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April 2015 Join Triton networking on April 1 (see page A5) and the Triton Expo on April 15 (see below).
C2,3 Crew in the news Engineer dies; deckhand, stew add author to resume. A6, B1,9
Recognizing the work Owner juggles using his yacht, giving crew time off. A3
Take a jump across Pacific Tips for trip from Panama to the South Pacific. B10
C1
Forget the tip; captains just want owner to be happy
WORTH THE WAIT
Still a job for craftsmen, prop repair takes time By Dorie Cox Salvador Mejia maneuvers a 600pound yacht propeller onto a stand using a hydraulic lift. He hoists a 20-pound hammer over his head and strikes one of the blades. Mejia, a propulsion reconditioner at Frank & Jimmie’s Propeller in Ft. Lauderdale has decades of experience. He can see and feel the smallest of dents with his hands. Even so, this part of the repair that requires a hammer may take him an hour or an entire day. Yacht captains understand that myriad things can whack a prop out of balance, said Brandon Cooney of Lauderdale Propeller Service. Electrolysis, cavitation, a bottom bump, even driving over a submerged log or coconut can cause vibrations, fuel inefficiency and mechanical issues. “Just five one thousandths (.005) can make a prop out of balance,” Cooney said as he pointed to rows of new, slightly bent and mangled propellers during a walk through the shop in Ft. Lauderdale.
Untangle ties that bind Close quarters call for clear definition of relationships.
PITCH PERFECT: Salvador Mejia measures and marks damaged areas for a propeller repair at Frank & Jimmie’s Propeller in Ft. Lauderdale last PHOTO/ DORIE COX month. But captains may not realize just what goes into making that prop turn smoothly again. “We understand the need for a quick turn around, but it can be a tedious process,” Cooney said. “We do old-fashioned blacksmith work here.” It takes a craftsman to repair a propeller, agreed Jimmie Harrison of Frank & Jimmie’s, and that’s why it takes anywhere from two days to two weeks for the entire process. “It’s a misconception that the computer fixes the prop,” Harrison said. “It doesn’t. It measures the prop.” The process of fixing an imperfect prop begins by taking it off, either in-water or during a haul-out. Commercial Diver Services in
Ft. Lauderdale dives to remove damaged props, and owner Geno Gargiulo takes many emergency calls, including a recent one from a yacht more than 40m in length in the Bahamas that was preparing for an owner’s party. Surprisingly, it took three days to remove the damaged prop. (The topic of removal and installation are extensive enough for another article.) Back to the prop shop for the repair: first anti-fouling coating is removed. Since megayacht props are usually made of bronze or nibral (a nickel, bronze, aluminum alloy) they weigh hundreds of pounds and take the repair crew some effort to move with hydraulics and forklifts. The real repair begins when the prop is placed on a computer stand
See PROPS, page A12
Join this month’s Triton Expo to make connections Every April, The Triton gets a year older and, hopefully, wiser. We like to take this time to celebrate our anniversary (this month begins our 12th year publishing The Triton) and celebrate with our yachting family and friends. And the best way to do that is with the Triton Expo, a low-key trade show for the professionals who earn their livings running and caring for other people’s yachts.
Captains, crew, and industry are welcome to join us for great networking, some tasty treats and adult beverages. About 40 vendors will be scattered around the Expo on April 15 (the third Wednesday of the month), ready to discuss their particular products and services for those who might need them (or even if you don’t, it’s always good to make a new contact because you never
See EXPO, page A4
Captains and crew keep busy on a yacht. There’s always one more thing that needs maintenance, needs replacing, needs polishing. It’s not just busy work. There’s a method to their madness. “Every time you change a bilge pump, that’s in the back of your mind – do I need to replace that before he gets here? – so that when he [the owner] comes From the Bridge on board, everything Lucy Chabot Reed works,” a captain said when asked how much of his job is concerned with the owner’s or guests’ enjoyment. “It’s 100 percent of my job,” another said. The captains gathered for our monthly roundtable discussion spanned the spectrum of charter and private (and that cloudy bit in between), new and veteran, large boats and smaller. Their thoughts about owner and guest enjoyment, however, were remarkably in line. “The concierge part of what we do is endless,” one captain said. “It’s 100 percent of
See BRIDGE, page A14
TRITON SURVEY
How detailed do you require an invoice? Not very 10% Extremely 19%
Pretty detailed 71%
– Story, C1