Vol. 3, No. 3 June 2006www.the-triton.com

Genoa showThe Triton brings comfort to charter crews

A30-31

Bridge reply Schools aren’t to blame for STCW.

A42-43

No to PrivacyChristensen and Tiger Woods settle.

A11

From the Bridge

Lucy chabot Reed

By Lucy Chabot Reed

Capt. Doc Proctor has been moving the 85-foot Burger M/Y Simaron back and forth from the Bahamas to Ft. Lauderdale since 1999. As a foreign-flagged vessel under 300 tons, he’s gotten the hang of clearing in with U.S. customs officers in town.

But last winter, he moved the boat to Norfolk, Va., for some paint work and learned what could have been an expensive lesson.

During the trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Norfolk, Simaron stopped several times to sleep and to dodge bad weather. By the time he pulled into Ocean Marine in Portsmouth, Va., across the river from Norfolk, he’d been to eight places.

Three days later as he waited for the boat to be hauled, his cell phone rang. It was an officer from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“How long have you been here?” the officer asked.

“Three days. We’re due to stay about six months.”

“Did you report in?”“Yes, sir, I did. I cleared in in Ft.

Lauderdale,” Proctor said.“Did you report in here in Norfolk?”“No.”The officer sort of chuckled then,

Proctor said, and told him to read the second paragraph of his cruising permit, the second sentence of which reads: “Upon arrival at each port or place in the U.S., the master shall report the fact of arrival to the designated customs officer at the nearest port of entry.”

Then the officer asked him how many places he stopped between Ft. Lauderdale and Norfolk.

“I was nervous now and thought the truth would set you free so I told him, eight,” Proctor said.

“That ain’t good,” the officer replied.Customs imposes a $5,000 fine per

port for failure to report in. Then the officer asked Proctor about his crew. He

Lesson learned:Foreign yachts must clear customs at each U.S. port, place

See SIMARON, page A29

We took The Triton’s Bridge lunch on the road last month to see what captains in Europe had to say about employment contracts. Do they use

them? And if so, what’s in them?

We discovered that this is another topic on which professional captains on both sides of the pond can agree: Having the terms of your

employment in writing is important,

but don’t expect that they will be honored.

As always, 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 on page A26.

So, do you have an employment contract?

“I have a handshake,” one captain said.

“Me, too,” said another. “With the previous boss I had a 37-page contract and he still screwed me.”

This captain said he is still owed more than $10,000 from the owner of his previous command, according to the terms of his contract. He said he will not pursue it, if only for the fact that attempting to get the money would give him a reputation with brokers and owners that he doesn’t want.

“Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘Never sue a man of straw’? How many people do you know have the wherewithal to sue one of these

Contracts not worth paper they’re written on

See THE BRIDGE, page A26

Italy, Spain to tax visiting megayachtsBy Lucy Chabot Reed

Italian and Spanish authorities will seek extra taxes from visiting foreign yachts this summer.

In Italy, the tax affects anyone not born on Sardinia or who has been resident for tax purposes for less than two years, and who owns or sells villas and apartments located less than three miles from the sea, owns vessels more than 14m or lands on Sardinia in a private aircraft.

It is a new law introduced last year

and thought to have been squashed. It passed on May 5 by a vote of 42-12 as part of the Sardinian regional council’s budget.

In Spain, the tax has been in effect since 1985, but is expected to be enforced more stringently on yachts this summer. See accompanying story on page A28.

According to reports in Italian newspapers, the Sardinian tax is being seen as a political move to bring more revenue to the regional territory, and as a sock at former Prime Minister Silvio

Berlusconi, who owns seven villas on the island.

Here are the amounts, due once a year, to be charged to “pleasure yachts” visiting Sardinia, according to an English translation of the legislation. It was unclear if these amounts also apply to “commercial yachts.”

1,000 euros for boats 14-15.99m; 2,000 euros for boats 16-19.99m; 3,000 euros for boats 20-23.99m; 5,000 euros for boats 24-29.99m;

See MED TAXES, page A13

The 12th annual McDonald’s Air and Sea Show in Ft. Lauderdale was two days of jet demonstrations by all manner of military and civilian aircraft, including the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels in their F/18s and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

While a four-mile stretch of Ft. Lauderdale beach is packed with more than a million people, the waters off the beach offer some of the best viewing, which also included the V-22 Osprey and the B2 Stealth Bomber.

Photographed above and at right is M/Y Laurel, the new 240-foot Delta launched late last year. Laurel is the largest superyacht built in the United States in more than 75 years. PHOTOS/CAPT. TOM SERIO

A� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

WHAT’S INSIDEAnother Triton party for the history books .... A6-7

Advertiser directory B26Broker news A21Business briefs A17Calendar of events B26-27Classifieds B14-18Cruising Grounds A39Features: Crew News A4,12,B6 How I Got My Start B4Columnists: Hobbies A19 In the Galley B8 In the Stars B22 Latitude Adjustment A4

Nutrition B12 Personal Finance B21 Photography B13 Predictions B24 Rules of the Road B2 Well Read B21Features A21,24,27Fuel prices A33News A1,8,11,14-16,28Photo Gallery A6-7,22-23,30-31Puzzles/answers B19/B5Technology A32-38Triton spotter A23Write to Be Heard A41-43

If you missed our birthday party, check out the photos and find out who won those raffle prizes. PHOTO/JAMES SCHOT

A� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton CREW NEWS

On Feb. 1, Capt. Allison Thompson and Eng. Scott Fratcher took command of the 1957 Feadship De Vrouwe Christina, DVC for short. At 80 feet overall and 95 tons, she is one of the most traditional of all

Dutch designs, the sea tjalk.“We get approached all the

time by people who worked or sailed on her,” Fratcher said.

If they’re not former crew or passengers, they have a question about the fin-like leeboards on the side. The yacht was built with a shallow draft to take advantage of European canals and American Intracoastal waterways. The leeboards provide lateral stability and help it sail in

places like the North Sea; they undoubtedly were used on the yacht’s six trans-Atlantic crossings.

“Everyone asks about them,” Fratcher said. “They provide a keel for a small keel boat.”

Like this yacht, Thompson and Fratcher are seasoned sailors. They have owned a steel-hulled gaff ketch for 20 years, building her and living aboard for much of that time while traveling the North American West Coast from Glacier Bay, Alaska, to Ecuador, including seven years in Mexico and two trips to the Galapagos. They recently crossed the Pacific on her from Panama to New Zealand.

Though they have also worked on boats – on small cruise ships offering week-long tours, day charter boats in Alaska and more than 30 yacht deliveries – their DVC jobs are their first full-time on a private yacht. When they got the call, Thompson was in

school to become a yoga instructor and Fratcher was a senior technician with Yanmar in New Zealand.

“It’ll put our skills to work, and we’re looking forward to it,” Thompson said. The couple is the only crew

on the 80-foot yacht, though the owners live aboard and enjoy hands-on participation with operations.

The yacht was commissioned by American professor Crawford Farley from Miami in 1954 and launched in 1957. She is named for his wife, Christina. The name changed over the years, but the current owner has restored it. In 1970, Jules Nelson, a fabricator of pantyhose, bought her. In 1981 she was bought by James Ryder of Ryder trucking.

The current owner bought her sight unseen in 2002. Her deteriorating steel hull was patched in many places with concrete, Thompson said. A collector and restorer of antique things, the current owner ordered a new hull bottom from naval architect Cees Cornelisson in the Netherlands, who worked with the original drawings and consultation by Feadship. The pieces were shipped to Sint Maarten and welded on as part of a $5.5 million refit.

The refit included the interior, which was gutted to the frames and rebuilt, its dark mahogany replaced with a light maple and bird’s-eye maple. But hints of her history remain in the woodcarvings by Anton Fortuin on the walls, on deck and at the helm station.

The yacht was most recently at Broward Marine in Ft. Lauderdale, where shafts were pulled and replaced and power issues corrected, Thompson said.

She and Fratcher took her out on sea trials in early May, raising her sails for perhaps the first time in decades, and are eager to wrap up trip planning and get under way. They were expected to set sail for Mexico and Panama in late May. Fair winds.

If you were crew on DVC or have a story to tell about her, feel free to contact Capt. Thompson at yachtwork@gmail.com. Send news of your promotion, change of yachts or career, or personal accomplishments to Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

Feadship Christina can put her leeboards in the water again

Latitude adjustment

Lucy chabot ReedCapt. Allison Thompson and Eng. Scott Fratcher take the historic de Vrouwe Christina, seen below under sail for the first time in perhaps decades, to sea again this month. PHOTO/LUCY REED

PHOTO OF DVC COURTESY OF CAPT. ALLISON THOMPSON

A� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton BIRTHDAY BASH

TriTon 2nd BirThday ScrapBookIt may have been

our birthday, but the presents were for you, the readers and supporters of The Triton. Thanks to all our sponsors, we were able to give away these fantastic prizes:

Oregon Camera Systems donated a Breitling Colt Automatic II watch ($3,200). Capt. Paul Stengel of M/Y Martha Ann, right, won it.

Treasure Cay Services donated a three-night stay for two in a deluxe suite with dockage at Treasure Cay Hotel & Marina in the Abacos ($1,500). Loni Kersten of Kersten Catering won it.

Shadow Marine donated a Gary Fisher Trek bicycle ($1,200). Capt. Jeffrey Miller of M/Y Paradox, above, on it.

Crew health insurers MHG and MNUI donated a Sony Cybershot 10.3 megapixel digital camera ($900). Stewardess Leah Jeffery of M/V Argusea won it.

Maritime Professional Training donated a Medical First-aid Course ($600). Crew hand Rose Gershon won it.

Global Marine Travel donated a travel voucher worth $500. June Montagne of June Montagne Yacht Charters won it.

Yellow Air Taxi donated a round-trip flight voucher from Ft. Lauderdale to Abaco ($500.) Capt. Allison Thompson of M/Y De Vrouwe Christina won that.

Mankind and Capital Marine Alliance donated a $500 gift certificate to The Spa at Mankind (good for anything from a massage and facial to a hair cut and shave). Capt. Robert Kurtzer won that.

Antibes Yachtwear donated a pair of boat shoes ($150). Capt. Michael Sentoff of M/Y Silver Shalis won these.

Congratulations to all our winners. Enjoy the prizes in good health. Until next year.

Ft. Lauderdale April 27, 2006

For more photos from photographer and Triton columnist James Schot,

visit www.the-triton.com

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A�BIRTHDAY BASH

It’s been two years, can you believe it? It’s been fun and a lot of hard work, but it’s paid off. Our June issue is 72 pages,

triple what we were when we started and filled with stories, photographs and advertisers from around the world.

We threw this party for you, our readers and supporters. The Triton is your newspaper. If it wasn’t for your support – with

phone calls and photographs, story ideas and advertisements – we would never have made it

this far.So you get the presents. But before we do that, I need to take one minute to

thank two people specifically: My partners, Peg Soffen and David

Reed.Peg Soffen has been the

heart of The Triton since we started, keeping us thinking

positive and finding something to smile about no matter what we faced.

Peg’s our business manager and reminds me every day that we have the best jobs in

the world.David Reed, the publisher of The Triton, is not only my partner in business

but in life. If Peg is the heart of The Triton, David is the soul. The dictionary defines soul as “an entity credited with the functions of thinking and willing, and

hence determining all behavior.” It has been David’s wisdom that has charted the steps we’ve taken, and it’s been his character that has steered us. He’s taken my college dream of running my own newspaper and made it a living, breathing reality. It may be my name you see in her pages, but The Triton is alive because of David.

As for me, I just love being a journalist. I’ve worked at some big newspapers and had the high-pressure jobs that look good on a resume. But like many yacht crew, I’ve learned that my happiness depends more on the relationships we build with the people we work with and for. That’s what makes the long hours seem not so long.

So thank you all for coming and helping us celebrate our second birthday. We couldn’t have had this party without generous contributions from The Boathouse, Shadow Marine, Oregon Camera Systems and Inlet Fine Wine & Spirits. When you work with these businesses, please tell them you appreciate their support.

This is the speech Triton Editor Lucy Reed was going to give at the party, but it slipped away in all the fun.

A� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton NEWS

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FREIGHT

Panama announces $5.25B expansion plan for canal

The Chairman of the Panama Canal Authority’s (ACP) board of directors is recommending a new set of giant locks 50m wide be built to double capacity in the Panama Canal, according to news reports and a press release by the ACP.

The project is estimated to cost $5.25 billion and will be paid by users of the canal through a graduated toll system. The 50-mile (80k) canal links the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and plays a vital role in global trade. About 40 ships a day pass through its system of locks and lakes.

Ricaurte Vásquez M., chairman of the ACP board, presented the recommendation to Panamanian President Martín Torrijos on April 24. The president will discuss the recommendation with his cabinet, make a recommendation to the National Assembly, and the process will culminate with the Panamanian people voting in a national referendum later this year.

Polls suggest the majority of voters back the project, which is set to create several thousands jobs, according to a story on BBC News.

“After several years of analyzing and reviewing hundreds of studies and projections, we are recommending the expansion of the Panama Canal,” Vásquez said in the release. “Our vision is clear – this project will be for the benefit of the people of Panama and world trade. Panama’s geographic location is its destiny. We aim to be at the center of global trade and become a great maritime hub. The time is right and the time is now.”

According to documents on the ACP Web site, the project includes three main components:

1. Construction of two, three-step lock complexes, one on the Pacific side southwest of the Miraflores Locks and the other east of the Gatun Locks;

2. Construction of access channels to the new locks, and widening and deepening of existing navigational channels; and

3. The elevation of Gatun Lake to reach its maximum operational level.

Each lock complex will have three levels or chambers similar to the Gatun Locks. The project will create a new lane with one lock on each side, providing a capacity to handle vessels up to 160 feet (49m) wide, 1,200 feet (366m) long and 50 feet (15m) deep.

Water-saving basins will be built alongside the new locks, which will reuse 60 percent of the water in each transit, the ACP said, and eliminate the need for constructing dams, flooding and displacing communities along the canal’s watershed.

Operation of the locks is dependent upon a reliable and continuous supply of water from Lake Gatún, about 52

million gallons (200 million liters) per ship transit, according to a report on the Web site Alternatives.com.

The ACP said it will consult with customers on the new tolls pricing system and will take into account their specific needs.

Concerns have arisen that without the expansion, the canal will be at capacity in three years, according to a story in the April 26 issue of Maritime Executive Magazine.

Potential construction for the expansion is slated for completion by 2014, the ACP said.

“All creative means will be employed by the ACP to stretch capacity until the construction is completed,” the press release stated. “The ACP forecasts that the canal will reach full capacity by the time the expanded canal is operational.”

Since the handover of the canal from the United States to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, the ACP has shifted its operations from a not-for-profit utility to a market-oriented business model. Under ACP management, the agency reports that there has been “a significant reduction in the time it takes to transit the canal and an increase in tonnage transiting the waterway.”

“Panama has been successful in managing and operating the canal since the U.S. handover in 1999, said ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta. “We have broken several records and have set the bar high for efficiency, safety and reliability, while at the same time bringing more benefits to our country. At this juncture, we are up to the task to take on canal expansion, to add more capacity and to ensure reliable service for our customers for decades to come.”

On May 11, President Torríjos presented the proposal to James Edmonds, chairman of the Port of Houston Authority. The expansion would benefit the Port of Houston, the ACP said, by bringing an increase in traffic and helping to invigorate the Houston economy. The Port of Houston currently ranks first in the United States for foreign tonnage and is the sixth largest port in the world.

“The benefits of a canal expansion to the Port of Houston are many. It would allow for Houston to compete with East Coast ports, handling the same larger and wider vessels. And, it would help continue the Port’s economic growth,” said Thomas Kornegay, executive director of the Port of Houston Authority.

The Panama Canal Authority (www.pancanal.com) is an agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing the Panama Canal.

– Lucy Reed

A10 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton MARINA NEWS

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A11LEGAL NEWS

Golfing great Tiger Woods has settled his $50 million lawsuit against Christensen Shipyards over use of Woods’ name and photos in connection with his 155-foot M/Y Privacy.

In a statement issued May 8 by Woods’ law firm, Venable of Washington D.C., Christensen President Joe Foggia said “We made a mistake and truly regret the company’s conduct.”

There was no other statement attributed to Foggia. He could not be contacted for further comment by presstime. Despite the settlement, a related dispute has kept Christensen’s legal team working overtime.

A few days after the settlement was announced, the company’s insurer, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance of St. Paul, Minn., filed a lawsuit against Christensen, claiming that St. Paul did not grant approval for the yacht builder to agree to a reported $1.6 million settlement fee for Woods.

The St. Paul lawsuit, filed in a Miami federal court, asks that Christensen’s settlement with Woods be paid by the yacht builder. Barring that, the suit seeks to limit St. Paul’s settlement share to $1 million, as cited in its policy with Christensen. No hearing date has been set.

The legal mess dates back to late 2004 and early 2005 when several yachting magazines – among them Power & Motoryacht and ShowBoats International – published features on Woods’ new yacht.

For example, the November 2004 issue of Power & Motoryacht prominently featured Privacy with a detailed description of the yacht along with numerous on-board photos, copyrighted and supplied by Christensen. The written text strongly implied that Woods was the owner, but included the caveat that “the builder would neither confirm nor deny that Woods took delivery.” The yacht was not referred to by name, only by its hull number – 026.

The vessel reportedly had been a surprise wedding gift to Woods from his wife, Elin, a former Swedish model. The couple married Oct. 6, 2004 in a celebrity-studded, $1.5 million wedding in Barbados. Subsequent worldwide media coverage of the event included numerous photos of the couple aboard Privacy.

At the time of delivery a few months earlier, Privacy was the largest yacht ever built by Christensen, based in Vancouver, Wash. Widely acknowledged as the world’s best golfer, the 30-year-old Woods ranks among the world’s richest athletes, with a fortune estimated at $375 million.

– Staff Report

Solution could cause blindnessOn May 2, the U.S. Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention linked Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu MoistureLoc, which the company pulled off the market, to cases of a serious eye infection that can cause blindness, according to a story by Dow Jones Newswires. Both the company and the FDA have recommended that consumers stop using it.

USCG wants IDs at portsThe U.S. Coast Guard issued a notice

outlining acceptable identification credentials for access to U.S. waterfront facilities. Operators of waterfront facilities are to restrict access to persons with: a merchant mariner document; an armed forces ID card; a federal law enforcement credential; ID credentials issued to public safety officers; a state-issued commercial driver’s license with hazardous materials endorsement issued after May 31, 2005; a state-issued driver’s license or ID card or a personal ID issued by the individual’s employer, or a passport or commercial driver’s license issued by Canada or Mexico; or facility-issued employee ID cards.

Woods, Christensen settle,but legal dispute continues

A1� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton YACHT NEWS

Eng. Steve Kelly, left, and Capt. James Kenton were among the dozens of folks who turned out in Savannah to watch the former M/Y Anson Bell begin life anew as the 171-foot M/Y Helios².

The old Palmer Johnson yacht had just about everything upgraded on her, from the interior to the helm, during a seven-and-a-half-month refit that ended in early May at Global Ship Systems.

Project Manager Cory Hollis oversaw work to extend the bow, change the foredeck, add a swim platform, cut the hard top back 9 feet and create a sun deck.

The yacht also now has new generators as well as new piping throughout and new seals on the shafts. Oh yes, and she sports a new paint job and all new soft furnishings as well. Call us when you get to Lauderdale

– Lucy Reed,PHOTO/DAVID REED

Refit of old Anson Bell complete

ad.qxd 9/14/2005 4:53 PM Page 1

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A13FROM THE FRONT

10,000 euros for boats 30-60m; 15,000 euros for boats larger than

60m.The tax is due any time a boat

reaches any port, landing pier or berth located in the regional territory between June 1 and Sept. 30.

For sailing yachts with auxiliary engine, the tax is reduced 50 percent. Boats coming to Sardinia to participate in regattas and pleasure yachts that stay the whole year in the regional port structures are exempt.

The tax also applies to aircrafts landing in the regional territory. For aircraft, the amounts are: 150 euros for aircraft that can carry up to four passengers; 400 euros for aircraft that can carry between five and 12 passengers; and 1,000 euros for aircraft that can carry more than 12 passengers.

The tax drew much debate in the regional council, including adjournments and last-minute attempts at filibustering. Regional Council Chairman Renato Soru, a supporter of the tax, called it “an act of justice and readjustment,” according to a report in Corriere Della Sera.

“That’s how to kill off tourism,” replied Giorgio La Spisa, leader of the regional council’s Forza Italia group. “Thousands of people will be leaving Sardinia.”

Other press reports call the annual tax a direct hit on Berlusconi, who owns seven villas including Certosa, an 8,250-square-foot property and the largest villa in northern Sardinia. Its owner will now have to pay about 37,000 euros plus 7,500 euros in surtax for buildings less than 300m from the sea, the newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported.

Soru has said he expects the tax will raise more than 800 million euros, part of which he would use to preserve the environment, according to a report in The Sunday Times of London.

“Let’s tax the rich,” the newspaper quoted Soru as saying in January. “In most cases they are tourists who don’t spend even one euro in Sardinia and yet are heavy users of the services provided by the regional authority.” He estimated about 150,000 villas will be affected by the new tax.

According to The Sunday Times, the Italian government is considering an appeal to Italy’s constitutional court to have the new taxes thrown out.

Contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com. Special thanks to Alessandra Delbuono of Rossmare International for translating the Italian legislation.

Opponents say luxury tax will ‘kill off tourism’MED TAXES, from page A1

A1� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton NEWS BRIEFS

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In late April, M/Y Talitha G was denied a second cruise in the national park of Galapagos after government officials argued she was a commercial vessel, though her papers to visit Galapagos state she is private, according to several news reports in Ecuador.

The 265-foot (80m) megayacht does offer charters in other parts of the world, but it was unclear whether the owner was on board in Galapagos.

As in many countries, it is illegal for foreign-flagged yachts to charter in the Galapagos. More private yachts have been visiting the protected island chain in the past few years. A part of Ecuador, the Galapagos sit about 1,000 miles southwest of Panama.

Several groups in Galapagos are debating laws that might curtail private yacht use in the protected island chain,

permitting only nationally registered vessels inside the park. Some decisions were expected in June.

– Lucy Reed

Crew arrested for taking dive relicsFive members of the crew of M/Y

Lionwind have been charged with stealing artifacts from a World War II wreck in Palau.

According to a story in Marianas Variety, a newspaper in Micronesia (www.mvariety.com), the five men pleaded not guilty to the 29-count indictment filed by the government.

According to the court documents, the newspaper reported that Henerik Rall had a conversation with a crew member that they had been diving at various shipwrecks in Palau waters and had removed artifacts from a shipwreck called Amatsu. Rall was

shown a photograph of a crew member with a porthole. The newspaper did not identify Rall.

Police obtained a warrant to search Lionwind and recovered several items believed to be from shipwrecks in Palau, including a porthole, compass, frame, lanterns, light bulb covers and porthole frames, the newspaper reported.

Court documents reveal that several of the crew members told police that they had dove the wrecks and did remove items from them in February and March of this year.

“This is a real shame for the owner of Lionwind, who is all about going to unusual places and doing great diving,” said a business man familiar with the yacht. “This is the sort of behavior that brings a terrible reputation to visiting yachts.”

– Lucy Reed

Pirates hit yachts, tooHere are the latest piracy reports

from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO):

April 28, Islas de Piritu anchorage, off Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. Five armed robbers boarded a sailing yacht and shot the only sailor onboard. He was injured in his stomach but escaped in a dinghy. He was operated in a hospital and one of his kidneys needed removal.

April 26, off Spratly islands, South China Sea. About 13 pirates armed with guns boarded a fishing vessel under way. They opened fire with automatic weapons killing four crew members and injuring three others. They stole ship’s property and escaped. The Philippines authorities are investigating the incident.

March 2, in Indonesia, South China Sea. Robbers in two fishing vessels attempted to board the UK-flagged M/Y Serenity while under way. The first vessel approached at port bow on collision course and the second approached at stern. Master took evasive maneuvers and increased speed, and they abandoned attempt.

Feb. 21, off Tioman Islands of Malaysia, South China Sea. Robbers boarded two yachts – M/Y Kumara and M/Y Ten Large – and stole cash, personal belongings, and other portable items. No one injured.

Feb. 19, Endeavor Harbor on Tawila Island in the Red Sea. Four robbers in a 6m blue-colored fishing boat boarded an unnamed, French-flagged yacht at anchor. Master confronted the robbers who were lowering an outboard motor. They threatened the master with a boar hook and escaped in a north-easterly direction with the motor.

Former Argyll captain diesCapt. Robert Corcoran of M/Y Argyll

reported in that Capt. John Lyons,

former captain of Argyll for 14 years, passed away May 12 after battling brain cancer. He was 67 years old. Capt. Lyons is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughter Heather, son-in-law Doug and two grandchildren.

Historic ships found off R.I.Four sea wrecks dating back to the

U.S. Revolutionary War have been found by the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project during a search for relics in Newport Harbor.

The ships are believed to be part of a private fleet of 13 British transports sunk during the war for America’s independence, according to a story on the Web site http://news.monstersandcritics.com.

Among the wrecks still not located likely is the Endeavor, which Capt. James Cook sailed on his trip around the world beginning in 1768. The discoveries were financed by a $20,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which covers exploration and discovery. New funding must be found to pay for study and excavation.

Nomadic returns to Belfast

The SS Nomadic, the 95-year-old tender to the SS Titanic, will return to her birthplace in Belfast next month.

To ensure the safe return of the vessel, a submersible barge will be used, said Social Development Minister David Hanson MP. The Department for Social Development purchased the vessel last year to save her from scrap and plans to restore her.

The Nomadic Preservation Society (www.savenomadic.com) is accepting memberships and donations for the restoration. For £20 donation, receive free membership into the Nomadic Preservation Society for one year; a donation of £250 or above offers free membership for life. Membership includes unlimited visits to public areas of the vessel when she is open to the public, 5 percent off at the onboard gift shop, and a quarterly newsletter.

Geronimo beats recordIn April, the trimaran Geronimo beat

the 19-day record from San Francisco to Japan by more than four and a half days.

The crew of Geronimo crossed the Pacific under sail in 14 days, 22 hours and 40 minutes. Steve Fossett’s crew made it in 19 days, 15 hours, 18 minutes

Galapagos denies yacht in private vs. charter dispute

See NEWS BRIEFS, page A15

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A15NEWS BRIEFS

in 1996. Geronimo also set a new record for the passage from Hawaii to Yokohama, which was also previously held by the Fossett.

“The last 1,000 miles were incredibly violent,” Capt. Olivier de Kersauson said. “The crossing was magnificent. Everything was ‘in excess’, with the weather changing and shifting around at a mad pace. It was exhausting and exhilarating. I’ve never known conditions that were so variable and so demanding.”

For more information, visit www.trimaran-geronimo.com or www.superyachting.com.

America’s Cup racing continues

Swiss defender Alinghi won its third of the five fleet races in Act 11 on May 21 in Valencia, Spain, as yachting’s biggest race gears up for the America’s Cup meeting next year.

Behind them, BMW Oracle Racing and Luna Rossa made gains over the course of the race to crowd the top of the leaderboard.

The “Latin Rascals” of Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia had another good day, securing fifth place overall, while Shosholoza confirmed that the improvement it has shown over the course of the last four Acts is genuine, finishing in the top half of the standings again.

For United Internet Team Germany, Victory Challenge and the home Desafío Español squad, Act 11 was one they’d rather forget, with each finishing lower than they’d wish on the points table. China Team didn’t race on May 21 after suffering structural damage to their boat the previous afternoon.

BMW Oracle Racing remained unbeaten in Act 10 while the Swedes and South Africans moved up in May. BMW Oracle Racing earned an important win over Emirates Team New Zealand, and ended Act 11 as the only team to remain undefeated. Luna Rossa Challenge recovered from a difficult defeat early in the act to knock off the defender. And Shosholoza and Victory Challenge each picked up two wins, vaulting up the standings.

Act 12 will race June 22-July 2. In 2007, a fleet race event – Louis Vuitton Act 13 – will precede the Louis Vuitton Cup, the winner of which will then race the defender, Team Alinghi, in the

America’s Cup Match in Valencia For more information, visit www.

americascup.com.

SXM Classic Yacht Regatta updateThe St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic

Yacht Regatta organization has announced the next St.Maarten-St.Martin Classic Yacht Regatta has been re-scheduled from December 2006 to the third weekend of January 2007. The new regatta courses and program have now been adjusted.

The upcoming regatta will include a Tall Ship class during the race on Friday if more than two Tall Ships are participating.

There will also be a so-called “bath tub” competition with self-made boats or floating devices on Sunday at Kim Sha Beach.

Races will also be held with the local sail boats and classic dinghies from St.Maarten-St.Martin and Anguilla at Great Bay on Saturday afternoon. For more information, visit www.ClassicRegatta.com.

Third SXM show sets dateThe third annual St. Maarten

Charter Yacht Exhibition (SCYE 2006) will take place from Dec. 2-5. The dates were chosen so as not to overlap with the Antigua Boat Show, according to a SCYE press release, and allow captains and brokers access to both shows.

The 2006 show will again be centralized at Port de Plaisance, and the hospitality and exhibition area will have free wireless access, a business center, bar and food court.

Registration is open. Yachts booking before July 31 will receive a 10 percent discount.

For more information, call +599-544-2436, e-mail info@scye.com, or visit www.charteryachtexhibition.com.

SXM bridge opens less oftenThere will be fewer interruptions

to the traffic flow in Simpson Bay, as bridge openings have been reduced from six to three daily for the low season. Most of the megayachts that operate from St. Maarten have left for safer harbors during the Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Outbound and inbound vessels at Simpson Bay Lagoon are facilitated by openings at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to local reports. Special openings are possible if requested.

This bridge opening schedule stays in effect until Dec. 1.

Australian SYB gives awards

The inaugural Australian Superyacht Industry Awards were presented May 19 by Super Yacht Base Australia at a black-tie gala event held in the Woolshed Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove.

Special guest and keynote speaker

was Jonathan Beckett, managing director of Nigel Burgess yacht brokers.

The awards presented were:l Recognition of Excellence in the

Construction of a New Superyacht:M/Y White Rabbit by North

West Bays Ships (presented to John Fuglsang)l Recognition of Excellence in the

Refit of a Superyacht:M/Y Emerald Lady by Gold Coast

City Marina & Shipyard (presented to Patrick Gay)l Recognition of Excellence to an

Individual Providing Services or Skills to the Australian Superyacht Industry:

Jacqueline Brinkman, Super Yacht Group Great Barrier Reefl Recognition of Excellence to

a Business providing Products or Services to the Australian Superyacht

Industry:Cairns Slipways (presented to Ley

James)l Recognition of Excellence to an

Individual or Business in the Australian Superyacht Chartering Industry:

Jeni Tidmarsh, Sail Connections l Recognition of Excellence

to an International Individual or Business that has made a Significant Contribution to the Australian Superyacht Industry:

Dockwise Yacht Transport (presented to Jason Roberts)l Australian Superyacht Industry

Person of the Year:Lance Cushion, CEO of Super Yacht

Base AustraliaFor more information, contact Super

Yacht Base Australia at (07)-5577-9933 or lcushion@superyachtbase.com.

NEWS BRIEFS, from page A14

Yachts beat records, race in Pacific and Mediterranean

ACM 2006/PHOTO: FRANCESCO FERRI

A1� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton MARINA NEWS

Kona Kai Marina on Shelter Island in San Diego has announced the completion of recent improvements to its 518-slip facility including Bellingham Marine Unifloat concrete docks as well as a new megayacht facility for vessels exceeding 200 feet.

The 18-month redevelopment project makes Kona Kai the first marina in the area that can accommodate megayachts and their crew. Up to this point, skippers looking for berths for megayachts on the U.S. West Coast had to settle for commercial docking alongside industrial parks with limited amenities.

Kona Kai Marina features a four-diamond hotel with full amenities, parking on site, a nearby fuel dock, 18-foot depth at low tide, electrical service up to 480 Volt, 24-hour security, cable TV, telephone, and high-speed Internet.

For more information, contact Kona Kai at +1-619-224-7547, info@konakaimarina.com or visit www.konakaimarina.com

Chub Cay marina to open June 15The first phase of the new, expanded

marina at Chub Cay Marina & Resort in the Bahamas, which can handle megayachts up to 200 feet, is scheduled to open June 15.

“We’ve taken great care in preserving the warm and welcoming atmosphere, while significantly upgrading the quality and capacity,” said Kaye Pearson, chairman of Chub Cay Club Associates, owners and developers of the island.

The former 96-slip facility closed a year ago for the renovations, which included dredging of the marina and channel to 12 feet at low tide and the installation of concrete floating docks. More than 100 slips will be available when the marina opens in June. When fully completed, the marina will include more than 200 slips.

For more information, call the marina at +1-242-325-1490 or www.chubcay.com.

Rum Cay marina breaks groundMontana Holdings Ltd., a Nassau-

based real estate investment and development firm, broke ground on Rum Cay Resort Marina, a $700 million mixed-use resort development project.

Rum Cay Resort Marina will include a megayacht marina, luxury hotel and residences, fine dining and shopping, plus spa and fitness facilities. The development is scheduled for three phases. Phase I will concentrate on an 80-slip marina and residential village. Phase II will center on the luxury hotel and associate amenities. Phase III will complete residential estates as well as expand the marina village.

“We are committed to building Rum Cay Resort Marina with the

utmost sensitivity to environmental harmony and ecological balance,” said John Mittens, chairman of Montana Holdings, in a news release. “We are dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the antiquities and historical relics identified within the development site.”

The development of Phase I will be in full swing by September. The luxury hotel is expected to open in 2010. Phase III will complete all residential components with full build-out for the resort by 2016.

For more information, visit www.rumcay.com.

New Ritz in Turks & CaicosLogwood Hotel Development

Company (LHDC) has obtained a $102 million loan from Lehman Brothers to build the 125-room resort, Molasses Reef on West Caicos Reserve, a Ritz-Carlton property (www.westcaicosreserve.com) in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The developer also announced that more than half of Phase 1 of the Ritz-Carlton branded Island Villas has already been sold and ground has been broken for the new resort.

Completion of the resort, the first phase of the villas (about 30) and a marina is slated for early 2008.

West Caicos Reserve is an uninhabited 11-square-mile island in the Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI, which was last populated in the late 1800s.

This new destination will consist of a small and exclusive residential resort community, a 125-room Ritz-Carlton hotel and villas, a world-class marina, two national parks including a protected wildlife reserve, and archaeological and cultural sites.

Accessible only by boat, small plane or helicopter, transportation on-island will be primarily by electric vehicle and bicycle.

Hilton to open in UshuaiaHilton International has announced

plans to open a five-star hotel in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, in 2007.

The 150-guestroom Hilton Ushuaia is scheduled for completion in early 2008 and will be Hilton’s second hotel in Argentina, at Puerto Iguazu, site of Argentina’s second most visited destination, Iguazu Falls.

The resort will be one of the first to offer direct access to Iguazu Falls through boat tours departing from an on-site marina.

The hotel will sit on nine acres 15 minutes from the international airport, and 10 minutes from downtown. The site is 10 minutes from the entrance to Tierra del Fuego National Park and sits on the shores of the Beagle Channel facing the Chilean Island of Navarino.

Kona Kai opens berths for megayachts, new marinas to open around the world

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A1�BUSINESS BRIEFS

Dockwise Yacht Transport delivered its second-largest yacht to date in May, the 195-foot explorer-type Ulysses. The megayacht was one of several being shipped from Brisbane to Ft. Lauderdale aboard Dockwise’s Super Servant 4, the largest transport ship in its fleet. M/Y Triton, the 163-foot Delta, also made the journey

Dockwise noted this trip as reinforcing its commitment to the South Pacific super yacht market.

“The South Pacific market has increased substantially since we started our service well before the Olympics in 2000. With newly built yachts on the northbound trade and an increase of privately owned yachts on the southbound trade, we are committed to increase our frequency to this part of the world,” said DYT President Clemens van der Werf.

New stew training in SydneyClub Sail’s Superyacht Crew

Academy (SCA) has launched a new series of internationally recognized steward/ess courses in association with training providers American Yacht Institute.

Jan Martin, American Yacht Institute’s chief instructor, was recently invited by SCA to roll out the first series of programs to an audience of eager young men and women wishing to experience life on board superyachts.

Crew positions of this type can suit men and women with a range of hospitality skills, educating them on how to adapt their skills to shipboard life. More importantly, these courses are about having the correct attitude and on how to succeed in the industry.

Club Sail’s Superyacht Crew Academy (SCA), the Australian representative partner school of International Yachtmaster Training, and American Yacht Institute will conduct these courses in September and October:

Steward/ess Yacht Crew Training (5 days)

Chief Stewardess Assessment ClassSilver Service (1 day)Steward/Stewardess Master Class

(3 days)Rules, Attitude and Etiquette of

Yachting (2 days)For more information, contact Club

Sail’s Superyacht Crew Academy at 02-9979-9669, info@clubsail.com.au or visit www.superyacht-crew-academy.com.

St. Thomas marina gets top honorChris Petty, general manager of

American Yacht Harbor in St. Thomas (center), receives the 2005 Sun Resorts International “Top Producing Crew” award from company President Michael Olszewski, right, as Regional

Manager Ken Criswell looks on. American Yacht Harbor, located at Red Hook, has been the consistent high performer in the company’s portfolio of 11 domestic and international marinas, approaching a near 100-percent occupancy year-round. The award was presented at the company’s recent regional meeting held at St. Maarten’s Maho Beach Hotel.

Driscoll reorganizesDriscoll Boat Works has appointed

Chuck Driscoll its new general manager of operations. Driscoll will oversee all aspects of sales, marketing and production for the two Shelter Island facilities. Tom Driscoll, the current president of Driscoll Boat Works and Driscoll, Inc., will remove himself from the day-to-day boatyard operations to focus on redevelopment and expansion projects.

After 21 years running his own marine surveying business, Driscoll returned to the family business in 1998 to operate Driscoll’s Kettenburg facility.

“This company was founded by my father, Gerry, and his brother, Harlan,” Driscoll said. “They had a tradition of customer service that set the standard for the industry. Tom and I want to get back to that standard. This re-organization is the first step in that direction.”

Helping execute this fresh attitude and focus on customer service is the new sales and production team. Bringing over one hundred years of combined experience to Driscoll’s production office will be the trio of Bob Bolster, Rick Viloria and Mike Fitzgerald. The current sales staff will now be joined by Bill Campbell. Campbell brings a wealth of sailing experience and strong ties to the San Diego boating community. He will deal directly with yacht brokerage offices and boat dealers.

Driscoll Boat Works is a full service repair facility located on Shelter Island. For more information, visit www.driscollinc.com.

Benetti picks Fraser San DiegoMark Cavendish, sales director

for Benetti Yachts, announced the appointment of the Fraser Yachts Worldwide San Diego office as the exclusive Benetti broker for the West Coast of the United States and British Columbia.

The Azimut-Benetti Group, based in Italy, is the largest luxury yacht builder in the world. “Ideal for the West Coast market area, the Benetti yachts are ocean going vessels that offer good economical range with most of their models,” said sales broker Neal

Dockwise now on regular schedule to Queensland, AUS

See BUSINESS BRIEFS, page A18

A1� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton BUSINESS BRIEFS

Esterly of Fraser Yachts San Diego. Esterly, a part of the Fraser team since 1992, is responsible for establishing the new agency for the U.S. West Coast and Canada. He will represent the new motor yacht product line as well as assist the entire Fraser Yachts Worldwide sales team with all Benetti-related yacht sales and service matters.

“As an exclusive Benetti agent, Fraser Yachts will be able to offer clients a full range of services,” Cavendish said. “This joining of forces positions both Benetti and Fraser to take full advantage of the megayacht market growth on the West Coast.”

Fraser Yachts will offer its yacht management services free for the first year to clients who purchase a new Benetti yacht. Currently Fraser Yachts has over 50 megayachts under management worldwide monitoring the maritime safety requirements, yacht maintenance, establishing and administering the yacht’s budget, and assisting the owner with finding experienced and professional crew.

For more information, contact the Fraser Yachts California Benetti Agent at +1-619-225-0588 or e-mail Benetti@extrahoop.com.

M.I. signs more yachtsThe Marshall Islands Yacht

Registry has registered several new yachts, including the 70-foot S/Y Perfect Symmetry 5 and the 121-foot Heesen M/Y Man of Steel.

Perfect Symmetry 5 came into the registry by way of Cris Wenthur of Wenthur & Chacas based in California and Marine Documentation’s Ft. Lauderdale office.

“Perfect Symmetry 5 was built by Hylas Yachts and is the first in a new line for Hylas. Their Hylas 54 was the winner of the 1999 Boat of the Year,” said Gene Sweeney, director of yacht operations at International Registries Inc. (IRI), the maritime and corporate administrator of the Marshall Islands Registry.

The registry has gained interest and recognition throughout the yachting community as a result of its registration process, which includes the option to register a private yacht for three years. The registry is ranked the fifth largest open registry in the world.

Private and commercial yachts comprise 15 percent of the Marshall Islands fleet. With a local office in Ft. Lauderdale and regional offices in 11 other major cities around the world, the Marshall Islands is able to provide same-day service to the yachting community regardless of location and time zone.

“The Marshall Islands Yacht Registry has grown substantially over the

last couple of years,” Sweeney said. “Yachts are coming straight out of their building yard and directly into the registry. We look forward to continuing to provide an effective registration process, available from any IRI office, that is integral with the regulatory atmosphere regarding safety, security and environmental protection with respect to the operation of vessels in the registry.”

For more information, contact Gene Sweeney at +1-954-763-7775 or gsweeney@register-iri.com.

LMC lands new tenantTechnomar International has

relocated its offices to Building 2019, Suite 229, in Lauderdale Marine Center in Ft. Lauderdale. Technomar is an authorized factory-trained sales and service center for Cruisair A/C units and refrigeration systems, and Besenzoni marine hydraulics, passerelles and davits.

The company’s electrical division, Jeff ’s Marine Electric, offers sales, service and engineering of marine electrical equipment for yacht owners and is an authorized sales and service dealer for Atlas Marine Systems.

For more information, contact Technomar President/CEO Jeff Mendham at +1-954-587-6704, 011-39-340-896-5235 or through www.technomar.net.

Rodriquez to design vessels in U.S.

According to a report in IBI Magazine, European yacht manufacturer Rodriquez Yachts and South Florida-based BRB Yachts announced an exclusive agreement to bring Rodriquez designs to the United States for the first time.

Rodriquez yachts range from 50 to 220 feet (15m-67m), and the models available to American consumers are the 500 Sport, 600 Sport, 600 Widebody, 800 Widebody and 800 Sport, all of which can be customised to suit owners’ needs.

BRB Yachts, led by Daniel Berrebi, specializes in customizable Italian yachts and catamarans. Rodriquez Cantieri Navali (RCN), the parent company of Rodriquez Yachts, was founded in 1887 as a small ship repair yard. From four shipyards in Italy and one in Brazil, RCN has built more than 550 vessels in the last 40 years including high specification military vessels, fast ferries and yachts.

Imtech acquires Radio HollandThe acquisition of Radio Holland

Group B.V. by Imtech N.V. (technical services provider in Europe) has been approved by both the NMa (Dutch Competition Authority) and German Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office). This acquisition will almost double revenues of Imtech in the maritime market, which givers

it a place in the global top 5. The acquisition price, including an earn-out, is approximately 47 million euro and will be paid in cash.

The acquisition fits Imtech’s strategy of further international growth in the marine market and makes a direct contribution to the earnings per share.

Broward hires marketing veteranBroward Marine has hired

Daniel Goodstadt as vice president of marketing. Goodstadt began his career in 1988 as an intern in public relations for the Marlboro Indy Racing team where he cemented a long-term relationship with two-time Formula 1 World Champion and two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi. This is a relationship that is today still producing successful campaigns both in licensing new products and working with some of the largest multi-national corporations. Over the past 20 years, Goodstadt has procured some of Fittipaldi’s biggest endorsement and licensing contracts with companies such as Cartier, SAP and Ericsson.

Goodstadt also has strong ties in Hollywood where he started in the mailroom of a talent agency and worked his way to agent when he was recruited by producer Keith Barish to join his team in creating Planet Hollywood. Goodstadt was involved during the company’s greatest growth period and assisted in promoting the opening of restaurants 2 through 21.

“Having been raised on the water and around boats my whole life, I never expected to be working for America’s most traditional yacht builder,” said Goodstadt, a native of New York.

Broward has recruited Goodstadt for his marketing experience and his contacts, which will provide a conduit to future clients. Fitipaldi’s yacht, for example, was in the yard in May getting a new paint job and a complete electronics upgrade.

For more information, contact Dan Goodstadt at +1-954-925-8118 or dgoodstadt@browardmarine.com.

CNI relocatesCamper & Nicholsons

International opened a new office in Ft. Lauderdale in May. The bright yellow, two-story office building sits just north of Bahia Mar Yachting Center with easy accessibility from A1A. For more information, contact CNI at 651 Seabreeze Blvd., +1-954-524-4250 or www.cnconnect.com.

Grocery service opens in S. FloridaA new company has opened to

provide personalized grocery delivery to eliminate the countless hours people spend shopping for groceries and household supplies, standing in line, and fighting traffic.

See BUSINESS BRIEFS, page A20

BUSINESS BRIEFS, from page A17

M.I signs yachts, LMC lands new tenant, Broward hires veteran

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A19HOBBIES

By Capt. Brad Tate

Capt. Bill Hawes has always had an interest in cars and other mechanical toys. You may recognize his red 1965 Mustang Fastback running around Ft. Lauderdale. It is pretty much a daily driver for him when he is in town.

He bought his Mustang in April of 1995 in California and drove it back to Florida thinking he would figure out what it needed by the time he got here. Well, he found out it needed pretty much everything; a new radiator, suspension, transmission; basically, a total rehab. But he has been passionate about it ever since.

It has a stock rebuilt engine, factory interior including air conditioning (rare for that car), and 215,000 miles. He has

made some modifications to it like a lighter, more modern air conditioning compressor to lighten the load up front and some suspension work. But he is now going back to the original suspension. He says he is getting older and is getting tired of the rough ride.

Bill has taken several road trips to Oklahoma, Canada and New England in his car. Like all of us with older cars, it takes us back a bit. Not the most comfortable ride, but a whole lot of fun.

Bill also has in his stash a 1985 Mercedes 300TD wagon and a beautiful 1981 BMW R65 motorcycle that he bought last year.

Got enough toys in the garage Bill?

Contact Capt. Brad Tate at btate@flagshipmarinas.com.

Yacht captains and crew have a variety of interests. This column is meant to show off some of them. If you have an

interesting hobby, choice car or other diversion from yachting, tell us about it. Send us a little info to editorial@the-triton.com.

’65 Mustang kept captain busy

A�0 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton BUSINESS BRIEFS

“So many people these days are pushing their free time to the limit,” associate owner of WeGoShop.com Steve LaCroix said. “Unfortunately, the time that is lost is time that cannot be recovered adequately. By using our service you can spend your time doing the things you really enjoy. In just minutes you can order your groceries

by phone or over the Internet and we will have them delivered right to your door.”

There are no mark-ups on grocery items, just the same amount the supermarket charges plus a shopping and delivery charge. There is no club to join and no registration fee.

For more information, contact WeGoShop.com at 1-877-934-6746 ext.

53 or visit www.WeGoShop.com.

Flagship hires Laidlaw as VPFlagship Marinas announced

the hiring of Alex Laidlaw as the new vice president of operations. Laidlaw comes to Flagship with a wealth of marina management experience, most recently as a regional manager and area vice president with Westrec Marinas overseeing some of the country’s largest marinas for more than 15 years.

Active in the marina industry, Laidlaw is the vice chairman of the board of directors for the Association of Marina Industries, an association representing the marina industry in the United States, Europe and Australia. He also holds the distinction of CMM, a Certified Marina Manager, from the International Marina Institute.

Flagship Marinas operates more than 10,000 slips and is ranked by size and number of slips among the top three marina companies in the United States. For more information, visit www.flagshipmarinas.com or call +1-972-243-5157.

FCI Watermakers expandsFCI Watermakers has signed

a new South African dealer. The manufacturer, based in Santa Ana, Calif., is being represented by C-Dynamics, of Cape Town, South Africa.

C-Dynamics was established in 1994 to service the marine leisure market with a range of marine equipment and strong technical support. Throughout its 12-year history, the company has been managed by those with marine engineering backgrounds, yielding sound technical support for customers.

“C-Dynamics is a top-rate marine dealer that services not only the private yachting community, but also South African yacht manufacturers,” said Joe Pinto, FCI Watermakers’ director

of marketing and sales. “Having a solid dealer located at the southern tip of Africa is strategic to providing comprehensive service and support to the yachting community and the marine industry.”

For more information, contact FCI Watermakers in California at +1-714-850-0123, info@fciwatermakers.com, or through www.fciwatermakers.com.

Salvage company has new imageTowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale

announce the completion of a multi-year company evolution. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale was founded as Offshore Marine Towing in 1989 by Larry Acheson. Offshore joined the BoatU.S. towing program in 1989 and soon became one of the first TowBoatU.S. companies in South Florida.

“In order to enjoy the benefits of a nationally branded name, our familiar dark blue hull tugs changed to red hulls carrying the nationally known TowBoatU.S. name,” Acheson said.

The final phase is the completion of a new Web site, produced in-house by office manager Chloe Smith.

TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale operates from three ports and provides towing and other assistance to the marine industry in all of Southeast Florida and the Bahamas. For more information, contact TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale at +1-954-783-7821 or visit www.towboatusftlauderdale.com.

Nautical Structures expandsNautical Structures has leased

a 7,000-square-foot, stand-alone building off Oakland Park Boulevard just west of I-95 in Ft. Lauderdale. The company expects to open this month, delivering its first products from the facility around the July 4th holiday. For more information, contact Nautical Structures at +1-727-541-6664.

BUSINESS BRIEFS, from page A18

Companies expand, hire more staff, change their image

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A�1FLAG ETIQUETTE / BROKER NEWS

By Neil Rooney History and tradition are the basis

for today’s flag etiquette. The size of your vessel determines the size of the flag to be flown at the stern: one inch for every foot long.

If your vessel is 40 feet long, than you should fly a 48-inch flag. (Always fly a larger flag, not a smaller one.)

As far as courtesy flags go, you should first hoist a yellow “Q” or quarantine flag as you enter the waters of a foreign nation. This Q flag should fly from the starboard side forward mast spreader. After clearance, the Q

flag should be lowered and replaced with the country flag of the nation you are visiting.

What flag should you raise while visiting Sint Maarten? Not the Dutch flag. Not the Sint Maarten Island Territory flag. Not a French flag.

You should have a Netherlands Antilles flag raised. And it should be the correct side up. Sint Maarten is an island territory of the Netherlands Antilles, which is a part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands but not a part of Holland.

There are five stars on the flag of the Netherlands Antilles, three are on the top and two are on the bottom. The top three stars represent the Islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius

(Statia) and Sint Maarten. The lower two stars represent the Islands of Bonaire and Curacao.

If you have a Netherlands Antilles flag with six stars, save it; it’s more than 20 years old. The sixth star represents Aruba when it was a part of the country. Aruba now has its own status

within the kingdom.Before your next visit to the

Caribbean, do an inventory of your flag locker and see that you have all the necessary courtesy flags aboard for your anticipated itinerary and that they are all in good condition.

Flag etiquette info is available from many sources on the Internet. A few are www.annin.com, www.boatsafe.com and www.sailonline.com.

Neil Rooney owns Buccaneer Beach Bar (www.buccaneerbar.com) in Sint Maarten. Contact him neil@buccaneerbar.com.

Broker Mark Elliott of International Yacht Collection sold the 147-foot Sterling M/Y Rusalka 1986, the central of Jim Eden’s. Greg Marino’s two centrals Denamar, the 2002 56-foot Sunseeker, and Fa-Geda-Bout-It, the 2000 40-foot Formula also sold.

IYC’s David Nichols sold M/Y Souvenir, the 2002 87-foot Queenship. Jim Brass sold his central Falcon, the 1985 60-foot Riva Corsaro, and Tim Johnson sold his central Jamm’d, a 1998 55-foot Sea Ray.

For more information contact IYC at 954-522-2323 or visit www.yachtcollection.com.

Merle Wood & Associates has signed the following new central agencies: the 247-foot S/Y Phocea, the 180-foot Trinity M/Y Mia Elise, the 160-foot Delta M/Y Gallant Lady, the 155-foot ISA April Fool, the 115’ Benetti Classic M/Y Bella Dawn and the Warren S87 Express.

Recent sales include the 138-foot Heesen M/Y Blue Harem.

For more information, contact Peter Croke, managing director of Merle Wood & Associates, at +1-954-525-5111.

Gary Slatkow, vice president of sales for Shadow Marine, has sold the 170-foot Paladin Shadow to an unnamed Saudi buyer.

The vessel is undergoing some modifications, which include the addition of a complete dive operation furnished by Brownies of Ft. Lauderdale. Delivery is planned for mid-summer and she will head for the southern Indian Ocean.

Shadow Marine also announced two new unsold 205-foot Allure Shadows that will be ready for the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show this fall.

For more information, contact Shadow Marine at +1-954-779-7099 or visit www.shadowmarine.com.

Know which flag you fly when sailing into Sint Maarten

Latest boat sales show busy spring

A�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

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Deckhand Felix Cufre of M/Y Kaleido Beau stays comfortable on a recent, chilly Italian morning with his Triton T-shirt. He’s polishing the stainless as the 46m Kaleido Beau (the former Dolce Far Niente and Shamwari) completes her refit at Amico & Co. in Genoa. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Stewardess/deckhand Becky Smith keeps M/Y Intrepid looking nice at her berth at Sunrise Harbor Marina in Ft. Lauderdale. PHOTO/LUCY REED

“Maintenance is my bag, baby,” says Capt. John Wampler. Surely there are more pleasant ways to spend a day in Lyford Cay. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. JOHN

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The crew of the 138-foot Sovereign/Richmond M/Y Status Quo pulled double duty in April when they carried over a new watermaker to Spanish Cay. It seems the owner of Status Quo (Don David, right) owns the island, too, and decided it was time for better water. The new watermaker will provide water for the island as well as the 70-slip marina. “It’s the best water in the Bahamas at the moment,” said Capt. Rick Lenardson, who unloaded parts with Mate Diane Ritchie, above right.

PHOTOS/ANDY CARRIE

Treacherous seas forced the 100-foot Hatteras M/Y Been There Done That inland on its ocean voyage to Newport, R.I., so Charleston, S.C., was the port of call. Chef Peter Ziegelmeier called it “a wonderful place to be.”

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

A�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton REGATTA NEWS

FREE CREW SIGNUP WITH THIS AD We require a high standard of performance.

By Marcus Mitchell

Bahamian sailors from all over the island nation gather in Elizabeth Harbor at Georgetown, Exuma, every April to compete in the most recognized sailing event in the country.

The National Family Island Regatta is full of great friendship and camaraderie as well as keen competition. Boats representing most of the islands appear and it is a great time to get together with old friends and acquaintances.

The racing fleet is made up of 50 to 60 boats split into five classes by overall length. They range from 13-foot dinghies with a two-man crew to the big 28-foot A class with as many as 18 crew members on each boat. The event draws spectators from all over the world with junior races (under 17 years old; C class), Special Cup races (all classes), and the regatta’s three-race series for all classes.

This event was started in 1954 to keep the traditional Bahamian fleet of fishing vessels alive. The boats have evolved to pure race boats over the

years. The rules call for a wooden hull, deck and spars with canvas sails. No winches or instruments are allowed, not even tell tales for wind.

As mast heights and sail area have increased, pry boards are used to move human ballast out over the windward rail for stability. This is quite a spectacle, especially in gusty wind.

This year’s over-all winner was the Tida Wave of Staniel Cay, Exuma. She took first place in the Prime Minister’s Cup race, then went on to win the series.

Tida Wave crew has sailed as a team for many years on the Lady Muriel, which took first place in the 50th anniversary series in 2003 and second in 2004 before she was damaged beyond economical repair in a storm.

The owner of Tida Wave had not won the series since 1998 so he gave the boat to the Lady Muriel crew this year, and they won.

Marcus Mitchell owns and operates Overseas Salvage and Maintenance in The Bahamas. Contact him at jenimitchell@bellsouth.net.

As rules have changed to allow more surface area on sails, pry boards have come to be used to move human ballast for stability. PHOTO/MARY WHEATON

Tida Wave triumphantin Family Island Regatta

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A�5

A�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton FROM THE BRIDGE

THE BRIDGE, from page A1

owners?”The conversation then turned to one

of a captain’s rights when in a situation like that. The topic of arresting the boat was mentioned. That is, calling in a federal marshal to lock the boat until crew wages have been paid. Again, several of the captains agreed that would only give them a bad reputation in the long run.

“If your management company finds out, forget about it,” one captain said. “You are out of business.”

One captain noted that UK-flagged vessels with more than four paid crew are required under the MCA to have crew contracts of at least six months.

“I’m doing a contract now and the owner is upset a bit,” he said. “He’s hesitant to sign because [notice is] 30 days, which is normal in the UK.

“French customs wanted to see the contract,” he said. “If I don’t have one, they see me as hiring people with black market money. I have foreign crew. I got away with it because the girl was beautiful and I paid her some compliments, but she wanted a contract. She said, ‘next time you come, have a contract’.”

“I think they’re justified in asking,” another captain said. “France has realized that one of the centers of the yachting industry is Antibes. We all don’t necessarily have a right to work there. English are OK, but not Argentineans, New Zealanders, Australians.”

So of the four captains in the room, two were working on contracts, one had one, and the last did not, at least not officially.

“My feeling with a contract is that if it’s time to go, it’s time to go,” said the captain without a contract. “A lot of it’s not enforceable anyway. What I choose

to do is in the interview, we’ll discuss the terms, and then I send an e-mail with everything we agreed to so we have it in writing.”

Do you need a reply?“Yes, I like to get confirmation that

he agreed to what I think we agreed to.”“Even if he doesn’t reply, the minute

he starts paying your salary, it’s implied that he agreed,” another said.

“I like having a contract,” one captain said. “With a contract, I want it to be clear that I’m tied to the boat. I don’t have personal insurance so if I make a mistake, which any one of us can do at any time, I want to be linked to the insurance of the boat. I’m an independent contractor and I want it to be clear that I was in service to the boat if anything happens.”

So does anyone have captain’s or license insurance?

“No,” one captain said to unanimous consent. “The premiums are huge; I can’t afford it.”

“One thing I will never do again is put out personal money for the owner. That is always lost. If my wages are missing, I pick up the phone and ask ‘what’s the problem?’ If I’m not paid in a reasonable time, I will leave.”

“I’d give him three days. I’m paid in full after 28 days,” another said. “If I’m not paid on the 29th, I’m off by the 31st.”

“I think it’s right to go after your money,” a third said. “Crew has a responsibility to the owner, but the owner has a responsibility back to his crew. If they don’t pay, that’s wrong. Some owners think they can employ three men, pay for two then get another bloke. That’s wrong.”

So who wrote the contract you have?“He [the owner] had created it

initially, but invited me to make adjustments,” one captain said. “It’s straightforward, two pages, with my salary, the notice – which goes both

ways – and performance guidelines. I added that the captain is master in security issues. The owner can make all decisions, except where safety is involved.”

Even that doesn’t always matter, one captain noted.

“I know a chap who worked for an Arab, very private. He rendered assistance to a ship at sea, which under international law you are bound to do, and he was fired.”

“That’s not defensible,” said another. “You’re missing the point. Having an

enforceable contract is only good if it’s enforced.”

“Just like I’m not going to sue my

previous owner for the $10,000 he owes me.”

“I wouldn’t either. Normally, I wouldn’t even bother with a contract, but it was offered. I have the same respect for it as you do. None.”

“I think we all agree in principle that a contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

If you are a yacht captain and find yourself in Ft. Lauderdale at the beginning of the month, contact Editor Lucy Chabot Reed at lucy@the-triton.com for an invitation to our monthly Bridge luncheon. Space is limited to eight.

Attendees of The Triton’s June Bridge luncheon were, from left, Marcus Harriott of a new build in Thailand, Bernard Charon of M/Y Kaleido Beau, Shaun Jarvis of M/V Solea, and John Campbell of M/Y Laymar II. The lunch was held at the Jolly Hotel Marina in Genoa, Italy. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Bridge: Enforcing employment contract could end career

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The Triton crew and about 20 other folks gathered on the catamaran Spirit of Lauderdale in May to help raise money for HospiceCare of Southeast Florida. More than 70 boats competed in the 10th anniversary of the regatta

Megayacht Eng. James Kuiack joined the boat, as did Lisa and Brice Lambrix from Maritron, Marc Burton from Claire’s Marine Outfitters and Andy Carrie from Essentials Boutique.

The Triton’s boat raised $3,325 for HospiceCare, thanks to the support of businesses who donated about $1,800 of in-kind support. International Registries Inc., administrator for the

Marshall Islands, donated $500 even though no one from the company could join the boat.

“I think all of us, people who work so closely with the boating industry, were just thankful to get out on the water for a day,” said David Reed, publisher of The Triton and organizer of the boat with Andy Carrie.

Ray Williams, father to The Triton’s Peg Soffen and Patty Weinert, was in hospice in the weeks before his death in May.

“At the end of the day, we wanted to

give back a little,” Reed said.

There was little wind on that Saturday, but skies were clear and the weather was warm. Spirit of Lauderdale was in last place most of the race and pulled out when, by mid-afternoon, it had just reached the first marker.

Crew and passengers enjoyed a nice swim in the waters off John Lloyd State Park. Even though it didn’t finish, Spirit

of Lauderdale’s three-person crew and 20 passengers picked up the regatta’s trophy for Best Sportsmanship.

– Lucy Reed

Above, Capt. Adam Bailie gets ready to race, even though there was little wind. Below, “The catamaran in the middle, Bosa Nova captained by Mike Lyons, was our biggest rival,” said Andy Carrie, mate. “They pulled out at the same time as us.” The crew then went swimming, bottom left. Top left, Bailie, Triton Publisher David Reed and Carrie celebrate their trophy for best sportsmenship. PHOTOS/ANDY CARRIE

Triton boat reaps $3,325 for HospiceCare

A�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton FROM THE FRONT

The following is a presentation made by Anne Sterringa, a charter broker with Camper & Nicholsons International in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, during a seminar at the Genoa yacht show in May. It has been edited for space.

By Anne Sterringa

If a yacht wants to charter in Spain, it needs a charter license and to pay the matriculation tax. These are actually two separate issues.

Every yacht that wants to charter in Spain needs a charter license, both Spanish yachts and yachts registered in other EU countries.

An owner or operator needs to comply with a series of requirements to get a charter license, the most important ones are: l Tax registration in Spainl Third-party liability insurancel Official translation of the yacht’s

registrationl Certificate of inspection to make

sure the yacht complies with laws for prevention of contaminationl A Commercial Seaworthiness

Certificate from flag state, with an official translation. For example, MCA certificate.l There are also some duties.All non-Spanish documents must be

presented with an official translation. Once all the paperwork is complete, it can take between 10 days and four weeks to get the license from the Government Department of Transport. The license is usually valid for as long as the commercial seaworthiness certificate is valid.

Although this is a tedious procedure it is perfectly feasible for a yacht to get a charter license.

Matriculation tax:In Spain, there is a double taxation

on cars, planes and yachts. Not only the VAT has to be paid, but on top of that a 12 percent matriculation tax.

According to Spanish law, the tax is due on every yacht, commercial or private, that is registered in Spain, used in Spain by a Spanish resident or used in Spain by an owner that has an establishment in Spain.

If a yacht has a charter license, it will have always have a Spanish tax registration. That means that the owner/operator is established in Spain, and so the matriculation tax is due.

What happens if a yacht comes from another country to do a charter in Spain with embarkation or disembarkation in Spanish waters? Spanish customs interpret that if a charter starts or finishes in Spain, the owner or operator at that moment has an establishment in Spain and therefore the matriculation tax is due.

Commercially registered yachts under 15m are exempt.

Is this situation going to change?

I personally have the impression that yes, the situation will change within the next one or two years.

For the first time, there are indications that various sectors of the Spanish society, public and private, are becoming aware of the potential of the yachting industry. This fall, there were various seminars about nautical tourism in the Balearics. During the last year, every boat show in Spain has organized round tables and seminars about yacht charter. The Spanish Institute for Tourism, Turespaña, wants to concentrate the coming five years specifically on attracting golf and nautical tourism. In the Balearics as well, the local government wants to attract high-quality tourism as an alternative to the all-inclusive package-tour tourism.

Recently, leaders of the Spanish megayacht industry have founded a Spanish Association for Super Yachts. This association can approach the government in Spain and lobby for the interests of the yachting industry as ECPY does in France.

Last but not least, the celebration of the America’s Cup in Spain is boosting the interest in yachting and at the same time makes it urgent for both the industry and politicians to find a solution as quickly as possible.

The 32nd Americas CupThe America’s Cup is a high-profile

event where both the private and the public sector make huge investments. The whole city of Valencia is being turned around: new marinas are being built, the airport is extended, the whole lay-out of the port has changed and highways are being improved.

I don’t think America’s Cup management or politicians have ever realized that the existing regulations regarding yachting and yacht charter would prove to be such an obstacle in finding spectator yachts. As we all know, many yacht owners are hesitant about sending their yachts to Spain.

AC management has been negotiating with government officials on all levels during the last year, and just last Friday (April 28) had a decisive meeting with head of customs in Valencia.

It has been officially decided that from now on, in Valencia, charter yachts berthed in one of the AC ports will be exempt of the obligation to register in Spain and will be exempt from the matriculation tax.

This rule is valid from now until the end of the Acts in July 2007. Not only during the races, but also during training, which means every day from now until July 2007. There is no distinction between EU and non-EU yachts. The one condition is that the yacht has secured a berth in either the VSM or the North or South marinas, which are the America’s Cup marinas.

Customs in Valencia will sign an official document for each yacht stating that the yacht is exempt of the matriculation tax. Customs will give a list of all the exempt yachts to the Spanish coast guard so that they will know who is allowed to charter.

The other big issue in Valencia is the number of guests yachts can take out. I think we have all received inquiries for AC charters and the majority of these inquiries are for corporate clients who want to take out more than 12 passengers.

A new official instruction is in place, as of April 7. It says that any spectator vessel that wishes to sail in the restricted area of the America’s Cup in Valencia must obtain an express authorization directly from the Valencia harbor master’s office.

Passenger ships with SOLAS International Certificates will be authorized to take out the maximum number of passengers that appear in their safety certificates. Recreational vessels – yachts – can get an exemption to take out more than 12 passengers, subject to having an exemption of their own flag state.

To get the exemption, it is necessary to present an original certificate from the yacht’s own flag state authority with an official translation.

The certificate should mention: construction date of the vessel, expiration date of the certificate, maximum number of passengers on deck, minimum crew that must hold STCW78/95 certificates, sailing limits if applicable, and minimum safety, fire safety and rescue equipment.

You also need a certificate from the insurance company to cover the excess passengers. This means that if the flag state issues an official exemption, the Valencia harbor master will accept this.

All exemptions are limited to the dates of the AC regattas, restricted to daylight hours and to the regatta perimeter. Cabins cannot be used during the trip, weather conditions must be favorable and the exact number of passengers will be registered with the maritime rescue service.

Yachts up to 500 GT will only get an exemption for a maximum of 35 passengers and yachts over 500 GT up to 50 passengers. Yachts under 24m will not get permission to take out more guests than normal.

Various flag states will issue the exemption, again, only for the dates and location of the America’s Cup regattas: Luxembourg, Malta, Madeira, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Marshall Islands and Isle of Man.

The Cayman Islands has said it will follow precedent set by Isle of Man but has not yet been asked to issue one, as far as I know.

Contact Anne Sterringa at +34-971-40-33-11 or asterringa@cnipalma.com.

Spain’s matriculation tax excludes Valencia

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A�9FROM THE FRONT

mentioned his British mate, who had flown back to the Bahamas to get some other work done.

“Oh, that ain’t good,” the officer said again.Apparently, because Simaron did not clear in, her

crew could not leave.“Now my heart’s pounding,” Proctor said. “The

mate was engaged to my good friend so I didn’t want him to get deported, and I didn’t want the owner’s boat to get confiscated because of my mistake. So I went down to his office and talked to him.”

The officer excused the mate’s departure and the failures to report outside of Norfolk, but fined Proctor for failing to report to customs upon arrival in Norfolk: $5,000.

“I tried to talk him out of it. I said, ‘$5,000 is a lot of money to people like you and me for just forgetting to make a 1-800 phone call.’ And he laughed and said, ‘Your boss will pay it.’ I told him, no, this was my fine. My boss didn’t forget to clear in, I did.”

According to reporting requirements from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, masters of foreign-flagged pleasure yachts must report their arrival immediately and make formal entry within 48 hours. Yachts then obtain a cruising permit to sail in U.S. waters. The license exempts a foreign-flagged vessel from having to make formal entry at each port or place in the U.S., but does not excuse it from having to report in.

“When the boat moves, no matter if it’s 100 feet or 100 miles, as per the cruising license for a foreign-flagged vessel, you have to call in,” Proctor said.

This is another of those gray areas of U.S. government regulations that confuse yacht captains and crew. In popular yachting destinations such as Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, customs officers say – off the record – that they would rather pleasure yachts not call in every time they move around. Because of the sheer volume of boats and the proximity of marinas and yards, reporting every move from a marina to a yard in Ft. Lauderdale would inundate customs officers with phone calls.

“[Not calling in] might work well in Ft. Lauderdale because they know what’s going on,” Proctor said, “but it didn’t work in Norfolk, Va.”

One officer in South Florida did note that any yachts making sizable moves such as going from a Ft. Lauderdale marina to a shipyard in Miami should call in the move. The number is 1-800-973-2867, which works after hours as well.

Regardless of the distance, Proctor said he always calls now. He recently moved from his slip at Hall of Fame Marina to Roscioli Yachting Center and the customs official took the call graciously and gave him a clearance number.

“I don’t care, from now on, I’m calling,” Proctor said. “It’s just a phone call.”

He’s also added a special column in his log book to record the name and phone number of each officer he talks to for reference, in case someone ever tells him not to bother and he gets charged

with not calling in.As for his $5,000 fine, Proctor appealed

with a lengthy letter noting his 13 years in the U.S. Air Force, including tours of duty in Kuwait. And he included this sentence: “Due to the severity of the fine, I can assure you this will never happen again.”

It worked. The senior officer pardoned the fine, all except for $100, did not note the violation on his license or even on customs computers, Proctor said.

“It was just not knowing,” he said. “If you’re going to put such a significant statement on a license, don’t put it in little letters. Fourteen other guys in the marina got busted, too. I didn’t feel like such an idiot. If there are 14 others, don’t you think there’s a communication breakdown somewhere?”

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

Lesson learned: Customs imposes $5,000 fine for failure to report at each portSIMARON, from page A1

Capt. Doc Proctor of M/Y Simaron will now report every move, no matter how small. PHOTO/LUCY REED

EarningYourStripesCAREER NEWS FOR CAPTAINS & CREWS

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Captains have power to keep crew; use itBy Don and Sheryl Grimme

A year ago, we believed that employee retention was the workplace issue of 2005. We now believe it to be the workplace issue of the decade.

According to a survey conducted last fall by the Society of Human Resource Management, 79 percent of U.S. employees are job searching. And “as the economy and job market continue to improve, these numbers are expected to increase,” the study noted.

Employers are groping at ways to attack the problem, trying salary adjustments, promotions, bonuses, more attractive benefits and retirement packages, even stock options. All of these are expensive and, we believe, misdirected.

The core element of developing a culture of recognition (and, therefore, retention) is “management,” specifically the beliefs, passion and abilities of the immediate supervisor.

“Motivation is personal and highly situational for today’s employees,” said Bob Nelson, author of the best-selling “1001 Ways to Reward Employees,” in an April online seminar.

And, according to a recent 10-year study conducted by RainmakerThinking and based on interviews with more than 10,000 employees and executives at more than 700 organizations: “The day-to-day communication between supervisory managers and direct reports

has more impact than any other single factor on employee productivity, quality, morale and retention.”

Immediate supervisors are the most important people in the workplace, and by using these three tools, they can reach their potential in retaining employees.

Tool No. 1: Understand what employees want.What do you think employees want from their

jobs? Good wages? Job security? That’s what most managers have thought for at least the past 60 years.

But it’s not what employees have continued to say. What employees really want are appreciation and involvement. Does that mean competitive wages are unimportant? Of course not. Money is a necessary but not sufficient condition to attract, retain and motivate good employees.

Test this out yourself: Remember a time when you felt energized, fulfilled, and excited about your job or a project; when you couldn’t wait to get out of bed and get to work. (If nothing comes to mind – remember a time when you felt frustrated, bored or dispirited about your job or a project.)

What were you doing? What was special (or not special) about it? Was it the pay? The fringe benefits? Or was it the stimulating work, the stretching of your abilities, being an important part of a grand venture, the rapport with co-workers, the recognition from superiors?

This feeling is not unique – to you, your profession, job level or socio-economic group. Employees go to work for a paycheck and benefits plan, but they won’t really do their best work unless something else is present. It is the quality of the work itself – and of our relationships with others at work – that draws us to the best organizations and keeps us there, performing at peak effectiveness.

Tool No. 2: Work-LifeEmployees also want sensitivity to work-life issues.

The 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce found that: “greater work-life supports on the job are powerfully related to more positive work outcomes,

job satisfaction, commitment to employer, and retention.”

Of the various types of support, which included Flexible Work Arrangements and Work-Life Culture, the most powerful was supervisor support.

Four times as many employees with high supervisor support had “high levels of loyalty and willingness to work harder than required to help their employers succeed.”

The National Study based the “Supervisor Support” index on five measures: l Supervisor doesn’t show favoritism when

responding to employees’ personal or family needs.l Supervisor accommodates employees when they

have personal or family business to take care of.l Supervisor is understanding when employees

talk about personal or family issues that affect their work.l Supervisor really cares about the effects that

work demands have on employees’ personal and family life.l Employees feel comfortable bringing up family

or personal issues with their supervisor/manager. The 2002 study’s report concludes with the

observation:“Interestingly, none of these work-life supports

necessarily impose direct costs upon employers, in contrast with conventional benefits.”

Your organization doesn’t need to be rolling in money to dramatically improve job satisfaction, loyalty, commitment or retention.

Tool No. 3: Train managers There is a set of principles and skills involved in

motivating and retaining good employees, including positive and constructive feedback, inquiry and active listening and diagnosing performance problems.

A yacht’s managers have the power to energize and motivate crew if given the right tools.

Don and Sheryl Grimme run GHR Training Solutions in Coral Springs, Fla. They specialize in helping managers reduce turnover and attract excellent job candidates. Contact them at +1-954-720-1512, solutions@ghr-training.com, or through www. GHR-Training.com.

June 2006

We have a copy of Bob Nelson’s “1001 Ways to Reward Employees” (1994, Workman Publishing, $8.95).

If you want it for your crew, e-mail lucy@the-triton.com.

YACHTING REGULATIONSB� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

8 6 6 . W E T. S L I P ( 8 6 6 . 9 3 8 . 7 5 4 7 )w w w . a s h l e y m a r i n a . c o m

D O W N T O W N C H A R L E S T O N , S C

L I M I T E D S L I P S F R O M 3 5 T O 1 2 0 F E E T R E M A I N

M i n u t e s b y l a n d o r w a t e r f r o m t h e S o u t h ’ s f i n e s t d i n i n g , s h o p p i n g a n d c r u i s i n g .C a l l u s o r v i s i t a s h l e y m a r i n a . c o m t o d a y , a n d s e c u r e y o u r p l a c e o n C h a r l e s t o n ’ s w a t e r s c a p e .

SLIPS FOR SALE OR LEASE

ASH-136_HP_AD_T 3/21/06 11:17 AM Page 1

At the end of 2005, the U.S. Coast Guard published its final rule revising the requirements for alcohol testing as outlined in 46 CFR Part 4. This new law will take effect June 20 and requires commercial

yachts – both U.S.- and foreign-flagged – to be outfitted with equipment to test those involved in a Serious Marine Incident within two hours of its occurrence.

As defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, a “serious marine incident” includes the following events:l Any marine casualty or

accident as defined in Sec. 4.03-1 which is required by Sec. 4.05-1 to be reported to the Coast Guard and which results in any of the following:

One or more deaths;An injury to a crew member, passenger or other

person that requires professional medical treatment beyond first aid, and, for a person employed on board the vessel, which renders the individual unfit to perform routine duties;

Damage to property in excess of $100,000;Actual or constructive total loss of any vessel

subject to inspection under 46 USC 3301; orActual or constructive total loss of any self-

propelled vessel, not subject to inspection under 46 USC 3301, of 100 gross tons or more.l A discharge of oil of 10,000 gallons or more into

the navigable waters of the United States, as defined in 33 USC 1321, whether or not resulting from a marine casualty.l A discharge of a reportable quantity of a

hazardous substance into U.S. navigable waters or a release of a reportable quantity of a hazardous substance into the U.S. environment, whether or not resulting from a marine casualty.

All involved must be tested for alcohol use. Only when it is not safe to conduct the test as a result of the SMI may that time be extended, and even then it must be conducted within eight hours. The individuals cannot consume alcohol within eight hours of the SMI or until the test has been conducted.

It should be noted that no individual may be forcibly compelled to provide specimens for tests required by this law. However, if they refuse, they must be removed from any duties directly affecting yacht safety. Refusal is considered a violation and subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000. Each day of continuing violations counts as a separate infraction.

Following the alcohol test, personnel involved in an SMI must be tested for drug use. The yacht has 32 hours from the incident to collect a urine sample. If the specimen cannot be safely obtained, they have until such time as conditions safely permit.

Yachts can purchase and use a testing device of their choice, as long as it appears on the National Highway Traffic Safety Association Conforming Products List of Alcohol Screening Devices (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/alcohol/ebtcpl040714FR.pdf). In addition to having the equipment on board with sufficient capacity to test all individuals, the yacht must ensure it is sufficiently equipped with specimen collection and shipping kits.

If the yacht uses blood as the specimen, the sample must be taken by qualified medical personnel. With urine or breath tests, the individual administering the test must be formally trained to operate the device.

For reference, alcohol breath testers range from $490 to $8,453 per device. The purchase price of saliva alcohol screening devices average $113 per package of between 25 and 30 testing devices. The maintenance and training costs of breath testers are also much higher than the saliva screeners. Yachts operating near shore don’t have to purchase testing devices as long as they can return to shore within two hours of an incident. Tests conducted by U.S. Coast Guard or local law enforcement using approved equipment may be used in lieu of on-board tests.

Numerous questions arise: How admissible are these types of tests in legal proceedings? What are liability implications for false positives due to such factors as the use of mouthwash, equipment malfunction or error by the testing individual? If someone is killed during an incident, is the yacht still responsible for conducting tests or does it defer to the investigating agency (i.e. NTSB or USCG)? For ISM-certified yachts, will a Drug and Alcohol Policy be required as part of the Safety Management System to illustrate compliance with this port state regulation?

These questions and others will have to be addressed by the U.S. Coast Guard regulation revisions or by court interpretation. As with most laws, we cannot know their true meaning until they are tested. We shall only wait and see.

Capt. Jake DesVergers is president of the US Maritime Institute. Prior to his current role, he sailed as master on merchant ships, acted as designated person for a shipping company, and served as regional manager for an international classification society. Contact him at 954-449-3444 or through www.usmaritimeinstitute.com.

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HOW I GOT MY START IN YACHTINGB� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

By Brad Morford

I started out boating with my family on our small outboard, fishing for bass and trout on rivers and lakes in California when I was a teenager. My older brother usually drove and whenever we needed to drag the boat across sandbars, he had all the younger brothers tow him across.

We all had a good laugh, but I think subconsciously I decided I needed to

get the skills to become a skipper.

I went to college in Chico, Calif., where I received a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. While at Chico, my boating was reduced to commanding an inner tube down the Sacramento River.

While making my way down the river, I was also towing astern another vessel, which happened to be an ice-chest filled with appropriate refreshments.

After college I learned to scuba dive and would go on regular boat diving trips to Monterey. The kelp forests and sea life supported by the kelp still stand out in my mind, as well as sea otters, seals, and fish. I also got a good understanding of how kelp could entangle a propeller.

In my early 30s, I was working at Hewlett Packard as a computer programmer, and they sponsored me to move to Australia. I continued to dive on various boats. Some of the most impressive diving was in Tasmania. It is cold water like California, however the amount of sea life was awesome. I saw foot-long sea horses, huge cuttlefish, giant crayfish, and incredible amounts of fish. My wife and I went diving in Cairns on a live-aboard boat on the Great Barrier Reef. Here we saw reef sharks, and pods of giant clams, which were large enough to fit inside.

We moved back to California when I was 36 and lived up in San Rafael on the north side of San Francisco Bay. I worked downtown so I got to ride on

the ferry boats every day to and from work. I really enjoyed this. The Golden Gate and Oakland Bay bridges are really beautiful and I never got tired of sailing past them. I got to experience the thick fog on the bay; the ferry would slow right down and play its prolonged sound signals as appropriate.

A year later we moved to San Diego. I joined the Convair Sailing Club (www.convair.org), which teaches you how to sail and has a small fleet of day sailing boats. They had monthly races so I signed up with one of the skippers and made a commitment to be his crew for the year. We made a good team, and won a few races (lost more than we won) but we always had a lot of fun.

One race was during some foul weather. My skipper, from England, decided that it was nothing compared to weather in England. So we put on life vests, reefed to a small main sail and entered as the only one in our class. We only had to finish the course to win.

We ended up nearly flipping over several times, which was surreal trying to pull myself up while the boat was healed over and water was coming over the gunwales. We finished with great joy, soaking wet and cold. When we got off the boat, the race committee informed us that we missed our last marker, so we were disqualified. The other crews had a good laugh, and bought us a beer, all was well.

My wife and I sailed every weekend on San Diego Harbor. This started to change the direction of my life toward yachting. There is nothing like putting up the sails and turning off the motors. The only noise is the wind and waves. We both got the “bug.” My wife bought me the book “The Cruising Life,” by Jim Trefethen. After reading it, we started to think that we might enjoy cruising some day as well.

I had been a programmer for about 20 years at this point and started getting bored. I was also starting to feel pain in my wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome. I knew I really needed to start planning another career.

See BEFORE, page B5

Morford

The sea horses were how big?

What better boat on which to cut your teeth as a skipper than one named Jaws. PHOTO/BRAD MORFORD

Answers to puzzles on page B19

Calm

Stormy

HOW I GOT MY START IN YACHTING The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B�

I decided to get my dive master certificate and that would be one way to get my foot in the door in a boating job. We also bought a 36-foot Islander sloop named Chivas Regal, which we lived on for six months before selling her and moving back to Australia.

Back in Perth now and in my 40s, I was still a programmer but nearing the end. My wife found a Coxswains course at the local college and we both took it. It was great. At the end, we had both become much more confident with the different systems on boats: engines, bilges, electrical, radio, refrigeration, navigation, stability, and seamanship.

Upon completing the course, I hung up my mouse and finished my last contract as a computer programmer. I contacted a local dive company, Dolphin Dive Fremantle (www.dolphindiveshop.com) and worked hard to get experience. After six months, the owner bought a second dive boat, Jaws, and I was her skipper (Coxswain) during the next year.

The experience was priceless. The sea can get confused quickly on the way to and from Rottnest Island. A sea breeze in Perth called the “Fremantle Doctor” comes in strong every afternoon and cools down the mainland. However, it brings with it 2- to 3-meter seas, which on a 12-meter vessel loaded with 18 passengers and dive gear needs to be planned and handled as safely as possible.

During this time, I also studied toward a Marine Engine Driver (grade 2) certificate, which I completed in February. I also volunteered at the Fremantle Volunteer Rescue

Organization at the radio tower once a week, which gave me a good understanding of emergencies, what information is important to get rescued and how to avoid some emergencies by doing thorough pre-start checks.

My wife and I then decided we were ready to come back to the USA, where I could continue my education and experience toward USCG and RYA certifications. We moved to Ft. Lauderdale at the end of March and I enrolled at Marine Professional Training to get my STCW certification.

I also enrolled in MPT’s Yachtmaster course, which has given me a RYA

Yachtmaster 200-ton license. I am using this to apply to the USCG for a Near Coastal Mate license.

While at MPT, I made several contacts which led me to my first yachting job as mate onboard the private luxury yacht Thunder under Capt. David Hare.

This experience, like each one before it, is set to be rewarding and scaled up another level onto finer and finer yachts.

How did you get your start in yachting? Send your story to lucy@the-triton.com. Who knows? You might inspire someone.

Coxswains course marked the end of a career with a mouseBEFORE, from page B4

CREW PROFILEB� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

By Carol M. Bareuther

The skipper of a sleek racing yacht is a glamorous position. It’s also one that demands 24/7 dedication, and skills that range from keen people management to hands-on engine and electrical repair.

This challenging dichotomy is what attracted UK sailors Andy Tourell and Bonnie Johnson to positions with ONDECK Sailing.

ONDECK Sailing, based in Ryde, Isle of Wight, has operated as a Royal Yachting Association-registered sailing school for more than a decade. The business was acquired in early 2004 and re-formed as the ONDECK Sailing Group under the directorship of Peter Anthony, founding director of Elan Computing.

In addition to the existing two sea school yachts, the group purchased new Beneteau 40.7s, two Dehler 39s and four Farr 65s. The Farrs were bought from Formula 1 Events, a race charter company that had gone into receivership. The Spirit of Diana, Minerva, Isis and Juno were built in 1999 to compete in the Millennium Round the World Yacht Race.

ONDECK’s business encompasses private and corporate charters, adventure sailing trips such as a Baltic Tour, Tall Ships Race, and Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, as well as participating in the Caribbean spring racing season and conducting day race charters for cruise ship and hotel visitors out of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

A sailing background, as well as a love of sailing that’s “in the blood” is key to earning a position on a racing yacht. Both Tourell and Johnson have these qualifications.

“I started sailing dinghies at age 6 or

7 in the Midlands, Nottingham,” Tourell said. “At age 15, I entered a Tall Ships race on a 42-foot yacht. After that, I attended the University of Plymouth and sailed on weekends and holidays with friends and family. My brother is a professional skipper who graduated from the UK Sailing Academy, and I crewed for him for awhile.”

After obtaining a master’s degree in oceanography, Tourell was offered a crew position with well-known British skipper Denise Caffari. Caffari has just sailed the Aviva Challenge, her attempt to become the first women to sail solo, non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds and currents – a feat she successfully completed this spring. Caffari was Tourell’s link to ONDECK

through a word-of-mouth reference.Johnson got her start sailing when

she was sent on a chance summer camp holiday in Chichester.

“I took every opportunity to get back sailing again after that summer,” Johnson said.

She too, attended the University of Plymouth, and sailed as part of the school’s yacht club.

“I studied oceanography and meteorology, but never had a clear idea of what I wanted. When I graduated, I found that I would have to get a master’s degree in order to get a good job, and that would have cost me what four years of college did. So, I ended up doing temp work that I hated. That’s why, on the advice of sailing friends, I

bought a one-way ticket to Antigua.”This proved a pivotal point in

Johnson’s life and career.“The second day, I saw the Farrs in

English Harbor. I talked to the people working on board and I ended up working unofficially as second mate. That meant that I didn’t get paid, that I did things like clean toilets and scrub out the bilge, but I did get to go sailing. Sometimes, you have to make your own luck. You need to strive, push yourself, work hard, make a good impression and get a good reputation. That’s how you advance.”

Today, both Tourell and Johnson are skippers with ONDECK and hold commercial yacht master’s licenses.

So now what does the job entail?“Sailing is the easy part,” Johnson

said. “It’s the people skills that are important. You can always learn to sail, but people management skills are key. For example, I once found myself in the middle of a trans-Atlantic with two gentleman twice my age fighting over a single candy bar.”

Her remedy? The confrontation-provoking candy bar got tossed overboard.

“After people skills, it’s boat maintenance,” Tourell said. “We’re totally responsible for our own yachts as opposed to a megayacht where an engineer might be part of the crew. For us, it may mean being an electrician one day, mechanic the next and plumber after that.

“I remember my first trans-Atlantic,” he said. “I found myself in the engine bay taking the cooling system apart. I sat there with the manual and finally got it back together again – and it worked. You can’t be scared. You need

See ONDECK, page B7

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The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B�CREW PROFILE

to be able to jump right in with both feet and solve the problem or learn how to. Calling for outside help means standing over that person so you can do it yourself next time.”

The best aspect of the job, Johnson said, “is getting paid to go sailing.” Tourell agreed.

“I do it for the love of it,” he said. “I’d get paid more if I worked in my degree, oceanography, but I love this so much more. Also, you get out of an experience

what you put into it, so it can really be quite exciting and a real learning experience.”

Aside from people management, another challenge “is that we can’t work in the same place all year,” Tourell said. “Since it gets cold at home, we have to go somewhere where it’s warm to sail and that means being away from home each year for about six months at a time. Eventually, you reach a date when you don’t want to do this anymore. I’m not there yet, but I can tell you that I just bought a house and I can’t wait to

decorate the bathroom.”Crew ready to move on can advance

to many positions, Tourell said. “In ONDECK, you can move from

being the skipper of one yacht to fleet manager,” he said. “That calls for more of the business side, things like organizing the calendar and regattas. Or, in the field of sailing, you can go into rigging or sail making with the experience gained with these yachts. There are all kinds of possibilities off the water.”

The salary range of a charter race skipper is $37,000 to $47,000 US, with a first mate making $30,000 to $33,000 US and an entry-level second mate $18,000 to $22,000 US.

“A lot of my friends are going freelance after four or five years of salaried skippering,” Tourell said. “You can do that once you build a good reputation and get paid up to $50,000 to $55,000 US a year or more.”

“The sailing industry is all word of mouth,” Johnson noted. “Just remember that a bad reputation travels farther and faster than a good one. It also takes years to build a good reputation and much less time that that to ruin it.”

Carol Bareuther is a freelance writer living in St. Thomas. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

Johnson

ONDECK, from page B6

It’s a good way to build a reputation

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It’s that time of the year again when we all do some sort of spring-summer cleaning in the walk-ins and freezers onboard prior to chartering or heading

out to sea. Throw out any food item older than six months and if it has ice crystals on it. If a food item has shriveled up or is lumped together in the bag, then you probably have food that has suffered time or temperature

abuse. If you go to the Bahamas, it is very prevalent.

Sanitation and serving safe food is

of extreme importance to chefs, crew cooks, stewardesses and stewards who find themselves preparing, serving and holding food for consumption. Sanitation focuses on the environment surrounding the food in order to prevent contamination, thus encompassing serving safe food.

This subject matter is mandatory for any chef in training as well as servers of food. I also expect it to be mandatory on yachts in the not-too-distant future since most yachts now require some sort of culinary education. I am all for it.

Food-borne pathogens are responsible for millions of people getting sick each year. With food being imported or bought into foreign ports all the time, the likeliness of detecting a pathogen that leads to illness is getting

harder to predict and control. Take, for example, E. coli.

What contributes second most to food-borne illnesses? People do, from poor sanitation habits such as washing hands. Did you know that 60 to 80 percent of people do not wash their hands after having used the restroom? That’s according to statistics from my “Serve Safe at the Plate” sanitation course every chef needs to maintain their certification. And 60 percent of the people serving food do not wash their hands. That’s food for thought. More on this later.

There are three types of food contamination:

1. Chemical, such as insecticides, soaps, cleaners

2. Physical, such as an acrylic nail in your soup (no fake nails chefs)

3. Biological, such as bacteria and pathogens

We will concentrate on No. 3, biological contamination, as it presents the most threat to us as yacht chefs. Generally the more acidic the food, the less favorable it is for bacterial growth. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral. Foods with a pH less than 4.6 such as citrus fruits and tomatoes do not support the growth of disease-producing bacteria. (Commercially prepared mayonnaise has a pH level of 4.6.)

Bacteria need time, temperature, oxygen and moisture to grow.

Time: Bacteria double every 15-30 minutes. Refrigerate it or cook it to a minimum acceptable level.

Temperature: Keep food out of the temperature danger zone (41-140 degrees F) as much as possible. Bacteria grow most quickly between 70 and 110 degrees. A temperature of 155 degrees is required to kill E.coli bacteria. (Did you know that you are more likely to get E. coli from sprouts rather than ground beef?)

Oxygen: Bacteria need this to live. Be sure to wrap foods in plastic wrap or in a zip-top bag to minimize exposure to oxygen.

Moisture: Bacteria need this to survive. Be sure to regularly wipe down the walk-in where moisture from condensation can accumulate. Unfortunately, being on a yacht, there will be some moisture in the air due to circumstances beyond our control, but minimize it where you can.

Receiving, storing food

When receiving food items, look for time/temperature abuse such as ice crystals or lumps. Use a bi-metallic stemmed thermometer to measure the temperature of all refrigerated or frozen food being received. There are now point-and-shoot infrared thermometers that make temperatures easy to read. If you ordered a frozen item and it arrives at 41 degrees or warmer, do not accept it. Always sanitize the thermometer after each use.

Always use a first-in/first-out approach to stacking food. Foods must be stored at least six inches off the freezer floor to allow air flow in and around the food. I had grates built inside my freezer onboard.

Freezers must maintain a temperature of 0 degrees. You don’t want to be hundreds of miles from your mechanic and have the system go down. I suggest keeping a log sheet handy to record the temperature at least once a day.

Refrigerators must maintain a temperature of 41 degrees or lower, just as long as the food items don’t freeze. Any raw product such as chicken must be kept on the bottom shelf or under ready-to-eat foods in a

See WAVES, page B9

Simple food safety mantra: When in doubt, throw it out

Culinary Waves

Mary Beth Lawton Johnson

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B�IN THE GALLEY

drip-proof container to prevent cross-contamination.

Preparing food

The third-leading cause of food-borne illness is cross contamination. This is spreading contamination from one food to another. How do you avoid it?

Always wash your hands carefully during food preparation, especially after handling raw proteins. Wash with soap and hot water.

Use different cutting boards for different types of products.

Clean and sanitize work surfaces and equipment carefully.

Store raw products below cooked products, and always in a drip-proof container.

When thawing food, never leave it on the counter. I remember years ago a cook was hoping to make an impression on the owner of a large yacht. I asked her what she was serving for dinner and she pointed to the sink. Chilean sea bass was covered up in a towel. This was at 7:30 in the morning. The most dangerous way to thaw foods is on the counter.

There are only four ways to thaw food safely.

1. Move to the refrigerator, on a bottom shelf in a drip-proof container.

2. As part of the cooking process, such as with frozen pizzas.

3. In the microwave. Foods must be cooked immediately without being held for later use.

4. Completely submerged under cold running water. Don’t forget to sanitize the sink before and after.

Suppose you have prepared a meat tray for lunch and the boss is not back from the beach. Refrigerate the deli meats until it’s time to eat. If any food is allowed to sit out for more than four hours at room temperature, throw it away. The levels of bacteria present are too great to take chances.

Cooking food

Hot foods must be held at 140 degrees when cooked and holding for service. Cold foods must be held below 41 degrees. Keep it hot or keep it cold, or don’t keep it. When food is reheated, it must be reheated quickly to 165 degrees. (Two hours max in the case of a large pot of soup, for example.)

After cooking, cool by dividing leftovers into containers and placing immediately in the refrigerator or an ice water bath. I have seen so-called “chefs” leave soup on the stove to cool over a period of hours. This is when bacteria begin to multiply at incredible rates.

As a general rule, the more you cool, reheat and cool a food product, the more time it spends in the danger zone. You are thereby potentially exposing

the food product to unacceptable levels of bacteria. Only use leftovers once; never repeat cooling and reheating leftovers.

Personal issues

Now back to the second-leading cause of food-borne illness: people.

Bacteria and viruses are carried on people’s hands. Here is a simple example of how the steward, chef and the guest or owner can contaminate each other in one seating: The steward picks up a guest’s glass by the rim and pours a refill. The guest drinks.

What just happened there? The

steward has just transferred the bacteria and any viruses from his hands to the guest’s glass, assuming he didn’t wash his hands prior to serving the guest. The guest, in effect, spit in the steward’s hand when he picked up the glass by the rim.

When the steward brings the glass back to the galley and hands it to the chef, the steward and guest have just contaminated the chef ’s hands. Most chefs do not use gloves to plate food, so the bacteria and germs from his or her hands are on the next plate of food. See the cycle repeat itself?

Never touch the rim of a glass after

it has been used.Always wash your hands with hot

water and soap for 20 seconds. Dry with a disposable towel.

Always wash your hands after using the restroom, handling raw foods, eating, washing dishes, clearing tables, and before putting on gloves. The list goes on.

People with cough, colds, runny noses and particularly diarrhea should not handle food. It doesn’t matter if there isn’t another chef onboard to fit the bill. Call the captain in or steward

WAVES, from page B8

See WAVES, page B11

Log your freezer temperature daily to get an early line on problems

B10 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton IN THE GALLEY: RECIPE

This is an unusual, not-often-heard-of dessert. It makes a nice centerpiece on a picnic table or can be served on a buffet in the morning for something different. You can even top stuffed Belgian waffles with these and serve the snow on the side. For a really different tongue-teaser, stuff strawberries with goat cheese, dredge in waffle batter and fry. Serves 10 10 very large strawberries leaving stems and greenery intact, washed and dried 1 package of Belgian waffle mix enough oil to submerge berries cinnamon and sugar mixed together 1. Heat oil until hot. Prepare waffle batter according to package. 2. Hold a strawberry by the green tip and dip in the batter. I try and round the batter off when dredging so every side at least gets a little coverage.

3. Plop the whole berry in the oil (the greens will be fried but still look nice.) Deep fry until the batter is slightly brown and done. 4. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. 5. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Maple Snow 1 cup maple syrup (NOTE: I use regular maple syrup you can buy

in the grocery store. I have used the pure form and it doesn’t whip any better than the cheapest brand.)

1. Place syrup in a mixer fitted with a whip. Whip for 20-30 minutes until it looks white and somewhat foamy. 2. Place in a nice container and serve with the fried strawberries.

Fried Strawberries with Cinnamon Sugar and Maple Snow

RECIPE/MARY BETH LAWTON JOHNSON PHOTO/RICHARD JOHNSON

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B11IN THE GALLEY: RECIPE

to get the meal out. Better to be safe than contaminate everyone. My employer was fantastic. She stepped in and cooked the meal when I could not. Honestly, think about a back-up plan if your chef gets sick, and be prepared for it to happen.

Stay safe on the high seas and serve safe food.

A little note: Flies carry bacteria on their legs and in their vomit, which they do immediately upon landing on food. After 10 minutes, they defecate on the food. They are carriers of salmonella and E. coli, to name a few. So this summer, keep foods covered.

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 1999. Visit her Web site at www.themegayachtchef.com or contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

WAVES, from page B10

Cover food to protect from flies, their viruses

Capt. John Wampler’s Better Than Bahamian Conch Salad

2 cups lime juice (from concentrate is OK)

1 tbls “Conchy Joes” hot sauce (or red Tabasco)

1 tbls green Tabasco1/4 cup sugar5 medium conch, half-inch

diced (lobster for substitute)1 medium onion, diced

course1 green bell pepper, diced1 red bell pepper, diced3 cucumbers sliced in eighths

and diced2 stalks celery, finely diced2 mangos, half-inch diced5 baby carrots, diced Combine lime juice, hot

sauces and sugar in a 1.2 gal (4.5 liter) Rubbermaid container

and mix well. Add all other ingredients and

mix well. Refrigerate for 3 hours and

serve chilled with Captain’s Wafers. Garnish with thinly sliced lime wheels and fresh cilantro.

A cold glass of Chateau St. Michelle, Gerwurztraminer completes this delicious dish. Serves 8.

PHOTO/CAPT. JOHN WAMPLER

Do you have a favorite recipe to share? Send it over to Editor Lucy Reed at lucy@the-triton.com.

B1� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton NUTRITION

What should you eat for lunch to stay mentally sharp during those lethargic afternoon hours? Why should you grab a handful of oatmeal cookies

at the end of a stressful day? The answers to these questions lie in a growing body of research that shows how certain foods can affect our brain’s chemistry and alter our moods.

A number of studies conducted

by Dr. Judith Wurtman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have proven that proteins can perk up the brain, while carbohydrates are calming. Food composition and brain chemistry are both very complex and only partially understood, but Wurtman’s findings highlight some basic guidelines that can help you manage your mood with food.

If you want to puzzle out a complex electrical system problem rather than nod off after lunch, then choose a protein-based meal. Protein foods contain an amino acid called tyrosine, which allows the manufacture of brain chemicals called dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals improve reaction time and mental acuity.

So, instead of a big plate of spaghetti or pizza, try baked chicken or fish and a salad to get a sharp-minded edge. Low fat cottage cheese, water-packed tuna, and lean luncheon meat are other high protein foods to base meals around for maximum thinking ability.

Serotonin is a brain chemical that improves your mood and makes you feel relaxed, calm and less focused. Carbohydrates, particularly those that stimulate insulin, increase serotonin by starting a chemical chain reaction that puts more of the amino acid tryptophan into your brain.

Sweet and starchy foods do this very well. Just think about how relaxed, even sleepy, you feel after a big pasta meal

and perhaps a slice of cake for dessert. You may wonder why healthier carbohydrates like an apple or banana won’t do the job of making us feel good the way a bag of cookies or chips might. This is due to fruit being mostly fructose, which doesn’t trigger a seratonin boost because it causes insulin to be released too slowly.

And, although vegetables are mostly carbohydrate, the carbohydrate isn’t concentrated enough. Plus, vegetables contain fiber, which slows digestion. So, this leaves us with starches and sweets.

But, starches and sweets are “bad” nutritionally, right? Wurtman contends that reasonable, small amounts can be worked into your diet, while helping you to manage your mood. For example, in one of her studies Wurtman gave subjects who were edgy a serving of half a bagel with jelly. In 30 minutes they became calm and relaxed. Other calming snacks included 10 pretzels, 1/2 cup nonfat frozen yogurt or five hard candies.

These basic rules aren’t always so simple. For example, why might you crave fats with sugars, such as chocolate and ice cream? Fats trigger endorphins, which are morphine-like substances that send pleasure signals throughout our bodies, particularly the mouth.

Chocolate gives us a physical and emotional lift, not only from sugar that prompts those serotonins, fat that makes endorphins and caffeine and theobromine, but also from another endorphin-boosting chemical called phenylethylamine, which is found in very few foods. The trick is that you only need to eat about 12 M&Ms, six Hershey’s kisses, or a snack-size candy bar to get the mood shift. Don’t give in to the whole bag; about 1.5 ounces will do.

So, get in touch with your moods and make food choices that will give you the desired effect.

Carol Bareuther is a registered dietitian and a regular contributor to The Triton. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

The food-mood connection

take It In

Carol Bareuther

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B13PHOTOGRAPHY

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Phone: 954.764.6192 Fax: 954.764.7259Caribbean Service Center: Rob Marine, St. Maarten

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Welcome aboard, photography enthusiasts. Last time, I began discussing the relationship between the aperture and shutter, why and how

we use both to control light and be creative.

It may have been confusing when I mentioned aperture openings or f/stops such as f/2 and f/22. Few pocket cameras reach those outer limits, and more

often have a range from f/2.8 to f/8. Here are a couple of brief notations to add to May’s discussion:l You can control aperture with the

creative zone/mode dial in Av (aperture priority) or M (manual) setting.l F-stops can range larger – f/2, f1.8

– and smaller – f/32, f/64 – and can be given in increments such as ½ stops.l There are other f-stop nuances

we can look at later. For now we will stay with the basics. The aperture (f-stop) controls light with each full stop opening from f/8 to f/5.6 to f/4 to f/2.8, doubling (2X) the amount of light entering the camera to expose the photograph. The reverse reduces light by ½. The higher the number (f/8 is higher than f/5.6), the smaller the aperture (opening), the more things – close to distant – remain in focus.

The second part of the equation in controlling the right amount of light to take a perfect picture is the shutter. Shown above is a photograph, taken with my pocket camera after sunset, of a friend speeding down the ICW. He wanted a nice shot to send to his family up north. Do you think they’ll like it?

The camera settings were f/8 and 1/15 (of a second). Keep these aperture and shutter speed settings in mind.

What is the shutter? In larger photographic formats, they can exist in lenses, but most often they are in the camera body in front of the capture media, that is the chip (formerly film).

Think of the shutter as a window

with curtains. The shutter’s speeds determine how long these curtains remain open to help expose the perfect photograph. Most pocket camera shutter speed settings show B, then 15, 8, 4, 2 and 1 second, onward to ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500. 1/1000 and 1/2000 of a second. Some cameras, like mine, have many incremental settings in between when in the Tv (shutter priority) or M (manual) creative zone/mode.

Those I have listed are the main full-stop settings. That means that 1/1000 of a second allows in twice the amount of light to reach the chip as does 1/2000. This goes all the way along, so 15 seconds, being approximately two times longer than 8 seconds allows twice the light to reach the chip. [“B” for bulb means as long as you press the shutter release (picture taking) button, the curtains stay open. We’ll discuss this another time.]

Why have shutter speeds? We can control the amount of light reaching the capture chip simply with the aperture. But the aperture can only control depth of field or what stays in focus from near to far (distance). The shutter on the other hand can control motion; the faster the shutter (1/125 being faster than 1/60 being faster than 1/30 of a second) the better able it is to stop, that is freeze movement.

Let’s get back to my friend’s boat photograph above. It shows movement, which is exciting, but doesn’t provide a very good depiction for showing the boat to his family. That was the only time of day I could get this photograph. Where did I go wrong?

I do have a solution to make it right, but it will have to wait for space in the next issue. I know, what a plank hanger to leave you on, but until next time … permission to come ashore.

James Schot has been a professional photographer for 27 years and owns Schot Designer Photography. Feel free to contact him at james@bestschot.com with photographic questions or queries for future columns.

By adjusting settings properly, photographers can avoid coming back with blurry, unreadable images. PHOTO/JAMES SCHOTT

Learn to control shutter speed, then you can control motion

Photo exPosé

James sChot

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B�1PERSONAL FINANCE / REVIEWS

For a generation, people in the United States have seen Social Security benefits as the foundation for their retirement. The Social Security

contributions deducted from their paychecks have, in fact, served as a government-enforced retirement savings plan.

But how many people in yachting have a consistent

salary? Between moving from boat to boat and getting paid by 1099 and then going to a W2 and back to a 1099, how much Social Security will you have?

The Social Security system is also under increasing strain. Better health care and longer life spans have resulted in an increasing number of people drawing Social Security benefits. And as the baby boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) approaches retirement, even greater demands will be placed on the system.

Statistics from the U.S. Social Security Administration report that in 1945, there were 41.9 active workers to support each person receiving Social Security benefits. In 2000, there were 3.4. It is projected that by 2030, there will be only 2.1 active workers to support each Social Security pensioner.

The combination of fewer working people behind the baby boomers and our average life span continuing to increase, the U.S government has made some benefit changes to the Social

Security system. Pensioners used to be able to receive full benefits after age 65. But in 2003, the age to qualify for full benefits began to increase. By 2027, the age to qualify for full benefits will have increased to 67.

This means Americans will probably have to wait longer to qualify for full Social Security benefits. And when they do qualify, they will be replacing a smaller percentage of their pre-retirement income.

Long-term retirement planning should recognize Social Security benefits as being a smaller part of income calculations for retirement. Indeed, some financial professionals suggest ignoring Social Security altogether when developing a retirement income plan.

Non U.S citizens should contact their home countries’ appropriate government agency to find out exactly what to expect when they retire, if anything. If you are expecting some type of assistance, confirm that now. Don’t wait until it is too late to make adjustments to your retirement plans.

Estimating your future Social Security benefits used to be a difficult task, but that is not true today. The Social Security Administration provides an estimate of future benefits to any taxpayer who requests it. To obtain an estimate, submit a copy of Form SSA-7004 to the Social Security Administration. You can also obtain a copy by calling 800-772-1213, or apply over the Internet at www.ssa.gov.

This form asks for a number of facts about yourself, including your previous year’s earnings, the age at which you plan to retire, and how much you

expect to earn until then.Based on this information and its

own records of your previous Social Security payments, the Social Security Administration will produce an 8-page report called a Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement. This document, which will arrive in four to six weeks, lists all the benefits you’re likely to receive upon retirement. Your report will contain an estimate of your monthly retirement check from Social Security, in today’s dollars, based on when you’re planning to retire.

It will also contain an estimate of the amount you would receive if you were to wait until full retirement age, (assuming you’re planning on retiring earlier), and an estimate of the larger benefit you would receive if you were to continue working until 70 years of age.

Finally, your report will contain a year-by-year statement of your earnings that were subject to Social Security withholding. You should carefully check these numbers against your records; occasionally the Social Security Administration will make mistakes. It’s best to resolve any discrepancies long before you need the retirement benefits.

Remember, a government-sponsored retirement fund is just one factor in putting together a financial plan. Like gathering data about a new port, you need all the facts to have a good trip.

A former captain, Mark A. Cline is a financial analyst and mortgage broker, and is a partner in Capital Marine Alliance in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at (954) 302-2372 or mark.cline@capitalmarinealliance.net.

May was a double release month for Brad Thor. “Blowback” was released in paperback and “Takedown” in hardcover. Both further the exploits

of character Scot Harvath, ex-Navy Seal on special assignment to the president.

Thor cleverly pulls current headlines into his plot lines. Tales of terrorism are peppered with sufficient fact to make the suspense

real and story credible.Compared with Tom Clancy and

Robert Ludlum, his series is in many ways a contemporary version of Ludlum’s Bourne character. Harvath moves across continents while the threatened “homeland” is often more back story than site of the action.

“Blowback” begins with the notion that a 2,000-year-old disease has been rejuvenated for use as a biological

weapon. As Harvath digs into the possibility that a bioterrorist threat exists, his sidekick is paleopathologist Jillian Alcott. She puts biological warfare into a historic context – one that covers 3,000 years. The existence of poison arrows, tainted trade goods and contaminated food and water are grim reminders that mankind has been willing to inflict cruel punishment for as long as oral history exists.

According to Alcott there is reason to believe a group labeled “Islamic scientists” has been focused on bioterrorism options. The tenet of the group is to combine modern science with centuries of Islamic mysticism.

Chasing seemingly unrelated clues, Harvath travels to a Swiss guesthouse. He and Alcott find the proprietress is the link between antiquities being auctioned in Paris and research being done by Islamic scientists. Have summer temperatures in Europe exposed a crevasse where part of Hannibal’s army has been buried for thousands of years? Were the fabled elephants only a minor part of the

strategy to conquer Rome?As Harvath and Alcott grow

increasingly certain the ancient illness has been recreated, new questions take the place of the original. How might the illness be selectively spread? Has the U.S. Muslim population been immunized or provided an antivenin? As the endgame becomes clear to Harvath, outbreaks have already been identified in the United States.

Thor ties loose ends together neatly. After the slow build to the Hannibal army discovery, the resolution of plots and subplots is a bit too quick. Readers who enjoyed the untangling of clues and the historic background will be disappointed at the bang-up ending. Clancy readers, however, will feel right at home in the hi-tech cockpit.

Thor’s next book, “Takedown”, brings Harvath to Manhattan to battle another terrorist threat.

Donna Mergenhagen owns Well Read, a used book store on Southeast 17th Street in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact her at 954-467-8878.

Will Social Security retire before I do?

Hannibal and the weapons of mass destruction

Well Read

Donna Mergenhagen

YachtIng caPItal

Mark a. Cline

B�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton IN THE STARS

By Jack Horkheimer

Starting May 28, you can watch the Moon as it pays a visit to three sometimes hard-to-find planets.

On the 28th, just before it gets dark, face northwest where you’ll see an exquisite tiny sliver of a crescent Moon parked right above the first planet out from the sun, tiny 3,000-mile-wide Mercury. You’ll need a clear, cloudless horizon to see it but it’ll be bright. Look for it before it gets dark because by the time it gets dark, Mercury will have set.

The Moon will be exquisite because in addition to its bright slender crescent you’ll see a black full Moon nestled inside it, which is called earthshine. This is really nothing more than sunlight bouncing off our Earth onto the Moon’s darkened portion and back again. If you use a pair of binoculars or a telescope, the earthshine part of the Moon is so dark you won’t be able to see one single feature.

On May 29, the Moon will be directly between Mercury and the next planet it is about to visit, a tiny reddish light that was super bright only a few months ago but which is now more than 150 million miles farther away: 4,000-mile-wide Mars. It will be hard to believe when you see it now that it was actually one of the brightest objects in the heavens last year.

If that’s not enough, the next night, the last night of May, an even fatter Moon will be parked directly above the wonderful ringed planet, 75,000-mile-wide Saturn, whose ring system is actually two times the width of 88,000-mile-wide Jupiter.

If you have a small telescope, neither Mercury nor Mars are going to show much detail, but if you look at Saturn through even the cheapest telescope it will simply knock your socks off. Plus you’ll be able to see its largest moon, Titan, which is 1,200 miles bigger than our own 2,000-mile-wide Moon.

For the extremely curious and want to know what those two bright star-like objects are just off to the right of Mars, they are Pollux and Castor, the two brightest stars of Gemini.

So there you have it. On Sunday night, the Moon visits Mercury, which will be 116 million miles away. On Monday it’s between Mercury and Mars. And on Tuesday it’s parked right next to Mars, which will be only 200 million miles away. Then on Wednesday, it’ll be right above Saturn, which is 900 million miles away.

Mars-Saturn summit

For the first two weeks of June, you’ll be able to watch the red planet Mars and the ringed planet Saturn slowly

approach each other in anticipation of a super-close meeting on June 17. And all the while, the planet closest to the Sun, Mercury, will become more prominent each night in preparation for its best summer showing June 20.

On June 1, face west at dusk before it is completely dark out. If you have a clear flat horizon, you’ll see planet No. 1, 3,000-mile-wide Mercury, extremely close to the horizon.

If you draw an imaginary line from Mercury up to its left, it will pass through two planets, planet No. 4, 4,000-mile-wide Mars, and planet No. 6, 75,000-mile-wide Saturn. If you have a pair of binoculars and wait until it’s completely dark out, you’ll notice that just above Saturn is the famous cluster of stars called The Beehive. And you’ll be able to watch Saturn and Mars change their positions in relation to it night after night.

On June 1, Mars and Saturn are only 8 degrees apart. A full Moon is 1/2 a degree wide, which means we could line up 16 full Moons end to end between Mars and Saturn on June 1. Mars and Saturn will move a little bit closer every night. On June 4, they’ll be 6 and 3/4 degrees apart or roughly 12 and 1/2 full Moons. On June 8, they’ll be a little less than 5 degrees or 10 full Moons apart. On June 11, a dramatic change; they’ll be little more than 3 degrees or 6 full Moons apart.

By June 13, they’ll be slightly more than 1 degree or 2 full Moons apart and June 14, about 1-1/2 full Moons apart. Then, on June 15, they will be at their absolute closest, barely more than half a degree apart which means less than one full Moon could fit between them.

If you’ve been paying attention, you will have noticed that Mercury has been rising steadily higher night after night getting ready for its highest point on June 20.

If you’ve got binoculars, take a look on June 13 at The Beehive and you’ll notice that Mars and Saturn are on either side of it. On the 14th, Mars will be approaching it. But on the 15th Mars will be smack dab in front of it or embedded in it, as we say.

On the 16th, it will have drifted just past The Beehive, and on Saturday when Mars and Saturn are at their absolute closest The Beehive stands by itself once again. What a difference from June 1-17.

Jack Horkheimer is executive director of the Miami Museum of Science. This is the script for his weekly television show co-produced by the museum and WPBT Channel 2 in Miami. It is seen on public television stations around the world. For more information about stars, visit www.jackstargazer.com.

The moon will be busy onMemorial Day weekend

HOROSCOPESB�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Strategic alliances work in your favor because there is a dragon to slay now. It’s wise to seek a graceful path to your goals; think

‘Tao’ or the way of a martial artist. Circumstances define your worthy challenge by the 11th, and a well-executed rebound saves the day on the 16th. You must be direct but not overbearing. If handled well, you enter a new era

of respect and power in a challenging relationship.

CANCER (June 21-July 21) Clean up any lingering loose ends because the New Moon of the 25th has your name on it. Both Sun and Moon in Cancer, that’s good cause for a feast. This month just keep two words in mind: Let Go. Easier said than done. Take notes on the 12th when a flash of brilliance comes your way; the universe is offering up valuable insights that will benefit you in the months ahead.

LEO (July 22-Aug. 22) Mars enters Leo on the 3rd, which is good for you provided you don’t burn the candle at both ends. Go for a slow but steady burn, and you will accomplish more. Put finishing touches on a project by the 18th; that last piece may seem unbearable, but a little discipline pays off big. Avoid arguments on the 28th; you are feisty and anxious to make your

point, but it’s a no-win situation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Make pen and paper your constant companion this month because you are brilliant now. Just listen to your inner voice and write it down. Your intuition is sharp, and the messages are clear. Aside from that, take it easy. Don’t push too hard; find a mellow back breeze. You feel adventurous at the time of Full Moon on the 10th and 11th, but proceed with an exit strategy in place.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 21) The financial picture looks rosy, Libra. Share the feast with those less fortunate. Plan a mid-week evening out on the 15th; it’s a perfect night for wine and good conversation. Don’t fall in love unless you’re already there, but keep talking; one never knows where things will end up, and you look great by candlelight.

SCORPIO (Oct. 22-Nov. 21) Think about last month, Scorpio; what happened around the time of the Wesak Full Moon of May 12? You will consolidate ideas that were presented then. Proceed with your forces intact. Do not allow yourself to be held hostage by any last-minute nagging self doubt on the 18th; that’s not where your strength lies. It’s time to value yourself through more than your net worth, although finances are a big part of the picture. Re-read the tale of Sodom and Gomorrah; don’t look back.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 20) You will meet a VIP this month, Sag; someone with your best interests at heart. This person has been brought by the powers that be. Call it a karmic meeting, or a lucky twist of fate. Whatever, it’s good. You might as well step up to the plate and get ready to play in a bigger league. Make some time for reflection on the 25th; writing your new possibilities is a first step to manifesting them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 21-Jan. 19) Doubts come calling on the 4th, dressed up like a mate but wearing a uniform. Don’t make any decisions just yet. There is more information needed; you simply do not have all the facts yet. Stop, look and listen. Then make your decision by the 21st. Summer Solstice is the longest celebration day of the year, and so will be your commitment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 17) Expect to feel the effects of your planetary

See HOROSCOPES, page B25

Geminis need to focus on strategy and grace

Looking Up

Maya white

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B��HOROSCOPES

1-800-242-3344Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA

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ruler Uranus on the 19th as he stands still and then turns into backward motion in your sector of finances and self worth. Something needs another look, perhaps an ongoing project or goal. Are you thinking too large, or not big enough? Either way, mid to late month will not go as planned. Don’t get caught in the bilge of delays or miscommunications.

PISCES (Feb. 18-March 19) This will be a very busy month, but you don’t have to do a thing. Practice being the detached observer now. Just wait to let things happen, and they will. If you can take an early summer break, plan it for mid month. Note these days on: 12th, 15th, 17th, 18th and 19th. This will be one June to remember. It’s not bad at all, but very interesting. Grab a cool one and stand by.

ARIES (March 20-April 19) Been feeling dreary lately, Aries? Mars entering Leo on the 3rd is reason enough for any ram to celebrate. Enough of sentimentality; and no, you

are not everybody’s caretaker. That job description belongs to the first mate. You have focus and drive this month, a good combination. Pay attention around the 18th; what at first appear as a setback just requires reworking. With an adjustment, you have much to gain.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Venus in Taurus graces you with her lusciousness until the 23rd. Look sharp on the 7th; you just may want to impress someone besides the captain. It’s a good month, except for those nagging details that keep popping up. The vessel needs extra work, and a crew member begs for attention. As much as you would like them to, these are not going away; best to be proactive.

Maya White is a professional astrologer living in South Florida. With 25 years experience, she is one of only 86 people in the world certified in Astro-Carto-Graphy, a specialized branch of astrology that addresses issues relating to location and travel. Contact her at 954-920-2373 or through www.whitestarasrtology.com.

HOROSCOPES, from page B24

Pisces in for busy month;success looming for Aries

CALENDARB�� June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton

A1A Chem Dry A13Alexseal Marina A19Antibes Yachtwear B12Argonautica Yacht Interiors A29ARW Maritime B22Ashley Marina B2Automated Marine Systems A13Bahia Mar Yachting Center A14The Beard Marine Group B4Bellingham Marine A12Bennett Brothers Yachts B24Boat Blinds International B25 The Boathouse A12 BOW Worldwide Yacht Supply A44Bradford: The Shipyard Group A11Bravo Delta Engineering B24Broward Marine B11Brownie’s Yachtdiver A24Buccaneer Beach Bar A41Budget Marine B13Business cards B14-18C&N Yacht Refinishing A2Camper & Nicholsons International A17Cape Ann Towing A25Claire’s Marine Outfitters A39Constitution Marina B6Crewfinders A24Deep Sea Adventures A33D.N. Kelley & Sons Shipyard B5Dockwise Yacht Transport A37,B28Dunn Marine B7Ecoland Expeditions A17Edd Helms Marine A26Elite Crew International A27Emerald Bay A4Finish Masters B12Global Marine Travel A5Global Satellite A19Global WiFi A8Global Yacht Fuel A34Inlet Fine Wine & Spirits B9Island Marine Electric B22Kemplon Marine A28Larry Smith Worldwide A34Lauderdale Propeller B10Lauderdale Speedometer A16Lifeline Inflatable Services A34Mackay Communications B25Mail Boxes Etc. A8Mango Marine B8Maritime Professional Training B23Marshall Islands Yacht Registry A20Matthew’s Marine A27Megafend A22-23

MHG Marine Benefits A10More Marketplace A41The Mrs. G Team B27Multihulls A33National Design & Print B21Nauti Tech A40Newport Shipyard A15Newport Yachting Center B7North Cove Marina A18Northrop & Johnson A29Ocean World Marina A3Oregon Camera Systems B20Orion Yacht Solutions A17Perry Law Firm A18Petit Paint/KopCoat A21Pier 17 B12Premier Marine Services B8Professional Tank Cleaning B11Quiksigns A38Rich Beers Marine B13River Supply River Services B10Rossmare International Bunkering A16RPM Diesel Engine Co. A20Sailorman A2Schot Designer Photography B16Secure Chain & Rope Company A28Shadow Marine A9Smart Move A35SRI Specialty Risk International A33St. Augustine Marine B7St. Lawrence Gallery A41SunPro Marine A35Sunshine Medical Center B27Todd Michaels Floral Company B27TowBoatUS A41Turtle Cove Marina A8Village East B3Virgin Islands Charteryacht League A16Wesmar A11Westrec Marinas A42Wet Effect B4Windjammer A25Yacht Entertainment Systems A33Yachting Pages A38We Go Shop.com A13

ADVERTISER DIRECTORYCompany Page Company Page

May 28-June 11 The French Open, Paris. One of the six grand slam tennis tournaments with more than 6 million euro in prize money. Played on clay. www.fft.fr/rolandgarros/fr/

June 3 25th annual Great Chowder Cook-off, Newport Yachting Center, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $20 ($15 in advance), 401-846-1600, www.newportfestivals.com

June 3 5th annual Women’s Sailing Conference, sponsored by BoatU.S. and organized by the National Women’s Sailing Association, Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead, Mass. $110 for NWSA members, $145 non-members, plus $15 late fee. www.BoatUS.com/women and click on Training/Seminars, 866-631-6972.

June 4 SunTrust Sunday Jazz Brunch (first Sunday of every month) at Riverwalk from 11 to 2, Ft. Lauderdale. Free. www.fortlauderdale.gov

June 10 18th annual Reef Sweep and Beach Cleanup, Ft. Lauderdale, 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a BBQ party. Organized by Ocean Watch Foundation, 954-467-1366, www.

oceanwatch.org/reefsweep05.htm

June 10 Sixth Annual Santa Barbara Caribbean Festival, Santa Barbara, Calif., 11 a.m.-7 p.m., free. Live music, Caribbean food. http://caribbean.santabarbara.com, +1-805-696-6789.

June 12-24 JVC Jazz Festival-New York featuring 300 artists in 100 concerts in 30 venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn. 212-501-1390/1393, www.festivalproductions.net.

June 13-19 The U.S. Open, Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, NY. One of golf ’s majors tournaments. www.pga.com.

June 14-18 Bahamas Summer Boating Fling to Bimini. www.bahamas.com, (242)347-3166.

June 16 100th running of the Newport to Bermuda Race, www.bermudarace.com

June 16-July 21 Starlight Musicals, Ft. Lauderdale, Holiday Park at U.S. 1 and

See CALENDAR, page B27

June 21-25ShowBoats International RendezvousMonaco

This is the 17th annual Monaco Rendezvous. Events include the ShowBoats Awards and the Bal de la Mer Gala dinner and fundraiser at the Hotel de Paris. The gala raises money and awareness to protect and preserve the world’s oceans. Proceeds benefit two organizations: the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean and The International SeaKeepers Society. SeaKeepers is an organization of yacht owners who equip their vessels and other platforms with ocean and weather monitors to gather data on pollution and climate change.

The four-day event is by invitation only. For more info, visit www.showboats.com or call + 1-954-627-9969.

Triton Travel Tip: Only visit Monaco whenever you can. PHOTO/DAVID REED

EVENT OF MONTH

The French Open is magnifique

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 B��CALENDAR

Sunrise Boulevard. Every Friday, 7-10 p.m., free. Music styles vary. www.fortlauderdale.gov

June 20-23 24th annual Spring Charter Yacht Show, Newport Shipyard, Newport, RI. www.newportshipyard.com

June 21-25 Bahamas Summer Boating Fling to Port Lucaya Marina. www.bahamas.com, (242)373-9090

June 22-July 3 Ninth annual Sunset Music Festival, Newport Yachting Center. Line up includes Bruce Hornsby, Judy Collins and Peter Frampton. 401-846-1600, www.newportfestivals.com

June 26-July 9 Wimbledon, London. One of the six grand slam tennis tournaments with more than 5.8 million pounds in prize money. www.wimbledon.org.

June 29-July 2 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Seaside Heights, N.J. This is the seventh tournament of the 2006 series featuring more than 150 of the top athletes in this sport. The local qualifier is on Friday (free), the

main draw competition is on Saturday ($15), with men and women’s finals on Sunday ($15). www.avp.com

July 3-7 West Marine Pacific Cup race. www.pacificcup.org

July 5-14 Bahamas Summer Boating Fling (Extended Fling) to Bimini/Chub Cay/Nassau/Andros. www.bahamas.com, (954)236-9292 or (800) 327-7678.

July 7-9 Second annual Dusk To Dawn Swordfish Tournament and Charity Auction to benefit A Child Is Missing, featuring artist Guy Harvey. Entry fee of $600 per boat includes all food and drink tickets for parties, tournament bag and shirt for each angler, plus cash prizes for the top three places for heaviest catches. A Child Is Missing assists law enforcement agencies in the

search and early recovery of missing children and the elderly. +1-954-763-1288, kayteem@achildismissing.org, www.achildismissing.org

July 16-18 Family Fish Off at Old Bahama Bay, West End, Grand Bahama Island, to benefit the West End School on Grand Bahama Island that was damaged in Hurricane Wilma. Entry $295 for adults, $195 for anglers 13-17, $50 for anglers 6-12, $180 social registration only. Entrants before June 16 receive a 15 percent discount on dockage and hotel accommodation. www.oldbahamabay.com, +1-954-524-3007

July 19-21 6th annual MAATS (Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show), Las Vegas Hilton & Convention Center. www.nmma.org/maats

July 21-23 Newport Bucket, Newport Shipyard, Rhode Island, www.newportshipyard.com

Sept. 13-18 29th annual Cannes International Boat Show, France, at the Port de Cannes. www.salonnautiquecannes.com

Sept. 13-17 6th annual YachtFest, San Diego, the U.S. West Coast’s largest yacht show, on Shelter Island Marina. www.yachtfest.com

Sept. 14-17 36th annual Newport International Boat Show, Newport Yachting Center, 401-846-1115, www.newportboatshow.com

Sept. 20-23 16th annual Monaco Yacht Show, Port Hercules. www.monacoyachtshow.org

CALENDAR, from page B26

Want sports on the other side of the Atlantic? Beach volleyball

GettingUnderWayT E C H N I C A L N E W S F O R C A P TA I N S & C R E W S

GettingUnderWayT E C H N I C A L N E W S F O R C A P TA I N S & C R E W S

Pages A32-38 June 2006www.the-triton.com

By Bransom “Rocky” Bean

“We thought we were pretty good at what we do,” said Jim Larsen. “After all, when it comes to quality, surely no one could be more fanatical than Harley Davidson.”

Larsen is president of Stainless Graphics (www.stainlessgraphics.com), a company founded in 1991 and now employing eight people. The company entered the marine business in 2003 once it realized that there was a marine application for what they were doing for Harley. Now, 80 percent of its revenue comes from the marine sector. And recently they’ve begun targeting, quite successfully, megayachts.

What does a Harley hog have in common with a superyacht? Well, certainly not cost, comfort and scale. But if you answered style and image – dare we say, curb appeal - then you’d be closer to the mark.

However, as Larsen soon discovered, “perfect” for Harley is not perfect for superyachts.

“We knew when we first got into the marine business that quality standards would be high,” he said. “It didn’t take long for us to realize that in superyachts, they’re not just high, they’re perfect.”

Quite simply, Stainless Graphics cuts, machines, bends, drills and welds high-grade 316L stainless steel – actually any material – to almost any shape and then by polishing it to a mirror finish creates a gleaming custom fitting.

“Somehow, well-polished stainless steel implies quality, more than chrome,” Larsen said. “And it

See STAINLESS, page A33

Larsen

Stainless Graphics: Marine industryabout perfection

You don’t hear this very often.The captain of a 200-foot megayacht who asked

to remain unnamed was speaking to The Triton about some good news. He took his yacht to Bradford Grand Bahama for a “quick” in and out before heading to the Med.

(Actually, the captain reluctantly confessed that the back pressure on the main engines was too high so the haul out was to try something that might help. He knew the procedure couldn’t hurt, and it might help, so he agreed to try it.)

Once on the blocks in the lift, the yacht was fully

See EXHAUST, page A36

Amazing true story ofquick trip to the yard

By Capt. David Hare

During my tenure as chief engineer on the 156-foot Trinity M/Y Themis, we were hit with a lightning strike in Charleston, S.C. The bolt of electricity traveled down the dock and up one leg on Themis’ shore-power cord. Light bulbs blew out in the interior, including one over the owner’s head while he was seated at his desk in the salon.

Our frequency converter built and installed by Atlas Marine Systems took a direct hit.

I immediately got on the phone with Mike Prado, director of sales at Atlas. He directed me to his tech guru John Dale at the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Dallas.

Dale talked me through removing the inverter, which I

overnighted to Dallas. Within 48 hours of the lightning strike, the repaired inverter was hand-delivered to the boat in Charleston

by Moses Dorta, Atlas’ in-house service tech. Themis was off generator power and back to shore power in two days.

After an experience like that, it’s no

wonder that whenever anyone asks me about Atlas, I have only good things to say.

One of the most important items on a chief engineer’s plate is to provide his ship with constant, clean, pure sine wave electrical power. The source of power that runs the ship must be constant,

no matter how undeveloped or developed the marina may be.

With the large fluctuations in voltage, current and frequency that travel down a dock it becomes of paramount importance for a ship to have a device to purify and make the incoming power to the ship’s electrical buses constant. That way the ship’s systems will run without interruption, computers will not shut down, motors will run for their expected life cycle vs. experiencing premature failure, freezer compressors will run effectively and, most importantly, chefs will not lose their timer in the middle of dinner.

In the early 1990s, generators ran 24/7 on large yachts. No one knew what a frequency converter was. The cost of running generators

Engineering Manager Tom Sullivan, Office Manager Shawna Prado, Director of Sales Mike Prado, and Electrical Engineer Jose Antunes celebrate 10 years of business at Atlas. Service technician Moses Dorta (below) is usually on the road, servicing customers. PHOTO/LUCY REED

Home and Garden TV (HGTV) is replaying its “Extreme Yachts” episode, which features several megayacht companies including Atlas Marine Systems, on June 16 at 9 p.m.

and June 17 at 1 a.m., Eastern Standard Time.

Atlas Marine Systems

See ATLAS, page A36

Dorta

Meet the power brokers

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A33FROM THE TECH FRONT

Prices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 litres) as of May 15, 2005.

Region Duty-free*/dutypaidU.S.EastCoast

Ft.Lauderdale 451/483Savannah,Ga. 460/NANewport,R.I. 506/NA

CaribbeanSt.Thomas,USVI 575/NATrinidad 502/NAAntigua 585/NA

NorthAtlanticBermuda(IrelandIsland) 556/NABermuda(St.George’s) 588/NACapeVerde 490/NAAzores 554/NACanaryIslands 485/NA

MediterraneanGibraltar 449/NABarcelona,Spain 503/1,100PalmadeMallorca,Spain NA/1,048Antibes,France 480/1,241SanRemo,Italy 602/1,267Naples,Italy 593/1,273Venice,Italy 587/1,281Corfu,Greece 531/1,007Piraeus,Greece 516/1,007Istanbul,Turkey 446/NAMalta 506/NATunis,Tunisia 465/NA

OceaniaAuckland,NewZealand 453/NASydney,Australia 449/NAFiji 550/NA

*When available according to customs.

Today’s fuel pricesPrices for low-sulfur gasoil expressed in US$ per cubic meter (1,000 liters) as of May 18.

Region Duty-free*/dutypaidU.S.EastCoast

Ft.Lauderdale 633/694Savannah,Ga. 602/NANewport,R.I. 631/NA

CaribbeanSt.Thomas,USVI 770/NASt.Maarten 720/NAAntigua 680/NA

NorthAtlanticBermuda(IrelandIsland) NA/NABermuda(St.George’s) 810/NACapeVerde 601/NAAzores 635/NACanaryIslands 589/721

MediterraneanGibraltar 603/NABarcelona,Spain 639/1,271PalmadeMallorca,Spain NA/1,204Antibes,France 653/1,427SanRemo,Italy 760/1,548Naples,Italy 774/1,587Venice,Italy 742/1,560Corfu,Greece 775/1,305Piraeus,Greece 749/1,274Istanbul,Turkey 606/NAMalta 588/NATunis,Tunisia 597/NA

OceaniaAuckland,NewZealand 679/NASydney,Australia 690/NAFiji 732/NA

*When available according to customs.

One year ago

Group and Individual annual coverage as well as Short Term Medical Coverage.Worldwide protection 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.Coverage while serving onboard and while signed off.Utilized by Captains, Crew, Luxury Yacht Owners, Management Companies and Marine Insurance Providers.Contact us to find an Agent in your part of the world.Agent / Broker inquiries welcome.

ContactSpecialty Risk International, Inc.George BuskirkDirector of Marine Divisiongbuskirk@specialtyrisk.com317-575-2652 ext. 3377www.specialtyrisk.com

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doesn’t rust.”The company has three Mitsubishi

lasers that cut steel up to ¾-inch thick, water cutters for thicker stock and AutoCAD 2006 software.

Originally its products were name plates for larger boats and logos for boat manufacturers. It turns out that simply painting a vessel’s name apparently has become very downmarket – except in ocean racers of course. Eventually the company began producing bigger items such as back plates to protect the hull from the anchor below the hawse pipe.

“Often the first thing you notice is a vessel’s name so we realized that the name on a superyacht should be like a fine diamond on a beautiful woman,” Larsen said.

So Stainless creates works of art that just happen to be the vessel’s name. They can be backlit or bonded with the company’s proprietary adhesive.

“Like many good marketing opportunities, the superyacht business actually came to us,” Larsen said. “The 110-foot schooner Argo was finishing

her build in Bangkok. I guess the builder’s idea of perfect didn’t match the owner’s so they called us.”

Anyone in the superyacht business knows that timing is everything and price is, well, nothing actually.

“From that first job we learned about the superyacht standard and how it also applies to service,” Larsen said. “I was on my hands and knees myself packing the FedEx container to make sure it didn’t get scratched.”

So now Stainless Graphics is in the superyacht business, shipping to vessels all over the world from its hardly cosmopolitan base in Green Bay, Wisc. There’s no catalog.

“Give us a drawing and we can do it,” Larsen said. “All we need is the font and the critical

dimension by e-mail or post; we return a drawing with a budget the next day.”

Larsen, 52, is a contented man. “After 25 years I was pretty bored

in industrial controls, then I found this,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade the relationships I’ve made in this business. I can’t wait to get up and go to work.”

Contact Bransom “Rocky” Bean at bbean@the-triton.com.

Vessel’s name has to look just rightSTAINLESS, from page A32

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM LARSEN

A34 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton BOATYARD LIST: U.S. ATLANTIC COAST

SERVICE • ENGINEERING • SALESNAVIGATION • COMMUNICATIONS • SYSTEM MONITORING

SPECIALIZING IN MARINE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS

PALM BEACHESPH: 561-844-3592FAX: 561-844-1608

FT. LAUDERDALE & BAHAMASPH: 954-463-6292FAX: 954-463-6311

EUROPEPH: +39-0584-426-140FAX: +39-0584-945-166

IN-HOUSE ENGINEERING DEPT.TO DESIGN YOUR SYSTEM

40+ SERVICE STAFF – GMDSS,SOLAS, MCA, IMO AND CRESTRONCERTIFICATIONS; FACTORY-TRAINED ON ALL MAJOR BRANDS

http://www.marine-electronics.com http://www.vei-systems.com

Using VEI monitors ...Lazzara 80 FlybridgeBenetti Domani

As yachts get under way for points north, here is a list of shipyards along America’s East Coast that welcome megayachts for service and dockage. Feel free to stop in, introduce yourself, and tell them you saw them in The Triton.

St. Augustine Marine404 South Riberia St.St. Augustine, FL 32084904-824-4394Contact: Shawn Griffinstaugmar@bellsouth.netwww.

staugustinemarine.comAmenities include a 110-

ton Travelift and a marine railway

Atlantic Marine & Dry Dock Corp.

8500 Heckscher DriveJacksonville, FL 32226904-251-3111Contact: Kevin Wilsonjaxsales@atlanticmarine.

comwww.atlanticmarine.

comAmenities include a

floating dry dock and marine railway

Thunderbolt Marine3124 River DriveThunderbolt, GA 31404912-629-1358Contact: Page L. Hansonphanson@

thunderboltmarine.uswww.

thunderboltmarine.us

Amenities include a 160-ton Travelift and a 1150-ton syncrolift

Global Ship Systems301 N. Lathrop Ave.Savannah, GA 31415912-443-0790Contact: Robert S.

Creech IIIwww.globalshipsystems.

comAmenities include a

graving dock and marine railway

Bennett Brother Yachts1701 JEL Wade DriveCape Fear MarinaWilmington, NC 28401910-772-9529Contact: Paul W. Bennett www.bbyachts.comAmenities include a 70-

ton Travelift

Ocean Marine Yacht Center

1 Crawford CourtPortsmouth, VA 23704757-399-2920Contact: Jim Bentowww.oceanmarinellc.

comAmenities include a

1,250-ton Syncrolift and an 80-ton Travelift

Derecktor New York311 E. Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 914-698-5020Contact: Patty Lengel,

954-615-8759www.derecktor.com

Amenities include a 110-ton swivel lift crane

Derecktor Connecticut837 Seaview Ave.Bridgeport, CT 06607203-336-0108Contact: Patty Lengel,

954-615-8759www.derecktor.comAmenities include a 600-

ton Travelift

Hinckley Yacht ServicesOne Little Harbor

LandingPortsmouth, RI 02871401-683-7100yachtservicesRI@

hinckleyyachts.comwww.hinckleyyachts.

comAmenities include a 160-

ton Travelift

Newport Shipyard1 Washington St.Newport, RI 02840401-846-6002Contact: Eli Danawww.newportshipyard.

comAmenities include a 330-

ton Travelift

D.N. Kelley & Son32 Water St.Fairhaven, MA 02719508-999-6266Contact: Andrew Kelleyandrew@dnkelley.comwww.dnkelley.comAmenities include a 150-

ton Travelift and marine railways

Wayfarer Marine59 Sea St.Camden, ME 04843207-236-4378Contact: Amy Armstrongwww.wayfarermarine.

com; info@wayfarermarine.com

Amenities include a 110-ton Travelift

Boothbay Region Boatyard

100 Ebenecook RoadSouthport, ME 04576207-633-2970Contact: Mitch Garrywww.brby.comAmenities include a 55-

ton Travelift

Lunenburg Foundry and Shipyard

53 Falkland St., Box 1240Lunenburg, Nova ScotiaCanada B0J 2C0902-640-3333Contact: Tim Clahanewww.lunenburgfoundry.

com; t.clahane@lunenburgfoundry.com

Amenities include railway up to 200 feet

East Isle Shipyard 115 Water St.Georgetown, PECanada C0A 1L0Contact: Jones Irving902-652-2275www.irvingshipbuilding.

com; marketing@irvingshipbuilding.com

Amenities include a 680-ton marine railway

U.S. East Coast has megayacht yards aplenty

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A35PRODUCT REVIEW

By Capt. David Hare

When working out the parameters of running a floating, five-star hotel, the first item that comes to mind from the moment I enter the air-conditioned inner sanctum is the quality of the air.

Our olfactory sense is easily enticed by a fine fragrance. However, that same finely tuned nostril can be easily disappointed by the odor on board a yacht that has infrequent disinfection of her air handlers.

Noxious odors are given off when a mold colony is growing as the distinctive odors are a by-product of its metabolism. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) all molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold.

A 2004 University of Connecticut Health Center report states that if exposed to elevated levels of indoor mold, many people can experience one or more of the most common mold health symptoms: allergies, asthma, breathing difficulties, central nervous system problems, recurring colds, chronic coughing, skin rashes, vision problems, chronic fatigue or a general malaise.

A number of commonly found mold species are, in fact, toxic mold, a description applied to any mold that produces mycotoxins in its spores. These mycotoxins have the capacity to pass through the human cellular wall and disrupt certain cellular processes – potentially causing serious health damages to yacht people.

The cleanliness of the air conditioning systems in our yachts plays a crucial role in our lives. Almost all of the yachts that we work and live on are fully air-conditioned and positively pressurized. Because of their unique design, air conditioning units on yachts are frequently placed in locations that make it excruciatingly difficult to access and service the fan coil units, drip trays and filters.

Along with needing the flexibility of a yoga guru to service a lot of these air handlers, one has to have the product available that will effectively neutralize the mold and/or fungus growth.

My epiphany occurred when I was introduced to an organic product called tea tree oil that will kill mold, bacteria and fungus in air conditioning systems.

Tea tree oil is the essential oil steam distilled from the Australian plant melaleuca alternifolia. This species is unique to Australia and native to the New South Wales and Queensland border area. It produces a broad-spectrum, anti-bacterial and anti-

fungal oil. About 30 percent of the tea tree oil chemistry is made up of the alcohol terpiner, which is responsible for most of the anti-microbial activity. Terpiner is the “terminator,” literally, that destroys the cell walls and membranes of its targets: mold, bacteria and fungus infestations.

After years of research, a product incorporating the benefits of tea tree oil was created that is user-friendly, non-toxic to humans and readily transportable. This became known as Gelair.

The Gelair company is a family-owned business. They own the tea tree plantations and processing facilities so can insure a high purity level in both the growing and distillation process. The Gelair disk is a natural

biodegradable gel that contains 10 percent pure Australian tea tree oil in a seaweed base.

I use a Gelair disk in front of the air filter input to the air handler. As the gel dissolves over time, micro fine droplets of tea tree oil act as an anti-microbial and anti-fungal agent as they are released into the moving air stream, killing colonies of infecting organisms within the air conditioned zone.

My methodology is to spray the individual gel disks once a week with several pump strokes of the Gelair solution. The Gelair solution is sold in a one-liter bottle. This revitalization of the individual Gelair disk allows it to last longer than without.

Additionally, I place a Gelair disk in locations of known odors, such as clothes hampers, black water/grey water pump locations, Orca sewage stations, trash mashers, etc. These Gelair disks completely change the atmosphere in bilges and line lockers.

Gelair is imported into the United States by Meridian Marine (528 S.E. 32nd St., Ft. Lauderdale). Donna Cook is Meridian’s sales specialist handling Gelair. Contact her at +1-954-462-9110 in the office or +1-954-661-4775 on her cell phone. Or try donnaallstar@yahoo.com, or visit www.meridianmarine.com.

Capt. David Hare runs the 70-foot Delta expedition yacht M/V Thunder and is a regular contributor to The Triton. He is currently looking for a captain’s position on a yacht over 100 GRT. Contact him at david@hare.com.

The secret to a “sweet” air handler

Do you have a product that makes your life onboard easier? Share your experience with other yacht crew. Send ideas or reviews to lucy@the-triton.com.

Above, Capt. David Hare refreshes a Gelair disk in the black water/gray water bilge compartment on M/V Thunder. Below, packaging. PHOTOS/LUCY REED

A36 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton FROM THE TECH FRONT

hooked up in 30 minutes. Impressive.“I mean everything, the electric,

cooling water, the gangway from the transom, everything, and all were back on board the boat in 30 minutes,” he said. “It usually takes hours.”

That’s not all. The procedure – which was preliminarily drafted up by the builder and modified by Bradford’s Brant Benson, the yard’s lead fabricator – worked perfectly.

“When we left for Florida, we thought our sensors weren’t working,” this captain said. “So we hit the

gas, and they responded. The back pressure problem was completely gone. We couldn’t believe it.”

It took the yard only three days to fix.

“I’ve had lots of boats with underwater exhausts and back pressure is always a concern,” he

said. “In most cases, it takes three or four tries – or more – and many months to fix. What started out as a big deal turned out to be a quick fix at Bradford’s. How often do you hear that from someone who’s been in a yard?”

– Lucy Reed

EXHAUST, from page A32

‘What started out as a big deal turned out to be a quick fix at Bradford’

Prado, Atlas have grownfor a decade– fuel, filters, injectors, oil and maintenance – became major expenses.

With the advent of frequency converters this very expensive source of dockside energy has gone by the wayside. Today, we are all connected to shore power. The key to doing so is to isolate, regulate and condition dockside power using a frequency converter.

A clear industry leader

One company stands alone at the forefront of frequency converters: Atlas Marine Systems in Ft. Lauderdale. The face on that company is Mike Prado, the soft-spoken, shy gentleman who visited South Florida in 1995 and saw potential in the marine industry for the company, which had been providing pure power sources for computers in the commercial, industrial and military industries for 25 years.

Six months later, Prado had relocated his family to Ft. Lauderdale and opened Atlas.

That same year, Prado met Dave Andrews, who was building M/Y Sally Ann, a 151-foot Delta, for a five-year circumnavigation. He had read a story about frequency converters in the industrial world and contacted the company to build one for the yacht. Sally Ann was Atlas’ first installation in the yachting industry.

As relief captain of the 228-foot Oceanfast M/Y Floridian (the former Aussie Rules), I worked with a custom Atlas system, which I consider a master showpiece of engineering.

I credit that to Prado. He has an enormous mental database thanks to a “nearly photographic memory” that has earned him the nickname “The Encyclopedia” around his office.

Prado has sold more than 1,100 Atlas frequency converters worldwide in the past decade, and Atlas has 86 ongoing projects: 53 new builds and 33 refits.

“In the beginning, it was not an easy sell,” Prado said. “Everyone would ask, ‘Have you done a Feadship?’ That was the benchmark. No one would talk to me until I had done a Feadship. Now we’ve done 60. Just about every builder uses us and several have made them almost standard equipment, including Trinity, Delta and Burger.

“It is true that we are slightly more expensive, but time and time again our service, commitment to excellence and reliability more than pays off for our

customers,” he said.When Atlas started, there were two other

companies selling frequency converters. Both have since gone out of business. Atlas uses the latest state-of-the-art IGBT transistors, which have a 94 percent efficiency rating.

Company utilizes a team effort

Atlas’ team at the Dallas manufacturing facility is led by Andy Ford, who is the head of manufacturing engineering. Linda Thompson assists Ford and Dale with the day-to-day operations.

In Ft. Lauderdale, Tom Sullivan is a professional engineer and handles the electrical design, classification work, application design, load analysis and the size of cables, among other things. He and electrical engineer Jose Antunes work directly with captains, engineers and owners to guarantee that the system chosen and installed will do the job flawlessly. Moses Dorta is the friendly guy who handles service calls. Prado’s wife Shawna, rounds out the Fort Lauderdale operations with a terrific phone presence and a mindset to keep it all organized.

Prado’s team has been hard at work designing, building, testing and now producing their next series of frequency converters. Launching this month, the new SPA series has the latest in technology and design packaging, offering the smallest size and weight per KVA along with the newest touch-screen features.

Another new Atlas product shipping this month is the TPA switchboard system, packaged in an

aluminum chassis for weight savings and ranging from a basic switchboard to an ultra sophisticated power management system.

Various degrees of automation can be included; motor operated circuit breakers will allow touch-screen selection of power sources. Generator controls will allow automatic generator paralleling, load shedding and seamless transfers. The TPA series will allow for single or split bus modes for maximum power source flexibility.

A third product the company has recently introduced is the TPB – TecPower Bulkhead-mounted system, which came from consistent requests to build a system for boats in the 65- to 100-foot range. The TPB offers power management remotely on a bulkhead-mounted touch-screen display. This enables smaller vessels to enjoy the same benefits of power management as on larger vessels, but in a smaller package.

Simply put, Atlas provides the world’s most comprehensive group of power management systems available to the yachting community. In a world of mediocrity, this product line is simply stellar.

For more information, visit www.atlasmarinesystems.com or contact Prado at +1-954-735-6767 or mikep@atlasmarinesystems.com.

Capt. David Hare runs the 70-foot Delta expedition yacht M/V Thunder and is a regular contributor to The Triton. He is currently looking for a captain’s position on a yacht over 100 GRT. Contact him at david@hare.com.

ATLAS, from page A32

Atlas’ new TPB unit packs the same power as its previous larger systems but is designed for yachts less than 120 feet. PHOTO/LUCY REED

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A37TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

Imtech N.V., a technical services provider in Europe, announced that it has acquired a 51 percent interest in Tess Electrical Marine of Ft. Lauderdale. The acquisition fits in with Imtech’s strategy of further growth in the maintenance and services market for luxury yachts.

Many luxury yacht owners summer along the Côte d’Azur and winter in the Caribbean. Imtech has a service point in Nice, and acquisition of Tess provides it with one in the Caribbean. Imtech can now offer its services at both market concentration points.

Imtech also recently announced that the planned acquisition of Radio Holland Group is definitive, providing Imtech with an international service network and giving it a position in the top-5 of the global maritime market.

For more information, call +31-182-54-35-14, e-mail mark.salomons@imtech.nl, or visit www.imtech.nl.

Broward docks repaired

Broward Marine hosted the monthly Superyacht Network meeting of brokers at its facility in May. They were given a tour of the yard’s repaired docks, which can accommodate vessels up to 180 feet as well as the interiors for its new 120-foot raised pilothouse yacht. The cabinetry was custom-made for Broward by Genesis Yachtline of

Italy and is being installed this month. The yacht is scheduled to make her debut at the 2006 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show. Genesis has also constructed the interior for hull No. 602, Broward’s second 120-foot raised pilothouse under construction. Broward also has submitted plans to the city for new docks and further upgrades.

Microtabs kill odors

Microtabs from Clean Water Solutions make pumping out holding tanks easier. They use naturally occurring microbes to digest odor-causing materials inside holding tanks. The environmentally friendly microbes are nontoxic and non-pathogenic.

Microtabs don’t mask odors by leaving imitation scents behind. Instead, odors are destroyed when the tabs absorb ammonia and

break down solids for easier pump out. Microtabs are available as 8-ounce

singles, or in packs of three, and come in water-soluble, pre-measured pouches. Clean Water Solutions won the first-ever Environmental Innovation category award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association in 2005.

Microtabs retail for $6.95 each, and $16.95 for a 3-pack of the 8-oz microtabs.

For more information, visit www.cwsius.com, call 1-888-902-4141 or e-mail info@cwsius.com.

Stinger gets USCG, European OK

The Stinger series from Sea-Fire Marine with patented Firetrace tubing protects areas of a vessel that are typically difficult to access. It recently received USCG and European Community (CE) approvals in response to extensive product testing.

Stinger units are self-activating fire suppression systems designed to protect compartments from 25 to 175 cubic feet in volume. Available in six models, they are ideal for engine compartments and ancillary protection in hard-to-reach sections of vessels, such as bow thruster compartments, wiring harness consoles and flammable liquid storage cabinets.

Stinger systems recognize when

ambient temperatures rise above 175°F in the protected area, activating the high-tech Firetrace tubing. The tube ruptures, forming a small nozzle that directs FM-200, an environmentally responsible clean extinguishing agent, at the source of the fire. No residue is left after discharge.

Sea-Fire’s Stinger series are easily installed and need no external power for activation. For more information, contact Sea-Fire Marine in Maryland at 1-800-445-7680 or www.sea-fire.com.

Hybrid ferries planned for Alcatraz

According to a story on GreenBiz.com, two hybrid ferries powered by the wind and sun will carry visitors to Alcatraz under a new 10-year contract between the National Park Service and Hornblower Cruises and Events.

To help win the multi-million dollar contract, the ferry operator committed to build two hybrid-electric passenger vessels that maximize the use of solar and wind energy, with zero emissions at the wharf. The first will be built within two years, and the second by year five. The vessels were designed by Solar Sailor and modeled on the Solar Sailor ferry in Sydney, Australia.

The ferries will hold 600 passengers and operate at 12 to 15 knots.

See TECH BRIEFS, page B38

Imtech expands its reach with acquisition of Tess

A38 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

M Ship gets Navy contractM Ship Co. announced the U.S.

Navy’s Office of Naval Research has awarded the firm a $750,000 contract to validate the potential of the innovative M-hull technology.

The Navy Small Business Innovation Research contract calls for tank testing and sea trials for the M-hull technology, and the development of computational fluid dynamics tools for quantifying the hull’s performance.

Earlier this month, M Ship Co. delivered the M 80 Stiletto, an 88-foot vessel that uses the patented M-hull technology. M Ship Co. built the M 80 Stiletto for the Pentagon’s Office of Force Transformation.

“In building the M 80 Stiletto, we had to empirically predict the scalability of this technology through experimental testing on the water with prototype models and confidence in our practical experience,” said Chuck Robinson, co-founder of San Diego-based M Ship Co. and a former deputy secretary of state with Henry Kissinger.

“Currently there are no computer tools or mathematical models that would allow us to accurately predict how the M-hull would perform,” Robinson said. “This contract will

enable us to develop those tools and explore different applications of the M-hull.”

In initial testing, the M 80 Stiletto has achieved speeds over 50 knots and has a draft that enables it to operate in shallow-water regions, an area of particular focus for the Navy.

For more information, visit www.mshipco.com.

TRAC on Trinitys

Trinity Yachts of New Orleans is the first boat builder to install the TRAC Ecological Flushing Points System - isolating valves that allow internal cleaning of sea water cooled systems - without disassembly.

The TRAC Ecological Flushing Points System is designed to be used with TRAC’s line of safe, biodegradable chemicals that quickly dissolve scale, barnacles, zebra mussels, calcium, rust, lime and other mineral deposits that can reduce water flow.

For more information about TRAC Ecological, visit www.trac-online.com or call +1-954-987-2722.

Sunseeker chooses CJR

CJR Propulsion has been selected to design and manufacture stern gear for Sunseeker’s new 37m tri-deck superyacht. Southampton-based CJR Propulsion will design the propeller, stern tube and P-bracket. Using custom designed 3-D modeling, CJR creates CAD designs of the equipment, enabling Sunseeker to see how the components fit into place prior to the first build. For more information, visit www.cjrprop.com. FarSounder gets DHS project

FarSounder announced that it has been selected by the Department of Homeland Security to develop a prototype Underwater Threat Detection System for port security applications. It will receive a $750,000 Small Business Innovative Research grant to produce a low-cost commercialized 3D sonar system for underwater threat detection.

The system will provide the first underwater port security system practical for use in all U.S. ports and along extensive areas of coastlines and waterways.

For more information, visit www.farsounder.com.

Northstar introduces new line

Northstar, a manufacturer of marine navigation systems, has introduced a new line of high-performance integrated networked systems, the 6100i series. Based on the 6000i, the new device is available in multiple screen sizes and supports the award-winning Platinum cartography as well as all other cartography products available from Navionics.

The 6100i, featuring user

interface, incorporates powerful GPS chartplotting, fishfinding, radar, video and Mercury SmartCraft technology into an advanced networked system.

For more information, visit www.northstarcmc.com.

New Supernavi products

Supernavi Paint introduced a new topcoat and epoxy filler at an applicators meeting in Amsterdam. Called Challenger HS and Epoprofile, they should become widely available this fall. For more information, visit www.supernavipaint.com.

KVH expands into Asia

KVH Industries announced that it is expanding its consumer product sales network into the Asian market following the selection of Eletek Technology of China and Hong Kong and Can Traders of Singapore as regional distributors. This expansion builds on the success of KVH’s existing marine satellite TV and communication sales and regional distribution networks in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.

New antifouling nature-friendly

California’s Mission Bay, San Diego Bay and Shelter Island areas are examples of waters potentially suffering from a buildup of traditional antifouling deposits that may harm the environment. Visiting these sensitive areas inspired Sea Hawk to develop a new nano-based technology antifouling. Aptly named Mission Bay, it reacts with UV light to deliver superior protection that is also kind to the natural world.

Part of a complete coatings system that is environmentally friendly, Sea Hawk Mission Bay is an ablative, self-polishing antifouling for all types of craft. It can even be used on aluminum hulls without the need for a traditional barrier coat.

For more information, visit www.seahawkpaints.com.

New product from Night Vision

Night Vision Technologies launched its latest multiple sensor vision systems, the 5000 and 6000 series, during Project USA in New Orleans in late May.

The equipment provides improved fields of view, better imaging capabilities, and more user-friendly operation. The new features on these state-of-the-art systems offer enhanced safety, security and navigation for critical marine applications.

Prices for the 5000 and 6000 series from Night Vision Technologies start at $72,995.

For more information, contact Night Vision Technologies in Texas at +1-972-554-3944, info@nvti-usa.com or www.nvti-usa.com.

TECH BRIEFS, from page B37

Navy contract will help develop M-hull technology

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A39CRUISING GROUNDS

By Janja Kocbek

Last summer I had a beautiful vacation on the Croatian coast for very little money.

In September, I arrived in Opatija, (which is my hometown; Rijeka is the next biggest town) in northern Croatia, about 75km from Trieste on the Italian border.

I spent two days there, booked a ferry from Rijeka to Split (the next biggest town about 600km south), and spent the night on the boat in a double cabin ($80 return ticket for two). I arrived in Split when it was pouring rain, but the town has so many things to visit, including the old Roman temples, Dioklezian palace, and Jupiter temple.

I spent two nights at the hotel Slavija, which was in the center of the old town. It has been totally rebuilt so it was very clean ($100 for two). I spent two days in Split and a third day visiting Trogir by bus (20km from Split). I felt like I was in Italy. I must also say that the streets are very clean, no dog waste or garbage.

The next departure was Island Hvar, popular with young, party-loving people. It has anchorage for private or charter luxury yachts and cruisers. If you don’t have a yacht, you can also buy a fast-ferry ticket ($3 per person) and be on the island in 45 minutes. During summer, those ferries connect about four islands four to five times a day.

Once on the island, I had to find a hotel. It’s better to reserve on advance because it’s a small place and there are a lot of people, but I was lucky and found the last double room in another Slavija hotel. I stayed in this three-star hotel for three nights ($90). It was fantastic, with a little terrace so you could see the waves.

The next stop was Carpe Diem, a cocktail bar next to the hotel. It’s always full and I wandered in for a piña colada.

The next morning, I was feeling a bit dizzy, but a good breakfast gives you energy. We rented a moped ($25 a day) and had a nice drive around the island. On the top of a hill there is a fortified castle, which was a protection for the people during wars or any kind of enemy attacks.

On the next hill there is Napoleon’s castle. (Imagine, he came to the Croatian coast.) But you cannot visit it today because it’s been turned into a star observatory.

Anyway, there are so many picturesque small villages, old stone houses and fantastic views of Brac ,Vis and Pakleni islands.

The second day, we rented a small

boat ($25 for the day, don’t need a license), took along a picnic and drinks, and went for another adventure around Pakleni island.

Wow, that was nice, a beautiful sea so clean and warm. It was September, so there were not so many boats around and it wasn’t too hot. But, of course, the swimming was indispensable.

On the third day, it was pouring

See CROATIA, page A40

Croatia: All the beautyfor not much expense

The western coast of Croatia, across the Adriatic from some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, captures similar beauty but without all the notoriety.

PHOTO/JANJA KOCBEK

A40 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton CRUISING GROUNDS

By Jacqueline Brinkman

International superyachts can now charter in Australia with the introduction of the National Marine Safety Committee’s superyacht charter policy. This policy provides the means for international superyachts to undertake commercial charter operations in Australia and allows foreign crew qualifications to be recognized as comparable to Uniform Shipping Law code qualifications during the charter.

In Queensland, vessels may be operated under the authority of a Restricted-Use Flag, which is a short-term alternative to registration in Queensland. Similar temporary permits would be required for intrastate voyages within other states.

Interest in chartering Australia has grown steadily the past few years and the season is under way with the arrival of M/Y Seafaris, a new 41m catamaran for 10 guests. The yacht is managed by Nigel Burgess. Three other large, international superyachts are now planning to hub from Cairns, Australia, for an extended period.

More than 50 superyachts visited Cairns in 2005 with many spending more than six months exploring islands and cruising grounds. Transport company Dockwise Yacht Transport makes the journey to Queensland, Australia, at least three times a year.

The marina and refit infrastructure is specifically designed to meet the needs of international vessels and the Cairns-based Super Yacht Group - Great Barrier Reef consists of more than 60 companies ready to meet the needs of visiting superyachts.

Jacqueline Brinkman is CEO of Super Yacht Group - Great Barrier Reef in North Cairns, Queensland. For more information, contact her at +61 (0) 7 4051 2166, info@superyachtgroup.com or through www.superyachtgroup.com.

Internationalsuperyachtswelcome in Oz

rain again so we just had fun in town, at restaurants and at Carpe Diem again.

On the fourth day, we went back to Split, and by evening we were back in Rijeka. My vacation was not over because I have a flat in Opatija, so we stayed another two weeks.

Opatija is a beautiful town, which was built in 1880 by Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and Franz Josef, the czar of Austria.

The architecture is completely different

from the buildings in Split or Dubrovnik. A lot of people said Opatija reminds them of a little Monte Carlo.

Well, that’s my little story about my vacation in Croatia, which ends with a big surprise because I am pregnant, waiting for a little boy at the end of June. So I am no longer working on yachts.

Janja Kocbek, a former stewardess, lives in France but is from Croatia and returns there to relax. Contact her through editorial@the-triton.com.

Opatija resembles Monte CarloCROATIA, from page A39

This photo of Janja Kocbek and

Fabrice shows that a trip to

Croatia can be romantic and

fun.PHOTO COURTESY OF

JANJA KOCBEK

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A41WRITE TO BE HEARD

For many first-time yacht owners, I am sure they do their homework researching different vessels, cost of repairs, and cost of new equipment. But some first-timers forget to research the one most important thing: crew relations.

As professional yacht crew, we are all aware how important it is to do everything possible to make yacht owners happy. We have all spent time on the open waters. We have also spent our hard-earned money on education for our original licenses or certificates, and many of us also spend additional time and money on continuing education so we can provide higher and better services to our owners.

So we all agree that we as crew put a lot of effort into whatever position we may hold on board a vessel. Would it be too much to ask that every time a first-time owner takes possession of his/her vessel, the very first manual they should be required to read is “How to Treat Your Crew, 101”?

Now that I have that out of my system, here is my story. I am the captain of an 87-foot Stevens; I have been captain of this vessel since November 2003. On March 15, the vessel sold. Oh, how I miss the previous owners. They were wonderful people who treated me with great respect for my position, and also treated me as a member of their family.

As captain for the previous owners, I had full run of the vessel. They trusted me with all the responsibility of the vessel. When the vessel sold, it was a sad day. I will always remember Mrs.

Mary hugging me crying, saying good-bye and thanking me for being their captain, and adding that “we all love you.”

Well, now what do I do? I am without a job. Lucky me, the new owner contacted me and told me he has been told many good things about me and he would like me to stay on. Problem solved; I now am employed again.

Wrong, though I am employed. Problems with the new owner seem to keep building. Almost all my control of the vessel has been taken away. The owner contacts all subcontractors and they show up to the vessel without my

knowledge. I have no access to any money; only he can write the checks. (Thank God for a local marine parts counter that allows me to charge supplies. If it wasn’t for them, I would have to wait for the owner to pick up all the materials to keep repairs going.) Only the owner can pick up what little provisions that are now on board, but

only what he likes.What happened today is what

drove me to write this. I arrived to the vessel this morning to be informed of two things. The first is that he hired a mate (and again I had no say), and the second is that crew is not to be seen while he is on board. (Somebody shoot me in the head and throw me overboard.)

I would like to think that I am not the only one that has to deal with this type of situation. For those of you who do, too, my heart goes out to you.

– Capt. Garry Schenck

‘I arrived to the vessel this morning to be informed of two things. The first is that he hired a mate (and again I had no say), and the second is that crew is not to be seen while he is on board. (Somebody shoot me in the head and throw me overboard.)

Memo to first-time owners:Learn how to treat your crew

A42 June 2006 www.the-triton.com The Triton WRITE TO BE HEARD

I have just read the STCW article in the May 2006 issue of The Triton [Bridge: STCW-95 no replacement for experience,” page A1].

I was surprised at some responses, especially the common impression that STCW equates to Basic Safety Training. Mariners should know BST is only one of numerous training requirements in the Code.

This is a minimum standard and was not intended to qualify a deckhand or stew for their entire job. It is designed to familiarize crew with the proper safety procedures and minimum standards in “Basic Safety Training” that everyone should know. I believe, and our student questionnaires support, that most people who have taken the BST course at MPT feel that it was a valuable learning experience that everyone should take before working on a boat or for owner/operators planning extensive cruising.

Most yacht jobs require crew to have BST even when not mandated by their flag state. It is also a prerequisite for an MCA Yacht Ratings Certificate. In no way does growing up on a boat in the Great Lakes (an example in the article) or anywhere else prepare someone to fight a fire onboard a vessel or conduct a helicopter evacuation, board a life raft, perform first aid, etc. These are

only learned through education.Imagine being on an airplane with

a flight crew that was not trained in safety and could not help during an emergency, evacuate the airplane after a bad landing, or assist a passenger having a medical problem. I think charter guests and owners also assume and expect the yacht crew to have proper safety training to assist them in case of an emergency.

Certificated crew and officers are taking much more than Basic Safety Training. Many of the new system mates train for up to 26 weeks, more than 1,000 hours, including ship handling simulation. The courses are international coast guard requirements and have nothing to do with “schools selling courses.” This education is in accordance with the STCW Code and requires a great deal of experience and practical assessments as the prerequisite to achieving the end result.

Never has training been in lieu of experience as the article insinuates. Finishing medical or law school does not make you a good doctor or lawyer; it simply makes it legal to start practicing. Training and education are only the beginning; nothing replaces real experience. The problem is that experience without training can only prepare you for situations you are

already experienced with. It does not prepare you for an emergency scenario. Training can help you successfully handle the situations you have never faced before. It is ultimately the combination of the two that truly make a qualified and competent mariner.

While I agree that voicing the industry’s concern and negative feelings is important and newsworthy, I believe also including the benefits would be more balanced. Perhaps you could reprint some of the letters we have received from students whose lives and careers have been changed by taking courses here.

I am disappointed that the headline (on the second page of the article) read: “Captains: Maritime schools push certificate to sell classes.” Most people in the industry think of Maritime Professional Training in particular when they hear “Maritime school.” This could have simply read “schools.”

You could have handled this situation by offering local schools an opportunity to explain what STCW is since there are still many people who don’t fully understand it. Additionally, MPT has never “sold” students a course for the sake of selling classes. It has always been to satisfy a regulation or make mariners more marketable.

Most of today’s captains obtained

licenses before STCW was revised and were required only to meet gap-closing training for compliance. I believe that when they hire a new-system-educated mate, the long-term value of the revised code will be evident.

I have been with MPT for 20 years and we are always honest with candidates about requirements. I am very passionate about the education of this industry. I feel that it is the responsibility of the schools, captains, managers, and marine journalists to encourage professionalism and education rather than playing into the hands of the few who consider training an inconvenient, unnecessary and expensive impediment to their careers.

Consider case histories where yachts have sunk or run aground in clear weather due to poor navigation and bridge procedures according the MCA, NTSB and investigating officers. These, among others, are indications of the need for continued professional training and education in the maritime industry, and the need for an international code of minimum standards … STCW.

Amy Beavers

School PrincipalMaritime Professional Training

Ft. Lauderdale

STCW article doesn’t get a passing grade from principal

The Triton www.the-triton.com June 2006 A43

PublisherDavid Reed, david@the-triton.com

EditorLucy Chabot Reed, lucy@the-triton.com

Business Manager/CirculationPeg Soffen, peg@the-triton.com

Production ManagerPatty Weinert, patty@the-triton.com

Graphic DesignerChristine Abbott, sales@the-triton.com

Abbott Designs

DistributionRoss Adler, zakad68@aol.com

National Distribution Solutions

Contributing EditorLawrence Hollyfield

ContributorsCarol Bareuther, Rocky Bean, Jacqueline Brinkman, Andy Carrie, Mark A. Cline, Capt. Robert Corcoran,

Alessandra Delbuono, Capt. Jake DesVergers, Capt. David Hare, Jack Horkheimer, Chef Mary Beth

Lawton Johnson, Janja Kocbek, Donna Mergenhagen, Marcus Mitchell, Neil Rooney, Steve Pica, Rossmare Intl.,

Capt. Garry Schenck, James Schot, Capt. Tom Serio, Anne Sterringa, Capt. Brad Tate, Mary Wheaton,

Maya White, Chef Peter Ziegelmeier

Vol. 3, No. 3. The Triton is a free, monthly newspaper owned by Triton Publishing Group Inc. Copyright 2006 Triton Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact us at:Mailing address: 757 S.E. 17th St., #1119

Visit us at: 2301A S. Andrews Ave.Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316

(954) 525-0029; FAX (954) 525-9676www.the-triton.com

WRITE TO BE HEARD

I read with some dismay the comments made by captains at the last Bridge lunch, published in the May issue of The Triton.

To clarify, all maritime regulations evolve from the International Maritime Organization (an offshoot of the United Nations), a body of more than 160 national members. The IMO decides on international policy and publishes a convention, such as the STCW 95 Convention, COLREGS and MARPOL. It is up to individual Flag State administrations to enforce the convention by supporting it with legislation in their own countries.

Regulations are made a requirement by the Flag State for its vessels (i.e. certain crew must hold STCW Basic Training Certificates and engineers must hold certain licenses/certificates).

This is driven by Flag State law (and to some extent by insurance companies). To suggest that schools are selling the courses for their own gain is not just ignorant but ridiculous. Perhaps these captains would benefit from returning to school to learn what they should already know.

Chris TaylorVice President

International Yachtmaster TrainingFt. Lauderdale

Yachting is a profession

Training in this day and age is important. A lot of training with captains just doesn’t get done. What STCW training does is open a student’s mind. I take what they teach in STCW and go further with my training on board. We do three hours of training

every month. In our first aid drill, most of the time is spent dragging a 250-pound man upstairs and onto the deck for evacuation.

Are the schools money-hungry? I’m not here to judge. Are they teaching stuff they shouldn’t be teaching? No. It’s all required by the license.

But in my opinion, celestial navigation is old school. I have five GPS’s on board. What’s the chance I’m going to lose them all? And if I do, I have my watch, a compass and charts. They don’t teach celestial navigation at New London, and they don’t teach it at Annapolis. What else could they teach to give me an all-oceans license in place of that class that I’ll never use? How about a bridge management resource class or a chart-plotting course? Or give me $1,400 of simulator time. You may not need these for the license, but that

doesn’t mean schools can’t offer them.Yachting is a profession. It won’t be

long before getting your license will be just like going to college.

Capt. Paul StengelM/Y Martha Ann

Basic training is just that

I was interested to read the STCW article in the May issue. The one major factor that may have been overlooked is that STCW-95 Basic Training is just that, basic training. It also shows commitment to the industry from a crew member who has shelled out up to $1,000 to take the course.

Some crew agencies charge significant fees for crew, but there is a lot of work involved. Interviewing and staying in touch with crew and captains is time consuming. It’s a little like being a dating agency. It’s

not just a matter of finding someone with the necessary experience and qualifications, it is also a matter of finding a “fit” with everyone else.

Elaine ChristopherCrew placement division

Select YachtsSint Maarten

Keep up the good work, Triton

I think your paper is awesome. I have moved to North Carolina but I still have my house for sale in Ft. Lauderdale. I was down for the Miami/Key Largo race last [month] and picked up a copy of The Triton. You and your crew have done a great job putting a very comprehensive newspaper together. Keep up the great work.

Steve Boonebass player/songwriter for the

Lovin’ Spoonful and lifelong sailor

I cannot begin to tell you what a great time I had at the Triton party. You and your company planned a fantastic event. Every detail was perfect. Thanks for including me.

Capt. Chuck HudspethM/Y Via Kassablanca

Thanks again for hosting the party. I was really impressed with the energy and good feelings The Triton generates, not only in the office but at the party. Quite a tribute to you and your staff. Again, thank you for what you do for

the yachting industry and for including our company.

John FreemanDirector of CommunicationsKnight & Carver YachtCenter

Congratulations on the fabulous job that you do for the industry. Best wishes for a prosperous future.

Marty WardBollman Yachts

On behalf of our industry and the

Board of the Marine Trade Association

of Sint Maarten, we wish you the ongoing best. Well done. Good paper.

Georgie AdamouChairwoman, Sint Maarten Charter

Yacht Exhibition 2006General Manager, Simpson Bay

Marina

A quick note to thank you for a very pleasant evening. Happy Birthday to The Triton. May there be many more.

James BarrettDirector, Custom Yacht Consultants

Ltd

Happy Birthday to the Triton crew who keep us on top with all the yachting news.

To a great team: May this year be the best, until next.

Smiley and ElonaSXM Marine Trading

Sint Maarten

Happy 2nd year anniversary. Thank you for the fantastic party. You really know how to throw a party.

Victoria BriggsStarwood Properties

Thanks for inviting us to the party - we had a fantastic time

Captains need to get facts straight