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Triton Poker Run ends at West Marine Dec. 5 in Ft. Lauderdale.
A10 Lights, camera, action Crew highlight lifestyle in film festival competition. A12
TRITON SURVEY
Will you go home for the holidays? Yes, but not until after – 4.5% No, working – 51.5% Yes, the boat is home – 1.5%
December 2012
Yes, off the boat and with family – 42.4% – Story, C1
Firefighters rely on yacht crew for vital details By Dorie Cox Crew endure heat and smoke during fire simulation training in their STCW courses. But the reality of being onboard in tight quarters, with limited exits as temperatures climb above 1,000 degrees challenges even professional land-based firefighters. “I tell my guys that engine room and below deck fires can be some of the most dangerous types of fires they’ll fight today,” said Battalion Chief Joe Murton of Broward Sheriff Fire and Rescue in South Florida. As the number of yachts grows, so will fire incidents and firefighters who will battle them when a yacht is at the dock. In response, there are many people who want to better prepare with training and communication between crew and emergency responders. Capt. Stephen Fleming agreed and participated in a training session with West Palm Beach Fire Rescue in November. Fleming opened S/Y Paraiso, a 108-foot Alloy Yacht, to the squad to learn how fighting megayacht fires is different from structure fires. Fleming and several other captains
See FIRE, page A16
Unplugged onboard Can you get to shore if the power goes down?
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Monaco vs. FLIBS Find out which crew who’ve been to both prefer. A18
Delivery adventure, part 2 Tackling dead ship, flooding and more bilge alarms. B12
Yachts handle Superstorm Sandy just fine By Lucy Chabot Reed Sometimes, you end up where you don’t really want to be. For Capt. Martyn Walker of the 258foot M/Y Pegasus V, that was New York City at the end of October. Actually, he was the one who talked the boss into visiting the city for a few weeks after their summer in the Med and before heading south. He’d spent last Christmas in Ft. Lauderdale and admits to being a little bored. He was anything but as “a few weeks” turned into a few more weeks, and by then Hurricane Sandy was on the radar and crossing his path. Best just to sit tight and see where she heads. When it was clear Sandy was heading for New York, Capt. Walker cast off from the dock to find some room. He knew his heavy yacht could handle the wind; he’d made it through Hurricane Wilma in Ft. Lauderdale just fine. So Monday morning, he set off to find someplace to handle the water. The floating dock he had been tied to couldn’t handle much more than 9 or 10 feet of surge. Forecasters were predicting 11. He headed up river, but the U.S. Coast Guard kept chasing him away from the spots he chose. Too much traffic in this one; tugs and barges parked in that one. He needed space, so he kept going north. “When I drag, I want room,” he said, still in NYC in mid November. “It wasn’t if I was going to drag, but when.”
A rising tide completely covers the dock at Dennis Connor’s North Cove on PHOTO/ROBERTSIMKO@THEBROADSHEET2012 lower Manhattan, but only its . Finally, he found a spot 10 miles up the Hudson with no one else around, a designated anchorage near Riverdale, just north of the George Washington Bridge. Winds had picked up so the Coast Guard didn’t chase him away. He set his anchors and about 750 feet of chain and held in the muddy bottom in about 12m of water. Then he waited it out, through 45-50 knot winds before noon, 55-60 knots after noon, and 85 knots by 9 p.m. “We dragged when the tide came in,” Capt. Walker said. “It felt like 10 knots. I’ve been in Alaska where the current
runs 10 knots in some of the passes. I don’t know how fast it was. It could have been 4 knots, but it felt like 10 to me.” The tide changed four times over the course of the storm and his anchorage. He kept the engines running the whole time, and ended up re-anchoring in the height of the storm. By midnight, the worst had passed; they had made it through safely. Tens of thousands of smaller boats didn’t. BoatU.S. declared 65,000 recreational boats destroyed, saying
See SANDY, page A14
Money is not the biggest cost when hiring crew This month’s From the Bridge captains lunch took a different turn than we expected. Previously, a captain suggested we ask “What does it cost to hire someone?” He was talking about crew agency fees, background checks, uniforms. Hard costs, dollar figures. But the From the Bridge assembled captains Lucy Chabot Reed talked about everything but. “There is a the real dollar cost but the
other cost is our time,” one captain said. “That’s worth something. For all the things I do, one of the most important is collecting capable people to join the team. “You can’t teach some stuff,” this captain said. “It’s the things they learned when they were 6, saying please and thank you. We want nice people to work with us. If they bring those skills, we can teach them the other stuff. I mean, how hard is it to be a deckhand?” As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank
and open discussion. The captains are identified in a photograph on page 15. The captains agreed that they hire less for skills and experience, and more for those soft skills that help make a crew member a good fit into an existing team. “I hire for attitude,” another captain said. “I can teach them what I want them to know.” “I’m hiring now for maturity and responsibility, and a mix of older and younger,” said a third. “I want it to be
See BRIDGE, page A15
A December 2012 WHAT’S INSIDE
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Bathing beauties
Watch how stews transform from beach to formal. See details and PHOTO/DORIE COX more photos on page C9.
Advertiser directory C16 Boats / Brokers B10 Boat Show A10,18 Business Briefs A17 Business Cards C17 Calendar of events B14 Columns: Captain’s lunch A1 Crew Coach C13 Crew’s Mess C4 Fitness C14 In the Galley C1,6 Interior C7 Latitude Adjustment A3 Nutrition C5 Personal Finance C15
Onboard Emergencies B2 Rules of the Road B1 Crew news B7,12,C9 Fuel prices B5 Marinas / Shipyards B4,5 Networking Q and A C2 Networking photos C3 News A4 News Briefs A6 Puzzles C16 Technology B1 Tech Briefs B8 Triton Spotter B15 Triton Survey C1 Write to Be Heard A19
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LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Yacht crew make a difference when they’re off yachts, too Remember those former yachties Jimmy Floyd at Bradford Marine told us about last fall, Mike and Susie Whiteside who left yachting to raise a family in Virginia? Well, looks like these yachties made good. The business Capt. Whiteside started with partner Robert Latitude Kulp, Black Dog Adjustment Salvage, is now Lucy Chabot Reed the subject of a weekly half-hour show on DIY Network called “Salvage Dawgs”. Black Dog Salvage has grown into one of the most well known architectural salvage operations in the country, and the show follows the men as they bid on homes and buildings set for demolition, looking especially for bits of America’s history doomed to be lost forever. It looks like they filmed three episodes so far that have run at various times on the network in November and are scheduled in December. For more, visit www.blackdogsalvage.com and click on the “Salvage Dawgs” tab. Yachting seems to provide crew with the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time. I’m reminded of that when I think about the collision of two container ships that M/Y Battered Bull witnessed in March and the three fishermen that M/Y Golden Odyssey came upon in July and towed 46nm to safe harbor. Dramatic, yes, but really remarkable that the yachts were in that specific spot in the ocean at the moment they were needed. Sometimes, rescues are a little less dramatic, but just as important. Capt. Chris Boland and First Officer Casey Hall, below, of the 103foot sportfish Inevitable were in the
right place at the right time to save a life. Here’s their story, sent in by Capt. Boland. “While getting ready to start his morning routine, Casey was sipping coffee and looking out over the calm canal at Lyford Cay, Nassau, Bahamas. He noticed three Bahamian workers across the canal, pointing into the water at some disturbance. Manatee? “No, a dog. This was no pot-cake (stray island dogs). The dog was swimming in circles and looked to be exhausted. “Casey jumped into the 24-foot tender and made his way to the disoriented dog. After two passes he was able to lift the dog into the boat, when he quickly realized that the dog was blind. “Back at the dock, Casey noticed the dog’s tags with his name -- Toby -- and a local phone number. “After drying the dog off and getting him some water, Casey contacted his owner who had been looking for Toby. Turns out the owner, who also lives in Lyford Cay, lives a half mile away. Poor, blind Toby had been swimming for hours and covered quite a distance. “Toby was reunited with his owner minutes later and all was well. Toby’s human turned out to be the owner of a prestigious liquor establishment in Nassau and a member of the Drambuie family. “Later the same afternoon, he paid Casey a visit with a card of appreciation and a thank-you gift. You guessed it: two bottles of Drambuie.” Capt. Ben and Mate Jo Stanley of M/Y Freedom, a 61-foot Hatteras, have already begun giving back. Just a few months after starting to market their charter yacht (yes, it’s theirs, they own it), the couple took about 10 kids and family members from Freedom Waters Foundation out on Ft. Lauderdale’s waters in November. Freedom Waters takes disabled, ill or at-risk kids out on the water. Good on ya, you two. I bumped into Capt. Neil Newson of M/Y Sandrine, a 120-foot Hargrave, at the boat show. And I was reminded how long it’s been since I’ve seen him. He and his wife, Magali, were pushing their 2-year-old daughter, Annabelle, in a stroller. Annabelle was charming and adorable, learning French and English. Her dad’s not sure yet if he will encourage a career in yachting. Have you made an adjustment in your latitude recently? Let us know. Send news of your promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.
December 2012 A
A December 2012
NEWS
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HMS Bounty is shown submerged in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane PHOTO/U.S. COAST GUARD Sandy about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C..
Two die when Bounty sinks; Highlander helps launch charity HMS Bounty sinks, claims two lives The HMS Bounty, the 180-foot replica of a 1787 three-masted ship used in sailing tours, sank off the coast of North Carolina Oct. 29 as Hurricane Sandy made her way toward New York. Two of her crew members, including Capt. Robin Walbridge, perished in the incident. The Bounty was en route from Connecticut to Florida as the storm approached, but that didn’t stop the voyage. Capt. Walbridge noted on the ship’s Facebook page that ships are safer at sea than in port. And it had endured similar storms before. But the ship began taking on water off the coast of North Carolina on the night of Oct. 28, about 160 miles west of the eye. The 16-member crew decided to abandon ship the next morning. It was reported that as the crew were preparing to get into life rafts, a giant wave hit the ship, pushing some crew into the water. Fourteen of them were able to swim to the life rafts. Two did not, Capt. Walbridge and Deckhand Claudine Christian. Her body was recovered during the rescue. The body of Capt. Walbridge has never been found. First Mate John Svendsen made the call to abandon ship. He told ABC News that it was one of the toughest decisions he’d ever made. He credited Capt. Walbridge’s drills and preparation for the 14 lives that were saved.
Sailboat carries body, cocaine A 13m sailboat washed up on the shore of an uninhabited Tongan itoll in October with a gruesome cargo: the decomposing body of a man in his 30s and 204 1kg blocks of cocaine. Tongan police said there were no obvious signs of foul play, although international drug enforcement police said two men were on the yacht when it left Ecuador on Aug. 20.
Divers discovered the S/Y JeReVe – a 1991 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44 – aground on a reef off Luatafito Atoll in Vava’u on Nov. 7. Police found the drugs inside the hull. They are believed to have been meant for Australia with an estimated street value of more than $100 million Australian. Police believe it to be one of the largest seizure of narcotics in the South Pacific. In a statement, the Australian Federal Police, U.S. Customs and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said they had formed a project earlier this year to examine identified vulnerabilities in the South Pacific exploited by international organized crime syndicates. The boat, originally called Jonathan, was a cruising boat, sailing between the Med and the Caribbean, according to a report by Sail World. She sold earlier this year. In August, acting on a tip-off from a the DEA, the AFP began tracking the yacht after it cleared customs, indicating it was sailing across the Pacific toward Australia. They lost track of it near the Cook Islands. It is believed to have washed up on the atoll in early October, about 10nm from Tonga, where it remained for a month before divers found it.
Highlander helps launch charity Joyce Clear, CEO of the Connecticutbased yacht interior refit company Clear Group International, has created Ports of Cause, a philanthropic superyacht enterprise designed to showcase superyacht design and the good will of the luxury brand community while raising money for various charities. Ports of Cause propels a newly refurbished yacht into the global marketplace as an ambassador of
See NEWS, page A6
A December 2012 NEWS BRIEFS
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Electric motor is DAME winner The Deep Blue Electric Outboard by Torqeedo GmbH of Germany won this year’s overall DAME award at METS in Amsterdam in November. The engine is “an exceptional example of groundbreaking research and development, one which will bring great benefits to both the users and builders of marine craft,” the jury said in announcing its decision. The engine is a combination of two established technologies: the large outboard engine and electric motor. The result is an integrated propulsion system that promises to provide a cleaner, quieter and more economical boating experience. The 22nd annual Design Award METS competition, which attracted 115
products from 25 countries. Thirty-nine were nominated. The six winners were: In the marine equipment and related software category, SonarCharts by Navionics of Italy In the interior equipment, furnishings, materials and electrical fittings used in cabins category, Nuance by Vision Systems of France In the deck equipment, sails, and rigging category, T25 Organiser by Spinlock Ltd. of the United Kingdom In the clothing and crew equipment category, Fibercon G2 & Elysse G2 by Chatham Marine of the UK In the life saving and safety equipment category, InReach by DeLorme of the United States In the machinery, propulsion, mechanical and electrical systems and fittings category, Deep Blue by Torqeedo GmbH of Germany METS is the world’s largest trade exhibition of equipment, materials and systems for the international marine leisure industry.
POC events begin in Miami; Palma group plans forum NEWS, from page A4
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the superyacht community while supporting charities through events and global initiatives. Once a participating yacht has completed a refit, the vessel travels to key locations to host VIP events to raise money for charitable initiatives. Some charities to benefit from Ports of Cause in 2013 include Ecomundi Ventures, Models for Water, International SeaKeepers Society, and Plant-a-Fish. “This program offers solutions to market expansion, job creation and image enhancement while highlighting American design and innovation, education and urgent global issues,” Clear said. “I share a strong passion with many in the industry about the positive impact yachting has on the world. The time has come to create a vehicle through which the world is educated about the positive influence of our industry and our owners, captains and crew. “More, as a community, we have the opportunity to address some of the most critical issues facing our planet, today and in the future,” she said. Its board of directors include Jim Bento of Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Virginia, attorney Michael Moore of Moore & Company in Miami, Jill Bobrow of Jill Bobrow Associates, Amy Halsted of The Halsted Agency, Peter Vogel of Interior Yacht Services, and Capt. Peter Dery. The first vessel to participate in the program is the classic 116-foot Feadship M/Y The Highlander owned
by Victor Muller, president of Skyper Cars. The Highlander was launched in 1967 by De Vries, the third Feadship built for Malcolm Forbes, who used the yacht for business and pleasure. Muller has spent several years restoring the yacht. “Capt. Zach Paap and I look forward to welcoming hundreds of like-minded guests aboard to lend their support to Ports of Cause while they attend one of the many exclusive events planned that will raise the level of awareness of ocean advocacy,” he said in a statement. Ports of Cause will be participating in major global boat shows and its own fundraising events in 2013, starting with the Miami International Boat Show in February.
Palma to launch forum in May After the canceling of the Palma International Boat Show last spring, a few members of the Balearic Nautical Business Association have organized the Palma International Yachting Forum, which will run during the next Palma show scheduled for May 1-5. The three-day forum will cover a range of issues facing yachting. Delegates will interact through morning work groups with the objective of pulling out key points to be debated at larger afternoon sessions presided over by a panel of experts. “The Palma International Yachting Forum has intentionally been staged at the same time as the Boat Show to provide the interactive and networking
See NEWS, page A7
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December 2012 A
Captain arrested in parasailing death; AC exhibit opens NEWS, from page A6 platform that all successful boat shows need,” said Peter Franklin, one of the organizers. “Palma has one of the finest and best established infrastructures in the world for berthing, maintaining and repairing superyachts and catering to the needs of their owners, charterers and crew. We want to showcase that.” The show was called-off in 2012 due to a lack of interest from exhibitors, and a lack of government funding, according to a news release about the forum. Prices for the forum start at 250 British pounds for one day, including coffee and a tapas lunch. Registrations prior to Dec. 20 will receive a 5 percent discount upon arrival. For more information, visit www. talkyachtspalma.org.
Wrecked MMCs replaced
The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center will issue duplicate Merchant Mariner Credentials free of charge to mariners whose credentials were lost or destroyed as a result of Hurricane Sandy. To obtain an expedited replacement credential, mariners should fax a statement of loss to the NMC at +1 304-433-3416, or e-mail the statement to iasknmc@uscg.mil.
The statement should include: your full name; your date of birth; your mariner’s reference number (if you don’t know the reference number, include your social security number); the mailing address that the replacement credential should be sent to; your current phone number and/or e-mail address so NMC can contact you with any questions; and a description of the circumstances surrounding the loss/destruction of the credential. NMC says it will make every effort to have duplicate credentials mailed out the next business day. Mariners can also submit a 719B Application containing the same information to one of the Regional Exam Centers. If the old credential is unserviceable due to damage or the lost credential is subsequently found, please mail it to NMC, 100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25404. Reported in a recent edition of Wheelhouse Weekly, a newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots. It has been reprinted with permission.
Captain indicted in accident The captain at the helm of a parasailing boat when two passengers fell out of the sail has been indicted in the accident, which happened in St. Thomas last year. One person died.
Kyle Coleman, 32, was charged with one count (18 U.S.C.A. § 1115. Misconduct or neglect of ship officers) in the death of Bernice G. Kraftcheck, according to a U.S. Coast Guard statement. Coleman was arrested Nov. 7 and released on bond. Coleman operated the parasailing excursion boat Turtle on Nov. 15, 2011, for Caribbean Watersports & Tours, a company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kraftcheck and her daughter, Danielle Haese, were on a shore excursion from a cruise ship at the time. They were hoisted in tandem into the air for the parasail ride, despite deteriorating wind conditions, according to the indictment. The strong winds and a weak towline caused the tow-line to break, resulting in the parasail separating from the vessel and the two women falling into the water. They were dragged for several minutes, resulting in the death of Kraftcheck and serious injuries to Haese, according to a blog by the law firm Leesfield & Partners in Miami. Attorney Ira Leesfield has represented several people and their families involved in parasailing accidents and has been pressing for regulations, guidelines, and oversight of the parasailing industry.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Everard E. Potter. Coleman faces a sentence of not more than 10 years.
AC exhibit opens in Palm Beach A new exhibit on the history of yacht racing is on display at Flagler Museum in Palm Beach through Jan. 6. “Capturing the Cup: Yacht Racing During the Gilded Age” shows the history and popularity of the race through paintings, movies, and artwork. It includes the America’s Cup trophies made by Tiffany in the 19th century, and a piece of wood from S/Y America, the yacht that won that first race in 1851, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post. The museum’s namesake, Henry Flagler, owned sailing and steam yachts and attended regattas, though he did not sail. He owned the schooner S/Y Columbia, the successful 1871 America’s Cup defender. For more information, visit flaglermuseum.org
Dredging continues on Hudson The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed the third season
See NEWS, page A8
A December 2012
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Dutch builder teams with former Palmer Johnson CEO NEWS, from page A7 of dredging in the upper Hudson River, removing about 650,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with PCBs from a three-mile section of the river south of Fort Edward. Since it began, more than 1.3 million cubic yards of sediment have been removed. The EPA is almost halfway toward its goal. “With each successful dredging season, we draw closer to a healthier Hudson River and to the day when we can restore this historic river to its former glory,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA regional administrator. PCBs are likely cancer-causing chemicals and can cause neurological damage, especially in children. They build up in the fatty tissue of fish and other animals. The primary health risk to people is from eating contaminated fish. Over a 30-year period ending in the late 1970s, an estimated 1.3 million pounds of PCBs entered the river from two General Electric capacitor manufacturing plants in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, N.Y. The dredging project is being conducted by General Electric under the terms of a 2006 legal agreement. The next season of dredging is set
to begin in the spring. The dredged sediment is being shipped by train to permitted disposal facilities in other states. The rest of the cleanup is expected to take three to five more years to complete. For more information, visit www. hudsondredgingdata.com.
Dutch builder teams with DTF The Dutch ShipYard Group and Ft. Lauderdale-based Dwight Tracy & Friends Yacht Sales have formed a partnership intended to expand and strengthen The Netherlands firm’s presence in the U.S. market. “We’ve wanted to have a larger presence in the U.S. market for some time now, but felt it required having representation that was not only sales oriented, but highly qualified on a technical basis as well,” said Dutch ShipYard Marketing and Sales Director Bob Schutte. “We wanted to be represented by someone with a deep understanding of yacht building, someone who could interface with owners and their captains with acumen and authority. We believe that in Phil Friedman, director of new build and refit for DT&F, we’ve found that person.” Friedman is a long-time yacht building consultant and former
president and CEO of Palmer Johnson Yachts. The critical elements of a successful yacht buying experience include not only the craftsmanship of the yard, but the quality of their interface established before and during the build,” he said. In addition to building the Puffin range of sailing yachts, the Dutch ShipYard group provides motor yacht construction, yacht service and refit, and mast construction and rigging. “The single stumbling block before this has been the common disconnect between an owner and yacht over here and the shipyard over there,” Friedman said. “At DT&F, we close that disconnect by providing all of the initial project development liaison here, and sticking with the project right through to completion and final delivery.” Friedman has recently published an electronic book “Ten Golden Rules for Successful New Build Projects”, which is available free by e-mailing a request to phil@dtfyachts.com.
ICOMIA launches latest stat book The latest annual statistics book from ICOMIA (the International Council of Marine Industry Associations) is now available, providing the recreational marine
industry with global boating statistics. The ICOMIA Statistics Book sums up international activity. This year’s edition, for the first time, includes market data from China. In addition to statistics collated from MIAs, the Statistics Book includes trend line graphs showing boat production, outboard engine, PWC and diesel engine sales over the past eight years for Finland, Japan, New Zealand and the USA (provided by ICOMIA’s Marine Engine Committee). The Statistics Book also offers detailed national reports on the industry’s largest market countries and statistics on the superyacht order book (courtesy of ShowBoats International/ Boat International Media). The statistics are based on information from 2011. The Statistics Book also presents results of a 2012 survey summarizing mid-year market trends across 23 responding countries. ICOMIA members and their members receive a 50 percent discount. To order an electronic copy, visit www. icomia.org Representing the global marine industry since 1967, ICOMIA has 35 marine industry association members estimated to represent more than 90 percent of the global boating business.
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Skipper’s anger nets a ton of trash, all pulled from his SUP By Dorie Cox Capt. Carlos Macias shakes his head remembering all the trash he saw every day running a sightseeing boat in Miami. It made him mad. “These waters are my swimming pool,” Macias, a longtime surfer, said. One day he put his stand-up paddleboard into the marina, grabbed a milk crate, a handmade scoop and gathered the filth. “People said, “Captain, what are you doing? You’re Capt. Carlos Macias with the Environet, the tool crazy,” Macias said. he invented to haul trash from his SUP. He’s not “The ones who are crazy shaving until he collects a ton. PHOTO/DORIE COX are you guys,” he said back. After cleaning the marina attention for the nearly seven-inch long for a week, those people noticed the beard that he refuses to cut until he difference. gathers his ton of trash. Macias still sees floating garbage Macias said he feels more productive while running a fuel barge for Peterson these days, less angry and people are Fuel in Ft. Lauderdale and he has helping, especially his wife, who admits gotten even more serious about doing an ulterior motive is to get him to cut something about it. off the beard. “I see trash all the way from Roscioli “Paddle boarding can be boring, but to Dania Cut to Sunrise Harbor,” he said. I like it with a purpose,” she said. “Each He and his wife, Rose, have long been weekend we get about 30 pounds. The environmentally conscious and involved 15th Street canal should be a showplace in clean-ups, but Macias was still mad. for Ft. Lauderdale, the first canal after “I started with anger, but my wife said you enter the port, but it’s full of trash. that won’t draw people to me,” Macias “There are thousands of plastic cigar said. “My family told me to find a way to tips, thousands,” she said. “Each piece transition my anger to love.” can be small and light but the miniscule So Macias came up with a “loving” pieces add up.” plan, as he calls it, for big changes. Big While calculating their total weight as in a ton. of trash, Carlos let the first loads of trash Macias is cleaning 2,200 pounds of dry, his wife said. “He reweighed it and garbage from the waterways from atop we lost 200 pounds. I think he wants to his standup paddleboard (SUP). keep the beard.” As often as he can, Macias loads onto With more than 1,600 pounds of his SUP, either alone or with anyone who plastic bottles, lids, bags and other trash will join him. stored in the yard, Macias expects to He can go to any waterway; the have a metric ton sometime in the next trash is easy to find, he said. He puts a year. He plans to display the giant pile milk crate at the bow of the board and to shock people into action and shine a paddles with his patent-pending trashlight of awareness on the problem. scooping invention. Another part of his plan is educating He calls it an Environet and he wants people about pollution. Macias shares every surfer to have one. Macias fit an what he sees with others. He takes SUP paddle with a specially crafted net photographs, calls city governments, and hook. He unveiled the design at the writes letters, engages environmental Surf Expo in Orlando in January. groups and students, and encourages “It needed to be stealth for when not other paddlers. picking up trash,” Macias said. “I tried a All the while, he reminds himself, as chum bag first, but it didn’t have a hook his wife suggests, “don’t confront, but and it was heavy.” engage.” Now streamlined and light, he “This is a fun way to open people’s sells them for enough money to cover eyes,” Macias said. “I’d like to believe materials and he makes as many as he that if people were aware, they would can in his backyard in Ft. Lauderdale. want to do something, too.” “It’s not to make money,” he said. “I For more, visit the Environet Paddle would give them away, but that’s not the Group on Facebook. way the world works.” Macias is a an animated guy and Dorie Cox is associate editor of The he gets excited when talking about Triton. Comments on this story are his mission. Nowadays, he really gets welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.
December 2012 A
A10 December 2012 CREW NEWS: Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
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Ft. Lauderdale show is a whirlwind Originally published in The Triton Today Ft. Lauderdale. The full versions of these articles, plus photos and more, can be found on www.the-triton.com by searching under articles for FLIBS.
Crew weather storm for a good show
It would be understandable if vendors and yacht crew panned the 53rd annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show the last week of October. But even as Hurricane Sandy disrupted activities and damaged displays, yacht captains and crew rated the show a success. Tropical storm-force winds and rain drove people home early on opening day, closed a tent much of the second day and tied up traffic with a flooded main road. But those first two days were the best and busiest for many of the yachts in the show. Captains and crew reported strong showings, with quality clients and serious buyers. By the final day, the overall sense was that the show was good. Potential buyers made offers (low offers, but starting points nonetheless) and a few deals were closed, especially in the smaller, more recreational sector, according to several brokers. – Staff Report
Captain shares his operation secrets
Professional yacht crew can do many things. Besides crossing oceans and plotting courses without signposts, they keep a floating city operational. Being good at it takes years of experience and study. But even the best mariners dread the paperwork. A veteran yacht captain who has a knack for policies and procedures has created a Web site to share not only his knowledge of more than 20 years in yachting, but also his tried-and-true documents. Capt. David Clarke of the 240-foot (73m) M/Y Laurel launched Superyacht Operating Systems during FLIBS. It includes more than 250 documents with everything from a sixparagraph crew nondisclosure agreement Clarke to a 52-page deck department inventory spreadsheet. All are available to anyone who can use them, for free. “It’s a place for guys with no experience on a 30m or a 50m to get experience and to be successful,” Clarke said. “We need them to be successful. We all want owners to have a good time on their yachts. Owners who don’t have a good time because of a bad experience or a bad captain get out of yachting, and they tell their friends not to bother getting in.” “Some guys hate it; I’m good at it,” he
said of the paperwork involved in the operation of a modern superyacht. “I couldn’t run a boat successfully any other way.” To check it out, visit www. superyachtos.com, or find it on Facebook by searching for Superyacht Operating Systems. – Lucy Chabot Reed
Captain credits those who guided him
After a career of learning from those around him and being the kind of captain others learn from, Capt. Len Beck of M/Y Battered Bull was honored with the 2012 Distinguished Crew Award on Oct. 25 at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. “Anything I have done right is a reflection of all the people that I have been affected by, all the good captains, effective crew and intelligent owners, the ones who take the time to offer guidance,” Beck said from the 171-foot Feadship. Beck has been a captain more than 25 years. He’s spent a majority of that time working with the owners of Battered Bull. He credits his relationship with the owner for the success he’s had in command. Being honored Beck at a formal gala reminded Beck of the international yachting community he is a part of, and it was both humbling and a little embarrassing, he said. The awards are organized and hosted by the International Superyacht Society. They were announced during the group’s annual Design & Leadership Award gala. Design award winners include: For Best Power, larger than 65m: M/Y Musashi, the 288-foot (87.8m) Feadship, designed by Sinot Yacht Design and Feadship. Musashi also took the award for best interior. For Best Power, 40-65m: M/Y Galileo G, a 183-foot (55m) Picchiotti designed by Philippe Briand and Vitruvius Yachts. For Best Power, 24-40m: M/Y O’Pati, a 129-foot (39m) yacht built by Golden Yachts and designed by Giorgio Vafiadis. For Best Sail, larger than 40m: S/Y Vertigo, a 220-foot (67m) Alloy also designed by Briand. For Best Sail, 24-40m: S/Y Antares III, a 98-foot (30m) yacht built by Yachting Developments and designed by Dixon Yacht Design. The Best Refit of the year was on the S/Y Endeavour, a 130-foot (39m) sloop refit by Yachting Developments with design by Chas Nicholson. – Lucy Chabot Reed
See Perfect Setting Tabletop Challenge photos and winners on page C9.
The Triton
www.the-triton.com CREW NEWS: Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
d of weather, awards and crew news
PHOTOS/LUCY CHABOT REED, DORIE COX, TOM SERIO
December 2012 A11
A12 December 2012 CREW NEWS: Film Festival
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PHOTOS/MIKE PRICE AND NEIL DOUGLAS
Stew’s film of ‘Interior Girl’ sweeps annual crew film fest By Dorie Cox Chief Stew Mish Marchio of M/Y Fortunate Sun swept the 5th annual Fort Yachtie-da International Film Festival, winning four of the eight honors at an event in Ft. Lauderdale in November. Marchio took Madonna’s iconic song of the 1980s “Material Girl” and rewrote the lyrics for her “Interior Girl” film. Recruiting fellow crew members, she directed the performance that showed life as interior crew on a megayacht. The four-minute film won for best comedy, best original screenplay, best female actor and best overall production. Capt. Greg Chivers of M/Y Carl Linne took home two Oscars (the oscar fish trophies created special for the event), one for best male actor with his film “Carl Linne in the Sea of Cortez,” and one for best production quality with “Operation Crossroads.” Capt. Chance Strickland of M/Y Steadfast won best action film for “Alaska 2012” and Philip Du Toit of M/Y Remember When won the yachtie lifestyle category with “Remember
When”. The event is organized, managed and produced by CrewUnlimited, with voting from industry and crew. See the 27 entered films online at www.fortyachtieda.com. Winners of the 2012 Fort Yachtie-da Film Festival Action: “Alaska 2012” by Capt. Chance Strickland, M/Y Steadfast Comedy: “Interior Girl” by Stew Mish Marchio, M/Y Fortunate Sun Yachtie Lifestyle: “Remember When” by Philip Du Toit, M/Y Remember When Best Female Actor: “Interior Girl” by Mich Marchio Best Male Actor: “Carl Linne in the Sea of Cortez” by Capt. Greg Chivers of M/Y Carl Linne Best Original Screenplay: “Interior Girl” by Mich Marchio Best Production Quality: “Operation Crossroads” by Greg Chivers Best Overall Production: “Interior Girl” by Mish Marchio
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NEWS:Superstorm Sandy
December 2012 A13
Superstorm Sandy: Recap of a record-setting storm By Amanda Delaney Dire forecasts of record-setting storm surges, hurricane force winds and extreme coastal flooding along the northeast U.S. coast hastened mariners to head up rivers or tie down their vessels. They had reason to be concerned. As Hurricane Sandy ran parallel along the U.S. East Coast, the system grew and its unusual turn toward New Jersey would make this system historic. Let’s review what happened to put Hurricane Sandy in the record books. Hurricane Sandy started out as a tropical depression over the southwestern Caribbean on the morning of Oct. 22. It remained stationary over warm waters and quickly strengthened into a tropical storm late that evening. A large low pressure aloft over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and accompanying southerly winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere pushed Tropical Storm Sandy to the northnortheast toward Jamaica, but slow movement allowed Sandy to rapidly intensify. On the morning of Oct. 24, Tropical Storm Sandy became a hurricane prior to making landfall over Jamaica. Hurricane Sandy then proceeded over eastern Jamaica and became a category 2 hurricane while making landfall over eastern Cuba. Hurricane Sandy weakened into a category 1 hurricane while passing over the central Bahamas overnight Thursday, Oct. 25. A high situated over the Gulf of Maine allowed Hurricane Sandy to turn more northwestward, with the eye passing just east of Abaco Island on Friday morning, Oct. 26. Although farther east along the northern Bahamas, tropical storm force winds extended as far west as the central Florida Keys. Heavy rain and coastal flooding impacted southeastern Florida on Oct. 25 through the morning of the 26th. The high over the Gulf of Maine weakened and Hurricane Sandy turned back to the northeast during the morning of Oct. 27. The central pressure at the time was 969mb and tropical storm force winds extended as far west as eastern Georgia and South Carolina. Hurricane Sandy tracked several hundred miles offshore the southern Mid-Atlantic coast while the system’s central pressure dropped rapidly to 943mb by late morning of Oct. 29. Hurricane Sandy’s central pressure had surpassed the lowest pressure of a landfalling hurricane north of Cape Hatteras. The previous record was 946mb held by the “Long Island Express” Hurricane back in 1938. The system was also the largest hurricane in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, producing storm force winds 580 miles from the center of circulation. What happened next was extremely
unusual for a hurricane. Typically when a cold front moves over the eastern U.S., it will deflect a hurricane. A cold front was in place from New York southward to eastern North Carolina on Oct. 29. However, an unusually strong high developed over the Labrador Sea. This high pushed the large hurricane toward the northwest toward the Mid-Atlantic coast. The cold front was too weak to force the hurricane offshore and the cold front retrogressed back. The large area of easterly winds north of the hurricane combined with a full moon near high tide pushed a record
setting storm surge into Long Island Sound and New Jersey. A storm surge of 13.88 feet was recorded in Manhattan, which produced the worst flooding in New York City since the 1850s. The New Jersey coastline changed forever as Hurricane Sandy transitioned into a Nor’easter prior to landfall. Sandy’s initial track through the Caribbean and Bahamas wasn’t unusual for late October. However the hurricane, which was twice the size of Texas, turned northwest over southern New Jersey. This was unprecedented. Even as the system moved inland,
blizzards developed in West Virginia and the high winds kicked up waves up to 25 feet on Lake Michigan. Overall, 22 states were affected by Hurricane Sandy and certainly this system will not be forgotten. Amanda Delaney is a senior meteorologist at Weather Routing Inc. (WRI). WRI has been providing forecasts and routing advice to mariners for more than 50 years. For more information, call +1 518-798-1110, e-mail wri@wriwx. com, or visit www.wriwx.com and www. seaweather.net.
A14 December 2012 FROM THE FRONT: Hurricane Sandy
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Storm levels coasts, wipes out electricity to millions ashore SANDY, from page A1 the storm caused $650 million in losses to boats, making the storm the singlelargest industry loss since the group began keeping track in 1966. The 2005 season was more costly, but it included hurricanes Wilma and Katrina. Shoreside, the story was even worse. More than 100 people were killed and 8.5 million people were left without electricity across 21 U.S. states, not to mention the deaths and outages across the Bahamas and Caribbean islands. In New Jersey, the boardwalk in Atlantic City was washed away, as was the pier in Seaside Heights. But marinas, at least those targeting the crewed-yacht sector, survived the storm. Though they, too, faced power loss and flooding, docks and the boats in them were relatively unharmed. Dennis Connor’s North Cove, a marina on lower Manhattan was spared the brunt of the storm. “The marina is protected from the wind, so the 70 knots in the harbor only registered about 30 in the marina,” Commodore Michael Fortenbaugh said. “We had no damage to vessels or docks, but the electrical boxes were all underwater.” The marina was still out of power in mid November, but all its transformers, meters and panels were being replaced.
Fortenbaugh expected to be fully operational before yachts head back north in the spring. The story was similar at South Jersey Marina in Cape May, N.J. “The eye went right over us,” said Bob Glover, the marina’s marketing director. “We had some wind and high water, and sand on the roads in town, but here at the marina, there was virtually no damage at all. “When we reconfigured the marina a few years back, we put in floating docks and higher pilings,” he said. “At the highest, we still had 3-to-4 feet left. “Fortunately, the storm hit where it did,” Glover said. “I hate saying that, but for us, we were very lucky.” Effects of the storm were felt as far away as Lake Michigan, which saw 20foot waves, and in the Chesapeake Bay. But again, despite reports of widespread damage and flooding, marinas and yachts fared well. Capt. Randy Steegstra and the 130foot Westport M/Y Tsalta summers in Annapolis every year, but this year, the boss wanted to have a dinner party in late October in Washington, D.C. Those plans were cancelled, but the yacht was still docked at Capital Yacht Club when Sandy blew ashore on Oct. 29. “It wasn’t that bad,” Capt. Steegstra said. “Reagan [National Airport] saw 50 knots of breeze but I only saw 35, maybe
40. The key that saved us was we didn’t get any tide or surge.” The next day, though, water came up over the dock, but by then the wind had died down so it was just a matter of paying attention and handling lines. The only concern was heading south. Because of the rain, the rivers were running out and there was a lot of debris on the upper Potomac. “That was my worry leaving,” he said. “The next day, as we were heading down into the bay to come south, they were talking about opening the floodgates on the Susquehanna. When they do that, the bay is just a mess.” But he made it out unscathed and back to Florida, where it’s safer. “Getting out of Florida for the summer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he said, noting that Tsalta survives a storm every summer, including last summer in Boston, and storms in Nantucket two summers ago. “There’s not been one summer hurricane in Florida the past six years, but every August, I’m chased by one up there.” Sandy blew over the Caribbean first, including Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, killing more than 40 people. The worst of the weather seemed to hit Cat Island and Exuma. Crops were destroyed on Long Island and power was out nearly everywhere. The Associated Press reported that docks on
the western side of Great Inagua island had been destroyed. Sandy was a category 1 hurricane as it crossed Cat Island and Eleuthera. An investment banker from the UK was killed in Lyford Cay when he fell off his roof while trying to repair a window shutter, the AP reported. Despite devastating damage to upland facilities, marinas and large yachts mostly survived. Docks and yachts at Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, Jamaica, survived in tact, though the uplands “took a severe beating,” General Manager Paul Dadd said. For Capt. Walker, the worst part of getting through the stom in New York was the thought of losing an engine when he needed it most. “We had a fire alarm when I started to maneuver and the engineer radioed up to ask if I could stay off the port engine for a minute,” Capt. Walker said. “I said no and asked him why. There was like two minutes of silence on the radio.” Turned out that fuel was dripping on the manifold, but the experienced crew worked it out. And they rode through Superstorm Sandy unscathed. Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this article are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.
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www.the-triton.com FROM THE BRIDGE: What it costs to hire crew
Time investment in new crew is a real cost, too BRIDGE, from page A1 like a family.” And finding crew with the attitude and personality they seek takes time. Then, so does the on-board training, which reflects another intangible cost. “How long does it take them to get up to speed? A month?” one captain asked. “There’s our oversight during all that time. I’m taking my time out from the bridge to teach them how to launch the tender, how to set the boarding ladder, how to anchor, how to throw lines. Since we don’t go out much, we do training sessions under way where we take the boat out. “These are days spent with crew training when nothing else gets done on the boat.” It’s that time -- either their own or that of a department head -- that these captains agreed was one of the biggest costs in hiring new crew members. “Monetarily, whatever it takes to get a uniform on that crew member ends at some point; it’s finite,” one captain said. “And after two weeks, you can say, ‘this girl gets it.’ But it can take two months, and you’re asking yourself, ‘man, is she ever going to get it?’ Sometimes, it seems like it can go on and on. There’s a real human cost to that. “For me, there’s an emotional component; it’s not the money,” he said, noting that the tedium of working with crew members that don’t “get it” quickly can wear on not only the captain but the rest of the crew, who end up covering for the newest member. “I find that part the most challenging. That human-guidance factor is so open-ended. You don’t know when it will end. You can’t just say, in 3-to-4 weeks, this person will be on autopilot and I can relax.” “When I was single and living on the boat, spending that time wasn’t a cost to me,” another captain said. “I had all the time in the world. Now, I want to go home and spend time with my family.” Once the right person is hired and trained, there’s still the anxious period where they are first left alone to be responsible, the nights lying awake in bed, wondering if the vessel and her crew are safe. “I’ll drive by to check up on them,” one captain said. “At some point, you have to let them do their job. You hope that’s learned, but it’s not always.” “There is no greater satisfaction for me than to be able to trust the people I work with,” another captain said. Another cost is what hiring new crew does to the owner. “The owner doesn’t want to see new faces,” one captain said. “If they see new faces, it’s my failure as a captain.” “They feel much more comfortable with familiar faces,” another said. “I’ve had 80 crew on the boat in 10 years,” said a third. “The owner is worried that the turnover was because of him, or me.”
Attendees of The Triton’s December Bridge luncheon were, from left, Rusty Allen of M/Y Calixe, Mark Macioce of M/Y Unity, Paul Preston of M/Y Trading Places IV and Len Beck of M/Y Battered Bull. PHOTO/LUCY CHABOT REED While this captain accepted responsibility for the turnover, he noted that the yacht is rarely used. That makes it hard to keep crew for any length of time. The other captains agreed. They all acknowledged having slower programs, where the boat sits still for long portions of the year and sees the owner and/or guests only sporadically. And their boats are physically older. “No matter how painful the conversation is, we have to remind the owner that the boat is such a unique operation,” one captain said. “When it’s not moving, it’s really hard to keep people. Young people want new boats; older boats are harder. When someone would leave, he’d be mad at me, asking ‘why did they leave?’ They’re young. They’re looking for the next thing.” And there’s only so much they are willing to do to keep crew, including financial bonuses. “At a certain moment, part of it is they have to want to be there,” one captain said. “We could give them more money, but we don’t want to be needy. If they want to leave, that’s it. Maybe they should go.” We did chat a little about the real, hard costs of hiring crew. First, theses captains said they will not fly job candidates into Ft. Lauderdale for an interview. Other places, perhaps. But “if you want a job on a yacht and you aren’t in Ft. Lauderdale, you must not be too serious,” one captain said. Also, they acknowledged there is a real cost for background searches, paperwork, drug tests, and uniforms, but several said the yacht’s corporation will withhold the first two weeks pay to offset the costs. That pay is returned at the end of the crew member’s tenure with the yacht. When interviewing, one captain said he takes notice of the applicant’s uniform size to see if the yacht that size in stock. The other captains do this as well. “It makes a difference” who gets hired, one said. In terms of crew agency fees, which can be one month’s salary, the captains
weren’t fazed. “How long does it take to hire someone, a month?” one captain said. “That’s money not spent anyway.” At one point, the conversation detoured into a discussion about replacing crew, not just hiring them. The costs involved in reaching the decision to replace someone -- and then actually firing them -- were even higher, these captains said. “I had a couple that had to go, but the problem was they ingratiated themselves in with the owner,” one captain said. “I delayed it longer than I should have. I kept weighing the costs of letting them go, the disruption to the program, to the boat.” “It’s more of an emotional expense, even more so for the owner,” another said. So why take so long to fire crew that don’t work out? “Better the devil you know,” one captain said. “Especially if they owner has an attachment to him,” said another. “You have to have a difficult conversation with the owner. You don’t want to tell him everything you know, but you have to tell him to trust your judgment, that it’s time for them to go. “You just want to get back on an even keel,” said a third. “The hardest part is firing crew,” another captain said. “I hate that part. I try to get them to quit. Having crew leave is a reflection of the captain, of my failure. Listen, this is not a game. These are companies, and the big ones have operating budgets bigger than 75 percent of the businesses in America. The owners expect us to run them that way.” “It’s not the dollar value,” a captain said. “It’s the aggravation, the stress, the downtime, the upset to the program that becomes the real cost.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com. If you make your living working as a yacht captain, email us for an invitation to our monthly Bridge luncheon.
December 2012 A15
A16 December 2012 FROM THE FRONT: Yacht fires
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Access, alarms, plans are priority for land-based fire fighting crew FIRE, from page A1 walked about 15 firefighters through their engine rooms, companionways and galleys on several yachts at Rybovich in West Palm Beach, Fla., on the final day of a three-day training event specifically designed for megayachts. The firefighters learned theory and practical application and trained in full gear in a live burn simulator before going onboard with crew during the event organized by Chartis (AIG), Resolve Maritime Academy and Rybovich.
Fleming said both firefighters and crew learned a few things and feel more prepared. “It’s a two-way thing because we spend most of our time at the docks,” Fleming said. “We really would be relying on these guys.” That’s why the firefighters at the seminar on the final day paid close attention to details while on the yachts. “They were quite interested in our fire detection systems, alarms, fire safety plans and how to access a yacht,” Fleming said of the firefighters at the training, several of whom had never
been onboard a yacht. “They usually use things like chainsaws and hack down doors,” Fleming said. “We educated them about how to get in through skylights and hatches by teaching them how they are dogged down and locked.” Fleming and the firefighters discussed armored, storm-proof and impact resistant glass on yachts and how that is not an efficient entrance for firefighters. They talked about how putting a water hose in to put out the fire presents stability concerns. “We explained if you pump in, you need to pump out,” Fleming said, “although there are certain compartments that can flood and not compromise the vessel.” On the previous day of the seminar, firefighters had suited up for a simulated megayacht fire in the training vessel, Gray Manatee, at Resolve in Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. Afterward, training manager Thomas Jones debriefed the firefighters about the yacht scenarios they encountered. The simulated main fire was in the engine room and the crew onboard spoke Spanish. “It’s a real possibility to run into a variety of languages on a yacht, a real language barrier,” Jones said to the team. There were two missing “people”, an engineer and a minor, and the squad did not know where they were and could not see in the smoke. “This is where we need someone to stay with us on the dock, an incident commander with a diagram, maybe the captain or engineer,” Jones said. “We need someone that knows his vessel in the dark. “It is imperative to have help with shut offs, ventilation and control panels,” Jones said. “And that person can give us the current stage incident report. We need to know what they have done, if the CO2 or halon has been deployed, and if we need to recharge.” Yacht fire plans are of vital importance, Jones said. They include the yacht’s layout and are located in a marked watertight enclosure outside the deckhouse. These plans are usually found on flag state compliant vessels. The firefighters also learned the confined space and high temperatures used more of their personal resources. “A big concern is air management and air consumption, because yachts may have multiple decks,” Jones said to the tired team that had just trained in such conditions. “The fatigue level is an issue,” he said. “You exerted a lot of energy and then your adrenaline crashes.” The simulated fire was not quickly extinguished because a firefighter was missing due to poor radio communication. Another example of a problem, Jones said, communication equipment malfunctions are always possible.
The search team had searched the crew mess and quarters, found a hatch open and found a “baby.” At the same time, the tactical crew entered the engine room, but had orders to hold on the attack on the fire until the search could be completed for the “engineer”. Radio communication was still unclear and time was wasting. Finally the “engineer” was found and the team could shut off power and ventilation to contain the fire. “But not all yachts can shut off ventilation,” Jones said, citing another area of concern. “Shipboard firefighting has nuances.” The simulation was held for landbased firefighters and not attended by Battalion Chief Murton. But, as an expert on shipboard fires in Port Everglades, he explained by phone some specifics onboard yachts. A big concern is that their fires reach dramatically higher temperatures because of confined spaces, water-tight compartments and void areas, to name a few, he said. “Because areas like engine rooms retain heat, the entire atmosphere contains heat,” Murton said. “It’s not like a structure fire. It conducts heat and the next deck can catch fire because of the heat in such confined space. “Ventilation is a much bigger issue on yachts,” he said. “There is less heat dissipation, because they don’t have a lot of openings.” Murton said firefighters try to fight fire laterally instead of going down into confined spaces. “But with yachts, that may not be possible,” Murton said. “We may have to go down stairs and that is more dangerous.” Yachts often contain toxic products and materials and fuel in the tens of thousands of gallons. And they are often in a marina in proximity to other yachts, with a serious threat of fire moving to other vessels. Although yacht crew are trained to prevent fires and to do their best if one starts, there is a point where they have to put personal safety first. And if the yacht is at the dock, that’s where landbased firefighters may take-over. When a boat fire sends crew off the yacht, they can still help. When emergency responders are on the scene at the docks, crew are integral with information. By explaining the yacht to firefighters who have never been onboard, crew can explain locations of passengers, exits, toxins and things that could explode or cause other problems. Crew can share the yacht’s fire plan and stand by to answer any boating questions firefighters may have, even if the question is “Which side is starboard?” Dorie Cox is associate editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.
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BUSINESS BRIEFS
December 2012 A17
FLIBS event raises $170,000; firm adds security arm Boys ‘N’ Toys donates to charity The private “Boys ‘N’ Toys” yacht hop organized by Northrop & Johnson during the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show raised $170,000 for Kids in Distress. A silent auction and a live auction included a trip to Paris, a diamond necklace and a day with the Broward County Sheriff, which included a helicopter ride and a ride in a police car. “The purpose of the Boys N’ Toys event is to have the ‘big boys’ look after the little ones, so they too can become the next superheroes,” said Kids in Distress Development Officer Patricia Moskol. The event was sponsored by PNC Bank. Kids in Distress is based in Ft. Lauderdale and works to preserve families and to treat children who have been abused or neglected.
Rayburn joins Freedom Marine Paul Rayburn of Rayburn Custom Yachts has joined Freedom Marine, Canada’s largest yacht brokerage for yachts larger than 40 feet. Rayburn is a second generation yacht builder with experience in the design, production management and sales of new build construction projects ranging from 62 to 107 feet. Freedom Marine’ is based in
downtown Vancouver, B.C. For more information, visit www. boatingfreedom.com.
AvMar Marine Glass joins Viraver AvMar Marine Glass, yacht glass digitizers and installers, has joined forces with Viraver, a designer and manufacturer of transparent panels in glass and polycarbonate. “The relationship was a perfect fit,” said Rick Simmons, president of AvMar Marine Glass. “Viraver’s manufacturing quality is second to none in the world and my company, AvMar Marine Glass, has been recognized as a trailblazer in technology and implementation, utilizing state-of-the art digitizing that creates precise measurements in every environment.” AvMar Marine Glass is headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., and uses 3-D digital scanning equipment and software For more information, visit www. avmarmarineglass.com.
Furrion launches UK distribution Furrion has opened a distribution center in Howden, UK. “For our customers in the UK and across the continent, our new facility in Howden will mean faster deliveries, fixed transportation costs and reduced
costs overall,” Mark Curry of Furrion said. For more information, visit www. furrion.com.
Marcali launches security division Ft. Myers, Fla.-based Marcali Yacht brokerage and consulting has formed a yacht security division with a team of professionals that have more than 29 years of safety and security skills. The new division will provide protection services by using concealment techniques to protect families, onboard guests and assets. “Confidentiality is one of our largest responsibilities to the client,” said Marc Harris, CEO of Marcali Yacht. “Our security applications are unique and exclusive to each vessel and individual yacht owner.” For more information, visit www. marcaliyacht.com.
SP-High Modulus rebrands as Gurit The SP-High Modulus brand will no longer be used, and the company’s composite products and services will be marketed under the corporate brand, Gurit. “The SP and High Modulus brands have served us well over the past 30 years,” said Paul Goddard, general manager of industrial and marine at
Gurit. “We are, however, a company that looks to the future, and this exciting change clarifies our position in the marketplace.” For more information, visit www. gurit.com.
JL Yacht Design studio opens Jeffrey William Langs has opened a new yacht design company, JL Yacht Design, based in Stuart, Fla. JL Yacht Design is a full-service studio that will deliver detailed construction drawings, finish schedules of goods and materials, equipment specifications, and supervision of construction. Services include 2D and 3D AutoCAD, Rhino 3D modeling, and photorealistic renderings or live digital virtual video mockups and tours of design concepts. “We will be providing clients and shipbuilders with innovative unique yacht designs while following the strict parameters of yachting guidelines and safety regulations,” Langs said at during the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show in October. Langs spent 18 years working with JC Espinosa at Espinosa Yacht Design in Palm City, Fla. For more information, e-mail jlyachtdesign@gmail.com.
A18 December 2012
NEWS
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Monaco show has nothing on Ft. Lauderdale for crew By Lucy Chabot Reed Comparing the Monaco Yacht Show with the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show may seem a little pedestrian. On the surface, one may wonder, what’s to compare? Monaco’s show is about the newest, biggest superyachts in the world, plus a few of their most fancy tenders. It’s prestigious and glamorous. Attendees wear suit jackets and $500 designer shoes. It costs $90 for admission to one day. It’s Monaco, land of royalty and casinos. Ft. Lauderdale’s show is about boating in all its levels. It has docks full of sportfish and center consoles, family cruising catamarans and trawlers, as well as megayachts. Attendees (even potential buyers) wear their favorite Guy Harvey T-shirt and flip-flips. Tickets are $20 a day, but there’s a $2 discount if you buy them online. It’s Ft. Lauderdale, land of spring break. So when we asked crew aboard a half dozen yachts that attended both how the shows compared, we were surprised to find out that the lower-key U.S. show would have so many fans. “I enjoy Ft. Lauderdale more,” said Bree Warren, a stew on the 223-foot (68m) Lurssen M/Y Kismet. “There are more parties, more events, more facilities. “And we can walk around ourselves here; it’s so crazy busy in Monaco,’ she said “People walking around Monaco, they’re not asking questions about the boat. They just want to see it. Here [in Ft. Lauderdale], they ask questions, they are really interested.” “There’s more general public here and it’s more interactive,” said Deckhand Eddy Jackson of the 168-foot Oceanco (51m) M/Y Lazy Z. “You get to talk to people. It’s a lot more fun here on passerelle watch. In Monaco, you’re on charter duty, standing with your hands behind your back all the time.” In Monaco, because social time is restricted to the area immediately around the show, it’s easier to meet other crew, he said, “but there’s the National party here,” he said, smiling remembering the Saturday-night tradition hosted by National Marine Suppliers. “It’s the best party of the year in yachting.” First Mate Brent Marks of the 186foot (57m) Trinity M/Y Lady Linda said he prefered the Ft. Lauderdale show because of all the vendors. “Monaco is mainly superyachts,” he said. “The equipment and tenders are much fancier. The clientele are not normal, average people. You have a better chance selling or chartering in Monaco, but I like to visit Ft. Lauderdale better. There are many more vendors. All the companies I want
to see are here. That’s what I love about the Ft. Lauderdale show.” Chief Mate Steve Burke of the 180-foot Harbour Island did the boat show circuit this year, showing off the newly launched Newcastle in at least five shows, and had good things to say about both. “In Monaco, we were more in a pole position,” he said of his yacht’s slip near where land-side attendees entered the show. “We had a heavy stream of people cruising past all the time. “Here, we’re a little off the beaten path, so the people coming here are seeking us out,” he said. “We’ve had more notable interest here at this show, American buyers who don’t go to Monaco.” The best advantage to the Ft. Lauderdale show, he said, is that the crew are more involved in giving tours and talking to guests, a task mostly handled by brokers in Monaco. And Ft. Lauderdale offers more to see and do. “You can jump in a cab and go to Las Olas or the river or downtown or 17th Street,” he said. “There are a lot of little places to go and there’s more to do. The National Marine party is a big hit. Nothing else comes close.” Capt. James Broughton of the 150foot Feadship M/Y Lady Allison said interest in his yacht was better in Ft. Lauderdale, which he credited with being focused on an American buyer. (The yacht is based on a 110-volt electrical system.) “I really like this show because it’s more intimate, more friendly,” he said of Ft. Lauderdale. “And it appears there are a few more brokers here working with us.” Capt. Broughton also mentioned the events calendar during the Ft. Lauderdale show and credited that with making crew happier to be there. “Ft. Lauderdale is more fun, has better parties, and it’s more of a yachting town,” he said. Deckhand Calvin Barnard and Bosun Jean du Plessis of the 175-foot Feadship M/Y Kisses were at anchor during the Monaco show, but still gave tours. In Ft. Lauderdale, they were on the face dock at Hall of Fame Marina. “There are a lot more people here [in Ft. Lauderdale],” Barnard said of his first FLIBS experience. “It’s a different atmosphere. It’s a lot more hyped up and exciting.” “In the Med, there are a lot of captain and broker parties, but here you have the National party,” du Plessis said. “Everything is more convenient here, but Ft. Lauderdale is set up for it. It’s the yachting capital, right?” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.
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WRITE TO BE HEARD
December 2012 A19
Papers can matter if they get involved Have you read your local newspaper recently? If you haven’t, you probably aren’t missing much. In their panic to be relevant in the Internet Age, most local newspapers have missed the relevancy boat entirely and have opted instead for the most recent news instead of the most important. Being in the newspaper business just about a decade now, I’m no expert, but it seems to me that newspapers – and news outlets in general – have a more important role than just being first. It used to be that My Turn they got people thinking, got David Reed people motivated, brought people together. They took on issues and affected change (the best ones still do this). I joined my fourth board this year. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it; it can be a lot of work. But as a newspaper publisher, I know my position in the community matters, not because of who I am but because of the newspaper publishers who have come before me. The Statue of Liberty in New York would be standing in Philadelphia today if a newspaper publisher didn’t take on the task of finding money to build her pedestal. Cars on US1 in Ft. Lauderdale would be forever tied up in bridge openings if a newspaper editor didn’t take on the task of gathering support for a tunnel. Newspapers aren’t always on the right side of issues, but they bring us forward, make us better, at least the good ones do. They provide an important aspect of our lives, and they do important and relevant things when they have a stake in the community they serve. The local newspaper in Ft. Lauderdale is coming out of a three-year bankruptcy and word in the press is that three hedge funds will own different pieces of its parent company. Should not a local company own and manage the local newspaper? Someone has an amazing opportunity to buy this piece of South Florida and grow it into its potential. I don’t have the resources to manage that, but I’d like to think I have the idea: community supported, targeted, reliable and honest. The Triton started eight years ago and while most of our format was mirrored from other successful papers, we found a niche in a community that needed to feel connected. Colleagues have mentioned how important the newspaper has become to the industry. It’s humbling and we’re proud that people feel that way. We’ve worked hard to bring our community together with events and conversations, and how we’ve helped attract attention to important events and decisions. I think of The Triton paper as a town center. It doesn’t feel right to sit on the sidelines and simply report stories faster than the other guy. I choose to be involved.
Better to kill germs than to ignore them I was sitting in my favorite chair one evening in September reading the current issue of The Triton. As I read the various articles, one jumped up and hit me in the face. The article was titled “The Secrecy of Germs” by Dorie Cox [page A1]. In her article, Ms. Cox said the germs that exist in boats/yachts do not want to be talked about, but rather shoved under the sole and left to be forgotten. There is nothing we can do about the fact no one wants to talk about the situation. We do agree that there is a serious problem on boats and yachts with bad or funky air. It just so happens that my wife and I are manufacturer’s representatives for a boat/ yacht interior air purification system so we know for a fact that germs (and other airborne contaminants) are real and should be talked about. They are all around us and need to be dealt with – not just ignored or simply tolerated. Poor air quality affects millions of people every day. And the air inside boats and yachts
Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com Associate Editor Dorie Cox, dorie@the-triton.com Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com
Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com
Advertising Sales Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com
The Triton Directory Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com
is not excluded. The reality is that most people do experience some issues with the air quality inside their vessels and report symptoms such as headaches, stuffiness, coughing, and even increased snoring. The nature of boats mean smaller, enclosed areas with more shared air. And many boats do not run air when unoccupied. The nature of a dark, enclosed space with plenty of moisture (docked in water) provides the ideal breeding ground for a number of unwelcomed guests. So yes, we need to talk about what is in the air and how to make it healthier, not pretend the germs do not exist. For decades, people just accepted that time spent on their boat equaled some irritation. But they still complained about it. These frequent complaints led to the development of Nautic Air, which was named the 2008 IBEX Innovation Award winner for finally addressing such a common issue. NauticAir is an air purification and filtration system based on a proprietary process that
Contributors Carol Bareuther, Capt. Chris Boland, Chef Laura Cherington, Capt. Mark A. Cline, Capt. Jake DesVergers, Capt. Rob Gannon, Alison Gardner, Beth Greenwald, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Chief Stew Alene Keenan, Keith Murray, Steve Pica, Capt. Michael Pignéguy, Rossmare Intl., Tom Serio, Capt. John Wampler, Bill Wiard, Capt. Marvin Wilson
combines ultraviolet light (UV) and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) photo catalytic oxidation (PCO) technology to produce hydroxyl radicals, which are proven to oxidize and eradicate bacteria, molds, viruses, allergens, and other airborne, infectious biohazards, all of which may be found on board or potentially carried on by a passenger. The potential risks of these germs should not be kept “secret.” One final thought: Boaters are concerned with their water purification but tend to ignore their air purity. Healthier air makes just as much sense. Rodger E. Stone II and Leslye A. Stone Bristol Clean Air of Florida www.nautic-air.com
You have a ‘write’ to be heard. E-mail us: editorial@ the-triton.com. Vol. 9, No. 8
The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group Inc. Copyright 2012 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
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December 2012
B Section
Send us a Triton Spotter See where we’ve been this month on B15.
C4 It’s shocking There is much to know about properly using AEDs. B2
Plans proceed New marina is making way in British Columbia.
B4
It can be alarming After surviving pirates, near fire and a flood, now this? B12
sinking of the Andrea Doria. In the Pacific, there was an increase in groundings when navigators started to rely implicitly upon positions obtained from Satnavs. The positions obtained from them were accurate enough, but the paper charts being used were not created using the same datum. With both radar and Satnavs, fatal errors in their use were mostly caused through lack of training and understanding, and also forgetting to use basic navigation skills. And it’s still happening, of course, as with the spectacular examples such as the grounding of the container ship Rena (at 17 knots) in New Zealand, and the Italian passenger ship Costa Concordia on the Italian coast. But today, electronic navigation systems, radars, AIS, and a host of other electronic navigational aids have the ability to make the human navigator an almost unnecessary appendage in the cockpit or on a bridge. At times, as with the above examples, it may be better if humans
While the International Maritime Organization (IMO), flag administrations, port state controls, and other industry organizations all play a vital role in the maritime safety genre, perhaps the one entity that plays the highest level of involvement for development, maintenance, and enforcement of maritime safety is the Rules of the Road classification society. The society has a Jake DesVergers fundamental role in the prevention of accidents at sea, through its dual role in the classification and certification of ships and yachts. Classification, as a completely private service performed by these societies, consists of the issuing of rules for the safety of yachts, and performing inspections to ensure that these rules are being applied. The main purpose is to protect yachts as a piece of property. The rules apply principally to the structural strength of the hull and the reliability of its machinery and equipment. The owner uses the certificate issued by the classification society as an assurance of technical soundness and as a tool for obtaining insurance at a reasonable cost. Class rules do not cover every piece of structure or equipment on board a yacht, nor do they cover operational elements. Activities that generally fall outside the scope include such items as design and manufacturing processes; type and power of machinery and certain equipment (e.g. mooring bitts, capstans and winches); number and qualification of crew or operating personnel; form and passenger carrying capacity of the yacht and maneuvering performance; hull vibrations; spare parts; life-saving appliances; and maintenance equipment. These matters may be given consideration for classification according to the type of yacht or class notation(s) assigned. It should be emphasized that it is the owner who has total control over a yacht, including the manner in which it is operated and maintained. Classification is voluntary and its effectiveness depends upon the owner,
See NAVIGATION, page B7
See RULES, page B6
It wasn’t that long ago that mariners used a magnetic compass and some paper charts, a time when a gyro PHOTO FROM MIKE PIGNEGUY compass on board was a real luxury.
Do we really need to know this stuff? By Michael Pignéguy Let’s be honest here: How many of you would be comfortable taking a vessel of any size from Ft. Lauderdale to New York via, say, Charleston, then up the Chesapeake and down the Delaware? Or maybe a night run across to West End on Grand Bahama and then down to Nassau, all without the benefit of electronic navigational aids on board? Imagine all you can have is a magnetic compass suitable for taking bearings and some paper charts. And that’s it. Probably not a lot of hands going up, I suspect. It wasn’t so long ago, maybe 30 years or less, that a magnetic compass and chart was all that many coastal navigators were equipped with to get their vessels safely around the coast. Having a gyro compass on board was a real luxury, and then came radar, although this
B14
Classification societies on top to protect
NAVIGATION UNPLUGGED
For those building a career on the sea, yes.
Holidays bring events From boat parades to shows, something for all.
was not always well received by some old timers. In the late 1950s, I sailed with a captain who, even though we had a radar on the bridge, never looked at it once during a circumnavigation of Africa. He said that he had been through two world wars without one and he couldn’t see the need for them now. And a fine navigator he was, too.
With the advent of electronic navigational aids came the misuse and mistrust of them. With the advent of electronic navigational aids came the misuse and mistrust of them. In the early days of radar there were a number of well known radar-assisted collisions. One of the better known incidents in the North Atlantic was in 1956 between the 29,100-ton Italian passenger ship Andrea Doria and the 12,644 ton Swedish passenger ship Stockholm that resulted in the
B December 2012 ONBOARD EMERGENCIES: Sea Sick
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Shocking truth about what AEDs can and can’t do onboard The vast majority of the larger boats have AEDs, Automated External Defibrillators. But how many of these AEDs are working properly and how many crew know when and how to use this lifesaving device? Ask your crewmates who’s ready to use one. First, what is an AED and how does it work? Sea Sick An Automated Keith Murray External Defibrillator, or AED, is a portable, battery operated electronic device about the size of a laptop. It automatically diagnoses the life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a victim and can treat the patient with an electrical shock which stops the arrhythmia, and allows the heart to re-establish a rhythm. Why do we need an AED on board? Can’t we just do CPR? According to the American Heart Association, more than 325,000 people in the United States die each year from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Without it, the chances of surviving in the United States are less than five percent. However, if the AED is applied to the
victim quickly, their odds increase to between 70 and 90 percent. Sudden cardiac arrest kills more people than breast cancer, lung cancer, and HIV/ AIDS combined. Currently, 95 percent of all cardiac arrest victims die. If defibrillation is so important, why should I perform CPR? CPR helps circulate oxygen rich blood to the victim’s heart and brain. This circulation delays both brain and heart muscle death. CPR buys time until the AED arrives and makes the heart more likely to respond to defibrillation. How often will the AED shock someone? AEDs programmed with the current CPR guidelines analyze the victim every two minutes and could deliver a shock every two minutes. It may not shock every time because it analyzes to determine if a shock is necessary. Can I hurt the victim with the AED? No. AEDs only shock someone in cardiac arrest, you can only help. Can the AED hurt the rescuer? If you are touching the victim while a shock is being delivered, it is possible to get hurt. Always make certain that no one is touching, directly or indirectly, meaning not connected to the victim by either water or metal. Can AEDs be used to treat children? Yes, for children in cardiac arrest,
AEDs with pediatric pads or a pediatric key, should be used. If pediatric capabilities are not available, use standard pads. Please note – if children are present on your vessel you should purchase pediatric AED electrode pads. Should I take off the patient’s clothing before using the AED? The chest should be exposed to allow placement of the AED electrode pads. A woman’s bra should be removed as well as necklaces and chains. You may need to cut off clothing. Can I place the AED electrode pads directly on a hairy chest? The AED electrode pads must be placed directly on clean, dry skin. Hair may prevent good adhesion of the electrode pads. If there is a lot of hair you must shave them. If the chest is wet or oily, dry it. Only the areas where the pads are must be shaved or dried. How much does an Automated External Defibrillator cost? AEDs range in price between $1200 and $1700. Please note - buying a used AED or buying one from a salesperson with little knowledge about the AED, is not recommended. These are life saving devices – if they fail, your patient dies. Talk to an expert that has actual hands on experience using AEDs. We do a lot of diving, should we have an AED on the tender? Yes, you want to apply the AED as
quickly as possible. For each minute that passes, a victim’s odds of survival drop approximately 10 percent. Imagine how long it takes to pull a diver from the water and bring them to the main ship and then shock them? Having an AED on the tender is a must. How often should we test or inspect our AED? At minimum you should inspect your AED, battery and pads on a monthly basis. You should record this inspection in your logbook. Who should I call if our AED needs service? Call or e-mail the CPR School, or other knowledgeable AED service provider with questions. Often we can troubleshoot and do not charge for the communication. In summary, make certain you have a properly functioning AED onboard. If you take the tender out often, you should consider an additional AED for the tender. CPR AED training is also very important. Keith Murray, a former firefighter EMT, owns The CPR School, a first-aid training company. He provides onboard training for yacht captains and crew and sells and services AEDs. Contact him at +1-561-762-0500 or keith@ theCPRschool.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@thetriton.com.
B December 2012
MARINAS
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Project leader guides next phase of Victoria’s megayacht marina By Alison Gardner Marina and waterfront planning consultant Larry Halgen calculates he has been working on “the waterfronts of the world” for 35 years, so he sees nothing daunting about steering to completion the first marina on North America’s Pacific Coast exclusively berthing yachts 65-150 feet in length. In September, Halgren replaced Lachlan McLean of WAM Development as the Victoria International Marina’s (VIM) project lead. In addition to operating his own international marina and waterfront consulting firm, Halgren and Associates, he also has knowledge of operations, infrastructures and marina components, working with clients across the United States, China, Australia, Canada and Japan. With earlier approvals from
provincial and municipal levels of government already in hand, the federal approvals in October from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Department of Transportation mean that an action plan can now be put in place. Halgren said he sees no problem complying with the few remaining stipulations. Under the Navigable Waters Act, the federal permit process ensures harbor development does not interfere with maritime navigation and that appropriate navigation aids are used and maintained during and after project construction. The habitat authorization process assesses the impact of development on marine habitat under the Fisheries Act. Permit approval requires mitigation measures, monitoring effects and compensation plans. “It’s great to receive the Habitat
Authorization permit as our biologists have been working with Fisheries and Oceans to ensure marine life is protected and present habitat is improved over the course of development,” Halgren said. “We’ll be removing 100-year-old wood waste from the seabed and planting three eelgrass beds to attract fish along the harbor’s north shore.” Since plans were first unveiled seven years ago, there has been considerable citizen opposition to the project, particularly when the marina design proposed 52 slips and jutted much further into the mid-section of the harbor. Today, the 29-slip marina is increasingly viewed as an asset. Don Prittie, president of the BC Marine Trades Association, is the voice of the recreational boating industry in BC, working to enhance boating experiences in the province’s waters.
Victoria International Marina construction is expected to begin mid-summer with opening for megayachts in 2014. PHOTO FROM VIM “I am delighted that this marina has been approved,” said Prittie, a 40year veteran of the marine industry on the Pacific Coast. “It has been a long time coming with a great deal of dedication and hard work to make it happen. A marina like this will bring tremendous tourism activity with a whole new set of visitors and economic activity, including substantial benefits associated with provisioning and yacht maintenance.” Rob Gialloreto, president and CEO of Tourism Victoria, welcomes a move forward in this long-running saga. “Victoria is such a harbor-focused destination that the marina in its present form will surely enrich marine tourism interest along the shoreline of our vibrant working harbor which includes international ferries, small harbor ferries, recreational boating, kayaking and canoeing, and a year round international marine airport,” he said. “Now that the federal government has given its approval, the next stages have definite potential to bring highyield tourism to the city with many visitors and locals seeing this as an added reason to draw them to the extensive walkway along our gem-like waterfront.” This winter, Halgren will put finishing touches on design details, sign contracts for cleaning and replanting the seabed, and apply for permits from the city for two buildings including a restaurant open to the public. Construction is expected to begin mid-summer with this $20 million facility ready to welcome its first large yachts by late spring 2014. VIM’s marketing program will be unveiled in January when slips officially go on sale with a $10,000 refundable deposit to reserve space. For more details, visit www. marinafacts.ca and www. victoriainternationalmarina.ca. Victoria-based Alison Gardner is a travel journalist and editor of Travel with a Challenge web magazine, www. travelwithachallenge.com, a resource for mature travelers featuring ecological, educational, cultural, and volunteer vacations worldwide. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@thetriton.com.
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MARINAS / SHIPYARDS
December 2012 B
Full-service California facility is on auction block to high bidder Knight & Carver for sale
Knight & Carver Yachtcenter of National City, Calif., will be sold at auction to the highest bidder on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Knight & Carver Yachtcenter is a full-service marine facility on San Diego Bay and includes a 90,000square-foot structure and more than 1,400 linear feet of dockage. The business includes the workforce of craftsmen in all marine trades, as well as marine engineers and access to specialty subcontractors.
Newport Shipyard orders new lift
Newport Shipyard has ordered a new 500-ton Marine Travelift, which is expected to be operational by June 21. Currently, the yard’s largest lift is 300 tons.
NC marina under construction
Construction is underway for a new marina in downtown Wilmington, N.C. Planned as a 204-slip marina with a marina village, Port City Marina is expected to begin service early next year. The marina is located on the Cape Fear River three miles from Wilmington International Airport. Plans include floating docks for yachts up to 130-feet LOA and drafts up to 25 feet.
For more information visit portcitymarina.com.
Barcelona creates yachting hub
Several Barcelona-based yachting shipyards and marinas are forming the Barcelona Nautical Cluster (BNC), a group of companies and public groups whose goal is to create jobs, generate skilled employees and promote industry-specific training. The Barcelona City Council and the Port of the Catalan capital are promoting the cluster. The initial promoters of the new group are the shipyard Marina Barcelona 92, Marina Port Vell and the Fundación para la Navegación Oceanica de Barcelona (FNOB).
New dry dock hauls first yacht
Rybovich, a repair facility near West Palm Beach, Fla., hauled its first superyacht on its new 3,000-ton
floating dry dock. M/Y Mi Sueno, the 190-foot (57.5m) Trinity, was hauled in the nearby Port of Palm Beach where the vessel will undergo routine maintenance work. The shipyard bought the portable dry dock to tide it over until a permanent dry dock can be built on its north yard project.
BAE to acquire lift company
BAE Systems has agreed to acquire Marine Hydraulics International (MHI), a privately held company that operates a shipyard, pier and waterfront facilities in Norfolk, Va. MHI is a marine repair, overhaul, and conversion company serving the U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, Maritime Administration and commercial ship owners and operators. The company employs about 400 people and would be integrated with the BAE Systems Ship Repair business. The proposed acquisition is conditional, among other things, upon receiving regulatory approvals and is expected to close during the first quarter of 2013.
Interior designer joins yard
Clear Yacht Interiors and Ocean Marine Yacht Center have created an alliance, enabling the Portsmouth, Va., shipyard to offer both interior and exterior refit, design and build services. Clear Yacht Interiors has joinery and custom woodworking capabilities in addition to fabrication and installation of nearly every interior design element. Ocean Marine has a 1,250-ton Syncrolift capable of hauling yachts to 235 feet via rail, a paint/repair building big enough for two megayachts at once year-round. Both companies have a commitment to environmental issues; Ocean Marine through containment and responsible disposal, Clear Yacht Interior with its head designer who is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional).
BoatUS updates anchoring tips
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has updated its annual information sheet about anchoring in Florida waters. Boaters “should know it is illegal to restrict anchoring of non-liveaboard vessels in Florida outside of mooring fields, except in the jurisdiction of the five pilot projects,” Polich said. “In 2014, the anchoring ordinances will expire unless renewed by the Florida Legislature.” To read more and to download a copy of the information sheet, visit www.BoatUS.com/gov/ flanchoringsheet.
Today’s fuel prices
One year ago
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Nov. 15th.
Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of Nov. 15. 2011
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 814/868 Savannah, Ga. 710/NA Newport, R.I. 720/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI NA/NA St. Maarten 963/NA Antigua 1,001/NA Valparaiso 961/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 714/NA Cape Verde 953/NA Azores 866/NA Canary Islands 938/1,181 Mediterranean Gibraltar 858/NA Barcelona, Spain 815/1,731 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/817 Antibes, France 833/1,676 San Remo, Italy 935/2,067 Naples, Italy 959/2,091 Venice, Italy 938/2,244 Corfu, Greece 1,048/1,983 Piraeus, Greece 999/2,082 Istanbul, Turkey 853/NA Malta 864/1,540 Tunis, Tunisia 884/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 892/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 865/NA Sydney, Australia 861/NA Fiji 723/NA
Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 890/950 Savannah, Ga. 865/NA Newport, R.I. 860/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 995/NA St. Maarten 1,090/NA Antigua 1,170/NA Valparaiso 860/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 990/NA Cape Verde 940/NA Azores 930/NA Canary Islands 1,020/1,210 Mediterranean Gibraltar 885/NA Barcelona, Spain 930/1,620 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,835 Antibes, France 935/1,895 San Remo, Italy 1,100/2,115 Naples, Italy 1,195/2,155 Venice, Italy 1,025/1,840 Corfu, Greece 1,070/1,850 Piraeus, Greece 965/1,835 Istanbul, Turkey 960/NA Malta 770/1,480 Tunis, Tunisia 880/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 885/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 980/NA Sydney, Australia 985/NA Fiji 985/NA
*When available according to local customs.
B December 2012 FROM THE TECH FRONT: Rules of the Road
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Primary motives have transformed from commercial to safety RULES, from page B1 and other interests, operating in good faith by disclosing to the class society any damage or deterioration that may affect the yacht’s classification status. If there is the least question, the owner should notify class and survey to determine if the yacht is in compliance with the standard. The technical skills possessed by classification societies and their international network of personnel have led them to assume a more public service role. Under powers delegated by flag administration, they enforce the regulations contained in the international conventions on safety at sea and protection of the environment. In this case, they carry out the necessary inspections and deliver official statutory certificates of
conformity to such regulations. Similar to classification, this is a certification service, by which a yacht’s compliance with previously established requirements is formally stated. When serving in this role, classification societies are also referred to as Recognized Organizations. The history of classification societies began with a commercial motive rather than a safety-oriented one. The organizations were developed to meet the needs of marine insurers at the beginning of the 18th century. At that time, hull and cargo underwriters worked under great difficulty, deprived of any reliable data on which to base their premiums, any periodic statistics on shipwrecks, or any accurate information on ships. Their only recourse was to question shipmasters and seamen on the
age and nautical qualities of vessels known to them. The information that circulated by word of mouth was unreliable. Assessments of ships varied depending on individual sources. No general picture or consistent standard was provided. Sometimes information was distorted under the influence of unscrupulous owners. Particularly in England, where “spinnakers” were active, goods were insured well beyond their real value and then shipped on old vessels. Few of these ships had little chance of ever reaching their destination. It was against this background that the first classification societies came into existence. The societies were extremely successful in the second half of the 19th century. Classification brought appreciable economic benefits to marine insurers, for whom high
financial value of certain vessels represented a serious risk. Awareness of their actual condition made it possible to bring these risks under control. This method of risk management was based on the award of a “rating” to each ship. Classification societies today are characterized by their number and diversity. They differ in size, with the smallest employing only a few surveyors concentrated in certain geographic regions, while the largest have a network of inspectors extending over all the continents. In 1950, there were fewer than 10 clearly identified societies engaged in classification. Today, there are more than 100, many of which do not meet the minimum conditions for performing their role properly. This has resulted in unpardonable inconsistencies at applying safety standards. Promoting such a reputation has brought discredit to the profession. Aware of these difficulties, the largest classification societies joined forces in 1968. Known as the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), more than 90 percent of the world’s cargo carrying tonnage is covered by the classification, design, construction, and through-life compliance rules and standards set by the 13 Member Societies of IACS. As the profession evolved, the practice of assigning different classifications has been superseded, with some exceptions. Today, either a yacht meets the relevant class society’s rules or it does not. However, each of the classification societies has developed a series of notations that may be granted to a yacht to indicate that it is in compliance. Understandably, there is much at stake. Apart from the control of a billion-dollar market employing more than 10,000 people, the societies need to be given the chance of a more active role in improving the safety of yachts. This must be done both for occupational safety of those at sea and the structures upon which they live and work. Capt. Jake DesVergers is chief surveyor for International Yacht Bureau (IYB), an organization that provides flag-state inspection services to yachts on behalf of several administrations. 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.
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www.the-triton.com FROM THE TECH FRONT: Navigating
December 2012 B
A flick of a switch could leave a mariner powerless NAVIGATION, from page B1 were not involved with the ship’s navigation at all. But seriously, why should we still be bothered with magnetic compasses, working out their errors, taking bearings and plotting them on a paper chart? It’s a question that I am often asked by the younger students I teach, and fair enough, too, as most of them have been on superyachts that have been navigated purely by electronic systems and have safely cruised the world with hardly a need to look out the wheelhouse window. Many of these yachts have more than one navigational system, with even deckhands having their own handheld systems, complete with
GPS, worldwide charts and tides, star almanacs, plus the ability to talk to Mum from mid-Pacific. But they don’t make good coffee … yet. So having all that electronic navigational gear on board, why is it still necessary that we teach the modern navigator how to navigate using a magnetic compass? Of course, there is more involved than just knowing how to use a magnetic compass and take bearings. Without electronic navigational aids you have to be more aware of your surroundings, not only on board your vessel but of the environment that your vessel is operating in. The coastline, with its hills, mountains, valleys, headlands and lights, become important potential navigational aids, not forgetting the depth and
Yachting teams show model helmsmanship during event Nine teams of crew and marine industry professionals took the helm of mini-motor yacht Lady Amelia at ICT’s occasional Berth Control event on Nov. 2. About 60 people gathered at the Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale to watch the teams compete in boat handling skills using the eight foot long remote controlled model yacht. First place went to team Lars, which included Lars Loftus, Lars Werner and Ben Fisher. The team had the best time by two and a half minutes. Second place went to team Loose on the Goose, made up of Chris Brown, Terry Roche and Alexandra Tsougrianis. And third place went to team Moshon with Phil Hodshon, Debbie Monroe and Ryan Doyle. Last place was awarded to team Wyoming Surf Club.
PHOTOS/SUMMER PIERCE PHOTOGRAPHY
contours of the sea bed, too. This involves looking out of the wheelhouse windows, having and actively using the skills to truly navigate. But, students say, we have all these back-up systems so we don’t really need to know this “other stuff ”. I can truthfully say that when I relieve as skipper on a superyacht, the more electronics I see on board, the more I’m sure there will be problems, as rarely do they operate fault-free. A case in point was when I was skippering a 50m motor yacht for the 1,100-mile run down to Mauritius from the Seychelles, and all three GPS systems on the bridge failed, with no back-ups. “That’s funny,” the mate said. “That’s happened before.” But three days later, using traditional navigational methods, we saw the
peaks of Mauritius rise on the horizon. It is also always possible the governments that control the navigation satellites may have a good reason to flick the switch and turn them off. That’s a scary thought for many modern navigators. There are a number of good reasons, therefore, that the basics of hands-on navigation practices should continue to be taught and practiced, not the least of which is that being a professional navigator is knowing what to do when the lights go out. Capt. Michael Pignéguy is a relief captain on charter boats and superyachts around the world. He is an RYA instructor and examiner in Auckland, NZ, and the author of three boating books (www.boatingfun.co.nz).
B December 2012 TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
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Fishing, navigating easier with props, generators and applications Garmin offers fishfinder/plotter
Garmin International announced the echoMAP 50s and 70s combination fishfinder and high-performance chartplotter. The echoMAP 50s combines a 5-inch VGA chartplotter display with an echo HD-ID fishfinder and the echoMAP 70s has a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen display with pinchto-zoom. Both integrate a 10Hz GPS/ GLONASS receiver and include a dual-beam transducer that transmits a 77/200 kHz signal with wireless connectivity capability.
The echoMAP 50s and 70s are scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2013. For more information visit www. garmin.com/combos.
The new model comes in three voltages 110/220, 115/230 and 120/240. For more information visit www. cumminsonan.com.
Cummins Onan launches generator
Contrapel released details of its new propulsion system at the Auckland On Water Boat Show. The Contrapel drive uses a pair of contra-rotating, enclosed hybrid propellers, capable of operating above the water line. The Contrapel Hybrid Drive works on all vessels from leisure to military vessels, shipping,
Cummins Onan announced a new Quiet Diesel generator, the 8 kW 50 Hz MDKBW. The MDKBW includes certification for meeting EPA emission standards, self-monitoring capability, remote display of engine and alternator information, networking protocols and sound shields.
Contrapel details above water prop
work boats, dredging vessels and submarines. For details visit www.contrapel.com
Furrion launches HD televisions
Furrion launched a range of 12volt marine HD televisions for the UK and European markets at the Marine Equipment Trade Show. The models are available in 16, 19, 22 and 24-inch models with a 55-inch model for the UK market. The HD televisions are vibration resistant in extreme climates with 720p high definition and SRS surround sound audio technology. For more information visit www. furrion.com.
Fabrics stay flexible
Safety Components Fabric Technologies introduced Breakwater X, an interpolymer alloy that remains soft in extreme environments. Breakwater X is a interpolymer alloy fabric that is soft, pliable and lightweight, weighing 13.1 oz. per sq. yd. It offers resistance to prolonged exposure to saltwater, heat and UV rays and meets ASTM standards for abrasion resistance, strength and the ability to withstand temperature extremes. Breakwater X resists mildew and mold and offers weldability. The material is backed by a 10-year warranty. For more information visit www. weathermax.net.
Jetlev design benefits charity
Tim Heywood Design partnered with Jetlev to help the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County in Florida. The yacht designer will donate a portion of proceeds from a limited series of Jetlev R200 jetpacks to support children in need. The Tim Heywood Design R200 jetpack will be priced at $110,000. For more information visit www. jetlev.com.
Bad Elf launches GPS/sat devices
Bad Elf introduced two GPS enabled devices at the Marine Equipment Trade Show in November. The Bad Elf GPS (BE-GPS-1000) and the Bad Elf GPS Pro (BE-GPS-2200) are Apple-approved accessories that enable the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad to receive real time GPS data. The Bad Elf GPS includes a satellite receiver and antenna and plugs into iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad 30-pin
See TECH BRIEFS, page B9
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TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
December 2012 B
Monitoring capabilities, as well as instructional videos, on Web TECH BRIEFS from page B8 connector. The handheld Bad Elf GPS Pro wirelessly connects for up to five users. For more, visit www.bad-elf.com.
Seakeeper installs largest gyro
Seakeeper announced installation of four Seakeeper M21000 gyros on a 150foot Palmer Johnson. Palma Refit performed the installation with Nemo Marine Services in France and Global Marine Mallorca in Spain. For more information contact Seakeeper at +1 410-326-1590, sales@ seakeeper.com, www.seakeeper.com.
GOST, KVH offers monitoring
Security and tracking systems from GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies) view vessel video on the GOST Watch HD web site or through GOST Watch HD iPhone and Android apps through the KVH Industries TracPhone mini-VSAT Broadband satellite communications system. Through compression, videos can be viewed globally without using excessive data. Situational awareness can be maintained even when a vessel is outside cellular data coverage areas. The web site will also store these clips to be viewed at a later date. “Partnering with GOST on this provides a great compliment to our products and offers our mutual dealers and owners a tested and approved end to end solution for global video, monitoring and security,” said Ryan Smith, National Sales Manager for the Marine Division of KVH. For more information visit www. gostglobal.com or call 1+954.565.9898.
Furuno works without feedback
Furuno introduced software that allows the NavPilot 700 to work without the use of a physical rudder feedback. Fantum Feedback is a menuselectable feature available in NavPilot 700 series software. It allows course control utilizing a time-based rudder gain process, rather than traditional rudder angle based control. Fantum Feedback is designed for planing and semi-displacement outboard vessels from 24 to 50 feet, with one to four outboard engines.
For more information, visit www. FurunoUSA.com.
international instruments, including IMO Conventions, Resolutions and international testing standards. For details, visit www.mcmurdo marine.com, www.kannadmarine.com.
Viking launches educational videos
Viking Life-Saving Equipment has produced instructional and informative videos for RescYou liferafts. Three videos describe the rafts, equipment lists and include instructional videos in 3D explaining how to mount the container onto a yacht. The videos educate on buying and emergency and rescue situations. Karen Hansen, Viking’s national sales manager for the yachting market in the USA narrates the videos. Videos are available by searching VIKINGyachting on YouTube.com. For more information, contact +1 305-614-5800, or e-mail usasales@ viking-life.com.
Extinguishing agent not taxed AIS SARTs receive certification
Two businesses of the Orolia Group have received MED Wheel Mark certification: Kannad Marine for its SafeLink AIS SART (Automatic Identification System Search and Rescue Transmitter) and McMurdo for its Smartfind S5 AIS SART. The Wheel Mark is the European regulatory marking for all marine equipment as defined in the Marine Equipment Directive 96/98/EC, which ensures a uniform application of
Sea-Fire systems using 3M Novec 1230 fire protection fluid are not subject to the Australian Clean Energy Future Plan tax. Products containing certain HFCs or PFCs are subject to a carbon tax based on their global warming potential, which includes some fire extinguishing agents. Novec 1230 is excluded due to a GWP of 1. Sea-Fire offers pre-engineered systems for 25 to 1,800 cu. ft. and engineered systems for spaces up to 17,500 cu. ft. It is non-corrosive and electrically non-conductive. For details, visit www.sea-fire.com.
B10 December 2012 BOATS / BROKERS
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Feadship launches M/Y Venus, unfinished M/Y Starfish for sale Feadship launched hull No. 684 on Oct. 28, the 78.2m all-aluminium custom M/Y Venus, at its yard in Aalsmeer, Holland. Though the company would release no other information, various media have reported that the yacht was commissioned and built by the late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. The yacht was reportedly designed by Jobs and yacht designer Philippe Starck. The yacht was described in Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson and is between 230 and 260 feet long and has seven 27-inch iMacs on board. In other company news, Karlene Pack has joined the Ft. Lauderdale office of Feadship as director. M/Y Kanga, the first WallyAce 26m, will debut at the Antigua Yacht
$19.95 million; and the 150-foot (45.7m) Palmer Johnson M/Y Vantage for $26 million.
show this month. The 86-foot yacht, shown above, was built using sandwich GRP construction technology and boasts larger volume at 282 square meters, more stability, and reduced fuel consumption, noise and vibrations.
Freedom Marine has sold the 122-foot M/Y Atlantide owned by Tom Perkins. Broker David Campbell represented the buyer and seller. Perkins also owns the Perini Navi S/Y Andromeda la Dea, the 137-foot Herreshoff schooner S/Y Mariette and his former 289-foot S/Y Maltese Falcon.
Moran Yacht & Ship has delivered the new 288-foot (88m) Lurssen M/Y Quattroelle (project Bellissimo). The exterior and interior of the sixdeck vessel was designed by Nuvolari Lenard. New to its central agency listings for sale include the 220-foot (37m) Shadow Marine M/Y Allure Shadow for
The unfinished M/Y StarFish, the slightly larger sister ship to the 2010 launch of M/Y BigFish, has been put up for sale following a fire at the McMullen & Wing shipyard in New Zealand in August. The yacht was three-quarters complete at the time. Its 50m hull is intact and its engine room undamaged.
The forward part of the yacht, including the crew quarters, was destroyed M/Y BigFish is in refit at the yard, and the owner said he doesn’t want to own two large yachts. For more information, visit Aquos Yachts at www.aquosyachts.com. Merle Wood & Associates has sold the 110-foot Intermarine M/Y Lady A and the 102-foot Broward M/Y Liquidity. The firm has added the following central agency listings for sale: the 154-foot Feadship M/Y Charade, the 150-foot M/Y Status Quo by Richmond Yachts, the 124-foot Hakvoort M/Y Perle Bleue (in a joint listing with Denison & Daves), the 116-foot M/Y Deep Blue (in a joint with Allied Marine), and the 88-foot Sunseeker M/Y Selene (in a joint with Atlantic Yacht & Ship). New to its charter fleet include the 132-foot Westship M/Y Northern Lights, the 125-foot Palmer Johnson M/Y Milk & Honey, and the 87-foot M/Y Watershed II. Bali-based Sauter Carbon Offset Design (SCOD) has designed the DynaWing AC72, a 72foot (22m) America’s Cup challenger catamaran that is designed to not capsize. The DynaWing AC72 has a schooner rig with a twowingmast and boom-furling mainsail combination. The Rodriguez Group has sold the first in its 50m all-aluminum line, the 165-foot Azul, a collaboration between the company and Italyachts Shipyard. The yacht is powered by Rolls Royce hydrojets and two MTU 2600Hp engines, and it can reach 30 knots with a draught not exceeding 1.75m. The yacht is expected to be delivered in 2014.
Turkish builder Vicem Yachts has launched the 105-foot (32m) Vulcan M/Y Bronko I, shown above. Delivery was expected at the end of November. Another yacht, a 118-foot (35m) vessel, is under construction and expected to launch in March.
See BOAT BRIEFS, page B11
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BOATS / BROKERS
December 2012 B11
Brokerages sell yachts, hire brokers and tag staff for promotions BOAT BRIEFS from page B10 Maine-based Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding launched its newest yacht on Nov. 1, the 63-foot custom S/Y Kiwi Spirit, shown below. Designed by Farr Yacht Design, she was specifically built for the 76-year-old owner’s goal of sailing solo around the globe, non-stop, unassisted and completely green.
No gas, propane or butane will be aboard during the circumnavigation. Solar panels will line the deck and small hydro regenerators will be mounted under the vessel to bring power back to the boat. RJC Yachts has sold the 130-foot (39.6m) Northern Marine M/Y Magic (Moran Yacht & Ship represented the buyer) and the 104-foot Broward M/Y PG’s Jester (Frank Gordon Yacht Sales represented the buyer and Bob Cury at RJC Yachts Sales represented the seller). The brokerage has hired broker Michael Strassel. Previously, Strassel spent 21 years at Hatteras of Lauderdale and Strassel Allied Marine and 10 years at HMY Yacht Sales. Fraser Yachts has recently sold the 121-foot (37m) M/Y Fusion built by Peri Yachts and sold by broker David Legrand in Monaco, and the 95-foot (29m) M/Y Safari built by Nordlund and sold by brokers Patrick McConnell and Neal Esterly in California. New central agency listings for sale include the 193-foot (59m) M/Y Capella C built by Scheepswert in 1968 for $5.8 million, the 99-foot (30m) Benetti M/Y Jazz of Monaco for 4.9 million euros, and the 91-foot (27.8m) M/Y Oyster built by Peri Yachts for 1.8 million euros. IYC sold the 108-foot Westship/ Westport M/Y Special Issues VIII after the Ft. Lauderdale show Florida-based Northrop & Johnson recently sold the 92-foot M/Y Aphrodite I by broker Joost Goverts. The brokerage has hired Charter Director Fiona Maureso and Charter Manager Andrea Pothier to lead the firm’s charter division in the South
of France. Charter Broker Solenn De Braux remains in the office. Maureso is a native of England and worked as a deck/stew on a 40m yacht before becoming a charter broker with Peter Insull and Yachting Partners International. She serves as vice president of MYBA. Camper & Nicholsons has added the 125-foot (38m) Broward M/Y Heritage III to its central agency listings for sale. New to its charter fleet include the 119-foot (36m) M/Y Metsuyan IV built
by CBI. The firms’ director of charter marketing, D.J. Kiernan, will move into the company’s retail charter division. The company also promoted Dee Kraley to director of charter management. After a career as a commodities trader, Kraley started in yachting, working up to Kraley chief stew of a
200-foot yacht. She joined Bob Saxon & Associates in charter management and moved to CNI in 2002 when the companies merged. The firm has hired broker David Sargus Jr., most recently with Fraser Yachts and DES Yachts Brokerage; and broker David Gennett. Ft. Lauderdale-based Denison Yacht Sales has opened its second California sales office in Newport Beach in Southern California. The office offers new and brokerage yacht sales, charter and service.
B12 December 2012 CREW NEWS: Delivery, part 2
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More adventures of a delivery:
Weathering a dead ship and sinking tenders By Bill Wiard The five crew members of a 130-foot motoryacht I helped deliver earlier this year had crossed the Caribbean Sea from St. Vincent to St. Thomas, repelled pirates, prevented an onboard fire and repaired and restored a flooded engine room. We enjoyed about 36 hours of excellent weather and smooth sailing past Puerto Rico and Hispaniola and finally hit the downhill part of the delivery. Ahead lay the Bahamas, Exuma Sound, the Tongue of the Ocean, the Great Bahama Bank, and finally the 44mile leg across the Gulf Steam into Ft. Lauderdale. I entered the wheelhouse at 0245 in preparation for my 0300 to 0600 watch. The first mate turned over the watch by telling me his course and speed and informing me of any traffic in our area. At 0300 we were about 14 miles south of Great Inagua, Bahamas, there were no targets in sight on the 24-mile radar, and we were eastbound at 9 knots. At 0315 an alarm sounded. I scanned the bilge alarm panel, both radars, the chartplotter, the generators, the radios and the autopilot without finding the source of the alarm. Time to wake the captain. The captain entered the wheelhouse and immediately identified the alarm as main engine battery bank low voltage.
Losing power fast
A diesel engine does not require a battery to continue operation after starting unless it has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to control the flow of fuel. Both of our Detroit diesels had an ECU, and both were losing battery power fast. The captain ordered the first mate to take the helm and I followed him to the engine room. Each engine has a separate battery bank of two 8-D 12-volt batteries wired in series to produce 24 volts. At full charge, the volt meter should read 27 volts. They read 9 volts. We had three ways to charge the batteries: an alternator on each engine, a 100-amp battery charger powered by the generator, and a portable 12/24volt, 30-amp charger. We knew the 100amp battery charger was inoperable before we left St. Vincent so we had to rely on the alternators. It made no sense that both alternators went bad at the same time so first we used a handheld voltmeter to check the output and found both to be working properly. So why were both battery banks
losing power at the same rate at the same time? The captain and I had by now been in the 92-degree engine room for about 45 minutes. Nearing 4 in the morning, we attempted to trace the wiring between the alternators and the battery bank. In a boat this size, the wires are neatly harnessed in bundles about six to eight inches in diameter with each bundle containing 8 to 10 wires. The wiring harness we worked on was below the engine room floor, about 20 feet long. Both of us have general knowledge of how charging systems work but neither of us professes to be experts, so we proceeded with caution when the starboard engine died. “We better do something quick or we will be dead in the water,” the captain said. Ten minutes later, the port engine died.
Both the captain and I have general knowledge of how charging systems work but neither of us professes to be experts, so we proceeded with caution when the starboard engine died. ‘We better do something quick or we will be dead in the water,’ the captain said. Ten minutes later, the port engine died. At 0430 all hands assemble in the wheelhouse. The weather and seas were near calm, there was no traffic in the immediate area and Great Inagua was only 14 miles to the north. We had three options: remain dead in the water and continue working to solve the problem, call for a tow estimated to cost $40,000, or attempt to tow the 200-ton yacht with our 26foot Boston Whaler with two 225hp outboards.
Choosing option No. 3
The captain issued the orders to rig harnesses and tow lines. We would try to make the safety of Great Inagua without outside assistance. First light was dawning by the time we were ready to attach our tow line to the harness on the tender. We could see the first mate tie the final knot, throw the harness overboard, position the tender and begin to throttle up. The light wind and current moved
the yacht east at half a knot. The tender throttled up to 2,000 rpm and headed east-northeast. The captain tried to swing the bow to the north using the tiller steering control when he saw the rudder angle was not moving. The yacht had hydraulic steering and its pump was powered by the main engine. We had no steering. The captain, new to the yacht just a few weeks before, remembered there was a 120-volt emergency backup hydraulic steering pump. The generator still worked and produced 120 volts so the captain went to the engine room, opened and closed a few valves, threw a few switches, and our steering was restored. Now all we needed was headway. The captain used the half knot of speed and slowly began to swing the bow north. He called the first mate and asked for more power. The first mate eventually throttled up to 4,000 rpm and in the wheelhouse we saw 1 knot, then 2 knots and eventually 4 knots. By 0600, we were headed north at 4 knots and hoped to be in a safe anchorage in three and a half hours.
Using a lifeline
By 0730 we had Great Inagua in sight and the captain decided to use one of his lifelines and call a friend, two actually: an electrician who worked on the boat in St. Vincent and a diesel mechanic in Ft Lauderdale. He left messages. While the interior crew steered the yacht behind the tender, the captain and I went back to the engine room to find the connection between the two engine battery banks. As we searched, we connected the portable 30-amp battery charger to the port engine battery bank. The engine starter motor required at least 19.5 volts to operate; the ECU needed 8 volts or more to supply fuel. If we could get the port engine started, we could probably run it an hour or so before it died again of fuel starvation. At 0830, the port battery bank read 20 volts, the port engine started, we retrieved the tender and by 0900 we were safe at anchor on the leeward side of Great Inagua. The St. Vincent electrician and the Ft. Lauderdale mechanic returned the captain’s calls and both indicated there should be an isolation transformer in the charging circuit. An isolation transformer prevents the batteries from being charged by the alternators and the ship’s 120-volt battery charger at the same time. If the transformer went bad, it could
See DELIVERY, page B13
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CREW NEWS: Delivery, part 2
December 2012 B13
With experienced crew, that beeping noise is just another alarm DELIVERY, from page B12 prevent the alternators from charging the batteries. The St. Vincent electrician indicated the transformer was a small blue box the size of a cribbage board near the starboard engine starter motor. All we had to do was locate the transformer, remove the wires from the alternators and re-attach them directly to the positive terminal on the battery banks. Sounded easy, but the wiring harnesses were 20 feet long, bundled up with 8 to 10 wires each and located under the engine room. To complicate the repair, we couldn’t find the blue box. This job of tracing the hot wire was going to require someone who could crawl into small spaces in the bilge and work upside down. Luckily, our first mate was just that guy.
Finding the blue box
With a good pair of dikes in hand, the mate began working his way aft, cutting wire ties and pulling the alternator wire out of the harness as he went. Eventually, he found a blue box at the aft end of the engine room and tucked away under some pipes and a bundle of wires about a foot in diameter. He disconnected the port and starboard alternator wires, and we pulled them forward to the battery bank and reconnected them to the positive terminal on the batteries. The 30-amp charger had been connected for about an hour so it would take 2 to 3 hours more before we had enough power to restart the engine and see if the alternators were doing their job. The first mate had been up since midnight and the rest of us since 0300. By now, it was about 1100 and we thought we had the problem solved but, to be sure, we had to wait several hours. A bit of rest and relaxation was needed so captain gave the order: swim. We pulled the tender up and tied it off on the hip so we could use its boarding ladder to get back onto the yacht. Everybody dove into the cool, clear and refreshing Bahamian water. The first person who got out of the water and boarded the tender discovered a new problem. There was saltwater knee-deep in the bilge. The batteries were out of the water but the two bilge pumps didn’t work. The tender was a center console with a compartment for the batteries, electrical panel, through-hull fittings, valves and a head. This compartment was flooded with 20 inches of water. I closed all the through-hull valves and the mate began pumping with our 36-inch manual bilge pump. After 30 minutes of three of us pumping, we did not make any
headway. That’s when our captain came and determined the safe thing to do to the rescue. He found a spare 12-volt was to stay at anchor for the night, get bilge pump in the ships spare parts, a shower and a meal and a good night’s rigged it with an evacuation hose and rest, and continue the delivery the next enough wire to connect it to the tender morning. battery. When connected we increased The trip up through Exuma Sound our capacity from a quart per manual took a day and half and was uneventful. stroke to 2,000 gallons per hour. Within We were headed north in the Tongue of 15 minutes, most of the Ocean on what the water was gone. was scheduled to be After 30 minutes of We found two our last night at sea. potential sources In relieving the pumping, we did not of the leak: the mate on watch, make any headway. main drain plug at he reported that That’s when our the bottom of the the crew quarters captain came to the transom and a drain bilge alarm light plug in the port side had come on. rescue. fish box. Ten minutes He found a spare Both plugs were later, he returned 12-volt bilge pump, household flip and reported he lock plugs that found a leak in the rigged it with an were corroded and freshwater tank. evacuation hose and loose fitting. Both The stew took connected it to the were replaced our watch while with proper plugs. I went below, tender battery. Problem solved. dropped under the When connected we By now it was floor and crawled increased our capacity about six feet aft to 1300 and the port to 2,000 gallons engine battery bank see the leak coming was up to 22 volts. from the top of the per hour. Within 15 When the captain tank. minutes, most of the hit the start button, We determined water was gone. she fired right up. a weld had come With jumper cables, loose on a seam we started the about 3 inches starboard engine and waited to see if long and water was coming out the top the alternators worked. Over the next because the watermaker had just filled hour and a half, the voltmeter moved the tank. from 23 to 24 to 25 and eventually We stopped the leak by not topped out at 27 volts. We were back in completely filling the tank and pumped business. Problem solved. the excess water out of the bilge. The alarm light went off and the only action necessary was to put the defect on the One more bilge alarm growing “to do” list for the boat yard. By 1430 the engines, the tender and Problem solved. all other systems on the boat were By first light on the last day we ready to get under way. were ready to cross the 75-mile Great But the captain was aware his crew Bahama Bank then across the Gulf has been up and working for 14 hours
Stream and planned to be tied up in Ft. Lauderdale before dark.
It ain’t over yet
At about 1600 and 14 miles from Ft. Lauderdale, the mate entered the wheelhouse and congratulated the captain on the successful delivery. “Don’t say anything yet,” the captain replied. “It ain’t over until it’s over.” At about that time, the wind picked up out of the west, directly on our nose, at 40 knots. For the past eight days we had not seen more than 8 knots on the anemometer. Now it was blowing 40 knots on the nose. What next? Well, next was a water spout directly in front of us about 2 miles. The captain, who had lived in Florida for years and understood summertime afternoon weather patterns, decided on a naval tactic made famous in WWII: Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. An hour later we entered the Port Everglades inlet. The sun shone and the winds were calm. The yacht was tied up, engines and generators shut down, and shore power plugged in by 1730. The nine-day delivery was complete. We experienced and responded to nearly every alarm on board, repelled pirates and salvaged a sinking tender. The captain and his crew were hired to deliver the yacht from St. Vincent to Ft. Lauderdale and they successfully completed their job. When you are a professional delivery captain, you expect problems. And good crews have the experience and knowledge to overcome them. This crew is definitely one of the good ones. When he’s not helping to deliver yachts, Bill Wiard is a yacht broker with Massey Yachts in St. Petersburg, Fla. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS B14 December 2012
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Busy holiday season brings a variety of events for boaters EVENT OF MONTH Dec. 2-8 51st annual Antigua Charter Yacht Show, Antigua
Yachts will be at Nelson’s Dockyard Marina in English Harbour, Falmouth Harbour Marina and Antigua Yacht Club Marina both in Falmouth Harbour. This year’s Concours de Chef theme is “The Healthy Dinner Challenge”, plus a table setting contest for stews. antiguayachtshow.com
Dec. 14 Professional Yachting
Association Christmas Ball, Carlton InterContinental Hotel, Cannes, France. Contact bridget@pya.org or pya.org.
Dec. 11-14 American Boat and Yacht
Council’s Marine systems certification, Mystic, Conn. and Seattle. Call +1 410990-4460 or visit www.abycinc.org.
Dec. 15 Seminole Hard Rock
site that lists holiday boat parades in the United States by state or date. www. boatus.com/events
Winterfest Boat Parade, Ft. Lauderdale. The parade travels east on the New River and north on the Intracoastal to Pompano Beach. Starts in downtown Ft. Lauderdale at 6:30 p.m. Billed as 12 miles of the “Greatest Show on H20.” Contact winterfestparade.com or +1 954-767-0686.
Dec. 3 Domestic Estate Managers
Jan. 3-6 New York Boat Show, New
Dec. Holiday boat parade finder. A Web
Association, West Palm Beach, Fla. South Florida meeting will be dinner with board and discussions on future meetings. For details RSVP Michael Wright, info@domesticmanagers.com, +1 407-267-1072.
Dec. 3-5 Hong Kong International
Boat Show, Club Marina Cove, east Coast of Kowloon in Sai Kung. www. clubmarinacove.com
Dec. 4-7 ABYC Marine systems
certification course, Halifax, Canada. Call +1 410-990-4460 or visit www. abycinc.org for more classes.
Dec. 5 The Triton’s monthly networking event at West Marine (the first Wednesday of every month from 68 p.m.) in Ft. Lauderdale. Join us for networking. www.the-triton.com.
Dec. 5-7 International Workboat Show, New Orleans. www.workboatshow.com
Dec. 6-9 Art Basel, Miami Beach, Fla.
The 11th annual event hosts shows for modern and contemporary works of 2,500 artists. basel.artbasel.com
Dec. 7 The Triton Bridge luncheon, Ft.
Lauderdale, noon. This is our monthly captains’ roundtable where we discuss the issues and trends of the industry. For people who earn their livings as yacht captains. RSVP to Associate editor Dorie Cox at dorie@the-triton. com or +1 954-525-0029.
Dec. 8-16 Salon Nautique de Paris,
France. The annual event hosts 1,200 exhibitors, 1,400 brands and 236,000 visitors. This year expects to have 1,400 boats on display, including 300 new models. www.salonnautiqueparis.com
York, NY. NYBoatShow.com
Jan. 5-6 25th annual Las Olas Art
Festival-Part I, Ft. Lauderdale. Free. www.ArtFestival.com
Jan. 8-11 ABYC Basic marine electrical and corrosion protection course, Essex, Conn. Call +1 410-990-4460 or visit www.abycinc.org for more classes.
Jan. 9-13 Chicago Boat, Sports and RV show, McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. ChicagoBoatShow.com
Jan. 10-13 Atlanta Boat show, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. AtlantaBoatShow.com
Jan. 12-20 Tullett Prebon London
Boat Show, UK. This year with 500 exhibitors and hundreds of products. www.londonboatshow.com
Jan. 16 annual Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race. This 160 mile ocean race is before Key West race week. www. keywestrace.org
Jan. 16-18 ABBRA Annual Conference, Ft. Lauderdale. The American Boat Builders and Repairers Association event covers industry issues, best business practices and an overview of new technology and methods in the boatyard industry. www.abbra.org
MAKING PLANS Jan. 16-17 8th annual USSA Captain’s Briefing, St. Maarten
For captains, senior crew and industry leaders. ussuperyacht.com
The Triton
www.the-triton.com SPOTTED: Jacksonville, West Palm Beach
Triton Spotters
Story of two dry docks Triton Publisher David Reed, above, thought it would be fun to help Capt. Marvin Wilson, below, deliver a Scout 28 tender from Jacksonville to West Palm Beach in the middle of November. But Reed’s been off yachts for a while now and forgot how chilly it can be this time of year, especially traveling at 50 knots. “I had a T-shirt, sweatshirt and my foul weather jacket on,” he said, “and I was still freezing.” Before they started south, they swung by BAE Systems in Jacksonville to snap this cool shot of a Navy ship in dry dock, above. After a quick run and a pleasant overnight in New Smyrna Beach, they arrived home in South Florida and swung by Rybovich to snap this slightly warmer shot of M/Y Mi Sueno being hauled in the yard’s new 3,000-ton floating dry dock. (For more about that, see page B5.)
Where have you taken your Triton? Send photos to editorial@the-triton.com.
December 2012 B15
C Section
December 2012
C9 Networking in December The Poker Run leads to event at West Marine. C2
All festive with Winterfest See photos of networking in November in Lauderdale. C3
Where’s the beef? Guest chef excels on meatless charter trip.
C6
TRITON SURVEY: HOLIDAYS
Nearly half of crew get home for holidays By Lucy Chabot Reed As Americans wrap up a big holiday in late November (Thanksgiving) and cultures all over the world prepare for the December holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, etc.) we were curious how yacht crew make time for this season of family get-togethers. Like many workers in the service industry, yacht crew are often called on to work while the rest of the world takes a break. How do crew handle that? So we asked. We were surprised at the results to our first question Will you go home for the holidays? The majority of our respondents (51.5 percent) will be working on the yacht over the holidays. “Even after 30 years in the industry, I cry every working Christmas because I would rather be with my family,” said the chef on a yacht 80-100 feet. “It’s the price we pay to work in this unique environment.” But the rest (48.4 percent) said yes, that they will be “home” with their family. Most of those will be off the boat and at home on the actual day of celebration or pretty soon after. Just one respondent said the yacht is his “home” and his family would be there. “Our yacht will be docked in home port for the holidays,” said the captain of a yacht 120-140 feet. “The owner and his wife live aboard and tell the crew to go home. The local crew check the boat every few days and are on call should a problem come up.” With so many yacht captains and crew able to be home for the holidays this year, we were also surprised to learn it’s been a common trend recently. When was the last time you spent the holidays with family? The most popular answer of almost half our respondents was “last year”, with the percentages dropping the more time passed. “I’ll always be ready to work through the holidays and show others a good time, although that hasn’t been necessary over the past three years and during my tenure aboard
Yacht crew accept that working through traditionally family-based PHOTO PROVIDED holidays is part of the job so they make the best of it. my current vessel,” said a captain in yachting 7-9 years. Just 10.1 percent of our respondents said they haven’t spent the holidays with family since they got into yachting, which was about a decade for most, some more than 25 years. The size of the vessel and the position on board of these crew members were irrelevant. “Since I started in yachting, the owners either came the night of or the day after the holiday,” said a captain in yachting more than 30 years. “We are in the service industry.” Despite if and exactly when crew can get home, we were curious to learn Do you celebrate the holidays? Nearly three quarters do, with the bulk (40.6 percent) celebrating as much as they can by decorating and exchanging gifts.
“On our boat, we have two crew from Israel, one French, one Canadian, and me, an American,” said the captain of a yacht 100-120 feet. “We celebrate in many different ways. I’m lucky to have great crew to spend that time of year with.” Half as many (20.3 percent) celebrate privately in their own way. “Regardless of religion, it is the one time of the year that we all, around the world, take a moment to realize there is something greater than ourselves as individuals,” said a captain in yachting more than 30 years. Half as many again (10.1 percent) take part in the celebrations of the owner and/or guests. “It’s actually quite nice watching others open presents, if the guests bring presents,” said the chef on a
See SURVEY, page C10
Heartbreaking holidays Help for crew suffering grief, loss, sadness during season. C7
Don’t let a trip with kids scare you OK, I get it. The kids are coming to the yacht for the holidays. This freaks me out. As a professional chef, when I hear children will be part of the group coming onboard, the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. What do you feed children? What do they like? Do they think like grown-ups? Culinary Waves I panic at the Mary Beth sheer thought of Lawton Johnson children being onboard. It’s not that I don’t like them – I simply adore them – but I just don’t know what to feed them. At least, I think I don’t. I am not sure I have ever gotten it right after all these years. I mean, what if they don’t eat hot dogs or hamburgers? What if their palates are more refined, as most are today? Even at the estate, I watch the children’s eating habits to see if I hit the mark. When I was a kid, Morrison’s cafeteria was my idea of a varied diet. Lucky for me, I have had some really great kids onboard during my career. Most of them had sophisticated palates. One loved thinly sliced cucumbers with aged balsamic vinegar. Some of them did not eat the standard kids fare of mac ‘n cheese but would rather have quinoa with veggies, dragon fruit sorbet or Greek yogurt and fruit. Then there are the kids who want hot dogs and french fries for every meal or worse, some sort of pressed meat that is supposed to be chicken but actually looks like something you drove over in your driveway. Parents will say their child eats the same things they do. So I serve them the same thing, but by the end of the meal, the food is scattered, mashed up, fed to the dog or thrown into the plant on the back deck where the gardener discovers it days later. My guess is they don’t eat what their parents eat.
See WAVES, page C4
C December 2012 NETWORKING THIS MONTH: West Marine
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Poker run for scholarship fund ends with event at West Marine The Triton is hosting its 6th annual Poker Run on Dec. 6 to raise money for the Triton Scholarship at Broward College. The run starts at 5:30 p.m. at National Marine Suppliers, next stop is Hall of Fame Marina, with the final stop at West Marine in Ft. Lauderdale. Poker hands are $10 each. Riders pick a card at each stop and the best hand wins. Networking begins at 6 p.m. at West Marine at the corner of South Andrews and S.R. 84. If you can’t join us for the run, join us for networking. All donations go to students in the Marine Training Program in $500 increments to learn boat repair, electronics, engine room, fiberglass and more. Donations will be matched up to $7,500. Until then, learn more about Benjamin Duggan of West Marine Megayacht Supply. Q. How did West Marine start? What has become the world’s largest boating supply retailer started modestly in a garage in Sunnyvale, Calif. In Duggan 1968, our founder Randy Repass began selling rope by mail order under the name West Coast Ropes. Today, West Marine has more than 300 stores in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. The company now carries more than 50,000 products, ranging from the rope that started it all to the latest in marine electronics. Q. Tell us about the store in Ft. Lauderdale. Our Ft. Lauderdale store is the largest in our fleet with more than 50,000 square feet. We listened to customers, learned about the marketplace and opened a location that transcends everything we have previously experienced as a company. If it transcends our experience, imagine what the customers experience? The location is a one-stop shop complete with a rigging center and parts center. We also have a forward distribution center that can make deliveries six times a day. Q. What special services do you offer megayacht captains and crew? While the West Marine Megayacht Supply division is worldwide, our main office is located within the Ft. Lauderdale store. We are able to provide competent staff that can handle any supply and logistic needs of any yacht, locally or worldwide. The store provides access on demand, seven days a week. We also offer sourcing for hard-to-find parts and delivery nationwide. We will either provide the
solution you are looking for, or provide the resource to complete the mission. Q. Who will captains work with? The captains and crew will receive better than expected service from any one of our 90 store associates. For larger or complex orders, we have three offices in the store. There, captains and crew will find Frances Petropoulis, Brian Rassmussen and myself. Q. And in international ports? For our vessels travelling to foreign ports, we have two main distribution centers and 19 regional distribution centers for international shipping. We are able to prepare necessary paperwork and consolidate and can ship small packages direct or palletized orders to any freight forwarder. Q. Have you seen any trends in yachting? The most immediate trends are design and technology. Yachts continue to evolve in form and function. Every year I think we have reached the limit and every year I’m surprised at the impossible becoming possible. As far as technology, as crews get younger, technology plays a bigger part. From a smartphone, you can scan the UPC code of a bottle of cleaner and know where to find it and at what price. You can monitor conditions on a vessel and manage supply inventories. Staying ahead of that curve will be crucial for successful suppliers. Q. Tell us about the flybridge. The design for the flybridge comes from a Hargrave 140-footer. Hargrave has been a loyal customer to our wholesale division of Port Supply. It seemed natural to partner with them to build a spectacular centerpiece in a spectacular store. Hargrave also provided many of the yacht images you will find throughout the store. Q. Sustainability is incorporated into your recent concepts. Tell us more. Sustainability is one of the most important parts of our mission statement. The impact that 300-plus stores have on the environment is considerable. We have control over that impact and take huge measures to reduce it. Sustainability is not just about our impact, it’s about preserving an environment where everyone can enjoy boating. We are in the business and we need to be a big part of being a steward to the places where people go boating. It just makes sense. National Marine Suppliers is at 2800 S.W. 2nd Ave., Hall of Fame Marine is at 435 Seabreeze Blvd. West Marine is at 2401 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale (33316), +1 954-400-5323, www. westmarine.com. To donate, make checks payable to Broward College Foundation.
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NETWORKING LAST MONTH: Winterfest Boat Parade
T
he Triton and Winterfest Boat Parade networked on Nov. 7 at Bimini Boatyard Bar and Grill in Ft. Lauderdale. More than 200 captains, crew and industry professionals started the holiday season with a celebration on the outdoor patio by the water with food and beverages. New connections were made and old friends were reaffirmed. PHOTOS/LUCY CHABOT REED AND DORIE COX
December 2012 C
C December 2012 IN THE GALLEY: Culinary Waves
Prevent wreaking havoc with dietary needs of little people WAVES, from page C1 Typically, I deal with strict diets. Most of these are also aimed at children. I see children with attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, lactose and/or gluten intolerances and even diabetes. Specific foods can help alleviate their symptoms. Some foods also aggravate their symptoms. If we are not careful preparing our little people’s food, it can wreak havoc on their systems. So what does a professional yacht chef feed little people? If I were feeding a kitten, I would prepare the best so they had a fighting chance to develop into strong animals. I feed children the same way, the absolute best so they have a fighting chance at a healthy life. Here are some tips from Mom (real moms, not me) on what to feed a child: 1. Instead of the usual chips and dip, try organic carrots and other vegetables with hummus for an afternoon snack. Cut them into animal shapes if you can. 2. Instead of the fatty mystery meat hotdog, try a natural substitute such as Gimme Lean products. 3. Introduce children to funny face salads using lettuce, carrots, tomatoes
and black olives. 4. Don’t give them processed sugar first thing in the morning. Cut up fresh fruit so it’s easy to eat, and offer yogurt. 5. Try gluten-free bread instead of regular bread. Gluten presents a lot of medical conditions over time. 6. Instead of beef hamburgers, try one made of protein such as beans. 7. If they don’t like veggies, dice them up small and serve in a sauce. 8. Puree vegetables and add them to other foods. 9. Invite them into the galley to help prepare their meals. Explain the benefits to fresh foods, where you got them or other stories about the meal you are preparing. Make it fun. A 5-year-old sat in the galley with me once to help make veggie burgers, never suspecting they were something she wouldn’t like. She loved them. After good experiences with kids, you would think they wouldn’t make me so nervous, but little people still cause the hair on my neck to stand up. Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine and has worked on yachts for more than 20 years. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@thetriton.com.
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THE CREW’S MESS – BY CAPT. JOHN WAMPLER
Russian Tea Cakes As a mariner since 1974, I often find myself working during the holidays. One of the best things I remember about the holidays, besides the presents, was my mother’s Russian Tea Cakes. These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth beauties originated in Russia in the 18th century as a confection for tea sharing ceremonies. By the 20th century they were a popular holiday treat throughout the United States. I cannot even think of Christmas without thinking of these little delights. Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened ½ cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ¼ cups (non-rising) flour ¾ cups finely chopped nuts ¼ teaspoon salt Preparation: Pre-heat oven to 400°F Mix butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until the dough is evenly mixed. I like walnuts and pecans. Macadamia nuts are great as well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. It’s important they are kept small. Place about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until set, not brown. Remove and let cool slightly. Roll still-warm cookies in more powdered sugar. Cool completely, then roll in sugar one more time.
Makes 4 dozen cookies. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Capt. John Wampler has worked on yachts big and small for more than 25 years. He’s created a repertoire of quick meals for crew to prepare to give the chef a break. Contact him through www. yachtaide.com.
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NUTRITION: Take It In
Prevent food sickness onboard: clean, separate, cook and chill Food is a huge part of any charter. Big meals are also a mainstay of holiday merry-making. Put these two together and it is doubly important to not let carelessness in the kitchen turn into a food safety disaster. Some 48 million Americans get sick annually due to something they ate, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and this Take It In number increases Carol Bareuther on a global scale. In fact, food safety isn’t confined to any one country or region of the world. The World Health Organization notes that the globalization of food production and trade increases the likehood of contaminated food being just about anywhere. While it’s just about impossible for an individual to control contamination from how a food is grown, shipped and sold, we can all clamp down on food safety risks in our own kitchens and galleys. There are four buzzwords associated with keeping food safe, according to the Partnership for Food Safety Education. These are: clean, separate, cook and chill. Clean Make sure everything is clean, from the food to your fingers, before you start to cook. Wash hands with soap and water. Wash utensils, like knives, cutting boards and dishes with hot soapy water after slicing each ingredient. This is especially important when preparing foods like raw meat, poultry and fish and then preparing fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, in the same location. Potentially harmful bacteria in animal foods are killed when cooked, but not when they end up on something to be served raw, like a salad. Separate Keep raw and cooked foods separate. At the supermarket, don’t put meats, poultry and fish in the same bag with fruits and vegetables. In the refrigerator, don’t store these protein foods above a shelf with produce where meat or seafood juices may drip down. In the galley, put cooked meats, poultry and fish on a clean platter rather than the plate that held them prior to cooking. Cook Cook meats, poultry and eggs thoroughly. In case of doubt, use a thermometer that you can insert into the meat or poultry to be sure it reaches a proper temperature. Cookbooks, like the “Joy of Cooking” and other encyclopedia-type tomes, typically have charts that list safe
Take precautions with food out in a PHOTO/DEAN BARNES warm climate. cooking temperatures for a variety of animal foods. On another note, for protein foods meant to be served raw, cooking isn’t the key but safe purchasing is essential. Buy from a reputable source and keep well refrigerated. Consider investing in a cooler or insulated bag for any protein foods you purchase and are not going to cook, to be sure they don’t warm up dangerously from store to kitchen or galley. Chill There seems nothing as delightful as that eternal buffet of goodies sitting out in the cockpit all afternoon. This is fine if you’re cruising the Arctic in the winter, but not if you’re in the warm, sunny Caribbean. Don’t leave foods to sit out for more than two hours when it’s hot, or for more than four hours in a more temperate climate. Heat makes bacteria multiply, and fast. The ‘danger zone’ temperature, where bacteria multiply fastest, is between 40 F and 140 F. This same suggestion holds true when you’re cooking. Don’t wait to put leftovers away until after the meal, refrigerate what you don’t serve promptly. When storing large batches of dishes, like soups or casseroles, divide the entire recipe into smaller containers so that they chill more quickly. If you don’t think you’re going to use the leftovers in three to four days, freeze them. Freeze foods in appropriate plastic containers or plastic bags. Be sure to label and date the items, so you know how long they’ve been refrigerated or frozen. Taking care to clean, separate, cook and chill foods will assure happy and healthy holidays. Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
December 2012 C
C December 2012 IN THE GALLEY: Guest Chef
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Push the veggies and find the proteins when there is no meat I was thrown into an unexpected vegetarian trip years ago. It was only the third boat I had cooked on. As a chef at the beginning of her yachting career, I had no idea what I was in for. My first big offshore trip started from an eclectic village called Barra de Navidad on the west coast of Guest Chef Mexico. With its Laura Cherington coffee shops and artist galleries, it was an adorable enclave, but I spent most of my three hours there running from one fruit and veggie stall to the next. No time to check out those brightly colored scarves that were probably handmade; I was grabbing every produce item that looked good. Was that brownish thing with the rough skin a fruit or a vegetable? No matter, take 20. I’ll sort it out later. We crew would be at sea for most of three weeks getting back to Ft. Lauderdale. I felt it best to shop like there was no tomorrow. Our problem was, we were late. We’d failed to make our connecting flight arguing with customs the previous day, and had an unexpected overnight stay in Mexico City. As we attempted to clear customs, we were stopped. “What’s in the coolers?” the agent asked. “We have provisions for a yacht near Manzanillo,” the captain responded. “I’ve already called ahead to confirm we could bring these in. It’s meat, you know: chicken, beef, pork and fish.” The officers opened the coolers and perused the items, saying nothing until they declared it all had to be confiscated.
I naively piped up. “Everything? Like all types of meat and seafood?” After a little palaver, they informed us that beef and fish were OK, so I swore up and down my bright pink pork spareribs were, in fact, beef. It worked. I got to keep those. Everything
keep eight of us fed and satisfied. Under strict instruction from our captain not to purchase any meat or fish until we arrived back in the states, I was now in uncharted territory. Meat is generally central to a meal. When someone asks “What’s for
Chips, Salsa and Guacamole There’s nothing better than chips and salsa from scratch. For a spectacular hors d’oeuvres, cut the tortillas into 1-inch strips, fry and top with ceviche for a one-bite treat. Cut 16 corn tortillas into quarters and fry over medium in enough vegetable oil to cover until crispy. Drain on paper towels, salt. For the salsa: 7-8 medium tomatoes 1-2 green onions 1-2 cloves garlic 1/3 cup red or white onion, medium chop 8-10 sprigs cilantro 1 teaspoon jalapeno or habanero, to taste salt to taste 1-2 fresh squeezed limes Chop the tomatoes and red and green onions into smaller pieces to fit into the food processor. Puree all the ingredients together but leave a little chunky. If you want to make guacamole, simply leave a else had been put to the side, for incineration. The captain was still fuming and I had yet to find out his suspicion of any meat purchased in that area. As we set sail, I had to get creative quickly. Hustling to get all my produce put away before we got into open ocean, I had no idea how I was going to
few tablespoons of salsa in the food processor and chuck in two medium avocados plus some more salt and lime … too easy. For Smoky Salsa, toss a combination of tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, onions, chilies, green onions and zucchini or corn in a little vegetable oil and salt. Grill the veggies, chop roughly or use your food processor to blend until still chunky. Add salt and lime to taste. Serves 4. Recipes adapted from “Cooking with the Fridge Door Open” by Laura Cherington. dinner?” you don’t say glazed carrots and mashed potatoes. You say roasted chicken. What was I going to do now? The natural progression seemed to be to elevate the food items I did have. The crew got crepes with fresh berries and powdered sugar, fried egg and cotija cheese tostadas with crisp tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano
sour cream for breakfast. I pushed myself to master local ingredients and found that yuca is fantastic boiled, fried or made into croquettas with queso blanco and green onion. I got quite comfortable working with plantains, the green ones double fried as tostones and the ripe ones sauteed with butter, rum, sugar and vanilla to go over ice cream. Shredded jicama served with thinly sliced red onion and julienned carrot tossed with a freshly squeezed orange and poppy seed vinaigrette was served alongside homemade steamed tamales for lunch. In a moment of opportunism whilst under way, we hailed a small fishing boat and traded gristly beef from the freezer for some freshly caught mahi-mahi. I remember it was already cleaned and filleted; a real treat. I was thrilled. But I basically was letting it fly with all sorts of methods of cooking in order to get us the proteins we needed and the variety I wanted. If we only had veggies, we’d do them right. For one dinner, I layered grilled squash, peppers and onions with fried cheese and topped it with a cilantro heavy salsa verde, and served it with sides of stewed beans, corn with chipotle-cumin butter, and homemade escabeche. I pickled carrots, radishes and chayotes, a mild plant from the gourd family known in other parts of the world as cristophenes, cho-chos or mirlitons. As chefs, we encounter loads of particular requests from guests and crew alike. Our quick thinking, vast knowledge of food, and arsenal of substitutions keep our heads above the proverbial water. One of the more common requests these days is for vegetarian options. There is an amazing variety of fruit, vegetables and grains available with which to work. Easily available now are quinoa, hominy, and black garbanzo beans. You can build a meal around fresh fried falafel, barley pilaf with a medley of mushrooms, or bulgur with soaked dried cherries, raisins, apricots and cashews. Source local ingredients and ask the purveyors at markets what they do with the ingredients. With a little research and some ingenuity, you’ll be on your way to presenting some of the easiest, most colorful food of your career. Outside a bit of groaning from the boys for red meat, we survived and ate many delightful vegetarian meals. Laura Cherington worked as a chef aboard yachts for 11 years, and enjoys every moment she spends playing with food. She is now under way with her first cookbook, detailing some of the adventures from yachting life. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
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INTERIOR: Stew Cues
December 2012 C
Blue Christmas: Don’t let the joy of the season cause you pain The holiday season is upon us. Traditionally a time of good will and good cheer, the holidays are not happy for everyone. Those who have lost someone they love, had a significant life change, are unemployed, are far from loved ones, or have unhappy childhood memories of the holidays often struggle at this Stew Cues time of year. Alene Keenan Those who are sad or grieving may find it difficult to interact with people enjoying a big holiday event, and it can be equally hard for the people around them to know what to do. It is tough to imagine the hollow vacuum that consumes you in grief and loss. Christmas is a bad time to be lonely. The festive mood can make you feel worse as you see all of the arrangements being made for celebration, as you listen to holiday music (whether you want to or not), and as you visit stores that are decked out with holiday cheer. The first holiday season after you suffer the loss of a spouse, parent, sibling, co-worker or close friend is difficult. There may be many years
of memories of when everyone was together. These memories can be overwhelming and bring tears of sadness. Sometimes it helps to remember the best time you ever had with this person at the holidays. Share that memory with others. Write about it, look at pictures, and maybe reconnect with others who would remember it, too. A funny thing happens when you recall the good times and the joy: the mind and the heart experience the same emotions as the original event, and you are blessed with it all over again. Your grief is lifted for a time. Now may be a good time to create a new memory, a new happy experience to share with others in the years to come. Yacht crew who live and work together often become like an extended family. Therefore, when a teammate is experiencing sadness or grieving a death or a loss, the impact on the rest of the crew can be stressful and can influence the workplace in various ways. Crew members living and working around a grieving person around the holidays can have difficulty understanding the grief process unfolding at this time of year, and it also unfairly detracts from their own holiday pleasure. It makes them
feel helpless, not knowing what to do. Productivity can suffer and the dynamics can change. Even years after an event, many people continue to feel sad and lonely. There is no expiration date on grief. Grief only changes in intensity; it never goes away. It usually helps the grieving person to know that their loss is acknowledged. No one likes to hear that enough time has passed that they should “get over it and move on”. People never forget and never forgive if they think a person has not been respectful of tragedy, death or loss, no matter how long ago it occurred. In the long run, that kind of attitude seems insensitive and can damage morale for the whole crew. Any support fellow crew can offer is valued and will help a sad teammate heal. Here are some suggestions for how to help a co-worker deal with the holiday blues: Acknowledge the crew member’s sorrow. Let them know you empathize with the impact of their loss. Expect tears and sadness. Often there will be anger as well, both at the original event and often when others try to convince them to participate in holiday plans. Express sympathy openly and from the heart, whether in person or with a
note. Expect to listen to the story of the incident or loss again and again. Listen with grace. Respect the grieving person’s desire for privacy. Honor closed doors and silence in conversation. Remember to include them in social plans. Let them decide whether to accept or decline the invitation. Accept less than their best performance for a while, but expect a return to the best when the holidays have passed. Think about helping them find a way to create a new holiday ritual. Often it is very helpful if the person can connect with the crew and community somehow in a giving way. I have found that by reaching out to the community and finding someone else to help in some way, we can ease our holiday blues. If you are somewhere that you have time off (good luck with that, but it does happen), you can volunteer at a shelter. You can also join a church group and start to create a new community. I was fortunate to work on a yacht in St. Bart’s for several years at the holidays. Since the yacht owners did not celebrate Christian holidays, I was able to find time to attend midnight
See STEW CUES, page C8
C December 2012 INTERIOR: Stew Cues
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The community of yachting helps those who are sad in holidays STEW CUES, from page C7 mass services on several occasions. Not only was it a beautiful ceremony, it let me connect with shopkeepers and vendors that I dealt with regularly on an entirely different level. It also gave me the fresh experience of seeing the rituals of my childhood enacted in a new and foreign setting. I saw that even though the setting and the language were different, the ritual is the same. Sometimes with compassion and support, you can help someone make it through their difficulties and shake the holiday blues. If you are feeling the blues yourself, try to dig deep and think about how you can accept the past memories in a new light, and assume responsibility for this new place in your life. I have a lot of sad memories myself, and it took me years to understand them and finally let them go. I felt safer when I held onto the memories and feelings, because they felt familiar and in a strange way, they felt comfortable. When I tried to let them go, I often felt guilty, as if I was wrong to move on and leave that part of myself behind. I also felt as if I was giving up control of the situation, and I was afraid to be vulnerable in front of others, afraid I would be too emotional.
Eventually, I learned that some surrender, not understand. So many problems must simply be lived with, of us seem to fully understand our and some simply unhappy situation, lived through. This but normally might be hard cannot – or Over time I have to understand sometimes will learned that letting go if you have not not – do anything of our attachment to a experienced about it. significant tragedy I finally realized situation is a crucial key or loss in your that the only way in transforming our lives to achieve true life. You may have and becoming a better no idea just what transformation your friend or cois to let go. Let person. worker may have go, and let God, The memory will gone through. as they say. That forever hold a place of I used to think said, I am not that if I could just dishonoring honor in my heart, for understand why any person, the without all of the pieces things happen memory of anyone, of the past, I would not the way they do, the memory of have become the person suffering, or the I would be free of the burden of tragedy or grief of I am today. the memories any situation by and the feelings. I releasing the pain. started to see that Over time I have I was attached to learned that letting my feelings in a way that guaranteed go of our attachment to a situation a certain outcome – namely, the is a crucial key in transforming our opportunity to indulge myself in lives and becoming a better person. slight sympathy when I was feeling The passage of time helps us leave the vulnerable, and the ability to avoid the memory further and further behind, really big risk of challenging my beliefs, finally sinking into the distance, like and accepting the responsibility to the view of the shore as we go out to move forward in life. sea, disappearing behind the waves as But to really grow, I needed to we move away. The memory will forever
hold a place of honor in my heart, for without all of the pieces of the past, I would not have become the person I am today. As Kahlil Gibran said, “Sadness is but a wall between two gardens.” Unfortunately, the walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy. It can be challenging to understand why someone is unhappy during the holidays, but the rewards of being patient and helping them process and move through this difficult time are priceless. The yachting life is so very unique and special in that we have a built-in community and family to wake up to every morning, whether we appreciate it or not. Sometimes it is hard to realize how lucky we are. Every day is a new dawn, a fresh opportunity to build different rituals and renew relationships with the people in our lives. Alene Keenan has been a megayacht stewardess for 20 years. She offers interior crew training classes, workshops, seminars, and onboard training through her company, Yacht Stew Solutions (www. yachtstewsolutions.com). Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.
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CREW NEWS: Perfect Setting Tabletop Challenge
Crew of M/Y Lady Linda wins best in show at tabletop challenge at the Ft. PHOTO/DORIE COX Lauderdale International Boat Show in October.
M/Y Lady Linda takes interior challenge like James Bond 007 Designed to recognize interior staff, M/Y Lady Linda, a 187-foot Trinity, enlisted the help of many of the crew to win best in show in the 5th annual Perfect Setting Tabletop Challenge held Oct. 28 at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. Chief Stew Theresa Manwaring also led her crew to a first place in the informal and second place in formal category. Fourteen yachts competed in the event, which was open to crew working onboard yachts in the show. Organized by ICT, this year’s formal theme was “James Bond” and informal was “Seasons”. First place in the formal category was awarded to the crew of M/Y Scott Free, the 157-foot Christensen and the crew of M/Y Baton Rouge, a 205-foot Icon, won second place in informal and third place in the formal category. M/Y Mia Elise, a 164-foot Trinity, was awarded third place for informal and they were awarded the people’s choice by the participants in the contest. Other participants in the Tabletop Challenge were: M/Y Moonraker, a 120-foot Northship; M/Y Katya, a 151foot Delta; M/Y My Colors, a 130-foot Westport; M/Y Cocktails, a 157-foot Trinity; M/Y Arianna, a 164-foot Delta; M/Y April Fool, a 200-foot Feadship; M/Y Ellix Too, a 155-foot ISA; M/Y Da Bubba, a 99-foot Hargrave; M/Y Just Enough, a 140-foot custom and M/Y Mary Alice, 130-foot Westport. For more details, search articles using the word “table” at www.the-triton.com. PHOTOS AND STORY/DORIE COX
December 2012 C
C10 December 2012 TRITON SURVEY: Holidays
When was the last time you spent the holidays at home? 3-4 years – 8.7%
5-7 years – 5.8%
Couple years – 14.5% Long time – 11.6% Not since career started – 10.1% Last year – 49.3%
Since you’ve been in yachting, do you celebrate the holidays? No, no space or time – 5.8% Yes, privately – 20.3% No, too busy working – 20.3%
Yes, w/owners – 10.1%
Yes, as much as I can – 40.6%
No – 2.9%
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Not getting home for the holidays is p SURVEY, from page A1 yacht less than 80 feet who will be working the holidays. Among those who do not celebrate, the bulk (20.3 percent) said it is because they are too busy working. “My one and only [holiday] is Thanksgiving with friends and/or extended family,” said a captain in yachting more than 20 years. “What comes after is pure Visa and Mastercard BS.” We also asked simply How will you spend the holidays this year? Not everyone answered this question, but among those who did, we learned that most interpreted “the holidays” as Christmas Day and noted what they would be doing on that day. Respondents who noted they had just the day off but would return to the yacht the next day, we counted that as working. And most (54.2 percent) will be working, either with guests onboard, or simply on watch. “I’ll be heading home for the holidays, but the boss and family always come the day after Christmas so I’ll be coming back to the yacht the day after Christmas,” said the captain of a yacht 100-120 feet in yachting more than 10 years. “Then we will be ready for some yacht play around the Palm Beaches and maybe a trip to the Bahamas for New Years.” “After delivering the boat to the Bahamas, I will fly home to New York for a few days, enjoy some time with the family and fly back to the Bahamas on the 26th,” said the captain of a yacht less than 80 feet in yachting more than 10 years. “We’ll be working, but we will have a special crew meal,” said the first mate on a yacht 80-100 feet. “Preparing for owner’s visit in the Caribbean,” said the captain of a yacht 120-140 feet in yachting more than 30 years. “Normal working day here in Saudi Arabia,” said a captain in yachting more than 25 years. “Cleaning, fixing, driving the boat and unclogging heads,” said the captain of a yacht 80100 feet in yachting more than 25 years. “What else is new?”
Even if they aren’t working, a lot of yacht crew are still working. “I have time off, but I’m staying close in case the boss calls and wants to go out,” said the captain of a yacht 80-100 feet in yachting more than 20 years. “If the owner wants to be on board, work as normal,” said the captain of a yacht 120-140 feet in yachting more than 15 years. “Otherwise, probably Christmas Day off.” A few (10.2 percent) were unsure how they would spend the holidays, but half of those want to be working. “Hopefully on charter in the Caribbean,” said the captain of a yacht 180-200 feet in yachting more than 25 years. Less than a third are heading home, their responses littered with exclamation points and the occasional “hooray”. “Home, thank you very much Mr. Boat Owner,” said the captain of a yacht 80-100 feet in yachting more than 20 years. “First time home in South Africa since my yachting career began,” said the first officer of a yacht 200-220 feet. A few crew are doing neither working nor going home to family and instead taking their own time off. “At anchor in clear water aboard my own sailboat,” said the engineer of a yacht 120-140 feet. “I can’t wait.” One captain wrote “Getting married! :)” [Congratulations, by the way.] It was interesting to note that the breakdown of responses in this open-ended question were similar in some ways to those to our first question, where slightly more than half will be working over the holidays this month. But more said they were going home the first time we asked (48.4 percent) compared to this question (where just 30.5 percent said they were going home). Perhaps that’s because they had other plans that didn’t fit into the yes/no of our first question. Despite what the realities of yachting require, we were curious to know, philosophically, Should captains/crew get time off during the holidays?
The m acknow holiday “Chr owners said the want th the wro “Hol time for captain choice w “We people h bad thin than 25 know I The r percent only ava “Own have fam the crew it’s ever pick eit said a c “If po not doin yacht 80 If yo your fa Near “My the chie have a f in Janua work. I A voc don’t un “It’s h holiday chef wh the indu You lear not for
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part of the job
majority (61.8 percent) said no, wledging that the December/January ys are a busy time in yachting. ristmas holiday season is probably when and guests get time off to enjoy their yacht,” e captain of a yacht 120-140 feet. “If crew his time of year off as well then they are in ong game.” lidays are always prime rate charters, and r the crew to make money,” said a charter n in yachting more than 10 years. “That is a when you became a crew.” choose to spend our time making other happy during the holidays, and that’s not a ng,” said a charter captain in yachting more 5 years. “We as crew should enjoy that. I do. It’s a great job.” remainder were split: 22.1 percent yes; 16.2 t maybe, that time off during the holidays is ailable as a perk for senior crew. ners do need to understand that their crew milies, and plans need to be made to allow w some time off around the holidays, even if ry other holiday season or maybe you get to ther Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years,” captain in yachting more than 10 years. ossible, crew should get time off if they are ng a winter season,” said the captain of a 0-100 feet. ou cannot get away for the holidays, does amily understand? rly 90 percent of crew said yes. family has adapted to my schedule,” said ef stew of a yacht 140-160 feet. “We try to family vacation somewhere in the Caribbean ary or February when all of our schedules do miss Thanksgiving dinner a lot.” cal minority admitted their families just nderstand. hard to accept at first, having to work over ys and birthdays and anniversaries,” said a ho hasn’t been home in 3-4 years. “If you love ustry enough, eventually you get used to it. rn to celebrate things whenever you can. It’s everybody, which is why I still have a job.
See SURVEY, page C12
TRITON SURVEY: Holidays
Should captains/crew get time off during the holidays?
Yes – 22.1%
December 2012 C11
‘Crew should expect to work holidays, weekends’ What yachties think of the holidays:
Maybe – 16.2% No – 61.8%
It’s the owners’ call. If they wish to spend the holidays on their yachts, then so must we. If not, it can be a bonus for some of the crew to get away. l
l
l
Working the holidays is what’s expected. If I get time off, I am extra fortunate. l
l
l
Everything we do is for the owners and guests. Sometimes it would be nice if it was the crew who got recognized. l
If you cannot get away, does your family understand?
Yes – 89.9%
l
No – 10.1%
l
l
Most owners only give lip service to caring for their crew’s family and holiday time. Even after years of service, I doubt the owners even remember my son’s name. And always, if they don’t use the yacht, they will ask around to find family or friends to use it through the holidays. l
l
Crew should expect to work weekends and holidays. If they have a problem with this then they need to shift their duties from the deck to the desk. Yachts are weekend/holiday homes and that comes first. l
l
l
Some jobs require you to work through holidays; ours is one of them. l
l
l
People (both sides) need to understand that quality time off
is an essential part of life. Crew members are human beings also. Surprise. l
l
l
I’ve been pretty lucky in that most of my jobs have allowed me and my crew at the time to be able to have the holidays off. On the other hand, my girlfriend usually has to work. It is what it is. Understood, when you accept a job, you have to take it for what it is, the workload, pay, time off, etc. We work in an industry that caters to more wealthy people taking their time to enjoy weekends, holiday, etc. l
l
l
The holidays are just another work day, unfortunately. l
l
l
Everyone in yachting is used to working holidays. It comes with the territory. l
l
l
Ours is a job, like the military, that requires us to work year round. We accept the good with the bad as far as time off and holidays and make the best of them wherever we are. l
l
l
I’m single and not very involved with Christmas, so I’m OK with working the busy times. l
l
l
If you like celebrating holidays with your family, yachting is not the place to be. l
l
l
Don’t drink and drive.
C12 December 2012 TRITON SURVEY: Holidays
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Yachting provides lasting holiday memories SURVEY, from page C11 “The hardest part is your family being disappointed in you for not insisting on spending the holidays with them,” this chef said. “They do not seem to understand that asking for the holidays off is synonymous with telling your employer, ‘You can go ahead and replace me because I’m not willing to sacrifice anything for my job.’ Your family thinks you’re just a workaholic and don’t care about them. “Would I sound like Scrooge if I said the holidays are just another day to earn a paycheck?” “This question needs a ‘sort of ’ answer,” said the engineer of a yacht 160-180 feet. “Does my family give me a hard time about it? No. Can I tell they are disappointed? Yes.” The most fun part of this month’s survey was our question asking respondents What’s your favorite holiday memory in yachting? Answers spanned the gamut from memorable locations (St. Bart’s, Anegada, Exumas) to memorable times (the millenium, a birthday). The most common holiday memory was when the yacht’s owner allowed the crew’s family to come to the yacht. “The time a charter cancelled and our parents got to fly down with the owner’s good graces,” said a captain in yachting more than 25 years. “Costa Rica when the boss flew the crew’s family in,” said the captain of a yacht 80-100 feet who will be working through the holidays. There were the occasional – and presumably rare – memories of visits home. “When my return flight to the boat on Dec. 26 was canceled due to a blizzard,” said a captain on a yacht less than 80 feet. “I was home through New Years. That was my first time since
‘The hardest part is your family being disappointed in you for not insisting on spending the holidays with them. Your family thinks you’re just a workaholic and don’t care about them. ‘Would I sound like Scrooge if I said the holidays are just another day to earn a paycheck?’ taking the job.” Several respondents remember fondly the busy times when several yachts were docked or anchored together, all sharing in the holiday spirit. “New Years in St. Thomas with several yachts, all working, and guests jumping from one to the next,” said a charter captain in yachting more than 10 years. “Christmas in the Bahamas,” said a captain going home for the holidays. “All 10 yachts owners did not show and all the crew had a huge Christmas celebration that lasted seven days.” Sometimes, the most memorable times were the simplest. “The New Year’s fireworks are special, no matter if you have guests onboard or not,” said a chef in yachting 4-6 years. “There’s a 30-minute window where everyone stares face to the sky in wonder, both guests and crew. And then it’s back to serving cocktails.” “I was ill about two years ago onboard and my wife sent down a
picture album of all of the family at various Christmases past,” said a captain in yachting more than 25 years who will be working this holiday. “Very touching, and thoughtful.” “Seeing the owners and their grandkids on the yacht during the holidays,” said the captain of a yacht 120-140 feet. “When a captain in Ft. Lauderdale had a Thanksgiving for every crew member he could find that couldn’t get home,” said a captain in yachting more than 30 years. Some crew remembered most the time they got to spend time with each other. “Playing a tipsy Santa and passing out the Secret Santa gifts to the crew,” said the captain of a yacht larger than 220 feet who will work the holidays. “Christmas at sea one day out from Cartagena, Colombia,” said an engineer who hasn’t been home for the holidays in “a long time.” “It was fun in the crew mess. No politics, no drunks, no grumps. Just Christmas and laughs. It was nice to put aside all of the B.S. for an hour or so and see everyone as a human being.” It wasn’t clear if some respondents were recalling actual memories or dreaming of new ones. “Christmas on my own piece of property in Abaco,” said the captain of a yacht less than 80 feet, “drinking rum while decorating a palm tree and not being worried about work the next day.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. 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 and would like to be, e-mail lucy@the-triton. com to be added.
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YACHT CAREERS: Crew Coach
December 2012 C13
Storm Sandy damage points out inequity of comparisons Many of us compare our things Florida dealing with my rental property to other’s things. But as a life coach, that had been battered by another kind I steer people away from comparing of storm; horrible tenants. I had a real their lives to other people’s lives. Well, mess on my hands. I was feeling angry this past week and disgusted until I went to Long I had quite an Island. experience with What I found there put my situation a different kind into perspective. This was damage and of comparison. destruction on an entirely different I realized that other level. what I was I felt humbled and just wanted to dealing with did help in some way. And the devastation not compare with level goes up from here. I have been what others were describing what happened in my little Crew Coach experiencing. world, but there are folks who have Rob Gannon I am writing suffered much worse. this from a great You have probably seen some of old beach cottage on the east end of the news footage. There are many Long Island, still intact after the fury homes destroyed beyond repair. There of hurricane Sandy. This great old is an entire neighborhood burnt to classic sits on a the ground in beautiful wooded Rockaway Beach. beachfront There are people Comparing from a property right next still without heat place of empathy and to another beauty, and electricity. caring puts you in a a beachfront home By the way, I am place of gratitude. that has been in writing this in the my family for more middle of a nor’ than 70 years. I easter, just what arrived four days after the storm Sandy this area did not need right now. This and even though I had gotten some is really tough stuff for thousands of reports on the damage, what I saw was people. mind-blowing. So in comparing, you can see how These properties are not on the things could be worse. I see how my ocean, they are on a bay, a usually calm friends and family took a hit here. They and friendly bay called Peconic Bay. will come back, but for some there is no Last week, Sandy turned this bay into rebuilding, there is no coming back. a raging sea battering anything in its So this is a time for compassionate way, with tides surging over 10 feet. The comparison. This is a time for empathy family house sits behind a bulkhead, and for people to help and look out about a hundred feet long, built to keep for one another. I have seen some fine out the bay and is about six to eight examples of this while I have been feet above sea level. This bulkhead was here. Pickup trucks and chainsaws and less than a year old. It is now a twisted, strong hands show up and get to work. shattered mess. There is no whining, no The damage started when the complaining, just resolve and moving neighbor on the other side started forward. Folks in the northeast are to lose the battle with an old, tired pretty tough, but I feel they’re even bulkhead. Within a few hours, this more generous. I have been a Florida bulkhead was breached, blasted away resident for a few years now and before with waves crashing just feet from that, a decade in the Virgin Islands, but his house. Now, the new bulkhead got I still consider this area home. I will pounded from both sides. head back to Florida and I will leave The backwash eroded away the proud of these folks that I know. And ground behind, taking away the hope and pray that all of them I don’t strength of this impressive new know will have a warm bed and a hot bulkhead. It eventually lost the battle. meal. The force of the water from both sides So, try to remember, comparing out rose up and toppled over pilings, the of envy, a feeling of lack or a feeling of bay came roaring through, eroding a superiority are negative energy and front yard of soil and sand to about will leave you feeling discontented and a foot away from the house. The disconnected. Comparing from a place house survived. The neighbor with of empathy and caring puts you in a the old bulkhead lost a corner of his place of gratitude. Which is always a foundation, the house teetering on the nice place to be. edge of death. I have lived by the coast my entire Rob Gannon is a 25-year licensed life and the power of the sea still captain and certified life and wellness amazes me. coach (yachtcrewcoach.com). This brings me back to comparison. Comments on this column are welcome The week before the hurricane, I was in at editorial@the-triton.com.
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C14 December 2012 FITNESS: Keep it up
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Hectic holiday schedule is no excuse to avoid doing exercise The holiday season can leave crew with little time for taking care of themselves. A prescription to address this challenge is a 15-minute, highintensity workout. All you will need is a jump rope. Have 30 minutes? Complete the circuit twice. If you have only 15 minutes, try to fit Keep It Up in another session Beth Greenwald later in the day. Article reprinted from September 2009.
Jump rope
Jump for two minutes.
Push-ups/Push up to plank
Start with 10 push-ups followed by 10 push up to planks. Keeping your body in proper alignment, alternate your hand position by switching from your starting push-up and lowering yourself onto your forearms so that your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle. One minute.
Quick feet
Keep feet wider than hip-width apart. Bend knees and remain in a lowered position, stay on the balls of your feet and move feet quickly, shifting your weight from right to left foot as if you are on hot coals. Every 20 seconds jump a quarter turn and start shifting with your quick feet. Two minutes.
High plank
Start in a push-up position. Make sure to keep joints stacked (shoulders, elbows and wrists aligned), spread fingers apart and keep hands flat on the ground. Keep your body in a straightline starting push-up position for one minute, making sure not to let your hips sink toward the ground. One minute.
Reverse alternating lunges
Stand erect, shoulders relaxed and back, hands by your sides. Take a giant step backward with your right foot without letting your right knee touch the ground. Reverse the motion and bring your body back up to starting position. Repeat for one minute, alternating feet.
Elbow to knee side crunch
Stand straight, left hand on left hip, right arm straight up in the air. Lift your right knee high to the side while bending your arm. Bring your elbow to your knee in a side crunch motion. Now, bring arm and leg back
to starting position and repeat continuously for 30 seconds. Then switch sides for the remaining 30 seconds.
Side bridge
Lie on your right side. Align your right forearm under your shoulder and keep your legs on top of one another. Lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Repeat on each side for two minutes.
Jumping jacks
An oldie but a goodie that always gets your heart rate up. One minute.
Power up squats
Lower yourself slowly to your starting squat position, bringing your arms behind your hips, making sure your knees do not cross over your toes. Explode upwards (power up), using your arms to generate power. Throw your arms over your head and rise up onto your toes. One minute.
Bridge
Lie on the ground, on your back. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground, arms beside you. Keep your joints stacked, keeping knees over your heels as you push your hips up creating a straight line from your knees to shoulders. Hold, do not let your butt drop. One minute.
Crunches
Lie on your back, keeping your knees bent and feet flat on floor. Draw your navel in toward your spine and flatten your lower back against the floor. Exhale, contracting your abdomen, which will help to bring your shoulder blades off the floor. Hold for 1-2 seconds at the top, lower back down to the floor and repeat. Beth Greenwald received her masters degree in exercise physiology from Florida Atlantic University and is a certified personal trainer. She conducts both private and small group training sessions in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Contact her at +1 716-908-9836 or bethgreenwald315@gmail.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.
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PERSONAL FINANCE: Yachting Capital
Your tax strategy goes hand in hand with investment strategy With today’s market fluctuations and four more years of possible political gridlock in the U.S., it is more important than ever to reevaluate and adhere to an investment strategy. This strategy must be based on personal goals, circumstances and risk tolerance. If investors Yachting Capital understand this Mark A. Cline basic investment advice, they will be in a better position to ride out recurring market volatility. This article focuses on investors who need a big tax deduction on this year’s income taxes and still want a modest return on their investments. With the much talked about topic “fiscal cliff ”, many are trying to figure out what to do. Some are selling off and taking their capital gain this year before the new tax changes. Others also believe more focus will be on cleaner energy. The biggest obstacle for investors to overcome is the desire to act hastily about falling investments because it might feel better than doing nothing. Many investors sell when the market is low because of fear it will go lower, while others keep their investment after it has a medium or substantial growth hoping it will go higher. For those who plan their longterm objectives with an adviser, these objectives can be managed by considering market volatility. With the constant change of government leaders, it can be difficult to keep up with new tax rules and the impact they have on our investments. There will be changes in capital gains tax, dividend taxes and estate tax. In mapping out your financial future, investors need to keep these tax variables in mind as well when choosing investment options. Don’t forget that tax strategy and investment strategy go hand in hand because it is your net return after taxes that counts most. Many investors do not factor that into decisions. Investors looking for dividend income or returns but maybe lesstaxable dividends may want to look into dividends from natural gas. These dividends usually are modest but combined with tax benefits you could get a higher net potential return depending on your tax bracket. The safest way to invest in natural gas would be in Limited Partnerships (LPs). Be aware there may be qualifications to participate in these types of investments. The benefit is that investors participate as part owners and can
take advantage of a portion of the tax benefits passed on to owners. Investors usually need to be listed as a general partner but many of these investments will move investors to a limited partner status after the tax benefits are lost. Let’s dissect a typical natural gas partnership. For example, a partnership could consist of raising $20 million to drill 25 wells. This mitigates the risk by diversifying into 25 different wells. If all the wells are all drilled and expensed in the first year, then your total investment would have been an expense with little tangible capital left on the books. There is no asset except the natural gas, which has not yet been pulled out of the ground. All the drilling equipment is leased, including labor, etc. This is called Intangible Drilling Cost or IDC. In extreme circumstances, the gas company participates with its capital but does not need the IDCs and passes those on to the general partners for their tax benefit. The general partner investor could see a 100 percent tax write off on their investment the first year. The plan would be to receive royalties in future years. Some natural gas LPs also sell direct to the consumer. In this example, the gas company markets and sells to end consumer (prisons, schools, and largeend users). They are sold future prices, which can be higher than the present price. These consumers are on strict budgets and cannot go over because of gas market price fluctuations. Investors familiar with annuities may recognize that a natural gas LP can be similar. A lump sum is invested and a monthly income stream is expected until the funds are exhausted. There are two benefits to this approach. First, investors get a huge tax break in the year they invest. Second, they participate as a partner and benefit from the depletion and depreciation expenses while receiving monthly royalty checks and reduced taxes. The big question I always ask is: Do you think taxes will stay the same, go up, or go down in the future? With that in mind, choose investments wisely, not only for now but for the future. Also, consider the type of investment and how taxes are paid on it, now and in the future. Information in this column is not intended to be specific advice for anyone. You should use the information to help you work with a professional regarding your specific financial goals and whether or not you qualify to invest in this type of investment. Capt. Mark A. Cline is a chartered senior financial planner. Comments on this column are welcome at +1-954-7642929 or through www.clinefinancial.net.
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C16 December 2012 BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS / PUZZLES
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SUDOKUS Try these puzzles below based on numbers. There is only one rule for the number puzzles: Every row, every column and every 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 only once. Don’t worry, you don’t need arithmetic. Nothing has to add up to anything else. All you need is reasoning and logic.
CALM
STORMY
ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Company
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Adventure Sports A9 Alexseal Yacht Coatings A4 Antibes Yachtwear C2 AERÉ Docking Solutions A10 Argonautica Custom Yacht Interiors B13 ARW Maritime C13 Beer’s Group B12 Bellingham Marine (Rybovich) A8 BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply A20 Bradford Marine A3 Bristol Clean Air of Florida A11 Brownie’s Yacht Diver A17 Business card advertisers C16-19 The Business Point C12 C&N Yacht Refinishing A2 Cable Marine B16 Dennis Conner’s North Cove Marina A6 Divers Discount C13 Dockwise Yacht Transport B4,C7
Company
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Company
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Company
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FenderHooks Fibrenew Leather Repairs Global Yacht Fuel Gran Peninsula Yacht Center The Grateful Palate HTH Worldwide ISS GMT Global Marine Travel LaBovick Law Group Lauderdale Diver Lauderdale Propeller Lifeline Inflatables LXR Luxury Marinas Mail Boxes Etc. (Now the UPS Store) Maritime Executive Solutions Maritime Professional Training The Marshall Islands Registry Matthew’s Marine A/C MHG Insurance Brokers National Marine Suppliers
C9 B15 C14 C6 A13 A18 A5 B15 B10 B4 B14 B2 C15 A16 C20 C10 A16 C4 C3
Neptune Group Newport Shipyard Northern Lights Overtemp Marine Palladium Technologies Professional Tank Cleaning & Sandblasting Professional Marine Duct Cleaning ProStock Marine Quiksigns Renaissance Marina Rick Case Honda Powerhouse River Supply River Services Rossmare International Bunkering Royale Palm Yacht Basin RPM Diesel Engine Sailorman Seafarer Marine Seahorse Marine Training Sea School
A15 B7 B6 C5 C11 C14 B14 A7 C15 B9 B3 C5 C5 C5 C9 A2 C12 A6 A15
Sixt Rent a Car Slackers Bar & Grill Smart Move Accomodations Staniel Cay Yacht Club SunPro Marine TESS Electrical Thomas Marine Systems TowBoatU.S Trac Ecological Marine Products Tradewinds Radio Turtle Cove Marina Universal Marine Center Ward’s Marine Electric Watermakers, Inc. Water’s Edge Consulting Waterway Guide West Marine Megayacht Supply Westrec Marinas Yacht Entertainment Systems
B9 B14 A6 B10 A16 A11 C2 A6 A12 C14 B12 B15 B11 B6 B5 C8 B8 A14 C9
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