WindCheck Magazine April 2017 by Kerstin Fairbend

Sailing the Northeast

Tucker Thompson on the 35th America’s Cup

Dealing with Wind A Guide to the Marion Bermuda Race

April 2017 • FREE

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editor's log Progress

One of the articles many readers anticipate seeing in every issue of WindCheck is Sound Environment. Since our very first issue in 2002, WindCheck has featured – at least once monthly – articles about environmentally relevant and important topics such as beach cleanups, clean regatta practices, water quality issues, protecting marine wildlife, and many other rallying calls for an ecological cause. My Editor’s Log in our December 2014 issue noted that as sailors and de facto environmental stewards we were contributing to healthier oceans and preserving our sounds, bays and coastlines, but we still had a long way to go. Nearly three years on, I believe significant progress has been made, but I would say that the same still remains true; there is more to be accomplished, improvements to be made, processes to encourage, and (perhaps most importantly) habits to change. I am encouraged that we now see environmental progress highlighted more frequently in other parts of this magazine, most visibly in our racing section, which often highlights these efforts among competitors. Many regional marine businesses are taking action to mitigate the impact of their actions on the health of our environment. If not for the dedication, and let’s face it, pressure from consumers, this would likely not be possible. Ever more stringent laws are being put in place to limit or eliminate discharge, so municipalities are beginning to see the light, too. For instance, the City Council in Newport, Rhode Island just joined the now more than 100 towns and cities in the U.S. to ban single use plastic bags. This positive trend is encouraging, and certainly a draw to our sport. Sailing is clearly a healthy way to spend one’s time, and a wonderful activity to share with others. It’s nice to see that this passionate community is imparting the knowledge that as a sport it is, at least compared to many other forms of recreation, sailing is also healthy from an ecological standpoint. There are still many ways in which we can improve practices that help preserve the environment, and it needn’t always be hard work. The story on page 10 about Sailors for the Sea’s Skip a Straw – Save a Sea Turtle campaign exemplifies action that every one of us can – and should! – take. With nearly 34 million Facebook views, it’s likely you’ve seen the painful footage of the straw being extracted from the sea turtle's nostril. That video alone is motivation enough! Without a healthy coexistence with nature, sailing simply wouldn’t hold the same wonder and beauty that we are fortunate to enjoy. Have another look at the beautiful image on our cover that photographer Rod Harris captured of the schooner Meteor off the coast of Newport. The twinkling blue of the water coupled with the majesty and might of a remarkable vessel is an awe-inspiring sight. Now, imagine that water a murky brown sludge. I doubt the owner of such a vessel would waste their time in the waters of New England were they not as beautiful and refreshing to behold as they are. If you’re ready to make a personal change; to continue pushing forward, there are countless volunteer opportunities with grassroots groups like Clean Ocean Access, Save the Bay, and Save the Sound, to name a few, or consider donating to a global organization such as Mission Blue. In the words of Mission Blue’s founder, the incomparable Dr. Sylvia Earle, “With knowing comes caring.” To those of you who have adopted responsible practices for cleaning, painting, storing and enjoying your boat, participated in a shoreline cleanup, or become eco-active in any way, keep up the good work. Things are improving, but we cannot become complacent. In fact, we should strive to exceed the norm. Now, perhaps more than ever, we must take it upon ourselves to be the guardians of our environment. See you on the water.

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Sailing the Northeast Issue 162 Publisher Anne Hannan anne@windcheckmagazine.com Editor in Chief Christopher Gill chris@windcheckmagazine.com Senior Editor Chris Szepessy zep@windcheckmagazine.com Contributing Editor Joe Cooper coop@windcheckmagazine.com Graphic Design Kerstin Fairbend kerstin@windcheckmagazine.com Contributors Jamie Bloomquist, Catherine Bowes, Matthew Cohen, Larry Coryell, Bo Duomen, Peter Fackler, Dave Foster, John K. Fulweiler, Sam Greenfield, Fran Grenon, Rod Harris, Blake Jackson, Helen A. Jankoski, Sean McNeill, Ernie Messer, Molly Mulhern, Jim Noble, PhotoBoat.com, Vin Pica, Colin Rath, Jane Reilly, Derek Rupe, Cynthia Sinclair, Ben Tracy, Captain Andrew Tucci, USCG, Bill Wagner, Chris White, Joseph Zbyrowski Ad Sales Erica Pagnam erica@windcheckmagazine.com Distribution Man in Motion, Chris Metivier, Rare Sales, Jack Szepessy WindCheck is published ten times per year. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the members. WindCheck encourages reader feedback and welcomes editorial contributions in the form of stories, anecdotes, photographs, and technical expertise. Copies are available for free at 1,000+ locations (yacht clubs, marinas, marine retailers, restaurants, sailing events & transportation centers) in the Northeast. Businesses or organizations wishing to distribute WindCheck should contact us at (203) 332-7639. While WindCheck is available free of charge, we will mail your copy each month for an annual mailing fee of $29. Mail payment to: WindCheck Magazine P.O. Box 195, Stratford, CT 06615 Phone: (203) 332-7639 E-mail: contactus@windcheckmagazine.com WindCheck is printed on recycled paper. Member of

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WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

contents

Editor’s Log

Letters

Checking In 10

From the Log of Persevere 20

Book Review: Tides 26

Book Review: “We’re All On the Journey” 27

Sound Environment 28

Captain of the Port 30

Boating Barrister 31

Calendar of Events 32

Tide Tables 40

Coop’s Corner 54

Block Island Race Week News 56

Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman 58 of the Year

team AkzoNobel enters the Volvo 59 Ocean Race 2017-18

Comic 60

Subscription Form 60

Brokerage 61

Classifieds 63

Crew Connection 68

Advertisers Index 69

On Watch: Lee Reichart 70

16 Learning to Sail: Dealing with Wind It’s only natural for a novice sailor to experience trepidation when the leeward rail’s awash, but Molly Mulhern, Women’s Sailing Mentor at the Rockland Yacht Club in Rockland, Maine, says the best way to overcome that apprehension is to get out there when the Small Craft Warning flags are waving. 22 Adventures in Docking You may have just sailed across an ocean, but shoreside observers are more likely to judge your seamanship (or perhaps the lack thereof ) by how well you’re able to bring your vessel into a slip. Derek Rupe of Captineer.com says sailing couples can thus be divided into three vastly different groups. 42 Stonington Dinghy Club Celebrates 50 Years of Fun Founded by Tucker Bragdon and Bill Boatright in 1968, this group in Southeastern Connecticut thrives by doing whatever it takes to get the most people out sailing, and if you have a boat 20 feet in length or under with a sail number, you are cordially invited! Helen A. Jankoski has the story of a club with more than a few enthusiastic three-generation members. 44 An Interview with Tucker Thompson on the 35th America’s Cup Competition for the Auld Mug begins on May 26 in Bermuda. It’s been a long time since Cup racing has taken place near the East Coast…and it just might be a long time before it happens again. The Public Host of the 35th America’s Cup says accommodations on the island are still available, along with some very enticing vacation packages. 48 “I’m Doing the Marion Bermuda Race” The Twenty-First Marion Bermuda Race starts Friday, June 9, and sailors in this 40th Anniversary Edition will have front row seats for the America’s Cup. If this is your first Marion Bermuda, Ernie Messer, a veteran of many races to the island from both Marion and Newport, offers expert advice to guide you from the Bay to Bermy. On the cover: Rod Harris captured this photo of the 170-foot gaff-rigged schooner Meteor during the Candy Store Cup superyacht regatta in the waters off Newport, RI last July. Designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and built by Royal Huisman, Meteor combines the classic lines of the Gloucester schooner with 21st century sail and rig technology. To view more of Rod’s spectacular images, log onto rodharrisphoto.com. © Rod Harris/rodharrisphoto.com

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Letters Don’t Forget the Fun! Editor’s note: The subject of the ‘On Watch’ article in our March issue, Kate Wilson was recently honored by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association for (among other achievements) her efforts to help revitalize the junior sailing program at Newport Yacht Club in Newport, RI. You’ll find the story at windcheckmagazine.com. Hi Kate, I read with great interest in the March issue of WindCheck about you being honored by RIMTA as the Rhode Island Boater of the Year – congratulations! I completely agree with you that junior sailing needs to be more fun and offer this short story in support. When my son was 9 years old, we sent him to a great local summer sailing camp at a local yacht club. He repeated the camp a year later, but for the third summer I asked him if he would like to go again and he said no. I asked why and he said, “Because all they want to do is race and make you try to beat the pants off somebody. I like to sail, Dad, but it’s not fun when all you do is race.” For him, there was no fun, no “Marine Adventure Camp,” and it was all about competition…trying to be better than the next kid. I was greatly saddened, but understood. I love sailing too and learned it as a young teen – but not in a competitive sailing camp. He was burnt out at the tender young age of 12. Why does everyone think that junior sailing has to be all about racing? I was disappointed that there were no options near us for Aiden to have simple, fun sailing. Clearly he’s not a competitive type, but in his two summers at that sailing camp he learned everything there is to handle a boat. I was proud the day he took me out in a 420 and started hiking out without fear. He looked natural. He can helm our small sailboat easily, which I am proud of. But there’s no place for him in junior sailing, unless we lived near your Marine Adventure Camp. Keep up what you are doing. This industry needs to grow its next crop of sailors, but understand it’s not all about racing. As the WindCheck story says, if we are to “create lifelong sailors” and have a thriving sailing industry we must understand that not everyone wants to be a sailing athlete. I applaud your efforts and again congratulate you. You have a friend at Boat Owners Association of The United States, and don’t ever hesitate to contact me if I can help you. Kindest, D. Scott Croft Vice President Public Affairs, BoatU.S. Kate Wilson replies: Scott, Thank you so much for your kind words. As an avid racer and coach myself, I have seen too many kids burn out and fall out of love with the sport, so I’m just doing my part to counteract this trend. However, what I learned last year at the US Sailing Leadership Forum is that there are many Adventure Sail-

ing programs but we just aren’t talking about them because they don’t get the recognition the racing programs get because they don’t travel to regattas. It’s almost like that old saying, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise?” If there are these great programs, and no one hears about them outside a yacht club because they don’t do regattas, do they still get the credit? So, thank you to WindCheck for sharing stories like ours. Great to “meet” you. If you are ever in Newport, please let me know. Best, Kate An Evening with Gary Jobson Dear Anne, Thanks again for all your efforts to arrange An Evening with Gary Jobson for American Yacht Club and member yacht clubs of the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound. It was a great success and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Gary is truly a great speaker and storyteller! We appreciate North Sails, Regatta Ginger Beer and WindCheck for making this happen. After all the hard work, I hope you were able to enjoy the evening and interaction with so many fans. All the best, John Hunt, Chair, Speakers Series American Yacht Club, Rye, NY

Attention Force 5 Racers! Thames Yacht Club in New London, CT is pleased to announce that we are hosting the 2017 Force 5 North American Championship on July 26 - 29. TYC is offering low- and no-cost housing, charter boats, guest moorings, and ‘Challenger’ and ‘Junior’ racing. This important event is a tremendous opportunity for Force 5 sailors of different age and skill levels to compete in an international race in their own backyard. Full details including Notice of Race (NOR) and registration are available at YachtScoring.com and Force5.us. For more information, please contact TYC Publicity Chair Cate Sheahan at catesheahan@gmail.com or Race Organizer Grant Ehrlich at GEhrlich@cantorcolburn.com. Thank you, Cate Sheahan Publicity, TYC ■

8 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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checking in.

Skip a Straw – Save a Sea Turtle

Hamilton Marine Celebrates 40 Years of Service

Did you know that Americans use 500 million plastic drinking straws every day? Think about that…500 million a day. That many straws end-to-end could circle the Earth 2.5 times. To reverse this trend, our friends at Sailors for the Sea in Newport, RI have launched a campaign called Skip a Straw – Save a Sea Turtle.

Wayne Hamilton started Hamilton Marine out of his Searsport, Maine garage in 1977. As a commercial fisherman, he saw a need on the working waterfront of his harbor hometown for a real marine supply store. His instincts proved correct, and Hamilton Marine soon outgrew the garage. The store moved to a larger location in town, and continued to grow. It From a marine supply business that expanded beyond those Wayne Hamilton started in his garage 40 walls, then moved to years ago, Hamilton Marine now has five an even bigger building stores in Maine and satisfied customers in Searsport. There, it all over the world. © Jamie Bloomquist became a Maine marine destination for local lobstermen and boaters of all kinds. Soon, Hamilton Marine grew beyond Searsport. Stores were added up and down the coast, from Portland to Jonesport. With five locations in Maine, the business established itself as a major presence in the boating world, serving the recreational, commercial and boatbuilding industries. Today, Hamilton Marine is the largest marine supply store north of Boston. There is an online store, a 376-page catalog mailed to people in every state, and daily shipments of product sent to hundreds of customers all over the world. With that kind of growth, Hamilton Marine has added more than buildings. Employing over 150 people in various aspects of the business, from sales and marketing to shipping and receiving, the boaters’ store has become something more. Many HM employees maintain their own boats, and they know and use the products they sell. Their experience is passed on to customers every day, and that service is what makes Hamilton Marine a place people want to visit, by calling in, coming in, or clicking in, again and again. Today, the business serves the commercial, recreational and boatbuilding communities through mail order business, the website, and delivering directly to boatyards. It’s not unusual to see the aisles of each store teeming with people who love the water, and their boats. Whether they make their living on the sea or enjoy spending an afternoon cruising the waves, customers know that if they need it for their boat, they can get it at Hamilton Marine. For more information, log onto hamiltonmarine.com. ■

“Straws are consistently one of the top 10 items removed from beaches worldwide during the International Coastal Cleanup,” said Hilary Kotoun, Sailors for the Sea’s Social Impact Director. “Straws may be small, but they are wreaking havoc on our oceans and proving to be deadly to marine life. They have been found stuck in sea turtles’ noses and in seabirds’ stomachs. In total, 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean from the land each year. That’s equivalent to about 1.5 million cars. If plastic continues to infect our ocean, it’s estimated that by 2050 every seabird will have plastic in its stomach and there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.” “On the first-ever National Skip the Straw Day (February 24), Sailors for the Sea put out a challenge on Facebook to get yacht clubs and marinas around the country to switch to straws by request only,” Kotoun continued. “The challenge was met with over 8,200 shares and reached more than 1,000,000 people on Facebook, but the work is just beginning and we need your help. We are encouraging sailors to challenge their favorite watering holes to make a change and offer straws by request only. Stopping plastic pollution starts on land, and it starts with you!” For more straw facts and to download a printable sign that can be displayed in compliant establishments, visit sailorsforthesea.org/join-our-crew. ■

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April 2017

checking in.

Sail Newport Tops Off New Education Center When thousands of sailors arrive at Sail Newport in Newport, RI over the spring and summer months, they will see the new 8,500 square foot building near completion after five years in the making. On March 5, Sail Newport celebrated the milestone of placing the highest point on the new Marine Education and Recreation Center in Fort Adams State Park.

At the “Topping-Off Ceremony,” Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, state and city officials, and members and supporters of Sail Newport watched as the Behan Brothers construction crew lifted the cupola to the highest point of the educational building, which is scheduled to open in August. In addition to more programs for more youth and adults, the overall experience for visiting sailors and students will improve. The new center will house Sail Newport’s offices, meeting space for up to 200 people, outdoor classroom space with protection from the sun and weather, public restrooms, and changing rooms and showers. A $10 million “Campaign for Blue Space” launched last year by Sail Newport has raised significant funding for building costs and a permanently restricted endowment for the expansion of sailing and marine education programs for the public. “We’re a little more than halfway there,” said Sail Newport Executive Director Brad Read. ‘We are reaching out to the community for help funding the new educational programs as well.” Sail Newport’s program expansion plans are also well underway. Read says the expense of sailing and access to boats are two obstacles that have made sailing inaccessible to many. The Campaign for Blue Space, he says, “is committed to removing those barriers to open the sport to those who don›t usually have the opportunity.” For more information, log onto sailnewport.org. ■

Southern Spars is the Volvo Ocean Race Official Rig Package Supplier Southern Spars, an Auckland, NZ-based carbon fiber spar manufacturer with a facility in Portsmouth, RI, is the official supplier of the full rig package for the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet for a second consecutive race, a move that strengthens the company’s historic ties with sailing’s toughest team challenge. Southern Spars have been supplying spars to Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) podium finishers since 1989-90, when Sir Peter Blake secured a commanding victory on Steinlager 2. Southern Spars will again supply the high modulus masts, high modulus racing box boom and a full EC6 bundled carbon fiber rod rigging package with deflected backstays for the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet. Within one-design rules, all 10 rigs (for the eight VO 65s, plus two spares) must be identical in terms of dimensions, weight and stiffness. Nick Bice, VOR Chief Technical Development Officer, said, “We can 100% rely on Southern Spars for their delivery of the one-design masts and combined with their service support as the teams race around the planet, we are in the best hands possible.”

Southern Spars have made rigs for 38 VOR teams over the years. “Some of the materials we use here, like Thin Ply Technology (TPT), is exclusive to Southern Spars,” said Steve Wilson, the company’s Senior Designer, “and that allowed us a lot of flexibility in the design, to strengthen the masts where they need to be stronger, lower the stresses and basically just make a safer product for the guys on the water.” For more information, visit southernspars.com. ■

12 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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checking in.

Connecticut Spring In-Water Boat Show is May 5-7 The Connecticut Spring Boat Show will be held Friday, May 5 - Sunday, May 7 at Brewer Essex Island Marina, 11 Ferry Street, Essex, CT. The CT Spring Boat Show features some of the newest boats on the market including trawlers, center consoles, fishing, luxury cruisers, downeast, performance and sail boats. Sail and power boats, new and used, from 20-75 feet will be on display. The inaugural show held in 2016 brought in over 2500 attendees. “The CT Spring Boat Show has everything that a prospective boat buyer wants,” said Matt Leduc, Yacht Broker with Latitude Yacht Brokerage. “New and pre-owned sail and power boats all in one beautiful location. Local vendors, suppliers and seasoned marine professionals are most notable at the boat show. Boat Shows are more about people than boats. We are a service industry first and foremost. People who come to the show will be able to see the boats at the show but the years of experience and boating knowledge of the exhibitors is far and away the best product at this show.” Brewer Essex Island Marina is located on a 13-acre island, accompanied by a complementary ferry service, and offers 125 slips accommodating vessels up to 200 feet. The resort marina is

family friendly and the popular Marley’s Café will be open for the weekend. Sails Up 4 Cancer, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut, will be on site raising money through food and beverage sales to benefit their organization. SU4C has been dedicated to supporting cancer care, education, prevention and research along the Shoreline and Southeastern regions of Connecticut. Admission and parking is free. The show is sponsored by Brewer Essex Island Marina, Essex Boat Works, YachtWorld Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA) and is produced by WindCheck Magazine. For more information, go to ctspringboatshow.com. ■

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Learning to Sail: Dealing with Wind By Molly Mulhern Not many people go sailing in our neck of the coast early in the season when the wind is blowing over 20 knots. I can understand why. Small Craft Warnings are issued often, and well, it is windy! I would not want to go out either, except… First, I am curious how it is out there. Second, my sailing partner Jim has sailed all his life, and loves to go out when the wind is blowing. Third, if I really want to do some offshore cruising, and I keep saying I do, well then, I need to get over this fear of wind. How ironic is it, anyway, that the very thing that drives our boats forward also keeps us away? I laugh to recognize my son’s incredulity when I say I don’t like wind – he’s a dinghy sailor and finds high winds a ball. He does not have a lot of experience on keelboats, nor has he read as much as I have about big boat sailing, but I admire his desire for wind. We, as sailors, should embrace it! So, why don’t I yet embrace a blow? Lack of experience. I dread how I might behave, how the fear will paralyze me. I also dread how the boat will perform. I just don’t know. And this is where Jim comes in. He is a gentle teacher, a man who understands boats and how they are designed, has sailed a lot of boats in a lot of conditions, and cares greatly how these sailing experiences go for me. This makes these lessons in high wind much easier. When we left the house on Saturday, as an afterthought I threw in the wool and the extra layers of fleece. Good thing, because by the end of the weekend the wind chill temp was 46° F. I also checked the NOAA on-the-water forecast before we left and satisfied myself that there was not going to be that much wind. Just further proof that forecasts are just that and highly risky to take as truth. The forecast had fog on both days, wind 15-20, NNE. This was a bit of fiction. When we got to the boat it was sunny and breezing up over 20 knots from the SSE. Jim set about changing the #2 jib down to the blade. It was blowy on the foredeck and the piles of canvas were sedated with a few well-placed sail ties. The weekend was proof yet again that the key to dealing with wind is managing the sails – knowing the right combination of canvas, having the right combination of sails aboard, and the willingness to change sails as needed. Jim led the luff of the blade into its groove while I cranked its halyard aft. It was tough cranking in the breeze, made doubly tough by Jim’s realization, about three-quarters of the way up, that we’d neglected to put in the jib’s vertical battens. I lowered the halyard, went forward to help put the battens into their velcroed batten pockets, sauntered aft and commenced grinding again. It didn’t help that I only had three wraps on the drum

A happy helmsman – the sun is out and the wind is blowing! The J/34C is very well balanced when sailed well, requiring a very light touch on the helm when the sails are trimmed properly. © Molly Mulhern

when four were needed, nor that I was not using the correct, easier speed on the winch. Lessons. Okay, blade rigged, then furled. Time to set the double reef in the main. We had practiced this the previous weekend, when it was also windy. Halyard. Tack line. Halyard again. Clew line. Then tie sail stops around the sail (not boom). Got it. And so we were off. Once past Curtis Island we set the jib, with the “whoosh” that accompanies an eager sail hungrily filled. We began crossing West Penobscot Bay, close-hauled, punching into a strong 1- to 3-foot sea. Jim kept the mainsheet traveler down to minimize heeling for me, driving from the lower rail, watching for pots. The air was warm, the sun was out. Jim, loving the driving, looked as comfortable as a kid cruising along no-hands on a bike. The wind was blowing a steady 20, the boatspeed averaging 7.5 knots, almost hullspeed for our 34-foot vessel. I kept offering Jim his foul weather coat or fleece, as he sat in a cotton shirt, buffeted by the air. The occasional wave breaking over the bow didn’t quite reach him, instead exhausting itself on the dodger under which I sat. Astraea danced along, heeled over 15-20 degrees, although to me it felt more like 40 or 50 degrees. I have a lot to learn – I nestled in and got used to sailing on an angle. Planning for a nice broad reach back home the next day. The world is good. Maybe I can do this. I craned my neck around and saw that North Haven Island, our night’s destination, was but 200 yards off. I had kind of expected that the breeze, now SSW, blowing up the large expanse of Penobscot Bay, would have been moderated by the shore and that we would have been in a lee. Instead I noted, as did Jim, there were stronger gusts by the shore. The wind indicator rocketed to 30

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knots frequently. Jim mentioned something about wind increasing over the island and shooting down onto the water. Then a 40+ gust hit us at the mouth of Pulpit Harbor. Astraea went up on edge, like a ballet dancer en pointe, straining with all she had. I turned back to watch Jim ease the mainsheet and simultaneously point her up to the wind, which flattened the boat, the wind pressure having been taken off the sails. He did it all so smoothly, and Astraea responded in kind. I felt like I had pulled The second day of our adventure brought a totally different mood to the empty waters. Jim dressed for the weather (note the wool gloves), leaving Pulpit Harbor on North Haven. © Molly Mulhern

myself back from the edge of the cliff…and I had not even done anything. I was not at the helm, nor the sheets, and yet I couldn’t help but be affected. We rolled in the blade as we entered the harbor mouth. With the wind on the nose it would be tight tacking and Jim knew I don’t need any more of a workout, although he’d relish the challenge. He also started the diesel, scoping out the wind in the outer harbor, where we were pleased to see the gorgeous, 94-foot Fife ketch Belle Aventure anchored. There was one lone crew on the deck as we motorsailed by, looking as if he wished he were aboard our little craft instead of babysitting the large vessel. The six large fenders deployed on her port side hinted at a large tender in use someplace, although at the time we did not sight her. (Later we discovered the tender is a Hinckley picnic boat that most of us would consider outrageous as our only boat!) I tossed and turned all night as the wind howled through the rigging. It was blowing SSW over the treetops across the water and onto Astraea. What does this trite expression “howling in the rigging” mean? All I can say is there is this constant sound, and constant boat motion. Not constant as in the same, windcheckmagazine.com

but constant in that it keeps up…rising in the gusts, falling in the lulls, but persistent. There is a hum and a shuddering that occurs when the wind is sustained over 20, and Jim could sense the nuance (I almost typed nuisance!) when the gusts get over 30 – and this night there were periods of this 30+ frequency. I don’t yet have the experience to sense the nuances. Jim sleeps like a baby on the mooring. And why shouldn’t he? Before we said goodnight, I asked him about chafing on the pendant line that we rigged from the too-big mooring line. He said it would be fine. He said you could hear chafe – it also has a certain frequency – an audible rubbing. This I did not know. As I lay there, warm and cozy beside his slumbering body, I was not worried about chafe. I wasn’t worried about the mooring slipping the way you worry about an anchor dislodging. No, I was worried about wind, whether it would keep blowing and we’d have to sail back in a windy day, too. I was not exactly in the present moment. I was in the future moment, Sunday’s sail. Somehow I managed a little rest between periods of wind-fret. After the day dawned I got up and made tea, coming back into the bunk, tea in hand, and miraculously there was a slight lull. I thought maybe we’d have a nice, calm sail home. Ha. Within 20 minutes the whistle through the rig was back, and without getting out of the bunk I knew we had switched end-to-end in the harbor, and the wind was now from the north. I don’t know much about weather, but I gathered this

Leaving Saddle Island astern, heading back to our mooring in Camden Harbor. © Molly Mulhern

meant the front was passing. We took our time rising and readying for the sail home. Rain was spitting on the deck, the wind was rising and then lulling. Again we checked NOAA and SailFlow, only to be lured again into something about 14-16 knots of wind. Ha. We dropped the mooring with a double reef in the main WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

Other Lessons This Trip

Astraea in Camden Harbor, ready for her next adventure. © Molly Mulhern

and no headsail. Jim had the engine in neutral, hoping the breeze could carry us out. As we headed west toward the mouth of Pulpit, the waves increased 1-2 feet inside the large rock at the entrance. Our ability to sail against this was minimal, so Jim punched the RPMs to get us out. Outside the harbor the gray of the Bay was broken by the white of the wave tops blowing off…a steady 22-25 out of the north, with not much hope of that abating for a while. And so, there we were. Double reefed main only, going 6.5 knots. Rain spitting down, on this day Jim was in full foulies with noncotton layers underneath, wearing the wool fingerless gloves I had thrown in at the last minute, “just in case.” A heavy chop, cold air, rain, winds steady and gusting high 20s, over 30 at times. Not exactly what I had imagined when I checked NOAA at home less than 24 hours earlier. And so it is with sailing. Sometimes you don’t get what you expect, and you have to be able to cope with what you get. This is my fear factor. If Jim were to somehow go overboard on a day like this, could I cope? I don’t feel ready to cope with that emergency, and that’s what makes me nervous. I realize how much I am petrified and I know I need to experience more of this to work through these fears. I know my body was tense sailing across that gray, windy Penobscot Bay, just hoping for it to be over soon. I worked on relaxing during the sail…breathing, feeling the tightness…but pretty much failed at getting to a relaxed state. Does high wind feel worse when the sky is gray and it’s raining and cold? Probably. Does it feel worse when the sea is a heavy chop? Yes, most definitely. We did not deploy the blade until the tide at the mouth of Camden Harbor was stalling us down to 3.5 knots. Once we set the jib the speed shot to 7.5/8 knots and the boat steadied. Yes, we should have set it sooner. We would have been home sooner and my guts would have been less woozy, I suspect. But Jim knew the heel would have bothered me. Maybe one day the heel (I had mistyped “hell”…) won’t bother me. I am working on it. Maybe one day I will be able to sleep soundly and solidly on a mooring when the wind is howling. Until then I will keep trying. Thank you Jim, for your kindness as a sailing partner and teacher. Thank you Astraea for being a seakindly, solid, well-designed boat. (She’s a J/34C.)

Make sure the plug is in the dinghy. We managed to save the gear from a complete soaking via quick haulout once I’d noticed water filling the bottom of Sweet Pea. When you find a lone piece of hardware on the deck, figure out what it came from – don’t ignore it. Keen-eyed Jim had spotted a bolt aft, just below the radar as we started sailing in the 3-5 foot seas off the mouth of Pulpit. Looking up, he figured it came from the radar mount – the spring yard crew clearly hadn’t tightened all the bolts. He requested an Allen wrench, so I dove below and brought back the set. Jim asked me which I would rather, the job of replacing the bolt or taking the helm. I took the helm, hating each second of it, afraid I was to sink our boat by taking a wave into the cockpit. My solution was to drive Astraea a bit more into the wind, so the seas weren’t breaking over the middle of the vessel. It steadied me and the boat a bit. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to give the helm back to Jim and re-nestle into my somewhat warm, dry spot under the dodger, facing aft so I couldn’t see the size of the waves Jim was driving into. I was glad I had taken a turn at the helm the previous weekend, driving us a bit downwind in a sloppy sea. Jim’s coaching about anticipating the sea was good – my execution, not so good. I have a lot of practice to do on this boat.

Other Ponderings Why do we do this thing of going out on a sailboat in conditions that will frighten us and make us uncomfortable? Is it to discover our edge? Is it because we are adrenaline junkies and need stimulation? Is it because being in the wild of the elements is primal, and we have a sailboat to test ourselves in? Anna Len Elled, the On Board Reporter for the all-female Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, summed it up in a few short reasons that apply to me, too (paraphrased): • Adventure – the drive of my life. • Contrasts – the highs and the lows. • The sky, the sea, and its wildlife. Sunrises and sunsets, clouds, waves…never cease to amaze me. • The boat bubble – the life on a boat is tough but simple. It’s addictive. Some people get addicted to life at sea. I’m afraid I’ve become one of them. I would add to Anna’s list that this kind of experience stretches us, expands our beliefs in what we can do and what we can handle. It feeds that curiosity I mentioned at the beginning. It also enriches and expands the sense of comfort – the warm house, woodstove, and non-tacking bed takes on an entirely new place in contrast to the wet, pitching cockpit. And why do some of us have this curiosity? ■ Molly Mulhern is a nautical publisher, editor, writer, and champion of all things book- and sailing-related. As past editorial director at International Marine, Molly’s aim has always been to publish books that improve the quality of life for sailors and outdoorspeople, helping them achieve their dreams. She is now consulting and acquiring books for a New York trade publisher. Molly sails and races her Tanzer 22 Ripple out of Rockland, and her J/34C Astraea out of Camden, Maine.Molly is helping the Rockland Yacht Club set up a sailing mentor exchange, volunteering her services as Women’s Sailing Mentor.

18 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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From the Log of Persevere: Swimming with Whales in Tonga By Colin Rath Editor’s note: This is the nineteenth installment in a series of dispatches from the Rath family (Colin & Pam and daughters Breana, Mariel and Nerina), who departed Stamford, CT in the fall of 2014 for a worldwide cruise aboard their Hanse 545 Persevere. You’ll find previous articles at windcheckmagazine.com. We enjoyed Niue for multiple reasons. It has some of the best diving in the Pacific, with caves and deep chasms to explore. The water is crystal clear except where the cold springs from the island spill into the ocean and make the water look icy. It’s real cool underwater, like a frost spreading slowly within the water. The island has its own laid back culture, more like a vacation spot for Kiwis than an isolated island in the middle of the Pacific. Most of the bars and restaurants are run by Kiwis, so we got to befriend a few New Zealanders. Real nice and open, no BS people. It was also nice to get back to a country that speaks our native tongue; made it a lot easier for the kids and Pam and myself. We have been living

Bound for New Zealand © persevere60545.com

Swimming with whales was among the most memorable experiences of the Rath’s two-year voyage. The whales were often just 15 feet away! © persevere60545.com

on our high school French and Spanish to make conversation for the past two years. It can get trying at times, especially when doing engine repairs. I think without Google Translate the engine parts would have taken a lot longer to describe, but we made it by. On Niue, the dive spots are all around the island so it was easier to rent a car and drive to them. There is also only one semi-safe place to anchor on the island, so it was rent a car or put all of us and dive equipment in our dinghy, which was not a comfortable way to dive with 5 people. The girls took a nature course with a knowledgeable local, learning about all the native species and plants on Niue. Their favorite was the flying fox, which is a form of a bat that jumps from tree to tree. We stayed there for a week to get ready for the next sail to Vava’u, Tonga. The whales were migrating and we wanted to swim with them before the migration was over, and I needed to repair my gooseneck before our final voyage to New Zealand. Once again we stocked up for a 600-mile sail and left in the afternoon. You see, Niue was the beginning of our end of our journey that will have taken us to 33 countries on five continents over 666 days at sea. This is the first time we landed in a territory of our future home country. We have been planning our immigration to New Zealand for more than a year now, learning what is needed, checking out properties for sale online, setting up advi-

20 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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sors to immigrate and buy a business, deciding on schools for the kids, and much more. We were starting over in a new world and were making sure it was where we wanted to be. Now, after all the planning it was becoming a reality in the very near future. But, we still have a few adventures to go on Persevere and close to 1,500 miles to New Zealand. Niue to Tonga was a threeday sail, with a few pods of whales swimming alongside. Kept me up at night, especially when I saw a big cloud of phosphorous moving by in the dark from a whale going under the boat. Cool, but unsettling at the same time. We arrived early in the morning. Tonga is another one of those islands with a lot of hidden reefs and shoals around it, so it was a lot of double-checking the charts and looking overboard as we serpentined our way through a series of small islands into Neiafu on Saturday morning. It being the weekend, customs would not be open until Monday (as on most of the Pacific islands), so we docked at the city dock and went out for lunch. We would check in Monday. No worries. We quickly got our bearings and signed up for the morning VHF expatriate update to find out what was what. The next day we had a private tour set up to go swimming with whales. We motored around in a small boat, and soon spotted some whales. We dove in with snorkels and actually swam with them. The whales were only 15 to 30 feet away from us, and we caught up with a couple, a male and female, with the male singing. We floated along with them for 15 to 20 minutes until they got out of view, then got back into the boat and caught up with them again. The whales would turn around and look at us, playing with each other. The male was showing off for the female, spinning and breaking the surface and crashing and diving. We were right there, and all we heard were splashes and the whale songs. Breana, Mariel, Pam and I spent the whole day jumping in and out, swimming with three sets of whales. They are one of the most majestic creatures I have even seen up close. It was an experience we all will never forget. On the way back into Neiafu, we stopped at a couple of more caves to explore…surreal stuff because the openings were 20 feet below the surface, but opened up into a grotto inside the rock. Truly one of the best windcheckmagazine.com

experiences we’ve had in the last two years of sailing. We ran into some sailors that we’d met in Bora Bora, and got together for a banquet lunch of roasted pig and local seafood on a beach on the other side of the island. It was a lot of fun and got to hear a few horror stories of crossings. The local VHF web hooked me up with a machinist, and I fixed the gooseneck with a galvanized steel bracket customized to reinforce the carbon gooseneck. After a fuel delivery, we began preparing to head to the last island in the Tonga chain, Nuku Alofa, Tongatapu. Look for updates on Persevere’s journey in future issues of WindCheck. You can track the Raths’ progress on their Facebook page, “Persevere60545.” Colin’s book, It Is What It Is, can be purchased on ColinRath.com or at Amazon.com or any major bookstore. Look for his next book this fall. ■

WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

Adventures in Docking By Derek Rupe Captains learn to recognize fear in eyes of the crew. I’ve seen fear, deep fear, white eyes and long stares. I wish these moments were always on hard crossings, rough groundings, or the occasional dismasting. But alas, terror is most likely experienced during the mundane task of leaving or returning to the slip. This is especially prevalent in people who grew up boating and have developed a Pavlovian fear response to being in the vicinity of a docking boat. I am an amateur student of the human condition, and as such try to observe how other people go about their lives. In the case of boating, I’ve made a study of docking; in particular how the human dynamics of communication and social interaction have a similar effect on the movements of a vessel as the tide against the keel and the wind on the freeboard. There is of course a spectrum of particulars, but I’ve observed three stereotypical couples. They represent three states, probably not linear stages but more likely three paths with three different destinations.

The Blameless Dictator Our first example can be found on any vessel, but I like to imagine most people with boats much nicer than mine fall into this bucket. The captain in this stereotypical couple is usually male, but not always. When docking, the captain is a blameless dictator who remains planted at the helm. He shouts orders, often in a condescending way, and blames everyone else for whatever is happening to the boat. The deckhand runs around, attempting inhuman feats of strength in an ever-changing situation as new orders and admonishments are issued. In the worst case, that deckhand has long ago run out of the will to hustle, or lacks the physicality to do so, and watches helplessly as the boat scrapes its way down the finger. Often any particular line is referred to as “The rope…No, not that rope!” All other docking instruments such as cleats, boathooks and fenders fall under the “That thingy…No, the other thingy!” designation. There are a few reasons beyond the obvious why this is a bad strategy. The blameless dictator often does not know why the boat is behaving as it is. Having not grasped all the forces at play and the subtleties – or not-so-subtleties – of prop-walk, he covers for his own inadequacies by blaming the deckhand, explaining to everyone who has gathered – to pulling on docklines and kick off gunwales, how she wasn’t able to lasso a piling from 20 feet away or act as a fulcrum to swing a 14,000-pound vessel against the current. After assigning any failures to those around him, the captain comes to believe his blameless nature, which is reinforced with each recalling of the event. In the long run, the real failure of this system is that the captain never realizes he’s awful at docking, doesn’t practice, and doesn’t seek information or help.

Too many boats are seldom used, the author reckons, because a lot of sailing couples haven’t mastered the nuances of incident-free docking.

There is a temptation to assume that this captain is a tyrant on land and the deckhand is always put upon, but that’s certainly not always the case. Many of these couples have great communication and interact positively outside of docking, but the worst comes out when the gelcoat’s in jeopardy. Beyond the captain not accepting responsibility for docking, the deckhand experiences increasing frustration at being admonished for things outside of their control…by the person actually responsible for smacking the dock. The boat gets used less and less, and unless it serves as a dockside escape this couple will probably leave boating, although that’s not always the case. I often see couples that have been doing “the blameless dictator” for over 20 years by the looks of it, and plan to continue on well beyond the grave. I envy them a little; those captains without fault who know the failure of the boat to go upon its set course is due to the poor job everyone else is doing.

The Static Duo The next typical couple is the effective, but none-too-adaptable, static duo. They have perfected pulling into and out of their home slip and have a great system for cleating lines and placing fenders. Floating docks make this process easier. And if the boat is kept on a mooring, fairly competent sailors can fall into the static duo category when docking. This couple is reasonably confident because docking has become easy where they keep the boat, but that changes once they start cruising and need to pull it in somewhere new. This also goes for fair weather sailors who have only gone out on bluebird days and don’t know what to do when a crosswind kicks up. Communication is clear as long as the situation is familiar, but new roles aren’t clear once something new happens or plans change. I’ve found that the more I learn about seamanship and sailing in particular, the less I perceive myself to know in general. There’s no better way to build false confidence then by having a string of successful dockings, without waves, wind or strong current, only to discover on a rough day, when you’d very much like

22 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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to be back at the dock, that the captain and crew lack the skill to dock safely in adverse conditions. Once things start going wrong, the captain can devolve to something close to the blameless dictator, but with one small difference. The deckhand in the static duo isn’t used to being assailed with orders like a maggot in boot camp. The deckhand’s reaction will most likely be to also lose their preverbal “stuff,” and chaos ensues. Once that confidence – and possibly that relationship – is shattered, boating becomes a less enjoyable experience…because what if it happens again? Sailing is full of difficult situations that can shatter one’s sense of competency, which is very hard for some. These folks seem to prefer to maintain their perceived high level of confidence by not leaving the dock anymore. Small tasks and a never-ending list of little but plausible excuses keep the boat safe in port, but as John A. Shedd told us, that’s not what boats are built for. I have only a short time scale of observation and thus cannot compare the current state of boat utilization to any wonderful yesteryear, but it seems to me that most boats are rarely used. I often wake with a start in a cold sweat, thinking about all the passionate sailors who spent lots of money on a boat and continue to maintain it at great cost in time and treasure but don’t really use it. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation, but I suspect that the real reason is fear and intimidation caused by a bad docking experience.

The Competent Couple This brings us to our final couple. They may sound like a prototype, but I have witnessed a benevolent few who walk like Tolkien’s elves in the land of filthy, fallen humans. In these competent couples the female is usually the captain, though not always. Either individual is capable of helming, with whoever’s at the helm taking full responsibility for what’s happening to the vessel. Commands from the captain are quick, if at all, as both are situationally aware of the wind, current, boat position and speed as well as the rudder angle. Words like “port bow spring” and “breast cleat” accompany orders. When these two are working together, rarely are docklines pulled or pilings pushed off of. The helmsman positions the vessel so they can tie off to windward, securing lines calmly and quickly. Typically, both adjust docklines once the boat is in position. The competent couple doesn’t think they are good at docking, by the standards they have for themselves. This means that instead of steaming hard into the marina, they might slow down and strategize before getting into a tight space. If they’re in a strange port – or on an unfamiliar vessel – they might grab a mooring and scout with a dinghy to learn about tidal current and space to maneuver once inside. This couple was not born good at docking, but they worked on it. When things do not go right there are no blame games, but it’s understood that the person at the helm is responsible so no blame need be assigned. They discuss the play of the current and wind, along with prop-walk. The effectiveness of the rudder at certain speeds is tested, and each person makes a mental note of how much water speed is required to come about into the wind when getting into position. Mistakes are internalized, and problems are practiced instead of avoided. The challenges of docking become skills to master, not dread or plan around. The exceptional sailing couple makes docking as easy as possible for themselves, possibly even swapping out their inboard diesel engine with its slow-shifting gearbox for an electric inboard. With a direct drive reduction gear, an electric motor changes from forward to reverse instantly without risk of stalling, and all of its torque is available from zero rpm. Those exceptional sailor types can go to captineer.com to get more information on electric auxiliary power. I’ve found the best experiences are often the most challenging. Docking is an exception to this. It’s easy to screw up, and doing it properly goes unnoticed, but it’s the bookend for where we want to be: on the water, sailing. With that goal in mind, I’d like to encourage everyone to dock with consideration. To captains, I’ll add that consideration extends to the crew. If you’re even a little bit of an ass, particularly at the end of a day of sailing, that’ll be what the crew remembers. And that just might result in yet another boat resting in berth on beautiful days. ■ Derek Rupe is the founder and president of Captineer, a New London, CT-based company specializing in electric auxiliary power for sailboats. To learn more, log onto captineer.com.

24 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

book reviews. “We’re All On the Journey”

A Compilation of the E-mailed Reports from the Otter By Brechin Lee Morgan Published by OtterNews Publishing 284 pages paperback $19.95 Casting off his docklines at Ballard’s Dock on Block Island on November 12, 1998, Brechin Morgan departed on a solo, east-towest circumnavigation of the Earth aboard his 27-foot pacific Seacraft Orion Otter. Completing his voyage on May 17, 2003, Morgan tossed the first of those four lines to his wife Sandy, who was waiting at Ballard’s. The second line was tossed to his parents, John Brechin Morgan and Alice Getchell Morris, followed by the third to his children, Laura and Scott, and the fourth to his grandchildren, “little” Brechin, Tyler and Eric. Raising a pint of Guinness to cheers from hundreds of friends who had gathered to greet him, Morgan said, “During this trip I made a connection to sailors from long ago and far away.” Indeed, the affable solo circumnavigator has a strong connection to the first person to sail around the world alone. Morgan’s grandmother knew Joshua Slocum, and in 1909 he gave her a small bottle of seashells he’d collected. Morgan brought that bottle around the world on Otter. A very talented artist, Morgan recorded his voyage with sketches and watercolors, selling many along the way to help fund a trip that he completed on a shoestring budget. Although he was more focused on adventuring than filing reports after leaving the Pacific, this “Editor’s Commemorative, Homecoming Edition” recounts Morgan’s trip from Milford, Connecticut to Block, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, Aruba, Panama, the Galapagos Islands, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Bora Bora, the Cook Islands, Tonga and New Zealand. Morgan received the Joshua Slocum Society’s Golden Circle Award, which is presented to sailors who have made a fully documented solo circumnavigation of the world. An enjoyable read for aspiring circumnavigators and armchair sailors alike, “We’re All On the Journey” (also available as a Kindle edition) can be purchased at Amazon.com. Brec Morgan has worked as an oysterman and a sign shop owner, and he’s currently a professional artist renowned for his masterful use of color. His studio is located in Bridgeport, CT, and he and his wife Sandy live in nearby Milford. To view Morgan’s online portfolio – and perhaps commission an original painting – log onto brecmorgan.com. ■ 26 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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Tides

The Science and Spirit of the Ocean By Jonathan White Foreword by Peter Matthiessen Published by Trinity University Press 368 pages hardcover $24.95 Growing up on the beaches of Southern California, author Jonathan White enjoyed surfing, diving, sailing and fishing, but it wasn’t until he nearly lost his boat, a 65-foot wooden schooner, after running aground on a spring tide in Alaska that he vowed to learn more about our planet’s most inexorable force and how it affects many aspects of human existence. White visited five continents during a decade of research for Tides. He raced the Silver Dragon, a 25-foot tidal bore on China’s Qiantang River; dove under Arctic ice to harvest mussels; spoke with monks living in the Mont Saint-Michel monastery in France, and witnessed the threat of sea level rise in Venice and Panama and the promise of tidal power generation in Chile and Scotland. Particularly enlightening is a conversation with Greg Long – regarded by many as the most prepared big wave surfer in the world – who very nearly lost his life at Cortes Bank, an underwater seamount 100 miles off the coast of Southern California. Jonathan White has built and sailed many boats, logged more than 100,000 miles on the Pacific and Atlantic, and surfed all over the world. An active marine conservationist, he lives with his wife and son on Orcas Island, WA. White enjoys speaking to audiences of all kinds, and he’s given talks and keynote presentations at museums, aquariums, yacht clubs, government institutions, book clubs, writing conferences, grade schools, bookstores and universities. He’s speaking in New York City this month, with presentations at The Explorers Club on April 3 (open to the public), New York Yacht Club (April 4; private), and Hudson River Community Sailing (April 5; open to the public). For more information, visit jonathanwhitewriter.com. ■

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WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

sound environment.

New York to Build Nation’s Second and Largest Offshore Wind Power Project

By Catherine Bowes, National Wildlife Federation Senior Manager for Climate & Energy On January 25, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Board of Trustees voted to approve a contract for the South Fork Wind Farm, a 90-megawatt (MW) project that will produce enough clean, local energy to power 50,000 homes. The project’s 15 turbines will be built 30 miles east of Montauk, New York, in an area of federal waters already leased for wind energy development. Most importantly to National Wildlife Federation, developer Deepwater Wind has a strong record of positive stakeholder engagement and environmental protection in the development of their projects – including working closely with us and our partners to take additional steps to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales at their historic Block Island Wind Farm completed last year. In just a few years, we will look back on this vote by the Long Island Power Authority as one of the pivotal decisions that launched American offshore wind power, a new wildlife-friendly clean energy industry that will create tens of thousands of jobs and

Deepwater Wind’s Block Island Wind Farm (pictured) is now fully operational. The company is moving ahead with plans to build a 15-turbine project in the waters east of Montauk, NY that will provide clean, locally produced electricity for 50,000 homes. © dwind.com

supply pollution-free electricity right where we need it. The National Wildlife Federation applauds Governor Cuomo and LIPA for this bold leadership in seizing the golden opportunity far off our shores to protect our communities and wildlife from climate change. For years, LIPA and New York Governor Cuomo have received overwhelming support for offshore wind power from

28 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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environmental, business, labor, public health, and civic organizations, as well as elected officials on Long Island and across the state. NWF and our state affiliate, Environmental Advocates of New York, have been proud to stand with this powerful coalition, which released this celebratory statement today praising LIPA’s leadership.

American Offshore Wind is Taking Off As we recently highlighted, 2016 was by far the “Best Year Ever for American Offshore Wind Power” – with the nation’s first project coming online and a historic offshore wind policy passed in Massachusetts. With New York’s strong leadership right out of the gate, 2017 is already well on track to take that title. The LIPA vote comes just two weeks after Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State speech, where he made a bold commitment to offshore wind power as a key strategy for meeting New York’s goal of producing 50 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. In addition to supporting the South Fork Wind Farm, Governor Cuomo has committed the Empire State to developing enough offshore wind power to supply 1.25 million homes (2,400 MW). Together, these strategic commitments from New York and Massachusetts will create a regional market for 4,000 MW of offshore wind power, positioning the Northeast to become a hub for a rapidly growing industry that will create tens of thousands of jobs across a range of sectors and ensure a reliable, affordable supply of pollution-free electricity for decades to come. This is not just good for the environment, it is also great news for our

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economy: offshore wind power prices are dropping dramatically overseas where this booming, mature industry currently supports over 75,000 jobs.

And It’s Great News for Wildlife, too For over 6 years, NWF has worked closely with offshore wind developers and conservation partners to ensure this clean energy solution becomes a pillar of America’s energy future – and one that models careful protection of marine and coastal wildlife every step of the way. We were proud to endorse America’s first project – the Block Island Wind Farm – as a shining example of wildlife-friendly energy development, and have high hopes for Deepwater Wind’s second project. In addition to taking extra precautions to protect endangered whales during the construction of the Block Island Wind Farm, Deepwater Wind has signed multiple agreements with NWF and our partners to take a similar approach to ensuring wildlife are protected in the area that will host the South Fork Wind Farm as well as in the Mid-Atlantic region where they have proposed a third project, the Skipjack Wind Farm. Looking forward, NWF will continue to work closely with Deepwater Wind and all offshore wind developers to ensure that the highest standards of wildlife protection continue to guide America’s pursuit of this critically needed clean energy source. Help us keep up this momentum! Our state leaders along the coast need to hear a resounding call to action to harness the power of offshore wind and to keep wildlife at the table every step of the way. ■

WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

from the captain of the port

Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your Engines! By Vincent Pica Commodore, First District, Southern Region (D1SR) United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Back in the fall, we talked about how to get the boat ready for a long, cold and dank winter. Time and tide are now on our side. Here on Long Island’s East End, most bay constables allow moorings back in the water as of April 1 – and the weather will turn our way, too. So, before you start your engines, ready the boat!

Getting Started As with any project, the beginning is the best place to start and for “commissioning” (i.e. getting the boat ready for service), the beginning is the front of the boat. For those that trailer their boats, the front of the boat is the trailer. Who wants to go flying down Route 27 and see their boat doing somersaults along the side of the road? How do you prevent that? Well, start with the strap that comes out of the winch. Connected to the bow eye, it is the first line of defense. Pay out a few feet and make sure that there aren’t any frayed or torn segments. If there are, you will need to cut out that entire segment and re-attach the strap. If you aren’t sure how, and you need to be since this strap is the first line of defense, get help from a competent mechanic or dock master. While you’re at it, why not spray the winch and all the moving parts with some penetrating oil. Pay out the entire strap if need be, and re-coil it up so that you are sure you get a good covering of the moving parts with penetrating oil. Take a walk around the boat and be sure the tie-down straps are all equally in good shape. If not, replace them. As to the boat itself now, open the anchor locker and flake out the anchor rode (the line and chain attaching the anchor to the “eye” in the bottom of your anchor locker) and lay the anchor “on the hard.” Again, check the shackles, as well as the rode itself, for excessive wear. Replace or repair, as needed. No sense having the boat float away one day because the anchor rode wore through or a shackle pin gave out. Be sure that the navigation lights (red and green) are working. If not, take the bulb to the marine hardware store and replace it – and buy spares. The gas is more expensive than a few extra bulbs… Your storage area(s) might be forward, so open them up and ensure that PFDs, tools, etc. are all in good condition. Check that there is no standing water in the compartment. If so, the “limber holes” are clogged and the water can’t get to the bilge to be pumped overboard. Every ounce of weight that wasn’t on the boat when it was manufactured changes its centers of buoyancy and gravity. In heavy seas, that just might matter a whole lot.

Next are the cockpit and the electronics. Disconnect them, spray the connectors with some “white grease,” reconnect and test the gear. If a connector is corroded, replace it. This all will keep salt in the air from penetrating your electronics. If you haven’t checked the PFDs yet, do it now. Check your whistle, your horn, your flares – any and all safety equipment. Don’t forget your fire extinguisher(s). If its gauge isn’t “in the green,” chuck it. Also, gently shake it side to side, head over end. If you hear a “thunk,” the dry chemical has solidified. It is now a good doorstop, but not much else. You should hear a low “Shhh” sound as the suppressant moves back and forth. Check the fuel tank. Is the “sender wire”(which runs from the top of the tank (usually) to the fuel gauge) in good condition? How about the filter? And check the fuel lines, too. Weak or cracked hoses must be replaced, along with rusted hose clamps. Be sure to buy stainless steel hose clamps. How are the battery and the clamps that attach to the posts? Just like a car, all this has to be in good condition. The engine is the most obvious component to ready for service. Change the oil – all the oil – including the oil down in the foot of the engine (if it’s an outboard). You’ll need a large straightslot screwdriver for the two screws (high and low) that have to be backed out, a bucket, and a quart of oil. Find all the grease fittings and gently pump new grease in until it comes out somewhere else. Don’t forget the steering cable fitting. Be sure that the oil dipstick is properly seated. By the way, if you do have trailer, check the tires and the lube the bearings. As with the engine grease, pump it in gently. Who wants to push out a seal? Reset the spark plug(s) in the engine before you put the cover back on – unless you are going to work on the prop. Some old models might start up when you turn the prop – and that will definitely ruin your Saturday. Once ready to start the boat, be sure it is in water! You need it for coolant! It will smoke at first from the fogging oil you laid in the fall, but that will quickly pass. OK, there are surely more things to do but you are well on your way to heading out to the high seas – or at least our bays and creeks. If you are interested in being part of the USCG Forces, email me at JoinUSCGAux@aol.com or go direct to the D1SR Human Resources department, who are in charge of new members matters, at d1south.org/StaffPages/DSO-HR.php and we will help you “get in this thing.” ■ Captain Andrew Tucci is the Captain of the Port and Sector Commander for US Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. Captain Tucci is responsible for all active-duty, reservist and auxiliary Coast Guard personnel within the Sector. As a Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary First District, Southern Region, Vin Pica works closely with Captain Tucci and his staff to promote boating safety in the waters between Connecticut, Long Island and 200 nautical miles offshore. Sector Long Island Sound Command Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 203-468-4401.

30 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

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The Boating Barrister Of Cherry Blossoms and Injured Sailors By John K. Fulweiler George Washington, the fellow that’s supposedly slept in every house from here to Virginia, lost four battles before he found his traction in Trenton with a beat-down on the Hessians. This persistence on his part is likely why he’s swaddled in the Edward Young quote: “Affliction is a good man’s shining time,” which words he wears well. I like that quote too, for the fact that it underscores the power of persistence. The Continental Army (as Washington’s ragged troops were referred to) were, if anything, equally persistent. They climbed in an out of long boats lugging cannons and horses, and marched along the Eastern seaboard leaving bloody footprints in the snow as shoes were in scarce supply. The accounts of these ordeals (even discounted for historical embellishment) are grim. Perhaps, and forgive an inartful pivot to a maritime topic, these experiences echoed down the halls of history so as to encourage Congress and the Courts to offer unique protections to sailors. The shifting nature of maritime work, the many foreign interests and the harsh conditions are as close as you might conjure to the sufferings of our Country’s first patriots. Maritime injuries are different than injuries suffered ashore. Not only are they easier to suffer (think pitching vessels and saltwater slick decks), but the remedies and processes to seek compensation are different. While I could lull you to sleep with legal curious, let’s focus on two issues you might have reason to remember in the future. First, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, crewmembers are and must remain wards of the admiralty Court. That is, the Court gives crewmembers special attention and protection. I’ve read a few things lately urging a change of course on this point and that’s flat-out boardroom talk, in my opinion. Oh, the platitudes begin, but sailors today are in a different spot what with protections afforded by modern technology, strong unions and well-run ships. Really? Not so, and the maritime Courts don’t seem to think so either. Sailors today, whether aboard the milelong gleaming decks of a yacht or chipping rust on a container ship, share the same common experience and risks. Both sets of maritime works are vulnerable in the same way and both are typically entitled to a host of maritime remedies. Still, the scope of these protections is not unlimited. In my experience, where there’s no overreaching, the Court is not going to unduly favor a crewmember to the prejudice of a ship

owner. The way I see it is that by tucking a crewmember under its judicial wing, the admiralty Court is simply making certain that the seas are even and the fight is fair. Second, and because baseball analogies seem right this time of year (in the voice of the Yankees announcer, John Sterling, please): “And the court goes Boom! It’s high, it’s far and ‘lo looks like the Supremes might be looking at this one next.” That’s right, a recent appellate decision reversing the jury’s decision in a Jones Act lawsuit tees up an issue that’s sort of academic, but dripping with real world implications. The Jones Act is a federal statute allowing a crewmember to sue his/her employer to recover for injuries. The issue in this appeal was whether a crewmember could seek damages under the Jones Act for an injury caused by excessive stress and an erratic sleep schedule. The appellate court said, “Nope, you need an injury caused by a physical peril to recover under the Jones Act handing the employer an appellate win.” An elegantly written dissent (meaning not every judge on the appeal court agreed with this outcome) neatly explains my problem with this outcome. The plaintiff pleaded and proved to a jury’s satisfaction that the corporation’s working environment which included average workdays of 16 hours caused physical damage to his heart. The jury, the dissenting opinion explains, was asked to identify whether the injury was “emotional” or “physical” and decided it was a “physical” injury. Deference, the dissent says, should’ve been given to the jury. Indeed, indeed. The Supreme Court might just gaff and drag this decision aboard for a good unfolding because the 11th Circuit’s reasoning conflicts with the reasoning of other appellate courts. On the other hand, after looking at it they might pass figuring it’s a foul ball into the stands with more pitches to come. You can read a copy of the decision on our website at saltwaterlaw.com. Underway and making way. ■

Sailors today, whether aboard the mile-long gleaming decks of a yacht or chipping rust on a container ship, share the same common experience and risks.

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John K. Fulweiler, Esq. is a Proctorin-Admiralty representing individuals and small businesses in maritime matters including personal injury claims throughout the East and Gulf Coasts and with his office in Newport, Rhode Island. He can be reached at 1-800-383-MAYDAY (6293), or visit his website at saltwaterlaw.com. WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

Calendar 2017 APRIL 1 One Day Race Management Seminar Cynthia Parthemos is the instructor for this US Sailing event. $45 fee includes course packet, online testing, coffee, tea, lunch and snacks. 8am - 5pm; Milford Yacht Club, Milford, CT; ussailing.org/ race-officials/find-a-seminar/ race-officer-seminar-calendar/ 1 One Day Race Management Seminar Sandy Grosvenor is the instructor for this US Sailing event. $60 fee includes course packet, online testing and lunch. 8am - 5pm; American Yacht Club, Rye, NY; ussailing.org/race-officials/finda-seminar/race-officer-seminarcalendar/ 1 Western Long Island Sound Lighthouse Cruise Venture out on the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk’s hybridelectric research vessel Spirit of the Sound™ for an close-up look at eight historic lighthouses: Peck Ledge, Greens Ledge, Sheffield Island, Harbor Ledge, Great Captain Island, Execution Rocks, Sands Point, Stepping Stones and Eaton’s Neck. Maritime Aquarium educators will offer details, histories and anecdotes about the lighthouses, and also point out visiting winter waterfowl. Binoculars will be provided. The vessel has a climate-controlled cabin, but the best view’s on deck so bring plenty of warm

7pm presentation; $25 ($10 members; $5 with valid academic ID); The Explorers Club, New York, NY; explorers.org; jonathanwhitewriter.com

clothes. Passengers must be over 42” tall. The 7-hour cruise departs at 9am. $75 ($65 for Aquarium members); advance reservations are required. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, CT; 203-852-0700, ext. 2206; maritimeaquarium.org 1 Beach Cleanup at Bailey’s Brook This event is one of many volunteer opportunities with Clean Ocean Access, a non-profit organization taking “action today so future generations can enjoy ocean activities.” 12pm - 2pm; Middletown, RI; *to confirm details before all COA events, call 401-236-2561, email info@cleanoceanaccess.org, or visit cleanoceanaccess.org. 1&2 Dellenbaugh Women’s Trophy This collegiate regatta is hosted by Brown and sailed in Z420s. Providence, RI; collegesailing.org 1&2 Lynne Marchiando Team Race This collegiate regatta is hosted by MIT and sailed in FJs and Fireflies. Boston, MA; collegesailing.org 1, 8, 22 & 29 Music of the Sea: Ballads, Chanteys, and Songs of the Sailor Sharpen your musical skills while exploring the rich connections between music and the sea. The class will culminate in a performance at the Museum’s Greenmanville Church. 10am - 12pm; $90 ($110 non-members); Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; call 860572-5331 to register; mysticseaport.org 3 Public Lecture Series with Jonathan White The writer, a sailor, surfer and environmental activist will give an illustrated talk and sign copies of his new book, Tides:The Science and Spirit of the Ocean. 6pm reception;

4 and ongoing until the fall On Land and Sea: A Century of Women in the Rosenfeld Collection Mystic Seaport’s exhibit of 70 photographs chronicles both the luxurious and the hardworking life of women in the 20th century as seen through the lenses of the Rosenfeld family of photographers. As part of the opening of the exhibition, Margaret Andersen Rosenfeld will sign copies of her book On Land and Sea on Saturday, March 4 from 10 - 11am in the Thompson Exhibition Building. The exhibit is located in the R.J. Schaefer Building at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org

5 A Presentation by Jonathan White In this Hudson River Community Sailing Tell Tales presentation, the writer, a sailor, surfer and environmental activist, will give an illustrated talk and sign copies of his new book, Tides:The Science and Spirit of the Ocean. 7pm; free and open

32 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

to the public; Pier 66 Boathouse, New York, NY; please visit hudsonsailing.org to RSVP; jonathanwhitewriter.com 6 Singles Under Sail - Meet the Skippers This event is at 7:30pm at Ponus YC, Stamford, CT. Single, social, love to sail or want to learn? SUS offers that and more! Regular meetings are held at The Doubletree Hotel in Norwalk, CT at 7:30pm on the first & third Thursdays during the summer. SUS skippers love to take members sailing. Check out SUS on Meetup, Facebook and singlesundersail.org. For more information, message or call 203-847-3456. 6 & 20 Shoreline Sailing Club meeting If you’re an active single over 35, this club’s activities include sailing, fishing, kayaking, dances, dockside parties, golfing, skiing and more. Meetings are held the first & third Thursdays of each month. 7:30pm; Westbrook Elks Lodge, Westbrook, CT; shorelinesailingclub.com 8 Beach Cleanup at Fort Adams This event is one of many volunteer opportunities with Clean Ocean Access, a non-profit organization taking “action today so future generations can enjoy ocean activities.” 12 - 2pm; Newport, RI; *to confirm details before all COA events, call 401-236-2561, email info@cleanoceanaccess.org, or visit cleanoceanaccess.org. 8&9 Greenwich Boat Show At the most unique in-water boat show in the Northeast, more than 100 boats will be presented by the area’s best dealers, and attendees can take advantage of free sea trials on Long Island Sound. 10am - 4pm; free admission; Greenwich Water Club, Cos Cob, CT; to preview the models on display and book sea trials in advance, visit greenwichboatshow.com.

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8&9 USCG Launch Operator’s License Course This 16-hour, hands-on course is for anyone who wants to learn how to safely operate a powerboat, improve their on-the-water boat handling skills and earn a U.S. Coast Guard (geographically) Limited Masters or a Limited Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) U.S. Coast Guard License. $350; Landfall Marine Training Center, Stamford, CT; 800-941-2219; landfallnavigation.com/uscglaunch.html Also offered 5/6 & 7, 6/10 & 11 and 7/22 & 23 8&9 Emily Wick Trophy This collegiate regatta is hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and sailed in FJs and Z420s. New London, CT; collegesailing.org 9 North U. Rules & Tactics Seminar Spend time with Dave Perry and the new Racing Rules for 2017-2020. 8:30am - 4:30pm; Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club, Branford, CT; Francine Wainer: 203-245-0727; Francine.Wainer@northsails. com; northu.com 10 - 15 Les Voiles de Saint Barth 7th Edition With competition on the water and conviviality on the shore, this French and fabulous regatta attracts sailors from around the world. St. Barth, FWI; lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com 11 & 12 Pirate Days Follow clues on a treasure map to discover pirates and a hidden treasure. Learn about pirate history during a rousing performance of “Arrr You Ready To Be a Pirate?” See how pirates navigated at the High Seas Planetarium Show (3pm show; additional ticket required). Create your own pirate souvenir to take home, and play pirate games on the Village Green. There will be photo ops with pirates and high-spirited activities throughout the day. 10am windcheckmagazine.com

- 1pm; admission is free for Mystic Seaport members and $5 per child (plus museum admission for non-members. Please call 860-572-0711 to register. Planetarium shows are $3 for members ($4 non-members), and kids 5 and younger are free. Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org 13 Across Three Oceans In this Mystic Seaport Adventure Series presentation, Lenore & Ralph Naranjo will discuss how they turned an interest in club racing and overnight cruising into a five-year family voyage around the world.1:30 and 7:30pm; $15 for museum members ($20 non-members); students are admitted free; *The afternoon program will be held at The River Room at Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern, Mystic, CT and the evening program will be held at Stonebridge Retirement Community, Mystic, CT; call 860-572-5331 to purchase tickets; mysticseaport.org 15 Beach Cleanup at Corys Lane This event is one of many volunteer opportunities with Clean Ocean Access, a non-profit organization taking “action today so future generations can enjoy ocean activities.” 12 - 2pm; Portsmouth, RI; *to confirm details before all COA events, call 401-236-2561, email info@cleanoceanaccess.org, or visit cleanoceanaccess.org. 15 Central Long Island Sound Lighthouse Cruise This 5-hour cruise aboard the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk’s hybrid-electric research vessel Spirit of the Sound will make close passes by five beacons: Peck Ledge, Greens Ledge, Sheffield Island, Penfield Reef, and Stratford Shoal. Maritime Aquarium educators will offer details, histories and anecdotes about the lighthouses, and also point out visiting winter waterfowl. Binoculars will be provided. The vessel has a climate-controlled cabin, but the best view’s on deck so bring plenty of warm clothes. Passengers must be WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

APRIL Continued over 42” tall. The 5-hour cruise departs at 10am. $70 ($60 for Aquarium members); advance reservations are required. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, CT; 203-852-0700, ext. 2206; maritimeaquarium.org 15 & 16 President’s Trophy Women’s This collegiate regatta is hosted by Boston University and sailed in FJs. Boston, MA; collegesailing.org

15 & 16 Thompson Trophy This collegiate regatta is hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and sailed in FJs and Z420s. New London, CT; collegesailing.org 16 Sea Shanty Session Led by the Folk Music Society of New York, this program offers a great opportunity to experience authentic, time-honored maritime songs in an appropriately historic setting. The sessions are free and family friendly, and you are encouraged to sing along if the mood strikes you! 2- 5pm; Noble Maritime Collection, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, NY; noblemaritime.org 18 - 20 Sailing The Collegiate Dinghies This 3-day clinic is for high school & college sailors who are fairly experienced with racing dinghies and are looking for the next level of refinement to their speed and handling skills. Crimson Sailing Academy, Cambridge, MA;

crimsonsailingacademy.com

SC; charlestonraceweek.com

20 Singles Under Sail - Program meeting Single, social, love to sail or want to learn? SUS offers that and more! This meeting and other regular meetings are held at The Doubletree Hotel in Norwalk, CT at 7:30pm on the first & third Thursdays during the summer. SUS skippers love to take members sailing. Check out SUS on Meetup, Facebook and singlesundersail.org. For more information, message or call 203-847-3456.

21 - 23 US Sailing Match Racing Championship Qualifier (Grade 3) and Clinic A clinic led by Dave Perry is Friday, and the Qualifier is Saturday & Sunday. (The US Sailing Match Racing Championship for the Prince of Wales Bowl will be held at Oakcliff October 13 15.) Oakcliff Sailing, Oyster Bay, NY; Bill Simon: 516-802-0368; bsimon@oakcliffsailing.org; oakcliffsailing.org

20 - 23 22nd Annual Sperry Charleston Race Week Enjoy springtime fun and competition in the #1 city in the world (according to the readers of Travel & Leisure magazine), with three days of racing in 18 classes, four nights of beach parties, free daily race debriefs and seminars, and a heapin’ helpin’ of Southern hospitality. Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, Mt. Pleasant,

22 McMichael Spring Boat

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Show A variety of new and select brokerage sail- and powerboats will be on display. McMichael Post Road Yard, Mamaroneck, NY; Rain date is April 23. McMichaelYachtBrokers.com 22 The Gulf Stream: A Navigator’s Perspective Led by instructor W. Frank Bohlen, this three-hour course includes a discussion of the navigational challenges of the Stream and Florida currents, hands-on exercises and selected readahead materials. 6 - 9pm; $100; Landfall Marine Training Center, Stamford, CT; 800-941-2219; landfallnavigation.com/navigategulf-stream-weather.html 22 North U. Rules & Tactics Seminar Spend time with Todd Berman and the new Racing Rules for 2017-2020. 8:30am - 4:30pm; The Dinghy Shop, Amityville, NY; Francine Wainer: 203-245-0727; Francine.Wainer@northsails.com; northu.com

22 Beach Cleanup at Cliff Walk (Marine Avenue) This event is one of many volunteer opportunities with Clean Ocean Access, a nonprofit organization taking “action today so future generations can enjoy ocean activities.” 12 2pm; Newport, RI; *to confirm details before all COA events, call 401-236-2561, email info@ cleanoceanaccess.org, or visit cleanoceanaccess.org. 22 & 23 Admiral’s Cup This collegiate regatta is hosted by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and sailed in 420s, FJs and Lasers. Kings Point, NY; collegesailing.org 22 & 23 Boston Dinghy Club Challenge Cup This collegiate regatta is hosted by Harvard and MIT and sailed in FJs and Fireflies. Boston, MA; collegesailing.org

22 & 23 George E. Morris Trophy This collegiate regatta is hosted by Boston University and sailed in FJs. Boston, MA; collegesailing.org 23 Sound-Off! Sponsored in part by the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, this is a hands-on afternoon of exploring importance of the Sound. Clean up a mock oil spill, touch live critters, learn how to help nesting sea birds, see ways to fertilize for better storm water management, try water monitoring, train for alewife monitoring, and learn about marine biodiversity. 12 - 4pm; free; The Whaling Museum & Education Center, Cold Spring Harbor, NY; cshwhalingmuseum.org 29 20th Annual New York Harbor Sailing Foundation Sailors Ball This black tie gala celebrates the start of the new sailing season and raises money for Operation Optimist,

the largest junior sailing program in New York Harbor. 9pm - 1am; The Down Town Association, New York, NY; nyharborsailing.com/sailors-ball 29 Herreshoff Marine Museum /America’s Cup Hall of Fame Opening Day Bristol, RI; herreshoff.org 29 Laser Lagoon Regatta Nyack Boat Club, Nyack, NY; nyackboatclub.org 29 & 30 Lightning Class Spring Championship Columbia Sailing Club, Columbia, SC; lightningclass.org 29 - 5/5 50th Antigua Sailing Week Antigua, BWI; sailingweek.com 29 & 30 and 5/6 & 7 38th Annual AYC Spring Series Regatta One-Design, IRC & PHRF; American Yacht

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April 2017

APRIL

MAY

Continued

4 Singles Under Sail - Knot Tying and Boating Safety This event is held at Flotilla 72 in Norwalk, CT at 7:30pm. Single, social, love to sail or want to learn? SUS offers that and more! This meeting and other regular SUS meetings are held at The Doubletree Hotel in Norwalk, CT at 7:30pm on the first and third Thursdays during the summer. SUS skippers love to take members sailing. Check out SUS on Meetup, Facebook and singlesundersail.org. For more information, message or call 203-847-3456.

Club, Rye, NY; yachtscoring.com; americanyc.org 30 Peter Milnes Memorial Regatta This event, hosted by Laser Fleet 413 and Sail Newport, honors the man who founded Fleet 413 in 1988. Newport, RI; newportlaserfleet.org

4 & 18 Shoreline Sailing Club meeting If you’re an active single over 35, this club’s activities include sailing, fishing, kayaking, dances, dockside parties, golfing, skiing and more. Meetings are held the first & third Thursdays of each month. 7:30pm; Westbrook Elks Lodge, Westbrook, CT; shorelinesailingclub.com

5-7 Connecticut Spring InWater Boat Show Produced by WindCheck and sponsored by Brewer Essex Island Marina, Essex Boat Works and the Yacht Brokers Association of America, this is an in-water boutique show featuring sail- & powerboats with sea trial opportunities. Parking and admission are free, and this is a great personal event to see boats and talk with dealers and manufacturers. Hours are 1 - 7pm Friday and 10am - 5pm Saturday & Sunday. Brewer Essex Island Marina, Essex, CT; CTSpringBoatShow.com

5-7 Build a Model Boat With Clint Chase Under the tutelage of the founder of Chase Small Craft, you’ll build your own quarter-scale boat model of the classic, beautiful Echo Bay Dory Skiff. The 35-inch model is designed to be built just like the real boat. $100 + tuition. Snow Farm, Williamsburg, MA; register at 413-268-3101 or snowfarm. org; chase-small-craft.com 6 7th Annual Connecticut River Dinghy Distance Race Open to Lasers, Force 5s, Sunfish, MC Scows, JY/15s, Hobies, and all other monohulls and multihulls with an accurate Portsmouth Yardstick rating, this fun race has a course of approximately 10.5 nm from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, CT downstream to Calves Island and back upstream to the finish just south of Brockway Island off Hamburg Cove. Awards ceremony (trophies to the top three finishers in single-handed, crewed & multihull divisions) at Pettipaug Yacht Club in Essex. Contact Dan Rennie at

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danrenniect@gmail.com or visit facebook.com. ConnecticutRiverDinghyDistanceRace

6 Return to the River This Hudson River Community Sailing event brings together students & families in the HRCS youth development programs, adult sailing club members, and the general public. Students will bless, launch and sail the wooden boats they’ve built during the winter, volunteers and staff will offer short sailing lessons free of charge, and there will be maritime-themed workshops, food & music. 9am - 5pm; free; Pier 66 Boathouse, New York,

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NY; hudsonsailing.org 9 Women’s Western Long Island Sound Supper Series begins American YC, Riverside YC, Larchmont YC and Indian Harbor YC; yralis.org 9 Women’s Eastern Long Island Sound Supper Series begins Black Rock YC, Norwalk YC, Noroton YC and Pequot YC; yralis.org 9 Breakwater Irregulars Tuesday Night Spring Series begins Stamford, CT; breakwaters.org 10 EBYRA Wednesday Night Race Series begins Eastchester Bay Yacht Racing Association, City Island, NY; ebyra.com 10 Black Rock Harbor Wednesday Night Series

begins Black Rock Yacht Club and Fayerweather Yacht Club, Bridgeport, CT; blackrockyc.org; fycct.org 10 Pequot Yacht Club Wednesday Night Series begins Southport, CT; pequotyc.com 10 & 11 Spring Arts & Crafts Show Presented by East Coast Craft Shows and sponsored by the Downtown Milford Business Association, this popular event features a large display of professional artists and crafts for enjoyment and purchase, exhibits by local businesses and non-profit organizations, and food vendors on the picturesque downtown Milford Green. Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 10 am - 4pm; free; Milford, CT; downtownmilfordct.com 11 Cow Bay Cruising Association Thirsty Thursday Night Series begins Port

Washington, NY 11 Can One Thursday Night Series begins New Rochelle, NY; canone.org 11 Riverside Yacht Club Thursday Night Series begins Riverside, CT; riversideyc.org 13 62nd Annual Distance Race “The Edlu,” a 32-mile race from Larchmont Breakwater to Gong 11B off Eaton’s Neck and back, is open to IRC & PHRF boats (IRC DoubleHanded, PHRF Spinnaker & Non-Spinnaker divisions with sufficient entries). Larchmont Yacht Club, Larchmont, NY; racecommittee@larchmontyc. org; larchmontyc.org 13 Alfred Roosevelt Cup Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, NY; seawanhaka.org

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April 2017

MAY Continued 13 Thames Yacht Club Marine Tag Sale & Open House This family boating club is accepting applications for new members & moorings. 10am - 3pm; 396 Pequot Ave, New London, CT; thamesyc.org 14 Captain Harbor Yacht Racing Association Sunday Series begins Belle Haven YC, Indian Harbor YC, Riverside YC and Old Greenwich YC; yralis.org 16 10th Annual Dark ‘n’ Stormy Benefit Proceeds from this event, featuring music and dancing with Men or Myth, food, open bar & unique raffle prizes, support Hudson River Community Sailing’s youth development programs with New York City public schools. 7 - 10pm; Pier 66 Maritime (The

Frying Pan) inside Hudson River Park, New York, NY; tickets at hudsonsailing.org 17 LHYC Summer Series begins Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club; lhyc.org 17 IHYC Wednesday Night Twilight Series begins Indian Harbor Yacht Club, Greenwich, CT; indianharboryc.com 18 Singles Under Sail - Meet the Skippers Single, social, love to sail or want to learn? SUS offers that and more! This meeting and other regular SUS meetings are held at The Doubletree Hotel in Norwalk, CT at 7:30pm on the first and third Thursdays during the summer. SUS skippers love to take members sailing. Check out SUS on Meetup, Facebook and singlesundersail.org. For more information, message or call 203-847-3456.

20 Hands-On Safety at Sea Seminar Presented by the Storm Trysail Foundation, this event will follow an interactive curriculum where attendees fire distress flares, put out fires, learn damage control, set storm sails, and rescue a man overboard, and more. The seminar is open to racers & cruisers and sail- & powerboaters. SUNY Maritime College, Bronx, NY; for more information and to register, visit stormtrysailfoundation.org 20 108th Annual Henry E. Abbott Memorial NYAC Stratford Shoal Race New York Athletic Club Yacht Club, New Rochelle, NY; nyac.org 20 The Geartester Indian Harbor Yacht Club, Greenwich, CT; indianharboryc.com 20 & 21 LHYC Race for the Case Spring Series The prize for the best overall performance

in this regatta is a case of rum. Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club, NY; lhyc.org 20 - 26 Fifth Annual Huntington Safe Boating Week Presented by the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs, this event kicks off the boating season with safety at the forefront. Activities include a Waterfront Festival at Mill Dam Park (May 21), safe boating classes, lectures and seminars, courtesy vessel safety inspections, free boat tours of the harbor, and more. Huntington, NY; HuntingtonSafeBoatingWeek.com 21 Circumnavigate the Island of Staten This National Lighthouse Museum cruise passes under four bridges – Bayonne, Goethals, Outerbridge and Verrazano – and follows the New York & New Jersey shorelines along the Arthur Kill. Presenters will be aboard to talk about the notable sights. 1 4pm (rain or shine); $60 adults,

Floating Dock Mooring Space Available in 2017 Milford Harbor, Milford, CT      

Docks Secured with Helix Anchors & Seaflex Lines Walk to Restaurants, Shops & Train Station Dinghy Launch Area/Space Available Boats up to 42’ $25 per ft. for the Season Free Pump-out Service

City of Milford Harbor Management Commission Milford Lisman Landing 203-882-5049 38 April 2017 WindCheck Magazine

windcheckmagazine.com

$40 for ages 10 and under, $50 military and seniors (62+). Pier 1 (adjacent to the National Lighthouse Museum), Staten Island, NY; 718-390-0040; lighthousemuseum.org 21 & 22 LYC Sport Boat Grand Prix This regatta is open to sport boats of all types. Larchmont Yacht Club, Larchmont, NY; larchmontyc.org

Island, RI and back to Stamford is a qualifier for the Northern Ocean Racing Trophy (IRC), the Double Handed Ocean Racing Trophy (IRC), the New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF), and the Gulf Stream Series (IRC), as well as the YRALIS Caper, Sagola and Windigo trophies and the ‘Tuna’ Trophy for the best combined IRC scores in the Edlu (40%) and the Block Island Race (60%). stormtrysail.org

24 NYC Wednesday Evening Series begins Norwalk Yacht Club, Norwalk, CT; norwalkyachtclub.com 24 CPYC Wednesday Night Series begins Cedar Point Yacht Club, Westport, CT; cedarpointyc.org 26 72nd Annual Block Island Race First held in 1946 and presented by the Storm Trysail Club, this 186-nautical mile race from Stamford, CT, around Block

to Nantucket, weekend revelry and a return race, The Figawi raises funds for several charities. Hyannisport and Nantucket, MA; figawi.com 26 - 29 Carl Van Duyne Advanced Racing Clinic This event is open to all Laser, Laser Radial, I420 and C420 sailors. Indian Harbor Yacht Club, Greenwich, CT; indianharboryc.com; jsalis.org 27 King’s Cup Minuteman Yacht Club, Westport, CT; minutemanyc.com

26 - 29 46th Figawi Race Weekend presented by vineyard vines® Comprising a pursuit race from Hyannisport

YOU’RE WHAT ? YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE SOME GUY THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YOUR DOLLARS FOR SOME CAST IRON , ALUMINUM, PLYWOOD AND PLASTIC; ASSEMBLED TO MARGINAL CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS , THAT IS EXPOSDED 24 /365 TO UV RADIATION, 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURE EXTREMES, WHILE IMMERSED IN A CONSTANTLY MOVING ELECTROLYTE, WITH BOTH 120VAC AND 12VDC FREELY AVAILABLE, SUBJECT TO MULTI AXIS ORIENTATION AND SLAMMING LOADS, SUBMERGED OBJECTS . . . AND NOT HAVE JIM DIAS : MARINE SURVEYOR CONDUCT A THOROUGH Pre Purchase Survey first . . . . .

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28 WSC Pierce Invitational Regatta This Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association points race is sponsored by Windjammers Sailing Club. Milford, CT; windjammers.org 28 & 29 LYC Memorial Day OneDesign Regatta This event is open to Viper 640s, J/70s,

Etchells, IODS, Shields and S Boats. Larchmont Yacht Club, Larchmont, NY; larchmontyc.org 29 Mystic Seaport Decoration Day In this all-day event, the Museum of America and the Sea pays tribute to fallen Civil War soldiers. 9am- 5pm; Mystic, CT; mysticseaport.org 31 HHC Wednesday Night Series begins Hempstead Harbour Club, Glen Cove, NY; hempsteadharbourclub.com

Add your event to our print and online calendar by emailing to contactus@windcheckmagazine.com

by the 7th of the month.

Jamestown Moorings

Located at the entrance of Narragansett Bay just behind “Clingstone” the House on the Rocks, 1nm west of Newport & absolute tops in proximity to BI, MV & ACK. Jamestown Boat Yard has been granted permission to increase the size of our mooring field and have a number of seasonal moorings available for boats from

30’ to 80’.

Launch Service • Dinghy Dock • Upland Storage www.JBY.com Adeline at (401) 423-0600 or adeline@jby.com

"America’s Most Respected Name In Yacht Inspections" SM RECOMMENDED BY BOAT US ! Member all societies, ABYC, NFPA

windcheckmagazine.com

WindCheck Magazine

April 2017

These tide tables are predictions and are to be used as a reference only. The times of high and low are approximations and are affected, in part by onshore and offshore winds, full and new moons as well as changes in currents. Always use caution when entering or leaving any harbor and navigate in areas that are well marked. WindCheck assumes no liability due to the use of these tables.

Source: noaa.gov

The Battery, NY Port Washington, NY 4/1 4/1 4/1 4/2 4/2 4/2 4/2 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/6 4/6 4/6 4/7 4/7 4/7 4/7 4/8 4/8 4/8 4/8 4/9 4/9 4/9 4/9 4/10 4/10 4/10 4/10 4/11 4/11 4/11 4/11 4/12 4/12 4/12 4/12 4/13 4/13 4/13 4/13 4/14 4/14 4/14 4/14 4/15 4/15 4/15 4/16

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4/1 4/1 4/1 4/1 4/2 4/2 4/2 4/2 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/4 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/5 4/6 4/6 4/6 4/6 4/7 4/7 4/7 4/7 4/8 4/8 4/8 4/8 4/9 4/9 4/9 4/10 4/10 4/10 4/10 4/11 4/11 4/11 4/11 4/12 4/12 4/12 4/12 4/13 4/13 4/13 4/13 4/14 4/14 4/14 4/14 4/15 4/15 4/15 4/15

2:56 AM 9:27 AM 3:28 PM 9:42 PM 3:51 AM 10:31 AM 4:31 PM 10:50 PM 4:58 AM 11:54 AM 5:53 PM 12:22 AM 6:23 AM 1:16 PM 7:20 PM 1:48 AM 7:51 AM 2:27 PM 8:35 PM 2:57 AM 9:03 AM 3:28 PM 9:37 PM 3:56 AM 10:02 AM 4:22 PM 10:30 PM 4:48 AM 10:54 AM 5:11 PM 11:17 PM 5:37 AM 11:41 AM 5:57 PM 12:00 AM 6:22 AM 12:24 PM 6:39 PM 12:38 AM 7:03 AM 1:02 PM 7:16 PM 1:09 AM 7:39 AM 1:32 PM 7:44 PM 1:27 AM 8:06 AM 1:49 PM 7:55 PM 1:42 AM 8:20 AM 2:06 PM 8:15 PM 2:12 AM 8:43 AM 2:39 PM 8:48 PM