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Hurricane Season 2007 SOUTHWINDS News & Views for Southern Sailors June 2007 For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless
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Transcript of Southwinds June 2007
Hurricane Season2007
SOUTHWINDSNews & Views for Southern Sailors
June 2007For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless
Reinventing the wheel is one thing that makes Beneteau such an exceptional sailboat manufacturer.For over a century, we’ve been leading the industry with innovations like our patented pivoting wheelon the Beneteau 323.You’ll also find many other features and options on the Beneteau 323, including a retractable keel that allows you to sail into the most shallow gunkholing spots. Experience theexceptional. Visit your nearest Beneteau dealer to view the new sailing yachts for 2007.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 3
4 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHWINDSNews & 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.com
e-mail: [email protected]
Volume 15 Number 6 June 2007Copyright 2007, Southwinds Media, Inc.
Founded in 1993 Doran Cushing, Publisher 11/1993-6/2002
Publisher/Editor7/2002-Present
Steve Morrell [email protected] (941) 795-8704
Display AdvertisingDebra Mann [email protected] (941) 625-5715
Go to www.southwindsmagazine.com for information about the magazine, distribution and advertising rates.
Classified AdvertisingSteve Morrell [email protected] (941) 795-8704
Regional Editors
EAST FLORIDARoy Laughlin [email protected] (321) 690-0137
Production Proofreading ArtworkHeather Nicoll Kathy Elliott Rebecca Burg
Contributing Writers Letters from our readers Rebecca Burg Jeff ButzerKimberley Collins Tom Dunn Dave EllisJabbo Gordon Kim Kaminski Jim ListonDave Kyser Roy Laughlin Jennifer RogersHone Scunook Cliff Stephan Morgan StinemetzMindy Strauley Kent Trompeter Wally Moran
Contributing Photographers/ArtRebecca Burg (& Artwork) Julie Connerley Jim DietrichGary Gray Capt. Bill Robinson Morgan StinemetzKent Trompeter Tim Wilkes Photography Gil Williams
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY:SOUTHWINDS encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists, jok-ers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, includingsailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world andgenerally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or theCaribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some far-off and far-out place.
SOUTHWINDS welcomes contributions in writing and photography, sto-ries about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical arti-cles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronical-ly by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if pos-sible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruisingand just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution ifdigital, 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 $24/year, and $30/yearfor first class. Checks and credit card numbers may be mailed with name andaddress to SOUTHWINDS Subscriptions, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL,34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704. Subscriptions are also available with acredit card through a secure server on our Web site, www.southwinds-magazine.com. SOUTHWINDS is distributed to over 500 locations throughout8 Southern states. If you would like to distribute SOUTHWINDS at your loca-tion, please contact the editor.
Read SOUTHWINDS on our Web sitewww.southwindsmagazine.com.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 5
SOUTHWINDSNEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS
From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…SOUTHWINDS Covers Southern Sailing
WiFi Going south. Photo by Kent Trompeter. Page 42
Atlantic Hurricane Season opens. Photo by SteveMorrell. Page 36.
6 Gulfport, FL: Save This TownBy Steve Morrell
7 Letters
15 Southern Regional Monthly Weather and Water Temperatures
16 Bubba Drags His AnchorBy Morgan Stinemetz
18 Short Tacks: Sailing News and Events Around the South
30 Our Waterways: Boot Key Harbor changes, Gulfport Mooring Field, Anchoring in Melbourne
36 Establishing a Plan and Preparing Your Boat for a Storm, Morrell Hurricane Predictions 2007
By Steve Morrell
41 Morgan Invasion 2007By Tom Dunn
42 WiFi Going SouthBy Kent Trompeter
44 Travels with Angel: Coastal hopping Southeast Florida: Lake Worth to Biscayne Bay
By Rebecca Burg
42 Southern Racing: Southern Race Reports and Upcoming Races, Southern Regional Race Calendars
70 A Bay of Fundy Sailor Meets Charley MorganBy Caroline Norwood
28-29 Marine Market Place32-33 Regional Sailing Services Directory –
Local boat services in your area. 57 Boat Brokerage Section 62 Classifieds68 Alphabetical Index of Advertisers69 Advertisers’ List by Category69 Subscription Form
Cover:Sailing in the Corsair Trimaran Nationals.
Photo by Julie Connerley
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity, tovisit this ’Ol Florida-style water-
front community that I hope keeps itscurrent flavor. Its downtown is a walk-around “village,” which has not yetbecome “Disneyized” with shops andrestaurants that are all so very new andperfect. It’s still a very “real” communi-ty—the type that developers like to tryto imitate. Gulfport is a combination ofquiet neighborhoods, shops, restau-rants, bars and small businesses origi-nally created by dreamers who settledhere years ago and built a dream. It isnot a town of high-end luxury homesand condos.
What was created was what manyof us have seen all over Florida fromthe Panhandle to the Keys—and it’swhat we have sadly seen disappear.More and more people wanted to livein this style. In their love for it, theydestroyed it as the population grew.
But not yet in Gulfport. That flavoris still there.
But there is an enigma I see in thistown. I am not sure where they want togo. I visited friends who live there whohave worked hard in trying to makethis waterfront town more open toboaters—as it once was—a communitythat will invite cruisers to come visit,either by staying at the marina, oranchoring offshore—or by staying atthe proposed mooring field, which isthe current battle being fought. Rightnow, cruisers wonder about visitingGulfport, as it has a reputation of not
wanting them.What I don’t understand is why
anyone would be opposed to their vis-iting. Cruisers, who are mainly sailors,would come here for only one reason:because they would love this commu-nity. It has everything that cruisingsailors want: ’Ol Florida flavor, smallrestaurants, a walk-around town, mod-est homes, waterfront bars and shops, anice beach, pier—and a citizenry justlike them, people who like this styletown. Businesses would thrive andlove it when cruisers come to town.
I know the people in Gulfportwant to improve the town, but I betanything almost every one of themwants to keep this town’s current fla-vor and style. So it puzzles me. Whywould they not want to invite a groupof people just like them—honest,responsible people of modest meanswho like the quiet of sailing, whorespect the waters more than almostanyone, who like a slow, quiet lifestylethat sailing brings? They will dinghyashore (which means no cars, drunkdriving or parking problems), spendmoney in shops, restaurants and bars,be friendly—and then go home withouttaking anything with them except pictures,souvenirs and memories.
It puzzled me, and I can onlybelieve that people who oppose suchvisitors can only be against them for acouple of reasons. First, they don’t havea clue what cruisers are like. It’s obvi-ous to me how this view developed.
For years, Gulfport experienced thevery worst of boaters: those who arepoor, live on derelict boats and don’tcruise because their boat is junk andcan’t go anywhere. Because of its pro-tected waters, location and a growingFlorida population, many derelict live-aboards found Gulfport waters con-venient. Gulfport saw them as repre-sentative of all boaters, and since manylived on old sailboats, all sailorsbecame victims of this view. It’s calledprejudice—judging the whole group bythe actions of a few. It is pretty obviousto me that this is what is going on, asalmost every sailor I ever met—whocould cruise in his or her boat—is theexact opposite of the view held bysome people in Gulfport.
The only other reason I can see asto why there would be people inGulfport who would not want cruisersto visit the town appears obvious tome: Some people want Gulfport tobecome something different than whatit is. There must be people who don’twant to keep this small community ofprivately owned businesses and mod-est homes. There must be people whowould like to see Gulfport becomewhat much of Florida is evolving to:waterfront luxury mansions, condo-miniums and franchised restaurants,bars and shops. Why? I am not sure,but many will get rich if it does.
Believe me: If they want to keepcruisers away, just let Gulfport becomelike that, and they will stay away ontheir own.
Steve Morrell, Editor
FROM THE HELM
Gulfport, FL – Save this Town
6 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
LETTERS
See LETTERS continued on page 8
TO OUR READERS:We have received a lot of letters in recentmonths and have not been able to printthem all. We are asking our readers toplease keep your letters brief so that more ofthem can be printed, or please send moneyso that we can pay for a larger magazine
and print them all. Otherwise, we will haveto edit them down.
We try to print our letters in the orderthat we receive them, but also strive toprint letters on a diversity of topics, sosome get printed sooner than others.
Editor
BEING CONCISE:“If I had had more time, I would havewritten you a shorter letter.”
Attributed to Pascal, T.S. Elliot, MarkTwain, Igor Google and others.
RIGGING COMPANY IN ST. PETERSBURG PROVIDES GOOD SERVICEI wanted to pass on that Steve SmithRigging (SSMR) in St. Petersburg is anoutstanding company that deliversunbeatable customer service. Steve andJennifer Smith, as well as AndrewCheney, are experts in the field ofmarine rigging and know how to takecare of their customers. Let me tell youof my recent experience with them.
Last year, in February 2006, myboat dismasted and Steve Smith’sRigging replaced my 1979 Cal 27’sstanding and running rigging. Theydid a great job, dealt with the marinesurveyor and gave me sincere andhelpful advice as to what else I mightconsider doing to my boat.
Soon after the job was done, Inoticed that the bathroom door wouldnot shut properly. My neighbor at mymarina—who also has a Cal 27 and doesmuch of my boat’s maintenance—saidthat it was because of a “twisting” ofthe boat from improper rig tension, sohe loosened some of the rigging. Thissolved the door problem.
A year later, in January 2007, I real-ized that I had a serious weather helmproblem that I did not have beforeSSMR re-rigged my boat. After rakingmy mast as far forward as possible andthus eliminating some of the weatherhelm, I called Jennifer Smith at SSMR inMarch and advised her that myforestay is too long and asked that theymake it right. She got back to me short-ly and after inspecting my boat, sheadvised me that it was badly tuned andasked if I had readjusted any of theshrouds, so I told her the story aboutmy bathroom door not being able toshut and my neighbor’s loosening ofmy shrouds. Jennifer advised me thatthis de-tuning of the boat was mostlikely the problem, and they would re-tune the boat for $80. Eighty dollars—now that is a GOOD DEAL. But, no, Istubbornly insisted that the problem
“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.E-mail your letters to [email protected]
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 7
8 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
was a result of the forestay being too long, so we were in dis-agreement (she was very respectful, though). Jennifer thenput Steve Smith on the phone, and he told me that when theyre-rig, they use all manuals and materials available and pre-cisely measure the boat’s replaced rigging to be sure that theboat is rigged properly. But I did not want to hear that, so headvised me to bring the boat to his rigging dock so they couldcheck it out. I said this is not my fault, as I did not haveweather helm issues before he rigged it. I made it very clearthat I was not going to pay, and any work that they do will befor free. With great patience and respect, Mr. Smith told methat when I brought the boat in, they would inspect the rig-ging and determine exactly what the cause of the weatherhelm is. He said that after he corrected the weather helmproblem, if it was determined to be SSMR’s fault it would cer-tainly be free of charge, and if it was my fault, it would be upto me whether or not I should pay them. Thus, he was say-ing that, after 14 months, they will still warranty the prob-lem and let me determine if I will pay them. One cannot askfor better customer service.
I took the boat to their rigging dock and they very gra-ciously took me in, re-tuned the rigging and said that Ishould take it out into the harbor to see if the weather helmproblem was corrected. Steve told me that Andrew wouldtake the boat out with me, if I wanted, to check out theweather helm. Now Andrew is one of the best racing sailorsaround, so I was honored by this gesture, and we quicklydetermined that the weather helm had been corrected.Andrew gave me several suggestions on how to make myboat sail better and faster, to boot.
I would like to ask that you print this in the next editionof SOUTHWINDS. if possible, as I want to let the sailingworld see an example of great professionalism, expertise,and customer service.
Dan FontaineCal 2-27 Selina
DanI know Jennifer and Steve and have heard other good stories and itdoes not surprise me. Thanks for passing the word along.
Editor
POLICE IN GULFPORT, FL, INSPECT THE SAME BOAT EVERY WEEKENDEven though the city of Gulfport is still considering themooring field, local law enforcement are still questioning ussailors. Only now it’s in the form of safety checks. I belongto one of the local yacht clubs and am on the water and inthe area every weekend and am still being checked. Don’tthey realize that I care more about the waterways andpatronize Gulfport, which helps provide their paychecks?I’ll just keep the smile and a yes, sir. It is irritating, though,that they watch me so closely and yet turn their heads whenothers are destroying grass beds or throwing mini tidalwaves that naturally rock my world.
Anyhow, just thought you’d like to know about thesafety checks. I’m not going anywhere and I swear bySOUTHWINDS. Keep up the good work.
Name Withheld in Fear of Police HarassmentNameI think the people who are in fear of something are the anti-boating
LETTERS
See LETTERS continued on page 10
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SOUTHWINDSMARINE STORE
To order, call (941) 795-8704, or (877) 372-7245 with a credit card (orconfirm to mail a check in), or e-mail
To all items and books shipped to Floridalocations, add applicable state and county sales tax. All items can also be picked up in Bradenton, Florida
TO ORDER CALL 877-372-7245
10 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
citizens of Gulfport. I went to one of their town meetings and wasamazed by the disregard for honesty exhibited by one of the coun-cil members in regards to a mooring field. (See “Letters” in theMay issue.) This council member was either trying to mislead thepublic or she was just ignorant of what a mooring field was, usinga Tampa Bay anchorage as an example of a mooring field. It wasvery discouraging.
Not very boater-friendly if the police keep inspecting yourboat. That sounds like harassment to me, and if they keep inspect-ing, you have grounds for stopping them legally. Don’t forget:They cannot board your boat except to inspect something theycan’t inspect by not boarding, which means a proper MSD setup.The law is clear on this, and I would make sure they know this andnot let them board except to do so and then tell them that is thecondition and to get off the boat after doing so.
These police who keep inspecting are either rogue cops actingon their own or acting on orders from higher-ups on policy.
Editor
MARCO ISLAND POLICE HARASSMENT; MAINE SSCA MEETING WELCOMES BOATERSI was flabbergasted by the letter from Jill and Leo Stanley onSturdy Beggar about the police harassment at Marco Islandon November 14. Jill and Leo asked very disturbing ques-tions. Clearly, the power of the Marco Island municipalauthorities comes from the barrel of a gun and the glint fromtheir badges, not the law. Evidently, they believe they areabove the law. Such fascist arrogance is never acceptable!Kathy and I anchored at Factory Bay, Marco Island, onJanuary 11 without incident, even though the police boatwas roaming about. There were two other boats in FactoryBay, and five boats anchored in the north end of the bay,none of which were accosted that we could see. It’s possiblethe police finally read the Florida statute giving “full-timecruisers” the right to anchor outside a mooring field. Ofcourse, we’ve always had the right to anchor under federallaw, but it’s too much to ask for some municipal authoritiesto read federal law.
Another more pleasant subject. Loved your piece aboutthe Seven Seas Cruising Association annual meeting inMelbourne. Your readers may wish to know Kathy and Ihost the annual SSCA Down East Gam at our home at GilkyHarbor, Islesboro, ME. This will be our 17th year. The gamthis year will be held on August 3. Last year, we had 65boats anchored in the all-weather harbor in front of ourhouse. We’ll be home after June 1, so call us at (207) 734-6948for details. Love to see any of your readers who plan tocruise Maine this summer. You don’t have to be a memberof SSCA.
Fair Winds,Dick and Kathy de Grasse
s/y Endeavour, lying Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FL.
Dick, Isn’t it nice when you go somewhere to see the police roamingaround keeping an eye on you? As if you were going to mug some-one and they are there to protect that someone. They watch yourevery move, and if you have one light out or lit incorrectly, theyare ready to pounce, not letting an infraction of the rules go for onesecond. Ah!! Such is the cruising life in Marco Island, FL, (andGulfport, FL).
LETTERS
See LETTERS continued on page 12
See LETTERS continued on page 14
Do these people, these citizens who can see your boat fromthe land, think they own and control these waters as if theybought and own it. The state gave them use of these waters onlyif they share it with the rest of the country, as it belongs to all, notjust those who own the waterfront property.
Give some people a police force, and they just can’t wait touse it.
Editor
AUTOHELM ARTICLE HELPFULSOUTHWINDS is getting better all the time with you at thehelm. I really look forward to reading each issue. Your edi-torial positions on things like water cops on power trips,illegal anchoring laws in Florida communities, Cuba, etc.,are very much like mine (and your sarcasm and wit isappropriate and appreciated). Keep up the great work!
I was rather astonished and delighted to see your “howto” piece on the Autohelm ST4000+ Wheel. Well done. Lovedthe pics and especially the one of your homemade tool. Likeyou, some years ago I did some fixes and modifications ofmine, having found some aspects to be rather flimsy.
I’m not sure if I have a MK I or and MK II. How doesone determine which it is? What year is yours?
If it’s a MKII, do you happen to recall how to performthe “user adjustment” of the cam?
Len KraussPunta Gorda, FL
Len, Thanks for the comments on the magazine. If I had enough adver-tising, I would greatly increase the coverage of the waterwaysissues of anchoring, cops, disappearing marinas and all that, astimes are changing rapidly and not all for the best if the trendscontinue.
As for the Autohelm, mine came with the boat when I boughtit in 2005, but I know it was installed in 1998 with the purchaseof the boat new, so that is the year. If you have a MKII, I don’tknow how it is adjusted but I would bet it is through the sameaccess, which is that black round, soft plastic cover, which is kindof hidden. I bet you don’t need a special tool either, but I don’tknow. If you have the MKI like mine it should be the same; justremove the soft plastic cover. I actually used the sharp point of anice pick to pull it off, and it became obvious. To identify the model,I would suggest downloading the manual as I did. My owner’smanual didn’t say MKI, as I think it was just the first one. But Ilearned more when I downloaded the service manual, which youcan get on that Web site in the article. I’ll be glad to e-mail it toyou, if you like, as it has a diagram showing everything.
When I think about it, I believe the only time I ever heardanyone call it the Mk I or II was on a forum, and there is no dis-tinction in the service manual. It just says ST 4000+, but itshows mine blown up. Maybe the forum people made it up. Hardto say until I find a diagram showing the two different ones.
Don’t hesitate to ask me for more help if needed. Call if need be.Editor
BOAT INSURANCE KEEPS GOING UPI’ve been reading the insurance articles with interest as I havejust become a “victim” of all the hurricanes. No, not duringthe actual storms, as I took great care to prepare my 1984 40-foot Endeavour for the wind events. It was later that I became
LETTERS
12 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
a victim. More than a year later. (I’m berthed in St. Pete.)In 2001, my premium was $880. In 2005, it was $1,700.
In January, I received a bill for $3,600. I’ve never filed aclaim—ever. To get insured this year, I had to have a newout-of-the-water survey. She’s now worth $35,000 morethan when I bought her six years ago.
I started my Internet quest for a better rate. I sent inquote requests to every marine insurance company I couldfind on the Internet. Most would not give me a quotebecause my vessel was either too old, too long, or in Florida.
Here are the basic results of what coverage I could find.
• Charterlakes: $1950. $500 deductible, no windstorm cov-erage, and covered only within 25 nm of the coast. This wasfor an insured value of 80K.
• BoatUS Marine Insurance: With wider area coverage,including windstorm—$3,450.
• Inamar/ACE: 5 percent deductible, $2,900, 3 percentdeductible for $3,500, wide coverage w/windstorm.
• Great Lakes Reinsurance: Florida waters not to exceed 150nm offshore, with windstorm, $2,400. 75K policy.
I’m presently underinsured as I was unprepared to paydouble this year. Slip fees keep climbing as well. We are in afairly well-protected marina, and with a little preparationeveryone survived the hurricanes unscathed. My search forbetter insurance revealed that I am indeed one of the mass-es now paying for all the wonderful folks who “sold” theirboats to the insurance company. I wonder what the ratio isof folks who did their best to minimize damage and still losteverything, to the folks who just didn’t care and let theinsurance company buy another boat.
I fully support your position on insurance reform andpenalizing the problematic boat owners. With the skyrock-eting price of owning and operating a boat in Florida, I’mstarting to seriously look towards Central America to keepmy dream alive. My country is rapidly becoming too expen-sive to stay in and enjoy all it has to offer along the coast. Aslong as we keep handing over progressively more and moremoney, the rates for insurance, dockage, and fuel, will sim-ply keep climbing.
Larry Annens/v Abby Gale
Larry,I don’t know what happened to the old policy, “If you have a goodrecord with the insurance company, you get a better rate.” Maybeit died with the old policy, “If you prepare your boat for a storm,you will get lower rates.” Or maybe these policies never existed,but you are right: Those who “sold” their damaged boats to aninsurance company made out, and many of those who preparedtheir boats got screwed. Something’s backwards. In Florida, if youhave a home and a boat, you will be working much of your daytoward paying for insurance.
Let’s hope no storms hit us this year. See my predictions forthe storm season in the hurricane section this month.
Editor
14 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
E-mail your letters to the Editor: [email protected]
LETTERS
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 15
Weather Web Sites:Carolinas & Georgia www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtmlFlorida East Coast www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtmlFlorida West Coast & Keys http://comps.marine.usf.eduNorthern Gulf Coast www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/
WIND ROSES: Each wind rose shows the strength and direc-tion of the prevailing winds in the area and month. Thesehave been recorded over a long period of time. In general,the lengths of the arrows indicate how often the winds camefrom that direction. The longer the arrow, the more often thewinds came from that direction. When the arrow is too longto be printed in a practical manner, a number is indicated.
The number in the center of the circle shows the percentageof the time that the winds were calm. The lengths of thearrows plus the calms number in the center add up to 100percent. The number of feathers on the arrow indicates thestrength of the wind on the Beaufort scale (one feather isForce 1, etc.). Wind Roses are taken from Pilot Charts.
Southeastern U.S. Air & Water Temperaturesand Gulf Stream Currents – June
16 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
Southwinds
Bubba Articles
Southwinds does not have the electronic rights to the Bubba artcles.
Southwinds
Note
Southwinds does not have the electronic rights to the Bubba artcles.
Clearwater Coast Guard Auxiliary (Flotilla 11-1) Public Boating ProgramsGPS and Chart Reading. June 11,14. America’sBoating Course: July 14,15.
For more information on upcoming educa-tion programs or to request a free vessel safetycheck visit www.a0701101.uscgaux.info or call(727) 469-8895.
Ruskin , FL, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 75 OffersHome Study Safe Boating CourseThe Ruskin flotilla each month offers a boating safetycourse in Ruskin, but has found that many boaters do nothave the time to attend the courses, so it is now also offer-ing a home study course at $30. Additional family memberswill be charged $10 each for testing and certificates. Testswill be held bi-monthly. Entry into the course will alsoallow participants to attend the classes. To apply, call (813)677-2354.
Jacksonville, FL, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla. AmericasBoating Course. June 2, June 23, June 21. 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.$25.00, including books and materials. Meets Florida legalrequirements for boater education, and most insurance com-panies offer discounts to program graduates. To register, orfor more information, call Ray Bernier at (904) 422-1787.
North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NCOngoing adults sailing programs. Family sailing. 2-6 peo-ple; 2-6 hours. Traditional skiffs or 30’ keelboat. $50-$240.www.ncmm-friends.org, [email protected], (252) 728-7317. Reservations/information: call The Friends’ office(252) 728-1638
US Sailing Race Management Seminar, Cortez, FL, June 9See racing section, page 46.
Safe Boating Class, Manatee Sail and Power Squadron,June 9The national award-winning Manatee Sail and PowerSquadron will be conducting a one-day boat smart class onSaturday June 9. The class is open to all, and ownership ofa boat is not required to attend. It will be an all-day class atthe Tropic Isle Yacht Club in Palmetto, beginning at 8 a.m.Lunch and snacks are provided.
The course covers navigating on local waters includinga review of charts and navigation aids as well as rules of theroad, emergency procedures, required equipment, boat-handling techniques, normal and emergency radio commu-nication procedures, etc. Completion of this course satisfiesthe Florida requirements for boat and personal watercraftoperators under the age of 21 and may entitle boat owners
■ RACING EVENTSFor racing schedules, news and events see theracing section.
■ UPCOMING SOUTHERN EVENTS
Go to the SOUTHWINDS Web site for our listof youth sailing programs in the Southern coastalstates, www.southwindsmagazine.com. The list was printedin the April 2006 issue.
EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING
Ongoing – Boating Skills and Seamanship Programs. St. Petersburg, FLTuesday nights, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Satisfies theFlorida boater safety education requirements. Eleven lessons,every Tuesday. Boating Skills and Seamanship Programs,7:30-9:30 p.m., 1300 Beach Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. Lessonsinclude: which boat for you, equipment, trailering, lines andknots, boat handling, signs, weather, rules, introduction tonavigation, inland boating and radio. (727) 823-3753. Don’twait until next summer to have your children qualify for aState of Florida boater safety ID, possibly lower your boatersinsurance premium or just hone your safe boating skills.
Boating Safety Courses, St. Petersburg, FLSt. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron. Six-week Publicboating course begins every Monday. Includes safety infor-mation plus basic piloting; charts, course plotting,latitude/longitude and dead reckoning. Satisfies Florida’sunder age 21 boater requirements. (727) 867-3088. Othercourses continuosly offered. (727) 565-4453. www.boating-stpete.org.
EVENTS & NEWS OF INTEREST TO SOUTHERN SAILORSTo have your news or event in this section, contact [email protected].
Send us information by the 5th of the month preceding publication. Contact us if later.Changes in Events Listed on SOUTHWINDS Web site
Go to www.southwindsmagazine.com for changes and notices on upcoming events. Contact us to post event changes.
18 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
to discounts on boat insurance.To register, contact Carol Dearstyne at (941) 727-
1790. http://manatee-squadron.org.
OTHER EVENTS
2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins, June 1-November 30See the SOUTHWINDS Hurricane section this issueand every issue throughout the hurricane season.Also visit the Southwinds hurricane pages atwww.southwindsmagazine.com for articles and links toweather Web sites, hurricane plans, tips on preparing yourboat and more.
Great Biloxi Schooner Races, Biloxi, MS, June 2Held in conjunction with the Blessing of the Fleet, Biloxischooners will race. The Glenn L. Swetman will race the MikeSekul. 11:00 a.m. Race begins at the new schooner pier onfront beach west of the former Grand Biloxi. (228) 435-6320
19th Annual Ocean Watch Reef Sweep and BeachCleanup, Broward County, FL, June 9The Annual Reef Sweep and Beach Cleanup, sponsored bythe Ocean Watch foundation, will be held on Saturday, June9, at various beaches and piers located between DeerfieldBeach and Hollywood, FL. Charter dive boats are availablefor reef dives that morning. Over 6200 volunteers participate.
The cleanup is followed by the Reef Sweep party, to beannounced (see the Web site), to celebrate. (954) 467-1366.www.oceanwatch.org, or e-mail to [email protected].
Island Sun Splash. June 10-16, Key Largo. Presented by theUpper Keys Association of Dive and Snorkel Operators.This adventure for the whole family includes scuba classes,snorkeling and dives on the shipwreck trail. (305) 852-1655
23rd Annual Underwater Music Festival. July 14, Looe Key, Florida KeysDivers, snorkelers and swimmers enjoy a fun and quirkyform of underwater entertainment. (305) 872-2411.
27th Hemingway Days Festival. July 19-27, KeyWest. The island of Key West celebrates the leg-endary author’s work and life with literary read-ings, theater, short story contest, exhibits and more.
www.hemingwayday.net. (305) 296-2388.
Seventh Annual Summer Sailstice, Planet Earth, June 23-24The Seventh Annual Summer Sailstice, a sailing celebrationof the summer solstice, will be held June 23-24. There is nospecific location of the Summer Sailstice except that itoccurs on the planet Earth, in this solar system, wheresailors can spend the day—or two days—sailing as a tributeto the solstice, which—astronomically—occurs on June 21.
The Summer Sailstice sailing holiday allows all sailorsto sail locally and celebrate globally with other members oftheir club, class, fleet or family while connecting with thou-sands of sailors worldwide. This year’s Summer Sailsticecelebration takes place on June 23-24 on the weekend clos-est to the summer solstice with more daylight than anyother weekend of the year.
In 2006, sailors from across the Northern Hemisphereparticipated in this growing celebration of sailing. In addi-tion to creating a global connection between sailors on thelongest sailing days of the year, an added bonus for sign-ing up as a participant in Summer Sailstice is the chance towin prizes supplied from many of the world’s top sailingbusinesses. Sign-up for all participants is free on theSummer Sailstice Web site, www.SummerSailstice.com,where sailors can also post their sailing plans, create andhost a Summer Sailstice party or event and find crew fortheir boats.
Summer Sailstice was founded in 2001. It is a global hol-iday celebrating sailing annually on the summer solstice.The goal of Summer Sailstice is to encourage all sailors andsailing organizations in the Northern Hemisphere to partic-ipate by sailing and celebrating wherever they are on thelongest sailing day of the year.
Wild Horses in the Islands: Regatta Time in Abaco, July 3-11By Rebecca BurgThe skippers and crews who participate in the annualRegatta Time in Abaco see an exciting series of races.However, the event is much more than your usual runaround the buoys, and sailors return every year for the irre-sistible Bahamian culture. While the regatta is a highlight,rest days in between each race allow crews to immersethemselves in Abaco’s exotic and laid-back tropicalambiance. Family-friendly parties punctuate each day, andthe fun starts with Bobb Henderson’s immense“Cheeseburger in Paradise” picnic on a sparkling white-sand beach.
The local charm will sweep you into a different time
20 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
zone. Tiny mom and pop shops greet sailors who visit GreatAbaco Island and its many out-island cays. If your timing’sright, you might bump into the “bread lady” on Man-O-WarCay before she sells out of fresh baked cinnamon rolls. Here,a traffic jam consists of two golf carts meeting on a narrowside street. Enjoy the grand ocean view with a frosty Kalikbeer at Nipper’s on Great Guana Cay or check out CrackerP’s on the little island of Lubber’s Quarters. The peppers forCracker P’s homemade hot sauce are grown right outside.Within the restaurant is a wall of fame and souvenir shopfor the famous Bahamian sloop, Abaco Rage, and they seemto be running out of room for Rage’s many trophies andawards. You can trade your paperback books in the JibRoom at Marsh Harbour, try conch salad at a local festival,see the Bahamian Independence Day fireworks on July 10and discover the parrots and wild horses on Great Abaco.There’s so much to see and do.
During the races, sailboats canter along a bit like wildhorses in the area’s prevailing 10-knot easterly breeze, andlast year saw some firm winds near the regatta’s end. Racingdivisions include PHRF w/spinnakers, the cruising boat“Mother Tub” with no spinnakers and a division for multi-hulls. Five or more like vessels entering the race will createtheir own class. Last year’s top regatta winners includeStuart Hebb’s Aerodyne 38, Thin Ice, and Tom Bell’s C&C 38,Whisper. Many sailors return year after year with their fami-lies, like Jim Miller and Sea Turtle, to enjoy a cruising vacationas well as the sociable regatta. You don’t have to enter all fiveraces, and many cruisers come just to follow the action, crewon another vessel and be part of the festivities and social set-ting. The regatta’s quality competition attracts serious racers,and the action is close. Boats in each division are divided upaccording to their ratings, and the scoring system allowsentrants a fair shot at stardom in every race.
To be a part of the adventure, visit www.rtia.net, or inthe United States contact race committee Jon and CarolEwing at (305) 665-8316 or [email protected]. An invalu-able resource is Steve Dodge’s The Cruising Guide to Abaco,which offers a wealth of local info. Once you’re in Abaco,the daily local cruisers’ net is broadcast on VHF 68 at 8:15a.m. and includes Bob Toler’s excellent weather reports.Known as Barometer Bob, you can view his Web site atwww.barometerbob.com.
■ NEWS
Online Southeastern U. S. Bridge-Opening DirectoryA comprehensive bridge directory is available online at theSalt Southeast Cruisers’ Net Web site atwww.cruisersnet.net. The directory lists all the bridges inthe Southeastern United States which cross the AtlanticIntracoastal Waterway, Florida, Florida Keys, westernFlorida, northern Gulf (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway —GICW) and the Okeechobee waterways. Also covered arevarious bridges on the St. Johns River, and locks on theOkeechobee Waterway. Bridges are catalogued by state orthrough a bridge name search. There is even some interest-ing information when one goes to the link to Bahamas’bridges.
The following information is available on each bridge.• Bridge Name • Bridge Location • Type of Bridge (Fixed, Bascule, Swing, or Lift) • Vertical Clearance (closed vertical clearance if the
bridge is of the non-fixed variety) • Opening times and restrictions (if any) • Special Comments
A comprehensive bridge-opening schedule is difficultto find on the Internet—if one exists at all—and the Cruisers’Net Web site is an excellent source. Many cruisers use cruis-ing guides for bridge schedules, but schedules change regu-larly for miscellaneous reasons, and guides, printed annual-ly, or less frequently, are not always current. The Cruisers Netdirectory, although not perfectly up-to-date, has input fromcruisers when they hear or discover a change.
The directory can be found on the left menu at theCruisers Net home page, www.cruisersnet.net, under
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 23
The Cheeseburgers in Paradise party that is the kick-off event forRegatta Time in Abaco. Photo by Capt. Bill Robinson.
Commodore Jack Dailey and Dave Coviello were on dinghypatrol maneuvering the boats into position. At 4 p.m. thegroups were brought together, and the circle was formed.The afternoon was full of celebrations including a dinghyconga line in the center of the circle.
Sixty-five boats enjoyed a picture-perfect Floridaevening, with the eclipse of the moon in full view. As areminder of why we love sailing in South Florida, we wereawakened Sunday morning to glorious sunrise. The circleremained complete till mid-Sunday morning when clubmembers started to bid each other a fond farewell. The pic-ture is courtesy of the Goodyear blimp.
NOAA Celebrates 200-YearAnniversary – Marine Debris WebSite FormedBy Kim KaminskiThis year the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) will be celebrating its 200-yearanniversary. It all began in 1807, when President ThomasJefferson established the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey toprovide nautical charts for the maritime community.Eventually, this fledgling organization gave birth to theWeather Bureau (founded in 1870) and to the U.S.Commission on Fish and Fisheries (founded in 1871).Individually these organizations provided the first physicalscience agency, the first atmospheric science agency and thefirst conservation agency.
For two centuries these organizations have compileddata used to help in understanding the earth’s oceans,shores, skies and environment. Through the years, the goalsof these three agencies helped to guide them back towardsthe eventual merger into one agency under the Departmentof Commerce, known today as NOAA. For more informa-tion on the NOAA and the 200-year celebration, go towww.noaa.gov.
In response to receiving funds from Congress to surveyareas affected by recent years’ damaging hurricanes, theNOAA has established a new Web site to display debrisinformation. This Web site, the Marine Debris Program, willdisplay not only marine debris but buoys, wrecks and othernavigational obstructions that can be found in and alongthe Gulf Coast and southern shorelines of Alabama,Mississippi and Louisiana. For more information and toview the maps showing the debris, go to www.gulfofmexi-co.marinedebris.noaa.gov.
“Bridge Directory.” The e-mail to update a bridge scheduleis [email protected], or call (336) 584-1935.
Hillsboro Inlet Sailing ClubCelebrates 35th Anniversary with Record Raft-up
The Hillsboro Inlet Sailing Club Raft-up. Photo courtesyGoodyear Blimp.
Hillsboro Inlet Sailing Club celebrated the close of its35th anniversary year with a record-setting 65-boat circleraft-up. This is the fourth year the club has celebrated itschange of command with a “circle raft,” each year grow-ing in numbers.
This year’s event was held March 4-5 on Lake Boca inBoca Raton, FL. On Friday evening, HISC boats began toposition the anchor boats. Early Saturday morning, otherclub boats began arriving and one by one were added to thebuilding raft. It was an all-day event directed by “The RaftMaster”—outgoing Commodore Hal Steward. Boats weremoved into position around the anchor boats, formingsmall groups. Incoming Commodore Tim Leonard, Past
CONTRIBUTE TO SOUTHWINDSWRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED
SOUTHWINDS is always looking for articles and photoson various subjects about sailing (cruising and racing),our Southern waters, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.For more information, go to our Web site, www.south-windsmagazine.com, and see the “Writers Guidelines”page, or e-mail [email protected].
24 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 25
improvements to fund the project. The money comes fromtaxes generated within the city’s redevelopment projects.
Clearwater had to prove at least $4-million of theproject would benefit transient boaters. “These are
folks who travel from marina to marina, or access thedowntown by water,” Bill Morris, the city’s marine
and aviation department director, told the paper.Transient boaters would bring business to down-town restaurants and stores.
“This grant goes to show that there really is alot of federal support for the boating industry and
the importance of boating,” added Morris.
SOUTHWINDS Magazine Added toBoot Key Harbor Welcome PackFree issues of SOUTHWINDS magazine will now be issuedout to new boats arriving at the anchorage and mooring fieldin Boot Key Harbor. When new boaters arrive to stay at BootKey Harbor, whether long- or short-term, they receive a freecanvas tote bag filled with miscellaneous newspapers, localguides, items and various advertisements. The tote bag isdelivered by the Smorgasboat, a water taxi/delivery/tourelectric boat serving the harbor area.
Starting June, SOUTHWINDS will be part of that wel-coming gift.
Quirolo Presents State of the ReefAddress at Reef Relief 20th GalaAnnual Meeting in Key West, April16: Polluted Water and WarmerWater Cause of Reef ProblemsThe message at Reef Relief’s 20th annual membership meet-ing, held April 16, at Top of La Concha in Key West, was thatthe grassroots membership organization is alive and well,with a vibrant new board of directors who are poised to domore to protect coral reefs. Mayor Morgan McPherson andthe city of Key West were honored for phasing out the seweroutfall that previously discharged just off Fort ZacharyTaylor State Park on the ocean side of Key West.
Founder and Director of Marine Projects Craig Quirolopresented his “State of the Reef” report, which can be viewedonline at www.reefrelief.org. “It is apparent that, with theexception of a land-based fungus that affects purple sea fans,each of the new coral diseases that we first observed at KeyWest-area coral reefs are caused by increased sea tempera-tures in combination with polluted water. Global warmingprovides ideal conditions for the growth of new and danger-ous coral diseases at reefs where pollution has degradedwater quality. Coral reefs in the Bahamas, just a few hundredmiles away, have not experienced similar disease outbreaksbecause they have better water quality.”
Quirolo called upon sanctuary managers to disclosethe truth about the current health of the reef and urgedpublic officials to focus on improving water quality toreduce beach closures and protect the reefs.
New Radio Show HighlightsBoating in the Carolinas From Soundings Trade Only Wilmington and greater southeastern NorthCarolina boaters now have their own radio programdevoted exclusively to boating and the waterfrontlifestyle. Boat Talk, which made its debut April14, airs Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m.on The Big Talker FM, 93.7 and 106.3.
The program’s format is a combination of cur-rent boating news, listener call-in discussion and inter-views with expert boating industry guests. Host Capt.Doug Dickinson says the show covers “all things nautical”in the Carolinas and beyond, and all aspects of the boatingindustry and the boating lifestyle.
Dickinson has more than 25 years of professional boat-ing experience, both sail and power. He holds a BSME degreefrom Western Michigan University, a USCG 100-ton master’slicense and is an instructor for Sea School, a national cap-tains’ training program for U.S. Coast Guard licensing.
Clearwater Receives $1.2-Million Federal Grant For Boat SlipsFrom IBI NewsClearwater has received a $1.2-million federal grant for theconstruction of downtown boat slips. The U.S. Fish andWildlife Service approved the grant for Clearwater, theonly Florida city to receive one. It was one of 32 cities thatapplied for $9.4-million in grant funds.
According to a story in the St. Petersburg Times,Clearwater plans to build 129 floating concrete boat slips, apromenade, boardwalk and fishing pier in its downtownarea. Rental fees are expected to pay for much of the projectand its operations.
“It’s a huge shot in the arm,” Mayor Frank Hibbard toldthe paper. “It says a lot about the quality of the project.”
The grant will be used to reduce the amount of moneythe city will borrow to finance the project. The city hadplanned to borrow $10.95-million but will reduce thatamount. But the paper noted that the city will still use $1-mil-lion in property tax money earmarked for downtown
26 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
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News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 29
OUR WATERWAYS
there were 64 moorings in Boot Key Harbor, an overcrowd-ed city marina dinghy dock, and Dockside, a traditionalpopular spot for boaters to come ashore, was going condo,closing its docks to cruisers’ dinghies. There was a greatdeal of turmoil in the harbor, as plans for increasing thenumber of moorings, and improvements to the city marinawere well under way. Long-term denizens of the harborwere acting like squatters, leaving anchors tied to a life pre-server, boat fender, surfboard/dinghy, or any other piece ofdebris which would float, to mark their territory while offcruising for months or even years.
In recent years, Marathon has become not a place name,but a city. Incorporated in 1999, the community started rightin on making improvements, changing a crowded harborinto a pleasurable place to visit or live on a vessel. Now, inMay 2007, there are 211 moorings for vessels less than 45feet long overall and 15 for vessels up to 60 feet.
The mooring field started with the county buying fouracres of land with bay bottom ownership and hundreds offeet of dock and slip space, for a little over $1-million. Thisprovided public access to the waters of Boot Key Harborand the location for the city marina. A trial of 25 mooringsin 2001 proved so successful that less than two years lateranother 39 were placed. This year, another 161 have beeninstalled, to make Boot Key Harbor the largest transient andliveaboard mooring field in Florida, perhaps in the UnitedStates. An area far from the city marina, 150 feet east of theBoot Key Harbor Bridge and extending west to Marker 18on the south side of the channel, has been left for those whoinsist on dropping a hook. This will be the only place
Changes in Boot Key Harbor,Marathon, Florida KeysBy Cliff Stephan
For various reasons—and because it has the best naturalharbor any place in the Florida Keys—boaters are drawn toBoot Key Harbor in Marathon. Trips to Key West, theBahamas, or just anywhere seem to invite one to stop atMarathon. Boasting the best sport fishing in Florida,Americans have lived and visited here since 1814.
My last visit was two years ago, in 2005. At the time,
Our Waterways SectionSOUTHWINDS has created this section to inform ourreaders about changes in our waterways. We are all inthe midst of great change—through the conversion ofmany boating properties to condominiums, restrictionson anchorages, and other economic forces at work.
Our coastal waters and our waterways belong to allof us, and all of us have a right to use them. These watersare not just for those who live on the water, and it is upto us boaters and lovers of these waters to protect thatright. We hope that by helping to inform you of thesechanges, we will contribute to doing just that.
We are looking for news and information onchanges, land sales, anchorages, boaters’ rights, newmarinas, anchoring rights, disappearing marinas, boat-yards and boat ramps, environmental concerns andother related news. Contact Steve Morrell, [email protected], or call (941) 795-8704.
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30 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 31
boaters are allowed to anchor inside Boot Key Harbor. Nowet storage of vessels is tolerated on the moorings.
What this means for boaters coming to the keys is someof the freedom to anchor is gone. In its place is the freedomfrom derelict vessels, boats dragging anchors at all hours ofthe day or night and anchors tied to a life preserver, boatfender, surfboard/dinghy, or any other piece of debriswhich will float to mark some phantom boater’s territory.With these freedoms come costs and additional services ofthe staff and facilities at the city marina. Sadly, expansion ofthe shoreside facilities has not kept pace with the expansionin the harbor. The moorings are there, the dinghy dock hasgrown and improved, but the laundry, showers, toilets,lounge, workrooms and lockers remain in short supply. Ofcourse, plans are on the boards for expanding these with anadditional building.
While changes are happening, Marathon today is still thesame as yesterday, and tomorrow it will be the same as today.The constant sunshine and strong east winds will always behere. Still, the keys are a jeweled necklace of Florida, and pro-tecting their natural beauty is the ultimate goal.
Melbourne Resists FloridaAnchoring Law for CruisersBy Wally Moran
Melbourne’s motto is “the Harbor Town,” yet Melbournehas been enforcing a 72-hour anchoring ordinance, despitestate legislation forbidding them to do this against non-live-aboards.
I became involved in late April when the local marineofficer requested I move, having been anchored over 72 hoursin the Eau Gallie Yacht Basin. I am clearly a cruiser, not a live-aboard: I’m Canadian and my boat flies the Maple Leaf. Theofficer, who was both pleasant and professional, advised methe officers only act on complaints, and there were other areasa boat could anchor without interference. I myself had seentwo sailboats anchored near the city pier for a week; one withsomeone aboard, the other anchored and left.
Later that afternoon, I found myself next to Melbournemayor Harry Goode in a waterfront pub. I took the oppor-
Anchoring Warnings in Florida: Contact Us to Publicize Warnings
Note from the Editor: A new state law that went intoeffect on July 1 limiting communities’ power to limitanchoring restrictions to non-liveaboard cruisers.Recently, I have received several e-mails and calls fromcruisers who received warnings from local law enforce-ment officials in Marco Island, Miami Beach, andGulfport. In some cases, the officers have been polite andin others, they have not been. Cruisers can contact theNational Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)lawyers who will send a letter to these communitiestelling them about the state law. (Go to www.southwinds-magazine.com for a copy of this letter and contact infor-mation—or call us at (877) 372-7245). This law has not yetbeen tested in courts and perhaps someone will, but weat least need to have the letters sent to every communitythat ignores this law.
The mooring field in Boot Key Harbor.
See WATERWAYS continued on page 32
32 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
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tunity to introduce myself as aCanadian journalist, explaining I hadbeen involved with the police over ananchoring situation. I asked him whyMelbourne enforced a law forbiddenby the state of Florida.
His response: “So sue me.” Herepeated that remark when asked
why one could anchor in some areasbut not others.
I contacted Deputy Chief of PoliceMimbs, then City Attorney PaulGougelman. It was apparent Mimbshad spoken with Gougelman aboutour conversation. Gougelman said hethought the ordinance was not in com-pliance with state law, that he intend-ed to inform the city council andwould recommend changes, plus
advise police not to enforce it in theinterim. He said, though, thatAssistant Attorney Suzanne Crockettwas researching the issue, and hiscomments were subject to her find-ings.
The following day I spoke withCrockett. Crockett stated the ordi-nance complied with state law: “Wedo not regulate non-liveaboard ves-sels,” and the definition of “liveaboard
WATERWAYS continued from page 31
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 33
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vessel” was “a question of fact.” Shebecame evasive when asked if a vesselanchored in Melbourne would receivea citation after 72 hours at anchor. Shealso refused to directly answerwhether a person anchored for 72hours would receive a ticket and beforced to prove in court he or she is nota liveaboard. She further said onecould re-anchor, not mentioning thebylaw states 72 hours in any 30-day
period, thus explicitly advisingboaters to violate the ordinance.
Incredibly, part of her reasoninghinged on the issue that holding tanksneeded to be emptied after 72 hours,and a vessel would be obligated tomove by then. When informed mostcruising boats had much more capaci-ty, she expressed disbelief.
When told the city was violatingstate statutes 327.40 and 327.41 regard-
ing signage, Crockett stated there wasno need for signage as they had no“regulated” areas. She was again eva-sive when asked how they couldenforce the 72-hour rule in a non-regu-lated area, stating there was no needfor signage or a regulated area sincethey didn’t enforce against “non-live-aboard vessels.” The clear subtext ofher statements was that boaters wouldbe forced to prove non-liveaboard sta-
34 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
tus in court.I called Gougelman again. He now stated their ordi-
nance “…has language that verbatim tracks the [Florida]statute” and effectively agreed with Crockett. I informedhim of Crockett’s evasiveness. In response, he said ticketingwould be left to the officer and that an officer would need“probable cause” to issue a ticket and find the “violator”was a liveaboard and not engaged in navigation. He con-cluded the ordinance was “not real easy to enforce.”
Nonetheless, I was not told that people anchoring over72 hours would not be ticketed and forced to prove theirnon-liveaboard or navigation status.
City police officials have assured me each instancewould be looked at based on “the specific circumstances,”and the police would not allow political considerations toaffect enforcement.
Bottom line? That will depend on the unwritten policycity officials put into effect. If they decide they don’t wantanchoring, they’ll force cruisers into court to prove theyaren’t liveaboards.
Using the “liveaboard” test, as Crockett appears to beproposing, is a way for Melbourne to sneak past the clearintent of 327.60. A lot of concerned people, boaters and
politicians, put a lot of effort into resolving the anchoringproblem and many, this writer included, believe thatMelbourne is trying to get around the state law.
Mayor Goode—although at first formally refusing—has agreed to a second interview, stating that he is not“against boaters.” City Attorney Gougelman is now makinginquiries into the issue with NMMA and Florida state offi-cials, including Rep. Mitch Needleman, Bill 327.60 sponsor.
A local sailor recently told me that he has decided thatif the issue is not soon resolved, he will force a court chal-lenge, as was done at Marco Island, by violating the anchor-ing ordinance.
Gulfport, FL, Approves Mooring FieldBy Steve Morrell
On April 26, with a 3-2 vote, the Gulfport City Councilvoted to start work on the mooring field and to have citymanagement begin the permitting process, which is expect-ed to take several months. At the meeting, many spoke infavor and many spoke against the mooring field. Although
Mayor Mike Yakes voted against it, he later stated, asreported in the local newspaper, the Gabber, that if he hadhad the swing vote, he would have voted for the field, andthat he wanted his against vote to be representative of howclose he thought the city populace actually felt about thefield. He said that the issue was the closest he had seen sincehe had been mayor.
The following week, I was asked by supporters of thefield, Al and Cindy Davis, to attend a meeting to addressconcerns that the mayor had about my comments in a pre-vious editorial (January 2007 issue) where I had labeledGulfport as anti-boater. The mayor told Al and Cindy thathe did not understand why I would make such a claim. Inthe meeting, attended by the mayor and about a dozenother local citizens, I told the mayor that I knew of a sailingassociation which had cruised and anchored in Gulfport
OUR WATERWAYS
The city mooring field in Marathon, which, after several successful years, has expanded from 64 to 211 moorings. Photo by Steve Morrell.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 35
waters recently, and when its membersapproached and began to anchor, the localpolice came out and watched their everymove, saying nothing. I told the mayor thatwas like me driving into town and having thepolice follow me into a parking lot and parkthere, staring at me as I parked my car and gotout. I told the mayor that as long as such anattitude exists, the town will never have aboater-friendly reputation.
The mayor also made comments that hefelt the mooring field was a done deal, and thata referendum was not needed for the city tomove forward on it after the permittingprocess was completed. He made this state-ment as others in the community who wereagainst the field held the view that a referen-dum would still be appropriate for the projectto be approved.
The city has been discussing a mooringfield for several years, with several plans beingoffered during that time. The last plan was theproduct of several plans that have evolved intothe current one. The plan can be viewed onlineat www.ci.gulfport.fl.us. From that page, clickon Special Documents, then Documents andPublications and then go to the HarborManagement Plan.
Fort Myers Beach Mooring Field Invites BoatersFrom Jeff Butzer
Member of the Fort Myers Beach Anchorage Advisory Committee
The service provider for the town of Fort Myers Beach municipal anchor-age/mooring field is Matanzas Inn. Their number is (239) 463-9258. Theanchorage currently does not take reservations, but we’re working onthat. Presently, being late April, the anchorage is running around 55 per-cent occupancy for the 70 mooring balls, so there is plenty of room.
The Town operates a pump-out boat for anchorage patrons.Matanzas Inn handles most everything else, including distributing dis-count coupons for their restaurant and lounge. Matanzas Inn is locatedon the island side of the bridge that spans the ICW at Matanzas Pass.
There is a make-shift, temporary dinghy dock in the form of a pon-toon boat that has most of the railings removed. The “dinkpondock” as itis affectionately known, is not great. It is usually full, and patrons havebeen known to raft their dinghies from time to time. A new dinghy dockis being built with grant funds and will be completed by this comingfall. The anchorage, as a stopover or as a destination, has unique ameni-ties for patrons of the anchorage.
There are many restaurants and bars within easy walking distance.The beach features seven miles of white, hardpacked, powdered sugar-type sand—really beautiful and really accessible for anchorage patrons.
All in all, it is a huge value for about $13/night.
36 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
Establishing a Planand Preparing YourBoat for a StormBy Steve Morrell
The following article is basically as it appeared in last year’sJune issue kicking off the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season.This year, I am printing that same article with changes andimprovements. I still believe that this is the best plan andthought process that the average boat owner should put inhis head and use to successfully protect his boat. Along withthe article in last year’s July issue (available on our Web site)on making the time to prepare your boat, this practical planis the best I have found.
This plan is for the boat owner who keeps his boat inthe water at a dock, which is the greatest number of sail-boats out there subject to damage resulting in significantfinancial loss.
I also attended the BoatUS Marina PreparationHurricane Symposium this year and learned a lot moreabout saving boats and marinas.
Boat Insurance Increases The biggest change that I have found in the last two yearsaffecting boat owners is the cost of boat insurance. Formany, it has become completely unavailable or very expen-sive—sometimes three to four times what they were payingbefore the 2004 season.
Much of this increased cost is because boaters didn’tprepare their boats at all, or not enough, and insurance com-panies paid out a lot of money. Some boaters took advan-tage of their insurance and used it to get rid of their boat orget a new sail or Bimini. Some of the fault lies with theinsurance companies, which didn’t plan out their losses cor-rectly over many years. Many who suffered the greatest arethose who prepared their boats the most, and the insurancecompanies didn’t care, dropping them because they weresimply a statistic. A change must come about in the insur-ance industry as many just got out of boat ownershipbecause of higher rates.
Number One Priority: Get Yourself, Your Home and YourFamily Prepared FirstIn retrospect, I look at this as the number one roadblock tonot preparing your boat. If you do not have these things inyour life ready and prepared for a storm, then your boatwill be sacrificed when you run out of time. Clearly, it is lessimportant when it comes down to it. Of course, this doesnot apply to those people whose boat is their home.
Hurricane Season 2007
SOUTHWINDS Hurricane Web SiteVisit the hurricane page on our Web site for the best
weather links, boat preparation information and links,and past hurricane articles in SOUTHWINDS.
A well-secured boat with a “spider web” of lines should hold thisCatalina 30 in place. Notice docklines running across the boat at thestern, to the opposite side, acting like spring lines. This mainsail andcover were wrapped in a “cocoon’ of lines. Also notice fenders oneach side of the boat, on the starboard side nearest the closest pil-ing and several located on the dock side. Photo by Gary Gray.
What You Must Do Since the ’70s, hurricanes have been few and far between, andmany people have become complacent about them, thinking,“Why worry?” Then along came 2004, followed by the 2005season. Thousands of boats throughout Florida and the north-ern Gulf coast states were damaged, many destroyed.
Now, I wonder if the pendulum has swung the otherway—only because I talk to people who think if the storm isbig enough there is nothing you can do to save your boat.That could be true, but it’s not. After the 2004 and 2005 sea-son, I started investigating what boat owners can do to savetheir boats. I put out inquiries for stories of success and fail-ure and every chance I got, I asked people what they did anddid it work. I went out and observed boats at docks duringstorms and saw what worked and didn’t.
What I learned was that you can save your boat. Yes, ifthe storm is big enough, even all the preparations might not
save it. But in doing nothing, you can pretty much beassured that your boat will be damaged, or even destroyed.
To maximize the chances of your boat surviving astorm, it is really quite simple what you must do:
1. You must have a plan.2. You must carry it out.
The main purpose of this article is to get boat owners todo something, and I will help show the minimum you cando for the maximum gain. Because of space constraints, weare only going to talk about boats at docks, concentrating onfixed docks, since that is the majority of cases (althoughfloating dock preparation is very similar and these ideas canbe used). We will have more on other situations, likeanchoring, in future issues. We will keep this article simplefor a good reason: So you will use it.
Won’t My Boat Get Destroyed in a Large Hurricane NoMatter How I Prepare it?To a certain extent this is true, but we must learn how toprepare our boats to defend against the storms we are mostlikely to get hit with.
What are you most likely to get hit with? That’s easy.You are most likely to get hit with just tropical storm-forcewinds. Let’s see why.
Most tropical storms are the weak ones. In 2005, 27tropical storms developed. Fifteen became hurricanes, andseven of these were Category 1s. Twelve never went beyondthe tropical storm level. It is easy to prepare your boat for atropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. In 2005, thatwould mean that for 19 of the 27 storms, you can easily pre-pare for them.
But there is one greater factor many forget: The chancesof you (or your boat) getting hit by tropical storm winds isincreased greatly because you are also likely to get hit by theouter edges of a hurricane passing nearby. In all tropicalstorms, the winds get weaker as you get farther from theircenter. Category 1 hurricane winds are above 73 mph.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 37
Send Us Your Hurricane StoriesWe are always looking for stories on your experiences,to learn those techniques that succeeded and those thatdidn’t, as we can learn from both. Ideas, tips and Web
site links wanted, [email protected].
The owner of this boat did nothing to prepare it. This is a goodexample of what can happen to a headsail that is left up. This wasin barely tropical storm-force winds that were many miles awayfrom a stronger hurricane center. The damage on the starboardside where the boat rubbed against the dock was extreme, possi-bly totaling the boat. Neighbors at this marina added extra linesafter the storm arrived, minimizing a lot of the damage. Photo bySteve Morrell.
Tropical storm winds are from 39to 73 mph and will not be farfrom the center of the storm. Inlarger storms, these winds can bea long distance from the centerand will cover a large area.Tropical storm winds extended230 miles from the center ofHurricane Katrina. That is atremendous area.
For those of you who thinkthese tropical storm-force windswill do no damage, look againThere were thousands of unpre-pared boats damaged from justthe outer edges of storms,because (except in emergencies)the boat owner (1) didn’t care (2)didn’t think he was going to gethit by the brunt of the storm (4)didn’t have a plan (5) didn’tknow what to do or (6) didn’thave time to do anything.
A Simple Storm Preparation Plan Carried Out is FarBetter than a Complex One Not Carried OutCreate a simple plan. If people believe that there is nothingthey can do because a big storm will just destroy their boatanyway, they will probably do nothing. We have justproven how you are more likely to get hit by tropical stormwinds than anything stronger. It is easy and takes little timeto prepare for these conditions.
If you create too big of a plan that takes a lot of time,you might not ever carry it out, thinking you’ll never haveenough time. So work on a simple plan and on priorities. Ifyou know you won’t ever have the time, then maybe youshould keep the boat constantly ready all season, or maybefor just that part of the season you are most likely to get hit:Remove the sails and canvas, double your dock lines, addspring lines, add some chafe protection, add fenders. It’snow ready for a lot of storm conditions. If it’s going to beworse, then maybe you will have time to beef up the prepa-rations a little bit.
Practice the plan at the beginning of the season. Haveeverything ready to be installed quickly. Use a check list.
When the time comes, you might be more concernedabout you, your family and your house than preparing yourboat, so create a plan you know you will have time to carryout. You could save your boat and thousands of dollars.
Preparing for Tropical Storm Winds or a Category 1Hurricane is EasyThis might even be true for a Category 2, or even a Category3 storm, but there are so many other factors involved withthese stronger storms that it is hard to say. Storm surge is ahuge variable, and its intensity depends on the time the stormarrives. But in preparing for the smaller storms, it is easy.
Many people seem to forget that sailboats are designedto take some pretty rough sea conditions—both in wavesand wind. The problem is when foreign objects getinvolved, objects like pilings, docks, seawalls, land, under-
water obstacles, other boats and then, of course, flyingobjects. You can’t do much about the last item, but you canabout the others.
Preparing a boat for a storm is common sense, but thereare just a few basic principles: Reduce windage, beef upyour dock lines, use spring lines to prepare for a stormsurge, use chafe protection and put out fenders. Keep theboat in its slip. That’s it. Simple and easy. Actually, gettingyour boat ready is the easy part. The hard part is makingsure you carry out your plan.
Reduce WindageBoats have an advantage over houses because they canmove around and deflect the wind, taking some of the shockby absorbing some of the energy with moving about.Although this movement has its advantages, we want tominimize it so the boat doesn’t meet a fixed object, like a dock.So the first thing that must be done is to remove all the sailsand canvas. No matter what, remove the roller furling head-sail. If it becomes unraveled, it has lots of windage and lever-age up high for really shaking a boat around. Get rid of it.
Make sure you secure the top roller furling mechanismthat comes down when lowering the roller-furled headsail.It needs to be secured with line and/or bungee cord tosomething fixed, like a stanchion. Secure the halyard tightlysomewhere, too.
Next, remove the canvas; dodgers, biminis, etc. Removethe canvas frames (carry a cordless drill. It turns a 20-minutejob into a 5-minute job). Practice once so you won’t run intoany unforeseen frozen screws.
In lighter winds, some people will keep the mainsail onthe boom. They will then wrap a line real tightly around thesail cover—so tightly that a woven “cocoon” is created. Ifyou have in-the-mast roller furling, you might want toremove the mainsail, as it is still weight aloft, besides theadded windage from the clew that slightly sticks out.
Make sure any loose objects on deck, like anchors, are
38 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
Even these small fenders saved this boat’s hull. This is not damage but dirt and debris on the hull.Photo by Steve Morrell
BAHAMASHURRICANE SEASON 2007
stowed, (same with gear below—secure as if at sea).
Beef Up the Dock LinesYou need to double up all your dock lines, plus add a fewmore as you think necessary. If you really need a fast plan,have the lines doubled all the time during the storm season.If your slip has stand-alone pilings, it is a good idea to atleast have your second line already secured to that piling,ready to grab with a boat hook. Have all your lines readyand tested for length (and marked at the securing point)and convenient at the beginning of the season, evenlabeled—which line goes where. Have them cut for a con-venient length. Store them separately.
Make sure you know how you are going to double upyour lines. Many boat cleats are not big enough to have twolines attached. You might have to slip one through the eyeof the cleat and another secured as normal. Use otherobjects to secure to: mast, winches, sliding cleats on sailtracks, etc. Some people describe a well-secured boat asbeing in a “spider web” of lines.
Make all your lines tighter as they will stretch.
Add Spring Lines for Storm SurgeSpring lines do two things. They help hold the boat in placelike any dock line, but, with fixed docks, they are the onlyway to hold the boat in place as the tide goes up and down.The longer they are, the more surge they can handle.
In a sense, all dock lines are spring lines, as they all willallow some up-and-down movement from the tides, butthey are called spring lines when they are long, and they areconsidered those running parallel to the boat’s length.Running them both directions, fore and aft, is even better. A30-foot spring line will allow only five inches of lateralmovement (have five inches of slack) with the tide going upor down as much as five feet—a 10-foot range!
Storm surge is the water being blown by the wind andpiling up in a certain direction. Since hurricanes rotate
counterclockwise in our region, then thestorm’s right front quadrant will bepushing water toward the front of thestorm’s path and pulling it away fromthe path on its left front quadrant. It willbe greater forward as the storm’s for-ward movement will also add to the pil-ing up of water. How the storm hits willdetermine whether the storm is going tobe creating a higher than normal tide asit pushes the water in or a lower tide asit pulls it out. If you anticipate higher,then raise your lines higher on the pil-ings. If lower, then put them lower.
If you are expecting a lot of stormsurge, you might have to run springlines across the boat, crisscrossing thedock lines at the stern and bow, essen-tially making them longer, acting moreas spring lines.
If you are preparing for just tropicalstorm-force winds, surge is generallyexpected to be less than four feet and 4-5 feet for a Category 1. Remember,
though, a strong tropical storm coming at high tide can domore damage than a weak Category 1 hurricane hitting atlow tide.
Since you are most likely to be hit with only tropicalstorm or Category 1 winds, you can probably be there towatch the boat, and adjusting lines during a storm can beimportant. If you have to adjust lines, make them adjustableat the dock, not on the boat. For those lines that go to astand-alone piling, make them adjustable from the boat.
How you secure your lines to a piling that is attachedto the dock can be crucial. The best way is to go around thepiling twice, then make two half hitches to the line. Theline will always be free for adjustment, regardless of thestrain on it.
ChafeLack of any chafe protection created no problems forYachting Vacations, the charter company in Punta Gordathat was hit by Charley, a Category 4 storm (see Southwinds,August, 2005).
But chafe was a major cause of damage from HurricaneFrances, another Category 4 storm. Why the difference?
Charley was a small, very fast storm. Frances was aslow, very big storm. Chafe is going to destroy a boatand/or lines over a period of time. Hurricane force windsfrequently will hit an area for about four to six hours.These winds persisted for up to 18 hours during Frances.Chafe won.
During Charley, hurricane force winds hit YachtingVacations for about two-and-a-half hours. Chafe did notmatter.
In preparing your boat for the most likely conditions,tropical-storm winds or Category 1 winds, chafe will not bea major factor. It is always advised to have chafe protection,but make sure you have it depending on the size and speedof the storm. Unless you have all the time in the world, it islow on the priority list for the weaker storms.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 39
Six lines are attached to this single bow cleat. Photo by Steve Morrell.
HURRICANE SEASON 2007
FendersAn old axiom holds true about fenders: You can’t have toomany. Fenders can save your boat if the slip is too small, thelines stretch, the storm surge is great, the wave action isexcessive, or it can save you from a mistake you made. Theyare a “cushion” and a margin for error that can be the lastsaving item. Boat repairs on a hull or rubrail are like a dentin your car; very expensive to repair for even the smallestdent. Watching one boat sloshing around in its slip as itbounces against the dock with its fenders next to anotherboat that is hitting the dock without them is a picture wortha thousand lessons. They are well worth the investment.
Secure the BoomI once had my topping lift break during a category 1 hurri-cane and the boom fell and smashed the compass—the onlydamage the boat suffered. Now I lower the boom down towhere it is just above the cabin top at the cockpit and dou-ble up the topping lift using the main halyard, then I securethe boom with lines port and starboard to the two headsailsheet winches to minimize movement and chafe (whichcaused my topping lift to break that time). If there is a bigstorm coming, I will consider removing the boom and stick-ing it down below, padded and braced for movement.
In Summary: A Simple PlanBelow is a summary of a simple plan for the weaker storms.For stronger storms, just take these plans to a higher levelwith more of everything. This plan will also be simpleenough to minimize the time to carry it out, instead of theperfect plan, which might not ever get executed becausethere will never be enough time for it. The main idea forspeed and execution of the plan is no surprises, so practiceeverything at least once.
1. Write the plan down in priorities and have a checklist. 2. Remove the roller furling headsail. 3. Remove canvas, maybe the frames. 4. Remove the mainsail. Wrap it with line if a light storm
is expected.5. Double up all lines, add spring lines and extra lines as
needed. 6. Have chafe protection on lines. 7. Have lots of fenders.8. Make sure all gear on deck and below is stowed.9. If you can, be there during the storm to adjust your
lines. You will also learn a lot on what is working andwhat is not. Observe other boats, too, and encourageneighbors to prepare their boats, so they don’t destroyyours.
The Most Important Part: The complex, better plan isworthless if it isn’t carried out. The simple, inferior plan issuperior if it is. Make it so easy and fast to do that you do it.
Next Month: “Making the Time to Prepare Your Boat—anEssential Part of any Plan.” Taken mainly from last year’sJuly issue article and available on our Web site.
In the coming months during the hurricane season, Southwindswill be publishing articles and information about preparing yourboat for a storm. Send us your stories and tips.
Morrell Hurricane Predictions for Boaters for 2007
I think the National Weather Service does great in predict-ing a tropical storm’s path. We just have to get the publicto understand what the “cone” is. I have little faith in theforecasters’ ability to predict the number of storms eachseason, as there isn’t enough information to base thosepredictions on, but maybe they will get better
Below are my predictions for boaters. You can usethese predictions every year for the rest of your life.
Winds From 39 to 73 mph, up to 4 feet of surge (Tropical Storm)High probability: from a direct hit or from the outerbands of a stronger storm. Easy to prepare your boat for.
Winds From 74 to 95 mph, 4-5 feet of surge (Category 1)Good probability: from a direct hit or from the outeredges of a stronger storm. Easy to prepare your boat for.
Winds From 96 to 110 mph, 6-8 feet of surge (Category 2)Reasonable chance: from a direct hit or from the outeredges of a stronger storm. Easy to prepare your boat for.
Winds From 111 to 130 mph, 9-12 feet of surge (Category 3)Small chance: from a direct hit or from the outer edges ofa stronger storm. Easy, but even more preparation workrequired. You will likely suffer some damage, but you canminimize it enough that you can take your boat sailingafter you put the sails back on.
Winds From 131 to 155 mph, 13-18 feet of surge(Category 4)—or above 155 mph, 18 feet and up surge(Category 5)Very small chance: from a direct hit or category 4 windsfrom the outer edges of a category 5 storm. This will takea lot more prep work, but possible to survive with not toomuch damage if you are prepared and get lucky at thesame time. If you don’t prepare and get lucky, it will be asif you didn’t get lucky, so prepare and hope for luck. If it’sa strong storm and lots of surge and you take everythingoff the boat you can, you will have that stuff, like sails andcanvas and miscellaneous gear, for your next boat.
40 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 41
The 22nd Annual Morgan Invasion andRendezvous was held again this year at theDavis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, FL.
Participation increased for a second year with 55Charley Morgan-built or -designed sailboats enjoyingstrong winds on race day. Traditionally held at theTreasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club, the MorganInvasion has been at Davis Island Yacht Club the pasttwo years while Treasure Island builds its new club-house. Nearing completion, Treasure Island’s newclubhouse will be ground zero for next year’s MorganInvasion on April 19, 2008.
“Pete Moller and his team at Davis Island did afantastic job over the past two years, and we can’tthank them enough” said Charley Morgan. “Now we arelooking forward to seeing everyone gathered back atTreasure Island, like years past.”
The three-day Invasion started on Friday, April 20,with boats arriving at DIYC. Les Lathrop, TITYC dockmas-ter, assumed control of the marina and got everyonetucked, rafted and ready for Friday evening. Like mostyears, attendees are primarily from Florida, but there wereboats “registered” from Georgia and Michigan. The atten-dees to travel the farthest to make the Invasion were Cathyand Bill Osborne, who own a Morgan Classic 41 in BritishColumbia. The boat is being overhauled for an upcomingtwo-year cruise and could not make the trip.
As the sun started to set on Hillsborough Bay, Charleygathered the sailors for his traditional “Friday Night Chat.”He shared a tidbit that he only recently remembered afterfinding an old newspaper article about his early sailingdays in Tampa; Charley was commodore of the DavisIsland Junior Yacht Club (the precursor to the currentDIYC) in 1948! “I remember getting together with a fewbuddies, and we’d grab a dinghy on the beach, rig it andjust sail all over that bay” recounted Morgan, “and youknow when you get two sailboats together, there’s a race.”
Saturday, race day, came around, and sailors knewearly that there would be weather. The breeze was ENE at8-10 and would grow later in the day. Dockmaster LesLathrop got boats moving and out on the course ready forthe first start at 1300. PHRF boats started first and followeda 14-mile “star” course that traversed back and forth acrossHillsborough Bay. They were followed by the Morgan 38class, a combined Morgan 22/24 class and then the OutIslands went down bay on a reaching course. The first boatto finish was Bill Wilhelm’s OI 41, Manana, from Tallahasseein just under two hours. Last across the line was LonnyBaker’s 45-foot Morgan sloop, Sea of Tranquility.
Once the racers were in and settled, they gathered
again around the tiki bar and talked about the day. Near theend of the race, a cell opened up in the middle of the courseand took winds to about 25 knots, and sailors chatted aboutthe challenge that presented. Others spoke about goodstarts, bad starts and missed starts! After dinner was servedto 155 attendees, Race Chairman Pete Moller took over andannounced results as Charley greeted each crewmemberwith a “job well done.”
The Charles Hunt Jr. Navigators Award for the boatthat corrects out most over its nearest class competitor wentto Bob Willard aboard Flash, his Morgan 22. Bob and hiscrew also won the class.
DIYC sailors topped both PHRF divisions with PhilWaller taking PHRF A on his Classic 41, Long Gone, andStevie “Rochester” Leonardo taking both PHRF B andPHRF Overall on his Heritage West Indies 36, Seabiscuit.
In the first of a few repeat winners, Jack Towne, aboardTrue Blue, won the Steve Pardee Memorial Trophy for beingthe first Morgan 24 to finish.
In the 38 Classic vs. Brewer/Morgan 38 Shootout,multi-time champion Pete Moller and his crew aboardRolling Thunder finally relinquished hold of the ShootoutAward, as Eric Swanson and Tom Holland’s’ Morgan 382,Osprey, got the lead at the first weather mark and neverlooked back.
Other class winners included the under 40-foot OutIsland winner, and repeating again was Andre Balashaboard Gypsy Queen. The Morgan 27s were represented wellby class winner Woody Fraser onboard Thunder.
The evening was topped off when DIYC CommodoreTom Dunn presented Charley Morgan with an honorarymembership to the Davis Island Yacht Club. Citing Charley’slifelong passion for sailing, his early efforts in forming theDavis Island Junior Yacht Club, as well as his efforts in count-less regattas, Dunn said, “Welcome home, Charley.”See the story “Bay of Fundy Sailor Meets Charley Morgan”page 70.
Charley Morgan, TITYC Dockmaster Les Lathrop and Morgan 22 Classwinners Bob and Kathy Willard. Photo by Gil Williams.
22nd Annual Morgan Invasion,Davis Island Yacht Club, Tampa, FL,April 20-22By Tom Dunn
42 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
WiFi Going South – A Cruiser’s CompanionBy Kent Trompeter
The anchor is down andset, a cool beverage is inyour hand and a sight for
sore eyes magically appearson the PC screen, “One ormore wireless connections arein range.” Without leaving theboat, we can check e-mail,check weather and—if wehave a good connection—wecan even “phone home.”
On the other hand, if thatmagical message doesn’tappear, we climb into thedinghy and go ashore lookingfor the ubiquitous “InternetCafe.”
I do not profess to be theexpert on WiFi or on the bestspot for WiFi in the Caribbean.I can only provide informa-tion on the experiences we’vehad on Southern Mist II in ourtravels from the west coast ofFlorida to Trinidad.
Once we left the UnitedStates and tossed the cellphones happily into the Gulf Stream, communication boileddown to the VHF, SSB and the Internet. Our first stop wasWest End, Bahamas, where they were still re-building afterthe hurricanes of 2005 pretty well decimated almost every-thing on the tip of the island. WiFi was not available andInternet connection was not available at the docks. We hadto go ashore and use the computer in the marina office, orwe could use the Internet connection in the customs office.
Our next stop was Green Turtle Cay where we wereanchored in White Sound. We had WiFi available at anchor,provided by the Green Turtle Club, and at the time, it wasfree of charge. We next found ourselves anchored at BakersBay, and I could look ashore and see the WiFi antennae. Thesignal was excellent and it was easy to sign up and sign on.
The particular ISP was “OII,”and as I was to discover, it hadthe entire area in and aroundMarsh Harbor covered withWiFi. You signed up once andas long as you could get a sig-nal from “OII,” you could getconnected. The area was notwithout competition, as Co-CoTels (Cocoanut Telegraph)also provided service, but itwas not as widespread as“OII.” We had service with“OII” from Bakers Bay toLittle Harbour with few if anyservice outages.
As we continued souththrough the Abacos andExumas, WiFi was a hit-and-miss proposition. We foundWiFi at Sampson Cay, and atWarderick Wells, WiFi wasavailable, but you had to go tothe Exuma Park office and siton the porch in order to use it,but it was a great view! Thefurther we sailed down the
Exuma chain, the fewer instances of WiFi were found.Finally Georgetown! Georgetown would have WiFi. Afterall, they have a couple of regattas every year, and hundredsof boats show up. Nope, no WiFi. Not at Hamburger Beach,not at Volleyball Beach—not even anchored in the little covein town.
After Georgetown it was Long Island, Rum Cayand then Mayaguez. WiFi was available at Rum Cayproviding you sat outside at the picnic bench alongwith a thousand swarming mosquitos…we didn’tneed to check e-mail that bad.
Leaving the Bahamas in our rearview mirror, our nextstop was the Turks and Caicos. Like most other cruisers, ourfirst stop was Sapodilla Bay, and it does not have WiFi. It
WiFi users linking up in Georgetown.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 43
doesn’t even have an Internet cafe. Needing somework done on the boat, we sailed west to CaicosShipyard and Marine. WiFi was available but did-n’t work the entire two weeks we were at theCaicos Shipyard.
Luperon, Dominican Republic—finally weare back in the world of vegetation, the smell ofthe earth and, of course, dirty water. Alas, no WiFiin Luperon. You can connect at Captain Steve’sPlace or the Verizon office, but that’s it. So muchfor civilization. Moving along the coast of the DRwe didn’t find WiFi at any town or village fromLuperon to Samana.
Arriving in Boqueron, Puerto Rico, we firedup the computer expecting to see WiFi. After all,we were back in the United States…kinda. Sorry!If you want Internet access, you can walk up thestreet to Shelley’s Travel Agency and you can con-nect using her route—if it’s working. The nextlocation that had any kind of Internet was theCruisers Galley in Salinas, and it was WiFi insidethe cafe. The upside was that Internet access wasfree if you ate a meal and the food was GREAT!You find WiFi at the most unusual places, likeanchored off Vieques, PR. A strong signal and the service isfree from “Viequeseast.”
The table lists all of the anchorages and islands wherewe did and did not have WiFi access, and how I rated theservice. Needless to say, we did not stay at all of the anchor-ages in all of the islands so your experience may be differentthan ours.
In summary, the best WiFi service we found has to beOII in Marsh Harbor, Bahamas. The service was alwaysexcellent, the signal always strong, and if you had a prob-lem, customer service was without peer. More and more, we
are finding free Internet access. It draws cruisers to that par-ticular port and/or anchorage; keeps us there so we can doall that “stuff” that we want to do, and as long as we areanchored in that port, we are spending money—a smartmove on the part of the Internet service providers.
We found the service in Trinidad to be less than ade-quate. Although numerous businesses provide WiFi service,the signal in the anchorage is marginal at best. I would thinkthe Trinidadians could do better, and with just a minorinvestment in equipment, the signals would rival thosefound in the Bahamas.
TRAVELS WITH ANGEL
The southeast Florida coastal journey continues from last month…
After stopping in Lake Worth, single-handed companion cruisers Angel andDefiant slipped into the Atlantic and
headed south. The Palm Beaches were stillasleep. It was Sunday morning before dawn,and we were the only boats moving in thedusky, serene moment. Angel’s three sailswere embraced by a humid 10-knot breeze asshe sashayed over a rolling Atlantic swell.Nearby, Defiant also had all three sails up asher ketch rig eagerly reached for air. Toreduce the Gulf Stream’s counter-productiveeffects, we hugged the coast at a depth ofabout five fathoms. The stream can be feltclose to shore along southeastern Florida.Tiller pilot engaged, Angel helmed while Iscattered a few crumbs of food on herbowsprit. Growing up in a culture that hadbeen slow to relinquish its deep-rooted tradi-tions and beliefs to modern society, I couldn’thelp myself. My native fishermen ancestorsbelieved that a vessel has a spirit and is alive in some way.After being raised on boats, I believed such a thing. The ges-ture of feeding Angel was part of a long-established practiceto show respect and acknowledgement to the vessel’s spirit.Along with sensible seamanship and preventative mainte-nance, I clung to my family’s superstitions. Angel is mylover, an active partner in the adventure of life, as opposedto being a mere object that’s casually used as transportation.Surely I wouldn’t bond so deeply with something that was-n’t endowed with a soul, life or some kind of inexplicableenergy of its own.
At least I wasn’t alone.
To this day, in the West Indies, mariners feel that a boatmust have her own spirit to be successful and safe.Sometimes an animal is sacrificed for that cause. In parts ofScotland, fishermen sprinkle new vessels with whisky, bar-ley and bread. Ages ago, the Vikings tied slaves in the pathof a new ship before it was launched. Crushed by the shipas it slid into the sea, the hapless slaves supposedly trans-ferred their souls into the vessel. Blood and gore soon gaveway to symbolic red wine and then to the American’sChampagne christenings of today. Also, boats around theworld are traditionally referred to as “she,” and in somecountries, as “he,” instead of “it.” While cruising, I’d fre-quently notice other skippers talking to their boats or offer-ing Neptune, or the boat herself, a share of rum. Maritimetraditions run strong.
After a hot sunrise, Florida’s inlets soon resembled bee-hives with frenetic swarms of vessels randomly buzzing inand out. The tranquility was shattered. Adding to the grow-ing clamor, Defiant and Angel turned on their diesels andmotorsailed to maintain reasonable speed in the mild condi-tions. “Are those guys following you?” Bill radioed. “Uh-oh!” I blurted, startled by the parade of boats closely trailingAngel. I hadn’t heard them sneaking behind me. Fumblingabout, I put my clothes on, and, peep show over, the nosylittle vessels meandered away. Soon, we passed BoyntonInlet with its low, fixed bridge. Sailboats could not enterhere. Next was Boca Raton Inlet and Hillsboro Inlet, andboth have opening bridges for sailboats to access the ICW.
44 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
Coastal Hopping, Southeast Florida Part II
Lake Worth to Biscayne BayRebecca Burg
Defiant sailing south along Florida’s southeast coast.
It’s always wise to note the nearest safe harborsalong one’s planned route should the weatherturn.
By mid afternoon, we approached FortLauderdale, and it was the most chaotic channelwe’d passed so far. Overhead, a blimp continu-ously circled in the sky, and its slow, rotund shapewas a stark contrast to the visual cacophony ofangular high rises and tower cranes that dominat-ed the coast. Dodging the incessant boat wakes,we plodded onward. Miami’s haze-enshroudedbulk rose over the horizon. Defiant rooted alongMiami Beach for bikini sightings while I stayed onthe rhumb, too lazy to divert course until a Jet Skidumped its lone jockey in Angel’s path. I swervedin a sail-flapping panic. The rider splashed afterhis drifting craft. Once the man was safely reat-tached to his Jet Ski, I hurried onwards and caughtup to Defiant.
At Miami’s bustling Government Cut, wewaited like cars at an intersection for two cruiseships to steam out to sea. The sun fell behindVirginia Key. In the deepening twilight, I dashed toward theflashing light at the shared entrance to the Key Biscayne andCape Florida channels. I’m always overwhelmed by theconfusion of urban artificiality but will feel at ease whensailing in wild, natural places.
Finally relaxing, I inhaled the fresh briny air waftingfrom Biscayne Bay’s tidal flats. This serene place was free
from the sense-stunning din of a city. Angel led the way intothe straight, deep and wide Key Biscayne channel, her spot-light finding each day mark. We also found something else.“You see that?” Bill radioed. A spidery shape leaped into thespotlight’s narrow beam. “There,” I said. Standing on longlegs, a triangular structure emerged from the shadows.“Stiltsville!” Bill exclaimed. Along the channel’s edges werethe funky remains of several fishing and vacation cottages,which were built on stilts over the water. Known asStiltsville, the buildings were presently abandoned.
Wandering into Biscayne Bay, we anchored out of theway of mosquitoes and the night fishermen’s travel routes.Defiant and Angel were finally at rest after a 68-nautical milerun from Lake Worth. Alone in the darkness, we could seeKey Biscayne and the Cape Florida lighthouse on theisland’s southern tip. The oldest light in Florida, it first guid-ed ships in 1825. Key Biscayne offers anchorages, a marina,dinghy access (northern end), the ultra-sheltered No NameHarbor (for a fee), restaurants, provisions, entertainment,fishing and over 400 acres of the scenic Bill Baggs StateRecreation area. From there, a short bus ride brings one toVirginia Key and then to Miami. Biscayne Bay itself is linedwith places to see and things to do. A cruiser in a tourist’smood can spend lots of time here.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 45
Angel approaches Miami.
46 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHERN RACING
One Design Crew Training, DavisIsland Yacht Club, June 2, 8, 16The One Design Crew Training (ODCT) course will be heldJune 2, 9, 16 at DIYC, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The training is ahands-on learning experience where you learn to race theboat from setup, through spinnaker, starts andwindward/leeward races. Not a learn-to-sail course. Three -part course, not three separate courses.
For more information, you can also go to theSOUTHWINDS home page, www.southwindsmagazine.com.
Call me at (813) 760-0177 or e-mail me at [email protected] to get an application. FIRST COME, FIRSTSERVED. King Purton
US Sailing Race ManagementSeminar, Cortez, FL, June 9The Basic Race Management Seminar is scheduled forSaturday June 9, 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., at the Florida MaritimeMuseum, 4415 119th Street West, Cortez. The advanced reg-istration fee of $30 ($40 on the day) includes US Sailingmaterials, continental breakfast, two breaks, lunch andexam for US Sailing members. Non-US Sailing members
wishing to take the final exam must contact Peter Robinsonbefore June 1.
This seminar will be a valuable learning experience forall racers, race committee volunteers and wannabes. Passingthe test is required for anyone wishing to become or remaina US Sailing certified club race officer. Passing is notrequired of anyone else, but the exam fee is bundled in theprice, so if you are a US Sailing member (and we all shouldbe), you might as well take the test. US Sailing is controllingthe registration for this seminar. Attendance is limited to 30students, by the size of the room.
To register, go to www.ussailing.org, then to RaceAdministration, then Race Management, then Race OfficerCertification Programs and Seminars, then RaceManagement Seminars. On that page, scroll down to June 9,and click on this listing in order to register. US SailingRegistration Web Page.
For additional information call Peter (941) 951-6323.
Gulfport to Pensacola Race, June 15-16By Kim KaminskiThe annual 100-mile Gulfport to Pensacola race will be held
■ UPCOMING MAJOR SOUTHERN RACING EVENTS AND NEWS
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 47
on June 15-16 (Father’s Day weekend). It is sponsored byboth the Gulfport Yacht Club in Gulfport, MS, and thePensacola Yacht Club in Pensacola, FL. Participants’ regis-tration forms must be filed by midnight, June 8, along witha $65 fee ($60 for US Sailing members). Skippers’ meetingwill be held at the Gulfport Yacht Club at 6:30 p.m. on June14. For more information, go to www.gya.org.
2007 ’Round The Island MultihullRace, Fort Walton Yacht Club, June 15-17This annual event, hosted by the Fort Walton Yacht Club,began in 1980, and has featured a virtual Hall of Fame, withnational and world-class competitors. These include CarltonTucker, Randy Smyth, Brian Lambert and Hans Geissler.
This year’s race continues the tradition of challengingcompetitors to test their skill and endurance with the 100-mile circumnavigation of Santa Rosa Island. For informa-tion and registration call (850) 243-7102 or visitwww.fwyc.org.
Reggae Regatta hosted by LakeLanier Sailing Club, June 16-17Lake Lanier Sailing Club will be hosting the 2007 ReggaeRegatta on June 16-17 on Lake Lanier, located near FloweryBranch, GA, approximately one hour northeast of Atlanta.The weekend will be filled with fun-filled, competitive sail-boat racing along with live Reggae music and a Caribbean-themed dinner on Saturday evening and steel drum musicprior to the trophy presentation on Sunday afternoon.
Racing is open to all sailboats. Featured classes willinclude multiple PHRF divisions, Portsmouth, Multihullsand One-Design starts for any class with five or more boatspre-registered by June 9th. A separate Cruising class will beincluded this year as well.
For more information, NOR and schedules, go towww.LLSC.com.
2007 Offshore Challenge CupRegatta, Pensacola Yacht Club, June 21-24The 2007 Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) OffshoreChallenge Cup Regatta will be held June 21-24 at thePensacola Yacht Club. All yacht clubs which are members inthe GYA are invited. Each club may enter no less than threeand no more than four boats in four classes. The skipper, thehelmsman and at least half the crew (including the skipperand helmsman) must be current members of the one yachtclub they represent.
Traditionally, the regatta is held at the Gulfport YachtClub, but due to effects still lingering from HurricaneKatrina, the event was moved to the Pensacola Yacht Club.
For more information, go to www.pensacolayacht-club.org or contact Fleet Captain Chip MacMillan at (850)934-5377 or e-mail [email protected].
Junior Olympic Sailing Festival,Pensacola Yacht Club, July 6-8By Kim Kaminski
The Pensacola Yacht Club will host the USA Junior OlympicSailing Festival Independence Day Regatta on July 6-8.
The Junior Olympics participants will learn techniquesand skills taught by Tom Coleman (one of the best Opticoaches in the country) and then follow-up hands-on prac-tical application sailing in competitive races.
Various skill-level classes will be available for the youthsailors including: Optimist Red, White, and Blue classes,Optimist Green (with a three-day clinic), Laser, LaserRadial, Laser 4.7, and Club 420.
Youth sailors will enjoy a practice day filled with clinicsand fun races beginning on Friday, July 6, with competitiveracing on Saturday and Sunday. The awards ceremony willbe held Sunday after racing at the yacht club.
For more information, go to www.pensacolayacht-club.org, or contact Linda Thompson, regatta chair [email protected].
Ladies Sailing Trilogy – FastWomen, Bikini and Race for theRoses Regattas, July 14-August 4By Kim Kaminski
The Trilogy Trophy is awarded to the best team of the fol-lowing three women’s regattas.
The initial race in the Ladies Trilogy, the Fast WomenRegatta, will be held on July 14 at the Point Yacht Club inJosephine, AL. www.pointyachtclub.org.
The second race, the Bikini Regatta, will be held on July28 at the Navy Yacht Club of Pensacola. This year marks the27th anniversary of the Bikini regatta, which also has thehonor of being the first ladies sailing event in the area.www.navypnsyc.org.
The final race in the Trilogy Series, the Race for theRoses, will be held on August 4 and hosted by the PensacolaBeach Yacht Club. This will be the 20th anniversary of thisspecial all-female regatta. The overall winner in theWomen’s Trilogy will be determined at this race. www.pen-sacolabeach-yc.org.
■ RACE REPORTS
54th Mt. Dora Annual Regatta, Mt. Dora Yacht Club, Mt. Dora, FL,March 31 – April 1 By Jabbo Gordon
The numbers were down for the 54th annual Mount DoraRegatta this year, but officials still called it a success—espe-cially with Catalina 22 sailors using the event as the finaleto their mid-winters series.
Mike Brown of Fort Pierce took three firsts, a fourth anda fifth to win the 12-boat Catalina 22 competition with 12
48 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
points. Randy Pawlowski of Lake Monroe placed secondwith 18 points.
Some 63 boats, one from as far away as Maine, sailed onLake Dora with moderate easterly breezes on March 31-April 1. Ben Mohney of Venice not only won the Red, Whiteand Blue Optimist division but grabbed the Commodore’sTrophy as the youngest winning skipper.
For complete results, go to www.mountdorayachtclub.com.
Mount Dora Yacht Club SunfishCompetitionBy Mindy Strauley
The weather was great for this regatta with 80-degree sun-shine and winds ranging from 5-12 all weekend. I won’teven endeavor to guess the wind direction as my wind dialpointed (until it actually spun off its cradle) in each direc-tion at some point during our time on the water. This is lakesailing at its finest.
The Sunfish sailed out to the farthest course, giving therace committee ample room to set a course. And, quiteunexpectedly, they used all the room they had. Each racewas a three-lap (yes, three laps!) windward-leewards. BySaturday night, everyone was too exhausted to even set outfor investigating a new downtown watering hole. To ouramazement, the races were quite long. Even James Liebl(the youngest sailor out there) commented, “Wow, thosecourses were long!”
In preparation for next year, we will have to do someconditioning to withstand what the MDYC race committeehas planned for us.
It was obvious that the Mt. Dora YC members haveinvested some time in studying race management, as theirrace committee did an excellent job setting the coursesthroughout the weekend. I encourage all to check out thisregatta next year (first weekend in April).
Results, top ten (place, name, home):1. James Liebl, Titusville; 2. Dan Norton, Devils Lake YC; 3. Ron McHenry,Pymatuning Sail Club; 4. Paul Strauley, Casselberry; 5. Fred Hutchinson,Edison Sailing Center; 6. Mindy Strauley, Casselberry; 7. Tony Elliiott,Gulfstream Sail Club; 8. Chris Gates, Melbourne YC; 9. Curt Harding,Boothbay Hbr. YC; 10. Steve Winkler, N. Fla. Cruising Club.
Sailfest, Sarasota Youth SailingProgram, April 5-6By Morgan Stinemetz
By any standard of measure, the 139 boats competing at theSarasota Youth Sailing Program Sailfest were winners for anumber of valid reasons, including but not limited to supe-rior organization, sailing breezes that were sufficient all thetime—if a slight bit limp for a while on Sunday—good foodand varied entertainment. The weekend was all about sail-boat racing, and there was enough for all hands.
Boats in four fleets raced on four courses in SarasotaBay, where the winds on Saturday hit about 18 knots, andthe tops on Sunday was about 12 with some serious droopsin wind speed that didn’t last very long. Just long enoughfor a number of sailors to have to break out light-wind tac-
tics and strategy.Saturday’s racing was good because of the wind, and
Sunday’s racing on the course that had Lasers, Sunfish, 420sand Laser 4.7s on it saw incredibly close finishes, particular-ly in the 420 class and the Laser class. In one race, fiveLasers were overlapped when they crossed the finish line,and in the 420 class, two port tack boats were neck and neckjust yards from the line, and a starboard tack boat, whichhad rights of way, cut them off and took the finish first. Theboats were so close that it didn’t so much look like a finishas much as it looked like an impending wreck of tremen-dous proportions.
The young sailors who were in the midst of all that con-fusion managed near misses with the aplomb of NASCARdrivers at Daytona. They have experience that transcendstheir years.
Standouts in the regatta included Joe Blouin of Tampa,who dominated the Sunfish class by a very respectable mar-gin after two days of racing and six races. Andrew Loss andBrian Firth, both from Sarasota, who sailed as a seamlessteam in the 6-boat 420 class, were second in class afterSaturday, but they posted three bullets in the first three raceson Sunday and bagged the class big time.
Dalton Tebo of Sarasota had the Laser Radial class untilthe very last race when he finished fourth to ChristopherTaylor’s first. Taylor took the class by a single point.
Fourth Annual Jabbo GordonRegatta, Englewood, FL, April 7By Jabbo Gordon
Sailing on a windy day in the Jabbo Gordon Regatta. Photo by Jim Dietrich.
Venice Youth Boating Association officials were concernedthat holding the fourth annual Jabbo Gordon Regatta onApril 7—the day before Easter—would not attract manysailors, but a record number of entries turned out.
There were 74 registrants, breaking the former mark of73. However, moderate to fresh northerly winds causedsome capsizes and damage, and there were not as manyboats sailing on Lemon Bay, off Indian Mount Park, in theafternoon as there had been in the morning.
Most of the winners hailed from Sarasota, including Will
SOUTHERN RACING
Stocke in the 420 class, Sam Armington in the Optimist GreenFleet and Viktor Wettergren in the Laser Radial group. MollyMcKinney, who lives in Sarasota but sails for the host VeniceYouth Boating Association, won the 17-boat Red, White andBlue Optimist division, largest of the regatta.
Reid Hutchinson of Fort Myers edged his brother Fredin a tie-breaker to collect top prize in the 15-boat Sunfishcompetition, which was open to adult skippers.
Gulf Hunter Sailing Association15th Annual Hunter Cup, Gulfport, FL, April 14By Jennifer RogersThe Gulf Hunter Sailing Association held its 15th annualHunter Cup Regatta and Rendezvous at the Boca CiegaYacht Club in Gulfport, FL.
Two races were held on a 3.6-mile course in lower BocaCiega Bay. There were three classes: PHRF Spinnaker, PHRFNon-Spinnaker and Cruising. Pegasus (Richard Cox andcrew) won the PHRF Non-Spinnaker group in his 37 HunterLegend. The PHRF Non-Spinnaker group was representedby the SailTime Hunter 36 fleet flying asymmetrical cruisingchutes, and was won by Syros (Ed Kalin and crew). Cruisingclass was won by Tranquility, a Hunter 31 skippered by DavidBye and son. Breezy conditions made for great racing.
The post-race festivities featured live music and danc-ing, kegs of beer, barbecue chicken dinner, the awards cere-mony and a raffle of great prizes from our regatta sponsors.
The Gulf Hunter Sailing Association was formed in late1991 as a conduit for camaraderie between owners ofHunter brand sailboats, although the Hunter Cup Regatta—and the club itself—is open to all sailors. Based in theTampa Bay area, this organization boasts a membership of75-plus boats.
A list of regatta sponsors and a link to some great regat-ta photos can be found at www.sailghsa.com/ghsa-events.htm.
Melbourne Yacht Club SpringRegatta, Melbourne, FL, April 14-15By Roy Laughlin
The Melbourne Yacht Club’s Spring Regatta has acquiredthe reputation for most wind of any spring sailing event incentral Florida. That reputation held again this year. Theevent, which spans two weekends, enjoyed winds in excessof 15 knots for several of the races. The regatta spans twoweekends: Large boats, over 22 feet, race on the first week-end and smaller craft the following weekend.
The large-boat regatta was held April 14-15. It wasextremely windy. At least three boats experienced a blow-down or near blow-down in challenging winds. This wasunexpected since the race was in the Indian River, a relative-ly benign venue under high wind conditions. No seriousdamage occurred, though, and the races were finished suc-cessfully. Twenty-two teams entered the big-boat regatta,and formed three classes. There were two races during theweekend. In the Spinnaker class, Dave Noble finished first,
racing Half Ass. Jim Henry on Mouse 3 and Gregg Kowalskion Slot Machine were second and third, respectively, in thisclass. In the Non-Spinnaker class, Jerry Ross scored top hon-ors on Sleighride. Second and third places went to Del Weise,Chasing Rainbows, and Dale LeVey, Moving Party. Catalina 22sailors formed the third class among the big boat sailors.Tom Harris finished first on Racers Edge. Jerry Butz scoredsecond on Sold Out. And in third place, it was Tom Saam onBabalou.
The small-boat races were held the following weekend,April 21-22. Thirty-eight teams entered. Classes included abeach catamaran class, Flying Scots, Raiders, Day Sailors,Lasers and Sunfish. Saturday was the windy day for thisevent, but winds, though challenging, were manageable.For most of the sailors, it was adrenaline and exhilarationrace after race.
In the Multihull class, Carla Schiefer and MarkHerendeen scored first-place honors. Dave Andrews wassecond and Chuck Harnden and Brian Karr finished third.
In the Flying Scot class, Fred Strammer, Jeff Linton andMark Taylor were first through third, respectively. TheRaider class is a high-tech small boat that always puts on agood show on the water. John Drawe finished in first placewith a string of first finishes, and a single third-place finish.John MacNeill was second and Bruce Subut was third.
The Day Sailor class consisted of three teams sailingO’Day 17s. Dede Plessner, Chris Kelly and Michael Barille
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 49
Lasers approaching the mark in the Melbourne Yacht Club SpringRegatta. Photo by Roy Laughlin.
50 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHERN RACING
were first through third, respectively.The Laser class was the second largest with eight boats
entered. Dick Tillman finished in first place with 12 points.Half of his scores were first-place finishes. Dave Ellis was insecond place and Mike Taylor in third.
Sunfish sailors, with 11 teams, were the largest class inthe small boat regatta. James Liebl scored a solid andimpressive first-place standing with a string of first-placefinishes. Steve Clendenin in second place and Tony Elliott inthird rounded out the trophy standings. In this case, bothhad a score of 18 points for the six races, and a tie-breakingformula established the standings.
For complete participation and scoring information, goto www.sail-race.com.
Z Sails’ Waldeck And Chris ZaleskiWin J/24 National Championship inJacksonville, April 18-21 By Kimberley A. Collins
The Florida Yacht Club in Jacksonville hosted 200 sailors on34 boats April 18-21 for the 2007 J/24 U.S. NationalChampionships. The club’s local fleet entered eight boats inthe competition, with Jacksonville’s Peter Bream finishingfourth overall and St. Augustine’s Dan Borrer taking fifth.
Connecticut sailors Waldek and Chris Zaleski easily wonthe championship trophy, 20 points ahead of Maryland’sMark Hillman. Third place for the regatta went to DougClark, also from Connecticut. Competitors agreed that thehospitality and sailing conditions at FYC were second tonone, putting Jacksonville on the map for competitive sailing.
Following Saturday’s final race, National ChampionWaldek Zaleski said, “This weekend we discovered likelythe best kept secret in sailing, a beautiful club with a five-minute commute from the harbor to the race course andideal conditions. We are proud to be the 2007 J/24 nationalchampions and proud to have won the title at the FloridaYacht Club in Jacksonville.”
Conditions were ideal for sailboat racing for the three-day competition, with light winds on Thursday, but strong
on Friday and Saturday.The Florida Yacht Club was honored to host the nation-
als on the St. Johns River, and regatta organizers wish tothank the 34 boats and 200 competitors from around thecountry for participating as well as Bank of America,Coastal Construction Products, Layline, Quantum SailDesign and Coral Reef Sailing Apparel for their support ofthe event.
The J/24 fleet based at FYC competes each Wednesdaynight during the summer, and fleet members are lookingforward to many of the J/24s that competed this weekendto return for the annual Kings Day One-Design Challenge atthe club in November.
For more information about the race results and theregatta, please visit www.j24nationals.com.
Race photographer was Tim Wilkes, and photos areavailable at www.timwilkes.com.
Shark’s Tooth Cup, Venice SailingSquadron and Venice Yacht Club,April 21By Jim Liston
The Gulf of Mexico outside the Venice Inlet was the locationof the fourth annual Shark’s Tooth Cup, a Sarasota BayYachting Association BOTY event. Fourteen boats in spin-naker, non-spinnaker and cruising classes sailed three racesthat began at 10:30 a.m. and finished around 4:30 p.m. Theweather was mostly sunny with minimal wave conditions.The winds began at 11 knots from the east and later shiftedto the ENE briefly dropping to three knots, then pickingback up to12 knots and then 16 knots for the third race—super spinnaker action for the Spinnaker class sailing awindward/leeward course.
Leading the Spinnaker class was Dean Cleall, sailingLittle Mac, an Elliott 770. In the Non-Spinnaker class, GregKnighton sailing Misty, a Ranger 33, notched three firsts.Rudy Reinecke, sailing OHH Zone, a Beneteau FC, had threeseconds, and Doug Dearden sailing In Tune, an Impulse 26,had three thirds. John Lynch, sailing Summertime, a C&C 36,was first in the Cruising class, followed by Chan Sweetser,sailing Seahawk, a Catalina 350. Steve Schwark, sailingMaggimae, a Pearson 33, was third.
The Venice Yacht Club tiki bar was the venue for theafter-race beverages, dinner, awards, a DVD of the race, anda view of Cat’s Meow towing in Little Mac, who suffered bro-ken gudgeons and rudder.
Corsair Trimaran Nationals 2007,Pensacola, FL, April 22-27(see cover photo)By Kim Kaminski
Amateur sailors as well as professionals converged on thewaters of Pensacola Bay for this year’s Corsair TrimaranNational Championship. Regatta Chairman Bert Rice set upa special educational opportunity for all participants byinviting Olympic and World Class sailor Randy Smythe to
Sailing in the J/24 Nationals. Photo by Tim Wilkes Photography.www.timwilkes.com.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 51
instruct the competitors during the two days prior to thechampionship with his “Speeed Seminars” (one seminar ina classroom setting, one on the water) that are gearedtoward sail trim, hoists and tactics. This hands-on trainingoffered a great chance for the contestants to better theirefforts during this year’s event.
Thirty boats in four classes and over 100 sailors took tothe waters surrounding Pensacola over a six-day periodbeginning April 22. Partly cloudy skies with a 6- to 10-knotsoutheasterly breeze welcomed the sailors on their first daywhere PRO Fairlie Brinkley provided three separate wind-ward/leeward races to get the party started.
A long-distance offshore racecourse sending sailors outthrough the Pensacola Pass to the #1 sea buoy and back tothe inland waters of the bay was scheduled for the secondday. Light winds and heavy currents provided some inter-esting challenges during this 18-mile course.
Day three competition was delayed by a severe weath-er system that promised lightning, hail and the possibilityof tornadoes. Eventually, the racing was canceled, givingthe participants a day off to re-energize.
Day four offered an interesting mix of wind conditions.The day started out with northwesterly winds at 6 to 10knots during the first two races. Then came an unexpectedchange in wind direction and strength out of the southwestat 18 to 20 knots for the last two races. During the third andfourth races, with the approach of strong winds from thesouth, competitors were battered about the racecourse
where even the best sailors had difficulties with their spin-naker hoists, making the last day of the regatta one of themost challenging.
Last year’s National Champion Don Wigston finishedfirst in his Open Class division but ended up in secondplace overall behind this year’s 2007 National Winner,Randy Smythe, who captured the Ian Farrier NationalChampionship Trophy on his F25 C trimaran named YO.Randy and his crew finished with an impressive eight-pointtotal – with six first-place finishes, one second place, and afifth on the final race. Each competitor was allowed onethrow-out race, leaving Randy with eight points total.During the last race, Randy’s team experienced spinnakertrouble including the infamous hourglass (twisted spin-naker) during the rough seas and strong winds, but theyquickly recovered and sailed on to victory.
Bob Hodges from the Pontchartrain Yacht Club on hisSprint 750 earned the award for the top finish by an ama-teur competitor finishing in a respectable fifth place overall.Glenn Howell finished first in his class division (C-31) onhis trimaran Adios! and finished in fourth overall. StevenMarsh wrapped up the class division for the C28-R fleet onhis boat Dealer’s Choice, earning him a first in class and thirdoverall. Rounding off the top six competitors finishes is thisyear’s Key West Amateur Sailor Award winner, Cliff Farrahfrom the Fort Walton Yacht Club on his C28 R, Strategy 3.
For additional information and photographs, go towww.GulfSailing.com.
52 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHERN RACING
US Sailing’s Alter Cup Regatta,Melbourne Yacht Club, Melbourne, FL, April 24-28By Roy Laughlin
Matt and Gina McDonald sailing in the Alter Cup. Photo by RoyLaughlin.
Florida is the home of the nation’s newest jock rock stars ofbeach cat racing: John Casey and John Williams, both Floridaboys, earned a commanding first place in US Sailing’s AlterCup Regatta. They finished first in every race in the seriesduring the event’s four days. John Lovell, an Olympic medal-ist, and his wife, Katy Pilley-Lovell (New Orleans, LA), fin-ished second with a solid score of second places in each oftheir competitions. John and Tiffany Tomko, Canyon Lake,TX, took home the third-place medals.
Beach cat races with windy conditions are drag races.The 2007 Alter Cup regatta enjoyed four days of exemplarywind at 10-20 knots. Only on Saturday, the regatta’s finalday, did a stalled front end nearly three weeks of continu-ous wind. There was no shortage of adrenaline-pumpingexperiences for the races, and even watching the races wasexhilarating. A few teams consistently placed in A fleet, butfor the rest it was a roller coaster series of poor finishes thatput the teams in B fleet, followed by great ones that restoredfortunes and let them back into A fleet. Raw talent is onlyone ingredient of success. A lot of luck helps, too. The earlythird-place team snagged a mark line in a couple of theevents. The few seconds of delay made all the difference inthe scores by the end of the four days of racing.
The format of the Alter Cup is unique. There are 10catamarans in each race. This year, the catamaran was theBlade F16, supplied by Vectorworks, a boatbuilding compa-ny in Titusville, just a few miles from the race site. Only 20teams compete. Those teams are selected either by nomina-tion, through a series of national qualifying regattas, or byapplication from interested teams. A series consists of a pairof races involving all the teams, with a group of 10 designat-ed as either A or B. The catamarans are prepared and main-tained by a shore team, not by the racers and are riggedexactly the same. Racers are assigned randomly to a boat foreach race. They may never sail the same boat twice.Throughout the four or five days of racing, top scorers end
up in the designated A team, and it is from this group that theranking winners are determined. What makes this scoringsystem interesting for the teams is that a poor finish can puta team in B fleet, and finishing in the top three of B fleet catsrestores status to A fleet. The entire goal of this scoring sys-tem is to select the most capable sailors based on perform-ance, and to minimize the influence of familiarity with theboat or ability to obtain and use gear that gives an advantage.
The Melbourne Yacht Club joined US Sailing in hostingthe 2007 Alter Cup, which was raced in the Indian River.Jake Kohl served as US Sailing’s U.S. MultihullChampionship chairman and John Fox of MYC served asthe regatta chair. This was just about as smoothly run as anyregatta this writer has reported.
Florida has always had its share of champions innational events. John Casey has established himself and histeammates as some of the brightest sailing stars in the cur-rent generation of both distance and buoy racing events.The reflected glow is illuminating Florida’s beach cat sailingtalent and events. Right now, the beach cat scene in Floridais cool. Real cool.
For photos, go to www.floridamultihullsailor.com.
First Coast Offshore Challenge,North Florida Cruising Club,Jacksonville, FL, April 25-28By Dave Kyser, NFCCThe third annual First Coast Offshore Challenge (FCOC)was held April 25-28. Approximately 36 boats completedeach of the three ocean races over the four-day event, typi-fied by favorable winds and fantastic parties. The FirstCoast Offshore Challenge is an offshore regatta totalingover 100 nautical miles of racing. The first leg is fromJacksonville south to St. Augustine; the second leg is fromSt. Augustine to St. Marys, GA, and the third and final legis from St. Marys back to Jacksonville.
The FCOC was created in 2004 by the North FloridaCruising Club, an at-large club in Jacksonville, FL, that alsoholds two other ocean races. The regatta was created in thehopes of increasing interest in ocean racing, and also to raisemoney for a fantastic local charity, Safe Harbor Boys Home,a Jacksonville-based home for troubled youth. This year’sregatta was a resounding success on both points.
Yachts participating in this year’s Offshore Challengecame from as far as Charleston, SC, Georgia, DaytonaBeach, Amelia Island, St. Augustine, and of course, localracers from Jacksonville and Orange Park. Proceeds of theregatta and profits from corporate sponsorships weredonated to Safe Harbor Boys Home.
Regatta Chairman Guy Anderson re-iterated to me theimportance of their choice of Safe Harbor: “Safe HarborBoys Home was an obvious choice as our charity because itdoes a terrific job of taking kids who’ve gotten in troubleand setting them on the right path. These kids have anopportunity to turn their lives around in a positive setting.It removes them from the pattern of behavior they weretrapped in. Also, it’s unique because they use boating skillsand boating maintenance training to teach kids the valuesthat will help them in life. They receive no federal or statefunds so this event will provide them with valuable sup-
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 53
port, and one can see why we felt the obvious connection.”Not only was Safe Harbor a great choice for the cause,
but a great location to hold a regatta. As the name implies,it’s a Safe Harbor for the boys, and for boats. Safe Harbor islocated behind Blount Island on the St. Johns River, and istucked away nicely behind some very active shipping andcargo terminals. It’s only a few miles in from Mayport, thegateway to Jacksonville, FL. The ample dockage, deep-water access, and great shoreside facilities made it perfectfor this event.
The regatta kicked off Tuesday night, April 24, with askipper’s meeting and party at Safe Harbor. After the racecommittee conducted its meeting, we had a weather briefingfrom local surfer-boy made good, TV meteorologist TimDeegan. Tim gave a detailed “guess” on what the conditionswould be over the four days of racing, and, in his defense, hewas pretty close. On Wednesday morning, April 25, the firstrace started just outside the Mayport inlet. Winds were SSE at5-10 knots early. We locals knew this was a good thing, as thenear-shore sea breeze would surely build and accelerate thissoon. It did, going 12-15 knots out of the SE, enabling many ofthe yachts racing to spend most of their time on the port beattrying to stay up the rhumb line to St. Augustine. The partythat night at the St. Augustine Yacht Club was wonderful. St.Augustine Yacht Club was able to show off its beautiful newclubhouse to many of the racers, plus good food, free beer,and a blues band that was fantastic. Thursday’s race, on April26, was a reverse-PHRF start, which meant the cruisers start-ed first, at around 1700, with the quicker spinnaker yachtsstarting more toward 2000. The overnight race to St. Maryswas expected to be fun as the weather forecast was for south-west winds. Deegan was right again, as the winds stayedmostly south to southwest, and were from 12-15 knots, attimes filling in to 20-22 knots solid. Sleigh ride! This was a ter-rific sail, most of the fleet arriving at the finish in St. Marysaround 0300 on Friday morning, and naps were in order!
The party that evening in St. Marys was perfect, as theparticipants feasted on low-country boil, and free GrandeCerveza! The last leg on Saturday was more typical of ourarea, with a light offshore blowing early in the morning andmany of the fleet expecting a sea breeze to push early, as wedidn’t believe Deegan’s predictions of westerly winds com-ing through that day. But, Bravo Zulu to Tim, after a lightperiod, the westerly persisted and pushed through the seabreeze trying to form. So with a westerly breeze of 10-12knots, the fleet reached straight up the rhumb line in rela-tively calm water to the finish in Mayport. The fleet retiredback to Safe Harbor for an awards dinner, free beer, and avery enjoyable party.
Please consider moving your yacht and join this greatevent for a good cause next year. For detailed race results,go to www.sailjax.com/ and click on FCOC Results.
29th Annual Regata del Sol al Sol,St. Petersburg to Mexico, April 27By Dave Ellis
The 39th edition of the race from St. Petersburg to YucatanPeninsula’s Isla Mujeres was a light air, mostly smooth-seasadventure for the 456-mile journey.
Homeland Security pre-qualified those boats and crew
who elected to do so before leaving the country, so that withthe proper reference number a phone call from any U.S. portcleared them for customs on returning.
The St. Petersburg Power Squadron did a courtesyinspection on many boats, as vessels were required to besuitable for ocean voyaging.
With the wind on the nose from the St. Petersburgwaterfront, the fleet was led under power to outside of theSkyway Bridge for the start. It was tight out Southwest Passand into the Gulf where the promising early breeze provedto be fleeting. It was going to be a long race.
Fred Bickley on last year’s winner Mango Latitudesreported on the single sideband radio that they had a“mutiny” aboard. It seems that among the crew was sonFreddie and his bride-to-be’s wedding gown. The weddingwas to be on the Mexican island, and the groom and dressreally had to be there. So they elected to motor until thebreeze picked up halfway across. They made it to thechurch on time.
First to finish was the longest and lowest-rated boat ofthe fleet, Robert Walker’s Macgregor 72 Enigma, hailingfrom Key West. As soon as the wind would allow, the crewsailed south of the rhumb line, passing discreetly awayfrom the western Cuba coastline. Their handicap rating,however, dropped them in the standings.
Finishing a little over two hours later, Renegade, TomSlade’s Santa Cruz 52 from Ponte Vedra, FL, saved her timeto win the Spinnaker class. Her course mirrored Enigma’s,but not as far south, cutting a few miles on the distance.
The Non-Spinnaker winner, Max Smith of OrmondBeach, FL, on his Lafitte 44, Twilight, sailed as close to therhumb line as possible. They recorded the event’s best fin-ish time after handicaps were applied, making Twilight theoverall winner of the regatta. Twilight was beached andbadly damaged in Hurricane Frances in 2003 and sat formany months before being salvaged. Like Phoenix risingfrom the ashes, Twilight was rehabilitated, and Smith beganagain to campaign her in regional sailboat races. Smith, 76,who hails from the Halifax River Yacht Club, has made sail-ing headlines since the mid-1970s, competing in a succes-sion of grueling, long-distance races criss-crossing theAtlantic Ocean, around the world, and in the Pacific Ocean.He often sailed alone or with a single crewmember, loggingmore than 100,000 sea miles since taking up the sport ofamateur ocean sailing in his mid-40s. ¨I had a great crew,¨Smith said, when accepting the awards at the trophy pres-entation dinner.
The True Cruising fleet was divided into three divisions.Mi Vida Loca, the Beneteau 40 sailed by Mike Boom, one of therace organizers, finished well ahead of the TC-A fleet
TC-B was led by Ted Riley of St. Petersburg on thePearson 424, Bel Esprit II, taking a conservative course.
TC-C winner was Mike Noble of Madeira Beach, FL, onNobility, his Morgan Out-Island 41. His track across the Gulflooks as if he may have had an ample supply of grogaboard. The final approach was from off the far western tipof Cuba where the cruise ships turn south. The strongYucatan current swept them up to the finish. His correctedtime was second in the fleet.
In the Multihull class, Otis Tavlin’s Condor 40,Thunderbird, had a rudder problem. Bob Webster’s Catana52, Minnow, towed him all the way across the Gulf, making
54 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHERN RACING
it in time for the parties. That left Rick Short of St.Petersburg’s Vitamin Sea, a Voyage 43, the winner.
The event’s tradition of doing something for the inhabi-tants of this idyllic island continues. This year, Larry Wissingand Mike Boom instigated a boat poster coloring contestamong the island’s 600 elementary school students. The win-ner’s crayon creation was reproduced on the back of the offi-cial T-shirt. Nearly all of the three elementary schools’ stu-dents were given rides around the island, some spilling overto a larger local craft. Many local adults remember with fond-ness their ride when they were mere pequenos.
For many boats, the delivery back to their home portswas very rough and windy. The end of that wet and lumpysail was made much more enjoyable by the excellent coop-eration of the officials when re-entering the states
Twenty boats are already registered for the 40th editionof the Mexico race. Entries will be limited to 50, the harbor’scapacity.
Tampa Sailing Squadron’sCommodore’s Cup, May 5Twelve sailboats in five divisions competed on a 15.4 nauti-cal mile course in the Tampa Sailing Squadron’sCommodore’s Cup Regatta. The predicted five-knot drifterwas true for the morning, but wind strength increasedquickly throughout the day.
First place in Spinnaker A Division went to Ed Peters,aboard Tigress, an Abbott 33. Sea Explorers Ship 185 tooksecond place in Jabberwocky, a J/22, and Ed Plotz, aboardSlippery When Wet, a Hunter 28, finished in third place.
In Spinnaker B, Gene DiNisio’s Shrew, a Creekmore 23,beat Darin O’Neal’s Lagniappe, a Catalina 22.
Flying jib and main, Jon Martini’s Pure Magic, a PearsonFlyer 30, came in first, followed by Kent Bailey in Pilgrim, aPearson 30, and Joy Ride, Susan Bishop and Shari Callahan’sRanger 23.
Bob Bettinger’s White Cap, a C&C 28, won first place inthe True Cruising division.
In the Mother Lode division for non-rated boats, AmoreGatto, a Gemini 30 catamaran owned by Bill Schumacher,beat Synchronicity, Luanne McGinnis’s Tartan 30. TheMother Lode division is unique to TSS, encouraging inexpe-rienced racers to compete.
June 9th, TSS and the St. Pete Sailing Association hostthe TransBay Regatta. For info, go to www.tampasailing.org.
Sarasota Bay Cup, Bird Key YachtClub, May 12By Morgan Stinemetz
With four different venues of sailboat racing operating at thesame time on Saturday, May 12, Sarasota Bay was alive withboats, and the Gulf of Mexico played host to two classes on itsown—multihulls and the racer/cruiser class. There were sixmultihulls racing and nine PHRF-designated racer/cruisers,the latter being bigger boats that need longer courses.
There were 42 PHRF boats in Sarasota Bay in six class-es in a reverse handicap affair, wherein the slowest ratedboats started first. The winds were on the light side when
the first boat started at 1 p.m., and they stayed that way allafternoon, with a few ups and downs of not much morethan a knot. The first leg was to weather, followed by a shortrun and then a port tack fetch up to Marker #15 in the mid-dle of Sarasota Bay. As the fleet condensed over the courseduring the course of the afternoon, mark roundings got tobe a lot more critical with several boats from different class-es rounding together. The going was very tight.
Youth sailors fleshed out the racing boats on two smallcourses near the Sarasota Sailing Squadron on City Island.The bigger boat total was 57 boats, and the smaller boatssailed by youth—Lasers and Green Fleet Optis—fleshed outthe total number of boats to more than 80.
Of the six classes racing in the bay, two were spinnakerclasses, two were non-spinnaker classes and two were truecruising classes.
Greg Knighton, last year’s overall regatta winner, sailedhis Ranger 33, Misty, to a another first-place finish in Non-Spinnaker B. Second in class went to Flash, a Morgan 22that’s always tough on a race course. The boat is sailed byBob and Cathy Willard of Palmetto. Third went to LarryMelat’s San Juan 24, Saridan, which is sailed out of theBayshore Gardens Yacht Club in Bradenton.
In Non-Spinnaker A, the winning boat was Sarasotaresident Doug Deardon’s Impulse 26, In Tune. Second wentto Rudy Reinecke, also of Sarasota. He was sailing aBeneteau First Class, Ohh Zone. Third place was taken byRelentless, a Beneteau 32, sailed by Larry Willis of Tampa.
Of the two True Cruising classes, the winner of theclass—although misnamed Cruiser Light—went to JohnLynch’s C&C 36, Summertime. Second went to BobJohnson’s Shearwater, a C&C 38. Johnson is from Sarasota.Third place went to George Minnig of the Bird Key YachtClub who sailed a Morgan 41 to success.
The lighter of the two true Cruising classes, called forthis regatta Cruiser Heavy, was won by Morgan Stinemetz’sReefer, an Ericson 27. Stinemetz, from Palmetto, said he hadsuperior crew work from Kathy Bush, Dalton Tebo and BobDockery all day. Reefer was the first true cruising boat to fin-ish out of 17 racing. Six minutes elapsed before another truecruising boat finished. In second place in class was WileyCoyote, Roger Horton’s Tartan 27-2 that came up from FortMyers to race. Maggiemae, Steve Schwark’s Pearson 33 fromSarasota, pulled down third in class.
The Multihull class with six boats was taken by PeterWormwood in Deuce Coupe, a Stiletto 27. Wormwood hailsfrom Palmetto. Second went to a Sarasota cat, Merlin, BobBuzzelli’s Gulfstream 39. And Bill Fisher of Bradenton wasthird in One Up, a modified Stiletto 30.
Relativity, Hal Palmers’ Beneteau 53 from St. Pete,knocked down first in the Racer/Cruiser class. KevinFouche’s Heritage West Indies 36, Another Road, was second.Fouche is from Tampa. Third in class went to Frank Hanna’sPrime Plus that lives up in the Florida Panhandle when it’snot racing in these parts. The boat is a Beneteau 440.
Ray Mannix’s Semper Fi, a J29 out of Clearwater, wasfirst in Spinnaker A. Jim Liston’s Cat’s Meow, a J105 fromVenice, was second. Third went to race organizer RichardGress in Mother Ocean, an O’Day 40.
In the final class, Spinnaker B, Dave Flechsig fromPunta Gorda sailed his S-2 7.9, Rooster Tail, to first. Secondwent to Grant Dumas from St. Pete whose Ranger 33,
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 55
Lacerta, proved up to the task. In third came Blammo, RichMuro’s Evelyn 26 from Sarasota.
The regatta, part of the Sarasota Bay YachtingAssociation’s BOTY series, was in its second year this year,and it is arguably the premier race in the Sarasota area forseveral reasons that seem to matter; the entry fee is reason-able and an excellent dollar value, the race committee workis pretty much flawless, the salsa band that has played forboth years has been great fun, the trophies are attractive andthe post-race buffet has been first- rate.
■ REGIONAL RACING CALENDARS
Regattas and Club Racing—Open to Everyone Wanting to Race
The races listed here are open to those who want to sail. Noindividual club membership is required, although a region-al PHRF rating, or membership in US SAILING or member-ship in a regional sailing association is often required. (Ifindividual club membership is required, please contact usand we will not list their races in the future.)
For publishing of your event, questions and informa-tion, send us your race schedule by the 5th of the month [email protected]. Send in the name of theevent, date, location, contacts (Web site, e-mail and/orphone), and, if you want a short description. Do not justsend a link in to this information.
Since race schedules and venues change, contact thesponsoring organization to confirm. For changes to be pub-lished, contact the editor. Changes can be put on our Website, if possible.
JUNECharleston Ocean Racing Association. www.charlestonoceanracing.org2 Femme Fatale
Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org9-10 Clark Cup 23-24 Laser Masters23 Indian Island to Ocracoke 30 Oriental Cup
Lake Lanier. www.lakelaniersailing.com3 LLSC Junior Week10 SSC Couples Day Race15-17 LLSC Reggae Open Regatta 27 Awards Party30 Firecracker Cup – Closed
South Atlantic Yacht Racing Assoc. www.sayra-sailing.com2–3 Mayor’s Cup Regatta. Open. One Design. LTYC.2–3 D12 Lasers – Savannah.Lasers. SSC.2–3 SAYRA Single-handed Quarterfinals Lasers. SSC.2–3 Bare What You Dare. Catamarans. KSC.
9–10 Hobcaw Regatta. Open. HYC.9–10 US Sailing Men’s Champ Quarters. TBA. LLSC.9–10 US Sailing Triple– Double– Single-handed Junior Champ
Quarters. Flying Scot– Club 420– Laser. LNYC.14-17 C Scow Nationals. C Scow. ASC.16–17 James Island Regatta. Open. JIYC.16–17 Governor’s Cup. Open. CSC-NC.16–17 Reggae Regatta. Open. LLSC.23–24 Lowcountry Regatta. Open. BYSC.23–24 NC Laser Masters. Laser. ODC.23–24 E Scow Nationals. E Scow. CYC-SC.30-Jul-1 Independence Day Open. Open. LNYC.
www.longbaysailing.com1 Gov Cup Capt. Meet2 NC/SC Offshore Gov Cup.16 Race to Charleston from Little River Inlet.30 Summer Race. Little River Inlet
JULYNeuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org7-8 Cherry Pt HYC HYC Regatta 7 Pamlico PSC SOLO Race 19-23 Rhode Island. Beneteau 36.7 North Americans 21-22 Belhaven PSC Pirates on the Pungo 28 New Bern NYRA Parrothead 28-29 Harkers Island MOBYC. Harkers Island Regatta (Sunfish)
South Atlantic Yacht Racing Assoc. www.sayra-sailing.com7-8 Firecracker Regatta Laser, Sunfish, Opti, 420 SYC 7-8 US Sailing Match Racing Quarters TBA LLSC 14-15 Edenton Bay Challenge OD, DPN CSC-NC 21-22 Charleston Yacht Club Open ChYC 28-29 Carolina Yacht Club Open CYC-SC 28 Jolly Jordan Regatta Opti CSC-NC
JUNE1,15,29 Summer Rum Races. Melbourne Yacht Club2 Howl at the Moon. Halifax Sailing Association2-3 32nd Annual Regatta. Titusville Sailing Center.
www.sailtitusville.org. 2-3 Jetty Park Ocean Regatta. Port Canaveral.
(Beach cat regatta)6,13,20,27 Wed Nite Races. Indian River Yacht Club9 Jessie Ball Regatta. Epping Forest Yacht Club16 New Moon Merriment. Halifax Sailing Association16 Mermaid Regatta. Port Canaveral Yacht Club.23-24 Summer Sizzler. Daytona Beach (beach cat regatta)23 St. Johns Regatta. Florida Yacht Club
(rescheduled from Apr 14)24 Commodore Cup make up–if necessary. Halifax River
Yacht Club29 Howl at the Moon. Halifax Sailing Association
JULY7-8 Firecracker Regatta. Port Canaveral Yacht Club14-15 Cruise to Cocoa Village. East Coast Sailing Assoc–Cruising27 Howl at the Moon. Halifax Sailing Association27 Fall Rum Race. Melbourne Yacht Club28 Moonlight Regatta. Rudder Club28 River Challenge Regatta. East Coast Sailing Assoc–Racing
56 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
SOUTHERN RACING
JUNE9 Bombay-Sapphire Regatta - Coconut Grove Sailing Club.
www.cgsc.org30 Full MOON Regatta. Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing
Association. www.bbyra.netJULY2 GTYC Great Turtle Race 4-14 Regatta Time in the Abacos 28 Full MOON Regatta. www.bbyra.net
Key West Sailing Club. Every Saturday – Open House at the KeyWest Sailing Club. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (305) 292-5993.www.keywestsailingclub.org. Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue inKey West. Come by the club to sail. Non-members and memberswelcome. Wednesday night racing has begun for the summer sea-son. Skippers meet at the clubhouse by 5:00 p.m. and boats startracing at 6:00 p.m. in the seaplane basin near the mooring field.Dinner and drinks afterward.
Upper Keys Sailing Club. www.upperkeyssailingclub.com.Regular club racing open to all.
The 0nline West Florida Race Calendar, which goes from Sept.1,2006, thru August 31, 2007, is available on the SOUTHWINDS Website with hyperlinks to sponsoring clubs. It covers racing in WestFlorida from Marco Island in southwest Florida north, up to andincluding Clearwater. www.southwindsmagazine.com. Accessedon the racing pages from the home page.
Club Racing Bradenton YC. Winter Races starting in October until April. Races
at 1:30 p.m. Thursday evening races at 6:30 pm start in April(check this). PHRF racing on Manatee River. For info callLarry Lecuyer, (941) 729-5401.
Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racingonce a month, [email protected]
Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, [email protected].
Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Friday evening races start in April.www.sarasotasailingsquad.com.
Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of eachmonth, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet.www.venice-sailing-squadron.org
JUNE2 St. Petersburg YC. Darlene Clark Women’s Regatta5 St. Petersburg YC. Master Calendar Meeting9 St. Petersburg Sailing Association/Tampa Sailing Squadron.
Transbay Race, PHRFJULY1,8,15,22 Commodore’s Cup. Cortez Yacht Club.
www.cortezyachtclub.com4 Tampa Bay Catamaran Sailors. Race for Liberty
Wednesday Evening Fun RacesPYC. Every Wednesday of the Month, April thru OctoberFort Walton Yacht Club. April thru October
JUNE2 School’s Out Regatta (one-design)– PontYC,
New Orleans, LA2-3 Candler Regatta (Capdevielle). SABYC, Panama City, FL2-3 Women’s PHRF. SYC, New Orleans, LA2-3 Fleur de Lis. SYC, New Orleans, LA2-3 TYC Charter Day. TYC, Mandeville, LA9 Mobile Bay Marathon. FYC, Fairhope, AL9-10 Leukemia Cup Regatta (one design). HYC, Houston, TX9-10 Area D Quarter Finals. MYC, Mobile, AL9-10 Rhodes 19 Regionals. FYC, Fairhope, AL9-10 New Orleans to Gulfport. NOYC, New Orleans, LA9-10 Billy Bowlegs Regatta. FWYC, Ft. Walton Beach, FL14-17 Sunfish North Americans. FYC, Fairhope, AL15-17 Round the Island Regatta(multihull)–FWYC,
Ft. Walton Bch, FL15-16 Gulfport to Pensacola Race. PYC, Pensacola, FL16-17 GYA 420. BWYC, Bay St. Louis, MS22-24 GYA Challenge Cup. PYC, Pensacola, FL22-29 US Youth Championship. SYC, New Orleans, LA23 We Found the Bay Regatta. POINTYC, Josephine, AL30 Ft. Walton Yacht Club. Night Race #1–FWYC,
Ft. Walton Beach, FL30 Patriot’s Day Regatta. PBYC, Pensacola, Beach, FL30 Single-Handed Regatta. FYC, Fairhope, AL30-1 Island Hop (multihull). OSYC, Ocean Springs, MSJULY5-12 Ida Lewis Regatta – Pontchartrain Yacht Club, Mandeville, LA6-8 GORC – Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile Yacht Club, Mobile, AL6-8 Junior Olympic Festival (one design) –
Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL7-8 Meigs Regatta (Capdevielle) – Fort Walton Yacht Club,
Ft. Walton Beach, FL14 Bastille Day Regatta – Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA14 Fast Women Regatta – Point Yacht Club, Josephine, AL14-15 USSA Adams – Semi Finals – Jackson Yacht Club, Jackson, MS14-15 Summer Regatta (Capdevielle) – Mobile Yacht Club, Mobile, AL21-22 Junior Lipton Regatta (Capdevielle) 28 Bikini Regatta – Navy Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL28-29 Weatherly Regatta (Capdevielle) – Gulfport Yacht Club,
Gulfport, MS28-29 Birthday Regatta (one design) – Pass Christian Yacht Club,
Pass Christian, MS
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 57
BROKERS &BOAT OWNERSBOATS FOR SALE
ADVERTISING
CLASSIFIEDS ADS TEXT & PHOTO
$50 FOR 3 MONTHS
Prices for 3 months ofadvertising:• $50 for 30-word ad &
horizontal photo ($65for vertical photo)*
• Power or Sail• New or used• No monthly changes (unless phone numbers, e-mails or prices)• Change your ad/boat for sale monthly at a total cost of
$20 a month for ad and photo• 3-month minimum• Text-only ads – $25 • Small charge for more than 30 words• All ads go on the Internet on 1st of month or place it
today for $10• Brokers: monthly credit card billing on file unless a regu-
lar display advertiser (or prepay by check)
Contact [email protected](941) 795-8704
*Ads and photos must be e-mailed. $5 extra charges for photoscanning or typing in ads over the phone or ads mailed in.
58 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 59
60 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 61
Ads Starting at 3 Months for $25Place them on the Internet now for $10! Open to all Brokers, Businesses and Boat Owners
C L A S S I F I E D A D S
• $25 for three-months, 30 words. $40 for 40words. $50 for 60 words.
• $50 for 30-word ad with horizontal photo.$65 with vertical photo.
• Add $25 for a horizontal photo (total $50for 30-word ad and horizontal photo). Add$15 if vertical photo. Boats and item want-ed ads included.
• All Ads go on the Web site on first of month.$10 to place ad early. No refunds on ads
• Ads prepaid by credit card or check. • $10 to make changes (except for price, e-
mail, phone numbers, mistakes) in text. • The last month your ad runs will be in
parenthes, e.g., (10/07) is October, 2007.• Ad must be received by noon of the 2nd
Saturday of each month. Contact us if laterto possibly get in the “Too Late to Classify”section.
• E-mail ads and photos (as jpeg). If mailed,add $5 for typing or photo scan charge.
DISPLAY ADS: Starting At $38/Month.Contact [email protected].(941) 795-8704.
BROKERS:Photo and text ads only apple to this offer. $5to change your ad first 3 months. After 3months: $20 a month for a new ad or $15 topick-up old ad. Price changes and mistakechanges free. Credit card must be on file if
not a monthly display advertiserl
TO PLACE AN AD
1. On the Internet at www.southwinds-magazine.com. Applies only to $25 and $50ads. Through Paypal: put your ad in the sub-ject line. E-mail photo.2. E-mail, Phone, Credit Card. E-mail [email protected] with text in e-mail (or Word document). Call with creditcard number (941) 795-8704.3. Mail your ad in. PO Box 1175, HolmesBeach, FL 34218. Check or credit card num-ber (with name, expiration, address). enclosea SASE if photo wanted back.
SAILING INSTRUCTORS WANTEDAmericas #1 Sailing School is taking applica-tions for immediate employment at ourFlorida locations. If you have a passion forteaching sailing. Please contact us at 239-985-7539 or [email protected] formore details.
TOO LATE TO CLASSIFY_________________________________________
See this section at the end of classifieds forads that came in too late to place in theirappropriate section. Contact us if you havea last minute ad to place—we still mighthave time in this section.
BOATS & GEAR FOR FREE_________________________________________
SOUTHWINDS is starting this section for peoplewho have boats they want to get rid of,whether on land or in the water. List your boatfor free with up to 50 words and a horizontalphoto. Editor reserves the right to not list ordiscontinue any boat or gear he chooses.“Boats wanted” listings only by approval ofeditor. Ads will run for three months and thencanceled if not renewed. Contact us by the2nd Saturday of the month preceding torenew or for new ads. Boats must be in theSouthern coastal states. No businesses._________________________________________
Boom off a C&C 29. Measures 10’3” long by3.5” high. Free but pick-up only in West PalmBeach, FL. (561) 655-9555. (6/07)
BOATS & DINGHIES_________________________________________
Windsurfing Boards and Gear for Sale. 3Boards, 5 sails, 3 masts, 2 booms and all gearand harness for several setups, etc. Bic 273 (4years old and like new), Hi Tech 8’11” (goodcondition), Custom Hi-per Tech board (goodcondition), 2 new sails (barely used), 3 oldersails. $1100/ BO. (941) 795-8704. Bradenton. _________________________________________
Molds to build original Optimist Pram, notIOD. Ellie’s Sailing Shop. St. Petersburg. (727)442-3281. (6/07) _________________________________________
Dinghy 10’ RIB 310. West Marine. 4 yearsold, very good condition. Storage bag needsrepair. Nissan 8 Hp. 4-stroke outboard. Likenew, less than 10 hours use. 2 years old.$1200 each, or both for $1995 FIRM. Lou(305) 394-0901. (7/07)
Bauer 10. Sprit-rigged. Tan Bark sail. 7’ oarsand hardware. Galvanized trailer does not gointo water. Yacht finish. Everything as new.$2900. Siesta Key, FL, (941) 349-3102. (8/07) _________________________________________
BRAND-NEW 10’2 Aquastar sport dinghy,NEVER put in water, 4Pc plywood floor, inflat-able keel, two seats, carry bag, Cost $1,800yours for $900 (239) 370-2403. (8/07) _________________________________________
Port-a-Boat folding boat. 12 Ft. $400 OBO(727) 585-2814. Largo, FL. (6/07)
16’ Precision 165 Sailboat. This 2004Sailboat is in Perfect condition. Includes 4-stroke Yamaha 2.5 HP Outboard. Boat is builtin Palmetto, FL. See Web site for all details andretail price, www.precisionboatworks.com.This boat lists new for $10,995. I’m asking$9000 including motor. This boat can beseen at Regatta Pointe Marina, 1005 RiversideDrive, Palmetto, FL. Talk to the Harbormaster(941) 729-6021. (8/07)
62 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
ADVERTISE YOUR BOAT$25 for up to 30 words
for 3 months
Boats & Gear for Free
Boats & Dinghies
Powerboats
Boat Gear & Supplies
Boat Registration
Crew Available/Wanted
Dogs For Sale (really)
Engines For Sale
Help Wanted
Lodging for Sailors
Real Estate for Sale or Rent
Sails & Canvas
Slips for Rent/Sale
To Late to Classify
Mold to build traditional-shaped 18’ canoe.Very sturdy split mold. Boats were built underthe name Clearwater Canoe. Ellie’s SailingShop. St. Petersburg. (727) 442-3281. (6/07)
19’ Seaward Fox Catboat 1998. 5HP Mercand elect. trolling motor. Carbon fiber rotat-ing mast. Fully battened main – 2 sets reef pts.Lazy jacks, Bimini, current safety sticker, porta-potty, bilge pump. Full-fitted canvas cover.Wing keel. 10” draft. In water. Asking $7,000.OBO. (941) 387-8786. (7/07)
1968 Westerly Cirrus 22’. Stout little cruiser.Yanmar 2005, Navik self-steering vane, stand-ing headroom (6’), enclosed head. Lying inNE Florida. Ready to go. Excellent condition.$12,500. (228) 324-6504. (6/07)_________________________________________
1984 O’DAY 26. 4-stroke 9.9 Mercury out-board w/electric start. New stays, rigging,group 31 battery, forward hatch, motormount and solar panel. VHF marine radio,headsail furler, anchor, cruising spinnaker (in ashoot), extra sails and much more. DocksideA/C with outlets in galley and head.$7,500Lake Keowee, SC, Contact Phil (828) 230-0928 or (828) 645-9259 or [email protected]. (8/07)_________________________________________
1979 Pearson 26 One-Design. Over $7000invested in ‘06. New performance mainsailand 155 Genoa. Epoxy barrier coat. Harkenself-tailing winches. Excellent condition.$7800 (850) 271-8550 [email protected]. (7/07)
Cape Dory 28. 1977, $14,900, good condi-tion, New Mainsail, Solid cruiser, 9000# dis-placement, 3500# ballast, wheel steering.(941) 747-2823. Located Bradenton, FL. Go to www.signaldelta.com/cd_28.htm (6/07)
28’ S-2 Sloop 1979. Yanmar diesel, 4’6”Draft, Wheel steering, Auto Pilot and Tri -DataAutohelm instrument New 2002, 12VRefrigerator, Good sail inventory, Quality con-struction and Proven design. Asking $23,000.For more info, call (727) 560-0901. (7/07)
San Juan 28. 1980. FWC Yanmar. 700 Hrs., 4’6” draft, 4 sails included, all as new, Shore fullbatten main w/150 Genoa. 3 ground tackle,windlass, electronics, tiller autopilot, inflatablew/OB, no hurricane damage, sail away condi-tion. $9500. For fax and info, call (586) 468-0424, or (586) 405-2261. (6/07)
Viper 830. 28 ft. sprint sailboat with trailer,carbon mast, motor, instr, new sails, excelcondition, plus extras, $39,500, located inFort Walton Beach, FL. Call Mike (850) 244-0001 or (850) 243-1804. (6/07)
30’ Stellar. 1986. Center Cockpit. Diesel,Great Coastal Cruiser, Autopilot, Depth/Speed. Roller furling. 3 new batteries, newDodger/Bimini, Dinghy with 8hp. Muchmore, must see. $24,600. Bradenton, FL.(941) 761-1161. (6/07)
1985 Catalina 27 Tall rig with Universaldiesel, 4’ draft. wheel steering, Hood furling,head w/shower, Bimini, autopilot, VHF, GPS,depth,galley, cockpit table, sleeps 5. reducefor quick sale $12,900 (941) 792-9100
30’ Pearson, Racer/Cruiser Sloop, 1976 Red,Excellent cond., 2 mains, 3 jibs, 3 spinnakers,spinnaker pole. Tiller, marine radio, stove,new pot, sleeps 6, $11,900. Madeira Beach,FL [email protected]. (727) 581-4708 or(727) 244-4708. Motivated Seller. (8/07)
Mainecat 30 sailing catamaran. Launched1999, fast cruiser, well-equipped, exceptionalcondition. Details and photos at: www.tou-canme.com. Ready to sail away. $120K (941)313-0999). (7/07)
1979 O’Day 30 Shoal draft w/retractablecenterboard. Many brand-new big ticketitems. Professionally restored bottom andabove waterline paint job. Great for first timeowner or O’Day enthusiast. Asking $19,000(954) [email protected] (7/07)
C L A S S I F I E D A D S
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 63
2” DISPLAY ADS STARTING AT $38 A MONTH
31’ Catalina 310, 2004. Just taken in trade onnew Catalina. In-Mast Furling, AirConditioning, Autopilot, ST-60 wind/speed-depth, VHF w/Ram Mic, Custom Bimini/wind-shield, Microwave, Nice condition $89,900Massey Yacht Sales. (727) 824-7262 StPetersburg, or (941) 723-1610 Palmetto, FL.
1981 Cape Dory Cutter 30. Well equippedcruising boat. Surveyed 2000 at $39K. Toughboat, no damages in Katrina. Volvo Diesel.New head and sailcovers in 2005. $26,000.John (228) 343-9546. (7/07)
31’ Island Packet 1985. 27 hp Yanmar, 500hrs, bimini w/windshield 2006, dinghy, out-board, AC, 2002 Roller Furling Genoa, 2002main. Asking $44,500. St Augustine, FL (tollfree) (866) 610-1703. www.sayachtsales.com. (8/07)
AIRES 32 CUTTER. Single-hand remoteautopilot mast-rigged. Blue water full keel.Main cabin pullout double berth, too.Excellent fresh water history care. 900-hourWesterbeke 33. $67,000. (800) 324-7214.(8/07)
32 Gulf Pilothouse, complete refit: all new2005- standing running rigging, performancesails, wiring, circuit breakers panel, waterheater, holding/macerator, fuel tanks, 12v/110standing fridge-freezer, propane cooktop,infared broiling, 3 batteries, autocharger,17000 btu heat/air, Bimini. $39,[email protected] (904) 810-1966. (7/07)
33’ Tartan Sloop 1980. Universal diesel 24 hp,990 hrs, owner of 15 years has done constantupgrading, full electronics w/radar, AC-Heat,Roller furling main and headsail, a beauty in andout. Asking $37,500. St Augustine, FL. (tollfree) (866) 610-1703. www.sayachtsales.com.(8/07)
Morgan O.I. 33. Full keel, only 3’ 11” draft.Yanmar 38hp diesel w/only 950 hrs. The OutIsland series by Charlie Morgan is well knownfor their exceptional interior volume. The shal-low draft makes it an excellent choice forcruising the Keys and Bahamas. Loaded withnew equipment and upgrades including:Auto-pilot, color chartplotter GPS, electricwindlass, wind generator, propane stove,refrigerator, marine air conditioning, dinghywith new OB, flat screen TV, stereo and more.Owner has new boat ordered. Here is achance to get a great boat for a great price.Asking $30,000, but let’s hear your offer.Cortez Yacht Sales (941) 792-9100.
35 Fuji/Alden Ketch 1974. $45,000. Totallyrefitted with all top gear 2005. Yanmar 4HJ2.Ultraleather, new rigging and canvas, full elec-tronics, 305 Nissan OB, beautiful classic.Clearwater. (813) 391-0470. (8/07)
Sail/Live aboard your own boat in theBahamas. Beneteau Oceanis 351 (1997), UKregistered, marina based in Bahamas, fullyequipped and positioned to cruise Bahamas,U.S. East Coast or Caribbean; includes newupholstery, inflatable w/3.3 Mercury, sails,running rigging, air conditioning unit, and fullsafety and live-aboard equipment. $78,000For full spec e-mail [email protected]. (7/07)
1995 Hunter 35.5 Only 615 hrs on Yanmar27. New canvas, Navico autopilot, ST 60depth, ST 60 speed, Furuno GPS, SGC SSBradio, Apelco VHF, dinghy w/OB engine, rollerfurling, full batten main w/dutchman, solarpanel, S&L windlass, holding plate refrigera-tion, SS propane stove, 12000 BTU marine air,TV, stereo. Ready to sail with performance andpleasure. $54,900. www.cortezyachts.com.(941) 792-9100
1971 Chesapeake 36 Wood Ketch. $13,500.Very Solid unique beauty. North red sails1999. self-tailing winches. Volvo 36hp diesel.Spare engine parts. Dock $375/monthClearwater. [email protected].(813) 391-0470.
Gozzard 36, 1987 Paradise had refit in ’06 atGozzard factory which included partialAwlgrip, new sails. Also, the bottom and theexterior wood stripped and redid ’06. Bob (314)487-4543, [email protected]. $139,000(8/07)
C L A S S I F I E D A D S
64 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
2” Display Ads Starting at $38/month
See Classified Informationon page 62
1980 Irwin 37 Center Cockpit. Full BattenMainsail. Roller Furl Headsail. RaymarineRadar Chartplotter. Depthsounder. Autopilot.Boston Whaler Dinghy & 15hp Motor. NewCanvas. New 22000 BTU Heat/Air. $49,500.Call Gene Clark. (843) 812-9606. [email protected]. (6/07)
Searunner 37 Phaedrus. New main, watermaker, solar, Yanmar 2GM, new rigging &lifelines LPU paint, new bunks & galley cush-ions. Much more. Just back from westernCaribbean $54,999. [email protected].(985) 966 3504. (7/07)_________________________________________
Hunter 37 Cherubini Cutter. Shoal draft.Good sails, spinnaker w/chute scoop andpole, Bimini, autopilot, davits, Yanmar diesel,recent bottom paint. $36,000. (251) 476-7786. (6/07)
2005 Hunter 38. Call for huge savings on thisleftover stock! This boat is incredibly well-equipped. The price includes full commission-ing. Call Eastern Yachts at (561) 844-1100 (7/07)
2001 Beneteau Oceanis 381. AirConditioning, Autopilot ST6000, Speed andDepth, Ray Chart 425 plotter, New Bimini,Electric windlass, New Bottom paint. Only$128k. Call Eastern Yachts at (561) 844-1100.
1979 Bristol 40 Yawl. 40 HP Perkins Diesel,Harken Roller Furling, Main, Mizzen, 100%Jib, 140% Genoa, Epoxy bottom, cockpittable, propane stove, windlass, CQR anchorw/ 150’ chain, Fortress anchor, classic sailingyacht. Asking only $59,000. Call Major Carterat ( 941) 792-9100 or go towww.cortezyachts.com . (6/07)
1974 Cheoy Lee 40’, Midship Ketch fiber-glass, 2 cabins with 2 heads/shwrs. Upgradesinclude Perkins 50 HP DSL, Furono Radar,Hyd/Sat AutoPilot, Dory Dinghy, Sails, etc.Tampa Bay/Ruskin $49,000 (269) 449-1295.(7/07)
Bayfield 40 Hull # 34 full keel 5’ draft, cutterketch 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 $99,000 Call Major Carter orvisit www.Cortezyachts.com (941) 792-9100
2005 Beneteau 423. 54 hp Yanmar with only185 hours, Air Conditioning, Fisher PandaGenerator only 30 hours, Raymarine 6001 type2 Autopilot, Raymarine C80 plotter, Biminiwith 3 piece windshield. Only $219,400. CallEastern Yachts at (561) 844-1100.
C & C 42 Landfall Cutter 1977. St. Peters-burg Municipal Marina Slip Available. Twocabins, Rod rigging, Perkins 4-108, 12VRefrigerator, Bimini & Dodger, VHF. Autopilot, Depth, Speed, Needs little TLC. Asking$51,900. For more info call (727) 560-0901(7/07)
43’ Beneteau 1986. Two cabin lay-out, origi-nal owner, K/CB (5’6” - 8’6”), Perkins 4-108,Two AC units, reverse cycle, LONG list of sailinventory. Proven Winner! Great racer/cruiser.Asking $85,900. For more info, call (727)560-0901. (7/07)
1987 Gulfstar CSY 50’. 2006 NEW 75 hpYanmar. Phasar 7kw generator, a/c, 3 state-room layout, spacious decks and comfortablecenter cockpit, aft swim platform. Well-main-tained throughout. $139,000. (727) 259-3489. (7/07)
POWERBOATS_________________________________________
2005 Albin 26 The boat of your dreamsawaits. Never been in the water. LOADED.Volvo power. Volvo DP. Call for more informa-tion to Eastern Yachts at (561) 844-1100 (7/07)
C L A S S I F I E D A D S
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 65
$50 – 3 mo. Ad & Photo941-795-8704
Advertise in the Southwinds Classifieds.
Viewed by thousands on our Web site.
$25 for up to 30 wordsfor 3 months
941-795-8704
2005 Albin 31. AC, 370 HP Engine. Must Go!.Call for more information at (561) 844-1100(7/07)
BOAT GEAR & SUPPLIES_________________________________________
Westerbeke Marine Gas Generator. 4.5 KW,60 hz, like NEW—only 49 hours on generator.$2100 or Best Offer. Ron, cellphone: (843)902-5442, or (843) 492-4148. Located SouthCarolina, Myrtle Beach area. (8/07)
Sailboat Cruising Bargains. Six-man life raft.B.F. Goodrich. $700. Sailboat self-steering sys-tem. $650. Ten-gallon hot water heater. $150.Dyers Dinghy Sail rig with rudder and daggerboard. $750. (800) 324-7214. (8/07)_________________________________________
EPIRB For Sale: ACR Satellite 406 CategoryII/Class 2 EPIRB. Excellent condition, neverdeployed. Passes self-test. Requires batteryreplacement. Call Pat at (304) 466-0235 or e-mail [email protected]. $250. (8/07)_________________________________________
Used Boat Gear for Sale. CQR 25 & 45#,Bruce 16 & 66#, Hookah by Airline, 55#Folding Fisherman anchor, Para-tech 15w/Rode, Edson Rack & Pinion steeringw/wheel, New awning w/side curtains.Nautical Trader, 110 E. Colonia Lane,Nokomis, FL. Shop online at www.nautical-trader.net. (941) 488-0766._________________________________________
36 ft. mast. Dwyer 625, 2 Harken winches,Single spreader, 12 ft boom. new 2002.$1000; Florida. (321) 536-7007. (8/07)_________________________________________
85 LB Anchor. Danforth High Tensile.Unused, still in shipping crate. Only $399.(407) 967-2009. (6/07)
BOAT REGISTRATION_________________________________________
EASIEST, FASTEST MONTANA BOAT REGIS-TRATION Pay no sales tax-no attorney necessary.$$ Save Thousands on boat registration $$. 12years experience – REGISTRATION IN 5 DAYS!(877) 913-5100 www.mtvehicles.com. (10/07)
CREW AVAILABLE/WANTED_________________________________________
Visit SOUTHWINDS boat and crew listingservice at southwindsmagazine.com
DOGS FOR SALE_________________________________________
British Water Dogs. Puppies for sale.Schipperke breed. Loves boats and swim-ming. Two females, one male left in litter.Small dog. High energy, loyal, great personal-ity, playful, long life span. Lovable dog. TampaBay. (727) 239-1049. (7/07)
ENGINES FOR SALE_________________________________________
Two 25hp Lombardini 903 Marine DieselEngines. Good condition, 3200 hours, withcontrol panels, exhaust, mufflers, engine bedsand manuals. If needed, spare parts availablefrom Orlando. $2000 each or $3000 pair. CallBob (786)325-6719. (6/07)_________________________________________
Yanmar 1GM diesel. Completely rebuilt: allgauges, control panel, single lever speed/shiftcontrols, coupler, shaft, prop, shaft log, motormounts, fuel tank $2800. (727) 804-4508.(727) 734-1703 (6-07)
HELP WANTED_________________________________________
SAILING INSTRUCTORS WANTEDAmericas #1 Sailing School is taking applica-tions for immediate employment at ourFlorida locations. If you have a passion forteaching sailing. Please contact us at 239-985-7539 or [email protected] for moredetails._________________________________________
Attorney Wanted to help establish cruiser/boater/liveaboard organization that will pro-mote boaters’ rights, solicit donations, etc.,with Web site and forum. Legal advice neededpro bono. [email protected]. _________________________________________
Massey Yacht Sales Mobile Broker Do youprefer to sell yachts from your home office? Ifyou do and you are a proven, successful yachtsales professional, we have positions open forFlorida west and east coast. Take advantage ofthe Massey sales and marketing support, salesmanagement and administration while workingfrom your home selling brokerage sail and powerboats. Call Frank Hamilton (941) 723-1610 forinterview appointment and position details._________________________________________
Writers, Reporters, Articles, Photos Wanted.SOUTHWINDS is looking for articles on boating,racing, sailing in the Southern waters, theCaribbean and the Bahamas, and other articleson the following subjects: marinas, anchorages,mooring fields, disappearing marinas/boatyards,marinas/boatyards sold for condos, anchoringrights, sailing human interest stories, boatreviews, charter stories, waste disposal—andmore. Photos wanted, plus we want cover pho-tos (pay $65) of both race and non-race sub-jects, but about sailing. Cover photos must bevery high resolution and vertical format._________________________________________
Writers and Ideas Wanted on WaterwaysIssues. SOUTHWINDS is looking for writers, act-ing as independent subcontractors toresearch and write articles on subjects dis-cussed in the Our Waterways section. Mustbe familiar with boating, good at research,have computer skills, high-speed Internetaccess and work for little pay. Most impor-tant, must have a passion for the subject andwant to bring about change and improve-ment of boaters rights, waterways access,and disappearing marinas and boatyards—with lots of ideas and energy to help bringabout improvements through various means.We would also like to get an organizationgoing to promote these interests if you canhelp. Writers, photographers, cartoonists,jokers, magicians, philosophers and others ofquestionable professions may apply. Sendinfo to: [email protected].
C L A S S I F I E D A D S
66 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
LODGING FOR SAILORS_________________________________________
Ponce de Leon HotelHistoric downtown hotel at the bay, acrossfrom St. Petersburg YC. 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 550-9300 FAX (727) 896-2287www.poncedeleonhotel.com
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE OR RENT_________________________________________
GULF SHORES, AL - Gated waterfront condoon ICW, view of Mobile Bay. Boat slip.First level, end unit, 3br/2ba furnished withwraparound deck, covered 2 car parking.Elevator, 2 pools, 2 tennis courts, clubhousew/party room, weight room, hot tub. LEASEOR PURCHASE. $1,500 mo or $475,000.(251) 968-6265. (6/07)
DELRAY BEACH’S BEST KEPT SECRET. PELI-CAN HARBOR. Quiet, beauty directly on thewide Intracoastal Waterway! Yacht club,marina, tennis and breathtaking views of thewater in this lovely home. Best offer! CallZon (561) 620-1007 or Vickie (561) 750-1981. (6/07)
New construction luxurious 3/2.5 marinacondo overlooking the Indian River(Intracoastal Waterway) in Melbourne, FL.Indoor parking, pool, short walk to historicdowntown Melbourne. Contact Craig Howell(407) 864-2590. (6/07)
SAILS & CANVAS_________________________________________
SLIPS FOR RENT/SALE_________________________________________
Wet Slips Available - Port Canaveral YachtClub has 30’ to 60’ wet slips available withdirect Atlantic Ocean access. Contact (321)784-2292 for details (www.pcyc-fl.org/).(6/07)
C L A S S I F I E D A D S
Advertise Your Home Starting at
$25/3 months
[email protected] & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 67
BROKERS & BOAT OWNERSBOATS FOR SALE ADVERTISING
CLASSIFIEDS ADS TEXT & PHOTO $50 FOR 3 MONTHS
Prices for 3 months of advertising:• $50 for 30-word ad & horizontal photo ($65
for vertical photo)* • Power or Sail• New or used• No monthly changes (unless phone numbers,
e-mails or prices)• Change your ad/boat for sale monthly at a
total cost of $20 a month for ad and photo• 3-month minimum• Text-only ads – $25 • Small charge for more than 30 words• All ads go on the Internet on 1st of month or place it today for $10• Brokers: monthly credit card billing on file unless a regular display advertiser
Contact [email protected](941) 795-8704
*Ads and photos must be e-mailed. $5 extra charges for photo scanning or typing in ads over the phone or ads mailed in.
68 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Adventure Cruising & Sailing School . . . . . . .28American Marine & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Annapolis Performance Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . .46Aqua Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Atlantic Sail Traders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Banks Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Beachmaster Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Beneteau Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCBeta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Boaters Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,27Bo’sun Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Capt. Jimmy Hendon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Catalina Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Coral Reef Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Cortez Yacht Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Cruising Direct Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Defender Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Dockside Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Doyle Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Dunedin City Youth Sailing Camp . . . . . . . . .25Dunbar Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Dwyer mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Eastern Yachts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . .11,27,57,BCEdwards Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58E-marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29,66Flying Scot Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Full Sail Yacht Delvieries/Capt. . . . . . . . . . . . .29Garhauer Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Glacier Bay Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Global-Weather Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Gulf Coast Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . .59,62,63Gulf Island Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Hotwire/Fans & other products . . . . . . . . . .28Hurricane Hoops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Innovative Marine Services . . . . . . . . . . . .28,33Island Yachting Centre/Greg Knighton . . . . .61J/Boats - Murray Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . .60,IBCJSI - New JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Kevane Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Leather Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Lex-Sea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Lighthouse Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Massey Yacht Sales . . . . . .IFC,10,14,11,27, IBCMasthead Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,57,67Mastmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . .60,BCNational Sail Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Nautical Trader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31New JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15North Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,67Patricia Knoll Realtor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Porpoise Used Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Quantum Sarasota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke . . . . . . .45Regatta Pointe Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Regatta Time in Abaco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Rparts Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Sailing Florida Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Sailors Wharf boatyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Sailtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Salty John Marine Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Sarasota Youth Sailing Program
donated boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59Sarasota Youth Summer Camp . . . . . . . . . . . .6Scuba Clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Schurr Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Scurvy Dog Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Sea School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Sea Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24,66Shadetree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Southwinds Store Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4St. Augustine Sailing School . . . . . . . . . . . . .29St. Barts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCSuncoast Inflatables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Sunrise Sailing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29,33Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program . . . .49Turner Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27UK Halsey Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Ullman sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28,29,67Watersports West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Weston Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Yachting Vacations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides these lists as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. The lists includes all display advertising.
News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS June 2007 69
ADVERTISERS INDEX BY CATEGORY TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS provides these lists as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. The lists includes all display advertising.
SAILBOATS – NEW AND BROKERAGEAmerican Marine & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Beneteau Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCBoaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Catalina Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Cortez Yacht Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Dunbar Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Eastern Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27,57,BCEdwards Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Flying Scot Sailboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Gulf Coast Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59,62,63Gulf Island Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Hobie Cats/Tackle Shack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Island Yachting Centre/Gregg Knighton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina//Hunter/Albin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Masthead Yacht Sales/Catalina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,57,67Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60,BCSarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59St. Barts/Beneteau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCSuncoast Inflatables/ West Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Tampa Sailing Squadron Youth Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Turner Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27Watersports West/Windsurfing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIES, CLOTHINGAnnapolis Performance Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL . . . . . . . . . . .12,27Bo’sun Supplies/Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Coral Reef Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Defender Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25E-Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29,66Garhauer Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Hotwire/Fans & other products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Hurricane Hoops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37JSI - New JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Kevane Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Leather Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Masthead Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,57,67Mastmate Mast Climber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31NEW JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Rparts Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Salty John Marine Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Shadetree Awning Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Southwinds Store Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, Precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35West Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Watersports West/wet suits, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGING SERVICESAtlantic Sail Traders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida . . . . . . . . . . .33Cruising Direct/sails online by North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Innovative Marine Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28,33JSI - New JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Masthead/Used Sails and Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,57,67National Sail Supply, new&used online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31NEW JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15North Sails, new and used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,67Porpoise Used Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Quantum Sails and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Sunrise Sailing Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29,33UK Halsey Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Ullman Sails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28,29,67CANVASBanks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida . . . . . . . . . . .33
JSI - New JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Quantum Sails and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIESNautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44SAILING SCHOOLS/DELIVERIES/CAPTAINSAdventure Cruising and Sailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Capt. Jimmy Hendon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Dunedin City Youth Sailing Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Full Sail Sailing Deliveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Sailing Florida Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Sarasota Youth Summer Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Sea School/Captain’s License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34St. Augustine Sailing School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29MARINE ENGINES AND ACCESSORIESBeta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45REAL ESTATEPat Knoll, Sunstate Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOAT YARDSRegatta Pointe Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Sailors Wharf Boatyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18FRACTIONAL SAILING/CHARTER COMPANIESLex-Sea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Sailtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Yachting Vacations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12MARINE SERVICES, SURVEYORS, INSURANCE, TOWING, BOATLETTERING, ETC.Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy online . . . . . . . . . .32Beachmaster Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28MARINE ELECTRONICSDockside Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24,66BOOKS/CHARTS/VIDEOSGlobal Weather Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Southwinds Cruising Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWSRegatta Time in Abaco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Alphabetical Advertisers’ List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Marine Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28,29Regional Sailing Services Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32,33Subscription Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Southwinds Store Cruising Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Southwinds Store Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
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The little notice appeared in the Madeira Beach Things to Do flyer in early February:
“A Charley Morgan Presentation: at the Treasure Island Tennis & Yacht Club main dining room at 7 p.m. The 1970 12 meter America’s Cup Challenge featuring Charley’s Heritage challenge for the cup. Open to all interested.”
Why was I interested in hear-ing Charley Morgan talkabout yachts? My experi-
ence in yachting consists of zippingnorth on the St. John’s River nearJacksonville in a 14-foot Old Town(Maine) lapstrake sailboat. As Irecall, I usually forgot that the pre-vailing southeast winds would makefor a long, slow slog back to the dockat Goodby’s Lake Marina nearMandarin. Twice my father had torescue me with an outboard skiffbecause I was so late returninghome. This was in the ’50s whenmanatees were still abundant in theriver and would occasionally bumpour becalmed boat.
But I was a teenager then. Myadult yachting experiences havebeen in Nova Scotia in a 22-footO’Day with my husband. For manyyears, we inched across the Bay ofFundy in the fog with only compass,chart, dividers and slide rule for nav-igational aids. We got lost. Wefetched up on rocks. We went side-ways through narrow channels withthe eight-knot current propelling usto calmer waters. It was always a bigadventure in that boat. All of myyachting experiences have been insmall, slow sailboats—usually inthick fog.
Back in Florida for a week in thesun, I decided to attend an eveningwith a famous designer of BIG, FASTyachts. I’d heard of Morgan Yachts—even in Nova Scotia. I wanted tolearn more about this great sailor anddesigner.
There was a sizable crowdalready enjoying conversationswhen I arrived before 7 p.m. at theTreasure Island club. Many people
were gathered around Charley, aseveryone called him. He had a hand-shake and friendly greeting for allwho approached. On a table to hisleft were three large wooden tanktest models. I learned they weremodels for the Morgan yachts PaperTiger, Heritage and Rage. These mod-els attracted much attention bothprior to and after Charley’s slidepresentation.
Charley was introduced as a“sailing icon and yacht builder whohas devoted his life to the sailingworld.” He began his talk byreminding us that the whaling shipCharles W. Morgan is docked atMystic Seaport, CT. He wondered ifhis connection with that vessel hadanything to do with his lifelongdevotion to sailing. He said his earlydesire for speed came from watch-ing a film that came with a BuddyBlack movie projector he received asa young boy. He said the movie hadto do with airplanes, and that alsostarted his great love of planes.“That one film captivated me,”
Charley exclaimed.Charley presented a slide show
and commented on his history withsailing. He spoke of Olin Stevensand sailing with him in 1962 on theColumbia. He spoke of the construc-tion of Heritage. He used the wordcaptivated again when he spoke ofHeritage’s natural finish. He said heused western red cedar, Africanmahogany and Sitka spruce in theconstruction but was quick to pointout the Sitka spruce came from fall-en trees—already downed byNature. He told of the 54,000-poundkeel in Heritage. “The largest keelever laid in Florida,” he added. Hegave a running commentary abouteach picture in the slide show. I wasespecially interested in seeing pho-tos of the launching of Heritagewhen one of the supporting craneshad hit the yacht, causing somedamage and delaying the launching.
It was interesting to see the greataffection so many of those presentheld for this man. Their keen interestin his talk and his pictures was evi-dent. I asked him if I could take hispicture. “Why sure you can,” hesmiled.
Later, I went to the computer tolearn more about this “sailing icon”and the 1970s America’s Cup race. Idecided that Cup race and CharleyMorgan’s world is light years apartfrom my O’Day trips on the Bay ofFundy. And I won’t even commenton the Old Town day sailer in the St.John’s River. But I’m very glad I metCharley Morgan and had a chance tolearn about his yachts.
See the article on the 2007 MorganRendezvous on page 41.
Bay of Fundy Sailor MeetsCharley Morgan
By Caroline Norwood
70 June 2007 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
