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January 2013 Network on Jan. 16 in Ft. Lauderdale. See page C2
A12 Latitiude Adjustment Crew news on the docks at Antigua Charter show.
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New Year, new rules Jake DesVergers lists some deadlines coming due.
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Blinded by the sun Caribbean winters still pack a weather punch.
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Good boy, doggy Even with begging, sad eyes, don’t give in with treats. B12
New rules on hours of rest concern captains, industry By Dorie Cox
The crew of M/Y Harle, a 146-foot (45m) Feadship, won their marina’s Yacht Hop during the Antigua Charter Yacht Show in early December with a Moroccan theme. In addition to the colorful, cultural costumes and delicious food, dockside was decorated with curtains, low couches and a hookah. Other Yacht Hop winners on other nights include M/Y Lazy Z and M/Y Lady Linda. Read all about PHOTO/LUCY REED the show and see more photos on page A10.
Top-level captains and crew listened intently during Moran Yacht Management’s symposium in December. When the session opened to the audience for questions, hands shot up. Everyone wanted to know more about how yachts were to comply with the new rules about hours of work and rest. Although many international conventions were clarified, the panel of yacht managers, lawyers, flag state representatives and insurance brokers highlighted unresolved issues in megayacht regulations including hours of rest and annual leave allowance. “It’s always going to be near impossible to get the prescribed hours of rest with the amount of crew on a particular size boat, generally 10 or less,” Capt. Craig Turnbull of M/Y Allegria said. The discussions continued to a cocktail party after the event. “It seems it will be up to captains to make it work.” Capt. John Shawcross of M/Y Perle Noire flew in from Thailand to attend the conference and agreed. “I think the biggest issues will be implementing the new MLC code,” Shawcross said. “How can busy yachts comply to the logged hours of rest? How
Boardings range from normal to nerve-racking Every captain at this month’s Triton Bridge luncheon has worked on a boat that has been boarded by law enforcement during his/her career. Often inconvenient and occasionally nerve-racking, the captains accept these visits as part of their job on the water. And they From the Bridge were quick to share adventures. Dorie Cox “When we were boarded in the Bahamas, they asked for our guns,” one captain said. “They all had different
uniforms, I wasn’t sure who was in charge, and they took the guns into their control. “I was nervous,” this captain said. “But our papers were cool, and they eventually gave back the guns.” As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph on page A17. The group discussed boardings by coast guard, military and other law enforcement officers in the United States, Bahamas, Caribbean and Europe. Many of the boardings were routine and followed standard protocol. One
captain described how a typical U.S. Coast Guard boarding starts with a call on radio. “You know they are talking to you, they call in with the lat/long,” this captain said. “This is commander soand-so, where are you headed, where have you been? They ask how many onboard, are all U.S. citizens, who is master of the vessel. And they say they will come alongside.” If you are under way they tell you to reduce speed and maintain course, the captain said. “They’ll have you reel in lines with bait on,” another captain said.
See BRIDGE, page A17
can we address this? More crew? Where do we fit them?” Although Moran’s vessel and shore management software was the primary focus of the two-day seminar in Ft. Lauderdale, experts also addressed deficiencies found at audits, electronic charts and bridge navigational watch alarm systems to the group, which had assembled from not only the United States, but from England, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia and Thailand. The panel fielded questions on what is commonly called hours of rest, guidelines created by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) to standardize working arrangements and seafarers’ daily hours of work and rest, and to monitor compliance. The MLC set limits on hours of work at a maximum of not more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period and 72 hours in any seven-day period. Several captains in the audience said charter yachts are not able to comply due to back-to-back charters and limited crew quarters. One captain said crew have implicitly signed up for such conditions and should not have to comply. Several on the panel of experts agreed
See SYMPOSIUM, page A9
TRITON SURVEY
How do you collect your income? LLC Employee –7.6% (boss) –8.9% S corp – 44.3%
Employee (yacht) –20.3% Independent contractor – 19% – Story, C1