morning News.

Colonial Oil bought the yard for $10 million, the newspaper reported.

Global Ship Systems bought it in 2004 for $14 million, but foreclosed on its loan and closed in 2007.

According to the newspaper, Colonial Oil plans to repair and upgrade the facility, using much of it for its own operations.

The 535-foot dry dock and some surrounding facilities, however, may again be leased to a yachting business, possibly Savannah MegaYacht, according to the story.

New managers at Broward

Butch Risker, a long-time shipyard manager in South Florida, was laid off from Broward Shipyard on July 7. The yard is undergoing a new management structure and is working to “leave the recent past behind,” said Philippe Brandligt, a consultant working to help revive Broward’s distant past of successful boat building.

Brandligt, who has worked on the construction of several Amels yachts with Moonen Shipyard, is the point person at Broward for new builds.

“Broward, its new owners, and a new and proactive management team, with global experience in building the finest yachts in the world, are leaving the recent past behind and shall focus on the future, with the mission to become again one of the leading companies within the United States’ yacht-building industry,” the company said in a news release. Broward will be a “provider of excellent refit and repair work, and [a] builder of firstclass motoryachts offering large and comfortable accommodation spaces, great performance and attractive prices.”

Broward Shipyard is located on the Dania Cut-off Canal in Dania Beach, Fla. Risker remains in South Florida, working sales for several companies, and looking for a new operational or management opportunity.

Costa Rica marina opens

Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, Costa Rica, has opened phase one. One hundred slips in the marina are open, as is the fuel dock and the marine store.

Slips are for purchase.

BWA partners with Spanish marina

BWA is Vilanova Grand Marina’s preferred provider for yacht services and will open an office within its facilities.

Vilanova Grand Marina – Barcelona and BWA Yachting have signed a multiyear service and marketing agreement that makes BWA the preferred provider for yacht agency and concierge services in the marina. BWA plans to open an office in the marina.

Located 40km south of Barcelona, the 15-month-old Vilanova Grand Marina offers both short- and longterm berths.

IGY signs Colombia marina

Island Global Yachting (IGY), an owner and manager of luxury marinas, has added Marina Santa Marta in Colombia to its network of marinas around the world.

On Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast, the new marina offers 256 berths on floating docks for vessels up to 132 feet (40m) and a draft of 11 feet (3.5m).

The marina is naturally guarded in a soft-sand sheltered bay, according to a news release, and will have 24-hour security and cameras.

Dedicated facilities for captains and crew will offer TV and wi-fi as well as modern bathrooms and showers.

A helicopter landing pad is on site, along with port authority, immigration and customs.

Vessel amenities include pump-out and fuel service, electricity, wi-fi and water.

The marina scheduled a preview in late July. It will open to the industry on Sept. 1.

B August 2010 FROM THE TECH FRONT: Rules of the Road

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Systems should have already been reviewed to meet code RULES, from page B1 on Jan. 1, 2010 and entered force on July 1.

The amendments are intended to clarify certain aspects of the ISM Code and should not result in substantive changes to the safety management activities of companies operating an efficient and effective safety management system, as the original Code intended.

However, management companies and yachts should have already reviewed their safety management systems against the amended text to confirm that the requirements of the ISM Code continue to be met both ashore and onboard.

The amendments imposed by IMO Resolution MSC.273 (85) are outlined in italics as follows: 1.0 GENERAL In paragraph 1.1.10, the words “and includes” are replaced by the word “or.”

The definition of Major Nonconformity is now clear in that it means an “immediate threat to safety or the environment” OR a “failure to implement a requirement of the Code.”

The existing subparagraph .2 of paragraph 1.2.2 is replaced by the following: “.2 assess all identified risks to its ships, personnel and the environment and establish appropriate safeguards; and”.

The need to perform risk assessments as part of the safety management activities is now made explicit, rather than implied. This change will likely have the largest impact for companies. While the amendment does not require a formal risk assessment, it does introduce a new auditable requirement. The company must demonstrate its obligation.

5.0 MASTER’S RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY The word “periodically” is added at the beginning of paragraph 5.1.5.

This amendment is likely to have little or no impact. With the addition of the word “periodically”, it emphasizes that the “master’s review” is an ongoing process aimed at improving the effectiveness of the safety management system.

7.0 SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS The existing section 7 is replaced by the following: “7 SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS The Company should establish procedures, plans, and instructions, including checklists as appropriate, for key shipboard operations concerning the safety of the personnel, ship, and protection of the environment. The various tasks should be defined and assigned to qualified personnel.”

The impact of this amendment is fairly low, depending upon the actual management system. The change in wording simply clarifies the original intent of Section 7.

For those yacht managers who traditionally leave the preparation of specific procedures to the master of each yacht, this will need to change. Input from the master and crew is critical in developing usable procedures.

However, the responsibility to establish the necessary procedures, plans and instructions is assigned to the company.

8.0 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS The existing paragraph 8.1 is replaced by the following: “8.1 The Company should identify potential emergency shipboard situations, and establish procedures to respond to them.”

This amendment has a low impact to most management systems. It is an editorial revision. It creates two distinct actions for the company, which were already implied in the original version.

First, potential emergency situations should be identified. Second, procedures need to be established to respond to such situations. Very simple.

9.0 REPORTS AND ANALYSIS OF NON-CONFORMITIES, ACCIDENTS, AND HAZARDOUS OCCURRENCES The existing paragraph 9.2 is replaced by the following: “9.2 The Company should establish procedures for the implementation of corrective action, including measures intended to prevent recurrence.”

Where non-conformities, accidents, or hazardous occurrences have been identified, two actions are to be implemented.

There must be an immediate corrective action to fix the problem, plus preventive action to eliminate re-occurrence. This was already an implied requirement, but failed to be done consistently. By making this change, a new, auditable requirement is also created.

10.0 MAINTENANCE OF THE SHIP AND EQUIPMENT In paragraph 10.3, the words “establish procedures in its safety management system to” are deleted.

This amendment is another editorial change. It ensures that the company takes action rather than just has a procedure to take action.

12.0 COMPANY VERIFICATION, REVIEW, AND EVALUATION Paragraph 12.1 is replaced by the following: “12.1 The Company should carry

See RULES, page B9

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www.the-triton.com FROM THE TECH FRONT: Rules of the Road

Societies, flag states placed varied meanings on ‘annual’ RULES, from page B8 out internal safety audits on board and ashore at intervals not exceeding twelve months to verify whether safety and pollution-prevention activities comply with the safety management system. In exceptional circumstances, this interval may be exceeded by not more than three months.”

If a commercial yacht was being audited by an IACS member (ABS, LR, BV, etc.), the requirement for annual audits was already in place.

However, the term “annual” was being interpreted differently by societies and flag-states.

This revision also clarifies the requirement for internal audits on both the yacht and in the company.

In paragraph 12.2, the words “efficiency of and, when needed, review” are replaced by the words “effectiveness of ”.

This amendment clarifies that the management review is to be completed periodically. It requires a company to produce evidence that the reviews evaluate the effectiveness of the safety management system.

Some changes may be necessary for a company’s procedures. This amendment creates another auditable item.

13.0 CERTIFICATION AND PERIODICAL VERIFICATION The following new paragraphs 13.12, 13.13 and 13.14 are added after the existing paragraph 13.11: “13.12 When the renewal verification is completed after the expiry date of the existing Safety Management Certificate, the new Safety Management Certificate should be valid from the date of completion of the renewal verification to a date not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing Safety Management Certificate.

“13.13 If a renewal verification has been completed and a new Safety Management Certificate cannot be issued or placed on board the ship before the expiry date of the existing certificate, the Administration or organization recognized by the Administration may endorse the existing certificate and such a certificate should be accepted as valid for a further period which should not exceed five months from the expiry date.

“13.14 If a ship at the time when a Safety Management Certificate expires is not in a port in which it is to be verified, the Administration may extend the period of validity of the Safety Management Certificate but this extension should be granted only for the purpose of allowing the ship to complete its voyage to the port in which it is to be verified, and then only in cases where

it appears proper and reasonable to do so. No Safety Management Certificate should be extended for a period of longer than three months, and the ship to which an extension is granted should not, on its arrival in the port in which it is to be verified, be entitled by virtue of such extension to leave that port without having a new Safety Management Certificate.

When the renewal verification is completed, the new Safety Management Certificate should be valid to a date not exceeding five years from the expiry date of the existing Safety Management Certificate before the extension was granted.”

These amendments reflect the provisions of SOLAS Chapter I/14 and the Protocol of 1988 to the SOLAS Convention. The Safety Management Certificate (SMC) is now aligned with other statutory certificates issued under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC).

This is an administrative item for flag administrations and classification societies.

14.0 INTERIM CERTIFICATION In paragraph 14.4.3, the word “internal” is inserted after the words “planned the”.

This amendment clarifies the need for the company to conduct an internal audit within three months of an Interim Safety Management Certificate being issued. This requirement was already implied. Impact is foreseen as very low.

Upon review of the above changes, it is readily seen that the majority of the amendments are administrative or editorial in nature. Their impact to the overall safety management process is negligible.

However, some of these amendments also create new auditable requirements. Companies and the yachts under their management must be aware of these changes to ensure that satisfactory documented evidence is available to demonstrate continued compliance.

Capt. Jake DesVergers is chief surveyor for International Yacht Bureau (IYB), an organization that provides inspection services to private and commercial yachts on behalf of several flag administrations, including the Marshall Islands. A deck officer graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, he previously sailed as master on merchant ships, acted as designated person for a shipping company, and served as regional manager for an international classification society. Contact him at +1-954-596-2728 or www.yachtbureau. org. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

August 2010 B

B10 August 2010 PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo Exposé

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Camera programs a good image, but you can perfect your shots Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts.

Previously I introduced the camera light meter of the digital age, the histogram. Accompanying this article is an image showing a photograph already taken in a display setting to review the histogram.

The green arrow in the upper left corner indicates the review mode is active. Grab your Photo Exposé camera and put it James Schot into review mode to see what symbol might appear and where it is located.

I’ve added in red lettering the word “histogram” and pointed to it with a red arrow. Let me note the other symbols displayed from top to bottom: 10M – indicates the resolution that

was set for the photograph taken. It is the best or maximum resolution for this camera.

Next to it is the word “RAW”.

This always engages the maximum resolution, since is an unprocessed complete file.

To the right is the battery level, indicating it is full.

The next line is the folder/file number followed w/box indicating this photo is on the memory card (otherwise it is in camera memory).

80/82 lets us know the picture number among the total number of pictures taken.

Followed by the histogram, to which the red arrow is pointing.

On down, far left, the red “P” lets me know this shot was taken in Program Mode at an aperture of f/8 at 1/800 shutter speed.

At right, on the same line I see my

ISO at 800.

The circle with the broken arrow to the right means no flash was on or used, followed on the right with “2” between two triangles indicating the level of image stabilization (options are off, 1, and 2).

You can learn from some of this information that I could have done a lot better taking Histogram in display.

PHOTO/JAMES SCHOT this photograph. (It must have been early morning when I was f/8 is my camera’s smallest, and f/5.6 or not yet awake.) The setting ISO at 800 f/4 would have been just fine along with might have been my best option for a a shutter speed of 1/500 or even 1/250 late-night photograph, but it was taken (or 1/125, although this yacht was in daylight, so I could have lowered the moving slowly).

ISO to 200, even 100 for the best results.

Set at ISO 800 and in “P” or Program The higher ISO settings produce more Mode (red letter on LCD display) noise that degrades image quality. means the camera automatically chose You can tell I had the leeway to make f/8 at 1/800 to make a good exposure. this ISO change by looking at the f/8 If I had been awake and re-set my ISO aperture and 1/800 shutter speed. That to ISO 100, it would likely have set the aperture at f/4 and the shutter speed to 1/400. [I used the word likely for “P” or “Auto” mode, because only in Manual Mode will you know for sure, by having control that allows you to decide for the particular situation.]

Go figure … going from ISO 800 to (400 to 200 to) 100 equals a three-stop decrease of light, while going from f/8 (to f/5.6) to f/4 and from 1/800 to 1/400 shutter speed increased light reaching the sensor by three stops of light, so the exposure, the amount of light hitting the picture capturing sensor, remains the same. Perfect, and the quality of the photo taken would have improved.

Back to the light meter, that is the histogram. It is the dark rectangle with the white bar graph. Overall, it looks good. There is a broad range of tones.

The black/left side indicates there are no super blacks in the photo. On the white/right side there seems to be some clipping (due to the 800 ISO).

You identify clipping on either side if a bar hugs the right or left. The clipping - in this case, only on the right sidemeans some white areas have lost all detail. They are blown out. It is likely the lost detail is in areas of the sky. In this case, it may not be critical, but clipping on either end is better avoided.

I mentioned the histogram looked good (except for the highlight clipping) at ISO 800, f/8, 1/800. Re-setting to the same exposure using ISO 100, f/4, 1/250 would have resulted in a similarlooking histogram, but even better, without the over-exposure clipping on the right, and the high signal-to-noise ratio that is a direct result of the high ISO. At this juncture, I’ll take permission to come ashore.

James Schot has a studio gallery in Ft. Lauderdale. He has been a professional photographer for 35 years, for more visit www.jamesschotgallerystudio.com.

Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

B12 August 2010 CRUISING GROUNDS: Italian coast

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Northern entrance much narrower than Southern MESSINA, from page B1 pontoon was far too light for our 150 tons and opted to continue north.

The southern end of the Strait of Messina is 7.5 miles wide, but it narrows to barely 1.5 miles at its northern entrance. This gives rise to currents of up to 4 knots that create whirlpools and eddies, charmingly known locally as bastardi. It is a busy stretch of water with frequent ferry crossings from the mainland to Messina, cargo vessels transiting the Strait, and the famous swordfishing boats that have bowsprits as long as the boat itself (13m).

After clearing the Strait we entered the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the weather thankfully cleared as we headed toward Vibo, some 50 miles to the north.

Although a major port on the Calabria region’s coastline, we found Vibo to be a fairly sleepy town, but the facilities were good and the people friendly.

Feeling energetic, I made a 6km hike north to the medieval town of Pizzo Calabra and was delighted by the ancient architecture, narrow streets, cafes that spill out onto the streets with tourists sampling the tartufo (ice cream) that the town is famous for. A castle built in 1486 by Ferdinand I of Aragon overlooks the main town square, the Piazzo Umberto. As old as every building is, they all appeared to be either lived in or in use.

A couple of days later, after stocking up with fresh local produce, we were on our way north again. Although always in sight of the coast, we were disappointed by the noticeable lack of bird life. The Mediterranean takes 180 years to renew its waters with Atlantic intake, and with modern development around its vast shoreline it has become polluted.

This, combined with over-fishing, is having a severe effect on the marine ecosystem, which is now a marine version of a semi-desert or semi-arid land. The lack of circulating currents, plus the pollution and relatively tepid water, does not provide ideal conditions for plankton, the basis of all marine food chains. The Med’s much-vaunted clarity is in fact due to this plankton poverty.

We ran into fog on our overnight run up to the island of Ischia that lies close to the coast just north of Naples and Salerno. These are both major ferry ports, and like many other ferries, Italian ferries do not slow down when in fog. The ones we encountered didn’t anyway, and it was here that our AIS (Automatic Identification System) proved its worth. Interfaced with both our chartplotter and radar, it provided valuable information about the ships in our vicinity. The AIS is mandatory for all vessels over 300 gross tons, so one mustn’t be fooled into thinking that all the targets on the chartplotter screen are all that there is out there. Our ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid) and a good visual lookout picked up the rest.

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Sicily It’s important not to forget to look out of the wheelhouse windows.

The mystical Isle of Capri slid by in the early morning mist, and after a short run across the Baia di Napoli, we approached the small but mountainous island of Ischia. Like many Italian mainland ports, Ischia was small with berthing stern-to the town quay being the norm. The crowded, busy port is surrounded by the old town, its streets lined with thick-walled tenement-style buildings, some freshly painted, others fading and peeling, both somehow contributing to the overall warm ambiance found in most Italian towns.

With only 34kms of coastline, this little island just oozes history, starting way back in 750 B.C.. As the result of invading armies and pirates, ownership has changed many times, even after the Aroganese castle was built in 474 B.C. on a large rocky islet, now connected to the main island by a stone causeway.

The castle reached its highest splendour at the end of the 16th century when it was host to nearly 1,900 families while they sheltered from yet more pirate attacks. The Italian mainland is easily visible from the castle’s towers that were used to spot enemy warships as well as approaching traders.

The island’s 788m Mt. Epomeo was an active volcano until the 13th century, but now provides hot water for thermal spas, hot springs and volcanic mud, making it a sort of an Italian Rotorua for European tourists.

In many Mediterranean ports, it is not unusual to have someone drop their anchor across yours when executing a Mediterranean moor, as boats are often

A waterfront cafe on Ischia.

Photo/Capt. Mike Pignéguy

berthed just a fender apart. Clearing fouled anchor chains is a good sideline for many local divers. Luckily, ours came up unattached when the time came to leave.

Our next stop was Ostia, back on the mainland and at the entrance of the Tiber River that runs through Rome. On the banks were fishing nets rigged on platforms, which were similar to ones I had seen at Cochin on India’s west coast.

See MESSINA, page B13

The Triton

www.the-triton.com CRUISING GROUNDS: Italian coast

August 2010 B13

Portoferraio: historically safe MESSINA, from page B12 One can’t go to Italy without visiting Rome, and the next couple of days were spent soaking up atmosphere and having a wonderful cultural fix just wandering the streets of the unique city.

But we still had to head north, and for the 106-mile run to Portoferraio on the island of Elba, we made an early morning start, assisted somewhat by the NNW current of one-half to 1 knot that flows up the Tuscany coast. Tidal differences around the Italian Coast vary considerably, but on the west coast, the range averages about 0.3m.

Portoferraio is a natural, U-shaped harbor and well-protected by the surrounding hills, making it known through the ages as one of the safest ports in the Med. With only 60 berths in the port we were lucky to get the prime spot right outside the Porta a Mare, the main entrance to the mostly walled town. It was through this entrance that Napoléon Bonaparte passed when he arrived as an exile on May 4, 1814.

While exploring the waterfront of this port, I came across the ruins of a first century Roman villa with its still vivid geometry of a terrazzo floor. The Romans had ruled the island since 300 B.C., making copious use of mines that yielded iron ore right up to the 1980s.

But it was the Pisans who ruled Elba from the 11th to 16th centuries and whose citadel still dominates the skyline of Portoferraio. The town is a warren of steep, narrow-stepped streets, mostly only suitable for pedestrians, with the maze of alleyways and staircases lined with 18th century dwellings painted in a range of fading pastel colors. It’s hard to imagine why Napoléon ever left.

A short hop across to the mainland put us into the modern man-made port of Rosignano. From here it was just an hour’s train ride to Pisa, built on the banks of the Arno River some 13 centuries B.C. Then there was the tower that was built in the 11th century, and from which Gallileo, in 1604, performed his experiments on falling masses as it was easier to do them from a leaning building. I have to admit to feeling slightly uncomfortable on the top of this tower, although the climb was well worth the view over the town and rolling hills of the Tuscany countryside.

Corsica is the birthplace of Napoléon, and the island’s flag, which shows the outline of a black Moor’s head with a bandana around it, gives the air of fierce independence and pride. With 1,000 km of coastline, the island is the fourth largest in the Mediterranean. With more than 20 mountains higher than 2,000 meters, it has remained relatively unspoilt.

There was just enough room for us in the Vieux (old) Port of Bastia. With our 2.3m draft we had to berth on the outside wall of this shallow port surrounded by an array of 18th century

tenement buildings that were homes, restaurants and shops. Even in a sad state of disrepair as some were, none looked out of place.

Dominating the port is the 14th century citadel, or bastiglia, built to protect the town. The six- and sevenstory houses that literally lean over the narrow streets have washing hung randomly between them, the housewives gossiping to each other high above the slow-moving traffic.

Bastia was the capital of Corsica until Napoléon changed it to Ajaccio in the south, and with the change came loss of privileges and trade, until by the 20th century it had become a slum.

In World War II it had the unenviable distinction of being the only Corsican town to be severely bombed by the Americans. Unfortunately, the town

M/Y Aisling berthed at the old Bastia port on Corsica.

Photo/Capt.

Mike Pignéguy

was just celebrating the evacuation of the Germans when the bombs started falling. Although there are still signs of neglected buildings, it is still a delightful town, full of history, with tourism helping to restore it to its former glory.

We had a date with a Dockwise ship in Toulon that was to transport the Aisling back across the Atlantic to Ft. Lauderdale. So, with the sun setting behind the mountains of Corsica, we left

Bastia and headed north around Cap Corse for a night run across to Toulon.

Capt. Mike Pignéguy is a relief captain on charter boats and superyachts around the world. He is an RYA instructor and examiner in Auckland, N.Z., and the author of three boating books (www. boatingfun.co.nz). Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@thetriton.com.

B14 August 2010 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Seminars and symposiums lined up for the summertime Aug. 1 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch

EVENT OF MONTH

(first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk, Ft. Lauderdale. Free, 11a.m. to 2 p.m.. www.fortlauderdale.gov

Aug. 4 The Triton’s 4th annual poker run and networking

Aug. 2-3 American Boat Builders

and Repairers Association Summer Symposium, Mystic, Conn. www.abbra. org/summer-symposium noon, Ft. Lauderdale. A roundtable discussion of the issues of the day.

Yacht captains only. RSVP to Associate Editor Dorie Cox at dorie@the-triton. com, +1 954-525-0029. Space is limited.

Aug. 10 Florida Yacht Brokers

Association Educational Charter Seminar, Ft. Lauderdale. Sessions on Web site marketing, social media, negotiation and legal issues affecting charter. $75 for FYBA members, $125 non-members; includes lunch and a reception. RSVP to Randi Myers, +1 954-522-9270, randi@fyba.org

Aug. 17 FYBA 5th annual West Coast

of Florida Listing to Closing and the Law Seminar, Sarasota. RSVP to Randi Myers, +1954-522-9270, randi@fyba.org

Aug. 20 6th edition Ida Lewis Distance Race. A 177nm and a 150nm race off

Sept. 8-13 33rd annual Cannes

All together now with yachts, wheels and friends for a good cause 5-6 p.m.; networking from 6-8 p.m. Pick up rules and your first card at Hall of Fame Marina then to Mediterranean Market, Maritime Professional Training, National Marine Suppliers and finish with networking at Marina Bay Marina Resort. Proceeds go to the Triton scholarship in the marine training program at Broward College.

Come in whatever road-legal vehicle suits your style. No need to RSVP; just show up by 5 p.m. and call us for more info: 954525-0029 or visit www.the-triton.com.

Aug. 5 The Triton Bridge luncheon,

Narragansett Bay, R.I., finishing in Newport. www.ildistancerace.org

City. One of the four grand slam tennis tournaments. www.usopen.org

Aug. 27-29 8th annual Shipyard Cup,

Sept. 4-5 31st annual Classic Yacht

East Boothbay, Maine. An invitational regatta open to sailing yachts over 70 feet. www.shipyardcup.com

Aug. 28-29 Newport Arts Festival. www.newportartsfestival.com

Aug. 30-Sept. 12 U.S. Open, New York

Riverwalk, Ft. Lauderdale. Hispanic Heritage Month. From 11 to 2; free. www.fortlauderdale.gov International Boat and Yacht Show, France. Two weeks before Monaco and for smaller yachts. www. salonnautiquecannes.com

Sept. 10-12 St. Barths Bucket Regatta.

A non-racing regatta open to yachts over 100 feet. www.newportbucket.com

Sept. 16-19 40th annual Newport

International Boat Show, Newport, R.I. www.newportboatshow.com.

Sept. 22-25 20th Monaco Yacht Show. www.monacoyachtshow.org

Oct. 28- Nov. 1 51st Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. www.showmanagement.com

Regatta. Includes the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta in Marblehead (Aug. 8), the Opera House Cup in Nantucket (Aug. 15), and the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta in Newport (Sept. 3-5). www.moy.org

Sept. 5 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch (first Sunday of every month) at

A yachting community directory

The Triton Directory is an Internet-based directory of businesses that serve and service large yachts. But it’s more than a directory.

It has a unique feature that allows users to print their own custom directory of the resources they require in the region they will travel.

Visit www.the-triton.com/directory

MAKING PLANS Oct. 13 Triton Party

Celebrate Oktoberfest at the Downtowner Saloon with The Triton. Stay tuned for details at www.the-triton.com.

The Triton

www.the-triton.com SPOTTED: Taiwan; Ft. Lauderdale

Triton Spotters

The Western crew of M/Y Aurora A – that’s Capt. Rick Kemper holding the paper – paused with some of their new Eastern crew at Premiere Shipyard in Taiwan where they were completing some yard work in preparation of the start of a cruise around China. For more about that trip, check back with us next month.

Capt. Ned Stone took his Triton hat back to his roots this spring, picking up freelance fishing and diving jobs. He claims he’s making a fashion statement, which we whole heartedly support. At least it’ll keep the sun out of your eyes.

Where have you taken your Triton recently?

Send photos to editorial@the-triton.com.

If we print yours, you get a cool Triton T-shirt.

August 2010 B15

July networking

August networking

Industry spins wheels for cause

Inspired messages

At Global Satellite

Meet at Marina Bay, Poker Run finale

$50,000 raised for Kids In Distress

Chef publishes first novel

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Section C

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August 2010

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Lots of chances for injuries while working aboard

TRITON SURVEY: SUMMER PLANS

The latest launch from Richmond Yachts, the 150-foot M/Y Status Quo, passed through the Panama Canal in mid-July after cruising with the owners. Nearly half of all respondents in this month’s survey were either PHOTO FROM CAPT. RICK LENARDSON cruising with the owner or guests (26.5 percent) or between trips (19 percent).

Yachting’s Summer of 2010 on the move ‘Summer took a while to start, but it’s here now in the Med for sure’

By Lucy Chabot Reed Three megayachts were Medmoored on the east face dock in Nantucket for the July 4th holiday, a fraction of what is usually there – even in the past few years – leaving people to ask: “Where are the big yachts?” asked the captain of a 120-140 foot yacht. “In Nantucket on the 4th of July there was one 130-footer Medmoored. There should have been eight or more.”

So we asked megayacht captains and crew about yachting’s Summer of 2010.

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We were happy to see that the largest portion of the 211 respondents are moving around with their yachts this summer, and they report a bit more activity on the world’s waters than last year, Nantucket notwithstanding. (It all depends on where you sit, doesn’t it?)

We started with the moment and asked in early July: What are you doing right now?

Nearly half of respondents were either cruising with the owner or guests (26.5 percent) or between trips (19 percent).

“Summer took a while to start, but it’s here now in the Med for sure,” reported a chief stew of a yacht of 140-160 feet. “Great season so far; happy crew all round.”

“Cruising the South Pacific: Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti,” reported the captain of a yacht larger than 160 feet. “Heading for Chile in October.”

The next largest group of respondents at 18.5 percent were looking for work.

“Job hunting is slow for captains, not so bad for other positions,” a captain said.

See SURVEY, page C10

Are yacht chefs more prone to accidents than land-based chefs, or does it just seem that way?

If you have been in the yachting arena for a while, it’s pretty likely you’ve experienced an injury of some kind, either as a result of wear and tear on your hands, arms and shoulders or through actually working in the Culinary Waves galley. Sore muscles Mary Beth and inflamed joints Lawton Johnson are just a start.

Yacht chefs can also suffer from torn ligaments, carpal tunnel syndrome, frayed rotator cuffs, even broken bones. Take care when performing everyday duties and you might give your career a few extra years.

1. Lift me up Don’t bend at the waist to pick something up. If you haven’t already, you will someday pull back muscles. You might rupture a disk or sustain a hernia.

Everything is connected.

Use the power of your thighs and legs to squat, then push up to standing, keeping your back straight. It feels odd at first, but you will get used to lifting this way. Or perhaps ask for help.

Better yet, have your purveyor put provisions in smaller containers. If you strain your back the day before the owner or charter guests arrive, your career might be over before it began.

2. Line handling: You’re not Samson When a yacht comes into port, most crew – including chefs – are expected to help with lines. Pay attention. Don’t look at Delilah on the dock. There are correct ways to handle lines, so learn from the best onboard. Ask the captain or first mate teach you if you are unsure.

Be sure not to get any body part between the boat and dock. Don’t throw

See WAVES, page C6

C August 2010 NETWORKING LAST MONTH: Global Satellite

www.the-triton.com

About 150 yacht captains, crew and industry folks joined us to celebrate the opening of Global Satellite’s new offices in Ft. Lauderdale on the first Wednesday in July.

With tasty food from Mediterranean Market, music from the YES boys and cool beverages, we networked and had a nice evening under breezy, cloudy skies.

Photos by Capt. Tom Serio

The Triton

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

NETWORKING LAST MONTH: Spin-A-Thon

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bout 200 riders participated in the 2nd annual Marine Industry Spin-A-Thon for Kids in Distress on July 16, raising more than its goal of $50,000 in donations and pledges for the nonprofit agency that helps abused and neglected kids.

Yachts, industry businesses and their employees, and crew members kept 30 stationary bicycles moving for six hours. Two men rode their bikes the entire six hours (Rupert Connor of Luxury Yacht Group and yacht broker Jon Motta, shown just below center).

Yacht crews including those from M/Y Odessa, Reverie, Pure Bliss and Intrepid contributed generously. Even though they could not be in Ft. Lauderdale to participate in the physical part of the day, they were there in spirit.

Next year’s event is already being planned and likely will take place in the spring when more yacht crew are in town.

Visit spinathon.kintera.org to see the top fundraisers (Lisa Morely of MPT and Jennifer Saia of The Sacks Group) and the top teams (Insurance Peddlers aka MHG Marine Benefits and Training Wheels aka MPT). – Editor

Photos by Capt. Tom Serio

August 2010

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C August 2010 NETWORKING THIS MONTH: Marina Bay

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The Triton

Triton Poker Run ends with networking at Marina Bay This month’s networking event will be the final stop on our annual Poker Run to raise money for The Triton’s scholarship to Broward College’s marine training program.

On the first Wednesday in August, the Poker Run begins at 5 p.m. at Hall of Fame Marina on Ft. Lauderdale beach, stops at Mediterranean Market on Las Olas Boulevard, drops by Maritime Professional Training on Andrews Avenue, stops at National Marine Suppliers behind Lester’s and then finishes at Marina Bay. (See the insert in this month’s issue for more details or visit www.the-triton. com and click on “events”.)

At the end from 6-8 p.m., the 168slip marina at Marina Bay on the New River in Ft. Lauderdale will sponsor our monthly networking event with an up-scale barbecue (think mahi-mahi, ribs and shrimp, not hot dogs) from the popular on-site restaurant Rendezvous on the patio surrounding the complex’s clubhouse and pool.

All yacht captains, crew and industry professionals are welcome to join us.

Find Marina Bay just west of I-95 on State Road 84.

Until Aug. 4, get to know a little more about Marina Bay from Dockmaster John Workman and

Assistant Dockmaster Connie Schoen.

Q. Tell us a little about Marina Bay. The deepwater marina at Marina Bay Resort on the New River in Ft. Lauderdale has 168 slips on new floating docks for yachts up to 150 feet.

It’s like being at a country club, with a beautiful pool, hot tub area and Vita course. The 10,000-square-foot clubhouse has a fitness center, Internet room, movie theater, lounge with Barnie’s coffee and a popular restaurant called the Rendezvous Bar and Grill.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, Marina Bay was visited by the rich and famous with Alfred Bloomingdale and Bill McComas heading a private club with a roster of 6,000 names including Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman, Kenny Rogers and Evil Knievel.

In it’s hey-day, the resort had 40 floating houseboat hotel rooms, including the ones that were seen on the TV series “Flipper.”

Q. What about the marina?

The water in the marina is deep, about 40 feet in many areas. The docks are new 10-foot-wide floating docks.

The east side of the marina has six rows of floating finger docks. The slips are 24 feet wide. There is also a row of side-to dockage.

The west side of the marina has two rows of finger docks (also with slips that are 24 feet wide) and 18 side-to floating docks up to 168 feet long.

Power in the marina is 50 amp and 100 amp, 3-phase service.

A gated community surrounds the marina so access to the docks is well controlled and there is 24-hour security.

Yacht captains and crews have access to all of the country club-type amenities. The popular Rendezvous Bar and Grill is located on the south side of the marina.

Q. How are the slips managed?

The docks are all rentals on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis.

The marina, although owned by the same firm as the apartment complex surrounding the marina, is completely managed and operated by marina professionals.

Several of the apartment residents have boats in the marina but for the most part slips are split between longterm and transient dockers.

Q. Getting a 150-foot yacht under that I-95 bridge can be tricky. What do you advise captains making that trip to see you for the first time?

Consult your charts, and try to come under the I-95 bridge during slack water.

Dockmaster John Workman and Assistant Dockmaster Connie Schoen at Marina Bay. Photo from Mel Wolff

The Triton

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INTERIOR: Stew Cues

August 2010

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Training, practice and encouragement make the stew Often the people we work with have not received any formal training in yachting. There can be a large gap between the experiences we have had and the experiences our guests expect to receive from us.

It is hard to stress enough the importance of training. When teaching new skills to stews, part Stew Cues of our goal is to Alene Keenan bridge this gap and ensure smooth, confident performance of tasks.

Apart from teaching technical skills, good training passes along the confidence to perform new skills in front of others. Many people feel nervous in front of guests.

Nonetheless, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things, even something as simple as making a bed.

Good training is the art of teaching someone how to do something to the standard you require and with the confidence that comes from knowing that it will meet expectations.

There are different ways to learn.

To train someone properly, trainers must know how individuals learn. Then we must create an environment that is comfortable for them to learn in. If trainees are nervous or feel threatened, it will be hard to take in information.

People also learn at different paces.

If someone is trained in a stressful environment, she may need more time to grasp the training.

To teach something, you have to break it down into segments, and then explain and demonstrate each one. We may think we are stating the obvious, but put yourself in the new person’s place. Instructions must be clear and concise, section-by-section, and then ask them to copy what you have shown them. If they do it right, give them positive feedback. If they get it wrong, give them positive feedback about what they got right, but also give more demonstration about what they got wrong. Allow plenty of time to practice, and use each practice session to help fine-tune their skills. Continually giving positive reinforcement will help raise their confidence level.

Classroom training and the chance to practice under supervision are great, but they are not always an option.

Nonetheless, without practice and coaching, there is a good chance that confidence in newly learned skills will disappear under the pressure of service, or in front of guests.

Therefore, supervision is critical.

New crew must be supported long enough and often enough for their confidence to grow. From there, aptitude and skill usually grow, too.

Your goal as a supervisor is to create

confidence in them so they can perform better and with greater poise.

During the training process, we have to understand and respect each other, and that includes observing cultural and lifestyle differences. Yachting is a global industry and we will be asked to deal with many cultures.

Sometimes the culture of crew is vastly different from that of guests. It is important to address this so our guests receive what is culturally important to them, but we must also address it to understand our crew’s cultures.

This requires a basic understanding of international protocol.

In its most basic form, international protocol requires an understanding that what is regarded as polite behavior in some cultures is considered rude in others. Sometimes cultural differences can be confusing. What may seem like laziness or having a “bad attitude” may simply be a different cultural view.

Entire nationalities may be stereotyped without anyone ever trying to look into the actual cultural beliefs from which the behavior stems. As a

result, this can cause confidence to fall, having an adverse effect on your training environment.

We are all the product of our environment, and those whom we respect or report to make up a large part of that environment. As the trainer, you are the role model. If we believe that the standards we set – and train others to uphold – are important, then we have to demonstrate them.

If you are going through the boat and

See STEW CUES, page C9

C August 2010 IN THE GALLEY: Culinary Waves

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Some injuries can require a year for you to make a full recovery WAVES, from page C1 yourself to save the boat. I have seen crew do this. They use hands or legs to push off. It always ends badly.

Don’t use your muscles to haul lines if you don’t have to. Use the winch if you have one. If not, lean over when hauling.

Keep body parts clear of the lines, which can tighten quickly. And learn to hold lines correctly so you can be ready to tie them off when instructed.

3. Grace, Watch Your Step Somebody spills something in the galley when you are trying to get dinner out and you inevitably slip on it, twisting

an ankle, a back or hitting the floor. Or perhaps your freezer is in the crew area with a lot of steps between it and your galley and you have to carry heavy food items between them.

Enlist a crew member to help or make more trips, carrying smaller and lighter loads. No matter which, pay attention to your surroundings. I am in a sling right now with a torn rotator cuff because of a fall. It takes professional athletes up to a year to fully recover from an injury like this.

If something spills, clean it up first.

4. Cutting Board Calamities If you have been thrown into the

position of cook and you have not had a basic course in knife skills, learn proper knife skills or you will suffer serious consequences. I once had a stew excuse herself to the galley to cut fruit. A few minutes later, I heard a scream and her finger was in shreds. Had I known she would use the cheese knife, I would have suggested the proper knife or, more likely, just cut the fruit for her.

Keep knives in a safe place with knife sheaths or covers. If crew want to use them, make sure they know how. And keep them sharp. A dull knife does more damage than a sharp knife.

5. Repetitive Motions Can Lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome When pain in your hands wake you up in the middle of the night or your fingertips feel like they are going to explode, you might have carpel tunnel syndrome, a condition that results from doing repetitive motions (such as chopping and dicing) all day.

I’ve had the surgery to repair the tendons in my arm, but only because I couldn’t take it anymore. That was a mistake. Don’t wait until the pain is so severe that you lose the use of your hand or arm because by then, you have done so much damage that you will never be as good as you could have been had you sought help for it sooner.

6. Pay Attention This means to everything going on around you. Don’t stack heavy

items on the top shelf in the freezer or pantry. Keep them low so you don’t have to get hit on the head to learn this lesson. Don’t try to catch falling items, especially knives.

7. Forget Drinking Our industry offers lots of access to cocktail parties, get-togethers and alcohol. Don’t drink on the job. Doing so not only makes you a risk to the owner, guests and crew, but also to yourself. No partying until you come home.

8. You are Not a Bird Going Into Flight Keep your elbows and arms tucked in by your sides while cutting, chopping and cooking. Elbows or arms cocked to the side can injure other crew.

9. Frying Your Career Don’t leave pot or pan handles hanging out into the moving space of your galley. Somebody might walk through and knock something off the stove or counter, covering you in hot grease, sauce or soup. Imagine if that fancy sugar you were boiling spilled and splashed down your legs.

Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine. A professional yacht chef since 1991, she has been chef aboard M/Y Rebecca since 1998. (www. themegayachtchef.com) Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.

Haylna’s Chocolate Salami

PHOTO/MARY BETH LAWTON JOHNSON

This makes a great, light dessert for lunch. My sister-in-law, Haylna Pavliv Coccolini, makes it every time I see her. One of my favorite desserts, it is usually rolled and shaped into a log, then sliced, but you can put it into a paté mold and refrigerate it, then serve it more formally.

2 cups of sugar 1 pound butter 2 eggs 7 tablespoons cocoa 2 cups honey 2-4 tablespoons Nutella, the hazelnut spread 2 pounds sweet crackers or cookies, chopped fine Walnuts, dried fruit to taste

Mix the sugar and butter.

Add the cocoa to the eggs. Mix in the honey and Nutella.

Fold in the biscotti and fruit.

For a salami-esque presentation, roll up tight in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Slice thin and arrange on a platter.

C August 2010 NUTRITION: Take It In

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Would you say no to a week’s worth of fattening calories?

You walk into your favorite restaurant and read on the menu that your absolutely most favorite meal – a 16-ounce porterhouse, loaded baked potato, and blue cheese- and bacontopped green salad – provides a week’s worth of fattening calories.

Do you still order it?

Diners responded no to Take It In that question in a Carol Bareuther study conducted last year by Yale University researchers.

In fact, being able to see the calorie content of menu choices resulted in this group consuming 14 percent fewer calories.

On the other hand, in another study conducted last year, this time by the Tacoma-Pierce County Department of Health in Washington, researchers found that for every 100 entrees purchased that had nutrition labeling, only 20 percent of these dishes were lower in calories.

In the not-too-distant future, this will be a decision you, too, will get to make, thanks to a provision in the U.S. health care reform bill that requires restaurants with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts on menus and

menu boards.

Steer clear of cheese, bacon bits, But what do you do if you want to croutons and creamy salad dressings. choose healthfully from a menu and Instead, fill your plate with plain fruits you’re eating at a small restaurant and vegetables and go lightly on a chain, or a single finereduced fat or oildining restaurant, or and-vinegar-based at a restaurant not dressing. even in the United 4. Control calories States and this by asking for salad nutrition information dressings, gravies, isn’t available? sauces and other You can still make high-calorie, high-fat smart choices from a toppings on the side. menu. Here are a few 5. Reduce sodium tips: by steering clear 1. If you see words of items that are such as fried, au pickled, smoked, gratin, sautéed or flavored with soy or escalloped used to teriyaki sauce, or in describe an item, it broth or an au jus. will be high in fat and 6. Try not to calories. Instead, look automatically reach for foods, especially for the bread when entrees, that are COPYRIGHT JOSHUA RESNICK; IMAGE FROM you first sit down steamed, baked, BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM at the table. Save grilled, roasted or your appetite, and poached. calories, for the main course.

2. Practice portion control by 7. If you must have an appetizer, ordering from the appetizer menu, or choose something like a broth-based splitting an entrée or dessert with a soup, peel and eat shrimp with hot friend. sauce, or fresh fruit cup. Nix choices 3. Beware of salad bars. Even like nachos with the works, fried thought this might seem the best poppers and breaded, deep-fried option for low-calorie eating, salad mozzarella sticks. bars can be loaded with high-fat items.

8. Ask how foods are prepared and

request if a change can be made. Chefs are often eager to please. Many times they can alter a preparation method, perhaps forego the breading or sauce, to lighten the calories, fat and sodium in a dish.

9. Choose your alcohol wisely. A glass of white wine provides less than 100 calories, but a pina colada packs more than three times that, depending on the size of the glass.

10. All-you-can-eat buffets might make economic sense, but you have to eat a week’s worth of food to make it pay. Instead, dine out where you can order a la carte.

11. There are good choices in many cuisines. For example, at an Asian restaurant, choose a stir-fried chicken, fish or vegetable dish. Eating Italian?

Choose marinara over an Alfredo sauced pasta. Mexican? Go for the salsa over the guacamole.

12. Finally, don’t go out to eat if you’re starving. It might sound counterproductive, but having a snack – a cup of yogurt, apple and peanut butter, or a piece or two of cheese – can help take the edge off your hunger so you’ll be less tempted to overindulge.

Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian and a regular contributor to The Triton.

Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

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CREW NEWS

Inspired chef pens novel to encourage others to think

By Dorie Cox Chef Kathleen Beales’ story begins with a mural she saw every day working in the galley aboard M/Y Ar-De. “For months I looked at that mural and never really saw it,” Beales said of the image of sailboats racing in the islands. “Then one day an entire story just came to me.”

Beales turned that inspiration into a novel, which she recently selfpublished and is marketing.

“Return to Innocence” is about a box of memories Beales and the stories a father tells his daughter about the items inside. Over the course of the novel, the girl grows up, taking the reader through the trials of adolescence and adulthood. It covers loss and how it affects people, both negatively and positively.

“And how one individual can change the trajectory of your life,” she said.

“With this book, the reader has to think.

“There’s not a lot of shoot ‘em up, but [it has] lots of messages and it takes place in backdrops us yachties are familiar with,” she said. “Each chapter is one of life’s lessons.”

Beales has written throughout her 14-year career as a chef, including another, as yet-unpublished novel, and 90 journals. “Return to Innocence” took three years to write, mostly during

pre-dawn sessions before her shift in the galley began. Eventually, the owner noticed her early morning ritual and asked about it.

“I told the owner, ‘If I take care of myself, doing what’s important to me, I can better help you,”” she said. “It was a collective mission onboard. Everyone helped eventually, even the guests and the owner were part of it.”

Beales has worked on many yachts in her career, including M/Y Ce La Vie, S/Y Drumbeat II, M/Y Defiant and M/Y Krisujen. But it was while on M/Y Ar-De she learned that her father had died and her life took a turn.

“I had said I would be in yachting until there was no more love in my food,” she said, remembering the day she got the news. “Then, there was no more love in my food.”

Then, after spending time with her sick mother, she decided it was time to follow her dream and write.

“So many people in yachting are stuck,” she said. “They get out; they are lost; they get back in. People have to let their dream grow, or it will die.”

Beales will market her book through a grass-roots effort of seminars, book clubs, signings and “whatever it takes,” she said. “You’re not just buying a book,” she said. “You’re supporting a fellow yachty, an author and a dream.”

Dorie Cox is a staff reporter and associate editor with The Triton. Signed copies of the book are available for $20 at KathleenBeales.com. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@thetriton.com.

‘No such thing as failure; there is only feedback’ STEW CUES from page C5 come upon something out of place, correct the situation. Manage by walking around. You can’t be a positive role model if you aren’t seen. And if you’re not checking up on your crew, how will you know what’s going on?

There is no such thing as failure; there is only feedback. Support your team members emotionally as they learn new skills.

Effective training takes into consideration the backgrounds of those we train, the methods that work best for our trainees and the cultural differences we encounter along the way. By being a positive role model as well as demonstrating and upholding the standards and skills we expect to be carried out, we create a positive learning environment.

Constant, positive feedback and the opportunity to practice what we have demonstrated until stews feel comfortable helps to close the gap between the experiences we have and the experiences guests expect from us.

Our ultimate goal is to instill the confidence needed to perform new skills in front of others so strongly that confidence does not disappear under the stress of service, or in front of the guests.

Alene Keenan has been a megayacht stewardess for 19 years. She teaches a 10-day silver service course at Maritime Professional Training in Ft. Lauderdale.

She also offers onboard training through her company, Stewardess Solutions (www.stewardesssolutions.com).

Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

August 2010

C

C10 August 2010 TRITON SURVEY: Summer plans

What is planned for the summer? Click all that apply.

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Charter YES only: What is planned for the summer? Click all t

117

31

51

42

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31

14 32

23

21

10 18

10

5

Cruising w/ Seeking Work done Cruising w/ Between Time off Not leaving Taking Leaving owner/guests work on yacht charter guests trips dock classes yachting

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3

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Cruising w/ Cruising w/ Work done Time off Between Taking Leaving owner/guests chrtr guests on yacht trips classes yachting

Se w

‘We’re doing our best to upgrade the vessel and to support the loca SURVEY, from page C1 “I have yet to find a legitimately helpful crew agency,” said a stew in the industry less than a year. “I have been somewhat disappointed by the lack of effort from the seven different agencies I’ve registered with. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but I wish someone would tell me.”

Captains expressed similar frustrations.

“I have been in the industry for 20 years, most of that in command positions, and you know what? I am baffled at how a captain goes about finding a new position,” a captain wrote in. “I’ve been lucky up to this point and never had to look. I feel like I’ve tried everything, but obviously I haven’t tried what works.

“I would be happy to give a substantial chunk of my salary to know what I’m not doing,” this captain continued. “It’s obvious how all the other positions are filled – the captain hires them. But how does the captain get a new command? I’m

dying to know.”

[Editor’s Note: We discussed this at the From the Bridge captains lunch in July 2004. It may be time to revisit this topic in a future survey.]

About 16.6 percent of respondents reported they were getting work done on the yacht.

“We’re doing our best to upgrade the vessel and to support the local economy,” said the captain of a yacht smaller than 100 feet. “We expect to spent about $180,000 between June and early September.”

Slightly more than 7 percent had no plans to leave the dock and just 4.7 percent had charter guests aboard.

To put this moment in time in perspective, about 70 percent of the respondents were captains. And of all respondents who are employed, about 35 percent were on yachts between 81-120 feet. Two thirds do not charter.

We looked closer at just charter crew and discovered that on the day we asked our survey, the largest group – 23 percent – indicated they were looking for work. We found that a

little troubling. Are they looking for work while employed on a charter yacht? (They indicated they were on a charter vessel, yet looking for work.)

Or perhaps many charter yachts have taken on temporary crew to handle the occasional charter. We didn’t ask enough questions to know for sure and no respondents offered an explanation in the comments section of our survey.

Luckily, the next largest group – 21 percent – were cruising with the owners and their guests, which made much more sense. Just 15 percent were cruising with charter guests, but an equal amount were between charters.

In contrast to that snapshot in time in early July, we were curious to know: What are you doing all summer? In this question, respondents could choose as many options among a list, giving us a broader picture of what crew are doing this summer.

Again the largest group – 117

respondents – planned to be cruising with the owner and guests, and 32 respondents will be running charters.

“It’s harder to get on the docks on short notice (client doesn’t plan ahead) so I think that’s an indicator that it will be a good, busy season,” said the engineer on a yacht 141-160 feet.

And again, taking the summer as a whole, the next largest group of respondents (51 captains and crew) are looking for work.

“Out of the game now for two years and can’t stand it,” wrote a first officer/mate. “Yachting is the best life you can get.”

A large portion – 42 respondents – will spend some time this summer getting work done on the yacht.

“Boat is heavily used in winter,” said the captain of a yacht of 81-100 feet. “Therefore, summer is the time for maintenance and upgrades.

We crunched these numbers a little further and discovered that the larger the yacht, the more likely it was to be moving.

Fifty-s that came than 160 cruising w this summ That c of respon than 100 It was came to g yacht: Th higher th About than 100 work this just 9 per responde We als vessels an majority that char be cruisin charter g summer.

Just on responde

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that apply.

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TRITON SURVEY: Summer plans

August 2010

How many years have you been on this vessel?

If cruising this summer, where? Click all that apply

6 to 8 2.8%

58

27 1

1

eeking work

Not leaving dock

8 to 10 – 3.4% > 10 7.9% Less than 1 – 32.8%

4 to 6 – 14.7%

34

2 to 4 – 19.8%

19

17

16

13

C11

11

5

3

1 to 2 – 18.6%

2

US/CAN Bahamas Western Eastern US/CAN/MEX Other Caribbean Great Australia SE Asia Central East coast Med Med West coast Lakes America

al economy’

six percent of the responses e from crew on vessels larger feet indicated they were with the owner and guests mer. compares to just 35 percent nses from crew on yachts less feet. just the opposite when it getting work done on the he smaller the yacht, the he likelihood. t 20 percent of yachts less feet were doing some yard s summer compared with rcent of the largest yacht ers. so looked just at charter nd discovered that the vast of respondents on vessels rter indicated they will ng with owners as well as guests at some point this

ne charter yacht among our ents said the yacht has no

See SURVEY, page C12

‘Owners seem to think things are going to be alright’ We asked captains and crew to share their thoughts on the yachting industry’s Summer of 2010.

Congrats if you’re working and getting away from the dock. n

n

n

Disappointed to see drop in pay yet increase of job duties. For example, more and more yachts are asking for chef/stew but want to pay for less than a solo chef. n

n

n

Keeping those owners entertained and interested in yachting. n

n

n

Owners and charter guest should vary their destinations, charter broker as well.

Northern Europe, the Black Sea, the edge of and above the Arctic Circle for the summer.

The world is so wide that it would take more than one life to visit it. Why don’t they start now? n

n

n

Been on the beach for a long time and need to work.

project on this yacht. I have worked with the captain of this yacht for the past six years doing similar projects in the United States, Caribbean, Canada and Europe. We will be doing the usual Western Med routes this summer before returning to the U.S. in September. n

n

n

Owners seem to think things are going to be alright and they’re not scrimping on spending on the boat. We even got bonuses. n

n

n

Very surprised that Ft. Lauderdale is so, so, so busy during “off season.” n

n

n

There seem to be more boats staying in the United States than the previous 3-5 years. n

n

n

n

n

n

I am doing a three-month relief captain

Much more activity in the Med this summer. n

n

n

There are a lot of yachts looking for experienced engineers at the moment and our salaries are getting higher. n

n

n

Had to go back to the Med after 11 years being away. But the new job took me there this summer. n

n

n

Pretty quiet for charters in the 50+

See COMMENTS, page C13

C12 August 2010 TRITON SURVEY: Summer plans

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Economic depression? Not in Tahiti, it’s ‘rocking’ here SURVEY, from page C11 plans to leave the dock this summer.

So if a solid portion of respondents are cruising this summer and at least one of the traditionally busy summer ports (Nantucket) was a bit thin on opening day, just where are boats

cruising this year?

About 50 percent of those cruising this summer will visit the U.S. and Canadian east coasts.

About 40 percent will cruise the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.

About 30 percent will cruise the Bahamas.

These percentages exceed 100

because we asked respondents to indicated every place they might go this summer, so those on the east coast of Florida, for example, may also go to the Bahamas.

Another popular cruising ground was the west coast of North America, including Mexico, the United States and Canada, which about 14.5 percent

of cruising yachts indicated would be part of their summer itineraries.

The remaining are sprinkled around the world in smaller numbers, at least among the 211 captains and crew who took our survey.

“Tahiti is rocking,” reported the captain on a yacht less than 80 feet. “It does not look depressed here at all.”

To put some cruising grounds in perspective, we asked: When not cruising, where are you based?

The vast majority of our respondents were in South Florida or some other U.S. location. That may well explain why our results are skewed toward U.S. destinations.

Just three of our respondents indicated they had no home base this summer because they would be constantly on the move.

Different crew are reporting different experiences about this summer. The crew of M/Y Status Quo, including Capt.

Rick Lenardson in the center, saw the owners off in Panama City in mid-July after cruising along the Canadian, U.S. FROM CAPT. RICK LENARDSON and Mexican west coasts.

With an almost renewed sense of movement warming the industry, we were curious to know if destinations were changing, so we asked: Have you gone or will you go someplace that is new to you this summer?

Most – more than 56 percent – won’t.

“Business as usual, normal milk run from Sardinia to St. Tropez, all summer long,” said the engineer on a yacht larger than 160 feet.

But many – about 44 percent – will chart new, though not unusual, waters this summer.

“In the Chesapeake Bay,” said the captain of a 101-120-foot yacht. “It’s a first-time trip to this location to all crew and owners.”

We looked more closely at these 74 crew who are headed someplace new this summer and discovered that the largest group – about a third – have been in the industry 6-10 years.

Even more interesting, the secondlargest group – 19 percent of those headed to new places – has been in the industry more than 30 years.

Looking even more closely at these new-location cruisers, they are mostly

See SURVEY, page C13

Have you gone or will you go someplace new to you this summer?

No – 56.2%

Yes – 43.8%

Statistics/graphics by Lawrence Hollyfield

The Triton

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TRITON SURVEY: Summer plans

August 2010

C13

‘We’re getting dock rot and waiting for the economy to improve’ COMMENTS, from page C11 meter range, down about 60 percent on last year. n

n

n

It’s good to have a job. n

n

n

After 20 plus years in the industry, I turned 62 in May and have decided to take the summer off and enjoy bicycling and walks on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale as well as visit family in North Carolina and Key West.

A well-deserved vacation, indeed. n

n

n

Very quiet this summer in New England. Dock reservations are no problem, even last minute. Very different than 2-3 years ago. n

n

n

No major change for us, busy with owners/guest and charters.

Maybe the only change is the prices

for some charters are more aggressive. n

n

n

It’s nice to be out of the heat of Florida. n

n

n

There seem to be more yachts moving this summer then last. n

n

n

Doing just day work and looking for a new job, nothing special. n

n

n

exploring new places in the eastern Med, the western Med, and in the Bahamas (all in equal numbers). The next largest group is checking out North America’s west coast.

We typically ask a number of demographic questions so we can crunch our statistics for some interesting results.

But one of those questions this month was too interesting not to share outright.

With yachting’s job market so turbulent over the past two years, we wanted to know: How long have you been on this vessel?

The largest group of respondents (32.8 percent) have been on their current vessels less than a year.

Nearly three quarters have been on their vessels less than 4 years.

As for those conspicuously absent megayachts in Nantucket, Inquirer and Mirror reporter Tobey Leske reported that frequent visitor S/Y Timoneer is off on a year-long cruise and regular docker M/Y Avalon is in the Pacific.

The rest, he posits, may be heading to the Med to take advantage of the euro’s recent devaluation.

Once again, the story changes depending where you sit.

Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

Yachting has not and never will bounce back to previous levels.

n

Most people in the Med say it is

The Triton. Lawrence Hollyfield is an associate editor. Comments on this survey are welcome at lucy@the-triton. com. We conduct our monthly surveys online. All captains and crew members are welcome to participate. If you haven’t been invited to take our surveys yet and would like to be, simply become a registered user at www.the-triton. com and receive all our correspondence with the yachting community.

n

n

n

n

n

Fireworks were awesome this year out on the Hudson. Not too many of the usual boats this year. It was busy on the Hudson for the fireworks but not like in the past. n

n

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Hoping to avoid hurricanes this Bahamas season.

n

n

n

n

n

I’m a freelance, mature stew and this is my fifth Med season. I always make money somehow, but not this year. I am looking for something else. n

n

weekend, the owner and his guests are happy, which is what we all strive for.

I am looking forward to our fourweek cruise to Mackinac Island starting on the 19th of July.

The economy has put summer cruising plans on hold. We’re getting dock rot and waiting for the economy to improve.

It appears to be picking up ... but slowly.

Several in yachting for decades are managing to visit new places SURVEY, from page C12

almost normal, much better than last year.

We only have one charter booked for the entire summer, but it appears that there is a fair amount of chartering going on.

Lots of space at the IYCA so boats must be moving.

This summer on Lake Michigan is turning out (so far) to be better, weather wise, than last year.

The boat had a lot of work done to it over the winter and is now in better shape than it has ever been. Looking forward to a pleasant season.

Having just had a enormously enjoyable, if windy, Fourth of July

For the past six years I have found summers in New England to be cool and just right. This year is, as we all know, hot.

Not so many superyachts over 150 feet around, but it is still early. n

n

n

Still too early to tell, but it seems to be a little more active than last year.

When not cruising, where are you based? Click all that apply.

75 59 50

Ft. Lauderdale Other U.S.

Other

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Other Med

Antibes

Newport

3 Palma

C14 August 2010 FITNESS: Take It In

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Stretch out your workouts by using resistance bands All you will need for this workout is a resistance band of appropriate resistance. You should come close to finishing a set of an exercise and feel fatigued for the last few repetitions.

Increase the resistance by changing your grip and bringing your hands closer together. Check the wear on your band before each Keep It Up workout, making Beth Greenwald sure there are no holes or tears. Remember to warm up for a minimum of five minutes.

In between each strength exercise, perform 90 seconds of a cardiovascular exercise of your choice. Work toward completing the circuit three times.

Push up

Place the resistance band behind your back, below your shoulder blades and hold each end. Move your body into a push-up position, keeping joints stacked, shoulders, elbows and wrists aligned. The band should feel snug around your back. Bend your elbows and lower to the ground performing a push-up. Perform as many consecutive push-ups as you can.

Bent over row

Sidewalk

Stand on the band with your feet hip width apart. Cross the handles of the band in front keeping the right handle in the left hand and vice versa. Keeping the band underneath the foot, lift your right foot off of the ground and take a side step to the right to get resistance.

Perform 20 repetitions and then switch direction.

Upright row

Stand on the band with your feet hip width apart. Begin with arms down, directly in front of your body, both handles in your hands, palms facing the body.

Simultaneously bend both elbows, bringing your hands up to shoulder level.

Do not allow your elbows to raise any higher than the height of your shoulder. Repeat 20 times.

Bicep curls (three angles)

Stand with feet hip width apart, band underneath, handle in each hand. Hinge forward at the hips. Pull the band, drawing elbows back and shoulder blades together until greatest range of motion is achieved. Return to starting position and perform 20 repetitions.

Chest press

Place the resistance band behind your back, below your shoulder blades.

Choke up on the band a bit, holding below the handles. There should be slight tension on the band as your arms are drawn in at your sides. Push the band forward with each hand until arms are extended in front of you with a slight bend in the elbows.

Return to starting position. Perform 20 repetitions.

Place the band underneath both feet. Hold the handles with your palms facing away from you. You will complete a total of 30 repetitions in this set, 10 at three different angles.

Keeping elbows close to your sides, slowly curl the handles toward your shoulders and then return to starting position. Complete 10 repetitions.

Reposition your hands so that for the next 10 repetitions, you are curling towards your shoulders at a 45-degree angle. Reposition your hands again so your palms are facing out to the sides and complete the last 10 reps, curling the handles toward your shoulders.

Beth Greenwald is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and conducts personal training sessions as well as group fitness boot camp classes. Contact her at +1 716-9089836 or bethgreenwald@hotmail.com.

Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

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PERSONAL FINANCE: Yachting Capital

Caught your attention?

Billboards are opportunities With the volatility in the stock from the ads but they also convert market and concern over 401ks some of these billboard structures and IRAs, many people gravitate to into cell phone towers and/or digital cash due to the fear of major loss of billboards. investment With this concept, you already have assets. a structure in place. All that needs As an to be added is the cell companies’ independent equipment, and that is generally at adviser I have their expense. been traveling If the additional cost of going digital a lot over the justifies it, then the rental income past few months could quadruple. The reason for this is doing research that you can have multiple ads on the on investment same screen.

Yachting Capital options for client These are obviously cheaper avenues Mark A. Cline consideration. for both the cell company and the A trend billboard LP. Converting an existing in investment options is DPP or structure leaves more potential return Direct Participation Programs. These for the investors verses building a new investments are usually done as limited tower and having to secure the land partnerships (LP) or subchapter S leases to install it. corporations and require some type of With this accumulation concept qualifications to of billboards, the invest in. potential exists to DPPs allow generate higher If you have ever you to directly returns for the gotten off a boat and participate in the partners. This into a car, you have cash flow and venture can last a tax benefits of few years because seen them in full view: the underlying the ultimate goal billboards. investment. is to develop a They are portfolio of about Yes, they are all over. generally passive 1,000 locations.

Companies use them investments in real Going into this to generate sales by estate- or energybusiness plan the related ventures.

LP knows what capturing attention Today, they often the price spread to their products or pertain to the is and the market services from the advertising and price for selling communication this portfolio captive audience of industries. to the major passers-by.

If you have ever communication gotten off a yacht companies. This and into a car, you investment option have seen them in full view: billboards. does not work with single purchases Yes, they are all over. Companies use and only deals with group locations for them to generate sales by capturing a greater profit for investors. attention to their products or services For the invester who wants from the captive audience of passersdiversification, this is an option that by. provides some interesting income One LP concept I reviewed buys options. billboards in strategic areas along the The next time you drive around highway from what I call Mom-and-Pop town, look at the bottom of the owners. These owners have erected advertisement on some billboards and a billboard on their own property for you will most likely see the name of extra income, or perhaps have bought the company that owns the billboard a few. structure. Notice how many are owned Often, though, these owners are by the same major communication short on cash and want to sell. companies.

Another type of LP will secure Information in this column is not land leases in strategic areas to meet intended to be specific advice for marketing needs and construct the anyone. You should use the information signage on their own. to help you work with a professional The main concept for this type regarding your specific financial goals. company is to build a portfolio of 1,000 billboards to turn around and sell to a Capt. Mark A. Cline is a chartered specific kind of buyer. senior financial planner and mortgage While these companies are in the broker in Ft. Lauderdale. Comments on accumulation process of billboards, this column are welcome at +1-954-764they receive rental income not only 2929 or through www.clinefinancial.net.

August 2010

C15

C16 August 2010 BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS

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SUDOKUS Try these puzzles based on numbers.

There is only one rule for number puzzles: Every row, every column and every 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 only once.

CALM Don’t worry, you don’t need arithmetic.

Nothing has to add up to anything else.

All you need is reasoning and logic.

STORMY

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B10,C4 B9 A9 A5 A13 C9 B13 C10 A11 A15 C7 C13 B13 B15 C15 A8 C20 A16

Company

Mediterranean Market MHG Marine Benefits Moore & Company MTN Satellite Communications Yacht Services Neptune Group Newport Shipyard Newport Yachting Center Palladium Technologies Peterson Fuel Delivery Pioneer Linens Praktek Professional Captain’s Services Professional Tank Cleaning & Sandblasting Quiksigns Renaissance Marina Rio Vista Flowers River Supply River Services Royale Palm Yacht Basin

Page C5 B16 B8 B3 B15 A18 A9 C11 C6 B8 B11 A7 A6 C15 B10 C14 A6 A16

Company Rossmare International Bunkering R&L Yacht Refinishing RPM Diesel Sailorman Seafarer Marine Sea School SunPro Marine The Pain Reliever Thomas Marine TowBoatUS Tradewinds Radio Turtle Cove Marina Ward’s Marine Westrec Marinas Yacht Entertainment Systems

Page C6 C9 B9 A2 A4 B12 A15 B5 A8 A6 C14 A6 B6 A14 B8

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS

July 2010

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C18 August 2010 BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

WORLD OF YACHTING

The one source for all your yachting needs Here’s what we can do for you: • FIND CREW NO agency commissions or percentages no matter how many or how long you need crew members per year.

• CREW Post your CV/Resume for FREE. • Order your APPAREL/UNIFORMS & much more online, phone, fax or in-person.

• Custom Monogramming and Screen Printing • Find or sell a boat (or any other item!) on our boat classifieds.

• GET MORE EXPOSURE Advertise with us! Post your charter brochure.

• Find information on travel destinations, boatyards, flower shops, gourmet stores and more all in one place! www.worldofyachting.com 1126 S. Federal Highway, P. O. Box 230 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 Toll Free: 877-98World (877-989-6753) Ph/Fax: 954-522-8742

The Triton Directory formerly The Captain’s Mate check it out. thetriton.com/directory

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS

The Triton Directory formerly The Captain’s Mate check it out. thetriton.com/directory

August 2010

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