Southwindsfebruary2004

February 2004For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless

Sailors Seeking Sustenance in Cuba

Tings We Tink you Gon’ Need in Da Bahamas, Mon

Sailboat Auxillary Engines:The State of the Art 2004

News & Views for Southern Sailors

http://www.southwindssailing.com

http://www.beneteauusa.com

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S I N C E 1 9 7 7

FLORIDA’S LARGEST HUNTER, CATALINA, MORGAN, MAINSHIP & CALIBER DEALERSHIP

YOUR SATISFACTION IS OUR MEASURE OF SUCCESSwww.masseyyacht.com • E-mail: [email protected]

TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU ON FLORIDA’S WEST COAST – IN THE HEART OF AMERICA’S FINEST CRUISING AREA.

The Massey Team of Yachting Specialists – experienced sailors one and all – are dedicated to helping other sailors make sound, knowledgeable decisions relative to yacht selection, ownership and custom outfitting.

2004 Catalina 387 NewModel – RF main & genoa, elec sail handling winch, depth/knot/wind,VHF, autopilot, anchor windlass,refrigeration, elec head and muchmore. Reg Sailaway Price$177,938.

2004 Hunter 41 New Model– Loaded with electronics, expandedstereo, Flatscreen TV/DVD, bimini, RFmainsail & jib, elec halyard winch,refrigerator/freezer, Force 10 stove,Harken hardware and much, much more.Massey Sailaway Only $209,545.

2004 Hunter 44 Deck SalonNew Model – Loaded with Hunterand Massey options, flatscreen TV/DVD,expanded stereo, bimini, RF mainsail & jib, elec halyard winch, Harken hardware and much, much more.Massey Sailaway Only $273,628.

2004 Mainship 40 Trawler New Model – In stock and ready tocruise, Yanmar 370 diesel, Flag Blue hull, gen, air, bow thruster, electronics, Vac-U-Flushhead, Jenn Air flybridge summer galley, washer/dryer, TV/DVD, stereo and much more.Massey Cruise Away Only $346,151

Palmetto, FL 941-723-1610 • TOLL-FREE 800-375-0130 St. Pete, FL 727-824-7262 • TOLL-FREE 877-552-0525

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CATALINA • HUNTER • CALIBER • MAINSHIPCustom Massey Outfitting Quote

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Just pick your yachtand call with your options.

Catalina 310, 320, 34, 350, 36, 387, 400, 42, 470Hunter 306, 33, 36, 386, 41, 42CC, 44, 44DS, 456CC, 466Caliber 35LRC, 40LRC, 47LCR and Mainship 30, 34, 39, 40, 43

We have a large assortment of Sunsail, Sun Yachtand Stardust phased-out charter yachts availableat favorable prices. Call for details.

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Visit Massey at the 2004 Miami Boat Show & Miami Strictly Sail Boat Show on Feb 12-17, 2004. Purchase your new

Catalina, Hunter or Mainship at the show and SAVE - SAVE - SAVE!

MONOHULLS45 ft. to 65 ft.

48 Tayana ‘00 . . . . . . . $427,00046 Beneteau ‘97 . . . . . . $199,00045 Hunter CC ‘99 . . . . . $229,00045 Hirsh ‘85 . . . . . . . . $129,500

40 ft. to 44 ft.44 Morgan ‘90 . . . . . . . $174,90044 Beneteau ‘95 . . . . . . $164,90043 Hunter ‘97 . . . . . . . $179,50043 Endeavour ‘81 . . . . . $139,00042 Hunter CC ‘96 . . . . . $189,00042 Catalina ‘01 . . . . . . $189,50042 Catalina ‘96 . . . . . . $119,00042 Catalina ‘89 . . . . . . $109,00042 Beneteau ‘83 . . . . . . $77,50041 Morgan ‘89 . . . . . . . $124,90041 Morgan ‘87. . . . . . . . $89,50041 Morgan ‘73. . . . . . . . $49,90040.5 Hunter ‘93 . . . . . . $119,90040 Jeanneau ‘01 . . . . . . $175,50040 Jeanneau ‘00 . . . . . . $144,00040 Caliber ‘96 . . . . . . . $259,000400 Beneteau ‘97 . . . . . $134,90040 Beneteau CC ‘97 . . . . $110,00040 Beneteau ‘96 . . . . . . $98,900

35 ft. to 39 ft.39 O’Day ‘84 . . . . . . . . $83,700380 Hunter ‘00 . . . . . . $120,00038 Shannon Ketch ‘79 . . $124,50038 Morgan CC ‘93 . . . . . $140,00038 Morgan ‘79. . . . . . . . $59,500380 Island Packet ‘99. . . $245,00038 Hans Christian ‘83. . . $139,00038 Catalina ‘81 . . . . . . . $45,000376 Hunter ‘97 . . . . . . $121,00037 Hunter ‘98 . . . . . . . . $95,00037 Hunter ‘97 . . . . . . . . $95,00037 Gulfstar ‘76 . . . . . . . $49,90037 Endeavour ‘83 . . . . . . $52,50037 Endeavour ‘82 . . . . . . $65,000365 Pearson ‘80. . . . . . . $56,00036 Tashiba ‘87 . . . . . . . $135,00036 Jeanneau ‘98 . . . . . . $104,50036MKII Catalina ‘99 . . . . $119,90036 Catalina ‘94 . . . . . . . $85,00036 Catalina ‘94 . . . . . . . $79,90036 Catalina ‘94 . . . . . . . $79,500351 Beneteau ‘96 . . . . . . $77,50035 Island Packet ‘89 . . . $119,900

30 ft. to 34 ft.340 Hunter ‘01 . . . . . . . $97,50034 Tartan ‘87 . . . . . . . . $62,50034 Ericson ‘87. . . . . . . . $57,90034 Catalina ‘98 . . . . . . . $89,50034 Catalina ‘87 . . . . . . . $49,50034 Cabo Rico ‘90 . . . . . $129,00033 Hunter ‘95 . . . . . . . $64,50033 Hallberg Mistral ‘72. . . $60,500320 Catalina ‘95 . . . . . . $74,00032 Island Packet ‘90 . . . . $94,500310 Catalina ‘01 . . . . . . $69,90030 Hunter ‘88 . . . . . . . . $38,50030 Catalina ‘89 . . . . . . . $34,50028 Hunter ‘90 . . . . . . . . $26,900

CATAMARANS44 Dean Catamaran ‘99 . . $285,00037 Prout Snow Goose ‘84 . $115,00037 Prout Catamaran ‘94 . $115,00035 Prout-Catamaran ‘72 . . $59,000

TRAWLERS43 Mainship Trawler ‘04 . . .$484,70540 Mainship Trawler ‘04. . .$360,37434 Mainship Express ‘00 . .$179,00030 Mainship RR-Sedan ‘04 . $178,434

http://www.masseyyacht.com

LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS Southwinds February 2004 3

http://www.strictlysailmiami.com

February 2004 Southwinds www.southwindssailing.com4

SAILBOATS - NEW AND BROKERAGEBeneteau Sailboats Back CoverBoaters Exchange/Catalina Sailboats 17Cape Fear Yachts 12Carson Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back CoverEastern Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back CoverFinish Line Multihulls/ F-Boats & Used Multihulls 38Flying Scot Sailboats 65Hunter Sailboats 10,11Massey Yacht Sales/Catalina/Jeanneau/Hunter/Mainship

7,14,17,19,27,35,IBCMasthead Yacht Sales/Catalina 24,69Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau Back CoverPerformance Sail & Sport/Hunter/Hobie/Windrider 15Raider Sailboats 66Sarasota Youth Sailing Program donated boats 63Snug Harbor Boats/Compac/Elliot 13St. Barts/Beneteau Back CoverSuncoast Inflatables/ West Florida 37Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg 53Tampa Sailing Squadron donated boats 63Ullman Sails/Hunter Sailboats, West Florida 61Weathermark Sailing/Catalina/Vanguard/Hobie 51Windcraft, Trimarans and Catamarans, Sail or Power 62

GEAR, HARDWARE, ACCESSORIESAir Duck Hatch Windscoop 41Bluewater Sailing Supply, www.bluewaterss.com/ 28Boaters Exchange, boats, gear, etc. Rockledge FL 17Bo’sun Supplies/Hrdwre/Rigging www.bosunsupplies.com 57Defender Industries, www.defender.com 66Garhauer Hardware/www.garhauermarine.com 9Glacier Bay Refrigeration/ www.glacierbay.com 23Hotwire/Fans & other products 68Island Time PC/12-volt computers 69Island Marine Products/Davits,motorlocks,etc. 29JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 21Martek Dinghy Davits 67Masthead Ent. www.mastheadsailinggear.com 24,69Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign 53Performance Sail & Sport, www.perfsail.com 15Rparts Refrigeration, www.rparts.com 20Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, St. Pete 40Sailor’s Soap 26,32,57Tackle Shack/Hobie/Sunfish, St. Petersburg 43West Marine IFC

SAILS (NEW & USED), RIGGING, SPARS, RIGGINGSERVICESAltlantic Sails 54Banks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida 69BoatUS 39Cruising Direct/sails online by North 16Dwyer Mast/spars, hardware, rigging 67Hong Kong Sailmakers 50Masthead/Used Sails and Service 24,69National Sail Supply, new & used online 44North Sails 14Sail Exchange/www.sailexchange.com 49Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, St. Pete. 40Schurr Sails, Pensacola FL 13UK Sails, www.uksailmakers.com 47Ullman Sails/West Florida 53West Marine IFC

CANVASBanks Sails/new, used, repair & canvas/ West Florida 69

USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIESDon’s Salvage, Clearwater FL 21Nautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida 43Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL 59

SAILING SCHOOLSSailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District/ St. Pete. 40Sea School/Captain’s License www.seaschool.com 58St. Augustine Sailing School 69

ADVERTISER INDEX BY CATEGORY (See page 53 for alphabetical list)

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MARINE ENGINESBeta Marine 23Fleetside Marine Service 65 RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke 20Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, St. Pete. 40

RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOATYARDSBob and Annie’s Boatyard 22Crow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina 34Pasadena Marina, St. Petersburg 54Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District/Tampa Bay, FL 40

CHARTER COMPANIESSailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District, Sunsail 40Sailtime, Time-Share ownership 67

MARINE SERVICES,MARINE SURVEYORS, MARINEINSURANCE, MISC.Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy online 68Bluewater Insurance/ Florida 6Davis Maritime Surveying 59First Patriot Inc, Insurance Agency, Paul Phaneuf 25

MARINE ELECTRONICSDockside Radio 41JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 21Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication 56

BOOKSBubba Stories Book 34Great Outdoors Publishing 60Gunkholer’s Cruising Guide/West Florida 60

REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWSRegata del Sol al Sol 30Anchor Trophy Race 45SailAmerica/Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show 3Sarasota Sailing Squadron Midwinters 78

Subscription Information This Page

Alphabetical Advertisers’ List 69


From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…Southwinds Covers Southern Sailing

SouthwindsNEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

8 From the Helm

13 Letters

16 Racing Calendar

18 Bubba to Make Unannounced Trip to Iraq (Feb 2004)By Morgan Stinemetz

20 Boatek: Air-conditioning on a ShoestringBy Stephen Sommer

22 Boot Key Harbor UpdateBy Dick De Grasse

24 Sailboat Auxiliary Engines: The State of the Art 2004By Tim Banse

26 Books to Read

28 Sailors Seeking Sustenance in CubaBy David Allester

29 Going to CubaBy Morgan Stinemetz

36 Tings We Tink You Gon’ Need in Da Bahamas, MonBy Colin Ward

42 Strictly Sail, Miami Boat Show Preview

44 Southern Sailing: The Evolution of Sailboat Racing DesignBy Dave Ellis

46 Race Tactics: Sail the longer tack firstBy David Dellenbaugh

49 Racing & Regattas

57 Short Tacks

64 Classifieds

70 Uneasy RiderBy Morgan Stinemetz

69 Alphabetical Index of Advertisers4 Advertisers’ List by Category4 Subscription Form15 Where to Pick Up Southwinds

Sailors Seeking Sustenance in Cuba. Photo by Eileen Quinn.Page 28

Tings We Tink You Gon’ Need in Da Bahamas, Mon. Photo byColin Ward. Page 36

Cover: Ethan Bixby and Macy Nelson Dueling upwind in International505 Mid Winters. Gary Hufford Photo.

February 2004 Southwinds www.southwindssailing.com

6

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 Faxwww.southwindssailing.com

e-mail: [email protected]

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 2004

Copyright 2004, Southwinds Media, Inc.

Publisher/EditorSteve Morrell

[email protected]

FounderDoran Cushing

Advertising Sales RepresentativesGary Hufford (727) [email protected]

Steve Morrell (941) [email protected]

Design/Graphics ProductionHeather Nicoll, io Graphics

ProofreadingKathy Elliott

Contributing WritersDavid Allester Tim Banse Carol BareutherDick De Grasse Dave Ellis Jim SchmittStephen Sommer Morgan Stinemetz Colin Ward

Contributing PhotographersDavid Allester Dean Barnes Harry ChapmanDavid Dellenbaugh Gary Hufford Morgan Stinemetz

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY:Southwinds encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoon-ists, jokers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there,including sailors, to send in their material. Just make it about thewater world and generally about sailing and about sailing in theSouth, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, 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 technicalarticles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles elec-tronically by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photo-graphs, if possible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots,racing, cruising and just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at ahigh resolution if digital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to usfor scanning. Contact the editor with questions.

Subscriptions to Southwinds are available at $12/year, or $20/2 yearsfor third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card num-bers may be mailed with name and address to Southwinds Subscrip-tions, PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704. Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a se-cure server on our Web site, www.southwindssailing.com.

Southwinds is distributed to over 500 locations throughout 10 South-ern states. If you would like to distribute Southwinds at your loca-tion, please contact the editor.

Read Southwinds magazine on our Web site,www.southwindssailing.com.

http://www.bluewaterins.com

S I N C E 1 9 7 7

List Your Yacht With MasseyAnd Get It Sold Fast!

Call for your FREE “How to Prepareyour Yacht for Sale” package

2000 Beneteau 46 . . . . . . . . .$279,500 1997 Beneteau 46 . . . . . . . . .$199,000 1995 Morgan 45 . . . . . . . . . . .$229,900 1995 Beneteau 44 . . . . . . . . .$164,900 1990 Morgan 44 . . . . . . . . . . .$174,900 1983 Beneteau 42 . . . . . . . . . .$77,500 1996 Hunter 42 . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 1992 Hunter 42 . . . . . . . . . . .$144,900 2001 Catalina 42-2 . . . . . . . . .$189,500 1992 Catalina 42-2 . . . . . . . . .$134,500 1989 Catalina 42-3 . . . . . . . . .$109,000 1989 Morgan Classic 41 . . . .$124,900 1987 Morgan Classic 41 . . . . .$89,500 1973 Morgan 41OI . . . . . . . . .$49,900

1997 Beneteau 40 CC . . . . . .$120,000 2001 Jeanneau 40-2 . . . . . . . .$175,500 2000 Jeanneau 40-3 . . . . . . . .$144,000 1997 Beneteau 40 CC . . . . . .$134,500 2001 Beneteau 38 . . . . . . . . .$147,000 2000 Hunter 38 . . . . . . . . . . .$120,000 1981 Catalina 38 . . . . . . . . . . .$45,000 1982 Morgan 38 . . . . . . . . . . . .$59,900 1998 Morgan 38 CC . . . . . . .$145,000 1997 Hunter 37 . . . . . . . . . . . .$95,000 1999 Catalina 36 . . . . . . . . . .$119,900 1994 Catalina 36 . . . . . . . . . . .$85,000 1994 Catalina 36 . . . . . . . . . . .$84,500 1994 Catalina 36 . . . . . . . . . . .$79,500

1998 Jeanneau 36 . . . . . . . . . .$104,500 1996 Beneteau 35 . . . . . . . . . .$77,500 1987 Catalina 34 . . . . . . . . . . .$49,500 2001 Hunter 34 . . . . . . . . . . . .$97,500 1995 Hunter 33 . . . . . . . . . . . .$64,500 2001 Catalina 31 . . . . . . . . . . .$88,900 1995 Catalina 320 . . . . . . . . . .$74,500 1999 Catalina 320 . . . . . . . . . .$97,500 1988 Hunter 30 . . . . . . . . . . . .$38,500 1989 Catalina 30 . . . . . . . . . . .$34,500 1987 Catalina 30 . . . . . . . . . . .$32,500 1990 Hunter 28 . . . . . . . . . . . .$26,900

All listings are Massey centrals

www.masseyyacht.com

1987 Catalina 30 • $32,950 1994 Catalina 36 • $84.500 1993 Hunter 405 • $119,000

1989 Catalina 30 • $34,950 1990 Hunter 28 • $26,900 1995 Morgan 45 • $229,900

SOLD

SOLDSOLD


Edward MasseyBrad Crabtree Scott Pursell Frank Hamilton Bill Wiard Mary Beth Singh Al Pollak Ann CoreyDan Howland

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD



FROM THE HELM

Boat Reviews: Old boats, new boats, large boatsand small boats. Review your own boat.

Multihulls: Articles and reviews.

Sailing Experiences: Stories and photos aboutexperiences in places you’ve cruised, anchorages,marinas, or passages made throughout the South-ern cruising waters, including the Caribbean andthe Bahamas.

Windsurfing: Information and news on the sport,including places to sail, equipment, experiences, etc.

Race Reporting: Generally, we are always look-ing for someone to send us race coveragethroughout the Southern states, the Bahamas, andthe Caribbean. Specifically, we are looking to hiresomeone to coordinate all racing, who is into rac-ing, a good writer and photographer, and willingto work a lot of hours, do some traveling, anddoesn’t need a lot of money to get going with agreat potential for the future.

The Florida Keys: Racing and cruising articlesabout the keys.

Bahamas: Trips, experiences, passages, anchor-ages, provisioning and other stories that are ofinterest.

The Caribbean: Stories about the warm tropicalwaters farther south of us.

Charter Stories: Have an interesting Charterstory? In our Southern waters, or perhaps in theBahamas, the Caribbean, or points beyond insome far-off and far-out exotic place?

Miscellaneous Photos: Photographs are alwaysenjoyable, whether for their beauty, their humor,or for many other reasons, and we take them alone.

Cover Photos: Southwinds is always looking fornice cover shots of all types. Cover shots are paidfor, but donations accepted. They generally needto be a vertical shot, but we can sometimes crophorizontal photos for a nice cover picture. Theyneed to be of a good resolution. If digital, theyneed to be taken at a very high resolution (andmany smaller digital cameras are not capable oftaking a large high resolution photo as is on acover). If a photograph, then we need it scannedat high resolution, or if you send it to us, we cando so.

Letters to the Editor: For those of you who arenot as ambitious to write stories, we always wantto hear from you about your experiences andopinions.

Hurricane Stories: Hurricanes are a part of own-ing a boat in the Southern waters, and we wouldlike to hear how you and your boat might havebeen affected by a storm or how you prepare yourboat for one. Send us letters or articles.

The Politics of Sailing: “Politics begins when twoor more people get together.” Politics affect us alland particularly in the general world of boatingand our waters. We have already heard about an-choring, liveaboards and other topics (like Cuba),but there is always more.

Maintenance and Technical Articles: How youmaintain your boat, or rebuilt a boat, technicalarticles on electronics, repairs, etc.

Individuals in Sailing Industry: Interesting storiesabout the world of sailors out there, young, old, andsome that are no longer with us but have contributedto the sport or were just true lovers of sailing.

Cuba: Of course, there is always Cuba, and re-gardless of how our country’s elected officials tryto keep Americans out of the Caribbean’s largestisland, it will open one day as a cruising ground.Today American sailors can legally go to Cuba andcruise if they follow the proper procedures. If youhave a story about such a trip, let us look at it.

WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTEDStories and photographs wanted in the following areas:

NEW COAST GUARD REGULATION REQUIRES ALL BOATERS TO WEAR A SAFETY HARNESSAND BE TETHERED TO A SAFETY LINE AT ALL TIMES WHILE BOATING

Just kidding! Would the world be safer if such a requirementexisted? Of course, it would. The world would also be safer

if we put stop lights at every intersection in the country. Icould come up with a list that is extremely long about how tomake the world safer. Anyone can. Is the world safer? is aneasy question to ask. Rather, let’s ask if the new “law” is rea-sonable and what’s the cost (both financially and in personalfreedom)?

Because of continuing boater deaths each year and sta-tistics showing that the greater majority of those deaths werepeople who were not wearing Personal Flotation Devices(PFD), the Coast Guard, over the years, along with othergroups, has pushed for more and more people to wear PFDswhile boating. State, and not federal, law sets many of theserules now. Currently, Florida mandates a PFD be worn by allpersonal watercraft operators, skiers and children under sixyears of age (on boats that are moving and are under 26 feet).The public and industry have accepted these requirements asreasonable and live with them. A new push by the CoastGuard, the National Association of State Boating Law Admin-istrators, and the National Safe Boating Council has begun torequire all boaters wear PFDs at all times on boats under 20feet while under way. This would be a federal Coast Guardrule. The boating industry has opposed this.

Let’s see now, what would this mean? We see the CoastGuard wearing PFDs all the time when they are out on thewater, but that’s military life, and although a few countrieshave tried to make that the standard for public life, it isn’treal popular. Besides, the Coast Guard needs to be used towearing PFDs, so when they are operating in an emergency

mode, when they are really helping people, they already feelunencumbered by a PFD.

Most of us can see how wearing a PFD while alwaysunder way could be a real pain, since we are generally outthere on the water just for fun. When conditions get realrough, most stay ashore, although high winds can be desir-able in sailing (windsurfers love it). Sure, we all get out therein waters that are rough and often rougher than we plannedto be in, but we hope we are smart enough to put our PFDson when they are needed. At least we should have a right tomake that decision on our own. And we hope the govern-ment wouldn’t make us all wear them because of the inex-perienced and stupid (although it’s been known to happen)who don’t know when to wear them. So why wear a PFD incalm conditions? I can imagine some interesting situations.You are anchored. It is a dead calm. You want to go ashore inthe dinghy (assume, just for the moment, your dinghy is lessthan 20 feet). The beach is 100 feet away. Do you have to putyour PFD on to dinghy ashore? Personally, I don’t want tobe forced to wear a PFD all the time.

The Coast Guard, along with the Personal Flotation De-vice Manufacturers Association, will be holding a workshopto get public and industry input on the proposal at the MiamiInternational Boat Show on February 13 from 3-5 p.m. at theconvention center. For those of you who are going to the show,please go and express your opinion. You can also write yourcongressman.

There is one advantage if this rule goes into effect. Ifyou own a boat longer than 20 feet, it will be more peacefulon the water. There won’t be as many boaters out there.

Contact [email protected] for more information and questions.

mailto:[email protected]

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See LETTERS continued on page 14

“Freedom of the press is limited to thosewho own one.” H.L. MenckenIn its continuing endeavor to share its press, Southwinds invitesreaders to write in with experiences & opinions.

LETTERS

TRAWLER COVERAGE IN Southwinds?SOME DIFFERENT VIEWSMy humble opinion is that you would be better served tocover a larger area for sailors than to begin covering trawlerboaters. I do see covering trawler boaters as a step in the wrongdirection for a sailing magazine.

Hugh FreebairnAlberg 30, Aliage

In answer to your question in the 10th Anniversary Issue, I forone would welcome some coverage on Trawler boater issues.

As an almost lifelong sailor I have just recently startedfinding some real appeal in the increased comfort and reducedphysical requirements involved in powerboating. I am alsorealizing how very little I know about the species and theircapabilities. Indeed, I am not sure that “Trawler” might notbe too narrow a category but cannot really define that termsufficiently to know even that. I would be very interested tohear from those who have made the transition from sail topower including how they came to select the new boat andwhat use they have made of it after the conversion.

MORE ON THE GREEN FLASHCausing many comments like, “yah, sure Dan,” with eyes roll-ing and snickering, these things are in fact true. I know. I haveseen them. So have many others.

The green flash is a prismatic effect of reflection, or refrac-tion, through the surface of water. I have seen it five times whilequite sober, thank you. Always off-shore — never on the beach.

I saw the inside of a rainbow, just once, driving on the coast ofCalifornia. Every car stopped. They were stunned, as was I.

Then it was gone. Everyone smiled. We all saw that.Closing the coast into Northwest Pass to Key West, there

was this sudden color change of the water, as though spraypainted on the surface, in parfait lime green, straight as a goalline. “Whoa...check the chart...(the depth that reflects light backfrom the sand bottom?).”

Another time it was late at night; no moon, not a ripple onthe water, ghosting along, stars by the gazillions. No horizon.Just reflected stars. Stars above you, stars below you, nohorizon....Wow!!! Like Han Solo and the wookie. What your eyesare telling your brain makes your heart go thump...thump for amoment. Then everyone smiles, once again. Life is pretty cool.

These are things I have seen and will always remember.Roll your eyes if you want.

Dan Ahern, [email protected]

Dan, since Morgan Stinemetz’s article last August on his experienceseeing the green flash, Southwinds has received several letters fromothers who observed this phenomenon in many different ways. Wehope to hear still more from others and will perhaps one day compileall of these into a single article in one issue. We continue to inviteeveryone who has experienced the green flash to write in and tellus how they saw it.

Editor

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LETTERS Continued from page 13

Demographically, at age 64 I am a bit ahead of the curveof those coming to the age where this transition becomes mostattractive or perhaps even necessary, so I would anticipate thissubject will be of increasing interest in the years ahead, par-ticularly in this part of the country with lots of relatively well-off retired people.

Regards,Hall Palmer

TRAWLER OWNER THAT STILL SAILSCoverage to trawlers and their lifestyle?

Heck, Yeah! After reading your editorial request for inputin the November issue, I thought I’d give you another opinion.Yeah, I know what they say about opinions.

I recently purchased a 51-foot twin-diesel trawler, andmoved aboard it. Rhumb Chaser is a pilothouse trawler withinteresting lines. I also have a 27-foot sailboat. I’ve been asailor most of my boating life and still consider myself to bea sailor. My friends (sailors), upon hearing that I bought apowerboat, were aghast; “You did what?” Well, there’s a rea-son for powerboats, right? Somebody has to be race-com-mittee on regatta day.

Not all trawler owners are retired folks, done sailing, asthe misconception goes. I’m only 41 years old. I freely admitI have some years of work ahead of me. Three things drovethis decision.

First-the catalyst: I’m not going to kid you, I found asmokin’ good deal on the vessel that I purchased, and that,combined with my situation at the time, seemed to leave meno choice! (More on that in a minute.) Second, I was frustratedwith the selfishness exhibited by some of the powerboat own-ers in our area and the difficulty in finding a good boat to workoff of for race-committee duties. Third, and most persistent inmy mind, I wanted to do some trawler cruising while I’m stillyoung enough to enjoy it. In my many years of boating, bothpower and sail, some as a professional captain, and eleven yearsas a yacht broker, I’ve seen lots of people tell me that “in a fewmore years” when they’ve accomplished their “five year plan,”or whatever the story is, they’d hang up their trade and retire.They tell me about their dreamboat, where they want to go,and what they’re going to do with it. One problem. An alarm-ing number of these people don’t make it to retirement. Toomany times I’ve heard of a friend, a client, or acquaintancehaving a heart attack, or succumbing to some disease, or slump-ing over dead at their desk one day. Sorry about this excursioninto the negative, but it’s a reality that drove my decision-mak-ing process. I want to keep accumulating fond cruising memo-ries while I’m young and healthy enough to do it. I want toshare these experiences with loved ones and friends.

I’ve been many places with my 27-foot sailboat, Niagara,and done some great cruising. By the way, the sailboat is a tillerboat, so that’s why I keep it. Why I haven’t gone bigger, it’s stillabout sailing pleasure. I can feel the boat. I still enjoy sailing, thefeel of the rudder load, the way she talks to me. I still do week-end tuck-aways with the sailboat, still like to daysail, race, etc.

Regarding my earlier reference to my situation: Along withbeing a yacht broker and boat captain, I’m a Naval reservist.Well, in January, I was told, pack your bags, you’re going. So Imoved out of my place, put my stuff in storage, and movedonto the sailboat thinking it was only a matter of days until Iwould be activated. The plan was we were going to Bahrain(I’m a flyer). Well, as you all know, the start-up was delayed,

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See LETTERS continued on page 17

and we never got activated! Good deal for all my squadronmates, but now I was unfortunately on my 27-foot sailboat,which seemed to be getting smaller every day.

I found the trawler shortly after that, as part of an estatesale. It had sat for a number of years and was in disrepair. I’vesince fixed it up, have both engines running fine. 12kw Gensetworks; 4-zone reverse-cycle air conditioning is sure nice. Shecruises at 8.5 kts, burning approximately 8 gph total. With a750-gallon fuel tank, she can go a long way. And WOW, arewheelhouses cool! I’d tell you how much I paid for it, but youjust wouldn’t believe me. After a thorough interior cleaning andgalley upgrade (and adding a coffeemaker!), I moved aboard.

About the race-committee duties, I recently volunteered tobe the rear-commodore/power at Navy Jax Yacht Club (NJYC),for the sole purpose of ensuring that the rear-Commodore/sailhas support from the power side of the house. I’m also a veryactive member (and past commodore) in the area’s largestsailboaters club, the North Florida Cruising Club (NFCC), andhave volunteered to be race committee boat for them on sev-eral races. The bigger boat is a great platform for our long-dis-tance ocean races. Race captains and PROs definitely appreci-ate the amenities and working space.

In summary, I’d like to emphasize that there are trawlerowners that are still sailors, so it would be wonderful to havesome coverage in Southwinds of both activities, and the inter-relationship, if any. Congratulations on 10 outstanding years ofSouthwinds. I’ve been a regular reader and enjoyed almostevery minute. I’ve seen Doran all over the place covering sail-ing-related stuff, and Steve, the magazine’s growth with you atthe helm has been terrific. Keep up the great work and pleaseconsider allowing trawler-related cruising stories.

Capt. David P. KyserS/V Niagara M/V Rhumb Chaser

David, Thanks for your input. Yours was an enjoyable journey to readabout. We don’t get many letters (or any, for that matter) from some-one who signs it with two boats, power and sail. We will do somecoverage periodically of trawlers and see how people feel about it, butwill reserve final judgment till we get more facts and opinions in.There are so many common areas between sailors and others on thewater that powerboaters in general can still find much to enjoy in ourarticles in Southwinds. And thanks for your kind words about themagazine. We thrive on our letters from readers and hope you, andothers, will continue to contribute.

Editor

WHO OWNS THE ANCHORAGE?The letter from Jay Bliss that is referred to below was printed inthe December issue of Southwinds. The letter was in responseto a previous article by Michael Shea titled, “Who Owns theAnchorage?” in the November issue of Southwinds. Beloware Michael Shea’s comments about it.

We have a long letter from Jay Bliss of St. Augustine who be-lieves, “The Federal Navigational Servitude extends to the actof anchoring: If you are in navigable waters, unless there areposted ‘no anchoring’ signs, and provided you are not obstruct-ing or impeding other traffic, are not in a navigation channel,etc., you DO have the right to anchor.” He goes on to point outthat Florida Statute 327.60 says that no Florida municipality

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RACING CALENDAR

We’d like to encourage all sailing associations, yacht clubs and regatta sponsors to notify us of upcoming events in your area.Simply fax or e-mail us by the 10th of each month to ensure that your racing and regatta schedule will be included.

Send to [email protected] or fax to 941-795-8704Southwinds Magazine also offers reduced advertising rates for regattas.

Yacht Clubs and Sailing Associations: Please update your phone numbers by e-mailing [email protected] and give us your Web site address also.

SAILING CLUB DIRECTORY IS NOW ON THE INTERNETFor a list of yacht clubs and sailing associations in Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippiand Tennessee, visit our Web site southwindssailing.com. Their addresses and Web sites will also be listed. We are asking allthese organizations to e-mail us your Web site address and we will put a link to it.

FLORIDA EAST COAST

FEBRUARY 4 - 7Etchells Mid-WintersBiscayne Bay Yacht Club(305) 858-6303FEBRUARY 7 - 8Comodoro Rasco Snipe RegattaCoconut Grove Sailing [email protected] 12 - 21Miami Yacht ClubOlympic Trails TornadoUssailing.orgFEBUARY 12 - 22Key Biscayne Yacht ClubOlympic Trials Ynglings & 49erUssailing.orgFEBRUARY 21 - 22Star Masters ChampionshipCoral Reef Yacht Clubcoralreefyachtclub.orgFEBRUARY 25 - 29ACURA SORCSouthern Ocean Racing Conf.Acurasorc.comMARCH 6 - 12Stars Bacardi CupCoral Reef Yacht Clubcoralreefyachtclub.orgMARCH 13 - 14Annual RegattaMiami Yacht ClubMARCH 16 - 17Lightning Circuit Regattalightningclass.orgMARCH 18 - 29Star Class Olympic TrialsMiamiussailing.orgMARCH 19 - 21Don-Q-Rum Snipe RegattaCoconut Grove Sailing [email protected] 19 - 24Miami - Nassau Racebbyra.netMARCH 20 - 21Gulfstream Annual Regattabbyra.net

MARCH 27 - 28WYRA women’s regattaCoconut Grove Sailing Clubcgsc.org

FLORIDA WEST COAST& INLAND

FEBRUARY 6 - 8Int. Wayfarer RegattaTaveres, Floridawww.lakeeustissailingclub.orgFEBRUARY 7 - 8Gasparilla Regatta &Gasparilla Women’s RegattaTampa Sailing Squadron(813) 645-8377FEBRUARY 9 - 11J-29 MidwintersDavis Island Yacht ClubDiyc.orgFEBRUARY 9 - 11Sonar World ChampionshipSt. Petersburg Yacht Clubspyc.orgFEBRUARY 12 - 15NOOD RegattaNational Offshore One DesignSt. Petersburg Yacht ClubSpyc.orgFEBRUARY 14 - 15Laser Masters MidwintersClearwater Yacht Clubclwyc.orgFEBRUARY 18 - 22J-24 MidwintersDavis Island Yacht ClubDiyc.orgFEBRUARY 19 - 22Laser Midwinters EastClearwater Yacht Clublaserclass.orgFEBRUARY 21 - 22George Washington Birthday

Regatta One DesignsTaveres, Floridawww.lakeeustissailingclub.orgFEBRUARY 28Anchor CupPHRFPass-a-Grille Yacht Club(727) 360-1646

FEBRUARY 28 - 29Charlotte Harbor Leukemia Cup“Raise A Sail-Find A Cure”PHRFPunta Gorda Sailing ClubPgscweb.comFEBRUARY 29 - 3/5Thistle MidwintersSt. Petersburg Yacht Clubspyc.orgMARCH 5 - 7Fireball, 420, FrontrunnerDavis Island Yacht Clubdiyc.orgMARCH 6 - 7Trans-Monroe RegattaLake Monroe Sailing [email protected] 13 - 14Spring One-DesignKeelboat RegattaDavis Island Yacht Clubdiyc.orgMARCH 19 - 21Lightning MidwintersSt. Petersburg Yacht Clublightningclass.orgMARCH 25 - 4/3IFDS 2-person Champ’sMartin 16 with spinnakerSt. Petersburg Yacht Clubspyc.orgMARCH 20Michelob CupPHRF racingtityc.com

NORTHERN GULF(AL, FL,LA,MS,TX)

FEBRUARY 13 - 14Leukemia CupSYC and NOYCSyc.orgFEBRUARY 13 - 15J-22 MidwintersSouthern Yacht ClubSyc.orgFEBRUARY 13 - 15J-30 MidwintersNew Orleans Yacht ClubNoyc.com

MARCH 4 - 7Sunfish MidwintersPensacola Yacht ClubSunfishclass.org

SOUTHERN STATES(AK, GA, NC, SC,TN)

FEBRUARY 28 - 29Snipe Valdosta RegattaValdosta Yacht [email protected] 13 - 14Lightning Deep SouthSavannahlightningclass.orgMARCH 25 - 28Charleston Race Weekcharlestonraceweek.com

CARIBBEANcaribbeanracing.com

FEBRUARY 6 - 8Sweethearts of the Caribbean& Classic Yacht RegattaBVIFEBRUARY 7 - 8No Stop: Round MartiniqueFEBRUARY 14 - 15Valentine’s Day RaceAntiguaFEBRUARY 14 - 16St. Croix International RegattaFEBRUARY 22Bounty Rum nonstop ‘round

St. Lucie RaceMARCH 5 - 8Dark & Stormy Neptune

TreasureBVIMARCH 13 - 14International Laser OpenAntiguaMARCH 24 - 27Bacardi-Gamblin Snipe SeriesRoyal Nassau Sailing [email protected]

MARCH 26 -28Int. Rolex RegattaSt. Thomas Yacht [email protected] 29 - 4/4BVI Sailing Festival and Regatta

WINDSURFING REGATTAS

FEBRUARY 28-29Windsurfing Island StyleClassicSarasota, [email protected] 12-14Prodigy One-Design RaceBanana River WindsurfingResortCocoa Beach, FL(311)784-0166MARCH 5-7Calema MidwintersWindsurfingFestival, Calema Windsurfing

SchoolMerrrit Island, FLCalema.com

JUNIOR REGATTAS

JANUARY 16- 18Valentine’s Day RegattaOptimist Dinghy & 420St. Petersburg Yacht ClubSpyc.org

BOAT SHOWS

JANUARY 14 - 18Atlanta Boat ShowFEBRUARY 12 - 17Strictly Sail Miami1-800-817-SAILwww.sailamerica.com


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LETTERS Continued from page 15

SHARE YOUR OPINIONS WITH THE EDITOR:PO Box 1175,Holmes Beach FL 34218 Fax: (941) 795-8705

E-mail: [email protected] site: southwindssailing.com

can pass a law infringing on someone’s right to anchor in navi-gable waterways if they are in transit somewhere. The statuteactually says, “...local governmental authorities are prohibitedfrom regulating the anchorage of non- live-aboard vessels en-gaged in the exercise of rights of navigation.”

Unfortunately this only makes the issue more confusing,for it uses the phrase “exercise of navigation.” What is themeaning of this term? From the words, one could argue to navi-gate is to move, not anchor. Is it in conjunction with an over-night or transit anchoring? To date there are no cases whichmight help us with the meaning of this statute. We will justhave to see how it is used in enforcement. I could make agood argument that it applies to a temporary anchoring of anavigating vessel. But once you get beyond the temporaryanchoring, it becomes hard to argue that the vessel is in “navi-gation.” It is a choice of words that only confuses the ques-tion more than before.

Capt. Michael Shea

Capt. J. Michael Shea is a maritime attorney in Tampa, and holds amasters and harbor pilots license. He has co-authored law books inthe maritime field and teaches and writes articles on maritime law.He has served as a marine investigator for the United States CoastGuard.

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BOATEK

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INVERTERSNo boat is too small, or too low budget for an inverter any-more. Paying $1000 to $3000 for a good marine inverter-charger can do great things for the comfort of a yacht. But,now even $50 or $100 can be the budget for the do-it-your-self cruiser who wants to bring along some appliances fromhome.

AIR-CONDITIONINGContrary to popular opinion, air-conditioning and small sail-boats are not incompatible. You have to be smart about it,but you can have it.

If you are interested in air-conditioning primarily forthose few particularly sticky nights when the mosquitoes findyour anchorage, and perhaps to help out the chef occasion-ally during meal prep, this article is for you. If you alreadyhave an air conditioner for dockside use, you might be partway there. If you have a big alternator on your engine, a goodsize inverter and a large battery bank, you might have mostof what you need. A great deal of caution is warranted at thispoint. You have to consider the matching of the components,the user discipline required and the cost of misuse of such aconfiguration.

THE SHOESTRING PLANWith today’s inverters, alternators, air conditioners and bat-teries it is possible to have air-conditioning, under the rightconditions, without a genset. A large alternator can run a smallair conditioner, for daytime use via a moderate sized inverter,as long as you don’t mind the noise of a main engine. A mod-erate-to-large battery bank can operate a small air conditionerat night once the duty-cycle of the air conditioner reduces.

A CASE FOR GENSETSThis doesn’t mean that gensets are no longer required, orrecommended. In fact, most yachts with gensets and air-con-ditioning are configured appropriately. Air-conditioning with-out a genset is only appropriate for boats that need air-condi-tioning only occasionally. Before you embark on the “shoe-string” air conditioning plan, consider your requirements. Ifyou want air-conditioning often, and you want it to be quietand trouble-free, consider using a genset. There are some verynice small gensets available for sailboats under 35 feet. Lookat the new belt driven units, which offer quiet operation, smallsize and long life. They run at an intermediate speed, ratherthan having to choose between 1800 and 3600 RPM.

Air Conditioning on a Shoestring: Part ISteve:I have a 32-foot sailboat which is equipped with the basics. Is it practical to put aninverter on board? Is it possible to use the 120-volt output to run an air conditioner,or do I have to get a genset?

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PLANNING CONSIDERATIONSThere are a couple of basics that will help you plan your air-conditioning.

Day/night Requirements: Daytime air-conditioning canrequire ten times the capacity of nighttime sleeping comfort.I use the word “comfort” because you don’t really need cool-ing at night. Dehumidification is what you need to be com-fortable. In a well-sealed stateroom, which starts off cool, allthat’s needed is to remove the heat and humidity contrib-uted by the occupants. This amounts to less than 1000 BTUsfor two people! Compare this to the smallest normally avail-able air conditioner, which is 5000 BTUs. The smaller the airconditioner, the better it is for nighttime use. A large air con-ditioner that only runs a small portion of the time will allowthe humidity to climb uncomfortably between “run” cycles.You might want to consider a very small air conditioner thatcan only cool a portion of the boat during the day. When youreally need more cooled space, a complete set of deck awningswill allow an undersized air conditioner to do a fair job duringthe day. The sun-load is the problem, not the temperature.

BATTERY CONSIDERATIONSEnergy used from batteries is several times more expensivethan energy from the source that charges the batteries. Bat-teries cost more to replace than the value of all the energythey store in a lifetime. It takes more energy to charge themthan they give back on discharge. Deeply discharged batter-ies are difficult to fully charge because the current tapers off,making the charge per hour of engine running time less. Forthis reason, think of using battery power for times of a verylow air-conditioning capacity requirement. That’s nighttime,after the room is cooled off and dried out. If you expect to

use the air conditioning at night very rarely, then don’t worryas much about the beating your batteries will take.

There are a couple of expensive DC-powered air condi-tioning systems available, that are often integrated with re-frigerator cooling that can provide nighttime cooling/dehu-midification. None of the ones I am aware of produce enoughcooling for daytime use. If you also want some changes toyour refrigeration system, take a look at these. Their litera-ture covers the issue pretty well. What isn’t covered in theliterature is the use of generally available components to giveboats air-conditioning without a genset, at a reasonable cost.

Next month, in BOATEK, we’ll discuss matching compo-nents, checking the installation and how to use such a system.This is not a “trick” for getting full boat air-conditioning forcheap. It’s a way to get AC for those times that it really counts.A good cruiser still needs to get acclimated to the tropical en-vironment to be able to enjoy nature’s breezes most of the time.

Stephen Sommer is a degreed electrical engineer with extensive ex-perience in electrical, mechanical, refrigeration and air condition-ing systems and holds a USCG Masters license. He consults in allareas of yacht systems, which include all the equipment on boardyachts beyond a basic hull and motor or sails.

Have a systems problem or question? Ask Stephen Sommer. E-mail:[email protected].

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SouthwindsSEE PAGE 33


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BOOT KEY HARBOR UPDATE

Last summer I reportedin Southwinds onchanges to the most

important harbor for sailorsin the Florida Keys, BootKey Harbor in Marathon. Alot has happened since myreport. Scuttlebutt, whichreached as far north asMaine, had it that there wasno place left to anchor be-cause the city of Marathonhad so many moorings (64)in place. The original moor-ing plan called for 230 moorings with a reasonable anchoringarea east of the Boot Key lift bridge. Initially, swinging circles for40-foot boats were simply drawn on a harbor chart with no re-gard for the fact that many moorings were located in two tothree feet of water over sea grass. With larger swinging circlesfor 55-foot boats in a minimum of seven feet of water, and the re-maining harbor area available, 100-150 total moorings are more likely.

We entered the harbor early in December expecting to findno suitable place to anchor east of the lift bridge. We found thederelicts gone, and a number of anchoring “holes” remained.We planned to pick up a mooring if the anchorage was full andinstead discovered the moorings were nearly full and the an-

chorage had room! Wehave been passing throughMarathon for many yearsand, while we can’t proveit, it appears that the totalnumber of cruising boatsin the harbor has in-creased. We rememberwhen you needed threeanchors to keep fromswinging into your neigh-bor. Clearly, the density ofthe mooring field has in-creased the number of

boats in the mooring area and freed up anchoring space. Firstimpressions of the changes since last spring, from a cruisingsailor’s point of view, are positive.

There is good reason for all of this. The city received a grantfrom the state and federal government to improve the harborand has thus far invested $400,000 to upgrade the harbor andfacilities. Most important, the city apparently listened to theneeds of cruising sailors. The moorings, dinghy dock and pump-out and support services are affordable, even for Social Secu-rity sailors on small boats. While the city has not begun build-ing the marina facilities now on the drawing boards (more grantmoney is available), they have noticeably improved the quality

Changes at Boot Key Harbor,Marathon, In the Florida Keys;The City Improves Conditions for BoatersBy Dick de Grasse

Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, Florida Keys

http://www.bobandannies.com


of water in the harbor. The derelicts are gone, and the pump-out boat(s) are beginning to have an effect on the harbor waterquality. The big change is that the moorings can handle up to55-foot boats.

As a cruising sailor and former recipient of state and fed-eral grants, I can’t help notice the effect grant money has hadon city purchases. For example, the new pump-out boat pur-chased with grant money seems totally unsuited to the task,two 115 hp motors on a large RIB (rigid inflatable) with a 600-gallon holding tank and a front-loading ramp. The older fiber-glass pump-out boat had one 115 hp motor and a 1000-galloncapacity. Naturally, the dockmaster has a boat. It too is a verylarge RIB with a 200 hp motor. I learned that the Monroe Countysheriff is getting another boat. All on expensive dockside lifts.It’s true the pump-out boats have to service both oceansideand bayside marinas as well as the harbor, but a RIB with two115 hp motors and a front-loading ramp? During the week wespent in the harbor, we saw the RIB pump-out boat once; theold 1000-gallon fiberglass boat was doing all the work. I knowfrom experience that the age-old problem with grants is thatbureaucrats fill in their “wish list” because it’s “free” money.Given the city’s own money, I doubt Marathon would havepurchased the boats they did. While the city has done a goodjob so far, it can’t let public money go to its head, particularlysince there are a lot of facilities left to build.

A big improvement since last spring is the new six-page,50-clause “Mooring License Agreement.” Clearly, someone withboating knowledge rewrote the previous one-sided agreement.Most cruisers probably don’t care and sign whatever is requiredto pick up a mooring. That is, until problems arise. The cityneeds to be able to run the marina in a fiscally responsiblemanner and be protected against liability and possible law-suits. Cruising sailors are naturally leery of one-sided agree-ments, however. For example, the city requires the cruiser takeresponsibility for insuring that the city-owned mooring andspace around it is “adequate” no matter what the weather.Swinging room is easy to determine, but very few cruisers willdive down and inspect the mooring and tackle. Besides, mostof the mooring is screwed into the bottom and can’t be seenanyway. During hurricane season, the city requires a “writtenhurricane plan from each mooring occupant.” It’s hard to imag-ine what such a plan would include; a run for the nearby man-groves? To give cruisers more confidence in the moorings andtheir responsibility, the city must make available the engineer-ing test results of the strength of each mooring and the under-water inspection plan and report.

Running the Boot Key Harbor City Marina is not much dif-ferent from running a large motel. There are 64 different moor-ings in place now, each having a different occupant. Each moor-ing and its occupant have to be accounted for seven days a week,24 hours a day. Money has to be collected and deposits returned.Inspection records must be maintained. Cruisers come and goevery day, sometimes on short notice. A necessary computersoftware program is being implemented to manage the opera-tion. Staff should be trained in motel management as well asboating. The city has the right under the “agreement” to inspectany boat at the time they pick up a mooring and every threemonths thereafter. Rightfully, the city avoids the issue of board-ing a boat uninvited. Most cruisers don’t mind periodic, friendly,inspections of sanitation equipment and general seaworthinessof their vessels. The moorings are on a first-come first-servedbasis for Marathon residents. If, after 24 hours, the Marathonresident can’t use the mooring, it is offered to cruisers. I particu-larly like the idea that the city disallows the use of the mooringsfor “wet storage.” There is nothing worse than coming into aharbor full of unoccupied moored boats when all you want todo is stay a few days and do some shopping and sightseeing. Dur-ing the morning of the second Saturday in December, we observeda few decent anchoring spots and three available moorings.

The moorings are priced at $150/month, $50/week, or $10/day. The dinghy dock is $60/month, $20/week or $4/day. Pump-out is free with the mooring. At anchor pump-out is $5. Pump-outs are required of boats tied up at nearby marinas as well as inthe harbor. The fees are reasonable and account for the mooringfield being nearly full. More moorings are in the plan as notedabove. The city has clearly given considerable thought to the feestructure. With higher fees, cruisers will anchor (providing theycan find a spot), or they won’t stop in Marathon. My concern,after inspecting the two new city boats purchased using grantfunds, is what happens “down the road?” As the city under-takes the most expensive facilities part of the marina project andgrant funds are running low, as they are likely to do, does thecity raise the mooring and docking fees? Let’s hope not!

Right now locals can live on their boats on a mooring andwork in town for $150 + $60, which equals $210/month includ-ing the dinghy dock and a weekly pump-out. Marathon is set-ting an example for the rest of Florida and the Keys. Even theharborside, non-boating residents can’t complain. The harbor ismuch cleaner than before and better managed.Dick de Grasse is a long-time cruising sailor. He holds a 100-ton aux-iliary sail masters license. He and his mate Kathy live in Islesboro,Maine, in the summer and cruise the Caribbean in the winter.

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SAILBOAT AUXILIARY ENGINES

Alas. The days of the venerable Atomic 4 have faded intohistory. Come to think of it, that may not be such a badthing. With the previous generation of sail auxiliary en-

gines, we suffered the shortcomings of carburetors and batteryignition. Current generation inboards boast greater reliabilityand enhanced fuel economy. Even the lowly outboard sail mo-tors have improved significantly. With this preface in mind, let’sreview the state of the art in auxiliary engines.

Sail motors are outboards fitted with an extra long propel-ler shaft (25 inches versus 15 or 20). Simply put, the longer legdunks the propeller deeper below the waterline. The idea beingthat a deeper setting propeller remains more fully submergedwhen the hull pitch poles. While 15- and 25-inch transom lengthsare common, not all outboard companies make the longer leggedsail-motors.

Typically, with a sail motor you’ll have a choice betweenmanual or electric start and either tiller handle steering or re-mote. Remote control allows mounting a throttle and shift le-ver binnacle in the cockpit within easy reach of the steering.

Another sail motor choice is between conventional two-stroke and the new four-stroke technology. Four-stroke outboardsail motors are proliferating wildly due to their many benefits.Compared to the venerable two-strokes, four-strokes veritably

The State of the Art 2004By Tim Banse

Volvo PentaD2-75 with

S-drive

sip fuel, burningabout 40 percent lessgasoline than anequivalent two-stroke. No pall ofsmoke trails in yourwake. New waveoutboards idle so qui-etly you can barelyhear them tick-tickingaway. At wide-open throttle (WOT),the voice is barely above a whisper.

As with any technology, there is a down-side. Four-strokes are undeniably heavier. Ona 9.9 hp, and depending on the engine builder,figure on about 25 pounds more weight. Thismeans the transom bracket needs to be robustenough to handle the bigger motor. Older tran-som brackets aren’t strong enough. Both Fultonand Garelick offer heavy-duty models specifically engineeredfor four-stokes. Garelick goes one step further offering a hy-draulic outboard mount. It raises the engine in and out of thewater at the touch of a button, eliminating the awkwardness of

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LOCAL NEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS Southwinds February 2004

hanging over the pushpit.Nissan and Tohatsu both build rock, solid sail-motors. The

company’s current 9.9 hp sail motor is a two-stroke. But laterthis year look for an ultra-lightweight four-stroke to be intro-duced. Honda’s 9.9 is also a good choice. Both Yamaha HighThrust and Mercury Bigfoot offer 9.9 hp four-stroke outboardsspecifically engineered for displacement hulls. Their lower unitshouse deep gear ratios and large diameter propellers. The com-bination pumps up thrust for greater control and greater push-ing power. The net result is a 9.9 that moves a sailboat like there’s20 hp under the engine cowling.

As for inboards, a list of the players reads like a Who’s Whoof marine enginemakers: Yanmar, Westerbeke, Volvo Penta andVetus Den Ouden. Yanmar’s GM series of diesel engines arerated 9, 18 and 27 hp. Engine blocks are configured in one,two or three cylinder models. Recent improvements to theinjection pump, nozzles, and combustion chamber loweredexhaust emissions to the point where the Yanmars are lowsmoke and soot-free. They also are renowned for their quiet,smooth running.

For bigger boats, Yanmar’s models 3JH and 4JH are rated40 and 56 hp, respectively. This series of engines feature aspecial alloy oil pan and flywheel housing for lighter weight.Crankshaft journals are laser-hardened for ultra durability.Direct injection teams up with a helical intake port to inten-sify the fuel air mixture swirl into the combustion chamber.Here, too, the payoff is eminently cleaner emissions. The dy-namic duo’s main claim to fame is an enhanced cooling thatminimizes temperature fluctuations holding metal expansionto a minimum. That enhances engine life.

V-block mounting positions the engine deeper into thebilge, lowering the boat’s center of gravity, aiding overall sta-bility. Freshwater cooled, internal passages are isolated fromthe corrosive effects of saltwater. While not exactly high out-put, the alternator is rated at a respectable 80 amps. Yanmar’svenerable saildrive series is available with the JH3 series. Forthose few souls who are unfamiliar with them, these units areequipped with a folding propeller that feathers when undersail, significantly reducing drag.

25

Volvo-Penta offers a broad array of compact auxiliary en-gines in its MD2000 line of diesels. Configured in two-, three-and four-cylinder blocks, output ranges from 10 to 40 hp. Keyfeatures include a 60-amp alternator and freshwater cooling.There’s also a choice between a standard and a deluxe instru-ment panel. Transmission choices include either a reverse gearor a saildrive. The saildrive routes power through a lower unitinstalled through the hull. It can rotate its propeller through180 degrees, lends greater efficiency in reverse gear, a charac-teristic especially handy for docking. Because the drive shaftstands vertical, there is no propeller shaft alignment or stuff-ing box to worry about. Volvo Penta also offers a three-bladefolding propeller for its S-drive. Benefits include ten times lessdrag than a conventional, three-blade, fixed propeller. Com-pared to a two-blade prop, it offers improved top speed andstrong acceleration.

Westerbeke is renowned for its GenSets and auxiliary die-sels. In sail power, the company offers two lines of auxiliaryinboards. Predictably, one is marketed under the Westerbekelabel and the other under the Universal Engine trademark.Horsepower ratings for the Westerbeke auxiliary diesels runfrom 6.4 hp up to 61 hp. Standard items include freshwatercooling, low oil pressure and high water temperature alarms,glow plug cold starting, a crankcase oil drain hose, and a self-bleeding fuel system. There’s also a domestic hot water con-nection on models 12 hp and above. There’s nothing quite likea hot shower on a cruise.

Westerbekes’s line of Universal diesels, by dimension,weight, and output, are intended to replace the out-of-produc-tion Atomic 4 engines. On a repower to a Universal, as opposedto overhauling an Atomic 4, not only do you transition from gasto diesel, you no longer have to worry about rotted-out exhaustmanifolds. Horsepower rating includes 20, 26, 35, 37.5 and 42.

Finally, Vetus Den Ouden offers a new auxiliary, the modelM4.15. Based on a Mitsubishi, the 1.5-liter, four-cylinder dieselgenerates 32 hp at 3,000 rpm. Engine and gearbox weight, just397 pounds. The package includes flexible motor mounts, as wellas an instrument panel replete with monitoring lights, tachom-eter, hour meter voltmeter, and safety buzzer and starter switch.

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BOOKS

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Photographs and diagrams in the book help identify whatthe author is talking about. As an example, a good photo of apin configuration on the proper plug to be used in a connec-tion. The layman can work with this book. Seaworthy Publica-tions. www.seaworthy.com $29.95.

FIGHTING FINISH, THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE,ROUND THE WORLD 2001-2002Text by Gary Jobson

This is a beautiful book. Pictures in this book cannot be de-scribed in words. They must be seen. Some of the best shots ofboats under sail ever printed grace this book. Some of the shotsare of sailing moments that are hard to capture in photogra-phy, but they were by the photographers who contributed tothis book. Shots of sailing under calm, extreme cold, and ex-treme weather, along with pictures of the many people in-

volved, are in this book. Text by Gary Jobson covers the race inall its legs and then covers the history of round-the-world rac-ing since the first one in 1973. It well covers the Volvo oceanrace in pictures and words. Anyone who loves sailing or pho-tography, will love this book. As a gift, any sailor would appre-ciate it if they haven’t already bought it. Nomad Press.www.nomadpress.net. $44.95

CRUISING WITH YOUR FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDSTHE BASICS OF BOAT TRAVEL WITH YOUR CAT OR DOGBy Diana Jessie“Dedicated to Rud-der and Tiller.”A n y o n e w h onames their petsRudder and Tillermust have a specialoutlook and a goodsense of humor.This boat is about alot of pets-of thedog and cat variety.If you are travelingwith your hamsteror other type pet,you’ll have to findanother book. A lotof pet pictures thatbring lots of smilesmake you want togo out and buy apet for your boat,and yourself, ofcourse. This bookcovers the wholeworld of boats andpets. Chapters include when to get a pet for your boat (betteras a puppy or kitten?), feeding and care, dealing with the “poopand pee,” first aid, safety, and foreign travel. There are evenchapters on “pet etiquette” and “pet fashions,” but don’t letthe latter title fool you. One of the things discussed is a PFD foryour pet, not what color the pet wants, or if it’s in fashion. Thechapter on foreign travel covers such topics as quarantine andthe legalities of bringing pets to other countries. A good bookwritten by a lover of pets. Seaworthy Publications.www.seaworthy.com. $19.95.

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CUBA

28

Sailors SeekingSustenance in Cuba:What’s Available Beyond the Lobster DietBy David Allester

My wife, Eileen Quinn, and I had vacationed in Cu-ban tourist resorts a couple of times before visiting the country on our 36-foot sailboat Little Giddin.

(Cuba is a popular winter destination for budget-consciousCanadians like ourselves.) The meals in the resorts weren’ttoo exciting, but there was always lots to eat. Cuba’seconomy is largely based on agriculture, so one would ex-pect food to be available. And it is available — for the tour-ist resorts and for the export market, that is. When we ar-rived in our sailboat for a two-month cruise of the southcoast, the Cuba we experienced was entirely different fromthe island we knew from previous fun-in-the-sun holidaytours. Now that we were outside of the tourist hotels, weencountered the same food shortages that daily confront thevast majority of the Cuban population. But don’t despair.The locals aren’t starving and if you cruise Cuba, neitherwill you. You just have to learn to forage like a Cuban.

Assuming you’re not a vegetarian or allergic to seafood,being on a boat in Cuba gives you a distinct advantage whenit comes to obtaining protein. You can get your own. No-where else in the Caribbean have we encountered such boun-tiful waters. Armed with a pole spear, I could go for a briefsnorkel and count on coming back with more than enoughconch, fish or lobster for dinner. I hate to admit it, but weactually got sick of eating lobster. (I haven’t received a lot ofsympathy when I’ve shared this confession with friends.)

For those who are a bit squeamish about skewering theirsupper while it’s still alive and writhing, there are plenty ofCuban fishermen who will do it for you. Most days weshared an anchorage with at least one local fishing boat. In-variably, we’d be offered some of their catch, usually for free,sometimes in exchange for a small regalo, or gift. The fisher-men see very few foreigners and are eager to drop by and

Cuba has much to offer foreign cruisers who manage to clear the regulatoryhurdles to get there. The shelling is fabulous on long, unspoiled beaches. The coralreefs are alive and colorful. Ashore, you’ll encounter a vibrant Latin culture and bewelcomed by warm, generous people everywhere you go. It would be a cruiser’sparadise except for one thing that’s hard to find: food. Visiting cruisers who havegrown accustomed to eating need to plan ahead and use a little ingenuity andpersistence if they want to subsist on more than hardtack and rainwater.

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A couple of friendsand I are sailing

down to Cuba in thespring. We’re doingit on my boat, a 27-foot Ericson sloop,which will make theliving conditions abit crowded for aweek or so, but Ithink that we’ll beable to handle it.

We’ll leave from Bradenton and sail directly to theDry Tortugas. That’s a good initial destination and a fineplace to lay over to rest for however long it takes to feelstrong enough to cross the Straits of Florida, which I ex-pect to do at night and when the weather will allow it.

Going to Cuba is not something that our govern-ment encourages. I’ve been a couple of times before, in1994, and again in 1999.

The first time, on a race which left from Sarasota,protesters with their own anti-Castro agenda had threat-ened to break up the race, so there was a phalanx offederal agencies around to “protect” us. In the main,we had the Coast Guard and Customs, the latter with aBlackhawk helicopter. Doubtless, there were some FBIguys skulking around, too. On the state scene, there wasthe Florida Marine Patrol, the Sarasota Police Depart-ment and the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department.

The race got under way without incident. And itpretty much ended that way, too. The sailors had a partyin Cuba; some awards were handed out, and almost

GOING TO CUBABy Morgan Stinemetz

socialize — typically with a bag of shrimp or fish or lobsterin hand. After several such occasions, our biggest problemwas refusing our visitors’ largesse without insulting them -our fridge wasn’t big enough for all the incoming gifts.

A lobster-only diet will wreak havoc with your choles-terol levels; sooner or later you’ll want to acquire a few itemsfrom the other major food groups. Don’t count on findingyour favorite breakfast cereal in a local store. In fact, don’tcount on finding anything remotely resembling a NorthAmerican supermarket. Just about everything that’s im-ported into Cuba is scarce, including fuel, consumer goods,and medical and school supplies, as well as specialty foods.The Cuban government blames the shortages on the U.S.trade embargo. The American government and ex-patriateCuban community claim they’re due to a grossly misman-aged centralized economy. The truth probably lies some-where in between. For the visiting boater who must have abowl of Frosted Flakes every morning, it means stockingup before leaving for Cuba.

Cuban families are issued ration books for purchasingbasic foodstuffs at government stores, things like milk,bread, rice, beans, and eggs. (The amount varies with thefamily size and the number of children.) For a Cuban with aration card, these items cost next to nothing. For a foreignerwithout a ration card, they’re simply unavailable outside ofspecial “dollar” stores. The dollar stores were originallySee CUBA continued on page 31

The author with a grouper he speared snorkelling in the Archipelago delos Jardines de la Reina on the south coast of Cuba.Photo by Eileen Quinn

See GOING TO CUBA continued on page 34

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CUBA

A vintage truck unloads fresh produce at the farmers’ market in Santiagode Cuba. Photo by Dave Allester.

tended only for tourists, but now that some Cubans have ac-cess to American currency (usually through working in tour-ist settings), the wealthier Cubans also shop there for non-rationed goods. The prices are high and the selection isn’tgreat, but most essential stuff is available in one form or an-other if you can afford it.

In all the Cuban towns we visited there is now an alter-native to the expensive dollar stores. Fairly recently, farmershave been allowed to sell a small portion of their productionin local markets. (The rest goes to the state for distribution.)The good news is that you can get great deals on fresh pro-duce in the farmers’ markets. The bad news is that they mightbe selling only cabbages and bananas on the day you’re there.Best to buy whatever is available and hope that the next mar-

ket you visit will have some of the other things you need.In a market in Santiago de Cuba, we discovered that one

of the vegetables of choice that day were green bell peppers.Approaching one stall with a foot high pyramid of lusciouspeppers on display, Eileen pointed to the fat one at the top ofthe pile and asked the farmer how much it cost. Un peso, heanswered. A peso’s worth five cents. We had just come fromthe Bahamas where a pepper in much worse shape would havecost a buck or two. Eileen handed him a peso. He smiledbrightly and emptied the entire pile into her shopping bag. Itwas his big sale for the day, a whole peso for a bagful of pep-pers. Needless to say, green peppers soon became regarded asenthusiastically as lobsters at our dining table.

An alternative to buying your own food and preparing itis to eat out at a Cuban restaurant. Don’t expect haute cuisine.Even at the expensive tourist resorts, the meals are often bland.Hot spices and elaborate sauces have never been part of theculinary scene in Cuba. Creativity is further hampered by thescarcity of anything but the most basic ingredients. The no-frills national cooking that results is called cocina criolla (Cre-ole kitchen). But if it’s essentially home-cooking that’s on of-fer, there’s no need to pay a lot at a dreary state-run cafeteria.You can eat just as well, and much less expensively, in thecook’s own kitchen.

Since 1995, home-operated cafes called paladars have of-fered an alternative to uninspiring government restaurants.Many paladars are known only by word of mouth, and the

A local fisherman puts dinner on our side deck. Photo by Dave Allester.


CUBA

daily menu is whatever the family happens to have on hand.Most of the paladars we visited were nothing more than pri-vate homes where the owner had invested in a few morekitchen chairs and some additional cutlery and dishes. Asone of the few inroads of private enterprise allowed in thestate-dominated economy, they are closely regulated andheavily taxed. This means they are often operated “under-ground.” They’ve given some Cubans access to hard cur-rency formerly denied them. A typical meal of fried chickenor pork accompanied with fried plantain, rice, and saladcost us around five dollars.

We had little trouble finding paladars. Actually, they usu-ally found us. As gringo tourists, we were easy targets forbudding entrepreneurs. When walking in a town’s mainsquare or near any of the official tourist attractions, wefielded numerous offers for taxi rides, hand-rolled cigars,and comida. Comida (food) inevitably meant a paladar.

In Nueva Gerona, the principal city on Isla Juventud,we were led to a paladar located a half dozen blocks northof Parque Central. It turned out to be a two-bedroom apart-ment in a four-story apartment complex. The woman whowelcomed us at the door said she would cook a local speci-

ality for us. Her huge smile won us over.We agreed to come back in an hour to giveher time to prepare the meal.

When we returned after a bit ofsightseeing, the apartment was full ofsavory aromas. On the dining room tableplatters were heaped high with salad,steamed rice, and fried sweet potato. Af-ter we were seated, our cook, Clara, cer-emoniously brought out the main course.The smiles froze on our faces as we staredat the steaming pile of vertebrae sheplaced before us. It looked like a pale ver-

sion of oxtail stew. We timidly inquired what the main in-gredient was. Clara could barely contain herself. Crocodillo!she proudly announced.

OOPS! Whispering in English, we quickly conferred onthe implications of devouring an endangered species. It waspretty obvious this particular crocodile’s days were doneand no amount of hand-wringing was going to bring himback to life. We ate. Actually, it tasted pretty good — sort oflike fishy chicken.

Back at the marina, we asked the manager about thestatus of crocodiles on the island. He assured us that of thethree types found on Juventud, two were quite common andin no need of protection. That information helped assuageour lingering guilt feelings. Still, we swore to each other thatthe next time we’d ask more questions before ordering thereptile of the day!

Lunch is served in a paladar in the historic city of Trinidad. Seated clockwise from Eileen at the headof the table are cruising friends Susan Ure and David Burns (Kari II), and Harvey and GerbrigBerman (Soulstice). Photo by Dave Allester.

Clara Ruiz tells Eileen that the main course she’sholding is reptilian. Photo by Dave Allester.



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GOING TO CUBA Continued from page 29

everybody got to tour Havana. When wegot back, the U.S. Customs guys whochecked us in couldn’t have been nicer.Boy, have things changed!

I had a simple question about going toCuba that I thought the people at the Of-fice of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a de-partment of the U.S. Treasury, could an-swer. I called the phone number for OFACin Miami. I got a recorded message. Leavea number, the message said, and someone will call you back. Ileft a number. No one called me back.

Then I checked with my congressional representative’s of-fice to see if they could help. They could. They did.

The next day I got a call from Charles Bishop from OFACin Miami. I was not in when he called, but he directed me to theOFAC Web site on the message he left. Because my questionhad to do with a very fine point about the regulations, I calledMr. Bishop back. (His phone number-(305) 810-5299-had beenautomatically picked up by my answering machine.) “Thisnumber is no longer in service,” said the intercept message fromthe phone company. I tried again with the same result.

Back to the congressional office. I explained the problemwith the phone number. I needed to talk to a real person. Couldthey help? Sure.

Within a little while I got a call from someone at OFAC’sMiami office. Her name, she said, was Carla. She had a His-panic accent, which was a good thing, because had she not hadthat accent, I might have thought that I was talking with a Nazi.

I tried to explain the purpose of my trip, but Carla had herown agenda. She kept interrupting me to criticize the way Iwas phrasing things. She copped an attitude, and she told meover and over again that I was not permitted to go to Cubaunder any circumstances. Her main point is that I was not onthe staff of a news-gathering organization. That was, of course,true. On the other hand, I read her a letter I had from the De-partment of the Treasury, signed by her boss, R. RichardNewcomb, which stated that my type of work (journalist) andmy contractual ties to several newspapers fell within the scopeof the general license provisions. I could go to Cuba, Mr.Newcomb wrote. Carla wouldn’t buy into that. She said thattravel by me to Cuba was prohibited. And she said it many,many times in an increasingly heightened state of agitation.

Finally, faced with my stubborn refusal to buy into heragenda, she suggested I call OFAC’s main office in Washing-ton, D.C. Basically, I had been on the phone for 15 minutes witha woman whose sole response had been argumentative, irra-tional and just plain wrong.

I called the number in Washington Carla had given me. Itwas the OFAC main office. More to the point, it had reasonablepeople who answered the phone. I talked with a gentlemanwhose name I did not write down and cannot remember. AfterI explained the letter I had from the director of OFAC and readhim the part that said my journalistic activities fell within thescope of the general license provision, he pronounced me “goodto go.”

He reminded me that I’d had better take along the letterfrom R. Richard Newcomb. I told him that I would have it her-metically sealed and placed in a lead-lined box.

Carla, the hell-on-wheels lady withOFAC in Miami, basically did not know orwould not admit that the key part of a jour-nalistic general license, which applied tomy case, were the words “...and such ad-ditional transactions as are directly incidentto journalistic activities in Cuba by personsregularly employed as journalists by anews reporting organization....”

If there is a lesson in all of this, and thereis, it is simply that one government official-whose salary wepay-can be so out in left field that she’d never know when itwas her turn at the plate. She didn’t know her job well enoughto give a cogent answer. Maybe she didn’t care. Maybe shewas part of the rabid, anti-Castro contingent in Miami. I don’tcare about that myself.

If you can’t get satisfaction at a low level, ratchet it up anotch. The smarter people are higher up on the pyramid. Theyalready know that anyone can say “no” without listening tothe facts. Their job is to be a little more discerning, and talkingwith someone like that is infinitely more satisfying. Produc-tive, too.

Morgan Stinemetz can be reached on the telephone at (941) 792-3044 or via e-mail at [email protected] or .

She had a Hispanic ac-cent, which was a goodthing, because had shenot had that accent, Imight have thought thatI was talking with a Nazi.



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THE BAHAMAS

LEGALITIESThe most important item you will needof course, is the paperwork required toclear in to the Bahamas and back intothe United States. Passports or birth cer-tificates for the crew, documentation orregistration for the boat and pet importpermits for any furry friends shouldtake care of it, along with the entry fee,which presently runs $150 for a boat 35feet and under, or $300 for a boat over35 feet. Information will also be neededon any firearms on board. Clearing inwill produce a cruising permit for theboat, immigration cards for the crew,and a fishing license (with fishing regu-lations on the back). There are rumorsthat the fees may be reduced, but at thiswriting they are only rumors. Return-ing to the United States will requirepassports/birth certificates, boat docu-ments, and a customs sticker (which isbest obtained before you leave). Non-U.S. citizens will require an appropri-ate visa or alien card. Returning to the

United States presently requires a per-sonal visit to the immigration office byall crew members at most ports of en-try. Clearing out of the Bahamas is notrequired.

COSTS, CASH AND SECURITYThe Bahamas charges about 40 percentduty on most imported items. Add tothis the cost of shipping, and you canexpect things to be 50 percent more ex-pensive than in the United States. Thereis no income tax or sales tax. If you arecruising in the Bahamas and need toimport a spare part for your boat, youcan usually avoid the duty by attachinga copy of your cruising permit to the in-coming package (which means faxing acopy to the shipper) and writing “Ship’sStores in Transit” on the package.

Bring cash to use at the small busi-nesses in the out islands. Credit cards,traveler’s checks and ATM machineswork well in the larger towns but notelsewhere. You also may be charged an

extra 3-5 percent for using a credit card.American currency is used as readily asBahamian, and the U.S. dollar is on parwith the Bahamian dollar. Security is aminor issue except in Nassau and pos-sibly one or two other larger towns.Bring good locks and chain or cables tosecure your boat, dinghy and outboardin those areas, and don’t flash your cash.

IN THE WATERWhat about the fun stuff? In order toenjoy the underwater sights, snorkelgear is very important. Snorkeling overBahamian reefs is great fun, and if youare good or lucky, you may be able tospear a fish or catch a lobster. To spear afish, you need a pole spear, not a speargun, which is illegal, as is fishing withscuba gear. Snorkeling is greatly im-proved and prolonged with a wet suit.The water is not as warm as you mightexpect in the winter season. In addition,we recommend a “look bucket,” alsoknown as a “lookee” or “looksee”

Tings We Tink You Gon’Need in Da Bahamas, MonBy Colin Ward

So, you have decided tocross the Gulf Stream

and head to the Bahamas.You have a few weeks ormonths to try a foreignculture that is not too faraway, where the languageis roughly the same as athome. So, what tings do Ineed to take along, mon?

Assuming you arealready adequately set upto sail the coastal waters of the United States, you do not need a wholelot more. Let’s run down a short list of the items that are either requiredor recommended, and answer some of the questions we frequently hear.

Staniel Cay, Exumas, Bahamas


bucket, or a water glass. A “look bucket”is simply a bucket with a transparentbottom that works like a snorkel maskwhen the bottom is dipped in the wa-ter. You can sit in your dinghy and lookinto the bucket and see coral, fish, conch,and your anchor, which is probably themost important thing you will look at.Sometimes you can find a “look bucket”to buy, but they are easy to make from aplastic bucket and piece of clearPlexiglass. Just cut a hole in the bucketa bit smaller than the bottom and fastenthe Plexiglas to the remaining lip withrivets and sealer.

You will need a conch hammer tomake a hole in the conch you find sothat you can remove the meat from theshell. We carry a welder’s chippinghammer, which makes a nice hole in aconch shell. Any pointed hammeringdevice will do, however.

Fishing from the boat can be verysuccessful. A stout rod and reelequipped with 50-pound line or moreis my recommendation, although a do-nut reel will work if you use a bungeeto absorb the shock when the fish hits.Trolling at sailing speeds may get you adolphin fish or tuna in deep water or abarracuda on the banks. To catch a dol-phin fish, use a large lure with a wireleader and a big hook that is weightedto run beneath the surface. You can buya fancy lure or make one out of a silverpotato chip bag or strips of aluminumfrom a drink can. A tackle shop ownerin Florida told me that the colors of thelure are for the fisherman, not the fish.Tow the lure at least a couple of boatlengths behind the sailboat. You may notcatch many, but one dolphin fish willsupply mahi-mahi filets to feed you forseveral days or more. Dolphin are spec-tacular to catch because they are brightlycolored and jump and fight with the bestof them. Barracuda will strike almostanything when you are on the banks.The locals eat smaller barracuda, butbeware that the large ones may carryciguatera poison. Remember that almostany fish you catch in the ocean will have

large dentures and be verypowerful while floppingaround in the cockpit. A doseof cheap rum in the gills willcalm it down quickly, but besure to save a little for thefisherman’s celebration. Theconversion of a beautiful four-foot fighting fish to filets orsteaks will turn your cockpitinto a bloody mess. You willneed a bucket, scrub brush,soap, and a strong stomach forthis phase, especially if the seais rough. If you can ice the fishdown for cleaning ashore, youwill be ahead, but not many sail-boats have enough ice or a placeto put a four-foot fish.

A good afternoon of conching

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BAHAMAS

FINDING YOUR WAYYou will need the Explorerchartbook(s) by Monty andSara Lewis for the area whereyou are going. Do not attemptto get by without these charts.Other chart books do not havesufficient information on wa-ter depths or the up-to-date de-scriptions of ports and anchor-ages. Good guidebooks arealso available by StevePavlidis, Steve Dodge, and oth-ers, but the Explorer charts areindispensable. As important toyour safety as good charts is amethod of getting goodweather forecasts. There are nobroadcasts on the weatherchannels on your VHF radio,although the weather is re-broadcast on VHF by variousmarinas and individualsthroughout the Bahamas on

whatever schedule they choose. If you do not have singlesideband or ham radio, I would recommend bringing a singlesideband receiver (Radio Shack, Sangean or Grundig) capableof both upper and lower sideband and learning how to useit. Then you can receive forecasts from NOAA and from hamradio nets, not to mention weather faxes.

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRYMost people who ask us what to take are thinking of gro-cery items. It is worth remembering that wherever you goon your boat, the local people have to buy food and drink.You can always find something to eat and drink even if it isnot what you are used to. In the Bahamas, most grocery itemsare expensive (1.5 x $U.S.) while a few are priced at U.S.levels. It is worthwhile bringing anything that you mightconsider a specialty item, along with paper goods, toilet-ries, medicine, soft drinks, and beer. Staples, canned goods,liquor and wine, bread, milk and the like are generally avail-able at reasonable prices especially in larger towns likeNassau, George Town, Marsh Harbor, and Spanish Wells.Some goods are imported into the Bahamas from countriesother than the United States and are of very good quality atgood prices. Robin Hood oatmeal and flour from Canadaand Roland and Linda canned goods are good buys. Freshvegetables are grown on Long Island and Andros and canbe purchased at good prices if you are close to the source.Prescription drugs are generally available, but you still needa prescription, and they are not cheap.

If you are going to be in the Bahamas for more than abouta week, you will not be able to carry enough freshwater withyou. The most desirable solution to this problem certainly isowning a watermaker; however if you do not want to sink

Colleen in a suitable dinghy.

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THE BAHAMAS

$4,000 into a system, you will have to find water on the is-lands. Bring jugs so you can carry water to the boat in thedinghy. You probably will not be able to take your big boat towhere the water is found. “City water” is usually availablefor free somewhere in the larger towns, and the quality is goodenough for the local people to use. Some locations have R.O.water (from a reverse osmosis desalinization plant), but ex-pect to pay as much as 60 cents per gallon for it. It will prob-ably taste better than city water, which can be a little salty. Wecarry a water filter that fits on our hose. Remember that itrarely rains in the winter so collecting rainwater for your wa-ter supply is not reliable.

KEEP IT RUNNINGSpare parts for your boat will generally not be available ex-cept in the largest cities; however, there are numerous deliv-ery services that can probably get your part from Fort Lau-derdale in a couple of days. True, they will be more expen-sive that way, but the alternative is to carry a host of spareparts that you may never use. Take any consumable spareslike oil and fuel filters, fan belts, your special flavor of oil,watermaker filters, printer cartridges, and so on. For an indi-cation of pricing for consumable spares, BioBor JF diesel treat-ment presently costs $37 in Nassau. Outboard motors requirespare parts as well. Yamaha, Mercury and other commonbrands are well supported in the Bahamas since they are usedeverywhere by the locals. The exception would be four-strokeoutboards, which are not common. Still, I would carry spare

two-stroke oil, spark plugs and fuel filters in case the out-board dies in a lonely spot. By the way, the most commonreason why an outboard fails is a dirty carburetor.

THE CARThe mention of outboards brings up the subject of dinghies.In the Bahamas, the dinghy is your car, and you will be rely-ing on it to travel long distances with loads of gear. The din-ghy is no place to be stingy. Bring one that is as big and reli-able as you can manage. I do not believe that a small, hard,rowing dinghy without a motor is desirable or safe in the openanchorages of the Bahamas. If your outboard dies and youare being blown out to sea, you will want an anchor and rode,oars, a handheld VHF radio, possibly lights and a couple offlares so you can be rescued before you arrive in Cuba.

COMMUNICATIONSIf you think you may need to mail something back home,take a supply of U.S. stamps with you because someone maybe able to hand-carry your letter to the United States and dropit in the mail for you. This is a good strategy for paying billsthat are time-sensitive (not as good as arranging for a directdebit from your account, however). The Bahamian postal sys-tem relies on various mailboats to get your letters from theout islands to Nassau. Once in Nassau, the mail seems to getto the United States in about a week. The total elapsed timemay be three weeks or more. Occasionally, mail seems to dis-appear altogether. You may want to read the first sentence ofthis paragraph again!

You should also give some thought to other communica-tions back home. The Batelco telephone system works well,but it no longer permits the use of inexpensive prepaid phonecards. Phone cards are available from Batelco, but the cost is $1per minute to the United States. E-mail is probably your bestbet, either from your on-board system if you have one, fromPocketmail, or from an Internet café. Pocketmail works throughthe Batelco phone system, but you cannot use an 800 number.You must have the regular area code and number. You can alsosign up for an account with Batelnet, which allows you to takeyour laptop to the Batelco office and plug in. Batelnet is avail-able for as little as $10 per month for five hours on-line.

DISPOSALPeople occasionally have asked us about sensitive subjectssuch as pump outs and holding tanks in the Bahamas. We allwant to be good citizens when it comes to such matters; how-ever, we have never seen a pump-out station outside of theUnited States or Canada so you will have to be equipped topump your own holding tank. We believe the best approachis to use a holding tank in port and pump overboard at sea.Bring large trash bags so you can save your trash for a properdisposal site. Many islands have no facilities for disposing oftrash. Biodegradable food waste can go overboard at sea, butwill attract sharks to anchorages.

FILL’ER UPFor those of you who are wondering whether you will be ableto buy fuel, the answer is an unqualified yes. Diesel and gaso-line are available on practically all of the inhabited islandsand should not be a problem. Diesel in Nassau is somewhat


more expensive than inFlorida, but gasoline ap-proaches $3 per gallon.Prices jump considerablywhen you get to a smallertown or island. We find weuse a lot more gasoline (forthe dinghy) than diesel (forthe sailboat) once we getwhere we are going. Bringjerry jugs to transport fuelfrom town to the boat. Werarely take the boat to a ma-rina to fuel up, often due toshallow water. We also rec-ommend filtering your fuelthrough a Baja type filter toremove particulates and wa-ter. As in the United States,the fuel docks that sell thelargest quantities of fuel arethe ones most likely to haveclean fuel. We carry about 10gallons of gasoline in addi-tion to the six gallons in theoutboard tank so we do notworry about running outbetween gas stations. Don’tforget a supply of two-strokeoil if you have a two-stroke outboard.

Propane is generally available in the bigger towns. Onsome of the out islands, your cylinder will be sent on themailboat to be refilled and returned on the next. This couldtake up to two weeks so is only viable if you plan to stay putfor a while. We carry two cylinders, each of which lasts fiveweeks. That means we have five weeks to get an empty onerefilled once we switch them.

TINGS TO LEAVE AT HOMEThat should cover most of the questions about what to bring.There are a couple of things I would not bring. One wouldbe a gun. Bringing firearms into the country requires regis-tration and a locked storage cabinet, plus there is no reasonto have a gun. The only pirates in the Bahamas are found in

the casinos.Second, I would recommend leaving behind any impa-

tience you may have. The Bahamas operate at a slower pacethan the United States, and there is nothing you can do to speedit up. Stores close on Sunday; restaurant service is leisurely;payphones are out of service for weeks at a time, etc. etc. There-fore, you should plan to adjust yourself to that pace. You alsomay be forced to stay somewhere until the weather changes. Ifyou become impatient, you will not enjoy yourself as much.

Well, there you have the basics of what to bring. Youshould be able to tailor the information to suit your own needsand preferences. So get your tings ready, mon, and come onover for great sailing, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, explor-ing, and a good time in the sun.

“Look bucket” in action


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MIAMI BOAT SHOW

42

The 19th Strictly Sail Miami boat show is partof the greater Miami International Boat

Show held at the Miamarina in downtownMiami. It runs from Thursday, February 12,through Tuesday, February 17. Show hours arefrom 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and admissionto the show gives admission to other locationsof the Miami show. Among the manymultihulls and monohulls present, the showalso includes the largest selection of catama-rans of any boat show.

Some of the boats present at the show in-clude the following: Sunreef 74 catamaran; 53-foot Amel Super Maramu 2000; 44-foot La-goon 440; Sunsail Power catamaran PDQ 34;Multhiull Company’s Dolphin 43 catamaran;50-foot Bruckmann motorsailer; 56-foot cus-tom Cabo Rico; Hunter Marine’s GlennHendersen-designed 40-footer; newly-intro-duced Catalina 387.

The 129-foot schooner Amistad, will alsobe present for touring.

The Kids Aboard Boat Building Work-shop (a free program) will allow parents toleave their children from ages 4 and older inthe care of a program which last year built two10-foot Seaquest scows. Parents can visit therest of the show while children enjoy this learn-ing experience. This program is available from12 noon to 6 p.m., Friday through Tuesday.

The Discover Sailing program will offerintroductory sails on Biscayne Bay.

Free daily seminars on sailing will be held.Tickets can be bought online at

www.miamiboatshow.com. Tickets on Thurs-day, February 12, Premier Day, are $25. Costof tickets Feb. 13-17, Friday through Tuesday,are $15, $4 for children 6-12, and children 5and under get in free. Adult two-day passesare available for $24. All tickets include entryto all locations of the Miami International BoatShow.

DIRECTIONSFrom the North:I-95 South to exit 395/Miami Beach East, exitat Biscayne Blvd. Turn right; follow Biscayne toPort Blvd. (NE 5th Street). Turn left; follow right-hand lane into the Bayside Garage.From the South:I-95 North. Exit at Biscayne Blvd. Stay in left-hand lane until the stop sign at Biscayne. Turnleft on NE 3rd Street. Follow the left side of theroad into the Bayside Garage.

SEMINAR SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004 TIME LOCATION SEMINAR 12:00 PM Seminar Tent Randy Deering - A Sailor Looks at Leadership 1:15 PM Seminar Tent Bob Williams - Cruising Systems Designs 2:30 PM Seminar Tent Eileen Quinn 3:45 PM Seminar Tent Philip Berman - How to Buy the Right Catamaran For Your Needs 5:00 PM Seminar Tent Marti Brown - Hurricanes

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2004 TIME LOCATION SEMINAR 10:45 AM Seminar Tent John Gambill - Free Energy From the Wind 12:00 PM Seminar Tent Dale Schneider - TBD 1:15 PM Seminar Tent Kevin Jeffrey - Energy at Sea 2:30 PM Seminar Tent Katherine Redmond - “NO, I Dont Want to Go Cruising” 3:00 PM Seminar Tent Eileen Quinn - Candid Cruising Laughs and Lessons 3:45 PM Seminar Tent Pam Wall - Cruising Bahamas

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2004 TIME LOCATION SEMINAR 10:45 AM Seminar Tent Liza Copeland - Mediterranean Magic 12:00 PM Seminar Tent Dan Leather - Liferafts: Deployment, Survival and Rescue 12:30 PM Seminar Tent Steve Bowdon - TBD 1:00 PM Seminar Tent Lin & Larry Pardey - Cost Control While You Cruise 1:15 PM Seminar Tent Emily Hankey - Chartering 101: Everything You Need to Know 3:45 PM Seminar Tent Pam Wall - The Ideal Cruise of the Abacos

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2004 TIME LOCATION SEMINAR 12:00 PM Seminar Tent Eileen Quinn - Overcoming Your Inner Boat Bimbo 1:15 PM Seminar Tent Emily Hankey - Chartering 101: Everything You Need to Know 2:30 PM Seminar Tent Charles Kanter - Anchoring 3:45 PM Seminar Tent Pam Wall - Atlantic Cirlce from Florida to Ireland and Back

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 TIME LOCATION SEMINAR 10:45 AM Seminar Tent Brent Vaughn - TBD 12:00 PM Seminar Tent Liza Copeland - Cruising for Couples 1:15 PM Seminar Room Eileen Quinn - How to Go Cruising and Stay Married 5:00 PM Seminar Tent Lin & Larry Pardey - Storm Tactics

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2004 TIME LOCATION SEMINAR 10:45 AM Seminar Tent Corinne Kanter - Secrets of Galley Success 12:00 PM Seminar Tent Liza Copeland - Cruising For Couples 1:15 PM Seminar Tent Katherine Redmond - “NO, I Dont Want to Go Cruising” 2:30 PM Seminar Tent Eileen Quinn - How to go Cruising and Stay Married 3:45 PM Seminar Tent Pam Wall - TBD

Strictly Sail Miami Boat Show.February 12-17


Introductory rates start at $8.00 per month, with a 12-month agreement (payable in advance), for three linesin the directory ($10 for four lines). That is less than $100for a year of advertising. For boxed-in ads, the cost is$20 a month with a 12-month agreement (payable inadvance.) These reduced rates are being offered for alimited time as an introductory offer.

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Southwinds magazine is beginning a marine services directory to help those small businesses get theirnames out there to sailors. This directory will be for services only. Some examples of categories are:Boat LetteringBoat Transporting ServicesCanvas & Cushion ServicesEngine MechanicsFiberglass RepairMaintenance Services

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Raft/Liferaft Repair/ServicingRiggersSailing InstructionSailmaking, Repairing & CleaningSurveyorsTowboat ServicesYacht Deliveries



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SOUTHERN SAILING

Striving to get more performance for a specific effort seems tobe a natural human tendency.

Cultures quite remote from “civilization” have changed theshape of paddles to get more from each stroke.

The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica has an exhaustive reviewof ship design up to that time, highlighting the trends to try toget more speed for a carrying capacity. Later it wrote of yachtdesign going from the “plank on edge” to the “teardrop” to longkeels with attached rudders, all with as much sail as could bepiled on the spars of the day.

Yachts got their long overhangs, bow and stern, from theold racing rules that only counted waterline with the boat at rest

The Evolution of Sailboat Racing Designs:What is High Performance?By Dave Ellis

and upright. Since speed for displacement boats was depen-dent on the waterline (1.34 times the square root of the water-line), the rule dictated a waterline. Then when a yacht heeled,more length of the hull was in the resulting wavemaking of thehull’s movement, hence more real waterline and more speed. A“Luders 16” was about thirty feet long overall.

A similar anomaly in design caused by a rating rule was inthe sails. For generations the mainsail area and the fore trianglewere counted as sail area. Much of the jib’s overlap beyond themast was not counted. So we had boats with tiny mainsails andhuge overlapping genoa jibs. Today, with sail area counted dif-ferently, boats are designed with larger mains and smaller jibs.The America’s Cup boats can have pretty much any sail con-figuration they want. They opt for a large, elliptical planformmain and a jib that may or may not overlap with the mast.

It seems that in the past there were occasional sudden jumpsin performance. In larger boats, designers would tweak a knownwinner. Once in a while, a breakthrough would occur. The long,extremely thin boats of the late 1800s were indeed “planks onedge,” but a designer came up with a wider hull that could bebuilt lighter because of the hull’s natural stability. The thin boatsdisappeared on the racecourse in short order. Then the widerboats were tweaked by a succession of designers.

More recently boats like Finnestere, Dorade, Intrepid, Pa-per Tiger and later the sleds of the West Coast would start an-other tweaking thread.

But no longer is the performance curve of sailboat design aslow, ponderous, careful process. It is not that designers are

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’

smarter or more innovative than they ever were. Yes, informa-tion does get everywhere, so a 505 sailor can know what equip-ment a winner Down Under used to win a regatta last weekend.

But it is materials that have made the quantum changespractical that we see practically month-by-month.An acquaintance had a balsa model of a trimaran with foils anda wing mast/soft sail sitting on a piano in Washington, D.C., in1968. He dreamed of 500-mile days on the open ocean. “You’recrazy, man,” said wiser sailors of the day. “The hull would crushand the mast would be too heavy.”

Today Kevlar, carbon, and epoxy hulls are flitting aroundthe world in well under 80 days, and 500+ mile days are notuncommon. Stronger, lighter materials havecaused a revolution in thinking.

Roy Disney’s new Pywacket is one ofthe innovative craft that has a swinging keel,which moves as much as 45-degrees to wind-ward to keep the boat more upright. Thereare two rudders, one in the usual place andone forward of the keel, although not as farforward as Tom Blackaller’s America’s Cupboat that was so hard to control. The rud-ders act as the lateral resistance, as the keelis simply for righting moment. The rudderscan work together or, through a helicopter-like “collective,” independently. The boat intrials went to windward faster than thewind. To windward!

Today we have boats being built withsingle masts a hundred feet too tall to getunder the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. The sails areso large that they have to be made in pieces with loops andstrung together by battens at several places as the sail is raised.

Dinghy development took off with Uffa Fox’s first planingInternational 14 in the 1940s.One design has kept hull development rather static, since it isthe level of racing and camaraderie that is often more impor-tant to the small boat sailor. However, note the development ofthe spar and sails of the Star, Lightning and Snipe, among oth-

ers. These boats are significantly faster and easier to sail today.The early 1950s saw a surge in development with contests

to find new Olympic boats. The Flying Dutchman and 505 arethe result of those days, along with the later 470, Fireball andthe 420 and Flying Junior of college racing.

Finally, the skiffs swept out of Australian open minds andre-defined small-boat sailing speeds. Waterline has little to dowith speed once the wind gets over eight knots, as these boatsplane upwind and down. Upside down, however, is really slow.

Multihulls have long been known to be fast. Herreshoff’scatamaran was quickly banned from racing. Development hasbeen ongoing, with a few breakthroughs since the Tornado thirty

years ago. With its new rig, this venerablecat is still among the very fastest. The A-catcontinues to push the envelope of whatperformance can be gleaned from a givenhorsepower, with wave-piercing bows thelatest thinking.

Windsurfers took off like, well,windsurfers. We owe sail and rig devel-opment to the windsurfing folks. But de-velopment was so very fast that many gottired of trying to keep up with new stuffso often. A successful effort has recentlybeen made to design boards that are easierto sail. Get a kite sail to keep the difficultylevel up.

What does the future hold? Waterand wind have not changed in all these cen-turies of development. Physics and human

comfort levels are pretty much set.Bethwaite feels that vibrations may have some potential. Heat-ing and cooling of sides of sails is a possibility. Materials maycontinue to evolve, albeit at a less spectacular pace.

For most of us this is of only academic interest. We enjoythe experience of sailing whatever we sail.

But, see that boat over there? If I tighten the vang a littleand slide the jib fairlead forward a few inches, I’ll bet we canpass it by.....


RACING TACTICS & STRATEGY

Sail the longer tack firstBy David Dellenbaugh

• Defining the longer tack. There is a longer tack wheneveryou have to sail different lengths of time on port and star-board tacks to get to the windward mark. This could becaused by several factors including bad mark placement, apersistent wind shift, current or the fact that you sailed outto a side of the course. In order to find the longer tack, youmust first locate the windward mark and then estimate howmuch sailing time you have left on each tack.

• Finding the longer tack. There are several ways to deter-mine which tack is longer (see diagram). You can eyeballthe mark to see if you’re pointing closer to it on port orstarboard tack. Or you can figure this mathematically us-ing bearings and compass headings. Another way is to gohead to wind before the start and see whether the first markis to the right or left of your bow. Or, after the start, locatethe closer layline. The longer tack is the one that takes youaway from this layline.

• When it works. By sailing the longer tack, you are headingfor the middle of the course. The only time when this won’twork strategically is when the shorter tack takes you, forexample, toward a persistent shift or better breeze. In al-

When it comes to strategy ona beat, my most valuable

guiding principle of all time hasbeen to sail the longer tack first.It’s amazing how often this worksand how much you can gain bydoing it. The geometry of yourracecourse is one factor you mustconsider in any strategic plan.And the most important geometricquestion by far is whether one tackis longer than the other. Here aresome things to consider.


most all other situations, sailing thelonger tack first will give you a muchbetter chance of success. This is espe-cially true when you’re not sure whatthe wind will do next. In this case, be-ing closer to the middle will give youmore options for playing the nextshift.

Getting onto the longer tack alsobecomes more important as one tackgrows increasingly longer than theother. It may not make much differ-ence which tack you sail when portand starboard are within 10 percentin length. But when one is twice aslong as the other, that’s a real reasonto take the longer one.

• Find and protect a lane. If you wantto go fast up the first beat, one of thebest things you can find is a lane ofclear air on the longer tack (see photoabove). Start looking for this right af-ter the start and, once you find it, workhard to maintain your lane.

From David Dellenbaugh’s monthly news-letter of how-to tips for racing sailors, “Speed& Smarts.” www.SpeedandSmarts.com,(800) 356-2200.

http://www.speedandsmarts.com

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WEST FLORIDAPASS A GRILLE YACHT CLUBHOLDS 21ST ANNUALANCHOR CUP RACEST. PETE BEACH, FFEBRUARY 28The Anchor Cup regatta is the old-est continuous sailboat regatta heldin the greater Tampa Bay area. Themany yacht clubs within the area, in-cluding those member clubs of theFlorida Council of Yacht Clubs(FCYC) yield one of the largest fleetof participants on Florida’s SunCoast. Participation in the AnchorRace awards “Boat Of The Year”points for those racing skippers par-ticipating each year. Moreover, it issailed offshore St. Pete Beach in theGulf of Mexico and not in the vari-ous bays, where most of the regat-tas in the area are held, including theNational Offshore One Design(NOOD) held the weekend prior.Thus, it is a true offshore event.

Accordingly, depending uponweather conditions, the Anchor racedraws not only the local yachts, butalso attracts many of the top out-of-state boats which had participatedin the NOOD and then stayed overfor the Anchor race. As a result, theAnchor is a traditional favorite onthe Florida west coast drawing anaverage of over sixty-five yachts.

The average crew on each boatis about five for a total of 325 sailorssailing in the race.

505 MIDWINTERSGULFPORT, FL, JANUARY 9-11ETHAN BIXBY & CREW TAKETHE HONORS IN HIGH WINDSAND LOW TEMPSBy Dave EllisEthan Bixby showed his experience and speed in the 505 din-ghies by winning the Midwinters by ten points over top com-petition.

Bixby won the 505 worlds in San Francisco in 1981 andhas been at the top of the class since. When not racing on aGreek-owned Farr 40 you may find him on Roy Disney’s newexotic maxi-racer Pyewacket. But there is no more pure racingthan the 505.

Sailing with St. Petersburg Yacht Club youth coach ErikBooth as crew, their dark green machine won seven of theeight races. Only Ali Meller and crew Jesse Falsone of An-napolis also managed to win a heat, placing second overall.

Macy Nelson and Tom Hurwitch of Baltimore were thirdafter a tight battle with Lin Robson and Serge Jorgensen of

The Anchor Cup race in 2003. Photo by Steve Morrell.

ANCHOR CUPBy Dave EllisTime was when racing sailboats over twenty feet or so involved actually going some-place. Boats were a little more comfortable. Crew didn’t necessarily have to sit on theweather rail to make the boat competitive.

In the early days, the Pass-a-Grille Anchor Cup was held under the auspices of theold Florida Ocean Racing Association, FORA. After a start outside the Pass-a-Grill passon the central west coast of Florida, boats would head south to Venice or Naples, abouteighty miles along a sandy coast, and return.

The long night was a novelty for many sailors used to around-the-buoys racing.Those who knew a thing or two about watch-keeping and pacing the crew were suc-cessful. Others may have had difficulty recruiting crew the following year.

Chuck Weinreich remembers the year when a boat owned by an air freight execu-tive had a new-fangled phone that he could actually call from his fast boat to make surethe race committee boat was on station when he crossed the line. Nowadays almosteverybody on the racecourse has a cell phone.

The first sponsor was Anchor Savings and Loan, a casualty of the S & L meltdownof the 1980s. The name Anchor Cup has stuck, with Crown Eurocars now helping de-fray the expense for the sailors. “An upscale sponsor for an upscale regatta,” was thegoal of Weinreich.

In more recent years the Anchor Cup has followed the wishes of most sailors toskip the overnights. Saturday, February 28, will feature one big race around navigationbuoys and set marks in the Gulf of Mexico north of the entrance to Tampa Bay.

Multihulls, Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, Sportboats and two cruising classes are slated.Larger, faster boats will have a longer course, the non-spinnaker boats a shorter routeand the cruising class a course with less windward work. George Pennington is theprincipal race officer, a popular choice among racing skippers.

For more information on the Anchor Cup, phone the Pass-a-Grille Yacht Club at(727) 360-0446

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RACING & REGATTAS

St. Petersburg.The regatta was moved to

the tiny, laid-back Gulfport YachtClub of Florida, after a decade atSt. Petersburg Yacht Club. SPYChad added six other classes to theevent. The 505 class didn’t wantto wait for long periods for theirstarts, so made the move to fewerperks and more racing.

A popular venue was theGulf of Mexico Friday, after anhour’s tow. Winds were steady inthe five to eight knot ranges forfour races.

Saturday’s racing was in theprotected bay with winds gust-ing to 20 and temperatures barelybreaking 40. Four races were runin the shifty, puffy conditions thatsaw more than a few taking aswim in the 60-degree water.

Sunday had gusts approach-ing 25 with temperatures below40. After a delay, it was decidedthat with the winners deter-mined, two races for the fewboats macho enough to sailwould not be practical.

Race Officials Joe Frohockand Dave Ellis were not unhappywith that decision.

Results (place,crew, hometown, points)1, Ethan Bixby & Erik Boothe, St. Petersburg, FL,7; 2, Ali Meller & Jesse Falsone, Annapolis, MD,17; 3, Macy Nelson & Tom Hurwitch, Baltimore,MD, 23; 4, Lin Robson & Serge Jorgensen, St. Pe-tersburg, FL, 29; 5, John Wyles & Peter Beardsley,Rye, NY, 42; 6, John Hauser & Dustin Romey, An-napolis, MD, 42; 7, Barney Harris & GeorgeSaunders, Arlington, VA, 46; 8, Chuck Millican &Scott Norman, Bermuda, 47; 9, Sterg Papadakis& Mike Albert, New Jersey, 48; 10, Brent Beninger& Chris Gilles, Ottawa, Ontario, 71; 11, JohnHirsch & Garth Reynolds, St. Petersburg, FL, 87;12, Michael Goldstein & Jen Schwade, Lancaster,PA, 88; 13, Mark Angliss & Chuck Tanner, Den-ver, CO, 94; 14, Fred Leisgang & Charlie Smith,Long Island, NY, 96;

36TH ANNUAL RUNNING OF THE REGATA DEL SOL AL SOL:ORGANIZERS LOOK FOR AN EVEN BIGGERAND BETTER EVENT IN 2004The exciting Gulf Stream crossing race from St. Petersburg,FL, to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, is scheduled for April 20-21. Rac-ers will sail 456 nautical miles from St. Petersburg to Mexico’sYucatan Peninsula in the Regata Del Sol al Sol and discover anew challenge in offshore racing. The race is part of 15 daysof festivities in Florida and Mexico called the Regata and Fi-esta Del Sol al Sol from April 16-30.

The race is open to any monohull or multihull boat 30feet LOA or greater with a current West Florida PHRF rating.The Regata Del Sol al Sol appeals to both the professional skip-

505s round the mark in the Midwinters in Florida. Gary Hufford photo.

At the helm in the 2003 Regata del Sol al Sol.

http://www.hksailmakers.com


pers on the big racing sleds as well as the skippers of the truecruising class. Skippers will use their navigation skills to de-velop a strategy for maneuvering across the challenging GulfStream currents. This unusual race provides the opportunityto sail to an exciting destination to experience the culture ofMexico and participate in 15 days of festival activities, all whiletraveling with a large group of fellow cruising sailors.

One of the objectives of the yacht race is to assist the hostcommunities in Mexico with educational, medical and hu-manitarian supplies. In 2003, the Race donated a fire truckand an ambulance to the local host community. This year, ad-ditional medical supplies and equipment will be carried byrace participants to be presented at the conclusion of the race.

Regata and Fiesta Del Sol al Sol is a world class interna-tional event that delivers an unparalleled offshore racing ex-perience. For additional information, race details and entryforms, go to www.regatadelsolalsol.org. (See the advertise-ment for the race on page 30.)

ECKERD COLLEGE, ST. PETERSBURG, FL SAILINGTEAM ENDS FALL SEASON NATIONALLY RANKEDOn December 12th, the Intercollegiate Sailing Association ofNorth America released the Sailing World Magazine NationalRankings for the end of the Fall season. This accomplishmentmarks the first time all year that both the Eckerd CollegeWomen’s and Co-ed Sailing Teams have been ranked simul-taneously. The co-ed team sailed to victory in the South At-lantic District Championship while the Women’s team finishedsecond, both qualifying for the Atlantic Coast Championshiplast month. In the rankings, the co-ed team took 18th and thewomen’s team gained 14th.

Kids sailing in Isla Mujeres in the 2003 Regata del Sol al sol.


$12/YEAR $20/2 YEARS (3RD CLASS)

SEE PAGE 4

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SOUTHEAST FLORIDA2003 COMMODORE’S CUPGULFSTREAM SAILING CLUB (GSC)HOLLYWOOD, FL, DECEMBER 14From the Gulfstream Sailing ClubSunny skies, a cool breeze and a record turnout of cars linedthe streets surrounding Sailor ’s Point for the 2003Commodore’s Cup. No less than 120 people, 31 boats andone fatted pig showed up for the fun.

Past GSC commodores and Laser sailors Norm Smith andSteve Dillon, as well as 17 Sunfish sailors, including severalguests from Palm Beach and Melbourne, competed for beauti-ful etched-glass trophies. Adding to the fun of the annual eventwas the Broward County High School sailing team, which con-sisted of 12 420 sailboats, 24 sailors and double that amount offamily and friends, who cheered them on along the Sailor’sPoint shoreline.

After-race festivities included a scrumptious pig roastwith tables of potluck fixings, a full keg of icy brew and aheap of laughter that lasted long into the afternoon. Afterquickly filling up the parking area, nearly 80 cars lined 9thAvenue and the surrounding Hollywood neighborhood, andall went home with warm smiles.

If you haven’t come out to Sailor’s Point to see the newenergy current Sunfish Commodore Danny Escobar hasbrought to “The Lake,” then you better check it out soon, be-cause the competition keeps getting tougher. Of course, somethings never change. Our own world-class Sunfish skipperTony Elliot and Laser sailor Norm Smith went home with thehardware.

Thanks to all who helped, especially past GSC commo-dore Joe Ciancarullo, who helped race committee Stu Barcalowand Joe Orlowski, and to Ed the photographer.

Results (place, name):Sunfish A & B Fleet;1, Tony Elliot; 2, Luis Oliveira; 3, John Fletcher; 5, John Fox; 6, Sam Kafouri; 7, BrianWolfsohn; 8, Mike Starik; 9, Chris Gates; 10, Rebecca Robin; 11, Debbie Rider; 12,Jamie Welch;Sunfish C Fleet;1, Nick Escobar; 2, Nancy Fox; 3, Barbara Safiullin; 4, Steve Dillon; 5, StephenHorowitz; Laser Fleet;1, Norm Smith; 2, Larry Litell;

US SAILING’S JUNIOR OLYMPIC SAILING FESTIVALORANGE BOWL AT THE CORAL REEF YACHT CLUB& US SAILING CENTER, MIAMI, FLDECEMBER 26-30From US SAILINGAfter four days of racing in US Sailing’s Junior Olympic SailingFestival, Orange Bowl in Miami, FL, the champions in eightclasses were crowned on December 30. Olympic gold medalistMagnus Liljedahl was on-hand to present the top three finish-ers in each class with a medal. Coral Reef Yacht Club and theUS Sailing Center of Miami hosted the 620 youth sailors whocame from four countries, 26 states, Puerto Rico and the VirginIslands, making it the largest and fastest-growing Junior Olym-pic Sailing Festival in the country.

Miami sailor Julian Roots clinched the Optimist Green titlebeating Eric Lawrence (Palm City, FL) by 25 points. StephanieRoble (E. Troy, WI) won both the Optimist Red Fleet and theoverall Optimist championship over 220 boats. In her accep-

tance speech, she thanked her parents, her coaches, team mem-bers, the race committee, and the Coral Reef Yacht Club.

In the Laser class, it came down to the final race. RobertNoonan (Fort Lauderdale, FL) won the race to clinch the title byjust one point over Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, VI). In theLaser Radial fleet, Canadian Ethan Holtzer (Toronto, Ontario)won the final race in the 80-boat fleet to regain his lead and takethe championship.

In the 102-boat Club 420 class, Parker Dwyer and crew CodyJones of Stuart, FL, placed 12th in the final race. It was enoughto retain their lead to take the overall Club 420 award over Jack-son Benvenutti/Ryan Hamilton (Mandeville, LA).

In addition to the medals, two special awards were pre-sented. The Magnus Liljedahl Sportsmanship Trophy was pre-sented by Liljedahl himself to Elizabeth Newberry of Miami,FL. The Arthur Merrill Trophy for the top southern Florida Op-timist sailor was awarded to Sean Moynahan, also of Miami,FL. Visit www.coralreefyachtclub.org/youth_ob_2003.htm toview complete results.

UPPER GULF COASTBAY-WAVELAND YACHT CLUB WINS UNITED STATESMEN’S SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPOCT 20-25By Harry ChapmanAt a recent dinner party, on December 6, the Bay-WavelandYacht Club honored sailors Zak Fanberg, Kippy Chamberlain,and Eugene Schmitt for their outstanding victory winning theMen’s National Sailing Championship at Lake Norman inMooresville, NC.

The BWYC team was awarded the Clifford D. MalloryCup, a 200-year-old silver soup tureen presented by the Egyp-tian sultan Selim III to the family of British Admiral HoratioLord Nelson for his conquest of Napoleon’s fleet at the battleof the Nile in 1798. The cup was since acquired by Clifford D.Mallory and presented to our national sailing authority forthis championship.

The victory was so outstanding, the BWYC sailors werefar enough ahead after 11 races they did not need to even sailthe final race. But good sports as they were, they not onlyentered the race but also won it. And they won nine of the 12races in all.

The races were sailed in the Highlander Class, a class ofsailboat the team saw for the first time when they arrived atLake Norman. The Highlander is a 21-foot sloop, somewhatlarger than a Flying Scot, the interclub boat used by the GulfYachting Association (GYA).

In order to qualify to enter the eliminations, Fanberg,Chamberlain, and Schmitt first were selected to represent theBay-Waveland Club. They then had to beat the other compet-ing Gulf Yachting Association teams to win the AssociationChampionship. Next, the team competed for and won the AreaD, or Southeast U.S. Championship, advancing finally to theNational Championship.

Another honor accorded the team was the award of theprestigious Staton J. Peele Sportsmanship Trophy. The win-ner of this award is determined by vote of all the competitors.

Former Gulf Yachting Association Mallory Cup winners

http://www.coralreefyachtclub.org/youth_ob_2003.htm


Winners of the Mallory Cup Trophy. From left to right are Zak Fanberg, Kippy Chamberlain, and Eugene Schmitt at theawards banquet at the BWYC. Photo by Jim Schmitt

present at the celebra-tion who congratulatedthe winning team andshared their experi-ences were 1953 and1954 winner GeneWalet, Shelby Fried-richs representing hisfather Buddy, whowon in 1964, MarcEagan with crew CorkyHadden, who won in1984, Dave Bolyard,who crewed for wins in1994, 1999, 2000 and2001, Tom Baker, whocrewed for firsts in 1994and 2001 and BrockSchmidt, who skip-pered to wins in 2000and 2001. GYA sailorshave indeed won morethan their share of na-tional championships.

The North Carolinaregatta chair in NorthCarolina wrote that theBWYC team “...exem-plifies the characteris-tics we all hope to have and to see in ourselves and our oppo-nents.... a competitive spirit, passion for their chosen sport,but wrapped with a sense of fair play.”

CARIBBEAN2004 CARIBBEAN SPRING REGATTA PREVIEWBy Carol BareutherPhotos by Dean BarnesIsland-style hospitality, competition and camaraderie alongwith handicap and one-design racing in a beautiful setting,expert race management, dependable trade winds and rum-and-reggae shoreside parties are what you can expect fromCaribbean regattas.

Although there will not be a Caribbean Ocean Racing Tri-angle (C.O.R.T.) series this year due to date changes of someof the events, there will be some serious excitement.

Virgin Islands race organizers are planning a new seriesthat will include St. Croix, St. Thomas’ Rolex, and the BVISpring Regatta. Also, the Caribbean Big Boat Series, for 60-plus-footers, has attracted the likes of Hasso Plattner’s Morn-ing Glory and Roy E. Disney’s Pyewacket, both MaxZ86s withcanting keels and a sail plan bigger than an America’s classboat that will give the Caribbean Sailing Association ratingrule handicappers a challenge.

Here’s a preview of the coming Caribbean regatta sea-son for those who want to campaign their own boats, bare-boat, crew or keep tabs on the action via the Internet.

In addition to individual regatta Web sites, visit:www.caribbeanracing.com



RACING & REGATTAS

FEBRUARY 14-16:ST. CROIX INTERNATIONAL REGATTAClasses for this event hosted out of the St. Croix Yacht Clubinclude one-design J/24 and Melges 24s, cruisers andmultihull sailors. Round-the-buoy courses are set in the chan-nel between St. Croix’s north shore and Buck Island. Hope-fully, there won’t be the 35 to 40 knot winds and nine- to 12-foot seas of last year. The closest bareboat rentals are in St.

Thomas, 40 miles’ sail to the north.However, the club does post a crew board for those inter-

ested. The winning skipper receives his or her weight inCruzan rum.For more information: http://www.stcroixyc.com/sailing/Tel: (340) 773-9531;

Carlo Falcone’s Vallicelli 44, Caccia Ala Volpe, sails to a fleet win in the 2003 St. Croix International Regatta.

http://www.pasadenamarina.com

http://www.usedsails.com

http://www.stcroixyc.com/sailing/


MARCH 5-7:24TH ST. MAARTEN HEINEKEN REGATTAThe buzzword for this regatta, which also kicks off the Carib-bean Big Boat Series (CBBS), is “serious fun.” Last year, overhalf of the 207 entries were bareboats with crews from theCaribbean, United States and Europe. Courses traverse thewaters surrounding this dual-nation island of Dutch St.Maarten and French St. Martin, with end-of-day parties inboth destinations. Reserve charter bareboats early from TheMoorings, Sun Yacht/Stardust Charters, Sunsail or NautorSwan.For more information: Tel. (011-5995) 44 2079;Fax (011-5995) 44 2091; E-mail: [email protected];Web: www.heinekenregatta.com or www.bigboatseries.com

St. Maarten’s Frits Bus aboard his colorful Melges 24, 2 Contact Carib sailing in the 2003 International Rolex Regatta.

http://www.heinekenregatta.com

http://www.bigboatseries.com

http://www.nauticaltrader.net

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RACING & REGATTAS

MARCH 26-28:INTERNATIONALROLEX REGATTAThe 31st edition of this stel-lar sailing event will againbe held in late March, notthe traditional date of Eas-ter weekend. There’s nobareboat class, but a crewboard is maintained on theevent’s Web site. Coursesare a mix of round-the-buoy and round-the-is-lands. Shoreside events andevening socials lead up tothe Rolex Prize Givingwhere winning skippers ineach class receive a RolexOyster Perpetual Submari-ner watch. For information:(340) 775-6320; E-mail:[email protected]; Web:www.rolexcupregatta.com.

MARCH 29-APRIL 4:BVI SPRING REGATTA & SAILING FESTIVAL“An expanded seven-day format has turned the traditionalthree days of racing action into a week-long sailing festivalthat takes participants throughout the British Virgin Islands,”explains Bob Phillips, chairman of the BVI Spring Regatta,the second of the CBBS events. Hosted out of the Nanny CayResort & Marina, there’s a strong bareboat class, with yachtschartered from The Moorings, Stardust Yacht Charters, Hori-zon Yacht Charters, Conch Charters or Sunsail. The Web siteboasts an active crew board. For more information: Tel. (284)494-3286; E-mail: [email protected]; Web:www.bvispringregatta.org

APRIL 9-11:PUERTO RICO INTERNATIONAL REGATTAThis regatta moves to Easter weekend, when local PuertoRican sailors offer keen competition for the throng of U.S.mainland and European sailors who increasingly competein this event. One big draw is daily as well as overall prizes.“This format motivates those who had a slow beginning, tostill be able to compete for an award,” explains regatta di-

rector, Angel Ayala.Sunsail and The Moorings bases in Tortola offer special

packages for competitors who want to charter for this regatta.A swimsuit fashion show, complete with male and female mod-els, is the hit of the shoreside festivities. For more information:Tel: (787) 728-6098; E-mail:[email protected]; Web: www.printernationalcup.com

APRIL 25-MAY 1: ANTIGUA SAILING WEEKOne of the top five regattas in the world, this event attracts abevy of bareboaters and international racers alike. It’s also theconclusion of the CBBS. Action is keen out on the seas, plusspectators on land find outstanding vantage points to watchthe racing. Lord Nelson’s Ball marks the finale and prize giv-ing. This is one occasion where men are requested to don blueblazers and women are asked to dress to the nines. Charteryachts are available from The Moorings, Nicholson’s, Sunsail,Stardust and many more. For information: Tel. (268) 462-8872;E-mail: [email protected]; Web: www.sailingweek.com

MAY 9-14; ANGOSTURA YACHTING WORLD REGATTAOver the past three decades, this regatta has become known asone of the most competitive and friendliest in the southern Car-ibbean. Nearly eighty yachts, cruisers, racers, bareboats andliveaboards competed in Store Bay in Tobago for the 2003 edi-tion. The Moorings and Horizon Yacht Charters offer yachtsfor charter. For more information: Tel. (868) 634-4210; Fax.(868) 634-4376; E-mail: [email protected]; www.ttsailing.org

MAY 28-31: FOXY’S WOODEN BOAT REGATTAThis year’s 30th annual classic Caribbean regatta features tra-ditional and contemporary wooden boats. Friday night kicksoff with a registration party at Foxy’s Tamarind Bar where thefamous calypsonian will entertain with his crude, rude andthoroughly enjoyable ditties. There’s a single-handed race onSaturday and a fully crewed regatta on Sunday. Proceeds fromthis event support the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society. Formore information: Tel: (284) 494-0262; Fax: (284) 495-4184; E-mail: [email protected].

Puerto Rico International Regatta 2003: Enrique “Keki” Figueroa aboard his Suzuki MoviStar. The beach cat classis always big at this regatta and Figueroa, a former Olympic and national champ, is a home island favorite.

http://www.rolexcupregatta.com

http://www.printernationalcup.com

http://www.bvispringregatta.org

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http://www.ttsailing.org


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ETCHELLS MID-WINTER SERIESJANUARY 10-11BISCAYNE BAY, FLJUD SMITH WINS SID DORENMEMORIAL REGATTABy Steve GirlingJud Smith and Henry Frazer domi-nated the second regatta of the EtchellsMid-Winter series, sponsored by Al-pine Jaguar over the weekend of Janu-ary 10-11, Biscayne Bay, FL. Smithscored 1,2,2,1 and discarded a 10th towin the Sid Doren Memorial Regatta.Phil Garland was second and RobbieDoyle, sailing with sons Tyler andEthan, were third in this 50-boat fleet.Cool and blustery conditions were afeature of Saturday’s racing, but thatdidn’t stop the class superstars fromfinding their A-game. Smith scoredfirst and second in the first two raceswhile Dennis Conner scored first andthird in races two and three. Phil Gar-land won the first day with an impres-sive 3,3,1 score-line.

Sunday’s forecast was for a sunny20-25 knots, but the first race of the daysaw no more than 12 knots. MikeToppa won the first race convincinglyfrom Smith, while Smith won the lastrace from Steve Girling followed byGarland in spectacular 20 plus knotconditions. The race committee ex-celled throughout this challengingweekend and should be congratulated for its tremendousperformance.

Competitors return to the Biscayne Bay YC for theFlorida State Championships and Mid-Winters in early Feb-ruary where more than 70 boats are expected to compete forthese prestigious titles.

Results (place, boat name, owner):1,Twelve Twenty One, Jud Smith and Henry Frazer; 2, Dorado, Phil Garland; 3, No Time IV,Robbie Doyle ;4; Swedish Blue, Ante Razmilovic; 5, Buzzard, Mike Toppa; 6, Lionheart,Steve Girling; 7, Menace, Dennis Conner; 8, Baguette, Hugh Jones; 9, Lucky, Bryon Ehrhartand Aaron Housten; 10, Pied Piper, Tom Piper

Etchells compete in Biscayne Bay. Photo courtesy Steve Girling.

AUGIE DIAZ & HANNAH SWETT NAMED 2003 ROLEXYACHTSMAN AND YACHTSWOMAN OF THE YEARFrom US SailingAugie Diaz of Miami, FL, and Hannah Swett of New York, NY,were named the 2003 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of theYear, respectively. A panel of sailing journalists selected the twoaccomplished sailors for the distinction from a shortlist of sevennominees for the Rolex Yachtsman and five nominees for theRolex Yachtswoman. Established in 1961 by US Sailing and spon-sored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the Rolex Yachtsmanand Yachtswoman of the Year Awards recognize outstanding on-

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the-water achievement in the calendar year just concluded. Thewinners will be honored and presented with specially engravedRolex timepieces at a February 6 luncheon at the New York YachtClub in Manhattan.

Rolex Yachtsman of the YearAugie Diaz, age 49, was recognized for his achievements as askipper in three different one-design classes Laser, Snipe andStar. Many of the panelists noted that Diaz has been nominatedmany times before; however, this was his best year ever, com-peting in what are perhaps three of the most competitive fleetsin the world. A string of regional regatta successes culminatedin his win of the Snipe World Championship title, and one pan-elist noted “his versatility in one-designs, not just one class, con-tinues to be impressive.” Diaz is the first U.S. sailor to win theSnipe World Championship since 1981. His list of achievementsalso includes victories at the Snipe Midwinters and the Don QRegatta, as well as top-five finishes at the Bacardi Cup, SnipeNationals and Rolex Laser Masters North American Champion-ships, where he also finished second in his age division.

“I am very honored,” said a humble Diaz on hearing the news.“The magnitude of the award hasn’t really hit me. I have so manypeople to thank, from my folks to my crew. I’ve been fortunate to sailwith Jon Rogers, Christian Finsgärd, Mark Strube and Hal Haenel. Iget so much pleasure from sailing; this is just so special.”

From a very young age, Augie was inspired by his father’slove of sailing and the sacrifices that his parents made for theirchildren. The Diaz family sacrificed a successful family businessto leave Cuba in 1963 and settle in Clearwater, FL, with verylittle money. One of the few things that the family brought totheir new home was the elder Diaz’s beloved wooden Snipe,which would be instrumental in Augie’s life.

Through a stroke of luck, nine-year-old Augie was givensailing lessons instead of swimming lessons. He quickly devel-oped a love of Optimist sailing, but outgrew the boat a few yearslater and started competing with his brother at Snipe junior re-gattas using their father’s boat. Soon the Diaz boys were com-peting against legendary sailors of the day — Earl Elms, DaveUllman and Jeff Lenhart — and making an impression on every-one with whom they came in contact.

Diaz went on to Tulane University (New Orleans, La.) wherehe earned ICSA All-American honors three times (1975, ’74, ’73).After graduation and three unsuccessful bids for an Olympicberth in the Flying Dutchman and Star classes, he joined the fam-ily business and took a 15-year hiatus from sailing to dedicatetime to his family.

In 1997, he returned to sailing with one goal in mind. “Idecided that I was going to work and sail,” Diaz said. “I fig-ured that the feeling would pass in two to three years, but nowit’s literally to the point where all I do is work and sail. Luckily,my kids and my girlfriend put up with it. And at this stage thefeeling isn’t going away!”

Now co-owner of his family’s medical equipment supplycompany, Diaz is the father of 26-year-old Daniela, 24-year-oldLucas and 22-year-old Adrian.

Rolex Yachtswoman of the YearHannah Swett, age 34, was cited by the panel for full-time dedi-cation to her Olympic campaign in the very competitive Ynglingclass, which will make its debut at the 2004 Olympic Regatta inAthens, Greece. Swett’s list of achievements in the Yngling istopped with victory at the Yngling World Championship, whereher team competed among a fleet of 40.

“I am truly honored to accept this prestigious award,” saidSwett. “I accept it on behalf of my teammates Melissa Purdyand Joan Touchette. Together we accomplished a great deal inthe past year.”

The banner year includes an impressive string of first-placefinishes at the Yngling Olympic Pre-Trials, Scandinavian RaceWeek and Danish Nationals, as well as a second out of 85 boatsat the Yngling Open World Championship.

Swett is also recognized as one of the best match racers inthe world, and in 2003 she participated in two events, finishingsecond at the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Osprey Cup and third at USSailing’s U.S. Women’s Match Race Championship. Thisprompted one panelist to note that, “even though she spendsalmost all of her time in the Yngling, she found the time tohave fun and do very, very well in match racing. Impressive.”

Raised in Brookline, MA, Swett started sailing inJamestown, R.I., where her parents own a summer home. Hersailing career blossomed at St. George’s School (Middletown,RI) when she won the High School Nationals as a freshman.

At Brown University (Providence, RI) Swett won the 1989College Nationals as a freshman, which earned her All-Americahonors. She again made the All-America list in 1991. She metPurdy during her senior year when both were on the sailingteam and they forged a strong friendship that eventually ledthem to sail aboard the historic Mighty Mary women’s team inthe 1995 America’s Cup Challenger Series. There they metTouchette, who ultimately filled the third position in their cur-rent quest for an Olympic berth.

In 2000 when ISAF did not select match racing as the for-mat for the new women’s keelboat event at the 2004 OlympicGames, Swett decided to return to her family’s real estate busi-ness full time. That decision was soon interrupted by a phonecall from Purdy, who persuaded her old friend to take up thehelm of an Yngling. “I couldn’t turn down an offer like that,”said Swett. “It’s been great to be so completely involved withsomething. I’ve never had an experience like this before, not insailing, not in business, and it is thrilling.”

Swett recalled that her love of sailing started as a child whenshe decided to emulate her mother, Eleanor Burgess, who wasonce a celebrated Finn sailor. “I heard all these great storiesabout how awesome my mother was and just like her, I like tocompete against the boys. My parents are incredibly support-ive. I cannot imagine doing this without them.” In addition toher mother, Swett notes that she gets a lot of advice from herfather, Brad Swett. “When I get home from a training camp, he

http://seaschool.com


always asks for the details and we talk over everything.”Acknowledged as the sport’s highest honor in the United

States, the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Yearawards have honored such sailing standouts as Betsy Alison,Liz Baylis, Paul Cayard, Dennis Conner, Steve Fossett, JohnKostecki, Buddy Melges, Dawn Riley, Cory Sertl and Ted Turner.

FLORIDA SAILOR MARK MENDELBLATTRECOGNIZED AS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR —MEG GAILLARD NAMEDFEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEARFrom Media Pro International, www.ussailing.orgThe Olympic Sailing Committee of US Sailing has recognizedfive athletes as the sport’s U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC)Athletes of the Year. Recognized in the Team category areYngling sailors Hannah Swett (Jamestown, R.I./New York, NY),Joan Touchette (Newport, R.I.) and Melissa Purdy (Tiburon,CA). Laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, FL) andEurope sailor Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, RI/Pelham, NY) areMale and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively. Bestowedannually, the USOC Athlete of the Year awards are based onoutstanding performances in competition.

As US Sailing’s USOC Athletes of the Year, these sailorswill be considered for the overall USOC Team of the Year,Male Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the YearAwards. The USOC award winners will be selected from theAthletes of the Year recognized by each Olympic sport’s na-tional governing body.

Team of the Year Swett, Touchette and Purdy were recog-nized for their performance in the Yngling, the class that makesits Olympic debut in 2004 as the women’s keelboat event. Twomedal-winning performances this summer – silver at the 2003Athens Regatta in Greece and gold at the 2003 Yngling WorldChampionship in Spain – capped a year that started well whenSwett, Touchette and Purdy won the Yngling Olympic Pre-Tri-als (the practice event for the US Olympic Team Trials).

Male Athlete of the Year Laser sailor Mendelblatt was rec-ognized for his performance in three key events in 2003, whichstarted with a bang when he won the Laser title at the RolexMiami OCR. Mendelblatt followed with wins at the Laser Pa-cific Coast and Gulf Coast Championships before traveling toAthens for the Saronikos Gulf Regatta, where he finished fourthout of 40 Lasers. His placement of sixth overall in the 171-boatfleet at the Laser World Championship in Spain was a personalworld-best that also earned the United States its Laser berth forthe 2004 Olympic Regatta. Mendelblatt was previously named

US Sailing’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1999.Female Athlete of the Year Gaillard showed her mettle early

in the year at the Rolex Miami OCR where, after trading first andsecond finishes during a challenging 11-race series, she placedsecond overall out of 25 boats. With a win at the Europe OlympicPre-Trials (the practice event for the US Olympic Team Trials)she solidified her first-place U.S. ranking in the class, a positionshe has held for three consecutive years. By far, her most signifi-cant performance of the year took place in Spain at the 2003 Eu-rope World Championship. Competing in the 116-boat fleet, sheclosed out a consistent performance with a 10th place finish inthe final race of the series to take third overall and her secondbronze medal at a world championship. (Her first was won atthe 2000 Europe World Championship). Gaillard was previouslyrecognized as US Sailing’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1998.

WANNA BE AN OCEAN RACER?THREE YEAR APPRENTICESHIP COMPETITIONOPENS TO WORK WITH EMMA RICHARDS:AGES 16-23This may be your chance. Pindar, the international print and elec-tronic media company, which sponsors, British yachtswomenEmma Richards and Hannah Mills, has launched an innovativeinternational competition to find a new recruit for its ocean rac-ing team. The competition will provide one winner with a uniquethree-year apprenticeship where they will work as part of thePindar team, sailing alongside Emma Richards. It will give thewinner an opening into the world of ocean racing and an oppor-tunity to participate in some of sailing’s most prestigious offshoreraces.

The competition is open to anyone between the ages of 16and 23. The selection process will begin with entrants writing in250 words why they think that they have the attitude and apti-tude to win. A panel of judges will interview the leading 30 en-trants. They will also undergo a number of physical and mentaltests. The judges will then select 10 finalists to attend a day sail inMay 2004 with Emma Richards onboard Pindar’s Open 60, wherethe winner will be chosen.

Emma Richards says: “This is a fantastic opportunity. Oneof the biggest problems in ocean sailing is that it is really toughfor young sailors to find enough funding to break into the sport”Pindar, who has sponsored Emma Richards for the past four years,has set up the competition to continue its support of sailing andits positive impact with customers. For further information con-tact Victoria Fuller ([email protected]) or Camilla Green([email protected]).






SHORT TACKS

60


$12/YEAR $20/2 YEARS SEE PAGE 4Subscribe online at a secure site for your credit card

www.southwindssailing.com

246-Foot Sloop LaunchedPhotos courtesy Mirabella

M irabella V, the world’s larg-est single-masted yacht,was recently launched at

Southampton docks in England. Thesloop has been under constructionsince the fall of 2001. The 246-foot boatwill be entering the world of charter-ing, mainly in the Caribbean and Medi-terranean. Rates for a charter will beabout $250,000 a week. (Southwinds

assumes that bareboat chartering is notan option here.)

Mirabella V is being built by VTShipbuilding and is the largest com-posite ship ever built. The mast, tallestin the world, is 295 feet long and has across section at its widest point of aboutfive feet. It is a hollow carbon mastspar, which will support 36,500 squarefeet of sail (3400 square meters). Theboat will not be able to pass under theGolden Gate Bridge in San Francisco,the mast rising 40 feet above the road-way crossing the span.

The boat is owned by Joseph andLuciana Vittoria, who already owntwo other luxury charter yachtsover 130 feet.

The yacht, designed by Ron Hol-land, has two recesses up forwardwhere tenders are stowed whileunder way. While the yacht is atanchor, one recess will be used as ahot tub, while the other will serveas a saltwater pool.

The boat will be capable of serv-ing meals to 24 people. Movies canbe watched on deck or in the mainlounge with a surround sound sys-tem, or for those who prefer stayingfit, a gym with sauna, music and TVis available, with wireless headsets,of course. A mechanized crow’s nestwill allow passengers and crew to seethe view from 150 feet up the mast.

In the lazarette (the “garage” inthis case), there will be Lasers, JetSkis, ski boats, kayaks, and eventwo remote control models of

Mirabella V. These accompany the 29-foot Hinckley, which willbe stowed in the garage and launched and retrieved from there.

The boat has six guest cabins for up to twelve charterguests. Each cabin has a full bath, TV, DVD, CD player, andtelephone and Internet connections

The boat will have a crew of twelve and be available forcharter in the Spring.

For those of you who find the $250,000 weekly rate toosteep, the Mirabella, a 130-foot sloop, is available at $65,000 aweek. Sorry, no low season rates are available.

Go to www.mirabella-yachts.com for more informationand booking.

MIRABELLA V SPECIFICATIONS:

LOA: 75.22m (247 ft)

Beam: 14.80m (48.5 ft)

Draft (Keel Up): 4.0m (13 ft)

Draught (Keel Fully Down): 10.0m (33 ft)

Displacement Half Load: 765 tonnes

Mast Height: 88.5m (290ft)

Main Sail: 1557m2 (16,760ft2)

UPS (Genoa): 1833m2 (19,730ft2)

Working Jib: 828m2 (8,915ft2)

Staysail: 320m2 (3,445ft2)

Sails: Doyle Sailmakers

Indoor Windsurfing: ?The roller furler.

http://www.floridabooks.com

http://www.mirabella-yachts.com


SHORT TACKS

thought not one word I had said had sunk in. But I was wrong.“Look, sport,” he said to me, “you know nothing about ge-

ography. Iraq is just the other side of the Bahamas. I’m stoppingat Bimini for re-supply and then I am on my way again. Thejourney of a couple of hundred miles begins with a single tack,you know.”

He put his beer glass down on the bar, turned on his heeland exited the place, humming America The Beautiful. I looked atDoobie. She was smiling as she held her hand out to me, palmup, so she could get paid for the beer Bubba had just consumed.

When I got my change back, I put it in Bubba’s canister. Itwas the very least I could do for a man whose disregard forreality bordered on the supernatural.

BUBBA Continued from page 16

INDOOR WINDSURFINGOn January 12, at the London In-ternational Boat Show, theU n i t e d K i n g d o m Wi n d -surfing Association (UKWA)held the first Indoor Windsurf-ingChampionships at ExCel,Europe’s largest exhibition centerlocated in London. They wereheld in a 30x70 meter watersportspool with 25 fans that generated30 knots of wind (and we don’tmean people who are fans of thesport, but mechanical fans).

Before the competition began, severalwindsurfers practiced in the unusual condi-tions. After turning the fans on, the quiet in-door arena, which seated 1700 people be-came a “windblasted and deafening place,”according to the UKWA. Gybes were diffi-cult to make, and the first attempt at a gybeby one of the practicing competitors endedin a fall. It was noted that being good at turnswas extremely important in a windsurfingarea that is 30x70 meters. Unfortunately,competition began after Southwinds went topress. For those interested in more informa-tion, go to www.ukwindsurfing.com orwww.schroderslondonboatshow.com.

ISLAND STYLE CLASSICWINDSURFING COMPETITIONSARASOTA, FL, FEBRUARY 28-29The kick-off series event for the U.S. Na-tional series, the Island Style Classic, willbe held in Sarasota, FL, Februay 28-29. Itis sponsored by Island Style Watersportsof Sarasota. This event combines the USWindsurfing Masters/Seniors NorthAmerican Championship and the MistralMidwinters. Formula, Prodigy, longboardand a challenging long distance race willbe included. Prodigy Charters are avail-able through the east coast Prodigy rep,Jim DeSilva ([email protected]). This

event is part of the Florida Winter Prodigy Series, which in-cludes the Island Style Classic, Calema Midwinters, and theBanana River Prodigy Event. The Holiday Inn on Lido Beachis the host hotel and offers a substantial discount on roomsfor participants. Ask for the Island Style Classic rates. Call(800) 892-9174 for reservations. The hotel will be sold out soget reservations early if you plan to attend. February is thewindiest month in Florida and is also high season, and ac-commodations will be hard to find in February.

Ask us for other reccommendations. Please [email protected] or call Laurel at (941)945-1009.

Kiteboarding in Tampa Bay. Photo by Steve Morrell.

Windsurfing Howard Park, Tarpon Springs,FL. Photo by Steve Morrell.

http://www.schroderslondonboatshow.com

http://www.ukwindsurfing.com



http://www.corsairtri.com


http://www.tampasailingsquadron.org



CLASSIFIED ADS for $5 PER MONTHALL ADS UNDER 30 WORDS FOR PRIVATELY-OWNED BOATS, SAILBOATS, TRAWLERS AND DINGHIES ONLY PLEASE.THREE MONTH MINIMUM, $15 whether ad canceled or not. Add $5 per month for photos, same minimum policy.

Check or credit cards accepted. Mail or e-mail ads by the 10th of the month.FREE ADS FOR ALL BOAT GEAR (SAILBOAT RELATED) AND WINDSURFING ADS.

MUST BE PRIVATELY OWNED ITEMS. AD RUNS THREE MONTHS UNLESS RENEWED BY THE 10TH OF THE LAST MONTH THE AD RUNS.All photos must be sent electronically or the actual photo — no photocopies.

Photos must be horizontal, not vertical; otherwise add $10. All ad text e-mailed must be in upper and lower case, not caps.The last month your ad runs is in parentheses at the end of the ad. You must call by the 10th of that month to renew for another 3 months.

All other ads are $20 a month for up to 20 words and $5 for each additional 10 words.$10 for a horizontal photo. Frequency discounts for longer-running ads.

Call (941) 795-8704, e-mail to [email protected], or mail to PO Box 1175 Holmes Beach FL 34218-1175.ALL ADS GO ON THE INTERNET, AND YOUR WEB SITE OR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE AD WILL BE LINKED BY CLICKING ON IT.

“In August, you began running an advertisement to sell my diesel engine in your classifieds section. I am pleased to advise you thatI have a buyer as a result of the advertisement. Please discontinue it. FYI, I have also had inquiries from West Africa and France asa result of the Internet ad you made available. I’m MAJOR impressed!! Thank you very much.” Capt C.T., St. Petersburg, FL

C L A S S I F I E D A D S

BOATS & DINGHIES

8' Thunderbird yacht dinghy. For sailors and row-ers. Aluminum mast and boom. Dacron Sail. Xlnt.Condition. $800. (352) 563-0022 (2/04)

West Marine Inflatable Dingy 9’6", 4 person, with8hp Nissan. Rollup alum. floor, inflatable keel,seat,carrying bag. Self bailing. Used less than 10hrs. $1450 - call (404) 834-4630 Orlando (3/04)

Penguin Class Sailboat 11.5 ft. Beautiful West Sys-tem boat by Annapolis sailmaker 1997. Outsidewhite awlgrip, rails and inside varnish. Excellentcondition. Trailer, complete package. $3500. (954)401-5335, [email protected]. (3/04)

Buccaneer 18' daysailer/racer. Two mains & jibs,one chute, 2hp OB, trailer, all new top notch run-ning rigging, Harken hardware, great condition. Afast, fun, and easy boat to sail. $2,900. Dan (941)758-7276 or [email protected] (2/04)

Ideal 18 (1996) Keelboat in pristine condition; drysailed winters, garaged summers. Spinnakerequipped. Fast, stable racer or day sailer. Trailer suit-able for ramp or crane launching. $11,000. (941)639-9672, [email protected] (3/04)

19' Lightning 1975 Allen - 12612 New mast 5/03,new rudder, all new lines, lots of new rigging withNorth sails. Pictures available, $2900. Firm. 813-818-4596 or [email protected] (2/04)

Hunter 212 (2000) 21' centerboard mini-cruiseror great daysailer with large cockpit. Bimini, 5 hp

64

THIS AD FOR RENT

starting at$34/month.

Call(941) 795-8704 or

[email protected]

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDSAdvertise your business in a displayad inthe classifieds section. Sold bythe column inch. 2 inch minimum.

(3 column inches is 1/8 page) Monthly Cost Minimum Total

Ads Per Inch Inches Cost

12 $17 2" $346 $20 2" $403 $23 2" $461 $27 2" $54

Windrider 16 Trimaran a safe and easy sailboatdesigned for one person but can also carry twomore. Price is $3000 which includes a custom trailer.Located in Stuart, FL (772) 220-7750 or Email [email protected] See boat review in Sept.2003 issue of Southwinds or go towww.windride.com (3/04)

For Sale 17' O’Day Sailor (type II) $2,195 orOBO. Modified for single handed sailing withRoller Furling, Tiller Tender, Electric Trollingmotor, and topping lift. Custom cockpit cush-ions, custom cockpit cover, main sail cover.Depth sounder / fish finder. Two sets of sails.Two head stays. EZ load Trailer. Call Glenn at(813) 949 0341 (4/04)

FLYING SCOT 19’ Very attractively priced newboats used only for the Adams Cup finals. Race-rigged and professionally tuned. Includes NorthSails main, jib,spinnaker, and galvanized trailerAvailable in late October at Lake Norman, NC.For details Call (800) 864-7208 (3/04)


http://www.southwindssailing.com/pdfs/southwindsseptember03.pdf

http://www.windride.com






outboard, compass, front hatch, cockpit cushions,porta-potti, cooler and more! $ 7,800. obo (941)721-4452 (2/04)

1973 21' Reynolds Catamaran Great Beach cat.Good Condition. Needs a little TLC. Call for de-tails. Includes continental trailer. $2200 OBO.Must Sell. (239) 765-4433. Ft. Myers Beach (4/04)

86 SEAWARD 22, 8’4" Beam, 1’11" Draft, WingKeel, Fully Battened Main, Furling Head Sails, 8 hpHonda 2001 Four Stroke, Autopilot, Depth Gauge,VHF, AM/FM, Trailer, $8,995. Titusville,[email protected], (321) 264-0101 (2/04)

1981 Hunter 22' w/1997 Honda 8hp OB, cabinsleeps 4, porta-potty, 3 sails, boat is in great condi-tion and ready to sail! $4500 negotiable. PanamaCity, FL (850) 769-0427 (2/04)

22' Ensign Class Sloop. Sailing School fleet. Olderboats in sailing condition. With main and Jib. Fouravailable from $1500-$2500. Call (305) 665-4994(4/04)

Catalina 22' Boat, Motor, Trailer New hull and bot-tom paint. New wheels, tires, and bearings. 6 hpoutboard. Motor needs minor repair. Extra sails andnew cushions. $2000. Call (334) 280-3204 (3/04)

Catalina 22 10hp, autohelm, gps, ladder, ff, com-pass, kt meter,vhf, am/fm, potty, bilge pump, so-


65

lar, boom kicker, vang, trailer, new main, bimini,covers, hull paint, companionway, $4500 (850)678-4478 (2/04)

Ranger 22, Gary Mull designed PHRF racer/cruiser, ev-erything new or restored, 6 sails, 5hp Nissan O/B, tan-dem trailer, new Teflon bottom, race ready, $11000invested, $7000 OBO, (305) 632 9520 (4/04)

2002 Santana 22. California built sloop, heavy fixedfin keel, loaded with extras, plenty of storage lock-ers. New retail over 35K. Asking $25,000 OBO.(305) 668-8838 (4/04)

Precision 23' (1995) - shoal kee l(2'), 8hpyamaha(2002) 4 stroke electric start & tilt, 150%jib(2002), auto helm, bimini, spare parts $18,200,(941) 351-6207 (4/04)

23' Hunter sloop w/15hp electric-start Evinrude andtrailer. Draft board. Interior needs a little work. Ill-ness forces sale. Sacrifice $3000 (352) 563-0022 (2/04)

23' Ranger, Gary Mull ultralight, centerboard flyer,with full battens in as-new mainsail. 4-wheel galv.trailer. $4,000. Will take daysailer as down-payment.(941) 330-0685 (2/04)

O’Day 23, 1980 Very nicely restored. New Tasker main,new Awlgripped mast, fresh Interlux bottom. ’93Yamaha 4hp. New Potti, cooker, rigging, brightwork.GPS, VHF, CD Stereo. Lots of extras. Asking $6000.Call Rich (321) 837-1708 - [email protected]. Lo-cated Melbourne Beach, FL. (3/04)

1989 Seaward, 24', wing keel, 2003 Suzuki 6HP 4-stroke, RF150, 20-amp marine battery charger, Lo-ran, VHF, speed depth, compass, auto helm, newupholstery, small boat in trade. $10,000 (352)528-5310. (4/04)

26 ft. Pearson OD w/ 9.9 hp Johnson. Good sailinventory including spinnaker. Depth, Speed, Loran,vhf, fm/cd and many extras. Bottom was profession-ally refurbished with West system 2002. Boat hasbeen sailed regularly and is well maintained. $8,200Bob 251-209-6035 [email protected] (4/04)

1982 Catalina 27', Clean, Comfortable Cruiser, 10HP diesel, Fin Keel, Wheel Steering, Traditional lay-out, All the amenities one would expect fromCatalina Yachts. The Seaway Yacht Broker -www.Seaway2.com (228) 493-5261, (228) 467-6802, Asking $11,500, will consider offers. (4/04)

Catalina 270 Wing-keel, full electronics, autopilot,spinnker and gear, walk-thru transom, north sailsnew 2001-2002 (3 jibs, main, spinnaker) Vesselgifted to charitable organization.This organizationeager to sell boat for cash. Best offer: asking$32,500. Contact Lou at [email protected] phone 305-394-0901(4/04)

http://www.digiproofs.com/beachmaster/

http://www.seaway2.com

email:[email protected]



http://www.flyingscot.com




1973 Catalina 27, tall mast, extra heavy duty rig-ging, internal halyards, 5 winches,2 opening ports,sleeps 6, good cushions, main, jib, and spinnaker,head has holding tank, atomic 4 removed and setup for outboard, clean bottom and boat, sell forbest cash offer (361) 442-9351 [email protected](2/04)

27' Hunter, Yanmar diesel runs well, shore power,aircond, bow & stern pulpits, dbl lifelines, $5,900Miss. Coast (228) [email protected] (4/04)

1973 Albin Vega 27, 3’ 10” draft. Volvo 10 hpdiesel. R.F. Jib, full batten main w/lazy jacks,dodger, UHF, GPS, DF, knotmeter, excellent condi-tion. Great sailer $10,500 (239) 337-4977 (4/04)

Cape Dory 27' 1977 Inboard Yanmar Diesel 8 hp,Roller furling genoa, solar panel for battery charge,depth meter, bilge pump, full keel - great stability,4' draft, Carl Alberg classic design. Great condi-tion! Madeira Beach, FL. Call for appt. (727) 398-0796 (3/04)

27’ Catalina Sailboat ’84 Diesel Wheel, bimini, en-closure, autopilot, radar, pressure water, propanestove, wind generator, refrig, dinghy, davits, fan-tastic upgrades, just back from 4 mo. in Bahamas.specs pictures at www.geocities.com/catalina_5477, WPB FL (561) 547-0500, eve (561)281-2689, $15,800 OBO (4/04)

J-27 (1985) Joe Cool Excellent condition. NewNorth 3DL Genoa. Quantum sails in great con-dition. New bottom. Many extras. Very clean.Well maintained. Located in Coconut Grove.$15,000. Lionel Baugh at (917) 821-3308 /(305)969-8107 or email at [email protected](4/04)

28' Coronado 1975, Sailmaster 9.9 motor, greatshape, new bottom, sail cover and bimini, largeinterior, separate head, sleeps 6. ready to sail. Ask-ing $10,000. Apollo Beach (813) 649-1811 (2/04)

Baba 30, 1978, bluewater cruiser, strong high-qual-ity cutter, great singlehander, well-equipped andmaintained, 27hp Yanmar, New sails, Shaeffer rollerfurling, Autohelm 4000, $53,000. Located Ft.Myers. E-mail [email protected], (239) 560-6078. (4/04)

Farr 30 Updated & Harkenized. New Paint,Graphs, Rigging, Sails, Bottom. Includes Trailer.Pictures: www.rushteam.com. $17,000. (615)371-4700 (2/04)

J-30 Hull 279 1981 Ready to race, cruise. sleeps6. Mylar Genoa, jib, main, spinnaker, New coredcabin roof, new faired bottom, new compasses,Yanmar diesel. reduced to $19,900. (954) 684-2869, (954) 401-8892 (4/04)

CAL 31 1980 Freshwater since new. Lite use.Many upgrades in 2002. Located near Atlanta,GA. $27,500 Call (770) 540-9796 (4/04)

Prout 31' Catamaran Semi-project. Needs paint-ing. Most of sanding done. Honda 15, GPS, radar,solar, roller furling, dinghy, new Mercury 5, lotsanew stuff. $28,500 [email protected] (3/04)

32' Pearson Vanguard Classic in great shape andvery well equipped: Yanmar, Harken Furling, Newsails, equipped to cruise see www.dneve.com/sultana or call (305) 772-7218, $24,000 (4/04)

Pearson 33 1986 hull #16 Draft 3’10”w/cb, per-fect for racing or cruising the shallow waters ofBahamas & Florida. a/c, davits, refrigerator, manyextras; documented. Asking $41,[email protected]; (239) 549-2849 (2/04)

1998 PDQ 32' Catamaran. Set up for cruising. Ex-cellent condition. RIB with OB. asym spin. LyingBiloxi, MS. $129,500 call (228) 326-9425. (2/04)

33' Morgan out-islander, 1977. Bimini & dodger,hot water shower, 108 Perkins engine, autopilot,ac/reverse cycle, generator, inverter, 5.2 freezer/refrigerator, watermaker, GPS, power windlass, 2anchors (50ft chain each) 210', 350' line, davits,hard bottom dinghy, outboard, recent rigging andMack-Pack for main and 135 roller furling jib. Sleeps5. Reduced to $35,500 obo. Call (305) 893-0436.E-mail [email protected]. (4/04)

Hunter 33 1980,4' draft,sleeps 6,roller furling,diesel, electronic, A/C. New refrigeration,Autohelm, 100 amp alternator, charger, freshpaint.Coast Guard inspected.Pristine! $25,000.(941)235-1890 (4/04)

1984 Cal 35-Mark II (5' draft) 32 hp Diesel, Fullycruise and liveaboard equipped with A/C/heat, mi-crowave, stall shower, etc. Numerous recent up-

66

THIS AD FOR RENT

starting at$34/month.

Call(941) 795-8704 or

[email protected]

http://www.defender.com

http://www.geocities.com/catalina_5477





http://www.rushteam.com

http://www.raidersailoats.com


$49,500. Private sale. Andrew (954) 524-4765,e-mail [email protected] (4/04)

Condor 40 Many recent upgrades including newCalvert Main,2000 Genoa, new Bimini, 1999 twinYamaha 9.9’s, new halyards, new Raymarine speed& depth, Yanmar genset $72,000. [email protected], call (281) 218-0026. (4/04)

41' Downeaster Pilot House. 1980 one owner.AC New sail, Main, Liveaboard , propane stove,elect. Refrig. 67 hp Ford Leiman Engine. 200 gal.Water tank, GPS, Single SB, 2 cabins. $59,000.Mr. Hall (813) 645-6985 (2/04)

41' Gulfstar Ketch 1973 cruising equipped, readyto go. 2002 - 10 barrier coats and Strataglass en-closed bimini, lived aboard 14 years, selling medi-cal reasons, photos, details: $55,000www.shevard.com (904) 284-9986 X2040 (3/04)

grades and parts replaced. [email protected] or (941) 505-1558.NO BROKERS PLEASE. (2/04)

36’ Bruce Roberts Steel Hull Welded to road-ready trailer. An economical beginning for a seri-ous bluewater cruiser. This hull is fair and profes-sionally welded. $5000. (904) 476-3353. (4/04)

36' Catalina, 1988, wing keel, new dodger, canvas,cushions inside and out, Gunert Refrig. Elec. Wind-lass, davits, Garmin Chartplotter, LPG Stove, cus-tom A/C, custom bowsprit, excellent condition,$69,000. (941) 330-1222 (2/04)

1977 36' Allied Princess Ketch. Super clean, justcompleted 600mi cruise. Autopilot, 4-108, sailsrefurb./bottom 2003, great interior, HCPW, 80water, 40 diesel, 15 holding, 2001 barrier. http://home.earthlink.net/~a36ketch. (251) 968-8874(4/04)

37' 1989 Hunter 37 Legend Is fast and comfort-able and gives you the perfect weekender orcruiser. Equipment includes: depth, autopilot, 2VHFs, battery charger/inverter, dodger, bimini,and more. $69,000 (727) 363-1124. (4/04)

1984 37' Dickerson Cutter. Beautiful boat featuredin World’s Best Sailboats. Furling main and jib, staysailon boom. New ST6000 AP, new water heater,lectrasan head. 4’6" draft. Perkins 4108 diesel, newsailor prop. $77,000 e-mail [email protected] Fl. (941) 755-9316 (4/04)

Beneteau 38 1990 model new genoa, Icom SSB,compass, inverter & more. Laying Tortola, BVI.$62,000. [email protected] or (305) 310-4653 (4/04)

38' 1999 Catalina 380, full electronics, central a/c,autopilot, dinghy and outboard, many extras, ex-cellent condition, located in Ft. Lauderdale,$138,000, (954) 475-8460 or e-mail [email protected] (2/04)

99 Catalina 380 In mast furling. Up to date electron-ics. New dinghy with motor. Currently cuising Florida.$135,000. Details see http://soulstice4sale.gmn-usa.com.E-mail [email protected] (3/04)

2000 Catalina 380 Tall rig Almost new,118 enginehours. Raytheon “Pathfinder” integrated GPS/Radar,ST60 wind, speed, depth. Ardic forced air heat. Heartinterface inverter/charger. Zodiac 6 person canistercoastal life raft. Many more custom extras. Readyfor your cruising dreams! Call for detailed list. Se-attle (206) 780-3475. $162,000. (3/04)

Ericson 39 1978 rebuilt 2002, surveyed. All new38 hp diesel, electrics, plumbing, windlass, au-topilot, canvas. Plus dinghy, o/board, etc

67


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Morgan 416 OI, 1982, Perkins 62hp Diesel, Cen-ter Cockpit, 4’2" draft, Great shape, 6kw Genera-tor, plus many extras, 2 Heads, 2 Staterooms, ketchrigged, $88,000, call (727) 379-0554 or email:[email protected] (4/04)

1990 41' Morgan Classic MKII. New sails, A/C,12V Refrig. Excellent Condition. Asking $120,000.Located Miami (305) 668-8838 or (305) 790-9251(4/04)

1989 Catalina 42, 10 yr fresh-water boat. Newelectronics, invertor, Autopilot and dodger Bimini.Excellent shape with serious upgrades. LocatedFlorida west coast. $109,000. www.tapaki.com.e-mail [email protected](4/04)

68

C L A S S I F I E D A D SHELP WANTED

Southwinds is looking for someone to put togetherspecial issues for future publications, like Charter-ing Issue, Learning to Sail Issue, etc. Must be some-what experienced in the field or a related field, andinto sailing. Work on your own. Part time. ContactSteve at (941) 795-8704 [email protected]

LOOKING FOR ANOTHERBOAT TO CRUISE WITH

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER BOAT TO CRUISE WITHSailing my 30' Sailboat from Florida to Belize on orabout March 1st. I am looking for another boat ortwo to make the trip with me. Interested? Call An-tonio (941) 624-2530 or e-mail: [email protected]

MISCELLANEOUSBOAT GEAR

NEW & USED

New-unused hookah dive system Surface-supplieddive rig with 120-volt compressor, 50-foot hose andregulator. Operate off small inverter or generator. Paid$900, will sell for $500. (305) 849-1127 (4/04)

Harken gennaker furler#1900 Light use - $325 plusshipping. Navionics Chesapeake plotter chip $100Punta Gorda FL (941) 505-5053; Teak boards, an-chors - Fortress FX23, Danforths, Deltas, Bruce, DQR,Aqua Finn Sailboat, Mirage sailboard, Dyer SailingDinghy, Navico PT 100 (new) Tiller Pilot, Autohelm4000 wheel Pilot, Walker Bay Dinghy. Nautical Trader(941) 488-0766. www.nauticaltrader.net/ (4/04)

Wheels CustomLeathered –Satisfactionguaranteed, 1 yearwarranty. Free turkshead. Over 100satisfied customerslast year. ContactRay Glover atSunrise Sails Plus(941) 721-4471 [email protected]

Dahon Stainless Steel 3-sp Folding Bikes Greatcondition $450 pair, Pur-35 manual watermakernever used new $550, Used Magma propane grill$60, e-mail Jim @[email protected] (4/04)

Excellent 34’7" Aluminum Mast 3’6" spreaders,12' 8" boom, 11’10" whisker pole. Mainsail, 3-reefs, 3 winches, 15 mast steps, rigging, insulatedbackstay, can deliver. Make offer. Call (863) 675-4244. (4/04)

Spinnaker Pole 15’x4" with 2 piston ends. Verygood. $350 OBO (772) 878-4721 (4/04)

Dripless PackingProven high-techpropeller and rudderpacking that outlasts allother packings and isvirtually dripless. Easy toinstall. Bilges stay dry.Won’t damage shafts.Economical. Dealerinquiries welcome. TollFree (877) 432-2221 orwww.e-marine-inc.com

44' Bruce Roberts custom pilot house. Steel/stainless steel, Volvo 6cyl., 120hp diesel, high rig,electric windlass, GPS, Autopilot, Depth, SSB,Hard dodger, fast, comfortable, safe, and spa-cious. (985) 285-0874. (4/04)

BOOKS & CHARTSPier 17 Charts & PublicationsDMA-NOAA-TOPOS-NTM-Textbooks. South’slargest nautical store at 4619 Roosevelt Blvd.,Jacksonville, FL 32210. (904) 387-4669 (800)332-1072 Fax (904) 389-1161

Ocean Routing – Jenifer Clark’s Gulf StreamBoat Routing/Ocean Charts by the “best in thebusiness.” (301) 952-0930, fax (301) 574-0289or www.erols.com/gulfstrm

BUSINESS/INVESTMENTOPPORTUNITIES

Construction/Real Estate investment Highly-ex-perienced, honest, licensed, responsible and reli-able contractor seeks investor/partner in new con-struction/remodeling in West Florida. Perhaps aspec house or purchase to remodel. Contractoris experienced in custom homes of all sizes, in-cluding very high end homes. Only interested indoing interesting and enjoyable projects. (941)795-8711

Sabre Sails is expanding its dealer network. Ifyou are interested in a rewarding business witha fun side, call (850) 244-0001 or [email protected]

Sailtime.com is looking for base operators on theFlorida coast. This may suit existing marine busi-ness owners who wish to add an additional in-come stream. Sailtime is a unique business modelthat requires minimal capital and no staff. Tel.(813) 817-0104 or [email protected]

CREW AVAILABLEVisit Southwinds new boat and crewlisting ser-vice at southwindssailing.com

CREW WANTEDVisit Southwinds new boat and crewlisting ser-vice at southwindssailing.com

ELECTRONICSSeaTech Systems – Computerized navigation& communication. Call for free Cruiser’s Guideto the Digital Nav Station and CAPN demo disk.(800) 444-2581 or (281) 334-1174,[email protected], www.sea-tech.com

Best Prices – Solar panels,wind generators, chargecontrollers, deep cyclebatteries, solar panel andwind generator mounting hard-ware. Authorized dealer for Siemens,Kyocera, Solarex, and Uni-Solar solar panels,Air Marine wind generator, Deka, Trojan, andSurrette deep cycle batteries.™ Toll free (877)432-2221 www.e-marine-inc.com


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Feathering Propeller, Adjustable pitch, twoblades 16"x4", shaft 1 1/8" x 35" + prop. $350OBO, (772) 878-4721 (4/04)

Honda 9.9 HP 4 stroke outboard, 2000, 8" shaft,elect. start , 6 amp alt. output for battery charg-ing. Exc. cond./ low hrs. Only $1550. ($2939new) (941) 505-9772 (4/04)

GPS New Garmin Street Pilot III (deluxe). Por-table GPS w/ auto routing and voice. IncludesCD-Rom, mounts, data card, etc. Great for boatand/or car! $600 obo. (386) 426-5978 (4/04)

TIRALO floating deck chair - a beach chair thatfloats in water and rolls easily on the sand. Looksgreat. Folds and fits on your boat or inside yourcar. More info: www.oasisllc.com [email protected]

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASEOffice and warehouse space available for leaseto marine-related businesses. Great for boat bro-kers or sales representatives. High speed Internetaccess. JSI (727) 577-3220

LODGING FOR SAILORS

Ponce de Leon HotelHistoric downtownhotel at the bay,across from St.Petersburg YC.95 Central Ave.St. Petersburg, FL33701(727) 550-9300

FAX (727) 826-1774 www.poncedeleonhotel.com

SAILING INSTRUCTION

69

Air Duck 41Anchor Trophy Race 45Aqua Graphics 68Atlantic Sails 54Banks Sails 69Beneteau Sailboats BCBeta Marine 23Bluewater Insurance 6Bluewater Sailing Supply 28Boaters Exchange 17BoatUS 39Bob and Annie’s Boatyard 22Bo’sun Supplies 57Bubba Book 34Cape Fear Yachts 12Carson/Beneteau BCCrow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina 44Cruising Direct Sails 16Davis Maritime Surveying 59Defender Industries 66Dockside Radio 41Don’s Salvage 21Dwyer Mast 67Eastern/Beneteau BCFinish Line Multihulls 38First Patriot Insurance 25Fleetside Marine Service 65Flying Scot Sailboats 65Garhauer Hardware 9Glacier Bay Refrigeration 23Great Outdoors Publishing 60Gulf Coast Yacht Sales 64Gunkholer’s Cruising Guide 60Hong Kong Sailmakers 50Hotwire/Fans and other products 68Hunter Sailboats 10,11Island Marine Products 29Island Time PC 69JR Overseas/Moisture Meter 21Martek Dinghy Davits 67Massey Yacht Sales 7,14,17,19,27,35,IBCMasthead Enterprises 24,69Murray Yacht Sales/Beneteau BCNational Sail Supply 44Nautical Trader 53North Sails 14Pasadena Marina 54Performance Sail & Sport 15Raider Sailboats 66RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke 20Regata del Sol al Sol 30R-parts Refrigeration 20Sail Exchange/Used Sails 49SailAmerica/Strictly Sail Miami 3Sailboat Row/Salt Creek Marine District 40Sailor’s Soap 26,32,57Sailtime 67Sarasota Sailing Squadron Midwinters 48Sarasota Youth Sailing Program 63Schurr Sails 13Scurvy Dog Marine 59Sea School 58Sea Tech 56Snug Harbor Boats 13St. Augustine Sailing School 69St. Barts/Beneteau BCSuncoast Inflatables 37Tackle Shack 43Tampa Sailing Squadron 63UK Sails 47Ullman sails 53Weathermark Sailing 51West Marine IFCWindcraft Catamarans 62

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

SAILS & CANVAS

USED SAILS SAVE $$$ 1000s of headsails, mains& spinnakers. We ship everywhere, satisfactionguaranteed. We also buy sails. Sail Exchange.(800) 628-8152. 407 Fullerton Ave. NewportBeach CA 92663 www.sailexchange.com See Dis-play ad in Index of advertisers

Hong Kong Sail Makers CruisingSail Specialists Top Quality, BestPrice Delivery 2 - 3 WeeksDial international code (011)(852) 2789 1938(852) 2789 3155(FAX) E-mail: [email protected]

WINDSURFING GEAR WANTED

Used Prodigy (standard or race) and other boards,and miscellaneous other windsurfing equipment.Steve (941) [email protected]


For Classified Ad Info see pg 64

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Uneasy Riderby Morgan Stinemetz

Sailing means a great deal to me. I got caught upin the magic of it all back in 1976 when I got aride on a friend’s Heritage 36-foot sloop. He and

several buddies from the Washington, D.C., area hadcome to St. Petersburg to be a part of the SouthernOcean Racing Conference (SORC).After an hour ortwo sailing off St. Petersburg under sunny skies on aJanuary morning, I discovered that gentle ambiancewhich seems to adhere to the sport of sailing.

My friend put me on the helm of Yellow Jacketand told me which way to point the boat while heand his buddies spoke in arcane sailing terms aboutsail cloth and trim. I couldn’t understand what they were talk-ing about, but I knew that I wanted to be a part of sailing.

Within two weeks of my epiphany, I had sold my open cock-pit fishing boat and had bought a 27-foot Ericson sailboat. Theboat has been a big part of my life since. My wife, Janice, and Iget lots of use out of our boat; more, I think, than average.

Janice is a good sport about sailing most of the time. Whileshe still has trouble starting the outboard engine on our boat,she does most of the foredeck work with grace and alacrity. Inaddition, she is very good at setting the anchor. She’s equallygood at reminding me that the anchor never drags when shesets it, as it did once when I let it go over the side a bit casually.

We’ve had some marvelous times on our boat. We’ve spentmore long weekends cruising than I can possibly recall. Most ofthem have been tranquil and peaceful. Janice can fix delightfulculinary treats in a galley that’s definitely a tad Spartan. She’sresourceful, clever and a great hostess. No one has ever left ourboat hungry.

What bothers Janice is weather. You see, she got trauma-tized once, while crewing on a 63-foot yawl out in the Gulf. Janicewas one of six people, including the professional captain, Ole, aSwede, who sailed the boat down to Key West from Boca Grandeone lovely summer day, back in 1981. Unfortunately, the winddusted up to about 35 knots that night. The boat took a bit of apounding. The number two genoa blew out in the dark, and thecrew had to scramble to get it down. Janice came back from thetrip weary and windblown.

She has never been quite the same since. When the calen-dar calls for a day of sailing on, say, Saturday, Janice starts check-ing all the weather forecasts way ahead of time. She looks at thelong range forecasts in the newspaper. She checks the weatheron every television station we can get. She just can’t get enoughweather information about the weekend.

Early in the week, she looks for fronts moving across theSierras, out along the California/Nevada line. Even a local thun-derstorm in Elko, NV, gets her attention.

“That looks like something serious,” she’ll mutter just loudlyenough so I can hear her. “It’ll probably turn into a hurricanebefore the weekend.”

Logic means nothing to her when she gets her wind up.Telling her that hurricanes hardly happen in, for example, March,begets no reasonable reaction. Logic withers in the face of re-lentless emotion.

As the week progresses, she spends more and more time

checking national and international weather fore-casts we receive on the Weather Channel, on cable.“It looks like a big cold front is moving down fromCanada,” she’ll report, her brows knitted in con-sternation. “Winds are heavy. Maybe we shouldthink of doing something else this weekend. I hearthere’s a big sale at...”

Heavy winds to Janice amount to anything thatwill barely fill a three-quarter-ounce cruising chute.I mean, if Janice ever were put in charge of refigur-ing the Beaufort Scale, what is now Force 12 woulddrop down to what is now Force 3. Storm warn-

ings would go up every afternoon when the sea breeze filledin. A legitimate gale warning would send her looking for herluggage so she could pack her bags and move to Iowa for theduration.

When the weekend arrives, she has all her senses at fullalert. “Hear that wind roaring outside?” she observed earlyone Saturday morning as she woke up. “Maybe we shouldn’tgo out today. It’s probably rough out there.”

“That’s a truck out on the highway,” I pointed out.“Sounds like wind to me. Besides, you’re getting deaf,”

she countered. She always tells me I’m getting deaf when myappraisal of weather conditions doesn’t agree with hers.

I got out of bed and checked the palm tree across the ca-nal. Its branches swayed gently in a morning easterly breeze.The wind was probably 3-4 knots. Janice appeared at myshoulder and guessed the wind at 20, gusts to 35. “I’m notsure we should go out,” she said again.

“But the winds are light,” I said. “We’ll use the 150 per-cent gennie and a full main.”

“I haven’t been feeling that well,” Janice complained. “Allthis wind makes my ulcer act up. I wouldn’t have my ulcer atall if it wasn’t for you taking the boat out in all kinds of heavywind.” Janice’s ulcer, apparently, got its start on the boat whenwe exceeded 20 degrees of heel for more than 30 seconds atsome indeterminate time in the past.

“Listen, we’re going out today, Janice. It’s no big thing.”“Well, I haven’t been to the store yet. I have to get things

ready,” she replied. Janice can spend three hours shoppingfor eight ounces of ham and Swiss cheese on a windy day.She can also spend another couple of hours making sand-wiches.

“Let’s just grab a couple of apples and go sailing,” I sug-gested.

Janice had survival on her mind. “Is there enough drink-ing water on the boat? Is the water tank full? Do you have gasfor the engine? Gas for the stove? Is the storm jib on board?Where’s the life raft? Have you got the reefing line for thesecond reef?”

We got away from the dock that Saturday only two hourslater than I would have liked. The wind never got much over10 knots. We sailed without heeling more than 10 degrees andnever went faster than four knots all day.

Janice had a super time. She even took off her foul weathergear and her safety harness.

Janice

Southwindsfebruary2004

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