Southwindsdecember2005 by SOUTHWINDS Magazine

SOUTHWINDS News & Views for Southern Sailors

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS November 2005

December 2006

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SOUTHWINDS NEWS & VIEWS

FOR

SOUTHERN SAILORS

From the Helm

Letters

Bubba Does Race Committee Stint By Morgan Stinemetz

Short Tacks: Sailing News and Events Around the South

Our Waterways: News About Our Changing Waterways

Strictly Sail St. Pete Boat Show Brings Sailing Master Together

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show By Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp

Hurricane Season 2005 Ends with Wilma

Southern Sailors: Jo Mogle Gets US SAILING Honor By Morgan Stinemetz

Provisioning in the BVIs By Mike Kirk

Racing: News, and Events. Southern Regional Racing Reports and Race Calendars

Christmas on the Water By Carolyn Corbett

16-17

Sailing Services Directories

Alphabetical Index of Advertisers

Advertisers’ List by Category

Subscription Form

Sailing for Miracles at Strictly Sail St. Pete. Photo by Steve Morrell. Page 34.

COVER: Schooner America sails off Key West. Photo by Bo Cordle. Provisioning in the BVIs. Photo by Mike Kirk. Page 44

From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…SOUTHWINDS Covers Southern Sailing News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

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News & Views For Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS Media, Inc. P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, Florida 34218-1175 (941) 795-8704 (877) 372-7245 (941) 795-8705 Fax www.southwindsmagazine.co e-mail: editor@southwindsmagazine.com Volume 13 Number 12 December 2006 Copyright 2005, Southwinds Media, Inc. Founded in 1993

Doran Cushing, Publisher 1993-2002

Publisher/Editor editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704

Steve Morrell

Associate Editors Stephanie Cox stephanie@southwindsmagazine.com Barbara Pierce cruzcrossroads@yahoo.com Advertising Steve Morrell editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704 David Curry davidcurry@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 761-0048 Gary Hufford gary@southwindsmagazine.com (727) 585-2814 Regional Editors CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA waltmcfarlane@aol.com

Walt McFarlane

EAST FLORIDA mhw1@earthlink.net

Roy Laughlin Art Perez

(912) 429-4197 (321) 690-0137

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA RACING miamiyachtracing@bellsouth.net (305) 380-0106

Production Heather Nicoll

Proofreading Kathy Elliott

Artwork Rebecca Burg angelartofshore.com

ReDavid Billing Stephanie Cox Kim Kaminski Roy Laughlin Art Perez

Contributing Writers Rebecca Burg Julie Connerley Carolyn Corbett Char Doyle Dave Ellis Caryn Hacker Mike Kirk Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp Winnie Lambert Walt McFarlane Mary Naylor Barbara Pierce Phil Spletter Morgan Stinemetz

Rebecca Burg Bev Dolezal Ross Herbert Roy Laughlin

Contributing Photographers Julie Connerley Carolyn Corbett Bo Cordle Char Doyle Dave Ellis Jeff Hazzard Kim Kaminski Mike Kirk Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp Morgan Stinemetz

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY: SOUTHWINDS encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists, jokers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, including sailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world and generally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some faroff and far-out place. SOUTHWINDS welcomes contributions in writing and photography, stories about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical articles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronically by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if possible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruising and just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution if digital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to us for scanning. Contact the editor with questions. Subscriptions to SOUTHWINDS are available at $19.95/year, or $37/2 years for third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card numbers may be mailed with name and address to SOUTHWINDS Subscriptions, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704. Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a secure server on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. SOUTHWINDS is distributed to over 500 locations throughout 10 Southern states. If you would like to distribute SOUTHWINDS at your location, please contact the editor. Read SOUTHWINDS on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com.

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

November 2005

FROM THE HELM Boat Waste Disposal: What is the Problem & What is the Solution As the Southern waterways become more populated—and more people want to live on those waterways— anchoring rights, marinas, and mooring fields are becoming a major issue for boaters. Communities throughout the South, particularly in Florida, are rising up against cruisers who want to anchor in their waters. We hear complaints about derelict boats, noise, views and other concerns—but one of the main ones is always about human waste disposal. Local communities, especially waterfront landowners, are always claiming that human feces are being regularly disposed of in the waters right outside their back doors. There is some truth to this, but how much do we really know? How valid are these complaints and how much pollution is really going on? I have met all types of boaters, and personally been living and sailing aboard boats off and on since 1979. I have met some who would never dump their waste overboard unless they were out beyond the three-mile limit, and in shore, they would only dispose of it using a pump-out. But I am convinced they are the minority. Surprised? Recently, after boater complaints of limited pump-out facilities, California did a study in two major counties. Out of 77 marinas, they found 56 had no pumpout facilities. That’s 73 percent without them. There were 15,500 boats at these marinas. This was a shock to the department regulating waste disposal—in the state that prides itself on environmentalism. What about the rest of the country? What about the South? Do you have pump-out facilities at your marina? Do you use them without exception? Do you ever pump out right in your marina? If you don’t, do you go three miles out? Who Will Admit Pumping Overboard? In all the discussions about anchorages, mooring fields, and liveaboards, this is the most contentious issue, yet we don’t hear many boaters rising to their defense. They will talk loudly about anchoring rights—and quietly insist they don’t pump overboard. Why? Because so many are pumping waste overboard. But no one wants to admit it. Human feces dumped overboard? Who wants to admit doing that? I will admit it. I have done it. I had to really go—and my holding tank was full. I was in a marina, had Montezuma’s revenge (in a foreign port), 8

December 2006

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and wasn’t about to not go. Believe me, when the time comes, not much else matters. Many out there will understand and shake their heads knowing they have done the same thing. At least that waste was macerated. Helped a little, anyway. Who else will admit it? Complaints that liveaboards anchoring out are dumping are rampant. What about your own docks? I guarantee there isn’t a marina in Florida, whether a public marina, private marina, or yacht club marina, where there aren’t boaters dumping overboard. I challenge anyone to prove it to me. Do not blame only the liveaboards if you see human feces floating around. Face the truth. To overcome and succeed in holding onto our anchoring rights, we must face this issue head on and resolve it. How much of this debate between landlubbers and boaters is really out in the open and how many talk about it and really know what they are talking about? Waterfront property owners complain of pollution, yet do they know that the main source of pollution in our waters is nonpoint source pollution (NPS)? NPS is pollution from runoff from land into the waters from rain, flooding, etc. It comes from all the pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, oil, grease, bacteria from livestock waste (including feces) and all the other manmade products that don’t blend in nicely with the natural environment. Do landowners on waterfront property know how much their run-off contributes to the pollution of the waters they live on? What about one day at their local tourist beach when thousands of swimmers urinate in one afternoon (and some defecate, believe it or not)? How about during an incoming tide near an inlet? Let’s compare that to one boat dumping into an anchorage. Who is polluting more? How important is it to not dump human waste overboard? Suppose you are dumping overboard in an inlet on an outgoing tide with a threeknot current taking the waters offshore within hours? How much human waste gets dumped into the ocean three miles out from one cruise ship? Suppose it is offshore three miles on an incoming tide? A cruise ship carrying 3000 people will dump 30,000 gallons of sewage into the ocean in one day (This does not include the over 250,000 gallons of gray water they dump in the same time period). This is more than all the boaters in

Florida dump in one year if not many years. Ships can currently dump right outside the three-mile limit. None of this justifies dumping raw sewage from a boat into someone’s local waters. What it does is bring up how little people know about the subject, how much accusation is thrown around without any knowledge of the extent of the problem, who is really contributing to it and how to resolve it. What About No-Discharge Zones? No-discharge zones are established or being established all over Southern waters. These zones don’t even allow the use of Type I and Type II MSDs—systems that treat waste and discharge it with very low levels of bacteria. I talk to people that think they can dump in these no-discharge zones if they have a Type I or Type II MSD. They are wrong. You can’t, but is it right? Should we be able to? Where are the studies? Where is the science? Let’s get some perspective here. What are we going to do about this problem? How are we going to solve it? Pump-outs at every slip? That exists. Does maceration help? Do we need more pump-out locations? (I guarantee that.) What other questions go unasked or unanswered? If we don’t resolve this problem, there will be more shouting and pointing fingers, more unjustified liveaboard hatred. But we must be honest about it and we must know what we are talking about. I remember many times anchoring in Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island off the southern coast of California. Avalon Harbor is a small bay with a small opening. The number of boats moored there during a summer day on the harbor’s permanent, regulated moorings made the harbor look like a Wal-Mart parking lot on a Saturday morning. When you entered the harbor and took a mooring, a boat came over, inspected your waste system and dumped green dye in your toilet. If you dumped into the bay, they spotted you from a lookout on the hillside above the harbor and you were kicked out and not allowed in for one year. Every morning, as was my habit, I would wake up and swim in these crystal-clear, clean waters. Let’s not get to that point, putting dye in the toilets. But let’s figure out how to handle this boat waste with knowledge and sense. Let’s have some ideas. Steve Morrell, Editor www.southwindsmagazine.com

LETTERS

Continued from page 9

We received this December letter from Rebecca Burg, artist:

December 2006

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“Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.” H.L. Mencken In its continuing endeavor to share its press, SOUTHWINDS invites readers to write in with experiences & opinions. STRENGTHENING YOUR DOCK FOR A STORM: ANCHOR IT DOWN As an additional prep for your dock, I tion that has worked so far in coastal have found that anchoring the thing North Carolina. DOWN is very important when Use galvanized, four-foot-long waves try to lift the entire thing. Since mobile home anchors under each the moment a piling moves even onecross-tie between pilings, and tie them quarter inch, friction between the pilto the crossties with bolts and 3/8ing and the underwater soil drops to inch hot-dip galvanized chain. The near-zero. I have implemented a soluanchors were screwed into the soil

using a surplus, four-inch-square section trailer tongue, with a pair of oneinch diameter holes at the top for a four-foot-long pipe handle. The trailer tongue fits over the saddle at the top of the mobile home anchor; the chain and its rope extension is passed through the trailer tongue and tied off at a cleat I fastened to the side of the trailer tongue. All you do is remove a board or two directly over the cross-tie and start screwing the anchor into the bottom. When done, bolt the chain to the cross-tie. Last year my dock took the abuse of having my neighbor’s dock disintegrate, depositing large sections of same on my dock. My dock suffered some gouges but nothing else. Herm New Bern, NC Herm, Nice idea. Since many private dock pilings are pounded down to only shallow depths, or put in with water pressure, they are poorly anchored, and anchoring the dock down with screw anchors would become important. These, with a well-braced structure above the surface, could withstand a lot. I also wonder about the possibility of removing some of the deck boards, as I have heard that many docks are pulled straight up and out of the submerged ground because the continuous planking acts as a large sheet that can be lifted straight up—picking the whole dock up. Screw anchors would minimize that chance, but perhaps removing a certain number of the boards would minimize the uplifting area. Since planking adds little diagonal strength on the horizontal plane of the dock (like a sheet of plywood does on a roof, wall or floor), little structural strength would be lost. There aren’t many guidelines on building private docks to withstand these storms, and many times they are built as cheaply as possible since there aren’t any codes on them that I have heard of. We need to learn how to build them stronger lest we end up endlessly rebuilding them. Good for the dock builders though. Editor See LETTERS continued on page 13

News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

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LETTERS

Continued from page 11

Davis Island Seaplane Basin Mooring Field Being Shut Down? Here is some more news about the Davis Island seaplane basin mooring field in Tampa. Of course, it’s bad. On Oct. 31, the Tampa Parks and Recreation Department had its security officers post notices of abandonment of property on the dinghies, skiffs and small rowboats left on the grass and tied up at the dock near the small launching ramp. The security officer told me if the boats were not removed within 72 hours, the Tampa police would red-tag them. You would have an additional 72 hours after that, and if they were still not removed, the city would remove them. I called the Tampa Parks Department and left several messages for Marsha Carter, a parks supervisor. Her assistant finally called me back 24 hours later. He listened to my complaints but stated private property cannot be stored on Tampa Parks Department property. He could not give me a timetable when the police would red-tag them. On Nov. 1, I called my city council member and talked to his secretary, who called me a half hour later. She hoped I could understand the city’s position and said this is what the city wants. I was told the small boats were an eyesore. I asked him if he thought the portable toilet that had been tipped over for two months and the overflowing trash barrels were a bigger eye sore and also asked about the dogs doing their duty on the public beach where it’s posted no dogs on beach. It seems the Tampa Parks Department only wants to enforce this regulation on the boaters. There is no sign in the area stating no small-boat storage, and small boats have been stored there for 20 years. The city knows that if you don’t have dinghy storage, you have no way of getting to your boat. You will leave the seaplane basin and go somewhere else. It comes down to one simple thing. Tampa wants no moored boats in the seaplane basin. I was told by the parks department that they now lease and control the bottom in the basin. John Almeida Tampa, FL John, This is a trend that is continuing with this action by the city of Tampa... Unfortunately, there is still too much miscommunication about what causes what and who is to blame for what in that seaplane basin. More on this in “Our Waterways” section this month. The opportunity to turn this basin into a good, well thought out anchorage for boaters is being passed up amid shouts and accusations without any real basis in fact. Probably not enough money in it to make it worthwhile. Another incremental loss in the use of our waterways it appears. Please help keep us updated on future news in the basin mooring area. Editor

Send your letters to editor@southwindsmagazine.com Web site: southwindsmagazine.com PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL 34218 Fax: (941) 795-8705 News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

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December 2006

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West Florida Sailing Services Directory From Cedar Key to Cape Sable Sailing Services Directory starts as low as $8 a month. Call (941) 795-8704 or e-mail editor@southwindsmagazine.com BOAT LETTERING – GRAPHICS

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UPCOMING SOUTHERN EVENTS BOAT SHOWS Dec. 1-4. Annual St. Petersburg Powerboat Show. Bayfront Center Yacht Basin, St. Petersburg, FL. (954) 764-7642. This is the rescheduled show after postponement by Hurricane Wilma. Austin Boat Show. Jan. 12-15. Austin Convention Center. Bring the whole family to the largest boating event of the year featuring over 200 vendors and boat dealers. Thursday, Jan. 12. 12 pm-9 pm. Friday, Jan. 13. 12 pm -9 pm. Saturday, Jan. 14. 10 am-9 pm. Sunday, Jan. 15. 10 am-6 pm. $8 for adults; seniors over 65 and children 10 and under are $4. Children 6 and under are free. Visit www.austinboatshow.com for more information. 32nd Annual Stuart Boat Show, January 13-15. New location, more docks and increased land-based display space. Still located on the north side of the St. Lucie River in Stuart, FL, the show is moving west of the Roosevelt Bridge to take advantage of dock space offered by three side-byside marinas and to utilize additional land space. The Stuart Boat Show will include more than 200 exhibitors, including all the major boat manufacturers, latest gadgets, accessories, electronics, equipment and financing and insurance, too. There’s also free parking and a complimentary water taxi connecting the show and downtown Stuart. Allsports Productions. (305) 868-9224. stuartboatshow@aol.com.

San Antonio Boat Show. January 26-29 at the Alamodome. Bring the whole family to the largest boating event of the year featuring over 150 vendors and boat dealers. Thursday, Jan. 26. 12 pm-10pm. Friday, Jan. 27. 12 pm-10 pm. Saturday, Jan. 28. 10 am-10 pm. Sunday, Jan. 29. 10 am6 pm. $8 for adults, seniors over 65 and children 10 and under are $4. Children 6 and under are free. Visit www.sanantonioboatshow.com for more information. PUBLIC BOATING PROGRAMS Ongoing – Boating Skills and Seamanship Programs. St. Petersburg, FL, Each Tuesday night, 7:30-9:30 p.m., 1300 Beach Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 72. Completion satisfies the State of Florida boater safety education requirements. The continuous rotating program has 11 lessons. One lesson is presented each Tuesday night. Lessons include: which boat for you, equipment, trailering, lines and knots, boat handling, signs, weather, rules, introduction to navigation, inland boating and radio. (727) 823-3753 Boating Safety Courses, St. Petersburg, FL: The St Petersburg Sail & Power Squadron has one course scheduled for the remainder of 2005. On December 3, the three-session Boat Smart Course begins. Call (727) 867-3088 or visit www.boating-stpete.org for details. On Jan. 9 is the Squadron’s Boating Course, which includes safety information plus basic piloting; charts, course plotting, latitude/ longitude and dead reckoning. Both courses satisfy Florida’s education requirement for boaters under age 21. Clearwater Coast Guard Auxiliary offers Public Boating Programs: Expanded Boating Skills and Seamanship (11 lessons). Class Days: Jan. 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31 Feb. 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 All programs are held at the Clearwater Sailing Center, 1001 Gulf Blvd., Sand Key (Clearwater). They are open to adults and youths. For more information on upcoming education programs or to request a free vessel safety check, visit www.uscgaux.org/~0701101/PublicEducationPrograms.htm or call (727) 469-8895.

December 2006

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North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NC, www.ncmm-friends.org, maritime@ncmail.net, (252) 728-7317 Family Sailing. 2-6 people; 2-6 hours. Traditional skiffs or 30-foot keelboat. $50-$240. Reservations/ information: call The Friends’ office (252) 728-1638

Tampa, 3905 West Cypress, (813) 348-0521, 6 p.m. Dec. 1 –A trip on the Raymond J. Bushey Join Capt. Lowell Logerwell as he tells the tale of his time on the high seas.

Boatbuilding Carpentry Dec. 3-4. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Holiday, 3346 U.S. Hwy. 19, (727) 846-1903, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 – Captain Wendy will discuss what you will need to outfit your sailboat for coastal and bluewater sailing.

Plane Making Dec. 3-4. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

OTHER EVENTS

Lift Half Models Dec. 10-11. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Nov. 24-Dec. 4. Pirates in Paradise. Various locations throughout Key West, (305) 296-9694. More than 100 improvisational actors and combative stuntmen in pirate garb conduct the annual “invasion” of the southernmost city by a flotilla of pirate ships. Entertainment includes swashbuckling and sea chanteys, pirate costume competition, parties, exhibitions, daily sailing trips, nautical excursions and seafaring adventures, films, a tall ships sea battle, arts and

Free West Marine Seminars Tampa Bay Area Largo, 10289 Ulmerton Road, Suite B, (727) 586-7040, 7 p.m. Dec. 17 – Garmin 101 with John Murch. Learn about what’s hot from Garmin

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December 2006

crafts, music, re-enactments and more. Admission: Most are free, various charges for excursions, theatrical and party events. www.piratesinparadise.com. Dec. 2-4. Wharram Catamaran Rendezvous, Dec. 2-4, Hobe Sound, FL. There will be a rendezvous of the world-famous Wharram catamarans in Hobe Sound, FL, on Dec. 2-4. At least five Wharrams are expected to be at the meeting, including a Tangaroa or two. Last year, the rendezvous attracted visitors, both owners and the curious, from as far away as Vancouver and Colorado. It was said they came to see the Wharrams “in the flesh.” They came to see the boats, pictures, plans and visit. This year, a boat of particular interest will be Nev’s Tiki 46, a gorgeous boat they built themselves and took across the Atlantic for its shakedown cruise. For more information, call Gene Perry at (772) 545-9312. For more information on Wharram catamarans, go to www.pca-seapeople.org. December 2-3. Goombay Festival. Key West. Goombay has been rescheduled from late October due to Hurricane Wilma. Celebrate Caribbean culture in Key West’s Bahama Village with a street party, vendors and entertainment.

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Dec. 5-8. Electrical Certification. Tampa, FL. American Boat and Yacht Council. (410) 956-2737. December 7-10. Key West. The 27th Fantasy Fest and its “Freaks, Geeks & Goddesses” theme has been rescheduled due to Hurricane Wilma’s untimely arrival. New dates and times to some events are to be announced pending clean up and infrastructure. Check the Web site for updates. www.fantasyfest.net. Dec. 14 -16. Atlantic Intracostal Waterway Association’s 2005 Inland Waterway Conference, Savannah, GA. Contact: rosemary@atlintracoastal.org. This is a rescheduled date. Go to www.atlintracoastal.org for more information. Key West Race Week January 16 -20 Key West’s azure blue “race track” is sure to feature the world’s top performing race boats and crews in January. Premiere Racing’s New Year sailing kick-off begins on January 16, with nine races scheduled over the five days of racing. Event details, entries and past results are available at www.Premiere-Racing.com

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2006 Useppa Island 2nd Annual Catboat Rendezvous, Useppa Island, Southwest Florida, Jan. 27-29 It’s time to think about winter fun in the sun, sailing, and camaraderie on Useppa Island, FL, the weekend of January 27-29. You don’t need to own a Catboat, or even be from Florida to attend this event. We want you to be a Catboat aficionado. There will be Catboats of all types and sizes. Bring your boat or come and savor the tranquility of a real island off the southwest Florida coast. You will most likely be able to crew with someone sailing around Pine Island Sound, be part of the race committee, crew in the races, or watch from a spectator boat. Friday night pot luck beach party, Saturday tour of Useppa Island and the museum, racing and sailing. Saturday night buffet dinner. Sunday races, brunch and awards ceremony. Accommodations at neighboring Cabbage Key, stay on your boat at Useppa, or anchor out. $80 per person. For information, contact Gretchen and John Coyle at (239) 2835008. E-mail Gfcoyle@msn.com.

NEWS Are Non-Motorized Boat Registrations in Store for Floridians? On November 4, Brevard County officials held a meeting to discuss and hear public comment on a proposal to, for the first time, charge registration fees for small, nonmotorized boats that are now not required to register. Presently, exempt boats include sailboats 20 feet or less that do not have motors. The county’s Department of Natural Resources, a department whose staff has been heavily involved during the past year with boaters’ access issues, is involved with the effort to formulate the proposal. Any registration requirement and registration fee schedule resulting from these discussions and public comment will have to be put into law by the Florida State Legislature. SOUTHWINDS plans a more thorough report on this developing issue in a future issue.

HOLIDAY BOAT PARADES Dec 3. Cortez Yacht Club Lighted Boat Parade. Departs Seafood Shack at 6 p.m. Along the Intracoastal Waterway from Cortez Bridge to Longboat Pass and back. Public vantage points for spectator viewing include: Cortez Bridge, Bradenton Beach City Pier, Leffis Key Boardwalk, Coquina Beach Bayside boat ramp. For more information, go to www.cortezyachtclub.com. Or call (941) 780-3547. Dec 3. Charleston, SC. 26th Annual Parade of Boats. The parade begins at approximately 5:30 p.m. near the Mt. Pleasant side and ends in the Ashley River, (after processing down the Charleston side of the Cooper River), at approximately 7:30 p.m. We say approximately, because of various factors, including wind, current, and the ability of the boats to maintain headway. Call (843) 724-7414 for more information. www.charleston.com/events.cfm?eventId=791. December - check date (could be Dec. 3) Holiday Boat Parade. Beaufort, SC. Holiday Boat Parade along the Beaufort River. events@downtownbeaufort.com, (843) 5256644 or www.downtownbeaufort.com. Dec. 9. Bradenton Yacht Club Boat Parade. On the Manatee River to Regatta Pointe Marina. Dec. 9. St. Petersburg Annual Lighted Boat Parade. Straub Park and The Pier. 5:30 p.m. Tuba Christmas, 6 p.m. Holiday music. 7 p.m. Boat parade. Entry and other information, call the Pier at (727) 821-6443, or www.stpetepier.com, or contact lw.goff@verizon.net.

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December 2006

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Sail a Small Boat Day, Boaters Exchange, Rockledge FL, Nov. 12 Sail a Small Boat Day in Rockledge, FL, on Nov. 12. Photo by Roy Laughlin. A breezy, bright day made a successful Sail a Small Boat Day in downtown Cocoa on Nov 12. Sponsored by Boaters Exchange in Rockledge, these occasional events give novice sailors a chance to try sailing trailerable sailboats, or provide experienced sailors an opportunity to expand their familiarity with a sailboat new to them. Monohull sailors often have questions about or want to experience handling differences between water-ballasted and keeled sailboats. They have this opportunity at Sail a Small Boat Day. The next Sail a Small Boat Day is tentatively scheduled for the last weekend in January (possibly Jan. 22) or first weekend of February 2006.

Free Life Jacket for Children: BoatUS Foundation Seeks Locations to Hand Out The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is on the lookout for a few good locations to become lending sites for its free Life Jacket Loaner Program in 2006. The program loans out childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life jackets from readily accessible sites such as marinas, boat clubs and other waterfront businesses to boaters who have a temporary need for a kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life jacket for the day or weekend. There is no cost to become a loaner site. Application is due by February 21, 2006: http://www.boatus.com/news/releases/2005/novem ber/ljlp.asp

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December 2006

Manatee County Moves Forward on Purchase of Seafood Shack for Maritime Museum in Cortez, FL Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court “Chips” Shore, recently announced that the county is going to prepare a letter to Seafood Shack owner Ham Jones, stating that it is interested in purchasing the property. The letter will keep the property off the market while an appraisal is done, so that the county can make an offer for the property. The county has been considering purchasing the property for several months. The purchase would include the building, parking lot, a 68-slip marina, and two attached acres. A 324-passenger paddle-wheel showboat would be included. The county would use the site for a marine museum and a boatbuilding and teaching facility. It would keep the marina and add boat ramps to the site. The Florida Institute of Saltwater Heritage, a civic organization in Cortez that deals with preserving the region’s maritime heritage, would partner with the county in the operation of the property and its conversion to the new use.

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Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam in Melbourne a Huge Success, Nov. 11-13 By Roy Laughlin Kathleen Watt, SSCA’s new board of directors president. Photo by Roy Laughlin.

Balmy breezes may have tempted a few of the 700 sailors who showed up in Melbourne, FL, for the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) Gam, its annual meeting when many take some time cruising the Indian River. But most found the seminars, exhibits, social events and speakers enticing enough to stay in the Eau Gallie Civic Center for most of the

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three-day event. There was just too much to pass up. New this year was a series of Saturday workshops that invited attendees to participate. Recognized experts led cruisers through hands-on classes. Joe Jelinski showed people how to care for and repair electrical systems and electronics on board.

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Scott Loomis, who is opening a Doyle Sail loft in Stuart, led a group practicing techniques to repair sails while unde rway cruising. Brooks Jones, Sailing Services in Miami, assisted those practicing care of standing and running rigging. These are a sampling of the 12 hands-on seminars held on Saturday. Also on Saturday were a

series of round table discussions where each participant became part of the expert pool, giving viewpoints and experiences on a selected topic. SSCA has a continuing focus on women’s issues aboard. The Women’s Forum, held Saturday with the other roundtable discussions, was a chance for a more one-on-one sharing among women of the experiences and how to handle issues that inevitably arise. For example, many women spoke about ways of keeping up with family members such as children in college or maintaining a close relationship with skeptical parents or siblings who do not fully understand the justification for taking time to cruise. These workshops, new at this year’s meeting, are an attempt to increase camaraderie among cruisers, and cultivate sailors’ self-reliance. The gam also includes a number of lectures by nationally and internationally recognized authorities. No matter how you want your information, SSCA offers it. SSCA will begin a new initiative following this year ’s meeting by offering an intensive two-day workshop, in Vero Beach, on weather forecasting for cruisers. NOAA weather forecasters will show cruisers how to read and interpret weather maps that can be downloaded while cruising. If this first workshop is successful, other topics will be selected and developed. This is another effort of SSCA’s board of directors’ goal to increase cruisers’ self reliance. Kathleen Watt was elected the chairwoman of SSCA’s board of directors. Her goals during her year’s tenure include enhancing services and information for cruisers on the SSCA Web site. She and the board are forming a foundation to benefit cruisers. In its first year, the president and board will determine the scope of services and resources each service will receive. The gam was amazingly busy, perhaps almost frantic at times. It was a high energy effort for the organizers and participants. Everyone seemed to be having a good time with friends, new and old, and came away with both gear and insight. SOUTHWINDS

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OUR WATERWAYS

OUR WATERWAYS The SOUTHWINDS “Our Waterways” Section SOUTHWINDS has created this section to inform our readers about changes in our waterways. We believe that Southerners are in the midst of a great change occurring on our waterways—through the conversion of many boating properties to condominiums, restrictions on anchorages once thought to be more open and now being more restricted and regulated, and other economic forces at work. The waterways belong to all of us, and all of us have a right to use them. The waterways are not just for those who can afford to live on the water, and it is up to us boaters and lovers of these waters to protect that right. We hope that by helping to inform you of these changes, we will contribute to doing just that. We are looking for news and information on changes, land sales, anchorages, boaters’ rights, new marinas, anchoring rights, disappearing marinas, boatyards and boat ramps, environmental concerns and other related news. Contact Steve Morrell, editor@southwindsmagazine.com, or call (877) 372-7245.

Englewood Marina in Florida Seeks Expansion In 2004, Palm Island Marina in Englewood in southwest Florida originally sought expansion to add 67 new slips. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection told the marina it would only approve the additional slips if the marina made substantial changes. The marina consequently redrew its proposal to include only 25 new slips. The first proposal for the larger expansion concerned marina neighbors, who complained about possible congestion in the area and endangerment of a manatee protection zone. The newer and smaller proposal, still to be approved by the state, and then by the Army Corps of Engineers and the county permitting process, would give six acres to the state aquatic preserve. Palm Island Marina currently has 90 slips, takes boats up to 65 feet in length and has an approach and dockside depth of six feet.

St. Johns County In Northwest Florida Invests In Increased Waterways Access Heading off a shortage of waterway access in coming years, St. Johns County recently decided to invest $15-million in adding boat ramps and upgrading 12 existing ones. The county sees a doubling in demand for waterway access by 2015. The county has been purchasing land for new ramps and for expanding existing ones, in one case adding 21 acres. Improvements and expansion include more parking, improved restrooms, dredging, rebuilding bulkheads and general upgrading. In 2003, the county approved a $20-million bond to improve and increase waterway access. Current projects are funded by that bond. While some residents in the county see increased pollution and trash from more boaters on the water, others are glad to see the county purchasing waterfront property for parks and ramps, instead of developers building condos. Boaters are glad to see shorter lines in places where many just gave up waiting previously.

Controversy over Anchoring on Marco Island, FL, Heats Up By Barbara Pierce “Best boating waters in the U.S.,” claims a guidebook about Marco Island, FL. “A boater’s paradise!” exclaims a Web site. “Best anchorage between Key West and Fort Myers,” says one boater, who frequently enjoys anchoring off Marco Island. “Good holding, good protection, good facilities: This is where we always anchor when we go and come back from the Keys.” Marco Island is the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands, 26

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a string of mostly uninhabited islands in the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s southwest coast. The islands run from Naples to the southern tip of Florida and are considered some of the most beautiful waters in the world. All the publicity to attract boaters from all over the world to this “boater’s haven” appears at odds with a recent decision by city officials. In a recent recommendation to the city’s planning board, boaters will be allowed to anchor for only three days at a time, provided they remain 100 feet from residents’ docks and sea walls. An additional three days will be allowed if they produce a certificate for a pump-out. This compromise was achieved with heated discussions between those who believe the city should promote a boaterfriendly environment and those convinced that anchoring will result in eyesores and lower property values. One homeowner, who supports zero-day stays, believes: “Property owners attracted to expensive houses on the water will be shortchanged if their immediate horizons are dotted with boats.” From another homeowner: “Boaters dump their sewage tanks into our bays…I see human waste along my waterfront wall.” “Aren’t our waterways dirty enough?” asks another. “We are being asked to permit uncontrolled sewage dumping by boaters who probably don’t even live here.” “They can’t interfere with our right to anchor,” says a

boater just arrived from out of state on his sailboat. “Admiralty law says you can anchor anywhere, and it has more authority than any local jurisdiction.” “Florida is a tourist center. People arriving on boats are tourists. We’re being discriminated against because of the type of transportation we choose,” says Otis Tavlin, who anchored on his tri-hull Thunderbird for a month when he first arrived on Marco Island. A homeowner and a boater, Waterways Advisory Committee member Herman Diebler supports anchoring: “I can’t see how anyone would object. People have pictures of boats in their living rooms. Do they have pictures of RVs?” He wonders why people opposed to boats would choose to live on an island. “I don’t understand the concern,” says Mark Mahoney, a Florida Fish and Wildlife deputy who patrols these waters. “I’ve never seen a boat cause a problem. I don’t understand why homeowners are objecting.” People on both sides of the issue will be waiting for the city planning board’s decision.

Popular Anchorage at Fort Myers Beach Becomes a Mooring Field By Barbara Pierce and Steve Morrell The Southern Waterway Guide identifies the Fort Myers Beach area as one of its top 10 choices of destinations because of the “ample marine services in a holiday-minded, beachy atmosphere.” Several other cruising guides also give this area high ratings. Fort Myers Beach is on the west coast of Florida. When traveling south on the Gulf ICW, it’s the last harbor before going outside to reach Naples or the Keys. When traveling from the East Coast on the Okeechobee Waterway, it’s the

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December 2006

OUR WATERWAYS last stop before the Gulf. services exist. Although the facilities In December 2004, the large, popuat Salty Sam’s are clean and comfortlar anchorage off Estero Island became able, several boaters have experia mooring field for 70 boats. enced frustration. There were several reasons why One boater complained of the systhe town made the decision to go with tem set up for registering and the moorings. “There were lots of subavailable moorings. The boater called merged boats,” Public Service Director Salty Sam’s about a mooring, and they Matt Feeney explains. “There was were informed that they had to come conflict between the shrimpers and in first to register for a mooring. They the pleasure boaters. And complaints told Salty Sam’s that they needed to from homeowners about noise and take a mooring first. Then they were pollution.” informed that their 42-foot boat was “Because of the wind and current, too long for available moorings as it was a difficult place to anchor,” he there were only two moorings for a continues. “Boats were always dragboat of that size. At the time the moorging anchor and coming down on ing field was only one-third full. After The Fort Myers Beach mooring field. Photo by some comments from the boater, Salty other boats.” The mooring field was eight years Steve Morrell. Sam’s hung up, and, in frustration, the in development. boater took a mooring anyway. After clearing out all the submerged boats, screw-type Afterwards, Salty Sam’s was closed. Consequently, the anchors were set and topped with tackle that has been testboater went into the marina in the morning, and the maned for 50,000 pounds, adequate to hold 50-foot boats in agement said the mooring they took was fine. heavy winds. This same boaters found unnecessarily long mooring The moorings can accommodate vessels up to 56 feet in lines, which caused them to tangle with their keel. When length, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. they tried to attach their own shorter line to the mooring Rates are $13 per day, or $275 per month. (After 20 days, ball, they found such a large shackle that they were conboaters are eligible for the monthly rate.) The rate includes dinghy docks, shower and bathroom facilities, holding tank pump-out, and use of garbage bins. Salty Sam’s Marina, on San Carlos Island, manages the mooring field. Hail them on VHF 16 as you approach the 65foot bridge that spans Estero Bay, or call them at (239) 4637333, and they’ll assign a mooring. To moor here, boats must be in good operating condition, be registered or documented, have insurance, and contain a U.S. Coast Guard-approved marine sanitation device. Boats must use the pump-out boat every three days. Liveaboards can remain for six months, then must spend six months elsewhere before returning. Wet storage is available. “It’s a great amenity,” Feeney concludes. “We’ve made the harbor a safer, cleaner, environment for everyone. We’d like people to visit.” Despite improvements to the area, controversy over the

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cerned about damage to their boat if they tethered to it. They eventually shortened the existing tether to make it work, but it was still too long, the large shackle keeping them from getting too close. They indicated that conventional wisdom for moorings calls for the boater to tether to the ball with their own line and set the length as they feel best and then also allow for

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quick release if need be. We also heard other complaints about Salty Sam’s billing practices, one boater getting a notice about unpaid rent, only to find out Salty Sam’s forgot to record his check when he gave it to them. He suggested Salty Sam be more respectful of visitors before making such accusations. Another boater, planning a future

stay, visited the management facilities looking for information and pricing only to find out that there was no literature to hand out that stated policies, pricing and use of facilities. It was only in the management’s book behind the counter. The rates were then copied down on a scrap piece of paper and given to the visitor. Hopefully, town management will spend the few cents to copy this information for boaters to take with them. Other boaters that have passed through the area complained about a lack of a system for registering without coming into the marina, as some boaters just want to pass through without deploying a dinghy ashore. Perhaps a system can be established to facilitate this over the phone, radio, or by mail, for those who plan out their visits in advance. Another sailor was passing through the area and moored there temporarily, shuttling his car down from a previous location. He parked at Salty Sam’s. He was told that if he wanted to do so, he would have to pay $240 a month for a parking permit. He moved his car. This same boater also mentioned that the two showers at Salty Sam’s, for use by those who take a mooring, are also used by the marina and boatyard workers to clean up. Along with use by the boatowners in the marina docks, this meant the facilities were often dirty and frequently came with only cold water (although Southwinds found these facilities very clean on its visit). All in all, having a mooring field established by Fort Myers Beach is a step in the right direction, but it appears many refinements in service and facilities are needed. Hopefully, town management will improve this situation over time, but one boater who regularly keeps his boat moored in the field said town management does not listen to the advisory board and consequently, boater’s needs and suggestions are ignored. The boater also complained about inconsistent policies being voiced by the management at Salty Sam’s, generating distrust. You can find more information about the mooring field at www.fmbeach.com, but it requires some searching, so go to “Programs,” SOUTHWINDS

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OUR WATERWAYS

Salty Sam’s Marina, which manages the Fort Myers Beach mooring field. Photo by Steve Morrell.

then “Harbor Plan” to find the proper information, and it is very limited. Strangely enough, there is no contact information, like a phone number, e-mail address, or VHF channel being monitored, other than mentioning that Salty Sam’s is managing the field. You could do a Google search on Salty Sam’s, but we will save you the time. Call (888) 796-6427. There is no mention of the mooring field at Salty Sam’s Web site.

mayor’s office and deals another blow to the moored boat owners who call Sea Plane Basin home. According to city of Tampa Parks and Recreation Superintendent Marsha Carter, “It is unlawful for any person to deposit or leave any equipment, materials or supplies of any character upon docks, parkways, sidewalks or streets in or adjacent to the city yacht basins unless...contained in a box or locker.” Carter went on to explain the danger these objects caused “during this past storm season.” Apparently, many items from moored boats were left on the parkway adjacent to the basin, and some items were not secured properly. These problems are contributing to the increase in action by the city of Tampa. A handful of sailors live aboard their boats in the basin and use dinghies to get to shore for work and errands. Under this new rule, they could get in trouble for leaving their dinghy onshore for too long. How the city of Tampa will keep track of the allotted hours dinghies stay on shore remains to be seen. While the city officially says that moored boats can use dinghies to come and go within 24hour time periods, it is difficult to keep track of boat parking. The city can’t chalk the tires of dinghies on the beach. It is possible that people who leave their dinghies ashore temporarily to run errands could risk conflicting with city law enforcement. One victim of these regulations is John Almeida, who periodically moors his Rhodes 19 in Sea Plane Basin, but

Boat Dinghies Must Be Removed From Shore at Davis Island in Tampa Bay By Stephanie Cox The ongoing controversy between moored boat owners and the city of Tampa continues. Moored boat dinghy owners are being warned that their dinghies must not stay ashore for more than 24 hours on city of Tampa beaches, parks or docks. In late October, dinghies left onshore in Sea Plane Basin received a note from the city of Tampa warning about the enforcement of this rule. The warning also stated that the Tampa Police Department would confiscate any redtagged boats left on city property for more than 72 hours. The decision to enforce this rule comes from the

Send Us Information On Public Mooring Fields SOUTHWINDS is trying to catalogue all the public mooring fields and anchorages that are regulated by local municipalities in the South, whether fresh or saltwater. We ask our readers to send us information on those that they know, with contacts, locations, regulations, news etc. Contact Steve Morrell, editor@southwindsmagazine.com, or call (877) 372-7245. News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

OUR WATERWAYS lives ashore in Tampa. Almeida uses his dinghy to get to his Rhodes and go for weekend sails. Under the new law, Almeida could not leave his dinghy on the beach during the week, and would have to arrange for boat storage at his apartment complex. The control of Sea Plane Basin is currently in a transitional period. In the past, the Tampa Port Authority controlled the basin, but according to Marsha Carter, “The city’s attorneys are currently working with the Port Authority” and discussing submerged and bottom land rights in Sea Plane Basin. Whoever controls the bottom of the harbor ultimately can make the rules regarding who can moor and store things in and around the harbor. Rumors abound that the city is currently working to get rid of all the boats moored in the harbor. Some fear the confiscation of dinghies is just the first step in the process of kicking out boats anchored on city property. According to Carter, “The city is currently evaluating the health and safety impact moored vessels have on the basin, and at this time no formal decision has been reached.” Almeida feels that sailors are being unfairly targeted by the city especially when many other problems exist on Davis Island. According to Almeida, “Dogs run up and down the beach, which is against the law, and Dumpsters overflow regularly.”Unfortunately, for those who keep their boats in Sea Plane Basin, the city seems intent on enforcing the rules that target them. See John Almeida’s letter to the editor in the “Letters” section this month.

Why Is My Beach Closed? By Stephanie Cox According to the Sierra Club, as many as 3.5-million Americans become sick every year from swimming in waters contaminated by sanitary sewer overflows. Nationwide, beach closings caused by contamination result in revenue losses as high as $2-billion every year. In May 2005, the Clean Water Fund, a nonprofit Florida environmental group, released a report entitled Are We Wading in Waste? – Sewage Overflow in Florida that reported that nearly 56-million gallons of sewage were spilled into Florida’s waterways and neighborhoods in 2004. The group

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reported the largest spills totaled 15.1-million gallons and occurred in St. Lucie County. This spill was attributed to the hurricanes of 2004. The other “top ten” counties for 2004 Florida sewer spills were Pasco, Osceola, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Volusia, Orange and Brevard In SOUTHWINDS, we have been reporting on the controversy between liveaboards and the city of Tampa. Some Tampa residents claim that the liveaboards are pumping out their waste into Sea Plane Basin Harbor, and that is polluting Davis Island Beach. When researching this issue on myflorida.com, it became evident that Davis Island Beach did score poorly many times in 2004, but factors other than pump-out waste could have contributed to the poor results. In 2004, Davis Island Beach scored moderate or poor scores in the enterococcus (fecal coliform) category 11 times between the months of April to October. According to Surfrider.com, the poor readings at Davis Island Beach could be the result of sewer overflows and not pump-outs alone. The weeks with some of the highest readings in 2004 at Davis Island Beach followed hurricanes, which are known to cause sewer overflows. The city of Tampa reportedly had 36 sewage overflows between June 9, 2003, and June 21, 2004. One local group has taken action against the city and a corporation for polluting the environment. In October 2004, the Sierra Club filed a notice to sue the city of Tampa and Cintas Corp, which operates an industrial laundry in Tampa. Cintas reportedly had 16 violations of its discharge permit between March 6, 2001, and May 13, 2004. All of these discharges could increase pollution at area beaches and impact beach closings.

Angry Individual Writes Letter About Davis Island Liveaboards We received an angry letter from an angry individual about the liveaboards in the Davis Island Seaplane Basin. In the letter, the individual wrote he/she has “personally observed liveaboards moored in the basin discharging human waste in the basin.” He/she continued to write, “They are such scum bags that they cannot fit in with the rest of society. .They do not pay rent. They live off the rest of us and they pollute our waters.” On another issue, the

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writer claims, in accusing the liveaboards of theft, that he/she “personally tracked down stolen navigation equipment to the scum bags.” The rest of the letter is filled with such anger and hatred that I feel sorry for this person. Unfortunately, the writer did not have the courage to identify himself or herself, a personality trait consistent with the tone of the letter. If this person had observed these alleged actions by the liveaboards, then he/she should have notified authorities. If the writer did, it was not indicated in the letter. What is most distressing is the anger, distrust and lack of civility I see between the liveaboards and those who hate them. It is the very basis of one of man’s most frightening bad traits, prejudice, i.e., prejudging others by the group they are in. In this whole liveaboard issue, and I believe it is common to many places, I see so much prejudging that I fear the hatred that is brewing out there. This letter we received was filled with so much anger that I wonder how that person might explode in everyday society. SOUTHWINDS’ coverage of this issue in the Seaplane Basin has not been complete and has had its failings, but we are trying to increase communication on this subject, and we will address this issue more in the future. There is so much that is believed to be true, yet is not, and I see so much ignorance and prejudice among intelligent and educated people that it concerns me deeply. As an example of misinformation being thrown around: Contrary to popular belief among liveaboard haters, beach closings in the upper Tampa Bay have been mainly because of public sewage treatment overflows by the local government, not because of boaters’ dumping. Boaters contribute to it, I am sure, but I am positive of one thing people try to ignore: Many boaters at their docks pump their waste into waters, and few will admit it because it is so hard to detect, yet easy to do. Dumping waste is not limited to liveaboards who don’t care. This is a discussion that no one wants to have, but almost every boater knows it’s true. We must dis-

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Send Us Information and Opinions on Boat Waste Disposal More and more communities are restricting our rights to anchor or moor in their local waters. One of the main complaints is residents’ allegations of sewage disposal from boats. Do boaters pollute the waters in which they anchor? What alternatives to the traditional methods of sewage disposal from a boat exist? Are composting toilets a good answer? How about mandatory pump-outs? Enforced no-discharge zones? How much pollution is caused by local communities compared to what a boat discharges? What about Type I and Type II MSDs? Should they be allowed in no-discharge zones? SOUTHWINDS will be researching innovative ways to dispose of sewage and answers to this age-old problem. We’d like your input and opinions. Contact Steve Morrell editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) -795-8704 cuss it, and we must solve this problem in the coming years. We invite more letters like this one, oddly enough, because if there are people out there who write letters like this, then we need to know they exist, because this type of person scares me. At the least, it is communication, but what we really need is some answers and real, practical, useful solutions, based on real knowledge. SOUTHWINDS will try to be a vehicle for that discussion. Steve Morrell Editor

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

Strictly Sail St. Pete, Nov. 3-6 A Hospital Fundraiser Brings Sailing Masters Together Strictly Sail St. Pete, in its 14th year, continued its reputation as one of the most favored shows to attend and exhibit at of all the boat shows in the United States. The second race in the Masters Under Sail Regatta at the Strictly Sail St. Pete Boat Show. Photo by Jeff Hazzard.

ituated in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg on the water on Vinoy Basin, the show’s location has helped make the show the fun event it has become. The show also seems to be annually blessed with perfect weather as an added bonus. Being held in early November, it is warm but not too hot, and rarely does rain ever visit this show. This year, because Hurricane Dennis destroyed the Vinoy Resort docks on the north side of the basin, the show was held on the basin’s south side at the base of the causeway to The Pier. Although many were concerned about the new location, the show was now surrounded by water on three sides and made for a much more beautiful setting. Attendance at the show was good and exhibitors, both in the booths and in the water, expressed excellent sales— something the St. Pete show brings each year. Perhaps it is

Winner of the best decorated boat in the Mother Tubber Regretta. Photo by Steve Morrell. 34

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the locale and general goodwill felt at the show that causes visitors to open their pocketbooks. Many new boats in the water were at this year’s show, including the debut of the Catalina 309, marking the return of the famous Catalina 30 in a modern design. Also making its debut was the Tartan 3400, an economically priced and modernized Tartan 34, brought to market by Tartan C&C, now a totally new company holding two classic boat names. This year, a fundraiser for All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg made this year’s show more enjoyable as it brought together many of sailing’s masters. The fundraiser, called Sailing for Miracles, included several events that invited Charley Morgan, Halsey Herreshoff (who could not make it at the last minute and John Jennings sailed in his place), Ted Irwin, Mark Ploch, Jen French (Sail La Vie Team),

The Sailing for Miracles tent. Charley Morgan is on the right with the hat on. Photo by Steve Morrell. www.southwindsmagazine.com

Allison Jolly, Olaf Harken, Frank Butler, Steve Pettengill and Ted Hood. The main event had all these masters compete in two races on Saturday afternoon in Sonars donated by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The race, named Masters Under Sail, was the main event of the fundraiser. The race started and finished in the Vinoy basin under light winds. The course went outside the basin and around one mark off The Pier. Frank Butler took first place, scoring the most points in both races. Precursor to the race was a Friday evening cocktail party, a joint fundraiser for All Children’s Hospital and the Southeastern Sailing Industries Association (SESIA). At the party, held at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, the sailing masters were introduced with a short biography about their contributions to sailing. After the introductions, donated items from the sailing industry were auctioned off by All Children’s Hospital. Another sailing event associated with Sailing for Miracles was the Mother Tubber Regretta, a parade of decorated and unusual boats that sailed out of the basin and back. Every entrant won a donated prize, for everything from most decorated to dirtiest bottom (which won a donated bottom job) to which came the farthest. One of the main fundraisers of Sailing for Miracles was a raffle held by the Sarasota Youth Sailing Program of a Catalina Sport 22 and an Island Packet Big Fish—both donated boats by their manufacturers. One hundred forty-seven $100 tickets were sold, all the money going to All Children’s Hospital—and two people got some great boats at great prices. The event was made possible by donations and sponsorship by many sailing businesses—too many to name them all, but major sponsors included Catalina Yachts, Ronstan, Island Packet, Hunter Sailboats, Cruising World/Sailing World (donating advertising). Minor sponsors included Southwinds magazine (also donating advertising and whose editor demanded mention), naming only one of many. Next year, Sailing for Miracles will again invite many more masters (some new and some the same) to the fundraiser, as this will be the beginning of an annual event. Many sponsors have already come forward, and many masters of the sailing world, who could not attend this year, have expressed interest in next year’s event. The Southeastern Sailing Industries Association (www.sailingvoice.org) will be the main organizer and for those interested in volunteering, sponsorship, or donating to the cause, e-mail info@sailingvoice.org or call (941) 795-8704. You can also go to www.sailingformiracles.org for more information. A link to event photos is available on the Web sites also. News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

FORT LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW

Postponed Fort Lauderdale Show Means Some Boats, Buyers Not Here By Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp

ix days before the scheduled opening of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the docks that would eventually hold more than $1.5 billion in yachts were empty. Bahia Mar was a ghost town. The opening of the 46th annual show was postponed seven days for Hurricane Wilma, which passed over southern Florida on Monday, Oct. 24. Once it passed, organizers needed several days to get the largest boat show in the world off the ground, which was shortened by one day. The postponed show ran Nov. 3 – 6, opposite the Strictly Sail show in St. Petersburg, FL. Of the show’s 1400 exhibitors, 61 cancelled, as did many vessels, said Kaye Pearson, the Catamarans lined up at the rescheduled Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. Photo by Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp. president of Yachting percent of the city’s hotels were operating, with thousands Promotions, Inc. which runs the show. of rooms available. “It clearly looked like a war zone mess here, without Some exhibitors and brokers agreed that attendance was question,” he said. off, and that it might have been better to have delayed the “There’s no better way for a community to recover from show for a few weeks until the hotels and traffic lights were a hurricane than getting paychecks in their pockets,” said back up. Jim Naugle, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale. The Fort “I couldn’t find a hotel room Wednesday night,” said Lauderdale show plays a role in the global economy and Jerry Hall, a broker with Mason Yachts, who offered a 49kicks off the season for the entire marine industry, he said to Hylass sailboat, Oasis, at the Las Olas docks. “It’s light on the journalists at the show’s media breakfast, adding that 70 clientele. I haven’t seen what I consider buyers” he said. “In my opinion, the show should have been postponed.” “Hotel rooms would have been nice,” said Susan Ulrich, a vacation planner for The Moorings. “It’s slow but more traffic than I expected,” she said, adding that she was surprised at how well everyone was adjusting. “The weather’s nice and we have a few leads on the Moorings 4300.” “We were pretty busy on Saturday. So far so good,” said Jessica Cherena of The Catamaran Company, which displayed four Lagoon sailboats and a Privilege 495, just returned from charter in Tortola. S/Y Paraiso made her debut at F-Dock amid the show’s heralded superyachts. Launched last summer by New Zealand’s Alloy Yachts, the megayacht sailboat Paraiso is a 108-foot, high-tech aluminum sloop with a carbon-fiber See BOAT SHOW continued on page 68

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HURRICANE SEASON 2005 Hurricane Wilma Impacts the Florida Keys By Rebecca Burg Wilma moves boats around on Fleming Key. Photo by Rebecca Burg.

On Wednesday, October 19, a hurricane hunter aircraft recorded the lowest minimum central pressure ever known for an Atlantic storm. Eight hundred and eighty-two millibars were measured while Hurricane Wilma displayed the most rapid increase in wind speed on record. With sustained winds of 175 mph, the wobbling hurricane slowly headed toward the west side of the Yucatan. Meanwhile, visitors were evacuated from the Florida Keys, which were close to the storm’s projected path. By Saturday, October 22, a phased mandatory evacuation was in place for all Keys residents. On a sunny, Sunday afternoon, the estimated 95 percent of Keys residents who chose to stay watched the hazy southwestern horizon rapidly grow dark. Thunder rumbled and the winds increased. It would be a long night for many. With 115 to 125 mph winds and traveling at about 20 mph, category 3 Hurricane Wilma swept along the Keys early Monday morning on October 24. Passing along the north side of the Keys, the hurricane was 460 miles across with an eye that was a whopping 60 miles in diameter. The eye’s center passed about 70 miles northwest of Key West. Hurricane force winds extended 85 miles from the center, and the entire Keys chain experienced these winds. Tornadoes and downbursts were particularly active during this storm and imploded a few buildings, tore away roofs and knocked down trees. The power went out in most areas. About 70 vessels were blown aground or set adrift in the

lower Keys alone. An anchored, two-masted megayacht, just under 200 feet in length, was helplessly dragged across the banks and left aground north of Key West. During the ordeal, her lofty masts snapped near the deck. Powerful seas tore a number of the Marine Sanctuary’s public mooring balls away and dislodged channel markers. A few day markers near Key West, which were heavy steel I-beams, were twisted in two and reduced to mangled stumps. Docks and piers throughout the Keys were smashed or broken free. Marinas were flooded. A number of houseboats were knocked on their sides or sunk. The surge rose from five to seven feet in the lower keys and three to five feet in the middle and upper keys, with the Florida Bay side experiencing the worst flooding. Sixty to 80 percent of Key West was estimated to be under water. Water rose over the hoods of uncountable vehicles, submerged the fuel pumps at Garrison Bight Marina and sloshed into peo-

Send Us Your Hurricane Stories Visit our Hurricane Page on the SOUTHWINDS Web site Our Mission Is To Save Boats We are looking for readers to send in their hurricane stories—whether on the water, at the dock, or at anchor/moored, both sail and power. Tell us what worked, what didn’t work, what lines, fenders, anchors, chafe protection gear and other techniques were used to help save your boat or what didn’t; what you saw worked or didn’t work on other boats—or what you heard about; or just tell us what happened. Next year, when the 2006 hurricane season begins on June 1, we will publish more of these stories and letters along with those we continue to receive. This year’s stories are on our hurricane page on our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. Through sharing these experiences, other boaters can learn what to do next time a storm comes and, perhaps, save their boats and, perhaps, even lives. Send them to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Send pictures if you have them. News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

SOUTHWINDS

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HURRICANE SEASON 2005 ple’s homes. In some homes, the water rose chest high. One Keys woman, resting on her bed, was shocked to discover her mattress floating away from the bed frame. Unharmed and using the mattress as a float, she swam to the safety of a nearby friend’s home. Water made its way into stoves, electrical outlets, refrigerators, furniture and ruined uncountable household items. Marathon airport was described as resembling a lake. In Islamorada, floods pushed out the doors to the village hall and deposited seaweed on the carpets and floors. “We are slowly going under water!” said a sleepless local, who’d called the only working FM radio station. According to the Keynoter, it was the worst hurricane for the Keys in 45 years. A 134 mph wind gust was reported in the Dry Tortugas at 1:45 a.m. Monday morning. The Key West weather station failed at 2:16 a.m. while recording wind gusts to 83 mph. Cudjoe Key reported a 123 mph gust. Marathon’s Sombrero Light recorded a 105 mph gust and sustained winds of 87 mph. Islamorada recorded a 108 mph wind gust, and Molasses Reef recorded sustained winds of 74 mph with 91 mph gusts. Late Monday, after Wilma’s ruinous passage, a Coast Guard helicopter was spotted flying out near the lower keys to assess the damages. The scene wasn’t good. Debris was floating everywhere, and numerous vessels had their EPIRBs triggered off as they blew aground and were inundated with water. The Coast Guard had to investigate each EPIRB signal. “The cars and property that has been lost here is staggering,” said a radio host while he kept residents informed with emergency information shortly after the storm. The bridges and overseas highway are intact, and Keys residents were able to return by Tuesday. Some stoplights are down, and drivers must take care. Mariners also must be extra cautious until buoy tenders are able to repair, relocate and replace lost markers and lights. The shoaling effects, if any, of the storm is unknown at this time. Some area marinas experienced facility and dock damage, and traveling boaters are urged to call ahead and check with the marina of interest. The Key West mooring field is intact, but most vessels in the anchorage on the west side of Fleming and near Wisteria Island were blown aground or sunk. Luckily, there are no reports of serious injuries or deaths in the Keys. President George W. Bush declared Monroe County a federal disaster area. FEMA and the Florida National Guard quickly distributed food, water and ice throughout the Keys. Key West alone estimated about $100-million in damages. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Mike Puto, Marathon city manager. Puto guesses that the structure and property loss Keys-wide may be up to one billion. The clean-up and repair process has begun, and Key West’s famous Fantasy Fest, which was originally scheduled for the last week of October, has been rescheduled for December 7-10. News & Views for Southern Sailors

Hurricane Wilma Hammers Southeast Florida Sailboats By Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp

Wilma hits southeast Florida. Photo by Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp.

After heavily damaging southwest Florida and the Keys, Wilma moved eastward across the state to impact southeast Florida’s boating community. A 63-year-old-man, Thomas Jenkins of Arizona, died after trying to weather the storm on his brand-new 34-foot Hunter sailboat anchored on Maule Lake in Aventura, said Det. James Cumbie. The body was discovered on the sea wall of the Point East apartments near the remnants of the smashed, sinking vessel at 12:29 p.m. on Monday. “The victim had recently retired and had just bought the sailboat in Jacksonville, with his brother, the week before,” Cumbie reported. Jenkins provisioned the sailboat for a trip to Key West, which he delayed due to the approaching storm, Cumbie said. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be drowning. Further south, at Dinner Key Marina and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, extensive damage was reported, but no deaths occurred. “We went out before the storm and knocked on the boats,” said Stephen Bogner, marina manager for the city of Miami. “We urged people to get off the boats and offered temporary shelter,” he said. During Hurricane Katrina, two SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

HURRICANE SEASON 2005 deaths were reported from the anchorage of boaters who stayed on their boats, Bogner said. “This time we really tried to get them out.” Dinner Key sustained heavier damage from Wilma compared to Katrina, Bogner said. The stronger winds with the storm surge caused numerous problems, with electrical service out for several days, and several electrical pedestals were destroyed. “Vessels sunk at Dinner Key as deck planks lifted up, causing destruction,” he said. “The anchorage is wiped out,” Bogner said. Only 10 boats were left out of 50, he said. Dinner Key had cleaned up and removed about 70 derelict boats from the bay bottom or city shoreline on Oct. 21, three days before Wilma hit, Bogner said. Ironically, Bogner had initiated and completed a threeday clean-up of Dinner Key’s spoil islands just hours before Katrina hit on Aug. 25, too. Two hundred and fifteen boats were removed by Blue Water Marine Services. Thirty cubic yards of trash had been removed prior to Katrina, said Capt. Todd Seeds. About 220 club members moved their boats in accordance with club policy, said JoAn Pszenny, treasurer of CGSC. Boats are supposed to leave when the wind is over 55 mph, as the moorings are cement, with no screws, she said. Eight sailboats sank or washed ashore at the marine stadium. “I had 100-pound anchors down, so they were anchored well,” said Capt. Phil Kellett, board member and acting manager of the Coconut Grove Sailing Club (CGSC). The damage would have been worse had the hurricane lasted longer, Kellett claimed, adding that two anchors on a 41-foot Hunter were hanging on by a thread afterward. The volunteers of the community-based sailing club were hard at work replacing lost planking. By Nov. 2, 100 linear feet of dinghy docks for the youth sailing club had already been rebuilt, Kellett said. CGSC’s annual regatta, which was originally scheduled for Oct. 22, was cancelled. A make-up date will be announced. The 2005 Rolex Farr One-Design Invitational was also cancelled due to the conditions in South Florida following Hurricane Wilma. The race was to commence Nov. 3, said Reneé Mehl, a representative for Stagg Yachts and the Farr 40 and Mumm 30 class associations. About 26 sailboats

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Boats knocked off their stands in a Fort Lauderdale boatyard. Photo by Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp. were to have competed in the regatta, which has been rescheduled for Key West Race Week, Jan. 16-20. Many yachts, powerboats and sailboats in Fort Lauderdale suffered damage from torn bimini tops, tattered sails, smashed hulls and swim platforms. “It’s awful to see, and I’ve seen it before,” Bogner said. “I feel for the vessel owners.” Ideally, if a vessel is not being used, the owner should remove the sail from the roller. “Look at the expense of replacing it now,” Bogner said. As furling jibs get older, they develop little concave pockets, and air trapped in the pockets works the sails loose. “Once the wind is in the jib, it’s going to go up,” Bogner said. The system doesn’t exist to teach people properly about hurricane preparations, Kellett said, adding that CGSC will have courses in the future to educate its members and the community about hurricane prep for sailors. “The whole boating community needs to learn from this.” Contact freelance writer Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp with news items and information in southeast Florida at SouthwindsNews@aol.com.

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Central East Florida Escapes Major Damage by Wilma By Roy Laughlin A Hobie Cat gets thrown around by Wilma. Photo by Roy Laughlin.

While mild in comparison to either Hurricane Frances or Jeanne last September, Hurricane Wilma was an unexpectedly vicious storm for boating interests in Florida’s Indian River area. It was stronger than many expected, affected a large area, and, perhaps most significantly, had its strongest winds from the north. Many anchorages and docks that escaped damage last year by being located on the north side of protective structures, such as causeways, succumbed to Wilma’s northerly winds. This hurricane’s brief duration, less than four hours of peak winds during the middle of the day (on Florida’s east coast) on Oct. 24, and relatively minor storm surge (less than three feet), mitigated what could have been another year of significant damage. Boats, especially sailboats, moored out were notable on the damage tallies. Marina conversions to condo developments left many boatowners to moor out in the river. In Titusville, where the most extensive mooring area has grown, two boats crashed into the Max Brewer Bridge on SR 405. Authorities closed the bridge on Monday, and it remained closed for several days pending inspection by engineers to assess the bridge’s condition. One estimate of damage repair was $500,000. Similar situations occurred along SR 520 in Cocoa and SR 518 (Eau Gallie Causeway) in Melbourne where boats grounded along the causeway. In the latter two locations, traffic flow was not affected. Damage to boats in marinas was much less, although often evident in shredded sails and damage due to wind-blown debris. The Melbourne Yacht Club’s small boat regatta, the first weekend of the club’s immensely popular fall regatta celebration, was cancelled due to uncertainty about when

News & Views for Southern Sailors

Wilma would cross the peninsula. Ironically, both Saturday and Sunday were as calm as a June morning. Had the races not been cancelled due to expected high wind, they almost certainly would have been cancelled due to lack of it. Apparently the wind gods saved up all weekend for Monday. Sebastian appeared to be the hardest hit area in Indian River County. There were few moored boats the week after Wilma. A couple were visible, beached on an island across from the waterfront’s restaurant district. The locals joke that yachts moored off during a hurricane are like love bugs: They crawl on shore to breed, then die. During Wilma, far fewer boats—or their wreckage—were evident than was the case last fall. Either boats are permanently gone or were moved to safer areas for the storm. Other marinas and mooring areas in Indian River County escaped with little damage. Most boat damage occurred due to rope chafe rather than dock or mooring failure. Electrical power outages in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties seemed to be the biggest problems for marinas following the storm, as was the case for the surrounding communities in general. It made offering services to boaters difficult and delayed facility repair. As this is being written the last week of October, Florida’s central east coast residents are cautiously optimistic that the 2005 hurricane season will be nothing like last year’s. A strong hurricane seems unlikely in November, the final month of the usual season. If hurricane season is like an opera, it isn’t over until the fat lady sings. Let’s hope Wilma was the 2005 season’s fat lady.

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

SOUTHERN SAILORS

Punta Gorda Sailing Instruction Guru Gets US SAILING Honor By Morgan Stinemetz

hen Jo Mogle of Punta Gorda a former naval architect, has won the Adams took her first sailing lessons in Cup, the U.S. women’s sailing championship, Hawaii 44 years ago, she discovfour times in four attempts. She is a former ered an avocation she adapted to so well Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and also the that she has been involved with sailing first woman North American champion of the ever since. Now 73 and a national authorEtchells class. ity on boating education and safety, In Phoenix, Mogle was cited for her high Mogle received the prestigious Timmy standards, long service to boating safety in Larr Award from US SAILING at the general and for her belief that sail training organization’s annual meeting in Phoenix instructors should have a common template on October 21. so that sailing instruction is standardized Jo Mogle The Larr Award is the US SAILING throughout this country. The citation continPhoto by Morgan Stinemetz. Training Committee’s highest honor, preued, “Her evaluation feedback reports are sented annually to an individual who has legendary, and her work has become the made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of gold standard of US SAILING’s quality control efforts.” sailing education in the United States. The award is named Mogle and her husband Dale live about a half a mile for Timothea (Timmy) Larr of Oyster Bay, Long Island. Larr, west of U.S. 41, a few miles south of downtown Punta Gorda. Their home is a tangible representation of Mogle’s thoroughness, her penchant for order. Every single object in the home is in its proper place, and vacuum cleaner tracks sweep across a beige carpet like cuts from a scythe. Jo Mogle appears able to organize things so well that she could straighten out FEMA in an afternoon and still have time left over for a nap. Originally from Buffalo, Mogle was steered into sailing while in Hawaii by outside forces. “We (a military wives group) were water-skiers, and the harbormaster where we were water-skiing thought we should take a sailing lesson. That was in 1961. There were 23 women and two male instructors,” she related. “At the outset, I felt stupid and very afraid of tipping over because it would be embarrassing.” The course was the Red Cross basic ladies sailing course, but, as Mogle perceived it, the men running the course had sailing knowledge and virtually no teaching skills. Imagine four professional wrestling “Smackdown” villains having high tea with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. The experience gave Mogle a mission. She began teaching people how to sail and improving the technique as she went. Mogle’s friends in the military wives club, the Wet Hens, initially were her test group, and while teaching them to sail, she felt there had to be a better way. “I realized that we were not teaching correctly. We taught the way we had learned. So I decided to find out how to teach properly. ‘Properly’ is defined as teaching the necessary steps in the right order. The steps are: 1) Read the text that will apply to the next lesson. 2) Receive classroom instruction on the topic. 3) Do a land drill, meaning that you practice the technique on land. 4) Then you go down to the boat and do it on the water.” 42

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While most of her work has been on the national level, at one time every location where one could take sailing lessons in Hawaii was staffed with Mogle-trained instructors. Though she possesses laser-like focus herself, Mogle said US SAILING’s syllabus doesn’t cramp an instructor’s individuality. “US SAILING instructors are given quite a bit of latitude,” she stated, “and they know how to work with people for the best results because they are taught how to do that.” Jo Mogle’s Timmy Larr Award, a large crystal bowl, will probably roost close to her Waterford crystal at home and may not be seen or recognized by many people outside her immediate family. However, what she has accomplished on her way to getting the recognition she has received—and has richly deserved—has already changed the complexion of sailing instruction in this country.

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December 2006

TROPICAL PIPELINE

Optimizing Your Provisioning in the British Virgin Islands By Mike Kirk

Provisioning for a cruise in the British Virgin Islands (BVIs) can be an expensive hassle but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some valuable suggestions on how to set up your food and beverage stock to maximize variety and minimize expense. The British Virgin Islands

ORGANIZING YOUR MEALS First, a few tips on organizing your meals. Read travel guides and estimate how many times you will eat off the boat. Remember there are fabulous beach bars and restaurants in many of the anchorages that you will really want to experience. Also, it is always nice to give your long-suffering cook/partner some time to enjoy being served. Next, remember it is sometimes difficult to prepare three square meals per day when you are on a relaxed vacation. Be flexible with your meals and make them lighter. Typically, a small breakfast consisting of some combination of cereal/toast/yogurt/ fresh fruit is a delightful way to start the day. Prepare small lunches while under sail to your next snorkeling adventure so you maximize fun time and minimize food preparation time for the cook. GROCERY SHOPPING – “DA BOAT COME ON SUNDAY” Local grocers will tell you “da boat come on Sunday” when you walk into their stores and see empty shelves. 44

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That’s because food is shipped first to St. Croix to clear U.S. customs, and doesn’t arrive at Tortola customs until Sunday. On Monday or early Tuesday the good stuff is on the shelves. Avoid shopping on Sundays! CHARTER COMPANY PROVISIONING PACKAGES This form of provisioning forces you to throw yourself on the mercy of the charter company and take the “recommended package.” This is usually priced per-person per-day with a handsome markup for the charter company. Doing the math on this will provide you with a cost-of-dining benchmark, but also make you wonder if you are providing for a week with Emeril Lagasse! They provide enough food for NFL players in these plans. FAX IN PROVISIONS Some provisioning companies will fax you an organized list of food choices that you can use to tailor your food choices. Pick your meals before you hit the island! Mark up the list and fax it back to the provider with instructions regarding the date and time for deliv-

ery. They deliver to your boat. Payment can be made by credit card on the dock. You can always pick up forgotten items at costlier dockside markets or handpick your wines onshore. TAXI! To follow this plan, hire a taxi for a half a day or hire a car for a day. If you rent a car, provision in the morning and have a nice side trip to an undiscovered beach in the afternoon. (Try to find Smugglers Cove, which is inaccessible by boat.) HIT THE GROCERY STORE The three main options for groceries are Ample Hamper Too, Bobby’s Marketplace and Riteway Supermarket. Ample Hamper Too provides a high quality service on the dock at Village Cay and Soper’s Hole. Its prices are high because of its dockside convenience. Bobby’s is inconveniently located (for the mariners) in the center of town but does provide a wide general choice of groceries at reasonable prices. Riteway has locations at Road Reef Plaza West of Road Town and in Pasea www.southwindsmagazine.com

Estate, Road Town. Riteway (284-4942263) will be glad to help you if you opt to hire a car and has a convenient parking lot at the main store. It also has a good deli and a nice bakery. OTHER MARKETS TO CONSIDER: Trellis Bay Market – a well-stocked grocery store with limited meat choice. Bobby’s Marketplace – Cane Garden Bay, a new convenience store that is well-stocked and situated one block behind Myett’s Beach Bar. Rhymers Grocery – Cane Garden Bay, a modest convenience store situated behind Rhymers Restaurant on the beach. Bitter End – upscale gourmet wine and food supply. Pam’s Kitchen – Anegada, behind Neptune’s Treasure Restaurant – fresh bread, cakes and ice cream. Jost Van Dyke – Great Harbor. Hunt in the back street for ice, bread and very limited non-perishables.

Road Town Bakery, Tortola, BVI – for your special yummy cruise provisions and a nice break if exploring Main Street.

Writers and Photographers Wanted Sailing Experiences Stories and photos about experiences in places you’ve cruised, anchorages, marinas, or passages made throughout the Southern cruising waters, including the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Race reporting Generally, we are always looking for someone to send us race coverage throughout the southern states, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Cruising Notes Southern sailors cruising on the high seas or cruising our waterways and coasts: Send us word on where you’re at and what you’re doing. How the cruising life is treating you. Bahamas Trips, experiences, passages, anchorages, provisioning and other stories that are of interest. Hurricane Stories Hurricanes are a part of owning a boat in the Southern waters, and we would like to hear how you and your boat might have been affected by a storm or how you prepare your boat for one, experiences you’ve had. Send us letters or articles. Our Waterways Information about the waters we sail in: disappearing marinas, boatyards and slips; News & Views for Southern Sailors

mooring fields, anchoring rights, waterway access, etc.

trip, let us look at it.

Maintenance and Technical Articles How you maintain your boat, or rebuilt a boat, technical articles on maintenance, repairs, etc.

Miscellaneous Photos Photographs are always enjoyable, whether for their beauty, their humor, or for many other reasons, and we take them alone. We would like photos with every story, if possible.

Individuals in the Sailing Industry Interesting stories about the world of sailors out there, young, old, and some that are no longer with us but have contributed to the sport or were just true lovers of sailing. The Caribbean Stories about the warm tropical waters farther south of us. Charter Stories Have an interesting Charter story? In our Southern waters, or perhaps in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or points beyond in some far-off and far-out exotic place? Cuba Of course, there is always Cuba, and regardless of how our country’s elected officials try to keep Americans out of the largest island in the Caribbean, it will one day be open as a cruising ground. Today American sailors can legally go to Cuba and cruise if they follow the proper procedures. If you have a story about such a

Cover Photos SOUTHWINDS is always looking for nice cover shots, which are always paid for. They generally need to be a vertical shot, but we can sometimes crop horizontal photos for a nice cover picture. They need to be of a high resolution. If digital, they need to be taken at a very high resolution (and many smaller digital cameras are not capable of taking a large, high-resolution photo for the cover). If a photograph, then we need it scanned at high resolution, or if you send it to us, we can do so. Letters to the Editor For those of you who are not as ambitious to write stories, we always want to hear from you about your experiences and opinions. Contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com for more information and questions. For more technical guidelines about layout, grammar, etc., please visit our Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com and go to “Writer/photographer Guidelines.” SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

RACING Melges 24 World Championship, Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Dec. 11-16 The Corum Melges 24 World Championship will be held at Key Largo’s Ocean Reef Club, Dec, 11-16. For more information, go to www.2005corumm24worlds.com.

Key West Race Week January 16 -20 Key West’s azure blue “race track” is sure to feature the world’s top performing race boats and crews in January. Premiere Racing’s New Year sailing kick-off begins on January 16, with nine races scheduled over the five days of racing. Event details, entries and past results are available at www.Premiere-Racing.com

38th Annual Regata del Sol al Sol to Isla Mujeres Still On: Relief Help Needed for the Island The Regata del Sol al Sol to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, is still on schedule despite doubts expressed by many because of Hurricane Wilma. Regatta Chairman Mike Boom has been

in touch with the island residents and, despite extensive damage, everyone is still safe and well, and they are planning to be ready for the Regatta on April 28, 2006. In fact, the regatta and all the visitors will be a great help in the island’s recovery. The island is in need of supplies and equipment, and the regatta committee wants to make this a relief regatta to get donations and help from Florida residents, and others, to give to the island. They are putting a list together of needs and will be asking for the public’s help. This year they are adding an additional theme to the 38th Annual Regata del Sol al Sol. In addition to the current theme, “Living the Legend – Become Part of the Legend,” they will be adding the theme of “Relief Regata.” They are also establishing a bank account for donations to the people of Isla Mujeres and will be doing a fundraiser for aid. Boats are already signing up. If you have additional questions, and for information to help out and donate goods and money, check the Web site, www.regatadelsolalsol.org, or contact the regatta chairmen, Mike Boom at mike.boom@verizon.net, and/or Larry Wissing at Lwissing1@cs.com.

Foxy’s 9th Annual Cat Fight Oct. 29: Nine Cats Fight in the BVI By Mike Kirk SOMA finishing Race 2 on a tight reach with the committee boat in its sights. Photo by Mike Kirk. The ninth annual Foxy’s Cat Fight, receiving a strong entry of nine Cats, proved this Cat has nine lives. (Last year’s small entry provoked Foxy to offer promises of Halloween candy as far away as Puerto Rico.) The result was four magnificent entries with large crews braving the upwind journey from Puerto Rico for great winds and a great party. Powerful winds over 20 knots provided fast finish times for the wide variety of Cats, ranging from a Seahaven 32 to a Gold Coast 62. Lacking any real handicap data, the boats are classified in length classes only. Add to this mix, Nils Erickson’s Formula 40 racing cat, SOMA. The boat completed the first race around Sandy Cay in 50 minutes, 44 seconds! The diverse size range created seven classes, which made for a lot of “good results”. With so many bullets going to Puerto Rico, the prize-giving was near chaos. Punctuated by a cacophony of referee whistles and lubricated by much

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REGIONAL RACING of Foxy’s fire water, they overwhelmed race captain Martin van Houten with hugs and cheers at each announcement. Van Houten was heard to complain to West End Yacht Club Commodore Dave Cooper that next year he would need Home Land Security to defend him at the prize-giving. Mike Fallism, sailing with his motley crew from Tortola’s West End, successfully defended his 2004 title as the “Baddest Cat.” This award is given to the winning charter boat. They sailed with the now traditional red inflatable arm chair on the trampoline,resplendent with good-looking occupant. While the Baddest Cat prize was a case of Pussers rum, cash prizes donated by Foxy were given to seven firstplace winners, making it likely that next year there will be an even bigger invasion from “off island” boats. They don’t call him Foxy for nothing. Billed as a Catamaran rally, the Cat fight is the only event of its kind in the Caribbean allowing owners and charterers to show their skills while giving due respect to insurance requirements and safety. To this end, boats crossed the start line at one minute intervals and, as in all West End Yacht Club races, were allowed to run their engines up to the start line. This latter freedom was fully utilized by visiting boats from Puerto Rico which took it to new heights. Several boats approached the line with engines flat out and bows so far out of the water that the committee thought they were surfing. One boat actually had a crew member sitting on the overhanging twin engine pod to keep the engines from cavitating! The costume party produced a wide range of revealing and dazzling outfits topped by Foxy’s wife Tessa, whose risqué attachments had to be seen to be believed. Foxy thanked the West End Yacht Club race committee for running another great race and Catamaran Charters of Nanny Cay for the loan of an immaculate Cat for the committee boat. Special thanks went to the Puerto Ricans for coming so far “upwind” to compete.

REGIONAL RACING Reports, News And Race Calendars Regattas and Club Racing— Open to Everyone Wanting to Race The races listed here are open to those who want to sail. No individual club membership is required, although a regional PHRF rating, or membership in US SAILING or membership in a regional sailing association is often required. (If individual club membership is required, please contact us and we will not list their races in the future.) For publishing of your event, questions and information, send us your race schedule by the 5th of the month to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Since race schedules and venues change, contact the sponsoring organization to confirm. For changes to be published contact the editor. News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHEAST COAST: CAROLINAS & GEORGIA December Weather See page 68 Water Temperature – for windrose legend Cape Hatteras, NC –55º Savannah Beach, GA – 54º Average December Temperatures – Cape Hatteras, NC 44º lo – 57º hi Savannah, GA 40º lo – 63º hi For Real Time Southeast Coast Weather go to: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtml

LOCAL RACE REPORT Charleston Wins South Atlantic Fall Coed Dinghy Championships, Charleston, SC, Oct. 29 By Stephanie Cox The College of Charleston proved that no team could push it around in its home waters. The Cougars trounced the competition at the South Atlantic Fall Coed Dinghy Championships held October 29. The regatta was sailed at the College of Charleston in NNE winds at 5-10 knots. The temperatures were in the 50s, the Cooper River current was ripping, and the stakes were high. The top three teams from this regatta qualified to represent the South Atlantic region at the Atlantic Coast Championships. South Florida and Eckerd took the calculated risk of not sending their top sailors to this regatta. This decision was due in part to their top sailors’ qualifying for the Sloop North American Championship, which was sailed the same weekend in Michigan. The regatta was still quite competitive between teams. The regatta’s A division was a dogfight between Charleston, Eckerd, and South Florida with the winner not decided until the last race. Jesse Combs and Tim King of USF finished fourth in this important final race, dropping them to third overall with 18 points. While USF struggled in the last race, Eckerd and Charleston were neck and neck, each finishing with 17 total points. Charleston seniors Jamie Kimball and Britney Haas won the tiebreaker defeating the Triton’s Peter Stanton and Tina Irwin. The tiebreaker was decided based on which team won more races. In B division the scores weren’t as close. Brendan Healy and Mandy Sackett of Charleston cruised to a decisive victory with nine points after eight races. They won every race but the first one. Eckerd’s Kellen Bernard and Charlotte Schou finished second in B division, and Travis Wright and Jamie Autin of the University of Florida finished third. The top three teams with the best overall scores earned spots at the Atlantic Coast Championships (ACCs) hosted by St. Mary’s College in Maryland. The ACCs are considered to be some of the most competitive races in all of colSOUTHWINDS

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REGIONAL RACING lege sailing with only the top teams from the East Coast of the United States competing. The qualifying South Atlantic representatives are Charleston, Eckerd, and South Florida. Additionally, the University of Florida and Clemson qualified to compete at the runner-up Atlantic Coast Tournament Regatta hosted by the College of Charleston.

Results: Windmill Southerns (13 boats) 1) Bill/Susan Dodge, TN; 2) Dave/Jon Ellis, St. Pete; 3) Lon Ethington/Meg Gimmi, MD: Y-Flyer (5 boats) Nile Hatcher, Atlanta: Buccaneer (4 boats) Justin Hull, Lake Hartwell: MC Scow (3 boats due to scheduling conflicts) Mike Neidig, Lake Keowee: Catalina 22 (8 boats) Dennis Slater, Gainesville, GA: JY 15 (4 boats) Marcus Moehlman, Augusta, GA: Open Portsmouth (3 boats) David Smith, Flying Scott, Lake Keowee: Multihull Portsmouth (3 boats) David Strickland, Hobie 18, Lake Keowee: PHRF A (4 boats) John Rice, J-22, Lake Keowee: PHRF B (11 boats) Ernie McFadden, Hunter-216, Lake Hartwell.

RESULTS:1. Charleston 2. Eckerd 3. South Florida 4. Florida 5. Clemson 6. Rollins 7. Miami 8. North Carolina State

RACE CALENDAR Turkey Shoot Regatta and Windmill Southerns, Seneca, SC, Oct. 29-30 By Dave Ellis

January 7, Race Management Seminar, Sunspree Resort, Wrightsville Beach, NC, Carolina Yacht Club, NC. www.sayra-sailing.org/pages/racing.htm DECEMBER Lake Lanier, GA. www.larc.strictlysailing.com 6,13 LARC Fall #2,#3 Lanier Auxiliary Racing Committee, Barefoot Sailing Club 12,29 BFSC Fall Squall #3,#4 Barefoot Sailing Club Charleston, SC. www.charlestonoceanracing.org 12 Big Boat Race, Charleston Yacht Club 19 Double-Handed Race Go to www.longbaysailing.org for additional information on clubs and/or races. 3 Race Week 7, Little River Inlet

Turkey Shoot Regatta and Windmill Southerns in South Carolina. Photo by Dave Ellis.

It has one of the most breathtaking views of any sailing club. The turning leaves on the Blue Ridge mountains across rambling Lake Keowee in northwest South Carolina is the panorama from the deck of the Keowee Sailing Club. Its yearly all-class Turkey Shoot Regatta was held October 29-30 in clear blue skies and temperatures rising to the mid 70s by afternoon. Fifty-eight boats filled the lake between a wooded islet and the shore. There was everything a sailor would want in this event. The all-volunteer club served snacks, breakfast, dinner, sandwiches for Saturday, a T-shirt and first-class race management, all for less than 50 bucks. Many camped on the grounds. The only thing lacking was wind. The water temperature was nearly 70, so in the frosty mornings a fog settled about 50 feet thick. When the fog slowly moves back and forth, you know you’re in trouble. On Saturday, a race was finally started after a delay. The Windmills used the regatta as their Southern championship, since the hurricane season kiboshed the usual event in Pensacola. As the largest fleet, they started first. A minute after the start, the wind quit and then came in very light from behind. Those boats that had a great start in the middle of the line sat there blanketed during the start of four more classes, while those on the ends of the line drifted away. The second race sailed after the course was re-configured for the new breeze and was a little more of a contest, albeit with windless holes in the middle of the course. 48

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Go to www.sayra-sailing.org/pages/racing.htm for additional information on clubs and/or races. 5 Augusta, GA., Fall Series 2, Augusta Sailing Club 5 Oriental, NC., ODC PHRF and Ensign Fleet Series, Oriental Dinghy Club 5–6 Kernersville, NC., Wilmer Cup, Outrigger Yacht Club 5–6 Acworth, GA., No More Turkey Regatta, Atlanta Yacht Club 5–6 Columbia, SC., Midlands Regatta, Columbia Sailing Club 5–6 Mooresville, NC., Flying Scot Fall 48 and RC Fleet Regatta, Lake Norman Yacht Club 12 Columbia, SC., LMYRA Race 8 Island, Columbia Sailing Club 12 – 13 Mooresville, NC., N3 Nationals (2.4mR) and Carolinas Keelboat One Design, Lake Norman Yacht Club 12 – 13 Savannah, GA., North Points #4 ISA Regatta at Sail Harbor, Savannah Sailing Center 19 Augusta, GA., Fall Series 3, Augusta Sailing Club 19 Kernersville, NC., Commodore’s Cup, Outrigger Yacht Club 19 – 20 Acworth, GA., UGA Regatta / Annual Meeting, Atlanta Yacht Club Go to www.catawbayc.org for additional information on the Catawba Yacht Club, Lake Wylie, Charlotte, NC. 5,19 Board Boat Racing, Hensley Cup, Fall Party, and Halloween Hay ride for Kids 12 Keel Boat Racing Go to www.osyc.net for additional information on the Oconee Sailing and Yacht Club, Lake Sinclair, GA. 13 Season Finale Fun Run Go to www.saisa.org for additional information on the South Atlantic Interscholastic Sailing Association and participating high schools 12 – 13 Savannah, GA., NP X, location TBD www.southwindsmagazine.com

EAST FLORIDA December Weather Water Temperature – Daytona Beach – 65º Jacksonville Beach – 60º Gulfstream Current – 2.3 knots Average Temperatures – Daytona Beach - 50º lo – 71º hi Jacksonville Beach - 49º lo – 65º hi For Real Time East Florida Weather go to: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

See page 68 for windrose legend

LOCAL RACE REPORT The 2005 Melbourne Yacht Club Mermaid Regatta, Sept. 24-25 By Winnie Lambert and Phil Spletter The crew of Fast Lane celebrating with champagne after a race. Photo by Ross Herbert.

The 27th Annual Melbourne Yacht Club (MYC) Mermaid Regatta was held with great success during the weekend of Sept. 24-25. The weather was beautiful, and breezes ranged from manageable to challenging, providing an exciting weekend of sailing and enjoyable partying for approximately 40 gender-qualified sailors and their guests. In the past, this has been a two-day regatta, with big boats on one course and small boats on another. This year was different. Several women who race the small boats wanted an opportunity to crew on a big boat, and some women who crew on big boats wanted an opportunity to race a small boat. The result was still a two-day event, but with the big boats on Saturday and small boats on Sunday. After an amazing amount of planning and organizing by MYC member Rachele Ross, the festivities began on Thursday, Sept. 22, with an on-the-water Sunfish seminar conducted by Brevard County’s own world-class dinghy guru, James Liebl. The women had a short dock lesson on how to do “behind-the-back” tacks while also handling the sheet—not an easy feat for those not used to single-handing a small boat. The Sunfish were sailed around a very short windward/leeward course inside the harbor. Shifty winds and 10 boats in a small area made for a good learning environment as James and Jim Edwards, who organized and ran all of the sailing aspects of the regatta, manned the coach boat. News & Views for Southern Sailors

The regatta racing began on Saturday with five Spinnaker and two Non-Spinnaker PHRF boats. The sky was sunny, and the winds were 8-10 knots out of the east. All boats sailed three races, each race consisting of sailing around a half-mile windward/leeward course twice. Even though the winds were relatively light, the short legs made for some intense aerobic crew work. Spinnaker packers were especially challenged. Upon returning to the dock, the crews were greeted by gentlemen of the club serving cold champagne to toast a good day of sailing. The Melges-24 Caliente, skippered by Karen Knockel, won the Spinnaker class. Caliente also had the best corrected time of all boats and won the overall trophy. The J-30, Sleighride, skippered by Jan Crawford, was the top Non-Spinnaker boat. The Littlest Mermaid award for the youngest sailor was given to Jillian Aydelotte, who handled the foredeck on the Lindenberg 28, Mouse. The Saturday evening party had a Parrothead theme, with everyone dressing in island garb and some wearing Parrothead hats. A superb, boiled-shrimp dinner with Bahamian peas and rice was orchestrated by Peter Aydelotte and his sous-chefs. Dinner and dancing music was provided by the Havana Daydreamers, who had a repertoire of Jimmy Buffet and other island music. Even after a hard day of sailing, the women and their guests filled the dance floor well into the evening. Breezier conditions greeted 15 Sunfish and five Portsmouth handicap sailors on Sunday morning. An easterly headwind of 15 knots gave the sailors plenty of tacking practice as they sailed out of the channel into the Indian River. Most of the fleet, to include many women who had sailed the day before, overcame challenging conditions to sail three races on double triangle courses. Once again, the gentlemen of the club served cold champagne to the returning sailors. Cindy Taylor won the Sunfish fleet with three strong firsts that also earned her the overall trophy for the day. Alicia Cook won the Portsmouth handicap fleet in her Laser.

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REGIONAL RACING The Mermaid Regatta was started by Rachele Ross, who remained persistent in the face of apathy toward such a race. Since that time it has blossomed into an event supported by women and men alike, encouraging women to sail and accomplish things they never thought they could. The men of MYC provide all logistic support, including registration, race committee, photography, and serving dinner and champagne. Some even donate their boats for the women to sail. For the women, it’s just a good time on the water. As Sherry Beckett, owner and skipper of the Lindenburg 28, Fast Lane, puts it, “It is so awesome racing with and against a bunch of women. We have a really competitive group here in the Melbourne area. We manage to have very keen competition in a really friendly environment, with a lot of support going on for new boats and new skippers. For this regatta and the ECSA (East Coast Sailing Association, another sailing organization in Brevard County), the women’s racing series is much more about getting women out doing fun things together than anything else.” The Mermaid Regatta is held every year in September. For more information about women’s sailing in the Melbourne area, see the Women’s Sailing Page at www.sailrace.com/women. More information about Melbourne Yacht Club and its other regattas can be found at the MYC Web site, www.melbourneyachtclub.com.

Melbourne Yacht Club Fall Regatta: Two Days of Great Wind and Racing, Oct. 29-30 By Roy Laughlin Melbourne Yacht Club’s Fall Regatta has become as much a rite for sailing as it is an event. If there is one fall regatta for all sailors in central Florida, this is it. MYC’s fall regatta has become so popular, the race committee ran two courses, splitting the 36 entrants into two groups. The PHRF fleet, numbering 24 sailboats, divided into Spinnaker, NonSpinnaker and Catalina 22 classes, raced a course set up south of the Melbourne Causeway. This section of the Indian River has good depth and the longest possible upwind-downwind course in the Indian River Lagoon when winds blow from an easterly direction. The 12-team-strong Melges 24 Fleet had its own course north of the Eau Gallie Causeway. The Melges fleet expected about twice the number of teams that entered the regatta. Most of those teams were from South Florida. They withdrew because of conditions and commitments following Hurricane Wilma. The Melges race committee originally set up a windward leeward course with a gate. High winds during the first race on Saturday blew one of the gate marks loose, and it was not retrieved. Subsequent race courses were about six miles long without a gate. The winds were NE on Saturday and more ENE on Sunday. The race committee set up both triangle and upwind-downwind courses, according to Jim Edwards, MYC’s fleet captain. Winds on both days were about 20 knots (a bit stronger on Sunday), so the race committee had 50

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no difficulty holding five races over the two-day event. The PHRF races lasted less than an hour for courses two to four miles long. The wind and courses of this length made for active sailing efforts, sweet and short. In windy conditions, it is rare for a team to take its standing for granted until the last race. No team in the PHRF classes locked up its final standing before the last race. Places changed in each race. According to Mike Nulf, Indian River Yacht Club fleet captain and Melges 24 sailor, Tampa racers dominated the Melges 24 standings. The top three teams, Tampa teams, typically finished two minutes or more ahead of the other teams, according to Mike. What excitement may have been sacrificed to consistent race finishes by the top three teams in the Melges 24 fleet was more than returned to teams that pushed their equipment’s envelope too hard and suffered failure, typically blowing out spinnakers. MYC’s fall regatta spans two weekends, with the first one dedicated to small sailboats such as Sunfish and beach cats. Hurricane Wilma’s imminent arrival the weekend of Oct. 22 caused rescheduling of the small boat regatta until Nov 19-20. For large monohull sailors, this weekend was another memorable racing experience and a feather in the regatta cap for the Melbourne Yacht Club. Results (top five finishers). For complete results, go to www.sail-race.com/myc/fallresults.htm: PHRF Spinnaker Fleet: 1; Gary Smith, Five Speed (Lindenberg 28): 2; Jim Henry, Mouse, (Lindenberg 28): 3; Alan Jepsen, Lil Flash (Catalina 22): 4; Jim Yates, Rookey (Lindenberg 28): 5; Patrick Daniel SR Max 21 (PDQ2): PHRF Spinnaker Fleet: 1; Jerry Ross, Sleighride (J-30): 2; Jim Edwards/Gates, Whatta Ride (Wavelength 24): 3; Chuck Delmater Rendezvous (Pearson Flyer 30): 4; Wallie Everest. Rocket Science (Rocket 26): 5; Rick Crockett, Maverick (Hunterr 28.5): Catalina 22: 1; Ray Laguna, Plan B: 2; Brad Ruffe, Mercury Rising: 3; Dick King Twilight Zone: 4; Gene Cochran Game Over: 5; Jerry Butz, Boaters Exchange: Melges 24: 1; Marty Kullman, New Wave: 2; Bob Dockery, Barracuda: 3; Doug Fisher, No Name: 4; Ryan Hamm, When Pigs Fly: 5; Duncan Mackenzie, Moving Target.

RACE CALENDAR December — Central East Florida 3 Martin County Christmas Boat Parade. Stuart Corinthian Yacht Club 3-4 Gator Bowl Regatta. Rudder Club 3-4 Lake Monroe Kettle Cup Regatta. Lake Monroe Sailing Association. 3 River Challenge Race. East Coast Racing Association 4 Winter Rum Race #3. Melbourne Yacht Club 8-10 Cruise to West Palm Beach. Stuart Corinthian Yacht Club 10 St. Lucie County Christmas Boat Parade. Ft. Pierce Yacht Club. 11 Small Boat Sunday Racing. Melbourne Yacht Club. 25 Small Boat Sunday Racing. Melbourne Yacht Club. December – Northeast Florida. www.sailjax.com 10 One Design & FCSA Interclub Regatta. Florida Yacht Club. 11 Fall Women’s Series #5. East Coast Racing Association-Women’s 17 Boat Parade Party. East Coast Racing Association-Cruising www.southwindsmagazine.com

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

FLORIDA KEYS RACING

December Weather Water Temperature Miami Beach – 73º Stuart – 75º Gulfstream Current – 2.4 knots

December Weather Water Temperature Key West – 72º Average Temperatures Key West 67º lo –77º hi

Average Temperatures – Miami Beach – 65º lo – 75º hi Stuart – 58º lo – 75º hi For Real Time East Florida Weather go to: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtml

For real-time eastern Gulf weather, winds and marine forecasts, go to http://comps.marine.usf.edu

See page 68 for windrose legend

RACE CALENDAR Legend for Yacht Clubs and Organizations BBYRA Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Association. www.bbyra.net BBYC Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. www.bbyra.net CGSC Coconut Grove Sailing Club. www.cgsc.org CRYC Coral Reef Yacht Club. www.coralreefyachtclub.org KBYC Key Biscayne Yacht Club. www.kbyc.org. MYC Miami Yacht Club. www.miamiyachtclub.net.

See page 68 for windrose legend

RACE CALENDAR Upper Keys Sailing Club, www.upperkeyssailingclub.com. DECEMBER 3 Winter Portsmouth Regatta B/S. 4 Ocean Side Championship Regatta #4. 11 Mark Sorensen Memorial Youth Sailing Championship. 17 St. Nick’s All Comers B/S Regatta.

DECEMBER 2

Fri. Wirth Monroe Palm Beach Race. SCF/CCA – The 49th annual ocean race starting off Government Cut and ending in Palm Beach.

3-4

Sat.-Sun.Commodore Cup Stars. CRYC – The 25th annual championship for Stars.

3-4

Sat.-Sun. Piana Cup Etchells. BBYC – First race of the Jaguar Cup Series for Etchells. The 9th regatta hosted by the local fleet #20 celebrates the lifetime achievement of our own Louis Piana of CRYC, elected to Honorary Life Membership of the International Class Association, an honor shared on;y by three others in the history of the class.

Sat. BBYRA OD #11. KBYC – The last race of the BBYRA Series2 and the year for the registered One-Design fleets.

Sun. BBYRA PHRF #11. KBYC. The last race of the BBYRA Series 2 and the year for PHRF and ARC fleets.

26-30

Mon./Fri. Orange Bowl Regatta. CRYC/CGSC – The 26th event is co-hosted by both clubs. CGSC hosts the annual International 420 & 470, Collegiate 420, and Eurodinghy (for women) Mid-Winters. CRYC hosts the annual Youth Regatta (IODA) and International Youth Regatta (Laser, Laser Radial, Club 420 and 29ers), and Snipe regatta.

News & Views for Southern Sailors

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REGIONAL RACING Key West Sailing Club Every Saturday – Open House at the Key West Sailing Club. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (305) 292-5993. www.keywestsailingclub.org. Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue in Key West. Casual racing/sailing on the weekends during winter months after October till Spring. Come buy the club to sail. Non-members and members welcome.

WEST FLORIDA December Weather Gulf Water Temperature St. Petersburg – 64º Naples – 68º Average Temperatures St. Petersburg 56º lo – 71º hi Naples 56º lo – 77º hi For real time eastern Gulf weather, winds and marine forecasts, go to http://comps.marine.usf.edu

See page 68 for windrose legend

Tampa’s Evan Brown Qualifies For ICSA Women’s National Singlehanded Championship Stanford University sophomore Evan Brown of Tampa, FL, has qualified for the 2005-2006 Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s (ICSA) Women’s Singlehanded North American Championship. She tied for first place after 10 races at the Pacific Coast Championships, the regional qualifying regatta held October 21 at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu in Laser Radials. University of Hawaii sophomore Tinja Anderson-Mitterling took top honors in the first-place tie-break at the event. The top two finishers go on to compete at the ICSA’s national championship to be held November 18-20 at the University of Hawaii. Brown will be competing against 15 other collegiate women, who qualified from around the country. They include the world’s number-oneranked female Laser sailor, Paige Railey, a freshman at the University of South Florida from Clearwater, FL. Brown has been one of Stanford University’s top skippers for the past year. At the Yale Women’s Intersectional in mid-October, she took third place in B Division. Recently, she teamed up with fellow Stanford varsity sailing team member Caroline Young, also from Tampa, to form The Bay Team in an effort to qualify as the US SAILING Team’s women’s 470 entrant to the 2008 Olympics. Their first qualifying regatta for the US SAILING Team will be held this coming weekend, October 28-29, at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. For more information on Brown and The Bay Team, visit their Web site at www.thebayteam.org. 52

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Race Management Seminar, Naples Sailing and Yacht Club, Dec. 18 Henry B. Moore, well known and respected US SAILING certified race management instructor, certified regional race officer and certified senior judge will join with R. Fairlie Brinkley, certified regional race officer, certified race management instructor, former WFPHRF director and WFPHRF Boat of the Year chairman and past commodore of the Clearwater Yacht Club, to present a US SAILING Basic Race Management Seminar on December 18. This class meets the education requirement for certification as a US SAILING Certified Club Race Officer. The seminar will be held at the newly completed clubhouse of the venerable Naples Sailing and Yacht Club and is sponsored by NSYC and West Florida PHRF. The cost is $50 per person which will include testing materials, a continental breakfast and buffet lunch. Attendance will be limited to 20 people and advance reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. On-line registration, additional seminar information, and study guides are available at the event Web site, http://basicseminar.home.att.net/Home_Page.htm.

RACE REPORT Women’s Match Racing Regatta Marked by Upsets, St. Petersburg YC, Oct. 26-30 By Char Doyle

The race team of Giulia Conti, Italy, who won the Osprey Cup Regatta. Photo by Char Doyle

If only the America’s Cup were so exciting. Women match racers convened on Tampa Bay, Oct. 26-30, to compete headto-head in Sonar in the Osprey Cup. Some racers flew in with organized teams, international rankings and worldclass experience. Other underdogs drove to the regatta and met in the parking lot to sail together for the first time. These underdog teams soon became the story of the regatta, www.southwindsmagazine.com

upsetting ranked teams and sending them back to Europe empty-handed. At least everyone got a tan. The regatta was raced in sunny, bikini weather with winds varying from 1020 knots. The Osprey Cup has long been considered a training ground for women campaigning for the Olympics or who compete on the international match racing circuit. Former Osprey Cup competitors include Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year Betsy Allison and American Match Racing Sensation Sally Barkow. This year’s competitors included five American teams, along with two teams from Sweden and teams from Ireland, France, and Italy. Match races are sailed differently from regular fleet racing events. They resemble America’s Cup races with each matched pair getting its own start. Competitors sail with spinnakers, and teams rotate boats throughout the day to insure no team is penalized for having a dog boat. T e a m s face each other in round robins, and the boat with the best win/loss record at the end wins.At the Osprey Cup, each round robin consisted of nine matches. The top four teams qualified to sail in the semi-finals, and the top two teams moved on to the finals. Competitors at the Osprey Cup ranged in ability, and most teams consisted of women out of the collegiate circuit. The regatta did have one young Southern team skippered by St. Petersburg High School’s Rachel Silverstein. The University of South Florida’s Jee Lee and Kristen Herman and Eckerd College alum Becca Thomas crewed for Silverstein. The young Florida team

News & Views for Southern Sailors

started the regatta strong on Saturday but dropped some races on Sunday to fall out of contention for the semi-finals. Going into the semi-finals, event favorite Claire Leroy of France had won nine matches, Guilia Conti of Italy had won eight, and Malin Millbourn of Sweden won seven. Two American teams were close behind for the final semi-final sport with Women’s College Sailor of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe and Miami resident Elizabeth Kratzig winning five matches each. Tunnicliffe beat the Kratzig team in a head-to-head match-up, allowing Tunnicliffe’s team an entry into the semi-finals. The Tunnicliffe team had virtually no match-racing experience prior to the regatta, but showed no fear against the more experienced teams. Tunnicliffe and her crew Genoa Griffin are currently campaigning for the 2008 Olympics in Laser Radials. Tunnicliffe may have been helped by her team-racing experience at the Hinman Cup. Tunnicliffe won the Hinman Cup with Southern sailor Brad Funk three weeks prior to this regatta. The team-racing skills she used to win the Hinman helped her quickly move past the match-racing learning curve. In the semi-finals, Tunnicliffe upset international match-racing sensation Clair Leroy. The French Leroy team is currently ranked first in women’s match racing, and the unranked Tunnicliffe team beat them 3-1. Also in the semifinals, Italy’s Guilia Conti, upset Sweden’s Malin Millbourn. The 30th ranked Conti team beat the 21st ranked Millbourn team 3-1. The two losing semi-final competitors competed

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

REGIONAL RACING in the petit-finals with Claire Leroy capturing third in the regatta after defeating Millbourn 3 to 2. The finals to determine the regatta winner were sailed Sunday in a challenging 20-knot northeast breeze. Five races were completed with Guilia Conti of Italy and crew Alessandra Marenzi, Giulia Mazzotti, and Giovanna Mieol winning the regatta with a score of 3-2 against the Tunnicliffe team. Anna Tunnicliffe, Genoa Griffin, Janet Thacker and Ali Sharp finished second. Results: 1. Giulia Conti ITA, 2. Anna Tunnicliffe USA, 3. Claire Leroy FRA, 4. Malin Millbourn SWE, 5. Elizabeth Kratzig CZE, 6. Linda Harsjo SWE, 7. Rachel Silverstein USA, 8. Sandy Hayes USA, 9. Katy Lovell USA, 10. Arabella Denvir IRL.

Clearwater Challenge Offers Excitement Onshore and Offshore, Oct. 28-30 By Stephanie Cox

Sonia Cate, winner of the Cruising A Fleet, in the Clearwater Challenge. Photo by Bev Dolezal. The Clearwater Challenge was hosted Oct. 28-30 at Clearwater Yacht Club. A variety of classes competed in this competitive event held on the Gulf of Mexico. The Clearwater Challenge continues the racing tradition of the Melitta Challenge and the Kahlua Cup and was a West Florida PHRF Boat of the Year qualifying event. For 2005, closed course racing offered up a challenging series of racers for competitors. A distance race was also held after the regatta, as boats moved to Davis Island Yacht Club for the DIYC Classic. One piece of Clearwater Challenge gossip that hit the national Web forum on Sailing Anarchy’s Web site was a supposed brawl in the parking lot that occurred between Clearwater Yacht Club employees and competitors who didn’t park their boats correctly. Competitors whom Southwinds spoke with regarding this rumor said that there was no brawl. There was apparently a verbal disagreement between sailors and Clearwater Yacht Club employees, but the story was blown out of proportion on-line. On the water, the race committee was able to get multiple races in for the competing yachts. Four races were completed in the nine-boat Spinnaker A division. Davis Island’s All In skippered by Robert Hobbs came out on top. Second and third place in Spinnaker A also went to Davis Island 54

December 2006

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boats with Mariah and Time Bandit finishing second and third respectively. In the seven-boat Spinnaker B fleet, Ray Mannix’s Semper-Fi came out on top, followed close behind by Robert Maser’s Volante. Vim from Dunedin Boat Club rounded out the top three. Frank Hanna’s Prime Plus was the only boat competing in the Non-Spinnaker A division. In Non-Spinnaker B, Clearwater Yacht Club’s Jay Myers overcame a first race disqualification to win this three- boat division. Donald Miller’s Catalina Sonia-Cate bested the four-boat Cruising A fleet. In the Cruising B fleet, Victor’ Gandoff’s Ooh La La won the three-boat division.

Finn North American Championship and Laser Radial Invitational, Clearwater YC, Nov. 4-6 By David Billing The Finn North American Championship and Laser Radial Invitational was hosted by the Clearwater Yacht Club Nov. 4-6. Thirty-three competitors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, Hungary, Barbados and Sweden attended this championship. The principal race officer was Fairlie Brinkley. The course was a trapezoid with the Finns racing on the outer loop and the Radials on the inner loop. Each day, the wind started as northeasterly around eight knots and then conveniently switched to northwest during lunch. The Olympic heavyweight single-handed dinghy (Finn) was won by Canadian Chris Cook. Chris is the topranked Finn sailor in North America and won with seven bullets and a second. Clearwater Yacht Club’s Zach Railey was close behind him, finishing second overall as the top U.S. sailor. In third place was Aaron O’Grady from the National Yacht Club in Ireland. The Olympic women’s single-handed dinghy (Laser Radial) was won by Anna Tunnicliffe. Anna was the 2004/2005 Women’s College Sailor of the Year and the silver medallist at the recent 2005 World University Games. In second place was Lisa Ross from Canada. Lisa is ranked fifth in the world and is training full time for the 2008 Beijing Games. In third place was Emily Billing, a Clearwater Yacht Club youth sailor and freshman at Clearwater High School. Many pictures and the full results containing links to the competitors’ ISAF biographies are at http://clwyc.org/FinnNA05/

Varying Winds Add Challenge For Sailors In Commodore’s Cup Regatta, Naples, FL, Nov. 7 By Caryn Hacker Hurricane Wilma’s 125-mph winds and 10-foot surf stand in stark contrast to the two-foot seas, turquoise-blue skies, and comfortable 85-degree temperatures that were present for the 15 sailboats challenging the gentle spirit of the sea in the 41st Commodore’s Cup Regatta sponsored by the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club. Thankful for the good sailing www.southwindsmagazine.com

weather, NSYC Commodore Chris Roberts welcomed all sailors to this event held in his honor and steeped in the club’s tradition. Northeast winds of 5 to 10 knots allowed skippers and crew to navigate the waters just off the Naples Pier. This year, the triangular race occurred approximately 2.5 miles west of the Pier, where boaters traveled to Doctor’s Pass and then along the shore to Gordon’s Pass, with the finishing line back at the Pier. Six classes of sailboats conquered the seas and provided a beautiful sight for beach-walkers. The colorful sails in shades of reds, yellows and gold appeared as autumn leaves aloft in the seasonal winds. This race, for sailboaters, serves as a marker for the upcoming winter season: a visit from a Florida-style Jack Frost. “The weather and race course were spectacular,” exclaimed a smiling Dick Hedderick, owner and skipper of Sanderling. “Outstanding winds, moderate seas and good organization from the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club made this a great experience.” It seemed that the varying winds (from 7 to 18 knots over the two days) provided a degree of challenge for skippers and crew alike. Sunday’s race was “perfect” according to Jack Graefe. He skippers Children At Play, alongside coowner Brent Hamilton. “The day was fantastic. During the race, the wind died and then changed direction from east to due west. We changed sails, from spinnakers to head sails. It made all the difference.” The knowledge of the skipper and his crew’s ability are key to reading cues from wind and water and making adjustments to increase speed. “Our crew of six had a challenging weekend of racing amid beautiful weather,” offered Phil Francour, skipper and owner of Carioca. “What could be better?” “The varying winds were wonderful and challenging,” added John Hyatt, owner and skipper of Gone Mad. “The skipper that knew what to do won the race.” Commodore’s Cup Regatta in Naples. Photo by Mary Naylor. 2005 NSYC COMMODORES CUP REGATTA - FINAL RESULTS Class 1 – Spinnaker A Fleet 1st place – Carioca Skipper – Phil Francour 2nd place – Maria 3rd place – Tippecanoe Class 2 Spinnaker B Fleet 1st place – Children at Play 2nd place – Lone Peak Class 1 – Sport Boat 1st place – Gone Mad 2nd place – Rocketboard 3rd place – Obsession

Skipper – Jack Graefe

Skipper – John Hyatt

Class 5 – Multihull Fleet 1st place – TriPower Skipper - Ed Dixon Class 3 – Non Spinnaker Fleet 1st place – Sanderling 2nd place – Air Supply 3rd place – Knot Worried Class 4 – True Cruising Fleet 1st place – Island Time 2nd place – Sea Quell 3rd place – Argo News & Views for Southern Sailors

Skipper – Dick Hedderick

Skipper – Joe Barrett

ON-LINE WEST FLORIDA RACE CALENDAR Starting in September, SOUTHWINDS began an online race calendar for West Florida racing and regattas. All racing events held in the region from Marco Island to Tarpon Springs are listed for the period from September 2005 up through August 2006. Listed will be the event, sponsoring organization and contacts, and links to the NORs, registration and results, when made available by those organizations. The Web site will also publish up-to-date venue changes for those who send us that information. With this new service, sailors only need go to www.southwindssailing.com and will no longer have to seek out the sponsoring organization’s Web site for this information. Only those races open to everyone will be listed. To have your race listed, or changes in your race schedule, e-mail the information to the editor, Steve Morrell, at editor@southwindssailing.com. For those who cannot post the results online at a Web site, contact us for possibly doing so on ours. The West Florida list of yacht clubs and sailing organizations will also be on line. SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

REGIONAL RACING RACE CALENDAR CLUB RACING Bradenton YC. Sunday Afternoon Races at 12:30 p.m. October till beginning of Daylight Savings. PHRF racing on Manatee River. For info call Larry Lecuyer, (941) 729-5401. Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of each month, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet. www.venice-sailing-squadron.org Edison Sailing Center, Fort. Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racing once a month, year-round john@johnkremski.com Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, yearround. pbgvtrax@aol.com Boat of the Year Races (BOTY): Southwest Boat of the Year (SWBOTY), Charlotte Harbor Boat of the Year (CHBOTY), Sarasota (SBOTY), Suncoast Boat of the Year (SBOTY) DECEMBER

January 1 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Hangover Race. 1 Tampa Bay Catamaran Society. Hangover Race, Dunedin Causeway, Catamarans. 3-4 Edison Sailing Center. Sunfish Challenge. 7-8 Davis Island YC. Commodore’s Cup, PHRF. (SBOTY) 7-8 Punta Gorda SC. Golden Conch Regatta, PHRF. (CHBOTY) 8 Bradenton YC. Round the Bay, PHRF Bradenton, Egmont and Skyway course. 12-15 St. Petersburg YC. Optimist Dinghy National Team Practice. 14 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Snowbird Regatta. (SBBOTY) 14 Bradenton YC. Round the Bay Race, PHRF. 15 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Winter Races, PHRF 16-20 Key West Race Week. www.premiere-racing.com. 21-22 St. Petersburg YC. SE Optimist Team Race Regatta. 28-29 St. Petersburg YC. Multi-class Invitational. Windmill, Snipe, Moth, Jet 14, Flying Dutchman, Martin 16, 2.4 Meter, Ultimate 20, SR Max, with 6 boats registered in advance. 28-29 Punta Gorda SC. Naples-Marco Island Hospice Regatta, HRF December 2006

December Weather Water Temperature – 58º Average Temperatures – Pensacola, FL 45º lo – 63º hi Gulfport, MS 45º lo – 63º hi For Northern Gulf Weather go to: www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/

See page 68 for windrose legend

LOCAL RACE REPORT West Florida Ocean Racing Circuit (WFORC), Pensacola Yacht Club, October 15 By Kim Kaminski

US Sailing Basic Race Management Seminar, Dec. 17 at the Naples Sailing and YC, contact Fairlie Brinkley at fairlie@fairliebrinkley.com for registration. See more information at beginning of racing section, page 66. 3-4 Edison Sailing Center. Sunfish Challenge Cup Regatta. 10 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Commodore’s Cup, PHRF 10 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Commodore’s Cup, PHRF.

NORTHERN GULF COAST RACING: FLORIDA PANHANDLE, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, TEXAS

SOUTHWINDS

Hurricanes can really stir things up in more ways than one. Besides the damages that these storms caused to boats, homes, yacht clubs and communities, many scheduled events were cancelled or postponed. Such was the dilemma for the Pensacola Yacht Club race organizers, as they tried to determine whether this year’s 31st Annual West Florida Ocean Racing Circuit (WFORC) sailboat regatta event should be held following all the hurricanes’ destruction. Sailors along the Southern coast of the United States had their fill of storms, and many yacht clubs’ facilities were still struggling from the damages. As a matter of fact, last year’s WFORC race was cancelled, thanks to Hurricane Ivan. Determined not to let these storms continually delay their sport and the competitive camaraderie each sailor enjoys at the various venues, it was important to uphold this annual racing competition between top sailing teams in the region. Sailors came from cities as far west as New Orleans and as far east as Panama City, FL. There were many sailors who wanted to show their support for the Southern area by traveling from Chicago, Charleston and Atlanta to race. Over 180 sailors raced on the windblown waters of Pensacola Bay over a three-day period starting on October 14. A total of 36 sailboats entered; 25 Performance Handicap Racing Formula (PHRF) sailboats and 11 Melges one-design sailboats. Each fleet set sail on a different course of the bay—a southern course for the PHRF spinnaker fleet and a northern course for the Melges fleet. The competitors in the PHRF fleet sailed in two short races each day starting on Friday. Intense action was seen on the first day of competition as strong north winds blowing 15 to 25 knots caused one local PHRF boat to de-mast—an Elliott 770 named John O, www.southwindsmagazine.com

line of downtown Pensacola skippered by Robert Harrison in the northern part of the of the Pensacola Beach Yacht bay. Several of the one-design Club. It wasn’t the only boat racing teams participated in to experience a wild ride on this event to prepare for the the first day: Others experiWorlds competition, which enced damaged sails, broken will be held later this year. halyards and collisions. After Team Satisfaction from the completion of the first two the Lake Lanier Sailing Club days of racing, Principal Race in Georgia took first place Officer Chip MacMillan prewith a total of 10 points. A tie sented the contest results for for second place was fought the PHRF fleet, showing very between Doug Kessler and close match-ups between the crew on Liberty 3 and Evan boats. Jahn of the Chicago Yacht Roy Harden and his team Club on his boat Bling Bling. on Shameless, a J-33, journeyed Both teams tied with 14 from Fort Walton Beach, FL, to points apiece, and after each defend his Riddle Cup Trophy title from 2003. The Riddle While boat owner George Gamble was in Europe preparing for team’s worst race was Cup is given to the most com- an Atlantic crossing race, his boat, a Farr 360 D named Wicked dropped out of the scoring petitive racing class, which is Woman, and his team of sailors took home the silver during this and the points re-calculated, Doug Kessler’s Liberty 3 capdetermined by finish times year’s 31st Annual WFORC Regatta. Photo by Kim Kaminski. tured second place. between first and third place Once again, community sailors banned together to in each of the classes. Last year, Hurricane Ivan destroyed overcome whatever Mother Nature had in store, especially his old boat Erin Star, which he used to earn the Riddle Cup remarkable to have done so during one of the most active Trophy in the 2003 WFORC, so he took up the gauntlet and hurricane storm seasons on record. Damages and destrucchallenged the fleet with a new boat. tion may still be prevalent in many areas, but the spirit of Roy stated, “This is the best race on the schedule, and we the Southern sailor sails well beyond the obstructed path always like to plan to come here to race. It is a good challenge and heads towards the sunrise of a new day. and good race set-up. We like it here and we will be back.” Harden found a good challenge when checking out the other contestants in the A class, which included a tough Area D Regional Qualifier for U.S. group of competitors like John Guy on Hot Toddy, sailing on a J-92 from St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club. John had won the Multihull Championship, Pensacola Riddle Cup Trophy five times in the past 10 years. Beach Yacht Club, Nov. 4-6 The A class also included George Gamble’s team on Wicked Woman, a Farr 360D from the Pensacola Yacht Club, By Julie Connerley which had earned first place in its class at the 2005 Key West Race Week and the GORC (Gulf Ocean Racing Circuit). The team of Brian Lambert and Glenn Purcell took first After the three-day competition was completed, Shameless place overall in the last regional qualifier for the U.S. tied for first place with Wicked Woman. Boat owner George Multihull Championship for the Hobie Alter Cup held the Gamble, who was in Europe preparing his IY 60 for crossing weekend of November 4-6, but not without some controversy. the Atlantic in the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), was Pensacola Beach Yacht Club hosted the Area D South excited to learn that his team, which included Hunter Eliminations, which attracted 34 sailors competing on 20 Riddle, Joe Goddard, JP Knoll, Terri Swift, Steve Cooper, boats. PBYC will also host the national competition the Bud Schumann, Derek Riddle, Dean Holcomb, Kenny Wall, week of March 19-23, 2006. Lorrie Berrie and Rick Zern on helm, had won the tie-earnThe US SAILING area D rep and national chairman for ing first place in the A class and the Overall Fleet Trophy. the 2006 Alter Cup is a local sailor and PBYC member, John However, as close as this competition was in the A Williams. Williams’ tenure is over next year after three years class, it was Scott Raines and his team on Wild Cherry in the as Alter Cup chair and two as vice-chair, plus several more B class that captured the coveted Riddle Cup Trophy. Scott as area D rep for Multihull events for US SAILING. took his team to an impressive five first-place finishes and For his “swan song,” he wanted to bring the national one second-place win, earning a total of five points in the championship to his own city and petitioned PBYC’s execseries. He had restored an old Soverel 30 following the hurriutive board over a year ago to host this prestigious event. canes and wanted to have the boat ready for this competition. Williams was also instrumental in persuading US His efforts were well worth it, and the sailing team he assemSAILING’s executive committee to split Area D into two sepabled for the races made this year’s event a great success. rate regions (North and South) so that more sailors would be The Melges one-design fleet also had some tight class encouraged to participate in US SAILING-sanctioned events competition. The one-design fleet began with race practices without having to travel such great distances to compete. on Friday and competition races on Saturday and Sunday The race committee planned on nine races for the series. (for a total of seven races), which was set-up off the shoreHowever, Saturday’s weather provided moderate winds News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

REGIONAL RACING against the first-place team on a technicality that the protest committee disallowed. Third place went to Skipper Harry Newkirk and crewmember Charlie Trinque aboard an I-20. Results (place, skipper, crew, points): 1, Brian Lambert, Glenn Purcell, 6;2, Bob Curry, 8;3, Harry Newkirk, Charlie Trinque, 10;4, Mark Smith, Bubba Barberi, 21;5, Bob Hodges, 21;6, Mark Murray, Mark Herendeen, 29;7, Jennifer Lindsay, Seth Stern, 29;8, Alex Efre-Perez, Tina Pastoor, 34;9, John MacDonald, Eric Tirrell, 35;10, Kirk Newkirk, Susan Newkirk, 35;11, Charles Harp, Chris Sawyer, 35;12, Tom Turlington, 36;13, David Beale, Glenn Holmes, 40;14, David Ingram, Kathy Ingram, 46;15, Woody Cope, 47;16, Mike Wilson, Kirk Van Zandt, 51;17, Evan Miller, Steve Miller, 64;18, Steve Hast, Kyler Hast, 68;19, Rush Bird, 68;20, Gordon Isco, 71.

RACE CALENDAR

Bob Curry sailed to a second place in the Area D South Eliminations for the U.S. Multihull Championship at Pensacola Beach Nov. 5-6. Julie Connerley photo.

between eight and nine knots for two races and then decreased to a steady six knots for two more races before the winds died altogether. At the end of the first day, Bob Curry of Crestview, FL, was tied for first place with the team of Lambert-Purcell, who were sailing a custom-designed boat called a CRF Uni 20 with spinnaker. “A Gainesville physician contracted for a customdesigned 20-foot catamaran that would be the lightest and fastest around,” said Lambert. “It is a carbon fiber-reinforced hull. After racing it a few times, he put it in a barn. I learned he might sell it and I approached him.” Since then, technology has changed somewhat, and Lambert has made some changes to the boat. He has also spent a lot of time racing it in order to get its provisional rating changed so that he could compete against other massproduced multihulls. “It just became validated one day before the Alter Cup last year, so this is the first year we have had the opportunity to enter with this boat,” he smiled. Area D South’s competition included 15-year-old Evan Miller, who has qualified for the Youth Worlds to be held next July, and Gordon Isco, designer of the Hobie Alter Cup Trophy. Isco, a two-term chairman of U.S. SAILING’s Multihull Council, has competed in five world events, including the A Class Worlds held in Sanguinet, France, during June. The sun was shining on the last day of competition, but the winds were nowhere to be seen or felt – at least for two hours past the anticipated first race start time. With an average of four knots, the race committee abandoned any further races after completing just one final race on Sunday. With one throw-out race, only two points separated first and second place. Bob Curry, single-handing a Nacra F17, earned second place. However, he filed a protest 58

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DECEMBER 3 We’re Baaaaack Regatta. Navy Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL. 3 GMAC Bowl. Fairhope Yacht Club, Fairhope, AL. Katrina Damage. 3-4 BWYC Monk Smith Regatta (One Design) and Mississippi Optimist Championship. Fairhope YC 10 Santa Claus Regatta - Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL. 10-11 Sugar Bowl Board Boats - Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA. Katrina /Rita damage. 17-18 2006 Race of the Champions - New Orleans Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA. Katrina /Rita damage. 17-18 Sugar Bowl Regatta New Orleans Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA. Katrina /Rita damage 26-30 Orange Bowl - (CRYC) Youth Program. 27-28 Sugar Bowl (HS) Youth Program. 30-31 Sugar Bowl (CS) Youth Program. JANUARY 7-8. Gulf Yachting Association 2006 Winter Meeting. Pascagoula, MS. Northern Gulf Coast Yacht Club Legend BWYC Bay-Waveland Yacht Club Bay St. Louis, MS www.bwyc.org BYC Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile, AL www.bucyc.com CSA Corinthian Sailing Association. New Orleans, LA. www.corinthians.org FWYC Fort Walton Yacht Club. Fort Walton Beach, FL GYC Gulfport Yacht Club, Gulfport, MS. www.gulfportyachtcclub.org MYC Mobile Yacht Club, Mobile, AL. www.mobileyachtclub.com NYC Navy Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL www.navypnsyc.org NOYC New Orleans Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA www.noyc.org PBYC Pensacola Beach Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL. www.pensacolabeachyc.org PCYC Pass Christian Yacht Club, Pass Christian, MS. www.pcyc-gya.org PYC Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL. www.pensacolayachtclub.org. PontYC Pontchartrain Yacht Club, Mandeville, LA www.pontyc.org SYC Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA www.southernyachtclub.org SSYC South Shore Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA www.ssycnola.org SABYC St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club, Panama City, FL www.stabyc.com TYC Tammany Yacht Club, Slidell, LA www.tammanyyachtclub.org www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

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News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

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CLASSIFIED ADS — 3 Months for $25 Place your ad early on the Internet for $10 • Classified ads with text only for boats are $25 for a three-month ad for up to 30 words. $50 for ad with horizontal photo ($65 if vertical photo). Check or Credit cards accepted. Must be for sale by owner – no business ads. Boats wanted ads included. • Free ads for boats under $500 (sail and dinghies only), all gear under $500, and windsurfing equipment. For sale by owner ads only. • All other ads (including business ads) are $20 a month for up to 20 words, add $5 a month for each additional 10 words. $10 a month for a horizontal photo. Frequency discounts available. Contact editor. • All ads go on the SOUTHWINDS Web site. For a one-time $10 fee, we will place your ad on the Internet before going to press on the next issue. • No Refunds • The last month your ad runs will be in parentheses, e.g., (10/06) is October, 2006.

BOATS/BOAT TRAILERS WANTED ___________________________ Sailboat Trailer Wanted for 1996 Hunter 26 sailboat with centerboard and water ballast. (770) 519-3384. (12/05)

BOATS & DINGHIES ___________________________

• Ad must be received by the 10th of the month. TO PLACE AN AD: 1. On the Internet www.southwindsmagazine.com This applies only to the $25 and $50 ads above with and without photo. Pay with Paypal and put your ad in the subject line. If a photo, then e-mail to editor@southwindsmagazine.com as a separate jpeg attachment. 2. Via E-mail and Credit Card. E-mail your ad to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. Text can be put in the e-mail. Send photos as a separate jpeg attachment to the e-mail. Pay by mail (see below) or credit card. You can call us with a credit card number. Give us the credit card number, expiration, billing address and name on card. Call (941) 795-8704. 3. Mail your ad in. Mail to SOUTHWINDS, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175. Send a check or credit card number with information as listed in #2

above. Mail the photo in (35mm best). If you want the photo back, enclose a SASE. Add $5 for a typing charge. 4. Telephone or fax your ad in. Call (941) 7958704 and give us your ad over the phone. There is an additional $5 typing charge. If you have a photo, you can mail it in. We can take your credit card number, or you can mail a check. Fax: (941) 795-8705. 5. Do a combination of the above. E-mail, call in or send the ad text in via Paypal on our Web site. Email the photo directly to the editor. If you don’t have a scanner, mail the photo to us separately. Call the editor at (941) 795-8704 with any questions. 6. We will pick up your ad. Send the editor a check for air flight, car rental, hotel, travel, eating and entertainment expenses, and he will come to your location and pick up the ad. Any ads to be picked up on tropical islands or other resort destinations will be free.

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Advertise your business in a display ad in the classifieds section. Sold by the column inch. 2 inch minimum. (3 column inches is 1/8 page) MONTHLY COST ADS PER INCH

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Bauer 10. Everything new. Sprit-rigged. Tan Bark Sail. Sunbrella fitted cover. Galv. Trailer. Spruce mast and oars. Liner with flotation. Bauer yacht finish. $2900. Sarasota. (941) 349-3102 2004 Raider 16 Sport - Dealer Demo Boat Like New!!! Save over $2,300!!! Includes trailer, Spinnaker package, Halyard System, & Spar Bag. $5,900. Will assist in delivery! (615) 403-4698. (12/05) 1982 Cape Dory 25. Excellent condition, sleeps 4, standing headroom, Yanmar deisel, bimini, many upgrades including sail covers, sails, roller furling genoa, VHF, compass, toilet. 6 opening ports, Bimini and Dodger. $17,500 mayras1957@aol.com. $17,500 (305) 610-0988. (12/05)

26’ Wharram Tiki Catamaran. Solid. No Rot. Many Improvements. Needs sails, rigging and major detailing. 16” draft. Great camping cruiser. Marathon (Keys). Must Sell, Bought 36’ Wharram. $5K obo. (305) 664-0190. drkunz@hotmail.com. (12/05)

1976 Tanzer 22 with 3’ 6” draft, main, jib, tiller, winches, outboard bracket, all in good shape. Must sell $2,500 (941) 792-9100

ALL CLASSIFIED ADS DISPLAYED ON WEB SITE www.southwindsmagazine.com 62

December 2006

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___________________________ 1996 Cheetah 30 sport boat. 87 PHRF. Carbon lift keel and bow pole. 3 spinakers. 2 mains, 2 jibs. 15+ knots on reach. KVH, Knotmeter, depthmeter. Trailer. $24,500. (904) 880-6503. (12/05) www.southwindsmagazine.com

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Beneteau First 310, 1992 racer /cruiser, roller furling, B&G Quad, full sail inventory, 18hp diesel, accommodations for six, head, shower, LPG stove, A/C, professional bottom job Oct., 2004, Excellent Condition ASKING $39,900 with transferable slip. (813) 818- 0145 or e-mail, Beneteau_First_310@hotmail.com. (12/05)

1990 30’ Catalina 30, std rig, fin keel 5’3”, roller furling, bimini, cushions, instruments, Excellent condition. Reasonably and practically priced at $32,900. (727) 207-0717 or email: galileo430@comcast.net (1/06)

32 Gulf Pilothouse, complete refit all new 2005- standing running rigging, performance sails, wiring, circuit breakers panel, water heater, holding/macerator, fuel tanks, 12v/110 standing fridge freezer, propane cooktop infared broiling, 3 batteriers autocharger, 17000btu heat/air, bimini $49,600 sailsetc@ilnk.com (904) 810-1966. (1/06) 350 Island Packet 1998. Original Owner, Bahamas-ready, 4kw gen, 8gal/hr watermaker, roller furling, autopilot, electronics, radar, ac/heat, refrig., full canvas, new AB 10’ dinghy, 15 hp Yamaha, davits, EPIRB, more custom upgrades, $183,000. (727) 392-3162. (12/05)

CATALINA 30. 1989. Wing Keel. New Canvas, Full enclosure. AC, custom teak doors. Garmin 182 Chart plotter, Loran, VHF, Auto-pilot, AM FM Stereo CD, Refrigerator, extra fresh water tank. New bottom paint September 2004. A very clean boat, carefully maintained. $37,500.00. Call (727) 421-3014. (1/06)

32’ MORGAN 32 1979 Great Bahamas cruiser. 4ft draft, Yanmar 20 Hp, Bimini, Wheel Steering, Auto Pilot, Inverter, more. $26,900. Request info at mehnert@cfl.rr.com. (321)514-4983. 1967 Morgan 34 sloop, bronze centerboard, 4-foot draft, wheel steering, cruise-equipped (liveaboard), gps, auto-pilot, 3 solar panels, Atomic 4 gas engine, 60 gallons water, much more. $14,500/best offer. (239) 462-5004

FREE-New Hunter 33 or 36. SailTime will pay mortgage and all expenses for 5 years – you put 20% down–own 100%.1-866-Sailtime.

36’ Islander Freeport B-Plan raised saloon cruiser, Cruise-ready with all the extras. A take you anywhere boat. Newly rebuilt diesel, full electronics and all the extras. $69,900 See www.islanderfreeport.com, e-mail islanderfreeport@pobox.com, (727) 864-9048 (2/06) 1993 Gemini 3400 catamaran 14‚ beam 18‰ board up 5‚ board down. In Sarasota. Cruise ready, Air, solar, davits, contact Alan (970) 690-3758 or alanm@frii.com for inventory list. Asking $79,000. (1/06)

DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADS STARTING AT $38/MONTH News & Views for Southern Sailors

Pearson 365 ketch. 1976, new diesel (03) & fuel tank. Max prop, new upholstery, new dinghy w/OB. Deck just painted, hull done w/Imron. 4kw, 36-mile radar, 2 a-pilots, heavy chain ground tackle w/ windlass, gps plotter. ds/ws/log ,406 EPIRB, Force 10 galley & cabin heater. Dodger and bimini. Much new equipment and many upgrades. One of the best equipped and maintained 365s around. By second owner, in Punta Gorda, FL. $51,000. delivery available. (941) 920-0132. (1/06) SOUTHWINDS

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1965 Columbia 40 by Charlie Morgan. 30hp diesel w/750 hrs. S/S center board draws 4’ 6” up. Auto pilot, Furlex RF, 5 sails, 8 winches, Bimini, boom shade, S/S stove w/oven, pressure water, brass fixtures, dorades, Type III MSD, ICOM VHF, Garmin, GPS, depth, speed, tacking compass, binnacle compass. Own this classic beauty for only $35,000. Located in Edgewater Maryland. Visit www.cortezyachts.com or call (941) 792-9100.

45’ 6” LOA Bayfield 40, Hull # 34 Full keel 5’ draft, cutter ketch designed by H.T.Gozzard built in 1984 Exceptional condition with lots of new gear. Harken Roller furling on all sails. Marine Air, WS, WD, Depth,VHF w/remote, SSB, CD/Radio, Autopilot, Chartplotter, Radar, Dinghy, Life Raft $114,000 Call Major Carter or visit www.Cortezyachts.com (12/05)

A D S

FREE – New Hunter 33 or 36. SailTime will pay mortgage and all expenses for 5 years – you put 20% down and own 100%. Call 1-866-Sailtime.

CREW AVAILABLE/WANTED ___________________________ Visit SOUTHWINDS “NEW” boat and crew listing service at southwindssailing.com

BOOKS & CHARTS ___________________________ Ocean Routing – Jenifer Clark’s Gulf Stream Boat Routing/Ocean Charts by the “best in the business.” (301) 952-0930, fax (301) 5740289 or www.erols.com/gulfstrm

1982 MORGAN OUT ISLAND 416 Engine: 65HP Perkins, ONAN Generators, 2 AC units, auto pilot, integrated GPS chart plotter, integrated LCD radar, VHF, 2 refrigerators, 2 freezers, ice maker, electric stove, microwave, TV & TV Booster, radio & CD player, 6 speakers, 2 baths, electric aft head, inverter 1750, enclosed bimini, 2 anchors, windlass, many spare parts, watermaker installation, 5 sails, roller furler & storm jib, major upgrades on engine, all new hydraulics, new hull paint Mar. ’05, new cushions ’04, life raft. Surveyed at $95,000, asking $92,500. Total Value $150,000. (504) 491-4132. alan@tirebargaincenter.com (1/05)

SEE CLASSIFIED INFO ON PAGE 60 64

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DELIVERY SERVICES ___________________________ DELIVERIES. ICW, Coastal, Caribbean & Gulf, Sail or Power, by USCG Licensed Captain With 30 Years Professional experience Including two trans-Atlantic deliveries. (443) 243-4925 or www.marylandsailing.com (1/06)

BUSINESS/INVESTMENT ___________________________ Sailtime.com is looking for base operators on the Florida coast. This may suit existing marine business owners who wish to add an additional income stream. Sailtime is a unique business model that requires minimal capital and no staff. Tel. (813) 817-0104 or jtwomey@sailtime.com (10/05)

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Licensed contractor with experience in highend residential work, both new and remodeling, seeks to qualify a builder as an active, advising, part-time, non-working partner. I am a very responsible, honest experienced builder with excellent qualifications seeking the same to work on projects in residential work. Only very quality-oriented and responsible builders/carpenters need contact me who are in the Manatee/Sarasota counties area. I also am only interested in enjoyable, interesting work — not the rat race. Craig100@tampabay.rr.com.

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HELP WANTED ___________________________ Sailor Wanted. Turn your hobby into extra cash. Travel the Florida coast making sales calls on retail customers for major marine rope manufacturer. Detail-oriented merchandising experience. E-mail resume and questions to amoffice@amconet.com.

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Sailing Club Manager opportunity with private club featuring tennis, pool, summer camp and active dinghy racing. A mature person with mechanical skills a plus. Housing provided. Send financial compensation requirements to: GM Search, 30 Yacht Club Drive, Beaufort, SC 29907. ALL CLASSIFIEDS ON WEB SITE:

www.southwindsmagazine.com www.southwindsmagazine.com

C L A S S I F I E D Sick of North American Winters? Growing St. Thomas-based bareboat charter operation seeks qualified check-out and service department personnel. Full-time and seasonal positions available. Bring your positive attitude and experience and enjoy top pay in the Caribbean sunshine! Fax resume to (340) 777-9750 or e-mail john@cyoacharters.com. (12/05)

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Yacht Broker wanted. Established company in St. Petersburg Fl. Be part of a successful sales team with full support. Contact Bo Brown, Yacht Sales Florida. (727) 553-9551 or fax to (727) 896-5175

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Edwards Yacht Sales is expanding! Yacht brokers needed to sell sailboats on either coast. Will train! Excellent commissions, group health insurance, bonus plan. Contact Roy Edwards at (727) 725-1600, www.EdwardsYachtSales.com

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MISCELLANEOUS BOAT GEAR NEW & USED ___________________________ Wanted Mast for Hughes Northstar 500 (25foot sailboat). (251) 476-4061. (2/06)

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Anchors – 40 lb 3-piece storm - $250. 20 lb CQR - $150. 15 lb CQR - $100. (941) 9536240.

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GALERIDER parachute storm anchor system, complete in storage bag, thankfully never used. New over $500, asking $150. (305) 294-1541. RCStewart55@aol.com (12/05)

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Service Dept. Rigger. Massey Yacht Sales is accepting applications and resumes for sail and/or powerboat riggers/outfitters. Many employee benefits including paid holidays, paid vacations, health insurance, workmen’s comp insurance, performance bonuses, and good hourly salary. Must be hardworking, honest, have own tools and be a team player. Excellent service department support and organization. Call George Humes, service dept. mgr. at (941) 7231949, ext. 16 or fax resume to (941) 729-7520.

Tiralo floating deck chair - a beach chair that floats in water and rolls easily on the sand. Looks great. Folds and fits on your boat or inside your car. More info: www.tiralousa.com.

INSURANCE ___________________________

LODGING FOR SAILORS ___________________________ Ponce de Leon Hotel Historic downtown hotel at the bay, across from St. Petersburg YC. 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 550-9300 FAX (727) 896-2287 www.poncedeleon hotel.com News & Views for Southern Sailors

2” DISPLAY ADS STARTING AT $38 A MONTH editor@southwindsmagazine.com

or 941-795-8704 SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

C L A S S I F I E D

A D S

SAILING INSTRUCTION __________________________

Outboard Motor. 2002 Yamaha 15HP, 4cycle, manual start, great condition, less than 40 hrs use. $1,200 (727) 544-1833. (1/06)

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SAILS & CANVAS __________________________

ADVERTISING HERE

Starting at $38 a Month

Bimini top, canvas and frame complete. From BOSTON WHALER. Originally $700. Usable on any craft with 87” beam. Navy. Like new. $400. Pick up only. Lake Lanier, Gainesville, GA. Chris @ 770 536 4628, or cwnlanier1@aol.com.

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AC/DC Reefer, 22# Bruce Anchor, Anchor Ball, Sospenders, Magma Grills, Mariner 9.9 Mercury Long Shaft 7.5 HP, folding bikes, windsurfers, Metzeler sailing rig, windscoop, Drogues, lifesling, Type I life jackets w/strobe. Nautical Trader. (941) 488-0766.

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Wanted Raritan Cricket marine toilets (2, but I’ll take one) either new or good used. If used must be cosmetically good. Needing rebuild OK. Sonett48@AOL.com (12/05)

WINDSURFING GEAR __________________________ See Classified Info pg 60 66

December 2006

SOUTHWINDS

Wanted: Used Prodigy (standard or race), other boards, miscellaneous windsurfing equipment. Steve (941) 795-8704, editor@southwindsmagazine.co www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS

December 2006

INDEX

ADVERTISERS

TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS!: Southwinds provides this list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. This list includes all display advertising.

BOAT SHOW continued from page 36 mast and in-boom furling system. Paraiso’s layout includes both deck salon and formal salon with dining area, two guest staterooms and a master suite with office and access to cockpit. All the main sailing accessories are at the Fort Lauderdale show, said Art Saluk, the owner of SGA Yachts in Fort Lauderdale. “But we do better at the Miami Show and Strictly Sail,” he said, adding that for sailboats, the Miami Show in February is the preferred show. Pier 66, which hosts the majority of sailboats on exhibit, was damaged during the hurricane as was the convention center’s roof. While the Fort Lauderdale show is not known for an abundance of sailboats, there were even less this year. “Boats are not foremost on people’s minds after a hurricane,” Saluk said. Others predicted that a Fort Lauderdale weakened by bad weather might give the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail a boost. People will be pining for a true show without the hindrance of weather, said Stephen Bogner, marina manager for the city of Miami. People who might not make it for the Fort Lauderdale show may reschedule and make it down to Miami, he said. “We’ll have a first-class facility, and everything will be back up and running by then,” Bogner said. 68

December 2006

SOUTHWINDS

Air Duck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Aqua Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Atlantic Sail Traders . . . . . . . . . .43 Banks Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Beachmaster Photography . . . . .64 Beneteau Sailboats . . . . . . . . . .BC Beta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Bluewater Sailing Supply . . . . . .26 Boaters Exchange . . . . . . . . . . .43 Bob and Annie s Boatyard . . . . .20 Bo sun Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Bubba Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Carson/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Cortez Yacht Brokerage . . . . . . .63 Crow s Nest Restaurant . . . . . . .31 Cruising Direct Sails . . . . . . .37,66 Defender Industries . . . . . . . . . . .6 Dockside Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Drive Insurance From Progressive . . . . . . . . . .19 Dwyer mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Eastern Yachts/Beneteau . . . . .BC Edwards Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . .60 El Cid Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 E-marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65,66 First Patriot Health Insurance . . .65 Flying Scot Sailboats . . . . . . . . .63 FX Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Garhauer Hardware . . . . . . . . . .30 Glacier Bay Refrigeration . . . . . .41 Gold Bars Captain s Book . . . . .65 Gulf Coast Yacht Sales . . . . .59,62 Hanse Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack . . . . . .53 Hotwire/Fans & other products .65 Island Marine Products . . . . . . . .23 Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter . . .36 JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Kevane Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Laurie Kimball Realtor . . . . . . . .14 Leading Edge Yacht Brokers . . .61 Leather Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Lex-Sea Charters . . . . . . . . .49,63 Life Captions Video . . . . . . . . . .27 Manton Marine Surveyors . . . . .17 Massey Yacht Sales 4,9,35,64,IBC Masthead Enterprises . . . . . . .4,66 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau . .BC National Sail Supply . . . . . . . . . .41 Nautical Trader . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 North Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,24 Pinnacle Fractional Sailing . . . . .29 Porpoise Used Sails . . . . . . . . . .66 Quantum Sarasota . . . . . . . . . . . .3 RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Regata del Sol al Sol . . . . . . . . .12 Rparts Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . .43 Sailboats Florida, Inc. . . . . . . . . .64 Sailing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Sailor s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Sailrite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Sailtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program 59 Schurr Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Scurvy Dog Marine . . . . . . . . . . .28 Sea School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Sea Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40,66 SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 St. Augustine Sailing School . . .66 St. Barts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . .BC Suncoast Inflatables . . . . . . . . . .33 Sunrise Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,65 Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Turner Marine/Island Packet . . . .38 UK-Halsey Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Ullman sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 US Spars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Walker Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC,13 Windcraft Catamarans . . . . . . . .10

Florida’s bad hurricane season last year gave the Miami show a boost. “We had a great show last year with the proximity of the (Fort Lauderdale) show to hurricane season,” said Cathy Johnston, the southern regional manager of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “The Fort Lauderdale show only helps Miami as it delays planning and the buying decision.” Contact freelance marine journalist Lisa Hoogerwerf Knapp with southeast Florida news items at SouthwindsNews@aol.com.

Subscribe to SOUTHWINDS $19.95/year • $37/2 Years • 3rd Class $24/year • $45/2 Years • 1st Class Subscribe on line on our secure Web site with credit card www.southwindsmagazine.com www.southwindsmagazine.com

ADVERTISER INDEX BY CATEGORY TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides this list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. This list includes all display advertising. SAILBOATS – NEW AND BROKERAGE Beneteau Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Boaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Carson Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Cortez Yacht Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Eastern Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Flying Scot Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Gulf Coast Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59,62 Hanse Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Island Yachting Centre/Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Leading Edge Yacht Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina//Hunter/Shannon/Albin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,9,35,64,IBC Masthead Yacht Sales/Catalina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,66 Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Pinnacle Fractional Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Sailboats Florida, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Sailor s Wharf Boatyard and Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Sailtime, Fractional Sailing & Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats . . . . . . . . . . . .59 St. Barts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC Suncoast Inflatables/ West Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Turner Marine/Island Packet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Windcraft, Trimarans and Catamarans, Sail or Power . . . . . . .10 GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIES, CLOTHING Air Duck Hatch Windscoop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Bluewater Sailing Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL . . . . . . . . .43 Bo sun Supplies/Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Defender Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 E-Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65,66 Garhauer Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Hotwire/Fans & other products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Island Marine Products/Davits,motorlocks,etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 JR Overseas/Moisture Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Leather Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Masthead Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,66 Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Rparts Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Sailrite Sewing Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Walker Bay Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC,13 SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGING SERVICES Atlantic Sail Traders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida . . . . . . .17 Cruising Direct/sails online by North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37,66 Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Masthead/Used Sails and Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,66 National Sail Supply, new&used online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 North Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,24 Porpoise Used Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Quantum Sails and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Sailing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Sunrise Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,65 UK-Halsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Ullman Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC,13 US Spars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 News & Views for Southern Sailors

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December 2006

Christmas on the Water By Carolyn Corbett

Air Station Cherry Point, NC, deliverhristmas morning 1993 dawned ing troops to Desert Storm…listening bright and warm over the sailto church bells ring out “Silent Night” boats anchored at Royal Island as dusk embraced Hope Town’s candy in the Bahamas. Our holiday flag flew cane lighthouse…swinging on a proudly from Godspede’s rigging. Calls mooring in Green Turtle Cay, watchof “Merry Christmas, Mate!” and ing party guests arrive at a gaily deco“Brilliant day, Luv!” rang across the rated house via water taxi, singing water as other crews hoisted the along to their music drifting across the Union Jack and Southern Cross. harbor…learning from rap music that Dave and I were the only Santa doesn’t get milk and cookies in Americans in a harbor where half a the Abacos: Cracked conch, peas and rice, dozen world cruisers had gathered a couple of grouper would be nice! for a Yuletide reunion. No phones, no Cruisers cast off shoreside methshopping, no commercialism, no settlement. As European Christmas car- Carolyn Corbett onboard during a cruising ods of merrymaking and develop Christmas. more appropriate means of celebratols drifted on the breeze, 14 adults ing. Crews don festive red T-shirts, horde mail to open on and three children dinghied from one cockpit to the next, Christmas Eve, and search for small local churches in which sharing champagne, feasting on treats, and toasting our to worship. After 11 months of being crushed in a crowded hometowns in Austria, Australia, Germany, England, and locker, artificial evergreens are reshaped and trimmed with Minnesota. shells, sand dollars, and beach glass. Cruising Christmases: Poinsettias grow wild, tiny artiParrots in palms replace partridges in pear trees. ficial trees appear from hiding places in lazarettes, and traDolphins pull Santa’s dinghy to each boat, where he slides ditional family recipes are prepared. Silent nights are brodown the mast with his bag full of gifts. Evenings are spent ken by boaters tooting carols on conch horns and Junkanoo watching for the green flash in the west and the shining star drums beating out their ancient rhythm. in the east. Do we miss snow, towering Christmas trees, our parOur first year on the water, Dave stumbled on a lobster ents, our children? You bet we do. Dave’s T-shirt is just glory hole just a few days before St. Nick was due. He beginning to dry from the tears shed by a young cruiser promptly issued a decree. The newest Corbett Cruising sobbing out her loneliness last Christmas Eve. But first Tradition would be Christmas breakfast consisting of lobthing the next morning, Jennifer in her bikini and her newster, bacon, eggs, grits, freshly squeezed Bahamian orange lywed husband in his wetsuit roared off in search of elusive juice and champagne. Who was I to argue with such senticrustaceans. That evening they held hands and watched mentality, such insight, such decadence? Gifts among cruisfireworks under a full moon. This December, Jennifer is ers are inexpensive, informal, and cherished: an aloe plant back in the post-sabbatical, workaday world, fully aware from Down Under, homemade papaya chutney, hand-craftthat 120 years will pass before a full moon once again shines ed projects. Dave and I prepare the gifts we’ll share months in the Christmas sky. before the holidays. Wooden Merry Christmas from Bifrost ornaments, pickle relish and salsa from our garden in The magic is in the memories Minnesota, ingredients for cookies and candy. All are Micki and Dick Beberman reminisce about a Christmas packed aboard as August heat beats down on our hull. potluck in the Dominican Republic with barbecued chicken Green Turtle Cay drew us back again for Christmas last and roast pig. The pork was delicious, but the chickens year. Everyone in the anchorage gathered for “docktails” were apparently the losers in the Saturday night cock fight! and decorating at the Other Shore Club. We hung twinkling Donald and Ruth Bates have marked the holidays with the lights, danced on the pier to Barefoot Man singing “Santa a capella choirs of the Solomons and the Bells of Cochin in Got a Sunburn,” and turned pilings into candy canes with India during their 11 years of sailing around the world. wide red ribbons. Singlehander John Duncker shared Christmas duck The first-grade teacher in me sought out the school prowith orange sauce in Gran Canaria with six other sailors gram under swaying palms, where Minnesota memories of who had never before crossed the Atlantic. six-year-old shepherds and wise men came alive as tiny Dave and I cherish the disparity each Yuletide Bahamian angels in starched white gowns heralded the brings…peeling potatoes for a potluck dinner with 182 felbirth of the Babe. Then it was off to Uncle Bert’s Bar for the low boaters…decking the decks with causerina boughs (for traditional post-pageant partying. three days until they shed a trillion needles)…opening a Yes, Virginia, there is Christmas on the water—in the card on December 24th to learn Lisa would soon become Caribbean, the South Pacific, the Med—wherever cruisers our daughter-in-law…opening cards in mid-February gather as December grows to a close. Holiday attitudes defy when they caught up with us several hundred miles down warm latitudes, and Christmas is easily stowed in the heart. island…listening to C130 aircraft departing Marine Corps

December 2006

SOUTHWINDS