The Triton 200408

August 2004 Vol. 1, No. 5

American crew shortage sparks concern, action

By Lisa H. Knapp

The 90-foot Argus V smoldered for about eight hours before catching fire in the Bahamas.

PHOTO COURTESY OF A RESIDENT OF THE BAHAMAS

Another megayacht destroyed by fire

By Lucy Chabot Reed An elusive fire consumed the M/Y Argus V in June, making her the eighth megayacht to be damaged or destroyed by flames since March.

No one was hurt in the Argus V fire, which smoldered for as long as eight hours before finally igniting, according to the yacht’s cook/stew Vicki Elwyn.

Fires have claimed eight megayachts this year, including the 136-foot Janie II and the 157-foot Newfoundland Explorer.

According to Elwyn, here is what happened to Argus V, a 90-foot Burger: The megayacht had just returned from a three-week cruise around the Bahamas and had docked that midday at a private dock on Lyford Cay. As Elwyn was preparing for dinner, she smelled something burning, something sweet.

She looked around but didn’t

St. Maarten yard, marina hit delays.

See stories pages 5,11.

find anything. Because she thought the smell was coming from a vent, she turned the compressors off and called the captain.

“I went all over, felt the bulkheads and the floor,” she said. “We were both searching everywhere and we began to see a little smokiness.”

Neither Elwyn nor the captain, whom she would not name, could find the source of the smell.

So Elwyn served dinner. As soon as the owners were done at about 8 p.m., the captain asked them to leave so he could ensure the boat’s safety.

With dinner dishes still on the table, Elwyn and the captain searched the boat again and for hours, running their hands over every surface, pulling off panels and headliners, and crawling everywhere.

“I’ve been doing this 15 years

See ARGUS V, page 8

Get close to Long Island Sound, page 27.

Ian Pelham will trek across the United States this summer on a fivecity tour looking for Americans to work on yachts.

His goal: a dozen solid candidates.

“If 10 retire this year, we need to pull 15 more with so many new boats,” said Pelham, manager of The Crew Network, a crew agency in Ft. Lauderdale.

“Summertime is traditionally slower, so I am doing an active recruitment trip around the United States to place a bug in everyone’s ear.”

Pelham’s plan is to promote the allure of warm-weather yachting with good compensation in non-traditional yachting areas such as the Great Lakes, where people have at least been on a boat before.

“This is the first time we’re recruiting this way,” he said. “If I get 12

people by the end of summer, it will be a success.”

Increases in new yacht production, larger yachts requiring additional crew, and a dwindling number of licensed, qualified American crew has turned the traditional shortage into a problem.

Current global production for yachts are up 6 percent over last year and now equals the industry’s all-time high, achieved in 2002, according to the 2004 Global Order Book and data compiled

by Showboats International magazine.

With 507 yachts on order or under construction for 2004, orders are up 82 percent over the 279 yachts on order in 1998, the data show.

The U.S. Coast Guard requires U.S.flagged boats to carry Americans or foreign nationals with green cards as crew members. Even though most

See AMERICAN CREW, page 12

Yards can win captains’ favor with solid work, employees Gathered in the height of summer in Fort Lauderdale, the nine captains at The Triton’s monthly Bridge discussion all had experience with shipyards, including several captains whose yachts were in yards at the time.

So we asked them what they thought of shipyards. As always, the captains are not FROM THE BRIDGE identified in this LUCY CHABOT REED story to encourage frank and open discussion. They are identified as a group on page 7.

Despite differences in experience, the captains seemed to agree on a few basic techniques when it comes to taking a yacht to a shipyard: go with

what you know, take ownership of the job, and take care of the people doing the work.

“I’ve heard captains say they just came out of the worst yard ever,” one captain said. “If you have a bad experience in a yard, well, that’s your own fault.”

The best way to avoid a bad experience, they said, is to build relationships.

“If I come back and see the same guys, I’m going to feel a lot better about the yard and the work,” one captain said.

“The same guys who did the job last year are going to do it this year in an hour instead of one and a half days.”

See THE BRIDGE, page 7

2 The Triton

August 2004

WHAT’S INSIDE See a 40-year-old get a refit, page 15 Publisher

Editor

David Reed

Lucy Chabot Reed

david@the-triton.com

lucy@the-triton.com editorial@the-triton.com

Advertising/ Business Development Kristy Fox kristy@the-triton.com sales@the-triton.com

Business Manager/ Circulation Margaret Soffen peg@the-triton.com

Distribution Ross Adler National Distribution Solutions

The Triton P.O. Box 22278 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335 (954) 525-0029 FAX (954) 337-0702

www.the-triton.com

Contributing Editor Lawrence Hollyfield

Contributors Christine Abbott, Eng. Joel Antoinette, The Bridge, Capt. John Campbell, Capt. Mark Drewelow, Capt. John Greenwood, Don Grimme, Lisette Hilton, Jack Horkheimer, Capt. Steve Huggins, Chef Kenneth Johnson, Lisa H. Knapp, Robert Luckock, Capt. Herb Magney, Jeff Ostrowski, Steve Pica, Rossmar International, Michael Thiessen, Ian Watson, Phaedra Xanthos Vol. 1, No. 5.

The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group.

Copyright 2004 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Advertiser directory 33 Calendar of events 30 Classifieds 32-33 Crossword puzzle 30 Crossword answers 26 From the Experts: Body Business 24 Into Account 25 Manager’s Time 24 Fuel prices 20 Horoscopes 29 In the Galley 26 In the Stars 29

In the Yard 15 Letters to the Editor 35 News 4,5,6,8,9,11 Opinions 34-35 People on the Move 28 Photo Gallery 14,23 Reviews: DVD 25 Product 19 Technology Pull-Out: Getting Under Way 15-22 Travel: Taking Time Off 27 Triton Connection 10

August 2004

The Triton 3

4 The Triton

INDUSTRY NEWS

August 2004

St. Maarten’s first charter show takes shape, signs 30 yachts

By Robert Luckock ST. MAARTEN – Thirty yachts have so far registered for the island’s first charter yacht show Dec. 7-11, according to show organizers.

The show will be held in the Simpson Bay Lagoon at the four major marinas of Isle de Sol, Port de Plaisance, Simpson Bay, and Palapa.

“We have had amazing support, predominantly from the bigger yachts,” said Jeff Boyd, the newly elected president of the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association, which owns and organizes the show.

“We are relieved and gratified that the preliminary response has been so good.”

Unlike Antigua’s show, which takes place a week earlier, St. Maarten’s show is owned by a non-profit organization.

“But what we did want to have was the broker’s input to be sure that they get what they want,” Boyd said.

“We formed an advisory council and on that board you have representatives from some of the best-known charter brokers such as The Sacks Group and Luxury Yachts,” he said. “They are there to tell us what the brokers need and to verify who’s who. So the policing of the show will be done by the industry itself.”

St. Maarten’s job will be to make sure the show is fun, efficient, and easy to get around.

“If you set aside infrastructure and the US$70 million that has been spent in the Lagoon during the past five years, we still think one of the main attractions of St. Maarten is that it’s

a fun place with good people who understand the needs of the industry,” he said. “We don’t want people to feel it’s a burden to be here.”

Boyd said an emphasis will be placed on entertaining captains and crew as well as brokers.

Part of the entertainment package includes a “Taste of the Island” gala to start the show, followed by an allafternoon crew party, and a closing extravaganza at the Maho Beach Convention Center.

“A lot of people are putting in time and effort to make sure” the event is a success, Boyd said. “Government has generously given us $50,000 to get started, and hotels and car rentals have offered us discounted rates.”

The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association recently announced that agent/manager fees have been reduced from $125 to $75 a person.

Non-exhibiting vendor fees have been reduced to $500 per company for the first badge and $100 per person for additional badges.

Robert Luckock is a freelance journalist living in St.Maarten. Contact him at rluckock@sintmaarten.net.

For more information on the first St. Maarten charter yacht exhibition, visit www. charteryachtexhibition.com.

Contact the show’s administrative offices in St. Maarten at (599) 542-4096 or by fax at (599) 542-2858.

Pirate attacks rose 20 percent last year Six violent and serious attacks were reported in the June in the vicinity of the coast of north Sumatra/Aceh, northern Malacca straits, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center.

Pirates with automatic guns targeted vessels even during daylight hours, the

Report piratical attacks or suspicious movements to:

IMB Piracy Reporting Centre Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone: ++ 60 3 2078 5763 Fax: ++ 60 3 2078 5769 Telex: MA 31880 IMBPCI. 24-hour anti-piracy helpline: ++ 60 3 2031 0014 E-mail: imbkl@icc-ccs.org.uk

center reported.

A fishing boat with nine people approached a yacht anchored off Raas Xaafuun, Somalia, that was attending an injured crew.

People on the fishing boat waved their hands and behaved in a friendly manner, but then raised firearms and shot at the yacht, causing damage.

The crew retaliated by opening fire and the boat retreated and fled, according to the report.

The name and size of the yacht were not disclosed.

In another incident, pirates disguised themselves as customs and coast guard officials to approach a passing ship.

According to the IMB, pirate attacks rose 20 percent last year to 445, the second-highest in more than a decade.

Ships are advised to maintain antipiracy watches and report all piratical attacks and suspicious movements of craft. (See contacts in box at left.)

August 2004

CARIBBEAN NEWS

The Triton 5

St. Maarten shipyard in holding pattern after court ruling

By Robert Luckock ST. MAARTEN – Installation of St. Maarten Shipyard’s $12 million Syncrolift project for megayachts on Simpson Bay Lagoon has been delayed.

A recent court ruling gave Christian Construction, the former tenants of the yard, four months to remove its heavy equipment from the 3.17-acre property.

The ruling by the Court of First Instance is good news for Texas businessman Carl Vaughan, the yard’s new lease owner, because he has won permission to use the property.

But the delay is a setback to his plans to have his Syncrolift on display in time for the island’s inaugural boat show Dec. 7. [For more details about the show, see story on page 4.]

However, Vaughan said he remained optimistic that some infrastructure would be ready in time for the show, including an extra 150-ton Travelift.

It was originally hoped the Syncrolift would be operational by July, but Christian Construction has appealed its eviction order. Vaughan is appealing the four-month time frame for the company’s move.

St. Maarten’s Executive Council and its Property Management Department Policy Division (VROM), its environmental watch dog, gave Vaughan the green light in March 2003 to install a Syncrolift.

Work has yet to begin despite an exchanging of agreements between Vaughan, the government of St. Maarten, and lift manufacturers.

Vaughan said he expected financial agreements to be finalized this month.

Much of the delay is attributed to clearing the property so the foundations for the lift can be laid.

Once work does start, Vaughan said his shipyard will, in cosmetic and environmental terms, be the “showcase” yard of the Caribbean.

Since realizing the potential of the lucrative megayacht industry – a fact not gone unnoticed by island government officials – major players in St. Maarten’s marine industry have sought ways to keep megayachts here in the off season.

Are you out there?

The Triton is hiring a few good sales reps around the world, especially in the Med and New Zealand.

E-mail the publisher at david@the-triton.com.

The island currently has more slips for megayachts over 100 feet than any other island in the Caribbean.

Vaughan’s yard would have the capability of lifting vessels up to 250 feet and 3,000 tons.

Costs for the Syncrolift project have escalated in the past year, going from an original estimate of $6 million to $12 million, Vaughan said.

Legal fees, feasibility studies, purchasing of additional land and the high price of steel were just some of the factors bumping up the original estimate, he said.

“Steel prices have gone up 65 percent

in the last six months,” he said. “It seems China is taking all the steel for its shipping industry.”

Another major expense is the remote-controlled hydraulic robotic cars from TTS Systems of Norway, which were not in the original plan.

Working in conjunction with the Syncrolift elevator, these powered wheel transporters can maneuver a megayacht into any position.

With a lifting potential of 100 tons per car, 10 of them have been ordered at $320,000 each.

Switching to the powered wheel transporters is necessary due to clauses

in Vaughan’s lease that requires the Syncrolift and its infrastructure to be portable.

The airport, embarking on a $90 million, phase-two expansion, could reclaim the land for a third phase.

“We don’t realistically see that happening for at least 15 years from now,” Vaughan said. “It’s unlikely, but even if it does, we have to be prepared to get out.”

Robert Luckock is a freelance journalist living in St.Maarten. Contact him at rluckock@sintmaarten.net.

6 The Triton

INDUSTRY NEWS BRIEFS

August 2004

Jones Boat Yard buys facility at mouth of Port of Miami Jones Boat Yard has purchased the megayacht facility at the entrance of the Port of Miami and plans to add a 3,000-ton floating dry dock to accommodate yachts with a draft of up to 37 feet.

To be called Jones East, the new yard is scheduled to include an undercover, environmentally controlled paint facility as well as all the trades and services – such as mechanical, electrical, metal fabrication and shipwrights – at Jones’ current facility on South River Drive.

Megayacht stolen A 65-foot Hatteras valued at $2.2 million was reported stolen from Marine Max Yacht Brokerage at the foot of the Palm City Bridge in Stuart on July 12, according to a report in the Palm Beach Post.

Business owner Brian Boyd reportedly told a deputy the yacht, a 2002 model, was anchored at a dock on the south side of the bridge and was last seen the evening of July 10.

The newspaper reported that Boyd said the yacht had enough fuel to travel 200 miles, but would have required a high tide to leave the dock and drawspan openings at bridges.

Picasso sketch stolen from yacht A charcoal sketch by Pablo Picasso was stolen July 15 from M/Y Tajin, a 147-foot Trident at Jones Boat Yard in Miami, according to the Associated Press.

The sketch is a partial draft of Picasso’s painting “Les Trois Danseuses” and is valued at $200,000, the AP reported.

Employees of Fairwinds, the company that owns the yacht and sketch, saw a slender bearded man in a turquoise hat running from the ship with the artwork. They chased him, but he escaped into a waiting car, according to a police report. Fairwinds is offering a $10,000 reward for the artwork’s return, the AP reported.

IYC keeps on selling Ft. Lauderdale’s International Yacht Collection and broker Jim McConville completed the sale of a new 146-foot custom tri-deck Christensen. The new Party Girl is the sixth yacht McConville has sold to this owner.

After its anticipated launch in the fall of 2006, the six-stateroom, 12-guest yacht will join the IYC charter fleet and be available in the Med and Caribbean.

McConville was IYC’s Salesman of the Year last year and has so far this year sold the 153-foot Feadship Daybreak, the 124-foot Delta Mimi, the

100-foot Broward Casuarina, and the 88-foot Leopard Man of Steel.

IYC’s Mark Elliott also hit a milestone with the sale of Aussie Rules. The 228-foot Oceanfast is the brokerage’s largest yacht sale. She has joined the IYC fleet and was immediately booked for the summer Med season.

A refit designed by Elliott is set for this fall. It will extend the aft deck to accommodate a helicopter pad and add staterooms to host 12 guests.

New Zealand joins America’s Cup The Société Nautique de Genève has accepted a challenge from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

Emirates Team New Zealand becomes the fourth challenger for the 32nd America’s Cup. It will compete against the American BMW Oracle Racing, the Italian Puitrentanove and the South African Team Shosholoza to sail the Defender Alinghi for the America’s Cup in 2007.

Team New Zealand is an evolution of the team that was defeated by Team Alinghi in 2003.

Additions to Team New Zealand include Briton Ben Ainslie (two-time ISAF World Sailor of the Year and Olympic Gold and Silver medallist), and American-born Terry Hutchinson (AmericaOne, Stars & Stripes).

IBEX 2004 expands The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX), to be held Oct. 25–27 in Miami, has added 50 percent more space and will not only increase the number of exhibitors, but also add special events for show attendees.

Planned are an expanded international pavilion featuring more than 50 exhibitors from more than a dozen countries, and a composite pavilion, which will total more than 20,000 square feet and host 85 exhibitors.

The Outdoor Demo Area also will be expanded to allow for 19 companies to display and demonstrate their new technologies in a hands-on exhibition.

For information on the trade-only show, visit www.ibexshow.com.

Dockwise partners with Swan Yacht transporter Dockwise Yacht Transport (DYT) signed an agreement with The Nautor Group in Firenze, Italy, to become marketing partners for their products and services.

Nautor’s Swan has selected DYT as the supplier to their members of the ClubSwan.

August 2004

FROM THE BRIDGE

The Triton 7

Qualified shipyard employees ‘save us thousands of dollars’ THE BRIDGE, from page 1 The captains were sympathetic to the pressures most yards are under, with high costs for everything from overhead to governmental regulation and workers’ compensation.

They were not opposed to paying more for quality work, just as long as the work is done well the first time.

“Yards really need to look at their employees as investments,” one captain said. “If one yard’s charging $60 an hour and another $80 an hour, I’ll pay the $80 if that yard has long-term employees doing quality work.”

“We know the yards have huge overhead and developers are squeezing them out, but we can’t afford to lose them,” another said. “They need to keep qualified people and charge a little more. The end result for us is that the job will probably cost less because experienced guys will do the job better.”

“It’s a good way to look at a yard, to look at how long their staff has been there,” one said. “It tells you something right off the bat.”

“Listen, the most important issue in this business is relationship building and all that that means,” another said.

“I’m going to get the guys I need to get the job done. If I have a relationship with someone, I know this guy always shows up, and he comes on a Sunday if I need him to. End of story.”

“They [qualified people] save us thousands of dollars,” another captain said. “I don’t mind paying that extra fee to have the people I want.”

One captain said the bid process was the best procedure he’s found for selecting a yard for a particular job.

“I hired a company, gave them my specs, then they added some stuff I forgot,” he said. “They made the RFP [request for proposal] to 13 yards and we got nine proposals back. Without question, I will call them again.”

Other captains seemed skeptical.

“A lot of yards won’t bid on a job until they look at it,” one captain said.

“Did they all come out and look at it?”

“No, but the scope of work was pretty complete,” the captain replied.

“If you’re going to pull a set of fins off, you know what you’re getting into.

There were a couple yards that said, ‘captain, don’t worry, bring it in, we’ll take care of you.’ ” Everyone laughed.

“Obviously, we didn’t go there.”

The issue of unfairly high bills was a big part of the discussion.

“The former captain on my boat signed the order then went away for a week,” one captain said. “When he came back, the bill was astronomical.

For a captain, that may be the only chance to get away from the boat for a few days. [Yards] have to have a little more morals than that. Just because I’m gone doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all.”

“Someone should be there as a project manager for the owner to keep

an eye on things,” said one captain.

“Most yards won’t give you a quote that’s not astronomical because they don’t know what they’re getting into until they get in there. I usually do ‘time and labor not to exceed … .’ ” Most captains agreed on the solution to keeping bills in line: careful oversight as a project manager.

“I have a log book and I record who comes on and what they do,” one said.

“Yeah, it sounds petty, but at the end of the job I know who did what.”

“I use a dry erase board and they have to sign in when they come on board,” another said. “At the end of the day, I jot it down and keep track of it.”

“Some yards try to charge a lay day when no one’s working on the boat,” one said. “That’s absurd.”

“I’ve seen bills from a yard with lay days and the project manager for the yard charged out at an hourly rate,” one captain said.

Others laughed at that and shook their heads.

“You have to negotiate arbitration before you get to arbitration,” a captain said. “Bring Interlux in to inspect the paint job. If it’s not right, they will tell the yard to do it again. Take yourself out of the argument.

“Sometimes that costs a little more, but it’s well invested,” another said.

“The trick is to convince the owner it’s worth it.”

A captain’s relationship with the owner is also often a factor in a successful yard experience, several captains noted.

“Owners are so smart in business, but when it comes to yard work, they can be real idiots,” a captain said. “They don’t listen to their captains and they question every decision. When things go wrong, they blame the captain.”

“I’m lucky to have an owner who’s given me a free hand to go where I need to and get what I need done,” one said.

After fees, the largest discussion centered on treating the yard’s employees with kindness and respect.

“The guy scraping the barnacles off the hull is just as important as the welder, and he needs to be treated that way,” one captain said.

One of the best ways to do that, it seemed, was with food.

“Krispy Kreme doughnuts,” one captain offered.

“I buy lunch on Fridays, pizza,” said another. “It costs me $25 a week and it’s the best money I ever spent.”

There was a short discussion about opening an online forum where captains could post criticisms or praise for yards, but the captains decided against it.

“I think all yards are there to do a good job,” one said. “It really all falls back on the project manager. You’ve got to spec it out. Sit down, specify the work you want done, know what your budget is, know what your time is.”

These captains took their role as

Attendees of the fifth Triton Bridge are, from left: Julian Massey, Kevin Svec, Will Phillips, Gil Pinkham, Kevin McNulty, Chuck Limroth, George Llop, and Gianni Brill. Not pictured: Herb Magney.

PHOTO/LUCY REED project managers seriously, and were not tolerant of those who did not. A few were especially critical of captains who accept payments from yards or tradesmen for steering work their way.

“As the project manager, your responsibility – and what the owner is paying you for – is to look after his interests,” one captain said.

“Maybe I’m naïve but I’m being paid a salary to represent the owner,” a veteran captain said. “I know a lot of people are taking kickbacks, but if they are doing it, they should ask for a raise or get another job.”

“In all the yards I’ve been to, I’ve never been offered anything like that,” another captain said.

So what’s the biggest problem with yards? There was a pause.

“It seems like there are fewer and fewer places to go, especially with bigger yachts,” one captain said as others nodded in agreement. “I had a 125-foot sailing yacht with 12 feet of draft. I had two places I could go on the whole East Coast, and the West coast of Florida. And the yards knew it, they knew they had me. After they booked me, they bumped me for a bigger yacht, totally screwing up my schedule.”

“That’s where the doughnuts come in,” someone said, to laughs.

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

8 The Triton

FROM THE FRONT

August 2004

Captain ‘like a mouse’ to find source of smell, smoke, fire ARGUS V, from page 1 and the captain, too,” she said. “This was boggling to us. We could not find anything.”

They unplugged everything, even removing some components in the wheelhouse. The night was still, so they hooked up a fan to blow out old smoke in the hopes of finding its source.

At about 10 p.m., the captain called Lyford Cay security. Soon after – and feeling frustrated that she couldn’t do enough – Elwyn grabbed a few of her personal possessions such as her purse, her dive gear and some of her cooking equipment and got off the boat.

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

The captain was in the crawl spaces, under floors and behind walls until he narrowed the source to somewhere in the wheelhouse or the galley below it.

“Now it’s 10, 11, 12 o’clock and this

guy did not stop,” Elwyn said of the captain. “He was like a mouse. I’m out on the dock falling asleep and he’s not giving up.”

At about 2 a.m., the captain found heavy smoke behind the electronics in the wheelhouse. According to Elwyn, he pulled out some equipment and looked down the wall behind, into the area behind the galley. There, he saw flames.

From Elwyn’s position outside, she could see a flash.

“Once he found it and the air got to it, that was it,” she said. “The one thing you learn in all those STCW courses you take is that once a boat is going to go, it’s going to go. You can’t put it out.”

The Nassau fire department responded and extinguished the fire.

The Argus V is an aluminum boat, so the fire was pretty much contained.

“If it had been fiberglass, the whole dock, the whole neighborhood would

have gone,” Elwyn said. “If we had been at a smaller cay, it could have been disastrous.”

The yacht was towed to Jones Boat Yard in Miami where an investigation is continuing. Elwyn said she will choose her next job carefully.

“I’ve got a job on a Broward and I’m thinking, ‘Does that crew quarters have a hatch?’ ” she said. “Now, I personally will look to make sure there’s an out.”

Elwyn said she’s rarely been asked to participate in a fire drill.

“We don’t go over fire procedures enough. Captains really need to impress upon their crew the fire procedure. And for temporary crew, it’s their responsibility to ask the captain to go over the fire plan. I’m going to do that on my next boat.”

Eight yachts have burned since March, according to Triton and other news reports. In March, a fire ravaged

the 58-foot Destiny in Tampa Bay, destroyed the Lady Tring in Manila, and destroyed an 83-foot yacht on Florida’s West coast.

April began with the New Zealand shipyard fire to the 191-foot Alyssa M II. On April 15, the Janie II was destroyed in Palm Beach, Fla. Ten days later, an engine room fire badly damaged the Newfoundland Explorer.

On June 13, a 62-footer was destroyed near Cape May, N.J. Ten days later, the Argus V was destroyed.

“It’s an awful experience,” said Elwyn, who had been on board about a year. “You create a relationship with a boat. I take care of a boat better than I do my own home.

“It’s sad,” she said. “We had some beautiful times.”

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Lauderdale fire pump in dry dock The April fire that destroyed the Newfoundland Explorer in Ft. Lauderdale also destroyed the city’s only fire boat.

After working all night April 25 and being called into service in the wee hours when the fire reignited, the pump on the fire boat gave out, Deputy Chief Keith Allen said.

The city bought the boat in 1989 for $75,000, Allen told members of the city’s marine advisory board in July. The city has recently ordered a new boat, but this one will cost $165,000.

“The lieutenants want a portable pump on the new fire boat in addition to the pump already on it,” said Allen, adding that that is an additional $14,000 expense.

“Our pump [that fought the Newfoundland Explorer fire] saw its last life. It’s dry-docked.”

The new boat will be 28 feet instead of 25 feet, will have a center console instead of a pilot house, and will be able to pump 1,000 gallons a minute instead of 800, he told board members.

Allen acknowledged that the city’s marine firefighting training was “superficial” and has begun a conversation with Resolve Marine Group to provide some marine firefighting training to city firefighters.

The problem is the cost.

Ft. Lauderdale’s level of training is not much different from any other municipal fire department near ports, said Todd Duke, head of the firefighting school at Resolve.

The board plans to recommend that the city pay for the training and some additional equipment for the fire department, including dewatering pumps. That request is expected sometime this fall.

– Lucy Chabot Reed

August 2004

INDUSTRY NEWS

Palmer Johnson drops out of charter business

By Lisa H. Knapp Palmer Johnson Yachts closed its yacht charter group in Ft. Lauderdale last month, citing tough local competition and a refocus on boat building.

“We only did charters for a little while, for two years,” said Mike Kelsey, president of Palmer Johnson Yachts.

Florida yacht charters were “an ancillary business that we dabbled in,” he said. “From 1918 to 1992, PJ was only a boat builder. We’ll probably keep our charter license, but not as a standalone business.”

With more than 70 South Florida members of the Charter Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA) and at least five major clearing houses of megayacht charters in greater Fort Lauderdale, barriers to entry are prevalent for startup charter operations.

There were 250 megayachts for charter in South Florida generating $143.3 million in charter fees and $21.5 million in commissions, according to a 2002 study by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida.

In addition to competing for a piece of that business, start-up charter companies must get up to speed on the “never-ending” changes to flag, state and port authority regulations,

said Graeme Lord, director of yacht management for International Yacht Collection in Ft. Lauderdale.

That alone has become very demanding, he said.

“It doesn’t make sense to eek out a couple of charters a year,” Kelsey said.

“The market is saturated with good, well-established charter companies.”

Leslie E. Adams, PJ’s former charter manager, is now a charter broker with Allied Richard Bertram Yachts.

Adams said she has fond memories of her time at PJ but recognizes the competitive market factors contributing to the division’s closure.

“PJ was good to me,” she said. “I was the only charter broker in the office.

Palmer Johnson builds great boats, but charter takes a lot of effort to pull off.”

In an effort to boost its branding in 1992, Palmer Johnson Yachts began adding other divisions.

“But each time you add a business segment, your focus is split,” Kelsey said. “Our core business is boatbuilding.”

In addition to shedding its charter operations, Palmer Johnson sold its Savannah, Ga., refit facility to Global Ship Systems in June.

But the company plans to lease back space to begin production on its first fiberglass boats in 28 years.

“The Med is hot,” Kelsey said.

“Some people prefer fiberglass and there’s a good fit for this boat in the market. Fiberglass boats are a niche market that makes sense for us. Three fiberglass yachts are in production.

All are 123-foot, raised pilot house motoryachts.”

PJ operates its brokerage division in Ft. Lauderdale, with new construction in Savannah and at its Wisconsin yard, which was founded in 1918. Originally Johnson & Gmack, then Sturgeon Bay Boat Works, PJ earned a reputation for building and repairing quality wooden boats and trawlers for the Great Lakes commercial fishing fleet.

Palmer Johnson emerged to greatness under the leadership of former Texas Instruments founder Mike Haggerty, Kelsey’s grandfather.

In March 2003, the company filed for protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws. It emerged in February, prepared to reposition its image, shed non-performing units and get back to its core business.

“We’ve been very methodically switching our focus to what Palmer Johnson does best: building boats,” Kelsey said. “We’re an 87-year-old boat builder. I say, ‘Dance with the gal that brought ya.’”

Contact freelance writer Lisa H. Knapp at lisakevinknapp@aol.com.

The Triton 9

10 The Triton

TRITON CONNECTION

August 2004

Experts: Fire claims look at the details, so be prepared In the aftermath of the fires that have damaged or destroyed eight megayachts since March, The Triton invited a pair of insurance brokers from the yacht specialty practice at Marsh and the head of fire fighting at Resolve Marine Group to answer THE CONNECTION questions about LUCY CHABOT REED preparing for and recovering from a vessel fire.

From an insurance company’s view, one basic precaution is to make sure fire systems are working and visible, said Christel Mohr, a senior broker consultant at Marsh.

If in a marina, another precaution is to make sure the dockmaster has contact information on the captain and, in the event the captain is away from the vessel, he or she should appoint a representative who can initiate immediate action in the event of an accident, Mohr said.

In the event of a fire, “the most important thing is human life,” she said. “They [insurance companies] want to make sure that’s what you protect first, the owner, the crew members, the captain, as well as any guests on board.”

Next, captains should contact emergency personnel who can fight the fire, and get contact information for third parties who may serve as

court case in which a captain was subsequently found liable in a situation like that,” Forsyth said.

Todd Duke, the marine fire officer at Resolve Marine Group in Ft. Lauderdale, said the reports he conducts for insurance companies after fires include a broad scope of items.

“The potential is there that the insurance company won’t pay the claim,” he said. “If the fire extinguisher was out of date and the CO2 was out of date or inoperative, and so on and so forth, then you’re probably going to have a problem. I’m also going to give my opinion if it looked like the crew made a prudent effort to maintain the vessel.”

Capt. Steve Ernest, former skipper of the Janie II that was destroyed by fire in April, said the insurance company that handled that claim asked a lot of questions, but was fair.

“In depositions after the fire, they Former Janie II Capt. Steve Ernest describes his experience with an insurance wanted to know who was there, and company after a fire as Capt. Peter Badeau listens.

PHOTO/KRISTY FOX they wanted the bills to prove the maintenance work had been done.

For us it was real witnesses for the insurance claim. completely different,” The experts: easy because I turn Insurance underwriters expect said Gail Cioban Gail C. Forsyth, Marsh senior everything in to megayachts – which Marsh considers Forsyth, also a senior broker consultant, 954-765the home office any yacht worth $1 million or more broker consultant 5682, gail.c.forsyth@marsh.com each week. The – to be in the full care, custody and with Marsh. “There investigation was control of a captain or an appointed is no check list of simple.”

Christel Mohr, Marsh senior representative. And they expect that what to do right and Ernest noted person to do whatever it takes to wrong.” broker consultant, 954-765that none of his minimize a loss.

Capt. Peter Badeau 5697, christel.mohr@marsh.com six crew were “Every situation is going to be wanted to know what compensated by the a captain’s liability Todd Duke, marine fire officer, insurance company would be if he or she Resolve Marine Group, for the personal moved a yacht whose 954-764-8700 ext. 109, belongings they lost, safety equipment tduke@resolvemarine.com including computers, was not up-to-date. cameras or jewelry.

For example, if fire Other captains asked why insurance extinguishers were expired, could the companies don’t cover those losses. captain be held personally liable in the “Personal effects policies are event of an accident? extremely difficult to find,” Forsyth There was no direct answer because said. “They are usually tied to a insurance companies look at many homeowner’s policy and most captains factors in deciding a claim, including the details of each individual vessel and and crew don’t have those.”

She noted that these items are its insurance policy, the brokers said. excluded for owners and guests as well.”

Some policies have warranties for Marsh is always looking for new working fire extinguishing equipment types of crew personal effects policy, and may have declined fire claims, “but I am not personally aware of a See CONNECTION, page 11

Captains Chris Lewis, Brian Koch and Marcus Van Oort networked after the Connection.

PHOTO/KRISTY FOX

August 2004

CARIBBEAN NEWS

The Triton 11

Marina seeks skills-sharing partnership with U.S. boatyards

By Robert Luckock ST. MAARTEN – Bobby’s Marina, the oldest marina on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, is looking for skilled American workers to help it handle more megayacht business as it anticipates shifting operations from Philipsburg to the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Bobby’s is the latest business hoping to relocate to the Lagoon where considerable investment in purposebuilt dock space has turned this calm body of water into a megayacht haven.

Since widening the bridge channel, the Lagoon now boasts four marinas and more slips for megayacts over 100 feet than any other island in the Caribbean.

“We’re looking at doing bottom work on larger vessels at the upper end of the market,” said Jeff Howell, general manager at Bobby’s. “We’ll be looking for partners, not in a financial sense,

Personal items tough to insure CONNECTION, from page 10 she said, but hasn’t seen any this year.

“Couldn’t it be a rider on the boat’s policy?” one captain asked.

“We have tried that, but generally no,” Forsyth said.

Marine vessel fires cause $50 million in property loss a year, Duke said.

“That’ll probably be triple or quadruple that this year,” he said.

Despite the rash of vessel fires in the past few months, Duke noted that vessel fires are few and far between.

Because of that, land-based fire departments usually are not well trained to handle them. He suggested that, in the event of a fire, captains call a commercial salvage company with experience fighting marine vessel fires.

“And do you bill the fire department for their lack of education, or the owner?” Koch asked.

“That’s why fire departments are so reluctant to call a commercial salvage company,” Duke said. “They don’t want to be responsible for my bill so they don’t call. When I go to work on a vessel, I go to work for the insurer.”

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Our next Triton Connection will examine what it takes to buy an owner his next yacht.

It will be held Aug. 18 in Fort Lauderdale. Anyone with an interest is invited.

RSVP to Kristy Fox at (954) 931-1590 or kristy@the-triton. com. Seating is limited.

but skills-wise because skills for the work we intend to do is not available here and not economically viable to maintain. If we had a big refit to do on a vessel, for example, we would call that company down, get a quotation, and take our percentage for the job.

“And, more importantly, we would like to have our people assist them, so that these skills can be passed on,” he said. “Ideally in five or 10 years from now, our skill levels will have developed enough to do a lot of the work ourselves.”

The marina’s $5 million proposal is a controversial one, however, as it involves land next to a residential area.

Despite assurances that operations will be conducted to the strictest environmental standards – not to mention the benefits the yard says residents will derive from improved lighting, landscaping, security,

drainage, and new access road – the project remains controversial.

At the latest hearing July 9, heated exchanges occurred between residents and officials from the Environmental Development and Property Management Department Policy Division (VROM). Residents are concerned about toxic dust, noise and the devaluation of their properties.

“The government has to have the vision to decide whether a development like this is really necessary when you take into account there is already a projected haul-out facility planned for megayachts in the Lagoon,” one resident said. “Is that not enough?”

Howell said most of the residents’ concerns are founded on misinformation or misunderstandings.

“The yard will be very professionally done, meeting all the environmental specifications,” he said. “These top-end

customers don’t want to come into a tip [a dump]. They want a professional, well-organized yard.”

VROM will study a report of the hearing before it makes recommendations to the government’s Executive Council, which in turn will decide whether to grant a hindrance permit.

Plans for the yard include a 10-foot wall around the 15,000-square-meter property. If the yard is approved, Howell said government officials will insist on the yard using dustless equipment and that any spray painting be done under a tent or in a building.

Pending approval, the yard could be partly operational for the start of the 2005 season. The marina has not yet decided on the capacity of its Travelift.

Robert Luckock is a freelance journalist living in St.Maarten. Contact him at rluckock@sintmaarten.net.

12 The Triton

FROM THE FRONT

August 2004

American stews can get work in 30 minutes with credentials AMERICAN CREW from page 1 yachts cruising the world’s oceans fly some other flag, a majority of owners are American and many simply prefer American crew, sources said.

“American-flagged yachts comprise a small percentage of our vessels, but many owners and guests prefer to have American nationals on board, therefore we are constantly trying to find American crew,” said Rupert Connor, president of Luxury Yacht Group in Ft. Lauderdale.

“If an American stewardess walks in, we’ll have work for her in half an hour,” assuming she had the proper qualifications and experience, he said.

“There are so few people to choose from.”

Other crew agencies service the American market heavily.

“About 45 percent of our business is American flagged,” said Robin Crowe, a crew agent with Carole Manto in Ft. Lauderdale. “American stews are the most requested position and the most challenging to find and fill.”

The shortage of available American nationals gives crew members like Devyn Black, a Canadian citizen with a green card, an advantage.

“The first thing my crew agency said

was, ‘You’ll be so easy to place. You’re just as good as any American for a U.S.flagged boat,’” said Black, first mate on the M/Y Destiny. “That’s when I first realized there was a shortage.”

Hard numbers on the demand for American crew are difficult to find.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s statistics on the number of U.S.-flagged boats don’t include a majority of recreational vessels, which are tracked by states, according to the agency’s data administration division.

Manning requirements also are not specified, making the number of crew needed an elusive figure.

But the professionals who work in the industry each day know what the numbers don’t show.

“There is certainly less American crew compared to other nationalities,” said Angela Arthurs, crew agent with Elite Crew International in Ft. Lauderdale. “We have over 8,000 crew in our database, but we’re seeing a decline in experienced crew of all nationalities, including American.

“With about 200 new yachts out of production every year, the industry as a whole needs to find new ways to recruit, bringing new, qualified crew

See AMERICAN CREW, page 13

August 2004

FROM THE FRONT

The Triton 13

National advertising campaign could educate, remove fear AMERICAN CREW from page 12 into the industry, or the trend will get worse,” she said.

One of the problems to recruiting is that many Americans don’t even know about the industry as a career choice.

“I’ve been encouraging a friend from Canada to get his feet wet, get a deckhand job, make some money, travel,” Black said. “His family fussed at me and said, ‘Don’t put pipe dreams in his head. He’ll never get a job on a yacht.’ ” Many young men don’t believe they could ever land a job on a yacht, he said, so they don’t even try.

“They’ve never been on a boat before, they know nothing about it,” he said. “The guys have huge confidence doubts and are intimidated.”

“Most Midwesterners have never seen a yacht in their life,” said Kristen Cavallini Soothill, owner of American Yacht Institute in Ft. Lauderdale and an Ohio native. Soothill’s school trains interior crew.

“Most Americans don’t have a clue. Some that are aware of crewing as a job have nervous concerns,” she said. “Mothers from Nebraska and Oklahoma have issues due to lack of education. Many actually say white slavery and prostitution rings make them nervous about recruiting their 18-year-old daughter as a stew.”

Another reason the pool of qualified Americans is small is because the lifestyle can be hard. By the time some crew members, especially stewardesses, gain enough experience to be move into management positions, they get burned out and leave.

While that is true of many nationalities, the hit to the alreadysmall American pool hurts a bit more.

“After a while, you just get too old for the bunk bed,” said Dawn Kuhns, an American stewardess.

“In these positions, no contact [with friends and family] is probable. How long can you just be with crew and live on a yacht? You don’t get time to put down a home base, have a life, build relationships.”

“I could never imagine doing this job if I were married, had a kid, had a house,” Black said. “I live full time on the yacht, year round. It gets lonely.”

Soothill noted that while millions of Americans work in service-oriented jobs in places such as restaurants, bars, hotels and airlines, yachts provide a unique challenge.

“The difference with other service occupations and yachting is [in yachting], you never leave your job,” she said. “There is nowhere to go. Airlines don’t make three-month trips.”

Several crew members and agents noted that the United States is a large country and many of its citizens have not traveled outside its borders. More exposure to yachting in Europe, with

many countries touching an ocean or near a major port, promotes the profession there.

“Europeans just seem to handle boats better than Americans,” Black said. “It’s more familiar, there’s more tradition and professionalism. That’s why there’s more foreign crew.”

While a shortage of crew may boil down to an owner’s problem – or by extension perhaps a broker’s or captain’s concern – it is crew agencies and training schools that have taken on the challenge of recruiting more American crew.

Of course, their livelihoods depend on a constant flow of qualified job candidates.

Several have begun expanding their traditional recruiting efforts in schools to include more exposure through marketing and advertising, targeting more cruise ship employees, and branching out to commercial ports and cold-weather climates.

“Many cruise line workers are not aware of the jobs in yachting, the number of opportunities,” Kuhns said.

“They work for $30 a day plus tips. They have the skills and personalities needed for success in yachting. The industry could pick up many chefs from the cruise lines.”

The solution, many sources said, is to advertise.

“Our industry needs to promote the pluses of these jobs,” Soothill said.

“We need to recruit at colleges, at all levels, better. Everyone who doesn’t get seasick: butlers, chefs, masseuses, bartenders, waiters, should seek their fortune and try crewing.”

“Someone ought to run a huge, national recruiting ad for the yachting industry,” Black said. “Some guy on a big, shiny yacht, talk about how you could get this job and the benefits. That would inform the masses and remove

some fear factor, too.”

Even without a dedicated plan, agencies acknowledge the impact recruiting has on their businesses.

“I have four crew coordinators,” said Connor of Luxury Yacht Group. “We do not allocate a budget toward recruiting.

However, our agents spend 15 percent of their time sourcing American crew, and about a third of their time recruiting.”

Still other crew agents didn’t see the added effort improving the small pool of American crew anytime soon.

“There will always be a lack of U.S. crew,” said Crowe of Carole Manto.

“Nothing is going to change. Owners are not going to change their flag over this.”

Or will they? The onus may shift to owners to sponsor foreign nationals to get their green cards in the United States. Some have already flagged offshore not out of convenience, but out of necessity.

“The yacht I’m on is foreign-flagged with American owners,” Kuhns said.

“Their previous yacht was American flagged. They flagged through the

Marshall Islands strictly to have more crew options, be less restricted.”

Contact freelance writer Lisa H. Knapp at lisakevinknapp@aol.com.

It’s the law The laws that govern manning on U.S.-flagged vessels are found in Chapter 81 of Title 46, United States Code.

Section 8103 basically specifies that a U.S.-flagged vessel must be under the control of a U.S. citizen.

The crew can be up to 25 percent aliens; that is, people lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence.

24 The Triton

FROM THE EXPERTS

August 2004

Most ‘teams’ really just groups of people with stuff in common Most so-called “teams” don’t work, for one of two reasons: 1. They’re not supported by the surrounding organization … and are not recognized for their efforts.

2. They’re not really teams, but merely “groups” at best or, at worst, pseudo teams.

Teams without access to resources, that are discouraged MANAGER’S TIME from investing time DON GRIMME in team activities, or that find their recommendations ignored eventually will flounder in frustration.

If teams don’t get positive feedback, teamwork won’t be a positive value for them. The reality is that people do what they’re recognized for.

Yachts are conducive to teams, so let’s assume for the moment that captains know how to recognize them.

Let’s now focus on the second reason teams don’t work: the attributes of the “team” itself.

What do we mean by the terms “group” and “team”?

Generally, a group is two or more people who have something in

common. Many such groups – people stuck in traffic together, all retirees, or people who like vanilla ice cream – would never be mistaken for teams.

In business, however, a working group often is mistaken for a team. A working group is any number of people who work in the same setting and share – or profess to share – a common set of concerns.

Much of what distinguishes a mere working group from a team relates to accountability. Working group members are individually accountable for specific goals, but there is no joint effort or mutual accountability. Their output is the sum of the individual contributions.

Not bad, but not “all they can be.”

Examples include most organizations and departments. An example in sports would is the U.S. figure skating “team” whose members train and compete as individuals (or sometimes pairs).

Much worse is a pseudo team – a group of people who call themselves a team, while not functioning as such and whose interactions actually detract from each member’s individual performance. Their output is less than the sum of the individual contributions.

Examples include most committees, the U.S. Congress and dysfunctional

families.

A real team, on the other hand, is a small number of people (ideally five to 10) who take the risks of joint action and work product. They have specific goals and a common approach for which they hold themselves individually and mutually accountable.

Real team members also possess complementary skills. They are committed to a meaningful purpose focused on performance.

Their output is more than the sum of individual contributions. Examples include most sports teams, orchestras, and the ensemble cast of “Friends.”

The ultimate in team effectiveness is the high-performance team. Such teams possess all the attributes of a real team plus a deep commitment to one another’s personal growth and success.

Their output is much more than the sum of individual contributions.

Examples include the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, the Von Trapp Family (“The Sound of Music”) and as dramatized in “Apollo 13.”

It’s because of the dramatic results of real or high-performance teams that “teambuilding” training and activities are in such demand.

By teaching essential team skills and processes, and facilitating

interpersonal bonding and trust, a trainer can help ensure that a potential team successfully transitions to a real team.

And, if that extra personal commitment to each other exists or can be ignited, the team may even become a high-performance team.

Attempting to act as a “team” is risky. Even if successful, the short-term results are minimal. If you already have a reasonably effective working group and you have doubts about each member of your group’s willingness to hold themselves mutually accountable, or there is insufficient organizational support or quick results are a priority, you’re probably better off not attempting it.

However, if the commitment and organizational support are there – and you’re willing and able to stick it out for the long haul – the results can be spectacular. The sense of camaraderie and personal fulfillment experienced by the team members is unrivaled.

Don Grimme is co-founder of GHR Training Solutions in Coral Springs, Fla. He specializes in helping managers reduce turnover and attract excellent job candidates. Contact him at dgrimme@concast.net.

Don’t let your day job keep you from running a marathon Your might think that you’d need lots of open space to train for a marathon.

But you can train for the 26.2-mile run even if you have limited time in port and spend most of your life on a yacht.

I never felt as accomplished as I did the day I crossed the finish line at the Chicago Marathon.

Having run my first marathon at the ripe young age of 40, I’ve BODY BUSINESS run four more since. LISETTE HILTON They’re humbling, grueling and make you keenly aware of your physical health and mind. In fact, it’s the mental toughness that often

gets you through it.

Hans Huseby, co-owner of FootWorks in Miami, offers courses to train people to run marathons. He says that if you have yet to run a marathon and want to be kind to your body, you should get Jeff Galloway’s book, “Marathon: You can do it.” The book offers the in-depth training guidelines you need, using the most “humane” training program around, Huseby says.

If you haven’t run before and you’re starting from ground zero, you should plan to train for eight months to a year before your first marathon, says Carol Virga, a 1992 Olympic Trials marathon qualifier and co-owner of Runner’s Edge in Boca Raton, Fla. The first half of that training would be devoted to

building a base; the second half to honing your running for the marathon.

It should come as no surprise that the most important aspect of your training will be running, although many training programs suggest that you only need to run three times a week to make the distance. The other days you rest or do cross training.

One way to train when you’re onboard is to use a treadmill. You could follow the Galloway or another program, incorporating treadmill runs while offshore and then hitting the pavement when in port. When given the choice however, Huseby says to always opt for the outdoors. Though a treadmill tends to be more forgiving than land, running on land does a better job at mimicking what you might encounter the day of the marathon.

If the vessel you are working on is big enough, get out and run on deck and mix those “outdoor” runs in with longer runs on the treadmill.

It might sound crazy, but runners are. Virga had five young children when she started training and had to stay close to home. She ran around her cul-de-sac to log in miles. She suggests people who have to do monotonous running sprint one loop and slow the next to add spice to the experience.

Once you set your sights on a marathon, learn about the course and find places to run that mimic its terrain. Or simulate the course on a treadmills.

Remember to start slowly. The first phase of training is to get used to running long distances; then, incorporate some hill training, etc.

Huseby suggests building up to a 26mile training run about three weeks before your marathon.

For those who don’t have a treadmill and are at sea for weeks at a time, create a program in which you build your cardiovascular system.

That might mean running in place with weights in your hands, then doing a variety of exercises in sequence to keep your heart going.

Plan your workout schedule with one hard day followed by one easy day. “You never want to put two hard workouts in a row,” Huseby says.

Use your time in port to run. Huseby says that if he only had a week on land, he’d try to get in three runs.

“I’d do an easy run to acclimate myself and take a day off and do my cross training or just rest. Then, I’d do a long run and get used to that long run on real ground. Then I’d take a day off and do another short run.

“If I could only do one run [because of time constraints], it would be the run for distance. That would be the hardest thing to get in when you’re aboard ship.”

Do you have a health issue you would like to know more about? E-mail Lisette Hilton, a freelance health reporter, at lisetteh@bellsouth.net.

FROM THE EXPERTS

August 2004

Even sailors can drop anchor in real estate It seems as if everyone I know “almost bought” a condo on the ocean a few years ago. You know the ones I mean. The ones that were selling then for $100,000 and now go for $400,000.

Astronomical returns on real estate investments have been our friend in the United States recently. So how can you make real estate part of INTO ACCOUNT your investment PHAEDRA XANTHOS portfolio?

Diversification in any portfolio is the key to long-term financial success.

Getting involved in the stock, bond and real estate markets simultaneously may sound sophisticated, but can actually be accomplished by almost any investor thanks to today’s easy-access mutual funds and a market ripe for the picking.

Last month, I wrote about setting up retirement accounts and choosing investments in stocks and mutual funds. Another investment inside retirement accounts is REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts.

REITs are basically mutual funds that hold real property as opposed to stakes in companies. With low minimum investments and professional management, they are a simple way to integrate real estate into your portfolio. They can provide

the perfect accompaniment to a diverse selection of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Check out the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts’ Web site at www.nareit.com to learn more about them and to pick the ones most appropriate for you.

Another way to invest in real estate – if you have the time, money and inclination – is to buy it.

Thanks to some fabulous new government-guaranteed home loan programs, it is possible to buy property with little money down. Often, you can get 100 percent financing, even with less-than-perfect credit. Lenders have even opened up to foreign nationals and have made the real estate market accessible to everyone.

There are two bedrock strategies for investing in real estate through personal ownership: buying and holding for a long time while collecting rent; and buying, rehabilitating and selling after a short time (known as “flipping”). You will know which method is best for you by considering your goals, skill sets, available time and energy level.

There are several groups to educate and provide resources for real estate investors. In Ft. Lauderdale, we have the Broward Real Estate Investors Association (BREIA) at www.breia.com.

For groups in other areas check out www.nationalreia.com.

These groups can help you define

What they’re watching on DVD “City of God,” the most hyped foreign-language flick this side of “Amores Perros,” mostly lives up to its breathless acclaim.

This swirling, ultraviolent story of crime in a Rio de Janeiro slum lurches from hypnotic to disturbing so often as to leave you emotionally drained.

The occasional tender moment inevitably is followed by an ever-more gruesome crime.

Director Fernando Meirelles aims to shine a light on the squalor amid Rio’s beauty, which provides a sharp contrast to the grotesque acts of his young stars.

Meirelles casts several untrained actors to stunning effect. It’s a tack that balances the slick camera work and Hollywood gun battles with just the right touch of rawness. Among the rookies are Leandro Firmino, who stars as the amoral gangbanger Li’l Ze, and Alexandre Rodrigues, who as budding photographer Rocket provides what passes for a moral center in a world very much lacking in compassion.

Starry-eyed reviewers have likened “City of God” (in Portuguese with subtitles) to a Brazilian “Goodfellas.”

For my money, though, it tends toward a Rio version of “Menace II Society,” a bleak and compelling tale of adolescent violence that’s leavened only slightly with humor and redemption.

– Jeff Ostrowski

A dark, dreamy two and a half hours, “Cold Mountain” is an intriguing film that falls short of its epic pretensions.

Maybe it’s the predictably brutal plot twists. More likely it’s the withdrawn nature of the movie’s two protagonists, played by Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

The movie’s central couple, torn apart by the Civil War, spends only a few minutes on screen together.

Ada (Kidman) waits behind in rural North Carolina as Inman (Law) fights bravely for the losing cause before deserting to take the treacherous walk home to a woman who might or might not be waiting for him.

Law is persuasive as the heroic but mumbling Inman, but the icy Kidman never quite thaws. At any rate, the two stars’ main task is looking lovelorn but beautiful.

With the main characters so remote, director Anthony Minghella must look elsewhere for sparks. The sweep of the Carolina mountains does its part, as does a soundtrack filled with fascinating, folksy fiddle songs.

Mostly, it’s the supporting cast that picks up the slack for the aloof Inman and Ada. Renee Zellweger’s yappy, hardscrabble Ruby shines as the movie’s most colorful character, while Philip Seymour Hoffman stands out as the smarmy Rev. Veasy.

– Jeff Ostrowski

your ideal properties, locate sellers, get financing and contact professionals you will need to make the process and ongoing challenge of ownership a smooth and lucrative endeavor.

REITs have outperformed the Dow Jones, the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 over the past 30 years, with equity REITs yielding, on average, more than 12 percent. However, it is not reasonable to expect these impressive returns to continue forever. In fact, many experts foresee a decline in real estate values.

As interest rates begin to rise – as they have already begun to do – there may be a flood of foreclosures resulting from over-extension on the part of many homeowners. Too much supply would drive property prices down.

This is one possibility that must be considered when you decide whether real estate is an appropriate investment for you. As with any investment, real estate should be one aspect of a fully diversified portfolio.

You may not become a real estate magnate overnight, but getting started now might just be the best decision you “almost” didn’t make.

Have questions about your money? Ask Phaedra Xanthos, a licensed financial adviser specializing in the yachting community. She owns Transcontinental Financial Group in Ft. Lauderdale.

Reach her at phaedra@transcontinental financial.com.

The Triton 25

26 The Triton

IN THE GALLEY: RESTAURANT REVIEW

August 2004

New waterfront dining in Miami offers comfort food Roger’s Restaurant on Biscayne Bay in northern Miami has docked itself on a niche: Southern comfort food.

It was a surprise to see the menu; we expected something fancy, smoky even.

The décor reminded me of one of those fancy steakhouses that are popping up all over South Florida, where people in suits gather round heavy mahogany tables and make multi-million-dollar business deals.

My husband and I walked in about 7:30 p.m. and there was the milliondollar view of Biscayne Bay, the sky a mix of watercolor pinks and blues from the setting sun. A few conversations at

the as-yet uncrowded bar paused as we walked past to a second bar outside, and I truly felt we had interrupted some deal making.

The outdoor patio, covered seating and open-air bar were a treat, comfortable on a July evening in South Florida, if you can believe that. The bar didn’t carry the fixings for my favorite cocktail, a Dark n’ Stormy, but the bartender was charming enough and knowledgeable enough to talk me into a nice glass of cabernet ($7).

After seriously contemplating eating outside, we finally decided to dine inside. I’ve come to review the place

Roger’s Restaurant & Bar 1601 79th Street Causeway North Bay Village, FL (305) 866-7111 after all; I suppose I should go in.

The oversized one-page dinner menu included options such as a veggie burger ($10) and a club sandwich ($12).

The 13 “entrees,” though, drew my attention: Moonshine pork chops ($18), cowboy steak with home fries ($23), fried chicken with coleslaw ($13).

All delicious no doubt, but with my marvelous cabernet, I wanted something – dare I say – more fancy.

I toyed with the idea of ordering the chicken paillard topped with Caesar salad ($12) or the pan-seared mahimahi with lobster mashed potatoes ($14).

I toyed with those, that is, until I asked my husband what he wanted (we always share.)

“The ‘tender St. Louis ribs and French fries’ ($14),” he said, reading from the menu.

So a Southern-style meal it would be.

I swallowed another mouthful of wine and looked at the menu in a whole new light. Then I ordered the fried catfish with coleslaw and tomatoes ($13) – even though I don’t like coleslaw – and an order of macaroni and cheese on the side ($5).

Our server suggested what turned out to be the simply tasty appetizer of fried green tomatoes with sweet hot sauce ($6), and there was no turning back.

The tomatoes arrived too hot to eat, but we couldn’t help ourselves and cut a few slices into toddler-size bites so we could begin. The sauce was so good we double- and triple-dipped.

Eventually, we were eating with our hands, tipping the sauce ramekin to get every last drop.

When our meals came, it was the same feeling again; we ended up eating with our hands. Of course, with saucy ribs and fries, you have few options. But before I knew it, I was dunking bites of my catfish into the tartar sauce with my fingers.

Despite the romantic view and sophisticated wine list (about 50 choices), the meal was casual and yummy. French entrepreneur Frederic Puren opened Roger’s in March and has turned the old Billy’s on the Bay into a comfortable and homey place where 300 people can dine inside and out.

He envisions a ferry service so boaters can anchor in the bay and be ferried ashore, as well as a water taxi to pick diners up from around the area.

It’s also open for lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Sweet Hot Sauce Serves 2

2 green tomatoes 2 oz. flour 1 egg, beaten 4 oz. cornmeal, finely ground 2 ½ oz. sweet hot sauce (see recipe below) Oil Salt and pepper the tomatoes. Cut into ¼-inch rounds.

Place in flour, in the egg wash, then in the cornmeal.

Either completely submerge the tomatoes in oil, or shallow-pan sear them in a cast iron pan.

Cook until golden brown, cut in half, and serve with room temperature sauce.

Sweet Hot Sauce ¼ cup sambal 3 lbs. sugar 8 cups cider vinegar 4 cups Roland rice wine vinegar 2 oz. garlic 2 cups water Add all ingredients and reduce, over low heat, by half.

Cool and serve.

Use 2 ounces of the sauce per 5 slices of tomatoes. Refrigerate unused portion.

– David Downes Executive chef Roger’s Restaurant & Bar Answers to the puzzle on page 30

TAKING TIME OFF

August 2004

With a week off in New York, chef Kenneth Johnson bought a PWC and took a spun around Long Island Sound.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENNETH JOHNSON

Chef gets up close and personal with NY’s Long Island Sound

By Kenneth Johnson Having a week vacation while docked in Port Washington, New York, I bought a personal watercraft at New York Motorcycle and took a little trip.

I stocked my new 160 hp Yamaha high-output cruiser with two GPSes (one was waterproof), one submersible VHF and flares.

I left a flight plan with a friend and brought plenty of waterproof sunblock and several Hawaiian shirts (for town).

I also packed a box of cigars; in case I broke down in the Sound, I would have something to do while waiting for rescue.

And I took several waterproof charts of the area with fuel stops noted, if necessary.

I left Port Washington and rode to Sag Harbor, with a quick stop in Port Jefferson for fuel. I spent the night in Sag Harbor and left the next morning to ride to Newport, Rhode Island.

It only took three hours to make Newport on my 160 hp Yamaha, with a stop in Port Judith for fuel and a little lunch.

Once hitting the coast of

Connecticut, the wind died down and the seas were pretty flat. I spent two days in Newport visiting friends and left to ride to Stratford, Conn.

Then I got boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard off New Haven, Conn.

They wanted to know what a personal watercraft was doing three miles off the coast of Connecticut in three-foot seas.

After the safety check, they wished me luck. All four Coast Guard men thought my trip was a great idea.

I reached Stratford and spent two days with family and friends. From Stratford to Port Washington took only 90 minutes. The sound was flat calm.

All in all, the entire trip was great. I put about 350 miles on my Yamaha and had seas from four to five feet with 20 knots of wind at times.

And I still got a great tan.

Next week, I’m taking another trip.

This time, I’ll see if I can make it all the way around Long Island, about 250 miles in one day.

Hey, how do I get this PWC back to Florida?

Contact chef Kenneth Johnson at chefken@chefken.com.

The Triton 27

How do you spend an afternoon, day or weekend off? What do you do with all those week-long holidays in your favorite port?

Share your fun hikes, cool bars and hot adventures with crew around the world through “Taking Time Off,” the feature dedicated to helping you enjoy your free time.

Send ideas and stories to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Don’t keep all the best stuff to yourself.

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28 The Triton

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

August 2004

Captain takes new post, turns heads with Lady Lola Shadow Changes in Latitudes

Lady Lola Shadow in Portofino, Italy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.LADYLOLASHADOW.COM.

Capt. John Greenwood, formerly of M/Y Bossy Boots, recently took command of Lady Lola Shadow, a 186foot former offshore supply vessel.

Lady Lola Shadow underwent a major refit from January to April and is now the supply vessel for the mother ship, Lady Lola. She carries all the owner’s toys, including a Bell 430 Executive helicopter, a luxury limousine tender and the 135-knot offshore racing catamaran. She also carries a three-man submarine.

The yachts plan to cruise the Med for the summer and then head toward Southeast Asia, Greenwood said, “gradually making our way around the world,” ending up on the U.S. West Coast sometime in mid 2005.

“The boat certainly seems to be attracting a bit of attention at every port or anchorage we enter,” Greenwood said.

Katie Macpherson has left The Sacks Group in Ft. Lauderdale to work for Nigel Burgess, international brokers of yachts larger than 120 feet. In addition to her post as charter manager in Ft. Lauderdale, she will be in charge of public relations and marketing in the American market. The company recently opened a second American office in New York City,

Capt. David Jamieson, owner of Yacht Help Fiji, has been appointed the Fiji representative of the Gulf Group Marine Brokerage, New Zealand’s largest yacht broker with 3,500 boats.

This marks the nation’s first brokerage service, located in the islands’ largest marina, Port Denerau.

Also in Port Denerau is a new yacht charter business. Contact Jamieson at david@yachthelp.com or visit www. yachthelp.com.

Hargrave Custom Yachts of Fort Lauderdale, which specializes in the construction of yachts 80 to 120 feet, appointed Lynette Hendry as director of charter operations. Hendry will develop a charter marketing program for new Hargrave yachts as well as those delivered within the past two years.

Before moving to Hargrave, Hendry HENDRY was director of management services for Bob Saxon Associates for 13 years, holding responsibility for the full management fleet, as well as advertising and public relations functions. Contact her lynette@hargrave.org.

The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals has hired Mary Gaskell as charter assistant. Gaskell began her yachting career with Hatteras of Lauderdale and became charter director at Whittemore & Williams, one of the industry’s first yacht management companies. She also developed the yacht charter program for Bartram & Brakenhoff and started the charter management division of Fraser Yachts in Fort Lauderdale in the early 1990s.

Caribbean Yacht Works in Trinidad named Bernard Bouygues as general manager. Bouygues holds a degree in maritime technology and environment from the French Naval Academy, is a member of SNAME (the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers), and has more than 20 years experience at sea.

Gordon Connell is the new director of association services at the Marine Industries Association of South Florida.

As such, he will coordinate and develop strategies for the growth of the MIASF and its services, programs and events.

Connell was previously public relations and event coordinator and has worked for the MIASF for four years.

After three years as captain of the port in South Florida, Capt. James A. Watson IV is leaving Miami to direct the U.S. Coast Guard’s office of budget and programs in Washington, D.C. The Coast Guard is taking this opportunity to reorganize Miami and create the first of 11 new nationwide Sector Commands, designed to improve the Coast Guard’s WATSON ability to provide for the safety and security of the nation’s coastlines.

Sector Miami combines the existing commands of Group Miami and Marine Safety Office Miami, and will be led by new Sector Commander, Capt.

James Maes. Maes is currently the commander of Group Miami.

as the executive officer and a C-130 aircraft commander at Air Station Clearwater from 1998 to 2002. Most recently, he served in Miami as the Coast Guard Seventh District’s chief of search and rescue and chief of operations.

Nuts & Boats Dockside Marine Services has made two big hires recently. William Brown has joined the Fort Lauderdale-based company as chief operating officer, and Vito Miceli has joined as director of business development.

Brown holds degrees in business administration and computer science from Colorado Technical University and brings a background of working with service companies to build the platform for growth, including years as managing director of worldwide services at Citrix Systems.

Miceli brings 20 years of marine industry experience, including former global marine manager for The Robb Report and regional sales manager for Yachting and Motor Boat Magazine.

Changes in Attitudes Capt. Steve Huggins and wife, Julie, of M/Y Lady Sandals had twins April 30. They welcome son Sebastian at 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and daughter Grace Alexandra at 5 pounds, 7 ounces.

The family rejoined the yacht in Liverpool, England, in June to “start their education,” according to Huggins.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Daniel B. Lloyd has relinquished command of Air Station Clearwater to Capt.

Everett F. Rollins III. Rollins served DREWELOW AND FAMILY

Capt. Mark Drewelow, above, former master of the M/Y Dorothea, and his wife, Cristina, had a daughter July 2. Lucy Borba joins her sister, Julia, in the Drewelows’ San Diego home.

Little Julia has been promoted and now holds the position of second-tolast mate.

Her dad owns C2C Yacht Support.

Taken a new command?

Got a promotion? Left the industry for new horizons?

Let the world know. E-mail your Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

IN THE STARS

August 2004

HOROSCOPES By astrologer Michael Thiessen LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Underhandedness will affect your reputation. Minor accidents could occur if you don’t take precautions. You can gain approval, get kudos, and ask for help if you put a little heart into your speech or request.

If you can mix business with pleasure, much can be accomplished.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 23) Social functions will put you in touch with new lovers. You will find that you can work progressively at improving yourself this month. Don’t torment yourself. False information is likely if you listen to idle chatter or gossip.

LIBRA (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) Children could cost you more than you can afford. You have worked hard and the payback is now. Get together with friends for some competitive physical activities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) You need an energetic outlet that will help you dissipate anxiety. Make career changes that may increase your income.

Entertainment could cost more than you can afford. Don’t let anyone take credit for a job you did.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Renovations to your domestic scene will pay off. Don’t spend too much time with a person belonging to someone else. You can meet someone who will become very dear if you get out and socialize.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) You can make gains if you work with others.

Teach children some of your creative talents. If you’re feeling uncertain, spend time alone and re-evaluate your motives as well as your needs. Social events will lead to a stable relationship.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21-Feb. 19) Help those incapable of taking care of their personal affairs. New emotional connections can be made through business contacts. It might be time to make a fresh start.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Your domestic scene could continue to be in an uproar this month. Try to bend but by no means give in. You may not be as well received in group endeavors if you try to force your will on others.

ARIES (March 21-April 20) Short trips will prove to be more fruitful than you imagined. Children’s needs could be more costly than you anticipated. Don’t let relatives stand in your way.

TAURUS (April 21-May 21) Don’t let others burden you with additional responsibilities. Property investments will pay off but could cause conflict with family. Take another look at the investment you are about to make.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Get out and enjoy some entertainment. Avoid buying expensive items. Someone you like may actively seek your company.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. Take another look at the investment you are about to make.

Question any detail that could leave you in a precarious position later.

The Triton 29

Find heart of galaxy with cosmic bow and arrow

By Jack Horkheimer If you go out any moonless night in August, you will see an ancient constellation pointing the way to the hearts of two cosmic wonders.

You can find them about 10 p.m. in early August or just after sunset in late August, facing south where you will see almost everyone’s two favorite star patterns of summer.

The constellation that looks like a fish hook or a capital J – Scorpius, the scorpion – and directly behind it several bright stars that if connected look like a tea pot.

Scorpius is officially called a constellation but the teapot is not. It is called an asterism, which means that it is a small pattern of stars within a constellation.

The constellation to which the teapot belongs is a large pattern of stars named thousands of years ago for a mythical creature called a centaur, a creature that was half man and half horse.

This particular centaur was named Sagittarius and was known to be a great master with the bow and arrow, a centaur archer.

His bow is marked by two stars of the teapot’s lid and the star at the bottom of the spout.

The arrow starts at the top star in the handle with its tip marked by the

star at the tip of the spout.

You can see that it is aimed at the red star that marks the heart of the scorpion, Antares, which is a giant star 700 times as wide as our Sun. On clear, moonless nights far from city lights you’ll also see that the tip of Sagittarius’ arrow is embedded in the widest and densest part of the great ribbon of light called the Milky Way, which stretches all the way from the southern horizon up to the zenith and back down to the northeast horizon.

In fact, if you look more closely at Sagittarius and Scorpius, you will see that most of the teapot and the bottom half of Scorpius are embedded in the Milky Way. If you take a pair of binoculars and look anywhere along the Milky Way, you will see that it is made up of millions of pin points of light. Each one is a distant star that belong, along with our sun, to a great cosmic spiral family of 200 billion stars we call a galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy.

Our Sun is about two-thirds of the way out from the center, so when we look at Sagittarius and Scorpius, the reason the Milky Way appears thickest and widest here is because the bulging center of our galaxy lies in this direction.

In fact, the tip of Sagittarius’ arrow is pointed directly at it as well as at Antares.

So find these two cosmic wonders with the help of an ancient archer.

Expect great meteor show On Aug.12, conditions will be ideal for this year’s Perseid meteor shower.

Every year during the first week of August, our Earth plows into a great river of comet debris shed by Comet Swift-Tuttle. When those tiny pieces of comet litter slam into our Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 40 miles per second, they burn up and flash across the sky and create the Perseid meteor shower, so called because they appear to come from the constellation Perseus.

As a bonus this year about an hour before sunrise, you will see an exquisite pairing of the brightest planet, Venus, and a waning crescent Moon whose light won’t interfere with the meteors.

So get away from city lights and watch the meteor shower from 2 a.m. to dawn that Thursday morning. And remember, its always more fun to meteor shower with a friend.

Jack Horkheimer is executive director of the Miami Museum of Science. This is the script for his weekly television show co-produced by the museum and WPBT Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public television stations around the world.

For more information about stars, visit www.jackstargazer.com.

30 The Triton

WHAT’S UP?

August 2004

On the Horizon in August Aug. 1 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Fort Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free.

Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale. gov/festivals.

Aug. 4-8 Bahamas Summer Boating Fling to Port Lucaya Cay/Marsh Harbour/Harbour Is/ Nassau/Chub Cay/Bimini, departs from Stuart and Dania Beach, Fla. Limited to 30 boats. $75, firstcome, first served. (800) 327-7678. www.bahamas.com.

Aug. 9-15 86th PGA Championships, Kohler, Wisc., one of golf ’s majors tournaments. www.pga.com.

Aug 13-15 JVC Jazz FestivalNewport, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI. Celebrates 50 years with Harry Connick Jr. and Dave Brubeck. www.festivalproductions.net.

Aug. 18-22 Seattle Boat Show, Seattle, Wash. The 32nd annual Seattle Boat Show at Shilshole Bay Marina. Tickets $9. www.seattleboatshow.com.

Aug 18-22 Bahamas Summer Boating Fling to Bimini, departs from Dania Beach, Fla. Limited

EVENT OF THE MONTH Games of the XXVIII Olympiad Aug. 13-29, Athens, Greece

Athens is expected to be a hive of activity this month as the world’s best amateur athletes compete in the Summer Olympics in such sports as sailing, swimming and diving, track and field, and gymnastics.

Yacht dockage has been hard to find for months, and nearly impossible for non-Greek-flagged vessels.

If anyone attends the Games, let us know how it goes by dropping us a line at editorial@the-triton.com. to 30 boats. $75, first-come, first served. www.bahamas.com, (954)236-9292 or (800) 327-7678.

Aug. 22-28 Showboats International Summer Cruise to New York, Newport, Nantucket.

Cocktail parties, black-tie gala, fishing tournament, chowder cook-off, clambake and crew parties. Boat entry from $4,000. Invitation only. jennifer. harris@boysclubsbroward.org or (954) 537-1010.

Aug. 25-Sept. 5 Bahamas Summer Boating Fling to Bimini/

Chub Cay/Nassau/Staniel Cay/ Nassau/ChubCay/Bimini, departs from Dania Beach, Fla. Limited to 30 boats. $75, first-come, first served. www.bahamas.com, (954)236-9292 or (800) 327-7678.

Aug. 26 America’s Cup boats arrive in the Port of Marseille for Act 1 racing Sept. 4-11.

Sept. 4-6 Newport Irish Waterfront Festival, Newport, RI. Three-day festival celebrates Irish music, culture, cuisine and crafts, with five stages. www.newportfestivals.com.

Sept. 4-11 Act I of America’s Cup racing, Marseille, the beginning of a four-year event culminating with the 32nd America’s Cup Match in 2007 in Valencia, Spain.

Eight boats competing in fleet and match racing. Sept. 4 is the opening of the event park, a parade of sail through Marseille’s Vieux Port, and practice racing. www.americascup.com.

Sept. 5 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Fort Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free.

Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale. gov/festivals.

Sept. 8-13 Cannes International Boat Show, France, at the Port de Cannes. For more information, www.salonnautiquecannes.com.

Sept. 10-12 Yacht Restoration Symposium, International Yacht Restoration School, Newport, RI. Presentations on the restoration of the 125-foot Victorian-class schooner Coronet. (800) 343-8294, dmeyer@oceanmark.com, www.iyrs.org.

Sept. 14-19 Ryder Cup, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., one of golf ’s majors tournaments. www.pga.com.

Answers on page 26

August 2004

Sept. 15-20 Grand Pavois de la Rochelle, at the Grand Pavois in Port des Minimes. www.grand-pavois.com.

Sept. 16-19 Newport International Boat Show, Newport Yachting Center, 366 Thames St. The third-largest in-water boat show in the U.S. (401)846-1115, www.newportboatshow.com.

Sept. 22-25 Monaco Yacht Show, Port Hercules. The 14th annual show and the only boat show exclusively for megayachts. www.monacoyacht.com.

Sept. 23-26 Norwalk International In-Water Boat Show, Norwalk (Conn.) Cove Marina. www.discoverboating.com/ norwalk.

Oct. 3 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Fort Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free.

Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale. gov/festivals.

Oct. 5-12 Act 2 of America’s Cup racing, Valencia, Spain. If you are

WHAT ‘S UP?

free from Sept. 20 through Oct. 17 and want to register as a volunteer, visit www.valencia2007.com.

Portside Marina and convention center. For more info, visit www.showmanagement.com.

Oct. 9-17 Genoa International Boat Show

Oct. 28 Superyacht Society’s annual International Awards for Design and Leadership, Harbor Beach Marriott, Fort Lauderdale, 8 p.m.-midnight

Oct. 14-17 Act 3 of America’s Cup racing, Valencia, Spain. If you are free from Sept. 20 through Oct. 17 and want to volunteer, visit www.valencia2007.com.

Oct. 14-17 U.S. Powerboat Show, Annapolis, MD Oct. 25-27 2004 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, Miami Beach, Fla., at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Trade only. www.ibexshow.com Oct. 25-27 International Loran Association’s 2004 Convention and Technical Symposium, Tokyo, Japan. www.loran.org/events.html.

Oct. 28-Nov. 1 45th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, spanning six locations including Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hyatt Pier 66, Marriott

Nov. 4-6 30th annual USVI Charteryacht Show, St. Thomas, hosted by the Virgin Island Charter League, at Crown Bay Marina, (800) 524-2061 Nov. 6-7 Basic weather seminar, Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. Study basic weather, atmospheric pressure and wind, mid-latitude highs and lows, 500 millibar forecasting, and weather communications at sea. $325 plus lodging. (866)656-5568, www.mitags.org.

Nov. 6-14 Barcelona International Boat Show, Barcelona, Spain Nov. 7 Sunday Jazz Brunch, Fort

The Triton 31

Lauderdale, along the New River downtown, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free.

Five stages including a variety of jazz types. www.fortlauderdale. gov/festivals.

Nov. 11-24 ShowBoats International magazine’s Rendevous at Fisher Island to benefit Boys & Girls Club of Broward County. Standard sponsorships $10,000 and up.

Invitations to private yacht owners and sponsors only.

Contact Jennifer Harris at jennifer. harris@boysclubsbroward.org or please call 954-537-1010.

Nov. 18-21 St. Petersburg Boat Show, St. Petersburg, FL Dec. 7-11 St. Maarten Charter Yacht Show, Simpson Bay Lagoon at the four major marinas.

Do you know of events that should be listed here? Help us let your brethren know what’s up around the world. E-mail Ediltor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

GIVE IT UP

32 The Triton

August 2004

Classifieds EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Clark Yacht Dive Compressor, CY-35MA, 27”(L)x 12”(D)x 17”(H)x 100 lbs. Like new, only 12 hours. (954) 684-5862

SPACE FOR RENT Large 1 bedroom/1 bath, furnished, private patio and yard. All utilities and satellite TV included. Close to downtown, beaches, marinas and schools. $1100.00/mo. Sabra, 954-294-0641 Rent dock space, private home in Hallandale (South Florida). No bridges, up to 40 feet of water, two 30-amp. Marty (305) 321-6996

CREW AVAILABLE 100-ton Master Captain, 25 years experience.

Power or sail. Excellent health, non-smoker, non-drinker. Single. www.deweyswain.com, captaindewey@hotmail.com, (561)371-8091 Captain, 1,600-ton USCG Oceans Master, MCA 3,000-ton Master, available for deliveries or project management, anywhere in the world.

References upon request, Jack, jlyacht@aol.com.

Captain with 22 years off-shore experience.

Local references. Mike Buzzi (954)253-6302, mikegone2c@hotmail.com Experienced Captain and Mate/Stew team looking for a boat. Also experienced as project management on a major refit, seeking same or new build, will go anywhere. (954)326-1661, alex@yachtequinox.com Bosun/Mate/Deckhand seeks permant position where I can gain global knowledge, 26, nonsmoker, Yachtmaster Offshore, (314)308-0262.

Chef/Butler. You have the yacht; now get the ultimate accessory. I cook, clean, serve and make your trip memorable. hennie_ keet@hotmail.com Belgium yachtmaster who can handle cooking, mast climbing, navigation, engine/ electrical diesel repair. Holds B1-B2 visa, speaks fluent English, Dutch, French.

Seeks post as deckhand, cook, engineer. demeyermarc@yahoo.com

Stew with 14 years experience, extensive travels through the Bahamas. Dive master. Will cook for a family, detail oriented. Vicki Elwyn, (954)612-2503.

American, Captain/Mate/Engineer, USCG 150ton Master, 200/500 Mate, STCW-95, Open Water Scuba. Good knowledge of engine room and systems. Will travel. (619)223-2537 yachtdelivery@cox.net Yachtmaster Ocean and instructor looking for casual work as skipper of charter yacht or similar. Australian citizen with 25,000+ ocean miles. Based in Trinidad, but will travel. yachtiemaureen@yahoo.com.

Freelance chef available for charter or private, and catering for yachts, homes and offices.

Excellent references. (954) 525-1398 Professional freelance stew/cook. U.S. citizen with more than 11 years experience. STCW 95.

Professional attitude. Available for private and charter. Debbie (754)422-2124.

Captain 1,600-ton, full time or part time,

August 2004

deliveries. Best prices to the Bahamas and the Keys. Call Capt. Tom at (954)925-7378.

Captain, USCG-licensed, Naval Academy graduate. Very knowledgeable with yachting experience. Seeks full-time/part-time or freelance work. Also experienced in teaching owner/operators. Call Kevin, (954) 584-9404.

American stew available for nights and weekend charters. Experienced. References available. Call Terri (954)257-5092.

GIVE IT UP

CREW NEEDED Visit the largest database of licensed captains on the Internet at www.captainsforhire.com.

We are always looking for licensed captains to deliver our clients’ boats, assist with passages and give instructional programs. Put your license to work for you. Capt. John Jenkins, captainj@maine.rr.com.

OTHER PROS NEEDED

American chef or chef/stew. 13 years yacht experience. Cooked and served President Clinton and his family. Available for temporary or permanent. Kathy Bell, (954)965-2735, (954)609-7513.

Fast-growing dockside maintenance, repair and detailing company seeks professional sales person with marine industry experience. Must be able to develop and close own leads. Salary plus commission. Bob Shiner, (954)832-0808.

Canadian mate/deckhand available for deliveries, charters, daywork, permanent or temporary. Ship’s mate, ARPA, radar observer, firefighter and general radio operator certified.

Nash, (801) 414-5714, hakajack@hotmail.com.

Pompano Beach-based yacht maintenance company seeks experienced supervisor and gas/diesel mechanic. Top pay and benefits.

Good driving record and drug free required.

(954)788-6683

American chef, hospitality speciality with 18 years experience in yachting, catering, restaurants/resorts. Desires permanent or freelance position. STCW 95, resume available.

(954) 600-2069, cheforvis@hotmail.com.

Canvas/upholstery workers. Marine experience a plus, English a must. Competitive pay/benefits/vacation. Send resume to canvasjobs@yahoo.com, fax (954) 463-1862.

The Triton 33

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Company

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34 The Triton

WRITE TO BE HEARD

August 2004

Despite salt in her blood, waiting at home is in the genes Everyone thinks the life of a captain’s wife is all glamour and glitz.

Negatory.

My husband, Kevin, crews as first mate on the M/Y Princess Sarah while earning the hours for his U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license. Photographs and vicarious descriptions of his voyages imply that I tag along TIED UP IN KNOTS globetrotting, in LISA H. KNAPP style.

Actually, I have never voyaged on Princess Sarah, though I’ve been aboard many times. When the yacht is docked near our condo in South Florida, we sometimes stop by for Kevin to check that everything is shipshape.

Most landlubbers who see the inside of a yacht do it at a boat show when it’s

pristine and perfect. When I’m on the yacht, it’s usually in a state of disarray, with the Pantropic engine guys there or wiring or other prep work being done.

I always dress up to visit Princess Sarah. Usually, I sip a Kalik beer on the aft deck while Kevin works. I pretend I own the boat, giving the Princess Di wave to passers-by. Strangers look at me with envy. It’s a fun, harmless game playing fantasy rich lady for an hour.

I’m really hopelessly middle class.

Being aboard a yacht is out of most people’s reach. I take sitting on Princess Sarah for granted, as it is so accessible to me. I try to use every one of the five bathrooms on board, too, because … I can. If I’m onboard long enough, I start rummaging. I scan the captain’s log, and open every door and drawer in the galley and bar.

But I’m still not on the cruise list.

Couples who cruise together avoid the lonesome separations that I know

and grew up with. My mother and both grandmothers were married to sailors on commercial and merchant vessels, during peacetime and war.

They never had the option of joining the crew. I know the tradition of staying behind, and making a home for someone I love to come back to.

Yet yachting provides opportunities for me that my mom never had. But as much as I want to be with Kevin and see what he sees, if I did go, it would be a disaster. He’s busy 20 hours a day and he shutters at images of me chasing with ouchless Band-aids and iodine.

I see the yacht safely in port; the crew braves it over rough waters. All the cabinets that I delight in examining are taped down when the yacht is under way. And Kevin says he would worry about me. He pictures himself tying me down in his bunk to avoid being bounced around and hurt.

I couldn’t cut it as a stewardess. I

have no service experience, and I’m a klutz. Plus, there’s that drinking problem: I’m used to consuming the hooch onboard, not serving it.

But I know I have salt in my blood. I bet I’d make a great stowaway. I could hide out and write a novel about manly men with tattoos and their adventures on the high seas – and octopuses.

But who am I to break the chains of generations of tradition by joining the cruise? My maiden name, Hoogerwerf, translates from the Dutch as “the people of the wharf.” Apparently, the women of my family have been genetically programmed to sit on the dock and wait, for years.

Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp is a freelance writer in Aventura, Florida. She is the wife and granddaughter of a captain, and the daughter and granddaughter of a marine engineer. Contact her at lisakevinknapp@aol.com.

Career planning in yachting should include an exit strategy From time to time I get asked by younger people what they should do to progress in the yachting industry.

My favorite piece of advice is to begin planning for when you want to leave.

A friend who ran a charter boat in the Caribbean once described the life as having all the chocolate ice cream you can eat, every day. Sooner or later, MENTOR’S MINUTE you crave Brussels JOHN CAMPBELL sprouts or broccoli, and it is time to leave the industry.

With couples, it is almost always the distaff side of the family that gets fed up with the life first. Indeed, that is the case with my wife and me. When asked

how long she was sailing, she likes to say “Twenty-too-many years.”

We are fortunate that we have a strong relationship, and we have planned our (my) eventual escape. For the moment though, I still have another adventure left in me, and a few more horizons to cross, so I will continue running a yacht for as long as I enjoy it.

Meanwhile, my wife is starting a whole new career in house renovation that we hope will support us into our old age.

When working in the yachting industry, we are exposed to a lifestyle that many people do not even imagine exists. We often receive very good salaries, in part to compensate for the long hours, and also to make up for considerable periods away from home, friends and family. It is all too easy to see all this money coming in, and think

that it will last forever and that we should use it to mimic the hedonistic lifestyle of our owners.

The money will not keep coming forever. There will come a time when each of us no longer wants to go to sea, no longer wants to polish stainless steel or make 12 beds three times a day. There will be a time when we crave stability, literally and figuratively, and you will wish to move ashore. It is never too early to plan for this day.

My wife and I live in Spain. Over the years, we have built, or rebuilt six houses, and my wife now enjoys organising this type of work. We have been fortunate to earn enough from our yachting, and from the property ventures, to be able to own a nice house where we live, to have a second house that we rent, and to have enough

money in a “speculation” kitty to indulge in various building projects.

It would have been frighteningly easy for the value of these houses to have been spent in other ways – a big chunk of it could have passed through our kidneys, as seems to happen to a lot of yacht crew. It could have gone into an airplane or exotic holidays, or indeed countless other toys or experiences.

Instead, we have been fortunate to be able to remain quite strongly motivated in our plans for my escape.

Contact Capt. John Campbell at john@john-lana.com. Take a “Mentor’s Minute” and share your advice to younger yacht crew. E-mail your comments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

WRITE TO BE HEARD

August 2004

The Triton 35

Other countries provide VAT exemptions, too Your front-page article [“Exclusively charter boats now VAT free,” July 2004] came across as though the VAT [valueadded tax] options Mr. Voisin offered were exclusive to France. Not so.

None of what Mr. Voisin said is new, and all the options he covered are, in theory, available in all European Unionmember states.

I have been setting up structures in the Isle of Man for yacht owners for five years. Provided ownership structures meet all the criteria, yachts can mitigate the VAT on the acquisition of the yacht, and there is no Isle of Man or United Kingdom VAT on the charter fee. The Isle of Man will then issue a VAT-paid certificate. This is not something new. It is just that France has, until recently, chosen not to acknowledge commercial yacht status.

The Isle of Man opened its register to commercial yachts in February 2002 and really only started marketing it late last year. The following are some of the yachts on the register (a matter of public record) and you can bet your bottom dollar they are all here for VAT planning: Felicita West, Is a Rose, Amnesia, Jo, Ocean Liberty, Irini, New Century, and Mirabella V. We are concerned that many yachts in French waters are not VAT paid, and that many owners are not aware they need to do something to rectify the situation. If a yacht is boarded by customs and the captain cannot produce evidence of VAT paid, there is a danger that the yacht will be arrested and not released until VAT is paid.

We have seen an increase in inquiries from owners who have owned their yachts for some time and they are not VAT paid, all looking for a solution.

The answer is simple. They have three choices: pay the VAT and forget it; see if temporary importation is available; or become commercially registered. This may be costly, but nowhere near as costly as taking no action.

These are the same as the three options offered by Mr. Voisin and the French authorities. They are not new; they have been around for some time.

Patricia Slavin Managing Director Simcocks Yacht Management Limited pslavin@simcocksyachts.com

You have a ‘write’ to be heard. Send us your thoughts on anything in The Triton or on other stuff that bothers you.

Write to us at editorial@the-triton.com

All sailors can relate to loved ones left behind I’ve been going over a copy of your paper, and found my way to your web site where I have been looking over back issues (www.the-triton.com) You all have done a very nice job and it looks great.

Megayachts are not my venue, but I do spend about 150 days a year offshore. I found much of interest to me in The Triton. There are a lot of issues/ interests/afflictions that seem to be universal among all walks of seafarer.

I enjoyed the piece on frequent good-byes [“Frequent good-byes leave landlocked loved ones tied up in knots, page 30, June 2004]. I’m not sure if [my wife] has read it yet, but I will make sure that she does. It may help her to know that she isn’t alone in having a spouse who can’t seem to keep his feet dry for long periods of time.

Being a victim of whatever mental illness it is that causes men (and women) to go to sea can make it tough on families. I’ve missed a lot, including the births of two of our three kids.

Pat Bellew

Way to go Triton

Congratulations on the best new news and information tool available to those earning their livelihood in the yachting industry. I found the articles to be well written, interesting and comprehensive in scope.

You have done an outstanding job of covering the many facets of the industry at a grassroots level, which gives one a different and refreshing perspective.

If we are to continue growing in this period of world turmoil, it is important we keep in mind, that

regardless of the opulence of the vessel, it is the captains and crews that give them personality.

The old theory still applies, be it the owners, guests or charters: You sell them the sizzle as well as the steak. I was delighted to see that several of your articles addressed this issue. You’re doing a fantastic job. Keep it up.

Capt. Joe Chada S/V Morning Star

Salvage story helped

The commentary about running aground and salvage claims has been very beneficial [Captain’s Connection, “Education helps captains avoid salvage problems,” page 10, July 2004]. It is the simple issues like that that are great to understand for future planning.

Martin George Bosun/mate

We should all answer distress calls

It should be good seamanship to stop and help someone if they need help [“Intended to save boats, salvage laws ruin, too,” page 1, June 2004].

We have helped many, many people and their boats out of all sorts of situations, some really dangerous.

Some people have offered us money for our help, but we always refused. We tell them what they could do for us it to help the next time they see someone that needed help.

We understand that salvage companies need to make money, but it should be a reasonable amount. Often it is not.

Capt. Alex Proch M/Y Equinox

Triton classified lands ‘great’ job

Thank you so much for your free classified ad in the July issue. I just secured a great chef position due to the exposure. Good luck on your new endeavors. The Triton is a great, informative, professional paper.

Chef Susan Oliver [EDITOR’S NOTE: Crew looking for work can place a classified ad for free.

Send a short ad, about 50 words, to kristy@the-triton.com.]

Derecktor not going anywhere

Regarding your recent call and concern that Derecktor’s Dania Yard may be forced out of Port Everglades, I just want to let you and your readers know that this is not the case.

The port has been involved in discussions for a long time regarding control over 97 acres of property. The port has recently won its case, and it is our understanding it will be enlarging facilities with the acquisition of the new property.

But that does not affect or impact our property in any way.

The other impending situation is the proposed expansion of the airport. The proposed new runway will be close to our facility, but again not affecting our real estate or on-gong service business.

Derecktor has no intention of going anywhere and, in fact, is considering ways to make more efficient use of our existing property to better accommodate the increased number of vessels approaching us for refit and repair.

Patta Sloan Sales and Marketing Manager Derecktor Shipyards

36 The Triton

August 2004

Getting Under Way Technical news for captains and crews

Aug. 2004 Pages 15-22

PULL-OUT

Refit of 40-year-old M/Y Paloma starts by removing asbestos

By Ian Watson The Maltese Islands are situated in the Mediterranean about 60 miles from Sicily and 180 miles from Tunisia. Scheduling a refit there with Malta Super Yacht Services (MSYS) was convenient for the new owner of M/Y Paloma as she approached a substantial refit on short notice.

The 60-meter (198-foot) Paloma was built in 1964. The refit requirements were close to being a hull-up rebuild – significant structural work, full engineering overhaul and a completely remodelled interior. The vessel had been purchased eight days prior to the commencement of the work.

Work was performed throughout to the ABS classification society standards and where appropriate also to MCA standards. The yard worked closely with the local ABS surveyor who, on behalf of the owner, inspected and approved all the class requirements.

MCA requirements were satisfied through submission of design drawings and approvals as required.

Yard project manager Noel Gatt coordinated all activities and resources while maintaining contact with Capt.

Mark Yendle, who was the owner’s representative.

The first phase of work focused on structural modifications and interference removals; elimination of a second mast, relocation of the remaining mast and relocation of funnel structures; and removal of machinery and engineering systems.

The engine layout of four 400 hp General Motors V12s – with two driving each shaft – and three GM

Her refit began just eight days after purchase. generators were removed.

In the inception stages of the project, Yendle warned the yard of the possible presence of asbestos in the engine room insulation. On investigation, quantities of asbestos were also present in pipe insulation in the guest areas.

This presented a major health issue for the refit as the inhalation of asbestos dust can cause cancer.

Complete and careful removal of all the offending material was followed by a full inspection. This work was carried out by the Malta shipyard’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSYS

asbestos specialists and the boat was subsequently certified by the yard as being asbestos-free.

The second phase commenced with the re-insulation of the engine room and other areas with a modern, fireretardant material. In addition, much of the pipe work on the vessel was replaced and renewed.

The product chosen for insulation was Marine Fire-Batt 2000 by Rockwool. A-60 specification was used in the engine room and A-30 in the galley. (This nomenclature indicates the amount of time in minutes that

the layer provides protection to the bulkhead behind given a ‘standard’ A-type or cellulose-based fire. An ‘H’ specification would relate to protection time for hydrocarbon fires.)

This was also an appropriate time to run new electrical wiring looms throughout the vessel and replace the existing main switchboard.

With the renewed infrastructure in place, the engineering refit began to gather pace. The new main engines – two 1,000 hp Caterpillar V8s – were installed, as were four new gensets: one 80 kilowatt Northern Lights for night-time use, two 155 kilowatt Northern Lights and an MCA-specified emergency back-up 30 kilowatt generator.

The emergency generator was positioned in the one remaining funnel as it is no longer used for engine exhaust. This generator provides power for fire pumps, bilge pumps and other safety-related functions.

Once the main engines and gensets were in place, a custom wet exhaust system was fitted, offering significantly reduced noise levels and reduced vibration. The generators are now completely silent from outside the vessel.

Despite some significant engineering hurdles, all through-hulls including exhausts and bilges were repositioned to the port side to allow guests to swim off the preferred starboard side of the vessel with no disturbance.

Other systems replaced at this stage included the EVAC sewage plant in accordance with Annex IV of MARPOL,

See PALOMA, page 18

End of Italian new build teaches American engineer patience This is the last of three reports by Chief Engineer Joel Antoinette on his experience with the new build of the M/Y Bellissima at the Baglietto shipyard in Italy. Read the whole story online at www.the-triton.com.

By Joel Antoinette I had to forget everything I learned in America about stocking a boat.

If I was in Florida and needed a part that was in, say, Washington state, I would just call the company, tell them what I needed and have it shipped. It would be in my hands the next day.

If, God forbid, I did not receive it the next day, I would be on the phone with them asking for the FedEx tracking number to figure out where it was and who did what wrong.

In Italy, I am not even sure they have overnight service. What I would come to learn was that the government taxes stores on merchandise they have in stock. So, of course, businesses keep a low inventory and only what they can sell quickly, which was absolutely nothing that I needed.

Italy also does not have the return policy we have in the United States.

Unless the merchandise was damaged due to the supplier’s fault or was not what you ordered, it was yours. If you bought the wrong thing, that was your fault. The best that you might do in certain situations – and talking very nicely to them – is exchange the item.

But you would never get your money back if you had made a mistake.

I made out my order in a week and handed it over to the yard to purchases

all of my items. Fortunately for me, the boat was delayed in shipping because it would take months for me to receive all my parts.

You cannot be in a hurry in Italy and live very long.

It really was a fortunate thing that the boat was delayed in shipping. It was not Baglietto’s fault. We were delivering the vessel to Ft. Lauderdale with one of the ship transporters; they would be the ones to thank for this delay. We would need every one of those extra days to get things right on board.

The boss rolled in about the beginning of January to take possession of the boat. The boat still wasn’t really completed, with small problems still being located.

It was agreed that the yard would continue work after possession and

final payment had been taken.

That was a huge day. Stress was high for everyone. The plan was that the boat would be shown at about 5 in the evening. The boss would be happy with everything and the final transactions would be made to make him the sole owner of this brand new yacht. Then he and his guest would take the boat out for the weekend to enjoy. That also meant this was my first time operating the vessel on my own. My days of study paid off.

The first night out was wonderful.

After doing a few speedy run-arounds, we anchored off Chinqua Terra, which was nearby.

The next morning it was planned to go to about 50 miles down the coast.

See NEW BUILD, page 20

16 The Triton

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS BRIEFS

August 2004

Palladium, Quantum partner on hydraulic system, controls Palladium Technologies has entered into a deal to develop the control and monitoring system that will operate the new hydraulic system from Quantum Marine Engineering. Quantum’s system is common on megayachts.

Palladium’s real-time control system, SiMON, will be the heart of the Quantum Integrated Systems, the companies said. Palladium will also build two similar levels of graphic user interfaces for the Quantum systems.

A 6-inch touch screen will be located on the Quantum control panel providing the engineer and technician with immediate information on the system operation.

Palladium will then transmit this information over the yacht’s Ethernet for display at the helm, in the crew’s quarters, or any location on the vessel

with a personal computer.

The system is expected to be launched this fall.

Palladium also announced that its SiMON system now communicates its alarms and operational data wireless over satellite and cellular modems.

This data is brought back to Palladium’s office computer systems where it is made available to captains and owners from any Internet terminal worldwide.

Alarms can be transmitted to assigned cell phones, providing immediate notification of alarms while away from the yacht For more information on either development, contact Palladium at (954)653-0630 or www.palladiumtechs. com, or Quantum at (954)587-4205 or www.quantumhydraulic.com.

Company launches compact liferaft Ocean Safety Ltd. has launched the Slimpack liferaft, a compact liferaft that meets SOLAS requirements. The Slimpack is ideal for megayachts required to comply with the longer range requirements of Code of Practice and Class XII (category 0 and category 1) regulations while ensuring that deck space remains uncluttered and free of traditional bulky GRP canisters.

Its compactibility is achieved with specially designed GRP containers and vacuum packing. Fully compliant with the latest SOLAS requirements and available with a choice of either ‘A’ or

‘B’-type Emergency Packs, the Slimpack liferaft is available in 6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 person versions, with the smallest measuring 79 cms (length) by 55.5 cms (width) and with a thickness of 25.5 cms (height).

The containers can be provided in custom colors to blend in with a vessel’s superstructure or gelcoat. For more information, contact +44 (0)23 8072 0800 or mail@oceansafety.com.

Taylor Made buys fender line Taylor Made Products acquired the patented Freedom Fenders product line, including the unique, V-shaped design that wraps around the piling or dock to hold its position as the boat moves back and forth.

The fenders are made from heavygauge PVC material, but are lightweight enough that they can easily be deployed and moved by one person.

The fenders can be hung vertically or horizontally and are effective when mooring alongside pilings, floating docks or stern docking. New Yorkbased Taylor Made offers a range of sizes and colors for small boats to megayachts. The larger fenders are reinforced with heavy-duty 60 oz. PVC for extra protection, and come with a built-in inflation valve. When deflated, they roll up for easy storage.

For information, e-mail salesinfo@ taylormadeproducts.com or visit www.taylormadeproducts.com.

New catch stops rattling doors The Smart Catch, a product from Washington-based New Found Metals, keeps doors secure and rattle-free, and disengages safely and easily.

With a stainless steel body, internal spring and soft rubber stop, Smart Catch mounts to the wall or bulkhead.

A matching striker plate attaches to the door and mates with the Smart Catch to hold the door securely open.

At the touch of the toe, the catch disengages easily from the striker plate, releasing the door.

The Smart Catch comes with either a straight or pivoting striker plate. The pivoting plate, which swivels 180 degrees and locks into place with a nut, adapts to areas where the door and bulkhead are not parallel. The toe release adjusts to the left or right, making the Smart Catch adaptable to nearly any door configuration, high or low.

The Smart Catch with straight striker plate retails at $29.95. The Smart Catch with pivoting plate sells for $39.95.

For more information, contact New Found Metals at nfm@olypen.com or visit the company online at www. newfoundmetals.com.

See TECH BRIEFS, page 17

August 2004

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS BRIEFS

Sperry Marine starts training program for bridge system TECH BRIEFS, from page 16 Northrop Grumman Corp’s Sperry Marine business unit has introduced an embedded training system designed to support on-board training for ships equipped with the Sperry Marine integrated bridge system.

The Integrated Bridge System Trainer (IBS-T) is an embedded simulator system that runs on the ship’s installed equipment to provide realistic training for the ship’s navigation department and bridge watch team in all aspects of navigation, seamanship and shiphandling, as well as navigation planning, watch briefings for port entries and departures and other planned piloting evolutions.

It was developed by Virginia-based Sperry Marine in conjunction with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) and Buffalo Computer Graphics (BCG).

The IBS-T can be used to run scripted simulations on the ship’s integrated bridge system, including radar displays, naval electronic chart display and information system (ECDISN) and steering/control displays.

Visual images of the scenario are projected onto a large screen at the front of the bridge for added realism.

Training can be conducted in port or at sea.

For more information, contact Sperry Marine at (434)974-2656, sales_ commercial@sperry-marine.com, or visit www.sperry-marine.com.

Rich Beers moves, restarts class Rich Beers Marine – Fort Lauderdale-based manufacturers of Technicold systems, air conditioning, refrigeration and environmental solutions – has opened its new showroom and manufacturing site at 230 S.W. 27 St. The larger facility will allow for more inventory. Items not in stock and custom orders can be built on short order in-house. Parts and installation materials for most brands of air conditioning and refrigeration are also available.

This fall, Rich Beers Marine will restart its Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Class designed for captains, engineers, and marine service personnel.

For more information, visit www.richbeersmarine. com. To sign-up for the class, call (954)764-6192 or e-mail class05@richbeersmarine.com.

Baking soda cleans hulls, too Texas-based SodaBlast Systems has development a process that uses granulated baking soda in conjunction with a SodaBlast machine to clean and

strip boat hulls. The company claims the process cleans more efficiently and can reveal more about the condition of the hull than typical cleaners, strippers, sanding and sandblasting.

The process takes about 10 percent of the time and costs no more than conventional bottom cleaning, the company said.

For more information, call (800)7275707 or visit www.sodablastboats.com.

Holder keeps fishing rod handy TACO Metals has introduced the Drop Down Rod Holder, which allows anglers to access fishing rods easily even on the tallest T-tops.

A positive locking mechanism secures the clampon rod holder in the upright position and a simple pull lever releases and lowers it to bring the rod within reach.

The patented holder also rotates and locks every 18 degrees for the optimum fishing angles.

For more information, call (800)6538568 or visit www.tacomarine.com.

New life jackets SOLAS approved Viking Life-Saving Equipment offers two new types of solid life jackets that meet the latest SOLAS requirements.

The Viking PV9500 and PV9502 life jackets have been specifically designed to improve safety at sea and keep the wearer afloat in extremely rough water conditions.

Both vests are intended for use on board cruise, passenger and merchant vessels.

Fitted with retro-reflective trim, the life jackets boast 3M reflective tape and are highly visible. Each model is equipped with a whistle and can accommodate an emergency light.

The PV9500 folds into a compact bundle to store onboard. Its V-shape design in the lower portion of the life jacket and neck opening causes minimal impact when jumping into the water. Retail prices start at $28.50.

For more information, contact usasales@viking-life.com or visit www.viking-life. com.

The Triton 17

18 The Triton

FROM THE TECH FRONT

August 2004

Lighter engine, losing a funnel forced stability improvements PALOMA, from page 15 the A/C plant, the water maker, and other ancillary systems.

One notable side effect of the lighter engine configuration and removal of a funnel was the impact on the stability of the vessel. The new stability calculations by the MCA after the work was completed show a significant improvement over figures from a report produced in 1965.

In preparation for a full repaint, the hull was shot-blasted from the keel to the waterline. The ABS representative specified areas for sonic soundings and as a result, a 4-meter by 1-meter section of plate on the forward port side was replaced. The welds were re-inspected by the ABS representative who certified the hull integrity until 2008.

The basic internal structure was completed using marine plywood substrates prior to the installation of the custom furnishings.

The interior has been completely remanufactured and remodelled and, wherever possible, MSYS-approved sub-contractors were used. Much of the interior cabinetry and furniture was handmade by Maltese craftsmen.

The interior layout includes a master suite with two bathrooms, nurse cabin, six guest cabins with en-suite bathrooms, spa room, dining room, main saloon, bridge and crew quarters.

This phase of work was completed once the bow thruster unit received a complete overhaul and a zero-speed Quantum stabilizer system was installed.

The installation of the stabilizer was a major task given the new fins were four times the size of the old system. The exiting stabilizer fins were removed and the holes welded up. The new unit and fins (3.5m-by-1.5m) were installed.

The next key project was the painting and fairing of the whole boat.

Awlgrip paint products were used

throughout.

An engine room C02 fire suppression system was designed and engineered.

In addition, it was decided to install a Class A fire suppression system throughout the vessel. At this point, C-Tronic was brought in to supply and install all navigational equipment.

The main exterior work included laying 150 square meters of new teak decks, extensive repairs to the existing main deck, and routing and re-caulking the boat deck.

The custom manufacturing and installation of stainless steel frames for the multiple awnings and handrails were all done in-house from designs primarily by Capt. Yendle.

Malta Super Yacht Services is a subsidiary of Malta Shipyards Ltd., a commercial repair facility. Though part of the Palmer Johnson organization originally, it became an independent operation earlier this year.

The facility has a 30-meter-high retractable cover over a 140-meter-long graving dock and 300 metres of quay space. Hull work can be carried out in a dry dock that can take vessels to a maximum draft of 8 meters.

“I wouldn’t do anything different if I could do it all again,’ said Capt. Yendle.

“This was a hugely complicated refit, yet the boat left the yard on time and on budget with the refit performed to the highest quality.

“The input of Noel Gatt as a project manager and as an indispensable medium between the boat and the yard was first class, and the local ABS inspector provided excellent service.

“I can say with 100 percent confidence that this was the best performance of any yard that I’ve experienced.”

Ian Watson is a director with Custom Yacht Consultants, which has offices in Fort Lauderdale, London and St. Thomas. Contact him at ian.watson@ customyachtconsultants.com.

Capt. Mark Yendle designed the stainless steel frames for Paloma’s exterior awnings and handrails.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSYS

PRODUCT REVIEW

August 2004

The Protector saves thousands The product I tested and still use today is the Protector. It is a commercial grade of transient spike and surge suppressor.

I came to use this product after we were tied to the dock at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. A vessel farther up the dock had problems with its dockside power CAPTAIN’S CALL connection and the HERB MAGNEY wiring in the dock box started arcing during the night.

The subsequent spikes and surges in the power supply traveled down the line to our boat and knocked out our VCR, radar, stereo system and the Northstar chart plotter. Repairs totaled more than $18,000.

When the various manufacturers told us the cause was due to spikes in the voltage, we went looking for something to prevent this from happening again. We found the Protector, a device used by the U.S. Navy on tugboats, offshore oil platforms and drill rigs around the world.

We installed the 230-volt PTE300 unit on our incoming power, and it received its first test not two months later. This time, the transformer feeding the dock shorted during a storm and the resultant surges damaged the

electrical systems of several boats along the dock. We sustained no damage whatsoever.

Last year, I was put in command of a new vessel, and after going through several satellite receivers, a VCR and some stereo components, I ordered and installed two units at the point where the incoming power switched to generator power. What do you know?

All of my electrical glitches and goblins seem to have disappeared.

This unit costs about $700 and can be used for any voltage from low voltage DC models to 4160-volt units.

The unit is simple to install and about 8 inches high by six inches wide by 4 inches deep. It mount to a bulkhead with four screws within several inches of the inside connection on the boat.

For more information, contact the manufacturer, Innovative Technology of Brooksville, Florida, through its Web site at visit www.itvss.com. Ask for contact information for the marine application distributor in Bayfield, Colorado. I found sales engineer Sal Grande to be extremely informative and knowledgeable in marine applications. He has even put these things on aircraft carriers.

Contact Capt. Herb Magney at captainmagney@hotmail.com. To suggest other products for review, e-mail editorial@the-triton.com.

The Triton 19

FROM THE TECH FRONT

20 The Triton

Fuel prices

Owner loved that first ride, even as hell broke loose

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of July 15.

NEW BUILD, from page 15

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 328/353 Savannah, Ga. 345/NA Newport, R.I. 369/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 443/NA Trinidad 355/NA Antigua 417/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 412/NA Bermuda (St. George) 460/NA Cape Verde 320/NA Azores 375/NA Canary Islands 356/NA Mediterranean Gibraltar 343/NA Barcelona, Spain 435/852 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/877 Antibes, France 426/1,068 San Remo, Italy 452/1,136 Naples, Italy 522/1,140 Venice, Italy 460/1,125 Corfu, Greece 442/875 Piraeus, Greece 418/851 Istanbul, Turkey 334/NA Malta 330/NA Tunis, Tunisia 377/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 354/NA Sydney, Australia 355/NA Fiji 375/NA

That is when all hell broke loose.

The MTUs went off the charts with alarms. And I swear the MTU alarms sound like a DEFCON 1 alarm, with threats of nuclear annihilation in process.

The electronic system just went haywire, especially the starboard engine. Every five minutes, the alarms started to sound false readings and errors.

I got alarms for water in the fuel, low gear box oil, high exhaust temperature, and so on.

Then the engine shut down of its own accord.

Then the port engine started alarming RCS control failure, can bus error, and so on.

Then the stabilizers’ alarm sounded because they were running off the starboard engine that was not giving the system hydraulic power anymore.

Then the wind speed indicator sounded because someone set it to alarm at wind speed of 20 knots to make my life miserable.

It was an engineer’s nightmare.

Bells, sirens and whistles going off constantly. I was running around crazy the whole trip trying to make things work and feeling quite powerless over it all like the boat was purposely toying with me.

*When available according to customs.

August 2004

We turned around and went back to anchor. The next day, we dropped the boss and his guest off at the Baglietto facility. The boss shook my hand and said good-bye. I was thinking that was probably the worst yacht ride he had ever taken in his life. I was embarrassed. He was paying me to make sure these kinds of problems didn’t happen.

“Please don’t be embarrassed,” he said. “It was all fine.”

Later, I found out how much he had enjoyed that trip. With everything going wrong, I guess it gave him a feeling of being involved in the project.

For most of the build, he was too busy with business to get involved. That might have been the first time he felt a part of the process and he must have liked the experience.

It shows how relative “good” and “bad” is, for we do not always know.

Baglietto upheld its word and worked with us to get everything right.

MTU was immediately called, and I would receive the best lesson ever in electronic repair the Italian way.

I tried my best to get a straight answer as to what exactly happened, but never did. I watched the MTU technicians change out the suspected faulty controls and reinstall them into the other engine to see if they would then sound the alarm.

For such high-tech engines, I expected a higher-tech way of troubleshooting these systems. But their way worked. It took time, but eventually all the faulty parts were

located and replaced under warranty.

It was a race against the clock to get every last bug out of the system before our new shipping date to Ft. Lauderdale of Feb. 20. Again, just as it seemed we had it all right, we found something else that frantically needed correcting.

By Feb. 15, we had it about as good as we were going to get it. We had to travel to France for our shipping date and we were under way again completely on our own.

The trip was a success and there were no problems that caused immediate alarm.

We put Bellissima in position on the Dockwise transport and were ready to head back to America. My Italian experience was coming to an end and I felt a bit sad that I had to move on.

With all the trials and challenges and thrills of victory I had in completing this job, I felt it was just about the best time of my life. I enjoyed almost every moment of the experience – even the roller-coaster ride of fear and stress and then relief and satisfaction.

I had become the first American Baglietto-experienced build engineer as Bellissima was the company’s first boat to be sold directly to an American client.

Engineer Joel Antoinette, who holds a USCG Unlimited HP license, successfully delivered Bellissima to San Diego and has returned to South Florida. Contact him at joelg31@aol.com.

The owner made final payment on Bellissima before work was completed, but Baglietto kept its word and finished her.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL ANTOINETTE

August 2004

Creative products win at MAATS Seven new products received 2004 Product Innovation Awards at the annual Marine Aftermarket Accessories Show last month.

In the “water sports equipment” category, the ClamSeal glueless inflatable repair patch from the UK’s Barton Marine Equipment, right, won. The patented reusable ClamSeal can repair any tear in a tube or fabric floor up to 3 1/2 inches, even underwater. Suggested retail price is $29.99. For information, call (703)4958478 or visit www.bartonmarine.com.

In the “aftermarket electronics” category, there was a tie between EchoPilot Marine Electronics’ new Collision Avoidance Sonar System (C.A.S.S.) and Vexilar’s AlumaDucer.

CASS helps boaters avoid collisions with floating or submerged objects up to 1,200 meters ahead. For details, visit www.echopilot.com. The AlumaDucer is the only transducer designed to transmit through aluminum with no signal loss.

In the “boat care and coatings” category, the winner was Performance Metals’ Wear Indicator Anode, a sacrificial anode that includes an embedded wear indicator.

In the “hardware, rigging, ropes” category, the winner was Imperial Quality Products’ 8-Way Adjustable Engine Mount, which helps boaters mount engines more securely on four or six points. In the “safety products” category, Skydex’s SeaShocks was recognized for reducing rough water fatigue and chronic injury. In the “trailer parts and accessories” category, the winner was Durasafe Lock’s Couplemate, a trailer alignment device.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

The Triton 21

22 The Triton

August 2004