Reading stars
Real sailors become one with the heavens. B1
Booking charters
Scams continue
E-mailed job offers What is the captain’s take unique twists, role? C1 names. C10 Vol.7, No.12
www.the-triton.com
March 2011
Hijacked American sailors killed by Somali pirates By Lucy Chabot Reed In the hours and days after Somali pirates hijacked a 58-foot yacht off the coast of Oman and subsequently killed the four Americans aboard on Feb. 22, the yachting community struggled to make sense of news reports, government statements and military action.
“I see no reason for pirates to kill four people with a warship staring down their necks,” said Capt. Mike Dailey, who has traversed the region three times in the past year. “It just makes no sense.” Indeed, the immediately released details present an almost unbelievable situation. Nineteen pirates were involved in
the hijacking, most of who were on the yacht when the shooting began. Four U.S. Navy warships were involved in the response force – an aircraft carrier, a guided-missile cruiser and two guidedmissile destroyers. Gunfire, believed to have been a rocket-propelled grenade fired from the yacht toward one of the Navy ships, began while officials from the FBI were
in negotiations with two pirates aboard the Navy ship. The remains of two pirates were found on the yacht when Navy forces boarded, killing two others and detaining 13 others. “What possible use was an aircraft carrier?” Dailey asked. “How do you get 19 pirates on board? With the four
See PIRATES, page A12
IN MIAMI AND READY FOR DUTY
Despite a slow start and moderate crowds, brokers and crew were optimistic about the results from the 2011 Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach, PHOTO/TOM SERIO giving it the moniker “the good little show.” See more photos and news from the show on pages A10-11.
Yacht crew too, touched by global events It can feel isolated on a boat at sea, but eventually the world knocks on the hull of every yacht. Social, political, economic or environmental, global issues impact the lives of captains, crew and the yachting industry. For example, the attacks in the United States From the Bridge by international terrorists in 2001 Dorie Cox affected one captain’s American crew. “We were 150 miles out during 9/11
and we had our crew airlifted out,” this captain said. “They had to get to their family.” Captains shared how their wallets, safety, destinations and staff are affected by events the world over at this month’s From the Bridge luncheon in Ft. Lauderdale. As usual, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page A14. Even weather a half a world away affects business. When Cyclone Yasi hit
Australia in February, small Caribbean islands, some 9,000 miles away, had an increase in charter guests, a captain said. “Atlantis marina was filled with VIP clients booking when the cyclone hit,” he said. “A Saudi prince had planned his honeymoon in Australia and had to move to the Bahamas instead.” Although, the Middle East and Arab nations are not as popular as the Mediterranean when it comes to cruising grounds, captains said they monitor political instability across the
See BRIDGE, page B14
TRITON SURVEY
How valuable are charter shows in selling charters? Not that valuable – 19.1% We don’t attend charter shows – 33.3%
Valuable but not crucial – 48.9%
They are the most important marketing tool – 2.2% – Story, C1