Southwindsjanuary2006 by SOUTHWINDS Magazine

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS January 2006

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

SOUTHWINDS NEWS & VIEWS

FOR

SOUTHERN SAILORS

From the Helm: West Florida Struggles with Boaters’ Concerns By Steve Morrell, Editor

Letters

Boat Parade Judges Get the Bird By Morgan Stinemetz

Short Tacks: Sailing News and Events Around the South

Our Waterways: News About Our Changing Waterways

Fractional Sailing By Capt. J. Michael Shear, JD

Spotlight on Business: Sailorman By Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp

Cruise Relationships By Barbara Pierce

Crossing the Gulfstream with Trifid and the Seagull By Steve Morrell

Miami Beach Anchorages By Barbara and Bruce Pierce

PHRF Racing Tips By Dave Ellis

Key West Race Week Preview By Rebecca Burg

Racing: News, and Events. Southern Regional Racing Reports and Race Calendars

Betty Timms — Blue Water Sailing Adventure By Kim Kaminski

68-69 76 77 77

Regional Sailing Services Directory Alphabetical Index of Advertisers Advertisers’ List by Category Subscription Form

Fractional Sailing. Photo by Capt. J. Michael Shea, JD. Page 38

For this month’s regional air and water temperatures, see regional racing sections COVER: Catamaran Salty Paws anchored in the Bahamas. Photo by Jim Austin.

Key West Race Week Preview. Photo by Capt. Bill Robinson. Page 52.

From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…SOUTHWINDS Covers Southern Sailing News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

FROM THE HELM West Florida Continues to Struggle with Boaters’ Concerns

n Pinellas County, home to Clearwater, St. Petersburg and many other waterfront communities, county commissioners—aware of decreasing water access and the number of slips— recently made moves to purchase a marina, which had dry storage for 336 boats and 82 wet slips (see page 32). The marina was headed for condo development. Unforeseen possible expenses surfaced and the deal fell through. Pinellas County has more registered boats (more than 50,000) than any other county in Florida. It appears we will have condos there now. In Manatee County, on the south side of Tampa Bay, the Seafood Shack, another public marina and restaurant, is under consideration for purchase by the county for a maritime museum— keeping the marina, but adding a boat ramp. Local neighbors immediately banded together to protest the purchase, hinging their argument on additional traffic, mainly from the boat ramp. But these neighbors just want to throw the whole idea out, without

offering a solution to working out the traffic problem. Again, this property could well become another condo project. Oh, well. At least county officials in Manatee and Pinellas are trying to help solve the problem. But let’s move on. In Gulfport, another Pinellas waterfront community, the local government turned down plans for a mooring field. Many believe there is a general anti-boater movement among city officials. City politicians complained about dilapidated boats and people using them as cheap housing. I wonder how he feels about cheap housing being used as cheap housing. One official was reported as saying that in order to control the few, they have to control the many. That comment brought boos from the crowd at the town meeting. Is he for real? What ever happened to punish the few who screw up, not the many who don’t? I am afraid this is what we boaters are facing. Politicians using the actions of a few as reason to make laws control-

ling the many. In Tampa, city officials are considering limiting anchoring within the city limits to 72 hours—an obvious move aimed at eliminating those moored at Davis Island. Instead of creating a mooring field with shoreside services that would encourage boaters to visit the area, help improve the disappearing slips problem, and promote the boating industry (which was recently determined to have a greater economic impact than Florida’s citrus industry— see page 36), the city is looking at the easiest, cheapest and simplest solution. Just pass a law and make it illegal. So much for boaters’ rights. And let’s see if getting rid of all those moored boats cleans up the waters. I bet it makes no difference, as no one is looking at the real pollution causes. They just blame those moored there. Control the few by controlling the many. Where are we headed? Steve Morrell Editor

Writers and Photographers Wanted Sailing Experiences Stories and photos about experiences in places you’ve cruised, anchorages, marinas, or passages made throughout the Southern cruising waters, including the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Race reporting Generally, we are always looking for someone to send us race coverage throughout the southern states, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Cruising Notes Southern sailors cruising on the high seas or cruising our waterways and coasts: Send us word on where you’re at and what you’re doing. How the cruising life is treating you. Bahamas Trips, experiences, passages, anchorages, provisioning and other stories that are of interest. Hurricane Stories Hurricanes are a part of owning a boat in the Southern waters, and we would like to hear how you and your boat might have been affected by a storm or how you prepare your boat for one, experiences you’ve had. Send us letters or articles. Our Waterways Information about the waters we sail in: disappearing marinas, boatyards and slips; 6

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

mooring fields, anchoring rights, waterway access, etc.

trip, let us look at it.

Maintenance and Technical Articles How you maintain your boat, or rebuilt a boat, technical articles on maintenance, repairs, etc.

Miscellaneous Photos Photographs are always enjoyable, whether for their beauty, their humor, or for many other reasons, and we take them alone. We would like photos with every story, if possible.

Individuals in the Sailing Industry Interesting stories about the world of sailors out there, young, old, and some that are no longer with us but have contributed to the sport or were just true lovers of sailing. The Caribbean Stories about the warm tropical waters farther south of us. Charter Stories Have an interesting Charter story? In our Southern waters, or perhaps in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or points beyond in some far-off and far-out exotic place? Cuba Of course, there is always Cuba, and regardless of how our country’s elected officials try to keep Americans out of the largest island in the Caribbean, it will one day be open as a cruising ground. Today American sailors can legally go to Cuba and cruise if they follow the proper procedures. If you have a story about such a

Cover Photos SOUTHWINDS is always looking for nice cover shots, which are always paid for. They generally need to be a vertical shot, but we can sometimes crop horizontal photos for a nice cover picture. They need to be of a high resolution. If digital, they need to be taken at a very high resolution (and many smaller digital cameras are not capable of taking a large, high-resolution photo for the cover). If a photograph, then we need it scanned at high resolution, or if you send it to us, we can do so. Letters to the Editor For those of you who are not as ambitious to write stories, we always want to hear from you about your experiences and opinions. Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com for more information and questions. For more technical guidelines about layout, grammar, etc., please visit our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com and go to “Writer/photographer Guidelines.” www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

News & Views For Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS Media, Inc. P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, Florida 34218-1175 (941) 795-8704 (877) 372-7245 (941) 795-8705 Fax www.southwindsmagazine.com e-mail: editor@southwindsmagazine.com Volume 14 Number 1 January 2006 Copyright 2006, Southwinds Media, Inc. Founded in 1993 Steve Morrell

Stephanie Cox Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp Barbara Pierce Steve Morrell David Curry Gary Hufford

Doran Cushing, Publisher 1993-2002

Publisher/Editor editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704 Associate Editors stephanie@southwindsmagazine.com southwindsnews@aol.com cruzcrossroads@yahoo.com

Advertising editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704 davidcurry@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 761-0048 gary@southwindsmagazine.com (727) 585-2814 Regional Editors CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA waltmcfarlane@aol.com

Walt McFarlane

EAST FLORIDA mhw1@earthlink.net

Roy Laughlin

(912) 429-4197 (321) 690-0137

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp southwindsnews@aol.com Art Perez

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA RACING miamiyachtracing@bellsouth.net (305) 380-0106

Production Heather Nicoll

Rebecca Burg Dave Ellis Kim Kaminski Roy Laughlin Barbara Pierce George Regenauer Kathryn Whitehead

Proofreading Kathy Elliott Contributing Writers Gretchen Coyle Vern Hobbs Mike Kirk Walt McFarlane Bruce Pierce Morgan Stinemetz

Artwork Rebecca Burg angel@artoffshore.com Stephanie Cox Charles Husick Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp Art Perez DeeVon Quirolo Rick White

Contributing Photographers Jim Austin Rebecca Burg Dave Ellis Vern Hobbs Kim Kaminski Mike Kirk Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp Roy Laughlin Jean-Marie Liot Barbara Pierce Reef Relief George Regenauer Capt. Bill Robinson Capt. J. Michael Shea, JD Morgan Stinemetz Rick White EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY: SOUTHWINDS encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists, jokers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, including sailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world and generally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some faroff and far-out place. SOUTHWINDS welcomes contributions in writing and photography, stories about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical articles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronically by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if possible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruising and just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution if digital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to us for scanning. Contact the editor with questions. Subscriptions to SOUTHWINDS are available at $19.95/year, or $37/2 years for third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card numbers may be mailed with name and address to SOUTHWINDS Subscriptions, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704. Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a secure server on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. SOUTHWINDS is distributed to over 500 locations throughout 10 Southern states. If you would like to distribute SOUTHWINDS at your location, please contact the editor. Read SOUTHWINDS on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com.

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LETTERS “Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.” H.L. Mencken In its continuing endeavor to share its press, SOUTHWINDS invites readers to write in with experiences & opinions.

MARATHON CONSIDERS PRIVATIZING BOOT KEY HARBOR: HOW ABOUT A GATED KEYS? Do you agree, to make an informed decision, people should be educated about the decision they are to make? Do you know how tight affordable housing is in Marathon? Do you feel the harbor is a nice asset? Did you know the people living in the harbor are the ones working on your homes, serving your meals, working on your cars and boats? Do you know, as developers gobble up Keys properties, there’s less room for affordable housing? Even the sheriff stated he “has to hire below-standard deputies.” Now the schools are allowing people with only GEDs to teach our children. Because of little affordable housing. Many are looking for ways to have affordable housing in Marathon. If a family’s annual income is less than $34,000 a year, where can they live? Some say let them leave. What they overlook is these people are our laborers, auto mechanics, day care workers, teachers, roofers, plumbers, etc. The University of Florida’s Florida Sea Grant Study, (www.bootkeyharbor.com/FlSeaGrantLiveaboards.pdf), hailed as one of the best studies conducted regarding the Florida Keys, stated, “Limited land and raising land prices gave the push towards using the water as housing.” Recently, a city official told me, “I do not need a study to tell me what the liveaboards spend, and that they are an integral part of our workforce.” Maybe this official doesn’t need a study, but when people haven’t received the facts, they don’t understand. It appears the city is afraid to educate the citizens of Marathon on the reality. They talk about building company housing for employees, thereby, effectively creating indentured servants. If, for some reason, the employee loses his job, his family is now homeless. Is that really the character of the citizens of Marathon? Do we really want sub-standard teachers? Do we want sub-standard deputies? The University of Florida’s Florida Sea Grant Study provides the information needed for the city of Marathon to perform its own study. But is it doing it? Again I ask for someone to make an informed decision. Shouldn’t they be educated about the decision they are to make? Don’t the citizens of Marathon deserve the truth? Don’t the citizens of Marathon deserve to see the facts, and not just hear words from some developer or politician? Jim Lowry Marathon, FL Jim, Right on. This letter is in response to the anti-liveaboard feeling that has been growing in the Florida Keys. Marathon is currently considering privatizing the Boot Key Harbor anchorage. Many see it as one more step in a series of anti-liveaboard policies. Many who cannot afford to live in the high-priced land-based community of the Keys are the workers of the area who supply services to the wealthier landowners. They are liveaboard cruisers, a group who has been in the Keys long before the wealthy discovered it. These See LETTERS continued on page 10 News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

LETTERS

Continued from page 9

cruisers helped make the Keys the unique place it is, “harboring” those who hear a different drummer. Now the new residents want to get rid of them. I say we quit lying to ourselves and just make a rule now and get it over with: You can’t live in the Keys unless you are worth at least a million dollars. Let’s put a gate at the south end of Florida City, and

if you can’t prove it at that entry point, you don’t get through. Same with water entrances to the Keys. Workers can be bussed down each day to work and return, but they must have photo identity cards with them at all times. It will be one huge, gated community. I think some areas of the Keys already have this. Editor

FLORIDA IS NOT BOATERFRIENDLY! DISAPPEARING MARINAS AND ANCHORAGES The title statement was not true three years or five years ago, but it is true today. What has changed? What has happened to our boater’s paradise of sun, breezes, beautiful anchorages and picturesque sunsets? What is happening is that our world of fun in the sun on the sea is shrinking. The number of slips available has been and is rapidly dropping. The St. Petersburg area has lost 1500 general use slips in the last year. This information is from an article in the St. Petersburg Times in April. Also, the cost of the remaining slips has doubled in the last seven years. This I know from personal experience. It was possible six to seven years ago to haul a boat and store it on the hard (ashore) for hurricane season, then pick up a slip for winter and spring. No more. A slip let go is a slip lost. The waiting list for halfwayaffordable municipal slips is from four to 14 years, depending on location and boat size. A second major deterioration in the cruising life is that anchorages are being closed or filled with mooring balls (Naples closed, Fort Myers Beach – mooring balls). We often accuse wealthy homeowners of working to close anchorages because they do not want our boats in front of their multimillion dollar mansions. This may be true. Environmental concerns are often used to justify this closure. Time and time again, good studies show that very little water pollution comes from boating. The big three are residences, farms, and factories with inadequate sewage treatment plants thrown in the mix. Another reason exists for the increase in the number of mooring fields. It goes back to the lack of affordable slips. Five years ago on the west coast of Florida, I never saw a boat “Long Term Anchored” (LTA) in the popular anchorages. Now there are LTA boats in most if not all anchorages. “Long term anchored” refers to a boat anchored for days, weeks or months. Some of the boats have liveaboards. Some are unmaintained and have become derelict. In several of the smaller anchorSee LETTERS continued on page 12

January 2006

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

LETTERS

Continued from page 9

ages, two or three ”LTA” boats make it rough for cruisers to find space to anchor for a night. The derelicts, floating or partially sunken, are as unsightly to me as they are to local homeowners. This is a real problem to be dealt with. If the shortage of affordable slips has not caused this problem, it has significantly added to the problem. It should be noted, that given the situation, mooring fields are not all bad. Three years ago when we visited Fort

Myers Beach, the anchorage was crowded. Most of the boats were LTAs. Several were liveaboards. There were 15 to 20 derelicts out of 90 boats. The short-term cruisers numbered no more than 12. We visited Fort Myers Beach again in April and found a town mooring field. The cost was a nominal $10.60 per night including pump-out and showers. The derelicts were gone. The liveaboards and LTA boats were

not a problem in any way. It was an improved situation. The above is what is happening. Now the why. Several changes have gradually occurred over the years, yet these changes may have just two or three common causes. I can identify at least three causes. The “Save the Manatee Club” has to take their share of the blame. The several-year moratorium on the building of slips and marinas sparked the initial shortage of—and the spike in—the cost of slips. The present hostile environment to slip-building continues to exacerbate the problem. However, I fear a greater force than the “Manatee Club” may have taken over. This is the retiring baby boomers. The baby boomers are retiring en masse and seem to have more money than former retirees. The result has been an explosion in building—in particular, condo-building. We were anchored in Sarasota Bay recently. We counted at least seven tall cranes working on high-rise condos. The favorite place for these condos? On the waterfront. A big plus: building on the site of a bought-out marina. The condo owner can rent or buy a slip at his door for his boat. You can’t blame the marina owners. They sometimes struggle to make a decent living at marina operations. The temptation when offered multimillions of dollars is too much to resist. I know of at least four marinas on the west coast of Florida that succumbed to this in the last year; no doubt there are more. As a reference to the demand for condos: Recently, a condo under construction in Fort Myers had a preconstruction sale. The sale was to last for four hours. People were lined up before the sale started. All units up for sale were gone in two hours. The units were all over one million each. How does the boater of moderate means fight back? How can we moderate if not reverse the trend? It goes without saying that we need to get organized. We as recreational boaters want to go boating to relax. Organizing anything more than a dock party goes against the very reason we go to sea. Yet without some organizing, we will see our beautiful life on the water become only a memory. Starting a grass roots organizing effort would take a great deal of time and effort. Is there an existing organiSee LETTERS continued on page 15

January 2006

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Call for Boat Show Deal

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Pre Strictly Sail Miami Open House January 13-15, 2006 at all Massey locations. Purchase and get the boat show deal, before the show! Ft. Myers, FL 239-334-3674 • TOLL-FREE 800-763-3157

St. Pete Palmetto Ft. Myers

Call Sheryl Boddy for Best Rate Yacht Finance Quotes and FREE Pre-Qualification

Ben Fowke

Dan Howland

Terry Clark

Jim Klimczak

St. Pete, FL 727-824-7262 • TOLL-FREE 877-552-0525

941-723-3991

Palmetto, FL 941-723-1610 • TOLL-FREE 800-375-0130 SINCE 1977

www.masseyyacht.com Bill Wiard

David Cole

Al Pollak

Bill Aston

Brad Crabtree Scott Pursell Frank Hamilton Al Halpern

John Kelley

E-mail: yachtsales@masseyyacht.com

January 2006

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LETTERS zation or coalition that could be focused on this crucial need? You tell me. A second need is the need for information dissemination to boaters. I pick up a rumor here, a tidbit there. There is the need for a controlled monthly published board of actions—or pending actions—affecting boating and water access. Possibly SOUTHWINDS could run a monthly column listing these actions—one similar to the regional activities and racing calendar. Perhaps other regional publications could be found for fishermen and powerboaters. A Web site would be a must. This is a plea for somebody to answer the clarion call and say “Let’s meet at…on…date.” I’m retired and have time and interest to help with the logistics. Only when we have a start can we use the e-mail, online forums and boat shows to rally fellow boaters. LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN! Let’s control our destiny rather than letting it happen to us. Richard Critchlow St. Petersburg, FL Richard, Well put. We have started that monthly column. Even more so, several months back, we started a monthly section, “Our Waterways,” which is working to bring this news out, and we are asking our readers to send us information and news about upcoming changes, thoughts, opinions on this subject. Editor OPPOSITION TO SEAFOOD SHACK (See “Our Waterways” Nov. 2005) PURCHASE BY COUNTY FOR MARITIME MUSEUM AND BOAT RAMP IN CORTEZ, FL It is evident that the editors of the Herald Tribune must drive around wearing rose-tinted glasses if they can advocate the sale of the Seafood Shack to Manatee County. Clearly, they have not eaten at the Holmes Beach cafe if they believe that Manatee County displays any realistic ability to administer the properties it already owns. Before the county considers spending huge sums of taxpayers’ money to buy the Seafood Shack in Cortez, it should arrange to put those properties it already owns in decent order. Presently, they are about as visually appealing as old housing projects in communist East Berlin. Why not spend some of that, presumably surplus, cash on proper landscaping of Manatee County roads, which generally looks like the Wild West (including “scenic” Route 41!)? Yes, I can be classed as a “NIMBY” (not in my back yard), although I do support public access to water and parks—so long as they are properly administered and the rules policed. Unfortunately, I see little evidence of this on its existing properties, so why consider entrusting Manatee County with this relatively small but valuable piece of real estate? By the way, the oldest part of this “Old Florida” property is about 40 years old. The only worse option might be if any attempt were made by the city of Bradenton to annex this part of See LETTERS continued on page 68

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January 2006

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Out on the water, I could see the boats start to sort themselves out and form a line that would eventually pass in front of the reviewing float. I positioned myself behind the float so that I could get a good look at the lighted attractions. On they came. There were runabouts, trawlers, ketches, sloops, big motor yachts, one or two yawls. The bigger boats had elaborate displays, and some played Christmas music. The decorations ran the gamut from illuminated candy canes to a small sleigh, spotlighted and loaded with gifts on the bow of a 65-foot motor yacht. The contestants waved at the judges, and the judges waved back before recording a competitive score. As I said earlier, there were about 50 boats, and they all paraded by with efficiency and grace. The last boat had passed by—it was a ketch with lovely twinkling white lights in the rigging— when out of the darkness from which the line of boats had come arose the sound of a pulsating beat. It was familiar and getting closer. I searched my brain for a handle on the music, and then it came to me. What I was hearing at peak volume was ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man. I had seen the videos. As I stared in the direction of the music, I could see a boat coming my way. It was following the parade line, and I could see the running lights, red and green on the bow and a white light up off the deck. It was apparently a sailboat under power. Behind the boat was what looked, from a distance, like a collection of moths fluttering in the illumination from the stern light. On came the mystery vessel. Louder and louder became ZZ Top’s music, repeating over and over on the vessel’s stereo, which had to have had its speakers—big speakers—up on deck. ZZ Top was not providing much of a Christmas theme. They never have. As the boat got closer, I could see what looked like moths at a distance was actually about 100 birds following the sailboat—it was Bubba Whartz’s Right Guard—while

News & Views for Southern Sailors

ducking into the boat’s wake to retrieve something that two people on the back of the boat were tossing in the water. If you have ever seen gulls following a shrimper who’s shoveling unwanted catch over the side while coming back from the sea, you will have an idea of what it looked like. The gulls were shrieking and diving and screaming and hovering in orchestrated mass confusion. As the boat got closer still, I could see that the two people on the back of Bubba’s boat—Shorty and Bruno Velvetier, the interior decorator—were throwing handfuls of popcorn to the waiting birds. The birds stayed right behind the boat, and their screams blended in with the ZZ Top music, until the cacophony mixed into indecipherable noise. The judges were transfixed by this latest apparition, Right Guard with Alfred Hitchcock’s demonic ornithological congregation in tow, struck dumb by the noise and the birds. They were struck dumb, that is, until Right Guard was abeam and close aboard the judges’ float. At that exact moment, one of Bubba’s buddies from The Blue Moon Bar, Tripwire, stepped up on deck and heaved a big paper bag full of popcorn right onto the judges’ float. The squadron of birds, shrieking and diving and defecating all at the same time, detached themselves from the stern of Right Guard and made a bee line for the greater largess that was now on the judges’ float. The resulting catastrophic confusion unsettled the judges. Some fell over chairs before gaining better footing on dry land. Some ended up in the water as they tried to avoid the beating wings of more screeching birds than they had ever seen in their lives. In the bewilderment that followed, Right Guard disappeared back into the night sans its birds that were otherwise involved in trying to gobble up 10 pounds of popcorn in the See BUBBA continued on page 69

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

Events and News of Interest to Southern Sailors To have your news or event in this section, contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com.

UPCOMING SOUTHERN EVENTS BOAT SHOWS New Orleans Boat Show Rescheduled. Originally scheduled for Feb. 8-12, the show is now scheduled for March 812. www.neworleansboatshow.com. Austin Boat Show. Jan. 12-15. Austin Convention Center. Bring the whole family to the largest boating event of the year featuring over 200 vendors and boat dealers. Thursday, Jan. 12. 12 pm-9 pm. Friday, Jan. 13. 12 pm -9 pm. Saturday, Jan. 14. 10 am-9 pm. Sunday, Jan. 15. 10 am-6 pm. $8 for adults; seniors over 65 and children 10 and under are $4. Children 6 and under are free. Visit www.austinboatshow.com for more information. Houston International Boat, Sport and Travel Show. Jan. 6-15. Reliant Center. (713) 552-1055

West Marine Trawler Fest. Jan. 26-28. Stuart, FL. Passagemaker Magazine. (888) 487-2953. www.trawlerfest.com. San Antonio Boat Show. January 26-29 at the Alamodome. Bring the whole family to the largest boating event of the year featuring over 150 vendors and boat dealers. Thursday, Jan. 26. 12 pm-10pm. Friday, Jan. 27. 12 pm-10 pm. Saturday, Jan. 28. 10 am-10 pm. Sunday, Jan. 29. 10 am-6 pm. $8 for adults; seniors over 65 and children 10 and under are $4. Children 6 and under are free. Visit www.sanantonioboatshow.com for more information. Charlotte County Boat Show, Charlotte County Fairgrounds, Port Charlotte, FL. Jan. 26-29 (954) 570-7785. www.swfmia.com. Charleston Boat Show. Jan. 27-29. Charleston Convention Center, Charleston, SC. (843) 364-8491. www.charlestonboatshow.com. Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show. Feb. 16-20 The Strictly Sail Miami boat show is part of the greater Miami International Boat Show and is held at the Miamarina in downtown Miami. It runs from Thursday,

Atlanta Boat Show. Jan. 11-15. Georgia World Congress Center. NMMA. (954) 441-3228. www.atlantaboatshow.com. 32nd Annual Stuart Boat Show, January 13-15. New location, more docks and increased land-based display space. Still located on the north side of the St. Lucie River in Stuart, FL, the show is moving west of the Roosevelt Bridge to take advantage of dock space offered by three side-by-side marinas and to utilize additional land space. The Stuart Boat Show will include more than 200 exhibitors, including all the major boat manufacturers, latest gadgets, accessories, electronics, equipment and financing and insurance, too. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also free parking and a complimentary water taxi connecting the show and downtown Stuart. (305) 868-9224. stuartboatshow@aol.com.

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Feb. 16, through Monday, Feb. 20. Show hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and admission to the show gives admission to other locations of the Miami show. Among the many multihulls and monohulls present, the show also includes the largest selection of catamarans of any boat show. Programs include Kids Aboard Boat Building Workshop (free), free sailing trips through Discover Sailing, and free daily seminars. Tickets can be bought online at www.miamiboatshow.com. Tickets on Thursday (10 a.m.-6 p.m.), Feb. 16, Premier Day, are $25. Cost of tickets Feb. 13-17, Friday through Monday (10 a.m.-6 p.m.), are $15, free for children under 12. Adult, two-day (Feb 17-20) passes are available for $26. Thursday, Premier Day tickets available for $28. All tickets include entry to all locations of the Miami International Boat Show. . EDUCATIONAL BOATING EVENTS Ongoing – Boating Skills and Seamanship Programs. St. Petersburg, FL, Each Tuesday night, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 1300 Beach Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 72. Completion satisfies the State of Florida boater safety education requirements. The continuous rotating program has 11 lessons. One lesson is presented each Tuesday night. Lessons include: which boat for you, equipment, trailering, lines and knots, boat handling, signs, weather, rules, introduction to navigation, inland boating and radio. (727) 823-3753 Boating Safety Courses, St. Petersburg, FL: The St Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron begins the six-week (every Monday) Public Boating Course on Jan. 9. The course includes safety information plus basic piloting; charts, course plotting, latitude/longitude and dead reckoning. Call

News & Views for Southern Sailors

(727) 867-3088 or visit www.boating-stpete.org for details. The course satisfies Florida’s education requirement for boaters under age 21. Clearwater Coast Guard Auxiliary offers Public Boating Programs: Expanded Boating Skills and Seamanship (11 lessons). Class Days: Jan. 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31. Feb. 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 All programs are held at the Clearwater Sailing Center, 1001 Gulf Blvd., Sand Key (Clearwater). They are open to adults and youths. For more information on upcoming education programs or to request a free vessel safety check, call (727) 469-8895 or visit www.uscgaux.org/~0701101/Public EducationPrograms.htm. North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NC, www.ncmm-friends.org, maritime@ncmail.net, (252) 728-7317. On-going adults sailing programs. Family Sailing. 2-6 people; 2-6 hours. Traditional skiffs or 30’ keelboat. $50-$240. Reservations/information: Call The Friends’ office (252) 728-1638 Seven Seas Cruising Association-Sponsored Marine Weather Forecasting Workshop. Miami, FL. Feb. 21 -22 A two-day Marine Weather Forecasting Workshop will be held at the Miami Yacht Club on Feb. 21-22. (These dates immediately follow the Miami Boat Show, Feb 16-20.) The workshop is sponsored by Seven Seas Cruising Association and supported by West Marine. The curriculum includes cause and effect of marine weather, charting symbols and terminology, the patterns of weather systems and interpreting surface and 500-mb charts. Lee Chesneau, a senior marine meteorologist for NOAA’s Ocean Prediction Center and a USCG-certified STCW instructor, will conduct the courses. He has held marine weather seminars for Safety-at-Sea and at boat shows. The cost of the workshop is $250 per person for SSCA members,

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$300 for non-members. The fee includes a 250-pluspage interactive workbook as well as lunch both days. Limited registration to ensure personal attention. Download the registration form at www.ssca.org.

OTHER EVENTS New Year’s Day Fun Sail at Ballard Park, Melbourne, FL. Jan 1. Space Coast Catamaran Club. Mark Herendeen, e-mail mherendeen@bellsouth.net. Key West Race Week January 16 -20 (see race section for race week preview) Key West’s azure blue “race track” is sure to feature the world’s top performing race boats and crews in January. Premiere Racing’s New Year sailing kick-off begins on January 16, with nine races scheduled over the five days of racing. Event details, entries and past results are available at www.Premiere-Racing.com Yacht Brokers Assoc. of America Annual Conference. Jan 18-20. Bahia Mar Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale. YBAA. (410) 263-1014. www.ybaa.com. National Marine Service Expo. Jan. 20-22. Assoc. of Marine Technicians. Sheraton World Resort, Orlando, FL. (800) 4670982. www.am-tech.org. Conference on Marine Industry Technical Training. Jan. 23-24. Safety Harbor Resort & Spa. Safety Harbor, FL. (410) 956-1050. www.abycinc.org.

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2006 Useppa Island 2nd Annual Catboat Rendezvous, Useppa Island, Southwest Florida, Jan. 27-29 It’s time to think about winter fun in the sun, sailing, and camaraderie on Useppa Island, FL, the weekend of January 27-29. You don’t need to own a Catboat, or even be from Florida to attend this event. We want you to be a Catboat afficionado. There will be Catboats of all types and sizes. Bring your boat or come and savor the tranquility of a real island off the southwest Florida coast. You will most likely be able to crew with someone sailing around Pine Island Sound, be part of the race committee, crew in the races, or watch from a spectator boat. Friday night pot luck beach party, Saturday tour of Useppa Island and the museum, racing and sailing. Saturday night buffet dinner. Sunday races, brunch and awards ceremony. Accommodations at neighboring Cabbage Key, stay on your boat at Useppa, or anchor out. $80 per person. For information, contact Gretchen and John Coyle at (239) 2835008. E-mail Gfcoyle@msn.com. Indian River Yacht Club Presents Sail A Small Boat Day. Jan. 28. 11a.m. – 5 p.m. Whitley Bay Marina, Cocoa, FL. An excellent opportunity to test-sail new sailboats from 10-25 feet on the Indian River. Sailboats from Catalina, Hunter, ComPac, Vanguard, Walker Bay, and Precision will be featured from a number of dealers throughout the state. Free and open to everyone. No previous experience required. For more information, contact Jerry at Boaters Exchange at (321) 638-0090, or www.BoatersExchange.com.

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

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January 2006

International Marina and Boatyard Conference. Jan. 29-Feb. 1. Renaissance Orlando SeaWorld, Orlando, FL, (202) 737-9774. www.marinaassociation.org.

NEWS Charlotte Harbor Sailing Center Without a Home By Barbara Pierce In a recent decision by the Punta Gorda (Florida) City Council, land next to the Punta Gorda Boat Club cannot be used to create a community sailing center. The nonprofit Charlotte Harbor Sailing Center wanted to share a small strip of the club’s land to give the city’s disabled and underprivileged youth the opportunity to learn to sail. The center would also serve as a site for local high schools to teach sailing. Council members voted unanimously not to force the club to share the land. The feud leading to this decision has been long; Bill Dixon, leader of the effort to start a sailing center, attended every City Council meeting for the past four years to lobby for the sailing center’s cause. “A compromise - sharing the land - would be good for everyone,” Dixon believed. The City Council had hoped that the two groups could agree to share the basin. Thanks to a lease with the city, the club maintains control of the basin. The lease, which has been in effect for 50 years, costs the club $1 per year. The club was unwilling to share the basin, giving liability and safety issues as the reason. It is alleged that other issues lurk behind the tension. There is speculation that boat club members, mostly retirees, did not want to share their land with children and teenagers. The City Council made the decision to find a new site

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for the center. Dixon has resigned from the cause, discouraged that there will ever be a community sailing center in Punta Gorda. Just before going to press, Southwinds learned of recent developments in this story. The Charlotte High School sailing team was to train with the Charlotte Harbor Sailing Center, and when the Punta Gorda Boat Club denied the center the use of its grounds, Punta Gorda Isles Yacht Club Commodore Larry Stewart heard about it and wondered if the Yacht Club’s Dinghy Sailing Club could partner up with the high school sailors. The club offered the use of their grounds to the high school team, along with four boats they could sail. (The Charlotte High School sailing team is not officially associated with the high school.)

Ericson Yachts Web Site Seeks Funding to Continue The Ericson Yachts Web site, www.EricsonYachts.com, is no longer being run by Pacific Seacraft Corporation, owners of the Ericson name. The site is now being run by the original owner of the Web site, and he is seeking funding for it. Donations can be made directly to him via check (Sean Shannon Engle, PO Box 16482, Seattle, WA 98116-0482), or via PayPal (www.paypal.com: account is under ssengle@comcast.net). Any questions, concerns or for more information, e-mail Sean Shannon Engle at ssengle@comcast.net, or ssengle@worldnet.att.net.

Boat Pump-Out Service Opens in West Florida Mobile Marine Pump Out Service is now operating between Clearwater, St. Pete/Tampa Bay and Sarasota. “The Pump Out Boat” comes to your boat at its slip or mooring, empties the holding tank for you and sends it off to the city sewage treatment. The Pump Out Boat is currently scheduling monthly, biweekly or weekly customers for 2006. Regular service packages will start at around $20. Owner Capt. Dave Bergen says the much-needed service works just like the garbage man. “We take care of the tanks on a regular schedule. If your day is Wednesday, it will always be that day unless we have a breakdown or something out of our control like weather.” On board his boat, The Potti Animal, Capt. Dave (and his chocolate Labrador retriever) monitor VHF 16 and 68. If boaters see them in the area, they can hail them, “The Pump Out Boat,” for immediate service. State the name, type and location of your boat, and they will promptly respond with an ETA. www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

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January 2006

The Pump Out Boat has a pink hull with a life-size green dolphin painted on her bow so it is easy to spot on the water. Mobile Marine Pump Out Service plans to launch new service in the Fort Myers and Naples area with the addition of a second pump-out boat, in Spring 2006. The company will also offer an environmentally safe bilge cleaning service to help boaters avoid illegal, oily discharge in marinas and harbors. They can be reached at (727) 3634000 and have a limited time introductory offer. Wash-down and detailing services are available on request. You can also find out more information at their Web site, www.thepumpoutboat.com.

Everglades Seafood Festival, Feb. 4-6, Everglades City, FL, Free Admission Review by Gretchen Coyle Long, windswept hair flows behind tattooed bikers as they race down Route 29 on shiny Harleys. Cowboys from Immokalee adorned in fancy boots made of some unnamable skin saunter around town checking out the 30 and under set. Families in RVs from all over Florida are parked around Everglades City, eager for the weekend’s festivities. Country and Western lovers are singing along, swaying to the sound of the music. All are partaking in the Everglades Seafood Festival.

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Started in the early 1970s as a small community event, and now held the first weekend of February each year, the Everglades Seafood Festival swamps the small town of Everglades City with the curious and the hungry. From a mile away, the smell of deep-fried mullet, conch fritters todie-for, and steamed stone crabs lures visitors as they get out of their cars. Food lines become as long as the fish stories themselves. Local fishermen and volunteers cook shrimp, seafood, salads, and sandwiches. Since this event is billed as a “Taste of the Everglades,” then surely no meal would be complete without a bite of Florida’s extra-large lizard-shaped reptile. Yes, gator nuggets are on the menu. First-timers munching on this prehistoric-looking creature are surprised to find it amazingly edible considering the source. Native American cuisine is also available, prepared by the local tribes. Maybe it is the merry atmosphere, but the food tastes better off paper containers and waxed paper than at the fanciest restaurants. You can get a hamburger, but who could possibly want one with the freshest and best local seafood available? As much fun as eating is sitting at long picnic tables chatting with other festival-goers. A farmer and his wife from La Belle may be talking to a family from the upper peninsula of Michigan. Seniors might have a first-ever conversation with some of the biker group. Young folk from surrounding counties come to cruise, be seen and mix with each other. Tasting and people-watching are without a doubt the highlights. It is an orderly crowd that swells this small Collier County town with its usual population of about 500 to over 50,000.

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January 2006

Best described as part hokey, part eclectic, and part eyeopening, over 150 booths of all types line the blocked-off streets. Everything from plants to alligator skins and crafts to expensive paintings are sold. Miccosukee and Seminole Indian tribal handiwork are perennial Seafood Festival favorites. Most vendors have items unique to the culture of southwest Florida. On one side of the classic Greek City Hall is a carnival with rides and amusements to delight all ages. Folks sitting in fold-up chairs are continually jumping up to dance along with the bands. An oldies group is usually featured on Friday night, and country and Western bands—some even real Nashville stars—all day Saturday and Sunday. This three-day annual event was only tarnished one year in the late 1980s when a number of town officials and fishermen were caught with more than mullet in their nets. The raids and subsequent scandal resulted in jail sentences and the festival’s being canceled that year. From all of the above you now are anxious to attend, right? Here’s a suggestion: Avoid the traffic and go by boat. Tie up at the historic Rod and Gun Club for the weekend. After a day of festivities, a cool swim (pool is not heated), drinks and dinner at the Rod and Gun Club are both relaxing and recommended. Nothing beats the ambiance of old

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time Everglades City than looking up from your boat at the 1920s gas tank and pumps. Little Potato Creek, as it was once called, had its name changed to the Barron River when Barron Collier dug his Tamiami Trail across southwest Florida and groomed little Everglades City to be the county seat of—what else— Collier County. Collier’s little town never really developed, and the county seat became Naples, but the Barron River is well marked and easily navigable. Boat traffic is sparse except for National Park Service boats and a few congenial commercial fishermen. Festival admission is also free as are the stage shows. Pets and coolers are forbidden inside the festival grounds. Food, rides and souvenirs are all reasonably priced, making this one of the most inexpensive events in southwest Florida. A brochure published by the Everglades Chamber of Commerce does not list the Seafood Festival under its list of attractions. Assumedly this is because it takes place but once a year. Or maybe they just want to keep it the size it is now. Full of local color and down home fun, the Everglades Seafood Festival is not to be missed. Y’all come, hear? For more information, go to www.evergladesseafoodfestival.com. E-mail: info@evergladesseafoodfestival.com.

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U.S. Coast Guard Releases Boating Fatalities Statistics for 2004: Lowest Since 1960 The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced that the total fatalities resulting from recreational boating accidents declined to 676, the lowest on record since 1960. However, 484 boaters drowned in 2004, and 90 percent of those who drowned were not wearing a life jacket. While fatalities from boating accidents are decreasing, wearing a life jacket is still key to surviving an accident. The new statistics indicate a steady drop when compared with 750 fatalities reported in 2002 and 703 fatalities in 2003. For the full story go to the US SAILING Web site, http://www.uscgboating.org/waypoints/ nov05/art1_fatalities.htm

several days or a few hours as if they owned the vessel themselves. Pinnacle Yachts also offers comprehensive training programs for members new to yachting or for those who wish to enhance their skills prior to taking the helm on their own. Scheduling and maintenance tasks are managed by the company’s professional staff aided by the firm’s advanced, proprietary technology. Founded in 1998, Pinnacle Yachts was the first company to offer shared-yacht programs. To learn more, visit the company’s Web site at www.pinnacleyachts.com.

Dry Tortugas and Everglades Parks Reopen After Extensive Hurricane Damage Dry Tortugas National Park reopened in November after suffering major damage from Hurricane Wilma. Parts of the brick structure at Fort Jefferson will probably remain closed temporarily because of visitor safety. Parts of Everglades National Park were severely damaged, particularly the visitor center in Flamingo, which suffered an eight-foot storm surge. Some parts of the park at Flamingo will be closed for several more months. Fuel is not now available in Flamingo, and park officials discourage use of the waterways in the area until navigation markers can be replaced and channels checked for shifting bottoms and underwater hazards. Conditions are changing daily as repairs proceed, and updates are available for both parks at (305) 242-7700.

Pinnacle Yachts Opens Base in Tampa Bay With Shared-Yacht Program Pinnacle Yachts Inc., offering shared sail and power yachts, announced in December the opening of its newest base at the Harborage Marina in St. Petersburg, FL. The Harborage is the company’s ninth base of operations in the United States. The company currently has bases in Miami, Manhattan, Stamford, Boston, Detroit, Annapolis, Seattle and Chicago. For an all-inclusive annual lease fee, members in its shared-yacht program make private use of new 34- to 40foot Jeanneau sailboats or Sea Ray power yachts, without the high cost or obligations of ownership. With local day-today access to their yachts, members may cruise for a week, News & Views for Southern Sailors

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January 2006

OUR WATERWAYS The SOUTHWINDS “Our Waterways” Section SOUTHWINDS has created this section to inform our readers about changes in our waterways. We believe that Southerners are in the midst of a great change occurring on our waterways—through the conversion of many boating properties to condominiums, restrictions on anchorages once thought to be more open and now being more restricted and regulated, and other economic forces at work. The waterways belong to all of us, and all of us have a right to use them. The waterways are not just for those who can afford to live on the water, and it is up to us boaters and lovers of these waters to protect that right. We hope that by helping to inform you of these changes, we will contribute to doing just that. We are looking for news and information on changes, land sales, anchorages, boaters’ rights, new marinas, anchoring rights, disappearing marinas, boatyards and boat ramps, environmental concerns and other related news. Contact Steve Morrell, editor@southwindsmagazine.com, or call (877) 372-7245.

Boat Waste Discharge Call Brings in Strong Response By Steve Morrell, editor Last month, we published an article on beach closings and waste disposal questions about the Davis Island Seaplane anchorage in Tampa Bay and also discussed the issue in our editorial about the problem. We put out a call for readers’ comments and opinions on boat waste disposal and received more letters on this topic than any other issue, including the right to sail to Cuba, which always sparks interest. Below we have published comments from Dee Von Quirolo of Reef Relief in the Florida Keys. Reef Relief has probably done more to clean the water in the Florida Keys than any other single effort, and is pretty much responsible for setting up a no-discharge zone in that area. The controversy surrounding no-discharge zones is considerable, especially when one considers that they do not even allow Type I and Type II MSDs, like Raritan’s Lectra/San treatment system. We have also included a letter from Charles Husick, an engineer who has been working on this problem, about Type I MSDs. S OUTHWINDS is going to try to be a vehicle for information exchange about these systems and alternatives to them. We invite readers to let us know what experience they have with this problem and these solutions. We are particularly interested in what other countries and communities around the world do.

Private Boat Pump-Out Service Begins in Tampa Bay Area Mobile Marine Pump Out Service began operating in Tampa Bay in December. For more information, see the “Short Tacks” section in this issue.

Pump it. Don’t Dump it — Save the Reef by Honoring the Keys’ No Discharge Zone By Dee Von Quirolo, Reef Relief www.reefrelief.org The no discharge zone for boater sewage in state waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was declared official by the U.S. EPA on June 19, 2002. This followed a similar designation for Key West, FL, waters established on November 17, 1999, thanks to the efforts of Reef Relief and the City of Key West, approval from the governor of Florida and the U.S. EPA. The designation is being expanded to all federal waters of the Keys sanctuary this coming year. The rules established that boaters are prohibited from dumping sewage, even when treated, into the ocean. It does not apply to gray water from showers or sinks, only sewage. Through-hull fittings for disposal of sewage should be closed, and appropriate measures should be taken to use 28

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vessel pump-out facilities. State waters extend three miles from the land on the Atlantic side of the Keys and 9 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. The Florida Keys are famous for diving, fishing and boating. Tourism and commercial fishing industries depend upon clean, healthy water. North America’s only living coral barrier reef lies just offshore. Coral reefs need clear, clean, nutrient-free waters to thrive. The reasons for establishing the no discharge zones in the Keys were simple: recreational boats in congested harbors in the Keys and charter boats visiting the offshore coral reefs were dumping raw sewage into the ocean, and it was contributing to a decline in water quality. Everyone is familiar with the loss of coral reefs in the Keys, and it is no secret that our “gin-clear” waters are no longer clear in the Keys’ harbors and inlets, much less offshore. Although boater sewage is a small percentage of the total nutrient loading, it is the concentrated nature of it in small harbors

and the direct discharge onto the coral reefs that makes it so damaging to the nutrient-sensitive waters of the Florida Keys. Even the Type I and II MSDs that macerate or incinerate the sewage results in the discharge of concentrated nutrients into the ocean, which is why they, too, are banned as part of the no discharge zone designation. Today, coral loss in the Florida Keys is such that there is only 2 percent coral coverage left and efforts are underway to designate the major branching corals, elkhorn, staghorn and the rare fused staghorn, onto the U.S. endangered species list. Although there is no doubt that there are multiple contributors to reef decline, the direct discharge of concentrated sewage is a contributing factor that can easily be addressed, unlike larger problems such as global warming and agricultural runoff from the Everglades. Key West charter boat captain finds it easy Many point to cruise ships as to use the dockside vessel pump-out hookup provided by the City of Key West another contributor to reef decline. at the downtown docks of the Historic Negotiations have been underway between the City of Key West, cruise ship Seaport. Photo by Reef Relief. representatives, and Reef Relief for over a year in an effort to come to an agreement on how and when cruise ships that visit Key West will be required to upgrade their onboard sewage treatment. For the smaller commercial boats in Key West, the city has run individual sewage pump-out hook-ups to each of the charter boats in the downtown Historic Seaport docks, where many large schooners run charters on a tight schedule. They can easily pump-out between charters. Recreational Boaters Can Help With Reef Relief For boaters, pump-out facilities are available at many locations throughout the Florida Keys. In addition, mobile pump-out services are available. The Key West mooring field has distinguished itself by providing regular mobile pump-out services not only for the well-populated field but also for other vessels around the island of Key West in order to reduce the intentional disposal of sewage into the ocean. The municipal marinas operated by the City of Key West

News & Views for Southern Sailors

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January 2006

OUR WATERWAYS provide vessel pump-out facilities dockside, and it is a condition of the dock lease that the lessees honor the no discharge zone. Key Largo recently purchased a mobile pumpout barge, and new pump-out facilities have been added up and down the Keys in recent years. The Florida Keys provide an example of how to implement a workable no discharge zone. Funds to establish additional pump-out facilities in the Florida Keys have been made available from Monroe County through a special grant program. A no discharge zone coordinator has also been hired in order to facilitate the application process for area marinas. An informational brochure and map of pumpouts are available through Reef Relief or the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and online at www.co.monroe.fl.us.ndz/ info.htm, or www.reefrelief.org.

Boat Waste Disposal Solution Possible Through Type I MSDs By Charles Husick, Tampa Bay, FL The SOUTHWINDS’ December editorial addressed the need for an environmentally acceptable means for disposing of toilet waste from navigating vessels. As you so correctly pointed out, reliance on holding tanks is not a responsible solution. The tanks cause problems on the boats in which they are installed. Pump-out stations are not available in many areas, especially for sailboats of more than minimum draft. All too often, pump-out stations are either unmanned and locked or inoperative. Waste deposited in pump-out stations all too often winds up in the waters in which we are navigating when heavy rain overcomes the shoreside treatment plants or when a sewer line breaks or the plant malfunctions. Fortunately, a solution to this problem exists in use of an on-board sewage treatment system such as the Groco Thermopure 2 or the Raritan Lectra/San, both of which are Coast Guard-approved Type 1 marine sanitation devices. What is even better, both of these devices sanitize waste to such an extent that the treated effluent is cleaner than the water in which the boat is floating. The treatment ability of the Groco and Raritan MSDs are vastly superior to the more than 30-year-old specification

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Send Us Information and Opinions on Boat Waste Disposal More and more communities are restricting our rights to anchor or moor in their local waters. One of the main complaints is residents’ allegations of sewage disposal from boats. Do boaters pollute the waters in which they anchor? What alternatives to the traditional methods of sewage disposal from a boat exist? Are composting toilets a good answer? Do you have experience with them? How about mandatory pump-outs? Enforced nodischarge zones? How much pollution is caused by local communities compared to what a boat discharges? What about Type I and Type II MSDs? Should they be allowed in no-discharge zones? How are the pump-out services in your area? We are also looking for information on what other countries—in Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and elsewhere—do about boat waste disposal. S OUTHWINDS will be researching innovative ways to dispose of sewage and answers to this age-old problem. We’d like your input and opinions. Contact Steve Morrell at (877) 372-7245, or e-mail editor@southwindsmagazine.com.

requirements of the Clean Vessel Act; less than 200 fecal coliform per 100 ml (about 3 ounces) of water. Both of these devices have been tested by independent laboratories, which attest to the fact that the treated effluent contains less than 10 coliform/100 ml, 20 times less than the federal specification. For reference, the state of Florida defines water quality at bathing beaches as GOOD when it contains up to 199 fecal coliform/100 ml of marine water. A MODERATE rating is given when the coliform content is between 200 and 399 per 100 ml. (An alternate indicator of water contamination, enterococcus is also used, with levels up to 35 CFU/100 ml earning a GOOD rating and 36-104 as MODERATE. The two MSDs cited reduce the enterococcus content of waste in the same ratio as for fecal coliform). The bottom line of the specification talk above is simple: What comes out of either of these on-board treatment systems is far cleaner than the water the state considers acceptable for bathing. In fact, the use of either of these devices with toilets supplied with seawater would cleanse pollution from the seawater. We have an available technology-based solution to the marine waste problem—one that would eliminate the need for smelly and hazardous holding tanks, eliminate the spot pollution that often occurs when a tank is pumped out improperly and one that would eliminate the insult to the environment that occurs when a multi-gallon holding tank of mature sewage is dumped into the open sea. What we need is a government sufficiently motivated to not only allow but actively promote the use of certified on-board treatment of waste with equipment that will prevent pollution of our waters. We need to eliminate the nodischarge zones in open and coastal tidal waters and encourage the most environmentally aware community we have, our fellow sailors, to use technology for the benefit of our aquatic world. www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

OUR WATERWAYS Pinellas County Considers Marina Purchase, then Backs Out Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and several other waterfront communities, considered the purchase of the Tierra Verde Hi & Dry Marina, then recently backed out of the deal. When the county commissioners heard last fall that the marina was being sold to condo developers, they stepped in to purchase the property, entering a contractual period to investigate the acquisition. Early indications were that the marina could pay for itself. The purchase price was estimated to be about $23-million. Bonds would be put up to pay for the purchase over 20 years. Further inquiries indicated that the marina’s wet slip and dry storage building could mean at least another $4-million in repairs and upgrades, shooting the price tag up enough to decide against acquiring the property. Pinellas County has more registered pleasure boats than any other Florida county, with more than 50,000 boats. In recent years, several marinas have been sold to condo developers, and both water access and the number of slips have been diminishing. The county commissioners were hoping to at least maintain the current number of moorings in the county with the purchase.

Intracoastal Waterway’s Dismal Swamp Canal Funding By Walt McFarlane Congress recently passed a $21-million appropriations bill that included $850,000 for maintenance and operation of the Dismal Swamp Canal for at least another year. However, funding for this very popular Intracoastal Waterway route has and still remains questionable. The Dismal Swamp Canal was opened in 1805 as a commerce route between Virginia and North Carolina, and today it also serves thousands of boaters a year who travel the ICW. During the Atlantic hurricane season, this route offers a safer alternative for many. However, there are very few anchorages along the route. There are a number of overnight havens, which offer good protection on the Pasquotank River north of Elizabeth City, NC. The U.S. Corp of Engineers is responsible for the operation of the canal that includes two locks located at Deep Creek, VA, and South Mills, NC. These locks are operated eight hours a day, year around, weather permitting. During winter, the canal is sometimes closed for maintenance, so if you plan to use this route, you may want to contact the U.S. Corps of Engineers Waterway Office in Great Bridge, VA. This canal is not just for boaters. It is a living piece of maritime history dating back to the birth of this nation, commissioned and built by the founding fathers. The cost to the federal government for keeping the Dismal Swamp Canal operational is not even a financial drop in the bucket. We all need to keep an eye on this. With more and more anchorages, and public marinas being gobbled up into the private sector, we do not need to lose this waterway to neglect, private development, or because of someone’s own political agenda. For more information on the ICW, go to www.atlintracoastal.org.

Whitley Bay Marina to Privatize Under a Precedent-Setting Settlement By Roy Laughlin In November, the Florida Cabinet, led by Governor Jeb Bush, approved new lease terms for Whitley Bay Marina in Cocoa. The new terms give Dream Harbors LLC a 25-year lease on the submerged state lands under the marina. The 25-year lease passed in May 2005 will allow Dream Harbors LLC to operate a private marina with equity slip ownership. Prices for slips in the privatized marina are expected to be well over $80,000 depending on slip size. For most boat owners in working class central Brevard County, this cost is much more than the purchase price of their boats. This decision is a significant loss for public access to waterways, although the change will be buffered over a three-year period. The Florida Cabinet’s decision on Whitley Bay is part of a complex lawsuit settlement involving both the state and 32

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the city of Cocoa. The private marina’s name will be changed to the Cocoa Village Marina. The marina will maintain 20 “first come, first served” slips initially. In 2008, the number of “first come, first served” slips will decline to 10. Dream Harbors LLC will reimburse the city for $600,000 in construction costs for its boardwalk adjacent to the marina. Dream Harbors LLC will also give the city $50,000 for mooring fields. The mooring fields will be public. Costs of marina leases for private developers are a relative bargain. Florida does not charge more for long-term leases for developers such as Dream Harbors LLC; rather it offers a 30 percent discount for a public marina–one offering 90 percent of its slips on a “first come, first served” basis.

Brevard County Commission Rejects Registration of Unmotorized Boats By Roy Laughlin The Brevard County Commission quickly rejected a resolution requesting the Florida State Legislature to authorize registration fees on unmotorized boats including kayaks, canoes, catamarans and other small sailboats. Members of several groups, including Space Coast Paddlers, a kayak club, and Space Coast Catamaran Club spoke effectively against the registration resolution. Commissioner Ron Pritchard was a vocal supporter on the Board of County Commissioners for the registration resolution. He explained that the state could apply for federal funding for boating programs based on the number of registered boats. The funding he refers to is available under the Wallop Breaux Amendment (1983) to the 1950 Sports Fishery Act. Taxes on boat fuels and fishing equipment are the source of trust fund disbursements authorized by the Sports Fishing Act of 1950. Jim Durocher of the Space Coast Paddlers pointed out that only seven states include unmotorized boat registrations. They use them to fluff up their

News & Views for Southern Sailors

entitlement for a share of the fuel taxes available under this federal act. Motor boating groups strongly support increasing registration numbers to recapture gas taxes for waterway access. While their goals are supported by many waterway users, an unmotorized boat registration program whose only justification is to expand Florida’s share of federal trust funds arising from fuel taxes is inconsistent with the federal law’s source of funding. Spending under its provisions will minimally benefit small-boat users. The rejected resolution was part of a set of provisions to increase boater access. These resolutions came about after a July meeting of representatives from a dozen coastal Florida counties, who aimed to develop a unified set of proposals for increased boater access to present to Florida legislators (reported in SOUTHWINDS’ September 2005 issue). The Brevard County Commission made the following resolutions at their meeting: 1. Resolved to request that the State Legislature remove the gas tax cap and earmark all fuel taxes paid by marinas for boat fuels for boater access improvements. At present, the amount DEP receives for boating programs and law enforcement is capped at $12-million. Total receipts in 2003 were approximately $40-million. The $28-million difference becomes unrestricted funds in the Department of Transportation and is probably used for road construction. 2. Resolved to request state legislators begin an evaluation of legislation and policies that impede boater access. Artificially low lease rates charged by the state for private marinas were one disincentive for public access mentioned at last July’s meeting. 3. Resolved to request a change in the Florida Boating Improvement Act to allow funding to be used for land acquisition for boating facilities. Presently, land acquisition using funds from this Act is restricted.

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

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OUR WATERWAYS Brevard County to Develop Marine Management Plan

Proposed Improvements To Marine Facilities In Cedar Key, FL

By Roy Laughlin

By Vern Hobbs

On November 22, the Brevard County Commission directed staff of its Department of Natural Resources Management to develop an extensive marine management plan. A position paper prepared by department staff includes 16 points to include in the plan. The emerging plan will include consideration of holding tank dye programs, possible designation of zero discharge areas and identification of funding for the sheriff’s department to remove permanent moorings. Nearly 40 minutes of discussion, however, focused entirely on two specific mooring issues. The first issue was prevention of mooring outside designated areas to be defined in the plan, and the second issue was the designation of areas suitable for placing mooring fields for public use. The mooring issue was brought to the table by two Merritt Island waterfront residents, who complained about a person, described as a live-aboard, mooring in front of their houses. They complained of lack of privacy, the sound of music from the boat and adverse effects on water quality due to toilet use. County staff presented the dilemma for mooring regulations. Florida DEP does not allow unpermitted moorings in state waters, but does not routinely enforce the regulation. A local sheriff’s office may enforce state laws, but the Brevard County Sheriff has little money, equipment or policies for cutting moorings and citing live-aboards. Federal Rights of Navigation, however, allow mariners to anchor unrestricted by local laws. If a boater puts down an engine block and ties it, the county may cite them under DEP regulations; if a boater anchors on the same spot, Mariners’ Rights of Navigation protect them. County staff will attempt to draft rules that satisfy the desires of the county commissioners while still staying within the boundaries of federal laws. The second issue the county commission asked its staff to include in the management plan was identifying sites for permanent mooring fields and requirements for building and operating them. Operation rules included requirements that the boat owners be identified and have insurance. Unlike the live-aboard issue, largely motivated by a few complainers, mooring field development has much broader public support. The city of Titusville, in particular, is rapidly pursuing construction of a mooring field off the city’s downtown. This area has Brevard County’s densest concentration of anchored boats. During Hurricane Wilma in October, several boats broke loose from anchors and then collided with and damaged the Max Brewer Bridge between Kennedy Space Center and the mainland. The bridge was closed for about a week for repairs. Most of the causeways in the county had numerous boats beached along them after the last two season’s storms. Many private docks were also damaged by drifting boats during hurricanes these past two years. The next step in the marine management plan will be to solicit advice from stakeholders in the public. No date was set for delivering a draft plan, but it seems it will be months in the making.

After years of providing virtually no accommodations for transiting vessels and neglecting the few meager facilities that did exist, it seems the winds of change may be beginning to blow in Cedar Key. Improvements to navigational aids, funding to rebuild public dockage, construction beginning on a new commercial marina, and a planned face-lift for the downtown historic district all suggest that some day soon Cedar Key may become a favorite cruisers’ destination. The serpentine “Main Ship Channel,” identified on the inset of NOAA Chart 11408, has long received the welldeserved ridicule of almost every cruising guide covering North Florida. This five-mile-long channel leading in from the Gulf has suffered from neglect evidenced by damaged, missplaced and missing channel markers that made navigation confusing at best and hazardous at worst. Recently, the Coast Guard spent several weeks in the waterway repairing and replacing old markers, as well as setting some new can buoys to better define the channel. Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004, plus flooding from Dennis this past summer, severely damaged Cedar Key’s Municipal Pier, resulting in its condemnation and closure. State and federal funding to rebuild the pier and other public docks has been granted. The inner harbor area of the municipal marina was recently dredged and new floating docks installed. While this facility is not accessible to sail-

News & Views for Southern Sailors

Send Us Information On Public Mooring Fields S OUTHWINDS is trying to catalog all the public mooring fields and anchorages that are regulated by local municipalities in the South, whether fresh or saltwater. We ask our readers to send us information on those that they know, with contacts, locations, regulations, news etc. Contact Steve Morrell at (877) 372-7245, or e-mail editor@southwindsmagazine.com.

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

OUR WATERWAYS The recently completed portion of the Gulfside Marina in Cedar Key. The condos were already there and are not affiliated with the marina. Photo by Vern Hobbs.

boats due to a low, fixed bridge over its entrance, the newly renovated marina does allow safe and convenient dinghy access to downtown. While we still wait to see if the new municipal pier will be more hospitable to cruisers than the old one, construction has begun on a new commercial marina: Gulfside Marina (phone (352) 543-0007) already has nine slips completed in a freshly dredged, protected basin at the southeast corner of town. This new facility is handicapped by tides, an ever-present nemesis of Big Bend sailors. The entrance channel reportedly affords five-foot depths at high water, and less than one foot at low water. The new facility is affording easy dinghy access for the ever-increasing number of sailboats anchoring in deep water off the downtown waterfront. The builders of Gulfside have grand aspirations including a 750-foot pier connecting up to 150 deep-water slips to shore facilities and a mooring field. When complete, Gulfside will be the only marina able to accommodate deep-draft vessels between Crystal River and Apalachicola. Construction is ongoing, but no completion date has been set. On shore, a multimillion dollar renovation along Second (main) Street has begun. The Cedar Key Historic Renovation Project will restore five historic buildings to their late nineteenth century splendor, and bring a theater, artists’ courtyard, more shopping, and a waterfront park to downtown. These long overdue improvements to Cedar Key’s maritime facilities may yet make this eclectic village a haven for Gulf Coast cruisers. How quickly the transformation will occur remains in question. There is some resistance among skeptical locals, and the town operates very much on “island time.” Already, though, the pleasing sight of masts along the old waterfront has made Cedar Key all the more inviting to this Southern sailor.

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

Marine Industry Tops Citrus In Florida’s Economy, But Growth Is Stunted By Condo Developers By Lisa H. Knapp The marine industry employed 220,000 people in the Sunshine State in 2005, generating an economic impact of $18.4-billion. But the future viability of the industry is threatened by a statewide trend of conversion of waterfront property to condominiums and non-marine use, said Kristina Hebert at the Seventh Annual Marine Industry Summit in Fort Lauderdale in December. The realization that our working waterfront is diminishing is a critical task of Florida’s marine master plan implementation, said Hebert, president of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF). Eight hundred marine businesses make up MIASF, a not-for-profit trade association consisting of primarily recreational boating companies based in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. The thought of the marine industry being shoved out of the state is downright un-Floridian. Other statewide revenue machines pale in comparison to the wave of Florida’s recreational boaters and megayacht industry yielding nearly $20-billion this year. The citrus industry, long considered the economic engine of Florida, generated just $9.1-billion in economic impact in 2000. The cruise line industry generated $5.2-billion in 2005, with Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville generating a mere $329-million. Broward County, the yachting capital of the world, employed 134,000 workers in the marine industry, but that could change if more public/private partnerships are not sought to prevent further erosion of the marine industry’s stability. Thirty percent of Florida’s boatyards have disappeared over the last five years, Hebert said. “It’s a disturbing trend,” said Susan Engle, president of EnviroCare Solutions International. Many businesses have been displaced or lost, she said, citing the rezoning of Thunder Alley in Aventura, a city resting on the ICW in northeast Miami-Dade, as a classic example. Thunder Alley was created in the 1970s. It was home to world-famous Cigarette race boats, Fort Apache, Bobby Moore’s, TNT and other marine companies regarded by www.southwindsmagazine.com

Condos or marinas? The marine industry in Florida has more of an economic impact than the citrus industry. Photo by Steve Morrell

some as dirty-industry. They were unceremoniously kicked out of Aventura during its rezoning in the 1990s for the construction of wall-to-wall luxury condominiums, an elementary school and a city recreational center. Only one marine business remains in Thunder Alley today: Passport Marine, better known as Hi-Lift Marina, is a leading Formula dealership headed by Andrew Sturner. While his valuable waterfront property is coveted by developers, Sturner has dug his heels in, determined to provide the thousands of boaters in the area with a local sales, service, and marina facility. South Florida was home to 19 major boatyards in 2000, Engle said, adding that only 13 remain today. Some have been converted to private slips; the six that were lost were converted for residential development. Nine of the 13 remaining yards have received offers from developers, Engle said, noting concern of the ripple effect. The marine summit has focused efforts on how to retain yards, fuel facilities, boat ramps and dry stacks. “Development should maintain the marine industry’s character,” Engle said, adding that government support must be enlisted to review legislation to provide centers for marine businesses. While almost an afterthought, Engle noted that marine businesses are the infrastructure and stimulant of Florida’s tourism and hospitality industries. “Fort Lauderdale is the Venice of the Americas,” Engle said, adding that the city’s canals, unique ambiance and lifestyle charm and attract tourists. “We have reached our critical mass,” said Hebert. While registrations for smaller craft are up 32 percent statewide, boat registrations for Broward County are up less than five percent. A shortage of docking facilities and restrictions for boats on residential properties, driveways, and backyards contribute to Broward’s flat statistics. Non-trailerable boats and sailboats are also left with limited mooring options, Engle said. The megayacht industry has enjoyed a 15 percent growth, with 30 percent of today’s mammoth yachts in excess of 200 feet. Many yachts are here year round, not just during the season, and they need a place to go, Engle said. Deepening the Dania Cutoff Canal to allow big-vessel access could spur development of new boatyards there. “Where will the yachts go?” Hebert asked, adding that if boats go, so will their owners—and their money. “We must enlist the county to come up with solutions.” Summit participants recommended deed restricNews & Views for Southern Sailors

tions in the tri-county area and eliminating gambling boats now that Florida’s legislature has passed paramutual betting in Broward County. That would make room for a megayacht marina by the Broward County Convention Center. Locating boatyards near Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale International Airport, and other areas that are less desirable for condo development, might be a solution, said Mayor Jim Naugle of Fort Lauderdale. “Politicians can’t just say no to condos.” Contact marine journalist Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp with sailing news in southeast Florida at SouthwindsNews@aol.com.

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

Fractional Boat Charter/Ownership By Capt. J. Michael Shea, JD

he other day a good friend asked me to review a contract for a “time-slot” boat ownership plan she saw at a local boat show and was interested in procuring. SOUTHWINDS printed an article in October 2004 on this new concept in boat ownership. Generally, I was impressed with the whole idea. In this article, I am going to look at this form of boat ownership from the legal stand-point. To begin with, these are bareboat charters, as that term is used in the maritime One of the Sailtime fleet Hunters. Photo by Mike Shea. law books. However, the trade calls it “fractional sailing.” They are still bareboat charters sold for different The Costs time slots combined with different management contracts. There are some up-front costs. It takes about $3,500 to Under this type of ownership, the person chartering the ves$4,000 in up-front fees to get into the programs. This covers sel is responsible for the boat for the duration of the charter, surety deposits. Both companies require $1,500 and oneor, in this case, until it is returned. The charterer is respontime enrollment fees of $500 to $1,000. Then there is sail sible for any liability or damage the vessel causes or suffers, training and certifications. Each company has sailing certiand the charterers are responsible for returning the vessel in fication and familiarization-required programs of two to the same condition as they received it. What the two major three days to train the member on the sailing and use of companies in the business have done is to take an old shipthe boats. Pinnacle has been in the business longer, but ping principle and add a few things. It is similar to a “voySailtime has more locations. They each have overseas age charter,” a type of bareboat charter where the charterer operations and some type of program to use a boat in one charters the vessel for one trip, usually to deliver a cargo. of the overseas locations for a small fee and subject to With one of the companies, Sailtime, the managers are more availability. After all is said and done, the member gets like condominium managers: Someone else owns the vessel, about 30 to 42 days of sailing per year for between $ 8,000 and they manage it. In their program, the boats are owned by and $ 10,000, and that is not bad when you think about it, one of the members, who, like the other charterers, particias most sailboat owners do not get to use their personally pate in the bareboat charter. The other major company in the owned boats that much. business, Pinnacle, is more like your standard time-slot These companies have the scheduling down pretty condo ownership, where they own the boats and lease them well. You are given some major holidays, weekends and to the charterers. There is no member ownership in their boat weekdays. The members/charterers are between eight and groups. For the member/charterer /owner, it does not make 10 owners/charterers per boat and are allowed to trade a lot of difference which one you pick. between themselves as to times and dates. Both have proPinnacle uses Jeanneau boats, and Sailtime uses Hunter grams that allow the use of the vessel on short notice if no boats. Here is how they work. Pinnacle buys and owns the one signs up for the boat, and those short time usages are boats they offer for charter. Sailtime has a member/owner not counted toward the owner/charterer’s allotted time. If buy a boat and then charters the boat from the owner to reyou live nearby the boat’s location, you could use it a lot charter to the members. In both cases, the companies handle more than the allotted time. all the insurance, slip rental and maintenance of the vessels. I have looked over both companies’ contracts and find They also handle the scheduling of the owners for the use of they are well written. However, if you have a dispute, the boats. One has 10 members/owners (charterers) per vesPinnacle requires the dispute be arbitrated in Chicago, sel, and the other has eight. Each member/charterer is given while Sailtime allows suits in the state were the boat is locata stated number of days annually to use the boat and pays ed. I think it gets down to the little things each company has just under $500 to just over $600 per month, depending on to offer. There is some difference in the up-front fees, but the size of the boat, for the use of the vessel. Not bad, if you here again, not that much. It would not keep me from going think about it. That includes boat payment, slip fees, insurwith one over the other if I like their boat. The security ance and maintenance. deposits are the same for the two companies; $1,500. There

January 2006

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like one companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boat over the otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, as Pinnacle has Jeanneaus, and Sailtime has Hunters. Sailtime has approximately 33 bases and 70 boats, and Pinnacle has 10 bases and 23 boats. Both are adding bases and boats all the time. Check their Web sites for more on each, www.pinnacleyachts.com and www.sailtime.com. Scheduling is a little different with each company, so check that out also. Each program A Jeanneau 40.3, one of the Pinnacle Fleet boats. Photo by Jean-Marie Liot. requires the member/charterer to leave the boat clean for the next member, and there is an inventory of items is a difference in how much you get back after the first year: on each vessel. Each member is personally responsible for any One is a little more than the other, but neither is a 100 perdamage caused to or by the vessel, and it is deducted from the cent. Both have up-front fees to sign up, and both have boat security deposit and new money is required to replace the show specials that reduce those amounts. Those fees are for used portion. If the damage is more than the security set-up and cover the sailing training. They both require the deposit and not covered by warranties, the member is asked sail training as their insurance companies require it. This is to pay the difference. a good idea. Both companies require this fee, but I think this There are some differences in the usage you can make is where you can wheel and deal with them. One offers the of the vessels. Pinnacle does not allow its boats to be sailed approved American Sailing Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s course in-house at night; Sailtime does. There are also restrictions on barand the other is an in-house course. becue usage, fishing, diving, and club racing and so on. If you are interested in one of these activities, I suggest you Monthly Use inquire further. The Pinnacle boats have 10 member/charterers and Sailtime Both of these companies are getting into similar prohas eight. There is also some difference in the total time a grams for powerboats, so if you are thinking of a powermember/charterer can use the boats. Pinnacle boats are 15 boat, you might consider this type of ownership as well. All days each six months, and Sailtime is 21 each six months. in all, I like the concept, and would recommend either of Both allow the additional usage if the boats are not signed these companies to a client. What with the price of boat up for by other member/charterers. ownership today and the limited marina space, this seems There are also some restrictions on leaving the prolike a very good alternative. These guys will handle everygram. You would lose your up-front fees, a part of your thing: the boat payment, slip fees, insurance, maintenance security deposit and be required to pay out the balance of and at a fraction of the cost of owning a boat yourself. either the six months or a year of your contract. I interviewed two member/charterers, one fairly new If you have a legal (sailing/boating) question, please drop me a and one almost two years in the program, and both were note care of SOUTHWINDS or e-mail me at mike@jmichaelshea.com very satisfied with the programs and would sign up again. Most of the contracts are written for either two six-month Capt. J. Michael Shea is a maritime attorney in Tampa, and holds periods or one year, but it does not make good sense to sign a masters and harbor pilots license. He has co-authored law books in up for less than a year. Management is a little different. the maritime field, and teaches law and writes articles on maritime Pinnacle is a centrally owned and operated company out of law. He has served as a marine investigator for the United States Chicago, and Sailtime is owned by different people at each Coast Guard. The opinions in this article are those of the author and of its different bases. The on-site maintenance and service not those of the U.S. Coast Guard or any other entity. could differ widely depending on your location. My suggestion is to check them both out as to the location you want Capt. Shea is a member of the Florida Bar and admitted to practo charter from. tice in the United States District Court for the South District of While Sailtime has a few more boats and bases, you may Alabama. He is not a member of the Alabama Bar. News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

The Right Parts, Right Prices — Right Now At Sailorman By Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp

arato, the macaw greets every customer at Sailorman, a store where you can buy, sell, trade or consign new and used marine gear and supplies. The nine-yearold, green-winged macaw’s name is the essence of Sailorman: The English translation of the Spanish word barato literally means “cheap.” “We wheel and deal with everyone,” said Chuck Fitzgerald, president and owner of Sailorman. The atmosphere of this unique marine emporium is a cross between a Tijuana flea market and a West Marine store, with a focus on fun and bargains. Sailorman has an unusual inventory. It sells many new and used anchors, most of which are sunken treasures procured by curious scuba divers. Sailorman is known for locating items that are hard to find, which contributes to the store’s large, loyal following. Shoppers can find an occasional automated donutmaking machine or washer/dryer among standard items like windlasses, lines, electronics, clothing, books, charts—anything a sailor would ever need for his vessel. And like Barato implies, it’s all at bargain-basement prices. “Regardless of what someone walks in the store for, to buy something particular or to just kick the tires, we want everyone to walk out with a smile on their face,” Fitzgerald said, adding that if they don’t have what the customer asks for, they’ll call elsewhere to satisfy their needs. That’s the secret to keeping returning customers, Fitzgerald said. With annual revenues of $3-million,

Sailorman is in business for the long haul, not just a quick buck, he said. Customer Jeff Hamilton recently sold Sailorman a list of items including dock stairs, life vests, and ropes while he searched for items he really needed for his 42-foot Manta catamaran, Oasis. Hamilton has made the hike down to Fort Lauderdale from Palm Beach at least 10 times during the past five years, but said it’s worth the drive. “I have stuff I own that I don’t want to own anymore, and they pretty much take it all,” he said. Englishman Cliff Hunt started Sailorman in 1975, sell-

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ing second-hand marine parts from his hatchback. The company grew from a small hole-in-the-wall to a 10,000 squarefoot warehouse. Sailorman moved to its current location on State Road 84, off Highway U.S. 1, in Fort Lauderdale in 1982. When Fitzgerald bought Sailorman in 1985, the majority of customers were cruising sailors. “We probably have the most sailboat gear of any store south of St. Augustine,” he said, noting that Fort Lauderdale has almost priced itself out of the cruising-sailor market to accommodate megayachts. Sailorman’s customer base still caters to sailboat owners, but the bulk of its business is now generated from powerboaters, professional yacht captains, interior decorators, restaurateurs and bar owners looking for nautical theme items. For those who can’t make the drive to Fort Lauderdale, www.sailorman.com offers convenient shopping and an offshore chandlery service. The chandlery service accommodates first-time boaters, seasoned sailors, and charter boat captains who have found themselves in that precarious and possibly dangerous position of having an important part fail while away from homeport or a place to re-supply. “We ship around the world,” said Bill Lott, who manages Sailorman’s chandlery and Web site services. “It’s advantageous to do inventory before going to sea,” Lott said, adding that vessels with mechanical or electrical problems typically don’t carry a large inventory of those items. With a simple e-mail or phone call to (800) 523-0772, Sailorman will ship the needed item within 24 hours. There is no surcharge for the chandlery service.

Chuck Fitzgerald and Barato welcome boaters to Sailorman. Photo by Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp.

Chandlery customers are not always located offshore or in Florida, Lott said. “Many are coastal, weekend family boaters on lakes in Colorado. They’re spread across the lower 48 states, Alaska, Europe, South and Central America, New Zealand and Canada.” Lott plans to cruise the South Pacific soon. As an experienced sailor, his vessel will be well-stocked for the journey. But if he’s in a jam in the middle of nowhere, he can depend upon the reliable chandlery service that’s helped hundreds of Sailorman customers around the world. He knows what the price will be, too. “Cheap, cheap,” chirps Barato. Contact marine journalist Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp with sailing news in southeast Florida at SouthwindsNews@aol.com.

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

CRUISE RELATIONSHIPS

How to Make it as a

Cruising Couple By Barbara Pierce

Bruce and Barbara Pierce.

anging my head over the side, I threw up again and again. What am I doing out here in the middle of the night, what seems like thousands of miles away from other human beings, throwing up non-stop, frozen to the core and totally miserable? We were off the coast of Baja, Mexico, traveling south from Southern California in our 41-foot ketch Crossroads. Everything was going wrong – we broke the boom, the autopilot stopped working, and we wrapped a line around the prop. It was a nightmare. This is what we’ve been looking forward to and planning for all these years? Cruising is supposed to be sailing to exotic places in warm climates, meeting new people, having new adventures. Why is it so awful? We’d sold our house, our furniture, even our cars. Going back wasn’t an option. I gave up all these things because I loved Bruce and wanted to go cruising with him. But I didn’t expect this. Once we reached Mexico, and I was on land, wearing shorts, things got better. Soon we’ll be celebrating our 12th anniversary of being together and being on Crossroads. But even when we reached Mexico, and life should have been everything we wanted, being together 24 hours a day was very stressful. It was a whole new way of living. Most couples don’t make it as a cruising couple. They don’t make it past the trip where things go wrong, where they get seasick, when they get scared. Or they don’t make it living the cruising lifestyle, together all the time in new places. The relationship that worked on land doesn’t work on a boat when everything is changed. Either they move back on land to save their relationship, or they split up.

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

We spoke with other cruising couples, who have stayed together and continued cruising, for their opinions. “Make it Nice!” Don and Lenna Hossack have been cruising on their Islander Windward Luv for 11 years. They’ve been married for 40 years. “If I want to keep going, I have to make it nice for her,” Don says. Lucky for me, Bruce also believes that. I have reading lights and fans, a large mirror, a refrigerator, a workspace. Not only do these things make me happy, he says, he benefits from them, too. Years after she left her husband on their boat in Mazatlan, one of our friends is still angry that he wouldn’t

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install a shower on board. Sun showers worked fine for him; he didn’t understand why they didn’t work for her. Of course, it works both ways. Eileen Anderson of Max Grody II says, “I found that the less I complained, the better my attitude overall.” Eileen and Peter had been married 26 years when they left to fulfill his dream of cruising on their 55-foot Tayana. The First Year is the Toughest “The first cruising season was the most stressful on our relationship,” comments Brad Mason. “The fact that we worked our way through some very difficult situations has strengthened our relationship, and we’ve accumulated a lot of fond memories.” Brad and Louise were married 30 years before they left to go cruising on their Westsail, Altaira. They’ve Crossroads at anchor in Ingraham’s Bayou, AL. cruised for nine years in Mexico,

the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. Eileen adds, “A thing that helped me was that I had a Plan B for when things got bad. I could fantasize about my bail-out plan until the really bad stuff cleared.” We’ve heard that cruising is 98 percent boredom and 2 percent sheer terror. Those moments of terror when we work together to solve a problem, all those experiences we’d rather avoid, do help us build our relationship as a cruising couple. Together we learn so much. We learn about wind in the new area. We learn how to anchor, how to do a beach landing in the dinghy, how to find food in strange countries. Most important, we learn to trust each other and to trust our boat.

Advice for Captains When a group of cruising women met in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, the major complaints were, “He thinks he’s always right,” and, “He never listens to me.” We buddy-boated down the coast of Baja with another couple. When they reached Cabo, they stayed only one night, then left for an isolated anchorage. After nearly two weeks of isolation on the grueling trip, she wanted to spend time in Cabo with friends. He didn’t consider her desires. They didn’t last past the first year. Each couple works out the roles each will play. What works well for one couple may not work for another. Generally, the male is the captain. “There’s a fine line between being a captain and being a dictator,” says Bruce. “The captain has to make the final decisions. But if he wants to keep her happy, he has to consider her opinions.” “Lenna has some great ideas as to solving problems on the boat,” Don says. “I’ve gradually started to listen, though it was a slow process on my part.”

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

CRUISE RELATIONSHIPS

Tips if Cruising as a Couple is in Your Future: Expect the first year to be tough. Expect to flounder in your relationship. Everything is new and different. Hang in there; you’ll work it out, and you will get to the good part. Finding personal space within the 24-hour-a-day togetherness and the confines of a boat is essential. Each of us varies in our need for personal space. Use your creativity to find the emotional space you need. Keep comforts on board for a woman, such as a mirror, a shower, refrigeration; reasonable space to keep her stuff is important. Camping out is only fun for a few days. Appreciate each other’s strengths; accept each other’s weaknesses. Keep the positives flowing; let the negatives go. It works best if both persons participate in decisionmaking as much as possible. Recognize that much of your frustrations with each other result from misunderstandings. How one person interprets another’s words depends mainly on the state of mind of the person listening. Be aware of how you communicate with each other.

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“But She’s Driving Me Crazy!” “Both people must appreciate the strengths and accept the weaknesses of the other,” Brad advises. Acceptance does not mean blindness to the other’s shortcomings; it just means you stop fighting it. You work around it; you accept it. “Try to state what you would like, rather than giving a criticism…focus on what you want to achieve rather than what your partner does wrong,” recommends psychiatrist Aaron Beck. A cruising boat is a compromise from the beginning. Few of us have the ideal boat. A cruising relationship is no different. Have the same flexibility about your relationship as you have about your boat. Do not expect it to be always perfect. Is It Worth It? Cruising is an awesome way of life. Take it from one who really didn’t want to go and had a terrible first few months. I get to live in warm climates; I get to sleep in every day; I get to wear shorts every day. Cruising offers us freedom and an independent lifestyle. It offers us opportunities to be close to nature. It offers us opportunities to become close to others and to each other in a way we rarely do on land. It’s best undertaken by a couple. It’s well-worth working at. Barbara Pierce is a licensed clinical social worker who, with her husband Bruce, has cruised in Mexico and the Southern part of the United States for 12 years.

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Crossing the Gulf Stream with Trifid and the Seagull By Steve Morrell

Trifid’s plotted track crossing the Gulf Stream.

t was 1979. I was living in Palm Beach, FL, on Trifid, a 26foot Folkboat. Folkboats are traditional-looking racer/ cruisers that have a reputation for seaworthiness, many having circumnavigated. The most famous Folkboat was Jester, the boat Blondie Hasler owned and sailed when he started the first single-handed transatlantic solo race from England to New York. Trifid drew four feet with her full keel and was quite fast. I sailed her in Lake Worth, the inland lake the ICW runs through between Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, and along Florida’s southeastern coast for several months during that winter and spring. Trifid had few frills and definitely lacked the modernday conveniences we take for granted today. In fact, except for a few things, you would have thought we were living in an earlier era. She had an outboard, a bucket for a head and you carried five-gallon jugs for your water supply. A propane camp stove, portable cooler and sink made up the galley. Her navigation gear was a compass and a knotmeter. Dead reckoning was the navigation system. This was long before GPS. She had no VHF either (honest!), and the depthfinder was a knot-filled lead line with a weight on the end. I did carry an AM radio for news and weather. All this seemed enough to me—and it was. This simplicity meant one great advantage: There were

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few breakdowns. You can be sure the toilet never clogged, and the water pump never quit pumping. The electrical system consisted of two 12-volt batteries for the navigation lights and a knotmeter. I carried the batteries on shore to charge them when anchored. That spring, I had one significant breakdown: The outboard motor shaft snapped. It happened the day before I was to leave on a three-week trip to the Bahamas in early May. My girlfriend was moving out from California in a month, and we were planning to cruise the Bahamas for the summer. I had planned a short trip as a shakedown cruise with Henry, a friend from the marina. I had never been to the Bahamas, and Henry had just returned from three months in the islands as crew on another boat. We were provisioned and ready to go. When the motor shaft snapped, I looked at Henry and said, “We’ll go without it. By the time we’re back, it will be fixed.” We left the next day. Our plan was to sail out Lake Worth Inlet, hug the coast south to Miami, anchor at Dinner Key, rest for a day, check the weather, and then head out to Fowey Rocks southeast of Miami. We expected winds from the southeast to the south. If south, we would head southeast. If there were southeast winds, we would first go south and then head east across the Gulf Stream, which, this time of year, ran about 2.5-3 knots. It would carry us north to enter the Bahamas around Gun Cay, or farther north to Bimini, if need be.

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

We departed Palm Beach on a Monday afternoon in early May, arriving at Dinner Key the next day. Since we wanted to arrive in the Bahamas in daylight, our plan was to make the 45mile crossing at night, arriving in the morning. I had never crossed the Gulf Stream, and Henry had done one crossing each way. On Thursday morning, we departed and sailed to Fowey Rocks, arriving around 7 p.m., when headed toward the Bahamas. Winds were south by southeast at 10-12 knots. We could make a heading of about 105 degrees, doing about five knots. Conditions were almost ideal, as we did not have to head south to gain headway against the Gulf Stream. We Trifid, with her motor, anchored in the Bahamas. Photo by Steve Morrell. could head across and the current wind wasn’t coming back for a long time. After about three would take us a bit south of Bimini, arriving in the early hours of drifting, we knew we had passed north of our desmorning—assuming conditions remained unchanged. tination of Bimini. The wind, though, had not picked up at There was a two- to three-foot swell. We plotted our estimatall. We knew we had to do something. ed position every hour. As the evening progressed, we I had a dinghy and motor. It was an eight-foot, six-inch believed we were on schedule and on track, with a safety inflatable, and the motor was small but dependable; a twomargin of arriving several miles south of our destination in horsepower British Seagull. We joked about how fast we the morning. would go but knew that it didn’t take much to go faster than It was one of those nights made in heaven for sailing: zero knots. And as slow as we expected to move, we knew clear beautiful skies, perfect sailing winds, calm seas, warm the sooner we started the better. We knew the wind would air. I saw nothing but an easy, enjoyable trip—till the wind pick up sometime, but we didn’t want to be so far north that died. And I mean died. It happened little by little over about we would miss the opportunity of entering the Bahamas via an hour around midnight, till there was dead calm. No the Northwest Providence Channel, although we knew breeze, nothing. Seas were gentle, so the boat barely rocked. West End was always a final option. And we figured it Henry and I stared at each other in the darkness, wondering might not take much to get out of the current’s full force, as when it would come back up. We knew it would—some it lessened dramatically as you moved east. Knowing we time, some day. The only noise was a slight lapping of water had some power, we proceeded to inflate the dinghy. Then against the hull. We tracked our course from the moment we lashed the dinghy to the starboard, aft quarter of the the wind started to die, knowing we were now at the mercy boat, mounted the Seagull on it and fired it up, heading of the northbound, famous Gulf Stream. We were pretty southeast. much in the middle of its full strength—heading north, with We were able to make a little over a knot. But we were no easterly headway, at 2.5-3 knots. moving—out of the Gulf Stream, hopefully. We calculated We watched our plotted track north and joked about that in one hour we moved east less than three-quarters of a Bermuda—what it was like this time of year, but began to mile and only went north one and three-quarters. Not think about getting out of this situation, as perhaps the much, but we were going east! Not knowing our true speed, out of sight of land, and with no other means of tracking our course, we hoped that we would get into the Bahamas through Northwest Providence Channel. After five hours of slowly moving east—we hoped— the wind began to pick up around 8 a.m., coming from the southeast. It picked up fairly quickly to about 12 knots, and we were soon doing five knots with an east heading. We figured our true course was taking us to the northeast, and around noon we made out what we were sure was a navigation marker, but needed some verification, because it looked like a small stick on the horizon. With only dead reckoning, and not having seen land in 17 hours after crossing one of the oceans’ strongest currents, we took an educated guess that it was the Great Isaac marker at the north end of Great Bahama Bank. We decided to continue east and 46

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held this course for three more hours when we began to see evidence of what we hoped was Freeport, and around 3 p.m., we were convinced the buildings we were seeing to the north were that town. Assuming this, we took a fix on our position, taking the relative bearings of the two points, Freeport and Great Isaac. We plotted where we figured we were: within 2-3 miles of our estimated position! We continued until we were around the northern end of the Great Bahama Bank, and then worked our way to get onto the bank, seeking an anchorage for the night. Henry had sailed in the Bahamas before, and it was during this trip that I learned how to read the water depth by its color, learning how to spot coral heads and shallows and sail around them. We found a spot to anchor to the east of what is known as the Gingerbread Ground. So ended our crossing. The rest of our trip continued on for another 10 days, first to the Berrys, before heading west back out Northwest Providence Channel, then across the Gulf Stream—never again losing good winds—to return to Florida at Lake Worth Inlet. (Yes—we never did check in legally to the Bahamas, deciding to take that chance because of time limitations.) We sailed in and out of every anchorage, and on our return to Palm Beach, sailed into the slip, which entailed sailing down a channel about 150 feet between marinas to the slip second in from the seawall. It went like clockwork. Three weeks later, my girlfriend Terry moved onboard, and we made a similar crossing to the Bahamas, entering without incident at Gun Cay. From there we went across the Great Bahama Bank to Chub Cay, and then cruised for three months in the Berrys and the Exumas, returning to Florida in September. Though we had a motor on this second trip, we sailed into every anchorage and to every dock at every opportunity, choosing not to use the motor whenever possible. Terry knew nothing about sailing when we started the trip but became an excellent sailor after three months. We did check into the Bahamas correctly on this trip. Except for a week’s stopover in Nassau, waiting for a tropical storm to pass through, the trip was enjoyable in every way (including Nassau, when we spent more money in one week than one month cruising the out islands). Since that year, I have made eight more crossings of the Gulf Stream, every one of them without incident. All, except one, were in light seas, but none as calm as the first crossing on Trifid. And that one was certainly the most memorable.

See page 68 for windrose legend

I sold Trifid to the people that made the movie, Caddyshack. In the movie, the boat was owned by Ted Knight’s character. During the boat’s christening, the bottle of champagne broke the fake, pre-broken balsa bowsprit (notice there is no bowsprit in the photo). Shortly thereafter, the boat was almost rammed by Rodney Dangerfield’s character’s huge powerboat, which stopped just short of impact, only to have the powerboat’s anchor dropped through Trifid’s forward pre-broken hatch. At that point, water (actually a fire hose squirting upward from down below) gushed out of the hatch, apparently causing it to sink. It was Trifid’s 15 minutes of fame. Trifid was small for two people to cruise in, but I always said she had the biggest yard in the world. She performed beautifully. I wonder where she is today. News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

MIAMI BEACH

The Ultimate Anchorage Miami Beach By Barbara and Bruce Pierce

e’ve found a favorite anchorage: Miami Beach, right off South Beach. In our 41-foot ketch, Crossroads, we’ve traveled up and down both coasts of Florida. Miami Beach keeps drawing us back. We like it because we can tie up the dinghy and walk to stores, restaurants, to Lincoln Mall for people-watching, or hop on the bus and get anywhere in Miami. The whole area is trendy, alive. There’s no place like it. The anchorage has good holding, and the high-rise condos block the wind. There are two different types of anchorages in Florida: One out in the wildness, just you and nature; the other, off a city or town with services available. In cruising to Miami for the first time, we experienced both. Coming up through the Keys, we anchored off Rodriquez Key, where we dived off Crossroads into the warm, turquoise water. An uninhabited island—just us, the fish and birds—all the reasons we like to anchor. The next night, 45 miles up the coast, we anchored in the “Marine Stadium” cove, with the Miami skyline off our bow. Like being on a movie set, the huge buildings glittered before us. Awesome and spectacular! We landed the dinghy on the beach, just to the right of the stadium, and had dinner at the Bayside Hut. Great food. About 1:00 a.m., things heat up at the Bayside Hut, lots of people and loud music. The Rusty Pelican is a long walk. There are no stores or other services here. To reach the Marine Stadium anchorage, come up the ICW channel, to Key Biscayne. You’ll go through an area of houses in the water, on stilts. Go under the fixed, high-rise Rickenbacker Causeway Bridge (76 feet). Turn right just after the bridge. You’ll see a marina on the right. Just past the marina is a cove with a huge bank of stadium seats. This anchorage is a great transition to the second type of anchorage, which we went to the next day, and which became high on the list of our favorites. Come back out to the ICW; follow it north. Travel under the MacArthur Causeway. If the tide is high, go east, and run up the channel past the yacht club. Keep traveling until 48

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you reach the anchorage. It is surrounded by high rises, just before the span of the Venetian Causeway, which is fixed. Watch for shoals. This is the anchorage just off South Beach. (If the tide is low, you might have to go through the Venetian Causeway East Bridge, then west, to reach this anchorage.) There are two other anchorages in the area, but we don’t find them appealing. The anchorage off the yacht club and Jungle Gardens has no services unless you get on the bus, which runs along the MacArthur Causeway. The other, north of the Venetian Causeway Bridge, has limited space. We like this anchorage because we can tie the dinghy up at a little strip of park, at the foot of Lincoln Road, just before the Venetian Causeway Bridge. (It’s probably a good idea to lock the dinghy.) From here, all the interesting features of South Beach are within walking distance. A few blocks up, Lincoln Road becomes the pedestrianonly Lincoln Mall, with an interesting variety of shops, galleries and outdoor restaurants. Here is the best peoplewatching, day or night: body builders walking tiny dogs, models strutting in the highest of heels and scarcest of clothing, Lycra-clad Rollerbladers, flamboyant gays, Orthodox Jews, traditional families, dowdy tourists. It’s been described as “the best people-watching in the Western Hemisphere,” and we agree. South Beach is best known for its art deco buildings; it feels like you’re in a time warp. The heart of the art deco district is on Ocean Drive, at the other side of the peninsula, an easy (and interesting) walk of about a mile. An art historian calls it one of the largest communities of significant architecture in the world. It’s designated as a National Historic District. Created during the 1930s depression, these hotels were designed to uplift tourists during these gloomy years. More than 800 buildings of that era have been restored The buildings call attention to themselves, with their lettering, symbols and images; thunderbolts, flamingos, waves. Visit in the daytime to get the full effect of the pastel www.southwindsmagazine.com

Metro-Rail to Douglas, which is a block from West Marine. MetroRail and the bus were an adventure and a great way to travel. Learning to take the bus led us to more ventures into Miami. With time to kill while we waited for the right weather, we took the bus to the end of the line, to the Aventura Mall. We ate at the food court and got our fix of a big-city mall. A fun trip if you’re killing time. If you’re waiting to head off to the Bahamas, Miami Beach has our vote as a place to wait. So The view of Miami from the Marine Stadium anchorage. Photo by Barbara Pierce. many services and so many interesting things to do and see within buildings in lollipop colors; sunny yellow, flamingo pink, walking distance of a dinghy tie-up area is the best kind of sea green. anchorage. Visit again at night to see the mesmerizing glow of neon And, if you’re traveling up the east coast of Florida, and the nightlife. There are many clubs along Ocean Drive, Miami Beach is a great place to spend some time. with lots of action, music, dancers. Look for us there! On Ocean Drive is the famous beach, rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Topless is an everyday thing here. Our favorite stop in Miami Beach is the Bay Supermarket and Cafeteria, a Cuban grocer and restaurant. The lunch counter in the rear is like an old Woolworth’s. The beautiful Cuban waitresses are bilingual. The food is wonderful, an entrée with rice and black beans, and plantains. Or try a really good Cuban sandwich made with genuine roast pork. The huge portions filled our stomachs and our souls. With Cuban music and the sound of Spanish spoken by most customers, it feels like being in a foreign country. The cafeteria, at 1675 Alton, (just north of Lincoln) is open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Alton runs perpendicular to Lincoln and is three blocks from the dinghy tie-up area. Another convenience: Across the street from the Bay Supermarket is an Ace Hardware. For a special treat, we shop at the Epicurean Market, also just across the street, at Alton and Lincoln. Morning coffee and bagels in the coffee shop were one of the few things in the store within our cruiser’s budget. Prices aren’t posted. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Sightseeing the goodies (like shrimp for $49 per pound) was an adventure. To stock up on food, we dinghy under the Venetian Causeway Bridge and tie-up at the Police Dock. Publix is a two-block walk. From the dock, head left, then right when the street dead-ends. We wheel the cart back to the dock where it is later claimed. The Police Dock limits dinghy stays to 20 minutes. When Crossroads needed an essential part that was only available at West Marine, we discovered a whole new world. The public bus comes by on Alton Road. The ‘S’ bus took us into downtown Miami. There we transferred to the News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

RACE TIPS

Around the Buoys: Turning The Corner By Dave Ellis

acing your PHRF keelboat around the buoys involves much more than maintaining the best speed. How many times have you looked at the results and found a very few seconds separating boats after the handicaps are applied? Just as in one-design racing, it is the corners where

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much time is gained or lost on a racecourse. What are some techniques to save time on the all-important mark roundings? It is amazing how often nobody on a boat knows exactly which direction to go after a turn. There should be somebody aboard who is familiar with the course so that the helmsman knows how far to turn. Sometimes the “lemming effect” takes charge, where everybody follows the first boat around, no matter which way it heads. Is there a tidal effect that would modify the course to steer? Make a good guesstimate of that course before the turn. The GPS, if allowed, will tell you after you have gone a ways. But that may be after you have lost a few seconds to another boat. When a turn involves hardening up into the wind, make sure the mainsail is trimmed a little faster than it should be. The genny should NOT be trimmed very fast. It inhibits the turn. Hot-shot one-designs often let the jib luff a little as they pull it in slowly in the turn and only bring it to ideal trim after the boat is on course. When falling away from the wind, the opposite is true. As a matter of fact, the main must be “dumped” aggressively when falling away from the wind in a blow. Many a boat has broached back to windward when it heeled over too far when turning down. Let that main out and keep the jib full for a smooth turn off the wind. As for the turn itself, know your boat. A Hunter 465 has a different optimum turning radius at various speeds than does an SR Max or Martin 242. During a day sail, try various rates of turn for various wind strengths and sea conditions. If a turn is simply a few degrees, there is not much to it. But when a turn of 90 degrees or more is involved, the angle of the rudder is a significant brake if there is more than one full turn on the wheel or more than 45-degrees off center on the tiller. Strive to make the turn with few or no whirlpools in the water behind the boat. Those whorls of water demonstrate massive energy loss, meaning that the boat has slowed. In www.southwindsmagazine.com

other words, make a wider turn. It follows that when proceeding from an off-wind leg with a beat to follow, you want to make that wide turn to end up right next to the mark, not two boat lengths to leeward. At the St. Petersburg Sailing Center’s junior racing program we used to line all the little kids up on the grass in the park and put a plastic buoy in the grass about 50 feet away. They were to run as fast as they could around that mark, leaving it to port, and back. The rule was that they could not slow down when they rounded the mark. After a few kids ran to the mark and then circled far away from it to get back, we would stop the line and show how many coaches could stand between the mark and where their turn ended up. That’s how many boats they lost in the race on that maneuver. After that, they would run to the right of the mark and cut close on the other side. For older kids we called that a “motorcycle turn.” For PHRF racers, a good rule of thumb is to pretend there is a phantom buoy two of your boat lengths outside and one boat length on this side of the turning mark. Start your turn there and end up perhaps six feet from the mark when on course for the next destination. Obviously, this is easiest to do when you are the only boat there at the time. Otherwise, you can still make this “tactical rounding” if you have the right-of-way over other boats you are overlapping. Otherwise, you just have to make a “seamanlike” turn and can’t swing very wide to begin with. Racing sailboats simply involves using our craft to its potential and sailing a course in the most efficient manner. Negotiating the corners is an important aspect of our game.

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SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

KEY WEST RACE WEEK 2006

Where the Wild Things Sail Acura Key West 2006, January 16-20 By Rebecca Burg

he sails like an angel, but on the racecourse is surely a devil in disguise. Using only the wind and wave, she’s been clocked at 32 knots. She’s 52 feet long, but tips the displacement scales at only 17,000 pounds. Her massive mainsail alone is just under a thousand square feet. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that she’s such a wild thing. The Transpac 52 is just one of the heavy hitters Farr 40s race in Key West in 2005. Photo by Capt. Bill Robinson. ready to rock Key sters, such as the Corsair 28R trimarans, J/29s, C&C 99s, TWest’s world this January 16-20. Some 300 hot sailboats and 10s and small-boat PHRF classes. about 3000 sailors will gather in the Southernmost City for Nine races are planned for the week. After each day’s the ultimate in competitive racing. racing, a party, presentations, videos of the action and an Acura Key West 2006 brings the best from around the awards ceremony take place around and under the main globe. Hawaii, Ireland, Greece, North America, Japan, Italy, tent at Key West’s Historic Seaport. You don’t have to race Germany and Great Britain are some of the hailing ports to to join the party. Shoreside entertainment and event access be seen this year. Well-known racing veterans, Olympic cards are available at www.premiere-racing.com. Bulletin medalists and fresh new faces will pit their sailing skills in boards near the tent allow sailors to post crew-wanted one of four racecourses (divisions) south of Key West. Edgy notices and other information. News and results for each grand prix contenders like the Farr 40, Mumm 30 and Swan day’s racing action are published and distributed daily. This 45 classes are scheduled for Division 1. The Swan 45 Gold is something that you don’t want to miss. Cup will be an exciting part of the event as well. Dramatic big boat action is slated for Division 2. Here, the Transpac Southern Celebrities 52s, IRC boats, 1D35s, J/120s, J/109s and the big PHRF Last year’s J/80 champion Rick Schaffer of Fort Worth, TX, classes will show no mercy. The fast and furious boats, such and C’est Nasty are back to defend the title. A riveting sight as the Melges 24, J/80 and J/105s, will duke it out in on the course, the J/80 sloop has been known to hit 20 knots Division 3. Division 4 will be an exciting montage of speedon windy days. Another Southern top gun, T-10 Liquor Box with Chuck Simon and Bill Buckles, Key West, FL, will return for more. Last year these guys literally blew by the competition and were untouchable for the entire week. Rival T-10 boats, like Maverick, Terminal Velocity and One Night Stand, will be straining their sheets to turn the tables. PHRF-3 champion, Jeff Ecklund, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and his Melges 32 Star, will be back in action with tactician Harry Melges. On a roll, Star was also awarded the PHRF Boat of the Week last year. Usually the greatest in number, the Melges 24 fleet enjoys a turnout from locales as far away as France, Italy and Germany. Nearby, Bob Dockery and Melges 24 Barracuda of Longboat Key, FL, will have one of the shortest rides to the racecourse. Right here in Key West is Mumm 30, USA 41, and ACED Partners. John Chick will be skippering

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Like to Sail, But Unsure About Racing? The racers, crews and their families are looking forward to this prestigious, international event. When asked why they race, the sailors always seem to have a similar response. They will tell you that it’s fun. These guys and gals also admit that, in the end, it’s not really about a trophy. Many mention the thrill of facing a worthy set of challenges and the satisfaction of besting one’s own personal record. Speaking of facing a challenge, just imagine the performance variables that are Kokomo, a Farr 40, races in Key West in 2005. Photo by Capt. Bill Robinson. thrown into the ring this January. Sailors must contend with everchanging weather, tactics, boat handling, strategy, hardthis slippery one-design vessel. The J/105, Flame, and James ware, sail trim, crew, sea conditions and knowledge of the Doane are back. Out of Naples, FL, Flame earned a rules for their particular boat class. What better way to respectable second place after competing with a serious enhance one’s sailing skills for not only the racecourse but crowd of 40 J/105s last year. Another familiar face, Worth for cruising and recreational sailing as well. Another Harris of Beaufort, NC, and Rum At Six will be there to join impressive aspect of Race Week is the respect and camathe fray. raderie that competitors have for each other. Rival teams Racing alongside the monohulls, the Corsair trimarans may be tough on the course, but by the day’s end, they’re will again be part of the scene. Texas multihull tamers John celebrating together. It’s no wonder that so many sailors Novak and his Corsair 28R, Overdo, Michael Zotzky with find the sport so irresistible. Persevere and Bruce Jenevein with Ranger are back to scramSo join the action in subtropical paradise this month. Be ble the status quo. Warm weather and flying a hull must go a part of the granddaddy of all parties under the main tent, together. Two other southerly Corsairs signed up include talk sailing with like-minded people and check out the Steven Marsh with Dealer’s Choice out of Stuart, FL, and Premiere Racing Industry Partners who support this sensaRobert Onsgard with Fifty-Fifty out of Miami YC, FL. tional event. This year’s official Sponsors Are: Acura, Mount Gay Rum, Nautica, Lewmar, Samson, and B&G Racing Weather Performance. Participants will be factoring local weather into the race equation. Winter in Key West is a variety show of conditions, and selecting the right sails can sometimes be a riddle. The average wind speed in January is 14 knots with a typical range of 8-20 knots. Prevailing winds are easterly, but wind intensity and direction varies with the cold fronts that blow through every three to five days. A cold front arrives with chilly northwest to north winds of up to 20 knots or more. The leading edge of the front usually brings brief rain showers and possible thunderstorms. In a day or so, the strong winds ease, warm up and clock around to blow from the east to southeast. Ocean current on the course is felt by most sailboats when the wind is light. Average air temperatures range from 64.4ºF to 75.2ºF. Layered clothing is helpful as the air will feel damp and cool at night, especially near the water. During the day, warm sunshine brings the shorts and T-shirts back out. News & Views for Southern Sailors

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January 2006

KEY WEST RACE WEEK 2006

Key West Bound From the Northern Gulf Coast States By Kim Kaminski

t has been a challenging year for the sailors along the Gulf Coast, especially the ones who had made plans to participate in the upcoming 2006 Key West Race Week. After dodging hurricanes and tropical storms, it has been a difficult feat to keep crews together, boats safe and find opportunities to keep racing skills sharp throughout the year. Despite the destruction of local yacht clubs, the cancellation of racing competitions and the depletion of various racing fleets due to hurricane damage, these area sailors have persevered in their quest to sail in Key West Race Week. They will be joining the 256 registered participants in this year’s competition. From Pensacola Beach, FL, John Mathis will skipper on a J/105 named Forerunner. Forerunner finished in 26th place in the J/105 Class in 2005. Scott Mathis will helm, and Jeremy Tudor will be tactician. From Niceville, FL, Wm. Roy Harden will skipper the J/33 Shameless. McMillan/Pfledderer will helm, and Neil McMillan will be calling tactics. From Panama City, FL, Fred McConnell will skipper Kokopelli, which finished in seventh place in the PHRF Class 5 in the 2005 Event. Hunter Riddle will helm and Morrow Guy will serve as tactician. From Gulfport, MS, Sam Vasquez will skipper and

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Roy Harden and his crew on Shameless could be found at every racing event along the Gulf Coast this past year as they prepared to compete in the ultimate regatta of the year — the Key West Race Week. Photo by Kim Kaminski.

helm, on a PHRF Wavelength 24 named Outta Shock. Jeff Lindheim will serve as tactician. Outta Shock finished in third place in the PHRF Class 8 in 2005. BOATS SIGNED UP FROM THE SOUTHERN STATES (as of Dec. 8) Carolinas and GeorgiaJ /120, Emocean, Bill Hanckel, Charleston, SC; J/105, Chemically Adjusted, Mike Barber/Danny Bonner, Atlanta, GA; J/105, Rapid Transit, Rob Stein, Charleston, SC; J/105, Rum at Six, Worth Harris, Beaufort, NC; J/109, Hoodoo, Ric Campeau, Charleston, SC; C&C 99, Breakaway, Tom Sawchuk, Lake Lanier, GA; Corsair 28R, Bad Boys, Bob Harkrider, Augusta, GA; Melges 24, Lamorak, Mike Krantz, Lake Lanier, GA; Melges 24, No Tourism, John Raymont, Columbia, SC; Melges 24, Riot Act, Guy Mossman, Charleston, SC; Farr IMS 40, PHRF, Sister Golden Hair, Genesis Racing LLC, Charleston, SC; Hadley 40, PHRF, Cash Flow, Lloyd Griffin, Elizabeth City, NC; Bene 1st 36.7, PHRF, Thunderbolt, John Thornhill, Mt. Pleasant, SC; SR 33, IRC, Temptress, Robert Hibdon, Charleston, SC; Melges 32, PHRF, Grins, Rick Orchard, Flowery Branch, GA; Thompson 30, PHRF, Wairere, Pete Hunter Kill, Devil Hill, NC; Quest 30, PHRF, Vela, Philip Eastman III, Flowery Branch, GA; J/24, PHRF, Bone Machine, Michael Brawley, Charlotte, NC; Southeast Florida Transpac 52, Trader, Fred Detwiler, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Melges 32, PHRF, Star, Jeff Ecklund, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Corsair 28R, Dealer’s Choice, Steven Marsh, Stuart, FL; Corsair 28R, Fifty-Fifty, Robert Onsgard, Miami YC, FL; Aerodyne 38, PHRF, Thin Ice, Stuart Hebb, Coral Gables, FL; C&C 115, PHRF, Primal Scream, Steven Stollman, Key Biscayne, FL; Keys T-10, Liquor Box, Chuck Simon/Bill Buckles, Key West, FL; Mumm 30, USA 41, ACED Partners, Key West, FL; Northern Gulf Coast J/105, Forerunner, John and Scott Mathis, Pensacola Beach, FL; J/109, Mojo, Steve Rhyne, Kemah, TX; J/109, Surprise, Jim Bradley, Houston, TX; J/109, Vitesse, Jon Halbert, Dallas, TX; Corsair 28R, Persevere, Michael Zotzky, Kemah, TX; Corsair 28R, Ranger, Bruce Jenevein, Dallas, TX; Corsair 28R, Overdo, John Novak, Colleyville, TX; J/80, C’est Nasty, Rick Schaffer, Fort Worth, TX; J/80, Hoss Racing, G. Darden/R. Hillard, Fort Worth, TX; Melges 24, Barking Fish, Mark Bryan, Lynn Creek YC, TX; Melges 24, Trick Monkey, Matt Mayo, Dallas, TX; Bene 1st 42, PHRF, Diablesse, Greg Gladden, Houston TX; J/33, PHRF, Shameless, Wm. Roy Harden, Niceville, FL; J/27, PHRF, Mystic, Keith Gray, Seabrook, TX; Wavelength 24, PHRF, OuttaShock, Sam Vasquez, Gulfport, MS; West FloridaJ /105, Flame, James Doane, Naples, FL; J/105, J’Making Waves, Steve Olinger, Treasure Island, FL; J/105, Wasabi, Adam Rosen, Clearwater, FL; J/109, Mariah, Jose Suarez Hoyos, Tampa, FL; Melges 24, Barracuda, Bob Dockery, Longboat Key, FL; Melges 24, New Wave, Michael Carroll, Tampa, FL; Melges 24, Obsession, Gary Schwarting, Naples, FL; www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

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January 2006

RACING Paige Railey Wins Laser Radial World Championship From Clearwater Yacht Club On Friday, Dec. 9, Paige Railey sealed her gold medal victory in Fortaleza, Brazil, in race 11 of the Laser Radial World Championship. She was mathematically unbeatable and didn’t need to sail the last race. In second place was Sophie de Turckheim of France, followed by Anna Tunnicliffe of the United States. Paige and Anna were the two U.S. women athletes competing in the championship. Paige becomes the first Laser Radial World Champion since the Radial became the Olympic equipment for the Women’s Single-handed Dinghy event. Earlier this year, Paige also won the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, but this world championship victory firmly establishes her mark on the senior circuit. Brad Funk, who normally competes in a Laser full rig, also raced in the Radial World Championship in the men’s fleet, where he finished in second place. The male world champion is Eduardo C. de Magalhães Couto of Brazil, with Blair Mclay of New Zealand third. Brad and Paige are both members of the U.S. Sailing Team and compete for the Clearwater Yacht Club where they began sailing as children in its youth sailing program. Recently installed Clearwater Yacht Club Commodore Dr.

Paige Railey on her victory sail in after winning the Laser Radial Worlds. Courtesy photo.

Bob Gunther, was thrilled to hear the results from Brazil and commented how proud he was to hear such outstanding news during his first week in office. For more information, please contact David Billing david@bauassoc.com

NAMSA North American Championships/Tradewinds Midwinter Open Cat National Championships, and Formula 18 Midwinter Nationals, Key Largo, Jan. 15-16 Hundreds of catamaran sailors from all over North America and Europe will converge on Blackwater Sound in Key Largo for the NAMSA (North American Multihull Sailing Assn.) North Americans/Tradewinds Midwinter Open Catamaran National Championships and Formula 18 Midwinter Nationals on January 15-16. The event headquarters are at Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo and is sponsored by Catamaran Sailor magazine, Calvert Sails of Islamorada, West Marine and www.OnLineMarineStore.com. This event has the largest attendance of any regatta in the Upper Keys with a record of 110 boats two years ago. It brings top sailors from all over North America as well as some of the top guns from Europe, Australia and Africa. Many Olympic hopefuls have attended in the past and are expected again this year. For information, contact Mary Wells at (305) 451-3287 or mary@catsailor.com. 56

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www.southwindsmagazine.com

Southern Sailors Brown and Young Seek Position on U.S. Sailing Team By Kathryn Whitehead Tampa, FL, natives Evan Brown and Caroline Young finished a busy fall sailing season at Stanford University with three solid performances. In early November, the women competed in the Pacific Coast Fall Championships at the University of California San Diego, where the team took top honors. This is an important first step toward the national championship to be held at the College of Charleston in June 2006. The following week, Stanford faced the University of California in the annual Big Sail Regatta, where they vied for the “Axe” trophy in a match-racing format. Brown was the tactician and mainsheet trimmer for the otherwise all-male Stanford team, which took the series in three straight races. In efforts to sail in the Olympics, Brown and Young were to take part in a weeklong practice session with the U.S. Sailing Team in Miami before Christmas. In January, they are competing in the 2006 470 North Americans and the Olympic Classes Regatta in Miami in an effort to earn a berth on the U.S. Sailing Team.

News & Views for Southern Sailors

Regata del Sol al Sol XXXVIII – 2006 38th Regata del Sol al Sol to Isla Mujeres, Mexico starts Friday, April 28, 2006. Boats should arrive on the island between May 1-2. For accommodation information, contact Dolly Rote at (727) 898-6158), or Judy Malone at (727) 866-2839, or e-mail jmalone@ humresources.com. Hurricane Wilma Isla Mujeres Relief Update. The relief efforts are in FULL SWING and we are collecting for watermakers and generators for the island. Having spoken with the people there this past week, they are resilient, yet still have these needs. Our regatta will deliver them when we are there in May. ANYTHING will be accepted with monetary contributions sent directly to FREEDOM BANK OF AMERICA, P.O. Box 1441, St. Petersburg, Fl, 33731. Contact Nicole Hawthorne: (727) 820-8603, (727) 820-0161 (fax) .www.freedombank.com. E-Mail nhawthorne@freedombank.com. Make checks payable to: Regata Del Sol Al Sol Relief Fund

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RACING CARIBBEAN RACE REPORT Inaugural IC24 Nanny Cay Nation’s Cup By Mike Kir

IC24s rock ‘n roll downwind Laser style. Photo by Mike Kirk.

“Racing in Paradise” is every armchair sailor’s dream, but it’s also the name of the company behind the First Nanny Cay Nations Cup held off Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on Nov 11-12. Sponsored by the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club and Highland Spring Water, this was a leap-offaith event for the IC24 organizing group headed by Richard Wooldridge and Chris Haycraft. “IC24s are here to stay,” says Haycraft, evidenced by fleets in St. Thomas, BVI, and now Puerto Rico. The IC24 (for Inter Club 24) was conceived by Chris Rosenberg and Morgan Avery in St. Thomas as a way to coalesce onedesign sailing energy in the Leeward Islands around an aging inventory of ill-used J/24 boats and the aftermath of Hurricane Marilyn. Take a chain saw to the cockpit, scrap the traveler and bond in a new Melges-style cockpit Voila! A family onedesign sport boat is born. Seriously: The conversion uses a new deck mold, creating a new, roomy cockpit but still retaining all the excitement of the proven Bruce Kirby hull. This allows fast crew work, reaching its zenith in exciting roll tacks and downwind surfing! Seventy sailors in 14 teams were set up to compete in seven equally matched and tuned boats. Crews raced in two flights, changing boats in 15-minute turnarounds. (A spare boat kept the delays to a minimum from the inevitable minor gear failures.) A 20-race matrix of races was scheduled using windward/leeward courses well within spectator viewing off the Nanny Cay beach – and bar! This race matrix format is only possible as a consequence of the business model used by Racing in Paradise (www.racinginparadise.com). RIP sells the J/24 to IC24 conversions to private owners and then charters the converted boats under a manage/maintain contract to visiting groups 58

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of racers. Visiting racers can enjoy the BVI from a chartered “mother ship” with friends and family or compete in invitational regattas such as this one. Either way the four or five person crew enjoys well-run one-design racing on exciting, proven matched race boats. Powerful 15- to 20- knot winds provided a great Saturday start to two days of competition from the seven countries (BVI, Canada, Holland, Ireland, Puerto Rico, UK, United States). The only entry restriction was that each crewmember would hold a valid passport for the team country represented by his boat. Facing a second day forecast of high winds and waves, the race committee set a demanding pace of racing and completed 12 races for day one. At the end of the day, both BVI teams were tied in first place with 13 points! Day two dawned with the predicted 25knot-plus NE winds driven by a north Atlantic high. Wave heights were building to five feet even in the sheltered Drakes Channel. Wooldridge was concerned for his fleet and commented that it might be the first and last Nations Cup. But the crews hit the docks, and the fleet came out to meet the challenge. After another six grueling races, the only gear failure was one halyard—a credit to the boatbuilding integrity of the Racing in Paradise fleet—and one protest, a credit to the sailing skills of the helmsmen! The IC24s showed their pedigree on every leg, particularly “showing their skirts” in the downwind planing conditions. (Since the spinnaker is not used, the downwind strategy is dominated by the preferred windward heel given to the boats “Laser style”—Bruce Kirby eat your heart out!) At the prize-giving, visitors commented on the incredibly high standard of racing and sportsmanship, while both local winning teams expressed humble surprise that they had swept the board. Results: 1st : Team Hirst, BVI 16 points, Mike and Robby Hirst; 2nd : Team Rathburn, BVI 21 points, Colin Rathbun; 3rd : Team USA from Annapolis, 24 Points, Scott Nixon; 4th : Team Orion from Fraito Lugo, Puerto Rico, 25 points.

REGIONAL RACING Reports, News And Race Calendars Regattas & Club Racing—Open to Everyone Wanting to Race The races listed here are open to those who want to sail. No individual club membership is required, although a regional PHRF rating, or membership in US SAILING or membership in a regional sailing association is often required. (If individual club membership is required, please contact us and we will not list their races in the future.) For publishing of your event, questions and information, send us your race schedule by the 5th of the month to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Since race schedules and venues change, contact the sponsoring organization to confirm. For changes to be published, contact the editor. www.southwindsmagazine.com

SOUTHEAST COAST: CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA Water Temperature Cape Hatteras, NC –49º See page 76 Savannah Beach, GA – 51º for windrose legend Average January Temperatures Cape Hatteras, NC 40º lo – 53º hi Savannah, GA 38º lo – 60º hi For Real Time Southeast Coast Weather go to: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtml

SOUTHEAST COAST RACE CALENDAR JANUARY 1 Hangover Regatta, Little River Inlet, Long Bay Sailing Association, www.longbaysailing.org 7 Race Management Seminar, Sunspree Resort, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Carolina Yacht Club, NC. www.sayra-sailing.org/pages/racing.htm

EAST FLORIDA Water Temperature Daytona Beach – 61º Jacksonville Beach – 57º Gulfstream Current – 2.3 knots Average Temperatures Daytona Beach - 47º lo – 70º hi Jacksonville Beach - 46º lo – 63º hi For Real Time East Florida Weather go to: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

EAST FLORIDA RACE REPORT Hiram’s Haul 2005, Oct 29-30, Sebastian, Indian River, FL. Two New Time Records Set By Roy Laughlin Brian Karr and Jon Cruden, Team Brevard Challenge, preserving a tenuous lead over Rick and Terry Loewen, Team Loewen, at the finish of Saturday’s leg of Hiram’s Haul. Photo by Roy Laughlin.

Beach cat sailors are the drag racers of the sailing set. They expect to, and lust for, the “over-15knot” racing experience. Every once in a while, they get it. Hiram’s Haul, Oct. 29-30 was one of those rare distance races that News & Views for Southern Sailors

See page 76 for windrose legend

provided perfect conditions for two days of drag-race sailing. Scott and Dior Hubel of Performance Sail and Sport established and manage this race, with sponsorship of Captain Hiram’s Restaurant in Sebastian. It is a 30-plusmile distance race that starts on Saturday at Performance Sail’s Pineda location and ends at Captain Hiram’s waterfront restaurant in Sebastian. On Sunday, the second day of the race returns sailors to Performance Sail in Pineda and a barbecue sponsored by the Texas Roadhouse Grill. John Casey and Kenny Pierce, Team Tybee, dominated the race this year on an Inter 20. They set two new course records for each day: 1 hr 28 min on Saturday and 1 hr 38 min on Sunday’s return. This time equates to an average speed of over 17 knots. On Sunday, Brian Karr and Jon Cruden, Team Brevard Challenge, led Team Tybee for about half the way back, but they pitch-poled, giving Team Tybee an unrelinquished lead. While Team Tybee led the speedsters, three teams, which also included Mark Herendeen and Mark Murray, Team Space Coast Challenge, were on I20s and all surpassed the previous course records both days. In addition to the I20s, two teams raced Blades, a formula 16 high-tech beach cat. Vector Works Marine in Titusville has a license to build these Australian-designed 16-foot beach cats for the U.S. market. Matt McDonald, the boat’s U.S. builder, has been racing his prototype for about a year, and has sold several more. Chuck and Maevis Harnden raced the second Blade in Hiram’s Haul. Even though Hurricane Wilma caused other registered Blade teams to withdraw, the Blade fleet is reaching a critical mass and can now be recognized as one of the primary Formula 16 racing cats of choice in Florida’s beach cat regattas. Hiram’s Haul is held each fall approximately the first weekend of November. The entire race course is in the Indian River, making this event doable by almost any beach catamaran. This year, Jerry Wolfe and son Connor raced and finished the course in 20-plus knot winds on a Prindle 18. Scott Hubel says that if enough high Portsmouth catamaran teams enter, he’ll have two starts, with the earlier one for the smaller catamarans. The goal is to have all crews arrive at Captain Hiram’s about the same time so as to equally enjoy Saturday’s social at the restaurant. And perhaps to give early starters the pleasure of seeing I20s from the bow end, even if only temporarily. After eight years, Hiram’s Haul has become an established item on the distance race circuit in Florida. Few if any other races provide a similar combination of an excellent racing venue, great social activities after racing, and are doable for almost any beach cat and crew. This year, spectacular elapsed times are another addition to “the Haul’s” legend. Results: 1, John Casey and Kenny Pierce, Team Tybee;2, Mark Herendeen and Mark Murray, Team Space Coast Challenge;3, Brian Karr and John Cruden, Team Brevard Challenge;4, Matt and Gina MacDonald; 5, Chuck and Maevis Harnden; 6, Craig Van Eaton and crew; 7, Jerry and Connor Wolfe; 8, Kent Cooper and Shambie Hammet; For photos, go to www.floridamultihullsailor.com SOUTHWINDS

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REGIONAL RACING Florida Yacht Club King’s Day Regatta, Jacksonville, FL, Nov. 18-20. By Stephanie Cox James Spithill and his Luna Rossa crew of Jonathan and Charlie McKee, Manuel Modena and Mac Agnese won the 2005 Carloan.com Melges 24 King’s Day Regatta and Atlantic Coast Championship. Fifty-four teams competed in a deep fleet sailing at Jacksonville, FL, November 18-20. Seven teams registered as amateurs, and the winner of the regatta was not decided until the last race. The King’s Day Atlantic Coast Championships served as a must-do for any team wanting to train for the Melges 24 World Championships hosted in Key Largo in December. Competitors sailed in light winds of 3-8 knots. Going into the third and fourth races of the series, Brian Porter was leading with James Spithill and Dave Ullman close behind. The races were tight in the fickle breezes and overcast skies. In races three and four, Spithill and Ullman struggled to stay in the top 10 overall when the left side of the course didn’t pan out upwind. Other boats that made the mistake of calling the left side included boats with Harry Melges III and Jeff Ecklund on board. The last race of the regatta proved tough for the Porter team as they finished 38th, overall causing them to lose the regatta and knocking them out of the top five. The Ullman team finished 12th in the last race, enabling the Spithill team to clench victory. Southern sailors who didn’t charter their boats out for thousands of dollars for this event represented our region well. The top Southern boat was from Georgia and skippered by Sean Burke. Burke’s boat Grins finished ninth overall. Jeff Ecklund’s Florida team aboard Star finished tenth. Marty Kullman of St. Petersburg Yacht Club was the first amateur skipper on the score sheet, finishing an impressive 11th overall. Other Southern boats finishing in the top 20 included Justin Damore’s Panic Attack, Peter Baron’s Running with Scissors, and Robin Baker’s The Artful Dodger. Results: 1. James Spithill 2.Dave Ullman 3.Gabrio Zandona/Giovanni Maspero 4.Vince Brun/Scott Holmgren 5.Jamie Lea/Stuart Simpson 6.Brian Porter 7.Mark Mansfield/Simon Strauss 8.Argyle Campbell 9.Sean Burke 10.Jeff Ecklund

EAST FLORIDA RACE CALENDAR JANUARY — Central East Florida 1 1 7

New Year’s Day Fun Race. Titusville Sailing Center. New Year’s Day Dinghy Race. Melbourne Yacht Club. First Saturday Sailing at Sebastian Inlet. Indian River Catamaran Association. 8 Winter Rum Race #4. Melbourne Yacht Club. 15 Small Boat Racing Sunday. Melbourne Yacht Club. 15,29 Winter Series #1,#2. Indian River Yacht Club. 14-15 Cruise. East Coast Sailing Association-Cruising 22 Winter Rum Race #5. Melbourne Yacht Club. 28 Sail a Small Boat Day. Indian River Yacht Club. 29 Small Boat Sunday Racing. Melbourne Yacht Club. 29 Women’s Spring Series #1. East Coast Sailing AssociationWomen’s. 28-29 Ballard Park Frostbite Cruise. East Coast Sailing Association-Cruising.

East Florida Race Calendar continued on page 75 60

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SOUTHEAST FLORIDA Water Temperature Miami Beach – 71º Stuart – 67º Gulfstream Current – 2.4 knots Average Temperatures Miami Beach – 63º lo – 73º hi Stuart – 55º lo – 74º hi For Real Time East Florida Weather go to: See page 76 www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml for windrose legend

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA RACE CALENDAR JANUARY 6 Fri. BBYRA Annual Registration MYC. 7-8 Sat.-Sun. Stars Bob Levin Memorial. Host: CRYC – The 16th annual two-day regatta for Star class. 7-8 Sat.-Sun. Etchells Sid Doren Memorial. Host: BBYC – The 6th annual two day regatta. One of four events of the Jaguar Cup Series. 8 Sun. BBYRA PHRF #1. Host: CGSC – Start of the series for PHRF class boats. 11-13 Wed.-Fri. Fort Lauderdale to Key West.Host: LYC – Feeder race for the Key West Race Week. 14 Sat. BBYRA OD#1. Host: MYC – Start of the series for one design fleet. 16-20 Mon.-Fri. Key West Race Week – Premiere Racing. The 19th edition of KWRW of day races held off Key West. 21-22 Sat.-Sun. Star’s Biscayne Trophy. Host: CRYC – Annual two day race for Star class. 28-29 Sat.-Sun. Etchells FSA Championship.Host: BBYC – The 13th annual two day regatta for Etchells. Third of four events in the Jaguar Cup series. FEBRUARY 1-4 Wed.-Sat. Etchells Jaguar Mid Winter Regatta. Host: BBYC – 17th annual event . This is the last of a four regatta series part of the Jaguar Cup 2-5 Thurs.-Sun. Women NA Keelboat Championship. Host: US Sailing Center 2-5 Thurs.-Sun. 49er NA Championship. Host: US Sailing Center 5 Sun. BBYRA PHRF #2. Host: MYC – Second race of Series 1 for PHRF boats. 4-5 Sat.-Sun. Comodoro Rasco Snipe Regatta. Host: CGSC – The 37th annual two day Snipe regatta. 12 Sun. BBYRA One Design #2. Host: BBYC - Second race of Series 1 for One Design boats. 11-12 Sat.-Sun. Star Masters Regatta. Host: CRYC – The 22nd annual two day regatta for Stars. 11-15 Sat.-Wed. 73rd Annual Miami to Nassau Race Week. Host: MYC 18 Sun. J24 Spring 2 Regatta. Host: Flat Earth Racing. 25 Sat. Miami Yacht Club Annual Regatta/BBYRA OneDesign #3. Host: MYC - Third race of Series 1 for OneDesign boats. 26 Sun. Miami Yacht Racing Annual Regatta/BBYRA PHRF #3. Host: MYC - Third race of Series 1 for One-Design boats. Legend for Yacht Clubs and Organizations BBYRA Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Association. www.bbyra.net BBYC Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. www.bbyra.net CGSC Coconut Grove Sailing Club. www.cgsc.org CRYC Coral Reef Yacht Club. www.coralreefyachtclub.org KBYC Key Biscayne Yacht Club. www.kbyc.org. MYC Miami Yacht Club. www.miamiyachtclub.net. www.southwindsmagazine.com

trophies, finishing in fourth place overall.

FLORIDA KEYS RACING Keys Water Temperature Key West – 69º Average Temperatures Key West 65º lo –79º hi For real-time eastern Gulf weather, winds and marine forecasts, go to http://comps.marine.usf.edu

See page 76 for windrose legend

Upper Keys Sailing Club, www.upperkeyssailingclub.com. Key West Sailing Club. Every Saturday – Open House at the Key West Sailing Club. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (305) 292-5993. www.keywestsailingclub.org. Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue in Key West. Casual racing/sailing on the weekends during winter months after October till Spring. Come by the club to sail. Non-members and members welcome.

FLORIDA KEYS RACE REPORT 21st Annual Key Largo Steeplechase, Dec. 10-11, Key Largo, FL By Rick White

History of the Race The first race was simply a bunch of catamaran folks who got together and sailed the course to see if it could be done. Local sailor and Hall of Famer Rick White won that particular race. There were no entry fees, no trophies, nothing! But one of the ground crew had found an old, beat-up lawnchair at Anne’s Beach and presented it to White as a joke. White immediately pronounced this lawnchair as the Perpetual Trophy for the Key Largo Steeplechase. It is now considered one of the most esteemed accomplishments in sailing to win this trophy. Every year the winner’s name, boat make, and elapsed time is hand-scribbled on the material and now contains a complete record of the event. Next year’s event is scheduled for the second weekend in December.

FLORIDA KEYS RACE CALENDAR JANUARY 7-13 2005 Coconut Grove Invitational/A-Class Mid Winters East, The Islander Resort, Islamorada, FL, Bobwebbon@aol.com 13-15 NAMSA North Americans. See pages 56-57 for more information. 16-20 Acura Key West 2006 Regatta. See pages 52-54. 29 Schooner Wharf Wreckers Cup Regatta. Key West. Captain’s meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 28 at Schooner Wharf. Great sailing, prizes, video of the racing action and parties. www.schoonerwharf.com. FEBRUARY 26 Schooner Wharf Wreckers Cup Regatta. Key West. Captain’s meeting 7 p.m., Feb. 25, at Schooner Wharf. Great sailing, prizes, video of the racing action and parties. www.schoonerwharf.com.

The 21st Annual Key Largo Steeplechase took place Dec. 1011, beginning and finishing at Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo. Twenty-one teams of the best catamaran sailors in America competed in this 110-mile trek around Key Largo and Islamorada. The winds did not cooperate as much as usual: The first day was gruelingly slow due to lack of wind. For some of the racers, it took 15 hours to complete the 60-mile course on the first day. The organizer of the event said, “In the 21 years we have been doing this race, this was the second worst wind.” He went on to describe how one year the first boat did not arrive at Anne’s Beach until 5 a.m. All the rest of the sailors had already dropped out earlier. That race was abandoned. However, the wind picked up on Sunday, and the fleet flew across the finish line in good time. Local sailors did not reach the winner’s circle. The closest competitor was Steve Lohmayer of Tavernier sailing on a Marstrom 20 catamaran with Mike Phillips of Team Tybee Island took third place overall. John Casey and Kenny Pierce of Miami were Miami. They were just outside the the sailors. Photo by Rick White. News & Views for Southern Sailors

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REGIONAL RACING WEST FLORIDA Gulf Water Temperature St. Petersburg – 62º Naples – 66º Average Temperatures St. Petersburg 54º lo – 69º hi See page 76 Naples 53º lo – 75º hi For real time eastern Gulf weather, for windrose legend winds & marine forecasts, go to http://comps.marine.usf.edu

WEST FLORIDA RACE REPORT

Results: Spinnaker: 1. Hubbert’s Peak, SR-21, Charlie Clifton, Sarasota; 2. Mother Ocean, O’Day 40, Rich Gress, Sarasota; 3. Constellation, Swan 48, Greg Petrat, Sarasota. Non-spinnaker: 1. Flash, Morgan 22, Bob and Cathy Willard, Palmetto; 2. Misty, Ranger 33, Greg Knighton, Bradenton; 3. OHH ZONE, Benneteau 40, Rudy Reineke, Sarasota. True Cruising: 1. Seahawk, Catalina 35, Sue and Chan Sweetser, Sarasota; 2. Morgana, Custom, Chuck Margetta, Sarasota; 3. Ananda, Brewer 44, Peter Van Roekens, Sarasota.

Clearwater Community Sailing Center Hosts the 22nd Annual Carlisle Classic, Nov. 12-13 By George Regenauer

Sarasota Yacht Club Invitational, Sarasota, Nov. 12 By Morgan Stinemetz This year’s Sarasota Yacht Club Invitational Regatta had the right ingredients from the start, and more than 100 sailors participated in the fourth annual autumnal race. The boats raced on a 12-mile triangular course in the Gulf of Mexico. Each leg was four miles long, and the triangle was equilateral. The reverse handicap event attracted 39 racing yachts, twice what the regatta attempted last year. Improved organization, better incentives, a greater value ratio and enhanced publicity turned a so-so 2004 race into a winner in 2005. A reverse-handicap race allows disparate yachts to race level by giving the slower yachts an earlier start predicated on their time allowances. The start was downwind. The first turn put the racers on a port tack fetch for the second mark start. And after rounding that mark, the fleet had a starboard tack fetch to the finish. Though the racers were strung out around the course, many finished the race in less than 2-1/2 hours. The top boat at the meet was also one of the smallest. Bob Willard’s Morgan 22, Flash, started second and, on the final leg, passed Chuck Margetta’s Morgana that had started precisely 15 minutes earlier. With wife Cathy as crew, Willard sailed a faultless race. No other boat passed Flash, and that made the green, venerable sloop the first boat to finish. Willard was racing in the non-spinnaker class. Flash won the fleet award and, of course, the non-spinnaker class. The wind blew offshore at an average of 10 knots, which was enough to make the bigger boats real contenders. Seas were choppy. Charlie Clifton, a Sarasota Bay veteran who sails an SR 21, which this competitive year is being called Hubbert’s Peak, topped the spinnaker class, finishing three minutes ahead of Rich Gress in Mother Ocean, an O’Day 40. The large true cruising class, 22 boats, was topped by Sue and Chan Sweetser in their Catalina 35, Seahawk. Shortly after the boats turned the first mark, the Sweetsers had picked off a boat that had started ahead of them by about 10 minutes, and on the final leg they also got Margetta’s Morgana, the high handicap boat. So well did the Sweetsers sail that they were less than a minute behind Willard, the overall winner, and finished second overall. 62

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SOUTHWINDS

Multihulls race in the Carlisle Classic. Photo by George Regenauer.

Clearwater Community Sailing Center and perfect weather were host to the 22nd Annual Carlisle Classic held on November 12-13 at its facility on Sand Key. The two- day event provided fun and excitement for all classes of racers on Clearwater Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Each class was scheduled and executed the planned seven-race program. The large cats navigated their windward-leeward course on the Gulf while the Day Sailers, Sunfish, Portsmouth class, Optis and Sailability’s Access Dinghies staged in the bay. The bay course was set up utilizing a smaller triangle within a larger triangle to allow the smaller boats to compete with the larger ones. Saturday’s winds remained steady ESE at 10-14 knots, requiring minimal course changes, while Sunday’s winds were variable and much lighter, requiring marks to be moved before each start. Racers came from all parts of Florida to vie for the awards that were presented at the social event following Sunday’s races. The Carlisle Classic was an event in itself, but there were numerous races within a race between rival groups that carried a lot of prestige among the participants. The Day Sailers used the Carlisle Classic to encompass their yearly DS championship, and the women’s sailing group (Dinghy Dames) from Davis Island were challenged by the female salts (Bowchasers ) from the Clearwater Yacht Club. The Dinghy Dames took the final honors at the awards ceremony. First place in the H16 class of cats went to Brad Stephens and Jamie Lindsey. Second place went to Tim Wallace and John Spear. Third place went to Karl Reneit and Bridget Precise. The N20 cats finished with Alex Safer and Nigel Pitt taking first. Second place went to Mark Smith and Bubba Barberi. Frank Murray and Mark Herendren took third. First place finishers for the Open B Portsmouth, Open High Portsmouth and Open Low Portsmouth were Craig www.southwindsmagazine.com

Valentine. Bob and Cheryl Johnson took Open High. Woody Cope won Open Low. Day Sailer top three finishing skippers were Chris Kelly. Second place went to Dede Plessner. Third place was Stuart Smith. The Kellys also won the DS Yearly Championship with their performance during the Classic. Portsmouth first place winner was David Morrow and Jerry Smith from Crystal Beach. First place in the Sunfish class went to Joe Blouin. Access Dinghy winner was Sandra Holden. Opti first place belonged to Hayden Grant from Largo. Every young skipper who raced in the Opti and Access class took home a trophy. They were all winners.

Davis Island Thanksgiving Regatta Offers Sailors Fun On and Off the Water, Davis Island Yacht Club, Tampa, FL, Nov. 25-27 By Stephanie Cox Free beer, easy beach launching, and excellent race management can make a regatta quite popular. The Davis Island Thanksgiving Day Regatta possessed all of these characteristics and lured hundreds of sailors off their couches to burn holiday pounds November 25-27. The regatta is a classic on Florida’s west coast sailing schedule. This year, most of the boats were dinghies, but there was also a Portsmouth division and a rather large Flying Scot fleet. The regatta was held in the choppy waters of Tampa Bay in winds that varied from 5-18 knots throughout the weekend. This regatta is reknowned throughout the state for encouraging sailor camaraderie without debauchery. It is a family regatta where mom and dad can have a beer after racing their boat and relax, knowing their kids can run around the grassy club without getting into too much trouble. Sailors belly up to the bar and swap war stories, and pitch tents in the yacht club’s backyard. This year, the club hosted a huge raffle that lasted over an hour, and just about everyone won something. A bottomless tray of chocolate chip cookies and a Mexican feast helped fill empty stomachs. Sailors also enjoyed the new Davis Island Yacht Club facility. Racers could sip a beverage in a rocking chair on the club’s wrap-around porch overlooking the bay. On the water, the conditions on Saturday were pretty light with the breeze blowing 5-10 from the east. The Laser course dealt with shifty winds blowing off the land on windward/leeward courses. On Sunday, the wind picked up to 18 knots, forcing hungover sailors to hike a little harder than they wanted. Some Lasers capsized, but everyone survived. Dalton Tebo of Sarasota sailed consistently in the top three to clench first place. Buzzy Heausler of Davis Island finished second, and Zack Marks of St. Petersburg Yacht Club finished third. The Laser Radial fleet was 22 boats deep, but there was a pretty big gap between the top ten sailors, and some new Laser racers, who had just joined the fleet. The racing was close but with a throw-out race, Kim Witkowski was able to win the Radial division. Justin Doane finished second. In News & Views for Southern Sailors

the Sunfish division, Joe Blouin won the regatta with five first place finishes. Paul Strauley finished in second, and James Liebl finished third. In the Lightning fleet, Steve Horwitz’s team was able to hold onto his lead despite a Sunday challenge from Colin and Karen Park. The Delisser team finished second, followed closely by the Park team. In the Flying Scot fleet, team Hayward won every race but one. The Roberts team still finished second after eating a 10th-place score in the last race. Only five boats sailed in the Portsmouth division. There was tie for first place in Portsmouth between the Wilus team and the Crump team. The Wilus boat had a bigger drop race, and that helped them move into first place. The Davis Island Thanksgiving Regatta is a must-do event if you are interested in having fun on and off the water. The hospitality that the volunteers at Davis Island showed toward their guests was first class and made everyone feel welcome.

WEST FLORIDA RACE CALENDAR On-line West Florida Race Calendar Go to editor@southwindsmagazine.com to view the annual on-line race calendar on the SOUTHWINDS Web site with links to clubs and information and changes to schedules. To have your race listed, or changes in your race schedule, e-mail the information to the editor, Steve Morrell, at editor@southwindsmagazine.com. The West Florida list of yacht clubs and sailing organizations is also on-line. Club Racing Bradenton YC. Sunday Afternoon Races at 12:30 p.m. October till beginning of Daylight Savings. PHRF racing on Manatee River. For info call Larry Lecuyer, (941) 729-5401. Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of each month, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet. www.venice-sailing-squadron.org Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racing once a month, year-round john@johnkremski.com Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, year-round. pbgvtrax@aol.com Boat of the Year Races (BOTY): Southwest Boat of the Year (SWBOTY), Charlotte Harbor Boat of the Year (CHBOTY), Sarasota (SBOTY), Suncoast Boat of the Year (SBOTY) JANUARY 1 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Hangover Race. 1 Tampa Bay Catamaran Society. Hangover Race, Dunedin Causeway, Catamarans. 3-4 Edison Sailing Center. Sunfish Challenge. 7-8 Davis Island YC. Commodore’s Cup, PHRF. (SBOTY) 7-8 Punta Gorda SC. Golden Conch Regatta, PHRF. (CHBOTY) 8 Bradenton YC. Round the Bay, PHRF Bradenton, Egmont and Skyway course. 12-15 St. Petersburg YC. Optimist Dinghy National Team Practice. 14 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Snowbird Regatta. (SBBOTY) 14 Bradenton YC. Round the Bay Race, PHRF. 15 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Winter Races, PHRF

West Florida Race Calendar continued on page 75 SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

REGIONAL RACING NORTHERN GULF COAST : FLORIDA PANHANDLE, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, TEXAS Water Temperature – 58º Average Temperatures Pensacola, FL 43º lo – 61º hi Gulfport, MS 43º lo – 61º hi For Northern Gulf Weather go to: www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/

LOCAL RACE REPORT

See page 76 for windrose legend

Pensacola Yacht Club Championship, Nov. 5- Dec. 9 By Kim Kaminski

Santa and his reindeer enjoyed the sailing games during this year’s Santa Claus Regatta held in Pensacola, FL. Photo by Kim Kaminski

The Pensacola Yacht Club traditionally holds its annual club championship regatta during the month of November. The Club Championship Trophy may only be won by a Pensacola Yacht Club member. However, the regatta event is open to anyone who wishes to participate, plus trophies are given to the top three finishers in the overall series. The 2005 Championship was scheduled to be held over two weekends, Nov. 5-6 and Nov. 19-20. This was extended into December (Dec. 9) when there were not enough winds in November to hold races. Typically, four races are completed during the event with one of them being long distance (which cannot be used as a drop-out race). The first weekend of the regatta saw moderate wind conditions and cool temperatures, ideal conditions for a brisk wintertime race. This first race of the series ended up being a steeplechase around Pensacola Bay for a total of 13.02 miles. The second race of the weekend had similar weather conditions with a double windward /leeward race course of eight miles. The trouble began on the second weekend. Race #3 was 64

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See NORTHERN GULF COAST SAILING continued on page 75 www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

REGIONAL SAILING

Sailing Services Directory starts as low as $10 a month.

BOAT LETTERING

YOGA SAILING CHARTERS (305) 989-7181 Enjoy a Magical week of Yoga & Adventure Sailing in the Bahamas or Belize Oct. 05 or Jan & May 06 www.dutchlove.com

CAPTAIN SERVICES CAPT. KEVIN MURPHY . . .(340) 277-1026 USCG Licensed Master, Deliveries, Instruction murfdesurf@hotmail.com TOPSAIL SERVICES Delvieries • Consulting Power • Sail USCG Licensed Master • Unlimited Tonnage Don Charland (910) 279-6315 doncharland@aol.com

CANVAS & CUSHION SERVICES SCUBA CLEAN See ad in Underwater Services

COMMUNICATIONS

CHARTERS

DOCKSIDE RADIO www.docksideradio.com Pactor II/III Modem Sales & Support; FCC Marine Radio License filing; SailMail WinLink Installation & Training . . . . .(941) 661-4498

MAHINA LA SAILING . . . . .(941) 713-8000 MacGregor 65 * Two hours to two weeks South Tampa Bay Area in Cortez Daily Sunset Cruises or Sail to the Keys www.floridasailingtrips.com

ADVERTISE HERE FOR $38 LETTERS continued from page 15 Cortez and then allow another Arvida development as seen in Perico Bay—all 10 stories of it. The notion of public acquisition of the Seafood Shack is about as sensible as suggesting the same treatment for the Chart House on Longboat Key. David J Curry Cortez, FL 68

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CUSTOM BOAT SERVICES & REPAIRS ELLIE’S SAILING SHOP . . . . . . . . .Clearwater Lifelines, rigging, hardware, repairs Serving small boat sailors Since 1958 Sunfish Boats and Parts . . . . .(727) 442-3281 ________________________________________ GLASTECH YACHTS . . . . . .(727) 544-5512 Full Service Marine Yard & Mobile Service Power & Sail • Serving West Florida www.glastech34trawler.com ________________________________________ 3-line ads for $10 a month. 4-line ads for $12 a month. editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704 ________________________________________

David, I agree with everything you have written here, except I would like to see them buy it, make a ramp only for trailered sailboats and have storage and a hoist for them. This would be a small number, and the boats could be stored there, masts up, minimizing traffic. It would fill a great need. Concerns for local traffic problems need be addressed, and the county should not

FISHING GUIDES FL KEYS BACKCOUNTRY TRIPS With Pro Guide Capt. “BR” Exploring, Sportfishing, Birding (305) 304-2258 www.keywestsportfish.com

MARINE DIESEL SERVICE INLAND MARINE DIESEL . . . . . . . . .Atlanta Service/Parts for all makes of diesel auxiliary New Engine Sales–Universal, Beta, Yanmar, and Westerbeke . . . . . . . . ..(404) 513-4414

MARINE SURVEYING TAYLOR MARINE SURVEYING & CONSULTING, LLC Specializing in Sailing Vessels (813) 625-0448 www.taylormarinesurveying.com

Advertise your services here starting at $20 a month editor@ southwindsmagazine.com RIGGING SERVICES (941) 795-8704

move forward if they do not solve them. What I really don’t want to see is this turn into condos, and if the county doesn’t buy it, that is what will happen, and another public marina will have gone down the drain. By the way, Café on the Beach, the Holmes Beach café you mention, is my favorite breakfast place. Editor www.southwindsmagazine.com

SERVICES DIRECTORY Call (941) 795-8704 or e-mail editor@southwindsmagazine.com YACHTING VACATIONS Punta Gorda, FL Sailboat Charters 22’-48’ ASA instruction Live-aboard/non-live-aboard www.yachtingvacations.com (800) 447-0080

PORPOISE SAILING SERVICES – Sarasota

*New/Used Sails * New Custom Sails Roller Furling Systems & Packages

(800) 507-0119 www.porpoisesailing.com Scuba Clean Yacht Service See ad in Underwater Services

RIGGING SERVICES

Bay Rigging TAMPA’S MOBILE RIGGING SERVICE Yacht Rigging • Furlers • Lifelines

Cell (727) 215-0704 www.bayrigging.com

SEA TIME SAILING SCHOOL . . . .Miami, FL Offshore trips/Sailing courses www.seatimesailing.com . . . .(786) 201-3487

SAILMAKING, REPAIRING & CLEANING ADVANCED SAILS . . . . . . . .(727) 896-7245 Quality Cruising Sails & Service Closest Sailmaker to St. Petersburg Marinas Keith Donaldson . . . . . . . . . .(727) 896-7245

SSMR. INC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .727-823-4800 Complete Rigging Services On-Site Swaging & Splicing Commissioning Services On Salt Creek at Salt Creek Boat Works Fax 727-823-3270 . . . . . . . . . .St. Petersburg

UNDERWATER SERVICES

Scuba Clean Yacht Service • Underwater Services • Canvas Shop • Sail Cleaning & Repair • Detailing Serving Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, Pasco & Manatee Counties.

SAILING INSTRUCTION ADVENTURE CRUISING & SAILING SCHOOL A sailing school for Women and Couples • ASA • West Florida and Chesapeake www.acss.bz . . . . . . . . . . . . .(727) 204-8850

News & Views for Southern Sailors

(727) 327-2628

MASTHEAD USED SAIL . . .(800) 783-6953 www.mastheadsailinggear.com Largest Inventory in the South (727) 327-5361

Rent a 2" ad space for $38 a month

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January 2006

C L A S S I F I E D

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CLASSIFIED ADS — 3 Months for $25 Place your ad early on the Internet for $10 • Classified ads with text only for boats are $25 for a three-month ad for up to 30 words. $50 for ad with horizontal photo ($65 if vertical photo). Check or Credit cards accepted. Must be for sale by owner – no business ads. Boats wanted ads included. • Free ads for boats under $500 (sail and dinghies only), all gear under $500, and windsurfing equipment. For sale by owner ads only. • All other ads (including business ads) are $20 a month for up to 20 words, add $5 a month for each additional 10 words. $10 a month for a horizontal photo. Frequency discounts available. Contact editor. • All ads go on the SOUTHWINDS Web site. For a one-time $10 fee, we will place your ad on the Internet before going to press on the next issue. • No Refunds • The last month your ad runs will be in parentheses, e.g., (10/06) is October, 2006.

BOATS/BOAT TRAILERS WANTED ___________________________ Sailboat Trailer Wanted for 1996 Hunter 26 sailboat with centerboard and water ballast. (770) 519-3384. (12/05)

BOATS & DINGHIES ___________________________

• Ad must be received by the 10th of the month. TO PLACE AN AD: 1. On the Internet www.southwindsmagazine.com This applies only to the $25 and $50 ads above with and without photo. Pay with Paypal and put your ad in the subject line. If a photo, then e-mail to editor@southwindsmagazine.com as a separate jpeg attachment. 2. Via E-mail and Credit Card. E-mail your ad to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Text can be put in the e-mail. Send photos as a separate jpeg attachment to the e-mail. Pay by mail (see below) or credit card. You can call us with a credit card number. Give us the credit card number, expiration, billing address and name on card. Call (941) 795-8704. 3. Mail your ad in. Mail to SOUTHWINDS, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175. Send a check or credit card number with information as listed in #2

above. Mail the photo in (35mm best). If you want the photo back, enclose a SASE. Add $5 for a typing charge. 4. Telephone or fax your ad in. Call (941) 7958704 and give us your ad over the phone. There is an additional $5 typing charge. If you have a photo, you can mail it in. We can take your credit card number, or you can mail a check. Fax: (941) 795-8705. 5. Do a combination of the above. E-mail, call in or send the ad text in via Paypal on our Web site. Email the photo directly to the editor. If you don’t have a scanner, mail the photo to us separately. Call the editor at (941) 795-8704 with any questions. 6. We will pick up your ad. Send the editor a check for air flight, car rental, hotel, travel, eating and entertainment expenses, and he will come to your location and pick up the ad. Any ads to be picked up on tropical islands or other resort destinations will be free.

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDS

Advertise your business in a display ad in the classifieds section. Sold by the column inch. 2 inch minimum. (3 column inches is 1/8 page) MONTHLY COST ADS PER INCH

12 6 3 1

MINIMUM INCHES

TOTAL COST

2" 2" 2" 2"

$38 $44 $50 $58

$19 $22 $25 $29

Bauer 10. Everything new. Sprit-rigged. Tan Bark Sail. Sunbrella fitted cover. Galv. Trailer. Spruce mast and oars. Liner with flotation. Bauer yacht finish. $2900. Sarasota. (941) 349-3102

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1984 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. Yanmar 1GM (9/05), enclosed head (rare). Cushions reupholstered 9/05. New Origo range 5/05. ST winches. Shore power. New Jabsco head 12/04. 5 Sails, $28,500 obo. LaBelle, FL (863) 612-9233. 1983 Hunter 30. Tall Rig, 4’ draft, Yanmar 850hrs, roller furling, sails and rigging 2002, Mech Vang, Inverter w/Microwave, Autopilot, GPS. Race, Daysail or Cruise. Xlnt condition. $17,400. (727) 856-6999.

1976 Tanzer 22 with 3’ 6” draft, main, jib, tiller, winches, outboard bracket, all in good shape. Must sell $2,000 (941) 792-9100

1990 30’ Catalina 30, std rig, fin keel 5’3”, roller furling, bimini, cushions, instruments, Excellent condition. Reasonably and practically priced at $32,900. (727) 207-0717 or e-mail: galileo430@comcast.net (1/06)

CATALINA 30. 1989. Wing Keel. New Canvas, Full enclosure. AC, custom teak doors. Garmin 182 Chart plotter, Loran, VHF, Auto-pilot, AMFM Stereo CD, refrigerator, extra freshwater tank. New bottom paint September 2004. A very clean boat, carefully maintained. $37,500.00. Call (727) 421-3014. (1/06)

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1967 Morgan 34 sloop, bronze centerboard, 4-foot draft, wheel steering, cruise-equipped (liveaboard), gps, auto-pilot, 3 solar panels, Atomic 4 gas engine, 60 gallons water, much more. $14,500/best offer. (239) 462-5004 (3/06)

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FREE-New Hunter 33 or 36. SailTime will pay mortgage and all expenses for 5 years – you put 20% down–own 100%.1-866-Sailtime. 1965 Columbia 40 by Charlie Morgan. 30hp diesel w/750 hrs. S/S center board draws 4’ 6” up. Auto pilot, Furlex RF, 5 sails, 8 winches, Bimini, boom shade, S/S stove w/oven, pressure water, brass fixtures, dorades, Type III MSD, ICOM VHF, Garmin, GPS, depth, speed, tacking compass, binnacle compass. Own this classic beauty for only $35,000. Located in Edgewater Maryland. Visit www.cortezyachts.com or call (941) 792-9100 36’ Islander Freeport B-Plan raised saloon cruiser, Cruise-ready with all the extras. A take you anywhere boat. Newly rebuilt diesel, full electronics and all the extras. $69,900 See www.islanderfreeport.com, e-mail islanderfreeport@pobox.com, (727) 864-9048 (3/06) 32 Gulf Pilothouse, complete refit all new 2005- standing running rigging, performance sails, wiring, circuit breakers panel, water heater, holding/macerator, fuel tanks, 12v/110 standing fridge freezer, propane cooktop infared broiling, 3 batteriers autocharger, 17000btu heat/air, bimini $49,600 sailsetc@ilnk.com (904) 810-1966. (1/06)

Pearson 365 ketch. 1976, new diesel (03) & fuel tank. Max prop, new upholstery, new dinghy w/OB. Deck just painted, hull done w/Imron. 4kw, 36-mile radar, 2 a-pilots, heavy chain ground tackle w/ windlass, gps plotter. ds/ws/log ,406 EPIRB, Force 10 galley & cabin heater. Dodger and bimini. Much new equipment and many upgrades. One of the best equipped and maintained 365s around. By second owner, in Punta Gorda, FL. $51,000. delivery available. (941) 920-0132. (1/06)

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IRWIN 37, Key West slip. New mainsail and cockpit cover, 14 ports, dinghy, outboard, refrigeration, fresh water pump, A/C, hot water heater, 6 batteries with cabling, bottom paint, solar panel, etc. Call Capt. Dave (305) 240-0303, e-mail eastwood@pocketmail.com. No hurricane damage. $105K.

Beneteau First 405, French-built 1987. Perkins 4-108, rig & keelbolts rebuilt & upgraded 1998. Rudder bearings & interior refit 2001, Awlgrip renewed 2005. Prop shaft, coupling and bearing new 2004. Phazor 6 kw gen, hro 9, watermaker, Autohelm nav. System, Inmarsat, 5000 btu AC. etc., etc. Santana is a proven vessel for offshore and living aboard, a joy to sail and takes good care of her crew. $115,000 (904) 460-0501 or yachtsantana@aol.com.

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33’ Glander Tavana 1985 center board mast head sloop. Newly painted bottom, hull, topsids and non-skid. New rub rail, teak hatches. New jib sail. 30 HP Vetus diesel. Great Florida and Bahamas boat, draws 3’ board up. A nononsense boat offered below market at $15,900/best offer. Needs TLC. Call Major Carter (941) 792-9100.

1993 Gemini 3400 catamaran 14‚ beam 18‰ board up 5‚ board down. In Sarasota. Cruise ready, air, solar, davits, contact Alan (970) 690-3758 or alanm@frii.com for inventory list. Asking $79,000. (1/06) News & Views for Southern Sailors

1982 MORGAN OUT ISLAND 416 Engine: 65HP Perkins, ONAN Generators, 2 AC units, auto pilot, integrated GPS chart plotter, integrated LCD radar, VHF, 2 refrigerators, 2 freezers, ice maker, electric stove, microwave, TV & TV Booster, radio & CD player, 6 speakers, 2 baths, electric aft head, inverter 1750, enclosed bimini, 2 anchors, windlass, many spare parts, watermaker installation, 5 sails, roller furler & storm jib, major upgrades on engine, all new hydraulics, new hull paint Mar. ’05, new cushions ’04, life raft. Surveyed at $95,000, asking $92,500. Total Value $150,000. (504) 491-4132. alan@tirebargaincenter.com (1/06)

DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADS STARTING AT $38/MONTH SOUTHWINDS

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.45’ 6” LOA Bayfield 40, Hull # 34 Full keel 5’ draft, cutter ketch designed by H.T.Gozzard built in 1984 Exceptional condition with lots of new gear. Harken Roller furling on all sails. Marine Air, WS, WD, Depth,VHF w/remote, SSB, CD/Radio, Autopilot, Chartplotter, Radar, Dinghy, Life Raft $114,000 Call Major Carter or visit www.Cortezyachts.com (3/06) 1984 LANCER 45 CC Sloop with 85 HP Perkins, 3 staterooms, 2 heads, walkthru to aft cabin w/ centerline bed. Marine air. Roller furling main and jib. Depth and wind instruments at the helm. CPT autopilot, Furuno CRT radar, GPS, VHF, stereo CD, TV , full galley, electric windlass, dodger, 11’ Alliance RIB w/OB. www.cortezyachts.com. A great liveaboard or cruiser. $84,000 (941) 792-9100

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FREE – New Hunter 33 or 36. SailTime will pay mortgage and all expenses for 5 years – you put 20% down and own 100%. Call 1-866-Sailtime.

CREW AVAILABLE/WANTED ___________________________ Visit SOUTHWINDS “NEW” boat and crew listing service at southwindsmagazine.com

BOOKS & CHARTS ___________________________ Ocean Routing – Jenifer Clark’s Gulf Stream Boat Routing/Ocean Charts by the “best in the business.” (301) 952-0930, fax (301) 5740289 or www.erols.com/gulfstrm

DELIVERY SERVICES ___________________________ DELIVERIES. ICW, Coastal, Caribbean & Gulf, Sail or Power, by USCG Licensed Captain with 30 Years professional experience Including two transAtlantic deliveries. (443) 243-4925 or www.marylandsailing.com (1/06)

BUSINESS/INVESTMENT ___________________________ Sailtime.com is looking for base operators on the Florida coast. This may suit existing marine business owners who wish to add an additional income stream. Sailtime is a unique business model that requires minimal capital and no staff. Tel. (813) 817-0104 or jtwomey@sailtime.com_____________

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Licensed contractor with experience in highend residential work, both new and remodeling, seeks to qualify a builder as an active, advising, part-time, non-working partner. I am a very responsible, honest experienced builder with excellent qualifications seeking the same to work on projects in residential work. Only very quality-oriented and responsible builders/carpenters need contact me who are in the Manatee/Sarasota counties area. I also am only interested in enjoyable, interesting work — not the rat race. Craig100@tampabay.rr.com. 72

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HELP WANTED ___________________________ Sailor Wanted. Turn your hobby into extra cash. Travel the Florida coast making sales calls on retail customers for major marine rope manufacturer. Detail-oriented merchandising experience. E-mail resume and questions to amoffice@amconet.com.

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Sailing Club Manager opportunity with private club featuring tennis, pool, summer camp and active dinghy racing. A mature person with mechanical skills a plus. Housing provided. Send financial compensation requirements to: GM Search, 30 Yacht Club Drive, Beaufort, SC 29907. ALL CLASSIFIEDS ON WEB SITE:

www.southwindsmagazine.com www.southwindsmagazine.com

C L A S S I F I E D Edwards Yacht Sales is expanding! Yacht brokers needed to sell sailboats on either coast. Will train! Excellent commissions, group health insurance, bonus plan. Contact Roy Edwards at (727) 725-1600, www.EdwardsYachtSales.com

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Service Dept. Rigger. Massey Yacht Sales is accepting applications and resumes for sail and/or powerboat riggers/outfitters. Many employee benefits including paid holidays, paid vacations, health insurance, workmen’s comp insurance, performance bonuses, and good hourly salary. Must be hardworking, honest, have own tools and be a team player. Excellent service department support and organization. Call Alice Winter, ext. 10, service dept. mgr. at (941) 7231949, or fax resume to (941) 729-7520.

LODGING FOR SAILORS ___________________________

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Anchors – 40 lb 3-piece storm - $250. 20 lb CQR - $150. 15 lb CQR - $100. (941) 9536240.

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Ponce de Leon Hotel Historic downtown hotel at the bay, across from St. Petersburg YC. 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 550-9300 FAX (727) 896-2287 www.poncedeleon hotel.com

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Writers, Reporters, Articles Photos Wanted. Southwinds is looking for articles on boating, racing, sailing in the southern waters in all regions, the Caribbean and the Bahamas. We are also looking for other articles on the following subjects: marinas, anchorages, mooring fields disappearing marinas and boatyards, marinas and boatyards sold for condos, anchoring rights, sailing human interest stories, boat reviews, charter stories, waste disposal—and more. Photos are wanted on all these subjects, plus we want cover photos (pay $65 for cover photos) of both race and non-race subjects, but about sailing. Cover photos must be very high resolution and vertical format.

MISCELLANEOUS BOAT GEAR NEW & USED ___________________________ Wanted Mast for Hughes Northstar 500 (25foot sailboat). (251) 476-4061. (2/06)

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Massey Yacht Sales Positions – Sail and/or power yacht sales positions available in the Massey St. Petersburg and Palmetto dealership offices. Best marina dealership locations, excellent sales, marketing and service dept. support. We are new yacht dealers for Catalina, Hunter and Albin plus offer a large inventory of brokerage sail and powerboats. Applicants must be computer literate, have successful yacht sales history, good knowledge of yachts and builders, be a team player, motivated and hard working. Best yacht sales income potential on Florida west coast. Call Massey General Sales Manager Frank Hamilton at (941) 723-1610 or fax resume to (941) 729-7520.

Tiralo floating deck chair - a beach chair that floats in water and rolls easily on the sand. Looks great. Folds and fits on your boat or inside your car. More info: www.tiralousa.com.

INSURANCE ___________________________

2” DISPLAY ADS STARTING AT $38 A MONTH editor@southwindsmagazine.com

or 941-795-8704 News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

C L A S S I F I E D Outboard Motor. 2002 Yamaha 15HP, 4cycle, manual start, great condition, less than 40 hrs use. $1,200 (727) 544-1833. (1/06)

___________________________

Bimini top, canvas and frame complete. From BOSTON WHALER. Originally $700. Usable on any craft with 87â&#x20AC;? beam. Navy. Like new. $400. Pick up only. Lake Lanier, Gainesville, GA. Chris @ 770 536 4628, or cwnlanier1@aol.com.

A D S

AC/DC Reefer, 22# Bruce Anchor, Anchor Ball, Sospenders, Magma Grills, Mariner 9.9 Mercury Long Shaft 7.5 HP, folding bikes, windsurfers, Metzeler sailing rig, windscoop, Drogues, lifesling, Type I life jackets w/strobe. Nautical Trader. (941) 488-0766.

SAILING INSTRUCTION __________________________

___________________________

SAILS & CANVAS __________________________

See Classified Info pg 60 74

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

www.southwindsmagazine.com

NORTHERN GULF RACING continued from page 64

WINDSURFING GEAR __________________________ Wanted: Used Prodigy (standard or race), other boards, miscellaneous windsurfing equipment. Steve (941) 795-8704, editor@southwindsmagazine.co

EAST FLORIDA RACE CALENDAR continued from page 60 JANUARY —Northeast Florida. www.sailjax.com 1 Hangover Regatta & New Year’s Meal. Rudder Club. 14,28 Frostbite Series #1,#2 . Rudder Club FEBRUARY — Central East Florida 3-5 7th Annual National Wayfarer Regatta. Lake Eustis Sailing Club. 4-5 2nd Annual Flying Scot Regatta. Lake Eustis Sailing Club. 4-5 Hagar’s Run (distance race on 4th) and Hagar the Horrible Regatta (fun race on 5th) Space Coast Catamaran Association. 4 First Saturday Sailing at Sebastian Inlet. Indian River Catamaran Assoc. 6,20 Spring Series #1,#2. Titusville Sailing Center. 6 Small Boat Sunday Racing. Melbourne Yacht Club. 12 Winter/Spring River Race #1. East Coast Sailing Association-Racing. 13,26 Winter/Spring Series #2,#3. Indian River Yacht Club. 13,27 Spring Rum Race #1,#2. Melbourne Yacht Club. 18-19 36th Annual George Washing Birthday Regatta. Lake Eustis Sailing Club. 20 Small Boat Sunday Racing. Melbourne Yacht Club. 24-27 Catalina 22 Mid-Winters. Sanford (Lake Monroe). 27 Women’s Spring Series #2. East Coast Sailing Association #2. FEBRUARY 4,18 Frostbite Series #3, #4. Rudder Club News & Views for Southern Sailors

planned to be the long distance race, taking the contestants out of Pensacola Bay into the Pensacola Pass out to #1 sea buoy and back again to the finish. Mother Nature, however, had other plans as she placed strong tidal currents and light non-existent winds for the race. This long distance course was shortened after approximately two hours when some of the race competitors still had not made it to the southern end of the bay. The following day’s race conditions were worse: The racers waited for three hours for the winds to come into the area and onto the racecourse for race #4 to begin! No such luck! The race committee then decided to hold the final race during the next race weekend scheduled on the calendar…the weekend of the Santa Claus Regatta. Both races would be held concurrently and scored separately. Luckily, they had moderate winds once again, and sailors were also able to have a little fun for the Santa Claus Regatta. Competitors could be seen on the water dressed in holiday style; Santa hats, Santa outfits and even some of Santa’s reindeer sailed around the race committee boat as they prepared for a day filled with racing competition. After two windward/leeward races, sailors headed back to the Pensacola Yacht Club to determine the overall winners. Neil McMillan and Carlos Melville on Joe Cool triumphed over the fleet and earned the Pensacola Yacht Club Championship for 2005. As for the rest of the fleet, Santa had a little present for those who entered the race and placed in their class; a 2005 Christmas tree ornament trophy. PYC Championship 2005 Results Overall 2005 Club Champions - Neil McMillan and Carlos Melville on Joe Cool 1 Joe Cool, Neil McMillan/Carlos Melville;2 Forerunne,r John Mathis; 3 Roka Dobi, Ron Bray;4 Shameless, Roy Harden; 5 Mud Flap Girl, Hunter Riddle; 6 Atlantic Union, Paul Gillette; 7 Polish Navy, Dan Owczarczak; 8 Phaedra, Bob Patroni; 9 Avalon, Bernie Knight;10 Sirrocco, Bruce Lee; 11 Road Trip,p David Kellen; 12 Tenacious, Eric Prochaska; Santa Claus Regatta 2005 Spinnaker Class A; 1 - Atlantic Union - Paul Gillette; 2 - Phaedra Bob Patroni; 3 - Joe Cool - McMillan/Melville; 4 - Forerunner - John Mathis; Spinnaker Class B;1 Mud Flap Girl - Hunter Riddle; 2 - Polish Navy - Dan Owczarczak;3 - Roka Dobi - Ron Bray.

NORTHERN GULF RACE CALENDAR JANUARY 1 New Year’s Raft-up. PYC 7-8 Gulf Yachting Association 2006 Winter Meeting. Pascagoula, MS. 16-20 Key West Race Week, Key West, FL 21 Superbowl Regatta. PYC 28 Frostbite Regatta. PBYC FEBRUARY 4 Cruising Raft-up. PYC

11 18

Valentine Regatta. PBYC Miami Boat Show. www.strictlysail.com 25 Mardi Gras Regatta. PYC Northern Gulf Coast Yacht Club Legend PBYC Pensacola Beach Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL. www.pensacolabeachyc.org PYC Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL. www.pensacolayachtclub.org.

WEST FLORIDA RACE CALENDAR continued from page 53 16-20 Key West Race Week. www.premiere-racing.com. 21-22 St. Petersburg YC. SE Optimist Team Race Regatta. 28-29 St. Petersburg YC. Multi-class Invitational. Windmill, Snipe, Moth, Jet 14, Flying Dutchman, Martin 16, 2.4 Meter, Ultimate 20, SR Max, with 6 boats registered in advance. 28-29 Punta Gorda SC. Naples-Marco Island Hospice Regatta, PHRF FEBRUARY 4 St. Petersburg YC and Davis Island YC. J-24 Meet in the Middle Regatta. 3-5 Lake Eustis Sailing Club. National Wayfarer Regatta. 4-5 Lake Eustis Sailing Club. Flying Scot Regatta. 4-8 St. Petersburg YC. International Optimist Dinghy Clinic. 10-12 St. Petersburg YC. Valentine’s Day Regatta, Opti, 420. 10-12 Isla Del Sol YC. 505 Midwinter Championship.

Sarasota Bay Yachting Association/ Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Cherry Pie Race. (SBBOTY) 11-12 Tampa Sailing Squad. Gasparilla, PHRF. 11-12 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Edison Gulf, PHRF. (SWFBOTY) 14-16 St. Petersburg YC. Olsen 30 & Sonar Midwinter Championship. 17-19 St. Petersburg YC., SAILING WORLD NOOD (National Offshore One Design). 17-21 Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show, Miamarina. www.sailamerica.com. 17-19 Clearwater Yacht Club. Laser Master Midwinters. 18-19 Lake Eustis Sailing Club. George Washington Birthday Regatta. Allclass, dinghies, cats, Windsurfers. 21-25 Davis Island YC. J-24 Midwinters. 23-26 Clearwater Yacht Club. Laser Midwinters East. 25-26 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Windsurfing regatta. 26-3/3 St. Petersburg YC. Thistle Midwinters. SOUTHWINDS

January 2006

INDEX

ADVERTISERS

TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS!: Southwinds provides this list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. This list includes all display advertising.

WANTED

Experienced Sailing Coach in Sarasota — US Sailing Level 1—

INSTRUCTOR COURSE & RACING EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Optimist coaching experience preferred. Part-time — Saturdays, one evening/week & regatta attendance CALL SARASOTA YOUTH SAILING PROGRAM

(941) 504-4236 76

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

Acura Miami Race Week . . . . . . .11 Air Duck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 American Marine & Sail Supply . .21 Aqua Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Atlantic Sail Traders . . . . . . . . . . .42 Banks Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Beachmaster Photography . . . . . .72 Beneteau Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . .BC Beta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Bluewater Bay Yachts . . . . . . .20,21 Bluewater Sailing Supply . . . . . . . .9 Boaters Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Bob and Annie’s Boatyard . . . . . .33 Bo’sun Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Bubba Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Carson/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Charleston Race Week . . . . . . . . . .7 Cortez Yacht Brokerage . . . . . . . .72 Crow’s Nest Restaurant . . . . . . . .15 Cruising Direct Sails . . . . . . . . . .28 Defender Industries . . . . . . . . . . .29 Dockside Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Drive Insurance From Progressive 26 Dwyer mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Eastern Yachts/Beneteau . . . .BC, 67 Edwards Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . .65 El Cid Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 E-marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73,74 First Patriot Health Insurance . . . .73 Flying Scot Sailboats . . . . . . . . . .72 FX Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Garhauer Hardware . . . . . . . . . . .34 Glacier Bay Refrigeration . . . . . . .22 Gold Bars Captain’s Book . . . . . .74 Gulf Coast Yacht Sales . . . . . .66,70 Gulf Island Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Hanse Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack . . . . . . .57 Hotwire/Fans & other products .74 Hunter Marine . . . . . . . . . .24,25,47 Island Marine Products . . . . . . . .19 Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter . . . .46 Kevane Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Lake Fairview Marina . . . . . . . . . .21 Laurie Kimball Realtor . . . . . . . . . .9 Leading Edge Yacht Brokers . . . .67 Leather Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Lex-Sea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Life Captions Video . . . . . . . . . . .41

Manton Marine Surveyors . . . . . .69 Massey Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,41,43,47,71, IBC Masthead Enterprises . . . . . . .16,74 Noble Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Mt. Dora Annual Regatta . . . . . . .50 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . .BC National Sail Supply . . . . . . . . . .35 Nautical Trader . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 North Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,74 Pinnacle Fractional Sailing . . . . . .10 Porpoise Used Sails . . . . . . . . . . .75 Precision Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Premiere Racing . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Pumpout Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Quantum Sarasota . . . . . . . . . . . .3 RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Regata del Sol al Sol . . . . . . . . . .55 Rparts Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sailboats Florida, Inc. . . . . . . . . .71 Sailing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Sailor’s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage 64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sailrite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sailtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program . .66 Schurr Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Scurvy Dog Marine . . . . . . . . . . .51 Sea School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Sea Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43,73 Snug Harbor Boats . . . . . . . . . . .21 SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 St. Augustine Sailing School . . . .74 St. Barts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Strictly Sail Miami . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Suncoast Inflatables . . . . . . . . . . .17 Sunrise Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . .69,74 Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Turner Marine/Island Packet . . . .31 Ullman sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 US Spars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Walker Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Watersports West . . . . . . . . . . . .73 West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC Windcraft Catamarans . . . . . . . . .49 Zarcor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41,73

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ADVERTISER INDEX BY CATEGORY TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides this list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. This list includes all display advertising. SAILBOATS – NEW AND BROKERAGE American Marine & Sail Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Beneteau Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Boaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Carson Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Cortez Yacht Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Eastern Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC,67 Flying Scot Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Gulf Coast Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66,70 Gulf Island Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Hanse Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Island Yachting Centre/Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Lake Fairview Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Leading Edge Yacht Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina//Hunter/Shannon/Albin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,41,43,47,71, IBC Masthead Yacht Sales/Catalina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,74 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Pinnacle Fractional Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sailboats Florida, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Sailor’s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Sailtime, Fractional Sailing & Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats . . . . . . . . . . .66 Snug Harbor Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 St. Barts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Suncoast Inflatables/ West Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Turner Marine/Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Windcraft, Trimarans and Catamarans, Sail or Power . . . . . . .49 Watersports West/Windsurfing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIES, CLOTHING Air Duck Hatch Windscoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Bluewater Bay Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20,21 Bluewater Sailing Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL . . . . . . . . .42 Bo’sun Supplies/Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Defender Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 E-Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73,74 Garhauer Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Hotwire/Fans & other products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Island Marine Products/Davits,motorlocks,etc. . . . . . . . . . . . .19 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Leather Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Masthead Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,74 Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Rparts Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sailrite Sewing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Walker Bay Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Watersports West/wet suits, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC Zarcor, boat shades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41,73 SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGING SERVICES Atlantic Sail Traders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida . . . . . . .69 Cruising Direct/sails online by North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Masthead/Used Sails and Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,74 National Sail Supply, new&used online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 North Sails, new and used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,74 Porpoise Used Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Quantum Sails and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Sailing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Sunrise Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69,74 Ullman Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC US Spars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 News & Views for Southern Sailors

CANVAS Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida . . . . . . .69 Quantum Sails and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIES Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL . . . . . . . . . .51 SAILING SCHOOLS Sea School/Captain’s License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 St. Augustine Sailing School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 MARINE ENGINES AND ACCESSORIES Beta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOAT YARDS Bob and Annie’s Boatyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Sailor’s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 FRACTIONAL SAILING/CHARTER COMPANIES Lex-Sea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52,72 Pinnacle Fractional Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sailtime, Fractional Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 MARINE SERVICES, SURVEYORS, INSURANCE, TOWING, BOAT LETTERING, ETC. Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy online . . . . . .68 Beachmaster Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Drive Insurance From Progressive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 First Patriot Insurance Health Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Manton Marine Surveyors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Pumpout Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 MARINE ELECTRONICS Dockside Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43,73 BOOKS/CHARTS/VIDEOS/AWARDS Bubba Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Gold Bars Captain’s Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Life Captions Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Noble Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWS Acura Miami Race Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Charleston Race Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Mt. Dora Annual Regatta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Regata del Sol al Sol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Strictly Sail Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Regional Sailing Services Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68-69 Subscription Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Alphabetical Advertisers’ List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

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January 2006

Betty Timms —

Bluewater

Sailing Adventure

By Kim Kaminski

Betty’s Favorite Place to be during her long distance, bluewater adventure was on the bow taking in the beauty of her surroundings. Courtesy photo.

etty Timms is a small-framed special education elementary school teacher who could always be found sailing on the coastal waters surrounding Pensacola, FL, at almost every sailboat racing event throughout the year. Following the destruction left by Hurricane Ivan, many of the racing fleet boats were damaged or destroyed, leaving few opportunities for sailboat racing events. Betty and her husband Jim also felt the sting from Ivan’s wrath as they lost their home on Pensacola Beach. In the midst of debris and loss, a friend of Betty’s, Mike Luciani (who also lost his home to Ivan), invited her on a sailing adventure to forget about Ivan’s destruction. It was to be a bluewater sailing passage on a 47-foot Kaufman, skippered and owned by world-class sailor and author, John Kretschmer. Betty said she was originally clueless about the adventure she was about to embark upon. She wondered what she had gotten herself into since she was to sail 1600 miles from Trinidad to Fort Lauderdale with her friend Mike and four other men she had never met before. (Betty’s husband Jim had to stay in Pensacola and handle the insurance and FEMA paperwork, R.V. rental, and anything else that came up following the havoc after the storm.) Betty was also expected to use a sextant during the trip to plot the crew’s location in the middle of the Caribbean. How was she going to accomplish a sight reduction on a pitching boat, let alone master celestial navigation! Betty,

January 2006

SOUTHWINDS

the ever-ready teacher, now became the student and began taking celestial navigation classes. While she prepared for the cruise, Betty was reading up on any article she could and found a quote that gave her some inspiration: “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” On April 10, Betty and her fellow shipmates lost sight of the shore for seven glorious days. During the journey, she experienced wonderful sights: night watches under the blanket of a multitude of stars and the awesome wonder of flying fish. She experienced the roller coaster motion on the bow (her favorite spot on the boat) during the mountainous swells that were frequent throughout the trip and equally enjoyed the delicate maneuvering through the coral reefs of Rum Cay. The challenge of celestial navigation was also an exciting adventure for her. She took morning, noon and evening sightings, and after her first plotting efforts, she found she was only off by four miles on the latitude and one mile on the longitude when compared to the GPS reading. She was hooked and in love with bluewater cruising. When asked about her adventure and what was a highlight for her, she said, “The bow was the best! I could stare out over the deep blue water all day! I will never forget this trip. I strongly encourage anyone to conquer your fears and go bluewater sailing. And as for the green flash? Does it really exist? Go see for yourself.” www.southwindsmagazine.com