The Triton Vol. 7 No. 2

Plan to wait

USCG will review timeline to cut 500-ton license.

A4

Hot spot Triton Expo

Captains, crew find tools to improve. A12 Vol.7, No. 2

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TRITON SURVEY: Getting bids on a paint job We heard the charge at a meeting of Ft. Lauderdale marine business leaders: Yacht captains get seven or eight bids, then choose “the absolute lowest one.” Really? So we asked. The answers will likely surprise marine business leaders . More charts and the story, C1

10 or more – 0.9% 4 to 6 – 23.3% 2 to 3 – 75.9%

If you get quotes from vendors when it’s time to have a job done, how many will you get?

With the recent revision of pilotage regulations on Canada’s Pacific coast, let’s see how this move affects large private pleasure craft using western waters, and compare them with the pilotage regulations and ship movements on Canada’s Atlantic coast. Under the Transport Canada ministry, navigation is managed by a separate federally created Crown Corporation on each coast with responsibility for providing safe, efficient regional marine pilotage services. Each Pilotage Authority works in co-operation with ports, the shipping industry and other stakeholders. There are 17 compulsory pilotage regions on the Atlantic Coast and five regions on the Pacific Coast.

In January 2010, the Pacific Pilotage Authority (PPA) changed tonnage requirements, bringing British Columbia coastal regulations in line with Washington State pilot rules to the south and Alaska to its north. According to the latest PPA Regulation, section 9(1), “.... every pleasure craft over 500 gross tons is subject to compulsory pilotage.” PPA President and CEO, Kevin Obermeyer, emphasizes that the recent pleasure craft regulation change from 350 GRT to 500 GRT only applies to private yachts. “Any yacht that is engaged in charter operations with an advertised itinerary and passengers will require a pilot if over 350 GRT,” he says. By contrast, the Atlantic Pilotage Authority (APA) has not amended its regulations regarding pleasure yachts

Explaining your job to your boss

navigating the waters of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces since 1999 when the pilotage exemption was raised from 200 GRT to 500 GRT. “The only waiver from these regulations (applying to both commercial and non-commercial ships),” points out Captain David Fox, Director of Operations for APA, “would be if the vessel is in a rescue operation or in peril, or if a pilot is not available.” On the other coast, the PPA regulations do leave open the possibility of allowing pleasure craft larger than 500 GRT to request a waiver of pilotage requirements if the ship’s officers are Canadian or American having demonstrated a clear familiarity with local waters.

Employers hire you with clear expectations to fulfill a job. You do what is asked and they pay you. As you hold up your end of the bargain, and do it well, the boss may forget why he is writing you that monthly check. “Just what is it that you are doing for me, again?”, he asks. From the Bridge This month at Dorie Cox The Triton’s From the Bridge captains luncheon, we invited yacht captains to tell us what they do all day in their jobs, how they document their work and how they share the information with the people who want to know. “I take boats to exotic ports for repairs,” came a quick reply from a captain. “I fix toilets on elegant yachts,” another said. “I make lists and keep adding to them,” offered the next. As always in the monthly meeting, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. The attending captains are identified in a photograph accompanying this article on page 15. Everyone who works on a boat understands the never-ending task lists onboard. But the people who visit an immaculate and perfectly functioning yacht don’t ponder the behind-thescenes work that makes it so. When a boat is in good shape, there can be a perception that captains have their feet up with a cup of coffee, when in reality, the captains said, their job is continual. “When the owner comes, everything needs to be working,” said a captain. “I had the owner call for a surprise visit, but the boat was torn apart. He got to see us working and what it really takes.” “Yeah, it’s good to let the owner see a working boat, and let them climb over the crap also,” another captain added. A lot of owners have never seen

See PILOTAGE, page A10

See BRIDGE, page A15

PHOTO from Dave Roels

Rules updated on Atlantic, Pacific coasts By Alison Gardner

B1

May 2010

PILOTAGE IN CANADA

A British Columbia pilot boat underway.

Get up close to Italy’s offshore volcanos.

A May 2010

WHAT’S INSIDE

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Ducks in a row

Who’s in formation – and looking right smart? See page PHOTO/DORIE COX A16.

Advertiser directory C16 Boats / Brokers B13 Business A10 Calendar of events B17-18 Columns: Fitness C9 In the Galley C1 In the Stars A9 Latitude Adjustment A3 Nutrition C8 Personal Finance C15 Onboard Emergencies B2 Photography B16 Rules of the Road B1

Stew Cues Cruising Grounds Dockmaster Fuel prices Marinas / Shipyards Networking Q and A Networking photos News Photo Gallery Technology briefs Triton spotter Triton survey Write to Be Heard

C5 B1 B3 B5 B9-12 C3-4 C2 A4-8 A12-13,16 B5 B19 C1 A18-19

The Triton

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LATITUDE ADJUSTMENT

May 2010 A

Gratitude during tragedy shows level of professionalism You have to know the Hannons to understand the smile on their faces as they were rescued at sea after the 56foot Carver they were delivering caught fire. No matter what, they are all about laughter. So it was no surprise for us to see them smiling on television, laughing about their experience, Latitude making jokes Adjustment Lucy Chabot Reed about the rescue efforts. It doesn’t make them less professional, despite what television reporters and bloggers say. It’s what makes them our friends. After setting sail from Miami’s Haulover Inlet on the clear, sunny morning of April 6, Donald and Natalie went about their plans to round the state through Florida Bay en route to Naples. Instead, about an hour into their journey, they smelled smoke. It was 10 a.m. and they were a half-mile off Cape Florida light. Donald lifted the stairs and climbed down into the engine room. He saw flames and emptied two fire extinguishers on them, to no avail. In the midst of that, he popped his head above deck. “Honey,” he said, “we gotta go. Make a mayday call.” Natalie immediately dropped the anchor, noted the latitude and longitude, and made the call. Then they jumped in the water and swam away from the vessel. Rescue boats arrived about 15 minutes later. Those are the facts. Donald and Natalie’s version of the story, however, is filled with jokes,

one-liners and scenes related with exaggeration to keep listeners laughing. Take, for example, the response Natalie got to her mayday call. The person listening asked her to repeat the details of what kind of boat they were on. “What I wanted to tell him was that IT IS THE ONE ON FIRE,” she said, opening her eyes wide and tensing her hands. “But I didn’t. I told him again that it was a white, 56-foot Carver with two people onboard.” What gets lost through the humor is how knowledgeable these two are, how calmly they handled the incident, how much respect they have for the sea and how seriously they take their jobs. The fire that sent them into the water took less than 20 minutes to destroy the fiberglass yacht and everything on her. In the few minutes they had after the mayday call and before they jumped, Donald made the conscious decision to forgo the $5 life jackets that most small pleasure craft carry. While they may keep a person afloat, they are difficult to swim in. Instead, he grabbed something more practical. “I gave Natalie a throwable [seat cushion] that she could lay on and swim to shore,” he said. “I took the round fender for visibility.” They didn’t try for their personal belongings and couldn’t reach their ditch bag, blocked now by the stairs. Lost were all their forms of identification, their personal electronics, clothes and Natalie’s journal, a thick book that has chronicled much of her life with Donald. [To the snide comment of some faceless online person who criticized Natalie for taking time to grab her hat while foregoing her life jacket because she was worried about her hair, all I can

The Hannons talked about their experience abandoning ship at the Triton Expo in April. For more from that event, visit www.the-triton.com. PHOTO/SUE GEARAN, M/Y ANDREA V

say is “shut up.” Natalie always wears a hat while on the water.] “I always thought it would be the worst thing to have to abandon ship, but it wasn’t that bad,” Natalie said. “We were close to shore, the weather was nice and we were picked up really quick. Donald was great. He said, ‘Don’t worry, honey, I’ll get you to shore.’” The Hannons were picked up by two men in a center console but were transferred to four different vessels before heading to shore. They were transfered to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vessel, then to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission vessel, and finally to a Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue boat, which brought them ashore. That’s when the television madness began. But the jokes stop when the Hannons talk about the things television reporters got wrong. On the local news report, a fire-rescue official was shown saying he couldn’t hear the mayday call clearly because “they were screaming.” “I wasn’t screaming,” Natalie said calmly. “I don’t scream.” “That wasn’t us, that was someone

else calling in,” Donald said. While Natalie tells another reporter about making the mayday call, the video cuts to a shot of her cell phone. “She didn’t use her cell phone to make a mayday call,” Donald said. “She used the VHF.” And the Fox News anchor was confused why the two were smiling upon being rescued instead of having “a look of sheer terror” as she would have had. Natalie rightly responds that they are trained to handle such situations. But what about those smiles on their faces as they are being rescued? While they can’t recall exactly what was going on at that moment, the smiles were most likely relief that they would soon be pulled from the water, they said. “Either that, or I made some comment about Natalie’s wet T-shirt,” Donald quipped. “That’s what got us saved so quick.” Have you made an adjustment in your latitude recently? Let us know. Send news of your promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

A May 2010

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NEWS

The Triton

Proposed changes that may affect your licenses and more By Mark Grossetti Many captains and crew are on watch as the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security work through proposed changes that may affect 200-, 500- and 1,600-ton licenses, engineering licenses and more. There are many rumors flying around out there. Here are some facts: On Nov. 17, the U.S. Coast Guard proposed some regulation changes that may indeed do away with some 500 GT licenses. You can read the proposed changes at the Federal Register of that date at: www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/ fedreg/frcont09.html The key word is proposed changes. The public comments to the proposed changes were due to the USCG in February. In another Federal Register notice dated March 23, the USCG announced that it is revisiting the approach proposed Nov. 17. On March 23, the USCG publicly stated the following: “The United States ratified the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention), on June 10, 1991. On November 17, 2009, the Coast Guard published a NPRM [editor note: notice of proposed rule making] on the Implementation of the 1995 Amendments to the STCW Convention. The Coast Guard held five public

meetings and received a large number of comments to the rulemaking docket in response to the NPRM. “The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is currently developing amendments to the STCW Convention that are expected to be adopted at a diplomatic conference in June 2010. If adopted, these amendments will change the minimum training requirements for seafarers. They are expected to enter into force in accordance with Article XII of the Convention on Jan. 1, 2012 for all countries that are party to the STCW Convention. “In response to feedback we have received and to the expected adoption of the 2010 amendments to the Convention under development at the IMO, the Coast Guard is reviewing the approach outlined in the NPRM. As such, we are considering publishing a Supplemental NPRM (SNPRM) as a next step. The SNPRM would describe any proposed changes from the NPRM, and seek comments from the public on those proposed changes.” So the bottom line is: stand by for further proposals from the USCG. Mark Grossetti is a maritime license consultant and has worked in licensing since 1979. Visit his company Grossetti License Consulting online at www. cglicense.com. Comments are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

Long-time Lauderdale sailor, businessman dies at age 81 Raymond Stanley Eaton, a long-time sailor who made Ft. Lauderdale his home for more than 50 years, died on April 3 from complications associated with food poisoning. He was 81. Eaton started Eaton Marine Services in Ft. Lauderdale in the 1970s, about a decade after sailing to the United States on a 65-foot sailboat from Australia. He met his wife, Shirley, in New England when he was a yacht captain and they spent the next 44 years together around boats. “Even though my staid New England parents raised an eyebrow at me hanging around with a boat captain at the time,” Mrs. Eaton said. He served as a captain for private yachts and sailed on the historic Herreshoff S/Y Ticonderoga and is mentioned in the book “Ticonderoga: Tales of an Enchanted Yacht” by Jack Somer. In the 1970s he was the tender driver for the Valient Syndicate in the America’s Cup race. He also worked for Stryker Aluminum Yachts and he incorporated

Ray Eaton Ray Eaton Yacht Services, a maintenance company, in 1981. “He always said he was in the toy business,” Mrs. Eaton said. He was hoisted up the mast of an Amels for repairs even in his 80s. “He was quite agile and active, right up until he got sick in February,” she said. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three children and five granchildren. – Dorie Cox

A May 2010

NEWS BRIEFS

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Volcanic ash grounds European air traffic An ash cloud from an erupting volcano in Iceland grounded more than 100,000 airline flights between April 15-22. The International Air Transport Association said that the flight cancellations have cost the world’s airlines an estimated $1.7 billion, according to a story in the Washington Post.

to Russell Levin at +1 202-475-3555 or Russell.S.Levin@uscg.mil.

Young angler hits Royal Slam

In April, 9-year-old Jack McCluskey of Palm Beach, Fla., became the youngest angler ever to achieve the Billfish Royal Slam, the successful catch of each of the nine different species of billfish from their indigenous waters around the world. McCluskey caught his first in the Bahamas 10 months ago and his last, a White Marlin off the coast of Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, in April.

E50 decision expected this summer

The ash cloud over Europe in midApril, several weeks after the volcano under Iceland’s volcano erupted. GRAPHIC/Jørgen Brandt, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark

The cancellations have made that week the worst breakdown in civil aviation since the Second World War, according to a story in the San Francisco Examiner, far surpassing any emergency measures taken after Sept. 11 when airports closed for three days. Tim Davey, president of Ft. Lauderdale-based Global Marine Travel, found creative ways to get some of his clients home from Europe during the crisis.”We flew crew that needed to get from Germany to Florida from Frankfurt to Dubai, and they connected with Emirates to Houston and then onto Ft. Lauderdale,” he said. The last time the Eyjafjallajokull volcano exploded more than 180 years ago, the eruptions lasted more than a year. The volcano was still erupting even though air traffic has resumed on April 22.

USCG warns about channel switch

The U.S. Coast Guard announced that an automatic channel switching feature found on certain models of DSC-equipped VHF marine radios may create an unintended hazard by automatically switching from a working channel to Channel 16 when the VHF marine radio receives a DSC (Digital Selective Calling) distress alert, distress alert acknowledgment or other DSC call where a VHF channel number has been designated. Since this can happen at any time, the Coast Guard recommends disabling the automatic channel switching feature when maintaining a listening watch or communicating on the radio, or while monitoring the vessel traffic services channel. For more information, visit www. navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/gmdss/ dsc.htm. Questions should be directed

This summer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will decide on whether to allow a 50 percent increase in the amount of ethanol in the nation’s gasoline supply, from the current E10 (or containing 10 percent ethanol) up to E15 (containing 15 percent ethanol). However, with testing data on the new “mid-level” ethanol formulation to be completed on only a small group of 2001 and newer model vehicles by this time frame, consumers with older cars, boats, non-road vehicles or gas-engine powered equipment may find that the fuel is not compatible or safe for use, according to a statement by BoatU.S.

S.C. plans for marine park

South Carolina plans to establish Bucksport Marine Park, an industrial marine park near Bucksport Marina outside of Conway. “This is a work in progress and will take some time before the park is tenant-ready,” said Fred Richardson, GSWSA chief executive officer. “In the meantime, we’ll improve the existing facilities at Bucksport Marina which will remain a fully-functioning marina for residents and transient boaters to enjoy even after the marine park is operational.”

U.S., Germany merge programs

The United States and Germany agreed to integrate their trusted traveler programs. “Integrating one of our biometric trusted traveler programs with Germany’s will facilitate legitimate trade and travel between our two nations while allowing law enforcement to focus on the most serious security threats at points of entry to our country,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute. Under this statement, the United States and Germany will develop processes for qualified citizens of either country to apply for both the United States’ Global Entry program and Germany’s Automated and BiometricsSupported Border Controls (ABG) program, which each use biometrics to

identify trusted travelers. For more information, please visit www.cbp.gov/travel.

U.S. boats need pirate protection

Protecting maritime industry workers from pirates is among the action items in the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD) 2010 legislative agenda, approved in March by union leaders strategizing for the coming year. “Transportation labor urges the U.S. government to prevent acts of piracy in the short term through immediate military and other government assistance and over the long term through international engagement,” reads the statement approved by the group. “Specifically, transportation labor believes the most effective means to prevent and repel acts of piracy is for our government to immediately provide U.S.-flag vessels operating in high-risk waters with on-board armed force protection.” Reported in a recent edition of Wheelhouse Weekly, a newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots. It has been reprinted with permission.

Criminal charges hurt industry

The shortage of skilled seafarers is being exacerbated by the negative impact of criminalization and the problem of global piracy, according to InterManager, the international trade association for the ship management industry whose members represent more than 200,000 seafarers. “Legislative measures following an accident or incident have put the seafarer increasingly at risk of criminalization, and a rising incidence of piracy has led to correspondingly high personal risks,” Brian Martis, chairman of InterManager’s Criminalization Committee, told delegates at a recent conference in Mumbai in late March. “These factors have had a direct, negative impact on crew retention and the natural replenishment of the workforce. Potential recruits are hesitant to take up a career at sea. The current shortage of skilled and qualified seafarers – already a significant crisis in the maritime industry – is further exacerbated. The eventual impact the global economy and the environment cannot be underestimated.” Recent studies identified 14 cases of seafarers’ detainment in an 11-year period, Martis said. These cases involved lengthy detainments, “questionable” applications of law, and resulted in no charges. Reported in a recent edition of Wheelhouse Weekly, a newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots. It has been reprinted with permission.

A May 2010

CAPTAIN PROFILE

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Racing captain revels in multiple hats of busy program By Carol M. Bareuther

Interlodge under sail in the Rolex Regatta.

PHOTO/DEAN BARNES

The job of orchestrating a grand prix-level racing campaign entails a lot more than simply sailing. Just ask Kris Matthews, the full-time captain responsible for everything from repairs to coordinating the transport of boat and crew to major regattas around the world for owners who love to race and own three racing sailboats. “The biggest part of the job is logistics,” said Matthews, who was born and raised in Newport, R.I. Matthews, 28, didn’t competitively sail until he was a student at Babson College, a small private business school in Wellesley, Mass. “I’d sail Farr 40s and travel a lot.” he said. “In fact, my friends started asking me each weekend where I was going and it could have been literally

anywhere in the world.” Newport is a hot bed for grand prix sailors who come to race in any number of high profile regattas during the summer, such as Block Island Race Week, the Newport to Bermuda race and Newport Bucket Regatta. “I got lucky to be around all that talent, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean racing sailors,” he said. “They taught me so much.” What launched Matthews into his present career was his willingness to do just about any job. “I’d wash boats, flake the sails, pick up lunches. All the mundane jobs, but it got me in.” Then, after working part-time managing racing campaigns for private owners during summer and competitive racing himself during winter, Matthews landed a captain’s job at the age of 23. “That’s when I started to run it all,” he said. Two and a half years later, he was introduced to New York attorneys and members of the New York Yacht Club, Austin and Gwen Fragomen, who wanted to start a year-round racing program. Over the past three years, the couple has acquired a J/105, Swan 42 and last fall a Judel/Vrolik 52. All of the boats are named Interlodge. “Every program is different,” Matthews said. “Some owners are more hands on and others just look forward to the enjoyment of racing. My employers are the latter. We’ll sit down and plan for the year ahead. Then, it’s my job to make it happen.” This year’s schedule for the JudelVrolijk 52, which was re-launched in October after an extensive conversion to optimize it for the IRC handicap, included Key West Race Week in Florida, the International Rolex Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week in the Caribbean, CORK Week in Ireland, and regattas in Palma and San Tropez. To make a program like this happen, Matthews lives by Excel and his cell phone. He handpicks 15 crew for each regatta, and provides team clothing, housing and transportation to the venue. In addition, he maintains a custom 40-foot shipping container that doubles as an office, wardrobe locker and fully equipped repair shed. “The No. 1 goal is to never have a race compromised due to something breaking,” he said. Ultimately, Matthews said about his job, “It’s like being in the entertainment business, just like a megayacht captain. Time away from the office is a vacation for the owners. My goal is to make it as fun and stress-free for them as possible. To make sure that all they have to do is arrive, step aboard and set sail.” Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

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IN THE STARS

Use North star as ancient GPS to find your latitude from Equator By Jack Horkheimer

planet. On May 9 and 10, the Moon pays a Why do so many people think the visit to the second-brightest planet, North Star is the brightest star in the Jupiter, and on May 15 and 16 pays a sky, even though there are 50 other visit to the brightest planet, Venus. stars brighter? It’s probably because On Sunday morning, May 9, about it’s the most famous star. Its position an hour before sunrise, face east in the sky is what makes it the most where your breath will be taken away important and thus the most famous by an exquisite pairing of a 25-daystar. old waning crescent Moon and the Face north on any night this month largest planet, 88,000-mile-wide Jupiter. between the hours of 8 and 10 where Believe me, you’ll be most impressed you’ll easily see the four stars that make by this pairing. (But if you miss it, the up the Big Dipper’s cup and the three following morning, an even skinnier stars that make up its handle. Take the crescent Moon will be parked just off to two stars at the end of the cup, called the left of Jupiter in a not quite as close the pointer stars, and mentally measure but still exquisite pairing.) the distance between them. Then shoot On May 15, look west northwest an imaginary arrow five and a half about 45 minutes after sunset and see times that distance through them and a tiny sliver of a waxing crescent Moon that arrow will land smack dab on the complete with Earthshine parked North Star. just down and to the right of dazzling Once you’ve found it you’ll notice bewitching Earth-sized, 8,000-milethat it is indeed not wide Venus. This the brightest star in is kind of celestial We measure the the heavens and is in pairing depicted distance from the fact no brighter than in art throughout the two pointer stars equator to the North human history. (If we used to find it. you miss it on May Pole in degrees of So why is it so 15, don’t fret because latitude. The equator on May 16 a slightly important? Simple. is 0 degrees and First, the North Star fatter crescent Moon is always due north. will be on the other the North Pole is 90 Second, wherever you side of Venus up and degrees. happen to be in the to its left.) northern hemisphere But there’s more, it will always be the same number of because if you look about half way up degrees above the horizon as your the western sky you’ll see a rouge-gold latitude above the Earth’s equator. object which is tiny, 4,000-mile-wide Before the invention of the Mars. It is just down and to the right of compass, the North Star was extremely the sickle-shaped pattern of stars that important to navigators and explorers make up the front of Leo the Lion, with to determine not only which direction Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, marking was north but exactly how far north of Leo’s heart. the equator they were, a kind of ancient On May 15, Mars will be about 10 GPS. and 1/2 degrees from Regulus. And We measure the distance from the since a full Moon is 1/2 a degree, that equator to the North Pole in degrees means we could fit 21 full Moons of latitude. The equator is 0 degrees between them. Here is where the and the North Pole is 90 degrees. We fun comes in. If you look up at Mars also measure the distance from any and Regulus night after night all flat horizon to over head in degrees. O throughout May, you’ll be able to watch degrees is at the horizon, 90 degrees is Mars move closer and closer toward overhead. So if you were at the North Regulus. Pole tonight the North Star would By Memorial Day on May 31, it will appear 90 degrees above the horizon, be only 3 and 1/4 degrees away from directly over head. If you were in Regulus. But the best is yet to come London however it would appear 52 because on June 5, Mars and Regulus degrees above the horizon, New York, will have a super-close meeting and 40 degrees, Miami, 25 degrees. will be less than one degree apart. To see how many degrees north you Wow, that’s super close, astronomically are above the equator, find the North speaking. Star above a flat horizon, then hold your fist out at arm’s length. A fist will Jack Horkheimer is executive director of measure 10 degrees. So one fist means the Miami Museum of Science. This is you’re 10 degrees above the equator the script for his weekly television show and so on. Simple and fabulous. If you co-produced by the museum and WPBT get lost at night, simply look for the Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public North Star because it will always be television stations around the world. due north. And if it’s not, you’re either For more information about stars, visit south of the equator or on the wrong www.jackstargazer.com.

May 2010 A

A10 May 2010

BUSINESS BRIEFS

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AME opens second office, conference room at LMC Advanced Mechanical Enterprises has opened its second office in Lauderdale Marine Center at 2015 S.W. 20th St., Suite 210, in Ft. Lauderdale. “Our move to the Lauderdale Marine Center couldn’t be a more perfect fit for AME,” said Rich Merhige, president and owner. “We have 18 years of extensive experience on yachts and commercial vessels from tugboats to cruise ships. This new location will allow us to identify issues and repair them in the yard while continuing to foster strong relationships with our highly valued marine clientele.” AME specializes in marine running gear, providing state-of-the-art precision computerized laser and optical alignment of drive trains. They are ABS- and ISO-certified vibration diagnostic experts who do complete running gear overhauls and component replacements. The new office will be AME’s second home and will feature a conference

area. Operations will continue at AME’s full machine shop with certified welders at 217 S.W. 28th St in Ft. Lauderdale. For more information, visit www. amesolutions.com or call +1 954-7642678.

TRAC signs 16 new dealers

TRAC Ecological Products, manufacturer of environmentfriendly products for onboard equipment cleaning and maintenance, has appointed 16 new U.S. and international dealers and distributors for its unique product line: Mathew’s Marine Air Conditioning, Ft. Lauderdale; Los Suenos Marine Supply and Landon Marine Group, Costa Rica; Super Marine and the Fahad Al-Sabih Marine and Desert Division, Kuwait; Kamraman Gulf Enterprises, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia;

See BUSINESS BRIEFS, page 14

Megayachts account for only a fraction of pilotage requests PILOTAGE, from page A1

International Marina, has his way, the Pacific Coast could see many more Statistics on large yachts are only large pleasure craft plying its waters recorded if they have requested pilot and looking at long term moorage in services or, in the case of the PPA, what would be Canada’s first marina if they have requested either pilot designed exclusively for ocean-going services or a waiver. To date, they luxury yachts. remain a fractional percentage of According to Julie Bédard, Manager, piloting assignments on both coasts. Pilotage and Policy, Marine Safety for In 2009, the APA recorded 27 Transport Canada, the system seems yacht pilotage to have met with assignments approval from According to Julie on the Atlantic users on both sides coast out of a of the country. Bédard, Manager, total of 9,063; “We have Pilotage and Policy, in 2008, it was done pilotage Marine Safety for 37 out of a total risk analysis to of 9,542. All but monitor what Transport Canada, the one of the yachts is needed to system seems to have served in 2009 maintain the best met with approval from were registered level of safety in the Cayman users on both sides of and service,” she Islands, the other emphasizes, “and the country. registered in the there have been no Cook Islands. objections to any While changes enacted.” navigating British Columbia’s coast The diverse and challenging in 2009, megayachts constituted 21 coastlines and waters of both Atlantic piloting assignments out of 11,124 Canada and British Columbia have requests; in 2008 they represented 19 defined the character and development out of 11,406. of each region. Obermeyer indicated that PPA Highly skilled marine pilots have does not keep track of countries played a key role in this development, where the yachts are registered, but he protecting the environment and added, “requests for a pilot or waiver safeguarding lives. application seem to come mainly via Alison Gardner is a freelance writer in the United States.” Victoria, BC. Comments on this story are If Robert Evans, the developer welcome at editorial@the-triton.com. behind the proposed Victoria

A12 May 2010

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PHOTO GALLERY: Triton Expo

he fourth Triton Expo was held April 14 in Ft. Lauderdale. Several hundred captains and crew gathered on a windy day at Bahia Mar for an afternoon of meeting, greeting and learning. Speakers offered advice and tips on topics from getting along with your fellow crew members to making time for charity work. Fifty exhibitors brought information and accessories

to help crew do their jobs better including schools and training, crew agencies, yacht products, financial services, vessel registry, provisioning, interiors, communications, marinas, travel and more. Throughout the day, crew took the opportunity to have their resumes critiqued by volunteer captains. Casual networking, wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres rounded out the event.

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PHOTO GALLERY: Triton Expo

PHOTOS BY DORIE COX

May 2010 A13

A14 May 2010

BUSINESS BRIEFS

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Leaders at Feadship America, MIASF step down after long tenures BUSINESS BRIEFS, from page A10 JS Gilbert Chandlery, Glascraft Marine Supplies, Captains Chandlery and ProActive Marine, Queensland, Australia; Major Yacht Services, Yacht and Boat, and Marine Direct, New South Wales, Australia; Port Lincoln Boat Supplies, Port Lincoln, South Australia; Evolution Yachts, Henderson, Western Australia; and Haverstick Safety and Environmental, Auckland, New Zealand. For more details, visit www.traconline.com or call +1 954-987-2722.

Van Well steps down

Feadship America President Francois van Well stepped down from his role on April 1 to take a management position with Ft. Lauderdale-based Merle Wood & Associates. “I know it has become somewhat of a cliché to say one is moving on to a new challenge, but in my case this is genuinely so,” Van Well said in a statement. “After more than 13 memorable years at Feadship, both in the Netherlands and in the U.S., I felt the time was right for a change of direction toward more direct involvement in superyacht sales and being able to help clients find the right yacht, be it new, preowned or charter.”

MIASF’s Herhold to retire

Frank Herhold, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), will retire July 1. The 800-member trade association has begun a search for his replacement. Head of the group that owns the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show for the past 20 years, Herhold will assume an emeritus role with the group and will serve as a consultant after retiring. “I am proud to have been a part of a period of tremendous MIASF growth and advocacy, and I retire satisfied that MIASF is well positioned for future changes and growth,” Herhold said in a statement. “I have discussed my retirement strategy with the last three MIASF presidents and a plan has evolved for a seamless transition,” he said. A new executive director will be announced at the MIASF’s annual meeting and awards reception June 5. “Frank’s commitment to this organization and our industry cannot really be measured, and his willingness to stay involved with major projects, even into retirement, speaks volumes about his passion for the business of boating and for MIASF,” said John Stephens, MIASF president.

E-health records for seafarers

PositiveID Corp. has partnered with the International Maritime Medical Association (IMMA), a trade association that promotes the health and medical interests of seafarers, port workers and cruise passengers, to offer PositiveID’s Health Link personal health record (PHR) to about 1.5 million seafarers a year on a paid subscription basis. Health Link is an electronic, webbased PHR that enables a patient to manage his or her personal medical information and history from anywhere there is an Internet connection. Health Link, engineered to be interoperable with Microsoft HealthVault, Google Health and various electronic medical records systems, connects patients to personalized health education and provides online connectivity to caregivers and physicians. Through reminders and alerts that can be tailored to suit an individual’s unique circumstances, users are reminded of important actions and receive suggestions to better manage their health. This includes everything from refilling prescriptions on time, appointment reminders, drug interaction warnings, and tips for preventative actions. For more, visit www.PositiveIDCorp. com or www.maritime-medical.org.

New captain at Old Saybrook TowBoatU.S. Old Saybrook, the onthe-water towing company that helps boaters on Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River, has a new owner. Capt. Dave Hoblin, a former captain with the company for 10 years, recently purchased the business at Between the Bridges Marina in Old Saybrook, Conn. “Being on the water helping boaters is what makes me feel great,” said Hoblin, a Connecticut native. “Every day is different. There is no other profession I’d rather be in.” Past experience includes service in the U.S. Air Force and Connecticut Air National Guard as well as stints with private ferry, research and pilot boat operations. Contact him at +1 860-5140877 or on channel 16 in the area.

Irwin opens own law firm

Attorney David E. Irwin has opened his own law office, Irwin Law Firm, specializing in yacht transactions; contract drafting and commercial dispute resolutions; commercial litigation; civil litigation, personal injury; counsel to marine businesses; and the legal requirements for marine financing. He was most recently with the law firm of Kelley Uustal. For more, visit www.irwinlegal.com or call +1 954-775-2301.

The Triton

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FROM THE BRIDGE

Afloat, clean, running is ‘more than full-time work’ BRIDGE, from page A1 their boat with decks dismantled, heads pulled out, an engine torn apart or teak being refinished and it helps them understand what goes on, agreed several captains. One captain said that sometimes an owner is knowledgeable about what it takes to maintain a yacht. The captain said he worked for a civil engineer who read the entire yacht survey and understood it, but other captains said their owners knew little about electric and water systems, engines, electronics, interiors, travel plans and navigation. Most attendees said their owners are busy business people who just want results. Flawless results for every trip. “I worked for an owner that didn’t want to know anything, he just wanted to get on a perfect boat,” a captain said. Keeping a yacht afloat, clean and running is more than full-time work, the captains said, and add to that staff cuts, becoming MCA compliant, switching country flags or doing a refit. Captains can be under a lot more pressure. “I have to coordinate parts, appointments, contractors, crew and locations. And then I do what jobs I can personally do to save the owner money.” Aside from being knowledgeable about all things nautical, captains have to plan for the unforseen and unknown. “I’m busy booking dockage, double booking dockage and canceling dockage,” a captain said after he checked his voice mail during lunch to hear the owner’s request to reinstate the Key West trip that he had canceled. “You never get done,” the captain said. “Then there’s the Alzheimer tie-in: on the way to get a tool, I’ll see another issue, then it’s four hours later before I get back to the original task,” another said as all nodded in agreement. One captain explained how new crew and owners sometimes don’t understand that yesterday’s priority is different today. He said he changes priorities all day. “They have to realize, if the boat is still working, then so are you,” a captain said. A captain explained, “We have to manage ourselves. If I know we are always going to be busy on Saturday and Sunday then I have to take time on Monday. I have to grab time when I can. Forget about things like doctors’ appointments.” “The percetion is that you’re available 24/7,” another captain said. Captains talked about how difficult it is to schedule personal time due to the schedules of owners, contractors, travel, and yards. “I would actually love a day where I could just paint teak. Imagine, no phone ... ,” a captain said as his phone vibrated. As well as accomplishing, delegating

Attendees of The Triton’s May Bridge luncheon were, from left, William Maguire (freelance), Jackson McHorney of M/Y Y Not, David Cherington of M/Y Mirgab V, Pierpaolo Perugino (freelance), Chris Day (freelance), Brad Helton of M/Y Keeping Tabs. PHOTO/DORIE COX and managing all tasks on board, most all of the captains have to provide proof of their duties to paycheck writers. “I have to document everything I do,” a captain said. “I’m like a Japanese tourist taking pictures on my boat, but the owners demand the accountability.” Each captain has a system for organizing his workload. One captain makes mental lists while carrying a chamois as he makes rounds. One writes on a calendar that serves as his personal secretary. One uses a notepad, then transfers the data to a spreadsheet with categories of who is doing what and prints it for the crew. One makes a to-do list and a to-buy list. One captain keeps every broken part. “The owners say, ‘It always worked before,’ and I reply, ‘well, it doesn’t work now and here it is.’” As a bonus, he said it keeps the workmen honest when he tells them he’s keeping the old parts. One captain’s doing double duty. His documentation is for two boats. “I have to use two stand-alone tables with lists, schedules and receipts, one for each boat. And that’s two separate budgets.” The engine room is unique and has to be documented in log books, another captain said. Captains on large yachts have department heads and crew document their own workload. “I say to my crew, I don’t need it to be pretty, but I need you to write down what you do in one day, because one day can be pretty much like another,” a captain said. When asked about software systems for vessel maintenance, a captain said he used one, but it was too laborious because it could do too much. “I couldn’t do the job, for documenting the job,” he said. Most of the captains could not keep their lists electronically because they are not in front of the computer. Although every captain said they are tied to their phone, no one had found a system for recording tasks on their

smart phones. But all this list making takes time. “It can take a full day to document what I’ve done,” a captain said as most nodded in agreement. “Every minute the owner’s away from the boat they wonder why they are spending money on it,” a captain said. So aside from getting work done, captains have to share, often in detail, what has been done with a variety of people. “All of my e-mails have to be copied to the management company, accounting and the staff to justify why I’m spending money,” the captain said. The group said they have to communicate with owners, secretaries, management companies, travel agents, and the owner’s wife or girlfriend. “I have to justify everything at the Monday morning budget meeting with the owner, the accountants and everyone.” It can be different on a small charter boat, said a captain who doesn’t have to document what he does. “My justification is the profit,” he said. “I just have to show revenue with the charters. ‘How much money?’ is all they ask.” One captain has a management company so he explains that “this is broken” and they tell him what to do. But he still has to make it happen. There was a consensus that when the owner asks questions, it’s usually because money is being spent. And there is always money being spent on a yacht. So just what are yacht captains doing again? “What I do, is about what I am thinking all night while you are sleeping,” a captain said. “What do I do?” another said. “Everything you don’t think I do.” Dorie Cox is a staff reporter and associate editor with The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.

May 2010 A15

A16 May 2010 PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

Here’s Capt. J.D. Ducanes (fourth from right) and the crew aboard the 198-foot Trinity M/Y Mine Games. Look for her around the Bahamas this season.

M/Y Allegria, a 150-foot Hakvoort, fresh out of two months at Lauderdale Marine Center on show at the Palm Beach Boat Show. (From left) Stew Kat Helmts, Stew Monika Caesar, Deckhand Alon Lahack, Bosun Kyle Dewet, Eng. Johan Van Eeden, Chef Jimmy Rutherford, Mate Christian Zuck, Capt. Craig Turnbull, Chief Stew Lisa Fargnoli. “What wasn’t painted was polished and what wasn’t polished was painted,” Capt. Turnbull said. Deckhand Conrad Long is all about the shine onboard the 108-foot Viking Versacraft M/Y Antithesis.

M/Y Gotta Go is a 142foot Christensen. And although Deckhand William Thomas and Bosun Matt Baynes appear to have the wrong shirts on, they really don’t. They are crew on M/Y Lady Kathryn III but just moved over to this yacht, which is a new acquisition by their owner as part of the sale of M/Y Lady Kathryn IV, which has been renamed M/Y Xilonen V.

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There are no issues aboard M/Y Special Issues VIII. Chef/chief stew Jennifer Sassenger, deckhand/ stew Shannon Alexander and deckhand Jon McCormick have all shipshape on this 108-foot Westship. Asked where they will be this season, they replied “the Bahamas … or Nova Scotia.” That may be an issue.

Mate Chris Peters peeks out to check the crowds from M/Y Sharon Ann, a 104-foot Destiny. Based in Jupiter, Fla., she’ll be cruising South Florida this summer. Finishing final touches, Mate Toby Smith, Chief Stew Toyah Etherton and Chef Joel Holmes take a quick break for a photo on M/Y Kaleen, a 130-foot Westport. The yacht is for sale and will spend the summer working in New England.

Capt. Jean Diedericks, Stew Kristen McAllister and Mate Itai Pliskine, on 130foot Hatteras, M/Y Sacajawea. Pliskine had recently been in the water to rescue a cell phone for a stew who dropped it in during the boat show.

PHOTOS/TOM SERIO AND DORIE COX

A18 May 2010

WRITE TO BE HEARD

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Marine version of the FAA won’t solve any problems By Bob Howie So, you’re a yachting professional – probably one of the up-and-comers in the 20- to early-30-somethings range – and you’re thinking how much grander the world would be if more regulation concerning certifications and operations became the rule of the day; how much faster you’d be able to climb into the wheelhouse with four stripes on your shoulder if such were the case. Take it from your kinfolks in aviation: Be careful what you wish for. In 1958, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into creation the Federal Aviation Administration. Up to that point, there had been no federal office dedicated to regulating civil aviation in the United States. Now, while it was a good idea to have such an office, retired, but highly decorated and accomplished Air Force Lt. Gen. Elwood “Pete” Quesada, who was appointed as the FAA’s first-ever administrator, reportedly didn’t think much of civilian-trained aviators and set about to whip everybody flying nonmilitary missions into shape. Over the years, debate has raged within the industry as to whether the FAA is unreasonably burdensome and, at times, just outright unreasonable. True, general aviation has grown increasingly complex with private jets capable of flying around half the globe unrefueled and being able to stay aloft as much as 16 hours. No doubt, new rules have had to evolve with the complexity of the industry and, unfortunately, enforcement mechanisms have had to be implemented to ensure compliance because aviation, like all other industries, has cockroaches who do everything imaginable to get around the regulations, who spend more time doing that than what would be required to just follow the rules like everyone else. Of course, the actions of those few make things unnecessarily harder on everyone else. And, that’s the problem. Aviation regulations have evolved to the point that it’s hard to figure out exactly what the rules are telling you. Sure, the FAA expects you to simply

follow the rules, but figuring out how to do that isn’t as simple as it sounds. The FAA doesn’t exactly make it any easier because each and every rule is up for a different interpretation depending on which inspector you’re talking to. (Sound like the U.S. Coast Guard?) FAA inspectors are given wide discretion to interpret the rules on “behalf of the Administrator” and this often provokes a situation in which what is right today is wrong tomorrow. Generally speaking, FAA inspectors are hard-working, conscientious professonals who will, if you work with them and do what you’re supposed to do and demonstrate a willingness to be professional yourself, readily help you with compliance issues with as little heartburn as possible. Try to flim-flam them by playing fast and loose with the rules at your own peril. Any FAA inspector on his or her own authority can immediately suspend your operating certificate or pilot’s license, effectively putting you out of business immediately. They won’t care, either, that you have a plane full of high-net-worth individuals expecting an immediate departure for a week-long stay in Cabo. Suffice to say that as the aviation industry has grown and the operating environment has become more complex, the rules, regulations and certifications have become both increasing complex and amazingly vague. “Ninety percent of my job is to protect our operating certificate,” said Chuck Caldwell, director of operations for Houston-based Wing Aviation Charter Services. “The rules are changing all the time and what our inspectors expect can change right along with them. We have to stay up on the changes as well that our inspectors want to see in order to make sure we stay in business.” The need to maintain strict paper trails and accurate documentation is key, he said. (Sounds like the USCG again, doesn’t it?) “We generate thousands of pages of documentation for everything from maintenance to flight operations, but it’s that paper that keeps us flying,”

Caldwell said. “We maintain spotless records that are totally transparent and we spend zero time trying to get around the regulations. “In fact, we work hard every day to cultivate a positive relationship with our local FAA office and our inspectors so they know we are always trying to do the right thing, that we are not trying to hide one single, solitary thing about our operation,” he said. “We want to partner with the FAA in order to get along with the FAA and stay in business. “If the FAA thought for one second we were doing anything less, they’d shut us down on the spot; no doubt,” he said. Put in that sort of perspective, U.S. Coast Guard regulations maybe aren’t quite as onerous as you thought. Sure, the Coast Guard is interested in safety, seeing to it that proper rules are in place to ensure that safety and that yacht crews – especially captains – are properly trained and knowledgeable. Flight crews, though, are required – again by rule – to complete recurrent training and certification twice a year, which includes classroom stints, simulator training and check rides as well as semi-annual medical checks, all in order to keep making a living. For every flight, there’s at least an hour’s worth of paperwork that must be completed and manuals required by the FAA of each certificate holder detailing each certificate holder’s operations. How those operations are to be carried out are in a constant state of review and update. It’s the responsibility of all crew to know those “ops specs,” what’s in them, what’s been changed in them and how to apply them at all times. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse. Slip up for one minute, fail to carry out or comply with one regulation or one part of one regulation, and you could very well find yourself sitting on a sand bar. Bob Howie is assistant chief pilot with Wing Aviation Charter Services in Houston, Texas. He spent 13 years as a writer with the Houston Chronicle, and is a lifelong boat owner. Comments on this essay are welcome at editorial@thetriton.com.

As commercial and regulated as yachting is becoming, some think the answer is a governing agency like the Federal Aviation Administration is in aviation. Not so fast, one pilot FILE PHOTO advises.

You do not need to wait for a passport to expire before you renew DISCHARGE, from page A19 extremely helpful and accommodating and again, is used to dealing with yacht crew. As full-time yacht crew: 1. Ask your captain before the season starts which countries he thinks you will be visiting, and then use common sense. Greece is pretty close to Turkey, so if you are going to one, there is a huge possibility that you will go to the other;

2. Always have all the correct paperwork (yacht registration, crew lists, letter of employment, Seaman’s Discharge Book); 3. You should always have at least six months left on your passport before entering any country; 4. You should always have a few spare pages in your passport that have no trace of any stamps because you need clear pages for visas; 5. You do not need to wait for your

passport to expire or fill up to apply for a new one. With your old passport in hand, obtaining a new one is straightforward, even in South Africa (which is actually one of the easier countries because it lets you keep your old passport whilst processing the new one). 6. Get a Seaman’s Discharge Book. They are becoming more and more recognized throughout the world. My partner was unable to get a Croatian

visa because his passport was full. We called our agent in Croatia (LP Yacht Services, ex-yachties so they’re aware of visa problems) who said “no problem,” took my partner’s Seaman’s Discharge Book and about 20 euros to immigration, and came back with a shore-pass. First Officer Mandi Formoso has worked on yachts for 10 years, the past five as first officer on megayachts.

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WRITE TO BE HEARD

May 2010 A19

Helpful hints regarding Seaman’s Discharge By First Officer Mandi Formoso With reference to the article concerning Seaman’s Discharge Books and the necessity for crew to have them [“Seaman’s Book a must-have”, page A1, February 2010], I have a few helpful hints. Although I hold a British passport, I have been responsible for obtaining Seaman’s Discharge Books for our entire crew of 12 (within 24 hours) and researching/obtaining visas for several different nationalities to many different countries. The French Consulate in Miami is extremely helpful when obtaining Shengen visas for yacht crew. You are supposed to go to the embassy of the first of the Shengen countires you will enter, or of the country where you will spend the most time. But as we all know, yacht plans change daily and hey, we all thought France was going to be the first country, didn’t we? The Web page is www.consulfrancemiami.org, which has application forms and all the information you need for your Schengen visa. With all the correct papers (yacht registration, crew list, letter of employment and yacht itinerary plus additional documentation outlined on the Web page) a Schengen visa can be issued in 24 hours. Whilst I was not able to talk to someone live on the phone, in person they went out of their way to accommodate our crew. They are used to dealing with yachts and understand the urgency and difficulties we encounter. Obtaining Cayman Island Seaman’s Discharge Books has also been simplified greatly. The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry located in Ft. Lauderdale at 1500 Cordova Road, Suite 312 (two blocks North of 17th Street in the Luke Brown building) will provide you with application forms and, provided your paperwork is in order, can issue your Seaman’s Discharge Book within 24 hours; in some circumstances, the same day. Kevin Washington is See DISCHARGE, page A18

A safety tweak regarding muster lists In regard to the letter about standing orders in the April issue [Write to Be Heard, page A18], I agree with Capt. Paul Figuenick on the importance of standing orders and crew accountability. Uniformly they align intentions and make conduct and responsibility expectations clear. There are numerous benefits to having standing orders. A posted list of crew onboard is extraordinarily helpful in establishing accountability efficiently. However, I disagree with Capt. Figuenick’s suggestion to post a muster list/ persons onboard at the gangway. This is an invitation for intruders to come aboard knowing how many crew are on board. I’d advise captains and first officers wanting to establish this to post the accountability board in an appropriate location where it will not be an advertisement/invitation. Capt. Brendon Pomeroy M/Y Beija Flor

Keep an eye out on Oz

For captains doing yacht deliveries around Northern Australia, be careful to avoid the Special Quarantine Zone through the Torres Strait, which runs directly north of Queensland. Currently I am delivering a 47

Editor Lucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com

Publisher David Reed, david@the-triton.com Advertising Sales Peg Soffen, peg@the-triton.com Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com

News staff Dorie Cox Lawrence Hollyfield Production Manager Patty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com The Triton Directory Mike Price, mike@the-triton.com

Shuttleworth catamaran from Queensland (eastern Australia) to Mauritius. Thankfully a fellow yachtsperson gave me a savior of a warning about passing through the Torres Strait. Under the current -- and in my estimation, extremely strict -- Special Quarantine Zone rules, if you pass through this zone, you are required to get an inspection by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Once given an AQIS number, you will be free to go. This inspection is designed to keep foreign weeds, insects, and other foul creatures out of the islands in the Torres Strait, specifically the Thursday Islands group. All of that is great and fine; the fly in the ointment is simple. Upon inspection, you can count on losing all of your provisions that are not of Australian origin. Not a problem if you have only provisioned in Australia, but many of the vessels that us delivery skippers pick up routinely have stores from many countries through which they have passed. Under this set of rules, even if you are not planning on a landing on the islands in Torres Strait, you are required to submit to complete inspection. This

Contributors Carol Bareuther, Dean Barnes, Mark A. Cline, Capt. John Campbell, Jake DesVergers, First Officer Mandi Formoso, Alison Gardner, Sue Gearan of M/Y Andrea V, Capt. Wayne Gould, Mark Grossetti, Jack Horkheimer, Bob Howie, Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson, Alene Keenan, Keith Murray, Steve Pica, Rossmare Intl., James Schot, Capt. Tom Serio, Julie Spence of M/Y Misty

link shows the effected areas, http:// www.daff.gov.au/aqis/quarantine/ naqs/pubs/torres-strait There is one route only that can be used to avoid this loss of ships stores. When heading north, pass through Albany Passage; be aware of tide ranges. Closely but safely hug the coast of the un-effected small group of islands/ rocks off of Cape York, then make a rum-line toward Bamaga. Turning to due west, make a direct rum-line route toward Cape Wessel. In doing this you will pass just south of the effected quarantine zone. Suggested route way-points from east to west that you do not want to cross are: 1. 10.47’S, 142.46’E 2. 10.36S, 142.27E 3. 10.52’S, 142.10’E 4. 10.52’S, 142.00E If you chart these coordinates, connect with a line, and then navigate to the south of your charted line, you will pass outside of this wide-ranging quarantine area, and probably save yourself much time and headache of dealing with loss of ships stores, and reprovisioning for the remainder of your voyage. Rory J. Kremer Delivery Captain, USA

Vol. 7, No. 2.

The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group Inc. Copyright 2010 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact us at: Mailing address: 757 S.E. 17th St., #1119 Visit us at: 111B S. W. 23rd St. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33315 (954) 525-0029; FAX (954) 525-9676 www.the-triton.com

Diabetes is serious at sea

Dockmaster spotlight

Provision in the islands

Megayacht marina in B.C.?

Have food, juice and glucagon.

Still on ICW in South Florida.

Chandleries can be the key.

Victoria marina controversy

B2

Section B

B3

B4

www.the-triton.com

May 2010

Maritime Labor Convention in place since ‘06

VOLCANO IN THE MED

A view of Stromboli from the south.

PHOTOS/CAPT. JOHN CAMPBELL

Aeolian Islands: Erupting and attractive By Capt. John Campbell The Aeolian Islands are a group of small volcanic islands off the north coast of Sicily. The largest island is Lipari, and rather confusingly, the archipelago is often referred to as the Lipari Islands. Whichever name you wish to call them, the islands are worth a visit. It is curious that they would be named in honor of the Greek god Aeolus, because he was the Greek god of the wind, and when there is much wind, the islands are not a good place to be with a boat. If Aeolus is in a good mood, and not getting ready to exercise his lungs, there are plenty of anchorages to be found. However, there are a dearth of well-protected harbors and the anchorages are, for the most part, quite deep, so if Aeolus is being a bit frisky, it is best to look at cruising elsewhere. The best-known island is the northernmost one, Stromboli, which is an active volcano. In Europe, only Stromboli, the nearby Etna on Sicily and a couple of volcanoes in Iceland are classed as active. Stromboli has been erupting pretty steadily for more than 2,000 years. In antiquity, it was nick-named “The

B9

Capt. John Campbell, far left, is part of this group at Panarea International Airport. Lighthouse of the Tyrrhenian Sea” and its continuous glow and regular small eruptions undoubtedly helped the ancient mariners find the entry into the Strait of Messina when coming from the north. Stromboli has a height of 3,038 feet (926 meters), so on a clear night, its glow can be seen for many miles. Often by day, the smoke can be quite conspicuous. Most of the time, Stromboli has

several small eruptions every hour. These small regular eruptions, when exhibited by other volcanoes are said to be “Strombolian Eruptions.” When Stromboli is in this state, it is spectacular to sit off the northwest coast in a boat and watch the red-hot rocks come tumbling down the lava slope. It is called the Sciara del Fuco,

See Aeolian Islands, page B14

The Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) is an important new international convention that was adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in February 2006 at Geneva, Switzerland. It sets out seafarers’ rights to decent conditions of work, on a wide Rules of the Road range of subjects and is intended Jake DesVergers to be globally applicable, easily understandable, readily updatable, and uniformly enforced. It has been designed to become an international instrument known as the “fourth pillar” of the regulatory regime for quality shipping, complementing the key conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 as amended (SOLAS), the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, 1978 as amended (STCW) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 73/78 (MARPOL). The MLC contains a comprehensive set of global standards, based on those that are already found in over 60 maritime labor instruments, adopted since 1920. The new convention brings almost all of the existing maritime labor standards and recommendations together in a single new regulation that uses a new format with some updating to reflect modern conditions and language. This will “consolidate” the existing international law on all these matters. The MLC is organized into three main parts: the Articles, Regulations, and Code (parts A and B) provisions. The regulations and the standards

See RULES, page B6

B May 2010 ONBOARD EMERGENCIES: Diabetic Emergency

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The Triton

Recognize symptoms to treat diabetic emergencies at sea One of the primary rules when dealing with first-aid emergencies is “when in doubt, call for help.” On land or at sea, if you are not sure of the severity of the emergency, call for help. One of the more common is the diabetic emergency. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs Sea Sick either when Keith Murray the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. l More than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes. l In 2005, an estimated 1.1 million people died from diabetes. l Almost 80 percent of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middleincome countries. l Almost half of diabetes deaths occur in people younger than 70. l The World Health Organization projects that diabetes deaths will double between 2005 and 2030. l Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco can

prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile, brittle or childhood-onset) requires daily administration of insulin. Symptoms include excessive urination, excessive thirst, constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes, extreme fatigue and irritability. These symptoms may appear suddenly. Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin. Type 2 diabetes comprises 90 percent of people with diabetes around the world, and is largely the result of poor diet and physical inactivity. If the person is aware of their condition they may be able to tell you what is wrong and how you can assist them. However, they may be unaware of the disease or their symptoms may have progressed to the point of confusion. Symptoms may include dizziness, drowsiness, rapid breathing, lack of coordination, rapid pulse, sweating while the skin is cold to the touch, weakness, shaking, headache, irritability, bizarre or combative behavior, nervousness, and they may have a fruity odor to their breath. If you know that a person is diabetic and experiencing symptoms (and they are conscious), give them something to eat or drink that contains plenty of

simple sugar, such as candy, fruit juice, honey or non-diet soda. If the person suffers from low blood sugar, the sugar will help within minutes. If the person feels ill because of high blood sugar, he or she will not be harmed by the extra sugar but you must get them to professional medical care as soon as possible. Untreated low or high blood sugar can result in permanent impairment, coma and death. If the person is unconscious, place them in the recovery position (on their side), monitor their breathing and call for help. The doctor will most likely instruct you to obtain a complete set of vitals, including measuring their blood glucose level using a glucometer. The doctor may then advise you to administer glucagon, used when seizures occur in an insulin user who is unable to help themselves. Glucagon will release stored glucose back into the bloodstream, thus rapidly raising blood glucose levels. In the past few years we have seen numerous natural disasters, which can make it difficult to get medical attention. The American Diabetes Association recommends having three days worth of diabetic supplies. That’s the recommendation for people on land. For those on the water, you may need to revise the three days worth to fit your boat’s schedule. Remember,

there is no such thing as too prepared. If you have diabetic passengers or crew onboard, please take the time to review what diabetic supplies you have in your medical kit and their intended uses. Periodically remind everyone how to use glucagon and keep all medicines and supplies in date. Although the purpose of this article is how to treat diabetic emergencies I feel it important to mention how we can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. The steps to preventing Type 2 diabetes and its complications include achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight, being physically active – exercising 30 minutes every day – and eating a healthy, balanced diet with minimally processed foods. If you would like to learn more about diabetes, both the American Diabetes Association and The World Health Organization are excellent sources for information. Keith Murray, a former Florida Firefighter EMT, is the owner of The CPR School. The CPR School provides onboard CPR, AED First Aid Safety Training for yacht captains and crew as well as AED Sales and Service. Contact The CPR School at +1-561-762-0500 or www.TheCPRSchool.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.

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www.the-triton.com DOCKMASTER SPOTLIGHT: Palm Harbor Marina

May 2010 B

Longevity is trademark for West Palm Beach dockmaster By Dorie Cox Nothing lasts for long. But John Smundin’s dedication to his marinas does. “I’ve only worked at two places. I was wondering if that almost sounds negative these days?,” Smundin said from the docks of Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach. But yacht crew can see that his longevity is an asset born from fidelity and a love for his work. He’s been in the industry since 1979 and since then has worked only at Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale and at Palm Harbor Marina where he is dockmaster. He said he and his wife left New Jersey to make a change and moved to Florida in 1979. “We moved on a whim, we had no plans at all and only some friends here. We just wanted to move from Jersey,” he said. Maria, his wife, had been to Florida before, but it was Smundin’s first trip. His friend, docked at Pier 66, connected Smundin with office staff, Patience Cohn (who is currently special projects manager at Marine Industry Association of South Florida). Cohn was dating Smundin’s friend and told him they were looking for a dock attendant. “He’s an anomaly for his longetivity,”

said Cohn of Smundin’s history, “He has earned his place.” Smundin reminisced about how things have changed. “I’ll tell you why, it was the atmosphere. It was more like a yacht club, not a marina. It was owned by Phillips 66 and the same boats came each winter, it was a premier facility.” “I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was prestigious. There was so much going on, there were movies being made and celebrities everywhere. In 1986 he went to work for Palm Harbor Marina and has been there ever since. Back then, he said, the marina had four wooden docks with 160 slips for smaller boats and half the size. Palm Harbor Marina is still under the same ownership is has been for the last 40 years. It is located south of the Flagler Memorial Bridge on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway and was known as the Old City Dock. Smundin said the marina is two and a half miles from the Port of Palm Beach and south of the Lake Worth Inlet with one bridge and no fixed bridges. The depth in the marina is 11 feet at mean low tide. Last Dec. the marina was closed to undergo total rehabilitation. The renovations were unveiled during a grand opening ceremony before the Palm Beach Boat Show in March.

The marina still occupies the same coastal area but has expanded out to near the ICW and slip sizes for yachts have increased from 40-160 feet to 60235 feet. That brings an average yacht size from 47 feet to an average of 90 feet. Smundin said they have improved the uplands and added what they call a yacht club; a multi-purpose room, fitness room and media room. “We don’t call it a crew club because the owner’s can use it also,” Smundin said. He said the future plans include an epicurian market to replace the previous ship’s store. The second phase will include a resort-type property which will bring restaurants and a pool to the facility. Palm Harbor has a 200 foot dock at the fueling area and 500 feet on another dock for side-to docking. The marina is within walking distance of the heart of downtown West Palm Beach and to a variety of restaurants, shops and cultural activities. “Most importantly we have worked closely with Department of Environmental Protection and we are dredging the low spot north of the bridge,” said Smundin. “That would give yachts 10 feet of depth from the inlet to us. That was always a concern with the captains,

Dockmaster John Smundin at the gate to Palm Harbor Marina docks in West Palm Beach. PHOTO/DORIE COX they used to have to time their trip in or out.” He said the marina is working closely with Florida Inland Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to foster mutually beneficial relationships for all involved. “It’s been since 1979 trying to get this done,” Smundin said of the dedication of Palm Harbor Marina to get everything done. And that’s how long Smundin has been dedicated, too. Dorie Cox is a staff reporter and associate editor with The Triton. Comments on this story are welcome at dorie@the-triton.com.

B May 2010 PROVISIONING IN THE CARIBBEAN

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Caribbean chandleries offer benefits through a ‘real person’ By Carol M. Bareuther The docks, anchorages and interisland waterways of the Caribbean were afloat with megayachts this season. This is a phenomenon that has grown in the region almost as fast as the number of new builds over the past decade. With an increase in megayachts comes a need for products and parts available immediately for these vessels. “Everybody carries a basic set of nuts, bolts and screws onboard, but there are only so many parts you can carry,” said Capt. Ken Maff of the 115-foot charter yacht M/Y Kapalua. Online ordering “is definitely beneficial. However, there’s nothing like talking with a real person. Having that personal relationship, assurance, tracking numbers and ultimately someone responsible for sending the parts is critical, because if not, heads will roll.” There is an increasing amount of support for megayachts organized on a global basis, especially for the larger yachts that have more custom equipment. While Caribbean chandlers will not stock some of the more technical products, there are some products that Caribbean chandlers have started to keep in inventory for their megayacht clientele. “We do carry a number of specific

superyacht products such as Mega Fend, Gianneschi & Ramacciotti, and Clin Azur,” said Robbie Ferron, founder of Budget Marine, a St. Maarten-based chandlery with locations on eight Caribbean islands. Likewise, Sean Kennelly, managing director of Island Water World, a St. Maarten-based chandlery with locations in St. Maarten, St. Lucia and Grenada, added, “Teak cleaning products, polishes, stain removers, odor removers and de-scalers in the branded lines most requested are something we carry.” Caribbean chandlers will also carry a broad range of consumable products such as fuel and water filters, rags and oil mops, and chemicals. There are also marine plumbing and electrical products in bronze, brass, stainless or plastic, NPT thread, straight thread or metric, and a vast range of marine electrical wiring, switches, relays and bulbs. Dinghies and outboards and water toys from towables to kayaks and scuba gear are other stock items that appeal to megayacht customers. Availability of a part or product on any given day can be crucial for a Caribbean chandlery. “When I need something,” said Kapalua’s Maff, “I need it now. If I have to order and wait, I might as well get it from my agent in Florida.”

Sean Kennelly, managing director of Island Water World (left), and staff member Ricky Benshop demonstrate the company’s e-commerce Web site PHOTO FROM SEAN KENNELLY at the store in Cole Bay on St. Maarten. Interestingly, prices at small Caribbean chandleries can be less than those from North American retailers and almost certainly less than ordering from Europe. Some of this is due to duty-free allowances on some islands and the fact the chandleries pre-clear products so there is no issue with customs brokers.Late last year, Island Water World put into place a system based on its logistical experience

in moving merchandise around the Caribbean and competitive rates on transport of non-Hazmat by FedEx. The company also established good rates with LIAT, the Caribbean regional carrier, and Kennelly said, “They are surprisingly quick.” Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer in St. Thomas. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

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KVH doubles bandwidth in North Pacific region KVH Industries has doubled the network’s bandwidth in the North Pacific Ocean Region. This expansion ensures performance and reliable connections via the Ku-band network. “As customer demand grows for the TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband, we feel it is imperative to invest in the network to support our growing customer base,” said Brent C. Bruun, KVH’s vice president for sales and business development. “We are bringing more and more customers onboard in the North Pacific, and most of them are maritime professionals who need to rely on satellite communications to keep their business operations running smoothly.” KVH also has activated mini-VSAT Broadband satellite communications service in the Indian Ocean region. This is the latest step in the joint effort by KVH and ViaSat to offer seamless global broadband connectivity for vessels and aircraft. The network will bring broadband Internet and voice service to commercial and leisure boaters in and around the Indian Ocean, as well as provide network coverage to the ViaSat Yonder in-flight broadband network for business and commercial aircraft. For more information, visit www. kvh.com.

New weather service available

Baron QuikLink, a subscriptionbased global weather data service, is now available from Baron Services, a weather technology company and innovator in datalink weather for the maritime industry (see below). Supplying graphical weather information in small, targeted downloads over a data connection, QuikLink features the innovative World Marine data package, which provides a 23-region coverage area.

May 2010 B

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

QuikLink data can be geo-referenced with an NMEA-compatible GPS device when connected to a PC so users can track their position simultaneously with the data. Particularly useful, the end user can select which data products within a particular region they would like to receive, further narrowing transmission time and reducing bandwidth costs. For more information, visit www. baronservices.com/quiklink/.

IYT launches i-Phone application

International Yacht Training has a new i-Phone application that includes course schedules, pricing information and any special offers. The app, called IYT Mobile, is free and intuitively designed to give yacht crew straightforward information in the most convenient way possible. There will be several promotions and special discounts over the next few months only available to yacht crew using the app, according to a company statement. For more information, visit www. yachtmaster.com.

Viking offers safety suit/jacket

Following recent EASA (European Aviation Safety Authorities) approval of its helicopter suit, marine safety equipment manufacturer Viking LifeSaving Equipment is now one of the few suppliers in the world to offer a fully ETSO-approved transportation suit and lifejacket system. In accordance with ETSO (European Technical Standard Order) regulations, the suit and life jacket were tested and approved together, a stringent requirement that has prevented many manufacturers from competing in this market.

See TECH BRIEFS, page B8

Today’s fuel prices

One year ago

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

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of April 15, 2009

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 648/691 Savannah, Ga. 595/NA Newport, R.I. 610/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 763/NA St. Maarten 839/NA Antigua 948/NA Valparaiso 894/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 795/NA Cape Verde 710/NA Azores 659/NA Canary Islands 673/834 Mediterranean Gibraltar 613/NA Barcelona, Spain 729/1,381 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,480 Antibes, France 717/1,581 San Remo, Italy 837/1,694 Naples, Italy 805/1,510 Venice, Italy 812/1,523 Corfu, Greece 825/1,736 Piraeus, Greece 798/1,709 Istanbul, Turkey 715/NA Malta 690/1,667 Tunis, Tunisia 670/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 675/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 712/NA Sydney, Australia 729/NA Fiji 780/NA

Region Duty-free*/duty paid U.S. East Coast Ft. Lauderdale 434/465 Savannah, Ga. 419/NA Newport, R.I. 506/NA Caribbean St. Thomas, USVI 541/NA St. Maarten 563/NA Antigua 539/NA Valparaiso 650/NA North Atlantic Bermuda (Ireland Island) 627/NA Cape Verde 508/NA Azores 466/NA Canary Islands 438/640 Mediterranean Gibraltar 433/NA Barcelona, Spain 490/1,159 Palma de Mallorca, Spain NA/1,137 Antibes, France 523/1,309 San Remo, Italy 612/1,411 Naples, Italy 577/1,385 Venice, Italy 584/1,364 Corfu, Greece 543/1,256 Piraeus, Greece 526/1,239 Istanbul, Turkey 489/NA Malta 436/NA Bizerte, Tunisia 591/NA Tunis, Tunisia 587/NA Oceania Auckland, New Zealand 493/NA Sydney, Australia 517/NA Fiji 559/NA

*When available according to local customs.

*When available according to local customs.

B May 2010 FROM THE TECH FRONT: Rules of the Road

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Convention focus: compliance, enforcement RULES, from page B1

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(part A) and guidelines (part B) in the code are integrated and organized into general areas of concern under five titles: Title 1: Minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship Title 2: Conditions of employment Title 3: Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering Title 4: Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection Title 5: Compliance and enforcement The new convention is intended to achieve more compliance by operators and owners and to strengthen enforcement of standards through mechanisms at all levels. For example, it contains provisions for: complaint procedures; the owners’ and captains’ supervision of conditions; the flag states’ jurisdiction and control over their vessels; and port state inspections of foreign ships. It applies to all “seafarers,” meaning any persons who are employed or engaged or work in any capacity onboard ships. These ships include all vessels ordinarily engaged in commercial activities, other than ships which navigate exclusively in inland waters or waters within, or closely adjacent to, sheltered waters or areas where port regulations apply, and ships engaged in fishing or similar pursuits or ships of traditional build such as dhows and junks. These definitions of ships and seafarers in the convention are based on definitions found in the existing maritime labor standards. A commercially certified yacht is considered a cargo ship by definition. However, there is some discussion among flag states on the definition of “ordinarily engaged in commercial activities.” Is there a minimum time limit to determine “ordinarily engaged?” One day, one month, six months? Yachts can be certified for commercial activity, but are they “ordinarily engaged?” Should we panic yet? While many of the regulations are firm in their content, there is some flexibility regarding application of the standards. For example, some of the provisions relating to shipboard accommodation will apply only to those of a certain type or size, or in certain cases their application may be excluded for small vessels. In addition, only ships that are of 500 gross tons or over and are engaged in international voyages (or are operating in a foreign country) will have to carry statutory certificates to show that the vessel is being operated in conformity with the requirements. In the case of smaller ships, the owners can also voluntarily request their administration to include their vessels in the certification system, so as to

avoid or reduce the likelihood of their Islands, and the Bahamas), the gross being inspected in foreign ports. tonnage threshold has been met. So how does all of this affect yachts? The remaining countries that have Is this the end of yachting as we agreed to the MLC are Bosnia and know it? The MLC aims to establish a Herzegovina, Croatia, Norway, and continuous “compliance awareness” at Spain. Estimates are for at least 22 every stage from the national systems more members to sign-on by the end of of protection up to the international 2010, with an in-force date of December system. 2011. This starts with the individuals To date, the only yacht registry to working onboard, who – under the ratify the MLC is the Marshall Islands. Convention – will have to be properly They have posted several marine informed of their rights and of the notices on their interpretations of the remedies available in case of alleged requirements. While the majority of non-compliance with the requirements the notices concentrate on merchant of the convention and whose right to ships, there are attempts to tackle make complaints, yachts and their both onboard the unique issues. yacht and ashore. While not 100 It will continue percent definitive, Should we panic with the owners this is promising yet? While many of and managers. to see, particularly the regulations are Those that own when there are so or operate yachts many unanswered firm in their content, for which the questions for there is some flexibility MLC applies will yachts. regarding application be required to As the deadline of the standards. develop and carry approaches, we out plans for can expect to see For example, some ensuring that the modifications of the provisions applicable national to those notices. relating to shipboard laws, regulations, Once the United or other measures Kingdom ratifies accommodation will to implement the the MLC, we apply only to those convention are should then see of a certain type or actually being interpretations complied with. posted by the size, or in certain cases The captains UK MCA for red their application may of these yachts ensign yachts be excluded for small will then be (Bermuda, BVI, responsible for Cayman Islands, vessels. carrying out the Isle of Man, etc). owners’ stated As with any plans, and for new regulatory keeping proper records to evidence convention, a major obstacle to implementation of the requirements of ratification is the excessive detail in the MLC. Think of it as ISM for labor many of them. The new MLC will set instead of safety. out the basic rights of seafarers to As part of its updated decent work in firm statements, but responsibilities, the administration will leave a large measure of flexibility (or class society on their behalf) will to ratifying countries as to how they review the owners’ plans, verify, and will implement those standards for certify that they are actually in place decent work in their national laws. and being implemented through an We must hope that the various audit or similar inspection. Yachts will yacht registries guide their individual then be required to carry a Maritime working groups towards a realistic and Labor Certificate and a Declaration of achievable standard for our industry. Maritime Labor Compliance. Time will tell. Flag states are also expected to ensure that national laws and Capt. Jake DesVergers currently serves regulations implementing the as Chief Surveyor for the International convention standards are respected on Yacht Bureau (IYB), an organization smaller yachts that are not covered by that provides inspection services to the certification system. private and commercial yachts on There is currently not a final date for behalf of several flag administrations, compliance with this new regulation. including the Marshall Islands. A deck The convention will enter into force, officer graduate of the US Merchant “…12 months after the date on which Marine Academy at Kings Point, he there have been registered ratifications previously sailed as Master on merchant by at least 30 Members with a total ships, acted as Designated Person for share in the world gross tonnage of a shipping company, and served as ships of 33 per cent.” regional manager for an international With ratification by the four largest classification society. Contact him at registries (Panama, Liberia, Marshall 954-596-2728 or www.yachtbureau.org

B May 2010

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

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New survival suit/life jacket in one; new gauges measure liquids TECH BRIEFS, from page B5 All EASA members, traveling by helicopter in hostile sea areas, must have personal protective equipment that complies with the new regulations. Designed for operations to and from helidecks, Viking’s PS4003 Helicopter Transportation Suit can handle the most demanding evacuation situations. It is equipped with an intelligent thermal liner that regulates body heat, as well as a number of adjustment possibilities. The suit also boasts integrated valves that can remove trapped air to control buoyancy. Manually or orally inflated, the advanced Viking PV9302 Helicopter Lifejacket can be purchased with a detachable Escape Breathing System, providing the wearer with at least one minute of extra air. This increases

the chances of survival for crew when escaping particularly threatening situations, such as helicopter submersion. For more information, visit www.viking-offshore.com/ protectiveclothing.

Bravo Delta launches new gauges

Ft. Lauderdale-based Bravo Delta Engineering has added a complete set of precision, digital gauges to its custom, backlighted, control panel manufacturing capability. The tank level gauge can be used with almost all popular tank probes for most boats under 100 feet. For large vessels with access to the bottom of the tanks in the engine room, .5 percent pressure transducers are used. The gauge itself plugs into a small Interface Module (via a 3-foot ribbon cable)

where the inputs are connected. These standard size gauges are function dedicated, easy to read, and have no controls other than dimming. The display is sunlight viewable and available in red or blue LEDs and operates on 12 or 24 volts DC. For more information, visit www. oceangauges.com.

FarSounder offers upgrade

Rhode Island-based FarSounder has released SonaSoft 2.1, a major software upgrade for the FS-3DT Forward Looking Sonar. In addition to enhancements such as a vessel speed upgrade offering 20-knot capability and improved automatic bottom detection with enhanced sea floor visualization, the Graphic User Interface has also received extensive attention. Some of the areas where users will appreciate the GUI changes include streamlined display windows, improved processor controls and profiles locations, and increased font and button sizes. SonaSoft 2.1 is a no charge upgrade for existing customers and is included in all new deliveries. For more information, call +1 401-784-6700 or visit www.farsounder.com

Hella offers new strip lighting

Hella Marine has introduced its new, multi-purpose LED Strip Lamps. Providing intense, white light and class-leading efficiency, they can be dimmed. Compared to incandescent lighting, the energy-saving LED Strip Lamps have an ultra-low current draw of less than 2W each. Available in 12V or 24V DC versions, the maintenancefree lamps have no bulbs to change or break and are shock- and vibrationresistant. Suggested retail price is $72. For more information, visit www. hellamarine.com.

New dinghy rack prevents damage

AquaFoam has introduced a new product called DinghyRack that can store any size inflatable dinghy on the bow of a vessel without damaging the deck and for less than the cost of permanently mounted chocks or davits. The DinghyRack uses lightweight, durable soft foam brackets to support an inflatable upside down several inches above the surface to prevent damage that could be caused by a hard transom or oarlocks. The brackets install easily and don’t require holes to be drilled in the bow, according to a company statement. Suggested retail price is $50. For more information, visit www. dinghyrack.com or call +1 508-2480081.

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www.the-triton.com MARINAS / SHIPYARDS: British Columbia, Canada

May 2010 B

Plans for B.C. megayacht marina still a battle

At low tide, rocky Lime Bay Park and the proposed Victoria International Marina site along the foreshore beyond. PHOTO/ALISON GARDNER

By Alison Gardner Just when it seemed that all arguments about the pros and cons of British Columbia’s Victoria International Marina (VIM) had been put on the table, the 52-slip megayacht facility proposed for Victoria’s middle harbor is making new headlines. Opponents say it would ruin the view and make the already-tight sea space too congested. The latest controversy centers on municipal Lime Bay Park, a pocketsized rocky promontory adjacent to the proposed marina. Based on a new consultant report commissioned by the city, Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin announced on April 1 that the city had filed with the provincial government a demand to protect its riparian rights to access the park from the water, particularly in case of bad weather emergency. Ironically, it was VIM developer Robert Evans who gave the park to the city in the 1980s as part of a waterfront condo development deal in which he was involved. Evans maintains the city has no case and has threatened legal action. “When we turned over the park,” he said, “there was nothing in the agreement that gave the city riparian rights.” Brian Barnett, president and CEO of OCN-Ocean Crewing Network of Victoria, backs up Evans’ assertion, saying that his reading of the city report indicates the hazards specified when accessing the park from the water have nothing to do with the marina development. “For any 40-foot vessel, which

was the study baseline for access assessment, the park shoreline is steep and rocky with underwater boulders and insufficient water depths for safe access in any weather,” Barnett said. “It would be far safer for a vessel to tie up to the marina dock if it needed to land somewhere close by in an emergency.” Publicizing its side of the story on this latest City Council move was one reason for VIM to call its first press conference on April 16 in advance of a well organized “Save Our Harbour” anti-marina rally scheduled for the next day on both water and land at the marina site. VIM has previously hosted or attended numerous public meetings over the past four years to explain the proposed marina project, which its representatives strongly maintain meet all criteria for harborside industrial development with no rezoning or variances required by the city. With plenty of media present and seven speakers to support the marina project, Lachlan MacLean, general manager of marina operations for WAM Development Group, a partner in the VIM project, spoke candidly. “One of the greatest challenges this project faces is misunderstandings,” he said. “Critics claim that this project will choke the harbor when in fact the proposed marina is in an area out of bounds to other users now because of natural marine hazards. “When the adjacent seabed is dredged and the marina built, it will become a useable part of this vibrant working harbor,” he said. With regard to megayacht movements clogging up the harbor, he noted a 2008 study that looked at

how additional 65- to 140-foot pleasure vessels (20-55m) would impact traffic flow, which includes float planes, harbor ferries and other commercial and recreational vessels. Based on patterns at other megayacht marinas, movements average four a day, either in or out, possibly up to eight in peak season, he said. “Using 2007 Transport Canada Victoria harbor usage statistics, the study found that even with a full marina these additional yachts would account for about 0.36 percent of total traffic per day,” MacLean said. Another little-known fact brought out at the press conference was that the original 1984 marina plan approved by City Council was for 10 acres of breakwater jutting into the harbor, while the present project covers six acres. A final bone of contention centered around an illustration being distributed by the “Save Our Harbour” group that purports to show the potential viewblocking height of the marina’s larger megayachts. Based on the scale of the group’s drawing, VIM countered with a computer-generated model demonstrating that the imaginary vessel being used to alarm the public would have to be 50 by 225 feet long, dimensions so unwieldy that it could not navigate in or out of the marina, never mind find a slip to dock. Until the provincial and federal governments decide to proceed or not, the “misunderstandings” continue. Alison Gardner is a freelance writer in Victoria, BC. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

B10 May 2010 MARINAS / SHIPYARDS: Marina Mile Yachting Center

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Marina Mile Yachting Center: new facility, familiar grounds By Lucy Chabot Reed The little shipyard as been there for decades. There are men in Ft. Lauderdale who worked there early in their careers and remember it well. They wore smiles last month talking about how the yard next to Marina Bay seems to have come back to life. “I’ve been in and out of this yard for years,” said Steve Morton, who helped John Nylen build the 140-foot steel yacht Nordic Prince (now M/Y Chantal Ma Vie) in this yard in the 1980s. “It’s a nice little yard that doesn’t have all the politics and headaches of the big yards.” Marina Mile Yachting Center is open for business. Formerly known as New River Dry Dock and tucked between Marina Mile and I-95 on the New River, it has what is believed to be South Florida’s only graving dock. David Hole, a former yacht captain who was a supervisor at Merrill Stevens, is managing the yard under several financial partners who he said have purchased the property outright. “We’re spending money on the right things,” he said, noting that there hasn’t been flashy marketing materials produced or advertisements placed. “What we are doing now is keeping management costs low and keeping dockage competitive to bring boats in. It’s all about cash flow right now.” The yard has spent about $1.5 million in recent months to upgrade electrical service to the docks with 240v/208v/480v with 50amp/ 100amp and three-phase plug-in connections. New water lines as well as compressed air lines have also been laid, and several floating docks have been added. The entrance and hard storage areas have also been paved. Perhaps the most noticeable improvement is the shiny white cover

Don Govan of Govan Marine (left) and Marina Mile Yachting Center General Manager David Hole are happy with PHOTO/LUCY REED work at the recently busy yard.

Perhaps the most noticeable improvement is the shiny white cover over the graving dock, enabling yachts up to 145 feet to get out of the water and out of the sun and rain. over the graving dock, enabling yachts up to 145 feet to get out of the water and out of the sun and rain. There aren’t elaborate plans for the docks themselves, but dredging to 10 feet and upgrading should permit about a dozen yachts of 100-130 feet in the water at any one time, Hole said. The advantage, he said, is that contractors can pull right up to the vessel, eliminating the sometimes frustrating runs to the shop of truck for tools.

“The amount that your bill increases because of that sort of thing is incredible,” Hole said. Next will be a fence around the property and additional security measures to protect the vessels inside. The yard also has a 70-ton Travelift and hard storage area for smaller vessels. What Hole is spending most of his time on now, though, is finding six subcontractors to commit to space in a yet-to-be-build shop. He hopes to have that operational by October.

“We want the best HVAC company, the best welders, a high-end electronics company, an engineering company, an interior refit company,” Hole said. “We’re not interested in someone who can do everything. We want specialists. These can be satellite offices of businesses already in the community.” Once in the yard, yachts can choose from among those on-site contractors or, if something goes amiss, can bring in their own. The yard will eventually manage projects, but for now is paying the bills with flat rates paid by businesses coming in for paint and other work. “If you can bring in quality subcontractors, that’s the biggest selling point,” said Morton, who was back in the yard in April, consulting with Chuck MacMahon, a broker with Northrop & Johnson, about a paint job on his boat and possibly for a client. “People want the flexibility,” MacMahon said. “They don’t want to be trapped by a yard. They have their favorite electrical guy and they want to use him.” Hole was all smiles in mid-April as one megayacht left the dry dock and another came right in on its wake. Tung Luu’s paint team swarmed in and within two days had that next one ready for paint. The team at Govan Marine were removing hardware and anchors, and there were several other megayachts in slips preparing for work. “It’s great to see yachts in here and not just barges,” Hole said. “No one can do it alone right now. If we can get good people in here and manage it correctly, it’ll work.” Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments on this column are welcome at lucy@the-triton.com.

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MARINAS / SHIPYARDS

PHOTO FROM COLONNA’S SHIPYARD

Colonna installs 1,000-ton lift Colonna Yachts, a division of Colonna’s Shipyard of Norfolk, Va., has opened its new West Yard Marine Travelift Facility. Situated on about 10 acres, this new facility will accommodate the simultaneous repair of up to 15 megayachts and deep draft sailing yachts. The yard expansion featuring what the company claims is the world’s largest mobile hoist, a U.S.-built 1,000ton Marine Travelift. Acquisition of the lift was partially enabled by a grant from the Maritime Administration Assistance to Small Shipyards Program. With two concrete slipway piers extending 325 feet into the river, lay berth accommodation is met with full

utility service and crane service for side-to loading. For more information, visit www. colonnayachts.com.

New marina for megayachts in Fiji

In February, Port Denarau Marina on Fiji’s West Coast completed a floating jetty that added 46 berths to the small island. The project was built as a joint effort between Bellingham Marine New Zealand and the Skeggs Group of New Zealand. Designed to cater to megayachts and to meet the growing demand for slips in the Fijian Islands, the new jetty offers

See MARINAS, page B12

Marina Mile 84 Association appoints new officers, board The Marina Mile 84 Association has appointed new officers and board members for 2010. The president remains Bill Bigger of Marina Mile Real Estate; First vice president remains Joe Rubano of RPM Diesel Engine Co.; Second Vice President is Bob Roscioli of Roscioli Yachting Center; and treasurer is Dick Polcini of Diamond Marine. Board members are: Mike Audette, Rechtein International Trucks; Bob Baldwin, City Manager of Dania Beach; Ed Bohne, 84 Boatworks/Inflatable Services; Kathy Dalton, Everglades Waste Removal Services; Bob Dean, Peterson Fuel Delivery; Kit Denison, Marine Realty; Bob Elmore, Hardrives; Paul Engle, Bradford Marine; Mike Epstein, Ramada Inn; John Henry Falk, Yacht Haven; Joyce Frusterio, Dart Canvas & Yacht Interiors; Steve Geller, Greenspoon Marder, P.A.; Jamie Hayes, Runway Growers; Shane Hunt, National Liquidators; George Irvine Jr.,

PipeWelders Marine; Larry Lawrence, Port Consolidated; Greg Poulos, Rolly Marine; Ron Mastriana, The Sails; Cate McCaffrey, City of Ft. Lauderdale; Phil McNally, Paradise Bank; Alex Nichols, 84 Marina; Jim O’Malley, Southeast Insurance Group; Bill Parkes, Cliff Berry Inc.; Mark Pratt, Lauderdale Marine Center; Phil Purcell, Westport Shipyard; Kevin Quirk, Bahia Mar; David Reed, The Triton; Kelly Ruff, Fort Lauderdale BoatClub; Gary Shimun, Town of Davie Administrator; Andrew Sturner, Aqua Marine Partners; Rick Van Lenten, Billfish Marina; Jay Verkey, Lauderdale Speedometer & Compass; John Workman, Marina Bay; and Kevin Zimbrick, MariTech Services. The association is made up of 70 marine and marine service-oriented companies that operate on State Road 84 in Ft. Lauderdale. For more information, contact Executive Director Margaret Croxton at 954-4941900 or croxtonma@aol.com.

May 2010 B11

B12 May 2010

MARINAS / SHIPYARDS

Newport Shipyard’s changes mean better access for big boats MARINAS, from page B11 berths ranging in length from 12 to 65 meters. Ten of the new berths were built to accommodate super yachts and are capable of taking 65 meter yachts with 5 meter drafts. The new berths are fully serviced with power and water hook-ups. “The Bellingham Unifloat Marina is the first for Fiji,” said Nigel Skeggs, Denarau Marina CEO. “The Unifloat not only meets our tough cyclone and particular design requirements but also looks fantastic; and so far has led to a significant increase in bookings for our upcoming season.” The marina also offers a range of services including repair and commercial barge services.

Newport lift moved for dockage

Newport Shipyard’s 70-ton Travelift pit in the northeast corner of the yard has been decommissioned to improve big-boat access to the north basin’s work areas and parking, the yard said in a news release. Replacing the 70-ton facility is a new pit on the south side of the yard, built at an angle to the existing 330-ton pit and serviced by a new 100-ton Travelift. The new layout increases and consolidates Newport Shipyard’s haulout capacity, while also improving dockage in the convenient northeast corner of the basin. For more information, visit www. NewportShipyard.com or call +1 401846-6000.

Storage, yard opens in Mexico

Marine Group Boat Works, a boat repair and drystack storage facility, has opened a facility in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Located at The Marina at Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo, the boatyard spans across 200,000 square feet of land and water and is home to Baja California’s only drystack storage and a 150-ton Travelift capable of hauling boats up to 125 feet. “Marine Group Boat Works de Los Cabos is exactly how we envisioned the ideal boatyard to be,” said Michelle Farias-Kieley who oversees operations at the new facility. “It’s basically a compilation of all the things we didn’t get to incorporate in the San Diego expansion.” The Travelift was christened by M/V Panache, a 110-foot Broward charter yacht just days before the opening in March. The drystack storage system can accommodate 100 boats up to 33 feet in length stacked three levels high. Boats are stored and launched by a forklift that takes about 15 minutes. Marine Group Boat Works de Los Cabos has three concierge packages to cover levels from basic storage to full maintenance and provisioning. For more information, visit www. marinegroupboatworks.com or call the Mexico facility at 624.105.6500

HMY adds new location

HMY Yacht Sales plans to open a new office later this summer at Palm Harbor Marina in downtown West Palm Beach. The marina has just installed new docks and can host 200 yachts from 50-250 feet. The new location will be HMY’s flagship office, said HMY Yacht Sales owner Steve Moynihan, and drive HMY’s sales into larger vessels. Find the new office at 400 N. Flagler Drive, Suite C, or call +1 561-653-1898.

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‘THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO RUN’

Carlos Vidueira, senior vice president of Rybovich, spoke at a U.S. Superyacht Association networking event at Rybovich in West Palm Beach, Fla., during the Palm Beach Boat Show on March 25. “If you’re in the business you can come to South Florida,” Vidueira told captains, senior officers and industry professionals who had been invited to see upgrades at Rybovich, learn about plans for nearby Riviera Beach and to hear Vidueira’s thoughts on the state of the yachting industry. “We need good vendors, crew and employees, now,” he said. “This is not the time to run. This is the time to decide if you are going to stay in the industry. We are not competing against each other; we are competeing with the rest of the world.” Rybovich has built its new facilities to suit crew’s needs and expectations. “Crew are the professionals and should be treated like pros,” he said. “We need to do this throughout the industry and we need to take this industry to a new level.” Rybovich is working with the city of West Palm Beach to create a service facility next to the port to service vessels from 180 to 380 feet. The new facility, to be named Rybovich Portside, is scheduled to have a 4,000-ton lift and have comparable facilities to the current Rybovich, but will be four times as large, he said. STORY AND PHOTO/DORIE COX

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BOATS / BROKERS

May 2010 B13

Yacht sold, built and listed around the world this spring Dave Ritchie, retired co-founder of Ritchie Bros., sold his yacht at a Cayman Islands auction in late March for $46.6 million, according to The Vancouver Sun. Although the sale of the 219-foot M/Y Apoise was a record price for Ritchie Bros., it is still less than the $90 million reportedly paid for the boat in 2006. Bids opened at 20 million euros ($27 million) and the Sun reported that Ritchie said he felt he received “fair market value” for the boat, given the state of the economy. Ocean Independence has sold its central agency listing M/Y Nomad, a 69m Oceanfast, by Marco Vandoni of Monaco. Originally named Aussie Rules, the vessel was subsequently named Floridian.

provides HMY customers an even broader selection of premier yachts to choose from,” said Steve Moynihan, owner of HMY Yachts Sales. Sunreef Yachts has introduced a new range of performance cruisers, Sunreef 80 Ultimate, which range from 80 to 150 feet. Sunreef Yachts is trying a new market niche with ultramodern sailing catamarans with green appliances. S/Y Maltese Falcon confirmed that they will take part in The Superyacht Cup Palma, June 23–26. The 88-meter Perini Navi will be the largest yacht to have ever taken part in race. “For us, it is all about combining the excitement of the sailing and the fun of the social events,” said Capt. Chris Gartner. “And Palma is such a great location; we are really looking forward to it.”

Turkish builder Vicem Yachts has hired David Croom as its sales representative for North and South Carolina where he has spent more than 20 years in the marine retail industry. “There is an interesting dynamic with the Carolinas,” said Dirk Boehmer,

PHOTO/MARC PARIS

Fraser Yachts recently sold M/Y Northern Light, a 150-foot Falcon, with listing broker Dennis Frederiksen of Monaco, and M/Y Quan Yin, above, an 82-foot custom steel boat by co-central agents Michael Selter of San Diego and Tom Allen of Seattle. The brokerage has added the following new central agency listings for sale: M/Y Keikei Kai, a 100-foot Benetti by Neal Esterly, San Diego; S/Y Sir Martin, a 90-foot Molemaker by Jeff Partin, Ft. Lauderdale; M/Y Deep Blue, an 80-foot Cherokee by Jose Arana, Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, and M/Y Fredrikstad, a 75-foot Smedvik Mek by Partin. Northrop and Johnson announced the sale of M/Y Devotion, a 143-foot Sterling, by central agents Kevin Merrigan of Ft. Lauderdale and Gregg Morton of San Diego; and of M/Y Heritage, an 86-foot Burger, by Gregg Child of Ft. Lauderdale. Aegean Yacht Services has launched its 43rd vessel. Construction began in 2009 on M/Y Diva, 24m, and took 12 months to complete. Diva is the second yacht to be delivered from the Aegean Sailor 24 series. HMY Yacht Sales has been appointed the Grand Banks dealer for the east coast of Florida. “The addition of Grand Banks to our collection of the finest fishing and family cruising yachts on the water

Richard Sauter will design Formula Zero, a solar hybrid yacht designed for carbon offset that will use sun, wind and wave energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 to 100 percent. The yacht will have hydro and aerodynamic advances hull design, a diesel electric quadruple counter-rotating propeller system, rotational wingsails, solar cell deployment and A/C and refrigeration waste heat recovery. For more details, visit www. SauterCarbonOffsetDesign.com.

Alloy Yachts announced details on its largest sailing yacht construction project, which began in October 2008, above. The 220-foot Briand ketch S/Y Kokomo is the largest sailing yacht to be built by Alloy Yachts or any other New Zealand boat-builder, according to Alloy. It is scheduled to launch later this year.

The Florida Yacht Brokers Association has elected several new officers for 2010. Officers are, from left, Vice President Lon McCloskey of The Marine Group, Secretary Gary Smith of Sarasota Yacht and Ship, President Crom Littlejohn of Merle Wood and Associates, and re-elected Treasurer Bob Zarchen of Sparkman and Stephens. For more details, call +1 954-5229270 or visit www.fyba.org.

president of Vicem Yachts. “More and more, young families and retirees are relocating there, making this prestigious coastal region an ideal market for both Vicem luxury motor yachts and especially sportfishers. David’s vast experience with the yachting clientele in the region is key to build the Vicem brand and drive sales throughout this market.” Croom began his yacht sales career in 1986 as a broker for American Yacht Sales in the Carolinas. In 2006, he founded Total Offshore Yacht Sales, based in Wrightsville Beach, Croom N.C., specializing in sportfisher and cruiser sales, and related yacht management. “The Carolinas have a tremendous area for exploration and cruising perfectly suited to the Vicem lines,” Croom said. “I am very excited to join the Vicem Yachts family, and look forward to establishing a market for Vicem in the Carolinas by getting out there to sell some boats.” Croom holds a degree in business and finance from the University of Georgia, and attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

B14 May 2010 CRUISING GROUNDS: Aeolian Islands

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Want to go up a mountain? Don’t do it without a guide Aeolian Islands, from page B1

Looking into the crater at Stromboli, which had significant eruptions in PHOTO/CAPT. JOHN CAMPBELL 2003, 2007 and 2009.

the Stream of Fire. By night, if the volcano is active, the whole face of the mountain glows. If you have a night-scope on board, look at the volcano through that. Usually the whole of the Sciara del Fuco glows, as do many otherwise unseen fumaroles around the crater. By day, you can often see the lava rocks landing in the sea in a cloud of steam. There is a poorly marked, rarely policed exclusion zone in front of the lava field. You go close at your own peril. From time to time larger rocks – so-called lava bombs – are thrown far into the air. These can be as big as a car or even larger, so you do not want one landing on the foredeck. The volcano went through a long period of stability, with regular small eruptions, but in 2003 there was a major eruption that blew out the side of the crater and caused a small tsunami. After this the eruptions were less regular and a lot less spectacular. There was another big eruption in 2007 and again in early 2009, so it is hard to predict the level of activity you may find. The main town of Stromboli is on the northeast coast. Sometimes you can anchor off the town on a ledge running between the town and the islet of Strombolicchio. There is good diving off Strombolicchio, but you are not allowed ashore as it is a nature preserve. From time to time the authorities chase you out of that anchorage and then you have to anchor further to the south, off the tiny ferry quay at Scari. The town is worth a visit if only for the tiny narrow streets and old stone houses. You can buy the locally produced wine here and find several good restaurants, as well as basic provisions. If you want to go to the top of the mountain, it is essential to take a guide. The authorities are much stricter now than they used to be, as a few tourists have been killed by sudden eruptions. Small stone shelters have been built near the crater. These give a degree of protection in the event of a sudden eruption, but can house only a few people in each, so numbers of visitors are severely limited at any one time. Normally the climbs are done in the cool of the evening with a descent in the dark. Not for the faint-hearted or weak of lung. Ask in town about getting a guide. There is a second small town on the southwest side of the island called Ginostra. It can be reached only by boat, but really it is too deep to anchor off the town. There is a small dock for the ferry where you could land from a

dinghy. One of the best websites giving fairly up-to-date information about Stromboli is run by a Swiss group at www.swisseduc.ch. Click on the Stromboli link. The next island south is Panarea. Compared to the rocks and lava fields of Stromboli, Panarea feels like a garden. The population of Panarea is less than 300 and most live in and around the main town of San Pietro on the east coast. There is a small port and you may be able to go stern-to with a smaller yacht. There is a lot of room to anchor off the town in reasonable depths of water. Do note the exclusion zone around the underwater volcano to the east of the island. It is a protected area, but also it could be dangerous to sail over the top of it. In November 2002 it suddenly became more active, and large volumes of gas vented. If you were unfortunate enough to sail over the top of the volcano as it vented, your boat would sink, since the aerated water is not dense enough support the weight of a boat. Panarea is obviously volcanic in origin but is not classed as active. It is a delight to walk across the island, along the narrow, twisty lanes. If you have a taste for history, you can walk along the cliffs to the southeast corner of the island, and visit the remains of a Bronze Age Village at Punto Milazzese. The last time we were on Panarea, on the spur of the moment, we chartered a helicopter from Air Panarea. The socalled airport is perched precariously on the edge of a high cliff above the town. The air field has just enough room for a single helicopter. It is a fairly stiff walk up the hill, but if you do not fancy the walk, they will take you up in a golf cart. We flew over the underwater volcano to the east, which was clearly visible, but the highlight was to fly around the rim of the crater on Stromboli. Looking down into the crater, Dante’s Inferno came to mind. Flying over the lava field of the Sciara del Fuco we could feel the heat even through the windows. It was an amazing experience that I cannot recommend highly enough.(www. airpanarea.com) About a dozen miles to the south of Panarea is the island of Lipari, the biggest and most populous island in the group. Once again it is easy to anchor off the main town, which is about halfway down the east coast. Compared to the tranquillity of Panarea, Lipari is a bustling metropolis. There is a variety of shops here and it is a good place to restock provisions.

See Aeolian Islands, page B15

The Triton

www.the-triton.com CRUISING GROUNDS: Aeolian Islands

The dockage at Panarea.

May 2010 B15

PHOTO/CAPT. JOHN CAMPBELL

Populations often are in the hundreds Aeolian Islands, from page B14 There are several small marinas in the bay. Marina Lunga has a quay that can take boats up to 60 meters and it is right in town (Phone: 090.9811926, email: info@yachtharbourlipari.it). Porto Pignataro is on the north side of the bay (Phone: 090.9814233, e-mail: info@ eolmare.com). It is further from town but gives better shelter, if there is space. A visit to the castle overlooking the town is a must. It houses a fantastic museum that covers not only the history of the Aeolian Islands from prehistoric times to the Romans, but there are sections on vulcanology, palaeontology and maritime history. It is a world-class museum. Lipari has been important since ancient times as a source of obsidian, a naturally occurring kind of volcanic glass. Even before the Bronze Age, it was used to make knives and spear heads, as it can be flaked to form an amazingly sharp edge. I was fascinated to learn that the edge can be sharp to a thickness approaching a single molecule, some hundred times sharper than the finest steel surgical scalpel. Indeed many plastic surgeons and some cardiac surgeons prefer to use obsidian scalpels for delicate work as they feel that the extra sharp blade causes less scaring and allows the cuts to heal more quickly than those from normal metal blades. Toward the southern end of the west coast there are several nice bays where you can anchor. The snorkeling and diving is excellent. Lipari is separated by a narrow strait from my favourite island, Vulcano. The Romans named the island, believing it to be the chimney to the God Vulcan’s workshop, where he made weapons

for the other Gods. It gave us the word volcano. It is classed as dormant and has not erupted since 1890. To me though, it seems to be pretty active, as all around the crater there are many little fumaroles that smoke. There are two main anchorages there, Porto di Poniente on the west side and Porto di Levante on the east. Levante is where the hydrofoils berth and occasionally you may be allowed to lay on that quay if none is expected, but generally you will have to anchor in the bay. Levante is slightly more convenient as there are a few shops and restaurants close by, but if you anchor in Poniente, it is only a short walk across the isthmus to Levante. The population of the whole island is something less than 500, so there are not too many shops, but you can find basic provisions and a few restaurants. On the north side of the Levante bay are the famous mud-baths. You can wallow in the hot mud for the princely sum of 2 euros. The mud is supposed to cure rheumatic pains and skin problems. Be warned though, as one of our stewardesses found, the sulphurous mud will strip the gold plating off any jewelry, and the sulphur smell is likely to linger in your clothes for weeks to come. They do also say that the mud is radioactive and that you should not stay in it for much more than 15 minutes at a time. If the wind is offshore in the anchorage, you will smell the sulphur and we have found that the fumes take the shine off the stainless steel deck fittings. The highlight of any visit to Vulcano is to walk up to the crater. It is possible to rent quad bikes and motorcycles to

explore the island, but for me, the walk up to the crater is the favorite. Take the road to the southwest out of Levante, and follow it for a few kilometres until you see the track on the left winding its way up the side of the volcano. From time to time they make a modest charge to visit, but it is well worth it in my opinion. As you reach the lip of the crater there are signs warning you not to sit down, as the sulphur fumes are denser closer to the ground, and there is the possibility of suffocation. You will see many smoking fumaroles, mostly rimmed with bright yellow sulphur deposits. Pass to windward of them as the “smoke” is choking and hurts the eyes. From the lip it is awe-inspiring to look down into the crater itself. I have seen some brave (or is that foolhardy) souls climb down into the crater, without apparent harm. I prefer the views from the lip. There are three more inhabited islands. Salina looks like it would be possible to anchor off, but the other two, Filicudi and Alicudi, appear to be surrounded by rather deep water. Maybe one day I will get the chance to go and have a look, and see if we can find a spot to anchor at either one. If you ever find yourself off the north coast of Sicily, and Aeolus is holding his breath, visit his islands. You will not regret it and you will probably have some strong memories of your visit. Capt. John Campbell has been yacht captain for more than 20 years and a sailor all his life. He is currently in command of M/Y Ligaya, a 38m motoryacht. Comments on this story are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

B16 May 2010

PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo Exposé

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Format differences affect email, storage and images Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts. In the last issue I provided a brief, yet concise outline on the comparison between shooting in the JPG format vs. camera RAW. In my workshops at the James Schot Gallery and Photo Studio this topic is discussed in far greater detail. JPGs are great if you simply enjoy taking snapshots Photo Exposé and that’s it. James Schot I would recommend a book I thoroughly enjoyed on the subject titled “The Art of the American Snapshot, 1888-1978,” and say to you keep snapping those jpgs. Those of you who consider yourselves more serious photographers will want to use camera RAW in capturing the more important people, events and places in your life. You will benefit from and enjoy more in-depth aspects of a JPG vs. RAW discussion. Here, though, I’ll skip all those details to just provide you a quick sense of file format difference. A JPG is an 8-bit file format that results in 256 levels of luminance from pure black to brilliant white. A camera RAW is 12 bit (working up to 16 bit) that has 4,096 possible luminance levels of information (65,536 for 16 bit). I don’t have to tell you that if you had to work on a photograph on your computer to correct exposure, color or remove some blemishes or crop a real small area of the photograph, you are much better off having 4,096 possibilities to work from than 256. This is the advantage of RAW. The disadvantage? It’s a much larger file, taking up more memory and taking much longer to move around and load. It’s useless for the Web. Photographers do have options. If it is important and your camera is RAW capable, you can shoot in this format, make your corrections and enhancements, then convert to JPG for print, storage or Web. If, on the other hand, you have no plans for optimizing the photograph, shoot JPG files in the first place and save your time. It is best, if you can, to keep the computer for enhancements, and take the photo so well you do not have to make corrections. With film, we used to say “begin with a perfect negative” and the rest will be easy in the darkroom. The same holds true today for digital. Back to going through the list of specifications as we can find on dpreview.com. I last ended with Uncompressed format: Yes, RAW. Let’s

move on to: Quality Levels: Fine, Standard These quality standards reference quality settings in the JPG format only. RAW is 100 percent; nothing is compressed by in-camera software. JPGs, on the other hand, will compress a (taken) photo 10 to 20 times its original (RAW) size. A JPG that is compressed to a maximum or 100 percent size is one that you have set as fine under the quality options found in your camera’s menu. Other options will lower the quality of the image. For the Panasonic Lumix DMCFX150, which we have been using to discuss specifications, it is unclear if this setting represents 80 percent or some other lesser value. A 100 percent JPG can look as good as a RAW; it will just not process as well afterward for enhancements via computer software. But as the quality goes down, it does become noticeable, first on any type of enlargement and eventually even to those meant for email or Web display. A pixel is (generally) a square and in low-quality JPGs you will begin to notice the photo being made up of squares. If the standard quality setting for the Lumix is 80 percent, even 60 percent of the fine quality will likely still be suitable for e-mail. For e-mail you need as small a file as possible for quick transmission. Everybody wants to receive your e-mail right away. Standard Viewfinder: None Most of the pocket cameras now do not have viewfinders that will have you bringing the camera up to your eye. The LCD has become the new viewfinder. LCD: 2.7 inches This is the diagonal size of this camera’s viewfinder. This size is not bad. Early-on sizes were a lot smaller and the largest are now about 3 inches. LCD Dots: 230,000 In addition to size, clarity of the LCD is something to consider. I just checked my Leica D-Lux3 and it has less, 207,000 dots for a 2.8-inch LCD. The new D-Lux4 has 460,000 dots for a 3-inch LCD viewfinder, so it offers the best clarity by which to preview and review your photographs. The next article should close out the review of specifications. Do check them before buying a new camera, and look for the best features within your budget based on all the specifications. In the meantime, I’ll take permission to go ashore. James Schot has been a professional photographer for 33 years and owns James Schot Gallery and Photo Studio. Comments on this column are welcome at james@bestschot.com.

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CALENDAR

May 2010 B17

Crawfish jamboree in Virginia; film festival in Cannes May 2 20th Anniversary Party -

Jazz Brunch SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch (first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 4p.m., Ft. Lauderdale. Also featuring, Festa Bella Macchina, a car show with the South Florida Alfa Romeo Owners Club and the South Florida Jaguar Club, Juanita Dixon, Jeff Prine and The New York Horns, Mantra, Porcelain Quartet,Nucklebusters Quintet.Free. www.fortlauderdale.gov

May 5 Networking Triton style (the first Wednesday of every month), 6-8 p.m., with Cline Financial in Ft. Lauderdale. www.the-triton.com

May 5-9 19th annual St. Lucia Jazz

Festival. St. Lucia featuring Earl Klugh, Jean–Luc Ponty, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Steel Pulse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Claudia Edward, Maxi Priest & Shaggy, Quito and the Edge. www. stluciajazz.org

May 6 The Triton Bridge luncheon.

This is our monthly captains’ roundtable where we discuss the issues and trends of the industry. Yacht captains only, please. If you make your living running someone else’s yacht, contact Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@ the-triton.com or 954-525-0029 for an

MAKING PLANS June 21-22, 5th annual Future of Superyachts Conference Palma de Mallorca, Spain Focuses on legal, financial, tax, crewing, registration, build and design issues, and regularly attracts an international audience of senior yacht executives. Includes an optional visit to a local boatyard, champagne roundtables, and a debate about the need for harmonization of yacht regulatory, legal and fiscal regimes. www.quaynote.com invite. Space is limited.

fr/rolandgarros.

May 6 18th annual Colonna’s Shipyard

May 19 Networking Triton style (the

Crawfish Jamboree, Chesapeake, Va. At the Colonna’s Family House Boat from 4:00 to 9:00pm. For more information contact Stacey Allspach at +1 757545-2414 ext. 246 or email sallspach@ colonnaship.com or visit www. colonnaship.com.

May 12-23 63rd Cannes Film Festival,

Cannes, France. American director Tim Burton will be jury president. Join 35,000 film professionals and 4,000 international journalists for the world’s biggest film event. www.festival-cannes. com

May 18-June 6 The French Open,

Paris. One of the four grand slam tennis tournaments. Played on clay. www.fft.

third Wednesday of every month), 6-8 p.m., with V-Cool in Ft. Lauderdale. More details next month or on www. the-triton.com.

May 20-23 Sanctuary Cove

International Boat Show, Australia. The largest on-water display in the AsiaPacific region with 400 exhibitors of luxury vessels, marine accessories and engines. www.sanctuarycoveboatshow. com.au

May 22 Sailorman 21st annual

We Must Be Nuts Tent Sale and Absolute Auction, Ft. Lauderdale. Complimentary lunch and drinks and two no minimum auctions from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m for new, used and

surplus yacht equipment and supplies. Find Sailorman on Facebook for details and to RSVP. Call 1 866-729-3758 or visit www.sailorman.com.

May 23-26 American Superyacht

Forum, Newport. Four days of networking, interaction and debate with 250 attendees including owners, captains, brokers, engineers, shipyard management and industry professionals for networking. For details visit www.superyachtevents. com.

May 25-28 Monaco Grand Prix,

Monaco, www.visitmonaco.com, and scroll under “events.” Hosted by Automobile Club de Monaco, for ticketing and more see www.acm.mc.

June 2 Networking Triton style (the

first Wednesday of every month), 6-8 p.m., stay tuned for details.

June 3 The Triton Bridge luncheon,

noon, Ft. Lauderdale. A roundtable discussion of the issues of the day. Yacht captains only. RSVP to Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com or 954-525-0029. Space is limited.

June 5 9th annual Women’s Sailing See CALENDAR, page B18

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CALENDAR

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The Triton

Chowder cookoff in Rhode Island; tennis in England CALENDAR, from page B17 Conference, Marblehead, Mass. The learning event is for women only, sponsored by BoatUS and organized by the National Women’s Sailing Association, topics include introduction to sailing and racing, diesel engine troubleshooting, boat systems, knots, charting, crew overboard, night sailing, suddenly single-handed, spinnakers and more. For details visit www.BoatUS.com/ women/womens_sailing.asp.

been renamed Commercial Marine Expo (CME) and is relocating from Providence, Rhode Island, to a waterfront facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Commercial Marine Expo, incorporating Fish Expo Atlantic, is sponsored by National Fisherman magazine. For information contact Karen Kelly at 978-263-1334, karen@huggercom.com, or visit www. comarexpo.com.

EVENT OF MONTH

June 11-13 156th New York Yacht

Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, the longest-running regatta in America. Open to yachts 25 feet and larger. www.nyyc.org

June 5 Annual Great Chowder Cook-

off, Newport Yachting Center, Newport, Rhode Island. Features over 3,000 gallons of chowder served up by some of the best restaurants and chefs as they compete for over $10,000 in prizes. For more call 401-846-1600 and www. newportfestivals.com

June 18 Newport to Bermuda

Race. A 635-mile ocean race. www. bermudarace.com.

June 20-24 Advanced Marina

Management School by the International Marina Institute, Queensland, Australia. Profitmanagement training course for senior marina professionals. www. marinaassociation.org

June 6 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch

(first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Featureing The Brass Evoluntion, Blues Therapy and Jazz, Jason Beach, Rich Hernandez TrioFree. www. fortlauderdale.gov

June 8 World Ocean Day. This year’s

theme is Oceans of Life. Hundreds of communities around the globe will celebrate to learn about the world ocean, our connection to it and to raise awareness about the role of the ocean in our lives, and the ways people can protect it. The Ocean Project has over 1000 partner aquariums, zoos, science museums and educational organizations in 85 countries that focus on conservation of the ocean. See events at www.WorldOceanDay.org

June 8-10 Maritime Security Officer

Training. Course offers understanding

The Porto Antico in Genoa, Italy, will be bustling with activity during FILE PHOTO the first week of May.

May 3-7, 22nd MYBA Charter Show Genoa, Italy

One of the four grand slam tennis tournaments. www.wimbledon.org

June 22-25 28th Annual Newport

International exhibitions dedicated to charter professionals and superyachts. A select showcase for luxury charter yachts and an exclusive display for the yachting industry. This exhibition is owned by MYBA, the worldwide yachting association and organized by the Pesto Group. There are numerous events surrounding the show in the Porto Antico (Ancient Harbour) of Genoa. For details visit www.mybashow.com. of ISPS Code and MTSA Regulations (33 CFR), threat information, effective security practices, risk-based assessment techniques, training on the Transportation Worker Identification

June 21-July 4 Wimbledon, London.

Credential (TWIC). For more +44 0 1202 684686 or visit www.mpsint.com.

June 9-10 Portland, Maine The Fish Expo Atlantic (FEA) trade show has

Spring Charter Yacht Show, Newport, Rhode Island. Sail and motor yachts that offer crewed charter vacations in the U.S. Northeast on display The yachts and their crews are available for viewing by charter agents. The Best Charter Yacht Chef Competition will be featured. For information visit www. newportchartershow.com.

June 24-27 The Rendezvous, Monaco,

in association with The Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss). Formerly the ShowBoats International Rendezvous. The gathering of superyachts will include cocktail parties, gala balls and dinners, daytime activities and on-the-water events and chef ’s competitions. For information contact Alice C.I’Anson Widdows at +44 (0) 20 8545 9338 or alice.widdows@ boatinternationalmedia.com.

July 4 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch

(first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Featuring Opp Bop Sh’Bam, Ike and Val Woods, Gerry Coe, Samba Brazil. Free. www.fortlauderdale.gov.

July 5 First start of the West Marine

Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Hawaii. www.pacificcup.org

July 15 7th annual San Diego Yacht

and Boat Show, San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Marina. www. sandiegoboatshow.com

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

SPOTTED: South Africa, Kenya

Triton Spotters

Angela Eade, former dockmaster of Port-de-Plaissance Marina in St Maarten (left), and Julie Spence of M/Y Misty, atop Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town in South Africa. Spence was on a trip visiting her sister-in-law in Cape Town and carried The Triton to the top of the mountain. “The trip was fabulous and made even better by the fact that I had such good reading material on the 16-hour flight,” she said by e-mail. Spence will be working in New England for the summer.

Capt. Wayne Gould and his wife, Mate/Cook/Stew Dorothy Hurley have just returned to Ft. Lauderdale after volunteering at an orphanage in Kenya called Flying Kites. Gould said they became friends with the founders while they were working on S/Y Sunday Morning in Newport last summer. “After our job finished we decided to take some time off and give back. It was such worthwhile and amazing experience. If you could include this picture as well as their website www.flyingkitesglobal.org and a special thank you to Newport Shipyard and all who attended our fund raiser last October we would really appreciate it. Flying Kites has an office in Newport and love visitors. You now have 14 new young fans of The Triton. Keep up the good work,” he said.

Where have you taken your Triton recently? Send photos to lucy@thetriton.com. If we print yours, you get a cool Triton T-shirt.

May 2010 B19

April networking

May networking

Heart healthy iced tea

Chiefs must delegate

With MHG Marine Benefits

With Cline Financial, V-Kool

As nutritious as fruits and vegetables.

It’s all about management.

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Section C

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TRITON SURVEY: GETTING BIDS ON A PAINT JOB

Captains target reputation, not price

A majority of captains opt for 2-3 bids before deciding on a vendor to paint the yacht.

PHOTO/CAPT. TOM SERIO

Recommendations, previous experience with a vendor typically trump dollars. A meeting of Ft. Lauderdale marine business leaders sparked this month’s survey. At this meeting, the business owners and managers were asked to enumerate the threats to their business and more than one mentioned the bid process. One businessman noted that yacht captains go out for seven or eight bids, and then choose “the absolute lowest one.” We were curious to know if that high number of bids was this businessman’s experience or if yacht captains as a whole tend to take more than the traditional three bids. We also wanted to know if price really

was the driving factor. So we asked megayacht captains and discovered most captains behave very differently than this businessman suspects. For the sake of statistical ease, we focused our survey questions on one specific kind of yard work, a paint job. Once it has been decided that the yacht needs a paint job, what does a captain do first?Almost 40 percent of all captains begin this process by getting permission and/or approval from the owner. Anticipating that the owner’s first question likely will be about cost, 30 percent of captains said they begin by establishing the budget and scope of work. Nearly equal-sized groups of captains – between 12-14 percent

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– opt to get quotes or to establish the schedule and location first. When we looked at this process by the length of a captain’s career, we discovered no pattern among younger captains (those in the industry less than 10 years). For the most part, any of these steps might be the first one. For captains in the industry longer than 20 years, however, nearly 43 percent went straight to the owner for permission/approval. Thirty percent created their budgets first. What is the second step in getting a yacht painted? Almost 30 percent move right into getting quotes.

See SURVEY, page C10

A few tips on getting along with your chef What I have learned from years onboard as a professional yacht chef is this: there is always going to be a butting of heads between yacht crew members. Even more important, some of it can be avoided. It starts with respect. I would not go into the laundry department and remove the cleaning products Culinary Waves or go into the Mary Beth engine room and Lawton Johnson use the tools for my food production. The same applies to the galley. Respect each other’s space to begin with. Think about this first before entering the galley, pilot house, laundry, engine room or on deck. Would you want to have to clean up or pick up behind other crew? If you really want to know what your chef thinks about something, ask him or her. This will help you to know your chef and will foster a better working environment. A chef ’s most important goals onboard are to ensure the well-being of the owner, guests and crew by serving healthy meals; to ensure the safety of the food we serve; to make it taste phenomenal while keeping within a budget; and to function as a part of a team that is the yacht’s crew. Unfortunately, in years past, chefs were seen as prima donnas. They yelled and screamed, were always demanding and no one dared talk back to them. No crew member even dared enter the galley unless they wanted their head on a platter. That kind of chef should not be onboard today. The idea of “That is not my job” is no longer tolerated on

See WAVES, page C6

C May 2010 NETWORKING LAST MONTH: MHG Marine Benefits

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ore than 200 captains, crew and industry professionals gathered at MHG Marine Benefits’ office in Ft. Lauderdale for The Triton networking on the first Wednesday in May. The Catering Group passed artist palettes of decorative hors d’oeuvres and Serendipity Ice Cream Distributors dished wine ice cream for the group. Raffle prizes were awarded from Bimini Boatyard, Taza Mediterranean, and enCore Pilates. PHOTOS/DORIE COX

The Triton

The Triton

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NETWORKING THIS MONTH: Cline Financial

Captain knows crew’s disposable incomes and helps with finances

Mark Cline, of Cline Financial Group in Ft. Lauderdale, combines his nautical background with knowledge to tailor financial advice to crew. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Bienvenidos to Cinco de Mayo at the Triton networking with Cline Financial Group in Ft. Lauderdale on May 5. The monthly networking event is held on the first Wednesday of each month. All Triton readers are invited to the office of Cline Financial at 400 S.E. 12th St., Suite E (aka Davie Blvd.) from 6-8 p.m. for casual networking. Wear your sombrero to the festive event the group has planned for the chance to meet fellow captains and crew, share some snacks and adult beverages, and make some new contacts. Until then, learn more about Cline Financial with Mark Cline. Q. How long have you been in business? I have been a licensed captain since 1989. After getting married and having a daughter it was difficult to leave my family for long periods of time. I chose to start my financial services practice in 1998. This was a planned transition after getting my licenses while still being a captain. Today you will still find me doing that occasional delivery to keep in touch and also serving as a charter Member and Treasurer for the U.S. SuperYacht Association. Q. What do you offer yacht crew? With experience as a yacht crew I can easily say that I was in their shoes once. Having experienced the transition from yacht crew to a land job with a family I have a lot of insight to pass on. Understanding the income and lifestyle of working on yachts I have helped many crew members to be on target to retire from the industry in as short as 10 years while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.

Q. What’s most important for crew to understand about their finances? The most important thing for crew to understand is how much disposable income REALLY goes through their hands and how they can channel that money to secure their financial future. Q. Can you help clients if they are in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean? Yes, I have access to companies for investments and insurance for non-U.S. residents. Q. What makes you different than a large financial services company? The biggest difference is that I am independent and I work for my clients not for a bank or investment firm. The advantage for the client is that I can offer investments that are suitable for their personal situation. When you work for a specific company you must make their products work for the client which may not always be the best solution to meet client financial objectives. Q. If there was one thing that made you stand out different than most other financial services companies what would that be? I incorporate alternative investments for diversification. Most people do not realize there is only so much diversification in the stock market. Alternative investments are investments that are not necessarily affected by stock market conditions. For more information, contact Cline, chartered senior financial planner of Cline Financial Group at 954-764-2929 and admin@clinefinancial.net.

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C May 2010 NETWORKING THIS MONTH: V-Kool

www.the-triton.com

The Triton

Bright and cool, yachts install V-Kool Join The Triton and advertiser VKool of Florida, for networking in May at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale. The event, May 19, is The Triton’s occasional second networking event of the month on the third Wednesday. It will be held in the Banquet Room in the Hall of Fame, on the west side of the property. Hall of Fame is located south of Las Olas Boulevard between the Intracoastal Waterway and A1A at One Hall of Fame Drive. Beer, wine and food will be catered by New River Pizza. Owner Scott Frishhertz, a former captain, recently shared details about his product line which include a treatment designed to help yachts keep heat out and let light in and a new product for exterior glass treatment. Read more about their services with Frishhertz and mark your calendar to come meet him at our networking event on May 19, from 6-8 p.m. Q. What is V-Kool? V-Kool is a clear film which rejects more heat than tint and is most commonly installed in pilothouses but can be used anywhere in the yacht. VKool is especially used on windows that don’t have exterior overhangs such as a sky lounge. The film can be applied to any location that has excessive solar heat gain.

Scott Frishhertz takes the heat through his V-Kool display. See for yourself at The Triton’s second monthly networking event in May. PHOTO/DORIE COX

Q. How does the V-Kool work? V-Kool is made of multiple layers of optically clear polyester sheets embedded with silver. The silver allows visible light to pass though while rejecting 94 percent of infrared. Infrared is the largest component of heat from the sun. Our film is 1 percent less reflective than glass and does not diminish nighttime visibility. V-Kool was invented at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the mid-70s for the defense department. It wasn’t until 1995 that the technology was developed into a thin film which is applied to the inside surface of glass. Q. So it’s better than tint? When tint is applied to glass, it causes an increase in heat absorption, much like wearing dark clothing when in the sun. Heat absorption causes an increase in glass temperature. The heat in the glass radiates into the room. V-Kool has an extremely low absorption rate and consequently, the glass doesn’t increase in temperature. Also, tint decreases light transmission. With tint, the interior lights usually have to be turned on during dusk and dawn or even on a cloudy day. Because V-Kool is clear, it harvests the natural light from the sun while rejecting the heat. Q. Why is the film called V-Kool? The “V” in our name symbolizes the angle which is formed when infrared rays are bounced off of the glass. Q. What can the captain or owner expect after the installation of VKool in their bridge? We have seen the reduction in heat as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit in pilothouses. Most captains and crew no

longer install their mesh wind screen covers after the installation of V-Kool. Q. Can V-Kool be installed during the manufacture of glass? Yes it can. There are several yacht builders who are installing V-Kool within the layers of safety glass. Palmer Johnson, Trinity, Lazzara, Westport and most recently Benetti are having their glass made with V-Kool within the panes. Q. How long have you been in business? Our company, V-Kool of Florida, started in February of 2004. We have completed over 200 yachts. Q. You do more than yachts, right? Yes. We also install V-Kool in homes, condos and commercial buildings. The main advantage in all these applications is the lack of change to the building’s or vessel’s appearance. Q. Does V-Kool provide any other services? V-Kool of Florida has recently paired up with Nauticare, a division of Neroqom of Holland. Nauticare is an exterior glass treatment system that is the combination of mechanical cleaning and the application of a glass coating. The benefit of the system is better visibility in rain or heavy seas and a reduction in cleaning time by deck crew. When applied to glass shower enclosures, the interior crew also experience shorter turnaround time. Nauticare also provides glass scratch removal, stainless steel and paint restoration and protection. Frishhertz and his company, VKool of Florida, can be reached in Ft. Lauderdale at +1 954-761-8463.

The Triton

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INTERIOR: Stew Cues

May 2010

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Earn your promotion by mastering delgation and communication We’ve all seen instances of a stew being promoted to chief stew who simply does not have the experience needed to perform the job. A stew may be great at service and housekeeping and she tries hard, but she has a hard time and is not successful. Often, problems of ineffectiveness have to do with an inability to cope, Stew Cues not with a lack of Alene Keenan skill, interest or passion for the job. Sometimes, people are simply promoted beyond their capacity. Management is all about getting the job done through others. You must be perfectly clear about what you want done, to what standards, and in what time frame. One of the hardest things about management is learning to delegate. In the time it takes to stop and show someone how to perform a task, you could have done it yourself. And it would be done correctly, no less, since nobody can do it as well as you anyway. It can be hard to figure out how to delegate properly, but it is an important skill to learn. It can be the secret to your success as a manager, and without it you have no future. You will get stressed, burned out, mean and grouchy. You may as well go back to the ranks and let the captain hire someone who can delegate properly. What are the keys to delegation? First, you must have a vision of what you want to accomplish, and make sure the goal is crystal clear. Determine what is to be done, how it is to be done, by whom, and with what resources. Then, plan properly. Every minute spent in planning saves 10 minutes in execution. Think the steps through carefully, be clear about your goals and objectives, and then convey everything through discussion and feedback. Be clear about the expected results. List everything that must be done to achieve the results you want, what resources are to be used, and the standards that are expected. Make sure your instructions are so clear and simple that anyone could follow them. Communicate the expected standards of performance, as well. Each person should know what is expected of them, how the results are to be measured, and when it is to be done. People can’t hit a target they can’t see. It’s your responsibility to create a clear picture of their responsibilities. Think through the steps to be done to complete the project. What abilities are needed to it? Discuss the work thoroughly with the person assigned, and then ask them for feedback to make sure you’re “on the same page.” Organize your supplies and make sure

you have everything to do the job. Remember, you are still responsible for the end product of the work you have assigned. Check in frequently to see that everyone is doing what he/she is supposed to be doing, to the proper standard, with the proper supplies, and at the right speed. If a stew uses a Scotchbrite pad to clean the high-gloss paint in the foyer and damages the surface, it is your responsibility for not making it clear what was expected and what supplies to use. Practice management by walking

around. Even if you are working on projects of your own, stop frequently, go around and ask how things are going. Inspect what you expect. Be visible and available and think of yourself as a helper, a teacher, and a resource to help get the job done. Ask for feedback, make suggestions, encourage, and motivate others. Create an environment where people feel good about themselves and their work. Listen carefully when people talk. Thank them for anything and everything they do that is out of the

ordinary. Praise them in front of others. Delegate patiently, thoroughly, carefully. Remember, clarity is the foundation of great management. Alene Keenan has been a megayacht stewardess for 19 years. She teaches an intensive silver service course at Maritime Professional Training in Ft. Lauderdale and she offers training through her company, Stewardess Solutions (www.stewardesssolutions. com). Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

C May 2010 IN THE GALLEY: Culinary Waves

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The Triton

If the chef is swamped, offer to help – but only if you know how WAVES, from page C1 yachts, especially in this economy. We need to be able to do each other’s job so if one crew member goes down, we all step in to do his/her job. That said, I don’t recommend you go into the engine room and change the oil if you don’t know how to do it, same as I don’t suggest you handle a ken onion shun knife if you have never used one. Serious implications and causative reactions could happen. Just be respectful of the galley. I would not even consider spreading out my menus in the pilot house while the captain is coming into port. Why should it be any different in the galley? So, hopefully these tips will create a warmer work environment. Who are you? Ask your chef about themselves. Find out what makes your chef tick. Is it the creative aspect of the job, the travel, the adventure or are they going to make it a life-long career? Ask questions when they are not busy. Ask about their background, their likes and dislikes. You might find you have a few things in common. Just do it. If you are not busy and you see the chef is swamped, offer to help, but only if you know how. When we have 20 minutes to get that first course out, that is not the time to ask to be shown how to plate food.

Megayacht Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson spoke to crew at our spring Triton Expo in April.

Fresh, Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini

PHOTO/LUCY REED

Ask us to teach you when we aren’t busy so you can help when we are. For example, when I am plating, my stewardesses know to go behind me with a single use towel to wipe up any drips or spills. Offer to do the crew lunch if the chef is heading off for provisions, but only if you know how. I learned this the hard way. The deckhand offered to help cook and I took for granted he knew how but when I came back and found the galley filled with smoke, I realized he didn’t know how to use the complicated cook top. Getting the crew lunch out is one

of the greatest assets of an interior crew member for the chef. Plating: Ask what plates are needed for each course. Unless you have a certain china onboard that is used day in and day out, perhaps the chef wants to get creative so be sure to ask first before putting it up for plating. Bad timing: Don’t expect to walk into the galley and start cooking your own food. I had a stewardess do this several times when I was in the middle of cooking dinner. She just didn’t get it that I needed the galley at that time. If there is something you would like to have, wait and ask the chef what time would be convenient for you to cook. No surprises: If you are on a special diet, mention this to the captain or chef upon hire. If you don’t, you might be fending for yourself or asked to leave. I actually had this happen, three times. We now ask all potential employees. If the diet is mandantory for health reasons, we will do it and then some. But if it is a lifestyle choice, come prepared to fix it for yourself. No free food: Don’t help yourself to just anything in the refrigerator unless it is specified that you can eat it. Ask first. I keep healthy snacks for the crew to eat. But if that Genoa salami is gone when I go to prepare lunch, that means I have to come up with a substitution at the last minute (and I’m not happy), or another trip to the store (and I’m not happy). Growing grocery list: When you are the one provisioning for the chef, don’t toss in that hand lotion or face cream in the grocery cart. This runs up food costs. Don’t add it unless it is specified on the grocery list. Substitute shopping: Don’t make judgment calls on substitutions if you do the provisioning. Clear it with the chef first. If you know what the chef would select, then do it. But otherwise, if you choose something not in keeping with the menu, the chef can’t use it and it is wasted, pushing food costs higher. Zip it: Don’t complain about the

Sea salt, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and eggplant. PHOTO/Mary Beth Lawton Johnson

By Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson This is my absolute favorite: fresh grilled eggplant. Peel and slice thick large eggplant and large zucchini, lengthwise. Soak eggplant in salted water for about 5 minutes and drain. Marinate both vegetables with olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and sea salt. Once on the grill, baste with aged balsamic vinegar. Grill until slightly wilted and grill marks are evident.

quality of the food amongst each other. If you have a bad chef, the captain already knows, or the owner does. Keep tabs: If you take the last of a food item, write it down. The first question that goes through the chef ’s mind is, “where is it?” Then they tear apart the pantry looking for it. What is that? Offer your chef the recipe to your favorite dish from home. Most chefs want to keep their crewmates happy. I love to learn about different countries and the authentic food of the regions. To cook the same foods every day is boring. No-no knives: Don’t use the knives unless your chef has shown you how. Safety is the issue here. If you damage an expensive knife, the first thing to go might be your finger. Ask the chef to teach you some basic knife skills; unless you are proficient in

See WAVES, page C8

C May 2010 NUTRITION: Take It In

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The Triton

Enjoy tea either hot or cold for health Go for refreshing iced tea this summer – cupful per cupful it offers as much antioxidant power as some fruits and vegetables. There’s nothing more refreshing than a cool glass of iced tea when the summer heat pours on. The good news is that not only is this beverage thirst-quenching, its also good for Take It In you in a number of Carol Bareuther ways. Tea, in its strictest definition, is a beverage made from the cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. There are different varieties of tea that all made from the same plant. The most popular are black, white, green and oolong. Black tea is made from leaves that have been oxidized longer than for white, green or oolong and as a result is more strongly flavored and contains more caffeine. Studies show that drinking black tea can aid in heart health. However, research conducted in Berlin in 2006 revealed that adding

milk to black tea could reverse this cardio-protective effect. White tea is a specialty in China. The leaves are allowed to sit and wilt, so this type of tea doesn’t have the ‘grassy’ taste of green tea. A study conducted in 2009 at Kingston University in the UK revealed that, out of 21 plant and herb extracts tested for their health properties, white tea ranked the highest in terms of helping to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers, heart disease and even the wrinkles of aging. Green tea is a popular drink in Asia. It’s made from leaves that have been minimally oxidized. There have been volumes published about the health benefits of green tea. In fact, researchers at Yale University School of Medicine looked at more than 100 of these studies and concluded that the high level of goodies in green tea, such as polyphenols and antioxidants, aid in heart health. Other studies have linked green tea consumption to cancer prevention and a lessening in feelings of depression. A substance found in green tea called EGCG has even been linked to HIV prevention in animals. Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea whose leaves have been oxidized to an extent somewhere between black and green tea. Some research points to oolong tea’s benefit in helping the body metabolize fat and therefore work as a weight reduction aid. Now, there’s the question of hot or cold. Is it more healthful to drink your tea just brewed or iced. The folks at Prevention magazine put this question to the test in 2004. To do this, they sent samples of convenience forms of ice tea – like bottled teas, powdered teas and new liquid concentrates – to a lab and had each sample analyzed for total antioxidants. The antioxidants in a food or drink are measured by something called ORAC units. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorption capacity. Results were interesting. Homemade iced tea, which is made by making

hot brewed tea and cooling it in the refrigerator had more antioxidants than convenience teas. So, making your own iced tea has its benefits. However, the Prevention folks also found that some convenience teas still had really high levels of antioxidants. For example, Lipton Cold Brew tea bags and Nestea Liquid Concentrate Iced Tea were winners. Even convenience teas that rated lower in antioxidants than these two super tea products, still contained as much of these healthful substances as fruits and vegetables like strawberries and spinach per person. So, they concluded that if all you can get your hands on is convenience tea, go ahead because it still packs healthgiving properties in its antioxidants. The bottom line of this study revealed that no matter how iced tea is made, it still packs plenty of antioxidants. Of course, if you add lots of sugar, you’re waistline is bound to eventually suffer. Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian and a regular contributor to The Triton. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton. com.

Common sense, courtesy work great in galley WAVES, from page C6 the galley, they aren’t what you think they are. Recently, a stewardess severely cut her finger on a cheese knife she used to cut vegetables. Tool time: Don’t use other galley tools or equipment for anything outside the galley. I can’t tell you how many times I have found galley tools in the crew area, on the aft deck or even in the dinghy. Gather elsewhere: Even though the galley is a popular place on many yachts, it is hard to step around crew members when getting the owner’s

meal out. Stay out of the way and you will endear yourself to your chef. Clean up: The galley is usually spotless when the chef is done for the night. So if you cook for yourself later, clean up. Dry and put away any dishes you use. You did not just do that: One of the biggest no-no’s in the galley is to watch a crew member come from the day head and wash their hands in the galley sink. Not good, especially if there is food in the sink, which I have to throw out if that happens. Go to your cabin to use the restroom and wash your hands there.

Most of these tips I learned the hard way, mistakes I made as a stew early in my career or by others who have worked with me. Use them to understand and work more closely with your chef the next time you pass by the galley. Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine. A professional yacht chef since 1991, she has been chef aboard M/Y Rebecca since 1998. (www. themegayachtchef.com) Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@ the-triton.com.

The Triton

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FITNESS

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Incorporating balance into all of your workouts The “use it or lose it” principal also applies to our balance. If we do not incorporate exercises that improve our balance, we will become more susceptible to falls as we get older. Let’s work to prevent that from happening. Grab two sets of dumbbells, one moderate, the other a few pounds heavier. Perform a Keep It Up 3-5 minute warm Beth Greenwald up by jogging in place, jumping rope or any other cardiovascular exercise that warms up your muscles and increases your blood flow. Using proper form for each strength exercise described below, perform as many controlled repetitions as you can within 60 seconds. Follow up each completed strength exercise with a cardiovascular exercise of your choice for 45-60 seconds (think about increasing your heart rate). Take a 15 second breather before advancing to the next strength exercise. Stand on one leg for each of the strength exercises, splitting the time on each leg (30 seconds on each leg). Do this routine twice a week and keep working towards

completing the circuit three times.

30 seconds and repeat with other leg.

Chest Fly with Overhead Press

Reverse Fly

Stand on one leg. With a dumbbell in each hand, bend elbows to a 90 degree angle, forearms and elbows together in front of your face. Keeping your shoulders and elbows bent, open your arms as wide as you can. Continue the movement by pressing the dumbbells overhead, keeping wrists in a neutral position. Slowly lower and return to starting position.

Leg Circles

Stand on one leg and lift your other leg off the ground to your side. Keep your lifted leg straight as you move it in complete circles in the same direction for 30 seconds. Reverse the direction for

(heavier) dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight up in the air with elbows slightly bent so the dumbbell is not directly overhead. Dumbbell ends should point to the ground and sky. Bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbell behind your head as far as it feels comfortable, then raise it, making sure the endpoint of this movement is slightly behind your head.

Hammer Curls

Stand on one leg keeping your knee slightly bent. Lean forward slightly at the hips, placing your other leg behind you. Use your toe as a “kickstand” if extra stability is needed. With a dumbbell in each hand, let your arms hang down in front of your body, palms facing each other. Slightly bend each elbow. Lift your arms so that your knuckles are aiming toward the sky. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of this movement. Lower your arms in a controlled manner.

Overhead Triceps Extension

Standing on one leg, grasp one

Standing on one leg, hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, palms facing your body. Bend at the elbows, raising the dumbbells to your shoulders in a controlled movement. Slowly lower the dumbbells to their starting position. Beth Greenwald is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and conducts personal training sessions as well as group fitness boot camp classes. Contact her at +1 716-9089836 or bethgreenwald@hotmail.com. Comments on this column are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.

C10 May 2010 TRITON SURVEY: Getting bids on a paint job

Once you decide the boat needs a paint job, what is your first step? Ask for advice – 5.0% Other – 0.8% Set schedule/ location – 11.8% Get quotes – 14.3%

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How do you decide who will paint the yacht? (Check all that apply) 85

For those who gath you make the final Warranty Convenience – – 6.9%

80

Get owner’s approval – 37.8%

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63

Price – 19.8% 44 37

Establish a budget – 30.3%

16 Reputation/ Experience recommended with vendor

Price

Warranty

Location

Previous experien with vendor – 26.

Convenience

‘Getting eight quotes is wasting too many people’s t SURVEY, from page C1 “The owner wants the most bang for his buck, even to the point of being unreasonable,” said a captain on a yacht of less than 80 feet. “He wants the highest quality work for dirt cheap. Vendors should stick to their price as long as it is within reason and not give in to crazy demands. This only creates more problems in the future.” Just more than a quarter of captains said their next step is creating the budget and scope of work. About a fifth will next get permission and/or approval from the owner. And nearly as many move into establishing the schedule and location About 8 percent said their second step is to ask other captains for advice and recommendations. What is the third step? Thirty percent of respondents make getting quotes their third step. A bit more than a quarter establish the schedule and location. A fifth

“My last owner liked many quotes, then picked the guy he liked and would then grind him down on price until he matched the lowest quote.” move on to get permission and/or approval from the owner. Just 13 percent wait until this stage to create the budget and scope of work. “I wish it was as simple as the survey makes it sound,” said a captain on a yacht between 120-140 feet. “All of the above factors come into play. Your last experience with the vendor will also come into play. I don’t know anyone who gets six or seven quotes on any work; that is a waste of everyone’s time.” Do you get quotes? Almost all captains – 97.5 percent – get quotes. If you get quotes, how many will you get? Three-quarters of captains get 2-3 quotes for a paint job. “Getting eight quotes is wasting too many people’s time,” said the captain of a yacht between 140-160

feet. “Choose two or three contractors you can trust and take the best quote. Cheapest is seldom best.” Most of the remainder of captains get 4-6 quotes. “I do believe that seven quotes is on the high side,” said the captain of a yacht between 120-140 feet. “Getting [quotes] is a good way for the owner to feel that you have his best interests at heart and can be trusted to make a decision involving quite a bit of money. I find four quotes is plenty.” Just 1 of the 122 captains who responded to our survey said he sought 10 or more quotes. None get 7-9 quotes. “My last owner liked many quotes, then picked the guy he liked and would then grind him down on price until he matched the lowest quote,” said the captain of a yacht between 140-160 feet. “Most of the time, the

vendors ended up wishing they had not agreed to this. So vendors, don’t take the job if it won’t make you money or get you more work in the long run.” When we asked “How do you decide who will paint the yacht?” the most common criteria was “reputation/recommendation,” which almost 70 percent of captains chose. “It’s not the contract that will ‘protect the owner,’ it’s the person doing the work,” said the captain of a yacht between 80-100 feet. “It’s about reputation and making things right if they go wrong.” “Reputation supercedes cost,” said the captain of a yacht between 100120 feet. “Do the job right the first time and even the highest bidder will come in cheaper then all the rework of the lowest bidder with bad work ethics. The old saying ‘you get what

you pay for’ a “Now sayi money wher said. “If I hav them to the which one I Almost as percent – ch with this ven “Quotes a inherent pro captains who it is a low bid and dirty to high bid, the to make as m If you have a trust, time a go, especially loses and yo of the work.” “Relying o into a lot of t of a yacht be has been in t 20 years. “A h

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May 2010

C11

her quotes, how do Do you go straight to vendors you How important is a relationship with How important is a recommendation l decision? have used or do you consider others? the vendor? Not that important – 2.5% from someone you respect? 2.6%

Location – 1.7%

Reputation – 42.2%

nce .7%

Not that important – 6.8%

Always use favorite – Any capable 12.8% vendor – 14.5%

Will consider unknown vendors – 47.8%

Most important – 15.3%

Most important – 37.3% Preferred – 60.2%

Prefer known vendors – 35.0%

Preferred – 78.0%

time’

‘A captain must be able to visit the boat on a daily basis’

applies in all we do. ing that, I save the boss rever I can,” this captain ve three quotes, I give boss with a report on want to go with and why.” s many captains – 65 hose “previous experience ndor” as a top criteria. and contracts have an oblem,” said one of the few ho does not get quotes. “If d, they try to do it quick not lose money. If it’s a ey do it quick and dirty much profit as possible. a vendor you know and and materials is the way to y in this economy. No one ou can control the quality ” on reputation can get you trouble,” said the captain etween 120-140 feet who the industry more than hard-working start-up

Paint work is very specific and easy to price. Reputation is also easy. All you have to do is look at the product, ie. yachts previously painted and speak to the captains. The problem for yards is work such as electrical work, alignment of running gear, struts, engines, transmissions, shafts, wheels, or any task that is not easily definable. A contract is meaningless and will only wind up in litigation if the vendor’s reputation doesn’t stand up to the scrutiny. The old ways of yards doing business don’t hold water in this economy. Everyone has to be accountable for their time and work quality.

See SURVEY, page C14

Captains’ comments:

n

n

n

Using established industry standards as quality control and achieving them within budget and on time. Any variations from this will be at the contractors expense. n

n

n

Estimate the time the yacht will be out of service. n

n

n

No matter how good the

vendor, the paint job will only come out as good as the captain and crew demand. Unfortunately, if you’re on holiday or on the golf course during the project, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment: delays at best, and disputes at worst. In other words, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Another opinion: if you have a small paint project to handle (like getting the sundeck and mast painted), you don’t want to be the guy in the yard surrounded by million-dollar mast-to-keel paint jobs. You’ll get ignored. n

n

n

A captain must be able to visit the boat on a daily basis. n

n

n

With any job it sometimes is necessary to pay for time to get some idea of the scope of the job, ie spend 10 hours of yard labor to figure out what the whole job will cost. You have to do test grinds to see the base layer of primer... It’s not my job to make this hobby affordable.

n

n

n

The contract needs gloss and adhesion parameters that the paint surveyor can measure with electronic tools. It is also important to have accepted surface prep criteria monitored and measured before any paint is applied. The yard and vender took five months of research before a contract was written, as there are so many issues ie: removal and refit of hardware, tenting, hardstand, fresh and raw water requirements, crane services, caulking, storage, electric, crew housing, crew per diem, etc. We are in our sixth month of a 1.8 million EUR repaint and have had issues that cannot be planned as they arise during the refit ie: corrosion issues, teak work that needs to be removed to get the paint work warranty, fabrication of various parts and hardware that cannot be reused, etc. Be prepared to reshoot a lot. n

n

n

The days of $75 an hour at a yard for a cleanup guy who makes $15 an hour are over. Pay an

outstanding sub $75 an hour and get some value, and loyalty. n

n

n

Educate the manager that cheapest isn’t best. n

n

n

1. Be sure there is a good and proper paint spec in the contract. 2. Be sure an acceptable standard of work is in the contract. 3. Be sure you have a sound work plan for not only the paint job, but all other projects happening at the same time or leading up to painting. n

n

n

Spend as much time as possible before arriving at the yard removing fittings. The less taping and paint ridges, the better and, more importantly, less fittings being lost. n

n

n

Have the crew remove, inspect, polish/clean, bag and list the hardware, hinges, latches etc. on a spreadsheet. This accomplishes a few things: first, any hardware

See REACTION, page C13

C12 May 2010 TRITON SURVEY: Getting bids on a paint job

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What is the No. 1 thing to get in a contract to protect the owner from cost and time issues? Schedule with detailed specs, penalty for not meeting it – 41 responses n “I establish a ‘done by’ date with the contractor. I then add in a fair margin for the inevitable issues that arise. After that date there is a penalty applied to the vendor that varies with the project.” n “Agreed scheduled period, with weather day inclusions. No charge for vendor fault re-do. Over schedule vendor penalty.” n “Progressive payments and a strong penalty clause for not finishing on time. Hold back all the money you can. If the contractor won’t agree to a penalty clause based on a firm date of completion, he is eliminated from consideration.” n “Contracts are fairly useless. The No. 1 thing is holding back a portion of the payment until you are satisfied with the work.” n “Penalty clauses that are fair, but also ensure budget and time frame are adhered to without sending the vendor down the financial drain and leaving the owner in litigation.” n “I always try and set a deadline that after a certain time period, unless an amazingly unexpected & unforseen problem is discovered, we will back charge the vendor by the day for going over the allotted time period.”

Fixed price/ “not to exceed” amount

28 responses

n “An unambiguous quote. Minimum time and material, if at all. I want to talk to a contractor who understands his trade well enough to quote a firm price. This type of contractor will always get my attention.” n “A not-to-be-exceeded price. I have not found a way to include a completion date in a contract that a paint contractor would agree to if it included some kind of penalty. The problem comes from a tradition of captains laying out a drop-dead date that’s always weeks away from their actual deadline. The vendors know this and have learned that they can disregard the captain’s calender. It causes a no-win scenario far too often.” n “It’s always hard to predict the prep work on a paint job due to finding structural defects. Paint is easy; it’s the prep that is hard.” n “The contract should stipulate that if it runs over cost from the original estimate, the contractor must absorb the additional costs (aside from any unforeseen items such as welding after the paint and fairing is taken down). Time is a delicate matter as weather can play a significant role. “

Guarantee/Performance Bond – 7 responses n “A performance bond to insure the job is done to the agreed upon price and time frame and that it meets fit and finish requirements.” n “Performance bond at two times the estimate.” n “Many companies will just try to buff out flaws. You want someone who will redo the work if it doesn’t come out right, not just try to cover it up.”

Independent inspector/arbitrator – 4 responses n “Agree to non-binding arbitration in the event there is conflict. Most of the boat yard contracts I have seen are not designed to protect the customer.” n “Measurability and dispute resolution processes that kick in early. Use a reputable consultancy as intermediaries.” n “Establish acceptance criteria and independent paint surveyor to inspect progress at the different stages of the project.”

On-site manager – 4 responses n “The captain has to be around to check on the work process. I have seen many times captains take boats to the yards get the work order and leave on vacation or just show up once in a while.”

Preparation – 2 responses n “To do your homework well in advance and plan accordingly.” n “Through experience or doing your homework, having a firm understanding of the time , and materials involved with the project and choosing a quote that realistically correlates to these.

Time and materials – 2 responses

GRAPHICS/LAWRENCE HOLLYFIELD

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TRITON SURVEY: Getting bids on a paint job

No more ‘up-front money’ – only pay at completion REACTION, from page C11 that needs replacing is discovered and replaced; second, each bag of hardware is numbered and its location and any other info is on the spreadsheet. Painters notoriously never get it right. n

n

n

On my last yard work/refit in January in Fort Lauderdale, the attitude and work was 100 percent better. n

n

n

“Make sure whoever you hire can afford to do it over again properly twice,” James Brewer said as he held up three fingers. He was manager at Derecktor Gunnell in Dania in 1993. n

n

n

In the past I have had the contractor do a photo montage of items removed, ie; instruments, railings, rubrails ect. In this way, there is no doubt as who has the burden of replacing these items when the job is completed and that it is done identically from when it was taken off. n

n

n

Most problems arise when the captain or owner don’t know or don’t communicate exactly what they expect from the end product. n

n

n

No more “up-front money.” We only pay at the completion of a job. n

n

n

No buffing to repair mistakes, they must repaint. If you have mistakes, you must repaint the entire area not tape off a portion and repaint onlt that area. Inspect every section after painting and before it is masked over so that problems are delt with at each shoot, not at the end of the job. The best painter cannot produce a quality job in a poor/dirty facility. n

n

n

Expect to discover additional tasks not planned and arrange a plan to handle these extra jobs n

n

n

Captain/crew should co-operate fully with the vendor to achieve the best results possible. This may mean getting non-essential crew out of the way, i.e. annual leave, assigned off-site duties or let go, as the case may be. Remaining crew are to act as paint police, strict observations of process from start to finish to ensure all steps are being followed in accordance with paint manufactures stipulations. Establish standards from the get go, after inspection of the first shoot, and have a formal meeting with heads to re-affirm the standard of finish re: the contract

specs. Maintain standards throughout and hire paint specialist/surveyor at the first sign of vendor resisting or standards dropping. Re-shoot of a section effects budget/schedule and thus vendor should be issued memo pertaining to any penalty clauses you have agreed upon. The earlier a vendor’s downfalls are identified and addressed, the better the end result is for both the owner and vendor. n

n

n

Go with a trusted vendor, written agreement, parts in stock, and a fast operation. n

n

n

One thing I have seen is crew taking vacations when painting is done. This is a terrible practice. You have to oversee the job to ensure no corners are cut because they will cut corners and you will not know until a problem erupts in the future. n

n

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Using your experience, think carefully before you give the owner a completion date. n

n

n

I am willing to consider a success bonus for a contractor who performs the defined work. n

n

n

The only thing newbie captains are interested in is promoting themselves to their boss. The way they go about selecting a vendor is this: Call a few people and get their estimates. Call the same people again, tell them what all the other bids are and start squeezing. Some will drop out, knowing they can’t do the job for the fictional price others are quoting. Then take your pick from among the bottom feeders and call the boss explaining what a hero you are, having saved all that money. It’s a perfect lesson in situational ethics. n

n

n

There are yards with shiny lights, beautiful parking facilities and crew entertainment areas, over-friendly staff, over-the-top rules and regulations, and ridiculous pricing. And then there are vendors who work out of a truck and are prepared to go the extra mile without a ridiculous overpriced contract. Sometimes the yards with the shiny lights are not the best choice. n

n

n

Gone, I think, are the days of kickbacks. While I have never taken a kickback, in the old days they did influence captains of a certain quality. I can tell you about several yards in the Southeast Florida area that practiced that enticement.

“Make sure whoever you hire can afford to do it over again properly twice,” James Brewer said as he held up three fingers. He was manager at Derecktor Gunnell in Dania in 1993.

May 2010

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C14 May 2010 TRITON SURVEY: Getting bids on a paint job

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Most important factors are ‘integrity and quality of service’ SURVEY, from page C10 may let quality slide as the workload increases. Finding quality workers who won’t trash the boat is important.” Price was the third most common chosen criteria. “The cheapest is seldom the best and in the long run may end up the most expensive,” said a captain with 1115 years experience. “I never take the lowest bid since it has been my experience that these bids come with many unknowns, whether it be work quality, warranties, or add-

on costs,” said the captain of a yacht between 120-140 feet. “Typically these low bids are just a ploy to get the work and sometimes do not follow up on customer service after the job. “On the other hand I do not take the highest bid to protect the owner’s capital,” this captain said. “Typically I take a known vendor that has fair pricing, is competitive with the market, and gives excellent service after the job. Reputation is a good thing and I would much rather pay someone I can trust a little more money than to get stepped on by an unknown or low-baller outfit.

As captain, it is my job to get the best price for the best work.” Location and convenience were the least chosen criteria. “Having a great warranty is not much good if you chose a yard/ contractor located in another state that you might not be going back to again,” said the captain of a yacht between 80100 feet who has been in the industry more than 15 years. “Basically your warranty is useless. Best to spend the money in your usual area of operation so issues can be resolved quickly and with minimal downtime.” “For a mid-size yacht like us, location is really very important as we will always have other things going on and we have established a home port in Lauderdale,” said the captain of a yacht between 120-140 feet. “On a 60m yacht and up, the location is less important as they tend to be globe-trotters. Then price, quality and speed are the main factors. We were always being told you can have so many weeks to do this or that and no more.” And there were some factors we neglected to suggest. “Good facilities are very important,” said a captain in yachting 11-15 years. “You cannot get a satisfactory paint job without a proper environment. Preparation is very important. You have to have confidence in the abilities of the prep crew. Corrosion repair (aluminum and steel vessels) and fairing must be done well to get a good outcome. I always look for references from other captains before using a new yard/paint crew.” “The most important factors when choosing tradesmen and subcontractors or boat yards are integrity and quality of service,” said a captain in yachting more than 25 years. “If they stand behind their work and provide quality service, they will have loyal customers. When it’s time to make a final decision on where to take work, we asked captains to tell us what one thing most influences their choice. More than 40 percent said they make their final decision based on a company’s reputation or a recommendation. “It’s all about getting recommendations from other captains you trust and then ensuring you get the same paint crew,” said the captain of a yacht of more than 160 feet. More than a quarter based their decision on their previous experience with the vendor. Less than 20 percent said they based their final decision on price. “The only thing that matters is overall value for money,” said the captain of a yacht between 120-140 feet. “The best job might cost more up front but cost less over the entire paint cycle. This question doesn’t address this so I selected convenience as a euphimism

for value for money.” We were curious to know if captains go straight to vendors they have used before or if they consider any vendor who might be able to do the work. In almost equal groups of about 35 percent, captains said they rely on references (“I will consider unknown vendors who have been recommended to me by someone I respect”) and experience (“I prefer to use known vendors, but sometimes I can’t”) when selecting a vendor to do a paint job. Again, in almost equal groups of about 14 percent, captains said they will consider any capable vendor or always use their favorite yard or subcontractors. “A paint job is not a good example for me, as it is very simple: I call Tung Luu,” said the captain of a yacht between 100-120 feet who has been in the industry more than 25 years. “There is no one else I would contract to paint a yacht. He has done several jobs for me, has always come in on his bid (even when he had to repaint the hull three times because of blushing problems caused by environmental conditions) and on time, not to mention, his company always turns out a superior job. Notice a small flaw? Fixed, no questions asked.” How important is it to have a relationship with the vendor? More than 60 percent of captains said it was preferred but not critical. About 37 percent said it was the most important thing. “The people who work on my vessel have never let me down,” said the captain of a yacht between 140-160 feet. “We pay well and there has never been an issue. Trust is key.” How important is it to have a recommendation from someone you respect? Seventy-eight percent said it was preferred but not critical. More than 15 percent said it was the most important thing. Less than 7 percent said it was not all that important. Based on the results of this survey of more than 120 yacht captains, at least paint jobs are not determined by a high number of bids and then chosen based solely on price. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but business owners might do well to consider that it might be the exception, not the rule. Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Lawrence Hollyfield is an associate editor. Comments on this survey are welcome at lucy@the-triton. com. We conduct our monthly surveys online. All captains and crew members are welcome to participate. If you haven’t been invited to take our surveys and would like to be, register for our emails online at www.the-triton.com.

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PERSONAL FINANCE: Yachting Capital

Market ‘time’ may beat market ‘timing’ as investment strategy With today’s market changes it is more important than ever for you to develop and adhere to a longterm strategy. This strategy must be based on your goals, personal circumstances, and risk tolerance. If you understand this basic investment advice, you will be in a better to ride Yachting Capital position out recurring Mark A. Cline market volatility. The biggest obstacle for many to overcome is the desire to do something hasty just because it might feel better than doing nothing at all. Many sell when the market is low because of fear it will go lower while others keep their investment after it has grown hoping it will go higher. For those who work their long term plans with an advisor their long term objectives are managed with market volatility. Consider the market fluctuations as your friend rather than your enemy. This view of the market takes the pressure off the personal impact of market swings. Those who use a common technique called “Dollar Cost Averaging”, expect market change without fear. Having said that, a strategy that I recommend for many clients is to put the bulk of their investments into an alternative investment. Typically a hard asset, specifically one that would pay a regular monthly dividend and not fluctuate due to stock market volatility. With this regular dividend you earn on a monthly basis then dollar cost average into a volatile stock market or mutual fund. Dollar cost averaging is when you invest a specific amount of money on a regular basis. With this strategy no specific timing is involved. Investors may do this with a mutual fund or professionally managed investment. For example, if you have been buying into the market through the major Dow drop below 7,000, you purchased many shares at a discount. If you had been doing this consistently you should be much further ahead. There’s no doubt that a “herd mentality” plays a role in the current situation. Investors who sell because prices are falling are merely locking in their losses and eliminating opportunities to participate in market rebounds. Don’t let widespread fear knock you off your moorings. Now is a good time to ensure that your portfolio still conforms to your longterm strategy and to make only the necessary adjustments. As an investor you should rejoice

when markets fall. Think about your spending habits. How do you buy a Harley or that Mercedes? Once you settle on a model, do you wait for the price to go up or down? When the markets are up, it’s good news for sellers but not for investors who plan to buy and hold for several years. Buyers like down markets because prices are low. Don’t misunderstand my comments; this is not the time to start snapping up stock of companies just because their stock prices have fallen. It’s always critical to seek out quality opportunities through careful research. Any investment must be fundamentally strong and appropriate for your portfolio. During market volatility, such opportunities may be more reasonably priced. Rough economic times are to be expected and you should prepare for them. If it’s been a while since your last portfolio review, check your progress and look for potential opportunities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above a record 14,000 on October 12, 2007, but the party didn’t last long. By March 6, 2009 the Dow hit a low of below 7,000. During this time, many investors experienced a wave of conflicting emotions. The temptation is to buy when the market is high, betting that it will continue to climb, and to sell when the market tanks, hoping to limit their losses. The speculation that drives market timing can often cause investors to get in right before a downturn or to flee before realizing potential gains. The maxim “buy low, sell high” is great advice, but there is no way to accurately forecast the performance of the market. One of the best strategies may not be market timing, but rather simply time. A “buy–and–hold” strategy can help investors ride out the rough patches and possibly realize a greater return than if they had attempted to time the market, inadvertently missing out on the best days. The return and principal value of stocks fluctuate with changes in market conditions. Shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. With a long-term outlook, perhaps time will help you buy low and sell high. Information in this column is not intended to be specific advice for anyone. You should use the information to help you work with a professional regarding your specific financial goals. Capt. Mark A. Cline is a chartered senior financial planner and mortgage broker in Ft. Lauderdale. Comments on this column are welcome at +1-954-7642929 or through www.clinefinancial.net.

May 2010

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WORLD OF YACHTING

The one source for all your yachting needs Here’s what we can do for you: • FIND CREW NO agency commissions or percentages no matter how many or how long you need crew members per year. • CREW Post your CV/Resume for FREE. • Order your APPAREL/UNIFORMS & much more online, phone, fax or in-person. • Custom Monogramming and Screen Printing • Find or sell a boat (or any other item!) on our boat classifieds. • GET MORE EXPOSURE Advertise with us! Post your charter brochure. • Find information on travel destinations, boatyards, flower shops, gourmet stores and more all in one place! www.worldofyachting.com 1126 S. Federal Highway, P. O. Box 230 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 Toll Free: 877-98World (877-989-6753) Ph/Fax: 954-522-8742

The Triton Directory formerly The Captain’s Mate check it out. thetriton.com/directory

The Triton

www.the-triton.com

BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISERS

The Triton Directory formerly The Captain’s Mate check it out. thetriton.com/directory

May 2010

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