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www.The-Triton.com | October 2018
Suicides, deaths spur crew mental health concerns By Dorie Cox The Triton office was closed and the staff was on its way out when the phone rang. A woman’s voice said she was crew on a yacht. She and her fellow crew were afraid. They needed help. The yacht engineer was using narcot-
ics while on the job, she explained. He had verbally and physically assaulted crew members in the past. The woman said she had talked with her captain, but the engineer would not be let go. “Can you help us?” the woman asked. “We don’t know where to turn.” When I answered that call and could
Marinas
hear fear and anxiety in her voice, I realized a call to a news office was a desperate act. This added to the list of mental health challenges I have been covering on captains and crew in yachting. Just this
See Mental health, Page 28
Lauderdale Marine Center makes room for 35 yachts. Marinas recover after Hurricane Florence slams U.S. Atlantic coast.
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Industry News
Blue-green algae concerns mariners in Fort Lauderdale.
Triton Networking, 9
Training, tools ease troubles in towing tenders From the Bridge Dorie Cox
When photos began circulating recently of a deckhand being pulled into the water behind a yacht underway, criticism was fast and strong online. Those photos were part of a video snippet to promote the new season of the reality show “Below Deck,” which begins this month. In what looks like an attempt
to retrieve a tender, the crew member is suddenly off the stern and it appears that a line on deck might be wrapped around his foot. So we decided to have a conversation about towing at this month’s From the Bridge captains lunch. The captains’ responses to the images also were critical, and mostly tipped toward how to avoid such a situation. Everyone in the room agreed that towing a tender can be dangerous if not done correctly. “If you ask the crew what makes
them the most nervous, it is towing,” a captain said. This group’s top tip for towing tenders? “Don’t do it,” said a captain with a laugh. Then came a flurry of technical ideas and each captain’s explanation for how to tow safely: “Use Spectra line.” “Have a captive winch.” “Use a hydraulic winch.” “No dead line on the aft deck.”
See BRIDGE, Page 38
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Agent’s Angle U.S. visas can be confusing. Here are basic rules to help.
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Obituary Death of Deckhand Sinead McNamara leaves fellow crew, friends stunned.
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