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SAILING
INTO SPRING Cruising
VANUATU
Switching From
Sail to
Power-Cruiser
Spring 2015 - Issue #10
Jess & Kate
SAILING
in PARADISE
BOAT
SPOTLIGHT
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El
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In this is
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Jacob Edson invented the diaphragm pump in 1859 and the
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This Issue’s Cover: It’s hard not to feel peaceful looking at this beautiful photo. It was taken by Billy Black at Agua Verde harbor in the Sea of Cortez. Is there any better way to end a day than this? Next issue goes on sale June 2, 2015 Printed in the USA
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Issue #10 Spring 2015
Contents
Stuff in this issue Vanuatu - Land of Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dumb No More The Whole Nine Yards Feature Boat Role Play You Oughta Go to Gwada The Jolie Brise Modern Catamaran Trends The Matthew Turner Reflections from the Dark Side St. Pete Cruisers’ Party More than You Probably Wanted to Know About SUnglasses
12 20 54 60 65 80 84 100 106 157 173
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Regular stuff in this issue Attitudes Cruising Outpost News Another Way Trouble With Treb Talk of the Dock What’s Out There: New Boat Designs Lifestyle This Must Be The Place Talkin’ Story Out Cruisin’ Life Aboard Cruising Outposts CO Events & News I Found it at the Boat Show Critters Aboard Weather by Lee Book Review Bubba Whartz Tech Tips First Look Mackie White Cruisians
Bob Bitchin Tania Aebi Rich Marker Zuzana Prochazka
Robin Stout
Lee Chesneau Capt. Jim Cash Morgan Stinemetz Captain Pauly
10 28 52 64 70 72 88 112 122 138 146 152 154 160 168 179 182 189 185 192 199 200
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Attitudes
My favorite memory? Hell, I don’t know... I haven’t created it yet!
By Bob Bitchin
It is true that when you are out there cruising, it is usually an adventure. It might be a good adventure. It might be a difficult adventure. It could even be a boring adventure, but there is one thing fairly certain. It will be an adventure. So what, you ask? Well here is something I just realized. There is a lot more enjoyment to come from those adventures. I know this for a fact, because I just had one of the greatest adventures of my entire life and I never left home! It all started innocently enough. The Admiral (Jody) suggested it might be a good idea to grab a couple of the boxes we’ve had in storage for while and go through them. You know. Throw out the useless crap you’ve been storing for years and see if there is anything worthwhile. I grabbed a couple of boxes off the back of the storage area and brought them up to my desk. When I opened the first box I was staring at about 1500-2000 photos. No, not nice, neat, organized albums. Not even very many actual photographs. Mostly they were slides and black & white negatives. Being an organized person I started to sort through them. One pile was old memories of when I was in my twenties and thirties, and was mostly comprised of photos from the motorcycle lifestyle I lived. My first thoughts about these were, I’d better burn most
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of them because the ladies in those photos would be grandmothers now and wouldn’t want them seen, and I could see them ending up on the internet. The second, and by far the largest pile, was from my sailing life: forty years of working on boats, fixing boats, buying boats and selling boats. But most of all, sailing boats. Each photo took me back to a place I could remember like yesterday. For the next few hours I slowly sifted through thousands of photos of sailing adventures: my first sail to Guatemala on the Stone Witch, 15 years sailing up and down the Mexican coast on the first Lost Soul, my first and then subsequent six to seven voyages to and from Hawaii, and our world cruise. It was like reliving it, but only the good parts (who takes pictures of bad stuff?). And then there were more recent pics from the last 15 years: Share the Sail cruises in Tahiti, New Zealand, Greece, Croatia, the BVIs and all the other dreams we lived. I think the best thing about it was finding old photos that I’d completely forgotten about. But the biggest thing I took away from this experience was this: Pictures capture a moment that has passed. It can be remembered, but it can’t be re-lived... So go live new adventures, so you can take new pictures and create new memories!
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Vanuatu By Paul Kortenkamp
The Land of Tweedle Dee & T
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The South Pacific is filled with small, remote, exotic nations, and for us cruisers it is a giant magnet drawing our boats across the vast open ocean just to explore these gems. Vanuatu is a lesser known group compared to its more well-known neighbors of Fiji and Samoa. This could be because it is a relatively new, independent nation after finally shaking off years as a bipolar colony run by both the English and the French. That period is known as the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb period, and is looked at as mostly the Dumb period by the locals. Despite this exposure to the craziest of Western Colonial rule, they look at visitors with welcome, smiling attitudes. This is not a land to explore for its shopping, great food, restaurants, great diving, fishing, or civilization in the middle of the rough Pacific Blue. It is a country to explore for its people, its lessons that connect us to our primal past, and a land where magic is still practiced and understood by the people. For the cruising basics there is boat repair, wifi, great markets, possibly the best produce open market of the whole South Pacific, restaurants, stores, excellent diving, fishing, hiking, and outdoor activities. However, these are found in many of the island nations of the South Pacific. Vanuatu might make your list because it falls on the trade wind path to Australia, as it did for us, but its uniqueness is what should draw your compass to these islands.
& Tweedle Dumb No More!
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Vanuatu
The Land of Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dumb No More!
A modern view of an ancient art
Writing the story in sand
A story of love in sand
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Perhaps you have heard of its previous name of New Hebrides. Adrenaline junkies might have read about the well documented vine jumping (the much crazier predecessor to bungee jumping with vines tied to your ankles over hard dirt), or you may have read about the last documented case of cannibalism in Life Magazine. All of these pieces of the living past help show Vanuatu has a strong tie to the magic and mystical. Their tradition of telling stories while drawing elaborate designs in the sand using one continuous line, is how so many of the ancient stories and beliefs have been passed down through centuries. If one forgets a part of the story or which way to move their finger, everyone will know they missed something because the design does not come out right. This memory device is genius, and without creating a whole written language it has allowed the stories and lessons to be passed down through the generations. It is through this filter of sand and story that we learned to love these people and this country of many islands. Stories of chiefs’ wives being buried with the chief when he dies seem horrific, but the locals who tell them explain that it was so the wives made sure to keep the chief healthy, happy, and alive. Marriage is mostly not arranged anymore, but respect for the bride’s family is still often paid in 10 live pigs. The curled pig tusks are treasured and were their first form of currency going back over 1000 years. This symbol is in the center of their flag. Each village has its own totem, and you can only marry people outside your totem. Each village’s totem has power: octopus, worms, snakes, and even devil Totems. For example, those in Tanna near the volcano are said to have a close connection with their totem, the volcano, and can speak to it. We heard more than one story about this power, and when standing over the open pit looking down at the moving, burping lava, the mountain does clearly have a voice. It is not speaking French or English - rather something much older, primal, filled with smoke, and felt through the ground. The power in that voice draws you there and holds you, despite the fear it might all end in a flash. You are welcomed to stand by the “fire” because your local guides understand the mountain, not because some think-tank in Zurich says the mountain’s many seismic sensors indicate level 2 risk. Unlike many of the other island nations in the South Pacific, Vanuatu has kept much of its magic and tradition despite a very strong influence from the colonial missionaries.
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Playing a traditional flute
There is one simple reason. The strongest chiefs of these islands saw the introduction of Christianity as an opportunity to break from the warring traditions of the past. They saw this as a means to peace among the villages. The missionaries jumped on that momentum, acting to help create an era of no more civil war. Christianity was looked at as a new addition to, and not a replacement of their traditions. This allowed them to use an outside force to create peace while not giving up the world they knew. In this way the island people kept their magic, their village languages, their traditions of marriage and family, but with a chief-driven focus on peace. This peace was taken so seriously that the entire island of Erromonga was thought to still be cursed 100 years after accidently killing a missionary they thought was a slave trader (they called it
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
New Caledonia
Australia
Vanuatu Banks Islands Espirito Santo
Malekula
Port Villa
Google Earth
Erromango
Kids playing in the river
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Tanna Anatom
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Vanuatu
The Land of Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dumb No More!
A local village
Our guide Stanley in Tanna
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A local comes to visit in a traditional dugout canoe
blackbirding - coming to steal villagers). The power of that curse is lost on Western mind sets, but just talking to the people from the other islands you realize they have never gone to their neighbor’s island because it was cursed. Even today, cruise ships and cruisers pass it by, and the local government has not built a single sealed road on the island. The power of the curse drove them to a very important reconciliation done half way around the world 100 years later in Austria, with the surviving great grandchildren of the family of that missionary. Reconciliation is a word they use often and it has power. Today that island is viewed as having lifted its curse, and hopefully they will be rewarded for such an extraordinary request of forgiveness. There are two things a cruiser will notice right away about how this country has blended multiple cultures and generations of tradition. The first is, this country actually uses the digital scanning of all your documents and the pre-sail e-mail they require. No other country we visited can compete with their lack of actual paper and use of new technology. They could teach the USA a thing or two about how to move past paper. They can do paper, but are choosing digital when possible. The second feature is the enormous trees. They don’t clear areas for development; they build around the trees and sometimes even put the houses and hotels in the trees. We saw many rooms that were “built” by weaving Banyan tree roots around a void creating a living human home. This is not the result of some modern “green” or tree-hugging group. It takes decades of respect and care of the trees to create these rooms. Unlike other island nations that have
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Human skulls and cannibalism talk
Glad cannibalism is no longer practiced
tombstones all along the road marking property and ancestry, Vanuatu has a tradition of burying under trees. The trees are important symbols connecting the people to the past. They love the trees as they would their ancestors, and the result is a land of huge, wondrous trees that the villages would not dream of cutting down for the many
needs of the moment. As a visitor we can share in the wonder that their generations of care have created. These are just some of the stories shared by people that, today, may wear flip-flops and T-shirts, but hold very different and fascinating views. The magic is real to these people, and once you see it drawn in the sand in front of you, it becomes obvious how much of this we still need so our lives stay connected to the powers around us, and not to the wifi that can distract us. This is why we travel so far across oceans to exotic lands, and Vanuatu offers different flavors of this mystical connection that its neighbors have sterilized or lost. The market in Port Villa
Sunset in Port Resolution, Tanna
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The Whole Nine Yards
Two Girls + One Dog + One Cat + One 27-Foot Boat
The Adventure Part III - The Bahamas By Jessica Zevalkink
How is it possible that 51 miles away from Miami, FL, lies a world so different from the one we all know. Lying in a hammock suspended below the boom swinging over the water, I am dreaming… dreaming… dreaming… about how I can live the rest of my life in this exact way. There must be a way, and I’m not getting out of this hammock until I figure it out. It wasn’t even until today that Katie and I learned about which direction the Abacos were, and which direction were the Exumas. Quite frankly, neither of us gives a damn. Every time someone asks, “where are you going next?” I say, “I don’t know, where are you going next?” and that’s how we learn where to go next. We have been flying by the seat of our pants since day one. The Bahamas is going to be no different. Our only battle is that I trust people and Katie trusts guidebooks. However, neither people nor guidebooks are always accurate – hence, flying by the seat of our pants. This system seems to work for us. Why does everyone always want to know where we were going next? We just got here.
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Sure, it’s nice to have an idea where you are going, but there is something lovely about not having a clue either. Yesterday we successfully crossed the Gulf Stream alone. What is there to worry about now? After four days in Bimini we finally make a decision. We are Exumas bound. We take full advantage of the Bimini Sands Marina. At only 30 dollars a night it is well worth it. Knowing that facilities from here on out will be far and few between, we’ve made certain to be prepared: showers, laundry, electricity, Internet, phones, provisions – sayonara! This morning we waited and waited until the seas were calm enough to exit the small inlet where contradicting wind and current creates a rough pass. Bravery or stupidity kicks in when we untie the dock lines and head towards the channel full throttle. Into the wind, waves come crashing over the bow. Everything aboard is immediately displaced. Reggie has stress in his eyes. Louise’s throttle is to the floor and forward motion is still compromised. For a moment I wonder, “What in Gods name are we doing?
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Who do we think we are?” Before I could answer myself we hoist the King sheet, turn south, and suddenly Louise is slicing through rolling seas proving her seaworthiness. Confidently, I answer my own question. I am Jessie. This is Katie. We are on a boat. The depth sounder is reading 30, 40, 50 feet, but every rock, bed of seaweed, coral head and sea life is visible as if it were an arm’s length away. For a few miles we dodge every dark color under the surface in fear of hitting whatever it may be, even though the charts make it obvious the path is clear. My brain does not believe what my eyes are telling it. This is terrifying. This is amazing. What was that? Was that a shark or seaweed? Every time I think we are going to hit something I squeeze my eyes shut for just a moment because I don’t trust that these color changes are not depth changes. Louise flies forward, fearless. Or is it us who are fearless considering we are the ones commanding Louise? I am confused. Is this real? Louise sits in a dark blue hole with plenty of water underneath her keel here at Cat Cay. The anchor is dug down deep into mounds of sand that sucked it in as if it never wants us to leave. Maybe we wont. I am not opposed. Not even 75 feet in all directions is sandbank that reveals itself when the tide is low. Like children we play for three days, collecting conch, gathering shells, swimming with schools of fish, and climbing coconut trees – which hurts really bad by the way. In the evening we
“Hey, can I get a little help here,” asks Reggie
The coconut almost won the battle
spend hours trying to open coconuts until the cockpit looks like it roughly survived a coconut hurricane. In our secret blue hole we sleep like babies and wake to squawking terns who are obviously annoyed we are anchored in their fishing hole. I am completely covered in bug bites to the point of confusion with hives, and I don’t even care.
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The Whole Nine Yards
Jessica “flipped” over the beaches on Cat Cay
sprinkle the sky. “The Banks” are smooth and a light breeze is in our favor. The depth sounder reads anywhere between eight and 12 feet as we fly through the sea like there are miles below. Again – I am confused. Is this real? We only see one boat in eight hours. A man is alone on his sloop, anchored to get some rest. We pass by so closely we could have heard each other’s voices; instead we greeted one another over the VHF. Undecided if another human being so far from land is comforting or creepy, Katie and I drop the hook in the middle of nowhere to rest in the cockpit until first light. Full of adrenaline, sleep is impossible. For the first time in my life I felt consciously undeserving of such an incredible experience. How did I get here? By 8:00 am we cross “The Banks” and enter “The Tongue of the Ocean.” The depth drops from 10 feet to 6000 feet. The swells grow larger and farther apart. The sunrise is welcoming, drying the dew from the cockpit. In every direction I see nothing but hues of blue. The wind
Everything is going so well I am starting to get worried. If I know anything at all, it is that we are due for something to go wrong. For every good, there is a bad. And this week has gone really… really good. The next leg is an overnight passage across “The Banks” to Chub Cay. Along “The Banks” lies 10 feet of water for over 50 miles until the ocean floors drops to 6000 feet into “The Tongue of the Ocean.” If you ask me, both of these titles are uninviting. Quietly I am nervous for this passage because we are traveling overnight completely alone. Good thing my mother doesn’t know. I portray confidence, because if I don’t I would never leave. With trust in our pre-loaded Navionics charts and “Patrick” our third crew member (Simrad auto-tiller), Katie lifts the anchor. Today I write in my journal, “I fear that we have finally become confident cruisers. Because our Gulf Stream crossing went so well, something is going to go wrong this time. I just don’t know what it is yet and I really wish I wasn’t going to have to find out.” Shallow water has its perks, enabling us to anchor anywhere we want now that 3:00 am has rolled around along with exhaustion. So far sailing into this night has been nothing short of perfect. The moon lights up the sea floor and we can see everything that rests below as if it were daylight. Phosphorescence is in our wake, and stars
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is less than 10 knots. To maintain our course into the wind the sails are trimmed taught, leaving them just shy of full, and me just shy of frustrated. I can see water spray in the distance where waves meet land. We are close. Suddenly, the thing I knew that I didn’t know was going to happen – happens. The sound of the engine becomes only a sound and not a source of propulsion. Still in forward gear, Louise is not moving forward. Our forward speed drops down to 1.5 knots. The sails slowly pull us forward, while the engine just became nothing but extra ballast. We lose concentration on sailing because we are less than eight miles away from Chub Cay, where we are to enter an unfamiliar and rocky channel. Not having an engine to do so is, in my mind, out of the question. Louise refuses to push more than a knot and a half. Give Louise throttle, and she revs up leaving us motionless. However nothing sounds weird, nothing feels weird. Okay girls, think. Think, think, think. Yes, we have sails, sure we can use them, and we are using them, but I’m not nearly confident enough to enter this channel under sail. Must. Solve. Engine. Problem. Together we go through the checklist of what we know how to check ourselves. At this point it doesn’t matter if what we check has any correlation with the problem, anything is better than nothing. I tie a bowline around my waist and get in the 6000-feet-
The Mermaids, Jessie & Katie, to the rescue with the Chub Cay Police
deep blue sea to check the prop after shutting off the engine. Nothing is tangled in it. I give it a good wiggle, Katie turns on the engine; cautiously I get back in the
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The Whole Nine Yards
Chub Cay - home for 16 days awaiting a transmission, and having fun
water and check the prop again. The prop spins in forward, spins in reverse, speeding up and slowing down depending on position of throttle as necessary. Okay. Good. Moving on. We put it in reverse, which seems to work just fine however it is hard to tell in the rolling waves. Check the shift cable. Check the throttle cable. Check the oil,
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transmission fluid, impeller, strainer, and leaky freeze plug, while eyeballing every inch for a possible answer. Now I don’t know what else to check and I am upside down in the basement (engine compartment), about to throw up. Awesome. We are engineless. I am pissed. This is the moment where Katie and Jessie have to become SAILORS. I mean, real sailors. Silly as it seems, this is terrifying. We have eight miles to go and very little wind coming out of a stupid direction. It could be worse. Everything will be okay. Will someone help us? There is no one. Every direction is empty space. Dad? We dump a Budweiser into the sea and ask whoever is in charge of the wind and the waves to reverse its direction to pushing us towards our destination instead of further away. No one around here seems to care. Why doesn’t anyone care? Maybe because there is no one. It takes four hours of tacking to cover our
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last eight miles at the tail end of a sleepless night. Katie literally will not stop talking, distracting herself from the current situation. I sit silent, stone-faced, concentrating on how Katie is wondering if we are going to enter this is really Chub and anchor, all sushi, or is under sail. Jessie playing We live on a a trick on her? sailboat. You’d think this task would be natural. It’s not. This is a first. As the hours pass I am more frustrated, annoyed that I don’t know enough to fix the engine problem, and angry that I am not enjoying this at all, not even one bit. This situation is the definition of adventure. This will become a great story. But right now, don’t talk to me. Right now, I hate adventure. We manage to get Louise into the marina and tie her to the fuel dock. It takes three days and three men to assess our engine situation. We have to replace our transmission. Fabulous, one of the cheaper things to replace! It doesn’t taking long to get to know “Tito” the dock master who initially is confused as to why two white girls are traveling alone on a boat. A little bit of afternoon whiskey warms him right up and without discussion, I barter whiskey in exchange for free dockage. Technically, this is a private island. We look incredibly out of place. Being the only two white girls; Louise looks like a homeless shack next to million dollar sport fish vessels, and we kind of look homeless ourselves. But somehow we score a reputation as “The Mermaids.” We spend 16 days tied to the fuel dock at the Chub Cay Yacht Club. We know everyone who lives here and they know us. Maybe 50 Bohemians share this island year round. Everyone else, like us, comes and goes. Last week the sheriff (Officer Ferguson, who is the spitting image of Samuel L. Jackson), slowed his vehicle to inform me that walking around with an open beer is an offense, and proceeded to ask Katie and I If we wanted to go to the bar with him. Within two weeks we go on a rescue mission with Officer Ferguson to help a broken down speedboat in the “Tongue of the Ocean.” Someone has to jump in the water to tie a bowline around the tow hook. Officer Ferguson is terrified and exclaims, “I’m not getting in, it’s too deep!”
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as if there were a difference in swimming in 25 feet of water or 6000 feet. His wife, Mrs. Ferguson, agrees. Katie and I jump in and tie a knot connecting the two vessels. The men on the broken down vessel are very confused as to whom it is that has arrived to save them. Who are these bitches? Later, the local mechanic opens the doors to a mansion where he lets us stay for six days while we wait for parts to arrive. We go sport fishing with three different groups of fisherman. We eat fresh fish every day. We drink whiskey with Tito. We get eaten alive by bugs and heat. We share meals at the Yacht Club countless nights with new friends. We “stick and poke” tattoo ourselves with India ink. We lounge by the infinity pool. We snorkel the beach every afternoon. We even meet a “Dominatrix” and if you don’t know what that is I advise Googling with caution. I am confused. Is this real? And finally – the transmission arrives, but now the mechanic is missing. We wait three more days, and on the third he shows up and we spend 10 hours upside down in the basement attempting a job none of us have ever done. It works. We sneak away early the next morning after being awakened by noseeums. I don’t want to say goodbye. I’m excited to move on but a little heart broken to leave this rock and its people. I know we will be back. Next stop - Nassau. No one has spoken positively about docking, anchoring, or its safety. BUT, there is word of a “Fresh Market” and even a “Starbucks.” What I would pay for fresh fruit, vegetables, and a strong coffee right now is more than I can admit. A month has passed and nothing has happened as I imagined. Thank god we didn’t have any plans coming here. Most everything seems out of our control; we have learned to respect that. Officially on Bohemian time, being in any other frame of mind would just be silly. Whatever just happened back there in Chub Cay was incredible. Alone again, we sail the “Tongue of the Ocean” eastbound towards “Atlantis.” Who are we? I am Jessie, this is Katie, and we are on a boat.
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I’m not lazy, I just really enjoy doing nothing.
Cruising Outpost News Another Darwin Award
The popular (?) Shopping Cart Game calls for a cart to be anchored to a pole or tree at the dock. The cart is poised on the dock, someone climbs in and friends launch the shopping cart off the dock and into the water. The soggy rider climbs out, the cart is reeled back in, and the game begins again. Chance Werner, a recent high school graduate, decided to be the tree and tie the cart to his belt. Chance didn’t stand a chance. He was dragged into the water and drowned. Several hours later his body was recovered from nine meters of water, still tied to the shopping cart.
All the news that fits Home for Old Cruisers? Check this out! Freedom Cove is a colorfully constructed off-grid float-home and garden only accessible by boat. It was developed by Wayne and Catherine Adams in Clayoquot Sound, BC. Their floating home and garden system includes about 12 platforms, supporting a number of wooden structures, living spaces, and greenhouses—all interconnected through a wooden pathway system. The rainy winter season takes care of the water supply during colder months, while in the summer the majority of their supply comes from a waterfall across the bay. The electricity is also largely supplied through solar panels and photovoltaic energy generators. Numerous greenhouses produce veggies and fruit all year round, allowing Wayne and Catherine to be completely self-sustainable.
• • • ••• • ••• ••• ••
After wintering in Florida, you decide it’s time to sail back to New York. As you sail up the Intracoastal Waterway, the buoys on your starboard side will be what color? (Wanna cheat? The answer is on page 49)
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Cruising Outpost News Bounding Along
Unhappy End to 2014 in Avalon Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island is a favorite destination for Southern California boaters. However, it can become dangerous very quickly when the northeast Santa Ana winds blow. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened on December 30th. The weather forecast predicted mild 5-15 knot winds from the northeast, however they rapidly increased to 40+ knots, making it extremely difficult for boats to leave the harbor. The winds and huge breaking waves that battered Avalon were the worst in recent memory. Residents described it as the worst storm to hit the island in years, if not decades. The conditions led to many boats in the harbor breaking loose from their mooring lines. At least four vessels were violently driven ashore and two lives were lost: Harbor Patrol assistant Tim Mitchell, 39, and liveaboard boater Bruce Ryder, 53. The Avalon Harbor Patrol worked tirelessly through the night to assist boaters and by all accounts, did a miraculous job of keeping damage and injuries to a minimum.
The American vocal group Bounding Main has proudly announced that their performance of the song Northwest Passage has been included in the documentary series, “The Polar Sea.” Bounding Main is a group of American vocalists that have been performing together for 12 years throughout the United States and across Europe. Their specialty is maritime-related songs that are celebrated at music festivals, tall ship events and museums. (In January they headlined the Cruising Outpost party at the Chicago Boat Show.) They are currently producing their fifth CD and all of their music is available on CDBaby, Apple iTunes, Amazon.com and other music portals.
Starboard Attitude
This is a sequel to The Sailing Life; a collection of stories that give an insight into why people go cruising. This will give you a reason to "cut the dock lines and go!
Of Bob Bitchin
Letters From the Lost Soul
The Sailing Life
The story
This is a collection of stories by the founder of Latitudes & Attitudes and Cruising Outpost that give an insight into why people go cruising. This is not a "How to" but rather a "Why to!"
of a world voyage that ended with the creation of Latitudes & Attitudes & Cruising Outpost Magazines. This is the real story behind where it started.
19.
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A Brotherhood of Outlaws
Emerald Bay
Newlyweds Treb Lincoln and his bride visit Catalina Island, and in a matter of seconds a drug deal gone bad changes his life. Action packed and never dull.
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The first book by Bob Bitchin, long before he started sailing. A look into what the real world of the outlaw biker was like in the ‘70s & ‘80s. The first Treb Lincoln novel.
King Harbor
FTW Publishing 1900 Oro Dam Blvd #12-111 Oroville, CA 95966
www.bobbitchin.com
An action-adventure novel. Follow delivery skipper Treb Lincoln as he finds out why a research vessel in the central Pacific is planning to destroy paradise, and how he stops them.
Add $2.75 Postage for First Book and $1.50 For each Additional
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Cruising Outpost News Scientists say that the world is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons. They forgot to mention morons.
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Lee Quality is Unsurpassed.
Take a walk in any marina and you’ll find Lee Sails. Why? Since 1947 we have been a worldwide leader in handcrafted, high quality cruising sails. From Tall Ships to small boats, every Lee Sail is built with the same commitment to superior quality and value. Whether you’re crossing an ocean or sailing close to home, you’ll know your sails will hold their shape and last longer. That’s why we confidently say “Dare to Compare”!
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Visit www.leesailsdirect.com today to view our construction process and hardware, read testimonials and get a quote.
DIRECT.com 34 Cruising Outpost
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Cruising Outpost News Capsize off Kona In January, the 75-foot ketch, Hawaii Aloha, capsized about four miles off the Kona Coast and was washed ashore. The vessel is owned by the Christian charity organization Youth With a Mission (YWAM) Ships Kona and provides medical and dental services to remote island groups. She was at her base on the western side of the Big Island, being prepped for her next voyage to Christmas Island, when heavy weather was predicted. Her captain, Ann Ford, decided to take Hawaii Aloha offshore to ride it out. The crew reported that a series of big swells hit her broadside, rolling her over twice. After firing off flares, all but one crew, Aaron Michael Bremner, the second mate, evacuated into a liferaft and were eventually assisted in getting ashore by two jet ski operators. One of those was reportedly actor Rob Lowe, who was vacationing there at the time and helped with the search for the missing second mate. Coast Guard and Hawaii firefighters eventually suspended their extensive search for Bremner. YWAM reports that this was the first marine tragedy in its “decades of service.�
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Cruising Outpost News Smugglers Thwarted off Catalina For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.
On January 17th an Air and Marine helicopter crew successfully stopped a panga off the coast of Santa Catalina Island, CA, which was likely loaded with bales of marijuana. They used warning shots fired from the helicopter after the panga refused to yield. The panga was initially spotted by the crew of a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 aircraft approximately 24 nm off the coast of La Jolla, traveling north toward Santa Catalina Island at a high rate of speed. The Coast Guard requested assistance from the San Diego office of the U.S. CBP Office of Air and Marine. A CBP crew in a Blackhawk helicopter on patrol near Santa Catalina, as well as the crews from two CBP OAM Midnight Express interceptor boats, responded. The Coast Guard crew spotted the panga’s crew beginning to jettison large bales. The CBP Blackhawk arrived at the location but the fleeing panga failed to yield until several warning shots were fired across its bow from the mounted guns on the helicopter. A CBP Midnight Express vessel arrived and took the three men aboard the panga into custody. The men were later turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents for processing.
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Cruising Outpost News Boat Crashes After Captain has Drunk Three-way with his Two Passengers
Is it wrong for a vegetarian to eat animal crackers?
An amorous boat captain who had left the helm to have a drunken three-way sex-escapade caused a minor security scare at New York’s La Guardia Airport. Craig Gallo, 51, crashed his boat into the runway lights of the busy hub after descending below deck with James Benenato, 60, and Mary Ann Belson, 60. Galo was charged by the NYPD’s Harbor Unit with operating a boat under the influence and Belson was taken to the hospital to be trated for a possible broken nose and jaw. Benenato suffered no physical injuries. As reported in the Daily Mail June, 2014
An Unfortunate Sight One of the participants in this year’s Sydney to Hobart race became the unfortunate spectator when a single-engine plane, which was filming the boats, crashed into the ocean. They issued a mayday and seven other racing yachts changed course to help search. They found no sign of the plane or the two people who were on board.
A Rare Sight Indeed It’s been nearly half a century since an albino bottlenose dolphin has been seen, but in December a volunteer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission spotted one in an estuary off the east coast of Florida. The exact location is intentionally being kept under wraps for the dolphin’s safety. There have only been 14 recorded sightings of albino bottlenose dophins since 1962 according to NOAA. This makes number 15!
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Cruising Outpost News Never Give Up
kay the boat’s launched
ow what
So Shut Up Already People who say it can’t be done should not interrupt those who are doing it!
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Ron Ingraham, a 67-year-old fisherman who lives on his sailboat in Hawaii, was rescued after nearly two weeks at sea. He had set off solo around Thanksgiving from Molokai, a trip he’d made many times over the years. However, his boat began taking on water so he made distress calls which spurred a search that covered 12,000 square miles and included an MH-65 helicopter, an HC-130 airplane and the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska. He couldn’t be found an on December 1st the Coast Guard called off its search. They didn’t think he could survive in a 25-foot sailboat for days in waves 15 to 20 feet high. His son did and told the Coast Guard official he didn’t feel like his dad was dead. He was right. Being a fisherman, Ron Ingraham survived for 12 days on the fish he caught while trying to get back to land on his now dismasted boat. On day 12 he made another distress call and was found about 64 miles south of Honolulu. He was weak and dehydrated, but he wouldn’t leave without his boat, insisting that it be towed back to shore. It was.
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Cruising Outpost News Bored on these Cold Winter Nights?
I intend to live forever - so far so good.
Here’s a solution... Take one of many online boating safety courses offered by the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, US Power Squadrons and Offshore Sailing School partners. Accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone, the series of no-cost and tuitionbased courses – now discounted for 2015 – give boating families time to brush up on their boating knowledge, get more confident, meet their state’s boating safety course requirements or even qualify them for a boat insurance discount. In addition to 33 individual, no cost, state-approved boating safety courses, BoatUS offers: Weather for Boaters, Boating on Rivers, Lakes and Locks, Learn to Sail, Clean Boating Course, DSC-VHF Radio Tutorial, and more.
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Cruising Outpost News Rescue Off North Carolina
Let’s Get Started, Shall We?
On January 30th the U.S. Coast Guard rescued five people, owner Brian Cohen, his son, and three professional crew, from the 55-foot Gunboat catamaran, Rainmaker, about 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Rainmaker had broken her mast and because of a large swell out of the south and a building northwest breeze in the Gulf Stream, an onboard decision was made to abandon the $2+ million yacht. Sustained winds had been 30-35 knots and Rainmaker was still carrying sail when a whiteout squall hit with up to 70-knot winds. There was no time to get the sails down when the squall hit and the mast came down. Coast Guard watchstanders at a command center in Portsmouth, Virginia, were notified and a helicopter crew was able to hoist all five crew from the damaged sailboat. The crew were reported to be in good condition.
The first step in getting somewhere is to decide you are not going to stay where you are.
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hat’s what get for hiring that ill survey for food guy!
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Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
Cruising Outpost News Boating Related Deaths Keep Dropping We’re getting safer! The 2014 statistics aren’t in yet, but 2013 Recreational Boating Statistics revealed that boating fatalities that year totaled 560 — the lowest number of boating fatalities on record. From 2012 to 2013, deaths in boating-related accidents decreased 14 percent, from 651 to 560, and injuries decreased from 3,000 to 2,620, a 12.7 percent reduction. The total reported recreational boating accidents decreased from 4,515 to 4,062, a 10 percent decrease. The fatality rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels reflected a 12.9 percent decrease from 2011’s rate of 6.2 deaths.
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A Rare Act of Agreement The recently departed 113th Congress did at least something, and it was for boat owners! It extended some boat sales tax and mortgage interest deductions when filing a 2014 federal income tax return. The catch is, a boat has to include a sleeping berth, cooking and toilet facilities, and is offered to new owners who paid substantial state sales taxes on a new or used boat purchase last year. If there is a loan taken, mortgage interest paid on the loan may be also be deducted from your federal income taxes, according to the nation’s largest boater’s advocacy group, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 continues to offer a federal tax deduction for state sales taxes. Boaters must choose either the state sales tax deduction or state income tax deduction on their federal tax return — you cannot take both. For those owners with a secured boat loan, mortgage interest paid on the loan may be deducted from your federal income taxes. Taxpayers may use the home mortgage interest deduction for one second home in addition to their primary home. A boat is considered a second home for federal tax purposes if it has a galley, an installed head and sleeping berth. During federal budget negotiations last year, some in Congress sought to eliminate this deduction for boat owners while keeping it in place for second home and recreational vehicle owners. BoatUS advocated for a more equitable all-or-nothing approach when applying the deduction, and boaters did not get unfairly singled out.
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Cruising Outpost News Down, But Not Out The Tall Ship Sloop Providence, Rhode Island’s Official Flagship and Tall Ship Ambassador, suffered damage to its mast and hull after toppling over in blizzard conditions at Newport Shipyard. The vessel is a 110-foot fully rigged sailing vessel and a faithful replica of John Paul Jones’ famous warship that captured 40 British ships during the American Revolutionary War. Extra supports were added as a precaution for the storm, but they failed in the heavy wind with gusts upwards of 60 mph. The ship will be repaired and should be back in the water by the end of the summer.
Get Ready for the America’s Cup Four AC World Series Events Have Been Announced for 2015: June 5-7 - Cagliari, Italy July 24-26 - Portsmouth, England August 28-30 - Gothenburg, Sweden October 16-18 - Hamilton, Bermuda The first three events are hosted by Luna Rossa Challenge, Ben Ainslie Racing and Artemis Racing, respectively. No word yet whether Team France, Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA will also host events.
Need a Band-Aid?
“The ocean has always been a salve to my soul...the best thing for a cut or abrasion was to go swimming in salt water. Later down the road of life, I made the discovery that salt water was also good for the mental abrasions one inevitably acquires on land.” -Jimmy Buffett
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Cruising Outpost News Highly Relatable “We clear the harbor and the wind catches her sails and my beautiful ship leans over ever so gracefully, and her elegant bow cuts cleanly into the increasing chop of the waves. I take a deep breath and my chest expands and my heart starts thumping so strongly I fear the others might see it beat through the cloth of my jacket. I face the wind and my lips peel back from my teeth in a grin of pure joy.” L.A. Meyer, Under the Jolly Roger
An Honest Assessment “Sometimes the thoughts in my head get so bored they go out for a stroll through my mouth. This is rarely a good thing.” - Scott Westerfield
• • • ••• • ••• ••• ••
(Answer to question on page 28) The buoys will be • •• • • . This can get confusing (duh) but here’s an easy rule of thumb. The red (even numbered) buoys on the Intracoastal will always be on the side of the largest land mass. Red on your right if you’re sailing around the USA clockwise, but green (odd numbers) on your right if you’re sailing around the USA counterclockwise.
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Cruising Outpost News
Thinking of Living Aboard? You Need These Books! Escape From Someday isle ia a “how-to” guide, but also a manual on recognizing and setting life’s true priorities. Whether you are an armchair adventurer or a seasoned sailor, you’ll enjoy reading this book. If you’ve ever said “Someday, I’ll . . .” then you should read this book. Discover the highs and lows, tricks and triumphs of a rich and diverse liveaboard community through letters, articles, quotes, tips and photos taken from the pages of the Living Aboard magazine. Karen Larson of Good Old Boat Magazine says, “If you’re dreaming of a liveaboard lifestyle, this is one book you don’t want to miss.” 7.3” X 9.1” (234 pages)
FTW Publishing 1900 Oro Dam Blvd #12-111 Oroville, CA 95966
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The last time I reached for the stars I pulled a muscle.
Counter-Piracy Measures January 5, 2015: During their port visit to Djibouti, the Operations Officer and three pilots from the EU Naval Force Spanish warship, ESPS Rayo, met with personnel from the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERSQ), who are stationed at US base, Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. During the visit the Spanish Navy crew was given an insight into the combat search and rescue (CSAR) capabilities of what is an elite and highly-regarded US Air Force unit. Combat search and rescue missions are search and rescue operations that are carried out within or near hostile or potentially hostile territories. As is tradition amongst aircrews, before the Spanish team departed, both sides exchanged squadron arm patches. January 2, 2015: A key role for the EU Naval Force is to protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels carrying humanitarian aid to the Somali people from possible pirate attack. On Monday 22 December the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, took on the important duty of escorting WFP ship, MV Liberty, 500 nautical miles from Mombasa to Mogadishu. Despite the high winds and waves that are common during the Northeast monsoon, the San Marco protection team that is embarked on board ITS Andrea Doria kept a close eye on MV Liberty day and night as it sailed along the Somali coastline. The Italian Navy Augusta-Westland helicopter flew ahead as the ‘eyes over the horizon’ to look for any potential pirate activity. When MV Liberty arrived safely in Mogadishu to offload the food aid, the crew thanked the Italian Navy sailors for their assistance.
Many boaters and non-boaters fantasize about leaving behind the house, lawn and moving aboard a boat. The information in this book was garnered from 18 years of the best letters, articles, and firsthand accounts from Living Aboard magazine. It is also a compendium of the pitfalls, disappointments, and setbacks. It is a high-octane dream-feeder for liveaboard aspirants. Organized to present a complete guide to living aboard, it goes well beyond equipment and supplies, and delves deeply into liveaboard rights and the law, and more. Every liveaboard should have this on their bookshelf. Approx. 8” X 10” (238 pages)
$18 each or 2 for $29 Free Shipping!
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Another Way Kathy and I were sliding down an icy road, ABS brakes clattering, when she said she was still waiting to hear about the fi rst sail with my boat last spring and early summer. She had a point. It was already full-on winter, the boat was completely bedded down until next spring. Why had the intervening months been spent talking more about chickens, fiberglass hull blister treatment, and fi rst frosts than that beautiful passage? If anything bad had happened, the whole world would have heard every last harrowing detail multiple times. But, once I got home, except for a few paragraphs here and there, a nearly three-month-long trip where only one thing went wrong in the last two hours—my best time with the sea in the seven years since I took my boys across the Caribbean and South Pacific—had become a pleasant memory in my head alone. Until Kathy asked for more. So, here we go. Figuring out what to do after the children grow up is a common enough game changer. Over the course of several years, with mine off at college, I’d become a sailboatlistings.com addict. Scrolling through the offerings, writing about some of them, dreaming of how they could be used, became a distraction full of possibilities. I even visited a couple boats and believed the day would come when a situation would present itself in all its perfect glory. Then, last April, I got a call from the broker in Saint Maarten who sold me the boat used for the adventure with the kids. A perfect situation had just presented itself, he said, in the form of a beautiful Contessa 32, the slightly larger version of the tiny boat that had taken me around the world in the eighties, and the object of many fantasies. The owner had lived aboard for fifteen years in the Caribbean, kept her upgraded and maintained, illness had him asking the right price. You know how life can suddenly make you feel like you’ve fallen into a flooding river, and it’s all you can do to keep afloat and get back to shore? That call
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pushed me right into a smoothly flowing torrent that finally landed me and a sweet little hunk of fiberglass I could call my boat onto the shores of Maine, almost three months and 2500 miles of open water later. The enemy of good is perfection. I went ahead with the deal between two other previously planned work trips, and booked a flight back down to Saint Maarten three days after returning from the second one. I wanted to bring her close to home, about 26 degrees of latitude due north. It was already June, and there wasn’t enough time to achieve perfection before hurricane season got into full swing. In order to just get good enough, the list of things to do was pretty long. I gave myself two weeks on the island to haul her, sand, and reapply a coat of desperately needed antifouling. And, while out of the water, replace four seacocks, install a new toilet and plumbing, a manual fresh water pump in the galley, and a manual bilge pump. Two large solar panels were mounted on her bimini, and the previous owner had directed all the extra energy into electrical pumps, which, to me, are motors waiting to start making funny noises when you need them most. Add to that a thorough cleaning and lubing, and I sailed away from Saint Maarten having visited and inspected every single gear, block, screw, bolt and hole, a manageable enough task on a small 32-footer. The broker and his wonderfully kind family, who fed, lodged, and advised me throughout, accompanied me out of Simpson Bay lagoon, watched as I pulled up the sails, set the Aries self-steering to the point off Anguilla, and waved as we took off. Everything worked. The new main looked great, the jib sheeted smoothly into position, the Aries blade swung calmly back and forth steering us in the right direction. By evening, the distant lights of the British Virgin Islands loomed and the next morning, I was on a beam reach, at sea alone for the first time in twenty-seven years. Nothing but smoothness.
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And, it was fantastic to be truly alone, once again my own boss of everything for eight whole days in the middle of the ocean on a small boat. So close to the swishing water, under the endless sky, surrounded by every shade of blue, the dark starry nights, the sounds of a Contessa making way, it all felt so familiar and right. Doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. Monitoring the systems and course that were getting us to Bermuda, reading, dreaming, and plain old thinking—uninterruptedly. No phones, no email, no internet, no sat phone or SSB schedule, no chatter, nobody else to worry about. Nothing but nothingness, which, at the same time, was everything. Not a single tear was shed, I was completely happy. It was a relatively windless passage. For the fi rst time in my life, I fell in love with an engine, a superbly installed new-ish Yanmar that rumbled faithfully north when our speed dropped below 2-3 knots. The last night, the wind picked up and we zoomed toward Saint George’s Harbor, arriving as the winning maxis were pulling in from their windless Newport to Bermuda race. A squall with ferocious wind and rain provided a fresh water shower and held up docking for half an hour, but there we were. Me and the boat of my dotage, our fi rst landfall, which just happened to be the fi rst landfall of my fi rst solo passage ever when I was 18. Before the next leg to Maine, I had to deliver another boat from Bermuda to Long Island to help pay for all this, and we were delayed by a very early hurricane. But, that went smoothly, too. Well into July, I was underway again with a friend who came along to help stand watches when we neared the New England coast with all the shipping lanes, fishing boats and fog. Another thing I’d never done before was sail my own boat alone with a friend. This one loved to cook and never missed a meal, how much smoother could things get?
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Unless you count the 30-40 knot blow we got for 24 hours, and the shocking coldness of the water north of the Gulf Stream, absolutely nothing went wrong. The last overnight approach to Belfast at the top of Penobscot Bay was more of nothing to complain about. The sun rose dramatically over the dark, tidal waters as we passed the outlying islands, motored up the bay fringed by the familiar granite rock formations and green vegetation of my native latitudes. Two hours before docking, the one flaw in the whole trip happened. Tired from 36 hours of no sleep, giddy from being so close to home, we refilled the diesel tank from the water jerry can. A gallon or two was decanted before I realized why it looked like nothing was coming through the clear hose. So, the last two hours on the water were spent very closely watching the bowl on the racor filter, and the fi rst few hours at the dock were spent extracting and emptying the fuel tank, which also went really smoothly. And, to make it even less of a problem, some of the best marina showers ever—hot water and pressure—were just up the ramp. And, there you have it, the story of a trip that set the bar pretty high—a very perfect beginning for, with some luck, more smoothness to come.
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MEMORY ROSE A 1978 CSY 44 Ketch Reborn to Cruise the World
• • • • •• •• • • • anchored at Chichime, San Blas Islands, Panama
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Above: The little used stairs make a great library. Also, a good look at the clear cabin passageway. Below: You can see the clean and easily accessible engine area. In the beginning Ron Sheridan was searching for a steel or aluminum boat to cruise the world in safety. Not finding anything that appealed to him, he bought the strongest production fiberglass sailboat he could find and modified it to fulfill his wish list of must-haves. He favored nautical architect Ted Brewer’s concepts of a modified fin keel with skeg hung rudder, internal ballast and a deep aft cockpit. A heavily built fiberglass hull, ketch rigged with a pilothouse were also in the plan. Information gained from Capt. Robert Beebe’s book “Passagemaker” said that on long distance cruising under power, they would also want large tankage for both fuel and water. A slow turning, naturally aspirated engine geared for efficiency would also be key. The Caribbean Sailing Yacht (CSY) 44’ Pilothouse Ketch was such a boat. It was the Queen of their Fleet.
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MEMORY ROSE
Above: The head has a great mirror to make you feel at home. Above right: Dorothy in the roomy galley. Below: What every good cruising boat needs - a work area with a vice!
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The modifications began by beefing up the pilothouse with an internal GRP frame and two layers of windows; one internal 1/2” layer and one set of external permanent 1/2” thick overlapping storm windows. This was no small task.
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A 1978 CSY 44 Ketch Reborn to Cruise The World
The custom bowsprit was installed to convert the ketch into a double headsail ketch. This allowed an increase in the size of the genoa by 125 sq. ft and added a staysail for power and safety at sea. Both were mounted using Profurl NC-42 roller furlers. The rigging was enhanced by the change to external 1/2� thick 316 highly polished stainless steel chain plates. This was a Dashew concept used on their Deerfoot series of long distance cruisers. All the sails were done by Mack Sails. The main and mizzen sails have added roach and are fully battened, using batcars and Tides slippery track. The sailplan modifications increased sail area from 950 sq. ft. to 1400. The option to chose between four easily handled working sails for varying conditions was the goal and it worked beautifully. With the extra sail area they never had
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Above: you can see how the under-sole storage hides away neatly, but is also easily accessible. Below: The dining table folds down when not in use, but opens to allow dinner for six.
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MEMORY ROSE
Above: You can see owner Ron Sheridan in the cockpit, with plenty of room for solar panels. Below: The remote water pump and valve system.
to use light air sails. If winds got light the engine was started. All blocks and sheaves on the vessel are from Garhauer Marine. A Ford Lehman 90 hp diesel with reduction gears on the transmission and re-pitched prop allowed the boat to cruise at her hull speed of 7.6 knots, and that was at just 1650 rpms, leaving power to spare. This made for excellent fuel efficiency (1.35 gallons/hr). The added benefit of the Pilothouse model of CSY was the fuel tankage of 325 gallons, making ocean crossings possible on power alone. This was a Beebe concept for small craft. Water tankage of 250 gallons relieved the need for a powered watermaker. A deck catchment system was developed to capture rain. The two GRP tanks were internally ceramic coated for purity. Double filters, one inside the refrigerator with an external tap for cold refreshment, keep all water tasting like spring water. The anchoring system was another thing inspired by Steve and Linda Dashew. A 110 lb. Bruce self-deploying anchor and a full drum of 3/8� G4 high test chain were moved back 10 feet from the bow to what used to be the V-berth’s hanging locker. Moving 700 lbs. aft allowed the boat to ride the waves much better. The locker area was also modified to become a proper work station including a nickle plated vice. Below: Double pilothouse windows make the boat safe even in the heaviest of weather.
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A 1978 CSY 44 Ketch Reborn to Cruise The World The electrical system is the key to simple cruising. Simple systems required absence of a generator and its fuel consumption and noise. A bank of four 8D gel cells totaling 900 amp hours is the stored source of energy. At a dock a 3.8 KV International Isolation transformer is used for clean, safe AC power. When cruising, the engine’s 150 amp alternator produces wanted power while anchored or on cloudy/ rainy days. The main auxiliary power comes from two arrays of solar panels, one set adjustable to catch the morning or afternoon sun. The refrigerator and freezer were completely The anchoring system keeps the weight further back, and the windlass in an easy place changed using high efficiency boxes insulated to work with. with R-75 aerogel vacuum panels, plus standard insulation foams. A 12 VDC Seafrost Direct Drive EMORY OSE PECS mechanical system was installed. Everything but the engine was removed from the engine room. All other valves, filters, pumps, etc. were LOD: 44’ 3” moved to easy-to-access remote locations for ease of LOA: 58’ 6” maintenance. Storage compartments were created beneath Beam: 13’ 4” the sole and also for access to system components. Displacement: 38,000 lbs. Memory Rose’s last long distance sail was from the San Blas Islands of Panama to Isla Mujeres, Yucatan, Draft: 6’ 6” Mexico, a distance of 1000 miles. It took five days, one Fuel Tanks: (3) Total Capacity 325 gal. hour nonstop - most all of it on a broad reach. This boat Water Tanks: (2) Total Capacity 250 gal. moves like she was designed to! The boat worked better than Ron and Dorothy had Holding Tanks: (2) Total Capacity 76 gal. thought possible. On their return they put the boat on the Engine: Ford Lehman Super 90 market with Edwards Yacht Sales so others could enjoy Sail Area: 1400 sq. ft. this very well thought out and capable cruiser.
M
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Roll Play...
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by Jessica Lloyd-Mostyn
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A few years ago James and I were walking along the cliffs of a Cornish seaside town and I glanced out to sea at a sailboat on the horizon. “We could just buy a boat and sail round the world.” That sentence changed everything. He quite rightly laughed at me, as at that time I had never even set foot on a sailboat. But then, as I attended more and more sail training and theory courses, he began to realise that I was serious. In the beginning I knew nothing about life aboard a yacht, let alone how to control and manoeuvre one. The enthusiasm that I had for the teaching I sought out was so that I could bring my knowledge up to match that of my boyfriend. I wanted us to be equals on the boat, despite the fact that he had more experience than me, in order to be able to support each other in this floating life. Before our Atlantic crossing I even remember telling the two friends who crewed with us that we were interchangeable as skipper.
Two years in, the added development of becoming parents aboard has made us both dramatically reconsider this idea and I find myself in the unexpected position of really embracing the differences in our genders. For starters, James is quite simply far stronger and fitter than I am. He is physically bigger, taller and can endure much more strain. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no wimp and I can do WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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winch grinding with the best of them, but it would be silly and pointless for me to attempt to match his strength. So, certain jobs on board have naturally always fallen to him. When reefing, it’s always him going up to the mast. If we’re lifting the dinghy he’s the one taking the weight of the engine, and when the windlass breaks and needs to be hefted over to the nearest mechanic it’s definitely not me doing the heaving. But not all our responsibilities are as you might expect. I handle all the passage planning and navigation. It’s me that’s in charge of dealing with most electronics. I’m, now, always in control of where and how we anchor and if you hear our boat name over the VHF or SSB it’s going to be me saying it. James also, surprisingly to some, rules over the kitchen and is a really fantastic chef. I can cook too, but his food is just so much better than mine that, over time we’ve fallen into a natural rhythm whereby he handles the meals and I wash them up. Frankly, there are just things that each of us can do better than the other and why shouldn’t it be so?
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Other tasks have always been tackled by us together: engine filter, belt and oil changes, sail flaking and rope coiling; even the taking apart of the head’s plumbing can be turned into a much more manageable duty when there are four hands working on it. We’re also aware of just how fortunate we are that this trip, our exploration of the globe by boat, has been a plan that we made jointly. Yet our new status as cruising parents has made certain inevitable changes to our established systems and we’ve weirdly become quite comfortable with it. It started with the pregnancy itself, as I remained on board and we kept sailing up until I was 32 weeks. I was fortunate enough to not suffer from morning sickness, however James gradually had to take over more and more of the work on board as I got a bit slower and clumsier. Whenever I pointed out to him that I felt bad that he was doing everything he would remark that I was doing everything else, everything necessary for our child to grow. We tell people how lucky we feel
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we are to have stumbled into a lifestyle which enables us to both be around for our daughter all of the time. But the routine of the father going out to work and the mother staying at home with the baby does still have a resonance even in this regime, as boats need constant attention, maintenance and responsiveness. It’s almost as if we have two children already; it’s just that one of them is 42 feet and a lot more troublesome! The majority of our everyday existence now falls into James managing various issues with the boat whilst I take care of Rocket. We’re still able to tag-team on certain tasks and talk through them enough to share the mental burden of each job. I have to handle my duties in bursts as I may get interrupted to feed our daughter at any point. So things that can be easily stopped are good for me to do: laundry, washing up, researching. Anything involving chemicals becomes a bit trickier, although I do still handle the majority of the domestic cleaning. After the Atlantic crossing, but a year and a half before the baby, I turned to James and said that we needed to rethink
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the whole two skippers concept. I decided that he needed to be the captain and that I was comfortable with that as one of us needed to have more clout if we ever disagreed and came to a stalemate. Of course, we’ve had moments where I’ve challenged that authority... Me: “I think we should move. We’re anchored too close to that boat.” James: “No we’re not. It’s fine.” Me: “Yes we are.” James: “No we’re not.” <Thump> James: “Okay, maybe we were.” And I’ll admit that I’m far from being above the I-told-you-so smugness that follows such incidents. But most of the time, for us, I found that it’s actually a lot simpler and easier to have one named boat boss as our greatest strength as a sailing team comes from the fact that we complement each other so well with our differences. He’s the sailing natural while I was and still am the keen student. Only now, I’m a little closer to being a graduate while I’m also adapting to my new life as a mum; a mariner mum at that.
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You Oughta Go To Gwada Guadeloupe, French West Indies That Is!
By Bill & Joanne Harris
We have thoroughly enjoyed sailing up and down the spectacular islands of the Caribbean. Okay, maybe not so much when boat parts break along the way, but at least we are fixing the boat in a beautiful place. We always explore these islands to their fullest, both by land and by sea. We have had some spectacular adventures in Guadeloupe. The first time we sailed to Guadeloupe, we arrived from Dominica to one of the places at the top of our list, Deshaies. We had a great sail with the other boats that we had been traveling with since leaving Florida for our second cruise south in December 2010. The island is shaped like a butterfly: one wing is called Grande-Terre and the other Basse-Terre, with the Rivière Salée that runs through the center of the wings. We did not venture into the river because of our 26-foot beam and five-foot draft. DESHAIES Upon our arrival we dropped the hook and went to check in with Customs, Immigration and the Port Authority at Le Pelican. It’s a gift shop full of local art, an internet cafe and the check in/out point, all in one. The fantastic surprise for us was that in the French West Indies you can check in with all three agencies via computer yourself, and pay a fee of 5 Euros for your entry.
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We walked the town which is extremely charming. The streets, homes, and shops are all lovely and quaint. You recognize right away that you are in an adorable French village complete with gingerbread detail on the homes and decorative shutters on almost every building. Everyone is walking around with a baguette. Also, FYI, Bill has to spread the word to all of you that the best rotisserie chicken in the Caribbean is at the Superette on the waterfront. You can even reserve a chicken for pick up the next day. We have hiked the Deshaies River countless times. This is one of our favorite hikes ever. It consists of hiking straight up the river scampering up and over giant boulders. We have been here in both the rainy and dry seasons, and the hike is different every time. The great thing is when you are hot, you just jump in and take a swim. One of the best parts of the hike is what looks like a 100-foot waterfall which is located in a dazzling grotto. This is not to be missed; you must go inside it! After you hike up the river, you can hike back down or you can take the paved road back down to town. The village of Deshaies has also been the film site of a BBC series called “Death in Paradise.” We love this show. When we were in Deshaies the first time, they were
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filming the first season and we were able to watch. While here we also visited the Botanical Garden, and then one of our favorite places to have an ice cold beer after a long hike, La Kaz. ILES DES SAINTES This is a group of small islands off the coast of mainland Guadeloupe. While sailing to Iles Des Saintes we had our first encounter with whales without being on a tour. Throughout our sailing from Texas, along the Gulf Coast to the Bahamas, up and down the US East Coast and down to the Caribbean we saw numerous dolphins, but never whales. We were approximately eight miles out from Terre-De-Haut when a pod of whales came cruising by Ultra. We were stunned! Do we get the camera or do we savor the moment and just watch the show? It was amazing. The whales just gently glided by, rolling on their side and looking right at us. WOW, making eye contact with such a huge creature of the sea was truly awesome! TERRE-DE-HAUT After that exhilarating experience we arrived in the charming harbor at Terre-DeHaut, complete with picturesque bright red roofs trimming the waterfront. We have spent, in all, about two months here. We absolutely love this place. We always moor the boat in Bourg Des Saintes, which is only a small village. It is quaint, with narrow streets that are filled with beautiful shops and cafes. There is phenomenal scuba diving and snorkeling, great hiking and pristine beaches. Everyone is extremely friendly. Every time we return the locals give us a kiss and warm welcome back. There is a great produce market with fresh fish located nearby along the waterfront. You can sit in the plaza and listen to beautiful music while you people watch. You can hike, bike ride or take a scooter up and down these tremendous hills which will take you to some spectacular beaches and magnificent vistas.
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The hikes are quite the workout, but well worth it. There is a great hike to Napoleonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fort and another to his Lookout Tower. Across the harbor is Ilet a Cabrit, where you can hike to the ruins of Fort Josephine. There is so much to do here if you enjoy being in the water and hiking adventures, although it is a great place to just chill, too. MARIE GALANTE A little history: Christopher Columbus ran out of names of Saints when he arrived at Marie Galante, so he named this island after one of his boats. Here we had a fantastic time exploring. With our boat buddies from Sabbaticus and Sol Mate, we all rented a hatchback car and loaded all seven of us into it. So fun! One big happy family on a road trip adventure, we drove up and down the streets of Marie Galante around the entire island. We visited several rum distilleries, but our favorite was Bellevue Distillerie. Some of the windmills at the distilleries even had the sails on them to grind the sugarcane. Here we also visited the breath-taking sinkhole and the natural bridge mother nature made of stone. Be sure to take a beautiful hike to visit the eco-museum of Marie-Galante, the Habitation Murat. It is from 1600 and was one of the largest sugar plantations on the island. While there, we saw fields of oxen hard at work pulling loads of cane on carts. There are some spectacular beaches, too. Unfortunately, due to weather, we did not get to stay too long on this tranquil island. PIGEON ISLAND/ BOULLIANTE/MALENDURE Here you will find awesome scuba diving. This is the home of the Jacques Cousteau National Park. There are so many fish you feel as if you are in one huge aquarium. The coral and sea life are extremely healthy and flourishing. The barrel sponges are so large that Bill can go in head first and actually fit his shoulders and scuba gear inside them without ever touching the sides! This is a very popular beach and it is full of great restaurants and shops.
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POINTE-DE-PITRE Here we dropped the hook just outside of the marina. Bas-Du-Fort is a superb marina complete with fuel, water, chandleries, mechanics of all kinds, restaurants and a delightful produce/fish market just across the harbor along the town waterfront. We also had some important mail forwarded to the marina from Texas and it made it with no problem. The staff had it waiting for us when we arrived. The ladies in the market dress up in beautiful Creole costumes that are complete with eye-catching hats. Please just be sure you ask to take their photo. They will be quite offended if they catch you not asking permission. This is an industrial port, so it is definitely a big city. While in the anchorage you will see the cranes that look like giant giraffes and enormous container ships gliding by at night. There is also countless shopping, too. If you can be there on a Saturday, there is a wonderful Street Fest happening. When we were there the first time the streets were all blocked off and all the stores were open, tons of booths were set up selling everything under the sun, and there was lots of great music and street food. While we were in Pointe-de-Pitre, we splurged and rented a Fiat car for two days over Easter Weekend; ironic, since it was shaped and colored like an Easter egg! We explored the island to its fullest and toured the entire island. On our list was to do some zip lining with a twist. It is not only a zip line, but an obstacle course located across from the zoo and botanical gardens up in the mountains. It was complete with all kinds of moving parts that you must
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strategically make your way through while being suspended approximately 100 feet above ground. The great part was that for 20 Euros and no guide, you could do the course as many times as you wanted! That is definitely our style! As if that was not enough adventure, we decided to step it up a notch. We love extreme hiking and repelling, so here was the perfect place to do it. We have done this several times before in other countries, but this was even more of a great adventure, complete with magnificent canyons, rivers, waterfalls, and repelling. We were donned with a Harley Davidson helmet, wetsuit, repelling gear and the sexiest part, a shiny black vinyl diaper. This was to protect the wetsuits as we came slipping and sliding down the natural waterfalls during the canyoning part. The outfit that we went with took us up to the incredible Guadeloupe National Park. The rainforest was so majestic! We proceeded through the canyons, full of extreme hikes and repelling down the faces of waterfalls as high as 100 feet. Slipping and sliding and jumping. So great! We highly recommend this if you enjoy adventure with a twist. We felt completely safe and secure in our harness equipment and the guides were extremely professional. After a wonderful day with our guides, we returned to their headquarters and celebrated a great day with a few petite cups of planteur and ti punch, both made the French West Indian way, with several shots of their local Rhum Agricole! We hope that you make time to spend on this beautiful island. You will not be disappointed. There is something for everyone. We cannot stress it enough, â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOU OUGHTA GO TA GWADA!â&#x20AC;?
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Talk of the Dock - What’s N World ARC Rally Around the World
The ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) which crosses the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, is just one in the portfolio of events that is managed by the World Cruising Club. In fact, there are eleven different cruises that are organized in various parts of the globe. One of them is the World ARC, which goes from St. Lucia in the Caribbean to its midpoint in Australia and back to St. Lucia via the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Two things have changed recently with the World ARC that takes cruisers around the world in 15 months. First, the rally is now annual rather than
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biannual as it has been in the past. Event manager, Andrew Bishop, says the change was made because it is now possible to get to Australia and “take a year off” in order to either cruise locally, or fly home to work or manage family matters. Then, a year later, you can rejoin the next class of World ARC sailors and finish the second half. This makes the cruise a bit more leisurely and gives people time to explore the South Pacific or attend to their affairs. Also new this year is an additional stop on the itinerary in Santa Marta, Colombia. The nation is trying to improve its image and attract tourism in all
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s New & What’s Goin’ On?
By Zuzana Prochazka
All The Latest News That Fits Between The Sheets
As an “Insider” Zuzana sees a lot of what’s happening inside the boating industry. If you are into the boating lifestyle, chances are you’d like to be privy to some of the things that will affect your lifestyle as soon as they become available. So here is some of the inside info she has found while working the boat shows and industry functions. forms, especially the boating kind. Santa Marta, which is a three-hour drive by road from Cartagena, is a quaint town with a full service marina and a friendly staff that works hard to make cruisers feel welcome. The nearby yard and Travelift are not quite ready for yachties, but they’re working being able to offer haulout and full repair services. Meanwhile, you can get your WiFi, ATM, provisioning and fueling needs met in a 257-slip marina that is only three years old and offers good security and a clean environment. Even if you’re cruising alone and not with the ARC, you’ll be welcomed in Santa Marta.
More Electric Outboard Choices Move over Torqueedo, there’s a new electric outboard on the scene. Elco, an established company known for their inboard electric propulsion, has three outboards available that use standard Yamaha casings so you can get spare parts just about anywhere in the world. The company offers 5, 7 and 9.9 hp brushless motor models. However, just like with Torqueedo, you’ll pay a premium to not have to carry gas aboard. The EP-7 goes
for around $4,100 with the long shaft and remote control options. Whether you choose the electric Elco or Torqueedo, or even opt for the propanepowered Lehr, you’ve now got a lot more choices in outboard technology.
Go Wireless with GoFree GoFree WiFi allows users to link their Simrad NSS chartplotter to mobile apps on an iPad, iPhone, or iTouch making those devices into remote stations or repeaters anywhere on the boat. That’s not new since just about every manufacturer of multifunction displays (MFDs) offers this kind of functionality. But GoFree’s ambition is to offer much more in the future by way of apps that may include two-way communication between your boat and your vendors such as your mechanic who needs to know that it’s time to service the engine or even get diagnostic information to fix a problem. These apps will be designed to connect you and your boat for maintenance, security, troubleshooting, navigation and more. Navico, the parent company of Simrad, B&G and Lowrance brands, is forming an entire division to focus on developing apps that share information and although this planned connectivity is a bit murky now, you can bet that where the money is allocated, great things are likely to follow. The amount of information shared on and off the boat via your MFD is expected to skyrocket and the apps on your chartplotter will function just like many of the apps that you’re already familiar with on your smartphone. Stay tuned, our conversations within boating are about to get really interesting.
Want to keep up with the latest boating news? It’s Easy! Just stay tuned to: w w w. c r u i s i n g o u t p o s t . c o m WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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What’s Out There?
For those looking for a pocket cruiser with a little more room, take a look at the Seaward 32RK. She’s a performance-cruiser combination. She has excellent performance and is an easy sailboat to trailer for her size. Below you’ll find generous space and a thoughtful design offering unique teak wood finishings along with stainless finishes and accents. The interior also features some of the things you’d only expect in a larger cruising vessel. Things like fully moulded headliner, hardwood and holly sole, and a private head with separate shower. The main cabin is comfortable and bright with eight opening ports and two deck hatches allowing sufficient natural light to shine in. This boat is small enough to be cozy, while large enough to bring along the family and friends for extended day sails. The Seaward 32 has the capacity to sleep four comfortably and offers everything you could
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SMALL MONOHULL
need for a long journey or a day on the water. From cooking and eating to showering, this boat has what most cruisers are looking for in a pocket cruiser while remaining trailerable. The 32 is very easy to both trailer and launch. Her keel not only enhances performance, but affords flexibility and ease. With a draft range between 20” and 6’6” she is comfortable in the shallows and at sea. She rides close to the wind in deep waters and provides flexibility and safety in shallow conditions.
SEAWARD 32RK
There are lots of “little things” that make this a good cruising boat. Things like the swim ladder with hot and shower right at the transom, a heavy strike rail, and easy anchoring with stainless deck pipe. Like to get more info on the Seaward 32RK? You can find them at www.seawardyachts.com.
Get all the facts: www.seawardyachts.com
SEAWARD 32RK
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34’7” 10’6” 20”-6’6” Yanmar 29HP 20 USG 65 USG 30 USG 2,400 lbs. 10,000 lbs.
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What’s Out There?
Beneteau’s new Oceanis 60 boasts the largest cockpit of its generation. The open cockpit area provides great comfort for the captain and crew and the dual steering stations make for ease of handling. It even features a “garage” for the dinghy and other objects usually stored on the deck, keeping them out of the way until needed. The Oceanis 60’s hull line is designed to reduce the heel angle and optimize sailing performance and comfort. The stem-head extends the bow to cut through waves for the best possible ride.
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LARGE MONOHULL
BENETEAU OCEANIS 60
Below decks you’ll find a large and well designed main salon with nav station and a well laid out galley. Accommodations include three roomy staterooms for owner and guests, all with their own head. This latest and largest of the Oceanis line is built for cruising in comfort and style, and will have its premier unveiling in the US at the Miami Boat Show.
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Get all the facts: www.beneteauusa.com
BENTEAU OCEANIS 60
LOA Hull Length Beam Draft (Deep-Shallow) Power (Diesel) Fuel Fresh Water Range Displacement
59’10” 58’3” 16’9” 8’10” - 7’3” 140 HP 127 USG 190 USG 285 MI 47,748 lbs
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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Out There?
For decades Seawind has been one of the most popular catamarans in Australia and the South Pacific. Now they are starting to take a large part of the US market as well. Years of development have kept improving their boats, and Seawind Catamarans have come up with a cruising catamaran that is roomy, easy to sail, and will fit in most cruisersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; budgets. The new 1160 Lite seems to be just what the doctor ordered for entry into the cruising market in this economy. This cat has been developed to meet the evolving needs of modern sailors. Keeping things
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C RUISING CATAMARAN
SEAWIND 1160 Lite
simple, the Lite offers a low maintenance, high performing 38-foot catamaran at an entry level price. She’s perfect for weekend sails and a great base to begin your offshore cruising dream! Starting with a proven hull design, they have opted to use dual power-tilt outboards for power. Not only does this keep the costs down, but makes ease of maintenance a natural. For ease of operation all halyards and reefing lines are led back to the cockpit through turning blocks with rope clutches. She features a fully battened mainsail with triple stitched reinforced construction, leach adjustable batten end caps and fiberglass sail battens as well as a mainsail cover with integrated lazy jack system. The self-tacking headsail with curved headsail traveller track utilizes a new single line control sheet to the cockpit. So if your looking for a good entry level cruiser, you should look into the Seawind 1160 Lite. For more info you can go to their website at www.seawindcats.com.
Get all the facts: www.seawindcats.com
SEAWIND 1160 Lite
LOA Beam Draft Power-tilt Outboards Fuel Fresh Water Holding Tanks Under Wing Clearance WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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38’ 21’4” 3’1” 2 X 20hp Honda 52 USG 185 USG 34 USG 2’4”
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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Out There?
The Virtess 42 Flybridge is brand new to the US market from Bavaria Motor Yachts. In Europe they are known for quality built boats at an affordable price. The boat is German built, but it is an Italian design - the best of both worlds. For cruisers who are planning coastal cruising, this is a good vessel to check out. It has lots of open space, a shallow draft, and good storage as well as living areas. This 42â&#x20AC;&#x2122; motor vessel has more sleeping capability than most boats in this range. The three cabin / two head layout makes it a great choice
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POWER CRUISER
BAVARIA VIRTESS 42
for larger families and for those who like to bring along friends. The boat was introduced at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show and is available for sea trials. For more info you can e-mail them at: motoryacht@ bavariayachts.com.
Get all the facts: www.bavariayachts.com
BAVARIA VIRTESS 42
LOA 44’7” Beam 13’10” Draft 3’8” Power (Diesel) Twin Volvo 425HP w/IPS Fuel 318 USG Fresh Water 108 USG Range 285 MI Dry Weight 25,080 lbs Base Price Delivered in US $670,000. WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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Jolie Brise By John Simpson
100 Years Old but New to Me! When I first saw Jolie Brise (JB) in Scotland it was quite a few summers ago. I’d been asked to skipper her for a couple of legs of a round Britain cruise. She’s a 1913 French pilot cutter run by Dauntsey’s school that has spent most of her life in British hands. Like many of these old boats, she’s had a very checkered past. (See Jolie Brise, A Tall Ship’s Tale by Robin Bryer). Her gaff rig is similar to most Bristol Channel pilot cutters, but bigger in size, ’cause she is bigger. The current rig dates back to 1924 from her first British owner, E.G. Martin, who raced her in the first ’Fastnet’ race in 1925 which JB won, along with two
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more in ‘29 and ‘30 in the hands of Bobby Somerset! As I’d never been aboard her before, I hoped for a practical ‘handover’ from the previous skipper, Mike May. This is important on any boat, but crucial on an old, largish sailing vessel. JB is 79 feet long including her bowsprit, weighs in at 55 tons, the main boom is 39 feet long and the mainsail weighs well over a ton! With no winches aboard, everything is block and tackle so it would be very easy to seriously hurt one of the young people who were crewing the boat. Any anxiety about knowing the boat properly was reduced by an excellent briefing from
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Mike, plus I had a good young mate who had already sailed on her last year and knew some of her foibles. The rig seemed to be pretty standard for an old gaff rigged cutter: rope stretchers on the peak, throat and jib halyards to get good tension, and a fixed topmast, possibly both a testament to her checkered racing career in the past. One thing I had been told by all the people who had sailed her before was just how fast she sailed for an old working boat! After the old crew had left and my new crew had each been allocated a berth and given a safety brief, most of the first morning was spent putting up the sails whilst still alongside so we all knew how they worked. Then we took a very short motor round the basin so I could get the feel of the old girl under power. The engine had been fitted long after she had been built which meant the propeller was fitted on an A bracket on the port side just like my father’s first two boats. So, I needed to understand how JB handled and practice some boat handling. It was interesting and useful to find out that initially her prop kicked to port, but then pulled her to starboard (like one propeller on a twin engine vessel) once she had stern way on. Having her main fisherman anchor uncatted and hooked under the bobstay ready for an immediate drop looked like a good idea for any close quarter maneuvering I might have to do till I got the feel of her. With 55 tons on the hoof, knowing things like this about the boat needed to be sooner rather than later! Lunch enabled the 12 of us to get together round the table in the saloon as a crew. There were eight young people from Dauntsey’s school: Antonia, an older ex-pupil who’d act as purser organizing the inside of the boat (and look after the three young girls), George, a parent of one of the boys on the trip, the mate Steve and
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myself. We had an exciting 10 day’s cruise to look forward to before the next crew would join the boat in Oban. I mentioned to everyone over lunch (after a very quick look at the chart), that Ardrossan, only seven miles away, looked the best place, with good harbour, for an afternoon shakedown sail. The area was new to all of us, and I needed to start with a very short trip to get acquainted with both my crew and the boat under sail. The forecast of light S/SE F3-4 wind and good weather seemed ideal for playing around with JB a bit to find out her quirks. After clearing Troon Harbour and putting the boat into clear water, we came head to wind to hoist the main. Steve and I talked things through whilst lunch was being cleared, deciding that to run the boat we really needed one of us at the back of the boat to con her, and the other up front to organize hoisting the sails. Getting a large mainsail like JB’s up takes a considerable time, team work and sweat even though we had done it before lunch and everyone knew roughly what to do. But things went very well and after 15 or 20 minutes we had the main and the staysail up.
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The first interesting thing about the old boat then emerged. She jogged gently along, almost head to wind, with almost no way on, refusing to bear away even with full rudder on and the mainsail let right out, needing a jib on the end of the bowsprit to balance her before she would play. I was slightly surprised by this before remembering that, on boats of her vintage, quite often the size of the bowsprit was left open until the length that gave slight weather helm and balanced the boat was determined. Martin had certainly put a big mainsail on her! On hoisting the jib she bore away like a lady and we started heading north towards Ardrossan. Once everyone had settled down and recovered from the sweat of hoisting the sails, we then proceeded to first tack, then gybe the boat so everyone understood the drills. Tacking or gybing any large old boat, without any winches and running backstays, involves teamwork. Each member of the crew has to be briefed and know their own
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individual job or jobs. After an hour or so practice, both maneuvers started to make sense to all of us. Personally, I felt much better now that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d seen enough to have a better understanding of how JB worked under sail! With the wind looking like it was going to die soon, I asked everyone if they wanted to practice one or two manover-board drills under sail. Thinking this would sharpen us even more and give an even greater idea of her handling under sail, I was careful to explain that if an M-o-B happened for real to anyone on board, we would also be using the engine and tender, certainly not doing it just under sail. The practice was good, even though the closest we stopped to our dummy M-o-B, was about 10 feet! The breeze finally gave up and we moored up in the outer harbour in Ardrossan about 1930. The place looked very run down (this was well before the marina was built!). The forecast the next day wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perfect for rounding the Mull of Kintyre, but this passage would unlock the Western Isles, so we decided to try it. The timing for a fair tide in the North
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Channel meant an early start. On the reach across to the Mull, I began to realize what many people had said about Jolie Brise’s speed. With just the full main, big jib and staysail she was easily logging nine to 10 knots. One reef was tucked in just before passing between Sanda Island and the Mull. Then we had a stiff beat up the North Channel with the tide pushing us along. The kids enjoyed this part the most, funnily enough, going out on to the end of the 19-foot bowsprit and then going completely under the water as JB drove into the waves. After quite a long passage we anchored about 2200 hrs. at Port Ellen on Islay. A shorter sail to Gigha followed and at last we managed to get the topsail up! The rest of the days on that cruise on JB tend to blur into one happy memory as they often do after some time! Stopping in Colonsay, a night sail round west of Mull, was followed by a very wet day’s stay in Tobermory, where amazingly I spotted an old friend, Mark Fishwick, on Temptress. He was having no luck in the very crowded, wet harbour looking for a free mooring buoy, so I suggested he come alongside. This allowed us a good yarn to catch up on each other’s news. We ended up speculating, whether these two boats had already been alongside in the past, possibly before we were born! Our final day was spent heading down the Sound of Mull, anchoring for lunch, then stopping for a final night on the boat at Craignure. Finally, we headed across to Oban on a last, fast and windy reach for our crew change on the North Pier where we ended up alongside Spirit of Fairbridge. I’ve had many wonderful and longer cruises on Jolie Brise with young people from the school since then. Some were as far south as Spain and Portugal, but that first trip will always remain a particularly vivid memory of meeting her for the first time.
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Modern Catamaran Trends: Gimmicks or Valid Design Ideas?
In its 137-year history, the catamaran has always garnered passionate devotees. But technological innovations in agility and speed and the foiling catamarans’ spotlight in the 2013 America’s Cup have expanded its appeal and popularity to a wider audience of sailing enthusiasts. The development of the modern catamaran from the simple ocean-going Polynesian double canoe to the most impressive multihulls on the planet has accelerated even more, with all the latest innovations in structure and composite materials. Tom Weaver, the former CEO of an America’s Cup program, comments in an article by Rob Almeida of gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News: “In the next 15 years, if you are not racing a cat, you will be racing “classic” boats.” The celebrity of the catamaran is not only swelling in racing, but also for cruising catamarans. At their conception, the atypical design enabled cats to sail faster and in shallower waters with less wind and crew than other sailing vessels. But for years the unorthodox design met with skepticism, leaving the catamaran with little commercial success. Additional challenges to adoption of early versions of cruising cats were the small, very cramped interiors by modern day standards, was heavy and lumbering handling abilities. Many sailors used to say they “were built like tanks and sailed like bricks”. However, sailors soon realized that nothing could beat the comfort, speed, and safety of a well-designed modern catamaran as a cruising yacht. These vessels can achieve the highest speed for the smoothest ride and boast the most interior space and greatest safety of most ocean-going vessels.
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Sailors of all types are quickly overcoming earlier prejudices against the multihull design as contemporary design trends continue to produce catamarans that are faster, more exciting, more visually interesting, and safer than ever before. The New Trends
Fun and interesting new trends in catamarans make sailing even more exciting than ever before. However, innovations are only useful if they contribute to good design, construction, and safety principles and it should fit your sailing purposes. Let’s take a look at some trends in modern cats: 1. Larger Catamarans for Fewer Crew
When catamarans became popular as a viable alternative to monohulls as cruising yachts, they tended to be in the 36- to 42-foot range. That was considered to be a good size range for a sailing couple to handle with ease and safety. Earlier catamarans were generally over-built and therefore much heavier than necessary. The sturdy construction was deemed to be necessary to compensate for the forces encountered with the two hulls working against each other. With the additional weight, these cats’ performance and windward ability were negatively impacted by the increased drag and displacement. Weight is the enemy of a good-performing catamaran. The new generation of catamaran, using modern composite construction and engineering, can be built lighter, larger, and more spacious with very good powerto-weight characteristics. Currently, the trend leans increasingly towards larger catamarans. The average catamaran for a cruising couple now tends to be more in the 45-foot to 50-foot range. With composite engineering WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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and installation of technologically advanced equipment, e.g., electric winches, furling systems, and reliable autopilot, it is now possible for shorthanded crews to confidently sail larger boats with larger rigs. Technology has enabled modern catamarans bigger volume with more stiff and torsion resistant construction, without compromising stability and safety.
3. Wave-Piercing or Reverse Bows
2. Inside Out: Convertible Main Living Areas
The Maine Cat was first looked upon as a bit of an oddity and rather impractical with its “open great room/cockpit” concept using only EisenGlass enclosures for protection. But in recent years, this pioneering design has been reinvented and perfected as manufacturers like Nautitech, Gunboat, and Catana embraced the concept. Traditional style salons, cockpits, and cave-like cabins are no longer acceptable options for modern sailors. Instead of separate saloon and cockpit spaces with duplicate tables and lounge areas, these spaces have merged to become one big spacious indoor/outdoor living space. The design improvements of convertible living areas not only increase usable space and open up the living areas, but also reduce interior maintenance and cleaning issues of traditional varnished wood surfaces. An open and convertible main living area with simple, hardwearing composite materials reduces costs and time required to clean and maintain the boat. Big windows and opening vents allow light in and increase visibility. Gone are the submarine-like claustrophobic cabins typical of most traditional yachts. Owners’ cabins are luxurious, airy and spacious, serving as a very comfortable living space, rather than just a place to sleep. WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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Wave-piercing or reverse bows are considered cutting-edge naval architecture and one of the latest popular catamaran design trends. These bows are trumpeted as state-of-the-art in cruising cat design, but some have their doubts. Bows are reversed and are designed to “cut” through waves, increasing performance and motion comfort by reducing pitching or hobby horsing. According to Gregor Tarjan, designer of the Alpha 42, “the faster and longer the catamaran, the more sense reverse bows make… however, the downside is that it makes for a wetter
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Modern Catamaran Trends:
ride.â&#x20AC;? This radical bow design certainly has visual appeal. Variations of reverse bows are in many new performance cruising designs by reputable performance cat builders like Catana, Alpha and Gunboat, but the design is not quite as popular for regular cruising catamarans. 4. Bulkhead Helm Stations or Twin Stern Steering?
Traditionally, the most popular helm position was bulkhead steering. While that is still the most sensible and popular trend, French twin stern steering positions offer greater visibility of the sails and give one a better feeling for sailing conditions. The benefits of the twin stern position are most appealing for day sailing or racing and not very popular for extended cruising because of the lack of protection. Owners of Catana and Nautitech who have done extended cruising, swear by the twin stern helm position, but based on consumer feedback, manufacturers like Outremer have reverted back to bulkhead steering. Gunboat went a step further by designing a forward cockpit with doors opening at the base of the mast from which to control the sails, a safe work area. This cockpit is by no means protected, but because the Gunboat is a performance boat, the cockpit does not take on as much water over the bow as a regular cruising catamaran like a Leopard Catamaran. The Gunboat has
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substantial buoyancy forward with the bows proportionally much longer than conventional cruising cats and is therefore less prone to dive into the waves rather than over the waves. However, Gunboat moved the cockpit back under cover in its latest designs, just as Leopard introduced a forward cockpit with opening doors into the leisure-focused salon in their Leopard 44 and 48 models. The team at Catamaran Guru questions the suitability of this design feature for bluewater catamarans that will encounter large seas, but nonetheless, it is a popular trend especially for the yacht charter market. Ultimately, for a cruising catamaran, our preference is a safe, protected helm station with good visibility and all the control lines leading back to the helm to create a static control station. Push-button controlled winches and windlass as well as the instruments and autopilot should be prominently located and protected within the cockpit.
5. The Flybridge Trend
The flybridge was enthusiastically received when Lagoon first featured it in the Lagoon 440. Lagoon and Leopard continue to elevate this great concept to â&#x20AC;&#x153;new heights.â&#x20AC;? The design offers great visibility, more entertainment space and comfort and access for everyone on board to enjoy the sailing area. As with any design, this concept has its pitfalls, especially WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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Gimmicks or Valid Design Ideas? on boats smaller than 50 feet. Protection from the elements is a real issue on a bluewater cruising boat as most of these designs offer very little protection, if at all. Some flybridge owners have added enclosures for protection, but the flybridge and therefore the helm, are cut off from the rest of the boat making it difficult to communicate with crew.
Getting from the cockpit up to the flybridge and back down in bad weather can prove unsafe. To accommodate the flybridge, the goose neck and boom must be very high making stowing the main problematic. The higher gooseneck position also means that the center of effort is higher which impacts the vessel’s righting moment and is not as good as a catamaran with a lower boom position and bulkhead steering. Just where the flybridge design will go is anybody’s guess but right now it has huge appeal for a lot of people. 6. Hydrofoils and Daggerboards
This is possibly one of the most exciting trends in catamaran design in a long while. The America’s Cup spotlight on foiled catamarans brought hydrofoils to the forefront, but this innovation has been around for a long time. “Flying on foils” is not practical on regular cruising catamarans, so yacht designers of larger boats have modified daggerboards to produce lift as well as prevent leeway, thus greatly improving performance. The Catana WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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59 was fitted with these curved daggerboards that look like foils. This design lifts the boat slightly when it reaches higher speeds, thus making it feel lighter and faster. Because of design innovations like curved daggerboards and the hydrofoils, performance on cruising catamarans has improved tremendously but catamaran speed is relative. The most important benefit of speed of a multihull is the ability to outrun bad weather. Being able to average 2-3 knots faster on a catamaran than on a monohull, can help avoid bad weather. Many cruisers often tell us at Catamaran Guru, “I don’t care about performance,” but its not long before they understand that the heavy cruising cat is not quite as comfortable at sea – AND very slow. It makes no sense to buy a catamaran that will not sail at least 200nm per day when making passage. Is Speed and Interior Comfort Trumping Good Design?
Even in the age of computer modeling, yacht design remains a series of compromises and the use of a boat will dictate its visual design and performance characteristics to a large degree. A well-designed catamaran is ergonomic and pleasing to the eye, should be sensible and safe, with performance that can get to a safe harbor when necessary. It all comes down to safety and comfort, especially in rough conditions. As we said before, a new trend makes sense for your boat when it fits your sailing purposes but most importantly, it is the ability for sailors to stay dry, warm, and as comfortable as possible when at sea. Handling the vessel and its sails in the safest, easiest environment possible is paramount and safety at sea should never be compromised.
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Lif est y l e A Look at Why We Do What we Do
Ever wondered why people love the boating lifestyle? Well, here in the Lifestyle section folks from all over the world give an insight into what it’s really like out there. If you have a photo you think tells a good tale, why not send it to us? We prefer you send a digital pic, in as high resolution as you can. Tell us who took the pic and where it was taken. We will probaby throw it into our “digital pile” and pull it out someday. We won’t send you any money, but you will be famous worldwide! Email to: Lifestyle@ Cruisingoutpost.com.
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Photo by Charles Scott of Antares on the Hudson
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By Kai of Holokai Airlines at Palmyra Island on the way to Tahiti
By Marlene Murphy, of Don sailing in the BVI, his favorite place and in his favorite shirt
By Cindy Fletcher Holden, Underway
By K. Woessner, Isla Morada, FL
Of Dave relaxing in the Exumas, by Renee Harrington
By JR Gyger, George Town, Bahamas By Dave, Deep Bay, BC
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By Kristy, Townsville, Australia
by Jeff Wahl aboard Dream Catcher during the Special Olympics fund faiser “Bash to the Colonies”
By Mark Wareham, taken on the northeast coast of Newfoundland
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By David Deas
By Laura Hamilton, S/V Ashika, Zihuatanejo, MX
By Martin Henry, sailing off Galveston Island on S/V Mystique
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By Nate Kraft of son Sullivan sailing on San Diego Bay
By Linda Lindsey of a squall coming in
By Bill Gregan, aboard Wanderer, Abacos
By Brian Davidson of sunset over St. Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marina, Panama City, FLorida
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C & C 35 Stinger on the left and big sister C & C 38 Sundowner outside the seawall in Old Harbor, Block Island
By Wendy Morrison of a Puerto Rican long weekend
By Jody aboard the Irving Johnson, Catalina
By Rob Ferguson autopilot is great!
By Sam Steele, Resurrection Bay, Thumb Cove, S/V Radiance and S/V Creola
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By Cliff Moore, Sag Harbor. He liked the machine gun on the foredeck. It seems like an effective way to enforce vexing right of way conflicts. The guy on deck in the T-shirt said they were on their way to be in a movie.
Sent by Dave Calhoun - proof that innovation has been around awhile! By Mark Thierman of Melissa of Reno, Nevada, on Ocean Jedi leaving St. Croix, USVI
By Arja P. Adair, Jr. of S/V Tokobe, 1967 Hinckley Bermuda 40 aft cabin yawl
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Cruising Outpost 95 1/31/15 9:16 AM
St. Joseph Island, North Channel, Lake Huron
By Captain Tony, Texas sailing
You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
By Bill Malone, relaxing on the Rover at Boca Grande, Key West
By Bradford Moore, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vinyard Island, MA By Cheryl Bular, Sailor Ben & friends
By Patrice, of daughter Alexa on Lake Champlain, VT
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By Terry Hogan, between the spans of the Bay Bridge, Annapolis. They bought their Catalina on the eastern shore in Graysonville and have sailed it to Turkey so far.
By Ed Carlson of Jessie on her first sail1
By Tom Curran, Satellite Beach, FL - S/V Island Time hanging from the Tortoise Island Bridge
Dolphins a day and a half out of Bermuda heading to Buzzards Bay, by Sharon Brownell
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Crew of Seduced, Anna Marie Island
On the East River heading to Oday rOnDAYvous across from NYC
By Stewart Longman, Garden Bay at Pender Harbour, BC
By Don Hodder, Brigus, Newfoundland
By David Scott, a long way from the mountains of British Columbia
By Susan
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By Jose Suarez of Isabella onboard M/V Pilar at Cherry Cove, Catalina Island
by Adam Erickson of his dad Ralph, Uncle Al and brother Ralph sailing from Newport to Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vineyard
The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
Bill & JoAnne Harris, yacht Ultra
By John Simpson, early morn before feeder race to Scottish Series
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Pa y i n g I t F o r w a r d
M
atthew W. Turner was best known for building fast ships that could sail to Tahiti and back, which in the 1880s was a very popular trade route. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d learned the shipbuilding trade with his father in Lake Erie, Ohio, but soon turned his eye to California where fortunes were being made. He built his first ship in Eureka, California, and then his second at Hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Point in San Francisco. But he settled on Benecia, building his yard there in 1883 at the foot of what is now West Twelfth Street, the 30-acre Matthew Turner Shipyard Park.
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It Star ts Here
Over the years Turner built over 150 wood-hulled Turner Model ships in that yard. Some of the vessels he built became legendary. Benicia, a barquentine, sailed from Newcastle in New South Wales to Maui in just 35 days. His Amaranth, another barquentine, broke the record between Astoria, OR, and Shanghai, China, by covering those miles in 23 days. His brigantine Galilee made the run from Tahiti to San Francisco in 22 days, and holds the record for that route for woodhulled sailing vessels. On Equator, which is now in Everett, WA, author Robert Louis Stevenson was
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The Matthew W. Turner inspired to write his book, “The Wrecker.” Jack London described Turner’s shipyard in his book, “John Barleycorn.” Besides swift commercial vessels, Matthew W. Turner also built racing ships that were fierce competitors.
Barquentine Benecia
Boats built by Matthew Turner
Anna - A schooner with a ten-day run from Honolulu to San Francisco in 1886, and eight round trips, San Francisco to Kahului in 357 days. Amaranth - Four-masted barquentine that broke the record for the Astoria, Oregon to Shanghai run (23 days) [ Ariel - Four-masted schooner built by Matthew Turner in 1900. Wrecked at Inuboyesaki, Japan, in 1917. Benicia - A barquentine with a fast passage from Newcastle, New South Wales to Kihei, Hawaii, of 35 days. Equator - Schooner that was chartered by Robert Louis Stevenson and helped inspire his book “The Wrecker.” Emma Claudina - 126 ft., 266 ton brigantine, the first ship of the Matson Line, named for the daughter of John D. Spreckels. Galilee - Brigantine that holds the record for the Tahiti-San Francisco run in a wooden-hulled sailing vessel (22 days), converted to magnetic observatory when under charter to the Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Terrestrial Magnetism for three years. Geneva - a brigantine with a passage of two days between Launceston, Tasmania and Newcastle, New South Wales. John D. Spreckles - a 266 ton brigantine with “at least three ten-
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Brigantine Galilee
Brigantine Tahiti
Schooner Herman
day voyages on the San FranciscoHawaiian Island run.” Nautilus - 104 ft., 173 ton brig, fast passage from Tahiti to San Francisco of 20 days. Papeete - A schooner with a 17-day passage from San Francisco to Tahiti.
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Pa y i n g I t F o r w a r d
Paying It Forward The Educational Tall Ship Organization is a nonprofit foundation constructing a traditional wooden tall ship which has been named Matthew Turner. It will serve as an experiential learning platform for San Francisco Bay Area youth. The vessel, when complete, will be operated by their partner, Call of the Sea, who has been successfully operating on-the-water programs since 1984. The Matthew Turner, under the watch of Call of the Sea, will expand their reach up to 17,000 kids a year. Here you can see how it started as just a few old timber logs and has progressed into the ribs of a true sailing ship. When she is completed she will be a true representation of the ships Matthew W. Turner created near this spot over 130 years ago.
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T h e M a t t h e w Tu r n e r
And How It Is All Connected to Pay It Forward Just about 100 years after Matthew W. Turner started building those beautiful boats, Alan Olson built a beautiful square-rigged topsail schooner by the name of Stone Witch. As chance would have it, it was just a few miles from the location of the old Turner yard. At about the same time, a rather large tattooed outlaw biker by the name of Bob Bitchin wanted to see what sailing was all about. They met, quite by accident, and ended up sailing to Guatemala for three months. The boat had no motor, sported 22foot “sweeps” for motivation, and the trip changed a life forever. Over the next 35 years Bob and Alan went their various ways, but both on boats. Alan created the Call of the Sea Foundation teaching kids pretty much what he taught Bob. Bob went on to create a couple magazines showing people the lifestyle that had changed his life, and in doing so changed (or as he likes to say, “ruined”) a bunch of people’s lives.
Get Involved
Alan Olson Executive Director Educational Tall Ship Foundation
Bob Bitchin & Alan Olson
1979 Aboard S/V • •• • • •• ••• •
There is still a long way to go to get Matthew Turner out where she belongs. Like to help? Get involved? Here’s where you will find more info:
educationaltallship.org THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RAFFLES HELD AT ALL OF THE CRUISING OUTPOST CRUISER’S PARTIES NOW GO TO HELP FUND THE BUILDING OF THE MATHEW W. TURNER.
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S/V • •• • • •• ••• • Sunk off the coast of Tenecatita, Mexico 1984
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Back Issues Books Logo-Wear
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o e on in the water’s ne t our rading o any you will nd all of the kewl ruising ut ost gear you see at our boat show booth and in our agazine nd it couldn’t be easier ust click and it will soon a ear at your door!
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Trading company Now! Personalize Your Boat The Easy Way ow you can ersonalize boating ackets shirts towels and uch uch ore while sitting right there on your boat or in your ho e! o ini u s! rder or ! ust go to cruisingout ost co and choose the acket or boating shirt with your boat’s na e and logo ur rise your crew with a acket with their na e e broidered on it hoose your ty e style and your color You can even choose great e broidered logos to fully custo ize your boat
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Reflections from Reflections from
on’t laugh. It can happen to anyone. And it doesn’t D require approaching retirement age or becoming physically weaker. Case in point: The day I brought our just surveyed and purchased Cheoy Lee 46 trawler to our home marina of Port Ludlow to begin moving aboard, I asked good friend Mike McGouran if he wanted to go for a boat ride. Mike, aged 41 at the time, and his wife Sharon owned two sailboats and were avid cruisers. Always up for time on the
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water, he gladly joined me for the short two-hour run. It was the last day of June, overcast, fairly cool and flat calm. We left Port Townsend and proceeded south at a leisurely seven knots. Comfortably ensconced in the pilothouse, we chatted about boats and such for the first half hour. We then fell quiet for about five minutes. Mike’s softly understated observation broke the silence. “This is kinda nice”… WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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Plenty of room for work AND play.
Traveler on the Fidalgo Yacht Club reciprocal dock in Anacortes, WA.
Less than two months later the McGourans sold both sailboats, a fishing boat, a travel trailer, and a car and bought a DeFever 54; a big, beautiful wood trawler built in 1972 which they absolutely love. Don’t knock it ‘till you try it. That has always been my attitude, anyway. It’s something my parents taught me and we’re trying to impart to our four-year-old daughter. From food to boats, we utter the same exact words my WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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mom and dad often said to me: “How do you know you don’t like it until you try it?” Of course, it doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult. With an open mind things can, unsurprisingly, end up being liked or at least better appreciated once you give them an honest try. My wife Lisa and I have owned four sailboats. I’ve written and produced video reviews of sailboats for nearly 15 years. We’ve chartered sailboats and cruised such places as the South Pacific, the Great Lakes and the Caribbean. We love sailing. But in all that time we’ve never looked at a power cruiser and held up our noses in contempt. That’s because we love boats. Many different kinds of boats. In fact, we have always referred to ourselves as boaters, not just sailors. Oh sure, we’ve cracked a few stink potter jokes in our day and have uttered AFB at rude motor yacht owners. Still do. But we aren’t the type to lump a group of people into a hat and generically classify them. Especially by what they eat, drive, or the music they like. To me that is as absurd as insulting someone for supporting a favorite football team, or identifying with a corporate brand in order to bolster your own self-esteem. Or, unequivocally declaring things like, “Me own a powerboat? Over my dead body!” So it was with a clear mind we sold Venus, our beloved 33-foot double-ended pilothouse cutter of nearly six years and bought a 46-foot trawler. That’s right, we deliberately went to the dark side before retiring or getting “too old” to sail. The reasons for doing this were many. We wanted to live and work aboard, so we needed an office/studio and room for our then two-year-old Arriana to play. Yes, we could have bought a sailboat.
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Reflections from
The aft deck has enough room for a small table.
But for the equivalent interior space and volume we would have needed a vessel in excess of 50 feet, an LOA we wanted to stay under for moorage purposes. A trawler also better fit the business plan for our newly formed company, Pacific NW Boater. It also made sense in terms of where we live and cruise, which is primarily the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound. When we looked back at the five plus years of owning Venus in this area, we literally motored or motorsailed more than 80% of the time. So in that regard, switching from an auxiliary sailboat to a power cruiser wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to be a whole lot different. But it is different. And very much the same. However, beyond all the similarities and differences, the trawler lifestyle is, well, put succinctly, awesome! We love it. Resultantly, we are quite happy to share our knowledge and experience with others. Not necessarily with the purpose of persuading boaters (especially dyed-in-thewool sailors) to switch or take up this lifestyle, but many times simply to proffer the notion that power cruising isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t inherently evil.
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“We cruise on a sailor’s mentality.” I don’t know how often we state that, but suffice to say it’s become one of our more frequently uttered boating adages. That’s because so many sailors have the preconceived idea that power boaters are ill-mannered gas hogs unaware of even the most basic COLREGS. Obviously that’s not true, but we do acknowledge that even gross generalities are often based on otherwise mass observations. So at this point I’d like to establish when talking about power cruisers I’m essentially referring to long-range cruising vessels that have either full or semi-displacement hulls. Like many power cruisers of this ilk, we’re perfectly happy motoring along at the previously aforementioned seven knots. Because for our particular category of power cruisers, just like cruising sailors, the journey is as important as the destination. And, as with most sailors, we’re also quite cognizant of the world around us at all times. We take it upon ourselves to be environmental stewards wherever we go. And to further buck the power boater myth, we are aware and very considerate of neighboring
Lisa at the helm as we cross a choppy Admiralty Inlet.
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Reflections from boats. Especially in a quiet anchorage. If we need to run the generator we typically only do so between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm. I’ll also go so far as to close the port lights in the engine room to cut down on noise if there are boats close by (otherwise they’re left open for ventilation). Then all anyone can hear is the soft gurgling of the generator’s exhaust. We’re certainly not the only full displacement trawler owners that are considerate boaters. Most power cruisers we know operate the same way. Predictably, the biggest difference between our sailing days and now is fuel consumption. Another attribute of our sailor’s mentality is that we wanted a boat that did not guzzle diesel. There happens to be quite a range in that regard, even in long range cruisers. With twin Lehman 120s, we happily make seven knots at 1,400 rpm while burning a combined total of 1.8 gallons per hour. That’s triple what our sailboat’s 42-horse Vetus burned. But then again, we’re literally moving our 50,000-pound house around, so it’s not too bad. At that speed we also are proud of the fact we hardly throw a wake. Of course, if you spend any time on the water, there seems to be a preponderance of ignorant and otherwise rude power boaters out there. Just like you, we run into them all the time. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had some jerk in a large pseudo-planing motor yacht overtake us within a few boat lengths while throwing up a six-foot wake. We hate that as much as any sailor would. So please don’t lump all us power cruisers into one simple classification. After all, you may very well find yourselves in our shoes someday. Going to the “dark side” is not something to deride, fear or otherwise be ashamed of. With an open mind it’s something to look forward to and enjoy. Again, I’m not trying to convince you to sell your sailboat and
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Lisa prepares dinner underway. buy a trawler. I will, however, advise you to be careful of what you say. “Me own a powerboat? Over my dead body!” That’s not a made-up quote. It’s an actual statement made by my same friend Mike less than 90 days before he and Sharon sold their beloved Islander 36 Freeport and bought a 54foot trawler. “This is kinda nice…” See? Don’t laugh. It can happen to anyone.
Look Ma, (almost) no wake! Cruising the San Juan Islands at seven knots.
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There Is No Place Anywhere Near This Place That Looks Anything Like This Place,
So This Must Be The Place! Exploring Tangier Island & Jerome Creek I usually spend Friday the 13th in bed, where mischievous elves cannot find me on this auspicious day. So I was a little hesitant to pull myself from beneath my bed sheets and sail free from the sanctity of Deltaville on the Chesapeake Bay, where we had anchored the day before. The wind had changed to southeast 5-10. All seemed possible for a pleasant sailing day across the bay to Tangier, which I had never seen and only heard about. To humor me Stuart let me sleep late, to 7:30 am, and by the time the aroma of coffee had filled the cabin Tangier and I stood bleary Chesapeake eyed in the cockpit, U.S.A. Bay we were well on our way past the markers Atlantic Ocean of Deltaville. We hoped to lunch on Tangier Island, then make a dash across the bay to find an anchorage on the western shore for the night if this southeast wind held. The wind filled the main and jib and our speed picked up to seven and eight knots; we would be in Tangier
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By Peta Delsonno
earlier than lunch time. Nearing the markers that led to the entrance to Tangier Island, a tourist ferry from Reedville crossed out path ahead of us. We followed the ferry through the narrow gap between the rocks to discover an island full of character and characters, where crabbing and oystering and fishing are the main form of industry. It was, indeed, a step back in time language-wise and a place where time stood still, its quiet charm euthanizing. It was a very busy morning for the watermen on the island and it seemed every one of them Tangier Island were out in the narrow channel that is the main artery to the island. So much so that we had to swerve to avoid collision more than once. Each waterman seemed to have his own working business with shed, crab boat and dock which were lined with crab traps and nets clean for the next haul. Fishermen waved and acknowledged each other with respect, one and all working toward a common goal of supporting the community.
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- This Must Be The Place - This Must Be
Tangier Island crab boats
Many living on the island today are either from the family of Crockett or Pruitt. Evidence of this was engraved on the tombstones in the cemeteries or private burial chambers at the bottom of gardens where long ago relatives lay claim to the history of the island. It was Peter Crockett, a kind, big, burly man with an old English accent, who served us the fuel and water at Tangier Oil
Tangier Island waterman business
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Company and also advised us of homemade fare were brought of the great food that the island to us. As we emptied one bowl makes for the tourists. another arrived to replace it It is our custom on the good service. Shearwater, a 1983 Gemini 34’ After lunch, a walk to aid catamaran, to always anchor the digestion was a good time to where the breezes are cool, take photographs of the quaint but in this busy harbor there village and narrow streets. We was nowhere to anchor. Peter counted six motor vehicles, one Crockett gave us directions to of which was the police car. I Parks Marina, and once we thought, you’d have to really Tangier Island’s main found the right place, wedged super charge your golf cart thoroughfare the Shearwater into a slip, tied battery to outrun a police car in her safely to the pilings and this town! Bicycles abound on went in search of the one and only Milton Parks, who we the narrow roads which have a good layer of blacktop to understood was the man to meet on the island. make for a smooth ride. Walking through the village we had to watch out for The few links to associate the island with the the golf carts driven by locals and tourists. The main American way of life were the six cars, the Coke and Pepsi street, just wide enough for two golf carts to pass side by vending machines that dispensed 85-cent sodas, an air side and maybe a skinny dog between, was pretty busy field with one plane, and the few flag poles that proudly this morning. How do you tell the difference between a flew the Stars & Stripes. local and a tourist driving a golf cart on Tangier Island? With the sun still high and having walked off our The locals say “Hallo,” obviously proud of their heritage lunch, a cavity was developing in our tummies where only and very brave to uphold their way of life in a rush and something sweet and cold would fit, so we went in search of ready world. an ice cream parlor. The wind was still a brisk southeasterly Peter Crockett had mentioned that all the restaurants as we climbed aboard the Shearwater, licking our icewere excellent and I believe him. The Chesapeake House, creams, to make the boat ready to cross the Chesapeake. founded by Hilda Crockett in 1939 and still run by the My hand was still sticky from ice cream as I untied the Crockett family, is where we lunched. We were ushered lines from the bow, leading them aft as Stuart backed the into a large room with long tables and soon after seating Shearwater out of the slip. Kneeling to coil the lines I ourselves the table yawed with food as plates and bowls looked up to catch a last look of the sweet town and saw
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Smooth blacktop intersects the island
a lone figure of a man standing outside the door to Parks Marina. I answered his wave. It must have been Milton. With the sun still high, we set sail across the bay to an anchorage we had not yet discovered called Jerome Creek. The day had started very early for us and we had packed a lot into it so far. Enjoying our time on the water with the sun and great wind filling both main and jib, we did not consider the possibility of not having enough time to find the entrance to the creek and make it through to anchor before 4:00 pm.
Bicycles abound
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It was already 3:30 go forward on the bow pm and we were still far and put up a light to enough out in the bay mark us in case any that we couldn’t see our other boaters were in marker to the entrance the area. It was just as of Jerome Creek. We well because around turned the engine on to the corner came a aid our progress but even little day cruiser, its so, it would be cutting it occupants eyeing rather fine. Visuals of the us with a few raised marker southwest of Point eyebrows. There No Point were spotted we were, fishtailing around 4:30 pm with the away making a big sun still visible on the show of it, trying horizon. Tense feelings desperately to dislodge Tangier Island Parks Marina could not take away the ourselves from the beauty of a sunset. sandy clutches. A little Sailing closer to the embarrassing!!! entrance following the marker and then straight ahead to With the sun now set, all the heavenly stars were visible marker 3M”4”, I stood behind the wheel slowly working our for miles shining down on us. With no one to applaud our way forward when suddenly we hit bottom… hard. I’ll not success in coming off the sand bank we popped off at speed forget that sickening thud and the lump that developed in my and headed towards the correct marker with me on the bow throat to go with it as I slowed the engine down and tried to shining a brilliant spotlight to light the individual markers fishtail the boat over the hump. It was no good. We were hard as I instructed Stuart to, “Turn to starboard, turn to port.” aground and not going anywhere fast, with an even faster A thin channel opened up to us with a squiggly bit setting sun to watch fade below the trees on the far bank. in the beginning that led to an open lake. It would Stuart came on deck and I explained what had have been spectacular by day I’m sure, but here we happened. I had gone around the marker 3M”4” from were. A Red “2” had six feet depth off to its port right to left with side according to the marker on my the chart, so we left and it should anchored there have been on my safely and called right. Red Right it a day. Exhausted Returning!!! from our adventures Looking over the we rolled into bed side, clearly a sandy with the sound of bottom was evident gentle lapping of the and less than five lake water against feet away was ample the hull to lull us depth. Oh, if only!!! to sleep, not that we I was instructed to needed any lulling.
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ace - This Must Be The Place - This Must Be The Place - - This Must Be The Place -
Skye Island - A Ring of Bright Water
By John Simpson
All that remains of Maxwell’s house
If you are cruising on the east side of Skye, whether you’re heading north or south, there’s an interesting anchorage, particularly if you happen to be a fan of Gavin Maxwell and have read his classic best-seller, “Ring of Bright Water,” about living with otters. “Camusfearna” as he fictitiously named it (to try and keep it anonymous!), can make a very useful stopover in the southeast part of Kyle Rhea. Catching a fair tide through both Kyle’s (Rhea and Lochalsh) whilst heading north is important. Even on neaps the tide runs at three to four knots. Similarly, if you are traveling south with fair tide but into a foul wind, it’s a longish beat down Kyle Rhea before finding another anchorage. If you need some supplies or are doing crew change on the boat, this certainly isn’t the right spot. The nearest place to come alongside is just east of the Skye Bridge at the Kyle of Lochalsh. Here there’s a pontoon, but it
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can be quite busy in the summer! There is another lovely alternative anchorage to be had in Loch Alsh, close to the iconic Eilean Donan Castle. Good shelter for anchoring out of the wind to visit Camusfearna can be found from the north (through east) to a southwesterly direction by anchoring either in the southern bay or North Atlantic tucked in close to Ocean the Sandaig Islands. Its best avoided in westerlies of any Isle of Skye strength because of the lee shore and can Great be subject to strong, Europe Britain gusty katabatic winds. Strong southerlies can also heap up the waves as they get funneled coming north from the Sound of Sleet.
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Outside second brock Outside second brock
We’ve seen many porpoises and common dolphins around here. George pointed out a sea eagle to me soaring just above the mountain tops. My mate, Angus, was lucky enough to see several Minke whales in the Kyle last year, along with an inverted French catamaran! Once ashore it’s a very atmospheric place (especially if you’ve read Maxwell’s magical books!). The clear river stream must have made it a perfect for him to live and study his otters. If you’ve anchored by the islands, this stream can be crossed at high water on a rickety rope bridge by following it further east. Almost nothing remains of where Maxwell lived because, tragically, the house he rented here burnt down. There are a couple of rocks with brass plaques to commemorate where his ashes were placed and where ‘Edal,’ his famous otter, was buried. He moved further north to Eilean Ban (White Island), now under the Skye Bridge, for the last part of his life.
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There’s an interesting anchorage if you are cruising on the east side of Skye whether you’re heading north or south. Particularly if you happen to be a fan of Gavin Maxwell. And have read his classic bestseller ‘Ring of Bright Water’ about living with otters. ‘Camusfearna’ as he factiously named it (to try and keep it anonymous!). Can make a very useful stopover in the south-east part of Kyle Rhea. Catching a fair tide through both Kyle’s (Rhea and Lochalsh) whilst heading north is important. Even on neaps the tide runs at three to four knots. Similarly if you are travelling south with fair tide but into a foul wind. It’s a longish beat down Kyle Rhea before finding another anchorage. If you need some supplies or are doing crew change on the boat this certainly isn’t the right spot. The nearest place to come alongside is just east of the Skye Bridge at the Kyle of Lochalsh. Here there’s a pontoon but it can be quite busy in the summer! Not forgetting that there is another lovely alternative anchorage to be had in Loch Alsh, close to the iconic Eilean Donan Castle... Good shelter for anchoring out of the wind for a visit to Camusfearna can be found from the north (through east) to a south-westerly direction. By anchoring either in the southern bay or tucked in close to the Sandaig islands. Its best avoided in Westerly’s of any strength because of the lee shore and can be subject to strong gusty katabatic winds. Strong southerlies can also heap up the waves as they get funnelled coming north from the Sound of Sleet.
Gavin Maxwell’s ashes
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Otter’s stream at low-water
We’ve seen many porpoises and common dolphins around here. George pointed out a Sea Eagle to me soaring just above the mountain tops. My mate Angus was lucky enough to see several Minky Whales in the Kyle last year; along with an inverted French Catamaran! Once ashore it’s a very atmospheric place (especially if you’ve read Maxwell’s magical books!). The clear river stream must have made it a perfect for him to live and study his otters. If you’ve anchored by the islands this stream can be crossed at HW by a rickety rope bridge, by following it further east. Almost nothing remains of where Maxwell lived now; because tragically the house he rented here burnt down. There are couple of rocks with brass plaques to commemorate where his ashes were placed and where ‘Edal’ his famous otter was buried. Though he moved further north to Eilean Ban (White island!). Now under the Skye Bridge for the last part of his life.
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Provided you are feeling energetic and the forecast has settled enough to leave your boat unattended for a day. This area of Glenelg is well worth exploring (especially if you have folding bikes on the boat!). The fascinating remains of two old Brochs ‘Dun Telve’ and ‘Dun Troddan’ can be seen just a few miles away by cycling east out of the forest track onto the tarmac road going north. Brocks are ten metre high double-skinned round towers scattered over various parts of Highland Scotland. They are roughly two thousand years old dwellings. Not too much is known about the people who inhabited them. There’s an excellent wagon tea room by the brocks; if you need refreshment after walking. The lady here makes lovely homemade cakes and lives in a small wooden house with a huge’ living’ roof! Heading back from the brocks and continuing onto the main road towards Glenelg village is only worth attempting; if you have enough energy left. There’s another beautiful sandy beach at the shallow mazy entrance to the
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Glenmore River. And just north of village shop is an interesting 17th century four storey partly ruined building worth seeing. ‘Bernera’ was the largest of four local barracks built by the Hanoverian Government (some stones were used were from the Glen Beag brocks!). To try stopping another Jacobite uprising; by Otter’s stream gaining control of the crossing from Skye at Kyle Rhea. Two hundred soldiers could be housed when it was finished in 1725. Their officers were quartered just opposite the current shop.
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Completely isolated and surrounded by a hostile people these must have been grim garrisons; perhaps a bit like the British army’s base in Afghanistan, Camp Basten. Camusfearna is still a lovely wild place. I can only recommend the anchorage if you have good weather and some time. If you are lucky enough to go there it might make you keen to read (or re-read) some of Gavin Maxwell’s books. He was in forefront of several brilliant 50’s and 60’s author’s that explained to us; how quickly we are spoiling our own environment.
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Talkin’ Story
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(At Last!) Sailing in a Higher Place Greetings from the Alps aboard the S/Y • • • • •• • • •• •• • • •••• Boating and one of the highest chain of mountains in the world are not obviously linked. But, the fact is that wherever there is water, there is this urge to float something on it. We do not cross oceans (yet) and we have full time jobs. We live in the middle of a continent, and yet we feel we do belong to that group of fun people that really know how to enjoy life; those people crazy enough to like moving at two knots and with just enough electricity to turn on a few lights and maybe heat some coffee for a day. How can you live the cruising life when you are on a lake that’s about 20 miles by five, and the nearest serious piece of water is a six-hour drive away? Simple. You just realize one day that you like being on a boat and that this pleasure is not automatically proportional to the hundreds of miles there is between you and the next human (although about three miles does help). The way my wife and I came to owning a Beneteau Oceanis 45 is not quite the usual story. We did not start cruising when we were born. My parents didn’t particularly like water and we were born in Switzerland. What did turn us on was a canal cruise in the south of France. Not exactly an adventure, but it was really cool to float with all our stuff and enjoy the scenery (understand, wine and pâté).
This is how we decided to buy a boat. Here again, we took some detour. Our fi rst boat was a 27-foot powerboat, a Bayliner. At that time I didn’t trust that I could get where I wanted and when I wanted using wind, plus the focus of By Pierre Allemande the people we knew that had sailboats was on racing. We wanted to enjoy life. We had a lot of fun on this boat on weekends and even on vacation. We also quickly realized that all that speed was just getting us nowhere very fast. We used the throttle less and less and started to think that a bigger cabin would not hurt given that the weather in Switzerland is not exactly tropical. About 15 years ago we changed our boat for one of those steel hulls from Holland. Woah!!! What space, what comfort. It was now a 37-foot boat, our two kids were sharing the front cabin, we had a real bed in the back and toilets (yeah head, if you want, although calling this the same way as my … head still seems a bit strange to me, even if the two do meet from time to time but lets skip this). We started to spend a lot of time on that boat. The routine would be to pack the car on Friday evening, drive to the boat, spend the weekend and return on Sunday. From early April to late October that would be our routine. It was a fantastic time. We were just us (or sometimes with friends); a family in freedom land.
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In the marina we also met our first little cruising community. So many stories to tell there, but maybe that will be for another article. We started to feel “afloat.” It was not just going on a boat and driving it somewhere, it was about being on the boat, that light in the morning, those evenings with friends or at anchor, the kids soaking in the water all summer like tea bags. Living on a boat was starting to be an important part of our life. So much so that we ended up thinking about retiring on a boat (yeah, I plan ahead, quite a bit). Our boat was great, but not big enough to live on permanently, so we started to look for a bigger boat. We found one second hand, still a Holland-type motor cruiser, a 45-foot one this time. It had everything, even a washer and air. The dream house in a hull. At this point we were spending about 80 nights a year on the boat. The kids had grown up so were not joining as much anymore, but that was giving my wife and I some real quality time. The boat had become our primary reason of living instead of being a recreation. By now we were looking at how to get there full time, faster. It was about when we purchased that 45-foot steel hull that I started reading this magazine (in its previous incarnation). It reinforced how much we wanted to be “out there.” This is also when we realized that our initial plan to retire doing the canals in Europe was a dangerous plan. Canals are fun for a few weeks, but 12 months a year? We would probably get bored after a few months and what do you do when you get bored on a boat? (I assume here, that I have never been bored yet). You pop a cork and enjoy the wine, which means that, as we are not particularly reasonable people, we would probably have serious liver problems fairly rapidly. And all those beautiful places that we could see in the magazine? We wanted THAT life. Which meant that our gorgeous boat was not the one we needed. And so it went that we purchased the Oceanis earlier this year. The plan
is now to cruise it on the lake for a few years, then retire and “head for the Med.” Why am I telling you this story? Because I think we are reading this magazine, but possibly do not have the courage to jump right into the “real” cruising life. I think that we have managed a cool compromise. We can enjoy the sensation of being alone at anchor in the evening, skinny dipping in the morning with nothing more than a few birds to offend, and sail, grill, drink, meet friends or just relax, almost like we would in those gorgeous places we see in the magazine. And all that while keeping our
jobs because we currently have no alternative to that. We can do it without all the “risk” (Bob would say adventure) linked to hitting the real water. So don’t take the excuse that you just have a small lake next to you to postpone living your dream. I think cruising means being on a boat and appreciating it, be it on a lake that is a few miles long, or be it in the middle of the ocean. The fact that there is more out there should not prevent us from enjoying what we can afford. Living the dream can start now. Just dream and live.
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Damnation Seize My Soul...! Re-enacting The Battle of Ocracoke By Dennis Mullen
“Damnation seize my soul if I give you quarter or take any from you!” These were the last words roared by Capt. Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard the Pirate, before his cannons, loaded with shot and nails and glass and jagged bits of steel, spewed fire and death. With a single broadside from his eight cannons, Blackbeard reduced by half the attacking force of 52 British sailors sent to kill him by Gov. Spotswood of Virginia. The remaining British sailors, led by Lt. Robert Maynard, engaged Blackbeard and his cut-throat pirates in perhaps the bloodiest, most vicious hand-to-hand, pistol-andcutlass combat to ever occur on the decks of two boats at sea, anywhere. It lasted less than 10 minutes. When it was over, so was the Golden Age of Piracy. “I have cut Blackbeard’s head off,” Lt. Maynard wrote, “which I have put on my bowsprit, in order to carry it to Virginia.” The Battle of Ocracoke took place on a perfectly calm morning on November 22, 1718, just inside the Atlantic Ocean inlet on one of the deepest parts of the Pamlico Sound, now known as Teach’s Hole. It really happened. It wasn’t a made-for-TV Disney movie or cartoon. It was a piece of naval history. Dozens died. And now, the Village of Ocracoke is gearing up for the 300th Anniversary of the battle, scheduled for the last weekend in October, 2018.
Marlene and I just sailed Different Drummer back to River Dunes, our home port, from the First Annual Pirate’s Jamboree held last October on Ocracoke Island. If it’s any indication of what’s to come, and if you like pirates, we highly recommend you start making plans now, and sail to Ocracoke Island for as many Pirate Jamborees as you can. Captain Horatio Sinbad shattered the Wednesday morning serenity of Ocracoke Island by firing an ear-splitting salvo from his cannons on Meka II, Sinbad’s 54’, two-masted, pirate brigantine ship, as he and his crew blasted into Silver
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Lake. Captain Sinbad left no doubt that he and the Meka II would vigorously portray Blackbeard and his stolen ship, Adventure, during the re-enactment of the Battle of Ocracoke set for Saturday. The “official” start of Blackbeard’s 1st Annual Pirate’s Jamboree wasn’t until Friday, but the “Pyrate’s” start to the Jamboree had just begun. For the next four days, Ocracoke Island and the waters surrounding it, would be swarming with pirates. (Sadly, Captain Sinbad’s close friend and Meka II crewmember for 32 years, the parrot Black Bart, died on the way to Ocracoke. Black Bart was given a pirate’s burial at sea, fittingly, at Teach’s Hole. Our sincere condolences.) They say there are two kinds of people in the world: “Them’s that wish they were pirates, and them’s that AARRGGHH!” Pirates were everywhere. There were pirate dogs and pirate babies. Pirate parents drinking pirate grog led pirate kids eating pirate food through pirate encampments. Pirate music was everywhere and pirate talk was talked by all. “Aarrgghhs” out-numbered “Y’alls.” Pirate wenches turned pirate’s heads while pirate maidens turned jealous shades of reds. Grog and wine and beer flowed somewhat responsibly through the streets and taverns that surround Silver Lake. At a mock “Pyrates” trial Thursday night at the Ocracoke Community Center, presided over by Captain Horatio Sinbad himself, the mere mention of Virginia’s despised Gov. Spotswood brought boos and hisses from the attending rabble who appeared to be “muchly in favor of the Pyrates.” Kids screamed on Friday when the pirates at the pirate encampment used cannons to repel British invaders from the sea, while pirate bikers cruised by on pirate HarleyDavidsons. There was a pirate in a four-wheel-drive Rolls Royce. Really. Saturday morning was crisp and clear and cold and the shores of Silver Lake were lined with people waiting for The Battle. Blackbeard vs. Maynard. Good vs. Evil. They weren’t disappointed. The two captains and their crews did a breathtaking job of maneuvering their ships and reenacting the Battle of Ocracoke on Silver Lake. Cannons roared and sabers flashed and cannons roared again. Smoke from the gunpowder made it hard to see and tickled little kid’s noses. It lasted less than 10 minutes. Sadly, and much to the crowd’s dismay, Lt. Maynard remained victorious. “Death to Spotswood” was grumbled from the shore, but as Blackbeard’s head was being dangled from Maynard’s
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the names of those who died bowsprit, I heard someone so long ago. Some cried, a offer a toast: “Long live the Pirates!” More toasts wreath was laid in the water, cannons were fired in salute followed more toasts, and soon, pirates being over the Pamlico Sound, and Blackbeard’s First Annual pirates, the Jamboree was Pirate’s Jamboree was over. jammin’ again. Sunday was different. We were the last to leave the NPS docks Monday The crowd gathered at 10 o’clock at Blackbeard’s morning. Captain Sinbad and Meka II left for Beaufort at Lodge on Back Street. Some were dressed like pirates, daylight, but not before firing a broadside at the Cedar most were not. Most of the Meka II in the Battle re-enactment Island ferry. Captain Archer tourists had gone home. A (Alpha Dog) Watkins and the solemn march followed the wailings of bagpipes through the tiny Village of Ocracoke out Blackbeard Sailing Club left the docks one by one, but not before making us honorary members of their club for reasons to Springer’s Point, where a memorial service was held for I cannot disclose. the pirates and sailors who lost their lives almost 300 years Sailing east from River Dunes to Ocracoke Island ago, just offshore. Adventure and Jane were hove-to offshore across the southern Pamlico Sound takes us between six at Teach’s Hole, their cannons primed and ready. Author and seven hours on a good day. We don’t go on a bad day. Kevin Duffus presided over the service with a reading of
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The Hampton Pirates Ocracoke Island is the southernmost island in the North Carolina chain of the Outer Banks, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Accessible only by boat or private plane, there are no bridges going to Ocracoke Island, but gigantic ferries operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation do an excellent job of transporting land-based people and their land yachts to and from the island. The gigantic ferries also do an excellent job of scaring the bejesus out of you if you meet one (or two) of them in the Big Foot Slough, the main channel leading to Ocracoke’s beautiful Silver Lake. Your sailboat is no match for a 220-foot ferry, and the ferry captains, who are all seasoned professionals, aren’t much for changing their course for your benefit. Nine Foot Slough is the other channel. The entrance to Big Foot Slough is marked by two large, uneven pipes sticking out of the Pamlico Sound at an angle that’s not quite right. This is the wreck of the Lehigh, a barge with unfortunate endings, but don’t be scared by the Lehigh, it’s the channel you need to be wary of. Two sailboats were lost in Big Foot Channel in 2013, one during a freak afternoon storm on Memorial Day weekend, the other on a formidable night in September. Stay in the channel! And stay in the MIDDLE of the channel when you can! Once you’re outside of the markers, depths go from 20 feet to two feet in a heartbeat. If you draw less than six feet, like we do, the Nine Foot Slough will save you some, but not much, time and distance as Ocracoke Island draws you near. The best part about
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Currently, there the Nine Foot Slough is that the are three options when ferries don’t use the Nine Foot Slough! AVOID THE FERRIES! you reach Silver Lake: 1) Anchor. 2) National Check your charts, and try to go in and out at high tide. Park Service Docks. 3) Slips at Anchorage Inn If you come in from the or Harborside Marinas. Atlantic Ocean through the Ocracoke Inlet, I wish you well, 1) Anchoring in Silver Lake is priceless whether it’s your first time or you do it every day. Ocracoke Inlet and free and should be experienced by all is an “Unimproved Inlet.” This The author ready to rumble! means it sucks. It’s unmarked, cruisers at least once. Put it on your bucket it’s unchartered, it has big scary list. The Ocracoke Lighthouse shines over the lake all night, breakers, and it seemingly changes with the tide. Use local every night, just like it has since 1823. Gentle winds and tides knowledge as they say, and I wish you well. will slowly turn you on your anchor chain so you get a 360 Getting to Ocracoke Island by sailboat is always an degree view from your cockpit. The sunrises make you glad adventure in itself, no matter the approach. It’s a long day you’re alive, and the sunsets are killers. The two town dinghy no matter where you came from. But once you clear the docks are free and easy to get to. Live music drifts out from “ditch” and get inside beautiful Silver Lake, everything different venues around Silver Lake, but things get quiet when changes. Time slows. Pelicans stare. And the ghosts of it gets dark. pirates are everywhere.
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A successful full-moon anchorage in Silver Lake is, to us, what cruising is all about. But there are some drawbacks: A) Poor holding, and B) Derelict boats. A) Poor holding—the bottom of Silver Lake is soft, slimy, slippery mud that stinks really bad and spits out anchors. We bought a bigger anchor. West winds blasting through the ditch have piled up boats like cord wood next to the Jolly Roger Pub on the east end of Silver Lake. Also, there are a multitude of treasures on the bottom just waiting to foul your anchor when you leave. Cables, crab pots, lines and fishnets; but usually just slimy, slippery, stinky mud ends up on your anchor and deck. B) Derelict boats— Silver Lake is not very big to begin with, but when you throw in eight (that’s right, from June through October 2013, there were eight!) apparently abandoned, deteriorating sailboats on semi-permanent, uninspected, questionable moorings with undefinable rodes, strategically placed about the anchorage, any more than four visiting 40-footers would find anchoring uncomfortably tight. We applaud the rumor that permanent mooring balls are being considered for Silver Lake by the Village of Ocracoke. I will gladly pay for a mooring ball and get a good night’s sleep instead of risking dragging anchor at 0300. Hopefully, they can get this done before the 300th Anniversary Blackbeard Jamboree in 2018! Hopefully, they can get this done next year. 2) The National Park Service Docks are to port when you clear the ditch going in to Silver Lake. Sandwiched between the giant WWII bollards that help guide the ferries (remember the FERRIES?) to their loading/unloading zones, there’s room for 10-12 boats to tie up at the NPS docks, maybe more, if the dredge isn’t there. And, it’s the best deal on the docks! With our Golden Age Pass (get it and use it!), the NPS charges $0.60/ft. plus $3.00 for 30 amp electricity! Clean, free water and heads with flush toilets, but no showers. The Village Center is a short walk away where bicycles and golf carts are readily available to rent. 3) As we have never docked at either of the marinas, I cannot comment on their services, but my dealings with Mike Leombruno, dock master at the Anchorage Inn, have been exceptional. Feel free to call Mike for any info regarding fuel, ice, docking, or catch of the day. He’s always there! The 300th Anniversary Pirate’s Jamboree is less than five years away. Start planning now, and plan to get there early. Ocracoke Island. The magenta line won’t take you there.
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The Unbelievable Journey of The Flower By Sid Vandiver
Written January 15, 2014 -- So I guess it’s time I shared this story since it’s a done deal. I’ve known Tim since about 1996. I met him at the Ft. Myers Yacht Basin when I was living on my sailboat there. I was an eager, free and “bullet-proof” 20-year-old in search of adventure! I had seen Tim prancing around the marina, always happy and smiling. He just had this aura about him and I wanted it too! I introduced myself to him one day and was initiated into a custom that became synonymous with “Brother Love” - the introductory hug. As long as I knew him, he never shook someone’s hand when he met them. It was always a hug and always heart to heart. Tim and I got to be very good pals and spent just about everyday, at some point, hanging out or getting into some type of debauchery. Now mind you, Tim was old enough to be my dad, but he was in as good or better shape than me. I remember his bicycle (favorite form of transportation for us sailors) getting stolen one night. He was devastated. So I ended up taking him to meet my dad and step grandfather and hooking him up with a “new” red bike with side-saddle baskets to boot! He loved it and we spent
many a night cruising to and from the downtown bars and restaurants. One of the nights also led to him getting me my first bartending job at one of our favorite local hangouts. Over the next few months we lived each day like there was no tomorrow. We sailed up and down the Caloosahatchee River and sometimes, out past Sanibel to the Gulf, sometimes on my 1976 Hunter 27 or other friends’ boats. Many of these times were spent aboard Tim’s pride and joy, The Flower, a 1963 Pearson Electra 22’ (Hull #331). This was the little beauty he lived on in the marina. It was small, but had a larger heart than any of the other bigger boats on the water. It was built by the Pearson brothers who were the first guys, I believe, to successfully build production fiberglass sailboats. A pho-pas in the days of wooden boats, this boat was built like a tank because they had no idea of the life expectancy of the new “plastic” boats. Tim had purchased it from a professor up in Ohio, I think. It had been outfitted with a selfsteering wind vane and large sail inventory for overnight, “offshore” sailing in the Great Lakes. A short time later I decided to sail off to the Florida Keys in search of adventure. I had been in the Keys for
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about four years when, in 2000, Tim’s nephew, Jake Wilson (aka Pud Din Head), decided to move to Ft. Myers in search of adventure as well. Tim had since purchased a larger sailboat to live on and sold The Flower to Jake. Two years later, Tim let me know that Jake wanted to bring the boat to the Keys and was wondering if I would take Jake under my wing, as he had done for me years earlier. I’d show him the ropes and find him a means of making enough money to live and eventually get to the Bahamas on The Flower. I eagerly agreed and they set sail from Ft. Myers on what was to be a six-day sail to the Keys. They arrived in what is fair to say, Hell-atious conditions. A winter northerly blowing 30+ mph had them searching for cover. I ended up meeting them at Seabird Marina, on Long Key, to rescue them with much-needed food and alcoholic beverages. This was the start of what was to be a memorable time over the next few years in the Keys. Jake ended up staying in the Keys until about 2005 or 2006. He decided it was time to head back to the high country of Colorado, where he was from, and decided to sell The Flower. It was a very emotional decision for him. He and I went out on her for one last sail in the Atlantic off Molasses Reef. It was an epic sail that had steady 10-15 mph winds. A few days later he sold her to a man from Marathon, was off to the Rockies, and the life and times of The Flower that included us, was no more.. I never thought I would see that beautiful, memorable boat again. Flash forward to a month ago. I was on Craigslist searching the sailboat ads for fun and came across a 1963 Pearson Electra that bore an eerie resemblance to The Flower. I examined all the pics and then sent the link to Jake and Tim. They were convinced, as was I, that it was her. Tim informed me back in June 2013, when I last saw him, that he and Jake were coming down for a visit to the Keys the second week of January. He told me to check on that boat, see if it was REALLY her, and he was going to buy her when they came down. It seemed that it was in the stars for him to be reunited with her. I called Tim on Christmas Eve to wish him a Merry Christmas, as I always did, and he sound weak and raspy. I thought maybe it was a cold or the flu. He informed me that he had gotten pancreatitis a while back and it was doing a number on him. I told him I knew people that had had the same thing and had turned out all right.
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He then floored me with the news that he had also had colon cancer for a year, but had never wanted to worry me about it. He said things had been getting better, but then this had really been a “one-two punch” with getting pancreatitis. He told me he had lost 20 pounds. He and I are both about 145 lbs., so I knew that wasn’t good. I quickly told him I would be over to see him as soon as the holiday was over, the next weekend. I told him I loved him, hung up, and started balling my eyes out. I actually had to pull over to the side of the road. He called me on Thursday and said he didn’t think it was going to be a good time to come over since he was going to be in the hospital all day having tests run and not able to visit with me. He said he would let me know Friday how he felt and if I should come. He called me that Friday and said he wasn’t up to having visitors. It was a no go. I respected his wishes and said, “I’ll see you the next weekend, then.” He agreed and we said our good-byes and “I love yous.” Jake contacted me and told me that Tim had gone downhill fast and was already on hospice care. His organs had started to shut down and it was only a matter of day(s) before he would transition. I was devastated. I realized then that Tim had not wanted me to see him this way. My stomach was in knots. Jake called me on Sunday evening, a call I immediately knew was to be a bad one, and said Timmy Flower had passed peacefully. I couldn’t even talk and told him I’d call him on Monday. One of the most influential men in my life besides my father and brother had left this world and I felt more helpless than I could ever remember. On Monday we discussed more and told stories of our beloved Tim. The laughter was intertwined with tears of sorrow. Jake then asked me if I had followed up on The Flower and I told him that I had called and emailed
a couple times, but the seller had not returned my messages. We were kind of deflated but I agreed to be persistent and keep trying. I ended up getting in touch with her on Tuesday. I asked her if the boat was still available and if I could come take a look? She said that would be fine. I was now feeling confident that this was The Flower and took this as a sign. I wanted to make her an offer on her listing of “$2000 o.b.o.” I really didn’t have the extra cash at the time to do it, but I wasn’t going to let lack of finances trump “creative financing.” Tim had always told me, “Kid, don’t ever worry about your money or it’ll take offense and not come out and play with you!” I took this to heart. I asked the seller where the boat was located in the Keys. She informed me that it was located “behind the Fisheries.” I asked her “which fisheries?” to which she informed me that it was Key Largo Fisheries. I lived on the main canal to the Key Largo Fisheries! We agreed to meet at 2:00 pm. I was blown away about this new information about the boat! I got home from work, threw my paddleboard in the water and went searching the main canal and the side canals for the boat. I didn’t see it. As I came back past my dock I happened to look down to the end of the canal directly across from my house. Surely, there’s no way it would be down this one!?! As I strained my eyes looking down the canal I noticed this little “bikini blue” ( as Tim had painted her) sailboat tucked away in the corner, barely visible behind larger boats. I paddle feverishly toward her. As I arrived, a local musician/friend of mine, Allan Truesdell, came out onto the dock next to where the boat was. I asked him if he knew who owned this boat and he said, “my roommate!” I then asked him if she was for sale and he said yes, and had been for about
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a month. I immediately got my phone out, texted her and told her that I thought I had found the boat and its location in reference to my abode. She then called me and I gave her the “Cliff Notes” version of this story. She was amazed and speechless. She told me to go ahead, climb on and check it out to see if this was indeed her! My heart raced! I almost fell in the water trying to get on, from my anxiousness. I stepped aboard, slid back the companionway hatch and immediately recognized the inside layout, colors and familiar features. Little details that Jake and Tim had made to her were clearly visible. This was her, The Flower!! I could barely stand from my knees shaking. I sat down inside her, started laughing out loud and sobbing uncontrollably. I immediately called Jake. We sat there on the phone describing every little intricacy of her. Tim had done it again!! He had put us in “the flow!” I let the seller know that I intended to buy her today. So all day long I sat home, staring out the sliding glass doors, looking right down the canal across from me; looking at this beautiful little piece of magic and thinking to myself, how could this have happened?? I eagerly anticipated 2:00 pm. When the time came I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I had to drive a half a mile around to get to this dock 100 yards away across the canal. Now I’ve never believed in destiny, but here I was undoubtedly staring at mine in the face! I met Cindy, the seller/owner, immediately gave her a hug and fought back tears. I then elaborated on this wild ride of almost 20 years. She then produced all the paperwork back to showing Tim and Jake both owning her previously. Tears were shed, stories were told, and in the end, she basically gave me the little blue “miracle.” So as I sit here typing this account of one of the most extraordinary times in my life, I am the proud new owner of The Flower. Jake is coming for a visit in a couple days and we plan to take her out for a sail. I believe Tim had a plan for me and his pride and joy had been sitting there… waiting for me this whole time. Thank you, Tim, for all you ever did for me (and continue to do!) and I know that I miss you more than words will ever let me say. Peace…
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The Bahamas Then and Now The year was 1980 and on that early January morning, tossing about in lumpy seas, Gayle Suhich listened carefully to her radio direction finder. This had only been her second overnight passage, and her first trip across the sometimes boisterous Gulf Stream. It was also her first foreign landfall aboard a cruising boat, and in an era when few small sailing vessels ventured over, the Bahamas were a nearly pristine cruising ground full of many wonders. Since then she has been able to form some views and observations about what has changed and what has remained as charming, quaint and beautiful as it was over 30 years ago, when she first saw them from the deck of her tiny sailboat. Advancing forward, we find Gayle anchored in Pago Pago, American Samoa in the deep South Pacific. The year is 2014 and she is now aboard her Flying Dutchman 50, Small World II. TD: “Gayle, A year and a half ago, before you came back to the Pacific, you had just completed your seventh trip through the length of the Bahamas. After all of your years of cruising the Bahamas chain, what has
1988
Today
By Todd Duff & Gayle Suhich
made those islands so intriguing that you have returned again and again?” GS: “The Bahamas were a very special place back then and even now, if you like beach combing, snorkeling, scuba diving, eating fresh fish, lobster and conch, then the Bahamas are the place for you. When I arrived in Green Turtle Cay back in 1980 I saw parrots flying overhead. I thought that I’d died and gone to heaven… I remember vividly the smells, the feel of the place, and just the overall happiness, and I felt that I never wanted to leave. TD: “So you have spent, what, over three years total in the Bahamas over the last three decades? Tell me about the first two trips over there.” GS: “OK, on the first trip we spent eight months in the Bahamas aboard our little O’Day 23. That was in 1980-81. We dreamed of being able to stand up down below and to carry more than five gallons of water and have a real marine head, not just a bucket. So after our cruise, we sailed our O’Day all the way back to Texas and sold her, and then bought an Allied Seabeeze 35; a 1968 model. But back then it was a pretty new boat (to us!). Our daughter Sarah was
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born shortly after buying the Allied and we still continued to prepare to head back out to the Bahamas. Most people thought we should give up boating and buy a house now that we had a baby, but we always said she didn’t take up much more room then a sail bag, at least for the time being. We left again in the fall of 1984; Sarah was nine months old. She spent her first birthday in Staniel Cay in the Exumas. That was in 1985.” TD: “So how long were you in the Bahamas that second visit, and where all did you go?” GS: “We came over to the Bahamas anticipating going on to the Virgin Islands and eventually down to Venezuela, which we had heard was an amazing cruising area. But by the time we got as far as French Wells, Crooked Island, we ultimately decided to turn around as it was quite a challenge beating to windward into big tradewind conditions with a baby onboard. That’s the beauty of cruising. You can just change your mind and go in an entirely different direction at the drop of a hat. So we got as far as Crooked and Acklins via the Exumas going south, then heading north we visited Rum Cay, Cat Island and Eleuthera, back to Nassau and the banks. We then went back to the States and up to the Chesapeake Bay. I believe we stayed a total of six months on that trip.” TD: “Tell me about what the Bahamas are like now compared to how they were then? Would you still call it as amazing a cruising ground as it was back in the early ‘80s?” GS: “The weather and the diving is still all so phenomenal. The amount of boats has increased thanks to GPS and chartplotters, single sideband, weather nets and sophisticated electronics. There are a lot more people
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there now than back then and now there is more development on some of the islands. But the waters are still just as beautiful as ever, the people just as friendly. The Abacos 1988 Wardrick Wells have probably changed more than any other part of the Bahamas, but the farther south you go the more remote it gets and it hasn’t really changed much at all in the far out-islands.” TD: “When you were there three trips ago, you sailed up from the Virgin Islands and spent the whole summer on a seven-foot draft, 53-foot boat and cruised the Jumentos too. A lot of people might say that such a deep draft boat is not right for the Bahamas and that cruising remote areas like the Jumentos in the summer might be inadvisable. What do you consider the ideal boat for cruising in the Bahamas, and when is the best time of year to go?” GS: “I don’t want to give it away, but… Summer time! Shhhhh! People might kill me for divulging this information. Whereas the anchorage at Stocking Island, which in the winter might have 300 boats or more, in the summer might have 10. Yes, a seven-foot draft is probably not a good choice, but that was the boat we were on, and while we were comfortable, we couldn’t take shortcuts or get to a lot of the places we might have liked to go. A catamaran, or a shoal draft boat is what you want to really see the wild Bahamas.” TD: “What would you consider to be the biggest differences of how the Bahamas are now compared to when you cruised through them in the ‘80s and ‘90s?” GS: The biggest difference is in the amount of supplies you can easily get in the more populated areas, and the fact that there are cell phone towers all over the whole chain that allow for internet access with a SIM card and that makes for easy communications with family and friends. Back in the ‘80s, we paid $50 for one phone call back home while a rat ran through the building at the Batelco tower on one of the out-islands. But today, even in the outer islands, you can still find internet if you go searching, and with our quad band cell phone we bought a SIM card and were able
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to use internet all the way through the chain on this last trip, and it even worked in the Turks and Caicos!” TD: “Are there any things that annoy you or that you think could be Today Wardrick Wells better than when you first cruised the Bahamas?” GS: “The amount of people is the biggest difference. The moorings at Stocking Island in Georgetown and at Hope Town and Man O War Cay; some people have become squatters there. But if you just discount those places, then there are still plenty of nice, remote anchorages to go to. The clarity of the water in places like Green Turtle Cay, Marsh Harbor and even Stocking Island, however, has changed for the worse.” But in places like Rum Cay and Crooked Acklins, the land and waters are still pristine and life hasn’t really changed much at all. TD: “Of all the countries you’ve visited under sail over the last three decades, which I understand is something like 27, where would you rate the Bahamas compared to other cruising destinations?” GS: “Places like the Virgin Islands are amazing, the Galapagos are great and the San Blas in Panama are wonderful. Of course the South Pacific is fantastic as are the Line Islands which are so rarely visited by yachts, but the Bahamas are still right up there in the top five with the best of the places I have been to so far.” TD: “Do you think you’ll return there in the foreseeable future, and if so, what do you hope to see when you go?” GS: “I will always love the Bahamas because it is such easy cruising with beautiful, clear water and great fishing, snorkeling, beautiful beaches, shelling, hiking and foraging, caving, and wonderful warm, friendly people. I could go on! One day we will go back and maybe we will spend our waning years cruising Sara in 1998 amongst the islands there.”
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As Free As The Breeze
by Harvey Romeike
Five Men and a Boat Enjoy an eight-Day Australian Voyage
T
his recounts an eight-day return journey by four Australian sailors out of Sydney, on a planned trip to Coffs Harbour on the east coast of Australia in October, 2014 (the Australian spring) aboard a 13-meter sailing vessel built in 1989. The crew consisted of Skipper Bill Humel, Phil Mandelson, Pat Fitzgerald and Harvey Romeike The Plan: Try to sail as far as Coffs Harbour, about 300 nm north of Sydney, conditions permitting. Before setting sail we checked the latest weather forecast, making amendments to the plan as necessary. We had to log in via VHF with the Marine Rescue Service providing boat and crew details with destination ETA as we departed, and log off at the destination. This is standard procedure for coastal yachting in Australia.
With the boat fully provisioned, we discovered a malfunction in the refrigeration system. After discussion we decided to depart immediately and arrange for repairs in Newcastle, counting on our ice supply to preserve all perishables. We encountered light breeze and motor-sailed to our mooring at the basin in Broken Bay. Having made preliminary arrangements for repairs at the Newcastle Marina, we dined on lasagne, then recounted a few humorous sailing stories before bedding down early, excited by our plans. The next day we motor-sailed against a north-northeast breeze for most of the day, benefitting from a strengthen change for the last three hours that enabled us to average seven-plus knots. We were fortunate to observe three pods of dolphins, five whales and one seal, on the way.
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We arrived in the Newcastle Marina at 3:00 pm. The technician, a friendly and knowledgeable fellow from San Francisco, trained by the U.S. Coast Guard, fixed the system in an hour, much to our delight. (We got lucky). Chef Phil then prepared an onboard feast including salmon steaks cooked to perfection. Day three the forecast weather did not materialize. Wind direction and speed changed and unpredicted heavy clouds threatened rain. We left the Marina at 0610 with only a staysail, thinking we would hoist the main after observing sea conditions. Good call. We found a strong southerly (22 to 30 knots), heavy seas (two-five meters) and continuous rain causing low visibility (1/2 mile). These conditions made for uncomfortable sailing. We motor-sailed using the staysail to add stability and some speed. Seas frequently broke over the beam and our seamanship was tested. The on-deck crew were soaked to the skin and cold in spite of our wet weather gear. This part of the coast, called the Stockton Bight, has seen more than a few vessels come to grief in foul weather, but the chartplotter, the sturdy yacht and our seamanship kept us safe, albeit uncomfortable. We encountered at least four more pods of dolphins and two whales, but sadly, could not really enjoy them at the time. Eventually we sighted the distinctive entrance to Port Stephen through the haze, and headed for the east side, tying up in the d’Albora Marina. The balance of the day was spent drying our gear and revising the sailing plan. The forecast was still changing and our plan for Coffs Harbour was not achievable. We rewarded our day’s achievements with a nice restaurant meal and declared the next day to be a “lay day.”
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Port Stephen is a vacation destination well known in Australia and we decided to enjoy the magnificent scenery and wildlife. A delightful protected anchorage called “Fame Cove” seemed like a great venue to chill out and do our planning. We sailed there, taking photographs along the way and tied up to a mooring. A sea eagle pair was nesting on the hillside less than ½ a kilometer away and we got some beautiful shots of their coming and going. We sailed in the morning from Fame Cove to Broughton Island, arriving at Broughton four hours later, anchoring safely in Esmerelda Cove by 1130. Along the way we again sighted three whales. We were entertained by four pods of dolphins, which seemed to be everywhere. It is really exciting to see these wonderful animals, many pods of which reside permanently in the area. The skipper announced that he would prepare his signature luncheon to reward the crew for our performance and to relieve Chef Phil who, as usual, performed superbly in the galley. With lunch and wash-up completed we spent the rest of the day exploring this unique, uninhabited island. The shore party of Bill, Phil and Pat chose to row ashore, saving the outboard for later, while Harvey caught a few rays and looked after the boat. They walked to the north side of the island, took photographs and marvelled at the tranquillity. In the 1800s goats were allowed to roam here to serve as a source of food for shipwrecked sailors who were lucky enough to make it to shore. The goats
are long gone and the sea birds have taken over. It is a pristine spot with the tiny harbour protected on three sides. Another fine meal, full moon and safe anchorage were enjoyed by all. We weighed anchor at 0650, arriving back at Fame Cove five hours later. The dinghy was launched, the motor attached, and we were off to explore a tributary that fed into the cove. We thoroughly enjoyed a scenic, peaceful journey surrounded by mangrove trees and many varieties of eucalyptus trees. We then repacked the dinghy, sailed back to the marina and made plans for a dash south. The revised weather forecasts made us feel uneasy about our chances of making it back to Sydney ahead of a massive storm forming in the Bass Strait, many miles to the South of Australia. Leaving Port Stephen at 0545 we were again escorted by dolphins who took great pleasure in swimming beside the bow and diving beneath us. We lost count of how many there were. About an hour out we were entertained by two adult whales teaching a young calf how to breach. They put on a spectacular show for us. Each year, in the Australian spring (October/November)about 20,000 whales migrate to the Antarctic feeding ground along the coast of Australia, repeating the route, this time heading, northward in the Australian fall (April/May). We experienced following winds which strengthened in the afternoon. The headsail was set on starboard with the spinnaker pole, with the main secured on port by a “preventer” line, thus ensuring we did not jibe. We
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gathered the mooring in Broken Bay about 12 hours after leaving Port Stephen. During the day we all took turns at the helm, but Bill did the lion’s share of the work. Judging by the smile on his face, it probably was a task he relished. Phil pulled out four large steaks which he served with mushroom sauce, potatoes, corn and carrots. Once again the crew survived without one case of scurvy reported. Exhausted, we retired, although Phil and Harvey decide to philosophize for a little after Bill and Pat yelled, “Sayonara mates.” We left the mooring at 0530 with a huge storm front approaching Sydney and forecast to arrive in the afternoon. We arrived safely in Sydney Harbour in three hours. Along the way Phil handled the helm most of the time while Harvey and Pat took photos of the magnificent beaches and headlands along the coast. We have seen these views many times, but are still in awe of them. The customary dolphin escorts showed up again and entertained. Meanwhile, Bill kept a contented smile on his face all the way. Tying up at our dock in Davis Marina (the home of Bill’s boat) about 0945, we packed up and everyone got home by mid afternoon. About eight hours later a fierce storm struck Sydney with heavy rain and winds that topped 150 km/hour, severe flooding and considerable damage. We are good sailors and, on this trip, we were also lucky ones.
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AGreat GreatLakes LakesAdventure Adventure
By Paul Rose
I
got an e-mail from my friend Larry, who is a delivery skipper, asking if I’d be available to crew on the delivery of a Navigator 48 from Montreal, Canada to St. Claire Shores, Michigan, just north of Detroit. Yes! We flew to Montreal and after stowing our gear we took a short walking tour of Montreal and had dinner. After dinner we found a grocery store and the walk there gave us a chance to see more of what I think is a beautiful city. It was clean and neat with pretty gardening and mature trees and shrubbery everywhere. Once the groceries were stowed and we’d familiarized ourselves with the boat, it was time to hit the showers. The Montreal Yacht Club has the nicest bath houses I have seen anywhere: West Coast, East Coast including Annapolis and Newport, R.I., the British Virgins, Puerto Rico or Mexico. After topping off with fuel we got underway and proceeded to the St. Lawrence Lock, then up
the canal to the Cote St. Catherine Lock. Here there were four boats locking through and we had a boat nested alongside. Out of the lock we went under the Kahnawake Bridge to the Lower Beauharnois Lock where we had a different boat tied alongside. From it we went to and through the Upper Beauharnois Lock with the same boat alongside as before. After passing under the St. Louis Bridge we headed for the Valley Field Bridge. The chart said that we should contact the bridge tender by radio to make sure he had seen us, but we couldn’t raise him on the radio and the air horn didn’t get any response either. After numerous tries, I called the Ottawa Coast Guard on the radio and asked if we’d missed a Notice to Mariners about bridge work. The woman at the Coast Guard called back and said the bridge authority was trying to contact the bridge tender and about 10 minutes later the bridge opened. We passed through it and under the second Valley Field
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Bridge to the fuel dock at the Valley Field Marina. After breakfast the next morning we got underway and headed up the channel in Lake St. Francis, through the Gross Point flow break to Snell Lock and from there to Eisenhower Lock. From Eisenhower Lock we pulled into the fuel pier at Chrysler Park Marina. When we got fuel we were told that we’d have to be gone before 9:00 am the next morning, or wait until after until after 5:00 pm because it was regatta weekend and the channel would be closed. The area really goes all out for the weekend. The marina was packed and people were partying between boats and having a great time. The next morning we left in a light mist and headed for the Iroquois Lock. I was hoping that the real rain would hold off until we got through the lock and we lucked out with no rain. The lift was only about six
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inches and we were quickly through it. Shortly after we passed the Three Sisters Islands to enter the Thousand Islands. It started to pour and visibility decreased to less than a quarter of a mile. At Ogdensburg, NY it cleared for awhile, but it didn’t last for long and when we were in one of the narrowest parts of the seaway the rain came down in torrents and the wind blew like stink. Through the rain we saw what looked like a castle, and as we got closer we could see Singer Castle. According to the post card I bought later, Singer Castle sits on Dark Island and was completed in 1904 as a 28-room “hunting retreat” with a five-story clock tower. It was built by Frederick Gilbert “Commodore” Bourne, who served as Commodore of the New York Yacht Club and was president of Singer Sewing Machine Company. It served as a private residence for 100 years, but is now open for tours. We continued on in the wind and rain for Alexandria Bay, NY, where Boldt Castle sits on Heart Island. It’s 120 rooms and is six stories high. It was built in the early 1900s by George Boldt, the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, for his wife. The castle wasn’t finished due to the death of his wife in 1904, and sat until 1977 when the Thousand Island Authority acquired it. We called the marina for a berth and due to the weather the dock master had already left for the day. But, she came back in and put us in a berth right at the end of a city street. Of course, as soon as we got tied up the rain stopped. We walked into town and had dinner at a place called Riley’s which was right on the water at the end of what I think is the main street of town. This area is so pretty it would be nice to spend an entire summer there.
After topping off with fuel the next morning we got underway in beautiful weather for Rochester, NY. There were 160 crews for the J-70 Nationals in Rochester, so we stayed at the fuel pier overnight. We left early the next morning because we wanted to get through the Welland Canal before our next stop. We cleared Canadian Customs and fueled at Port Delhousie and headed to the small craft waiting area at lock number one. AT 5:10 PM we were cleared to enter number one in company with a Bertram 46 that had been converted for charter fishing. At lock two we had to wait for a freighter to exit and then we went through it and up the canal to lock three. Locks four, five and six were out of one lock and into the next with no canal in between; more like a single three stage lock. In lock four the lock tender positioned us close behind the Bertram and we came within 10 or 15 feet of each other during the flooding of the lock. I asked them to call ahead and position us farther apart in the next two locks, which they gladly did. It got dark between locks six and seven and the Bertram turned on some blue lights at the waterline that completely ruined a person’s night vision from behind him. He didn’t show a stern light and I don’t know if he had any side lights. Lock seven was supposed to be the worst lock on the canal, but it wasn’t any harder than any of the others. The distance between locks seven and eight was 14 or more miles. When we left lock seven the Bertram took off like he was late for dinner or something, even though the speed limit on the canal was six knots and they made him wait at lock eight for us.
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The Welland Canal has white lights on each side, much like street lights on a city street. Up high on the bridge of a ship, or down low on a boat like a runabout, they’re probably useful. But when on a boat at about the same level, as we were, they tended to ruin my night vision. Approaching lock eight I thought I was looking at the red light that would let us know when we could enter the lock, but it turned out to be a traffic light on the street alongside us and we still had a couple of miles to the lock. Lock eight was only about a six-inch lift and we didn’t even tie up. By 2:00 am we were tied up and ready for some sleep. The next morning we were underway by 8:00 am and into Lake Erie, which had two-foot waves which were building. We were shipping whitewater most of
the day and the waves continued to build. We only saw three ships and one other boat all day. The other boat came up on our port side on a constant bearing, decreasing range, and when I determined he wasn’t going to change course or speed I slowed and let him cross our bow. Turned out to be another charter fishing boat. We tied up at Geneva State Park in Geneva on the Lake, Ohio and once again cleared back into the U.S. The next morning the Lake had smoothed way down and we increased speed to 18 knots for St. Claire Shores. We went up the Detroit River and almost all the way across Lake St. Claire and then turned out of the channel for the marina about three miles away. Shortly after we tied up, the owner arrived and we turned the boat over to him. Now I want to do the Erie Canal!
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Life Aboard
Editor Robin Stout Aboard Mermaid
In our last issue we asked liveaboards about living on or off the grid; solar, wind or plug in to a marina. Here are some responses.
W
e are a cruising boat based in the Eastern Caribbean for the last three-plus years, living off the grid 99% of the time. The boat is a Pearson 530 built in 1981. On board we have 800 amp hours for our house battery bank and a completely separate 4D battery for the main engine and generator start. These batteries are kept topped off during the day by the two 275 watt solar panels bolted to our bimini. The solar runs an inverter which handles various appliances such as the microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, or power tools. Approximately 90% of our fuel consumption goes to an 8kW Onan generator, which typically runs an hour in the morning and two hours at night. We use the generator for topping up the batteries when the solar isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working (overcast days, excessive power usage at night, etc), the
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watermaker, cooking, and the 110V refrigeration. About 10% of our fuel feeds the main engine for the times we need to motor in or out of anchorages. We seek a fuel dock perhaps three times a year. In an ideal world we would add a wind generator to keep the batteries topped up at night and for those rare overcast days with wind. Our refrigeration system is original to the boat and the boxes are very inefficient – re-insulating those and adding a 12V system along with more solar panels and a bigger battery bank would greatly reduce our generator time. Of course, with all this, we would want to remove the electric stove/oven and replace it with propane. The boat was originally built with electric
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cooking, as the USCG did not allow propane on charter boats in the ‘80s. Provided there is wind and/or sun, this set up would render the generator almost entirely obsolete. We joke that this “ideal” set up will happen one day.... when gold barnacles start growing on the hull! So for now, we’re out cruising and making do with what we have! Nikki Segal S/V Skipping Stone
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Life Aboard M
y wife Pat and I cut the dock lines in 2008 and moved from of a comfortable four bedroom suburban home to a 42’ sailboat to go cruising. We knew we wanted the self sufficiency to explore remote areas away from marinas, but we also knew that a minimalist camping on the water lifestyle was not in the cards. Comfort, convenience and reliability were key criteria as we augmented and improved the systems aboard Threepenny Opera, our Catalina 42. We decided early on that an inboard diesel generator would take up too much valuable space aboard, so we increased the size of our battery bank to 900Ah and added 520 watts of solar panels. Most of our major
systems run on 12V and a few like our 32” LED TV and the time-saving rice cooker run off of our 2000 watt inverter. Ordinarily the solar panels keep up with our power demands but in our Bahamas and Caribbean cruising grounds, about 25% of the time, solar alone is not enough, so our battery charger takes up the slack to top off our batteries. Whether we are on the hook or in a marina, we live the same way so the only difference in the operation of the boat is the source of the power we use to run our
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battery charger. At a dock we use shore power and on the hook we fire up our trusty Honda 2000 generator when required. Either way our watermaker keeps our tanks full, laundry goes into a machine and we always have ice and cold beer. We are seven years into an open-ended cruise and apart from routine maintenance, all of our systems are still performing well and permit us to stay away from docks for months at a stretch. Pat & Addison Chan S/V Threepenny Opera
Want to contribute to the next issue? If you are working from your boat, send us a paragraph or two about what you do and how you do it. Include a photo to robin@cruisingoutpost.com and who knows, you may see your story here.
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Whale of a Tale By Capt G aboard S/V • • ••• • •• • • • ,
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Along with my wife Kaija, I have been cruising full time for the past 10 years aboard our Beneteau 50, Kaija’s Song. We spent the first eight years sailing throughout the entire Caribbean and have been making our way, leisurely, for the past two years from Panama through the South Pacific. Like many world cruisers, we frequently trail a line or two while offshore in the hopes of getting some fresh fish to liven up our daily diet. While I have had some success fishing, as in every cruiser’s life, there is that one fishing story that you forever remember as the ‘Big one that got away’. Well, on day three of our recent passage from Suwarrow, Cook Islands to Pago Pago, American Samoa, I got my story and it goes like this... After two days of ‘not a nibble’ I was determined to catch something... anything. So on the morning of day three I rigged up my trusty Penn reel with a 10” double treble-hooked red and white large-lipped Rappella in tandem with a 10” double #9-hooked blue and white silverheaded bullet and laid it out 150 feet behind the boat… and waited. I didn’t have to wait long. About two minutes later the reel started spooling fast... and I mean smokin’ fast. I got myself seated behind the reel and knew I was gonna need my heavy leather working gloves to save my hands from being cut or burned by the line. I started applying drag to the line, but it just kept running. I grabbed the line with my left gloved hand an d it felt like the high E string on my Peruvian Charango... it was hummin’ and my hand was on fire. WOW... OUCH... my glove was smoking. I had hooked me a BIG fish! As I was contemplating my next move the line went slack. OH NO... an angler’s worst nightmare... my fish was gone. I started to reel in the slack line and as I did, I
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noticed that the line was moving faster toward the boat than I was reeling. Then I saw and felt the line start to tension as it raced up beside and past the boat. This is akin to watching one of your automobile’s tires rolling past you as you are driving down the highway… it just ain’t right! Then the slippery sucker dove; the line went straight down. We were in over 3000 feet of water and I only had 600 feet of 85-lb test on the Penn. Experience has taught me that you have to let the fish tire itself out, meaning, you have to give and take on the line and when they want to fight and run, let ‘em run, gently apply a little drag, tire ‘em out and when they stop for a rest, reel ‘em in. That’s the theory and as long as the fish has read the same book as you, it works! My luck... my fish was either a non-reader or just didn’t care! Now, all of the above happened quite quickly... faster than I can type it, but it can seem like a lifetime when you are ‘caught up in the moment.’ Believe you me, if you ever want to quit worrying about the small stuff in your life, try this same exercise. It was about this time that I heard Kaija shouting, “Look Honey, it’s a whale!” Now this is just what every anxious angler hopes to hear... meaning, “Wow, look at the size of that fish.” However, this is not was Kaija meant. She meant, “Elmer, It’s a WHALE. A pilot whale. WOW! LOOK… THERE ARE TWO OF THEM!”... and she was right! There, at the end of my line, was the biggest ‘fish’ I have ever had the pleasure of being hooked up with. It appeared to be a Minke pilot whale of approximately eight - 10 meters (now, for you all that aren’t into that metric stuff that’s about 25 - 30 ffffeeeeet!). Yikes! And weighing in at somewhere around three tons.
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I may not be the brightest fisherman to cast a hook, but I know when I have met my match. This just wasn’t gonna happen. My fish had surfaced to take a look at just who/ what stupid jerk was trying to take his lunch, and being as it was my lure (and not a cheap one either), I felt a certain right of ownership and dearly wished to retrieve it. My chances looked slim, but being the ever hopeful fisherman that I am I thought I might be able to ‘play’ this mammoth maritime monster up to the boat and convince Kaija to reach down and pry open its wee teeth and retrieve my Lucky Lure. But in my heart of hearts I knew that was a non-starter and about as likely to happen as me having whale bone soup for dinner. So.... I did what any smart angler would do... I applied full brake and started to reel in the line knowing full well that at some point in the very near future, Wally Whale would say, “OK, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” Now, this suddenly brought to mind the story of a man named Bill Butler. We met Bill in the Canary Islands in 1992 when we were taking part in the America 500, a race celebrating the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ passage to the new world. Bill and his wife decided to sail to the Galapagos from Florida back in the mid ‘80s, and about 400 miles west of Panama ran into a pod of pilot whales. Or should I say, they ran into him, literally. Holed and SUNK his boat leaving him and his wife stranded in a small four-man coastal emergency life raft (the four-man coastal is large enough for one person and a rabbit) for 66 days. They were ultimately rescued and the first thing that happened when they stepped ashore was that his wife asked for a divorce. Bill wrote of his adventure in a book called Last Chance and gave us a signed copy when we met. So, this memory was flashing through my salty synapses while Kaija was saying, “WOW those are really big fish!” I’m thinking, “UH UH. I don’t need no miffed Minke mammal pickin’ a fight with das boat and my story ending up like Bill’s.” It was time to bid farewell to my precious lure and save my ship and my dignity. As luck would have it, seems like Mr. Fish Sticks had already decided his future, and with the brake on full he disappeared beneath the waves. My line starting humming once more and after a few seconds I felt the dreaded pop as the line parted and he was gone. So that’s my story... and so begs the question, “What shall I call this story? ‘Captain G meets Moby D’s little B!’ or ‘Wally Whale Tackles Lure, Wins Whale Tale Award?’ ” Regardless of the title, it’s already a great memory for me. I don’t even have to make the fish grow as I retell it. Believe me... he was big enough!
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Cruising Outposts He’e Tai Inn Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
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I’m 94% sure I’m going to die in a “Running in Flip Flops” incident.
The He’e Tai Inn began with the renovation of the house Rose Courser was living in to make a restaurant/bar. She added a large 18’x30’ room for dining, and a terrace big enough to handle 20 people plus the entertainment. That has now become the He’e Tai Inn & Restaurant and the terrace is one of the favorite places to eat in the village. Their ‘soirées, an evening of roast pig (in the ground) with a dance group has become a favorite with cruisers. This hotel has become a favorite of the yachting visitors. It also houses a museum of the ancient culture, with items dating back to 300BC. This is THE place for cruisers, and we can’t wait to get back to the paradise known as the He’e Tai.
Cruising Outposts Cruiser-Friendly
The South
I’m 94% sure I’m going to die in a “Running in Flip Flops” incident.
Margaritaville Casino 160 5th Street Biloxi, Mississippi
Bahamas
Sunrise Resort Grand Bahama Bahamas
Long Island Breeze Long Island The Bahamas
Nipper’s Great Guana The Bahamas
Places World-Wide
Florida
California
The Dockside Tropical Cafe Boot Key, Marathon,
The Chowder Barge Leeward Bay Marina Wilmington, CA
Michigan
BVIs
Port of Delcambre 307 Isadore Street Delcambre, Louisiana
Corsairs Great Harbor Jost Van Dyke, BVIs
Pusser’s Marina Cay British Virgin Islands
Bitter End Yacht Club North Sound Virgiin Gorda, BVIs
Jolly Rover II Key West Florida
North County Grill & Pub 420 St Joseph Ave Suttonbay , Michigan
Kentucky
The Shed 7501 Hwy 57 Ocean Springs, Miss
Neptune’s Treasure Anegada
Myett’s Bar, Grill & Hotel Fish & Lime Cane Garden Bay Soper’s Hole British Virgin Islands Tortola, BVIs
Key Lime Sailing Club Key Largo Florida
S. Dakota
South Pacific
The Shed 5753 Old Shell Road Mobile, Alabama
The Mango Bar & Cafe Moorings Charter Base Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Bloody Mary’s On The Beach Bora Bora
Rose Corser's He'e Tai Inn BP 21, Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesa
Mexico
Dixie Barbeque 3301 N. Roan St Johnson City, Tenn
Latitude 22 Roadhouse By the power plant Cabo San Lucas, Mex
Marina Nayarite La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico
Green Turtle Bay Resort 263 Green Turtle Bay Drive Green River, KY
Indiantown Marina 16300 SW Famel Ave Indiantown, Florida
Panama
El Milagro Hotel/Marina Ave Rueda Medina Isla Mujeres, Mexico
The Bocas Del Torro Bocas Del Torro, Panama
Lewis & Clark Resort Highway 52 Yankton, SD
Massachusetts
Kingman Yacht Center Cataumet, MA
Here’s a few places that are all cruiser friendly and are “official” Cruising Outposts!
The Shed 15094 Mills Road Gulfport, Mississippi
El Cid Marina Puerto Morelos Mexico
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El Cid Marina Mazatlan Mexico
Marina Vallarta Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Know a kewl place that welcomes cruisers? Tell’em to sign up at wwwcruisingoutpost.com
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Cruising Outpost Event News If It’s Gonna Happen It’s Gonna Happen Out There Issue #10
Evening Edition
Spring 2015
One Week Sailing Camp
Join Bob & Jody at a One-Week Sailing Camp at the Vinoy in Beautiful St. Pete
C
ruising Outpost is joining with Jeff & Jean from Two Can Sail to bring cruisers from all over together for a week of sailing, information and fun. It all takes place June 19-26, 2015, at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida. Join Head Counselors Jody & Bob Bitchin and Two Can Sail’s Jeff & Jean for a funfilled week of sailing, learning and nautical fun and games! Opening with a scavenger hunt on the docks, and framed by a welcome cocktail, midweek pirate and closing regatta parties, we’ll have a full slate of sailing activities both on the water and ashore. Mornings will start with breakfast and a local weather briefing, followed by a selection of three-hour, handson clinics or on-the-water
sailing skills practice. C a m p e r s choose from a variety of topics which range from the basics to more advanced subjects and Ladies Only clinics will be held all week long. Daily seminars will cover topics like safety at sea, a life raft demo, and “Sea Tales with Bob Bitchin.” In addition to the seminars, campers will be offered a unique opportunity
Lee Chesneau Weather Class For Cruisers
to tour the Catalina Factory with Yacht Designer Gerry Douglas. Afternoons: Campers enjoy fun sails with instructors on a variety of boats that will range from 30’ to 50’. Sail to practice your skills and learn from the captain, or just sail for the fun of it!
It’s Almost that Time Again. R U Ready for Texas? The folks in Texas seem to really know how to have a good time. For the fifth year we will be hosting a gathering of the Texas boaters for a little “get-together” at the South Shore Harbor Marina just outside Houston. The dates are March 26-29 and everyone is invited to enjoy some good music, free pizza, cold
beer and the camaraderie of all the other boaters from one of the best boating areas in the country. Last year the TMCA held the record for the largest group to show up. Let’s see who can top them. After all, Texans love a good party. You can keep up with all the latest on the South West International Boat Show online!
20th Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show and CO Cruisers’ Party For those of you who live on the left coast, the time is drawing near for the best Strictly Sail Show on the coast. The Pacific Strictly Sail Boat Show is being held once again at Jack London Square in Oakland April 9th thru 12th. The party will once again have the Eric Stone Band from Marathon, Florida to handle the
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entertainment, and there will be free beer, wine, soft drinks, and of course, plenty of free pizza! This year’s raffle grand prize is a one-week catamaran charter in the Caribbean from Dream Yacht Charters and the proceeds go to benefit the Matthew Turner Tall Ship being built by the Educational Tall Ship Foundation in Sausalito.
Mosquitos Bugging Ya? Here’s a low-cost option to keep the bugs at bay on a boat. When anchored near the shore mosquitos can be attracted to your boat by the light. Just stick a couple dryer sheets around the cockpit and companionway. Bugs hate the smell and stay away!
Cruiser’s need to know how to “read” the weather. Lee Chesneau, a 35-year Senior Forecaster at NOAA and for the US Navy has scheduled classes! Lee Chesneau’s Marine Weather gives the seagoing mariner the knowledge, tools & self-reliance for decision-making in weather forecasting, route planning and heavy weather avoidance. His 2 or 5 day courses are a must. See more at www. leechesneaumarineweather. com. Cruising Outpost is a proud sponsor of his events
Looking for Boating Info or Boating Discussions? Need a ride? Sail into an event? Need to share expenses on a trip? There are a lot of single sailors looking for people to help share expenses to and from events, and a lot of people without boats who’d love to go. Visit our forum to see what you can find! www. cruisingoutpost.com/forum
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One Day Record on FB The below Facebook post on New Year’s Eve set a new one-day record for people reached by a single post. It was our regular “Drift” of photos sent in by you, our readers!
Oh, the Indignities! Jody & Bob stopped by Eric & Kim Stone’s Dockside Tropical Cafe in Marathon Key for a Bob Bitchin’s Big Bad Beach Burger. While there a reader ordered the same, and wanted Bob to serve it. Now THAT’s full service!
Cruising Outpost Staffer Wins Miss International SCUBA Title Representing the USA, our Director of Social Media (and staff granddaughter) won the Miss SCUBA International title at the recent SCUBA Pageant held on Thanksgiving in Malaysia. After traveling through Europe and filming a SCUBA special for China television in Malaysia, Tabitha is once again back in the US. on protecting our oceans, and Aside from winning the Miss to celebrate the inner beauty SCUBA International title, she has and courage of today’s modern also been signed on to represent women, as well as to advocate for Body Glove at SCUBA events all worldwide marine conservation. over the world. The Miss SCUBA International Tabitha’s “Day Job” aside from pageant was held at the beautiful handling social media for Cruising Sipadan-Mabul Resort. Next year Outpost, is as a reporter for several it will be in El Gouna, Egypt. outlets including Fox Sports in San Tabitha holds a Bachelors Diego, as well as degree in an instructor and Journalism from pilot for Jetpack the University of America (yes, Texas, and is very water jetpacks). active in SCUBA The Miss diving, sailing, and S C U B A really, everything International to do with water. pageant was Her next trip held for the will be through very first Asia and Australia. time in 2011. Follow her @ Tabitha (on the right in red suit) Its focus is tabithalipkin posing for a Body Glove ad Layout
Fast Thinkin’ A woman is standing nude looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, “I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.” The husband replies, “Your eyesight’s damn near perfect.” WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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You know he’s a sailor when he can tell you everything about a boat sailing by and doesn’t recognize his wife! Cruising Outpost 155
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St. Petersburg 14th Annual Boat Show Cruisersʻ Party
The party barge was full, but people found places to hang out and enjoy the show!
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This is where the cruisers’ parties originated. Back in 2001 we decided that cruisers needed a good reason to come to a boat show. What better reason than free beer, free pizza and good music? This year over 700 people packed onto the party barge inside the show, and the good times rolled! Eric Stone and Steve Hall were on hand to handle the music, all they way up from Marathon Key where Eric’s Dockside Tropical Cafe is the Official Cruising Outpost. There were many at this year’s party that were at the very first one. Probably the largest “group” was from Dock 4 across the channel there in St. Pete. It seems they met at one of the first Cruisers’ Parties and decided they needed to have a Friday night gathering on their dock. For the past few years, the night before the “Official” Cruisers’ Party, the Cruising Outpost staff hang out over on Dock 4 for the “pre-party” event. The raffle this year was exciting with the proceeds going to Educational Tall Ship, Inc. for the Mathew W. Turner, which is a new tall ship being built for the Call of the Sea Foundation, teaching kids teamwork and the beauty of sail. This year’s party would not have been possible without the help of so many people that make it happen. This year’s event was
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This group meets here each year for the event. Some of them come down from Georgia just for this party.
These people seem to be having a good time. The circular bar in the middle of the barge was a great place to hang.
cosponsored by Harken, Mack Sails, Blue Sky Energy, Chafe-Pro, Murray Yacht Sales, Kanberra, The Jolly Rover II sailing out of Key West, Dream Yacht Charter, Coppercoat, SeaTech Systems, Tradewinds Radio from the Caribbean and of course, the folks at Boat Show Management. Also this year, Budweiser supplied the beer!
Next year will be the 15th Annual Cruiser’ Party and we are really looking forward to it. And just a little “spoiler alert” - we will have some great Party Shirts for the 15th annual event. Once again, we want to thank everyone who makes these events possible, specially those who attend!
The band was going strong, and when they played Eric Stone’s conga song the crowd started to snake their way thru the crowded barge.
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Bet these sailors don’t have a problem catching a ride on the weekend! WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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I Found It At The Boat Show Since we get to (have to??) spend a lot of time at boat shows, we figured we probably should do some actual work. Strangely enough, drinking Painkillers and eating show-dogs doesn’t quite measure up to what the IRS people think is work. So, in order to be able to write off all the boat show expenses, we actually have to walk around and find new stuff to feature in the magazine. It’s not an easy job, but someone’s gotta do it!
Quickiline Flat Rope & Reel Quick & Easy Stern Anchoring... Always Ready!
The Quickline Flat Rope & Reel, made of 316L stainless steel, provides a compact system for storing line on board for instant accessibility, whether used for anchor line, stern tying, dinghy towing, jacklines, or wherever extra line is needed. These flat ropes are designed to stretch as loads increase - absorbing sudden hard surges without undue strain on your deck cleats. They’re available in 131, 200, 265, and 377’ lengths. The durable Delrin® reel bearings and Teflon® fairleads ensure a smooth and trouble-free operation. The Quickline Flat Rope Reel is easily mounted to railing with the included mounting bracket, or to flat surfaces using readily available hardware. The included winding handle also fits a standard winch socket. It features a shackle buster, deck filler keys - even a bottle opener. If you’d like more info the Quickline Flat Rope & Reel, go to www.quickline.us.
There are floating and sinking types of flat rope available, ranging from 2,700 lbs to 6600 lbs.
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I Found It At The Boat Show
poly-planar MRD85i It has Bluetooth, AM/FM and an Internal DMD Dock
Sounds on a sailboat are part of the ambiance of sailing. Good sailing music playing in the background with the waves lapping at the hull as you cut thru the water, well, it’s magic. The folks at Poly-Planar have given a lot of thought to how to best get those sounds. They’ve been doing it for years. When it comes to water and corrosion proof marine and outdoor sound systems they continue to set the standard as an innovator in technology and design. They long ago realized conventional boat systems needed a little more than your auto or home system. Now they have come out with a new and innovative stereo built for the marine environment. The new MRD85i is an AM/FM stereo with internal docking station for your digital music devices like iPod®, MP3 or Smartphone devices. Just insert your digital music device and play your music. It’s a full-featured waterproof marine stereo, waterproof designed, engineered, and optimized specifically for the marine environment.
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It has an adjustable backlight display with a flip-down face design. It also has an SD Card Reader available at the front and USB Input available to play your music from a USB Flash drive. Additional AUX Input is available at the back. Wired and Wireless Remotes are also available (sold separately). There’s also a gimbal mount option that allows the unit to mount anywhere from top to bottom. The magnetic cell is equipped with a unique “Vibration Absorber” system for resistance to hull pounding and vibration - this is only available on the Offshore 115 for powerboats (or sailboats taking a pounding!). Oh, and did we mention this new unit comes with a five year warranty? Well, it does, AND there are a lot more little things, like adjustable backlight, built-in IR receiver, front and back waterproofed to IP66 specs, included sun cover and flipdown face to access SD cards and DMD doc. This new unit is now available at Poly-Planar dealers and you can get more info at www.polyplanar.com.
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I Found It At The Boat Show
Garhauer Marine Building Travelers for Easy Sail Handling
Right across from us at the Chicago Boat Show were the folks from Garhauer. During the slack times I would wander over and check out what they had that was new. It was there that I realized most of what they make in the way of travelers are “new items.” You could probably say that each traveler that Garhauer produces is a new product. That’s because they are available in so many styles and types, each one is made to fit the application that it’s is designed for.
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The two original founders of Garhauer, and their families, are active sailors. They have four boats in the family which they refer to as their “Test Labs.” This real-world experience is what makes their travelers work so well. Here you see just a few of the styles available. They make them with the control lines on either side, both sides, or, well, you get the idea. If you are looking to make your sail handling a little easier, check into Garhauer at www.garhauermarine.com.
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I Found It At The Boat Show
Firefly Oasis Battery A Truly New Concept - Carbon Foam AGM – Group 31
Well, technically we did find this kewl new battery at a boat show. You see, Bruce Schwab of OceanPlanet Energy donated it for our raffle at the Newport International Boat Show Cruisers’ Party. Bruce is a well known sailor who circumnavigated the globe twice on his Open 60 racing yacht, Ocean Planet, and is the first American to officially complete the famous Vendée Globe Race (2004–2005). Firefly’s technology, which is used in the Oasis battery, was born in 2007 in the Research and Development laboratory of Caterpillar, Inc. The patented technology won the 2007 “R&D 100” Award as well as the 2007 Wall Street Journal “Technology Innovation” Award. Firefly’s patented technology is an innovative material science that removes almost all limitations of current lead-acid battery products. Firefly discovered that much
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of the lead in the grid structure of conventional batteries can be replaced with a totally new type of grid material, carbon foam. Sulfation is what usually kills AGM batteries. The Oasis carbon foam AGM can operate or be stored at a partial state of charge for long periods of time without a loss in capacity. It can discharge to 80%100% of rated capacity with no loss of performance as well as being capable of 3X the number of deep discharge cycles than other lead acid batteries. The performance range is -20° C to 50° C. The cost of these new batteries is not cheap, but they make up for it in battery life and the fact that you can bulk-charge them without damage to the battery. You wanted to see something new? This is it. For more go to Bruce’s OceanPlanet Energy website: oceanplanetenergy.com.
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Critters Aboard: The Life of Riley Riley is an active dog. At nine years old he has the stamina, speed, playfulness, and energy that a lot of dogs only have as puppies. This isn’t to boast about how cool our dog is (he is pretty cool though), but these are all hallmarks of his breed: the Hungarian Viszla. Riley is part of our family, as most dogs are these days. As an older dog we weren’t sure how he would adapt to living on a boat, but we were sure we weren’t going to give him up. After six months aboard we are happy to report that he has been one of the biggest surprise successes of our cruising life. That’s not to say there haven’t been challenges, or moments of frustration. There have (many). Foremost amongst the challenges was the issue of where Riley does his business. We purchased a little green AstroTurf mat specifically designed to let dogs go to the bathroom aboard boats. It doesn’t work for us, nor many other cruisers with old dogs, as we learned. We spent hours the first few days aboard walking him up to the bow encouragingly and repetitively saying, “do your pee-pees on the mat Riley, pee-pees on the mat.” He would look at us, then gaze off longingly towards the nearest island. We had read about just letting the dog hold it and eventually they would go. From what we researched it doesn’t hurt the dog and once they do go on the boat you should praise them and they will realize it’s okay. So we waited, and waited a bit more. Around the 30-hour mark Riley finally gave in and of all places, squatted and relieved himself in the shower stall (a good place since we can pump it overboard). Praise and treats followed and we thought at least we can get him to go there and just clean it up each time. We waited again, and the next morning we awoke to find that he had an accident in his sleep and the towel he
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By Bill Regan
was sleeping on was soaked. Not wanting to force an incontinence issue on our pet, and due to his obvious discomfort at holding it for so long, we gave in and have dinghied him to shore multiple times a day since then. Going to shore for a bathroom break can be inconvenient, say, if its pouring rain. Sometimes we push the envelope and Riley will hold it longer since he hates being out in the rain anyway. It has also limited our passagemaking ability. It wasn’t a problem to cross the Gulf Stream in 12-14 hours since he routinely holds it that long overnight, but anything over 24 hours between anchorages is pushing it. It wasn’t a problem in the Bahamas with a plethora of islands and beaches, but it has been a little more problematic to find places to take him ashore in the US since much of the shoreline is private. Luckily, he doesn’t mind going to the bathroom if his body is submerged in water, as long as his paws touch earth. On passages in open water, or if conditions become rough, Riley wears a harness and is tethered to our arch. We usually set up his dog bed on the leeward side of the boat and it makes a nice little nook for him to curl up into. He will stay there for hours just looking over the side and watching the waves. Coming up the ICW in calm inland waters, we gave him more free reign of the boat while underway. His favorite spot was under the boom in the shade, and being higher on the cabin top gives him an unobstructed view all around. We often joke that Riley prefers “the little fast boat,” our dinghy, to Wanderer, our 32’ Pearson. Much like dogs love to ride in cars with their heads out the window, he enjoys a good fast dinghy ride which usually ends up with us going to play on shore as a bonus for him. We keep a few dog toys and poop bags in the dinghy bag, so we are always
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prepared. Sometimes we tether him to the dinghy as we ride around, or one of us will have to be on “dog overboard patrol” and keep him from hopping up on the inflatable tube as he is wont to do. He’s only gone overboard two times when he jumped a little too early for the dock on our approach. At least he is a good swimmer. Riley eats a special food made of lamb and rice, as he has some chicken or beef allergy. So when we set out to the Bahamas we were sure to bring several bags worth. We break each 40-lb. bag of dog food down into gallon sized Ziplocs and then store all of those in a large dry sack in our cockpit lockers. Every few days he goes through a Ziploc bag worth and we get another from the locker. We haven’t lost any of his food to moisture contamination or spoilage in this way. We try and reuse the Ziplocs as much as possible. The companionway on Wanderer is steep; basically a ladder. There’s no way even an athletic dog like Riley could make it down, so my wife and father-in-law built a platform that connects from the second step down to a half wall that separates our dinette from the galley. Now Riley can easily hop down one step onto the platform, hop onto the dinette settee and onto the cabin sole or across to the other settee. The platform doubles as a place to have him stop and wipe his feet off, or can be used as extra counter space in the galley. Most dogs shed, and ours is no exception. It’s something you just have to deal with whether in a home or on a boat. For cleaning up below decks we use swiffer wipes and a specifically designed pet hair vacuum by Bissell. Riley can be a vocal dog. He has adopted Wanderer as his home and is ready to defend her against all comers. In many ways that is a good thing, but when we are staying at
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a marina and leaving him home alone we don’t want to have him disturbing the neighbors with every person who walks by. To that end we’ve employed a bark collar that is activated at a certain decibel level and squirts a fine mist of citronella. In theory that is enough to deter him from barking. In practice, it works most of the time, but if he really wants to let someone have it, he keeps barking which is fine. We’d rather have him be able to deter an intruder than appease our neighbors. There are those times where he seems to be constantly under foot, or the barking gets under your skin, or there is drool all over the settee, but all in all he has made a fine transition to life on board. He doesn’t exude any signs of seasickness, he loves to swim and play on a beach, and being a little older he doesn’t mind lying around for a few hours when we are moving between anchorages. Riley has enhanced our trip even more by being an excellent conversation piece amongst strangers, be they locals or fellow cruisers. In most Bahamian settlements we couldn’t walk more than a block before someone wanted to know what kind of dog Riley is, as he is vastly different looking than most of the island “potcakes.” We even met two other boats in the Bahamas cruising with Viszlas on board! Ironically enough, the first boat that pulled into the marina next to us on South Bimini right after our Gulf Stream crossing had a Viszla, “Hercules,” on board. The two became fast friends and had a great time swimming and playing on the beach together. Boat dogs are common out there. Everything from Chihuahuas to Newfoundlands are living aboard. If you have a dog in your life and are considering going cruising or living aboard, go for it! The dog will just be happy being around you all day, and you the same.
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To See Or Not To See, That Is The Question By Bill Cook
Of all the human senses, sight is the most vulnerable. Our senses of smell, taste, and hearing are protected within our bodies, and the sense of touch is protected by the relative toughness of our skin, or through the added safety of wearing gloves. Our eyes, however, are open for business throughout each waking hour. And, there are few places they are more vulnerable to bright light, glare, and UV radiation than when sailing. Thus, since what we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know can hurt us, it might
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be good to rethink the need for the right sunglasses. There are many types of sunglasses. Some offer little protection; some offer all we could need. The most popular merely mask direct light and glare, giving the wearer a measure of temporary relief. Polarized models can greatly enhance our visibility and contrast in glare-filled environments. Still others provide protection against harmful UVB (Ultra Violet B) radiation that, with continued exposure, can result
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in a number of painful eye problems, diseases, and even cancer! What level of protection do you need? And, are you getting it? Let’s have a look.
BASIC TINTS Without a doubt, the sunglasses displayed on the endcaps of grocery stores and pharmacies are the most common for both landlubber and sailor. They come in a variety of tints, each with its own degree of light attenuation and contrast enhancement. Their limited protection comes from the ability to reduce the light entering our eyes across a large part of the visible spectrum, with more emphasis placed on certain wavelengths. The most popular of these tints are green, gray, and brown. Those who already wear corrective lenses, and who spend a great deal of time on the water, may find it beneficial to have a tint added to their ophthalmic lenses. In this way, they will not have to frequently switch glasses, which is always a pain … especially if you have mislaid one or the other. Guilty! It’s amazing that some binocular companies specify the lens coatings on their binoculars, “Stop 100% of harmful UV rays.” Considering glass alone stops UVB at a rate of about 90% per millimeter, there are no UVB rays even getting through the objective lenses! But then, I am sure some people are quite impressed by the assertion.
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PRESCRIPTIONS With prescription sunglasses, you may also select from an almost endless number of light-dampening combinations. During my first extended stay in Florida, and finding conventional lens coatings inadequate for my sensitive eyes, I had my ophthalmic lenses double coated, with a third gradient tint placed at the top of the lenses, so as to be most helpful when the sun was highest in the sky. That did the trick. Or did it? It should be remembered that, while these lenses can reduce the need to squint from bright light and glare, they offer little or no protection from UV radiation, unless the lenses are really glass—as opposed to plastic or polycarbonate.
BLUE BLOCKERS Probably the most common sunglasses for boaters are “blue blockers.” These amber coated lenses greatly attenuate many of the blue wavelengths of the spectrum and increase contrast. There is also scientific evidence that excessive exposure to blue light is harmful to our eyes, possibly causing diseases such as macular degeneration. Many of us see “blue” as just a primary “color.” Actually, blue is really a number of wavelengths of light from about 450nm to 495nm. More than you wanted to know? Okay; it’s just blue.
MIRROR COATED LENSES Less popular for the boater, but still important to appreciate, are mirrored or “flash” coated lenses. Popular
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The new style Revo glasses cut glare and wind as well.
with state troopers and many pilots, these coatings are highly reflective and prevent the transmission of light across a broad section of the spectrum. Early in coating technology, mirrored coatings were limited to silver, gold, and a few metallic coatings. Today, however, they can be of almost any color. You like hot pink? Hot pink it is. Remember though, that the value of these coatings lie in their reflective properties and not their color, which is purely cosmetic. Below: The benefits of Polorized glasses are obvious for boaters. They cut the glare!
POLARIZED LENSES Beyond simple tinted or mirrored lenses, these are probably the most popular, especially with boaters, skiers, and others who work or play in an environment heavily troubled by glare. In addition, since their “magic” is performed through polarization and not tinting, the darkening can be enhanced by having the lab add a deeper tint, if the material chosen for that lens will accept additional coatings. Some won’t. So, if you are considering additional tinting, you will want to ask your optometrist if the chosen lens material will allow additional coatings to adhere efficiently. When light strikes a relatively flat, extended surface such as a road, a beach, the sea, etc., it is reflected in such a way as to be overpowering to our unaided vision. Through polarization of the light, glare is greatly reduced and scenes exhibit more contrast and are more pleasing to the eye. ULTRA VIOLET Sunglasses should not be just a defense against bright sunlight and glare—a hedge against squinting and possibly a subsequent headache. The right sunglasses offer greater protection than that offered against squinting, as ultra violet rays can cause photokeratitis (also known as snow blindness, and several other names), pingueculae (flash burns or welder’s eye), or permanent damage to the retina.
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Ultra violet light is the real elephant in the room, but too often, goes unnoticed because the sun need not be barreling down on you for ultra violet to be doing its damage—damage that might not be seen for years. What about cloudy or overcast days? Well, while clouds may stop the bright rays of the sun from reaching you, ultra violet rays don’t give clouds a second thought! “Ultra violet” rays should be differentiated by their three scientific classifications: UVA, UVB and UVC. —UVC rays are non-players, in that they are blocked by our atmosphere and don’t reach the earth. —While the medical jury is out on whether or not UVA rays cause damage to our eyes, it should be noted that, unlike UVB rays, they are not stopped by glass. —Finally we come to UVB, the category most dangerous to our vision. Continued exposure to this radiation can cause a number of medical problems.
These Baywood Glasses from Newport, RI are made of wood so they float. A great choice for cruisers.
PHOTOCHROMIC LENSES For those who already wear glasses, one option for adequate eye protection may lie in the use of photochromic lenses. These lenses—available in glass, plastic, and polycarbonate—will darken as needed when exposed to sunlight and will lighten when taken from the UV source. In many instances, they are quite convenient. However,
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there are two drawbacks. First, they cannot return to their
The folks at Zoinx came out with these polarized sunglasses for sailors. They clip onto almost anything, and they have a strap, zipper pouch, flotation insert, and waterproof emergency info card.
lightest setting instantly. Secondly, they do not maintain the ability to change density indefinitely; most stop working efficiently after about three or four years. POLYCARBONATE LENSES Not eager to research matters further, some people assume “polycarbonate” is just a fancy—and more expensive—name for plastic. It is not. Are the optical properties of polycarbonate lenses superior to the plastic lenses they have largely replaced? Many optometrists say yes. From a purely optical standpoint, the answer is … NO. However, they are much lighter and shatterproof, and those are two important features that might sway an optometrist’s opinion. And, while technically possessing lower quality optical properties, the differences are well below our threshold of recognition. In other words, “Does it really matter?” In the lab it might. But, holding two lenses of the different materials in front of you, even in the best light, the average consumer would see no difference. Looking through them? The same. Finally, there are ways for you to know the potential hazards of UV exposure, each day. This may not only be beneficial for your eyes, but your skin as well, since over time, UV rays can cause skin irritations, a toughening of the skin, and even cancer. By going to your browser and entering “UV Index,” followed by the city you are most interested in, you will get a forecast of expected UV intensities—hour by hour—for the next several hours. Remember … “The eyes have it.”
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By Lee Chesneau
The Polar Vortex Explained
This is the forth in a sequence of short articles on the “Very Basics of the 500 mb Chart.” A look at the calendar, as this article is being written, suggests strongly that we have to take just a bit of a break in the original topic flow from previous Cruising Outpost articles. Specifically, we want to bring into focus, what was the “Polar Vortex,” the hot button topic of last winter which came into the spotlight in January of 2014. As of this article installment (December 23rd, 2014) however, the upper air 500 mb flow pattern has not quite set up yet to match the pattern of Jan 2014. So what was all the hullabaloo of the “Polar Vortex” about anyway? For starters, it was an explanation as to why it was considered to be so cold in the upper Midwest and New England, which really is not so unfamiliar for that geographic region of the country in January. Catch phrases do bring to light one’s attention, especially in a charged political environment which first started out as “Global Warming” and then has graduated on to Figure 1A “Climate Change” and the fast track lane of political objectives in order for man to change his industrial ways away from fossil fuel energy to something more ecofriendly to the environment. The “Polar Vortex” phrase perhaps has been somewhat linked into this discussion because the “Climate Change” proponents argue there will be weather extremes involved (from higher than normal numbers of more intense tropical cyclones, more severe draughts, to more flash flood episodes, and of course, more extreme heat and cold waves). This is the backdrop without getting drawn into the political debate, one way or the other. This article will simply describe and
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illustrate the Polar Vortex for what it is, a specific upper level wintertime flow pattern! We already know from previous Cruising Outpost articles, that 500 mb is the level in the atmosphere that weighs 500 mb (the mb is an abbreviation for “millibar” and is used for the unit of weight for atmospheric pressure). 500 mb is the one constant pressure surface level that professional meteorologists use to help understand and apply weather forecasts at the surface (sea level) whether it is on land or at sea. Recall from previous articles that we introduced 500 mb from viewing it as a geologist’s topographical contour relief map. By looking down vertically from above (space) and viewing each of the contour lines as elevation height contours, one can see that each contour height line is representative of equal elevation lines spaced 60 meters apart (only when one adds a “zero” to each numbered height contour from the Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) 500 mb charts). Recall also, we refer to Figure 1B each elevation contour line as “iso-heights.” The “isoheights” run parallel to each other with the 60 meter interval spacing in between. Recall there are also graphical wind plots separated in increments of 5 degree latitudes and 10 degrees of longitude, with wind speeds ranging from 30 knots to as much as 135 knots. It is not a coincidence when sometimes the “isoheight” contour lines are very close together (signifying more intense winds) and when they are seen more widely spaced apart for less intense winds. Let’s note also when wind speeds are 50 knots or more they are referred to as “Jet Stream” strength. Thus we set the table for looking at the “iso-height” contours along with
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Lee Chesneau’s Weather
the plotted wind barbs as a conveyor belt of fast winds and sometimes not so fast (depending on the time of the year). The contour lines, in particular, do take on one or more flow pattern shapes than can be prototyped as west to east (zonal), south to north and vice versa (meridional), blocking (always associated with an upper level “high” that deflects normal west to east zonal flow to run north (or south) of the antic-cyclonically curved iso-heights with wind flow in between the “iso-heights.” Finally, the forth (4th) pattern is the lower latitude (located between 25 to 40 degrees) cut-off upper level low system. Figure 2A These flow patterns dictate why surface weather systems, especially middle latitude low pressure systems, develop, move in the direction the way they do, intensify rapidly sometimes (deepen at a rate of one (1) millibar per hour for twenty-four (24) hours, then finally decay (dissipate) within an area of the globe that is the middle latitudes from 30 to 60 degrees north/south for each hemisphere. The “Polar Vortex” is associated with a mostly north to south meridional pattern that extends from a series of at least two or more closed iso-height contours of VERY LOW altitude iso-heights, and centered over either the central or southern portions of Hudson Bay. This pattern helps drive cold arctic air southward into the US from the interior of northern and central Canada. Figures one 1a and one 1b illustrate just that and in particular, note the relationship between 500 mb iso-height contours and the isobars from sea level surface pressure charts “Valid at 1200 UTC 25 Jan 2014.” Note the particularly low 4770 meter upper level low height on the 500 mb chart. This indicates an intense column of cold air. When one extends beyond the extra-ordinarily low altitude upper level low center, there are quite a number of other “iso-height” contours. One can view the overall context of “iso-heights” flowing southward from central Canada into the Midwest at 1200 UTC 25 Jan 2014th…and then 12 hours later the pattern
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begins to shift eastward into New England by 0000 UTC 26 Jan 2015 (Figures 2a & 2b. The expansion over the marine environment from the portion of the Great Lakes that are not frozen over (lake effect snows) to the western North Atlantic Ocean encompassing offshore waters of New Foundland, south to Bermuda and southwest to offshore northeastern Florida… where storm force wind warning (sustained one to three minute averages of 48-63 knots) is quite profound. For more on 500 mb concepts, charts, and routing see the previous articles. For much more in depth information and discussion, Figure 2B especially for applications in weather forecasting and vessel routing, readers are encouraged to have alongside Bowditch “Heavy Weather Avoidance, and Concepts & Applications of 500 Mb Charts” by Chen & Chesneau (www. chesneaumarineweather.com).
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Cruising Outpost’s
Book Review
By Capt. Jim Cash
Blown Away - 35th Anniversary Edition By Herb Payson
I like to scrounge around old book stores for the dusty tomes of nautical adventure long forgotten, however Bob wants me to review the books sent in about the stories of current sailors, and, well, he’s the boss! So when he sent me the assignment to review the 35th anniversary edition of Herb Payson’s classic “Blown Away” written in the mid ‘70s and originally published in 1980, I was delighted. Blown Away is Herb and Nancy Payson’s story of sailing the South Pacific in their wooden hull ketch, Sea Foam, with their teenaged kids in tow. One of the things that make this re-release by L&L Pardey Books so special is the introduction by Lin Pardey. We all know of Lin and Larry Pardey’s adventures over the years. What I did not know is that Lin and Larry were first introduced to Herb’s writing through his stories in SAIL Magazine in the 1970s, then they met Herb and Nancy when they all participated in a “Cruising as a Couple” seminar in 1980, and this is when Lin first received Herb’s book. Lin says it was Herb’s book that gave her and Larry the impetus to cruise the South Pacific. Not only is Blown Away the story of a great sailing adventure, it is a “how to” or in some cases “how not to” go cruising. The early chapters lead us through the Payson’s decision process including chartering and then their boat buying process. One of the reasons the book is so fun to read is the humor and making fun of himself that Herb brings to the stories. He says “…it doesn’t make any difference what kind of boat you buy as long as it is well found and has been maintained in good condition”… “A man has to be half nuts to want to own a boat in the first place.” I say hear hear to that, being an owner of an old wooden sailing boat myself. They found a boat they could afford, a home-built wood hulled ketch, made repairs and modifications, took their first overnight cruise to Catalina Island, and finally moved out of their four bedroom home in the Los Angeles area to get on board Sea Foam. They sailed to San Diego, provisioned and at the prodding of “friends”
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departed... on April Fools Day, 1973; that might be saying something. They port hopped down the Baja peninsula, Mexico and Central America, learning to “improvise,” the key to successful cruising Herb says. Gaining courage, they finally took the plunge into “blue water” and headed for the Galapagos Islands. This is where the “rules change” Herb states. Now there are night sails, fog, near misses with reefs…remember this is all before the general use of GPS by cruisers. From there they sailed to the South Pacific where they cruised for three year. Herb says, “Sea Foam was a floating basket case, a doddering old lady whose Medicare had lapsed.” With no money, Herb says there were valuable lessons learned: “1: Not affording a wind vane, I learned to sail. 2: Not affording mechanics, I learned engine and transmission repair. 3: Not affording an electrician, I learned 12v electrical systems. 4: Not affording… I learned to enjoy life without luxuries.” The book ends with a philosophical discussion of the “Whys” of cruising as he learned from their experiences and that of others they met along the way. Why go cruising? 1: For search and discovery, perhaps both geographically and psychologically. 2: Action and stillness. Who was it that said that an ocean passage is 90% boredom punctuated by 10% sheer terror? 3: Yin and Yang of adventure and peace. The Afterword was: How cruising on Sea Foam changed our lives. All positive effects for their children, and for Herb and Nancy, Herb reported that cruising is NOT a cure for a bad marriage, but for them it was a special glue, and they went on cruising which you can read more about in “You Can’t Blow Home Again” and “Advice to the Sealorn” Yes, this was a dusty tome about a nautical adventure, but if you ignore the dates it is every bit as applicable today.
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Tech Tips
from Capt’n Pauley’s Workshop There are a lot of little things that can make your boat easier to use and more enjoyable. Here are some tips from Paul Esterle, the author of Capt’n Pauley’s Workshop. More can be found at www.captnpauley.com.
Mast Base Many cruising boats of varying sizes have deck-stepped masts. One of the project boats has such a mast. The mast was supported on a cast aluminum base. Unfortunately, a previous owner had installed a stainless steel mast base organizer plate under the mast base. Years of saltwater corrosion with the SS plate had reduced the aluminum mast base to powder. The replacement mast step had to retain the mast base organizer, but be corrosion proof. The solution was a piece of G-10 laminate. G-10 is made from layers of fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin and is crush proof and non-corrosive. A 1-1/2” thick piece of StarBoard was cut to fit the inside of the mast. This served only to locate the mast of the new base and didn’t see any of the mast loads.
The corroded original mast step on top of the new center piece layout From center top to the right: the original mast step, the G-10 fiberglass blank, the new center piece ready to cut and the stainless steel mast base organizer, the cause of all the trouble
Trying the locator block in the base of the mast
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The finished mast base, ready to install
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Dink Anchor Storage Container Prudence requires you carry an anchor and rode aboard your dinghy. Most of us gather up a coil of rode and an anchor and toss it in the bottom of the dink, where it is under foot and is soon a tangled mess. This storage container keeps the rode and anchor under control and organized. It is made from a flexible plastic tub and a flexible plastic waste paper basket. The waste paper basket is inverted and bolted to the center of the plastic tub using nylon screws, nuts and washers. Drainage holes are drilled in the bottom of the tub and the waste paper basket is trimmed even with the top edge of the tub. The rode is coiled around the paper basket while the anchor is placed in the paper basket itself. A mushroom anchor should fit inside the waste paper basket. Alternately, the trimmed edge of the basket can be notched to locate a small Danforth anchor. Overall diagram of the assembled rode container.
View of the assembled rode container with a small Danforth anchor
A cross section of the rode container construction
Boarding Step As we get older, it gets harder and harder to climb aboard when docked. There are several versions of boarding steps on the market with varying functionality. I decided to make my own custom boarding step. The original step was made from žâ&#x20AC;? marine plywood. Another alternative is a marine polymer lumber such as StarBoard. Make a pattern for the side pieces from artists foam board or cardboard for an exact fit to your boat.
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If you use plywood, be sure to well coat all surfaces with epoxy. Pay specific attention to sealing the edges. Use stainless steel fasteners.
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Bubba Whartz
By Morgan Stinemetz
A Few Good Men in The Blue Moon Bar Bruno Velvetier, ASID, I recall, was overjoyed back “What he actually said was—and I think I have it down when the Department of Defense officially dropped its perfectly—is: ‘I think it’s dreamy.’ ” “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. We were in the Blue Moon “There goes the military,” said Tripwire. Bar when he offered his opinion. “What do you mean by that?” “I think it’s just dreamy,” said Bruno, referring to the “Some of the best quotes in the history of this controversial change in DOD policy a while back. “I think country—‘Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead; Don’t that many more gay men will be attracted to military fire until you see the whites of their eyes; This Marine service with this new, enlightened policy. I mean, what’s colonel…’—came from real military men. I’d hate to see not to like about spending your days and nights with an that change.” all-male group, showering with them, sleeping in the same “In what way?” I asked Tripwire. room with them.” “There’s a certain segment of our society that has As this was a bit out of my league, I said nothing at somewhat different mannerisms and speech patterns than, the time. And Bruno eventually finished his cream drink say, drill sergeants stationed at Parris Island or San Diego. that Doobie, the bartenderette at The Blue Moon Bar, had Or, for that matter, Colonel Jessup in the movie ‘A Few made him and adorned with a small, pink paper parasol Good Men.’ What if someone from that segment, the one and a couple of slices of fruit. with different mannerisms, Bruno has always liked fruits were to be called to the I mean, ruffians could gain in his drinks. Then he left, stand as a witness in a entrance to those dreamy venues and general court martial of two lisping a goodbye and offering a feathery wave as he went out marines accused of killing leave behind all sorts of despicable the door. another marine?” trash. A garden like the one I am It was some time in early “And your point is?” thinking about would be just a February that I was in The “My point is that Jack gorgeous place to hold a men’s Blue Moon Bar talking to Nicholson portrayed a selffashion show or a wine tasting. Tripwire, the slightly edgy confident, ruthless Marine Vietnam vet who is usually colonel in an unforgettable wearing a somewhat weathered manner in that movie. But camouflage uniform, neatly pressed, and is almost always someone with a different way of phrasing things might adverse to loud sounds, which set him on edge. Very loud not carry the same weight. If Bruno Velvetier joined the sounds will send him under the pool table in the bar, Marines and rose to the rank of bird colonel, and he was sometimes to shouts of, “Incoming!” It is usually Bubba called to the stand, like Colonel Jessup was, he might Whartz who can get him out after he has taken refuge. testify something like this: ‘You want the truth? Well, Tripwire trusts Bubba implicitly. the truth is just ghastly. I mean it’s unspeakable, know “You know, Tripwire,” I said, about to refer to a guy what I mean? Girls, we live in a world that has walls, anyone who came into the bar regularly already knew, some surrounding precious gardens with ivy growing up because of his unusual habits, “Bruno thinks the new the outside in leafy abandon, sort of a verdant covering Defense Department regulation of not differentiating resembling silk pajamas, while giving a lovely visual homosexuals from the heterosexuals in the military will counterpoint to a wrought iron gate. And those walls help recruit more men into the service, and that will make have to be guarded. I mean, ruffians could gain entrance the all-volunteer military stronger.” to those dreamy venues and leave behind all sorts of “When did he say that?” Tripwire snapped. despicable trash. A garden like the one I am thinking “When the new policy went through,” I replied. about would be just a gorgeous place to hold a men’s “What did he actually say?” fashion show or a wine tasting. And it would also be
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a good place to sun bathe. Think of those glistening, bronzed, male bodies, slick with suntan oil. The thought of it just makes me shiver. Ohhhhhh, gracious.’” Tripwire paused for a moment to take a slug of beer and then continued. “With colonels like Colonel Jessup around, even if their orders for a Code Red were brutal and cost the life of a Marine private, you can sleep better at night knowing that there are people out there who won’t stint on what they think is their rightful duty. Their heads are on straight. They know what their priorities are,” Tripwire concluded. “I’d follow men like Jessup.”
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“Does that mean you have a hard time following an officer whose sexual orientation was not the same as yours?” I asked the veteran. “I’d have a hard time following any man who wears satin underwear, dithers over what shade of eye shadow to wear into combat and refers to his platoon as ‘girls’ when addressing them. If my commanding officer carried a purse it would be that much harder to take him seriously. Particularly if he eschewed carrying a weapon.” “Tripwire, are you saying in so many words that these type of men wouldn’t inspire confidence?” “We started off talking about this when I said that the remembered combat rhetoric of dyed-in-the-wool front line officers and leaders is memorable for its incendiary nature and its ability to inspire men to greater effort, greater valor. That’s why what they said is still written about in the history books. “I doubt very seriously that anyone would read about or remember the officer who said to his men” ‘Okay, my sweeties, let’s fix our bayonets on the front of our guns and, all together now, Mince!’ ” Doobie, who had been listening to the conversation Tripwire and I had been having, brought over a free beer and set it in front of Tripwire. Then, in what could have been a salute or a way of saying thanks, she bent over and messed about tying her shoe for about a minute. Tripwire and I were both speechless. We both looked at each other at exactly the same time. Tripwire said to me, “You’re drooling.” I didn’t say that to him. But I could have.
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Jolly II Rover is an Official Cruising Outpost
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Wonder what’s new out there for the boater? Well, don’t worry. We keep an “Eye out for you.”
Plastimo’s Self-Adjusting Compass Balanced to Work Anywhere in the World You’ve got to check these compasses out. They’re the new Olympic and Offshore 115 compasses. They are universally balanced to operate anywhere in the world. They come in white or black with flat or conical cards, and separate binnacles are available. They feature LED lighting for night use and are available for power and sail yachts from 19 to 40 feet. Oh yeah, for you racers? They are SOLAS approved What sets these compasses apart from the rest is Plastimo’s patented internal magnetic-dipcompensating device that allows the compass to be used worldwide in all magnetic zones. This eliminates the need for individual compasses that are balanced for each specific magnetic zone. The magnetic cell is equipped with a unique “vibration absorber” system for resistance to hull pounding and vibration.
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The Olympic for Sail
The Olympic 115 has been designed for use on sailboats and comes in black or white color. It’s also available in flush-mount – horizontal or 45° inclines surface. If you prefer there a binnacle version also available.
The Offshore for Power-Cruisers
The Offshore 115 is for powerboats and comes in black or white color. As with the sail version it comes in flush-mount for a horizontal surface and comes with an articulated protective cover. A binnacle is also available for this version. These new compasses are distributed by Bainbridge International and can be found at most major marine stores. There’s more info available here: www. bainbridgeint.com
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pg 192-193 First look.indd 3
Cruising Outpost 193
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Hard To Find Marine Some Kewl & Hard to Find Goodies You’ll Find
OFFSHORE PASSAGE OPPORTUNITIES Your Offshore Sailing Network. Sail for free on OPB’s. Learn by doing. Gain Quality Sea time towards your lifetime goals. Sail on different boats with different skippers to learn what works and what does not. Want to be a paid skipper? Build seatime and network with pro skippers. We are the crew network for the ARC, Caribbean 1500, NARC, World ARC Rally, Salty Dog Rally, Newport/Bermuda Race and delivery skippers worldwide. Helping Sailors Sail Offshore Since 1993. Learn more and join online at www.sailopo.com or call 1-800-4-PASSAGe (1-800-472-7724).
KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE FOR THE PRICE OF A GOOD WINCH HANDLE
194 Cruising Outpost
pg 194-197 Classifieds.indd 2
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2/3/15 7:07 PM
ine Gear & Services Nowhere Else But Here at the Cruising Outpost
CAPT. MARTI’S MARINE RADIO BOOKS “Marine SSB Radio” “Icom M802 Radio Manual” & “Murder at Stacy’s Cove Marina” (fiction)
www.idiyachts.com View Online Seminars: SSB Radio, VHF, Radio E-Mail, Onboard Medical, Hurricane Prep Creating Books/Seminars that make sense of marine electronics
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pg 194-197 Classifieds.indd 3
Cruising Outpost 195
2/3/15 7:07 PM
Hard To Find Marine Some Kewl & Hard to Find Goodies Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Find
Join Captain Shane aboard
Guiding Light
in the Virgin Islands for the best vacation you will ever have!. For more information along with a weekly blog,travel videos, and more. www.svGuidingLight.com
196 Cruising Outpost pg 194-197 Classifieds.indd 4
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2/3/15 7:08 PM
ine Gear & Services Nowhere Else But Here at the Cruising Outpost
Get Your Copy of the Outpost At These Local Direct Dealers Available At Most Magazine Outlets
West Marine, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million
And these great local marine stores
Just $70 per column inch On Sale 3 Full Months! On Sale and on salon tables a full 90 Days! 510-900-3616 ext. 104 Fax: 510-900-3617 Use Your Visa/MC/Amex/Discover
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pg 194-197 Classifieds.indd 5
Bocas Marina Bocas del Torro Panama
Merri-Mar Yacht Basin 364 Merrimac Street Newburyport, MA
Baton Rogue City News Service 15450 George O’Neal Baton Roge, LA
Nautical Landing 4540 Osage Beach Pkwy Osage Beach, MO
Captains Nautical Supplies 2500 15th Ave. Seattle, WA
Port Royal Marina 555 No. Harbor Dr. Redondo Beach, CA
Chowder Barge 611 N. Henry Ford Ave Wilmington, CA
Redbud Marina 9001 E Hwy 88 Claremore, OK
Corsairs Beach Bar Jost Van Dyke British Virgin Islands
Redondo Marine 1010 N. Catalina Ave Redondo Beach, CA
Dixie Barbeque 3301 North Roan Street Johnson City, TN
Sailorman 350 E. State Rd. 84 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Dockside Solutions 7001 Seaview Ave NW Seattle, WA
Salty Dog Marine 99 Poppasquash Rd Bristol, RI
Dockside Tropical Cafe Boot Key Marathone, FL
Scuttlebutt 433 Front St Beaufort, NC
Green Turtle Bay 239 Jetti Dr Grand Rivers, KY
Seabreeze Ltd 1254 Scott St San Diego, CA
Gulf South Yacht Works 332 Bayou Liberty Rd. Slidell, LA
SV Stone Age 1401 Dove St., #610 Newport Beach, CA
King Harbor Marine 831 N. Harbor Dr. Redondo Beach, CA
Svendsen’s Chandlery 1851 Clement Ave Alameda, CA
Kingman Yachting Center 1 Shipyard Ln Cataumet, MA
The Ship’s Store & Rigging 1 Lagoon Rd Portsmouth, RI
Lido Village Books 3424 Via Oporto Newport Beach, CA
Turner Marine 5010-A Dauphin Island Pkwy Mobile, AL
Marina Yacht Brokers 3120 Matecumbre Key Rd Punta Gorda, FL
Whale Point Marine 205 Cutting Blvd. Richmond, CA
Cruising Outpost 197 2/3/15 7:08 PM
It’s Magic!
Cruising Outpost
All these great marine ads, and this issue has less than
L i s t o f A d ve r t i s e r s
Advertising!
37%
Here is where you will find some of the smartest companies in the marine industry. There are others, but they just haven’t found us yet. Give ‘em time!
Marine Advertisers
Ahoy Captain 82 Annapolis Boat Show 159 Aqua Marine 108 ATN 125 Aurinco 151 Bainbridge International 119 Bamar 110 Balmar 32 Barnacle Zapper 118 Bavaria Yachts 2-3 Bellhaven Yacht Sales 193 Beta Marine 131 Beta Marine J-Prop 115 Blue Sky Energy 202 Blue Water Sailing School 26-27 Bob Bitchin’s Books 30, 147 Capt. Bob Video 148 Catamaran Guru 113 CDI Electronics 32 Celestaire 87 Chafe Pro 126 Clean eMarine Americas 147 Com-Pac Yachts 47 Conch Charters 188 Coppercoat 127 Core Medical Systems 85 CruiseROWatermakers 137 Cruiser’s Corner 38 Cruising Outpost Products 104-105 Cruising Outpost Susbcriptions 68-69 Cruising Solutions 147 CS Johnson 133 Curtis Stokes & Associates 166-167 Dedicated Marine 141 Dream Yacht Charter 36 Eastern Yacht Sales 170-171 Edson 4-6 Edwards Yacht Sales 181 Eisen Shine 139 El Cid Marinas 40 eMarine 86, 125 Engel 45 Fatty Knees 141 Flex-Mold 119
Forespar 148 Fortress Anchors 42 Froli Sleep Systems 147 Garhauer 8-9 Gill North America 33 Great Lakes Scuttlebutt 151 Hamilton Ferris 81 Handcraft Mattress HMC 135 Harken 37 Hotwire Enterprises 149 HSH Yacht Sales 184 Indiantown Marina 143 International Marine Insurance AKA IMIS 128 Island Girl Products 83 J-Prop 115 Jolly Rover 191 Kanberra 136 Kelly Bickford 193 Key Lime Sailing Club 109 KTI Filter Boss 39 L&A TV Shows 49 Lee Chesneau Weather 44 Lee Sails 34 Life Aboard Books 50 Little Yacht Sales 163 Mack Sails 43 Mainsheet 152 Mantus Anchor 113 Marine Insurance Consultants 111 MarTek Davits 151 Moorings Yacht Sales 178 Mystic Knotworks 152 New England Rope 121 New Found Metals / NFM 108 Next-Gen 151 NV Charts 101 Ocean Planet Energy 102, 149 Ocean Sailing Enterprises 110 OCENS 115 Odorlos 83 Outbound Yachts 41 Pacific NW Boater 129 Pacific Strictly Sail 161 Passport Yachts 31 Polyplanar 126 Port Ludlow Marina 139 PYI 110 Quickline 131
RBG Cannons Ronstan U.S. Sage Marine Sail Care Sailing Camp Sailology/Winchrite Sailors Exchange Sailrite Sailtime Scanmar International Sea Tech Systems Shade Tree Fabric Shelters Skyway Yachtworks Slipknot/Stafford Mfg. Solar Stik Marine South Coast Yachts South West Int. Boat Show Spade Anchor Spectra Watermakers Swi-Tec America Tide Pieces The Air Line The Anchor Buoy The Sailing Channel Tides End LTD Tradewinds Nautical Tradewinds Radio Two Can Sail Ultra-Sonic Tec United States Boat Show Water Counter Weems & Plath West Marine Whiteaker Yacht Sales Wichard/Profurl Winchrite Zarcor
Boats Brokers
Bellhaven Yacht Sales Curtis Stokes & Assoc. Eastern Yacht Sales Edwards Yacht Sales HSH Yacht Sales Little Yacht Sales Kelly Bickford Moorings Yacht Sales South Coast Yachts Whiteaker Yacht Sales
118 109 111 152 177 11 145 18-19 187 137 29 135 145 152 148 172 156 48 35 149 149 203 148 136 128 127 143 111 129 159 133 103 204 183 46 11 121
193 166-167 170-171 181 184 163 193 178 172 183
Classifieds
Aged in Saltwater Bamar/Ocean Sailing Enterprises Biker Pirate Bircher Inc. Cork Mortor Boaters Resale Shop of Texas Boaters Tube CapeHorn Marine Products Captain License Captain Marti Brown Casey Insurance Group Cruising Concepts Cruising Outpost Products.com Cruz Pro David Virtue Fatty Knees Fine Edge Publishing Jet Pack Keylime Sailing Club KISS-SSB Live Aboard Decal Masthead Enterprises Nautical Nameboard No Wear Guard Ocean Medix Offshore Passage Opportunities Sailmaker’s Supply Sailomat USA Stafford Manufacturing Tufted Topper
Non-Marine Advertisers
None! Why would we want that? This is a boating magazine. Ya wanna see fancy watches, pick-up trucks and high-priced cars, read the other mags!
Advertisers: You can reach the most active segment of the boating community - In Print or On-Line. Cruising Outpost Winter - Spring - Summer & Fall Issues Summer 2015 Issue Ad Insertions by 4/16/15 - Art Due 4/23/15 - On Sale 6/2/15 www.cruisingoutpost.com Ads@cruisingoutpost.com 510-900-3616 #105
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Cruising Outpost 199 1/30/15 1:16 PM
* Cruisians I’m cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
*A small, exclusive group of people who are mentally ill and feel, for some reason unbeknownst to anyone, that by getting on a small boat about the size of a jail cell and heading out into the most inhospitable place on Earth (the ocean), they will somehow enjoy themselves.
Meet the Hogan Family: Dad Mark - Mom Ruth - Zachary 16 - Sara 15 Kathryn 14 - Hannah 11 - Connor 9 - Isabella 7 - Brie the dog and Prissy the cat. They’re aboard their Morgan Out Island, currently in Bocas del Toro, Panama heading through the Canal and on to the South Pacific. They are from Texas and have been cruising the Caribbean two years. They have another daughter who is 20 and now crewing in the Med on someone elses boat. Believe it or not, this guy is a pilot! No, really! His name is Bob Talbot and he lives on Dock 4 in St. Petersburg aboard his Irwin. He’s not as crazy as he looks (we think!) and he helped us out at the recent St. Pete Boat Show. Well, he tried to help us out. Actually, he showed up a few hours late, but in his defense, he did have all the tools and stuff we’d asked him to bring!
Our old friend Jerry Baltis sent us this photo from Alaska. It’s Dick and Peggy McKibbin and they are on their boat S/V Ragtime. They have been long-time readers and asked Jerry to say hello for them. Okay, how’s this for a “Hello!”
200 Cruising Outpost
pg 200-201 final Cruisians.indd 2
Okay, suck on that! Editor Sue’s husband Mike is seen here with a candy cane he stole from Bitchin’s stash. We just ran this picture to embarrass him. It didn’t work. He’s pretty hard to embarrass.
This is Michelle Gribben, off the Florida Keys with fresh caught dinner. Michelle and Ed were instrumental in helping Cruising Outpost “get off the ground” even though they spend most of their time off the ground (at sea, that is). Hey guys, enjoy the sushi! Ron Tessensohn has been doing artwork and designing T-shirts over 30 years for our various magazines. In his spare time he practices martial arts and occasionally stands honor guard at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Meet Frankendread. He entertains at some of the boat shows and is a virtuoso on the steel drums. He has played in 17 countries, but now hangs out in Key West. WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
1/30/15 1:26 PM
Adam Ellis is a happy man in this photo. He’s sailing the 1929 Alden schooner Alegro. Adam spends as much time as he can at sea, or out on Lake Michigan where he sails his own boat. This was a particularly good day.
Charles and Saundra Grey are about to celebrate their 60th anniversary. But they don’t get bored with each other. You see, a couple years ago they sailed around the world with Jimmy Cornell. They still love to sail, and they are looking forward to doing a little “living aboard” again soon.
Drew is a resident of Dock 4 in St. Pete, right across the bay from the boat show. Want to know what his shirt says? Well, we can’t tell you due to children reading this. But the number was a duplicate ticket number drawn at our party one year, which won the Spectra Watermaker. Unfortunatly, Drew’s ticket was the wrong color. I can tell you this, the first words on his shirt are, “You Have To Be” ... and the last word is “Me!”
Jim and Laura Kirby hail from Denver, Colorado. Their boat is S/V Nilaya, a Bayfield 36. After attending a Bob Bitchin’s Advanced Cruising Seminar they sold their home in Denver, bought the boat and have been living aboard and cruising ever since. The have cruised Mexico to Cartagena, Colombia, and the Western Caribbean for the last six and a half years. They are currently in Bocas del Toro where Jim is an Assistant Manager at the Bocas Marina and Yacht Club. WWW.CRUISINGOUTPOST.COM
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Watch out, Danielle is about to pop! When we shot this she was due to give birth in less than a week! She’s lived aboard a sailboat for the last seven years and currently calls Dock 4 in St. Petersburg, Florida, her home.
Thomas and Launa Ellis have been regulars at our St. Pete Boat Show party for years. They always seem to have a great time. They sail their McGregor 26X in Ft. Gains, Georgia. Believe it or not, he learned to sail in 1967 while in Viet Nam on a sailfish! Now he sails on the Chatahoochie River on the Alabama state line.
This is Will Chestnut. He spends more time on a boat than most. That’s because he’s in the Coast Guard. He’s also married to Bitchin’s youngest daughter, MK. Maybe that’s why he’s smiling all the time. Maybe not? Cruising Outpost 201
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1/29/15 4:35 PM
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